Tuesday 13 December 2016
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by Ambrosia of The Purple Booker.
To play along just do the following:
Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo.
There are a lot of ways to describe how much I adore Leigh Bardugo’s writing, but the simplest is possibly also the best: Her Grisha trilogy was and is a miraculous tale and I fell head over heels in love with it. And now the Dregs dulogy is absolute perfection! The first book is an impossible heist story with twists and turns at breakneck speed. And this second book is all that only amped up to an unthinkable maximum. When you think that nothing can go wrong now expect everything to go wrong at the worst possible moment and in the worst imaginable way. And then expect to keep holding your breath for the next several chapters to find out how this can possibly be solved. I have a feeling that these brilliant characters can beat most of the odds but I still have a bit to go and I’m quite afraid that there is enough time for something to go horribly wrong.
The greatest fun are the characters I already knew from the previous series crop up in unexpected places and hear tales of their deeds like legends. You don’t have to have read the previous books to enjoy this dulogy. You could even read them the other way around.
These characters are not what you’d call wholesome, but I still know that I’d want them on my side whenever possible. Do you know and love ambiguous characters like that? Let me know about them and your teasers in the comments!
To play along just do the following:
- Grab your current read
- Open to a random page
- 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 much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
- Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!
Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo.
 |
| Crooked Kindgom – Indigo |
“I would come for you,” he said, and when he saw the wary look she shot him, he said it again. “I would come for you. And if I couldn’t walk, I’d crawl to you, and no matter how broken we were, we’d fight our way out together—knives drawn, pistols blazing. Because that’s what we do. We never stop fighting.”
— Chapter 12
“It’s easier when you’re younger, but so is everything. Children learn languages more easily. They learn mathematics more easily.”
“And they’re unafraid,” said Wylan quietly. “It’s other people who teach them their limits.”.
— Chapter 18
There are a lot of ways to describe how much I adore Leigh Bardugo’s writing, but the simplest is possibly also the best: Her Grisha trilogy was and is a miraculous tale and I fell head over heels in love with it. And now the Dregs dulogy is absolute perfection! The first book is an impossible heist story with twists and turns at breakneck speed. And this second book is all that only amped up to an unthinkable maximum. When you think that nothing can go wrong now expect everything to go wrong at the worst possible moment and in the worst imaginable way. And then expect to keep holding your breath for the next several chapters to find out how this can possibly be solved. I have a feeling that these brilliant characters can beat most of the odds but I still have a bit to go and I’m quite afraid that there is enough time for something to go horribly wrong.
The greatest fun are the characters I already knew from the previous series crop up in unexpected places and hear tales of their deeds like legends. You don’t have to have read the previous books to enjoy this dulogy. You could even read them the other way around.
These characters are not what you’d call wholesome, but I still know that I’d want them on my side whenever possible. Do you know and love ambiguous characters like that? Let me know about them and your teasers in the comments!
Tuesday 6 December 2016
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Books And A Beat.
To play along just do the following:
What Light by Jay Asher.
’Tis officially the season! And yes, I am aware that we already had the second Sunday in Advent, but I just now started reading Christmas-sy titles and this book is applying for a place on the list of winter classics. And I must say that its chances aren’t too bad in that department. A wonderful romance that is not too cheesy and actually carries quite a few additional messages. I would have loved a little more elaboration on a few of the secondary characters but in this case I’d rate this in the positive column because they were so interesting even though they didn’t all get much page-time.
Fun fact: As this book has 24 chapter you can even attempt to read it as an Advent calendar ... but if you are anything like me you won’t be able to stop after one chapter each day.
Do you have a winter/pre-Christmas classic that you recommend and or read every year? Let’s hear from you in the comments! And in any case happy St. Nicholas Day!
To play along just do the following:
- Grab your current read
- Open to a random page
- 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 much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
- Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!
What Light by Jay Asher.
 |
| What Light – Razorbill |
With most zombies, you don’t expect conversation.
“Why can’t you go back to playing princess?”
“I never played princess.”
“Are you kidding?” he says. “Whenever Heather’s mom took the two of you to the parade, you wore your fanciest dress, pretending to be the Winter Queen.”
“Exactly!” I say. “Queen, not princess. You raised me better than that.”
— Chapter 10
“It’s your heart. No one else gets a say in that.”
Sometimes it feels like it’s not even up to the person holding the heart.
— Chapter 18
’Tis officially the season! And yes, I am aware that we already had the second Sunday in Advent, but I just now started reading Christmas-sy titles and this book is applying for a place on the list of winter classics. And I must say that its chances aren’t too bad in that department. A wonderful romance that is not too cheesy and actually carries quite a few additional messages. I would have loved a little more elaboration on a few of the secondary characters but in this case I’d rate this in the positive column because they were so interesting even though they didn’t all get much page-time.
