Slightly Bookish

Cover Reveal: Luminosity

2012-02-27T20:05:00.000-05:00

Hey Readers,

Check it out, guys! We have another cover reveal up today. This is for an upcoming Sci-Fi/Dystopian entitled Luminosity.

Wanna know what it's about? Take a look:

LUMINOSITY (The Raven Chronicles, #1) by Stephanie Thomas

"My name is Beatrice. When I was born, I was blessed with the Sight. I was
immediately removed from my parents and enrolled in the Institution. At
the age of twelve, I had my first true vision, earning my raven’s wings.
And when I turned seventeen, one of my visions came true. Things haven’t
been the same since.

The Institution depends on me to keep the City safe from our enemy, the
Dreamcatchers, but I’m finding it harder to do while keeping a secret from
everyone, including my best friend Gabe. It is a secret that could put us
all in danger. A secret that could kill me and everyone close to me.

But the enemy has been coming to me in my dreams, and I think I’m falling
in love with him. He says they’re coming. He says they’re angry. And I
think I’ve already helped them win."

Oh boy! Doesn't that sound intense? I'm very intrigued!!

Now for the cover, ladies and gentlemen. Drumroll pleeeeeeeeeease!

Hello blue! This cover definitely seems to match the mood of the book, from what I've read of the summary. And once again, the tagline steals the show: "Seeing the future isn't enough to save it..."

If you are interested by now, Luminosity will be released September 11, 2012. But you can pre-order the paperback NOW on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Luminosity-Stephanie-Thomas/dp/1620611279/ref=lh_ni_t

Or add to your Goodreads shelf to remind you later! :) http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13425149-luminosity

All right, guys, that's it! I'll be back soon with a review :)

Cover Reveal: Inbetween

2012-02-20T10:23:00.002-05:00

Hey Readers,

Today is exciting! Guess why? First official COVER REVEAL! Yes, I am happy to reveal the cover to an upcoming YA Paranormal Romance, Inbetween by Tara Fuller.

INBETWEEN (Kissed by Death, #1) by Tara Fuller

Since the car crash that took her father’s life three years ago, Emma’s life has been a freaky—and unending—lesson in caution. Surviving "accidents” has taken priority over being a normal seventeen-year-old, so Emma spends her days taking pictures of life instead of living it. Falling in love with a boy was never part of the plan. Falling for a reaper who makes her chest ache and her head spin? Not an option.

It’s not easy being dead, especially for a reaper in love with a girl fate has put on his list not once, but twice. Finn’s fellow reapers give him hell about spending time with Emma, but Finn couldn't let her die before, and he’s not about to let her die now. He will protect the girl he loves from the evil he accidentally unleashed, even if it means sacrificing the only thing he has left…his soul.

Doesn't that sound fabulous? I'm really excited to read it--I love the idea of a grim reaper falling in love! :O

Now, what you've been wanting to see.... Here's the cover for INBETWEEN:

Ta-da!!! Super pretty cover! I adore the tagline ("Death doesn't fall in love. Usually.") and the little "Kissed by Death" series logo there at the bottom. I also like how the title goes down the side!

So, by now, I'm sure, you're wondering just when does this book come out and where can I buy it?? Inbetween is released August 7th, 2012. But you can preorder from Amazon.com RIGHT NOW: http://www.amazon.com/Inbetween-Tara-Fuller/dp/1620610833/ref=lh_ni_t

In the meantime, if you have a GoodReads, add it to your TBR shelf: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13055677-inbetween

That's all folks! Hope you enjoyed this cover reveal and are excited for this book now. :D

'Til next time!

Book Review (ARC): Struck by Jennifer Bosworth

2012-02-10T11:52:00.000-05:00

Hey Readers,

I've been ~~lazy~~ busy lately, but here's a review for another tour book! :D

Struck by Jennifer Bosworth

LA has been devastated by a massive earthquake and the city is full of chaos and shattered lives. Mia Price has a connection to the storm that caused the earthquake but doesn’t know why – who should she turn to for answers? The religious Followers prophesise the end of the world and claim to have the answers that Mia is seeking. The mysterious and beautiful Jeremy warns her away from them but he’s hiding a more sinister truth. In the end, Mia is to discover that she is part of a power much larger than she could ever have imagined. When the final disaster strikes, she must unleash the full horror of her strength to save them all.

I was interested in this book, mainly because of the cover. Combine that with a quick skim of the summary, it reminded me of this video game my brother has called Infamous. Similar end of the the world, lightning powers type idea. (Although, now that I think of it, in this novel, Mia doesn't really have any lightning-shooting-out-of-hands-whenever-she-wants-it-to powers, like the guy in Infamous.) To be honest, I wasn't a fan of Infamous when my brother played it, so I don't know why that made me want to read this book. (My brother says the sequel was better, if that means anything to you.) (Does anyone know what game I'm talking about?)

Now...review time...

First, a thing: whenever I read tour books, I only have them for one week, tops. And then I procrastinate until I need to review them. Because of this, I find it extremely helpful to take notes after I finished the book, while it's still fresh in my mind, so when it comes time to review it, I know what to talk about.

I speed-read the ending of this book, so I could read The Fault in Our Stars (so many of my books are affected by this book lately!), so needless to say...

..I didn't take notes on this one!

But I do remember enough to review it, so let's get to that.

So you know when someone you don't necessarily know or like is talking to you and you just sort of nod your head in polite interest? That was me with this book. There were some moments where I was like, "Oooh, this is actually getting kind of good!" But then it sort of fizzled back out again. I think it was just me, and the fact that I wasn't actually interested in the book all that much to begin with. Plus, as Bloggers[Heart]Books pointed out today, liking a book or hating it depends quite a bit on the timing, if you're in the right mood to read it, etc.

Tis book is about Mia, who, I guess as a hobby, likes to get struck by lightning occasionally. It may burn all her hair away, or, you know, kill her, but she's a big fan of it. This hobby and the red, vain-y looking lightning scars that cover Mia's body are sort of presented as this random side story. At least to me, it felt that way. It was sort of like, "LA got leveled by an earthquake, etc, etc, and also I like to get struck by lightning in my spare time." It has a bit more meaning in the story later on, though.

So, anyway, Mia lives in this post-apocalyptic world, after an insane earthquake has leveled Los Angeles (and lots of other awful things happened to the rest of the US), leaving many people homeless or dead. Mia is pretty lucky that she still has a house and that no one in her three-person family was killed. But her mom has been left a little worse for wear. She's been depressed/out of it, since she was injured during the earthquake, and it's up to Mia to take care of herself, her mother and her little brother, while trying to survive. (This situation is a bit reminiscent of The Hunger Games.)

There are also these two separate groups of people who think Mia is the key to saving the world: The Followers, and the Seekers. They Seekers hate the Followers and vice versa, and they are fighting for Mia to join them and not the other.

Well, Mia doesn't like either of them, and for good reason: they're both totally creepy! (I wasn't being sarcastic--they are both really weird!) The Followers more so, because they follow this religious cult leader guy, who is practically TAKING OVER THE MINDS of everyone who watches his creepy show, The Hour of Light. (That may not be the actual title, but it was something like that, at least.)

Basically, the Prophet is this creepy (sorry, I know I'm using "creepy" too much, but it is seriously the only adjective for this dude) guy who thinks that God is the reason all this crap is happening to the world and that the God told him that the world will end in three days, and if people want to LIVE, they should join him, um, pretty quickly. Most people thought he was a total quack--until he predicted the killer earthquake would happen, right down to the minute. You can see why people might start to believe him about this world-ending-in-three-days thing!

Kind of off-topic: I was surprised by the religious element in this book. ~~Maybe if I'd actually read the summary, I wouldn't have been but~~ It's not an element that is often included in Young Adult novels, because people can be easily offended by it, etc. In this book, it's pretty heavy, but that's thanks to the creepy Prophet, so it's not all...real? Bad way to describe it, but yeah. I thought it was interesting!

Sadly, I thought Mia was fairly annoying, and that was partly why I wasn't a fan of this book. She got repetitive and I just didn't like her or relate with her. I mean, she likes to get struck by LIGHTNING OKAY.

Oh, I forgot about Jeremy! Haha. That's because he's so forgettable... Okay, I'm sorry, I didn't mean that. This book was a very interesting romance, because it wasn't an insta-love. They met, he was weird, she wasn't too sure that he wasn't crazy. Their relationship built up before they had any sort of feelings for each other and that was great. Jeremy himself wasn't all that interesting to me though and the things he brought to the plot were confusing. He's a "mysterious" character, but I found his background story obvious and predictable.
Okay, wrapping up this review now, because this is getting way too long for a book I don't even have much to say about: The writing was all right, pretty plain. The design on the inside was really cool, because the chapter headers had these awesome thin lightning strikes on them. (I love when there are cool designs on the insides of books!) The ending was pretty crazy, but satisfying, and there were a lot of somewhat interesting parts in the story, but I just wasn't as into at it as I could've been.

Overall, Struck was an interesting and original debut, but it wasn't for me. Next time a book reminds me of a video game I don't really like, I'll try to take that as I sign that I won't really like it!

Rating: 3.5
Struck is released on May 8th.

Book Review (ARC): Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews

2012-01-27T18:27:00.000-05:00

Hey Readers,

Here's a review on a book I actually read BEFORE The Fault in Our Stars. ;D

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews

Up until senior year, Greg has maintained total social invisibility. He only has one friend, Earl, and together they spend their time—when not playing video games and avoiding Earl’s terrifying brothers— making movies, their own versions of Coppola and Herzog cult classics. Greg would be the first one to tell you his movies are f*@$ing terrible, but he and Earl don’t make them for other people. Until Rachel.

Rachel has leukemia, and Greg’s mom gets the genius idea that Greg should befriend her. Against his better judgment and despite his extreme awkwardness, he does. When Rachel decides to stop treatment, Greg and Earl make her a movie, and Greg must abandon invisibility and make a stand.

It’s a hilarious, outrageous, and truthful look at death and high school by a prodigiously talented debut author.

I was obviously drawn to this book because of the title. I mean...come on. Aren't you curious?? I read the synopsis and it sounded like it would be really good. Also...that cover. SO COOL.

Now for the actual review part....

I kind of accidentally read this book in barely a day. I don't really know how that happened but it did. I mentioned this on Twitter and the awesome Jesse Andrews (author) had this to say about that:

LOL!!

Obviously that is a lie, but it was really funny. xD

Anyway, since it seems like I'll never stop talking about The Fault in Our Stars, let me just say that when I read this, I was definitely like, "This is the complete opposite of what TFiOS is going to be." Because this book isn't all that serious, and Greg doesn't learn some philosophical lesson about life and what it means to live, etc. Not that there is anything wrong with a philosophical lesson about life or anything, it's just not what this book is. It's not a "cancer book". And that's okay.

.
In fact, you may be surprised to find that this book is actually RIDICULOUSLY HILARIOUS. I only read it a couple days into the new year, but it is clearly going to be the funniest book of 2012. I must have giggled at least one sentence on EVERY page. Rarely do I laugh while reading a book as I did when I read this one. First of all, we have the chapter titles, which are always silly and true. Then, of course, we have Greg who is just awkwardly funny all the time. The idea is that he is the person who is writing this book so he often reminds you how much this book sucks, and how he would be surprised that you're even still reading.

But there are still some serious moments. I did tear up at one point. With a "dying girl" in the book, you just KNOW that there are going to be some tough parts.

Writing-wise, this book is EVERYWHEREEE. We have some scenes written in screenplay format, bullet points (my favorite chapters was chapter 22, which was written in bullet points), and of course, your standard writing, made extremely humorous by Greg. (The writing reads like how Greg would talk, and it's perfect.) We also have a lot of back story that is told, but it doesn't get annoying or boring, especially when Greg pokes fun at the fact that he has to write so much back story. It actually makes you really feel like you know and understand all the characters and their situations and it was kind of flawless in that aspect. It was all completely honest and realistic that I felt like I had just read about someone's entire life, in a non-boring-memoir type way.

Speaking of characters--I adore them all. They are all wacky and weird and random, but somehow totally believable and likable. Greg's mom was the best. Everything she says is totally mom-like and somehow hilarious. <3

One of the things I didn't particularly care for in this book...It is EXTREMELY PROFANE. Crude jokes and language on almost every page. (This became awkward when my Dad looked through it before I read it, hahaa.) Normally, I would find this annoying enough to stop reading the book, but something made me keep reading until the very end. Definitely ages 14 and UP. (Related note: this book is going to be banned. A lot. I just know it.)

The very end was a little confusing and unexpected, with Greg's choices and stuff, and it almost left me a bit unsatisfied. But the last lines really made up for it, because they were awesome. Still, you'll be confused that it's already over. ;)

So, overall, Me and Earl and the Dying Girl was one of the most profane, odd, hilarious, and ridiculously entertaining books I think I've ever read. I think I can count this as one of my favorites, and I will definitely read anything else that the brilliant Jesse Andrews writes, but I don't think it's for everyone....

Rating: 5/5

This book is released in March. I recommend it! Although, here's a helpful tip: be wary of reading in a public place. People will definitely look at you funny when you're laughing your butt off at a book!

Book Review (ARC): Article 5 by Kristen Simmons

2012-01-25T14:18:00.001-05:00

Hey Readers,

Sorry, I've been MIA for a bit. I guess you could say I was still recovering from TFiOS, haha :D Anyway, review time~!

Article 5 by Kristen Simmons

New York, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C., have been abandoned.

The Bill of Rights has been revoked, and replaced with the Moral Statutes.

There are no more police—instead, there are soldiers. There are no more fines for bad behavior—instead, there are arrests, trials, and maybe worse. People who get arrested usually don’t come back.

Seventeen-year-old Ember Miller is old enough to remember that things weren’t always this way. Living with her rebellious single mother, it’s hard for her to forget that people weren’t always arrested for reading the wrong books or staying out after dark. It’s hard to forget that life in the United States used to be different.

Ember has perfected the art of keeping a low profile. She knows how to get the things she needs, like food stamps and hand-me-down clothes, and how to pass the random home inspections by the military. Her life is as close to peaceful as circumstances allow.

That is, until her mother is arrested for noncompliance with Article 5 of the Moral Statutes. And one of the arresting officers is none other than Chase Jennings…the only boy Ember has ever loved.

This was my train of thought upon seeing this book pop up on the tour site....First: "The cover is really cool, totally a dystopian. I like dystopians." Second, "I like the 'Compliance is mandatory' thing, that sounds pretty awesome..." Third, "Interesting synopsis! The 'only boy she ever loved' sounds a little cheesy, since she's only a teenager, but hey! Cool idea with the arrested-by-him thing! I wanna read this!"

Okay, those weren't my exact thoughts, but you get the idea. See how easy it is to make me want to read something? The book trailer helped as well, but I can't find a link to that anymore, and am starting to wonder if I imagined it, LOL.

The only problem was that this was the first book I read after The Fault in Our Stars. You know how after you read the most FREAKING INCREDIBLE BOOK that anything you read after it, no matter how good, will just pale in comparison? Yeah, it sort of happened with this book. How does one switch from an unbelievably amazing contemporary to a debut dystopian? It'll never go well!

Okay, so full disclosure: I was half-asleep while reading the first few chapters of this book. Not in a oh-this-book-is-so-boring way, but in a reading-before-bed-even-though-I'm-actually-too-tired-to-read-anything way. So, it is highly possible that I missed a bit of important information here and there. That said, I still felt like this book was lacking a little bit of info. Maybe I just didn't understand it (also possible), but I needed to know more about this world and more about why it was the way it was. Everything seemed somewhat regular: Ember goes to school, has friends, etc. But there are a lot of things she's not allowed to have, like books (noooo!), etc. There are apparently a lot of new rules: you have to be married to have children, stuff like that.

So, I guess it's your basic government-controlled dystopian world, now that I think about it. But, as with Legend, I wish I had learned more about everything.

Now, I don't want to spoil much, but I feel like I should tell you more about what happens. Basically, the aforementioned and brand-new must-be-married-to-have-kids rule (an Article 5--you can see where the title came from!) popped up to haunt Ember's mother, and she was arrested. Since Ember is a minor, and her mother is presumably going off to jail, Ember gets hauled off to a rehab center/reformatory from hell. Her plan is to break out and rescue her mother.

This is the first 90 pages. It was all right up until that point, but it finally got more interesting when "the only boy she ever loved", Chase, steps in, and here is where I stop with the spoilers. But basically, this is an on-the-run-from-the-government dystopian.

Something made me dislike this book a bit, and I think it was Ember. She seemed like a bland, helpless, Bella-ish protagonist to me. Or maybe it was the explain-it-to-you-even-though-it's-obvious and bland writing that did it for me. Since this was written in first person, I guess it was a mix of both. One good thing is that we had a few flashbacks to when Chase and Ember were together, so you get to see how they were in love, etc. (Though they seemed out of character!)

Our guy, Chase, seemed to be the typical YA love interest we've got going on lately. Tortured, hates himself, and barely talks to the girl, but is super protective of her. He was all right, though, and his attitude finally made sense at the end, so I could at least understand what his deal was. There were a lot of very good scenes between the two as well, which made up for his jerkishness sometimes.

Overall, this is a fun dystopian debut with a lot of interesting scenes, and a bit of a cliffhanger. The characters can be annoying, but that's pretty easy to forget about, and there were a lot of interesting subplots around the main plot. This book, of course, is the first in a trilogy and I'm looking forward to the sequel. I think the story, writing and world-building will improve in the next book, so we'll see where it goes!

Rating: 4/5

Article 5 releases on January 31st! So soon! If you're interested, you can read the first chapter here: http://www.tor.com/stories/2012/01/article-5-excerpt

The Fault in Our Stars

2012-01-13T20:00:00.000-05:00

Hey Readers,
So.

You know what came out on Tuesday?

You know what I got via UPS on Wednesday?

You know what I read Wednesday night and all day yesterday?

You know what made me cry for hours?

You know what the best book by John Green and possibly ANYONE is?

You know what book you should read IMMEDIATELY?

Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel’s story is about to be completely rewritten.

Insightful, bold, irreverent, and raw, The Fault in Our Stars is award-winning author John Green’s most ambitious and heartbreaking work yet, brilliantly exploring the funny, thrilling, and tragic business of being alive and in love.

This book is beautiful. I encourage you to read it.

P.S. I know--I took so many pictures of this book. IT'S JUST SO PRETTY THOUGH

P.P.S. While John Green actually signed THE ENTIRE FIRST PRINT RUN of this book, my copy was one of the accidentally unsigned ones, thanks to Books-A-Million. Yeah. So there is no J-scribble to show off. But still! This book, guys!!!

Book Review (ARC): Legend by Marie Lu

2012-01-11T20:23:00.000-05:00

Hey Readers,

Here's a review on a book you *might* have heard of...

Legend by Marie Lu

What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors. Born into an elite family in one of the Republic's wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic's highest military circles. Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country's most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem.

From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths - until the day June's brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. Caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family's survival, while June seeks to avenge Metias's death. But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths their country will go to keep its secrets.

Full of nonstop action, suspense, and romance, this novel is sure to move readers as much as it thrills.

This has been popping up on all the blogs lately, and it seems like the newest YA dystopian that everyone's talking about. I wasn't one of the people who were extremely excited about, but I thought the idea sounded pretty cool--Rich, smart girl who's practically a cop is out to get poor, smart villain who apparently killed her brother. That probably sounds pretty regular to you, but pour in some romance between the two and color me intrigued!! So that + great reviews + yay dystopians! = tour sign-up.

So this book isn't your typical YA dystopian, actually. By typical, I mean that there's always a teenage girl--probably 17-ish--who defies/is on the run from a scary, controlling government who is probably out to control the world or whatever. This one has the bonus of a dual point of view--from Day, and then June--who are both only 15 (this seems so young to me--even though I'm the same age as them). There is still your usual scary government (called the Republic), but there seems to be this war going on, between the Republic and the "Colonies". Also, we have the Patriots. I think the Patriots might have been working for the Colonies, but I'm not entirely sure. Maybe it was my fault and I skipped over some important info, but I missed that. There wasn't a whole lot of background info on the history of this world.

An example: There is this trial that everyone in their world has to take. Simply called the Trial, and you take it when you're ten years-old. I would've liked to know a lot more about that, why they actually take it, etc. All we really know about it is that if you fail--like our male protagonist, Day--you get sent to some camp. Only one person has ever aced the Trial--our female protagonist, June. (You go, June!)

Anyway, like I briefly mentioned before, this is told with alternating points of views, Day and then June. The font and text color is even changed for each, so it's very easy to tell them apart, and you don't have to deal with that pesky problem of trying to remember whose chapter you're reading! Also, we have that fun/sometimes irritating thing where we have all this information on June's side of the book that Day doesn't have and vice versa. It's kind of fun!

I preferred reading through June more. I just liked her circumstances more, was more curious about the Republic and her side of things about her brother, and it was generally more interesting to me. Plus, at times, I just really didn't care for Day all that much. He was all right and there are spots where I should've felt some sympathy or empathy for him, but I didn't really. He was just a character to me. (Well, obviously, but you know what I mean?)

Now the side characters: Metias (well...before he dies) was pretty cool and I really liked him. This was good, because otherwise I wouldn't have cared much when he did die, and so I felt sad along with June, even though I knew it was coming. We also have Tess, who is Day's friend. She was really sweet and I'm curious as to what she'll be like in the next book in the, what I assume to be, trilogy. All the other characters were either evil to some degree, or not important. Although we also have Thomas, who is a kind of friend/acquaintance with June and her brother (before he dies). To be honest, I predicted his whole story by page 91 (out of 301), which was kind of sad because there was supposed to be at least SOME mystery.

Other things to note: I know it doesn't actually mention it in the summary, but other reviews had talked about it, so I was pretty excited to read the romance in this book. Obviously it isn't strictly a romance, but I kind of wish there had been more of. Don't go in expecting too much! And also, this book is kind of slow. It says "non-stop action" but that's pretty much a lie. Even so, I was genuinely interested in the story the whole time.

So overall, Legend is a pretty interesting novel. It's written quite plainly and there is a lack of world-building (and some romance, haha), but this is a trilogy. It's definitely going to develop more in the next two books, and I bet it will get a lot better. As for now, I liked it enough to check out the sequel, but it's not quite memorable yet.

Rating: 4/5

Legend is out now (you can find it at Wal-Mart and Target even!). Check it out if you like smart, interesting dystopians.

