Blog - Were Vamps Romance
Monday, 18 July 2011
BOOKS I'VE BOUGHT, SWAPPED OR WON FOR THE WEEK 7/18 # 44
If you hover your arrow at the bottom of the books, you can see where my books came from.
Sunday, 17 July 2011
Book Review: Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys
Summary:
Lina is just like any other fifteen-year-old Lithuanian girl in 1941. She paints, she draws, she gets crushes on boys. Until one night when Soviet officers barge into her home, tearing her family from the comfortable life they've known. Separated from her father, forced onto a crowded and dirty train car, Lina, her mother, and her young brother slowly make their way north, crossing the Arctic Circle, to a work camp in the coldest reaches of Siberia. Here they are forced, under Stalin's orders, to dig for beets and fight for their lives under the cruelest of conditions.
Lina finds solace in her art, meticulously - and at great risk - documenting events by drawing, hoping these messages will make their way to her father's prison camp to let him know they are still alive. It is a long and harrowing journey, spanning years and covering 6,500 miles, but it is through incredible strength, love, and hope that Lina ultimately survives.
Lina finds solace in her art, meticulously - and at great risk - documenting events by drawing, hoping these messages will make their way to her father's prison camp to let him know they are still alive. It is a long and harrowing journey, spanning years and covering 6,500 miles, but it is through incredible strength, love, and hope that Lina ultimately survives.
My thoughts:
Between Shades of Gray is based on real events that took place during World War II, and tells the story of Lina and her family as they are taken from their home in Lithuania and sent to a work camp in Siberia. This is a part of WWII history that seems to be almost forgotten, as it's rarely mentioned in the history books, but what a story it is!
Lina is a very compelling character, and I loved reading the story from her point of view. She is optimistic even in the worst situations, and never gives up her hope that she'll one day get out of the work camps and back to her home. She has very strong opinions on what is right and wrong, yet as she lives through all this hardship she learns to see that not every action or person is good or bad, but that there's shades of gray as well. She is incredibly protective of her younger brother, and of everyone else she thinks she can help.
The long train ride and the work camps are so well described that it was as if I could smell the dirty people and the human waste, and even if I was reading outside in the sunny Colorado weather, I though I could feel the Siberian cold on my own body. It is rare for me to get this caught up in a setting, but it really helped me understand exactly how hard this must have been on everyone sent to the camps.
This novel is a beautifully told story about how important it is to never give up hope, and how people stick together in hard times. Definitely a novel I'll keep recommending to all my friends!
Lina is a very compelling character, and I loved reading the story from her point of view. She is optimistic even in the worst situations, and never gives up her hope that she'll one day get out of the work camps and back to her home. She has very strong opinions on what is right and wrong, yet as she lives through all this hardship she learns to see that not every action or person is good or bad, but that there's shades of gray as well. She is incredibly protective of her younger brother, and of everyone else she thinks she can help.
The long train ride and the work camps are so well described that it was as if I could smell the dirty people and the human waste, and even if I was reading outside in the sunny Colorado weather, I though I could feel the Siberian cold on my own body. It is rare for me to get this caught up in a setting, but it really helped me understand exactly how hard this must have been on everyone sent to the camps.
This novel is a beautifully told story about how important it is to never give up hope, and how people stick together in hard times. Definitely a novel I'll keep recommending to all my friends!
The cover:
The single sprout rising up through the snow, with barb wire around the edges, goes perfectly with this story.
My rating of this book:
Want a second opinion? Check out these reviews written by some of my book blogging friends:
Starting the Next Chapter
The Story Siren
My rating of this book:
Want a second opinion? Check out these reviews written by some of my book blogging friends:
Starting the Next Chapter
The Story Siren
Add Between Shades of Gray to your Goodreads wishlist
Visit Ruta Sepetys' website
Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys
Published: March 22nd 2011
Pages (paperback): 344
Publisher: Puffin Books
ISBN: 0399254129 (ISBN13: 9780399254123)
Full disclosure: Checked out at my local library
This book can be purchased from a number of local retailers and on-line book stores such as Amazon or The Book Depository (I'm not an affiliate of either). The latter store does by the way have free shipping to about 100 countries.
