Saturday, June 30, 2012

Review Sisterhood Everlasting by Ann Brashares


Title: Vriendinnen Boven Alles
Original titleSisterhood Everlasting
Author: Ann Brashares
Published: May 1st, 2012 (De Fontein)
Pages: 395
Source: bought
Series: The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants #5
Rating: 4 stars
Synopsis from Goodreads: From #1 New York Times bestselling author Ann Brashares comes the welcome return of the characters whose friendship became a touchstone for a generation. Now Tibby, Lena, Carmen, and Bridget have grown up, starting their lives on their own. And though the jeans they shared are long gone, the sisterhood is everlasting.
Despite having jobs and men that they love, each knows that something is missing: the closeness that once sustained them. Carmen is a successful actress in New York, engaged to be married, but misses her friends. Lena finds solace in her art, teaching in Rhode Island, but still thinks of Kostos and the road she didn’t take. Bridget lives with her longtime boyfriend, Eric, in San Francisco, and though a part of her wants to settle down, a bigger part can’t seem to shed her old restlessness.
Then Tibby reaches out to bridge the distance, sending the others plane tickets for a reunion that they all breathlessly await. And indeed, it will change their lives forever—but in ways that none of them could ever have expected.
As moving and life-changing as an encounter with long-lost best friends, Sisterhood Everlasting is a powerful story about growing up, losing your way, and finding the courage to create a new one.

I loved reading the first four parts in this series. Then I thought this would be the ending and I was delighted when I heard that there was going to be a fifth part. Finally the four girls would be back. 

I loved the fifth book. It was different than the first four. First of all, because the girls are older. Different things are important to them now. Although at some level they're still the same girls. Carmen is a successful actress, Lena teaches art, Bridget lives with Eric and Tibby lives with Brian and her child in Australia. She sends the other three girls the tickets to Greece to renew their friendship. And those parts make this book just so loveable. 

I hate it when a review has spoilers, so I will be a bit vague about the story. The only thing I will say is take out the tissues, because the story is so moving I'm almost certain you will cry. Well I did. 

The story is told from the different point of views. You read how the girls deal with their lives and with the things their not happy about. I loved the ending, it was just so beautiful. I heard from some people they found it a bit over the top, but if you love the sisters, you'll love the ending. 

Friday, June 29, 2012

Feature and Follow (2)


I'm new to the blogging society and I think this is a great way to get to know other bloggers. To participate, follow Parajunkee's View and Alison Can Read. Grab the button, post and answer this weeks question. With this hop, the main objective is to follow! 


This weeks question:

Birthday Wishes -- Blow out the candles and imagine what character could pop out of your cake...who is it and what book are they from?

The first person that popped into my head was Dumbledore from Harry Potter. I would beg him to please send me my acceptance letter to Hogwarts. But then he's already 12 years to late, so I thought it would be more fun to pick another character (although I could also ask him to make me 12 years younger...). 

But after some more thinking I would like to hang out with Isabelle Lightwood from The Mortal Instruments. She always seems so cool and I like to get to know her better. Or I would go for Andrea Sachs from The Devil Wears Prada. I admire her ambition and I would like to talk to her. 


Which character would you like to pop out of your cake?

Thursday, June 28, 2012

Cover Reveal (1)

I always get really excited when I see a beautiful cover, especially when the book isn't published yet. And I like to share my joy! So here's my first Cover Reveal


Through the Ever Night

TitleThrough the Ever Night
Author: Veronica Rossi
Expected publication: January 8th, 2013 (HarperCollins)


I loved Under the Never Sky's cover, and this one is just as beautiful! The guy is amazing! I'm going to read as fast as possible and then just stare at the cover. 

What do you think about this cover?


