Waiting on Wednesday: Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake

After reading The Faerie Ring by Kiki Hamilton, I found out about another intriguing and most-likely-awesome book that will be released by TOR – Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake (who is really nice and friendly)! Now that there’s a cover…you could easily sense the “air” of the story!

Just your average boy-meets-girl, girl-kills-people story…

Cas Lowood has inherited an unusual vocation: He kills the
dead.

So did his father before him, until his gruesome murder by a
ghost he sought to kill. Now, armed with his father's mysterious
and deadly athame, Cas travels the country with his kitchen-
witch mother and their spirit-sniffing cat. Together they follow
legends and local lore, trying to keep up with the murderous
dead—keeping pesky things like the future and friends at bay.

When they arrive in a new town in search of a ghost the locals
call Anna Dressed in Blood, Cas doesn't expect anything
outside of the ordinary: move, hunt, kill. What he finds instead
is a girl entangled in curses and rage, a ghost like he's never
faced before. She still wears the dress she wore on the day of
her brutal murder in 1958: once white, but now stained red and
dripping blood. Since her death, Anna has killed any and every
person who has dared to step into the deserted Victorian she
used to call home.

And she, for whatever reason, spares his life.

Why I like it: I love ghost stories! And when I watched the trailer (which is embedded below), I was really 100% sure that I’ll love this!

Christmas Countdown Winners

It’s 2011 and the Christmas Countdown individual giveaway winners have been chosen...

Are you one of them?

Day 1: Signed The Other Side of Dark by Sarah Smith:

 

There were 281 entries!

Winner: #86 – Brodie

Day 3: Signed Prophecy of Days, Book One: The Daykeeper’s Grimoire by Christy Raedake

There were 172 entries!

Winner:  #18 – Lexie

Day 5: Signed Finished Copy of The Lipstick Laws by Amy Holder + Swag

There were 227 entries!

Winner: #211 – Buddyt

Congratulations to the winners! Thank you to everyone who joined the contests and commented on the posts! The winners have been contacted via email. Please respond within 48 hours!

The other winners will be posted by Kai of Amaterasu Reads. So watch out for her post!

If you didn’t win, there’s still a chance to join our Huge Prize Pack Giveaway!

It ends on January 10, 2011. 

2 winners, 10 books (5 books each), open internationally! Remember you have two chances of winning. You can join both my contest and Kai’s contest. It’s separate!

 If you have questions or concerns, please contact me.

Review: Trickster's Girl by Hilari Bell

Book Description via Goodreads:

In the year 2098 America isn't so different from the USA of today. But, in a post-9/11 security-obssessed world, "secured" doesn't just refer to borders between countries, it also refer to borders between states. Teenagers still think they know everything, but there is no cure for cancer, as Kelsa knows first-hand from watching her father die.

The night Kelsa buries her father, a boy appears. He claims magic is responsible for the health of Earth, but  human damage disrupts its flow. The planet is dying.

Kelsa has the power to reverse the damage, but first she must accept that magic exists and see beyond her own pain in order to heal the planet.

Source: Hilari Bell (Thank you!)

My Thoughts:

I liked the concept of Trickster’s Girl. It was a fantasy novel with a science fiction setting. This was a different flavor of fantasy – one with a deep connection with nature, more nature less focused on magical individuals. This kind of fantasy was new to me but that did not stop me from appreciating it. The imagery was just breathtaking. Bell's writing was really good. It made it easy for me to picture every scene.

Kelsa was dealing with her father’s demise and the wall between her and her mother. She was a little angry, a little annoyed and a whole lot bothered with a gorgeous stalker who witnessed her bury her father’s ashes. She was a smart girl so I was startled when she handled and approached her ‘stalker’ on her own. But I also get her point, after her father’s death, her mother has been going through a lot. She did not want to add to that. At age 15, she was young, too young to be thinking of world-saving issues and carrying it on her shoulders. But in Trickster’s Girl, that was exactly what happened – Kelsa carried the responsibility of saving her world through magical leys, learning to trust a total stranger and risking her life in the process.

Raven, the trickster, was incapable of understanding human emotions. This made him seem insensitive, cold and uncaring. But then how could he ever understand feelings? He was not human. He was a shapeshifter who lived in a parallel world, focused on accomplishing one thing alone: recruiting and guiding a human to heal the leys – an important part of his and Kelsa’s world.

Together, they journeyed to Alaska, stopping by at different points to heal the leys. This book was just that – a journey. They encountered obstacles along the way, drug dealing bikers, shapeshifting enemies and border guards. It was a race for their lives and their future. Throughout the novel, I felt surprise, awe, worry and suspense. I was so focused on the magical journey that I almost took for granted the other part of the story. This was Kelsa’s journey on sacrificing, doing what she could do, trying her best to make a difference and above all, accepting facts. Everything happens for a reason and everyone has a limit. It did not matter if she would or she would not get to Alaska. What mattered was that she tried and she made a difference.

