May 21 2013

Image

Top Ten Tuesday – Top Ten Framable Book Covers!

Top Ten Tuesday is a feature hosted by The Broke and The Bookish once a week where book bloggers can network and find out what everybody else is reading. It is super fun, so if you haven’t participated yet you might be missing out! Of all the TTTs, this is probably one of my absolute favorites because I LOVE beautiful book covers. Most on my list are adult novels, but I could easily do a YA list with nothing but girls in pretty dresses. Incidentally, the insides of these choices were, for the most part, just as awesome as the outsides! :)

Top Ten Framable Book Covers!

I read the entire series based off of this cover alone, and you know what – I loved it! Luis Royo is by far my favorite artist and I will read anything he does the cover art for!

This is the cover for the fourth book of one of my all time favorite series. Not a lot of people know that Dawn Cook is an alias of Kim Harrison- I didn’t catch on myself until after about five years of wondering “Is Dawn Cook ever going to come out with something new?” Each book got better and better, and so did the covers (the originals, anyway. The new ones they are marketing this series with are painfully ugly).

Yup, I totally picked this up based solely on the beautiful cover. I am glad I did, too, because it was a breath of fresh air in the urban fantasy genre.

Speaking of urban fantasies, Patricia Briggs is one of the best out there and this happens to be (after some serious deliberation) my favorite cover art of the series – although they are each beautiful in their own way – I could have easily included her more than once.

The moment I saw this cover I went “Ooh! I definitely want to read this!” To this day it is still one of my favorite love stories. I consider it a must-read for fans of the teen genre.

This is yet another cover done by Luis Royo and is simultaneously my favorite series by Julie E. Czerneda. Gorgeous! And intriguing…

I’ve come to realize that everybody pictures dragons in a slightly different manner. Whoever did the artwork for this series captured perfectly the way I envision them – this one’s the best.

I wasn’t a huge fan of the original covers, but when they started re-releasing them with new artwork I kick myself for not buying them in hardcover. Beautiful art that captures scenes in the books with excellent motion and perspective – Loves!

Michael Whelan did the artwork for this series and, as I mentioned in my “Dragon Obsession – The Visual Files” post it is still one of my favorite Dragon artwork. I have tried to re-create it through several mediums but it never turns out quite right. Although it’s only been within the last few years that I’ve noticed the Dragon kind of looks like the giant cockroach alien on Men in Black…

It’s funny, when I first was considering this topic I figured more than half of the books on my list would be from the teen genre. It surprised me how many fantasy books made the list. In any case, of all the teen books out there this is my favorite cover. It saddens me because it was later replaced by one I don’t like near as well.

Honorable mentions:

: Pearls of Lutra by Brian Jacques

Seeing these three covers in my school library when I was 10 years old inspired me to get good enough at readings so that I could one day pick them up. I couldn’t possibly have a favorite cover list without including them!

What books made your list?

May 20 2013

Image

Your Pick for Nik – June’s Selection!

Thank you all for your votes (and nominations – they were all fantastic)!

The Fifth Wave by Rick Yancey

This month’s winner is… the Fifth Wave by Rick Yancey!

It was a really close one this month, as it just barely edged out Hitchhiker’s Guide and Pure (which will be included in next month’s nominations). I have already started this one and I can tell you already that it will blow your mind. Great choice this month, people!

A thorough review and discussion for this book will take place on July 1st, so there’s plenty of time to pick it up if you want to participate. For more information on the Your Pick for Nik! book club, click here.

Here’s A look at what the books about:

After the 1st wave, only darkness remains. After the 2nd, only the lucky escape. And after the 3rd, only the unlucky survive. After the 4th wave, only one rule applies: trust no one. Now, it’s the dawn of the 5th wave, and on a lonely stretch of highway, Cassie runs from Them. The beings who only look human, who roam the countryside killing anyone they see. Who have scattered Earth’s last survivors. To stay alone is to stay alive, Cassie believes, until she meets Evan Walker. Beguiling and mysterious, Evan Walker may be Cassie’s only hope for rescuing her brother—or even saving herself. But Cassie must choose: between trust and despair, between defiance and surrender, between life and death. To give up or to get up.

