October 2017 Releases

Holy wow, September went flying! It has been such a busy month for me, with my sister getting married at the end of September, and teaching work starting up again. I did not expect to get much work in September, and yet here I am! More good news is I also got a part-time job at my local Chapters/Indigo! Although I don't start until October, it's gonna be super exciting working in a bookstore.

In the book world, October has a LOT of awesome books coming out. Keep reading to see which ones I'm looking forward to.

Links will take you to Goodreads.

October 3, 2017

Wild Beauty by Anna-Marie McLemore

October 10, 2017

All the Crooked Saints by Maggie Stiefvater
Dare Mighty Things by Heather Kaczynski
Forest of a Thousand Lanterns by Julie C. Dao

October 24, 2017

The Glass Spare by Lauren DeStefano

October 31, 2017

The Empress (The Diabolic #2) by S.J. Kincaid
Beasts Made of Night by Tochi Onyebuchi

THOSE COVERS THOUGH. There's so much pretty I can't even right now. October is gonna friggen rock, my shelf is gonna look soooo pretty and my bank account is gonna hate me.

My top pick is Maggie Stiefvater's All the Crooked Saints.

Which October releases are you looking forward to the most?

Review: The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

Title: The Raven Boys
Author: Maggie Stiefvater
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Publication date: September 18, 2012
Genre: YA, paranormal
Pages: 408
Source: Netgalley
Series: Raven Cycle #1
1. The Raven Boys
2. Untitled (expected pub September 2013)

Synopsis:
“There are only two reasons a non-seer would see a spirit on St. Mark’s Eve,” Neeve said. “Either you’re his true love... or you killed him.”

It is freezing in the churchyard, even before the dead arrive.

Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue herself never sees them - not until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks directly to her.

His name is Gansey, and Blue soon discovers that he is a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble.

But Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a way she can’t entirely explain. He has it all — family money, good looks, devoted friends — but he’s looking for much more than that. He is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys: Adam, the scholarship student who resents all the privilege around him; Ronan, the fierce soul who ranges from anger to despair; and Noah, the taciturn watcher of the four, who notices many things but says very little.

For as long as she can remember, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love to die. She never thought this would be a problem. But now, as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she’s not so sure anymore.

From Maggie Stiefvater, the bestselling and acclaimed author of the Shiver trilogy and The Scorpio Races, comes a spellbinding new series where the inevitability of death and the nature of love lead us to a place we’ve never been before.

From Goodreads

I’m a huge Maggie fan, and I worry sometimes that because of this, my expectations of her books are too high. I definitely had high expectations for The Raven Boys. In some ways, it definitely delivered, but then it also fell short in others.

I really like the concepts in this book: the psychics, the ghosts, the dead Welsh king. It’s really original and all has a spooky mystery to it. These concepts were so well blended, thanks of course to Maggie’s fantastic writing. However, there’s still so many gaps. I know that this is the first book in a series, but rather than being cliff-hanger-y and suspenseful, it’s almost too much is missing to really understand what’s happening. I worry that it’s enough to make people put down this book and not want to continue it because of it being so full of gaps. That’s not me because I love Maggie and will read all of her books, but that’s how it made me feel.

I really loved the characters in this book, as I do all of Maggie’s characters. I don’t think any of her characters are one-dimensional or boring. They’ve all got so much going on under the surface, and we can still see this even from a third person narrative. I was a bit surprised by Gansey. I didn’t expect him to be so invested and obsessed with the supernatural. I loved all the Raven Boys (of course!): Ronan is so badass and doesn’t give a crap about much; Adam is a genuine sweetheart, but he’s also too proud for his own good; and Noah, even though he doesn’t say much, just belongs. And then there’s Blue, who I love and believe in above anything.

Although there are gaps in the story, there’s still so much to love. It’s a fast-paced read because you won’t want to put it down. And when you get to the end, even though the questions may be overwhelming, you’ll need to read more. I definitely need to read more. I need more Raven Boys!

Thanks to NetGalley and Scholastic for the ebook review copy!

Teaser Tuesday (65)

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme, hosted by MizB of Should be Reading.

Here's what you do:
Grab your current read
Open to a random page
Share two sentences from somewhere on that page
Share the title and author
Try not to include spoilers!

