Teardrop (Teardrop, #1) by Lauren Kate

Title: Teardrop (Teardrop Trilogy)
Series: Teardrop Trilogy
Classification: Young Adult (12 and up)
Genre: Fantasy
Format: Hardcover; 464 pages
Publisher: Delacorte Press (October 22, 2013)
ISBN-10: 0385742657
ISBN-13: 978-0385742658
Author's Website: http://laurenkatebooks.net/
Notes: Received an ARC at BEA.

Ander comes from a long line of Seedbearers that can trace their family ancestry back to Atlantis. They tend to blend in to the background unless they wish to be noticed, and until recently, he'd never wished to. After years of watching Eureka Boudreaux, his fellow Seedbearers have determined she is the girl who could bring about the beginning of the end of the world and instead of taking a chance to see what she'll do, they've decided she must be eliminated like countless others over the centuries. Ander has been promised once the deed is complete he will finally be able to lead a normal life. Something he's never been able to do. There's only one problem, Ander has fallen in love with Eureka even though the two have never met. Now he needs to make a choice...

Save the world or save the girl.

This was the first book in the new Teardrop series and quite interesting. Ms. Kate shied away from info dumping and gradually introduces us to the world she's created. While we get a fair glimpse of what has happened in the past, thereby making us understand what we see in the present, there is a lot that goes uncovered and unanswered. For example, while Ms. Kate gives us some background on what a seedbearer is, we don't get the whole picture. Why are they called seedbearers? How did they become displaced from Atlantis? I was a tad bit curious. Plus, there was a mysterious object/relic which was used but wasn't readily explained. While these things perplexed me, being as this is the first in a series, I have no doubt they will be explained later in the series and didn't cause me to ponder what was going on as some of the other new series I've read recently had. I rather look forward to finding out the answers.

Ander and Eureka appear to be two star crossed lovers who are not meant to be. Subtle insinuations suggests there may be more to this couple than this first book reveals. Hopefully, in the coming sequels, we'll find out more and see if my theory is correct. Our first real look at Eureka is not a very happy one. It's just a little over four months since she survived a freak oceanic phenomena that killed her mother when a giant wave swept their car from a bridge. Eureka suffered some hearing loss and broken wrists but the loss of her mother, whom she was very close to, undoes her. She's had suicidal tendency and has lost interest in the things that once gave her joy. She's suffering from survivor's remorse--feeling guilty for surviving when her mother did not. She feels lost and the way her father and stepmother are treating her doesn't help even though their intentions are good.

Ander has never lived a normal life. Never attended school. Never really socialized with other children. He and everyone he knows have been focused on studying Eureka. He's gotten to know her over the years and gets her. If the curse proves to be true, she could literally flood the world with her tears. Ander will have to pick between Eureka and his family. He'll have to decide if all he's been told is true, and decide if the girl he's come to know and love is worth the risking everything on the chance that she might not bring the end that's been predicted.

The song that kept dancing through my head as I read this was Absolutely (Story of a Girl) by Nine Days. I can't help but wonder if it was these lyrics which inspired Ms. Kate to create such unique character. They seem to fit so perfectly:
'This is the story of a girl
Who cried a river and drowned the whole world
And while she looked so sad in photographs
I absolutely love her
When she smiles'

Overall, I gave this one 4 out of 5 roses. A very original concept and lore created around an oldie, but goodie--The Lost City of Atlantis. I enjoyed the mixing of the old with the new and I felt Ms. Kate has begun some wonderful world building, setting a nice foundation for the next book. I'm optimistic she's going to blow us away in the next book as she expands upon it. I always love it when an author creates their own legend, lore, or curses for their stories. My only complaint is that I wish the story within the main story hadn't been quite so broken up in the telling. I kept having to go back and reread the previous parts because I kept feeling as though I'd missed something. Regardless, I really enjoyed it. I can't wait to see where the author will take us and her characters in the next book, but I'm predicting it will be good. 

