Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Contest: Portal by Imogen Rose


This is a long overdue contest for Portal by Imogen Rose, as well as a Portal Chronicles mouse pad, bookmark, and other various swag I have laying around. This contest will end on January 1 at 12:01 am eastern time. The winner will be chosen using random.org. This contest is for those within the U.S. only. Thanks to Imogen for providing the book and mouse pad!

Rules:
  • Must be a follower to enter
  • Must be at least 13 years or older
  • U.S. only
To enter, leave a comment with your name/alias and email address. You can also email me your entry if you don't want to give out your personal information.

Review: Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins


From Goodreads:
Anna is looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. Which is why she is less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris—until she meets Étienne St. Clair: perfect, Parisian (and English and American, which makes for a swoon-worthy accent), and utterly irresistible. The only problem is that he's taken, and Anna might be, too, if anything comes of her almost-relationship back home.

As winter melts into spring, will a year of romantic near-misses end with the French kiss Anna—and readers—have long awaited?


My Review:

There are only so many words to express how in love with this book I am! This definitely fits in my top 10 books of this year. Perkins has developed some pretty amazing and special characters who had me rooting for them throughout the story. I also loved how she described Paris. I went there on vacation a couple of years ago so this book brought back some fond memories for me. Anna and the French Kiss was everything that I expected and more!

Anna is such a great heroine! I sympathized for all that she had to go through and she is a very relatable heroine. Though there were so moments where I wanted to go into the book and talk some sense into her, she did eventually figure out what was obvious to everyone around her. Anna is such a sweet person and I loved how she interacted with St. Clair. Their moments together gave me butterflies! Though it took them awhile to come to terms with their feelings, it was understandable due to the baggage that they both carried.

St. Clair is one of my all time favorite hero's. He is such a quirky and funny guy! He and Anna get along so well and I love it when he and Anna are together, which is most of the book, thankfully! Their relationship develops at the perfect speed which makes the story even better! Every moment means something in their relationship. St. Clair is definitely a heart-breaker! Can I please find someone out there like him???

All of the side characters were developed nicely! I especially loved Josh! He is so funny and he is a great friend to St. Clair. I am hoping that Stephanie Perkins will come out with a book with him as the love interest, though it's probably unlikely. A girl can only hope, right?

Overall, this was an amazing, quirky, and funny book that I will definitely be re-reading in the future. The story moves quickly and it was torture putting this book down! St. Clair and Anna are the perfect couple and I am hoping for more from them. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone out there who loves a great teen romance!

My Rating:


5 Stars


Sunday, December 12, 2010

Review: Last Sacrifice by Richelle Mead



From Goodreads:

Rose Hathaway has always played by her own rules.

She broke the law when she ran away from St. Vladimir’s Academy with her best friend and last surviving Dragomir Princess, Lissa. She broke the law when she fell in love with her gorgeous, off-limits instructor, Dimitri. And she dared to defy Queen Tatiana, leader of the Moroi world, risking her life and reputation to protect generations of dhampir guardian to come.

Now the law has finally caught up with Rose- for a crime she didn’t even commit. She’s in prison for the highest offense imaginable: the assassination of a monarch. She’ll need help from both Dimitri and Adrian to find the one living person who can stall her execution and force the Moroi elite to acknowledge a shocking new candidate for the royal throne: Vasilisa Dragomir.

But the clock on Rose’s life is running out. Rose knows in her heart the world of the dead wants her back… and this time she is truly out of second chances. The big question is, when your life is about saving others, who will save you?


My Review:

I have been anxiously awaiting the release of the final installment in the Vampire Academy series. The last novel, Spirit Bound, ended at such a pivitol point that I thought I wouldn't be able to wait for the next book. I devoured this book in just one day, even with my busy schedule. I thought that Richelle Mead wrapped up this series nicely and I am very excited for her next series where some of her other characters will take the main scene.

A LOT happens in this book. Crazy things, happy things, sad things, and things that gave me butterflies! I laughed, I cried, I sighed, and finally closed the book with a satisfied feeling. I have to say, I had doubts about how Mead would wrap up everything with all of the horrible things that have occurred in the series thus far. However, I know now never to doubt amazingly creative author.

*SPOILERS BELOW IF YOU HAVEN'T READ SPIRIT BOUND*

My favorite moments involved Dimitri and Rose, and Adrian and Rose. I really had no clue who Rose would end up choosing, as both guys are so amazing! When Rose finally did make her decision, it was bittersweet. While I was happy for her and one guy, I felt awful for the other. That being said, I think she made the right decision considering what led up to the moment.

*POSSIBLE SPOILERS OVER*

Nothing in Last Sacrifice is expected, so prepare to be on the ride of your life when you read it! I recommend reading it on a day where nothing is planned as it is much to hard to put down. The action never stops! I loved every moment and Richelle Mead truly outdid herself! If you haven't yet pick up this series, I highly recommend it! I would have to say that Vampire Academy is one of my favorite series!

