FCSS - Waiting On Wednesday Wild

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill of Breaking the Spine where you can post about upcoming books you're looking forward to.

 







As I am reading 'Spells' by Aprilynne Pike this week, i thought it appropriate to make book 3 my Waiting on Wednesday book.

Aprilynne Pike announced the release on her blog this week (read it here)
She has introduced it as 'Wild' for the UK, think it will be called 'Illusions' in the US.
It will be out in April 2011, I know that's a long time to wait, but the cover looks fabulous and i'm loving the series so far.

On the first day of Laurel’s senior year there are two new arrivals. Tamani — the electrifying faerie with whom she shares an undeniable connection — appears, posing as a foreign exchange student. And even more disturbing is another foreign exchange student named Yuki whom Laurel quickly realises is a faerie, though the new girl doesn’t seem to have any idea who or what she really is.
Laurel is determined to figure out how Yuki fits into the picture, and what connection she may have to the ever-increasing threats to her family and Avalon. Meanwhile, Laurel struggles to maintain a balance between her human boyfriend David and Tamani, with whom she shares a passionate past. But balancing two worlds is becoming more and more complicated. When the threat to Avalon grows ever stronger, Laurel’s illusion of control of the situation shatters and she must confront a danger even greater than the trolls.

Sounds really good. What are you waiting for?

FCSS - Teaser Tuesday Spells

TEAser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along, just do as following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page
• Be careful not to include any spoilers so as not to ruin the book for others!

Make sure to share the title and the author so other TT participants can add the book to their TBR piles!

My Teasers:

 

"She forced herself to let go and step back. It was like trying to make a river flow in the other direction. But after a few seconds she managed and settled for standing silently,  drinking in the sight of him."

Page 9

"She pressed herself close against his chest and lifted her head to kiss him again."

Page 296

 

What's your teasers?

FCSS - Spells Fantasy Cast

'Spells' by Aprilynne Pike
Here is my Fantasy Cast for the three main characters

Laurel -

Miley Cyrus

 I think she would be good in this part, she has the musical talent of Laurel's guitar playing and i can really picture her with the beautiful wings.


However i can also picture:


Annasophia Robb

 She would also be great in the part, quiet and caring but strong willed if she has to be. Can really picture the wings on her and her walking the woods with Tamani. She also has a beautiful voice so would be able to do the music bit.



David - 

Matt Czuchry
I'm not entirely sure why, but i can picture him in the role. He's got the look.









Tamani - 

Milo Ventimiglia

Do i need to say anything, is he not perfect?
I think so. Can really see him in this role, Fiery tempered when he wants to be, but also sweet and caring, and he looks like he could be a Faerie sentry. :D

Book Review - Wings

Synopsis
 Laurel is an ordinary fifteen-year-old high school girl. But something incredible is happening to her. She is changing. Now Laurel is about to discover that a deep and powerful magic holds the key to her destiny.


My Review
This is a different type of Faerie Tale, I was initially attracted to this book by it's cover, isn't it beautiful!
Laurel is a normal fifteen year old, or so she thinks, home-schooled all her life she now has to go to High School, there she meets David, they become friends and life seems to be good. Until everything changes. Laurel meets Tamani a mysterious boy and finds out she is no ordinary girl, she is magical and everything she knows is going to change. I can't write too much because i don't want to give away the plot. 
This book is well written and flows easily, i read it in about 3 hours, a single sitting. Laurel is a great character, not too whiny or self confident. Just an ordinary teen. David is sweet and caring and a great friend to Laurel.
Tamani is great, quite cocky and self assured but quite sweet too.
I loved how this story progressed and it kept me excited and hooked into the story.
The descriptions in the book are also very good, i could picture all the scenes, and i really want a pair of 'wings', they sound so beautiful.
An overall great read.


My Rating
I would give this book 8.5/10. Give it a go.

End of 2010 Survey

Jamie at the Perpetual Page Turner came up with this great year in review survey to discuss some of our favorite (or least favorite) books that we have read this year.  Pay attention now, as there has been some confusion on her original post - this is to discuss BOOKS WE HAVE READ in 2010, not necessarily books that were published in 2010.
This may take a while, i'll probably change my mind a hundred times and still not be happy with the result,  but here goes:

1.  Best Book of 2010?    Skulduggery Pleasant: Mortal Coil by Derek Landy, i always have loved this series and it just keeps getting better, i laughed and cried at this book and couldn't put it down. Mr Landy Rocks!!!

2.  Worst Book of 2010?  Capt Hook by J.V Hart & Brett Helquist, i looked forward to this but was seriously disappointed and didn't even finish it.

