Review: Rage by Jackie Morse Kessler

Source: ARC received from Thomas Allen and Sons (Distributor of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt in Canada) in exchange for an honest review.

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Release Date: April 8, 2011

(Click this link to go to Rage's Goodreads page.)

After reading Hunger, I was anxious and excited to read Rage, and I wasn't disappointed! Hunger focused on Famine one of the Horsemen of the Apocalypse, but this time, in Rage, it was War's story. While the main character was different, I was pleased with the fact that Rage still carried the same beautiful writing style that I loved in Hunger. While Hunger had characters with eating disorders, Rage centers around the new War, who happens to be a cutter. I absolutely love that Jackie managed to write a story that broaches such a serious topic as cutting without it coming off as preachy or self-righteous. She manages to approach the subject in a way where the reader can understand what the main character Melissa, or Missy, is going through.

Missy was a character that I could really empathize with, her methods for dealing with things were definitely different than my own, but I could relate to the feeling of being overwhelmed by life in general. Being overwhelmed and stressed out is something that I think most people can relate to because let's face it, we all get stressed out sometimes, and I think that while most of us choose not to use Missy's self-destructive method of coping, we can understand how it could happen. As a teenager, Missy is at the age where pretty much everything gets dramatized and seems like it's the end of the world. I'll be honest, in Rage, Missy faces some pretty intense situations, and I'm not sure how I would cope with it myself. I'd probably cry, but for Missy, cutting is how she releases all of the overwhelming emotions inside of her, she uses the physical pain to cope with the emotional pain and turmoil inside of her. I've always kind of seen this as an irrational way of dealing with emotions because hurting yourself just causes more pain and also guilt, which in turn leads to even more self-inflicted pain. It's a vicious cycle, and the thing that endeared me most about Missy was the fact that she knew this. She was completely aware of the fact that what she was doing was unhealthy and extremely harmful to herself, and she wanted to stop.Whereas, in Hunger, the main character Lisa didn't actually believe she had a problem, so while the characters both had struggles, they handled and understood them in very different ways. 

 Once again, I absolutely loved Death in Rage. I don't want to spoil anything about Death in this one, but if you've read Hunger, you probably already have an inkling about Death and War in this one. I thought that he was just as hilarious as he was in Hunger, and he totally ruled the one-liner department. The horse also totally rocked it in this one! This time it was the red horse, who is the warhorse out of them all, and I loved the little parts where we got to see the horse's narrative. I'm not sure why, but I absolutely love the horses' points of view in these books, they never fail to make me smile, even if the horse is thinking totally violent thoughts that should appall me. :P

Finally, I loved the progression of this story. It was incredibly realistic, and very believable. Melissa struggles with her problem and it doesn't just go away. She works at it, and she slowly learns to keep her anger and emotions under control. She doesn't let her anger take control of her, and because of that she finds her balance. It's a precarious balance, but it's one that she tries to maintain.

I thought that Jackie did a wonderful job with this story. Missy was someone who was so different from myself, yet I was able to connect with her and I was also able to connect with her problems. Rage was a beautiful and wonderful sequel to Hunger, and I cannot wait to read the upcoming books in this series. Over at Tynga's reviews I read an interview she had with Jackie (HERE), where Jackie mentions the next two books in the series, so I thought I would share some of that info with you all. The next book with be Pestilence's, called LOSS, and the fourth book will be Death's, called BREATH. I also just want to say that Jackie donates proceeds from her books to certain causes. With Hunger donations go to the National Eating Disorders Association and with Rage donations go to the organization To Write Love On Her Arms. I just thought that was a wonderful way to donate to some great causes, while also helping with awareness through her stories.

If you like to read emotional stories, written with beautiful language, then you should definitely check this series out! It honestly wouldn't even matter if you read them out of order, so if you want to start with Rage, I say go right ahead! Also, if things like self-inflicted harm bother you, you might not want to read this book, just giving you a fair heads up and warning, although personally, I think it's done in a way where it's not overly graphic or disturbing, but to each their own, right? :)

This book comes out in just over a week, will you be getting a copy?
What are your thoughts on Rage? Or on Hunger if you feel like talking about that one?
Any other comments/thoughts/things you'd like to share? I'd love to hear them. :)

Happy Reading!!!

Ambur ♪♫

Review: Red Glove by Holly Black

Source: eGalley from Simon and Schuster's GalleyGrab
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry
 Release Date: April 5, 2011
(Click this link to go to Red Glove's Goodreads page.)

I absolutely loved White Cat, and when I saw that Red Glove was available through Simon and Schuster's GalleyGrab I jumped at the chance to read it! And even though I've already read Red Glove, I'm going to be sure to get myself a copy of it on April 5th when it comes out! :D

In White Cat, I totally became smitten with Cassel, and I just wanted to give him a hug the whole time, the poor guy just never seems to catch a break. I absolutely love his name too, and his brother Barron's...their names rule...anyways, after I finished White Cat, I was desperate to read more, Red Glove couldn't come fast enough!

