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

The Wicked We Have Done

December 9, 2014

Evalyn Ibarra never expected to be an accused killer and experimental prison test subject. A year ago, she was a normal college student. Now she’s been sentenced to a month in the compass room—an advanced prison obstacle course designed by the government to execute justice.

If she survives, the world will know she’s innocent.

Locked up with nine notorious and potentially psychotic criminals, Evalyn must fight the prison and dismantle her past to stay alive. But the system prized for accuracy appears to be killing at random.

She doesn’t plan on making friends.

She doesn’t plan on falling in love, either.

Goodreads

I saw this over on Haley @ .Ya-Aholic's blog and had to add it to my tbr. There are so many reasons as to why I can't wait for this one to come out.

1. Prison (I have an insane fascination with prison stories. I think it's a side effect of watching too much Prison Break!)
2. Accused killer! That's all I need to hear to know that I'm up for some ass kicking.
3. College student! It's not everyday we get a New Adult book that isn't strictly romance.
4. Obstacles course and psychotic criminals = FUN!

I hope this one is as engaging and action packed as it seems. 

What Are You Waiting On?

-MARI 

Cover Wars is a weekly showdown of two beautiful covers. The winner, as voted by you, goes on to face a new cover, and wins bragging rights. This is basically a fun way to discuss what we like in covers.

Pointe managed to prevail in last weeks Cover Wars. This week, it's back to face Under Nameless Stars by Zenn Scarelett.

Both cover are dark yet beautiful. Pointe is more focused on the bright title and the silhouette of the model, while Under Nameless Stars has a simple title but goes all out on the stars. 

Two stunning cover, which do you prefer?

Let the Cover Wars begin!

Which cover should win Cover Wars?
	Under Nameless Stars
	Pointe
pollcode.com free polls

Author: Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Date of Publication: May 22 2012
Pages: 314
Source: Library Ebook
Series: Raised by Wolves #3

Bryn knows first-hand that being the alpha of a werewolf pack means making hard decisions, and that being human makes things a thousand times worse. She's prepared to give up her humanity, but the wolf who promised to Change her is waiting - though for what, Bryn doesn't know. Still human, she must take her place in the werewolf Senate, the precarious democracy that rules the North American packs. Standing side by side with werewolves who were ancient long before she was ever born is enough of a challenge, but Bryn soon learns that the Senate has been called to deal with a problem: the kind of problem that involves human bodies, a Rabid werewolf, and memories that Bryn, Chase, and the rest of their pack would rather forget. With bodies stacking up and political pressure closing in from all sides, Bryn and her pack are going to have to turn to old enemies and even older friends for help - especially when it starts to look like this time, the monster might be one of their own.

Review:

*insert very colourful collection of curse words*

Taken by storm was just cruel. It was brutal because it was the finale to one of my favourite series and I hate that I don't feel done with this series. There's more I need to read and know about Bryn's world because this book was way too short.

I just read two books that were too long and now this one, at a little over 300 pages, that just doesn't cut it. Did Jennifer Lynn Barnes just get bored with the series or something? Bryn and the premise remain as strong as ever. It was addicting to read about pack politics and Bryn's responsibilities and powers as alpha. It was a fascinating part of her and I enjoyed it.

I can't help thinking however that this was not a strong end to the series. There was one storyline that finished very fast, and another that while it did make sense, was barely explained. I blinked and the story was gone. It could have been drawn out. The plot could have been more ambitious so I could have time to say goodbye to these characters, but this just felt abrupt.

The more I think about it, the more disappointed I am with Taken by Storm. The specifics to the ending don't bother me too much (well, in terms of reviewing the story. Emotionally is different). It just again feels like the timeline just got cut and there's no more story. I can't even comment that much about plot and characters because Taken by Storm was so brief that it never really went too in depth with any of them except Bryn.

I adore Bryn. She's one of my favourite protagonists and I loved every second of her perspective. I could empathize with her completely, and the choices she made as alpha were tough but ultimately she did what she had to.

