Top Ten Words or Topics That Instantly Make Me Pick Up A Book

hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

New Releases: April 30 - May 6, 2013

I'm so excited to read The Ward! Same goes for The Program. I still haven't read anything by Janet Gurtler, but I've been told that her writing is fabulous. I'll have to get on that this summer! As always, all links go to Goodreads, and do let me know which books you're looking forward to!

Bout of Books 7.0: Sign Ups

I enjoyed the 24 Hour Read-a-Thon so much that I decided to go ahead and sign up for Bout of Books 7.0. I haven't taken part in the BoB read-a-thon before, but I'm sure it's going to be a lot of fun!

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, May 13th and runs through Sunday, May 19th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure, and the only reading competition is between you and your usual number of books read in a week. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 7.0 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team

The read-a-thon doesn't start until May 13th, so I have some time yet to figure out what I'll be reading. I'm going to be doing a separate post on the 13th to show my goals and updates, so stay tuned for that.

Are you planning on taking part in this read-a-thon? I think that if you're hesitant you should just go for it! I jumped right into the 24 Hour Read-a-Thon ten minutes before it started, and I had a great time. You can go at your own pace, so don't get stressed out too much!

Reboot by Amy Tintera

Reboot by Amy Tintera
Reboot #1
Release Date: May 7, 2013
Publisher: HarperTeen
Source: Publisher (Edelweiss)
Goodreads Stars: 3
Rating: Enjoyable

Buy the Book: Amazon UK

Five years ago, Wren Connolly was shot three times in the chest. After 178 minutes she came back as a Reboot: stronger, faster, able to heal, and less emotional. The longer Reboots are dead, the less human they are when they return. Wren 178 is the deadliest Reboot in the Republic of Texas. Now seventeen years old, she serves as a soldier for HARC (Human Advancement and Repopulation Corporation).

Wren’s favorite part of the job is training new Reboots, but her latest newbie is the worst she’s ever seen. As a 22, Callum Reyes is practically human. His reflexes are too slow, he’s always asking questions, and his ever-present smile is freaking her out. Yet there’s something about him she can’t ignore. When Callum refuses to follow an order, Wren is given one last chance to get him in line—or she’ll have to eliminate him. Wren has never disobeyed before and knows if she does, she’ll be eliminated, too. But she has also never felt as alive as she does around Callum.

The perfect soldier is done taking orders. - Goodreads

What is it with debuts this year? I've only read two that I have thoroughly enjoyed, and that happened back in January. It's been a long three months, and this dry spell isn't showing any hint of stopping soon. Reboot is another one of those average reads that have been surrounding me this year. I'm pretty sure I'm cursed.

I think that Reboot could have been improved in a few easy (says the person who can't even complete a NaNo novel) ways, so let me tell you about those.

Dewey's 24 Hour #Readathon: Starting Line and Updates

I have never officially participated in a read-a-thon before, so I hope I am doing this right. If not then oh well, it's too late to back out now! I signed up for Dewey's Read-A- Thon ten minutes before the event started because what is organisation. 

I'm going to be putting everything into this one post because that's what Aleksandra is doing, and I feel like I should copy her. Just because. 

So I'm starting at 1pm on Saturday, and finishing at 1pm on Sunday. Let's hope I can stick with it. I'll likely be chugging coffee because I only had three hours of sleep. I'm gonna be a zombie.

Reading List: 

I shall add photos when I start each book (if I do read more than one).

1. Where You Are by Tammara Webber

2. Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins

3. The End Games by T. Michael Martin - Started

4. A Storm of Swords: Blood and Gold by George R R Martin - 50 pages

5. Parallel by Lauren Miller

6. The Rules for Disappearing by Ashley Elston

7. Unbreakable by Elizabeth Norris

Obviously there is no way I am going to read more than two books, but I need to have options! And I want to make a dent in ASOS Part 2 before the show airs again tomorrow. SO.

