June 29, 2013

What's Coming This Week?

Welcome to Turning Pages!

"What's Coming This Week?" is a meme hosted here at Turning Pages, showcasing all of the new YA books coming out within the next seven days. Interested in any of the books mentioned below? Click on the books title, it'll take you to that book's Goodreads page, where you'll be able to read more about it!

Paperback:

Out of Breath by Rebecca Donovan: Book CoverFor Darkness Shows the Stars by Diana Peterfreund: Book CoverJust for Fins by Tera Lynn Childs: Book CoverMessy by Heather Cocks: Book Cover


Tiger Lily by Jodi Lynn Anderson: Book CoverThe Distance Between Us by Kasie West: Book CoverThe Rivals by Daisy Whitney: Book CoverThe Moon Key by J.R. Stampfl: Book Cover


Hardback:

Awaken (Abandon Trilogy Series #3) by Meg Cabot: Book CoverVortex by S. J. Kincaid: Book CoverSYLO by D. J. MacHale: Book CoverBecause of Low by Abbi Glines: Book Cover



June 28, 2013

Monthly Review: June

Welcome to Turning Pages!

A few months back, my goal was to post a TBR list at the beginning of every month, and a "Monthly Review" at the end of the month. Why? To set some goals, to have something to work towards, instead of just aimlessly blogging or picking up a book I know I shouldn't be reading because I have to read a different book first. Also it allows me and you to see what I posted the entire month, and if you want to check out a specific post, feel free to click the link!

I've been working on my "Monthly Reviews" and trying to find ways to improve them. If you have any ideas, please comment below!

Book Reviews:



Fragments (Partials, #2)September GirlsPhoenix (Black City, #2)Altered (Altered, #1)



It's Monday What Am I Reading:


Insurgent (Divergent Series #2)Tiger's Quest (The Tiger Saga, #2)Embrace (Gryphon, #2)



Wednesday Memes:

Allegiant (Divergent Series #3)Champion (Marie Lu's Legend Series #3)Teardrop (Teardrop Trilogy Series #1)


What's Coming This Week:

Tiger Eyes by Judy Blume: Book CoverPiece of My Heart by Lynn Maddalena Menna: Book Cover


Book Haul:


Clockwork Princess (The Infernal Devices, #3)Tiger's Destiny (The Tiger Saga, #4)



Other:



Gryphon Series by Stacey Rourke

Welcome to Turning Pages!

The goal for Turning Pages throughout the summer of 2013 is to finished some of the uncompleted series that have been sitting on my book shelf. And with already a week and a half into my summer break, I've started to work towards my goal!

The first series I've started is the Gryphon Series by Stacey Rourke. Its a three book series comprised of The Conduit, Embrace and Sacrifice. I'm currently starting up Sacrifice.


The Conduit (Gryphon, #1)

"All 18-year-old Celeste Garrett wants is to head off to college and make those fun, yet ill-advised, choices college kids are known for. And maybe to spend some time with the hot cameraman she just met. Instead, because of a pact her ancestors made in the 17th century with a mythical creature, she has to save the world. While normal kids are slamming energy drinks and cramming for exams, Celeste will get her adrenaline rush fighting a fire breathing dragon. She wants to meet friends in the quad to exchange lecture notes, but first she must exchange blows with a shapeshifting demon on the rooftop. Life isn’t always fair for a superhero, but at least she doesn’t have to do it alone. With her brother and sister as sidekicks, they alternate between saving lives and getting on each others’ nerves. Together the trio encounters unspeakable odds, mystical forces and comes face-to-face with an image that will haunt them forever—their grandmother in a leopard print bikini."

Really enjoyed this one, and was pulled in right away by the strong leading female character; Celeste! With only about 180 pages, The Conduit throws the reader right into all the action!




Embrace (Gryphon, #2)

"Whether she likes it or not, eighteen year old Celeste Garrett has come to terms with being the Chosen One. She knew having a "normal life" would be tricky, between intense training sessions and epic demonic battles, but she didn't know at what cost it would come. That is, until a dear friend is harmed by the malicious forces hunting her. Now, she'd like nothing more than to retreat into a hermit lifestyle to prevent anyone else from getting hurt. But startling revelations, amazing new abilities, and mortifying moments in front of insanely hot guys won't allow time for that. Soon, Celeste finds herself surrounded by darkness and wondering who she can trust-if anyone."

Unlike The Conduit, Embrace is a little more lovey dovey. Celeste is still battling all that is evil, but she is also battling her heart and the feelings she has to one very special...and Irish demon!



