Waiting on Wednesday (23): Sweet Peril (The Sweet Trilogy, #2)

Waiting on Wednesday (23): Sweet Peril (The Sweet Trilogy, #2)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking The Spine to highlight upcoming eagerly anticipated book releases

Sweet Peril (The Sweet Trilogy, #2) by Wendy Higgins
Expected Publication Date: April 30, 2013
Publisher: HarperTeen
Book Description from Goodreads: 
Anna Whitt, daughter of a guardian angel and a demon, promised herself she’d never do the work of her father—polluting souls. She’d been naive to make such a claim. She’d been naive about a lot of things. 

Haunted by demon whisperers, Anna does whatever she can to survive, even if it means embracing her dark side and earning an unwanted reputation as her school’s party girl. Her life has never looked more bleak. And all the while there’s Kaidan Rowe, son of the Duke of Lust, plaguing her heart and mind.

When an unexpected lost message from the angels surfaces, Anna finds herself traveling the globe with Kopano, son of Wrath, in an attempt to gain support of fellow Nephilim and give them hope for the first time. It soon becomes clear that whatever freedoms Anna and the rest of the Neph are hoping to win will not be gained without a fight. Until then, Anna and Kaidan must put aside the issues between them, overcome the steamiest of temptations yet, and face the ultimate question: is loving someone worth risking their life?



I LOVED Sweet Evil - the first book. You can find my review HERE, complete with James Marsters (aka Spike from Buffy) in a drool worthy British rocker persona to give you a taste of what you're missing out if you haven't read it yet. 

And if you haven't entered my Tea sample and Book giveaway yet, you can do so HERE

Review: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children (Miss Peregrine, #1) by Ransom Riggs

Review: Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children (Miss Peregrine, #1) by Ransom Riggs

Author: Ransom Riggs
Publication Date: June 7, 2011
Publisher: Quirk
Pages: 352
Genre: YA, Paranormal, Fantasy
Source: Bought it

Book Description from Goodreads:
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.








Review:

     Jacob grew up listening to his grandfather Abe's stories of fantastical and harrowing adventures, most stemming from the orphanage he grew up in - Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children. How peculiar exactly are these children? Just judging from the photos on the covers - things get really weird. 

     I had seen this book at the bookstore several times, and I was always creeped out by the photos and the premise doesn't give much away. It wasn't until I actually bought the book and really looked at it that I noticed the girl on the cover is levitating, it just made me all that more excited to find out what was going on.

     Our main character Jacob loved his grandfather Abe and his stories about the war, and the unique children he befriended at the orphanage he grew up in with their unusual abilities. But like any child, he got older and became increasingly skeptical about how real these stories could be. It's incredible how we rationalize everything, even when there's real physical photographic proof in front of us and Jacob is no different. But when his grandfather dies in a horrific accident, Jacob starts to question his sanity while plagued with nightmares and his grandfather's last request. Piecing the fragments of his grandfather's life together, Jacob ends up on a remote isle off the coast of Wales to search for answers - but he soon gets sucked into a world full of wonders and dangers he couldn't even begin to imagine.

     Grandfather Abe completely reminds me of Grandpa Abe from The Simpsons. He tells war stories, and each time the version changes a little bit and it gets wilder and couldn't possibly be true. Soon relatives start brushing him off and thinking he's not that mentally stable anymore. But boy are you in for a surprise when the truth about Abe's life is uncovered and how hard he tried to the very end to fend off the things that go bump in the night. 

     This book is definitely a work of art; from the eerie photos to the end papers, to the in between chapter papers and the handwritten letters - it's all gorgeous and makes this an enveloping and engaging read. Although I don't think I'll ever be able to look at the photos for more than a few seconds - it feels like their unblinking eyes are just boring into your soul, even after we get to know some of these peculiar children. 