This week I'm reading Maggie Stiefvater's newest novel, The Raven Boys. I love anything written by Maggie, so I have big hopes for this one. Here's a teaser for you:

Psychics tended to tell him he had money coming his way and that he was destined for great things. The first one he knew was always true and the second one he was afraid might be. But maybe with this new clue, with a new psychic, they'd have something else to say.

Like I said, I have high hopes for this one. So far, it's not what I expected it to be... for some reason I wasn't prepared for Gansey and his group to be so interested in the supernatural. So it's a big odd for me, but I'm still having trouble putting it down.

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

Waiting on Wednesday (61)

"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 new books from some of my favourite authors!

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater
Publication Date: September 18, 2012

Synopsis:
“There are only two reasons a non-seer would see a spirit on St. Mark’s Eve,” Neeve said. “Either you’re his true love... or you killed him.”

It is freezing in the churchyard, even before the dead arrive.

Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue herself never sees them—not until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks directly to her.

His name is Gansey, and Blue soon discovers that he is a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble.

But Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a way she can’t entirely explain. He has it all—family money, good looks, devoted friends—but he’s looking for much more than that. He is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys: Adam, the scholarship student who resents all the privilege around him; Ronan, the fierce soul who ranges from anger to despair; and Noah, the taciturn watcher of the four, who notices many things but says very little.

For as long as she can remember, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love to die. She never thought this would be a problem. But now, as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she’s not so sure anymore.

From Maggie Stiefvater, the bestselling and acclaimed author of the Shiver trilogy and The Scorpio Races, comes a spellbinding new series where the inevitability of death and the nature of love lead us to a place we’ve never been before.

From Goodreads

Why I want it: Maggie Stiefvater. That's all the reason I need.

Deity (Covenant #3)
by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Publication Date: November 6, 2012

**WARNING: SPOILERS**

Synopsis:
"History is on repeat, and things didn't go so well the last time."

Alexandria isn't sure she's going to make it to her eighteenth birthday--to her Awakening. A long-forgotten, fanatical order is out to kill her, and if the Council ever discovers what she did in the Catskills, she's a goner... and so is Aiden.

If that's not freaky enough, whenever Alex and Seth spend time "training"--which really is just Seth's code word for some up-close and personal one-on-one time--she ends up with another mark of the Apollyon, which brings her one step closer to Awakening ahead of schedule. Awesome.

But as her birthday draws near, her entire world shatters with a startling revelation and she's caught between love and Fate. One will do anything to protect her. One has been lying to her since the beginning. Once the gods have revealed themselves, unleashing their wrath, lives will be irrevocably changed... and destroyed.

Those left standing will discover if love is truly greater than Fate...

From Goodreads

Why I want it: I just finished reading Pure, book 2 in the Covenant series, and I'm just so excited to continue the story. And Jennifer's writing is fabulous!

What upcoming releases are you looking forward to?

Book Trailer: The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater

Many of you know that I'm a HUGE Maggie Stiefvater fan. I got to meet her last summer when she was on tour for the final book in her Wolves of Mercy Falls Trilogy, and I totally fangirled. It was one of the best days of my life.

So, as a big Maggie fan, I'm so excited for her new series to be starting in the fall. And yesterday, Maggie revealed the book trailer that she made for The Raven Boys!

Check it out:


I love this one. I'm dying for this book. Especially because I've already read the first two chapters, thanks to EW's Shelf Life. Seriously, if you're any kind of Maggie fan, you will want to read those first two chapters. And then you will be dying for more, too.

For those of you who live in the US, you're lucky enough to get to enter a contest to win an ARC of The Raven Boys! I'm so jealous. Just check out Maggie's blog and help share the trailer! Good luck!

Let me know what you think about the trailer! Are you super duper excited for this book, too??

Review: The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

Title: The Scorpio Races
Author: Maggie Stiefvater
Publisher: Scholastic
Publish Date: October 18, 2011
Genre: YA, paranormal
Pages: 404

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

I was so happy to get this as an early Christmas present from my roommate. Yet still, I waited until I had finished school to start it, hoping I’d have tons of time to read it all in one go. That didn’t quite happen, but when I finally found the time, I devoured it in a couple days.

