Shelf Candy Saturday #2

Shelf Candy Saturday is a fun feature that is hosted by Fivealarmbookreviews.com. The purpose is to show off book covers that we think are exceptionally beautiful/intriguing or just interesting!

This week I picked Glitch by Heather Anastasiu. This book hasn't come out yet but I am hoping this is the final cover because I love it. Here's a little excerpt from the synopsis on Goodreads.com

In the Community, there is no more pain or war. Implanted computer chips have wiped humanity clean of destructive emotions, and thoughts are replaced by a feed from the Link network. 

When Zoe starts to malfunction (or "glitch"), she suddenly begins having her own thoughts, feelings, and identity. Any anomalies must be immediately reported and repaired, but Zoe has a secret so dark it will mean certain deactivation if she is caught: her glitches have given her uncontrollable telekinetic powers.

I think part of the reason I love this cover so much is because it seems to fit the book so well. It looks high-tech and other worldly. I am normally not a big fan of purple but it just sets the tone perfectly on this cover. I even like the font and normally I don't enjoy crazy fonts. This is one of those covers that would make me pick up the book and read the back of it, give it a chance just because the cover attracted my eye. I love the tattoo/chip/whatever that is on her neck, it makes me curious as to what the book is about and why she has it and that is exactly what a book cover should do.

The only thing I would change is the big author recommendation on the front. Do those thing have an actual name? My mind is blanking right now. I understand that it is a tool to show that the book is good because another well known author endorses it and people who read that author might pick up the book because of the endorsement. (Endorsement?! Is that the word I was looking for?) Still, I think it could have been placed somewhere else because it detracts a tiny bit from the beauty of the cover. It wouldn't stop me from picking the book up but it wouldn't make me pick it up on its own either.

Glitch is on my TBR list and I am looking forward to reading it when it comes out in August! 

Iron Kissed by Patricia Briggs

Iron Kissed by Patricia Briggs
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
((Blurb from Goodreads.com))
Mechanic Mercy Thompson can shift her shape - but not her loyalty. When her former boss and mentor is arrested for murder and left to rot behind bars by his own kind, it's up to Mercy to clear his name, whether he wants her to or not.


Mercy's loyalty is under pressure from other directions, too. Werewolves are not known for their patience, and if Mercy can't decide between the two she cares for, Sam and Adam may make the choice for her...

I had a bad feeling about those Fae....

Miss Briggs world is pretty different from the usual YA paranormal books I had been reading. I think about Fae and I think about Puck from the Iron Fey series but no, these are not your friendly neighborhood trouble-maker Fae. These are not friendly, might possible tear off your head and then eat it Fae. One of them actually says his bowels are hungry for human flesh. These are some freaky, scary Fae. Zee, the fae we are introduced to the most, since the very first book actually, seems nice enough but there was always an underlying sense of threat coming from him - for me at least. He never seemed quite safe.

Finally, I actually pretty much followed the whole 'action' side of the plot. Most of the book was about a series of murders on a Fae reservation and how Mercy (as usual!) got way too involved and in over her head. Also as usual, she handles herself and is kick-ass. The nice thing about Mercy is she can take care of herself but she also knows when she needs help and isn't ashamed to go to someone stronger when the need arises. There were a lot of action packed scenes that were pretty nail biting and actually, shockingly enough, there were very few 'Adam-disappearing-acts'! Sadly though, there wasn't nearly enough Adam moments throughout the book, though there was one particular scene where the alpha came out towards the beginning that was pretty amazing. Of course, for anyone who is not as big of an Adam lover as I am, it might not be as sad. Samuel made a few appearances also sprinkled here and there. When either of them appeared though, something important was going on.

There was something else that happened, something rather big. All I will say is that decisions were made and things were revealed! I thought it would be more climatic than it was but it wasn't a huge moment type thing for me. Still, it happened and that made me happy. While most of the book centers around the murders, there were still significant moments and scenes that moved along the different relationship aspects of the book. I really adore how each character is developing through the books. There was no Stefan this time but we got to see my other favorites, Warren, Kyle and (shocking) Ben! Yes, Ben has made his way into my favorites because I LOVE seeing his character developing over time. A lot of information about him came out in this book and honestly, it made me a little emotional.

