Reading Cause I'm Addicted

In My Mailbox 81

2012-01-28T21:10:00.000-08:00

I'm pretty excited about these books, especially Perception because I loved Clarity!

Everneath Teen Book Scene Blog Tour: Top Ten List

2012-01-25T23:25:00.000-08:00

Stopping in today is Everneath author Brodi Ashton to share with us a list of ten things her child says to keep her grounded.

Author Top 10s

TOP TEN THINGS MY KID SAYS TO ME TO KEEP ME GROUNDED:

#10 "Percy Jackson already did mythology, and he's a BOY."
#9 "Please don't show your cover to my friends. It's embarrassing."
#8 Me: "I'm going to be in Wal-Mart!" Kid C (shrugging): "I'm in Wal-Mart at least once a week."
#7 "Mom, do you know any REAL authors? Because my teacher needs one to talk to her class."
#6 "Why did you have to write a book about... LOVE?" (Followed by melodramatic gagging sounds)
#5 "Wouldn't it be cool if Nikki ate Jack's BRAINS?! (Yes, he's into Zombies)
#4 (Looking at my cover): "That's a weird looking dude." me: "Um, that's a girl." Him (turning cover upside down): "Oh. I get it." me: "???"
#3 When a friend asked him what my book was about: "Um... Monsters. And dragons. And people who eat BRAINS!" There are none of these things.
#2 (looking at finished copy) "What, they only made it out of paper?" Tosses it onto floor. me: "Yes, they cancelled the gold leaf printing."
And the number one thing my kid says to keep me grounded: "WHY CAN'T YOU BE MORE LIKE R.L. STINE?"

Thank you for sharing that humbling top ten list Brodi! Hopefully we’ll all have people as hilarious as your boy to keep us grounded too.

Description: Last spring, Nikki Beckett vanished, sucked into an underworld known as the Everneath, where immortals Feed on the emotions of despairing humans. Now she's returned- to her old life, her family, her friends- before being banished back to the underworld... this time forever.

She has six months before the Everneath comes to claim her, six months for good-byes she can't find the words for, six months to find redemption, if it exists.

Nikki longs to spend these months reconnecting with her boyfriend, Jack, the one person she loves more than anything. But there's a problem: Cole, the smoldering immortal who first enticed her to the Everneath, has followed Nikki to the mortal world. And he'll do whatever it takes to bring her back- this time as his queen.

As Nikki's time grows short and her relationships begin slipping from her grasp, she's forced to make the hardest decision of her life: find a way to cheat fate and remain on the Surface with Jack or return to the Everneath and become Cole's...

In stores now!

Everneath review

2012-01-21T03:00:00.000-08:00

My thoughts: It wasn't a big surprise that I liked Everneath so much. Every review I read about this book mentioned a lot of great things to look forward to. And now that I’ve read it, I have no objections regarding those great things. It's not just because of the characters, which are compelling, or the writing, which fits the story so well. What gave me the greatest satisfaction was the plot and the mythology involved in it.

At this point, there are many YA stories that include (Greek) mythology. So it's becoming difficult to do mythological retellings without seeming old and repetitive. But Everneath thrives in seeming familiar while still being original. We get the familiar with the Hades/Persephone and Orpheus/Eurydice (and even Isis/Osiris) stories, but with a twist. Although Everneath (the place) seems similar to the underworld, it's different. And Everneath, along with other aspects of this book was different enough that they held my interest, because I didn't know what to expect. I didn't know what would be different from the way I normally imagine the underworld, or even what would change in the mythical stories that were used by the main characters to try and figure out how to change Nikki's future. But thankfully, these changes were refreshing and intriguing.

And can I just say that I love Jack! He just really loves this girl, which is why I want them

to have a happy ending sooo bad. On top of loving Jack, I really like Nikki. It's weird but

she has a way of being sad without ever making me feel depressed when reading Everneath.

I just want her life to get better.

And as far as the ending, it's not a cliffhanger, but it ends in a way that has me wondering what in the world Nikki's going to do to solve her new (and some old) problems. I have no clue what she's going to do, but I can't wait to find out!

Incarnate review

2012-01-19T10:13:00.000-08:00

NEWSOUL
Ana is new. For thousands of years in Range, a million souls have been reincarnated over and over, keeping their memories and experiences from previous lifetimes. When Ana was born, another soul vanished, and no one knows why.

NOSOUL
Even Ana’s own mother thinks she’s a nosoul, an omen of worse things to come, and has kept her away from society. To escape her seclusion and learn whether she’ll be reincarnated, Ana travels to the city of Heart, but its citizens are suspicious and afraid of what her presence means. When dragons and sylph attack the city, is Ana to blame?

HEART
Sam believes Ana’s new soul is good and worthwhile. When he stands up for her, their relationship blooms. But can he love someone who may live only once, and will Ana’s enemies—human and creature alike—let them be together? Ana needs to uncover the mistake that gave her someone else’s life, but will her quest threaten the peace of Heart and destroy the promise of reincarnation for all?

Jodi Meadows expertly weaves soul-deep romance, fantasy, and danger into an extraordinary tale of new life.

My thoughts: My feelings towards this book are still up in the air. There’s no doubt that it was good, but some parts were better than others. I was really excited when it started out. The main character is introduced, and then soon after, Sam. And the way they meet make for a seemingly interesting and entertaining future. But eventually Sam seems dull and kind of wimpy (sometimes), and Ana seems a bit repetitive, constantly saying how she's a nosoul (although Sam says newsoul), and how nosouls don't have feelings or deserve anything good to happen to them (or whatever). And then there are the creatures that exist in this world without an explanation that seems justifiable to me.

But there are good points. The idea of “recycling” the same souls and having people who have gone from female to male, handsome to plain, fat to skinny, etc., makes things quite interesting. And having soul mates that can recognize each other in any lifetime is pretty cool.

On top of this, what's revealed in the end makes me pretty excited for the next book. The consequences of actions in Incarnate will definitely lead to big changes in the second book. But this is also why I'm still unsure of how well I liked this book. Because it feels like nothing happens until the very end. Incarnate is like one of those kinds of first books that seem more of an introduction than the first part of a story. Overall, I'm still hooked enough to want to read the second book, but with some reservations.

Additional note: This book does get cool points for the way all the characters (excluding Ana of course), and especially Sam, behaved. Something that annoys me is when characters are supposed to be hundreds or thousands of years old, but don’t seem different than a regular teenager. In Incarnate, you can definitely tell Sam, among others, are the ages they claim to be. It was actually really refreshing.

What are you reading on Mondays?

2012-01-16T21:54:00.000-08:00

Book(s) read last week:
Tempest by Julie Cross
The Fault In Our Stars by John Green
Everneath by Brodi Ashton

Currently reading:
All That Bleeds by Kimberly Frost

Upcoming read:
Dark Parties by Sara Grant

In My Mailbok 80

2012-01-14T21:07:00.000-08:00

The Alchemy of Forever sounds good. And The Fault In Our Stars was AMAZING! Plus my copy had a Yeti in it!

(ex. pic above...my Yeti is sort of free falling)

Also, if you don't have a copy, you need to get one. NOW!

Tempest review

2012-01-14T11:03:00.000-08:00

Description: The year is 2009. Nineteen-year-old Jackson Meyer is a normal guy… he’s in college, has a girlfriend… and he can travel back through time. But it’s not like the movies – nothing changes in the present after his jumps, there’s no space-time continuum issues or broken flux capacitors – it’s just harmless fun.

That is… until the day strangers burst in on Jackson and his girlfriend, Holly, and during a struggle with Jackson, Holly is fatally shot. In his panic, Jackson jumps back two years to 2007, but this is not like his previous time jumps. Now he’s stuck in 2007 and can’t get back to the future.

Desperate to somehow return to 2009 to save Holly but unable to return to his rightful year, Jackson settles into 2007 and learns what he can about his abilities.

But it’s not long before the people who shot Holly in 2009 come looking for Jackson in the past, and these “Enemies of Time” will stop at nothing to recruit this powerful young time-traveler. Recruit… or kill him.

Piecing together the clues about his father, the Enemies of Time, and himself, Jackson must decide how far he’s willing to go to save Holly… and possibly the entire world.

My thoughts: Time travel is just one of the many things I’ve wanted to see come out of YA (so much so that I’ve been writing my own story about time-traveling for a while now)

And I finally read one! And on top of that, it comes from a male’s perspective, which is pretty exciting in and of itself. But I was really nervous because this book was portrayed as being epic. On top of this, the first part of the book seemed kind of slow (because Jackson was in the dark about a lot of things). And if I’m being honest, Jackson and Holly’s relationship wasn’t (and still isn’t) that appealing to me.

But midway through, the potential for epic…ness started to happen. New relationships were established. Old ones were revealed. And the time traveling bit, which was initially kind of boring (because of how infrequent it happened) became awesome! This increase in likeability also came from a lot of truths being revealed, the truth about Jackson, and the people around him. This included insight into the past and the future(s). I even started to like Holly and Jackson’s relationship by the very end (which is kind of ironic).

Overall, Tempest was good but not epic. But if Julie Cross continues the story the way she ended this one, the second book may in fact be…epic.

The Fault In Our Stars review

2012-01-10T16:23:00.000-08:00

Description: Diagnosed with Stage IV thyroid cancer at 12, Hazel was prepared to die until, at 14, a medical miracle shrunk the tumors in her lungs... for now.

Two years post-miracle, sixteen-year-old Hazel is post-everything else, too post-high school, post-friends and post-normalcy. And even though she could live for a long time (whatever that means), Hazel lives tethered to an oxygen tank, the tumors tenuously kept at bay with a constant chemical assault.

Enter Augustus Waters. A match made at cancer kid support group, Augustus is gorgeous, in remission, and shockingly to her, interested in Hazel. Being with Augustus is both an unexpected destination and a long-needed journey, pushing Hazel to re-examine how sickness and health, life and death, will define her and the legacy that everyone leaves behind.

