Monster Of Books

Blood Red Road By Moira Young Review #78

2011-06-11T18:57:00.002-06:00

Author:Moira Young
Publisher: DoubleDay Canada
Pages: 544
Source: Publisher
Available: Now
First Lines: "Lugh got born first. On Midwinter Day when the sun hangs low in the sky. Then me. Two hours later."
Rating: 3.5/5

Saba has spent her whole life in Silverlake, a dried-up wasteland ravaged by constant sandstorms. The Wrecker civilization has long been destroyed, leaving only landfills for Saba and her family to scavenge from. That's fine by her, as long as her beloved twin brother Lugh is around. But when a monster sandstorm arrives, along with four cloaked horsemen, Saba's world is shattered. Lugh is captured, and Saba embarks on an epic quest to get him back.

Suddenly thrown into the lawless, ugly reality of the world outside of desolate Silverlake, Saba is lost without Lugh to guide her. So perhaps the most surprising thing of all is what Saba learns about herself: she's a fierce fighter, an unbeatable survivor, and a cunning opponent. And she has the power to take down a corrupt society from the inside. Teamed up with a handsome daredevil named Jack and a gang of girl revolutionaries called the Free Hawks, Saba stages a showdown that will change the course of her own civilization.

Blood Red Road has a searing pace, a poetically minimal writing style, violent action, and an epic love story. Moira Young is one of the most promising and startling new voices in teen fiction.

I dare everyone to read this. Then I dare everyone, who is reading it, to try putting it down. You can't can you? Because Blood Red Road is a addicting piece of literature. It sucks you in and won't let go. Of course it is a dystopian novel with romance and adventure. There is so many, these days, dystopian novels and in all of the ones I have read in the past year and half this is by far the best. It is a really unique story and the author isn't afraid or cautious to go deep, gritty and truthful about how evil and dangerous the world she created is with it's kidnappings and cage fights. I definitely would be to scared to live in this world.

Saba is the heroine of the story. She loves her brother to death and she finds her little sister a constant reminder of her mother's death. When her brother is kidnapped her world is turned upside down and now it up to her and the new acquaintances she meets along the way to save him. I must admit that Saba is the most determined character I have ever met and I love that about her. She has a goal and she won't stop until she accomplishes it. However because she is so determine she comes off as a bit rude, un-thankful and selfish. Also she doesn't really let people into her personal life or realize her faults. She is kind of like a porcupine who lets out it spikes when people are to near. As a reader you see all of this through the eyes of her friends (as if your alongside them on the adventure to) and I won't lie it can be quite annoying. There was times when I really hated Saba and then really loved her. However her character develops majorly along the way.

The writing style was different. Saba, who is telling the story, speaks in broken English. Which shows her personality and roots. I like that that because you get a better understanding of her characteristics and it easier to imagine how she speaks.

Their was some scenes that could of been cut out. I felt they were unnecessary and random. However the version I read was an ARC so it could be different in the final version.

There wasn't a single character I hated. I love them all with their different personalities. I especially loved Jack's cockiness and how a single crow could be used a character/important part of the story. I really didn't feel the connection because Saba and Jack but this is a trilogy so they have two more books to grow closer (or maybe father apart). I wish Saba's brother had more of a appearance in this.

The ending resolved all my questions. It was very fast past. The end of the book wasn't a cliffhanger. It left me wanting more, but not be anxious as to what would happen next (since there was no cliffhanger).

Overall it was a great novel. I look forward to seeing what Moira Young does next in the trilogy. Also Ridley Scott has optioned Blood Red Road for the screen. I can't wait to see the adaptation. Yours Truly,

In My Mailbox #25

2011-05-22T00:48:00.004-06:00

What's In My Mailbox

For Review:

All These Things I've Done By Gabrielle Zevin (Gooodreads/Amazon/Barnes & Noble)

I was very shocked to find a red box in my mailbox. It was from Macmillan. Curious I open it to find red confetti, bag of chocolate cover expresso, and a note from the publicist and underneath all of that was Gabrielle Zevin's new novel All these things I've done. Which btw, judging from the first 100 pages, will definitely be a hit. It comes out this September 2011 :) Thank you very much Ksenia Winnicki.

What did you guys get in your mailbox this week? BTW if you haven't already figure it out. In my Mailbox was started by The Story Siren.
Yours Truly,

Die For Me By Amy Plum Review #77

2011-05-18T18:15:00.003-06:00

Author: Amy Plum
Publisher: Harper Teen
Pages:341
Source: Chapters
Available: Now
First Lines:"The first time I had seen the statue in the fountain, I had no idea what Vincent was."
Rating: 3/5

My life had always been blissfully, wonderfully normal. But it only took one moment to change everything.

Suddenly, my sister, Georgia, and I were orphans. We put our lives into storage and moved to Paris to live with my grandparents. And I knew my shattered heart, my shattered life, would never feel normal again. Then I met Vincent.

Mysterious, sexy, and unnervingly charming, Vincent Delacroix appeared out of nowhere and swept me off my feet. Just like that, I was in danger of losing my heart all over again. But I was ready to let it happen.

Of course, nothing is ever that easy. Because Vincent is no normal human. He has a terrifying destiny, one that puts his life at risk every day. He also has enemies . . . immortal, murderous enemies who are determined to destroy him and all of his kind.

While I'm fighting to piece together the remnants of my life, can I risk putting my heart—as well as my life and my family's—in jeopardy for a chance at love?

Ah I want someone to die for me. Or *cough* I would like to be able to love someone so much that I would be willingly to risk my life for them. Society needs more Vincents(male lead). Miss.Plum may I ask where I can find one like him? Because seriously either chivalry is dead or it's hiding. Vincent is like every girls dream boyfriend. He's handsome, cute, gentlemanly, a bit of a flirt, rides a vespa and will do anything for his girlfriend. Of course their is a catch, like with all paranormal male leads. He is of course a paranormal creature, and no he is not a vampire (though by the title I see where you might of got that conclusion from). I also couldn't help but imagine Thomas Mcdonell as Vincent. I wonder how that actor would sound with a french accent.

However everyone must give props to Ms. Plum for creating her own, original, paranormal creature. I won't tell you what he is, you'll have to go and read it to find out. Yes other authors have created their own version of a already existing creature, but Miss Amy actually created her own paranormal myth/beings. This, in my opinion, was the best part of the novel. It makes it more interesting to the reader to not read the same-old-beings-story but to read a new-paranormal-beings-story. Don't get me wrong their is still the same Romeo/Juliet theme and the usual dilemmas in the paranormal romance genre.

Now you may be wondering why I rated it 3/5 instead of 5/5. Well even though the originality, fast pace and ending-that-left-me-wanting-more score high in my book, their was still some things that made me dislike the book. First of the dialogue, even though it gave me a few good chuckles, was unbelievable. I cannot imagine anyone talking like that. Secondly the book didn't have that much action in it, not until the end, and for me that was kind of disappointing.

What I liked about the book: Kate ( A Female Lead who is strong, normal, loves book and I can relate to) , the paranormal gang (Vincent's friends were awesome especially Ambrose and Jules) and the setting (which I will go into further detail below).

The setting in Die for Me is Paris. A setting which you don't see often in YA books (or I haven't anyways). I have never been to Paris or any of the places that are mention in the book. Usually when a author describes a historical, beautiful place I will have to go online to get further imagery because a lot of the time the imagery isn't describe enough for me to imagine it. However Amy Plum does a fantastic, tremendous, out shining job of describing Paris and all the places in me. I applaud her because she has now made me, more then ever, eager to go Paris. I really felt I was there.

Overall readers will definitely eat up this new Paranormal series. I think by the end of this book readers can agree that Kate truly deserved Vincent. Someone once told me that: When someone leaves your life, then another will walk right in. And I saw Vincent as that. Not as a paranormal being but as a person who saved Kate from further depression :) He was the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.
Yours Truly,

In My Mailbox #24

2011-05-15T00:32:00.004-06:00

What's In My Mailbox

Bought:

Exile By Anne Osterlund (Goodreads/Amazon/Barnes & Noble)
Die For Me By Amy Plum (Goodreads/Amazon/Barnes & Noble)

For Review:

Blood Red Road By Moira Young (Goodreads/Amazon/Barnes & Noble)
Facing Fire By Kc Dyer (Goodreads/Amazon/Barnes & Noble)
Blood Magic By Tessa Gratton (Goodreads/Amazon/Barnes & Noble)
Angel Burn By L.A Weatherly (Goodreads/Amazon)

Book Trailers:

Yours Truly,

Darkness Becomes Her By Kelly Keaton Review #76

2011-05-11T20:51:00.000-06:00

Author: Kelly Keaton
Publisher:Simon Pulse
Pages: 273
Source: Chapters
Available: Now
First Lines: "Under the cafeteria table, my right knee bounced like a jackhammer possessed."
Rating: 5/5

Ari can’t help feeling lost and alone. With teal eyes and freakish silver hair that can’t be changed or destroyed, Ari has always stood out. And after growing up in foster care, she longs for some understanding of where she came from and who she is.

Her search for answers uncovers just one message from her long dead mother: Run. Ari can sense that someone, or something, is getting closer than they should. But it’s impossible to protect herself when she doesn’t know what she’s running from or why she is being pursued.

She knows only one thing: she must return to her birthplace of New 2, the lush rebuilt city of New Orleans. Upon arriving, she discovers that New 2 is very...different. Here, Ari is seemingly normal. But every creature she encounters, no matter how deadly or horrifying, is afraid of her.

Ari won’t stop until she knows why. But some truths are too haunting, too terrifying, to ever be revealed.

Add Greek Mythology and combine that with Supernatural beings and you get one hell of a book. A novel that will spin you around and around and will still leave you shock at the twist and turns. I loved this book. I literally wanted to marry it. I could not put it down. I am not going to lie I have been in a reading funk lately and Kelly Keaton brought me out of it. I also have been busy with school, life, graduating, exchange ect; however that another story for another time.

The Plot: Was well thought out and fast. Their is definitely not a moment in this book where you stop and ponder: "When is this going to end". Honestly it the opposite you'll think, "I hope this never ends". Sadly the ending comes faster then you want it to. It is a short book, only 273 pages, however it fits everything (without boring and overwhelming the reader) in it nicely. Kelly Keaton kept the plot twists well under wraps and it will leave the readers shocked and looking back to see the hints that led to them. The ending is of course a bit of a cliff hanger, however it will leave readers screaming for more. I am most certainly excited for the next book in the series to come out.

Imagery: NEW ORLEANS. I don't see many novels set in this setting, and especially not a futuristic one I might add. The author did a mesmerizing job of capturing it and it's beauty. Ever since reading this I have been dying to go to New Orleans. I think my absolute favorite scene was the party scene where everyone dressed up (in masks might I add). That scene definitely brought my imagination to life in it's fullest. It is also easy to imagine the characters (personalities, looks and actions). Kelly Keaton did a fabulous job of bring her world to life for the readers.

Romance: YAY---no love triangle (or not yet). It not often that you only see one male swooning for the female leads attention. Ari and Sebastian were a couple with real chemistry. They worked well with each other and were believable. They weren't overtop or to under-the top (if you catch my drift). I really am excited to see how their relationship develops over the course of this series. I am praying that they do not break up with each other (like in many other series).

Characters: The characters all fit so well with each other. The kids at the Garden District were like a real family (who I came to love and desired to be apart of) with their separate personalities. I love them all but I definitely have a special spot for Violet who was so unique in her own little way. I absolutely adored Ari's hair and tattoo which really set her apart from everyone else. The Villain was defintely evil and deep down I wish she had more book time. I hope in the next novel she does.

What was the best thing about this novel? Hands down the dialogue, emotions and tone. The author did a great job of making the readers feel what the characters were feeling through dialogue. The tone also came across well with the setting.

Overall I most certainly recommend reading this book :) Yours Truly,

Author Interview: Rebecca Maizel

2011-01-17T17:23:00.000-06:00

Today I'm so lucky to have a chance to interview Rebecca Maizel here at my blog. She is author of Infinite Days and Stolen Nights, which is part of Vampire Queen Series. Stolen Nights will be released on June 22nd, 2011. And Infinite Days is available now, here's the bio for it:

“Throughout all my histories, I found no one I loved more than you...no one.”

Those were some of Rhode’s last words to me. The last time he would pronounce his love. The last time I would see his face.

It was the first time in 592 years I could take a breath. Lay in the sun. Taste.

Rhode sacrificed himself so I, Lenah Beaudonte, could be human again. So I could stop the blood lust.
I never expected to fall in love with someone else that wasn’t Rhode.
But Justin was...daring. Exciting. More beautiful than I could dream.
I never expected to be sixteen again...then again, I never expected my past to come back and haunt me...

1. Lenah is a very tormented character. She's been through a lot from her being turned into a vampire to surviving every day life as a human. But through out it all she stays a strong female character with a complicated background story. How were you able to write such a character down from what you imagined? And were their any strong, independent females that inspired Lenah??
Rebecca:Well, I think when you write about a character, you have to know their desire. You have to know what it is they want or need more than anything else in the world. Lenah is inspired from her voice and need. I just wanted her, more than anything, to show the world that she could solve her problems on her own.

2. Lenah is very multicultural in terms of languages. She knows many and in the book it seems her favorite two are Japanese and Latin. What's the story behind her learning Japanese?? And do you speak any Japanese??
Rebecca:I don't speak Japanese! I wish I did. Lenah can speak so many languages because of her age. She learned Japanese in her many travels throughout the world. Remember, there is no time to vampires, or sleep, so she can learn whatever she wants when she wants.
3. Do you have a favorite Classic Novel? If so what's your all time favorite??
Rebecca:Hmm. That's a tough question. My favorite classic is probably Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. I never seem to tire of Elizabeth Bennett and Mr. Darcy.
4. I love to write and would one day love to be a inspiring author. Any tips??
Rebecca:Keep writing. Don't stop. Write the best possible book you can. And the most important piece of advice: take criticism on your works in progress and take it well. It will make you a better writer.
5. Can you tell us anything about Stolen Nights?? Or any other projects you've been working on??
Rebecca:I can reveal nothing about Stolen Nights! Only that it's the second book of the Vampire Queen trilogy and you'll see a lot more of Rhode! I am also working on a realistic novel which I am hoping to finish up in the next couple weeks.

I want to Thank Rebecca Maizel so much for letting me interview her :) Be on the look for Stolen Nights and for more information go here:

Infinite Days

(Amazon/Goodreads/Barnes & Noble)

Stolen Nights

(Amazon/Goodreads/Barnes & Noble)

Rebecca Maizel
(website/blog/twitter/facebook)

Yours Truly,

In My Mailbox #23

2011-01-16T02:20:00.006-06:00

What's In My Mailbox

-The Gathering By Kelly Armstrong

(Amazon/Goodreads/Barnes & Noble)

-Across The Universe By Beth Revis

(Amazon/Goodreads/Barnes & Noble)

-Timeless By Alexandra Monir

(Amazon/Goodreads/Barnes & Noble)

Book Trailers

Yours Truly,

WOW: Afterlife (Evernight #4) by Claudia Gray

2011-01-12T16:35:00.004-06:00

Author:Claudia Gray
Publisher: Harperteen
Pages: 368
Release: March 8th,2011
Bianca and Lucas have always believed they could endure anything to be together. When a twist of fate not only transforms Bianca into a ghostly wraith, but also turns Lucas into a vampire—the very creature he spent his life hunting—they are left reeling.

Haunted by his powerful need to kill, Lucas can turn to only one place for help... Evernight Academy. Bianca is determined to remain with him. But with the vampire leader of Evernight waging a war against wraiths, her former home has become the most dangerous place she could be, despite the new powers her transformation has given her.

A battle between wraiths and vampires looms, and Bianca and Lucas face a terrifying new reality. They’ve overcome every obstacle life has thrown at them, but is their love strong enough to survive the challenges after life?

Claudia Gray's Evernight series is super. If you haven't read the first three books yet then I highly recommend them. They were awesome. I'm looking forward to the conclusion of the series with the fourth book,Afterlife set to release March 8th,2011. The third book left us off with a cliffhanger and I'm ecstatic to see how this all comes down in the final book.

Stylish Blogger Award

2011-01-12T14:10:00.004-06:00

Wow it's been a long time since I've done a awards post. I'm so thankful to Sinn @ Sinnful Books for rewarding me with the Stylish Blogger Award. BTW, whoever created the icon *on the left*, it is very cool. Now onto the main event.

Here are the rules if you get awarded:

1. Thank and link back to the person who awarded you this award
2. Share 7 things about yourself
3. Award 15 recently discovered great bloggers
4. Contact these bloggers and tell them about the award!

Seven Things About Me:

1. I'm a very determined person. Anyone who knows me personally, remarks on this. I'm so determine that I promised myself I will finish a full length manuscript novel before I die. I know that sounds morbid, but it's not suppose to be. And if you haven't already guess, I'm currently writing a novel.
2. I hate confined spaces, or spaces that feel confined. I don't why, but this is absolute fear of mine.
3. I have a choking phobia. When I was 8 years old, I swallowed a quarter by accident.
4. I'm going on a exchange (Aug 2011- Aug 2012) for a year. I will be staying in a different country, learning a new language, going to school and so on.Where I'm going? I haven't the slightest idea.
5. Whenever I go to my favorite cafe I always order a Hazel nut truffle latte.
6. I can speak English and Japanese.
7. I started book blogging in August of 2009. Over the last 2 years my site has changed drastically. Not only in design but also how I review books. I also read a lot more since I started. My book blog has help me in many ways. One of them is inspiring me to write a novel. My first review was on April 30th, 2009 and it was The Red Necklace by Sally Gardner. If you want to see my first review then just click on the book's title.

15 Great Bloggers

1.Kara @ Reading Cause I'm Addicted
2.Faye @Ramblings of A Teenage Bookworm
3.Valerie@I Should Be Writing
4.Tina@Fantastic Book Reviews
5.Ginger@Greads!
6.Alex@Electrifying Reviews
7.Linna@21 Pages
8.Jenny@Dreaming of Books
9.Lea@YA Book Queen
10.Alyssa,Jake,Gregory@Teens Read and Write
11.Natalie@Mindful Musings
12.Jenni@Falling Off The Shelf
13.Elie@Ellz Readz
14.Liz@Cleverly Inked
15.Jessica@Confessions of a Bookaholic

Yours Truly,

Fallen Angel by Heather Terrell Review #75

2011-01-11T22:57:00.004-06:00

Author: Heather Terrell
Publisher: Harperteen
Pages: 310
Source: Chapters
Available: Now
First Line: "I watched my curtains billow in the early autumn wind that wafted through my opened bedroom window."
Rating: 3/5

Heaven-sent?

Ellie was never particularly good at talking to boys—or anyone other than her best friend and fellow outcast, Ruth. Then she met Michael.

Michael is handsome, charming, sweet. And totally into Ellie. It’s no wonder she is instantly drawn to him. But Michael has a secret. And he knows Ellie is hiding something, too. They’ve both discovered they have powers beyond their imagining. Powers that are otherworldly.

Ellie and Michael are determined to uncover what they are, and how they got this way . . . together. But the truth has repercussions neither could have imagined. Soon they find themselves center stage in an ancient conflict that threatens to destroy everything they love. And it is no longer clear whether Ellie and Michael will choose the same side.

In this electrifying novel, Heather Terrell spins a gripping supernatural tale about true love, destiny, and the battle of good versus evil.

This was an enjoyable book. Not exactly perfect, but good. Being the author's debut novel I give her credit for coming up with an interesting back story for fallen angels. Though, personally, I wouldn't have called this Fallen Angel as it makes the whole "vampire" theory unbelievable. As the readers already know what supernatural beings the characters are. The ending was intense and definitely left me wanting more. I'm excited for the second book.

The first half of the book was slow, but kept my interest. Then the second part was a real page-turner. I literally could not put the book down. My math teacher yelled at me to put the book away while in class.

Even though I love the whole idea Heather Terrell has created, including her characterization of Ellie, I couldn't help but notice a few things. Somethings that I believe could of been work on. Remember this is just my opinion. One out of a million. I thought the romance was to fast which made it unbelievable, that the characters descriptions was lacking in ways making it harder to imagine the characters. How the teenagers interacted were to cliche and unrealistic, making the dialogue drag down with it. I also thought that Ellie thoughts went back and fourth to much making it confusing of what she actually felt. Honestly I thought Ellie was a strong character at the beginning and at the end, but not during the middle.

