Thursday, October 31, 2013

Review: Insurgent by Veronica Roth

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11735983-insurgent
Insurgent
(Divergent #2)
by Veronica Roth
Author Website | Twitter | Facebook

Publication Date: May 1st 2012
Publisher: HarperCollins
Pages: 525
ISBN: 9780007442911
Genre: Young Adult
Source: Own

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

One choice can transform you—or it can destroy you. But every choice has consequences, and as unrest surges in the factions all around her, Tris Prior must continue trying to save those she loves—and herself—while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love.

Tris's initiation day should have been marked by celebration and victory with her chosen faction; instead, the day ended with unspeakable horrors. War now looms as conflict between the factions and their ideologies grows. And in times of war, sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge, and choices will become even more irrevocable—and even more powerful. Transformed by her own decisions but also by haunting grief and guilt, radical new discoveries, and shifting relationships, Tris must fully embrace her Divergence, even if she does not know what she may lose by doing so.

New York Times bestselling author Veronica Roth's much-anticipated second book of the dystopian Divergent series is another intoxicating thrill ride of a story, rich with hallmark twists, heartbreaks, romance, and powerful insights about human nature. (Goodreads)
I read Divergent earlier this year, and really enjoyed the book. I kept putting off reading Insurgent because I knew it had one of those terrible cliffhanger endings that make you want to through the book, and it would drive me crazy having to wait on Allegiant to be released. After finishing Insurgent, I am definitely glad that I waited, but I’m also kicking myself as well for not reading this awesome book sooner.

I really enjoyed Tris’ character when we met her in Divergent. She was headstrong and strong willed, exactly the character that I love. She was a completely different person in Insurgent, which honestly was expected considering all that she went through in the previous book. Her growing despair was strong enough to impact a lot of the decisions that she made, and she was constantly throwing herself into dangerous paths.  While frustrating at times, I am glad that the author chose to write Tris this way, as it was definitely more realistic.

The relationship between Tris and Tobias/Four was a strained at best throughout the book. With both having trust issues and having gone through so much, this too was expected. We get to see many different sides of Four in this novel.  As with Tris, I really loved him from the moment I first met him. He is such an insanely complex character, what’s not to love, right? Through everything that they have been through, even when they can’t take anymore, they always find their way back to each other. Looooove!

The secondary characters—Oh my goodness, there are so many secondary characters that I love. There are some that we met in the previous book, and some that we met for the first time, (and sometimes only briefly), in Insurgent. They all managed to make an impact in some way or another. I could go on and on about each and everyone one of them, but this would be insanely long if I did so. Just read the book so you can see for yourself.

I love that we are given so much more information on each individual faction in this book. After reading Divergent, I was always curious for more information, and now I have it. I’m glad for that. I’m super curious to start Allegiant now to find out even more! I’m dying of curiosity.

Insurgent is full of action and suspense, and it will definitely keep you turning the pages! The book ends with a MASSIVE cliffhanger as well. I am SO not a big fan of cliffhangers, especially when you have to wait for long periods of time to get the next book. Thank goodness I have Allegiant to start on right away… Not knowing what is going to happen next would make me insane.

Overall, if you enjoyed reading Divergent, you will definitely enjoy reading Insurgent! It was a great addition to this intense series. I, of course, will be starting Allegiant right away!

Happy Reading!



Books in this Series:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11735983-insurgent

Divergent  |  Insurgent  |  Allegiant

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Waiting on Wednesday #122 - After the End by Amy Plum

After the End
(After the End #1)
by Amy Plum
Author Website | Twitter | Facebook

Publication Date: May 6th 2014
Publisher: HarperTeen



"She’s searching for answers to her past. They’re hunting her to save their future."

World War III has left the world ravaged by nuclear radiation. A lucky few escaped to the Alaskan wilderness. They've survived for the last thirty years by living off the land, being one with nature, and hiding from whoever else might still be out there.

At least, this is what Juneau has been told her entire life.

When Juneau returns from a hunting trip to discover that everyone in her clan has vanished, she sets off to find them. Leaving the boundaries of their land for the very first time, she learns something horrifying: There never was a war. Cities were never destroyed. The world is intact. Everything was a lie.

