Title: Cinder (The Lunar Chronicles, #1)
Author: Marissa Meyer
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends, 387 Pages (January 3rd, 2012)
From: The Publisher
Format: ARC
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis: Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. . . .Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

Review: 4 Stars - Cinder by Marissa Meyer is the first installment in the Lunar Chronicles. It begins the retelling story of Cinder, mechanic and cyborg with a wicked stepmother and all.

Set in New Beijing, in a city affected by a horrible plague Cinder lives with her stepmother and stepsisters. Being forced to work in a market stall to help support her family she’s become known for her knowledge of all things mechanical. It’s through this she runs into trouble from all sides. 

I seriously loved Cinder – the story and the character. It’s a huge mystery surrounding not only Cinder but the lunar people and the fate of the world. Meyer executed the mysterious sides of the story extremely well, thanks to the wonderful writing. 

The tensions between the Luna people and the rest of the world is at an all time high and it’s up to the prince – Kai – to try to find a way make a peaceful way of life for the whole planet and the people from the moon. The people from the moon are more than they seem, with abilities that make them even more menacing and trouble for all the people on earth. Mix in an evil Luna queen and it’s just bad, bad, bad. Kai and Cinder each have a lot to deal with and as the story grows their troubles mount. 

I haven’t had a chance to read many retellings, but thought that this was does amazingly well. It followed along with the original story yet Meyer had taken it and added her own layers and textures. It’s one of those books that the more pages you read, the more you finding yourself involved in the characters lives and just how Meyer will mold the story next.

All in all, Cinder was thoroughly enjoyed by this reader and I can’t say enough how much I am looking forward to the next book in the series. There’s so much to find in the book with the red shoe on the cover that this review can’t contain, that I’ll just say that Meyer has a huge imagination and doesn’t hold anything back in Cinder. If you haven’t read Cinder yet and are looking for a book that’ll wow you, that’s vastly different from other YA titles out there, then this is defiantly the book for you.

FTC Disclaimer: I did NOT pay for this book, nor have I been compensated at all in any way or means for reading and writing this HONEST review.

Well, I had pictured my graphic looking a bit better... oh well, you get the idea lol So, while this is posting I'll be running around like crazy getting ready to head to the airport for vacation. I'll be gone for the month of May, but not to worry, I've been working like a mad woman to make sure there are posts scheduled for while I'm away. I have tons of things coming up, reviews, WoWs, guest posts, etc.

I'm really excited for this trip. To get a chance to see my In-Laws & bunch of other family there, not to mention getting some much needed down time. We usually go each year for the month of May and last year I didn't get a chance to go, so I've been more than missing it.

Please send good thoughts our way for a good and quick (10 hours, for the first one - I don't think so!) flight. I'll have limited computer access while I'm away, but will be on twitter here and there and checking emails when I can. I will be sharing some pictures on twitter while I'm away, so if you would like to follow me there (@BoundByBooks) you'll get to see some of the sites just as we do.

One thing that were really looking forward to is a group of about 10 of us are going to Scotland for the day! We'll be in Edinburgh on the 15th of May. We are looking forward to taking in a tour of the tunnels under the city and seeing the castle there. We've never been and were all very excited.

When I get back, I'll have my usual UK giveaway starting. I'll have to wait and see what fun goodies I find on our trip. You can be on the look out for that at the beginning of June!

Until then, have a FANTASTIC May and I'll see you when I get back!

Title: My Soul To Take (Soul Screamers, #1)
Author: Rachel Vincent
Publisher: Harlequin Teen, 279 Pages (August 1st, 2009)
From: A gift from a friend
Format: Paperback
Add to: Goodreads

Synopsis: She doesn't see dead people. She senses when someone near her is about to die. And when that happens, a force beyond her control compels her to scream bloody murder. Literally.

Kaylee just wants to enjoy having caught the attention of the hottest guy in school. But a normal date is hard to come by when Nash seems to know more about her need to scream than she does. And when classmates start dropping dead for no apparent reason, only Kaylee knows who'll be next.

Review: 4 Stars - My Soul to Take, the first book in Soul Screamers series by author Rachel Vincent introduces us to her fantastically written characters and world of Banshees. 

Kaylee is pretty much your average teen girl. Or so she wishes. Knowing when someone near you is about to die and feeling the need to scream is anything but “average”. She believes there’s something wrong with her and her aunt and uncle who she lives with aren’t any help explaining what might be wrong with her.  I believe that Kaylee is a brilliant character with a huge heart. She wants to use her knowledge to her advantage and try to save people from dying.

Nash is a classmate of Kaylees and is drawn to her. It’s Nash to uncover what’s wrong with Kaylee and who she really is. He’s honest with her when no one else would be. He takes the time to explain things to her and goes out of his way to help her through a rough time in her life. It’s hard enough being a teen, but when you’re a teen and a Banshee, life couldn’t get weirder.

The two together are a great pair, but with the introduction of a certain Reaper named Tod, it makes you wonder what might happen next. I’m a Tod girl right from the start and the scenes with him pretty much made a great book so much better. 

All in all, Vincent’s writing and characters are fun and entertaining. It was just the book I was looking for. I thoroughly enjoyed the series and can’t wait to see what happens next. And, bring on more Tod please. I highly recommend this series to any and all fans of paranormal young adult. I have no idea what took me so long to start this series, but as always, it’s better late than never. Don’t pass these books by. Enjoy.