My Rating:

5 Stars

Guest Post: Anne Michaud

Livy Parker’s Journal, by Anne Michaud

I have an imaginary friend. She lives in the future and every day, she chronicles her life in her journal.

Her world is grim: War V has gone global, the US has closed its borders to prevent homeland invasion, and kids are being sent to war to fight for their country’s freedom. There is no other choice; joining the Army is mandatory and at 19, you’re sent overseas.

But not for her. My friend could get away with it. She could say no and go to college, like her dad did. And like her dad, she could become a journalist, famous and free of her duties. Because everyone knows where they’re going, everyone has a path. And she just changed hers…

My friend is not typical; my friend is her own person. She doesn’t want to stay safely at home while others fight for their lives, for hers. Sometimes, I don’t understand why she’s going, why she would leave everything behind and risk her life. But that’s my friend: always hoping she can change the world.



Livy Parker’s Journal: the dystopian world of a teenage girl is a prequel to the book Rebel by author Anne Michaud.

Click HERE for to read more about Livy Parker's Journal.

Thanks to Anne Michaud for stopping by!

Monday, November 15, 2010

Lack of Posting


I am so sorry about not posting for awhile! Things have been so crazy at home and at school. I have had a bazillion projects given to me this month and I've only finished half of them. IB teachers love to give projects to their students around the same tie and have them due on the same day which is so stressful. I love IB because it gives me a chance to get more scholarships and learn more advanced concepts, but I just don't know how I will be able to manage for another year and a half. I know I can do it, but it just means less time for reading and blogging.

Also, my family and I are having to move to a new house before Thanksgiving and moving takes FOREVER. Seriously. We have been doing stuff over there for a month now and we are just now starting to move items in.

In addition, I have just started volunteering for MinPin Haven Rescue of Arizona and that has been consuming much of what little free time I have on the weekend. Why minpins, you ask? Well, I have four of these little guys. They drive me crazy but I love them to pieces! I feel awful about them not having a permanent family to love and care for them so I want to give back. Their stories of how they got into the rescue are heartbreaking and it just makes me want to do something to help these guys out. Which is another reason why we are rushing to move. The rescue is overflowing with dogs right now and they don't have very many fosters. Which means dogs that are found on the streets, or in other horrible situations, have to be turned down because there just isn't enough space for them. As soon as we get moved in, we will be able to foster dogs and hopefully save more dogs' lives.

So, yeah. This is why I haven't had a lot of time to blog or read. On the plus side, I did a dystopian paper on Matched by Ally Condie so that review will come as soon as I have time to write it! =) I will also be celebrating Quantum's (by Imogen Rose) release and will have a contest for a signed copy of the first book in the series, Portal.

Sorry for this non-book related post but I just wanted to tell you all what was going on. I hope everyone is having a great November!

Sunday, October 31, 2010

Happy Halloween!



Happy Halloween everyone!! I would love to know what your plans for today are, what you plan to be dressing up as, what your favorite Halloween movie is, and what your favorite candy is.

Today I am going to a Halloween block party so that should be a lot of fun! I may also go trick-or-treating for cans with NHS. We will donate all the cans we get to St. Mary's food bank.

I will be dressing up as a princess!
I love Practical Magic (It's on on ABC family today).



I adore Nerds! My favorite are the strawberry ones.



How about you?

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Waiting on Wednesday (13)

Waiting On Wednesday was created by Jill over at Breaking the Spine. It's a weekly post for you to share what upcoming books you can't wait for!

February 1, 2011

From Goodreads:
My name is Meaghan Chase.

I thought it was over.That my time with the fey, the impossible choices I had to make, the sacrifices of those I loved, was behind me. But a storm is approaching, an army of Iron fey that will drag me back, kicking and screaming. Drag me away from the banished prince who's sworn to stay by my side. Drag me into the core of a conflict so powerful, I'm not sure anyone can survive it.

This time, there will be no turning back.


Why I'm Excited:

I am so in love with this series and I can't wait for more of Ash! So sad that this is the last book, though!

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Awakened by P.C. and Kristen Cast Cover Reveal



From Goodreads:

At the start of Awakened, the pulse-pounding eighth installment of the bestselling House of Night series, Zoey has returned, mostly whole, from the Otherworld to her rightful place as High Priestess at the House of Night. Her friends are just glad to have her back, but after losing her human consort, Heath, will Zoey - or her relationship with her super-hot Warrior, Stark - ever be the same? Stevie Rae is drawn even closer to Rephaim, the Raven Mocker with whom she shares a mysterious and powerful Imprint, but he is a dangerous secret that isolates her from her school, her red fledglings, and even her best friends. When the dark threat of Neferet - who is coming closer and closer to achieving her twisted goal of immortality - and Kalona returns, what will it take to keep the House of Night from being lost forever, and what will one desperate girl do to keep her heart from being irreparably broken?

What I Think:
Love this cover! The guy on it is to die for! While I am starting to get a bit tired of this series, I will continue reading and buying them, if only for the pretty covers!

What do you think?

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Waiting on Wednesday (12)

Waiting On Wednesday was created by Jill over at Breaking the Spine. It's a weekly post for you to share what upcoming books you can't wait for!


