Feature and Follow Friday #26

A weekly meme hosted by Alison Can Read & Parajunkee's View 

 How it Works: 
The Feature & Follow is hosted by TWO hosts, Parajunkee of Parajunkee's View and Alison of Alison Can Read. Each host will have their own Feature Blog and this way it'll allow us to show off more new blogs!

How does this work? First you visit the blogs of our illustrious hosts and leave your name on the post using using the linky tools, then you create a post on your own blog that links back to this post (easiest way is to just grab the code under the #FF picture and put it in your post) and then you visit as many blogs as you can and tell them "hi" in their comments (on the post that has the #FF image). You follow them, they follow you. Win. Win. Just make sure to follow back if someone follows you!

What sets this Hop apart from others, is our Feature. Each week we will showcase a Featured Blogger, from all different genres and areas. Find out below. Just remember it is required, if you participate, to follow our Features and you must follow the hosts (Parajunkee & Alison Can Read) as a courtesy. How do you follow someone? Well, if you have a preference, state it in your #FF post. A lot of blogs are transitioning to Wordpress in which they do not have the luxury of GFC, so an RSS subscription is appreciated or if you choose an email subscription. If you don't have GFC please state in your post how you would like to be followed.

This Week's Question:

Which living author(s) would you like to have dinner with?

This Week's Answer:

Well beyond J.K. Rowling? I would definitely say George R.R. Martin. I'm obsessed with the A Song of Ice and Fire series so I would love to have dinner with GRRM to pick his brain about Westeros and tell him all my elaborate theories as to what I think everything means and what is going to happen. Then if he doesn't tell me I will guilt him into getting on with the writing because we need The Winds of Winter ASAP!

Also I would love to have dinner with Rainbow Rowell because I think we would have lots of fun and I want her to be my BFF! 

Who would you want to have dinner with? Leave me a comment with your thoughts.

And remember this is a blog hop so take a look around and if you like what you see give me a follow and leave me a comment so I can follow back. I am indifferent to the manner in which you follow so pick your poison: GFC, Bloglovin, or Twitter. Although I have been so close to 100 GFC followers for a few weeks so it would be amazing if you get me over that hump! Thanks for dropping by, Happy FF and HAPPY READING!

Book Review: Sekret by Lindsay Smith

Title: Sekret Series: Sekret #1 Author: Lindsay Smith Published: April 2014 by Macmillan Amazon Goodreads Synopsis:An empty mind is a safe mind. Yulia's father always taught her to hide her thoughts and control her emotions to survive the harsh realities of Soviet Russia. But when she's captured by the KGB and forced to work as a psychic spy with a mission to undermine the U.S. space program, she's thrust into a world of suspicion, deceit, and horrifying power. Yulia quickly realizes she can trust no one--not her KGB superiors or the other operatives vying for her attention--and must rely on her own wits and skills to survive in this world where no SEKRET can stay hidden for long.

This book was one of my top three most anticipated books of the spring. I did a Waiting on Wednesday post back in March explaining exactly why I was so excited to read a Historical Fantasy/Mystery set in Soviet Russia during the 1960s and how everything in this book is what that I love reading. So I got my hands on a copy awhile back but because of my themed months on the blog I had yet to read it. Then Violet from Paper Worlds and Swirls of Ink suggested we read the book together and I jumped at the opportunity. The book not only met but exceeded my expectations.

One of the best parts of this book for me was the world and historical setting. As Historical Fiction, the book takes actual events such as the space race and the Bay of Pigs invasion with figures of the time like Khrushchev to give the book a realistic significance. And like all good books in the genre it is well-researched and interesting. But what Lindsay did beautifully is take a period of history and a setting that is already interesting, and full of suspicion and conflict, and made it even more interesting by expounding on a speculative idea from the time, that they were experimenting with people who had psychic powers. The inclusion of the world of the teen psychics made the book much more complex and intriguing. Each of the characters in the books had their own unique power. The powers ranged from being able to read people's minds, see the future, and the ability to erase memories. Many of them were very cool powers including our main character Yulia's who could see the memories by touch. It reminded me a little bit of The Darkest Minds. I loved the world that Lindsay Smith created in Sekret.

But what hooked me on the book more than the world was the plot. This book was an absolute page-turner. It's been awhile since I read a spy thriller and that's exactly what this book felt like. The characters went on these exciting missions to find out important intel to help the KGB. The very first chapter is loaded with action and it doesn't slow down from there. There is never a dull moment as the book is full of thrills and mystery. I spent most of the book developing elaborate theories about what was happening and what was going to happen next. And while I was correct on a bunch of the big twists the book still managed to keep my interest and shocked me more than once. It was the kind of book that I would have liked to read in one sitting, if only life didn't get in the way!

