TOP TEN TUESDAY: Book Covers I'd Frame As Art

Hi everyone!  This week's Top Ten Tuesday topic sounded like a lot of fun: Book Covers I'd Frame as Art.  I picked out some of my favorites that I'd definitely consider framing and hanging on my wall :-).

 

Hope you're having a great week!

Ninja Girl

WAITING ON WEDNESDAY

Hey there, "Waiting on Wednesday" is a meme hosted over at Breaking the Spine, featuring those books that are just too good, the ones you wish were out. Right. This. Second.
My choice this week is the second in a series.  Just look at that A-mazing cover!!

 

Goodreads summary: Does one need four fully grown foxgloves for decorating a dinner table for six guests? Or is it six foxgloves to kill four fully grown guests?

Sophronia's first year at Mademoiselle Geraldine's Finishing Academy for Young Ladies of Quality has certainly been rousing! For one thing, finishing school is training her to be a spy (won't Mumsy be surprised?). Furthermore, Sophronia got mixed up in an intrigue over a stolen device and had a cheese pie thrown at her in a most horrid display of poor manners.

Now, as she sneaks around the dirigible school, eavesdropping on the teachers' quarters and making clandestine climbs to the ship's boiler room, she learns that there may be more to a school trip to London than is apparent at first. A conspiracy is afoot--one with dire implications for both supernaturals and humans. Sophronia must rely on her training to discover who is behind the dangerous plot-and survive the London Season with a full dance card.

In this sequel to bestselling author Gail Carriger's YA debut Etiquette & Espionage, class is back in session with more petticoats and poison, tea trays and treason. Gail's distinctive voice, signature humor, and lush steampunk setting are sure to be the height of fashion this season.

Can't wait to read Curtsies & Conspiracies!  And seriously, whoever designs Gail Carriger's book covers/comes up with these awesome titles/found the Keira Knightly-look alike?  Well done, people.  Well done :-).  Have a great week everyone!

Ninja Girl

ETIQUETTE & ESPIONAGE by Gail Carriger

When I found out Gail Carriger was writing a YA series, I was like "HOO-HA!"  (Picture this said with great passion, Al Pacino style J).  When I found out the book was going to be about a finishing school for girls where they learn the fine art of espionage?  Gah!  I can't even tell you how excited I was.

Etiquette &Espionage delivered everything I look for in a Carriger book:

--Characters you care about

--Plotting that's out of this world

--A flair for Victorian fashion

--A good dose of the ridiculous

--Friendships and romance and dirigibles, oh my!

Sophronia Angelina Temminick, our heroine, was a girl after my own heart.  She was overly curious.  She loved to climb and contemplate the inner-workings of machinery, and wasn't all that interested in fashion (shocking!).  Shipped off by her mother, she goes to Madame Geraldine's Finishing School for Young Ladies of Quality in a carriage with three strangers: Dimity and her brother, Pillover, and Madame Geraldine--who may or may not be an imposter.

When the carriage is attacked by flywaymen (think hot air balloons operated by men of criminal intent), the real fun begins.  Sophronia shows her cunning and ingenuity in this first encounter, using only Pillover's "Depraved Lens of Crispy Magnification" and some fancy getaway driving to escape.

Sophronia was a spectacular main character.  Like I said, she was curious enough to land her in loads of trouble--but smart enough to get her and her friends out of it.

I really loved all the friendships.  Dimity and Sophronia quickly became besties.  With her love of accessories and bold yet tacky fashion sense, Dimity reminded me of Ivy Hisslepenny (a favorite from Carriger's Parasol Protectorate series).  Dimity had no interest in becoming an evil mastermind, like her parents, and she was a true friend.  She and Sophronia couldn't have been more different on the surface.  But throughout the book, they stand by each other.

Also loved the part where Sophronia goes down to the boiler room and meets the sooties.  Especially, Phineas B. Crow aka Soap, who develops an immediate sweet spot for Sophronia and even sends a bit of coal up to her room for her pet mechanimal Bumbersnoot!

Seriously, you guys, this is why I love Gail Carriger.

I definitely recommend this book.  When you read a Carriger novel, you can't help but be swept away.  There's no one out there, YA or otherwise, that writes quite like her.  Etiquette & Espionage was a great YA debut, and I can't wait for the second book of the series!

