Showcase Sunday (11)

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Showcase Sunday is a weekly meme hosted by Vicki atBooks, Biscuits, and Tea, where we showcase what books we've gotten throughout the course of the week, whether it be from a book store, bought for your eReader, received from the library, or from the publishers for review.

For Review: 


 

Received from Friend:



Bought: 



I'm not really sure what to think of the books the I received this week. Honestly, I think it's safe to say that the only book I'm actually looking forward to reading that I got this week is Venom. If I had gotten Beta and Dark Star a few months ago, I would have been ecstatic, but now, I'm just underwhelmed, considering they've both gotten fairly negative reviews from friends of mine, especially Beta. I don't know. We'll see. If anything, I'll pass on Beta and Dark Star and host a giveaway for them soon. And as for The Casual Vacancy, well... I think we all know the reason I bought that. The book itself sounds incredibly dull and boring, but... JK ROWLING!!

What did you get this week? 

Leave a link in the comments!

Review: The Diviners by Libba Bray

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The Diviners
Libba Bray
Series: Diviners, #1
Release Date: September 18th, 2012
Publisher: Little, Brown 
Number of Pages: 578
Source: Bought
Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

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Evie O'Neill has been exiled from her boring old hometown and shipped off to the bustling streets of New York City--and she is pos-i-toot-ly thrilled. New York is the city of speakeasies, shopping, and movie palaces! Soon enough, Evie is running with glamorous Ziegfield girls and rakish pickpockets. The only catch is Evie has to live with her Uncle Will, curator of The Museum of American Folklore, Superstition, and the Occult--also known as "The Museum of the Creepy Crawlies."

When a rash of occult-based murders comes to light, Evie and her uncle are right in the thick of the investigation. And through it all, Evie has a secret: a mysterious power that could help catch the killer--if he doesn't catch her first.
"Naughty John, Naughty John, does his work with his apron on. Cuts your throat and takes your bones, sells 'em off for a coupla stones."

My initial rating given to The Diviners was a full, glowing five stars, five stars being the knee-jerk rating I give to books I love. However, sometimes, when writing a review for the books I give five stars (or really any other rating), I realize that there were some certain things in the book I'm reviewing that would result in me taking away stars from my initial rating. Of course, there are some instances where I fully acknowledge the faults a book has, but give it five stars nonetheless, the most recent case being with Ultraviolet. But then, of course, there are some instances where, even if I love a book to bits, I fully acknowledge its faults and just can't give it the full five stars. This is the case with The Diviners.

As a disciplinary act, young and rebellious Evangeline - or, as she is more commonly called, Evie - O'Neill is sent from Ohio to New York City by order of her parents, to live with her uncle, Will Fitzgerald, curator of The Museum of American Folklore, Superstition, and the Occult - or, as that is more commonly called, The Museum of the Creepy Crawlies. However, unbeknownst to her parents, Evie is incredibly anxious to escape from the clutches of her parents and those in her hometown who judge her to the buzzing New York City, where people are bound to accept her rebellion and promiscuity. And maybe, while she's there, go to a speakeasy or three. But Evie also has a secret: a special ability that may just come in handy as she is thrown into the crazy world of The City That Never Sleeps, as well as a creepy and ritualistic string of murders.

Going into The Diviners, I wasn't entirely sure what I would get considering the murder mystery, only provided with the knowledge that the murderer ended up creeping out quite a few friends of mine. Me, however, being the 'nothing can scare me!' person that I proclaim myself to be, didn't expect much from the murderer, and was at least hoping to find an entertaining plot behind the murders and murderer that were clearly not going to scare me. Y'know, 'cause I'm tough like that.

I stand corrected.

Waiting on Wednesday (September 26)

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Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine, where we post upcoming releases we're highly anticipating. My pre-publication selection for this week's Waiting on Wednesday is Paper Valentine by Brenna Yovanoff.
 Paper Valentine
Brenna Yovanoff
Series: None
Release Date: January 8th, 2013
Publisher: Razorbill
Number of Pages: 368

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A girl does a macabre dance with death in this eerie new novel from New York Times bestselling author Brenna Yovanoff.

The city of Ludlow is gripped by the hottest July on record.  The asphalt is melting, the birds are dying, petty crime is on the rise, and someone in Hannah Wagnor’s peaceful suburban community is killing girls.

