Romance Battle of the AGES: Dimitri & Rose VS Edward & Bella (Who is really the better couple? Should be obvious... we need your vote!!)

I am here to ask you guys, nah, implore you, that you please visit this link and vote in this battle. I am sure you guys will make the right decision (Dimitri & ROSE) so I am not worried, but as of right now Edward and Bella are winning (WHAT!??! I KNOW!) and I think it's just because VA people haven't been made aware. Not enough anyways. So please, go and vote for your favorite couple (REMINDER: Rose & DIMITRI > E&B). Nowhere in the Internets can it say that Twilight won agaisnt Vampire Academy, not while I am alive!

Reasons why Vampire Academy should win against Twilight:

• I was one a young one too in love with Edward Cullen, but then I met Dimitri and all hell broke loose! Dimitri is more handsome, badass, godlike, doesn't treat his lady like she is a crushable flower, SEXY, dark, mysterious, warrior... 
• Rose and Dimitri have gone through SO MUCH MORE CRAP than Bella and Edward ever did. I mean come on the biggest thing to happen to Bella and Edwards relationship is that Edward is very emo and broke up with Bella "for her own good" and that Bella is human... oookay. Meanwhile in the VA world *SPOILER ALERT* Dimitri went strogoi (evil dead vampire) and Rose had to not only mourn her love but she also WENT AFTER HIM IN ORDER TO KILL HIM BECAUSE THAT IS WHAT HE WOULD HAVE WANTED. I mean, mind blown much? Also at the beginning he was kind of her defense against the dark arts against bad ass strogoi teacher, eeeks! *Spoiler has ended* 
• Dimitri and Rose are a deadly combination. They love passionately, they kick ass like you have never seen before, and neither of them felt the need to change the other completely to make things work. *cough* Angsty Twilight Romance*cough*
• Vampire Academy is just better, get it?

So please, go forward and VOTE! 

Sincerely,

*Yes this is a new signature for the occasion, I am serious about my cause.

So I started reading Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell... (Includes 20 page Excerpt)

... and it's pretty interesting, kind of rolls off your tongue. Very easy to read, and quite honestly I kind of relate to it. Not the fan fiction writing, but more Cath's secluded personality. Before I went to BEA (Book Expo America) I didn't even know about Fangirl, and I swear to god the line for this book in specific was one of the longest lines in my life! I was so afraid I wasn't going to get it (the previous night I had stayed up reading from my friend's Briana's copy and decided I HAD to have it).

"Get your shoes," Reagan said. "I'm showing you where the dining hall is."
"No."Cath could already feel the anxiety starting to tear her stomach into nervous little pieces. "It's not just that... I don't like new places. New situations. There'll be all those people, and I won't know where to sit--I don't want to go."

"I have been eating real food..." She muttered. " I eat lunch at Selleck with my sister."
Reagan opened the door. "Then why don't you eat here?"
"Because I waited too long. I built up a block around it. It's hard to explain..."
"Seriously, why aren't you on drugs?"
Cath walked past her out of the room. "Are you a licensed psychiatrist? Or do you just play one on TV?"
"I'm on drugs," Reagan said. "They're a beautiful thing."

I am almost halfway through but I can already tell this is going to be one of the good ones. I just love it when they are this way. Fangirl is the story of Cath and Wren, twin sisters heading to college on their freshman year. They live on different dorms, though not by Cath's choice. Wren wanted to branch out, she is the "free-spirit" while Cath is the introvert who builds walls around herself to stay safe and a perfect evening includes being at her computer for hours on end writing fan fic about Simon and Baz (a very popular story on their world that is basically Harry Potter). She is a very good writer too, popular (specially in Japan for some reason, as she says). As you continue to read Fangirl you get to see how Cath lives her daily life, the bond between these twin sisters, and how she is starting to slowly, but surely, get out of her shell. It is really inspiring in some ways considering I am a lot like Cath (being an introvert that is). I like to see how she handles the situations that are thrown at her, and most importantly I like to see that I am not alone in this world when it comes to some of Cath's quirks. Introverts for the win!

Here is an excerpt on Fangirl. You have to have a Goodreads account in order to read it (and seriously if you don't have one by one that is a surprise, Goodreads is my lifeline besides this blog).


*Quotes taken from an ARC copy and are subject to change. Said ARC copy was received in exchange for honest comments on the title as well as an honest review.