The Curse Workers series is addictive, and it's an interesting mix of paranormal with mystery and action. I absolutely love the fact that it has a male narrator, I love Cassel and I love being inside of his head. He has such an interesting perspective in his world, he's an outsider, yet even amongst outsiders he doesn't really belong. The Curse Workers series is almost like a paranormal Sopranos, except with a little more focus on the younger generation instead of the mob bosses. My mom got me hooked on the Sopranos, and I love that these books have that whole crime family feel to them.

There are some amazing characters in this series, from Cassel's grandfather, to his brothers, to his friends at school, some are workers and some aren't. Cassel already knows when most people are workers, so as a reader you're pretty informed. You feel like you have insider knowledge, and it's like you're within the inner workings of the crime system yourself. 

Red Glove, was just as addictive as White Cat...I don't want to give anything away though, but if you loved White Cat, you definitely want to read Red Glove. It had some romance, it had some actions, some stake-outs, some make-outs (yes, that rhyme was cheesy, yet also on purpose haha), and it had some crazy twists! Red Glove had me hooked from the first page, and I couldn't stop reading! Now I can't wait until Black Heart...it's gonna be a long wait :P

Here are a few other links:
Short Story From Lila's Perspective
Website to get help if you've been worked
(It's pretty informative if you haven't already read White Cat too :D )
Holly Black's Twitter
Holly Black's Livejournal

Goodreads links to other books in the Curse Workers Series:

White Cat ---The First book in the series.

Black Heart --- The next book in the series, the cover hasn't been released yet, but you can be sure that I'll post it once it has. :)

Have you read White Cat? Are you excited for Red Glove?
If you haven't read either yet, I definitely recommend them, Holly has a way with words and I hope that you'll love this series as much as I do! :D

Happy Reading!!!

♪♫ Ambur

Teaser Tuesday (20)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read

• Open to a random page

• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

• Share the title and author too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My Teasers:

"It's a Very Big Deal. Something changed today between me and Sean and I don't want to mess it up by being too aggressive."

-Sean Griswold's Head by Lindsey Leavitt, p.93

Oooh aggressive how??? ;)

Well that’s what I’m reading, have any teasers you'd like to share? :)

Happy Reading!!!

♪♫ Ambur

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? (20)

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?, is a bookish meme hosted by One Person's Journey Through a World of Books, where we gather to share what we have read this past week and what we plan to read this week. It’s a great way to network with other bloggers, see some wonderful blogs, and put new titles on your reading list. So hop on over to Journey and join in...and leave a comment here so I can check out what you are reading. All links go to Goodreads. :)

Books I Read Last Week:

• Howards End by E.M. Forster
  

I finished Howards End in time for my night class this week! Yay! Although now we're still going to be going it next week, which means I didn't really have to have had it finished, but oh well. I'm not quite sure about this book, it had moments that I really liked, but it just didn't really peak my interest. If I hadn't had to read it for school I definitely wouldn't have read it. I'm sure some people love it though, E.M. Forster certain had a way with words.

• Hunger by Jackie Morse Kessler
  

I absolutely loved Hunger! I posted my review on it too if anyone wants to check that out. From the first page of Hunger, I knew I would love it, and I did. This book was beautiful and incredibly well done. I definitely urge you to add it to your to-read list or at least look at its goodreads page to see if it's your style. :)

• Rage by Jackie Morse Kessler

I devoured Rage right after finishing Hunger and I loved it too! I plan on reviewing it later this week, so look out for that. :) I thought Rage was fantastic, and it comes out pretty soon, so look for it in Bookstores pretty soon! :D

• Unearthly by Cynthia Hand

I received an ARC earlier this month and I picked it up on Friday and devoured it! I absolutely LOVED Unearthly! I don't think I've ever been as conflicted by a love triangle as I was after reading Unearthly. I'm so anxious for the next book to come out now...I want Clara to make the choice for me :P haha I also have to decided which finished copy of the book I want to buy now, I'm thinking the UK, that one's gorgeous and since I have the ARC of the above cover, I'll kind of have both. :)

This is the UK cover, isn't it pretty??? :D

Reading Now:

• Sean Griswold's Head by Lindsey Leavitt

:D <---That right there is how big my smile was when I saw that my copy of Sean Griswold's Head had arrived from The Book Depository! My dog was on my lap, so there was no jumping in excitement, but if she hadn't been, I so would have been jumping for joy! I've been looking forward to reading this book for months now, and I've finally got my copy, I just started it and I'm totally hooked already! I have no doubt that I will be completely smitten by the time I finish this book! :D

Books I Want to Read This Week:

* Nothing planned so far :)
I've got a paper to work on, so I'm not sure what I'll be able to get to reading wise. :)
-------

And what are you reading???

Check out One Person's Journey Through a World of Books to find out what everyone else is reading. :)

Happy Reading!!!

