Waiting on Wednesday: Outpost by Anne Aguirre

    This is Breaking the Spine's Waiting for Wednesday, where bloggers post about a book they just can't wait to get their hands on!     

 

  Outpost by Anne Aguirre

September 4th 2012

Deuce’s whole world has changed. Down below, she was considered an adult. Now, topside in a town called Salvation, she’s a brat in need of training in the eyes of the townsfolk. She doesn’t fit in with the other girls: Deuce only knows how to fight.

To make matters worse, her Hunter partner, Fade, keeps Deuce at a distance. Her feelings for Fade haven’t changed, but he seems not to want her around anymore. Confused and lonely, she starts looking for a way out. Deuce signs up to serve in the summer patrols—those who make sure the planters can work the fields without danger. It should be routine, but things have been changing on the surface, just as they did below ground. The Freaks have grown smarter. They’re watching. Waiting. Planning. The monsters don’t intend to let Salvation survive, and it may take a girl like Deuce to turn back the tide.

Even though zombies aren't usually tops on my list I really loved Enclave, and I can't wait to read about Deuce again!

WorldCon Schedule

I've got a few panels at ChiCon that are YA themed:

Fri 1:30 PM-3:00 PM    McCormick
Young Adult Trends
A look at the various current trends in the Young Adult book market, from the dystopias to paranormal romance.
Bryce Moore, Aurora Celeste, Gwenda Bond, Leigh Bardugo, Emily Jiang

Sat 10:30 AM-12:00 PM    McCormick
Girl Power in Young Adult Books
The panel will discuss female characters in YA and what makes them strong.
Aurora Celeste, Michael Levy, Susan MacDonald, Niall Harrison, Bill Willingham

If any of you show up please say hi!

Artemis Fowl (Book 4): The Opal Deception by Eoin Colfer

The evil pixie Opal Koboi has spent the last year in a self-induced coma, plotting her revenge on all those who foiled her attempt to destroy the LEPrecon fairy police. And Artemis Fowl is at the top of her list.

After his last run-in with the fairies, Artemis had his mind wiped of his memories of the world belowground. But they have not forgotten about him. Once again, he must stop the human and fairy worlds from colliding—only this time, Artemis faces an enemy who may have finally outsmarted him.

Opal’s back, and she’s ready for revenge! I loved the fun of this book and watching the Opal vs Fowl battles. Opal really is my perfect foil for Artemis. They’re alike in a lot of ways. She’s smart, a little egotistical, and gets foils Artemis almost as much as he foils her. Even though the book starts in such a tragedy that I almost did not want to continue reading I somehow managed to make it through my sadness (spoilers!). I also really loved the bank robbing scene, it was so technical it was like “Mission Impossible” was playing in the background. That really describes a lot of this book: it has extreme highs and extreme lows, and Colfer masters the roller coaster brilliantly to keep the reader in suspense and wanting to finish the ride. This is my favorite Artemis Fowl book so far, and will be hard to top.



I received a copy of this book free through NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

Waiting on Wednesday: The Blood Keeper by Tessa Gratton

    This is Breaking the Spine's Waiting for Wednesday, where bloggers post about a book they just can't wait to get their hands on!     

 

  The Blood Keeper by Tessa Gratton

August 28th 2012

Paranormal romance fans who are looking to up the ante will be drawn to this tale of horror, fantasy, and romance. For Mab Prowd, the practice of blood magic is as natural as breathing. It's all she's ever known. Growing up on an isolated farm in Kansas with other practitioners may have kept her from making friends her own age, but it has also given her a sense of purpose—she's connected to the land and protective of the magic. And she is able to practice it proudly and happily out in the open with only the crows as her companions. Mab will do anything to keep the ancient practice alive and guard its secrets. But one morning while she is working out a particularly tricky spell she encounters Will, a local boy who is trying to exorcise some mundane personal demons. He experiences Mab's magic in a way his mind cannot comprehend and is all too happy to end their chance meeting. But secrets that were kept from Mab by the earlier generations of blood magicians have come home to roost. And she and Will are drawn back together, time again by this dangerous force looking to break free from the earth and reclaim its own dark power.

More fantasy set in Kansas!  I am loving this new trend of setting books in the midwest, it makes me feel as if my life could have been surrounded by magic if only I had looked closer as a kid!  I also really liked Blood Magic, and I am looking forward to learning more about the world.

Waiting on Wednesday: UnWholly by Neal Schusterman

    This is Breaking the Spine's Waiting for Wednesday, where bloggers post about a book they just can't wait to get their hands on!     

 

  UnWholly by Neal Schusterman

August 28th 2012

It’s finally here. The long-awaited sequel to the bestselling Unwind, which Publishers Weekly called a “gripping, brilliantly imagined futuristic thriller.” Thanks to Connor, Lev, and Risa—and their high-profile revolt at Happy Jack Harvest Camp—people can no longer turn a blind eye to unwinding. Ridding society of troublesome teens while simltaneously providing much-needed tissues for transplant might be convenient, but its morality has finally been brought into question. However, unwinding has become big business, and there are powerful political and corporate interests that want to see it not only continue, but also expand to the unwinding of prisoners and the impoverished.