My thoughts: Great books, or any form of a great story (for that matter) can make you cry and laugh. One that surpasses this level of greatness can make you laugh while you’re crying, or vice versa. The Fault In Our Stars is that kind of book.

There was never a doubt in my mind about whether I’d like this book. I mean, this is John freaking Green (although I’m pretty sure that isn’t actually his middle name). Plus, Paper Towns is my favorite book (ever). So when my copy arrived yesterday, I dropped my book bag by the door, forgetting the review book that I was so close to finishing, or the homework assignments I had, because I needed to know just HOW good The Fault In Our Stars was.

Let me tell you. It. Is. Brilliant. Paper Towns is still my favorite book from John Green (and my favorite in general), but this is his best book yet. He has these characters that you have to love, whether it’s because of their clever observations of life, or the way they handle their day to day living with having to be declared or see as: THAT cancer girl or guy. As though that is all they will ever be remembered for (if at all). And this type of life or story would be terribly depressing if it weren’t for the quirky, sarcastic wit that almost every character in some form or fashion seems to have. This is why I could start laughing in the middle of my tear fest, or randomly start crying in the middle of a laughing fit.

And the thing is, there are obvious signs that show when I know a book is excellent. When I’m reading this kind of book, all the situations and problems I have momentarily fall away. And for that day or two, there’s a type of peace. Oh yea, and I either hug the book to my chest and smile a lot, or I have to make a note of all the awesome quotes I have to return to as soon as I finish the book.

There’s a lot more to be said about this book, or how it makes me feel. Like how these characters are the most perfect imperfect characters I’ve ever met, or that I might (also) have fallen for Augustus. But that’s not the point, because I’ve already read it, and it has made a huge mark (not a scar) in my life. The point is that YOU need to read it. No book is for everyone, but I have no doubt that this one will be enjoyed by a multitude.

Additional note: I loved the book, but here are three distinctive things (other than the characters) that I really loved

- The parts that were (clearly) inspired by The Great Gatsby

- The poetry

- An Imperial Affliction (which needs to be made into a real book… I’m just sayin

Top Ten Authors I Wish Would Write Another Book

2012-01-09T20:59:00.000-08:00

Some authors are on the list because I am (impossible and) impatient.

J.K. Rowling: Duh

John Green: Yes, his book just came out today. But I’m already half way through and getting depressed at the thought that I probably won’t get to read anything else from him in 2+ years.

Jaclyn Moriarty: Reading The Ghost of Ashbury High blew my mind. Now I just need another novel.

Jenny Han: Despite all of the great books I've read since I started this blog, The Summer I Turned Pretty series might just be my favorite book series (this is ignoring Harry Potter).

Harry Edge: Spray was just so fun! I know it isn’t his latest book, but I need another story in the same world as Spray.

Jennifer Laurens: Overprotected just came out of nowhere and was surprisingly good. Any new story would be great.

Ally Carter: I just want another Heist Society book.

Matthew J. Kirby: Icefall reminded me of the beloved MG stories of my childhood. I dare him to do it again. *Dangles bait*

Joe Schreiber: I love one-day adventures. And Au Revoir, Crazy European Chick was awesome! I wonder what else he could do in the YA genre.

Veronica Rossi: Under The Never Sky was so good! Now I just need the second book. Or any book for that matter.

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight review

2012-01-09T11:05:00.000-08:00

Description: Who would have guessed that four minutes could change everything?

Today should be one of the worst days of seventeen-year-old Hadley Sullivan's life. She's stuck at JFK, late to her father's second wedding, which is taking place in London and involves a soon to be step-mother that Hadley's never even met. Then she meets the perfect boy in the airport's cramped waiting area. His name is Oliver, he's British, and he's in seat 18C. Hadley's in 18A.

Twists of fate and quirks of timing play out in this thoughtful novel about family connections, second chances and first loves. Set over a 24-hour-period, Hadley and Oliver's story will make you believe that true love finds you when you're least expecting it.

My thoughts: How cute is this book?! You don't know yet? Well it is. The characters are multidimensional, the plot is entertaining and the romance is adorable. And all this happens in a twenty-four hour period. That one sentence is what attracted me to this story in the beginning, because it ironically deals with something I and other reviewers don't always like. That insta-love. But somehow, and I don't know how Jennifer E. Smith did it, but somehow she made one day feel like an eternity (in a good way).

The whole story just had this natural progression that built a good beginning to Hadley and Oliver's relationship, as well as new beginnings with the people around them, specifically Hadley's dad.

Something I was surprised but also pleased about with this book was that this short story wasn’t all about Hadley and Oliver’s budding relationship. If anything, a large portion of this book had the two characters in two separate situations. But these serious situations added real weight to this story, and made sure that this quick yet awesome read had merit.

Additional notes:
- This book is puppies level cute!
- I really love all the subjects Oliver "studies." It just makes me like him even more.

What are you reading on Mondays?

2012-01-09T10:20:00.000-08:00

Books read in the past 2-3 weeks:
Incarnate by Jodi Meadows
Rage by Jackie Morse Kessler
Tyger Tyger by Kersten Hamilton
A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness
The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith

Currently reading:
Tempest by Julie Cross
The Fault In Our Stars by John Green

Upcoming read:
Everneath by Brodi Ashton

Top Ten Books I'm Excited To Read in 2012

2012-01-02T21:00:00.000-08:00

Most of these books are the second book in a series that I've started and can't wait to continue. The other ones just sound like they're made of awesome!!

Top Ten Books of 2011

2012-01-02T13:55:00.000-08:00

This was dark and twisted, and had a huge Greek mythology theme

(which, for me is the exact equation that equals a satisfied reader). It kind of reminded me of the

Wicked Lovely series which I wasn't quite sure why but Melissa Marr herself seems to really like this

series. If I had to pick baddass book of the year, this would be it.

I know badass book has been taken, but not BA character. For this, Allison

Hewitt takes the cake. And it's even better because there aren't any

supernatural powers,just a sarcastic girl and her ax.

I'd waited so long to read this, then it turned out to be one of the best books of the year
(esp. because of the last few pages!)

This just came out of nowhere! I thought it would be a good book, but I was so surprised

by just how good it really was. There's a great plot that never had time to get slow, side characters

that stole my heart faster than either of the main characters, and main characters that grew in leaps

and bounds to the point that it’s like they’re graduating from something and you’re sitting there

saying "that's my baby!"

 What I got out of this book is everything I'd hoped for, which is saying a lot. 
Because really, how many books have met ALL of your expectations?

This is a common phrase that gets used too much, but I've really never read anything like this.

Who writes a story about a race with killer horses, adds a guy who is sometimes standoffish

(and not always relatable) and a girl who isn't the standard mixture of adorable and naïve? How

did Maggie do the abnormal and come out with a book that was better than just about anything

I read in 2011?

The writing was brilliant.

The world was unbelievable.

And the characters were fantastic.

That is all.


So many things in this book impressed me. Mentioning God to the point that he’s one of the most

important parts of the book without making things uncomfortable or preachy was amazing. Then

there's the main character, who is apart of one of the best transitional changes I've ever read. She

goes places, and she also changes physically and mentally. And these are the things that normally

don't always happen in a series, let alone the first book.

Great dystopian.

I don't even know how to explain what made this book so great. It was heartbreaking  and honest.

And that’s basically the only way I could explain it.


It was better than the first one (and I really liked the first one).

It's also simultaneously unique and creative while still reminding me of

Ocean's Eleven. Even though in this case the leader is a female. Plus, if

anybody utters the words "we need a team" (or something similar, they already

have me sold!

Honorable mentions:

It's Not Summer Without You (Summer, #2) by Jenny Han

Au Revoir, Crazy European Chick by Joe Schreiber

The Shattering by Karen Healey

Icefall by Matthew J. Kirby

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

Clarity by Kim Harrington

Overprotected by Jennifer Laurens

Half-Blood (Covenant, #1) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

In My Mailbok 79

2011-12-31T20:29:00.000-08:00

I got a lot of good books to start in 2012. Happy New Year!!

Delirium review

2011-12-20T12:46:00.000-08:00

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

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

My thoughts: This book, along with Divergent were the two books I’d been scared to read. They both just sounded to good to be true. But I was wrong about Divergent, and I was (definitely) wrong about Delirium. I was sick this past weekend, and oddly enough, Delirium was the only book I could reach from my bookshelf. I never want to be that sick again, but I’m glad it led my to this book.

I went from the first page to the last page in a matter of hours because it was so good. And the thing is, any good author could write a dystopian. Or a love story, or write good. But what stood out was that I couldn’t say Lauren Oliver’s writing was deeply elegant or sweet and simple. It was somewhere in the middle. She was poetic when she needed to be, and straight to the point at other times. I still can’t really explain it.

And on top of the writing, having a world where love was a disease really struck me. I know love is important, but seeing the lack of it in Delirium had me really assessing how vital it is in our lives. It was sad because those who’d been cured didn’t just not fall in love anymore, they treated their family differently. They didn’t even see their friends the way they used to. I just couldn’t imagine not remembering my first love, even with all the pain the love came with. And I couldn’t bear feeling indifferent about all the special moments I had with my friends in the past. So for me, the description of this kind of world just tugged at my heartstrings.

On top of that, the main characters are just so adorable. I don’t know why but Lena getting to know Alex was just so cute, and simple and right. And the love between Lena and her best friend was good to. Because I like that it proves that love isn’t just for the guy or girl you’re in love with, it’s for everyone you care about. And I actually really liked the awkwardness that happened in the story with their relationship. Because even when Lena and her best friend were fighting it reminded me that I’d rather be awkward and fight with someone I loved than to forget I even cared about them.

And as far as the ending, I just need to know what happened! I had some guesses about what would be in Pandemonium, then I read the description for Pandemonium, and now I don’t know what the hec to think. But it doesn’t matter. I just want to know what else happens in this world Lauren Oliver has seen fit to create.