Sacrifice (Gryphon, #3)

"Celeste Garrett has finally found a happy balance in her life as the Chosen One, thanks in large part to a certain hunky Irishman. But if there’s any lesson she should heed since receiving her calling it’s that everything can change in the blink of an eye. Soon a terrible new threat, unlike anything she’s ever encountered, causes her to make a gut-wrenching choice that will strip her of someone she holds dear. As much as she’d like to have a pity party for one, there’s no time for that now because wedding bells are ringing in Gainesboro! In between dress fittings and rehearsal dinners Celeste will have to fend off attacking demons and leering pirates. As if the Dark Army wasn’t scary enough our heroine is faced with the horrifying trauma of attending a bachelorette party with her mom and watching Grams do Jello shots. Is a walk down the aisle even possible for a member of the Garrett family when the Dark Army is out to destroy them? More importantly, will the Dark Army Glee Club sing at the reception? Raise your glass to the happy couple, and get ready for a wedding…Conduit-style."

I'm not very far into Sacrifice just yet, I'm only on chapter three. But so far I'm really enjoying it! Wedding bells are ringing for a very special couple and I'm not saying who (;


June 27, 2013

Book Review: Altered

Altered (Altered, #1)Title: Altered.
Author: Jennifer Rush.
Pages: 323.
Series: Yes, #1.
Source: Library.
Publisher: Little Brown.
Published Date: 1/1/13.
Summary:

"When you can’t trust yourself, who can you believe? Everything about Anna’s life is a secret. Her father works for the Branch at the helm of its latest project: monitoring and administering treatments to the four genetically altered boys in the lab below their farmhouse. There’s Nick, Cas, Trev . . . and Sam, who’s stolen Anna’s heart. When the Branch decides it’s time to take the boys, Sam stages an escape, killing the agents sent to retrieve them. Anna is torn between following Sam or staying behind in the safety of her everyday life. But her father pushes her to flee, making Sam promise to keep her away from the Branch, at all costs. There’s just one problem. Sam and the boys don’t remember anything before living in the lab—not even their true identities. Now on the run, Anna soon discovers that she and Sam are connected in more ways than either of them expected. And if they’re both going to survive, they must piece together the clues of their past before the Branch catches up to them and steals it all away."

Links:
Goodreads.
Barnes and Noble.

Cover:

Mhmmm! Who doesn't like a shirtless HOTTIE on the cover of a REALLY good book!? ...Well unless you plan on reading it during school, or at work during your break...that could be a little weird..(awkward)

My Thoughts:

Anna has always lived a quiet life. She was home schooled and spent a lot of her free time helping her father with his work. But he isn't a lawyer, nor is he an accountant...instead he is a scientist and his most recent projects are the four boys living in Anna's basement.

Cass, Trev, Nick and Sam have lived there for years. And for all those years has Anna's dad has run tests and monitored their progress...until that is, the agency her dad is testing the four boys for, comes to retrieve them.

Pushing her to runaway with the boys, Anna is unsure if she should follow her dad's orders...her father is laying on the floor injured and bloody, just asking her to leave and not to contact him, because it isn't safe. Anna is torn, and runs out of the basemen to leave with Sam, Nick, Cas, and Trev.

On their run, Anna and the four boys try figure out their past and how they became a part of this agency and the experiment. But the farther they travel and the more they figure out about the boys, the less Anna knows about herself. She comes to the realization that she isn't who she always thought she was. She isn't her father's daughter, her mother might not be dead, and in someway or another she's connected to these four boys...even before she found them her basement.

With only one female character and four males, I was hoping Anna wasn't one of those to start a love triangle (...or would that be a pentagon?), and to jump from one boy to the next. I didn't want to read another book about a girl who doesn't know what she wants, and creates feelings for various characters. But thank goodness that didn't happen in Altered!! Thank you Jennifer!! Anna only had feelings for Sam, which the reader discovers right from the start, she's best friends with Trev, enjoys baking cookies for Cas, and isn't on good terms with Nick.

Altered already had me pulled in with the fact that four boys were kept in a basement, tested and monitored twenty four hours a day. It had me interested when the agency came to Anna's house to take them away, but instead the four boys and Anna ran. It had me completely hooked, when the five of them tried to figure out each of the boys' pasts. And the ending completely turned my brain into mush, when Anna realizes that she isn't who she always thought she was, her mom might not be dead, and somehow she is connected to these four boys, in ways she doesn't know yet!!

