Teaser Tuesday: Last Sacrifice

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading and here's how it works:

Grab your current read
Open to a random page
Share a snippet from somewhere on that page but be careful not to include spoilers

My teaser this week is from Last Sacrifice by Richelle Mead:

More questions were on my lips when brilliant light suddenly blinded me. My eyes had grown attuned to the darkness, and the unexpected brightness was too abrupt a change. There was a rustling in the trees, a sense of many bodies around us, and as my vision returned, I saw vampire faces everywhere. (pg 136)

LAST SACRIFICE (Vampire Academy #6) from Goodreads:

Rose Hathaway has always played by her own rules. She broke the law when she ran away from St. Vladimir's Academy with her best friend and last surviving Dragomir princess, Lissa. She broke the law when she fell in love with her gorgeous, off-limits instructor, Dimitri. And she dared to defy Queen Tatiana, leader of the Moroi world, risking her life and reputation to protect generations of dhampir guardians to come.

Now the law has finally caught up with Rose–for a crime she didn't even commit. She's in prison for the highest offense imaginable: the assassination of a monarch. She'll need help from both Dimitri and Adrian to find the one living person who can stall her execution and force the Moroi elite to acknowledge a shocking new candidate for the royal throne: Vasilisa Dragomir.

But the clock on Rose's life is running out. Rose knows in her heart the world of the dead wants her back . . . and this time she is truly out of second chances. The big question is, when your whole life is about saving others, who will save you?

Join Rose, Dimitri, Adrian, and Lissa in LAST SACRIFICE, the epic, unforgettable finale to Richelle Mead's international #1 bestselling VAMPIRE ACADEMY series.

Review: A Kiss in Time

A KISS IN TIME
Alex Flinn
Young Adult
371 pages
Harper Teen
Available Now

THE STORY
One more trip to a stuffy European museum and this will officially be the worst trip of Jack's life. Would it kill them to take an excursion to the beach? There are girls at the beach. European ones, which means there's the possibility they'll be topless. Much better than a museum.

To avoid a possibly fatal case of boredom, Jack and his friend Travis quickly decide to leave their tour group behind, manage to irritate the hotel concierge so much he gives them the wrong directions to the beach in the process, and consequently find themselves in the middle of a medieval-looking town populated by a large number of unconscious people. The castle they discover yields no better results than the town, everyone asleep there as well, until Jack stumbles across a room in a tower where a beautiful young girl rests peacefully.

Jack feels compelled to kiss her for reasons he doesn't understand, and after he does, he finds himself face to face with a fully awake princess, proclaiming him to be her one true love and the one who's broken her curse. Wanting to escape the ire of her father the king, Talia convinces Jack to take her home with him, determined to make him love her and fulfill a witch's prophecy dispensed over three hundred years ago. Thus, a journey begins where both Jack and Talia start out searching for different things, but soon find themselves wishing for the same fate in this humorous retelling of Sleeping Beauty.

MY THOUGHTS
Every once in a while it's undeniably refreshing to read a story full of charm and whimsy, one that sweeps us off our feet in a torrent of sweet simplicity and brings a giddy smile to our faces as though our very own prince charming has just stepped from the pages and pledged his undying love. Reality is eclipsed by fantasy, whisking us away to a world where fairy tales are not merely stories passed from generation to generation for entertainment, but instead are tangible truths, weaving their spell through real life and bringing with them a joyful effervescence that speaks to the child in us who loves to believe in magic. Humor abounds, new and old worlds collide, and a heartwarming destiny is fulfilled as we walk alongside Jack and Talia, laughing at their antics and reveling in their merriment.

