Fire and Ice is celebrating Halloween by giving away the full set of the Sweep series by Cate Tiernan.
Books 1-3 are in one anthology and #'s 4-12 are the black covered newly republished paperbacks by Speak.
Fill out the form HERE
Open to U.S. Residents only, ages 13 and up. Ends at midnight on October 31, 2010.
Monday, October 4, 2010
The Compound by S. A. Godeen
The Dystopian Reading Challenge is hosted by Bart's Bookshelf
October 1, 2010 through December 19th 2010.
This is book 2/5 in the reading Dystopian challenge:
The Compound by S. A. Godeen
Summary from Amazon:
Eli, the 15-year-old son of a billionaire techno-preneur, has spent the last six years with his family in the massive underground shelter his father has built, knowing that nuclear war has destroyed the world he knows—and killed his grandmother and his twin brother, who couldn't reach the compound in time. With nine years to go before the air outside will be safe to breathe again, the food supply shows signs of running out, but Eli's father has a solution—provided they jettison all morals and ethics. Repulsed and already suspicious, Eli begins investigating his father's claims, and sets up a family death match against a man who grows increasingly irrational and sinister but no less powerful. As far-fetched as the premise may be, Bodeen keeps Eli's actions true to life and uses clues planted fairly and in plain sight. The audience will feel the pressure closing in on them as they, like the characters, race through hairpin turns in the plot toward a breathless climax.
The Compound is a fast paced book that keeps the suspense going making it hard to put down but it does have its flaws.
On his 15th birthday Eli suddenly gets curious and starts to inspect the compound more closely and begins to questions his father's motives - this would have read better if his suspicions grew slowly over the six years in the compound.
His father had planned for every contingency yet somehow most of the food supplies are becoming contaminated. The cows dying, the wrong light bulbs for the hydroponics, etc., but his father even has a backup plan for that with the "supplements".
What is the true purpose of the compound and what are his father's intentions and why won't he let them leave?
October 1, 2010 through December 19th 2010.
This is book 2/5 in the reading Dystopian challenge:
The Compound by S. A. Godeen
Summary from Amazon:
Eli, the 15-year-old son of a billionaire techno-preneur, has spent the last six years with his family in the massive underground shelter his father has built, knowing that nuclear war has destroyed the world he knows—and killed his grandmother and his twin brother, who couldn't reach the compound in time. With nine years to go before the air outside will be safe to breathe again, the food supply shows signs of running out, but Eli's father has a solution—provided they jettison all morals and ethics. Repulsed and already suspicious, Eli begins investigating his father's claims, and sets up a family death match against a man who grows increasingly irrational and sinister but no less powerful. As far-fetched as the premise may be, Bodeen keeps Eli's actions true to life and uses clues planted fairly and in plain sight. The audience will feel the pressure closing in on them as they, like the characters, race through hairpin turns in the plot toward a breathless climax.
The Compound is a fast paced book that keeps the suspense going making it hard to put down but it does have its flaws.
On his 15th birthday Eli suddenly gets curious and starts to inspect the compound more closely and begins to questions his father's motives - this would have read better if his suspicions grew slowly over the six years in the compound.
His father had planned for every contingency yet somehow most of the food supplies are becoming contaminated. The cows dying, the wrong light bulbs for the hydroponics, etc., but his father even has a backup plan for that with the "supplements".
What is the true purpose of the compound and what are his father's intentions and why won't he let them leave?
Saturday, October 2, 2010
The Other Side of the Island by Allegra Goodman
The Dystopian Reading Challenge is hosted by Bart's Bookshelf
October 1, 2010 through December 19th 2010.
This is book 1/5 in the reading Dystopian challenge:
The Other Side of the Island by Allegra Goodman
Goodreads summary:
From New York Times bestselling author Allegra Goodman comes a post apocalyptic novel about love, loss, and the power of human choice.
Honor and her parents have been reassigned to live on Island 365 in the Tranquil Sea. Life is peaceful there—the color of the sky is regulated by Earth Mother, a corporation that controls New Weather, and it almost never rains. Everyone fits into their rightful and predictable place...
