Monday, April 16, 2012

10 Ways to Relieve Your Hunger Games Hangover


So you have read The Hunger Games, watched the movie, read the rest of the series, watched the movie again, and are now dealing with the hangover. While you are dealing with the emotional aftermath Hunger Games has left you in, there are other great books to help you get back on your feet. Before you get yourself all worked up thinking that these are read-alike books, you should know that I haven't found anything similar to The Hunger Games. However, these books all have something amazing to offer and several have been picked up to be made into movies. So without further ado, my list of 10 books to help you get over your Hunger Games Hangover:

1.    The Host by Stephenie Meyer

Melanie Stryder refuses to fade away.

Our world has been invaded by an unseen enemy. Humans become hosts for these invaders, their minds taken over while their bodies remain intact and continue their lives apparently unchanged. Most of humanity has succumbed.

When Melanie, one of the few remaining "wild" humans is captured, she is certain it is her end. Wanderer, the invading "soul" who has been given Melanie's body, was warned about the challenges of living inside a human: the overwhelming emotions, the glut of senses, the too vivid memories. But there was one difficulty Wanderer didn't expect: the former tenant of her body refusing to relinquish possession of her mind.

Wanderer probes Melanie's thoughts, hoping to discover the whereabouts of the remaining human resistance. Instead, Melanie fills Wanderer's mind with visions of the man Melanie loves—Jared, a human who still lives in hiding. Unable to separate herself from her body's desires, Wanderer begins to yearn for a man she has been tasked with exposing. When outside forces make Wanderer and Melanie unwilling allies, they set off on a dangerous and uncertain search for the man they both love.

2.    Blood Red Road by Moira Young

 Saba has spent her whole life in Silverlake, a dried-up wasteland ravaged by constant sandstorms. The Wrecker civilization has long been destroyed, leaving only landfills for Saba and her family to scavenge from. That's fine by her, as long as her beloved twin brother Lugh is around. But when a monster sandstorm arrives, along with four cloaked horsemen, Saba's world is shattered. Lugh is captured, and Saba embarks on an epic quest to get him back. 

Suddenly thrown into the lawless, ugly reality of the world outside of desolate Silverlake, Saba is lost without Lugh to guide her. So perhaps the most surprising thing of all is what Saba learns about herself: she's a fierce fighter, an unbeatable survivor, and a cunning opponent. And she has the power to take down a corrupt society from the inside. Teamed up with a handsome daredevil named Jack and a gang of girl revolutionaries called the Free Hawks, Saba stages a showdown that will change the course of her own civilization.

Blood Red Road has a searing pace, a poetically minimal writing style, violent action, and an epic love story. Moira Young is one of the most promising and startling new voices in teen fiction.


3.    Divergent by Veronica Roth

In a future Chicago, 16-year-old Beatrice Prior must choose among five predetermined factions to define her identity for the rest of her life, a decision made more difficult when she discovers that she is an anomaly who does not fit into any one group, and that the society she lives in is not perfect after all.
4.    Delirium by Lauren Oliver

 Before scientists found the cure, people thought love was a good thing. They didn’t understand that once love -- the deliria -- blooms in your blood, there is no escaping its hold. Things are different now. Scientists are able to eradicate love, and the government demands that all citizens receive the cure upon turning eighteen. Lena Holoway has always looked forward to the day when she’ll be cured. A life without love is a life without pain: safe, measured, predictable, and happy.

But with ninety-five days left until her treatment, Lena does the unthinkable: She falls in love.


5.    Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

Everybody gets to be supermodel gorgeous. What could be wrong with that? Tally is about to turn sixteen, and she can't wait. Not for her license -- for turning pretty. In Tally's world, your sixteenth birthday brings an operation that turns you from a repellent ugly into a stunningly attractive pretty and catapults you into a high-tech paradise where your only job is to have a really great time. In just a few weeks Tally will be there.