The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey

The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey
The Fifth Wave #1
Release Date: May 7, 2013
Publisher: Puffin (UK)
Source: Publisher (NetGalley)
Goodreads Stars: 4
Rating: Essential

Buy the Book: Amazon UK

The Passage meets Ender’s Game in an epic new series from award-winning author Rick Yancey.

After the 1st wave, only darkness remains. After the 2nd, only the lucky escape. And after the 3rd, only the unlucky survive. After the 4th wave, only one rule applies: trust no one.

Now, it’s the dawn of the 5th wave, and on a lonely stretch of highway, Cassie runs from Them. The beings who only look human, who roam the countryside killing anyone they see. Who have scattered Earth’s last survivors. To stay alone is to stay alive, Cassie believes, until she meets Evan Walker. Beguiling and mysterious, Evan Walker may be Cassie’s only hope for rescuing her brother—or even saving herself. But Cassie must choose: between trust and despair, between defiance and surrender, between life and death. To give up or to get up. - Goodreads

I freakin' love (LOVE) science fiction, and yet I don't think I've ever read a book about an alien invasion quite like this one. Sure, there was The Host, but let's be real here, that was more of a peaceful love story. And, of course, Obsidian, but that wasn't really an invasion, it was aliens hiding amongst people because their home had been destroyed. So The 5th Wave was very refreshing, since it's basically all action and survival.

Dead Silence by Kimberly Derting

Dead Silence by Kimberly Derting
The Body Finder #4
Release Date: April 16, 2013
Publisher: HarperCollins
Source: Bought
Goodreads Stars: 3
Rating: Enjoyable

Buy the Book: Amazon UK

Violet thought she’d made peace with her unique ability to sense the echoes of the dead and the imprints that cling to their killers…that is until she acquired an imprint of her own. Forced to carry a reminder of the horrible events of her kidnapping, Violet is more determined than ever to lead a normal life. However, the people who run the special investigative team Violet works for have no intention of letting her go.

When someone close to Violet becomes a suspect in a horrific murder, she finds herself pulled into a deadly hunt for a madman with an army of devoted followers. Violet has survived dangerous situations before, but she quickly discovers that protecting those closest to her is far more difficult than protecting herself. - Goodreads

Dead Silence gave me something that I unwittingly always wanted: history on Violet's grandmother and her powers. Violet is given her grandmother's journal, and through that she discovers lots of new things about her grandmother and the powers that they shared. FUCK YEAH. I didn't realise that I wanted this while I was reading the previous few books, but now that it's been brought up I find myself wondering why I never thought about it before. Learning about Vi's grandmother and the Circle was so cool, and so interesting. It was great to finally have some backstory, as well as have more stuff thrown into the mystery.

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein
Release Date: February 26, 2012
Publisher: Egmont Press
Source: Bought
Rating: 5 out of 5

I have two weeks. You’ll shoot me at the end no matter what I do.

That’s what you do to enemy agents. It’s what we do to enemy agents. But I look at all the dark and twisted roads ahead and cooperation is the easy way out. Possibly the only way out for a girl caught red-handed doing dirty work like mine — and I will do anything, anything, to avoid SS-Hauptsturmführer von Linden interrogating me again.

He has said that I can have as much paper as I need. All I have to do is cough up everything I can remember about the British War Effort. And I’m going to. But the story of how I came to be here starts with my friend Maddie. She is the pilot who flew me into France — an Allied Invasion of Two.

We are a sensational team. - Goodreads

“It's like being in love, discovering your best friend.”

Code Name Verity is a story about many things - WWII, the role of women during wartime, courage in the face of adversity but above all, it is a story about friendship. And it is utterly, completely, wholly heartbreaking.

Top Ten Books I Thought I'd Like More or Less Than I Did

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

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- Taken by Erin Bowman. The cover reeled me in and I was SO. EXCITED. for this. I got a review copy and I was going to pre-order the hardcover as well because that's how excited I was. But rather than love it, I got seriously pissed off with the main protagonist (he's an abusive ass) and the plot was generic.

