Building Castles In The Sky: Discussion Posts

Today's Castle: Discussion Posts!

Let me start of by saying I suck at discussion posts. I can come up with some good topics, usually while I'm trying to fall asleep. I'll basically redact the whole thing in my head but by the time I wake up I just don't feel like writing it all down...Hence why I basically never do discussion posts. I tried a while back with one about romance on books and how every single book doesn't need a romance. And I wrote the first post! Which is was awesome. But I was supposed to write a second one, and well....I didn't. OOPS. I kept meaning to and I just never got the motivation to sit down and actually write it.

But enough about how much I suck at these things! What I want to talk about is the whole discussion part of discussion posts. I like bouncing of ideas with people. I like actually thoroughly discussing things with people. I may suck at normal everyday conversation and be horribly awkward about it but give me a nice discussion topic and I can talk for hours. 

What I have been noticing about these posts is that there aren't actual discussions going on. There is the main post, then people start commenting, but it's all very individual. It's always just the author of the post responding to one comment at a time. I have yet to see a reader reply to another. And most of the comments are just statements of their point of view, which yeah it's kinda the point, but well we are trying to discuss stuff here people! Give me something to work with!

Sometimes it's the same sentiment written over and over again in different ways, which granted that's fine cause people have similar tastes in things and whatnot, but they don't discuss these tastes. They are stated and left out in the ether to never be seen again.

I guess what I'm saying is I'd like some actual discussions to happen instead of these exclusive author to reader, one on one, responses, that don't even go past the first response anyway. I understand people sometimes don't have the time to be responding to comments. Maybe instead we need to revamp the whole idea?

I was thinking of maybe making either a whole day or whole week of a certain topic to discuss in twitter, for example. Make up a hashtag, write up your post, make the twitter widget, upload it to your post and get the ball rolling. Maybe even get a few bloggers together writing on the same topic to have a wider reader base.

What do you guys think? Would this be feasible? Would you even like it if it was in this format? Do you even agree that it could use a revamp or am I just talking out of my ass? xD

Btw - I'm just assuming that's how the twitter thing works, so anyone who is more twitter savvy feel free to correct me if I'm wrong :)

Upcoming Releases - Week of July 28th

Here are the releases for the upcoming week of July 28 - August 3, 2014

Tuesday, July 29, 2014

Thursday, July 31, 2014

Books I'm looking forward to:

• The Young World by Chris Weitz
• Free Agent by J. C. Nelson
• Magic Breaks by Ilona Andrews

I hadn't realized another Kate & Curran book was coming out already! So excited! :) Another superhero type book coming out in July and Free Agent sounds like it could be fun.

What books are you looking forward to?

Unraveling: Malice by John Gwynne

Title: Malice

Series: The Faithful and the Fallen Book One

Author: John Gwynne
Genre: Fantasy

Publication Date: December 6, 2012

A black sun is rising …

Young Corban watches enviously as boys become warriors under King Brenin’s rule, learning the art of war. He yearns to wield his sword and spear to protect his king’s realm. But that day will come all too soon. Only when he loses those he loves will he learn the true price of courage.

The Banished Lands has a violent past where armies of men and giants clashed shields in battle, the earth running dark with their heartsblood. Although the giant-clans were broken in ages past, their ruined fortresses still scar the land. But now giants stir anew, the very stones weep blood and there are sightings of giant wyrms. Those who can still read the signs see a threat far greater than the ancient wars. Sorrow will darken the world, as angels and demons make it their battlefield. Then there will be a war to end all wars.

High King Aquilus summons his fellow kings to council, seeking an alliance in this time of need. Some are skeptical, fighting their own border skirmishes against pirates and giants. But prophesy indicates darkness and light will demand two champions, the Black Sun and the Bright Star. They would be wise to seek out both, for if the Black Sun gains ascendancy, mankind’s hopes and dreams will fall to dust.

  

***

My Thoughts

I'm gonna be honest and say the start of this book was an uphill battle for me. That probably had more to do with me than the book, but it was still rough going.

See, I've been in a reading slump for ages now. If the book can't grab me instantly I usually end up DNFing it and picking something else, but I knew I liked this one, but fantasies are usually quite slow at the start as was the case here. There were also a lot of PoVs (which I usually like, but again it wasn't helping me at the time).

It took me like 2-3 days to get to the 50% mark, but then things started picking up. STUFF started happening and I was glued to the pages after that. It took me less than a day to finish the book...

