Feature & Follow Friday #57

Feature and Follow is a weekly meme hosted by Parajunkee's View and Alison Can Read. 

Today's question is: 

What were some of your favorite picture books as a kid? If you have kids, what are your favorites to read to them?

My answer:

I didn't read much as a kid, although I did have a pop-up book of Alice In Wonderland and it was a lot of fun and that is about all I can remember. 

Link me up to your posts. Follow us and we'll follow back. 

Happy Friday and happy reading, everyone! 

Review- Wounded by Jasinda Wilder

Summary-

War has taken everything from me. My family. My home. My innocence. In a country blasted by war and wracked by economic hardship, a young orphan girl like me has very few options when it comes to survival. Thus, I do what I must to live, to eat, and I try very hard to not consider the cost to my soul. My heart is empty, and my existence brutal. 

The one impossibility in my life is love.

And then I meet HIM.

War is hell. It takes a chunk out of a man's very soul to do the kinds of things war demands of you. You live with fear, you live with guilt, and you live with nightmares. If you haven't been through it, there's no understanding it. War leaves no room for love, no room for tenderness or softness. You gotta be hard, closed off, and ready to fight every moment of every day. Lose focus for a split second, and you're dead.

Now the only thing that can save me is HER.

Review-

As soon as I read the summary for Wounded I knew I wanted to read the book. It has such a unique plot with an Iraqi prostitute and an American soldier falling in love with each other. Such an impossible and forbidden love story. It turned out to be an amazing read.

Rania is an Iraqi girl. She has seen war all around her since she was a little girl. Her parents, her aunt and uncle were killed because of war and she is left with nothing. That is the reason she starts to sell her body for money. Its either that or starvation. Rania was a really brave person. She was fighting to survive in her own way and the way she was portrayed made me admire her.

Then we have Hunter. He's a U.S. Marine. When the war unexpectedly brings wounded Hunter and Rania together their bond is formed. I loved Hunter. Never once did he hold Rania's prostitution against her. He wanted her for the brave girl she was. He was a strong person on his own and the perfect match to Rania's vulnerability.

Rania and Hunter's relationship moves steadily. There were good parts and there were ugly parts but it was extremely realistically written. I loved how Hunter learned Arabic and Rania English. They taught each other their language and it all made their bond even stronger. Their love story was amazing. Also, the intimate scenes were incredibly erotic.

The ending was really sweet. Rania and Hunter finally get what they deserve and each has his or her scars to show for the war. This was my firs Jasinda Wilder book and I really don't know why I didn't read any of her books before. She's an amazing author and Wounded was an amazing read with an unforgettable story.

Waiting On Wednesday #57

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Red Hill by Jamie McGuire

Publication Date: October 1st 2013

Goodreads Summary: 

When the world ends, can love survive?

For Scarlet, raising her two daughters alone makes fighting for tomorrow an everyday battle. Nathan has a wife, but can’t remember what it’s like to be in love; only his young daughter Zoe makes coming home worthwhile. Miranda’s biggest concern is whether her new VW Bug is big enough to carry her sister and their boyfriends on a weekend escape from college finals.

When reports of a widespread, deadly “outbreak” begin to surface, these ordinary people face extraordinary circumstances and suddenly their fates are intertwined. Recognizing they can’t outrun the danger, Scarlet, Nathan, and Miranda desperately seek shelter at the same secluded ranch, Red Hill. Emotions run high while old and new relationships are tested in the face of a terrifying enemy—an enemy who no longer remembers what it’s like to be human.

Set against the backdrop of a brilliantly realized apocalyptic world, love somehow finds a way to survive. But what happens when the one you’d die for becomes the one who could destroy you?

Red Hill grabs you from page one and doesn’t let go until its stunning conclusion. This is #1 New York Times bestselling author Jamie McGuire at her unforgettable best.

This isn't something I normally like to read, but dude, it's Jamie McGuire! 

Plus, it does sound interesting and I'd love to give it a try. 

Link me up to what you are waiting on this Wednesday so I can come check it out. 

Teaser Tuesday #57

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by Miz B of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read

• Open to a random page

• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers! 

Here's my teaser-

"The years passed, and I...I had to see you. Just to make sure you were all right. Just to...fill the fucking hole in my chest from where my heart used to be."

-Mine To Take by Cynthia Eden

Summary-

Sometimes you want someone so much…
Sometimes you need someone so much…
Lust can become love.
And love can turn into a deadly obsession.

***

Skye Sullivan knows that someone is watching her. Not just watching—stalking her. Months ago, Skye was involved in a dangerous car accident. The accident ended her dancing career and sent her fleeing back to Chicago. Skye is convinced that her stalker caused the crash, and she fears that he won’t stop pursuing her, not until she’s dead.

When someone breaks into her apartment in Chicago, Skye turns to the one man she believes can protect her—Trace Weston. Once, Trace was her lover. Two lost souls, they’d come together in a firestorm of need and desire. But then Trace had pushed her away. He’d joined the military, vanishing from her life. She’d put all of her emotion into dancing, and she’d tried to forget him.

Now Trace is one of the most successful men in the United States. Rich, driven, and carrying dark secrets, he agrees to help Skye. He’ll protect her from the danger that lurks in the darkness, but Trace wants more than to just be a guard for Skye.

He wants her. And he’ll take her. The years have changed him, hardened him. He’s not just a poor kid from the streets any longer. Now, he can have anything—or anyone—that he wants. And the one woman he has always wanted has just come back into his life. He won’t let her go again.

