Teaser Tuesday: Shatter Me

Hi, everybody! :)

Teaser Tuesdays is an awesome meme hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading that lets us be major teases for a day. It's really fun, and I love to participate whenever I'm reading a book I feel the world needs to hear about!

The Rules: 

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “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 TT participants can add the book to their TBR lists if they like your teasers!

Shatter Me by Maggie Stiefvater

(Find it on Goodreads)

MY TEASER:

I have no idea where I am. 

I only know that I was transported by someone in a white van who drove 6 hours and 37 minutes to get me here. I know I was handcuffed to my seat. I know I was strapped to my chair. I know my parents never bothered to say good bye. I know I didn't cry as I was taken away. 

I know the sky falls down every day.

~Juliette on pg. 1-2

I just started this one last night and I already know it's going to be one of those books that will take forever to write a review for. It's absolutely AMAZING! I love Tahereh Mafi's prose, and the way some of Juliette's throughts are written with a strike through it. :)

ARE YOU A TEASE THIS TUESDAY? 

-Mimi

Review: Illuminate

Book: Illuminate
Author: Aimee Agresti
Release Date: March 6, 2012
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Pages: 544
Source: publisher (Thanks so much, HMH!)
Stars: 4.5/5

Haven Terra is a brainy, shy high school outcast. But everything begins to change when she turns sixteen. Along with her best friend Dante and their quiet and brilliant classmate Lance, she is awarded a prestigious internship in the big city— Chicago—and is sent to live and work at a swanky and stylish hotel under the watchful eyes of a group of gorgeous and shockingly young-looking strangers: powerful and alluring hotel owner Aurelia Brown; her second-in-command, the dashing Lucian Grove; and their stunning but aloof staff of glamazons called The Outfit.

As Haven begins falling for Lucian, she discovers that these beautiful people are not quite what they seem. With the help of a mysterious book, she uncovers a network of secret passageways from the hotel’s jazz-age past that leads her to the heart of the evil agenda of Aurelia and company: they’re in the business of buying souls. Will they succeed in wooing Haven to join them in their recruitment efforts, or will she be able to thwart this devilish set’s plans to take the souls of her classmates on prom night at the hotel?

Illuminate is an exciting saga of a teen’s first taste of independence, her experience in the lap of luxury, and her discovery she may possess strength greater than she ever knew.

(summary taken by Goodreads) 

MY THOUGHTS:  

Three words to describe this book: Beautiful, original, and absolutely MAGICAL!  

It wasn't just the story that was magical, but the romance and setting too! I honestly didn't know what to expect when I started reading this book, but Illuminate surprised me with how enchanting it all was. Kind of like a fairytale spell.

I'm pretty picky with my angel books (although I didn't even know this was an angel book until I read it!), but I adored Aimee Agresti's interpretation! Just like the storyline, it was completely original with a sort of mystical feel to it that only added to the intrigue.  

But my favourite thing had to be the characters. Sweet, intelligent, and passionate about photography, Haven was so easy to connect with. And her romance with Lance was honestly one of the sweetest I've ever read! It was refreshing and realistic (no insta-love here!), and he just had to be one of the most adorable boys in YA! 

Both mysterious and mystifying, Illuminate was a debut that swept me off my feet! The only thing is that some parts seemed a little long, but otherwise I had no complaints. Aimee Agresti is definitely an author to watch out for! :)  

BUY or BORROW?: With its gorgeous cover and magical storyline, this is a book that every angel-fan should have on their shelf!  

-Mimi

In My Mailbox #10

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren, where we spotlight the books that we've received for review, swapped, or purchased that week. It's a really great idea and I'm excited to take part! :)

FOR REVIEW: 

Embrace by Jessica Shirvington

(Thank you SO much for sending me this, Raincoast Books — I did a little dance when it came in the mail!! I'm reading it right now and loving it so far!)

