Waiting on Wednesday (5)

Waiting on Wednesday is a meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine where we showcase some of our hotly anticipated releases!

I have two WoWs this week! (Summaries and covers taken from Goodreads)

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MAGISTERIUM by JEFF HIRSCH

Release date: 1 October 2012

Publisher: Scholastic Press

Goodreads

On one side of the Rift is a technological paradise without famine or want. On the other side is a mystery. Sixteen-year-old Glenn Morgan has lived next to the Rift her entire life and has no idea of what might be on the other side of it. Glenn's only friend, Kevin, insists the fence holds back a world of monsters and witchcraft, but magic isn't for Glenn. She has enough problems with reality: Glenn's mother disappeared when she was six, and soon after, she lost her scientist father to his all-consuming work on the mysterious Project. Glenn buries herself in her studies and dreams about the day she can escape. But when her father's work leads to his arrest, he gives Glenn a simple metal bracelet that will send Glenn and Kevin on the run---with only one place to go.

LOVE this cover + promises of monsters/witchcraft + hopefully some cool technology vs. magic contrasts. Can't wait to read this!

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EDEN by HELEN DOUGLAS

Release date: 2013

Publisher: Bloomsbury

Goodreads

2012 – A star-gazing teenager discovers the planet Eden, only visible from Earth every 700 years.  2053 – The first colonists inhabit this second world.  2085 – Life on Earth is decimated by an alien parasite brought from Eden. 2012. Cornwall. Eden Anfield loves puzzles, so when mysterious new boy Ryan Westland shows up at her school, she’s hooked. On the face of it, he’s a typical American teenager. So why doesn’t he recognize pizza? And how come he hasn't heard of Hitler? What puzzles Eden the most, however, is the interest he’s taking in her. As Eden falls in love with Ryan, she begins to uncover his secrets. Her breakthrough comes one rainy afternoon when she stumbles across a book in Ryan’s library – a biography of Connor Penrose, her oldest friend, written over 50 years in the future.  Confronting Ryan, she discovers that he is a boy from the future whose mission is to prevent Connor from discovering a planet he names Eden, in honour of the girl he loves. A planet with a deadly virus that is destined to destroy the earth in a hundred years time. Is it really possible to change the future?

Absolutely freaked when I saw this on Goodreads! Planet colonies + time travel + race against time + potential for tragic romance = pretty darn close to my dream novel. Helen Douglas also graduated from my university! A definite MUST READ for me. 

The ominous '2013' - no month, no date - is depressing, but fingers crossed this will be released sooner rather than later. Can't wait to see the cover! 

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That's it for me this week! What are you waiting on? Link me because I'd love to see.

Review: The Last Guardian by Eoin Colfer

Rating: 3/5
Release date: 10 July 2012
Publisher: Puffin
Goodreads | Amazon | The Book Depository
Summary (taken from Goodreads):

Seemingly nothing in this world daunts the young criminal mastermind Artemis Fowl. In the fairy world, however, there is a small thing that has gotten under his skin on more than one occasion: Opal Koboi. 

In The Last Guardian, the evil pixie is wreaking havoc yet again. This time his arch rival has somehow reanimated dead fairy warriors who were buried in the grounds of Fowl Manor. Their spirits have possessed Artemis’s little brothers, making his siblings even more annoying than usual. The warriors don’t seem to realize that the battle they were fighting when they died—a battle against Artemis—is long over. 

Artemis has until sunrise to get the spirits to vacate his brothers and go back into the earth where they belong. Can he count on a certain LEPrecon fairy to join him in what could well be his last stand?

New York Times best-selling author and comic genius Eoin Colfer will leave Artemis Fowl fans gasping up to the very end of this thrilling finale to the blockbuster series.

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While I am a big Artemis Fowl fan, the last Artemis book I truly loved was The Opal Deception (#4), as they seem to be getting progressively worse. Of course, after almost a decade of following Artemis and the gang on their adventures, there was no way I was going to stop now.

I found the first half rather boring and hard to get into. The emergency - and it's the biggest, most disastrous one yet - didn't alarm me at all. It somehow just lacked the spark of Colfer's earlier novels, and I was pretty disappointed. To be fair, the second half was much more gripping, and I was surprised to find myself getting quite emotional at the end, but that was due to my affection for the series as a whole, not The Last Guardian itself.

