quotes Elisquared likes


"Saying 'I notice you're a nerd' is like saying, 'Hey, I notice that you'd rather be intelligent than be stupid, that you'd rather be thoughtful than be vapid, that you believe that there are things that matter more than the arrest record of Lindsay Lohan. Why is that?' In fact, it seems to me that most contemporary insults are pretty lame. Even 'lame' is kind of lame. Saying 'You're lame' is like saying 'You walk with a limp.' Yeah, whatever, so does 50 Cent, and he's done all right for himself."— John Green

11.25.2014

BOOK BLITZ for Anomaly by Tonya Kuper (+Giveaway)




Anomaly (Schrodinger's Consortium #1)
by Tonya Kuper
Release Date: 11/25/14
Publisher: Entangled Teen

Summary from Goodreads:

Reality is only an illusion.
Except for those who can control it…


Worst. Birthday. Ever.
My first boyfriend dumped me – happy birthday, Josie!- my dad is who knows where, I have some weird virus that makes me want to hurl, and now my ex is licking another girl’s tonsils. Oh, and I’m officially the same age as my brother was when he died. Yeah, today is about as fun-filled as the swamps of Dagobah. But then weird things start happening…

Like I make something materialize just by thinking about it.
When hot badass Reid Wentworth shows up on a motorcycle, everything changes. Like, everything. Who I am. My family. What really happened to my brother. Existence. I am Oculi, and I have the ability to change reality with my thoughts. Now Reid, in all his hotness, is charged with guiding and protecting me as I begin learning how to bend reality. And he’s the only thing standing between me and the secret organization that wants me dead…



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Chapter Excerpt:

I approached the mat. I’d never done any extensive sparring, but I wasn’t a total newb when it came to self-defense. The tae kwon do I’d practiced for years with Eli had to count for something. I hoped.
A heavy footfall pulled my attention back to Reid.
            An arm came at me from the side. Without thinking, I ducked, punched under the incoming arm, and swung my shin at the ankles in my sights. Reid’s legs swept out from under him, and his hands shot out to catch himself. He landed on all fours.
            I gasped for a breath of air, my chest heaving. Evidently I held my breath whenever I was attacked. Reid’s eyes locked on mine. Finally some eye contact. And then he gave me a shitty smile.
            “What the hell?” I snapped. Reid stood and didn’t stop moving until he was in my face. I didn’t let myself flinch. “Just because you’re pissed at me, did you really need to try and take me out? I know you think insta-immersion works best, but maybe it doesn’t for me. Maybe, just maybe—”
            “Will you shut up?”
            I hitched my hands on my hips. “So rude.”
            “Five days, Josie.”
That shut me up in a heartbeat. What the hell was wrong with me? I hadn’t lost sight of the goal. The awards ceremony was—I glanced at the wall clock in the living room—125 hours and fourteen minutes away. Reid shouldn’t take it easy on me. He couldn’t afford to.
“I’m sorry,” I began.
“Stop.” Reid didn’t budge, but he crossed his arms, too. “I was going to give you a compliment, but you won’t stop thinking or talking long enough for me to get a word in edgewise.”
            Oh, oops. “Proceed.”
            He shook his head, closing his clear eyes for a moment. “You are a piece of work.”
            “That doesn’t sound like a compliment.”
            Reid barked a short laugh. “Because it wasn’t. I was going to tell you that you did a good job earlier, you know, with the whole Pushing Pictionary thing. And this?” He pointed behind him, where I’d taken him down. “How did you know what to do?”
            “My parents made us take tae kwon do. Like, for years and years. I guess it just kind of comes naturally.” A hint of pride fluttered through my muscles. And with that pride, just a smidgen of hope. Like maybe I could do this. Maybe I could actually pull this off.
            “Mmm.”
            Reid stood so close that I had to angle my head up to him. My shirt was already sticking to my sweaty stomach. And he still didn’t have a shirt on. I had to make a conscious effort not to look at his body. I could barely focus on what he’d said.
            In no way, shape, or form had I lost sight—no pun intended—of the big picture. I remained focused on the end goal. Reid was just, well, a wee bit distracting, that’s all. And perhaps that was a good thing. Yes. If I could focus around Reid, then that would only better serve me in a real-world environment, when I faced other distractions.
            Yep, that was my story. And I was sticking to it.
            “Let’s work more on hand-to-hand combat. See what comes not-so-naturally, natural.”
            Giving him a nod, I pivoted toward the mats. Feeling his presence behind me and hearing the swish of his jeans as he moved, I stopped short. I twisted, throwing a punch toward his lower jaw. He shifted out of the way, grabbed my wrist in midair, and twisted it around my back. Thank the moon of Endor I was pretty flexible.
            He yanked my arm farther up my back. His opposite arm wrapped around my waist and tugged me into him, his bare chest pressing into my back.
Pain and exhilaration shot into my nervous system. I was stuck. My heart beat wildly, but I wasn’t scared. It had to be the rush of adrenaline into my bloodstream and the fact that a half-naked guy held me in a death grip.
            Reid’s exhale tickled the back of my neck as he steadied his breath. “Nice try.” His voice came out in a rough whisper. His arm tightened around my waist again, his fingertips singeing my skin through my tank as they dug through the material, drawing me in to his body.
            “What’s the matter, Josie? Can’t move?”
A chill danced down my spine when he pulled in a deep breath and his chest expanded against my back. I should’ve been shrugging out of his hold, but I didn’t. My body had locked up in response to his presence. And it pissed me off, because even though he could be an underwear model, I would’ve rather made out with a Romulan. Similar personalities.



