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:

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Follow Friday Feature (8) and Book Blogger Hop (6)


Follow Friday is hosted by Parajunkee! =) This week I am the featured blogger and I am so excited!! For all my followers, next week I will be participating in the Welcoming the Fall giveaway so be sure to stop by on Wednesday for that! =)

This weeks question is favorite YA or do you stick to adult reads?
I will read anything of either genre but only if there is some element of romance in it!
  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 - IB Book Blogging
  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:
In honor of Book Blogger Appreciation Week, let's take the time to honor our favorite book bloggers and why we love them:


Jessica is an amazing blogger and friend! She was my first blogger friend and follower! She created my gorgeous layout and is such a nice person! She is an eclectic reader and will review most books! She is also a ninja at HTML and recently started posts to help people out with it! She has a lovely blog and you should definitely check her out!

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Waiting on Wednesday (8)

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!


The Locket by Stacey Jay
February 3, 2011

From Goodreads:
For Katie, life as Isaac Tayte's girlfriend was pretty much perfect. Until the night she messed everything up by cheating on him with their mutual best friend, Mitch. Katie is devastated over her mistake - and she'll do anything to get Isaac back.

Then, on her seventeenth birthday, she discovers a strange, beautiful locket. When she puts it on, Katie finds herself going back in time - to the night she and Mitch kissed. At first, Katie is thrilled at the chance to do it all over again. If she can only change the past, she might be able to save her perfect future with Isaac. But as other aspects of her life become inexplicably altered, she realizes that second chances come with a dark price. Katie can't help but wonder: is fate meant to be tampered with - or is the most extraordinary kind of life the one that's far from perfect?

Why I'm Excited:
The Locket sounds like a unique and amazing read. The cover is gorgeous! I love Stacey Jay's Megan Berry series and I am sure I will enjoy The Locket just as much! I am very interested in the romance in the story and who Katie will end up with. I can't wait until I can get my hands on The Locket!

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

Teaser Tuesday (6)


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!
Halo by Alexandra Adornetto


"I wouldn't go for him if I were you," she counseled.
"I'm not really going for anyone Molly," I said, but was unable to resist asking, "Why, what's wrong with him?" It didn't seem possible that the boy I had met could be anything less than perfect.
"Oh, he's nice enough," Molly replied, "but let's just say he's got baggage."

pg. 41

Monday, September 13, 2010

Awakened Giveaway

Ednah Walters is hosting a giveaway to celebrate the release of Awakened on her blog! Here is what you could win:



A signed ARC of Awakened.

A Guardian Legacy T-shirt (black, female sizes small, medium, large or Xlarge)

A Guardian Legacy pen.

A Guardian Legacy notepad

You can visit her blog to enter the giveaway HERE

If you want to know more about Awakened and all of it's awesomeness, you can check out my review HERE

Sunday, September 12, 2010

BlogFest 2010 Winners!!


It's time to announce the winners of my BlogFest 2010 giveaway! I had over 200 entries for the giveaway, which is really amazing! Thanks to all who entered and visited my blog! Now onto who actually won!

Winners will be contacted by email and must respond with their addresses within 48 hours or new winners will be drawn.

Winner #1:
Katie Butler who will be receiving the Portal Pack

Winner #2:

Hannah Herrick who will be receiving the Soul Screamers Pack

Winner #3:

Jessica who will be receiving the Jennifer Laurens Pack

Congrats girls! I will be sending you an email shortly!

Review: Awakened by Ednah Walters


Awakened by Ednah Walters
September 2, 2010

Received from Author for Honest Review
From Goodreads:
Most teens turn sixteen and get the license to drive, Lil Falcon gets the license to kill demons, but no one told her she is not supposed to fall in love with one.

Orphaned as a child and raised by an eccentric grandfather, Lil is concerned with surviving high school and is unaware she's a Guardian—a being with super powers charged with killing demons and protecting humanity. But when she meets Bran, a mysterious boy with amazing abilities, his psi energy unlocks her latent powers.

But Bran has a secret that can destroy their growing relationship. He's part demon. But in her heart, Lil knows Bran is not evil. So when her grandfather is kidnapped by a powerful nature-bender and Bran is the only one who knows where he's being kept, Lil convinces the other Guardians to trust him, not knowing her grandfather is just the bait. And the truth that she discovers in the demonic enclave may just destroy everything she believes in, unless she makes the right choice—love and sacrifice.


