Waiting on Wednesday (64)

"Waiting on" Wednesday is a weekly meme, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that showcases upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating!





This week I'm waiting on some sequels due out this Fall!

Beautiful Redemption (Caster Chronicles #4)
by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
Publication date: October 23, 2012

**WARNING: SPOLERS**

Synopsis:
Is death the end...
or only the beginning?

Ethan Wate has spent most of his life longing to escape the stiflingly small Southern town of Gatlin. He never thought he would meet the girl of his dreams, Lena Duchannes, who unveiled a secretive, powerful, and cursed side of Gatlin, hidden in plain sight. And he never could have expected that he would be forced to leave behind everyone and everything he cares about. So when Ethan awakes after the chilling events of the Eighteenth Moon, he has only one goal: to find a way to return to Lena and the ones he loves.

Back in Gatlin, Lena is making her own bargains for Ethan's return, vowing to do whatever it takes -- even if that means trusting old enemies or risking the lives of the family and friends Ethan left to protect.

Worlds apart, Ethan and Lena must once again work together to rewrite their fate, in this stunning finale to the Beautiful Creatures series.

FromGoodreads

Why I want it: This is the last book in the series, and after the way the last one ended, I CAN'T WAIT to see what happens next, and how these ladies wrap up this fantastic series!

Finale (Hush, Hush #4)
by Becca Fitzpatrick
Publication date: October 23, 2012

**WARNING: SPOILERS**

Synopsis:
Fates unfurl in the gripping conclusion to the New York Times bestselling Hush, Hush saga.

Nora is more certain than ever that she is in love with Patch. Fallen angel or no, he is the one for her. Her heritage and destiny may mean they are fated to be enemies, but there is no turning her back on him. Now Nora and Patch must gather their strength to face one last, perilous trial. Old enemies return, new enemies are made, and a friend's ultimate betrayal threatens the peace Patch and Nora so desperately want. The battle lines are drawn—but which sides are they on? And in the end, are there some obstacles even love can't conquer?

From Goodreads

Why I want it: Another last in a series that I've been following for years, and I'm dying to see how it ends.

Middle Ground (Awaken #2)
by Katie Kacvinsky
Publication date: November 20, 2012

**WARNING: SPOILERS**

Synopsis:
In this provocative cautionary tale for teens, the sequel to Awaken, seventeen-year-old Maddie’s rebellion against the digital-only life grows dangerous. Maddie is in Los Angeles, trying to stay out of trouble. But one night, a seemingly small act of defiance lands her in the place she fears the most: a detention center. Here, patients are reprogrammed to accept a digital existence. Maddie is now fighting for her mind, her soul, and her very life. Once again, Katie Kacvinsky paints a disturbing picture of our increasingly technology-based society.

From Goodreads

Why I want it: I absolutely adored Awaken, I recommend it to anyone. I'm really excited to see what happens next in this digital world.

What upcoming releases are you looking forward to?

Review: Beautiful Chaos by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

Title: Beautiful Chaos
Author: Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl
Publisher: Little Brown
Publish Date: October 18, 2011
Genre: YA, paranormal
Pages: 518
Series: The Caster Chronicles
1. Beautiful Creatures (review)
2. Beautiful Darkness (review)
3. Beautiful Chaos
4. Untitled (expected pub Oct 2012)

**WARNING: SPOILERS**

Synopsis:
Ethan Wate thought he was getting used to the strange, impossible events happening in Gatlin, his small Southern town. But now that Ethan and Lena have returned home, strange and impossible have taken on new meanings. Swarms of locusts, record-breaking heat, and devastating storms ravage Gatlin as Ethan and Lena struggle to understand the impact of Lena's Claiming. Even Lena's family of powerful Supernaturals is affected - and their abilities begin to dangerously misfire. As time passes, one question becomes clear: What - or who - will need to be sacrificed to save Gatlin?

For Ethan, the chaos is a frightening but welcome distraction. He's being haunted in his dreams again, but this time it isn't by Lena - and whatever is haunting him is following him out of his dreams and into his everyday life. Even worse, Ethan is gradually losing pieces of himself - forgetting names, phone numbers, even memories. He doesn't know why, and most days he's too afraid to ask.

