Strange New World by Rachel Vincent

Strange New World
by Rachel Vincent

Find out more about this book and author:
Amazon
Goodreads
BookExcerpt
Website
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Release date: May 8, 2018
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Genre: Dystopia, YA
Hardback: 368
Rating: 5

Brave New Girl series:
Brave New Girl
Strange New World

First sentence(s):
At one point or another, most parents declare their daughter to be the most beautiful girl in the world.

Dahlia 16's life is a lie. The city of Lakeview isn't a utopia that raises individuals for the greater good; it is a clone farm that mass-produces servants for the elite. And because Dahlia breaks the rules, her sisters--the 4,999 girls who share her face--are destroyed. She and Trigger 17, the soldier who risked his life for hers, go on the run, escaping into the wild outside the city walls. But it turns out Dahlia has one remaining identical, one who shouldn't even exist.

Waverly Whitmore is teenage royalty, a media sensation with millions of fans who broadcasts her every move--including every detail of her wedding planning, leading up to the day she marries Hennessy Chapman. Waverly lives a perfect life built on the labors of clones like Dahlia. She has no idea that she too is a clone... until she comes face to face with Dahlia.

One deadly secret. Two genetic sisters. And a world that isn't big enough for both of them.

My two-bits:

My love continues for this series.

The ensemble cast was fun to follow with each a hero in their own way.

Social media is a heavy player in this story wielding its powers for the positive.

Got me thinking of clones and the impact they would make.

~*~
* review copy courtesy of publisher

* part of Bout of Books 22 (here)

Brave New Girl by Rachel Vincent

Brave New Girl
by Rachel Vincent

Find out more about this book and author:
Amazon
Goodreads
BookExcerpt
Website
Facebook
Instagram
Tumblr
Twitter

Published: 2017
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Genre: Dystopia, YA
Hardback: 272
Rating: 5

Brave New Girl series:
Brave New Girl
Strange New World

First sentence(s):
When I was little, I thought every girl in the world looked just like me, because that's how it is in the nurseries.

In a world where everyone is the same, one girl is the unthinkable: unique. A high-stakes fast-paced series launch from New York Times bestselling author Rachel Vincent.

Dahlia 16 sees her face in every crowd. She’s nothing special—just one of five thousand girls created from a single genome to work for the greater good of the city.

Meeting Trigger 17 changes everything. He thinks she’s interesting. Beautiful. Unique. Which means he must be flawed. When Dahlia can’t stop thinking about him she realizes she’s flawed, too.

But what if Trigger is right? What if Dahlia is different? But if she’s flawed, then so are all her identicals. And any genome found to be flawed will be destroyed, ONE BY ONE BY ONE. . . .

My two-bits:

GOT sucked into this dystopian world and its orderly ways that are in for questioning and major change per the protagonist of the tale.

This story gives an overview and brief history of its world. Just enough for curiosity to grab a hold in order to find out what befalls the characters.

Loved the likable characters with their friendships and budding romantic interests.

~*~
* review copy courtesy of publisher

Bout of Books 22

Bout of Books 22
read-a-thon
hosted by Bout of Books
May 14 to 20, 2018
signup | details | daily
#boutofbooks @boutofbooks
The Bout of Books read-a-thon is organized by Amanda Shofner and Kelly Rubidoux Apple. It is a week long read-a-thon that begins 12:01am Monday, May 14th and runs through Sunday, May 20th in whatever time zone you are in. Bout of Books is low-pressure. There are challenges, giveaways, and a grand prize, but all of these are completely optional. For all Bout of Books 22 information and updates, be sure to visit the Bout of Books blog. - From the Bout of Books team

~*~
TBR pile:

Brave New Girl
(Brave New Girl #1)
by Rachel Vincent
-Dystopia, YA
Amazon | Goodreads | my review | my rating: 5

Strange New World
(Brave New Girl #2)
by Rachel Vincent
-Dystopia, YA
Amazon | Goodreads | my review | my rating: 5
~*~
CHALLENGES:

Monday 5/14
Introduce yourself #insixwords

adventurous, curious, whimsical, foodie, bibliophile, cinephile


Tuesday 5/15
Year of You
Share a book that was published the year you were born. If you don't wish to disclose your age (that's fine; you'll get no judgment either way here), pick a book that was significant to your childhood.