Book Review (ARC): Bewitching by Alex Flinn

2012-01-08T12:24:00.001-05:00

Hey Readers,

Book review time! A slightly bad review...(I'm sorry!)

The Kendra Chronicles #1: Bewitching by Alex Flinn

Bewitching can be a beast. . . .

Once, I put a curse on a beastly and arrogant high school boy. That one turned out all right. Others didn’t.

I go to a new school now—one where no one knows that I should have graduated long ago. I’m not still here because I’m stupid; I just don’t age.
You see, I’m immortal. And I pretty much know everything after hundreds of years—except for when to take my powers and butt out.

I want to help, but things just go awry in ways I could never predict. Like when I tried to free some children from a gingerbread house and ended up being hanged. After I came back from the dead (immortal, remember?), I tried to play matchmaker for a French prince and ended up banished from France forever. And that little mermaid I found in the Titanic lifeboat? I don’t even want to think about it.

Now a girl named Emma needs me. I probably shouldn’t get involved, but her gorgeous stepsister is conniving to the core. I think I have just the thing to fix that girl—and it isn’t an enchanted pumpkin. Although you never know what will happen when I start . . . bewitching.

Yes, here we have another fairy-tale retelling from Alex Flinn, author of Beastly (Beauty and the Beast) and A Kiss In Time (Sleeping Beauty). I hadn't heard of this book until it popped up on the tour site, but I was pleasantly surprised and signed up for it right away. You know, since fairy-tale retellings are my addiction, and because this book is about the witch who curses Kyle in Beastly (which is why the tagline is the awesome: BEASTLY was just one of her curses). The summary makes it sound like this is sort of a collection of random things that Kendra has done in her witch-y life, so I was pretty excited to check it out. (Also, that cover is really pretty. There. I said it.)

But to be honest... I wasn't too big a fan of this book.

I've only read her books Beastly (well, actually this was a free audiobook) and A Kiss In Time. They were all right. They were cute and predictable. I liked A Kiss In Time more (probably because I didn't like the narrator for Beastly, and that didn't help), but the ending was really weird and silly. Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that I wasn't exactly expecting anything spectacular from Bewitching. (Gosh, I sound horrible.)

This book starts out with a fun little prologue thing, and then Kendra's first ever...um, situation? hundreds of years ago. She accidently got herself into a Hansel and Gretel-type problem. That didn't end well. This was an all right story, but I felt like if it were split into chapters, I would've liked it more. Is that weird and stupid? Probably. But the whole thing is, like, 30 pages, and I was waiting for a break to put in a bookmark and put the book down.

Next, we get thrown into this Cinderella-type story. Except, as the summary kind of says, this is the story about the stepsister. Who is not evil. (Yeah, bit of a twist.) This is told through Emma's point of view (and broken up into chapters!) and this is what brought down the book for me...

I just didn't like this story. I couldn't stand Emma. She just irritated the crap out of me. (Maybe because of her complete lack of confidence. She was all worried that her new stepsister would find out that she *gasp* read the same book twice in only one week! ...I'm sorry, I know she was only thirteen at that point and all, but...give me a break. >.<) Kendra was sort of this random friend in the background who occasionally showed up. I couldn't help but think that if this book was supposed to be about Kendra, then why am I reading about this girl? I would much rather read about Kendra.

But besides the first story, this book is basically fairy-tale retellings told through someone else's point of view, like her other books. With our side-character Kendra splashed in to ~~mess everything up~~ help out the poor character and fix everything. Because this wasn't what I was expecting, I didn't exactly like it. Most of the book is Emma's whole story (which ended... unrealistically), but there are two breaks in between it for the Little Mermaid/Titanic story (I liked this one a lot, so the book won back some points for me) and a Princess And The Pea/France story.

Besides the great Little Mermaid story, one other thing I liked about this book was the occasional mentions of Kyle from Beastly. It was pretty fun to read about him, and what Kendra thought of him.

But overall, Bewitching just wasn't enough for me, and it wasn't what I was expecting. But sometimes there are characters in a book that you ~~feel like slapping~~ can't help but roll your eyes at, and stories you just don't like...that was Emma's Cinderella story for me. If you're a fan of fairy-tale retellings and Alex Flinn, I think you should still check it out. But it just wasn't for me. :/

Rating: 3/5

Bewitching will be released on February 14. (Note: You don't have to read any of Alex's other books to understand this one! But it would be more fun to read Beastly first...)

This review is pretty bad. Don't judge me, guys.

Wrapping Up 2011 Readathon Results!

2012-01-03T22:06:00.000-05:00

Hey Readers,

This is going to be a very short post. A quick wrap up of the Wrapping Up 2011 Readathon I participated in!

If you check out my first post on the subject, you'll see that I planned to read...five books! And guess what...?! :)

I only read two. Well, technically...one and two-thirds. xD

The Disenchantments by Nina LaCour: This was a tour book that I was a third of the way through by the time I started the Readathon. I realize I should have gotten the page numbers to add together at the end of the Readathon, but alas...I didn't think about it. Anyway, this book was cool. Check out my review from the other day, if you missed it, HERE.

Legend by Marie Lu: Okay, technically I finished this one on the first of January...but we're gonna pretend like I didn't! I do have the page numbers for this one though. 301 (from the ARC). It was a pretty interesting book--expect my review soon!

And that's it guys. Pretty pitiful, right? Ah well. I'll do better on the next Readathon! See you all again soon :D

2011 End of Year Book Survey!

2011-12-31T20:46:00.000-05:00

Hy Readers,
THE LAST DAY OF 2011! Is today. I should be scrambling to finish reading things for the Readathon, but here I am.

I feel like EVERYONE is posting "Best of 2011" posts on their blogs, so I wanted to at least do ONE. Luckily, I remembered the Best of 2010 survey I did last year!

So, this is what I've decided to do this year again! But this year, I'm not going to do the blogging part, just the books part. This was started at The Perpetual Page-turner, so go check it out! :D

Here we go!

1. Best Book You Read in 2011?
IMPOSSIBLE QUESTION. But I have narrowed it down to:

Divergent by Veronica Roth
Shatter Me by Taherah Mafi
Sweetly by Jackson Pearce
Don't Stop Now by Julie Halpern

2. Most Disappointing Book/Book You Wish You Loved More Than You Did?
Ehhh....The Future of Us by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler. I think I said it well enough in my review, but this book just wasn't what I wanted it to be. I can live without owning it for a long while. Also, The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer. I DID like that book, but still...

3. Most surprising (in a good way!) book of 2011?
Hmm....I think it was Awaken by Katie Kacvinsky! I almost didn't want to read it, and didn't expect it to be much, but then I did and WOW. I just adored it. Definitely didn't expect to like it so much!

4. Book you recommended to people most in 2011?
Divergent. Shatter Me. Books by Jackson Pearce and Meg Cabot. The Mortal Instruments series!

5. Best series you discovered in 2011?
Speaking of The Mortal Instruments...! It was definitely that. Lovelovelove.

6. Favorite new authors you discovered in 2011?
Cassandra Clare, Julie Halpern, Stephanie Perkins.

7. Best book that was out of your comfort zone or was a new genre for you?
Hmm...I think I'll say Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor. Rented from the library. It was very high fantasy and...well, actually it wasn't really anything in particular. It was it's own thing, and not something I'd usually read!

8. Most thrilling, unputdownable book in 2011?
Oh dear, this is going to make so many parts of this list, but...Shatter Me by Taherah Mafi. DAMN, guys. Could not even entertain the idea of putting that one down. Freaking awesome.

9. Book you most anticipated in 2011?
City of Fallen Angels! Also, Sweetly by Jackson Pearce. <3

10. Favorite cover of a book you read in 2011?
It's a tie between Anna and Mara Dyer:

11. Most memorable character in 2011?
I think Lola from Lola and The Boy Next Door takes the cake on this one. ;)
12. Most beautifully written book read in 2011?

Liesl & Po by Lauren Oliver. Perhaps it's not beautiful in the definition you're thinking of, but it's beautiful all the same.
13. Book that had the greatest impact on you in 2011?
Possibly Between by Jessica Warman, or Awaken by Katie Kacvinsky.

14. Book you can't believe you waited UNTIL 2011 to finally read?
Anna and The French Kiss! Also, the Maximum Ride series. Super fun, should've read it sooner!

15. Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book You Read In 2011?
"It's easy to talk about things we hate, but sometimes it's hard to explain exactly why we like something." --Lola and The Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

16. Book That You Read In 2011 That Would Be Most Likely To Reread In 2012?
There are way too many...I'll probably read a good chunk of them! :D

17. Book That Had A Scene In It That Had You Reeling And Dying To Talk To Somebody About It? (a WTF moment, an epic revelation, a steamy kiss, etc. etc.) Be careful of spoilers!

Um, everything in Clockwork Prince? ;D Also, Shatter Me, yet again! And City Of Fallen Angels, while I'm at it!

Sooooo it looks like that's it, guys! I'll be back tomorrow with a wrap up of my Readathon, and then there will be some more posts next year as well. ;D

Hope you had a wonderful 2011--and have an even better 2012!

Book Review: The Disenchantments (ARC) by Nina LaCour

2011-12-28T15:29:00.002-05:00

Hey Readers,

I'm back already! I just finished the first book in my TBR list for the Readathon, and I decided to write the review right now, while it's still fresh in my mind.

The Disenchantments by Nina LaCour

Colby and Bev have a long-standing pact: graduate, hit the road with Bev's band, and then spend the year wandering around Europe. But moments after the tour kicks off, Bev makes a shocking announcement: she's abandoning their plans - and Colby - to start college in the fall.

But the show must go on and The Disenchantments weave through the Pacific Northwest, playing in small towns and dingy venues, while roadie- Colby struggles to deal with Bev's already-growing distance and the most important question of all: what's next?

Morris Award—finalist Nina LaCour draws together the beauty and influences of music and art to brilliantly capture a group of friends on the brink of the rest of their lives.

Once again, this is an ARC provided by Around The World ARC Tours. I decided to sign up for this tour because of three reasons. One, I'd been hearing some pretty great things about this book. Two, that cover is so pretty. And, three, I thought the summary was a bit reminiscent of Don't Stop Now by Julie Halpern, which I, of course, adored.

But to be honest, this book was a bit of a letdown from what I've heard. First off, because I feel like you readers might need to be informed, Colby is a guy. I already knew this, previous to reading it, so that wasn't what threw me off. I have heard that most people were very surprised by this as the cover is obviously very girly, Colby can be a girl's name, and the summary doesn't say otherwise. So I thought I'd let you know that, before we get to the rest of the review.

And now, let's talk about the story for a sec. Colby's traveling with his three friends, who are in a--crappy, which I found funny--band called The Disenchantments. Bev, his best friend he's been in love with for practically forever, then Meg and Alexa, two adopted sisters Bev and Colby became friends with when they joined the band. Their plan is to tour the Northwest for a week, playing a show a night, then ending the week by dropping Meg off at college. After that, Bev and Colby are off to Europe, to travel instead of heading to college. This plan has been set for ages...except that on the first day of their tour, Bev informs them that she'll be going to college, and that the plans for traveling after the tour are canceled. Nice friend, right?

Yeah, it was annoying. Our protagonist, Colby, was pissed about the whole situation, as one might imagine. With those plans canceled, he has no idea what to do, but he still can't help but be in love with Bev, and I never really got why. I didn't even like her at all, not even at the end, really. She never seems to be very nice to anybody, especially not Colby, and we were never told why she canceled the plans until the end of the book. It wasn't that great of an explanation either. In fact, I kind of wanted to slap her. I didn't really feel any empathy or sympathy for her, and so that brought down a lot of the book for me, as a big part of it was about her.

But other than Bev, there were a lot of other fun characters that they randomly met during their tour, not to mention Colby, Meg and Alexa themselves. Colby is a pretty normal guy, an artist and kind of philosophical. It was kind of interesting to read through a male's point of view, for the first time in a while. Meg and Alexa were pretty cool girls, and they were pretty different, but I have to say that I often got them mixed up, though it never really mattered. The other people they met were so random, yet so believably real, no matter how silly they seemed. I liked this tattoo artist, Jasper, a lot, and also this one guy at their first show who helped Colby decide what kind of beer he should drink (because that part was just so ridiculously hilarious).

As you might've guessed, this book has quite of bit of music talk in it, mostly about girl bands like The Runaways and Heart. There's also a bit of history with Colby's dad and uncle who were in a band as well, which influences the story as well. I mention this, so that I can say that I'd recommend this to some retro music fans.

This may seem odd, but this book reminded me a lot of Paper Towns, rather than Don't Stop Now. The male main character, in love with this strange, sad girl, the clever and philosophical writing style, and the funny side characters. I think if you really loved that book, you'll probably enjoy this book at least a little.

But overall, I felt pretty disconnected from this book, but I have to say, I did like it. The ending was satisfying, though not what I would've predicted. Even so, I feel like I could've not read this book and my life wouldn't be any different.

Rating: 3.5/5

Thanks for reading! I'm off to start my next book for the Readathon. Be back soon!

Wrapping Up 2011 Readathon TBR

2011-12-27T14:33:00.000-05:00

Hey Readers,

Remember how I said I'd be signing up for Jessie's Remarkable Reads Wrapping Up 2011 Readathon? Well, I am doing that now. A little late, I suppose...

Anyway, this is a Readathon that started on the 22nd and ends at midnight on New Year's Eve. I definitely should've signed up earlier, because now I only have (counting today) about 5 days left. O_O

In these five days, I'm hoping to:

Finish The Disenchantments by Nina LaCour (this is an ARC, so you can expect a review!)

Read Legend by Marie Lu (also expect a review!)

Read Aces Up by Lauren Barnholdt.

And also read these two library books that are due, but I'm not sure if that will actually happen! Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi, and How To Say Goodbye In Robot by Natalie Standiford.

Yes, all those in five days. Don't think it'll actually happen, but you never know! I'll be back soon with an update post, but if you want more up to the minute updates follow me on Twitter at twitter.com/slightlymaddz, or with the hashtag #WU2011R. Let me know if you're also participating! :)

December Update!

2011-12-24T14:28:00.000-05:00

Hey Readers,
How have you been? I've been neglecting you, I know--only using you for reviews... This is something that will change at the end of this month, and into the new year! Right now, though, I am going to give you guys a little update on some things, in between all the cookie-making and present-wrapping that's going on at my house today. :)
Thing #1:
I never ended up telling you guys, really, but...I won NaNoWriMo (for more info on what that is and what I planned, click here!) :D :D

THIS is going in the sidebar, under last year's. :)

My novel is currently ~~and poorly~~ titled Try Not To Think. The plot is pretty complicated to explain, but there IS one, don't worry! xD My goal was 25,000 words and that completed at least 2/3 of the novel. Almost there! I plan to finish it very soon. Then edit it. I HOPE. That's the plan, at least.

How did you guys do?

Thing #2:

This may not be interesting to most of you, but I submitted a short story to this magazine, Teen Voices. (You can visit their site here, if you like: http://www.teenvoices.com) The short story is called To Have Drifted. I only just submitted it, but if it actually DOES get on there, I'll link you all to it. If that interests you. So....

Thing #3:

I don't know if you've all been following the progress of the upcoming The Hunger Games movie, like I have....Isn't this all so exciting?! (the trailer, omgggg). Being on Twitter, I follow a lot of bookish people, so I get most of my news from there, lol.

Yesterday I was surprised to hear that the first single of the soundtrack (written for the movie?) was released. And it was by Taylor Swift.

I'm a fan of Taylor Swift and all, but I didn't except her to be the one for this movie. Yet, I have no complaints, because this song is SO. BEAUTIFUL. Even if you don't like Taylor, you must listen:

I remember tears streaming down your face,
When I said I'll never let you go.
When all those shadows almost killed your light,
I remember you said don't leave me here alone,
But all that's dead and gone and past tonight.
Just close your eyes,
The sun is going down.
You'll be all right,
No one can hurt you now.
Come morning light,
You and I'll be safe and sound.
Don't you dare look out your window,
Darlin' everything's on fire.
The war outside our door keeps raging on,
Hold on to this lullaby.
Even when the music's gone, gone...
Just close your eyes,
The sun is going down.
You'll be all right,
No one can hurt you now.
Come morning light,
You and I'll be safe and sound...
Just close your eyes,
You'll be all right.
Come morning light,
You and I'll be safe and sound...

AHHHHH I'M IN LOVE.

Thing #4:

I'm signing for the Wrapping Up 2011 Readathon, at Jessie's Remarkable Reads! More info on that in the next post. :)

Thing #5

I recently just signed up for a library card, and started going to my library. I'm addicted, guys. They have so much stuff I can READ for FREE without PAYING FOR IT. (You think this would be obvious to me, but I'm still so happy about it. Expect reviews (eventually!) on books that aren't ARCs. :D

Thing #6:

You can also expect more videos in the new year. But I have a question--do you guys even like videos? xD

Thing #7:

Happy holidays! :)

I'll be back soon with a readathon post...

Book Review (ARC): Shatter Me by Taherah Mafi

2011-12-05T23:07:00.001-05:00

Hey Readers,
I'm back, just like I said. :D A double-review day today! This next ~~gushfest~~ book review is on the fabulous book...

Shatter Me by Taherah Mafi

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.

THIS BOOK, you guys. Holy wow.

I was hesitant to read this at first, because I didn't know if I'd like it, and I didn't want to sign up for a tour for a book I might not like. I don't like reviewing books I don't like, obviously. There was so much hype around this book, which made me even more hesitant. Then I saw the book trailer, and I just thought, "Why not? I'll give it a shot."

I had to finish A Temptation of Angels (see my review!) first, though, so by the time I got around to reading Shatter Me, I only had a weekend left to finish it, before I had to mail it on.

~~Turns out I only needed a day.~~

I picked it up randomly, just after my grandmother had left after her visit for Thanskgiving and was reading it out on my back porch (great weather!). And then I just couldn't stop reading it. Seriously! I only took a break for lunch and dinner, lol!

Shatter Me grips you from the first page and doesn't let go. It's written in a "stream of conciousness" style which is basically just like you're in the main character's head. I didn't know if I'd like that--As I Wake was written similarly and I couldn't stand that book--The style goes perfectly with this book. It makes you really understand the character, and how being locked up for 264 days has really gotten to her. There are all these ~~strike-outs~~ which some people may find irritating, but I loved. Juliette struck out all the things that she didn't want to think, ~~didn't want to admit~~, and it was really cool to see how they started to be ~~struck out~~ less and less as the book went on and Juliette's character grew.

The book starts out when Juliette finds out she is getting a cellmate. And then she finds out...he's a boy. His name is Adam, and I love him. xD Seriously, can I just freak out about him for a minute? Because, wow. I liked him from his very first line. I thought the book was going one way and then it went another, so then I didn't like him. And then I loved him. It was insane! It was a very interesting and fantastic romance they had going on in this book. <3

But then we have Warner. The antagonist. He wants Juliette to be a weapon, basically, but he's also fascinated by her, obsessed with her ~~and maybe even in love with her~~. Warner is the best kind of villain. You hate him, he's a horrible, horrible person. But at the same time, you ~~kind of~~ love him. It was so weird, but I just loved his character, and was almost rooting for him. I know! He's a sick, twisted person, but he's also fantastic.The things this book does to me, I swear. Taherah Mafi does a great job of making a likeable villain! (As if this weren't obvious by now!)

(Random side note: something awkward? Warner's character is only 19, but I didn't know that when we were first introduced to him, so my mental image of him is some thiry year-old man. Which made it creepy at times. xD It's very hard to change a mental image of a character once you already have one!)

So much happens in this book, it's almost like three books in one. Most reviews you read about this book are probably just as vague as the summary. But I don't want to spoil anything else about this book. You just have to experience it. It may not be for everyone, but for it was so perfect. I've read some really great books lately, but this was the one that I honestly could not stop reading, one I couldn't stop thinking about after it was over, and one that I reread all the good parts multiple times afterwards. I am so obsessed with this book, you guys. You don't even know. I am--to borrow a word from foreveryoungadult.com--suffering some major TEABS (The End Of An Awesome Book Syndrome). Thank GOD there is a sequel coming out next year (as part of a trilogy), or I would explode.

All in all, Shatter Me is 100% perfect, so just take my advice and read it. <3

Rating: 5,000/5

Great news! Shatter me is out now. But I don't own it. *despair* It's going on my Christmas list!!

Book Review (ARC): A Temptation of Angels by Michelle Zink

2011-12-05T13:36:00.001-05:00

Hey Readers,

There are going to be TWO REVIEWS today! Aren't you excited? Also, hopefully TOMORROW, I will finally have a wrap-up of NaNoWriMo this year. :) But until then....

A Temptation of Angels by Michelle Zink

Even angels make mistakes in this page-turning epic romance…

When her parents are murdered before her eyes, sixteen-year-old Helen Cartwright finds herself launched into an underground London where a mysterious organization called the Dictata controls the balance of good and evil. Helen learns that she is one of three remaining angelic descendants charged with protecting the world’s past, present, and future. Unbeknownst to her, she has been trained her whole life to accept this responsibility. Now, as she finds herself torn between the angelic brothers protecting her and the devastatingly handsome childhood friend who wants to destroy her, she must prepare to be brave, to be hunted, and above all to be strong, because temptation will be hard to resist, even for an angel.

I decided to sign up for this book, because (of course) that cover is so gorgeous. When I saw this on the tour site, I loved the cover, and then actually read the summary. It sounded very Cassandra Clare-like to me, so I was really interested.

Besides that, the only other thing I knew about this book was that it was written by Michelle Zink, who wrote that Prophecy of the Sisters trilogy a few years ago, that I never read but was apparently super popular. So really, I am oblivious to any kind of hype about this book. In case you were wondering. Even so, I feel like I should keep this review relatively spoiler-free.

I had trouble getting into it at first. It was intriguing and all, and I was liking it, but it's written in third person. Sometimes that is just an invitation for my mind to wannnnderrr. I don't know why. It is just something that has been happening lately!

But as I read more, I became increasingly interested. After we were introduced to the "angelic brothers protecting her," Darius and Griffin, I started to really like it. I wanted to know how their relationships would develop, particularly the possible romance between the Helen and Griffin.
Perhaps when you read the part of the summary that says, "she finds herself torn between the angelic brothers protecting her and the devastatingly handsome childhood friend who wants to destroy her" you might have groaned. You're probably sick of love triangles in YA books, right? Well, this may be spoiler-y, but I did not really think this was much of a love triangle. That part of the summary doesn't necessarily mean what you think it means. It is more of an allegiance thing really, although they did try to sneak in some feelings for the childhood friend guy. I didn't like this at all. Firstly, because Griffin is all Helen even needs (seriously, he's wonderful) so why would she want this other guy? And secondly, the childhood friend guy was barely present in the story, until the end. He didn't seem interested either, so I didn't get any feelings there might have been for him. In fact, I thought that, while he had an interesting part in the story, he was mostly annoying.