Happy reading,

Ninja Girl

 

P.S. If you enjoyed the Parasol Protectorate, you might recognize a few characters in E&E  :-).  These were some of my absolute favorite parts, but I didn't want to give them away.

STACKING THE SHELVES (9)

 

Hi everyone!  Stacking the Shelves is a meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews.  The books I got this week look freaking fantastic!!  Like, literally, the covers are gorgeous.

 

List of books: How The Marquess Was Won by Julie Anne Long

                       Speechless by Hannah Harrington

                       Etiquette & Espionage by Gail Carriger

                       Unravel Me by Tahereh Mafi

                       The Madman's Daughter by Megan Shepherd

                       Scarlet by Marissa Meyer

                       Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

 

They're all awesome (and seriously, the covers are so beautiful!).  But the ONE that I've been waiting on forever is:

 

Cannot wait to read!

 

And the one that stood out most on the shelf?  Well, that had to be Speechless.  The pure white cover was such a stark contrast to everything else.  And yes, those movie trailers (and Emma Thompson's Southern accent) finally convinced me to read Beautiful Creatures.  I'm going to the movie first so I can enjoy without comparing ;-).

 

Hope you got some great books this week!

 

Ninja Girl 



DEBUT AUTHOR CHALLENGE 2013

 

Hi there, everyone!  I decided to do a challenge, and this one looks right up my alley :D.  I love discovering new voices in YA.  A lot of times debuts are my favorites.  I don't know if that's b/c the authors just seem fresh to me or b/c they put everything they had--soul, passion, creativity--into that first book, but it's true: Debuts rock!!

My goal for this challenge is to read and review 12 YA debuts.  See that new page up there?  The one labeled DAC 2013?  Yep, that's there to keep me honest lol!  That way I'll have a written record of my goal (along with this post, of course) to keep track and to remind me to read on.

Here's my list:

The Nightmare Affair by Mindee Arnett

The Collector by Victoria Scott

Uses For Boys by Erica Lorraine Scheidt

Mila 2.0 by Debra Driza

Dualed by Elsie Chapman

Chantress by Amy Butler Greenfield

Reboot by Amy Tintera

Etiquette & Espionage by Gail Carriger

45 Pounds (More or Less) by K.A. Barson

Reclaimed by Sarah Guillory

The Sweet Revenge of Celia Door by Karen Finneyfrock

The Madman's Daughter by Megan Sheperd

 

Looks pretty good, right?  Honestly, the books all sound amazing, so I don't think I'm going to have any trouble completing the challenge.  Not picking favorites or anything, but the one I'm looking forward to most...

 

 

Yeah, I'm not even going to front.  I've been dying to get my hands on this book since I found out Gail Carriger was trying her hand at YA.  The title, the description, that COVER!!  *faints*

 

Hope everyone has a great holiday,

 

Ninja Girl

WILL YOU ROCK THE VOTE?

So, yeah, I voted today (early voting, gotta love it).  But here's the real news: The Goodreads Choice Awards 2012 are now underway!

I didn't have trouble with most categories.  Picking a winner out of the YA noms was simple for me.  I'm thinking John Green has that one pretty much locked, but I voted for Easy by Tammara Webber.  1) Because I loved it so much, and 2) Because I kinda want to see what'll happen if an originally self-pubbed New Adult book takes the YA category.  Will chaos erupt?  Will gumdrops and cupcakes fall from the sky?  Will I wake up to find a "New Adult" section in my local BAM?  Time will tell.

But the hard part came when I got to the Paranormal Fantasy category L

Briggs, Carriger, Estep, Evanovich, AND Andrews all in the same category?!?!?

Seriously, Goodreads, are you trying to kill me here?!?  They are all so, so good!  Ultimately, it came down to Patricia Briggs and Gail Carriger for me.  Those are two of my favorite authors.  It was tight--but I had to go with Timeless by Gail Carriger for the phenomenal finish to one of my favorite series ever.  But the unforgettable, kick-in-the-teeth ending to Fair Game made it tough.  Really tough.  I'm still going back and forth in my head.

