Music Monday: Jar of Hearts by Christina Perri (this one's for Unspoken!)

This one for Unspoken!  Because Sarah:  you can't go around breaking people's hearts! Haha!  I was really about to burst into this song after reading Unspoken.  It is that gooood.

Review: Unspoken (The Lynburn Legacy #1) by Sarah Rees Brennan

Unspoken (The Lynburn Legacy #1)
by Sarah Rees Brennan

September 11, 2012:  Random House Books for Young Readers

eARC review copy

"Kami Glass loves someone she’s never met . . . a boy she’s talked to in her head ever since she was born. She wasn’t silent about her imaginary friend during her childhood, and is thus a bit of an outsider in her sleepy English town of Sorry-in-the-Vale. Still, Kami hasn’t suffered too much from not fitting in. She has a best friend, runs the school newspaper, and is only occasionally caught talking to herself. Her life is in order, just the way she likes it, despite the voice in her head.

But all that changes when the Lynburns return.

The Lynburn family has owned the spectacular and sinister manor that overlooks Sorry-in-the-Vale for centuries. The mysterious twin sisters who abandoned their ancestral home a generation ago are back, along with their teenage sons, Jared and Ash, one of whom is eerily familiar to Kami. Kami is not one to shy away from the unknown—in fact, she’s determined to find answers for all the questions Sorry-in-the-Vale is suddenly posing. Who is responsible for the bloody deeds in the depths of the woods? What is her own mother hiding? And now that her imaginary friend has become a real boy, does she still love him? Does she hate him? Can she trust him?"

Review

I'll make this review short and simple.  This book is absolutely bloody brilliant.  My goodness, Sarah, what have you done to me?  I am in pieces. 

Kami is a strong character.  She knows what she wants and is determined to go for it.  She doesn't back down on challenges.  She remains logical and in-control.  For someone who speaks with a voice in her head, she's better than normal.  Who wants normal?  Normal is boring.  I love her best friend, Angela.  Can I have her?  You'll adore her even if you can't hug her.  She doesn't do people.  People annoy her.  Unless you have a couch. 

I like Kami.  I think some of us, at one point in our lives, talk to ourselves.  I still do.  She has a real voice in her head though.  You might think she might be schizo or one part delusional.  But she isn't; though she never imagined the voice in her head is a real breathing living boy.  I was like, "I always hear Benedict Cumberbatch in my head."  Maybe soon he will magically appear in my doorstep.  A girl can dream, can she?

The Lynburns are just the tip of the icebergs.  Mysterious, and both revered and feared by those who can remember them.  Their family is tied with the history of Sorry-in-the-Vale.  You will find out just how much.   

While reading this book I laughed alone, screamed a little, and then stared at nothingness in the end. I read it in one sitting.  I refused sleep until I finished the last part of the book.  What comfort will sleep give me if I know not what secrets are yet to unfold around Kami, Jared and the investigative team? And in the end, only the next book will give me reprieve from what Sarah have twisted inside of me.

But in all seriousness, my fellow readers.  Unspoken is one of the books you should read and own.  Sarah has this magic of weaving intricate stories that will make your walls come down and then hits you when you least expect it.       

Waiting on Wednesday: Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Throne of Glass (Throne of Glass #1)

by Sarah J. Maas

August 7, 2012:  Bloomsbury USA Children's

"After serving out a year of hard labor in the salt mines of Endovier for her crimes, 18-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien is dragged before the Crown Prince. Prince Dorian offers her her freedom on one condition: she must act as his champion in a competition to find a new royal assassin.

Her opponents are men—thieves and assassins and warriors from across the empire, each sponsored by a member of the kings council. If she beats her opponents in a series of eliminations, she’ll serve the kingdom for three years and then be granted her freedom.

Celaena finds her training sessions with the captain of the guard, Westfall, challenging and exhilirating. But she’s bored stiff by court life. Things get a little more interesting when the prince starts to show interest in her... but it’s the gruff Captain Westfall who seems to understand her best.

Then one of the other contestants turns up dead... quickly followed by another. Can Celaena figure out who the killer is before she becomes a victim? As the young assassin investigates, her search leads her to discover a greater destiny than she could possibly have imagined."