Talia is positively adorable, approaching her new environment with a playful curiosity, questioning the smallest of details and viewing the world with an innocence and purity that forces us to take a step back and appreciate our own surroundings so we may share in some of pleasure of her experience. Though she is severely lacking in modesty, Talia is not the least bit vain, her beauty instead a mere statement of fact. She does not lord her station over Jack, nor force those she meets to gratefully condescend to her magnificence as one might expect a medieval princess to do; instead her royal visage is rapidly discarded as she gleefully appreciates each and every moment with the boy who broke her curse and his family. She is utterly genuine despite being a chronological implausibility, and it's nearly impossible not to be affected by the incandescence she effortlessly radiates page to page.

Perhaps most entertaining is watching as two people previously unhappy, though somewhat unaware as to the extent of their misery, with the direction of their lives find themselves traveling a new path together, one paved with the wishes and dreams they fear to admit to themselves or others as they walk side by side with the person who has the potential to bring them immeasurable happiness. Both Jack and Talia have hidden their innermost desires, trapped by the expectations of those around them and burdened with the pressures of fulfilling their commitments and obligations to their family, only discovering the strength of their own passion for something different through a relationship with one another. Each is granted the ability to see their life through the unbiased and naive eyes of the other, thereby halting their willingness to succumb to what's been outlined for them, and allowing them both to find the voice that's been suppressed formerly by a sense of duty.

A Kiss in Time pulls us into a fantastical story characterized by joy and fancifulness, one that doesn't take itself too seriously, finding amusement in the unbelievable and levity in the usually dramatic teenage true love scenario. It's one that is content and successful in it's relative superficiality, keeping us thoroughly entertained without leaving us with any lingering questions or haunting memories. Pick this one up if you want to breath a sigh of contentment upon reading the conclusion, completely satisfied by an endearing tale of discovering one's place in life, in love, and in happily ever after.

Rating: 4/5

In My Mailbox #12

In My Mailbox was created by Kristi over at The Story Siren and is a great way to see what other bloggers are reading and reviewing. I always love seeing what everyone else got for their week!



For review:
The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod #1-4 (boxed set)
Eighth Grade Bites by Heather Brewer
Nine Grade Slays by Heather Brewer
Tenth Grade Bleeds by Heather Brewer
Eleventh Grade Burns by Heather Brewer

Delirium by Lauren Oliver
The Iron Queen by Julie Kagawa
The Logic of Demons by H.A. Goodman

Bought:
The DUFF by Kody Klepinger

Cover Critique: The Brilliance of Harlequin Part 1

Let me preface this post by saying that my design critiques of these covers are in no way, shape or form a reflection on the author, the content or the publisher. I know the authors have very little, if any, control over the design. These are strictly my thoughts stemming from my design experience.

This week's critique is going to focus on Harlequin covers in particular because, let's face it, they have some pretty fabulous material to work with. Please don't think I'm bashing Harlequin in any way, I'm sure the writing behind these covers is entertaining and well-written, but some of the artwork just makes me giggle. I'm going to do my critique this week in more of a running commentary format, just giving you my random thoughts for your reading enjoyment.

First up: Surprise Me



You know what really gets me in the mood? Having my husband frantically pant in my face through his wide open mouth while I test the limits of the hinges on my jaw and stretch wide like a hippo attempting to swallow him whole. Tonsils are sexy you know, I try to look at them as often as possible. I just love inhaling the air he's just exhaled while I rub the tip of my nose against his. Glorious, I tell you. Nothing sexier than looking down your partner's gaping maw and being able to tell exactly how long ago they brushed their teeth and potentially even what they had for lunch or dinner. I also don't quite know what exactly he's doing to elicit this open-mouthed, sheet-fisted reaction, but that single arm around her back must be magically vibrating with orgasmic goodness to get her all worked up like that.

Apparently anything can happen under the covers people (so says the tagline), but it seems to me not much is happening here outside of an impressive display of breathing techniques. He seems to be having trouble supporting her, his left arm braced on the covers while she attempts to cover up his tighty-whities. Clearly no one informed her about how this activity actually works. You're supposed to uncover, not cover, him you little breathy vixen!

