Waiting on Wednesday (7): Enclave

 

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

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Enclave

by Ann Aguirre

Expected publication: April 12th 2011 by Feiwel & Friends

Synopsis taken from Goodreads

WELCOME TO THE APOCALYPSE

In Deuce's world, people earn the right to a name only if they survive their first fifteen years. By that point, each unnamed 'brat' has trained into one of three groups-Breeders, Builders, or Hunters, identifiable by the number of scars they bear on their arms.

Deuce has wanted to be a Huntress for as long as she can remember. As a Huntress, her purpose is clear--to brave the dangerous tunnels outside the enclave and bring back meat to feed the group while evading ferocious monsters known as Freaks. She's worked toward this goal her whole life, and nothing's going to stop her, not even a beautiful, brooding Hunter named Fade.

When the mysterious boy becomes her partner, Deuce's troubles are just beginning. Down below, deviation from the rules is punished swiftly and harshly, and Fade doesn't like following orders. At first she thinks he's crazy, but as death stalks their sanctuary, and it becomes clear the elders don't always know best, Deuce wonders if Fade might be telling the truth.

Her partner confuses her; she's never known a boy like him before, as prone to touching her gently as using his knives with feral grace. As Deuce's perception shifts, so does the balance in the constant battle for survival. The mindless Freaks, once considered a threat only due to their sheer numbers, show signs of cunning and strategy... but the elders refuse to heed any warnings. Despite imminent disaster, the enclave puts their faith in strictures and sacrifice instead. No matter how she tries, Deuce cannot stem the dark tide that carries her far from the only world she's ever known.

I don't know about you, but I think this book falls under the genre of dystopia! I just discovered this book this week! Doesn't it sound AHH-mazing?! :) You bet! I can't wait for it! Before I know, it will be here! I hope! There are so many dystopia books debuting this year! I'm so excited for them all!

So, what are you highly anticipating this Wednesday?

Guest Post: Lauren @ 365 Days of Reading

Last week, I asked a few people what was their take on book covers. Here's what Lauren @ 365 Days of Reading had to say! Thank you Lauren!

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 Covers and Titles: the Experiment

I decided that instead of writing an essay on how covers and titles relate, and how they can sometimes be confusing, I’d do an experiment! I went to the bookstore, picked three random books off the shelf, and recorded my thoughts.

 Choker by Elizabeth Woods

Initial impression: Gorgeous cover; story perhaps has to do with the woods? And the rose looks like it could wrap around someone’s neck like a choker. Still, the cover tells me little about the actual story.

After reading the blurb: Hmm. The story sounds more like contemporary YA, but to me the cover screams fantasy. I can see how the woods/trees could have a tie-in (people could be going missing into a nearby woods or something), and the title, Choker, does have significance (it’s the main character’s nickname).

Overall: The title matches the synopsis, but the cover doesn’t quite fit, in my opinion. Would I still buy it? Heck yes. I just did. *cha-ching*

Beautiful Dead by Eden Maguire

Initial impression: This cover is very artsy: it’s got some weird photo filters and a splash of graphics for a title. The girl has wings, so I’m going to assume the story has something to do with her being an angel. She also looks kind of goth/punk, so I’m also going to infer that she’s a loner. But the title? Um, the dead are not beautiful. In any way.

After reading the blurb: The weird photo filters and the endless sky/grass must be representative of “limbo”. I still don’t understand the girl, though, because the main character herself is not in limbo. Also, the title, Beautiful Dead, makes much more sense now (it being the name for the people trapped in limbo).

Overall: I feel like this cover does represent the synopsis, despite the confusion about the girl. The book sounds interesting enough, but I probably wouldn’t pick it up.

 Bitter Melon by Cara Chou

Initial impression: The title reminds me of a particularly bad experience with honeydew, but I’m sure that’s not relevant. The only way I could see the title being relevant to the story is if it’s some sort of metaphor for something that is bittersweet.

After reading the blurb: Okay, from reading the blurb, I can’t see any reason why Bitter Melon is a significant title. Its meaning is probably hidden somewhere inside the book. It’s cool that they featured an Asian girl on the cover, since the main character, Frances, is Asian. Other than that, I can’t find any connections between the cover/title and the synopsis.