Additional notes: I’d say that this book was broken up in to three parts. 1. Lena is like all the other people who don’t question what’s happening to her society but then she meets Alex. 2. Then there’s growth and acceptance that love is good. 3. And then there’s the fight to escape from those who want to take love from them. I two thirds of this book better than the remaining one third, but when I read the last two pages of this book, none of that mattered. If Lauren Oliver had written Delirium and it had only consisted of the last chapter (with those last two pages) I STILL would have loved this book (well novella if it was only a couple of pages).

Top Ten Books I Hope Santa Brings

2011-12-19T21:14:00.000-08:00

- The first eight books are just books I've wanted for a while but never got.

- This is Shyness which I found through The Crooked Shelf's Aussie month is nowhere to be found.
.. Well I think I found the ebook but I'm not paying almost $30 for one book.

And I've listed Pandemonium because I'm hoping for a Christmas miracle (because that's the only way I could get an arc lol)

What are you reading on Mondays?

2011-12-19T10:12:00.000-08:00

Book(s) read last week:
A Beautiful Dark by Jocelyn Davies
Guardian of the Dead by Karen Healey
Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi
Delirium by Lauren Oliver

Currently reading:
Incarnate by Jodi Meadows

Upcoming read(s):
IDK. It's the holidays so maybe I'll read a non-review book.

Under the Never Sky review

2011-12-19T09:54:00.000-08:00

Description: Aria is a teenager in the enclosed city of Reverie. Like all Dwellers, she spends her time with friends in virtual environments, called Realms, accessed through an eyepiece called a Smarteye. Aria enjoys the Realms and the easy life in Reverie. When she is forced out of the pod for a crime she did not commit, she believes her death is imminent. The outside world is known as The Death Shop, with danger in every direction.

As an Outsider, Perry has always known hunger, vicious predators, and violent energy storms from the swirling electrified atmosphere called the Aether. A bit of an outcast even among his hunting tribe, Perry withstands these daily tests with his exceptional abilities, as he is gifted with powerful senses that enable him to scent danger, food and even human emotions.

They come together reluctantly, for Aria must depend on Perry, whom she considers a barbarian, to help her get back to Reverie, while Perry needs Aria to help unravel the mystery of his beloved nephew’s abduction by the Dwellers. Together they embark on a journey challenged as much by their prejudices as by encounters with cannibals and wolves. But to their surprise, Aria and Perry forge an unlikely love - one that will forever change the fate of all who live UNDER THE NEVER SKY

The first book in a captivating trilogy, Veronica Rossi’s enthralling debut sweeps you into an unforgettable adventure

My thoughts: This book is another reason why I’ve stopped claiming to know what my favorite book of the year is (at least until the last possible moment). Its perfect books like this that surprise me with good dialogue, great characters, and a magnificent plot! I can’t even count how many times I put the book down for a few seconds just because I needed to take a moment to smile and appreciate the awesomeness (yes awesomeness) of it all. I needed to smile at something brilliant, or catchy, or funny. It’s still hard for me to even stop my fan girl instincts from kicking in right now!

In Under the Never Sky, you have a controlled environment and an uncontrolled one. And two characters from both sides that eventually cross paths and have to work together to meet their own needs. But of course as they go on, the other person’s problem becomes their own.

It was just this big journey that resulted in vivid descriptions and aspects that left me captivated. For one, the plot is unpredictable. In this way it reminded me of Girl of Fire and Thorns the way the main character’s journeys’ actually resulted in character development (which should normally happen but unfortunately doesn’t sometimes) because of all the things the characters had to deal with. The alternating chapters between Aria and Perry also showed this development. Because as they went on, they seemed to take on a little bit of the other person's attributes, which tends to happen if you’re around anybody long enough.

That’s why the plot itself would have won me over. First I thought they’d be going one place but then something happened and they changed routes. Or I thought they were going down a certain path until they met up with another character. And then the unthinkable happened and I’m like: “What in the world is happening?!” (but in a good way). And unlike some books I’ve loved in the past, this book leaves me pleased in a way that I can’t wait for the next book, but not in the sense that it ended with a cliffhanger that made me want to slam books and look crazy by mumbling to myself.

Veronica Rossi has created a world full of lovable characters, beautiful writing, and enough action, romance and suspense to have me counting down the days for the next book (I want it NOW)!

Additional notes:

- Can I just say that Roar was amazing! I mean Perry is cool and everything, but I’ll take Roar over him any day.

- Most of the time I end up liking a side character more than the female main character, but I was really impressed by Aria. She initially had personal issues and prejudices, but she also changed in major ways that had me saying "go girl!" throughout the book.

[insert contented sigh]

In the Forrest of the Night contest winners

2011-12-16T12:50:00.000-08:00

The winner: Jessy

I randomly selected the winner with Random Line Picker, putting each name in as many times as the number of points they got. As an automatic, winners of my contest have 48 hrs. from the time I send them an email to reply. Congrats to the winner!

The Scorpio Races review

2011-12-16T12:44:00.000-08:00

Description: It happens at the start of every November: the Scorpio Races. Riders attempt to keep hold of their water horses long enough to make it to the finish line. Some riders live. Others die.

At age nineteen, Sean Kendrick is the returning champion. He is a young man of few words, and if he has any fears, he keeps them buried deep, where no one else can see them.

Puck Connolly is different. She never meant to ride in the Scorpio Races. But fate hasn’t given her much of a chance. So she enters the competition — the first girl ever to do so. She is in no way prepared for what is going to happen.

My thoughts: I have to stop saying I’ve found my favorite book of 2011 before I actually finish my last book of the year, because it keeps changing. Daughter of Smoke and Bone was amazing. Then I read Divergent. And now it’s Scorpio Races. So I’m just keeping the poker face until the last week of December.

I have to admit something. I don’t remember what I said in my reviews of Lament or Shiver, but those books were just ok. They weren’t horrible but I felt indifferent about both of them, like I could take them or leave them. But there was just something about Maggie Stiefvater (other than our birthdays being on the same day) that makes me want to read what she writes. She’s such a talent in general and her writing is so lyrical that she’s one of those authors I just want to read no matter what. For me, Ballad was great, and it gave me the encouragement to read any upcoming books from her. Which is funny because I needed no encouragement to read Scorpio Races. It just sounded like my kind of book from the very beginning. It sounded like an adventure, and it was, though it was like nothing I’d ever imagined. It was better.

There’s the setting, which you can feel, as if you were there among the racers, on the beach avoiding the capaill uisce’s teeth. And regardless of all the things that should have made me leery of this place, every new description just made me want to be there in person.

Then there’s the story. Two actually, emerging throughout the book until they become one. That’s also the way Id like to think of Sean and Puck personally. Something was pulling them towards each other, but there was no supernatural aspects making them want to be together after 48 hours of being near each other (or whatever). Their feelings grew, and it was fantastic. Just having their personal stories in the mist of the bigger story made everything better. Because Puck needs to win this race, but Sean also needs to win this race (I can feel the fangirl in me coming out already). And that’s obviously going to cause a little bit of difficulty.

And last but not least, there’s Cor, who you don’t need to physically see to know how beautiful and majestic he really is. Or see him in person to know how fast he could run. But I still just wanted to sit on the beach as the Scorpio Races took place, and capture one of the most basic aspects of Thisby (the island).

Additional note: No book is for everyone, but just go read it. PLEASE. Because I want this to be the book that everyone likes (I know I just contradicted myself. Whatever.).

The Faerie Ring review

2011-12-14T12:42:00.000-08:00

Description: Debut novelist Kiki Hamilton takes readers from the gritty slums and glittering ballrooms of Victorian London to the beguiling but menacing Otherworld of the Fey in this spellbinding tale of romance, suspense, and danger.
The year is 1871, and Tiki has been making a home for herself and her family of orphans in a deserted hideaway adjoining Charing Cross Station in central London. Their only means of survival is by picking pockets. One December night, Tiki steals a ring, and sets off a chain of events that could lead to all-out war with the Fey. For the ring belongs to Queen Victoria, and it binds the rulers of England and the realm of Faerie to peace. With the ring missing, a rebel group of faeries hopes to break the treaty with dark magic and blood—Tiki’s blood.
Unbeknownst to Tiki, she is being watched—and protected—by Rieker, a fellow thief who suspects she is involved in the disappearance of the ring. Rieker has secrets of his own, and Tiki is not all that she appears to be. Her very existence haunts Prince Leopold, the Queen’s son, who is driven to know more about the mysterious mark that encircles her wrist.
Prince, pauper, and thief—all must work together to secure the treaty…

My thoughts: If it is revealed that a story takes place in the 1800s, while a lot of girls run towards that book, I just try to avoid the stampede and run the other way. It’s just not my thing. Even when I like a book that takes place during that time, it’s because I didn’t have to deal with an overbearing setting where everyone wears a suit or a dress, and everyone talks like they’re speaking sonnets to everyone. Thankfully, I did actually like this book despite it’s setting.

Tiki is of course one of those characters who doesn't know who or what she is. So in comes the love interest that just so happens to know a little more about her than he should. Pretty standard. But adding a Faerie ring that two different worlds are after and a group of adorable orphans, and you’ve got yourself an interesting story!

First you think the ring is the only problem the characters have to deal with, but then another problem steps up, and then another one, etc. But even at the end of the book you know the main problem isn’t over (which is actually exciting). Because there are still faeries out there who don’t want peace. And something about Tiki is revealed in the end that I as well as some of the characters were never expecting, that should (or will) make for an interesting sequel. This book was good but the series could be great if the author does what I hope she’s going to do with Tiki’s character in the next book!

Additional note: And how cute was Clara?! Don't answer that, because she was extremely cute. I just wanted to get that girl cough syrup and some soup (because she was sick...not because I normally like to give children cough syrup...).

