Grad School, Earthquakes, & A Short Blogging Break

Hey everyone! 

I began grad school this week, so I'm finding myself a bit swamped as I try to adjust to my schedule  and work load (I have so much reading to do, it's crazy). My classes are so small compared to what I'm normally used to, and the reading assignments are a bit more time consuming. But, I'm excited for the semester! 

In other news, this morning some areas of California were rocked by a 6.1 earthquake. I woke around 3:20ish in the morning to the world shaking wildly, books flying off my bookshelf and book tower, and it was a pretty startling way to start today. It even knocked out the power in my area for about five hours. I honestly can't remember the last time I felt an earthquake shaking my house as strongly as this one did. Luckily, the only damage was hardly worth noticing - some fallen books, a bit of broken glass, and nothing more. My thoughts are with everyone who had a more intense experience this morning, and I hope they are all okay. 

Considering the busy week and this crazy morning, I think I'll take off a week from blogging. I might still hang around Twitter, but otherwise, I won't be back until next week. 

Hope everyone is doing well and staying safe! Have a great week. 

-Lea

Highlights / Lowlights: FURY by Elizabeth Miles

Title: Fury
Author: Elizabeth Miles
Release: August 2011
Series: The Fury #1
Genre: YA paranormal
Publisher: Simon Pulse
POV: 3rd person, dual
Pages: 384
Format: Paperback
Source: Won from Paper Lantern Lit
Rating: Tea Party

In this chilling start to a trilogy rife with revenge, two teens learn the hard way: Sometimes sorry isn’t enough.

It’s winter break in Ascension, Maine. The snow is falling and everything looks pristine and peaceful. But not all is as it seems...

Between cozy traditions and parties with her friends, Emily loves the holidays. And this year’s even better—the guy she’s been into for months is finally noticing her. But Em knows if she starts things with him, there’s no turning back. Because his girlfriend is Em’s best friend.

On the other side of town, Chase is having problems of his own. The stress of his home life is starting to take its toll, and his social life is unraveling. But that’s nothing compared to what’s really haunting him. Chase has done something cruel...something the perfect guy he pretends to be would never do. And it’s only a matter of time before he’s exposed.

In Ascension, mistakes can be deadly. And three girls—three beautiful, mysterious girls—are here to choose who will pay. Em and Chase have been chosen.

Highlights: Miles pushes the Gothic elements in Fury enough to put readers into an uneasy mood and to give the story a rich, descriptive vibe. Fury is a delight to read, in a twisted sort of way. The Gothic elements added the right touch of eeriness to the story, and caused Fury to become a difficult novel to set aside. It was especially fascinating to read a novel where both main characters - Em and Chase - are utterly unlikable characters who make terrible decisions and then try to deal with the consequences. This is an easy story to lose yourself in for a few hours, which was exactly what I needed.

Lowlights: There's too much focus on social drama, appearances, and not enough on the Furies themselves. I wish the Fury mythology had been included more (as well as more of the Furies in general), but perhaps Miles will delve deeper into that in the next novel.

Rating: Tea Party (very high 3 out of 5). I genuinely liked Fury, enough that I want a copy in the palace even if it doesn't earn a spot in the royal library. It's a likable story, with some issues, but it proved itself to be highly entertaining.

Waiting on Wednesday (151): ALL THE BRIGHT PLACES

WOW is hosted by Breaking the Spine

ALL THE BRIGHT PLACES by Jennifer Niven

January 6th, 2015 from Knopf

The Fault in Our Stars meets Eleanor and Park in this compelling, exhilarating, and beautiful story about a girl who learns to live from a boy who intends to die.

Theodore Finch is fascinated by death, and he constantly thinks of ways he might kill himself. But each time, something good, no matter how small, stops him.

Violet Markey lives for the future, counting the days until graduation, when she can escape her Indiana town and her aching grief in the wake of her sister's recent death.

When Finch and Violet meet on the ledge of the bell tower at school, it's unclear who saves whom. And when they pair up on a project to discover the "natural wonders" of their state, both Finch and Violet make more important discoveries: It's only with Violet that Finch can be himself-a weird, funny, live-out-loud guy who's not such a freak after all. And it's only with Finch that Violet can forget to count away the days and start living them. But as Violet's world grows, Finch's begins to shrink.

Sounds like a different story, and a bit intense. Very curious about this book!