Review Between by Jessica Warman


Title: Between (Dutch version)
Author: Jessica Warman
Published: May, 2012 (Van Goor)
Pages: 352
Source: for review
Rating: 4 stars
Synopsis from Goodreads: Elizabeth Valchar-pretty, popular, and perfect-wakes up the morning after her eighteenth birthday party on her family's yacht, where she'd been celebrating with her six closest friends. A persistent thumping noise has roused her. When she goes to investigate, what she finds will change everything she thought she knew about her life, her friends, and everything in between. As Liz begins to unravel the circumstances surrounding her birthday night, she will find that no one around her, least of all Liz herself, was perfect-or innocent. Critically acclaimed author Jessica Warman brings readers along on a roller-coaster ride of a mystery, one that is also a heartbreaking character study, a touching romance, and ultimately a hopeful tale of redemption, love, and letting go.

Wow, this book was pretty awesome. I shouldn't be surprised, but I just wasn't expecting it. I read it a lot of Young Adult, but I haven't read many thrillers. I really loved this one. 

Let me start at the beginning, it's so strong. Elizabeth wakes up on her family's boot and she hears a thumping noise. Soon she discovers it's her body lying there in the water. After that Alex shows up, the boy who was killled in a hit and run a year ago. He explains to her why she doesn't have her memories. Some things she still knows, but others are just gone. Piece by piece she finds them back. Which leads to the thrilling ending of this book. 

Liz was a very popular and arrogant girl. She was always busy with her boyfriend, friends, running and eating, or actually not eating. Now she only has Alex in a sort between place. She can watch her friends and family from there and visit memories, but that's all she can do. Throughout the story Liz changes and she becomes friends with Alex, a boy she didn't even want to look at when she was alive. 

Between is a real page turner. You just want to find out what happened in Liz's life that she end up dead in the water. Jessica Warman has a great writing style and I'll definitely be reading more by her. 


Thank you to the publisher for sending me a review copy. 


Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Waiting on Wednesday (2)

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating. This week I'm waiting on 



A Witch in Love by Ruth Warburton


Title: A Witch in Love
Author: Ruth Warburton 
Will be published on: July 5th, 2012 (Hodder Children's Books)
Pages: 304
Series: Winter Trilogy #2
Synopsis from Goodreads:  Anna still finds it hard to believe that Seth loves her and has vowed to suppress her powers, no matter what.
But magic – like love – is uncontrollable. It spills out with terrible consequences, and soon, Anna is being hunted.

I'm currently reading A Witch in Winter and I really like it, so I want to read the second book in the series asap. In 8 days it will be released and I can't wait to read it!

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Ten Characters Who Remind Me Of Myself Or Someone I Know In Real Life

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly feature created by The Broke and the Bookish. Every Tuesday has another topic and different bloggers give their top ten. I love making lists, so here's my first one!

This week topic is 

Ten Characters Who Remind Me Of Myself Or Someone I Know In Real Life



1. Hermione Granger (Harry Potter)
I grew up with Harry Potter and Hermione has always been my favorite character in the series. Just like Hermione I like learning things and I didn't mind going to school. Hermione does remind me of myself, more than any other character from a book. 


2. Emma Corrigan (Can You Keep a Secret?)
If there's one thing I like, besides reading of course, it's talking (and not particularly about reading, just about everything). And when I'm nerveous I ramble just like Emma. And I say stuff I sometimes regret later. Although lukcily never like Emma. 


3. Lena (The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants)
I loved the books about the Sisterhood and from the four girls I think Lena is the most like me (or I'm the most like Lena). Just like Lena I don't mind being alone, but I also love my friends and being with them. 


4. Tally (Uglies)
I know it may sound a bit shallow, but in all the stories about worlds where (mostly) 16 year olds have to make a decision or change I often don't understand why the main character doesn't want it in the first place. So I could really relate to Tally. She wants to become Pretty, but when she learns more she doesn't want it anymore. I would make the same decision and in the same way. 


5. Lucy (Narnia)
I didn't read Narnia as a child, but when I was around 20. In the stories I could mostly relate to Lucy. Especially in the part of the older sister. 


6. Rayna (Elixir)
I admire Rayna faith in her friend, to trust Clea and help her. I would do the same.


7. Diana (The Secret Circle)
From all the fantasy creatures I like witches the most, especially like those in The Secret Circle. I recognize myself in the way Diana leads the coven. She isn't selfish, she can step aside when necessary. 