From Goodreads:
Thought you loved Infinite Days? Well, just wait until you read the sequel and second book in the Vampire Queen trilogy, Stolen Nights.

Why I'm Excited:
I absolutely loved Infinite Days so I am so excited for Stolen Nights! Especially because of that cliffhanger ending and chapter 1 teaser from Stolen Nights!! I love the cover for this book! Gorgeous!!

Saturday, October 16, 2010

Winner!

And the winner of Over the Moon by Diane Daniels is......

Jacmom!!!

Congrats! I will be sending you an email soon!

*Winner was chosen using random.org*

Friday, October 15, 2010

Review: Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick


From Goodreads:
Nora should have known her life was far from perfect. Despite starting a relationship with her guardian angel, Patch (who, title aside, can be described as anything but angelic), and surviving an attempt on her life, things are not looking up. Patch is starting to pull away, and Nora can't figure out if it's for her best interest or if his interest has shifted to her arch-enemy Marcie Millar. Not to mention that Nora is haunted by images of her father and she becomes obsessed with finding out what really happened to him that night he left for Portland and never came home.

The farther Nora delves into the mystery of her father's death, the more she comes to question if her Nephilim blood line has something to do with it as well as why she seems to be in danger more than the average girl. Since Patch isn't answering her questions and seems to be standing in her way, she has to start finding the answers on her own. Relying too heavily on the fact that she has a guardian angel puts Nora at risk again and again. But can she really count on Patch, or is he hiding secrets darker than she can even imagine?


My Review:

I was expecting so much from the sequel to Hush, Hush but I wasn't expecting Crescendo to surpass it! It took me on a wild emotional roller coaster ride and I found myself thinking about Crescendo long after I finished it. There is so much at stake and there is never a moment where the action slows down!

Nora is one of my favorite heroines of YA. She is a very smart and reliable girl. Even though I found myself yelling at her for her actions, I understand why she did what she did. Nora goes through so much in Crescendo and makes many shocking discoveries. I found myself crying with her over her heartbreaking moments, and feeling my stomach drop when she was in a bind. I felt so connected with Nora that while I was reading Crescendo, I was Nora. Nora is an unbelievably strong girl and I really want to hug her after all that she has experienced. The revelations she makes in Crescendo change everything she has ever believed and bring up even more questions that are left unanswered.

Patch is the same as ever in Crescendo. Still infuriatingly sexy and stubborn. One moment I think I understand him, the next i'm shocked at his actions! A lot goes on between him and Nora and the problems start right away. I really wanted to jump in between the pages and knock some sense into them both. Communication is key but they are too involved to see that. I really want to say more about Patch and Nora but I don't want to give too much away!

Nothing was predictable in Crescendo. I was always scratching my head about who the bad guy was and what some of the characters were hiding. There were many times when I had to just close the book for a moment to reflect on the events that had just happened. It was all so hard to take in. The action was non-stop and my emotions were thrown out-of-whack! And the ending!! Talk about a cliff hanger. I am so happy that Becca Fitzpatrick signed on for a third book because I would just die if she left it off like that!

Crescendo is a must read for fans of Hush, Hush! If you haven't yet experienced this series, I highly recommend that you try it. This is one of my all time favorite series and I am in love with Patch and Nora! I am so excited for the third book, Tempest, and I am expecting it to be just as amazing as Crescendo and Hush, Hush.

My Rating:

5 Stars

Sunday, October 10, 2010

In My Mailbox (7)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi over at The Story Siren!

First of all, let me apologize for the lack of posts lately. School is keeping me busy and I have had a huge project that i've been working on the past few weeks that I have to finish by tomorrow. I also have the PSATs on Wednesday! =o But after this week, I should have more time for blogging so expect more posts soon!

Now it's time to show you what books I got this week!



Bought:
Slayed by Amanda Marrone
Elixir by Hilary Duff

Won:
Ascendant by Diana Peterfreund

Thanks to:
Goodreads and Harperteen

Thursday, October 7, 2010

Follow Friday (10) and Book Blogger Hop (8)


  1. Follow the Follow My Book Blog Friday Host { Parajunkee.com } and any one else you want to follow on the list
  2. Follow our Featured Bloggers -
  3. Put your Blog name & URL in the Linky thing.
  4. Grab the button up there and place it in a post, this post is for people to find a place to say hi in your comments
  5. Follow Follow Follow as many as you can
  6. If someone comments and says they are following you, be a dear and follow back. Spread the Love...and the followers
  7. If you want to show the link list, just follow the link below the entries and copy and paste it within your post!
  8. If your new to the follow friday hop, comment and let me know, so I can stop by and check out your blog!




ABOUT THE HOP:

In the spirit of the Twitter Friday Follow, the Book Blogger Hop is a place just for book bloggers and readers to connect and find new book-related blogs that we may be missing out on! This weekly BOOK PARTY is an awesome opportunity for book bloggers to connect with other book lovers, make new friends, support each other, and generally just share our love of books! It will also give blog readers a chance to find other book blogs that they may not know existed! So, grab the logo, post about the Hop on your blog, and start HOPPING through the list of blogs that are posted in the Linky list below!!

