Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading. Pretty simple really: just grab one of your current reads, crack it open, and pick a few lines in order to give other readers a glimpse into the book.

This week, I'm choosing Making Faces by Amy Harmon. This book is consuming me - sleep be damned. 

One of my favorite scenes so far is when Fern and Bailey are driving around their sleepy little town discussing the shit hand that Bailey's been handed in life. 

"'There are times like that, Bailey. Times you don't think you can take it anymore. But then you discover that you can. You always do. You're tough. You'll take a deep breath, swallow just a little bit more, endure just a little longer, and eventually you'll get your second wind.'"

"'Accept the truth in it. Own it, wallow in it, become one with the shit.'"

"Swearing could be very therapeutic."

There you have it. I've been in a reading slump lately, and this book is turning out to be my savior. Seriously. It's incredible so far, and even though I haven't finished it yet, I would take that leap and go so far as to highly recommend it.

OR

Download Making Faces via Amazon or B&N.

Happy Tuesday!!!
Cheers!

Tuesday Prelude

Tuesday Prelude is a weekly post inspired by Should Be Reading's Teaser Tuesday. Since I could never stick to just a couple of lines, I amped up my posts, digging a little deeper into the introduction of my current reads.

This week:

Paper Valentine by Brenna Yovanoff is turning out to be pretty macabre with anorexic ghosts, dead crows, and murderers who leave tokens of love. But I would expect nothing less of  the dark writing style of Yovanoff, an author whose books take up distinct and unique space on my shelves.

Among everything, one of the most interesting elements in this story is the ghost of Hannah's friend, Lillian.

Ghosts are the kind of things you go your whole life with people telling you they aren't real. I believe in them anyway because the world is full of things that no one really understands.

Hannah misses her friend even as Lillian's presence constantly remains. Hannah's angry and hurt by the circumstances of Lillian's death, but there's also a part of her that's also grateful to be able to hold on to a piece of her.

I hate that she says choice like it wasn't one. Like it was something that just happened, some natural phenomenon or twist of fate, instead of something she actually did.

Sometimes, Lillian tries to explain herself, but Hannah can't understand how anything could be so hard that you'd need to escape to the extreme that Lillian did.

I'm breathing and my heart is beating and as much as it hurts - as much searing, monumental pain as it causes me - I have to exist.

Their friendship is lasting and hilarious at times, but it's also sad and lacking that element people need to move forward and grow. At this point, I'm wondering what's keeping Lillian stagnant and what it will take for Hannah to be able to move on.



Happy Reading Everyone :)

Tuesday Prelude

Tuesday Prelude is a meme inspired by Should Be Reading's Teaser Tuesday. Since I could never stick to just a couple of lines, I decided to amp up this post by introducing you to a more in-depth look into my current read or a novel I just recently finished.

This week, I'm diving into Dare You To by Katie McGarry:

Beth Risk likes to think she doesn't need anybody's help or sympathy. She trusts no one but herself, and maybe her best friend Isaiah, and she puts off a vibe that feels like she's constantly flipping you off. She doesn't care what people think as she doesn't like any of them much to begin with.

I see the judgment in their eyes. The amusement. The pity. Damn hypocrites.

Beth is always on the defense, always trying to pick a fight to keep people from getting to close to her.

Noah told me once that I have a gift that borders on supervillain status - the ability to push people past the edge of sanity.

Then she meets Ryan, a guy who accidentally gets a glimpse of the girl behind the dark mask. She takes every chance she gets in order to grate his nerves and make him hate her, but he just allows her temper to roll off him.

"When you kiss guys, do they drop dead from the venom that spews out of your mouth?"

She's a little scary and unlike any girl he's ever met.

Beth's lips twist into that evil smirk. What the hell did I walk myself into? 

Dude, you had to know with all those tongue lashings she gave you. Beth doesn't take crap from anyone, least of all Ryan, but it's a quality that seems to get his attention.

"Even the devil knows who God is."
"You're not the devil, Beth."
"Are you sure?"
That sweet smile graces his lips.
"No."

Review coming soon!!!


Happy Reading Everyone :)


~ Keely ~

Tuesday Prelude

Oh, sweet freedom. I'm on vacation this week, so I'm thoroughly enjoying all the reading, writing, and relaxing I get to do for ten blissful days.

On a more focused note, Tuesday Prelude stems from Should Be Reading's Teaser Tuesday. Since I could never limit myself to just two sentences, I decided to take this post a step further. You might meet characters, get involved in their relationships, or experience the places they live or the history they have.