The only thing that I really give thumbs up for, other then the angel myth, is how the villain is written. Even though he's not in it enough, in my belief, I thought he was perfectly created. You really got a eerie feeling when he was talk about or was feature in a chapter.

That's all I really have to say. Overall it's a good book. I didn't per say love it, but it was alright. Some questions and plot twists were left unanswered, so I'll definitely be looking out for Eternity.
Yours Truly,

Unearthly By Cynthia Hand Review #74

2011-01-10T22:24:00.002-06:00

Author: Cynthia Hand
Publisher: Harperteen
Pages: 435
Source: Amazon Canada
Available: Now
Challenges: Debut
First Line: "In the beginning, there's a boy standing in the trees."
Rating: 3/5

In the beginning, there's a boy standing in the trees . . . .

Clara Gardner has recently learned that she's part angel. Having angel blood run through her veins not only makes her smarter, stronger, and faster than humans (a word, she realizes, that no longer applies to her), but it means she has a purpose, something she was put on this earth to do. Figuring out what that is, though, isn't easy.

Her visions of a raging forest fire and an alluring stranger lead her to a new school in a new town. When she meets Christian, who turns out to be the boy of her dreams (literally), everything seems to fall into place—and out of place at the same time. Because there's another guy, Tucker, who appeals to Clara's less angelic side.

As Clara tries to find her way in a world she no longer understands, she encounters unseen dangers and choices she never thought she'd have to make—between honesty and deceit, love and duty, good and evil. When the fire from her vision finally ignites, will Clara be ready to face her destiny?

Unearthly is a moving tale of love and fate, and the struggle between following the rules and following your heart.

BEST PLOT TWIST EVER!!! Did not see that coming, near the end. That aside I did not hate Unearthly, but I didn't love it either. I started out loving it to death, and that emotion returned at the end, but the middle drag it all down. The main problem with this novel is it's two slow and drags a bit. Nothing exciting really happens until the end. Sure the center of the book has all the elements and hints leading to the climax, but it's still to slow. That is the only problem I see with this book. Theirs nothing wrong with the dialogue, storyline, characters and so on.

With the bad aside lets move onto the good. What did I enjoy most about this book? That the girl saves the boy in this novel. Or let me scratch that, the idea of it being a girl rescuing a boy instead of the usual cliche. I think that's what sets this book apart from so many YA paranormal romances.

Our leading lady in this novel is Clara. I give props to Cynthia Hand for making the protagonist realistic and believable(even though Clara is a rather odd situation). How the teens interact in this novel is right on. Clara has her angel problems and then she has her adolescent problems. Such as hair and the worries of what people think about her. She isn't afraid to stand up for herself and won't be treated like garbage from a boy.

My favorite character was Angela and Jeffrey!!!

BOYS!!! Tucker or Christian? Which team are you on?? I'm kind of both, but I really love Tucker. Both leading man are sexy and have unique personalities. I think this novel kind of reflected Clara's relationship with Tucker, and I have a feeling that the next novel will be more Christian Orientated.

I also have a feeling that something bigger is coming in this series. I think the first novel was kind of a lead up for the second one. A lot of questions are not answered in this book which leaves me pondering what will happen next. The ending didn't really do me any justice but it's the buildup of questions that I have that make me excited for the sequel.

Overall it's a good book. I'll definitely be looking out for the sequel, and if your looking for a good angel book then I recommend Unearthly.
Yours Truly,

What In My Mailbox #22 +300 Follower Contest News

2011-01-09T00:36:00.001-06:00

What's In My Mailbox

VLOG EDITION!!!! Alright!! Finally I've joined in on the vlog expedition. Also if you have a youtube account and wouldn't mind being friends with me, I would love that. Or you could also subscribe *evil grin*. By the way, In My Mailbox was started by The Story Siren.

Bought

In the beginning, there's a boy standing in the trees . . . .

Clara Gardner has recently learned that she's part angel. Having angel blood run through her veins not only makes her smarter, stronger, and faster than humans (a word, she realizes, that no longer applies to her), but it means she has a purpose, something she was put on this earth to do. Figuring out what that is, though, isn't easy.

Her visions of a raging forest fire and an alluring stranger lead her to a new school in a new town. When she meets Christian, who turns out to be the boy of her dreams (literally), everything seems to fall into place—and out of place at the same time. Because there's another guy, Tucker, who appeals to Clara's less angelic side.

As Clara tries to find her way in a world she no longer understands, she encounters unseen dangers and choices she never thought she'd have to make—between honesty and deceit, love and duty, good and evil. When the fire from her vision finally ignites, will Clara be ready to face her destiny?

Unearthly is a moving tale of love and fate, and the struggle between following the rules and following your heart.

Heaven-sent?

Ellie was never particularly good at talking to boys—or anyone other than her best friend and fellow outcast, Ruth. Then she met Michael.

Michael is handsome, charming, sweet. And totally into Ellie. It’s no wonder she is instantly drawn to him. But Michael has a secret. And he knows Ellie is hiding something, too. They’ve both discovered they have powers beyond their imagining. Powers that are otherworldly.

Ellie and Michael are determined to uncover what they are, and how they got this way . . . together. But the truth has repercussions neither could have imagined. Soon they find themselves center stage in an ancient conflict that threatens to destroy everything they love. And it is no longer clear whether Ellie and Michael will choose the same side.

In this electrifying novel, Heather Terrell spins a gripping supernatural tale about true love, destiny, and the battle of good versus evil.

Amazon Kindle

On top of spending most of her time in a bunkerlike safe house and having her dates hijacked by a formidable Fae bodyguard, Faeriewalker Dana Hathaway is in for some more bad news: the Erlking and his pack of murderous minions known as the Wild Hunt have descended upon Avalon. With his homicidal appetite and immortal powers, the Erlking has long been the nightmare of the Fae realm. A fragile treaty with the Faerie Queen, sealed with a mysterious spell, is the one thing that keeps him from hunting unchecked in Avalon, the only place on Earth where humans and Fae live together. Which means Dana’s in trouble, since it’s common knowledge that the Faerie Queen wants her – and her rare Faeriewalker powers – dead. The smoldering, sexy Erlking’s got his sights set on Dana, but does he only seek to kill her, or does he have something much darker in mind?

Thoughts: Already read this one and loved it. Click Here!! To see the review :)

I had a life anyone would kill for.

Then someone did.

The worst part of being dead is that there’s nothing left to live for. No more kisses. No more secrets. No more gossip. It’s enough to kill a girl all over again. But I’m about to get something no one else does—an encore performance, thanks to Emma, the long-lost twin sister I never even got to meet.

Now Emma’s desperate to know what happened to me. And the only way to figure it out is to be me—to slip into my old life and piece it all together. But can she laugh at inside jokes with my best friends? Convince my boyfriend she’s the girl he fell in love with? Pretend to be a happy, carefree daughter when she hugs my parents good night? And can she keep up the charade, even after she realizes my murderer is watching her every move?

From Sara Shepard, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Pretty Little Liars books, comes a riveting new series about secrets, lies, and killer consequences.

Let the lying game begin.

Library

Incarceron -- a futuristic prison, sealed from view, where the descendants of the original prisoners live in a dark world torn by rivalry and savagery. It is a terrifying mix of high technology -- a living building which pervades the novel as an ever-watchful, ever-vengeful character, and a typical medieval torture chamber -- chains, great halls, dungeons. A young prisoner, Finn, has haunting visions of an earlier life, and cannot believe he was born here and has always been here. In the outer world, Claudia, daughter of the Warden of Incarceron, is trapped in her own form of prison -- a futuristic world constructed beautifully to look like a past era, an imminent marriage she dreads. She knows nothing of Incarceron, except that it exists. But there comes a moment when Finn, inside Incarceron, and Claudia, outside, simultaneously find a device -- a crystal key, through which they can talk to each other. And so the plan for Finn's escape is born ...

Contest News

So I decided to kick off 2011 with a followers contest. But not just yet. You see I only have 227 followers. To start this contest I need 300. So once I reach that the contest will begin, and it will be a big one :)

Yours Truly,

Shadowspells by Jenna Black Review #73

2011-01-06T23:06:00.000-06:00

Author: Jenna Black
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Pages: 304
Source: Amazon Kindle Store
Available: Now
First Line: "Going on a date with a bodyguard hanging over your shoulder sucks."
Rating:5/5

On top of spending most of her time in a bunkerlike safe house and having her dates hijacked by a formidable Fae bodyguard, Faeriewalker Dana Hathaway is in for some more bad news: the Erlking and his pack of murderous minions known as the Wild Hunt have descended upon Avalon. With his homicidal appetite and immortal powers, the Erlking has long been the nightmare of the Fae realm. A fragile treaty with the Faerie Queen, sealed with a mysterious spell, is the one thing that keeps him from hunting unchecked in Avalon, the only place on Earth where humans and Fae live together. Which means Dana’s in trouble, since it’s common knowledge that the Faerie Queen wants her – and her rare Faeriewalker powers – dead. The smoldering, sexy Erlking’s got his sights set on Dana, but does he only seek to kill her, or does he have something much darker in mind?

If I haven't made myself clear with "The Top 3 Books of 2010" and "Glimmerglass Review 5/5", then I don't know how to express my love for Jenna Black's Faeriewalker series. This is already the second book in the series and I'm still feeling the love and joy I had for the first one. The only sad thing to tell everyone is I was not able to get a actual paperback copy of the book from the store or amazon. The store hasn't had it in for a week and I'm to impatient to wait and I didn't want to spend extra money, for shipping, from amazon Canada. So in the end, in dire desperation, I used the kindle. I only use the kindle in extreme needs as I enjoy reading paperback/hardbacks more. In the end I was able to complete Shadowspells in less then a day and I'm already sadden by the fact that the next book doesn't come out till July 2011.

Shadowspell picks up right where Glimmerglass ended. We're given good background info on what happened in the previous novel and reunited with our favorite characters: Dana, Ethan (the playboy), Kimber, Finnm Keane, Mom and Dad. New characters such as Connor, The Hunt and The Erlking appear.

I must admit admit Dana got a tad bit rebellious in this novel. A part of me wants to yell at her and complain, saying that if she just listened then none of the bad stuff would of happened. And since she didn't listen that this should be a life's lesson for her. But in the end she is a teenager and I would have done the same thing.

Ethan's playboy attitude becomes problematic in Shaowspell and with all that occur in the book it will certainly test his ability to be non-player in the third book.

Ok this is not really a spoiler but I'm seriously wondering: Will Dana and Keane ever hook up? Or will they just fighting with each other? It was nice to see a bit of Keane's soft side and more to his character in this novel but I'm seriously wondering if will ever see more Dana/Keane.

My favorite character, who made me swoon, was the Erlking. I definitely can't wait to see how his character further develops in the third story.

In the previous novel I had troubles picturing Avalon, luckily in Shadowspell that wasn't the case. I really, honestly, can't find anything wrong with this book. I know a book is never perfect, but I can't find one single thing that bother me. I thought the plot was well crafted and gave the perfect twist. I only figured there was something more to the Erlking's deal when he mention what he wanted. I was surprised that Dana didn't question further before making the sacrifice.
But now that, that's happened it will give more drama to the third book.

I think the Erlking like's Dana. I really think he does. He may be tricky and like everyone else in Avalon uses Dana for her powers. But he always got more planned then he lets on. He plays his cards right. And everything he does in return protects Dana. Though I could be totally wrong about this.

Overall Shadowspell was FANTASTIC, MESMERIZING, A PAGE TURNER & will have the readers on the edge of their seats wondering what will happen next.
Yours Truly,

WOW: Wither By Lauren DeStefano

2011-01-05T23:18:00.000-06:00

Author: Lauren Destefano
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
Pages: 356
Release: March 22nd, 2011

What if you knew exactly when you would die?

Thanks to modern science, every human being has become a ticking genetic time bomb—males only live to age twenty-five, and females only live to age twenty. In this bleak landscape, young girls are kidnapped and forced into polygamous marriages to keep the population from dying out.

When sixteen-year-old Rhine Ellery is taken by the Gatherers to become a bride, she enters a world of wealth and privilege. Despite her husband Linden's genuine love for her, and a tenuous trust among her sister wives, Rhine has one purpose: to escape—to find her twin brother and go home.

But Rhine has more to contend with than losing her freedom. Linden's eccentric father is bent on finding an antidote to the genetic virus that is getting closer to taking his son, even if it means collecting corpses in order to test his experiments. With the help of Gabriel, a servant Rhine is growing dangerously attracted to, Rhine attempts to break free, in the limted time she has left.

Why did I choose this?? What's not to love?? The Bio is simply intriguing as well as the cover. I hope March comes soon because I can't wait to did my hands into this one. What do you guys thing???

The Lost Saint by Bree Despain Review #72

2011-01-04T19:48:00.000-06:00

Author: Bree Despain
Publisher: EgmontUSA
Pages: 404
Source: Chapters
Available: Now
First Line: "Do what he wants, and you might survive,' a harsh voice said into the boy's ear before he felt a sharp blow to the kidneys."
Rating:5/5

The non-stop sequel to The Dark Divine delivers an even hotter romance and more thrilling action than Bree Despain's first novel. Grace Divine made the ultimate sacrifice to cure Daniel Kalbi. She gave her soul to the wolf to save him and lost her beloved mother. When Grace receives a haunting phone call from Jude, she knows what she must do. She must become a Hound of Heaven. Desparate to find Jude, Grace befriends Talbot - a newcomer to town who promises her that he can help her be a hero. But as the two grow closer, the wolf grows in Grace, and her relationship with Daniel begins to crumble. Unaware of the dark path she is walking, Grace becomes prideful in her new abilities - not realizing that an old enemy has returned and deadly trap is about to be sprung. Readers, raveous for more Grace and Daniel, will be itching to sink their teeth into The Lost Saint.

This is a sequel that surpassed it's predecessor. I don't know if I've ever credited Ms. Despain for this but she dead on with dialogue and interpreting teenagers.

I loved the sequel more then the first one. The Lost Saint has everything The Dark Divine has but more. New Characters, more action and a riskier Grace Divine.

Grace will do anything to find her brother, even if it means unleashing the demon inside. You really felt Grace's pain, confusion and her misunderstanding of being unwanted. Even though everyone around her was trying to protect her, she translate it differently. She feels unwanted, unspecial. And like a lot of people would do she find someone who cares for her and will make her feel special and that person is Talbot. Talbot makes Grace feel good about herself but at the same time is unleashing what everyone around her has been trying to protect.

The Lost Saint, though a adventure packed book, is a bit predictable in areas and plot twisty in others. As a reader I always felt one step ahead of Grace, and sometimes I wondered how she didn't realize that when I did so simply. Other bits of this novel were confusing. I really wished the author would have put more back info in the novel. It's been a year since I read the first book and the whole Gabriel thing escaped me.

All the new and old characters are fun to read about. The book ends in a cliffhanger and if your like me then you'll be dying for more. I enjoyed reading The Lost Saint and am glad I picked it up.
Yours Truly,

Death Cloud (Young Sherlock Holmes) By Andrew Lane Review #71

2011-01-03T22:45:00.000-06:00

Author: Andrew Lane
Publisher: Farrar Straus Giroux
Pages:306
Source: Publisher
Available: February 1st, 2011
First Line: "The first time Matthew Arnatt saw the cloud of death, it was floating out of the first-floor window of a house near where he was living."
Rating: 4/5

It is the summer of 1868, and Sherlock Holmes is fourteen. On break from boarding school, he is staying with eccentric strangers—his uncle and aunt—in their vast house in Hampshire. When two local people die from symptoms that resemble the plague, Holmes begins to investigate what really killed them, helped by his new tutor, an American named Amyus Crowe. So begins Sherlock’s true education in detection, as he discovers the dastardly crimes of a brilliantly sinister villain of exquisitely malign intent.

When I was first ask to review this I was really hesistant. I love Sherlock Holmes (though I haven't read the original books)--especially the latest film, but mystery and murder isn't my usual cup of tea. So when I said yes I was taking a big risk, but I wanted to see how Sherlock Holmes would act as a young teenager. And in the end it was worth the risk, I loved it.

At the age of fourteen, Sherlock must spend the summer with his estrange aunt and uncle. What he thinks will be a boring holiday turns into a adventure of a life time. Along side him is Matty (a friend he met coincidentally), Amyus Crowe (tutor) and Virgina (tutor's daughter, Sherlock's crush).

Andrew Lane has made the book so their is never a dull moment at hand. As a reader you'll be able to quickly jump into it and even spend most of the book trying to solve the mystery.

The characters in the book are all lovable, though I enjoyed Virgina the most. She represented a strong female lead, and was not at all a damsel-in-distress. I was saddened that she didn't have a lot of spotlight in the book, and hope that in the next she will.

My thoughts on Sherlock's young self compared to his older self are purely based on how Robert Downey Jr portrayed him. I haven't read the original Sherlock Holmes novels so I can't really get a complete grasp on his older self. In this book Sherlock is at the beginning of his journeys. He's smart but not mega smart. I kind of like that because it shows that Sherlock gained his knowledge through education and experience, not having it naturally. I think Sherlock Holmes (whether young or old) is a great role model because he shows that with hard work and dedication you can achieve a level of knowledge that can help make the world a better place. Most young adults think school is a waste, maybe even me a bit, and Sherlock shows that he needed education and experience to become the great hero he became when he was older.

The only down side to this book was some of the description was foggy and hard to understand. As well as by the end of the book it kind of dragged. The antagonist of the book was simple to figure out, it was the mystery and actions of the villain that were hard to solve.

Overall I enjoyed Death Cloud and will definitely be keeping an eye out for it's sequel.

Yours Truly,

What's In My Mailbox #21

2011-01-02T16:38:00.000-06:00

What's In My Mailbox

The non-stop sequel to The Dark Divine delivers an even hotter romance and more thrilling action than Bree Despain's first novel. Grace Divine made the ultimate sacrifice to cure Daniel Kalbi. She gave her soul to the wolf to save him and lost her beloved mother. When Grace receives a haunting phone call from Jude, she knows what she must do. She must become a Hound of Heaven. Desparate to find Jude, Grace befriends Talbot - a newcomer to town who promises her that he can help her be a hero. But as the two grow closer, the wolf grows in Grace, and her relationship with Daniel begins to crumble. Unaware of the dark path she is walking, Grace becomes prideful in her new abilities - not realizing that an old enemy has returned and deadly trap is about to be sprung. Readers, raveous for more Grace and Daniel, will be itching to sink their teeth into The Lost Saint.

I only bought one book this week and that was The Lost Saint by Bree Despain. I've been dying to read this ever since I finished The Dark Divine. I don't know if I ever commended Ms. Despain on her writing style before, but I'm absolutely in love with how she writes. She has a good perception of how teenagers talk and stuff. And, no surprise, I'm enjoying this book just as much as I enjoyed The Dark Divine.

You know what else inspired and got me motivated to read The Lost Saint? The Book Trailer. It's most definitely the coolest book trailer I've seen so far. It reminds me of a movie trailer almost. The instrumentals is well done as well.

What did you get this week in your mailbox???? The Mailbox was started by The Story Siren.
Yours Truly,

NightShade by Andrea Cremer Review # 70

2011-01-01T14:31:00.000-06:00

Author: Andrea Cremer
Publisher: Philomel Books
Pages: 452
Source: Chapters
Available: Now
First Line: "I'd always welcomed war, but in battle my passion rose unbidden."
Rating: 4/5

Calla Tor has always known her destiny: After graduating from the Mountain School, she'll be the mate of sexy alpha wolf Ren Laroche and fight with him, side by side, ruling their pack and guarding sacred sites for the Keepers. But when she violates her masters laws by saving a beautiful human boy out for a hike, Calla begins to question her fate, her existence, and the very essence of the world she has known. By following her heart, she might lose everything including her own life. Is forbidden love worth the ultimate sacrifice?

Who doesn't love this cover?? I think the little computer image can't do the actual cover-in-hand justice. It's absolutely fantastic and beautiful. I had bought this book back in October in one of the airport book stores mainly out of the love of the cover. Luckily the story doesn't fail to impress me either.