Oh, and according to the blue circle she's in the wrong bed (oops, hate it when that happens) and it's a recurring problem for her since it also says "again and again". I wonder how many times she's stumbled into the incorrect sleeping arrangement? Perhaps if anyone could hear her over the sound of her deep inhalations, they could inform her she's made a mistake. Awesome.

Next up: Unguarded


Huh. Why is this gentlemen trying to kiss her eyeball? I know this may be way too much information about me and for that I apologize, but I personally love it when my husband comes at me and attempts to suction his lips to my eye like an aroused starfish, so perhaps that really does it for this redhead as well. To each his own right? Right.

It seems to me this black-clad fellow closed his eyes a bit too early and suffers from navigational ineptitude, thereby causing him to veer off course before reaching his target destination. This does not bode well for him in the bedroom, it in fact leads me to believe that if he has trouble with prematurely closing his eyes to kiss, he may also have some other difficulties with prematurity. How unfortunate! He needs to do a quick blink and get himself headed back in the right direction before he does some permanent damage to her vision.

This young woman doesn't seem to mind however, though she may not be aware he's managed to get himself lost in just the three inches separating them, but I can imagine she's going to get an unpleasant surprise when she gets a mouthful of stubble and chin instead of a pair of lips. Kinda makes me wish I could give her a little heads up, woman to woman, that she's about to have her eye assaulted by Zorro in a hotel lobby.

After viewing this cover, I'm a little unsure of what a "super" romance entails. Super awkward? Super bad kisser? It's certainly super something, I'm just not sure I necessarily want to look at or read about that something in particular.

Now, lest you think I have something against Harlequin, I thought I'd close with a cover of theirs that I think works well.

Last up: The Tutor



See? No wide open traps. No inadvertent attacks on eyeballs. Just an image that manages to be innocent and sexy at the same time and doesn't make me feel uncomfortable in the least. It can be done! What do you guys think of these covers?

Be sure and stop by next Friday for my continued analysis of the Harlequin best of the best!

Blog Hop December 2-5

This week's question: What do you do besides reading/reviewing as a hobby?

Hm. Reading is such a predominant hobby for me that I really don't do much else! That's kind of sad really, but reading makes me happy and there's nothing better than being able to read a good book while the husband watches some strange television show or plays Final Fantasy! Outside of books, I love movies. I actually majored in film in college so movies are a big passion of mine and love to go whenever I get a chance!



This week's question: What very popular and hyped book in the blogosphere did you NOT enjoy and how did you feel about posting your review?

Hm, this is a surprisingly difficult question to answer! Most recently I had trouble getting through Ellen Schreiber's Once in a Full Moon. I don' t know that it's overly hyped or popular in the YA world, but I just couldn't connect with the characters and the story wasn't quite as strong as a lot of the paranormal YA books I've read recently. I haven't posted the review yet, it will go up the week after next, but I always try to be really diplomatic in my reviews and point out both positives and negatives for each book, so I never get too nervous about the review going up. I don't think anyone really enjoys writing less than flattering reviews because we know it's someone's hard work, but I want to be honest in my opinions as well so I try to find a nice balance in my writing.

Review: The Lying Game

THE LYING GAME (Lying Game #1)
Sara Shepard
Young Adult
307 pages
Harper Teen
Releases December 7th
Received from publisher via NetGalley

THE STORY
Emma's life is far from perfect. So far from perfect it's almost laughable really. Abandoned by her mother at a young age, she's been bounced from one foster home to the next, and now is just weeks away from turning eighteen and becoming responsible for herself. In a bid to get her removed from her latest family early, her foster brother shows his mother a video of a young woman who looks identical to Emma getting strangled and slumping lifeless in a chair, only to open her eyes a few minutes later. Left to assume Emma's into some less than savory activities, her foster mother asks that she leave immediately.