- City of a Thousand Dolls by Miriam Forster. Again, I was soooooo excited. I thought this was going to be a great YA fantasy, and YA needs more of those. It was good, and I enjoyed it, but it wasn't amazing. The best thing about the book was my cat/human ship.

- Feedback by Robison Wells. UGH. UGHHHHHH. I am so annoyed with the way this one ended. What even was that. I loved Variant, so I was expecting great things. Instead Wells took my expectations and stomped on them.


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- Altered by Jennifer Rush. This was a totally random read for me. I was in between review books, and I thought I'd pick up a random debut from my friend's reading pile. I had no idea what this was about as I started reading it, and I freakin' adored it! It's one of my two favourite reads of the year so far.

- Variant by Robison Wells. Daph had told me over and over about how great this book was and I didn't believe her. Well, I believed her that it was great, but I didn't think I'd love it as much as I did. I loved the mystery, the characters, the twists... Everything!

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- The Last Werewolf by Glen Duncan. It was...not what I expected, and not in a good way. Definitely not the book for me.

- Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy. I EXPECTED AN EPIC ROMANCE AND A FABULOUS FEMALE CHARACTER A LA SCARLETT O'HARA. INSTEAD I GOT AN INCREDIBLY FICKLE WOMAN AND A POMPOUS DICK OF A ROMANTIC INTEREST.

- Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs. Lol wtf was this? I had high hopes for it being a creepy, unsettling book full of intriguing characters but that didn't happen because of the lazy execution of what could have been a great story.

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- The Knife of Letting Go by Patrick Ness. THIS SERIES HAS RUINED MY GODDAMN LIFE. IT IS ON MY LIST OF MOST TRAUMATIC/STRESSFUL BOOKS I'VE EVER READ.

- Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell. An impulse buy that worked out great :D

New Releases: April 23 - 29, 2013

As always, all links go to Goodreads. There are a couple of books that I'm excited for - Unbreakable! - and a few that I have only just discovered, but am quite excited to read. Let me know which books you are excited for in the comments below!

The Rules by Stacey Kade

The Rules by Stacey Kade
Project Paper Doll #1
Release Date: April 23, 2013
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Source: Publisher (NetGalley)
Goodreads Stars: 2
Rating: Bland

1. Never trust anyone.

2. Remember they are always searching.

3. Don’t get involved.

4. Keep your head down.

5. Don’t fall in love.

Five simple rules. Ariane Tucker has followed them since the night she escaped from the genetics lab where she was created, the result of combining human and extraterrestrial DNA. Ariane’s survival—and that of her adoptive father—depends on her ability to blend in among the full-blooded humans in a small Wisconsin town, to hide in plain sight at her high school from those who seek to recover their lost (and expensive) “project.”

But when a cruel prank at school goes awry, it puts her in the path of Zane Bradshaw, the police chief’s son and someone who sees too much. Someone who really sees her. After years of trying to be invisible, Ariane finds the attention frightening—and utterly intoxicating. Suddenly, nothing is simple any more, especially not the rules… - Goodreads

I've heard that a couple of reviews say that The Rules is The Hunger Games meets The Host. If you have heard that too, and that's the driving force making you want to pick this book up, I would suggest you take a moment to rethink that plan. The Rules was nothing like The Hunger Games, and overall it was a pretty flat book. There were a few elements that were enjoyable, but all together I was disappointed.

Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare

Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare
The Infernal Devices #3
Release Date: March 19, 2013
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Source: Bought
Rating: 2 out of 5/Troll

Tessa Gray should be happy - aren't all brides happy?
Yet as she prepares for her wedding, a net of shadows begins to tighten around the Shadowhunters of the London Institute.

A new demon appears, one linked by blood and secrecy to Mortmain, the man who plans to use his army of pitiless automatons, the Infernal Devices, to destroy the Shadowhunters. Mortmain needs only one last item to complete his plan. He needs Tessa. And Jem and Will, the boys who lay equal claim to Tessa's heart, will do anything to save her.