     The story immediately draws you in with the photos, and Abe's unfortunate end, but then it lulls a bit as Jacob struggles to figure things out. But Riggs does an excellent job contrasting Jacob's life before and after these life altering events so that when he does find the orphanage he easily fits in and it just feels right that he's there. However, for me this is where the story shifted gears completely. It was no longer a creepy mystery and I just didn't feel as invested in the story as I did before. It turns into a superheroes unite to save the world kind of situation and while I still wanted to know what happens, the last half of the story ends up as a predictable set up for the sequel and left a lot of questions unanswered. 

Overall: 3/5 Drinkable Cups of Tea.

This story definitely has a unique and intriguing plot bolstered by old fashioned photos (and apparently they're all real?) and I generally enjoyed it. I had expected a lot of suspense and horror, but I never really got apprehensive at any point. It was like listening to your grandfather tell you a story and just watching it all unfold safely from a distance. 

I read this as a part of Just a Lil' Lost in a Great Book read-a-long, and you can find the wrap up post and links to other reviews HERE.

Teaser Tuesday (23): Iced by Karen Marie Moning

Teaser Tuesday: Iced by Karen Marie Moning

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

·Grab your current read 
·Open to a random page 
·Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page 
·Be careful not to include any spoilers so as not to ruin the book for others.

Author: Karen Marie Moning
Publication Date: October 30, 2012
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Genre: Adult, Urban fantasy
Description from Goodreads:
The year is 1 AWC—After the Wall Crash. The Fae are free and hunting us. It’s a war zone out there, and no two days are alike. I’m Dani O’Malley, the chaos-filled streets of Dublin are my home, and there’s no place I’d rather be. 

Dani “Mega” O’Malley plays by her own set of rules—and in a world overrun by Dark Fae, her biggest rule is: Do what it takes to survive. Possessing rare talents and the all-powerful Sword of Light, Dani is more than equipped for the task. In fact, she’s one of the rare humans who can defend themselves against the Unseelie. But now, amid the pandemonium, her greatest gifts have turned into serious liabilities.

Dani’s ex–best friend, MacKayla Lane, wants her dead, the terrifying Unseelie princes have put a price on her head, and Inspector Jayne, the head of the police force, is after her sword and will stop at nothing to get it. What’s more, people are being mysteriously frozen to death all over the city, encased on the spot in sub-zero, icy tableaux. 

When Dublin’s most seductive nightclub gets blanketed in hoarfrost, Dani finds herself at the mercy of Ryodan, the club’s ruthless, immortal owner. He needs her quick wit and exceptional skill to figure out what’s freezing Fae and humans dead in their tracks—and Ryodan will do anything to ensure her compliance.

Dodging bullets, fangs, and fists, Dani must strike treacherous bargains and make desperate alliances to save her beloved Dublin—before everything and everyone in it gets iced.

I literally picked this up moments ago! Gah so excited to dig into it - procrastinating on my homework to read this...it's totally worth it! 

Teaser:

     " It's in the body of a Fae prince in all his naked,winged glory. And if you've never seen a Fae prince before, that's one jaw-dropping, eye-popping, mind scrambling amount of glory. " (page 12) 

Excuse me while I wipe the drool off my chin... 

So what's your teaser this fine Tuesday? Also there's 11 days left in my 100 follower giveaway! Go enter HERE

Review: Ghost Planet by Sharon Fisher

Ghost Planet by Sharon Fisher

Author: Sharon Fisher
Publication Date: October 30, 2012
Publisher: Tor Science Fiction
Pages: 352
Genre: Science Fiction, Romance
Source: e-arc from publisher on Netgalley

Book Description from Goodreads:
Psychologist Elizabeth Cole prepared for the worst when she accepted a job on a newly discovered world—a world where every colonist is tethered to an alien who manifests in the form of a dead loved one. But she never expected she'd struggle with the requirement to shun these "ghosts." She never expected to be so attracted to the charming Irishman assigned as her supervisor. And she certainly never expected to discover she died in a transport crash en route to the planet. 

