Showing posts with label Gwenda Bond. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Gwenda Bond. Show all posts

Monday, 23 September 2013

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? #3




So it is Monday again and time to talk about what I am reading this week. It's Monday!  What Are You Reading? is a weekly meme hosted by A Book Journey where we talk about the books that we are reading and have read this week.


Got my read on this past week.  Finished  The Woken Gods by Gwenda Bond and 

then started on Witchstruck by Victoria Lamb.   


   

This book made a nice change of pace from what I have been reading lately as it is an historical paranormal type book and I will be reviewing it in the next couple of weeks.

     I had fully intended to read All the Truth That's In Me by Julie Berry next but I finished Witchstruck earlier than I anticipated and as I did not have ATTTIM on hand (it's a paper back), 
I purchased and read The Darkest Minds by Alexander Bracken in preparation to read book 2 in the series, Never Fade for review.  
When Ruby woke up on her tenth birthday, something about her had changed. Something alarming enough to make her parents lock her in the garage and call the police. Something that gets her sent to Thurmond, a brutal government “rehabilitation camp.” She might have survived the mysterious disease that’s killed most of America’s children, but she and the others have emerged with something far worse: frightening abilities they cannot control.
Now sixteen, Ruby is one of the dangerous ones.
When the truth comes out, Ruby barely escapes Thurmond with her life. Now she’s on the run, desperate to find the one safe haven left for kids like her—East River. She joins a group of kids who escaped their own camp. Liam, their brave leader, is falling hard for Ruby. But no matter how much she aches for him, Ruby can’t risk getting close. Not after what happened to her parents.
When they arrive at East River, nothing is as it seems, least of all its mysterious leader. But there are other forces at work, people who will stop at nothing to use Ruby in their fight against the government. Ruby will be faced with a terrible choice, one that may mean giving up her only chance at a life worth living.

I LOVED this book and cannot wait to post my review later this week.  I finished this book in less than 24 hours and again as I did not have ATTTIM on hand went straight to Never Fade even though it's not due to be read till November.  


Ruby never asked for the abilities that almost cost her her life. Now she must call upon them on a daily basis, leading dangerous missions to bring down a corrupt government and breaking into the minds of her enemies. Other kids in the Children’s League call Ruby “Leader”, but she knows what she really is: a monster. 
When Ruby is entrusted with an explosive secret, she must embark on her most dangerous mission yet: leaving the Children’s League behind. Crucial information about the disease that killed most of America’s children—and turned Ruby and the others who lived into feared and hated outcasts—has survived every attempt to destroy it. But the truth is only saved in one place: a flashdrive in the hands of Liam Stewart, the boy Ruby once believed was her future—and who now wouldn’t recognize her. 
As Ruby sets out across a desperate, lawless country to find Liam—and answers about the catastrophe that has ripped both her life and America apart—she is torn between old friends and the promise she made to serve the League. Ruby will do anything to protect the people she loves. But what if winning the war means losing herself?


I have to say so far I adore this series.  It has been a while since I became this invested in a series and I am really looking forward to seeing where this series is going to go.  I don't regret picking up either book.

I swear I am going to pack ATTTIM in my bag tonight for work this week so its on hand to be the next book I start but it is actually kind of interesting that i have been reading most e-books lately as generally I prefer print books to e-book and would usually choose to print over e-book when I had a copy in both, which is more than I care to admit :-P.  May be its because my bag has been full and I worried about ruining them or maybe because its just easier to pull out my ipad or kindle on the train.  I think it is also that I like print books, especially print books with pretty covers to keep, but more and more i am loving the ease of the e-book and the lovely (but kinda dangerous) fact that if you finish a book that you love and the next book has already been released you can be reading it minutes after you finish the first after a quick jaunt to your favourite e-book site. I may or may not have been guilty of this recently... :-P

