Each week I will post a list of the books I've borrowed, received, or bought. I will keep a weekly tally in each post, as well as a yearly one on the sidebar. All books with PoC themes/authors will be listed for the "New Crayons" meme.
All prices are listed in Canadian dollars.
(hosted weekly by The Story Siren / The Printed Page; New Crayons by Color Online)



Tally for 2010/10/31
Borrowed: 0
Received: 2
Bought: 0
Total Cost: $0.00

Thanks to everyone who participated in my first hosted giveaway! Here are the 3 WINNERS as chosen by Random.org!

1ST WINNER
#51 Salatiel Júnior
@ Me, My Shelf and I

2ND WINNER
#107 Betty
@ Reflections with Coffee

3RD WINNER
#9 amandasue

I've emailed the winners to confirm/request their mailing information, and they have 48 hours (2 days) to respond (if they haven't given me their address already) before I'll have to choose new winners.

Thanks again to the publisher JD Rosy for letting me host this giveaway!

HAVE A HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Also, if you haven't checked it out already, I'm celebrating my 1st blogoversary giveaway, now with 3 winners!

A monthly meme where I post about movies I've recently watched and ones I'm dying to see. I'll do a mini ★ review for each movie I've seen, and express in ♥s how excited I am for trailers of movies soon to be released. See all of my movie reviews here.

Recent Screenings: 10
Anticipated Screenings: 2

A weekly feature on my blog where I post up cover images that fit a weekly theme - art styles, artists, colour schemes, etc. In essence, this is a meme that celebrates book covers as pieces of art. Covers link to larger images and titles to goodreads summaries.

This week's theme: Wings
angel wings, fairy wings, animal wings



1) angel wings

hush, hush by Becca Fitzpatrick
A Madness of Angels by Kate Griffin
Awakened (House of Night) by P.C. Cast
Awakened (Guardian Legacy) by Ednah Walters

Angel by L.A. Weatherly
Halo by Alexandra Adornetto
Jonas / Beautiful Dead Series by Eden Maguire
Mercy by Rebecca Lim

2) fairy wings

Blackbringer (Dreamdark #1) by Laini Taylor
Silksinger (Dreamdark #2) by Laini Taylor
Eyes Like Stars by Lisa Mantchev
Spell Hunter / Knife by R.J. Anderson

3) animal wings

The Black Swan by Mercedes Lackey
Firebird by Mercedes Lackey
The Last Olympian by Rick Riordan
Pegasus by Robin McKinley




There are a lot of black wings going around for guys, they're large, dark and spikey, and/or attached to a ripped torso - symbolizing power. For the girls, the wings are wispy and small. While it's quite impossible to attach them to a ripped torso without bordering on indecency in their case, the girls are usually wearing dresses or skirts - usually very effeminate and soft. I would really like to see some more badass-looking female angel wings - though the cover for Angel by L.A. Weatherly does make the girl look less delicate.
I'm kind of confused why the wings for the girl in the Dreamdark covers shrinks in size when she's beside a male fairy. It's fine if it's plot-specific, but if it's just to make the guy seem more powerful (admittedly, in butterfly wings), I'm a bit disappointed at the artist.
I would commend the artists for the two Lackey books that make the female characters' wings seem both delicate and powerful. The comparison between the two Pegasus covers also makes me think of the treatment of them as "transportation tool" or "equal", as well as whether the creatures' willingness to carry their rider factors into this...
As always, feel free to leave your opinions and examples in the comments!

Giveaway Reminder
If you haven't signed up for my two giveaways, please take a look! I'm celebrating my 1st hosted giveaway and my 1st blogoversary giveaway!
I've reached 200 followers! This means there will be THREE winners in my blogoversary giveaway!