Saturday, 16 July 2011
Giveaway & In My Mailbox: Birthday edition
Since I'm turning 28 today I decided that I should share some love with you guys. Fill in this form and win a book of your choice, international contest open for all readers over 15 years. I'm choosing a winner next Sunday(July 24th).
In my mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kirsti over at The Story Siren. If you want to find out what great books other book bloggers have gotten in their mailbox head on over there and find out :)
When it comes to the content in my mailbox I've had a great week. On Monday I got this little black envelope with a postcard in it, the same thing happened on Tuesday and Wednesday, the third card isn't in the picture because it's outside in my car. When Friday came I got a large black envelope with a lovely surprise(see photo) and I wanted to jump up and down and shout with glee when I opened the envelope! Thank you so much to the people at Hodder & Stoughton for sending me two wonderful ARCs this week.
For review:
Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor(cover isn't final!)
Liesl and Po by Lauren Oliver(make your own theater set came with the ARC)
Won:
Did you get any books in your mailbox this past week?
Aka
Book review: Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini
My summary:
Helen has always known that she was different, she has spent her first sixteen years trying to hide it. It's not easy living on a small island like Nantucket and being different. Helen starts having these awful nightmares where she is in a wasteland, hungry and thirsty. When she wakes up she has dirt in her bed and bleeding feet. Never in her wildest dreams could she have imagined just how different from other teens she really is.
At school Helen is suddenly seeing three furies; they're crying blood and screaming for revenge. That's when Helen meets Lucas Delos, she feels such an instant rage and hate towards him. From then on her life is forever changed and Helen learns that some myths are real. Destiny awaits Helen and Lucas.
My thoughts:
Starcrossed is one of the novels I've been pining for this year. It's been a little while since I read the last page but I needed some time to ponder; what did I really think of this story? I've come to the conclusion that I loved the Greek mythology in this novel, it was very interesting and felt original to me(that being said I haven't read much Greek mythology).
Author Josephine Angelini has done a great job creating her characters, I especially enjoyed Helen's best friend, Clare. The Delos family also has some wonderful characters but all in all they are a little too much like Stephenie Meyers' Cullen family.
I was hocked on the story for the first half of the book. Somewhere I just stopped being all that interested, I actually think it was the love story that was a bit of a let down. I couldn't feel the chemistry also I'm going to be very honest; I'm a bit tired of the "girl meets boy, boy and girl has to break up even though they are madly in love each other"- formula.
I was hocked on the story for the first half of the book. Somewhere I just stopped being all that interested, I actually think it was the love story that was a bit of a let down. I couldn't feel the chemistry also I'm going to be very honest; I'm a bit tired of the "girl meets boy, boy and girl has to break up even though they are madly in love each other"- formula.
Book trailer:
The cover:
Stunningly beautiful! I've seen on the authors blog that it exists Starcrossed Kindle covers, I wouldn't mind having one of those :)
My rating of this book:
3 stars out of 5
Want a second opinion? Check out these reviews written by some of my book blogging friends:
Want to know more?
Add Starcrossed to your Goodreads wish list.
Visit Josephine Angelini's homepage
Read Josephine's blog
Follow Josephine on Twitter
Add Starcrossed to your Goodreads wish list.
Visit Josephine Angelini's homepage
Read Josephine's blog
Follow Josephine on Twitter
Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini
Published: May 31st 2011
Pages(hardcover): 496
Publisher: HarperTeen
ISBN: 0062011995 (ISBN13: 9780062011992)
Full disclosure: Review copy from publisher via Netgalley
Pages(hardcover): 496
Publisher: HarperTeen
ISBN: 0062011995 (ISBN13: 9780062011992)
Full disclosure: Review copy from publisher via Netgalley
This book can be purchased from a number of local retailers and on-line book stores such as Amazon or The Book Depository (I'm not an affiliate of either). The latter store does by the way have free shipping to about 100 countries.
