My Friday Finds January 31

FRIDAY FINDS (hosted by Miz B at Should Be Reading) showcases the books you ‘found’ and added to your To Be Read (TBR) list… whether you found them online, or in a bookstore, or in the library — wherever! (they aren’t necessarily books you purchased).

So, come on — share with us your FRIDAY FINDS!

My Friday Finds:

Here are my "finds" for this week! I was so excited to learn about each of these and add them to my ever-expanding TBR list...

The first book on my list this week is Stolen Songbird, a fantasy novel that features magic and underground city, and even more surprising centers on trolls - yes please! It didn't sound like anything I have read before, and the cover was beautiful, can't wait to give it a try!

For those who have loved Seraphina and Graceling comes another truly fabulous fantasy...

For five centuries, a witch’s curse has bound the trolls to their city beneath the ruins of Forsaken Mountain. Time enough for their dark and nefarious magic to fade from human memory and into myth. But a prophesy has been spoken of a union with the power to set the trolls free, and when Cécile de Troyes is kidnapped and taken beneath the mountain, she learns there is far more to the myth of the trolls than she could have imagined.

Cécile has only one thing on her mind after she is brought to Trollus: escape. Only the trolls are clever, fast, and inhumanly strong. She will have to bide her time, wait for the perfect opportunity.

But something unexpected happens while she’s waiting – she begins to fall for the enigmatic troll prince to whom she has been bonded and married. She begins to make friends. And she begins to see that she may be the only hope for the half-bloods – part troll, part human creatures who are slaves to the full-blooded trolls. There is a rebellion brewing. And her prince, Tristan, the future king, is its secret leader.

As Cécile becomes involved in the intricate political games of Trollus, she becomes more than a farmer’s daughter. She becomes a princess, the hope of a people, and a witch with magic powerful enough to change Trollus forever.  - Goodreads

The next book I'm featuring as a "find" this week is The Winners Curse, once again another book whose cover I found to be very visually appealing. (What can I say? I know you aren't supposed to judge a book by it's cover, but I'm definitely guilty of falling for books based on beautiful or intriguing cover art!) I thought the synopsis for this one sounded really intriguing, and I'm excited to give it a try.

Winning what you want may cost you everything you love 

As a general’s daughter in a vast empire that revels in war and enslaves those it conquers, seventeen-year-old Kestrel has two choices: she can join the military or get married. But Kestrel has other intentions.

One day, she is startled to find a kindred spirit in a young slave up for auction. Arin’s eyes seem to defy everything and everyone. Following her instinct, Kestrel buys him—with unexpected consequences. It’s not long before she has to hide her growing love for Arin.

But he, too, has a secret, and Kestrel quickly learns that the price she paid for a fellow human is much higher than she ever could have imagined.

Set in a richly imagined new world, The Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski is a story of deadly games where everything is at stake, and the gamble is whether you will keep your head or lose your heart. - Goodreads

My last find for this week is called Unleashing Mr. Darcy, and it has a great cover. I saw this one on another blogger's Teaser Tuesday post, and thought it sounded so fun. Not to mention, I a bit of a sucker for all things that reference Pride & Prejudice in any way. Anyway Mr. Darcy + dogs? Most definitely a must try for me! Very excited to see how this one turns out, I think the synopsis sounds cute and charming...

It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single woman teetering on the verge of thirty must be in want of a husband.

Not true for Manhattanite Elizabeth Scott. Instead of planning a walk down the aisle, she's crossing the pond with the only companion she needs; her darling dog, Bliss. Caring for a pack of show dogs in England seems the perfect distraction from the scandal that ruined her teaching career, and her reputation, in New York. What she doesn't count on is an unstoppable attraction to billionaire dog breeder Donovan Darcy. The London tycoon's a little bit arrogant, a whole lot sexy, and the chemistry between them is disarming. When passion is finally unleashed, might Elizabeth hope to take home more than a blue ribbon? - Goodreads

So excited to hear from others on their new finds, please feel free to share your Friday Finds links below! Happy Reading!

