Waiting on Wednesday: The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau

 

For those of you who don't know "Waiting On" Wednesday is an event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. The purpose is to let others know which book you are anticipating and can't wait till it comes out to read it.

 

The Testing by Joelle Charbonneau

Hardcover, 336 pages

Expected publication: June 4th 2013 by Houghton Mifflin Books for Children

 

 

 

Synopsis:

 

Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. Isn’t that what they say? But how close is too close when they may be one in the same?

The Seven Stages War left much of the planet a charred wasteland. The future belongs to the next generation’s chosen few who must rebuild it. But to enter this elite group, candidates must first pass The Testing—their one chance at a college education and a rewarding career.

Cia Vale is honored to be chosen as a Testing candidate; eager to prove her worthiness as a University student and future leader of the United Commonwealth. But on the eve of her departure, her father’s advice hints at a darker side to her upcoming studies--trust no one.

But surely she can trust Tomas, her handsome childhood friend who offers an alliance? Tomas, who seems to care more about her with the passing of every grueling (and deadly) day of the Testing. To survive, Cia must choose: love without truth or life without trust.

 

 

Why I am Waiting:

 

I love dystopians and this one sounds completely awesome. I love stories with interesting premises and this one definitely has one. It reminds me of Divergent and I really loved that one. Can not wait for this one to come out so I can read it.

 

 

Let me know in the comments if you are excited for this one as well.

 

 

 

Link me up to your WoW picks in the comments this week. =]

Thanks for Visiting

 

 

and

Happy Reading. =]

 

 

 

-Michael

Movies I want to see in June.

Hi guys,

 

June is fast approaching and there are some really great movies coming out.

 

Here is a list of all the movies I want to see.

 

I am adding some from May that I didn't get to see yet and are coming out at the end of the month.

 

May 24th:

 

Epic

 

May 31st:

 

After Earth

 

Now You See Me

 

June 7th:

 

The Purge

 

June 12th:

 

This is the End

 

June 14th:

 

Man of Steel

 

June 21st:

 

Monster's University

 

June 28th:

 

Byzantium

 

The Heat

 

I know that this is a lot of movies I want to see.

 

They all look really good.

 

I probably won't actually see all of these but I definitely want to see most of them.

 

Let me know in the comments what movies you will see this June. =]

 

Also let me know if you want to see me do review of the movies I do see this summer.

 

Thanks for Visiting

 

-Michael

 

Follow Friday(39)

Follow Friday is a weekly blog hop event hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read.

 This week's Question is:

Q: The #FF is 150 weeks old! And we want to hear from you! What would you change about the hop? What do you like about it? Or just suggest a question to be used for next week!

 

I love this Follow Friday hop. The one thing I would change would be to post the questions way ahead of time just so everyone had enough time to post there Follow Fridays. Even posting them weeks in advanced, in a list format,  would be a major help. Overall, there is nothing wrong with this hop. I don't have any suggestions for questions for next week but I like that they have been asked for. =]

 

 

P.S.

 

CAPTCHA: If you have CAPTCHA word verification enabled on your blog, please take it off. It makes it much more difficult for readers to comment. Please look at Alison's CAPTCHA Eradication Post to learn how to get rid of it.

 

Link me up to your Follow Friday's and I will be sure to follow you back. =]

 

Thanks for Visiting and Happy Friday =]

  -Michael

Videos to Watch Thursday

Here are a bunch of awesome videos that I found while searching the web.

 

They are either book or movie related and you should definitely watch them all.

 

So without further to do here are the videos. =]

Iron Man 3 Review

 

Star Trek Into Darkness Review

 

 The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey Book Trailer

Icons by Margaret Stohl Book Trailer

 

The Golem and the Jinni Book Trailer

 

The School for Good and Evil by Soman Chainani Book Trailer

 

The Wolverine Teaser Video

 

The Lone Ranger Trailer #4

 

 

Hope you like all of these videos this week as much as I liked them.

 

Let me know in the comments what video you are most excited about.

 

Thanks for Visiting

 

and

 

Happy Reading. =]

 

-Michael

Fall TV Previews: Shows I Can't Wait For.

Hi everyone,

 

 

Here is a list of some awesome videos of  TV's fall line up that I can't wait to watch.

 

 

These previews are shows that I think you need to watch in the fall.

 

 

I went through all of them and these are my picks for the next television season.

 

 

All of these look really good so go check them out.

 

 

Without further to do, here they are:

 

 

ABC:

 

Once Upon a Time in Wonderland

 

Marvels Agents of S.H.E.I.L.D.