The story follow Calla on her journey to finding out who she loves and testing all her cultural beliefs along the way. Told in first person the reader gets the insight of Calla and her life. Calla is a pretty interesting, rebellious character and she is hard not to love. Same with a lot of the other characters. I won't talk much about the boys but I'm definitely Team Ren :)

What I enjoyed the most of Nightshade was the writing. Andrea Cremer is a wonderful story teller. How she writes just comes, literally, to life. After a while you'll wonder if Calla and her pack is fictional or not. Ms. Cremer was able to make every dialogue and description is enjoyable and easy to imagine.

The only reason I didn't give this book 5 stars was the length. I thought it could of been a hundred or two hundred pages shorter. At about three hundred it started to drag a bit. The ending was confusing as well, but I think that was intentional for the next book in the series.

Overall Nightshade was a great 2010 debut and a dazzling start to a series.
Yours Truly,

Hello 2011 !!!! Best Books of 2010!!!

2011-01-01T04:35:00.000-06:00

HAPPY NEW YEARS EVERYONE!!!

Currently in Canada it's 2011 and is New Years Day. Right now, as I write this, it's 4:30A.M. I must sleep soon, ASAP really. But before I do that I want to wish and welcome everyone to a new year. I know this year of book blogging will be just as fun as 2010's. Maybe even more fun. I'm looking forward to reading many new books by both debut and old favorite YA authors. The line up of new books this year seems awesome and exciting. It will truly be a great year XD

I apologize to everyone for my lack of posts. I spent most of 2010 with my family and host sister. I was very distracted with showing my host sister Canada. But now she has return to Japan and I'm free to run my book blog again :) I'm making a promise to myself to post a post every day. I hope I can accomplish this. I also wish to have read 12 debut authors books by August 2011.

Sadly I will be shutting down my blog from August 2011 to August 2012 as I will be away for a year on a exchange program. But lets not go that far yet.

Before I move on to 2011, I like to share with you my favorite 3 books of 2010.

Author: Cassandra Clare
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry
Pages: 476
Available: Now
Source: Chapters
Rating: 5 stars
When sixteen-year-old Tessa Gray crosses the ocean to find her brother, her destination is England, the time is the reign of Queen Victoria, and something terrifying is waiting for her in London's Downworld, where vampires, warlocks and other supernatural folk stalk the gaslit streets. Only the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons, keep order amidst the chaos.
Kidnapped by the mysterious Dark Sisters, members of a secret organization called The Pandemonium Club, Tessa soon learns that she herself is a Downworlder with a rare ability: the power to transform, at will, into another person. What’s more, the Magister, the shadowy figure who runs the Club, will stop at nothing to claim Tessa's power for his own.
Friendless and hunted, Tessa takes refuge with the Shadowhunters of the London Institute, who swear to find her brother if she will use her power to help them. She soon finds herself fascinated by—and torn between—two best friends: James, whose fragile beauty hides a deadly secret, and blue-eyed Will, whose caustic wit and volatile moods keep everyone in his life at arm's length . . . everyone, that is, but Tessa. As their search draws them deep into the heart of an arcane plot that threatens to destroy the Shadowhunters, Tessa realizes that she may need to choose between saving her brother and helping her new friends save the world. . . . and that love may be the most dangerous magic of all.

I LOVED Clockwork Angels. It was absolutely brilliant. It's the sort of book the em blazes itself in your mind. I read this in September and still every chapter is burned into my mind. I'm so ecstatic for the sequel.

Author: Jenna Black
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Pages: 304
Available: Now
Source: Chapters
Rating: 5 stars
It’s all she’s ever wanted to be, but it couldn’t be further from her grasp…
Dana Hathaway doesn’t know it yet, but she’s in big trouble. When her alcoholic mom shows up at her voice recital drunk, again, Dana decides she’s had enough and runs away to find her mysterious father in Avalon: the only place on Earth where the regular, everyday world and the captivating, magical world of Faerie intersect. But from the moment Dana sets foot in Avalon, everything goes wrong, for it turns out she isn’t just an ordinary teenage girl—she’s a Faeriewalker, a rare individual who can travel between both worlds, and the only person who can bring magic into the human world and technology into Faerie.
Soon, Dana finds herself tangled up in a cutthroat game of Fae politics. Someone’s trying to kill her, and everyone seems to want something from her, from her newfound friends and family to Ethan, the hot Fae guy Dana figures she’ll never have a chance with… until she does. Caught between two worlds, Dana isn’t sure where she’ll ever fit in and who can be trusted, not to mention if her world will ever be normal again…

Honestly I don't know what to say about Jenna's Black Young Adult Debut. It was freakin fabulous. I loved everyone moment of it. I'm very excited for it's sequel which comes out this Tuesday :)

Author: Kirsten Miller
Publisher: Razorbill
Pages:411
Available: Now
Source: Chapters
Rating: 5 stars
Haven Moore cannot control her visions of a past with a boy called Ethan and a life in New York that ended in fiery tragedy. In our present, she designs beautiful dresses for her classmates with her best friend Beau. Dressmaking keeps her sane, since she lives with her widowed and heartbroken mother in her tyrannical grandmother's house in Snope City, a tiny town in Tennessee. Then an impossible group of coincidences conspire to force her to flee to New York, to discover who she is, and who she was.

In New York, Haven meets Iain Morrow and is swept into an epic love affair that feels both deeply fated and terribly dangerous. Iain is suspected of murdering a rock star and Haven wonders, could he have murdered her in a past life? She visits the Ouroboros Society and discovers a murky world of reincarnation that stretches across millennia. Haven must discover the secrets hidden in her past lives, and loves, before all is lost and the cycle begins again.

This was a book that many people had mixed reviews on. I was one of the: "I absolutely love this book" side. For some odd reason the idea of reincarnation and the devil make a good storyline. I didn't find this book boring and would recommend it to anyone for a read.

I hope you enjoyed hearing what my favorites of 2010 are. And I can't wait to see how 2011 turns out :)
Yours Truly,

2011 Debut Author Challenge

2011-01-01T04:04:00.000-06:00

2011 Debut author challenge is here!!! Last year I read 9 debut author book (the 9th book I haven't reviewed yet). This year I want to read at least 12 before August. As some of you might know I'm going away for a year, on a exchange, next August.

In 2010 I had a host sister from Japan. Most of my time was spent with her, meaning my blog slacked off a lot. My goal for 2011 is to post a post every day (whether it's a review, contest, IMMB or something else). Of course some days I might miss, but I want to stick to this goal 90% of the time.

I want to spend from here to August reading lots and lots and mange to complete 12 debut author books.

I wasn't able to in 2010, but 2011 is a fresh start.

I won't be posting a list :( But I will be participating. I hope you guys will too XD To enter go to The Story Siren Debut Author 2011 Page

Yours Truly,

The Eternal Ones Review #69

2010-12-14T22:11:00.000-06:00

Author: Kirsten Miller
Publisher: Razorbill
Pages: 411
Source: Chapters
Available: Now
Rating:

Haven Moore cannot control her visions of a past with a boy called Ethan and a life in New York that ended in fiery tragedy. In our present, she designs beautiful dresses for her classmates with her best friend Beau. Dressmaking keeps her sane, since she lives with her widowed and heartbroken mother in her tyrannical grandmother's house in Snope City, a tiny town in Tennessee. Then an impossible group of coincidences conspire to force her to flee to New York, to discover who she is, and who she was.

In New York, Haven meets Iain Morrow and is swept into an epic love affair that feels both deeply fated and terribly dangerous. Iain is suspected of murdering a rock star and Haven wonders, could he have murdered her in a past life? She visits the Ouroboros Society and discovers a murky world of reincarnation that stretches across millennia. Haven must discover the secrets hidden in her past lives, and loves, before all is lost and the cycle begins again.

Ah---I'm in love!!!! This story was so romantic, adventurous and a real page turner. I was so hesitant, it seemed so many people were not liking this book and I was afraid I would be the same way. I've been googly eying this since it came out. I think every time I've been to the book store since August I've been picking this book up and putting it down. A week ago I decided enough was enough and chose to try it out. To my surprise--and relief---I loved it. I definitely recommend it as a winter read :)

The story starts out with seventeen year old Haven Moore who lives under her Grandmother's dictator reign in Snope City, Tennessee. For most of Haven's life she has been the odd one. Why? Because she has visions of the past (really she has memories of a past life) and they're all about a young couple name Constance and Ethan. Her only true ally is her dress making partner, Beau (who is seriously one of the best characters in the book). The book deals with reincarnation, faithfulness, trust and the devil.

The first part of the book is set in Haven's daily life in Snope City. You really get a sense of how she's mistreated. How her visions cause her to faint at the most unlikely times and cause great problems on her. Basically her life sucks in Tennessee. Everyone thinks she is possessed by a demon and her Grandmother believes the only one who can save her is Dr. Tidmore who has been helping her overcome her visions by being her psychologist. By the way he is the preacher at the church in Snope City.

I didn't really see how religion played into this story at first but it became more apparent as the novel went on. This book isn't really a hard one to figure out as it's pretty obvious. At points I was annoyed with Haven for not realizing something so simple. I had figured out the truth, way, before she did.

The second part of the book is Haven running away to New York to find the newly reincarnated Ethan who is now known as Iain Morrow. Haven believes that if she finds Iain and solves the reason of Constance death in the 1920's then the visions will stop. But things get tricky, people lie, Haven gets stalk multiple times and it's a big adventure/mystery to solve.

I found it interesting that time seem to be repeating itself in this book. What happened in the 1920's seemed to be repeating itself in the twenty-first century.

All the characters were well crafted and easily came to life in my imagination. I love Beau, Iain, Haven and even Adam. Haven could be really naive at times but I felt for someone in her situation that was believable. Beau had the best one-liners. Adam and especially Dr. Tidmore were good at being who they were (for those of you who have read the book will understand this).

I enjoyed the visions Haven got and was eager to know more about Constance as the pages flipped. I really hope they make a film out of this, I would love to see the 1920's come to life on the screen. Have you notice that 1920's seem to be a popular time line in YA book's lately??

Haven's and Iain's first meeting was a bit rush I felt. Another point I like to mention was that Iain and Haven kept bouncing back to hating each other to liking each other, it got a little irritating after awhile.

The best plot twist comes, near the end, and is about a character in the book. I never saw that coming and found it funny. It was a tidbit about his lives.

This book was truly fantastic. Kirsten Miller has a knack for story telling and making the readers want more. She has definitely created a addictive world that I will be looking forward to learning more about.

Yours Truly,

What's In My Mailbox #20 & Infinite Days By Rebecca Maizel Review #68

2010-12-12T22:08:00.000-06:00

What's In My Mailbox

Haven Moore cannot control her visions of a past with a boy called Ethan and a life in New York that ended in fiery tragedy. In our present, she designs beautiful dresses for her classmates with her best friend Beau. Dressmaking keeps her sane, since she lives with her widowed and heartbroken mother in her tyrannical grandmother's house in Snope City, a tiny town in Tennessee. Then an impossible group of coincidences conspire to force her to flee to New York, to discover who she is, and who she was.

In New York, Haven meets Iain Morrow and is swept into an epic love affair that feels both deeply fated and terribly dangerous. Iain is suspected of murdering a rock star and Haven wonders, could he have murdered her in a past life? She visits the Ouroboros Society and discovers a murky world of reincarnation that stretches across millennia. Haven must discover the secrets hidden in her past lives, and loves, before all is lost and the cycle begins again.

I've been hesitant on buying this one for quite some time now because I've heard mixed reviews. I finally took the courage to buy it and try it out and am absolutely loving it :)

Author: Rebecca Maizel
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin New York
Pages: 308
Available: Now
Source: Chapters
Rating:

“Throughout all my histories, I found no one I loved more than you...no one.”

Those were some of Rhode’s last words to me. The last time he would pronounce his love. The last time I would see his face.

It was the first time in 592 years I could take a breath. Lay in the sun. Taste.

Rhode sacrificed himself so I, Lenah Beaudonte, could be human again. So I could stop the blood lust.
I never expected to fall in love with someone else that wasn’t Rhode.
But Justin was...daring. Exciting. More beautiful than I could dream.
I never expected to be sixteen again...then again, I never expected my past to come back and haunt me...

WHY, WHY, WHY DID YOU DO THAT MS. MAIZEL??? For anyone who has read this book will probably understand this. I loved everything about this book except that. I'm praying that it's not true and somehow will change by the next book. I don't want to give away what I'm talking about as it was a well hidden plot twist that totally caught me off guard and made me very sad. For those of us who have read this book I'm talking about a scene that happens near the end of the book before the big fight.

Though even though that twist happened it shows how good of writer Rebecca Maizel is. She is able to captivate her readers and make them care, probably just as much as she does, for her characters.

With that aside, I loved Infinite Days. It was a thrilling ride that was fast paste and interesting with every page turned and is truly well written. Ms. Maizel did a wonderful job with writing in first person through the mind of a 592 year old vampire. Lenah was a lot more complex then her companions because of her age and what she has been through and that was well brought out through the novel.

The author switches from present day to the past which, in my opinion, is uncommon in YA but was nicely welcomed in it. I enjoyed seeing the development of Lenah's character go from the selfish, evil vampire to the kind caring human.

The plot was a nice change from all the other vampire-romance books popping up in the YA area lately.

A nice change was that the boys were more the damsel then the women. The male lead was not as strong in handling the antagonists as the female lead was and I enjoyed that.

I loved the humor in the book and I also like the fact that Lenah and the coven spoke multiple languages to communicate with each other.

What I though could of been improved was the romance between Justin and Lenah. It was a bit to fast. I don't know if the author did this by accident or if it was meant to be but I found Tony as a love interest more suitable with Lenah then Justin. I connected more with Tony then I did with Justin and enjoyed Tony's presence a bit more. Though I know Lenah loves Justin I couldn't help feel a little bit on edge. I felt I couldn't trust him. At first I saw him as the hot shot who immediately dumps his girlfriend for the next hot girl on campus. He also was a bit mean to Lena at the beginning. So when they started dating I was a bit apprehensive. But I feel a little more trustworthy of him now. Maybe in the next book, Stolen Nights, I'll like him more.

I don't know I just could connect better with Tony/Lenah then Justin/Lenah.

One other thing that bugged me about Infinite Days was the tears. There were certain scenes were the characters were crying and I just couldn't imagine it or feel it.

Overall I loved Infinite Days. I couldn't stop reading it. It was mind blowing and If this is the start of a series then It's a damn good start.
Yours Truly,

Paranormalcy By Kiersten White Review #67

2010-12-02T01:05:00.000-06:00

0Author: Kiersten White
Publisher: Tween
Pages: 352
Source: Amazon Kindle
Available: Now
Rating:

Evie’s always thought of herself as a normal teenager, even though she works for the International Paranormal Containment Agency, 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 Evie’s about to realize that she may very well be at the center of a dark faerie prophecy promising destruction to all paranormal creatures.

So much for normal.

Quick Note: School. Life. Host Sister. Next Year. Has taken over my life. I apologize and I'm trying my best to kept up with reviewing. Wow can't believe my last review was in August :(

Review: Wow 2 words: Freakin Amazing (well one out of two isn't actually a word but who cares). Ms. White can you please tell me your secret to making an amazing plot combine with great characters and lots of fun. Let me tell you I never thought a bunch of different supernatural creatures could fit into a novel until I read Paranormalcy , which by the way I totally recommend. I will admit I was very hesitant to start to this book for some odd reason. I guess everyone has been saying so much good things about it and I was afraid that I wouldn't feel the same way, but I totally regret waiting cause it's an awesome book.

Evie is your typical girl, well not really. She 16, can see through paranormal glamors, lives inside the Paranormal Agency, has a best friend who is a mermaid and has a faerie trying to steal her heart. Add 2 hot looking guys, a few good plot twists and an end that will have you craving for more and you've got Paranormalcy.

I loved how unique Evie was. She wasn't afraid to wear different fashions and be outgoing with people she meets. Even though she is in a tough situation she does her best to stick through it till the end which makes her a strong female lead. Evie is the type of girl who loves pink and watching her favorite teen drama show known as Easton Heights. She is the girly girl, which usually isn't my cup of teen but somehow I enjoyed her being that way. I also enjoyed seeing her out in the open, in the real world, and how excited she got about the littlest of things. An example of this is a locker (read and you'll understand).

My favorite character was Reth. I was so excited whenever he appeared. He so sexy, dangerous, controlling and unaware of human interaction. I won't say much about him since that would spoil the plot, but I'm excited to see him in the next book.

Lend is another male lead who swoon's Evie's heart. I love the name, lol. It's so original and different.

I'm at a cross as to whether I'm Team Reth or Team Lend. I'm kind of a bit of both.

The only thing that bother me in the novel was that some of the dialogue was a bit unrealistic. But other then that, it was all good.

I'm super excited for Supernaturally, which is book 2 of this series. I have a lot of questions and I can't wait to find out the answers in the next book. If your looking for a good supernatural read then I definitely pick Paranormalcy.

Yours Truly,

New Information XD

2010-10-12T18:50:00.000-06:00

So I've decided to be organize with this site, so I'm not going to start it up again (that means reviews, author posts, interviews, contests ect;) until I've finished reading a certain amount of books. I want to have read 10 or 20 books before I begin again with reviewing on my site because then I'll be organized and ahead and will not have to lacking entries in my site. I apologize for any inconvenience this may cause anyone :)

Books I've Read

1. Clockwork Angel
2. Hex Hall
3. Elixir
4. Night Shade <---- Currently Reading
5. Beautiful Darkness <---Currently Reading

Repost: Crescendo Contest

2010-10-11T16:55:00.002-06:00

What Should I READ NEXT??? Please Help!!!

2010-10-05T13:24:00.000-06:00

So I need help!!! What Book Should I Read Next? I want to clear up my TBR, so I've created a poll of 4 books I've randomly choose from the pile. Please pick ones you recommend or think look good. By the end of tonight I will decide which one I'll read next. Thanks.

Where Have I Been?

2010-10-04T12:59:00.000-06:00

At School!!! I've started Grade 12, and it's by far the hardest and most time-consuming year. I haven't had a weekend or day off to myself, just homework and homework. And when I do get a odd chance of being off I usually have extracurricular activities going on. I'm also applying to become an exchange student and for universities. So I apologize for my lack of reviewing. That doesn't mean I haven't been reading, cause I have. I'm currently reading The Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare, which by the way is brilliant. I don't know when my life will be settling but I just wanted to let you know. I'll do the odd review now and then, but until things slow down that's all I can offer. I do have, currently 3 review books which I need to complete and I want to apologize for my delay in reading them slowly. I hope you guys have a great October, expect book review soon.

Out for Blood Giveaway -Reposted

2010-08-17T23:56:00.000-06:00

Everyone would should enter Alyxandra Harvey's contest for her new book Out for Blood because who doesn't want to read this??

TO enter go to Alyxandra Harvey's blog, this is a re-post of what she posted.

To celebrate the new pretty, I am extending the giveaway! Tweet, blog or web-share this lovely pic and leave me a link on this post and that counts for 2 entries! If you've already shared the giveaway, sharing the pic counts for 2 more entries for you, on top of the first.

***

I have a shiny ARC (advanced reading copy) of Out for Blood (Drake Chronicles #3) and I'm giving it away!
So: post about The Drake Chronicles (your favourite character, brother, romance... whatever!) and/or this giveaway and you're automatically entered (x1).
Retweet for same. (x1)
Open internationally.
ONE winner will be chosen, giveaway closes August 17th 2010.
You don't need to do anything other than spread the word to win!
But if you comment on THIS entry only with a link to any kind of creative endeavour a la Drakes (trailers, poem, art...) your name will be entered 5 times for each piece. (x5)
This is my standard. I like to encourage creativity!

PRIZE:
ONE signed ARC of Out For Blood. Please remember this is an advanced uncorrected proof. And it will be sent out after the 17th as soon as I get the official go-ahead.

*~*~*~*~*~
Ps-Don't forget to check out the Facebook page...early teasers are sometimes posted...
http://www.facebook.com/thedrakechronicles

Yours Truly,

Halo By Alexandra Adornetto Review #66

2010-08-03T23:06:00.000-06:00

Author: Alexandra Adornetto
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Pages: 496
Source: Publisher (Thanks Ksenia)
Available: August 31,2010
Rating:

Three angels are sent down to bring good to the world: Gabriel, the warrior; Ivy, the healer; and Bethany, a teenage girl who is the least experienced of the trio. But she is the most human, and when she is romantically drawn to a mortal boy, the angels fear she will not be strong enough to save anyone—especially herself—from the Dark Forces.

