WWW WEDNESDAYS {2}, AND "WAITING ON" WEDNESDAY {1}

WWW WEDNESDAYS {2}
WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Should Be Reading


To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…

• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you’ll read next?



What am I'm I currently reading?

Chasing the Nightbird  by Krista Russell








What did I recently read?

The Soulkeepers by G.P Ching














What will I be reading next?

Meant To Be by Tiffany King

"WAITING ON" WEDNESDAY {1}


Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

MY "WAITING ON" WEDNESDAY PICK

Son of Neptune: Heroes of Olympus #2

Rick Riordan

Pub. Date: October 4, 2011

From Riordan's official website:

In The Lost Hero, three demigods named Jason, Piper, and Leo made their first visit to Camp Half-Blood, where they inherited a blood-chilling quest:

Seven half-bloods shall answer the call,To storm or fire the world must fall.An oath to keep with a final breath,And foes bear arms to the Doors of Death.
Who are the other four mentioned in the prophesy? The answer may lie in another camp miles away, where a new camper has shown up and appears to be the son of Neptune, god of the sea. . .

 

With an ever-expanding cast of brave-hearted heroes and formidable foes, this second book in The Heroes of Olympus series offers all of the action, pathos, and humor that Rick Riordan fans crave.

I am a HUGE Percy Jackson and Riordan fan and I cannot wait to see where this series goes!

DAILY HAIKU: BABY COME BACK

HAPPY HUMP DAY CUPCAKES!

I was going to make some witty comment about everyone getting humpy on hump day, but then I realized how very awkward that would be and how some of you may mistake my comment for me flirting with you and then of course you'd end up developing this massive crush on me and I'd have to break your poor hearts and things just wouldn't end well. So, no humpy hump day comment...I feel good about this decision.

Anywho, not only is it hump day, its also the last day of August, which means tomorrow is September 1 and do you know what that means...besides it being the day school starts at Hogwarts? That means the end of Summer is coming and the start of Fall begins. This makes me sad...so I wrote a haiku:

Summer Lovin'

Summer is ending

I wish Fall would stay away

My flip flops are sad

As you can tell, I love Summer...I want to marry Summer and have its sunny babies. I don't hate Fall. A lot of good things come with Fall, like my birthday, Halloween, and Thanksgiving. But Fall means Summer ends and Winter is coming (heehee, I sound like a Stark). And I loathe Winter. Winter means cold and ice and having to wear *gasp* socks! Now I know what you're all saying-"But good things come with Winter too like hot chocolate, Christmas, and snow". What I have to say to that- I drink hot chocolate all year, Christmas is expensive, and snow...well I get excited for the first snowfall, spend about 15 minutes playing in it, then I'm done. That's about the extent of my love affair with snow.

I think I need to move somewhere where Summer never ends *le sigh*. How sad does the end of Summer make me? Well I'd say about this sad:

Who thinks I'm awesome for digging up this Dawson's Creek gif?! Cause I think I'm awesome!

TEASER TUESDAYS {2} AND TOP TEN TUESDAY {1}

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
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

MY TT 

"The word Graduation!! is written in red inside the white square, complete with an extra exclamation point. If she'd waited less than two weeks, she would be June who died in June, but I guess she never took that into account."

Saving June, Hannah Harrington

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and The Bookish. Each week a new top ten list will be posted and answered, and other bloggers are invited to post their list answers.

TOP TEN BOOKS ON MY TBR LIST THIS FALL

(IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER)

1. Sweetly by Jackson Pearce

2. Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

3. The Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan

4. Cold Kiss by Amy Garvey

5. The Healing Wars Book 3: Darkfall by Janice Hardy

6. Savor by Megan Duncan

7. Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

8. Sweet Venom by Tera lynn Childs

9. Possess by Gretchen McNeil

10. A Dance With Dragons by G.R.R Martin

This book has actually been out for awhile, but I still haven't had a chance to read it...but I swear I'll get to it...someday

My birthday is October 23 and I just LOVE getting books as gifts and if I were to receive any of the books above that would be most awesome *hint hint nudge nudge*...just saying ;)

  

DAILY HAIKU: MEGALODON IS MEGA SEXY

G'day Cupcakes on this sunny Tuesday! Today's haiku is inspired by my love of sharks and the fact that Mega Shark vs Giant Octopus was on SyFy earlier. So for your sharky pleasure:

Eating Planes Like A Boss

Love your toothy grin

But I gotta ask you this:

Why you eat that plane?