For Hannah, the summer is a complicated one.  Her best friend Lillian died six months ago, and Hannah just wants her life to go back to normal. But how can things be normal when Lillian’s ghost is haunting her bedroom, pushing her to investigate the mysterious string of murders?  Hannah’s just trying to understand why her friend self-destructed, and where she fits now that Lillian isn’t there to save her a place among the social elite. And she must stop thinking about Finny Boone, the big, enigmatic delinquent whose main hobbies seem to include petty larceny and surprising acts of kindness.

With the entire city in a panic, Hannah soon finds herself drawn into a world of ghost girls and horrifying secrets.  She realizes that only by confronting the Valentine Killer will she be able move on with her life—and it’s up to her to put together the pieces before he strikes again.

Paper Valentine is a hauntingly poetic tale of love and death by the New York Times bestselling author of The Replacement and The Space Between.
Eeeek! I absolutely can't wait to read Paper Valentine! Based on the synopsis, it has everything I love most in a novel rolled up in one: a murder mystery, ghosts, and secrets. GIMME GIMME GIMME. 

What are you waiting on? 

Leave a link in the comments!

Showcase Sunday (10)

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Showcase Sunday is a weekly meme hosted by Vicki at Books, Biscuits, and Tea, where we showcase what books we've gotten throughout the course of the week, whether it be from a book store, bought for your eReader, received from the library, or from the publishers for review.

Bought: 


  
 


What did you get this week? 

Leave a link in the comments!

Review (Eh..): Ultraviolet by RJ Anderson

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Ultraviolet
RJ Anderson
Series: Ultraviolet, #1
Release Date: June 2nd, 2011
Publisher: Orchard
Number of Pages: 410
Source: Bought
Rating 5 of 5 stars

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Once upon a time there was a girl who was special.

This is not her story.

Unless you count the part where I killed her.

Sixteen-year-old Alison has been sectioned in a mental institute for teens, having murdered the most perfect and popular girl at school. But the case is a mystery: no body has been found, and Alison’s condition is proving difficult to diagnose. Alison herself can’t explain what happened: one minute she was fighting with Tori—the next she disintegrated. Into nothing. But that’s impossible. Right?

This book and I are eloping. It's settled and there's nothing you can do to stop it. No, seriously. We've planned the eloping and everything. Go find another book to elope with. Ultraviolet is mine. Forever and ever. But not in a creepy way, or anything like that... *awkward laugh*

It's been three days still I finished Ultraviolet, and I still cannot think coherently. Honestly, it's a miracle I can form full sentences at this point. If my incoherency, eloping, or rating weren't a clear indication, I love this book. A lot, actually. Does it have its problems? Of course. Every book has its problems. Do I care? No.

I will tiptoe very, very lightly around writing this synopsis, because I'm afraid anything in this book can be a spoiler. Actually, I don't trust myself writing a synopsis for Ultraviolet. All you need to know is that it's about a young teenager named Alison who is convicted of killing a girl in her school by disintegrating her with her mind, and she is currently in a mental hospital. Then things happen.

"Then things happen." Man, I have such a way with words.

Recent Cover Reveals

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'Til The World Ends
Julie Kagawa, Ann Aguirre, Karen Duvall
Series: Blood of Eden, #0.5
Release Date: January 29th, 2013
Publisher: Harlequin Luna 
Number of Pages: 384

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Dawn of Eden by Julie Kagawa

Before The Immortal Rules, there was the Red Lung, a relentless virus determined to take out all in its path. For Kylie, the miracle of her survival is also her burden—as a doctor at one of the clinics for the infected, she is forced to witness endless suffering. What’s worse, strange things are happening to the remains of the dead, and by the time she befriends Ben Archer, she’s beginning to wonder if a global pandemic is the least of her problems...

Thistle & Thorne by Ann Aguirre

After a catastrophic spill turns the country into a vast chemical wasteland, those who could afford it retreated to fortresses, self-contained communities run by powerful corporations. But for Mari Thistle, life on the outside—in the Red Zone—is a constant struggle. To protect her family, Mari teams up with the mysterious Thorne Goodman. Together, they’ll face an evil plot in both the underworld of the Red Zone and the society inside the fortresses that could destroy those on the outside... for good.

Sun Storm by Karen Duvall

Sarah Daggot has been chasing storms since she was a child. But after the biggest solar flares in history nearly destroy the planet, she becomes a Kinetic, endowed by her exposure to extreme radiation with the power to sense coming storms—in the cosmos and beyond. And she’s not the only one. Sarah believes the Kinetics are destined to join forces and halt the final onslaught of the sun. She’ll vow to keep trying to convince the one missing link in their chain of defense, the enigmatic Ian Matthews, up until the world ends.

