Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along. Just do the following:

-Grab your current read.

-Open to a random page.

-Share two “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page.

-BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others.)

-Share the title & author, too, so that other participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

This week I'm reading Jekel Loves Hyde by Beth Fantaskey.

And here's my teaser:

I read the words again, not trusting my eyes. Discernable change.

Was`it possible that Jill's father really had told the truth? Was there a chance that I held the actual roots of my twisted family tree in my hands?

..."Um, Tristen?" she ventured, sounding almost frightened. "Why really do you want to do the experiment?" (arc, p. 65)

In My Mailbox

Again with thanks to the very creative Kristi aka Story Siren and Alea of Pop Culture Junkie, the blogs where this meme started, here are the books I acquired this week. And what a week - such good books I don't know where to start.

Jekel Loves Hyde by Beth Fantasky

Jill Jekel has always obeyed her parents’ rules – especially the one about never opening the mysterious, old box in her father’s office. But when her dad is murdered, and her college savings disappear, she's tempted to peek inside, as the contents might be key to a lucrative chemistry scholarship.

To better her odds, Jill enlists the help of Tristen Hyde, who has his own dark secrets locked away. As the team of Jekel and Hyde, they recreate experiments based on the classic novel, hoping not only to win a prize, but to save Tristen’s sanity. Maybe his life. But Jill’s accidental taste of a formula unleashes her darkest nature and compels her to risk everything – even Tristen’s love – just for the thrill of being… bad.

I loved, really loved, Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side so was absolutely delighted when Beth sent this to me (and yes, I admit it, I've already finished it! Review soon.)

Captivate by Carrie Jones

Another one I was clutching to my chest when I got hold of it. I loved Need so can't wait to start this. (And I love the cover!)

Zara and her friends knew they hadn't solved the pixie problem for good. Far from it. The king's needs grow deeper every day he's stuck in captivity, while his control over his people gets weaker. It's made him vulnerable. And now there's a new king in town.

A turf war is imminent, since the new pixie king, Astley, is moving in quickly. Nick nearly killed him in the woods on day one, but Zara came to his rescue. Astley swears that he and Zara are destined to be together, that he's one of the good guys. Nick isn't buying it, though Zara isn't as sure -- despite herself, she wants to trust the new king. But it's a lot more than her relationship with Nick that is at stake. It's her life -- and his.

Firespell by Chloe Neill

The very talented Lucienne Diver sent me this to review - a book she was talking about when she visited Kepler's last month. Don't think I'll be able to read quickly enough this week.

Lily's parents have sent her to a fancy boarding school in Chicago filled with the ultra-rich. If that wasn't bad enough, she's hearing and seeing bizarre things on St. Sophie's creepy campus. Her roommate, Scout, keeps her sane, but keeps disappearing at night. When one day Lily finds Scout running from real-life monsters, she learns the hard way that Scout is involved in a splinter group of rebel teens.

They protect Chicago from demons, vamps, and dark magic users. It's too bad Lily doesn't have powers of her own to help. At least, none that she's discovered yet...

Feel very lucky this week. Wonderful books. Many thanks to everyone who gave them to me. Now back to reading.

How was your week?

NBA in Young People's Literature Winner Announced

The National Book Award for Young People's Literature was given Wednesday night to Phillip Hoose, for Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice, a true-life account of the 15-year-old African-American girl who refused to give up her seat on a segregated bus in March 1955, nine months before Rosa Parks. Hoose walked to the podium with Colvin, and in accepting his medal, called the honor "unreal."

Congratulations to Phillip Hoose. Haven't read it yet - have any of you? (I was rooting for Lips Touch.)

The Maze Runner by James Dashner - Review

What do you do if you wake up in a metal box and can’t remember anything except your name? Scream! That’s exactly what Thomas does until the roof of the box is opened by a group of boys (yes, all boys) and all he hears is, "Welcome to the Glade."

And what on earth is the Glade? It’s a prison and that box brings a new boy every month. Their memories are wiped, they have no idea who they are, why they are there, and what to do. But they’ve formed a community, work hard to keep themselves alive, and try to find a way out. They are put in teams, each with different responsibilities. And each boy tries out all the teams to see where he best fits in. But Thomas feels drawn to the Maze Runners – he doesn’t know why. He thinks he can find a way out, can discover the secret to the Glade. Then he’s told the Maze changes every day, that no one has ever survived spending a night in the Maze, and that the creatures that come out at night to hunt are fierce, half robot, terrifying.