And incase you have no idea what movie or scene I am referring to, I give you this:

MUSING MONDAYS {1}

MUSING MONDAYS… is a weekly event where MizB will ask a book/reading-related question, and you answer with your own thoughts on the topic.



This week’s musing is… a book meme!


What was the last book you…


• borrowed from the library?
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland...I wrote my Literary Theory term paper on Alice's phenomenological experiences in Wonderland

• bought?
I just bought three great illustrated junior editions of Peter Pan, Dr. Doolittle, and Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (so I won't have to borrow it again)

• cried over?
Lauren Myracle's Shine...this was a powerful and thought provoking novel.

• disliked and couldn’t finish?
I honestly have no idea! I haven't not finished a book in a long time.

• read & loved?
Peter Nimble and His Fantastic Eyes by Jonathan Auxier...this book has filled the Harry Potter shaped hole in my heart.

• got for review? (or: got in the mail?)
Released by Megan Duncan...an awesome and refreshing apocalyptic novel.

• gave to someone else?
I just gave away four copies of Tiffany King's Meant to Be.

• stayed up too late reading?
I pulled an all nighter reading Released...I couldn't put it down.

MEANT TO BE GIVEAWAY WINNERS

Congrats Cupcakes

Only four people entered the Meant to Be ebook giveaway, so instead of choosing only three winners all four will receive a copy! The winners are:

~Megan


~amark012


~Cherry


~Caroline

                     Congratulations! Emails have been sent.

REVIEW AND GIVEAWAY: RELEASED

Title: Released                                 Author: Megan Duncan Series: Agents of Evil                      Pub. Date: 2011 Format: Kindle ebook                    Source: from author for review

Released

After a demon apocalypse kills their parents and everyone they know, 17-year old Abby Phillips, her brother, Carter, and friend, Max flee their home to travel through what has become the wastelands of America. When radio transmissions of a resistance offering shelter and safety cease, Abby is tempted to give up. Struggling to overcome life-threatening obstacles in their dangerous journey, Abby and her companions quickly discover there are much worse things lurking in the dark than they could have ever imagined.

Apocalyptic stories are very popular now, in both literature and tv/movies, so providing a fresh take on this idea can be a difficult task, but in Released, author Megan Duncan has done just that. Instead of the very popular zombies or vampires, Duncan has created a new apocalyptic world full of demons. Now, I’m a fan of zombies, vampires, werewolves and the such, but my love for the tv show Supernatural has led to a fascination with demonology; therefore when it comes to using demons in a story, I’m not easily impressed. But Released has definitely impressed me with its unique spin on an overly used idea, its likable characters, and its layered story.

Relased, the first book in Duncan’s Agents of Evil Series, introduces us to seventeen year old Abby, her older brother Carter, and his best friend Max. When the novel begins the world has already been overrun by demons and the three teenagers, having lost their parents and friends, are alone and struggling to survive. After hearing radio transmissions offering hope of military protection, the three decide to make their way across the wasteland that the country has become and head to New Mexico and the military base.

The novel is narrated by Abby, providing a very intimate relationship, not just between the reader and Abby, but between the reader and all that happens throughout the novel. While reading I never felt like I was on the outside looking in or like I was merely listening to someone recount events; I felt like I was right in the middle of all the action, like Abby’s journey was my journey too. As the voice of the novel, Abby’s character is integral to the reader’s experience. Connecting with and liking Abby’s character is vital, I think, to whether or not readers will want to continue reading till the very end. But Abby is so beautifully crafted, that it would be hard for anyone to not like or connect with her.