Jenn

 Tale of Two Doxies

www.taleoftwodoxies.blogspot.com

Waiting on Wednesday - Year of Mistaken Discoveries by Eileen Cook (January 29)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. This weekly meme is a chance to share upcoming books that you're most excited about.

Year of Mistaken Discoveries - by Eileen Cook

Friendship is a bond stronger than secrets in this novel from the author ofThe Almost Truth and Unraveling Isobel.

As first graders, Avery and Nora bonded over a special trait they shared—they were both adopted.

Years later, Avery is smart, popular, and on the cheerleading squad, while Nora spends her time on the fringes of school society, wearing black, reading esoteric poetry, and listening to obscure music. They never interact...until the night Nora approaches Avery at a party, saying it's urgent. She tells Avery that she thought she found her birth mom—but it turned out to be a cruel lie. Avery feels for Nora, but returns to her friends at the party.

Then Avery learns that Nora overdosed on pills. Left to cope with Nora's loss and questioning her own actions, Avery decides to honor her friend by launching a search for her own birth mother. Aided by Brody, a friend of Nora's who is also looking for a way to respect Nora's legacy, Avery embarks on an emotional quest. But what she's really seeking might go far deeper than just genetics... (Synopsis from Goodreads)

Publisher:              Simon Pulse

Release Date:       February 25, 2014

I'm very excited to read a new Eileen Cook novel! She is one of my auto-buy authors, I've enjoyed everything she's written - therefore, I pre-order all of her books. Can't wait to read about her newest characters!

Anyone else have any favorite authors that belong on their auto-buy list?
Please feel free to share about your favorite go to authors and your links to books your highly anticipated reads below. It's so exciting to read about everyone else's picks and find new books to add to my TBR list!

Thanks!

Jenn

Tale of Two Doxies

Teaser Tuesday - Cress by Marissa Meyer (January 28)

 

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading, here are the rules:

* Grab your current read
* Open to a random page
* Share two "teaser" sentences from somewhere on the page
* BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (Make sure what you choose to share doesn't give to much away, you don't want to ruin it for others!)
* Share the title & author, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR lists if they like your teaser!

Synopsis: 

Rapunzel’s tower is a satellite. She can’t let down her hair—or her guard.

In this third book in the bestselling Lunar Chronicles series, Cinder and Captain Thorne are fugitives on the run, with Scarlet and Wolf in tow. Together, they’re plotting to overthrow Queen Levana and her army. 

Their best hope lies with Cress, who has been trapped on a satellite since childhood with only her netscreens as company. All that screen time has made Cress an excellent hacker—unfortunately, she’s just received orders from Levana to track down Cinder and her handsome accomplice. 

When a daring rescue goes awry, the group is separated. Cress finally has her freedom, but it comes at a high price. Meanwhile, Queen Levana will let nothing stop her marriage to Emperor Kai. Cress, Scarlet, and Cinder may not have signed up to save the world, but they may be the only ones who can. (Goodreads)

Teaser -

"How are your eyes?" she asked.
"Well, I've been told they're dreamy, but I'll let you decide for yourself."

- Cress (The Lunar Chronicles),  page 169, by Marissa Meyer *

*ARC Edition (that I was lucky enough to borrow!)

Follow my blog with bloglovin'

Review: Crash Into You by Katie McGarry

Title:                             Crash Into You

Author:                        Katie McGarry,  www.katiemcgarry.com

Release Date:            November 26, 2013

Publisher:                   Harlequin Teen

Genre:                          YA, Contemporary Romance

Pages:                           474

Synopsis (Goodreads) –

From acclaimed author Katie McGarry comes an explosive new tale of a good girl with a reckless streak, a street-smart guy with nothing to lose, and a romance forged in the fast lane

The girl with straight As, designer clothes and the perfect life-that's who people expect Rachel Young to be. So the private-school junior keeps secrets from her wealthy parents and overbearing brothers...and she's just added two more to the list. One involves racing strangers down dark country roads in her Mustang GT. The other? Seventeen-year-old Isaiah Walker-a guy she has no business even talking to. But when the foster kid with the tattoos and intense gray eyes comes to her rescue, she can't get him out of her mind.

