Roboloblyn's Universe of Books

Happy 2012 Everyone!

2012-01-01T20:53:00.000-04:00

Hello fellow book lovers! I hope everyone ended 2011 with tones fun, but very safely! :) New Year's Eve pretty dull for me, just chilled with the fam and watched movies.

Well I'm panning on doing some Most Anticipated 2012 Releases blog post sometime tomorrow, but tonight I'm kicking 2012 off with movies with the sis. Plus I'm on my phone. Posting some big blog post on my phone is not all that easy. So with that, goodbye! :)

Book Chick City 100+ Books in a Year 2012 Challenge

2011-12-28T11:49:00.000-04:00

The Book Chick city is hosting a 100+ Books in a Year 2012 Challenge again this year! I didn't participate last year, but I've decided to give it a try this year. Last year she had 630 participants, but I betcha she can get more this year!

All the details are on her blog (click here) or click on the pretty picture below.

The rules are fairly simple to follow, and this challenge sounds like a lot of fun! If it sounds like your kinda thing, head on over to Book Chick City and sign up!

Here's where I'll keep track of my progress.

January -

1.

Top Ten Tuesday - Top Ten Favorite Books I've Read In 2011

2011-12-27T13:05:00.000-04:00

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. For more info and upcoming Top Ten Tuesday lists, check out their website.

This week's list, in honor of 2011 ending and 2012 quickly approaching, is Top Ten Favorite Books I've Read In 2011.

10. I Am J by Cris Beam

Pub. date: 03/01/11

Why:

There should be more books written like I Am J. I Am J is about a transgender boy who just wants to be himself and wants everyone to accept him. This book was heartwarming. J was a strong character, and his journey was emotional.

9. Bumped by Megan McCafferty

Pub. date: 04/26/11

Bumped #1

Why:

Bumped was fun and different. I found it rather freaky because I kept thinking that this could really happen. It's a bit weird with the language being full of slang, and the characters are a bit underdeveloped, but it made me laugh, and it made me think, so this book "bumped" it's way onto my list.

8. Plague by Micheal Grant

Pub. date: 04/05/11

Gone #4

Why:

Plague was the best in the series and contained tons of action (and huge flying bugs!) and tough decisions for the characters. We got to see Sam fall apart and then start to pick up the pieces. We saw other characters fall apart as well, and some who came together and grew.

7. If I Die by Rachel Vincent

Pub. date: 09/27/11

Soul Screamers #5

Why:

If I Die is easily the best Soul Screamers novel yet! There was the big problem - Kaylee's math teacher is an incubus preying on her classmates - and then there was the even bigger problem - Kaylee was going to die - soon. The reactions of her friends and family and Kaylee herself made for a great read. Not to mention the shocking twists that this book contains.

6. Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

Pub. date: 09/29/11

Why:

Lola and the Boy Next Door was unique, witty, fun, and completely adorable! Lola was herself and didn't care who cared that she was different. Cricket was completely yummy! And the best part was that Anna and St. Clare (from Anna and the French Kiss) reappeared! Lola is a breath of fresh air!

5. Wither by Lauren DeStefano

Pub. date: 03/22/11

The Chemical Gardens #1

Why:

Wither was stunning. Inside and out. Obviously, the cover is gorgeous. But the writing is magical and tragic. Rhine's story is heartbreaking. This dystopian novel certainly is one I hope will never actually happen, but it sure makes for a great story!

4. Don't Let Me Go by J.H. Trumble

Pub. date: 12/27/11

Why:

I received Don't Let Me Go as an ARC copy, and I was so excited to sink my teeth into it. And sink my teeth I did. I devoured it, and with good reason. DLMG contains I've ever read. In case you haven't found the pattern yet, characters make a book for me, and these characters could have had the most boring plot ever and still have been loved.

3. Divergent by Veronica Roth

Pub. date: 05/03/11

Divergent #1

Why:

I just read this one the other day, but it quickly made it's way into this year's Top Ten list, because man, it was amazing with a capital everything! Divergent had fun and quirky and lovable characters who were real people put in horrifying situations. One of the best dystopians of the year, hands down!

2. Sing You Home by Jodi Picoult

Pub. date: 03/01/11

Why:

Sing You Home was lyrical and honest. Jodi Picoult's novels always carry great messages and themes, and this one was no exception. The characters and situations were both so real and heartbreaking that it's hard not to love this book.

