Waiting on Wednesday # 44

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly meme

 hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine

Blackout 

by Robison Wells

Series: Blackout #1

Publisher: HarperTeen

Publication date: October 1, 2013

Genre: YA Science fiction/thriller

Pre-order*: Barnes and Noble/Amazon/Book Depository

*purchases through buy links help support this blog

Laura and Alec are trained terrorists.

Jack and Aubrey are high school students.

There was no reason for them to ever meet.

But now, a mysterious virus is spreading throughout America, infecting teenagers with impossible powers. And these four are about to find their lives intertwined in a complex web of deception, loyalty, and catastrophic danger—where one wrong choice could trigger an explosion that ends it all. In Blackout, Wells delivers a lightning-fast, nail-bitingly intense thriller that's perfect for fans of The Maze Runner and I Am Number Four-set in a complex and unpredictable world, where the greatest threat comes from a weapon that no one knows how to control...and the most chilling questions have yet to be answered.

A virus is spreading! (we've heard that before) The twist is it giving teens super POWERS! Add in trained terrorists and I am in! This promises to be a thriller and perfect for fans of I Am Four..which is me!! 

A Clockwork Heart 
by Liesel Schwarz
Series: Chronicles of Light and Shadow #2
Publisher: Random House
Publication date: August 13, 2013
Genre: Adult Steampunk
Pre-order*: Barnes and Noble/Amazon/Book Depository

FOR BETTER OR CURSE. That might as well have been the wedding vow of Elle Chance and her new husband, the ex-Warlock Hugh Marsh in the second book of this edgy new series that transforms elements of urban fantasy, historical adventure, and paranormal romance into storytelling magic. As Elle devotes herself to her duties as the Oracle—who alone has the power to keep the dark designs of Shadow at bay—Marsh finds himself missing the excitement of his former life as a Warlock. So when Commissioner Willoughby of the London Metropolitan police seeks his help in solving a magical mystery, Marsh is only too happy to oblige. But in doing so, Marsh loses his heart . . . literally. In place of the flesh-and-blood organ is a clockwork device—a device that makes Marsh a kind of zombie. Nor is he the only one. A plague of clockwork zombies is afflicting London, sowing panic and whispers of revolution. Now Elle must join forces with her husband’s old friend, the Nightwalker Loisa Beladodia, to track down Marsh’s heart and restore it to his chest before time runs out.

I enjoyed  A Conspiracy of Alchemists the first book and I am anxious to dive back into the world Schwarz has created! Is this series new to you? Read my review of book one: HERE

What Book(s) are you Waiting On? 

Review: Taken by Erin Bowman

Taken
by Erin Bowman
Series: Taken #1
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publication date: April 16, 2013
Genre: YA Dystopian
Purchase*: Barnes and Noble/Amazon/Book Depository
ARC provided in exchange for unbiased review
*purchase through buy links supports this blog

There are no men in Claysoot. There are boys—but every one of them vanishes at midnight on his eighteenth birthday. The ground shakes, the wind howls, a blinding light descends…and he’s gone. They call it the Heist. Gray Weathersby’s eighteenth birthday is mere months away, and he’s prepared to meet his fate–until he finds a strange note from his mother and starts to question everything he’s been raised to accept: the Council leaders and their obvious secrets. The Heist itself. And what lies beyond the Wall that surrounds Claysoot–a structure that no one can cross and survive. Climbing the Wall is suicide, but what comes after the Heist could be worse. Should he sit back and wait to be taken–or risk everything on the hope of the other side?

I featured Taken on a Waiting on Wednesday post when I stumbled across it and was intrigued by the synopsis. I really enjoy dystopian novels and was curious about the world Bowman had created. While not without flaws, as Bowman’s debut novel I was thoroughly entertained and slipped easily into the world she created.

The tale begins in Claysoot, a primitive town enclosed by a wall. Anyone attempting to leave over the wall dies. There are no men in Claysoot because of what they call the “Heist”. At midnight on their eighteenth birthday the ground shakes, the wind howls and a blinding light appears and the boy is gone. Gray Weathersby has recently lost his brother to the heist and is left alone. He finds part of a letter addressed to his brother by their deceased mother and it makes him begin to question everything. The tale that unfolds was clever, reminiscent of the movie The Village and an intriguing start to a new trilogy.

Most of the tale is told from Gray’s perspective and while I did not always connect with him I did admire his willingness to question, research and explore. He is loyal, hot-headed and too often makes decisions based on his feelings. At his core he has admirable traits but I am still looking for growth and further development. Emma is his love interest in Claysoot. She began as a strong character but quickly fizzled for me. I didn't completely feel their connection so when the dreaded love triangle was introduced I was happy for a change. *gasps*  Bree is a strong, confident character and at times she overshadows the protagonist. I was immediately drawn to her as she tends to see the whole picture and is rational in her approach. Frank made me uncomfortable from the beginning; he was overly nice and way too talkative. We meet many characters along the way, some memorable and some quickly forgotten.  