 

The Goldbergs

 

Super Fun Night

 

 

CBS:

 

Hostages

 

Mom

 

 

NBC:

 

The Black List

 

Dracula

 

Ironside

 

The Michael J. Fox Show

 

Sean Saves the World

 

Fox:

 

Almost Human

 

Sleepy Hollow

 

Dads

 

CW:

 

The Tomorrow People

 

 

 

Hope you enjoyed all of these previews.

 

 

 

I know that there are a lot of them but I am the type of person that wants to stay informed and all of these are my picks for the upcoming season.

 

 

 

Let me know in the comments which Fall TV show you are most looking forward to.

 

 

 

Thanks for Visiting

 

 

 

Michael

Cover Reveal: Allegiant by Veronica Roth

Okay I have either been living under a rock or didn't know about this at all.

 

I just discovered today that the cover of Allegiant by Veronica Roth was released. Don't know when it was released but I thought I would share it just in case there are still people out there that didn't know.

 

 

I just did some digging and turns out it was released May 9th, 3 days ago. I wish I knew about this sooner.

 

 

Any way with out further to do, here is the cover of Allegiant:

 

 

=]

 

 

...

 

 

 

***

 

 

>>>

 

 

---

 

 

 

###

 

 

 

!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

One choice will define you.

What if your whole world was a lie?
What if a single revelation—like a single choice—changed everything?
What if love and loyalty made you do things you never expected?

The explosive conclusion to Veronica Roth’s #1 New York Times bestselling Divergent trilogy reveals the secrets of the dystopian world that has captivated millions of readers in Divergent and Insurgent.

 

 

Thoughts about Cover:

 

 

I freaking love this cover. The first time I saw it my jaw completely dropped to the floor. It is absolutely fantastic and my favorite cover of them all. It looks so beautiful and cool at the same time. I love the water spiral wave thing and it matches perfectly with the orange background. This cover is getting me way more excited to read the book. Now I really can't wait till October. =]

 

 

 

Let me know in the comments what you think about the cover.

 

 

 

Thanks for Visiting

 

 

 

and

 

 

 

Happy Reading. =]

 

 

 

-Michael



Review: Echinodea(The Atlantis Revolution #2) by Tom Tancin

Echinodea(The Atlantis Revolution #2) by Tom Tancin

E-book, 199 pages

Published April 2nd 2013

***Received this Book from the author for a fair and honest review.
(Thank you Tom Tancin for the Book.)

Synopsis:

 

A Magical Lantern that Could Reveal Atlantis...
A Family He Didn't Know...
A Secret That Could Steal His Throne.

The Knights of the Abyss are still causing chaos in Atlantis. They threatened that if Trey Atlas doesn't relinquish his throne, they'll light the Echinodea--a magical lantern that could expose the island to the entire world. But if Trey steps down, the Knights would take over Atlantis and destroy everything it stands for; including erasing Trey's mysterious past. So there's only one option--get to the Echinodea before the Knights of the Abyss.

While on their search for the Echinodea, Trey and his Royal Court meet someone who claims to have the information Trey seeks about his biological family. But the key to the mystery isn't what he hoped it would be. It turns out that the secret in Trey's blood could steal the very throne he fights to protect.


All Will Be Revealed...


Copied from Tom Tancin's Blog:

"Why "Echinodea"?

I know Echinodea is a strange--let's go with unique--title for a book.  Here are some facts about Echinodea so you understand where the title comes from: 

1)  Pronounced  "Eh-Kine-Oh-Dee-Ah"
                                (think
                                 Vine)

2)  Based on the word "Echinoidea"--which is the class under Phylum Echinodermata that contains sea urchins

3)  Class Echinoidea was chosen as the base because of Aristotle's Lantern (a sea urchin) fits into this category and the book's plot is centered around a starfish-shaped lantern that--if lit--would expose Atlantis to the world.

4)  Echinodea also refers to the starfish symbol that is tattooed on Atlantean elites."

 

 

My Thoughts/Review:

Another amazing and fantastic story from Tom Tancin. The Atlantis Revolution series gets better and better as the story goes along. I love how Tancin takes his story and characters and kicks them up a notch. You can really tell how much thought and work the author puts into the development of his series. (This review contains spoilers from the first book if you haven't read it yet) The story starts right off the bat with Trey and how he is trying to deal with everything from the first book. He went back to live with his parents and he is really struggling with all the stress in his life. He is the leader of Atlantis, he can't live a normal life and his "grandpa" is dying and no one understands him.

 I really loved how Tancin delved into Trey as a character and made him way more relatable in the beginning. Eventually, Trey has to rush back to Atlantis to deal with the Knights of the Abyss and their plans to reveal the island. The plot for this sequel was seamless, everything flowed very smoothly. There was just enough action mixed with all the character development. I really liked how Tancin dealt with Trey's growing adolescence and his figuring out about how his decisions and actions actually affect other people. This story had so many levels to it where it made it that more entertaining to read.

