Waiting on Wednesday (8/17/11): All These Things I've Done by Gabrielle Zevin

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

Publication date: September 6, 2011

In 2083, chocolate and coffee are illegal, paper is hard to find, water is carefully rationed, and New York City is rife with crime and poverty. And yet, for Anya Balanchine, the sixteen-year-old daughter of the city's most notorious (and dead) crime boss, life is fairly routine. It consists of going to school, taking care of her siblings and her dying grandmother, trying to avoid falling in love with the new assistant D.A.'s son, and avoiding her loser ex-boyfriend. That is until her ex is accidently poisoned by the chocolate her family manufactures and the police think she's to blame. Suddenly, Anya finds herself thrust unwillingly into the spotlight--at school, in the news, and most importantly, within her mafia family.

Caffeine illegal? WTF? Noooooo! 

~ SynysterShadows 

Seven Deadly Sins by Corey Taylor

Publication Date: July 12, 2011 (Perseus Books Group)

I’m not gonna lie; the only reason I was interested in this book at first was because Slipknot and Stone Sour singer Corey Taylor was the author. When I saw the title, I figured it was going to be a memoir of how he has committed each of the Seven Deadly Sins.

Boy was I wrong.

He makes it evident from the start that this is not going to be a memoir. He tells the reader that he will be talking about each of the seven sins are, as he puts it, bullshit. Committing a chapter to each sin, Taylor logically explains why each sin shouldn’t even be considered a sin. He occasionally throws in moments from his life in which he has committed the “sin” but then quickly points out the reasons as to why they aren’t a sin.

The only thing that ever sorta bothered me about this book was the random tangents he sometimes went off on. But most of the time he was able to relate it to what he was talking about.

All in all, I would suggest this book even if the arguments presented mean nothing to you. Look at more points of view, you know?

What I’m saying is that in all the chaos, remember to breathe, remember to smile, and remember that the only time to panic is when there is truly no tomorrow.

(3.75 out of 5)

~ SynysterShadows

Waiting on Wednesday (8/3/11): The Pledge by Kimberly Derting

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

Publication date: November 15, 2011 (Margaret K. McElderberry)

From Goodreads: 

Words are the most dangerous weapon of all.

 
In the violent country of Ludania, the classes are strictly divided by the language they speak. The smallest transgression, like looking a member of a higher class in the eye while they are speaking their native tongue, results in immediate execution. Seventeen-year-old Charlaina has always been able to understand the languages of all classes, and she’s spent her life trying to hide her secret. The only place she can really be free is the drug-fueled underground clubs where people go to shake off the oppressive rules of the world they live in. It's there that she meets a beautiful and mysterious boy named Max who speaks a language she's never heard before . . . and her secret is almost exposed.

 
Charlie is intensely attracted to Max, even though she can’t be sure where his real loyalties lie. As the emergency drills give way to real crisis and the violence escalates, it becomes clear that Charlie is the key to something much bigger: her country’s only chance for freedom from the terrible power of a deadly regime.

~ SynysterShadows 

This Boy's Life by Tobias Wolff

Publication date: January 26, 1989 (Grove/Atlantic)

I’ll be honest; normally I would never pick this book up on my own. The only reason I read it was because it was one of the options on a required reading assignment as part of my AP English summer assignment. I figured I would just read it for the homework and that I wouldn’t actually like it.

Boy was I wrong.

This memoir is about the gypsy, for the lack of a better word,  life of Tobias Wolff (who later adopts the name Jack) and his mother. After his mother got a divorce from his father, Tobias and his mother are always going from city to city, looking for a good life. At one point, the two meet Dwight who would later become Tobias’ step father.

The book mainly chronicles Tobias’ adolescent life in the town of Chinook. Wolff not only tells us what he did, thought, and felt at the time, but, on occasion, he also tells us what he thought when he recalled the event years later.

For the most part, I liked the book. I wouldn’t say I loved it but I enjoyed reading it. Wolff does an amazing job painting an image of not only himself but all the others in the book. I could understand how he felt, his thoughts, everything. Wolff does an amazing job of bringing characters to life, allowing readers to hate Dwight, sympathize for his mother, understand Arthur’s motives, etc, etc.