From the beginning I questioned how boys were heisted, what lived beyond the walls and how Claysoot came to be. Bowman did a wonderful job of creating a believable world and her explanations made the tale feel genuine. I had some issues with the little details, not for the world itself, but in the characters reaction to it. For example, Gray lives in a world where there is no electricity and suddenly he is thrust into a world with cars, lights, and technology and he doesn't question it or fear it? The only thing he questioned was a gun. Bowman does explain how the original residents of Claysoot appeared and had memories of tools, farming etc but none of their families. This would have worked had Gray been an original but he was conceived in Claysoot leaving me flustered. Ironically, despite this I still found the world, factions and back-history fascinating. There were a lot of different threads, and some clever twists but I want to see things tightened up. Overall this was a solid start and I am hoping to see more development in the next book.

Taken was a good start to an interesting dystopian and despite flaws I look forward to seeing both the author and series develop.

Three of coffee out of five

The Sunday Post #46 ~sharing blog news and book haul

The Sunday Post ~ 46th Edition

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Kimba the Caffeinated Book Reviewer ~ It's a chance to share news~ A post to recap the past week on your blog, showcase books and things we have received and share news about what is coming up on our blog for the week ahead. 

The Take Control Challenge is well underway and I hope everyone is making progress! The Take Control read-a-thon starts Friday and we'd love to have you join! We have great challenges planned and of course your TBR pile will thank you! Information is up for the Clean Sweep ARC challenge in May! I hope you all remembered to turn  your clocks ahead an hour. Coffee will help you adjust! *wink*

Last week on the blog we brought you

• Requiem by Lauren Oliver (review) 
• A Conspiracy of Alchemists by Liesel Schwarz (review)
• Waiting on Wednesday
• Clean Sweep ARC Challenge May 2013
• Strands of Bronze and Gold by Jane Nickerson (review)
• Ever After by Kim Harrison (review)
• Coffee Pot Reviews: Down to You and Up to Me by M. Leighton (reviews)

This week on the blog look for

• Wallbanger by Alice Clayton (review)
• Take What You Want by Jeanette Grey (review-giveaway)
• The Blue-Ribbon Jalapeño Society Jubilee by (review)
• Going Vintage by Lindsey Leavitt (review)
• Take Control Read-a-thon Challenge schedule
• Coffee Pot Reviews- Waking Up Married by Mira Lin Kelly and Savage Angel by Stacy Gail 

Around the Blogosphere 

• Kim & Cyn @BookMunchies have an exciting event planned and she needs bloggers. Reverse Author Interviews where the author interviews the blogger! Go sign up and have some fun! 
• Liz @ Fictional Candy talks about ''Fictional Men Are Ruining Everything!''
• Sarah @Workaday Reads discusses ''The Trouble with Reviewing Series''

New arrivals to the Caffeinated Cafe

For Review:

The Girl with the Iron Touch by Kady Cross
thanks to Harlequin 

Undercurrent by Paul Blackwell
thanks to HarperTeen 

Daughter of the Sky thanks to author Michelle Diener 

What the Duke Desires by Sabrina Jeffries
thanks to Simon & Schuster

Bend Me, Shape Me from author Debra R. Borys

Gifted or Won

White Lines by Jennifer Banash and Orleans by Sherri L. Smith

for review consideration thanks to Penguin Teen

Pretending He's Mine by Lauren Blakely

won from Heather @Books, Books and More Books

Forsaken by Others thanks to author Jess Haines 

now i just need to read books one through four..LOL

I won all of these contemporary romances from 

 Entangled Publishings during their Indulgence Anniversary Celebration!

congrats Indulgence and thank you! 

Purchased or Downloaded

There is still time to enter these fab giveaways:

Kali Sweet Urban Fantasy Series by Misty Evans

Secrets I-V by H.M. Ward

Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi

Peace, Love and Books! 

Link up :)

Waiting on Wednesday #36

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly meme

 hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine

No Good Duke Goes Unpunished
by Sarah MacLean
Series: Rules of Scoundrels #3
Publisher: HarperCollins/Avon
Publication date: August 27, 2013
Genre: Adult Historical Romance
Purchase*: Barnes and Noble/Amazon/Book Depository
*purchase through buy links supports this blog

The third book in New York Times bestselling author Sarah MacLean’s Rule of Scoundrels/Fallen Angels series featuring four dark heroes that will steal the hearts of their heroines and readers alike!  In NO GOOD DUKE GOES UNPUNISHED, the mysterious Temple is at best an inveterate womanizer who ruined his father’s future duchess, and at worst, a cold-blooded killer who murdered his future stepmother.  No one has seen Mara Lowe since she disappeared from her bedchamber on the morning of her wedding twelve years ago—leaving behind a drunken Temple. Despite vehement claims of innocence, Temple was exiled from society, stripped of his funds and left to survive on his own.  He is the brawn behind the Fallen Angel club, and has given up on ever returning to society, until the missing Mara shows up and begs for his help.

