Waiting On Wednesday (9)

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming books whose releases are being eagerly awaited. Bloggers are encouraged to join in and post about the book(s) they're looking forward to reading. Here is mine: 


OPPRESSION, (Children of the Gods Book #1), by Jessica Therrien
Expected Publication: February 28th by ZOVA Books

Synopsis: OPPRESSION tells the story of a young woman who discovers that she belongs to a secret society of individuals with extraordinarily long life spans and unusual abilities. Fearful of prophecies about their only daughter, her parents kept her hidden from the world – and the society – for as long as they could. But when their own untimely deaths leave her to fend for herself, the truth of her origins and the fateful prophecy find her at last. Joining the ranks of such widely popular works as the Twilight Saga, The Hunger Games, and the Mortal Instruments series, Mrs. Therrien's paranormal romance/adventure promises to be the next fan-favorite in its genre. 


Why OPPRESSION? I've been following Jessica Therrien's publishing journey for a few months now, via her blogspot, and I have to say she's such a sweet, interesting person. Her blog posts about OPRESSION (previously titled The Descendants) made it sound utterly intriguing, and definitely a book worth waiting for.  The cover was only released very recently - a few days before Christmas, I believe! - and I love it. The darkness pressing in on Elyse really fits the title, and the fact that her eyes are closed makes me think of how completely unaware she is of the truth. Click here for a sneak peek at the novel. 

Off the Shelf (7)

"Off the Shelf" is a post dedicated to sharing which books I have chosen to add to my To-Be-Read list that will hopefully be read and reviewed over the coming week. Occasionally I will also feature books that I won't be reviewing, but will be reading anyway. All summaries are from Goodreads.

For Review:

CLOCKWORK ANGEL, (The Infernal Devices, #1), by Cassandra Clare 

Purchased | Borrowed | Received  

Magic is dangerous--but love is more dangerous still. 

When sixteen-year-old Tessa Gray crosses the ocean to find her brother, her destination is England, the time is the reign of Queen Victoria, and something terrifying is waiting for her in London's Downworld, where vampires, warlocks and other supernatural folk stalk the gaslit streets. Only the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons, keep order amidst the chaos.  

Kidnapped by the mysterious Dark Sisters, members of a secret organization called The Pandemonium Club, Tessa soon learns that she herself is a Downworlder with a rare ability: the power to transform, at will, into another person. What's more, the Magister, the shadowy figure who runs the Club, will stop at nothing to claim Tessa's power for his own.  

Friendless and hunted, Tessa takes refuge with the Shadowhunters of the London Institute, who swear to find her brother if she will use her power to help them. She soon finds herself fascinated by--and torn between--two best friends: James, whose fragile beauty hides a deadly secret, and blue-eyed Will, whose caustic wit and volatile moods keep everyone in his life at arm's length...everyone, that is, but Tessa. As their search draws them deep into the heart of an arcane plot that threatens to destroy the Shadowhunters, Tessa realizes that she may need to choose between saving her brother and helping her new friends save the world...and that love may be the most dangerous magic of all.

CLOCKWORK PRINCE, (The Infernal Devices, #2), by Cassandra Clare  

Purchased | Borrowed | Received 

In the magical underworld of Victorian London, Tessa Gray has at last found safety with the Shadowhunters. But that safety proves fleeting when rogue forces in the Clave plot to see her protector, Charlotte, replaced as head of the Institute. If Charlotte loses her position, Tessa will be out on the street and easy prey for the mysterious Magister, who wants to use Tessa's powers for his own dark ends. 

With the help of the handsome, self-destructive Will and the fiercely devoted Jem, Tessa discovers that the Magister's war on the Shadowhunters is deeply personal. He blames them for a long-ago tragedy that shattered his life. To unravel the secrets of the past, the trio journeys from mist-shrouded Yorkshire to a manor house that holds untold horrors, from the slums of London to an enchanted ballroom where Tessa discovers that the truth of her parentage is more sinister than she had imagined. When they encounter a clockwork demon bearing a warning for Will, they realize that the Magister himself knows their every move and that one of their own has betrayed them. 

Tessa finds her heart drawn more and more to Jem, though her longing for Will, despite his dark moods, continues to unsettle her. But something is changing in Will; the wall he has built around himself is crumbling. Could finding the Magister free Will from his secrets and give Tessa the answers about who she is and what she was born to do? 

As their dangerous search for the Magister and the truth leads the friends into peril, Tessa learns that when love and lies are mixed, they can corrupt even the purest heart.

Ridiculously Pretty Books

Oh Penguin, why do you do this to me? First you brought back your retro orange, $9.95 Popular Classics. And then came your gorgeously patterned Clothbound Classics. And now, a little late to the party, I see your Clothbound Children's Classics. It's the Holiday season, I have very little money left for myself, but my goodness if I ever wanted any books, those are the ones.

