Tuesday, July 31, 2012

{Casting News} Luke and Madame Dorothea!


Yesterday, Cassandra Clare gave us some more casting news about a couple characters. :D Luke and Madame Dorothea. I'm super excited about Luke, because he's hot. <3 Here's Cassie's tumblr post on the news.

Aidan Turner as Luke~
Cassie said:
Luke — Clary’s surrogate father figure, he has a hell of a dark past despite his current mild-mannered, bookstore-owning ways. The scars he bears belie his gentle heart — but he could tear you apart with his teeth if you threatened something he cared about.
Holly has long insisted Luke is her Fictional Boyfriend, so today, Holly, you have won.

Our Madame Dorothea is CCH Pounder. Cassie post about it on tumblr.
Cassie said:
Madame Dorothea was a lot of fun to write. She’s Clary’s downstairs neighbor and a “witch” — the kind with crystal balls and Tarot cards. Her secret is that none of that magic is at all real: it’s a cover for the powerful position she actually does hold in the secret society of Downworlders.

You may know her from The Shield. Or The X-Files. Or Warehouse 13. Or ER. Or The West Wing. Or pretty much every cool show in the known universe. Our director’s wanted to work with her for ages and I think she will be amazing. Welcome, CCH!

So guys. Are you as excited as I am? :D 

{Top Ten Tuesday #4} If I could switch places...


Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. This feature was created because they are particularly fond of lists at The Broke and the Bookish. They'd love to share their lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!

Topic
June 24: Top Ten Characters I’d Like To Switch Places With For 24 Hours
 

{Teaser Tuesday #9} Dreamless



Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

 • Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
 • BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS!
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Saturday, July 28, 2012

{Book Trailer} Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

So the trailer for Sarah's debut book, Throne of Glass, was revealed this week on MTV Hollywood Crush. :D Check it out below, and leave a comment--if you'd like--on what you think about it! I'm about to go berserk on the wait for this book. I want it so badddd!!! And this trailer is just the icing on the cake...I love it.


The long-awaited debut of author Sarah J. Maas, "Throne of Glass" is the beginning of what promises to be an epic, multi-book (we hope!) adventure—beginning when teenage assassin Celaena Sardothien is released from a life of imprisonment and brutal labor in order to compete at court for the title of royal assassin. If she wins, she wins her freedom. If she loses, the only freedom she'll know is death. And with two maybe-suitors, a series of murders and all the tangled intrigues and intricacies of life at court, Celaena's story is one you'll definitely want to follow when the book comes out August 7. 

 Get more info about "Throne of Glass" at the book's official Facebook page!


Thursday, July 26, 2012

{Review} Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins

Sweet Evil
(Sweet Evil Trilogy, #1)
by Wendy Higgins

Released: May 1st 2012
Publisher: HarperTeen
Format: Paperback, 447 pages
Genre: YA Paranormal Romance
Source: Bought online from B&N.
Buy: Barnes and Noble | Amazon
Embrace the Forbidden

What if there were teens whose lives literally depended on being bad influences?

This is the reality for sons and daughters of fallen angels.

Tenderhearted Southern girl Anna Whitt was born with the sixth sense to see and feel emotions of other people. She’s aware of a struggle within herself, an inexplicable pull toward danger, but Anna, the ultimate good girl, has always had the advantage of her angel side to balance the darkness within. It isn’t until she turns sixteen and meets the alluring Kaidan Rowe that she discovers her terrifying heritage and her willpower is put to the test. He’s the boy your daddy warned you about. If only someone had warned Anna.

Forced to face her destiny, will Anna embrace her halo or her horns?

Rating: 2 stars

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

In My Mailbox {#22}


In My Mailbox is a weekly feature created by Kristi @ The Story Siren where bloggers get together to share the lovely books we received, bought or borrowed

{Waiting On Wednesday #27} Nameless


Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we are eagerly anticipating.

Tuesday, July 24, 2012

{Top Ten Tuesday #3} Most Vivid Worlds


Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. This feature was created because they are particularly fond of lists at The Broke and the Bookish. They'd love to share their lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!