This week's Prelude is inspired by Oxford Whispers by Marion Croslydon:

Madison Lebon is from the humid bayous of Louisiana. She has a ancestry filled with voodoo priestesses and visits from the dead, something she'd rather not discuss... with anyone. She escapes to Oxford for school, hoping for a fresh start and to possibly find another version of herself.

She's shy, maybe a little awkward, and she's never had a real relationship with a guy. At twenty-two, she finds this to be a strange quality about herself. But she's never really found anyone to make her want to be in a relationship... Until Rupert.

Madison was surprised her brain could still function in spite of the testosterone flaunted before her.

Rupert's not inexperienced ~ in fact, he has a pretty heavy reputation, something that Madison isn't ignorant of.

Bad boys were so not advisable for virgins. Whatever they wrote in romance books. 

C'mon Madison. Just because they aren't advisable, doesn't mean they are easy to resist.

She had read about those moments when time stopped, when life froze and turned upside-down. Now was one of those moments. 

Such a sucker, Madison, and I don't blame you... Rupert, he's....

He's hotter than the hinges on the gates of hell. 

Hook. Line. Sinker. It's all over.

Stop by February 1st for my review of Oxford Whispers :)



Happy Reading Everyone :)


~ Keely ~

Teaser Tuesday Prelude

The Tuesday Prelude is a meme that was inspired by Should Be Reading's Teaser Tuesday. Since I could never just stick to two lines, I decided to expand this weekly post a bit by introducing you to more than just a little piece of the story.

This week, I'm diving into Altered by Jennifer Rush ~ I'm currently listening to this little beauty on audio, and it's incredible... Especially with the complexity of Anna and Sam...

Anna has grown up knowing Sam, Cas, Trev, and Nick, four genetically altered boys who are contained in the lab where her father is constantly working to study their every movement. But Sam has always been special.

The whole time I'd known the boys, they had suffered from amnesia, an unplanned side effect of the alterations. Despite that, I felt like the others had shown me parts of who they were, deep down. All of them but Sam. Same gave only what he thought was necessary. The things that truly defined him were still a secret.

Despite this mysteriousness, or perhaps because of it, Anna sneaks down into the basement most nights to play a game of chess with Sam. She's curious about him, and, more importantly, she feels different around him. More.

For some reason, everything I said and did around Sam felt weightier. As if merely his presence could shake my soul, make me feel. He savored every detail I gave him, as if I was his last link to the outside world. I guess in some ways I was.

Their relationship is... tense... in more ways than one. Sam acts more like a machine than a human being, doing what needs to be done to escape the basement, even if that means using Anna.

"We were never friends, Anna. I was a prisoner in your basement for five years. ... I wanted out, so I did what I needed to do to win your trust. If you had been in my position, you would have done the same thing." 

Sounds a little cold, but you have to imagine what Sam's been through, being used as a lab rat for some genetic experiment. But as their fight for their lives continues and grows more dangerous, something changes or is at least brought to the surface.

"It's written all over your face." He pushed a lock of hair out of my eyes. "I'm not going anywhere." 

What I love about their relationship is that it's believable. It's push and pull, up and down, hesitation and diving in head first. They care about each other, but it's not all googly eyes and promises of forever. It takes time to develop, overcoming obstacles, secrets, and revelations. It feels real.

I didn't know what Sam and I had, if we had anything at all, but the void opening in my chest told me that it was enough, that maybe the connection between us was real...

*heartbreaking*

Love this book SO much! Review coming soon :)


Happy Reading Everyone :)


~ Keely ~

(P.S. It was brought to my attention that I should include a linky for this post, so keep scrollin' and you'll find it (: ...)

Teasin' Tuesday Prelude

Tuesday Prelude is a meme that stems from Should Be Reading's Teaser Tuesday. I found I was never able to keep my teasers to two sentences, so I changed things up a bit and created a post that was a little more in depth, introducing you to the character(s) and the story (without giving anything away of course).

This week's Prelude introduces you to Stitch by Samantha Durante:

As you can read in the synopsis of this book, Alessa is trying to pick up the pieces of her broken life at college after her parents tragically pass away. But something strange is going on at her suspiciously haunted sorority house. She keeps seeing flashes of this beautiful, yet troubled man. Is he a ghost? And how can someone from the past, someone who has already died, elicit such emotions within her, such an urge to find out more?

How did this strange apparition invoke such turmoil in her?

She feels like she knows him, like they are connected in some irreversible way, and they can save each other.

