It's Friday! Have You Turned Into A Book Yet? [11]

"It's Friday! Have You Turned Into A Book Yet?" is inspired by the #fridayreads 
Twitter meme, Book Journey's "It's Monday! What Are You Reading?", Should Be Reading's "WWW Wednesdays", Tynga's Reviews "Stacking the Shelves" and the various other book haul memes, and probably a few others I can't remember right now.

All covers/book title links lead to Goodreads.

Re-reading it, and it is as oh-so-good as I remember.

I've been "reading" this for a week. And I say "reading" because I am still on the first chapter.

Same deal as Finnikin, I'm "reading" this, though I am a bit farther in this than I am in Finnikin.

 

I just picked this up, because it seemed like a perfect spring break read, and I have been wanting to read it for awhile now.

Finishing Finnikin of the Rock (and The Sky is Everywhere) is top priority because it's a library book due the Monday after I get back, so I figure I'll want Froi with me.

I want to re-read it before seeing the movie, and I wasn't going to take it originally, but almost all the comments I got on Tumblr and Instagram (about this photo) were votes to take The Host, so I decided to take it with me after all.

It. Was. Amazing! Like, abusing-the-caps-lock-won't-even-come-close-to-showing-how-amazing-it-was amazing. I also can't believe the series is over! Though the end was the best end-to-a-series I have ever read. (And it seems since I decided not to abuse the caps lock, I'm going to abuse the hyphen. Oops.)

(Books/Stuff that came in the mail.)(Over the last two weeks.)

From Leanne via YA Book Exchange:

Spy Glass by Maria V. Snyder

From Fierce Reads:

Birthmarked by Caragh M. O'Brien

From Haley via YA Book Exchange:

Inside Out by Maria V. Snyder

The Gathering Dark by Christine Johnson

(Books I bought/borrowed.)(In the last two weeks.)

From Barnes & Noble:
Froi of the Exiles by Melina Marchetta
Poison by Bridget Zinn

From my mom/Books of Wonder:
Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare (signed)

From the Library:
Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta
The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson

Clockwork Princess actually came in the mail, but in my rush to take photos before I left for Starbucks (my internet at home sucks right now), I accidentally put it with the Bought books.

Because I skipped last week, I'm going to do a separate post for Book News (look for Exciting Book Stuff!) because it will be kinda long.

Giveaway Alert!

**Cross-posted from my other blog, Tea for Three Books.**
Hey guys! So Amanda and I are going to Robin LaFevers' signing at Anderson's Bookshop on April 7th, and because I just LOVE the His Fair Assassin books (and want to shove them into the hands of EVERYONE), I'm giving away winner's choice of Grave Mercy in paperback or Dark Triumph in hardcover, to be signed and personalized at the event!

The giveaway starts now and goes through April 5th, so there's enough time for winner response before the signing. Also, the winner only has 24 hours to respond, and must be 13 years or older with a US mailing address. Be sure to read all the rules (just above the rafflecopter) before entering.

For those not familiar with Grave Mercy, here's the synopsis from Goodreads:

Why be the sheep, when you can be the wolf?

Seventeen-year-old Ismae escapes from the brutality of an arranged marriage into the sanctuary of the convent of St. Mortain, where the sisters still serve the gods of old. Here she learns that the god of Death Himself has blessed her with dangerous gifts—and a violent destiny. If she chooses to stay at the convent, she will be trained as an assassin and serve as a handmaiden to Death. To claim her new life, she must destroy the lives of others.

Ismae’s most important assignment takes her straight into the high court of Brittany—where she finds herself woefully under prepared—not only for the deadly games of intrigue and treason, but for the impossible choices she must make. For how can she deliver Death’s vengeance upon a target who, against her will, has stolen her heart?

And here is Dark Triumph's synopsis from Goodreads (not spoilery for GM):

Sybella arrives at the convent’s doorstep half mad with grief and despair. Those that serve Death are only too happy to offer her refuge—but at a price. Naturally skilled in both the arts of death and seduction, the convent views Sybella as one of their most dangerous weapons.

But those assassin’s skills are little comfort when the convent returns her to a life that nearly drove her mad. Her father’s rage and brutality are terrifying, and her brother’s love is equally monstrous. And while Sybella is a weapon of justice wrought by the god of Death himself, He must give her a reason to live. When she discovers an unexpected ally imprisoned in the dungeons, will a daughter of Death find something other than vengeance to live for?

This heart-pounding sequel to Grave Mercy serves betrayal, treachery, and danger in equal measure, bringing readers back to fifteenth century Brittany and will keep them on the edge of their seats.

The Rules:

—Must be 13 years or older to enter.

—Open to US ONLY.

—Giveaway ends 3/5/13 at 11:59pm EST.

