Friday, July 31, 2015

Book Review: Mama Cried by Talia Haven

mamacried Mama Cried
by
Talia Haven
(Website)
Jenny was enjoying herself on the swings when Azula, one of the guardians of the playground came to take her away.
Together they journey to a cinder building where Jenny must make a powerful decision.





5star

It's hard to talk about this short story without giving away too much information. But, one thing I could warn you is not to be fooled with the beautiful cover and child-friendly title of this book. This isn't a kind of bedtime story you'd want to read to your kids. - Unless, you want them to understand how horrible, scary and mess up the world we live in and rob them of a happy and innocent childhood they deserve.

With barely 3600 words, this book has manage to give me a roller coaster ride of emotion. First it was confusion, and then shock, then pain followed by Anger. Then realization slap me in the face as this story isn't new anymore, this happens everyday in every part of the world, we see this in the news everyday, and yet, we can't do anything about it, except be angry and sad and ask, Why?

Mama Cried is an imaginative tragedy and haunted portrayal of love and justice in the eyes of an innocent child.

If God can truly forgive our sins if we just truly asks for forgiveness, then what's stopping us, humans, from doing them in the first place? Does He really forgive?

This book was gifted through Amazon, in exchange for an honest review. Thank you.


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Feature & Follow #10: Pick an ARC

The Feature & Follow is hosted by TWO hosts, Parajunkee of Parajunkee’s View and Alison of Alison Can Read. Each host will have their own Feature Blog and this way it’ll allow us to show off more new blogs!

FeatureandFollowFriday
This Week's Question:

If you could get an ARC of any book, already published, or not yet, what would it be?
Suggested by Words I Write Crazy

I seriously love ARCs, so i don't mind what book would it be. But if I really, really had to pick one, I think I'll pick The Power by Jennifer L. Armentrout, I just love all of her books.

Temptation of Wolves

Don't even get me started with that cover. I don't like it. But what can I do? I love Seth.. So I don't know, maybe that should be enough reason why I should pick this book, although it wouldn't be out until next year, and it doesn't even have an official description.. **SMH
How about you?

Share with us in the comment section :)


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Tuesday, July 28, 2015

Waiting on Wednesday #10: Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard

WaitingonWednesday

winter Glass Sword (Red Queen #2)
by
Victoria Aveyard
(Website|Twitter)

The thrilling second book in the #1 New York Times bestselling Red Queen trilogy follows Mare Barrow on her mission to defeat the traitorous Maven.

Mare Barrow’s blood is red—the color of common folk—but her Silver ability, the power to control lightning, has turned her into a weapon that the royal court tries to control.

The crown calls her an impossibility, a fake, but as she makes her escape from Maven, the prince—the friend—who betrayed her, Mare uncovers something startling: she is not the only one of her kind.

Pursued by Maven, now a vindictive king, Mare sets out to find and recruit other Red-and-Silver fighters to join in the struggle against her oppressors.

But Mare finds herself on a deadly path, at risk of becoming exactly the kind of monster she is trying to defeat.

Will she shatter under the weight of the lives that are the cost of rebellion? Or have treachery and betrayal hardened her forever?

The electrifying next installment in the Red Queen series escalates the struggle between the growing rebel army and the blood-segregated world they’ve always known—and pits Mare against the darkness of her own heart.

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It's Wednesday! And it is the day we think of the long list of book we wanted to read...Badly.
This week, my Waiting on Wednesday featured book will be Red Queen #2 Glass Sword by Victoria Aveyard

I know I'm not the only one waiting on this book.. I feel you guys..

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Expected Publication date:February 9th 2016

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Sunday, July 26, 2015

Book Review: Darkness Brutal by Rachel A. Marks

DarknessBrutal Darkness Brutal 
(The Dark Cycle, #1)
by
Rachel A. Marks

Aidan O’Linn’s childhood ended the night he saw a demon kill his mother and mark his sister, Ava, with Darkness. Since then, every three years the demons have returned to try to claim her. Living in the gritty, forgotten corners of Los Angeles, Aidan has managed to protect his sister, but he knows that even his powers to fight demons and speak dead languages won’t keep her safe for much longer.