The fact that I am drooling in anticipation for Sarah MacLean's next book in the Rules of Scoundrels should really come as no surprise! I love the cover and cannot wait to read Temple's story..*swoons*

Undercurrent 
by Paul Blackwell
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publication date:
Genre: YA Horror/Thriller
Purchase*: Barnes and Noble/Amazon/Book Depository
*purchase through buy links supports this blog

In this suspenseful teen thriller with a touch of the otherworldly, perfect for fans of Neal Shusterman, a boy goes over a waterfall and wakes up to find himself in a twisted version of the life he knew. A shadowy figure. An intense roar. The sensation of falling—fast. That’s all Callum Harris remembers from his tumble over the waterfall. But when he wakes up in a hospital bed and finds his best friend trying to kill him, Callum knows something is seriously wrong. Unfortunately for him, the mysteries are just getting started. Why are his parents acting like he’s some big sports star all of a sudden? And why are all the buildings in town more run-down than Callum remembers? Worst of all...what happened to Callum’s brother? Either Callum has gone seriously crazy or something happened when he went over the falls. Something impossible. Callum needs answers, and now. Because in this twisted new version of the life Callum knew, his former best friend isn’t the only one who wants to see him dead. Filled with mind-bending suspense and unsettling thrills, Undercurrent is a grippingly paced teen debut that will pull you under and never let go.

I love a good horror/thriller and waking up in a twisted version of the world you knew sounds creepy good!  

What are you Waiting On? 

Release Day Review: Requiem by Lauren Oliver

Requiem
by Lauren Oliver
Series: Delirium #3
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publication date: March 5, 2013
Genre: YA Dystopian
Purchase*: Barnes and Noble/Amazon/Book Depository
ARC provided in exchange for my unbiased review
*purchase through buy links supports this blog

Now an active member of the resistance, Lena has been transformed. The nascent rebellion that was under way in Pandemonium has ignited into an all-out revolution in Requiem, and Lena is at the center of the fight. After rescuing Julian from a death sentence, Lena and her friends fled to the Wilds. But the Wilds are no longer a safe haven—pockets of rebellion have opened throughout the country, and the government cannot deny the existence of Invalids. Regulators now infiltrate the borderlands to stamp out the rebels, and as Lena navigates the increasingly dangerous terrain, her best friend, Hana, lives a safe, loveless life in Portland as the fiancée of the young mayor. Requiem is told from both Lena’s and Hana’s points of view. The two girls live side by side in a world that divides them until, at last, their stories converge.

I enjoyed Delirium, was sickened by the cliffhanger ending that Oliver left us with in Pandemonium and found Hana fascinating. As you can imagine I was very anxious to step back into Oliver’s final book of the series Requiem. Fans are either going to adore this one or loathe it. The author ends this series without a lot of closer. I thought it was perfect and if you read my reviews you already know I loathe endings forced into a happy little bow. Filled with battles, death, suspense and unrequited love I consumed this in a single day.

The tale picks up where Pandemonium left off, and it took me a second to place all the faces. They are headed back into the Wilds and Alex is with them. Things are awkward, disorganized and there is tension. The tale is told from the points of view of Hana and Lena. As Hana moves towards her upcoming wedding and Lena and the resistance move towards a rebellion uprising. The tale that unfolds is packed with emotion, contemplation, heartbreak, mystery and fear.

Lena has joined the resistance but struggles to commit, I felt if not for her loyalty to her new family in the Wilds, that she would have sat this whole thing out. She struggles with her feelings towards both Julian and Alex. She loved Alex, and losing him was so painful for her that she holds back. Julian is strong, heads into danger and wants Lena by his side. Alex has changed, and when confronted by Lena he holds back and doesn't open up. He is absent from most of the book leaving us without the epic love triangle I anticipated.  While he isn't present he is very much in Lena’s thoughts. We see some really brave stances from some of the characters in the wild and I admired them and wished we knew more about them. Someone close to Lena reappears and guides her. Hana is really struggling; she worries the cure didn't work, she feels guilt over her betrayal and worries about her upcoming wedding. She questions what kind of man she is about to marry and we become caught up in her fears. His storyline made me shiver but Hana does a lot of brave things, and I liked the woman she is becoming.  

