Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following: Grab your current read and share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page.

I’ve been missing around here for a while. Reading took a back seat, spending my free hours after work writing a short story I needed to get done. Anyway, I just picked up the latest Cassandra Clare book in hopes of drawing me back in again. I know not everyone loves these newer books in the series, but I can’t wait.

“Then you tell me why his body isn’t there, because it isn’t,” she said, her voice finally breaking. “There’s nothing up there but a lot of blood and broken glass. They’re both gone, Simon. Jace is gone…”

- City Of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare, page 4.
Published by Margaret K. McElderry in May, 2012.

Feeding My Addiction is where I share a glimpse of the books I’ve received in the past week–one’s I might not necessarily get to right away, but have to have them anyway. They may be from stores, libraries, friends, contests, tours or publishers!

• Vampire Academy: Graphic Novel by Richelle Mead (purchased)
• Frostbite: Graphic Novel by Richelle Mead (purchased)
• Fury by Rebecca Lim (purchased)
• Tiger’s Voyage by Colleen Houck (purchased)
• The Industry by Rose Foster (purchased)

I stopped by a shopping centre on my lunch break last week and ended up walking out with another five books I wasn’t looking for. I saw the second Vampire Academy graphic novel was out so I decided to just pick them both up. I still have to read the actual Frostbite sometime though before I get into these. Fury and Tiger’s Voyage are both additions to series I’ve haven’t yet started on, but felt like grabbing for whenever I actually do. The last book, The Industry sounded like something different from the usual paranormal romances I keep getting sucked into, so it made it onto my stack too. I’m still reading Red Glove at the moment. I’ve been on it for over a week, but just haven’t gotten the same connection I had with the first book. I’m hoping to finish it in the next day or so though.

Here are my latest reviews if you want to check them out:
Green, John, The Fault In Our Stars
Lord, Gabrielle Conspiracy 365 #6-9, June to September

Link up to your mailbox and I’ll be sure to check it out!

Title: The Fault In Our Stars
Author: John Green
Published: January, 2012 by Penguin
Thanks: Penguin, AU
Pages: 313
My Rating: ★★★★★ 
Purchase: The Book Depository

Diagnosed with Stage IV thyroid cancer at 12, Hazel was prepared to die until, at 14, a medical miracle shrunk the tumours in her lungs… for now.

Two years post-miracle, sixteen-year-old Hazel is post-everything else, too; post-high school, post-friends and post-normalcy. And even though she could live for a long time (whatever that means), Hazel lives tethered to an oxygen tank, the tumours tenuously kept at bay with a constant chemical assault.

Enter Augustus Waters. A match made at cancer kid support group, Augustus is gorgeous, in remission, and shockingly to her, interested in Hazel. Being with Augustus is both an unexpected destination and a long-needed journey, pushing Hazel to re-examine how sickness and health, life and death, will define her and the legacy that everyone leaves behind.

Final Thoughts:
Oh my…this was the book I needed to read. I’ve been in a slump lately, taking a while to read books that were okay, but that really didn’t do a whole lot for me. The Fault In Our Stars draws you out of whatever little crook you’ve been hiding in and shoves you head first into a world of feeling. I got this one a couple months back, but I’ve been avoiding picking it up mainly because I’d just read another amazing book that dealt with teen cancer and needed the break to prepare myself. On a whim, I snatched this one off my shelf and took it with me to pass the time in a waiting room and ended up almost finishing the book. Albeit the wait was 4+ hours, but it flew by. I was engrossed. I had to eventually stop myself and put it away—the tears were struggling against my flickering eyelids. Sure I could have continued struggling against a break down in public, pausing every now and again—but I wanted to give this book the attention—and the release—it deserved, so I waited, and dove back in as soon as I got home and utterly adored every second of it.

Hazel’s narrative brings such a realism to the universe these characters live in—it was easy to forget it was just a book and slip right in there with her. It doesn’t come across as depressing—full of sarcasm, flirting, bonding, self-deprecating humour, running jokes, and romance—lots of romance. It doesn’t try and paint a rosy hue over the cancer though—it’s there, right there, making its presence known, but what makes it great is that these characters—these people—they are more than the disease, they full of an incalculable energy that just makes you want to be around them. Within the first few pages, I knew I should have started this book sooner. Starting at Support Group and quickly taking off into Hazel Grace/Augustus show, I felt exactly like Hazel—not wanting to hang up and leave that special third place.