8. Veronica "Ronnie" Miller (The Last Song)
what I recognized in Ronnie was the way she could be angry with people, but deep inside she loves them and she does everything for them. That's the same for me. 


9. Andrea Sachs (The Devil Wears Prada)
Just like Andy I'm an ambitious girl. I'd do anything (well almost anything) to achieve my goal. 


10. Alice (Twilight)
Alice's personality is most like mine. Most of the time I'm cheerful, but I can be really serious about things. 


What's your Top Ten Tuesday?

Monday, June 25, 2012

Upcoming (6)


In Upcoming I talk about the books that I will review on this blog. So you know what you can expect here in the upcoming days / weeks. I hope you enjoy it!

This week

Review of Between by Jessica Warman
Elizabeth Valchar-pretty, popular, and perfect-wakes up the morning after her eighteenth birthday party on her family's yacht, where she'd been celebrating with her six closest friends. A persistent thumping noise has roused her. When she goes to investigate, what she finds will change everything she thought she knew about her life, her friends, and everything in between. As Liz begins to unravel the circumstances surrounding her birthday night, she will find that no one around her, least of all Liz herself, was perfect-or innocent. Critically acclaimed author Jessica Warman brings readers along on a roller-coaster ride of a mystery, one that is also a heartbreaking character study, a touching romance, and ultimately a hopeful tale of redemption, love, and letting go.
Synopsis from Goodreads



Review of Sisterhood Everlasting by Ann Brashares
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Ann Brashares comes the welcome return of the characters whose friendship became a touchstone for a generation. Now Tibby, Lena, Carmen, and Bridget have grown up, starting their lives on their own. And though the jeans they shared are long gone, the sisterhood is everlasting.
Despite having jobs and men that they love, each knows that something is missing: the closeness that once sustained them. Carmen is a successful actress in New York, engaged to be married, but misses her friends. Lena finds solace in her art, teaching in Rhode Island, but still thinks of Kostos and the road she didn’t take. Bridget lives with her longtime boyfriend, Eric, in San Francisco, and though a part of her wants to settle down, a bigger part can’t seem to shed her old restlessness.
Then Tibby reaches out to bridge the distance, sending the others plane tickets for a reunion that they all breathlessly await. And indeed, it will change their lives forever—but in ways that none of them could ever have expected.
As moving and life-changing as an encounter with long-lost best friends, Sisterhood Everlasting is a powerful story about growing up, losing your way, and finding the courage to create a new one.
Synsopsis from Goodreads


Next week

Review of Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

Uglies was one of the first dystopian young adults and it's really good. 

Review of A Witch in Winter by Ruth Warburton

With A Witch in Love coming next week, this review is for the readers out there who haven't read the first.

Hope to see you soon!

Sunday, June 24, 2012

Liebster Blog Award

Three nominations for the Liebster Blog Award. I'm so happy! Many thanks go to Escapism Fanatic at Escapism From Reality, Sandy at Somewhere Only We Know and PidginPea at PidginPea's Book Nook for tagging me with the Liebster Award. This award is for bloggers with fewer than 200 followers. Awardees get to share 11 facts about themselves, answer the 11 questions written by the person who tagged them, choose 11 more questions, and tag 11 more bloggers to answer those 11 questions.


11 facts about me
1. I live in The Netherlands. 
2. I always have a book with me. I hate the idea of not being able to read when I want to. 
3. Italy is my favorite country, New York my favorite city. 
4. I read mostly YA and Chick Lit.
5. When I'm sick I always watch The Devil Wears Prada
6. My TBR pile sometimes scares me. Although my wish list is even longer.
7. My favorite season is spring. 
8. I don't reread many books, Harry Potter and The Lord of The Rings are the only ones. I'm thinking about rereading Twilight, this series started me reading again. 
9. Charmed is my all time favorite tv-series, but The Big Bang Theory is the one I watch most at the moment.
10. The series that impressed me the most is The Dark Materials by Philip Pullman. 
11. The most beautiful gift in my house is a Venetian mask. I got it from my grandparents for my graduation during our vacation in Venice. I love looking at it. 


