Waiting on Wedesday #4

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event  hosted at Breaking The Spine where we spotlight upcoming releases we're eagerly anticipating!

For this week I chose The Museum of Intanible Things by Wendy Wunder (April 10th, 2014)
I have to admit that I saw this book on someone else's waiting on wednesday post a couple of weeks ago and ever since that I decided that I have to read this!

 Loyalty. Envy. Obligation. Dreams. Disappointment. Fear. Negligence. Coping. Elation. Lust. Nature. Freedom. Heartbreak. Insouciance. Audacity. Gluttony. Belief. God. Karma. Knowing what you want (there is probably a French word for it). Saying Yes. Destiny. Truth. Devotion. Forgiveness. Life. Happiness (ever after).

Hannah and Zoe haven’t had much in their lives, but they’ve always had each other. So when Zoe tells Hannah she needs to get out of their down-and-out New Jersey town, they pile into Hannah’s beat-up old Le Mans and head west, putting everything—their deadbeat parents, their disappointing love lives, their inevitable enrollment at community college—behind them.

As they chase storms and make new friends, Zoe tells Hannah she wants more for her. She wants her to live bigger, dream grander, aim higher. And so Zoe begins teaching Hannah all about life’s intangible things, concepts sadly missing from her existence—things like audacity,insouciance, karma, and even happiness.

An unforgettable read from the acclaimed author of The Probability of Miracles, The Museum of Intangible Things sparkles with the humor and heartbreak of true friendship and first love.

I should start by saying that this cover is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen and that I would probably buy the book without reading the blurb just beacuse of the cover! :3

What do you think? What book are you desperately waiting for?

Netgalley Knockout Readathon 2013: July 1 - September 30

 Hosted by Goldilox and the Three Weres

I am really excited about joining this readathon (even though I'm a bit late) because I never did and I've been meaning to join one for quite some time! Besides, I have some e-galleys and review copies that I really need to finish!

Rules:

• Netgalley Knockout will run from July 1 - September 30

• You are not limited to ebooks from Netgalley! You can include any ebook you have received for review from Netgalley, Edelweiss, or from a publisher or author directly. It just must be an ebook and it must be a review book.

• You can only count books that you read from July 1 to September 30. Nothing read before the challenge starts or after it ends will count toward the challenge!

• You do not have to only include books released during the months July, August, or September - but you can include these, of course! Any electronic review book counts, whether it has already been released or is still yet to be released!

• Again, even if the book has already been released, if you're reading a review ebook copy of it then it counts toward the challenge!

So far I have 8 ebooks that need to be reviewed. I think that for now (considering I'm a bit late) it's a good goal...I might try to read a little bit more though! :)

Cover Wars #3: The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight (US vs. UK vs. Portugal)

Cover Wars is a feature where I'll show different covers for the same book and choose the one I like the most. I got this idea from Sammee at I Want To Read That, you should definitely check her cover wars! :)

Next week it will be posted on Monday! Promise :3

This week we have: The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight 

                    

I don't think I can decide! I think that maybe the US cover is more related to the story rhan the others...but the others are so pretty too! And the font on the portuguese one reminds me of old movies for some reason!

What about you guys? What is your favourite?

Review: The Art Kids - Kate Spofford

The Art Kids by Kate Spofford

Publication Date: May 26th, 2013

Pages: 200

Age Group: Young Adult

Source: Got it from the Making Connections group on Goodreads in exchange for an honest review

Synopsis (from Goodreads)

“The new girl has scars on her arms, like mine..."

Sophie thought her senior year was going to be the best. That was before the new girl Laney arrives in her art class. Now, instead of good times hanging with her friends, everyone is acting strangely. Paul is angry all the time, Kevin and Jenna aren’t quite the perfect couple anymore, and everyone is ignoring Evan.

Sophie knows there's something different about the new girl. Something that seems to be tearing her group of friends apart. When Evan starts dating Laney, it looks like the end of the Art Kids… but maybe Sophie isn’t seeing the whole picture. Something happened last May... something Sophie doesn't want to remember...

This book was such a nice surprise! I like to think of it as one of those unknown gems that is out there!

Although, I do have to admit that in the beginning the characters were pissing me off a lot little bit. I think it's great that you don't drink, don't smoke and don't do drunks...but you don't need to be so condescending...I also don't know if writers just use the whole "different cliques" situation to add drama to the story or of it really happens in American highschools (it certainly doesn't happen here in Portugal)

I did like that Sophie realized that she was wrong for judging people without knowing them and makes an effort to change.

The first quarter of the book moves a bit slowly and you don't really see where the story is going. That's when I started noticing some strange things and from then on I couldn't put the book down because I had to find out whether or not my theory was correct. (It was, in case you were wondering...). It is still an huge plot twist!