Nancy Gideon's Haunted Open House Giveaway Blog Hop

The 3rd Annual Haunted Open House Giveaway Blog Hop
Hosted by Nancy Gideon

Halloween is one of my favorite holidays because I love dressing up, eating candy (especially chocolate) and reading scary stories. The following is a list of some of the books I've enjoyed over the years that I think are perfect for reading during the Halloween season. Let me know what some of your favorites are.

Ten Recommendations for this Halloween Season:

10. Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake (Young Adult)
9. Poison Princess by Kresley Cole (Young Adult)
8. Moon Called by Patricia Briggs
7. Halfway to the Grave by Jeaniene Frost
6. Bitten by Kelley Armstrong
5. The Passage by Justin Cronin
4. Aftertime by Sophie Littlefield
3. Feed by Mira Grant
2. The Taker by Alma Katsu
1. Interview with a Vampire by Anne Rice

Here are three more awesome books:

~ Giveaway #1 (US Only) ~
The Reckoning by Alma Katsu
a Rafflecopter giveaway

~ Giveaway #2 (US Only) ~
Tarnished by Karina Cooper
a Rafflecopter giveaway

~ Giveaway #3 (US Only) ~
Lyon's Bride by Cathy Maxwell
a Rafflecopter giveaway

~ Giveaway #4 (US Only) ~
As a thank you to Ms. Gideon for setting this awesome hop up, I'm also giving away a copy of one of her books (winner's choice) that is $10 or less from Amazon US
  a Rafflecopter giveaway

Rules for Eligibility:

- Only residents of the US who are 18 years of age or older are eligible.

- Please leave your email address so I may get in contact with you to get your mailing address. **No P.O. Boxes, please**.

- Become a follower of my blog, if you aren't already. (Required)

Winners will be randomly chosen. Only one prize per person and per address. Giveaway ends on October 30th at midnight Eastern time. Winners will be posted on my blog and notified by email. Winners will have 48 hours to respond before another winner will be selected. Good Luck and Happy Halloween!

Prodigy (Legend #2) by Marie Lu

• Title: Prodigy: A Legend Novel
• Classification: Young Adult (12 and up) 
• Genre: Dystopia
• Format: Hardcover, 384 pages
• Publisher: Putnam Juvenile (January 29, 2013)
• ISBN-10: 0399256768
• ISBN-13: 978-0399256769
• Author's Website:  http://marielu.org/

What a difference a Day makes....

June Iparis was the Republic's prodigy, their darling. She was the best of the brightest and the apple of their eye. She was a slightly rebellious teen whom everyone loved and strived to be like. She broke records and sometimes rules all in the name of helping her country. She loved her country and looked forward to serving it. A more patriotic person could not be found. That is until the day she learned the truth about her parent's deaths and that of her brother's. That was the day she decided to help the Republic's most wanted criminal escape his execution. That was the day she lost her faith in her country. That was the day she decided to join forces with Day, a boy falsely accused of her brother's murder. A murder the Republic itself orchestrated. 

Times they are a changing and Day and June are right in the middle. They will be the catalysts that will start it all. 

Prodigy picks up shortly after Legend leaves off. While the Patriots, a rebel force bent on reuniting the Republic with the Colonies, helped save Day and June and they quickly abandoned them to their own devices. Hired by June with the money she received ironically for capturing Day, once they'd done the job June paid for they took off. While Day and June would definitely be resources for the Patriots, they were not willing to lose any more members then the job required. Especially not for two individuals who have never shown an interest in joining them even if the two are the Republic's most celebrated individuals. Prodigy starts off with Day and June trying to make their way to the Patriots headquarters hoping they'll find a place among the rebels. Both will be asked to play important rolls in the rebellion's plan to overthrow the Elector Primo. 

What I really like about this series is the way Day and June are in effect mirror images, almost like twins separated at birth. Both scored perfect scores at their Trials, but because of somebody altering Day's Trial scores they've led very different lives. I can't help but believe had Day been given his due, he would have been as loyal to the Republic as June and perhaps the two wouldn't have been attracted to one another. They'd have been too similar. The pair kind of remind me of that old Billy Joel song, Uptown Girl, where a boy falls in love for a girl who is from the other side of the tracks.