As a ghost, Elizabeth is symbiotically linked to her supervisor, Murphy—creator of the Ghost Protocol, which forbids him to acknowledge or interact with her. Confused and alone—oppressed by her ghost status and tormented by forbidden love—Elizabeth works to unlock the secrets of her own existence. 

But her quest for answers lands her in a tug-of-war between powerful interests, and she soon finds herself a pawn in the struggle for control of the planet…a struggle that could separate her forever from the man that she loves.

Review:

     Earth has become a nearly unlivable wasteland, polluted and dying. So in a stroke of luck explorers from Earth find a planet that has everything they could ever want - lush green landscapes, fresh air and water; but there's a caveat. In their rush to colonize the planet, an alien life form suddenly begins to appear....in the form of a dead loved one, each attached to a specific colonist. If you saw a someone who made a deep impression on you that was supposed to be dead, how would you react? Embracing them with loving arms or with hostility and fear; could you abide by the Ghost Protocol?

     I love the mirror imagery of the cover, with a ghostly Elizabeth and a determined Murphy over the backdrop of a forest hidden in the dark - making it difficult to determine its state. 

     The story begins innocuously enough, Elizabeth a psychology student arriving for her residency on Ardagh 1 and is quickly greeted by her new supervisor Grayson Murphy. These two quickly hit it off, and even discover that they had briefly met on Earth years earlier. But then it becomes apparent that something's off, especially when Elizabeth starts tripping the Ghost sensors and failing every imaginable Ghost test. 

     I do wish that the synopsis would have left out how she died. It is important to know that she dies, it just took away from the shock of the reveal when we're already told. Nonetheless, I love how this book starts! There's a sharp contrast in how Elizabeth is treated before and after. In the beginning she's like any other guest, Murphy provides food and excellent (and flirty) conversation. But as soon as they discover the truth; that she's a ghost and attached to none other than the creator of the Ghost Protocol - which states that there is to be absolutely no contact between ghost and human in order to keep the ghosts complacent and the humans sane enough to continue their jobs. 

     The ghosts were interesting entities. They had physical form, and everyone could seem them. But the way that Ghost Protocol works has made them into zombie like shells of their former selves and they drift about very much like what you'd think a ghost would be like - screaming for attention but never getting a reaction. 

     I loved the character of Elizabeth! She's extremely intelligent, strong willed and confident. She readily adapts to her situation, and my favorite parts were how she found an endless amount of loopholes in the Ghost Protocol to get what she needed, I couldn't help but smile at her ingenuity. She's constantly curious and asks a million questions; which is a refreshing change from characters that just go along with it until something is revealed. Elizabeth actively searches for the answers and has a healthy sense of skepticism when presented with something that seems too good to be true. Fisher crafted a main character that was complex and had a history. Over the course of the story her past clashes with her present as it goes tumbling into her future, and the reader gets to see how she grows and evolves. 

     Murphy - head of Psychology on Ardagh 1 and creator of the Ghost Protocol think's he's met the girl of his dreams, but things couldn't just stay that simple. She's dead, and an alien and completely hands off now. There's so much internal struggle with Murphy, especially since Elizabeth made such an impression on him in the first few moments of the book. My only complaint would be that Murphy is Irish, and I never really got an impression of an Irish lilt when he was speaking; he'd drop a "love" at the end of sentences but to me that immediately made me think of a British accent. 

     Elizabeth and Murphy's romance is forbidden, and difficult to describe. One thing for sure is that it isn't instant love. There are feelings there, and there's a mix of trust, conversations and hardships in conjunction with their alien bond that creates a solid relationship. By the end though, I was completely rooting for these two to work out because they're so adorable together. 

    Fisher takes elements from Biology and Psychology and manages to blend them into this plot with aliens and romance perfectly. There are some terms (especially biology ones) that are used; but fear not, they're expertly explained. Fisher has this amazing knack for showing the reader each possible perspective, and it definitely made me question the ethical implications of what they're doing on this planet. The landscape of this story was constantly changing and evolving as things were revealed. It kept an excellent pace and I never found myself guessing what would happen next - not that I could. 