I want this!!! I cannot even begin to explain why.  :)

Also available in ebook:  Prequel novellas:
The Assassin and the Pirate Lord   |  The Assassin and the Underworld

Music Monday: Lies by Marina and the Diamonds (from Electra Heart)

I love this girl's new album.  And this one is my favorite!

You're never gonna love me, so what's the use?
What's the point in playing a game you're gonna lose?
What's the point in saying you love me like a friend?
What's the point in saying it's never gonna end?

You're to proud to say that you've made a mistake
You're a coward to the end
I don't wanna admit, but we're not gonna fit
No, I'm not the type that you like
Why don't we just pretend?

Marina has one interesting voice quality, and her songs can be upbeat, ballad, and haunting.  If you like Florence + the Machine, definitely try this one out. :)

 

Update on the City of Bones movie cast: Jocelyn, Hodge, and..Magnus!!!

The angel Raziel has blessed us with another fabulous members for the upcoming film adaptation of City of Bones (The Mortal Instruments #1).  After Robert Sheenan was revealed as our Simon, the roles of Magnus, Jocelyn, Hodge, Pangborn and Blackwell have been cast as well.:)

The newest members of the Mortal Instruments movie:

- Jared Harris as Hodge

- Godfrey Gao as Magnus Bane

- Lena Headey as Jocelyn Fray

- Kevin Durand as Pangborn

- Rober Maillet as Blackwell

source (x)

Oh my is our Magnus going to be HAWT!  I can't wait to to know who will play Alec.  My inner fangirling will explode.

And girlcrush Lena Headey as Jocelyn is like a dream come true.  I know Jocelyn's like in coma for the first two and a half book, but news has it there will be more of her in the movie.  Perhaps flashbacks and more.  And if the other books will be adapted as well, she will definitely get some ass kicked. :D

Jared Harris played Moriarty in Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows, so it's another fandom colliding! and Kevin Durand played the leader of the Mogadorians in the movie adaptation of I am Number Four.  He was awesome there!  He'll definitely bring on baddie!

Review: Bloodrose (Nightshade #3) by Andrea Cremer

Bloodrose (Nightshade #3)

by Andrea Cremer

January 3, 2012:  Philomel

"Calla has always welcomed war.

But now that the final battle is upon her, there's more at stake than fighting. There's saving Ren, even if it incurs Shay's wrath. There's keeping Ansel safe, even if he's been branded a traitor. There's proving herself as the pack's alpha, facing unnamable horrors, and ridding the world of the Keepers' magic once and for all. And then there's deciding what to do when the war ends. If Calla makes it out alive, that is."

Review

In this final book of the Nightshade trilogy, the war will change everything.  Calla will have to learn to balance her feelings and her determination to see this war thru if she hopes to lead her pack and the rest of the Searchers against the Keepers. 

Picking up where the second book (Wolfsbane) left, Calla managed to persuade Ren to come back with her and side with the Searchers.  But this creates conflict Shay, and concerns among the Searchers.  Ren's presence also makes Calla's emotions go haywire,  either putting both alphas at arms-length or questioning her decisions.  She struggles to keep her feelings and both of them intact while she and the others focus on finding the rest of pieces they need for the elemental cross, if they hope to defeat the Keepers and the Harbinger. 

The Nightshade trilogy is one of the series that I really loved and is hard to put down for me.  Even this heart-wrenching conclusion to the story.  I'll try to be un-spoilery as much as possible in sharing.  But to those who have read the two books, you are in for a ride.  The story starts in tension with Ren coming in.  That's the least of the problem really.  I was half- afraid that Calla would change her mind, confused with her feelings, and might realized that her place is with Ren all-along.  Half of me is afraid that Shay would die.  He might die either fighting Ren for Calla or with his search for the rest of the Elemental Cross.  He has that sort of adventurous/fearless attitude towards challenges, like when they had to cross a bottomless pit.  Goodness, Shay was the only one excited. 

Then there's also the constant threat of betrayal.  With the success of winning the war, not only dependent on the Elemental Cross and Shay, but also on the cooperation of others in the story that have a shady character.  Death is not the only threat that is constant in their war, but also the possibility of traitors among their midst. 

There is no war without tragedy, without the pain of loss, and without making hard decisions that will affect the future.  A truly haunting and fitting end to the trilogy. 