What had woken her? A scream. Her own scream. One word cutting through the blinding light and ringing clearly into the night. One word filled with all the pain, all the loss, all the hurt that one person could bear. Her own ravaged voice, desperate to bring back the one thing that meant everything to her, the one thing that would enable her to survive. "Isaac!" 

There's this feeling Alessa has that tells her that Isaac is more than just a ghost, that their lives are intertwined somehow. She's discovering "that she's not really a student, the object of her obsession is no ghost, and her sneaking suspicions that something sinister is lurking behind the walls of her university's idyllic campus are only just scratching the surface..." (GoodReads synopsis).

Yes, it appeared that Alessa had stumbled upon some fantastically twisted kind of hell. 

Happy Reading Everyone :)


~ Keely ~

Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by Should Be Reading in which we give a little glimpse inside the pages of our current read(s). I'd like to get back in the swing of the new year and ease back into doing my Tuesday Preludes in which I introduce you to characters, places, or legends presented by my present obsessions.

This week's teaser comes from Inescapable by Amy A. Bartol:

Meet Reed, an overbearing, slightly frightening, highly moody Sophomore at Crestwood.

"What's up with hotness? I wonder. He looks like someone definitely broke his crayons."

And to give a sense of what we're looking at....

“He isn't wearing a shirt.... He shouldn't just walk around like that; it's obscene to have to look at someone so perfect. He should do the world a favor and eat a donut or two.” 

Evie gets butterflies and frayed nerves when she's around him, and it's no wonder with his fiery attitude and controlling nature....

“You are afraid of me?” Reed asks me, sounding unpleasantly surprised.
“Of course I’m afraid of you. You’re menacing, you’re overbearing, you’re arrogant, and if you don’t see that, then you can just add high to the list,” I say, using my fingers to tick off his shortcomings.”

Reed = Jensen Ackles ~ I can dig it... 

She doesn't know whether to hate him or give in to her attraction to him, but Reed subtly reveals that he isn't all mood swings and green-eyed glares... Behind that icy, yet sexy, exterior is a past that spans centuries... And a secret that will change the course of what Evie thought would be her life...

"I wanted to destroy you," he says, and a shiver goes through me, "and I wanted to take you in my arms and love you, and I wanted to tear you apart, and I wanted to crush anything that would harm you, all at the same time."

Enjoy!!


Happy Reading Everyone :)


~ Keely ~

Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesday is a meme hosted by Should Be Reading. The name says it all ~ post a teaser of one of you're current books so we can get a glimpse into your reading shenanigans.

Mine is from Opal by Jennifer Armentrout:

Walking away from Daemon was the hardest thing I'd done. Made worse by the fact he didn't try to stop me, because that wasn't his style, but deep down, in a place that spoke only the truth, I hadn't expected him to.

One day soon, I'll get back to my lengthy Tuesday Preludes. Lately, though, it's been one thing after another... So it goes with life.


What do ya got to tease me with?


Happy Reading Everyone :)


~ Keely ~

Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by Should Be Reading in which we share a little piece of one of our current reads.

Can't wait to get back to my Tuesday Preludes... As it is now, I barely have time to read...

This week's teaser(s) comes from The Secret of Ella and Micha by Jessica Sorensen:

"I ran away for the same reason you ran away because staying here means dealing with the past and our pasts are the kind that need to be locked away and never revisited."

"You can't just change who you are on the outside and expect it to change who you are on the inside."

I plowed through half of this book in one day ~ it's sooooo good. Stop by December 5th for the full review :).

Happy Reading Everyone :)

~ Keely ~

Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by Should Be Reading ~ the purpose being to share a little piece of the book you're reading :).

One day I'll get back to my extensive Tuesday Preludes, but probably not until after NaNo ends...

This week's teaser comes from Beautiful Redemption by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl:

When you're alive, you don't dwell on how you're going to spend your time once you're dead. You just figure you're gone, and the rest will pretty much take care of itself.

Or you think you're not really going to die. You're going to be the first person in the history of the world who doesn't have to. Maybe that's some kind of lie our brains tell us to keep us from going crazy while we're alive.

LOVE this series ~ so sad to see it come to an end :(.


Happy Reading Everyone :)


~ Keely ~

Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by Should Be Reading in which we share a little piece of our current reads. I wish I had time this morning to do one of my lengthy Tuesday Preludes, but between work and NaNoWriMo, sometimes I have to pick between reading and blogging ~ and well, you know which would win in that situation.

This week's teaser comes from Girl of Nightmares by Kendare Blake:

When this started, I tried not to think ahead, to keep from expecting anything. Turns out it wasn't necessary. The sight in front of me now, I never could have imagined.