In desperation, Aidan seeks out the help of Sid, the enigmatic leader of a group of teens who run LA Paranormal, an Internet reality show that fights demons and ghosts. In their company, Aidan believes he’s finally found a haven for Ava. But when he meets Kara, a broken girl who can spin a hypnotic web of passionate energy, he awakens powers he didn’t know he had―and unleashes a new era of war between the forces of Light and the forces of Darkness.

With the fate of humanity in his hands, can Aidan keep the Darkness at bay and accept his brilliant, terrifying destiny?

4star
**I received Darkness Brutal from Skyscape via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you.**
"I've spent my whole life trying to save people that didn't want to be saved! I've done everything to stop something inevevitable. And I failed. Every. Time." I take a shaky breath. "If it's the end of the world, there's nothing I can do anymore. I'll watch it burn."
It's almost a mainstream in every YA-paranormal books that the main character has to be hero-like, special and powerful, well, this book made an effort not to make Aiden O’Linn, the male lead of this story like that, and it works - atleast for me.

Darkness Brutal was fast-paced, thrilling and compelling. There were times when I had to put my phone down and stop reading for a moment , not because it bores me but mostly because I had to catch my breath and to collect my thoughts because I find it hard to predict what would happen next. Which is obviously a good thing.

The world building was dark, scary and creepy and yet it was interesting. Each and every characters has their own snarky personality and don't just exists to highlight the main lead of the story, it was awesome!


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Ship it Sunday #3: Cassie Sullivan and Evan Walker from The 5th Wave


ship


Ship it Sunday is a weekly original meme hosted by Steph at I'am Simply a Book Drunkard, Visit her page to know more of this Weekly Feature and feel free to join us and let the bookish world know of your Ship.

Let the shipping begin!

I just saw a picture of the cast of The 5th Wave movie in Facebook and I thought, why not feature this ship?

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Aren't they adorable?

I freaking love the book! I was actually not expecting a romance in this book when I started reading it! I'am more into the premise of alien invasion and when I get to part of Cassie and Evan.. Boy was I blown away!


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Thursday, July 23, 2015

Feature & Follow #9: What is your Favorite Movie?

The Feature & Follow is hosted by TWO hosts, Parajunkee of Parajunkee’s View and Alison of Alison Can Read. Each host will have their own Feature Blog and this way it’ll allow us to show off more new blogs!

FeatureandFollowFriday
This Week's Question:

What is your favorite movie?
Suggested by A Kernel of Nonsense

I love movies! Next to books and foods and dogs that is! I've tons of favorite movies so I really can't pick one. But If I have to pick one only, I decided to pick :
Temptation of Wolves

Temptation of Wolves

This is a 2004 Korean movie. I first watch it when I was in 3rd yr highschool, and I watch it 5 times already(I can't remember how many times I watch it in college), and I still cry everytime. I don't know what is it with Korean movie that can pull of insta loves and Love triangle without being annoying unlike the most YA books nowadays.... Or maybe it just have something to do with swoonworthy boys? :)

Temptation of Wolves

KYAAAH1 Now I want to watch it all over again! Good thing it's friday!!! <3

Temptation of Wolves


How about you?

Share with us in the comment section :)

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Wednesday, July 22, 2015

Blog Tour + Giveaway: Haunted Echoes by Emma Bloom

hauntedechoes Haunted Echoes
by
Emma Bloom
(Website|Facebook|Goodreads)
Publication Date: July 20th, 2015
Format: eARC

Freak!

Oddball!

Crazy!

Loser!

The world sees Abby as unsavory, making her feel isolated. But she most certainly isn’t alone. Everywhere she turns she hears disembodied voices, sees things move as if by unseen hands. Bullies constantly torment her, threatening what remains of her sanity. Her mother is too busy trying to fix her craziness to see what is truly happening. Abby is tired of the world around her, and wants nothing more than to escape. When her life spirals out of control, she is invited to Hildebranch Academy, a school for spirited kids like her. Can Abby learn to live a normal life?

4star

"She would have given anything to be normal. Her oddities were what made her standout. Maybe they were right. It was entirely possible that Abby was crazy. Why did she have to be born this way? What good could come of the spirited voices which continued to plague her? What did someone even do with this? All it had brought her was pain and delusion."
You know you've just read a great book when it has provoked strong feelings from you as a reader.. And I just had a bitter sweet experience with Haunted Echoes.

