Review: Unearthly by Cynthia Hand

Title: Unearthly 
Author: Cynthia Hand
Published: January 1, 2011
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Series: Unearthly #1
Genre: Young Adult Paranormal
Pages: 435
Source: Purchased
Rating: 2 stars
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

“So often we only do what we think is expected of us, when we are capable of so much more.”
― Cynthia Hand, Unearthly

Synopsis
In the beginning, there's a boy standing in the trees . . . .

Clara Gardner has recently learned that she's part angel. Having angel blood run through her veins not only makes her smarter, stronger, and faster than humans (a word, she realizes, that no longer applies to her), but it means she has a purpose, something she was put on this earth to do. Figuring out what that is, though, isn't easy.

Her visions of a raging forest fire and an alluring stranger lead her to a new school in a new town. When she meets Christian, who turns out to be the boy of her dreams (literally), everything seems to fall into place and out of place at the same time. Because there's another guy, Tucker, who appeals to Clara's less angelic side.

As Clara tries to find her way in a world she no longer understands, she encounters unseen dangers and choices she never thought she'd have to make between honesty and deceit, love and duty, good and evil. When the fire from her vision finally ignites, will Clara be ready to face her destiny?

Unearthly is a moving tale of love and fate, and the struggle between following the rules and following your heart. (Goodreads)

My Thoughts
At first, I was hesitant to read Unearthly, concerned it would be just another Hush Hush. But all of the five star reviews and high praise for this book convinced me to take a risk. When you take a risk, there is always a chance the book will not live up to your expectations. Unfortunately, this was the case with Unearthly. Though it pains me to criticize any published work, I must be honest with my followers. And here's my honest opinion: Unearthly brought nothing new to the young adult genre.

Courtney Reads A Lot Bought An AudioBook

Source

At last. I have finally bought an audiobook.  I kept putting it off, thinking that nothing could compare to an actual book. There's just something about being able to hold a book in your hands as you're reading it, feeling the pages and smelling them (yes, you will see me regularly sniffing books). But, with an audiobook, I can actually "read" at work. Well, listen at work.

My first audiobook is Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl. I actually have the physical copy of this book, and have read it before, but I don't have time to reread it at the moment. I wanted to reread it before the movie so I found the audiobook for my Iphone. What I love about audiobooks is that I save space. I'm no longer cramming books onto my shelves, or piling them by my bed or finding random places to store them.

In one work day, I was able to listen to 22 chapters of Beautiful Creatures which was nice. If I have errands to run, I can just hook up my Iphone to my radio and listen to a book. While my hands are busy doing work, I can finish a chapter. It's definitely convenient. Plus, I used the Audible app on my Iphone for several hours and my battery wasn't hurting terribly. In fact, I still had more than half my battery.

So what are the drawbacks of listening to audiobooks? 

• 1. The pace - I love reading at a leisurely pace. Now, I have to listen at the narrator's pace. 
• 2. Can be pricey - The audiobooks can be on the expensive side. But I bought this one on sale. Also, I could find some audiobooks from the library.
• 3. Easily distracted - Sometimes, I focus on something else, only to realize I've missed an entire part of the audio. Then, I have to keep rewinding to the parts I missed. 
• 4. The narration - The narrator's different voices can be a bit overkill, especially with the Southern accent. Also, it kind of ruins it for me when I hear a guy reading a girl's part or vice versa. It becomes less believable. But I'm definitely loving the sound effects and occasional music. The song Sixteen Moons that's featured in this book is just as I would've imagined: haunting and beautiful. 

We'll see how my audiobook venture pans out. I can only hope this works out for me. 

Review: Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

Title: Code Name Verity
Author: Elizabeth Wein
Published: February 6, 2012
Publisher: Hyperion
Genre: Young Adult Historical Fiction
Pages: 343
Source: Purchased
Rating: 4 stars
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

“It's like being in love, discovering your best friend.”
―Elizabeth Wein, Code Name Verity

Synopsis
Two young women become unlikely best friends during WWII, until one is captured by the Gestapo. Only in wartime could a stalwart lass from Manchester rub shoulders with a Scottish aristocrat, one a pilot, the other a special operations executive. Yet whenever their paths cross, they complement each other perfectly and before long become devoted to each other.

