~Waiting on Wednesday~ Wicked Like a Wildfire (Hibiscus Daughter #1)

                “Waiting On” Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.  Basically books that are not yet out that we are dying to get our hands on.  This week’s pick is:

Wicked Like a Wildfire (Hibiscus Daughter #1) by Lana Popovic

Out:  8/15

From Goodreads:

                All the women in Iris and Malina's family are born with a gleam—a unique way of manipulating beauty through magic.  Seventeen-year-old Iris sees flowers as fractals and turns her kaleidoscope visions into glasswork, her twin sister Malina interprets moods as music, and their cold, distant mother Jasmina bakes scenery into decadent treats at her confectionery in Old Town Cattaro, Montenegro.

                Jasmina forbids Iris and Malina to share their gleams with anyone, and above all, she forbids them to fall in love—being discovered could shatter the quiet lives they've built in their tucked-away, seaside town.  But Iris and Malina are tired of abiding by their mother's rules and rebel in secret whenever they can.

                Yet when a mysterious, white-haired women attacks their mother and leaves her hovering between life and death, the sisters unearth an ancient curse that haunts their line—a wicked bargain that masquerades as a blessing, and binds the twin's fates—and hearts—to a force larger than life.  To save each other, they must untangle a thousand years of lies and reveal their own hurtful secrets.  But even the deepest sacrifice might not be enough.

                Wicked Like a Wildfire is the first book in a sumptuous, bewitching duology about the power of love, death, magic, and the many faces of beauty.

Why I’m Waiting:

                 First that cover.  It is so pretty.  Reading what it is about really has me excited for this debut.  I love that while it sounds like romance may play a part the story sounds to be focused more on the bond of sisters which is really sweet.

                What are you waiting on?  Tell me below what you think of this title and leave a link to your WoW as well so I can check it out.

These Ruthless Deeds (These Vicious Masks #2)

                Hello happy readers!  Its drawing ever closer to ApollyCon and I am beyond stoked!  I have my books stacked and waiting to be sticky-noted and packed.  I’m not going to be able to read as many books by authors attending as I had hoped but I have done pretty well.  Today I’m going to share my thoughts and feels on a new release that comes out tomorrow and an ARC I was thrilled to get approved for on NetGalley, These Ruthless Deeds (These Vicious Masks #2) by Tarun Shanker and Kelly Zekas. 

Rating:  5 Stars

                I have been waiting for this book since the end of These Vicious Masks (review) last year.  It had been a while for me and many books in between so I went back and read my old review and skimmed the end again to make sure I had all my facts straight.  It was so easy to dive back into this world of powers and upper England society.  We start out running, Evelyn still in pain over losing her sister Rose, is working to find other gifted people like herself and keep them safe starting with a telekinetic her old tutor knows.  Things don’t go smoothly and they come face to face with the Society of Aberrations, the same society that the evil doctor worked for.  Not a great first impression.  They try to convince Evelyn and her friends that the doctor was rogue and they were really all about what she is, finding and helping those like them and making the world better.  They offer much from repairing her reputation, restoring her family’s fortunes, and the like she wants to believe them.  To be part of something so good, but she is still leery that it is too good to be true and there must be something more sinister beneath the surface.

                Evelyn has really embraced her abilities and the whole new world of powers as a whole.  She is trying to be the best that she can be, what she things Rose would have wanted her to do.  She is still grieving but still things around her keep moving.  She is unable to tell everyone about her ability or what really happened to Rose or risk being thrown in the asylum.  She is a strong character who really moves forward with gusto.  She doesn’t always make the smartest choices, there is one in particular that has serious consequences I still haven’t recovered from I don’t approve of but she is true to who she is at each step.  She grows throughout the series thus far but doesn’t magically change into a different person it’s a development that I like.  Mr. Kent, the good friend who has feelings for her is so much fun to read.  I love when they are together their banter is just so on point.  He has some of the best lines and moments throughout the book and constantly had me laughing.  On the flip side of the romantic feelings we have dark and moody Mr. Braddock who has a horrible ability in making those he is near or touch ill or die.  Yep not a winner on powers.  He is such a good guy with a good heart who is plagued by this power and the devastation it causes.  I like him well enough but I do prefer Mr. Kent.  We also get to meet several others with different powers which was pretty fun seeing how they came into play.  Some we love others we don’t care so much for. 

