Blogspiration (6)

Blogspiration is a weekly meme hosted by GrowingUp YA & saz101. The meme was created to help spark inspiration among bloggers, readers & writers alike. An inspirational quote/picture/video is posted weekly, on the day of the author's choosing, so that it may inspire creativity, conversation & just a little SOMETHING.

Source: Pinterest

Hahaha... BEST. PROTEST SIGN. EVER.

Show Off Your Inner TEAM SNAPE!

Hello, beautiful people! :)

As you Potter fans probably already know, the amazing, magnificent, wonderful, etc. etc. etc. Sarah and Lauren have been hosting Potterthon all month long! And although it's drawing to a close soon (*sniff*) there are still tons of posts for you to check out if you've missed them! So be sure to stop by their blogs and take a look.

Yesterday (or today, depending on your time zone, I guess) Sarah posted a Team James vs. Team Snape post argued by the evilly talented Brodie (she's Team James, ugh) and myself. I KNOW you all have a strong admiration for that heroic, brilliant man that fights to the end and never stops loving so now is the time to show it! :) Read the posts, vote for your favourite and feel free to leave a comment as well. ONWARD, TEAM SNAPE!

CLICK TO VOTE VOTE VOTE

Seraphina by Rachel Hartman

Seraphina by Rachel Hartman

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Source: Giveaway from Bookurious!
Publisher: Random House
Format: Hardcover, 467 pages
Release Date: July 10, 2012

Four decades of peace have done little to ease the mistrust between humans and dragons in the kingdom of Goredd. Folding themselves into human shape, dragons attend court as ambassadors, and lend their rational, mathematical minds to universities as scholars and teachers. As the treaty's anniversary draws near, however, tensions are high.

Seraphina Dombegh has reason to fear both sides. An unusually gifted musician, she joins the court just as a member of the royal family is murdered—in suspiciously draconian fashion. Seraphina is drawn into the investigation, partnering with the captain of the Queen's Guard, the dangerously perceptive Prince Lucian Kiggs. While they begin to uncover hints of a sinister plot to destroy the peace, Seraphina struggles to protect her own secret, the secret behind her musical gift, one so terrible that its discovery could mean her very life.

In her exquisitely written fantasy debut, Rachel Hartman creates a rich, complex, and utterly original world. Seraphina's tortuous journey to self-acceptance is one readers will remember long after they've turned the final page.

I love dragons. I love fantasy. I love solid world-building. I love strong female leads. I love beautiful prose. I love thought-provoking themes.

I'm pretty in love with Seraphina because it has ALL of that.

Seraphina is a character that I had no trouble falling for. She gets grumpy and annoyed and is very much still trying to find where she fits into this world of dragons versus humans, despite the peace treaty that is currently in place. She's also a talented musician that can muster up plenty of courage and I am stoked to see just what she'll do in the next book.

The dragons in this novel are fantastic. Instead of jewels and treasures, these dragons hoard knowledge and keep their emotions tucked deep within their scaly exteriors. They also have human forms that they can shift into and are very much involved in the political decisions of the kingdom. I LOVED the politics and deep history of the dragons and humans. It's quite a heavy portion of the novel and it was just really fascinating to learn. In addition to that, there are some wonderfully thought-provoking topics such as acceptance and the importance of the arts.

Fantasy is and always has been my favourite genre to read and it's because of books like this. I feel connected, more so emotionally in this case, to Seraphina's world and every time I put down the book, I was scrambling to pick it back up again. There is a lot going on and I think it was one of those novels where you actually might need your thinking cap! Don't go into this book expecting fluffy romance and amusing one-liners. It is engrossing but not what I would call 'light.'

Written with fluid and gorgeous writing, Seraphina is definitely a novel that I hope you'll try!

Cover Comments: I love it to pieces! Man, wish I could sketch like that :)

5/5

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

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Source: Bookurious Blog It Forward program!
Publisher: Doubleday Canada, Hyperion (US)
Format: Hardcover, 339 pages
Release Date: May 15, 2012

Two young women from totally different backgrounds are thrown together during World War II: one a working-class girl from Manchester, the other a Scottish aristocrat, one a pilot, the other a wireless operator. Yet whenever their paths cross, they complement each other perfectly and before long become devoted friends.