I guess the moral of that paragraph was "don't expect a ridiculous love triangle because there really isn't one".

Anyways. The characters! As mentioned, I didn't really care for the childhood friend guy all that much (I feel like saying his name would be a spoiler, for some reason). The rest of the cast was pretty great. I liked Helen quite a bit--she was very peculiar sometimes, but she was a good main character. Griffin was wonderful, as I also said, but he said some things every once and a while that made me not like him as the love interest. Darius, I found him pretty plain and stereotypical somehow, the way he just didn't like Helen at all. But he was still all right, especially with Anna.
The writing was pretty straight-forward, old-fashioned to keep with the setting, but I really liked it. It was very well done, especially the way she seamlessly wove memories into it. And as for the plot, I thought it was very unique. You might think this is just another angel book (there seem to be quite a few popping up on YA bookshelves), but I haven't really read much to do with angels, let alone angel guardians. It was really cool to read about, even if it was a bit confusing at times. It did remind me a lot of Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare, because of the writing style, and also the characters sometimes.

The ending was all right. There was an awkward dismissal of the other guy as a love interest, which made me wonder why the author bothered to introduce him as such. But it was summed up quite nicely, tying up loose ends. Although, I would not object to a sequel! I don't know if there are plans for this to be a trilogy or what, but I would love to read more.
I read this book in two days basically. Well, that's not true. It took me a few days, a few pages at a time, to get interested in it, but once I did become interested, I had trouble putting it down. Not just because I had to mail it out to the next person in the tour. I kept saying, "Well, I'll read until this next chapter" but then I kept making excuses to keep reading! It was kind of awesome. I was outside reading on the back porch for hours.
Overall, I would really recommend this one. It was just a really fun, unique and interesting read that I didn't want to be over. I think I will definitely check out Michelle Zink's Prophecy of the Sisters trilogy next! :D

Rating: 4.5/5

A Temptation of Angels comes out March 20th, 2012. Check it out!Thanks for reading! I'll be back later. ^_^

Book Review (ARC): Au Revoir, Crazy European Chick by Joe Schreiber

2011-11-28T11:34:00.001-05:00

Hey Readers,
Guess what? I've been too busy rushing to finish NaNoWriMo to write an update post about it, or to even write a review. I have 6000-something words left to write by Wednesday, but I've decide to ~~procrastinate~~ take time out of my writing schedule to write a review for you all! :D Enjoy!

Au Revoir, Crazy European Chick by Joe Schrieber

Ferris Bueller meets La Femme Nikita in this funny, action-packed young adult novel.

It’s prom night—and Perry just wants to stick to his own plan and finally play a much anticipated gig with his band in the Big Apple. But when his mother makes him take Gobija Zaksauskas—their quiet, geeky Lithuanian exchange student—to the prom, he never expects that his ordinary high school guy life will soon turn on its head. Perry finds that Gobi is on a mission, and Perry has no other choice but to go along for a reckless ride through Manhattan’s concrete grid with a trained assassin in Dad’s red Jag.

Infused with capers, car chases, heists, hits, henchmen, and even a bear fight, this story mixes romance, comedy, and tragedy in a true teen coming-of-age adventure—and it’s not over until it’s “au revoir.”

This book just sounds awesomely ridiculous, doesn't it? I couldn't resist signing up for this tour. The cover and title caught my eye (how couldn't they?) and I watched the book trailer, and was totally sold! The idea is just really fun and awesome.

I did enjoy this book. It was a very short read, probably less than 200 pages? I finished it in a day and a half. The writing was very funny and detailed, but, for some reason, I found myself skipping over lines--whether it was the book's fault or mine, I really don't know. But it made a quick read even quicker.

The first few pages are mostly about Perry and his parents convincing him to take Gobi to the prom, so it's a bit slow. It was also annoying, because Perry's dad is a complete JERKFACE. I wished I could just punch him right through book. Ugh, he was horrible. Other than that, it also talked about where Perry wanted to go to college/where his dad was making him go to college. This was one of the underlying subplots of the book, that wasn't really touched on too often (because, you know, when you're driving 'round town with a trained assassin, you're not really thinking about school!).

What they did do to remind you about it was add these college essay questions at the beginning of each chapter, which was really cool. Some of the questions were practically impossible, though! I had fun trying to think about what I would say, what someone could say in answer to it. It sort of distracted me from reading the book...! But besides that, they seemed kind of random to the story, at least until the end. I was hoping each question would tie in with each chapter, but they really didn't. So that was a bit disappointing.

Now, as for the characters, I believe we've already discussed Perry's dad. Perry himself wasn't too great either. He wasn't a jerkface, but he was kind of boring, and always listened to what his jerkface dad told him to do. I did like that throughout the book, he only cared about his family being all right, rather than himself really. Other than that, I liked his stutters-when-angry friend Norrie better. As for Gobi...I don't know. I didn't really like her at all. I wanted to know more about her, but she was very cold and rude throughout the book, and she never really got any better to me.

Oh, side note about the title: I was hoping there would be more French in this book, LOL! It was sort of inside joke thing, though. I didn't really find it fitting until the last few chapters.

So, overall, I have to say this book wasn't what I expected. It was very predictable (I knew who the villain was the first time the villain was introduced) and the ending was pretty confusing, and a little lame. The last page made up for it, though. (REALLY loved that!) But I think this is still a pretty fun book to read, if you're looking for something creative and funny. I would just suggest renting from the library?

Rating: 3.9/5

Au Revoir, Crazy European Chick is out now.

Book Review (ARC): Liesl & Po by Lauren Oliver

2011-11-14T17:58:00.001-05:00

Hey Readers,

Sorry I was MIA on Tuesday! I meant to write up another post about NaNoWriMo, but I was busy...writing. xD Look forward to that tomorrow instead! Today though, I have another review....

Liesl & Po by Lauren Oliver

Liesl lives in a tiny attic bedroom, locked away by her cruel stepmother. Her only friends are the shadows and the mice—until one night a ghost appears from the darkness. It is Po, who comes from the Other Side. Both Liesl and Po are lonely, but together they are less alone.

That same night, an alchemist's apprentice, Will, bungles an important delivery. He accidentally switches a box containing the most powerful magic in the world with one containing something decidedly less remarkable. Will's mistake has tremendous consequences for Liesl and Po, and it draws the three of them together on an extraordinary journey.

From New York Times bestselling author Lauren Oliver comes a luminous and magnificent novel that glows with rare magic, ghostly wonders, and a true friendship that lights even the darkest of places.

At first, I was hesitant about this book. I follow Lauren Oliver on Twitter, but I barely heard about this book, until a month or two before it came out. I didn't really know what it was about, except that it was a book for younger readers, a middle grade book. I liked her debut novel, Before I Fall, but mostly because of the message. The rest of it didn't actually click with me too well. And I have, of course, heard of her second book Delirium, but haven't read that because I wasn't too much of a fan of Before I Fall. Same thing happened with poor Liesl & Po. I also was hesitant because I haven't really been into MG books lately (the main characters seem to get on my nerves).

But then I saw the looovveeely book trailer for it, and saved it to my YouTube favorites because I adored the song.

(seriously. watch this.)

I fell in love with the trailer, and really, I had heard great things about this, so I decided to take a chance and read it. Thanks to Around The World ARC Tours for the ARC, as usual...

Now, for the reviewing part....

This book was SO much better than I expected. Completely different from Before I Fall, and not just because this is MG, not YA. The writing style is just soooo different. It was the same clever, story-telling-before-bed type writing (seriously, I even read the first two chapters to my little brothers!) as Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu, and it was just so brilliant and well done. So many perfectly crafted details and characters.... Seriously, if I didn't know better, I'd assume this was a different author.

There really were so many characters in this book, but not in that confusing kind of way, where you're left scratching your head because you've got them all mixed up. The book does center around Liesl and Po, but there are background stories for everyone they meet, so you can understand their situations and everything. It was just perfectly done--such a well developed and interesting cast of characters, even the small ones. I even loved reading about the villains! My favorite people were obviously the sweet and innocent Liesl and the sarcastic ghost Po (who isn't really a boy, and isn't really a girl), but I also really adored Will, the apprentice of a horrible old alchemist. He was really adorable, and his parts were so funny.

The plot is also incredibly well developed, the way things this character did affected this character, and so on. Just an unfortunate trail of events that all came crashing together in the best way possible. It's like the story built and built on itself until the end where it finally caved in. No other way to describe it!

Another thing I liked is how the "Other World" is described, the Other World being the ghost world, where Po usually resides. A very different take than any other ghostly thing I've read. They were more shadows that faded away as time went on, losing their overall "essence" more and more. It was pretty cool!

The illustrations, by Kei Acedera, were really lovely as well. Check the trailer again, to see what they look like!

One last note: I was in the middle of another tour book when I received this book, so my little sister snatched it up while I was finishing the other book. She's eleven. Her thoughts on this book were basically, "I love it, it was awesome, and Po is really funny." See? Kids will love it!

So, overall, this book was seriously excellent. Unique story, wonderfully written, great characters--it even has a satisfying ending! Just perfect. Ineffable, I would say. Perfect for kids and adults alike. I would definitely would recommend this as something to read aloud to your kids around the Christmas tree this year, or even just before bed!

Liesl & Po is out now! (I know this for a fact, because I saw it in Target and the final copy is adorable. ^_^)

Rating: 5/5

Thanks for reading! And PLEASE go and check out this book. It is so lovely. I can't wait to have my own copy. See you tomorrow!

Book Review (ARC): Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

2011-11-06T18:07:00.000-05:00

Hey Readers,

I have emerged from NaNoWriMo land to review a faaaaaaaaabulous book!

Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

Budding designer Lola Nolan doesn’t believe in fashion . . . she believes in costume. The more expressive the outfit -- more sparkly, more fun, more wild -- the better. But even though Lola’s style is outrageous, she’s a devoted daughter and friend with some big plans for the future. And everything is pretty perfect (right down to her hot rocker boyfriend) until the dreaded Bell twins, Calliope and Cricket, return to the neighborhood.

When Cricket -- a gifted inventor -- steps out from his twin sister’s shadow and back into Lola’s life, she must finally reconcile a lifetime of feelings for the boy next door.

Yes, you know you've heard of this book. I'd heard of it too, of course, but I wasn't one of the people who were so excited it about it, who went and bought it on the day it came out.

I hadn't even read the author's first book, Anna and the French Kiss. I'd had it on my shelf--since December!--but I hadn't read it. I know, I know--what was wrong with me? I have no idea, but I finally decided to pluck it off my shelf a few weeks ago, when I was in-between tour books.

And I absolutely loved it. Everything about it was magical and perfect and I couldn't stop smiling afterwards.

But this isn't a review for Anna and the French Kiss, now is it? So, let's get to talking about Lola. I'd seen this book on the ever lovely tour site, but didn't sign up for it. After I finished Anna though, I immediately got myself on the tour. Luckily, since I was so late to the party, I was the next and last person in line! :D

First of all, you cannot judge it by it's cover. I think it's really cute, but I know some people might pass it off as a lame teenage girly book that could probably be made into some cliche Disney movie. But! Do not think that. There is much more to this book than one might think. And while those two models on the cover do not look remotely like Lola and Cricket to me, I do love the details. Not just Lola's awesome wig, but Cricket--the star on his hand, the rubber bands on his wrist, and even the pinstriped pants. These things will make sense if you read the book, and probably make you giggle a little when you notice it!

Now, for the actual book...It is very hard to review a book I loved SO MUCH. And there is actually a quote in the book that describes this perfectly, which I shall quote now: "It's easy to talk about things we hate, but sometimes it's hard to explain exactly why we like something." So, so true. But I shall try!

First off, it is obviously very different from Anna and the French Kiss. Different characters, different setting, different situations. But it is still written in the same descriptive, realistic way. Stephanie Perkins really brings her stories to life. You feel like you've known her characters for ages, like you could probably be their best friend. And you also feel like you live where they live--just like you felt like you were in Paris in Anna, you'll feel like you're in San Francisco in this book. It is really incredible, but somehow the setting became so clear in my head, without my even trying.

Now for the characters themselves: Lola. She is just all kinds of cool and creative. So different from Anna, which I find interesting somehow. Perkins really brought out a different voice for this book. Lola--whose real name is actually Dolores--made a New Year's Resolution to not wear the same thing twice. She believes in costume, not fashion. And her outfits are soooo extravagant and amazing and different. But I loved how, in the end, it really made her think about who she really was under all that fabric.

And Cricket.... He is not your average YA love interest. Instead of being mysterious, sexy, and brooding, he's awkward, an incredible inventor, and wears pinstriped pants! And he is also related to Alexander Graham Bell (who, by the way, did not actually invent the telephone)! And he is so, so adorable and interesting. Give me Cricket Bell over Edward Cullen any day of the week. <3

Even the side characters were great: Lindsay, who is Lola's best friend and has an obsession with Nancy Drew. (I particularly enjoyed this, being a Nancy Drew fan myself.) Calliope, a talented gymnast and figure skater, and also Cricket's twin sister--she may be annoying, but I loved the conflict she brought to the book. Max, Lola's current boyfriend--well, you'll like him in the beginning, I think. But he slowly shows his true self to Lola, which may or may not be a good self. (I did appreciate that he wasn't a perfectly likeable guy. If he were, I would've felt sorry for the dude.) And then we have Lola's complicated family situation. Her two dads, Andy and Nathan (who are fabulous and real and amazing!), with the addition of Lola's actual birth mother, Norah. I actually really liked Norah, and, as with Calliope, really appreciated the conflict she brought along with her.

Also, there was just so much in this book. Either Stephanie Perkins knows everything in the world, or she did a lot of research. From the creation of Lola's dress, to Calliope's competitions, to Andy's bakery, the details were plentiful and real.

So, overall, there is really a lot to love about this book. An incredible cast of characters, a sweet romance, and a satisfying ending that will leave you giggling and smiling for days, this book has it all and knows it. I highly recommend it!

Note that this is part of a sort of trilogy of companion novels. The first was Anna and the French Kiss, now Lola, and soon to be Isla and the Happily Ever After. I would recommend reading Anna before you read Lola, because there is an EPIC CAMEO that you really will love SO MUCH MORE if you read Anna first. Trust me! ;D

Rating: 5/5

Lola and the Boy Next Door is out now, and I, for one, cannot wait to get my own copy for my bookshelf. :)

See you guys on Tuesday with an update on NaNoWriMo and later this week with another review! Thanks for reading! <3

NaNoWriMo!

2011-11-01T19:39:00.001-04:00

Hey Readers,

Look! A post that is NOT a book review! :D

Anyway, how was your Halloween? Did any of you dress up and go trick-or-treating? Tell me about your costumes, I'd love to know!

I wanted to dress up as Rosie March from Sisters Red, but that didn't work out. I DO love the idea of dressing up as a book character. I wanted to be Lola from Lola and the Boy Next Door, too, but again...didn't work out, LOL. No money, and no real reason to wear a costume, since I don't trick-or-treat anymore. I did wear an old costume though, and walk around with my parents, and little brothers and sister.

But. This is not what I am writing this post for...I wanted to let you guys know, I'm doing NaNoWriMo again this year! I made a post or two about it last year, but I never explained what it was to those of you who don't know.

NaNoWriMo stands for National Novel Writing Month, and it challenges you to write a 50,000 word novel in ONE MONTH. It's about sitting down, and making time for writing, instead of TALKING about writing.

There are two versions of the site: nanowrimo.org and ywp.nanowrimo.org. The first is for anyone and has the set word goal of 50,000 words. But the second one is the Young Writer's Program version, for anyone under 18. I am apart of this site. (My username is SlightlyBookish--feel free to add me as a buddy! Just let me know in the comments who you are.) On this version, you can change your word goal to whatever you want.

Last year, my goal was 30,000 but I had to lower it to 20,000. And I won! It was amazing, too. ♥ (Click here to read my thoughts from last year about it all.) This year, I am back and kicking it up a notch! This year's goal is 25,000!! Eeek!! I'm so excited and I can't wait to get started. :D

So, I just thought I'd let you guys know about this! DEFINITELY check out the site and sign up. It's already the 1st, but you can still join in! Even if your goal is to write a 5,000 word short story, that is still amazing. Go for it!!!

I think I'll be write some more posts this month on my progress, as well as my regularly (haha) scheduled book reviews, so I'll see you soon!

Book Review (ARC): The Probability of Miracles by Wendy Wunder

2011-10-30T17:46:00.000-04:00

Hey Readers,

Another review on a fabuloussss book! :)

The Probability of Miracles by Wendy Wunder

Dry, sarcastic, sixteen-year-old Cam Cooper has spent the last seven years in and out hospitals. The last thing she wants to do in the short life she has left is move 1,500 miles away to Promise, Maine - a place known for the miraculous events that occur there. But it's undeniable that strange things happen in Promise: everlasting sunsets; purple dandelions; flamingos in the frigid Atlantic; an elusive boy named Asher; and finally, a mysterious envelope containing a list of things for Cam to do before she dies. As Cam checks each item off the list, she finally learns to believe - in love, in herself, and even in miracles.

A debut novel from an immensely talented new writer, The Probability of Miracles crackles with wit, romance and humor and will leave readers laughing and crying with each turn of the page.

Doesn't this book sound amazing? That's why I signed up for the tour--the cover drew me in (it is actually very fitting for the book--even the pink!), and then I read the summary and thought, "Wow. That sounds beautiful."

I read it and it was exactly that.

Campbell (Cam for short) has cancer--and her doctor just told her she didn't have much time left. After years and years of treatment, Cam has officially Given Up--but her family hasn't. Her mom decides to pack up and move to a town called Promise, Maine, where amazing things are said to happen. They're hoping for a miracle, but Cam doesn't believe in that stuff.

Let me just say that I do. I believe in miracles--at least the smaller kind--and I am really optimistic. My attitude is that if you expect the worst to happen, well, then it will. Even if things look bleak, there is still hope. You've just got to look for it! Or, hell, even create it yourself.

That said, I didn't think Cam was annoying for giving up hope, and not allowing herself to even believe in the possibility of a miracle. In fact, I totally understood her. Because this book really makes you feel like you know Cam, you are Cam. And it's incredible, because usually only books that are written in first person can do that. And this is written in third person (obviously). But anyway, I loved Cam. Just like the summary says, she is dry and sarcastic, but also realistic and inspiring. She really only cared about her family, when it came to her dying. The parts where she tried to create her own miracles for her family was amazing and hilarious!

Promise sounds like an incredible place. It's not real (or is it?), but still, I want to go to Maine. The funny part is that the beginning of this book takes place in Florida (my state! Woo!). They live at Disney, as employees. I thought this a really interesting setting. But I did not appreciate the bashing on Florida, even if it was all true, hahaha.

I can't really say anything about the ending, because I absolutely do not want to spoil it. I can say that I was in tears. Happy or sad, I won't say. It was still a beautiful ending.

Overall, The Probability of Miracles is a very engrossing read. Cleverly written, with a cast of unique and interesting characters, and a mystical setting that will leave you wishing it were real, you will have some trouble putting this book down. You'll laugh, you'll cry, you'll wonder why the universe can be so beautiful and unfair at the same time. I wish I could read this for the first time all over again. I absolutely loved it and will read more from Wendy Wunder. She is an incredible author! Highly recommend!

Rating: 5/5

The Probability of Miracles is released in December. I'll be adding this to my Christmas wishlist, and I hope you will too. :) Learn more at probabilityofmiracles.com

_______

On a related note, I am writing this review while listening to Florence + The Machine's, "Shake It Out". Somehow the tone of the song really fits this book. Also some of the lyrics seem to fit (not EXACTLY but they remind me of the book, somehow). Take a listen:

And I'm damned if I do
and I'm damned if I don't
So here's to drinks in the dark
at the end of my road
And I'm ready to suffer
and I'm ready to hope
It's a shot in the dark
and right at my throat
'Cause looking for heaven,
found a devil in me
Looking for heaven,
found a devil in me
Well, what the hell?
I'm gonna let it happen
to me

Hope you enjoyed the review. See you tomorrow! ♥

Book Review (ARC): The Future of Us by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler

2011-10-29T13:30:00.000-04:00

Hey Readers!

I'm going to have quite a few posts coming up this week, so to start it off: a review!

The Future of Us by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler

(from Amazon.com)

It's 1996, and Josh and Emma have been neighbors their whole lives. They've been best friends almost as long - at least, up until last November, when Josh did something that changed everything. Things have been weird between them ever since, but when Josh's family gets a free AOL CD in the mail, his mom makes him bring it over so that Emma can install it on her new computer. When they sign on, they're automatically logged onto their Facebook pages. But Facebook hasn't been invented yet. And they're looking at themselves fifteen years in the future.

By refreshing their pages, they learn that making different decisions now will affect the outcome of their lives later. And as they grapple with the ups and downs of what their futures hold, they're forced to confront what they're doing right - and wrong - in the present.
Yeah, that's right. They log on to the internet for the first time, and find themselves on Facebook. You're totally sold, aren't you? You may not even LIKE Facebook (like me), but you are totally intrigued, right?

Exactly. This is a BRILLIANT premise. The second I read the article about this book being sold (and also something about movie rights!), I thought: Wow. I am going to read this book, no matter what.

Then it popped up on Princess Bookie's Around The World ARC Tour site, and I signed up immediately. You can see why I love the tour site:

♥

Anyway,so, I've known about this book for ages, and I was beyond excited to read it. We had a lot of family visiting the week I had this book, so I was telling everybody what it was about, when they asked what I was reading. The look on their faces when I told them was hilarious. They were just like, "That's...genius!!" Also, look that cover? I think it's really cool! And they remind me of Emma Roberts and Alex Pettyfer. O_o

Okay, now. Let's talk about the book...It's told through two points of view: Emma and Josh. The writing was relatively simple--it was very character driven. my only problem was that they were very similar, so a lot of the time, I had trouble remember whose chapter I was reading, and had to look back at the beginning of the chapter again.

