Showing posts with label Amanda Sun. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Amanda Sun. Show all posts

Monday, 30 June 2014

Review: Rain by Amanda Sun

Title: Rain (Paper Gods #2)
Author: Amanda Sun
Published: 24 June 2014 by HarlequinTEEN Australia
Source: HarlequinTEEN Australia
Reviewed: Sapphired Dragon
Rating: ****

My Review:
On reflection I think I may have liked Rain more than I liked Ink, and I adored Ink.  Ink made me want to go visit Japan and learn Japanese but Rain had a different feel to it and I think this had to do with the writing reflecting the main character Katie Greene.

In Ink, Katie is a foreigner and a tourist anxiously waiting for the call from her grandparents to head back home to Canada. In Rain, having made her decision to stay, Katie while still technically a foreigner, and still making the the odd cultural mistake, feels more like a native fighting for her place there and so this is reflected in the writing and the feel.

Because, like Katie, we were now familiar with the Japan of the book and the main characters there in, we got to the heart of the story a lot quicker and were held in there to the end. Both the Kami story line and the romance between Katie and Tomo weaved together seamlessly and I found myself barely looking up from this tale until the end, which nearly caused my daughter and I to miss our stop of the train the other night.

I liked Katie and found her to be a sympathetic character so cared what happened to her. I liked her heart and her spirit though i do feel, she made some poor decisions throughout the book. I found it harder to get into Tomo's head. I wanted to but sometimes found it a little harder relate to his character.

Overall this is a quick and entertaining read. While sometimes I could see where certain story lines were leading, it didn't nonetheless spoil the the over all enjoyment I had in this instalment and I will anxiously be awaiting book 3!

I give this novel 4 stars.


Sapphired Dragon xx

About The Book:




American Katie Green has decided to stay in Japan. She's started to build a life in the city of Shizuoka, and she can't imagine leaving behind her friends, her aunt and especially Tomohiro, the guy she's fallen in love with. But her return is not as simple as she thought. She's flunking out of Japanese school and committing cultural faux pas wherever she goes. Tomohiro is also struggling—as a Kami, his connection to the ancient gods of Japan and his power to bring drawings to life have begun to spiral out of control.

When Tomo decides to stop drawing, the ink finds other ways to seep into his life—blackouts, threatening messages and the appearance of unexplained sketches. Unsure how to help Tomo, Katie turns to an unexpected source for help—Jun, her former friend and a Kami with an agenda of his own. But is Jun really the ally he claims to be? In order to save themselves, Katie and Tomohiro must unravel the truth about Tomo's dark ancestry, as well as Katie's, and confront one of the darkest gods in Japanese legend

Friday, 27 June 2014

Stacking The Shelves #14


Welcome to  Stacking The Shelves!  Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga Reviews and is a meme to share those books, both print and e-book, that have been added to your shelves in the last week/s.

I took a brief hiatus with my blog so I haven't actually done one of these in a while and whilst I would love to show off everyone of the very many books i have received since my last stacking shelves about 6 months ago, I will just stick what i have received in the month of June

Review (Print books - Thanks to HarlequinTeen Australia ) :

Got some awesome books from HarlequinTeen Australia this month.  Have already read 2 so stay tuned for my review of Rain on the blog on Monday 30 June 2014.


Rain (Paper Gods #2) by Amanda Sun
Goodreads | Book Depository

American Katie Green has decided to stay in Japan. She's started to build a life in the city of Shizuoka, and she can't imagine leaving behind her friends, her aunt and especially Tomohiro, the guy she's fallen in love with. But her return is not as simple as she thought. She's flunking out of Japanese school and committing cultural faux pas wherever she goes. Tomohiro is also struggling—as a Kami, his connection to the ancient gods of Japan and his power to bring drawings to life have begun to spiral out of control.

When Tomo decides to stop drawing, the ink finds other ways to seep into his life—blackouts, threatening messages and the appearance of unexplained sketches. Unsure how to help Tomo, Katie turns to an unexpected source for help—Jun, her former friend and a Kami with an agenda of his own. But is Jun really the ally he claims to be? In order to save themselves, Katie and Tomohiro must unravel the truth about Tomo's dark ancestry, as well as Katie's, and confront one of the darkest gods in Japanese legend.