The only thing I didn’t like about this book was how it got a bit confusing at times. Not to mention the occasional off topic tangents.

All in all, it’s a good book and I suggest it to those who are into reading memoirs and/or non-fiction.

(3.5 out of 5)
~ SynysterShadows

Sometimes It Happens by Lauren Barnholdt

Publication date: July 12th, 2011 (Simon Pulse)

Source: Simon & Schuster eGalley

Hannah is anticipating a perfectly normal summer, until she attends a fellow classmates party and things start to fall apart. She loses her boyfriend to a sophomore and her best friend announces she’s going away when she needs her the most. Sensing that Hannah is struggling with things, aforementioned best friend asks her own boyfriend to keep an eye on her, not expecting it to come back to bite her.

I was super excited to see this tacked onto the bottom of my Galley Grab newsletter. I think the cover is cute and the plot sounded pretty good. I expected to enjoy this -

But I didn’t. At first I thought that I would like the way it flopped from past to present, but it only managed to whisk away the element of surprise. The first hundred or so pages were really slow for me. Only when the truth about what happened between Hannah and Ava’s boyfriend comes to light did it even begin to be remotely interesting.

Not much can be said about the characters, as we aren’t really given a chance to get to know them. I know they all have relationship issues, though, and Hannah is a major drama queen. I do kind of get why she was attracted to Noah, as he seemed to be a good guy.

I was definitely caught off-guard with the ending. I was angry, because I thought I had been jipped a few pages; it was that abrupt. Then I thought, “Well maybe there’s going to be a sequel,” because I do have some unanswered questions. I can’t find mentions of a sequel anywhere.

Bottom line: Lauren went through a lot just to tell us that stuff happens and that we have to find a way to deal with it. This book does have mixed reviews, so you might want to check it out for yourself and tell us what you think. 

(2.5 out of 5)

- Tabbyc

Waiting on Wednesday (7/6/2011): Ripple by Mandy Hubbard

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

Ripple by Mandy Hubbard

Publication date: July 21st, 2011 (Razorbill/Penguin)

I’ve never been one for mythological stories but upon reading this blurb, I was intrigued. There is the cliche factor of having to make a life changing decision but the fact that it involves a siren is a new spin. This will certainly be an interesting book to pick up.

From Goodreads:

Lexi is cursed with a dark secret. Each day she goes to school like a normal teenager, and each night she must swim, or the pain will be unbearable. She is a siren - a deadly mermaid destined to lure men to their watery deaths. After a terrible tragedy, Lexi shut herself off from the world, vowing to protect the ones she loves. But she soon finds herself caught between a new boy at school who may have the power to melt her icy exterior, and a handsome water spirit who says he can break Lexi's curse if she gives up everything else. Lexi is faced with the hardest decision she's ever had to make: the life she's always longed for - or the love she can't live without?

~ SynysterShadows 

Waiting on Wednesday (6/22/2011): Silence by Becca Fitzpatrick

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

Silence by Becca Fitzpatrick

Publication date: October 4, 2011 (Simon & Schuster)

The Hush, Hush series is one that has received some, sometimes harsh, critique for the plot. It’s often called a Twilight rip-off. But disregarding that, I, among many other readers, are anticipating the release of the third installment of this series.

From Goodreads:

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.

~ SynysterShadows

Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon Combat Ops by David Michaels

Publication date: March 29, 2011 (Berkley)

Captain Scott Mitchell, leader of a unit in the elite fighting force known as the Ghosts, is sent to Afghanistan with his team. Their mission: to locate and kill or capture Taliban leader Mullah Mohammed Zahed. Of course, this isn’t going to be an easy breach and clear mission and not just because Zahed is a top terrorist leader. Forces within Mitchell’s own comrades make things difficult for him to achieve his mission. With different missions clashing with Captain Simon Harruck and Mitchell’s own protegee Captain Fred Warris trying to undermine Mitchell’s control, Mitchell fights to keep his cool under pressure and to keep pressing forward with his mission.