Questions from Escapism Fanatic
1. Are you a coffee or a tea person?
Definitely a tea person! I don't drink coffee, I don't like it. But for hot drinks I'm even more into hot chocolate. 
2. Do you like paperbacks or e-books?
Paperbacks are still my favorite, but since my bookshelves are almost exploding with books I mostly buy e-books these days. 
3. Do you try lots of new authors or you stick to only well-known ones?
Mostly I pick my books with recommendations I get from friends, bloggers, amazon or goodreads. I'm certainly into trying new authors, but because I get to know them through recommendations it feels like they're well-known. Since I started blogging I've read some new authors who are debuting later this year and I liked that! But well-known authors have the plus side that most people know them and you can talk about the books!
4. How much weight does a review by a friend hold for you? IF they rated badly will you still chose that book?
It depends. If I already decided to read the book, it's hard to get me to decide otherwise. If I get to know the book through the review I won't be reading it probably. It also works the other way around. When The Host by Stephenie Meyer got published I wasn't sure I wanted to read it. A friend of mine recommended it after she read and loved it and she convinced me to read it!
5. How do you get time for blogging as in my case at work?
I usually blog in the evenings, weekends and on my free day. I work four days a week and I don't blog at work. I just started blogging, and I love it, so my evenings are well spend. 
6. Are you afraid of anything e.g. spiders, which is irrational?
Small spiders I can live with. Although I must add they can better not be inside my house, because they will be killed. Yeah, I know it's a bit cruel, but they have EIGHT legs, speaking about creepy. Big spiders make me running, I hate them. My colleague told me a story about being in India, where there are really big spiders  and I was shaking with fear, while India is thousands miles away from here. I'm not really afraid of other irrational things, although maybe the dark is irrational. I hate being home alone when it's dark. 
7. Has a book kept you awake all night until you could the sun shining?
The last time I could read a book all night without facing consequences was when I was still at school and reading Harry Potter. It was so great! 
8. Is your blog a way to relax or does it make you tense about posts and follows?
My blog is for the most part relaxing. But I'm a very ambitious girl and I hate letting others down, so sometimes I get a bit tense about posts or followers. But that never sticks long, so mostly I enjoy it. 
9. How many books do you read a one time?
I try to read one book at the time. But I read paperbacks at home and my e-books on the train, so mostly it's two at the time. But I don't really like it, because the stories tend to get mixed up in my head. And it takes  a bit of the fun away. 
10. Is there anything that particularly puts you off while reading making you stop the book altogether?
Bad writing style. It's the only thing that can really make me throw a book against a wall. If the writing style is okay, but nothing is happening I will still finish the book (although I won't give it many stars). 
11. While reading, do you imagine the characters to a T or is it slightly blurry for you?
It depends on how the characters are described. Sometimes it's so clear I see them perfectly before me, but other times they stay a bit blurry. It even varies between characters in the same book. But I always she the story play before my eyes. That's what I love most about reading, being in a different world. 