The Hop lasts Friday-Monday every week, so if you don't have time to Hop today, come back later and join the fun! This is a weekly event! And stop back throughout the weekend to see all the new blogs that are added!


This weeks question:
What's your favorite beverage while reading or blogging, if any?
I don't usually drink anything while i'm reading. Actually, I really don't drink much at all. The only thing I drink often if water and that is during meals and before bed. I just am not a big drinker. =P

Please leave a comment if you are a new follower so I can check out your blog and follow you in return! =)

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Waiting on Wednesday (11)

Waiting On Wednesday was created by Jill over at Breaking the Spine. It's a weekly post for you to share what upcoming books you can't wait for!

February 1, 2011

From Goodreads:
Before scientists found the cure, people thought love was a good thing. They didn’t understand that once love -the deliria- blooms in your blood, there is no escaping its hold. Things are different now. Scientists are able to eradicate love, and the governments demands that all citizens receive the cure upon turning eighteen. Lena Holway has always looked forward to the day when she’ll be cured. A life without love is a life without pain: safe, measured, predictable, and happy.

But with ninety-five days left until her treatment, Lena does the unthinkable: She falls in love.


Why I'm Excited:
I love dystopian love stories so I am so excited for Delirium! The premise sounds really interesting and I can't wait to see who it is that she falls in love with and why!

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Teaser Tuesday (8)


Teaser Tuesday 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 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!
Solid by Shelley Workinger


"Watch and learn my brother. You can call me the Master of Attraction or just Master as long as you bow." Garret's confident retort to Jack was all cute, none cocky and I was glad for the deflection away from me. The two boys seemed to be hitting it off all well as Bliss and I were."

pg. 24

Friday, October 1, 2010

Review: Over the Moon by Diane Daniels and a Giveaway

Over the Moon by Diane Daniels
July 29, 2010

Received from Author for Honest Review

From Goodreads:
When seventeen-year-old Tiana moves to Hurricane, Utah, her comfortable world is turned upside down as she traverses the rough waters of adjusting to a small town and new school. Her father insists they were supposed to move here for some unknown, important purpose, and the voice in her head tells her not to argue. After resigning herself to being a miserable outcast, Tiana finds that she is not only accepted by most of the students at her new high school but is also the recipient of unwelcome attention from the opposite sex. But then she meets the mysterious Andrew Martin and is soon Over the Moon crazy about him. Andrew seems to be the perfect boyfriend: protective, tender, good with her parents, and a fabulous kisser. But he also has a few unusual qualities: an intuitiveness that borders on mind reading, a touch that seems to heal, and almost superhuman strength. Tiana marvels at his talents but doesn't seriously consider the implications until she can no longer ignore the clues: Andrew does not belong on Earth. When Andrew admits his true identity, Tiana enters a world previously unknown to her and is plunged into mortal danger as it is Andrew's sworn duty to combat evil, extraterrestrial villains who wish to invade Earth and enslave mankind. Join Diane Daniels for a romantic adventure in Over the Moon, which will take you to a world where the impossible comes to life."

My Review:
When I first came upon Over the Moon I was very excited to see that it was a romance with aliens in it. Since there aren't that many YA alien type books out there, I thought that this book had the potential to be a fun, original romance. I am very sorry to say that this was not the case. The story went way too fast and I didn't feel like anything was believable.

The first problem I had was with Tiana. She starts out feeling insecure about her looks and never stops, even when everyone around her keeps telling her how gorgeous she is and has tons of guys flocking to her, she still doesn't believe it. She should at least feel a little confidence in herself! It was very annoying to have her putting herself down on every page and it just made her very unlikeable. She was also very, very, very dense. When it is obvious that something is up with Andrew, her romantic interest, she puts it off as being peculiar and it takes her forever to figure out that somethings up. The romance progressed much too fast between Tiana and Andrew! Andrew starts calling her pet names after one dance and a couple of classes with her, which was way weird. Their "love" cam off as much too fake and it was very rushed.

Andrew was a very unlikeable love interest. He comes off as stalkerish and acts really creepy around Tiana. He is very one-dimensional and I couldn't see what Tiana saw in him. Sure, he has the hot, surfer looks but zero personality. This made it very hard to continue on with the story, as I really didn't care much about what happened with him and Tiana.

Over the Moon was like Twilight and Roswell combined together in a book, but not at all how I would expect a story like that to be. I loved Roswell and could see hints of it in the book, but Roswell had a much better romance and story. The elements from Twilight were very obvious, which made it very hard to get though the story. There are too many stories out there that try to be like Twilight.

I may have liked this book better had Over the Moon been better written. The writing was almost elementary and it was really off-putting. There were words that were over-used like"exceptionally" which was in there too many times to count. There was also a time when (the book is written in past tense) a sentence in present tense was thrown in, which just grated the editor in me! I think that it may have been a better story had the book been edited a few more times.

