Showing posts with label good news. Show all posts
Showing posts with label good news. Show all posts

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Pottermore Halloween Surprise!


We're pleased to officially announce that from tomorrow, 31st October, 12 noon GMT, the final chapters of
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
will be available on Pottermore for you to explore.

Help us spread the word by telling your fellow Harry Potter and Pottermore fans about the great news.








That means that we are a mere few hours away from completing the second book! I know I'll be (gently) cracking open my copy to read along with the site. What about you? Will you peruse the pages by yourselves, or will you follow along with your e-, print-, or audio- books? And regardless of your practice, are you stoked for more content? Or have you, like my sister, given up on Pottermore?

Let me hear you howl!

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Top Ten Tuesday: Fall 2012 TBR List

Top Ten Tuesday
Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted at The Broke and the Bookish.

I'm WAY behind on my normal TBR list, and other than a quick perusal of Amazon's "Coming Soon" listing, I honestly don't know what's releasing this Fall.
Sorry about that.

So rather than telling you what I'm dying to read that has yet to be released this year, here are my Top Ten Books that I SWEAR I WILL READ (and review) this fall.

Her Majesty's Will10. Her Majesty's Will by David Blixt
Before he was famous, he was a fugitive.
Before he wrote of humanity, he lived it.
Before he was the Bard of Avon, he was a spy.

A very poor spy.

England, 1586. Swept up in the skirts of a mysterious stranger, Will Shakespeare becomes entangled in a deadly and hilarious misadventure as he accidentally uncovers the Babington Plot, an attempt to murder Queen Elizabeth herself. Aided by the mercurial wit of Kit Marlowe, Will enters London for the first time, chased by rebels, spies, his own government, his past, and a bear.

Through it all he demonstrates his loyalty and genius, proving himself to be - HER MAJESTY'S WILL.


Moonstone9. Moonstone by Marilee Brothers
A sickly mom. A tiny house trailer. High school bullies and snarky drama queens. Bad-guy dudes with charming smiles. Allie has problems. And then there's that whole thing about fulfilling a magical prophecy and saving the world from evil. Geez.

Welcome to the sad, funny, sometimes-scary world of fifteen-year-old Allie Emerson, who's struggling to keep her and her mom's act together in the small-town world of Peacock Flats, Washington. An electrical zap from a TV antenna sets off Allie's weird psychic powers. The next thing she knows she's being visited by a hippy-dippy guardian angel, and then her mysterious neighbor, the town "witch," gives her an incredible moonstone pendant that has powers only a good-hearted "Star Seeker" is meant to command.

"Who, me?" is Allie's first reaction. But as sinister events begin to unfold, Allie realizes she's got a destiny to live up to. If she can just survive everyday life, in the meantime.

The White Oak8.The White Oak by Kim White
Cora Alexander is pulled through a sinkhole and enters the underworld still alive. Her living presence threatens the tyrannical rule of Minos and the Infernal Judges who have hijacked the afterlife and rebuilt it, trapping human souls in a mechanical, computer-controlled city that lies at the core of the earth. To survive, Cora must rely on her untrustworthy guide, Minotaur, an artificial intelligence. She is helped by a mysterious voice, and by Sybil, underworld librarian and author of each person’s book of life. When Cora’s own book is destroyed, Sybil gives her a golden pen and sends her into the City to begin writing her own destiny. Along the way, she reunites with the ghost of her dead brother, Lucas, a genius programmer who alone is capable of finding the chink in Minos armor. This fast-paced adventure begins, and ends, in the middle of the action; introducing the characters, themes, and mysteries that find their resolution later in the series.

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children7. Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs
A mysterious island. An abandoned orphanage. A strange collection of very curious photographs. Fiction is based on real black and white photographs. The death of grandfather Abe sends sixteen-year-old Jacob journeying to a remote island off the coast of Wales, where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, and explores abandoned bedrooms and hallways. The children may still live.



Delirium6. Delirium by Lauren Oliver
Before scientists found the cure, people thought love was a good thing. They didn’t understand that once love -- the deliria -- blooms in your blood, there is no escaping its hold. Things are different now. Scientists are able to eradicate love, and the government demands that all citizens receive the cure upon turning eighteen. Lena Holoway has always looked forward to the day when she’ll be cured. A life without love is a life without pain: safe, measured, predictable, and happy.

But with ninety-five days left until her treatment, Lena does the unthinkable: She falls in love.

The Scorpio Races5. The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater
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.

