Book Review: The Silver Swan by Elena Deblanco

Author: Elena Delbanco
Series: N/A
Publisher: Other Press
Release Date: May 19th 2015
My Rating: 3.5 cups
Source: Netgalley
Blurb (from Goodreads):

A debut novel about a daughter grappling with the legacy of her famous and imposing cellist father, the secrets he has hidden from her, and the fate of his great Stradivarius cello.

Alexander Feldmann is a revered and sought-after performer whose prodigious talent, striking good looks and worldly charm prove irresistible to all who hear and encounter him. After years of searching, he acquires a glorious cello, the Silver Swan, a rare Stradivarius masterpiece long lost to the world of music.

Mariana is Alexander’s only child and the maestro has large ambitions for her. By the age of nineteen she emerges as a star cellist in her own right, and is seen as the inheritor of her father's genius. There are whispers that her career might well outpace his. Mariana believes the Silver Swan will one day be hers, until a stunning secret from her father’s past entwines her fate and that of the Silver Swan in ways she could never have imagined.

*Disclaimer: I received this e-galley from Netgalley and Other Press in exchange for an honest review.

The first thing that appealed to me about the book was that it had nothing to do with what I normally read. I haven't read many books about musicians so far. And when I read an excerpt of this book something about the tone of the story and the narrative appealed to me.

There's a cinematic feel to this book. The way the scenes are put together, with the past and present mingling gave me the feeling of not only reading, but also watching a movie. I thought the way the author wrote the flashback scenes was very well done. I did, however, get confused at some point. This was because, although I felt that they explained a lot about Mariana and Claude's personalities, some of the flashbacks were introduced with no warning whatsoever. So it took a while to realize I was reading a memory.

Man, I felt for Mariana the entire time I read the book. She was ignored by her mother, treated like a soon-to-be clone by her father while she was growing up, then as a maid while he was old, her ex was a creep, and her love interest is...well, he's not that good either. Oh, and let's not forget the big hits her father delivered after he died, with his will and the "after I die" letter. I kept wondering how is it that she was sane, poor woman.

The novel is told from both Mariana and Claude's POVs. There were some aspects of the story that make more sense when told this way. It also helped me tolerate Claude more than I would've had there been only one POV. Claude wasn't the easiest character to like, but getting his side of the story made me understand why he was acting a certain way.

I liked this novel. I would've wanted a bit more time spent in the present time and less in the flashbacks, which were at times distracting. It was a quick read and if you're in the mood for something new, this might be the read for you.

Final Rating: 3.5 cups

Because the story was different from what I normally read, I'll give it 2 Jolly Rogers.

Mini-update and hiatus

Hey guys! So I know I've been missing a lot. I'm spending my time trying to write my thesis so I can finish it by July. I am so ready to be done with this school stuff, TBH.

I posted this on Twitter earlier, but I thought I'd share this on my blog too. I won't have internet for a while. I don't know how much time before I'll be able to post again. Hopefully, the guys from the internet will move fast and in a couple of weeks I'll be back, but I can't be sure. Anyway, just wanted to let you know. I might be able to check my email, but I'm not really sure about that.

I hope you have a great Friday, a better weekend and happy reading, fellow book lovers! See you in a while *smooches*

Obsessed with covers #19: The Immortal Heights, Ink and Bone & The Isle of the Lost

Y'all know how much I love a pretty cover. I think about...40% of the books that end up on my shelves (be they physical or digital) do so because of the covers. Call me shallow but you have to admit that a pretty, shiny cover will catch your eye faster than a dull, boring one. Two, simple rules that I'll follow:

• 1, 2 or 3 (no more than 3, though) covers per week;
• books should be new-ish; no more than 2 years old.

Oh, before I share the covers that made me drool or want to stare at them for hours and hours, I have to say something. This is a semi-original idea. Why semi? Because almost every book blogger has something similar. The only thing I came up with was the title. If by any chance there's another blogger with a similar feature with the same title, I assure you I'm not stealing your idea. I'm just THAT bad with titles. Believe me, I'd love to be smarter and have a witty name for this feature, but I don't. So, no copyright infringement/theft/steal or anything of the sort was desired. All I can say is sorry :P

So, here are the prettiest covers I've seen this week.

 This is such a gorgeous cover! It has dragons on it! And they spit out (or breath, however you want to see it!) lightning. Aside from that, the colors used are fantastic. I do hope that in real life the colors are a little bit stronger. I totally need this series on my shelf, because all books have gorgeous covers.










The Immortal Heights - Sherry Thomas

 This is so pretty! First of all, the font used for the title is so, so awesome. It makes me think of those really old books you see in museums. And then there's a glimpse of old books sitting on a shelf, which is so great. And Goodreads says this is a book about books, so that is even more awesome. However, what I like most are the two lions in the back, that kind of make the entire upper part of the cover look like a giant coat of arms. Or like a coat of arms is hidden behind the ink stain. Also, the quote at the end of the cover is great, because knowledge really is power :)

Ink and Bone - Rachel Caine

This is such a cute cover! I love the font used for the title. And I love how simple the cover is. I'd like to see it in real life, but I really hope that the thorns or the title is embossed.