Review: Vortex (Insignia #2) by S. J, Kincaid

Title: Vortex
Author: S. J. Kincaid
Series: Insignia
Book #: 2
Pages: 400
Reading Level: YA
Book Rating: 
Goodreads Rating: 4.42
Published: July 2nd, 2013

The impossible was just the beginning. Now in their second year as superhuman government weapons-in-training at the Pentagonal Spire, Tom Raines and his friends are mid-level cadets in the elite combat corps known as the Intrasolar Forces. But as training intensifies and a moment arrives that could make or break his entire career, Tom’s loyalties are again put to the test.

Encouraged to betray his ideals and friendships for the sake of his country, Tom is convinced there must be another way. And the more aware he becomes of the corruption surrounding him, the more determined he becomes to fight it, even if he sabotages his own future in the process.

Drawn into a power struggle more dramatic than he has ever faced before, Tom stays a hyperintelligent step ahead of everyone, like the exceptional gamer he is—or so he believes. But when he learns that he and his friends have unwittingly made the most grievous error imaginable, Tom must find a way to outwit an enemy so nefarious that victory seems hopeless. Will his idealism and bravado cost him everything—and everyone that matters to him?

Filled with action and intelligence, camaraderie and humor, the second book in S.J. Kincaid’s futuristic World War III Insignia trilogy continues to explore fascinating and timely questions about power, politics, technology, loyalty, and friendship.

Taschima's POV:

5 Spanking Full stars to one of the most undervalued series out there.

I suggest you ALL start reading Insignia right now. Soon enough it will be one of the most spoken about series out there, and you will be grateful that you were one of the first ones to discover it.

Another FREAKING FANTASTIC addition to the UNBELIEVABLY ADDICTIVE Insignia series by what I can only consider to be an evil genius (S.J.Kincaid). You know how they say you shouldn't oversell a series to a friend before they watch/read it because then if it doesn't meet the standard you are the one to blame for creating such high expectations? Well, screw that because this series is that good. It is just such a well balance of moments so hilarious they have me literary laughing out loud...

"I wonder which one of them will think something embarrassing first? The words scrolled across the screen.
Don't think about Heather's boobs, Tom thought to himself, and to his mortification, the words appeared there.
Yay, it wasn't me! Wyatt thought. Then after the words appeared, she thought, sorry, Tom.
Tom. Wyatt. Try to focus. Heather thought. You can control your thoughts.
Boobs. Wyatt thought. Aah! Where did that come from?"

 and profoundness that left me speechless.

"...as soon as he realized there was no hope—he was finally able to accept a cold, hard truth about life: the world rewarded sociopaths like Vengerov and destroyed good people like Yuri.
Tom finally understood why his father saw humanity as worthless. It was hard to see much fundamental value in anything when the bad guys always won.
Maybe this was simply what it was like to grow up."

Overall I love Tome Raine's character. He knows what he believes in, and doesn't apologize... or go back on those believes when it conveniences him.

"Tom wasn't sorry. He wasn't. And he wasn't delusional, either—he knew he was done for. There was no coming back from this, so he decided to embrace the moment.
"Good to see you again," Tom said to him. "I didn't recognize you at first, but then again, you're not naked and shrieking like a frightened little girl today. So, make any new friends in Jail?"

That of course leads to a lot of problems for him at the Pentagonal Spire, specially since he is supposed to do some ass kissing in order to get sponsors that will help him fight in space. But you still gotta love his bravado. He really stepped up in this book too, at the end I could see a very brave young man starting to realize that some things may be more important than his pride. Sometimes you just gotta play the game.

I also love all the other characters, including the bad guys. I specially love Wyatt, the counter part to Hermione. She is the smartest of them all, but I wouldn't say she has the looks Emma Watson has or the charm. Wyatt is socially awkward in every way, and not cute awkward at that. She can at times be just plain rude, and social cues are out of her league. But she can write code like no one else in the Spire. Plus she is a very good friend to have backing you up. Yuri is also super adorable (the Russian friend), and some things happen in this book that really make you appreciate him more. Before it seemed like if he were to disappear the book's dynamic wouldn't change, but you would be surprised. Every character is essential. Lastly Vik is back, and he also grows in interesting ways. We get to see another side of Vik that is more than Tom's best friend and side kick, a side you might not necessary come to cherish. At the end Vik pulled through though, so I give him props for that.

Have I gone on and on and on about the characters? That is because they are freaking amazing, but the story also merits itself a very long love letter. I am just enamored with this series because it's so different to every other book out there!

The space battles, the very real issues it deals with while at the same time not taking itself too seriously, the enemies, the friends, the lovers and the enemies. It's all a huge web of fantastic that I cannot wait to revisit. It's also a very good read for BOYS. BOYS AND GIRLS will LOVE these books, what are the odds?