There was really nothing that I hated about this book. It had everything that I wanted in book 2. They returned to Atlantis to fight the Knights of the Abyss all over again. There was suspense, magic, fights, intrigue and mystery. I will say that I really can't wait till Trey becomes more skilled with magic and sword fighting, so he can become the leader that Atlantis really needs. The whole plotline was so interesting and kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time. Tancin hasn't disappointed me at all with this sequel. I loved it immensely.

 I really love where this story is headed. I can not wait to read Medousa, the third in the series. There was a humongous shocker at the end of this book and I can not wait to see what the repercussions of that secret will be for Trey. Atlantis is such an interesting concept for a book series and I am just loving every minute of reading about it. I am so excited at how awesome this series is becoming. Tancin's writing just gets better and better and I can't wait to see what else will come from his novels and career. If you haven't picked up this series yet, you really need to. The characters are amazing and the plot keeps getting better and better. This is such a fantastic young adult book series that everyone will just fall in love with. So go buy the first and second in the series now, plus they are very inexpensive, so there is no reason you don't already own a copy. =]

 

Overall, I give this book:

 

Spectacular, adventurous and magical is what sums up this awesome book. I am so happy that I got the chance to read this book before it comes out in April. Hippocampus really takes you on an adventure that you don't want to leave once the book ends. As you read you learn about Trey Atlas and what happens to him thoughout his journey. You get to learn all about the lost city of Atlantis and all the wonders it has to hold. The

"Shocking, magical, and all around awesome. My new favorite series."
5 out of 5 Stars

 

Link to Check it Out:

Barnes and Noble

 

 

Amazon

 

 

Thanks for Visiting

 

and

 

Happy Reading. =]

 

 

-Michael

Follow Friday(38)

Follow Friday is a weekly blog hop event hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read.

 

This week's Question is:

Q: Happy Mother's Day! Who is your favorite mom from fiction?

Okay, this week's question is a little bit difficult. I don't really read that many books with awesome moms in it but I am going to try.

I have a few.

 

Mrs. Weasley

 

I love when she is defending Ginny against Bellatrix and calls her a bitch, one of my favorite parts in the book series.

 

Daenerys Targaryen

Mother of Dragons, enough said.

 

Catelyn Stark

I love how she cares so deeply about all of her children.

I can't think of any other good ones.

I haven't really read about that many amazing mothers.

Maybe other posts will remind of some great ones.

 Let me know in the comments who your favorite mothers are and don't forget to show your own mother some love this Sunday. =]

P.S.
CAPTCHA: If you have CAPTCHA word verification enabled on your blog, please take it off. It makes it much more difficult for readers to comment. Please look at Alison's CAPTCHA Eradication Post to learn how to get rid of it.

 

 

Link me up to your Follow Friday's and I will be sure to follow you back. =]

 

 

Thanks for Visiting and Happy Friday =]     -Michael

Waiting on Wednesday: Vicious by Victoria Schwab

 

For those of you who don't know "Waiting On" Wednesday is an event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. The purpose is to let others know which book you are anticipating and can't wait till it comes out to read it.

Vicious by V.E. Schwab

Hardcover, 368 pages

Expected publication: September 24th 2013 by Tor

 

Synopsis:

A masterful, twisted tale of ambition, jealousy, betrayal, and
superpowers, set in a near-future world.

Victor and Eli started out as college roommates—brilliant, arrogant, lonely boys who recognized the same sharpness and ambition in each other. In their senior year, a shared research interest in adrenaline, near-death experiences, and seemingly supernatural events reveals an intriguing possibility: that under the right conditions, someone could develop extraordinary abilities. But when their thesis moves from the academic to the experimental, things go horribly wrong.

Ten years later, Victor breaks out of prison, determined to catch up to his old friend (now foe), aided by a young girl whose reserved nature obscures a stunning ability. Meanwhile, Eli is on a mission to eradicate every other super-powered person that he can find—aside from his sidekick, an enigmatic woman with an unbreakable will.

Armed with terrible power on both sides, driven by the memory of betrayal and loss, the archnemeses have set a course for revenge—but who will be left alive at the end?

Why I am Waiting:

Victoria Schwab is awesome and I know I will love any book she writes no matter what. I can't wait to get my hands on this one and it is a little less than 5 months away. This book totally had me at jealousy, betrayal and superpowers. It sounds so exciting and action packed. This is Schwab's first adult novel and it looks like she brought her writing to a whole other level. I am reading this one as soon as it comes out.