And what also made the book even more interesting and thrilling was the characters. Like all good spy thrillers Sekret is full of suspicious people who make you wonder if they are good or evil. They're the kind of characters that make you question if they are doing the right thing for the wrong reasons or the wrong thing for the right reasons. Throughout the novel your opinion of many characters shifts and changes as you realize their motivations and view their actions in a different light. But even better than that, there is a sinister villain in this story that is totally intriguing and they perform more than one dastardly deed. In addition to the detestable characters there are also really likeable characters. Yulia is a great heroine, she's strong and sassy but is also motivated by a deeper goal of protecting her family. And there is a wonderful and swoonworthy romance in this book. I wouldn't quite call it a triangle but Yulia has two options for a relationship and they mirror her choices of staying in the KGB or leaving the psychic program. There are some really sweet and romantic moments that offset the hectic action of the plot.

 I give Sekret by Lindsay Smith a 9.5 out of 10 

It was a fantastic and action-packed book with a unique and exiting world that combined a historical setting with supernatural elements. The characters were complex and interesting, the plot was full of mystery and suspense, and there was a swoonworthy romance to balance it brilliantly. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes Historical Fiction, Supernatural Fantasy, and especially people who like spy thrillers.

ARC Review: The Unwitting by Ellen Feldman

Title: The Unwitting Author: Ellen Feldman Published: May 6, 2014 by Random House Amazon Goodreads In CIA parlance, those who knew were “witting.” Everyone else was among the “unwitting.” On a bright November day in 1963, President Kennedy is shot. That same day, Nell Benjamin receives a phone call with news about her husband, the influential young editor of a literary magazine. As the nation mourns its public loss, Nell has her private grief to reckon with, as well as a revelation about Charlie that turns her understanding of her marriage on its head, along with the world she thought she knew. With the Cold War looming ominously over the lives of American citizens in a battle of the Free World against the Communist powers, the blurry lines between what is true, what is good, and what is right tangle with issues of loyalty and love. As the truths Nell discovers about her beloved husband upend the narrative of her life, she must question her own allegiance: to her career as a journalist, to her country, but most of all to the people she loves. Set in the literary Manhattan of the 1950s, at a journal much like the Paris Review, The Unwitting evokes a bygone era of burgeoning sexual awareness and intrigue and an exuberance of ideas that had the power to change the world. Resonant, illuminating, and utterly absorbing,The Unwitting is about the lies we tell, the secrets we keep, and the power of love in the face of both.

***I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley for an honest review. This has not affected my opinion of the book***

The Unwitting was such a unique and interesting read. The Unwitting is the story of Nell who is a writer married to the editor of a prestigious magazine living in Cold War America, a turbulent time in the world. The book begins in 1963 when Nell's world is torn apart, then we rewind to 1948 and follow her complicated marriage during a complicated time in history. 

First and foremost this book is Historical Fiction. It immerses the reader in the world of America in the 1950's and 60's but not only that, it places you in the world of publishing during the Cold War era. Yes it's modernization and glamorous parties but it's also fighting an ideological war and having to cater to publishers and funding sources that were just as motivated to fight communism at home as the US government was. For idealistic individuals like our characters it was like walking a tight rope between presenting the truth and crafting an acceptable message. The book did an excellent job of portraying this world by bringing in actual events and occurrences including McCarthyism, the assassination of JFK, and numerous other world events from the time. It was well researched and for someone like me who is very intrigued by this period in history it was a thoroughly enjoyable read. 

The book also created a host of interesting and intriguing characters that fit the tone and feeling of uncertainty of the time. Everyone of them was full of secrets and torn between their own personally ideologies and those that they are presenting to others. They were complex, odious, and full of surprises. Many of them walked a fine line of morality which made them so compelling to read about. I was definitely a fan of Nell, the narrator and protagonist of the story. She was smart, sassy, and stuck to her guns. She was one of the few people in this book that had a strong moral compass and ideology. She wanted to use her writing to present the truth to the readers and I respected her for that. But her idealism also leads to naiveté and an inability to see what is really going on. Very quickly you learn that she is an unreliable narrator who didn't see the truth about her husband and her marriage. This fact leads to a whole different tone in the story. 