*I feel like I'm yelling...but I loved this book SOOO MUCH!!!*

Man, oh man! I am so happy to have discovered Altered, and I almost passed out when I realized that it was the first part of a series! I couldn't get enough of Altered, the story and the characters, both were very interesting. I can't wait to see how the story continues, and how things work out for all five of the characters!


Book Haul

Welcome to Turning Pages!

I know, I know. Walking into a book store when I'm bored and with a pocket full of babysitting money isn't the best decision...not matter how many times I tell myself that I'm just looking and won't buy anything... Yeah, I don't even believe my own lie..

I got a total of three books, two purchased and one sent to me from Harlequin Teen. I'm excited for all three!

Hooked (Hooked, #1)Hooked, by Liz Fichera (Thank you Harlequin Teen)

"When Native American Fredricka ‘Fred’ Oday is invited to become the only girl on the school’s golf team, she can’t say no. This is an opportunity to shine, win a scholarship and go to university, something no one in her family has done. But Fred’s presence on the team isn’t exactly welcome — especially not to rich golden boy Ryan Berenger, whose best friend was kicked off the team to make a spot for Fred. But there’s no denying that things are happening between the girl with the killer swing and the boy with the killer smile..."

Hallowed (Unearthly, #2)Hallowed, by Cynthia Hand.

"For months Clara Gardner trained to face the fire from her visions, but she wasn't prepared for the choice she had to make that day. And in the aftermath, she discovered that nothing about being part angel is as straightforward as she thought. Now, torn between her love for Tucker and her complicated feelings about the roles she and Christian seem destined to play in a world that is both dangerous and beautiful, Clara struggles with a shocking revelation: Someone she loves will die in a matter of months. With her future uncertain, the only thing Clara knows for sure is that the fire was just the beginning. In this compelling sequel to Unearthly, Cynthia Hand captures the joy of first love, the anguish of loss, and the confusion of becoming who you are."

Tiger's Destiny (The Tiger Saga, #4)Tiger's Destiny, by Colleen Houck.

"With three of the goddess Durga's quests behind them, only one prophecy now stands in the way of Kelsey, Ren, and Kishan breaking the tiger's curse. But the trio's greatest challenge awaits them: A life-endangering pursuit in search of Durga's final gift, the Rope of Fire, on the Andaman Islands in the Bay of Bengal. It's a race against time--and the evil sorcerer Lokesh--in this eagerly anticipated fourth volume in the bestselling Tiger's Curse series, which pits good against evil, tests the bonds of love and loyalty, and finally reveals the tigers' true destinies once and for all."

Thank you all so much for stopping by. Feel free to leave a comment with your thoughts on any one of the books mentioned above!


June 26, 2013

Waiting on Wednesday

Teardrop (Teardrop Trilogy Series #1)Title: Teardrop.
Author: Lauren Kate.
Summary:

"Never, ever cry. . . . Eureka Boudreaux's mother drilled that rule into her daughter years ago. But now her mother is gone, and everywhere Eureka goes he is there: Ander, the tall, pale blond boy who seems to know things he shouldn't, who tells Eureka she is in grave danger, who comes closer to making her cry than anyone has before. But Ander doesn't know Eureka's darkest secret: ever since her mother drowned in a freak accident, Eureka wishes she were dead, too. She has little left that she cares about, just her oldest friend, Brooks, and a strange inheritance—a locket, a letter, a mysterious stone, and an ancient book no one understands. The book contains a haunting tale about a girl who got her heart broken and cried an entire continent into the sea. Eureka is about to discover that the ancient tale is more than a story, that Ander might be telling the truth . . . and that her life has far darker undercurrents than she ever imagined." 

Release Date: 10/22/2013

WWW Wednesday

Welcome to Turning Pages!

What am I currently reading?

Embrace (Gryphon, #2)

Right now, I'm reading Embrace by Stacey Rourke and so far enjoying it! The story caught my attention right from the first book, and I'm excited to see how this work out for the characters in the second book!

What did I just finish reading?

Tiger's Quest (The Tiger Saga, #2)

The most recent book I've read is Tiger's Quest by Colleen Houck! This book was on the top of my TBR list for this month and I couldn't wait to get it started...but things didn't turn out as I had hoped.

What do I plan on reading next?

City of Glass (The Mortal Instruments, #3)

City of Glass by Cassandra Clare. I've been trying to fit this series in, but always find myself having to reading something else first. Now that schools over, and summer break has started, and I have nothing but free time, I hope to completely finish this series and a few others before school starts up again!