Overall: 4/5 Hot Cups of Tea!

This story is like a blend of Jame's Cameron's Avatar and Stephenie Meyer's The Host. Fans of either one will LOVE Ghost Planet. For me it was a thoroughly enjoyable read! The ending seemingly ties everything up, and leaves a spark of hope; but I still have burning questions as to what happens to these characters after the book ends! 

     

SWEET !

I just saw this, this morning and if you haven't seen it yet gah!

Title: Sweet Peril (The Sweet Trilogy, #2)

Author: Wendy Higgins

Publication Date: April 30, 2013

Publisher: Harper Teen

Book Description from Goodreads:

Anna Whitt, daughter of a guardian angel and a demon, promised herself she’d never do the work of her father—polluting souls. She’d been naive to make such a claim. She’d been naive about a lot of things. 

Haunted by demon whisperers, Anna does whatever she can to survive, even if it means embracing her dark side and earning an unwanted reputation as her school’s party girl. Her life has never looked more bleak. And all the while there’s Kaidan Rowe, son of the Duke of Lust, plaguing her heart and mind.

When an unexpected lost message from the angels surfaces, Anna finds herself traveling the globe with Kopano, son of Wrath, in an attempt to gain support of fellow Nephilim and give them hope for the first time. It soon becomes clear that whatever freedoms Anna and the rest of the Neph are hoping to win will not be gained without a fight. Until then, Anna and Kaidan must put aside the issues between them, overcome the steamiest of temptations yet, and face the ultimate question: is loving someone worth risking their life?

I'm so glad Harper decided to pick this series up, it's freaking amazing! If you haven't read Sweet Evil yet, what are you waiting for?! GO! My review is HERE if you need more convincing!

Waiting on Wednesday (22): Falling Kingdoms (Falling Kingdoms, #1)

Waiting on Wednesday (22): Falling Kingdoms (Falling Kingdoms, #1)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking The Spine to highlight upcoming eagerly anticipated book releases

Falling Kingdoms (Falling Kingdoms, #1) by Morgan Rhodes & Michelle Rowan
Expected Publication Date: December 11, 2012
Publisher: Razorbill
Book Description from Goodreads: 
In a land where magic has been forgotten but peace has reigned for centuries, a deadly unrest is simmering. Three kingdoms grapple for power--brutally transforming their subjects' lives in the process. Amidst betrayals, bargains, and battles, four young people find their fates forever intertwined:

Cleo: A princess raised in luxury must embark on a rough and treacherous journey into enemy territory in search of a magic long thought extinct.

Jonas: Enraged at injustice, a rebel lashes out against the forces of oppression that have kept his country impoverished--and finds himself the leader of a people's revolution centuries in the making.

Lucia: A girl adopted at birth into a royal family discovers the truth about her past--and the supernatural legacy she is destined to wield.

Magnus: Bred for aggression and trained to conquer, a firstborn son begins to realize that the heart can be more lethal than the sword...

The only outcome that's certain is that kingdoms will fall. Who will emerge triumphant when all they know has collapsed?


There's been some really great fantasy books lately, and I like the sound of all these fates twisting together! Plus the cover always reminds me of Assassin's Creed (the video game).

What're you waiting for this Wednesday? Leave me a link so I can swing by! 

And if you haven't entered my Tea sample and Book giveaway yet, you can do so HERE

Teaser Tuesday (22): Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children

Teaser Tuesday: Miss Peregrine's Home for Pecular Children

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

·Grab your current read 
·Open to a random page 
·Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page 
·Be careful not to include any spoilers so as not to ruin the book for others.

Author: Ransom Riggs
Publication Date: June 7, 2011
Publisher: Quirk
Genre: YA, Fantasy, Paranormal
Description from Goodreads:
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.











Teaser:

       " "They're coming for me, understand? I don't know how they found me after all these years, but they did. What am I supposed to fight them with, the goddamned butter knife?" " (page 22)

I'm reading this one for Just a Lil LOST in a Great Book read-a-long and so far it's creepy and interesting!