Augustus was the hot—and smart—guy, with the prosthetic leg. But he was also the one with an affliction for making Hazel happy, staring at her because he liked staring at beautiful people—why else? I liked that he wasn’t there to frustrate her to the point that she fell in love with him, but that an actual series of positive, fun and flirty events brought them closer. The subplot involving a book within the book was interesting, adding layers to the dynamic between the two and really ties things back into one another. As for the parental side of things, some of the most moving lines came from their lips—creating moments that are perfect in breaking you. I made time to stop, and reread the lines once my eyes cleared, only for them to tear up again.

It is a sad book.

But it’s also a wonderfully uplifting book. I do admit I had to leave a day before I began working on this because I need that time to gather myself, but it wasn’t because I’d been left splattered all over the tiles in a coalescing pile of salty goo. I did break down—but it picked me back up again and gave me tears of joy—joy that I’d read The Fault In Our Stars.

Recommended to:
Those that could stomach my gushing review. Set aside a day, switch off your technology and get lost in Hazel and Augustus’s little infinity.

I don’t normally do this—and there are so many things that I could quote—but a couple lines that I really found myself agreeing with were:

“You know how I know you’re a fighter? You called a ten a nine.”
But that wasn’t quite right. I called it a nine because I was saving my ten.

Title: September (Conspiracy 365 #9)
Author: Gabrielle Lord
Published: September, 2010 by Scholastic
Pages: 181
My Rating: ★★★☆☆ 
Purchase: The Book Depository

On New Year’s Eve, Cal is chased down the street by a staggering, sick man with a deadly warning…”They killed your father. They’ll kill you. You must survive the next 365 days. Hurled into a life on the run the 15-year-old fugitive is isolated and alone.

Final Thoughts:
These books are so short, so I thought I’d leave the reviewing until I got through a chunk of them. I’ve just read June through September over the past week, diving into them, hoping for some new discoveries, understanding the clues that have been dropped so far, and finally getting some closure. Being the middle of the series, we didn’t get too much of that. Instead, these books sought to develop the friendship between Cal, Boges and the mysterious girl, Winter. There are trust issues brought into it, and lots of betrayals that definitely warranted that scepticism. Reading them back to back like this, it’s easy to see how formulaic these books are. Each one begins with a quick resolution of whatever cliffhanger had proceeded it, leaving Callum scrambling to pull things back together, then another month of running around, looking for clues, leading up to another catastrophe that just happens to fall on the final day of each month.

There has been some progression to the mystery, but there are just as many new things being introduced, just to make sure the reader doesn’t get too comfortable. The plot surrounding Cal’s twin has been dragging on for way too long in my opinion—barely resolving anything in that regard. We do get somewhere, but not nearly enough. Old characters from the start of the series start popping up again too, ones that may have seemed inconsequential before. I like when that happens, tying things together. I’m trying to piece it together, but haven’t come up with much so far.

What annoys me the most, is the portrayals of the adults in this series. It is as if the kids have more brains than them sometimes. The adults are very one dimensional—unable to process in-depth thought. I guess that’s the aim, but it’s frustrating when reading. It’s making me read faster so I can get to the end, when everything finally gets revealed, and have everyone realise how stupid they were.

There is a lot of action, with lots of near death situations for this sixteen year old. It will be fun to watch the tv series once I’ve finished the books and see how they compare. From flying aeroplanes, to getting trapped in all sorts of tight spaces, boulders almost crushing him, it’s a wonder he hasn’t croaked yet. I’m not too worried though—these types of books don’t usually kill of their main characters. It when the side characters are in danger that it becomes more gripping.

On the romance front, there’s barely anything on page—but there is an undercurrent. I feel like things are going to bubble over eventually between Cal/Boges/Winter. One of them is going to get left out in the cold. I can’t wait to see if anything comes from that.

Recommended to:
Teen boys are the obviously demographic for these, but there’s nothing to stop anyone else from enjoying these quick reads, teen or otherwise.

In My Mailbox is a meme hosted by The Story Siren, which allows bloggers to share what books they’ve received in the past week. They can be from stores, contests, tours or publishers!