Is love a great enough power against evil?

I'm excited for the sequel!!! To bad it's not out until fall 2011. I must admit, I'm rather jealous and envious of Alexandra Adornetto. She's seventeen (same age as me) and has already published four books before she eighteen. I'll also admit that Halo (fourth and first book in the US, Australian Author she is) is a nice change in the paranormal genre. Instead of reading from the normal mortals POV, you see true love through the supernatural being. In this case that supernatural being is a angel.

The author did a excellent job of bringing the readers into her imagery world. You'll be easily sucked into the novel by the writing, characters and the amazing plot line. The story is rather slow and is very long (almost 500 pages), but you can't help but fall in love with it.

Bethany , like Sharon puts it, "basically starts out as a baby" . At the beginning Beth doesn't really get teenage culture. Which could also symbolize the confusion most teens feel in real life. Though with Beth it's worse. Examples of this are: not knowing how to put lip gloss on and not knowing what trains are. But further into the story she becomes older and finds her place in the world. The story shows the transition teens feel from being the awkward kid to becoming more secure in their own body. The only thing I didn't like about Beth was sometimes her dialogue didn't match her personality.

Xavier & Jake were the love interest in this book. Well, maybe only Xavier. I loved both, I kept thinking Xavier was Liam Hemsworth. Xavier was sexy, protective and basically any girls dream boy. He was perfect, but at the same time troubled. He kept this calm attitude to him, but inside he was conflicted. Jake on the other hand was the ultimate bad boy. At times I wanted to read more about him then Xavier. I actually was sad by the fact that he doesn't come in til like almost 300. There wasn't enough of him, until the end. Which was a downer, but I'm hoping he'll make a bigger mark in the sequel.

The bad guy was totally obvious. Beth even tells you who it is, before she/he appears. Which was kind of a bad thing in my eyes. When you read first person, your suppose to only know what the protagonist knows. Yeah you know some stuff before he or she does but not much. With Halo, I felt that by telling me in advance was a sour point. It left no surprise elements to the story.

The ending defintely leaves me wanting more. And by this I mean I'm impatient and want to read the sequel ASAP. I can't wait for it to come out in 2011.

Overall a wonderful story that will sure to be a hit with book lovers everywhere.
Yours Truly,

The Emerald Talisman By Brenda Pandos Review #65

2010-08-01T23:26:00.000-06:00

Author: Brenda Pandos
Publisher: Obsidian Mountain Publishing
Pages: 280
Source: Amazon Kindle Store
Available: Now, go to Amazon for paperback/kindle or Barnes & Noble for kindle version.
Rating:

To be normal, sixteen-year-old Julia Parker would shed her empathic gift in a second. Life has been difficult since her mother's mysterious disappearance ten years earlier - an event she witnessed, but can't remember. Julia's situation becomes more complicated after a near death experience from a blood thirsty stalker. As high school students go missing it is clear there is a connection to her own experience--past and present. Someone has to stop the madness and a chance encounter with a creepy psychic foretells that only Julia is the key to stopping the madness, but it may require the life of the one she loves.

Where do I begin??? I'm now adding this book to my all-time favorites. I simply loved it, read it in less then a day. Why do I adore it so much? I don't know. I think Twilight might have met it's match. I'm surprised there's not more publicity about this book. I can definitely see this book being quickly optioned for film rights. Not one part of the story did I find uninteresting. It was fast paced and the writing was beautifully done. It was clear, easy imagery with well brought out emotions. Also guess what, the author has never written much before this. Can you believe that?? I find her work very well written, not amerturish.

The characters were well developed and like-able. Especially Julia, I really connected with her. I found many similarities between her and me, and I enjoyed reading from her perspective. Her thoughts were really strong and well written, making her a realistic character. She wasn't annoying. A lot of the situations she got into and her actions were very understandable. If a guy hadn't visited, when he said he would, I'd be pissed off as well. I was actually wondering through the first half of the book where Nicholas was. I found the author did a great job of creating and writing about her. Brenda Pandos definitely connected with her inner teenager.

Nicholas and Phil were the sexiest characters of the novel. Sadly one of them get's down-casted, by the other. The plot was simple and very obvious. Both boys trying to fight over the girls affection. One good and the other bad. Which then leaves the readers in a conflicted situation cause you can't help but love both. Though you can probably guess who wins her heart in the end. Nicholas was protective in a sweet-sort-of-way, and his reasoning was very sincere. But like all other paranormal YA boys, he is a bit of a stalker. I was seriously waiting, throughout the novel, for Julia to ask if he watches her while she sleeps. I think I just finally realized that most paranormal YA boys do that, why not Nicholas as well. Phil was the nice kid turned bad boy in the book. At times I really felt my heart drawn to him.

What I thought... could of been more improved was Julia's power. I felt that it wasn't really brought to the readers attention enough. I wanted to know more, and maybe in the sequel we will learn more about her gift.

Overall this book will definitely be on the top 5 of 2010. I loved it and I'm so excited for it's sequel, The Sapphire Talisman to come out. I will be anxiously awaking it release date. If you haven't read this book yet then I highly recommend that you do.
Yours Truly,

What In My Mailbox #19 - All The Past 2 to 3 weeks

2010-08-01T02:47:00.000-06:00

In My Mailbox was started by Kristi over at The Story Siren! In My Mailbox is a way to share the books you received each week.

So this weeks What's In My Mailbox is a catchup of all the books I've received in the last 2 to 3 weeks. I'm now officially 17 years old (as of July.18th) so for my b-day I did get a book gift card and a whole load of cash (some I still haven't spent). So enjoy everyone XD And what is in your mailbox???

For Review

Author: Alexandra Adornetto
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Pages: 496
Source: Publisher
Available: August 31st, 2010

Three angels are sent down to bring good to the world: Gabriel, the warrior; Ivy, the healer; and Bethany, a teenage girl who is the least experienced of the trio. But she is the most human, and when she is romantically drawn to a mortal boy, the angels fear she will not be strong enough to save anyone—especially herself—from the Dark Forces.

Is love a great enough power against evil?

I've been quite lazy this summer so I've been taking my time on this one. I'm currently on page 380 our 496. So far I'm enjoying it, though I find it a bit slow. I'm really envious of the authors age and how many books she has published.

Author: Alyson Noel
Publisher: Square Fish
Pages: 192
Source: Publisher
Available: August 31st, 2010

Riley has crossed the bridge into the afterlife—a place called Here, where time is always Now. She has picked up life where she left off when she was alive, living with her parents and dog in a nice house in a nice neighborhood. When she’s summoned before The Council, she learns that the afterlife isn’t just an eternity of leisure. She’s been assigned a job, Soul Catcher, and a teacher, Bodhi, a possibly cute, seemingly nerdy boy who’s definitely hiding something. They return to earth together for Riley’s first assignment, a Radiant Boy who’s been haunting a castle in England for centuries. Many Soul Catchers have tried to get him to cross the bridge and failed. But all of that was before he met Riley...

I've only read the first chapter so far. I'll read this one after Halo. So far I think I enjoy the Immortal Series better then this spin off. I feel the Riley from Evermore has been a bit lost in the adaption, from what I can see so far. Also it's a bit confusing.

Bought

Author: Karen Kincy
Publisher: Flux
Pages: 336
Source: Chapters
Available: Now

Feathers unfurl from my skin. My plummet curves into a swoop, and I tuck my talons beneath my body. From girl to great horned owl in about a second. Pretty good, huh? Gwen Williams is like any other modern teenager with one exception: she's a shapeshifter. Never having known her Pooka-spirit father, Gwen must struggle with the wild, wonderful magic inside of her alone-and in secret. While society may tolerate vampires, centaurs, and Others like Gwen, there are plenty of folks in Klikamuks, Washington, who don't care for her kind. Now there's a new werewolf pack in town, and Others are getting killed, including Gwen's dryad friend. The police are doing zilch. In the midst of terrible loss and danger, Gwen meets a cute Japanese fox spirit who's refreshingly comfortable with his Otherness. Can Gwen find the courage to embrace her true self and find the killer-before she becomes the next victim?

Me and my host sister found the synopsis intriguing. Especially with the part about the Japanese Fox Spirit (seeing as my host sis is Japanese).

Author: Anastasia Hopcus
Publisher: EgmontUSA
Pages: 400
Source: Amazon Canada
Available: Now

After her sister Athena's tragic death, it's obvious that grief-stricken Persephone "Phe" Archer no longer belongs in Los Angeles. Hoping to make sense of her sister's sudden demise and the cryptic dreams following it, Phe abandons her bubbly LA life to attend an uptight East Coast preparatory school in Shadow Hills, MA -- a school which her sister mysteriously mentioned in her last diary entry before she died.

Once there, Phe quickly realizes that something is deeply amiss in her new town. Not only does Shadow Hills' history boast an unexplained epidemic that decimated hundreds of its citizens in the 1700s, but its modern townies also seem eerily psychic, with the bizarre ability to bend metal. Even Zach -- the gorgeous stranger Phe meets and immediately begins to lust after -- seems as if he is hiding something serious. Phe is determined to get to the bottom of it. The longer she stays there, the more she suspects that her sister's untimely death and her own destiny are intricately linked to those who reside in Shadow Hills.

I had read a ARC version of this awhile back. It was for a book tour and I had reviewed it. I absolutely adored and loved the story so much, I bought a finalized copy.

Author: Julie Kagawa
Publisher: Harlequin; Original edition
Pages: 304
Source: Chapters
Available: August 1st, 2010

Half Summer faery princess, half human, Meghan has never fit in anywhere. Deserted by the Winter prince she thought loved her, she is prisoner to the Winter faery queen. As war looms between Summer and Winter, Meghan knows that the real danger comes from the Iron fey—ironbound faeries that only she and her absent prince have seen. But no one believes her.

Worse, Meghan's own fey powers have been cut off. She's stuck in Faery with only her wits for help. Trusting anyone would be foolish. Trusting a seeming traitor could be deadly. But even as she grows a backbone of iron, Meghan can't help but hear the whispers of longing in her all-too-human heart.

I had gotten a review copy of this from NetGalley, but couldn't read it. Why? I didn't have a kindle back then and I hated reading it from my computer. I found this easier.

Kindle Buys

Author: Brenda Pandos
Publisher: Obsidian Mountain Publishing
Pages: 280
Source: Amazon Kindle Store
Available: Now

o be normal, sixteen-year-old Julia Parker would shed her empathic gift in a second. Life has been difficult since her mother's mysterious disappearance ten years earlier - an event she witnessed, but can't remember. Julia's situation becomes more complicated after a near death experience from a blood thirsty stalker. As high school students go missing it is clear there is a connection to her own experience--past and present. Someone has to stop the madness and a chance encounter with a creepy psychic foretells that only Julia is the key to stopping the madness, but it may require the life of the one she loves.

THIS BOOK is literally being added to one of my all time favorites. I read it in less then a day and loved it. I can't wait to write a review on this one. I'm so darn excited for December when the sequel comes out.

Author: Tricia Rayburn
Publisher: EgmontUSA
Pages: 352
Source: Amazon Kindle Store
Available: Now

Seventeen-year-old Vanessa Sands is afraid of everything--the dark, heights, the ocean--but her fearless older sister, Justine, has always been there to coach her through every challenge. That is until Justine goes cliff diving one night near the family's vacation house in Winter Harbor, Maine, and her lifeless body washes up on shore the next day.

Vanessa's parents want to work through the tragedy by returning to their everyday lives back in Boston, but Vanessa can't help feeling that her sister's death was more than an accident. After discovering that Justine never applied to colleges, and that she was secretly in a relationship with longtime family friend Caleb Carmichael, Vanessa returns to Winter Harbor to seek some answers.

But when Vanessa learns that Caleb has been missing since Justine's death, she and Caleb's older brother, Simon, join forces to try to find him, and in the process, their childhood friendship blossoms into something more.
Soon it's not just Vanessa who is afraid. All of Winter Harbor is abuzz with anxiety when another body washes ashore, and panic sets in when the small town becomes home to a string of fatal, water-related accidents . . . in which all the victims are found grinning from ear to ear.

As Vanessa and Simon probe further into the connections between Justine's death and the sudden rash of creepy drownings, Vanessa uncovers a secret that threatens her new romance, and that will change her life forever.

I've been wanting to read this one for a while, and since my store didn't have it in stock and I'm a impatient person I bought it off the kindle.

From Library

I'm not going to give a description of each one. But these books are historical fiction about the province I come from. They're very interesting and I love them. I read them as a child. Now I just ordered the fifth book which I've never read.

Goodies

Thanks to Anastasia Hopcus for sending me a signed poster and some magnets/pins. And as you can see in the upside down picture, I now own a Kindle . I got it as a birthday gift XD

Book Trailers

Yours Truly,

Should I Review Manga AsWell?? Also..........Winners

2010-07-22T15:12:00.000-06:00

Web Polls

Winner of Shadow Hills is... #20: Latisha D !!! Congrats to her, I will be sending it by Book Depository ASAP.

Book Trailers

I'm currently reading these two books and they're quite interesting XD

I really want to read this book, the book trailer is so beautiful

Yours Truly,

Insatiable by Meg Cabot Review #64

2010-07-19T16:18:00.000-06:00

Author: Meg Cabot
Publisher: William Morrow
Pages: 464
Rating:

Sick of hearing about vampires? So is Meena Harper.

But her bosses are making her write about them anyway, even though Meena doesn't believe in them.

Not that Meena isn't familiar with the supernatural. See, Meena Harper knows how you're going to die. (Not that you're going to believe her. No one ever does.)

But not even Meena's precognition can prepare her for what happens when she meets—then makes the mistake of falling in love with—Lucien Antonescu, a modern-day prince with a bit of a dark side. It's a dark side a lot of people, like an ancient society of vampire hunters, would prefer to see him dead for.

The problem is, Lucien's already dead. Maybe that's why he's the first guy Meena's ever met whom she could see herself having a future with. See, while Meena's always been able to see everyone else's future, she's never been able look into her own.

And while Lucien seems like everything Meena has ever dreamed of in a boyfriend, he might turn out to be more like a nightmare.

Now might be a good time for Meena to start learning to predict her own future. . . .

If she even has one.

I don't usually read Meg Cabot's books. Mainly because the novels she writes aren't usually my type. So I was surprised to hear that she is writing a sort of spoof/paranormal book. And I'm glad she did, because I loved it. I think it is awesome when writers write in different genres, not only do they pick up more readers but it strengthen their writing skills. I learned that in creative writing.

Now this book is a spoof off of all the current vampire shows/books ect; But at the same time it's serious. So it works well as a book that believable but has a lot/bit of comedy to it. It was well written and fast pace, but I felt that it was a bit to long. I was kind of disappointed that Lucien and Meena do not meet until half way through the book. Why I was this way is because it made the romance develop to fast.

I though that there could of been more descriptions of the characters, especially Alaric. I had a hard time imagining him. I found the POV's from all the characters was well written. I loved reading from Meena's & Lucien's POV.

Meena's hate for vampires wasn't as strongly brought out as it could of been. Meaning I found it hard to believe that she hated vampires in the beginning. It wasn't emphasis enough.

The plot was pretty predictable, but enjoyable. Some of the dialogue was priceless. Meena's gift was unique from other paranormal protagonists abilities, which was refreshing. I found the end to be most shocking. I felt like Lucien was Bella from Twilight and Meena was Edward. That's the first time I've seen a women stick up to a vampire and do what she did. I think it was a bit of a saddening ending, but will have readers admiring her strength as a women.

Overall a excellent summer read, that will have you turning the page.
Yours Truly,

Torment Vlog Contest

2010-07-17T22:22:00.000-06:00

This is for the Reading Cause I'm Addicted Torment Contest. We had to state the reason for our liking of Fallen by Lauren Kate.
BE WARNED I do make some jokes/stabs a Edward/Jacob/Puck/Ash even though I DON'T MEAN IT. Enjoy XD

GIVEAWAY MONDAY - Shadow Hills By Anastasia Hopcus

2010-07-12T19:18:00.000-06:00

Author: Anastasia Hopcus
Publisher: Egmont USA
Pages: 400

After her sister Athena's tragic death, it's obvious that grief-stricken Persephone "Phe" Archer no longer belongs in Los Angeles. Hoping to make sense of her sister's sudden demise and the cryptic dreams following it, Phe abandons her bubbly LA life to attend an uptight East Coast preparatory school in Shadow Hills, MA -- a school which her sister mysteriously mentioned in her last diary entry before she died.

Once there, Phe quickly realizes that something is deeply amiss in her new town. Not only does Shadow Hills' history boast an unexplained epidemic that decimated hundreds of its citizens in the 1700s, but its modern townies also seem eerily psychic, with the bizarre ability to bend metal. Even Zach -- the gorgeous stranger Phe meets and immediately begins to lust after -- seems as if he is hiding something serious. Phe is determined to get to the bottom of it. The longer she stays there, the more she suspects that her sister's untimely death and her own destiny are intricately linked to those who reside in Shadow Hills.

So tomorrow is the date Shadow Hills is released and I'm so excited. I previously read an ARC copy and did a review on it, click here if you want to read it. To celebrate I decided to have a giveaway where I'll be giving away one copy to one winner. What I'll be using is Book Depository, so this is a INTERNATIONAL contest. Just make sure the Book Depository ships to your country. This contest will run from now until next Monday, so July 19th.

To enter just fill out the forum and leave a comment :) Cause everyone loves comments.

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Later tonight I'll post my Monday Fan Video :)
Yours Truly,

Prophecy of the Sisters By Michelle Zink Review #63

2010-07-10T20:50:00.001-06:00

Author: Michelle Zink
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Pages: 368
Rating:

An ancient prophecy divides two sisters--one good, one evil.

Who will prevail?

Twin sisters Lia and Alice Milthorpe have just become orphans. They have also become enemies. As they discover their roles in a prophecy that has turned generations of sisters against each other, they find themselves entangled in a mystery that involves a tattoo-like mark, their parents' deaths, a boy, a book, and a lifetime of secrets.

I really don't know how to go about this review. A part of me enjoyed it and the other half didn't. It was an ok book for me and I think three stars represent that. I certainly will read the sequel.

I love reading books with the settings that are placed 100 to 1000 years ago. This novel is placed in the late 1800's in America, which to me is very uncommon. Usually I see books with that time period set in Europe. So I did welcome the nice change of setting, but throughout the book I had to remind myself that this wasn't a Hallowmere or Gemma Doyle type book because if gave off the same sort of vibe.

I commend Michelle Zink for writing so beautifully and portraying first person so passionately. I really felt that she had a firm grasp on first person and how to write it. What I did not like was the book felt to outlined. It was so plotted, that the novel became obvious and had no surprise effect on me.

The novel was rather slow and nothing really happened, or no action anyways. The end was a bit interesting because the antagonist is so ruthless that it kills someone close to them. And I was quite sadden by that character's demise, because that person didn't deserve it at all. But the aftermath was weird, because the antagonist is never brought to justice or arrested.

One other thing that I wish this novel had was more Alice. Alice is such a key part of the prophecy, but you see so little of her throughout the novel.

In character terms, I enjoyed reading from Lia's perspective. She was by far my favorite character, next to Alice. I felt because Lia and Alice were such an important part of the story, that they had more depth and personality then the other characters did which was fine but I'd like to learn more about Sonia and Luisa next time.

Overall Prophecy of the Sisters was a nice read and was well written. I will definitely keep my eyes open for the sequel, Guardian of the Gate.

Yours Truly,

WOW: Intrinsical by Lani Woodland

2010-07-08T01:45:00.000-06:00

Author: Lani Woodland

Publisher: Pendrell Publishing
Pages: 738
Release Date: August 20th, 2010

Sixteen-year-old Yara Silva has always known that ghosts walk alongside the living. Her grandma, like the other females in her family, is a Waker, someone who can see and communicate with ghosts. Yara grew up watching her grandmother taunted and scorned for this unusual ability and doesn't want that to be her future. She has been dreading the day when she too would see ghosts, and is relieved that the usually dominant Waker gene seems to have skipped her, letting her live a normal teenage life. However, all that changes for Yara on her first day at her elite boarding school when she discovers the gene was only lying dormant. She witnesses a dark mist attack Brent, a handsome fellow student, and rushes to his rescue. Her act of heroism draws the mist's attention, and the dark spirit begins stalking her. Yara finds herself entrenched in a sixty-year-old curse that haunts the school, threatening not only her life, but the lives of her closest friends as well. Yara soon realizes that the past she was trying to put behind her isn't going to go quietly.

