Eve review

Description: The year is 2032, sixteen years after a deadly virus—and the vaccine intended to protect against it—wiped out most of the earth’s population. The night before eighteen-year-old Eve’s graduation from her all-girls school she discovers what really happens to new graduates, and the horrifying fate that awaits her.

Fleeing the only home she’s ever known, Eve sets off on a long, treacherous journey, searching for a place she can survive. Along the way she encounters Caleb, a rough, rebellious boy living in the wild. Separated from men her whole life, Eve has been taught to fear them, but Caleb slowly wins her trust...and her heart. He promises to protect her, but when soldiers begin hunting them, Eve must choose between true love and her life.

My thoughts: When I first started Eve I didn't quite experience the feelings that I believed the story was trying to evoke. Funny things happened, sad ones, frightening ones, yet I wasn't affected. Three chapters in and it was just ok. 5 chapters in and it was interesting. 10 chapters and it was entertaining. It went like this until the end. After 15 chapters it was a mixture of things. It was funny, sad, heart wrenching, and sweet. Each new part gave me a new excitement for the book and made me think of the past chapters in a different (and better) light.

 It's weird to say that the tragedy of the book was the main reason I became so hooked to this story. It's hard to pinpoint why, but there's something about tragedy that almost always makes a story seem more real. I think is because we’re made to feel empathy, or sympathy, and sometimes even pity. We've all experience some kind of happiness. But no one ever had to feel sympathetic for someone who was feeling happy. And I think it affected me more (in some ways) than just some cute little story with a happy ending because I had to read about these character's harsh experiences.  

When Eve talked about the last time she saw here mother, Arden explaining what happened to her parents, or the little boys recalling how they became orphans.  It was hard not to feel strong emotions when reading Eve.  

But there was also happiness. And love, which was the main aspect of the story.  The message that through tragedy and a broken society (or anything else that’s negative), love is the only thing that can keep you going. And not necessarily every character embodied that idea, some lived on hate. But in general, for a person not to turn to darkness or "go off the beaten path" there needed to be love. 

As far as the actual plot, I didn't expect so many things to happen! There were multiple points where I was surprised that the author decided to go a different route with the story.  And the ending! I did not expect that at all. And I don't know if the next book will pick up where the main characters left off, but I hope they do. This book and especially the second half was so good, so I can't wait for the next installment!

Envy by Gregg Olsen 50% off today!

 For one day (TODAY), Envy by Gregg Olsen will be 50% off!  You can click here to get a coupon to purchase in-store or go to BN.com/envy and enter coupon code: C4B7E8E. Look below to read the book's description.

Description: Murder is such a dirty word…
New York Times bestselling adult true crime author Gregg Olsen makes his YA debut with EMPTY COFFIN, a gripping new fiction series for teens based on ripped-from-the-headlines stories…with a paranormal touch.
Crime lives--and dies--in the deceptively picture-perfect town of Port Gamble (aka “Empty Coffin”), Washington. Evil lurks and strange things happen--and 15-year-olds Hayley and Taylor Ryan secretly use their wits and their telepathic “twin-sense” to uncover the truth about the town's victims and culprits.

Envy, the series debut, involves the mysterious death of the twins' old friend, Katelyn. Was it murder? Suicide? An accident? Hayley and Taylor are determined to find out--and as they investigate, they stumble upon a dark truth that is far more disturbing than they ever could have imagined.

Based on the shocking true crime about cyber-bullying, Envy will take you to the edge--and push you right over.

Book Teaser: Envy

SOME OF THIS STORY is completely true, And some of it isn't. Like truth, evil comes in all sorts of flavors. Some bitter. Some deceptively sweet. Sometimes it comes with a heavy price. Most people don't invite evil into their lives. The dirty little secret is than an invitation isn't necessary. Locked doors don't matter.

Looking Forward to...

Description: Lucky Linderman didn't ask for his life. He didn't ask his grandfather not to come home from the Vietnam War. He didn't ask for a father who never got over it. He didn't ask for a mother who keeps pretending their family is fine. And he certainly didn't ask to be the recipient of Nadar McMillan's relentless bullying, which has finally gone too far.