A weekly event on my blog where I post about books (not necessarily pre-release or new) that I've just added to my wishlist, along with a little blurb on why I want to read it.
(hosted by Book Chick City & Breaking the Spine)


Huntress
by Malinda Lo
release date: 5 April 2011

Nature is out of balance in the human world. The sun hasn’t shone in years, and crops are failing. Worse yet, strange and hostile creatures have begun to appear. The people’s survival hangs in the balance.
To solve the crisis, the oracle stones are cast, and Kaede and Taisin, two seventeen-year-old girls, are picked to go on a dangerous and unheard-of journey to Taninli, the city of the Fairy Queen. Taisin is a sage, thrumming with magic, and Kaede is of the earth, without a speck of the otherworldly. And yet the two girls’ destinies are drawn together during the mission. As members of their party succumb to unearthly attacks and fairy tricks, the two come to rely on each other and even begin to fall in love. But the Kingdom needs only one huntress to save it, and what it takes could tear Kaede and Taisin apart forever.
The exciting adventure prequel to Malinda Lo’s highly acclaimed novel Ash is overflowing with lush Chinese influences and details inspired by the I Ching, and is filled with action and romance.

Why it's on my wishlist
A fantasy quest with strong, teenage girls in the leading roles! Sweet romance between friends-by-circumstance! Chinese influences! Fierce Asian face on the cover!
I admit I haven't read my copy of Ash yet, but it's definitely been bumped up to the Must Read Immediately spot on my TBR pile.

Giveaway Reminder
If you haven't signed up for my two giveaways, please take a look! I'm celebrating my 1st hosted giveaway and my 1st blogoversary giveaway!

Just passing on word of this great novel-writing contest! If anyone's working on NaNoWriMo this year, you might be interested in this contest too =)

YA Novel Discovery Contest
Get in Front of Top YA Editors and Agents with ONLY the First 250 Words of Your YA Novel!

No query? No pitch? No problem!

Have a young adult novel—or a YA novel idea—tucked away for a rainy day? Are you putting off pitching your idea simply because you’re not sure how to pitch an agent? No problem! All you have to do is submit the first 250 words of your novel and you can win both exposure to editors, and a reading of your manuscript from one of New York’s TOP literary agents Regina Brooks.

Regina Brooks is the founder of Serendipity Literary Agency and the author of Writing Great Books for Young Adults. Brooks has been instrumental at establishing and building the careers of many YA writers, including three-time National Book Award Honoree and Michael Printz Honoree Marilyn Nelson, as well as Sundee Frazier—a Coretta Scott King Award winner, an Oprah Book Pick and an Al Roker book club selection. As an agent, she is known for her ability to turn raw talent into successful authors.

ADDITIONALLY: The top 20 submissions will all be read by a panel of five judges comprised of top YA editors at Random House, Scholastic, Candlewick, Harlequin, Sourcebooks and Penguin. The first 100 will receive free autographed copies of Writing Great Books for Young Adults by Regina Brooks. Of the 20, they will pick the top five submissions and provide each author with commentary. These five winners will also receive a free ONE YEAR subscription to The Writer magazine. ONE Grand Prize Winner will win a full manuscript reading and editorial consultation from Regina Brooks and free 10-week writing course courtesy of the Gotham Writer’s Workshop.

Please submit all entries via the contest website at WritingClasses.com/YAPitch. One entry per person; anyone age 13+ can apply. Open to the U.S. & Canada (void where prohibited). Entries for the YA Novel Discovery Contest will be accepted from 12:01am (ET) November 1 until 11:59pm (ET), November 30th

NOVEMBER IS NaNoWriMo
In honor of National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo.org) — an international event where aspiring novelists are encouraged to write an entire novel in 30 days — this contest is meant to encourage the aspiring YA author to get started on that novel by offering an incentive for completing the first 250 words.

So enter now! http://bit.ly/YAContest

GREAT PRIZES
The Grand Prize Winner will have the opportunity to submit an entire manuscript to YA literary agent Regina Brooks AND receive a free, 10-week writing course, courtesy of Gotham Writers' Workshop.

The Top Five Entrants (including the Grand Prize winner) will receive a 15-minute, one-on-one pitch session with Regina Brooks, one of New York’s premier literary agents for young adult books. They will also receive commentary on their submissions by editors at HarperCollins, Penguin, Harlequin, Random House, and Sourcebooks. In addition, they will receive a year’s subscription to The Writer magazine!