But then a vital mission goes wrong, and one of the friends has to bail out of a faulty plane over France. She is captured by the Gestapo and becomes a prisoner of war. The story begins in “Verity’s” own words, as she writes her account for her captors.

Code Name Verity is a beautiful, beautiful story.

Captured by the Gestapo and held for information, "Verity" begins the long task of writing out the story of Maddie, a female pilot in the war, in exchange for a bit of extra time before her inevitable death. It sounds morbid. It is.

But also in this novel is friendship and bravery, loyalty and strength. It's the historic tale (although "Verity's" story is fictional) of what people are forced to do in times of war and of how far people will go for what they believe in. Reading this novel was like being pulled through a blender in the best possible way. My emotions were are in tatters and I felt so connected to everything that was happening. For the few days that it took me to read this book, I was there in WWII. I felt so utterly immersed in the Nazi prison and all of the other locations constantly shadowed by the war. This book will transport you to times past -- with emotions and feelings and history -- and it is an amazing thing.

I will say though that this novel was not an easy one for me to get into. I really struggled at the beginning (before getting completely hooked!) with all of the nitty gritty, technical details of aircrafts and flight manoeuvres and war operations. If you find yourself feeling it too, I really hope that you'll power through! The book picked up insanely for me as I got further into it.

"Verity" is such a complex narrator. She is not entirely reliable which adds a nice bit of suspense (ha, as if there wasn't enough) to the book and even as she is confessing everything she knows and therefore betraying her country, she still has these small moments of rebellion and humour and just life.

I did not see the twists in this novel coming at all and each one was equivalent to a train knocking me flat. I so cried while reading Code Name Verity and I felt emotionally drained at the end of it but I would do it all again in a heartbeat.

Cover Comments: Simple and striking with actual significance to the story -- more so, in my opinion, for the feel of it than the actual event.

4.5/5 because of the beginning!

Changed rating to 5 stars (Sept. 18) because if I can get the urge to yell out "KISS ME, HARDY!" and sob months later... that's sure as hell worthy of all the stars.

Abandon by Meg Cabot

Abandon by Meg Cabot

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Source: Gifted from Heidi - thank you so much! <3
Publisher: Point
Format: Hardcover, 304 pages
Release Date: April 26, 2011

Though she tries returning to the life she knew before the accident, Pierce can't help but feel at once a part of this world, and apart from it. Yet she's never alone... because someone is always watching her. Escape from the realm of the dead is impossible when someone there wants you back.

But now she's moved to a new town. Maybe at her new school, she can start fresh. Maybe she can stop feeling so afraid.

Only she can't. Because even here, he finds her. That's how desperately he wants her back. She knows he's no guardian angel, and his dark world isn't exactly heaven, yet she can't stay away... especially since he always appears when she least expects it, but exactly when she needs him most.

But if she lets herself fall any further, she may just find herself back in the one place she most fears: the Underworld.

I remember first finding out that Meg Cabot was publishing this book. As a huge Cabot fan, I had grown up reading her contemporaries and the idea of something a little darker and a little more mysterious was fascinating. So, rewind over a year later and here I am! Still as captivated by this idea as I was when I first heard of it.

I've read that a lot of other reviewers were confused by the constant flashbacks and switching between time frames and I totally get that. I think a large part of the reason it wasn't an issue for me was because I read it all in one sitting so everything was very fresh in my mind. I actually came to like the choppier style of writing. I think it makes for a nice change of pace from the usual! And, of course, it also does wonders for the mysterious atmosphere of the novel. There's a reason I read this all in one go!

Another reason is just Meg Cabot. Every single time I read one of her books, I am so utterly engrossed that I can't let go of it until it's over. Her writing style is very easy to read with narration that feels familiar and comfortable right from the beginning.