WoW: Outpost (Razorland #2) by Ann Aguirre

Outpost (Razorland #2)

by Ann Aguirre

September 4, 2012:  Feiwel & Friends

"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."

I enjoyed the first book, Enclave. It's a dark and gritty post-apocalyptic series with zombies  and threats of other humans as well.  I'm looking forward to know how things have changed for Deuce, and what the future holds for them.

Music Monday: Beloved Freak by Garbage

Garbage just released their new album last May, and I'm still trying to listen to the whole album.  This track is currently my favorite because of its inspiring words.

And so you stand, beloved freak
The world is lying at your feet
There you stand, beloved freak
Let it shine, let it shine, let it shine 

The word freak has been twisted into something negative but I think now more people are enlightened enough to know that being called a freak is no longer bad.  Rather be empowered by it because being a freak can also mean uniqueness and being different is a part of life.

We have our SIMON!!! He will be SIMON!!!!

We have our Simon!!! I wasn't expecting him, but it doesn't mean I don't like it!  

It's official!  Robert Sheenan is cast as Simon!  

Review: Treachery (Nightshade 2.5) by Andrea Cremer

Treachery (Nighshade 2.5)

by Andrea Cremer

December 13, 2011:  Philomel

available in Kindle format

"From Andrea Cremer’s internationally best-selling Nightshade series, Calla Tor’s brother Ansel tells his side of the betrayal and treachery depicted in Wolfsbane.Ansel’s world is falling apart. The Nightshade pack led by his parents has been violently destroyed. His sister, Calla, abandoned her little brother, leaving him to answer for her crimes. And the Haldis pack that would have been his future is irreparably broken by Calla's betrayal. Suffering at the hands of the Keepers, Ansel is losing everything he's ever loved. The only chance he has to save himself means an alliance with his tormentors, and repaying Calla in full for her treachery. In this novella, find out why Ansel makes the decisions he does in Andrea Cremer's New York Times bestselling novel, Wolfsbane."

Review

Written from the view of Ansel, from where Nightshade ended and Wolfsbane began.  We get to understand how Ansel came to his choices in Wolfsbane. 

In the time reading this short story of Ansel, I felt for him and got to know how he managed to do the things he did to Calla.  He was led to believe that it was Calla's fault, and he was given the hope that his wolf will be given back to him.  We learned that his feelings for Bryn is true and endured despite all his pain.  He was somehow misled and his situation.

This story gives you a good insight on his actions in Wolfsbane and Nightshade, and just how far the enemies will go to get what they want.

Waiting on Wednesday: False Memory by Dan Krokos

False Memory

by Dan Krokos

August 14, 2012:  Hyperion

"Miranda wakes up alone on a park bench with no memory. In her panic, she releases a mysterious energy that incites pure terror in everyone around her. Except Peter, a boy who isn't at all surprised by Miranda's shocking ability.

Left with no choice but to trust this stranger, Miranda discovers she was trained to be a weapon and is part of an elite force of genetically-altered teens who possess flawless combat skills and powers strong enough to destroy a city. But adjusting to her old life isn't easy--especially with Noah, the boyfriend she can't remember loving. Then Miranda uncovers a dark truth that sets her team on the run. Suddenly her past doesn't seem to matter...when there may not be a future.

Dan Krokos' debut is a tour-de-force of non-stop action that will leave readers begging for the next book in this bold and powerful new series."

This is something new for me, and I haven't read anything in this line so I want to try this out. :)

Cover Reveal: Clockwork Princess (Infernal Devices #3) by Cassandra Clare

After Cassie announced that the cover for Clockwork Princess will be revealed with the power of Twitter!  Using the hashtag, #ClockworkPrincess, the cover will be unveiled.

And true enough, after reaching 30,000 (and trending worldwide) the book cover for Clockwork Princess was revealed!!!  And Cassie was right to have this as her favorite because it is beyond gorgeous!

Behold:

I know right?  Book covers such as this is one of my reasons why e-books cannot push actual books to extinction.  Because you just got to have this on your shelf!  It's so beautiful I cannot wait to have it.  As if the story itself is not enough to get us excited they have to make the cover uber gorgeous.