Let's Get Lost by Adi Alsaid
Goodreads | Book Depository

Five strangers. Countless adventures.One epic way to get lost.

Four teens across the country have only one thing in common: a girl named LEILA. She crashes into their lives in her absurdly red car at the moment they need someone the most.

There's HUDSON, a small-town mechanic who is willing to throw away his dreams for true love. And BREE, a runaway who seizes every Tuesday—and a few stolen goods along the way. ELLIOT believes in happy endings…until his own life goes off-script. And SONIA worries that when she lost her boyfriend, she also lost the ability to love.

Hudson, Bree, Elliot and Sonia find a friend in Leila. And when Leila leaves them, their lives are forever changed. But it is during Leila's own 4,268-mile journey that she discovers the most important truth— sometimes, what you need most is right where you started. And maybe the only way to find what you're looking for is to get lost along the way.

The Dark World (The Dark World #1) by Cara Lynn Shultz
Goodreads | Book Depository

Paige Kelly is used to weird--in fact, she probably corners the market on weird, considering that her best friend, Dottie, has been dead since the 1950s. But when a fire demon attacks Paige in detention, she has to admit that things have gotten out of her league. Luckily, the cute new boy in school, Logan Bradley, is a practiced demon slayer-and he isn't fazed by Paige's propensity to chat with the dead. Suddenly, Paige is smack in the middle of a centuries-old battle between warlocks and demons, learning to fight with a magic sword so that she can defend herself. And if she makes one wrong move, she'll be pulled into the Dark World, an alternate version of our world that's overrun by demons-and she might never make it home.


Ebooks (via Netgalley & Edelweiss)


Incredibly excited to get some this titles this month.  In particular Clariel by Garth Nix as I absolutely adored the Abhorsen series when I read it years ago.  


Sweet Unrest by Lisa MaxwellGoodreads | Book Depository
Lucy Aimes has always been practical. But try as she might, she can’t come up with a logical explanation for the recurring dreams that have always haunted her. Dark dreams. Dreams of a long-ago place filled with people she shouldn’t know…but does.
When her family moves to a New Orleans plantation, Lucy’s dreams become more intense, and her search for answers draws her reluctantly into the old city’s world of Voodoo and mysticism. There, Lucy finds Alex, a mysterious boy who behaves as if they’ve known each other forever. Lucy knows Alex is hiding something, and her rational side doesn’t want to be drawn to him. But she is.
As she tries to uncover Alex’s secrets, a killer strikes close to home, and Lucy finds herself ensnared in a century-old vendetta. With the lives of everyone she loves in danger, Lucy will have to unravel the mystery of her dreams before it all comes to a deadly finish.






Clariel: The Lost Abhorsen (Abhorsen #4)
Goodreads | Book Depository
Clariel is the daughter of the one of the most notable families in the Old Kingdom, with blood relations to the Abhorsen and, most importantly, to the King. When her family moves to the city of Belisaere, there are rumors that her mother is next in line for the throne. However, Clariel wants no part of it—a natural hunter, all she ever thinks about is escaping the city’s confining walls and journeying back to the quiet, green world of the Great Forest.
But many forces conspire against Clariel’s dream. A dangerous Free Magic creature is loose in the city, her parents want to marry her off to a killer, and there is a plot brewing against the old and withdrawn King Orrikan. When Clariel is drawn into the efforts to find and capture the creature, she discovers hidden sorcery within herself, yet it is magic that carries great dangers. Can she rise above the temptation of power, escape the unwanted marriage, and save the King?





A Thousand Pieces of You (Firebird #1) by Claudia Gray
Goodreads | Book Depository
Every Day meets Cloud Atlas in this heart-racing, space- and time-bending, epic new trilogy from New York Times bestselling author Claudia Gray.
Marguerite Caine’s physicist parents are known for their radical scientific achievements. Their most astonishing invention: the Firebird, which allows users to jump into parallel universes, some vastly altered from our own. But when Marguerite’s father is murdered, the killer—her parent’s handsome and enigmatic assistant Paul—escapes into another dimension before the law can touch him.
Marguerite can’t let the man who destroyed her family go free, and she races after Paul through different universes, where their lives entangle in increasingly familiar ways. With each encounter she begins to question Paul’s guilt—and her own heart. Soon she discovers the truth behind her father’s death is more sinister than she ever could have imagined.
A Thousand Pieces of You explores a reality where we witness the countless other lives we might lead in an amazingly intricate multiverse, and ask whether, amid infinite possibilities, one love can endure.