Lucky has a secret—one that helps him wade through the daily dysfunction of his life. Grandad Harry, trapped in the jungles of Laos, has been visiting Lucky in his dreams—and the dreams just might be real: an alternate reality where he can be whoever he wants to be and his life might still be worth living. But how long can Lucky remain in hiding there before reality forces its way inside?
Printz Honor recipient A. S. King's distinctive, smart, and accessible writing shines in this powerful novel about learning to cope with the shrapnel life throws at you, and then taking a stand against it.

 My Thoughts: Please Ignore Vera Dietz were one of my top books read in 2010 so I really want to see if the author has written another book I can love!

Half-Blood review

Description: The Hematoi descend from the unions of gods and mortals, and the children of two Hematoi-pure-bloods-have godlike powers. Children of Hematoi and mortals-well, not so much. Half-bloods only have two options: become trained Sentinels who hunt and kill daimons or become servants in the homes of the pures.Seventeen-year-old Alexandria would rather risk her life fighting than waste it scrubbing toilets, but she may end up slumming it anyway. There are several rules that students at the Covenant must follow. Alex has problems with them all, but especially rule #1:Relationships between pures and halfs are forbidden.Unfortunately, she's crushing hard on the totally hot pure-blood Aiden. But falling for Aiden isn't her biggest problem--staying alive long enough to graduate the Covenant and become a Sentinel is. If she fails in her duty, she faces a future worse than death or slavery: being turned into a daimon, and being hunted by Aiden. And that would kind of suck.

My thoughts: When I first started reading Half-Blood, I was half excited half scared of the similarities I saw between Half-Blood and Vampire Academy. Especially because in the past I've read stories that reminded me so much of others books that I couldn't separate the latter story from the former ones. Thankfully Half-Blood reminded me of Vampire Academy in some good ways but overall stood out as its own story.

This is not to say that I never saw daimons as Strigoi, Alex as Rose, or Aiden as Dimitri. But the more I read the more I was able to separate the two stories, while still admiring the positive similarities between the characters in both books. And eventually I stopped comparing Alex and Aiden to Rose and Dimitri and started liking them for their own unique qualities. Through Alex's background story which showed the source of her strength and vulnerability, it was easy to connect with her. And Aiden had these confident and wise aspects to him that had me deeming him as a top literary crush.

And although I enjoyed the characters, my favorite thing about this new series was that it wasn’t just (if at all) about a girl falling in love with a guy. There's a situation/problem that is revealed in the middle of the story that gives the book more meaning and makes it understandable why the story needs to be told out in a series instead of just one book.

So at this point I just really want to know what's happening in regards to the main dilemma of the story which started to become a serious problem near the end of Half-Blood, because this series has the potential to go from really good to great.

Additional note: I really love that the book’s setting was in North Carolina. It’s not often that a character from a YA book can even make ANY kind of reference to the state I call home.

What are you reading on Mondays?

Book(s) read last week:
Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

Currently reading:
Eve by Anna Carey

Upcoming read(s):
A Beautiful Dark by Jocelyn Davies
Envy by Gregg Olsen

In My Mailbok 68

These have all been on my wish-list, so I was really excited when they came in the mail. Of course I'm at school and they're at my house so I have to force my family to send them to me as soon as possible (especially The Scorpio Races)!

I got The Way of Kings a couple of weeks ago but forgot to post it with the other books in an IMM post. I've been wanting to get this book since before it was published. It's a big book but hopefully I'll get to it soon. :)

Carrier of the Mark review

Description:Their love was meant to be.
When Megan Rosenberg moves to Ireland, everything in her life seems to fall into place. After growing up in America, she's surprised to find herself feeling at home in her new school. She connects with a group of friends, and she is instantly drawn to darkly handsome Adam DeRís.
But Megan is about to discover that her feelings for Adam are tied to a fate that was sealed long ago—and that the passion and power that brought them together could be their ultimate destruction.