Don't Breathe a Word review

2011-12-12T13:49:00.000-08:00

Joy Delamere is suffocating...

Description: From asthma, which has nearly claimed her life. From her parents, who will do anything to keep that from happening. From delectably dangerous Asher, who is smothering her from the inside out.

Joy can take his words - tender words, cruel words - until the night they go too far.

Now, Joy will leave everything behind to find the one who has offered his help, a homeless boy called Creed. She will become someone else. She will learn to survive. She will breathe... if only she can get to Creed before it’s too late.

Set against the gritty backdrop of Seattle’s streets and a cast of characters with secrets of their own, Holly Cupala’s powerful new novel explores the subtleties of abuse, the meaning of love, and how far a girl will go to discover her own strength.

My thoughts: This is the type of book that you can tell is going to be good just because of the writing, even before anything has really happened. In fact, at the beginning I had no idea what was happening. It was peculiar. And even though this book is considered contemporary, it almost seemed otherworldy even though there was no kind of magic or faeries or vampires, etc. That’s what initially captured my attention, and then Joy and her new family’s story was what kept it.

Joy has a difficult problem to deal with, one that is in my opinion very relatable whether or not readers are going through the same problem. The relatable factor is that it’s easier to see a problem if it seems definite, like abuse is easy to assess when it’s physical instead of verbal. Things become blurry when we try to assess verbal abuse. Does it count if it’s not connected with the physical aspect? Is it really abuse if they don’t do it too often? Confusion like this encourages people to subject themselves to troubles they shouldn’t have to deal with, and this is what Joy and her newfound family have to face.

That’s another thing that sets this book apart, because it’s also about the people who take Joy in. They’ve got problems of their own, and their story is just as important as the Joy’s is. In many other books, the friends of the main character are mostly there to help support the main character, and not because they also have a problem that needs to be dealt with.

In Don’t Breathe a Word, these problems are rough. They’re all going through so much. And just like in my recent review of Desert Angel, it’s hard to take, because things like this really do happen. And after all that happened, it was easier for me to accept the ending, which otherwise would have seemed too sweet or unrealistic. But all the characters had gone through so much that there was no other to end the story.

Additional note: This is a powerful novel that wouldn’t have been even half as good without Holly Cupala’s wonderful writing. I hadn’t read anything by Cupala until Don’t Breathe a Word so I definitely have to check out Tell Me a Secret and Dear Bully.

What are you reading on Mondays?

2011-12-12T12:30:00.000-08:00

Book(s) read last week:
Desert Angel by Charlie Price
Don't Breathe A Word by Holly Cupala
Shut Out by Kody Keplinger

Currently reading:
A Beautiful Dark by Jocelyn Davies

Upcoming read(s):
Guardian of the Dead by Karen Healey

In My Mailbok 78

2011-12-10T21:07:00.000-08:00

Description: As the last heiress of the House of North, Alissa knows that striking up a secret friendship with a half-vampire enforcer is dangerous, but Merrick is a temptation she can't resist. But when Alissa is kidnapped, Merrick proves that he will do anything to protect the woman who tempts him with her very existence.

My thoughts: I haven't heard much about it but it sounds really cool!

Dark Eden review

2011-12-08T11:58:00.000-08:00

Description: Fifteen-year-old Will Besting is sent by his doctor to Fort Eden, an institution meant to help patients suffering from crippling phobias. Once there, Will and six other teenagers take turns in mysterious fear chambers and confront their worst nightmares—with the help of the group facilitator, Rainsford, an enigmatic guide. When the patients emerge from the chamber, they feel emboldened by the previous night's experiences. But each person soon discovers strange, unexplained aches and pains. . . . What is really happening to the seven teens trapped in this dark Eden?
Patrick Carman's Dark Eden is a provocative exploration of fear, betrayal, memory, and— ultimately—immortality.

My thoughts: The mystery aspect of the story was what made me hold my opinion until the end. There was something very wrong going on at the Dark Eden institution, and all but fifteen-year-old Will Besting knew about it (excluding the creepy people who where in on it). This Rainsford guy was finding a way to take away people’s fears, but it was replaced with something worse. And what it was replaced with was actually kind of scary, but when it was revealed what Rainsford could do and why he could do it, nothing made sense. It was just really random. It was random enough that the last few chapters messed up the whole story for me. I just don’t like stories that have parts that don’t make sense to me, and that’s how Dark Eden made me feel, unfortunately.

Reading Angel review

2011-12-07T09:53:00.000-08:00

Description: Fourteen-year-old Angel wakes up one morning at her desert trailer home to discover her mother has been murdered by a lowlife named Scotty, who has vanished. Angel has no water, no weapon, but she knows that Scotty, an expert tracker and hunter, will surface soon in order to eliminate her as a witness. She has to run, to disappear, if she is to survive and tell the world what happened. Her flight takes her through a harsh landscape to places she never expected to be, forcing her to trust others for the first time and strengthening her in ways she doesn’t even anticipate . . . until it’s time to take a stand.

My thoughts: Throughout this book I was reminded of those kinds of stories that are usually in movies where a guy acts like he’s nice and then once he gets the girl he changes. Then the girl has to learn how to stand up for herself because for some reason the police can’t help. She ends up beating him to death so then it’s like: woo hoo for feminism or whatever. Despite this story being repetitive, I actually like these kinds of movies (particularly J. Lo’s Enough), so it was interesting to see a book that seemed similar to these movies.

Of course it isn’t exactly the same. This guy never acted like he was nice, and he went after the main character only after he killed her mother. But she does have to run, because this guy is literally hunting her down. Fortunately, since she’s only fourteen, she is helped out by a couple of families who can see that something is wrong. Unfortunately, this guy goes after these families too in anyway possible without causing enough problems to give the police enough evidence to arrest him (or at least keep him in jail).

Her interaction with these people who want to help her as she tries to end this “hunt” evokes situations that cause Angel to have to deal with issues she’s been running away from her whole life. She has to learn that she isn’t her mother just because she does things that remind her of her mom. And she simultaneously has to learn to trust herself while also learning to let people help her, which is something she’s definitely not accustomed to.

This book is a quick read but packed a lot of emotion. Although the ending seemed a little tame and quick for everything that had led up to it, the book was still OK over all. And what made up for it just being OK was that it made me think. There were a lot of things in this book that made me feel so much sympathy for Angel. She’s only fourteen! And the sad thing is that people younger than that are getting abused, and that’s just a sad thing to admit.

Top Ten Childhood Favorites

2011-12-06T08:04:00.000-08:00

Tuck Everlasting: This had such a profound message that it's still one of my favorite books of all time
The BFG: It just makes me smile... :)
Bud, Not Buddy: This was the first "full book" I read when I was younger, so it's pretty special to me
The Phantom Tollbooth: Favorite book of all time
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone: Duh
Where the Sidewalk Ends: It's weird and quirky and funny and genius, etc.
Bad Boy, The Beast, and Slam: Walter Dean Myers was my favorite author all the way up to high school, so these are some of my favorite books from him
A Wrinkle in Time: One of my favorite fantasy books from my childhood

Book Teaser: The Scorpio Races

2011-12-06T07:39:00.000-08:00

The red stallion circles, halfway to a hungry creature of the sea, but he does as I asked: He does not eat the thing that was my father. Instead, the stallion climbs back into the water. Nothing is as red as the sea that day.
I don't think often on my father's body strung through the reddening surf. Instead, I remember him as he was before the race: afraid.
I won't make the same mistake.

In the Forrest of the Night tour: Teenage Garage Sale + Giveaway

2011-12-05T06:08:00.000-08:00

Today I have the privilege of having Kersten Hamilton on my blog today! She will be giving insight on what she would have had at a garage sale during her teenage years.

By the time I was a teenager, I didn’t own seven items to sell—not unless I sold the boots off of my feet along with the rest of my possessions. My mother had not been in the picture for years. My dad, who had once been a writer, award winning photographer, and awesome storyteller, was slowly going insane. My brothers, sister, and I didn’t know about the brain tumor that was destroying his mind. We only knew that he gradually became unable to keep a job, pay rent, or feed his children. Then he decided that the world was about to end, and he had to hide us from society. From that time on we lived in houses with no electricity or glass in the windows. So, when I was a teen I couldn’t own anything I couldn’t carry with me.

My worldly possessions were: my desert boots, a dog named Shadrach, a snub–nosed .38, a knife, a wood block carving of a unicorn, and my father’s old portable typewriter—the one he had used before I was born to write articles and novels on. He never touched it anymore.

Boots wear out, dogs can’t stay with us forever, and I pawned the .38 one day when I was hungry. All I have left from those days are the unicorn, my knife, that old typewriter…and all the strange experiences I weave into my novels. J

Thank you for having me on your blog today, Kara!

Thanks for stopping by Kersten!

Giveaway:

Fill out this form to try and win a copy of In the Forrest of the Night!

Ends December 15, 2011

US only

Click the banner above to get details of this tour!

What are you reading on Mondays?

2011-12-05T05:50:00.000-08:00

Book(s) read last week:
The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

Currently reading:
Desert Angel by Charlie Price

Upcoming read(s):
Don't Breathe A Word by Holly Cupala

In My Mailbok 77

2011-12-03T20:59:00.000-08:00

Description: There is not one you. There are many yous. There is not one world. There are many worlds. Ours is one among billions of parallel earths.

When Everett Singh’s scientist father is kidnapped from the streets of London, he leaves young Everett a mysterious app on his computer. Suddenly, this teenager has become the owner of the most valuable object in the multiverse—the Infundibulum—the map of all the parallel earths, and there are dark forces in the Ten Known Worlds who will stop at nothing to get it. They’ve got power, authority, the might of ten planets—some of them more technologically advanced than our Earth—at their fingertips. He’s got wits, intelligence, and a knack for Indian cooking.