I'm still trying to grasp why the series ended like this. The first book was amazing. The second was good, but this one barely had enough of its own plot and felt like an addendum to the second. In fact, if this story had been added to Trial by Fire it wouldn't have been that out of place. Is a message being sent? Sometimes life is abrupt and painful? If so, lesson learned. Realistically, something like this ending could always happen. Maybe I've read too many books though and have certain expectations for endings that weren't met here.

I'm really sorry to have spent most of this review whining about how I wish this was longer. Everything to the story was good, especially for the length of the novel, but at the end of the day I can't get over how I don't feel like this was a good ending to the series. I actually thought there was a mistake when I flipped to the next page on my Kobo and the story was gone.

-P.E.

The Weekly Progress is a type of wrap up post that happens every Sunday on The Sirenic Codex looking on the week that was.

Did you know that the Olympics have started? I'm an enormous fan of the Olympics, especially the winter games because Canada tends to do really well. Anyway, the advertisements have been pumping me up for weeks, and since summer there has been extensive news coverage of the men's hockey team. One of my favourite Canadian moments ever was Sidney Crosby's golden goal in 2010 which I can assure you, every single Canadian ever remembers clearly. I'm also a pretty big fan of figure skating, and actually, I'm an enormous fan of whatever sport gets Canada gold! So for the next two weeks, I will be glued to a screen cheering on Team Canada.

Now, on to book talk.

Books Read

I didn't like it. I wrote a review so you'll soon see why.

 Currently Reading

Mari's recommendation for me!

On The Blog

Monday we joined a new feature, Epic Recs! 

On Wednesday, Mari featured Little White Lies. 

Next, she reviewed These Broken Stars. Looks so good.

I wrote 10 reasons why The Originals is awesome.

Have you noticed that most futuristic books consider the next thousand years at most? I wonder, why not think about the 4000s?

Overall, I think we had a pretty creative week, although I think we need to read way more so we can have more book talk.

The Week That Was

Not a particularly significant week. I started some new classes. Philosophy in particular seems pretty interesting, so I hope it goes well!

Song of the Week

I love this song. It's fun and beautiful, and I think it's going to be a huge hit. Check out Colors. 

Enjoy the Olympics everyone! And have a great week!

-P.E.

This is again, one of my more random posts but I was thinking the other day about how all my life I've heard about the year 2050. One of the first images I remember from French class in my childhood was this dome with garbage everywhere outside of it and people walking around in space suits. This was supposed to be 2050, and the picture was about a world deeply polluted an hideous.

It's actually one of the most terrifying things I ever encountered as a kid, because my French teacher, a lady with short, brown hair who recommended me into French immersion later in conversations with my mom, said that she would die before 2050 and so it was up to us students to keep the world clean and make sure it didn't end up like that.



Telling seven year olds they're in charge of the future? So traumatic. I do think that was one of the formative experiences of my childhood, because I was terrified of that reality. For the first time I walked out of school and noticed the pollution all around. There used to be cigarettes butts on the pavement everywhere. After some new anti-smoking and littering legislation, the Ontario of today has way less garbage than what I remember from primary grades. Still, that message of environmental responsibility of the world has been ingrained in the heads of kids of my generation.

YA experienced a strange jump in dystopia a few years ago and I feel like I've read many of them. What I've noticed most is that the dystopia takes place in the 2000s. I vaguely remember a book about what happens in the very early 3000s. So what about the 4000s?


Any kind of guess on what life will be like two thousand years in the future will be completely wrong. It's scary thinking about it. Will there be a civilization left? Will there be another world war? Hydrogen and nuclear bombs? What will the pollution be like? How many people will populate the Earth? What kind of technology will they be using? Will any people even be left? Imagining so far into the future is a daunting task, but I think I would like to read a story that takes place in the 4000s.