Topic
June 24: Top Ten Most Vivid Worlds/Settings In Books)
 

{Teaser Tuesday #8} Sweet Evil



Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

 • Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
 • BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS!
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Monday, July 23, 2012

Author Interview: Frankie Rose

Author of the Sovereign Hope series, Frankie Rose let me interview her over email a few days ago. And this is part of her blog tour (which I'm a couple days late on, forgive me!).

Interview

Q: What were some authors that influenced you?
A: I've been influenced in one way or another by a whole heap of fantastic authors. I really love Neil Gaiman and Markus Zusak. I've re-read Tolkein over and over again. I love the classics as well. Dickens inspired my love of reading in the first place. 

Q: Could you clue us in are your writing process? (Ex. How do you start? Is it trial an error? Or do you have it all planned out from the very get go?)
A: I spend about a week just thinking about what sort of story I'm writing and who the characters are. I find that that gives me a good basis to go from, and I'm able to start plotting out the events of the book from there. I definitely do plot out my chapters individually. That helps to stay focused on where the story is going and how and when to build tension etc.  

Q: What are some of your current favorite authors?
A: Currently, I'm addicted to George R R Martin. I was devastated when I finished his A Song of Ice and Fire series. I'm going to be an impatient mess while I wait for the next instalment! I also really like Veronica Wroth and Nalini Singh. The Guild Hunter series is something my sister put me onto, and I've really enjoyed reading that.  

Q: Are there any real life people in your life that inspired you to create any of your characters?
A: Hmm, I suppose I may have stolen a few traits for Tess from some of my own sassy friends. Other than her, I don't really think I have. I made a conscious decision that I wanted to create the characters in my book to be individuals, not parodies of other people. For me, that was important because I wanted to give Farley, Daniel and the others their own stories, and I think if I'd have incorporated parts of people from my life into them, I would be forever recognising that and thinking of the book characters as my friends. That wouldn't have worked for me. 

Q: Is there a genre in which you would or wouldn't like to write in? If so, why or why not?
A: I wouldn't like to write pure fantasy. I've read some great books in that genre, don't get me wrong, and it's extremely hard to write a good fantasy, so the people who do it well are truly masters of their crafts, but it's just not for me. Maybe that will change, but at the moment I'm kinda being drawn to more contemporary work. 

Q: Where did the idea of Sovereign Hope come from?
A: As with my characters, I didn't want to borrow inspiration from somewhere else for the book. I took ages working through the process that I explained earlier, plotting and reflecting, and it came to me that way. It took a while to come up with the specifics of the storyline, and there were definitely some things I tried that didn't work before I felt like I'd really hit on what I'd wanted to accomplish.  

Q: If your book became a movie, who would you like to see play your characters? (I know that authors have very little influence in the book-to-movie business, but I'd like to know!)
A: I've been asked this a whole bunch and I haven't come across anyone that's been immediately prefect for any of the characters. Funnily, I think Alex Pettyfer would make a good Kayden. We'd just need to get him some contacts and make him blonde again. For Farley, I've always thought Phoebe Tonkin might make for good casting. But Daniel... that one is SO hard. I really hate even suggesting anyone, because no one fits the image of him I have in my mind. I've said before that Kit Harington might make a good Daniel, but half the time I think that's just because I like Kit Harington and not because he's the perfect match! The guy who is going to be on the cover of Eternal Hope is a good fit for Daniel. Maybe I can persuade him to start acting and then he could play him, ha ha!

Q: Are you planning on writing a new series? Or would you like to write more in The Hope Series?
A: There are four books in The Hope Series, so I'm currently only half way through writing that. In addition, I'm writing a couple of freestanding books at the moment as well, which is really fun. It's great to encompass an entire story in one instalment. I love writing series and individual novels equally, I think, but it's always fun for a reader when they can follow a set of characters through a journey that spans a few books. When you love a character and empathize with them, it's incredibly hard to let them go, and that's why reading and, equally, writing a series is so wonderful.

Q: Do you ever get writers block? And what do you do when or if you do get it?
A: Not really. I have days when I just don't feel like writing anything, but that's easy to fix. If i just commit to writing a couple of lines, I usually get sucked in. Those days can end up being some of my most productive. I think suffering from writer's block would generally stem from not knowing where you're going with your work, and I always know where I'm going and what's happening in the story because of the way I plan and plot everything out.  