There was attraction in the air and partnership too. But then, being the romance fanatic that I am, I wished there was romance between Kelsa and Raven. Unfortunately, there was not. I wanted to know more about Raven, for Kelsa to know more about him. He seemed so far away, so unreachable eventhough he sided with humanity. This could have been better if that was done. The ending was firm and just but it left me with sadness. Trickster’s Girl is a new flavor of fantasy for me, a reminder for everyone and a warning for all of us. Magic and nature collides in this one of a kind fantasy.

*Trickster's Girl is officially out in stores today!

Rating:

Out with a Bang Readathon - Wrap-up

In three days, I read three and a half and another little bit of books. I never imagined I’d be sleeping so much in those three days. December 29th-31^st were really sleepy days for me. But what matters is that I managed to read the following:

Choker by Elizabeth Woods (a little bit)

Tyger, Tyger by Kersten Hamilton (finished! Review coming soon! This book is included in my Top 10 Reads of 2010.)

Raised by Wolves by Jennifer Lynn Barnes (finished! Also included in my Top 10 Reads of 2010. Review coming soon!)

Trickster’s Girl by Hilari Bell (finished! Review coming soon – in this book’s case, asap. It gets published on January 3!)

Slice of Cherry by Dia Reeves (I’m at page 188. Love the uniqueness/ weirdness of it all! If I don’t finish the ebook version by January 4, I’m grabbing a copy!)

My Readathon Updates:

Day 1

Day 2 and 3

This was the first readathon I joined and it was a learning experience (learning how to read so much in so little time and learning that I have to have extra bookmarks in case I lose one or I have to scan the whole book to find where I left off.) The mini-challenges were great too! It’s so nice that people come up with creative ideas for challenges like that.

Review: Anxious Hearts by Tucker Shaw

Book Description via Goodreads:

“Evangeline,” he repeated, calling at a whisper. “Evangeline.” He was not calling that she may hear, he was calling that somehow her soul might know that he was devoted entirely to her, only to her. “Evangeline, I will find you.”

Eva and Gabe explore the golden forest of their seaside Maine town, unknowingly tracing the footsteps of two teens, Evangeline and Gabriel, who once lived in the idyllic wooded village of Acadia more than one hundred years ago. On the day that Evangeline and Gabriel were be wed, their village was attacked and the two were separated. And now in the present, Gabe has mysteriously disappeared from Eva.

A dreamlike, loose retelling of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s famous love poem “Evangeline,” Anxious Hearts tells an epic tale of unrequited love and the hope that true love can be reunited.

Source: Abrams Books – Amulet Books, Emma (Thanks!)

My Thoughts:

Shaw’s writing echoed the tone of Longfellow’s Evangeline. The writing was poetic, breathtaking and dramatic. Shaw took a scene and dissected it into different layers if beauty, showing the readers the true meaning of appreciation.

This was more of a show book than a tell book. Shaw knew how to tell a story – less commentary and more on subtle hints of the events taking place. What I really liked was how Shaw made me yearn for what was unwritten, what happened in between chapters and what would complete the puzzle of the story. Told from two perspectives, Gabriel from the past and Eva from the present, the gap in time and in modernity reflected well. The change in the process of courtship was also shown. In old times, there was so much to do, so much to prove contrary to the modern courtship. The love between Gabriel and Evangeline was so strong that it lasted after their parting and fueled Gabriel to find her.

The concept of losing oneself when in love was pushed to the limit. But I could see the point. It happens when you love someone too much, leaving nothing for yourself but a total devotion to your love. What just seemed a little confusing for me was the present Gabriel’s being lost.  He was not propelled to find Eva like the past Gabriel, instead he has been around, assuming that Eva would understand. And he was a little strange, having a few words despite the fact that he had an overflowing amount to write in his journal. I was not really able to connect with present Gabriel, unlike with the past Gabriel. I admired the past Gabriel’s love and devotion to Evangeline. For me, it was the ideal trait in a guy.


I also liked the air of mystery around the characters, especially present Gabriel. The advantage of his having little to say was that he became unpredictable. I had no idea what he would do, what would happen to him and even what he might say. This air of mystery eventually led to a satisfying and heartfelt ending. The wave of love and devotion in Anxious Hearts was something inescapable even after I closed the book. This book was powerful and moving.

I read this in a couple of hours. Actually, it was addicting. Once I was pulled in, it was hard to let go. I just had to keep reading to know what would happen. There was a strong emotional pull in this novel. I loved it. Anxious Hearts is a dramatic and overwhelming romance of four hearts. I recommend this to fans of romance and historical novels (because half of this is historical.)

