Waiting On Wednesday 14

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at BreakingTheSpine on the books we cannot wait to read. Check out her site!

Title: Tiger's Voyage

Author: Colleen Houck

Release Date: November 1, 2011

Publisher: Splinter an imprint of Sterling's Children's Books

My Thoughts: This is the third book in the tiger series and I just finished reading the second book, Tiger's Quest which left me breathless. My review will be up on Monday for that book. I actually borrowed Tiger's Curse, which is the first in this series, from a friend and was skeptical about how good it could be, but it was amazing. I love these books! I really, really, really want to read the third one :( I am really curious as to what the cover is going to look like too!

TIGER'S CURSE (book 2) will be released JUNE 7th, 2011

Visit the author's site: http://www.tigerscursebook.com/

So what are you anxiously awaiting the release of?

Please Ignore Vera Dietz

Author: A.S. King

Summary: (goodreads:) Vera's spent her whole life secretly in love with her best friend, Charlie Kahn. And over the years she's kept a lot of his secrets. Even after he betrayed her. Even after he ruined everything.

So when Charlie dies in dark circumstances, Vera knows a lot more than anyone—the kids at school, his family, even the police. But will she emerge to clear his name? Does she even want to?

Edgy and gripping, Please Ignore Vera Dietz is an unforgettable novel: smart, funny, dramatic, and always surprising.

Review: This down-to-earth novel combined some really unrealistic elements together to weave an amazing thought-provoking story about facing reality and moving on. The interjections of other characters were funny, quirky, conversational; all those qualities provided comic relief in a dark manner for all the other emotional stuff Vera was going through.

The main character was dealing with a lot of stuff in her life that she hadn't gotten past and usually I find myself disliking characters like this. Vera was different. She was in denial, but she her personality was strong and she tried to make things right on her own terms. Vera is one of the most realistic personalities I've ever read about because, although dramatic at times, she didn't want to be seen suffering. Vera was strong in that she knew how to keep up appearances and even when she was alone, she managed to try to get herself back on her feet, even if she did use methods that were drowning her more in problems.

The writing was wonderful and all the characters were very engaging. The way in which everything panned out was surprising and there were so many things that made me raise my eyebrows, but the informal, conversational tone of the book kept it grounded and real. I really recommend it.

Rating: 1 2 3 4 4.5 5

CONTEST: Tempest Rising ARC by Tracy Deebs

Don't forget to enter my contest for US addresses ending on the 9th of June 2011! Thanks you guys for your support! :)

Link: http://mixturesbooks.blogspot.com/2011/05/blog-tour-tempest-rising-giveaway.html

I'll use this to update you on the fact that I just finished reading "Please Ignore Vera Dietz" by A.S. King and will be posting a review for that soon as well as the adult contemporary novel "Bridge of Sighs" by Richard Russo, so do look out for that. Both I highly recommend.

And check out my contest for bookmarks of Sean Griswold's Head which you can find the link to up in my little "My Contests" section.

Have a great day!

Giveaway: Bookmarks for Sean Griswold's Head by Lindsey Leavitt

Lindsey Leavitt was giving away bookmarks for her book, SEAN GRISWOLD'S HEAD, that was released March 1st of this year. If you haven't read it yet, I suggest you do as I really liked it. I reviewed it as part of the blog tour and interviewed Lindsey here. Well I received a few bookmarks for that book and wanted to share some with you!

RULES

There will be 3 winners.

One winner will receive a signed bookmark.

Two winners will receive an unsigned bookmark.

Fill out the form below to enter.

US Addresses only please! And good luck!

Contest Ends June 9th, 2011

Tiger's Quest

Author: Colleen Houck

Release Date: June 2011

From: Publisher

Summary: (back cover) Heartbroken and desperate to push aside her feelings for Ren, Kelsey tries to pick up the pieces of her life in Oregon--but the blood-thirsty sorcerer Lokesh is hot on her heels and will stop at nothing to possess her newfound powers. Kelsey's only refuge is to embark on a second Indian 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, the second volume in the TIGER'S CURSE series, brings the trio one step closer to breaking the centuries-old spell that binds them.

Review: I am so in love with this series and can't get enough of the magic! The plot is very action-oriented while the setting is gorgeous in its descriptions. There is a bunch of cultural facts to learn as well that are woven into the story.

The reader learns along with Kelsey as she prepares herself to go on another journey for another piece of the puzzle. Her character is realistic and down to earth which did become a bit of a problem, but she matured and learned to live life in a more positive manner instead of inside her own little bubble. She is a willful individual and at times childish in her actions, but she always balanced out her flaws with the good points of her personality. Kelsey's well-rounded character is easy to relate to.

Although there was a bit of down time in the beginning, it wasn't as bad as I expected it was going to be *cough cough* New Moon *cough*, so I was really happy that Kelsey resumed some sort of normalcy in her Oregonian lifestyle. The plot is always moving forward while the adventure part resumed quickly.