Now Juneau is adrift in a modern-day world she never knew existed. But while she's trying to find a way to rescue her friends and family, someone else is looking for her. Someone who knows the extraordinary truth about the secrets of her past. (Goodreads)

It's AMY PLUM, y'all!
Is anyone else as excited about this book as I am??
It sounds absolutely fantastic.
I really enjoyed her Revenants series.
I can't wait to start this new series!

What are you Waiting on this week???

**"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine,
that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.**

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Giveaway: MONSTERS by Ilsa J. Bick

Monsters
(Ashes Trilogy #3)
by Ilsa J. Bick
Author Website | Twitter

Publication Date: September 10th 2013
Publisher: EgmontUSA
Pages: 688
ISBN: 9781606841778
Genre: Young Adult

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

The Changed are on the move. The Spared are out of time. The End...is now.

When her parents died, Alex thought things couldn't get much worse-until the doctors found the monster in her head.

She headed into the wilderness as a good-bye, to leave everything behind. But then the end of the world happened, and Alex took the first step down a treacherous road of betrayal and terror and death.

Now, with no hope of rescue-on the brink of starvation in a winter that just won't quit-she discovers a new and horrifying truth.

The Change isn't over.
The Changed are still evolving.
And...they've had help.

With this final volume of The Ashes Trilogy, Ilsa J. Bick delivers a riveting, blockbuster finish, returning readers to a brutal, post-apocalyptic world where no one is safe and hope is in short supply.

A world where, from these ashes, the monsters may rise. (Goodreads)

Hey guys!
What better way to head into Halloween than to have a giveaway for MONSTERS by Ilsa J. Bick?

The wonderful people at Egmont want to give a copy away
to one lucky winner!
This would make for a great Halloween Read!

Called “dark, creepy and suspenseful” by James Dashner, author of the series that spawned the blockbuster film The Maze Runner, and “splendidly paced apocalyptic zombie horror” by Kirkus, the Ashes trilogy by best-selling author Ilsa J. Bick comes to a epic conclusion in Monsters, hitting shelves this fall.

I've just recently had time to start this series, but it's off to a great start!
I can't wait to read more.

Moving on to the Giveaway!


Giveaway Rules:

US Entries Only

Winner will be contacted via email,
and most respond within 48 hours.

Giveaway runs from 10/29/13 to 11/3/13.
You must be 13 or older to enter.
US entries only.
Winner will be contacted via email.

Good luck!
a Rafflecopter giveaway




Books in this series:



Ashes  |  Shadows  |  Monsters

Monday, October 28, 2013

Review: The Iron Traitor by Julie Kagawa

The Iron Traitor
(The Iron Fey: Call of the Forgotten #2)
by Julie Kagawa
Author Website | Twitter | Facebook

The Iron Fey Official Website

Publication Date: October 29th 2013
Publisher: HarlequinTeen
Pages: 342
ISBN: 9780373210916
Genre: Young Adult
Source: Publisher | Netgalley

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

In the real world, when you vanish into thin air for a week, people tend to notice.

After his unexpected journey into the lands of the fey, Ethan Chase just wants to get back to normal. Well, as "normal" as you can be when you see faeries every day of your life. Suddenly the former loner with the bad reputation has someone to try for-his girlfriend, Kenzie. Never mind that he's forbidden to see her again.

But when your name is Ethan Chase and your sister is one of the most powerful faeries in the Nevernever, "normal" simply isn't to be. For Ethan's nephew, Keirran, is missing, and may be on the verge of doing something unthinkable in the name of saving his own love. Something that will fracture the human and faery worlds forever, and give rise to the dangerous fey known as the Forgotten. As Ethan's and Keirran's fates entwine and Keirran slips further into darkness, Ethan's next choice may decide the fate of them all. (Goodreads)

The Iron Traitor is the second book in ‘The Iron Fey: Call of the Forgotten’ series by the super talented Julie Kagawa. Can I start this review by saying that Julie is an amazingly talented writer, and her books never disappoint? The Iron Traitor is a great addition to this wonderful series that I enjoy so very much.

