Cover Revealed!

The cover has been revealed of Dan Brown’s new book INFERNO.

Click here to see it.

This will definitely be on my reading list!

Tiger’s Destiny by Colleen Houck

Summary

“With three of the goddess Durga’s quests behind them, only one prophecy now stands in the way of Kelsey, Ren, and Kishan breaking the tiger’s curse. But the trio’s greatest challenge awaits them: A life-endangering pursuit in search of Durga’s final gift, the Rope of Fire, on the Andaman Islands in the Bay of Bengal.

It’s a race against time–and the evil sorcerer Lokesh–in this eagerly anticipated fourth volume in the bestselling Tiger’s Curse series, which pits good against evil, tests the bonds of love and loyalty, and finally reveals the tigers’ true destinies once and for all.”

- From Amazon.com

Review

alslkjdflijwlelflja! (excited jumble)

I cannot believe that I had not reviewed this yet. I mean it came out September of last year and I did get the ARC of it so I had it in like July or something. My lame excuse is that I was told not to review it until the book came out, and then the ARC did not have the last chapters (darn you Colleen Houck for the suspense) so I had to get the new copy to do a good review, then I started school and….well I will be simple and blunt…I forgot! Yup, I forget a lot of things and my mom calls me a bobble head XD.

But being home sick and not doing ANYTHING made me bring out some interesting books and series and that included the Tiger’s series. I decided to pick up the last one as I had only read it once and read through it again, and boy did it bring back some great memories of the series. Then reading a little further, it hit me that I had never done a review of it. So here it is and yes, it will be another glowing review.

Well this is the second to last book of the series, as she has said that there will be a fifth book. Reading this, I did not know about the 5th book and how it ended, it made you sad, so I am happy that there will be another one.

The story follows Kelsey, Ren and Kishan on their journey to break the curse and her battle for the two men she loves and which one she will choose. A lot of the book was about her finding her way through her heart and trying to find out which of the two men she really loves. She knows who she loves but she just cannot accept it because she is afraid after everything which has happened, and during all of the tests which she is put through during the book she finds out who she really needs. They are also sent into the past where they meet the young goddess Durga and accompany her into battle where they battle the villain, Lokesh.

This was probably one of the saddest books out of them all, as there was a character death, and it had an ending which you did not expect.

The story line was absolutely amazing though. There was such amazing creatures described as well. There were phoenixes, demon/human like creatures, qilin, and many other fantastical creatures…all of which were described in such great detail that you really had to control your imagination (what you don’t have that problem as well?)

Also another great thing about this book is the cover.

The cover is so colorful and has so many layers and textures. I have loved all of the book covers as they all have a similar idea but the theme is different (the first one a white tiger as it was about Ren, the second with a black tiger as it was about Kishan, the third with an ice dragon as they were visiting dragons that represented the different elements, and the phoenix on this one to represent new life and truth which she had to find and courage and knowledge.)

This is definitely a curl-up-in-bed-with-your-cat-and-a-good-cup-of-tea book of a snuggle-infront-of-the-fireplace-with-a-cat-and-hot-chocolate book (yup, those are my two book reading perfect situations.)

If you have not read this series already you have to go out and give this a try. They are absolutely amazingly well done and a must read.

A movie will be coming out in 2015 and I am definitely looking forward to that and am ecstatic about the last book which I believe is coming out in the summer.

Let me know what you think of the book, if you are interested in reading it, thoughts on the cover, or any other comments you have about the book and/or series. Love to hear from you.

Happy Reading!

Kill Switch by Chris Lynch

Summary

Daniel wants to spend one final summer with his beloved grandfather, before Daniel leaves for college and his grandfather succumbs to dementia. But when Da, a former systems analyst for the Department of Agriculture, starts to let things slip about people he’s killed and countries he’s overthrown, his old “friends” come back to make sure he stays quiet. Was Daniel’s grandfather really involved in a world of assassinations and coups, or is all this just the delusion of a crumbling mind? Daniel and Da take to the road, fleeing rom threats seen and unseen. Daneil doesn’t know if he can save his grandfather, or if Da even needs to be saved. Or what the transation might cost Daneil Himself.