What're you reading this (where I am SNOWY!) Tuesday? Leave me a link so I can check it out!

Also, be sure to enter my 100 follower giveaway that's still going on! 

Review: The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling

The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling

Author: J.K. Rowling
Publication Date: September 27, 2012
Publisher: Little, Brown & Co.
Pages: 503
Genre: Adult, British, Fiction, Drama
Source: Bought it

Book Description from Goodreads:

When Barry Fairbrother dies in his early forties, the town of Pagford is left in shock.

Pagford is, seemingly, an English idyll, with a cobbled market square and an ancient abbey, but what lies behind the pretty façade is a town at war.

Rich at war with poor, teenagers at war with their parents, wives at war with their husbands, teachers at war with their pupils...Pagford is not what it first seems.

And the empty seat left by Barry on the parish council soon becomes the catalyst for the biggest war the town has yet seen. Who will triumph in an election fraught with passion, duplicity and unexpected revelations?

Review:

     I know why you've either read, or are going to read this book. It's because you're curious. Curious as to what has Rowling come up with for adults post Potter, and if it can live up to the legend of Potter or not. I went into this with my mind still set in the idyllic childish world of Harry Potter (you really shouldn't, clear your mind and just read this book as it is) and I can tell you the exact moment that Rowling effectively shattered any childhood fantasies that I had left (it was when she dropped about 7 f-bombs in the span of two consecutive pages really early on). 

     Back when I was a kid we only had three channels, one was french, one was usually news and one always seemingly played the long running (and still going) British soap opera Coronation Street. That's what The Casual Vacancy reminds me exactly of, a bunch of old ladies that live for gossip, teenagers being teenagers and just life as you would expect in a small town with some deep secrets.

     The premise is that Barry Fairbrother dies suddenly, and he leaves his seat open on the Parish Council of Pagford that needs to be filled (a casual vacancy if you will). But in this little town there's a bigger and more volatile problem that has divided the council long before Barry's death. The Fields - basically Pagford's version of a slum, where there's dilapidated low income housing filled with druggies, prostitutes and other unsavory characters. Soon it becomes a heated race between sides to fill the seat to either evict or save Fields. 

     Unfortunately, The Casual Vacancy is painfully slow. There's so many characters (I don't think I'll cover them all because it'd swallow up this whole post) that it takes forever to set each one up in their dull lives and the role they have in the community. Rowling takes an approach where she takes several story lines and weaves them so that will catastrophically crash together. She adds a 'shock' factor to each character to try and make them memorable, but I still had issues telling them apart or remembering them or really connecting with them - I felt like I was an observer to the story instead of really being drawn into it. It took me much longer to get through this book because I got bored and had to put it book down for a time before I'd find the will to keep reading again - but by then I'd forgotten who was who. So your best bet is to probably take notes, or read it in continuously. 

     Since Rowling started out writing for kids, there's a certain level of innocence that she had to maintain in the Potter books. But here - WOW does she ever let loose. Her characters hit everything from extremely conservative god fearing racist homophobic upper middle class folk, to stringent foreign parents, drug abusing prostitutes, rapists, child molestation, domestic violence, incest, bullying, self harm, affairs and teenagers experimenting with everything from drugs (I wasn't all that surprised with Rowling's extensive knowledge of marijuana, heh.), voyeur sex, masturbation and pornography. She even manages to sneak in some health problems like obesity, diabetes and stroke. However, things get really dark at some points, I had to sit back and actually remind myself that this was the same woman that wrote Harry Potter - I think if I ever go back and read those again it'll definitely be in a different light. 

