Amazing Giveaway from Victoria Schwab

 Victoria Schwab's The Archived is coming out in just two months, and I'm super excited to read it.  In the meantime, she is running a super awesome giveaway, with only one prize, but for every entry, she will donate a dollar to one of three great causes.
 You can find out more about the giveaway and it's megawesome prize here.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Cinder by Marissa Meyer (The Lunar Chronicles)

I've been waiting to read Cinder ever since it first came out. The cover was intriguing, the plot was intriguing, and if Figment recommended it, well then it had to be good!
Cinder is a futuristic retelling of Cinderella. Yes, I hear you screaming about how sick you are of the constant Cinderella retellings, that they are now as commonplace as a loaf of bread, but let me tell you, Cinder is different. I mean, how many of you have read a Cinderella story where the Cinderella character is a cyborg? If you've read Cinder already, stop raising your hand. That's cheating.
Where was I? Oh yes.
Cinder is a futuristic retelling of Cinderella, set in Japan, where androids are common as servants, there are colonies on the moon, and if you're in a horrible accident, you can get fixed by doctors putting all sorts of metal gears in you as legs, arms... Seemingly anything. That's how one becomes a Cyborg. Now, Cinder has had some major surgery when she was eleven, making her over 30% not-human, and she can't remember anything from before the surgery.
Now, things are not so great between the moon colony (called Lunars) and the Earthens. Like, edging on major war if Prince Kai (next in line to be emperor of Japan) doesn't marry the queen of the Lunars. Who is a horrible person and no one likes her because she manipulative and slightly magical (or has some bio-electricity thing, which I didn't quite get.) and there is also a horrible, seemingly incurable plague that is killing people off like flies. Which Cinder's nice stepsister happens to catch (yes, there is also an evil stepmother and evil stepsister).
Then Cinder is volunteered by her "legal guardian" (stepmother) for the cyborg draft for testing to find a cure for the plague. Which no one usually survives. Spoiler alert: Cinder does.
Cinder was an excellent read, an interesting plot paired with good writing and an apparent understanding of futuristic technology, if that's possible. There were some things involving mechanics and androids and such that was a bit over my head, being completely hopeless in the realm of that sort of thing. I read it quickly - okay, devoured it - and was left dying for more. There are future books, but the next is planned for release in 2013, and I'm not quite sure I can wait that long.
Cinder receives 4.5 hearts! A wonderful read.
♥♥♥♥❥

Cinder can be bought here, and you can learn more about Marissa Meyer and her writing on her website, here!
Cinder is also a nominee for YALSA's Teens' Top Ten, as are some of my other reviews, like The Scorpio Races. Check them out!
Happy reading!
x
Eleven

Post Readathon

I meant to make updates during the readathon, I really did. But with one thing or another, I got a late start There was an earth day celebration. I was morally obligated to help. Bonus: Free coffee. So I only got to read three books. But, mind you, they were three fabulous books. I read:

• Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld
• Behemoth (the sequel) by Scott Westerfeld
• The Princess Bride by William Goldman (fun fact: His grandson went to my school. He was two grades below me. Then, one year, he wasn't there.)

And I discovered that I have a reading pace of 120 pages an hour, which is way too fast. I'll never savor a book if I keep that up!

Anyway, it was really fun, I love readathons. My review of Everneath should be up either today or tomorrow. 

Happy Reading!

x

Eleven

24 Hour Readathon!

Hey there!
Long time, no see. Oh, I see what you're saying. That it's all my fault, I haven't posted anything. Stop whining!
Yeah. Talking to myself again. As a sort of apology for no reviews.
Anyway, I have THINGS TO SAY.
My friend, Adam the Awesome who was a figtern, told me about this readathon thing. The speed-reader in me (okay, that's the ONLY reader in me) said "Woahwoahwoah please let me sign up!" So I did. And so can you! It starts April 21st at 8 am EDT, and there's more information on the sign-up page.  
So, for the next twenty-four hours, I'll be reading like crazy, and hopefully I'll have a chance to review some books!
Since I last saw you, I've read a ton. Recent memorable books have been:
Grave Mercy by R.L. LaFevers (I got an ARC from Figment!)
Where Things Come Back by John Corey Whaley (Definitely someone to look out for!)
and I'm about to start Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta.
I've also started a review of Everneath by Brodi Ashton, so that should be up sooner rather than later, considering how much time I waste on the inter of nets.
And things happened involving Figment.
More on those topics later! I'll be posting snippets from the readathon tomorrow, as well as live-tweeting. You can tweet at me your own book choices @VeeWeasley.

Happy reading!
x
Eleven

SLIDE Giveaway!

A giveaway for a wonderful sounding book! And hey, the main character has the same name as me! (Or rather nickname.)

Vee Bell is certain of one irrefutable truth—her sister’s friend Sophie didn’t kill herself. She was murdered.

Vee knows this because she was there. Everyone believes Vee is narcoleptic, but she doesn’t actually fall asleep during these episodes: When she passes out, she slides into somebody else’s mind and experiences the world through that person’s eyes. She’s slid into her sister as she cheated on a math test, into a teacher sneaking a drink before class. She learned the worst about a supposed “friend” when she slid into her during a school dance. But nothing could have prepared Vee for what happens one October night when she slides into the mind of someone holding a bloody knife, standing over Sophie’s slashed body.