But the best part was the mystery. The unreliable narrator and turbulent time in history lended itself very well to a book with an ominous tone of questioning everything and everyone that kept me reading till the very end. We learn from the synopsis and the first chapter that our main character didn't know the truth about her husband and that the secrets he kept tore her apart. Throughout most of the book as the reader I spent most of my time trying to solve the mystery and hunt for clues for his secret. If you are familiar with this time period then it won't come as much of a surprise but that doesn't mean that it's not enjoyable to look for validation of your theories (I'm planning a discussion post about this topic). But there is more surprises then just the main mystery. When I thought that I had figured it all out the book shocked me even more. The ending was incredibly satisfying and the book was thoroughly enjoyable. 

I give The Unwitting by Ellen Feldman an 8 out of 10 

I would recommend The Unwitting to fans of Historical Fiction especially those who like books that take place during the Cold War, readers who enjoy Mysteries, and people who like unreliable narrators. Have you read The Unwitting? What did you think? If you haven't read it, check it out!

Top Ten Tuesday: Book Covers to Frame as Art

A weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

1.) These Broken Stars by Aime Kaufman and Meagan Spooner - is there anyone who isn't absolutely in love with this cover? The background, those colors, that dress. Totally gorgeous. When I saw that this was the question, this was the first cover that came to mind.

2.) The Luxe series by Anna Godbersen- I've said it before and I'll say it again I'm a sucker for a girl in a pretty dress cover.  The cover for The Luxe caught my eye across the bookstore years ago and I picked it and loved it. Throughout the series the dresses on the cover get progressively better just as the series does! My personal favorite is Splendor because it's purple.

3.) Across the Universe by Beth Revis - Another gorgeous cover with stars in the background and the colors are fantastic! I also love the disembodied kissing faces which from afar look like a canyon, or something other than faces. I got a hardcover of this book from thriftbooks.com which is awesome and cheap but it didn't come with the dust jacket. I was pissed! That is the best part of this book!

4.) NIL by Lynne Matson - I love a good beach scene. Much of my actual art is beach scenes. On top of the gorgeous tropical scene there is an ominousness about this cover. The colors are bright and monochromatic, the water in the foreground looks like it's moving, and tagline on the cover is amazing! It's absolutely love it and I love this book as well.


5.) Miss Peregrine's School for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs - The photograph that is used on the cover of this book is totally gorgeous, totally creepy, and I totally dig it! I would definitely frame it and hang it on my wall, but not in a pace where I can see it at night, that'd be too creepy!

6.) The Magicians - This is another fantastic series with fantastic covers. I love the simplicity of the first cover. The spooky looking tree with the dingy looking landscape. I find the contrast of the brightness of the green and the grey background so gorgeous!

7.) The Swan Thieves by Elizabeth Kostova - I mean this is kind of cheating because the cover is based on an actual painting but it's still gorgeous and ominous. I would put this painting on my wall and so I would also put this book cover.

8.) Out of Oz - I have always had an unexplained attraction to this book cover. First of all I love the teal, second I love the vines crawling up the statues, but under that beautiful dust jacket is an even more gorgeous illustration that looks like a woodcut. It is the most beautifully undressed book I have ever seen! Check it out undressed HERE

9.) No Place to Fall by Jayne Robin Brown - I recently saw the cover for this book which is to be released later this year and totally fell in love. I mean we all know I love maps. I've said many times that I would love to wallpaper my apartment with maps. Obviously I had to pick a book for this question.

10.) Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce - the colorful and interesting illustration of this book is totally gorgeous! Can we talk about how there are two images going on here, the wolf and the image of the two girls? Can we talk about how long it took me to realize that?

What books would you frame as art to hang on your walls? Leave me a comment with your favorite book covers. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

Book Review: The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon

Title: The Bone Season Series: The Bone Season #1 Author: Samantha Shannon Published: August 2013 by Bloomsbury Amazon Goodreads Synopsis: It is the year 2059. Several major world cities are under the control of a security force called Scion. Paige Mahoney works in the criminal underworld of Scion London, part of a secret cell known as the Seven Seals. The work she does is unusual: scouting for information by breaking into others’ minds. Paige is a dreamwalker, a rare kind of clairvoyant, and in this world, the voyants commit treason simply by breathing. But when Paige is captured and arrested, she encounters a power more sinister even than Scion. The voyant prison is a separate city—Oxford, erased from the map two centuries ago and now controlled by a powerful, otherworldly race. These creatures, the Rephaim, value the voyants highly—as soldiers in their army. Paige is assigned to a Rephaite keeper, Warden, who will be in charge of her care and training. He is her master. Her natural enemy. But if she wants to regain her freedom, Paige will have to learn something of his mind and his own mysterious motives.  The Bone Season introduces a compelling heroine—a young woman learning to harness her powers in a world where everything has been taken from her. It also introduces an extraordinary young writer, with huge ambition and a teeming imagination. Samantha Shannon has created a bold new reality in this riveting debut.