The Top 20 Entrants will receive autographed copies of Writing Great Books for Young Adults by Regina Brooks.

JUDGING
YA literary agent Regina Brooks and her team, will read all of the entries and determine the top 20 submissions. These submissions will then be read by Nancy Mercado, Executive Editor at Roaring Brook Press (Macmillan); Nicole Raymond, Editor at Candlewick; Cheryl Klein, Senior Editor at Arthur Levine Books (Scholastic); Leila Sales, Editor Viking (Penguin) Evette Porter, Editor at Harlequin and Leah Hultenschmidt, Executive Editor at Sourcebooks. These judges will whittle the top 20 down to five, and each of the five winners will be provided commentary on their submissions.

1. Thank and link back to the person that gave this award.
Thanks to Missy's Reads & Reviews for this award!

2. Answer the 10 survey questions.

o1. If you blog anonymously are you happy doing it that way; if you are not anonymous do you wish you had started out anonymously so you could be anonymous now?
I'm not sure if I count as anonymous. I do use Angel as my "official" English name, and ninefly is my main screenname. I do keep anonymous on my other journals (ex. my translation journal) where I don't feel very social.

o2. Describe one incident that shows your inner stubborn side:
whenever I'm searching for obscure files on the internet and REFUSE to use bittorrent files -- purely because I dislike them with a passion for no reason whatsoever.

o3. What do you see when you really look at yourself in the mirror?
I usually don't look at the mirror a lot (outside morning and night bathroom rituals), and I really hate having my photo taken, so sometimes my face looks a little foreign to me.

o4. What is your favourite summer cold drink?
iced orange juice. with the orange bits in them. yum~

o5. When you take time for yourself, what do you do?
sleep. marathon tv shows.

o6. Is there something you still want to accomplish in your life? What is it?
get paid for doing something I enjoy (aka an Ideal Job).

o7. When you attended school, were you the class clown, the class overachiever, the shy person, or always ditching?
the creepy silent class overachiever. apparently lots of people knew me because I got high grades.

o8. If you close your eyes and want to visualize a very poignant moment of your life what would you see?
kirito.

o9. Is it easy for you to share your true self in your blog or are you more comfortable writing posts about other people or events?
actually, I used to blog a lot about myself when I was a moody teenager, but I no longer possess the urge to spill my emo guts to the interweb. I personally see my opinions as part of my "true self", so I share whatever I need to say in my reviews.

1o. If you had the choice to sit down and read or talk on the phone, which would you do and why?
I prefer amusing myself most of the time, so I guess reading. I spend most of my online time reading something or other (books, articles, dictionaries). phones are still essential since most of my family and friends live long distance. I prefer texting over calling most of the time though.

3. Pass the award along to 15 bloggers who you have recently discovered and who you think are fantastic. Contact the bloggers you’ve picked to let them know about the award.

Here are the latest 15 additions to my blogroll =)
o1. Down the Rabbit Hole
o2. Confessions of a Bookaholic
o3. Bitsy Bling's Book Review
o4. Emilie's Book World
o5. Icey Books
o6. Misfit Salon
o7. My Neurotic Book Affair
o8. Reading Angel
o9. The Bookish Type
1o. The Fiction Enthusiast
11. The Happy Booker
12. YA Enthusiast
13. Book Dreaming
14. about happy books
15. My Reading Room

A weekly event to celebrate what we are reading for the week as well as books completed the previous week.
(hosted weekly by Book Journey)

Currently Reading

• Downtime by Tamara Allen
• Warchild by Karin Lowachee
• Bleeding Violet by Dia Reeves

Weekly Summary

• Wishlist Wednesday: Hold Me Closer, Necromancer

Current Giveaways

• Giveaway: "Just Call Me...Rita" BOOK 1983 by J.D. Rosy
  3 copies ; international ; ends 10/30 at 11:59PM
• Giveaway: Giveaway: My 1st Blogoversary!
  3 prizes ; 2 winners ; international ; ends 11/14 at 11:59PM

Okay, slacked off a little this week since I got a new Apple toy and have been fiddling with it nonstop. Got all my ebooks on there now and will be reading on-the-go! I'll be more productive this week, have a few half-finished reviews to post too.=