Pierce isn't my favourite of Meg Cabot's heroines but I liked her. She's not traditionally 'smart' but she genuinely cares and wants to help, which is a big checkmark for her in my book! I wish that John had been more present in the novel as I feel we only really see glimpses but I was still intrigued by his character despite not falling head over heels for him. I have a feeling this is only the beginning where Pierce and John are involved and hopefully we'll witness some growth from the pair as the series moves on!

Fun and easy to read with a darker promise lining its pages.

Cover Comments: I love it. The earthy tones, the unconscious girl, the gold detailing... It just screams 'Greek myth' to me! :)

4/5

Waiting on Wednesday (47)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine so that (this is me paraphrasing) we can all FREAK OUT TOGETHER about some rocking upcoming books. Warning: extreme fangirling may occur.

Dark Star by Bethany Frenette

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Publisher: Hyperion
Format: Hardcover, 368 pages
Release Date: October 23, 2012

Audrey Whitticomb has nothing to fear. Her mother is the superhero Morning Star, the most deadly crime-fighter in the Twin Cities, so it’s hard for Audrey not to feel safe. That is, until she’s lured into the sweet night air by something human and not human—something with talons and teeth, and a wide, scarlet smile.

Now Audrey knows the truth: her mom doesn’t fight crime at night. She fights Harrowers—livid, merciless beings who were trapped Beneath eons ago. Yet some have managed to escape. And they want Audrey dead, just because of who she is: one of the Kin.

To survive, Audrey will need to sharpen the powers she has always had. When she gets close to someone, dark corners of the person’s memories become her own, and she sometimes even glimpses the future. If Audrey could only get close to Patrick Tigue, a powerful Harrower masquerading as human, she could use her Knowing to discover the Harrowers’ next move. But Leon, her mother’s bossy, infuriatingly attractive sidekick, has other ideas. Lately, he won’t let Audrey out of his sight.

When an unthinkable betrayal puts Minneapolis in terrible danger, Audrey discovers a wild, untamed power within herself. It may be the key to saving her herself, her family, and her city. Or it may be the force that destroys everything—and everyone—she loves.

Ooh, superheroes! :D This one sounds very exciting with some good action, a mystery and maybe even a bit of romance! And again... superheroes!!

What are you waiting on this sunny (at least in Canada!) Wednesday?

Enchanted by Alethea Kontis

Enchanted by Alethea Kontis

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Source: Finished copy for review from publisher
Publisher: Harcourt
Format: Hardcover, 305 pages
Release Date: May 8, 2012

It isn't easy being the rather overlooked and unhappy youngest sibling to sisters named for the other six days of the week. Sunday’s only comfort is writing stories, although what she writes has a terrible tendency to come true.

When Sunday meets an enchanted frog who asks about her stories, the two become friends. Soon that friendship deepens into something magical. One night Sunday kisses her frog goodbye and leaves, not realizing that her love has transformed him back into Rumbold, the crown prince of Arilland—and a man Sunday’s family despises.

The prince returns to his castle, intent on making Sunday fall in love with him as the man he is, not the frog he was. But Sunday is not so easy to woo. How can she feel such a strange, strong attraction for this prince she barely knows? And what twisted secrets lie hidden in his past - and hers?

Enchanted is such a charming, lovely read... Surely a group of bookish fairy godmothers have sprinkled some magic on to each and every page! :)

I lost track of the different tales and stories that Alethea references, however small. It's clear that a lot of thought and planning went into fitting them in seamlessly and it definitely pays off! The threads between stories are intertwined so perfectly and reading through the book to discover the next is a treat.

Sunday is a delightful main character. She is kind and interesting (no matter what that pesky rhyme says) and just generally good. I adored her relationship with Rumbold from the moment it began -- they were just way too sweet! Although they fall for each other very quickly, it's done in such a heart warming manner that I couldn't bring myself to mind.

Reading Enchanted made me want to fall into the world for myself and experience the magic and wonder that seemed to be everywhere. There's just some quality to this novel that I can't describe that really brought me back to when I was younger and reading all these fairytales for the first time. Alethea Kontis creates a mesmerizing atmosphere and doesn't release you from its hold until the very end.

Enchanted definitely lives up to its title.

Cover Comments: It's so pretty! Love the real fairytale look of it.

4.5/5