**Don’t forget to tune in Monday, May 27 for the review and discussion of May’s Selection: Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken.**

“If you think reading is boring, you’re doing it wrong.”

May 16 2013

Image

Coming Soon: Unhinged

Title: Unhinged

Author: A. G. Howard

Series: Splintered #2

Genre: Teen Fantasy

Release Date: January 7, 2104

The Overview: Alyssa Gardner has been down the rabbit hole and faced the bandersnatch. She saved the life of Jeb, the guy she loves, and escaped the machinations of the disturbingly seductive Morpheus and the vindictive Queen Red. Now all she has to do is graduate high school and make it through prom so she can attend the prestigious art school in London she’s always dreamed of.

Nik’s Notes:

I have a weakness for awesome covers, and this one is the best one I’ve seen all year. Book 1 was enticing enough, but now I’m convinced I can’t ignore this series any longer. The only reason I haven’t picked it up yet is that “Alice in Wonderland” is not exactly a personal favorite. However, I’ve been reading a lot of great reviews and hear it’s original enough to make it worth the effort. I’m putting it in the TBR pile, but probably will hold off for a few months seeing as this one isn’t released until 2014.

May 15 2013

Image

Book Review: The Selection by Kiera Cass

The Selection by Kiera Cass

Title: The Selection

Author: Kiera Cass

Series: The Selection #1

Genre: Teen Fiction

Rating: 5/5 stars!

The Overview: For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in a palace and compete for the heart of gorgeous Prince Maxon.

But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her. Leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn’t want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks.

Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she’s made for herself–and realizes that the life she’s always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined.

The Review:

I picked this one up expecting a light, romantic read and that’s exactly what I got. I knew this would be the perfect book for me because #1 I love competitions (which oddly really was the number one draw) #2 I’m in a dystopian phase #3 my guilty pleasure is The Bachelor (don’t tell anyone, I’ll lose my street cred) and #4 I love sweet love stories. The Selection satiated all those cravings and more… I also really liked the writing style and overall voice.

Interestingly enough, there were lots of elements that evoked images of a watered-down Hunger Games. Something along the lines of “the life and times of the people in the Capitol,” only in this version, the fight to the death is figurative… And over a boy. I found the comparisons fascinating and delighted in the fact that Cass managed to flip it into a lighthearted romance – and as that’s what I was in the mood for, it was perfect.

There wasn’t a whole lot of complexity in the story. Everything was pretty straightforward. So if you’re looking for a well-developed dystopian society where secrets are revealed around every corner, this may not be the novel for you. While I actually liked the hierarchal systems and the post-America histories here, there were a few too many implausibilities for me to take it seriously. That’s okay though, because I didn’t expect it to be profound – I just went with it.

Recommendations: I would mention it in passing to dystopian fans, but would probably hand this to someone looking for more of a romance. Unlike some of the more intense dystopians, I would feel comfortable recommending this to younger teens. This definitely made my “Top 10 Books When you Need Something Light & Fun” list and I liked it so much I’ve already devoured the second book.

by Niki Hawkes

Other books you might like:

May 13 2013

Image

Your Pick for Nik! – June’s Nominations!

To cast your vote, just leave a comment indicating your chosen titles (up to 3) – and may the best book win!

It’s that time again for us to pick our next book! I want to give a special thanks to all of you who nominated titles for June’s Selection – I’m astounded at how many titles I really want to read – phenomenal picks!

Voting starts today (June 13, 2013) and will remain open until Sunday the 19th (Remember: YOU CAN VOTE FOR MORE THAN 1).

For those of you new to the book club, Your Pick for Nik! is a monthly feature where I turn over control of my reading list to you!

