Waiting on Wednesday: Dreams of Gods & Monsters By Laini Taylor

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's Waiting on Wednesday:

Dreams of Gods & Monsters (Daughter of Smoke and Bone #3)

by Laini Taylor

Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal, Fantasy, Romance

Expected Publication Date: April 8, 2014

Publisher: Little, Brown & Company

Links: Goodreads | Amazon | Author's Website

By way of a staggering deception, Karou has taken control of the chimaera rebellion and is intent on steering its course away from dead-end vengeance. The future rests on her, if there can even be a future for the chimaera in war-ravaged Eretz.

Common enemy, common cause.

When Jael's brutal seraph army trespasses into the human world, the unthinkable becomes essential, and Karou and Akiva must ally their enemy armies against the threat. It is a twisted version of their long-ago dream, and they begin to hope that it might forge a way forward for their people.

And, perhaps, for themselves. Toward a new way of living, and maybe even love.

But there are bigger threats than Jael in the offing. A vicious queen is hunting Akiva, and, in the skies of Eretz ... something is happening. Massive stains are spreading like bruises from horizon to horizon; the great winged stormhunters are gathering as if summoned, ceaselessly circling, and a deep sense of wrong pervades the world.

What power can bruise the sky?

From the streets of Rome to the caves of the Kirin and beyond, humans, chimaera and seraphim will fight, strive, love, and die in an epic theater that transcends good and evil, right and wrong, friend and enemy. 

At the very barriers of space and time, what do gods and monsters dream of? And does anything else matter?

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I don't know about you, but I absolutely cannot wait for Dreams of Gods & Monsters! I've been very eager to get my hands on it since the very second I've finished the second book, Days of Blood & Starlight. The only thing stopping me is the fact that it hasn't been released yet. As you can see, the expected publication is not tomorrow, but April 8, 2014.

Creys! Why can't it be April 8, 2014 tomorrow? Hopefully this book would be longer than its predecessors since it's the last book in the series and I would want to spend every moment that I can with Karou and Akiva (mostly with Akiva, actually *evil laugh*). Anyway, that's it for this week's Waiting on Wednesday! :-)

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About the Author:
Hi there! I'm a writer of fantasy books for young people, but my books can be enjoyed by adults as well. My 'Dreamdark' books, Blackbringer (2007) and Silksinger (2009) are about faeries -- not dainty little flowery things, but warrior-faeries who battle devils. My first young adult book, Lips Touch, is a finalist for the 2009 National Book Award! It's creepy, sensual supernatural romance. . . about kissing. I am also an artist with a licensed gift product line called "Laini's Ladies."

Laini elsewhere:Twitter | Website

Stacking the Shelves (4)

Stacking The Shelves, hosted by Tynga’s Reviews, is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks! If there's one thing you should know about me, it's that I love discounts. Whenever I see a bookstore having a sale, I just can't help but buy there! And if you've noticed on twitter, I went book shopping thrice in just 2 months, so I really have quite a number of books to show you. So without further ado, I present to you the reason why I am broke: 

1. Darkness Before Dawn by J.A. London 2. If I Lie by Corrine Jackson 3. Blue Bloods by Melissa de la Cruz 4. The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson 5. Memoirs of a Teenage Amnesiac by Gabrielle Zevin 6. Beautiful Darkness by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl 7. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell (review soon)

8. Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card

9. This Dark Endeavor by Kenneth Oppel

10. Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys

11. Die for Me by Amy Plum

12. Envy by Anna Godbersen

13. Splendor by Anna Godbersen

14. Unspoken by Sarah Rees Brennan

15. Dash & Lily's Book of Dares by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

16. Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier

17. Uncommon Criminals by Ally Carter

18. The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken

19. Plague by Michael Grant

20. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

21. The Tiger's Quest by Colleen Houck

So, that's my STS for September and October! I won't be buying any books until December because I'm already having a hard time on choosing what to read next and buying more books will just make it harder. 

PS: I would like to thank my parents, National Bookstore and Fully Booked! :-) 

Brilliant and Heart-rending: Eleanor and Park by Rainbow Rowell

Eleanor and Park

by Rainbow Rowell

Genre: Young Adult, Romance, Realistic Fiction

Release Date: April 12, 2012

Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Source: Bought/Own Copy

Links: Goodreads | Amazon | Author's Website

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.

___________________________________________________ Review:

“All I do when we’re apart is think about you, and all I do when we’re together is panic. Because every second feels so important. And because I’m so out of control, I can’t help myself. I’m not even mine anymore, I’m yours, and what if you decide that you don’t want me? How could you want me like I want you?”

I've often wondered when an author would write a YA book that teens could relate to, and it was very hard finding the right one because some of the authors seem to have forgotten what it's like to be young, in love, and naïve, but this amazing, staggering, remarkable, phenomenal book caught me completely and utterly by surprise. I can't seem to stop talking about how perfect this book was. A love story that's complete with outcasts, family drama, and social difference all laced perfectly—that's Eleanor and Park. It's something special. And I believe I speak for every person on this planet who has read Eleanor and Park when I say that it has a special and well-deserved place in my heart.