♪♫ Ambur

Pride & Prejudice & Zombies: Dreadfully Ever After Book Trailer

I'm a huge fan of the Pride & Prejudice & Zombies Books, and I can't wait to read P&P&Z: Dreadfully Ever After! And now there's a book trailer for it, check it out:



So what do you think?
Do you plan on reading Pride & Prejudice & Zombies: Dreadfully Ever After?


Happy Reading!!!

♪♫ Ambur

Review: Hunger by Jackie Morse Kessler

Source: My own personal copy.

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Release Date: Already released.

(Click this link to go to Hunger's Goodreads page.)

My first thoughts when I started reading Hunger were about how beautifully written it was, and if you read my "It's Monday, What Are Your Reading?" posts you would have noticed that I said that right when I started the book. Jackie Morse Kessler has a gorgeous writing style, and it enthralled me from the first word. I was lucky enough to get an ARC copy of Rage from Thomas Allen and Son and as soon as I finished Hunger I dove right into Rage, I just cannot get enough of the glorious words that she writes. They're just gorgeous, and beautiful, and countless other positive adjectives. I also found these books incredibly addicting and quick. Hunger is a short book, it's under 200 pages, yet I thought that it packed quite a punch.

Hunger was filled with interesting characters, and a fascinating story line. The four horsemen of the Apocalypse, I'll be honest, it's a mythology that I've never heard of before, but now that I have, I am completely fascinated. I also loved the way that Jackie related Famine, of the four horsemen, to a girl with an eating disorder, and I loved how it was done in a way where I didn't feel like I was being forced to learn about eating disorders...I actually had to sit through a health class once where the girls were forced to do worksheets on eating disorders, while they boys learned about sex, so it was much appreciated that I didn't have go through that again. And in case you're still curious about that health class I took, yes I had a male health teacher, he also made us do worksheets on smoking, I was not impressed...but I'm getting off topic.

As I said, Hunger projected eating disorders, both bulimia and anorexia, in a way that I felt it was subtle yet descriptive enough to let the reader actually understand what Lisa (or Lisabeth), the main character, was going through. It helped show that eating disorders are a mental illness and that it wasn't by choice. Lisa had grown up in a situation where she was given little attention and felt like she needed to look perfect to receive praise. She saw herself as fat, even though she obviously wasn't, she even had a 'thin voice' as she called it who would tell her she was fat and also comment on how many calories everything was. I don't know if anyone else has ever had a friend go through this kind of experience, but I have and I thought that Jackie did an amazing job at portraying Lisa's actions as well as her family and friends reactions. Most people choose to turn a blind eye to eating disorders, the person with the problem especially, they don't see it as something that is wrong, for the most part they think it's healthy. I thought Jackie did an amazing job with this inside perspective.

I absolutely loved the other horsemen of the Apocalypse (Death, War and Pestilence)...okay War maybe not so much, but I did love the way she was described. Death is probably one of my favourite fictional characters now, and I will honestly admit that I think that Jackie wrote a very sexy Death, he's sarcastic and funny, and he sings like Kurt Cobain...when he wants to anyways. Death was the perfect comic relief, and I think he totally rocked this book. I also loved how Death's words affected Lisa, they gave her strength and helped her to grow. I will also admit that Pestilence was a creepy guy, but I really liked the short part that he had in Hunger, and I'm hoping he'll pop up again in Rage. War...that chick was *psycho* (I totally said this in a sing-songy voice, feel free to say it out loud, it's just not the same if you don't :P). That being said, she definitely fit how I would imagine the embodiment of war would be, especially since she's a horseman of the Apocalypse, that just makes me think of destruction and death...and boy did she like those things!

I also have to mention the horse, or Midnight, I never thought I would enjoy a horse's POV as much as I did in Hunger, now you might think that a horse's POV is weird, but I am telling you it...was...awesome!

If you can't tell by this review, I thought Hunger was an amazing story, and I loved it.
I admit that because this story does involve eating disorders, it might not be everyone, but I think that Jackie managed to make it so that it wasn't just about eating disorders. It was a story about a girl who happened to have an eating disorder, but that wasn't what defined Lisa. Lisa grew drastically throughout this book, she has struggles, she realizes that she isn't alone, and that she has control and that she is strong, and I think that is a message that we could all do to learn.

I'd love to hear your comments, have you read Hunger, is it on your To-Read list, or is it not your style? :)

Happy Reading!!!

Ambur ♪♫

Review: City of Glass by Cassandra Clare

CITY OF GLASS by Cassandra Clare

Source: My own personal copy.
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry
Release Date: Already released.

(Click to go to the City of Glass Goodreads page.)