 
3.  Most Disappointing Book of 2010?  Fallen by Lauren Kate, i had heard so much hype about this book, that i was quite disappointed with it, don't get me wrong, it's quite a good book, just not as good as i thought it would be.

4.  Most Surprising (In A Good Way!) Book?  Ghost Girl by Tonya Hurley, I really wasn't sure i would like this book, but it turned out to be very good and i really enjoyed it.

5.  Book you recommended to People the Most? The Agency: A Spy In The House by Y.S. Lee, i love this series and think it is a great read, i am always recommending it to Teens that come in the library

6.  Best Series You discovered?  The Wolves of Mercy Falls - 'Shiver' & 'Linger' by Maggie Stiefvater, fantastic series, can't wait for more

7.  Favorite new authors?  Aprilynne Pike, great writer, love the Wings books. Meg Cabot, can't believe I hadn't read her before.

8.  Most Hilarious Read? Life & Laughing by Michael McIntyre, he's as funny on paper as he is on stage.

9.  Most Thrilling, Unputdownable Book?   The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, book 1 was definitely the best and i couldn't put it down, it was thrilling and funny and sad and brilliant!

10.  Book You Most Anticipated?  Ghost Town by Rachel Caine, love the Morganville Vampires books and i couldn't wait for the newest book.

11.  Favorite Cover?   Torment by Lauren Kate, the books aren't my favourites but i love the covers

12.  Most Memorable Character?  Katniss Everdeen from the Hunger Games, she was such a good character and i really connected with her, felt like i was really with her.

13.  Most Beautifully Written?  . Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater, i love her narrative, it really flows

14.  Book That Had The Greatest Impact on You? Hunger Games again, i couldn't stop thinking about it even after i had finished reading it, and i am still obsessed

15.  Book You Can't Believe You Waited Until 2010 To Read?   Tuck Everlasting, this book surprised me and i really enjoyed it, i don't know why i hadn't found it before!


Not entirely happy with my choices but not bad. What have you loved this year?

FCSS - Week 3 Introduction

We are now in Week 3 of 'First Come Second Served' Month,

My next read is 'Spells' by Aprilynne Pike

Synopsis

It's been almost a year since Laurel discovered that she is a faerie, placed with human parents as an infant to help protect the gateway to the faerie realm of Avalon. Although she's come to accept her true identity, Laurel refuses to turn her back on her human life-and especially her boyfriend, David-to return to the faerie world.
But when she is summoned to Avalon to relearn her long-forgotten faerie magic, Laurel must depend on the charismatic faerie sentry Tamani. Her feelings for him are undeniable, and she is forced to make a choice-a choice that could break her heart.
When a deadly enemy resurfaces and puts both Laurel's life and Avalon in danger, Laurel must draw on all her human strength as well as her faerie skills to save both of her worlds and all of those she holds dear.


I really enjoyed book one 'Wings' and cannot wait to read this book, here's to a good week.

What are you reading?

FCSS - Week 2 Wrap Up

This week I have been reading 'Linger' by Maggie Stiefvater

Sunday - Introduction
Monday - Fantasy Cast
Tuesday - Sequel Special Teaser Tuesday
Friday - Book Playlist
Saturday - Book Review

I know i missed a couple of days this week but with work and Christmas meals i didn't have time to update, but please check out my posts, and comment!

Next Week I will be looking at 'Spells' by Aprilynne Pike

FCSS - Linger Review

Synopsis
 In SHIVER, Grace and Sam found each other. Now, in LINGER, they must fight to be together. For Grace, this means defying her parents and keeping dangerous secrets. For Sam, it means grappling with his werewolf past ... and figuring out a way to survive the future. But just when they manage to find happiness, Grace finds herself changing in ways she could never have expected... 

This will contain some spoilers for 'Shiver' and maybe a few for 'Linger', if you haven't yet read it, this will give some things away. You have been warned :D
 