Q: Do you have any snacks or automatic go-to foods while writing or reading?
A: I live off muesli bars when I'm writing. That, or 'Up and Go'. I don't know if that's an australian thing? Basically, when I'm writing, I will eat anything that doesn't require preparation or washing up. I'm terrible for that. I eat a lot of fruit, too, because that's easy to pick at and obviously healthy!


Don't forget to check out Sovereign Hope, out now~!

Thursday, July 19, 2012

{Casting News} TMI: Jocelyn, Hodge, and Magnus are cast!

Apparently, I missed a whole lot of casting news yesterday for City of Bones. But don't get me wrong, I love being bombarded with awesome news when I wake up from a nap. In this case, a hella long nap. ;P
Anyway, Cassie posted yesterday three separate posts about three new actors joining the CoB team!

Lena Heady is playing Jocelyn Fray, announcement found here. You might know her from Game of Thrones as Cersei. :D I'm super excited to see Lena as Jocelyn. I just hope she's not as big of a bitch in TMI as in Game of Thrones. *facewall*
Here's what Cassie said:
I have had an actress crush on Lena for years so when they told me she was cast I did a happy dance and hit Sarah Rees Brennan on the head with a spoon. Actually I would have done that last bit anyway. Lena is amazing and I think she will be amazing as Jocelyn. I am super psyched.

Hodge will be played by Jared Harris, seen here. I really like him as Hodge, I loved him in Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows. And I'm sure he will do wonderfully in CoB. c:
 Here's what Cassie said:
Hodge is also a really complicated character. He’s not entirely bad, not entirely good. He’s a brilliant man led down a bad path a long time ago and he can’t turn back, but he does love those kids he tutored. So if you’ve seen either Mad Men or Sherlock Holmes: Game of Shadows (in which he was Moriarty), you know this guy, and you know he’s fantastic at moral ambiguity. He’s got SAG awards and Emmys all over the place and I think he’ll really nail Hodge’s moral dilemma. Welcome, Jared!

 And now, for my favorite person out of the casting news. Magnus Bane will be played by Godfrey Gao, seen here. AND HOLY HELL. THIS MAN IS A SIN TO LOOK AT. I just...I just can't express the feels I have. THE FEELS. He's perfect for Magnus. ;)
Here's what Cassie said:
So after an exhaustive search during which many, many hot Asian men were considered by the casting director (her job, so painful), the director, and the seventy-odd other dudes who have to sign off on this kind of thing, I can confidently tell you that our Magnus may be … THE HOTTEST MAN IN THE WORLD. Which is only fitting for Magnus, of course. Our Magnus is: Godfrey Gao.

You cannot take a bad picture of this guy. It is impossible. That is probably why he is a supermodel as well as being an actor.

Godfrey is, in addition to being all gorgeous and stuff, super-talented (his audition was awesome), loves the books, and is, like Magnus, ridiculously tall.

He is also super-nice — we emailed briefly and he said “I’m half Southeast Asian, because my mom is Peranakan Malaysian And my dad is Shanghainese - Soo hopefully the fans will like me playing Magnus!”nbsp;

Oh, I don’t think there’s any worry about that! But if you are as happy and excited as I am, tell Godfrey! He’s on twitter at http://twitter.com/godfreygao and he’d love to hear from you.

So happy!!! What do you guys think? :) 

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

{Waiting On Wednesday #26} Boundless


Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we are eagerly anticipating.

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

{Top Ten Tuesday, #2} if you like The Goddess Test


Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. This feature was created because they are particularly fond of lists at The Broke and the Bookish. They'd love to share their lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!

Topic
June 19: Top Ten Books For People Who Like X Book (Pick a book and pick 10 readalikes)
 

{Teaser Tuesday, #7} Dark Frost by Jennifer Estep



Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

 • Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
 • BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS!
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

{Waiting on Wednesday #25} Requiem


Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we are eagerly anticipating.

{Casting News} TMI Simon Lewis!

So today TMI fans of the Twitter world got #WeWantSimon trending at number 2 and 3 worldwide. :D So Cassie treated up with the guy who is officially cast as Simon Lewis in COB!

Robert Sheehan is Simon! You might know him from the British show Misfits. Cassandra posted on twitter that Robert, Lily, and Jamie had great chemistry together, and were perfect! And this is CC's dream Simon. :D So it's just awesome all around. <3 Though, he's Irish--which just makes me all the more happier. (I love Irish people.)