Questions from Sandy:
1. Do you read the Acknowledgements written by the author in the back of the book?
Sometimes, it depends on the ending of the book and when I finish it. When I finish a book late at night or when my trains just arrives I don't, because I'm to tired and because when I finish a book and close it I rarely go back for the Acknowledgements. When I have the feeling a book hasn't really ended or when I just want to read some more, then I read the Acknowledgements.
2. Did you start blogging because you love writing and perhaps want to be a writer, or just for the genuine love of books?
Genuine love for books and that I want to talk about it. I started this blog at the beginning of this year, but wasn't really sure what I wanted to do with it, so I kinda quit again, but at the end of May I decided to pick it up again and I love it so much. Talking about books, discovering new ones and of course the community!
3. What is your favorite genre?
YA, but that's propably a bit vague by now. Then I would go for Dystopian. That's what I read the most at the moment. 
4. What's the first book you remember falling in love with?
Well, long ago that was Jip en Janneke, a Dutch children's book, but the book that got me back to reading was Twilight, so I have to give credits to that one. 
5. What kind of music do you like?
I always describe my taste in music as regular. I listen to the radio when I'm on the train and I like most of the songs played there, but I'm not into music, so I've no idea what kind of genre that is. 
6. Do you create a playlist in your head for books you read?
No, I do have songs that remind me strongly of certain books. Because I heard the song a lot while reading the book, but mostly I just like silence when I'm reading. A couple days ago I thought about doing a post about music while reading, but then I couldn't come up with any songs, so that would be the shortest post ever (by me that is). 
7. Do you prefer happy endings to books or not so much?
I'm afraid I have to say 'Yes' to this one. I can love a book, but when the ending is not happy, it may happen that I will dislike the book. I think it's so stupid, but I can't help it. I had this with Delirium. I loved the entire book, but the ending got me so upset, I still haven't picked up Pandemonium. I still intend to read it, but at the moment something is holding me back. 
8. Do you prefer series or stand-alone books?
I read this question elsewhere and have been thinking about it since and I must say that I don't know. When I look at the books that I've read, liked and want to read it's mostly series, but I do also love stand-alones. It's not that I don't pick up a book, because it's a stand-alone or because it's a series. Both have pros and cons. 
9. Do you develop character crushes? If so, which characters have you developed crushes on?
I feel like everyone has character crushes, accept me. I just don't. I like characters, sometimes I grow really fond of them, and I always have a preference, especially in case of a triangle love, but never a crush. 
10. Do you partner with your local bookstore/library?
No, but it's not really common in The Netherlands. 
11. Is there a genre/theme/characteristic that you see repeated in your reading that's beginning to annoy you?
I discovered a while ago I shouldn't read to many books in a row of the same genre. I got a bit crazy with dystopians and it ended in disliking books I normally would have loved. So, no annoyance in general, but a break is healthy. 


Questions from PidginPea:
1. What started your love of reading?
I've read as long as I can remember, so I would say my parents. But they're both kind of non-readers, so I have to skip that generation and say my grandparents. They read to me and my sister and that was always a time to look forward to! 
2. What was your favorite book growing up?

Jip and Janneke, a Dutch children's book was the first book I ever "read", that's to say I heard it so many times that I remembered all the words. I can still remember the first sentences. Later on I read a lot of dutch authors like Thea Beckman and Simone van der Vlugt. 
3. Do you remember your first YA book? If so, what was it?

Are we talking about books also before the YA genre got picked up? Because in that case it's Darren Shan. But when I read it YA didn't really exist, so than I have to go with Twilight. I had a couple of years of a really big reading slump and Twilight got me out of it. 
4. What's your favorite place to read? Your "book nook" of choice, if you will. ;)

I read mostly on the train, couch or in bed. From those three the couch is my favorite. But I really enjoy reading in the sun, so that would be my all time favorite. 
5. Do you have a favorite author?

I thought a long time about this question and I think it's hard to answer it. First of all because it changes every now and then, but if I really have to choose it would be Mary Hoffman. 
6. If you could rewrite the ending of any book, what would it be and how would you change it?
7. What was the last book you read?

Otherkin by Nina Berry. I thought I would like it more beforehand, but it was OK.
8. What are you reading now?

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas. It's amazing!
9. What are you reading next?

Probably The Lure of Shapinsay by Krista Holle. Krista was so kind to send me a review copy. 
10. What's the best book you've read this year?

City of Swords by Mary Hoffman. Glitch by Heather Anastasiu is the best debut this year!
11. Just for fun... If you could be an athlete in the summer Olympics, what would your sport be?
Gymnastics for sure! I love watching it and would not mind participating!


These were my answers. So here are my questions. Hope you like them!

1. How important is the cover for you?
2. Where do you read your books?
3. When you're reading a book you're going to review do you take notes or do you write it down all at ones after you finished the book?
4. What do you love most about blogging?
5. What's your favorite movie or tv-series?
6. Which mythical creature do you like most?
7. When a book is made into a movie, what do you do first: read the book or watch the movie? And why?
8. What's the next book you're going to buy?
9. How many books are in your TBR-pile?
10. Do you spend much time on social media?
11. What's the book everyone should read? And why?