Anyhew if i get a chance later this week, I am also looking to read Indelible by Dawn Metcalf, which I received for my birthday yesterday.  Once finished, its back to my TBR list I go

Some things are permanent.
Indelible.
And they cannot be changed back.
Joy Malone learns this the night she sees a stranger with all-black eyes across a crowded room—right before the mystery boy tries to cut out her eye. Instead, the wound accidentally marks her as property of Indelible Ink, and this dangerous mistake thrusts Joy into an incomprehensible world—a world of monsters at the window, glowing girls on the doorstep, and a life that will never be the same.
Now, Joy must pretend to be Ink’s chosen one—his helper, his love, his something for the foreseeable future...and failure to be convincing means a painful death for them both. Swept into a world of monsters, illusion, immortal honor and revenge, Joy discovers that sometimes, there are no mistakes.
Somewhere between reality and myth lies…
THE TWIXT

It's Monday! What are YOU reading?  Don't forget to let me know in the comments.

Have a great week!





Monday, 16 September 2013

It's Monday! What are you reading?




So it is Monday again and time to talk about what I am reading this week. It's Monday!  What Are You Reading? is a weekly meme hosted by A Book Journey where we talk about the books that we are reading and have read this week.

Actually didn't get much reading done in the last week.  On the bright side did get a few posts on the blog and started to get my TBR list into some sort of order. Blog wise, the aim for this week is to write up the reviews for the books I have read in the last few weeks and start scheduling some review posts. 


I am still reading The Woken Gods by Gwenda Bond and enjoying it and I suspect I will probably finish it later today.


The more things change…

Five years ago, the gods of ancient mythology awoke all around the world.

The more things stay the same…

This morning, Kyra Locke is late for school because of an argument with her father.

Seventeen-year-old Kyra lives in a transformed Washington, D.C., dominated by the embassies of divine pantheons and watched over by the mysterious Society of the Sun that governs mankind’s relations with the gods. But when rebellious Kyra encounters two trickster gods on her way home, one offering a threat and the other a warning, it turns out her life isn't what it seems. She escapes with the aid of Osborne "Oz" Spencer, a young Society field operative, only to discover that her scholar father has disappeared with a dangerous Egyptian relic. The Society needs the item back, and they aren’t interested in her protests that she knows nothing about it or her father's secrets.

Now Kyra must depend on her wits and the suspect help of scary Sumerian gods, her estranged oracle mother, and, of course, Oz--whose first allegiance is to the Society. She has no choice if she’s going to recover the missing relic and save her father. And if she doesn't? Well, that may just mean the end of the world as she knows it. From the author of Blackwood comes a fresh, thrilling urban fantasy that will appeal to fans of Neil Gaiman, Cassandra Clare, and Rick Riordan.

Next up on the reading list is All the Truth That's In Me by Julie Berry and Witchstruck by Victoria Lamb. 




Four years ago, Judith and her best friend disappeared from their small town of Roswell Station. Two years ago, only Judith returned, permanently mutilated, reviled and ignored by those who were once her friends and family. Unable to speak, Judith lives like a ghost in her own home, silently pouring out her thoughts to the boy who’s owned her heart as long as she can remember—even if he doesn’t know it—her childhood friend, Lucas. But when Roswell Station is attacked, long-buried secrets come to light, and Judith is forced to choose: continue to live in silence, or recover her voice, even if it means changing her world, and the lives around her, forever. This startlingly original novel will shock and disturb you; it will fill you with Judith’s passion and longing; and its mysteries will keep you feverishly turning the pages until the very last.
Check it out on Goodreads | Order it from Book Depository


I was lucky enough to win an arc of All the Truth that's in me in a competition on Summer of Supernatural's Facebook page and Witchstruck I received from netgalley.  Both books are due to be released in the net 1-2 weeks 




Meg Lytton has always known of her dark and powerful gift. Raised a student of the old magick by her Aunt Jane, casting the circle to see visions of the future and concocting spells from herbs and bones has always been as natural to Meg as breathing. But there has never been a more dangerous time to practise the craft, for it is 1554, and the sentence for any woman branded a witch is hanging, or burning at the stake.