My Review:

Awakened was an amazing book packed with action, romance, and fantasy! Walters introduces many new concepts and paranormal beings that are all unique. I enjoyed myself while reading Awakened and am so glad that I got a chance to read it!

Lil was a wonderful main character and someone I could really understand. After her meeting with Bran, her emotions are thrown all over the place and cause a huge electrical storm that reveals that she is a Guardian, and her grandfather has been hiding it from her. The revelation that she is a Guardian does not sit well with Lil, but after a terrifying meeting with demons, she realizes that she must embrace her powers and train. What follows are many twists and shocking discoveries that make the story zoom by. I loved Lil's personality and her interactions with Bran, an intriguing guy who has many secrets. She experiences love for the first time with Bran and it was fascinating to read how she handled it. She finds out that she is also very special and this furthers the plot of the story. Lil grew to be an even better person and she embraced who she was.

Bran was such an admirable match for Lil and I enjoyed learning more about his background and family. I really felt for what he had to go through growing up and throughout the story. Lil really helps him get through the hard times and takes away his loneliness. At first, Bran was very standoffish and closed off from the world, but throughout the story he grew and could open up more, especially when he was around Lil. One of my favorite scenes in Awakened was definitely the first date! I was shocked at what he revealed to Lil and loved him even more! I also greatly enjoyed learning about his background and who he was related to. It makes for many conflicts and bumps in Awakened.

All of the side characters were wonderful, especially the other Guardian trainees! Sykes was such a flirt and really smooth with the ladies. I liked him the best out of all of the trainees. He was sweet to Lil and I could've seen them together had Bran not been in the picture. Kim was a bit annoying, though some of it wears off towards the end of the book. Izzy was very reasonable and didn't give Lil the hard time that Kim gave her. Remy was the leader of the group and a real sweetie. The trainees worked really well together and I adored their interactions with one another.

The plot in Awakened was fast and unpredictable. I never knew what was coming and was always on my toes! I loved leaning about the Guardian history and what powers they had. I savored the book and was really sad when it came to an end. I was excited to see that Ednah Walters was writing book two in the Guardian series and can't wait to see what she has in store for the sequel!

Awakened was an awesome story and I am so glad that the author gave me an opportunity to read and review it! I loved every moment of the story and will be on the look out for the release date of the sequel. Pick this book up if you are looking for a thrilling fantasy romance! You'll be glad you took the chance!

My Rating:

5 Stars

Friday, September 10, 2010

BlogFest 2010 Giveaway *CLOSED*


Hello everyone! I am so excited to be participating in BlogFest 2010! BlogFest is a ginormous, multi-blog giveaway hosted by Cinnamon at A Journey of Books. This giveaway will go from September 10 to September 12th. My giveaway will be for the U.S. ONLY. I can't afford to ship internationally, sorry. =( For this giveaway, there will be 3 winners!!! Winners will be picked by random.org. First winner drawn gets their first choice of the packs, second drawn gets their choice of the other 2 packs, and third drawn will get the last pack. Thank you to Jennifer Laurens and Imogen Rose for donating their books and swag! Here is what you could win:


Jennifer Laurens Pack:
A Signed Copy of Heavenly by Jennifer Laurens
A Signed Copy of A Season of Eden by JM Warwick
Heavenly T-Shirt
Heavenly Pen
Heavenly Bookmark
Over Protected Postcard
A Signed Heavenly Series Postcard



Portal Pack:
A Signed Copy of Portal by Imogen Rose
A Signed Copy of Equilibrium by Imogen Rose
2 Portal/Equilibrium Bookmarks


Soul Screamers Pack:
My Soul to Take by Rachel Vincent
1 Soul Screamers Bookmark

Rules:
  • Must be a follower to enter
  • U.S. Only
  • You must be 13 years or older to enter
To enter, fill out the form HERE

Winners will be sent an email and must reply back to me with their addresses within 48 hours.

Make sure to visit the next stop in Blog Fest, Simplify with Sybil!

****Don't Forget About the Big Giveaway****

From Cinnamon:

THE BIG GIVEAWAY:

Don't forget about the massive BlogFest 2010 grand giveaway! Head on over to http://ajourneyofbooks.halfzero.net and click on the Tracking Site link, which is http://ajourneyofbooks.com/blogfest/. Once there you can register with a valid email address (to be used solely for the purpose of contacting the winner). This site will allow you to track your progress through BlogFest 2010! You can log on from anywhere at any time and continue where you left off. The best part is that every blog that you visit and mark off through this tracking site will give you one entry into the massive giveaway! We have a great collection of books, goodies and other swag that is looking for a new home!