The Isle of the Lost - Melissa De La Cruz

Follow Friday #20

Welcome to Follow Friday hosted this week by Parajunkee and Alison!
The main idea behind FF is just to go see a bunch of new blogs you may never have seen before, and follow the ones you like (and they’ll follow you back!) It’s a total win/win, so take a peek around!


This week’s question is:

Here is €/£/$100,000. Buy something. Anything at all! What would be the first thing you choose, and why?

I'd buy a house. Or make the deposit for one. OR I could invest the money (which for truth's sake, I'll never be able to, because when it comes to economics, I'm in way, waaaay over my head, but this is a hypothetical situation, right? :P ) and after a while I'd be able to build my dream house, which includes a huge library *dreamy sigh*

What would you do it someone gave you €/£/$100,000 ?

Book Review: Never Sleep by Cady Vance

Author: Cady Vance
Series: -
Publisher: CreateSpace
Release Date: February 23rd 2015
My Rating: 5 cups
Blurb (from Goodreads):

127 days without sleep.

Thora Green had a life once upon a time. But that ended the day her parents enrolled her in sleep clinic prison. At the facility, her chronic months-long insomnia is observed by scads of doctors, but she is never actually treated for her dire disease. In a feat of desperation, Thora escapes and heads straight for New York City. Buried deep in the city’s underbelly, there is rumored to be a secret haven called the Insomniacs’ Café: a place where people like Thora can find relief.

As Thora joins forces with Aiden and Florence, two fellow insomniacs, their midnight quest will take them from the dusty bookshelves of The Strand, to the smokey underground clubs in the Lower East Side, to countless taxi and subway rides. Clues leading to their final destination are waiting for them at every turn. But so are Sleepers—a powerful core of sworn-enemies to all Insomniacs— who wish to see Thora and her friends destroyed at any cost.

I won this book in a giveaway on BookLikes.

Oh wow. WOW! I don't even know where to start talking about this book. I so did not see that one coming! Okay... *deep breath* So here's the thing. I was so surprised by this book. The idea of this book was so new to me. I've never read about insomniacs before.

I liked the twists and turns, some of which I did not see coming at all. The pacing was fantastic. The author gives us tiny scenes from the past, to see how it is that Thora and her brother got to be patients at the Clinic. Those scenes were placed so well in the story, making the tension from the present time seem a little bit bigger, since I wanted to get back to Thora and her friends. And I loved the little quotes at the beginning of the chapters, which kind of set the tone for that chapter and gave an additional explanation as to what and why things were happening.

I loved Thora. She was very sarcastic at times and very funny. She was brave, very brave in some situations where most people would have given up on everything. It was amazing to see how she would gather up whatever energy she had left and keep going, keep trying to find a way to get people to safety. She also knew how to be vulnerable and when to be scared, but also how to not let her fear overwhelm her. I was sad for her, because I kept wondering what the hell were her parents thinking about when they sent her to the Clinic. Why they were acting the way they did when they visited her and her brother. I did get to find the answer to that question at the end of the book, though it was so, so not what I thought it was.

I can't say much without giving the plot away, but the last few chapters were very fast paced. There were a lot of things that happened that were huge and that explained in a way what was happening to the insomniacs and why. The only thing I'm hoping is that a sequel is coming out and that it's coming out soon, because I absolutely adored this world and I'm not ready for it to be over.

Cover Reveal: Every Last Breath by Jennifer L. Armentrout

We are so excited to bring you the Cover Reveal for EVERY LAST BREATH, the hotly anticipated conclusion to the Dark Elements trilogy from #1 New York Times bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout!! EVERY LAST BREATH is a Young Adult Paranormal being published by Harlequin Teen and is a part of Jennifer L. Armentrout’s The Dark Elements Series. It is being released on July 28^th, 2015. Pre-order EVERY LAST BREATH and then be sure to read the first books in this amazing series before its release!

 

Amazon ** Barnes and Noble ** iBooks ** IndieBound ** Kobo ** BAM

  EVERY LAST BREATH Synopsis: Some loves will last 'til your dying breath Every choice has consequences—but seventeen-year-old Layla faces tougher choices than most. Light or darkness. Wickedly sexy demon prince Roth, or Zayne, the gorgeous, protective Warden she never thought could be hers. Hardest of all, Layla has to decide which side of herself to trust. Layla has a new problem, too. A Lilin—the deadliest of demons—has been unleashed, wreaking havoc on those around her…including her best friend. To keep Sam from a fate much, much worse than death, Layla must strike a deal with the enemy while saving her city—and her race—from destruction. Torn between two worlds and two different boys, Layla has no certainties, least of all survival, especially when an old bargain comes back to haunt them all. But sometimes, when secrets are everywhere and the truth seems unknowable, you have to listen to your heart, pick a side—and then fight like hell… “Armentrout is a major talent…I just can’t stop reading!” --New York Times bestselling author Gena Showalter “Armentrout works her magic with swoon-worthy guys and a twist you never see coming.” --#1 New York Times bestselling author Abbi Glines on White Hot Kiss

And we have a surprise for you! The first books in the series have been given a new look too!!