The magical aspects of the book were great. Although it is centered on the tiger curse, there are other supernatural creatures woven into the story like fairies! During the actual quest, there is suspense as both Kelsey and Kishan have to fight off some dangerous foes and sometimes it got confusing as to what or where they were fighting. Overall, this is an exciting series and I CANNOT wait to get the next installment.

The ending was completely bittersweet and I don't know for how long I can bear waiting to find out what happens before I lose my sanity completely. The covers are beautiful too! I wanted to mention that even my ARC is extremely lovely and I wonder what they plan on doing for the next book's cover since both tigers have been used so far. Anyway, if you choose to read the series, I truly wish that you come to love it as much as I have.

Rating: 1 2 3 4 4.5 5

Blog Tour: Tempest Rising + Giveaway

Hey! I'm super excited to bring you another review and contest. Today is actually the release date of Tempest Rising if you want to go get a copy soon, so I'm glad to be here celebrating. Congratulations to Tracy Deebs for her release!

Author: Tracy Deebs

From: Publisher

Release: May 10th, 2011 TODAY

Summary: (from

goodreads) Tempest Maguire wants nothing more than to surf the killer waves near her California home; continue her steady relationship with her boyfriend, Mark; and take care of her brothers and surfer dad. But Tempest is half mermaid, and as her seventeenth birthday approaches, she will have to decide whether to remain on land or give herself to the ocean like her mother. The pull of the water becomes as insistent as her attraction to Kai, a gorgeous surfer whose uncanny abilities hint at an otherworldly identity as well. And when Tempest does finally give in to the water's temptation and enters a fantastical underwater world, she finds that a larger destiny awaits her—and that the entire ocean's future hangs in the balance.

Review: Whoa! I will admit that this became my first mermaid book even though there have been many released recently. I didn't really know what to expect, but because a book on mermaids sounded awesome, I decided I really wanted to try it.

I was completely immersed in the ocean and its beauty through the entire story! It was such a constant presence for obvious reasons, but it felt so real, like a was feet from it instead of miles and the way it was described was wonderful. The settings in general were really vivid, and made me wish all the more for sun, sun, sun!

The colors were very vibrantly described such as the tattoos on the the main character and also her mother's brilliant green. The imagery used in portraying the different sea creatures and then the action was clear and focused, bringing fantasy to life.

Although the characters were a bit flat (most were hardcore surfers) for my taste, I loved the story overall and what has stayed the most with me is the underwater world Deebs successfully created. Never has a fight scene been so easy to imagine either since I knew where each of the characters was and who was moving where. I'm glad that the main character managed to grow as a person because she was grating in the beginning, but the ending was satisfying in that she saw the way things had appeared through her mother's eyes. Overall, it was very enjoyable.

Rating: 1 2 3 3.5 4 5

Giveaway Rules:

-Only US addresses (sorry!). And no PO Boxes please.

-You must fill out the form below to enter :)

-Contest ends June 9th (YES I will be an official high school graduate by this point!).

Good luck and thanks for reading!

Hey Guys!

I wanted to let you guys know that I apologize for not posting recently, but I haven't been reading much lately to post about! So I'm going to do a mini-review for Lord of the Flies which is what I just finished reading for my English class. I also have to start cramming for my two AP tests coming up soon which I'm sure some of you are preparing for as well! Good Luck to you and to me! And my next post will not be until May 10th I think, but it is going to be a giveaway for an ARC of Tracy Deebs' Tempest Rising! And I will be reviewing it as well as part of the blog tour for that book. That's something to look forward to!

Book: Lord of the Flies

Author: William Golding

Summary: (goodreads) "The story that never grows old...

Lord of the Flies remains as provocative today as when it was first published in 1954, igniting passionate debate with its startling, brutal portrait of human nature. Though critically acclaimed, it was largely ignored upon its initial publication. Yet soon it became a cult favorite among both students and literary critics who compared it to J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye in its influence on modern thought and literature.

Labeled a parable, an allegory, a myth, a morality tale, a parody, a political treatise, even a vision of the apocalypse,Lord of the Flies has established itself as a true classic..."

Review: I was super skeptical about this book, because most of the things we are required to read (I regret to admit) aren't a whole lot interesting. I can see their value and the reasons for why they are classics and all, but I don't usually fall in love with any of them.

This was definitely different. I actually didn't have to force myself to read it and finished it before it was due in class. That is how much I loved this book. The characters are mostly all young English school boys stranded on an island during a world nuclear war. Their characterization is multi-faceted, but also very representative and obvious as who they are meant to be if in the world. My favorite character was definitely Simon.

The book was fairly short, but full of action and power plays and adventure. I was amazed at how powerful the writing was and how I just connected so well with some of the characters especially, Piggy. It is my favorite classic so far and you should read it too!

Rating: 1 2 3 4 5

Karma

Author: Cathy Ostlere

From: Publisher

Summary: (goodreads) On October 31, 1984, Indira Gandhi is gunned down by two Sikh bodyguards. The murder sparks riots in Delhi and for three days Sikh families are targeted and killed in retribution for the Prime Minister’s death. It is into this chaos that sixteen-year-old Maya and her Sikh father, Amar, arrive from their home in Canada. India’s political instability is the backdrop and catalyst for Maya’s awakening to the world. KARMA is the story of how a young woman, straddling two cultures and enduring personal loss, learns forgiveness, acceptance and love.