4. Halflings & Guardian by Heather Burch
GuardianHalflings
After being inexplicably targeted by an evil intent on harming her at any cost, seventeen-year-old Nikki finds herself under the watchful guardianship of three mysterious young men who call themselves halflings. Sworn to defend her, misfits Mace, Raven, and Vine battle to keep Nikki safe while hiding their deepest secret—and the wings that come with.

A growing attraction between Nikki and two of her protectors presents a whole other danger. While she risks a broken heart, Mace and Raven could lose everything, including their souls. As the mysteries behind the boys’ powers, as well as her role in a scientist’s dark plan, unfold, Nikki is faced with choices that will affect the future of an entire race of heavenly beings, as well as the precarious equilibrium of the earthly world.

Endlessly3. Endlessly by Kiersten White
Evie's paranormal past keeps coming back to haunt her. A new director at the International Paranormal Containment Agency wants to drag her back to headquarters. The Dark Faerie Queen is torturing humans in her poisonous realm. And supernatural creatures keep insisting that Evie is the only one who can save them from a mysterious, perilous fate.

The clock is ticking on the entire paranormal world. And its fate rests solely in Evie's hands.

So much for normal.

Last Rite2. Last Rite by Lisa Desrochers
In this final installment of the thrilling, edgy Personal Demons series, the battle between Heaven and Hell has become critical, and Frannie Cavanaugh is right at the center of it.

With the help of the powerful angel Gabe and demon-turned-mortal Luc, Frannie has been able to stay one step ahead of the forces of Hell. But when the demons killed Frannie's best friend and destroyed her brother, they raised the stakes. If Frannie wants to keep her family and friends safe, she knows she has no choice but to go on the run.

Their best defense is the power Frannie has been struggling to master, but her attempts to hone her skill go horribly awry. If Frannie doesn't learn fast, the consequences could be devastating--even apocalyptic.

What happens when you can't outrun Hell...or trust the ones you love?

Spell Bound1. Spell Bound by Rachel Hawkins
Hailed as “impossible to put down,” the Hex Hall series has both critics and teens cheering. With a winning combination of romance, action, magic and humor, this third volume will leave readers enchanted.

Just as Sophie Mercer has come to accept her extraordinary magical powers as a demon, the Prodigium Council strips them away. Now Sophie is defenseless, alone, and at the mercy of her sworn enemies—the Brannicks, a family of warrior women who hunt down the Prodigium. Or at least that’s what Sophie thinks, until she makes a surprising discovery. The Brannicks know an epic war is coming, and they believe Sophie is the only one powerful enough to stop the world from ending. But without her magic, Sophie isn’t as confident.

Sophie’s bound for one hell of a ride—can she get her powers back before it’s too late?

Sorry I couldn't be a bit more on top of things this year, but what do you think?
Which books are you excited for?
Which books are on your list?
Let me hear you howl!

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

Endlessly Celebrating!

Sorry about the later-than-normal post today. I've been busy taking care of my sick cat and working a temp job, so time has gotten away from me lately.

I do have some exciting news in the YA bookosphere: Today we celebrate the release of Kiersten White's Endlessly, the riveting conclusion to the Paranormalcy series. But before you run off to go find the new release, treat yourself to the book trailers and an interview with the author below!









For more information, and a few awkward hugs, be sure to check out Kiersten's Blog.

Okay, now you can go grab your copy.

You heard me.

GO! RUN!

BEFORE THEY'RE ALL GONE!!!!

And lastly, a HUGE
to Kiersten and Evie!

Monday, July 16, 2012

Sharing Spiffiness Vol. 1

Hey there. I'm still here. Just working on getting a number of books read and reviewed so I don't feel so pressed all the time. Stress doesn't seem to bode well for my productivity.

In the meantime, I'll be posting little tidbits of neat bookish things I find around the web.


Pottermore

So Book One (Sorcerer's/Philosopher's Stone) was released to Beta users last summer, and was finally unveiled to the public earlier this year. It was met with some praise, some critiques, but mostly a lot of burn-out.

Sure, it was exciting (or confusing/disappointing) to get sorted into your house, explore the castle, brew potions and duel your classmates, but in the end it could hold our interests only so long. Even the announcement that the first House Cup would finally be awarded gave me little incentive to come back (though, I was thrilled at the reset of points - gave Huffles a long awaited chance to show our stuff.)