Overall: This is a prime example of a book with a confusing title. Still, the synopsis makes it sound like an interesting book, and the cover isn’t bad, either. Would I buy it? Sure.

From this experiment, it is fairly obvious that titles and covers don’t always reflect the story they encase. Still, it’s these titles and covers that made me pick those three books off the shelves. I guess what I’m trying to say is, “does it really matter?” Sure, it’s fun to analyze the relationships between the story and the cover, but I doubt a lack of connections between the two will make you decide against buying the book.

FEAR THE REAPER Giveaways: Week 10 (INTERNATIONAL)

So the freakin' incredible, awesome, fantastic Courtney Allison Moulton is giving away 3, YEAH, 3 SIGNED finished copies of Angelfire this week! *SQUEE* This is the part where you go crazy and run into the street and do your happy dance! Check them out!

ZOOH MMM GEE!

_______________FLATLINE_______________

I just died. I die everytime.

Anywho, the deets on this MIND-BLOWING giveaway!

For one, this week's giveaway is INTERNATIONAL. Yeah that's right.

As for points, you decide how many you accumulate.

The more you comment, blog, and tweet, the more points you get.

So comment a billion times, you get a billion entries. Each comment is one point. Each tweet linking back here is one point, each blog post link is one point - there is NO LIMIT to how many entry points you can accumulate. The more points you have, the more likely you are to win! 

If you tweet, please remember to add the hashtag #FearTheReaper so I can find them! Don't forget to give me some way of contacting you via blog link, email, twitter name... Whatever works!

The entries close on January 23 at 11:59 PM EST

As posted by the awesome Courtney herself! *insert evil smile here* You already know this is my blog post in which I earn a point! LOL! MUAAHAAHAHA! :)

Okay, so stop listening to the echo of my EVIL LAUGH and head on over to this POST to enter! You only have a week!

A Book Blogger Get Together Chat - Info!




This chat occurs every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 5:30PM - 7:30PM EST! It is originally hosted by Hale & Salvatore Supernatural Must Reads and Call Me Crazy! But they pick bloggers to host certain days or certain weeks too. The button ↑ ↑ ↑ ↑ ↑ links back to Call Me Crazy; you can find more info there. But I just wanted to make this post to kind of inform everyone about what this chat actually is. It's just a random chat involving bloggers and authors. When authors arrive, it isn't really a strict chat. We all just talk about anything and everything. There are a few rules that we ask you to please follow, but this chat just makes our weekdays easier to bear! This Wednesday's chat is occurring over at Hale and Salvatore Supernatural Must Reads, so if you're not busy, do stop by! :)
P.S. The button on this post and the button on my left sidebar at the top, links back to Call Me Crazy. She has the code for the button! Please grab a button to support the chat and inform more people about it! I personally, love the chat! Somedays, I can't make it right on time or I can't stay for majority of it, but it is something that I look forward to everyday that the chat is being held on! *__*

Guest Post: DJ @ DJ's Life in Fiction

Last week, I asked a few people what was their take on book covers. Here's what DJ @ DJ's Life in Fiction had to say! Thank you DJ!

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Book covers are one of the most discussed aspects of a book in the blogosphere, the stores, and probably even in libraries. (I wouldn’t know, though, because I actually don’t spend a lot of time in libraries…) When you walk into a store, you don’t look at the inside text first, do you? No, of course not! Haha. You look at all the pretty images displayed in front of you—at all the cut off faces, shirtless men, scantily-clad women, apples, and teen lovers who make you feel bad about yourself because you’re single. A person’s first impression of a book is almost always formed from the cover. And that’s okay because there’s nothing wrong with liking some good eye-candy. :-)

I’ll admit I’m a cover snob. I like to stand in the store and look at the covers, and I’ll even take a break from reading and look at the cover. Also, if I know a book is going to get a better cover for it’s paperback edition or something, I’ll wait and buy it then. Plus, I save money by buying the paperback rather than the hardcover. It’s a win-win situation, haha. Now, this doesn’t mean I base my purchases solely on the cover image, but a good cover does attract me to a book if I don’t already know something about it. Even if a cover isn’t the loveliest, I’ll still pick up a book and take a peak inside if it’s something I think will interest me. And besides, the inside of a book is the most important part. That’s where the words are, where the heart of the book is. Some books have amazing covers, but poor writing. Being a writer and reader, I’d take a well-written story over a beautiful cover any day.