1. Inheritance by Christopher Paolini

Pub. date: 11/08/11

Inheritance #4

Why:

Inheritance was an epic finale to an epic series. Honestly, although I had a few minor problems with the ending, Paloni writing rivals that of J.K. Rowling, and not many authors can say that. The final book brought tears to my eyes more than once, and I was truly sad to see this cycle come to an end.

What were your favorite books this year? Please share them, I love getting book recommendations! :)

Merry Christmas Bloggers!

2011-12-25T10:16:00.000-04:00

Merry Christmas everyone! And to everyone who doesn't celebrate Christmas, happy everything else!

I hope everyone has a safe and fun, and book-filled Christmas!

Feel free to share any fun Christmas stories, traditions or new presents (books!) in my comments box. I'm sure I'll write more about my Christmas (and what great new books I got) later on.

Review - Divergent

2011-12-24T10:29:00.000-04:00

Divergent by Veronica Roth

(487 pages)

Pub. date: 05/03/11
Series: Divergent #1

My rating: 5/5 stars

About the book:

In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles to determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes infuriating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers a growing conflict that threatens to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves… or it might destroy her.

Debut author Veronica Roth bursts onto the literary scene with the first book in the Divergent series—dystopian thrillers filled with electrifying decisions, heartbreaking betrayals, stunning consequences, and unexpected romance.

My thoughts:

I had mixed feelings about Divergent before even starting it. I was worried it would turn out like most other YA dystopian I've been reading recently. Frankly, the genre is getting like that one song that is on the radio every five minutes, and I'm having a hard time finding a dystpoian novel that isn't like the rest - predictable and boring. Happily Divergent is anything but predictable and boring. Well, there were a few predictable parts, but it wasn't boring in the least!

Once I picked it up, the only time I sat it down was for bathroom breaks and sleep. It was addictive! Beatrice - aka Tris - was a strong heroine, but she had enough faults and weaknesses that it made her more likeable and more human. She was strong and determined, but she could sometimes be foolish and act without thinking things through. She also had a habit of being selfish sometimes, but again, it made her seem more human and less robotic.

Four - who's real name I'm not going to reveal - was full of surprises. I thought I had him figured and then - BAM! - he'd reveal something else that made me rethink him. Right from the start I guessed who he really was, and from what faction he was born in, but I didn't mind that so much because he contained so many other surprises. This boy is not at all what he first seemed like and I grew to love his character a lot.

There were other characters I loved throughout the story for many different reasons, even if their character was a horrible beep, like Peter and Eric. Christina and Will I had mixed feelings towards. Urich, Al, Tori and Caleb I really liked.

My favorite thing about Divergent was that the action and suspense never stopped or slowed down for a even a second! Every time you turned a page there was some new test for Tris and her fellow initiates, someone getting stabbed in the eye, or some other new character or plot twist that kept me up 'til 1 am.

I'm actually upset I didn't read this one sooner. The first time I read the summary I was like, oh, yeah, it might be okay. It was actually a lot like the Hunger Games for me. I actually had a fellow book friend recommend THG to me, so I took a chance and ordered it from the library. I was glad I did because it turned out much better than expected (even if the third book was a disappointment). For me, I didn't decide to read Divergent until I saw that the library had just ordered it, and I was all, alright, let's give this a try. Man, I am glad I clicked that "place hold" button!

A big question that kept running through my mind while reading this book was: If I were in this book and forced to choose a faction, which one would I choose? I couldn't come up with an answer. Would I choose to be selfless, brave, intelligent, peaceful or honest. I'm a bit of each, but I'm not completely honest or selfless or peaceful. I mean, I lie sometimes. I will sometimes put myself before others. And, while I have been called drama free by my friends, if you cross me I will be anything but peaceful. I kept thinking, how can these people choose? You'd think more people would be Divergent, a bit of both. I guess maybe people have been brainwashed a bit, into only being one thing? I couldn't choose a faction, could you?

So, if you haven't already, I recommend you buy or burrow this book as soon as humanly possible. It doesn't disappoint! I am in love with this series already!

Friday Finds (12/23/11)

2011-12-23T20:24:00.002-04:00

Friday Finds is a weekly meme hosted by Should Be Reading. It's meant to share some of the great new books you've found this past week.

Here are mine:

Bound by Lee Taylor (Unbound #1)

The Hedgewitch Queen by Lilith Saintcrow (Hedgewitch #1)

Insurgent by Veronica Roth (Divergent #2)

Share the great books you've found this week with me in the comments section!