     I have to admit I got really uncomfortable at certain parts, like when characters were calling others racial slurs, or being incredibly homophobic, or being exceptionally cruel to someone. Rowling does an excellent job getting you to think about all these things, and that they are a reality - but in the end it seems that nothing fully got resolved. There wasn't much retribution to be had against these high and mighty characters, and the lowly just seemed to sink a bit lower. Maybe that's what she wants you to think about - how crappy life can be and how it goes on, but it's not what I wanted in my fictional reads. I wanted some good feelings at the end, and I definitely didn't feel very satisfied - there were too many "but what happens to these people after??" kind of moments. 

     There's a lot of British slang and jokes that took some re-reads before I actually got it. So that did slow down my enjoyment and speed at which I read. To show the class division, Rowling even uses a cockney accent - which was amusing at first, but I quickly grew tired of trying to decipher it (I'm TERRIBLE with accents, even written ones apparently). I can't say that the plot was completely predictable, I didn't really try to. I spent most of my time just watching and observing the intense secrets and drama unfold - which was really quite good. Ironically, all the adults seemed to be shallow and condescending, and once again it's her teenage characters that stole the show with creativity, pain, angst and the dire situations that their parents have put them in. 

Overall: 2/5 Cups of Tepid Tea.

It was too slow for my liking, with too many characters to keep track of. Rowling may have packed too much drama into this by addressing so many intense issues altogether, but the way it ended may just end up fueling the destructive fires in other communities that are facing these same problems. There are some redeeming qualities, but I just overall didn't enjoy it that much. If you really need to satisfy your curiosity about this one, definitely borrow it.

Tea Time Thursday: Black Tea: Toasted Marshmallow

DAVIDsTEA

Black Tea: Toasted Marshmallow

Ingredients: Black Tea, Marshmallows, Brittle candy, cinnamon, allspice, roasted Kukicha green tea & natural flavoring

     The last of the fall long weekends are quickly passing by, everyone's making their last trips to the lake and to camp. When we go camping there's always a cozy fire to snuggle up next to and where there's fire there's always marshmallows! Deliciously gooey when heated up and perfectly paired with chocolate. I don't think that I've ever successfully 'toasted' a marshmallow....mine usually come out as a flaming ball of molten sugar that everyone deftly dodges when I'm around. So I guess I'll have to settle for Toasted Marshmallow Tea instead!

     The mingling of green and black tea make a neutral and refreshing base for the spices to really come to life. But what really makes this tea is the delicious nutty brittle pieces and marshmallow that sweeten the tea perfectly! But this tea is even better when infused in steaming hot milk (latte style)and topped with a few extra marshmallows.

Overall: 5/5 Steaming Hot Cups of Tea!

This is a campfire snuggle staple!

Waiting on Wednesday (21): Prodigy

Waiting on Wednesday (21): Prodigy (Legend, #2)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking The Spine to highlight upcoming eagerly anticipated book releases

Prodigy (Legend, #2) by Marie Lu
Expected Publication Date: January 29, 2013
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile
Book Description from Goodreads: 
June and Day make their way to Las Vegas where they join the rebel Patriot group and become involved in an assassination plot against the Elector in hopes of saving the Republic.














I loved Legend, and I'm so excited to see what happens to June and Day in the next installment. The synopsis gives just enough away to completely capture my attention. Oh January, please come faster! 

What're you waiting for this Wednesday? Leave me a link in the comments so I can check it out!

Also, if you haven't entered in my Tea Sample and Book giveaway you can do so HERE. 

Teaser Tuesday (21): Under The Never Sky

Teaser Tuesday: Under The Never Sky (Under The Never Sky, #1) by Veronica Rossi

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

·Grab your current read 
·Open to a random page 
·Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page 
·Be careful not to include any spoilers so as not to ruin the book for others.

Author: Veronica Rossi
Publication Date: January 12, 2012
Publisher: HarperCollins
Genre: YA, Sci-Fi, Dystopia, Romance
Description from Goodreads:
Aria is a teenager in the enclosed city of Reverie. Like all Dwellers, she spends her time with friends in virtual environments, called Realms, accessed through an eyepiece called a Smarteye. Aria enjoys the Realms and the easy life in Reverie. When she is forced out of the pod for a crime she did not commit, she believes her death is imminent. The outside world is known as The Death Shop, with danger in every direction.