Lmao, this book though. I should point out that I only read this book because SOMEONE harassed me into it. Not mentioning any names BUT THEY KNOW WHO THEY ARE *stares accusingly*

Clockwork Princess begins with Jem and Tessa engaged and ready to be married, Will being very sad about it and that Mortmain guy still hovering around in the background as the ~obligatory antagonist~. Cecily, Will's sister, is now one of the main characters (and incidentally one of the few I liked) and the mystery of who or what Tessa is is solved. At least I think it is. Still not sure I understood it tbh, not that I tried very hard. Obviously the love triangle is resolved, in an ~entirely unique~ way.

Arclight by Josin L. McQuein

Arclight by Josin L. McQuein
Arclight #1
Release Date: April 23, 2013
Publisher: Greenwillow Books
Source: Publisher (Edelweiss)
Goodreads Stars: 4 out of 5
Rating: Essential

Buy the Book: Amazon UK

No one crosses the wall of light . . . except for one girl who doesn’t remember who she is, where she came from, or how she survived. A harrowing, powerful debut thriller about finding yourself and protecting your future—no matter how short and uncertain it may be.

The Arclight is the last defense. The Fade can’t get in. Outside the Arclight’s border of high-powered beams is the Dark. And between the Light and the Dark is the Grey, a narrow, barren no-man’s-land. That’s where the rescue team finds Marina, a lone teenage girl with no memory of the horrors she faced or the family she lost. Marina is the only person who has ever survived an encounter with the Fade. She’s the first hope humanity has had in generations, but she could also be the catalyst for their final destruction. Because the Fade will stop at nothing to get her back. Marina knows it. Tobin, who’s determined to take his revenge on the Fade, knows it. Anne-Marie, who just wishes it were all over, knows it.

When one of the Fade infiltrates the Arclight and Marina recognizes it, she will begin to unlock secrets she didn’t even know she had. Who will Marina become? Who can she never be again? - Goodreads

I must say, I am pleasantly surprised! I wasn't sure what to expect going into this, due to my whole "don't read synopses, don't read reviews" thing I have for books I have yet to read. I don't like spoilers, okay? Which is kind of silly since I'm running a recap site and there are spoilers everywhere, but whatever. Anyway, I really liked Arclight! I finished it in just over 24 hours, and that is probably a record for me over these past few months. Damn reading funks.

Suicide Notes by Michael Thomas Ford

Suicide Notes by Michael Thomas Ford
Release Date: October 14, 2008
Publisher: HarperTeen
Source: Bought
Rating: 5 out of 5

I'm not crazy. I don't see what the big deal is about what happened. But apparently someone does think it's a big deal because here I am. I bet it was my mother. She always overreacts.

Fifteen-year-old Jeff wakes up on New Year's Day to find himself in the hospital. Make that the psychiatric ward. With the nutjobs. Clearly, this is all a huge mistake. Forget about the bandages on his wrists and the notes on his chart. Forget about his problems with his best friend, Allie, and her boyfriend, Burke. Jeff's perfectly fine, perfectly normal, not like the other kids in the hospital with him. Now they've got problems. But a funny thing happens as his forty-five-day sentence drags on: the crazies start to seem less crazy.

Compelling, witty, and refreshingly real, Suicide Notes is a darkly humorous novel from award-winning author Michael Thomas Ford that examines that fuzzy line between "normal" and the rest of us. - Goodreads

Suicide Notes is told from the POV of Jeff, a fifteen year old kid who wakes up in the psychiatric ward of a hospital, on New Year's Day, after attempting to take his own life. His arms are bandaged, his mind is kind of a mess and Jeff finds himself thrown into an entirely new situation; he's forced to interact with the other kids in his ward and talk to a psychiatrist about his problems.

New Releases: April 16 - 22, 2013

Here are some of the new releases that are out this week. There are a couple that sound very interesting, one that I am SOOOOO excited for, and one that I have already read. All links go to Goodreads. Let me know which books you are interested in in the comments below!