Thursday, September 9, 2010

Follow Friday (7) and Book Blogger Hop (5)



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:
Post a link to a favorite post or book review that you have written in the past 3 months.
I loved my Firelight review so I think i'll post that =)
Review of Firelight by Sophie Jordan




Follow Friday is hosted by Parajunkee! =)
  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 - Reading Angel
  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!
Please leave a comment if you are a new follower, so I can check out your blog and follow you in return! =)

Review: Paranormalcy by Kiersten White


Paranormalcy by Kiersten White

Received from Publisher for Review

From Goodreads:
Weird as it is working for the International Paranormal Containment Agency, Evie's always thought of herself as normal. Sure, her best friend is a mermaid, her ex-boyfriend is a faerie, she’s falling for a shape-shifter, and she’s the only person who can see through paranormals' glamours, but still. Normal.

Only now paranormals are dying, and Evie's dreams are filled with haunting voices and mysterious prophecies. She soon realizes that there may be a link between her abilities and the sudden rash of deaths. Not only that, but she may very well be at the center of a dark faerie prophecy promising destruction to all paranormal creatures.

My Review:
I bleeping loved Paranormalcy! There is no other book out there like it. It was so unique and all of the characters were a joy. This is a book not to be missed for paranormal lovers.

Evie was so adorable, witty, funny, and such a sweetie. A very down-to-earth girl in a not-so-normal world. Evie is very precious jewel to the paranormal agency, IPAC, that took her in for her unique ability to see through glamours.
She feels bored and lonely and wishes for a normal life, with a real family that will love her. I really felt for her undesirable life and was shocked that she could still be upbeat and peppy. The introduction of the dreamy shapeshifter Lend throws her for a loop and she starts to question IPAC and what they really want from her. She makes some pretty shocking discoveries about herself and wonders what the truth is. While Evie is trying to find out who she really is, there are unexplained paranormal deaths that are occuring and she is somehow connected to them. Evie is in for the ride of her life in Paranormalcy.

Lend was such a cutie. He was the perfect match for Evie, very laid back and sweet. Although I do tend to prefer guys with a wild side in my YA, I felt that Lend was the right guy for Evie. She would not have connected with a bad boy and her romance with Lend stays true to her character. Lend is a very unique shapeshifter, one I have never even heard of before. I really enjoyed learning about all that he could do and the background behind him. I especially loved the romance between him and Evie. It was very sweet and believable. I liked that they didn't immediatly fall in love. They took their time in getting to know and trust each other and I could understand their relationship.

Paranormalcy's plot was shocking and not at all predictable. I had no idea where the book was going or what would happen to the characters. I found myself crying with Evie during her heartbreaking moments, and laughing during her best ones. The ending of Paranormalcy sets it up nicely for a sequel and I can't wait to find out more!

Paranormalcy
was so extraordinary and such a breath of fresh air! I am completely in love with Kiersten White's world and I can't wait to go back to visit it. Her characters were all likeable and the plot was unpredictable. So if you haven't read Paranormalcy yet, give it a try! You're in for a real treat!

My Rating:

5 Stars

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Waiting on Wednesday (7)


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!


Across the Universe by Beth Revis
January 11, 2011

From Goodreads:
Seventeen-year-old Amy joins her parents as frozen cargo aboard the vast spaceship Godspeed and expects to awaken on a new planet, three hundred years in the future. Never could she have known that her frozen slumber would come to an end fifty years too soon and that she would be thrust into the brave new world of a spaceship that lives by its own rules.

Amy quickly realizes that her awakening was no mere computer malfunction. Someone—one of the few thousand inhabitants of the spaceship—tried to kill her. And if Amy doesn’t do something soon, her parents will be next.

Now, Amy must race to unlock Godspeed’s hidden secrets. But out of her list of murder suspects, there’s only one who matters: Elder, the future leader of the ship and the love she could never have seen coming.

Why I'm Excited:
The plot for this book looks really interesting! After I read the first chapter, I was hooked and knew that this book had serious potential. The romance in this book sounds great and I can't wait to read about who Amy falls in love with. January is too far away!
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