Review: From the very first verses, I was hooked with the story and loved the main character. The story was compelling and it was easy to imagine because of the wonderful writing.

It starts in Canada showing the prejudice and obstacles that being culturally different can cause. As we get to India, there is an immediate increase in tension and suspense as the rioting affects Maya and her dad deeply.

There were some very intense action scenes written with strong force and culminating in an unexpected way. It starts out from Maya's point of view as she writes in a diary and then suddenly switches to the point of view that the boy writes in as he tells us the rest of Maya's story. They way it the characters showed interaction with each other was very well done and I heard two distinct voices as I read while seeing them as they are seen through each other's eyes. It was a great experience and although it didn't end how I wanted it to, I thought that the story unraveled in an excellent manner.

Verse definitely helped make this story what it was and I am glad that it was written in such a style as it brought out the emotional side of the characters more and helps readers relate to them. I really hope that you consider reading this story woven into a historical time period and I am proud to say that I learned more than I ever could have known otherwise about India and that particular struggle as well as gained insight into human nature.

Rating: 1 2 3 4 5

A Bit About Me

I don't really talk about myself a lot (at least I hope I don't!), so I decided to do a tiny post about me today where I just go on and on and on about nothing much in particular.

I'm a senior in high school. It's been great so far. Not.

I really need to start cramming for my AP Stat and Lit test or else I'm going to fail. Particularly the math since I'm not very good at it. So I'm in freak out mode and I don't know how much I will be able to read and review these coming weeks. Sorry about that :(

I'm currently reading Lord Of The Flies for my English class. It's interesting! But I got it from the school library so it is really smelly and makes me sneeze as I'm reading it. And it has teeny tiny print.

Prom is about a month. That's one thing I'm excited for. And I'm almost done with my Senior Project paper thing so at this point, I am still on schedule for graduating on time. Unless my bipolar teacher decides overnight that she hates me and is going to make me proofread my paper for the thirtieth time and then I can't turn it in on time and then I fail Senior Seminar and then yeah...but that is very unlikely.

I like panicking for no reason.

I think I may have a slightly unhealthy obsession with birds....and manga-ishy eyes because I draw both those things all over my homework all the time. :)

Do any of you like gnomes? I think they are cute, but my friends don't agree.

I am Hispanic, but my favorite genre of music ever is Kpop as you probably already know since I post quite a bit about it. I was a tad bit disappointed with BigBang's latest album, but because they are my favorite band ever, I will excuse them.

Currently, I am watching the Taiwanese drama "Sunny Happiness" which has Mike He in it. He is one of my favorite actors and the storyline is really cute if cliche. Yey!

That's it about me for today. I don't want to bore you anymore than I already have, but THANK YOU for following and commenting! Book blogging is awesome!

Tiger's Curse

Author: Colleen Houck

Summary: (goodreads)Passion. Fate. Loyalty.

Would you risk it all to change your destiny?
The last thing Kelsey Hayes thought she'd be doing this summer was trying to break a 300-year old Indian curse. With a mysterious white tiger named Ren. Halfway around the world.
But that's exactly what happened.
Face-to-face with dark forces, spell-binding magic, and mystical worlds where nothing is what it seems, Kelsey risks everything to piece together an ancient prophecy that could break the curse forever.
Tiger's Curse is the exciting first volume in an epic fantasy-romance that will leave you breathless and yearning for more.

Review: AMAZING! Something that really worked to the advantage of this book was how the book is pretty different from what we are seeing right now what with all the fallen angels, vampires, werewolves etcetera.

This takes place mostly in India and the jungle and the setting is just great. This book is definitely worth buying. It has a lovely cover and it is BLUE. I love it.

So the romance is awesome. Ren is such a great guy and even though he is hot and gorgeous, the author still revealed one or two human flaws in all his perfection. An Indian prince, Ren has a wonderful, but natural personality and also interacts well with Kelsey. They don't feel forced to me and I totally understand Kelsey's reasoning.

There were parts where I wanted to punch Kelsey for some of her actions. She is a normal teenager and stays grounded even with all the magic and wonder she sees around her and she almost borders on naive and innocent, but she really isn't. In all the parts where she did something I didn't like, she gave ample reasons and constructed a solid argument for acting like she did. This is why I liked the main character so much. I love her grounded, realistic attitude which makes her more alive as a person and also easy to relate to.

Even with a down-to-earth attitude, Kelsey made me laugh out loud various times along with Ren. Although this is an intense, action-packed adventure, there was plenty of humor and romance to go around. It is a bit over-the-top and the ending is pretty much a cliffhanger, but if you love adventure and learning about different cultures, then I think you will like this book as much as I did. Happy Reading!

I can't wait for the sequel!!!! Comes out early summer :D

Rating: 1 2 3 4 5