Here’s how it works: I will nominate titles from my TBR list (or, at least for this month, YOU nominated the titles) and you will choose which one gets featured. It can be one you’ve already read and want to discuss, one you want to read but wish to see my feedback on first, or – and this is my favorite part – you can read it along with me!

Depicted below are the top 10 nominations I received. Simply vote for your favorites, and let the best book win! At 10:00 am (MST) on Monday the 2oth I will announce the winner. Come the end of June, I will post a thorough review of the chosen title – and hopefully find out what you thought of it as well!

So without further ado…

June’s Nominations:

: The Fifth Wave by Rick Yancey

: Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Title: The 5th Wave

Author: Rick Yancey

Genre: Teen Fantasy

Overview: After the 1st wave, only darkness remains. After the 2nd, only the lucky escape. And after the 3rd, only the unlucky survive. After the 4th wave, only one rule applies: trust no one. Now, it’s the dawn of the 5th wave, and on a lonely stretch of highway, Cassie runs from Them. The beings who only look human, who roam the countryside killing anyone they see. Who have scattered Earth’s last survivors. To stay alone is to stay alive, Cassie believes, until she meets Evan Walker. Beguiling and mysterious, Evan Walker may be Cassie’s only hope for rescuing her brother—or even saving herself. But Cassie must choose: between trust and despair, between defiance and surrender, between life and death. To give up or to get up

#1 Pure by Julianna Baggott

Title: Pure

Author: Julianna Baggott

Genre: Fiction

Overview:We know you are here, our brothers and sisters . . .
Pressia barely remembers the Detonations or much about life during the Before. In her sleeping cabinet behind the rubble of an old barbershop where she lives with her grandfather, she thinks about what is lost-how the world went from amusement parks, movie theaters, birthday parties, fathers and mothers . . . to ash and dust, scars, permanent burns, and fused, damaged bodies. And now, at an age when everyone is required to turn themselves over to the militia to either be trained as a soldier or, if they are too damaged and weak, to be used as live targets, Pressia can no longer pretend to be small. Pressia is on the run.

Title: Legend

Author: Marie Lu

Genre: Team Fantasy

Overview: What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors. Born into an elite family in one of the Republic’s wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic’s highest military circles. Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country’s most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem. From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths—until the day June’s brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. Caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family’s survival, while June seeks to avenge Metias’s death. But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths their country will go to keep its secrets.

Title: Throne of Glass

Author: Sarah J. Maas

Genre: Teen Fantasy

Overview: After serving out a year of hard labor in the salt mines of Endovier for her crimes, 18-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien is dragged before the Crown Prince. Prince Dorian offers her her freedom on one condition: she must act as his champion in a competition to find a new royal assassin. Her opponents are men-thieves and assassins and warriors from across the empire, each sponsored by a member of the king’s council. If she beats her opponents in a series of eliminations, she’ll serve the kingdom for three years and then be granted her freedom.

Title: Clockwork Angel

Author: Cassandra Clare

Genre: Teen Fantasy

Overview: When sixteen-year-old Tessa Gray crosses the ocean to find her brother, her destination is England, the time is the reign of Queen Victoria, and something terrifying is waiting for her in London’s Downworld, where vampires, warlocks and other supernatural folk stalk the gaslit streets. Only the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons, keep order amidst the chaos.

Title: The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy

Author: Douglas Adams

Genre: Science Fiction

Overview: Seconds before the Earth is demolished to make way for a galactic freeway, Arthur Dent is plucked off the planet by his friend Ford Prefect, a researcher for the revised edition of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy who, for the last fifteen years, has been posing as an out-of-work actor.