And let’s not forget about the title and how the cover should complement it. If the cover for Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater illustrated a sunny day at the beach, readers wouldn’t know what to think of the story! The image would also conflict with the story’s setting and overall tone. Thankfully, I haven’t come across any head-scratching covers, but I do think the cover and title should tie together to represent the book, it’s story, characters, and tone.

So, my overall opinion on book covers is this: a cover should attract readers, but represent an accurate image of the book at the same time. I may not particularly be proud of being such a cover freak and hopefully everyone doesn’t think I’m shallow now, but covers do play an important role in helping a book sell and garner readers.

Before my post comes to a close, I would like to thank Momo for having me and for letting me blabber about book covers. I’m honored to contribute a guest post to such a wonderful site and I hope you all enjoyed reading what I had to say.

Guest Post: Jaime @ Two Chicks On Books

Last week, I asked a few people what was their take on book covers. Here's what Jaime @ Two Chick On Books had to say! Thank you Jaime!

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Question from Momo aka BooksOverBoys

How much influence does a book cover have on its title? Like, when you pick up a book, do you ever wonder why there's that specific image on the front, and do you think it relates to the title, in anyway? Also, how much influence do you think a cover image has over the person buying the book?

My answer

Ok so for me knowing that authors have little or no say on the cover it depends. I know some publishers just shoot random models for the covers for example in the new Omnibus editions of LJ Smiths Strange Fate series none of the models match the characters in the books. Then there’s others like Carrie Ryan’s The Forest of Hands and Teeth series where the covers go perfectly with the titles. So as for buying books here’s my answer about book cover designs.  If I know and love the author, then no it doesn't influence me to the title one bit. If it's a new author the cover might be the first thing to catch my eye but, the book description is what's going to make me buy the book. Shiny and pretty doesn't always equate to a good story.

See just a random model.

No need to explain here cover matches title.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (4)

It's Monday! What Are You Reading, is hosted by Sheila over at One Persons Journey through a world of Books, where we gather to share what we have read this past week and what we plan to read this week. It is a great way to network with other bloggers, see some wonderful blogs, and put new titles on your reading list.

It turns out that I'm not sticking to this, so now I'm lowering my goals a little bit. With that said, this week I finished one book, which was:

*Read my review here!

This week I am going to finish:

Goodreads

I've been reading this one but I'm not quite done just yet, maybe I'll be able to finish it today. If so, I'll come back and update this! :)

It's a new week - what did you just finish reading and what are you planning to read next?

Daily Dose (4)

"I love that so many people have taken this meme under their wing and are enjoying the theme. It's brilliant to pop over to random blogs and catch some inspiring images. If you'd like to participate in Daily Dose, simply make a post on Monday with a bunch of images you find magical and hope to inspire your readers with then share the link below."

This meme is hosted by Holly over at Good Golly Miss Holly :)

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The idea of making a playlist of the music I've been listening to a lot lately was from Alice over at The Reader Room! I think this idea is awesome because our blogs don't have to be just about books, lol!

This is my first time participating in this one, but what I think I'll do is after my Daily Dose then my Daily Dose of Music will be right underneath. I'll try to stick to just five songs. Maybe three sometimes. Lol! I don't want to overwhelm my readers!

• Static by Everlife

'cause everytime i try to talk to you

i end up feeling so confused

like you can't hear a word i'm saying

when i'm trying to be close to you

i'm having trouble getting through

i can't stand it

it's so tragic

i feel static between us

• Big Jet Plane by Angus and Julia Stone

She said "Hello mister, please to meet ya"

I wanna hold her, I wanna kiss her

She smelled of daisies, smelled of daisies

She drive me crazy, drive me crazy

• Save Your Heart by Mayday Parade

Save your heart

For someone that's worth dying for

Don't give it away

Torn apart

Never getting what you've been crying for

It's always the same 

• Take This to Heart Mayday Parade

Stay safe stay strong

And let me know that you'll be here while I am gone

Because I'm coming home

Coming home tonight

Let's get this right

I said I'm coming home

Coming home tonight

ENJOY!

