Bout Of Books | 13.0 | Readathon!

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, May 11th and runs through Sunday, May 17th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 13 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. – From the Bout of Books team.


I’m definitely planning on getting a lot of reading done during the readathon. My tentative TBR for the same is as follows:

       


Are you participating too? What books are you going to read? Please comment about any of the books I mentioned above, and what you think I should read, if not all!

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The Mind Games Duology Review

Title:

Mind Games | Perfect Lies


Author:

Kiersten White


Published:

2013 | 2014 by HarperTeen


Stand Alone/Series:

Duology


Pages:

256 | 256 pages


Format:

Kobo ePub


Genre:

YA/ Fantasy/ Paranormal


Why I read it:

Recommendation from someone


Summary:

Mind Games –  Fia was born with flawless instincts. Her first impulse, her gut feeling, is always exactly right. Her sister, Annie, is blind to the world around her—except when her mind is gripped by strange visions of the future.

Trapped in a school that uses girls with extraordinary powers as tools for corporate espionage, Annie and Fia are forced to choose over and over between using their abilities in twisted, unthinkable ways…or risking each other’s lives by refusing to obey.


Perfect Lies – This explosive sequel to Mind Games, which New York Times bestselling author Holly Black called “a brutal, exciting gem of a book,” is a lightning-fast, wickedly smart tale of two sisters trapped in a web of deceit—perfect for fans of Sara Shepard’s Lying Game series.

For years, Annie and Fia have been in an endless battle for survival against the Keane Foundation. Now the sisters have found allies who can help them escape. But Annie’s visions of the future and Fia’s flawless instincts can’t always tell them who to trust. The sisters can only rely on each other—and even their extraordinary gifts may not be enough to save them.


Review:

Mind Games –  This was yet another quick read. There were a few plot twists I did not see coming. The book was a bit confusing in the end, but I guess the whole thing will get resolved in the second book of the duology.
The characters were interesting, although the one thing I found annoying was Fia’s way of thinking/speaking a word thrice together. Annie was more sensible and kind. Whereas Fia was more on the violent and crazed side.
The concept of girls with powers was not something new, but I would have liked it more if the author had explored the same more.
The whole book was so short I think it could have been merged into one book instead of two books.
There were instances which were out of context and completely unnecessary. But I kept reading, so I wasn’t entirely bored. Therefore, the kinda high rating.
Definitely looking forward to how Keane will go down.


Perfect Lies – This was a bit better than the first book.
Fia continued to remain annoying and confusing and frustrating and not at all developing as a character as she did what she did and never listened to any damn advice from me or she might have gotten any smarter. I wanted to smack her in the face a few times.
Annie, on the other hand developed a lot. She learned stuff and was helping, and also, since the first book focused more on Fia, this one was on Annie.
The writing style was confusing since all the chapters are alternatingly Annie and Fia and they’re set in the past, so its kinda weird and you don’t understand what happened when.
The love interests, if we talk about, I knew it would be the guy for Annie before they revealed it. No plot twist/shock/surprise there. Fia chose the wrong guy. That’s all I’m gonna say. She takes stupid decisions even though her instinct is perfect. HA! So ironic.
This was more fast paced, with a mission while the first book focused on survival.
I didn’t love it though. Fia put me off.


Quotes:

“I am the ocean we lived on for two months. I am empty. I am nothing.”

“If a tree falls in the forest and no one is around, does anyone give a crap?” I mutter.”

“I’m nobody. I’m collateral damage with a lot of training.”

“She told me only people we love the most can destroy us, because no one else has that kind of power.”

“Love is a choice, like anything else.”

“I need to be nothing for a very long time until I can decide what something I want to be.”

“Her voice is as casual as a knife in the gut.”


Rating:

3


P.S – I really liked the book covers though.

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Epic Reads Book Tag!

So I decided to do the Epic Reads Book Tag. 😀 Why don’t you guys do the same? Here are the questions:


1.If you could invite an author and a fictional character to tea, who would it be and why?

Ans – I think I’d invite Bram Stoker, author of Dracula, because I want to know how he created such a phenomenon sensation of vampires after him. What inspired him to write all of that and how he managed to pour it into words will definitely be an interesting talk to go through over tea. With him, I’d like to meet Katniss Everdeen, from the Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins, because she is a badass character and she’d have witty and sarcastic comebacks and the conversation would just get much better.

                          


2. If you’d want a prequel for a book, what would it be?

Ans – Definitely the Harry Potter Series.(I controlled myself from writing J.K.Rowling in the first question, but that’s too tough) Basically the Marauders, The four founders of Hogwarts, Dumbledore’s back story, Harry’s back story, Tom Riddle’s Years at Hogwarts, Bill and Charlie’s years at Hogwarts. Anything. I’d devour it.

       


3. Two characters from different books that you think will make a good couple together.

Ans – Simon Lewis from the Mortal Instruments and Cath from Fangirl. I think they’ll be adorable together. :’)

                     


4. If you ran into your favorite author, who would it be and what will you tell them?

Ans – Of course J.K.Rowling here as well. I’d just stare at her and make her feel uncomfortable, and then just say that she’s supermegafoxyawesomehot.