Flowers in the Attic (Dollanganger series)
by V.C. Andrews
Amazon | Goodreads | my review
I've said this before...
This is the ONE that hooked me to reading. It was a book I found in the library in the adult section of the library. At the time I was a tween. What got me first was the super cool keyhole cover on the paperback version. And then, the story about the forbidden.


Wednesday 5/16
Show Me Your Precious
Everyone has a book that they love; now is your time to bring out your precious and shine. Share your favorite book (in whatever format you choose)! You know the one that has that beautifully illustrated map, or gorgeous writing, or whatever it is that draws you to it. Share with the world what makes that book your precious!

I am currently loving these whimsical Pushkin Press Japanese Novella paperback covers.


Thursday 5/17
Read Alikes
If you liked a particular book, then recommend a book(s) similar to the one you liked. If you've played our "If you like . . . try . . . " challenge before, you've got the idea!

Eileen
by Ottessa Moshfegh
-Historical, Mystery, Thriller
Pen/Hemingway Award 2016
Amazon | Goodreads | my review
IF you like Hitchcock thrillers, this may be one for you!

Friday 5/18
Space Scavenger Hunt

Mercury - Favourite short story/novella:

Strange Weather in Tokyo
by Hiromi Kawakami
Amazon | Goodreads | my review
Mars - Favourite book with a red cover:

The Handmaid's Tale
by Margaret Atwood
Amazon | Goodreads | my review
Jupiter - Favourite tome over 500 pages:

A Little Life
by Hanya Yanagihara
Amazon | Goodreads | my review
Venus - Favourite book with female protagonist:

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
by Stieg Larsson
Amazon | Goodreads | my review
Uranus - Favourite book set in winter:

Secrets in the Snow
by Michaela MacColl
Amazon | Goodreads | my review
Space - Favourite book set in space:

Illuminae
by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
Amazon | Goodreads | my review
Moon - Favourite book set anywhere other than Earth:

Alienated
by Melissa Landers
-aliens, YA
Amazon | Goodreads | my review
Sun - Favourite book set in summer:

Amy and Roger's Epic Detour
by Morgan Matson
Amazon | Goodreads | my review
Saturn - Favourite book with circle/ring on the cover/in the title:

Ring
by Koji Suzuki
Amazon | Goodreads | my review
Neptune - Favourite book set at sea, on a boat, or under water (for the most part)

Manhattan Beach
by Jennifer Egan
-Historical, Literary
Amazon | Goodreads | my review
Pluto - Favourite books featuring a dog/with a dog on the cover (twist... this is one I want to read)

The Friend
by Sigrid Nunez
Amazon | Goodreads
Earth - Favourite book about nature/nature word in the title (twist... this is one I want to read)

The Overstory
by Richard Powers
Amazon | Goodreads

Saturday 5/19
Share Your Favorite Bout of Books Moment

I like being introduced to books to add to my tbr pile.


Sunday 5/20
Stretch Goal

Almost done with the second book I have slated for this challenge. The review link should be active later this evening. So, yeah - will be reading most of today ;-)

Twitter Chats
(chats last approximately one hour)

Monday: 6pm PST
Saturday: 8am PST

Happy Release: Strange New World by Rachel Vincent

Strange New World
(Brave New Girl #2)
by Rachel Vincent
-Dystopia, YA
Release date: May 8, 2018
Amazon | Goodreads
In a world where everyone is the same, one girl is the unthinkable: unique. The second and final book in this high-stakes, fast-paced sci-fi series from New York Times bestselling author RACHEL VINCENT.

Dahlia 16's life is a lie. The city of Lakeview isn't a utopia that raises individuals for the greater good; it is a clone farm that mass-produces servants for the elite. And because Dahlia breaks the rules, her sisters--the 4,999 girls who share her face--are destroyed. She and Trigger 17, the soldier who risked his life for hers, go on the run, escaping into the wild outside the city walls. But it turns out Dahlia has one remaining identical, one who shouldn't even exist.