Isaiah has secrets, too. About where he lives, and how he really feels about Rachel. The last thing he needs is to get tangled up with a rich girl who wants to slum it on the south side for kicks-no matter how angelic she might look.

But when their shared love of street racing puts both their lives in jeopardy, they have six weeks to come up with a way out. Six weeks to discover just how far they'll go to save each other.           

Goodreads.com

Review:

Crash Into You by Katie McGarry is the third installment in her Pushing The Limits series. The book is a compelling Contemporary Romance, where McGarry has used the tried and true bad boy from the wrong side of the tracks meets good, preppy girl and falls in love. Somehow, once again McGarry takes this plotline of star-crossed lovers and makes it feel unique and new. Crash Into You is a troubled boy meets good girl story, yes, but it is also about so much more – dysfunctional families, Anxiety/Panic Disorder, loss, grief, finding yourself, and of course street racing.

            For me, picking up this book was a no brainer. I had this one on my pre-order list the day it became available of Amazon, and was awaiting its release eagerly. In my experience so far, McGarry can do no wrong. I have loved all of the Pushing the Limits books. McGarry has this enviable knack for creating characters that are relatable, sympathetic and quite honestly – feel like friends by the time you’re through. I love the fact that she writes from a dual perspective in each of her novels, and that she really delves into and fleshes out each of her characters. I like that I really get to know them, and because you see the same characters from book to book, you see multiple sides to them and it can change your perception.

Characters/Plot:

The story itself focuses on returning character Isaiah, a senior in high school and a foster kid who will soon age out of the system. Isaiah is currently living with his best friend Noah, another foster kid who has aged out of the system recently, illegally. Isaiah doesn’t wish to return to his foster home, so in addition to trying to finish school and find a mechanic job for when he graduates and ages out, he is struggling to find a means to help pay the rent so he can remain living with Noah. We learn a lot about Isaiah throughout this book, about his past, his fears, his hopes, and his values. His need to stay living in the apartment with Noah (and not return to his foster home), is what drives Isaiah to get involved in a street race where he ultimately meets Rachel.

            On the surface Rachel appears to have the perfect life: she’s pretty, her family is well off, her parents and siblings love her, she goes to a great school, etc. However, Rachel has been forced into the unfortunate position of living her life for someone else. Rachel was born to replace her older sister, who died as a child. Rachel herself, struggles to maintain the façade of being just like her sister, there by allowing her family to function and keeping her mother from sinking back into depression. Rachel struggles with Anxiety and Panic Disorder, which just exacerbates the issue for her, and makes it that much harder to go against the status quo. Rachel’s only release is when she is able to sneak off and drive her Mustang GT at night. This attraction to speed and the release it allows her, are what eventually lead Rachel to an illegal drag race one night where she meets Isaiah.

            One thing leads to another, and Rachel and Isaiah find themselves in a situation where both of their lives are at risk and they need to work together to find a way out.

My Thoughts:

            I loved it! Once again, McGarry has won me over and found a way to create a place in my heart for her characters. I was definitely cheering them on, and I was so sad to once again have to leave the Pushing the Limits world behind. I would definitely recommend this book to others to read. The story was compelling and kept me up at night needing to read. The characters were relatable and sympathetic, and I really liked the topics the book touched on: grief, Panic/Anxiety Disorders, family situations, etc. I loved Isaiah, possibly more than Noah, which I did not originally think was possible. Rachel was not my favorite character, but I still really felt her struggle and sympathized with her.

            My one wish for this book would have to be…more Abby! She was a secondary character, but she stole my attention. I couldn’t wait to see more of her, and I loved her and really wanted to know more about her. I would love to see an Abby story, and while I know the next is a West story (one of Rachel’s brothers), I hope an Abby story is coming soon!

Recommendations:

If you enjoy this book, for more Contemporary Romance/Star crossed lovers, try-

·      Pushing the Limits or Dare You To – Katie McGarry

·      Wild Cards – Simone Elkeles

·      Perfect Chemistry, Chain Reaction, or Rules of Attraction –

Simone Elkeles

Rating:

4 out of 5 Doxies – Liked it a lot, definitely worth a read!

Jenn

 Tale of Two Doxies

www.taleoftwodoxies.blogspot.com