It may as well be a fantasy because everything will have changed immensely from our primal times, but I guess I'm a little creeped out that authors keep imagining horrible things happening in the near future. That's my lifetime folks! I'm hoping the world remains pleasant and my generation can stop the pollution and work towards sustainability and a high quality of life for all people.

I'll still continue to read about dystopias taking place in the next fifty years, but I'll just throw it out there that maybe we're okay for a few more generations and the 4000s might be a better time to end the world.

-P.E.

I spent my winter break forgetting all about work, and that involved a fair amount of TV. One of the shows I finally caught up with was The Originals! While The Vampire Diaries is having a mediocre season, The Originals has been shining and it has become one of my new favourite, must see shows. I've been reading too much Buzzfeed and Cracked this holiday too, so I thought I may as well try to make a list of why this show is so great. Oh, and don't worry, I won't be spoiling much as long as you've seen the first few episodes.

1. Family

If the root of The Vampire Diaries was a romance, the root of The Originals is, well, the original family of vampires, Klaus, Elijah, and Rebekah. Their relationships define the show, and frankly, I love it. Family is so underrated in TV, where it's all about romance, and a show about relationships that will last forever with beings that will last forever (or so we think...) is perfect. 

2. The Villains

I've grown to love and hate Klaus, Rebekah (although these days it's all love) and now we meet Marcel, who is amazing as well. The great part is all of their anger and issues stem from different parts of themselves. Marcel built New Orleans into what it is after being freed from slavery by Klaus, Klaus has daddy issues, and Rebekah has never had a romance work out for her. 

3. New Orleans

New Orleans is rich in history and culture, and it provides a great background for The Originals, just because the town is full of so many different types of people. From the bayou, to the French Quarter, there is a lot of fun to be had in New Orleans. 

4. The Romance

Or maybe the lack of romance? I love that romance isn't that big of a deal. I mean, there are sparks of relationships, but they seem to be moving slowly and aren't that serious. Which is actually pretty amazing, compared to the eternal angst of TVD. 

5. Elijah

I adore Elijah. 

No really. He's almost a simple character, because there is one thing he can be defined by: his unconditional love for his family. Elijah will give up anything and everything for his family. He has unwavering commitment and belief in them, and he's somehow one of the most noble characters on The Originals. That's not to say he won't kick some ass viciously, he will, but he'll do it for his family, which makes him a refreshingly simple, yet complex character. He's the good guy, and I'm getting sick of bad guys. 

6. The Witches

I can not wait for them to become an even larger part of the storyline. To this point, there's not really a witch character the show has been following too strongly, but that's due to change. The witches in The Originals belong to covens, and have been repressed for years. They have a pretty great backstory, and I can't wait to see what comes of it. 

7. Davina and Josh

I love them. No really, they are so cute! They're just friends, not lovers, but they're both so lonely and need s a friend. I can't help but root for them. Davina is adorable in every way, and I feel bad for her but I can't wait to see her grow into her own. Josh... well, I loved him from the moment he quoted The Lord of the Rings. He's nerdy, and he's gay, and he loves clubbing, and he likes house and techno, and ahhh I love him. He's adorable. Davina's adorable. They're both adorable. 

8. The Plot

So much of the awesomeness of this show is the characters and the world building, and maybe I haven't given the plot the respect it deserves. It is fast paced and introduces us to every character slowly. It's fresh and exciting, and so far there have been a delicious amount of deaths. While TVD took a while to build the body count, The Originals is much more vicious (predictably) and it frankly feels more mature at this point. 

9. Rebekah

From this Tumblr blog.

I'm a huge Rebekah fan at this point. She is a strong, kickass, unapologetically bitchy Original and her's is my favourite storyline to follow. I think what's so appealing to me about Rebecca is that there's so much vulnerability to her, and she's not afraid to show it. You can see her desperately trying to make things right, and it never works out for her. Rebekah has to reconcile the fact that she will live forever, and that has given her a different perspective than others. She's capable of letting go if that's the right thing to do in the long run. 