Happy Reading Everyone :)


~ Keely ~

Teaser Tuesday

So I'm not deep enough into any book at the moment to give you a decent introduction and sneak peek into one of my current reads. Nothin' wrong with an old fashioned Teaser Tuesday though ;)

This week's teaser is plucked from Ten by Grethen McNeil:

"As the sound of the ferry's engine faded into the distance, Meg felt suddenly isolated. Other than the dull rumble of water and wind, she couldn't hear a thing, and there were no signs of life on the distant beach. Meg shivered. They were alone in the middle of nowhere, their only contact with the outside world retreating into the night."

Starting out with little hints of creepiness and foreshadows of what may be to come. 

Perfect Halloween read!

What are you teasing us with?


Happy Reading Everyone :)


~ Keely ~

Tuesday Prelude

Yay, I finally have time to get down, dirty, and deep and share one of my favorite elements of my current read.. This week's Tuesday Prelude revolves around Annie Walls' Taking on the Dead....

Life for Kansas was perfect until the day the world changed.

She has been hiding out for four years in solitude. It's the only way to survive. The only way not to draw the living dead. Helping a small group of people, she learns the new world might not be what she assumes. Venturing out of her refuge and comfort zone, she meets Rudy, who helps her find a greater purpose. She realizes that the world has moved on without her. Only it's not what she expects. Her knowledge of the living dead grows and only makes her more curious as humanity continues to hang on by a thread. While on her search for answers she finds comfort in new friendships and love, but her past seems as if it will haunt her forever. 

Kansas takes it upon herself to help other survivors, which would be easy if the famished were the only obstacles.

In a trilogy plot thick with twists and turns, this adult dark fantasy is emotional as much as it is horrifyingly gripping.

*Not intended for a young audience. Mature content.*

Imagine going on a date with the love of your life.. you get frisky in the parking lot, wear that after-glow to the cotton candy stand, and head on toward the ferris wheel... but in mid-stride, you hear an unbelievable scream.. at first you think it's a part of the show or that you're hearing and seeing things.. but no, that mailman really is taking a bite out of that brunette, getting a mouthful of flesh and blood... WTF? That's what happens to Kansas, and it's not long before she is alone ~ four years alone ~ in a world where zombies are more trustworthy than the rare survivors left...

Kansas is a complete badass... I wanna grow dreads just so I can pretend to have even a smidgeon of the total badassness she exudes... Yeah, I said dreads... didn't you notice that on the cover? She is one tough broad with some major brains and guts, doing whatever it takes to survive..

The big question is: who should she find trustworthy? The number is runnin' pretty low on decent people...

Here are some thoughts from Kansas's mind:

"Some people say you can't change overnight. I'm sure this is true. Most of the time. In my case, I changed within seconds."

"We passed several wrecks, heard many helicopters and sirens, and probably saw a few zombies, but were too wrapped up in ourselves to notice. I blame it on being in love, but I swear to myself now if I saw a person walking down the street covered in blood or eating someone, I would have paid attention. Maybe."

"My memories are good ones, but they can bring on physical pain. Grief is a strange thing when you don't let yourself move on, especially when you don't deserve it."

"Waking up without dreaming of faces I once knew and loved as zombies starts my day off right."

"For the first time in four years, someone knows things about me. I don't really know how I feel about this. A strange thing, because being alone makes a person very self aware."

"I want to trust him, but a part of me is skeptical. Exteriors aren't what they seem, never have been."

Tough world to live in... but she does it with grace...


Happy Reading Everyone :)


~ Keely ~

Teaser Tuesday

I didn't have time to put together one of my extensive Tuesday Preludes as I would have liked, so I guess I'll just have to settle for a good old-fashioned Teaser Tuesday. :)

This week's teaser is plucked from The Hunt by Andrew Fukuda:

There's no way I could ever forget who I am. I'm reminded every moment of every day. Every time I shave my legs or hold in a sneeze or stifle a laugh or pretend to flinch at a slip of stray light, I am reminded of who I am.

A fake person.

Oh, but I will be a peach and include the book trailer for your viewing pleasure.. I'm only about three chapters in, but I think this is gunna be good. :)

Happy Reading Everyone :)


~ Keely ~

Tuesday Prelude

Tuesday Prelude is a meme inspired by Should Be Reading's Teaser Tuesday. It's the same concept, except I can't even pick just two sentences and call it good. I need more.... teasers, videos, pictures, interviews, etc., to make me feel like I've satisfactorily made you absolutely need to read this book :)...