So yes, slow start but once it gets going it REALLY gets going. I got used to all the PoVs. Obviously I liked some more than others, but they were all necessary, which of course meant I was attached to way too many characters both secondary and main PoV ones, and the end was just SO HORRIBLE. Not in a bad way, just in a breaking-your-heart kind of way.

There are so many things going on here, so many different players in this war. Even wars within wars. You think you know who your enemies are and what war you are fighting.

You don't.

There is string pulling, back stabbing - sometimes literal back stabbing - and just so much awesome. It's hard to appreciate all this at the start because well, you have no clue what the hell is going on, who is who, and just utterly lost.

But then you start picking up on things.

Actions here, some words over there, some messages over here, secret meetings and all of a sudden you, the reader, know what is going on, but your beloved characters don't have the whole picture obviously, but you know it's going to get bad, and then it does! And you just have to sit and watch it all happen! and...



If you are a fantasy lover. Malice is a must!

So...

Would I Recommend it?

***

Other books in The Faithful and the Fallen:

1. Malice
2. Valor
3. Untitled
4. Untitled

Unraveling: Neanderthal Marries Human by Penny Reid

Title: Neanderthal Marries Human

Series: Knitting in the City Book One and a Half

Author: Penny Reid
Genre: Adult Romance Comedy

Publication Date: June 14, 2014

There are three things you should know about Quinn Sullivan: 1) He is madly in love with Janie Morris, 2) He’s not above playing dirty to get what (or who) he wants, and 3) He doesn’t know how to knit.

After just five months of dating Janie, Quinn—former Wendell and unapologetic autocrat—is ready to propose marriage. In fact, he’s more than ready. If it were up to Quinn, he would efficiently propose, marry, and beget Janie with child all in the same day—thereby avoiding the drama and angst that accompanies the four stages of pre-matrimony: engagement, meeting the parents, bachelor/bachelorette party, and overblown, superfluous wedding day traditions. But Janie, much to Quinn’s dismay, tosses a wrench in his efficacious endeavors and challenges him to prove his devotion by going through the matrimonial motions, no matter how minute and mundane.

Will Quinn last until the wedding day? Or will he yield to his tyrant impulses?

Regardless, one thing is for certain, Quinn Sullivan will have to learn to expect the Spanish Inquisition (i.e. the unexpected) if he plans to have and keep Janie Morris as his wife.

  

***

My Thoughts

I loved this! Specially that last chapter with the missing scene from Vegas *sigh*. So beautiful! And the whole wedding scene and the speeches *sniffs*. Lovely.

There were a few grammatical errors but who cares! I had a goofy grin on my face through out the whole book, with the occasional laugh bursting out. I really liked seeing things from Quinn's point of view.

Even though I'm not a fan of the whole possessive thing, it was great getting in his head and finding out how he process things. It made him much more real and human than in the first book, Neanderthal Seeks Human. It gave him a warmth and depth that had been lacking. We also got to see him interact with Dan and Nico and show a different side of himself. Loved the scene when they first meet Nico. So adorable! xD

Loved getting back to the ladies and that trip to Vegas, so reminiscent of The Hangover was excellent Lol. The love and support these ladies have for each other is heartwarming. I was also very intrigued with Shelly, Quinn's sister, and I'm hoping that Reid will consider writing her story as well.

This book gave me the warm and fuzzies and that's exactly what I've come to expect from Reid's books. So kudos to Reid for another great book!

So...

Would I Recommend it?

***

Other books in the Knitting in the City series:

1. Neanderthal Seeks Human
1. Neanderthal Marries Human
2. Friends Without Benefits
3. Love Hacked
4. Beauty and the Mustache

Upcoming Releases - Week of July 21st

Here are the releases for the upcoming week of July 21 - July 27, 2014

Tuesday, July 22, 2014

Thursday, July 24, 2014

Books I'm looking forward to:

• The Fire Wish by Amber Lough

Fire Wish is about Djinn, need I say more? Had a chance to read Dissonance already and it was pretty damn good. Really liked the concept.

What books are you looking forward to?

Unraveling: King of Thorns by Mark Lawrence

Title: The King of Thorns

Series: The Broken Empire Book Two

Author: Mark Lawrence
Genre: Epic Fantasy

Publication Date: August 7, 2012

The second book in the Broken Empire series, Lawrence takes his young anti-hero one step closer to his grand ambition.

