Bad Taste in Words

Bad Taste in Words

I've read a lot of books with colourful language. I've read my fair share of books that have had a few bad taste in words, but none that have bothered me that much. You cringe. You move on. None have really bothered me that much. And I'm not saying that it should be censored in any way, but (you knew that was coming) I came across this book, a book that inspired this post, because it affected my reading experience. And once it does affect my reading experience that's when I'm done. The book? I'm not going to name it, because I'm not mean but just a few pages in I knew I wouldn't like it because of the way it's written, the words that are used. I'm not squeaky clean with language, okay? I swear, a lot. It's a problem, and I like swearing in books, especially in YA because what teen doesn't swear in high school?

Spotlight: Court Q&A with Cat Patrick

Title: Court

Author: Cat Patrick

Date of Publication: October 23rd 2014

For more than 400 years, a secret monarchy has survived and thrived within the borders of the US, hiding in plain sight as the state known as Wyoming. But when the king is shot and his seventeen-year-old son, Haakon McHale, is told he will take the throne, becoming the eleventh ruler of the Kingdom of Eurus, the community that's survived for centuries is pushed to the limit. Told through four perspectives, Court transplants us to a world that looks like ours, but isn't. Gwendolyn Rose, daughter of the Duke of Coal, is grudgingly betrothed to Haakon -- and just wants a way out. Alexander Oxendine, son of the Duke of Wind and Haakon's lifelong best friend, already grapples with external struggles when he's assigned to guard Haakon after the king dies. And commoner Mary Doyle finds whispers in the woods that may solve -- or destroy -- everything, depending on your bloodline.

Money. Love. Power. Community. What's your motivation?

Q&A

1) Is there a message in your novel that you want readers to grasp?

I feel like the red thread in all of my books is that people should be who they are and not who someone else wants them to be. Life is much more interesting that way.

2) Writing mentors?

I find inspiration from every good book I read. I’d recently finished Justin Cronin’s The Passage as I was getting going on Court, and it inspired me to be more thoughtful about description of landscapes, for example.

Waiting on Wednesday (#73)

"Waiting on" Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases.

Crimson Bound by Rosamund Hodge

 

  Expected publication: May 5th 2015 by Balzer + Bray

 

 



When Rachelle was fifteen she was good—apprenticed to her aunt and in training to protect her village from dark magic. But she was also reckless— straying from the forest path in search of a way to free her world from the threat of eternal darkness. After an illicit meeting goes dreadfully wrong, Rachelle is forced to make a terrible choice that binds her to the very evil she had hoped to defeat.

Three years later, Rachelle has given her life to serving the realm, fighting deadly creatures in an effort to atone. When the king orders her to guard his son Armand—the man she hates most—Rachelle forces Armand to help her find the legendary sword that might save their world. As the two become unexpected allies, they uncover far-reaching conspiracies, hidden magic, and a love that may be their undoing. In a palace built on unbelievable wealth and dangerous secrets, can Rachelle discover the truth and stop the fall of endless night?

Inspired by the classic fairy tale Little Red Riding Hood, Crimson Bound is an exhilarating tale of darkness, love, and redemption.

(This is a standalone novel, not part of the Cruel Beauty Universe.)

Okay, I know Cruel Beauty was confusing, but I loved it. Sad this isn't in the same Universe as Cruel Beauty (especially with that cover!) but so excited about it!

What're you waiting on?

Novella Review: Half Lies (The Half Blood Trilogy #0.5)

Half Life
Author: Sally Green
Publication Date: November 13th 2014        
Publisher:  Penguin ~A copy was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review~

Set in the months before Half Bad, Half Lies takes the form of a diary written by Michele, the sister of Gabriel, Nathan’s Black witch friend. Having fled Europe for Florida, Michele falls in love with a local White witch boy. There, she finds that the divide between the Black and White witch communities is just as dangerous as it was in the life she's left behind.

HALF WILD, the sequel to HALF BAD will be published in March 2015. You can pre-order your copy now here! and read the first chapter here.

I don't usually read any novella's, mainly I only read the ones from my favourite series, and I can count on one hand how many I have, Half Lies being one of them. As you can gather, I loved Half Bad, and Gabriel was one of my favourite characters, so it was nice to be able to get to see more of him before he became the Gabriel in Half Bad, and since this was focusing on his sister, Michele, and getting to know her through the diary entries, and seeing how her end came to be.

Review: Court

Court
Author: Cat Patrick
Publication Date: October 23rd 2014
~A copy was provided by Rock Star Lit PR in exchange for an honest review~

For more than 400 years, a secret monarchy has survived and thrived within the borders of the US, hiding in plain sight as the state known as Wyoming. But when the king is shot and his seventeen-year-old son, Haakon McHale, is told he will take the throne, becoming the eleventh ruler of the Kingdom of Eurus, the community that's survived for centuries is pushed to the limit. Told through four perspectives, Court transplants us to a world that looks like ours, but isn't. Gwendolyn Rose, daughter of the Duke of Coal, is grudgingly betrothed to Haakon -- and just wants a way out. Alexander Oxendine, son of the Duke of Wind and Haakon's lifelong best friend, already grapples with external struggles when he's assigned to guard Haakon after the king dies. And commoner Mary Doyle finds whispers in the woods that may solve -- or destroy -- everything, depending on your bloodline.

Money. Love. Power. Community. What's your motivation?

I've read every Cat Patrick, which is why I was so excited to read Court, unfortunately, it didn't live up to her others. You could say that's because it's different to what she's done before, and it is, but it's not because of that. It's because there's not much going on. Court, in one word, is boring. I'm sorry to say it, but it is, and I can see why it wasn't picked up by the same publisher. I'm not saying Court is bad per say, but it doesn't seem up to her usual standard, and maybe that's just because it's something completely different or what, I don't know, but I wanted to root for it, but I couldn't.

Stacking the Shelves (#71) & Recap

Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews.

 

 

So, how was everybody's week? Mines been okay, I finished All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven last night and there might have been tears. A lot, a lot, of tears, but it is such a beautiful book in so many ways. I'm now going to go watch Mrs Brown's Boys because I need a good laugh right now, haha.