                Book two is by far set at a faster pace and it really drives you through your reading in the best way.  They are constantly on the move between secret missions, training, snooping, and even the society obligations.  There is never a dull moment and the dialogue is on point.  The constant game of who can you trust really keeps the suspense high.  At one point I stopped and made a note to myself where I was at and my prediction about it being important and this whole theory from one little part so I could see if I was right.  I was in part but I went deep in my own thought process there and I look back and love that it made me so curious.  I’m still holding out that part of it will play in later. 

                I really enjoyed this installment and all the action packed feels.  I can’t wait for the next book in the series because the ending...well it left me with those feels.  Like TONS of them.  Like I re-read the ending several times hoping to see something that could fix what broke my heart but so far not looking good.  But we shall see. 

                Until next time…

~Stacking the Shelves~

                Welcome to Stacking the Shelves was created by Tynga and the full details can be found on her page.  Basically you showcase the books you bought or received each week.  Little, or not so little, weekly book hauls. 

Physical Books:

Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher – I have always heard about this book but after seeing the trailer for the Netflix season I knew I wanted to read it before I watched so had to get it!

Review:

The Love Interest by Cale Dietrich - almost forgot to add this but I got approved this morning!

                That's if for this week.  Share a link below with what goodies you got this week.  

The Bone Witch (The Bone Witch #1)

                Hello happy readers!  I had this review typed up for last Friday but after being up for 36 hours helping my mom and running her to her appointments I was a bit forgetful.  The delayed review is for The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco which is the first book in a planned series.  I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher and was thrilled to start this new series.  I mean come on first, this cover is beautiful and the title makes you wonder.

Rating: 3.5 Stars   

                The Bone Witch is town from two different perspectives in two different times.  One where we have Tea, she is young and learns she is a bone witch in a rather explosive way.  She is both feared and praised depending on where you look, though many fear what they don’t understand.  She leaves her homeland to train under an older and wiser bone witch and learns to be an asha.  We follow her training and get to know her and her struggles in the world plagued by daeva, beasts who bring destruction.  As a bone witch much is expected of her as there are so few of them left.  The other POV is that of a bard, someone who has sought her out at a time much later on and is seeking to learn her story.  

                I had a bit of trouble finally putting a rating on this book as I was on the fence about it.  I enjoyed the story overall but I felt the book focuses less on the story and more on description.  I understand we are building a whole new world and a magical system and that takes time but it felt at many points like a set up book.  I was interested to see how Tea from the start became Tea telling her story.  I liked when things were happening and there was some type of action to move the plot along.  At the same time I think the last quarter of the book really picked up and improved for me.  This makes me even more interested to read book two and see what happens with Tea, Fox, Kalen, Kance, Zoya, Likh, Lady Mykaela and some of the other characters. 

                The story itself though if it had been condensed a bit was pretty interesting; raising the dead, the life of the asha and a bone witch none the less.  The political struggles.  While reading it I kept imagining a Geisha (from my limited knowledge of them anyways) with the parties and formality of the asha life in the asha-ka.  Only if they also trained in magic runes and in combat.  But things like the musical instruments and dancing for sure.  I wanted to know more about the daeva, we got good descriptions of most of them but the azi I felt was covered the most.  I did love how the author managed to bleed some small things in that when reading you see one part of the “future story teller” Tea more sense.  I liked the tale it told and I even liked the way it was told from the past and present sides. 

                I liked the battle between what is expected and what she desires.  She is expected to train and earn money and then when ready do what is expected of her.  Even as the way things are, sitting on tradition, how they cause harm to those she has come to care for.  I loved the questioning of gender policies and why only one gender can do certain things not those that they excel at.  I also loved the buildup of expected romance to happen, though we didn’t get much of any real romance, just the promise of it to come and wow in a very interesting way I imagine.  A slow build is nice and it lets you get to know the characters and really develop connections without any insta-love. 

                Now while I liked the story itself I had some struggles here and there where it would lose me in the pacing with over exaggerated detail of certain things.  On one side I loved the description of the world and getting into the magic system and the culture, on the other side it did sometimes drag after the first several in detail descriptions of the different hua.  At one point the character even makes a comment about going into so much detail each time and explaining the reasoning which I liked but it didn’t make reading about it each time after any better. 

                Overall I enjoyed the story but this one was a bit of a struggle at times.  I think I’ll be checking out book two for sure and hoping with all the world building being done in this one the next may have less of that and much more on the story and plot. 

                Until next time…

~Waiting on Wednesday~ Lord of Shadows (The Dark Artifices #2)

                “Waiting On” Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.  Basically books that are not yet out that we are dying to get our hands on.  This week’s pick is:

Lord of Shadows (The Dark Artifices #2) by Cassandra Clare

Out:  5/23

From Goodreads:

                Emma Carstairs has finally avenged her parents.  She thought she’d be at peace.  But she is anything but calm.  Torn between her desire for her parabatai Julian and her desire to protect him from the brutal consequences of parabatai relationships, she has begun dating his brother, Mark.  But Mark has spent the past five years trapped in Faerie; can he ever truly be a Shadowhunter again?