As an Outsider, Perry has always known hunger, vicious predators, and violent energy storms from the swirling electrified atmosphere called the Aether. A bit of an outcast even among his hunting tribe, Perry withstands these daily tests with his exceptional abilities, as he is gifted with powerful senses that enable him to scent danger, food and even human emotions.

They come together reluctantly, for Aria must depend on Perry, whom she considers abarbarian, to help her get back to Reverie, while Perry needs Aria to help unravel the mystery of his beloved nephew’s abduction by the Dwellers. Together they embark on a journey challenged as much by their prejudices as by encounters with cannibals and wolves. But to their surprise, Aria and Perry forge an unlikely love - one that will forever change the fate of all who live UNDER THE NEVER SKY.

Teaser: 

     " "What could happen in a damaged dome" Paisley counter on her slender fingers. "Our skin could rot off. We could get locked out. An Aether storm could turn us into human bacon. Then the cannibals could eat us for breakfast." " (page 2, kindle edition)


I haven't gotten too far into this yet, but it's still pretty interesting; I've heard great things about this one so I'm excited to see how this plays out!

What's your teaser this Tuesday? Share a link in the comments for me to swing by! Also I still have my Tea and Book giveaway going on HERE if you want to enter! 

Walking Dead Season 3 Premiere What a start!

     So last night was the premiere of The Walking Dead season 3! It takes place several months after the events of season 2 - Rick and the gang were forced to leave the zombie overrun farm and in the process Andrea was separated from the group.

     It looks like the group has miraculously survived winter, and have become a more cohesive group. This was especially evident in the opening moments - they work together as one without any communication necessary, it was freaking awesome to see such fluid and coordinated movement instead of constant bickering and hesitation. 

     Rick - the now pretty undisputed leader has become a bit distant and dark now. He's missing that spark of hope he used to have and now he's just concentrated purely on making it day to day and making the hard decisions. 
     
     Carl - Rick and Lori's son, completely surprised me. He's no longer that whiny annoying kid that I hated at the end of season 2, he's grown up - which is a bid disheartening considering he's only 13, but in this post zombie apocalypse world you grow up fast. 

     Lori - is still as annoying as ever, she's trying to be the voice of reason and the go between and you can just feel the tension in her family. Heavily pregnant now, she's voicing some concerns that I hadn't even thought about and boy are they ever scary. 

     Glen and Maggie still manage to be adorable even in such a desolate time. In fact a lot of inter-group relationships seem to be hinted at, and I can only imagine how awkward things might get later on. 

     We're finally introduced to Andrea's mysterious savior, Michonne and although quiet she's impressively deadly with a katana, I really can't wait to see more of her! 

     It's shaping up to be one amazing season - especially the ending. Huge cliffhanger! Gah, I'm already counting down the days until next week!

Blog Tour: Review: Never Land (Never Knights, #2) by Kailin Gow

Never Land (Never Knights, #2) by Kailin Gow

Author: Kailing Gow
Publication Date: September 24, 2012
Publisher: theEDGEbooks.com
Genre: Mature YA, Contemporary, Romance
Book Description from Goodreads: 
Welcome to Never Land, the land of Never and the world of rock, the world of new experiences and sensations, a world where music runs through the veins of the dedicated, and love is taken and given with consequences. 

Never (Neve) Knight, the lead singer and manager of a band filled with the hottest guys in rock finally gets the dream that she wanted: a label signing her band The Never Knights. It is what she always wanted, a band of her own and playing her own kind of music. Getting her band to where it was came at a high price, including giving up the man who makes her heart race and her blood pound, the man who caused her to nearly lose her band. 

As she gets ready to go on her world tour, fate brings her close to Danny Blue again, and she's not sure if she can give him up a second time even if it means losing the band. 