This week's prelude is inspired by Drowning Instinct by Ilsa J. Bick....

I just finished this book, and... wow.. speechless.. "can't even write a review, yet" - speechless... this book was overwhelming ~ I felt.. no, experienced... every emotion you can imagine with this book.. It's just incredible...

There are stories where the girl gets her prince, and they live happily ever after. (This is not one of those stories.)

Jenna Lord’s first sixteen years were not exactly a fairytale. Her father is a controlling psycho and her mother is a drunk. She used to count on her older brother—until he shipped off to Afghanistan. And then, of course, there was the time she almost died in a fire. 

There are stories where the monster gets the girl, and we all shed tears for his innocent victim. (This is not one of those stories either.)

Mitch Anderson is many things: A dedicated teacher and coach. A caring husband. A man with a certain... magnetism. 

And there are stories where it’s hard to be sure who’s a prince and who’s a monster, who is a victim and who should live happily ever after. (These are the most interesting stories of all.)

Drowning Instinct is a novel of pain, deception, desperation, and love against the odds—and the rules.

Here are some of my favorite quotes... My copy is filled with dog ears (yup, I committed the "reader's mortal sin".. hey, at least I can't bring myself to highlight.. cut me some slack) so I could flip through and find the parts that hit me the hardest.

 

   "Finally a red bead oozed and ballooned, and I sighed with relief as my blood bubbled and drew out the poison that was Grandpa.
   There was this cutter back on the ward. She etched words and letters. But I didn't.
   Honestly, Bob: how do you carve a scream?"

   "I also have-sensed that we were dancing around something, doing a complicated series of steps to some ancient rhythm that he knew but I didn't yet understand. Or maybe I was dancing alone, the whole scenario enfolding in only my imagination. Like so many other things."

   "Despite the hours I'd spent getting shrink-wrapped, I still wasn't sold that talking did a whole heck of a lot except let everyone else know what was going on inside your head. It's not like talking ever made anything go away."

   "I was alone. I was sweet sixteen, the age when a mermaid finds her prince. I believed in magic and love at first sight and fate. I was every girl who ever lived. So now I had an adventure all my own, a deliciously agonizing secret."

   "He was facing me now, leaning forward, face intent, his eyes grabbing mine so I couldn't look away. We were like matching bookends, almost touching but with volumes between us and stories, so many stories."

   "Cured is just a synonym for coming around to your way of thinking."

It's just so friggin' good, I have to share all this with you. I have to get it out before it drives me CRAZY! This book had me gasping for breath because I didn't realize I had held it for so many pages... trust me, okay?

And my favorite, favorite, absolute favorite part....

 

"They call it the drowning instinct. It's when drowning doesn't look like drowning. ... you don't look like you're in trouble. You don't scream, but that's because you can't... You're just there, so people don't notice your dying. ..."

And I'm speechless all over again.

Just. Read. It. Now.

Happy Reading Everyone :)


~ Keely ~

Tuesday Prelude

Formerly named Tuesday Tickle (it just didn't sound right to me, so I'm playing around with different names), Tuesday Prelude is a meme inspired by Should Be Reading's Teaser Tuesday. The only difference is that my "teasers" tend to go a bit deeper, revealing a little more about the story, author, setting, or specific characters.

My Prelude this week hails from Obsidian and Onyx by Jennifer Armentrout:

Starting over sucks.

When we moved to West Virginia right before my senior year, I'd pretty much resigned myself to thick accents, dodgy internet access, and a whole lot of boring.... until I spotted my hot neighbor, with his looming height and eerie green eyes. Things were looking up.

And then he opened his mouth.

Daemon is infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. We do not get along. At all. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, well, something...unexpected happens. 

The hot alien living next door marks me.

You heard me. Alien. Turns out Daemon and his sister have a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal their abilities, and Daemon's touch has me lit up like the Vegas Strip. The only way I'm getting out of this alive is by sticking close to Daemon until my alien mojo fades. 

If I don't kill him first, that is.

Please welcome Katy Swartz. She's witty, independent, strong-willed, and continually lies to herself about her feelings for the infamous Daemon Black. Did I also mention that she's also a book blogger? She totally understands the reasons behind our overwhelming excitement about receiving books in the mail and the comfort of having them scattered around the house, always within arm's reach. I love that she's not afraid to tell off the boy with highly intimidating hotness ~ my kinda girl :).

Here are some thoughts from Katy:

Every cell in my body seemed to be aware of how close he was while we walked in a cocoon of darkness, the light bouncing in front of us with each step. And I hated each of my traitorous cells with a vengeance.