A weekly event on my blog where I post about books (not necessarily pre-release or new) that I've just added to my wishlist, along with a little blurb on why I want to read it.
(hosted by Book Chick City & Breaking the Spine)


Hold Me Closer, Necromancer
by Lish McBride
release date: 12 October 2010

Sam leads a pretty normal life. He may not have the most exciting job in the world, but he’s doing all right—until a fast food prank brings him to the attention of Douglas, a creepy guy with an intense violent streak.
Turns out Douglas is a necromancer who raises the dead for cash and sees potential in Sam. Then Sam discovers he’s a necromancer too, but with strangely latent powers. And his worst nightmare wants to join forces...or else.
With only a week to figure things out, Sam needs all the help he can get. Luckily he lives in Seattle, which has nearly as many paranormal types as it does coffee places. But even with newfound friends, will Sam be able to save his skin?

Why it's on my wishlist
I adore the title for some reason lol. Anyway, guy hanging between a choice between "good" or "evil" and the gathering of strangers into friends-by-circumstance appeals to me on many many levels. I'm really looking forward to the creepy-guy 8D

Giveaway Reminder
If you haven't signed up for my two giveaways, please take a look! I'm celebrating my 1st hosted giveaway and my 1st blogoversary giveaway!

A weekly event to celebrate what we are reading for the week as well as books completed the previous week.
(hosted weekly by Book Journey)

Currently Reading

• Downtime by Tamara Allen
• Warchild by Karin Lowachee
• Bleeding Violet by Dia Reeves

Movies Watched

• Step Up (2006)
• Step Up 2 the Streets (2008)
• Step Up 3D (2010)
• The Cat Returns (2002)

Weekly Summary

• Wishlist Wednesday: Dust City
• In My Mailbox 2010/10/17

Current Giveaways

• Giveaway: "Just Call Me...Rita" BOOK 1983 by J.D. Rosy
  3 copies ; international ; ends 10/30 at 11:59PM
• Giveaway: Giveaway: My 1st Blogoversary!
  3 prizes ; 2 winners ; international ; ends 11/14 at 11:59PM

Went out for the weekend so no new reviews this week. I did pick up the books I won over the summer though, and won another giveaway at Lauren Bjorkman's blog! Watched all 3 Step Up movies, LOVED the first two, thought the 3rd played up the 3D-ness too much and lost its vision for the main couple (regardless, Moose was in it so I was happy). Will be reviewing them for the next Saturday Screening.

Each week I will post a list of the books I've borrowed, received, or bought. I will keep a weekly tally in each post, as well as a yearly one on the sidebar. All books with PoC themes/authors will be listed for the "New Crayons" meme.
All prices are listed in Canadian dollars.
(hosted weekly by The Story Siren / The Printed Page; New Crayons by Color Online)



Tally for 2010/10/17
Borrowed: 0
Received: 5
Bought: 0
Total Cost: $0.00

This giveaway is now CLOSED!
Winners to be announced within the week!

I've noticed that my blogoversary is today, so it's giveaway time! This will be very similar to the previous giveaway, I have three prizes for you to choose from, plus it's open internationally!

• You get to choose from THREE (3) prizes:
  - 2x $5 giftcards for Amazon.COM or Amazon.CA
  - 1 book of up to US$9 at Book Depository
  - custom layout design by me
• There will be TWO (2) winners for now. I've made it to 200 followers, I will make it THREE (3) winners! The prizes will break down as follows:
  - first winner I pick that chose the custom layout will get it
  - all other winners will get their choice of giftcards or book
• This is a followers-only contest, so please click the follower button on the sidebar to participate.
• You must provide a valid email address.
• This contest is open internationally (or where Book Depository ships if applicable).
• Contest will close on November 14th at 11:59PM EST.
• Winner(s) will be chosen with Random.org and emailed. Please claim your prize within 48 hours or I will pick another winner.
• Extra entries (completely optional)
  - follow me on twitter @angeltyuan (+2)
  - tweet the giveaway (+2)
  - link the giveaway on your sidebar (+2)
  - make a blog post about the giveaway (+5)
  - entering my other current giveaways (+1)
  - being a Top 5 Commenters at the end of this giveaway (+3)

