Aug 19 2014

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Coming Soon: Zodiac by Romina Russell

zodiac Title: Zodiac

Author: Romina Russell

Series: ?

Genre: Teen Science Fiction

Release Date: December 9, 2014

The Overview: At the dawn of time, there were 13 Houses in the Zodiac Galaxy. Now only 12 remain…. Rhoma Grace is a 16-year-old student from House Cancer with an unusual way of reading the stars. While her classmates use measurements to make accurate astrological predictions, Rho can’t solve for ‘x’ to save her life—so instead, she looks up at the night sky and makes up stories. When a violent blast strikes the moons of Cancer, sending its ocean planet off-kilter and killing thousands of citizens—including its beloved Guardian—Rho is more surprised than anyone when she is named the House’s new leader. But, a true Cancrian who loves her home fiercely and will protect her people no matter what, Rho accepts.

Then, when more Houses fall victim to freak weather catastrophes, Rho starts seeing a pattern in the stars. She suspects Ophiuchus—the exiled 13th Guardian of Zodiac legend—has returned to exact his revenge across the Galaxy. Now Rho—along with Hysan Dax, a young envoy from House Libra, and Mathias, her guide and a member of her Royal Guard—must travel through the Zodiac to warn the other Guardians. But who will believe anything this young novice says? Whom can Rho trust in a universe defined by differences? And how can she convince twelve worlds to unite as one Zodiac?

Hosted by Breaking the Spine

I don’t feature upcoming debut books very often because I’m usually too busy waiting on books from authors I already know I’m going to love. That being said, every now and then a new book pops on my radar that I feel oddly drawn towards. Zodiac is one such book. Now, I’ve never been one for astrological readings, but I do like the idea of using its as a premise for a book. I think it has potential to be either really cool or really cheesy… We shall see. :-)

What book are you waiting on?

by Niki Hawkes

Aug 18 2014

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Niki’s Top Twelve Must-Read Books!

top ten tuesday

Hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

This weeks Post was supposed to be along the lines of must-read titles that other people have told me about. Because I haven’t yet read many of the titles that made that list (and therefore can’t personally vouch for their awesomeness) I decided to take a spin on the topic and present my own list of must-reads. I realize this must look similar to many of my other lists, but I just can’t can’t seem to stop raving about my all-time favorite titles. Now, of course, this list is only helpful if you’re a speculative fiction fanatic like me. ;)

Niki’s Top Twelve Must-Read Books:

Fantasy:

The Name the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

Assassin’s Apprentice by Robin Hobb

The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson

Science Fiction (specifically Space Opera):

Grimspace by Ann Aguirre

Leviathan Wakes by James S. A. Corey

Survival by Julie E. Czerneda

Young Adult:

The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson

Partials by Dan Wells

Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

Urban Fantasy:

Moon Called by Patricia Briggs

Full Moon Rising by Keri Arthur

Dead Witch Walking by Kim Harrison

These titles have all earned their spots in my favorites list and are usually the first books I recommend to new readers of their given genre.

What books would make your list?

by Niki Hawkes

Aug 18 2014

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Bout of Books Read-a-thon!

bout of books

This will be the first time I’ve ever participated in a read-a-thon, and I am super pumped to get started. I almost didn’t realize it was happening, so thank you Emily and Danie over at Oh, Magic Hour! for bringing it to my attention. As I’ve just finished up work for one job and have a two week break until my next one starts, this read-a-thon couldn’t have come at a better time!

Here’s a little more about the event:

The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda @ On a Book Bender and Kelly @ Reading the Paranormal. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, August 18th and runs through Sunday, August 24th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure, and the only reading competition is between you and your usual number of books read in a week. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 11 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. – From the Bout of Books team

Niki’s Goals:

– Finish at least 5 books

– Read at least 1000 pages

– Finish at least 2 ARCs

– Finish at least 2 library books

Here’s a look at the books on my immediate radar:
(subject to change if I see something shiny)

: Perfected by Kate Jarvik Birch

: The Midnight Thief by Livia Blackburne

: Darkness Unbound by Keri Arthur

: Silver Shadows by Richelle Mead

: Midnight Frost by Jennifer Estep

: Destined by P.C. and Kristin Cast

: Wolfsbane by Andrea Cremer

: Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas

: The Assassin King by Elizabeth Haydon

: Kushiel’s Justice by Jacqueline Carey

: The First Confessor by Terry Goodkind

: The 100 by Cass Morgan

I doubt I’ll make it through all of them, but at least I’ve got a lot of great books to choose from. I’ve also included quite a few YA books because, let’s face it, they’re fast reads.

