Tag Archives: dystopian novel

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Bout of Books 4.0 Read-a-thon – Goals!


It’s springtime and my TBR pile is getting big, so I have decided to take part in a read-a-thon created by Amanda @ On a Book Bender. Exciting!

What is that all about?

  • Bout of Books is a week long read-a-thon, which will run from 12:01am on Monday, May 14th through 11:59pm Sunday, May 20st in whatever time zone you are in.
  • Bout of Books is low pressure, meaning participants are only asked to push themselves to read more than they normally would during any given week. There is no competition between readers.
  • How much time a reader wants, and can commit, to read, tweet, or network with fellow bloggers is left to individual preference. All challenges and giveaways are optional.
  • Networking with fellow bloggers is actively encouraged, though never required. Co-hosts are there to facilitate blog hopping and interaction between participants.
  • Twitter will be used to post updates throughout the read-a-thon. Everyone will be tweeting with the #boutofbooks hashtag. Follow @boutofbooks for all important announcements.

My goals:

  • Read every day
  • Finish at least 2 books that week
  • Communicate every day with the community
  • Find new blogs and people to follow

 Books I’m going to read this week:

Catching Fire (The Hunger Games #2) by Suzanne Collins

Mockingjay (The Hunger Games, #3) by Suzanne Collins

I know I am a bit late to this party but after reading The Hunger Games I felt that I needed to take a break from this story before reading the rest. I now feel in the mood to finish the trilogy.

The Pledge by Kimberly Derting

It is a YA dystopian novel and I have only heard good things about it. Time to see what the buzz is all about for myself.

Vixen by Jillian Larkin

A 2010 debut and a YA historical novel… I love books about the Roaring 20s and this one has been sitting on my shelf for quite some time now, so I have decided to finally take a look at it.

What are you going to read this week?

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Waiting On Wednesday – 6

“Waiting On Wednesday” is a weekly event, hosted by book blogger Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.

Today I have chosen Once by Anna Carey (Expected publication: July 3rd 2012 by Harper Collins). It is the second book in the Eve trilogy. I loved Eve, a fast-paced YA dystopian novel with an enjoyable plot and great characters…and I can’t wait for the second installment in the series!

From Goodreads:

“Sixteen years have passed since a deadly virus wiped out most of the Earth’s population. After learning of the terrifying part she and her classmates were fated to play in the rebuilding of New America, eighteen-year-old Eve fled to the wilds and Califia, a haven for women determined to live outside the oppressive rule of the king of New America. However, her freedom came at a price: she was forced to leave Caleb, the boy she loves, wounded and alone at the city gates. Eve quickly learns that Califia may not be as safe as it seems and soon finds herself in the City of Sand and the palace of the king. There she uncovers the real reason he was so intent on her capture, and the unbelievable role he intends her to fill. When she is finally reunited with Caleb, they will enact a plan as daring as it is dangerous. But will Eve once again risk everything—her freedom, her life—for love?

Brimming with danger and star-crossed romance, and featuring a vivid dystopian landscape, this electrifying follow-up to Eve, which bestselling author Lauren Kate called “a gripping, unforgettable adventure—and a fresh look at what it means to love” is sure to appeal to fans who crave the high-stakes adventure of The Hunger Games and the irresistible love story of Romeo and Juliet.”

What are you waiting for this week?

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Book of the Week – 6

This week I’m reading Struck by Jennifer Bosworth. It has just come out and I had to buy (and read) it as soon as I could! It is a Young Adult Dystopian novel with a paranormal twist, and it sounds great…

From Goodreads:

“Mia Price is a lightning addict. She’s survived countless strikes, but her craving to connect to the energy in storms endangers her life and the lives of those around her.

Los Angeles, where lightning rarely strikes, is one of the few places Mia feels safe from her addiction. But when an earthquake devastates the city, her haven is transformed into a minefield of chaos and danger. The beaches become massive tent cities. Downtown is a crumbling wasteland, where a traveling party moves to a different empty building each night, the revelers drawn to the destruction by a force they cannot deny. Two warring cults rise to power, and both see Mia as the key to their opposing doomsday prophecies. They believe she has a connection to the freak electrical storm that caused the quake, and to the far more devastating storm that is yet to come.

Mia wants to trust the enigmatic and alluring Jeremy when he promises to protect her, but she fears he isn’t who he claims to be. In the end, the passion and power that brought them together could be their downfall. When the final disaster strikes, Mia must risk unleashing the full horror of her strength to save the people she loves, or lose everything.”

