Showing posts with label Victoria Scott. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Victoria Scott. Show all posts

Saturday, April 30, 2016

April Monthly Wrap Up 2016


   Hello everyone! April is over, and it is finally time for May flowers! I couldn't be more excited for
May! A few sort weeks ago I very last minutely signed up to attend BEA 2016 and BookCon, and oh my gosh that's coming up so fast. I guess that's what happens when you plan a trip last minute right?
   Along with attending BEA and BookCon, I will also be at the Maggie Stiefvater signing on the 10th, as well as the Sarah J Maas signing on the 14th! If you see me at all, feel free to come and say hi!I promise that I'm super friendly and would love to meet you! And if you're a blogger then, hopefully I'll be seeing you at the Blogger Dinner?
   When it's come to packing I am honestly so stumped on what to pack book wise! Because I'm flying in I'll have a few restrictions, including a weight one. So bringing books from home to get signed, as well as picking up new books at BEA will be a struggle. So far all I know is that I need my ARC of A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas to be signed.
  here. Next months book club book is The Crowns Game by Evelyn Skye! I'm been dying to read this one for a while now, and I couldn't be happier to finally get the chance!
   Besides planning for BEA, April was a more relaxing month. The only other things that happened was a Be First Book Club meeting and a signing for Colleen Nelson, that you can read about
   That's all for this month! Expect TONS for next month, I'm sure that I'm going to be rambling on about BEA for a long time!
   Now for the stats!



Books Read:




Book Haul:

 A huge thank you for McNally Robinson and Raincoast Publishing for two of the lovely pictures posted above! 

Books Reviewed:




May Books That I'm Excited For:



   That's it for this month! What new books did you pick up this month? What were some great books that you read? Let me know in the comments! I'm always in need of a new book to add to my TBR pile!


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Sunday, April 24, 2016

Book Review: Titans by Victoria Scott

Release Date: February 23rd, 2016
Read: March 21st -April 5th, 2016
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Series: N/A
Format: Hardcover, 320 pages
Source: Gift

Description from GoodReads:


    Ever since the Titans first appeared in her Detroit neighborhood, Astrid Sullivan’s world has revolved around the mechanical horses. She and her best friend have spent countless hours watching them and their jockeys practice on the track. It’s not just the thrill of the race. It’s the engineering of the horses and the way they’re programmed to seem so lifelike. The Titans are everything that fascinates Astrid, and nothing she’ll ever touch.

    She hates them a little, too. Her dad lost everything betting on the Titans. And the races are a reminder of the gap between the rich jockeys who can afford the expensive machines to ride, and the working class friends and neighbors of Astrid’s who wager on them.
   But when Astrid’s offered a chance to enter an early model Titan in this year’s derby, well, she decides to risk it all. Because for a girl from the wrong side of the tracks, it’s more than a chance at fame or money. Betting on herself is the only way she can see to hang on to everyone in the world she cares about. 

Review:


   I've never been this critically close to the grave.
   Victoria Scott is my favourite, she is such a sweetie and an incredible author at the same time. Since Fire & Flood, Scott is forever an automatic buy, and it was the exact same for Titans. From the moment I got my hands on it, I just couldn't wait to read it.
   Titans was a little bit of a different experience than the rest of Scott's previous novels, first of all, this was her first standalone. So when reading the story you knew that the story would be done once you hit the end of the book, and you knew to not expect a cliffhanger. It was a nice refreshing novel if you're looking for a break from series commitment.
   The racing, the gambling, I really enjoyed the backstory to why Astrid did what she did, and that she didn't do it for the money. Hart on the other hand, we got a brief description on why he was a jockey, but I would have preferred just a little bit more information on him.
   I loved all the mechanical information and research Scott put into the novel, to make everything accurate. Having taken a mechanic course at the beginning of my grade 10 year, I already knew a few things here and there, but for the newbies reading the book, Scott did a perfect job of introducing them to the work, and throwing a little bit extra in there for people like me. Everything went together perfectly.
   Finally, with Astrid's little collection of parts that her father snagged for her, I had totally thought that one of those parts would be the answer to their little crisis in the end. I was completely surprised when Scott didn't take that root.
   Once Victoria Scott completely aced yet another book, and who could be surprised? I'm already counting down the days until her 2017 releases, Violet Grenade and Hear the Wolves.