Weekly Wrap Up (08.04.13 - 14.04.13)

This week was not a great reading week, but it was a great week on the blog and in general. Did anyone watch the Spartacus finale? I am broken. So broken. It's like my world has come to an end. Dramatic much? I just really love that show, and I'm so sad that it wasn't given more seasons. The finale was AMAZING though.

Amber's Reviews:

The Madman's Daughter by Megan Shepherd

Taken by Erin Bowman

The Collector by Victoria Scott

Fractured by Teri Terry

Tatum's Reviews:

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

I also posted a sneak peek of Boy Nobody by Allen Zadoff, a book that I'm really looking forward to reading this coming week! 

And, as always, I posted about this week's new releases. Check it out to see which books you may have missed!

How did your week go? Did you get lots of reading done?

Fractured by Teri Terry

Fractured by Teri Terry
Slated #2
Release Date: April 4, 2013 (UK)
Publisher: Orchard Books (UK)
Source: Publisher
Goodreads Stars: 3
Rating: Enjoyable

How do you know where to go when you don't remember where you came from?

Kyla's memory has been erased,
her personality wiped blank,
her memories lost for ever.

Or so she thought.

Kyla shouldn't be able to remember anything. But she can - and she's beginning to realise that there are a lot of dark secrets locked away in her memories. When a mysterious man from her past comes back into her life, she thinks she's on her way to finding the truth. But the more she learns about her history, the more confusing her future becomes...

I was blown away by Slated when I read it last year, and I am so happy that I finally got the chance to see what was next for Kyla. I enjoyed Fractured a lot, and I thought it was a very pleasant read. It did drag a little in the middle, but the climax was fantastic. Lots of shooting, blood, fighting, and backstabbing!

The Collector by Victoria Scott

The Collector by Victoria Scott
Dante Walker #1
Release Date: March 25, 2013
Publisher: Entangled Teen
Source: Bought
Goodreads Stars: 2
Rating: Hodgepodge

Dante Walker is flippin’ awesome, and he knows it. His good looks, killer charm, and stellar confidence have made him one of hell’s best—a soul collector. His job is simple: weed through humanity and label those round rears with a big red good or bad stamp. Old Saint Nick gets the good guys, and he gets the fun ones. Bag-and-tag.

Sealing souls is nothing personal. Dante’s an equal-opportunity collector and doesn't want it any other way. But he’ll have to adjust, because Boss Man has given him a new assignment:

Collect Charlie Cooper’s soul within ten days.

Dante doesn't know why Boss Man wants Charlie, nor does he care. This assignment means only one thing to him, and that’s a permanent ticket out of hell. But after Dante meets the quirky Nerd Alert chick he’s come to collect, he realizes this assignment will test his abilities as a collector…and uncover emotions deeply buried. - Goodreads

I feel like such a hype killer right now. Lately I haven't been reading any books that majorly impressed me, and with the hype surrounding The Collector, and how many people have been recommending it, I was super excited for this one. I thought it would help me break out of my reading funk. Instead it was average, and kind of boring towards the end, with the main character being the only person who goes through any development at all.

Here's another list for you guys because YAY, lists!

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
Caster Chronicles #1
Release Date: December 1, 2009 
Publisher: Little Brown and Company
Source: Bought
Rating: 3 stars

Lena Duchannes is unlike anyone the small Southern town of Gatlin has ever seen, and she's struggling to conceal her power, and a curse that has haunted her family for generations. But even within the overgrown gardens, murky swamps and crumbling graveyards of the forgotten South, a secret cannot stay hidden forever.

Ethan Wate, who has been counting the months until he can escape from Gatlin, is haunted by dreams of a beautiful girl he has never met. When Lena moves into the town's oldest and most infamous plantation, Ethan is inexplicably drawn to her and determined to uncover the connection between them.

In a town with no surprises, one secret could change everything. - Goodreads

This book is kind of a mess tbh. It didn’t offend me as much as Twilight or make me want to ragequit life like Divergent did, but regardless, I wouldn’t necessarily recommend it to anyone. The plot is all over the place and it’s almost as though the book is trying to tell two different, often quite opposing, stories at the same time. I didn’t realise until after I’d read it that the book is written by two authors (thanks, Amber)… which explains a lot really.