BORROWED: 

The Pledge by Kimberly Derting

Beautiful Chaos by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson

Soul Thief by Jana Oliver

WON: 

Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake

After Obsession by Carrie Jones and Steven E. Wedel

(Thank you times a million to the super sweet Neri at In The Name of Books for these! Winning books is seriously like winning the lottery for me!)

PASSING IT ON:

Fever by Lauren DeStefano

(Simon & Schuster, you guys are so awesome! Thank you!! I already had an ARC of this one — you can read my raving review HERE — so I'm hosting a giveaway right now to give my extra copy away. You can find the giveaway link HERE, if you're interested!)

I just LOVE getting books — it makes my week! :) Thanks again to Raincoast Books, the library, Neri @ In The Name of Books, and Simon & Schuster for making this mailbox awesome!

WHAT'S IN YOUR MAILBOX? 

-Mimi

ABF Giveaway #5: Fever by Lauren DeStefano ARC!

TA DA! It's time for another giveaway in autumn! I was originally going to give away something else, but I really wanted to do this one first! :)

<center><a href="http://diminutivemimi.blogspot.com/search/label/autumn%20bookfest" target="_blank"><img alt="Mimi Valentine" src=" http://i1081.photobucket.com/albums/j359/Mimi-Vee/AutumnBF3.jpg"/></a></center>

One of my favourite reads of 2011 (no, one of my favourite reads EVER!) was Wither by Lauren DeStefano, so I was super thrilled to get an ARC of the second book, Fever! (Thank you so much, Simon & Schuster!)

Just so you know? It was AMAZING! (You can read my 5-star review here.)

And the super-awesome people at Simon & Schuster just sent me another ARC of Fever, so I'm going to share the ARC love! The only thing I ask is that you promise to either review it or spread the word somehow before the release date (February 21, 2012) because that's the purpose of an ARC, right? :)

Giveaway #4

The Rules:

1. There will be one winner. 
2. Giveaway ends on December 24, 2011 @ 11:59 p.m.
3. Be 13 or older.
4. Since I'm shipping this one out myself, it's only going to be US/Canada. (I'm so sorry, international followers!! You can blame those awful shipping rates!)
5. Fill out the form.

The prize: One gorgeous ARC of Fever!

Fill out the form below:



If you haven't read Wither yet, then you definitely should! And if you have, then I hope you love Fever as much as I did! :) ♥  

-Mimi

Review: Silence

Book: Silence
Author: Becca Fitzpatrick
Release Date: October 4, 2011
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Pages: 438
Source: KPL
Stars: 4/5

The noise between Patch and Nora is gone. They've overcome the secrets riddled in Patch's dark past...bridged two irreconcilable worlds...faced heart-wrenching tests of betrayal, loyalty and trust...and all for a love that will transcend the boundary between heaven and earth. Armed with nothing but their absolute faith in one another, Patch and Nora enter a desperate fight to stop a villain who holds the power to shatter everything they've worked for—and their love—forever.

(summary taken from Goodreads) 

MY THOUGHTS:  

After the jaw-dropping way that Crescendo ended, I had to rush to get my hands on a copy of this book. And I loved it! Thrilling and enticing and incredibly entertaining, Silence was a third book kept my attention until the last page was turned!

Picking up only a few weeks after Crescendo's abrupt end, Silence starts with Nora not remembering anything since before she met Patch. I LOVE how Fitzpatrick incorporated memory loss into her story — we got to experience Nora and Patch connecting all over again, and it added a hint of a mystery sort of feel that kept us even more intrigued!

We also get to learn a bit more about Fitzpatrick's cool angel lore, with its body-possessing fallen angels and army-building Nephilim. There was a lot of foreshadowing to war in this book! And with the way it ended, I'm sure there's going to be an EPIC conclusion in the last one!