Title: Imminent Danger: and How to Fly Straight into It

Author: Michelle Proulx

Genre: Teen Science Fiction

Overview: High school junior Eris Miller thinks she’s having a bad day when her roommate’s boyfriend catches her stepping out of the shower wearing nothing but a towel. Then she gets abducted by scaly six-armed aliens with a strange fondness for the color blue, and her day suddenly gets a whole lot worse. Trapped on a spaceship bound for the slave markets of Sirius B, Eris fears she’ll never see her home again. But then fate whisks her away from her reptilian captors and into the arms of Varrin, a fast-talking space pirate who promises to deliver her safely back to Earth. He claims to have her best interests at heart, but Eris soon discovers that her charming rescuer has a hidden agenda. As they race across the galaxy, outrunning a villainous figure from Varrin’s past, Eris begins to realize that their relationship is putting her planet, her life and her heart in imminent danger. She knows that trusting Varrin could prove deadly … but what other choice does she have?

Title: Paranormalcy

Author: Kiersten White

Genre: Teen Paranormal Romance

Overview:Evie’s always thought of herself as a normal teenager, even though she works for the International Paranormal Containment Agency, her ex-boyfriend is a faerie, she’s falling for a shape-shifter, and she’s the only person who can see through paranormals’ glamours. But Evie’s about to realize that she may very well be at the center of a dark faerie prophecy promising destruction to all paranormal creatures. So much for normal.

Title: Invisibility

Author: Andrea Cremer

Genre: Teen Paranormal Romance

Overview: Stephen has been invisible for practically his whole life — because of a curse his grandfather, a powerful cursecaster, bestowed on Stephen’s mother before Stephen was born. So when Elizabeth moves to Stephen’s NYC apartment building from Minnesota, no one is more surprised than he is that she can see him. A budding romance ensues, and when Stephen confides in Elizabeth about his predicament, the two of them decide to dive headfirst into the secret world of cursecasters and spellseekers to figure out a way to break the curse. But things don’t go as planned, especially when Stephen’s grandfather arrives in town, taking his anger out on everyone he sees. In the end, Elizabeth and Stephen must decide how big of a sacrifice they’re willing to make for Stephen to become visible — because the answer could mean the difference between life and death. At least for Elizabeth.

Title: Sabriel

Author: Garth Nix

Genre: Teen Fantasy

Overview: Sent to a boarding school in Ancelstierre as a young child, Sabriel has had little experience with the random power of Free Magic or the Dead who refuse to stay dead in the Old Kingdom. But during her final semester, her father, the Abhorsen, goes missing, and Sabriel knows she must enter the Old Kingdom to find him. She soon finds companions in Mogget, a cat whose aloof manner barely conceals its malevolent spirit, and Touchstone, a young Charter Mage long imprisoned by magic, now free in body but still trapped by painful memories. As the three travel deep into the Old Kingdom, threats mount on all sides. And every step brings them closer to a battle that will pit them against the true forces of life and death — and bring Sabriel face-to-face with her own hidden destiny. With “Sabriel,” the first installment in the Abhorsen trilogy, Garth Nix exploded onto the fantasy scene as a rising star, in a novel that takes readers to a world where the line between the living and the dead isn’t always clear — and sometimes disappears altogether.

May 12 2013

Image

Coming Soon: Midnight Frost by Jennifer Estep

Title: Midnight Frost

Author: Jennifer Estep

Series: Mythos Academy #5

Genre: Teen Paranormal Romance

Release Date: July 30, 2013

The Overview: Just when it seems life at Mythos Academy can’t get any more dangerous, the Reapers of Chaos manage to prove me wrong. It was just a typical night at the Library of Antiquities — until a Reaper tried to poison me. The good news is I’m still alive and kicking. The bad news is the Reaper poisoned someone else instead.

As Nike’s Champion, everyone expects me to lead the charge against the Reapers, even though I’m still hurting over what happened with Spartan warrior Logan Quinn. I’ve got to get my hands on the antidote fast — otherwise, an innocent person will die. But the only known cure is hidden in some creepy ruins — and the Reapers are sure to be waiting for me there …

Nik’s Notes:

Fans of House of Night should definitely check this series out – it’s a neat hybrid of mythology and paranormal. While book 3 let me down a bit, I absolutely devoured books 1 and 2 (and thus far, book 4 seems to be redeeming itself). Anyway, it’s a neat concept and I’ve categorized it in my personal “beach-read” favorites list.