That being said, my only complaint isn't really even a complaint. It is more a warning or an observation, I guess. Make sure when you read this book, you read very carefully. If you skim a line and miss a few words, you could completely miss something pivotal to the plot. I had to go back a few times because the characters would be referring to something and I would be thinking "When did that happen?" and it would be a huge plot point buried in the middle of a paragraph.

I am interested in seeing how some of the events in this book affect Mercy's character as a whole. Actually, I am extremely interested so I am going to wrap this up and go start the fourth book! Happy reading!

A new trend in Young Adult fiction?

Three posts today! Craziness, I know! I just came across an interesting article though and wanted to share a bit of it.

Gritty teen reads dominate Waterstones children's prize shortlist 

The fall from fashion of vampire romance and fantasy in favour of more gritty reads is nowhere more evident than in the teen shortlist for the Waterstones children's books prize. 

Divided for the first time into three age categories – picture books, 5-12 and teens – the prize's young adult section features titles covering a range of hard-hitting issues from class and date rape to terrorism and refugees. 

Annabel Pitcher's debut novel My Sister Lives on the Mantelpiece, which was longlisted for the Guardian children's fiction prize, focuses on 10-year-old Jamie Matthews and his family as they try to make a new start following a family tragedy. Phil Earle's Being Billy, meanwhile, features Bill Finn who has spent eight years living in a care home after being given up by his mother. You Against Me, Jenny Downham's follow up to her tear jerker Before I Die, tackles teenage love across the class divide against the backdrop of a sexual assault court case, while debut novel Shades of Grey by Ruta Sepetys looks back to 1941 and a 15-year-old girl who is deported to Siberia by the Societ secret police. The teen list is completed with a dystopia, Divergent by Veronica Roth and a road trip romance, Amy and Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson. 

According to Sarah Clarke, Waterstones children's buying manager, the teen shortlist "demonstrates how young people today are not afraid to talk about serious subjects, in some cases, more so than adults." ((Full Article)) 

So, I had to do a little bit of research on what the Waterstones. It is apparently a book specialist in England that has been around for a long time, since 1982. What really caught my eye was how in the article, it talks about how the trend in YA lit is moving from vampires and werewolves to more real life, darker, 'gritty', topics.

I have read plenty of wonderful paranormal YA books but I have also read other books that tackle real life issues such as Ashfall by Mike Mullin which deals with how a teenage boy survives after a volcano erupts and changes the world in ways more horrific than anyone could have imagined. This book tackled many darker situations and did so in a way that made the reader think about how they might react in such situations. At least, that is what it did for me! I don't want to give away too much of the book but if you haven't read it, I highly recommend it. It's not a light read but definitely a worth while one.

Also, I recently read Nothing else matters by Leslie DuBois which dealt with racial tension in a high school, a football player with a secret illness and the difficulties of an inter-racial relationship. It was also a tough read that dealt with very real issues, though they were ones that I may have never thought about myself if not presented in the book.

In my opinion, a change in pace is never a fully bad thing. I like something different every now and then but I also adore my paranormal romances with their alpha males and kick-ass heroines. I did very much enjoy the above mentioned books and wouldn't mind reading more like them. In fact, I am anxiously awaiting the sequel to Ashfall! I am curious though as to what brought about this change in popularity and if the author of the article is correct, that the flavor of YA is shifting.

Is this change in the types of stories being written the influence of the Hunger Games? One of the finalists in the awards is Divergent which is another (awesome, imo) dystopian novel. Have you noticed a change in popular YA fiction? Do you think that authors are moving away from the twilight-esque vampire romances and into darker, more realistic tones? Have you read anything lately that fits that category that is also YA?