What I think: Love this cover. I can't think of anything else to say about it other than that it's so cool!


 If I Should Die
Amy Plum
Series: Revenants, #3
Release Date: May 2013
Publisher: Atom
Number of Pages: Unknown

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No synopsis available.

 

What I think: Bahahaha! That's so cheesy


False Sight
Dan Krokos
Series: False Memory, #2
Release Date: August 2013
Publisher: Hyperion
Number of Pages: Unknown 

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No synopsis available.






What I think: I really like the covers for False Sight and False Memory, and I love the little circuit looking things in both of them. Though I have to say I like the cover for False Memory more. 


What do you think? 


Waiting on Wednesday (September 19)

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Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine, where we post upcoming releases we're highly anticipating. My pre-publication selection for this week's Waiting on Wednesday is Quicksilver by RJ Anderson.
Quicksilver
RJ Anderson
Series: Ultraviolet, #2
Release Date: January 2013
Publisher: Orchard Books
Number of Pages: 400

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Once I was a girl who was special.

Now I am extraordinary.
And they will never stop hunting me.

The compelling follow-up to the bestselling ULTRAVIOLET, this psychological thriller will take your breath away...
I'm currently reading this book's predecessor, Ultraviolet, and absolutely love it! So, despite the fact that I'm not even done with the first book in this series yet, I am definitely looking forward to Quicksilver, especially putting into consideration that Ultraviolet is supposed to end with a huge twist and cliffhanger.

[UPDATE]: Well, I reached the huge twist everyone's been talking about, and I unfortunately saw most of it coming, but I still love the book!

[UPDATE X2]: Finished it. Loved it. Need this. 

What are you waiting on?

Leave a link in the comments! 

Review: Red Rain by RL Stine

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Red Rain
R.L. Stine
Series: None (THANK GOODNESS)
Release Date: October 9th, 2012
Publisher: Touchstone
Number of Pages: Far too many 384
Source: Edelweiss
Rating: 1 of 5 stars

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R.L. Stine, New York Times bestselling author of the Goosebumps and Fear Street series—the biggest selling children’s books of all time—delivers a terrifying new adult horror novel centered on a town in the grip of a sinister revolt.

Before there was J.K. Rowling, before there was Stephenie Meyer or Suzanne Collins, there was R.L. Stine. Witty, creepy, and compulsively readable, he defined horror for a generation of young readers—readers who have now come of age.

Travel writer Lea Sutter finds herself on a small island off the coast of South Carolina, the wrong place at the wrong time. A merciless, unanticipated hurricane cuts a path of destruction and Lea barely escapes with her life. In the storm’s aftermath, she discovers orphaned twin boys and impulsively decides to adopt them. The boys, Samuel and Daniel, seem amiable and immensely grateful; Lea’s family back on Long Island—husband Mark and their two children, Ira and Elena—aren’t quite so pleased. But even they can’t anticipate the twins’ true nature—or predict that, within a few weeks’ time, Mark will wind up implicated in two brutal murders, with the police narrowing in.

For the millions of readers who grew up on Goosebumps, and for every fan of deviously inventive horror, this is a must-read from a beloved master of the genre.

I don't think I could possibly put into words how much I was looking forward to Red Rain when I had heard that it would be an adult horror novel written by none other than RL Stine, and, as well as that, I don't think I could possibly put into words how excited I when I was given an ARC of Red Rain. With all of that being said, I also don't think I could put into words how thoroughly disappointed I am with this book in the long run.

Lea Sutter is a travel blogger, and, for one of her travel expeditions, she decides to go to an island off the coast of South Carolina. Unfortunately, as she arrives at the small island, she is greeted by creepy rituals, and a life-threatening hurricane. Inspecting the rubble which the hurricane resulted in, Lea finds two young boys, now homeless, and without a family. Lea eventually decides to adopt those two boys on a whim, and then takes them back to her home in Sag Harbor, Long Island, where things go awry.

Or, simply put, Red Rain is a shitty rehash of the movie Orphan. With twins. And a hurricane.

I am not amused.

Showcase Sunday (9)

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COMMENTS
Showcase Sunday is a weekly meme hosted by Vicki at Books, Biscuits, and Tea, where we showcase what books we've gotten throughout the course of the week, whether it be from a book store, bought for your eReader, received from the library, or from the publishers for review.