• The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa (thanks to Publisher)
• Temptation by Karen Ann Hopkins (thanks to Publisher)
• Allegiance by Cayla Kluver (thanks to Publisher)
• Fated by Alyson Noel (thanks to Publisher)
• Unafraid by Michael Griffo (thanks to Publisher)
• Revived by Cat Patrick (purchased)
• Bloodrose by Andrea Cremer (purchased)
• Winter’s Light by M.J. Hearle (thanks to Publisher)

I’ve been in Sydney the past week on a business trip, took a stack of books, but I never got around to reading them. I did get some reading done on the plane, but not enough to write any reviews. I will fix that soon. When I got back a couple days ago, I was met with six of these books–so thanks to those who sent them to me! I don’t know where to start. I’m tempted to pick up The Immortal Rules, but Fated sounds pretty good too.

Here are my latest reviews if you want to check them out:
Smith, Alexander Gordon Escape From Furnace #5, Execution

Link up to your mailbox and I’ll be sure to check it out!

At Barinkoff Academy, there’s only one rule: no students on campus after curfew. Phoenix McKay soon finds out why when she is left behind at sunset. A group calling themselves night students threaten to taste her flesh until she is saved by a mysterious, alluring boy. With his pale skin, dark eyes, and mesmerizing voice, Demitri is both irresistible and impenetrable. He warns her to stay away from his dangerous world of flesh eaters. Unfortunately, the gorgeous and playful Luka has other plans.

When Phoenix is caught between her physical and her emotional attraction, she becomes the keeper of a deadly secret that will rock the foundations of an ancient civilization living beneath Barinkoff Academy. Phoenix doesn’t realize until it is too late that the closer she gets to both Demitri and Luka the more she is plunging them all into a centuries old feud.

Song Credits: “Hunger” © Noelle Pico.
Full Download available at sheisnoelle.bandcamp.com

Add Taste on Goodreads
Author Website
@KateEvangelista
Facebook
Crescent Moon Press page for Taste

Excerpt from Taste:

I mentally stomped on the intimidation their perfection brought into my mind and said, “Excuse me.”

The group froze, startled by my words. The girls had their brows raised and the boys stopped mid-speech, mouths agape. They stared at me with eyes the shade of onyx stones.

I smiled and gave them a little wave.

The boy a step ahead of the rest recovered first. His stunning features went from shocked surprise to intense interest. He reminded me of a hawk eyeing its prey. I gulped.

“A Day Student,” he said, his eyes insolent and excited.

Something about the way he said “Day Student” made my stomach flip. “Excuse me?”

They snickered. The boys looked at each other while the girls continued to stare, muffling their laughter by delicate hands. I seemed to be the butt of some joke.

“You broke the rule.” The boy’s grin turned predatory.

The students formed a loose semi-circle in front of me. My gaze darted from face to face. Hunger filled their eyes. The image of lions about to chase down a gazelle came to mind. I mentally shook my head. I was in the mountains not the Serengeti for crying out loud.

I took a small step back and cleared my throat. “Can any of you give me a ride back to the dorms?”

The boy wagged his forefinger like a metronome. “Ah, that’s unfortunate for you.”

One of the girls pinched the bridge of her nose. “Eli, you can’t possibly—”

“It’s forbidden, Eli,” another boy interrupted, pronouncing the word “forbidden” like a curse.

The nervous murmur at the pit of my stomach grew louder. Six against one. Not good odds. Instinct told me to cut my losses and run. Bad enough I faced expulsion, now it seemed like weird, beautiful people who’d suddenly appeared on campus wanted to beat me up. No, scratch that. Judging from the way they studied me, beating me up wouldn’t satisfy them. Something more primal prowled behind their looks.

I definitely wasn’t going down without a fight. Years of self-defense and hand-to-hand combat classes had me prepared. While other children from rich and important families got bodyguards, I got defense training. But I think my father meant for my skills to go up against potential kidnappers, not against other students who may or may not be crazy. Oh God! Maybe I stepped into a parallel universe or something when I reentered Barinkoff.

“None of the students are supposed to be on campus,” I said. Then, realizing my mistake, I added, “Okay, I know I’m not supposed to be here either. If one of you gives me a ride back to the dorms, I won’t say anything about all this. Let’s pretend this never happened. I didn’t see you, you didn’t see me.”