You see, when I'm reading, I always try to relate to the characters, and I can't do that to Abby- atleast at the beginning. She's weak, overly dramatic and whiny for my taste. That was why I think she's a perfect target for the bully kids. She wanted somebody else to make her life easier.
"Abby couldn't help thinking if she knew about the bullying problem in the school, why didn't she do something about it. She was a teacher after all."
I don't like the way she blamed other people to what happened in her life.
"If only my mom had made me feel it was ok to be me.....
If she hadn't treated my like I was making things or acting out all those years ago, it would have been easier to face the horrors of my everyday life..."
But then, I thought maybe I was being hard and unfair to Abby. I mean, I have never been bullied, even though I grew up with no parents, my aunts were there for me, they have been the constant companion I had and they never made me feel alone, and lastly, I don't hear ghostly voices like Abby does, so I probably should give the girl a break. Abby doesn't have a friend or a parents to confide what she's been going through. Her mother doesn't believe her about the voices..
"Abby still remembered her words. "Stop playing with your imaginary friends, Abigail. It's time to grow up already."
It's kinda hard to confide to a person who doesn't believe you. The bully kids torment her life in every way possible it made me angry. I wanted to yell and shook Abby on the shoulder and slap her to make her realize that no one will be bullied if no one will allow it! Meghan is creepy and a bully. The things she do to Abby are not something a sane teenager girl would've been able to do. I thought it was disturbing and insane - turns out she was.

Abby's growth throughout the duration of the book was commendable. Her mother's faith and love to her helped her get past one of the worst chapters in her life. Maybe the worst is not yet done, but atleast she wouldn't have to face it alone. She has friends now in Hildebranch Academy, where she was eventually sent to learn more of her ability.

Sometimes we overlook things, or maybe it was just me. When I was reading the bully encounters Abby had, I saw Meghan as a rich brat girl who bully people who's beneath her just because she can - an immature act. And boy was I so wrong. 

After reading this book, I felt the need and want to personally meet Abby, I want to apologize to her, I want to hug her so hard and be her friend and tell her that she needs to be strong and I want to assure her that everything's going to be alright.. This was the reason why I liked this book. Not because I was entertain. No, I liked Haunted Echoes because it made me feel all sorts of feels, very heartfelt it made me cry, and it taught me not to judge people just because you could've done things better. 

Romance: What the hell is romance? That girl have enough problems like proving her sanity and trying to survive highschool that flirting is not on her highest list... JK.. Actually there's this guy the girl might have a silly little highschool crush on, but it was short lived, because the guy might have serious issues going on too. So yeah, that sums up her romantic experience, which I liked better. Atleast I was saved with the frustration of insta love by a supposedly troubled teen. But we may see more of that in the sequel of this book which I'am really looking forward to! **Wink

Overall: I Highly Recommend this book to everyone.


Author Emma Bloom, that’s me! I was born in southern Illinois and am the youngest in my family. From an early age I found a great love for reading and dreamed of one day creating books that would capture the minds of young readers. I am an avid lover of all things paranormal, even though I admit I’m the first to duck and cover in a haunted house.

Find Emma: (Website|Facebook|Goodreads)


a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer: Thank you to YA Bound Book Tours for providing all of the information. None of these belong to us. Also to Netgalley, for accepting my request after this tour was organized. The eARC was provided in exchange for an honest review.


Tour Organized by:


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Tuesday, July 21, 2015

Waiting on Wednesday #9: Passenger by Alexandra Bracken

WaitingonWednesday

winter Passenger
by
Alexandra Bracken
(Website|Twitter)

Violin prodigy Etta Spencer had big plans for her future, but a tragedy has put her once-bright career at risk. Closely tied to her musical skill, however, is a mysterious power she doesn't even know she has. When her two talents collide during a stressful performance, Etta is drawn back hundreds of years through time.

Etta wakes, confused and terrified, in 1776, in the midst a fierce sea battle. Nicholas Carter, the handsome young prize master of a privateering ship, has been hired to retrieve Etta and deliver her unharmed to the Ironwoods, a powerful family in the Colonies--the very same one that orchestrated her jump back, and one Nicholas himself has ties to. But discovering she can time travel is nothing compared to the shock of discovering the true reason the Ironwoods have ensnared her in their web.

Another traveler has stolen an object of untold value from them, and, if Etta can find it, they will return her to her own time. Out of options, Etta and Nicholas embark on a perilous journey across centuries and continents, piecing together clues left behind by the mysterious traveler. But as they draw closer to each other and the end of their search, the true nature of the object, and the dangerous game the Ironwoods are playing, comes to light -- threatening to separate her not only from Nicholas, but her path home... forever.