Check out Jennifer’s website here: http://www.jenniferbosworth.com/

What are you reading this week?

 

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Waiting On Wednesday – 5

Welcome to the Dystopian Survival Week Hop – Day 3 !

This Hop is hosted by Kristen @ Seeing Night Reviews and Ali’s @ Ali’s Bookshelf. It started on Monday, April 23th and it runs through Friday, April 27st.

There are 9 participating blogs and I strongly suggest you visit each of them because we all give you the opportunity to win awesome Dystopian books if you’re willing to take part in our challenges. Today you can win The Maze Runner @ Ali’s Bookshelf and The Hunger Games @ Pretty Deadly Reviews).

Also my challenge/giveaway is still open here and you have the opportunity to win The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness. Enter now!

“Waiting On Wednesday” is a weekly event, hosted by book blogger Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.

So, since it is Dystopian Week on the blog, my Waiting On Wednesday’s pick is a Dystopian novel:

Black City by Elizabeth Richards (Expected publication: November 13th 2012 by G.P. Putnam’s Sons BYR).

From Goodreads:

“A dark and tender post-apocalyptic love story set in the aftermath of a bloody war. In a city where humans and Darklings are now separated by a high wall and tensions between the two races still simmer after a terrible war, sixteen-year-olds Ash Fisher, a half-blood Darkling, and Natalie Buchanan, a human and the daughter of the Emissary, meet and do the unthinkable–they fall in love. Bonded by a mysterious connection that causes Ash’s long-dormant heart to beat, Ash and Natalie first deny and then struggle to fight their forbidden feelings for each other, knowing if they’re caught, they’ll be executed–but their feelings are too strong. When Ash and Natalie then find themselves at the center of a deadly conspiracy that threatens to pull the humans and Darklings back into war, they must make hard choices that could result in both their deaths.”

What are you waiting for this week?

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Dystopian Survival Week Hop – Day 2

 Welcome to the Dystopian Survival Week Hop – Day 2 !

This Hop is hosted by Kristen @ Seeing Night Reviews and Ali’s @ Ali’s Bookshelf. It started yesterday, Monday, April 23th and it runs through Friday, April 27st.

There are 9 participating blogs and I strongly suggest you visit each of them because we all give you the opportunity to win awesome Dystopian books if you’re willing to take part in our challenges.

My challenge/giveaway is open internationally. It is open until Friday, 27th April at midnight (EST).

*Challenge/Giveaway is now closed. Thanks to all who participated!*

My challenge: Guess that Quote from Dystopian Novels

Here are four quotes from (very) famous dystopian novels. You have to guess/research which book each quote is from and send me your answers via the contact form below.

Quote #1: “Big Brother is Watching You.”
Quote #2: “I held you in my hands, Wanderer, and you were beautiful.”
Quote #3: “I feel like someone breathed new air into my lungs. I am not Abnegation. I am not Dauntless. I am Divergent.”
Quote #4: “Katniss, the girl who was on fire!”
In the contact form below, you only need to fill in your name and email, and list in the core of the message your four answers. For example:

1-    Title of Book #1

2-    Title of Book #2

3-    Title of Book #3

4-    Title of Book #4

 

If your four answers are correct, your will have a chance to win…

The prize: “The Knife of Never Letting Go” Giveaway

“The Knife of Never Letting Go”, by UK-based author Patrick Ness, is a YA Dystopian novel. Published in 2008, it is the first installment in the Chaos Walking Trilogy. It has won numerous awards, including the Booktrust Teenage Prize, the Guardian Award, and the 2008 James Tiptree, Jr. Award. It was also shortlisted for the 2009 Carnegie Medal and longlisted for the 2009 Manchester Book Award. It is a great book that you should definitely read, so why not win it?

Enter the challenge now!

Done entering my challenge? Check out the other participating blogs:

April 24

 (YA Book) – Government System in Dystopian Novels (Giving away Various Dystopian Novels)

April 25th

Ali’s Bookshelf – Would you make it through the Maze Challenge (Giving away The Maze Runner)

Pretty Deadly Reviews) – Hunger Games Theme (Giving away Hunger Games + Swag)

April 26th

Breath of Life Book Reviews) – Article 5 Theme (Giving away Article 5 + Post Card)
Book Lovin Mamas – Surviving the Caves Challenge (Giving away The Host)

April 27th

(One Book Per Week) – Woman/Girls in Dystopian Novel Theme ( Giveaway Blood Red Road)

Sharon Loves Books and Cats – The Hunt Challenge (Giveaway The Hunt)

Seeing Night Reviews – Closing Announcements (Giving away Insurgent)

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Book of the Week – 6

Welcome to the Dystopian Survival Week Hop – Day 1 !