Waverly Whitmore is teenage royalty, a media sensation with millions of fans who broadcasts her every move--including every detail of her wedding planning, leading up to the day she marries Hennessy Chapman. Waverly lives a perfect life built on the labors of clones like Dahlia. She has no idea that she too is a clone . . . until she comes face to face with Dahlia.

One deadly secret. Two genetic sisters. And a world that isn't big enough for both of them.

Excerpt:

With my foot tapping an impatient rhythm on the floor, I poke the air in the direction of the transparent screen covering the far wall of my bedroom. A clock appears in the center. It’s 12:08 a.m. Seren Locke’s birthday party has just ended, and my friends will be posting about it on their way home.

I flop back onto my bed. I’m not going to look. Only a loser would obsess over a party she missed.

For two whole minutes, I stare at the ceiling of my room. Then, with a groan, I give in and poke one of the icons on the screen. A long stream of messages covers my wall. To the left of each message is a photo of the person who posted it. Some of the messages are pictures. Others are short video clips, playing silently because I’ve disabled the sound; I don’t want to hear about all the fun my friends had without me.

My bedroom door slides open with a whisper, startling me, and I swipe my hand at the screen, closing the message stream. The e-glass fogs over, then becomes transparent again, showing the wall behind it, which is painted in subtle stripes of ivory and honey milk. Or, as my fiance describes the colors, white and a little less white.

Read more (here)

Lovely Books and Things - 5.5.18

Lovely Books and Things
My Weekly Books and Films Update
Linking up with:
Stacking the Shelves (details)
Sunday Post (details)
Mailbox Monday (details)

~*~
HAPPY THINGS:

1. Reading short stories from The New Yorker magazine
*** Happy Short Story Month ***

2. Meeting friends for dinner

3. Trying out a new coffee cafe - treated myself to a Lavender Latte, Milk & Cereal Toast (with Lucky Charms, butter and condensed milk) and a book from my latest haul

~*~
For Review:

Isabella's Painting
(Karina Cardinal Mystery Book 1)
by Ellen Butler
-Mystery
courtesy of author -Thanks!
Amazon | Goodreads
STAY TUNED: I have an extra copy of this to give away on the review post later this month.

Brave New Girl
(Brave New Girl #1)
by Rachel Vincent
-Dystopia, YA
courtesy of publisher -Thanks!
Amazon | Goodreads

Strange New World
(Brave New Girl #2)
by Rachel Vincent
-Dystopia, YA
Release date: May 8, 2018
courtesy of publisher -Thanks!
Amazon | Goodreads

Dark Tales
The Call of Cthulhu
by H. P. Lovecraft
illustrated by Dave Shephard
-Horror, Graphic Novel
courtesy of publisher -Thanks!
Amazon | Goodreads

UNBOXING:

From Deep Readers Club (website & instagram):

The Deep Readers Club is a new monthly book box for the #bookworm who wants to be moved by the books they read. Each box follows a theme around a certain feeling and includes a literary novel and 3-5 bookish goods.

GOING backwards. I ordered this box which was released earlier this year as I liked the theme and contents.

January theme: Nostalgia
-Tell the Wolves I'm Home by Carol Rifka Brunt
-Sugar cookie candle by Cornerfolds Candles
-Lavendar and rose petals by Sweet Nostalgia Herbal Tea by Boondock Enterprises
-Bookmark designed by Three Schatze
-Dot paged notebook by Cognitive Surplus
-Art print by Footnotes Studio

Tell the Wolves I'm Home
by Carol Rifka Brunt
-Historical, LGBTQ, YA
Amazon | Goodreads
1987. There’s only one person who has ever truly understood fourteen-year-old June Elbus, and that’s her uncle, the renowned painter Finn Weiss. Shy at school and distant from her older sister, June can only be herself in Finn’s company; he is her godfather, confidant, and best friend. So when he dies, far too young, of a mysterious illness her mother can barely speak about, June’s world is turned upside down. But Finn’s death brings a surprise acquaintance into June’s life—someone who will help her to heal, and to question what she thinks she knows about Finn, her family, and even her own heart.