Sneak Peek: Boy Nobody by Allen Zadoff - First Chapter

Boy Nobody by Allen Zadoff
Boy Nobody #1
Release Date: May 23, 2013
Publisher: Hachette Children's Books

Boy Nobody is being published in a matter of weeks, and I am lucky enough to be part of the blog tour! Over the next few weeks I'll be posting some awesome stuff related to the book, so stay tuned!

I am so excited to get to this book - I'm hoping to read it in the next couple of weeks - and for everyone else to read it too. It sounds AMAZING. Below you can find the first chapter so you can get a taste for it. Enjoy!

WoW: The Dollhouse Asylum by Mary Gray

The Dollhouse Asylum by Mary Gray
Release Date: October 22, 2013
Publisher: Spencer Hill Press
Goodreads

Taken by Erin Bowman

Taken by Erin Bowman
Taken #1
Release Date: April 16, 2013
Publisher: HarperTeen
Source: Publisher (Edelweiss)
Goodreads Stars: 1
Rating: Troll

There are no men in Claysoot. There are boys—but every one of them vanishes at midnight on his eighteenth birthday. The ground shakes, the wind howls, a blinding light descends…and he’s gone.

They call it the Heist.

Gray Weathersby’s eighteenth birthday is mere months away, and he’s prepared to meet his fate–until he finds a strange note from his mother and starts to question everything he’s been raised to accept: the Council leaders and their obvious secrets. The Heist itself. And what lies beyond the Wall that surrounds Claysoot–a structure that no one can cross and survive.

Climbing the Wall is suicide, but what comes after the Heist could be worse. Should he sit back and wait to be taken–or risk everything on the hope of the other side? - Goodreads

And the award for Biggest Disappointment of 2013 So Far goes to....! Along with the rest of the blogosphere, I was dying to read Taken. Who wouldn't be, especially after the cover reveal. I admit, the cover raised my expectations quite a bit. I'm a loser like that. Unfortunately Taken was pretty much your generic dystopian. It offered nothing new, unless you count the male POV as 'new', and because of that it was easy to figure out where the story was going.

Firstly, there are a few minor spoilers here. Sorry, I couldn't help myself. Secondly, I must warn you that this review is going to be a bit of a rant. I have a reason for this, I promise. You'll see what that reason is when I go on to talk about the main character, Gray....

New Releases: April 9 - 15, 2013

There are some horror and thriller books coming out this week! AND ZOM-B CITY IS OUT IN THE US. 

The Madman's Daughter by Megan Shepherd

The Madman's Daughter by Megan Shepherd
The Madman's Daughter #1
Release Date: April 11, 2013 (UK)
Publisher: Harper Voyager (UK)
Source: Publisher
Goodreads Stars: 4
Rating: Enjoyable

London, 1894. Juliet Moreau has built a life for herself-working as a maid, attending church on Sundays, and trying not to think about the scandal that ruined her life. After all, no one ever proved the rumours about her father′s gruesome experiments. But when she learns her father is alive and continuing his work on a remote tropical island, she is determined to find out if the accusations were true.

Juliet is accompanied by the doctor′s handsome young assistant and an enigmatic castaway, who both attract Juliet for very different reasons. They travel to the island only to discover the depths of her father′s madness: he has created animals that have been vivisected to resemble, speak, and behave as humans. Worse, one of the creatures has turned violent and is killing the island′s inhabitants. Juliet knows she must end her father′s dangerous experiments and escape the island, even though her horror is mixed with her own scientific curiosity. As the island falls into chaos, she discovers the extent of her father′s genius-and madness-in her own blood.

I wasn't sure what to expect from The Madman's Daughter. I had heard a series of things describing it prior to reading, and generally it has been well received in the blogosphere, but it wasn't one that was all that high on my list considering I have 500+ other books to read. But I was lucky enough to receive a copy for review copy, and so The Madman's Daughter shot up in my TBR list.