Cam is a product of unwinding; made entirely out of the parts of other unwinds, he is a teen who does not technically exist. A futuristic Frankenstein, Cam struggles with a search for identity and meaning and wonders if a rewound being can have a soul. And when the actions of a sadistic bounty hunter cause Cam’s fate to become inextricably bound with the fates of Connor, Risa, and Lev, he’ll have to question humanity itself.

Rife with action and suspense, this riveting companion to the perennially popular Unwind challenges assumptions about where life begins and ends—and what it means to live.

I really got into Unwind, and I can't wait to see what the characters do next and how society deals with the repercussions of their actions and the truths that the kids have revealed to them.

Vacation

No posts this week past your regularly scheduled Waiting on Wednesday due to my furiously finishing things for my brother's wedding!

Waiting on Wednesday: Girl of Nightmares by Kendare Blake

    This is Breaking the Spine's Waiting for Wednesday, where bloggers post about a book they just can't wait to get their hands on!     

 

  Girl of Nightmares by Kendare Blake

August 7th 2012

It's been months since the ghost of Anna Korlov opened a door to Hell in her basement and disappeared into it, but ghost-hunter Cas Lowood can't move on.

His friends remind him that Anna sacrificed herself so that Cas could live--not walk around half dead. He knows they're right, but in Cas's eyes, no living girl he meets can compare to the dead girl he fell in love with.

Now he's seeing Anna everywhere: sometimes when he's asleep and sometimes in waking nightmares. But something is very wrong...these aren't just daydreams. Anna seems tortured, torn apart in new and ever more gruesome ways every time she appears. Cas doesn't know what happened to Anna when she disappeared into Hell, but he knows she doesn't deserve whatever is happening to her now. Anna saved Cas more than once, and it's time for him to return the favor.

I loved Anna Dressed in Blood, so I can't wait to read this book that came out yesterday!

Artemis Fowl (Book 3): The Eternity Code by Eoin Colfer

Ever the resourceful young criminal mastermind, Artemis has found a way to construct a supercomputer from stolen fairy technology. Called the "C Cube," it will render all existing human technology obsolete. Artemis then arranges a meeting with a Chicago businessman, Jon Spiro, to offer to suppress the Cube for one year in return for gold, his favorite substance. But the meeting is a trap, and Spiro steals the Cube and mortally injures Butler. Artemis knows his only hope to save Butler lies in fairy magic, so once again he is forced to contact his old rival, Captain Holly Short of the LEPrepcon fairy police. Miraculously, Butler is healed, but there is a catch: he has aged fifteen years. Thus, Butler's infamously ditzy sister, Juliet, is called in as Artemis's bodyguard. Together, they travel to Chicago to steal back the Cube and ensure that Jon Spiro is put out of business-permanently.

This is another excellent book and a good continuation of the Artemis Fowl series. The action starts right away, and starts with an event so heartbreaking I could barely continue! The wonderful pacing kept up, though, and it moved quickly past the tragedy without making light of it. The tragedy and action give the characters a chance to shine, and each one seems to have a spotlight where they show a new side of themselves. Artemis, especially, is shown to be human through the mistakes he makes which is refreshing after his near-omniscience in the other books. It is a good lesson that hubris is the downfall of the proud. The plot of the book moves along at a good clip just like the other Artemis Fowl books, and is a bit predictable but the journey has so many twists that I didn’t mind at all. The ending is nearly as heartbreaking as the beginning, but justified. I loved every page of this book and it makes me anxious to keep going in the series.

I received a copy of this book free through NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased review .

Feature & Follow Friday: August 3rd

Q: Do your reading habits change based on your mood? Do you read a certain genre if you are feeling depressed or happy?

I definitely have sub-genres or styles that appeal based on mood.  I'll go for a kick-ass girl book when I need a pick-me-up or I'm working hard on something.  Fairies are generally escapism.  Vampires and scarier stuff appeals when I'm more down, and I go for Sci-Fi less when I'm doing academic stuff and more when I'm doing creative stuff.

The Hunt Audiobook

Esther over at Macmillan Audio was nice enough to pass on this audio clip of The Hunt's audiobook.  This would be a great way to check out the book for those of you who like listening to prose!

http://media.us.macmillan.com/video/olmk/macmillanaudio/TheHunt.mp3

400 Followers Giveaway

I've chosen winners for my 400 Followers Giveaway!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Congrats everyone!
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Waiting on Wednesday: Foretold by Jana Oliver

    This is Breaking the Spine's Waiting for Wednesday, where bloggers post about a book they just can't wait to get their hands on!     

  Foretold by Jana Oliver

August 2nd 2012

Stand by as Riley prepares to kick some serious demon butt for the last time in this thrilling, dramatic and sexy conclusion to The Demon Trappers series.

Riley’s always known that Beck had a chequered history, but she’s not prepared for what it actually means to be in love with a guy with this many dark secrets. Now that he’s finally admitted to himself that he’s in love with her too, there’s no more hiding the truth about his past. And as it turns out, fending off a demon apocalypse is nothing compared to what’s to come...

I have loved every book in this series, and I'm both excited and sad that it's coming to an end.