FTC Disclaimer: I did NOT pay for this book as it was given to me as a gift from a friend, nor have I been compensated at all in any way or means for reading and writing this HONEST review.

"Waiting On" Wednesday is an event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. The purpose of this weekly event is to spotlight a soon-to-be-released book that you are very much anticipating. "Waiting On" Wednesday will also give bloggers an opportunity to share ideas for our TBR lists.

Title: Gilt (The Royal Circle, #1)
Author: Katherine Longshore
Publisher: Viking Juvenile, 398 Pages (May 15th, 2012)
Add to: Goodreads
Pre-order here: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository

Synopsis: In the court of King Henry VIII, nothing is free--
and love comes at the highest price of all.

When Kitty Tylney's best friend, Catherine Howard, worms her way into King Henry VIII's heart and brings Kitty to court, she's thrust into a world filled with fabulous gowns, sparkling jewels, and elegant parties. No longer stuck in Cat's shadow, Kitty's now caught between two men--the object of her affection and the object of her desire. But court is also full of secrets, lies, and sordid affairs, and as Kitty witnesses Cat's meteoric rise and fall as queen, she must figure out how to keep being a good friend when the price of telling the truth could literally be her head.

Title: The Hunt (The Hunt #1)
Author: Andrew Fukuda
Publisher: St. Martins Griffin, 293 Pages (May 8th, 2012)
Add to: Goodreads
Pre-order here: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository

Synopsis: Don’t Sweat.  Don’t Laugh.  Don’t draw attention to yourself.  And most of all, whatever you do, do not fall in love with one of them.

Gene is different from everyone else around him.  He can’t run with lightning speed, sunlight doesn’t hurt him and he doesn’t have an unquenchable lust for blood.  Gene is a human, and he knows the rules.  Keep the truth a secret.  It’s the only way to stay alive in a world of night—a world where humans are considered a delicacy and hunted for their blood.

When he’s chosen for a once in a lifetime opportunity to hunt the last remaining humans, Gene’s carefully constructed life begins to crumble around him.  He’s thrust into the path of a girl who makes him feel things he never thought possible—and into a ruthless pack of hunters whose suspicions about his true nature are growing. Now that Gene has finally found something worth fighting for, his need to survive is stronger than ever—but is it worth the cost of his humanity?

Title: The Lost Code (The Atlanteans, #1)
Author: Kevin Emerson
Publisher: HarperCollins, 435 Pages (May 22nd, 2012)
Add to: Goodreads
Pre-order here: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, The Book Depository

Synopsis: WHAT IS OLDEST WILL BE NEW, WHAT IS LOST SHALL BE FOUND.

The ozone is ravaged, ocean levels have risen, and the sun is a daily enemy. But global climate change is not something new in the Earth’s history.

No one will know this better than less-than-ordinary Owen Parker, who is about to discover that he is the descendant of a highly advanced ancient race—a race that took their technology too far and almost destroyed the Earth in the process.

Now it is Owen’s turn to make right in his world what went wrong thousands of years ago. If Owen can unlock the lost code in his very genes, he may rediscover the forgotten knowledge of his ancestry…and that less-than-ordinary can evolve into extraordinary.

Yep! It's that time of the week, for another Wow. And I'm back with 3 titles this week that I think sound not only exciting but different. Exciting and different = a must read. I tend to have a hard time with historicals, yet with Gilt, I just can't wait for it. It sounds utterly captivating to me. And then The Hunt, which comes out next week.. I thought I had this one in a previous WoW and noticed it's been missing... eek! Sorry, but seriously, is it about vampires? Or something else? The synopsis doesn't call them that, so I'm very curious about what the things are the author has written about. Last, but not least - The Lost Code. It sounds mysterious and thrilling, who things that make a book a must read for me. 

So, what do you guys think of the three books this week? Anything you see here that you can't wait to read too?

*covers are always subject to change.

Hello and welcome again to a brand new month of the Feature, co-hosting with Jessica from Confessions of a Bookaholic! In this post we'll share with you a bit of information about the event and what book we'll be focusing on for May.

Blogger Talk: Novel Exposed is a monthly feature where Jessica and I will take one book and read it simultaneously. Throughout the month the book and author will be showcased in reviews, interviews, quotes and more on both blogs. There will also be a Linky set up where you can share your review of the book as well.

Then at the end of the month, we'll post a discussion that we've had about this month's title and hope that you will all join in on the discussion about this months book in the comments. Now, on to the good stuff...

May's Novel Exposed Book: Purity By: Jackson Pearce

Jessica and I are really excited for Purity! We had such a great April and were thrilled to feature A Temptation of Angels By: Michelle Zink. We hope you guys enjoyed it and that you've had a chance to read the book and love it as much as we did. We have the next few months books picked out, however if you have a book you think we should feature for a month, be sure to let us know!

Add Purity to: Goodreads

June's Novel Exposed Book: In Honor By: Jessi Kirby

Add In Honor: Goodreads

If you are an author or publisher and have a book you'd like featured in Novel Exposed, please feel free to contact either of us and include info on your book and what month you had in mind. Please remember that we only feature ONE book a month for this event and that Jessica and I will try to accommodate.

Should anyone have any questions, please feel free to contact me via email and I'd be happy to help.