But then a vital mission goes wrong, and one of the friends has to bail out of a faulty plane over France. She is captured by the Gestapo and becomes a prisoner of war. The story begins in “Verity’s” own words, as she writes her account for her captors. Truth or lies? Honour or betrayal? Everything they’ve ever believed in is put to the test…(Goodreads)

My Thoughts
Code Name Verity is a challenging book to review. By the end of the book, so much has happened, that you are left reeling in the aftermath, finding it difficult to even articulate your feelings. This book was what I expected, and, at the same time, the complete opposite. Wein tells the story of a friendship between the most unlikely pair, a Brit and a Scot from entirely different classes. Despite their differences, they become the closest of friends. Their enduring friendship is what makes Code Name Verity stand out in the young adult genre. Instead of heavily focusing on a romance, as most young adult books do, Wein centers the plot around a strong, solid friendship. There are a few hints at romance, but they fade into the background and are not significant plot points unlike Verity's and Kittyhawk's indomitable bond.

Waiting On Wednesday (17) - Truly Madly Deadly by Hannah Jayne

Waiting on Wednesday is a meme hosted by Breaking the Spine. Every week, bloggers spotlight upcoming releases that they cannot wait to get their hands on.

Truly Madly Deadly by Hannah Jayne

Hits Shelves on July 1, 2013

Add to Goodreads

Synopsis
They Said It Was An Accident...

Sawyer Dodd is a star athlete, a straight-A student, and the envy of every other girl who wants to date Kevin Anderson. When Kevin dies in a tragic car crash, Sawyer is stunned. Then she opens her locker to find a note:

You're welcome.

Someone saw what he did to her. Someone knows that Sawyer and Kevin weren't the perfect couple they seemed to be. And that someone—a killer—is now shadowing Sawyer's every move...(Goodreads)

My Thoughts
Wow. That last line gives me chills every time I read it. This sounds like a suspenseful, thrilling read. Can I have it now? Pretty please.

What's your WoW this week?

Review: Days of Blood & Starlight by Laini Taylor

Title: Days of Blood & Starlight
Author: Laini Taylor
Published: November 6, 2012
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Series: Daughter of Smoke & Bone #2
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Pages: 517
Source: Purchased
Rating: 5 stars
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

*Warning: This book review contains spoilers for Daughter of Smoke & Bone*

“Once upon a time, an angel and a devil held a wishbone between them. And its snap split the world in two.”
― Laini Taylor, Days of Blood & Starlight

Synopsis
Art student and monster's apprentice Karou finally has the answers she has always sought. She knows who she is—and what she is. But with this knowledge comes another truth she would give anything to undo: She loved the enemy and he betrayed her, and a world suffered for it.

In this stunning sequel to the highly acclaimed Daughter of Smoke & Bone, Karou must decide how far she'll go to avenge her people. Filled with heartbreak and beauty, secrets and impossible choices, Days of Blood & Starlight finds Karou and Akiva on opposing sides as an age-old war stirs back to life.

While Karou and her allies build a monstrous army in a land of dust and starlight, Akiva wages a different sort of battle: a battle for redemption. For hope.

But can any hope be salvaged from the ashes of their broken dream? (Goodreads)

My Thoughts
Days of Blood & Starlight may have been darker than its predecessor, Daughter of Smoke & Bone, but it was still just as epic. I savored every single page. Once again, we join Karou in her adventures, but this time, she is battered and bruised on the inside and out. For a character that was so alive in Daughter of Smoke & Bone, Karou was just a shadow of her old self in Days of Blood & Starlight. This did not decrease my love for her. As protagonists go, Karou is still on the top of my list, and the reader cannot expect that she would remain unscathed after she learns of her lover's betrayal. Despite her suffering, Karou is still an amazingly strong individual, unfaltering in her devotion to loved ones. Her unquestionable loyalty to those she cares about leaves her heartbroken when she discovers Akiva's actions. But ever after Akiva has indirectly killed her family, she still feels torn because of the deep love she feels for him and his quest for redemption.