This is a novel that I saw on Extreme Reader Book Reviews ! It caught my attention with it's beautiful cover and intriguing synopsis. It's also a book that is coming out soon, August soon. I'm now very excited for this one, it looks really really good. What do you guys think??

"Waiting On Wednesday" is a weekly event, hosted by Jill from Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we are eagerly anticipating.

Yours Truly,

Blood Feud (Drake Chronicles #2) By Alyxandra Harvey Review #62

2010-07-07T00:22:00.000-06:00

Author: Alyxandra Harvey
Publisher: Bloomsbury US
Pages: 258
Rating:

It's been centuries since Isabeau St. Croix barely survived the French Revolution. Now she's made her way back to the living and she must face the ultimate test by confronting the evil British lord who left her for dead the day she turned into a vampire. That's if she can control her affection for Logan Drake, a vampire whose bite is as sweet as the revenge she seeks.

The clans are gathering for Helena's royal coronation as the next vampire queen, and new alliances are beginning to form now that the old rifts of Lady Natasha's reign have started to heal. But with a new common enemy, Leander Montmarte—a vicious leader who hopes to force Solange to marry him and usurp the power of the throne for himself—the clans must stand together to preserve the peace he threatens to destroy.

This second adventure in the Drake Chronicles—told from both Logan's and Isabeau's perspectives—has all the same butt-kicking action, heart-pounding romances and snarky humor that readers loved in Hearts at Stake, as well as exciting new revelations about the vampire dynasties to keep readers coming back for more.

Why is this series not on the NYT Bestsellers yet? Seriously, who doesn't love reading about the Drake Chronicles? One, I got to applaud the author for giving a entertaining sequel that surpassed it's predecessor. All the complaints I had from the previous novel (in terms of writing and stuff) was gone from this book, which I was happy about.

When I first heard that this novel wouldn't be in Lucy/Solange POV, I was a bit apprehensive. Questions like, how would she do it? Would I still have the same love for the series, if it's in different characters POV? In the end Alyxandra did a excellent job at keeping the series excellent (maybe even better) with different characters POV. I also found it a refreshing writing style. I've never seen a author who has each book (series) in 2 different character POV. I really enjoyed it.

In this book, the POV are Logan and Isabeau. Isabeau is the girl you see at the end of Hearts At Stake. In the previous book I had problems with the characters POV being too similar, but that's not the case in this book. Logan and Isabeau POVs are so well written and developed throughout the novel that I really didn't need the name of who POV it was at the beginning of each chapter. Logan's quickly developed love for Isabeau is so well brought up and shown that you feel how passionate it is for him. Isabeau on the other hand has been through some major trauma, and is one determined/strong chick. You really connect with the pain she is feeling, you sympathize for her greatly. In the end Logan was my favorite character to read from, he's also probably my favorite brother in the Drake Clan.

The Information that was so quickly packed and confusing in the previous novel, because more clear in this novel. It's easier to understand the different species of vampires, though I think this novel would do greatly with a glossary instead of a family tree.

Something in end will happen to one or more of the antagonist, and it shocked me greatly. I couldn't believe it, and am now pondering how the series will continue. I thought this antagonist would be a main, reoccurring villain throughout it all but I guessed wrong. But I think this just makes me like the author even more, because I'm eager to find out what will happen next with the family. Though I did not enjoy the fact that this character was only shown only one or two pages in this book and then is killed. I wished we could of seen this person more.

The novel has less of Solange, Lucy, Kieran and Nicholas and I was kind of sad about that. I think my favorite line was went Solange was explaining how Nicholas locked Lucy in a closet to Logan. Quite hysterical.

I also got confused at some of the jokes/dialogue, but other then that the book was perfect. Like the previous one it's fast paced and there's never a dull moment. So overall I really enjoyed Blood Feud, more then Hearts at Stake. I found it was more entertaining, beautifully written and easier to understand. I definitely recommend this one, and I'll be on the look out for # 3 Out For Blood which comes out in Dec.2010.
Yours Truly,

CHECK OUT THE DARK DIVINE BOOK TRAILER - CONTEST

2010-07-01T01:33:00.000-06:00

Then Go Check out Read Bree for more info.

Yours Truly,

Fan Video Monday

2010-06-28T19:28:00.000-06:00

So this is a meme I'm starting on my blog, where I pick a fan music video of a book. The music video can contain to anything containing tothe book (characters, book in general, ect). Basically the idea of this meme is share the love for books that fans have.
So this week I'm choosing Beautiful Creatures:

I choosed a Book Trailer this week. I thought it was really well done and absolutely loved it. I found it under the youtube user name: gettaclue90 !! I do not entirely agree with the casting choice, but I feel the mood and music/clips were perfect. Enjoy;

What Fan Video do you like?? Yours Truly,

What In My Mailbox Week #18

2010-06-26T23:53:00.000-06:00

In My Mailbox was started by Kristi over at The Story Siren! In My Mailbox is a way to share the books you received each week.

Finals have officially finished :) I'm so relieved. I'm also excited to return to my book blog :) I've been reading like crazy lately, and I love it. I'm hoping with my return of blogging that I'll be able to do a lot more reviews, some interviews and maybe one or two memes. I'm also planning to do a upcomming contest for fun :) I also wish to get a new custom layout made. I'm currently saving up for that.
Anyways For Now I would like to do In My Mailbox meme, and show you guys what I bought this week.

Bought

Author: Alyson Noel

Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin

Pages: 336

Source: Chapters

Available: Now

In Alyson Noel’s most darkly seductive Immortals novel yet, Ever fights for control of her body, her soul—and the timeless true love she’s been chasing for centuries.

Ever is trying to help Haven transition into life as an immortal. But with Haven drunk on her new powers and acting recklessly, she poses the ultimate threat—exposing their secret world to the outside. As Ever struggles to keep the Immortals hidden, it only propels Haven closer to the enemy—Roman and his evil companions
At the same time, Ever delves deeper into dark magick to free Damen from Roman’s power. But when her spell backfires, it binds her to the one guy who’s hell-bent on her destruction. Now there’s a strange, foreign pulse coursing through her, and no matter what she does, she can’t stop thinking about Roman—and longing for his touch. As she struggles to resist the fiery attraction threatening to consume her, Roman is more than willing to take advantage of her weakened state…and Ever edges closer and closer to surrender.
Frantic to break the spell before its too late, Ever turns to Jude for help, risking everything she knows and loves to save herself—and her future with Damen …

Author: Michelle Zink

Publisher: Little Brown Books For Young Readers

Pages: 368

Source: Chapters

Available: July 1st (though it's already released in some stores)

An ancient prophecy divides two sisters--one good, one evil.

Who will prevail?

Twin sisters Lia and Alice Milthorpe have just become orphans. They have also become enemies. As they discover their roles in a prophecy that has turned generations of sisters against each other, they find themselves entangled in a mystery that involves a tattoo-like mark, their parents' deaths, a boy, a book, and a lifetime of secrets.

Author: Alyxandra Harvey

Publisher: Bloomsbury US

Pages: 272

Source: Chapters

Available: Now

The action and romance continue as theDrakes face a new vampire with a 200-year-old grudge. It's been centuries since Isabeau St. Croix barely survived the French Revolution. Now she's made her way back to the living and she must face the ultimate test by confronting the evil British lord who left her for dead the day she turned into a vampire. That's if she can control her affection for Logan Drake, a vampire whose bite is as sweet as the revenge she seeks.

The clans are gathering for Helena's royal coronation as the next vampire queen, and new alliances are beginning to form now that the old rifts of Lady Natasha's reign have started to heal. But with a new common enemy, Leander Montmarte—a vicious leader who hopes to force Solange to marry him and usurp the power of the throne for himself—the clans must stand together to preserve the peace he threatens to destroy.
This second adventure in the Drake Chronicles—told from both Logan's and Isabeau's perspectives—has all the same butt-kicking action, heart-pounding romances and snarky humor that readers loved in Hearts at Stake, as well as exciting new revelations about the vampire dynasties to keep readers coming back for more.

Author: Meg Cabot

Publisher: William Morrow

Pages: 464

Source: Chapters

Available: Now

Sick of hearing about vampires? So is Meena Harper.

But her bosses are making her write about them anyway, even though Meena doesn't believe in them.

Not that Meena isn't familiar with the supernatural. See, Meena Harper knowshow you're going to die. (Not that you're going to believe her. No one ever does.)
But not even Meena's precognition can prepare her for what happens when she meets—then makes the mistake of falling in love with—Lucien Antonescu, a modern-day prince with a bit ofa dark side. It's a dark side a lot of people, like an ancient society of vampire hunters, would prefer to see him dead for.
The problem is, Lucien's already dead. Maybe that's why he's the first guy Meena's ever met whom she could see herself having a future with. See, while Meena's always been able to see everyone else's future,she's never been able look into her own.
And while Lucien seems like everything Meena has ever dreamed of in a boyfriend, he might turn out to be more like a nightmare.

Now might be a good time for Meena to start learning to predict her own future. . . .

If she even has one.

Book Trailers

Yours Truly,

Mistwood By Leah Cypress Review #61

2010-06-26T00:38:00.000-06:00

Author: Leah Cypress

Publisher: Greenwillow

Pages: 320

Rating:

The Shifter is an immortalcreature bound by an ancient spell to protect the kings of Samorna. When the realm is peaceful, she retreats tothe Mistwood. But when she is needed she always comes.

Isabel remembers nothing. Nothing before the prince rode into her forest to take her back to the castle. Nothing about who she is supposed to be, or the powers she is supposed to have.

Prince Rokan needs Isabel to be his Shifter. He needs her ability to shift to animal form, to wind, to mist. He needs her lethal speed and superhuman strength. And he needs her loyalty—because without it, she may be his greatest threat.

Isabel knows that her prince is lying to her, but she can't help wanting to protect him from the dangers and intrigues of the court . . . until a deadly truth shatters the bond between them.

Now Isabel faces a choice that threatens her loyalty, her heart . . . and everything she thought she knew.

This review is going to, probably, sound mostly negative. But I do not want to give the wrong impression to people reading this review. I did enjoy this novel, quite a lot. I couldn't stop reading it, and when I wasn't reading it I was thinking about it. This book was fast pace, and enjoyable. But in the end, I came to conclusion of giving it three stars. Now onto the review!!

Something in Mistwood that bothered me, was Isabel (protagonist) knew things that were never mentioned before. The best way to describe this is, there are scenes were she'll just randomly start thinking about someone (or talking). She'll say there name and all about them, and as a reader your thinking: when did she meet this person. I felt this story biggest problem was the timing. It was rushed way to much, to the point where I was getting confused.

Now for anyone who hasn't read this novel, Isabel comes to this castle as a shapeshifter. But she has no previous memory of her life. Now I believe that this rush in the story, made me feel that her loss of memory was unbelievable. I think that if the story weren't so fast paced, and spent more time going through the days when the main character first got there then it would be a bit more realistic.

The characters were all strongly built, my favorite being Rokan and his sister Clarisse. Even though the story is told in third person, which by the way was magnificently done, Isabel was the character you as a reader felt more in touch with. At first I found her character development quite slow, and really saw none. I really didn't notice any change in her until the very end, and somehow that worked out really well. Especially with the romance element, which is very distant in the novel. It's obvious, but you don't really feel it until mid way through. But when the scene comes for romance between protagonist and love interest you'll be happy and disappointed.

Which leads me to my next point, I hope there is a sequel. This novel would feel incomplete without it. Some of the mysteries are still yet to be resolved/found out.

The plot twists were mostly predictable, there was only one that shocked me.

Overall it was a good book, but I thought it could of been developed in some areas. The writing is beautifully done, and it will be easy for readers to get into the world of Mistwood and become attach to it.

Yours Truly,

I'M BACK!! Glimmerglass (Faeriewalker, Book 1) by Jenna Black Review #60

2010-06-22T13:56:00.000-06:00

Author: Jenna Black
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Pages: 304
Rating:

It’s all she’s ever wanted to be, but it couldn’t be further from her grasp…

Dana Hathaway doesn’t know it yet, but she’s in big trouble. When her alcoholic mom shows up at her voice recital drunk, again, Dana decides she’s had enough and runs away to find her mysterious father in Avalon: the only place on Earth where the regular, everyday world and the captivating, magical world of Faerie intersect. But from the moment Dana sets foot in Avalon, everything goes wrong, for it turns out she isn’t just an ordinary teenage girl—she’s a Faeriewalker, a rare individual who can travel between both worlds, and the only person who can bring magic into the human world and technology into Faerie.

Soon, Dana finds herself tangled up in a cutthroat game of Fae politics. Someone’s trying to kill her, and everyone seems to want something from her, from her newfound friends and family to Ethan, the hot Fae guy Dana figures she’ll never have a chance with… until she does. Caught between two worlds, Dana isn’t sure where she’ll ever fit in and who can be trusted, not to mention if her world will ever be normal again…

If Need is a book that you must read before you die, and Shadow Hills is currently the best book of 2010 then Glimmerglass is the cherry on top that completes the perfect recipe that these three books stir up.

Seriously, if I could only read 3 books this year then these would be the three I pick. I mean I know Need is a 2008 published book, but still I love these three. All are very different in their own way.

Glimmerglass is Jenna Black's debut Young Adult Novel. She has written Urban Fantasy and Paranormal before, but not young adult. And you can tell this isn't her first book because she does such a amazing job at getting inside of Dana's (protagonist) head and writing through first person point of view.

This novel is the first of a series and I'm already looking forward to the next. I literally did not want to finish Glimmerglass because a) I didn't want it to end and b) the next book doesn't come out till 2011.

It is a very fast paced book, and you'll never get bored with it. All the characters have there own charm, and you can't help but feel connected to them. Dana is a strong girl, but finds herself in a rather sticky mess and as a reader you really sympathize for her.
My favorite characters were Ethan, Kimber and Dana. Ethan is so cocky, and some of his lines are priceless. Kimber reminds me of someone who would wear lolita clothing. And Dana is Dana. I can't explain her, she's just so mature and responsible. Also she deals with a problem that a lot of teens have to go through, which is having a alcoholic parent. I give three claps for making her very down to earth, realistic and a amazing protagonist.

I like the fact, that Miss. Black didn't make the protagonist and the potential/already love interest go to fast. What I mean is, the protagonist and the guy she likes do not rush things. They aren't boyfriend and girlfriend by the end of the novel. I liked that because in a lot of YA novels these days romance is way to rushed and that makes it feel unrealistic. In this novel the growth of liking each other felt real. Also their is another character in this novel who I hope becomes a potential love interest/ love rival.

What I did not enjoy was the lack of imagery of Avalon (setting). I really had a hard time imagining it, and that made me really frustrated at times. I thought if there was a bit more imagery, it would be a lot easier for the readers to fully grasp the beauty of Avalon.

Overall Glimmerglass is a amazing start to a series, and I highly recommend this book to anyone. I will definitely be on the look out for the next book in the series.

Yours Truly,

Monster of Books IS BACK!!!

2010-05-22T23:42:00.000-06:00

So I'm really appreciative of your comments!!! But I feel like my last post kind of lied to you. I know I went on hiatus, but that's only because of finals. I'm sick of not posting, and just studying. So I'm back. But it's going to take a little while to get back in motion, especially with the reviews I received from Publishers/Authors.

I hope that you'll all be ok with this. By the way today I bought Spells!!! OH YAH!!! Anyways for the next 2 to 3 weeks, there will not be many posts :( Sorry, but it's final time and I need to pass or DUH DUH DUH : Summer School!!!

Also I can't update right now really, because I'M ON VACATIONS!! BOO YAH!!

Anyways talk to you soon guys.

~Monster of Books~

Monster of Books is OVER!!! I'M CLOSED!!!

2010-05-11T00:41:00.000-06:00

Sorry everyone, but I'm closing my site. I don't know if forever, or if for a short period of time. I don't know if I'll be back in a few months or not. I know I said in my last post that I wouldn't, but I just can't. I need to let go of my site for now, too much is going on in reality. And no offense, but I can not let the internet/site blogging drag me away from that. I'm sorry but I just can't. I apologize to any authors/publicists who sent me reviews in the last little while, I just can't complete them at the moment. I currently have lost motivation for reading at the moment, and forcing myself to do something will end poorly. I will most definitely pass word of the books that publicist/authors sent me to friends/family/classmates/neighbors and people around my community.

I'm sorry to everyone this has hurt, but I'm just in that period of life where I need to be totally in focus with my future, friends and life. I sincerely apologize from the deepest parts of my heart.

Sing Me To Sleep By Angela Morrison Review #59

2010-04-30T22:50:00.000-06:00

Author: Angela Morrison
Publisher: Razorbill
Pages: 320
Thanks: Angela Morrison & International Book Tours
Available: Now!!
Rating:

THE TRANSFORMATION
Beth has always been “The Beast”—that’s what everyone at school calls her because of her awkward height, facial scars, and thick glasses. Beth’s only friend is geeky, golden-haired Scott. That is, until she’s selected to be her choir’s soprano soloist, and receives the makeover that will change her life forever.

THE LOVE AFFAIR
When Beth’s choir travels to Switzerland, she meets Derek: pale, brooding, totally dreamy. Derek’s untethered passion—for music, and for Beth—leaves her breathless. Because in Derek’s eyes? She’s not The Beast, she’s The Beauty.

THE IMPOSSIBLE CHOICE
When Beth comes home, Scott, her best friend in the world, makes a confession that leaves her completely torn. Should she stand by sweet, steady Scott or follow the dangerous, intense new feelings she has for Derek?

THE HEARTBREAK
The closer Beth gets to Derek, the further away he seems. Then Beth discovers that Derek’s been hiding a dark secret from her …one that could shatter everything.

This is the type of a book that leaves you thinking afterwords. It's a book that you can't get out of your head. It makes you sad, but knowledgeable at the same time. Originally I was going to rate this 3 stars, because until the end I found this a so-so book. Derek's secret was obvious, Beth was annoying *even though probably a really realistic portrayal of people* and I couldn't stand her until the end, and it was a slow book. It was slow until 100 pages in, then it would go fast, then slow, then fast and continual of pattern until the end. Where it would stay at a fast pace. But man does this author have a way of words. The writing will seem weird to readers, especially since the author describe every little detail *some which are really unnecessary*, but makes it a beautiful portrayal of life. The end is a tear jerker, you won't be able to stop *even when the book is finished*. Even though you will know what is going to happen in the end, you can't help but weep. And that is what really proves to me that this a beautiful book worthy of, four stars. It's a story that can happen in real life, and the author did it in the way it would happen.
The romance between Derek & Beth was strong. Beth was a innocent, naive and selfish girl who really was still growing. I really hated it when she always accused Derek of cheating, or not liking her. I also didn't like it when she would believe what her friends (who probably only liked her because she had a makeover) told her. The main issue I had with this book is the transformation. I really think that is sending girls the wrong message. I really hated Beth for changing herself, and I think she wouldn't have been bullied if she hadn't been so insecure of herself. I understand her childhood problems, but changing yourself isn't the answer. I mean she changes herself (gets the cute boy & all the popular girls <--who were mean to her before). Also some of the minor characters that bullied Beth should of been in there longer. I also really enjoyed Scott!! He was the coolest guy, though I did start to get angry with him when he changed his attitude (and tried to force himself on Beth). Overall this is a really good book. It's most certainly a tear-jerker, and will leave you with inspiring thoughts. Yours Truly,

Where Have I Been!!! Blog Aniversary!!

2010-04-30T17:39:00.000-06:00

Today I sat in history class, thinking "Today's My First Blog Anniversary"! My blog is 1 years old. Usually (if I had a personal blog, or a activity) I would never last that long with something. I like change, but my blog grew and grew over the year. Which shows I love it. It was only last April, when I was eager to write my thoughts on my blog. And over the year I change my reivew (made it long, made it shorter, made it more quirkier), saved my money and bought a custom layout. Made many friends, and learn new things. I was asked by many wonderful authors to review they're amazing books. And in all of that, when I thought that in History all I could think back to my thought was: hmm (probably to do with the fact that we were talking about Mussolini & Adolf).