At Finn’s funeral, June notices a strange man lingering just beyond the crowd. A few days later, she receives a package in the mail. Inside is a beautiful teapot she recognizes from Finn’s apartment, and a note from Toby, the stranger, asking for an opportunity to meet. As the two begin to spend time together, June realizes she’s not the only one who misses Finn, and if she can bring herself to trust this unexpected friend, he just might be the one she needs the most.

An emotionally charged coming-of-age novel, Tell the Wolves I’m Home is a tender story of love lost and found, an unforgettable portrait of the way compassion can make us whole again.


AND watched: in theatre

Lives Well Lived (2018)
Director: Sky Bergman
-Documentary | imdb | my rating: 5
Lives Well Lived celebrates the incredible wit, wisdom and experiences of adults aged 75 to 100 years old. Through their intimate memories and inspiring personal histories encompassing over 3000 years of experience, forty people share their secrets and insights to living a meaningful life. These men and women open the vault on their journey into old age through family histories, personal triumph and tragedies, loves and losses - seeing the best and worst of humanity along the way. Their stories will make you laugh, perhaps cry, but mostly inspire you.

PROVIDES inspiration for creating a happy future.


AND watched: on Netflix

Alias Grace (2017)
tv series, season one
Director: Mary Harron
Based on book by: Margaret Atwood
Stars: Sarah Gadon, Edward Holcroft
-Biography, Crime, Drama, Canada | imdb | my rating: 5
In 19th-century Canada, a psychiatrist weighs whether a murderess should be pardoned due to insanity.

LOVED this adaptation of another Atwood novel. She makes a cameo appearance in one of the episodes.


AND watched: online

Breathless (1960)
À bout de souffle (original title)
Director: Jean-Luc Godard
Writer: François Truffaut
Based on book by:
Stars: Jean-Paul Belmondo, Jean Seberg
-Crime, Drama, Classic | imdb | my rating: 4
A small-time thief steals a car and impulsively murders a motorcycle policeman. Wanted by the authorities, he reunites with a hip American journalism student and attempts to persuade her to run away with him to Italy.

FULL of easter eggs of popular 1950s films. Artsy and incorporates jazz.


~*~
* comment and TELL me what you have acquired for your shelves recently

Thanks for stopping by :-)

Reaper by Rachel Vincent

Reaper
by Rachel Vincent

Published: 2010
Genre: Novella, Paranormal, YA
ebook
Rating: 4

Description from the amazon:
Tod Hudson was a typical teenager. He liked girls, sports, food and tolerated his younger brother, Nash. In fact, he had his whole life in front of him--and due to his bean sidhe heritage, it was going to be a very long life indeed. And then the car accident occurred.

Suddenly Tod's future wasn't so sure, and he had to make a choice. Life... Death... or something Between....

An ebook exclusive Soul Screamers series novella.

fyi: kindle version currently for free

Soul Screamers series:
My Soul to Steal
My Soul to Keep
My Soul to Save
My Soul to Take
My Soul to Lose

Notable tidbit:
What most of the human race didn't know was that where they heard a head-splitting scream, male "bean sidhes"--like me and Nash--heard an eerie, compelling song calling out to disembodied souls, keeping them from moving on.
-location 79

Zombie sighting:
Still, I had to know... "So, would you say I'm closer to a zombie or a vampire? I gotta know--are my parts going to rot and fall off, or am I forever frozen in youthful perfection?"
-location 542

My two-bits:
In-a-word(s): corporeal
I have not read this series. BUT, now I want to.

I was taken with this introduction to the character, Tod. His personality is likable and charming.

Tod is a "bean sidhe" aka banshee that has turned grim reaper. This novella tells the story behind Tod's transformation and his start at this new occupation.

If you've read this series, let me know if what you think. Is it worth giving a try?

~* paranormal play in ya schedule *~