For Review: 


 

Bought: 


  


This week on Finding Bliss in Books: 


Waiting on Wednesday: Out of The Easy by Ruta Sepetys

I'm so, so excited to start each and every book I received this week, with a particular focus on Red Rain. RL Stine was my favorite childhood author, so when I heard he was writing again, and writing adult horror novels at that, I nearly died of anticipation. That being said, you can imagine my immense giddiness at my receiving an ARC of Red Rain. In fact, I was so excited to read Red Rain, I started it the second I got it. I'm not entirely sure what to think of it so far, but the writing is ... really not good at all... I think it'd be safe to say that you can expect a review on the blog by Monday or Tuesday. As well as that, I also cannot wait to read Blind Spot, because it sounds oh-so deliciously creepy, and I am so looking forward to reading the books I bought this week, especially Hater because my friend Jenni at Alluring Reads really liked it, so I'm hoping I like it as well. And as for Vessel and Don't Turn Around, Vessel has sandstorms, sandwolves, and glass serpents, so I'm fairly certain that's going to be kickass, and Don't Turn Around has received great reviews from friends of mine, so I'm hoping for the best!

What did you get this week? 

Leave a link in the comments!

100 Follower Giveaway Winners!

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And now, the moment you've all been waiting for... the winner announcement of my 100 Follower Giveaway! Before I announce the winners, I would like to give thanks to everyone who entered in my giveaway, and congratulated me in reaching 100 followers. I love all of my followers, and I'd be nowhere without you, so thank you very, very much. And now for the winners! Okay, so, the winners of the 100 Follower Giveaway are...

Entry #67: Rebecca


Entry #368: Austin Kay

 

Entry #755: Lucy R


Congratulations to Rebecca, Austin, and Lucy! If anyone is interested, here are the books that the winners chose: 

Rebecca chose: The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken, Scarlet by Melissa Meyer, and Beta by Rachel Cohn. 

Austin chose: Legend by Marie Lu, Prodigy by Marie Lu, and Erasing Time by C.J. Hill. 

Lucy chose: Speechless by Hannah Harrington, Scarlet by Melissa Meyer, and The Lost Girl by Sangu Mandanna. 

Again, thanks to everyone who entered the giveaway, and sent me their support. If you were hoping to win this giveaway but did not, keep your eyes peeled for a few more giveaways in the near future, including my 6 Month Blogoversary Giveaway, coming in early October, which I plan to be epic. I hope you think it is epic, and I wish you the best of luck in my upcoming giveaways. 

Guest Review: Saving June

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Saving June
Hannah Harrington
Series: None
Release Date: November 22nd, 2011
Publisher: Harlequin
Number of Pages: 322
Rating: 2 of 5 stars
Reviewed by: Vanessa 'Sei'

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When her older sister commits suicide and her divorcing parents decide to divide the ashes, Harper Scott takes her sister's urn to the one place June always wanted to go: California. On the road with her best friend, plus an intriguing guy with a mysterious connection to June, Harper discovers truths about her sister, herself and life.

Guest Review 


Saving June is going to be sat firmly on the 'not my cup of tea' shelf, right alongside my box of Earl Grey. I realise that's a bold statement to make, considering how mercurial my tastes seem to be at any given time, but this book and I seriously did not get along.

The story is about Harper, a teenage girl living in the shadow of her perfect elder sister, June. Soon after their parents get divorced, June commits suicide. After her funeral, an argument breaks out over who will get to keep an urn with the ashes now that their parents have separated. Harper decides to take matters into her own hands, steal June's ashes and drive across the country to scatter them in California. (Huh. Sounds like a more tragic version of the movie-length Nintendo advert The Wizard.) She's joined by her best friend Laney, and a boy named Jake, who June used to be friends with before she died.

Looking at the synopsis alone, you'd expect a really sweet, sentimental story. Harper doesn't sound selfish, she just needs some time away from her hectic family situation to cope with her loss, and Laney could be her shoulder to cry on. It would also be fun to figure out the mystery revolving around Jake's connection to June, considering they ran in completely different crowds and were actually very close friends.

Waiting on Wednesday (September 12)

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Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted byBreaking the Spine, where we post upcoming releases we're highly anticipating. My pre-publication selection for this week's Waiting on Wednesday is Out of The Easy by Ruta Sepetys.