Rating:

Out with a Bang Readathon: Mini-challenge

Loud Words and Sounds is hosting a mini-challenge for Day 2 of Out with a Bang Readathon.

Right now, I’m reading Slice of Cherry by Dia Reeves.

Fancy was intent on finding a fairy ring in the woods near their house. Kit helped her. But the fairy ring they found didn’t open doors, it did something else. Something creepy.

Kit and Fancy were asked to buy nice dresses for Juneteenth. One of the dresses was a black cotton lace pinafore (this was the best one I could find.)

Everyone in Portero was given a key by the mayor when they were born. Fancy kept her key in a necklace, unlike Kit and Madda who kept their keys on keychains.

Top 10 Reads of 2010 & 2011 Challenges

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I started this blog around February. I never imagined that Fragments of Life would be like this. Blogging for several months has been a wonderful learning experience for me, from writing reviews, to appreciating books, to interviewing authors and to hosting a blog event. 2010 brought lots of blessings (and awesome reads.) Thank you so much to everyone who helped me and had enough faith in Fragments of Life to be one of my lovely followers!

I know this is a little late. But I want to start 2011 by blogging about the top 10 reads of 2010.

Birthmarked by Caragh O’Brien. This is the first book that I received for review! It was just March then, I was only a one-month old blogger and Roaring Brook Press offered me a copy of this amazing dystopian read. Of course, I agreed! And I wasn’t disappointed. This was the first dystopian I’ve ever read – the book that brought my heart close to dystopia, the book that made me rave about dystopia. I loved the story world that Caragh created no matter how sad and harsh it was at times.

                                                               

Sing Me to Sleep by Angela Morrison. Breathtaking, romantic and heart-felt. I borrowed Sing Me to Sleep from the first Filipina blogger that I became friends with, Reggie of the Undercover Booklover. I experienced several firsts with Sing Me to Sleep. It was an ARC. It was the first time I touched an ARC. Plus, it was the first romance story without paranormal elements that I read. Beth and Derek touched my hear, made me cry and made me want a second book with both of them in it.

Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare. This was my first steampunk read. I loved it the same way I loved all of Cassie’s other books – City of Bones, City of Ashes and City of Glass. Shadowhunters never fail to be badass, sexy and humorous. I have to admit that the villain’s spawns in this book made my skin crawl. It was just creepy for me but I liked how this book made me feel that. It just proves how good a writer Cassie is.

Beautiful Darkness by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl. This is the sequel of Beautiful Creatures, my favorite 2009 book. I loved Beautiful Darkness for its world, characters and magic. This was a powerful and sad read. Better than Beautiful Creatures in every way possible.

Paranormalcy by Kiersten White. I really, really wanted to understand why people were raving about this book. After working part-time and finding enough money on my hands, I bought this and devoured it! 5 stars on characters and plot. Lend was a very unique character, unforgettable too.

Jane by April Lindner. A rock star and a serious nanny. Dark secrets of the past. Wow. The collision of these two characters turned out to be an enjoyable story with just the right combination of forbidden romance, drama and mystery. The writing was amazing. If the retelling of Jane Eyre was this good, I must read the novel itself soon.

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver. I read this for Christmas Countdown. I was hesitant to read it a few months ago because I thought maybe it would be too Chick Lit, too girly for me. I thought it would be repetitive. I was so wrong. Oliver did an awesome job in telling the story. Nothing was ever the same! What seemed like a very simple day turned out to be a complicated one with several folds of possibilities underneath the events. Thought-provoking and powerful, for me it was the best debut of the year.

Hold Me Closer, Necromancer by Lish Mcbride. Creepy and humorous, this was one of the most unique and most enjoyable YA novels I’ve read this year. Mcbride knew how to make me laugh and how to scare me. This was my introduction to the world of necromancy.

Tyger, Tyger by Kersten Hamilton. This was the scary version of Alice and Wonderland. Featuring the wondrous world of Mag Mell and the creatures of darker mythologies of Ireland, this caught my attention. There weren’t much goblins in YA and I never expected the mythology to be twisted in such a way that it was connected to one that I really loved.

Raised by Wolves by Jennifer Lynn Barnes. Funny, entertaining, unpredictable and romantic, this novel captured my heart. It reminded me of Blood & Chocolate (the movie – which I loved.) With a great cast for characters, human and wolf, this opened my eyes to the intricate connection within the pack.

This year, I will be joining the Debut Author Challenge for the second time and 100 Books a Year Challenge for the first time – which is perfect for me since my new year’s resolution for the blog is to read and review 100 books in 2011. 

Watch out for reviews of Anxious Hearts, Raised by Wolves, Tyger, Tyger, Trickster’s Girl, Slice of Cherry, Choker and The Defense of Thaddeus A. Ledbetter.