Fun fact: As this book has 24 chapter you can even attempt to read it as an Advent calendar ... but if you are anything like me you won’t be able to stop after one chapter each day.
Do you have a winter/pre-Christmas classic that you recommend and or read every year? Let’s hear from you in the comments! And in any case happy St. Nicholas Day!
Tuesday 29 November 2016
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Books And A Beat.
To play along just do the following:
The Hammer of Thor by Rick Riordan.
I’ve seen Rick Riordan being called scribe of the gods and considering that he is able to write about a multitude of pantheons and tell compelling stories about them this seems like a worthy call sign. I especially love the humour in these books with witty and fun dialogues and narrations. Percy Jackson and friends reminded me of my passion for Greek and Roman mythology and I always smile about the little quirks when I discover a connection either between the individual books or to old myths often with a twist. Egypt also got its treatment and now we have the (in my case) lesser known Norse gods.
This is the second book of what currently looks like a trilogy. I maybe hope that there will be more although I wish Magnus a peaceful afterlife I also want to see him in more quests and epic arguments with his sword. Among other things.
I will admit that it is sort of hard to picture Loki as anyone else than Tom Hiddleston ... and don’t get me started on Thor. At the same time these and many other pop culture references are picked up and get wonderfully twisted as well. Yet I also think that because of their close relationship to current trends the books appeal to their readers at the precise moment of their publication (which is more than enough) but at the same time all these tiny references and extras will be hard to understand just a couple of years on.
Side note: The chapter titles of Rick Riordan’s books are some of the best ones ever – You Keep Using the Word Help. I Do Not Think It Means What You Think It Means ... for example.
What are your thoughts on very up to date books? Love them for their close relation to current events/references or sceptic about their long term readability? Share your ideas and teasers in the comments.
To play along just do the following:
- Grab your current read
- Open to a random page
- 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 much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
- Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!
The Hammer of Thor by Rick Riordan.
 |
| The Hammer of Thor – Disney-Hyperion |
With most zombies, you don’t expect conversation.
I figured King Mummy would say RARRRR! Or, at most, BRAINS! And then get down to the business of killing us.
I was not ready for “Thank you, mortals! I am in your debt!”
— Chapter 15
Seriously, I don’t know if there’s a Norse god of dreams, but if there is, I’m going to find his house and hack apart his Sleep Number mattress with a battle-ax..
— Chapter 25
I’ve seen Rick Riordan being called scribe of the gods and considering that he is able to write about a multitude of pantheons and tell compelling stories about them this seems like a worthy call sign. I especially love the humour in these books with witty and fun dialogues and narrations. Percy Jackson and friends reminded me of my passion for Greek and Roman mythology and I always smile about the little quirks when I discover a connection either between the individual books or to old myths often with a twist. Egypt also got its treatment and now we have the (in my case) lesser known Norse gods.
This is the second book of what currently looks like a trilogy. I maybe hope that there will be more although I wish Magnus a peaceful afterlife I also want to see him in more quests and epic arguments with his sword. Among other things.
I will admit that it is sort of hard to picture Loki as anyone else than Tom Hiddleston ... and don’t get me started on Thor. At the same time these and many other pop culture references are picked up and get wonderfully twisted as well. Yet I also think that because of their close relationship to current trends the books appeal to their readers at the precise moment of their publication (which is more than enough) but at the same time all these tiny references and extras will be hard to understand just a couple of years on.
Side note: The chapter titles of Rick Riordan’s books are some of the best ones ever – You Keep Using the Word Help. I Do Not Think It Means What You Think It Means ... for example.
What are your thoughts on very up to date books? Love them for their close relation to current events/references or sceptic about their long term readability? Share your ideas and teasers in the comments.
Tuesday 22 November 2016
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Books And A Beat.
To play along just do the following:
This Shattered World by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner.
With reality currently a little (okay, more a lot) reminiscent of a rampant dumpster fire it is time for some feel-good, harmless, calm space opera ... only this is not that book. You don’t even get to spend that much time in space. Unless you count a faraway planet as space, but really the space-time is at a bare minimum here. If Lilac from book one is every princess turned warrior dream come true then Jubilee is the bad ass fighter with a (very hard to get there but definitely present) soft core. And I have a predilection for guy called Flynn. Especially if there are (very very very distant in this case) Irish roots. The upside of these amazing series is that in the end people get what and whom they deserve ... but that’s also a downside, because damn all the good guys get paired off with truly awesome girls and you can’t even be mad. And no, I don’t care if I’m sometimes jealous of fictional characters’ relationships.