Deliverance (Couriers Daughter #3) by C J Redwine
Goodreads | Bookdepository
Everything hangs in the balance, and nothing is certain: Rachel has been kidnapped by enemy forces and is being taken to Rowansmark while Logan, imprisoned and awaiting trial, is unable to leave Lankenshire. Separated from each other and their Baalboden comrades, each must find a way to achieve what they desperately want: to rid their world once and for all of the Commander and the tech that controls the deadly Cursed One.
Fighting through her pain and embracing the warrior she’s become, Rachel will do whatever it takes to escape her enemies’ clutches and join Logan in his fight. But when she learns a secret that changes everything, she realizes that escaping Ian and his tracker friends is no longer an option if she wants to save the people she loves. Instead, she’ll have to destroy Rowansmark from the inside out—if she can survive the journey through the Wasteland.
Logan needs allies if he wants to thwart Rowansmark’s power grab and rescue Rachel. But securing allies will mean betraying his beliefs and enlisting the help of the man he hates more than anyone: Commander Jason Chase. Driven by his fierce love for Rachel and his determination to make their world safe, Logan may be just the weapon the city-states need to defeat the Cursed One.
But as Rowansmark bears down and uneasy alliances are tested, will Rachel and Logan’s love for each other be enough to surmount the unbelievable odds against them


Empire of Shadows by Miriam Forster
Goodreads | Book Depository

Cast out of her family three years ago, Mara turned to the only place that would take her—a school where students train to protect others. But Mara is stunned when guarding a noble girl in the Empire’s capital turns out to be more dangerous than she could’ve imagined. More shocking still, she finds the boy she thought she had lost forever outside the gates of her new home.
Mara knew her life in the dizzying Imperial city would hold dangers. How could she have known that her heart, as well as her life, would be at stake?
Empire of Shadows will take readers on a spellbinding journey into the world Miriam Forster first introduced in City of a Thousand Dolls—a world with a divided society, deadly courtiers, heroic traitors, and deeply laid conspiracies.


Purchased :

Not a lot purchased this month but I can't wait to get stuck into either of them





The Abhorsen Chronicles (Abhorsen #1-3) by Garth NixGoodreads  | Book Depository

Sabriel
Every step brings Sabriel closer to a battle that will pit her against the true forces of life and death—and bring her face-to-face with her own destiny.
Lirael
With only her faithful companion, the Disreputable Dog, Lirael must undertake a desperate mission under the growing shadow of an ancient evil, which threatens the fate of the Old Kingdom.
Abhorsen
The Abhorsen Sabriel and King Touchstone are missing, and Lirael must search in both Life and Death for some means to defeat the evil Destroyer—before it is too late.




The One (Selection #3) by Kiera Cass
Goodreads | Book Depository
HE SELECTION changed the lives of thirty-five girls forever. Now, only one will claim Prince Maxon’s heart…
It’s swoon meets the Hunger Games in the final instalment of THE SELECTION trilogy!
For the four girls who remain at the palace, the friendships they’ve formed, rivalries they’ve struggled with and dangers they’ve faced have bound them to each other for the rest of their lives.
Now, the time has come for one winner to be chosen.
America never dreamed she would find herself anywhere close to the crown – or to Prince Maxon’s heart. But as the competition approaches its end and the threats outside the palace walls grow more vicious, America realises just how much she stands to lose – and how hard she’ll have to fight for the future she wants.
The breathtaking finale to THE SELECTION trilogy will make you swoon!



So what did you add to your shelves this week?



Sunday, 30 June 2013

Review & Giveaway: Ink by Amanda Sun

Title: Ink (Paper Gods #1)
Author: Amanda Sun
Published: 1 July 2013 by HarlequinTEEN Australia
Source: HarlequinTEEN Australia
Reviewed: Sapphireddragon
SapphiredDragon Rating: ****


Ink (Paper Gods #1) by Amanda Sun



I looked down at the paper, still touching the tip of my shoe. I reached for it, flipping the page over to look.