I really hate saying negative things about books and giving bad reviews, but I had to with this one. I know that the author worked very hard, but it would have been so much better had it gone though a few more edits. It had the potential to be such an amazing story, but it just wasn't pulled off well. Maybe others with like it better than I did, so I say give it a try if you really want to read a book about aliens, or are looking for a quick, easy read! You may just find it more satisfying than I did!

My Rating:

3 Stars

*With that being said, I will be giving away my copy of Over the Moon to one lucky commenter! If you win, please do come back and tell me what you thought. If you liked it, consider writing a review for it, as self-published authors need those reviews. I'm just sorry that I had to give it 3 stars. Giveaway ends on October 15 and please leave an email in your comment so I can contact you if you win. U.S. Only.*

Thursday, September 30, 2010

Winner!!


Before I announce the winner of my Welcoming the Fall, I just wanted to thank everyone for entering! I had 152 people enter the giveaway and that's amazing! =) Now, I know you are all on your toes, waiting to see if you are the winner! Here is the lucky entry selected by random.org:

Marcie! (marcie.tur...)

Congrats to Marcie! I will send you an email and mail off your prizes by the end of the week!

Follow Friday (9) and Book Blogger Hop (7)


  1. Follow the Follow My Book Blog Friday Host { Parajunkee.com } and any one else you want to follow on the list
  2. Follow our Featured Bloggers -
  3. Put your Blog name & URL in the Linky thing.
  4. Grab the button up there and place it in a post, this post is for people to find a place to say hi in your comments
  5. Follow Follow Follow as many as you can
  6. If someone comments and says they are following you, be a dear and follow back. Spread the Love...and the followers
  7. If you want to show the link list, just follow the link below the entries and copy and paste it within your post!
  8. If your new to the follow friday hop, comment and let me know, so I can stop by and check out your blog!




ABOUT THE HOP:

In the spirit of the Twitter Friday Follow, the Book Blogger Hop is a place just for book bloggers and readers to connect and find new book-related blogs that we may be missing out on! This weekly BOOK PARTY is an awesome opportunity for book bloggers to connect with other book lovers, make new friends, support each other, and generally just share our love of books! It will also give blog readers a chance to find other book blogs that they may not know existed! So, grab the logo, post about the Hop on your blog, and start HOPPING through the list of blogs that are posted in the Linky list below!!

The Hop lasts Friday-Monday every week, so if you don't have time to Hop today, come back later and join the fun! This is a weekly event! And stop back throughout the weekend to see all the new blogs that are added!


This weeks question:
How do you spread the word about your blog?
I tweet all the happenings on my blog on twitter and participate in the blogger hop! =) I also comment on other blogs about their reviews and other interesting posts!

Please leave a comment if you are a new follower so I can check out your blog and follow you in return! =) I also love seeing comments from old followers! =) You guys rock!!

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Waiting on Wednesday (10)

Waiting On Wednesday was created by Jill over at Breaking the Spine. It's a weekly post for you to share what upcoming books you can't wait for!

Entangled by Cat Clarke
January 6, 2011

From Goodreads:
The same questions whirl round and round in my head:
What does he want from me?
How could I have let this happen?
AM I GOING TO DIE?

17-year-old Grace wakes up in a white room, with table, pens and paper - and no clue how she got here.

As Grace pours her tangled life onto the page, she is forced to remember everything she's tried to forget. There's falling hopelessly in love with the gorgeous Nat, and the unravelling of her relationship with her best friend Sal. But there's something missing. As hard as she's trying to remember, is there something she just can't see?

Grace must face the most important question of all. Why is she here?

A story of dark secrets, intense friendship and electrifying attraction.


Why I'm Excited:
Entangled sounds like a really unique and interesting read! I really can't wait to find out about Grace's romance with Nat and how that relates to the situation she has gotten into. It sounds very mysterious and I am very interested in reading this book!

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Crescendo Trailer

The Crescendo book preview trailer went live this weekend! How awesome is it?! I am so excited for the sequel to Hush, Hush and can't wait to get my Patch fix!



Becca Fitzpatrick also has a contest going on right now where you can win some awesome stuff, including a signed copy of Crescendo! Head on over to her site to check it out!

Monday, September 27, 2010

Surprise Package from Shay

Look what I got in the mail from Shay today! =) More clues!






Can you guys decipher the meaning???

Edited to add:
I think I figured the clues out! Correct me if you think i'm wrong!

Clue 1-
"Alistair became Eira's Chief associate as a young soldier and the most distinguished in her army."

Clue 2-
"Conatus led the keepers to destroy the relics of Cian."

Sunday, September 26, 2010

Review: Nevermore by Kelly Creagh


From Goodreads:
Cheerleader Isobel Lanley is horrified when she is paired with Varen Nethers for an English project, which is due—so unfair—on the day of the rival game. Cold and aloof, sardonic and sharp-tongued, Varen makes it clear he’d rather not have anything to do with her either. But when Isobel discovers strange writing in his journal, she can’t help but give this enigmatic boy with the piercing eyes another look.