Review - If I Die

2011-12-22T11:47:00.000-04:00

If I Die by Rachel Vincent

(342 pages)
Pub. date: 09/27/11

Series: Soul Screamers #5

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

About the book:

The entire school's talking about the gorgeous new math teacher, Mr. Beck. Everyone except Kaylee Cavanaugh. After all, Kaylee's no ordinary high-school junior. She's a banshee—she screams when someone dies.

But the next scream might be for Kaylee.

Yeah—it's a shock to her, too. So to distract herself, Kaylee's going to save every girl in school. Because that hot new teacher is really an incubus who feeds on the desire of unsuspecting students. The only girls immune to his lure are Kaylee and Sabine, her boyfriend's needy ex-girlfriend. Now the unlikely allies have to get rid of Mr. Beck…before he discovers they aren't quite human, either.

But Kaylee's borrowed lifeline is nearing its end. And those who care about her will do anything to save her life.

Anything.

My thoughts:

If I Die was my favorite Soul Screamers novel yet! This one was even more dramatic than the last four, and it kept me turning pages frantically.

From the start, things are pretty crazy. First off, Kaylee finds out that she's going to die - within a week. And there's nothing she can do to stop it. Then Kaylee finds out that her new math teacher is an incubus and it out to impregnate unsuspecting teenage girls - and Kaylee's best friend Emma might just be next.

Kaylee's dad is freaking out about his daughter's impending death, Nash is freaking out too, Emma doesn't know anything about it, and Tod is acting strange. The only one who is not acting crazy is Sabine - Nash's possibly crazy ex. With Sabine's help, Kaylee sets out to stop Mr. Beck before she dies.

With the help of Sabine and Tod, Kaylee gets closer to finding a way to stop Mr. Beck, but can she do it before it's too late?

This book was my favorite because of the new drama - Kaylee dying - but also because of the role Tod played in it. Tod has always been my favorite character, and I was happy to see how things played out for him. I just hope --- No. I won't say it. I don't want any spoilers.

I really liked how Kaylee dealt with her impeding death, and how the rest of the characters did as well. It showed a lot about each character, and gave certain characters more depth. The way Nash dealt with things wasn't surprising, but I lost a little respect for him once again. After the whole deal with the demon's breath addiction and such he had already lost brownie points with me, but just as he was beginning to get some back, he loses them again. I actually began to like Sabine in this book, though. The "deal" Kaylee and Sabine struck was hilarious, and I really think her love for Nash is real. I feel bad that she has to see him in love with Kaylee.

After the shocking ending I cannot wait for the next book! It can't be released son enough!

10 Best Covers of 2011

2011-12-21T17:11:00.003-04:00

I know, I know. I;ve been away from the blog for quite a while, but every time I turn around I either don't feel like blogging (gallbladder problems - yuck!) or the computer has decided to get grumpy and not work. Hopefully the computer has finally stopped it's little temper tantrum for good.

Today I'm going to have a little cover fun, and list my top ten favorite covers for 2011. Because, let's face it, there were a lot of great covers this year. It's going to be hard for me to choose just 10!

This list won't be in any particular order, either.

Entwined by Heather Dixon

Silence by Becca Fitzpatrick

The Space Between by Brenna Yovanoff

Bridger by Megan Curd

Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare

My Sister's Destiny by Kristina Caden

Wither by Lauren DeStefano

Second Grave on the Left by Darynda Jones

Elemental Reality by Cesya Marae Cuono

Mundahila by RJ Gonzales

So. What do you think of my list? Are there any covers here that you simply adore? Are there any you don't think should be on this list? Are there any other covers you think should be on this list? Or do you have a "best of 2011" you'd like to share? Well scroll on down and share 'er! :)

Holiday Reading Challenge over at Book Lovers Inc

2011-12-04T19:54:00.001-04:00

I was going to write up a review tonight, but it turns out I'd much rather go take a nice bubble bath (with a great read) and get warm. So I am still going to post, but it will be quick.

I've just signed up for The BLI Holiday Reading Challenge 2011 over at Book Lovers Inc. I love holiday reads, and it sounds like fun (and there will be prizes! Oou, I said the magic word, didn't I?)

It goes from Nov. 10th to Dec. 31st, and is open to anyone and everyone.