Chaos and war rules supreme in this final installment. The Wilds are no longer safe, and those who are uncured struggle with their daily existence. There is unrest and fear within the government cities and the more we learn about the mayor of Portland and his plans the greater our fear becomes. We get plenty of action and eye-opening moments. The transformation of both Hana and Lena were delightful but I still wish some of the secondary characters were fleshed out more. Yeah, I know we get all these novellas with the deets, but I’d rather have a six hundred page novel with fully fleshed out characters. *just sayin* The writing is beautiful and the flow kept me turning the pages. The ending was climatic and this is where a lot of you may take issue. If you need your ending wrapped up in a pretty box with a neat little bow this might leave you reeling.  Personally I thought it was beautiful and that last page was so powerful and moving. I think Oliver did it perfectly.

After the ending of Pandemonium, Requiem is a must read for fans of the series. While some may walk away unhappy, I am delighted that I read this series and will pick up Raven the novella scheduled to release today. Oliver is on my auto-buy list and I look forward to the next adventure.

Four cups of coffee brewed in the Wilds out of five

Coffee Pot Reviews: Love is Blind and Radiant

 
Welcome to Coffee Pot Reviews! These are short and sweet reviews done in the length of time it takes my coffee pot to brew! I have a few novellas to share with you today..enjoy and stick around for a cup of mocha peppermint coffee! 

Love is Blind
by Elizabeth Cole
Published: SkySpark Books
Publication date: January 21, 2013
Genre: Adult Historical Romance
Purchase*: Barnes and Noble/Amazon

He was a walking scandal; she was a proper young woman... A rake’s cruel prank leaves the blind Olivia Blake ripe for humiliation on a ballroom dance floor. Then an even more notorious rake sweeps her into his arms. Soon she is seduced by the charm of Adrian Calwell, the scandal-chased Baron of Norbury. Adrian’s only goal in rescuing Olivia was to thwart his rival’s heartless trick. But Olivia is well worth rescuing, and Adrian is eager to put his life as a rake behind him. Can Adrian rise above his sordid past to win Olivia's love? Set against the backdrop of Regency London, Love Is Blind is a sweet and surprising novella that proves innocence and experience can be a perfect match.

Cole's novella Love is Blind offered up a delightful regency romance with bits of humor and a sweet, clean romance. When the notorious rake Adrian Calwell witnesses a young scoundrel cruel prank he steps in to save Olivia Blake from a humiliating situation and the tale that unfolds is sweet, full of humorous moments and likeable characters. I thought it was different that the heroine was blind and I like that she was also strong. Her companion was snarky and made me laugh. With doting parents forbidding them to meet, and a delightful companion helping to aid them I thoroughly enjoyed this tale. I would have liked more back story to all the characters, and of course this cannot always happen with a novella, but I easily consumed this and closed the book with a smile. 

Three cups of Flat White coffee out of five

Radiant
by Cynthia Hand
Series: Unearthly #2.5
Publisher: Harperteen
Publication date: December 4, 2012
Genre: YA Paranormal
Purchase*: Barnes and Noble/Amazon

Clara is desperate to get away—from the memories that haunt her in Wyoming and the visions of a future she isn't ready to face—and spending the summer in Italy with her best friend, Angela, should be the perfect escape. . . . For as long as she can remember, Angela has been told that love is dangerous, that she must always guard her heart. But when she met a mysterious guy in Italy two years ago she was determined to be with him, no matter the costs. Now she must decide whether she can trust Clara with her secret, or if telling her the truth will risk everything she cares about. Alternating between Angela and Clara's perspectives, Radiant chronicles the unforgettable summer that will test the bounds of their friendship and change their lives forever.

I love Cynthia Hand's Unearthly series and from the beginning have said, "I want to know more about Angela." I personally think she wrote Radiant just for me. *nods and winks*  We get to go to Italy for the summer and that in itself is delightful. Remember that boyfriend Angela had in Italy two summers ago, well we finally get the dirt on him and meet him as well. The tale is told in alternating perspectives that change with each chapter. One voice is Clara's and the other Angela's. In typical Hand fashion the tale flows wonderfully and I quickly discovered I had consumed it in a very short time. I do feel like I know Angela better and my suspicions about her have been alleviated. I am anxious to see if Hand folds certain aspects of this into Boundless the third and finally book. Boundless is sitting in my TBR pile and I plan to devour it and share my thoughts with you soon. I am certainly glad that I read this and think fans of the series will thoroughly enjoy it. 

Four Italian Iced coffees out of five

Today's Stops on the Fiery Hot Reads for Ice Cold Nights Hop 

Check out these awesome posts and giveaways! Each day different blogs will be participating so be sure to check in daily for your chance to win and discover new Fiery hot reads!

Christy@Love of Books: Victoria Scott: The Collector

Heidi@Rainy Day Ramblings:Lauren Morrill: Meant To Be

Ron@Stories of my Life: 

Melissa@Melissa’s Eclectic Bookshelf – Penny Watson:Lumberjack in Love