Sent to the ruined, isolated palace of Woodstock to serve the disgraced Elizabeth, daughter of Henry VIII and half-sister of Queen Mary, Meg discovers her skills are of interest to the outcast princess, who is desperate to know if she will ever claim the throne. But Meg's existence becomes more dangerous every day, with the constant threat of exposure by the ruthless witchfinder Marcus Dent, and the arrival of a young Spanish priest, Alejandro de Castillo, to whom Meg is irresistibly drawn - despite their very different attitudes to her secret.

Thrilling and fast-paced, this is the first unputdownable story in a bewitching new series.
Check it out on Goodreads | Order it from Book Depository

It's Monday! What are YOU reading?  Don't forget to let me know in the comments.

Have a great week!






Tuesday, 10 September 2013

Teaser Tuesday #62




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 The Woken Gods by  Gwenda Bond and my two lines are from location  1828 of 4553:

The last thing I think before I give in to it is  that I hope Bronson's right. I hope I don't regret coming here. 


The Woken Gods by Gwenda Bond



The more things change…

Five years ago, the gods of ancient mythology awoke all around the world.

The more things stay the same…

This morning, Kyra Locke is late for school because of an argument with her father.

Seventeen-year-old Kyra lives in a transformed Washington, D.C., dominated by the embassies of divine pantheons and watched over by the mysterious Society of the Sun that governs mankind’s relations with the gods. But when rebellious Kyra encounters two trickster gods on her way home, one offering a threat and the other a warning, it turns out her life isn't what it seems. She escapes with the aid of Osborne "Oz" Spencer, a young Society field operative, only to discover that her scholar father has disappeared with a dangerous Egyptian relic. The Society needs the item back, and they aren’t interested in her protests that she knows nothing about it or her father's secrets.

Now Kyra must depend on her wits and the suspect help of scary Sumerian gods, her estranged oracle mother, and, of course, Oz--whose first allegiance is to the Society. She has no choice if she’s going to recover the missing relic and save her father. And if she doesn't? Well, that may just mean the end of the world as she knows it. From the author of Blackwood comes a fresh, thrilling urban fantasy that will appeal to fans of Neil Gaiman, Cassandra Clare, and Rick Riordan.


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!


Monday, 9 September 2013

It's Monday! What Are you Reading?



Welcome to my first It's Monday!  What Are You Reading? a weekly meme hosted by A Book Journey where we talk about the books that we are reading and have read this week.

Regular readers of my blog may have noticed that my blog has been a little light these last couple of weeks.  Combining full time work with full time motherhood seems to have taken its toll recently and unfortunately it is my blog that has suffered. However even though it has not been reflected here, I have actually been doing quite a bit of reading. So hopefully I can get some of my reviews up over the next few weeks.

First up, just finished Origin (Lux #4) by Jennifer Armentrout on the weekend. This came out August 27 and was delivered to my kindle the same day but I had just started Sweet Peril by Wendy Higgins when I received it so it had to wait a week to be read. I loved it but don't like that I have to wait till next year to find out how the cliff hanger pans out.  Want to say more but I will be reviewing  this in the next week or so and will hold off till then.


Daemon will do anything to get Katy back.

After the successful but disastrous raid on Mount Weather, he’s facing the impossible. Katy is gone. Taken. Everything becomes about finding her. Taking out anyone who stands in his way? Done. Burning down the whole world to save her? Gladly. Exposing his alien race to the world? With pleasure.

All Katy can do is survive.

Surrounded by enemies, the only way she can come out of this is to adapt. After all, there are sides of Daedalus that don’t seem entirely crazy, but the group’s goals are frightening and the truths they speak even more disturbing. Who are the real bad guys? Daedalus? Mankind? Or the Luxen?