I'm a huge Cassandra Clare fangirl, and I'm not ashamed to admit it. When I first found the Mortal Instruments Trilogy (back then it was still a trilogy lol) I flew through it in no time. I fortunately found the series when all three were out, so I didn't have any wait time between books. Now that there are three more books in the series I couldn't be happier. As much as I dislike waiting for books to come out, I know it will be worth the wait. I'm so excited to read City of Fallen Angels. I can't wait to read about the familiar characters that I've grown to love, and I can't wait to meet new characters either. I'm also not ashamed to admit that I simply cannot wait to read more about Jace, and I'm sure I'm not alone in that. ;)

City of Glass was an amazing end to a wonderful trilogy, but while it was a great conclusion to the series, it was also done in a way that I honestly wasn't all that surprised when Cassandra Clare added three more books. I think some of it was left more open-ended because she had already planned to write a graphic novel for Simon after COG. That graphic novel fell through and now we have three more amazing books to look forward to. With City of Fallen Angels so close to release, I decided it was time for me to finally get my review for City of Glass written. So here it is. :D

I loved City of Glass. It had action, romance, mystery, angels, demons, vampires, werewolves, fey...you name it, and City of Glass had it. There were so many moments in COG where I honestly had to put the book down for a second because it was so intense. I find it so easy to get completely absorbed in these books, and every time I read them I get to that state where I just can't put them down.

The characters, the settings, absolutely everything about this series draws me in, and I just can't break free from it. I've reread this series countless times, and it never gets old. I may know what's going to happen, but there is always something new that I notice with every reading. It might be something small like a certain line or joke that I didn't understand before or it may be something huge that I'm like 'Wow! How did I miss that?!' but there's always something. I never get tired of reading this series, and I cannot wait to read even more about some of my favourite characters in the next three books! :D

I don't want to go too much into detail with this review because this is the third book in the series, so I'm trying really hard not to spoil things. :P City of Glass was pretty action packed, and I loved the twists and turns, especially because once I'd read the book and I reread it, I could totally pick up on clues leading to those twists! I love it when authors set up their books in super subtle ways, and Cassandra Clare is majorly skilled at this. As always, I loved the characters in this one to bits. I loved that we got to see lots of Magnus, and I loved that we got POV's from Jace, Simon and Clary. I loved the jokes, and the blossoming friendships/relationships.

One of my favourite parts of the Mortal Instruments is the way that Paradise Lost is interwoven in the story, from the quotes between different parts of the books, to quotes from the characters themselves. It is so well done, and I love that it even makes Paradise Lost more accessible. I had to read parts of it for my comparative lit class, and after reading this series, I honestly felt like I already knew huge chunks of it. I also love the whole Shadowhunter mythology too, and I love how we get to see even more of it in this book...and that's all I'm going to say about that. ;)

Cassandra Clare's Mortal Instruments Series is, in my opinion (just making that clear :P), one of the best series in YA, it's got something for guys and girls alike, and if you haven't started this series yet...what are you waiting for?! If you like any kind of supernatural fiction at all, this series is definitely one that you need to check out, and since there are three more books coming, why not start it now? :)

Here are a couple of links for you:
Cassandra Clare's Livejournal
The Mortal Instruments Website
Cassandra Clare's Twitter 

Here are the Goodreads pages to the other books in the Mortal Instruments Series:
City of Bones -- 1st Book in the Series
City of Ashes -- 2nd Book in the Series
City of Fallen Angels - Release Date: April 5, 2011
City of Lost Souls - Set for Release In: May 2012
City of Heavenly Fire - Set for Release In: September 2013

Here's some links so you can get your own copy of City of Glass or pre-order your own copy of City of Fallen Angels:
 

Have you read the Mortal Instruments yet??
Are you excited for CoFA??? I've pre-ordered my copy already, have you??

Happy Reading!!!

♪♫ Ambur

Book 4 of the Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini Has a Name and Cover!

I don't know about anyone else, but I have been anxiously awaiting the conclusion to the Inheritance Cycle for a long time, and we finally know it's name and get to see it's cover!

So the final book is called Inheritance! I think it's very fitting, it's the name of the series, and it's a prominent theme throughout the books. 

Here's the info that I received through an 'Alagaesia News' newsletter:

{ Announcing Inheritance, the Final Book in
Christopher Paolini's #1 Bestselling Series

It began with Eragon. It ends with Inheritance.

Eagerly awaited by millions around the world, the triumphant conclusion to Christopher Paolini's Inheritance cycle will arrive November 8, 2011.

Following the #1 bestselling novels Eragon, Eldest, and Brisingr, the fourth and final book in the series will be titled INHERITANCE, a fitting designation for the concluding novel in Paolini's epic fantasy.

"The burning questions asked by fans around the world will finally be answered in this last installment," says Christopher Paolini. "All will be revealed!" }

And here's the cover image that was in the email:

 Here's Inheritance's Goodreads Page.

You can get news about the Inheritance cycle on Alagaesia.com (this is the official site for the series, and they have newsletters to sign up for if you want to) and also on  Shurtugal.com (this is a fansite for the series and they have forums, RPGs, news, and lots of other goodies to check out if you're interested).