I feel like the characters were beautifully written and sounded very real. There were times when Sophie would think or say certain things and I could completely imagine myself thinking and saying them too.

When I started reading this I had no idea I would fall so much in love with this novel. Everyone should read it!

Where you can find it:

Amazon

And look at how nice the cover is! (This may or may not have something to do with the fact that I used the same font on my header...)

Review: Eleanor & Park - Rainbow Rowell

Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell

Publication Date: February 26th, 2013 (the hardcover edition from St. Martin's Press)

Pages: 325

Age Group: Young Adult

Source: Won in a giveaway

Synopsis

Set over the course of one school year in 1986, ELEANOR AND PARK is the story of two star-crossed misfits – smart enough to know that first love almost never lasts, but brave and desperate enough to try. When Eleanor meets Park, you’ll remember your own first love – and just how hard it pulled you under.

I was dying to start reading this book! And I am so glad I did!

First of all, I absolutely fell in love with the main characters. I love the fact that Eleanor is overweight because it usually doesn't happen (and she doesn't loose any weight throughout the book) and Park is Asian (again, it's not very common). I just thought they were really interesting, smart characters and their relationship is the cutest thing ever!

The pacing wasn't too fast and it took time for them to get to know each other and to fall for each other which was great (no insta-love!) but sometimes the story seemed to drag a little bit longer than necesary.

I also liked how in the end you see a different side of Tina and Steve (that maybe they're not as bad as they seemed). I'm just sad that we don't hear a lot of DeNice and Beebi since they seem to be Eleanor's only friends (except for Park of course).

I just hated Richie, Eleanor's stepdad! And her mother was really annoying too. Maybe I'm too young to understand her point of view but I think that your kids well-being should be the most important thing and I seriously don't think Richie was a good stepfather.

This is a book that I definitely recommend! The story is amazing and the characters are different and unique.

  

Where you can find it: (these are affiliate links, which means that if you buy from them I get a small comission, without any extra charges for you)

The Book Depository

Amazon

Book Blast: Dare Me - Eric Devine (TRAILER + GIVEAWAY)

Dare Me trailer from Patrick Willems on Vimeo.

Synopsis

When Ben Candido and his friends, Ricky and John, decide to post a YouTube video of themselves surfing on top of a car, they finally feel like the somebodies they are meant to be instead of the social nobodies that they are. Overnight, the video becomes the talk of the school, and the boys are sure that their self-appointed senior year of dares will live in infamy. Every dare brings an increased risk of bodily harm, but Ben cannot deny the thrill and sense of swagger that come with it. The stakes become even more complex when a mysterious donor bankrolls their dares in exchange for a cut in the online revenue the videos generate. But at what point do the risk and the reward come at too high of a price? What does it take to stay true to one’s self in the face of relentless pressure.

About The Author

Eric Devine is the Young Adult fiction author of Dare Me (pub. date 10/8/13), Tap Out and This Side of Normal

He is also a high school English teacher and education consultant. 

Eric married his high school sweetheart, and together they are raising two daughters in Upstate, NY.

He is represented by Kate McKean of the Howard Morhaim Literary Agency. 

Both Dare Me and Tap Out are edited by Lisa Cheng and published by Running Press.

TWITTER / GOODREADS / FACEBOOK / EDELWEISS

GIVEAWAY

1 Winner will get this awesome t-shirt + an ARC of DARE ME by Eric Devine

Must be 13+ To Enter – Shipping in the US Only

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Book Blast: The Immortal Circus: ACT TWO - A.R. Kahler (+ GIVEAWAY)

Vivienne is almost content with her new life in the Cirque des Immortels. She has moved up from selling cotton candy to telling fortunes, she has a gorgeous, magical boyfriend, Kingston…and no one has been murdered since the clash between the otherworldly Courts. Her life under the faerie big top would be perfect, in fact, if not for the nightmares and visions that compel her to seek and confront her half-remembered past. But for Viv, not knowing her past may well be a blessing. There’s a reason she ran away. But can she truly escape herself?.

The second act of the fantastically evocative Cirque des Immortels series, The Immortal Circus: Act Two draws readers further into a world that’s at once wonderful, seductive…and deadly.

Step right up…

Where you can find it:

About the Author

Alex is many things, but first and foremost, he’s a Sagittarius.

In the past few years he’s taught circus in Amsterdam and Madrid, gotten madly lost in the Scottish wilderness, received his Masters in Creative Writing from Glasgow University, drummed with Norse shamans, and even spent a few months as the assistant to Holly Black and Cassandra Clare.

THE IMMORTAL CIRCUS, book one in his Cirque des Immortels series, is now available from 47North. ACT TWO will be released June 11, 2013.

