Welcome to Sneak Peek Saturday on Reading List!
Welcome to Sneak Peek Saturday on Reading List!
Current book:
A Court of Thorns and Roses
Sarah J Maas
Goodreads Summary:
When nineteen-year-old huntress Feyre kills a wolf in the woods, a beast-like creature arrives to demand retribution for it. Dragged to a treacherous magical land she only knows about from legends, Feyre discovers that her captor is not an animal, but Tamlin—one of the lethal, immortal faeries who once ruled their world.
As she dwells on his estate, her feelings for Tamlin transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie and warning she's been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But an ancient, wicked shadow grows over the faerie lands, and Feyre must find a way to stop it . . . or doom Tamlin—and his world—forever.
As she dwells on his estate, her feelings for Tamlin transform from icy hostility into a fiery passion that burns through every lie and warning she's been told about the beautiful, dangerous world of the Fae. But an ancient, wicked shadow grows over the faerie lands, and Feyre must find a way to stop it . . . or doom Tamlin—and his world—forever.
Sneak Peek:
"Yet it was one thing to bandage his hand, to talk to him as if he wasn't a predator built to kill and destroy, but to reveal how little I truly knew, to let him see that part of me that was still a child, unfinished and raw... He face was unreadable." p 117
Initial Thoughts
Oh, this book... wow... I'll admit, it took me a few chapters to get into it, but Sarah J Maas is an excellent writer, so it wasn't that hard to get through the setup. And wow... just wow. If you are a fan of fairy tales, or love stories, or fantasy, I seriously recommend this book. And no, it is not a YA book.
Here are some rules if you decide to join in:
• Pick up whatever book you are reading (non-fiction, fiction, children's... really the sky is the limit)
• Open to any page you have already read
• Share a few “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page - make it interesting without flipping to a ton of different pages.
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away -- You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so we can all add your book to our To-Be-Read lists!
You can leave your teaser, author, and title in the comments (click over to the web version if you're on the mobile site). Or write up your own post and join us weekly! Then you can share your link in the comments, and I will stop over and leave you a comment!!! YAY!
• Open to any page you have already read
• Share a few “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page - make it interesting without flipping to a ton of different pages.
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away -- You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so we can all add your book to our To-Be-Read lists!
You can leave your teaser, author, and title in the comments (click over to the web version if you're on the mobile site). Or write up your own post and join us weekly! Then you can share your link in the comments, and I will stop over and leave you a comment!!! YAY!
***Are you a new blogger? Looking for some help in getting regular content up? Join in with my weekly Sneak Peeks... it's a super easy way to get up a regular post, and you can join me on the journey! Just shoot me an email (link in the footer) and I'll help you get started!
Linking up with these fun hops, check them out!
Roseblood
Release Day Blitz
I just found out about this book recently, and am so honored to have the chance to share it with you! ROSEBLOOD by A.G. Howard releases today!! If you haven’t yet heard about this wonderful book by Author A.G. Howard, be sure to check out all the details below.
This blitz also includes a giveaway for a signed ROSEBLOOD poster and a mask courtesy of A.G. and Rockstar Book Tours. So if you’d like a chance to win, enter in the Rafflecopter at the bottom of this post.
About The Book:
Title: ROSEBLOOD
Author: A.G. Howard
Pub. Date: January 10, 2016
Publisher: Amulet Books
Pages: 432
Formats: Hardcover, paperback, eBook
In this modern day spin on Leroux’s gothic tale of unrequited love turned to madness, seventeen-year-old Rune Germain has a mysterious affliction linked to her operatic talent, and a horrifying mistake she’s trying to hide. Hoping creative direction will help her, Rune’s mother sends her to a French arts conservatory for her senior year, located in an opera house rumored to have ties to The Phantom of the Opera.
At RoseBlood, Rune secretly befriends the masked Thorn—an elusive violinist who not only guides her musical transformation through dreams that seem more real than reality itself but somehow knows who she is behind her own masks. As the two discover an otherworldly connection and a soul-deep romance blossoms, Thorn’s dark agenda comes to light and he’s forced to make a deadly choice: lead Rune to her destruction or face the wrath of the phantom who has haunted the opera house for a century, and is the only father he’s ever known.
About A.G. HowardWhen she's not writing, A.G.'s pastimes are reading, rollerblading, gardening, and family vacations which often include impromptu side trips to 18th century graveyards or condemned schoolhouses to appease her overactive muse.
Giveaway Details:
1 winner will receive a signed ROSEBLOOD poster and a Mask. US Only.
Ends on January 17th at Midnight EST!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Who else is a fan of the Phantom??? Right??? I'm so excited for this one!!
This is for #ThePhantomfans and #Retelling fans... #RoseBlood @aghowardwrites @Reading_List1
So is this book for you? Tell me your thoughts in the comments, or find me on Social Media... I so want to gush over this one!