Ethan Chase is a very interesting character. Unlike his sister, Megan, he doesn’t want to get involved with the fairies at all. But no matter what he does, he always manages to get involved. I really think that he would do about anything to save the girl that he loves, and I love him for that. Kenzie is an interesting character as well, and I love that she seems to bring out the best in Ethan. These two are great together, and I’m curious to see what is in store for them in the future, especially with Kenzie’s illness.

Keirran, who is Megan and Ash’s son, remind me so much of both of his parents. Stubborn and strong-willed, he too is willing to do whatever possible to save the girl that he goes. He even does the unthinkable that almost made me through my iPad across the room while reading the book. But then there are times when he does something that makes me wonder HOW he could possibly be related to Megan and Ash. I guess that’s part of what makes him such a complex character.

One thing I adore about this book is the cameos by some of my favorite characters in the previous book. One character in particular that I am totally in love with, and a few more that I loved just as much. I’m sure you know exactly who I am talking about, but I don’t want to ruin it for you just in case.

As always, the world that Julie creates in her books is super fascinating and the characters are wonderfully written.  I always enjoy the adventure that Julie takes us on when reading her books. You really never know what is going to happen! I really enjoy the addition of The Forgotten Ones to the story. It really makes this series different than the previous series, while still allowing us to enjoy the world that we loved in the original Iron Fey series. The book is very fast paced, and ends on a MAJOR cliffhanger, one that will make you say, “WTH, are you kidding me?!” Seriously, Julie was definitely mean to leave us hanging like that. It’s going to be a super long wait until the next book comes out. ::pout:: 

Overall, if you’ve ever read and loved a book by Julie Kagawa, you are definitely going to love this book. It’s another great installment to this fabulous series. I can’t wait for the next book to be released!



Books in this series:



The Iron King  |  The Iron Daughter  |  The Iron Queen  |  The Iron Knight



The Lost Prince  |  The Iron Traitor

Thursday, October 24, 2013

Halloween Reads Week: Alice in Zombieland by Gena Showalter

Alice in Zombieland
(White Rabbit Chronicles #1)
by Gena Showalter
Author Website | Twitter | Facebook

Publication Date: September 25th 2012
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Pages: 404
ISBN: 9780373210589
Genre: Young Adult
Source: Own

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

She won’t rest until she’s sent every walking corpse back to its grave. Forever.

Had anyone told Alice Bell that her entire life would change course between one heartbeat and the next, she would have laughed. From blissful to tragic, innocent to ruined? Please. But that’s all it took. One heartbeat. A blink, a breath, a second, and everything she knew and loved was gone.

Her father was right. The monsters are real….

To avenge her family, Ali must learn to fight the undead. To survive, she must learn to trust the baddest of the bad boys, Cole Holland. But Cole has secrets of his own, and if Ali isn’t careful, those secrets might just prove to be more dangerous than the zombies….


I wish I could go back and do a thousand things differently.
I'd tell my sister no.
I'd never beg my mother to talk to my dad.
I'd zip my lips and swallow those hateful words.
Or, barring all of that, I'd hug my sister, my mom and my dad one last time.
I'd tell them I love them.
I wish... Yeah, I wish.
(Goodreads)
Alice in Zombieland is book #4 in my Halloween Reads Week! I’ve been simply dying to start this book because it sounds pretty amazing, and has gotten really great reviews. Plus, it’s a Harlequin Teen novel, and I never regret reading one of their books.

The main character in the story is Alice Bell.  I didn’t really know what to expect from Alice going into the story. I worried that with everything that she had been through, that she was going to be a weak character. I’m super glad to say, Ali totally proved me wrong. Instead she stayed strong and held her ground against the people who wanted to bring her down. I loved her snarky attitude. Ali’s love interest in the story is bad boy Cole Holland. Cole is the tattooed, smexy hot guy that I have come to love in my books. The relationship between these two characters was trying at times, but once they finally give into each other, they are absolutely perfect together.