Printz Honor author and National Book Award Finalist Christ Lynch explores two remarkable characters in this stunning teen novel.

-From Inside Flap of Book

Review

I do not have much to say on this book. I only got like 15-25 pages into this book. I really disliked it for one reason. The person view kept changing. It was in first person, then third person, then second person. I was just so confused as to what was going on.

I really just did not like the book. The summary made the book to be really interesting, but from the first sentence, I just could not stand it.

I am someone who really likes the entire book to just stay in one point of view. It is a creative idea, I will give the author credit for that, but my grammar/english teacher always corrected me on the person view changing so I find this to always bug me now.

I personally did not enjoy it but if you would like to give it a try, tell me how you liked it.

Until I Die by Amy Plum (Revenants)

Summary

“I wish there was only today, just right now, and no forever.

It seems fitting that I fell in love in Paris. Peel back a thin layer of reality and under the city’s glamorous surface is a battleground for immortal enemies.

Because with Vincent, reality is an illusion. Handsome, chivalrous, and witty, he’s got everything I’ve ever wanted in a boyfriend…except mortality. But when I chose Vincent, I chose love over reason and safety.

Vincent swore to avoid death–to resist his very nature so that we could be together. But I refuse to stand by and watch him suffer.

I know I’ll do whatever it takes–even if it means lying to the people I love–to fight against a fate that is trying to tear us apart.”

-Book Description from Amazon

Review

Now this is what I call an entertaining book. I had previously read Die For Me (which is the first book) and absolutely loved it. So I had to wait almost an entire year for this book to come out. Now that I have completed this book, I have to wait many more months for the next one to come out

This book has everything in it that a successful YA novel needs. It has this dystopian kind of vampire thing going on. It’s not about vampires but it has this dark and evil side to it which is exactly what is popular right now. It had the romance between the normal human and the creature of the night. Then it had the violence, which is in every book now.

The story was about a girl who was with this Revenant (read my other review to find out what they are) and there are these evil people coming to get them and the story is based around that. But there were other things happening during this time. The story really got you into it and it definitely kept you turning the pages. I feel that Amy Plum did a really good job with the descriptions because I really could understand what these characters looked like, what their personalities were, and the different traits about them.

I also really liked the cover of this book. I liked the color scheme of the blues and violets and I just like the overall feel of the cover. There are multiple levels to the cover. I have been noticing that a lot recently in different books…the different levels of the cover. I personally really like this effect because there are many things to see and the cover really catches your eye. It has the girl on the front who is supposed to be the main character walking down this dark alley. I feel that this cover is a kind of symbolism as the entire story is about how she is walking down this uncertain path and at any moment something could go wrong and something bad could happen. But there is this light at the end of the tunnel and she keeps trying to get there because she knows that will save er and her boy friend. That is kind of the entire story….in fancy words. XD

I also liked how the entire book was based in this world, but it had other worldly creature. That has been popping up more in books now with the mythological creatures or other worldly beings being on this world. I really do like when it happens because it makes it seems that little more… believable.

So personally I really did like the entire feel of the book. It was exciting, entertaining, and just overall a good read. I would recommend this book for ages 12/13+.

So go out to your local library and give this book a try. It is Hot Off the Presses. XD

Noah’s Knits by Fiona Goble

Hot off the press is this new book Noah’s Knits by Fiona Goble.  Long time readers of this blog will know that we love Fiona Goble (Here, Here, and Here). She is a really creative lady (just check out ALL the crafty books she has written), and handy with the knitting needles and appears to want to create little worlds in wool. However, even though she has been featured before we haven’t actually reviewed one of her books until today.

This is a charming little book (80 pages) with the story of Noah and the animals and 16 knitted projects, very helpful instructions showing you how to knit, change wool color, turn around, finish your little piece and add embellishments and finishing touches. The back of the book has an Ark with opening doors and ramp so you can set your animals out for display. How cool is that!!! Interspersed with the patterns is the story of Noah and his Ark and his poor long suffering wife, Mrs. Noah. Animals you can knit include African elephants and lions, Arctic polar bears and penguins and regular barnyard creatures like goats and pigs. As each of the projects is small they should be able to be completed relatively quickly…….of course this depends on knitting ability. Full disclosure – this review is of the book, not the accuracy of the patterns. As it will take a little time to organize time to attempt some of these projects you will have to wait a bit for this!!

