Quick fire review- Savage girl Jean Zimmerman

Cover reveal Lux beginning and Lux consequences

Lux: Beginnings (Obsidian & Onyx) official Blurb:

Obsidian

There's an alien next door. And with his looming height and eerie green eyes, he's hot...until he opens his mouth. He's infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, he lights me up with a big fat bulls-eye. Turns out he has a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal his abilities and the only way I’m getting out of this alive is by sticking close to him until my alien mojo fades. If I don’t kill him first, that is.

Onyx

Daemon’s determined to prove what he feels for me is more than a product of our bizarro alien 

connection. So I’ve sworn him off, even though he’s running more hot than cold these days. But 

we’ve got bigger problems. I’ve seen someone who shouldn’t be alive. And I have to tell Daemon, even though I know he’s never going to stop searching until he gets the truth. What happened to his brother? Who betrayed him? And what does the DOD want from them—from me?

Lux: Consequence

 (Opal & Origin) official blurb:

Opal

After everything, I’m no longer the same Katy. I’m different... And I’m not sure what that will mean in the end. When each step we take in discovering the truth puts us in the path of the secret 

organization responsible for torturing and testing alien hybrids, the more I realize there is no end to what I’m capable. The death of someone close still lingers, help comes from the most unlikely source, and friends will become the deadliest of enemies, but we won’t turn back. Even if the outcome will shatter our worlds forever.

Origin

Daemon will do anything to get Katy back. After the successful but disastrous raid on Mount Weather, he’s facing the impossible. Katy is gone. Taken. Everything becomes about finding her. But the most dangerous foe has been there all along, and when the truths are exposed and the lies come crumbling down, which side will Daemon and Katy be standing on? And will they even be together?  

Grasshopper Jungle- Andrew Smith published by Penguin Feb,2014

Austin Szerba read somewhere that “human beings are genetically predisposed to record history.” So that’s what he’s doing – recording everything that happened leading up to the night he and his best friend, Robby, broke into the From Attic to Seller thrift store and witnessed a few Hoover Boys unwittingly release a plague strain that could destroy the world as we know it.

Austin is not lying when he promises that within the pages of ‘Grasshopper Jungle’ there are “babies with two heads, insects as big as refrigerators, God, the devil, limbless warriors, rocket ships, sex, diving bells, theft, wars, monsters, internal combustion engines, love, cigarettes, joy, bomb shelters, pizza, and cruelty.”


But it’s also a book about a third-generation Polish-American boy who’s in love with his girlfriend, while being confused about his feelings for his gay best friend. It’s about his mother who kayaks with little blue Xanax pills and what it’s like to grow up in the small town of Ealing, Iowa. Oh, and it’s about the “Unstoppable Soldier” and 6-foot-tall man-eating praying mantises.

It’s a history of the end of the world, and a history of this boy’s life so far.

‘Grasshopper Jungle’ is the new contemporary/dystopian/sci-fi/coming-of-age … Kafka-esque young adult novel from Andrew Smith.

In a recent interview with Kirkus, Smith summarized his new book thus; “I think it was my singular intent to write a book that nobody could ever write jacket or flap copy for.” Well, he’s certainly succeeded there. 

This book can I just say Wow and WTF did I just read , I have read my fair share of apocalyptic dystopias. As I'm sure so many of us have but this book was so different form any of them. I was generously sent this book by Penguin after requesting it I received it within a week I quickly devoured this book.
Witty and deliciously entertaining this book is written in the perspective of our young male protagonist who is both filled with angst and sexual confusion. I love how this book brushed against some very deep issues without being preachy which I'm sure everyone can agree on makes us usually want to put a book down not this time there was no putting this book down it simply got better the further into it you get.

Here’s the thing, though.  The premise of the book, as outlined above, might sound a bit ridiculous.  And, in spots, it’s far from believable.  This is because it’s rooted in science-fiction which, by its very nature, is not meant to be entirely realistic. On the surface of Grasshopper Jungle, then, is an action-packed coming-of-age story with groovy, original and horrifying science-fiction elements.  Dig deeper, though, and you’ll find that Smith is asking some seriously profound questions about life, power, love, independence, and responsibility.

I gave this book a 5-5 an absolute must read ..

Top ten Tuesday Influential books

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish where they make lists of bookish things! 

This is my first top ten Tuesday so I decided a good transition topic would be my top ten influential books
To start this off  is my number 10 pick.

10) Twilight-  Stephanie Meyers- now this is the most sophisticated read in the world and the morals of the book are actually rather sketchy but it's a fun addictive read that like it or not most of us own one if not all four of the books on our shelves.

9) The Lord of the rings(trilogy) JRR Tolkien - I read this series in my sophomore year of high school so quite a while ago, this trilogy opened my eyes to the world of fantasy and is a great gateway book to those who just don't know about the genre.

8) I capture the castle, Dodie smith- this was one of the first contemporary romance reads that I ever read and I loved it, it was well written and beautifully moving.

7) The hunger games- Suzanne Collins, this is a kick ass dystopian that I'm sure launched thousands of readers on the epic journey we all have loved watching Jennifer Lawrence embark on.

6)The Darkest minds- Alexandra Bracken- another wonderful dystopian book that just entrances readers start to finish highly recommended.