Sometimes there isn't just one answer or one choice. Sometimes there's no going back. And this time there won't be a happy ending.

From Goodreads

This title is the most fitting title ever. Like, ever ever. There is so much chaos in this book it’s ridiculous. It’s 500+ pages of disaster, destruction, confusion, heartbreak, end of the world events and so on! It’s hard to put down because you want to find out what will be thrown at our beloved characters next, but you also want to figure out the answers to the burning questions in the novel.

BEAUTIFUL CHAOS is a fantastic third novel. I didn’t enjoy the second one as much as I would have hoped (check out my review to see why). Thankfully, this third book was so much better. I think this one was much more fast paced than book 2, and that made a big difference for me. There was always something happening, or I was waiting with bated breath for something to happen. The plot moved forward really well.

The characters were the same ones that we’ve come to love (or hate) over the last two books. Amma was very different in this book because she’s kind of going off her rockers. She’s not cooking as much or reading cards; there’s something bothering her, causing her to lose faith. Link is still awesome, but his ego is now amplified because he’s Linkubus. And Ridley is going bonkers after losing her powers. She can’t stand being a mortal. Poor Ethan is falling apart at the seams. He’s losing memories, doesn’t like his favourite foods anymore, and is haunted by something (someone) in his dreams. Plus, he’s too afraid to tell anyone. Besides, it’s not like anyone else is doing very well either.

In BEAUTIFUL CHAOS, the Mortal and Caster worlds collide. Event after event occurs and forces our team of characters to fear not only for themselves, but for the town they call home. And oh my, does it ever end on a cliffhanger! I can’t wait to find out the title of the 4th and final book in the Caster Chronicles, and see the cover. And then, of course, I can’t wait until October for it to come out!

Teaser Tuesday (38)

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme, hosted by MizB of Should be Reading. Just do the following:

Grab your current read

Open to a random page

Share two "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page

DO NOT INCLUDE SPOILERS (make sure that what you share doesn't give too much away, so that you don't ruin the book for others)

Share the title and author so that other participants can add the book to their TBR list is they like your teasers!

I got Beautiful Chaos, the third book in the Caster Chronicles by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl for Christmas, and that's the book I'm reading now! Here's my teaser from it:

Link pushed open the heavy stone door, and light flooded into the Tunnel. We were behind some old building, the door etched into the chipped brick. The air was thick and sticky with the distinct stench of beer and seat. "Where the hell are we?"

Beautiful Chaos is currently full of just that, chaos. There is some crazy stuff going on! Poor Ethan's world seems to falling apart around him. I really want to know what's going to happen because the situation in Gatlin seems pretty bleak right now.

Feel free to share links to your teasers. I'd love to see what you're reading!

Waiting on Wednesday (38)

"Waiting on" Wednesday is a weekly meme, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that showcases upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating!
I first heard about it from PageTurnersBlog.




There are several books I'm looking forward to, and they're coming out within the next two weeks!

Devoted (Elixir #2) by Hilary Duff
Publication Date: October 11, 2011

**Warning about spoilers!**
Synopsis:
Since Sage was kidnapped, Clea has no way of knowing if he is alive or dead. And even though she has only just discovered they were soulmates, she feels like a part of her is lost forever. What’s worse, she can’t even turn to her best friend Ben—because every time she looks at him, all she sees is his betrayal.

But waiting for something to happen is not an option, so Clea is ready for action. Suffering through dreams of seeing Sage with another woman, she makes an uneasy alliance with Sage’s enemies and sets out to be reunited with Sage...in this life or the next.

From Goodreads

Why I want it: I read Elixir in the spring and actually enjoyed it. The writing wasn't fantastic, but the story was pretty good. I'm excited to see where it goes next.

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater
Publication date: October 18, 2011

Synopsis:
It happens at the start of every November: the Scorpio Races. Riders attempt to keep hold of their water horses long enough to make it to the finish line. Some riders live. Others die.

At age nineteen, Sean Kendrick is the returning champion. He is a young man of few words, and if he has any fears, he keeps them buried deep, where no one else can see them.