Together, they can face anything. 

But the most dangerous foe has been there all along, and when the truths are exposed and the lies come crumbling down, which side will Daemon and Katy be standing on? 

And will they even be together?


This morning I started reading The Woken Gods by Gwenda Bond.  I received this via netgalley a while back and it came out on September 3rd so decided it was time to read it.  I love the idea and am interested to see where it goes. I am currently about a quarter of the way in and enjoying it so far.


The more things change…

Five years ago, the gods of ancient mythology awoke all around the world.

The more things stay the same…

This morning, Kyra Locke is late for school because of an argument with her father.

Seventeen-year-old Kyra lives in a transformed Washington, D.C., dominated by the embassies of divine pantheons and watched over by the mysterious Society of the Sun that governs mankind’s relations with the gods. But when rebellious Kyra encounters two trickster gods on her way home, one offering a threat and the other a warning, it turns out her life isn't what it seems. She escapes with the aid of Osborne "Oz" Spencer, a young Society field operative, only to discover that her scholar father has disappeared with a dangerous Egyptian relic. The Society needs the item back, and they aren’t interested in her protests that she knows nothing about it or her father's secrets.

Now Kyra must depend on her wits and the suspect help of scary Sumerian gods, her estranged oracle mother, and, of course, Oz--whose first allegiance is to the Society. She has no choice if she’s going to recover the missing relic and save her father. And if she doesn't? Well, that may just mean the end of the world as she knows it. From the author of Blackwood comes a fresh, thrilling urban fantasy that will appeal to fans of Neil Gaiman, Cassandra Clare, and Rick Riordan.

Not sure what I am going to read next.  Really need to sort out my TBR list in some semblance of a release order as currently it is somewhat out of control..  That's one of my projects for this week along with actually notching up some posts.

If you have made it down this far, don't forget to comment and let me know what you are reading at the moment and have a great week!



Saturday, 27 July 2013

Stacking The Shelves #4


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 have been on a bit of an hiatus these last couple of weeks as I started a new job and was getting m,y daughter settled in to daycare but I am back now and have a number of reviews and cover reveals and other bits and pieces to post in the coming weeks.

Meanwhile it has been an awesome weeks for books this week and now that I again have a daily commute I am have actually been getting some reading done.  So without further ado, here is what I got this week.

For Review (via Netgalley):


The Woken Gods by Gwenda Bond


The more things change…

Five years ago, the gods of ancient mythology awoke all around the world.

The more things stay the same…

This morning, Kyra Locke is late for school because of an argument with her father.

Seventeen-year-old Kyra lives in a transformed Washington, D.C., dominated by the embassies of divine pantheons and watched over by the mysterious Society of the Sun that governs mankind’s relations with the gods. But when rebellious Kyra encounters two trickster gods on her way home, one offering a threat and the other a warning, it turns out her life isn't what it seems. She escapes with the aid of Osborne "Oz" Spencer, a young Society field operative, only to discover that her scholar father has disappeared with a dangerous Egyptian relic. The Society needs the item back, and they aren’t interested in her protests that she knows nothing about it or her father's secrets.

Now Kyra must depend on her wits and the suspect help of scary Sumerian gods, her estranged oracle mother, and, of course, Oz--whose first allegiance is to the Society. She has no choice if she’s going to recover the missing relic and save her father. And if she doesn't? Well, that may just mean the end of the world as she knows it. From the author of Blackwood comes a fresh, thrilling urban fantasy that will appeal to fans of Neil Gaiman, Cassandra Clare, and Rick Riordan.





For Review (via HarlequinTeen & Harlequin Mira Australia):



The Inevitability of Stars by Kathryn R Lyster


A modern-day Romeo and Juliet set amongst the beauty of Byron Bay and the grind of Sydney.