To reach greatness you must step on bodies, and many brothers lie trodden in my wake. I’ve walked from pawn to player and I’ll win this game of ours, though the cost of it may drown the world in blood…

The land burns with the fires of a hundred battles as lords and petty kings fight for the Broken Empire. The long road to avenge the slaughter of his mother and brother has shown Prince Honorous Jorg Ancrath the hidden hands behind this endless war. He saw the game and vowed to sweep the board. First though he must gather his own pieces, learn the rules of play, and discover how to break them.

A six nation army, twenty thousand strong, marches toward Jorg's gates, led by a champion beloved of the people. Every decent man prays this shining hero will unite the empire and heal its wounds. Every omen says he will. Every good king knows to bend the knee in the face of overwhelming odds, if only to save their people and their lands. But King Jorg is not a good king.

Faced by an enemy many times his strength Jorg knows that he cannot win a fair fight. But playing fair was never part of Jorg’s game plan.

  

***

My Thoughts

A time of terror comes. A dark time. The graves continue to open and the Dead King prepares to sail. But the world holds worse things than dead men. A dark time comes.
My time.
If it offends you.
Stop me.

I LOVE this book. I hadn't read a book where it's main character is so dark, harsh, uncompromising and utterly unapologetic for it in a long time. He revels in it. He makes no excuses for his actions. Even with all that he does you just can't help but like the guy anyway. He has his own demons, but he still has his own sense of morality and lines he tries not to cross, not that he is always successful in that, but he never promised anything more.

We’re built of contradictions, all of us. It’s those opposing forces that give us strength, like an arch, each block pressing the next. Give me a man whose parts are all aligned in agreement and I’ll show you madness. We walk a narrow path, insanity to each side. A man without contradictions to balance him will soon veer off.

Usually when there is a main character that is actually clever and smart, stupid nonsensical shit has to happen for the mc to fail or prove himself. Not here. There is nothing stupid or nonsensical about Jorg's actions nor the way the plot weaves it's course. It's all logical in it's own right and Jorg acts within his own characters passions, strengths and weaknesses.

“I always trust you to deliver, Coddin,” I said, though I had Makin carry a second and had a third with Keppen. Trust is a fine thing but try not to build plans upon it.

And this wasn't just gory, depressing, shit happening all the time. I had to stop at reading at one point because there was a scene with a dog and torture. Horrible. There is still enough humor - albeit morbid humor - running around to still bring a smile to your face between all the killing and dying.

“You’re going now?” Makin asked, putting down his bottle-in-a-basket.
“Well, unless you want to drink till we’re all sunburnt and maudlin and then declare undying love for each other and part with drunken hugs?” I said.

And then there is the writing itself. It's engaging, addicting, beautiful without being flowery. Just the right mix.

Memory is all we are. Moments and feelings, captured in amber, strung on filaments of reason. Take a man’s memories and you take all of him.

I'm not saying this book was perfect, cause it wasn't, but sure came close in my eyes. The only less than awesome points were the going back and forth of the timeline, mostly cause I just had NO PATIENCE for the flashbacks sometimes, and wanted to see what happened next in Jorg's uber battle in the Highlands. So lovers of fantasy everywhere, this is a MUST read.

So...

Would I Recommend it?

***

Other books in The Broken Empire:

1. Prince of Thorns
1. Select Mode
2. King of Thorns
1. Sleeping Beauty
3. Emperor of Thorns

Upcoming Releases - Week of July 14th

Here are the releases for the upcoming week of July 14 - July 20, 2014

*Clicking on the cover will take you to it's Goodreads' page. Clicking on the title will take you to Amazon.*

Tuesday, July 15, 2014

Revolutionary (Anomaly #3)
by Krista McGee

All her life Thalli thought she was an anomaly. Now she must use her gifts to fulfill the role she was called to play: Revolutionary.

Back in the underground State against her will, Thalli is no longer the anomaly she was before. She has proven herself to be a powerful leader aboveground and returns with information that Dr. Loudin needs to complete his plan of uniting the world under one leader: himself. But he, too, has information. A secret he has kept from Thalli her entire life. A secret that, once revealed, changes everything about the person Thalli thought she was.

Hoping to help Thalli rise up against the Scientists, both Berk and Alex join her underground, but their presence only brings more trouble for her. Now Dr. Loudin knows just the leverage to use on his captive, and she is forced to choose between the two of them. Is her first love her true love? Or does Alex ultimately claim her heart?