Of course, you have to read holiday themed books. What better way to get you in the holiday spirit? :)

There are three different "levels":

Santa’s Helper: read 1-3 holiday themed books
Serial Mistletoe-er: read 4-6 holiday themed books
Candy Cane-aholic: read 7 or more holiday themed books

I'm aiming for Serial Mistletoe-er. I wish I could aim higher, but I've been pretty busy lately. Maybe I'll end up reading more, but I'm going to aim for 5, and more will just be icing on the cake.

If you want to join this wonderful challenge, click the link above. It's fun. It's easy. And it involves reading!

Author interview with J.H. Trumble

2011-11-29T09:51:00.000-04:00

J.H. Trumble is the author of Don't Let Me Go. You can find my ARC review of DLMG here.

Don't Let Me Go by J.H. Trumble

(400 pages)

Pub. date: 12/27/11

My rating: 5/5 stars

Series: N/A

About the book:

Some people spend their whole lives looking for the right partner. Nate Schaper found his in high school. In the eight months since their cautious flirting became a real, honest, tell-the-parents relationship, Nate and Adam have been inseparable. Even when local kids take their homophobia to brutal levels, Nate is undaunted. He and Adam are rock solid. Two parts of a whole. Yin and yang.

But when Adam graduates and takes an Off-Broadway job in New York—at Nate’s insistence—that certainty begins to flicker. Nate starts a blog to vent his frustrations and becomes the center of a school controversy, drawing ire and support in equal amounts. But it is the attention of a new boy who is looking for more than guidance that forces him to confront who and what he really wants.

J.H. Trumble’s debut, DON’T LET ME GO, is a witty, beautifully written novel that is both a sweet story of love and long-distance relationships, and a timely discourse about bullying, bigotry, and hate in high schools.

Now for the interview!

1. What's the Twitter version bio of yourself? (140 characters or less)
Writer hell bent on changing the world one character at a time. Sometimes inappropriate, sometimes provocative, but always optimistic. <3 <3 (and exactly 140 characters!)

2. What's the Twitter version of your novel, Don't Let Me Go?
Don’t make me do this! I’ve cut enough. LOL. Okay, how about this—You let me go. You let me go, too.

3. Don't Let Me Go first started out as two novels, one wait past events and one with present. Why did you decide to combine the two? Was it difficult? Did you have to delete any parts?
Combining them was actually my editor’s idea. I can’t tell you how excited I was about that; I was so afraid the first novel would never be published. It’s a little more of a traditional coming out story. So when my editor told me he’d like to include some of the backstory in backflashes, I squealed!

Yes, it was dang hard choosing what to keep and finding a way to bring those scenes into the main story organically. It was a lot of trial and error. In the end, I got to keep more than I thought I would, maybe half the first novel but significantly tightened. There are only a few scenes that I really struggled to let go of, but in the end I don’t think anything truly important was lost. Most of those scenes came early in the first book—scenes before Nate and Adam became a “we,” scenes with Juliet, Nate’s dad, and Nate’s porn-loving grandmother.

4. DLMG also has a soundtrack (found at the back of the book). How did you decide upon the songs? Particularly Adam and Nate's song.
I love music. I was always finding myself listening to a song and thinking, that’s Nate! Or that’s Adam! Sometimes a song would actually influence the plot. I think “Kryptonite” is a good example of that. It got me thinking about heroes, the burden of heroism, and the fact that heroes have their breaking point too. “Never Say Never,” on the other hand, and Hallelujah for that matter, so encapsulated the feeling of the novel for me that they still bring me to tears. All of the songs on the playlist in the book came right from the Nate & Adam playlist on my iPod. I’ve probably listened to that playlist a hundred times. The songs helped me think through what was going on with each of the characters. When my editor suggested I include the playlist, I was all over that. I added the blurbs for his benefit so he would understand why I chose each song, never imaging that those blurbs would be included in the novel.

5. Your novel had a lot of memorable and loveable characters. Which one was your favorite?
How can I possibly choose? I love them all. Nate is the most complex—his plight breaks my heart. Adam is true-blue. Danial is the best friend I always wanted. Luke is so earnest and naïve. And Juliet closes the deal at the end. I love Nate’s mom too, and his grandmother, and Mr. Wolf, and Adam’s parents. See? I can’t choose.

6. Without giving too much away, which scene was the hardest to write? The easiest?
Nate’s assault was definitely the hardest to write. I just didn’t want to go there, and I didn’t feel like I could do justice to the moment. The easiest were probably the scenes with Nate and Danial. Danial was such an easy character to work with. He’s so blunt and the good-natured play between him and Nate allowed me to introduce some themes and defuse them all at the same time.