With summer just around the corner (for readers in the Norther Hemisphere) this might just be the perfect project for those lazy days. What do you think???

Just in case you aren’t sure if knitting is cool enough for you, just check this out and see what an “in” thing it is!!!!

Chopsticks by Jessica Anthony and Rodrigo Corral – Print Version

This was extremely interesting. Not what I expected at all, and talk about sad. But what beautiful pictures. This is one of the first interactive graphic novels but they also do it in book form (which is what I read.) There is more I believe to the iPad, iPod, and iPhone version. I will be purchasing that because I am curious to see how the two compare but this book was amazing. Such beautiful colors and they presented the book in such an amazing way, just so interesting. The cover of this book was also so cute.

So simple yet so elegant. Also notice with the color how it is not a true color. It is off-color. That was the effect throughout the entire book and it was really a nice touch to the graphic novel.

It was a little confusing because through the entire novel they kept referring to each other as G and F and it got a little confusing during some parts as to who was who but it was quite easy to pick again.

This is a definite checker-outer (if that is a word) and a HOT OFF THE PRESS.

But this book is definitely for older readers as there is some bad language and some sexual topics. But that was like 5 pages in a 200 page book so really minimal.

Also I read this book, wait for it, in 25 minutes flat. That is my all time record. Admittedly,  it was all pictures.

So go and purchase it here for your “i” stuff or go to your local book store/local library or shop around online.

Hope that you enjoy.

And once again, thank you to Omar, my local YA librarian for having it ready to go.

Thanks.

Something To Dip Into

Stuck for something to read? Having an attack of the reading blah’s?

You can take a dip into Cinder by Marissa Meyer over at the Guardian (here) who have got the first chapter to read. Cinder is a take on the Cinderella story – except she is a cyborg. And it is set in the future (obviously). And it is SciFi (ditto). Looks interesting. Check it out and see what you think.

 

Fracture by Megan Miranda

* Note: This book is an Advance Reading Copy and it will not be out until January 2012.

Summary

“A lot can happen in eleven minutes. Decker can run two miles easily in eleven minutes. I once wrote an English essay in ten. No lie. And God knows Carson Levine can talk a girl out of her clothes in half that time.

Elven minutes might as well be an eternity under water. It only takes three minutes without air for loss of consciousness. Permanent brain damage begins at four minutes. And then, when the oxygen runs out, full cardiac arrest occurs. Death is possible at five minutes. Probably at seven. Definite at then.

Decker pulled me out at eleven.”

-From the back of the book.

Review

Quite a good book. I still have not figured out how the title fits in with the story but you never judge a book by its cover. I thought that the synopsis on the back of the book was quite intriguing. I read it and was instantly intrigued and I wanted to know what happened.

There is not a lot of say about this book just because it was not one of those stories where there were action. The characters were described pretty well and I could visualize them. But it is hard to describe this book. The story was fiction and it was more magical than anything. It was based on earth, but there was a magical quality to it. But I have to say, when this book comes out in January, it is a must read.

The exact date that it comes out (according to the book cover) is January 3rd, 2012 – but this may change.

Obviously,  this cover is not the final one…not too interesting. Hopefully when it is published they will have some great cover art that might link the title to story. This one doesn’t give a clue!

So, when the book comes out get it and give it a read. Hope that you will enjoy it as much as I did.

Tiger’s Voyage by Colleen Houck

Summary

The third book in the gripping Tiger’s Curse series!

With the head-to-head battle against the villainous Lokesh behind her, Kelsey confronts a new heartbreak: in the wake of his traumatic experience, her beloved Ren no longer remembers who she is. As the trio continues their quest by challenging five cunning and duplicitous dragons, Ren and Kishan once more vie for her affections–leaving Kelsey more confused than ever.

Fraught with danger, filled with magic, and packed with romance, Tiger’s Voyage brings Kelsey and her two tiger princes one step closer to breaking the curse.