10. Collaborations

I promise not to spoil here, but we all know that The Originals is a spinoff from The Vampire Diaries, and although not every Originals fan has to be a fan of The Vampire Diaries, there is certain room for collaboration. Both shows have mythology that has intertwined in the past, and it's exciting to see characters make a guest appearance on the new show! For now, The Originals is focused on differentiating themselves (a good strategy, imo) but in the future, I think we'll definitely see some mixing. 

I tried my very best not to list all the characters are reasons why to watch the show (although they're very fun) but frankly, I enjoy the show. It is fun, with lots of action, and there's not much more you can ask from a tv show. If you haven't already, check it out. If you have seen it, did I miss something from the list? 

-P.E.

Author: Amie Kaufman , Meagan Spooner
Date of Publication: December 10, 2013
Pages:374
Source:Gift

It's a night like any other on board the Icarus. Then, catastrophe strikes: the massive luxury spaceliner is yanked out of hyperspace and plummets into the nearest planet. Lilac LaRoux and Tarver Merendsen survive. And they seem to be alone.

Lilac is the daughter of the richest man in the universe. Tarver comes from nothing, a young war hero who learned long ago that girls like Lilac are more trouble than they’re worth. But with only each other to rely on, Lilac and Tarver must work together, making a tortuous journey across the eerie, deserted terrain to seek help.

Then, against all odds, Lilac and Tarver find a strange blessing in the tragedy that has thrown them into each other’s arms. Without the hope of a future together in their own world, they begin to wonder—would they be better off staying here forever?

Everything changes when they uncover the truth behind the chilling whispers that haunt their every step. Lilac and Tarver may find a way off this planet. But they won’t be the same people who landed on it.

 GOODREADS

Review:

This book has been compared to many things; from the best parts of Lost, to the Titanic. I see and agree with both but to me, the best way to describe it is the Titanic in reverse. And, as a huge fan of the Titanic, this made me very happy. 

So why is it like the Titanic? Let's start with the plot. The book starts with our main characters meeting at a high society gathering on the Titanic of all space ships, The Icarus, ironically named after the Greek myth of a boy who flew too close to the sun and melted his wings. Similarly, the Icarus comes crashing down to an uninhabited island with Tarver and Lilac being the sole survivors. 

This book had so many strengths and they helped increase my enjoyment tremendously. I loved Tarver and Lilac. They were complex, misunderstood and had difficulties expressing their true feelings because of the positions they held in society, one the daughter of the wealthiest man in the galaxy and the other a middle class young war hero. 

Something that's not new but uncommon enough that it stood out was the fact that both of the characters had a romantic history. It seems like YA these days is filled with innocent teens who've never had any male interactions. It was really great to see that flash of the characters in the past and seeing that it wasn't always Lilac and Tarver. It definitely made for a realistic read despite the bit about galaxies and hyperspace travel. 

These Broken Stars is also written in dual narrative, so the switching back in forth in narrators really helped the reader see and get to know each of the characters on a more personal level. With single narratives the guy tends to be more closed off to the reader but Tarver was an open book. I loved seeing him as a person, a great son, a loyal comrade and a poet; though I wish we saw more of his poetry.

The supernatural/mystery element was really cool. It had me intrigued and interested.

"The key to this planet, to the whispers, to finding a way home... It all lies behind that door, and we're going to find a way through if it kills me..." 

 

Lilac was strong, as displayed in this quote and most importantly she was selfless, which to me only comes when you love the other person a lot. The same thing goes to Tarver. Their love story was slow and nice; no instalove. 

Overall, this is a fantastic read. It has been a while since I've read a sci-fi romance and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Can't wait to get my hands on the sequel.

-MARI

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

Little White Lies

December 9, 2014

The first time Lou meets tall, dark, and handsome Christian, she knows he's hiding something. Why does he clam up every time she asks about his past? Why doesn't he have any family photos and why does he dye his blond hair black?