I have to say that I really love the secondary characters in this book as well. Ali’s best friend, Kat, was a hoot. She definitely made the book more enjoyable for me, even though she was slightly mysterious. I also really love Ali’s grandparents; they were so cute and tried so hard to be ‘in the know’ about their granddaughter. Their use of ‘teen slang’ was pretty comical. I found all of the kids in Cole’s little group to be pretty interesting as well, each for their very own reasons.

I’ve read the Alice in Wonderland books by C.S. Lewis.  However, I started Alice in Zombieland not even thinking about this book as an actual retelling.  Yes, there were a few references to Alice in Wonderland, but only a small few, and the story was enjoyable just the way it was written. 

I also liked that while this was a zombie book, the way the zombies were seen and dealt with were completely different than the other zombie books that I’ve read recently. I found that to be extremely refreshing. I started reading this book really late one night, and I kept telling myself that I would go to bed when I finished the chapter that I was reading. But the story was so addictive that I kept reading and reading well into the night. (Of course, I paid for this the next morning. Yawn.)

Overall; this book was SO good! I enjoyed it so much more than I ever expected to, and now I’m dying to get my hands on the next book. I am going to try to get to it as soon as possible, because I need more Cole! Er, I mean… Alice, Cole and crew. Wink.

Happy Reading!


Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Halloween Reads Week: This is Not a Test by Courtney Summers

This Is Not A Test
by Courtney Summers
Author Website | Twitter | Facebook

Publication Date: June 19th 2012
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Pages: 323
ISBN: 9780312656744
Genre: Young Adult | Zombies
Source: Own

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

It’s the end of the world. Six students have taken cover in Cortege High but shelter is little comfort when the dead outside won’t stop pounding on the doors. One bite is all it takes to kill a person and bring them back as a monstrous version of their former self. To Sloane Price, that doesn’t sound so bad. Six months ago, her world collapsed and since then, she’s failed to find a reason to keep going. Now seems like the perfect time to give up. As Sloane eagerly waits for the barricades to fall, she’s forced to witness the apocalypse through the eyes of five people who actually want to live. But as the days crawl by, the motivations for survival change in startling ways and soon the group’s fate is determined less and less by what’s happening outside and more and more by the unpredictable and violent bids for life—and death—inside. When everything is gone, what do you hold on to? (Goodreads)
This is Not a Test by Courtney Summers is book #3 in my Halloween Reads Week! This is another book that I have wanted to read for a while now, and I’m super glad I finally decided to read it this Halloween. It made a perfect addition creepy Halloween reading list.

To be honest, I’m not a big fan of zombies. You’ll never catch me voluntarily watching The Walking Dead or anything like that. I can take them, in moderation, and that’s exactly what we get in this book. While they are around, and the times we do see them are freaking intense, they aren’t the main focus of the story. I enjoyed that about the book, I think it made it the book a lot easier for me to read.

The main character in the story is Sloane. Wow, this character is seriously messed up. After years of abuse from her father, and being left by her older sister who promised to always take care of her… it’s easy to say she has some serious issues. You totally feel her emotions when reading the pages. She wants nothing more than to give up on life, and so different than what I am used to reading in a main character. You couldn’t help but feel sorry for her situation. The way that she interacts with the secondary characters, who are all hoping to survive, you can just fell her despair and detachment. 

The storyline was so very creative. The book is mainly based around the six teens trying to survive inside their high school. Their survival stories made the book an intense read, especially the parts with the zombies, and I flew through the pages to find out what was going to happen to everyone in the end. Speaking of the end… WOW, what an ending. I’m surprised I didn’t have nightmares! (Yes, I’m a big chicken.)

Overall; I had heard this book was pretty great, and I’m seriously kicking myself for not reading it sooner. It has a major creep factor going on, which made it yet another awesome Halloween Read!

Happy Reading!


Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Halloween Read Week: Ten by Gretchen McNeil

.
Ten
by Gretchen McNeil
Author Website | Twitter | Facebook

Publication Date: September 18th 2012
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Pages: 296
ISBN: 9780062118783
Genre: Young Adult | Thriller
Source: Own

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

SHHHH!
Don't spread the word!
Three-day weekend. Party at White Rock House on Henry Island.
You do NOT want to miss it.


