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Lu

Lu (Sugar & Snark)

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Most anticipated book of 2014?

Most anticipated book of 2014? – Nominations: http://sugarandsnark.co.za/?p=10840

Source: http://sugarandsnark.co.za/?p=10840

Review: The Eternity Cure

The Eternity Cure - Julie Kagawa

I knew Allison was one of my favorite heroines when I read The Immortal Rules, and The Eternity Cure just made sure she has a permanent place on that list! Allison is a vampire, stuck in a dystopia world where humans are holed up in vampire cities for protection. Sure the vampires only use them for food, but it is better than being outside the cities where nightmares come true. Things are out there… rabids aka zombies. Allison is on a quest to find out where her creator is and if he is alright, and at the same time try to find a cure for rabidism.

The reason Allison is one of my favorites is because she cares for those around her, but at the same time won’t hesitate to swing around her samurai sword and take out the bad guys! Then there is Jackal, Allison’s “brother”. I’m not sure if I like him or despise him, it is a fine line. And let’s not forget about Zeke, a sweet but tough human who has a very interesting story!

Although I love the blue cover above, I also like the other covers for this novel:

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I’m glad Allison is finally shown as Asian!

The Eternity Cure did not disappoint and I will definitely read the third in the series when it comes out! I do have to add thought, that ending…

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Booklikes, thank you for being so welcoming!

I just wanted to say THANK YOU to the admins at Booklikes for being supportive, welcoming, and having outstanding customer service. I'm a Goodreads refugee. I left Goodreads for the most part. It felt like it was no longer a welcome environment for regular readers.