Once again, I'm doing one of those lists, because I'm having a difficult time forming proper paragraphs.

Weekly Wrap Up (01.04.13 - 07.04.13)

I haven't done a weekly wrap up post in a while, but I am back into the swing of things after Veronica Mars threw me off target. I'm currently just under week ahead with my post scheduling, and I'm hoping to get even further ahead this coming week so I can relax and take a breather.

Reviews: 

With All My Soul by Rachel Vincent

Monument 14 by Emmy Laybourne

I posted my April Debut Showcase in which I talk about past debuts I have read and reviewed, as well as feature three April debuts that I am looking forward to.

There is also the New Releases post, where you can check out some of the YA books that came out this week. Stay tuned for another post tomorrow!

I wrapped up my March reading, which didn't go as well as I had hoped, but I still got a good few books read.

And last but certainly not least, I finally posted about a new site that I am running with three lovely ladies - Recaptains!

Coming up next week, I have reviews of The Collector and Taken and more, a giveaway, and Tatum is reviewing Beautiful Creatures.

I hope you're all having a fabulous weekend!

Introducing Recaptains!

It's been almost a whole month since this project was launched, and I have only just remembered to write a blog post to introduce it. I know, I suck. 

Three fellow bloggers - Judith, Betty, and Hannah - and I have been working on this project since February, and I'm really pleased with how well it has been received so far! So this is a post to tell you a bit about Recaptains, and what our mission is. Hannah has already written an awesome post on the subject, which is a lot more creative than mine, so you should go and read that one too.

If you're a blogger or an avid reader (which I assume you are, since you're reading this post) then I'm sure you've read a lot of series, right? You're probably in the middle of a few right now, and waiting for the sequels to come out later on this year or next. I know I'm probably in the middle of 30+ at this very moment, and that's just being hopeful. 

So what do you do before the next book in a series comes out? Do you scramble to fit in a re-read between all the other books that you have to read and review? Or do you just wing it and hope that the new book in the series includes a recap? I personally don't have time to do any re-reads since I have to keep up with my reading and this blog. I know a lot of other people have the same problem. I've seen it all over Twitter. And so did my fellow Recaptains.

Judith, Betty, Hannah, and I wanted to create something that would help those who had forgotten past plots or characters. Remember the chaos surrounding Insurgent's release, because there wasn't a recap in that book? Well, we're hoping to eliminate that. 

Our mission?

We - Amber, Betty, Hannah and Judith - solemnly swear to protect the world from literary amnesia and serial killers. We swear to protect our fellow human beings and to spread the love for books. We don't believe in fear. We have faith that the world can be better, and will be better.

We wanted to make this a thing that involves the whole community, so we have a Requests page. Feel free to ask for recaps! It's what we're here for. 

Better yet, you can become a sidekick! We have a Contribute page, where you can send us recaps that you have written. You'll get all the credit, and you'll also get a shiny badge of honour to show off how awesome you are. There are no obligations - you can recap just one book, or the whole series, and you won't get any of those pesky spam emails from us asking you to recap more. You could even do a joint recap with a friend if you wanted!

So visit our site and take a look around. We've recapped quite a few books already, and we're currently working on a lot more. We also have a Twitter account which you can follow for updates, and superhero quotes. Because who doesn't love those? And you could always add our button to your blog!

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I hope you love this project as much as we do! With The Recaptains, you'll never again have to re-read a book before picking up the next one in a series. We're working together to save series one book at a time! (I totally stole this paragraph from Hannah.)

RECAPTAINS ASSEMBLE!

2013 Debut Showcase: April

The purpose of this feature is to show you guys which YA debuts I'm most looking forward to, and which ones I've enjoyed. Hopefully it'll also help build some buzz around some of these debuts. There will be one post at the beginning of each month showing the top three upcoming debuts I'm most looking forward to and excited for, and it will also wrap up the previous month by showing which debuts I read and enjoyed.

So, without further ado, here are the March debuts that I have read, and my thoughts on them in a couple of sentences.