In Prodigy, we get our first look at the Colonies and it's not at all like Day or June had imagined. We also get a little bit more background as to how the Colonies and Republic split came to be. Also, a new character steps to the forefront, Anden, who we met briefly in Legend. He takes over his father's position as the Elector Primo upon his father's death. Is he just a younger version of his father or will he be different? June and Day will have their job cut out for them to distinguish lie from truth, ally from enemy, and determine who they will give their allegiance to. They can change the destiny of their country. They are the ones the people will follow. They can make all the difference. 

Overall, I gave this one 5 out of 5 roses. It starts out a touch slow but things quickly pick up as we reach the midway point. Be warned, there is a cliffhanger at the end which will make you question if all is as we were led to believe. I look forward to seeing what Ms. Lu will do in Champion. I already have it on pre-order.

Order of the series:

Dark Places by Gillian Flynn

Title: Dark Places: A Novel
Classification:
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Hardcover: 368 pages
Publisher: Crown (May 5, 2009)
ISBN-10: 0307341569
ISBN-13: 978-0307341563
Author's Website: http://gillian-flynn.com/
Notes: Library Loan, not for the faint of heart as this one has a lot of violent scenes toward people and animals.

Over 24 years ago the Day family was devastated in a single night. A mother killed. Two daughters slaughtered. A son accused. Only one child remained unharmed and unscathed, but only on the surface. Libby's whole world crumbled within that single 24 hour span. What her brother did still haunts her. Scares her. Makes her wonder if she too is capable... 

“I have a meanness inside me, real as an organ. Slit me at my belly and it might slide out, meaty and dark, drop on the floor so you could stomp on it.”

To this day she can't think of all she lost, of her loving mother and sisters and all that she no longer has, without those terrible last moments and  images of her family infringing on her fond memories...

"I can never dwell in these thoughts. I’ve labeled the memories as if they were a particularly dangerous region: Darkplace. Linger too long in an image of my mom trying to jury-rig the blasted coffeemaker again or of Michelle dancing around in her jersey nightgown, tube socks pulled up to her knees, and my mind would jerk into Darkplace. Maniacal smears of bright red sound in the night. That inevitable, rhythmic axe, moving as mechanically as if it were chopping wood. Shotgun blasts in a small hallway. The panicked, jaybird cries of my mother, still trying to save her kids with half her head gone."

Those memories can still quickly be recalled from the dark recesses of her mind at a moments notice. She's never been able to truly leave that dark place which happened so many years ago. It's left its mark upon her and effected her whole life...

“I am, I guess, depressed. I guess I've been depressed for about twenty-four years. I can feel a better version of me somewhere in there - hidden behind a liver or attached to a bit of spleen within my stunted, childish body - a Libby that's telling me to get up, do something, grow up, move on."

Now, at another low point in her life, Libby Day finds herself on the verge of  financial bankruptcy when she is approached by someone willing to pay her for her memories of that fatal night. A person asking her to unlock her own memories and gain access to police files and the memories of others to piece together what truly happened that awful night. Desperate enough to agree to the thing she once vowed never to do, she'll plunge full force into the past. Will she find the closure she never has by finding out what truly happened that night or rip the band-aid off and open a wound that has still never truly ever healed?  After all, as the only surviving witness, how reliable was the testimony of a seven year old child? What if her memories and accusations were somehow flawed and she helped imprison an innocent man--the only living relative she truly considers family, her brother, Ben?

Gillian Flynn's books are dark. They tend to show you the darker side of human nature which lurks within most people and the way one might act upon it. This can make some uncomfortable. She excels at what she does and what she does is make you think, open your eyes, and see the uglier side of society that she expertly spears with the point of her pen and artfully displays them for all to see. To use a quote from the book, she reveals that, “The truly frightening flaw in humanity is our capacity for cruelty - we all have it.” 