But Tally's new friend Shay isn't sure she wants to be pretty. She'd rather risk life on the outside. When Shay runs away, Tally learns about a whole new side of the pretty world and it isn't very pretty. The authorities offer Tally the worst choice she can imagine: find her friend and turn her in, or never turn pretty at all. The choice Tally makes changes her world forever.

6.    The Maze Runner by James Dashner

When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his first name. His memory is blank. But he’s not alone. When the lift’s doors open, Thomas finds himself surrounded by kids who welcome him to the Glade—a large, open expanse surrounded by stone walls.

Just like Thomas, the Gladers don’t know why or how they got to the Glade. All they know is that every morning the stone doors to the maze that surrounds them have opened. Every night they’ve closed tight. And every 30 days a new boy has been delivered in the lift.

Thomas was expected. But the next day, a girl is sent up—the first girl to ever arrive in the Glade. And more surprising yet is the message she delivers.

Thomas might be more important than he could ever guess. If only he could unlock the dark secrets buried within his mind.

 
7.    Under The Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

Since she'd been on the outside, she'd survived an Aether storm, she'd had a knife held to her throat, and she'd seen men murdered. This was worse.

Exiled from her home, the enclosed city of Reverie, Aria knows her chances of surviving in the outer wasteland - known as The Death Shop - are slim. If the cannibals don't get her, the violent, electrified energy storms will. She's been taught that the very air she breathes can kill her. Then Aria meets an Outsider named Perry. He's wild - a savage - and her only hope of staying alive.

A hunter for his tribe in a merciless landscape, Perry views Aria as sheltered and fragile - everything he would expect from a Dweller. But he needs Aria's help too; she alone holds the key to his redemption. Opposites in nearly every way, Aria and Perry must accept each other to survive. Their unlikely alliance forges a bond that will determine the fate of all who live under the never sky.


8.    Matched by Allie Condie

Cassia has always trusted the Society to make the right choices for her: what to read, what to watch, what to believe. So when Xander's face appears on-screen at her Matching ceremony, Cassia knows with complete certainty that he is her ideal mate... until she sees Ky Markham's face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black.

The Society tells her it's a glitch, a rare malfunction, and that she should focus on the happy life she's destined to lead with Xander. But Cassia can't stop thinking about Ky, and as they slowly fall in love, Cassia begins to doubt the Society's infallibility and is faced with an impossible choice: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she's known and a path that no one else has dared to follow.

 
9.    Unearthly by Cynthia Hand

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.

10.  Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. . . .

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.


The synopsis from each book was taken from Goodreads.com. A site which I highly recommend for finding out a little bit more about a book you might be wanting to read and for finding new and wonderful books and authors you might never discover on your own. Take for example me, I discovered author, Samantha Young, on Goodreads. She is an amazing self-published author, with several series and novellas. The Fade, Fire Spirits, Tale of Lunarmorte, Warriors of Ankh, are all fantastic series of hers that would also help relieve a hangover. Oh, crap! Does that mean I should change the title to 14 Ways to Relieve Your Hunger Games Hangover?!? Oh, well!

Sunday, March 11, 2012

Scorched Skies Released


It's here! Get your copy now at Amazon.com. So excited to read the continuing story of Ari in the dark world of the Jinn. I downloaded my copy this morning and am going to start reading it the first chance I get!











Check out the book trailer while your at it.


The e-book is only $2.99 on Amazon. You can't beat the price! Hours of entertainment for such a small cost. :)

Saturday, March 10, 2012

Scorched Skies by Samantha Young Early Release!

The author of Smokeless Fire book one in the Fire Spirits Series, Samantha Young, has announced she will be releasing the second book in the series, Scorched Skies, early! This is an amazing new series which is based on Jinn lore. How original is that!


For the last two years Ari Johnson's life has been anything but normal, and on her 18th birthday, when her friends surprise her with a gimmick genie claiming to grant wishes, Ari discovers the truth. The tragic and strange occurrences surrounding her 16th birthday were not coincidental and her life is never going to be the same again.