My Review
I could not wait to get my hands on this book, i have looked forward to reading it for a long time and i am pleased to say i was not disappointed. This book carries on from the first one, but i think about one year has passed.
Sam and Grace are finally together and more in love than ever, they have found each other and Sam is now human, and they don't intend to let each other go.
Isabel is recovering from the death of her brother, but opening up more to Grace and Sam. We meet a new character in this book named Cole. This book is told from these four characters point of view. It was nice to have Grace and Sam back, i still love them as characters and as a couple. I love Isabel's cutting sarcasm, but also the fact that you get to see the person underneath, she does have a heart and feelings, it feels like you are being let into her life and know the real her.
Cole is a famous musician, lead singer in a band, but he wants his life to be forgotten, he wants escape, he wants to be a wolf. At first Cole really annoyed me, i found him irritating and whiny, but as the story progressed i found myself warming to him.
The plot in this book if fairly fast paced but does cram a lot in. New wolves like Cole are joining the pack and now Beck has changed it's up to Sam to watch out for them, Olivia is still 'missing', Grace has struggles and fights with her parents, and something is changing inside her, but she doesn't know what it means. Although there was a lot crammed into this book, i never felt overwhelmed, the story flows well and is easy to read, i literally read this in one sitting and still wanted more.
I must say i felt it all a little predictable, but then again saying that there were some twists in it i really wasn't expecting. The end of the book left me wanting much more and i cannot wait until next Summer for 'Forever'.
The only thing i would say about this was for the first half of the book there is a lot of talk about Olivia and if she will return and where she has gone, but as the other aspects of the plot take over she seems to be just forgotten, no one even mentions her anymore. I confess i found myself thinking she would appear again and i really want to know where she is. Did Maggie just get distracted and forget about her, or is she saving some fabulous revelation for the next book? I wonder!
Overall a fantastic exciting read.
If only all boys were like Sam, us girls would be a lot happier i'm sure. lol!!!

My Rating
i would give this book 9.5/10, a must read and i can't wait for more from Maggie.

Book Review - Shiver

Synopsis
Grace is fascinated by the wolves in the woods behind her house; one yellow-eyed wolf in particular. Every winter, she watches him but every summer, he disappears. Sam leads two lives. In winter he stays in the frozen woods, with the protection of the pack.n summer, he has a few precious months to be human . . . until the cold makes him shift back again. When Grace and Sam finally meet they realize they can't bear to be apart. But as winter nears, Sam must fight to stay human - or risk losing himself, and Grace, for ever 






My Review
I had heard a lot of good reviews about this book and seen it on the shelves at work and so had to pick it up. This was a few months ago now, but as part of 'First Come Second Served' Month, i wanted to read Linger, and so felt a re-read of Shiver would be a good idea.

This is the ultimate Love story, Grace loves to watch the wolves, one wolf in particular stands out, she spends her days watching for the wolves.

Sam is that wolf and spends his days watching Grace from the edge of the woods at the back of her house. They are separated in a way they cannot control, and both wonder if they would ever be able to be together.

When Grace meets Sam, a nice young boy with striking yellow eyes that look really familar, she falls in love. The pair fall into a whirlwind romance, counting down the days until they will be cruelly pulled apart, but as winter draws in, Sam tries to stay himself, and stay with Grace, his true love.

I loved this book, it is well written and fast paced, i like how it switches between Grace and Sam's point of view. I really get a feel for the characters and find myself hoping with them, wishing they will find a way to make it work.

i found Grace a little hard to get along with at first, she is so obsessed by the wolves, but rarely shows emotion about anything else, whereas her friend Rachel is totally hyper, but the more you learn about her, the more i understood why she would be that way.

This book has a host of great characters, i love Olivia and her free spirit, Jack is the guy you love to hate, and all the wolves personalities are great. I loved the idea of weather controlling a wolves shift and not the moon or any of the traditional legends, it was totally believable and rather enticing.

The plot is exciting and i never got bored, even reading it for the second time, i still felt interested and drawn in.

A great book to read, and i would highly recommend it, once i had finished, i could not wait to grab Linger, in fact it took me about two minutes to have it in my hands. 

My Rating
i would give this book 9.5/10 a must read!

FCSS - Linger Playlist

Run - Leona Lewis
listen to it here
(I love the woods in this video too, reminds me of the woods where Sam and the wolves live, and i think the lyrics fit perfectly)

I know we'll make it anywhere
Away from here

Light up, light up
As if you have a choice
Even if you cannot hear my voice
I'll be right beside you dear

Louder louder
And we'll run for our lives
I can hardly speak I understand
Why you can't raise your voice to say

To think I might not see those eyes
Makes it so hard not to cry

My Heart Beats for Love - Miley Cyrus

listen here

I've been stranded on a lonely street
Got lost in the shadows
Fell hard in the battle
Heard the cries and the suffering
I walked through the darkness
Left broken and heartless

I'm calling out, can you hear my voice?
I'm gonna find you through all the noise
Ooh whoa
You know there's nothing that I wouldn't do
So shine your light as I reach for you

My heart beats for love
My heart beats for love
It's the sound that I hear, tells me not to give up
It breathes in my chest and
It runs through my blood
My heart beats for love
My heart beats for love

And I've been told at least a thousand times
It's not worth the struggle, the hurt or the trouble
I keep running up to these front lines
No I won't surrender
I'll wait here forever

Fix You - Coldplay
hear it here

And high up above or down below
When you're too in love to let it go
But if you never try you'll never know
Just what you're worth

Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you

Tears stream down your face
When you lose something you cannot replace

Hope you like my song choice, any other suggestions? What do you think?