Review:

     At the end of Never Say Never (Never Knights, #1), Never (Neve) thought she'd hit the jackpot. Her band has since shot to stardom; travelling the world, opening for some of the hottest bands on the scene, on the cover of magazines and they're on their way to recording their first album. But not everything is going as fantastic as the tabloids portray. The fragile peace forged between her hot blooded male band mates since Danny Blue's departure is starting to break down as tensions rise all around Neve, threatening everything she's worked hard for. 

     With her own band now, Neve is trying to shake the famous shadow that her parents cast. I love her determination and persistence in this and the conviction in what direction she wants to go in all aspects of her life. But when the troubles start piling on, ranging from the band, to paparazzi and her relationship with Danny Blue, it all completely overwhelms her. She gets broken down pretty badly and there isn't much she could do watching this train wreck unfold. Her confidence is shaken, and even though I wanted her to get up and fight back - I figured her reaction was pretty realistic because I'd probably be in a fetal position in the corner if I went through what she did. But Neve, ever the optimist holds out for that glimmer of hope.

     This time around we're in Danny's element in London. Just when I thought  all of Danny's secrets were revealed in Never Say Never, Gow manages to pile on so many layers of jaw dropping and completely shocking secrets that I didn't think it was possible, but oh is it ever delicious to know these things. It's like celebrity gossip at its finest - something so disastrous that it both repels and intrigues. Although I am a bit disappointed in Danny and Neve's relationship. Neve's trying to make it a bit more serious, but Danny is still carrying all this massive baggage with him (further exacerbated by the current drama in his life) that it gets difficult and they both just seem to make do with just their physical relationship because it's convenient - but really at that age what else do you really want with an attractive musician? 

     Her relationship with her band mates end up getting more complicated and conflicted. There's still a tonne of awkwardness from all the declarations of love last time that never really fully get resolved, and the events near the end; WOW Neve sure knows how to stir up drama. I think Gow may be heading towards a love triangle, and honestly I think it's going to be a pretty epic battle for Neve because the two suitors are just so radically different and they each have something Neve craves. 

     But what completely sealed the deal for me this time around was Gow's  incredible knack for creating some of the most disturbing and creepy villainous characters EVER. I mean they gave me goosebumps, set me on edge and I'm still thinking about how horribly things went for Neve. There were times where I was genuinely afraid that it was going to be it for Neve and that there was no way she was getting out of this situation. 

     Gow is a master at crafting fast paced, upbeat and addictive stories that you'll just fly through. This book ended with so many questions and loose ends that it feels more like a set up for the next book. I just need to know what happens to the band, and their career, and the relationships and DANNY BLUE!!! Sigh, but I have to wait a bit longer for that. 

Overall: 4/5 Hot Cups of Tea!

I loved the cross continent adventure this time, and how Gow completely immerses the reader into the drama filled lives of the rich and famous. Never Land was a quick and satisfying read filled with fun and sexy times!

Stacking the Shelves (12)

Hosted by Tynga

      Midterms are coming up, so I'm in full study/assignment mode. But there's always time for books! So this week I figured I'd start off my Stacking the Shelves the way I've seen a lot of other bloggers doing it - with a weekly recap. 

This Week at Tea And Text

• I have my 100 blog follower Giveaway still going on HERE, enter to win some tea samples and books! 
• Review of Ironskin (Ironskin, #1) by Tina Connolly
• Review of Ten by Gretchen McNeil 
• This week's tea is Love Tea #7
• Lots of shows premiered this week, have you seen the new Beauty and the Beast?
• Deity (Covenant, #3) Trailer reveal and Apollyon (Covenant, #4) Cover Reveal by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Bought:

• Ten by Gretchen McNeil
• Stormdancer (The Lotus War, #1) by Jay Kristoff <- So excited for this one!

For Review: 

• Never Land (Never Knights, #2) by Kailin Gow <- Swing by tomorrow for the review!
• Flashpoint by Nancy Kress <- Thanks to Penguin Canada for this!

So what'd you guys get this week? Leave me a link so I can stop by!