Soon, Isobel finds herself making excuses to be with Varen. Steadily pulled away from her friends and her possessive boyfriend, Isobel ventures deeper and deeper into the dream world Varen has created through the pages of his notebook, a realm where the terrifying stories of Edgar Allan Poe come to life.

As her world begins to unravel around her, Isobel discovers that dreams, like words, hold more power than she ever imagined, and that the most frightening realities are those of the mind. Now she must find a way to reach Varen before he is consumed by the shadows of his own nightmares.

His life depends on it.

My Review:
Nevermore is a one-of-a-kind, extraordinary book. The writing was flawless! The details are exquisite and the characters are all extremely likable! Nevermore was so hard to put down once I got sucked into the story and I am in dire need of a sequel now!!

Isobel was a breath of fresh air! She is such a lovable character and very relatable, even with her being a cheerleader. She was intelligent and acted nothing like I would have imagined a cheerleader to act, which was very refreshing. At the beginning of the story, she still has much to learn and as she spends more time with Varen, she grows to be an amazing person and I truly loved reading about her adventures. She wasn't sure of Varen at first, and thinks he's a weirdo from all the rumors that she's heard, but as they work together, she starts to understand why Varen is the way he is and falls hard for him. They are complete opposites, but this just makes their relationship that much more amazing and sizzling!

Varen, Varen, Varen. I loved Varen! He is a very conflicted character and I really felt for him. Even though he gives Isobel the cold shoulder at first, he comes to be a sweetie towards her and he can't help but let her into his life, even when the consequences are dire. There were times where I just wanted to dive into the world of Nevermore and give him a great, big hug! Varen goes through so much in Nevermore and Isobel is there with him every step of the way. Although he didn't want her mixed up in his conflicts, Isobel is there through everything and he enjoys her company, even though he probably wouldn't admit it at first. There was so much mystery surrounding Varen! I was left guessing until the very end, and I still don't have all the answers!

The paranormal elements and plot in this story were utterly unique! The dark paranormal elements, thrown together with the mystery of Edgar Allen Poe, and a mysterious dream world. I loved reading all about the paranormal elements and I was very intrigued with what I learned. I was a bit frustrated that the end wasn't wrapped up with a nice red (or purple) bow and I will go crazy until I can get my hands on a sequel (which there should be with that ending)! I was hoping for some closure, but I guess Kelly Creagh did give us just enough to leave us wanting more!

I can't get over how awesome Nevermore! There is just enough romance, paranormal, and mystery to keep me reading. The plot was completely unique and I was kept guessing, even at the very last page. The ending of the story throws new questions out there and left me wanting the sequel, ASAP! I will keep my eyes peeled for word on the next installment in Isobel and Varen's story! I would recommend this to anyone who loves a great YA paranormal romance, with a bit of mystery thrown in!

My Rating:

5 Stars


Saturday, September 25, 2010

In My Mailbox (6)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren!



For Review:
Over the Moon by Diane Daniels
Solid by Shelley Workinger
Laney by Joanne I. Martin Sowles

Won:
Portal Chronicles Tote Bag

Bought:
Wings by Aprilynne Pike (Signed and for a future giveaway)

Thanks to:
Diane Daniels, Shelley Workinger, Joanne I. Martin Sowles, and Imogen Rose

I also went to Changing Hands Bookstore where Sophie Jordan, Aprilynne Pike, and Kiersten White were signing! I had such an awesome time! The authors were all super funny and sweet and I loved meeting them! It was great finally getting a chance to talk to Sophie Jordan in person because we've been talking on twitter for awhile now and Firelight was the first ARC that I recieved! I have to say though, I had tons that I wanted to say and ask her, but when I got up to her, every thing that I wanted to talk about flew right out of my mind! Hopefully I can go to another one of her signings in the future and maybe then I will actually remember what to say!

I didn't get many pictures because we were in the front row and only a few feet away from the authors and I didn't want the camera flashing right in front of their eyes. =P I also got a chance to see the Late Bloomer Online ladies, Jen and Espe, again and we had a really great time chatting! They are super amazing and I really hope we can meet up again soon!

Here are the few pictures from the signing:

Sophie Jordan, Aprilynne Pike, and Kiersten White
(I know it's a little awkward but it's the only picture I had of them together =P)

Sophie Jordan and Me


Espe, Me, and Jen

Friday, September 24, 2010

Fins Are Forever Cover Reveal


Fins Are Forever by Tera Lynn Childs
June 28, 2011

From Goodreads:
On Lily Sanderson’s eighteenth birthday she’ll become just a girl—still a mer girl, true, but signing the renunciation paperwork will ink Princess Waterlily of Thalassinia out of existence. That leaves plain old Lily living on land, dating the boy she loves, and trying to master this being human thing once and for all.

Now that Lily and Quince are together, mer-bond or not, she’s almost content to give up her place in the royal succession of Thalassinia. But just when she thinks she has everything figured out, Lily’s father sends a certain whirlpool-stirring cousin to stay with her on land. What did Doe do to get herself exiled from Thalassinia and stuck in terraped form, when everyone knows how much she hates humans? And why why why is she batting her eyelashes at Lily’s former crush, Brody?