Waiting on Wednesday (16) - Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock by Matthew Quick

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Breaking the Spine. On Wednesdays, bloggers showcase the books they are eagerly awaiting.

Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock by Matthew Quick

Hits Shelves on August 13, 2013

Add to Goodreads

Synopsis
In addition to the P-38, there are four gifts, one for each of my friends. I want to say good-bye to them properly. I want to give them each something to remember me by. To let them know I really cared about them and I'm sorry I couldn't be more than I was—that I couldn't stick around—and that what's going to happen today isn't their fault.

Today is Leonard Peacock's birthday. It is also the day he hides a gun in his backpack. Because today is the day he will kill his former best friend, and then himself, with his grandfather's P-38 pistol.

But first he must say good-bye to the four people who matter most to him: his Humphrey Bogart-obsessed next-door neighbor, Walt; his classmate Baback, a violin virtuoso; Lauren, the Christian homeschooler he has a crush on; and Herr Silverman, who teaches the high school's class on the Holocaust. Speaking to each in turn, Leonard slowly reveals his secrets as the hours tick by and the moment of truth approaches.

In this riveting book, acclaimed author Matthew Quick unflinchingly examines the impossible choices that must be made—and the light in us all that never goes out. (Goodreads)

Why I'm Waiting
Lately, I've been reading more and more YA contemporary. Or at least, I've been trying to. This book sounds like a gripping, intense read, and I'm anxious to hear the backstory. What drove Peacock to this? What demons has he been struggling with? And why is he no longer friends with his best friend? In light of recent shootings, this book is more relevant than ever. I'm eager to learn more about Leonard's psychological health and his past.

What are you waiting for this week?

Top Ten Settings I'd Like To See More Of (15)

Tuesday is here which means it's time for Top Ten Tuesday! Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Every Tuesday, bloggers post a top ten list based on a bookish theme. This week's is:

Top Ten Settings I'd Like To See More Of (Or At All)

This one took some thinking. I'm still not sure if these are my final ten. But let's just go with it.

1. Some Arabian country - Arabian nightsssss! Like Arabian daysssss! Okay, I know what you're thinking. But don't think it! I'm not asking for a genie in a bottle or a flying carpet or a Whole New World. All I want is a epic book set in the desert. Maybe some thieves with sabers. Camels. But some cool camels. There could be a kasbah and tombs and Arabian horses! And lets not do modern day. Okey doke?

2, 3, 4. England/Ireland/Scotland - Yes, I grouped these together because they're all cozy neighbors, right? Lots of differences but I'd go for some fantasy, fairytale retelling, or ghost story set in any of the above countries. Set near a loch? Maybe some Nessy action (kidding). But just picture it. The fog over the moors. Maybe some highlanders in kilts with longswords (kidding again...partially). An abandoned, dilapidated castle. Lets throw in an ancient manor with a mile long cemetery in the backyard. 

5. Asia - This means just about anywhere in Asia. Or it could take place in an Asian inspired setting. With katanas and kimonos. I don't know how anyone is going to top Eon and Eona, but if at first you don't succeed...well, then you pick another Asian country. It's a BIG continent. 

6. Wild West setting - I'm thinking some dystopian, Wild West, futuristic setting. Something like The Dark Tower series, Blood Red Road and Chaos Walking all together. I love the combination of saloons and futuristic weapons.

7. Romania - I have very good reasons for why I picked Romania: 1) Vlad Dracul 2) Creepy castles

8.  A mirror world - Imagine everything in reverse? Freaky huh? When I was younger, I used to wonder what it would be like to just step into the mirror and become my mirror self. I know. I was weird even then. But it's definitely Alice in Wonderland material. 

9. A city in the sky - I still need to read The Floating Islands and Castle in the Air, but there can always be more books with cities, kingdoms, islands, etc. in the sky. Maybe I've been playing too much The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword.