It's 1986 and new girl Eleanor, who, by the way, has strikingly red hair and a curvy figure,  finds herself in a school bus without an unoccupied seat and perfect asian Park Sheridan comes to her rescue. One thing led to another: Park was giving her mixed tapes, he was lending her his batteries for her MP3 player, smelling the comics that still smell faintly of her, then he was holding her hand. Well, you could picture the rest.

I remember telling myself that I wouldn't cry because I already know how this book would end. I tried! I really did, but I can't help not crying. It ripped me wide open and exposed my vulnerability to the people inside our car. Maybe it was because of how this book was written because her writing style just made me feel like I know them both personally or this book was just really relatable. I choose the former because I, at the age of fourteen, have not been in love and this book gave me a glimpse on how first loves end: in tears and heartaches.

I have been going on and on about how perfect this book was without starting the formal review, it seems that I got carried away by my love for this book. Getting back on track, I think that the plot was faultless. The slow-paced approach was perfect for adorable love stories such as this. It had the perfect amount of sweetness, not too little and not too much. Park fit perfectly with Eleanor from the very start, and I just want to cry because I am taken back to the novel's ending. And to add up to this book's long list of great qualities, it's narrated from the POV of both characters. If there's a book wherein sequential POVs work, it's this one.

As for the characters, I really loved Eleanor. She's the truest and bravest person I know. She bears with Richie's crap everyday of her life, and that's just courageous. She's genuine—I think I don't think I need to expound the reasons why, but I want to. She shows her true self to the world and doesn't pretend to be who she's not. She's larger than most people and wears mismatched clothes and she doesn't hide it and that's what's truly remarkable about her, and also because she reminds me a bit of myself (I do not have red hair, though).

And for Park.. Park, oh wonderful Park. He was just.... delightful! I wanted to eat him up (not the way Eleanor did) because he was just so cute. And did I mention that he's asian? He always knows what to say, even if nothing is to be said at all. He always knows what to do. I've got only one question for him: Why do you have to be fictional?

To wrap things up, everything about Rainbow Rowell's first take on the YA genre is to be loved dearly. The writing was good, it didn't feel melodramatic to hear their words because they're just kids who fell in love for the first time, which from what I hear is the most painful one. I really advise you to read this book because if you don't, you'll never experience so much emotion evoked by one book only.

Rating:

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Character Names I Love

Each week, particularly every tuesday, The Broke and Bookish host a Top Ten Tuesday based on a specific bibliophilic topic. Other bloggers are able to participate and post their own top ten list based on the topic of the week.

October 22, 2013: Top Ten Character Names I Love

1. Adrian Ivashkov (From Richelle Mead's Vampire Academy and Bloodlines series.)

What can I say? I'm a total sucker for Russian names! (I even named myself Katerina Kazakov *hides*)

2. Nastiya Kashnikov (From Katya Millay's The Sea of Tranquility. GENIUS, GENIUS BOOK)

Like I said, I'm a sucker for Russian Names! Haha. BTW, this is not her real name. Read TSoT to find out! ;)

3. Calaena Sardothien (From Sarah J. Maas's Throne of Glass series)

Her name's oozing with uniqueness and creativity that only Sarah J. Maas could perfect. Read Throne of Glass because it's such an amazingly written and well-thought out debut novel!

4. Karou (From Laini Taylor's Daughter of Smoke and Bone Trilogy) 

She's the blue-haired girl from Daughter of Smoke and Bone written by Laini Taylor. She's tough as nails, and blue hair's a plus!

5. Alina Starkov (From Leigh Bardugo's The Grisha Trilogy)

Russian name yet again. She's a very bad-ass character, and everyone loves her. Read her Shadow and Bone to find out how kick-ass of a character she is. 

6. The Darkling (From Leigh Bardugo's The Grisha Trilogy)

It's not a russian name, but it screams sexy, and I just couldn't resist his charms. When I first saw The Darkling's name, I was immediately drawn to him, and it wasn't a mistake (he turned out to be very, very pleasing to the eyes.)

7. Mara Amitra Dyer (From Michelle Hodkin's Mara Dyer Trilogy)

She's one of the best characters of all-time. I mean, who could kill a person with just one thought? Only Mara. She's also 1/2 of the infamous duo, M.A.D.N.E.S.S. (It stands for Mara Amitra Dyer Noah Elliot Simon Shaw yeah, Michelle Hodkin's deep like that)

8. Liesel Meminger (From Markus Zusak's The Book Thief)
A pretty name for a pretty girl. Her story was heartbreaking, but it was, hands down, one of the best releases this year. Read my Review of The Book Thief here.)

9. Layken Cohen (From Colleen Hoover's Slammed Trilogy)
This name is unique, just like Sky Linden Davis's name (from the Hopeless duology also by Colleen Hoover.)

10. Anna Korlov (From Kendare Blake's Anna Duology)
A strong name for a strong character. She's one of the most selfless characters I've ever encountered. Read Anna Dressed in Blood to find out why!