5)Daughter of smoke and bone- Lani Taylor-  If you have not read any of Lani Taylor's books I highly suggest you pick this up Lani Taylor has a way with words that captivates you and draws you in completely.

4)Divergent- Verinica Roth- I had a t first found this book to be slow to begin and I won't beat around the bush I haven't finished this series but I loved this book I found I connected with more then one of the characters and also found myself second guessing what was going to happen. It was a great quick read.

3) The perks of being a wallflower- Stephen Chbosky-  this is a great coming of age novel it's a quick read that should be on everyone's shelves.

2) Harry potter- JK Rowling - this is probably one of the most influential YA/ middle grade books ever written what more can you say other The it's Harry Friggin Potter get on board people.

1)Wonder-R,J palacio this book opened my heart, as a person with a physical deformity I found that I connected with the main character and understood his struggle to be seen as normal. I would recommend this book to any young adult or adult who at times doesn't feel they have a place.

Cover reveal Lux beginnings

Lux: Beginnings (Obsidian & Onyx )

will release on June 3, 2014.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

# 1 NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY Bestselling author Jennifer Armentrout lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing. she spends her time reading, working out, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell, Loki.

Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writ
ing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Spencer Hill Press, 

Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen.

She also writes adult and New Adult romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.

Lux: Beginnings (Obsidian & Onyx) official Blurb:

Obsidian

There's an alien next door. And with his looming height and eerie green eyes, he's hot...until he opens his mouth. He's infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, he lights me up with a big fat bulls-eye. Turns out he has a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal his abilities and the only way I’m getting out of this alive is by sticking close to him until my alien mojo fades. If I don’t kill him first, that is.

Onyx

Daemon’s determined to prove what he feels for me is more than a product of our bizarro alien connection. So I’ve sworn him off, even though he’s running more hot than cold these days. But we’ve got bigger problems. I’ve seen someone who shouldn’t be alive. And I have to tell Daemon, 

even though I know he’s never going to stop searching until he gets the truth. What happened to his brother? Who betrayed him? And what does the DOD want from them—from me??

These two books are definitely two of my favourites this year 

Cover changes and confusion why?

                                                 Cover changes in series.



This topic is in my opinion and should in no way be taken personally or be seen as a bash on publishers.

I like most bloggers and book lovers have a un dying love for my books and my shelfs. So when I find myself in love with a series and invested to the point where I purchase the whole series I hope that my series looks as good on the outside as it does on the inside. I do realize that sometimes authors are dropped by certain publishers or that they simply hope to rebrand their book to reach a wider audience or a different demographic.

 With this being said there are a Few major book series that have had very negative reactions due the choice of covers that we're chosen such as Across the Universe trilogy by Beth Revis, the original covers are beautiful depictions of blue and purple and pink space with lovely silhouetted people, insert the third cover a very literal interpretation of the name Shades of earth is a green book with leaves and what looks like stone thistle sign was clearly done as marketing to bring in more male readers.

Another series that was issued a redesign tho this one was done with the second book instead of e third was Sarah J Mass's Throne of glass series. The first book in hard cover was done as an edited model picture fairly generic and un original as this book cover has been widely scrutinized by other bloggers and vloggers alike it was quickly redesigned to a more widely accepted fantasy cover complete with a kick ass female assassin designed very much like an anime character. I personally don't really care for the redesign that much.

 

  

Another series that underwent a redesign after the first book was The Shatter me trilogy by Taharah Mafi . The first cover has been quoted by people as being a picture of a kardashian it wasn't a bad cover by any means it was a depiction of a scene in the book. The redesign was of a eye which is an absolutely beautiful cover, the publishers also made all the books available in both paperback and hardcover which I appreciate since hardcovers are nice but paperbacks are cheaper.

These are just a few examples of some of the many cover changes in theYa genre I'd love to hear your thoughts on these books and many more.

Till then keep the pages turning bookies :)

Vampire Academy by Rachel mead

Here is my review of Rachel meads Vampire Academy.

Our heroine is 17 year old rose Hathaway who is a Dhampire which is a child of a Moroi and a Dhampire mix. In this vampire world there are two main types of vampires Moroi who are living vampires and strigoi dead vampires who can only survive by killing people. Moroi can wield magic and every Moroi specializes in one of the four classes of magic fire ,air water, earth, but a class that no one knows about is spirit and this is introduced further upon in the story line. The Academy is like any other school except that there's a bodyguard class room for dhampires and magic classes for Moroi.

The book starts off with rose and Lisa living away from the Academy for reasons that get introduced later on in the story, as the girls enjoy their quiet life away from the school they quickly find themselves hauled back to the academy by the guardians consisting of Dimitri the main love interest. As soon as the girls get back to the school all hell starts breaking lose Lisa starts losing her grip and rose  is forced to find a way to save her friends sanity.

Overall I really enjoyed this book I found the plot easy to follow and the characters to be well described and developed. There were a few problems I found with roses character only because it felt to me that her personality completely switched mid way through the book.
With Lisa I do find her character to be a little trying in that she is a strong person who acts completely weak on purpose. Her dependence on rose even without the bond becomes a little irritating but I do believe her character is still redeemable as far as the series goes. I would definitely give this series a read especially if you like vampire books but you want to read something with a twist.
I give Vampire Academy 3-5 worth the read.
I am sorry that this is all over the place I hope to be doing more reviews soon
Till next time bookies keep the pages turning:)