Like he'd turned off my bitch switch, all I could do was stare at him.

I hated Daemon Black - if that was even his real name - with a vengeance that equaled the solar power of a thousand suns.

My palms itched to have a close encounter of the bitch-slap kind with his face.

Oh, holy alien babies everywhere...

She's hilarious ~ but sometimes I do want to shake her out of her denial.... ;) I admire her love of books and blogging.. makes her feel like an old friend ... I can totally relate..

I'd rather read a book and stalk my blog comments. **(totally)**

People who didn't heart books didn't understand.

It literally hurt deep inside not being able to post my "Waiting on Wednesday"...

Mom hated that there were books everywhere. They weren't really everywhere. Just wherever I was, like the couch, recliner, kitchen counters, laundry room, and even the bathroom. It wouldn't be like that if she caved and installed a wall-to-ceiling bookcase. **(Duh...)**

Gotta love her... Now you need to meet Daemon Black ~ but that'll take an entire post and then some ~ so I'll save him for later ;).

Have a great week!


Happy Reading Everyone :)


~ Keely ~

Tuesday Tickle

Tuesday Tickle is a meme inspired by Should Be Reading's Teaser Tuesday. It's basically the same concept, I just always tended to give more than two sentences plucked out of a random page, so I thought I'd just go with it and give a more in depth look at a book I'm reading or recently finished.

This week, I'm choosing Carnival of Souls by Melissa Marr. I purchased this as an audio book and finished listening in two days ~ couldn't press the stop button! It's an amazing tale of secrets, betrayal, and survival of the fittest. (Review to come soon!)

In a city of daimons, rigid class lines separate the powerful from the power-hungry. And at the heart of The City is the Carnival of Souls, where both murder and pleasure are offered up for sale. Once in a generation, the carnival hosts a deadly competition that allows every daimon a chance to join the ruling elite. Without the competition, Aya and Kaleb would both face bleak futures--if for different reasons. For each of them, fighting to the death is the only way to try to live.

All Mallory knows of The City is that her father--and every other witch there--fled it for a life in exile in the human world. Instead of a typical teenage life full of friends and maybe even a little romance, Mallory scans quiet streets for threats, hides herself away, and trains to be lethal. She knows it's only a matter of time until a daimon finds her and her father, so she readies herself for the inevitable. While Mallory possesses little knowledge of The City, every inhabitant of The City knows of her. There are plans for Mallory, and soon she, too, will be drawn into the decadence and danger that is the Carnival of Souls.

From Melissa Marr, bestselling author of the Wicked Lovely series and "Graveminder," comes a brand-new tale of lush secrets, dark love, and the struggle to forge one's own destiny.

The synopsis makes it seem that the story focuses on Mallory ~ and it does to a certain extent ~ but I felt there was  more spotlight on Kaleb and Aya... Aya in particular is one of my favorite characters.. complex and courageous, hiding a secret that would undoubtedly lead her to her demise.

Aya withdrew the knives and and slid them into the sheaths that hung from her belt. She was so far from class-appropriate behavior by now that one more stain wasn't worth the guilt that threatened. It was bad enough that she lived alone, that she wore her hair in a short, non-ornamented style more suitable for a soldier in Marchosias' army than an eligible ruling caste girl. Her behavior in the fights was an embarrassment to any ruling class family: noble women didn't engage in fights outside sanctioned clubs, and they certainly didn't kill for sport or gain.

I also came across an excerpt you might like, giving a bit of insight into the minds of Kaleb (a badass who's impossible not to love) and Aya (a kick-ass female who's unafraid to get her hands dirty), while also shedding some light on the type of world The City is.

Exclusive excerpt: 'Carnival of Souls' by Melissa Marr

Hooked yet? If not, check out the trailer.. C'mon... you didn't really think you'd be able to read one of my posts without coming across a trailer, did you? ;) The best part about it ~ Five Finger Death Punch.. :)

Hope I've convinced you of your need to read this book.... ALSO, check out the webpage
Enter the Carnival Totally fun interactive page ~ gives more insight to what's held between the pages of the book, including quotes, maps, and character introductions....  You should definitely check it out! And if that's not enough, Amazon has a sneak peek you can download  to your kindle ~ free! ~ so get clickin'! Sneak Peek Happy Reading Everyone :)

~ Keely ~

Tuesday Tickle

Tuesday Tickle is a meme inspired by Should Be Reading's Teaser Tuesday. It goes a little deeper by adding character introductions, setting history, blurbs, or videos of author interviews and the like. In other words, it gives you a more in depth look at the book.

