Tuesday, May 21, 2013

Novella Review: Stealing Harper

Stealing Harper (Taking Chances #2)
Published By: William Morrow
Publication Date: May 21, 2013
Page Count: 100
Buy it at Amazon or Barnes & Noble
Source: ARC Kindly Provided by Publisher via Edelweiss
Audience: New Adult - Contemporary Romance

I would highly suggest NOT reading this review if you haven't had the pleasure of reading Taking Chances. Instead go read my review of that novel and then READ IT. I allude to something that happens in the first novel and TRUST ME, you do NOT want to be spoiled. 

Book Spotlight & Giveaway: Impostor



Can Tessa pose as Madison . . . and stop a killer before it’s too late? 

Tessa is a Variant, able to absorb the DNA of anyone she touches and mimic their appearance. Shunned by her family, she’s spent the last two years training with the Forces with Extraordinary Abilities, a secret branch of the FBI. When a serial killer rocks a small town in Oregon, Tessa is given a mission: she must impersonate Madison, a local teen, to find the killer before he strikes again. 

Tessa hates everything about being an impostor—the stress, the danger, the deceit—but loves playing the role of a normal girl. As Madison, she finds friends, romance, and the kind of loving family she’d do anything to keep. Amid action, suspense, and a ticking clock, this super-human comes to a very human conclusion: even a girl who can look like anyone struggles the most with being herself.

Teaser Tuesday: Confederates Don't Wear Couture, The Treachery of Beautiful Things, & In the After


Teaser Tuesday is a weekly feature, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.


"Seriously." I followed him toward baggage claim, winding our way through airport halls that had white Corinthian columns in them, like a plantation porch. "We're spending the summer in Hades because of Sweet Home Alabama?"

"But of course," he said, as we parked ourselves in front of the baggage claim. 

~ Confederates Don't Wear Couture by Stephanie Kate Strohm, pg. 26 (ARC)




She felt herself lifted from the ground and a face merged from the blurs, a boy's face, or a man's, or someone just hovering between the two. In that moment he was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen, though his nose was not straight and his eyes were different colors -- one green, one blue. Beautiful, but alien somehow. A fresh panic clutched her then. The Foletti had been beautiful and look where that had gotten her.

~ The Treachery of Beautiful Things by Ruth Frances Long, pg. 22




I chose houses at random, tried the doors. Most were unlocked. A few were missing altogether, torn apart by Them. People left all kinds of useful things behind, food being the most important. I also liked looking through their books. As much as people loved e-books, there were always paper books around. You can tell a lot about people by the kinds of books they owned.

~ In the After by Demitria Lunetta, Kindle Location 353 (ARC)


Monday, May 20, 2013

Book Review: Hysteria

Hysteria 
Published By: Walker Childrens
Publication Date: February 5, 2013
Page Count: 336
Source: Purchased by Reviewer
Audience: Young Adult - Contemporary, Mystery

There were times reading this when I felt like I had missed a lot. I thought it was me, but then I looked at the title again and realized that I was knee deep in Hysteria, where sometimes you don't even know what is real.

Mallory finds herself questioning everything, as she doesn't know who to trust or what is really real. Between the sleeping pills and her avoidance of even thinking about the night she killed Brian, it is hard to work out what is going on. There are disjointed flashbacks to the night in question, which take a slightly frustrating amount of time to sort out into some kind of order, and the most pivotal moments are held back until later on in the book. All Mallory really knows is that she killed a boy, in self defence, but her life isn't really worth living. 

Cover Crazy: The Waiting Sky


The purpose of Cover Crazy is to feature a cover each week for us to admire its beauty. I really like this idea since there are so many great covers out there! Cover Crazy is a meme that was started by The Book Worms. 


I love how it appears that the girl is strong enough to keep a tornado contained within a mason jar. There is so much symbolism in this one image. I also think that perhaps this girl's life has been drastically altered by a natural disaster. I'm compelled to read this one to find out who she is and why the tornado is significant. What are your thoughts on this cover?


Sunday, May 19, 2013

Book Review: The Sweetest Dark

The Sweetest Dark
(The Sweetest Dark #1)
By:  Shana Abe
Published By:  Bantam
Publication Date: April 2nd, 2013
Page Count:  352 pages
Source:  Book Purchased by Reviewer
  Audience:  Young Adult Historical Fantasy 


The Sweetest Dark is Shana Abe’s debut into the young adult genre.  Having read the first two books in the author’s Drakon series – which were geared towards adults – I was already familiar with the world she created around this hidden society of fantastical creatures that looked like you and me but also harboured a secret that they guard fiercely and closely…for they can turn into dragons, and some could yet also turn into smoke.

The Sweetest Dark takes place some 150-200 years later from the original Drakon books, in the early 1900’s and World War I in progress, with small references to the characters from the original series.  Things have changed quite drastically over the course of time and the Drakon race has all but died out.

Magic Lamp Sunday 5/19/13


We discovered this meme at Ya-Aholic, where it runs on Fridays. It sounded like a fun addition to our lineup, but fits better here on Sundays. This is based on the basic Magic Lamp = 3 wishes idea. Since there are so many of us, though, we're just taking one each per week. 

If we had a Magic Lamp, we'd wish:


Andrea: I wish that Molly McAdams would write faster. I love her stories! Inspired by, among others, Stealing Harper.


Jen: I wish that I never have to watch a loved one struggle with possession by an evil spirit as Zadie watched Mara struggle in My Sister's Reaper by Dorothy Dreyer.

Michele: After finishing Sanctum, I wish I had the next book in the series right NOW! Inspired by Sanctum by Sarah Fine. 

Paula: I wish I had access to the jasmine-scented hot spring that Alex and Aiden find in Apollyon by Jennifer L. Armentrout.


Saturday, May 18, 2013

Author Interview & Giveaway: Jamie Ayres


We are excited to welcome author, Jamie Ayres, to the nest today. She's here to discuss her novel, 18 Things. Be sure to check out the giveaway details at the end of this post.


Andrea @ Reading Lark: Why did you choose to write YA?

Jamie:  I didn't choose to write YA . . . it all stemmed from the Prince and the Possum! My snoring prince charming (AKA--hubby of 15 yrs) and a possum on our porch kept me up during the summer of 2009, and I just kind of ended up writing a novel that featured teenagers as the main characters. I've never looked back.

Andrea @ Reading Lark: Can you describe your novel in five words?

Jamie: Adventurous tale of self-discovery

Book Spotlight: The Banks of Certain Rivers



Neil Kazenzakis is barely holding his life together: ever since an accident left his wife profoundly disabled, he's been doing his best as a single dad and popular high school teacher. He's also been dealing with Lauren Downey, his sort-of girlfriend of the past two years who's pushing for a commitment—and for Neil to finally tell his son Christopher about their secret relationship.

What's Your Status? 5/18/13


What's Your Status? was inspired by Butterfly Feet Walking on Life. Check back each Saturday to find what's been keeping the Larks busy this week.

Reading Lark's Review Status:

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