Monument 14 by Emmy Laybourne

Monument 14 by Emmy Laybourne
Monument 14 #1
Release Date: April 4, 2013 (UK)
Publisher: Hachette Children's Books (UK)
Source: Publisher
Goodreads Stars: 2
Rating: Bland

Fourteen kids. One superstore. A million things that go wrong ...
Fourteen kids stranded inside a superstore. Inside they have everything they could ever need. There's junk food and clothes, computer games and books, drugs and alcohol ... and without adult supervision they can do whatever they want.
Sounds like fun?

But outside the world is being ripped apart by violent storms and chemicals leaking into the atmosphere that, depending on blood type, leave victims paranoid, violent or dead.

The kids must remain inside, forced to create their own community, unsure if they'll ever be able to leave. Can they stop the world they've created inside from self-destructing too? - Goodreads

Monument 14 has an interesting premise. There's a series of natural disasters which set off a whole chain of events, and eventually cause toxic waste to be released into the air. I really like post-apocalyptic stuff, and I was looking forward to this one because I thought it might help me edit my own apocalypse survival plan. Instead, it was a dull. So. Dull.

Monthly Wrap Up: March 2013

Books Read in March: 

Well, I thought I was out of my reading funk but then Veronica Mars happened and I was swiftly back in it. Veronica and Logan have taken over my life!

1. Between the Lines by Tammara Webber

2. Mila 2.0 by Debra Driza

3. Half-Blood by Jennifer L. Armentrout

4. Poison by Bridget Zinn

5. Scandal by Lauren Kunze and Rina Onur

6. Taken by Erin Bowman

7. The Archived by Victoria Schwab

8. With All My Soul by Rachel Vincent

9. Monument 14 by Emmy Laybourne

Book of the Month:

This is actually a bit upsetting because I didn't read any amazing books in March. I read a few good ones, even a great one, but nothing blew my mind. Should I blame Veronica Mars for that as well?

I've decided to go with With All My Soul, since it was a great ending to one of my favourite series. I'm definitely going to miss waiting for the next book!

Amber's Reviews:

Between the Lines by Tammara Webber

The Nightmare Affair by Mindee Arnett

Mila 2.0 by Debra Driza

Feedback by Robison Wells

Poison by Bridget Zinn

Scandal by Lauren Kunze and Rina Onur

Half-Blood by Jennifer L Armentrout

The Archived by Victoria Schwab

Tatum's Reviews:

The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

The Dead-Tossed Waves by Carrie Ryan

The Dark and Hollow Places by Carrie Ryan

What was your book of the month? If you've posted a monthly wrap up, then feel free to link it in the comments!

With All My Soul by Rachel Vincent

With All My Soul by Rachel Vincent
Soul Screamers #7
Release Date: April 5, 2013 (UK)
Publisher: Mira Ink (UK)
Source: Bought (US)
Goodreads Stars: 4
Rating: Essential

Buy the Book: Amazon UK

After spending the last year undead, Kaylee Cavanaugh has had enough of the paranormal creatures who have plagued her ever since she came into her banshee powers. Now she's ready to take her school back from the evil hellions, once and forever.

To protect her friends, Kaylee will need to find a way to turn the living incarnations of Avarice, Envy and Vanity against one another.

Yet when one more person close to her is taken, Kaylee realises she can't save everyone she loves without making some powerful sacrifices...

I can't believe this series is over! I still remember the moment I decided to pick it up. I had been a fan of Vincent's first series - Shifters - and shortly after I started book blogging, I discovered that she had a YA series coming out in the UK. I just HAD to read it. And now, two years later, I've been recommending this series to everybody I come into contact with. I didn't want it to be over *sobs*

As always, this review isn't really going to be a review. It's a ramble. A stream of thoughts. I proved to myself that I can't review this series seriously before, and so I'm not going to even try this time.

New Releases: April 2 - 8, 2013

Here are some US releases for ya. All links go to Goodreads. WHO IS EXCITED FOR THE COLLECTOR? MEMEMEMMEMEMEMEEME.