I enjoyed everything about this book. I loved how Maggie created such strong relationships between the riders and the water horses, how the capaill uisce (pronounced CAPall ISHka) seemed so tangible, how the important parts were the horses and the races and the relationships. I especially loved how the romance wasn’t in your face. I was worried when I was a little over halfway through the book and there was still no sign of romance (I love the romance in novels). But then I realized: the romance isn’t what’s important. Those things I mentioned before are.

But then you see that the romance is there, it just isn’t in-your-face obvious. And that’s because it’s so real. It’s none of that insta-love, no starcrossed lovers, nor overcoming evil overlords together. It’s real life. They meet. They get to know one another. They get that flutter in their stomachs when they think of the other... And so on. It’s just so realistic and I loved that.

Puck and Sean were both marvellous characters. It was great to see both of them grow throughout the book. I know Maggie loves writing characters that grow and change throughout the story, and I definitely believe she accomplished this with Puck and Sean. Puck definitely has to be one of the strongest female characters I know. She’s brave and strong and so many things I admire. And Sean was already a responsible adult to begin with, but the way his priorities and his heart shift and change throughout the course of the book was great to watch.

I don’t know how many good things I can say about this book, but I know it’ll never be enough to fully express how amazing this book truly is. It has secured a safe place at the top of my favourite reads of all time, and I know I will be rereading this in the near future.

Teaser Tuesday (36)

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!

This week I'm reading Maggie Stiefvater's latest novel, The Scorpio Races. Here's my teaser:

I take a deep breath and try not to remember her scream from earlier. I try not to think about how my parents died. I need to think about Gabe and his face when he said that he was leaving. I feel like my hands are fluttering, but they're quite still at my sides.

I can do this.

I am totally loving the story in this book. Human flesh-eating water horses! How cool! And of course, pair that with Maggie's writing and it's bound to be amazing. I can't wait to keep reading!

Feel free to share 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?

Author Event: Maggie Stiefvater

This past weekend, I was lucky enough to travel down to Oshawa, ON (about 4 hours from where I live in Ottawa, ON) to attend one of Maggie Stiefvater's FOREVER tour stops! It was a very exciting weekend for me because I never ever thought I'd get the chance to meet Maggie. It was also my very first book signing!

The event was held at Chapters Oshawa. By the time we got there, everything was set up and there was already a handful of people there. Maggie had already dropped off the sharpie'd guitar that was to be given away at one of her Canadian stops. Doesn't it look awesome? (I unfortunately did not win. Mega bummer.)

Soon enough, Maggie was up on the stage! She talked about a lot of stuff like: hotel showers, blueLoki, meeting wolves in Hungary, unenthusiastic British school kids, and where she was when she heard Linger debuted at #1 on the NYT bestseller list last year. It was amazing being there and listening to her talk about her experiences rather than just read about them online. She was very funny and seemed like she was having a good time talking to us all.

The book signing came next. Since there were a lot of people, my friend Jen (who was awesome enough to come with me) and I wandered over to meet Tessa Gratton, author of Blood Magic and Maggie's critique partner, and asked her to sign our copies of Blood Magic. We chatted with her for a little while. She was really awesome to talk to.

We hung back to the end of the line, so that we wouldn't have to worry about being rushed when we got up to meet Maggie. My starstruck moment happened when we got up to get our books signed and Maggie looked at me and said "I know you from online...". I'm almost positive my heart stopped for a second. I mean, I was super excited to be meeting Maggie at all, but the fact that she knew me blew me away. We talked for a bit, got our books signed and picked up some swag. It was such an awesome experience.

We hopped off the stage, and then Tessa hopped on up so that Chapters Oshawa could get a picture of the two of them. I missed the picture, but was able to catch this, which I think is much better than what the "picture perfect" pose would have been: (It's worth it to click the picture and see the full size hehe)

I'm SO happy I had the opportunity to go to this event and meet Maggie (and Tessa)! I never thought she'd ever tour anywhere near me, so I knew I couldn't let this opportunity pass me by. My signed copies of the Wolves of Mercy Falls are all sitting safely on my shelf now, and oh my, they are beautiful! Maggie even drew a wolf in mine when I asked!

I also got an extra copy of Forever signed, as well as picked up some extra swag! Do you want to win it? Visit this post for more information on how to enter!