Gilded Cage
Vic James
Are you a fantasy book junkie? Did you devour all of the crazy science fiction, fantasy, dystopian stories that filled the bookstore shelves in the last decade? Yes? Then, stop reading and click over to get your pre-ordered copy of this book... seriously!
If not, but you are interested in the concept of a story that gives you a glimpse into different character's approach to making a society equal, when there are clearly different kinds of people living it, maybe you should at least consider reading the following review.
I'll be honest, I never thought I'd be a dystopian fan. I do not enjoy violent stories, and fantasy can be too much for me most days. But I enjoy fast paced stories, and that is why I started picking up the genre. And then, the dystopian market exploded with some real stinkers... and I started to lower my expectations greatly. So when this little breakout book came up to review I was worried. In fact, I sat on my copy for almost a month before I started it... what a mistake...
And if you follow me on Instagram, you would know that I overshared this baby! It’s simply amazing and I cannot wait for the rest of the series…
Story Overview
England is controlled, ruled, by a few very powerful families - all those families are part of the new elite class - the Equals. Their magical gifts have given them the ability to become the aristocrats, and all the commoners (every single other, regular person) MUST serve the Equals for 10 years of their lives. (And by serve, read that as become a slave... with no rights... at all...)
The Hadleys are a common family - two working parents with three kids, who simply want to be a family and enjoy life. When the decision is made to start their slave days, Abi, the oldest daughter, works hard to ensure the entire family gets positions at the Jardine's family home (the most powerful family in the Equals... and it's more like a castle...). So while the family is not pleased about their future, they are encouraged that they will at least be together and way from the dangerous slave cities...
Of course, luck is not on their side. When they are picked up, the rude reality is that Luke, Abi's younger brother, did not get placed in the Jardine's home, and will be taken, immediately to one of the slave cities.
The story follows the Hadleys as they try to get Luke back, and the Jardines as a new generation of Equals begins to take power over England. Needless to say, there is a lot of political plotting going on, with a healthy dose of fantasy magic.
Personal Likes
I love, love, love the characters in this book. They are so complex. It helps that James tells the story from many different vantage points - you see the world through Luke's eyes, Abi's, Gavar, Jenner... and as a result, the reader has no choice but to fully enter this alternate England and experience all of the injustice going on.
I really loved the pace of this book. While it could be confusing, getting all the different perspectives, the editing is done perfectly. When one character's chapter ends you are swept back up into the life of another while the overall story continues to move forward. It was so hard to put this book down once I got to the fifth chapter because I just had to know what happened with each character next... and I was often surprised (which is harder than one might think).
Personal Dislikes
I, personally, struggled with the setting and timeframe of the whole story. This is clearly England... in the future?? When we start off with just the Hadleys it seems like technology exists, and there are cars... but then, once we shift into the world of the Equals it's like we slip back a few hundred years... It was confusing. There are still cars, as that is how Mr. Hadley secures his position with the Jardine's... but I kept picturing an older castle from the 1800's... it's hard to explain... maybe it was all my own biases playing out in conflict to the actual story - if you read this, and thought otherwise, please enlighten me!!
Also, it was a little confusing to figure out how the powers worked in this story... it took me most of the book to finally get a handle on it... so be ready for that.
Oh, and one minor note, because I am not a violence fan, the opening catch scene was a bit much... and that is all I'm going to say so I don't spoil it...
Reading List Rating
Oh, this is totally a five-star (or rather heart... hmmm maybe I need a new way of rating my books now...) book. I loved it when I read it, I love it more now that I've been sitting on it. And I am so anxious to find people to gush over the story and characters with. I cannot wait for the next installment to come out.
My Suggested Audience
Alright, this book is being put in the YA dystopian genre - and I would agree with that. Luke is in high school, so it makes sense. But then Abi just finished school so this could be a NA, too. As the book is basically looking into the unfairness of slavery and revolutions, this could easily be an adult book. It feels a lot like a historical fiction meets fantasy because of the setting... so... yeah...
I would recommend this to a more mature teen reader who can handle violence and political strategies. If you are a fan of Victoria Aveyard or even Kiera Cass, you will probably get into this one too. Fans of The Hunger Games, Divergent, and the like will love it. But also, if you are into the Game of Thrones types, you could find yourself pulled right in as well.
I would also like to point out that this book will appeal to both guys and girls. So many vantage points are from the male characters that guys should respect it - let's be honest, there needed to be such a shift in this genre from the female vantage on everything... guys and girls should be working together!!
I would recommend this to a more mature teen reader who can handle violence and political strategies. If you are a fan of Victoria Aveyard or even Kiera Cass, you will probably get into this one too. Fans of The Hunger Games, Divergent, and the like will love it. But also, if you are into the Game of Thrones types, you could find yourself pulled right in as well.