To keep the Infundibulum safe, Everett must trick his way through the Heisenberg Gate that his dad helped build and go on the run in a parallel Earth. But to rescue his dad from Charlotte Villiers and the sinister Order, this Planesrunner’s going to need friends. Friends like Captain Anastasia Sixsmyth, her adopted daughter, Sen, and the crew of the airship Everness.

Can they rescue Everett’s father and get the Infundibulum to safety? The game is afoot!

My thoughts: It looks REALLY weird but it sounds interesting. *shrugs* You can't judge a book by its cover. :)

Shatter Me review

2011-11-30T13:52:00.000-08:00

Description: Juliette hasn't touched anyone in exactly 264 days.

The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. No one knows why Juliette's touch is fatal. As long as she doesn't hurt anyone else, no one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old girl. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to find, birds don't fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong color.

The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things, so they threw Juliette in a cell. Now so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war-- and The Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she's exactly what they need right now.

Juliette has to make a choice: Be a weapon. Or be a warrior.

In this electrifying debut, Tahereh Mafi presents a world as riveting as The Hunger Games and a superhero story as thrilling as The X-Men. Full of pulse-pounding romance, intoxicating villainy, and high-stakes choices, Shatter Me is a fresh and original dystopian novel—with a paranormal twist—that will leave readers anxiously awaiting its sequel.

My thoughts: There's always something special about books that have multiple aspects I usually don't like but somehow becomes the thing that makes me like it. It’s probably because there are a bunch of contradictions in this book (which is actually a good thing). For one, the main characters have one of those instant loves, but they really don't. Warner is the typical bad guy, but he really isn't. Basically things appear one way on the surface but it's just a cover up. And I'm glad it's a cover up because if the story was about what was just on the surface, I wouldn’t have liked it.

In some YA books where the male character explains why he loves the main character, he always seems to include qualities of the character I haven't seen in action. Like she's funny, but there weren’t many examples in the book. Or she's really kind, but she only (kinda) helped one person in the whole story. Or she's caring, but the character is standoffish and doesn't like to get attached to anyone. And it’s true that these girls can still be funny and kind and caring, but I can't stand it when there's barely any proof to back it up. With Juliette, when Adam says all the nice things about her, I believe it, because there are examples to back it up. So I really believe she is everything he says he is.

And speaking of Adam! He’s definitely one of my top YA crushes now. It's not just because he's

fine (which he is), but I love his background story too. But regardless of how much I liked Juliette

and Adam (and them together); the cherry on top was Warner. No, I didn’t actually like him but

the additional problems he caused for Juliette were so entertaining, especially the window scene

(my jaw dropped... not really... kind of). Even at the end, Warner creates issues, and I'm not just

talking about the war with and against the reestablishment (I'm talking personal).

 
Now, with everything I did like about it, there was one main thing I didn’t like. The writing style

where one word or statement is repeated three to four times times times. It just got really old really

fast. I could take Shatter Me’s poetry like quality and Juliette comparing herself to nature and other

various object objects objects, and even the marked out words. But I couldn't take the words being

repeated. I'm getting annoyed just giving examples in my review  (review review lol).

Other than that, Shatter Me was great! And the last few chapters revealed something that should

make the next book VERY interesting.

Top Ten Books on My TBR List for Winter

2011-11-30T08:47:00.000-08:00

Book Teaser: Au Revoir Crazy European Chick

2011-11-29T03:40:00.000-08:00

He stepped in front of Gobi, blocking my view of her, and did something fast and brutal with his hand. There was a slap and a hollow thump, and Gobi coughed in pain.
"Now," the man said, "what is your name?"
"The Virgin Mary."
"Who trained you?"
"The Holy Spirit."
Another clank and a thump, and this time Gobi cried out loud.

What are you reading on Mondays?

2011-11-28T09:23:00.000-08:00

Book(s) read last week:
Shatter me by Tahereh Mafi
The Faerie Ring by Kiki Hamilton

Currently reading:
The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

Upcoming read(s):
Don't Breathe A Word by Holly Cupala
Desert Angel by Charlie Price

In My Mailbok 76

2011-11-26T21:05:00.000-08:00

Birthmarked: I love dystopians and I heard this was really good. It was only $2.99 on Kindle so I HAD to get it.

Under The Never Sky and Incarnate: I'm soooo ecstatic about receiving these books from HarperTeen. They sound amazing!

Movie Reviews 01

2011-11-25T11:23:00.000-08:00

I’m trying to make my way down AFI’s top 100 movies I haven’t seen. So I’ve decided to put up mini reviews for the movies I’ve seen in the past two weeks. I’m also trying to watch more anime movies so there are two movies that aren’t in the top 100 movies.

West Side Story

This was incredible! Really! And I don't know why I was so surprised. It's not like I haven't enjoyed musicals in the past. It's probably because this musical is a classic, and I was nervous I wouldn't like it the way I haven't liked other classics that much. (ex. Streetcar Named Desire). The dancing was amazing. The songs were great. The instrumentals, the way they sang it, the actual lyrics. I liked this way better than any version of Romeo and Juliet I've ever seen!

Howl's Moving Castle

I haven't watched too much anime. I can't say I've watched Akira or Bleach, or Cowboy Bebop.

But based on my experiences with Champloo Samurai (love love love!), Burst Angel, and Afro

Samurai, I'm always excited to watch it. This has to be my favorite anime film (not that I've seen

too many). This movie was all about the characters, even though the plot, which dealt with a war,

was pretty interesting by itself. The characters were so strange (which was a good thing), in a way

that couldn't be pulled off the right way if it wasn't anime. There are fire demons, fat heart stealing

magicians, a young woman with an old soul (ha ha) that has a heart of gold and a gorgeous magician

with demons in his closet. It was wonderful!

Sunset Blvd.

This is the only film noir movie I've seen that was JUST a film noir (I think).  I'm not over the

moon about it like the previous two, but it was very entertaining. That was one messed up lady!

And at least now I know where "I'm ready for my close up" came from.

The Gold Rush

As far as comedy goes, there's always that feeling that because a film is very old, I won't find

certain things funny that people did back then. But Charlie Chaplin is hilarious! I already knew

he was funny but I didn't think I'd like this so much. "I think that's why they call it a classic" my

mom said when I told her that. Yes mom. It is.

Taxi Driver

Um... It was interesting. I don't regret seeing it but I'm kind of confused.  Throughout the whole

movie, whatever is going to happen seems to be developing from the very beginning, but by the

time IT happens, all I'm thinking is, that’s what all this led to? *kanye shrug*

Vertigo

This was very intriguing. Especially in the middle of the movie when it’s revealed that certain

characters are not who they appear to be. At the end I was actually laughing. I knew that what

happened in the end was going to happen but I didn't know how. The way it happened was so

random that I couldn't help but laugh (I'm not a bad person...really).

The Graduate

 I'd started watching this like three years ago, so I only watched the last 40 minutes of it. It was

interesting, but all I can remember thinking is that I couldn’t stand how many times Dustin

Hoffman’s character uttered the words Mrs. Robinson... I wonder what happened to Benjamin

and Elaine.

Spirited Away

This was so cute! I’m smiling just thinking about it. That is all.

Shifting review

2011-11-23T09:48:00.000-08:00

Description: After bouncing from foster home to foster home, Magdalene Mae is transferred to what should be her last foster home in the tiny town of Silver City, New Mexico. Now that she's eighteen and has only a year left in high school, she's determined to stay out of trouble and just be normal. Agreeing to go to the prom with Bridger O'Connell is a good first step. Fitting in has never been her strong suit, but it's not for the reasons most people would expect-it all has to do with the deep secret that she is a shape shifter. But even in her new home danger lurks, waiting in the shadows to pounce. They are the Skinwalkers of Navajo legend, who have traded their souls to become the animal whose skin they wear-and Maggie is their next target.

Full of romance, mysticism, and intrigue, this dark take on Navajo legend will haunt readers to the final page.

My thoughts: The thing about Shifting is that since Maggie doesn’t know what she is, we don’t either. It says she’s a shape shifter in the description, but there’s more to the story than that. I thought that’s exactly what she was, but once the history off her “people” were revealed, it was clear I’d been a little off. But it was great to learn more about what made her so special as the story went on.

As for Bridger, I liked him well enough. I thought he was a little too mushy with the love aspect (not at first, but near the end) but since there is a justifiable reason (sort of) for it, I excused the over the top lovey dovey parts. In this case Maggie acted similar to Bridger, but with everything she’s gone through with never having a real family or being abused at a young age, her actions are understandable.

And although nothing with the plot really happens until the end, I’m actually pretty excited about learning more about the groups of people who can change into animals. I’ve never read any Navajo themed books, but this was a great one to start with. It had legends, history and other parts of the Navajo culture mixed throughout it. This was what made everything fresh and exciting, because when certain characters were explaining rituals or legends, it felt real. Like there were people really roaming the earth who could change into animals. As long as this series continues to be different and give me more info on the Navajo culture, I’ll be more than excited about the next book.

Divergent review

2011-11-21T10:12:00.000-08:00

Description: Beatrice "Tris" Prior has reached the fateful age of sixteen, the stage at which teenagers in Veronica Roth's dystopian Chicago must select which of five factions to join for life. Each faction represents a virtue: Candor, Abnegation, Dauntless, Amity, and Erudite. To the surprise of herself and her selfless Abnegation family, she chooses Dauntless, the path of courage. Her choice exposes her to the demanding, violent initiation rites of this group, but it also threatens to expose a personal secret that could place her in mortal danger. Veronica Roth's young adult Divergent trilogy launches with a captivating adventure about love and loyalty playing out under most extreme circumstances.

My thoughts: I really thought I'd found my favorite book of 2011 back in September. I was sure that nothing could top Daughter of Smoke and Bone. That is until Divergent, a book I've been wanting to read for forever but had been nervous about starting. I was nervous because I have a habit of not liking the books I really think I'm going to love. But this story did everything I needed it to do. Divergent had me eating with one hand, staying up all night and reading any time I had a break. The week I read this book was literally one of the hardest weeks at school this semester. I had an exam I hadn't studied for, a presentation, a speech, and two papers due that week. But instead of taking up extra time, Divergent seemed to make that week easier.

