Teaser Review # 2

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As I explained in a previous blog post, I am a Junior Reviewer for the Page Turners blog. As I only manage to review a handful of books each month, I've decided they will all be featured on the Page Turners blog versus having some of them posted here. I will still be posting blogs here, such as Showcase Sunday and other memes or random posts I feel like. But what I plan to do is post a "Teaser Review," which will be posted here to let you know when a review of mine is up on the Page Turners blog. I'm not asking that anyone follow their blog, (even though it is very worthy of their followers) especially since I will only be posting reviews versus any other posts I make here. I just wanted to make sure anyone who wanted to read my reviews knows where to find them. :)

Wonder Show by Hannah Barnaby

Published: March 20th, 2012

Won from Goodreads First Reads!

Description from Goodreads:

Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, step inside Mosco’s Traveling Wonder Show, a menagerie of human curiosities and misfits guaranteed to astound and amaze! 

But perhaps the strangest act of Mosco’s display is Portia Remini, a normal among the freaks, on the run from McGreavy’s Home for Wayward Girls, where Mister watches and waits. He said he would always find Portia, that she could never leave.
Free at last, Portia begins a new life on the bally, seeking answers about her father’s disappearance. Will she find him before Mister finds her? It’s a story for the ages, and like everyone who enters the Wonder Show, Portia will never be the same.

You have the right to remain awesome!

How do you do it? You blog a few times a week, you read a few books a week, and you do it without fail. Blogging is a lot of work! It's practically a part time job. For some, it's a full time job. To which I applaud you. I have not acquired that type of multitasking that you have achieved so elegantly. I am still learning how much work goes into blogging, and the first thing that I need to get back into is reading regularly. At the end of the day, I have to choose between reading a few chapters or falling asleep. The sandman usually wins. But I think a schedule needs to be brought fourth for my reading. Although it's also hard when I'm not in the mood. I can read for hours on end, and some weeks, I can't sit still!

I have about 6 books I've started to read and have yet to finish. I honestly think there's a screw loose in my head that make it impossible lately to finish what I've started. Even typing this blog post up at work is difficult, the phone keeps ringing!

The books I am currently reading are as follows:

Pure by Julianna Baggott
Eve by Anna Carey
Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James (I caved...)
The Breakaway by Michelle Davidson Argyle (Thanks YA-Aholic!)
Wonder Show by Hannah Barnaby

Essentially, I'd like to finish even one of these books by the end of August to have a review up. I still visit blogger to see what everyone else is up to, at least every other day. It's actually comical to me how I've been taking so long to read the books I've gotten that the sequels are either out in stores or are about to be published within the next few months. That's one of the upsides to taking so long to finish a book, once I eventually do, the sequel is already out! (Case in point: Eve/Once).

Happy Reading wherever you are!

Review: Glimmer - Phoebe Kitanidis

Glimmer by Phoebe Kitanidis (Link to Goodreads)

Released: April 17th, 2012

Bought from Island Bound bookstore on Block Island, RI

Description from Goodreads:

What if you forgot your identity and had to rely on other people to tell you who you were?

And what if to discover your true self, you first had to unravel a mystery so big and terrifying you were not sure you’d survive solving it?

When Marshall and Elyse wake up in each other’s arms with zero memory of how they got there or who they are, it’s the start of a long journey through their separate pasts and shared future.

Terrified by their amnesia, the two make a pact to work together to find the answers that could jog their missing memories. As they piece together clues, they discover they’re in the idyllic mountain resort town of Summer Falls, where everyone seems mysteriously happy, but as Marshall and Elyse quickly learn, darkness lurks beneath the town’s perfect facade. Not only is the town haunted by sinister ghosts, but none of its living inhabitants retain bad memories of anything—not the death of Marshall’s mom, not the hidden shame in Elyse’s family, not even the day-to-day anguish of high school.

Lonely in this world of happy zombies, Marsh and Elyse fall into an intense relationship...but the secrets they uncover could be the death of this growing love—and the death of everyone, and everything, they love in Summer Falls.

HOKAY – I had been pinning over this book because the title really drew me in. I admit, it was because of the character from District 1, Glimmer, in The Hunger Games that initially drew me to look into this book. I figured this book would be about two kids losing their memory and maybe some weird scientist was behind it all. BOY, WAS I WRONG. It was completely different than I expected! I was reading this before bed last night, and I decided to put it down for a little break, and I was torn between continuing and putting it off until the next day. But one of the things I notice is that when I get into a reading mood, if I take a break and wait until the next day, I may not have as much enthusiasm to finish the story, especially if it was dragging a little.