So yes, I recommend everyone picks up this series before the media takes note and it becomes this huge thing. You can then say with confidence "hey I read that book BEFORE it was cool". Be one of the cool kids, and read Insignia. And if this argument doesn't work with you just know that it's world will enthrall you and you won't be able to stop thinking about it for days after it's over. I am still thinking about it, and I read it weeks ago.

The Divergent Trailer + Cast Commentary in an EXTRA video.

I haven't been this excited about a Young Adult book turned into movie since The Hunger Games. I watched this trailer, and it's like all my hopes and dreams were able to finally stop holding their breath. It looks good, so good. The actors, the props, the SCENES (which are all pretty much what I had in mind when I was reading the book), the colors... Well, watch it yourself.

Isn't it everything you were hoping it would be? DID YOU SEE FOUR? UGH!!!!!!! I am in love with this guy, seriously. He has the attitude that I figure four would have, the vibe, the smoldering look... and Tris? Amazing. The girl looks pretty good, and she is very pretty but she isn't like super model gorgeous which is just right. She is pretty on target. I would have liked her to be shorter, but oh well, as long as she can act.

Here is another video which has the cast commentary on both the books and movie, and some extra scenes!

This is going to be a kick ass movie, I can feel it. Just like The Hunger Games: CATCHING FIRE is going to pretty much be the best movie this November.

So I started reading Vortex by S.J. Kincaid... (One of the most undervalued series EVER).

Goodreads

Vortex, the sequel to Insignia, started off with a bang. It had me laughing in 5 seconds flat. That is the kind of book this is, and at the same time not. You see, Insignia is one of the most undervalued series out there. It is fantastic! It can be incredibly hilarious and yet in the middle of all those laughs you can find paragraphs that speak the bare naked truth. You won't find one moment were you are dozing off, it moves at a very quick pace and the characters are very entertaining.

Here are some of my favorite quotes so far:

Some background on this quote. They are using an interface that connects all their minds for the first time which is what allows them to speak to each other while battling in space.

"I wonder which one of them will think something embarrassing first? The words scrolled across the screen.
Don't think about Heather's boobs, Tom thought to himself, and to his mortification, the words appeared there.
Yay, it wasn't me! Wyatt thought. Then after the words appeared, she thought, sorry, Tom.
Tom. Wyatt. Try to focus. Heather thought. You can control your thoughts.
Boobs. Wyatt thought. Aah! Where did that come from?
It's called word contagion, and it's normal, Heather thought. You can break it by occupying your thoughts with something else. Try times tables.
2x2 = 4, 4x4= 16, 11x 11= 121... Wyatt thought. This works. Send. I'm surprised she had good advice.

Excuse me? Heather thought."

Another one:

Vik led him toward a pretty female executive sipping champagne by the window. Tom's neural processor said her name was Alana Lawrence. Vik was sure Tom would find it easier sucking up to a gorgeous woman, and Tom thought that was a fantastic idea.
"Now,"Vik warned him, "you know how if spies get caught in foreign countries, governments always disavow knowledge of them so they don't face any diplomatic consequences for their actions?
"Yeah," Tom said, guessing it. "So if I mess up..."
"We only met today and I disavow all prior knowledge of your actions. I didn't even notice you were here. In fact, I don't know who you are. Who are you? I don't know, Tom. I don't know."
"Gotcha." He had this.

Once more for the road:

"...as soon as he realized there was no hope—he was finally able to accept a cold, hard truth about life: the world rewarded sociopaths like Vengerov and destroyed good people like Yuri.
Tom finally understood why his father saw humanity as worthless. It was hard to see much fundamental value in anything when the bad guys always won.
Maybe this was simply what it was like to grow up."

And Finally:

"His heart seemed to swell, and he wished every single person on the planet could have this chance, just once, to see the horizon from above the skyboards rather than from below them. Maybe they'd all see that the universe didn't end at the boundaries of the Coalition of Multinationals but rather that this incredible, infinite stretch of possibilities existed beyond them.
No wonder the sky had to be blotted out by advertisements. The stars drowned with lights. If everyone could see beyond Coalition horizons, perhaps they'd begin to see the titans of humanity for what they were: tiny creatures, smaller than insects, and in the scale of things, every bit as insignificant.
Maybe more people would be willing to look a thief like Reuben Lloyd in the eye and laugh right in his face."

These are some of the reasons I love Insignia, and why Vortex is so kicking ass at the moment. Seriously guys, if you do anything today let it be you either getting Insignia, the sequel to Insignia, or both. You won't be disappointed.



First book in the series. Click for more info.



Quotes from an ARC copy of Vortex.; subject to change.

Best Covers of 2014 (so far)!