Over the past 2 weeks, I was majorly loosing interest in my blog. I think because I was letting my blog take over me and not me controlling my blog. I was pressure into, I guess, what you call a popularity contest. You see these types of blog post all over the blog sphere and you always think: that won't happen to me, but it does. I think as writers, you can be proud of your work but also intimidated by others. As bloggers your always trying to compete with others to make your blog known.

I was thinking over the last two weeks to just stop my blog, but I couldn't write that post. I felt ashamed if I did. I was even thinking: oh how about wait until summer and then try your blog again. But I can't do that!!

I can't stop book blogging, I just can't. Even if right now in school I have a really heavy load. I just can't!!

Today in my e-mail I got a really nice one. From someone who reads my blog. They said they missed my posts, and wished me a happy anniversary. I felt so happy, that I actually started to cry. Literally was bawling my eyes out.

So I'm not going to stop, I'm going to promise you that I will be here for year 2. But from now on , this blog does not control me: I control it. I won't be posting everyday (I'm in a high school's final month with a heavy load & finals) , but I will do as much as I can. I will still review all books that I get for review/and books I'm reading/bought/library as well, but I'm not going to put myself under a countdown/time limit.

I hope you all understand this!!! I will have a Blog Anniversary contest soon!!!
Yours Truly,

I'M BACK!!!!Whats in my Mail Box (Wk 17)

2010-04-25T02:00:00.000-06:00

I'm back everyone!! :) I've been having a busy week (school, been sick and lots of exams). But now I'm back, and the site shall get back into swing XD Including of a long awaited, Sing me to Sleep review tomorrow :) And the Radiant Shadows winner. And the winner is...Aik!! I've e-mailed you and you have 72 hours to reply, if not I'll be forced to pick a new winner. Ok everyone, here's my What's In My Mailbox.

For Review

In My Mailbox was started by Kristi over at The Story Siren! In My Mailbox is a way to share the books you received each week.

Hunger for nourishment.
Hunger for touch.
Hunger to belong.

Half-human and half-faery, Ani is driven by her hungers.

Those same appetites also attract powerful enemies and uncertain allies, including Devlin. He was created as an assassin and is brother to the faeries' coolly logical High Queen and to her chaotic twin, the embodiment of War. Devlin wants to keep Ani safe from his sisters, knowing that if he fails, he will be the instrument of Ani's death.

Ani isn't one to be guarded while others fight battles for her, though. She has the courage to protect herself and the ability to alter Devlin's plans—and his life. The two are drawn together, each with reason to fear the other and to fear for one another. But as they grow closer, a larger threat imperils the whole of Faerie. Will saving the faery realm mean losing each other?

Alluring romance, heart-stopping danger, and sinister intrigue combine in the penultimate volume of Melissa Marr's New York Times bestselling Wicked Lovely series.

I'm really excited to read this one!! The book trailer looks awesome, and it sounds interesting.

Book Trailers

Yours Truly,

Whats in my Mail Box (Wk 16)

2010-04-18T04:58:00.000-06:00

For Review

In My Mailbox was started by Kristi over at The Story Siren! In My Mailbox is a way to share the books you received each week.

THE TRANSFORMATION
Beth has always been “The Beast”—that’s what everyone at school calls her because of her awkward height, facial scars, and thick glasses. Beth’s only friend is geeky, golden-haired Scott. That is, until she’s selected to be her choir’s soprano soloist, and receives the makeover that will change her life forever.
THE LOVE AFFAIR
When Beth’s choir travels to Switzerland, she meets Derek: pale, brooding, totally dreamy. Derek’s untethered passion—for music, and for Beth—leaves her breathless. Because in Derek’s eyes? She’s not The Beast, she’s The Beauty.
THE IMPOSSIBLE CHOICE
When Beth comes home, Scott, her best friend in the world, makes a confession that leaves her completely torn. Should she stand by sweet, steady Scott or follow the dangerous, intense new feelings she has for Derek?
THE HEARTBREAK
The closer Beth gets to Derek, the further away he seems. Then Beth discovers that Derek’s been hiding a dark secret from her …one that could shatter everything.

I'd gotten this recently from a contest I had one. But this copy is from the International Book Tours. I'm currently just finishing the last 20 pages off, and am literally bawling my eyes out. It's so emotional. Expect my review up, early this week.

Shamira is considered an outcast by most, but little do they know that she is on a mission. Kids on Mars are disappearing, but Shamira decides to use the criminals most unlikely weapons against them the very kids of which they have captured. In order to succeed, she is forced to trust another, something she is afraid to do. However, Valens, her connection to the underworld of her enemy, proves to be a useful ally. Time is slipping, and so is her control on the power that resides within her. But in order to save her brother's life, she is willing to risk it all.

I got this one, thanks to the author :) I've read the first three chapters, and so far I'm liking it.

Bought

Dru Anderson has what her grandmother called “the touch.” (Comes in handy when you’re traveling from town to town with your dad, hunting ghosts, suckers, wulfen, and the occasional zombie.)

Then her dad turns up dead—but still walking—and Dru knows she’s next. Even worse, she’s got two guys hungry for her affections, and they’re not about to let the fiercely independent Dru go it alone. Will Dru discover just how special she really is before coming face-to-fang with whatever—or whoever— is hunting her?

I've seen the third book,Jealousy on everybody's WOW lately. So I decided to pick up a copy of the first book and see how I like it :)

Stuff I Received, But Don't Have Photographs/Images Of

- 1 Shadow Hills Book Mark (it came with last week review copy of the Shadow Hills)
- 2 Teens Read & Write Book Mark
- 1 Japanese Children Book (Host Sister Gave me to translate :) )

Book Trailers

Yours Truly,

The Gardener By S.A Bodeen Review #58

2010-04-16T23:18:00.001-06:00

Author: S.A Bodeen
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Pages: 240
Available: May 25th, 2010
Thanks To: Ksenia @ Macmillan Children's Publishing Group
Rating:

Mason has never known his father, but longs to. All he has of him is a DVD of a man whose face is never seen, reading a children’s book. One day, on a whim, he plays the DVD for a group of comatose teens at the nursing home where his mother works. One of them, a beautiful girl, responds. Mason learns she is part of a horrible experiment intended to render teenagers into autotrophs—genetically engineered, self-sustaining life-forms who don’t need food or water to survive. And before he knows it, Mason is on the run with the girl, and wanted, dead or alive, by the mysterious mastermind of this gruesome plan, who is simply called the Gardener. Will Mason be forced to destroy the thing he’s longed for most?

Simply a irresistible & captivating read. S.A Bodeen does a great job at taking an important topic, and turning it into something uniquely new. I literally could not put this book down, and when I did I was left thinking about it afterwords.

The most fascinating thing about this book, is you really felt that you were on the run from something. Everything was fast, there was no time to catch your breath. And I loved that!! I really did!! The characters were all fantastic, and I didn't hate a single one of them. My favorites were Mason & the girl (I won't say her name, since that might be a bit of a spoiler). Mason was your typical, nice guy. He is similar to one of my friends. He is the tall, love-able type (even with is scary scar on his face). And he always wants to do the right thing. Which did get him confused at times, but made him the first male protagonist (that I've read) who isn't turned down by how popular/uncool he is or how strong/weak he is.

This book is a page-turner. The writing, dialogue, characters, realism and so fourth was perfect. I can't find anything that I hated about this book, or bugged me. Yes the identity of The Gardener is a bit obvious, but who was the real antagonist blew me off guard.

Overall, this is a great and easy read that you can definitely do in one sitting. The novel will make you think and wonder. And the ending, will most certainly leave you screaming for more.
Yours Truly,

Shadow Hills By Anastasia Hopcus Review #57

2010-04-14T22:19:00.000-06:00

Author: Anastasia Hopcus
Publisher: EgmontUSA
Pages: 400
Available: July 13th, 2010
Preorder: Here!!!
Thanks To: International Book Tours & Anastasia Hopcus
Rating: 2

After her sister Athena's tragic death, it's obvious that grief-stricken Persephone "Phe" Archer no longer belongs in Los Angeles. Hoping to make sense of her sister's sudden demise and the cryptic dreams following it, Phe abandons her bubbly LA life to attend an uptight East Coast preparatory school in Shadow Hills, MA -- a school which her sister mysteriously mentioned in her last diary entry before she died.

Once there, Phe quickly realizes that something is deeply amiss in her new town. Not only does Shadow Hills' history boast an unexplained epidemic that decimated hundreds of its citizens in the 1700s, but its modern townies also seem eerily psychic, with the bizarre ability to bend metal. Even Zach -- the gorgeous stranger Phe meets and immediately begins to lust after -- seems as if he is hiding something serious. Phe is determined to get to the bottom of it. The longer she stays there, the more she suspects that her sister's untimely death and her own destiny are intricately linked to those who reside in Shadow Hills.

So far the Best Book Of 2010!! I loved it, it was fantastic. I coudn't stop reading it. I agree with Lauren from Laurens Crammed Bookshelf "it's still a book that I can't help but suggest you run out and buy once it's released because it's definitely going to be ONE GIGANTIC HIT this summer;"

I'll definitely be buying a final copy of this, once it's released :) I certainly, can't pinpoint the exact reason why I loved it. Maybe because it was enthralling, you never wanted to put it down. The writing flows nicely, and is quick to the point. The characters are very realistic, and I had a easy time understanding each of them. Even though this was a 1st person POV, I felt that I could understand each characters motive. Also the male (romance) lead was not perfect, and I loved that. He was a typical guy, who I can see being in my school right now. He was a normal person, he got in trouble if he stayed out to late. He wasn't invincible. I love perfect guys, but it's nice to see a change in YA a bit. Regular guys are being to overshadowed, and it nice to see them brought back down, to the playing field.

Anastasia Hopcus is most certainly going to start a new trend in the YA genre. The supernatural ability that the characters have (including the male lead), is unlike anything I have ever seen or heard of. It's something fresh and new (and it's not vampires or werewolves). The storyline will keep the readers interested, and the ending will leave you wanting more. The emotion was very well portrayed, and I could really feel Phe's (female protagonist) lost. But I thought the characters who most stood out, emotion-wise, was Trent and Corrine. Trent acted all cool, but had a real mean streak/badboyish side to him, and when you read the end you can kind of see why he is like that. Or I did. Corrine on the other hand, wants to protect her family and she is so determined.

My suggestion for this book is italics. I think this because it got confusing telling whether Phe was having a dream/vision or she was awake and narrating.

Stuff that I thought could of been more developed:
-When something important would happen, it would be rushed and because of that I would forget about it. So I felt that some stuff/clues were hard to remember.
-There was little description of the school,and so I had a hard time imagining it.
-Character interactions were a bit rushed, especially in the romance department. I felt that Zach & Phe's relationship was a bit rushed. Same with Graham & Toy. I actually really didn't see the signs of Graham & Toy liking each other,so when it was first mentioned I was very shocked.
-The last thing that I thought could of been developed was between the first chapter & 2nd/3rd. Phe's personality changes from being the shy girl at first, to the tough person who is willing to stick up for herself.

Overall Shadow Hills was a rocking novel, that is a MUST read. An excellent debut!! I'm praying that there is a sequel, because I think I'll die without one.
Yours Truly,

Interview With Julie Kagawa, author of The Iron King

2010-04-14T00:53:00.000-06:00

So recently, I got to do a fabulous interview with the wonderful Julie Kagawa, who is the author of The Iron Fey trilogy. The first book, The Iron King came out in February 2010. And the sequel, The Iron Daughter will come out in August 2010. So everyone, mark your calendars :) If you would like to see my take on The Iron King, then please go here!!!

Meghan Chase has a secret destiny—one she could never have imagined…

Something has always felt slightly off in Meghan's life, ever since her father disappeared before her eyes when she was six. She has never quite fit in at school…or at home.

When a dark stranger begins watching her from afar, and her prankster best friend becomes strangely protective of her, Meghan senses that everything she's known is about to change.

But she could never have guessed the truth—that she is the daughter of a mythical faery king and is a pawn in a deadly war. Now Meghan will learn just how far she'll go to save someone she cares about, to stop a mysterious evil no faery creature dare face…and to find love with a young prince who might rather see her dead than let her touch his icy heart.

1. What inspired you to write the Iron Fey Trilogy? And how long did it take to write?

Julie:I've always loved faery tales, the old, creepy faery tales, where the fey were primal and wicked and dangerous, not flower flitting sprites. But when I first began writing a faery story, I got to thinking: what are the fey afraid of? In myth, the answer is iron, so what if there was a type of faery that was immune to iron, that had evolved with progress and technology? How would that affect the more traditional fey? And then I remembered we already have “monsters” lurking in machines: gremlins and bugs and worms and such, and from that thought, the Iron Fey were born.

I wrote The Iron King in a little under two months, thanks to a lovely program called NaNo Wrimo, which is to complete 50,000 words in 30 days. It was hectic and frantic and I did nothing but eat, sleep, and write, but I hit my deadline and got it done. And then I passed out for a week.

2. The Iron King is your debut novel, was it a hard process to get published? And do you have any advice for people who are inspiring to get there book published?

Julie:Simple answer? Yes. For most writers, it is a difficult process to get a novel published. Finishing a book is only the first step, and just because you finish a novel doesn't mean you're ever going to see that book in print. Usually, it's a lot of hard work, drive, and determination before you even get a glimmer of interest. But writers, remember this: all authors started exactly where you are right now. We were all unpublished at one point, hoping and dreaming for that day a publishing house would tell us: “yes, we want to publish your book.” So, keep writing. The only difference between a published author and a non-published author is that the published one didn't give up.

3. Meghan is a really relate able character, that most readers can connect to. Is there any similarities between you two?

Julie:Not so much, lol. The only similarities between me and her was our status in high school. I was a loner, wore ratty clothes, and wasn't part of the “in-crowd.” But Meghan is a lot more patient than I was at her age. Her solution to being teased was to ignore it or run away. My response was to meet that person after school and punch them in the nose. I was a rather angry teenager.

4, I saw in your bio, on your blogger blog, that you like anime. What is your favorite anime? And does Meghan have any favorites?

Julie:I love anime and manga. Like books, there are sooooooo many great ones that I don't have one absolute favorite. A few favorites include Fushigi Yugi, Naruto, Bleach, Gundam Wing, Kare Kano, Saiyuki, Inuyasha, Samurai X, Trigun, Wallflower, Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away, Weiss Kruss, Grave of the Fireflies…Okay, I should stop. I could go on and on (and on), but we'd be here all day.

Meghan is also an anime fan, and her favorites are Naruto and Escaflowne.

**Maura: I'm a absolute fan of Fushigi Yugi, Wallflower and Inuyasha :)

5. I was wondering, can you tell us anything about The Iron Daughter?

Julie:Oooh, spoilers, eh? Well, I will say that Meghan gets an unexpected ally in The Iron Daughter, and it's not anyone you'd expect. Also, there's that scene where Puck and Meghan--whoops! I almost let something slip. :P

6. Anything else you'd like to add?

Julie:Just a huge thank you to my readers! You guys are awesome.

**Maura: Thank You So Much Julie Kagawa for letting me interview you :) Are you guys excited for the release of The Iron Daughter? Have you read the Iron King? Thoughts? I loved to hear your feedback. Again Thanks So Much XD
Yours Truly,

Whats in My Mail Box (Wk 15)

2010-04-10T00:34:00.000-06:00

For Review

In My Mailbox was started by Kristi over at The Story Siren! In My Mailbox is a way to share the books you received each week.

After her sister Athena's tragic death, it's obvious that grief-stricken Persephone "Phe" Archer no longer belongs in Los Angeles. Hoping to make sense of her sister's sudden demise and the cryptic dreams following it, Phe abandons her bubbly LA life to attend an uptight East Coast preparatory school in Shadow Hills, MA -- a school which her sister mysteriously mentioned in her last diary entry before she died.
Once there, Phe quickly realizes that something is deeply amiss in her new town. Not only does Shadow Hills' history boast an unexplained epidemic that decimated hundreds of its citizens in the 1700s, but its modern townies also seem eerily psychic, with the bizarre ability to bend metal. Even Zach -- the gorgeous stranger Phe meets and immediately begins to lust after -- seems as if he is hiding something serious. Phe is determined to get to the bottom of it. The longer she stays there, the more she suspects that her sister's untimely death and her own destiny are intricately linked to those who reside in Shadow Hills.

I'm just going to copy, what I posted on twitter earlier:

I'm absolutely in love with Shadow Hills. I think I may just have found one of the best of 2010!!!

Seriously, I'm absolutely loving this book!! I got it from the International Book Tours !!!

Q: How many guys does it take to make your boyfriend wild with jealousy?
A: Only one, if he's UNDEAD.
Megan Berry had a perfectly average new-sundress-and-boy-obsessed life--until her power to settle the Undead returned. Oh, and then her best friend tried to kill her--and ruin homecoming--with a bunch of black magically raised zombies. At least she got a spot on the pom squad and a smokin' boyfriend (Ethan). But now Megan is in deep fertilizer all over again.
Why? Well, let's see...
· Feral new super-strong zombies? Check.
· Cheerleader vs. pom squad turf war threatening half time as they know it? Check.
· An Undead psychic hottie (Cliff) who's predicting a zombie apocalypse--and doing his best to tempt Megan away from Ethan? Yum. I mean, Check.
· Earth-shattering secrets that could land Megan in Settler prison for life? Um, IT WASN'T ME!!!
Everyone thinks Megan's at fault for the new uber-zombie uprising. Looks like she'll need the help of both Cliff and Ethan if she's going to prove her innocence before it's too late...

I got this from Borrow My ARC Tour!!! So far it's ok, but not really my type of book.

Bought

Georgia Nicolson's life is completely bonkers because:
- Her cat Angus is the size of a small Labrador. Also crazy.
- Her sister Libby may have hidden pooey knickers at the bottom of her bed.
- Her parents are spectacularly mad.
- She went to a party dressed as a stuffed olive.
But when Robbie, a.k.a. the Sex God, enters the picture, Georgia decides it's time to leave the madness behind and enter the land of full-frontal snogging. And once she does, her lips - or anything else for that matter - may never be the same.

I saw the movie, and was immediately hooked. So hooked, that I bought the book. It's absolutely hysterical.

From Library

Thirteen-year-old Andrea Talbot doesn't want to go to Moose Jaw for her cousin Vanessa's wedding. She's going to miss a really cool bike trip and she's not taking it very well.
At a family dinner party in a local restaurant, Andrea agrees to look at what she thinks is just a phony tourist attraction: the tunnels beneath the streets of Moose Jaw. Legend has it that in Prohibition days the tunnels sheltered crooks, maybe even the notorious Al Capone! Andrea scoffs, until she has a small accident at the tunnel entrance and wakes up in another time.
Unable to return to the present, Andrea is caught up in a dangerous underground adventure. A teenage boy, Vance, finds her a job: working as a courier for the very criminals whose existence she dismissed - including their menacing leader, a man she knows only as Scarface. When she overhears information about a police raid, Andrea has to decide what to do. Should she help Scarface escape? Or should she help Vance, running for his life after a run-in with Scarface? And whatever she decides, will Andrea ever get back to the present?

The only book, I know that is based on where I grew up & it's history. I really love this series, read it when I was 10 and now rereading it.

Fourteen-year-old Andrea would like to forget all about her trip back in time to the Prohibition days of the 1920s in Moose Jaw in Tunnels of Time. But then she agrees to take her younger brother Tony to their grandparents in Moose Jaw. Andrea and Tony arrive only to find that their grandparents are missing! Then Tony learns about his sister's previous tunnel adventure, and decides to have one of his own. But he leaves his medication behind, and Andrea has no choice but to pursue him into the tunnels of the past.
Upon her return to the olden days, Andrea finds that her assistance is needed to expose a local theft ring and a corrupt police force. Will Andrea get Tony his medicine on time? Can Tony and Andrea learn to conquer their fears of growing up and being responsible? Can they expose the real crooks before they become trapped in the past?