I'm guessing that the dragon on the cover will hatch from the green dragon egg, but who will be its rider??

Any theories out there? And who is super duper excited about this? I know I am!
The Random House page for Inheritance (Linked here) says that the book is going to be released on November 8, 2011! Eek!!! :D

So, I just had to share this awesome Inheritance Cycle news with you guys! I hope you're all as stoked as I am. I'm especially anxious to find out what happens to Murtagh...I'll admit, I have a major soft spot for him, and I continue to argue with my friend, Glen, about him being good. He thinks I'm being ridiculous, but I don't care. :P Anyways...thoughts anyone???

Happy Reading!!!

♪♫ Ambur

Teaser Tuesday (19)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read

• Open to a random page

• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

• Share the title & author too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My Teasers:

"What would she do to us? I knew there was a place she had, an enclosed arena for execution, newly built by her under the influence of one of her freakish spirits."

 -Running From Secrets b Stephanie Void, p.67 (.epub version)

Well that’s a teaser of what I’m reading, so what are you reading?

Happy Reading!!!

♪♫ Ambur

PS. I made myself a Teaser Tuesdays banner, what do you think? :)

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? (19)

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?, is a bookish meme hosted by One Person's Journey Through a World of Books, where we gather to share what we have read this past week and what we plan to read this week. It’s a great way to network with other bloggers, see some wonderful blogs, and put new titles on your reading list. So hop on over to Journey and join in...and leave a comment here so I can check out what you are reading. All links go to Goodreads. :)

Books I Read Last Week:

• Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins

I absolutely loved this book! I can totally understand why everyone's been swooning over it, and over Etienne St.Clair ;) I borrowed this one from the library, and I just HAVE to get myself a copy! This was an adorable story, and it was incredibly realistic. It showed how complicated life can get, how sometimes things are out of your control, and how sometimes people make mistakes, but it doesn't ruin their lives. Seriously, this book was adorable, funny and made of awesome...read it as soon as you can get your hands on a copy! :D

Reading Now:

• Howards End by E.M. Forster

Still reading this for class, it's going alright. It's an okay story, but it's not doing the greatest job at keeping my interest, most likely because the semester is coming to a close and also because I have so many books I wish I were reading instead. :P

• Hunger by Jackie Morse Kessler

I'm so close to finishing this one! I'm pretty sure I'll be done later today, I'm getting pretty hooked on this story. I've had it on my bookshelf for a couple of weeks, I really wish I'd picked it up sooner. :)

• Evolve (Anthology, edited by Nancy Kilpatrick

Yeah, I'm still reading this anthology. I kind of pushed it to the side, like several of the other books I'm reading right now, but I pulled it out again and I'm gonna make sure to read at least one of the stories every couple of days. I just read an awesome one on Saturday night called "Resonance" by Mary E. Choo. :D

• Running From Secrets by Stephanie Void

I've read a couple of chapters of this book since last week,and it's an interesting story so far. I'm looking forward to seeing what happens next.

****I'm going to try and finish a book at a time this week, I'm not a big fan of reading several books at once, but somehow I ended up reading tonnes at one time! It's getting a bit overwhelming and intense. :S

Books I Want to Read This Week:

• Rage by Jackie Morse Kessler

I plan on finishing Hunger soon, so I'm gonna dig into Rage, which was sent to me by Thomas Allen and Sons, who are the Canadian Book Distributors for Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. I'm loving Hunger, so I can't wait to read Rage! :D

What are you all reading?? and because I'm curious, how was everyone's weekend?? Mine was much too short, and I honestly have no idea where it went. :P

Check out One Person's Journey Through a World of Books to find out what everyone else is reading. :)

Happy Reading!!!

♪♫ Ambur

Teaser Tuesday (18)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read

• Open to a random page

• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

• Share the title and author too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My Teasers:

"Lisa woke up the next morning with a spike twisting through her guts.

She curled in on herself, desperate for the pain to stop."

-Hunger by Jackie Morse Kessler, p.77

So sorry that I posted this without my actual teaser before, I was working late on an assignment last night and it totally slipped my mind that I had a scheduled post...I'll have to start actually using my day planner I guess. :)

Well that’s what I’m reading, so what are you reading?

Happy Reading!!!

♪♫ Ambur

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? (18)

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?, is a bookish meme hosted by One Person's Journey Through a World of Books, where we gather to share what we have read this past week and what we plan to read this week. It’s a great way to network with other bloggers, see some wonderful blogs, and put new titles on your reading list. So hop on over to Journey and join in...and leave a comment here so I can check out what you are reading. Links all go to the books respective Goodreads pages.

Books I Read Last Week:

• Daughters of the Vicar by D.H. Lawrence

I read this one for my one English class last week, it was a short novella by D.H. Lawrence. I probably would have never picked this book up if I didn't have to read it for my class, but I did like it, it was a little depressing though.