I would like to tag the following bloggers:

Musings on Fantasia
Reading Kelly
Beagle Book Space 
Bookmarks and Bookshelves
Kathryn's Inbox
On The Wings of Books
Vivaciously, Vivian


I want to thank Escapism and Sandy again for tagging me. I love to answer questions, so I had a great time writing this post. Please come back and give me your links, I like to read your answers to my questions. 

Saturday, June 23, 2012

Stacking the Shelves (1)


Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews. Bloggers share what new books (physical or virtual) they got these week. This is the first week that I'm participating! I like getting new books and showing them. So here's my first haul! 

For review 


Author: L.B. Schulman
Published: October 1st, 2012 (Amulet)
Pages: 288

First of all, I think the cover is really pretty. I try not to get persuaded by it, but unfortunately in this case I was. I read some negative reviews on Goodreads, but I decided to give it a shot and find out for myself. 









Bought


Title: Hourglass
Author: Myra McEntire
Published: June 14th, 2011 (Egmont USA)
Pages: 387


One of the reasons I started this blog was to talk with other people about the books I read and got. That's the same reason why I love to read other blogs. I've discovered some great titles that way and this is one of them! 









Friday, June 22, 2012

Review Fated by Alyson Noël


TitleFated
Author: Alyson Noël
Published: May 22nd, 2012 (St. Martin's Press)
Pages: 352
Source: bought
Series: The Soul Seekers #1
Rating: 4 stars
Synopsis from Goodreads: Lately strange things have been happening to Daire Santos. Animals follow her, crows mock her, and glowing people appear out of nowhere. Worried that Daire is having a nervous breakdown, her mother packs her off to stay in the dusty plains of Enchantment, New Mexico with a grandmother she’s never met.
There she crosses paths with Dace, a gorgeous guy with unearthly blue eyes who she’s encountered before...but only in her dreams. And she’ll get to know her grandmother—a woman who recognizes Daire’s bizarre episodes for what they are. A call to her true destiny as a Soul Seeker, one who can navigate between the worlds of the living and the dead. Her grandmother immediately begins teaching her to harness her powers—but it’s an art that must be mastered quickly. Because Dace’s brother is an evil shape-shifter who’s out to steal her powers. Now Daire must embrace her fate as a Soul Seeker and find out if Dace is one guy she’s meant to be with...or if he’s allied with the enemy she’s destined to destroy.

I loved The Immortal series by Alyson Noël, so when I heard she was writing a new series I definitely wanted to read it. And I wasn't let down. The first book in The Soul Seekers series is yet again really good! 


Daire Santos, the main character, is a realistic and lovable person. When she starts seeing weird stuff she's afraid and doesn't know what to do. Her grandmother tells her she's a Soul Seeker. The way Daire handles things felt realistic. She does freak out of course, and she tries to run. But after that she's willing to give it a shot. But she isn't the big hero, she just does what feels right and what needs to be done. For me she felt down to earth and I like that.


The idea behind the story, the Soul Seekers, is interesting. The first born of a Soul Seeker becomes the next. They can travel between the world of the living and death. Which is devided in three levels: high, middle and low. Every Soul Seeker has an animal that guides her. Daire's a raven, a wise animal who understands a lot of things even if you don't. 


The story overall was pretty good and I'm looking forward to reading Echo. Fated doesn't end with an open ending, luckily. But there are still loose ends and I can't wait to find out what happens and to learn more about the world of the Soul Seekers. 

Feature & Follow (1)


I'm new to the blogging society and I think this is a great way to get to know other bloggers. To participate, follow Parajunkee's View and Alison Can Read. Grab the button, post and answer this weeks question. With this hop, the main objective is to follow! 


Q: If you could "unread" a book, which one would it be? Is it because you want to start over and experience it again for the first time? Or because it was THAT bad?