On a related note, I'm going to be revamping my blog and renaming it "Collecting Color"! I wanted something less generic than "story on a page". The new title works better with my layout - literally colourful - and the books I read - featuring a variety of genres, PoCs, and GLBT themes. And actually, I am curious if people find my URL a little hard to remember or type. So, I'll give 2 extra entries in exchange for your opinion! Even a simple "yes" or "no" counts! If I do change my URL, I'll still keep a backup archive of my old posts at my current URL (angeltyuan.blogspot.com) so there won't be lots of dead links =)

Please fill out all required fields on THIS FORM to enter. Comments on this post are NOT going to count as entries. But feel free to comment if you like =D
CONTEST CLOSED.

Again, thanks to all of my current followers for supporting this blog ♥

A weekly event on my blog where I post about books (not necessarily pre-release or new) that I've just added to my wishlist, along with a little blurb on why I want to read it.
(hosted by Book Chick City & Breaking the Spine)


Dust City
by Robert Paul Weston
release date: 30 September 2010

Who's afraid of the big bad wolf?
His son, that's who.

Ever since his father's arrest for the murder of Little Red Riding Hood, teen wolf Henry Whelp has kept a low profile in a Home for Wayward Wolves...until a murder at the Home leads Henry to believe his father may have been framed.
Now, with the help of his kleptomaniac roommate, Jack, and a daring she-wolf named Fiona, Henry will have to venture deep into the heart of Dust City: a rundown, gritty metropolis where fairydust is craved by everyone and controlled by a dangerous mob of Water Nixies and their crime boss leader, Skinner.
Can Henry solve the mystery of his family's sinister past? Or, like his father before him, is he destined for life as a big bad wolf?

Why it's on my wishlist
Socially labelled "baddie" searching for redemption before he spirals down into a self-fulfilling prophecy, AND dark fairytale retellings! There's nothing not to love there. Plus, there's not enough versions of the Red Riding Hood tale told from the wolf's POV.

A weekly event to celebrate what we are reading for the week as well as books completed the previous week.
(hosted weekly by Book Journey)

Currently Reading

• Downtime by Tamara Allen
• Warchild by Karin Lowachee
• Bleeding Violet by Dia Reeves

New Reviews

• Luck in the Shadows by Lynn Flewelling (rated ☂☂☂☂.5 ♥)
  Nightrunner #1
• What Curiosity Kills by Helen Ellis (rated ☂☂☂)
  The Turning #1
• Graceling by Kristin Cashore (rated ☂☂☂)
  Seven Kingdoms #1

Weekly Summary

• Apology: Ninefly vs. RL Issues

Current Giveaways

• Giveaway: "Just Call Me...Rita" BOOK 1983 by J.D. Rosy
  3 copies ; international ; ends 10/30 at 11:59PM

First week back to blogging! Hoping to finish up a few reviews I didn't have time to polish before the Great Wall of China slammed down on me again. Got two midterms this week so I won't be able to get much non-textbook reading done, but I'll have time this weekend to catch up and pick up the books I won over the summer.

Also, my blogoversary is coming up, which means: GIVEAWAY! This will be much like the giveaway I did for 50 followers, except I'm giving away "bigger" prizes! Watch for the giveaway post on the 14th!

Apart from Turkey Day (which I celebrate every week by eating turkey sandwiches from Tim Hortons), today is also National Coming Out Day! As such, here are some clips from a GLBT version of Romeo and Juliet, Verona (I'm so not a shameless fangirl)

Inspired by William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, Verona is the story of two young lovers separated by their rival fraternities. Set in a small college town wherein young men are groomed for corporate success in All-American hyper competitive fashion, Verona presents the fate of star-crossed lovers in a society that condemns the very nature of their love.

The Romeo, Xan is played by Shannon Kook-Chun (Hot Asian Dude!) and the Juliet, Brandon is played by John Bregar. There's also a drag queen, Queen Mab, who hosts parties at her palace.