Out of The Easy
Ruta Sepetys
Series: None
Release Date: February 13th, 2013
Publisher: Philomel Books
Number of Pages: 348

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It's 1950, and as the French Quarter of New Orleans simmers with secrets, seventeen-year-old Josie Moraine is silently stirring a pot of her own. Known among locals as the daughter of a brothel prostitute, Josie wants more out of life than the Big Easy has to offer. She devises a plan to get out, but a mysterious death in the Quarter leaves Josie tangled in an investigation that will challenge her allegiance to her mother, her conscience, and Willie Woodley, the brusque madam on Conti Street.


Josie is caught between the dream of an elite college and a clandestine underworld. New Orleans lures her in her quest for truth, dangling temptation at every turn, and escalating to the ultimate test.

With characters as captivating as those in her internationally bestselling novel Between Shades of Gray, Ruta Sepetys skillfully creates a rich story of secrets, lies, and the haunting reminder that decisions can shape our destiny.
Secrets, New Orleans, an escape plan, a murder investigation, and a 'clandestine underworld'?! Say no more, I am in! This book sounds like it was written for me. I absolutely cannot wait to read this! 

What are you waiting on? 

Leave a link in the comments! 

Review: Incarnation by Emma Cornwall

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Incarnation
Emma Cornwall
Series: None
Release Date: September 18th, 2012
Publisher: Gallery Books
Number of Pages: 352
Source: Edelweiss
Rating: 4 of 5 stars 

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In the steampunk world of Victorian London, a beautiful vampire seeks out the author of Dracula–to set the record straight . . . If one is to believe Bram Stoker’s legendary vampire tale, Lucy Weston is Dracula’s most wanton creation, a sexual creature of the night who preys on innocent boys. But the real-life Lucy is nothing like her fictional counterpart—and she demands to know why the Victorian author deliberately lied. With Stoker’s reluctant help, she’s determined to track down the very fiend who transformed her—from the sensual underworld where humans vie to become vampires, to a hidden cell beneath a temple to madness, and finally into the glittering Crystal Palace where death reigns supreme.

Haunted by fragmentary memories of her lost life and love, Lucy must battle her thirst for blood as she struggles to stop a catastrophic war that will doom vampires and humans alike. Ultimately, she must make a choice that illuminates for her—and for us—what it means to be human.
"Look in the skies above you," he said. "With each passing day, we are under ever more surveillance for no better reason than that men live in fear and suspicions of each other. Our technology outstrips our ability to reason or even to care. Walk the shortest distance beyond the better areas of this city and you will find degradation and suffering that defy description. The inhumanity of man is also part of being human."

So rarely does a paranormal novel such as Incarnation come along and effect me so emotionally, and the amount of heart this novel had beneath its vampiric elements really came as a shock to me, albeit in the best way possible. Incarnation is the black sheep among the current trend of vampire novels hitting the shelves, in that it's original, doesn't recycle other novels of the genre's storylines, and that it's actually good.

Lucy Weston finds herself buried deep underground, with a stake in her chest, and almost no memory of how she in the ground, how she got a stake in her chest, or, more importantly, who put the stake in her chest. Digging out of her own grave, Lucy finds herself in Victorian London, while the classic novel, Dracula, is newly published. Having nothing better to do, Lucy decides to read Dracula, only to find that the entire novel is just a rehashed version of her death. On a mission to find the author of Dracula, Bram Stoker, and the being who turned her from the young human she once was to the monster she currently is, Lucy soon finds herself deeper in the world of the supernatural than she ever intended to be.

Showcase Sunday (8)

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COMMENTS
Showcase Sunday is a weekly meme hosted by Vicki at Book, Biscuits, and Tea, where we showcase what books we've gotten throughout the course of the week, whether it be from a book store, bought for your eReader, received from the library, or from the publishers for review.

For Review: 


 

Splintered by A.G. Howard (via NetGalley)

Bought:  


  


I'm extremely excited to read the books I've received this week, especially Carnival of Souls and Earth Girl. I haven't seen many reviews for both, but they both sound great, and the few reviews I have read for them have been positive, so I'm hoping for the best! I'm also looking forward to Origin, because, while it has gotten mixed reviews from friends of mine, it sounds great and the positive reviews I have read suggest that I'd really enjoy it. Though I'm told it does have heavy animal violence, so I'll go in with some trepidation. 

What did you get this week?

Leave a link the comments!