June 25, 2013

It's Monday, What Am I Reading?

Embrace (Gryphon, #2)Title: Embrace.
Author: Stacey Rourke.
Summary:

"Whether she likes it or not, eighteen year old Celeste Garrett has come to terms with being the Chosen One. She knew having a "normal life" would be tricky, between intense training sessions and epic demonic battles, but she didn't know at what cost it would come. That is, until a dear friend is harmed by the malicious forces hunting her. Now, she'd like nothing more than to retreat into a hermit lifestyle to prevent anyone else from getting hurt. But startling revelations, amazing new abilities, and mortifying moments in front of insanely hot guys won't allow time for that. Soon, Celeste finds herself surrounded by darkness and wondering who she can trust-if anyone." 

My Thoughts So Far:

After reading and really enjoying the first installment in this trilogy, Conduit, I was excited to get started on the second one! And boy oh boy, am I happy I did! Embrace is a short book, so it pulls you in quickly and starts with the action right away! Right now, I'm loving the main character Celeste; she's down to earth and the total butt kicking chick I look for in every book!

June 22, 2013

Blogger of the Week Updated!

Welcome to Turning Pages!

If you've been following Turning Pages for a while now, you might have heard of the meme hosted here called Blogger of the Week. It's a weekly meme, that interviews book bloggers. Just like any author interview, but instead were asking our favorite book bloggers questions!

Blogger of the Week allows for not only readers to discover new and cool book bloggers, but also book bloggers can spread the word about their website! Blogger of the Week is published every Sunday, and runs on a first come first serve basis!

If you want to become a Blogger of the Week, all you need to do is meet a few requirements, answer some questions and shoot me an email! For more details head to my "Blogger of the Week" tab, where you will see the list of requirements, tons of questions to choose from and even an example of what a Blogger of the Week post would look like!

Thank you so much for stopping by, and I hope to see you in the next Blogger of the Week!


June 20, 2013

Book Review: Phoenix

Phoenix (Black City, #2)Title: Phoenix.
Author: Elizabeth Richards.
Pages: 368.
Series: Yes, #2.
Source: Me My Shelf and I (Review Copy)
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile.
Published Date: 6/4/13
Links:
Goodreads.
Barnes and Noble.
Summary:

"Ash and Natalie are just starting to build a life together when things in the United Sentry States go from bad to worse. Ash and Natalie find themselves at the center of turmoil when dictator Purian Rose threatens Natalie’s life unless Ash votes in favor of Rose’s Law—a law that will send Darklings and other dissenters to a deadly concentration camp known as the Tenth. When Ash can’t bring himself to trade Natalie’s life for those of millions of Darklings, her fate is sealed. Enter Elijah Theroux, the handsome Bastet boy Natalie once saved from her mother’s labs, where he’d been experimented on and tortured. It was his venom the Sentry used to create the lethal Golden Haze, the heart of the government conspiracy that led to Black City’s uprising and Ash’s rebirth as the Phoenix, the face of the rebellion. Elijah is back and Ash doesn’t like him; it’s clear he’s taken with Natalie, and Ash fears she may have feelings for him as well. But Elijah also may have the answer to taking down Purian Rose for good—a powerful weapon called the Ora. Ash, Natalie and Elijah just have to escape Black City undetected to find it. But fleeing the city and finding this weapon (if it even exists) are easier said than done, and the quest could tear Ash and Natalie apart, even pushing them into the arms of others."

Cover:

While I wish that the covers of the first book and Phoenix matched a little better, I really do like the cover of Phoenix. The burning Feather, and the destroyed city in the background display the story inside of the cover perfectly!

My Thoughts:

After enjoying a book and then reading reviews on the next book, I create these sky high expectations; what I want to get out of the book, how I want the characters to develop and how I want the story to surprise me. Phoenix was one of those. I completely fell in love with Black City, I couldn’t wait to read the second installment so I went ahead and read fantastic reviews, and even with my fear of ‘middle book syndrome’, I was expecting Phoenix to be nothing less than AMAZING.

Throughout Black City I enjoyed the dialogue, admired the characters, swooned over Ash and Natalie, and dropped by jaw while reading the ending. I was hoping to get all that, and more out Phoenix, and I did…
Phoenix takes off right where Black City ends; Natalie and her sister, Polly, are living with her best friend Day and her family. Its Natalie’s birthday and Ash has a very special surprise, for the girl who got his heart to start pumping (literally, read the first book, you’ll know what I’m talkin’ about); an engagement ring! What a good way to start the book, if I may say so myself Richards!