Except Honor. She doesn’t fit in, but then she meets Helix, a boy with a big heart and a keen sense for the world around them. Slowly, Honor and Helix begin to uncover a terrible truth about life on the Island: Sooner or later, those who are unpredictable disappear . . . and they don’t ever come back.
The way it was written, the style of 'voice' used to tell the story reminded me of Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale. As if this all took place in the past and this was the telling of the way things used to be.
I thought it was interesting the way songs and sayings from our time was incorporated and recycled into propaganda by the Corporation and Earth Mother. "Your plan to come, Enclosure done-on earth as it is in heaven...
And lead us not into Inaccuracy, but deliver us from lies."
Plus, any story dealing with weather is censored, such as the Wizard of Oz and changing Dorothy's last name to Hale instead of Gale and she dreamed her way to Oz not swept away by a tornado.
My favorite character would have to be Octavio, the tree octopus.
Learn more HERE.
October 1, 2010 through December 19th 2010.
This is book 1/5 in the reading Dystopian challenge:
The Other Side of the Island by Allegra Goodman
Goodreads summary:
From New York Times bestselling author Allegra Goodman comes a post apocalyptic novel about love, loss, and the power of human choice.
Honor and her parents have been reassigned to live on Island 365 in the Tranquil Sea. Life is peaceful there—the color of the sky is regulated by Earth Mother, a corporation that controls New Weather, and it almost never rains. Everyone fits into their rightful and predictable place...
Except Honor. She doesn’t fit in, but then she meets Helix, a boy with a big heart and a keen sense for the world around them. Slowly, Honor and Helix begin to uncover a terrible truth about life on the Island: Sooner or later, those who are unpredictable disappear . . . and they don’t ever come back.
The way it was written, the style of 'voice' used to tell the story reminded me of Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale. As if this all took place in the past and this was the telling of the way things used to be.
I thought it was interesting the way songs and sayings from our time was incorporated and recycled into propaganda by the Corporation and Earth Mother. "Your plan to come, Enclosure done-on earth as it is in heaven...
And lead us not into Inaccuracy, but deliver us from lies."
Plus, any story dealing with weather is censored, such as the Wizard of Oz and changing Dorothy's last name to Hale instead of Gale and she dreamed her way to Oz not swept away by a tornado.
My favorite character would have to be Octavio, the tree octopus.
Learn more HERE.
Princess Bookie: Mini Challenge #3- Contest Craze
Princess Bookie Mini Challenge Consists Of:
Book Synopsis
Mission:
- Write A Blog Post Containing A Book Synopsis Of A Book You Wish Would Be Written.
- Example: If you really loved Before I Fall, you would write a synopsis for Before I Fall #2 .
- Not allowed to write a synopsis for a book that has a sequel already planned so do your research!
Prize:
Surprise ARC Prize Pack
I wrote a post called, Please sir, I want some more so it was easy to make my choice on what book I wish would be written.
Simone Elkeles' "How to Ruin" series.
How to Ruin A Summer Vacation(#1)
How to Ruin My Teenage Life (#2)
How to Ruin Your Boyfriend's Reputation (#3)
How to Ruin Our Happily Ever After (#4)
After Avi serves his time in the Israeli army, he returns to Chicago where Amy lives and proposes. Of course, she's thrilled and immediately says yes but she begins to have misgivings when she learns he wants to live on the moshav back in Israel, especially after all the mishaps from her first visit.
Can love conquer all and do sheep hold a grudge?
Also from a Q&A on Simone Elkeles website:
Q: Will there be a fourth book in the How To Ruin series?
A: I don’t think I’ll be writing another How to Ruin book, although I loved writing Amy and Avi’s adventures together. They are such fun characters to write! Right now I want to work on other projects. Ultimately, however, it’s up to my publisher to decide whether or not they want a fourth book in the How to Ruin series. I never say never, but right now there are no plans for a fourth book.
Book Synopsis
Mission:
- Write A Blog Post Containing A Book Synopsis Of A Book You Wish Would Be Written.