My thoughts: I've already said multiple times that I love when YA books include mythology.  

And although I love Greek mythology I'm really starting to get in to more varied mythological 

stories. So this book got extra brownie points for having Celtic mythology... It also got cool points 

for the cover. How gorgeous does it look?!!  It makes me want to go to Ireland!  

And as far as the actual story, I loved the history behind what brings the main characters together 

(or what brings Megan to the rest of the group). And it would be interesting to learn more in the 

upcoming books, because what's happening to these characters have happened to other people 

before them. So there are ancient writings and "protector of the law" type people. And there are 

rules that go along with this history, which helps set up the plot in a good way but also causes 

problems to arise within the group. But whether good or bad, the history/rules/protectors made the 

whole story more intriguing.

 The characters were cool too. My favorite character was Rian because you don’t know much 

about him but what you do find out just makes you want to know more. I also loved Aine’s pet, 

which was a regular bird (no magical powers on HIS part) but he was cute enough to still be 

considered one of my favorite aspects of the story.  

One main thing I didn't like (or just about the only thing) was how the romance started. 

Unfortunately it happened really fast. It appeared a little too quickly and a little too strong for 

my liking. I believe (for the most part) that good romance should be slow and growing, not rushed. 

So I didn't quite approve of Megan and Adam's quick love, but as I found out more about their

 "situation", their relationship was more understandable (although I still never quite approved of 

how it started).

Minus the overly strong love, the previous reasons above plus what happens at the end of the 

book is enough to get me excited for the next book. I’m especially ready to know what happens 

to Megan and the DeRís family.

What are you reading on Mondays?

Book(s) read last week:
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Currently reading:
The Eleventh Plague by Jeff Hirsch
Touch of Frost by Jennifer Estep

Upcoming read(s):
Deadly Cool by Gemma Halliday

What are you reading on Mondays?

Book(s) read last week:
About a Boy by Nick Hornby
Carrier of the Mark by Leigh Fallon

Currently reading:
Touch of Frost by Jennifer Estep

Upcoming read(s):
The Eleventh Plague by Jeff Hirsch

In My Mailbok 67

Books I bought/received two weeks ago:

 

Book(s) received last week:

Books received this week:

 

Books from Borders

There are too many books to talk about them all individually, but I'm excited about all the books I received, and I'm glad I got to go back to Borders before they ran out of everything (everything was 90% off)!

Book of the Month: The Girl of Fire and Thorns

Description: Once a century, one person is chosen for greatness.

Elisa is the chosen one.

But she is also the younger of two princesses, the one who has never done anything remarkable. She can’t see how she ever will.

Now, on her sixteenth birthday, she has become the secret wife of a handsome and worldly king—a king whose country is in turmoil. A king who needs the chosen one, not a failure of a princess.

And he’s not the only one who needs her. Savage enemies seething with dark magic are hunting her. A daring, determined revolutionary thinks she could be his people’s savior. And he looks at her in a way that no man has ever looked at her before. Soon it is not just her life, but her very heart that is at stake.

Elisa could be everything to those who need her most. If the prophecy is fulfilled. If she finds the power deep within herself. If she doesn’t die young.

Most of the chosen do.



I'm going to try to choose the book I liked the most every month and post it at the either the end of that month or the beginning of the next month.


Why it's the book of the month:
It was so different than anything I'd ever read! It revolved around religion, there was a main character with low self-esteem who went under drastic changes throughout the book (the likes of which you don't normally see in just one book), and it had a multilayered plot.

On top of that, it didn't read like a YA book. I actually got my mother to start reading it. And she NEVER reads any of my books!

Peter Nimble and his Fantastic Eyes review

Description: "Now, for those of you who know anything about blind children, you are aware that they make the very best thieves. As you can well imagine, blind children have incredible senses of smell, and they can tell what lies behind a locked door- be it fine cloth, gold, or peanut brittle- at fifty paces. Moreover, their fingers are so small and nimble that they can slip right through keyholes, and their ears so keen that they can hear the faint clicks and clacks of every moving part inside even the most complicated lock. Of course, the age of great thievery has long since passed;today there are few child-thieves left, blind or otherwise. At one time, however, the world was simply thick with them. This is the story of the greatest thief who ever lived. His name, as you've probably guessed, is Peter Nimble."