-From Amazon.com

Review

WOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOWOW!!!!!!!!! This book was AMAZING. The story was so captivating and I just could not put it down. There was so much romance, humor, and action and everything else that a great book should need. IT WAS AMAZING. I cannot wait for the next book Tiger’s Destiny which I believe is coming out in the Summer of 2012. The ending of the book kind of left you wondering and wanting to, no, needing to know what happened next. I am currently dying. I have to know what happens next in the story ASAP. But I know I said the same thing for Tiger’s Curse and Tiger’s Quest but this book tops them all. I liked this one the best out of them all. I just cannot describe it other than saying GET OUT TO YOUR LOCAL LIBRARY. This is a must read series and if you don’t, you are missing out one something great.

Tell me what you think once you read it.

Also if you would like to read an interview I did with Colleen Houck, click here.

Die For Me by Amy Plum (Revenants)

Summary

“When Kate Mercier’s parents die in a tragic car accident, she leaves her life–and memories–behind to live with her grandparents in Paris. For Kate, the only way to survive her pain is escaping into the world of books and Parisian art. Until she meets Vincent.

Mysterious, charming, and devastatingly handsome, Vincent threatens to melt the ice around Kate’s guarded heart with just his smile. As she begins to fall in love with Vincent, Kate discovers that he’s a revenant–an undead being whose fate forces him to sacrifice himself over and over again to save the lives of others. Vincent and those like him are bound in a centuries-old war against a group of evil revenants who exist only to murder and betray. Kate soon realizes that if she follows her heart, she may never be safe again.”

-Amazon.com

Review

Quite a good book. The title might seem a little – how should I put it – disconcerting? You may think that it is going to be about vampires. Well you are not entirely correct, but you are not entirely incorrect either. This book is about undead people. But they are not zombies and they do not eat your flesh (as zombies are supposed to do.) What they are are people who died in the place of someone else. The theory is (in this book) is that if you die in the place of someone else (for example is is that if you take a bullet for someone else) and in the course of destiny, the other person was supposed to die, the dead person comes back to life. They stay dead for 3 days and then they come back to life again. They are immortal but they eat like we do but they don’t need any sleep. Except every 3 or 4 weeks, they are in hibernation for 3 days so they can get their energy back. Yes, it is a little confusing but I am not great at explaining that type of thing. It was very interesting though. I would recommend for you to pick this book up because the theory of what happens is quite interesting and the idea makes the story that bit more exciting.

The story kept you interested and kept you turning the pages. I read it in one day and might read it again. The characters were described very well and you could picture what the characters looked like and that added to the whole effect of the story.

You can visit Amy Plums website by clicking here.

It says that it is the first in a trilogy so I am excited for the other two.

Read the book and tell me what you think.

Enjoy!!!

Tiger’s Quest by Colleen Houck

Summary

*From Amazon.com

Back in Oregon, Kelsey tries to pick up the pieces of her life and push aside her feelings for Ren. But danger lurks around the corner, forcing her to return to India where she embarks on a second quest–this time with Ren’s dark, bad-boy brother Kishan, who has also fallen prey to the Tiger’s Curse. Fraught with danger, spellbinding dreams, and choices of the heart, TIGER’S QUEST brings the trio one step closer to breaking the spell that binds them.

Review

I thought I had seen it all. I though that I had read the best book(s) in the world. Oh boy was I wrong. I know that I have said that I love many different books and in a lot of my posts I have said that I absolutely loved that book. Well, cross all of those out. This is my all time favorite book/series. I personally think that the first book was the best. I would give the first book Tiger’s Curse and its cover a 100%. I would give this book a 99.99999999999999999999999999999 times 5 trillion %. It was just a teeny – tiny bit not as good as the other one. Just because the main character, Ren, was not the main character in this book, it was his brother. As the book progressed you grew to like Kishan more and more and by the end of the book you felt bad for him as he never got the girl. Throughout the book you realized and learned all the guilt that he was carrying. The ending of the book was sad though. It is hard to stop myself from saying why… but if I told you I would ruin the book. It is the climax of the book and it is probably the saddest part of the book ( ). I had to stop myself from crying and I had a lump in my throat for the rest of the day. I will just say this – when you finish the book you are going to want to read the third one immediately, but unfortunately it is not out yet. I am telling you, I am dying to read it.