Phantom Universe Book Blog Tour

Published February 15, 2011 by Obsidian Mountain Publishing

Approximately 228 pages
Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction
ISBN 10: 0982903340
ISBN 13: 9780982903346

Summary: Sold into slavery to pirates at the young age of four, Summer learns to survive the rough seas of subterfuge and thieves through silence. When the boat she’s lived on most of her life is destroyed, Summer finds herself washed up on the shore of a new world, a phantom universe full of the bizarre and extraordinary. She meets Gage, the one boy who understands the girl with no speech. But when their lives are put on the line, will Summer finally call out? Or will all be lost in the fathomless depth of silence?

Phantom Universe (Summer Chronicles, #1) by Laura Kreitzer comes out February 15th! Obsidian Mountain Publishing are hosting a book-blog tour from March 03, 2011 - April 25, 2011. Copies will be printed and sent out before the release date of February 15th. If you are interested, please fill out this form: http://bit.ly/ReviewPU.

For reviewers that can't commit to the tour, e-copies are available for review.

Sunday Confessions January 16, 2011

This is a weekly meme started by Marcie over at To Read or Not To Read as a way to get to share a bit about myself and also learning more about you. Sometimes it's about books and book related topics and sometimes it's not. This is all in good fun and I would love it if you would participate.

Today's Topic:

To Spoil or Not To Spoil.

I had to do this week's post! I cannot, and I mean CANabsolutelyNOT stand spoilers to any extent - besides what's already given to me in the book synopsis. If you jump over to Marcie's blog real quick to read her post, I agree with her when she says that she doesn't read reviews of books that she hasn't read yet. I am exactly the same way. I mean, I'll skim over real quick, but I don't want to catch anything. And like Marcie said, you can only really read a book once. After I read the book, then I'll read other people's reviews to see what they thought of it, but hardly do I ever read them before I read the book myself. One reason being, I don't want any kind of thoughts floating in my mind when I'm reading the book because it has an uncontrollable influence over me, whether I want it to or not. For example, if my nephew's reading a book, he'll ask me, "But can I tell you something?!" My immediate response, "NO!" "But it doesn't really have anything to do with the book!" My answer still remains no because I don't even want to know your feelings about the book until after I read it [Uncontrollable influence]. The second reason being, it might and could possibly ruin the beginning of a book for me. Like if you mention just slightly about something that occurs later on in the book or if you mention someone that appears again later in the book - in a big way - then when I'm starting out the book and I catch that person's name, I kind of already have a clue, or know that they'll be in the book at the end.

Was that too confusing? Anyway, I hope you get my point. I don't like spoilers and I try not to include them in my reviews, and if I think I am then I'll mention that what I'm posting could potentially be spoilery. My sister-in-law and her son (said nephew!) don't understand why I can't stand spoilers. But kind of think of it this way, it's almost kind of like having a vision of how you're going to die then coming back to the present to live life up until you die. A little dramatic, I know! But book wise, it's like flipping to the very last page to see how it ends, then flipping right back to the beginning to continue reading the book anyway.

Okay, I think I droned on long enough! So, now you - to spoil or not to spoil? :)

Top 5 Sundays (3): Favorite Villains vs. Heroes

Top 5 Sundays are hosted by Larissa over at Larissa's Bookish Life where the theme for each Sunday is picked by a poll. Today's theme is

*drum roll*

Favorite Villains vs. Heroes

But first, a little bit about this feature and the rules to join in . . .
Every Sunday Larissa will post a TOP 5 list on her blog. It can be about anything and every week she'll have a new theme {You can vote on next week’s theme on her left sidebar!} and she'll add Mr. Linky below the post so you can do you post with your list according to the week's theme and then you can add your link to it.

Rules:
1 - Write a post listing your TOP 5 choices within the theme that Larissa chose (or was chosen on a poll) for the week.
2 - Mention Larissa's blog on the post and link back to it.
3 - Feel free to use the Feature's image (there is a smaller size version of it below Larissa's post)
4 - After you've finished your post, add your link (of the post, not your blog's main page) to Mr. Linky at the end of that week's post.
5 – If you don’t have a blog to post, just leave your list in the comments :)

Melanie Stryder vs. The Seeker

Meghan Chase vs. The Iron Court

Calla Tor vs. The Keepers

Bella Swan vs. The Volturi

Charlie Bone vs. Ezekiel Bloor

(I have not read this series since the fifth grade, so I'm not so sure of the villain for this one!)

So, who are your top 5 favorite villains versus your favorite heroes?