Puck Connolly is different. She never meant to ride in the Scorpio Races. But fate hasn’t given her much of a chance. So she enters the competition — the first girl ever to do so. She is in no way prepared for what is going to happen.

From Goodreads

Why I want it: Maggie Stiefvater. That is all.

Beautiful Chaos (Caster Chronicles #3) by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
Publication Date: October 18, 2011

**Warning for spoilers!**

Synopsis:
Ethan Wate thought he was getting used to the strange, impossible events happening in Gatlin, his small Southern town. But now that Ethan and Lena have returned home, strange and impossible have taken on new meanings. Swarms of locusts, record-breaking heat, and devastating storms ravage Gatlin as Ethan and Lena struggle to understand the impact of Lena's Claiming. Even Lena's family of powerful Supernaturals is affected - and their abilities begin to dangerously misfire. As time passes, one question becomes clear: What - or who - will need to be sacrificed to save Gatlin?

For Ethan, the chaos is a frightening but welcome distraction. He's being haunted in his dreams again, but this time it isn't by Lena - and whatever is haunting him is following him out of his dreams and into his everyday life. Even worse, Ethan is gradually losing pieces of himself - forgetting names, phone numbers, even memories. He doesn't know why, and most days he's too afraid to ask.

Sometimes there isn't just one answer or one choice. Sometimes there's no going back. And this time there won't be a happy ending.

From Goodreads

Why I want it: It's the third in the series. I loved the first one, but didn't think the second one was as good. Hopefully this one is better and that I enjoy it!

Dearly, Departed by Lia Habel
Publication Date: October 18, 2011

Synopsis:
Love can never die.

Love conquers all, so they say. But can Cupid’s arrow pierce the hearts of the living and the dead—or rather, the undead? Can a proper young Victorian lady find true love in the arms of a dashing zombie?

The year is 2195. The place is New Victoria—a high-tech nation modeled on the manners, mores, and fashions of an antique era. A teenager in high society, Nora Dearly is far more interested in military history and her country’s political unrest than in tea parties and debutante balls. But after her parents die, Nora is left at the mercy of her domineering aunt, a social-climbing spendthrift who has squandered the family fortune, and now plans to marry her niece off for money. For Nora, no fate could be more horrible—until she’s nearly kidnapped by an army of walking corpses.

But fate is just getting started with Nora. Catapulted from her world of drawing-room civility, she’s suddenly gunning down ravenous zombies alongside mysterious black-clad commandos and confronting “The Laz,” a fatal virus that raises the dead—and hell along with them. Hardly ideal circumstances. Then Nora meets Bram Griswold, a young soldier who is brave, handsome, noble... and dead. But as is the case with the rest of his special undead unit, luck and modern science have enabled Bram to hold on to his mind, his manners, and his body parts. And when his bond of trust with Nora turns to tenderness, there’s no turning back. Eventually, they know, the disease will win, separating the star-crossed lovers forever. But until then, beating or not, their hearts will have what they desire.

In Dearly, Departed, steampunk meets romance meets walking-dead thriller, spawning a madly imaginative novel of rip-roaring adventure, spine-tingling suspense, and macabre comedy that forever redefines the concept of undying love.

From Goodreads

Why I want it: Even though the synopsis is long, it sounds like a really interesting book. It's a steampunk romance about zombies. I think having those three words in the same sentence is reason enough to read it. And look at that cover!


What upcoming releases are you looking forward to?

Review: Beautiful Darkness by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

Title: Beautiful Darkness
Authors: Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl
Publisher: Little Brown
Publish Date: October 12, 2010
Genre: YA, fantasy
Pages: 503
Series: Caster Chronicles
1. Beautiful Creatures (mini review)
2. Beautiful Darkness
3. Untitled (pub 2011)
4. Untitled (expected pub 2012)

Synopsis:
Ethan Wate used to think of Gatlin, the small Southern town he had always called home, as a place where nothing ever changed. Then he met mysterious newcomer Lena Duchannes, who revealed a secret world that had been hidden in plain sight all along. A Gatlin that harbored ancient secrets beneath its moss-covered oaks and cracked sidewalks. A Gatlin where a curse has marked Lena's family of powerful Supernaturals for generations. A Gatlin where impossible, magical, life-altering events happen.