*This list is of no particular order. 

This concludes my first Top Ten Tuesday post! Hope you liked it. :-)

What are the names of your favorite characters? Comment below!

Cover Reveal: Battle Angel by Scott Speer

I'm not sure when this cover was released because I just saw this earlier while I was making the STS post. Moving on, the paperback cover of Battle Angel by Scott Speer, third book in the amazing series, Immortal City. It doesn't look that amazing, but I'm sure that the cover for the hardbound would look much better! Here's the paperback cover:

Battle Angel (Immortal City #3)

by Scott Speer

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance

Expected Publication Date: August 28, 2014

Publisher: Razorbill

Links: Goodreads | Amazon | Author's Website

It's going to take a lot more than fame to save the Immortal City in its darkest hour....

With Maddy torn between two loves, Guardian Jackson and heroic pilot Tom, and Angels and humans on the brink of an epic war, the Immortal City is more vulnerable than ever. And when demons descend upon Angel City with the intent to destroy, the humans don't stand a fighting chance without the Angels on their side. 

Will Jacks find the strength and forgiveness to enter the fray and fight the demons as a stronger-than-ever Battle Angel? Or has the damage been so great that the Guardians will set off for the next place, abandoning Angel City in its darkest hour?

It all comes down to love-wrecked half-Angel Maddy and the strength of her bond with Jackson in this game-changing, thrice-as-sultry series finale that blends beautiful themes of redemption and renewal with heart-pounding action scenes and jaw-dropping twists.

About the Author:

Scott Speer is a movie and music video director and a graduate of the University of Southern California's School of Cinema Television. He has directed music videos for artists such as Will.I.Am, Jordin Sparks, and Ashley Tisdale and is currently directing Step Up 4. Scott lives in Los Angeles, California.

Scott elsewhere:

Twitter | Facebook | Website

Stacking the Shelves (3)

Stacking The Shelves, hosted by Tynga’s Reviews, is all about sharing the books you are adding to your shelves, may it be physical or virtual. This means you can include books you buy in physical store or online, books you borrow from friends or the library, review books, gifts and of course ebooks!

This week, Fullybooked Green Hills and The Fort had a big sale, and I, like all bibliophiles, couldn't resist. 

So for this week's haul, we've got:

1. Antigoddess by Kendare Blake (Awesome book, btw)

2. Of Triton by Anna Banks

3. Starters by Lissa Price

4. Where She Went by Gayle Forman (*hearts everywhere*)

5. Immortal City by Scott Speer

6. Natural Born Angel by Scott Speer (!!!!)

7. All Our Yesterdays by Cristin Terrill (Loved it)

8. Perfect Ruin by Lauren DeStefano

9. Under The Never Sky by Veronica Rossi (GO BUY IT)

10. The Program by Suzanne Young

11. Unbreakable by Kami Garcia (Hardbound)

12. Just One Year by Gayle Forman

13. The Moon and More by Sarah Dessen

14. Scarlet by Marissa Meyer (this book was amazeballs)

15. The Beginning of Everything by Robyn Schneider

16. Plague by Michael Grant (I bought another one lol)

17. The Chaos of Stars by Kiersten White

18. Unbreakable by Kami Garcia (Paperback)

19. Burned by Ellen Hopkins

20. Burn for Burn by Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian

21. Fire with Fire by Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian

22. Ask the Passengers by A.S. King

*click on the title to be redirected to the book's goodreads page

To end this post, I would like to thank my parents, and Fully Booked! :-)

What should I read next?

Cover Reveal: Of Neptune by Anna Banks

So today, one of our favorite authors, Anna Banks, has revealed the amazing cover of the third book in her amazing series, The Syrena Legacy. The book's name is Of Neptune and it's cover is gorgeous! According to her, the hover has a lot to do with the plot (Oh no! Emma looks a little bit pale.. Hmm) Forthwith, I am gonna show you the cover! Isn't it gorgeous?

Of Neptune (The Syrena Legacy #2)

by Anna Banks

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance

Expected Publication date: May 13, 2014

Publisher: Feiwel and Friends

Links: Goodreads | Author's Website

The end of a wonderful trilogy has come! Of Neptune continues the story of hybrid (half-human/half-syrena) Emma and her Syrena love, Galen. Needing a getaway, the couple heads to Neptune, on the suggestion of the Poseidon king—Emma's grandfather. Only fun in the sun is not what's in order, as power struggles and strangers threaten their love — and their ocean kingdoms.

About the author:

NYT Bestselling YA author of The Syrena Legacy series: OF POSEIDON (2012) OF TRITON (2013) OF NEPTUNE (2014). Repped by rockstar Lucy Carson of the Friedrich Agency. I live with my husband and daughter in the Florida Panhandle. I have a southern accent compared to New Yorkers, and I enjoy food cooked with real fat. I can't walk in high heels, but I'm very good at holding still in them. If you put chocolate in front of me, you must not have wanted it in the first place.

 
Anna elsewhere:
Twitter | Goodreads | Facebook | Website