Big thanks go out to Chapters Oshawa for hosting, Maggie Stiefvater herself, and my friend Jen for joining me! This is something I'll remember for a long time!

Review: Forever by Maggie Stiefvater

Title: Forever
Author: Maggie Stiefvater
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Publish Date: July 12, 2011
Genre: YA, paranormal
Pages: 386
Series: Wolves of Mercy Falls
1. Shiver
2. Linger
3. Forever

Synopsis:
The thrilling conclusion to #1 bestselling Shiver trilogy from Maggie Stiefvater.

then.

When Sam met Grace, he was a wolf and she was a girl. Eventually he found a way to become a boy, and their love moved from a curious distance to the intense closeness of shared lives.

now.

That should have been the end of their story. But Grace was not meant to stay human. Now she is the wolf. And the wolves of Mercy Falls are about to be killed in one final, spectacular hunt.

forever.

Sam would do anything for Grace. But can one boy and one love really change a hostile, predatory world? The past, the present, and the future are about to collide in one pure moment - a moment of death or life, farewell or forever.

From Goodreads

***Warning, SPOILERS if you haven't read SHIVER and LINGER yet!***

I feel like such a disappointment for not having reviews for Shiver and Linger, the previous books in this series, but in my defence, I read them before I started blogging and reviewing books. I promise to review them someday. That said, I feel I should warn you about the gushing I am about to do about Maggie and her writing. (For an example, see my review of Lament, Maggie’s debut novel).

I loved the prologue: the little snippet of Shelby’s mind. It had me wondering throughout the novel who it was that Shelby had encountered and what kind of consequences it would have for the characters. I was also really excited to see that Cole and Isabel were back as narrators again, because I love both of their voices, especially Cole’s. Their experiences and relationships both past and present are so drastically different from Sam and Grace, that it adds a whole new level to the story. I’m always excited to see “Cole” or “Isabel” at the beginning of a chapter. That’s not to say that I don’t love the Sam and Grace parts. I absolutely, 100% feel connected to them and their relationship. I feel what they feel, and it’s frequently heartbreaking (you’ll see why).

That’s one of the things I love about Maggie’s writing. She makes you feel what her characters feel, whether it’s anger or love or jealousy or nostalgia. Also, her writing has a way of grabbing your attention and holding it with her captivating lines that flow so easily. To add to that, there’s the poetry and lyrics, the quick chapters and changing viewpoints, the plot line! Roll all of that up into a nice little package (or a book and call it FOREVER), and you’ve got a story that people can’t - and don’t want to - put down.

On another note, I won’t lie to you and say I didn’t cry. I cried several times. It was that silent, tears welling up in my eyes before falling, crying. So be prepared. It’s the last in the series, so of course it’s a roller coaster of emotions.

That being said, I need to talk about the ending (no spoilers!). Starting about 50 pages from the end, everything started to snowball. It was really a great climactic ending, I loved it. It was after that that disappointed me. Since it was the last of the series, I was expecting more of a “where they go from here” type roundup, but it kind of ended abruptly. That was the only thing that I didn’t really enjoy.

All in all, I’m really happy this book is finally out and that I know how the series ends! On the other hand, I’m so so so sad to see it end. I wish we could hear many more stories of the Wolves of Mercy Falls. But I’ll take what I can get, which is - just like everything else Maggie - awesome.

Look! The Book Depository is promoting it on their buttons! Go grab yourself a copy!

Waiting on Wednesday (26)

"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.




My Waiting on Wednesday this week:
Bad Taste in Boys by Carrie Harris
Publication Date: July 12, 2011

Synopsis:
Someone's been a very bad zombie.

Kate Grable is horrified to find out that the football coach has given the team steroids. Worse yet, the steroids are having an unexpected effect, turning hot gridiron hunks into mindless flesh-eating zombies. No one is safe--not her cute crush Aaron, not her dorky brother, Jonah . . . not even Kate!

She's got to find an antidote--before her entire high school ends up eating each other. So Kate, her best girlfriend, Rocky, and Aaron stage a frantic battle to save their town. . . and stay hormonally human.

From Goodreads

That cover is so awesome with the frosted lips! This sounds like a silly book about zombies and I think it would a fun, short (only 200 pages) read. I've never really read a zombie book before!