If for some reason you haven’t heard of this series or just haven’t had the chance to read the books, I will urge you to find the time and read all three (and the short story) in a row, because why not binge on something really good when you have the possibility?
What has been your latest binge read? Or are you one of these fabled readers who can pace themselves? Let’s hear from you in the comments!
To play along just do the following:
- Grab your current read
- Open to a random page
- 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 much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
- Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!
This Shattered World by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner.
 |
| This Shattered World – Hyperion |
My breath catches, responding to an unfamiliar pull in my chest, an ache in my soul. I shouldn’t miss him, but I do; this boy who had every right to pull that trigger, and instead threw himself between me and death.
— Chapter 17
Each mind unique, each thought created for an instant and then broken apart to form new ones. You don’t understand the unbearable beauty of being you.
— Chapter 36
With reality currently a little (okay, more a lot) reminiscent of a rampant dumpster fire it is time for some feel-good, harmless, calm space opera ... only this is not that book. You don’t even get to spend that much time in space. Unless you count a faraway planet as space, but really the space-time is at a bare minimum here. If Lilac from book one is every princess turned warrior dream come true then Jubilee is the bad ass fighter with a (very hard to get there but definitely present) soft core. And I have a predilection for guy called Flynn. Especially if there are (very very very distant in this case) Irish roots. The upside of these amazing series is that in the end people get what and whom they deserve ... but that’s also a downside, because damn all the good guys get paired off with truly awesome girls and you can’t even be mad. And no, I don’t care if I’m sometimes jealous of fictional characters’ relationships.
If for some reason you haven’t heard of this series or just haven’t had the chance to read the books, I will urge you to find the time and read all three (and the short story) in a row, because why not binge on something really good when you have the possibility?
What has been your latest binge read? Or are you one of these fabled readers who can pace themselves? Let’s hear from you in the comments!
Tuesday 15 November 2016
Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Books And A Beat.
To play along just do the following:
The Key to the Golden Firebird by Maureen Johnson.
For some odd reason whenever I recommend this book to someone I almost say keys instead of key ... but there clearly is just that one key and therefore I really shouldn’t have this problem. Maybe I’m projecting and want there to be more than one key. But who knows, the brain is a weird place and don’t get me started on the psyche. Anyway, an early book of one of my favourite authors. In fact, the very first (I think? I could be horribly mistaken). And also the very first I read and loved, which convinced me to keep reading whatever else she writes. Considering her Twitter output that’s a lot. I might have missed something there.
What I love most about Maureen’s writing is this wonderful mixture where one paragraph has you in stitches from laughing so much while the next can be a life and death race to the next tissue box. This is a book about grief, but also about family and love and perseverance. Yes, there are early book issues. I know that now, over ten years later, but I still love this book, even with its issues and I think that you shouldn’t blame a piece of its time for not being up to current standards. No one blames Homer for not giving Odysseus a Sat Nav to get home quicker either.
Are there books on which your perspective has changed over the course of time? Let me know about them and your teasers in the comments!
To play along just do the following:
- Grab your current read
- Open to a random page
- 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 much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
- Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!
The Key to the Golden Firebird by Maureen Johnson.
 |
| The Key to the Golden Firebird – HarperCollins Publishers |
So we didn’t stop calling each other – I stopped calling her. I didn’t know what to say to her anymore or what to do.
— Chapter 11
She had used the full “I love you” construction. Not even “love ya!” or “I totally love you!” – either of which might have meant she wasn’t serious.
— Chapter 14
For some odd reason whenever I recommend this book to someone I almost say keys instead of key ... but there clearly is just that one key and therefore I really shouldn’t have this problem. Maybe I’m projecting and want there to be more than one key. But who knows, the brain is a weird place and don’t get me started on the psyche. Anyway, an early book of one of my favourite authors. In fact, the very first (I think? I could be horribly mistaken). And also the very first I read and loved, which convinced me to keep reading whatever else she writes. Considering her Twitter output that’s a lot. I might have missed something there.
What I love most about Maureen’s writing is this wonderful mixture where one paragraph has you in stitches from laughing so much while the next can be a life and death race to the next tissue box. This is a book about grief, but also about family and love and perseverance. Yes, there are early book issues. I know that now, over ten years later, but I still love this book, even with its issues and I think that you shouldn’t blame a piece of its time for not being up to current standards. No one blames Homer for not giving Odysseus a Sat Nav to get home quicker either.
Are there books on which your perspective has changed over the course of time? Let me know about them and your teasers in the comments!
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