I've included my favourite promo clips below. Check out more clips and trailers at the Verona: The Movie YouTube Channel, and visit here find out how to support the production of a full-length feature!

Seven Kingdoms #1:
Graceling
by Kristin Cashore

Katsa has been able to kill a man with her bare hands since she was eight — she’s a Graceling, one of the rare people in her land born with an extreme, and in her case horrifying, skill. As niece of the king, she should be able to live a life of privilege, but Graced as she is with killing, she is forced to work as the king’s thug. When she first meets Prince Po, Graced with combat skills, Katsa has no hint of how her life is about to change.
She never expects to become Po’s friend. She never expects to learn a new truth about her own Grace — or about a terrible secret that lies hidden far away...a secret that could destroy all seven kingdoms with words alone.

Why I Read This
Recommended by so many people as an epic feminist fantasy.

First Lines

“In these dungeons the darkness was complete, but Katsa had a map in her mind.

☂☂☂

Not a feminist novel in any way I perceive it, and lacking in overall impact, this novel merely delivers an intriguing fantasy world, and 1.5 kickass heroines (the expected perfect boyfriend is just that, perfect and ubiquitous). The villains are not particularly interesting, nor are the side characters. Though Katsa is strong and independent, rebelling against society's pressures for women, the reader is constantly being treated to her own admonitions of how "not normal" she supposedly is. The Boyfriend, Po seems the more "feminist" character, comfortably encouraging Katsa to be the alpha female. As this series is made up of companion novels rather than sequels, the ending was filled with resolutions too abrupt (death of the Big Bad) and too vague (Po and Katsa's future). Not to say that the novel is not worth reading, but it is not as ground-breaking as I had hoped it would be.

review posted to Amazon.ca, Book Depository, goodreads, LibraryThing, Shelfari

This giveaway is now CLOSED!
Winners have been announced here

My first hosted giveaway!

The independent Canadian publisher, J.D. Rosy Publishing, approached me with this second book to their exclusive "Just Call Me...Rita" fictional diaries.

Here's how they describe the feel of their series:

“The genre could be classified as edgy fiction but we prefer to categorize it as "reality reading" since the story is about a young, delusional and dissipated female named Rita who struggles with life. She has a tempestuous relationship with her family and friends as she candidly expresses her inner thoughts via her diaries. Her journey begins in Toronto which leads to Los Angeles during the 1980's. By using actual dates and places and written in slang with plenty humor, gives it an authentic, diary appeal with a kick.

And now the summary for the book that will be given away:


"Just call me...Rita" Book 1983
by J.D. Rosy
publisher: J.D. Rosy Publishing (Canadian)

Who could be so careless as to lose their diaries in a park of all places? Who could be so callous as to find and print them for anyone to read? Planning and scheming, quite the squalid lifestyle to be ashamed of. If you think this is another "once upon a time?" Bah-bye. If you're expecting a sugarcoated memoir, check the next aisle over. If you want reality in it's most raw, potent form, then take a peek inside the life of a lecherous, dissipated twenty-year old. Come see what makes Rita, a buxom, brunette tick. Read all about a life of relentless debauchery in the 80's. Follow her sordid journey from Toronto to Los Angeles. Yah, trust me, there’s never a dull moment.

Available at: Amazon.com ; Amazon.ca ; Powells ; IndieBound

If this sounds like the kind of book for you, enter in the giveaway below to win one of THREE (3) copies provided by the publisher!

• You must provide a valid email address so I can contact you.
• You DO NOT have to be a follower to enter.
• Extra entries (make sure to leave a link!)
  - follower (+2)
  - twitter (+2)
  - blog sidebar (+2)
  - blog about giveaway (+3)
  - blog about the book (+5)
• This contest is open internationally, and prizes will be sent out by the publisher.
• Contest will close on October 30th at 11:59PM EST. If we do not reach at least 20 entrants, the contest will be extended.
• Winners will be chosen with Random.org and must send me their mailing addresses within 48 hours or I will pick another winner.
• Please fill out all required fields on THIS FORM (or use the window below) to enter. Comments on this post are NOT going to count as entries. CONTEST CLOSED.