The great traction city london is on the move again. It has been lying low, skulking in the hills to avoid the bigger, faster, hungrier cities loose in the Great Hunting Ground. But now, as its great mountain of metal lumbers along in hot pursuit of its quarry, the sinister plans it has harbored for years can finally start to unfold behind its soaring walls ...
Thaddeus Valentine, London's Head Historian and most famous archaeologist, and his daughter, Katherine, are down in The Gut when the young assassin with the black scarf strikes. Only the quick intervention of Tom, a lowly third-class apprentice, prevents Valentine from being stabbed in the heart. Madly racing after the fleeing girl, Tom suddenly glimpses her hideous face: scarred from forehead to jaw, nose a smashed stump, a single eye glaring back at him. "Look at what your Valentine did to me!" she screams. "Ask him! Ask him what he did to Hester Shaw!" And with that she jumps down the waste chute to her death. Minutes later Tom finds himself tumbling down the same chute and stranded in the Out-Country, a sea of mud scored by the huge caterpillar tracks of cities like the one now steaming off over the horizon.
In a stunning literary debut, Philip Reeve has created an unforgettable adventure story set in a dark and utterly original world fueled by Municipal Darwinism -- and betrayal.

I keep seeing Fever Crumbs around, and I got interested in it. But then I found out that was a prequel, so I decided to read the original series first. I've also heard they're adapting this into a movie.

Book Trailers

Yours Truly,

Bree Despain The Dark Divine Author

2010-04-09T01:02:00.001-06:00

I was lucky enough to get to interview the author of the awesome book, The Dark Divine Everyone please welcome, Bree Despain.
If you want to see the review I did, then please go here!!!

Grace Divine, daughter of the local pastor, always knew something terrible happened the night Daniel Kalbi disappeared--the night she found her brother Jude collapsed on the porch, covered in his own blood--but she has no idea what a truly monstrous secret that night held.

The memories her family has tried to bury resurface when Daniel returns, three years later, and enrolls in Grace and Jude's high school. Despite promising Jude she'll stay away, Grace cannot deny her attraction to Daniel's shocking artistic abilities, his way of getting her to look at the world from new angles, and the strange, hungry glint in his eyes.

The closer Grace gets to Daniel, the more she jeopardizes her life, as her actions stir resentment in Jude and drive him to embrace the ancient evil Daniel unleashed that horrific night. Grace must discover the truth behind the boy's dark secret...and the cure that can save the ones she loves. But she may have to lay down the ultimate sacrifice to do it--her soul.

1. If you wouldn't mind, could tell us what your debut novel, The Dark Divine, is about.

Bree: THE DARK DIVINE is a modern exploration of the Prodigal Son with a paranormal twist. The story is about a girl named Grace whose family never talks about the night her brother Jude came home covered in his own blood, and his best friend Daniel disappeared—that is until Daniel returns 3 years later and enrolls in Grace and Daniel’s school. Torn between her loyalty to her brother and her attraction Daniel, Grace must discover the truth behind the boys’ dark secret, and find the cure that can save the ones she loves. But she may have to lay down the ultimate price to do it—her soul.

2. What was the publishing process like, seeing as this is your first time? Was it hard? And how long did it take to get your novel published?

Bree: I’d say getting published is very hard. I wrote for 9 years (4 of those years working on TDD) before I landed an agent—however, after I got an agent everything unfolded rather quickly. We sold the manuscript within a matter of weeks to my publisher, and then the book hit the shelves only 11 months later.

3. You took a semester off college to write plays, what sort of plays did you write? And did they have any influence on your novel?

Bree: I took the semester off to work with a summer program for at-risk kids as a drama teacher. But when I first arrived at the program, and was told that I was expected to take a bunch of kids (many of whom had never acted or sung before) and put on a three-act musical with only 3 weeks of rehearsal, I just about died. The task seemed impossible, and the kids were having a really hard time trying to learn difficult lines—honestly, nobody was having fun. That’s when I decided to throw out the script I’d been given and write something fun and entertaining for the kids. We ended up doing three different short plays that were all based on fractured fairytales. One was a Cinderella Murder Mystery and another was an urban version of Goldilocks—complete with hip-hop dance numbers and a 250 pound girl with an amazing voice playing the role of Goldie. Watching the audience give her, and the rest of the cast, a standing ovation was one of the best moments in my life.

The plays themselves didn’t really influence my novel, but many of the people I met did. That experience is what made me want to be an author—and what made me want to write for young people.

4. How did you come up with the character for Daniel? Was he based off of anyone you knew?
Bree: Daniel was inspired by three different guy friends who disappeared from my life at different times. In fact, “guys who disappear” is kind of a theme with me. The main inspiration for the book came when I was thinking about the time one of these guys suddenly reappeared at my school for a couple of hours and then vanished again. I always wondered what had happened to him, and why he seemed so messed up and troubled. TDD is kind of an exploration of what might have happened if he hadn’t disappeared a second time.

5. Will we get to see more of Grace's, Daniel's, and Jude's adventure?

Bree: YES! I’m finishing up the sequel to TDD called THE LOST SAINT. It addresses some of the questions left unanswered in TDD, and also explores some of the new possibilities that popped up at the end of Book One. TLS will hit bookstores on December 28^th 2010.

Maura: Thanks So Much Bree Despain for the great interview!!! If you haven't read The Dark Divine yet, then I highly recommend it.
Yours Truly,

The Reckoning By Kelley Armstrong Review #56

2010-04-06T23:19:00.000-06:00

Author: Kelley Armstrong
Publisher: Doubleday Canada
Pages: 399
Available: Now
Thanks To: Jessica @ Random House Canada
Rating:

Only two weeks ago, life was all too predictable. But that was before I saw my first ghost. Now along with my supernatural friends Tori, Derek, and Simon, I'm on the run from the Edison Group, which genetically altered us as part of their sinister experiment. We're hiding in a safe house that might not be as safe as it seems. We'll be gone soon anyway, back to rescue those we'd left behind and take out the Edison Group . . . or so we hope.

The end has finally come...or the end of this trilogy anyway. If you didn't know, Kelley Armstrong is doing another trilogy based off the same story line but different characters. This is a book that you will find yourself slowly reading. You'll want to savor each chapter, because in honesty this series is awesome. After reading this book, your thoughts will mainly be on this novel. You'll keep thinking about it, which is a good thing.

The final arc of the story is probably the best out of all three. It has lots of action (way more then previous 2) and twists that you don't see coming. I seriously thought I would be right about where the story was ending, and then BAM! The author would prove me wrong. The romance fully develops, and will leave the readers with a smile on there face. The writing is top notch, like the other two books. And the questions that you've been having from the previous novels, are finally answered and cleared up for us.

What I didn't like about The Reckoning was it brought up some new issues, and left some answers unexplained or left hanging. For example the whole Royce/Dr.Banks, leaves the readers wondering what happened to them. And wonder about there story further, then already explained. Also there is a threat scene between Chloe & Dr. Banks, which is never fully solved. And I thought that could of been erased/deleted because I felt it a bit unnecessary.

Also for anyone who has read The Reckoning, who is Mr. St. Cloud?

I think this series is great, especially this novel in particular. But it left so many new things hanging. Which made the ending, not do it for me. The ending kind of hinted, that there might be a sequel. But I'm not sure!!! I feel that this story would definitely feel incomplete without one. A few things that I felt were unfinished: Demi-Demon, Rae, Mr. St. Cloud, Royce/Dr. Banks, and what happened to them when all this is finish. I think what the ending was trying to portray is that the story will go in the readers imagination, and I hate those type of endings.

There was more Liz though!!! I was so happy about that :) Liz is awesome!!!

Overall the third & final book in the Darkest Powers trilogy, will not disappoint fans. As a reader, I demand more :)

To Learn More About The Reckoning by Kelley Armstrong, then check out Random House Canada!!

To Check Out My Other Reviews: The Summoning, The Awakening

To Buy The Reckoning: Amazon,Amazon CA,Chapters, Barnes & Noble
Yours Truly,

Movies That Made You Eager To Read The Books

2010-04-05T22:19:00.000-06:00

Have you ever watched a movie, based off a book, and afterwords were dying to read the story. Well that is what happened to me last night. My host sister and I, rented some movies to watch. One of them was Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging. Now I had seen this movie before, but have been hesitant on watching it. Simply because of the title. But my host sister wanted to watch it, and the guy on the front looked like Logan Lerman (Percy Jackson).There were two things I didn't realize about this movie until the end. 1) Aaron Johnson was the guy!!!! Now I should have realized it was Aaron Johnson, because he is how I pictured Patch (Hush, Hush) to look. I took an interest in this actor, after reading Hush,Hush.
2) This was based off a book. Throughout the whole movie, I was like "This is so awesome, they should have a book!" . Now if you only saw me, when I did find out that this was an adaptation. My I was so happy, and bouncing with joy. I'm like: "In the morning, I'm going to the library!!".

There are six things very wrong with my life:
1. I have one of those under-the-skin spots that will never come to a head but lurk in a red way for the next two years.
2. It is on my nose
3. I have a three-year-old sister who may have peed somewhere in my room.
4. In fourteen days the summer hols will be over and then it will be back to Stalag 14 and Oberfuhrer Frau Simpson and her bunch of sadistic teachers.
5. I am very ugly and need to go into an ugly home.
6. I went to a party dressed as a stuffed olive.

In this wildly funny journal of a year in the life of Georgia Nicolson, British author Louise Rennison has perfectly captured the soaring joys and bottomless angst of being a teenager. In the spirit of Bridget Jones's Diary, this fresh, irreverent, and simply hilarious book will leave you laughing out loud. As Georgia would say, it's "Fabbity fab fab!"

Fast Forward to today!!! I found out the libraries are all closed because of Easter :( But Chapters was open :) So I stayed up all night (because it's spring vacation, and who sleeps?) and then fell asleep at 6A.M. Then at 5PM, I rushed to Chapters and picked up: Angus, Thongs and Full Frontal Snogging by Louise Rennison. I've already read half of it, and I'm loving it. Of course it isn't my typical read, but it is very funny.

Has this ever happen to you? Watched a movie, and wanted to read the book so bad? Please comment, and tell me about your experience :)
Yours Truly,

Ruby By Amanda Taber Review #55

2010-04-05T00:35:00.000-06:00

Author: Amanda Taber
Format: E-Book
Publisher:Solstice publishing.
Available: Now :)
Thanks to: Amanda Taber
Pages: 195
Rating:

Ruby Matthews is nineteen and alone in the world. Both her parents are dead, killed it seems by an apparent drunk driver.
Lonely and grieving, Ruby’s mysterious grandmother arrives in town to take her home to live with her in her huge manor style mansion in Star’s Landing, Maine.
What Ruby soon discovers turns her world upside down. She learns that she is a witch and not just any witch. She is one of three witches known as the Triple Enchantresses whose coming was foretold during the witch hunts that gripped the world hundreds of years ago. These three young women are destined to combine their powers to form the most powerful witch’s coven ever in existence.
Also living in Star’s Landing is Blaine Hamilton, a young man who comes from a wealthy family of warlocks and who now lives in seclusion, his back turned on his mammoth powers after the murder of his entire family.
The townsfolk wrongly believe that he is the killer, a fact that he doesn’t dispute as he too holds himself responsible for their deaths as he was unable to save them.
He retreats to the family estate just outside town and condemns himself to live there alone for the rest of his life, unworthy of love.
When Ruby and Blaine encounter one another unexpectedly, the wheels of magic, Wicca and destiny turn and they fall deeply in love.
They are unaware, however, that the same demon that was responsible for the deaths of both their families is now after Ruby, determined to see that the Triple Enchantresses never has the chance to form.
Can Blaine find the courage to reawaken his powers to save Ruby when she is kidnapped by the demon? And will Ruby survive to take her place as one third of the Triple Enchantresses as the prophecy has foretold?
‘Ruby’ is the first book in a series about the three girls and is a modern day re telling of the classic fairy tale ‘Beauty and the Beast’.

Amanda Taber has a real talent with writing emotional scenes, and Ruby definitely shows that. That is probably the best thing about this novel, and why I enjoyed it so much. I really felt for the characters, and a lot of time I don't feel that in other books. Especially at this, extreme, length. You feel anger, sadness and pity when you hear Blaine talk about his family. And you really feel for Ruby's loss of her parents. How sad she is at first, is very well shown and I applaud the author for that. For I believe, or I think, that emotion is probably the hardest thing to capture in a story. Readers/authors feel free to correct me if you think that is not true.

This story is a book that you can easily devour in one sitting, I finished 100 pages when I first received it. The reason I didn't complete it at first, is because it was in the middle of the night and I needed to sleep.
The plot and story line is very interesting and you never get bored with it. Even by the end, you'll be excited for the sequel. Though who the antagonists are, is very obvious. I also didn't see the connection between this story and Beauty & the Beast.

I enjoyed the story, but I found many things that I thought could of been more developed. I felt the whole novel was rushed, like it had to be 195 pages and no more. And because of that, I saw more telling of the story then showing.
Like things would be mentioned at random, that I never heard of before. An example of this is when Ruby spies on the house keepers. She tells her Grandmother she did it, but we never see her doing it. Also that should of been shown, because it leads into a major realization in the story.
What else I thought was rushed was Ruby's powers. We hear about them, but we don't really get a good look at them. I also thought that Ruby's & Blaine's relationship was developed to quickly, making there connection a bit unbelievable.
With that unbelievability, came a bit of unrealistic things in the story. Mainly the interaction between the characters. And I thought that was partly due to the dialogue.

Overall this story is enthralling piece of work, and I'm really looking forward to see what the author does next in the series.
Yours Truly,

Whats in my Mail Box (Wk 14)

2010-04-04T00:49:00.000-06:00

For Review

In My Mailbox was started by Kristi over at The Story Siren! In My Mailbox is a way to share the books you received each week.

My name is Chloe Saunders. I'm fifteen, and I would love to be normal.
But normal is one thing I'm not.
For one thing, I'm having these feelings for a certain antisocial werewolf and his sweet-tempered brother—who just happens to be a sorcerer—but, between you and me, I'm leaning toward the werewolf.
Not normal.
My friends and I are also on the run from an evil corporation that wants to get rid of us—permanently.
Definitely not normal.
And finally, I'm a genetically altered necro-mancer who can raise the dead, rotting corpses and all, without even trying.
As far away from normal as it gets.

Mason has never known his father, but longs to. All he has of him is a DVD of a man whose face is never seen, reading a children’s book. One day, on a whim, he plays the DVD for a group of comatose teens at the nursing home where his mother works. One of them, a beautiful girl, responds. Mason learns she is part of a horrible experiment intended to render teenagers into autotrophs—genetically engineered, self-sustaining life-forms who don’t need food or water to survive. And before he knows it, Mason is on the run with the girl, and wanted, dead or alive, by the mysterious mastermind of this gruesome plan, who is simply called the Gardener.
Will Mason be forced to destroy the thing he’s longed for most?

Bought

When Wayland North brings rain to a region that's been dry for over ten years, he's promised anything he'd like as a reward. He chooses the village elder's daughter, sixteen-year-old Sydelle Mirabel, who is a skilled weaver and has an unusual knack for repairing his magical cloaks. Though Sydelle has dreamt of escaping her home, she's hurt that her parents relinquish her so freely and finds herself awed and afraid of the slightly ragtag wizard who is unlike any of the men of magic in the tales she's heard. Still, she is drawn to this mysterious man who is fiercely protective of her and so reluctant to share his own past.
The pair rushes toward the capital, intent to stop an imminent war, pursued by Reuel Dorwan (a dark wizard who has taken a keen interest in Sydelle) and plagued by unusually wild weather. But the sudden earthquakes and freak snowstorms may not be a coincidence. As Sydelle discovers North's dark secret and the reason for his interest in her and learns to master her own mysterious power, it becomes increasingly clear that the fate of the kingdom rests in her fingertips. She will either be a savior, weaving together the frayed bonds between Saldorra and Auster, or the disastrous force that destroys both kingdoms forever.

This is a really, really addicting book. You seriously can't put it down!!!

Seventeen-year-old Ellie Spencer is just like any other teenager at her boarding school. She hangs out with her best friend Kevin, she obsesses over Mark, a cute and mysterious bad boy, and her biggest worry is her paper deadline.
But then everything changes. The news headlines are all abuzz about a local string of serial killings that all share the same morbid trademark: the victims were discovered with their eyes missing. Then a beautiful yet eerie woman enters Ellie's circle of friends and develops an unhealthy fascination with Kevin, and a crazed old man grabs Ellie in a public square and shoves a tattered Bible into her hands, exclaiming, "You need it. It will save your soul." Soon, Ellie finds herself plunged into a haunting world of vengeful fairies, Maori mythology, romance, betrayal, and an epic battle for immortality.

Won

-Beautiful Creatures Unlock The Curse Challenge Runner Up Prize (BC Stick, BC tag, Ethan's Playlist, 2 photos & 2 candies) Thanks To Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl.

Random

Which Greek god makes the best parent? Would you want to be one of Artemis' Hunters? Why do so many monsters go into retail--and why are they never selling anything a demigod really wants?
Spend a little more time in Percy Jackson's world--a place where the gods bike among us, monsters man snack bars and each of us has the potential to become a hero.
Find out:
* Why Dionysus might actually be the best director Camp Half-Blood could have * How to tell a monster when you see one * Why even if we aren't facing manticores and minotaurs, reading myths can still help us deal with the scary things in our own lives
PLUS, consult our glossary of people, places and things from Greek myth: how Medusa got her snake hair extensions, why Chiron isn't into partying and paintball like the rest of his centaur family and the whole story on Percy's mythical namesake (could it hold clues to Percy's fate?).
Rick Riordan is the No. 1 New York Times bestselling author of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series. He lives in San Antonio with his wife and two sons.

I don't know who this is from. Whether it's for review or I won it from a contest, but thanks :) I love Percy Jackson
Yours Truly,

Heist Society By Ally Carter Review #54

2010-04-02T22:42:00.001-06:00

Author: Ally Carter
Publisher: Disney Hyperion Books
Pages: 287
Rating:

When Katarina Bishop was three, her parents took her on a trip to the Louvre...to case it. For her seventh birthday, Katarina and her Uncle Eddie traveled to Austria...to steal the crown jewels. When Kat turned fifteen, she planned a con of her own--scamming her way into the best boarding school in the country, determined to leave the family business behind. Unfortunately, leaving "the life" for a normal life proves harder than she'd expected.
Soon, Kat's friend and former co-conspirator, Hale, appears out of nowhere to bring her back into the world she tried so hard to escape. But he has good reason: a powerful mobster has been robbed of his priceless art collection and wants to retrieve it. Only a master thief could have pulled this job, and Kat's father isn't just on the suspect list, he is the list. Caught between Interpol and a far more deadly enemy, Kat's dad needs her help. For Kat there is only one solution: track down the paintings and steal them back. So what if it's a spectacularly impossible job? She's got two weeks, a teenage crew, and hopefully just enough talent to pull off the biggest heist in history--or at least her family's (very crooked) history.

A thrilling, fun and easy read that by the end of it will have you eager for more. You literally can not put this down, it's to adventurous. This is a book that you will not regret picking up.
My favorite aspects of it were: the characters traveling all around Europe/United States in 13 days, a headstrong, independent female lead who strives for the opposite of most teens *normalcy*, witty dialogue and the thief/spy aspect of it.

Ally Carter knows how to write a very good and entertaining story. A novel that teaches the lesson of knowing the true value of home and family. This is the first of her books that I have read, and definitely will not be the last. She sets up the emotion, character development and plot/story line nicely. There isn't a single character I disliked, that includes Arturo ( the antagonist). Each individual (no matter how big or small a part they played) brought something unique to the story, from Hale (the rich guy, who is a bit of a player and whose first name we do not know) to Gregory Wainwright (a guy who would rather sleep all day, surrounded by the paintings in his museum, then deal with the stress of his job). Heist Society has a little bit of everything for everybody. From romance to mystery, action, undercover work and so on. It is impossible not to adore it.

The mystery of Visily Romani (the greatest thief ever lived), will have you guessing throughout the whole novel. And when the end comes, you'll be absolutely dying for more. Luckily Ally Carter is currently working on book 2 :)

Heist Society is an amazing book, but there were some things that I thought could of been more worked on. One of them was, some parts were very confusing. An example of this is the beginning, I got caught puzzled a few times and had to reread it to understand the situation. Another thing was Kat's description, there wasn't much of it. And it was hard to imagine her, I basically went off the cover model.