Fast-paced and gripping, Silence was an awesome installment to the Hush, Hush saga! You should definitely pick this one up. And yes, for Patch-lovers like me out there, there are plenty of swoon-worthy scenes (though I have to admit that I'm crushing on Scottie the hottie too!). ♥

YAY to Becca Fitzpatrick for making a fourth book! It can't come fast enough! :)

BUY or BORROW?: This would make a perfect edition to your Becca Fitzpatrick collection! A must-have for anyone who has read this series, or wants to start. 

-Mimi

Waiting on Wednesday: Article 5

 

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by the awesome Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating!

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is: 

Article 5 by Kristen Simmons

New York, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C., have been abandoned.

The Bill of Rights has been revoked, and replaced with the Moral Statutes.

There are no more police—instead, there are soldiers. There are no more fines for bad behavior—instead, there are arrests, trials, and maybe worse. People who get arrested usually don't come back.

Seventeen-year-old Ember Miller is old enough to remember that things weren’t always this way. Living with her rebellious single mother, it’s hard for her to forget that people weren’t always arrested for reading the wrong books or staying out after dark. It’s hard to forget that life in the United States used to be different.

Ember has perfected the art of keeping a low profile. She knows how to get the things she needs, like food stamps and hand-me-down clothes, and how to pass the random home inspections by the military. Her life is as close to peaceful as circumstances allow.

That is, until her mother is arrested for noncompliance with Article 5 of the Moral Statutes. And one of the arresting officers is none other than Chase Jennings…the only boy Ember has ever loved.

(summary taken from Goodreads)

Release Date: February 14, 2011 

This is just one of those books that sounds so absolutely AMAZING that I want to jump up and down until it comes out! Dystopian has always been a fave of mine, but I don't think I've ever read one where the main character actually remembers what life before was like! :) 

WHAT BOOK ARE YOU WAITING FOR? 

-Mimi

Review: Deadly Cool

Book: Deadly Cool
Author: Gemma Halliday
Release Date: October 11, 2011
Publisher: HarperTeen
Pages: 320
Source: purchased from bookstore
Stars: 3.5/5

Hartley Grace Featherstone is having a very bad day. First she finds out that her boyfriend is cheating on her with the president of the Herbert Hoover High School Chastity Club. Then he's pegged as the #1 suspect in a murder. And if that weren't enough, now he's depending on Hartley to clear his name. Seriously? Not cool.

But as much as Hartley wouldn't mind seeing him squirm, she knows he's innocent, and she's the only one who can help him. Along with her best friend, Sam, and the school's resident Bad Boy, Chase, Hartley starts investigating on her own. But as the dead bodies begin to pile up, the mystery deepens, the suspects multiply, and Hartley begins to fear that she may be the killer's next victim.

(summary taken from Goodreads) 

MY THOUGHTS:  

I don't know what it was about this book, but it called to me from the first time I discovered it. Maybe it was the cover-girl's gorgeous eyes (SO BLUE!) or my desire to be just like Nancy Drew when I grow up, but I knew I wanted to read Deadly Cool.  

And it was so much lighter and fun-filled than I would've ever expected from a mystery! Even with the threat of unexpected deaths and trying to find the murderer, I found myself grinning constantly at Hartley's sarcasm and wit. Gemma Halliday's quirky writing style made it so easy to get absorbed in this mystery. 

Smart, hilarious, and every bit the horomonal teenage girl she was, Hartley was such a fun narrator! She was exactly the clever albeit a little reckless heroine needed in every mystery novel, and bad boy Chase (who was actually SO sweet) made the perfect sort-of sidekick. The only thing I wish is that it was a little longer so we could get more character depth, but other than that, it was great!

All in all, Deadly Cool was a quick and fun mystery novel that's sure to keep you entertained for a few hours. Definitely a one-sit read. Thank goodness this is a series, because you'll be craving for the next book as soon as the last page is turned!

BUY or BORROW?: Even if you're not into mysteries, you should definitely pick this one up! I promise it'll make you grin at least once! ;)

-Mimi