- Example: If you really loved Before I Fall, you would write a synopsis for Before I Fall #2 .
- Not allowed to write a synopsis for a book that has a sequel already planned so do your research!
Prize:
Surprise ARC Prize Pack
I wrote a post called, Please sir, I want some more so it was easy to make my choice on what book I wish would be written.
Simone Elkeles' "How to Ruin" series.
How to Ruin A Summer Vacation(#1)
How to Ruin My Teenage Life (#2)
How to Ruin Your Boyfriend's Reputation (#3)
How to Ruin Our Happily Ever After (#4)
After Avi serves his time in the Israeli army, he returns to Chicago where Amy lives and proposes. Of course, she's thrilled and immediately says yes but she begins to have misgivings when she learns he wants to live on the moshav back in Israel, especially after all the mishaps from her first visit.
Can love conquer all and do sheep hold a grudge?
Also from a Q&A on Simone Elkeles website:
Q: Will there be a fourth book in the How To Ruin series?
A: I don’t think I’ll be writing another How to Ruin book, although I loved writing Amy and Avi’s adventures together. They are such fun characters to write! Right now I want to work on other projects. Ultimately, however, it’s up to my publisher to decide whether or not they want a fourth book in the How to Ruin series. I never say never, but right now there are no plans for a fourth book.
Friday, October 1, 2010
Friday56: Butterfly Swords
Rules:
* Grab the book nearest you. Right now.
* Turn to page 56.
* Find the fifth sentence.
* Post that sentence (plus one or two others if you like) along with these instructions on your blog or (if you do not have your own blog) in the comments section of Storytime with Tonya and Friends' blog.
* Post a link along with your post back to Tonya and Friends.
* Don't dig for your favorite book, the coolest, the most intellectual. Use the CLOSEST.
Closest Book: Butterfly Swords
Author: Jeannie Lin
Page 56, sentence 5:
God's feet, she moved with such graceful confidence.
Pick of the Month - September
After looking over the list of the books I read in September - my top pick(s) are a tie between two books.
Clockwork Angel (The Infernal Devices #1) by Cassandra Clare and Firelight (Draki #1) by Sophie Jordan
I enjoyed Cassandra Clare's The Mortal Instruments series so I knew I'd like Clockwork Angel.
Through twitter, when I mentioned I would love a clockwork angel necklace like the one Tessa wears, Cassandra sent me an url to an Esty shop that sell them.
Goodreads summary: Clockwork Angel
When sixteen-year-old Tessa Gray crosses the ocean to find her brother, her destination is England, the time is the reign of Queen Victoria, and something terrifying is waiting for her in London's Downworld, where vampires, warlocks and other supernatural folk stalk the gaslit streets. Only the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons, keep order amidst the chaos.
Kidnapped by the mysterious Dark Sisters, members of a secret organization called The Pandemonium Club, Tessa soon learns that she herself is a Downworlder with a rare ability: the power to transform, at will, into another person. What's more, the Magister, the shadowy figure who runs the Club, will stop at nothing to claim Tessa's power for his own.
Friendless and hunted, Tessa takes refuge with the Shadowhunters of the London Institute, who swear to find her brother if she will use her power to help them. She soon finds herself fascinated by—and torn between—two best friends: Jem, whose fragile beauty hides a deadly secret, and blue-eyed Will, whose caustic wit and volatile moods keep everyone in his life at arm's length...everyone, that is, but Tessa.
As their search draws them deep into the heart of an arcane plot that threatens to destroy the Shadowhunters, Tessa realizes that she may need to choose between saving her brother and helping her new friends save the world...and that love may be the most dangerous magic of all.
I found Firelight (Draki #1) by Sophie Jordan to be a delightful surprise with very unique characters and a brillant and fast paced plot. I will definitely be reading the sequel, "Vanish".