It was supposed to be the weekend of their lives—an exclusive house party on Henry Island. Best friends Meg and Minnie each have their reasons for being there (which involve T.J., the school’s most eligible bachelor) and look forward to three glorious days of boys, booze and fun-filled luxury.

But what they expect is definitely not what they get, and what starts out as fun turns dark and twisted after the discovery of a DVD with a sinister message: Vengeance is mine.

Suddenly people are dying, and with a storm raging, the teens are cut off from the outside world. No electricity, no phones, no internet, and a ferry that isn’t scheduled to return for two days. As the deaths become more violent and the teens turn on each other, can Meg find the killer before more people die? Or is the killer closer to her than she could ever imagine. (Goodreads)
Ten by Gretchen McNeil is the second book I read for my Halloween Reads Week! This is the first book I’ve read by this author, but now I’m definitely interested in reading more.

Ten is about a group of kids that are invited to an island for a weekend full of partying and luxury. It seems their weekend is off to a great start, until people suddenly start dying. With no way to contact anyone back home, it’s up to Meg and her fellow housemates to figure out who the killer is, and stop them, before there is no one left.

There were a lot of characters in this book, but the story was told from Meg’s perspective. Meg was a very likable character, not only by me, but by the other kids in the house with her as well. I love that she is super quick to come up with ideas to help them in their situation. T.J., who is Meg’s crush in the story, seems to be a really good guy, and he really cared for Meg. There were more than a few characters in the book that I really didn’t care for, Meg’s best friend Minnie being one of the main ones. I found her extremely annoying and I found the relationship between the two to be extremely unhealthy. I didn’t like the way she treated Meg at all. The rest of the secondary characters were pretty much average teenagers, not much to say about them.

The best part of the book is that it kept me guessing. I really didn’t catch on to who the killer was, and I pleasantly surprised in the end that it wasn’t anyone that I expected. McNeil holds nothing back when she writes the murders, often they are done in an extremely brutal way. I honestly didn’t expect there to be quite as many involved as there were, but the more I read, the more it happened. This book was a really fast paced, and it definitely had the creep factor going for it, which made it a great Halloween read.

Overall; I didn’t know what to expect when I started this book, but I definitely got more than I bargained for. This book was super creepy and mysterious, and I really enjoyed reading it for one of my Halloween Reads!

Happy Reading!

Monday, October 21, 2013

Halloween Reads Week: Girl of Nightmares by Kendare Blake

Girl of Nightmares
(Anna #2)
by Kendare Black
Author Website | Twitter | Facebook

Publication Date: August 7th 2012
Publisher: Tor Teen
Pages: 332
ISBN: 9780765328663
Genre: Young Adult | Paranormal | Ghosts
Source: Own

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

It's been months since the ghost of Anna Korlov opened a door to Hell in her basement and disappeared into it, but ghost-hunter Cas Lowood can't move on.

His friends remind him that Anna sacrificed herself so that Cas could live—not walk around half dead. He knows they're right, but in Cas's eyes, no living girl he meets can compare to the dead girl he fell in love with.

Now he's seeing Anna everywhere: sometimes when he's asleep and sometimes in waking nightmares. But something is very wrong...these aren't just daydreams. Anna seems tortured, torn apart in new and ever more gruesome ways every time she appears.

Cas doesn't know what happened to Anna when she disappeared into Hell, but he knows she doesn't deserve whatever is happening to her now. Anna saved Cas more than once, and it's time for him to return the favor. (Goodreads)
Girl of Nightmares kicks of my Halloween Reads week for 2013! I read Anna Dressed in Blood a while back, and enjoyed the book SO very much. I don’t know what I waited so long to read Girl of Nightmares, but I am glad that I did. It was such a great, creepy read. Perfect for Halloween!

I have really loved Cas since we met him in Anna Dressed in Blood. I still haven’t read many books from a guys point of view, and it’s always interesting to get inside their heads. In this book, Cas is pining away for the girl that he loves, Anna. He’s wondering what happened to her after she sacrificed herself to save Cas and his friends.  When he starts having visions of Anna, he finally see’s the horror of what she’s going through, and of course, he’s going to do whatever he can to stop her torment, even when that means going into Hell himself to find her. Leave it to Cas to do something quite so brave to save his girl.