Ari's real parents are not normal. They are not loving. They are not human.

They are myth.

They are Smokeless Fire.

They are Jinn.


The White King has crossed the line, sounded the horn, sent out the wolves.

When blood is shed and life is lost the reality of Ari’s position as both hunter and prey finally sets in. It seems her father will stop at nothing to force her will to his own and distracted by Charlie’s latest mistake and her seemingly misguided attraction to Jai, Ari never thought to fear anyone else but the Jinn King.

Blindsided and attacked, Ari learns a new wolf has joined the hunt. A dark sorcerer believes he knows a way to bleed the power of the Seal and wield it as his own, and he is even less patient than The White King.


The War for the Seal has only just begun… and it’s time for Ari to turn it on its head.
It’s time for Ari to stop acting like the hunted.

It’s time for Ari to become the hunter.
 
Scorched Skies was set to release on March 16th, 2012. New release is anybody's guess!  I'm hoping for today. :o)

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Legend by Marie Lu

Title: Legend
Author: Marie Lu
Genre: Dystopia, Young Adult
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile
Publication Date: November 29, 2011 
Pages: 305 pages
Reading Level: 12+
Content: Nothing of Note
 
Book Description

What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors. Born into an elite family in one of the Republic’s wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic’s highest military circles. Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country’s most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem.
From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths – until the day June’s brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. Caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family’s survival, while June seeks to avenge Metias’s death. But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths their country will go to keep its secrets.
Full of nonstop action, suspense, and romance, this novel is sure to move readers as much as it thrills.

Review

After societal and economic ruin, the western territories of the United States of America have seceded and formed the Republic, leaving the other states to form as the Confederation. A cold war of sorts exists between the two, both jockeying for power (aka land).

Day is a future day Robin Hood. Stealing from the government and giving to those struggling to survive.

June is an extremely gifted 15 year old who is assigned to bring Day to justice.

This is a completely enjoyable read which I give 4 out of 5 stars to! Read it!!!

Bonus Material

Check out the Official Book Trailer!

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Warriors of Ankh Giveaway! by Author Samantha Young




To Enter:
*You must be 16 years or older
*Giveaway is international
*One Winner will win a signed copy of Blood Will Tell, Blood Past and Shades of Blood as shown in the vlog above.
*One Entry per person
*There is no requirement to follow the blog or any of my other social pages.
*Giveaway will end Midnight (GM) Thursday 26th of January 2012. Winner will be announced Friday 27th January 2012.

Just click on the link above to enter for your chance to win signed copies of this series!

Author Description
 
When the heroine and the villain are one in the same…

Eden is a Soul Eater. While that hasn’t meant much to her in the past, she’s pretty sure any minute now she’s going to go all "Carrie" on her eleventh grade class.

Noah is an Ankh. As an immortal Warrior, his purpose in life is to hunt down and kill Soul Eaters.

Together they are about to embark on a journey that will change their lives forever...
... A journey in search of Eden’s redemption.
But with enemies and tests of morality and strength around every corner, it will be a journey that pushes them both to their very limits.

Can the promise of honor, purpose and love be enough to temper the monster within?

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Blood Red Road by Moira Young

Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars
Title: Blood Red Road
Author: Moira Young
Genre: Young Adult, Post-Apocalyptic, Fiction
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Publication Date: June 7, 2011 
Pages: 549 pages
Series: Dust Lands, #1
Reading Level: 12+
Content: Kissing, Mild Cursing

Description

Saba has spent her whole life in Silverlake, a dried-up wasteland ravaged by constant sandstorms. The Wrecker civilization has long been destroyed, leaving only landfills for Saba and her family to scavenge from. That's fine by her, as long as her beloved twin brother Lugh is around. But when a monster sandstorm arrives, along with four cloaked horsemen, Saba's world is shattered. Lugh is captured, and Saba embarks on an epic quest to get him back.
Suddenly thrown into the lawless, ugly reality of the world outside of desolate Silverlake, Saba is lost without Lugh to guide her. So perhaps the most surprising thing of all is what Saba learns about herself: she's a fierce fighter, an unbeatable survivor, and a cunning opponent. And she has the power to take down a corrupt society from the inside. Teamed up with a handsome daredevil named Jack and a gang of girl revolutionaries called the Free Hawks, Saba stages a showdown that will change the course of her own civilization.
Blood Red Road has a searing pace, a poetically minimal writing style, violent action, and an epic love story. Moira Young is one of the most promising and startling new voices in teen fiction.