Over this book is a enjoyable, must read that I recommend to all. Another cool fact is this novel has been give the rights to Warner Brothers. Is anyone else as excited as I am for a movie version?
Yours Truly,

Melissa Marr's RADIANT SHADOWS Tour & Giveaway

2010-04-02T00:51:00.001-06:00

Author: Melissa Marr
Publisher: HarperCollins Canada
Pages: 352

Hunger for nourishment.
Hunger for touch.
Hunger to belong.
Half-human and half-faery, Ani is driven by her hungers.
Those same appetites also attract powerful enemies and uncertain allies, including Devlin. He was created as an assassin and is brother to the faeries’ coolly logical High Queen and to her chaotic twin, the embodiment of War. Devlin wants to keep Ani safe from his sisters, knowing that if he fails, he will be the instrument of Ani’s death.
Ani isn’t one to be guarded while others fight battles for her, though. She has the courage to protect herself and the ability to alter Devlin’s plans—and his life. The two are drawn together, each with reason to fear the other and to fear for one another. But as they grow closer, a larger threat imperils the whole of Faerie. Will saving the faery realm mean losing each other?
Alluring romance, heart-stopping danger, and sinister intrigue combine in Melissa Marr’s next volume of Melissa Marr’s New York Times bestselling Wicked Lovely series.

So who is a fan of the Wicked Lovely Series?I know I am am!! Thanks to Karen from Media Masters Publicity , I get to inform you about Melissa Marr's upcoming tour for Radiant Shadows. Not only that, Karen has been gracious enough to let me host a giveaway for all of you. So one lucky reader will win a copy of Radiant Shadows which is the 4th book in the Wicked Lovely series. Radiant Shadows comes out April 20th, 2010. So everyone mark your calendar for this book & the tour dates. I sadly will not be able to attend, seeing as I live in Canada. So the tour dates are:

-DENVER, CO April 22, 2010: Tattered Cover Book Store; 7:00 pm

-LEXINGTON, KY April 23, 2010: Joseph-Beth Booksellers; 7:00 pm

-ST. LOUIS, MO April 24, 2010: St. Louis County Library; 7:00 pm

-BOSTON, MA April 26, 2010: Cambridge Public Library, Cambridge, MA; 7:00 pm

-COLUMBUS, OH April 28 – May 2, 2010: Romantic Times Convention

-CLEVELAND, OH May 12, 2010: Joseph-Beth Booksellers; 7:00 pm

-PHILADELPHIA, PA May 14, 2010: Chester County Book Store, West Chester, PA; 7:00 pm
RICHMOND, VA May 15, 2010: The Fountain Bookstore; 2:00 pm

To enter the Giveaway then follow theses simple rules :)

-Open to people of the US & Canada
-You Must be a follower
-You Must have commented on this post
-You have to fill out the forum

To Fill Out The Forum, Click Here!!

The Awakening By Kelly Armstrong Review #53

2010-04-01T23:39:00.000-06:00

Author: Kelly Armstrong
Publisher: Doubleday Canada
Pages: 368
Rating:

If you had met me a few weeks ago, you probably would have described me as an average teenage girl – someone normal. Now my life has changed forever and I’m as far away from normal as it gets. A living science experiment – not only can I see ghosts, but I was genetically altered by a group of people who call themselves The Edison Group. What does that mean? For starters, I’m a teenage necromancer whose powers are out of control: I raise the dead without even trying. Trust me, that is not a power you want to have. Ever.
I’m running for my life with three of my supernatural friends – a charming sorcerer, a cynical werewolf, and a disgruntled witch – and we have to find someone who can help us gain our freedom back before The Edison Group finds us first. Or die trying.

This one definitely didn't live up to the first book, The Summoning. But I enjoyed it!!! The reason I thought it did not do as well as the first is because there was little happening. I agree with what one blogger said, who I forget who that is, that the main books are The Summoning & The Reckoning. And the Awakening is just kind of a filler to help accomplish those two books.
I also wished there was more Liz & Rae in it!!

The paste was fast, and I never got bored. There wasn't any major surprises in the story, but the characters continue to grow. My favorites are Derk & Chloe. I must say my favorite thing about this series, right now, is the dialogue. It's certainly makes me laugh at times.

I'll be interested to see how the third book turns out, and if my presumption about the first & third book is correct.
So overall, could of been better but it satisfied me enough to want to read the third book.

WOW: Crescendo By Becca Fitzpatrick

2010-03-31T22:08:00.000-06:00

Waiting on Wednesday is a meme created by Jill @ Breaking The Spines

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 further Nora delves into the mystery of her father's death, the more she comes to question if her Nephilim bloodline 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?

What can I say? Hush, Hush was like the best book of 2009. Next to Fallen and Beautiful Creatures. I really loved it, and am so excited for the sequel. The cover for Crescendo will be released next week :)
Yours Truly,

Winner of 50th Review Giveaway

2010-03-29T23:14:00.000-06:00

Congratulations are in order for....

Bianca

She is the winner of HourGlass By Claudia Gray. I have sent a e-mail to her and if she doesn't respond in the next 72 hours, I will be force to pick a new winner. Thanks to everyone who entered, and stick around for upcoming contests. Especially with April being my Blog Anniversary.

Tomorrow I'll have The Awakening By Kelly Armstrong review up :)
Yours Truly,

Whats in my Mail Box (Wk 13)

2010-03-27T19:10:00.000-06:00

Won

In My Mailbox was started by Kristi over at The Story Siren! In My Mailbox is a way to share the books you received each week.

THE TRANSFORMATION
Beth has always been “The Beast”—that’s what everyone at school calls her because of her awkward height, facial scars, and thick glasses. Beth’s only friend is geeky, golden-haired Scott. That is, until she’s selected to be her choir’s soprano soloist, and receives the makeover that will change her life forever.
THE LOVE AFFAIR
When Beth’s choir travels to Switzerland, she meets Derek: pale, brooding, totally dreamy. Derek’s untethered passion—for music, and for Beth—leaves her breathless. Because in Derek’s eyes? She’s not The Beast, she’s The Beauty.
THE IMPOSSIBLE CHOICE
When Beth comes home, Scott, her best friend in the world, makes a confession that leaves her completely torn. Should she stand by sweet, steady Scott or follow the dangerous, intense new feelings she has for Derek?
THE HEARTBREAK
The closer Beth gets to Derek, the further away he seems. Then Beth discovers that Derek’s been hiding a dark secret from her …one that could shatter everything.

Thanks to the Bookologist & Angela Morrison for the signed copy.

Bought

Elena Gilbert is alive—again.

When Elena sacrificed herself to save the two vampire brothers who love her—the handsome, brooding Stefan and the sleek and dangerous Damon—she was consigned to a fate beyond death. Until a powerful supernatural force pulled her back.

Now Elena is not just human. She has powers and gifts that were bestowed on her in the afterlife. What's more, her blood pulses with an overwhelming and unique force that makes her irresistible to any vampire.

Stefan wants to find a way to keep Elena safe so that they can make a life together. Damon, however, is driven by an insatiable desire for power, and wants Elena to rule as his princess. When Stefan is lured away from Fell's Church, Damon seizes his chance to convince her that he is the brother she is meant to be with. . . .

But a darkness is infiltrating the town, and Damon, always the hunter, is now the hunted; he becomes the prey of a malevolent creature that can possess him at will, and who desires not just Elena's blood but her death.

I haven't finished the fourth book yet, but I have a urge to read TVD lately. Especially with the t.v series being on.

"Will I never see you again either?" I asked, feeling as though I was about to jump off a high mountain peak and hope to land without hurting myself. That's how impossible everything seemed at that moment, no matter what I did.

"Perhaps we will meet again," Sasha said, softening his voice. "But you must see that it does not matter. You have so much ahead of you. It's your choice now. Choose the future! Choose life!"

For Anastasia Romanov, life as the privileged daughter of Russia's last tsar is about to be torn apart by the bloodshed of revolution. Ousted from the imperial palace when the Bolsheviks seize control of the government, Anastasia and her family are exiled to Siberia. But even while the rebels debate the family's future with agonizing slowness and the threat to their lives grows more menacing, romance quietly blooms between Anastasia and Sasha, a sympathetic young guard she has known since childhood. But will the strength of their love be enough to save Anastasia from a violent death?

Inspired by the mysteries that have long surrounded the last days of the Romanov family, Susanne Dunlap's new novel is a haunting vision of the life?and love story?of Russia's last princess.

I read the first chapter in Chapters, and absolutely loved it. So I bought it :) I'm looking forward to reading this one.

R to L (Japanese Style). "This comic hooked my little sister and me faster than we could say, "Oh no she didn't!" --Becky Cloonan, artist of Demo, AmericanVirgin, and the creator of East Coast RisingMiki Aihara turned the manga world upside down with her salacious, outrageous, and funny hit series. If you think being a teenager is hard, wait until you read Hot Gimmick. Hatsumi's troubles with school, life, and love are so full of twists and turns, it'll make your head spin. With more (love) triangles than you can throw a geometry book at, these Tokyo boys and girls are really messed up!

I love reading manga every now and then, and I absolutely I adore this one.

Unsettling. There’s no better word to describe Miranda Barnes’s ability to hear the cries of the dead, feel the wind move her hair when they run by, and—dare she look into a mirror—see the reflection of a ghostly woman behind her. There’s only one person to turn to for support: Etienne. As sexy as he is mysterious, Miranda can’t help but be drawn to him. He believes her; he wants to help her. But there’s a secret in Etienne’s past, something Miranda’s on the verge of discovering. As paranormal activity escalates, passion grows, and soon Miranda is caught up in both love . . . and tragedy.

I saw this one on The Story Siren's site, and I immediately wanted to read it :)

From The Library

When Miranda Barnes first sees the sleepy town of St. Yvette, Louisiana, with its moss-draped trees, above-ground cemeteries, and her grandfather’s creepy historic home, she realizes that life as she knew it is officially over. Almost immediately, there seems to be something cloying at her. Something lonely and sad and . . . very pressing. Even at school and in the group project she’s been thrown into, she can’t escape it. Whispers when she’s alone, shadows when no one is there to make them, and a distant pleading voice that wakes her from sleep. The other members in Miranda’s group project, especially handsome Etienne, can see that Miranda is in distress. She is beginning to understand that, like her grandfather before her, she has a special gift of communicating with spirits who still walk the town of St. Yvette. And no matter where she turns, Miranda feels bound by their whispered pleas for help . . . unless she can somehow find a way to bring them peace.

This is the first book of the Shadow Mirror book.
Yours Truly,

No and Me By Delphine de Vigan Review # 52

2010-03-25T23:35:00.000-06:00

Author: Delphine de Vigan
Publisher: Doubleday Canada
Pages:256
Thanks To: Jessica @ Random House Canada
Rating:

At thirteen-years-old, with an unusually high IQ and a knack for observing things about other people, Lou Bertignac is not only the youngest in her class at school; she is also the most unusual. Painfully shy, she has few friends, save for Lucas, whose company helps her get through each day. At home, Lou's life is also difficult: Her mother hasn't left the house in years and her father spends his days crying in the bathroom. Lou's world is dark and sad... That is, until she meets No.
No is a teenage girl that Lou befriends for the purpose of her school project on homelessness. Despite the different worlds that these two girls come from, a friendship is soon forged between them. Unable to bear the thought of No not having a home or a family to keep her safe, Lou persuades her reluctant parents into letting her new friend stay with the Bertignac family. No's addition to the household forces Lou and her parents to face the sadness that has been enveloping them for so long — but not without some disruptions along the way.

I felt nothing. Have you ever read a book, where you feel no emotions about it. This is what I felt with No and Me. Maybe it's because I don't really comprehend the situation, because I'm to young. Or that where I live, you don't really see any homeless people. Or, I don't know. But I really wanted to have feelings about this story, but it just didn't happen.
I think the problem with this book, is that the character narrates to much. She tells you to much, instead of the author describing it. And I believe that, that may be one of the reasons why I felt it had no affect on me. I mean, the one situation in the story is that Lou's family is falling apart. I rather Lou describe it to me, then tell it. Also, in that situation, it was brought in to quickly in the story. I wished that issue were slowly brought to my attention, then immediately. Because I had the strong sense that I was dropping into a conversation that started a millennium ago, and I was only joining it now.

Even through all that, I still found it a intriguing read. It's quick paste, and you want to learn more and more. The characters (Lou, No & Lucas) were nicely written. Especially Lou (the protagonist). Lou has an IQ of 160, so she acts differently then most girls. She is very smart, but acts very childish. And for a while, it was hard to believe that she was in high school. So I asked my aunt, because my cousin is the same as Lou, and she totally agreed that, that is how someone would act. Or how my cousin acts. One thing that I could connect and understand about Lou, is that she's shy. She has a hard time talking to people, and doing stuff that out of her boundary line. No (and yes that is a name, short for Nolwenn) is a interesting character. I can't relate with her, though I know people who have some of the problems that she does. And I can connect with her as a bystander. Lucas on the other hand, is the type of guy I would like to have in my life. That is all I'm going to say about him.

I don't think I would find myself recommending this book to someone. But if someone ask me, I would tell them to read it. It has an important message in there, that I think is useful to learn about. This is the type of book where you have to reread it a few times to fully understand it, especially the ending. I didn't enjoy the ending, because I didn't understand it fully. And I think if I reread this, I would comprehend it.

Overall it was a great read, but not the best. Another thing is, it's important to remember that this is a translated book. So there is some cultural differences in it.

To Learn More about No and Me, then check out Random House Canada .
To buy this book go to Amazon Canada, Book Depository, Chapters.

Yours Truly,

WOW: Torment By Lauren Kate & The Iron Daughter By Julie Kagawa

2010-03-24T22:54:00.000-06:00

Waiting on Wednesday is a meme created by Jill @ Breaking The Spines

Does there really need to be any explaination of why this is mentioned. If you haven't read it yet, then you don't know what your missing. I loved Fallen. I love it so much, that I reread it two or three times. I'm absolutely drawn to this series. Torment comes out September 28th,2010 and on that day I will be the happiest person alive because I'll read the next chapter in Fallen series.

Half Summer faery princess, half human, Meghan has never fit in anywhere. Deserted by the Winter prince she thought loved her, she is prisoner to the Winter faery queen. As war looms between Summer and Winter, Meghan knows that the real danger comes from the Iron Fey, iron-bound faeries that only she and her absent prince have seen. But no one believes her. Worse, Meghan's own fey powers have been cut off. She's alone in Faery with only her wits for help. Trusting anyone would be foolish. Trusting a seeming traitor could be deadly. But even as she grows a backbone of iron, Meghan can't help but hear the whispers of longing in her all-too-human heart.
----
The first one was absolutely brilliant :) Ash, Meghan, Grimalkin and Puck put a smile on my face!!! This one is released in August!! Mark that on your calenders everybody XD

Yours Truly,

Teaser Tuesday - The Awakening By Kelly Armstrong

2010-03-23T22:39:00.000-06:00

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading.
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!

"You lived around here for a while.' I raised my hands. 'I know, it's not your favorite place to remember, but is there anyone you could borrow ten bucks from?'
'A friend?'
'Well, sure, maybe...' A small laugh. 'Yeah, you sound as doubtful about that as you should. You may have guessed I don't go out of my way to make friends. I don't see the point, especially when I'm never in one play long. I've got my dad and Simon. That's enough.' His pack..."
-The Awakening by Kelly Armstrong, Pg. 250

This book is enjoyable, not as good as the first but, I'm liking it. On Thursday I'll have the review up for No & Me , and on Friday I'll probably be putting up the review for this book. I want to sit down this weekend, and finish off Ruby by Amanda Taber. Ok, hope you enjoyed. What are you reading currently?
Yours Truly,

Movie Cast Monday: Arson

2010-03-22T17:51:00.000-06:00

Want to join in the fun? Anyone can play! Here are the guidelines:

1) Create your own cast for an upcoming book-to-movie adaptation OR pick a book you'd like to see be turned into a movie and choose a cast.
2) Post the book title, author, and summary.
3) Try to pick at least 3 of the main characters to cast.
4) Grab the button please!
5) Come back and link to this post so everyone can check it out!

This week's pick is...
Arson By Estevan Vega

Arson.I've been really obsessed with this guy, recently. He's my celeb crush, definitely. I loved him in Percy Jackson, and thought he did a incredible job. I think he would do a awesome job playing Arson. Percy is an outcast and so is Arson. I also couldn't imagine anyone else playing the part, while reading the book.

Emery. You don't really see Emery's face a lot in the book, because she wears a mask the whole time. But somehow, this is how I kind of imagined Emery.

Mandy. Even though her character in Vampire Diaries Books are eviler then how she is portrayed in the television series, I still think she could pull it off. Mandy is manipulative, and gets whatever she wants. Same as Caroline.

Emery's Dad. Not much to tell, but every time I imagined Emery's Dad I saw Kurt Russell.

Emery's Mother. Emily Blunt is a really good actress, and she does well with dramatic roles. And I think if they ever made a Arson movie, I would definitely want her playing Emery's mom.

Grandma Kay. I really imagined her like this, whether the actress can portray this or not I'm not sure. If they do ever make a movie of this, the casting choice of her would have to be carefully chosen.

What do you guys think? Especially the people who have read Arson!!! Are any other bloggers do Movie Cast Monday? If so what did you do?
Yours Truly,

Monster Of Books

Blood Red Road By Moira Young Review #78

In My Mailbox #25

Die For Me By Amy Plum Review #77

In My Mailbox #24

Darkness Becomes Her By Kelly Keaton Review #76

Author Interview: Rebecca Maizel

In My Mailbox #23

WOW: Afterlife (Evernight #4) by Claudia Gray

Stylish Blogger Award

Fallen Angel by Heather Terrell Review #75

Unearthly By Cynthia Hand Review #74

What In My Mailbox #22 +300 Follower Contest News

Shadowspells by Jenna Black Review #73

WOW: Wither By Lauren DeStefano

The Lost Saint by Bree Despain Review #72

Death Cloud (Young Sherlock Holmes) By Andrew Lane Review #71

What's In My Mailbox #21

NightShade by Andrea Cremer Review # 70

Hello 2011 !!!! Best Books of 2010!!!

2011 Debut Author Challenge

The Eternal Ones Review #69

What's In My Mailbox #20 & Infinite Days By Rebecca Maizel Review #68

Paranormalcy By Kiersten White Review #67

New Information XD

Repost: Crescendo Contest

What Should I READ NEXT??? Please Help!!!

Where Have I Been?

Out for Blood Giveaway -Reposted

Halo By Alexandra Adornetto Review #66

The Emerald Talisman By Brenda Pandos Review #65

What In My Mailbox #19 - All The Past 2 to 3 weeks

Should I Review Manga AsWell?? Also..........Winners

Insatiable by Meg Cabot Review #64

Torment Vlog Contest

GIVEAWAY MONDAY - Shadow Hills By Anastasia Hopcus

Prophecy of the Sisters By Michelle Zink Review #63

WOW: Intrinsical by Lani Woodland

Blood Feud (Drake Chronicles #2) By Alyxandra Harvey Review #62

CHECK OUT THE DARK DIVINE BOOK TRAILER - CONTEST

Fan Video Monday

What In My Mailbox Week #18

Mistwood By Leah Cypress Review #61

I'M BACK!! Glimmerglass (Faeriewalker, Book 1) by Jenna Black Review #60

Monster of Books IS BACK!!!

Monster of Books is OVER!!! I'M CLOSED!!!

Sing Me To Sleep By Angela Morrison Review #59

Where Have I Been!!! Blog Aniversary!!

I'M BACK!!!!Whats in my Mail Box (Wk 17)

Whats in my Mail Box (Wk 16)

The Gardener By S.A Bodeen Review #58

Shadow Hills By Anastasia Hopcus Review #57

Interview With Julie Kagawa, author of The Iron King

Whats in My Mail Box (Wk 15)

Bree Despain *The Dark Divine* Author

The Reckoning By Kelley Armstrong Review #56

Movies That Made You Eager To Read The Books

Ruby By Amanda Taber Review #55

Whats in my Mail Box (Wk 14)

Heist Society By Ally Carter Review #54

Melissa Marr's RADIANT SHADOWS Tour & Giveaway

The Awakening By Kelly Armstrong Review #53

WOW: Crescendo By Becca Fitzpatrick

Winner of 50th Review Giveaway

Whats in my Mail Box (Wk 13)

No and Me By Delphine de Vigan Review # 52

WOW: Torment By Lauren Kate & The Iron Daughter By Julie Kagawa

Teaser Tuesday - The Awakening By Kelly Armstrong

Movie Cast Monday: Arson

Bree Despain The Dark Divine Author