Here's what Cassie said on her Tumblr post.
So remember when I said we wouldn’t have a Simon till July for Reasons? The Reasons were that the actors up for Simon had to test with Jamie and Lily in Toronto to see how the chemistry worked. When I talked to Jamie and Lily yesterday it was about who we thought was the absolute best, the most Simon-y Simon, and fortunately we all agreed.
He’s totally cute and adorable and HILARIOUS, and his chemistry with Lily and Jamie is off the charts. I’ve wanted him for Simon for ages so I am pretty much totally and entirely happy.

So, guys. What do you think? Are you as excited as I am over this hella awesome news? :D 

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

{Review} Sovereign Hope by Frankie Rose

Sovereign Hope
by Frankie Rose

Published: July 1st 2012
Publisher: create space
Format: Paperback, First, 391 pages
Genre: YA Paranormal, Romance, Adventure
Source: Received from author to review.
Buy: Barnes and Noble | Amazon

Rating: 4.5

Everyone has a soul
Some are just worth more than others

Farley Hope was seventeen when her mother disappeared. In the last six months not much has changed, except that her eighteenth birthday came and went and still no sign of Moira. Her life is just as complicated as it always was. Since her father died in a car crash before she was even born, she’s officially parentless, and to top it all off she’s still suffering from the hallucinations. Mind-splitting, vivid hallucinations- the kind prone to induce night terrors and leave you whimpering under your covers like a baby.

The last thing on her mind is boys. Farley is on break from St. Judes’ when she meets Daniel. It’s not some casual run in at a party, or even a blind date with friends, though. Daniel is the guy following her in his 1970′s Dodge Charger; the guy standing at her window in the LA lunch hour traffic, trying to persuade her to leave everything behind and follow him. And he's hot as all hell.

The moment Farley lays eyes on Daniel, everything changes. He is cold and withdrawn, but there are cracks in his harsh veneer- cracks that betray the secrets he is trying so hard to hide. Farley is drawn into a world that will shake apart everything she thought she ever knew. There are truths out there that she must learn: that a person’s soul is their only real currency, and there are people who would do anything to take hers; that loving someone can hurt so much more than hating them; but, most importantly, when your future is predestined, there is little you can do to change it.

Farley Hope is prophesied.
Her coming has been awaited for hundreds of years.
She is destined to end the tyranny of the Soul Reavers.
To do so she must die.

I really liked this book. I'm glad Frankie gave me the chance to read and review it and be apart of her blog tour. <3 A million thank you's to her gorgeous self! Sovereign Hope is different from your typical YA book. It has a pretty cool plot twist and is awesomely written.

The world of Sovereign Hope is total excitement. Dark, dangerous, and thrilling. It's new and it's very neat. I loved Frankie's writing. There's a city under the city which SH is set in. And there's these people called The Immortals, and that's exactly what they are, they're immortal, and they harbor supernatural abilities. Then there's these people called The Reavers. A scary race that only wreaks havoc on people...such as Farley Hope. ;) Then there's these things calls Whytes. Which actually scared the shit out of me when I read the description of one of them. The picture in my head was not one for a small child. THEY'RE SCARY. Let's just leave it at that. xD

Characters. The heroine. Farley Hope is pretty likable girl. She's a bit too stubborn and hard-headed, if you ask me. But she's tough. And it was definitely stated in the book. Literally. She gets flustered easily, but it's predictable since you're learning so quickly about a city that's under a city. But I like her. c:

Daniel... He's arrogant, lol. I was beginning not to like him, to be honest. Throughout the first sixty-percent of the book. But then, I warmed up to him; his shy and sweet side came out. And he was quite cute. :D I knew that Daniel was the love interest even before I read the book, but I liked how we didn't seen signs that Farley and Daniel felt anything for each other until well over half way through the book. And that was because of Daniel's jerkiness. xD He's black-haired, and green-eyed, and described as hot as a Calvin Klein model. Not really my favorite combination in hair and eyes, but it'll do. ;3