Onto the review! 

So many books, so little time.

I need to put myself on a book buying ban. I have bought over 10 books in the past three weeks and I haven't started any of them. I've also won about 10-15 books through giveaways and Goodreads as well. I have no control over myself when it comes to brand new books sitting on pretty bookstore shelves. I feel so satisfyed when I walk to the counter with an arm full of books, but once I get home, I realize I have no where to put them! My bookshelf is doubled up on each shelf and 90% of the books of my shelves haven't been read yet.

I've been reading Wonder Show by Hannah Barnaby, only about 3 quarters of the way through it, and it was the first book I won from Goodreads... about 2 months ago. Talk about slacking... I blame my lack of reading on having to work everyday.

Although, I am very excited to say I am participating in World Book Night for April 23rd! It's the first time the U.S. has participated and my local bookstore, Island Bound on Block Island, RI is supplying the books. I'm really looking forward to our meeting tomorrow afternoon about how we plan on passing out the books to non-readers. "Hey stranger, do you read? Here's a FREE BOOK. TAKE IT. ENJOY IT. PASS IT ON." I don't know how well that will go over with some of the people in my town, haha. But we shall see!

Happy reading.

In My Mailbox (1)

IMM: In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren !

Wonder Show by Hannah Barnaby (link goes to Goodreads)

Released: March 20, 2012

Won a signed ARC through Goodreads First Reads!

Description via Goodreads:
Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, friends and neighbors, allow me to change your lives! Step inside Mosco’s Traveling Wonder Show! You’ve read about them in magazines, these so-called human curiosities, this tribe of misfits—now come and see for yourselves. We’ve got a gent as tall as a tree, a lady with a beard, and don’t miss your chance to see the Wild Albinos of Bora Bora! Ask Madame Doula to peer into your future (only two dollars more if you want to know how you’re going to die). 

And between these covers behold the greatest act of our display—Portia Remini, the strangest of the menagerie because she’s a ‘normal’ among the freaks, searching for a new beginning on the bally, far away from McGreavey’s Home for Wayward Girls, where Mister watches and waits. He said he would always find Portia, said she could never leave . . . 

Oh, it’s not for the faint of heart folks. If you’re prone to nightmares or you’ve got a weak ticker, you’d best move on. Within these pages lies a tale of abandonment, loss, misfortune for the rich and glory for the poor (and a little murder doesn’t hurt). It’s a story for the ages, but be warned: once you enter the Wonder Show you will never be the same.


H'OKAY - So I got this in the mail on Monday and I couldn't wait to start reading it, and I'm about 1/4 of the way through it. Disclaimer: I do this weird thing where it takes me a while to read books sometimes, and even though I take long breaks from reading a book, it's more or less because I'm so overwhelmed with the book that I need time to take apart what I've read and pick through it in my mind. (This is a habit that I picked up from being an English major in college... I've learned to dissect and distinguish every little detail in a story)
Besides me being weird... so far this book is fabulous and I intend to finish it very soon. Review to come!

The Ember Gods (Kilenya #2) by Andrea Pearson (link goes to Goodreads)

Released: September 27, 2011

Won a signed copy through Goodreads First Reads!

Description via Goodreads:
Jacob Clark has just returned from the world of Eklaron, where he frustrated the evil plans of the Lorkon and returned the magical Key of Kilenya to its rightful owners. His quest is far from over, though—Aloren is trapped in Maivoryl City by the Ember Gods, and Jacob can't return to save her until he receives the potion that will protect his team from the corrosive influence of the Lorkon.

Balancing between this new world and his own proves tricky. Not only has he started his first year of high school, but his magical abilities are bringing him too much attention. He feels pulled by both sides, hoping he'll figure out his special powers to save Aloren in time.


H'OKAY - I got this amazing little beauty in the mail today, and despite it being the second book in the series, (the first being, The Key of Kilenya) I was still interested in reading it. I had looked at the information for the first book and no matter how many stories that are about a dystopian universe, I'm always interested in when a character from contemporary times finds themselves in a different universe along side theirs. It makes me feel like it's possible and I'm always intrigued at how authors come up with new and innovative ways to explain how they found this time/parallel universe "rip". Since this is the second book in the series, I decided to get the first book on my Kindle, so the review for this one might take a little longer, because even though the author, Andrea, offered to send me an outline of what happened in book one, I'd much rather read it so I can get the full experience!




Happy reading !!