For starters, this is the type of dystopian story I love. Where the setting is or (is) almost as interesting as the characters. This is the book where you remember page numbers because a character said something you need to remember. Or when you hug the book after your done because it was the "complete reading experience," (which i might have done).

And lately I've been liking books in spite of the main character, often finding them annoying and repetitive. But Tris wasn't a love sick immature girl who threw pity parties for herself every 5 pages. And she wasn't this holier than thou character that never did wrong or at least never thought about it. She's nice and kind, but she's also ruthless and hardheaded at times. And I loved Four so much! The way he acted around Tris showed that even though he liked her, he wasn't going to change his personality or other things about himself for her. He also wasn't that type of male character that seemed to be unrealistic, because in real
life not every guy is going to hug a girl because she's crying (all the time) or go after her after they've had a fight. And Four was one of the few males to treat his love interest like a another person instead of JUST seeing her as a girl (or the "weaker sex").

On top of the awesome characters (including the minor ones) the plot actually progressed in a way I haven't seen happen in a while. Every YA story seems to be a trilogy now. And every trilogy starts with a book where nothing happens until the very end and it leaves you on a cliffhanger. In Divergent, things actually happened. People had growth development, enemies were revealed, and the plot got even better as time went on. I am so invested into this series! And I'm glad I finally decided to read it. Especially because most of my favorite series have or will end in the near future, so I need new books to fill my favorites list.

What are you reading on Mondays?

2011-11-21T10:08:00.000-08:00

Book(s) read last week:
Shifting by Bethany Wiggins

Currently reading:
The Faerie Ring by Kiki Hamilton

Upcoming read(s):
Shatter me by Tahereh Mafi

In My Mailbox 75

2011-11-20T05:02:00.000-08:00

LightBringer: This one sounds really different (which is a good thing)
Kiss of Frost: Based on the first book, I should really like this one.

Contest update:
Something is wrong with blogger right now and I left my charger for my laptop at school so I'm extending the Dark Eden contest until November 27. To enter go here.

The Shattering review

2011-11-17T10:37:00.000-08:00

Description: Seventeen-year-old Keri likes to plan for every possibility. She knows what to do if you break an arm, or get caught in an earthquake or fire. But she wasn't prepared for her brother's suicide, and his death has left her shattered with grief. When her childhood friend Janna tells her it was murder, not suicide, Keri wants to believe her. After all, Janna's brother died under similar circumstances years ago, and Janna insists a visiting tourist, Sione, who also lost a brother to apparent suicide that year, has helped her find some answers.

As the three dig deeper, disturbing facts begin to pile up: one boy killed every year; all older brothers; all had spent New Year's Eve in the idyllic town of Summerton. But when their search for the serial killer takes an unexpected turn, suspicion is cast on those they trust the most.

As secrets shatter around them, can they save the next victim? Or will they become victims themselves?

My thoughts: What appealed to me immediately is that the book’s setting was in New Zealand and that it supposedly had a twist of horror and supernatural mixed with a contemporary feel. And any time there’s a mixture of these aspects I always want to give it a try, because those types of books are either brilliant or unappealing, often without any in-between. But when they’re good they’re really good. And fortunately, The Shattering was one of those books.

Most books that include a little bit of a supernatural aspect in a basic contemporary world end up being ok, or even great, but it’s when an author includes horror that things (often) start to go downhill. With The Shattering, it made everything better. Initially the characters seemed to be figuring out a mystery, but once they uncovered a dark secret about the town, things got extremely exciting (and a little scary). I even got a shiver from time to time, which is what happens when things frighten me. I either get this weird shiver or I get paranoid. It’s kind of weird but it means that the book’s believability factor is working very well.

As for the characters, Keri, Janna, and Sione are the only ones who are trying to figure out what’s happening in Summertown because they have personal ties to whatever is going on. These characters are what turns the story from (really) good to great. They’re 3-dimensional characters who are friendly and kind at times, but can be just as mean and bitchy as they want to at others. But that made them feel real, because nobody is just good or just bad. And this idea is really justified when the bad characters are revealed, because they’re not going around trying to cause mayhem, but the don’t mind doing bad things if it means it’ll serve a “justifiable” purpose in the end. Sort of like the end justifies the means type philosophy.

The Shattering is the type of book that makes you think even long after you’ve finished it.

Additional note: Something I really appreciated was that the people in the book were made up of a multi-ethnic cast of white, Samoan, Japanese, and Maori ancestry, which automatically makes this book stand out.

What are you reading on Mondays?

2011-11-14T10:05:00.000-08:00

Book(s) read last week:
Dark Eden by Patrick Carman

Currently reading:
Shifting by Bethany Wiggins

Upcoming read(s):
Shatter me by Tahereh Mafi

In My Mailbok 74

2011-11-13T06:20:00.000-08:00

I didn't get any of these this week, but these are four books I forgot to mention I'd gotten in the past few months. I can't get to Bloodlines before I finish the VA series, or Silence before I finish Crescendo. But I can start Variant and Ashes, which both sound awesome in vastly different ways!

Dark Eden Contest

2011-11-09T12:10:00.000-08:00

Thanks to HarperTeen, I have 10 Dark Eden Fear Test CD-ROMs to give away! One of the 10 winners will also get a Dark Eden T-shirt (size M), and another will win a Dark Eden lanyard along with their CD-ROM.

To enter the contest, you must fill out this form, but here are the rules:

You MUST leave your email address, name, and check the box saying whether you’re either an old or new follower, or not a follower at all.

Extra Entries

+3 – old follower

+2 – new follower

Advertise contest:

+2 – link giveaway on sidebar and/or Tweet

+4 – blog post about contest

Contest ends November 18, 2011.

The contest is for people living in the US and Canada only, unless you live somewhere else but are able to use a friend or family member’s address.

The Death Catchers review

2011-11-08T15:22:00.000-08:00

Description: On her fourteenth Halloween, Lizzy Mortimer sees her first death-specter.

Confused at first, Lizzy soon learns from her grandmother Bizzy that as Death Catchers, they must prevent fate from taking its course when an unjust death is planned-a mission that has been passed down from their ancestor, Morgan le Fay. Only, Lizzy doesn't expect one of her first cases to land her in the middle of a feud older than time between Morgan le Fay and her sister Vivienne le Mort. Vivienne hopes to hasten the end of the world by preventing Lizzy from saving King Arthur's last descendant-humanity's greatest hope for survival. It's up to Lizzy, as Morgan's earthly advocate, to outwit fate before it's too late.

With its unique spin on Arthurian legend, this fresh, smartly written story will stand out in the paranormal genre.

My thoughts: I was attracted to this book initially just because of it’s name. Death Catchers is an intriguing title. And the description made it sound even better. Unfortunately it wasn’t as good as I’d hoped it would be.

The plot had a very obvious direction, which is fine in general if there are other aspects of the story that makes it stand out. I thought the fact that it included Arthurian history would have made it stand out, because besides Greek mythology and road trips, I’m a sucker for anything related to King Arthur (Merlin, Excalibur, etc.). But connecting king Arthur to the main character wasn’t enough.

I didn’t realize until I started reading Death Catchers that it would have such young characters. I’ve found that except for books like A Series of Unfortunate Events, the Percy Jackson series, and the recently reviewed Icefall, I don’t get in to middle grade books (or YA books with characters under 17) too often.

Although Death Catchers wasn’t as good as I’d have liked it to be, it wasn’t all bad. The beginning of a romance (or at least a cool friendship) between the main character and a guy in her class was cute. It was nice to not have a character fall in love with someone in 8 seconds or less. Especially because their relationship turns out to be deeper than they initially think. And on top of the romance, some of Lizzy’s grandma’s words of wisdom were hilarious.

I liked parts of the book as much as I disliked other parts of it. And by the end of the book, the progression of the characters was enough that I’d be willing to give the next book a try (I think there’s going to be a next one). Especially because it’s revealed that although Lizzy is special because she’s a death catcher, there’s also something even more unique about her. I also think that once the characters are older, the story will appeal to me more.

What are you reading on Mondays?

2011-11-08T10:11:00.000-08:00

Book(s) read two weeks ago:
Divergent by Veronica Roth
The Shattering by Karen Healey

Book(s) read last week:
Room by Emma Donoghue

Currently reading:
Dark Eden by Patrick Carman
Shifting by Bethany Wiggins

Upcoming read(s):
Shatter me by Tahereh Mafi

In My Mailbok 73

2011-11-05T21:15:00.000-07:00

1. Ship Breaker: I was so excited when Little Brown offered a copy of the paperback up for review! This has been on my wishlist for so(oo) long.

2. In The Forests of The Night: I'm reading the first book in this series and it's really good so far. I'm hoping to start this one next week.

3. White Cat (audiobook): I've never listened to an audiobook, so this should be good. I was pretty excited about the publisher having a download link to the book online (for free).

Au Revoir Crazy European Chick review

2011-11-03T10:33:00.000-07:00

Description: Perry Stormaire is a normal high school senior– he is busy applying to college and rehearsing with his band –until he agrees to go to the prom with the Lithuanian exchange student who is staying with his family. It turns out that Gobi Zaksauskas is not the mousy teenager that she seems but rather an attractive, confident trained assassin. Instead of going to the prom, Perry finds himself on a wild ride through the streets of New York City as Gobi commandeers the Jaguar his father lent him for the prom in order to take out her targets. Perry learns a lot about himself – and ends up with some amazing material for his college application essays.

My thoughts: These kinds of descriptions always tempt me. Having one-night adventures, gorgeous killers, and a person in the middle of all of it who seems out of place. These types of book summaries always raise my expectations for the book. And I often end up being disappointed once I actually get a copy of the book. But I always give it a try, because I’m willing to go through four and five bad or just okay books so I can get to that one book that meets my expectations.