Rip and Sahara have always been together. Primary school friends to high school lovers, their ties to each other are as intertwined and inescapable as the roots of the Byron Strangler Fig. But like that same tree, the tendrils of their love are beginning to stifle and choke, and soon, Sahara finds she must leave — moving to Sydney to pursue her career as an artist.

In Sydney, Sahara draws the attention of Sean, a charismatic entrepreneur, and is quickly drawn into his expensive and glamorous world — so very different from the quiet, simple place of her youth. But even as she creates a new life, and a new version of herself, Sahara cannot seem to leave Rip behind.

Back in the Byron hinterland, Rip moves to a working farm to recover from the wounds Sahara left. It's here that he begins to understand his past and reimagine his future. But as Rip rebuilds, Sahara unravels, losing herself in Sean's shiny, but meaningless world and plagued by visions of her previous life and lover.

Heartbreaking and haunting, The Inevitability of Stars is a poignant novel about the burden of fate, the viscosity of reality and the resilience of love.


Banish by Nicola Marsh

Alyssa has one week to destroy her enemy, save her spirit... and save her soul. 

After her ex-boyfriend commits suicide and her mum’s alcoholism sparks yet another psychotic episode, seventeen-year-old Alyssa Wood flees her small hometown of Broadwater and heads to New York City to stay with her bohemian aunt — a Wicca High Priestess.

Alyssa revels in the anonymity of a big city and her new life. Her grades climb, she has a new best friend, and a new guy: the sexy geek Ronan — a saxophone player who prefers jazz to pop.

But her newfound peace is soon shattered when she sees a dead body in one of Ronan’s music clips — and she’s the only one who can see it. Worse still, Alyssa recognises the body that has been murdered a week forward!

Alyssa doesn’t believe in the supernatural...despite her family’s Wicca background. So how will she overcome evil when it’s closer than she thinks?


Purchased:(Kindle):

Fell in love with this series this week so bought this (book 3) just before starting on Onyx (Lux #2).

Opal (Lux #3) by Jennifer Armentrout

No one is like Daemon Black.

When he set out to prove his feelings for me, he wasn’t fooling around. Doubting him isn’t something I’ll do again, and now that we’ve made it through the rough patches, well... There’s a lot of spontaneous combustion going on.

But even he can’t protect his family from the danger of trying to free those they love.

After everything, I’m no longer the same Katy. I’m different... And I’m not sure what that will mean in the end. When each step we take in discovering the truth puts us in the path of the secret organization responsible for torturing and testing hybrids, the more I realize there is no end to what I’m capable of. The death of someone close still lingers, help comes from the most unlikely source, and friends will become the deadliest of enemies, but we won’t turn back. Even if the outcome will shatter our worlds forever.

Together we’re stronger... and they know it.


Purchased:(Print Books):

Gotta love books sales for completing sets :-)

Until I Die (Die For Me  #2) by Amy Plum

Kate and Vincent have overcome the odds and at last they are together in Paris, the city of lights and love.

As their romance deepens there’s one question they can’t ignore: How are they supposed to be together if Vincent can’t resist sacrificing himself to save others? Although Vincent promises that he’ll do whatever it takes to lead a normal life with Kate, will that mean letting innocent people die? When a new and surprising enemy reveals itself, Kate realizes that even more may be at stake—and that Vincent’s immortality is in jeopardy.

In Die for Me, Amy Plum created a captivating paranormal mythology with immortal revenants and a lush Paris setting. Until I Die is poised to thrill readers with more heart-pounding suspense, spellbinding romance, and a cliff-hanger ending that will leave them desperate for the third and final novel in the series.




If I Should Die (Die For Me  #3) by Amy Plum

I will not lose another person I love. I will not let history repeat itself.

Vincent waited lifetimes to find me, but in an instant our future together was shattered. He was betrayed by someone we both called a friend, and I lost him. Now our enemy is determined to rule over France’s immortals, and willing to wage a war to get what they want.