I love the secondary characters in the story as much as I did in the first book. Thomas and Carmel were so great together, even when there were moments in this book when I wanted to smack Carmel. I love Cas’ mom, and am glad we get to learn more about Gideon in this book as well. Great characters!

The thing I missed most in Girl of Nightmares was the ghost herself. Anna was such an awesome character in the first book; she really made the book so much more special. And while we get to see her a few times in Girl of Nightmares, it really wasn’t enough. The book just wasn’t the same without her. 

The storyline for the book pretty much centers around Cas finding out what happened to Anna, and of course, him wanting to save her from her fate.  Let me tell you, this book had some major creepy moments in it. The ending was a little bittersweet for me. I’ll not spoil it by giving anything away, but it was not exactly what I was expecting, but it was definitely more realistic the way that it was written.

Overall; I thought this book was a great ending to the series. I’m definitely going to miss these characters! If you haven’t read the books yet, you totally should check them out, especially if you want a creepy read for Halloween!

Happy Reading!

Friday, October 18, 2013

Review: The Kobo Aura e-Reader

Thanks to the wonderful people at Kobo, I was once again given the opportunity to test drive their newly released Kobo Aura e-Reader. I’ve had the reader for almost a month now, and I do believe I am finally ready to share my thoughts with you on this awesome little device.

Imagine my excitement when I received this awesome package in the mail!


I could hardly contain my excitement as I browsed through the basket.

As most of you know, I read… a lot. I’m always looking for ways to read on the go. My kids keep me busy with their activities, so being able to fit thousands of books onto a reader that will fit in my purse is a plus!  I really liked the size and weight of the Aura. It’s a tad bit smaller than the Aura HD that I test drove in the summer, but still big enough for reading to be enjoyable on. I don’t carry a large purse, and I was still able to slip the device in with the rest of my stuff, and my purse did not feel weighed down. The device fits very comfortably in my hands as well.

The Aura e-reader has many of the same features that I enjoyed on the Aura HD. I love that the text is sharp and clear. I could read out in the blazing sunshine with no problem, which is something that I am never able to do with my iPad mini. The device also has an amazing backlight for reading at night or in dark places. Also a plus, the light is soft, but still bright enough for me to see what I’m reading.  Another plus for this device is that it has slot for a Micro SD memory card, so when the device is full, you can add even more on a memory card! That is definitely an advantage for me.  This device also has a lot of really great features that many will find invaluable while they are reading.

As I mentioned above, I read a lot. I loaded this device with a few different types of advance reader books that I am currently reading, and the device did well with most of them. The only type I had an issue with was PDF files. This is more of a publisher issue really, so this will not even be an issue for most readers.

Overall, I found reading on the Kobo Aura e-reader to be a very pleasant experience. While the device doesn’t have all the bells and whistles on it that a tablet may have, it is great as an e-ink device. If you are like me, and are easily distracted by apps and other things while trying to read on a tablet, this device is just for you!

Please visit the Kobo store for more information on this Kobo Aura e-Reader.

Happy Reading!

**I used this device very gently during my test drive, and it’s still good as new. I’ll be giving the device away in December as part of my Christmas Giveaway here on the blog. Check back for your chance to win this Kobo Aura!



Available from Kobo.


Features and Specs:

An elegant reading experience:
Kobo Aura's beautiful 6" ClarityScreen and a high res, edge-to-edge low-glare Pearl E Ink screen provides a print on paper reading experience, even in direct sunlight.

The latest E Ink screen technology allows you to transition between pages without those annoying flashes and now with pinch to zoom, you'll catch every detail when zooming in to PDFs and select books.

Stylish and portable:
A beautiful marriage of form and function, your Kobo Aura was designed to fit ergonomically in your hand. Lightweight and thin, you can read for hours comfortably and stylishly - it's also available in pink!

Carry up to 3,000 eBooks with you on 4GB of on-board memory. Not enough space? Expand with a microSD card and carry up to 30,000 eBooks! With a battery life of over two months, you just might be able to get through them all.

Kobo Reading Life™:
Read. Discover. Collect. Share.