—Winner will have 24 hours to respond to our email, if no response is given a new winner will be chosen.

—All entries are checked, and any false entries will be deleted.
—We at T3 are not responsible if the package is lost or damaged in the mail.

**ETA: Since I cross-posted, I will accept follow entries for A Book Lover's Ramblings instead of Tea for Three, just make sure to note which blog you followed, either in the little info box or in the comments.**

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Take Control Read-a-thon Wrap-Up

The Take Control (of Your TBR Pile) Read-a-thon is hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer.

Update:

I only read a combined total of 110 pages today and yesterday. I may read more after I post this, but probably not. Needless to say, I did NOT make my goal of 3 books, and I didn't expect to, but I really hoped I would finish at least ONE book. *sigh*

Final Read-a-thon Stats:

Books read: 0
Pages read: 340

Fairy Tale Read-a-thon 2.0 Wrap-Up

The Fairy Tale Read-a-thon is hosted by Debz Bookshelf.

Update:

I did a super thing and read 130 pages in 2 hours while at Starbucks yesterday (Sat), but after I tweeted about it I kinda lost my "flow," and ended up only reading 50 pages more throughout the rest of the day. I didn't finish Scarlet like I hoped to, but my total for the day was 180 pages, so I'm happy. And while I technically didn't finish 2 books as per my goal, I did read the equivalent of 2 books in pages, so I'm saying Goal: ACCOMPLISHED!

Final Read-a-thon Stats:

Books read: 1
Pages read: 637

Take Control Read-a-thon Update #2

The Take Control (of Your TBR Pile) Read-a-thon is hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer.

Update:

I read a lovely 180 pages yesterday (Sat), and while I didn't finish Scarlet, I got A LOT closer than I was before, and am sure I'll finish today. Next up then will be A Great and Terrible Beauty, I think.

Read-a-thon Stats:

Books read: 0
Pages read: 230

Fairy Tale Read-a-thon 2.0 Update #5 & Take Control Read-a-thon Update #1

I'm combining these two read-a-thon updates because I only read a little bit of the same book, and it seemed extraneous to pretty much write the same thing in two different posts.

  &  

The Fairy Tale Read-a-thon is hosted by Debz Bookshelf and the Take Control (of Your TBR Pile) Read-a-thon is hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer.

Fairy Tale RAT Update:

I read barely at all these last two days, amounting to only 62 pages total, and most of that read today. I really really hope I read like crazy tomorrow and get super close to finishing Scarlet.

Read-a-thon Stats:

Books read: 1
Pages read: 457

Take Control RAT Update:

Today I read about 50 pages (though I'm not quite sure about that number, because I forgot to make note of the page I stopped at yesterday) from Scarlet by Marissa Meyer. It wasn't on my goals list, and it very (VERY) recently entered my TBR pile, but I'm counting it anyway.

Read-a-thon Stats:

Books read: 0
Pages read: 50

It's Friday! Have You Turned Into A Book Yet? [10]

"It's Friday! Have You Turned Into A Book Yet?" is inspired by the #fridayreads 
Twitter meme, Book Journey's "It's Monday! What Are You Reading?", Should Be Reading's "WWW Wednesdays", Tynga's Reviews "Stacking the Shelves" and the various other book haul memes, and probably a few others I can't remember right now.

All covers/book title links lead to Goodreads.

I must admit, I'm not very far into it, but it is quite excellent so far!

 

As you may have noticed yesterday, I'm going to be participating in the Take Control of Your TBR Pile Read-a-thon. This book is on my goals list, as I've had it since 2010 and still haven't read it.

This is another older TBR Pile book I need to get to, so it's also a goal for the read-a-thon.

I LOVED IT! Oh, it was such an excellent Cinderella retelling. Just please read it if you haven't.

(Books/Stuff that came in the mail.)

From Kiersten White:
Mind Games bookmark (signed)

From Jessica @ Read My Breath Away:
The Archived bookmarks & tote bag (all signed)

I pre-ordered Mind Games for Kiersten's pre-order contest, and the bookmark was the auto-prize. Awhile back I participated in Read My Breath Away's The Archived photo contest and won, and the prize was the swag above.

(Books I bought.)

MILA 2.0 by Debra Driza
Scarlet by Marissa Meyer
The False Princess by Eilis O'Neal
The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han
Love Story by Jennifer Echols

YA Highway revealed the cover to Melissa Landers' debut, Alienated. The book releases Feb 4, 2014 from Disney*Hyperion, and the cover is so fun! I'm definitely looking forward this. Melissa is also giving away a signed ARC, so check that out.

Two years ago, the aliens made contact. Now Cara Sweeney is going to be sharing a bathroom with one of them.