Au Revoir, Crazy European Chick was that one book for me. It was nice and quick, giving me adventure, suspense, and comedy. From car chases to family dysfunction, this book was SO fun. And the idea to have every chapter represent an answer to a different college application question was very clever!

With most of this story taking place in one night, you don’t get to know much about any of the characters except for the main ones, Gobi and Perry. But that was enough for me. Gobi is a bad chick. And not just because she can take care of herself in a fight, but also because she has this really bad past, but she doesn’t let it (or anything in the present) change her goals. This girl is focused.

And Perry, who is immediately a likeable character, gets even better as the pages pass. There’s a lot of character development in just a few hours. Things like character development and the horrendous part of Gobi’s past along with Perry’s relationship with his dad makes this book deeper than it seems at first. I’m pretty sure this is a standalone, and although I’d like to see what’s happening with these two characters, I’m just hoping this author has another “it book” for me (in the near future).

Addition note: The movie rights to the book have been sold to Paramount! I’m extremely excited for this and hope they stick to the main ideas of the books… if they ever actually make the movie.

In My Mailbok 72

2011-10-29T21:53:00.000-07:00

Halloween Week

2011-10-29T12:55:00.000-07:00

Halloween guide

I never really go out of my way to acquire Halloweenish stuff for this week, but I do use my resources (aka – Internet, TV, and review books).

Based on this I have or will be watching and reading these items:

Books

I’ve read this already and it’s a great book to read this month!

I’m not done with this and it’s more like a mystery, but mystery is a characteristic of scary.

It’s not scary so far, but I know there’s witchcraft and human sacrifices.

I've had this book since elementary and it still freaks me out a little bit. It has suspense, action, and awesome characters. And I still remember reading this at night and feeling like somebody was watching me!

TV/Movies/Videos in general

The Walking Dead

I watched The Walking Dead marathon in honor of October and in honor of the fact that I hadn’t watched past the first episode when the season 1 episodes first premiered.

Hey Arnold - Haunted Train

This is an episode I watch EVERY October. It used to creep me out so I love watching it and thinking about how scared I used to be. And it still makes me a little leery of taking trains around the 31^st.

The (ghetto) Halloween story

This just had me cracking up the whole time. Especially with Alcoholharmony’s (the reader who by the way is an awesome singer) commentary.

Modern Family's Halloween episode

Their episode is just hilarious! So many funny scenes.

Other than that I just pay close attention to my TV listing to watch either scary movies I’ve never seen or ones that I watch every year (or multiple times a year), like:

Scream, Casper (which I just finished), Hocus Pocus, The Shining, Pet Sematary, Coraline, Matilda (not really scary but it’s coming on tonight), 30 Days of night, The Strangers, Prom Night, The Sixth Sense, Peanuts, etc.

Anna Dressed in Blood review

2011-10-29T12:27:00.000-07:00

Description: Cas Lowood has inherited an unusual vocation: He kills the dead.
So did his father before him, until he was gruesomely murdered by a ghost he sought to kill. Now, armed with his father's mysterious and deadly athame, Cas travels the country with his kitchen-witch mother and their spirit-sniffing cat. Together they follow legends and local lore, trying to keep up with the murderous dead—keeping pesky things like the future and friends at bay.
When they arrive in a new town in search of a ghost the locals call Anna Dressed in Blood, Cas doesn't expect anything outside of the ordinary: track, hunt, kill. What he finds instead is a girl entangled in curses and rage, a ghost like he's never faced before. She still wears the dress she wore on the day of her brutal murder in 1958: once white, now stained red and dripping with blood. Since her death, Anna has killed any and every person who has dared to step into the deserted Victorian she used to call home.

But she, for whatever reason, spares Cas's life.

My thoughts: I don’t usually go out of my way to read ghost stories. It’s probably because the descriptions of the books always have a girl being haunted by their dead boyfriend or friend. Sometimes those books are good but after reading a few I don’t feel like reading anymore. So thankfully the cover (which is awesome) made me want to read the description, which made me decide to give it a try.

It turns out that it was a good thing I did! There were no ex-boyfriends and no situations where they were trying to understand what the ghosts were feeling in order to send them to “a better place.” Cas, the main character doesn’t know where he sends the ghost he “kills,” and it really doesn’t matter (to him).

And for a good ghost story, that’s what I need. I need a scary story with ghost killers that (without being heartless) don’t care too much about the ghosts they “set free.” And although I don’t mind having some kind of romance in just about every book I read, I don’t want that to be the only point of a book. Anna Dressed in Blood had romance but what was driving the character to do what he was doing was about more than that. It was for his dad, and for their profession, which involved a job that only he could do.

Something else that made this book really good was that the main character was a guy. Cas has to be my favorite male narrator, and one of my favorite YA narrators period! Because as we all know, most YA books have a female narrator. And even the good books have female narrators who can be annoying at times. Like when they like a guy you have to read about how they feel about that guy for multiple pages per chapter. I’m all for love, but I don’t want to read on page 10 (RIGHT after you meet the person) that you can’t stop thinking about them, and you’re wondering why you can’t stop thinking about them, and WOW, you still can’t stop thinking about them. And then you have to read the SAME thing on pages 20, 30, and so on. With Cas, he might say that he doesn’t understand why he’s drawn to Anna, but he only says that like two times in the whole book. And with female narratives, everything is so descriptive. But unless the author is great at making a description of an item or setting sound intriguing, I don’t want a book to be that descriptive. Like why are you telling me that you’re going to make a sandwich and then describing how you put the makings of the sandwich together? Unless it serves a purpose in the story, I DON’T CARE. So when Cas makes a sandwich, that’s all he had to say, and then we all move on.

Aside from the great narration, the book is actually scary. I don’t get too frightened by books and movies anymore so it’s hard to make a statement like that, but the book did give me an uneasy feeling at times which was good enough for me. This plus the fact that Anna herself was so awesome even after something so tragic happened to her makes this a great book in general, and especially for Halloween. And thanks to the end, I’m waiting to know what happens with Anna, which should be revealed in Girl of Nightmares. Which by the way also has a gorgeous cover:

Additional note: I loved Cas’ friendship with Carmel and Thomas! They’re quirky and so drastically different from each other, but their friendship works out well.

What are you reading on Mondays?

2011-10-25T08:26:00.000-07:00

Book(s) read last week:
Au Revoir, Crazy European Chick by Joe Schreiber

Currently reading:
Divergent by Veronica Roth
The Shattering by Karen Healey

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

In My Mailbok 71

2011-10-22T21:19:00.000-07:00

I only got one book this week, but I've been wanting to read it for over six months. Now I have my chance!

Icefall review

2011-10-20T12:09:00.000-07:00

Description: Matthew J. Kirby, author of THE CLOCKWORK THREE, deftly weaves a brand-new tale with chilling cleverness and subtle suspense that will leave readers racing breathlessly to the end.
Trapped in a hidden fortress tucked between towering mountains and a frozen sea, Solveig, along with her brother the crown prince, their older sister, and an army of restless warriors, anxiously awaits news of her father's victory at battle. But as winter stretches on, and the unending ice refuses to break, terrible acts of treachery soon make it clear that a traitor lurks in their midst. A malevolent air begins to seep through the fortress walls, and a smothering claustrophobia slowly turns these prisoners of winter against one another.

Those charged with protecting the king's children are all suspect, and the siblings must choose their allies wisely. But who can be trusted so far from their father's watchful eye? Can Solveig and her siblings survive the long winter months and expose the traitor before he succeeds in destroying a kingdom?

My thoughts: This is the middle grade story I've been searching for! Ever since finishing the Percy Jackson series, I’d been excited about finding some other middle grade level books. Unfortunately no MG book I've read since seemed to appeal to me. It's partly why I've avoided reviewing any as of late. This is until Icefall. Had I initially known it wasn't YA I probably wouldn’t have been interested in it. Fortunately I didn't know and was able to start Icefall without any negative preconceived notions. So now when I think of the middle grade books I love, I can add Icefall with my Percy Jackson and Series of Unfortunate Events (and a Wrinkle in Time, etc) type books.

One thing I love about any book at any level is when the author makes me forget that it's supposed

to be geared toward a specific group. For instance, A Hundred Thousand Kingdoms never

screamed adult. Daughter of Smoke and Bone never seemed like a young adult book.

And Icefall clearly isn’t just appealing to 11 and 12 year olds.

There was something magical about every aspect of this book. From the well thought out

characters to the haunting setting that was filled with foreshadowing. Not to mention the

writing. It was prolific, it was wise, to the point that I was amazed by how the story was

told better than a lot of YA books. On top of all this it included one of my favorite topics,

mythology. In this case it was Norse mythology, which I've been intrigued with ever since

I first started reading the Thor comics.

This wonderful combination of elements made for a page-turner. And it ended with me closing the

book with a huge smile on my face. Hopefully this new excitement for middle grade level books

will continue!

Additional note: I loved Solveig’s relationship with Hake! He was somewhere in between a father figure and a friend for her. And as weird as it could have been, I got the feeling that had she been older and him younger, their relationship may have been something more. What made Hake even better was that due to a mixture of my own imagination and the book’s description of Hake, I pictured him as looking a bit like Wrath from the Black Dagger Brotherhood. And anybody who knows anything about this series knows how appealing that is *winks*.

Also, Alric, the storyteller and keeper of legends had so many words of wisdom. And he was such an important part of Solveig’s development. As she said herself, “he found me and led me to myself.”

Crescendo contest Winner

2011-10-20T10:35:00.000-07:00

The winner: Bookish in a Box

I randomly selected the winner with Random Line Picker, putting each name in as many times as the number of points they got. As an automatic, winners of my contest have 48 hrs. from the time I send them an email to reply. Congrats to the winner!

What are you reading on Mondays?