So as I've been lurking around Goodreads (I swear I am capable of doing this for hours on end) I came across some very pretty covers. Now, if Insignia taught me anything it was to not judge a book by it's cover, mind blowing amazing book yet crappy cover, but we all know we still do it. We are all humans, I think (sorry to any aliens or other creatures who may be reading this post, also thank you for following!), and aesthetics are a big part of life.

Here I am going to post some covers I've found online for 2014. I am not putting summaries up for covers who are sequels in order to reduce chance of being spoiled. Instead I put images of the previous books so you will be able to search for it on Goodreads. Let's begin!

Goodreads

Well, no summary yet, BUT this is the sequel to Pheonix by Elizabeth Richards SO I am expecting good things, very good things. This cover, while striking, is very different to the other two covers. They were more fiery, with the red theme. This one is more breezy, cool blue. It looks nice, just not exactly what I was expecting.

 

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Goodreads

GORGEOUS! These covers are always amazing and eye catching. However, I am not so sure about the story. I started reading The Pledge and stopped about 35 pages in to do something else... and never came back. So maybe I will try it some other time. This cover's blue hue is so pretty, it seems blue is very in for 2014.

 

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Goodreads

On a remote island in the Pacific, Corpus scientists have taken test tube embryos and given them life. These beings--the Vitros--have knowledge and abilities most humans can only dream of. But they also have one enormous flaw.
Sophie Crue is determined to visit Skin Island and find her mother, a scientist who left Sophie behind years ago. She enlists hunky charter pilot Jim Julien to take her there. But once on the island, Sophie and Jim encounter more than they bargained for, including a charming, brilliant Vitro named Nicholas and an innocent, newly awoken one named Lux.
In a race for their lives, Sophie and Jim are about to discover what happens when science stretches too far beyond its reach.

This is a very simplistic, yet not, cover. I love it! The "small" island, the font of the cover, it all works together. So the summary is interesting but if I am honest what drew me to it was the cover.

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Goodreads

The model is gorgeous, and I like all the images that are barely there throughout the image. It is a very cool touch that reminds you of the first cover, Mind Games, and connects it to the series. I also love the BIG TITLE on front.

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Goodreads

The first cover of this series was mind blowing. Very bright and romantic and pretty much perfect. The second one is just as good really. It is certainly darker, and what is with all the 2014 covers and blue? It's a thing. I like the hurricane in the background and the two protagonists back to back which is the total opposite of the first cover when they were front to front. Verdict: Approve, and CAN'T wait to read it!

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Goodreads

Haden Lord, the disgraced prince of the Underrealm, has been sent to the mortal world to entice a girl into returning with him to the land of the dead. Posing as a student at Olympus Hills High—a haven for children of the rich and famous—Haden must single out the one girl rumored to be able to restore immortality to his race.
Daphne Raines has dreams much bigger than her tiny southern Utah town, so when her rock star dad suddenly reappears, offering her full tuition to Olympus Hills High’s prestigious music program, she sees an opportunity to catch the break she needs to make it as a singer. But upon moving into her estranged father’s mansion in California, and attending her glamorous new school, Daphne soon realizes she isn’t the only student in Olympus who doesn’t quite belong.
Haden and Daphne—destined for each other—know nothing of the true stakes their fated courtship entails. As war between the gods brews, the teenagers’ lives collide. But Daphne won’t be wooed easily and when it seems their prophesied link could happen, Haden realizes something he never intended—he’s fallen in love. Now to save themselves, Haden and Daphne must rewrite their destinies. But as their destinies change, so do the fates of both their worlds.

It reminds me a lot of the divergent covers quite honestly. That is what I first thought when I first saw it. It looks very Dystopian but it is actually more about Mythology! Interesting. One thing I don't like about it is that the book's title is actually The Shadow Prince and then the series goes by Into The Dark, but you would never know this from this cover, in fact you would think the opposite. Other than that is very pleasing to the eye and it looks like a boy might even pick it up.

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Goodreads

Erased is the sequel to Altered, a book that was a very pleasant surprise last year. It was entertaining and moved at a quick pace, I really liked it and gave it a good review. This cover... well, it's all about the eye candy. It goes with the first cover which is a plus... sorry, I was staring at the guy's abs and lost my train of thought.  

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The last three are all very eye catching covers. I am VERY eager to read Evertrue, as well as To All the Boys I've Loved Before (I love this title). The Inventor's Secret I am also excited about, but I am a little more weary since I wasn't too in love with Andrea Cremer's Nightshade series. However that doesn't mean that this new series will be the same so I am definitely excited.

Feel free to leave more covers you love for 2014 in the comments!