This Hop is hosted by Kristen @ Seeing Night Reviews and Ali’s @ Ali’s Bookshelf. It starts today, Monday, April 23th and it runs through Friday, April 27st.

There are 9 participating blogs and I strongly suggest you visit each of them because we all give you the opportunity to win awesome Dystopian books if you’re willing to take part in our challenges.

Today you can win Insurgent @ Seeing Night Reviews and The Maze Runner @ Ali’s Bookshelf.

Make sure to stop by my blog tomorrow as my challenge/giveaway will be open and you will have the opportunity to win The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness.

So, since it is Dystopian Week on the blog, my Book of the Week had to be a dystopian novel. I have picked Blood Red Road by Moira Young (published in 2011 by Margaret K. McElderry Books).

From Goodreads:

“Saba has spent her whole life in Silverlake, a dried-up wasteland ravaged by constant sandstorms. The Wrecker civilization has long been destroyed, leaving only landfills for Saba and her family to scavenge from. That’s fine by her, as long as her beloved twin brother Lugh is around. But when a monster sandstorm arrives, along with four cloaked horsemen, Saba’s world is shattered. Lugh is captured, and Saba embarks on an epic quest to get him back.

Suddenly thrown into the lawless, ugly reality of the world outside of desolate Silverlake, Saba is lost without Lugh to guide her. So perhaps the most surprising thing of all is what Saba learns about herself: she’s a fierce fighter, an unbeatable survivor, and a cunning opponent. And she has the power to take down a corrupt society from the inside. Teamed up with a handsome daredevil named Jack and a gang of girl revolutionaries called the Free Hawks, Saba stages a showdown that will change the course of her own civilization.

Blood Red Road has a searing pace, a poetically minimal writing style, violent action, and an epic love story. Moira Young is one of the most promising and startling new voices in teen fiction.”

What are you reading this week?

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Book of the Week – 5

This week I’m reading Eve by Anna Carey. It is a YA Dystopian novel published in 2011 and the first installment in the Eve trilogy. I have had it on my bookshelf since last Fall and I thought it was time for me to dive into it, since Once, the second book in the series, is due out in July 2012.

Goodreads on Eve:

“Where do you go when nowhere is safe?

Sixteen years after a deadly virus wiped out most of Earth’s population, the world is a perilous place. Eighteen-year-old Eve has never been beyond the heavily guarded perimeter of her school, where she and two hundred other orphaned girls have been promised a future as the teachers and artists of the New America. But the night before graduation, Eve learns the shocking truth about her school’s real purpose–and the horrifying fate that awaits her.

Fleeing the only home she’s ever known, Eve sets off on a long, treacherous journey, searching for a place she can survive. Along the way she encounters Arden, her former rival from school, and Caleb, a rough, rebellious boy living in the wild. Separated from men her whole life, Eve has been taught to fear them, but Caleb slowly wins her trust . . . and her heart. He promises to protect her, but when soldiers begin hunting them, Eve must choose between true love and her life.

In this epic new series, Anna Carey imagines a future that is both beautiful and terrifying. Readers will revel in “Eve”‘s timeless story of forbidden love and extraordinary adventure.”

Check out Anna’s website: http://annacareybooks.com/

What are you reading this week?

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A writer in the spotlight – Teri Hall

This week again I was lucky enough to have a YA author give me an exclusive interview! The idea behind the “Writer in the Spotlight” feature is that published (and bestselling) authors are the best source of advice for us, would-be-published writers. Today’s interview is with Dystopian writer Teri Hall.

Author : Teri Hall

Genre : Dystopian, young adult literature

Location:  Washington State, USA

Website : http://www.terihall.com/

Books : The Line Trilogy – The Line (2010), Away (2011), The Island (no release date yet)

My interview (12/04/2012)

On “The Line” trilogy:

Why did you decide to write a YA Dystopian novel?