2011-10-17T10:09:00.000-07:00

Book(s) read last week:
Icefall by Matthew J. Kirby
Ruined by Lynn Nottage
Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake
Death Catchers by Jennifer Anne Kogler

Currently reading:
Au Revoir, Crazy European Chick by Joe Schreiber

Upcoming read(s):
Envy by Gregg Olsen
Children of Paranoia by Trevor Shane

In My Mailbok 70

2011-10-15T21:17:00.000-07:00

Au Revoir, Crazy European Chick: It sounds like it's made of awesomeness.
A Monster Calls: I've heard fantastic things about this book, especially from The Book Smugglers
Paranormalcy: I've been wanting to read this since before it came out

Daughter of Smoke and Bone review

2011-10-15T12:08:00.000-07:00

Description: Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.

In a dark and dusty shop, a devil's supply of human teeth grown dangerously low.

And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly war.

Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real; she's prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands"; she speaks many languages--not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she's about to find out.

When one of the strangers--beautiful, haunted Akiva--fixes his fire-colored eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?

My thoughts: I adore this book. As in if it was a boy I'd ask it out. And if it were a girl we’d have to be best friends.

Sometimes I like books that weren't necessarily great at one aspect of the story, but another

compensated for it. Like the characters were great so it made the plot better (compensated

for it).

Thankfully there was no compensation needed for this book! From the plotting to the setting

to the characters, Daughter of Smoke and Bone was intriguing and exciting. And the writing

was what brought it all together. From the beginning Prague was so beautifully described that

by the start of the second page of the story, I’d already plotted a way I could go there in

real life... Like don’t be surprised if in 2012 I say I'm going to study abroad in Prague (or

somewhere close enough I can visit).

But it wasn't just the setting. It was Karou and the way she saw the world, or her best friend and

her humor, and especially her family. There’s fatherly Brimstone, the motherly Issa and the

rest of the bunch. Then there is the mysterious Akiva. You love the characters as a whole but

there's something uniquely special about them all.

The world building is amazing too. It was something else that set it apart.  Because I think this

is an aspect of stories in general that can change the level of... likeability. There's a reason why

Harry Potter and even Percy Jackson books (though not on the same level) are well received.

And that’s impart because of the world building. Of course that's not all. It's being able to create

a book that's well received in all aspects, but the way the world is perceived can make the whole

book shine more vividly.

And of course there was the love story. Akiva and Karou. It wasn't quite an I’m in love with you

and I’d throw all caution to the wind for you story, nor was it an our friendship will slowly develop

into love type situation. It was somewhere in-between. And the interesting thing is that although

the second half of the story is almost feels like another book entirely, it still pulls you back to

Akiva and Karou’s relationship from the first half of the book, keeping your interest to the

very end.

And what an ending it was! I think my jaw dropped (literally). It was one of those situations

where you knew enough from the beginning that you shouldn't be too shocked at what happens,

but you're still shocked. And I don't know what’s going to happen, but I NEED to know the real

ending of the story. Whether that be 1-2 more books or 20 (big exaggeration :)).

Contest Winners

2011-10-13T04:35:00.000-07:00

The winners: Maindenveil and Jessy!

Yes there are two winners. I received an extra copy so I decided I’d give an additional one away. The original winner's book will come directly from HarperTeen, and the second winner will get my extra copy.

I randomly selected both winners with Random Line Picker, putting each name in as many times as the number of points they got. As an automatic, winners of my contest have 48 hrs. from the time I send them an email to reply. Once again congrats, I hope both winners will enjoy their copies of Eve!

Deadly Cool review

2011-10-11T13:47:00.000-07:00

Description: First I find out that my boyfriend is cheating on me. Then he’s pegged as the #1 suspect in a murder. And now he’s depending on me to clear his name. Seriously?
As much as I wouldn’t mind watching him squirm, I know that he’s innocent. So I’m brushing off my previously untapped detective skills and getting down to business. But I keep tripping over dead bodies and I’m still no closer to figuring out who did it. And what’s worse: all signs seem to point to me as the killer’s next victim.

I really need to pick a better boyfriend next time.

My thoughts: This was such a cute mystery! I mean... the killing itself wasn't cute, but the story was. And it wasn't until I started Deadly Cool that I realized how much I missed Nancy Drew type stories. I admit that the characters themselves didn’t really stand out compared to characters from other books I've read (and liked), but it was exciting. I loved when the characters had to use any clues that could be found, questioned people, and do that thing where they FINALLY remember things they hadn’t remembered before that makes the whole killing spree “make sense” in relation to who the killer was.

I also really appreciated that the connection with the killed and the killer made sense. There have been so many times that I've read a book and things are going along fine, and then the killer is revealed and it doesn't make any sense. Then it turns out that the killer was this random person who the reader either never met (because the killer had only been referred to), or met like one time. And the reasoning for why the killer killed people came from some random background story at the end of the book instead of revealing tiny clues throughout the story.

Even though the characters weren't really one of my favorite aspects of the book, I got to hand it to Hartley. She has more understanding than me, because as the story went on, she learned more and more reasons NOT to help her ex-boyfriend. But she still knew he wasn't a killer and that someone should stick up for him.

I also loved that this was neither a my-boyfriend-is-a-jerk-sometimes-but-in-the-end-I-still-love-him type book, nor an I've-got-to-find-and-fall-in-love-with-my-soul-mate type story. Avoiding these stereotypes and reminding me of my love for mysterious (especially fast paced ones) made this a very fun (and cute) read.

What are you reading on Mondays?

2011-10-10T15:31:00.000-07:00

Book(s) read last week:
Deadly Cool by Gemma Halliday
Doubt by John Patrick Shanley
All My Sons by Arthur Miller

Currently reading:
Icefall by Matthew J. Kirby

Upcoming read(s):
Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake
A Beautiful Dark by Jocelyn Davies

Eve Tour: Into the Past+Giveaway

2011-10-05T05:28:00.000-07:00

Today Anna Carey is here with a guest post on her favorite books at ages 5, 10, 16 and 20.

Age 5: Caps for Sale by

I remember thinking this book was so funny. I recently re-read it and laughed as hard as I did then. I love how angry the man gets, how he literally throws a tantrum and is screaming at those monkeys. What a lunatic.

Age 10: Babysitters Club by Ann M. Martin

These books established my identity as a reader. I tore through all 150+ of them, and they’re one of the reasons I write for a younger audience. Series like these are a gateway drug.

Age 16: Lord of the Flies by William Golding

I’m sad to say I read only required reading during high school, but I truly enjoyed this book. Oh Piggy. I still scream “I’ve got the conch!” when people aren’t listening to me.

Age 20: Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers

I loved this book not only for the writing, but for what it did for me. I found it after a long period of not touching anything that wasn’t assigned in school. It reminded me why I loved reading. It opened me up again to what good writing can do, how it can make you feel. Shortly after I became an English major, took my first college level creative writing class, and started down a path I’m still on.

Thanks for sharing that look Into Your Past Anna!

Giveaway:

Fill out this form to try and win a copy of Eve!

Ends October 12, 2011

US only

Crescendo Contest

2011-10-04T12:14:00.000-07:00

I wanted to give away my extra copy of the Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick in honor of Silence coming out today. You'll have to fill out this FORM, but here are the rules:

You MUST leave your email address, name, and check the box saying whether you're either an old or new follower, or not a follower at all.

Extra Entries
+3 - old follower
+2 - new follower

Advertise contest:
+2 - link giveaway on sidebar and/or Tweet
+4 - blog post about contest

Contest ends on October 17, 2011.
The contest is for people living in the US and Canada only, unless you live somewhere else but are able to use a friend or family member's US address.

Top Ten Book Endings That Left Me With My Mouth Hanging Open

2011-10-04T11:47:00.000-07:00

Memento Nora

The ending reminded of what happens in some scary movies. Sometimes they end with the main characters escaping, and sometimes they add a short 5-second clip that has you thinking that things didn't turn out so good.

Wither

Everything happened so fast at the end. I was jumping up and down because I was so excited. Until I finished the last page and remembered that I'd have to wait till next year to know what happens next.

The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms

It wasn't a cliffhanger, but out of all the endings I could have imagined in my head, I wouldn't have thought up this one in a million years

The Daughter of Smoke and Bone

I think this is the only book where my jaw really did drop. Everything was exciting and amazing, and then the author threw a curve ball.

Shadow Kiss

I couldn't believe what happened to him!

Catching Fire

The last line. One of the best cliffhangers ever!
Lockdown
I was so in to this book. During the week I read it I wasn't paying attention to school or TV shows or friends (etc.). I just wanted to finish it. The whole story built up what was going to happen at the end, and when it finally happened the book ended before letting you know what happened to the characters

Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince

I was so scared about reading this. I had just gotten a copy when I accidentally read a spoiler online that a main character would die. And below it in bold letters said Hermione Granger. I was devastated! First that she would die and second that someone told me before I could read it myself. Needless to say the jerk that fake spoiled it was wrong, she didn't die, but someone else (who was very loved did).

The Giver

It just left off in a make-of-it-what-you-will type way

Radiant Shadows

This like A Hundred Thousand kingdoms ended in a way I would have never thought of.

What are you reading on Mondays?

2011-10-03T06:00:00.000-07:00

Book(s) read last week:
Eve by Anna Carey

Currently reading:
Deadly Cool by Gemma Halliday

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

In My Mailbok 69

2011-10-01T21:02:00.000-07:00

All three of these books sound good. I'm really excited about Everybody Sees The Ants because Please Ignore Vera Dietz was my favorite book I read in 2010!

Eve review

2011-09-29T08:30:00.000-07:00

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!

2011-09-28T05:16:00.000-07:00

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

2011-09-28T05:08:00.000-07:00

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...

2011-09-28T04:56:00.000-07:00

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

2011-09-27T21:51:00.000-07:00

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?

2011-09-27T20:28:00.000-07:00

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