Scrawls of ink outlined a drawing of a girl lying on a bench.

A sick feeling started to twist in my stomach, like motion sickness.

And then the girl in the drawing turned her head, and her inky eyes glared straight into mine.

On the heels of a family tragedy, the last thing Katie Greene wants to do is move halfway across the world. Stuck with her aunt in Shizuoka, Japan, Katie feels lost. Alone. She doesn’t know the language, she can barely hold a pair of chopsticks, and she can’t seem to get the hang of taking her shoes off whenever she enters a building.

Then there’s gorgeous but aloof Tomohiro, star of the school’s kendo team. How did he really get the scar on his arm? Katie isn’t prepared for the answer. But when she sees the things he draws start moving, there’s no denying the truth: Tomo has a connection to the ancient gods of Japan, and being near Katie is causing his abilities to spiral out of control. If the wrong people notice, they'll both be targets.

Katie never wanted to move to Japan—now she may not make it out of the country alive.



Review: 

I have been dying to read this book since I first saw it an Harlequin Summit in February this year.  The cover looked absolutely gorgeous and the story looked incredibly intriguing.  

I am happy to say that this book did not disappoint!  It wasn't quite what I expected but this ended up being a good thing.  This was not a neat tidy easy to tie up the ends story where you could see the ending coming a mile off.  This was a deceptively simple story that flowed well hiding the extra strands that were being woven around it till suddenly you were in the middle of a complex tapestry with no idea which thread too pull and completely in Ms Sun's hands.

The idea of the Kami and it's links with the ink and drawing and pictures that moved was truly intriguing.  I enjoyed reading about it and can't wait to find out more about it in the next book,

As mentioned the story flowed well, the characters were reasonably distinct and Katie painted (at least as first) as the outsider.  I liked Katie, she was resilient and determined, but still open to a different culture even though she didn't want to be there after the death of her mother. As the book progresses you can slowly see her becoming immersed in the culture around her and realising where she fits.

I liked that the feelings between Katie and Tomo grew slowly.  They were  fascinated with each other to their chagrin at first but the real feelings grew slowly which I liked.  I felt like there was chemistry between them and this grows as the story goes on.

The other thing I really liked is the snapshot of Japanese culture that Ms Sun shows us.  Her writing painted a picture of Sunpu Park and the cherry blossoms and just illustrated so many other aspects that just  added to the authenticity of the story.

The only thing that brought it down is the fact that I have to wait till the next book to find out what happens next.  I was glad of the sneak peak of the first chapter of the next novel in the series, at the end of the book, as I am seriously going to have trouble waiting for the the next one to come out .

At least I have the novella, Shadow, to look forward to reading in the mean time.

I give this novel 4 stars

Sapphired Dragon xx



Giveaway


I pre-ordered a copy of this book earlier in the year then also was lucky enough to receive a copy from the publisher and now I have two copies. So I have decided to give one copy away.

Giveaway is International & all rules are in the Terms and conditions.  Good Luck!



a Rafflecopter giveaway




Monday, 24 June 2013

Teaser Tuesday #61




Welcome to Teaser Tuesdays.

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

1. Grab your current read

2. Open to a random page

3. Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too muchaway! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

4. Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!


My current read is Ink by Amanda Sun and my two lines are from page 188:

I saw it. So simple, and so terrifying.


Ink (Paper Gods #1) by Amanda Sun



I looked down at the paper, still touching the tip of my shoe. I reached for it, flipping the page over to look.

Scrawls of ink outlined a drawing of a girl lying on a bench.

A sick feeling started to twist in my stomach, like motion sickness.

And then the girl in the drawing turned her head, and her inky eyes glared straight into mine.

On the heels of a family tragedy, the last thing Katie Greene wants to do is move halfway across the world. Stuck with her aunt in Shizuoka, Japan, Katie feels lost. Alone. She doesn’t know the language, she can barely hold a pair of chopsticks, and she can’t seem to get the hang of taking her shoes off whenever she enters a building.

Then there’s gorgeous but aloof Tomohiro, star of the school’s kendo team. How did he really get the scar on his arm? Katie isn’t prepared for the answer. But when she sees the things he draws start moving, there’s no denying the truth: Tomo has a connection to the ancient gods of Japan, and being near Katie is causing his abilities to spiral out of control. If the wrong people notice, they'll both be targets.