But just as Thomas starts to adjust to his new surroundings things change again. The box arrives too soon after his arrival and this time it brings a girl. And in her hand is a note. They know they have to escape. The questions is: will they trust Thomas to help them run the Maze?

A scary page-turning adventure, this is a must read for all those adrenaline junkies out there. A twist on every page, right to the very end, I can’t wait for the sequel.

Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

-Grab your current read.

-Open to a random page.

-Share two “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page.

-BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

-Share the title & author, too, so that other participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

And this week I'm reading Beautiful Creatures (and how I love it!) by Kami Garcia and Maqrgaret Stohl.

And here's the teaser from page 216 (arc)

"I get it. You're scared. But we'll figure something out. We're supposed to be together."
"We're not. You're a Mortal. You can't understand. I don't want to see you get hurt, and that's what will happen if you get close to me."
"Too late."
I'd heard every word she'd said, but I only knew one thing:
I was all in.

It is SO good.

In My Mailbox

Again with thanks to the very creative Kristi aka Story Siren and Alea of Pop Culture Junkie, the blogs where this meme started, here are the books I acquired this week.

1. The Body Finder by Kimberley Derting

"A serial killer on the loose. A girl with a morbid ability. And the boy who would never let anything happen to her. Violet Ambrose can find the dead. Or at least, those who have been murdered. She can sense the echoes they leave behind... and the imprints they leave on their killers. As if that weren't enough to deal with during junior year, she also has a sudden, inexplicable, and consuming crush on her best friend since childhood, Jay Heaton. Now a serial killer has begun terrorizing Violet's small town... and she realizes she might be the only person who can stop him."

2. My So-Called Death by Stacey Jay

"One second, sophomore Karen Vera's on top of the most fabulous cheer pyramid ever. The next, she's lying on the pavement with seriously unflattering cranial damage. Freakishly alive without a pulse, Karen learns that she's a genetically undead zombie. Soon, Karen is sent off to DEAD High, a boarding school for the "death-challenged," and her non-life is suddenly an epic disaster. She's stuck with a greasy-haired, wannabe-Goth roommate who hates her guts. She's chowing down on animal brains every day to prevent rot. Even worse, someone is attacking students and harvesting their brains for a dark ritual . . . and it might be the hottest guy at DEAD High, the one who makes Karen's non-beating heart flutter! As more brains are stolen—including her best friend's—Karen tracks down the brain snatcher to save her fellow students from certain zombie death."

3. Goth Girl Rising by Barry Lyga

"After six months in the Maryland Mental Health Unit, Kyra Sellers, a.k.a. Goth Girl, is going home. Unfortunately, she's about to find out that while she was away, she lost track of more than time. Kyra is back in black, feeling good, and ready to make up with the only person who's ever appreciated her for who she really is. But then she sees him. Fanboy. Transcended from everything he was into someone she barely recognizes. And the anger and memories come rushing back. There's so much to do to people when you're angry. Kyra's about to get very busy."

They sound great. Once I finish Beautiful Creatures (which I can't say enough good things about), I think I'm heading straight to The Body Finder.

So what was in your mailbox this week?

Eoin Colfer (yes, again)

Anyone who has read any of my recent posts knows how enamored I am with Eoin Colfer and how I thought him to be charming, entertaining, and downright adorable.

Our very talented videographer, John Ray, just sent me this video and, of course, I want to share it with you. It's Eoin talking about And Another Thing, the difficulties of continuing The Hitchhikers Guide series, and the response from Douglas Adams' fans.



Fantastic, don't you think?

Secret Society by Tom Dolby - Review

Here's Antonia's review of Secret Society by Tom Dolby. I haven't read it yet - it's on my TBR pile - but I do admire the cover!

Lauren and Nick are the children of scions of New York high society. Phoebe is not. But these three teens have one thing in common and it isn't money -- what they have is potential. Each of them receives a mysterious invitation to a "gathering" at midnight in the meatpacking district. They are cautioned not to be late. They have no idea what this is about, but intrigued, they respond to the summons.

They are given a choice, join the society and receive their hearts desire, or leave now. Not a difficult decision, but they aren't given the full story, they don't know what they will be asked to sacrifice as members of the society, and they certainly don't know what the society has to do with the body that was discovered recently in Central Park -- the body of a young man with a strange tattoo on the back of his neck.

This gripping thriller is a fantastic read into the dark side of privilege, I read it cover to cover before I looked up and realized it was 3 a.m.

As I said above, reviewed by Antonia