• Woefield Poultry Collective by Susan Juby

This was a hilarious story, with a fabulous cast of characters, it's also called Home to Woefield: A Novel (Goodreads page: here) if you're interested in reading it. :)

Reading Now:

• World War Z by Max Brooks

Me + Zombies = One Happy Ambur :)
The format of this book is a little different than the other zombie books I've read, but I like it so far. :)

•  Howards End by E.M. Forster

I ended up not having to read this book before for class, but now I have to read it. So this will probably be the main focus of my reading for this week.

• Hunger by Jackie Morse Kessler

I just started this one too, and I'm loving the language, I can only describe it as beautiful. :)

• Running From Secrets by Stephanie Void

 I received an ebook of this one for review a while ago, and I'm finally starting it now. I've read the first chapter and it's definitely got me intrigued...

----------

This week I'm not planning ahead, I'm just hoping that I'll get some time in for recreational reading. :)

So...what are you reading???

Feel free to check out One Person's Journey Through a World of Books to find out what everyone else is reading. :)

Happy Reading!!!

♪♫ Ambur

Signed Sweet Venom Bookmarks Winners!

I hope that everyone has been having an awesome weekend so far, 

and that you're all enjoying some awesome books! 

I've got some winners to announce for the signed Sweet Venom bookmarks giveaway, 

so without further ado.....

The Winners are:

andii*

Lucia

aurora m.

Dea S.

seesen9

*All Bookmarks have been claimed :) Congrats again to all of the winners! :D

I'm sending all of the winners an email, but if you're a winner and you don't get one, don't be afraid to email me at ambiepie_6(at)hotmail(dot)com.

The winners all have 48 hours to claim their prize by emailing me their mailing addresses.

All winners were chosen using Random.org.

Thank you all for participating in this giveaway, and I'll be sure to think of another one sometime soon so that you all get another chance to win some goodies. :D

Happy Reading!!!

♪♫ Ambur

Review: The Woefield Poultry Collective by Susan Juby - Blog Tour

Source: Received from Publisher for Blog Tour and honest review.

Publisher: HarperCollins Canada

Release Date: March 8, 2011

Visit The Woefield Poultry Collective's page on HarperCollins Website.

The Woefield Poultry Collective's Goodreads Page.

Summary from Goodreads:

"Woefield Farm is a sprawling thirty acres of scrub land, complete with dilapidated buildings and one half-sheared, lonely sheep named Bertie. It's "run"—in the loosest possible sense of the word—by Prudence Burns, an energetic, well-intentioned twenty-something New Yorker full of back-to- the-land ideals, but without an iota of related skills or experience. Prudence, who inherited the farm from her uncle, soon discovers that the bank is about to foreclose on Woefield Farm, which means that Prudence has to turn things around, fast. But fear not! She’ll be assisted by Earl, a spry seventy-something, banjo-playing foreman with a distrust of newfangled ideas and a substantial family secret; Seth, the alcoholic, celebrity-blogging boy-next-door, who hasn't left the house since a scandal with his high-school drama teacher; and Sara Spratt, a highly organized eleven-year-old looking for a home for her prizewinning chickens, including one particularly randy fellow soon to be christened Alec Baldwin."

I'm a huge fan of humorous books, and the quirkier they are, the better! The Woefield Poultry Collective was one of the funniest and quirkiest books that I've ever read! I thought the story was fantastic and that it was really unique, I can honestly say that I have never read anything like this book. This book had four different POV's, for four of the main characters, Prudence, Seth, Earl and Sara. All of them had such unique voices and I loved that! Even if each chapter hadn't been labeled for each narrator I think I could have picked them out! :)

I loved all of the narrators, but I think Earl and Seth were both my favourites. Seth was just so out there, and some of the things he said were just so hilarious! Like when he started calling one of Sara's chickens Alec Baldwin, I loved it! :D and Alec Baldwin should definitely take it as a compliment, that chicken was one awesome rooster! Earl was pretty much silent for a huge chunk of the book, except for his thoughts. His thoughts were hilarious and I loved when he called Seth 'Chubnuts.'

The character growth in this book was amazing, and by the end of the novel they all were like a family. This book was refreshing, hilarious, and definitely made me smile pretty much the whole time I read it! Even in the sad or serious moments, one of the characters would either think or say something and it would just lighten the mood. I think that Susan Juby did an amazing job, and I'd gladly recommend The Woefield Poultry Collective to anyone who likes a funny story with some amazing characters...I'd also definitely recommend it to the profs that I had last year for Animal Science 200, they loved chickens! ;D

Read an excerpt from The Woefield Poultry Collective:

Keep in mind that The Woefield Poultry Collective is called Home to Woefield: A Novel in the United States, here is the Goodreads page for that: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8753451-home-to-woefield
No matter what the name of this book is, it's refreshing and hilarious.


Happy Reading!!!