Katie never wanted to move to Japan—now she may not make it out of the country alive.


PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT with either the link  to your own Teaser Tuesdays post, or share your ‘teasers’ in a comment here (if you don’t have a blog). Thanks!

Saturday, 15 June 2013

Novella Review: Shadow by Amanda Sun

Title: The Shadow (Paper Gods #0.5)
Author: Amanda Sun
Published: 1 June 2013 by HarlequinTEEN Australia
Source: HarlequinTEEN Australia (free e-novella)
Reviewed: Sapphireddragon
SapphiredDragon Rating: ****

Shadow (Paper Gods #0.5) by Amanda Sun

Meet two teens whose worlds are about to change forever in this paranormal Young Adult novella, a prequel to Ink by debut author Amanda Sun…


Katie Greene’s worst nightmare comes true when her mother dies, and she’s devastated to learn that she will have to leave the only home she’s ever known. Desperate to find where she belongs, she must decide if she has what it takes to start a new life across the ocean.


For Yuu Tomohiro, every day is a nightmare. He struggles to control his strange ability, and keeps everyone at a distance so they won’t get hurt—even his girlfriend, Myu. At night, a shadow haunts his dreams, and a mysterious woman torments him with omens of death and destruction. But these haunting premonitions are only the beginning…



Review: 

The shadow by Amanda Sun is the prequel novella to the novel Ink.  Despite this, I actually read Ink first (see my review on July 1) and it is kind of funny as in some ways I wish I had read this first while in other ways I am glad I didn't. Let me explain.

I originally didnt read this first, despite knowing it was a prequel, because for some explicable reason I was worried it would provide spoilers for the novel. If anything, it was the other way round (which should have been somewhat obvious being a prequel and all but meh :-p)

This novella starts about 5 months earlier than the beginning of Ink and goes virtually all the way to the beginning of Ink. Each chapter is alternatively told from either Katie or Tomo's perspective. I liked this as I felt I got to know and understand both main characters a lot better especially Tomo. Given that Ink is essentially told from Katie's perspective, I wonder whether this would have changed my perspective on Tomo's reactions to things had I read this first and understood, a little more, where Tomo was coming from.

The story itself was reasonably simple in that it was essentially setting up the novel Ink going in depth with a few scenes that are merely mentioned in Ink.  It was actually not spoilerish at all which surprised me as Ms Sun was especially good at skirting around potential spoilers and actually adding to the mystery rather than spoiling it, and there a few clues in there that I think will have meaning later on in the series ( can't wait to see if I am right about those :-P).

So I have mentioned the reasons why I wished I had read it pre Ink but the reason I am glad i read it after is that while it is an introduction to the characters and story of Ink, I think I enjoyed it more because I already to some extent knew and loved the characters of Katie and Tomo so I was interested to see where they came from.  I believed I would have enjoyed this novella even if I had read it first but it meant I appreciated it more almost as a character study rather than an introduction.

If you are planning on reading Ink then i would suggest you read this first and even if at this stage you are not planning on reading Ink, I still recommend you read this novella as you might just change your mind.  This novella provides a great introduction to the novel as well as being a great read.

I give this novella 4 stars


Sapphired Dragon xx

Tuesday, 11 June 2013

WWW Wednesday #16








20120606-111238.jpg


WWW Wednesdays is a weekly meme hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading.

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…
• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you will read next?

What are you currently reading?


Glitter & Doom ( Masque of the Red Death #1.5) by Bethany Griffin



Participating in the Novella Reading Week hosted by Fiktshun & Magical Urban Fantasy Reads so this is the second novella I am reading and reviewing.  Also good timing as I plan to read Dance of the Red Death (Masque of the red Death #2) next week once Novella week is over :-)

What did you recently finish reading?


Ink (Paper Gods #1) by Amanda SunGoodreads | Book Depository

Loved this.  Review to be posted 1st July 2013.

Between the Lives by Jessica Shirvington

Best book I have read in 2013.  See my review here




Clean Slate Complex (A daynight story) by Megan Thomason

Novella read number 1.  See my review here

What do you think you will read next??