Review

Saba is an eighteen year old girl who has never been beyond her miniscule dried-up hovel of a home world. She knows nothing of what exists in the outside world. There are only a handful of people she has met in her life, three of which include her father, her twin brother, Lugh, who she is her sun, and her useless and annoying little sister, Emmi.

After her brother is taken by strange men who kill their father, Saba begins her trek across the unknown to fulfill her promise to her brother to find him. Going on nothing more than sheer determination and stubbornness, Saba knows that she cannot quit, cannot give into fear, she must be strong. Those who have helped her, now rely on her; Jack, the handsome stranger with a crooked grin, the revolutionary Free Hawks, and her little sister, Emmi, whom she discovers isn't as helpless as she had originally thought.

Along her quest, Saba learns to guide herself, accept help from those around her, and just who she is, a survivor.

I just finished this book about 2.8 minutes ago and had to immediately sit down and share my experience with this story. I wanted to eat this book after I was done reading it. Crazy, yes, but I really did. I wanted to know more about the characters. I wanted to experience theirs lives more fully. After hugging the book to my chest, kissing the cover, and sniffing the bindings, eating it was all I had left. I did not eat the book. It was a loaner from the library. Alas, I do believe they would be rather irritated with me if I ate their book. Besides, I do believe that it would taste most unsatisfactorily the same as many other books. Depriving me of the essence I was seeking to being with. Besides,  my fiber quota has been met for the day so there really is no need to digest the pages. Although, I feel that is exactly what I did while reading it. Devoured it. Savored it. Swirled it around in my head and let the aromatics overwhelm my senses.

The style in which the story is written is broken and harsh and wonderful and fluid. I was so worried the first few pages that this was going to be a difficult read. Trying to understand and stay in the story. It truly fell away into a musical masterpiece that I lost myself in.

And then there is Jack. Who is he? What does he know? Should we trust him? I'll let you figure that out for yourself. What I will tell you is that there were times in the story where I felt like I had just had my first kiss. All warm and tingly, a little light-headed, and completely lost in the moment. **Sigh, Swoon, Smile**

Bonus Material

Movie rights for this book have been sold to director, Ridley Scott, with a tentative release date of 2014. (I will now be putting this on my IMDb.com watchlist!)

Book Trailer for Blood Red Road.

Saturday, January 14, 2012

Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

Title:                      Under The Never Sky
Author:                  Veronica Rossi
Publisher:              HarperCollins
Pub. Date:             January 3, 2012
Series:                   1st In Series
Pages:                   384
Genre:                   Young Adult,
                              Post-Apocalyptic,
                              Dystopian, Sci-Fi
Reading Level:     14+
Content:                ???






Author Summary

EXILED from her home, the enclosed city of Reverie, Aria knows her chances of surviving in the outer wasteland--known as The Death Shop--are slim. If the cannibals don't get her, the violent, electrified energy storms will. She's been taught that the very air she breathes can kill her. Then Aria meets an Outsider named Perry. He's wild--a savage--and her only hope of staying alive. 

A HUNTER for his tribe in a merciless landscape, Perry views Aria as sheltered and fragile--everything he would expect from a Dweller. But he needs Aria's help too; she alone holds the key to his redemption. Opposites in nearly every way, Aria and Perry must learn to accept one another to survive. Their unlikely alliance forges a bond that will determine the fate of all who live under the never sky.


Here is an excerpt from the book.