Completely shocked by the girl on the video and with nowhere to go, Emma contacts and sets out in search of Sutton Mercer, the young woman who shares her face. Thinking it's a twist of fate and she's about to meet a long lost twin, Emma arrives in Sutton's hometown only to find no sister waiting for her. Sutton's friends and family mistake Emma for her twin, no one apparently aware Sutton is missing, and she's quickly swept up in a life unlike anything she's ever known.

Just as Emma's life was never easy, she quickly learns Sutton had quite a few problems of her own. As the ringleader of a group of cruel and selfish girls, Sutton had a multitude of individuals with innumerable reasons to wish her harm, and Emma struggles to figure out who might have taken a simple prank too far and actually ended Sutton's life, as it's clear she's not coming back. More alone than ever despite being surrounded by the seemingly ideal life, Emma burrows deeper into the background of a sister, a stranger, and an apparent murder victim.

MY THOUGHTS
Twisted and deeply knotted with strand after strand of possible truths, The Lying Game is a story in which there are no certainties no matter how often our mind assures us things are what they appear to be. We travel forward with Emma, supposedly in a straight line, only to find at some point along the way we've rounded multiple corners without our knowledge and are no longer progressing along the same route we started. We are but rats in a maze, hapless and floundering, as Ms. Shepard erects walls and positions them accordingly, forcing us to follow her desired route as she leads us deeper into the murky interior of a mysterious labyrinth full of secrets, mistakes, and unknown adversaries. The correct path, the one lined with the answers we seek, is nothing but conjecture and the theories we concoct with every morsel of information we stumble across are as thin as gossamer threads, fleeting in and out of plausibility the farther in the maze we trudge.

This story is unique in its telling, giving us a third person point of view as we follow Emma's assimilation into a life not her own, but this perspective is interrupted intermittently by flashes of first person thoughts and memories from Sutton herself. Sutton, in spirit form, is in fact our narrator, attached to Emma in a way where she can only see and hear the things Emma does and has little to no memory of the events leading up to her death. Thus we are granted access to both sisters, each revealing pieces of Sutton's life to us from drastically different perspectives–an outsider's questions and musings stem from Emma, and limited but extremely telling remembrances occasionally flow from Sutton. Emma's unfamiliarity with Sutton makes her impressionable, with little choice other than to believe the evidence she uncovers, and when her observations are combined with Sutton's muddled recollections of the girl she used to be, we are given a more thorough, though not necessarily clearer, understanding of one Sutton Mercer. Left alone with Emma, we might believe as she believes and follow the logic we are presented, but with the addition of a disembodied and amnesiac Sutton, we are forced to question, suspect, and theorize far more deeply and abstractly.

Sutton is a completely fascinating young lady, one who's personality is fundamentally split in two as a result of her death. One the one hand, we have the girl Emma is impersonating, a callous, egocentric and somewhat diabolical little girl leading a charmed life. Then there's the spirit of Sutton, a repentant and confused woman who seems as horrified as Emma by the truths revealed about herself. We want badly to believe in deceased Sutton, to view her with sympathy for the fate she's apparently suffered, but there's a lingering sense of disquiet and a residue from her previous life that yet clings to her, refusing to let us drop our suspicions entirely. Every little detail seems to be part of a larger game, forcing us to question whether we are side by side with friend or foe and whether we are chest deep in trouble with victim or villain.

The more information we are provided, the more the faith in our previous knowledge wavers until we reach an ending that brings us full circle yet sets us firmly back on square one. The Lying Game is a three hundred page question mark, one that appears to be slowly unraveling a truly puzzling set of circumstances, but is ultimately weaving more complicated knots, each more difficult to untie than the last. With the turn of the first page, we effectively set our first chess piece on the board, indicating the game has begun and we are now at the mercy of the moves and whims of a very intimidating opponent in Ms. Shepard. I never have been one for losing, so bring on book two, my game face is now firmly in place.

Rating: 4/5