I thought it was very funny what they thought when the first figured out what Facebook was actually for. They were just like, "Why do we even NEED this?" Which is basically what I think of Facebook. I do have a Twitter, though (@SlightlyMaddz!), so maybe that's a bit hypocritical. (Twitter is very different, though!) Also, the 90s references! This book was set when I was born, so maybe some of it was a little lost on me, but Seinfeld! Dial-up! Scrunchies!!!!! They even went to see Toy Story when it PREMIERED. (AWESOME), and had no idea what HARRY POTTER was (!!!!!!!!!). It was all just SO DIFFERENT, it was funny. Not in a, "Wow, look how we used to live before the amazing INTERNET!" but in a, "Wow, things have changed so much, it's incredible" kind of way. I really enjoyed that aspect.

What was also amazing was how drastically their futures would change just by deciding not/to do one little thing. It really makes you think about how different your future can be just by deciding to eat Cheerios for breakfast or something. LOL.

Despite all that, I did feel like this book could have been better. Emma was annoying--and not just because she was all wrapped up in Facebook and obsessed with her future, but because of her personality. Josh was a little bit better, but I was annoyed with him as well. There was this underlying plot line about how their relationship had gone bad, because he'd developed some feelingsssss. Normally, I would like this, but I felt like Emma didn't even deserve him. The characters I liked the most were the friends--Kellan and Tyson. They were really funny and cute, and I would have REALLY liked to know how they ended up. Because there was a BOMBSHELL about Kellan that they found on Facebook, and they sort of left us hanging on that one.

Speaking of the ending--I was a little disappointed. It was pretty flat; didn't feel like anything actually happened in the present time. I did like Emma's decision about what to do for the summer, but the rest was really open-ended. I wish there was at least an epilogue on how they actually DID end up.

Overall, this book is really fun, if a little disappointing. I'd still recommend it--it's definitely worth a read! I hope the movie actually happens...

Rating: 4/5

The Future of Us will be out in November!

Book Review (ARC): As I Wake by Elizabeth Scott

2011-10-26T11:47:00.002-04:00

Hey Readers,

Another review for you! (Hey, that rhymed!)

As I Wake by Elizabeth Scott

Ava is welcomed home from the hospital by a doting mother, lively friends, and a crush finally beginning to show interest. There's only one problem: Ava can't remember any of them - and can't shake the eerie feeling that she's not who they say she is.

Ava struggles to break through her amnesiac haze as she goes through the motions of high-school life, but the memories that surface take place in a very different world, where Ava and familiar-faced friends are under constant scrutiny and no one can be trusted. Ava doesn't know what to make of these visions, or of the boy who is at the center of them all, until he reappears in her life and offers answers . . . but only in exchange for her trust.

Okay, ummmmm.....So...

This is going to be a bad review. Well, not bad as in, poorly written (but I guess you can be the judge of that), but bad as in this book was bad, bad.

Let me start by saying I've never read any books by Elizabeth Scott. I've heard of her books and wanted to read them--Perfect You, Something Maybe, Between Here and Forever--but I'd never gotten the chance, until I saw this book pop up on the tour site. I read the description, and was a little surprised she wrote it, because I thought she was more contemporary than...whatever this book was.

But since I seem to be interested in books where the main character wakes up in a hospital, with some memory loss (Mara Dyer, anyone?), I decided to sign up. Plus I thought the cover was really unique--even if the colors don't really blend well for me. I mean, the orange looks kind of bad...

I also didn't want to write this review, because, well, I don't like writing bad reviews. But I feel like I have enough to say about it, so here we go....

The biggest problem was the writing style. It was irritating more than anything. Repetitive, and full of run-on sentences and--dashes like that, which only served to confuse me. There was BARELY any dialogue without someone stopping and stuttering. I practically wanted to slap them and shout for them to SPIT IT OUT ALREADY.

It was written in first person, but because of the way it was written, I could not connect with Ava at all. Her voice in my head sounded like a boring, one-sided robot. There was nothing to like about her. I didn't like any of the other characters either--Morgan was creepy, her friends confused me and irritated me to no end, and, while I was supposed to feel sorry for the mom (I guess), I just didn't, and found her selfish and desperate, instead.

The plot is a bit sci-fi. It has to do with alternate universes, and that was never thoroughly explained. There were too many questions left about where Ava came from, which we only saw through her memories. And when she did remember, it was like, "Oh, yeah, I remember who I am now and I love Morgan" and didn't bother to fill us in on enough details, so we could feel like that too. It was seriously like reading a book about complete strangers--didn't know who they were or where they came from, but apparently they love each other? Oh, okay. I'll just ride this book out until it's over, so I can have it over with already.

That's the thing though: out of the many things that I didn't like about this book, I have to admit that the mystery did keep me reading. But that was the only thing. And then it ended, random and awkward.

Overall, this book just wasn't for me. Maybe if you are a sci-fi fan, or an Elizabeth Scott fan, you'll like it. If you're not, I suggest that if you do read this, you read it with low expectations and an open mind.

As I Wake is out in bookstores now.

Rating: 2/5

Yeesh, I know--harsh review, yeah? I didn't want to write it, but I felt like I needed to get my rant about this book out of my system, and into some intelligible words. So there you have it!

I'll be back with a better review this week. Until then!

Book Review (ARC): The Unbecoming Of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

2011-10-19T17:22:00.002-04:00

Hey Readers,

I am back for a review on a *very* anticipated book. Check it out!

The Unbecoming Of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

Mara Dyer doesn't think life can get any stranger than waking up in a hospital with no memory of how she got there.

It can.

She believes there must be more to the accident she can't remember that killed her friends and left her mysteriously unharmed.
There is.
She doesn't believe that after everything she's been through, she can fall in love.
She's wrong.

If you are involved in the book blogging community at all, you have probably heard of this book. And I have been falling out of the book blogging lately (excluding my own blog), so the fact that even I have heard about this book says something. I've heard all about it on Twitter, with the "Who Is Mara Dyer?" and the endless giveaways and contests. All I actually knew about the book was that the cover was pretty. Because, seriously, just LOOK at it. SOMEONE GIVE ME THAT DRESS!!! I will wear it forever.

Going off on a bit of a side note here, but here's a brain crack for you: a clothing store where all they sell are the clothes from the covers of YA books. So the dress from Mara Dyer, and Matched, the shoes from Prada & Prejudice....You know. Stuff like that. WOULD IT NOT BE COOL? I would never shop anywhere else.

Um. Anyway.

After the buzz for this book went in one ear and out the other, I noticed that it was available on my favorite awesome tour site, Around The World ARC Tours....

I actually read the summary (it's short!) and I was like, "Whoa, this sounds pretty cool!"

And here we are.

The Unbecoming Of Mara Dyer...was a lot of things. First of all, it was HUGE. Like, 450 pages. Insane. I almost thought it would never end. It would probably look really nice on my bookshelf.
The story started out so quick. Prologue, accident, after effects of the accident, and then they move to Florida. It was sufficiently creepy, but also confusing, and it felt rushed. I was surprised that her parents actually moved to Florida. I kind of felt like I was missing something.

Mara Dyer (not her real name!) was okay. She was funny and sarcastic, and a lot of the banter with her brother and/or Noah made me crack up (even if it was kind of forced at times). But Noah...okay, I grew to like him. He was weird and annoying at first, but I did like him. By the end, he felt like a completely different character, though so I'm not really sure about him. But let's talk about Mara and Noah's relationship: it was too...fast. Like, one second, she's all, "Oh my God, I hate this guy" and then the next, she's all, "We're soul mates" and he's all she thinks about. Don't you hate that? It didn't bother me all that much, like it usually does, but it was annoying.

Now the story...It was random. That is a good way to describe it.... Like, some of the stuff that happens seemed so forced and out of place, but was supposed to tie into the story. Like, the dog scene. Like 50 pages were spent on this random dog she found. And then the "thing" happens and you're like, "Ohhhh, so this is why the dog is important." But still. Also, I may point out a scene with some random crocodiles. That was just...confusing. (And yet somehow, it was the scariest part of the book.)

Because this book was confusing. The writing was nice, but something about it made my eyes skim past a lot of words. Mara has post-traumatic stress disorder from the accident, and every time that kicked in, it was CONFUSING. I didn't realize until the end that it was just her PTSD, so I was very confused until then. And then her "secret" is revealed, and you're like, "WAIT. THAT is what this book is about?? O_O" And it's STILL CONFUSING. Then NOAH reveals a little something-something, and you're like, "WTF DOES THIS MEAN THEN?!" And then that ending! Oh the ending. The little details about her father's case that have been sprinkled throughout the book came right back around, didn't they? Honestly, I am still a little confused on what THAT was. I reread it a few times, and I still don't know. A lot of things happened that make me think rereading the book entirely would be a great choice.

So. Besides being a little all over the place, and ridiculous, I liked this book. I enjoyed reading it, I laughed, I freaked out, and I almost wanted to sleep with the lights on because it got SCARY. But I don't think this is book is as great as everyone thinks it is. Though, I still think it's worth checking out. Be warned, though, it has the mother of all cliff hangers. I would suggest checking it out closer to the sequel's (there had BETTER be a sequel!) release date!

Rating: 3.9/5

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer is out now!

Book Review (ARC): Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu

2011-10-14T22:07:00.000-04:00

Hey Readers,

Back with another review of a lovely book....

Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu

Once upon a time, Hazel and Jack were best friends. But that was before he stopped talking to her and disappeared into a forest with a mysterious woman made of ice. Now it's up to Hazel to go in after him. Inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's "The Snow Queen," Breadcrumbs is a story of the struggle to hold on, and the things we leave behind.

Okay, so you guys know how much I LOVE fairytale re-tellings, right? Because I do. SO MUCH. And recently I've been hearing about Hans Christian Andersen's "The Snow Queen", thanks to Jackson Pearce. Sounded pretty awesome to me, so when I saw this book on the tour site, I signed up IMMEDIATELY. Also: how GORGEOUS is that cover? I absolutely love it.

Anyway, I was eagerly awaiting my turn in the tour. When I got it, I was looking through it and realized...it's a middle grade book. I had no idea. Maybe if I took a closer look at the cover, instead of being blinded by its gorgeousness, I would have realized. I was expecting it to be a young adult book, and since middle grade books haven't been too good to me lately, I was disappointed.

Then I read it.

I fell in love with this book, as soon as I started reading it. The writing is clever and funny, and so, so honest. Also, incredibly creative! I can't even describe it better than that. You just have to read it. Also, I loved how it was very modern--references to stories like Harry Potter, Narnia, and Coraline made me grin.

Hazel is a fantastic main character. I absolutely loved her. She was brave, funny, honest and, at the same time, just a regular kid. She was in command of this story--it was told like she was telling it, though it's third-person. Just a few chapters into the book, and I felt like I'd known her forever. The innocent way she thought about being adopted and her parents being divorced, et cetera, was incredibly touching. Yet, some of the best parts of the book were when we took the spotlight off of Hazel. The parts with Jack and the Queen...the stories of the people Hazel met on her journey to save her best friend...they were all so incredible. I actually read parts aloud to my older sister, and she agreed.

Speaking of, Breadcrumbs is the perfect read-aloud story. Honestly, if I am ever able to grab a final copy of this book, I will actually read it aloud to my little brothers and sister before bed. It's that kind of story. The only thing is that there are quite a few SAT level words that even I barely knew, LOL. I think the eleven or ten year-olds might need to keep a dictionary handy...Other than that, this book is wonderful for all ages.

The only problem I had with Breadcrumbs was that for a fairytale re-telling, it felt like the actually fairytale part didn't start until the last half of the book. Not that I minded, because even though the first half of the book focused on Hazel and her relationship with Jack and her mother, I really loved reading it. Still, it was sort of weird.

Overall, this book was fantastic. A great story to read to your siblings or kids, with a brave main character and a sweet ending. (It sort of reminded me of the May Bird and the Everafter series by Jodi Lynn Anderson....) It was beautiful, incredible and everything in between. I'm not sure how similar this book is to the original fairy-tale, but clearly, I need to read it. Highly recommended.

Rating: 5/5

Breadcrumbs is out now.

Book Review (ARC): Shut Out by Kody Keplinger

2011-10-13T23:46:00.001-04:00

Hey Readers,

I swear one of these days, I will get back to posting things that aren't *just* book reviews. Maybe even SOON. But I'm still catching up on reviews. So, until then, enjoy! ;D

Shut Out by Kody Keplinger

Most high school sports teams have rivalries with other schools. At Hamilton High, it's a civil war: the football team versus the soccer team. And for her part, Lissa is sick of it. Her quarterback boyfriend, Randy, is always ditching her to go pick a fight with the soccer team or to prank their locker room. And on three separate occasions Randy's car has been egged while he and Lissa were inside, making out. She is done competing with a bunch of sweaty boys for her own boyfriend's attention.

Lissa decides to end the rivalry once and for all. She and the other players' girlfriends go on a hookup strike. The boys won't get any action from them until the football and soccer teams make peace. What they don't count on is a new sort of rivalry: an impossible girls-against-boys showdown that hinges on who will cave to their libidos first. And Lissa never sees her own sexual tension with the leader of the boys, Cash Sterling, coming.

I'd heard soooo many good things about Kody Keplinger's debut novel, The DUFF, but I've never been able to get my hands on a copy. (Plus, how COOL is it that she's a teenager and she has two books published?! YOU GO, GIRL!) So when this book popped up on Around The World ARC Tours, I thought it might be just as good. Plus the summary sounded interesting. (I KNOW. I actually read the summary, and didn't pick it just by the cover--which I'm not a big fan of, by the way.)

This is going to be a short review for once, so bare with me. I probably should have read some reviews for this book before signing up for the tour, because...I just didn't like it. I don't know why, but it just....ugh.

First of all, I just couldn't connect or relate with Lissa at all. She wasn't very likeable, even though I understood why she was the way she was. The only time I liked her was when she was joking around with her best friend, whose name I have forgotten. Those parts made me laugh a bit. I can't remember any other characters, except Cash. He was cute. That library scene was pretty sweet. ;)

As for the story, a lot of it felt way too forced. Every time the girls had a sleepover and talked about their relationships with their boyfriends, I couldn't help but roll my eyes. I completely understood the message and agreed with it and all--but seriously. I wish it could have a little more subtle or SOMETHING. I'm sure most teens would appreciate it, but I couldn't get past how forced it was.

Oddly, I still liked this book. It was funny, the writing style was nice, and it had a cute romance (after the whole jerk Randy thing blew over...). I DO like the idea of football vs. soccer, but the soccer players were barely present.

Anyway, if you don't mind being annoyed with the main character, and want to read a light romance, I might suggest this book to you (it's out now!). As for me, I wasn't a big fan. I mean, I'll probably still check out The DUFF and Kody's future books, because she has a lot of potential (that probably sounds weird), but Shut Out fell flat for me.

Rating: 3/5

Do you agree with my review? Have you read The Duff or Shut Out? Let me know in the comments, and I will see you tomorrow. :)

Book Review (ARC: Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally

2011-10-08T11:17:00.002-04:00

Hey Readers,

So....That review week totally failed didn't it? Oops. School has been keeping me WAY busy. To make it up to you: another review! :D

Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally

What girl doesn’t want to be surrounded by gorgeous jocks day in and day out? Jordan Woods isn’t just surrounded by hot guys, though—she leads them as the captain and quarterback on her high school football team. They all see her as one of the guys, and that’s just fine. As long as she gets her athletic scholarship to a powerhouse university. But now there’s a new guy in town who threatens her starring position on the team…and has her suddenly wishing to be seen as more than just a teammate.

Once again, this book is a tour book. Shockingly, I did not sign up for this tour, because of the cover. (I happen to think the cover is a little cheesy, not to mention that tagline!) I'd just heard this book was awesome, and went for it. I thought it would be pretty cool, because I haven't read any other kind of football YA books. And, because I apparently suck at reading a summary before reading a book now, I only thought it was about football and that some teenage girl falls in love with one of the guys on the team or something?

I was totally wrong! There is a lot more to it. I was totally surprised to find out that Jordan (our main character) is the quarterback of her high school football team!! I mean, HOW AWESOME IS THAT? You go, Jordan! xD

The second I started reading, I loved it. The writing style is very Meg Cabot-esque, but with more bad words, LOL. There were also little "journal" entries from Jordan, which were really good. It really showed you how interested she became in writing, without her having to really say it herself until later.

I am still so in love with the characters in this book, and I read it a few weeks ago. JJ, Carter, Sam Henry are Jordan's three friends from her team, and they are all awesome. And hilarious. And so sweet at times, even though they have terrible relationships with some of the cheerleaders....

I love Sam the most (although, Jordan calls him Henry most of the time, so it's easy to forget his name is actually Sam). He is Jordan's best friend and he is amazing. The whole part with "Jerry Rice" made me laugh so hard while I read it out on my porch, that my neighbors probably think I'm crazy. Still, his relationship with Jordan was so adorable. ♥

Then, there is Ty, the new guy on the team. At first I didn't like him, because, even five pages in, I was rooting for Sam. (Who cares if it was a seemingly-typical guy-loves-best-friend thing? I LOVED it!) Then, as Jordan started to like him, I had to. And I thought, "Crap, there goes all hope for Sam" and pretty much gave up on that idea. But then we start to realize how totally annoying Ty is...and what you thought was going to happen just doesn't. It's crazy how much changed over the course of this short book. The relationships were so realistically portrayed, and there was a lot of character development.

Now, you're probably thinking that book kinda sounds cute...but what if I don't like football? Or know anything about it?

No problem! I hardly know anything about football myself, except that my Dad watches it every weekend and we usually make delicious food for the Super Bowl. Even though this book is very focused on football, and Jordan trying to get a scholarship for it, there is still so much else going on that you can still really enjoy it. And I actually found the football part pretty fun, and easy to understand. I have to give some points to the author for being able to describe the game so well in words.

So, overall, I just really really enjoyed this book. I had so much fun reading it, there were great characters, great romance, and a great ending. I will definitely check out more by this author. Speaking of which, after checking out her website, I found out that this book will have two companion novels! Because they are companions, I'm assuming they aren't direct sequels, but are probably set in the same town. Which is good, because, while this book doesn't need a sequel, I wouldn't mind hanging out with them some more!

Catching Jordan is released in December. I highly suggest you check it out! There is a lot more I can't talk about that involves spoilers, but...seriously. Check it out! :D

Rating: 4/5

All right, guys....I promise to be back soon! Hope you enjoyed this review! Thanks again to Around The World ARC Tours for this book....

Book Review (ARC): The Faerie Ring by Kiki Hamilton

2011-09-26T16:21:00.001-04:00

Hey Readers,

This week is going to be another catch-up-on-reviews week for you all. Haha, needless to say, I'm a bit behind...So here is the first post of the week, a review on:

The Faerie Ring by Kiki Hamilton

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...

This is pretty different for me, right? A little more of a fantasy read than usual. I have to say, I saw the gorgeous cover, I skimmed the summary, and I signed up for this tour. Many thanks to Around The World ARC Tours for providing the ARC, and fueling my judging-books-by-their-cover problem (haha!)...

The Faerie Ring was a fun book. Every time I sat down to read it, I was immediately pulled into London in the 1800s, which was pretty cool. The writing/setting made me feel like I was reading an old classic book, but it was still easy to read. (At least, to me.)

The characters left a little bit to be desired. There was nothing about them that made me really connect with them, or love them at all, and I feel like I'll probably forget about them pretty easily. The person who I liked the most was Prince Leo, but he kind of got annoying towards the end. Larkin confused me, Reiker was pretty cool, and Tiki was nice. I understood her desperation about her family, and wanted everything to turn out right for her, but she was pretty plain (though strong).

The mystery in this book was very intriguing and unique. It was pretty different from anything else containing faeries that I've read. The faerie part disappointed me. It didn't really feel like the faerie part was present enough. It was there, but...not really. And when it was, it felt confusing, and out of place. Very weird.

The ending fell a little flat....There didn't seem to be as much action as I was expecting, haha. It had this clever way of keeping you totally satisfied, while still leaving you with questions. I thought it definitely seemed like it could lead into a sequel, and I was right! After searching the internet, I found out it's the first in a four-part series. The next book is titled The Torn Wing.

Overall, this book was a fun, nice read. It's in interesting blend of historical fiction, mystery, fantasy and a splash of romance. I liked it a lot, but if you are a bigger fantasy fan than I am, you'll probably enjoy this book more than I did. Same if you like historical fiction. It's not that I don't like fantasy or historical fiction, I'm just not as into them as other people are, or as I am into other genres.

Rating: 3/5 (Liked it; not exactly my style though.)

The Faerie Ring releases tomorrow, September 27th, but you can find out more about the series by visiting thefaeriering.com. Thanks for reading!

Book Review (ARC): Crossed by Ally Condie

2011-09-18T12:55:00.000-04:00

Hey Readers,

Sorry I've been MIA for the past two weeks! I've been sick with a cold (ew) and starting up with schoolwork again (sigh). Anyway, today I have a review of a much anticipated book...

Crossed by Ally Condie

The hotly awaited second book in the dystopian Matched trilogy...

In search of a future that may not exist and faced with the decision of who to share it with, Cassia journeys to the Outer Provinces in pursuit of Ky - taken by the Society to his certain death - only to find that he has escaped, leaving a series of clues in his wake.

Cassia's quest leads her to question much of what she holds dear, even as she finds glimmers of a different life across the border. But as Cassia nears resolve and certainty about her future with Ky, an invitation for rebellion, an unexpected betrayal, and a surprise visit from Xander - who may hold the key to the uprising and, still, to Cassia's heart - change the game once again. Nothing is as expected on the edge of Society, where crosses and double crosses make the path more twisted than ever.

Before I start reviewing Crossed, let me point you in the direction of my review of the first book in the trilogy, Matched. I will summarize those thoughts here, though: I liked it, but it got boring fast. Cassia and Ky annoyed me, and while it was beautifully written, I did not really care for it in the end.

So, now you might be wondering why I bothered reading the second book...Well, despite the first book not being exactly "amazing" to me, I still liked the plot, and was interested in how it would play out. Plus, I was able to get this book as part of an ARC tour! Many thanks Around The World ARC Tours for the ARC, as usual....

Honestly, though, I probably would not have read this book if it meant going out and buying it. In fact, I was even thinking of giving away my copy of Matched. I'm glad I didn't though, because I actually really liked Crossed!

First off, let me say that there is not much of a recap of Matched in this book. I had to go back and skim through that book a bit to understand what was going on and to refresh my memory. I would probably suggest completely re-reading that book before you start Crossed, unless you have a really good memory. The beginning starts out with Cassia in an entirely new place, and it took me a while to understand why she was there.