I thought that how each of the characters was described was very well done. I could actually picture them in my head. Also, this book was so good that I felt like I was actually there with Kelsey, watching it all happening and experiencing everything that they experienced.

I have to say you to need to read this book as it is probably the best book out there. Please go check this book out and let me know what you think.

Could This Be The Answer?

hmmmm….

A game?

With real prizes?

Really?

And if you really want to get yourself into a frenzy…..Here.

There is even a Twitter account. So far there are only 3 tweets and 82,950 followers but you can bet there will be lots more tweets!!

 

 

Enclave by Ann Aguirre

“For fans of The Hunger Games.”
- Publishers Weekly

Imagine a world where New York City does not exist. Where Freaks roam around town. Where people live underground and have not seen the sunlight for many generations.  That is what the world is like in Enclave. The cause of the human inhalation is never explicitly revealed but it is suggested that it was some type of plague. New York City is over run with these creatures called Freaks. Freaks are a human/wolf hybrids. They have the human type of look but they have fangs and really sharp claws. They prey on humans and they take quite a punch to kill one of them. In the beginning of the book Deuce was named Huntress of her college. A college in the book is like a community. There are many hunters and huntresses and they protect and collect the food for the college. This book is about how she lives in the college and how she forfeits the life she knew so she can save her best friends. She is exiled with her partner named Fade. Fade was not part of the college but a Topsider, a person who lives where the natural light shines, who was accepted into the community for surviving outside. A person who is exiled or lives outside of the enclave does not make it. Or that is what is believed. The elders say that the air topside is unbreathable and it rains acid. Fade says otherwise. So the two of them are exiled and head to the Topside. This is where they meet new people and start a new life in a new world. This is where what Deuce knows is proven wrong.

This was an interesting book. It was showing kind of what the world could be with a twist of horror/sci-fi/action. There was quite a lot of blood mentioned as fighting the Freaks ends up with either a limb lost, a deadly scratch, or death. While fighting with these creatures, the fighting is described in great detail so when there is a crunch of bone or a complete crushed in skull, you know about it. The story kept you entertained and kept you turning pages. I would recommend that 13-year-olds and over read this because of the violence and blood but otherwise it was an amazing book. The characters were described well and the setting (environment, surroundings, etc) were also described well. I would definitely recommend this book. It poses what the world could be like over time but this is really an entertaining read book. So enjoy!

If you have read the book, tell me what you think of it. What are your opinions?

You’d Better Get A Move On

From time to time here at mlcwo we like to include reading materials that are a little different. And here is today’s offering.

In anticipation of the Royal Wedding (that is English Royal Wedding) there is time (if you get really busy) to have your own.

All you need is some colored wool (or yarn).

Some needles.

And this….

Fiona Goble has created the perfect book just in time for the April 29th ceremony of William and Kate.

Find full details here and here.

One thing is certain.

Fiona is not only very talented, but also has a sense of fun.

Tiger’s Curse by Colleen Houck

Summary

Kelsey did not think that she would be working at a circus with Tiger’s. That was the last thing that she expected. But when the Tiger is bought and she is offered to go with him to India, she does not pass up the opportunity. Ren, the Tiger, and Kelsey have to break a 300-year-old Indian curse. She has to solve the curse as it is the only thing which will help Ren be kind of normal again.

Review

W.O.W. This book was absolutely amazing. I was captured by the story and could not put the book down. This was a love story more than an adventure story but the love was based around adventure. In the book the Tiger and Kelsey had a special bond because every 24 hours, Ren has 24 minutes to turn into this gorgeous man. “He’s like James Bond, Antonio Banderas, and Brad Pitt all rolled into one,” Kelsey thinks. Kelsey is absolutely taken with him but as the book progresses things change and throughout the book, you feel their emotions growing for each other. Ren is older than 300 years but he looks like he is 21 and Kelsey is about 18 I believe and so it is obvious she falls for him.

I would recommend people to read this book because it was soooo good. I also think that it would make a really good movie because of the story line. Does anyone else out there agree with me????? Also, this book came out at the beginning of 2011 so it is Hot Off The Press!! So go to your local library and read it. I would even recommend getting it. Enjoy.