Blood Bound by Patricia Briggs

Blood Bound by Patricia Briggs
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
((Blurb taken from goodreads.com))
Mechanic Mercy Thompson has friends in low places-and in dark ones. And now she owes one of them a favor. Since she can shapeshift at will, she agrees to act as some extra muscle when her vampire friend Stefan goes to deliver a message to another of his kind. But this new vampire is hardly ordinary-and neither is the demon inside of him.


Oh, Adam. Why must you always be wandering into trouble? It makes me laugh because he comes off as the competent, in control, undeniably sexy werewolf and yet there he is, yet again, being captured or injured. It's like he's a magnet for abduction. "Take me! I'm sexy and I will look good in your cages!" Of course, Samuel is getting into his share of trouble in Blood Bound as well. As much as him and Adam snark at each other, it seems they are always getting into trouble together, ending up stuck with one another as prisoners. Karma is a bitch, boys.

I had the same issues in this book as I did in the first. The 'action' part of the plot was a bit hard for me to follow but not as bad as it was in Moon Called. The world building was explained a bit more and I thoroughly enjoyed learning more about the inner workings of the vampire world. The way the seethe and menagerie worked was intriguing to me. I loved the way that Stefan was different than the other vampires but was still a vampire, if that makes sense. He has morals and standards but still, at the core, he is a vampire and still makes mistakes. Miss Briggs doesn't turn him into a fluffy bunny or take away his fangs just to make him appear like a good guy. He's an interesting character and a major player in this book so it is nice to understand him a bit more. A vampire with layers (like an onion!) is worth reading about. From driving a scooby van to killing innocent humans, he keeps you wondering what he is going to do next page after page.

The wolves weren't completely ignored in this installment either. We got to see a bit more of Ben and I have to say, I am so confused about him! I am torn between hating him, feeling sorry for him and being confused by him. I adored Warren as usual and Kyle was also amazing in this book. He is such a calm, voice of reason, character. I am interested to see what happens in Warren's plot line. The only one that I don't really have a connection with, strangely enough, is the Marrok. They talk about him a lot but I just don't really feel as interested in him as I do everyone else in the series.

If you are looking for a romance this might not be the series to get your fix from - at least not yet. The romance is slow building, very slow building, but for me it is worth it. It also makes sense due to the history Mercy has with Samuel and the attraction she has for Adam. Choosing between two sexy alpha male werewolves would be difficult for anyone, I would imagine!

In closing, I loved this book, I want to immediately start the third book and I am still sad that these book are not loanable because I am poor and the library is slow.


Be prepared here, beneath the adorable polar bear are spoilers! If you don't want to be spoiled, stop reading here!

  So, Stefan now also seems to be attracted to Mercy. He was whispering sweet nothings and then kissed her at the end. I am not sure how I feel about this. I understand the attraction from Samuel because of their history, I get Adam being attracted to her because of the story line and things that have happened between them. I don't understand the Stefan thing as much. Is it just because they have been through so much together? I don't like when every main male in a series has a thing for the lead female. It just doesn't seem realistic to me. I like Stefan and I don't want to see him get lost in a "love square".

WWW Wednesday

A new (to me) meme! I love them. I might be addicted. This might turn into a problem. I might need another intervention like I had to have for myself and "2012 Challenges". Yeah. Sometimes I tend to get a little excited about things and go waaaay overboard. I figure I am okay as long as I don't start doing two a day. That just might be the official sign that I have an issue. 

So! WWW Wednesday is hosted by http://shouldbereading.wordpress.com/ which is an awesome blog, by the way. The purpose is to answer three simple questions on Wednesdays and there...they....are!

What are you currently reading?

What did you finish reading recently?

What do you think you are going to read next?

((See the WWW's there??)) 

What are you currently reading? I am currently reading (glance to your right for a hint!) Blood Bound by Patricia Briggs. I'm just about done with it actually and I am thoroughly enjoying it. I am having pretty much the exact same issues I had with the first book. The 'action' part of the plot is just confusing to me and I am not sure if it is actually confusing or if I am just not paying enough attention. Either way, I really enjoy every single character in the book, both the ones that we met before in Moon Called and new ones introduced in Blood Bound. I am very much still interested and intrigued by the series. No sophomore slump in the Mercy Thompson series for me! 