For the most part, I liked this book but I would liked to have see more character development in the Ghost Leader and other characters in this book. However, it did do a very good job at being able to keep one on the edge of their seat, turning page after page. Although the novels are based on the Ghost Recon games, the novel has its own plot but it does share similar aspects with the game campaigns.

Besides the Army acronyms and such that are sometimes used, this novel still provides some of that raw grit and heart stopping action that war novels never lack.

“This is not the war you expected. This will never be the war you expected.”

(4 out of 5)

~ SynysterShadows

Bookish Beaus #1

SynysterShadows'

Bookish Beaus

So we all have those characters that we nurse a soft spot for. Whether they be the love interest or have a 5 second appearance, they're there and we love them for it. HERE ARE MY MEN:

1. Fang from Maximum Ride

Fang is your typical dark haired, mysterious bad boy love interest. Although cliche, Fang’s witty  and sarcastic lines when he does choose to speak have a reader laughing when he decides to open his mouth. Not to mention he has wings and plays a mean harmonica.

2. Patch from Hush, Hush

Yet another dark haired, mysterious bad boy with a dark past. Mystery and bad asses tend to be a trend apparently. The plus side though is he speaks more than Fang does. His dialogue, although suggestive, bring humor to the usual tense atmosphere.

3. Tariq from A Thousand Splendid Suns

Oh the classic childhood best friend turned lover. His tough act around Laila makes a reader want to laugh because he’s trying hard to impress her. Not to mention he travels thousands of miles many years afterwards just to see her again when they get separated.

4. Taylor Ambrose from My Sister’s Keeper

First things first, the guy that played him in the movie was pretty cute, bald or not. Second thing, he saw past the cancer to the girl that Kate really was. His caring personality and gentle gestures show that he really cares for her.

5. The infamous Edward Cullen and Jacob Black from Twilight

Let’s get things straight: Yes, I like Twilight but I’m the farthest thing from a Twihard. I just happen to like the series. ANYWAYS, the infamous Cullen or Black debate. It’s a tie between them in my eyes. Stalker characteristics aside, Edward does care for Bella even if his care can sometimes cross the is-clingy-and-sometimes-over dramatic-about-his-love-for-her line.  Now Jacob is also awesome because he wanted to make sure Edward didn’t hurt Bella again even if he tried to steal Bella from Edward. And fell in love with their child. BUT THAT DOESN’T DIMINISH THE FACT THAT HE CARES FOR HER. Not to mention that he was probably a better choice than Edward, but...

Consider yourself tagged.

What Happened to Goodbye by Sarah Dessen

Publication date: May 10, 2011 (Penguin)

  

Gus Sweet’s job keeps him busy reinventing local restaurants. His daughter Mclean on the other hand, is busy reinventing herself.

Sarah Dessen’s newest novel What Happened to Goodbye is Mm-Mm-Good to the last drop - warts and all. A public divorce having torn her family apart, Mclean chooses to tag along with her father as he moves from here to there flipping restaurants. Four towns in two years and they all know Mclean as an entirely different person. Once they reach Lakeview, however, she finds herself showing her true colors.

The budding romance between the main character and the boy next door is more of an added bonus. What Happened to Goodbye focuses mainly on the drama and such within the Sweet family, but the heaviness manages not to smother you. I laughed, in fact. It’s the perfect realistic fiction recipe.


It’s so easy to relate and fall in love with Sarah’s whimsical characters, so I’m loving how she has on more than one occasion pulled our old acquaintances into the new books. While not an all time favorite (see Along for the Ride), it definitely does not disappoint and should be given a chance from fans new and old.

"After all these years of just passing through, I was beginning to finally feel at home."

(4.5 out of 5)

- Tabbyc

Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick (Hush, Hush #1)

Publication date: October 13, 2009 (Simon & Schuster)

At first glance, this book may seem like another Twilight. Being a fan of the Twilight series, when I read the blurb and the first couple of pages, I was strongly reminded of Twilight. A mythological creature, or in this case, a biblical creature, arrives at a regular school and starts talking to a normal, human girl. But as you read on, Hush, Hush shows that it is not just a Twilight look alike.