More Novellas :-)


Shadow (Paper Gods #0.5) by Amanda Sun

Meet two teens whose worlds are about to change forever in this paranormal Young Adult novella, a prequel to Ink by debut author Amanda Sun…


Katie Greene’s worst nightmare comes true when her mother dies, and she’s devastated to learn that she will have to leave the only home she’s ever known. Desperate to find where she belongs, she must decide if she has what it takes to start a new life across the ocean.



For Yuu Tomohiro, every day is a nightmare. He struggles to control his strange ability, and keeps everyone at a distance so they won’t get hurt—even his girlfriend, Myu. At night, a shadow haunts his dreams, and a mysterious woman torments him with omens of death and destruction. But these haunting premonitions are only the beginning…


The First (The Returned #0.5) by Jason Mott
Goodreads | Harlequin


In Jason Mott's haunting and unforgettable debut novel, The Returned, an impossible miracle is occurring all across the globe. Read how it all begins in this short story, The First.


It's been just over a year since Edmund Blithe died, and just over a month since his fiancée, Emily, stopped wearing her engagement ring. Emily has finally begun to move on… Until Edmund mysteriously and inexplicably returns, sending the world—and Emily—into a tailspin.



Edmund is only just the beginning. Around the world, people's loved ones are returning from beyond, seeking only to reenter the lives they left behind. As the world dives deep into uncertainty, Emily and Edmund are determined to find their way back to one another…even if it means risking everything.





So what are you reading this week?




Friday, 7 June 2013

Stacking The Shelves #1


Welcome to my first Stacking The Shelves!  Previously I participated in In My Mailbox but decided it was time for a change.  Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga Reviews and is a meme to share those books, both print and e-book, that have been added to your shelves in the last week/s.

It's been a couple of week's and that means I have had two trips to go crazy at the library along with a book for review this week.



For Review (via HarlequinTeen):

Wasn't expecting to get a print copy of this book so it was an awesome surprise to find this in my mailbox this week and be able to add it to my shelf.  So very very excited.  I absolutely adore the cover of this book so loving having a print copy to read.  I also pre-ordered a copy of this a while ago, so will probably be hosting a giveaway for that copy once I receive it :-)  By the time this post goes to air, I will most likely have finished reading it hehe.



Ink (Paper Gods #1) by Amanda Sun



I looked down at the paper, still touching the tip of my shoe. I reached for it, flipping the page over to look.

Scrawls of ink outlined a drawing of a girl lying on a bench.

A sick feeling started to twist in my stomach, like motion sickness.

And then the girl in the drawing turned her head, and her inky eyes glared straight into mine.

On the heels of a family tragedy, the last thing Katie Greene wants to do is move halfway across the world. Stuck with her aunt in Shizuoka, Japan, Katie feels lost. Alone. She doesn’t know the language, she can barely hold a pair of chopsticks, and she can’t seem to get the hang of taking her shoes off whenever she enters a building.

Then there’s gorgeous but aloof Tomohiro, star of the school’s kendo team. How did he really get the scar on his arm? Katie isn’t prepared for the answer. But when she sees the things he draws start moving, there’s no denying the truth: Tomo has a connection to the ancient gods of Japan, and being near Katie is causing his abilities to spiral out of control. If the wrong people notice, they'll both be targets.

Katie never wanted to move to Japan—now she may not make it out of the country alive.






For Review (via Netgalley):


Hindsight by Sarah Belle

The universe has sent Juliette a sign. She wishes it had been an email instead...



Juliette’s career is on fire, her marriage and family are in melt-down, and a red-hot goddess wants her husband. But those are the least of her worries when she wakes up on her lounge room floor in the year 1961.




Without any of her modern conveniences — nanny, housekeeper, surgically attached mobile phone, designer wardrobe, and intravenous lattes — Juliette is just over fifty years out of her comfort zone. But as she takes on the role of a 1961 housewife, with gritted liberated teeth, she discovers an unexpected truth: slower doesn’t mean boring, at home doesn’t mean dull, and priorities don’t mean sacrifices.

As she finds unexpected friendships, a resuscitated love life, tragedy and triumph, Juliette begins to wonder if she really wants to return home after all.