Handpicked to host the first-ever L’eihr exchange student, Cara thinks her future is set. Not only does she get a free ride to her dream college, she’ll have inside information about the mysterious L’eihrs that every journalist would kill for. Cara’s blog following is about to skyrocket.

Still, Cara isn’t sure what to think when she meets Aelyx. Humans and L’eihrs have nearly identical DNA, but cold, infuriatingly brilliant Aelyx couldn’t seem more alien. She’s certain about one thing, though: no human boy is this good-looking.

But when Cara's classmates get swept up by anti-L'eihr paranoia, Midtown High School suddenly isn't safe anymore. Threatening notes appear in Cara's locker, and a police officer has to escort her and Aelyx to class.

Cara finds support in the last person she expected. She realizes that Aelyx isn’t just her only friend; she's fallen hard for him. But Aelyx has been hiding the truth about the purpose of his exchange, and its potentially deadly consequences. Soon Cara will be in for the fight of her life—not just for herself and the boy loves, but for the future of her planet.

Susan Dennard revealed the cover to her upcoming Something Strange and Deadly novella, A Dawn Most Wicked. The novella releases e-book only on June 4, 2013 from HarperTeen Impulse. I am so excited for this novella, guys. I LOVED Something Strange and Deadly, and Daniel—SWOON!

Daniel Sheridan is an engineer’s apprentice on a haunted Mississippi steamer known as the Sadie Queen. His best friend–the apprentice pilot, Cassidy Cochran–also happens to be the girl he’s pining for…and the captain’s daughter. But when it looks like the Sadie Queen might get taken off the river, Daniel and Cassidy have to do whatever they can to stop the ghosts that plague the ship.

Fortunately, there happens to be a Creole gentleman on board by the name of Joseph Boyer—and he just might be able to help them…

EW's Shelf Life revealed the cover to David Levithan's new book, Two Boys Kissing. The book releases Aug 27, 2013 from Knopf BFYR.

New York Times bestselling author David Levithan tells the based-on-true-events story of Harry and Craig, two 17-year-olds who are about to take part in a 32-hour marathon of kissing to set a new Guinness World Record—all of which is narrated by a Greek Chorus of the generation of gay men lost to AIDS. While the two increasingly dehydrated and sleep-deprived boys are locking lips, they become a focal point in the lives of other teen boys dealing with languishing long-term relationships, coming out, navigating gender identity, and falling deeper into the digital rabbit hole of gay hookup sites—all while the kissing former couple tries to figure out their own feelings for each other.

This follow-up to the bestselling Every Day showcases David's trademark sharp-witted, warm-hearted tales of teenage love, and serves as a perfect thematic bookend to David's YA debut and breakthrough, Boy Meets Boy, which celebrates its 10th anniversary in 2013. 

EW's Shelf Life also revealed the cover to Kami Garcia solo debut, Unbreakable. It releases Oct 1, 2013 from Little, Brown BFYR. This book sounds kind of amazing, and I'll probably be too scared to sleep (I scare really easily).

I never believed in ghosts. Until one tried to kill me.

When Kennedy Waters finds her mother dead, her world begins to unravel. She doesn’t know that paranormal forces in a much darker world are the ones pulling the strings. Not until identical twins Jared and Lukas Lockhart break into Kennedy’s room and destroy a dangerous spirit sent to kill her. The brothers reveal that her mother was part of an ancient secret society responsible for protecting the world from a vengeful demon — a society whose five members were all murdered on the same night.

Now Kennedy has to take her mother’s place in the Legion if she wants to uncover the truth and stay alive. Along with new Legion members Priest and Alara, the teens race to find the only weapon that might be able to destroy the demon — battling the deadly spirits he controls every step of the way.

Suspense, romance, and the paranormal meet in this chilling urban fantasy, the first book in a new series from Kami Garcia, bestselling coauthor of the Beautiful Creatures novels.

Elizabeth Fama revealed the paperback cover to her novel Monstrous Beauty. The paperback releases Oct 1, 2013 from Square Fish/Macmillan. This book is so awesomesauce, and the new cover is GORGEOUS! and totally fits the book. 

Fierce, seductive mermaid Syrenka falls in love with Ezra, a young naturalist. When she abandons her life underwater for a chance at happiness on land, she is unaware that this decision comes with horrific and deadly consequences.

Almost one hundred forty years later, seventeen-year-old Hester meets a mysterious stranger named Ezra and feels overwhelmingly, inexplicably drawn to him. For generations, love has resulted in death for the women in her family. Is it an undiagnosed genetic defect . . . or a curse? With Ezra’s help, Hester investigates her family’s strange, sad history. The answers she seeks are waiting in the graveyard, the crypt, and at the bottom of the ocean—but powerful forces will do anything to keep her from uncovering her connection to Syrenka and to the tragedy of so long ago.