Surprisingly, this book includes the additional point of view of none other than Ky! It was definitely a much needed part of the book. It was funny, because we would get all this info from Ky's part, and then go back to the clueless Cassia and be like, "NO DON'T GO IN THERE YOU IDIOT!" Anyway, Ky's point of view made me like and understand his character more, which is always appreciated. Cassia also grew a lot in this book, making her tolerable and almost likeable.

There was also a lot more action in this book, which I was extremely thankful for. Not exactly fighting and explosion type action, but enough to keep me interested. It was like a giant adventure in the Grand Canyon. (Is it weird that I was reminded of that one Brady Bunch episode?) At first it felt like a completely random setting, but it grew on me. I actually got more and more excited to see if Ky and Cassia got reunited, and I grew to like them more as a "couple."

Once again, Ally Condie blows it out of the park with her beautiful writing. This is the type of book that can transport you into it's world, on it's writing alone.

I was forced to speed through the ending a bit, so I'm a little confused on how it ended, but I can tell you that it was as much as a cliff-hanger as the last book. I'm actually excited for the final book in the trilogy (title TBA).

Overall, this book was a fantastic sequel that easily surpassed the first book. If you weren't too big of a fan of the first book, I still encourage you to check it out (possibly borrow from a friend), because you might enjoy it!

Rating: 4/5

Crossed is released November 1, but you can read the first two chapters HERE on EW.com.

Hope you enjoyed my review--thanks for reading!

The (Book) Battle is Over (+giveaway winner)!

2011-09-02T15:38:00.000-04:00

Hey Readers,

So...remember that book battle I've been competing in this summer? With Benji from his newly titled blog, The Non Reluctant Reader? The one that included a giveawayyyy for the randomly selected person who bet the winner?

Well...it ended on the 31st. I meant to post yesterday, but my internet was being crazy, so I didn't have a chance.

Before I tell you who won the battle (and the giveaway!), I thought I'd post a list of the books that I read this summer! Just thought it might be interesting. :D Anyway, the list:

1. The Girl In The Steel Corset [ARC] by Kady Cross--REVIEW
2. Abandon by Meg Cabot
3. Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbit
4. Sweetly [ARC] by Jackson Pearce--REVIEW
5. Minerva Clark Goes To The Dogs by Karen Karbo
6. Wintertown [ARC] by Stephen Emond--REVIEW
7. Heaven Looks A Lot Like The Mall by Wendy Mass
8. The Mediator #1: Shadowland by Meg Cabot
9. The Mediator #2: Ninth Key by Meg Cabot
10. The Mediator #3: Reunion by Meg Cabot
11. The Mediator #4: Darkest Hour by Meg Cabot
12. The Mediator #5: Haunted by Meg Cabot
13. The Mediator #6: Twilight by Meg Cabot
14. Anna Dressed In Blood [ARC] by Kendare Blake--REVIEW
15. Deadly Cool [ARC] by Gemma Halliday--REVIEW
16. Between [ARC] by Jessica Warman--REVIEW
17. Fracture [ARC] by Megan Miranda--REVIEW
18. Divergent by Veronica Roth
19. Don’t Stop Now [ARC] by Julie Halpern--REVIEW
20. Notes From An Accidental Band Geek [ARC] by Erin Dionne
21. The Scorpio Races [ARC] by Maggie Stiefvater
22. Crossed [ARC] by Ally Condie (review coming soon)

This summer passed by fast, but I read a lot of great books, and I had a lot of fun! ^_^

But now you should know. I LOST THE BATTLE. I meant to read the last four Spiderwick Chronicles books (they're really short, hahaha) on the 31st, but when I looked at the calendar, it turned out that I got the date all messed up, so when I went to read Spiderwick, it was already September. So I lost, 22 to 24. Congratulations Benji!

Thanks to those who entered the giveaway (and those who voted for me especially, ha!), but remember only those who bet the winner were entered. So the winner of the hard copy of 13 Treasures by Michelle Harrison is.....

Vivian Mah!!!

Congrats, Vivian!! I'll be emailing you shortly for your address, and your copy of 13 Treasures will arrive quickly!!

If you also entered Benji's giveaway, be sure to head over to his wrap-up book battle blog post to see if you've won! :D

So, that's all folks! Thanks for reading! And congratulations to Benji once again (though I almost won!!). ^_^

Book Review (ARC): Don't Stop Now by Julie Halpern

2011-08-25T10:15:00.004-04:00

Hey Readers,

I'm back, just like I said! Here's a review for a book that is already out, if I'm not mistaken. You won't have to wait for this one! :)

Don't Stop Now by Julie Halpern

“I did it.”

On the first day of Lillian’s summer-before-college, she gets a message on her cell from her sort-of friend, Penny. Not only has Penny faked her own kidnapping, but Lil is the only one who Penny told. She knows that Penny’s home life has been rough, and that her boyfriend may be abusive. Soon, Penny’s family, the local police, and even the FBI are grilling Lil, and she decides to head out to Oregon, where Penny may be hiding. And who better to road-trip across the country with than Lil’s BFF, Josh. But here’s the thing: Lil loves Josh. And Josh doesn’t want to “ruin” their amazing friendship.

Josh has a car and his dad’s credit card. Lil has her last Summer of Nothing to fill. Together, they share a thirst for all things weird the United States has to offer. But there’s something else Lil needs to find: Are she and Josh meant to be together?

Julie Halpern wrote it, so that’s why I signed up for the tour for this book. She wrote this really good book I have, called Get Well Soon, which was about a girl who had to stay in a mental institution for her depression and anxiety, among other things. I really liked that book, and, surprisingly, it wasn’t even that depressing. (I hear there’s going to be a sequel?) I would recommend it!

Anyway, back to Don’t Stop Now. It’s a fantastic book. It was about these two best friends, Lillian and Josh, who go on a road trip to find their sort-of friend, Penny. Penny faked her own kidnapping to go visit a boy she met on vacation, because she couldn’t deal with real life anymore. The only person who knows about the “fake” part is Lil (and Josh), and so Lil felt a responsibility to go and talk to her or whatever.

But mostly, it’s just her and Josh on an epic road trip to Portland, Oregon. Lil has a crush on Josh, as well, which, I must say, was kind of adorable. Hugely because Josh was kind of adorable himself, but also because their relationship was already so…I don’t know. Comfortable? They held hands a lot, Josh put his arm around her. You would mistake them as a couple if you saw them walking down the street. It was just really cute.

Plus, they joke around like I do, which I thought was hilarious. Very witty and realistic dialogue. Big thumbs up from me. It was also written sort of like Get Well Soon. Not in letter format, but just like a teenager telling her story. Like YA book should be sometimes. I love Julie’s style. It’s so awesome. So realistic.

The thing that was especially realistic was how they talked about the future. It was the summer after they graduated high school, their one last summer without having to grow up. Lil was all ready for the future—going off to college, etc—but Josh was trying really hard not to be, which just really represents most teenagers. Some are ready, some are not. I really appreciated the message I got from it. It made me think for quite a bit afterwards because I even though I'm not exactly graduating high school yet, I am at that age where people are asking if I have a job yet, or if I've learned to drive yet, or if I'm going to college, etc. On one side (Josh's), I really don't want to think about any of that, but on the other (Lil's) I am totally ready. So I'm both.

Sometimes it's confusing being a teenager!

Anyway, I really loved this book. It was hilarious and touching and one of the best road trips I've ever read about (haha!). I can definitely see someone going to all the same places they went to. (If you want to see some snapshots of those places, check out the Don't Stop Now page HERE, on Julie Halpern's website! They're really fun!) Pretty open-ended, but then again, isn't life?

I highly recommend Don't Stop Now to teenagers everywhere. A much-needed book.

Rating: 5/5

I hope you enjoyed this rather differently styled review. I just wanted to let you guys know that you should read this wonderful, wonderful book. I believe it's already out, so you should really get yourselves to the bookstore right about now! Thanks again to Around The World Tours for letting me read this book, and I will see you guys again soon!

Book Review (ARC): Fracture by Megan Miranda

2011-08-24T18:15:00.003-04:00

Hey Readers,

I'm trying to catch up on my reviews for the tour site, so please enjoy this review of a great ARC I read recently!

Fracture by Megan Miranda

Eleven minutes passed before Delaney Maxwell was pulled from the icy waters of a Maine lake by her best friend Decker Phillips. By then her heart had stopped beating. Her brain had stopped working. She was dead. And yet she somehow defied medical precedent to come back seemingly fine—despite the scans that showed significant brain damage. Everyone wants Delaney to be all right, but she knows she’s far from normal. Pulled by strange sensations she can’t control or explain, Delaney finds herself drawn to the dying. Is her altered brain now predicting death, or causing it?

Then Delaney meets Troy Varga, who recently emerged from a coma with similar abilities. At first she’s reassured to find someone who understands the strangeness of her new existence, but Delaney soon discovers that Troy’s motives aren’t quite what she thought. Is their gift a miracle, a freak of nature—or something much more frightening?

Decided to read this book, because I thought that summary sounded pretty cool (note: I actually read an earlier version of this summary, which seems to be the official and final one). The cover didn't even influence me either, because it wasn't up yet when I signed up for the tour. (For once!) Even when I got the ARC, it was just plain white. But I do very much like the cover now that I see it...especially the tagline! The final copies of this book are going to be GORGEOUS! Is that weird to say? LOL!

Anyway, you might guess from the epic-sounding summary that this book is pretty awesome, hm?

Well, you'd be right. Most definitley, totally right.

From the very first sentence of this book, I was sucked in. I loved everything single thing about it, and when I wasn't reading about it, I was thinking about it and dying to pick it up again (alas, some schoolwork prevented me from that more often than I would have liked it).

Fracture is an absolutely riveting novel. Beautifully written, with a unique and fresh plot, it was an incredible book. I adored the relationship between Decker and Delaney. I literally loved every scene with them together, good or bad. Delaney herself is an amazing main character. I could really relate to her, and my heart broke for her at times. Her relationship with her mother was interesting, and, I thought, pretty realistic. Also, Troy was pretty creepy (of course) and his ending was kind of predictable. I'm not sure if that's because I accidently flipped ahead to that page, though.

Toward the end of the book, it seemed sort of all over the place to me, though. It seemed like it didn't quite know what it wanted to be. Then, it ended suddenly, and I think too many issues were left unresolved. Of course, this wasn't the type of book that can be completely wrapped up with a perfect and happy ending, but.... I'm definitely left wondering if there is a sequel. (I really hope so!)

Still, I thoroughly enjoyed it and I could picture it in my head like a movie (HOLLYWOOD. READ THIS BOOK!). I will most likely be reading any other books this author writes!

Overall, Fracture is a quick, but fantastically intense and interesting young adult book that I highly, highly recommend you read.

Rating: 4.9

Unfortunately, I read a very, very early ARC (remember, it didn't have a cover), and this book will not be coming out until January 2012. Quite a few months away...I will eagerly be waiting for a final copy! Thanks again to Around The World ARC Tours for providing the ARC, as always...

All right, that's all for now! I'll be back tomorrow with another review...Still catching up! Haha :D

Book Review (ARC): Between by Jessica Warman

2011-08-17T22:35:00.000-04:00

Hey Readers,

Please enjoy this overdue book review:

(from back of ARC)

There were seven people on the boat that night... and when they awoke, there were six.

Elizabeth Valchar--pretty, popular, and perfect--wakes up the morning after her eighteenth birthday party on her family's yacht, where she'd been celebrating with her six closest friends. A persistent thumping noise has roused her. When she goes to investigate, what she finds will change everything she thought she knew about her life, her friends, and everything in between. As Liz begins to unravel the circumstances surrounding her birthday night, she will find that no one around her, least of all Liz herself, was perfect--or innocent.

Critically acclaimed author Jessica Warman brings readers along on a roller-coaster ride of a mystery, one that is also a heartbreaking character study, a touching romance, and ultimately a hopeful tale of redemption, love, and letting go.

I didn't sign up for this book because of the cover, or the author, which is pretty different for me (ha!). To be honest, I'm not a huge fan of the cover, and I'd NEVER heard of the author before. I actually signed up for this tour because I have a thing for after-life books. I don't really know why. But I've loved almost every one I've read, and this one sounded pretty good!

This book is pretty thick (the ARC was a little over 460 pages), and ENGROSSING to the extreme. I was so completely involved in this book. Jessica Warman has created an entire life to read about in only one book, and she did a pretty darn good job! It was amazing to learn about Liz's life as SHE learned about it, and learn about her friends and their circumstances....It was absolutely fantastic. So incredibly realistic, and engaging.

Every friend of hers that was on the boat (all six of them) was a suspect, and, at any given time, I suspected at least two of them. Like I said, we learn about each of them and their circumstances, and at first you might suspect someone, but then later as you get to know more about them, you start to think, "Okay, there is no WAY he could have done it." I am completely surprised, but I didn't guess who the murderer was until just before it was revealed. I usually have a knack for these things, but I totally missed it! And it was really staring me in the face too...so obvious, and yet perfectly concealed. Or maybe I was just oblivious.

So, as I said, we learn about her friends, but it's even more heart-breaking when we learn about Liz. Each memory leads her closer to figuring out who she was, and almost each memory is at least somewhat heartbreaking. And when she died, she met another "ghost", and he (Alex) had the ability to go into those memories with her. I really liked Alex too, but I was confused with his ending. It seemed like he was starting to be a main character, but...I don't know. It was strange.

The actual ending was perfect though. Just...perfect, though sudden.

Anyway, this was a really interesting take on an afterlife/ghost story, that I really, thoroughly enjoyed. Beautifully written, fantastic characters, incredible story. I will be reading more from this author, for sure. Would recommend for older teens.

Rating: 5/5

Between is out now! Hurry and get yourself a copy, and let me know what you think! :) Many thanks to Around The World ARC Tours for the ARC....

Book Review (ARC): Deadly Cool by Gemma Halliday

2011-08-08T21:07:00.000-04:00

Hey Readers,

I'm back with a review! Sorry this one took so long to get up...

Deadly Cool by Gemma Halliday

Hartley Grace Featherstone is having a very bad day. First she finds out that her boyfriend is cheating on her with the president of the Herbert Hoover High School Chastity Club. Then he's pegged as the #1 suspect in a murder. And if that weren't enough, now he's depending on Hartley to clear his name. Seriously? Not cool. But as much as Hartley wouldn't mind seeing him squirm, she knows he's innocent, and she's the only one who can help him.

Along with her best friend, Sam, and the school's resident Bad Boy, Chase, Hartley starts investigating on her own. But as the dead bodies begin to pile up, the mystery deepens, the suspects multiply, and Hartley begins to fear that she may be the killer's next victim.

I decided to sign up for this tour, because...doesn't this book just sound awesome? And that cover! On the ARC, it was just a little different, but the final version is still GORGEOUS! Also, on the back of the ARC, it mentions that it's like Pretty Little Liars and Veronica Mars mixed together.

Being a big fan of both of those, you can see why I was really excited to read this book!

It was SO MUCH FUN to read, too. The writing style (and main character) reminded me a LOT of Meg Cabot's books (which I ADORE, of course). I don't know, just the way the humor was sort of subtle and...yeah. I don't know how to explain it! Fun, fun, fun.

I really loved Chase and Hartley's-best-friend-whose-name-escapes-me! Hartley is great, hilarious and easy to relate to. Dealing with a jerk of an ex-boyfriend, yet staying strong. But I liked how she was still affected by it, as well, and how much she wanted to stay with him anyway. Very realistic!

The wide range of characters made it HARD to pick out the culprit! Usually I am very good at picking out the bad guy, so to speak, but this book had me constantly second-guessing myself. I figured it out only just before the final "reveal". And I was shocked! I have to say...they did a very good job of seeming innocent. ;)

I LOVED the subtle romance as well, and I cannot WAIT to see how that progresses in the second book. Because, YES, there is a second book! I was very pleased to hear this, after that ending! The sequel is called SOCIAL SUICIDE, and will be released in 2012. I am SO excited for that!

Overall, this is a really fun (and funny!) mystery book that you will have a blast reading (especially if you're a Meg Cabot fan!) Check it out when its released October 11, this year! I will be buying myself a final copy as well...

Rating: 4/5

As always, thanks to Around The World ARC Tours for the ARC. :)

My Nook/POTTERMORE/Giveaway Reminder!

2011-08-03T11:16:00.000-04:00

Hey Readers,

I know, you just heard from me, but I TOTALLY forgot to add something in my IMM video. Plus, POTTERMORE happened! Check it out (and sorry for the ANNOYING noise in the background...my webcam, I swear):

What do you think about ereaders? And POTTERMORE? (My Pottermore username in ENGLISH: AurorCauldron36)

Also, the link to that giveaway you should totally enter...:
http://maddzslightlybookish.blogspot.com/2011/06/ive-been-challenged-to-book-battle-and.html

Thanks for reading/watching! :D

In My Mailbox (9): Belated Birthday Haul! [video]

2011-08-03T11:06:00.000-04:00

Hey Readers,

I am here with another In My Mailbox...video style!

(In My Mailbox was started by Kristi of The Story Siren, but inspired by Alea of Pop Culture Junkie. It's a weekly meme for bloggers to show of there new books and any other cool things they bought that week.)

What did you get in your mailbox?

Book Review (ARC): Anna Dressed In Blood by Kendare Blake

2011-07-28T19:10:00.000-04:00

Hey Readers,

As I promised in my last (video) post, I am back with a review for...

Anna Dressed In Blood by Kendare Blake

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.

I'd been hearing about this book quite a bit, and after Cassandra Clare recommended it, well, that just sealed the deal. I mean, Cassandra Clare is a genius, so if she says a book is good, it is GOOD, okay? Add in the INCREDIBLE cover (I mean, just LOOK at it!), and I was totally in. After that, I signed up for the ARC tour for Anna, on Around The World ARC Tours. (LOVE this site!)

I just finished this book this morning. And I must say, it was pretty awesome.

When I started reading it, I realized that it was a lot more supernatural-y than I thought it would be. I'm normally not one for really supernatural books, so the talk of witches, and killing ghosts sort of threw me for a few pages. This probably could've been prevented by actually reading the first paragraph of the summary, so I guess that's my fault. But I'm glad I skimmed over it, because I may not have decided to read this awesome book!

Because this book IS very awesome. It has a really fun cast of characters. Cas was pretty cool, and was really easy to relate to, even though he is, like, Buffy The Vampire Slayer (ha!). I liked reading through his eyes, although he did really annoy me with the way he just plain USED everybody in the beginning. I have to say, though: Thomas is the BEST. He repeatedly cracked me up. Loved him (especially with Carmel)! Also, Anna....oh my goodness Anna. She is amazing. And scary. And...well, don't want to spoil anything else, so I can't say any more. But she was--you guessed it--awesome.

Besides that, the writing style was very nice, and the plot was pretty crazy! It was very original to me--unlike anything I've ever read before. I mean...KILLING ghosts? That's kind of a new one to me. Such a cool story, I loved reading it. It really keeps you hooked! I will definitley be reading every book Kendare Blake writes...

Be warned though! This book is not for the faint-hearted. There are some GRUESOME murders and ghost stories that will just plain freak you out. I was reading the last hundred pages or so this morning, and I nearly jumped when the phone rang. It's pretty crazy when a BOOK can freak you out. That's how you know you're really into it!

I actually really liked the ending, but it will leave you BEGGING for a sequel. Luckily I heard that it's the first book in a duology. That's right! Anna has a sequel, and it's GIRL OF NIGHTMARES. Due out next year! I am SO pumped!

All in all, this book was a really cool, and original ghostly read. But when you finish it...you might end up sleeping with the lights on. (And perhaps a strange urge to listen to Evanessence.)

Rating: 4.5/5

Anna Dressed In Blood is released in September of this year! Keep an eye out for it...not that it'll be hard to miss with that gorgeous cover! I cannot WAIT to see the final hardcover copy!

Thanks for reading!

I SAW HARRY POTTER (and an update!)

2011-07-26T19:17:00.000-04:00

Hey Readers,

I have some videos for you! The first one is all about...

MY THOUGHTS ON HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS PART 2!! (I got to see it. And I am so happy right now. STILL.)

Be warned, it contains spoilers! You've probably read the books (I mean, who hasn't?), but if you don't want any movie magic spoiled for you, you may want to watch this video another time!

And also, a little update on some bookish things:

Have you guys seen DH2 yet? Did you like it too?? Or are you disappointed?

HUNGER GAMES TEASER POSTER

2011-07-20T21:02:00.000-04:00

Hey Readers,

In an attempt to get back to updating my blog regularly, and with posts besides reviews, I am going to share something EPIC with you all today.

But if you're a super Hunger Games fan like me (even if Mockingjay wasn't my cup of tea), you have probably already seen it. In case you haven't though...

BEHOLD the brand new teaser poster for The Hunger Games (MOVIE!!):

All I could think when I saw it was: OMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMG!!

It is SO COOL. Especially the tagline!!! Despite being a little turned off by the cast (at least at first), I am incredibly, incredibly excited for this movie!! March 23 needs to get here SOON!

That's not til next year though. :( In the meantime, I will reread the book and listen to the fabulous (unofficial) score! And also watch Mainstay Pro's short film, about Katniss and Rue, about a million times.

Speaking of Mainstay Pro, they JUST uploaded a new Hunger Games video yesterday! it features the Second Quarter Quell, which, as you may know, were the games Haymitch participated in! (That was sort of a mouthful of a sentence.) You can watch that below.

BE WARNED: it is very violent. And gory. (I mean, I'm definitely not letting my little brother watch this.) But way, way, awesome.

What do you guys think about the upcoming Hunger Games movie? Are you excited? :D

Book Review (ARC): Winter Town by Stephen Emond

2011-07-14T16:33:00.000-04:00

Hey Readers,

I have a review wayyyy in advance here, but enjoy anyway!

Winter Town by Stephen Emond

Winter Town follows two childhood best friends who learn that growing up means growing apart. This is written from both points of views.

Evan: Every winter, Evan looks forward to a visit from Lucy, a childhood pal who moved away after her parent's divorce. But when Lucy arrives this year, she's changed. The "girl next door" has chopped dyed black hair, a nose stud, and a scowl. But even though Lucy's changed, Evan and Lucy connect again. And this time, Evan falls in love.