Thank God, J.R. Ward and the Black Dagger Brotherhood was put in Romance.  That would've made the choice impossible, true? ;)  Hope everyone rocks the vote, and good luck picking the best.  It nearly broke this ninja's heart.

Ninja Girl

I LOVE STEAMPUNK GIVEAWAY

 

So, this is my first ever giveaway!!!  I wanted to make it appropriate for the season; Halloween means costumes, and if there's a genre with better/cooler fashion I don't know it.  Corsets, gears, goggles, tiny hats!  Steampunk is awesome, and I wanted my first giveaway to reflect that awesomeness ;D

Some lucky follower will win two books of your choice chosen from the list below:

Phew, I hope the format looks okay.  If it's wonky, that's totally my fault, and we'll just put that down to inexperience, shall we?  If you want a later book in the series, that's totally fine!  When you win, you'll just email me with the titles you'd like at that time.  I'll announce the winner this Friday!  Please enter using the Rafflecopter (always wanted to say that *grins*).

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway  

Happy Halloween!

 

Ninja Girl

ANYONE FOR A LITTLE...ESPIONAGE?

No review this week L , BUT I do have this!!

Gail Carriger's new YA series about a finishing school that trains young women in the fine arts of curtsying and espionage?   Oh my...I…I'm sorry, my mind was just blown there for a second J  The concept alone is killer, but add in Carriger's fantastical sense of ridiculousness and steampunky goodness, and it's a sure thing.  This.Is.Going.To.Rock!!

Oh, and isn't that cover model a dead ringer for Keira Knightley???

Have a great weekend everyone!

Ninja Girl

HEARTLESS by Gail Carriger

3 REASONS TO <3 THE SOULLESS SERIES

1.  Gail Carriger

2.  Gail Carriger

3.  Gail Carriger, Gail Carriger, Gail Carriger!!!

Man, I just love her writing.  This author is incredibly quirky/unique.  Whenever a new novel of hers comes out it's like I just know: It's going to be ridiculously good.

Heartless, the fourth book featuring Alexia and her parasol, was a great addition to the series.  These books are like little gems winking at me from the shelves.  The covers are exceptional, perfect font and coloring, Victorian in feel with a splash of edge that brings them into the 21^st Century.  (And the clothes are gorgeous!)

Beyond a great sense of Steampunk style, she has a knack for characters names.  I mean, seriously, Alexia Tarabotti, Ivy Hisselpenny, Lord Akeldama, Madame Lefoux, Channing Channing of the Chesterfield Channings???  I about died laughing when I heard that last one for the first time.  Channing is actually a favorite of mine, and I hope he'll appear more in future books J

Conall Maccon isn't the best name of the bunch, but what Lord Maccon lacks in name ingenuity, he more than makes up for in character.  He's smart.  He's hot.  He's a werewolf.  And he's got a Scottish brogue that only comes out when he's in a temper (and/or feeling frisky *winks*).  In Heartless, Conall shows his softer side, dealing with a new addition to the Woosley pack--who's having, shall we say, identity issues?--and assuming the role of doting husband, still retaining his passion for Alexia (even though the "infant-inconvenience" makes her as big as a dirigible.)

Who wouldn't love a guy/werewolf like that?

Conall Love Fest officially complete--now, back to Heartless.  It was a good setup:  A very pregnant Alexia gets a message from a ghost, a threat actually on Queen Victoria's life, and she decides, quite pragmatically, not to let the infant-inconvenience get in the way of her duties as mujah.  Her search for the killer lands her in some unexpected situations.  She gets attacked by zombie porcupines, spends a good deal of time in Lord Akeldama's back parlor, and causes an all-out rush on hairmuffs perfect for dirigible travel.

One of my favorite parts of the book was finding out what happened to my poor Biffy.  I've got a real soft spot for that dandy.  I was worried after the last book, and I'm glad Carriger didn't just hang him out to dry.  There are plenty of people to love in the Soulless series, but I've been pulling for Biffy since book one.

I had a few issues with characters' decisions, was a bit disappointed in a few of them, but I still loved it.  Waiting for the arrival of Timeless in March 2012 is gonna be torture L

Totally looking forward to it though J

Ninja Girl