Libby Day was seven years old when the majority of her family was killed. She still remembers bits,  pieces and snippets of what happened, but she has never known the full extent of all the evidence they had on her brother when he was arrested for the crime. Now approached by Lyle Wirth who is part of a 'Kill' club where members try to piece together famous murder scenes a bit like detectives, he and many others are convinced her brother is innocent and wants her to help him find out what truly happened that horrific night. Never truly having done anything with her life, she desperately needs the money he's offering and while she doesn't believe he'll find anything to disagree with the police's conclusions, she's willing to comply with his request although begrudgingly. What she finds, however, is more than she ever imagined, and a long list of possible suspects slowly start to come to light. People the police never even considered as all their attention focused on her brother.

I gave this one 4 out of 5 roses. I enjoyed this cautionary tale that shows just how what you do and say can potentially harm both you and others around you in unpredictable ways. It delves into our darkest nature and shocks you with the fact something like this could and probably has happened. It touches on subjects usually left untouched and untold thereby making you a little bit squeamish. I enjoyed how all is eventually revealed little by little and the whole of it all is nothing like what I would have imagined. I love Gillian's books because they're so different from most of the books I read and leave you with much to ponder.

Interview with Gillian Flynn about Dark Places:

Wild Cards (Wild Cards, #1) by Simone Elkeles

Title: Wild Cards
Series: Wild Cards
Classification: Young Adult
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Format: Hardcover; 352 pages
Publisher: Walker Childrens; 1 edition (October 1, 2013)
ISBN-10: 0802734375
ISBN-13: 978-0802734372

Author's Website: http://simoneelkeles.com/

Notes: I obtained a signed ARC at BEA

He'd been expelled from his high priced preppy California school for a prank.

She'd been voted the Freemont football team's Captain.

He was too good to be true and so not her type.

She swore like a boy, was bossy and definitely not someone he'd date.

Yet here they were thrown together when his stepmother, who happened to be her sister, decided to move the family into her childhood home. Somehow the two had to make things work. They just hadn't a clue how well they'd end up getting along. Sometimes it's the wild card that can throw you for a loop. 

This was such a fun book. Simone Elkeles once again writes an excellent love story. Derek and Ashtyn absolutely get off on the wrong foot. He finds her exasperating, difficult, and frustrating yet can't help being attracted to the strong determined female. She, however, has a boyfriend whom probably everyone but Ashtyn realizes is totally wrong for her.

Derek tries to stay out of the limelight, but his good looks tend to make that next to impossible where the female half of the population is concerned. He's a nice guy, but not looking to get involved with anyone. He'd rather have an uncomplicated relationship with no strings attached. He's quite and keeps mostly to himself, but can't help acting when he feels someone he knows has been wronged. His actions speak louder than his words and though he won't admit it, not even to himself, he's slowly falling for Ashytn.

Ashtyn is headstrong tom boy, but a curvy blond knockout underneath her team jersey. She's just been named team captain over her boyfriend, Landon and she's trying to figure out how he'll take the totally unexpected news. They'd both thought Landon would be the next team captain. Already taken a little off balance, she's thrown even more so by Derek's arrival into the household. She can't help but be attracted to him and her attraction both confuses and unsettles her. Everyone seems to think he's this great guy, but she's positive there has to be something wrong with him. He constantly tries to ruffle her feathers and maddens her to no end.

Why is the book called Wild Cards? Well, I believe that has to do with a declaration by Derek's grandma where says the following:
"My grandson is a wild card. I can't keep up with him. One day he's moving to Texas, the next he's going back to California."

I just adored this story. Elkeles managed to capture the emotions and craziness of being a teenager falling in love while dealing with family issues and finding oneself. It's a sweet, well paced, and utterly charming read. There are some nice twists and turns along the way and I loved how Simone managed to capture so much emotion and feeling within the pages. I instantly fell for the characters and wished the story hadn't ended which is always a good sign. I'm hoping we'll see more of these two in the upcoming sequels. I gave this one 5 out of 5 roses. Definitely a keeper.  