Unsure of everything around her, including her own identity, Thalli doesn’t know where to turn. She knows she needs the Designer, but he seems further away than ever. What she does know, though, is that if she doesn’t do something to stop Loudin, the fragile world aboveground will be lost once and for all.

Illusive (Illusive #1)
by Emily Lloyd-Jones

The X-Men meets Ocean's Eleven in this edge-of-your-seat sci-fi adventure about a band of "super" criminals.

When the MK virus swept across the planet, a vaccine was created to stop the epidemic, but it came with some unexpected side effects. A small percentage of the population developed superhero-like powers. Seventeen-year-old Ciere Giba has the handy ability to change her appearance at will. She's what's known as an illusionist...She's also a thief.

After a robbery goes awry, Ciere must team up with a group of fellow super-powered criminals on another job that most would consider too reckless. The formula for the vaccine that gave them their abilities was supposedly destroyed years ago. But what if it wasn't?

The lines between good and bad, us and them, and freedom and entrapment are blurred as Ciere and the rest of her crew become embroiled in a deadly race against the government that could cost them their lives.

Dirty Wings (All Our Pretty Songs #2)
by Sarah McCarry

A gorgeous retelling of the Persephone myth, Sarah McCarry brings us the story of Cass and Maia--the mothers from All Our Pretty Songs--and how their fates became intertwined.

Maia is a teenage piano prodigy and dutiful daughter, imprisoned in the oppressive silence of her adoptive parents' house like a princess in an ivory tower. Cass is a street rat, witch, and runaway, scraping by with her wits and her knack for a five-fingered discount. When a chance encounter brings the two girls together, an unlikely friendship blossoms that will soon change the course of both their lives. Cass springs Maia from the jail of the only world she's ever known, and Maia's only too happy to make a break for it. But Cass didn't reckon on Jason, the hypnotic blue-eyed rocker who'd capture Maia's heart as soon as Cass set her free--and Cass isn't the only one who's noticed Maia's extraordinary gifts. Is Cass strong enough to battle the ancient evil she's unwittingly awakened--or has she walked into a trap that will destroy everything she cares about? In this time, like in any time, love is a dangerous game.

The Zodiac Collector
by Laura Diamond

For almost-16 year-old Anne Devans, the annual Renaissance
Faire means three things—her dad spending weeks in the smithy, her bipolar mom doing some manic costume making, and another ruined birthday for her and her twin sister, Mary.

This year, Anne wants things to be different, and she's going to do things her way.

On the eve of the Faire, Anne (along with a reluctant Mary) conjures up a spell that will make their 16th birthday party a whirlwind event.Little do they know that it's a literal request.

After the mini tornado in their room subsides, the girls realize they've invoked the power of the Gemini Twins, Castor and Pollux. That's the good news. The bad news is they also caught the attention of a sorceress named Zeena who has been collecting children born under each Zodiac Sign to enhance her power. Once she captures Anne and Mary, Gemini twins, the entire Zodiac—and the world—will be hers.

Anne leads the fight against Zeena, but her one-sided decisions could throw them into a world so far from home, even the Renaissance Faire would seem like a brilliant vacation. Between managing their new Zodiac powers, dodging their manic mother and trying to stop Zeena, they'll get a 16th birthday they'll never forget.

Breathe, Annie, Breathe (Hundred Oaks #5)
by Miranda Kenneally

Annie hates running. No matter how far she jogs, she can’t escape the guilt that if she hadn’t broken up with Kyle, he might still be alive. So to honor his memory, she starts preparing for the marathon he intended to race.

But the training is even more grueling than Annie could have imagined. Despite her coaching, she’s at war with her body, her mind—and her heart. With every mile that athletic Jeremiah cheers her on, she grows more conflicted. She wants to run into his arms…and sprint in the opposite direction. For Annie, opening up to love again may be even more of a challenge than crossing the finish line.

Through the Woods
by Emily Carroll

A fantastically dark and timeless graphic debut, for fans of Grimm Tales, The Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy and the works of Neil Gaiman

'It came from the woods. Most strange things do.'

Five mysterious, spine-tingling stories follow journeys into (and out of?) the eerie abyss.

These chilling tales spring from the macabre imagination of acclaimed and award-winning comic creator Emily Carroll.

Come take a walk in the woods and see what awaits you there...

Full Fathom Five (Craft Sequence #3)
by Max Gladstone

The third novel set in the addictive and compelling fantasy world of Three Parts Dead.