Lucy: Lucy has secrets. She doesn't tell Evan about her mother's new abusive boyfriend, her own violent boyfriend, and the fights that got her kicked out of her house. She feels guilty and starts to resent Evan's picture perfect (boring) life. She knows Evan won't change, and Lucy knows she must break his heart and move on.

Evan: The next winter, after transferring to an art college against his father's wishes, Evan sees Lucy again. And this time, they know the timing is right.

This unique story features gorgeous black-and-white illustrations throughout (comic strips, spot art, chapter heads, etc.).

What made me sign up for this tour was that last bit at the end of that summary--"gorgeous black-and-white illustrations." I mean, doesn't that sounds incredible? I had to read it, if only for that (for the record, I thought the story sounded good, as well). Also, I thought the cover was really gorgeous, and that's what caught my eye in the first place.

This story is told in two point of views--first Evan's and then Lucy's. I didn't care for Lucy much at all, while reading Evan's part. And when Lucy's part started, I was sure I'd start hating the book. But it wasn't too bad, I liked her part just as much as Evan's. I was also glad to finally get an explanation, as to what her problem was. Although, I did miss reading through Evan's point of view, because there were some family reactions I wanted to see (like how his grandmother reacted to a certain something, and perhaps how is parents reacted to that certain something as well), but because we were reading about Lucy, I didn't get to hear anything about it.

As far as characters go, though, they were all right. Just all right. And I didn't care for Evan's perfect family either (plus, his dad was annoying). But I MUST SAY that Tim and Marshall were, like, the best ever (and hilarious!). Also, I thought Miss Katie was awesome.

As for the story/plot, I though it was...nice. It was sort of like we were just hanging out for the whole book, which, technically, we were. And while we were hanging out, some vague semi-important conversations happened. I don't know how to explain it.

The art was very unique and a lovely addition to the book (didn't really add to the plot or anything). Mostly it was just pictures of buildings, and occasional character drawings (I liked seeing the pictures of Lucy--very expressive!). Also, there was a comic strip going on throughout the book (like at the end of each chapter), called "Aelysthia", which was really cute and funny! I would love to read a whole collection of them! (Note: Check out Stephen Emond's website, to see some of the art!)

I almost wanted to scream at the ending though! At least at first. Then the last two pages happened, and I was very happy! It was very open, but in the best way. Loved that!

In the end, this was a very nice book. Just nice. I liked reading it, and enjoyed it a lot. I didn't care for Lucy too much, but it was still a nice read. I think I'd recommend it, especially if you're looking for a book to read on a snowy day. Of course, it's July right now. Don't worry! Winter Town will be published this December. You should pick it up!

Rating: 4/5

What do you think?

Oh, and special thanks to Around The World ARC Tours, for letting me participate in this tour!

Book Review [ARC]: Sweetly by Jackson Pearce

2011-07-09T14:58:00.001-04:00

Hey Readers,

Time for that review I promised! Another wonderful book....

Sweetly by Jackson Pearce

(from back of ARC/Amazon.com)

As a child, Gretchen's twin sister was taken by a witch in the woods. Ever since, Gretchen and her brother, Ansel, have felt the long branches of the witch's forest threatening to make them disappear, too.

Years later, when their stepmother casts Gretchen and Ansel out, they find themselves in sleepy Live Oak, South Carolina. They're invited to stay with Sophia Kelly, a beautiful candy maker who molds sugary magic: coveted treats that create confidence, bravery, and passion.

Life seems idyllic and Gretchen and Ansel gradually forget their haunted past-- until Gretchen meets handsome local outcast Samuel. He tells her the witch isn't gone-- it's lurking in the forest, preying on girls every year after Live Oak's infamous chocolate festival, and looking to make Gretchen it's next victim. Gretchen is determined to stop running and start fighting back. Yet the further she investigates the mystery of what the witch is and how it chooses its victims, the more she wonders who the real monster is.

Gretchen is certain of only one thing: a monster is coming, and it will never go away hungry.

Well, I'm just going to say I'm a huge fan of Jackson Pearce. She makes hilarious videos on YouTube, has awesome liveshows every Wednesday, and is just really, really cool. She has two books that are already out: As You Wish, which I haven't read because it's hard to find, and Sisters Red, which I have read. I thought it was incredible, and Sweetly is it's companion novel (not a sequel, exactly).

So, naturally, when I saw I could sign up for a book tour for Sweetly, I did so immediately! Special thanks to Around The World ARC Tours for that...

Now, let's talk about the book!

When I started reading, I had trouble really getting attached. Probably because I had a lot on my mind, so I had trouble focusing. But after a few chapters, I started to really, really get into it.

Since this is a re-imagining of Hansel and Gretel, there are obviously some themes from the original tale throughout the book. But it was wonderful, because Jackson Pearce completely made it her own. One example being that there was a third sibling. But I won't to point out anything else, because it may be kind of spoiler-y, so....Oh! Since this is a companion to Sisters Red, there were quite a few...little threads connecting the two books, and I loved reading them.

I thought Gretchen was a wonderful character--I really loved reading through her point of view. It was interesting to see how that trip to the woods had really affected her, even all these years later. All of her scenes with Samuel, I absolutely loved, as well. This was also because I thought Samuel was wonderful and amazing (I may have been crushing on him a bit). I loved their whole relationship--it seemed very realistic to me! Well, as realistic as you can get with their story. Her brother, Ansel, was incredibly sweet, and I thought his little subplot with Sophia was fun, just to read about. And Sophia...she was an awfully complicated character. Technically, she is the "witch," like the original story. But Sweetly is so different from that original story, it's really hard to say. You wanted to like her, but, at the same time, there was something so off about her. Definitely keeps you guessing! Also, I'm going to have to give a shout-out to Ms. Judy, because every word that came out of her mouth made me fall over laughing! Lots of amazing character growth, overall. (Except for, maybe, Ms. Judy.)

I can't really talk about the plot much, without spoiling some major secrets, but...It was a wonderfully written, mysterious story that I was completely absorbed in. Definitely hard to put down! The ending was pretty open, which I liked and didn't like at the same time. It was pretty sudden, as well. I just wanted more, because I wanted to spend time with these characters forever. It still was a good ending, though. Hopefully, there will be another companion book, so I can have more of something in this universe!

Oh, and how epic is this cover? So awesome and creepy--I love it!

Overall, I absolutely loved it. I was very sad to send it on to the next person. Cannot wait to buy a final copy for myself! Sweetly is released August 23, 2011. Be sure to check it out then! In the meantime, go check out Jackson Pearce's website, at www.jacksonpearce.com.

Rating: 5/5

Thanks for reading! Did you like the review? Will you be adding this to your TBR list? Let me know in the comments :D

Lots and lots of books...

2011-07-08T21:57:00.000-04:00

Hey Readers,

Soooo sorry I haven't posted in so long--I'm going to make it up to you! :D Tomorrow you can expect a review, but I wanted to share a little thing with you until then.

I (very) recently just rearranged my bookshelf. Here's what my room looked like, after I un-shelved them all:

Yeahhhhh. I have a problem. >.< Although, this was actually really fun to do! Organizing my bookshelf is very therapeutic somehow. I'm a little obsessed.Are you? Hahaha :D (If you're wondering what most of those books are, check out my latest bookshelf tour HERE.)

So, as I said, review coming up tomorrow on a book that I LOVED, so see you then!

Oh, and if you're wondering how the BOOK BATTLE is coming along...Benji is currently in the lead with 6 books! I'm only 1 behind though, so I'm catching up!! Don't forget to enter the giveaway. :)

Book Review (ARC): The Girl In The Steel Corset by Kady Cross

2011-06-25T13:57:00.000-04:00

Hey Readers!

I am here today with a review that should have been posted a long, long time ago. I requested this from NetGalley a while ago, and should've reviewed it last month. But I just got a Nook for my birthday (!!!) so I'll have no problem reading NetGalley books now! Anyway...the review:

The Girl In The Steel Corset (Steampunk Chronicles #1) by Kady Cross

In 1897 England, sixteen-year-old Finley Jayne has no one...except the "thing" inside her...

When a young lord tries to take advantage of Finley, she fights back. And wins. But no normal Victorian girl has a darker side that makes her capable of knocking out a fullgrown man with one punch....

Only Griffin King sees the magical darkness inside her that says she’s special, says she’s one of them. The orphaned duke takes her in from the gaslit streets against the wishes of his band of misfits: Emily, who has her own special abilities and an unrequited love for Sam, who is part robot; and Jasper, an American cowboy with a shadowy secret.

Griffin’s investigating a criminal called The Machinist, the mastermind behind several recent crimes by automatons. Finley thinks she can help—and finally be a part of something, finally fit in.

But The Machinist wants to tear Griff’s little company of strays apart, and it isn’t long before trust is tested on all sides. At least Finley knows whose side she’s on—even if it seems no one believes her.

I literally read this ALL DAY yesterday. I was on page 91, and started reading at about 3:00 in the afternoon...finished a couple minutes before midnight!! Craziest reading marathon I've had in AGES!

The writing style is very elegant and interesting--which, admittedly, is why I kept reading for the first hundred pages. I was interested in the story, but slightly bored at the same time. It felt like nothing was really going to happen, and I had no idea where the book was going. But, as the story went along, I started getting more and more interested, and I really started to enjoy everything that happened!

Finley Jayne (AKA "the girl in the steel corset") was completely AWESOME. I really loved reading through her eyes; she was such an interesting character. I also loved Griffin, Emily and Jasper--but Sam! Oh, Sam. I never cared for him, and I sort of dreaded reading through his point of view. He certainly had his intense scenes (there was a certain fight scene that left me breathless...!) but other than that, I didn't like him. There was one guy that I loved reading about though. Jack Dandy! He was my favorite! He was a bad guy, yes, but I was silently rooting for him! (I wish he'd had more scenes though.)

The plot of this book...It all came together well, but I think it was sort of vague. At some points, it felt like nothing was happening, and then all the sudden something HUGE happened. It was sort of up and down, yet it was still fun to read. To me, it was a very unique story, very different from what I normally read. I loved it!

Overall, great characters, unique story, and an all-around awesome steampunk read. I really, really enjoyed this book, and I cannot wait for the sequel (I think it's a trilogy...?)! In the meantime, I will seriously be running to the bookstore to buy my own copy, and also reading the free prequel e-book, The Strange Case of Finley Jane. (You can download that HERE, if you like!)

Rating: 4/5

This is the first book I've read since the beginning of the BOOK BATTLE with Benji--I plan to read a lot faster now!
Thanks for reading!

Book Review (ARC): Awaken by Katie Kacvinsky

2011-06-21T15:20:00.000-04:00

Hey Readers,

Like I said yesterday, I am here for a book review! This one, unfortunately, doesn't count towards my book count for the battle, because I started it BEFORE the battle started yesterday. But...it is wonderful!

Awaken by Katie Kacvinsky

Maddie lives in a world where everything is done on the computer. Whether it’s to go to school or on a date, people don’t venture out of their home. There’s really no need. For the most part, Maddie’s okay with the solitary, digital life—until she meets Justin. Justin likes being with people. He enjoys the physical closeness of face-to-face interactions. People aren’t meant to be alone, he tells her.

Suddenly, Maddie feels something awakening inside her—a feeling that maybe there is a different, better way to live. But with society and her parents telling her otherwise, Maddie is going to have to learn to stand up for herself if she wants to change the path her life is taking.

In this not-so-brave new world, two young people struggle to carve out their own space.

I recieved this book from Around The World Book Tours. I had signed up for it on a whim (like I seem to do) because I read the summary of it, and thought it sounded pretty good. Although, I guess that's how everyone picks out books, huh?

Anyway, because I ordered it on a whim, and didn't know too much about it(haven't seen this book anywhere), I didn't really expect much from it. In fact, when I got it in the mail, I regretted signing up for it, because I had some other books I wanted to read instead.

But let me tell you this: I do NOT regret it now.

I started reading this book, and literally had trouble putting it down. When I picked it up again, I read about 150 pages, non-stop. And I have not DONE that at all lately. I read the last 50 yesterday afternoon, and I am so sad that I finished it!

This book was fantastic. Definitely one of the best books I've read this year so far. The writing was wonderful, it was perfectly paced, well-plotted (I enjoyed the journal entries)...I cannot even explain to you how perfect it was.

Madeline (Maddie, for short) is the main character, and I thought she was great. My name is Madison, so whenever call her Maddie, it was like they were talking to me (haha). I loved see how the world changed through her eyes, and her relationship with Justin...? BUTTERFLIES. Butterflies. That's all I can say. Justin, by the way, was AMAZING! Just so, so amazing. ♥

I don't usually talk much about settings, but I feel like since this book is based in 2060, I should say a little something! It was such an interesting setting.I think it was so unique. It wasn't like Matched, or The Hunger Games, where it's all about the government controlling people or whatever, it was more like...the world NOW, but with more technology. Somehow, it was incredibly realistic. I almost think that's how the world will be in 2060. We're slowly becoming more and more dependent on technology, we'll sort of end up just like them.

Anyway, enough with my rambling. My only qualm about this book would be the ending (I always seem to have complaints about the endings)! It was very open, and, since I thought this was a stand-alone, I was very disappointed! I wanted to know what would happen with Justin and Maddie, and with her parents of course...I don't think it really NEEDED a sequel, but it would've been much appreciated! Luckily, I got my wish--after poking around on the author's website, I found out that a sequel (currently titled Middle Ground) is on the way. I am insanely excited!

Overall, this book was incredible, and I highly recommend it to EVERYONE who loves a good YA book. I loved every bit of it, and I am eagerly looking forward to reading more books from Katie!

Rating: 5/5

I was a little late on this tour, so Awaken is already out! I suggest buying it. Like, right now. I will be doing so the next time I visit a book store, for sure!!

Hope you check it out!

I've been challenged to a Book Battle?! (and a giveaway!)

2011-06-20T17:02:00.001-04:00

Hey Readers,

Guess what? As if you couldn't tell from the title...I've been challenged to a book battle!

My challenger?

Benji from Readings of Benji!

So the challenge is simple. From today (June 20th) to August 31, we are going to read as many books as we can, and whoever reads the most WINS! I have read about 40 books this year so far, but Benji has read 46! I plan to have a reading spree, though! I am ready for the challenge :D

Now...how does this involve you guys? Well! Benji and I are each hosting a giveaway! CLICK HERE TO SEE WHAT HE'S GIVING AWAY.

I am giving away a practically brand new (hardcover) copy of 13 Treasures by Michelle Harrison. Check it out:

(from the front flap)

You don't always have to see to believe...

Though her mother cannot see the evil fairies that rouse Tanya from her sleep, torturing her at the slightest mention of their existence, they are as real to the thirteen-year-old as anything she's ever known. If she could wish them away, she would, but instead it is she who is set away--to live at her grandmother's secluded countryside manor.

There is much to explore and even more to fear in the woods surrounding the estate. But the forest isn't the only source of dark secrets, and Tanya soon finds herself entangled in a mystery that could trap her in the fairy realm forever.

If you want to enter to win this book, fill out this form:

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If you don't want to enter, but do want to guess, feel free to leave a comment! :D

I will be updating you on what books I've read in one month, so stay tuned. In the meantime, I'll have a review up tomorrow!

Thanks for reading, and Benji, let the battle begin!

Book Review (ARC): Trapped by Michael Northrop

2011-06-13T23:43:00.000-04:00

Hey Readers,

I really should have written this review a few days ago, but here it is now!

Trapped by Michael Northrop

The day the blizzard started, no one knew that it was going to keep snowing for a week. That for those in its path, it would become not just a matter of keeping warm, but of staying alive....

Scotty and his friends Pete and Jason are among the last seven kids at their high school waiting to get picked up that day, and they soon realize that no one is coming for them. Still, it doesn't seem so bad to spend the night at school, especially when distractingly hot Krista and Julie are sleeping just down the hall. But then the power goes out, then the heat. The pipes freeze, and the roof shudders. As the days add up, the snow piles higher, and the empty halls grow colder and darker, the mounting pressure forces a devastating decision....

I always take a second to talk about the cover, and today is no different, but I have to tell you about the interior as well! The whole entire cover is really cool, and it probably looks better in hardcover form! And the interior--the beginning of each chapter gets closer and closer to the top of the book, because it shows the snow actually piling up...It's hard to explain. Next time you're in a bookstore, you should pick it up and LOOK at it, because it's a really cool design.

The writing I really liked. It was like Scotty was sitting in a room with you, telling you about it all. Very story-like. I really enjoyed that aspect of the book, because I really did feel like Scotty was sitting next to me and telling me about this horrible experience. (If their is an audiobook for this book, I imagine it is VERY cool.) And I liked how he kept peppering it with "little-did-he-know" lines. Things like, "That's what we thought...then" or "We didn't know he'd never come back". Really added a sense of foreboding.

You might think that hanging out in a school with no adults would be fun (or maybe you wouldn't...) but when you are TRAPPED and it is SNOWING outside, it is NOT GOOD. Although, I didn't really feel their danger that much. Maybe it's because I live in Florida and I've only seen snow once, but I just didn't really *connect* with that part. It took me a while to read this book, though. I wonder if you read it in one sitting, it would flow better and be a little scarier?

The cast of characters was nice, though! I don't remember all of their names, though. I think it was Scotty, Scotty's other friend, Julia (?), Les, Pete, this other girl, and this "scary" guy, whose name is on the TIP OF MY TONGUE. Elijah? Anyway, my favorites were Les (♥) and Pete (...at least until the end). I really liked Les a lot, because, well, he was cool and also because I thought it was fun to see how different he was when he wasn't "the bully" in school. I think the phrase "don't judge a book by it's cover" rings a bell, with these characters.

The ENDING, though. I don't know what I thought would happen, but I didn't think it would be like that. I mean, we are *clearly* told that someone will die at the end, but...*sigh*. I knew it would be him/her, but it still made me sad. After that, though, is the ending I'm complaining about. I can't spoil it, BUT I thought it was rather abrupt. I REALLY wanted to know what happened after that. At least an epilogue? SOMETHING? There were a few loose ends that I really wanted to see tied up. I do like that you can leave it to your imagination, but...you know.

Overall, I liked this book. It didn't leave a major impression on me (as made evident by the fact that I can't remember some of their names), but it was a cool read. That pun was not intended, by the way. LOL!

Rating: 3/5

I received an ARC of this book from Princess Bookie's Around The World ARC Tours, which you can check out HERE. I was second-to-last on the tour, though, so this book is already out! I think it's worth checking out!

What did you think? Have you read Trapped?

EPIC YA/MANGA/AWESOME BOOKSHELF TOUR

2011-06-11T18:06:00.000-04:00

Hey Readers!

I probably should have waiting until after my birthday tomorrow to do another bookshelf tour, but ohh well!

What did you think? Bookshelf tour of awesome?

I'll be back Monday with a book review! Thanks for watching (and reading!)

"Waiting On" Wednesday (6): Ditched and Sometimes It Happens

2011-06-08T13:15:00.001-04:00

Hey Readers!

Haven't done one of these in a while, huh? Not since CoFA. But here we go!

("Waiting On" Wednesday is hosted by Jill of Breaking The Spine. It's a weekly meme that showcases upcoming releases of books that we're "waiting on".)

Ditched by Robin Mellom
(Release Date: January 10, 2012)

High school senior Justina Griffith was never the girl who dreamed of going to prom. Designer dresses and strappy heels? Not her thing. So she never expected her best friend, Ian Clark, to ask her.

Ian, who always passed her the baseball bat handle first.
Ian, who knew exactly when she needed red licorice.
Ian, who promised her the most amazing night at prom.
And then ditched her.
Now, as the sun rises over her small town, and with only the help of some opinionated ladies at the 7-Eleven, Justina must piece together – stain by stain on her thrift-store dress – exactly how she ended up dateless. A three-legged Chihuahua was involved. Along with a demolition derby-ready Cadillac. And there was that incident at the tattoo parlor. Plus the flying leap from Brian Sontag’s moving car…

But to get the whole story, Justina will have to face the boy who ditched her. And discover if losing out at prom can ultimately lead to true love.

This book looks AWESOME. I randomly saw the blurb months ago, and saved it under my favorites, LOL. I just saw the cover a few days ago, and it is AH-DORABLE! I really want to read this :DD

****

Sometimes It Happens by Lauren Barnholdt
Release Date: July 12, 2011

On the last day of her junior year, Hannah's boyfriend Sebastian dumped her. Facing a summer of loneliness, Hannah turns to her best friend Ava for comfort. Ava does what BFFs do: she stays by Hannah's side...until it's time for Ava to head up to Maine for the summer. Also left behind is Ava's boyfriend, Noah, who's such a great guy he gets Hannah a job at the diner he waits tables at. Slowly, Hannah comes out of her funk thanks to Noah's good conversation and their fun times at the diner. But things get complicated when their friendship turns into attraction--and one night, into a passionate kiss.

The novel opens on the first day of senior year; the day Hannah is going to see Ava, Sebastian, and Noah all in one place. Over the course of the day secrets and betrayals are revealed, and alliances are broken and reformed. In the end, everyone is paired up once again, but not the way you might think...

I have adored every book I've read of Lauren's, and I know I'm going to love this one, too. <3

****

What are you waiting on this Wednesday?

Book Review (ARC): Ripple by Mandy Hubbard

2011-06-01T11:00:00.002-04:00

Hey Readers!

I have a very special review for you today! :D

Yep, it's another ARC :D I love doing book tours! Thanks again to the awesome Princess Bookie for letting me participate in the Around The World ARC tour for this.

Now for the review:

Ripple by Mandy Hubbard

(Summary:)

Lexi is cursed with a dark secret. Each day she goes to school like a normal teenager, and each night she must swim, or the pain will be unbearable. She is a siren - a deadly mermaid destined to lure men to their watery deaths. After a terrible tragedy, Lexi shut herself off from the world, vowing to protect the ones she loves.

But she soon finds herself caught between a new boy at school who may have the power to melt her icy exterior, and a handsome water spirit who says he can break Lexi's curse if she gives up everything else. Lexi is faced with the hardest decision she’s ever had to make: the life she's always longed for - or the love she can't live without?

As always, let me take a moment to just admire the cover....It's so gorgeous! I did a cover news post on it back when it came out, which you can find HERE if you want. Anyway, one thing I really like about it is the attention to detail with the outfits. I know, I'm weird, but Cole and Lexi wear those EXACT same outfits in the book, and for some reason, I thought that was cool. Besides that, I really love the COLORS on the cover, the water, just everything. Also the scales on Lexi's leg...nice touch! ;)

Anyway, I've been a fan of Mandy Hubbard's for a while, since I read her first book, Prada & Prejudice. And then last year, I read her second, You Wish. I really enjoyed them both--funny, and cute reads. But their endings...Something was a little off about both of them. P&P's was just sort of sudden, and You Wish's was just...awkwardly sudden, I guess. It's not fun to read a whole book, just to have the ending fall flat. That's why I was a little worried to read and review this book, to be honest.