This just fell flat for me, like books 5-7 did. I think that after so many books, the formula is getting a little old: Mulch's flatulence saving the day, jabs at Artemis' physical weakness, Foaly's paranoia, etc. While I love these characters, nothing new is really brought to the table here aside from pretty concrete proof of Artemis' soft side, which was already clearly established in the previous novels. Opal Koboi is once again the villain, and while she was a lot of fun the first two or three times around, I'm beginning to tire of her as well. Basically, the plot felt pretty stale. The plot twists, and Artemis' ingenious plans to deal with them, were also probably the least interesting/brilliant yet, with the exception of the one at the very end.

Because this is book 8, at this point there is probably little my review can do to influence your book-reading decision. Either you've followed the series till now and will most likely feel obliged/excited to read the final installment as I did, or you haven't read them (or stopped earlier on) and won't get to this for a while. If the former, I still advise you to read it - you may like it more than I did, and as the final book it definitely deserves to be read. If the latter, I really suggest you read the first four! Though at that point you will in all likelihood want to read the rest out of sheer curiosity, and will find yourself in my exact position. All in all, the magic of the first few books is still worth it.

All in all, this was a bittersweet end to a wonderful series that probably should have ended a few books ago. Will always love Artemis Fowl and Eoin Colfer, and I'm really looking forward to reading his next series. 

Review: Wonder by R.J. Palacio

Rating: 5/5
Released: 14 February 2012
Publisher: Random House Children's BooksGoodreads | Amazon | The Book Depository
Summary (Taken from Goodreads):

I won't describe what I look like. Whatever you're thinking, it's probably worse.

August (Auggie) Pullman was born with a facial deformity that prevented him from going to a mainstream school—until now. He's about to start 5th grade at Beecher Prep, and if you've ever been the new kid then you know how hard that can be. The thing is Auggie's just an ordinary kid, with an extraordinary face. But can he convince his new classmates that he's just like them, despite appearances?

R. J. Palacio has written a spare, warm, uplifting story that will have readers laughing one minute and wiping away tears the next. With wonderfully realistic family interactions (flawed, but loving), lively school scenes, and short chapters, Wonder is accessible to readers of all levels.

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Curiously enough, when I did a quick survey on my relatives who fall within WONDER's targeted audience (this is technically a Middle Grade novel), none were interested in reading this. At all. Based on a glimpse of the cover and my enthusiastic pitch. I was pretty surprised, and after some awkward probing received a lot of mumbled responses: "It sounds too serious" "I'm not in the mood for that kind of thing" "I don't like 'inspirational' books"...

Air quotes were used. Gazes were averted. But after a bit of pondering, I kind of understood what they were getting at; the reason behind this reluctance: people generally don't like being preached at, no matter how true or important the message. Kids, who are preached at all the time, would be naturally reluctant when approached with a book about a boy with physical deformities, especially when my main selling point is, "But it has such a great message!" 

Thinking back, this was a reservation I had as well. In the back of my mind I was wary of being emotionally manipulated, and I am delighted to say that Palacio does none of this. In fact, the clarity required from a children's book ensures that whatever issues are put forward are dealt with in a refreshingly blunt manner, free of exhausting metaphors or tear-jerking monologues.

I loved every page. I was surprised by how much of a page-turner this turned out to be. WONDER is as absorbing and hard to put down as the most fast-paced thriller - one that makes you cry and laugh in equal measure. Because I loved it so much, I am also kind of at a loss for what to say in this review. There's not much to be said apart from READ IT. A couple of questions, though, if you really want more from me:

Are you... a fan of flawed, hilarious, realistic characters? Auggie is often wise beyond his years, seeing right through the politically correct intentions of those around him. At other times he is as young and carefree as his classmates; messing around and laughing good-naturedly at his own appearance. But he is always, always human, as are all the characters - like Via, his sister, whose point of view surprised and shamed me a little, because I had barely considered the sacrifices she makes on a daily basis to support her little brother. Like Jack, one of Auggie's new friends, who is struggling to withstand tremendous peer pressure and, like most kids his age, does not always have the courage to do so. 

Are you... a fan of good writing? If you aren't, then don't ever read this, because Palacio's writing is emotional and hilarious without being condescending, and this book has so many insightful feel-good quotes and bits of dialogue that she could start her own line of greeting cards and I would buy them.