On the island of Kavekana, Kai builds gods to order, then hands them to others to maintain. Her creations aren’t conscious and lack their own wills and voices, but they accept sacrifices, and protect their worshippers from other gods—perfect vehicles for Craftsmen and Craftswomen operating in the divinely controlled Old World. When Kai sees one of her creations dying and tries to save her, she’s grievously injured—then sidelined from the business entirely, her near-suicidal rescue attempt offered up as proof of her instability. But when Kai gets tired of hearing her boss, her coworkers, and her ex-boyfriend call her crazy, and starts digging into the reasons her creations die, she uncovers a conspiracy of silence and fear—which will crush her, if Kai can’t stop it first.

Half a King(Shattered Sea #1)
by Joe Abercrombie

“I swore an oath to avenge the death of my father. I may be half a man, but I swore a whole oath.”

Prince Yarvi has vowed to regain a throne he never wanted. But first he must survive cruelty, chains, and the bitter waters of the Shattered Sea. And he must do it all with only one good hand.

The deceived will become the deceiver.

Born a weakling in the eyes of his father, Yarvi is alone in a world where a strong arm and a cold heart rule. He cannot grip a shield or swing an axe, so he must sharpen his mind to a deadly edge.

The betrayed will become the betrayer.

Gathering a strange fellowship of the outcast and the lost, he finds they can do more to help him become the man he needs to be than any court of nobles could.

Will the usurped become the usurper?

But even with loyal friends at his side, Yarvi finds his path may end as it began—in twists, and traps, and tragedy.

The Book of Life(All Souls Trilogy #3)
by Deborah Harkness

The highly anticipated finale to the #1 New York Times bestselling trilogy that began with A Discovery of Witches

After traveling through time in Shadow of Night, the second book in Deborah Harkness’s enchanting series, historian and witch Diana Bishop and vampire scientist Matthew Clairmont return to the present to face new crises and old enemies. At Matthew’s ancestral home at Sept-Tours, they reunite with the cast of characters from A Discovery of Witches—with one significant exception. But the real threat to their future has yet to be revealed, and when it is, the search for Ashmole 782 and its missing pages takes on even more urgency. In the trilogy’s final volume, Harkness deepens her themes of power and passion, family and caring, past deeds and their present consequences. In ancestral homes and university laboratories, using ancient knowledge and modern science, from the hills of the Auvergne to the palaces of Venice and beyond, the couple at last learn what the witches discovered so many centuries ago.

Knight Avenged(Circle of Seven #2)
by Coreene Callahan

Alone in a world on the brink of war…two unlikely allies will discover a love greater than time.

Exiled from her home, powerful oracle Cosmina Cordei holds the key to uniting those protecting mankind from evil. But just as she makes her way into the holy city to perform an ancient rite, the enemy closes in for the kill…

Drawn by a destiny he won’t accept, elite assassin Henrik Lazar detests the mystical curse handed down by his mother. But when the sorcery in his blood is activated and past pain comes back to haunt him, his new abilities come into play and he must learn to control them.

Rescued by Henrik in the heat of battle, Cosmina must decide whether to trust the assassin who loathes the goddess she serves or face certain death on her own. Forced into an untenable position, Henrik is left with a terrible choice—protect the magical Order he despises, or deny destiny and lose the woman he loves forever.

Thursday, July 17, 2014

The Savage Kingdom
by Simon David Eden

Everyone has the potential to change the world, but some are born to do it
When Drue's beloved cat Will-C goes missing, she's unaware that his disappearance is the start of the greatest global conflict the world has ever known. The animal kingdom has declared war on mankind, and now domesticated creatures must choose who to fight for: Man or Beast.

Cast into a world full of danger, but determined to rescue Will-C and bring him home, Drue starts out on a quest and makes an astonishing discovery: an ancient tribe of shape-shifters, who have lived in the shadows since the dawn of time, are about to play a key role in shaping the future - but can they save mankind? And what role is Drue herself about to play?

Books I'm looking forward to:

• Illusive by Emily Lloyd-Jones
• Half A King by Joe Abercombie

It's my birthday today! Woot! Turning 24..Can't believe it lol. I just don't feel like I'm actually 24 xD

So, anyone else think the cover for The Savage Kingdom is...weird? Lol. Can't wait to read Half A King. A fantasy where the MC only has 1 hand :o. Illusive sounds like my type of book with the superhero powers, but been seeing very mixed reviews so I'll wait a bit longer.

What books are you looking forward to?