 I like the way that Duncan has made Abby a very accessible and relatable character. She isn’t a superhero by any means- she isn’t Buffy- but she isn’t a delicate wallflower either. I find that many YA authors often depict their protagonists, especially female protagonists, as very weak, cautious, and unadventurous in the beginning of their novels, but by the end they somehow transform into these strong, brave, powerful badass characters…but the transformation feels forced and unnatural. With Abby, Duncan has created a very realistic female-she’s smart, funny, and courageous but she has her flaws and insecurities- whose character grows in a very natural, organic way throughout the novel. Carter, the brains, and Max, the brawn, are also both very likable characters. My genuine affection and interest in the trio never wavered or felt forced throughout the novel.

The actual demons are quit different than what I am used to. I’m used to a more humanistic type of demon, whereas the demons in Released are more animalistic. But I really like the different kind of fear and questions that these demons induced in me as the reader, and the obstacles and circumstances that they presented to the characters. I was worried at first that this animalistic nature of the demons would make them mundane, but as the novel progresses the trio, and readers alike, discover that these demons may not be as simple minded as they seem. Duncan throws in some wicked twists and curveballs regarding the demons, their purpose, and where they came from that could set up for a lot of really compelling plotlines in the rest of the series.

The vicious, animalistic nature of the demons does provide for some fast paced, heart stopping action though. The action often left me breathless and captivated. I love the way Duncan writes the action scenes in a very real, gritty way. The characters are in the middle of a demon apocalypse, there’s going to be blood, violence, and death- all things that Duncan isn’t afraid to show in detail. I have issues with YA authors who underestimate their audience and I really appreciate the way that Duncan didn’t even try to sugarcoat anything, showing that she doesn’t underestimate the YA audience’s ability to handle such realistic notions.

Released isn’t just all monsters and action though. There’s a real layered complexity to the novel as well, as Duncan explores our basic human nature. Her characters are just normal people who are faced with extraordinary circumstances and must learn to survive. But what does that mean? How far are people willing to go to survive? It’s easy to call the demons monsters, but are they really the most dangerous thing our main characters have to fear? These are just a few thought provoking questions that Duncan has subtly weaved throughout this novel.

Released is a captivating, action packed, and refreshing take on an old idea. This book is a wonderful blend of the supernatural and the psychological, with a fun bit of humor and romance thrown in. I really enjoyed it and I’m super excited to read the rest of the series.

My Rating

5/5 Cupcakes

You can learn more about and connect with Megan Duncan here:

Website /  Goodreads  / Twitter  / Facebook

You can purchase this book here:

Amazon / Barnes and Noble  

GIVEAWAY CLOSED

MEGAN DUNCAN HAS OFFERED AN EBOOK COPY OF RELEASED TO ONE LUCKY DUCK FOLLOWER! FILL OUT FORM BELOW FOR A CHANCE TO WIN

DAILY HAIKU: I HEART NERDS

HAPPY MONDAY CUPCAKES!

I know, I know, Happy Monday is a real oxymoron. There's nothing about Mondays that are particularly happy. Mondays mean no more weekend and back to school or work. But cheer up my ducks because I do have something to make this Monday a bit more happy-full. Actually I have three things: a haiku, a review and giveaway, and another giveaway! I have chosen the winners of my Meant to Be ebook giveaway, which I will be posting in a bit. Plus I have a review and giveaway of an awesome book to post too. But first, I give you my Monday Haiku:

I Heart Nerds

Sugary goodness

Like a rainbow in my mouth

Thanks Willy Wonka

So, if you haven't guessed, my haiku today was inspired by Nerds candy, which I have been eating all weekend. They make my tummy happy!

FEATURE & FOLLOW FRIDAY {1}

Feature and Follow Friday is a blog hop, hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read, that allows book bloggers to discover and connect with other book bloggers.

Today's featured blogs are Jenni Elyse and Caught in the Pages

  Q. In books like the Sookie Stackhouse (True Blood) series the paranormal creature in question "comes out of the closet" and makes itself known to the world. Which mythical creature do you wish would come out of the closet, for real?  

Being a huge Harry Potter fan I would love for witches and wizards to be real...and I would LOVE to be a witch..and go to Hogwarts! I think I would also love for fairies to be real, like Tinkerbell type fairies. I've always had a fascination with them. There's something about fairies that's just so magical and whimsical.

 

This is my first time participating in this blog hop and I'm excited to make some new book blog and book lover friends!




For the meme rules please visit Parajunkee's blog [here]