It shouldn’t be possible, none of it should be, but this is my reality. I know Vincent is somewhere out there, I know he’s not completely gone, and I will do anything to save him.

After what we’ve already fought to achieve, a life without Vincent is unimaginable. He once swore to avoid dying—to go against his nature and forsake sacrificing himself for others—so that we could be together. How can I not risk everything to bring my love back to me?



Slated (Slated #1) by Teri Terry

yla’s memory has been erased,
her personality wiped blank,
her memories lost for ever.

She’s been Slated.

The government claims she was a terrorist, and that they are giving her a second chance - as long as she plays by their rules. But echoes of the past whisper in Kyla’s mind. Someone is lying to her, and nothing is as it seems. Who can she trust in her search for the truth?



Fractured (Slated #2) by Teri Terry

How do you know where to go when you don't remember where you came from?

Kyla's memory has been erased,
her personality wiped blank,
her memories lost for ever.

Or so she thought.

Kyla shouldn't be able to remember anything. But she can - and she's beginning to realise that there are a lot of dark secrets locked away in her memories. When a mysterious man from her past comes back into her life, she thinks she's on her way to finding the truth. But the more she learns about her history, the more confusing her future becomes...

Set in a disturbing future world, FRACTURED is an engrossing, fast-paced read that establishes Teri Terry as a master thriller writer.



So what did you add to your shelves this week?

Saturday, 21 April 2012

In My Mailbox #18






Welcome to  In My Mailbox, a meme run by The Story Siren where each week over 200 bloggers post on their blogs the books they have bought, received to review or won in the past week.
To find out more information, get involved yourself or see what's in other bloggers mailboxes this week head over to The Story Siren or to find out what is in my mailbox this week, keep reading.
Don't forget to comment and post your IMM link or just let me know what's in your mail box this week

So my beautiful daughter Elizabeth is exactly one month old today so I figured it was the perfect time to attempt to post on my blog again.  While i haven't done as much reading as previous, reading, especially on my kindle and ipad have been one of the things to  get me through the long nights of feeding and trying to get Elizabeth to sleep. Of course finding the free time to write blog entries and reviews is going to be the interesting part.  Currently she is lying on my lap dead tired but with eyes wide open determined not to miss a thing. So if i get distracted mid post you know why :-P



Anyhew here is what has arrived in my mailbox over the last couple weeks

To Review:

 




The Immortal Rules
The Six
Shift












 The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa (HarlequinTEEN via Netgalley)
The Six by K. B Hoyle (Smith Publicity - The Writer's Coffee Shop via Netgalley)
Shift by Kim Curran (Angry Robot via Netgalley)
Blackwood by Gwenda Bond (Angry Robot via Netgalley)

Purchased:

 I did some pre-ordering before Elizabeth's birth and these are the ones that have arrived in the past three weeks:



The Calling by Kelley Armstrong
Spellbound by Rachel Hawkins
Balthazar by Claudia Gray 


Actually I received Balthazar before Elizabeth was born and managed to get it signed by Claudia Gray while she was in Australia but it never got to feature in an IMM and I thought it should.  Here is a photo of a very pregnant me (I was 9 days overdue at the time - i think elizabeth waited so i could go to the signing before being born :-P) and Claudia Gray:




Borrowed:


The library has been my best friend lately and Elizabeth and I try to make at least on trip there a week. Her for baby rhyme time and me for more books  Here is what I currently have on loan:




Star Trek Myriad Universes (assorted authors)
Darkfall by Isobelle Carmody
The Named by Marianne Curley
The Dark by Marianne Curley
The Tin Princess by Philip Pullman
The Shadow in the North by Phillip Pullman
The Tiger in the Well by Phillip Pullman
The Ruby in the Smoke by Phillip Pullman
Heist Society by Ally Carter
Dark Visions by L J Smith
Fantasy Lover by Sherrilyn Kenyon


So what was in your mailbox this week?