I would also like to point out that this book will appeal to both guys and girls. So many vantage points are from the male characters that guys should respect it - let's be honest, there needed to be such a shift in this genre from the female vantage on everything... guys and girls should be working together!!
Wondering Questions to Consider
If you decide to read this with your teen - and you should! - this is the perfect time to discuss equality and slavery. While also discussing how much power a ruling body should be given in order to keep a country safe and thriving. If you are just picking this up for your own pleasure, take the time to think about why you side with different characters at different points in the story - do you agree with their motives? Why, or why not?
Ignorance bred fear... and fear bred obedience. #GildedCage @drvictoriajames @Reading_List1
What are your thoughts on slavery in today's fiction? Does it help today's readers to understand the unfairness or simply fictionalize real history? What are your thoughts on the crazy dystopian fad in fiction?
I'd love to hear from you, please leave me a little note!
**If you are considering purchasing this book, please consider using the affiliate link here - it doesn't cost you anything extra, and it would simply make my day!! In fact, just click through and do your shopping, even if you decide not to get this particular book. TIA
***If you're interested in writing a book review on Reading List, please message me on the Facebook page! If you're curious about a book, ask me... I love to hear from you! If you would like your book reviewed on Reading List, email me: the link is at the bottom of this page.
**** Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher, BethanyHouse
See where I share my posts!
Welcome to Sneak Peek Saturday on Reading List!
Current book:
Throne of Glass
Sarah J Maas
Goodreads Summary:
After serving out a year of hard labor in the salt mines of Endovier for her crimes, 18-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien is dragged before the Crown Prince. Prince Dorian offers her her freedom on one condition: she must act as his champion in a competition to find a new royal assassin.
Her opponents are men-thieves and assassins and warriors from across the empire, each sponsored by a member of the king's council. If she beats her opponents in a series of eliminations, she'll serve the kingdom for four years and then be granted her freedom. Celaena finds her training sessions with the captain of the guard, Westfall, challenging and exhilarating. But she's bored stiff by court life. Things get a little more interesting when the prince starts to show interest in her ... but it's the gruff Captain Westfall who seems to understand her best.
Then one of the other contestants turns up dead ... quickly followed by another. Can Celaena figure out who the killer is before she becomes a victim? As the young assassin investigates, her search leads her to discover a greater destiny than she could possibly have imagined.
Sneak Peek:
"She became all too aware of the three long scars down her back. Even if she won her freedom...event if she lived in peace in the countryside... those scars would always remind her what she'd endured. And that even if she was free, others were not." p 59
Initial Thoughts
I am so late to the game with this series... I am not sure why I held out so long... But I'm jumping for 2017... And to be honest, this story was very interesting. I was surprised by the twists and turns, and can see that these characters will carry this story through many books!
Meet the Hosts of Saturday Sneak Peek:
Marissa, writes book reviews from a variety of genres and shares thoughts on motherhood & life on Reading List. She loves to see what others are reading to grow her to-read list. Marissa also enjoys photography and a new journal to fill.
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Alyssa reads a variety of genres and writes about it at Sunrise Avenue. She is always looking for new bookish friends and recs'! Besides reading, Alyssa loves to bake and anything Doctor Who.
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Alyssa reads a variety of genres and writes about it at Sunrise Avenue. She is always looking for new bookish friends and recs'! Besides reading, Alyssa loves to bake and anything Doctor Who.
Twitter ~~ Google + ~~ Instagram ~~ Pinterest
Bloglovin' ~~ Subscribe ~~ Goodreads
Karen is a reading teacher who loves to listen to books as she commutes to and from work. She prefers crime thrillers and mysteries but enjoys a good book from any genre. She blogs about her life as a wife and mom at Dino Hero Mommy.
Bloglovin' ~~ Goodreads ~~ Pinterest
Here are some rules if you decide to join in:
• Pick up whatever book you are reading (non-fiction, fiction, children's... really the sky is the limit)
• Open to any page you have already read
• Share a few “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page - make it interesting without flipping to a ton of different pages.
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away -- You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so we can all add your book to our To-Be-Read lists!
You can leave your teaser, author, and title in the comments (click over to the web version if you're on the mobile site). Or write up your own post and join us weekly! Then you can share your link in the comments, and I will stop over and leave you a comment!!! YAY!
• Open to any page you have already read
• Share a few “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page - make it interesting without flipping to a ton of different pages.
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away -- You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so we can all add your book to our To-Be-Read lists!
You can leave your teaser, author, and title in the comments (click over to the web version if you're on the mobile site). Or write up your own post and join us weekly! Then you can share your link in the comments, and I will stop over and leave you a comment!!! YAY!
Linking up with these fun hops, check them out!