The seafoam on the surf comes when a merboy from Lily’s past shows up. Tellin asks Lily for something that clouds her view of the horizon. There’s a future with Quince on land, her loyalty to the kingdom in the sea, and Lily tossing on the waves in the middle. Will she find a way to reconcile her love, her duty, and her dreams?

My Thoughts:
This cover is gorgeous! The colors are perfect and it matches the color scheme of Forgive My Fins. I love the girl on the cover, with her blue and green hair,make-up, and mermaid fin! She looks exactly how I would picture Lily. The covers for this series are among my favorites and I can't wait until Fins Are Forever releases next summer!


**Tera Lynn Childs also created a countdown timer for Forgive My Fins that you can grab HERE**

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Waiting on Wednesday (9)

Waiting On Wednesday was created by Jill over at Breaking the Spine. It's a weekly post for you to share what upcoming books you can't wait for!

From Goodreads:
Murder. Love. Jealousy. And the ultimate sacrifice. Now, with Rose on trial for her life and Lissa first in line for the Royal Throne, nothing will ever be the same between them.

Why I'm Excited:
I absolutely love this series and I am so excited for the last book! I adore all of the characters and I hope each one of them will get a happy ending after all that they've been through. The cliffhanger for the last book shocked me and now I am dying to get my hands on Last Sacrifice! December can't come fast enough!

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Welcoming the Fall Giveaway *CLOSED*


The Welcoming the Fall giveaway is hosted by the lovely ladies at Good Choice Reading! There are over 50 blogs participating and giving away some amazing books and anything that has to do
with books!



Since I will be going to the Kiersten White and Sophie Jordan signing on Friday, I will be giving away signed ARCs of Paranormalcy and Firelight. These have only been read once and are in great condition! In addition, I will throw in a Firelight bookmark, sticker, and postcard. I will also add 1 signed Dark Flame bookmark and 1 signed Radiance bookmark by Alyson Noel, as well as a Smart Chicks poster signed by all the authors at the Smart Chicks signing in Phoenix. One winner will get all the bookish items stated above! =)

You must be a follower and live in the U.S. to enter this giveaway! I hate making it only U.S. but I don't have the money to ship anywhere else. =( This giveaway will go from September 22 at 12:00 am to September 29 at 12:00 AM. Winners will be chosen using random.org.

The Rules:
You must be 13 years or older
Must live in the U.S.
Must be a follower

CLOSED

Here is a list of other's that are participating:

Teaser Tuesday (7)


Teaser Tuesday 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 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!
Nevermore by Kelly Creagh


"The black book thwacked shut. Isobel first stared at the silver-ringed fingers that pressed the cover down, then gradually her eyes traveled up the black-clad and then farther still until they met reluctantly with a pair of outlined eyes. They narrowed on her in disdain, and the way he looked at her made her feel like any second he was going to use the Force to choke her lifeless."

pg. 42

Sunday, September 19, 2010

Review: Halo by Alexandra Adornetto



From Goodreads:

Nothing much happens in the sleepy town of Venus Cove. But everything changes when three angels are sent from heaven to protect the town against the gathering forces of darkness: Gabriel, the warrior; Ivy, the healer; and Bethany, a teenage girl who is the least experienced of the trio. They work hard to conceal their true identity and, most of all, their wings. But the mission is threatened when the youngest angel, Bethany, is sent to high school and falls in love with the handsome school captain, Xavier Woods. Will she defy the laws of Heaven by loving him? Things come to a head when the angels realize they are not the only supernatural power in Venus Cove. There′s a new kid in town and he′s charming, seductive and deadly. Worst of all, he′s after Beth.

My Review:

Halo is a intelligently written fantasy YA novel with a fresh take on angels. The first part of the story is a bit slow, but it does eventually take off. Although I enjoyed Halo, I did have a few problems with the character development.

Bethany was one of the angels sent to earth to help in the struggle with the Dark Forces. She is extremely innocent and very naive about everything in the world. She is also the most human angel and her siblings worried about what that could mean for their mission. Their worries are well founded when Bethany meets Xavier and goes against her mission by falling in love with him. This causes many conflicts in the story and Bethany starts to question what she has been taught as an angel.

I really liked Bethany at first, but by the middle of the story she got to be really annoying. I understand with her being an angel that she would be innocent to the ways of the world, but she still acted way less mature than her siblings. Yes, I get that she was a really young angel and this was her first time being fully exposed to the human world, but that didn't stop her from getting on my nerves. I also didn't like how easily she fell in love with Xavier. It was not at all believable and I felt that it could have been drawn out more. I also didn't get how she could be so dense! It was so obvious who the bad guy was but it just went right over her head! Though she was dense and too innocent, Bethany was a very nice and caring angel who I hope will come into her own in the sequel, Hades.