Release Day Review of Hereafter (Shadowlands, #2) Hereafter (Shadowlands, #2) by Kate Brian

Title: Hereafter (A Shadowlands Novel)
Series: Shadowlands
Classification: Young Adult Fiction
Genre: Paranormal/Fantasy
Format: Hardcover; 320 pages
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion (October 1, 2013)
ISBN-10: 1423164849
ISBN-13: 978-1423164845
Notes: Received an ARC at BEA

Rory Miller and her family were the victims of a serial killer. While trying to get away from the madman who'd set his sights on Rory, they'd been killed, only, they didn't know it yet. They'd entered an 'in between' realm that was neither heaven or hell, but the first stop most souls encountered before reaching their true hereafter. Some would refer to it a purgatory, but unlike the biblical rendition, those who got left behind for extended periods of time aren't being punished, but rather they've been selected to escort/usher the dead to their final destinations. Good or bad, the Lifers, as they called themselves, take the souls of the dead to heaven or hell. Not deciding their fate, only making sure they reach it. If a soul has unfinished business or issues, they'll linger for a time in the 'in between', but never for very long.

The story begins with Rory being told that Juniper Landing is, as she suspected, not a normal town. She's been chosen to be a 'Lifer' and she won't be leaving the realm any time soon, if ever. She won't be joining her father and sister in their final journey, nor can she tell them that they've been killed, because revealing that fact prematurely to someone would guarantee they'd end up in the one place no one wishes to go--the Shadowlands.

As Rory starts to learn about what being a Lifer entails, she begins to notice all is not right with this seemingly 'new' world. Something strange is going on and things that shouldn't be happening are. She begins to question whether a soul could end up in the wrong place.

They say the coins of fate are never wrong, that they know who should be sent to the Light and who should be sent to the Shadowlands, but what if they're wrong? What if they're terribly wrong? They say no one ever comes back from the Shadowlands once they've been sent. With her father's and sister's fates still hanging in the balance, she hopes they're right. 

This is the second book in the Shadowlands series and if you haven't read the first book in the series, I'd urge you to do so. This book starts up where the last book, 'Shadowlands', left off and Rory finally gets the answers she's been seeking. She was right that something was off about Juniper Landing and its nothing she ever could have imagined.

In 'Hereafter' we get alternating view points of Rory and some mysterious Lifer who is creating chaos and mayhem in a desperate attempt to find a way out of the limbo of Juniper landing. The mystery of who the Lifer is was rather fun. I'm still not sure if the person implicated at the end truly is the culprit or they've been framed. I'm guessing they are the guilty party, but I'm not 100 percent sure. Plus, this book ended in such a huge cliffhanger and while we get a lot of information at the beginning, we don't get a lot of answers at the end. Ah, such is the way of books in a series.  

Overall, I gave this one 3 1/2 out of 5 roses. It had a good pace to it and kept my interest, but it didn't manage to fully ensnare me within the story's pages. The fact that we get the thoughts of the unhappy Lifer kind of spoiled a little of the mystery of it all and I kind of wish the author had just gone with Rory's point of view, but it was still a very enjoyable read. 

Order of the series:

THE WAGER by Rachel Van Dyken- Launch Day Blitz, Giveaway, and Excerpt

To celebrate the release of Rachel Van Dyken's latest book, The Wager, Grand Central Publishing's Forever Romance is sponsoring a Giveaway.

The Wager by Rachel Van Dyken

About the Book:

Lose a bet, lose your heart...

What is it about a junior-high crush that can send an otherwise intelligent woman into a tailspin? TV reporter Char Lynn wishes she knew. Jake Titus is too rich, too handsome, too arrogant: a trifecta that once lured Char into the best night-and worst morning-after-of her life. Now they've been thrown together in a wedding party. It's awkward, but survivable . . . until Jake stops acting like a jerk, and starts acting like the man she'd always hoped he could be.