Daily Updates:

Monday:

Pages: 166 / Books: 0

Tuesday:

Pages: 158 / Books: 1 (The 100 – ARC)

Wednesday:

Pages: 139 / Books: 0

Thursday:

Pages: 54 / Books: 0 (Yikes!)

Friday:

Pages: 93 / Books: 0

I spent the entire day wanting to read, but got wrangled in to a bunch of obligations… sigh.

Saturday:

Pages: 161 (Booya!) / Books: 0

I’m trying to read too many at once.

Sunday:

Pages: 85 / Books: 0

Total:

Pages: 856 / Books: 1

Well, I didn’t quite make my goals, but I did have a lot of fun, so I guess that’s a win, haha. I should have realized that 1000 pages would not equal 5 books, then I made it worse by starting about 8 books in that timeframe. All rookie mistakes. For the record, I am really close to finishing 2 of them. :)

by Niki Hawkes

Aug 13 2014

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Coming Soon: Catalyst by Lydia Kang

Title: Catalyst

Author: Lydia Kang

Series: Control #2

Genre: Teen Dystopian

Release Date: March 24, 2015

The Overview: In the past year Zel lost her father, the boy she loves, her safety, and any future she might have imagined for herself. Now she, her sister, and the band of genetic outcasts they’ve come to call their family are forced on the run when their safe house is attacked by men with neural guns. But on the way to a rumored haven in Chicago, Zel hears something–a whisper from Cy, the boy who traded himself for her sister’s safety. And when she veers off plan in order to search for him, what she finds is not what she expected. There’s more to their genetic mutations than they ever imagined…aspects that make them wonder if they might be accepted by the outside world after all.

catalyst 2

Hosted by Breaking the Spine

In my review of Control, I point out that there were a couple of things this author did brilliantly – excellent side characters and beautiful immersive writing, to name a couple. I also expressed how disappointed I was at the direction the story took. It had all the elements it needed to be brilliant, but the main character (who is really smart) decided to make a bunch of foolish decisions. I wondered for a while if I was going to continue this series, but have finally decided there are just too many great things about this author to dismiss. Especially considering the things I didn’t like were preferential and not in any way a ding against Kang’s talents. The bad news? This book doesn’t come out until March of next year. I’m going to be waiting a lot of Wednesdays to find out what happens next.

What book are you waiting on?

by Niki Hawkes

Aug 5 2014

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Top Ten YA Dystopian/Post-Apocalyptic Books!

top ten tuesday

Hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

I’ve wanted to put together a dystopian/post-apocalyptic list for a while now, mostly because I’ve read so many of them (it’s true. I lost most of 2013 to these novels… I regret nothing). I figured at the very least I’d be able to save people some time by presenting the ones I liked the most. I realize the dystopian genre did not start with the Hunger Games (or with YA in general, for that matter), but as they are my favorite representations, my list will be very YA-centric.

Top Ten YA Dystopian/Post-Apocalyptic Books!

: The Jewel by Amy Ewing

: Not a Drop to Drink by Mindy McGinnis

: The Fifth Wave by Ricky Yancey

: Partials by Dan Wells

: Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

: Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

: The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau

: Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

: The Bane by Keary Taylor

: Delirium by Lauren Oliver

The top row represents my absolute favorites – the ones I can recommend with 100% confidence. Hunger Games is a given, but my favorite on the list is actually Partials by Dan Wells. The bottom row represents the ones that I enjoyed thoroughly, but know many readers who didn’t feel the same way. As a side note, I actually didn’t give The Testing of very high rating, but loved the second book enough to include it on this list. Also, The Selection by Kiera Cass would have made the list had the third book not been such a disappointment (I feel like it still deserves an honorary mention, though). I have I read so many mediocre dystopians that it’s nice to be able to pay homage to the ones I feel were above par.

What’s dystopians/post-apocalyptic books would make your list?

by Niki Hawkes

Aug 3 2014

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July 2014: Review Recap!

Although I started several amazing books, I only actually finished 2 novels throughout the entire month of July. I am a bit horrified at this. Considering I average 2.5 novels per week, 2 per month is just pathetic. In fact, I don’t think I’ve ever read so little in a month, even when I was going through my Masters program. I blame 1) starting a new business with my husband and 2) a Wii game called Fortune Street that I’ve been playing with my mom several times a week. I certainly can’t blame the amount of excellent books in my TBR!

However, all is not lost! If you caught my Book Review Conundrum post, you’re aware that I have over a dozen books that still need to be reviewed, so at least this month’s review posting wasn’t as sad as my reading habits.