Rating:



Favourite Quote:


"Dorment for too long. Awake at last."

Recommend to People Who Enjoy:


Young Adult, Sci-fi, Adventure, Racing, Horse Racing, Mechanical Horses, Betting



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Monday, February 29, 2016

February Monthly Wrap Up 2016

   Besides December, February is always the busiest time of the year for my family. With two birthdays in the family, my youngest sister and I, Valentines Day, and a new school semester starting,
everything is always so overwhelming! That didn't change this year either!
My younger sister's birthday dinner.
   The biggest event for me would probably be me turning 18, being in Canada that means a few things. I am officially considered an adult, I can also legally drink alcohol, vote, get a tattoo, donate blood, go to jail, sue someone, and many other things! My "brothers" gave me a huge list of things like that, so I can consider myself somewhat of an expert aha. Anyhow, I celebrated by having a big pizza lunch last Friday with my friends, and spending the Saturday (My actually birthday), with friends and family throughout the day leading up to dinner at my favourite bookstore, McNally Robinson, where I might have boughten a bunch of the books listed below. Oops. 
   Another thing that the month consisted of, was prepping for my San Fransisco trip at the end of March. I've been saving since last spring, and its finally here. So now I have to make sure I have the right clothing and shoes for the weather! Winter parkas have been a thing here since November, and I'm pretty sure I won't need those there... So for now I spring clothing shop, there goes my bank account!
   Overall February was a very busy month, next month will definitely be the same! With my trip, I'll probably take a bit of an online presence hiatus in March but I'll let you guys know before I do!
   That's it for this month, now for the bookish stats!
   

Books Read:

Book Haul:


Happily Ever After by Kiera Cass (International Paperback)
Titans by Victoria Scott (Hardcover)


   A big thank you to McNally Robinson, Doodle's Book Reviews, Maura, and to the lovey people who bought me books for my birthday, for so many of these fabulous books!

Books Reviewed:

Movies Reviewed:

March Books That I'm Excited For:




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Monday, January 11, 2016

Top 10 Books I'm Looking Forward to in the First Half of 2016


   As always, I have huge list of books that I'm looking forward to this year. Unfortunately only half of there covers have been released, so in order to show off all their beauty I've decided to only show you my favourite books from the first half of 2016. So here they are! 
   

   Those are them! Are you excited for any of these? No? What books are your excited for in 2016? Let me know! I'd love to add them to my TBR pile! 

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Friday, October 9, 2015

Recommendation Fridays: Fire & Flood Series by Victoria Scott


   I came across Fire & Flood because I loved Victoria Scott's Dante Walker series. It was full of sass and awesome sauce. So when I found out about Fire & Flood I could not have ran to the closest pre-order site to order. My copy may have a different cover than the one they advertise now, either way it's still my precious baby. 
   At this point Victoria Scott has mastered the art of playing with your heart, thus making the series one of the biggest tear-jerkers yet.
   The Fire & Flood series is everything you needed in a epic race, inspiring characters, Animals with powers beyond imagination. Definitely a series you'll need to pick up. 
   

The series would probably be best for people who like the following books:
Science Fiction, Fantasy, Adventure, Action, Dystopian, Survival





 

Fire & Flood by Victoria Scott


Release Date: January 27th, 2015
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Series: Fire & Flood, #1
Format: Paperback, 320 pages


Description from GoodReads:


   Time is slipping away.... 