  ♪♫ Ambur

Teaser Tuesday (17)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read

• Open to a random page

• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

• Share the title & author too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My Teasers:

"EARL

When he got in the truck he had on a pair of pants so tight it took him three tries to get his leg up into the cab. His T-shirt had a skull on it and the tongues in his big white shoes were hanging out like they belonged on a pair of dying dogs."

- The Woefield Poultry Collective by Susan Juby, p.65

As you can see this was in Earl's POV. This book has four alternating POV's and I absolutely love how unique each of them are. Earl's is probably my favourite though, he thinks and says the craziest things, and I love when he calls the one character, Seth, chubnuts...makes me laugh every time! haha

So what are you reading?

Happy Reading!!!

♪♫ Ambur

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? (17)

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading?, is a bookish meme hosted by One Person's Journey Through a World of Books, where we gather to share what we have read this past week and what we plan to read this week. It’s a great way to network with other bloggers, see some wonderful blogs, and put new titles on your reading list. So hop on over to Journey and join in...and leave a comment here so I can check out what you are reading.

Books I Read Last Week:

• The Logogryph by Thomas Wharton

 I actually thought this book was great. It didn't actually seem to be connected at all, but as you get further into the story you can see where the connections between all of the stories are. I thought it was a great read, kind of confusing at first, but it was still pretty good. It's definitely a story that requires thinking though, so if you want a quick read to lose yourself in this definitely isn't it.

• Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma

 I've had Forbidden recommended to me several times, and I won a giveaway for it a while back. I finally pulled it off my shelf and read it this week and I wasn't disappointed at all. This story was beautiful and tragic all at once. It's one that while reading you feel like you should be repulsed, but you really can't because you feel what the characters feel and it doesn't feel wrong. This book made me cry, it made me smile, and above all it made me feel...I'm honestly tearing up just thinking about it right now. That being said, this book does deal with incest, so if you're sensitive to taboo subjects like incest, it's probably not for you. If taboo subjects don't always bother you and you want to be moved by a story, you should definitely pick this one up!

Reading Now:

• The Woefield Poultry Collective by Susan Juby

I'm reading this one for a blog tour for HarperCollins. I'm actually really liking it so far, it's really funny and the characters are probably some of the craziest and most unique characters I've ever seen. Susan's also separated the chapters into varying POV's, so you get to know the characters even better and get inside of their heads, they each even have their own tones and vocab, it's pretty awesome. :)

---I have a couple of other books I'm reading right now, but I've already listed them a couple of times. The anthology Evolve is going kind of slowly, but that's because school's been dominating my life. And I'm still reading Pegasus by Robin McKinley. 

Books I Want to Read This Week:

• Daughters of the Vicar by D.H. Lawrence

 I have to read this for my night class this week, it's only 72 pages though, so it's definitely possible...I just have to finish writing my essay for that class first. :P

--As I mentioned above I have an essay do this week, so I'm probably not gonna get too much reading done this week, unless I finish it early...fingers crossed. I'm also planning on seeing I Am Number 4 on Tuesday with a couple of friends (FINALLY! I've been wanting to see it so bad!), so I HAVE to finish my essay early in the week, hopefully by tomorrow night. Wish me luck! :D

And what are you reading???

Feel free to check out One Person's Journey Through a World of Books to find out what everyone else is reading. :)

Happy Reading!!!

♪♫ Ambur

Bloglovin' and Happy-almost Friday! :)

I was looking through the Traffic Sources of my blog and a site called Bloglovin' was on there. I've never heard of it before, but I figured I'd go and claim my blog on there, so here's the think so that if you want to you can :

Follow my blog with bloglovin

I'm pretty excited and anxious for this weekend to come up now, and I'm sure I'm not the only one, so Happy Friday (almost :P) to everyone! 

♪♫ Ambur

PS. Does anyone else immediately think of McLovin' when they hear the word bloglovin'? 

Review: Cloaked by Alex Flinn

Source: ARC (from Zoë at In The Next Room)
Publisher: HarperTeen
Release Date: Already Released
(Click this link to go to Cloaked's Goodreads page.)

Every since Beastly I've been drawn to the fairytale retellings that Alex Flinn writes. I loved A Kiss in Time too, so I wasn't all that surprised when I picked up Cloaked and loved it too. :D

Cloaked is a sweet and light read. The characters are realistic and have quirky characteristics, just like average everyday people. These characters are real, and the main character Johnny is normal, he's just your average guy, who happens to have a bigger burden than most people. He spends most of his summer repairing shoes so that he and his mother will be able to survive. I loved that Johnny's family were cobblers. It was an amazing set up for the whole story because of the way shoes are used in various fairy tales. Not only do shoes play a huge importance in Cinderella, but they're also prevalent in the Elves and the Shoemaker. After reading Cloaked, I'm going to look at shoes in a completely different way, and I may even look up some shoe quotes like Johnny and Meg. :D

The Elves and the Shoemaker weren't the only fairy tales alluded to in Cloaked, Alex Flinn also used several other ones, most of them I hadn't even heard of before, with the exception of The Frog Prince. I absolutely loved the way the different fairy tales were woven together. It created a seamless story, and they worked together to create a world where magic exists, but is simply unknown or ignored by most people. I loved how the world that was created seemed believable, and that if I paid more attention, I might just see the magical things that I've been missing.