Then suddenly his terrible secret is unveiled to the world - and it seems everything he's ever told Lou is a lie. Can what the media are saying about him really be true? Should Lou trust him? Or is she in terrible danger? But Christian isn't the only one keeping secrets. For what if their chance meeting was no accident at all ...?

As lie follows lie, nothing is as it seems, and soon Lou finds herself ensnared in a web of deceit, her loyalties torn, her emotions in tatters as she faces a heart-wrenching dilemma: should she shatter the lives of those she holds dearest, or betray the guy who, against all odds, she's fallen in love with?
Full of family secrets, surprising twists and unexpected revelations, Katie Dale's second novel will have readers on the edge of their seats

Goodreads

This cover looks so haunting, and I love it. The blurb, "Who can you trust when you're living a lie?" gets the readers attention ad adds that element of mystery. I really want to know who Christian is, why he is so secretive and what's up with the dyed hair?

What Are You Waiting On?

-MARI 

Cover Wars is a weekly showdown of two beautiful covers. The winner, as voted by you, goes on to face a new cover, and wins bragging rights. This is basically a fun way to discuss what we like in covers.

Sublime came out the victor one more. This week it's acing Pointe by Brandy Colbert.

The two covers almost contrast each other, with one being really light and the other quite dark. The Bright orange title of Pointe stands out and the bubbles are also an interesting feature. 

So, which'll it be?

Let the Cover Wars begin!

Which cover should win Cover Wars?
	Pointe
	Sublime
pollcode.com free polls

I ran across this feature from Paper Riot a few weeks ago and decided this was something I would love to do with Mari. Basically, I will be recommending a book to her, and she will do the same to me. For our challenge, we will be providing the books we recommend. By the end of the month, we have to read the other's book and share our thoughts on it.

P.E.'s Epic Rec

I really want everyone in the world to read this book. I'll settle with starting with Mari. I adored this book. It's one of my favourite books ever, and I really want everyone else to read it and love it too. I'm also incredibly curious to see Mari's reaction. (Aka, SHE BETTER LOVE IT.)

Mari's Epic Rec

I'm already getting nervous! It seems that P.E.'s books are lacking a little bit of romance/normal teenage life. So, I thought Such a Rush would be a great reintroduction to contemporary YA romance. This will be interesting as it's not something she would usually pick up. Either way, Jennifer Echols is one of my favourite authors and Such a Rush is one of her best works (according to moi). You better like it!

What do you think of our recs? 

- P.E. & Mari

The Weekly Progress is a type of wrap up post that happens every Sunday on The Sirenic Codex looking on the week that was.

Howdy everyone, sorry for the disappearance. These past few weeks have been super hectic with P.E. and I trying to finish up all our projects and study for last minute tests that teachers seem to love dishing out. Last week was the summit of the craziness with both of has having 4 exams back to back. My life was literally: study, eat, study, sleep, study, write exam, study and repeat. However, as I'm writing this post now, the crazy exam week from hell has ended and we're starting to relax and tune our bodies to normal sleeping patterns!

Books Read:

I finally finished my first book of 2014, it took me a month but it's done and I enjoyed it very much. Look out for my review this week.

Currently Reading:

Super excited to be reading this. I really love fast paced thrillers like this one so I hope it continues to be enjoyable. 

 

 

 

 

On The Blog:

This weeks content was largly written by P.E. and she did a wonderful job. I'll try to pick up a little more of the weight off her this month for sure.

The week began, with P.E.'s review of Speed of Light which she was disappointed in.

Cover Wars is featuring, Of Neptune vs. Sublime. It seems that most people find Sublime weird/creepy but that isn't stopping it from gathering votes.

My Waiting on Wednesday for this week was Dark Metropolis which seems to be a popular choice.

The trailer to John Green's The Fault in Our Stars also came out and P.E. wrote about it. I agree with her in that it looks amazing!

P.E. then wrote about Robot's and how they aren't her thing. I'm quite a fan of P.E.'s posts so I'm going to go ahead and recommend her other post of similar nature, Zombies: Not My Thing.