But I can't start reviewing the book at the end, so let's rewind a bit to the BEGINNING.

It started out really well. I was immediately pulled in. The tone was so different from Mandy's other books, I was surprised. I knew it was going to be a bit of a more serious book, but still. I really enjoyed it. The first chapter seemed a little out of place though, sort of more like a prologue or something.

Lexi is really great (although, admittedly, I had to look back to see what her name was, because, I swear, I only saw her name mentioned, like, three times). She's a nice character to read about. I can sum up her life with this sentence: it sucks being a siren. And it does! This is the first siren book I've read (though I've seen a couple in the bookstore), so it was really interesting to read about. I really enjoyed the fact that Mandy Hubbard gave us a little origin story about how the whole curse started, instead of just saying, "I'm cursed to be a siren" without giving us a reason WHY.

Speaking of characters, can I just say this: COLE ♥♥♥ SO MUCH love for him. Like, the sweetest guy ever. You will be voting for him, I can tell you that much. ;) Erik, however...he was great at the beginning? A good plot-moving character. I thought his whole part was awesome, because I thought the book was just going to be about Lexi trying not to kill Cole. So, yeah, much appreciated! :) Sienna was cool, but I sort of thought her part in the story was weird, for some reason. She did have a realistic ending though!

Now to talk about the pacing....I thought it was really well-paced! I had trouble putting it down, and not just because I only had a week to read it! (I actually read it within two days.) The beginning was interlaced with flashbacks from the night Lexi first killed, and I thought that was really cool! The pacing did sort of slow down towards the ending though, sort of dragged it out a bit? It had a lot of parts to it. This is random, but it sort of reminded me of the end of Eclipse, when the battle is over, but the book is, like, STILL GOING ON? I hated that a lot in Eclipse, but in Ripple, I think it was all right. I really enjoyed the ending, though, for the record. I don't want to tell you if it was a happy or sad ending (don't want to spoil!), but let's just say that I liked it a lot! :)

Side note: I was totally terrible at predicting the end though! Halfway through, I was like, "Oh yeah, that is SO how it's going to end. I'm such a genius." But it completely did not happen, LOL. Same outcome though, so points for me!

So, all in all, this is a fast, enjoyable read, with lovely characters, and a great plot. Mandy's best book so far! (...though, I haven't read But I Love Him yet, so we'll see how long it lasts, haha.)Well done!

Rating: 4/5

Ripple is released July 21, 2011. You should definitely check it out :D

What do you guys think? Are you going to check this book out? Also, another question: are my reviews too long? And picky? I feel like I'm expressing my likes and dislikes, but sometimes there are lot of paragraphs, and I wonder if it drags out... :P Let me know?

In My Mailbox (8): CLEARANCE MANIA :O [video]

2011-05-19T16:47:00.001-04:00

Hey Readers!

I'm finally doing another video, and as you can tell by the title, it is an IMM. So, enjoy! :)

(In My Mailbox was started by Kristi of The Story Siren, but inspired by Alea of Pop Culture Junkie. It's a weekly meme for bloggers to show of there new books and any other cool things they bought that week.)

Please ignore that annoying sound in the background. :P

Have you read any of the books in my mailbox this week? Let me know in the comments :D

My Reactions: Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows, part 1

2011-05-16T17:27:00.000-04:00

Hey Readers!

As the title may indicate this is a post regarding my thoughts on Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows, part 1. This really can't be considered a constructive review, because I fangirl way too much. So really, it's just my organized thoughts.

First off, the reason this post is coming to you now, instead of, say, a couple months ago, when the movie came out, is because I only just saw the movie last week. And I'm a big Harry Potter fan. I mean, I listen to wizard rock. Come on. (Appropriately, I am listening to some wrock, while writing this post :))

I just never had a chance to go to the movie theater, though, sadly. I waited for the DVD release, and when I couldn't get that, I waited a month for the DVD to be available from Netflix. So really, I think I am the only serious fan who hasn't seen it yet.

Although, I suppose I can't call myself a serious fan, if I haven't read Deathly Hallows since I got it, 4 years ago, two weeks after it came out! I read that book in less than two days, I swear. And I was only 10! It was a whirlwind of a time for me, honestly. I didn't really remember much of it, until I watched the movie.

(SPOILERS AFTER THIS)

Anyway, onto what I loved (be warned...I loved a lot):

The opening scenes! Particularly with Hermione's parents, and the Dursley's. Very heartbreaking <3 I missed the scene where Dudley told Harry that he wasn't a waste of space. Sadly it didn't make it into the movie, but I at least got to see the deleted scene on YouTube, and I nearly cried xD It was one of my favorite parts in the book <3
HERMIONE'S PURSE.
The MUSIC. Gosh, they always hit it out of the park. Wonderful.
I didn't mind how they changed up Hedwig's death. I actually preferred the movie way. Is that bad? I loved that Harry let her go, and then she came back and saved him in the end...I thought that was wonderful, and more fitting. But WOW was it sudden.
Bellatrix. I love how Helena Bonham Carter portrays her. SO crazy! xD
FRED AND GEORGE <3
The little scene where Hermione is upset because they didn't celebrate Harry's birthday, and then he makes a comment about perspective. I just thought that was kinda funny :)
The waitress at the coffee shop...I thought that was so funny how something so HUGE could be happening to them, but to this random waitress, it's just another night at work.
Kreature! And Dobby! THEY WERE SO ADORABLE IN THIS MOVIE. Am I the only who thought that? SO CUTE.
I think they did a brilliant job of adding in some VERY necessary comic relief, every few scenes. I actually laughed more than I cried, during this movie. Ron/Reginald and Mary. OMG xD
"You're lying, Dolores. And one mustn't tell lies." I nearly exploded from the awesomeness of that scene. OMG. Was that in the book? BECAUSE I LOVED IT.
They also did a very good job of explaining the plot, for the non-book fans. (Though, honestly, how could you not be a fan of the books?) It wasn't confusing at all. You did have to pay attention, though.
LUNA <3 She's always been one of my favorite characters. She's always delightful when she's in a scene. As proven by her three scenes in this movie! So sweet!
The Ron/Hermione moments...SO MUCH LOVE for those scenes. <333 SO ADORABLE.
The ACTING in this movie was brilliant. They did SUCH a good job. <3
The scene where Ron leaves! Oh, I remember crying at that part in the book. So good. And sad.
Harry/Hermione dancing scene...So sweet.
Bathilda Bagshot! OMG. I VAGUELY remember that from the book, so when she popped up in the movie, I only barely remembered to be scared! So creepy.
I absolutely ADORED what they did with The Tale Of The Three Brothers. WOW. Completely gorgeous. I remember that being my favorite story from The Tales Of Beedle The Bard, and seeing it come to life like THAT...Wonderful <3
Malfoy Manor...Hermione's torture scene...OMG. So intense and heartbreaking. Being a Ron/Hermione shipper, I only wished a little more reaction from Ron, like in the book xD
THE ENDING. There were tears, guys, I'm not gonna lie. DOBBY <3 And then Voldemort took the Elder Wand from Dumbledore's grave. I'm sure non-book fans were very annoyed with that ending, but it was perfect to me!

Dislikes:

Viktor Krum! I know there was a scene with him at the wedding in the book, right? And I know there wasn't necessarily time to put that in the movie, but...I kind of missed it. :P
You know, I like Harry and Ginny together, but in the movies...I just...IT'S SO AWKWARD. I can't take it xD
Okay, I KNOW there was an amazing Lupin and Harry fight scene in the books...That was in the first part, right? This was the only scene I was really upset wasn't there...I really liked it a lot, for some reason.
I don't think they really acknowledged Mad-Eye Moody's eye, on Umbridge's door...
The pacing. This is a hard movie to pace, I know, but it still dragged out a little. Not that I'm complaining. :P

All in all, I loved this movie. It was beautiful, heartbreaking, funny and amazing all at the same time. I am SO PUMPED for part 2. I will actually go to the theaters for that one, I swear.

I really want to reread the entire Harry Potter series now.

Anyway, what'd you guys think? Are you major Potter-heads? Are you going to a midnight screening of part 2? Are you staying home, and sleeping, like me? Let me know, so we can be jealous together :D

Book Review (ARC): Falling Under

2011-05-13T19:43:00.000-04:00

Hey Readers!!

Wow, first of all: I suck. I am so bad at posting regularly, hahaha. I was doing well, and then I just had nothing to post. O_O But I'm back again--with a review!

Before I get to that though, can I just freak out for a second? I HAVE 50 FOLLOWERS :DDD Thank you all for following, you are very awesome <3 I think I need to host a giveaway soon :D

ANYWAY, my review:

Falling Under by Gwen Hayes

(from back of the ARC)

Theia Alderson has always led a sheltered life in the small California town of Serendipity Falls. But when a devastatingly handsome boy appears in the halls of her school, Theia knows she's seen Haden before- not around town, but in her dreams.
As the Haden of both the night and the day beckons her closer one moment and pushes her away the next, the only thing Theia knows for sure is that the incredible pull she feels towards him is stronger than her fear.

And when she discovers what Haden truly is, Theia's not sure if she wants to resist him, even if the cost is her soul.

Randomly joined this book tour on Princess Bookie's Around The World Book Tours, because it sounded pretty cool...and because I really wanted to join a book tour. :3

I didn't really know much about the book--had never heard of the author, and the summary was very vague, to say the least. I usually research the books I want before I actually read them, so this was unusual for me. But, like I said, I wanted to join another tour...so, I saw this gorgeous cover, and I went for it.

Speaking of the cover, besides being gorgeous, it actually really fits the book. The black roses, the red dress, even the necklace. Plus, I think it really suits the MOOD of the book, as well.

Now onto the actual BOOK, though....

It started out pretty slow. I liked it, but I wasn't really into it, until about chapter 8. I believe that was when the Haden/Theia relationship started getting a little more complicated and interesting. Yet, once we found out what Haden really was (which was very unexpected, at least to me), it started to get weird, and I lost interest again. It was sort of up and down for me, sometimes I liked it, and other times I really didn't.

As for the writing style, I liked it a lot. It's very proper and pretty (Theia was from England, and apparently reads a lot of Jane Austen), and I enjoyed it a lot. I think it worked really well with the story. I also thought the changing point of views was brilliant, and very well done!

Character-wise, I liked Theia. I thought she was a decent main character, if a little--okay, very--desperate at times. Haden...never liked him that much, up until that twist at the end. He was quite different then, and he was better for it, I think. Side characters...LOVE Ame and Donny! The coolest friends, and they worked really well as characters. At times I enjoyed their little side-stories more than the actual main story....LOVE Gabe and Varnie, as well <33

The situation with Theia's Dad just felt awkward to me, though; sort of unnecessary. He was very controlling (obviously), and it sort of creeped me out. I was begging for Theia to finally just STAND UP TO HIM. They're scene at the end made up for it, though. Really enjoyed that part!

The ENDING though! What the heck! It wasn't even an ENDING! I didn't understand it. I guess it was supposed to be a cliff-hanger, to get you to read the next one, but it felt more like a VERY OPEN ending for a stand-alone. In fact, I thought that's what it was at first, until a little research proved there is a sequel, due out in 2012. Somehow, I wish it WAS a stand-alone.

But, overall, I liked it and didn't like it. While it was well-written, I don't think the plot was exactly my style. I think people who like supernatural books more would probably enjoy this a lot more than I did. Regardless, I did like it at times, and I was probably get around to reading the sequel, when it comes out.

Rating: 3.5/5

Note: I was the last person in the tour, so this book has already been out for quite a while! Find out more at Gwen Hayes' website HERE. Thanks to Princess Bookie for letting me participate in the tour!

All right, I'm out of here! Hopefully, this weekend maybe, I can get up another video. Possibly a review of Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows, Part 1?? Well, at least my thoughts on it. I only JUST saw it!

Thanks for reading :D

Cover News: Silence!

2011-05-03T12:23:00.000-04:00

Hey Readers,

If you're a fan of the Hush, Hush trilogy by Becca Fitzpatrick, you probably have already seen the just-released-yesterday cover of the third book and final book, Silence.

But, just in case you haven't, I'm gonna post it here. Why? Because I LOVE THIS COVER.

SO MUCH.

I always liked the Hush, Hush cover, and the Cresendo cover I thought was lovely, but WOW. They hit it out of the park with Silence!!

First, the covers and summaries of the first two books:

Hush, Hush

For Nora Grey, romance was not part of the plan. She's never been particularly attracted to the boys at her school, no matter how much her best friend, Vee, pushes them at her. Not until Patch came along. With his easy smile and eyes that seem to see inside her, Nora is drawn to him against her better judgment.

But after a series of terrifying encounters, Nora's not sure who to trust. Patch seems to be everywhere she is, and to know more about her than her closest friends. She can't decide whether she should fall into his arms or run and hide. And when she tries to seek some answers, she finds herself near a truth that is way more unsettling than anything Patch makes her feel.

For Nora is right in the middle of an ancient battle between the immortal and those that have fallen - and, when it comes to choosing sides, the wrong choice will cost her life.

Cresendo

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

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

And......DRUMROLL PLEASE..................

SILENCE.

(From Becca Fitzpatrick's blog)

The noise between Patch and Nora is gone. They've overcome the secrets riddled in Patch's dark past...bridged two irreconcilable worlds...faced heart-wrenching tests of betrayal, loyalty and trust...and all for a love that will transcend the boundary between heaven and earth.

Armed with nothing but their absolute faith in one another, Patch and Nora enter a desperate fight to stop a villain who holds the power to shatter everything they've worked for —and their love —forever.

Seriously! IS THAT NOT THE MOST GORGEOUS COVER YOU'VE EVER SEEN? Gosh, I lovelovelovelove it!! SO beautiful <3333

I love how well the books match (I'm a perfectionist like that, LOL), and I CANNOT wait to have that on my shelf, right next to the first two!

I actually have only read Hush, Hush though (which I really enjoyed). I've had Cresendo since Christmas, yet it's been stuck at the bottom of my TBR pile. You can bet this gorgeous cover reveal moved it to the top! I'm on chapter three :D

It's all been falling towards this... Silence releases October 4, 2011. (Love that tagline!)

Manga/Anime Recommendations? ...Please?

2011-05-02T17:38:00.000-04:00

Hey Readers,

Okay, so if you don't like manga or anime, I suggest you skip this whole post, because that's all I'm going to talk about.

But if you do like it...

I NEED YOUR HELP.

I've always loved manga/anime. I read my first manga series when I was about 10. Rurouni Kenshin by Nobuhiro Watsuki. (Looking back, these books definitely aren't for 10 year-olds. O_o) My brother read the series, so he was always telling me about it. Once he got the second season of the show, I liked it enough from what I'd heard to watch it with him. I FELL IN LOVE, and started reading the books.

That was years ago. It was the only manga series I'd read, and it felt like it would be the last. I didn't know what could even compare to Kenshin, because it was fabulous. <3 (In the background of some of my videos, you can see a poster of it, LOL). Although, we watched this anime Rave Master for a bit, and that was pretty cool...

Then in January, after hearing the name twice in one day, I started watching Fruits Basket on Netflix. I FELL IN LOVE WITH IT, just like with Kenshin. I think I watched the whole show in less than a week (LOL), and immediately after watching the last episode, I went to see if craigslist happened to have a set of the books or something.

The chances of it were slim, honestly, but BY SOME STROKE OF LUCK, someone was selling books 1-12 and 19 and 20, for ONLY $20.

I AM NOT EVEN KIDDING. Manga books are almost ten dollars EACH in the bookstore. QUITE a steal.

They were also selling other manga series, but I was only interested in Fruits Basket, of course. <3 My mom picked up the box though, and they accidentally put ALL of the manga books they were selling in there. So, in addition to FB, I got the complete Death Note series, almost this whole series Chobits, Naruto 1-6 and Bleach 1-8, along with some other miscellaneous books. My mom ended up buying other things from the person anyway, so we didn't get all those for free xD

Anyway, I kept Death Note (it looked cool), but am selling the others...I did read the first Naruto, though, but it was a little boring. Should I keep going? Does it get better?

ANYWAY, since that, I have been very interested in manga and anime, and have read/watched the following:

Ouran High School Host Club <3 (THIS SHOW WAS LOVELY. Have only the first book though D:)
Absolute Boyfriend (not sure if this is very well known. Only six books, but OMGOMGOMG, loved them!! But the ending...GRRR)
Vampire Knight (watched the show, have only read the first two books)
Kare Kano (read the first book, have the next two...)
Death Note (have only made it up to volume 6...DON'T SPOIL IT FOR ME! ...really love it though!)
Karin/Chibi Vampire (I'm not totally in love with this one, but it's fun to read)
Soul Eater (have only seen the show)!

I JUST finished watching Soul Eater last night. I've been obsessed with it lately, so I am SAD THAT IT IS OVER. REALLY LIKED IT a lot. (Note: Don't judge it on the first three episodes, or you will MISS OUT!)

ANYWAY, I only just finished Soul Eater, but I feel a lack of obsession in my life, LOL. I need a new anime or manga to become obsessed with, which is what this WHOLE POST is actually about.

I WANT YOUR RECOMMENDATIONS.

Okay, so i realize this blog mostly revolves around YA books, and most of my followers only like YA books, but just in case there happens to be any manga fans out there, please suggest something for me :D

As you might be able to tell, I really like ones that are silly and funny, but also have a somewhat serious storyline underneath. If that makes sense.

I'm going to stop writing now, because I feel like I'm probably sounding like an idiot, so...in closing:

Leave some manga or anime recommendations, please? :D

~~this post has a lot of words in ALL CAPS~~

Book Review : The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter (galley)

2011-04-26T16:26:00.001-04:00

Hey Readers,

I'm back (and so soon!) with another book review! I won't waste time with this chitchat though, so we can get on with the review:

The Goddess Test (book 1) by Aimee Carter

(from NetGalley)

EVERY GIRL who has taken the test has DIED.

Not it's KATE'S TURN.

It’s always been just Kate and her mom—and her mother is dying. Her last wish? To move back to her childhood home. So Kate’s going to start at a new school with no friends, no other family and the fear her mother won’t live past the fall.

Then she meets Henry. Dark. Tortured. And mesmerizing. He claims to be Hades, god of the Underworld—and if she accepts his bargain, he’ll keep her mother alive while Kate tries to pass seven tests.

Kate is sure he’s crazy—until she sees him bring a girl back from the dead. Now saving her mother seems crazily possible. If she succeeds, she’ll become Henry’s future bride, and a goddess.

If she fails...

Ever since I read the Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan, I've been interested in Greek mythology. I don't know why, but there was just something about it that really intrigued me, so I made a point to check out more books that dealt with the subject.

Sadly, that was last year, and the only book with Greek mythology in it that I've read since then was Pandora Gets Jealous by Carolyn Hennesy.

But then all this buzz about The Goddess Test started up, and I was really intrigued by the idea (...okay, and the cover. Come on, it's gorgeous!). I told myself to check it out when it gets published, but I was lucky enough to get it off of NetGalley, so I didn't have to wait. (Thanks HarlequinTEEN!)

This book was absolutely fantastic. The second I started reading, I couldn't stop. I was immediately pulled into the world with the main character, Kate. She was easy to relate to and an amazingly strong character that I loved.

The Goddess Test has the rare ability to COMPLETELY suck me in. (That doesn't happen a lot to me, so that has to say something.) I totally ZONED OUT in front of the computer (the galley is in e-book form, after all) while reading this--especially during the last few chapters (I was CRYINGGG, by the way). When I finished it, it took me a while to remember that I wasn't Kate, and that real life was still going on around me. Seriously--reality melted away when I read this.

I really liked the different ways Greek mythology was presented in this book. I always find it interesting when an author can take myths, and make them completely their own. Like, vampires for example. In Stephenie Meyer's Twilight series, vampires sparkle in the sunlight, but in The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare, vampire are burned by it. (Cassie obviously takes the more traditional route.)

Um, back to what I was saying: this book is more focused on the tale of Persephone, rather than just Greek mythology in general (like Percy Jackson). I really enjoyed learning more about it, but that's not to say that if you don't know anything about Greek Gods, you can't like this book. It's more fun if you do know (because you can pick out similarities or whatever), but if you don't, it's not overly confusing, or even boring at all. That's a major plus.

It's wonderfully written, as well. This was Aimee Carter's debut novel, and I have to say, I was really impressed. I will definitely be reading any other books she writes, in the future.

The only thing was that the ending confused me, after the big plot twist was revealed. Maybe I read it too fast, but I feel like it could have been explained a little more. Though, I think if I reread it I'll understand it a bit more. And perhaps we'll get more of an explanation in the second book in the trilogy, Goddess, Interrupted? (I'm really excited about the sequel, by the way! Though, I'm curious as to what is supposed to happen in it, because TGT was wrapped-up pretty well, despite my confusion.)

But all in all, this book was a fabulous, intoxicating read that I highly recommend for anyone whose looking for a good book to get swallowed up in for an evening or two.

Rating: 5/5

Needless to say, I will definitely be buying my own copy soon. And you can too, because The Goddess Test is released today! To find out more, check out Aimee Carter's website at www.aimeecarter.com.

Book Review: Minerva Clark Gets A Clue by Karen Karbo

2011-04-22T21:59:00.000-04:00

Hey Readers,

I was going to make a video tonight, showing off my TBR SHELF, but, alas, I cannot find the camera I need to film it with :P

SO, since I still want to post something, I've decided to review Minerva Clark Gets A Clue by Karen Karbo, which I just finished this morning.

Couldn't find a good image of
the yellow cover I have...
But I like this one too :D

(from the book's website)

Minerva Clark is a typical thirteen-year-old girl: she hates her hair, she hates her legs (which somehow manage to look both too fat and too skinny at the same time), and don't get her started on her gigantor bootie. On top of all this puberty, she's being raised by three older brothers, none of whom really get her.

But when a fateful encounter with a lightning storm rewires her sense of self, Minerva Clark becomes anything but a typical teen.

With a brazen new attitude and a nose for trouble, Minerva soon finds herself drawn inexplicably to the scene of a murder and determined to track down the killer. If only all the clues weren't pointing so close to someone she knows...