P.S. You can read the first two chapters on Tor.com by clicking this link. =]

Link me up to your WoW picks in the comments this week. =]

 

Thanks for Visiting

 

and

 

Happy Reading. =]

 

 

-Michael

Follow Friday(37)

Follow Friday is a weekly blog hop event hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read.

 

This week's Question is:   Q: Give us a sneak! What are you reading? Tell us about a fun or fail scene in your current read.   This is such an awesome and exciting question this week. I am currently reading two books. I am reading A Storm of Swords by George R.R. Martin (Book 3 in the Song of Ice and Fire Series) and Echinodea by Tom Tancin (Book 2 in the Atlantis Revolution Series)  (Click on the covers to go to Goodreads)

 

 

For A Storm of Swords: I am currently on an Arya chapter and I always love her spunk and spirit. She always speaks her mind. *Spoiler Alert, if you haven't read 1 or 2* Currently, she is trying to get home to her mother and her brother. I really hope she does.

 

For Echinodea: I am at a really exciting part. I am going to try and not give any spoilers. The Atlantis palace keeps shaking and it is under attack by the Knights of the Abyss. Aerian used magic to throw a wave of water at the enemy but then Jocasta takes control and laughs at everyone. Really can't wait to see how this one ends. =]


 Let me know in the comments what your reading and if anything exciting is happening in your reads.

 

 

P.S.

  CAPTCHA: If you have CAPTCHA word verification enabled on your blog, please take it off. It makes it much more difficult for readers to comment. Please look at Alison's CAPTCHA Eradication Post to learn how to get rid of it.

 

Link me up to your Follow Friday's and I will be sure to follow you back. =]

Thanks for Visiting and Happy Friday =]

 

-Michael

Videos to Watch Thursday

Here are a bunch of awesome videos that I found while searching the web.

 

They are either book or movie related and you should definitely watch them all.

 

So without further to do here are the videos. =]

 

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hope you like all of these videos this week as much as I liked them.

 

Let me know in the comments what video you are most excited about.

 

Thanks for Visiting

 

and

 

Happy Reading. =]

 

-Michael

May TBR and April Rewind

This year I have set the same Goodreads goal as last year, which is 50 books, just in case you were wondering. I plan on smashing my goal this year. So I am making a master tbr list and will change it around every month or so and keep you guys updated here to my progress.

So without further ado here is my TBR list and the links to the books I want to read. The numbered ones are the ones that I am hoping to read this month. My list is full with notes and the dates that some books are coming out so I can prepare to read them in the future. Some of them are interchangeable with each other and I can choose to read whichever one I want. Those that are crossed out are ones that I have read already within the month. If I don't read them all they will carry over into the next month. =]

 

January

1) Life of Pi by Yann Martel--Audiobook

2) Vortex by Julie Cross--Comes out Jan. 15th

3) Tiger's Curse by Colleen Houck

4) Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
5) As They Slip Away by Beth Revis

 

February
5) The Ash-Born Boy by Victoria Schwab

6) Warm Bodies by Isaac Marion
7) Fuse by Julianna Baggott--Comes out February 19th

 

March
8) Infinite Days by Rebecca Maizel

 

April
9) Stolen Nights by Rebecca Maizel

 

May

10) A Storm of Swords by George R.R. Martin (Started in March and April, still reading along with TV show.) (This could also be the reason why I am so behind cause its a long book.)

11) Echinodea by Tom Tancin

12) The Emerald Tablet by Joshua Silverman 

The Archived by Victoria Schwab-Comes out Jan. 22nd

Shades of Earth by Beth Revis--Comes out January 15th

Scarlet by Marissa Meyer-Comes out February 5th

Dualed by Elsie Chapman--Comes out February 26th

Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes

Black City by Elizabeth Richards

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas 

The Forsaken by Lisa Stasse

Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

Starters by Lissa Price

Falling for You by Lisa Schroeder

 

Notes:

(Falling for You by Lisa Schroeder comes out Jan. 1st, Make Plans to Buy/Read)

(Possibly reread The Host, movie comes out in theaters March 29th) (Didn't get to it.)

(The Mortal Instruments comes out in theaters August 23rd)

 

There is my list this month. I hope you guys cheer me on and keep me on track with my goal. I am really hoping to smash my goal this year. Link me up to your May TBR lists if you have posted one. I am really interested to know what others are wanting to read. I am hoping to continue to read a ton of books each month, so keep cheering me on to reach my goal. =]

 

There must be something wrong with me. I haven't been reading as much as I want to. Hopefully I can get back on track with my goal. I am barely at the breakeven point. I will try and use this month of May to read a ton. I apologize if I haven't reviewed your book yet I am trying to catch up this month. I will definitely be all caught up this month because I am making myself read more, no matter what. =] 

 

Thanks for Visiting

 

Happy Reading. =]

 

-Michael