 

See the rest here.

Waiting On Wednesday (8)

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming books whose releases are being eagerly awaited. Bloggers are encouraged to join in and post about the book(s) they're looking forward to reading. Here is mine: 

THE FALCONER, by Elizabeth May
Expected publication: 2013 by Gollancz (UK/Commonwealth), Chronicle Children's Books (US/Canada)


Synopsis: Humans will be the hunted. Love will be tested. Vengeance will be had. 

The Falconer begins in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1844. We meet 18-year-old Lady Aileana Kameron, who was destined to live a life carefully planned around Edinburgh’s social events — until a faery killed her mother. 

Now, between the seeming endless parties and boring dances, Aileana has a new hobby: she secretly slaughters the fae who prey on humans in the city’s dark alleyways, and is determined to track down the faery who murdered her mother. 

Vengeance has become Aileana's life . . . so she never anticipated her growing attraction to the magnetic Kiaran MacKay, the faery who trained her to kill his own kind. Or that there was a world beyond hers, filled with secrets which affect her past and have the potential to destroy her present. 

But when her own world is about revenge, and when she holds Kiaran’s fate in her hands, how far is Aileana prepared to go to avenge her mother’s murder?

Why THE FALCONER? Well, for starters, doesn't it sound positively awesome? 1844, Scotland, fae kind? Yes, please! I can't wait to see what the cover of this one will look like. 

Blog Awards!

Oh gosh, oh gee, oh jolly jee whizz. This is where things get awkward because thank you so much just doesn't feel like it's enough. It's such a gratifying, moving feeling to know that someone really does read your blog, enjoys it, and even remembers it enough to think of it - and you. So thank you so much, and happy holidays, and just thank you thank you thank you, to Kelly at Radiant Shadows. 

Part of receiving, and accepting these awards (put on the suit, the reindeer will know what to do) is having to post a few random facts about myself, so here goes: 

• I have four cats, Oliver, Seth, Simon, and Ronald; they're all ginger. Ronald is Simon's son, I think his namesake is pretty obvious. Simon was named after a character in the British version of Death at a Funeral. 
• I really love Doctor Who, it's quite possibly my favourite television show. My Alienware laptop, Optimus Who, is half named after the show.
• The only show stopping Doctor Who being my absolute favourite is Friends. 
• Of all the flavours, grape will always be my preference. 
• When I can't decide what to read, sometimes I'll resort to picking a really cheesy thriller novel that I've already read a dozen times. Sixteen Candles (not based on the movie, of course) I'm looking at you. 
• Speaking of, in a sense, I think I was meant to be a teenager in the 80s. The hair, the clothes, the movies, I love it all. 

My Nominees: 

Whose blogs are all lovely, and you should really check out if you haven't already.

• Paranormal Indulgence 
• Books and Sensibility
• Poetry to Prose 
• Refracted Light Reviews
• Fictional Distraction

Top Ten Tuesday (6)

Each week the folks over at The Broke and the Bookish host a Top Ten list based on a certain bookish topic. Other bloggers are able to join in and post their own top ten answers. Here are my answers to:

Top Ten Childhood Favourites: 

I grew up on a steady diet of Children's Classics, not because they were forced upon me, but because I always gravitated towards them in bookstores. Maybe it was the pretty, often colourful covers, or the intriguing blurbs on the back. Either way, I grew to love them, and they were as much a part of my childhood as horses, and Barbies, and the pack of little figurine dogs I had (have, actually, never could give them away - I blame Toy Story). I keep all my Classics grouped together - apart from my Penguin Clothbound Classics - on my Ikea Hemnes "bookcase", which is technically a linen cabinet, but shhh. Here's a picture of the top, and one of the first shelf where my childhood books are:

Onto the list! All links will take you to the exact copies I have.

1. ANNE OF GREEN GABLES, by L.M Montgomery
2. LITTLE WOMEN, by Louisa May Alcott
3. BLACK BEAUTY, by Anna Sewell
4. THE SECRET GARDEN, by Frances Hodgson Burnett
5. A LITTLE PRINCESS, by Frances Hodgson Burnett
6. THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA, by C.S Lewis
7. ALICE IN WONDERLAND, by Lewis Carroll
8. THE CALL OF THE WILD, by Jack London
9. WHITE FANG, by Jack London
10. THE LITTLE WHITE HORSE, by Elizabeth Goudge

Special Mentions: 

1. PETER PAN, by J.M Barrie
2. THE WIND IN THE WILLOWS, by Kenneth Grahame
3. THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK/ ANNE FRANK, THE DIARY OF A YOUNG GIRL, by Anne Frank (cover only, my copy is in English of course)
4. AESOPS FABLES, by Aesop
5. TALES OF THE GREEK HEROES, by Rodger Lancelyn Green, Alan Langford
6. Every single book written by ROALD DAHL