About the Author:  Tonya Kuper's debut, Anomaly, the first in the Schrodinger's Consortium young adult scifi trilogy, releases November 2014 by Entangled Teen. She lives in Omaha, NE with her two rad boys and husband, is a music junkie, a chocolate addict, and a Star Wars & Sherlock fan.

Author Links:








Giveaway:

(Picture of Prize Pack 1)



Book Blitz Organized by:

11.05.2014

Waiting on Wednesday (85)

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly meme, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we seriously can’t wait for.

Here's my pick for the week, that I seriously can't wait for:



by Ally Carter
Publication Date: January 27, 2015



Grace Blakely is absolutely certain of three things:

1. She is not crazy.
2. Her mother was murdered.
3. Someday she is going to find the killer and make him pay.

As certain as Grace is about these facts, nobody else believes her–so there’s no one she can completely trust. Not her grandfather, a powerful ambassador. Not her new friends, who all live on Embassy Row. Not Alexei, the Russian boy next door who is keeping an eye on Grace for reasons she neither likes nor understands.

Everybody wants Grace to put on a pretty dress and a pretty smile, blocking out all her unpretty thoughts. But they can’t control Grace–no more than Grace can control what she knows or what she needs to do.

Her past has come back to hunt her . . . and if she doesn't stop it, Grace isn't the only one who will get hurt. Because on Embassy Row, the countries of the world all stand like dominoes, and one wrong move can make them all fall down.



I love love love Ally Carter's Heist Society series, so I'm really excited to read this new series.  It sounds like it's going to be full of political intrigue and espionage, so I'm really excited.  Ally Carter is an excellent character writer, and I'm sure that readers are going to want to follow along Grace as she tries to figure out who murdered her mother.  Can't wait to pick this up; it's coming out just after my birthday so happy birthday to me!!

What book are you waiting for?


11.04.2014

Teaser Tuesday (69)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following!
  • Grab your current read.
  • Open to a random page.
  • Share a few teaser sentences from somewhere on that page.
  • MAKE SURE NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (you don't want to give too much away and ruin the book for other readers)
Share the title and author too, so that other readers can add your book to their TBR list if they like your teaser!
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The Carnival at Bray 
Jessie Ann Foley
October 1, 2014

 "One by one, she watched the lights of the carnival booths winking out, and still the ride climbed higher.  She looked east, out to where there was nothing but waves and darkness.  Breathing in the dampness, Maggie wondered what would happen if she tumbled out of her seat, splashing into the lapping nothingness, and how long it would take before someone noticed she was gone." (pg. 8)





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This is the book of the month for the YA Book Club I go to at Inkwood Books (come join us if you live in Tampa, FL).  I've just started it, but I'm hooked.  I love that it's set in the 90s grunge music era and has a large focus on music.  Music is so important, and I know growing up, my friends and I used music to channel EVERYTHING we were feeling.  Jessie Ann Foley captures this perfectly so far, and I'm excited to finish the book out.  If you've already read The Carnival at Bray, let me know what you thought!

11.03.2014

Past. Present. Future (30)


There are a a lot of these "What're you reading?" features around; here's my take on one.  

Hightlighting the books I've read, the books I'm reading, and the books I'm going to read, I'd love for you all to join in if you want!

PAST:
A Little Something Different by Sandy Hall - I read this for last month's Inkwood Books YA Book Club (if you live in Tampa, you should come join us for this month's pick, which is below).  It was a very cute book, with an interesting take on the perspectives.  This story revolves around two characters, but you never see the events of the story from their perspectives.  Instead their romance is relaid by their friends, by strangers, and, in some cases, inanimate objects.  A quick read, I think this is fun book to pick up between serious stories.

PRESENT:
The Carnival at Bray by Jessie Ann Foley - This is the pick for this month's Inkwood Books YA Book Club (seriously come and hang out if you're in Tampa, FL!).  IT's set in Ireland in the 90s, and it is about a young teen who is trying to find out who she is, using music to discover her path in life.  So far it's really good, and I recommend you pick it up!

PAST:
The Infinite Sea by Rick Yancey -  I could NOT put down The 5th Wave, it was so good.  I, therefore, must read the next installment.  I have to see what happens to Cassie and all the rest!  I know it's probably going to get worst before it gets better and I can't wait to jump on the terror-filled, run-for-you-life, wagon!






If  you've read any of these books, let me know what you thought (but NO spoilers) down below in the comments!
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