What did you finish reading recently? Well, I read Moon Called yesterday and loved it. You can scroll down a few posts for the review if you are interested! Before that, I read a series that started with a book called Moon Spell you could also check out the review for that farther down as well. Plenty of 'moon' books to go around apparently. 

What do you think you are going to read next? I think I will probably continue on with the Mercedes Thompson series. I am not even sure exactly how many books are in the series but considering I am in the middle of a "shifter" challenge right now, it works out pretty well for me to just go ahead and demolish the series. Told you I was bit over enthused about challenges! 

Moon Called by Patricia Briggs

Moon Called by Patricia Briggs
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

((Blurb taken from Goodreads.com))
Mercy Thompson's life is not exactly normal. Her next-door neighbor is a werewolf. Her former boss is a gremlin. And she's fixing a VW bus for a vampire. But then, Mercy isn't exactly normal herself.

Some parts of this book had me completely confused. There were a lot of characters and sometimes I had a hard time keeping track of who was who. During the majority of the action scenes I found myself flipping back to see who the bad guys were and who the good guys were. I don't know if I just wasn't paying attention enough or if it really was that confusing. Some of the world building was a little unclear to me as well but that was a bit easier for me to figure out than the 'action' side of the plot was.

With that said....I still LOVED this book. Mercedes is a wonderful lead and she didn't get on my nerves (as so many of our leading ladies do) in the least. I liked how she wasn't part of the pack but still had the urge to follow pack rules. She wasn't a brat, she was respectful of the alpha while still being strong and independent in her own right. The whole walker thing kind of went over my head, I didn't really let the explanation sink in enough but I did enjoy the fact that she was a coyote when she shifted. It seemed different and unique to me and added another interesting aspect to the story.

The highlight of the book for me, without a doubt, was Adam. I am a sucker for an alpha male. I think it is because I have been reading so many contemporaries lately but I just immediately fell in love when Adam took charge. Maybe if I had read more paranormal romances lately I wouldn't have been as excited about all the growling and posturing but...I haven't. So I was. Excited, that is. I adored all the posturing and the growling and snarking going on, especially between Adam and Samuel.

Speaking of Samuel, I have mixed feelings. If there were only Samuel, with no Adam in the picture, I would probably just adore Samuel. I like him a lot but Adam is just the main wolf for me. I have had it up to the moon (haha the moon...werewolves...get it?!) with love triangles but this one I am not minding so much only for the fact that I like the scenes with Samuel and Adam together. Now the issue is getting my hands on the rest of the series.... ((Why oh why can't they be lendable!?))

View all my reviews

Shelf Candy Saturday

Shelf Candy Saturday is a fun feature that is hosted by Fivealarmbookreviews.com. The purpose is to show off book covers that we think are exceptionally beautiful/intriguing or just interesting!

I chose Providence by Jamie McGuire. I actually got this book before I read any of her other books only because I adored the cover. Usually I go for bright, bold colors but the black and white tones in this cover struck me as hauntingly beautiful. I'll be honest, I had no idea what the book was about when I purchased it but I was so intrigued! I wanted to know where he was at, why is he by himself? Is that a bag in his hand? Is he homeless? Are those churches in the back with the tall steeples or is it set in a different sort of time period than the modern age? The clouds are beautiful and slightly ominous, giving a feeling of heaviness despite them being the brightest thing on the cover. I even like the font that the title is written in though I don't like the signature typeface as much.

Tomorrow we'll get back on track with our 'booking through Sunday' feature and another review is coming up soon. Be forewarned, it is Shifter month so there will be quite a few shifter reviews coming up. I started off on a good note with Tales of Lunarmorte (series) by Samantha Young, hopefully I continue finding great, exciting reads!