5. What book made you a big reader?

Ans – I guess all books by the legendary Enid Blyton. I literally started reading a book per day, and that was crazy. I owe her my entire reading life. :’)


6. Your bookshelf is on fire. Which books will you save?

Ans – Wait, wh- NOOOO! Okay let’s be real, definitely Harry Potter. (Dear Lord, this is getting really repetitive)


7. A dystopian world you would want to live in?

Ans – I guess Divergent will be pretty cool. I’d love to know what faction I end up in. But alas, like all the dystopian worlds around, I’ll most probably end up dead in a few days. Ah well, better than Panem.(Rants internally about how difficult this question was)


8. The most epic read of all time time?

Ans – TeeHee Not gonna say Harry Potter, cause…isn’t it obvious? I’ll go with The Inheritence Cycle by Christopher Paolini. I ADORE those books.


Since I can’t do a book shimmy here, I skipped the last question. As for the 9th question, I tag all of you to do this challenge! Let me know your thoughts about the things I answered and what your answers would be. ^_^

2015 NEW RELEASES! BOOKS BOOKS BOOKS

There are a ton of great books coming out in 2015 and so I decided to share the ones I’m anticipating the most! I absolutely adore the covers and 2015 is gonna be a great year in terms of books.

Just click on the books you wanna know about, and they will lead you straight to the goodreads page for the same. 🙂

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

    

  

And then we have a few with covers yet to be revealed so I’ve put up normal links for you guys. 😀

Lady Midnight (The Dark Artifices #1) by Cassandra Clare

The Rose Society (The Young Elites #2) by Marie Lu

P.S. I Still Love You (To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before #2) by Jenny Han 

The Raven Cycle Quartet Book #4

Carry On by Rainbow Rowell

The Fifth Wave Book #3

The Sword of Summer (Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard #1) by Rick Riordan

Winter (The Lunar Chronicles #4) by Marissa Meyer

End Of Days by Susan Ee (Penryn and the End of Days #3)

Sweet Temptation by Wendy Higgins (The Sweet Trilogy #4)

Six Of Crows (The Dregs #1) by Leigh Bardugo

Throne Of Glass Book #4 by Sarah J Maas 

Ice Like Fire (Snow Like Ashes #2) by Sara Raasch

Bookishly Ever After by  Isabel Bandeira

Which books are you excited for? Which of the covers make you want to read the books desperately? Tell me and we will fangirl together aaah!

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December Book Releases

I had a post earlier about the seven books I was most excited about for the month of October, today I have seven books which I’m excited for/looks interesting for the month of December. Again, its in no particular order.


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#1. The Bishop’s wife by Mette Ivie Harrison

Publishing Date: 30th December 2014

Summary: In the predominantly Mormon city of Draper, Utah, some seemingly perfect families have deadly secrets.

Linda Wallheim is a devout Mormon, the mother of five boys and the wife of a bishop. But Linda is increasingly troubled by her church’s structure and secrecy, especially as a disturbing situation takes shape in her ward. One cold winter night, a young wife and mother named Carrie Helm disappears, leaving behind everything she owns. Carrie’s husband, Jared, claims his wife has always been unstable and that she has abandoned the family, but Linda doesn’t trust him. As Linda snoops in the Helm family’s circumstances, she becomes convinced that Jared has murdered his wife and painted himself as a wronged husband.

Linda’s husband asks her not to get involved in the unfolding family saga. But Linda has become obsessed with Carrie’s fate, and with the well-being of her vulnerable young daughter. She cannot let the matter rest until she finds out the truth. Is she wrong to go against her husband, the bishop, when her inner convictions are so strong?

Inspired by a chilling true crime and written by a practicing Mormon, The Bishop’s Wife is both a fascinating look at the lives of modern Mormons as well as a grim and cunningly twisted mystery.


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#2. Princess of Thorns by Stacey Jay

Publishing Date: 9th December 2014

Summary: Game of Thrones meets the Grimm’s fairy tales in this twisted, fast-paced romantic fantasy-adventure about Sleeping Beauty’s daughter, a warrior princess who must fight to reclaim her throne.

Though she looks like a mere mortal, Princess Aurora is a fairy blessed with enhanced strength, bravery, and mercy yet cursed to destroy the free will of any male who kisses her. Disguised as a boy, she enlists the help of the handsome but also cursed Prince Niklaas to fight legions of evil and free her brother from the ogre queen who stole Aurora’s throne ten years ago.

Will Aurora triumph over evil and reach her brother before it’s too late? Can Aurora and Niklaas break the curses that will otherwise forever keep them from finding their one true love?


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#3. Suspicion by Alexandra Monir

Publishing Date: 9th December 2014

Summary: Mysterious. Magnificent. Creepy. Welcome to Rockford Manor.