Thursday, 14 July 2011
Book review: A Tale of Two Castles by Gail Carson Levine
My summary:
Elodie has reached the age where she has to go out in this world and get work. Elodie has a secret dream; she wants to be a manisoner, an actress. Things don’t quite work out the way Elodie would have wished but she finds herself accepting to be a dragons’ assistant instead.We follow Elodie and Menoree, the dragon, as the are hired by the towns ogre to solve a mystery of a disappearing dog.
My thoughts:
I've never heard anything but good about Gail Carson Levine's writing and when the opportunity to read one of her books arrived I knew I had to read it.
A Tale of Two Castles is such as sweet story and it can be enjoyed by people of almost all ages, all though I do believe that it is aimed for the youngest teens and tweens perhaps. Elodie is a smart and enjoyable main character, Menoree is a wise old dragon and the ogre has a heart of gold.
My only complaint would be that I wanted more when I've finished the book, but I discovered that there will be another adventure with these characters :D
Book trailer:
The cover:
No doubt about this one being a fantasy, I think it's nice.
No doubt about this one being a fantasy, I think it's nice.
My rating of this book:
4 stars out of 5
Want a second opinion? Check out these reviews written by some of my book blogging friends:
A Little Sun Shy
The Little Bookworm
A Little Sun Shy
The Little Bookworm
Want to know more?
Add A Tale of Two Castles to your Goodreads wish list.
Visit Gail Carson Levine's homepage
Read Gail's blog
Add A Tale of Two Castles to your Goodreads wish list.
Visit Gail Carson Levine's homepage
Read Gail's blog
A Tale of Two Castles by Gail Carson Levine
Published: May 2010
Pages(paperback): 320
Publisher: HarperCollinsChildren's
ISBN: 0061229652 (ISBN13: 9780061229657)
Full disclosure: Review copy from HarperCollins via Netgalley.
Pages(paperback): 320
Publisher: HarperCollinsChildren's
ISBN: 0061229652 (ISBN13: 9780061229657)
Full disclosure: Review copy from HarperCollins via Netgalley.
This book can be purchased from a number of local retailers and on-line book stores such as Amazon or The Book Depository (I'm not an affiliate of either). The latter store does by the way have free shipping to about 100 countries.
Tuesday, 12 July 2011
Article 5 - Waiting on Wednesday
Article 5 by Kristen Simmons. Release date: February 14th 2012. Published by Tor Teen.
Why am I pining for Article 5?
I can't seem to get enough of great YA dystopian novels and I just love the sound of Article 5!
Synopsis(borrowed from the Goodreads):
New York, Los Angeles, and Washington, DC have been abandoned.
The Bill of Rights has been revoked, and replaced with the Moral Statutes.
There are no more police — instead, there are soldiers. There are no more fines for bad behavior — instead, there are arrests, trials, and maybe worse. People who get arrested don’t usually come back.
17-year-old Ember Miller is old enough to remember that things weren’t always this way. Living with her rebellious single mother, it’s hard to forget that people weren’t always arrested for reading the wrong books or staying out after dark. That life in the United States used to be different.
In the three years since the war ended, Ember has perfected the art of keeping a low profile. She knows how to get the things she needs, like food stamps and hand-me-down clothes, and how to pass the random home inspections by the Federal Bureau of Reformation. Her life is as close to peaceful as circumstances allow. That is, until her mother is arrested for noncompliance with Article 5 of the Moral Statutes. And what’s worse, one of the arresting officers is none other than Chase Jennings…the only boy Ember has ever loved.
Want to know more about the authors or the book?
"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. This event spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating. Please visit Jill's blog to find out what other book bloggers are waiting for.
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