7. Do you have any particular quirks when writing?
Once I start a book, I’m writing 24/7. I just can’t shut it down. I’m thinking about the characters in the shower, in bed at night, when I’m doing laundry, when I’m driving, when I’m talking on the phone. It’s very annoying to everyone around me.

8. What (if any) novels do you have in the works right now? What can you way about it/them?
I’m very excited about my sophomore novel—Where You Are. I’m editing the manuscript right now. It will be out in the fall or winter of 2012. I won’t say too much about it, except that I’m just as in love with these characters as I am with the characters in DLMG. You’ll be seeing Luke again in a minor role. I have a third novel on the books as well in which Luke is the lead character. At least, I’m hoping that book with be the third since I’m kind of in love with it too. You get a hint of that novel at the end of DLMG.

9. I'm old fashioned. When I write I do it with a pen and paper. How about you? Pen and paper or laptop? Why?
Laptop all the way. I type fast; it’s the only way to keep up with my brain. Although, one of my favorite scenes in DLMG—the scene where Danial helps Nate set up his blog—I wrote on a notepad sitting in a very boring all-day meeting. (Let’s just keep that between us.) Generally, I find that my handwriting distracts me.

10. There are many more GBLTQ books being published as of recent, which is a great step forward, although some may disagree. What do you think about this progress, and how do you think GBLTQ books will change over the next few years?
It’s a great step forward! I think that these books are on the right side of history. And I applaud writers who write GLBTQ characters, especially main characters, knowing that doing so will make for potentially lower sales. I think, already, we are seeing fewer coming out stories, less angst, and more authentic characters doing what characters do—responding to a variety of conflicts. It’s still hard to write a gay-themed book where being gay isn’t a source of some conflict. It’s just where we are. But I think you’ll find in my next two books that there is far less of that kind of angst than you see even in DLMG. I can’t even imagine writing a coming out story again. If there is any problem with being gay in my next two books, it’s somebody else’s problem. And there’s not even much of that.

Did you love the interview? Do you think that Don't Let Me Go is a book you're going to love? Are you counting down the days until the release date of Don't Let Me Go? Comment and let me know!

Top Ten Tuesday - Top Ten Authors I'd Love To Have At My Thanksgiving Feast

2011-11-22T13:35:00.000-04:00

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

This week's Top Ten List is...

Top Ten Authors I'd Love To Have At My Thanksgiving Feast

Even though I'm Canadian and I celebrate Thanksgiving in October, I thought this list would be fun anyway.

(Because I've got a zillion things to do tonight, I'm just going to list the authors and my favorite book/series by that author).

1. Jodi Picoult (Nineteen Minutes)

2. Richelle Mead (Vampire Academy series)

3. Cassandra Clare (Mortal Instruments series)

4. Christopher Paolini (Inheritance Cycle)

5. Rachel Vincent (Shifters series)

6. Kelley Armstrong (The Darkest Powers trilogy)

7. Lauren DeStefano (Wither)

8. Stephanie Perkins (Anna and the French Kiss)

9. Sarah Dessen (Just Listen)

10. Pittacus Lore (I Am Number Four)

Who'd you invite to your Thanksgiving feast? What do you think of my guests?

Cover Love - Unlovable

2011-11-18T13:18:00.000-04:00

Unlovable by Sherry Gammon

(306 pages)

Pus. date:06/16/11

Series: Port Fare #1

About the book:

Seventeen year-old Maggie Brown is the poster child for Heroin Chic, complete with jutting bones and dark-ringed eyes. But drugs are not Maggie's problem; her mother is. Maggie's struggling with her growing feelings for the new guy at school, Seth Prescott, and fears he is just another person who will let her down, like everyone in her life has done so far. Seth Prescott is an undercover cop assigned to Port Fare High, and despite his job, he's developed strong feelings for Maggie. While Seth's working tirelessly to flush out the sadistic drug peddlers that have invaded the small town of Port Fare, New York, Maggie's fighting to stay alive as the fight turns deadly.

Cover Love:

I think this cover is haunting and eerie and has the potential to be wonderful! But... The girl on the swing kind of ruins it for me. I find her a little random and out of place. Like the designers tried a little too hard to make her look creepy and make her stick out. She does pop out, just not in a great way. I think the random crow is the best part. I find crows creepy, so it works.

The whole foggy river like atmosphere is so breathtaking that it's a real shame that the girl ruined it.