But then the BIG announcement was made: Book Two, Chamber of Secrets, was finally being released. The House Cup winner (Slytherin) even got to explore the book a full day ahead of everyone else! Sure, only the first four chapters have been released so far, but from what I've seen so far, I'm pretty impressed at their improvements.

In Sorcerer's Stone, there was a lot missing. The scenes zoomed in twice, but you could basically see everything as it stood in the first screen, making it all too easy to continue on without knowing to click in to explore further. The sounds (which were added after Beta) seemed overly stock, some of which I recognized from JK's own website. And the interactions, which were only required on maybe 5 pages, were simple point and click. The only one with any difficulty was Snape's logic puzzle, making it the only thing which might have required referencing the book.

Chamber of Secrets, I'm happy to report, has upped the anti. Scenes vary from zooming in, zooming out, entering closed doors, entering shops...and that's only the first four chapters! The sound effects and background noise seemed more varied and tailored to fit the sections, not nearly as stock as Book One. And treasures seem a lot more plentiful - this book takes the scavenger hunt to another level with even more Chocolate Frog cards and Bertie Bott's Beans to find.

But the overall interaction is really where I was impressed. There's a puzzle which actually requires you to reference the order objects are listed in the book. So if you're reading along (which the website strongly encourages) you can solve the puzzle in a few seconds, or if you're one for memory challenges, you can try your hand at making the right order on your own. There's also a very fun de-gnoming the garden game which I've played several times (though it can be extremely difficult on slower internet/browsers).

Overall, if you haven't yet checked out Pottermore, or if you haven't yet ventured back for Book Two, I'd encourage you to try out the new features for yourself! And I'll probably be listing an update when the next section of chapters is released, so stay tuned.

Book Announcements


I'm definitely on board for this new dystopian, though I do hope we get more information on the society than the trailer suggests. I mean, I guess tribal politics and island survival are interesting and all that, but I'm already looking forward to them getting off the island and taking the fight to the streets. But I guess I'm just an urban girl at heart.



This was one of my Creative Writing professors at my college. I definitely be reading (and reviewing) her book in the near future. Even though it's not my usual book preference, I do enjoy reading historicals now and again, and I hope to find a great heroine, too.

Friday, March 2, 2012

Coming Soon: Bonds of Fenris

Bonds of Fenris
~Bonds of Fenris~
By S. J. Bell

Talia Thornwood's life ended one year ago, when she became a werewolf. She survived the attack, and the horrifying transformation a month later, but the life she has now is barely worth living. She lurks about in a filthy, run-down house, with too many werewolves crammed into too small a space. Every day is a struggle against the stress of human contact, the romantic prodding of her obnoxious packmate Pierce, and the gnawing hunger for flesh in her soul.

She's all but resigned herself to a dreary existence on the margins of society when she meets Corwin. Corwin is a werewolf like none other. He walks among humans as if it was nothing, and can keep his wolf under control even when the moon is full. Talia's mind is suddenly opened to the possibilities before her, and the realization of how little she really knows about lycanthropy.

Corwin claims that he can teach her how to cope as he does, even how to transcend her affliction. But it will not be easy. It is a hard education that requires her to question everything her pack taught her, and confront exactly what she has become. And, more amazingly, what she never stopped being.

Bonds of Fenris is a paranormal novel by S.J. Bell,
due to be released through Smashwords on May 7, 2012.

The gorgeous cover was designed by the delightful Stephanie Mooney.

Be sure to check out the author's blog for more updates!

And check back here for a review of the ARC closer to the release.
I'm so excited at the prospect of a new werewolf book! How about you?

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Greetings Again!

Hello!!!

Phew, it's been a while, hasn't it? Sorry to have left you hanging these past couple months. I've been working out some personal things and have only just gotten back around to reading.

I know, I know - "How could you possibly not have been reading!?" you say. Well, the brain does funny things sometimes, like making you think that enjoyable things are too much trouble...

But I've worked through that and am currently in the process of working up my Tamora Pierce Challenge reviews! Okay, I might be a little behind, but better late than never, right? Look for a steady flow of TP reviews coming throughout the month of November, finishing up with a review of her recently released conclusion to the Provost's Dog (Beka Cooper) Trilogy, Mastiff!

Looking forward to getting back in the swing of things. Hope you've all been well. Signing off for now,

~Vicki

Sunday, February 6, 2011

Back In The Saddle

Just a quick update to say that I've fixed my laptop and things are back on track. The giveaway is still on, so be sure to check it out!