TBR >> Katie’s February Reads

Here is a list of what I’m reading this month.  A bit long, for such a short month, but I’m already flying through them.  Look for reviews soon.  But we’ve been a tad busy lately working on a new look.  You might have noticed the blog change.  We are looking forward to releasing something much bigger soon!  Look for a preview soon!

In the meantime, if you’ve read any of these, leave a comment below!

Cinder (The Lunar Chronicles #1) by Marissa Meyer

Scarlet (The Lunar Chronicles #2) by Marissa Meyer

Across the Universe (Across the Universe #1) by Beth Revis

A Million Suns (Across the Universe #2) by Beth Revis

Shades of Earth (Across the Universe #3) by Beth Revis

Prodigy (Legend #2) by Marie Lu

Fuse (Pure #2) by Julianna Baggott

Sever (The Chemical Garden #3) by Lauren DeStefano

Breaking Point (Article 5 #2) by Kristen Simmons

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Across The Universe by Beth Revis >> Readdicted Review

Title:  Across the Universe (Across the Universe #1)

Author: Beth Revis

Genre: YA Sci-Fi/Space/Adventure

Goodreads Book Summary: 

Seventeen-year-old Amy joins her parents as frozen cargo aboard the vast spaceship Godspeed and expects to awaken on a new planet, three hundred years in the future. Never could she have known that her frozen slumber would come to an end fifty years too soon and that she would be thrust into the brave new world of a spaceship that lives by its own rules.

Amy quickly realizes that her awakening was no mere computer malfunction. Someone-one of the few thousand inhabitants of the spaceship-tried to kill her. And if Amy doesn’t do something soon, her parents will be next.

Now Amy must race to unlock Godspeed’s hidden secrets. But out of her list of murder suspects, there’s only one who matters: Elder, the future leader of the ship and the love she could never have seen coming.

Rating: 4.5 Stars

REVIEW

I thought this book was intriguing.  The complex world Beth Revis creates is so futuristic, and yet it contrasts with the agrarian lifestyle the people have to have to keep their culture as well as survive on their mammoth ship floating in space.  Amy’s story is unique.  She’s a great female character, possibly a bit mainstream and not really unique in many ways, but that’s not a bad thing.  Most people are mostly normal.  Ya know?  Ender’s character goes through a great amount of transformation as he learns more and more truth.  This book, as with the whole trilogy, is centered around lies and the problems keeping deep secrets can create.  While at first I thought I wasn’t completely thrilled with this book, I couldn’t put it down.  I don’t think I loved Amy as much as some other characters in other books I have read, but she is a strong female lead, and she thinks for herself and has a strong desire to survive and uncover the truth.  I love the development of the relationship between Amy and Elder, and how they aren’t always with each other.  The other characters in the book were very eccentric and gave the story great depth.

My biggest issue is the POV.  The author writes in first person, and each chapter is either Amy or Elder.  It switches like clockwork, Amy, Elder, Amy, Elder…..but sometimes I found myself wondering which head I was in, and I would have to check or look for clues.  Overall, it wasn’t a big problem, just an annoyance.  There are some parts that are stark, raw, and a little shocking.  Things I wasn’t expecting and made me react.  Things like that may not be enjoyable, but getting a reaction like that (and not just for fun, but for a reason) is a sign that the author isn’t afraid of censoring herself, but sees the world she has created as though it is real, and she is telling it like it is.  Probably not appropriate for under 13, at least.  But it’s not too bad…don’t let that be the only thing that stops you from reading it.  If you are wondering about this series for your teens, just read it first.  Across the Universe is a great read and I definitely want this beautiful hardcover on my shelf!

COVER

I love love love this cover.  This might be one of my top 5 favorite covers of all time.  Simply gorgeous.  Stars, colors, profiles, the haunting words that leave you wondering what it could mean…so so good.  I would rate this cover an elusive 6 on our 5 star scale….yeah, I love it that much!

THE FUN STUFF

Here’s a link to the book trailer by PenguinBooks.  It’s nothing too exciting, but the excerpt from the book they chose as the narration is haunting.  One of the first reasons I couldn’t put this book down was this part.  Well-written, raw, and emotional, and interesting…raised questions that no one had answers too.  Anyway, check it out if you’d like, there are no spoilers and it well-made and visually very nice.

Cover Lover >> Part Two

Hello my fellow cover whores.  I know you just are dying for this post.  To see if my tastes align with yours.  And if they do, we are all awesome.  And if they don’t, then just I am awesome.  You are ok too though.

Here are my favorite covers out there and why.

Clean by Amy Reed

I don’t know what it is about this cover, but I always pull this off the shelf. Even though I always pull it off the shelf. Maybe the hand-drawn lines or bright white cover?

Someone Else’s Life by Katie Dale

Love the illustrations…even though it looks a little crowded. This book also always draws me to it at the library or bookstore.  It says, “Hey, over here…I’m pretty.  You should caress me like only a book lover will.”  This book is kind of a whore.

Dead Is The New Black by Marlene Perez

Hello. Hot pink and black. Big thick typography. Need I say more?  No I do not think that I do.

Across the Universe by Beth Revis

This cover is stunning. Who doesn’t love looking up at the stars? If you say…yeah I don’t really do, then you are dead to me.  The silhouettes make me want to kiss somebody.  Pinks, purples, black, blue, white, yellow…..all blended into perfection.  Sigh.

A Million Suns by Beth Revis

I just love when the covers for a series match AND are gorgeous. This cover is so pretty, although not quite as good as Across the Universe. I love stars. And galaxies. Yummy.

Fallen by Lauren Kate

The actual book…meh. The cover…be still my heart. The angst, the scraggly ends of her hair and dress, things on her wrist (I love things on wrists), the woods…it is poetic and sad and beautiful. And I love it. This was my favorite cover of the Fallen series.  Was this the first girl in a pretty dress looking sad and you can’t see her face cover?  I doubt it, but it definitely was a trend starter nonetheless.

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Um…cyborg leg!  Cyborg leg!  Cyborg leg in heels!

Match that with a pretty font and you have me intrigued. Simple, interesting texture (kind of a creamy matte finish with glossy bits), and just a couple of colors.  I can’t wait to read this book!

{check out Connie’s review of Cinder here}

Fairest of All: A Tale of the Wicked Queen by Serena Valentino

I love this book cover. Saw it in Barnes and Noble one day, and it stayed with me. The book is square, and the cover has a matte finish. The classic evil stepmother/witch half portrait on the front is gorgeous. Adds up to a fantastic cover.  This picture really doesn’t do it justice.  And it doesn’t look square.  Also, the book I looked at had no writing on the front.  Way better.  Negative space is one of my favorite things, yo.

Bad Girls Don’t Die by Katie Alender

Beautiful lace curtain matched with pretty corner illustrations. The font works perfectly. Then the wording contradicts the pretties, and the girl looks depressed and lonely and sad and I just want to know what is going on in this picture. The title also really draws me in.

The Statistical Probability Of Love At First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith

I love photography, so just the picture alone would have drawn me in. But the typography is perfect. I also love it when a title is long but still works, and this is a great title for a book like this. Since it has a nice black and white photo on the cover, with some time-lapse goodness going on, it doesn’t look like the normal cutsy tootsy chic-lit covers and I am much more likely to read it. Even though there is nothing wrong with chic-lit…but like I’ve said, I can’t get past a cheesy cover.

So there ya have it.  I’m sure I missed some good ones, but I do really like these.  What are some of your favorite book covers?