Xavier was a very sweet guy but I just really couldn't connect with him. Their was nothing irresistible about him and I really couldn't believe how utterly devoted to Bethany he was. He accepted who she was way too easily and I thought that their should have been more conflict. Their really wasn't much chemistry between Xavier and Bethany, which was a big let down. I was really hoping for more from Xavier and I really hope I will see him in a new light in Hades.

Though the main characters did disappoint me, the writing in the story helped to make the story more enjoyable. It was so descriptive and I could picture everything clearly. I loved the background behind the angels and I hope to learn more in the sequel. Though the Dark Forces really weren't present until halfway through the book, once the bad guy was introduced, the story really took off. I was pulled back into the story and didn't want to put down the book until the very last page! I also really enjoyed Bethany's siblings, Gabriel and Ivy. They put up with Bethany's antics with Xavier and I could see that they were starting to open up more towards the end of the story. One of my favorite moments of the story was when Bethany had dinner with Xavier's family. They were really entertaining and I really wish their would have been more of them in Halo!

Overall, Halo was a nice, fresh take on angels and I really enjoyed my time once the story took off. Although the main characters need some serious improvement, I am hoping for much more in Hades. I say give Halo a try if you are really into stories about angels, but be prepared for Xavier and Bethany!

My Rating:

4 Stars

Saturday, September 18, 2010

Smart Chicks Kick It Tour


So, yesterday I had the opportunity to go to the Smart Chicks Kick It Tour in Phoenix! It was such a fun event and I really enjoyed meeting all of the authors! Some authors, like Sarah Rees Brennan and Kimberly Derting, I have never read before but after meeting them, I am ready to dive into their books!

My mom and I left 3 hours early so we could grab a bite to eat and get their early, since we live an hour away from Scottsdale. When we arrived, the first thing we saw was the book table. I ran over and starting grabbing books that I didn't already have, that I had to read and have signed!! I ended up with 8 books to add to my already ginormous pile of 14 books! It was quite a load to carry around, but I was determined to have books for every author to sign.

We got in line and waited for about 30 minutes to go into the auditorium, where the signing was held. There was a really cool slide show with all of the authors and their books with some really cool music and graphics in the background! Then, it was time for the authors to come out. They all ended up sitting on top of the table. It was a funny site to see all the authors try to maneuver themselves on top of some unstable tables!



First up was the question and answer session, followed by the lightening round. I really wished I would have written down all of the questions and their answer, but alas, I didn't think that far ahead. I do remember that Sarah Rees Brennan had some pretty hilarious and awesome responses! Melissa Marr was laughing so hard that she was crying! One of the questions turned into Sarah Rees Brennan demonstrating how to properly fence, which was quite a sight! She also introduced Scottsdale to the Marry-Shag-Cliff game.Here's how it works: you choose a book, then you choose who you would marry, who you would shag (or make out with, as Melissa Marr and Holly Black tried to switch the word shag with, with no luck), and who you would cliff. I will demonstrate! Book: Awakening by Kelley Armstrong, I would marry Derek, shag Derek, and cliff Simon! =) This game was a ton of fun and got giggles out of everyone!


Sarah Rees Brennan also informed us of her most embarrassing moment, which happened on Thursday, where she went swimming in her black underwear. You can find her account of it on the Smart Chicks Blog! It is hilarious!!


After the lightening round was the signing. There were no numbers given out, so it was a mad dash to where the line started. Me, I had a ton of books to lug so I was towards the end of the line but that was fine! I got to talk to some nice ladies in the line which made the time pass. I also ran into the lovely ladies of Late Bloomer Online! They were so nice and sweet! They even gave me some super cool swag! I'm really glad that I got to meet them. They also introduced me to Aprilynne Pike, which was really awesome!! I can't wait to see them all again next week at another signing! =)


I was so excited when I finally made it to the authors! All of them were so nice! When I told Alyson Noel my blog name, she told me that she remembered me, which was so surreal. She and Kimberly Derting then got into a talk about how great bloggers were and how much they appreciate them. It was so great to hear what a difference we bloggers make! I had a really fun conversation with Sarah Rees Brennan, once I got up to her. She and I talked about how great it would be to be billionaires so we could buy all the books we wanted. She even wrote in one of my books, "Bailey-Let's be billionaires!" Holly Black was really fun, too! She and Sarah also told me how much they loved book bloggers. Melissa Marr and Kelley Armstrong were so nice and wrote different things in each one of my many books that they signed, even though there was still a bit of a line.

I really enjoyed my time at the Smart Chicks Kick It Tour in Scottsdale and would definitely go to another event like this in the future! One thing I realized when I got home was that I forgot to get The Eternal Kiss anthology signed, which was what I was going to giveaway! I would like to know, if I did decide to give this away, if I gave away signed bookmarks and a poster signed by all the authors, would anyone still enter?

**I really want to say thank you to my mom for taking me to this event! She is such an awesome mom and took me even though she wasn't feeling well! She made sure I got all the books that I wanted, helped me lug all of my books around, and took all of the pictures of the signing. I love you so much and appreciate all that you do for me, mom.

Here are some more pictures from the signing:

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...

LinkWithin