MARTYR, the first book in his post-apocalyptic YA fantasy series, THE HUNTED, is set to be published October 28, 2014 by Spencer Hill Press.

When he’s not writing or climbing in the rafters, he’s probably outside, staring at the clouds. And seeing as he now resides in Seattle, there are clouds aplenty.

TWITTER | IMMORTAL CIRCUS SITE | PERSONAL WEBSITE

GIVEAWAY

One winner will get Book One in THE IMMORTAL CIRCUS series
2 Signed Bookplates
1 set of trading cards

Must be 13+ To Enter – Shipping in the US Only

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Review: Mockingjay - Suzanne Collins

Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins
Series: The Hunger Games (#3)

Publication Date: August 24th, 2010

Pages: 390 (ebook: 288)

Age Group: Young Adult

Source: Won in a giveaway

Synopsis

My name is Katniss Everdeen. Why am I not dead? I should be dead.

Katniss Everdeen, girl on fire, has survived, even though her home has been destroyed. Gale has escaped. Katniss's family is safe. Peeta has been captured by the Capitol. District 13 really does exist. There are rebels. There are new leaders. A revolution is unfolding.

It is by design that Katniss was rescued from the arena in the cruel and haunting Quarter Quell, and it is by design that she has long been part of the revolution without knowing it. District 13 has come out of the shadows and is plotting to overthrow the Capitol. Everyone, it seems, has had a hand in the carefully laid plans - except Katniss.

The success of the rebellion hinges on Katniss's willingness to be a pawn, to accept responsibility for countless lives, and to change the course of the future of Panem. To do this, she must put aside her feelings of anger and distrust. she must become the rebels' Mockingjay - no matter what the personal cost.

I am not even sure where to begin so I am going to leave here my reactions while reading the book:

I think that in comparison to the other two books this one fell a bit short. I was just in a state of confusion throughout the book (maybe because Katniss was too). 

But I do have to admit that you could really connect with the characters and feel what they were feeling (at least before the last chapters)!

Now, is time to talk abou the last chapters. Without giving anything away, the only word I find to describe them is anti-climatic...you spend three books waiting for something to happen and then it doensn't really happen as you were expecting...that really disappointed me.

I did think this series was really original and I really liked Suzanne Collins' s ideas...even if I didn't like this book as much as the other two.

I would still recommend it though, especially if you read the other books in the series and perhaps, what I thought was a very anti-climatic moment, you may find it a nice plot twist!

Summer Kindle Fire Giveaway

 

This is a joint AUTHOR & BLOGGER GIVEAWAY EVENT! Bloggers & Authors have joined together and each chipped in a little money towards a Kindle Fire HD 7".

Kindle Fire HD 7" Giveaway

The winner will have the option of receiving a 7" Kindle Fire HD (US Only)

  Or $199 Amazon.com Gift Card (International)

  Or $199 in Paypal Cash (International)

 

Sponsoring Bloggers & Authors

1. I Am A Reader, Not A Writer
2. Feed Your Reader
3. New Adult Addiction
4. Jessabella Reads
5. The (Mis)Adventures of a Twenty-Somthing Year Old Girl
6. Books Unhinged by StacyHgg
7. S.A. Larsen - Writer's Ally
8. Author Inger Iverson
9. The Geeky Gamers
10. annakyss
11. Everyday Word Magic
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16. Feed Your Fiction Addiction
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23. Young Adult Novel Reader
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25. Literary Meanderings
26. Suspense Author Kim Cresswell
27. Mother Daughter & Son Book Review
28. Meredith's Musings
29. Auggie Talk
30. Author Camelia Miron Skiba
31. Author Lena Sledge
32. LoriTheAuthor
33. Author Dianne Venetta
34. Curling Up with A Good Book
35. MyLadyWeb
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37. Bea's Book Nook
38. Girls with Books
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40. Turning Pages
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44. Author Talia Jager
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46. Sher A Hart: Written Art
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48. Word to Dreams
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52. Romance Bookworm's Reviews

  Giveaway Details 1 winner will receive their choice of a Kindle Fire 7" HD (US Only), $199 Amazon Gift Card or $199 in Paypal Cash (International). There is a second separate giveaway for bloggers who post this giveaway on their blog. See details in the rafflecopter on how to enter to win the 2nd Kindle Fire. Sponsor a future Kindle Fire Giveaway by signing up HERE. Ends 8/15/13 Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer http://iamareader.com and sponsored by the participating authors & bloggers. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.  

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Top Ten Tuesday #3

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme in which we make lists about a certain topic. This meme is hosted at The Broke and the Brokish

This week's theme is "top ten words/topics that make me not pick up a book"! 