Agatha is your typical mother-like figure. She watches out for everybody and cares for them. I was definitely warming up to her until the end of the book. D< Damn you, plot twist, you came out of nowhere. xD And Aldan. He's my favorite character in the book. <3 There's not much that was said about him, because, well, he was in a coma. But alas! There's a twist. ;) He was definitely a good character to add in this story, and I loved him. I hope he comes back, but I know he won't. D:

There were a few things in the book that is my reason to not giving this a five-star rating. Some things seemed too fast paced, like the part where Beatty and his gang came in. That was so abrupt I thought I missed something in the last chapter or two. And the ending was pretty sudden too. And it did end off in a cliffhanger. But in some ways I liked the fast-paced nature of this book, because there was never a moment in it that wasn't packed with action and kept you reading. That's what I gotta have. And Frankie delivered it. :D Thank you again, Frankie, for giving me this chance!

{Teaser Tuesday #6} Sovereign Hope



Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

 • Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
 • BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS!
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

{Cover Reveals} Clockwork Princess and Scarlet

Clockwork Princess
(The Infernal Devices, #3)
by Cassandra Clare

Expected Publication: March 19th 2013
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Format: Hardcover, 496 pages
Pre-Order: Amazon

In Clockwork Princess, Tessa and her companions travel all over the world as they race to stop the clockwork army before it’s too late. As Jem’s health worsens alarmingly and his friends search desperately for a cure, can Tessa choose between the two boys she loves—even if it means never seeing the other one again?

My Thoughts: What we had to go through...to get this friggin' cover. I do have to say that this is my favorite cover out of TMI and TID. I love the dress to pieces, and the light coming out of the books is just fantastic. I LOVE IIIIT! Is the book the Codex or what?





Expected Publication: February 5th 2013
Publisher: Feiwel and Friends
Format: Hardcover, 464 pages

Book two, Scarlet, is based on Little Red Riding Hood. It continues Cinder’s story as she attempts to escape Queen Levana’s vengeance and learn more about her past. The story also introduces readers to Scarlet, a girl living in southern France whose grandmother has mysteriously disappeared. In order to find her, Scarlet seeks the help of Wolf, a street fighter with more than a few mysteries of his own.

My Thoughts: I like this cover, but I don't love it. I liked the first cover better, though. But I get that this is sticking with the story that it's based on, Red Riding Hood. And the red cloak. So it matches. :)

{Casting News} The Mortal Instruments "City of Bones" Movie

I'm sorry I haven't been posting in the past few days, guys! Internet was being a bitch, and decided to go off. :c But it's back on now! So I have some things I'd like to share with my fellow followers. <3

Casting news! City of Bones! Ah!
(The official title for the City of Bones movie. :D)


Recently, two of the characters in COB were cast, but they're minor characters. Blackwell and Pangborn.
Kevin Durand is playing Pangborn.
(I love him. He's in everything. ;3)

And Robert Maillet is playing Blackwell. He's a wrestler. ;D

Cassandra Clare seems happy with the news, as she posted on her Tumblr.
I would not want either of these guys mad at me so I’m just going to say that they seem very henchpersonish to me and I am excited to have them on board the project (and be rounding out the cast.)
I personally love the two. I think they would be awesome evil henchmen for Valentine. ;D 

Also, Lily Collins and Jamie Campbell Bower have been spotted in Toronto for the pre-production for the movie. Photos have been leaked, yay! :D To see all photos of them, clarissawayland made a photoset on Tumblr for them here.
It's rumored that these two are together now, since Jamie split his engagement with Bonnie Wright. I don't really think it's any of our business, but Jamie looks like he bounces back hella quick. ._. They're holding hands, and everything. *sigh* I don't know how I feel about this.

That's all the fangirling I can do for now guys! Bye~

Thursday, July 5, 2012

Bookmarks and Postcards from Kiki Hamilton!

So a few days ago, I got some goodies from Kiki Hamilton, author of The Faerie Ring. c: I only had to be one of the first ten people to comment on her blog post about them, and I was the sixth, I think. And they're very neat!


 

She sighed the bookmarks. c: (I got four of them!) And the postcard on the right says, "Hi Whitney! thanks for your interest in my books! Best, Kiki!"
I always flip out when an author personalizes stuff for me. :)


Tuesday, July 3, 2012

Teaser Tuesday: Looking For Alaska (#6)



Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

 • Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
 • BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS!
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!