P.E. then reviewed Unbreakable which let her own.

Finally, P.E. wrapped up the week with her post on reading and reading speeds. I'm personally quite a slow reader despite how hard I try to read fast sometimes, I just like taking it slow. Maybe that's why I can remember stories even years later.

What's Up:

So as I was saying in the beginning, this week we had a super busy week but thankfully, it's over now. Yesterday, P.E. and I along with a couple of friends went to the Rideau Canal skateway and had a blast skating having Maple Taffy and Beavertails!

Video of the Week:

If you haven't seen the trailer to TfiOS, check it out!

I HOPE EVERYONE HAD A GREAT WEEK!

-MARI

Bree Despain had some interesting tweets the other day about being a slow reader. This one in particular stood out.

I always want to ask people who read multiple books in a day if they really "get" what they read. Some don't even remember story days later.
— Bree Despain (@breedespain) December 28, 2013

I tried to respond on Twitter, but 140 characters is impossible to convey meaning. I'm a fast reader. I read books in a few hours in one sitting. Sometimes when you do something, the thought of doing it differently doesn't even come to mind. That's why I was surprised to see her tweet.

I read fast. It's weird because I've done those tests that have you read a page in your head and they time you, and I've gotten normal, even low scores. When it comes to books or long text in general I can read very fast. Some people ask whether you can truly understand what you're reading if you're doing it so fast.

I'd like to say yes. My ego would enjoy that, but the truth is that I forget the books I read. I've written about my book amnesia before and it's a little embarrassing to forget even the books that I love. It's just a side effect of the way I read.

I'm great at focusing on only one thing. I can put all my passion and attention and focus single mindedly on one thing. I can read in any environment, no matter how loud it is or how much I'm moving. So when I read, all my attention is put on a book.

I get lost in the book. The words don't matter. They blur by. Not even consciously, during action scenes, I find myself almost skimming the words as the action takes place in my head in real time. However, I'm not a visual reader. I don't imagine things as they look like a movie, I imagine the sense of it. The details are so important to some people, and sometimes details are important to me too, but only to give me a sense of the story. It's a little hard to explain.

If for example, I read about someone punching someone else, it's not a fist flying that I see but the emotions, the anger, the pain, the confusion, and the hysteria. And when I sum it up, I won't remember it as someone punching someone else. I remember that a fight happened.

So it's really the essence of what happened that matters to me, and when I slow down and focus on the details, it kills the overall. You know when you're in school and you have to find the theme or thesis of something? I'm awesome at that because it's always what happens overall that I pick out. The day-to-day details don't stick.

When I'm reading, it's like I'm in the world. I'm the characters going through the crap they go through and I don't process what's happening, it's more like I experience it. When a story is good, I connect with it to the point where for a few hours, I don't even think about me. It's like I'm dreaming but I'm awake. And when I finish the book after such a blistering pace, the story is done with me and it feels like I woke up. Like I've been sleeping or gone to another world and I've finally reappeared.

When people try to call me when I'm reading a book, it usually takes a few tries for them to get to me. There's also that feeling after being sucked out of the story where I wonder what I'm doing. When I don't finish the book, it burns inside me, especially when it's a good book. Everything I do, everywhere I go, all I think about is that I'm not done. The book hasn't released me from its hold and I'm in a kind of in between state.

I can't read two books at once and commit myself to both of them. I always end up treating one like a textbook while the other is like another life. I'm just so into whatever I read.

I resent it being thought that I don't 'get' a book because I read it fast. I experience it differently. The words honestly don't matter to me because it's the characters and plot that truly reign supreme in my view. Maybe I understand the story differently because I only analyze it when it's done and I look at the sum rather than the parts. That's the way I am. I look at the forest more often than the trees.

It's like my heart stops when I'm so engrossed with something and I do it until it's done and finally I can take a break and life goes on. It's the same when I write. Reading fast is just a part of me and they way I do things. What about you?

-P.E.