Vee desperately wishes she could share her secret, but who would believe her? It sounds so crazy that she can’t bring herself to tell her best friend, Rollins, let alone the police. Even if she could confide in Rollins, he has been acting off lately, more distant, especially now that she’s been spending more time with Zane.

Enmeshed in a terrifying web of secrets, lies, and danger and with no one to turn to, Vee must find a way to unmask the killer before he or she strikes again
Enter the giveaway here.

Good luck!

Love,

Vee.

Or Eleven.

Whichever.

The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

Like all books, I heard about this one through Figment. I had wanted to read Maggie Stiefvater's Shiver, Linger, and Forever, as I believe they are called, but I never got around to it. The Scorpio Races had received such praise through Figment that I just had to read it. At first, it was just sort of like "Ooh! Figment told me to read this! Let me get it!" but as time progressed, I became more and more interested, until it was more like "BOOK! BOOK! Let me get my hands on that book!". Finally I entered a fabulous Figment contest and somehow I managed to place in the top three and win the book. Sometimes I think the world has halted it's ceaseless conspiring against me. It is a relief.

Anyway, I got the book on Christmas day (and it came in a super mega fabulous package, but that is not involved in this review) and I was overjoyed.

The Scorpio Races started out with the words "It is the first day of November and so, today, someone will die." It may only be the opening to a prologue, but it is impossible not to be drawn into such a statement. I feel like it would be impossible to give a short, concise summary of this book, since the impeccable details and innumerous plot twists take the story places that no one would have foreseen. I feel as if I could never do it any amount of justice with a proper summary, so I think I'll give what I can.

At the start of each November, the Scorpio Races begin. Races in which riders attempt to keep hold of their water horses long enough to reach the finish line. Sean Kendrick has won the Scorpio Races four years in a row. Kate "Puck" Connolly has never entered. No girl ever has. She is, on top of everything else, entering on her island pony. She never chose to enter the races, but life threw her no other option. She is in no way prepared for what is going to happen. There can only be one winner. And then she becomes closer to Sean Kendrick.

I feel so cryptic. The story is a delicious mix of love, athletics, scenery, with the bitter taste of blood coating it all. While I was reading it, I felt as if I could almost taste the salty water that surrounded them at all times, from which the water horses appeared, where Kate's parents lost their lives. The November Cakes leave their sweet taste on my tongue, and I can almost smell the stables in which Sean works.

I almost drew blood the way I was biting my lips through the last hundred or so pages. I can already tell that this book will not rest on my bookshelves for long, and the pages will be well-thumbed by 2013.

You can find more about Maggie Stiefvater on her website and her blogs! The Scorpio Races can be bought here at Barnes and Noble, or at multiple other places, I just wanted to have somewhere certain.

The Scorpio Races earns a well deserved 5 out of 5 stars on Eleven's scale of awesome!

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Hope you're all enjoying the new year as much as I am!

x

Eleven

p.s. Please don't ask why my awesomeness scale is out of five and not eleven, like my name. I don't really know either.

-Eleven

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

After begging for this book for a few months, I finally received it for Christmas. It had been difficult watching all my friends read it, but I somehow managed to make it until Christmas. What must be understood before starting this book, is that the summary on the inside flap really tells you nothing about the book. I can't recall what I had expected when I first opened the book, but the story was nothing like my imagination had thought.

Jacob Portman lived a fairly normal life in Florida, and he was often found complaining about how nothing extraordinary ever happened to him. His grandfather often told him stories about the peculiar children in the school/safe house he went to to avoid World War II (he being Jewish and all). Then his grandfather is killed by something that could possibly be a monster only Jacob can see. He goes a little crazy with depression, apparently suffering from Acute Stress Reaction (according to his psychiatrist), and his life basically sucks. In an attempt to find the meaning of his grandfather's cryptic last words, he goes to Cairnholm, an island off the coast of Wales, to find his grandfather's old teacher/caretaker, Miss Peregrine. By this time, Miss Peregrine could be about ninety, or, more likely, dead. It turns out that the island was bombed on September 3rd, 1940, and everyone in the children's home is dead. Jacob ends up entering a time loop on that exact day, finds the children, and things get confusing.

I feel like saying more would be unwise, since I don't want to give it away to people who haven't read it, but let's just say I never ever want to go to a psychiatrist after reading this. The first few chapters are a bit slow, but once you get to chapter five, things start getting very interesting, and it's impossible to put down. I ended up reading the last bit much too early in the morning, and no one was awake, and I was scared silly. I didn't even notice how hard I was clenching my teeth until I closed the book.

I feel quite lucky, since the publisher actually came and visited my class, and I got a wonderful, giant poster that is now hanging on my wall. I was also very excited to hear from him (the publisher) that there will be a sequel, and when he mentioned that Tim Burton might direct a film adaptation, I actually squeaked, started choking, and fell out of my chair. Luckily my class knows how much I love Tim Burton, so they all started to explain.

Despite the fact that it is different than I thought, I will sing the praises of this book far and wide, and it is definitely going to be re-read.

Miss Peregrine's is totally deserving of it's four hearts on Eleven's scale of awesomeness.

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ 

Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children can be bought here (Barnes and Noble) and at my father's bookstore!

More information about the author, Ransom Riggs, can be found on his website. But don't try to wikipedia him, because the result is not worth your time.

Anyway, happiest holidays from the desk of a bookworm! Keep reading, keep writing, keep blogging, and keep being peculiar!

x

Eleven