Goodreads summary: Firelight
With her rare ability to breathe fire, Jacinda is special even among the draki—the descendants of dragons who can shift between human and dragon forms. But when Jacinda’s rebelliousness leads her family to flee into the human world, she struggles to adapt, even as her draki spirit fades. The one thing that revives it is Will, whose family hunts her kind. Jacinda can’t resist getting closer to him, even though she knows she’s risking not only her life but the draki’s most closely guarded secret.
Clockwork Angel (The Infernal Devices #1) by Cassandra Clare and Firelight (Draki #1) by Sophie Jordan
I enjoyed Cassandra Clare's The Mortal Instruments series so I knew I'd like Clockwork Angel.
Through twitter, when I mentioned I would love a clockwork angel necklace like the one Tessa wears, Cassandra sent me an url to an Esty shop that sell them.
Goodreads summary: Clockwork Angel
When sixteen-year-old Tessa Gray crosses the ocean to find her brother, her destination is England, the time is the reign of Queen Victoria, and something terrifying is waiting for her in London's Downworld, where vampires, warlocks and other supernatural folk stalk the gaslit streets. Only the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons, keep order amidst the chaos.
Kidnapped by the mysterious Dark Sisters, members of a secret organization called The Pandemonium Club, Tessa soon learns that she herself is a Downworlder with a rare ability: the power to transform, at will, into another person. What's more, the Magister, the shadowy figure who runs the Club, will stop at nothing to claim Tessa's power for his own.
Friendless and hunted, Tessa takes refuge with the Shadowhunters of the London Institute, who swear to find her brother if she will use her power to help them. She soon finds herself fascinated by—and torn between—two best friends: Jem, whose fragile beauty hides a deadly secret, and blue-eyed Will, whose caustic wit and volatile moods keep everyone in his life at arm's length...everyone, that is, but Tessa.
As their search draws them deep into the heart of an arcane plot that threatens to destroy the Shadowhunters, Tessa realizes that she may need to choose between saving her brother and helping her new friends save the world...and that love may be the most dangerous magic of all.
I found Firelight (Draki #1) by Sophie Jordan to be a delightful surprise with very unique characters and a brillant and fast paced plot. I will definitely be reading the sequel, "Vanish".
Goodreads summary: Firelight
With her rare ability to breathe fire, Jacinda is special even among the draki—the descendants of dragons who can shift between human and dragon forms. But when Jacinda’s rebelliousness leads her family to flee into the human world, she struggles to adapt, even as her draki spirit fades. The one thing that revives it is Will, whose family hunts her kind. Jacinda can’t resist getting closer to him, even though she knows she’s risking not only her life but the draki’s most closely guarded secret.
Books read - September
Vampire Rising (Alex Van Helsing, #1) by Jason Henderson
Discord's Apple by Carrie Vaughn
Dragongirl by Todd & Anne McCaffrey
Little Vampire by Joann Sfar (graphic - 3 stories)
The Ghost and the Goth by Stacey Kade
Paranormalcy by Kiersten White
The Amazing Transformation of Wicca Dog by Krista Ball (blogfest)
Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare
Firelight (Firelight, #1) by Sophie Jordan
Song of Scarabaeus by Sara Creasy
Wicked Girls: A Novel of the Salem Witch Trials by Stephanie Hemphill
Infinite Days by Rebecca Maizel
Rich and Mad by William Nicholson
Spider Bones by Kathy Reichs
Once Bitten by Kalayna Price
The Disappearance by Bentley Little
Discord's Apple by Carrie Vaughn
Dragongirl by Todd & Anne McCaffrey
Little Vampire by Joann Sfar (graphic - 3 stories)
The Ghost and the Goth by Stacey Kade
Paranormalcy by Kiersten White
The Amazing Transformation of Wicca Dog by Krista Ball (blogfest)
Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare
Firelight (Firelight, #1) by Sophie Jordan
Song of Scarabaeus by Sara Creasy
Wicked Girls: A Novel of the Salem Witch Trials by Stephanie Hemphill
Infinite Days by Rebecca Maizel
Rich and Mad by William Nicholson
Spider Bones by Kathy Reichs
Once Bitten by Kalayna Price
The Disappearance by Bentley Little
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