I think dystopias offer a unique opportunity to explore big questions.  Are the values our society holds the ones we should be reinforcing?  What is important?  What is true bravery?  What choices would you make if you were put in a situation where every one of them was crucial?

Is Rachel, her mother and Ms Moore based on real people?

Nope.

The Unified States are a very interesting (and frightening!) place to live in. How did you come up with the Unified States?

I really just took what’s happening now (border tension, nationalistic fervor, loss of personal freedom in hopes that it will somehow “protect” us from harm, humanity’s innate fear of the “other”) and extrapolated in order to try to envision what things could look like in the near future.  The scariest part of that process was that it was so easy to see how we could get to a place like the Unified States within a very short time.

The relationship between Vivian and Rachel is very well described, as well as the contradictory feelings that teenagers can experience toward their parents. How did you go about writing about those? 

I remember being a teenager, and I know plenty of teenagers and mothers, so that special sort of love/resentment thing was pretty easy to write about.  The way you think your Mom might be the stupidest person on earth sometimes, and then as time passes you realize what she’s been dealing with, and how you had no idea that her actions might have had a whole set of adult concerns attached to them that you had no idea about.

What type of music did you listen to when you were writing this book?

I don’t like to listen to music while I write.  I generally like only silence or bird sounds from my open window.

What are you working on now?

Book three of the trilogy.  It’s called The Island, and I am having a lot of fun writing it.

On writing:

Did you always know you wanted to be a writer?

Nope. Nobody ever mentioned that as a possibility.

When and where do you write? 

I write in a tiny home office, whenever I can find time.

Do you ever experience writer’s block?

Hmm.  I do experience difficulty writing sometimes, but I think it’s less of a block than it is just being too tired, or too distracted, or too . . . something.

What do you say to people who want to be writers? How difficult is it to get published?

I try to say very little except “good luck” and “keep trying” to people who express to me that they want to be writers.  I think all writers’ paths are unique, and that advice about some general way of doing things is not very useful.  In terms of how difficult it is to be published, I don’t have a good answer.  I’ve watched some great writers get passed by or published only after exhaustive attempts, and I’ve see the opposite happen, too.

Away is already available in hardcover in the UK. It will come out in paperback in September 2012.

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Fantastical Intentions – Beginnings

Fantastical Intentions is a feature featuring Hannah and Naithin of Once Upon A Time and Jacob of Drying Ink. They decide on a fantasy related topic and everyone is welcome to join in. If you would like to participate, write a blog post of your own and leave your link in the comments.

This week’s topic is: Beginnings!

My pick is the beginning of The Passage by Justin Cronin.

“Before she became the Girl from Nowhere-the One Who Walked In, the First and Last and Only, who lived a thousand years-she was just a little girl in Iowa, named Amy. Amy Harper Bellafonte.”

The Passage is a very long book (almost a 1000 pages) and it’s the first installment in a trilogy. To be honest, it’s not the easiest read in the world despite a great theme and an interesting plot: the story takes a (very) long time to unfold and I thought some editing would have been needed for some parts of the book. That being said, The Passage has one of the best beginnings I’ve read in my life. The first 250 pages are just amazingly gripping and incredibly well written. Entitled “The Worst Dream in the World”, this part 1 of the novel describes how the world comes to an end in less than half an hour.

“It happened fast. Thirty-two minutes for one world to die, another to be born.”

This beginning is a race against time and a great introduction of the main characters.

It is an outstanding example of what a beginning should be in a novel.

What beginning did you choose?

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Book of the Week – 4

This week I’m reading The Line by US author Teri Hall. Its is a Dystopian novel published in 2010. The second book in the series, called Away, came out last September and I have had them both on my TBR pile for ages. After watching The Hunger Games I have decided it was time for me to dive into this original story.

According to Teri’s website, here is what the series is about:

“Rachel lives with her mother on The Property. The good thing about living there is that it’s far from the city where the oppressive government is most active. The bad thing, at least to most people, is that it’s close to the Line—an uncrossable section of the National Border Defense System, an invisible barrier that encloses the entire country.

She can see the Line from the greenhouse windows, but she is forbidden to go near it. Across the Line is Away, and though Rachel has heard many whispers about the dangers there, she’s never really believed the stories. Until the day she hears a recording that could only have come from across the Line.

It’s a voice asking for help.

Who sent the message? What is her mother hiding? And to what lengths will Rachel go in order to do what she thinks is right?”

What are you reading this week?