Free E-Novellas from Harlequin & HarlequinTeen Australia

Both these Novellas are prequels to books I am greatly looking forward to reading, in fact have already started reading Ink By Amanda Sun and I cannot wait to get my hands on The returned By Jason Mott 

Shadow (Paper Gods #0.5) by Amanda Sun

Meet two teens whose worlds are about to change forever in this paranormal Young Adult novella, a prequel to Ink by debut author Amanda Sun…


Katie Greene’s worst nightmare comes true when her mother dies, and she’s devastated to learn that she will have to leave the only home she’s ever known. Desperate to find where she belongs, she must decide if she has what it takes to start a new life across the ocean.



For Yuu Tomohiro, every day is a nightmare. He struggles to control his strange ability, and keeps everyone at a distance so they won’t get hurt—even his girlfriend, Myu. At night, a shadow haunts his dreams, and a mysterious woman torments him with omens of death and destruction. But these haunting premonitions are only the beginning…



The First (The Returned #0.5) by Jason Mott
Goodreads | Harlequin


In Jason Mott's haunting and unforgettable debut novel, The Returned, an impossible miracle is occurring all across the globe. Read how it all begins in this short story, The First.


It's been just over a year since Edmund Blithe died, and just over a month since his fiancée, Emily, stopped wearing her engagement ring. Emily has finally begun to move on… Until Edmund mysteriously and inexplicably returns, sending the world—and Emily—into a tailspin.



Edmund is only just the beginning. Around the world, people's loved ones are returning from beyond, seeking only to reenter the lives they left behind. As the world dives deep into uncertainty, Emily and Edmund are determined to find their way back to one another…even if it means risking everything.



The reappearances continue in The Sparrow, and look for The Returned from Harlequin MIRA, a moving tale of a family given a second chance at life and a world where nothing—not even death—is certain.


Free E-Novels From IBooks (Australian):

Couldn't pass up these awesome free books during the week.  All three are book one in a series I love so really it was a no brainer 

My Soul To Take (Soul Screamers #1) by Rachel Vincent

She doesn’t see dead people, but...


She senses when someone near her is about to die. And when that happens, a force beyond her control compels her to scream bloody murder. Literally.



Kaylee just wants to enjoy having caught the attention of the hottest guy in school. But a normal date is hard to come by when Nash seems to know more about her need to scream than she does. And when classmates start dropping dead for no apparent reason, only Kaylee knows who’ll be next...








Touch of Power (Healer #1) by Maria V Snyder


Laying hands upon the injured and dying, Avry of Kazan assumes their wounds and diseases into herself. But rather than being honored for her skills, she is hunted. Healers like Avry are accused of spreading the plague that has decimated the Territories, leaving the survivors in a state of chaos.


Stressed and tired from hiding, Avry is abducted by a band of rogues who, shockingly, value her gift above the golden bounty offered for her capture. Their leader, an enigmatic captor-protector with powers of his own, is unequivocal in his demands: Avry must heal a plague-stricken prince—leader of a campaign against her people. As they traverse the daunting Nine Mountains, beset by mercenaries and magical dangers, Avry must decide who is worth healing and what is worth dying for. Because the price of peace may well be her life....





The Goddess Test (The Goddess Test #1) by Aimee Carter

Every girl who had taken the test has died.
Now it's Kate's turn.
It's always been just Kate and her mom - and her mother is dying. Her last wish? To move back to her childhood home. So Kate's going to start at a new school with no friends, no other family and the fear that her mother won't live past the fall.
Then she meets Henry. Dark. Tortured. And mesmerizing. He claims to be Hades, god of the Underworld - and if she accepts his bargain, he'll keep her mother alive while Kate tries to pass seven tests.
Kate is sure he's crazy - until she sees him bring a girl back from the dead. Now saving her mother seems crazily possible. If she succeeds, she'll become Henry's future bride and a goddess.
If she fails...

Library:




Between The Lives by Jessica Shirvington

Written in Red by Anne Bishop

The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater
Goodreads | Book Depository




The Evolution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

The Madness Underneath by Maureen Johnson






In one of my armchairBEA posts last week, I mentioned that I didn't get the ting with zombies and posed the question "Why are Zombies so awesome?".  One of the comments mentioned that I needed to read Carrie Ryan to really understand.  So here I go :-)

The Forest of Hands & Teeth by Carrie Ryan

The Dark & Hollow Places by Carrie Ryan

So what did you add to your shelves this week?