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Dear Goodreads, Kindly GTFO

Reblogged from Great Imaginations:
Notes from Ghost Town - Kate Ellison Enjoyable read.Review to follow.
Steel Wind Rising - Scott Meintjes What a thrilling debut novel by Scott Meintjes, a South African author!A woman wakes up not knowing who she is, where she is or how she got there. She wears an engagement band with the name Cybil inscribed in it. Does this mean she has someone waiting for her at home, wherever home is? She is rescued by a band of criminal misfits who take her in and try and help her navigate the desolate and dangerous Outlands. Isaac and his friends are smugglers of a different kind and they have their own dangerous mission. Will Cybil stay with them or take her own journey to discover who she is?There is another storyline that for some reason intrigued me more than the main plot, and I wish there was more! This story is about Rob and Lucy and how they find something in each other that they never thought possible.I really enjoyed Cybil as a main character, she was strong and brave and at times kick-ass. Andrew was probably my favorite character though – I found him funny and very intriguing (you will have to read why)! Then there is the band of misfits, all so different, unique and totally bad ass, especially when they fight the dangerous creatures that reside in the Outlands. The group dynamic between these men is very interesting, especially when you throw in a young headstrong woman into the mix.The futuristic world is very well constructed and I had no problem believing the setting or the cool futuristic gadgets and machinery. The way the world was divided into these city states, with the “undesirables” outside, also made sense and I can imagine such a scenario happening.The plot was really great and surprising, with a good pace that kept the story flowing. I can’t wait to see what happens in the next novel and I recommend this book to any dystopian sci-fi lover.
Across the Universe - Beth Revis Amy and her family get frozen and put onto a spaceship that is meant to populate the “new earth”. It will take the ship 300 years to arrive at the new planet, so when Amy is unfrozen and almost killed only 250 years into the journey, she must learn to adjust to this new life and find out who tried to kill her! Amy is a sweet girl, caught in a world that is strange to her. The people on Godspeed all look the same and act the same and think she is a freak. Elder is being groomed to take over the day to day running of the ship (Godspeed) when Amy is unfrozen. With her flaming red hair she changes his life completely, and together they find out that not everything is always as is seems.The setting is very limited because of the dynamics of the ship, but the author does an amazing job of making the story seem vast, yet at the same time I felt claustrophobic for Amy’s sake. I really enjoyed the mystery and the characters, especially Harley – he made me smile and was probably my favorite character. There was also Eldest, who really infuriated me, but what is a book without one of those? Overall the characters are what made this book for me. The character building is fantastic!The only reason I couldn’t give this 5 stars, is because the story was a bit slow at times and I felt like skimming. I will check out the next in the series and I have great hope for the rest of these books!
Unnatural Selection  (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) - Mel Odom I recently watched all 7 season’s of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and was finally able to get to one of my novelizations/tv-tie-in editions. I was not disappointed in the story at all, I just feel that Buffy as a character, with all the butt kicking that she does, doesn’t translate well into words. However, all the other characters were still awesome!I have one complaint, and it has nothing to do with the writing or the story, but with a personal gripe: there is an archaeological excavation involved in the story, and even though Giles has apparently been on archaeological dig before, they treat it like a sandbox where they can just dig wildly for this ancient lantern. The artifacts they find just get discarded and at some point Giles takes some odd looking artifacts so he can study them. Buffy does give him some grief over this, but “for the greater good” eventually wins. I know it is silly, but I was very disappointed in Giles here.I liked that Willow was the main character in this novel and that it was a bit creepy! The novel wasn’t all that great, but it wasn’t bad either. I think if it wasn’t a Buffy novel I might have not liked it as much as I did.Overall: 3.5 stars
Room - Emma Donoghue Review to follow
Game for Anything - Nikki Meyer Every now and then I enjoy reading an autobiography/biography. This one was one I could really relate to, as I share the author’s love for the Kruger National Park, animals and the bush in general. This story starts in Botswana and takes a few interesting twists and turns from there on. All of this is told in amusing and sometimes hilarious narratives. Nikki Meyer starts her story still living in comfort and sporting high heels and ends up finding out that true happiness can be found in the middle of nowhere.This was a very easy flowing book to read and it kept me entertained the whole way through. It was also very easy to imagine all the scenarios described and I even ended up telling my Fiancée about most of them. I want to tell you guys all about it, but that would just spoil the experience.And how can I not love the setting? I love the bush and I can only imagine living in the Kruger National Park! This is definitely a book that any animal and bush lover will enjoy.
The 5th Wave - Rick Yancey Enjoyable read but a bit meh at times.Review to follow.
Druid Lords (Caledonia Fae, #4) - India Drummond Munro, Eilidh and the other druids are at it again. In this volume they have to deal with a murder, new druids, unrequited love and their new position in society as they come to grips with how strong their magic really is. Eilidh’s relationship with both Munro and Griogair has always been the only love triangle I will ever understand. But this time two new elements get added to the mix, making their lives a little more complicated. And to top this all off, Eilidh has more responsibility that ever and has to deal with crazy queens from the other kingdoms.This Urban Fantasy series changed the way I see Fae and gives new meaning to the word Druid. I don’t think I could ever find another series that makes Fae feel so real but at the same time so magical, without the whole they have pretty wings thing! And then combining it with mystery, intrigue, romance and deception? How could I not love it?I love all the characters in this series. They are all so complicated and yet the story flows seamlessly. And in each novel you get to see a bit more of each character as the POV changes often. I can’t wait for the next in the series to see what these Druids can do and how Eilidh’s relationship with both Munro and Griogair develops.Snippet from Book 1 Review:When Ms Drummond contacted me about her new novel Blood Faerie, I had no idea what an astonishing world awaited me! Faeries, crime, mystery, romance, suspense, fantasy all rolled into one to make an outstanding novel.Snippet from Book 2 Review:While creating a world of mystery and romance with epic fantastical proportions Ms. Drummond does not loose sight of her characters. She has a way of giving uniqueness to each character and making their decisions and actions seem natural.Snippet from Book 3 Review:The world of the Fae and Druids has never been this good! Eilidh and Munro had me enthralled from the beginning and they would not let go!
Young Blood  - Meg Cabot 3.5 starsReview to follow.

Existence (Existence Trilogy, #1)

Existence (Existence Trilogy, #1) - Abbi Glines 2.5 StarsNot bad, not good... ending left me intrigued.Review to follow.
The Liar Society - Lisa Roecker, Laura Roecker Enjoyable read.Review to follow :)