                And the faerie courts are not silent.  The Unseelie King is tired of the Cold Peace, and will no longer concede to the Shadowhunters’ demands.  Caught between the demands of faerie and the laws of the old Clave, Emma, Julian, and Mark must find a way to come together to defend everything they hold dear—before it’s too late.

Why I’m Waiting:

                Because when I finished listening to Lady Midnight (review) last month I was in shock.  I needed more right then.  I’ve been running through different options and theories left and right to how this will play out and things I want to see happen.  I’ve been driving my friend nuts with my constant need to discuss but come on!  So yes I need this and I hope Cassandra has pity on my poor heart.          

                What are you waiting on?  Tell me below what you think of this title and leave a link to your WoW as well so I can check it out.

Before I Fall Movie

                Hello happy readers.  I hope you all had a great weekend.  I missed my Friday post as I was out of town helping my mom (she broke her hand the day before so I get to help her for all the times she has helped me it was nice) but I have the review ready and it will be posted.  But today I wanted to share my thoughts on the book to movie adaptation of Lauren Oliver's Before I Fall.  I saw the movie with my best friend this weekend and was thrilled to review it for you. 

Rating:  4.5 Stars

                So I should start off saying I read this book back in December 2011, I had to look for my old review (here).  It has been a hot minute since I read the book and while I remembered many major points I don't remember tons of small things that may have been changed throughout the movie.  I know the first obvious thing is that our girls aren't all wearing matching colored outfits for Cupid's Day but as for minute details that is all I remember off hand.  Since watching the movie though I have thought about re-reading the book once I get through some of my other books first.  If I do I may make some additions to this post but for now just my thoughts on the movie.

                If you haven't seen trailers for this movie or read the book then the basic plot is that Sam, our main girl played by the amazing Zoey Deutch, who has it all in life.  She is part of the it group and everyone loves them even if they are a bit evil/mean girl like.  Then as the day progresses and we see her life we don't feel for her much but things go down and she wakes up.  It's the same day.  Sam is confused by what she remembers, a horrible case a déjà vu.  Still as the day repeats she is able to really see how she acts, what her life is.  Again and again the day repeats no matter what she does.  She tries to change things or go completely wild knowing nothing will matter and she'll be redoing it again anyways.  She begins trying to figure out how she can live her life better.  

                 I loved that we got to see Sam change and realize the mistakes she has made.  With all the time in the world she takes the time to really understand how things work.  She struggles throughout from trying to be better to getting frustrated that she is stuck and will never be free of the moment.  Deutch made the emotions shine through.  I didn't like Sam at the start, not really.  I liked he and her friends together away from anyone else because they did have that closeness that I think most everyone remembers with their best friends.  Now I admit we don't get to see as much about how they became friends and some past actions were touched on but not expanded.

                 The movie has some cliché moments of course and falls to a few stereotypes but overall the message is real.  I was lucky to have went to school in a different type of world it seems than some but this movie is relevant.  It shows both sides of things and that it is never too late to change or make things right.  I had chill bumps through parts of the movie and I almost cried at times, though I was prepared for that and managed to stave it off.  There was also a small moment when in the small theater that I made a whispered comment to my friend and several people laughed, apparently my whispered joke was loud in the hush.  Good memories.  

                Last little thought, one part of the book I do remember is there being more time and scenes between Sam and Kent.  I feel I had a better understanding of him in the book.  As I work on this review I am even more certain that I want to re-read the book, maybe before the DVD comes out.  Because I will be getting the movie when it comes out.  I look forward to seeing it again and seeing what things I missed or didn't pick up on.  I feel that someone who has read the book can enjoy the movie but also those who haven't read the book can go in and not feel like something is missing.  It is whole.  I recommend it. 

                Until next time…

~Stacking the Shelves~

                Welcome to Stacking the Shelves was created by Tynga and the full details can be found on her page.  Basically you showcase the books you bought or received each week.  Little, or not so little, weekly book hauls. 

Physical Books:

Lifeblood (Everlife #2) by Gena Showalter

Daughter ofthe Pirate King (Daughter of the Pirate King #1) by Tricia Levenseller (review)

Swag:

 

 Love the bookmark and plate!  Plus can we take a moment to see the pretty end pages!

                That's if for this week.  Share a link below with what goodies you got this week.