There is so much hype surrounding this book. It was heralded as the next Harry Potter, the next great Fantasy series. People have raved about its creativity and brilliance. I had to read it to see if it lived up to the hype. And while I'm not entirely sure it lived up to Potter standards it was incredibly inventive and entertaining. 

What made this book so unique was the world that Samantha Shannon has created. She did an excellent job of combining supernatural elements from mythology and religion with futuristic elements of technology. It starts off incredibly interesting and reads like a science fiction novel with the combination of supernatural powers and technology as we learn about what life is like in London and the criminal underground. But then very quickly things get more like a fantasy story as Paige is kidnapped and ends up with a group of terrifying supernatural beings. But they were so interesting and intriguing. I spent so much of the book with "huh face" wondering what was going on and what it all meant. The "magical" system in this book was very cool as well. Pretty much all the characters had clairvoyant powers but they were all different. Many of them are things that we think about like being able to read cards use objects to communicate with spirits but then there were other powers like influencing dreams. There's this whole hierarchy and interesting names for what people can do. It's all very complicated and very interesting. 

But that being said, the world-building in this book was its greatest strength but also its greatest weakness. Now don't get me wrong, this world is absolutely amazing, so intriguing and mysterious, but in terms of its execution it was so much info dumping. I was often so overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of the information I was learning. It seemed like every chapter was another massive explanation about what was happening in this world and how it got to be that way. It was more confusing then it needed. Sometimes less is more. I mean there are supposed to be six more books in this series, do we really have to show our hand right away? 

But it still brilliantly introduced an exciting new series. It was an exposition kind of story with so much mystery and action that I was intrigued and entertained from beginning to end. The plot developed and shifted at this crazy hectic pace that was so wonderful. There was so much action to the story. I was worried for the safety of the characters at the same time as I was curious to see where everything would lead. It definitely felt like an action story with battle scenes and bloody fights. The best part was that unlike a lot of books which are planned series, The Bone Season didn't leave me on a cliffhanger. It set up the series but reads like its own independent book.

What it also did really well is introduce lots of amazing and complicated characters. I loved Paige, our MC and protagonist. She was brave, tough, and sassy but she also cared more than herself. She's a great hero for the story. But the book was littered with characters that walked the line between good and evil. More than one character surprised me with where their true alliances lay and the surprises actions that they took throughout different parts of the story. They kept me guessing as much as the plot. 

I give The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon an 8 out of 10 

Comparisons to other enormously successful series have been recklessly thrown at this book since the very beginning but that it's unfair to compare this book to those. My suggestion is not judge it against any other series and just read it on its own merits. It is a book with an interesting and complex world, an action-packed plot, and complicated characters that will keep you guessing. If you're a fan of Dark Fantasy and/or Science Fiction then check out The Bone Season. 

Have you read The Bone Season? What were your thoughts? Do you agree with mine? Leave me a comment and join in the conversation, books are always better when you talk about them. Thanks for stopping by and HAPPY READING!

April Wrap Up and May TBR

April was dystopia month. I had planned to read 8 books all that take place in the future and have the crazy world and/or a shadowy government suppressing the people vibes that Dystopian books always have. It definitely messed with my head to read so many of these types of books at one time, more then even reading a lot of fantasy does. I would say my top two books this month are The Darkest Minds and The Maze Runner. Speaking of The Maze Runner. In April, I hosted my first Read Along and giveaway. Thanks so much to everyone who took part in the read along. I may do more in the future. I really liked reading with others and being able to discuss my thoughts on the book.

Read in April

1.) The Here and Now by Anne Brashares Rating: 7.5 out of 10 Full Review

2.) The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken Rating: 9 out of 10 Full Review

3.) Never Fade by Alexandra Bracken 

Rating: 8.5 out of 10 Full Review

4.) Veronica Mars: The Thousand Dollar Tan Line

by Rob Thomas and Jennifer Graham 

Rating: 9 out of 10 Full Review

5.) The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood 

Rating: 8.5 out of 10 Full Review

6.) Taken by Erin Bowman 

Rating: 7 out of 10 Full Review

7.) Half Bad by Sally Green 

Rating: 9 out of 10 Full Review

8.) The Break-Up Artist by Phillip Siegel Rating: 8 out of 10 Full Review

9.) The Maze Runner by James Dashner Rating: 9 out of 10 Full Review

10.) Frozen by Erin Bowman Rating: 7 out of 10 Full Review

11.) The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon Rating: 8.5 out of 10 Full Review to Come

To Be Read in May

So for the month of May I am taking a break from the themes. There are so many books that I have been wanting to read lately and they do not fit into a neat and tidy themed month. So after seven months of themes I am throwing caution to the wind and reading whatever I want in May. I am slightly nervous because I like knowing exactly what to read next but I do have some plans.