Don't miss the previous titles in The Dark Elements Series-now with new covers! Readers interested in downloading the new cover jackets for their previously purchased Dark Elements Series titles, can download them HERE!

For best results when downloading the new cover jackets:

• Print on 8.5x14" (Legal paper)
• Use landscape or horizontal setting = 8.5" tall x 14" wide
• Print at 100% scale or "actual size"
• Print with the image centered on page
• Fold and trim to fit

Amazon ** Barnes and Noble ** BAM ** iBooks ** IndieBound ** Kobo ** Walmart

  WHITE HOT KISS synopsis: One kiss could be the last. Seventeen-year-old Layla just wants to be normal. But with a kiss that kills anything with a soul, she's anything but normal. Half demon, half gargoyle, Layla has abilities no one else possesses. Raised among the Wardens—a race of gargoyles tasked with hunting demons and keeping humanity safe—Layla tries to fit in, but that means hiding her own dark side from those she loves the most. Especially Zayne, the swoon-worthy, incredibly gorgeous and completely off-limits Warden she's crushed on since forever. Then she meets Roth—a tattooed, sinfully hot demon who claims to know all her secrets. Layla knows she should stay away, but she's not sure she wants to—especially when that whole no-kissing thing isn't an issue, considering Roth has no soul. But when Layla discovers she's the reason for the violent demon uprising, trusting Roth could not only ruin her chances with Zayne…it could brand her a traitor to her family. Worse yet, it could become a one-way ticket to the end of the world.

Amazon ** Barnes and Noble ** iBooks ** IndieBound ** Kobo ** BAM

  STONE COLD TOUCH Synopsis: Every touch has its price Layla Shaw is trying to pick up the pieces of her shattered life—no easy task for a seventeen-year-old who’s pretty sure things can’t get worse. Her impossibly gorgeous best friend, Zayne, is forever off-limits thanks to the mysterious powers of her soul-stealing kiss. The Warden clan that has always protected her is suddenly keeping dangerous secrets. And she can barely think about Roth, the wickedly hot demon prince who understood her in ways no one else could. But sometimes rock bottom is only the beginning. Because suddenly Layla’s powers begin to evolve, and she’s offered a tantalizing taste of what has always been forbidden.  Then, when she least expects it, Roth returns, bringing news that could change her world forever. She’s finally getting what she always wanted, but with hell literally breaking loose and the body count adding up, the price may be higher than Layla is willing to pay… "Constantly entertaining...the narrative sizzles with as much tension as romance." —Kirkus Reviews on White Hot Kiss

 And the Prequel Novella, BITTER SWEET LOVE...

 

Amazon ** Barnes and Noble ** iBooks ** BAM ** Kobo

  BITTER SWEET LOVE Synopsis: In a sizzling prequel novella to her new series The Dark Elements, #1 New York Times bestselling author Jennifer L. Armentrout draws readers into the extraordinary, irresistible world of Wardens and demons. Dez wasn't just Jasmine's crush. A gargoyle Warden like Jas, he helped her come to terms with her destiny—fending off demons and maintaining the balance between good and evil. He was her everything…right until the moment he disappeared without a trace. It didn't help that Jas's father had just announced that she and Dez would one day be mated. Hard not to take that personally. And now he's back, three years older, ten times hotter, ready to pick up exactly where they left off. But Jas isn't taking that risk again. Dez has seven days to meet all her conditions and earn back her trust. Seven days filled with terrifying danger and sweet temptation. Seven days to win her heart—or shatter it all over again… "With her signature flare for combining humor, romance and action, Armentrout weaves a fast-paced read that will have readers' hearts racing in more ways than one. Like Armentrout's previous heroines, Jasmine is fun and full of attitude, while Dez is as snarky as he is sexy. This is a must read for new and old fans alike!" -RT Book Reviews   Jennifer L. Armentrout/J.Lynn Bio: # 1 NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY Bestselling author Jennifer lives in Martinsburg, West Virginia. All the rumors you’ve heard about her state aren’t true. When she’s not hard at work writing. she spends her time reading, working out, watching really bad zombie movies, pretending to write, and hanging out with her husband and her Jack Russell Loki. Her dreams of becoming an author started in algebra class, where she spent most of her time writing short stories….which explains her dismal grades in math. Jennifer writes young adult paranormal, science fiction, fantasy, and contemporary romance. She is published with Spencer Hill Press, Entangled Teen and Brazen, Disney/Hyperion and Harlequin Teen. Her book Obsidian has been optioned for a major motion picture and her Covenant Series has been optioned for TV. She also writes adult and New Adult romance under the name J. Lynn. She is published by Entangled Brazen and HarperCollins.  

Website | Twitter | Facebook | Jennifer L. Armentrout Goodreads | EVERY LAST BREATH Goodreads | STONE COLD TOUCH Goodreads | WHITE HOT KISS Goodreads | BITTER SWEET LOVE Goodreads