Welcome to Kobo Reading Life™ - an exclusive reading experience for the best way to read, collect titles, discover your next great title, and share it with others.


Technical Specs:

Display:
6" High-res Pearl E Ink ClarityScreen with low-flash waveform; 1014 x 758, 16 level grey scale

Device Size:
150 x 114 x 8.1 mm

Weight:
174 g

Connectivity:
Wi Fi 802.11 b/g/n and Micro USB

Processor:
1 GHz

Light:
ComfortLight; the best, most even, built in front-light

Buttons:
Power on/off, light on/off

Storage:
4 GB
Option to expand up to 32 GB with a microSD card

Battery:
Over 2 months*

Colors:
Textured Black, Pink

File Formats:
eBooks: EPUB, PDF, and MOBI
Images:JPEG, GIF, PNG, and TIFF
Text: TXT, HTML, XHTML, and RTF
Comic Books: CBZ and CBR
Supports ePub and Adobe DRM. Read books borrowed from your public library

Languages:
English, French, German, Spanish, Dutch, Italian, Brazilian Portuguese, Portuguese, Japanese

Setup:
Set-up Kobo Aura in just a few simple steps from your computer or directly from your Kobo Aura using Wi Fi.

* Based on 30 minutes of reading a day with ComfortLight turned on or off, and Wi Fi turned off.


(All stats and features are from Kobo.com)

Friday, October 4, 2013

Review: Resist by Sarah Crossan

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Resist
(Breathe, #2)
by Sarah Crossan
Author Website | Twitter | Facebook

Publication Date: October 8th 2013
Publisher: Greenwillow / HarperCollins
Pages: 400
ISBN: 9780062118721
Genre: Young Adult | Dystopian
Source: Edelwiess

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

The sequel—and conclusion—to Sarah Crossan's Breathe. Three teen outlaws must survive on their own in a world without air, exiled outside the glass dome that protects what's left of human civilization. Gripping action, provocative ideas, and shocking revelations in a dystopian novel that fans of Patrick Ness and Veronica Roth will devour.

Bea, Alina, and Quinn are on the run. They started a rebellion and were thrown out of the pod, the only place where there's enough oxygen to breathe. Bea has lost her family. Alina has lost her home. And Quinn has lost his privileged life. Can they survive in the perilous Outlands? Can they finish the revolution they began? Especially when a young operative from the pod's Special Forces is sent after them. Their only chance is to stand together, even when terrible circumstances force them apart. When the future of human society is in danger, these four teens must decide where their allegiances lie. Sarah Crossan has created a dangerous, and shattered society in this wrenching, thought-provoking, and unforgettable post-apocalyptic novel. (Goodreads)
Resist by Sarah Crossan is the sequel and conclusion to the wonderfully written Breathe. I just recently finished Breathe, and started reading Resist right away to see what was going to happen to the characters that I have come to love, and to the world as well. Resist definitely did not disappoint!

(I’m going to write this review without giving anything away, so bear with me!)

I love the characters in this book, and I feel much the same about them as I did in the previous book. Alina, Quinn and Bea are all so special to me, as are almost all of the secondary characters. I love them all. We are also introduced to a new character in this book, Ronan, who I believe we met briefly in Breathe. We get to see the story from his point of view as well, which I really enjoyed. With so many different viewpoints, I feel that I was really able to get SO much more of the story than I would have with just one or two viewpoints.

The pages of Resist were packed as full of action as the pages in Breathe. There was never a dull moment, and I was kept on the edge of my seat wondering what was going to happen next. While the storyline is much the same as the first book, Crossan adds in so much more information to make the story even more addictive than before. The end of the book ties together nicely, and we are even given a small epilogue so that we can see a little of what happens down the road with these characters. I was both sad and happy at the end of this book, feeling so many different emotions. It was great!

Overall; this is such a great series! I don’t know how more people haven’t read it yet. I‘ll definitely be recommending this series again and again. I wish that I had read it sooner. If you are a fan of dystopian novels and series, you should check this series out. It’s definitely worth the read!

Happy Reading!