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It's Wednesday! And it is the day we think of the long list of book we wanted to read...Badly.
This week, my Waiting on Wednesday featured book will be.. Passenger by Alexandra Bracken

I mean how can I not read it? How can you turn down that gorgeous cover?, The blurb sounds amazing! Dude! Time Travelling! This book is definitely a must read for YA Fantasy lover. Yep that's me! This book is also written by Alexandra Bracken! and I just adore that woman!

All I know right now is that I'm so excited I may vomit!

Expected Publication date:January 5th 2016


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Monday, July 20, 2015

Book Review: The Girl Who Ignored Ghosts by K.C. Tansley

GoddessTest The Girl Who Ignored Ghosts (The Unbelievables #1)
by
K.C. Tansley
(Website|Twitter)
Kat Preston doesn’t believe in ghosts. Not because she’s never seen one, but because she saw one too many. Refusing to believe is the only way to protect herself from the ghost that tried to steal her life. Kat’s disbelief keeps her safe until her junior year at McTernan Academy, when a research project for an eccentric teacher takes her to a tiny, private island off the coast of Connecticut.

The site of a grisly mystery, the Isle of Acacia is no place for a girl who ignores ghosts, but the ghosts leave Kat little choice. Accompanied by her research partner, Evan Kingsley, she investigates the disappearance of Cassie Mallory and Sebastian Radcliffe on their wedding night in 1886. Evan’s scientific approach to everything leaves Kat on her own to confront a host of unbelievables: ancestral curses, powerful spells, and her strange connection to the ghosts that haunt Castle Creighton.

But that’s all before Kat’s yanked through a magic portal and Evan follows her. When the two of them awaken 129 years in the past with their souls trapped inside the bodies of two wedding guests, everything changes. Together, Kat and Evan race to stop the wedding-night murders and find a way back to their own time—and their own bodies—before their souls slip away forever.


3 Stars

**I received the copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review**
"Bustle and noise didn't distract me anymore. I was much more likely to be disturbed by quiet. Or, at least, what the quiet conjured up."
This was a very good and enjoyable read. I was not just reading the book, I was discovering and unraveling a 129-year-old murder mystery together with Kat, Evan, Morgan, Seth and Josua. The Girl Who Ignored Ghosts was more of a mystery rather than frightening as I initially thought it was going to be, which I liked better.

description

Anyway, I just read Haunted Echoes which is also about spirits and I liked it a lot, but that's the only similarities between the Haunted echoes and The Girl Who Ignored Ghosts. Abby from Haunted Echoes can hear voices of the dead people but she seldom sees the ghosts. This voices has became her nightmare and she sees this ability of hers as a cursed, she has become isolated from her peers. Kat Preston on the other hand can see ghost even when she was young. She's known about the ghost from the very young age and they were a constant presence throughout her childhood unlike Abby. Some became her friends and they tell Kat things in their realm. Kat also help them for their reckoning.

But that good harmony changes when a particular spirit tried to possess and take over her body. Good thing another ghost drove the spirit away from her body. Toria-the name of the ghost that helped her- said that she have to stop believing the ghosts so they can't come near her. From then on, she has to keep saying to herself that ghost aren't real so they won't come near her, we don't want to have another possession now don't we?

Now, in present time, Kat has to work on a research project that threaten her peace. They have to work on a 129-year old double murder case and prove if the curse, that affects the first-born sons in the Radcliffe family is real. The setting will be on Castle Creighton that sat in the middle of an isolated island! Sounds very ghostly right? Kat, needs to work on the very things she has been avoiding for the past eight years if she wants to make this project work.

The only problem I had with this book is the idea of stop believing ghost to keep them at bay. Kat has to keep telling herself that the ghost aren't real and they leave her alone, I found that really unbelievable. I mean, how can you BELIEVE that something isn't real when it is standing right in front of you? Exactly! you can't! You can only ignore them but you are lying to yourself when you say you don't believe that a ghost isn't real when it's waving right in your face. They should have used the concept of "ignoring" as the title suggest instead of "not believing", those two are 2 different words with different meanings.