ARC to Review - From Netgalley

The Unwitting by Ellen Feldman Add to Goodreads

This is Adult Historical Fiction set in the Cold War about a woman who learns a secret about her husband years after he is murdered.

We Were Liars by E. Lockhart Add to Goodreads

A Young Adult Mystery with an unreliable narrator. People have been raving about.

Second Star by Alyssa B. Sheinmel Add to Goodreads

A contemporary retelling about Peter Pan and surfing. (I may do retellings in June and wait to read this one)

Other Planned Reads

Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier Add to Goodreads

This is my classic for the month. It's been in my TBR pile for some time and I'm pretty excited to read it.

Sekret by Lindsay Smith Add to Goodreads

I have wanted to read this for so long! It's YA historical fiction/psychic spy thriller set in Cold War Russia

Don't Look Back by Jennifer Armentrout Add to Goodreads

Another one I have wanted to read for awhile. I have heard great things about this YA mystery. The main character is names Samantha and her best friend is names Cassie (just like me and my bf!)

The Scorch Trials by James Dashner Add to Goodreads

The Death Cure by James Dashner Add to Goodreads

I just finished The Maze Runner and I cannot wait to continue with this series. I have a long road trip coming up (to BEA!!!!) so I'm planning to listen to the audiobooks on that trip!

Potential Reads

The Falconer by Elizabeth May Add to Goodreads

This book comes out next week and sounds fantastic! I'm pretty much a sucker for a YA Fantasy series with a strong female protagonist. Also that's a pretty BA title!

Open Road Summer by Emery Lord Add to Goodreads

A YA contemporary that people are raving about! I love country music, road trips, and swoony boys too!

Elusion by Claudia Gabel and Cheryl Klam Add to Goodreads

I won an ARC of this book for being an expert at shoe hoarding and haven't gotten around to reading it. This seems like as good a time as any.

Prisoner of Night and Fog by Anne Blankman Add to Goodreads

I have heard good things about this book as well. I love historical fiction and this book with it's different look at Hilter and Nazism sounds super interesting!

Feature and Follow Friday #24

A weekly meme hosted by
 Alison Can Read & Parajunkee's View

How it Works: 

The Feature & Follow is hosted by TWO hosts, Parajunkee of Parajunkee's View and Alison of Alison Can Read. Each host will have their own Feature Blog and this way it'll allow us to show off more new blogs!

How does this work? First you visit the blogs of our illustrious hosts and leave your name on the post using using the linky tools, then you create a post on your own blog that links back to this post (easiest way is to just grab the code under the #FF picture and put it in your post) and then you visit as many blogs as you can and tell them "hi" in their comments (on the post that has the #FF image). You follow them, they follow you. Win. Win. Just make sure to follow back if someone follows you!

What sets this Hop apart from others, is our Feature. Each week we will showcase a Featured Blogger, from all different genres and areas. Find out below. Just remember it is required, if you participate, to follow our Features and you must follow the hosts (Parajunkee & Alison Can Read) as a courtesy. How do you follow someone? Well, if you have a preference, state it in your #FF post. A lot of blogs are transitioning to Wordpress in which they do not have the luxury of GFC, so an RSS subscription is appreciated or if you choose an email subscription. If you don't have GFC please state in your post how you would like to be followed.

This Week's Question:

Share! Tell us about one of your hobbies that is NOT reading!

This Week's Answer:

I usually hate this question! My brother tells me that watching TV and snuggling with my cat are not hobbies and those are the two things I do other than reading. Besides that I would say cooking and baking. I like trying out new recipes and experimenting with different flavors and dishes to get something delicious like potato gnocchi and butternut squash and mushroom stew.
 

I also really like going bowling. I'm not very good but I still have a lot of fun. When I first moved to Pittsburgh I went all the time with some friends from work. There's this funky bowling alley/bar by my house here. 

This is from when I bowled a 155 my best score ever. It was really a fluke, I got two strikes on the last frame after doing reasonably well the whole game.

Thanks for stopping by and checking out my post. Remember this is a blog hop so take a look around and if you like what you see give me a follow and leave me a comment so I can follow back. I am indifferent to the manner in which you follow so pick your poison: GFC, Bloglovin, and Twitter. Although I am only a few away from 100 GFC followers so it would be amazing to hit that! Thanks for hopping by and HAPPY READING!