This week's teaser is plucked from Disemblance by Shanae Branham:

Jason Tanner’s life has always been different from the ordinary citizen’s. It started when he was an infant and his parents were only teenagers. A computer science prodigy, Lloyd attended MIT but left a pariah in the eyes of the school’s dean—but a computer physics genius in the eyes of his primary investor. Then his theories and ideas created a holographic machine and their world shrunk as contact with the outside world became less and less frequent. A computer prodigy now himself, Jason is about to learn that the world never waits for you if you have the ability to change it: it will come for you.

Detective Bruce Durante has been handed the case of the Comfort Killer, a serial killer so named because he appears to abduct terminally ill patients before returning their corpses to their families in refrigerated coffins. When he picks up the trail, it leads straight to the home of Lloyd Tanner.

Jason has been living life through the world of Lloyd’s invention and wishing he could carry on a relationship with Boston, the beautiful girl next door. When his father is murdered and framed as the Comfort Killer, he is brought back to reality in a hurry. He is forced to destroy all of the planted evidence—and finds he is being targeted as the killer’s new fall guy. But the secrets of his father’s invention run deep and Jason, his brother Isaac,Boston, the Comfort Killer, and Detective Durante hurtle towards one another on a deadly collision course that leaves everyone’s life hanging in the balance.

Jason a little bit of a loner. Not that it was ever his choice ~ his dad forced this lifestyle onto his kids to protect his invention ~ the holodeck. That's right Star Treck fans, I said holodeck :). Not that Jason minds; he's quite content in his lifestyle (mostly), but, then again, there's this girl...

"His heart raced at the prospect of speaking with her. As they crossed onto the street between their homes, she stopped and stared at him His face flushed, and his hands perspired. The thought of speaking with her was too much for him to handle right now. He bolted for home."

Ah, the girls always change everything. But Jason is more comfortable with the machines he has grown up working on. Now, I'm not a Star Trek fan, so I was a little ~ ignorant ~ when it came to the function of a holodeck. Thank goodness for Wikipedia... Turns out ~ I want one!

The holodeck is depicted as an enclosed room in which objects and people are simulated by a combination of transported matter, replicated matter, tractor beams, and shaped force fields onto which holographic images are projected. Sounds and smells are simulated by speakers and fragranced fluid atomizers, respectively. The feel of a large environment is simulated by suspending the participants on force fields which move with their feet, keeping them from reaching the walls of the room (a virtual treadmill). (Wikipedia)

Sounds like it could be addicting.. Experiencing an environment where you control all the factors and elements around you? Sounds safe, easy, and beautiful.. on the other hand, very predictable...

I wouldn't say Jason is afraid of the real world, I think he just sees it as an unnecessary with his little close-knit family and a machine that can take him anywhere he wants to go... and with his mother gone, I think he feels the need to stay away from the pain relationships can bring... the holodeck fulfills his needs...

"Life was bliss inside this machine. Here Jason controlled his feelings because he controlled his relationships. He chose only those programs that brought him joy."

hmmm... didn't I say addicting?

Well, there's a look for ya ~ hope you get the urge to read this book. I'm whippin' right through it! Can't put it down...


Happy Reading Everyone :)


~ Keely ~

Tuesday Tickle: Drowning Instinct by Ilsa J. Bick

Tuesday Tickle is a meme inspired by Should Be Reading's Teaser Tuesday. Still the same basic idea, but it goes a bit deeper, offering a more in-depth look at characters, settings, or the author's that write these amazing stories.

My TT is plucked from the pages of Drowning Instinct by Ilsa J. Bick.

There are stories where the girl gets her prince, and they live happily ever after. (This is not one of those stories.)

Jenna Lord’s first sixteen years were not exactly a fairytale. Her father is a controlling psycho and her mother is a drunk. She used to count on her older brother—until he shipped off to Afghanistan. And then, of course, there was the time she almost died in a fire. 

There are stories where the monster gets the girl, and we all shed tears for his innocent victim. (This is not one of those stories either.)

Mitch Anderson is many things: A dedicated teacher and coach. A caring husband. A man with a certain... magnetism. 

And there are stories where it’s hard to be sure who’s a prince and who’s a monster, who is a victim and who should live happily ever after. (These are the most interesting stories of all.)

Drowning Instinct is a novel of pain, deception, desperation, and love against the odds—and the rules.