“There’s something hidden in the Maze.” Seventeen-year-old Imogen has never forgotten the last words her father said to her seven years ago, before the blazing fire that consumed him, her mother, and the gardens of her family’s English country manor.

Haunted by her parents’ deaths, Imogen moves to New York City with her new guardians. But when a letter arrives with the news of her cousin’s untimely death, revealing that Imogen is now the only heir left to run the estate, she returns to England and warily accepts her role as duchess.

All is not as it seems at Rockford, and Imogen quickly learns that dark secrets lurk behind the mansion’s aristocratic exterior, hinting that the spate of deaths in her family were no accident. And at the center of the mystery is Imogen herself–and Sebastian, the childhood friend she has secretly loved for years. Just what has Imogen walked into?


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#4. Zodiac by Romina Russell

Publishing Date: 9th December 2014

Summary: Things are about to get Wicked in New Orleans.

At the dawn of time, there were 13 Houses in the Zodiac Galaxy. Now only 12 remain….

Rhoma Grace is a 16-year-old student from House Cancer with an unusual way of reading the stars. While her classmates use measurements to make accurate astrological predictions, Rho can’t solve for ‘x’ to save her life—so instead, she looks up at the night sky and makes up stories.

When a violent blast strikes the moons of Cancer, sending its ocean planet off-kilter and killing thousands of citizens—including its beloved Guardian—Rho is more surprised than anyone when she is named the House’s new leader. But, a true Cancerian who loves her home fiercely and will protect her people no matter what, Rho accepts.

Then, when more Houses fall victim to freak weather catastrophes, Rho starts seeing a pattern in the stars. She suspects Ophiuchus—the exiled 13th Guardian of Zodiac legend—has returned to exact his revenge across the Galaxy. Now Rho—along with Hysan Dax, a young envoy from House Libra, and Mathias, her guide and a member of her Royal Guard—must travel through the Zodiac to warn the other Guardians.

But who will believe anything this young novice says? Whom can Rho trust in a universe defined by differences? And how can she convince twelve worlds to unite as one Zodiac?

Embark on a dazzling journey with ZODIAC, the first novel in an epic sci-fi-meets-high-fantasy series set in a galaxy inspired by the astrological signs.


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#5. Wicked by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Publishing Date: 8th December 2014

Summary: Things are about to get Wicked in New Orleans.

Twenty-two year old Ivy Morgan isn’t your average college student. She, and others like her, know humans aren’t the only thing trolling the French Quarter for fun… and for food. Her duty to the Order is her life. After all, four years ago, she lost everything at the hands of the creatures she’d sworn to hunt, tearing her world and her heart apart.

Ren Owens is the last person Ivy expected to enter her rigidly controlled life. He’s six feet and three inches of temptation and swoon-inducing charm. With forest-green eyes and a smile that’s surely left a stream of broken hearts in its wake, he has an uncanny, almost unnatural ability to make her yearn for everything he has to offer. But letting him in is as dangerous as hunting the cold-blooded killers stalking the streets. Losing the boy she loved once before had nearly destroyed her, but the sparking tension that grows between them becomes impossible for Ivy to deny. Deep down, she wants… she needs more than what her duty demands of her, what her past has shaped for her.

But as Ivy grows closer to Ren, she realizes she’s not the only one carrying secrets that could shatter the frail bond between them. There’s something he’s not telling her, and one thing is for certain. She’s no longer sure what is more dangerous to her—the ancient beings threatening to take over the town or the man demanding to lay claim to her heart and her soul.


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#6.Top Ten Clues You Are Clueless by Liz Czukas

Publishing Date: 9th December 2014

Summary: Top Five Things That Are Ruining Chloe’s Day

5) Working the 6:30 a.m. shift at GoodFoods Market

4) Crashing a cart into a customer’s car right in front of her snarky coworker Sammi

3) Trying to rock the “drowned rat” look after being caught in a snowstorm

2) Making zero progress with her crush, Tyson (see #3)

1) Being accused—along with her fellow teenage employees—of stealing upwards of $10,000

Chloe would rather be anywhere than locked in work jail (aka the break room) with five of her coworkers . . . even if one of them is Tyson. But if they can band together to clear their names, what looks like a total disaster might just make Chloe’s list of Top Ten Best Moments.


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#7.The Summer I Gave Up Boys: Isaiah’s Story.

Publishing Date: 1st December 2014

Summary: Home for his last summer before graduating college, Isaiah Winters should be focusing on the biggest decision of his life: whether or not to play pro ball.

But basketball is the last thing on his mind after a meeting in the airport with his old archenemy, Kaliyah Simon. Sparks always fly when the two of them start arguing, but little does Kaliyah know the ones on Isaiah’s side are sparks of attraction.

He’s been in love with Kaliyah since high school and this summer, Isaiah is determined to do something about it.

You’ve read Kaliyah’s side. Now hear Isaiah’s.


Which ones are you excited for? I think most of the covers are gorgeous, and the plots are interesting. Sure some are kind of predictable, but that’s not a new thing I guess.