“We’re not ordinary students,” Eli answered. “We’re the Night Students.”

He’d said “Night Students” like the words were capitalized. I didn’t know Barinkoff held classes at night. What was going on here?

Eli smiled with just one side of his mouth and said to the group, “She’s right, no one will have to know. We’re the only ones here. And it’s been so long, don’t you agree?”

The rest of them nodded reluctantly.

“What’s been so long?” I challenged. I fisted my hands, ready to put them up if any of them so much as twitched my way.

“Since the taste of real flesh passed through my lips,” Eli said. He came forward and took a whiff of me then laughed when I cringed.

“Flesh.” Yep, parallel universe.

“Yes,” he said. “And yours smells so fresh.”

Someone grabbed my shoulders from behind and yanked me back before I could wrap my mind around the meaning behind Eli’s words. In a blink, I found myself behind someone tall. Someone really tall. And quite broad. And very male.

I realized he wore the same clothes Eli and the other boys did. Not good. He was one of them. Although… I cocked my head, raking my gaze over him. He seemed born to wear the uniform, like he was the pattern everyone else was cut from. My eyes wandered to long, layered, blue-black hair tied at the nape by a silk ribbon. Even in dim light, his hair possessed a sheen akin to mercury.

I looked down. The boy’s long fingers were wrapped around my wrist like a cuff. His fevered touch felt hotter than human standards, hot enough to make me sweat like I was standing beside a radiator but not hot enough to burn.

“I must be mistaken, Eli,” the boy who held my arm said in a monotone. “Correct me. Did I hear you say you wanted to taste the flesh of this girl?”

A hush descended on us. It had the hairs at the back of my neck rising. How was it possible for the atmosphere to switch from threatening to dangerous? Unable to help myself, I peeked around the new guy’s bulk. Eli and his friends bowed. They all had their right hands on their chests.

“Demitri, I’m sure you misheard me,” Eli said.

So the guy standing between me and the person who said he’d wanted to taste me was named Demitri. I like the sound of his name. Demitri. So strong, yet rolls off the tongue. Definite yum factor.

“So, you imply I made a mistake?” Demitri demanded.

“No!” Eli lifted his gaze. “I did no such thing. I simply wanted to show the girl the consequences of breaking curfew.”

“Hey!” I yelled. “Don’t talk about me like I’m not here!”

Demitri ignored my protest and continued to address Eli. “So, you threatened to taste her flesh.” His fingers tightened their grip around my wrist. “In the interest of investigating this matter further, I invoke the Silence.”

All six students gasped, passing surprised glances at one another.

Before I could ask about what was going on, Demitri yanked me down the hall toward the library. But why there? Oh, maybe we were getting my things. No, wait, he couldn’t have known about that. Everything was too confusing now.

Eli and the others didn’t try to stop us when we passed them. Demitri’s cold command must have carried power. Handsome and powerful, never a bad combination on a guy.

We reached the heavy double doors in seconds. He jerked one open effortlessly. I’d needed all my strength just to squeeze through that same door earlier. To him, the thick wood might as well have been cardboard. I raised an eyebrow and mentally listed the benefits of going to gym class.

“Why are we here?” I asked after my curiosity overpowered my worry. I’d almost forgotten how frightened I’d been right before Demitri showed up. I wasn’t above accepting help from strangers. Especially from gorgeous dark-haired strangers with hot hands and wide shoulders.

Demitri kept going, tugging me along, snaking his way deeper into the library. I had to take two steps for every stride his legs made. I tried to stay directly behind him, praying we didn’t slam into anything.

He stopped suddenly and I collided with him. It felt like slamming into a wall.

“Hey,” I said, momentarily stunned. “A little warning would be nice!”

He faced me, and I gasped. His eyes resembled a starless night, deep and endless. Their intensity drilled through me without pity, seeming to expose all my secrets. I felt naked and flustered beneath his gaze.

“You could have died back there,” he warned.

A lump of panic rebuilt itself in my throat.