If watching your brother marry your best friend is weird, being attracted to your best friend's other best friend is downright bizarre. Unfortunately for Jake, Char hasn't forgotten how he once tossed her aside. Worse still, Jake's already-nutty grandma is even crazier about Char. Cue meet-cute shenanigans and all manner of meddling, and somehow, Jake's falling. For Char. Now all he has to do is make her believe it . . .

About the Author:

Check out her blog: http://rachelvandykenauthor.com

Follow her onTwitter: @RachVD

'Like' her on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/romancebyrachel

Become a 'Fan" on Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4882127.Rachel_Van_Dyken

Rachel Van Dyken is the New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author of regency and contemporary romances. When she's not writing you can find her drinking coffee at Starbucks and plotting her next book while watching The Bachelor. She keeps her home in Idaho with her Husband and their snoring Boxer, Sir Winston Churchill. She loves to hear from readers! You can follow her writing journey at http://rachelvandykenauthor.com/

~ Excerpt of The Wager by Rachel Van Dyken ~

“Jake!” Grandma peered around the mannequin and yelled. “Help her out of that dress! We have a wedding emergency! Hurry!”

“Right.” Jake released Char’s hand and shook his head as he took a step away. “Wouldn’t be the first time I’ve helped you out of your clothes, huh, Char?”

And special moment gone.

Ignoring the burning sensation on her face, Char walked into the dressing room and pulled the curtain.

“Don’t you need help?” came Jake’s voice.

“I think I know how to undress myself, Jake.”

“Yes.” His warm chuckle made Char want to smack him. Shivering, she reached for the zipper. “But when I do it, it’s unforgettable. That’s all I’m saying.”

Fine. She’d had enough. Refusing to let him think she was afraid of him touching her, she took his challenge. With a huff Char pulled open the curtain. “Prove it.”

His eyes widened and then a wicked smile curved his lips. “My pleasure.”

The way the man said “pleasure” did really unfortunate things to Char’s body, things that made her re-think her rash decision.

“Where’s the zipper?”

“Aww… can’t find it? That happen to you often, Jake? Can’t find the zipper, where does my equipment go…”

“Oh that, I never have problems with. You should know.”

Her eyes narrowed into slits as she watched him close the curtain and then do a turning motion with his finger.

She turned around and faced the mirror. Jake placed his hands on her shoulders then ran them down both of her arms. She would not shiver, she would not react!

He placed his hands on her hips, then unzipped the dress. Slowly he ran his hands back up the sides of her body, all the way until he hit just below her breasts. Her breath hitched as he winked at her in the mirror, bypassing her breasts and finding the fastener behind her neck.

Char chewed on her lower lip as she watched him delicately undo the fastener and then held the dress to her body so it wouldn’t fall.

“You have beautiful hair.” He ran a few pieces through his fingers and sighed, locking eyes with her in the mirror.

He wasn’t smiling. Was he seriously paying her a compliment? To her face? Or her reflection?

“I, uhh—”

“It’s just a compliment, Char. Not a proposal.”

She blushed profusely. “Thank you.”

The way he looked at her made her feel naked. And now she remembered why things had gone haywire in the first place. She never knew which Jake she was talking to. The one who had been her friend when she was little, or the millionaire playboy who had no soul.

Char doubted he even knew which one he was. She just needed to make sure she remembered, lest she end up with a broken heart again.

“Everyone decent?” Grandma called from the other side of the curtain.

Jake stepped back and winked. “Unfortunately.”

Char felt her face heat.

“Damn,” Grandma called. “You’ve lost your touch, son.”

“Don’t I know it.” He licked his lips and nodded one last time at Char before stepping on the other side of the curtain.

(Excerpt was used with permission from Grand Central Publishing/Forever Romance)

~ Giveaway ~

1 WINNER will win a "Wits and Wagers" Board Game, plus e-copy of THE WAGER
5 WINNERS will win a SIGNED Forever gift bag, print copy of THE BET and e-copy of THE WAGER

(Giveaway is sponsored by and prizes will be distributed by the publisher, Forever Romance)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Barnes and Noble: http://bit.ly/1bMQisp

ibooks: http://bit.ly/1eNaknV