Books in this Series:



Breathe  |  Resist

Thursday, October 3, 2013

Review: Breathe by Sarah Crossan

Breathe
(Breathe, #1)
by Sarah Crossan
Author Website | Twitter | Facebook

Publication Date: October 2nd 2012
Publisher: Greenwillow | HarperCollins
Pages: 384
ISBN: 9780062118691
Genre: Young Adult | Dystopian
Source: Library

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads

The world has no air. If you want to survive, you pay to breathe. But what if you can't? And what if you think everything could be different? Three teens will leave everything they know behind in Sarah Crossan's gripping and original dystopian teen novel of danger, longing, and glimmering hope that will appeal to fans of Patrick Ness and Veronica Roth.

Ever since the Switch, when the oxygen levels plummeted and most of humanity died, the survivors have been protected in glass domes full of manufactured air. Protected . . . or trapped? Or controlled? Alina's a revolutionary who believes we can save the environment. Quinn's a Premium who's never had to worry about having enough air. His best friend, Bea, is an Auxiliary who's never worried about anything but having enough air. When the three cross paths, they will change everything. Sarah Crossan's thrilling and provocative novel is about passion, about yearning for something better, and about breaking free for the very first time. (Goodreads)
Breathe is a Young Adult Dystopian novel about a world with no air.  In order to survive, you must live in a Pod, where air is manufactured and delivered to you, but at a cost. To not obey the rules in the Pod means that you either disappear, or are cast into The Outlands to die. But is the Pod keeping people safe, or keeping them trapped with a false sense of security?

The story was told from the viewpoints of the three main characters, Alina, Bea and Quinn. It was interesting to read the story this way, as each characters point of view was so very different. They each came from completely different backgrounds, and because of this, we really got a lot more information about the world the author created. All three of the main characters were special to me, and each in their own way. Bea and Alina have not had the most perfect lives, while Quinn has always had everything at his disposal, as money was never a problem for him. But together they formed a bond to not only survive, but to do what they have to do to try to save the world. These three characters were seriously great. There were so many secondary characters that I love as well, too many to even name. Just read the book and you will see who I’m talking about.

The storyline for this book is fascinating, as well as realistic. This is something I could totally see happening if the Earth is not taken care of. This book makes me want to go plant a bunch of trees. Seriously!  I always try to be as eco-friendly as I possibly can, and this book is just a reminder as to why I try to do that. I want to have a world that I can breathe in!

Overall; I can’t believe I didn’t pick this book up sooner. I enjoyed it SO much more than I expected to! And now that I’m reading the second book, Resist, I’m enjoying it just as much.  If you like dystopian type novels, you will definitely want to check this out.

Happy Reading!


Wednesday, October 2, 2013

Waiting on Wednesday #121: Dorothy Must Die by Danielle Paige

Dorothy Must Die
by Danielle Paige
Author Twitter

Publication Date: April 1st 2014
Publisher: HarperTeen

Available for Pre-Order: Amazon | Barnes & Noble



I didn't ask for any of this. I didn't ask to be some kind of hero.
But when your whole life gets swept up by a tornado—taking you with it—you have no choice but to go along, you know?
Sure, I've read the books. I've seen the movies. I know the song about the rainbow and the happy little blue birds. But I never expected Oz to look like this. To be a place where Good Witches can't be trusted, Wicked Witches may just be the good guys, and winged monkeys can be executed for acts of rebellion. There's still the yellow brick road, though—but even that's crumbling.
What happened?
Dorothy. They say she found a way to come back to Oz. They say she seized power and the power went to her head. And now no one is safe.
My name is Amy Gumm—and I'm the other girl from Kansas.
I've been recruited by the Revolutionary Order of the Wicked.
I've been trained to fight.
And I have a mission:
Remove the Tin Woodman's heart.
Steal the Scarecrow's brain.
Take the Lion's courage. Then and only then—Dorothy must die! (HarperTeen)

OMG!!
Dorothy Must Die??
This Sounds FANTASTIC!

AND...

There's also a prequel that will be available on November 12th!



No Place Like Oz
Pre-Order on Amazon | Barnes & Noble

I can' t wait to check out this book, AND it's prequel!!

What are you Waiting for this week???

**"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine,
that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.**