Title: Execution (Escape From Furnace #5)
Author: Alexander Gordon Smith
Published: March, 2011 by Faber and Faber
Pages: 336
My Rating: ★★★☆☆ 
Purchase: The Book Depository

Alex Sawyer has escaped his underground nightmare to discover the whole world has become a prison, and Alfred Furnace is its master. Monsters rule the streets, leaving nothing but murder in their wake. Those who do not die become slaves to Furnace’s reign of cruelty. Alex is a monster too. He is the only one who can stop Furnace but in doing so he could destroy everything. Is he the executed or the executioner? Who will die? All Alex knows is that one way or another, it all ends now.

Final Thoughts:
It took me two weeks to get through—that should tell you something. Being the final book in the series, I pushed through to the end, just because I needed them to find peach—I mean peace—some sort of resolution. The series as whole has been hit and miss for me. The first book took me a while to get into, but then the second and third had me gripping the pages tightly, unable to stop. Book four—the actual escape, or rather fleeing—was the turning point, but unfortunately lost a bit of steam, the same happened with this one. Alex became very much a loner, taking away the fun, brotherhood aspects I’d come to love in the previous instalments. There were still bits of humour, bits of that camaraderie laced throughout, but it was few and far between, instead focussing on the final battle that Alex needed to face with Furnace, the one the whole series had been leading to.

The introduction of a new enemy this late in the game felt weird, almost unnecessary. It kept the book going, with added tension, but without it, things probably could have been resolved at the end of book four. There were definitely moments through this book that made it worth it though—bits of closure in areas where I hadn’t given a second thought, pieces that made the characters richer, even the characters that we wouldn’t have thought needed it. Zee, Lucy and Simon didn’t really get a lot of time spent on them—except when they were needed as Alex’s personal encouragement team. Thinking back over the course of their adventures, it’s amazing how much they’ve gotten through together—the strength of that bond they formed when faced with a world that wanted to destroy them.

I really liked the way the end managed to pull everything together, linking in bits from the earlier books, really showing how developed this series was. It wasn’t exactly a picture perfect ending, but with a series like this, it wasn’t exactly to be expected. The supernatural or advanced science, or whatever is actually going on, was never really explained with and definition—but I guess with it done that way, you can make up your own conclusions as to where the power came from. Once you’ve finished, I recommend seeking out the epilogue that Alexander has included on the series’ website. It’s around fifteen or so pages, and just brings in a little something more that the book didn’t have. The book’s ending is still fitting, especially the final line, but with the chance for more—who could resist.

Recommended to:
Those who enjoy a well plotted conspiracy full of action, friends and death.

In My Mailbox is a meme hosted by The Story Siren, which allows bloggers to share what books they’ve received in the past week. They can be from stores, contests, tours or publishers!

• Forgiven by Jana Oliver (purchased)
• Delirium by Lauren Oliver (purchased)
• Night World: Vol 1 by L.J. Smith (purchased)
• Immortal City by Scott Speer (purchased)
• Goddess Interrupted by Aimee Carter (thanks to Publisher)

So it’s been a bit slow around here lately. I only read one book last week–well I only completed one book–I’m midway through two others at the moment. The long weekend isn’t helping with my reading. I’m staying at a friend’s for the easter break and well, solitary reading doesn’t really fit the bill. Most of these books here are ones I picked up at Kmart last weekend. I was going to grab Pandemonium as well, but it’s in a larger format, so I’ll wait until I can get one to match the size of Delirium. I thought I’d heard good things about Night World, but it turned out, that I was thinking of another series that had been put out in bind-up form. So–oh well, maybe I’ll end up liking this one, maybe I won’t. My UK copy of Immortal City came in the mail, and I was all excited–but then I tried stacking a heap of books on the shelf above my desk at once and they ended up tumbling to the floor, the cover bending back in half–grr. Still perfectly readable–but I’m annoyed with myself. Anyway, it’s Easter today (and a certain book blogging Kate’s birthday!), so I’m going to go raid the chocolate. Have fun reading!

Here are my latest reviews if you want to check them out:
Carter, Aimee Goddess Test #1, The Goddess Test

Link up to your mailbox and I’ll be sure to check it out!