I think the best thing about rereading books is that you discover more things. I've read Harry Potter for the seventh time now (well, at least the first four) and I learn more things every time. But a first time experience is of course unique and you can never do that again. 
So I think I would choose Harry Potter to be "unread", and maybe The Lord of The Rings. I was a bit young when I read it for the first time and I would like to experience it from an 'older me' perspective. 


One of the books I want to "unread" because it was so bad is What's new, Pussycat by Alexandra Potter. I love her other books, but I just really didn't like this one. I've finished it, but do not ask me how... 



Thursday, June 21, 2012

Review The Game by Krystyna Kuhn


TitleThe Game
Author: Krystyna Kuhn
Published: June 7th, 2012 (Atom)
Pages: 320
Source: gift
Series: The Valley #1
Rating: 4 stars
Synopsis from Goodreads: The famous Grace College, located in a remote valley in the Canadian Rocky Mountains, is an elite school for the highly gifted. To Julia and her brother, it's the perfect place to hide.
But when Robert finds a dead body in their first week they'll learn they can only run so far from their past. And that the valley has secrets of its own. . .


I read this book a while ago, but when I saw this cover last week I just fell in love with it. It's so gorgeous. I never by more than one edition of a book (with The Lord of the Rings as the only exception), but I might change that right now. I can go on and on about this cover and how beautiful I think it is, but this is still a review, so here's what I thought about the book. 

When I first saw a copy of this book (it may be clear that this was another edition) I wasn't really sure what I would think of this book. A colleague  of mine recommended it to me, so I gave it a chance. And I really liked it. From the first page the tension is high and you never know what to expect. You don't know why Robert and Julia have been send to this strange place and when scary things start to happen there it gets even more freakisher. 

From the beginning it's clear that's something's off with Julia and Robert, but it isn't till the end of the story that you find out what exactly has happened before they were dropped here. 
I liked that about the story. I couldn't put the book down. On the other end the ending feels like the closure of a book. Not all the questions have been answered and I still want to read the next book in the series, but it wasn't an 'annoying' ending, where everything is still unclear. 

In the Netherlands part two and three of this series have been published (there will be four books in total), but I think I'm going to read the second book in English, especially if that one has another beautiful cover like this one!

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Waiting on Wednesday (1)

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating. This week I'm waiting on 


Spark by Amy Kathleen Ryan


Title: Spark
Author: Amy Kathleen Ryan 
Will be published on: July 17th, 2012 (St. Martin's Griffin)
Pages: 309
Series: Sky Chasers #2
Synopsis from Goodreads: Waverly and Kieran are finally reunited on the Empyrean. Kieran has led the boys safely up to this point, and now that the girls are back, their mission seems slightly less impossible: to chase down the New Horizon, and save their parents from the enemy ship. But nothing is truly as it seems…Kieran’s leadership methods have raised Seth’s hackles— and Waverly’s suspicions. Is this really her fiancé? The handsome, loving boy she was torn from just a short time before? More and more, she finds her thoughts aligned with Seth’s. But if Seth is Kieran’s Enemy No. 1, what does that make her? 
In one night, a strange explosion rocks the Empyrean—shooting them off course and delaying their pursuit of the New Horizon—and Seth is mysteriously released from the brig. Seth is the most obvious suspect for the explosion, and Waverly the most obvious suspect for releasing him. As the tension reaches a boiling point, will Seth be able to find the true culprit before Kieran locks them both away—or worse? Will Waverly follow her heart, even if it puts lives at risk? With the balance of power precarious and the clock ticking, every decision counts… every step brings them closer to a new beginning, or a sudden end...

I read the first book in the Sky Chasers series a few weeks ago (see my review) and I really liked it. The ending had me waiting for book two and it's almost here. (Yay!) I'm curious how the relationship between the three main characters will be. In the beginning I liked Keenan, didn't really like Seth and I admired Waverly. At the end of the story only my opinion about Waverly remained the same. By then I liked Seth and actually kind of hated Keenan. The tension in the first book was so good, that I can't wait to read Spark.