Fallen angel Patch arrives at a small school in Portland where he has Biology class with human girl Nora Grey. Very much like in Twilight with Edward and Bella, Patch begins to not so subtly flirt with the unsuspecting Nora. She finds herself being drawn to him for a reason unknown to her. Cue entrance of cute human boy. Nora finds herself in the middle of a love triangle. While in the middle of her teenage conundrum, she also finds that she is being followed and targeted by someone. Trying to figure out the mystery of her attacker, Nora is also trying to solve the mystery that is Patch.

One of the problems I had with the book was with how quickly it delved into building a relationship between Patch and Nora. While in the end Fitzpatrick makes it work, it was a bit odd that she would introduce the love interest in the first chapter..Other than that the other problems were more like pet peeves.

The fast pace movement of the plot had me turning page after page. Fitzpatrick certainly knows how to keep a reader interested and wanting to read the next installment in this series.

"One more secret smile. One more shared laugh. One more electric kiss. Finding him was like finding someone I didn't know I was searching for."

(4 out of 5)

~ SynysterShadows

Illusions by Aprilynne Pike [Coming Soon]

Attention Aprilynne Pike fans! Don't forget that the third installment in the Wings series comes out May 3rd!

Check out this summary taken from Goodreads:

Lauren hasn't seen Tamani since she begged him to let her go last year. Though her heart still aches, Lauren is confident that David was the right choice.


But just as life is returning to normal, Lauren discovers that a hidden enemy lies in wait. Once again, Lauren must turn to Tamani to protect and guide her, for the danger that now threatens Avalon is one that no faerie thought would ever be possible. And for the first time, Lauren cannot be sure that her side will prevail.

Team Tamani or Team David? Tell us below. If you haven't been following the series, now is your time to catch up. 

~ Wings ~

~ Spells ~

Wither by Lauren DeStefano (Chemical Garden #1)

Publication date: March 22, 2011 (Simon & Schuster)

Lauren DeStefano’s debut novel, Wither, is the first in a trilogy of novels set in our future where, due to a genetic glitch, male and female are barely living to see their twenties. In order to keep the population from dying out completely, young women are being scooped up and forced to live polygamous lifestyles.

Her only concern being to escape her new mansion of a home and return to her twin brother, Rhine carefully plans her and a servants exit with the help of her sister wives while her father-in-law tries desperately to form a cure for “the virus” in his creepy basement.

With its beautiful cover and adamant main character, Wither was everything I expected it to be. The pace was slow enough for the reader to comprehend what was going on yet swift enough to keep you interested. I would have to say the ending was the only disappointment, and not just because part of me wanted Rhine to stay and look after her naive husband. While her previous attempt at escape had failed, and her escape was imminent, it seemed too easy. 

I’m truly curious to see what awaits her beyond the orange groves in the next installment as she and her new love interest sail homeward.

“Tell freedom I said hello.”

(4 out of 5)

- Tabbyc

A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

Publication date: May 22, 2007 (Penguin Group)

Imagine being a woman in Afghanistan who was allowed the freedom of going to school, helping your husband support the household financially, and being able to hold the same jobs men were allowed to hold. Now imagine that the next day those freedoms were stripped; women were supposed to cover everything save for their eyes when in public, they weren’t allowed to be out without a male relative or their husband, and they were supposed to stay home with the children.

These aren’t the only issues addressed by Hosseini in his book, A Thousand Splendid Suns.

Using his characters of Mariam and Laila, Hosseini shows the trials and obstacles that stand in the ways of modern Afghanistan women. He shows the injustice done to women not only in Afghanistan, but in many places around the world. With the depiction of abuse and political injustice, Hosseini draws the reader in with his words that show the endurance of the two young, fictional women.

The main issue addressed in the book is the subject of abuse. There are many scenes depicting the injuries and the moment of the incident itself; it adds another layer to the depth of the book.

This book isn’t just one that makes one think it’s just another book with a problem, climax, and resolution; this book makes one actually think about the injustices being done to women everywhere.

(4.5 out of 5)

~SynysterShadows