If you watched my latest In My Mailbox, you probably already know that I got this book off of Paperback Swap, and that my friend Kira (check out her blog HERE!) recommended it to me. When she told me that it was about a girl who gets electrocuted (kind of) and "suffers a loss of self-conciousness that is so common in teenage girls",and gets involved in a cool mystery, I immediately went and ordered it off of Paperback Swap. My kind of book, guys.

After I finished City Of Fallen Angels (♥♥♥), I decided to read this book, because it's kind of short, and I'd promised Kira I'd read it. Plus, you know, I really wanted to read it.

Started it late Wednesday night, read a huge chunk yesterday morning, and then devoured the rest this morning. Could hardly put it down.

Minerva is one of those characters that you instantly relate with. Honestly, she is every 12 year old girl in the universe, at least in the beginning. Self-conscious to the extreme. The way she acts, I swear it was just like me two years ago. Just, SO REALISTIC. I can't even tell you. In fact, I wish I had this book two years ago. It would've made me feel so much better about myself. I was just like Min (still am, of course, but only a little), with her self-consciousness. I want to give this to my ten year old sister right now, but there were a few parts that made me think it was still a little too old for her (I'd recommend for 11 and up), so I will wait for now. (plus, I don't think she cares too much about her looks just yet).

Um, back on topic...

Karen Karbo (the author) is brilliant. I love her style of writing, just in the way that it's so real. She created such a world, though. I love Minerva's brothers so much (they remind me of my family), and the way Minerva talked about them, and acted with them was just so--you guessed it--REALISTIC.

I love the way the mystery was built up in this book. Very clever, and well put-together. The person I was betting on to be the bad guy/girl turned out NOT to be the culprit. And, I'm usually very good at guessing who the bad guy is (like, I always get it right), so that should tell you something. You guys will not be able to guess!

All in all, this book is definitely something every girl should read, if only for the messages about self-image. Well-written, well put-together, and full of fantastic characters that you will love. <3

Rating: 5/5

Seriously, guys. Go read it. I'm going to order the second book (Minerva Clark Goes To The Dogs) right now!

In My Mailbox (7): CoFA!!! And...other books.

2011-04-19T23:41:00.001-04:00

Hey Readers,

I meant to do this video yesterday, but...I was exhausted. So...anyway, check it out!

(In My Mailbox was started by Kristi of The Story Siren, but inspired by Alea of Pop Culture Junkie. It's a weekly meme for bloggers to show of there new books and any other cool things they bought that week.)

Do you like any of the books I got? Let's chat in the comments!

In Which I Inform You That I Am Not, In Fact, Dead (...if you were wondering)

2011-04-15T23:46:00.000-04:00

Yep...I will be back!

P.S. Like my new haircut? My sister cut it for me!

Reading In The Rain

2011-04-03T13:21:00.003-04:00

Hey Readers,

I just want to ramble a bit :)

So, two days or so ago, it was absolutely POURING DOWN here. Heavy rain, thunder, lightning, the whole bit. I live in Florida, so it's not really rainy all that often, but all those sunny skies finally got left behind.

It's days like those that I just want to lie in bed and read for hours on end. Preferably, some kind of scary book, because it matches the rain. I didn't get to read too much, but basically, this was me for the better part of the afternoon:

I got Max by James Patterson (Maximum Ride #5) in the mail from Paperback Swap the day before. Even though I was supposed to be finishing up City Of Bones (gotta reread before CoFA!!), I couldn't help but pick up Max, and just devour it. These books, honestly, aren't perfect, but I enjoy them so much, for some reason, so I don't really notice anything bad about them (which is why I probably won't be reviewing any more of them, lol). Also, I adore all the Fang/Max moments way too much, so that probably makes me a little biased xD

Anyway, something about the rain is so calming. I can zone out for a while with a good book, during storms like the one a few days ago. How about you guys? When's your favorite time to read? Why do you think that is? Let's chat in the comments :D

P.S. This is a very random post.

Teaser Tuesdays (3/29): City Of Bones

2011-03-29T16:36:00.000-04:00

Hey Readers,

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

Grab your current read
Open to a random page
Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My teasers:

"'The funny thing about mundies,' Jace said, to nobody in particular, 'is how obsessed with magic they are for a bunch of people who don't even know what the word means.'"

"'Magic is a dark and elemental force, not just a lot of sparkly wands and crystal balls, and talking goldfish.'"

~page 83, City Of Bones by Cassandra Clare (The Mortal Instruments, Book 1)

That's my first Teaser Tuesday! I'm re-reading The Mortal Instruments before City Of Fallen Angels comes out...Who's excited?? :D

Hunger Games...UNOFFICIAL SCORE?!

2011-03-28T17:58:00.001-04:00

Hey Readers,

Just a quick blog post today to inform you of the awesomeness that is Sam Cushion's unofficial score for The Hunger Games.

YES, he made a musical score for the fantastic book! And he's halfway through the soundtrack for Catching Fire!

I discovered the music weeks ago, and I'm in love. He captures the mood of the book SO WELL, and just...it's perfect. Gorgeous music, you absolutely MUST listen to it, if you're a fan of the books.

Luckily, he has the Hunger Games score up on YouTube as a video LP. Check it out, starting with the video below:

Do you love it as much as I do? Do you think he captures the book beautifully like I do? Comment and we'll discuss!

You can check it out on his Bandcamp, and iTunes as well! (And here's a link to his YouTube channel...)

*Note:: It's an UNOFFICIAL score. It doesn't have anything to do with the movie. It's all his own original work.

Book Review: A Mango-Shaped Space by Wendy Mass

2011-03-26T18:41:00.000-04:00

Hey Readers,

I'm back with a book review! On an AMAZING MG (middle-grade) book by the fabulous Wendy Mass. Before I start, I wanna mention that I feel like I haven't talked about MG books in soooo long, so I'm letting you new followers know that I DO read pre-teen books, as well as Young Adult!

Anyway! This is my review for A Mango-Shaped Space by Wendy Mass!
(Includes SPOILERS!!!)

(From the back of the paperback copy)

Mia appears to be the most normal kid in her family. Her younger brother keeps a chart of all the hamburgers he's eaten. Her older sister dyes her hair a different color every week. But Mia knows she's far from ordinary. She is keeping something from everyone: sounds, numbers, and letters have color for her. When school trouble finally forces Mia to reveal her secret, she feels like a freak. She embarks on an intense journey of self-discovery, and by the time she realizes she has isolated herself from everyone who cares about her, it's almost too late. She has to lose something very special in order to find herself.

I've only read three of Wendy Mass' books, but I have LOVED each one of them. (Click here to read reviews for two of them.) She is an incredible author, and I knew I'd have to get the rest of her books. A Mango-Shaped Space was her first book, and I'd heard it was VERY good from my friend Kira, plus, you know, reviews and such.

I always forgot about it when I went to the bookstore, so I planned to get it on Paperback Swap, except it was only available in paperback. Which isn't really a problem, per say, but it's a used book, so the chances the cover would be ripped, and the spine would be super-creased were very high. Hardcovers don't have that much of a problem. So I held off on it.

Until a few weeks ago, when i had a bunch of credits to spend on Paperback Swap, and I decided to go for it. And, miracle of miracles, it arrived in PERFECT CONDITION. :DD

So, yeah. I was happy about that.

Okay, enough of that info, and on to what I thought of this book!

Wendy Mass is spectacularrrr, like I said. Like, OMG. Something about the way she writes this book feels so...realistic. And almost nostalgic because it's so realistic you feel like you're reading your own memories. I felt like I was Mia, and that her family was my family and that her cat was my cat.

I loved all the characters, by the way. Zach cracked me up with his random jokes, and myths or whatever. (I read chapter 4 & 5 to my sister, for fun, and now whenever she or I yawn, we say, "Your soul will escape! Cover your mouth!") I loved his joke near the end where their mom was like, "It has come to our attention that some misconceptions have been floating around this house." And Zach's just like, "Somebody better catch them because I might be allergic." And then Beth kicks him under the table.

Oh, Beth was awesome too. She was quite a character, LOL. Adam was great until he (spoiler!) turned out to be a jerk, which is sad, because I was majorly crushing on him, LOL! I was kind of annoyed with Jenna, like Mia was, but that was all right. And...well, I love Mia. I just want to give her a big hug. Her parents were understandably concerned, but her mom was a little too pushy. Of course, that was the idea, but I was constantly wishing Mia would SAY something to her. That's how you know it's a good book, when you're so involved like that.

As for synesthesia, I found it FASCINATING, which probably sounds weird. The Name of This Book Is Secret by Pseudonymous Bosch dealt with that a lot (his Secret series books have a lot to do with the five senses), so I wasn't completely in the dark about what it was, but I learned a lot more about it in this book. I think that must be a sort of amazing life. To see colors every time you hear a sound? Just...I can't even imagine it. I wonder what color these typing sounds are giving off right now? And I wonder what color my name is? I'm hoping it's slightly green at least, because that's my favorite color. Maybe green and purple. I like Scooby-Doo, LOL. (also? Acupuncture sounds painful. But Mia was, like, LOVING IT. That must have been something. I loved her "magical powers" afterward.)

Anyway, I just loved it. I already knew that Mango would die, but my heart was beating fast when it happened, and tears were leaking out uncontrollably. And the fact that it was mixed in with losing her grandfather...that hit me, because I related. And to feel sad when it happened is enough, but to really feel it so much later...That must be horrible.

That part at the end when she saw a mango-shaped space at the edge of her bed made my heart break. What a perfectly titled book. Also, loveeee the ending. How sweet! A cat named Mustard sounds amazing <3

All in all, I LOVE THIS BOOK. One of my favorites. A well-written, fascinating, heartwarming and equally heartbreaking story. A Mango-Shaped Space gets a FIVE BEAUTIFUL COLORS OUT OF FIVE from me.

Rating: 5/5

On a related note, I gave it to my 10-year-old sister to read and she finished it yesterday. She came up to me and said, "This book was AMAZING. I was CRYING." lol, so there you go! Get this book immediately--you won't regret it.

BOOKY WOOKY TAG :D

2011-03-23T23:13:00.000-04:00

Hey Readers,

Check it out! After almost two weeks, I'm back! With a video! Yay for you!

(for any links/info I promised, go to the description bar of the video, on YouTube!)

Questions:
1. Name a book you would take on a long flight?
2. What is your guilty pleasure?
3. Name three characters from any book, you wish you could be friends with?
4. What's your shoe size?
5. If you could write your own book, name the title, and a brief synopsis.
6. What's your favorite flavor of ice cream
7.What book are you currently reading?
8. What room do you film your YouTube videos?
9. Best YA series you've ever read?
10. What is your best physical attribute?
11. Do you like manga or comics, if so name your favorite series?
12. Do you sleep on your side or your stomach?
13. Favorite book mark?
14. What song are you currently listening in your iPod?
15. Worst summer job you've ever had?
16. What's your favorite band, or type of music?

Have you done the tag? Like my tag? Wanna tag ME? Comment and let me know :D

Book Review: Queen Of The Dead (ARC) by Stacey Kade

2011-03-09T16:53:00.004-05:00

Hey Readers,

Remember that "surprise" from my In My Mailbox video the other day? Well, if you didn't see it, it was....

An ARC* of Queen Of The Dead by Stacey Kade!!!
* = An "ARC" is an "Advanced Readers Copy" of a book. Basically, an early copy to send out to reviewers, and such.

Yes. Yes. I know, you're jumping up and down, yelling, "I AM SO JEALOUS RIGHT NOW!" and maybe once you've calmed down you're asking, "Wait, how did you even get that?"

Okay, so maybe that's not exactly what you're doing, but you must be curious as to how I got it, right? Right.

Basically, I'm a part of the Different Area Codes book tour for this book--which, by the way, is my first book tour ever. For a book I'd been dying to read. It's a win/win situation for everyone. (Book tours are a way to build up publicity for an upcoming book.)

[Click the button for more info on the DAC book tours, and, obviously, a link to the book blog, Just Another Book Blog, that hosts it!]

Okay. So. Now we know how I got it, and what it is and all that. Now, let's ACTUALLY DISCUSS THE BOOK!

If you've read this blog, you've probably seen my talk about The Ghost And The Goth at *some point* right? If not, here's a link to all posts mentioning the fantabulous author, Stacey Kade, to fill you in. Also, you might want to read my review of the first book in the trilogy, The Ghost And The Goth, to get a little better understanding.

Now, onto Queen Of The Dead:


This is the FINAL cover, which is a little different from the ARC cover.

After being sent back from the light, Alona Dare–former homecoming queen, current Queen of the Dead–finds herself doing something she never expected: working. Instead of spending days perfecting her tan by the pool (her typical summer routine when she was, you know, alive), Alona must now cater to the needs of other lost spirits. By her side for all of this, ugh, “helping of others” is Will Killian: social outcast, seer of the dead, and someone Alona cares about more than she’d like.

Before Alona can make a final ruling on Will’s “friend” or “more” status, though, she discovers trouble at home. Her mom is tossing out Alona’s most valuable possessions, and her dad is expecting a new daughter with his wicked wife. Is it possible her family is already moving on? Hello?! She’s only been dead for two months! Thankfully, Alona knows just the guy who can put a stop to this mess.

Unfortunately for Alona, Will has other stuff on his mind, and Mina, a young (and beautiful) seer, is at the top of the list. She’s the first ghost-talker Will’s ever met—aside from his father—and she may hold answers to Will’s troubled past. But can she be trusted? Alona immediately signs her name in the “clearly not” column. But Will is, ahem, willing to find out, even if it means leaving a hurt and angry Alona to her own devices, which is never a good idea.

Packed with romance, lovable characters, and a killer cliffhanger, Queen of the Dead is the out-of-this-world sequel to The Ghost and the Goth.

All right, so now you know the deal. Let's get onto the review!

What I Thought Of It:

I was crazy excited to jump back into the Ghost & The Goth world after almost a year. I'd been eager to see how Alona and Will's relationship would grow, and what sort of ghostly shenanigans they would get into next.

Then came the offer of the book, as part of a book tour, and I snatched it right up!

It finally came in the mail on Saturday, and I just finished it last night. I was left with a sort of jaw-dropped/smiling expression. (Seriously. You should have seen me.)

This book is a fantastic follow-up to the first book. I know most trilogies have problems with the second book, but this one was just as good, no worries.

Yet, I was struck by how different it was from The Ghost And The Goth. The setting (no more high school!), the over-all feel was so different, it's almost weird to think The Ghost And The Goth came first. I think it was because those huge issues that made up G&G (such as how Will needed his iPod to block out the ghosts) are gone, and dealt with. It was sort of strange.

Another thing is that I almost forgot we'd be learning more about Alona's parents in this book. In G&G, there seemed to be such a finality with, for example the situation with Alona's mom, I didn't expect to see it in QOTD. Not that I didn't want to see it! I remember feeling sad that there wouldn't be more on that whole thing, but I kept reminding myself that there was going to be a sequel (two, actually) and that we'd be learning more about everything. I guess I'm weird like that?

Anyhow, back to the main idea here...

Like I said in my G&G review, I'm fascinated at how different the ghost part of the world in this book is. I think it definitely takes on a more "realistic" aspect in these books.

I really like Stacey's writing style. This book is told in two first-person point of views (Alona and Will's obviously). I've tried writing a story with that same style, and I know it's hard to make the characters different, so they don't blend together. Of course, that might be a little easier with a boy/girl point of view, rather than two girl point of views, like my story. Still, it's gotta be a little hard. Also, I love how she makes two seemingly stereotypical characters so...well, not stereotypical. Speaking of the characters, they are so fantastic. And witty. And loveable. I cannot tell you how many times I laughed at what Alona said/thought. She is awesome. And Will is soooo great. Just...love♥

The only thing I didn't like about this book is that...there wasn't enough Will/Alona for me! I felt like they didn't get enough scenes together before...well, before the cliff-hanger ending.

Yes, that lovely cliff-hanger ending that the summary warns you about. IT'S THERE ALL RIGHT. Although, I wouldn't say it's an immediate cliff-hanger (like Catching Fire). But it definitley leaves you wishing the third book was FREAKING OUT ALREADY. LOL!
(FYI, the third book in the Ghost And The Goth Trilogy, title TBA, is set to be released June 2012.)

Also, I think the summary is a little misleading. But that's because it can't really spoil the main part of the book, I suppose. So just so you know, there's more to it. Also-also, I remember chatting with Stacey Kade on Twitter last year, when the title was still being decided, and she had thought of this one. I wasn't sure then, but I think the title is really fitting, now that I've read the book.

All in all, this is a fantastic, well-written follow-up, full of lovable characters and startling-yet-somehow-realistic situations.

I really wish I could gossip about everything that happened in this book, but I can't just yet, obviously.

But I will say this: never leave a hurt and angry Alona to her own devices.

Queen Of The Dead releases June 7, 2011*, from Hyperion Books. Learn more at staceykade.com.

Rating: 4.5/5

I have to say, I'm really sad I have to send this to the next person in the tour tomorrow. I wish it was mine to keep. :3

Holy cow, this turned out to be a surprisingly long review! What did you guys think?

*Release date moved up to May 31, 2011! Yay!!

Book Review: (Maximum Ride #1) The Angel Experiment by James Patterson

2011-03-07T22:42:00.000-05:00

Hey Readers,

Today is my first video review! If you subscribe to me on YouTube, you might've already seen it, because I uploaded yesterday, but for the rest of you, here it is! (Though, seriously, you should totally subscribe to me on YouTube! SlightlyBookishBlog is my username. Creative, right?)

Summary: Six unforgettable kids--with no families, no homes--are running for their lives. Max Ride and her best friends are products of an experiment: they were engineered to fly. And that's just the beginning of their amazing powers. Now, they've escaped, and they need to know who made them, who's hunting them, and why they are superior to all other humans.

Rating: 4/5

Whatcha think?

In My Mailbox (6): Paperback Swap FLOOD and Surprise!

2011-03-06T23:17:00.000-05:00

Hey Readers,

Yes, you're getting another video IMM this Sunday. ENJOY! (There's a surprise book at the end!!)

(In My Mailbox was started by Kristi of The Story Siren, but inspired by Alea of Pop Culture Junkie. It's a weekly meme for bloggers to show of there new books and any other cool things they bought that week.)

Link to: Just Another Book Blog

Yay!! So excited for that special thing i got at the end (seriously, you're going to have to watch the video to know!)

In My Mailbox (5): Major haul!

2011-02-27T12:46:00.002-05:00

Hey Readers!

It's time for a huuuuge In My Mailbox right now! Except this is a little different then usual, because...

It's a video! :D

(In My Mailbox was started by Kristi of The Story Siren, but inspired by Alea of Pop Culture Junkie. It's a weekly meme for bloggers to show of there new books and any other cool things they bought that week.)

A lot of books, right? Recognize any? Let's chat in the comments!

"Waiting On" Wednesday (5): [SIGNED!!] City of Fallen Angels

2011-02-23T22:54:00.000-05:00

Hey Readers,

Long time, no "Waiting On's"! Here's my newest "Waiting On" Wednesday!

("Waiting On" Wednesday is hosted by Jill of Breaking The Spine. It's a weekly meme that showcases upcoming releases of books that we're "waiting on".)
In my very recent gush-fest--I mean, review of The Mortal Instruments books by Cassandra Clare, I said that I was very excited about the next book, City Of Fallen Angels, and that I would definitely be blogging about it soon.

I didn't realize it would be quite this soon, is all I'm gonna say.

So today on Twitter, Cassie said something about how you could pre-order a signed copy of City Of Fallen Angels on Barnes & Noble's website.

*HEADEXPLOSION*

I IMMEDIATELY clicked the link, and, admittedly, freaked out a little. Totally true. Cassie said there were only about 1000 signed copies available. (I believe that's what she said--apparently, she signed a bunch of pieces of paper, and they bound them into books. HOW COOL IS THAT!)

The best part? It was $11.75 (plus a few dollars for shipping). For a signed copy. In my bookstore, it'd be almost $20, and, you know, NOT SIGNED.

Let me tell you guys: I had $10. My mom got home, and she ordered it for me. SIMPLE AS THAT.

It's only pre-ordered of course, so it won't ship out until the embargoed release date, April 5th. And it'll take 2-6 days to get here, apparently.

BUT I AM EXCITED OKAY.

*Happy sigh*

Now, onto, you know, the actual info of the book:

(From GoodReads) City of Fallen Angels is the fourth book in the bestselling series The Mortal Instruments.

City of Fallen Angels takes place two months after the events of City of Glass. In it, a mysterious someone’s killing the Shadowhunters who used to be in Valentine’s Circle and displaying their bodies around New York City in a manner designed to provoke hostility between Downworlders and Shadowhunters, leaving tensions running high in the city and disrupting Clary’s plan to lead as normal a life as she can — training to be a Shadowhunter, and pursuing her relationship with Jace. As Jace and Clary delve into the issue of the murdered Shadowhunters, they discover a mystery that has deeply personal consequences for them — consequences that may strengthen their relationship, or rip it apart forever. Meanwhile, internecine warfare among vampires is tearing the Downworld community apart, and only Simon — the Daylighter who everyone wants on their side — can decide the outcome; too bad he wants nothing to do with Downworld politics. Love, blood, betrayal and revenge: the stakes are higher than ever in City of Fallen Angels

Okay. That's that! Enough fan-girl squealing, LOL! Did you guys order a copy too? Are you excited? Tell me in the comments!

MONSTER HIGH: Laguna Blue! (picture spam!)

2011-02-21T14:02:00.000-05:00

Hey Readers,

So, you guys probably know by now have a couple of the Monster High dolls "inspired" by Lisi Harrison's book series of the same name. I mean, my sister does...

Okay, so I'm a teenager and I like these dolls! So what! It's not like I play with them...they're just on my desk.... LOL

Anyway, the point is that my sister and I got a new one the other day! Laguna Blue. I get a lot of visits on my Monster High posts so please enjoy this photo spamming of them now, you Monster-lovers:

Yep. That's Laguna. I like her webbed fingers, lol

Sorry to all you non-monster-lovers. I took a bunch of pictures because my camera is AWESOME when the focus thing works, and pictures turn out great. On that note....

MORE MONSTER SPAM!

SEE? They're on my desk, just standing there looking awesome.

Okay, that's enough. I better go now, lol

See you soon! Oh, and if you like Monster High dolls too, please comment so I don't feel quite as ridiculous XD