   Tella Holloway is losing it. Her brother is sick, and when a dozen doctors can't determine what's wrong, her parents decide to move to Montana for the fresh air. She's lost her friends, her parents are driving her crazy, her brother is dying—and she's helpless to change anything.

   Until she receives mysterious instructions on how to become a Contender in the Brimstone Bleed. It's an epic race across jungle, desert, ocean, and mountain that could win her the prize she desperately desires: the Cure for her brother's illness. But all the Contenders are after the Cure for people they love, and there's no guarantee that Tella (or any of them) will survive the race.

   The jungle is terrifying, the clock is ticking, and Tella knows she can't trust the allies she makes. And one big question emerges: Why have so many fallen sick in the first place?



Salt & Stone by Victoria Scott


Release Date: February 24th, 2015
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Series: Fire & Flood, #2
Format: Hardcover, 320 pages


Description from GoodReads:


   What would you do to save someone you love? What about risking...everything?

   In Fire & Flood, Tella Holloway faced a dangerous trek through the jungle and a terrifying march across the desert, all to remain a Contender in the Brimstone Bleed for a chance at obtaining the Cure for her brother. She can't stop—and in Salt & Stone, Tella will have to face the unseen dangers of the ocean, the breathless cold of a mountain, and the twisted new rules in the race.

   But what if the danger is deeper than that? How do you know who to trust when everyone's keeping secrets? What do you do when the person you've relied on most suddenly isn't there for support? How do you weigh one life against another?

   The race is coming to an end, and Tella is running out of time, resources, and strength. At the beginning of the race there were 122 Contenders. As Tella and her remaining friends start the fourth and final part of the race, just forty-one are left...and only one can win.


   What do you think? Will you be picking up the series anytime soon? Let me know!

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Friday, February 20, 2015

Ohana Talks: Cover Changes


   There is one major thing book collectors tend to hate above others, when book covers change. There are many reasons why publishers end up making the decision to change them. A few being that the series is over and they want a new change, the cover isn't getting as much attention as they like and perhaps a movie is coming out based on the book so they decided to change it to have viewers connect both the movie and the book. But either way it frustrates readers.

   I as a reader, have a love & hate relationship with cover changes. Sometimes I believe the swap is for the best, the original cover is just not just enough to catch my eye but then there are times where the cover is utterly fabulous and they swap it out to mush or what relates to mush. I understand that they change for marketing purposes, but I think Publishings should get an opinion from readers before they swap them. The decisions the publishing makes is not always the best one.

An example:
                              
 

 

   The first two books in the Across the Universe series by Beth Revis were stunning, but when the third and finale book in the series was released all the books got a make over. Thus leaving the first two stunning book covers with out a matching third. ( Just FYI, I believe the UK cover of Shades of Earth matches the first two books if you're a collector or maybe desperate.)

   Another reason besides eye catchiness that frustrates readers, is if a series is not completed and a publishing change the covers then the reader is in a pickle. If they already owned the original set then they will never have a complete set of matching covers now because of the change, unless of course they go out and re-buy them all again. I've had this happen to me a few times already, with Perfect Ruin by Lauren DeStefano and Fire & Flood by Victoria Scott. Sometimes I think that it's a con to buy the books again, but I'm not made of money so that won't be happening for a second time.


 
 


   From what I said above you can see why I think it's a love & hate relationship, everyone has their own opinions over the matter.
   I have collected a list of books and covers that have changed for you all, so I'll let you decide what you think about cover changes.

Note: Not all books in each series are shown, and that the cover go in order from when they were released, left to right. Right being the current cover you can purchase in stores.


The Arcana Chronicles by Kresley Cole

   



Lux Chronicles by Jennifer L. Armentrout

  

  



Study Series by Maria V. Snyder

   
   
 



The Blood of Eden by Julie Kagawa

   




Shatter Me Series by Tahereh Mafi

   


   How do you guys feel about cover changes? Do you love them or hate them? Let me know in the comments or on Twitter! 



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