Feel free to comment if you have any questions for me or the publisher =)

The Turning #1:
What Curiosity Kills
by Helen Ellis

Plucked from foster care, Mary Richards hit the jackpot with a loving family, an apartment on the Upper East Side of Manhattan, and a spot in the elite Purser-Lilley Academy. But she might lose it all if people find out about The Turning.
Something not human is inside Mary. Her mind is reeling and her body is rebelling. She succumbs to urges and desires she never imagined. And then there's the bizarre physical transformation...
Struggling with her metamorphosis, Mary is sought out by two boys who share her secret. Will she reject the destiny they swear is hers? Or will she find out about what curiosity kills?

Why I Read This
I assumed the main character was going to be a POC judging from the cover art (which is gorgeous either way) so I asked for an ARC when I was offered one.
I apologize to the publicist for the lateness of this review, I've missed the preferred deadline by about 4 months.

First Lines

“I want to scream for help, but pain that feels like fire ants has found me. The ants crawl up and out of my knee socks and take over every bit of my flesh. They are between my toes, behind my ears, and in every crevice in between...

☂☂☂

With a surreal and overly passive narrator, this rather short beginning to The Turning series is saved by the monumentally more interesting, and diverse, side characters, as well as the pleasantly unexpected developments in its second half. The uniqueness of some of the characters makes up for the lack of character development, and the "weird" writing style can grow on you, but only in this limited 200-page dose. Not really worth the hardcover price, but do give it a chance, it's a nice surreal detour, and it's not that long.

review posted to Amazon.ca, Book Depository, goodreads, LibraryThing, Shelfari

Nightrunner #1:
Luck in the Shadows ♥
by Lynn Flewelling

When young Alec of Kerry is taken prisoner for a crime he didn’t commit, he is certain that his life is at an end. But one thing he never expected was his cellmate.
Spy, rogue, thief, and noble, Seregil of Rhiminee is many things – none of them predictable. And when he offers to take on Alec as his apprentice, things may never be the same for either of them. Soon Alec is traveling roads he never knew existed, toward a war he never suspected was brewing.
Before long he and Seregil are embroiled in a sinister plot that runs deeper than either can imagine, and that may cost them far more than their lives if they fail. But fortune is as unpredictable as Alec’s new mentor, and this time there just might be...Luck in the Shadows.

Why I Read This
Recommended on many blogs/sites as a good glbt fantasy that's a touch less romance and more action.

First Lines

“Asengai's torturers were regular in their habits—they always left off at sunset.
Chained again in his corner of the drafty cell, Alec turned his face to the rough stone wall and sobbed until his chest ached.

☂☂☂☂.5

A great GLBT fantasy that doesn't rush into a storm of UST and smut. Seregil and Alec share a slow-building relationship, from strangers to master-apprentice, to close friends and equals. The relationship plot does not push aside the fleshed-out minor characters and their web of complex motives, while the adventure plot is well thought out, and not overshadowed by relationship angst. A great first novel to a series that promises well-paced action, strong personalities, and a budding romance built on friendship and trust rather than pure UST and lust.

review posted to Amazon.ca, Book Depository, goodreads, LibraryThing, Shelfari

Okay, so there should have been a few review posts between May and now if things went according to plan. Clearly they didn't.

My friend did offer to help me post my reviews herself, but I found a proxy sometime in June that worked with Blogger and set up a few "scheduled" posts that were supposed to have posted while my proxy died and kicked me out again. Clearly they didn't.

I got back to the Continent of the Freer Internetz in September and basically had a huge issue with housing where I dragged stuff back and forth between hotel rooms for a few weeks. Now that I've finally settled down to a permanent address and dealt with the bare necessities (ex. a place to live), I can start book blogging again! Yay!

For the next few days/weeks, I'll be posting the reviews that escaped my posting plans, and hopefully hosting some giveaways for review requests I got over the summer as well as one for celebrating 140 followers!

Thanks to my old followers for sticking with me, and welcome to new followers!