Cloaked is just the story to read when you're in the mood for something light and funny, and I think it'd be absolutely perfect on a cold day where you just want something fun to read to distract you from the cold outside.  :)

You can get your own copy of Cloaked here:


Have you read Cloaked or any of Alex Flinn's other stories? What did you think?
And if you haven't, what are your thoughts on Cloaked?

Happy Reading!!!

♪♫ Ambur

Sweet Venom - Signed Bookmarks Giveaway!

So, just a little while ago I showed you guys the cover of Sweet Venom by Tera Lynn Child. 

Here it is again in case you missed it:

Now that we've all seen the lovely cover for Sweet Venom, I have some bookmarks to give away, and they're signed by Tera. :D

I'm making this giveaway INTERNATIONAL, so everyone can enter. :)

There will be 5 winners, and each winner will get a signed Sweet Venom bookmark.

This giveaway will run from today (Mar.2) until March 11 at 11:59pm (M.S.T.).

Following is not required, however, you must be 13 or older to enter. 

One entry per person, all duplicate entries will be deleted (I won't delete your initial entry though.)

Winner will be chosen using Random.org and will have 48 hours to respond before a new winner is drawn.

Use the form to enter. Comments will not count as entries, but they are always appreciated. :)

This giveaway is now CLOSED.

Good luck everyone and Happy Reading!

♪♫ Ambur

Review: Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

Source: My own personal copy.
(Click this link to go to Clockwork Angel's Goodreads page.)

As I've professed countless times, I love Cassandra Clare and the Mortal Instruments, so I was extremely excited to read Clockwork Angel. I loved the idea of different Shadowhunters in another time period. The fact that some of the characters in Clockwork Angel, and in the upcoming Clockwork Prince and Clockwork Princess, are related to characters in the Mortal Instruments series is pretty freaking awesome too. I'm very excited to see Cassandra Clare's family trees once she's finished both series. I love that there are people that we will recognize in the Infernal Devices Trilogy, and I'm excited to see future references to the newer characters from this series in the Mortal Instruments. :D

I absolutely loved Clockwork Angel, and I think that most fans of Cassandra Clare will too. There's a boy for everyone to love in this series, and once again Clare has written a truly remarkable heroine. Tessa is a booklover, so she's extremely easy to relate with, and she's also just discovering the world of Shadowhunters and Downworlders, but I won't spoil it and tell you from what perspective (Mundane, Shadowhunter, Downworlder, etc.). We learned a lot about things through Clary in the Mortal Instruments, but with Tessa we learn even more. She's incredibly curious, and asks tonnes of questions, which I loved...because I totally would've been asking the same massive amount of questions. I love Tessa, she's an amazing character, and I can't wait to get to know her even better in the future books! :)

Oh the boys in this book were just amazing too! I love the boys that Cassie writes! Jace is my number one fictional crush, and the boys in Infernal Devices definitely gave him a run for his money. Will and Jem couldn't be more different, yet they're best friends, somehow that makes both of them way more awesome than they are apart. After all...who doesn't love a good bromance! Will is clearly the bad boy of the series, while Jem is the sensitive, quiet type. The fact that Jem cares so much for Will immediately made me assume that he was amazing because otherwise Jem wouldn't care about him so much, and vice versa for Will. Will doesn't seem to love anyone, but he loves Jem, which then made me think that Jem was also amazing. The further I got into the book, the more their awesomeness grew. I'm a huge Jem fan, but Will totally stole my heart. What can I say...I'm a sucker for a sarcastic, and hot guy who obviously has a torrid and disturbed past. And MAGNUS! I love Magnus, and I was so excited when I got to the part in Clockwork Angel where he popped up!

Once again, Cassandra Clare has created some amazing characters that I immediately fell in love with! I'm so excited to get to know them even better as the rest of the trilogy unfolds. :D

Here are a couple of links for you:
Cassandra Clare's Livejournal
The Mortal Instruments Website

Here are the Goodreads pages for the rest of the Infernal Devices Trilogy:

Clockwork Prince

Clockwork Princess

You can get your own copy of Clockwork Angel here:


Happy Reading!!!

♪♫ Ambur

Teaser Tuesday (16)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read

• Open to a random page

• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

• Share the title & author too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My Teasers:

"Something inside me has broken. There are moments during the day when I just grind to a halt and simply cannot find the energy to draw another breath."

- Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma, p.236

Well that’s what I’m reading, so what are you reading?

Happy Reading!!!

♪♫ Ambur