Are you... a fan of multiple points of view, done well?? With the exception of perhaps one minor character (Justin), each point of view added so much insight into... what, exactly? After a bit of contemplation, it is clear that Wonder is a look not just at Auggie, but at his family, friends, neighbors, teachers: everyone he has touched. It is also clear that while his is an extreme condition, Palacio has written a stunning book about difference of all kinds, and how people deal (or perhaps don't deal) with it.

WONDER is definitely a must-read for anyone with a beating heart, and in case you were wondering, I eventually managed to force some of my younger relatives to read this. Despite their initial reservations, they loved it too. :)

Beginner Blog Experiments: Headers + Icons

Have you ever wondered how to make clickable headers or your own social networking icons?

I am quickly approaching my one month blogoversary and have really enjoyed exploring the blogging community and messing with blog design, and as you may have noticed, I just changed my blog header!

I am not a web designer, graphic designer, professional writer, or anything that would lend my blog professional credibility, but I know how to google, and I know how to read. :) In other words:

This is not a tutorial. This is a list of resources containing other bloggers' tutorials that I followed and merged! While brushing up on my pathetic HTML/CSS skills, I found it difficult to find straightforward tutorials that taught you how to make clickable headers, so I've decided to share the ones I found that worked.

If you're a new blogger like me with nonexistent web skills looking for an easy way to make basic changes to your blog, these ones work great:

Social Networking Icons:

If you want clickable social media icons in your header, make the icons first. If you're linking already-made images or to other websites, skip to 'Clickable Headers'.

I followed Something Swanky's tutorial, "How to Create Your Own Social Media Icons using Picmonkey". Thank you!

While she links you to a great set of vector images to use for your icons, she isn't a book blogger and the set does not include a Goodreads icon. Alex Peattie, a web designer, has a set that does (scroll to the bottom). Follow her instructions using his icons instead.

Once you've created your icons with Picmonkey, add them to your header image in Photoshop! I don't have Photoshop, so I used Microsoft Paint, which is pretty crude but worked just fine. I literally just dragged the icons into place.

Adjust the header size to the desired width in Paint using the Resize button. How do you know what width to make it? Go to Templates > Customize > Advanced > Adjust widths in Blogger to check the width of your blog and adjust accordingly. Mine is around 900 x 350 px. You'll be left with a single, unclickable image:

Clickable Headers: 

Once you've made your header on Photoshop or other similar programs, host your header on an image-hosting site like Photobucket.

A quick google search led me to Arnold Byun, a youtuber/student entrepreneur who does a pretty straightforward video tutorial:

Follow his instructions and map your image using Image-Maps! Make sure you upload your image using the Photobucket link or similar photo-hosting site, because Image-Maps doesn't host photos and the photo will eventually disappear. This site will allow you to link different parts of your header to different sites or applications like Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads, etc.

Once you've watched how he does it and clicked 'Get Code' at the end, do the following to add the new header to your blog:

1. Backup your blog.
2. Go to Blogger > Layout
3. Click 'Add Gadget'
4. Add an HTML/Javascript gadget. 
5. Paste the code you got from Image-Maps. 
6. Drag the HTML/Javascript gadget box to where you want your header to be (presumably at the top of the page). 
7. Remove your old header. 
8. Check your blog and links to make sure they work.
   

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And there you have it! This is the method that worked for me, so I hope this help!

Stacking the Shelves (2)

Stacking The Shelves is a meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews where we share the books we've acquired or borrowed to our shelves each week!

First, I've been posting less than usual because I'm out of town on a family vacation and a bit behind on my reviews, but will get on that as soon as possible! Second, I'm not a weekly Stacking the Shelves participant because I tend to get books in bulk and not on a weekly basis, but I got an awesome haul this week!

Received:

Penguin's Fall 2012 Breathless Reads slipcase, which I got from one of Jessica Khoury's giveaways. Thank you! Inside:

Venom by Fiona Paul

Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes

Black City by Elizabeth Richards

The Innocents by Lili Peloquin

Origin by Jessica Khoury

So far I've read Origin, Venom and Black City, and I loved them all in different ways! Origin in particular completely surprised me (in a good way), and was probably the most serious of the three. But they each definitely bring something different to the table. I'm excited to see how Falling Kingdoms and The Innocents stack up!

Library:

Brought my little cousin to the library today and picked these three up! 

Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta

Wonder by R.J. Palacio

Fury by Shirley Marr

I am a huge Melina Marchetta fan (who isn't??) and started Finnikin of the Rock a while back and then got caught up with work and never finished, so I'm excited to finally read it! I've heard amazing things about both Wonder and Fury as well! 

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What books did you get this week? Link me because I'd love to see! 

Waiting on Wednesday (4)

Waiting on Wednesday is a meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, where we showcase some of our hotly anticipated releases!

I have three WoWs this week that look amazing: (All information taken from Goodreads)

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STUNG by BETHANY WIGGINS

Release date: 2 April 2013

Publisher: Walker Childrens

Goodreads

Government attempts to save endangered bees by genetic modification causes their sting to induce deadly, flu-like symptoms in humans. A vaccine created in response changes children into ferocious, killer beasts. The uninfected have built a wall to keep the beasts out, & a girl has awakened on the wrong side.

While the premise doesn't sound too different from the many deadly plague novels out there, what gets me excited are the bugs! Everyone hates bugs! They're somehow scarier and seem more likely to evolve into monsters than, say, vampires. This + no mention of a love interest thus far + mystery as to how/why the girl has awakened so suddenly has me interested!

Review: The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner

Rating: 4/5
Release date: 27 December 2005
Publisher: Eos
Goodreads | The Book Depository
Summary: (Taken from Goodreads)

"I can steal anything."

After Gen's bragging lands him in the king's prison, the chances of escape look slim. Then the king's scholar, the magus, needs the thief's skill for a seemingly impossible task - to steal a hidden treasure from another land.

To the magus, Gen is just a tool. But Gen is a trickster and a survivor with a plan of his own.

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Gen, a young and arrogant thief, has been imprisoned for several months in the king of Sounis' prison for stealing (and rather publicly bragging about it) before he's given a chance to earn his freedom. The majority of this book covers not the actual theft itself, but the long, uneventful journey leading up to it. Accompanied by the magus, his apprentices Sophos and Ambiades, and a guard, Pol, they travel to neighbouring country Attolia in order to further the king's political agenda. Of course, Gen has an agenda of his own.

Okay, so this is a hard book for me to review spoiler-free because most of its impact hinges on a big twist, and I've come to the conclusion that the twist is both what I loved most and what ruined it for me a little. (Hence the one star off.) Here's why:

Megan Whalen Turner sets up the book wonderfully. It's slow, for sure, and because it's quite a short book I spent the first half impatiently wondering if they'd ever get to their destination. The long journey is devoid of the action or, you know, theft that you'd expect from a novel called "The Thief". I was surprised, but not unhappily so, to find that the battles in this book are more mental than physical. Their journey is also interspersed with quite a few stories on the mythology of neighbouring country Eddis, which, while rather interesting, had me itching to skip ahead to see if this was going anywhere. 

What had me pulling through was the knowledge that this was all setting the stage for something big. And Turner delivers. When they do arrive, the theft is so different and dangerous from what I expected that all that build up is worth it - and this is still 50 or so pages before the ending. The stories and legends turn out to actually have relevance, and there is a mythological aspect to this book that took me by surprise and added a lot of depth to the characters and the Greek-inspired culture.

Gen was pretty awesome as far as main characters go. While I can see why Gen may be viewed as annoying, I was surprised to find his arrogance and sense of entitlement pretty hilarious. For me, this only helped to amp up the suspense. He is so calm throughout the whole thing, so expectant, and the journey so uneventful, that you just know there's something more to his story. The whole first part of the book reminded me of a game of Cheat (or Bullshit, as some call it) - less like a story and more like a game of pretend, where everyone's putting down their cards and you know something's going on so you spend the entire time scanning them, waiting for them to mess up. 

And that, for me, was the catch: because I'd read such amazing reviews of this book, I knew there was going to be a twist, so I fell into the trap of looking out for every tiny clue as to what it would be and kind of saw it coming. This kind of ruined the impact for me, and I was unfortunately a bit underwhelmed given the book's overwhelmingly positive reception amongst the people I know. 

And now I'm doing the same thing by telling you that yes, there is a twist in this book, but please try, if at all possible, to let it go and not analyze it to death. Despite knowing all this, it was still a really cool, clever read, and the ending still had me smiling. Pick this one up to experience it yourself!