But with the threats mounting against Skye, she suspects that her stalker may be intimately close. He’s a man who knows her too well. As his attacks grow ever more dangerous, she realizes that if she trusts the wrong man, she could be making a fatal mistake.

Lust. Love. Obsession.

Just how far would you go in order to possess the one person you want the most?

What's your teaser?

Winners: First Blogoversary Celebration Giveaway!

Hi, guys! It's time to announce the four lucky winners of our huge and successful First Blogoversary Celebration Giveaway. 
But before that's done, I'd like to thank each and every person who participated in the giveaway and a special thank you to those who tweeted everyday. You guys made our Blogoversary super fun and memorable, so thank you so much! Also, the lovely comments we got have us feeling grateful and happy. And the 1000+ entries have us feeling overwhelmed (even when it's over)!

Now, onto the winners! 

The INT winner who has won a book of choice under $10 from The Book Depository is...

Ramona! 

Congratulations, Ramona! She has already picked her book and I'll have it ordered for her soon. 

The three IN winners of the three books prize packs are...

Prize Pack #1- Anubha

Prize Pack #2- Priyanka

Prize Pack #3- Manmita

Congratulations, ladies! Your books will be send out in the next week.

Once again, thank you so much, guys for all the love and support! We heart you large! :* 

Review- City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

Goodreads Summary:

When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder -- much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It's hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing -- not even a smear of blood -- to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy?

This is Clary's first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It's also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace's world with a vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know. . . . 

Exotic and gritty, exhilarating and utterly gripping, Cassandra Clare's ferociously entertaining fantasy takes readers on a wild ride that they will never want to end.

REVIEW:

I started reading City of Bones two days before the movie was released. I had read some 30% of it when I watched the movie, which I thought was amazing. I revel in the fact that I love going backwards, which is why I don't really mind watching the movie before reading the book. I've done it tons of times before and it only makes the reading experience more enriched and easy, in a way.  

City of Bones the book, for me, was a little slow but my college schedule is the one to be completely blamed for that. It took me nearly three weeks to finish this one book and I've heard that the books to come are more dragged out. Well, it's a new world in The Mortal Instruments altogether so it has got to be dragged out or else we'll all be lost in a world we know nothing about. 
Clary and Simon have been best friends since a long time now and their life seems to be going really normal, until a fatal accident with her mother makes Clary realise that she no idea what secrets her mother has hidden from her and what it all means for her future. That's where the main heroes come in. We have the very famous, arrogant, cocky and absolutely great Jace and his fellow Shadowhunters. And that's all you get about the story because if I start with it, there's a lot to tell. 
Author Cassandra Clare has created a rather fascinating world with this series. I bet I would have fallen deeply in love with City of Bones had I read it a few years ago, in my teens, perhaps during the Twilight and House of Night phase. Nonetheless, I still enjoyed every bit of it, because who doesn't love an amazing Young Adult fantasy? 

It's hard for me to say this, but I have to admit that when Janhvi and I got out of the movie theatre, I recall telling her that The Mortal Instruments is perhaps the closest that any fantasy movie has come to Harry Potter and that's quite huge coming from me.  Because this reminds me a wee bit of Harry Potter, I'm going to make sure I pay more attention and read more faster henceforth. 
With the time the book took me, I really feel like I don't have some of the concepts clear, but that's why there's more books in the series, which I'll be continuing for sure because- this totally random but- I love Magnus Bane! 

RATING:

Let's Talk!

Hello, guys. I hope you are all having a great weekend. 

Janhvi and I had decided on doing one of our Random posts for today, but honestly, as unbelievable as it may seem, I'm really out of ideas and I have a special post planned in the coming days anyways. 

So instead I thought, why not have a cool discussion post. (Well, actually that was Janhvi's idea so cheers to that brilliant girl.)

So, what's up for discussion? I'm not going to bore y'all with a lengthy essay of my opinions, thoughts and views because I'm not fond of doing that. I do have a few questions though. 

Because of college and constant exams, reading has had to take a backseat (which I'm not a huge fan of, but oh well...) so I want to discuss reading schedules. 

If you're up for it, answer in the comments below and help me get back on track. 

Since a long time now, Janhvi and I have a small plan of reading three books a week- two e-copies and one physical copy. It usually goes above three for Janhvi, but now we are- or at least I am- way behind schedule. The last two books I read took me nearly three weeks to finish and Janhvi experienced a reading slump in between as well. Whenever we meet, we make our reading lists and I tend to write some sappy motivational message on it for fun. We also try our best to include a buddy read in our reading plan nearly every fortnight and that works fabulously for us. 

Luckily, we have tons of reviews ready from before so our blogging schedule is seldom affected. *touch wood* Our one post per day plan has been successful since a year now. 

  Reading is a passion and it's something we do for our own pleasure. But as bloggers, I'm sure you all experience that battle between reading the books you want to read and those that you have to read- review copies that seem to keep piling and piling. 

So tell me now...

1) Do you have a weekly reading schedule or any reading schedule?

2) Do you plan in advance the book you'll be reading or do you go random? 

3) How many books (average) do you read in a month? 

4) How do you maintain a balance between books you want to read and the review copies that come to you? 

So yes, that's about all. I'm just curious to know your answers and I'm looking forward to finding some help in there somewhere. Answer away and happy reading! 

Thank you, guys! Oh, and before I forget, whilst you're here, do make sure you take part in our huge First Blogoversary Celebration Giveaway that ends tomorrow. Ciao, mes amis!