Jenna Lord is the incredibly profound person who releases the pain and disgust she feels inside by mutilating the outside. She cuts. Her family is a wreck. With Psycho Dad and Drunk Mom, not to mention her Protector Brother who's overseas fighting a war, Jenna is pretty much on her own. Until, it seems, she goes to Turing High. 

::a look through jenna's eyes::

Turing High was one of those Psycho-Dad command decisions, same as us moving to a new McMansion ninetey miles north of Milwaukee after my stint in the psych ward. Or was that my breakdown? No, no, it was my "little episode," Psycho-Dad-speak for my stay in the place where nuts feed the squirrels. My father always called it a "little episode," as if my life was a sitcome and we could simply channel surf right past.

The truth is, Bob, that no matter how far or fast you go, the past always follows: an inky, faceless thing tacked to your shoes that only the harshest light can kill, and then just for those few moments when there is nothing byt the strongest fire from the brightest sun, breaking over your shoulders, burning that shadow-and your past-into ash. 

Finally, a red bead oozed and ballooned, and I sighed with relief as my blood bubbled and drew out the poison that was Grandpa. There was this other cutter back on the ward. She etched words and letters. But I didn't. Honestly, Bob: how do you carve a scream?

Silence is not an option, either. Silence is resistance and, as we all know, resistance is futile.

This girl is full of mystery but at the same time she has this way of baring her soul in a way that either makes you laugh hysterically or want to weep. Simply amazing so far, with the writing style and character building ~ I wish time was on my side so I could simply read straight through without stopping.

What's tickling your fancy today?


Happy Reading Everyone :)


~ Keely ~

Tuesday Tickle

Tuesday Tickle is a new meme inspired by Should Be Reading's Teaser Tuesday. What's different about it? Well, Tuesday Tickle goes a bit deeper than a couple of lines plucked from a random page. Meet characters, immerse yourself in a different world, check out book trailers or author blurbs.. you name it ~ anything goes! It's a brighter spotlight on a particular book you are currently reading, meant to *tickle* every reader's curiosity and need to get their hands on this book, STAT.

This Tuesday, I will be diggin' into James Dawson's Hollow Pike. I just started it yesterday, and am about halfway through ~ already :).  This book is the first in a while that gets me totally spooked as I read ~ heart pounding, holding my breathe, eyes buggin' outta my head...then my dog nudges my hand and makes me jump three feet in the air. It sucks you right in :). Being based in the U.K., the language is a little strange to me sometimes, but that makes it all the more interesting. And did I mention witches? **mwahahahahaha** Totally awesome :).

...the birds see everything...

Something wicked this way comes...

She thought she’d be safe in the country, but you can’t escape your own nightmares, and Lis London dreams repeatedly that someone is trying to kill her. Lis thinks she’s being paranoid - after all who would want to murder her? She doesn’t believe in the local legends of witchcraft. She doesn’t believe that anything bad will really happen to her. You never do, do you? Not until you’re alone in the woods, after dark - and a twig snaps... Hollow Pike - where witchcraft never sleeps.

::you know i have to have a book trailer::

::here's how it opens::

Lis knew she was dreaming, although this brought little

comfort as the blood ran over her face. It rushed up her nostrils and caught in the back of her throat. The metallic taste choked her, panic creeping in.

This was not the first time she’d knelt in the red stream. She had encountered this nightmare many times in recent weeks and each time the vision became more realistic, more visceral. Sometimes, the focus of the dream was her long, wet hair matted to her face. Sometimes it was the freezing rain and howling wind. Sometimes it was the frenzied screams far away in the distance. On this particular visit, Lis was very aware of the pebbles, so cold and round and perfect under her hands. They scraped her skin but somehow she knew that the blood rushing over her body was not hers.

::with a few extras thrown in::

"The three robed figures stood over Lis's body, watching Laura vanish into the indigo darkness. Within seconds, they could no longer hear her footsteps stomping through the leaves."

"They'd come.
Lis's hand hovered at the door handle, trembling and uncertain. Who was she about to let into her room - friends or killers?"

"The more they watched the video, the more the spider really did look like a pale hand resting on the tree. And that meant only one thing...
There had been someone else in the woods that night."

Tickle your curiosity yet?  I thought so...

SO instead of meeting a character like I've done the past two weeks, I thought it would be nice to post a video by the author. He's completely excited (and why shouldn't he be?) and goofy ~ you can't help but love him! In this video he talks "about what Hollow Pike is..um..about," giving a little rundown of the plot. 

What's tickling your fancy today?

Happy Reading Everyone :)

~ Keely ~