Waiting on Wednesday (9): Confessions by Kanae Minato

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly blog meme hosted by Breaking the Spine to highlight some upcoming releases that we're impatiently tapping our feet for. It's a great way to to keep track of some of the most anticipated releases amongst other book bloggers and a new way to discover books yourself.
This week I'm looking forward to:

Confessions
Author: Kanae Minato
Genre: Thriller
Publisher: Mulholland Books
To be published: August 19th, 2014
Find: Goodreads

Her pupils killed her daughter. Now, she will have her revenge.

After an engagement that ended in tragedy, all Yuko Moriguchi had to live for was her four-year-old child, Manami. Now, after a heartbreaking accident on the grounds of the middle school where she teaches, Yuko has given up and tendered her resignation.

But first, she has one last lecture to deliver. She tells a story that will upend everything her students ever thought they knew about two of their peers, and sets in motion a maniacal plot for revenge.

Narrated in alternating voices, with twists you'll never see coming, Confessions probes the limits of punishment, despair, and tragic love, culminating in a harrowing confrontation between teacher and student that will place the occupants of an entire school in harm's way. You'll never look at a classroom the same way again.

I'm bringing back this meme on my blog just for this week, because I'm actually really really excited for this book. The Japanese 2010 film adaptation of this book is one of my favorite movies, and I'm thrilled by the news that this book is finally going to be translated into English.

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Top Ten Tuesday (10): Top Ten Favorite Covers

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly blog meme hosted by The Broke and Bookish that allows readers to share their lists and opinions on a number of subjects from their top ten book covers to their top ten villains.

This week's topic for February 25th is:

Top Ten Tuesday REWIND: Top Ten Favorite Covers
For this week, we're allowed to choose a previous topic to talk about, so this week, I want to talk about some nice eye candy.

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Review: The Shadow Throne by Jennifer A. Nielsen

The Shadow Throne (The Ascendance Trilogy #3) 
Author: Jennifer A. Nielsen
Genre: Fantasy, Middle Grade
To Be Published: February 25th, 2014
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Source: ARC via Netgalley
Find: Goodreads

One war.
Too many deadly battles.
Can a king save his kingdom, when his own survival seems unlikely?

War has come to Carthya. It knocks at every door and window in the land. And when Jaron learns that King Vargan of Avenia has kidnapped Imogen in a plot to bring Carthya to its knees, Jaron knows it is up to him to embark on a daring rescue mission. But everything that can go wrong does.

His friends are flung far and wide across Carthya and its neighbouring lands. In a last-ditch effort to stave off what looks to be a devastating loss for the kingdom, Jaron undertakes what may be his last journey to save everything and everyone he loves. But even with his lightning-quick wit, Jaron cannot forestall the terrible danger that descends on him and his country. Along the way, will he lose what matters most? And in the end, who will sit on Carthya's throne?

Rousing and affecting, Jaron's adventures have thrilled and moved readers in The False Prince and The Runaway King. Journey once again with the Ascendant King of Carthya, as New York Times bestselling author Jennifer A. Nielsen brings his story to a stunning conclusion with The Shadow Throne.

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Review: Cress by Marissa Meyer

Cress (The Lunar Chronicles #3)
Author: Marissa Meyer
Genre: Young Adult, Science Fiction, Retelling
Published: February 4th 2014
Publisher: Macmillan/Feiwel and Friends
Source: Own
Find: Goodreads

Rapunzel’s tower is a satellite. She can’t let down her hair—or her guard.

In this third book in the bestselling Lunar Chronicles series, Cinder and Captain Thorne are fugitives on the run, with Scarlet and Wolf in tow. Together, they’re plotting to overthrow Queen Levana and her army.

Their best hope lies with Cress, who has been trapped on a satellite since childhood with only her netscreens as company. All that screen time has made Cress an excellent hacker—unfortunately, she’s just received orders from Levana to track down Cinder and her handsome accomplice.

When a daring rescue goes awry, the group is separated. Cress finally has her freedom, but it comes at a high price. Meanwhile, Queen Levana will let nothing stop her marriage to Emperor Kai. Cress, Scarlet, and Cinder may not have signed up to save the world, but they may be the only ones who can.