Title: The Goddess Test (Goddess Test #1)
Author: Aimee Carter
Published: April, 2011 by Harlequin Teen
Thanks: Harlequin Teen, AU
Pages: 293
My Rating: ★★★★☆ 
Purchase: The Book Depository

It’s always been just Kate and her mom—and her mother is dying. Her last wish? To move back to her childhood home. So Kate’s going to start at a new school with no friends, no other family and the fear her mother won’t live past the fall.Then she meets Henry. Dark. Tortured. And mesmerizing. He claims to be Hades, god of the Underworld—and if she accepts his bargain, he’ll keep her mother alive while Kate tries to pass seven tests.Kate is sure he’s crazy—until she sees him bring a girl back from the dead. Now saving her mother seems crazily possible. If she succeeds, she’ll become Henry’s future bride, and a goddess.

Final Thoughts:
This one took a while to get through, but was enjoyable throughout the whole book. I think I’d been expecting something a little different going into it, but the end result was equally fun and intriguing. It does have a high school aspect that tries to bring in the angst, but thankfully it was shown the door quite quickly. It wasn’t grating though—I actually found Kate’s blasé attitude towards the social hierarchy refreshing. It helped give more weight to her feelings towards her tenuous home life, waiting for her mother to die.

One of the hints towards a twist drew my attention, thereby annoying me when it came true, but for the better part, I kept getting shocked. I loved The Goddess Test’s ability turn my mind upside down. It made me care about characters, then hate them, then like them again. It was really hard to pin down a single conclusion about someone as things were always changing. Kate, even though it was set within her head, showed a metamorphosis of emotion during her stay at the manor. As a person, she didn’t come across some big epiphany, but rather, she grew into more well-rounded version of herself.

I liked the distinction in the speech patterns. Henry was easily identifiable even without a moniker attached to his dialogue. He had an almost-perpetual sullen vibe about him that he alternated only to give orders or make judgement. The rare smiles he divulged to Kate were therefore much more effective in creating a romantic air between them. The uncertainty over his past, and whether he could ever move on, created a barrier, holding back the possibility of slipping into insta-luv. I would have been frustrated had that occurred anyway as Kate was obviously not in the right head space in the beginning for any type of romance.

Setting the majority of the book within the gated walls of Eden Manor didn’t seem to stop the book from remaining interesting. It wasn’t particularly about the settings, it was the people. The characters created their own problems, Kate was stuck in the middle of them, and her ability to deal with it moved her along her path. The actual tests by which the book is named didn’t get much of a mention, which is what confused me initially when I started this one. Rather than Kate jumping through hoops, it became more about forging relationships and saying goodbye to old ones.

I loved the progression in the second half just a bit more than the first—in fact, I became unable to put it down. I need to mention it again—the twists floored me. Usually I pick up on them, but these just slipped right by me. It was such a smart way to end things, but I am glad there is more to come. I can’t wait to see what becomes of this little house of death.

Recommended to:
Those who enjoy a slow-building romance, characters with responsibility and family issues.

In My Mailbox is a meme hosted by The Story Siren, which allows bloggers to share what books they’ve received in the past week. They can be from stores, contests, tours or publishers!

• Conspiracy 365: June by Gabrielle Lord (library)
• Conspiracy 365: July by Gabrielle Lord (library)
• Conspiracy 365: August by Gabrielle Lord (library)
• Conspiracy 365: September by Gabrielle Lord (library)
• Touch Of Power by Maria V Snyder (won)
• Article 5 by Kristen Simmons (purchased)
• The Hunters: Moonsong by L.J. Smith (purchased)
• Erebos by Ursula Poznanski (purchased)
• Illusions by Aprilynne Pike (purchased)

Firstly, thanks to Kylie from Talking Teacup for my copy of Touch Of Power. I still haven’t read any of Maria’s books, but I will get around to it eventually. It’s been about a year since I read the first five books in the Conspiracy 365 series. They’re short, and fun, and now that it’s a tv show, I thought I’d get back to them with the next four. The other books were all random purchases I made when browsing Big W’s YA section. I probably didn’t need to get them right now since I’ve already got heaps I’m behind on, but I don’t like leaving shops empty handed. Feels like a waste of a trip. I’m still pretty busy at the moment, but I’ve almost finished helping my parents move house. Also, I probably won’t have an IMM next weekend as I’m heading down to Melbourne for a few days.

Here are my latest reviews if you want to check them out:
Alderson, Sarah Fated #1, Fated
Arvin, Eric, Galley Proof

Link up to your mailbox and I’ll be sure to check it out!