10. A labyrinth - I love the movies Pan's Labyrinth and Labyrinth, and I want to see a book take place in a labyrinth. Sort of like the one test in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (the book's hedge maze and not the movie's since the book's maze had actual challenges). 

I'm sure if I had put my mind to it, I could have come up with crazier settings, but alas, this is my final list. What's everyone's Top Ten this week?

Review: Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

Title: Thirteen Reasons Why
Author: Jay Asher
Published: October 18, 2007
Publisher: Razorbill
Genre: Young Adult Contemporary
Pages: 304
Source: Borrowed
Rating: 5 stars
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

“You can't stop the future
You can't rewind the past
The only way to learn the secret
...is to press play.”
― Jay Asher, Thirteen Reasons Why

Synopsis
Clay Jensen returns home from school to find a mysterious box with his name on it lying on his porch. Inside he discovers thirteen cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker, his classmate and crush who committed suicide two weeks earlier.

On tape, Hannah explains that there are thirteen reasons why she decided to end her life. Clay is one of them. If he listens, he'll find out how he made the list.

Through Hannah and Clay's dual narratives, debut author Jay Asher weaves an intricate and heartrending story of confusion and desperation that will deeply affect teen readers. (Goodreads)

My Thoughts
Stop. Just hit the Pause button on your life, and go buy this book NOW. Thirteen Reasons Why is a heartbreaking, phenomenal read, and I recommend it for EVERYONE. Come on. Would I ever steer you wrong?

When it comes to Thirteen Reasons Why, I can't even think of a single complaint. I have no criticism to offer. I was simply blown away by this book. I was even concerned that the book might be surgically attached to my hands because I could not put it down. I finished it in record timing, and just sat there, open-mouthed with shock.

In My Mailbox (10)

In My Mailbox is hosted by The Story Siren. Every week, bloggers post what books they've received. Over the last two weeks, I've drained my Barnes and Noble and Amazon gift cards. Gift cards don't last long with me. 

Bought: 

-Hate List by Jennifer Brown

-White Cat by Holly Black

-Red Glove by Holly Black 

-Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein (reading now!)

-Through the Ever Night by Veronica Rossi

Borrowed:

-Amy and Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson (might be my Valentine's Day read!)

-Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder

And I also bought a couple of books that were on sale for my Kindle app on my Ipad. 

Bought (Kindle):

-The Witch's Daughter by Paula Brackston

-The Woodcutter by Kate Danley

Then, I fell in love with this little guy. I could not resist buying this Vinyl Writer William Shakespeare from Barnes and Noble. There's also a Mark Twain and Edgar Allan Poe. Love these!

What did everyone get in their mailbox this week?

Review: Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

Title: Rebecca 
Author: Daphne du Maurier
Published: 1938
Publisher: HarperCollins
Genre: Classic Literature
Pages: 410
Source: Gift
Rating: 5 stars
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

“We can never go back again, that much is certain. The past is still close to us. The things we have tried to forget and put behind us would stir again, and that sense of fear, of furtive unrest, struggling at length to blind unreasoning panic - now mercifully stilled, thank God - might in some manner unforeseen become a living companion as it had before.”
― Daphne du Maurier, Rebecca

Synopsis
"Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again..."

With these words, the reader is ushered into an isolated gray stone mansion on the windswept Cornish coast, as the second Mrs. Maxim de Winter recalls the chilling events that transpired as she began her new life as the young bride of a husband she barely knew. For in every corner of every room were phantoms of a time dead but not forgotten, a past devotedly preserved by the sinister housekeeper, Mrs. Danvers: a suite immaculate and untouched, clothing laid out and ready to be worn, but not by any of the great house's current occupants. With an eerie presentiment of evil tightening her heart, the second Mrs. de Winter walked in the shadow of her mysterious predecessor, determined to uncover the darkest secrets and shattering truths about Maxim's first wife the late and hauntingly beautiful Rebecca. (Goodreads)

My Thoughts
Rebecca is a book that will last throughout the ages; it's that good. In fact, when I was reading this, everyone I mentioned it to kept saying that they had read it and loved it (including my boss). So what took me so long to finally read it? I have no idea. There's just no excuse.