Sometimes life-ending.

Together they can face anything Gatlin throws at them, but after suffering a tragic loss, Lena starts to pull away, keeping secrets that test their relationship. And now that Ethan's eyes have been opened to the darker side of Gatlin, there's no going back. Haunted by strange visions only he can see, Ethan is pulled deeper into his town's tangled history and finds himself caught up in the dangerous network of underground passageways endlessly crisscrossing the South, where nothing is as it seems.

From Goodreads

(Warning: minor spoilers if you haven't read Beautiful Creatures)

BEAUTIFUL DARKNESS deals with the aftermath of what happens at the end of BEAUTIFUL CREATURES. Unlike most sequels where they deal with the issue at the end of the first in the beginning of the second, the whole of BD is spent dealing with the issue. Lena is pulling away from Ethan and he doesn’t know why. I sympathized a lot with Ethan in this book and felt bad for him. Lena was basically making him feel like crap and he had no idea what was going on. I think he’s a loveable character who is really sweet and it hurt to see him so upset.

Lena was kinda a bitch on the other hand. I understand that she was going through crap, too, but that doesn’t mean she can be a shitty girlfriend. When Ethan needed her most, she was never there, which irritated me because he’d never do that to her. This whole book is evidence of that. And then when Ethan became friends with a new girl in town, Lena blew up when she saw them together at the fair. Uh, hello?? Of course he’s hanging out with other people because you’re ignoring him. She was really selfish and you could say it’s her way of “protecting him” from herself, but there are nicer ways to do it. And clearly, that way didn't work, so why not try a different tactic? I guess I just didn’t like her much this time around.

As much as I love Ethan and felt bad for him, the plot of this story kind of fell flat for me. Compared to the first book, where it was really fast paced and there was a lot happening, BD was very slow and I find myself looking back, thinking “What really happened?” The whole story is building up to the ending, and for a 500 page book, that can drag on after a little while. There were moments where I found myself flipping the pages quickly in an exciting moment, and then we’d be back down to the slow and laborious.

This book was a lot more of “let’s think and figure this stuff out” as it worked toward the end, rather than “OMG this is so exciting.” Unfortunately, when it was figured out and the ending came, it was really anticlimactic for me. About halfway through the book I realized what was going to have to happen at the end and when it did, it was just kind of like “oh, well I knew that already” because there wasn’t much else to it. Maybe I’m so used to twist endings that, because there wasn’t one here, I didn’t enjoy it as much.

I started this book really excited about what was going to happen. But now I feel like this book was more of a filler book than a real development kind of book. It introduced new characters and set up the perfect place for the third one to start, however, compared to the first, which was heavy on adventure, suspense, and romance, this one didn’t quite fit the bill. Maybe my expectations were too high after the first, but this one was just too low key and slow paced for me to really enjoy it.

Teaser Tuesday (8)

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme, hosted by MizB of Should be Reading. Just do the following:

Grab your current read

Open to a random page

Share two "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page

DO NOT INCLUDE SPOILERS (make sure that what you share doesn't give too much away, so that you don't ruin the book for others)

Share the title and author so that other participants can add the book to their TBR list is they like your teasers!

My teaser this week comes from Beautiful Darkness, the second book in the Caster Chronicles series by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl. I read the first book, Beautiful Creatures, in the summer. I think I missed being in Gatlin and in the Caster world because I’m really enjoying it so far. Here’s my teaser:

She wouldn't jump on the back of some random guy's bike.
Not unless she knew him.
Right then, I didn't know which was worse.





So far, there is a lot going on in this book. I don't really want to say anything and post spoilers, so I'll just leave it at that. Apparently, I forgot a lot of stuff from the first one. Like Kelting (I didn’t remember that’s what it was called) and what happened to the Book of Moons, and the green and gold eyes. I feel like a bad fan, ha ha! But I’m really enjoying getting back into the world that Kami and Margaret created. It’s fun and dramatic and confusing. I’m only about a quarter of the way through, so I’m excited to see where it is going to go!

Feel free to share links to your teasers! I’d love to see what you’re reading.