1) Biographies: For some reason, I find biographies extremely boring and I will run away from them if I can.

2) Classics: They just scare me and besides, I always have trouble connecting with the characters and the story

.

3) Historical fiction: I have no interest in queens and kings, which is ironic since I read a lot of historical fiction when I was younger... (I guess that The Game of Thrones is an exception...I mean, can it be considered historical fiction?)

4) Fantasy: Again, ironically this was the genre I read the most when I was like 12, I think I just grew tired of it...

5) "Overweight main character who gets skinny throughout the book and guys start noticing her": This one angers me on a deeper, personal level...being overweight myself I would like to read about someone like me but who doesn't need to loose weight to find love..is it really that hard?

6) Erotic fiction: Just not for me, I think I would feel all cringy reading it.

7) Extremely serious and possessive main guys: I like cute and sweet guys...the serious and possessive ones scare me (not just in books...)

8) "Half naked people looking longingly at each other" and "too much face" in the covers: This one is a little hard to explain for me but there are covers where I take a look at them and I don't even want to know what's inside...some of them just look kind of tacky I guess...

9) Adult fiction: When I say adult, I mean tha age of the characters..if they are like in their 40's (and sometimes even in their 30's) I feel that there is a huge age gap and find it hard to connect with the character.

10) Non-fiction: I just don't see the appeal and I also have a bit of a trauma with my local library which only has non-fiction and a couple of classics..seriously, that thing hasn't seen a new book since 1970!

What about you guys? Do you agree? What are your biggest deal-breakers?

Review: Catching Fire - Suzanne Collins

Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins
Series: The Hunger Games (#2)

Publication Date: September 1st, 2009

Pages: 400 (why was my ebook was only 230 pages long? it still had 27 chapters and everything...)

Age Group: Young Adult

Source: Won in a giveaway

Synopsis

Against all odds, Katniss has won the Hunger Games. She and fellow District 12 tribute Peeta Mellark are miraculously still alive. Katniss should be relieved, happy even. After all, she has returned to her family and her longtime friend, Gale. Yet nothing is the way Katniss wishes it to be. Gale holds her at an icy distance. Peeta has turned his back on her completely. And there are whispers of a rebellion against the Capitol - a rebellion that Katniss and Peeta may have helped create.

Much to her shock, Katniss has fueled an unrest she's afraid she cannot stop. And what scares her even more is that she's not entirely convinced she should try. As time draws near for Katniss and Peeta to visit the districts on the Capitol's cruel Victory Tour, the stakes are higher than ever. If they can't prove, without a shadow of a doubt, that they are lost in their love for each other, the consequences will be horrifying.

I have to say that this book was quite unexpected (mainly because I have been avoiding movie trailers like the plague)!

I think that the first half of this book moves a bit slowly but then it's action packed until the end. I like how we get to read about some districts rebelling against the Capitol and the impact it has on the main characters' lives.

I also loved that we get to see a little bit more of Katniss and Gale's reltionship, as well as Katniss and Peeta's. It's easy to understand how conflicted and confused she is and it's nice to see Peeta always trying to help her with her nightmares and supporting her. (Seriously, I wish I had Josh Hutcherson climbing in bed with me...)

Katniss's mother is also more present in this book and we can finally see the woman she was before her husband's death.

The new characters are also really original and really well-rounded and as usual, everyone is important to the story.

In conclusion, I think that this is a great sequel to the first book and it didn't disappoint me at all. On to the third book!

Cover Wars #2: Anna and the French Kiss (Old vs. New vs. Portugal)

Cover Wars is a feature where I'll show different covers for the same book and choose the one I like the most. I got this idea from Sammee at I Want To Read That, you should definitely check her cover wars! :)

This week's cover war is going to be about Anna and the French Kiss!

         

I think the new cover is gorgeous and really appealing for some reason. I quite like the Portuguese cover (Maybe I'm a bit biased?)

So, I am not sure which one wins but I know that the one I like the least is the older cover.

What about you? Which one is your favourite? 

2013 Book Bingo Reading Challenge - Progress #1

This challenge is hosted by Anne and Kristilyn.

Read 1 book from your TBR pile

• Looking For Alaska - John Green

Read 1 book that is part of a series

• Stitch (Stitch, #1) - Samantha Durante

Read 2 books that are part of a series

• Shudder (Stitch, #2) - Samantha Durante
• The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games, #1) - Suzanne Collins

Read 1 book that is released in 2013

• Call Me Crazy - Quinn Loftis

Re-read 1 book

• Harry Potter and The Half-Blood Prince - J.K. Rowling

I would like to remind you that the FREE SQUARE can only be crossed if I read a book picked by another participant or a book from a genre picked by another participant...so if anyone has any ideas, go for it! :)