Overall: I did enjoy The Girl Who Ignored Ghost. There were magic, curses, witchcraft, time traveling, ghosts and lore included in the book that readers will definitely enjoy. I would love to read the sequel of this book in the future. I mean, we didn't really get to see a lot from the modern kids, because the story focused too much in the past. I think that after the time traveling, the story was somehow rushed. Evan's and Kat's character and relationship wasn't given much of a chance to grow. Although it was hinted that there might be a bit of something between the two- their souls are reincarnated from a 129-yr old couple after all- that I know we'll get to see in the sequel of this book.
"Your work is done. Mine is just beginning." He put his arm around my shoulder. "We are in this together until the end"


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Sunday, July 19, 2015

Book Review: Angelbound (Angelbound Origins #1) by Christina Bauer

GoddessTest Angelbound (Angelbound Origins #1)
by
Christina Bauer
(Website|Twitter)
Eighteen year old Myla Lewis is a girl who loves two things: kicking ass and kicking ass. She’s not your every day quasi-demon, half-demon and half-human, girl. For the past five years, Myla has lived for the days she gets to fight in Purgatory’s arena. When souls want a trial by combat for their right to enter heaven or hell, they go up against her, and she hasn’t lost a battle yet.

But as she starts her senior year at Purgatory High, the arena fights aren’t enough to keep her spirits up anymore. When the demons start to act weird, even for demons, and the King of the Demons, Armageddon, shows up at Myla’s school, she knows that things are changing and it’s not looking good for the quasi-demons. Myla starts to question everything, and doesn’t like the answers she finds. What happened seventeen years ago that turned the quasi-demons into slave labor? Why was her mom always so sad? And why won’t anyone tell her who her father is? Things heat up when Myla meets Lincoln, the High Prince of the Thrax, a super sexy half-human and half-angel demon hunter. But what’s a quasi-demon girl to do when she falls for a demon hunter? It’s a good thing that Myla’s not afraid of breaking a few rules. With a love worth fighting for, Myla’s going to shake up Purgatory.


5star
The herald lowers his silver trumpet. "Miss Myla Lewis without escort." I stifle the urge to groan. Without escort? Really?! How about with the ability to kick ass? They need to leave the Middle Ages, STAT.
See that cover? That freaking girl with the wicked tail? It was already screaming KICK-ASS! And those kind of books are always welcome in my realm, Always.

description

Myla Lewis is a quasi-demon,(mostly human with a little demon DNA) and every quasi has a bit of a demon DNA that is aligned to one of the seven deadly sins, Myla's sin is wrath, which explains her ass-kicking ability. She fights in the arena and she hasn’t lost a battle yet. Myla has a nasty temper and you don't want to see the girl get angry!


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Ship it Sunday #2 : Juliette Ferrars and Warner Anderson from Shatter Me


ship


Ship it Sunday is a weekly original meme hosted by Steph at I'am Simply a Book Drunkard, Visit her page to know more of this Weekly Feature and feel free to join us and let the bookish world know of your Ship.

Let the shipping begin!

For this week, I'd pick my all-time favorite ship! Juliette Ferrars and Warner Anderson from Shatter Me Series by Tahereh Mafi.

I admit I only liked Warner after I have read Destroy Me. But I was never been Team Adam, ever. I thought it was good that Juliette has found a companion in Adam, but I thought their relationship was somehow, forced and didn't have a lot of chemistry. It was passive. Then there comes the hot mess, incredibly handsome and disturbingly sexy Warner who's kind of obsessed with Juliette.

description
Reasons to ship Juliette and Warner:

  • They have incredibly hot chemistry together! Don't believe me? Just read it already! **Cough Chapter 62! *Cough!
  • Warner supports Juliette in every possible way. He doesn't see her as a weak person like Adam does.
  • They bring out the best in each other in sweetest possible way!
  • Juliette is Warner's savior!
  • They compliment each other!
I can like, give you a long list of reasons why those 2 are perfectly made for each other.. But you definitely have to read this series for you to see for yourself how perfect they are with each other!

I already told you, I always seems to be drawn with the bad guy! Why do I always fall for the bad boy, when it always certify a broken heart at the end?

And do you know that this awesome series by Tahereh Mafi is finally getting an on-screen adaptation from the ABC?


I really really hope they get to cast everyone right! Oh my! **FULL FANGIRLING MODE ON!

description


Share us you ship in the comment box too! :)


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