My thoughts: 
So much was packed into these 381 pages! There was clever writing, a main character that produced sympathy from anyone who’d hear his story, and a lot of action. That’s why it’s sad to say that it wasn’t enough for me.  

Now, all in all it wasn’t bad, and I can see the appeal of it for other readers, but this story seemed to imitate other books. It made me think of The Phantom Tollbooth and The Series of Unfortunate Events (in a way I can’t quite explain). In The Phantom Tollbooth there is whimsical writing, quirky characters, and a clever world. There was a place called the Doldrums that people ended up in if they weren’t thinking, or a Sea of Knowledge among other clever places. There were also characters like the spelling bee, who was an actual bee that could spell, and a watchdog who actually had a clock attached to him. This plus the way both The Phantom Tollbooth and Peter Nimble started out created a problem for me. Although the actual adventure of the two stories were nothing alike, the quirkiness of it all didn’t always seem original. And when it was original it didn’t always work for me.

But there are some good things about this book. And if it hadn’t reminded me of my favorite book of all time I probably would have given this book a 4 out of 5. That being said I think others will enjoy this book. It had magical kingdoms, clever and funny talking animals, and delightful main characters.

And one of my favorite things about this book as I mentioned earlier is that there is so much packed into this book, which I find funny. Because this is an MG level book but the plot had many more levels than a lot of YA books I’ve read. Nowadays most of the YA stories are stretched into a trilogy. And what happens to the characters are dragged out in the first book so nothing really happens until the very end…. I mean like literally the last 2-3 chapters. And with that problem in the YA world, I was pleasantly surprised that this middle grade level book didn’t go the same route.

So I didn’t enjoy this book as much as I would have liked too. But I know a lot of other people who loved it. Therefore I’d give it a try if the description of the story sounds appealing to you.

Looking Forward to...

Goodreads:To save the life of the boy she loves, Jacinda did the unthinkable: She betrayed the most closely-guarded secret of her kind. Now she must return to the protection of her pride knowing she might never see Will again—and worse, that because his mind has been shaded, Will’s memories of that fateful night and why she had to flee are gone.

Back home, Jacinda is greeted with hostility and must work to prove her loyalty for both her sake and her family’s. Among the few who will even talk to her are Cassian, the pride’s heir apparent who has always wanted her, and her sister, Tamra, who has been forever changed by a twist of fate. Jacinda knows that she should forget Will and move on—that if he managed to remember and keep his promise to find her, it would only endanger them both. Yet she clings to the hope that someday they will be together again. When the chance arrives to follow her heart, will she risk everything for love?

In bestselling author Sophie Jordan’s dramatic follow-up to Firelight, forbidden love burns brighter than ever.

My thoughts:Firelight was so good! Plus I can't wait to see the consequences of what happened in the first book.

Book Teaser: The Carrier Of The Mark

She glanced over my head, then did a double take before sitting down and leaning in. "Do you know Adam?"
I shook my head. "Who?"
"Adam DeRis, the guy down the back. Don't look now, but he's staring at you."
I felt red heat climb slowly up my neck, stinging as it passed over my scar. I ached to turn and look.
"I don't know anybody here."

Top Ten Sequels I'm Dying To Read

Because of each book's unique characteristics, I loved each book's predecessor. They were either thoughtful, sweet, cute, badass, or a combination of all four. So there's no doubt that I'm dying to read all ten of these sequels (although We'll Always Have Summer is the third book in the series)!

Top Ten Books I Have on My TBR List This Fall

I know this is last week's topic and it isn't even Tuesday, but I wanted to put up as many post as i could since I finally have a computer again...

Except for Vanish, these are all the books I've been wanting to read throughout the year but never seemed to get a chance to do it. And I want to read Vanish this fall because I loved the first book!