November 13, 2013 by EM Castellan

Waiting On Wednesday – 31

Hello gentle reader,

this week I’m waiting on Guardian (Proxy #2) by Alex London (expected publication: 29th May 2014 by Philomel). It’s a YA Science-Fiction sequel to Proxy, which came out in July 2013. It’s no secret that I loved Proxy (one of the best YA books of 2013, in my opinion) and I can’t wait to find out what happens in the second book.

Since I don’t want to post any spoilers in case you haven’t read the first book, I’m pasting below the blurb from Proxy (from Goodreads):

Knox was born into one of the City’s wealthiest families. A Patron, he has everything a boy could possibly want—the latest tech, the coolest clothes, and a Proxy to take all his punishments. When Knox breaks a vase, Syd is beaten. When Knox plays a practical joke, Syd is forced to haul rocks. And when Knox crashes a car, killing one of his friends, Syd is branded and sentenced to death.

Syd is a Proxy. His life is not his own.

Then again, neither is Knox’s. Knox and Syd have more in common than either would guess. So when Knox and Syd realize that the only way to beat the system is to save each other, they flee. Yet Knox’s father is no ordinary Patron, and Syd is no ordinary Proxy. The ensuing cross-country chase will uncover a secret society of rebels, test both boys’ resolve, and shine a blinding light onto a world of those who owe and those who pay. Some debts, it turns out, cannot be repaid.

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

Have you heard about Proxy and Guardian? Are they on your TBR list? What are you waiting on this week?

September 25, 2013 by EM Castellan

Waiting On Wednesday – 28

Hello gentle reader,

this week I’m waiting on Erased (Altered #2) by Jennifer Rush (expected publication: 7th January 2014). It is the second book in a sci-fi trilogy. I really liked Altered, and I’m excited to read what happens next to Anna and the boys…

Since I don’t want to spoil Book 1 for you in case you haven’t read it, I’m not going to post the blurb for Erased here. Instead, I’ll post the blurb for Altered.

From Goodreads:

Everything about Anna’s life is a secret. Her father works for the Branch at the helm of its latest project: monitoring and administering treatments to the four genetically altered boys in the lab below their farmhouse. There’s Nick, Cas, Trev . . . and Sam, who’s stolen Anna’s heart. When the Branch decides it’s time to take the boys, Sam stages an escape, killing the agents sent to retrieve them.

Anna is torn between following Sam or staying behind in the safety of her everyday life. But her father pushes her to flee, making Sam promise to keep her away from the Branch, at all costs. There’s just one problem. Sam and the boys don’t remember anything before living in the lab—not even their true identities.

Now on the run, Anna soon discovers that she and Sam are connected in more ways than either of them expected. And if they’re both going to survive, they must piece together the clues of their past before the Branch catches up to them and steals it all away.

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

What are you waiting on this week? Is Erased on your TBR list? Have you read Altered?

Feel free to leave me a comment below!

August 22, 2013 by EM Castellan

YA Sci-Fi

What’s on my bookshelf? 8

Hello gentle reader,

Yesterday my Critique Partner asked on Twitter if people could recommend YA Sci-Fi books to her. I don’t read a lot of Science Fiction, but here are my favourite books in this genre…

Proxy by Alex London (published in June 2013 by Philomel)

My favourite 2013 release so far. It’s action-packed, it’s thought-provoking, it’s clever and gripping. It’s about friendship, social justice, consumerism and technologies. It’s also a dual male POV. What more can you ask for?

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi (published in November 2011 by Harper)

Original and so well-written, this is the story of a girl whose touch is lethal. What she does with that power in a futuristic dictatorship is up to her.

Altered by Jennifer Rush (published in January 2013 by Little, Brown Books for Young Reader)

A debut novel pitched as Dollhouse meets Prison Break, with one girl and four genetically altered boys on the run from a mysterious organisation. Don’t mind the eye-catching cover, it’s a thrilling and multi-layered story well worth a read.

That’s it for the YA Sci-Fi books on my bookshelf. I did tell you I don’t read this genre a lot. Any book you’ve loved and would recommend? Feel free to leave me a comment below!

And don’t forget you can still enter my 500 Blog Followers Giveaway here (and win a copy of Shatter Me!).

December 22, 2012 by EM Castellan

The Best Of 2012 – TV Shows

Hello gentle reader,

As the end of the year draws near, it is now time to look back at 2012… Fans of Sci-Fi and Fantasy had many TV shows to choose from this year. Here are a few I watched…