But things aren’t going as peachy as planned, when Ash is stopped and asked to step into a horse carriage, and finds himself sitting across from Purian Rose. Being threaten to vote for Purian Rose, instead of the Rebellion, Ash is caught between supporting the thousands of people who supported him, or his love, Natalie.

After the votes have been counted, and the election has been finalized, nothing was going to be the same. The world Ash and Natalie knew, will be changed forever. And the two are ready to do whatever it takes to save the Darklings and create a world that treats everyone equally; even if it means losing loved ones, or losing each other.

In Black City the reader was introduced to many of the main characters. In Phoenix you are introduce to A LOT of smaller characters; new characters that are working for Sebastian, new friends that help Natalie and Ash, kids that Natalie saves on an airplane, and a group of characters that help with their ultimate plan to put an end to Purian Rose.

I still love Natalie, and Ash. I also still hate Sebastian. And I’m still confused on Natalie’s mother. Natalie and Ash are definitely a power couple; nothing and no one can stop them. While my love for Ash grew more and more as the story went on, I was becoming a little annoyed by Natalie. Don’t get me wrong, Natalie is still one of my favorite characters, but in Phoenix she did seem a little bit…clingy. She constantly wanted to hold hands with Ash, or cuddle close with him; even if they were stuck in the dessert with big winter coats on…sometimes I just felt like she was over doing it. But on the other hand, she was really kicking butt when it can to saving and looking out for others!

I found myself reading the last fifty or so pages, with my mouth open (please do not try this; it can cause serious dryness in the tongue area). A lot happens towards the end of the book, which totally made up for all the waiting around they did in the previous eighty pages. The friend Ash and Natalie thought they had, isn’t so friendly after all (or is he?), and the two get separated when Natalie is dragged onto an airplane. When she finally gets the chance to calm down and see what is going on around her, you’ll never believe who she bumps into!!


Overall Phoenix was everything I expected and more. The characters were still interesting. The story was action packed and filled with twists and turns. And the ending was mind boggling!! While the story was a bit slower this time (with all the traveling, planning and waiting the characters did), I still really enjoyed the story and am excited to see what Elizabeth Richards as in store for her readers in the next book!


June 19, 2013

Waiting on Wednesday

Champion (Marie Lu's Legend Series #3)Title: Champion.
Author: Marie Lu.
Summary:

"He is a Legend. She is a Prodigy. Who will be Champion? June and Day have sacrificed so much for the people of the Republic—and each other—and now their country is on the brink of a new existence. June is back in the good graces of the Republic, working within the government’s elite circles as Princeps Elect while Day has been assigned a high level military position. But neither could have predicted the circumstances that will reunite them once again. Just when a peace treaty is imminent, a plague outbreak causes panic in the Colonies, and war threatens the Republic’s border cities. This new strain of plague is deadlier than ever, and June is the only one who knows the key to her country’s defense. But saving the lives of thousands will mean asking the one she loves to give up everything he has. With heart-pounding action and suspense, Marie Lu’s bestselling trilogy draws to a stunning conclusion."

Release Date: 11/5/13.

June 18, 2013

Graduation! Officially A College Student!

Welcome to Turning Pages!


As some of you may already know, last fall in September I started my Senior year in high school. Little did I know back then, how fast the time would fly by. I didn't realize how quickly winter break had come and gone, how rapidly prom was approaching, that the last day of school was just around the corner, and the graduation was already here and over with.

Winter break was fun and delicious, Prom was filled with friends, dancing, and laughter, and graduation was made of tears, hugs and goodbyes. I made the best out of high school, and really enjoyed the experience...I can't wait to see everyone at the reunion!

While I can easily say that I'm going to miss my favorite teachers, and all of my friends, I can also say that I'm excited for college and all the things it has in store for me. I won't be going far, instead I'll be attending university close and staying home. I have high hopes to learn bigger and better things, do more valuable activities, and not be stuck in a building all day, and following childish rules.

My biggest hope to get out of college is to find my true self, and to do what I love doing; not matter what it might be. I will continue to blog, read and review books, that isn't ending any time soon! Actually, I hope to get more time to read, time to write more detail reviews, more time to post, and overall improve Turning Pages. The summer of 2013 will be huge for Turning Pages, and any other places you might find my reviews and posts. Such as Burn Bright or over at Me My Shelf and I.

While my high school journey is already over, I hope you continue to join me on my book blogging adventure!