We also can't forget about Maggie Stiefvater's Forever that also comes out on July 12! See my WoW post here where I gush about how excited I am for that. You can also stop by here to watch the Forever trailer (made by Maggie herself) and preorder a copy from The Book Depository.



What upcoming releases are you waiting on this week?

FOREVER Trailer!

I love Maggie Stiefvater's Wolves of Mercy Falls Trilogy. And so I'm super excited that the last book is due out in two months today!! (July 12!) In typical Maggie fashion, she's having a super ginormous contest to spread the news about her book, and her newly released book trailer for it (which she spent TONS of time making). Check it out:

If you've never read any of the Wolves of Mercy Falls Trilogy, I recommend you check them out. Maggie made super awesome book trailers for the first two as well. Check out the one for Shiver here and the one for Linger here. The great thing about these trailers is that they aren't spoilery. So if you haven't read the previous books, you can still watch away! They're pretty vague, so those of us who HAVE read the books just end up with our heads spinning, trying to figure out what it all means!

So if you're as excited as me, you will definitely want to hop on over to Maggie's favourite Indie, Fountain Bookstore, and preorder a signed copy.

For more information about Maggie Stiefvater and her books, visit her website here.

If you're one of those who haven't started the series yet, run on over to The Book Depository and snag yourself a copy of the first two books!

Review: Lament by Maggie Stiefvater

Title: Lament
Author: Maggie Stiefvater
Publisher: Flux
Publish Date: October 1, 2008
Genre: YA, paranormal
Pages: 325
Series: Books of Faerie
1. Lament
2. Ballad (October 1,2009)

Synopsis:
Sixteen-year-old Deirdre Monaghan is a painfully shy but prodigiously gifted musician. She's about to find out she's also a cloverhand—one who can see faeries. Deirdre finds herself infatuated with a mysterious boy who enters her ordinary suburban life, seemingly out of thin air. Trouble is, the enigmatic and gorgeous Luke turns out to be a gallowglass—a soulless faerie assassin. An equally hunky—and equally dangerous—dark faerie soldier named Aodhan is also stalking Deirdre. Sworn enemies, Luke and Aodhan each have a deadly assignment from the Faerie Queen. Namely, kill Deirdre before her music captures the attention of the Fae and threatens the Queen's sovereignty. Caught in the crossfire with Deirdre is James, her wisecracking but loyal best friend. Deirdre had been wishing her life weren't so dull, but getting trapped in the middle of a centuries-old faerie war isn't exactly what she had in mind...

From Goodreads

If you haven’t heard me gush about Maggie Stiefvater yet, then where have you been? I love her writing. I wish I had reviews gushing about how much I love Shiver and Linger, the first two novels in the Wolves of Mercy Falls trilogy, however I read them before I started up this blog and never wrote reviews for them. I’m hoping to have the time to read them before Forever comes out (JULY 12, 2011!!) and write reviews for all of them. But I was saying...

I love Maggie’s writing. I honestly don’t know how to describe it. It’s magic. It’s awesome. It just pulls you in and doesn’t let you go. That’s why I stayed up until 2 am on two occasions reading LAMENT. That’s not something I usually do. But, I love Maggie’s writing so much and she just wouldn’t let me go to sleep. She would whisper at me from the pages: “But don’t you want to find out what’s going on? Don’t you want to find out what Luke is? Don’t you want to see what’s going to happen??” and I’d say “OK fine, Maggie, but it better be good” and it always was.

Deirdre is a talented musician with a dysfunctional family. Her mother manages her life, her father barely seems to have any impact on it (I didn’t realize until halfway through that she had a father), her Granna acts weird and spews stuff about faeries and wearing iron, and her aunt is way too full of herself. James, her best friend, keeps her grounded and makes sure she has fun. He’s the light in her world until she meets Luke, who holds her hair back while she pukes before a performance (her pre-performance ritual so to speak). The story unfolds as Luke and Deirdre become friends and she starts seeing faeries. She eventually learns that they are very dangerous creatures and are trying to take her away from house and home. Then a whole bunch of crazy stuff happens and we learn about what They (the faeries) want from Deirdre, what is up with Luke and who he is, and more! But you’ll have to read it to find out what ;).