WAIT! This review may contain minor spoilers for Cinder and Scarlet. Don't continue if you haven't read it yet and want to avoid spoilers. Unless, of course, you don't mind spoilers. In that case, continue~

Confession #1: I don't want to write this review. Instead, I just want to crawl back into my bed and read Cress and the rest of the Lunar Chronicles series again and again until the pages fall out. Is it too soon to be rereading a book when I literally just finished it?

Cress is the third book in the Lunar Chronicles, a sci-fi retelling of some of our favorite fairytales, and I am pleased to say Cress is just as spell-binding as - if not more so than - the first two books. I was afraid at first that this book would mostly be fillers, as most penultimate books are, but Marissa Meyer did not let me down at all. It really helps that the format of the book is so different from most series. Each book focuses on a different heroine and retells a different fairy tale, but there's an overarching plot that ties the entire series together. There isn't any need for fillers because there's always a new story to tell.

"Captain?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you think it was destiny that brought us together?"

He squinted and, after a thoughtful moment, shook his head. "No. I'm pretty sure it was Cinder.”

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(Mini) Review: Antigoddess by Kendare Blake

Antigoddess (Goddess War #1) 
Author: Kendare Blake
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Published: September 10th 2013
Publisher: Tor Teens
Source: Won via Publishers
Find: Goodreads

Old Gods never die…

Or so Athena thought. But then the feathers started sprouting beneath her skin, invading her lungs like a strange cancer, and Hermes showed up with a fever eating away his flesh. So much for living a quiet eternity in perpetual health.

Desperately seeking the cause of their slow, miserable deaths, Athena and Hermes travel the world, gathering allies and discovering enemies both new and old. Their search leads them to Cassandra—an ordinary girl who was once an extraordinary prophetess, protected and loved by a god.

These days, Cassandra doesn’t involve herself in the business of gods—in fact, she doesn’t even know they exist. But she could be the key in a war that is only just beginning.

Because Hera, the queen of the gods, has aligned herself with other of the ancient Olympians, who are killing off rivals in an attempt to prolong their own lives. But these anti-gods have become corrupted in their desperation to survive, horrific caricatures of their former glory. Athena will need every advantage she can get, because immortals don’t just flicker out.

Every one of them dies in their own way. Some choke on feathers. Others become monsters. All of them rage against their last breath.

The Goddess War is about to begin.

I’m a sucker for stories based on Greek mythology, so it’s unsurprising that I practically devoured Antigoddess in a short amount of time. Then again, “devoured” might not be the right word to use in the context of this book when certain Greek gods are trying to postpone their deaths by destroying and consuming other gods ala the good old-fashioned Titans way. That's right, the almighty immortal gods are dying, and they're permanently stuck in the denial/anger stage.

This is what men risk so much for; this shiver, this acute heat and desire. This is what they think eternity feels like.

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Top Ten Tuesday (9): Top Three Books That Will Make You Cry

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly blog meme hosted by The Broke and Bookish that allows readers to share their lists and opinions on a number of subjects from their top ten book covers to their top ten villains.

This week's topic for January 28th is:

Top Ten, Er Three, Books That Will Make You Cry
I don't know if it's because I'm emotionally stunted or if it's because I subconsciously avoid the Grave of the Fireflies of the book world, but I haven't actually read that many books that managed to make me cry. There are some books that make me feel really emotional, but I can only recall three books that made me teary-eyed. And if it can make even me cry, then it's guaranteed to be good.

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Weekly Roundup: January 20 - February 2

Happy Lunar New Year, everyone! It's the year of the horse! This weekend has been very busy because of the Lunar New Year celebrations, which is probably my favorite holiday and the biggest holiday in my family. It's the one holiday in the year when the entire family gathers for a big homemade dinner, firecrackers, and best of all, red envelopes ($$$). I've been away to college for the last four years, so it's my first year back celebrating LNY with my family. It was really fun catching up with family and meeting some new cousins for the first time.

Can you believe we're already a month into 2014 already? Somehow, I managed to read seven books this month, which is a good start to the year (for me). In terms of reviews, however, I am behind, but hopefully, I can catch up on some unfinished reviews this week. Look forward to them!

Oh yeah! And if you haven't been on my blog in the last few days, I have a new blog design and rating system out. Check it out!

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