I really liked Deirdre and Luke as characters. Never while I was reading did I get frustrated or irritated or bored with them. They were both consistent and real throughout the book. I love how they were able to bond over music, with Deirdre playing the harp and Luke playing the flute. I have give kudos to Maggie for being so unique with her instrument choices for her characters (especially a male playing the flute!). It may have seemed sudden, but Luke and Deirdre practically had an instantaneous trust in one another. For a character like Deirdre who is shy and has few friends, seeing her make a connection with Luke was nice. Their relationship was complicated because Deirdre wasn’t sure what Luke was at first and, even when she found out things about him that should have sent her running, she still felt she could trust him. By the end, I was just rooting for them and their relationship, hoping that it would work out and everything would be ok.

I honestly don’t know what else to say about LAMENT. I mean, there’s TONS to say, but at the same time, I’m having a hard time pulling together words. I want to tell you about all these awesome parts so that you’ll want to pick it up, but I don’t know how to do that without spoilers. So… here: there’s fog and a graveyard; there’s a physical connection between Luke and Deirdre, although not in the typical, sexual way; there’s a bitchy aunt who I hate; there’s helpful, mysterious, funny, and scary fey; there’s action, there’s pain, there’s sadness; and there’s a bittersweet ending. If you want to see how all of this comes together or just want to read a dark faerie book with a subdued, but steamy romance, then definitely pick up LAMENT and give Maggie’s debut a try!

Teaser Tuesday (14)

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!

Just to warn you, I'm cheating for my Teaser Tuesday this week by sharing more than 2 sentences. Don't hate me! It's worth it!

I’m finally reading Maggie Stiefvater’s debut novel, Lament. I honestly don’t know why I waited so long, but I’m so happy I’m reading it now. I love her writing! Here’s my teaser this week:

I lay on the marble forever while the gravestones outside marked time, the moon’s shadow moving around them, lighting the other side of their worn surfaces and illuminating Christian names that hadn’t been used in decades. Cold crept through me, passing from the marble into my veins. Every moment that I lay on the cold stone, hoping and dreading that Luke would pull me from the ground, images of death flew through my head. No. Not just death. Murder.



Hehehe I hope that whet your appetite a bit. I am loving this book. Maggie’s writing is amazing, it just drags me in and doesn’t let me go. I was up until 2 AM on Sunday night reading because I didn’t want to put it down. Yes, I had class in the morning, but I just wanted to learn more and more about Luke and Deirdre!

Ok, I’m feeling generous. I want to give you another quick snippet to show you Maggie’s awesome writing. It’s a very different mood from the first:

I sighed. I wanted to take this moment, wrap it in paper, and give it to myself as a gift every time I felt crummy.

I just read this line last night and I love it. It’s such an obscure thought, but at the same time, it’s something that everyone would love to be able to do, once you think about it: Take a happy moment and wrap it up so you can cheer yourself up with that moment when you’re feeling down. Sigh. Love it.

Anyway, feel free to share your teasers with me! I’d love to see what you’re reading!

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Make sure you check back next week. I'll be sharing a teaser from Amy Plum's debut novel, Die For Me.

Waiting on Wednesday (6)

"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.

My Waiting on Wednesday this week is:
Forever by Maggie Stiefvater
Publication Date: July 12, 2011

The thrilling conclusion to #1 bestselling Shiver trilogy from Maggie Stiefvater.

In Maggie Stiefvater's SHIVER, Grace and Sam found each other. In LINGER, they fought to be together. Now, in FOREVER, the stakes are even higher than before. Wolves are being hunted. Lives are being threatened. And love is harder and harder to hold on to as death comes closing in.

From Goodreads

I apologize for there not being a more complete synopsis, but this is all I can find! I’m really excited to read this, the Wolves of Mercy Falls trilogy is at the top of my favourites list. I was ecstatic when Linger came out this past summer and loved it almost more than the first (probably the same amount of love going around, to be honest!). In Linger, I absolutely loved the introduction of Cole and I’m really excited to see how Maggie unravels the myths about wolves and answers the questions she left hanging in both Shiver and Linger. The only problem is that I have to wait until July to get it and read it!!

What upcoming releases are you looking forward to this week?