My other big problem with the cover is this:

Does it not look like both covers have used the same girl? The legs are a little different, and the dress and hair, but other than that it's pretty much the same. I really don't like it when people reuse covers. Can't people take a little extra time to make the cover a bit more unique? Grrrrr! Pet peeve, sorry guys!

I do like the cover, I just wish the girl was more original and fit better.

Sooo. What do you guys think of duplicate covers? Yay or nay?

Waiting on Wednesday - Shattered Souls

2011-11-16T12:18:00.000-04:00

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill from Breaking the Spine.

This week I'm waiting for...

Shattered Souls by Mary Lindsey

(336 pages)

Pub. date: 12/08/11

Series: N/A

About the book:

A thrilling debut story of death, love, destiny and danger

Lenzi hears voices and has visions - gravestones, floods, a boy with steel gray eyes. Her boyfriend, Zak, can't help, and everything keeps getting louder and more intense. Then Lenzi meets Alden, the boy from her dreams, who reveals that she's a reincarnated Speaker - someone who can talk to and help lost souls - and that he has been her Protector for centuries.

Now Lenzi must choose between her life with Zak and the life she is destined to lead with Alden. But time is running out: a malevolent spirit is out to destroy Lenzi, and he will kill her if she doesn't make a decision soon.

Besides a gorgeous cover, this book also sounds great! Although I'm really getting sick of the love triangle trend, there seems to be a lot of other stuff going on and will hopefully overshadow the whole which-boy-should-I-choose? angle of the story. Hopefully. This one sounds too good to put me off with the love triangle.

Top Ten Tuesday - Top Ten Books I've Had On My Shelf For The Longest Time But Never Read

2011-11-15T12:56:00.000-04:00

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

This week's list is...

Top Ten Books That I've Had On My Shelf For The Longest Time But Never Read

1. Angel by James Patterson (Maximum Ride #7)

I've had this one since it came out but I've found myself losing interest in the series. Too much is happening too randomly. I think that the series probably should have ended with book 3. I'm kind of scared to find out what other random stuff is going to happen in this one.

2. Crusade by Nancy Holder (Crusade #1)

I'm not even sure why I haven't gotten around to reading this one. It looks good and I've heard good things about it. I've just been too busy I guess.

3. The Lost Saint by Bree Despain (The Dark Divine #2)

I liked the first book well enough (Jude!), so I'm not really sure why I never got around to reading this one yet. Need to do that. Soon!

4. Forever by Maggie Stiefvater (The Wolves of Mercy Falls #3)

I'm embarrassed to say that I bought this book when it first came out, read maybe a chapter and sat it back on my shelf. I don't know why. I should be kicked.

5. Discord's Apple by Carrie Vaughn

I bought this one over the summer but never got around to reading it yet,. Oops.

6. Blood Bound by Rachel Vincent (Unbound #1)

I started reading this one, but kind of got a bit bored with it, so I sat it back on my shelf and never picked it up again. I should. I really do love this author.

7. Devoured by Amanda Marrone

I got this book thinking it would be something I'd read fairly quickly but I somehow got a bit distracted and never picked it up.

8. The Fallen by Thomas E. Sniegoski (The Fallen #1&2)

It sounds really good so I don't know why I haven't read it yet. Call me a slacker.

9. The Awakening/The Struggle by L.J. Smith (The Vampire Diaries #1&2)

Started this a looong time ago (before the TV show was even a thought in anyone's mind) and didn't like it. Put it down and never picked it up.

And now for #10 I'm going to list a book I bought a long time ago, when it first came out, sat on my shelf and never picked it up until this September when I read and loved it.

10. Gone by Michael Grant (Gone #1)

I don't even know why I originally didn't read it, but I didn't. Then I had to get a book for silent reading at school and I picked this one off my shelf at random. I started reading it and didn't stop! Read my review of Gone here.

What books have been collecting dust on your bookshelf?

Author interview with Lynn Weingarten

2011-11-15T10:58:00.000-04:00

The Secret Sisterhood of Heartbreakers by Lynn Weingarten

(352 pages)

Pub date: 12/27/11

About the book:

When her boyfriend breaks up with her on the first day of sophomore year, Lucy has no idea how she’s going to make it through homeroom, let alone the rest of her life. Enter three stunning girls with a magical offer Lucy can’t refuse. All she has to do is get a guy to fall in love with her in the next seven days, and then…break his heart and collect one of his brokenhearted tears. As the girls teach Lucy how to hook a guy (with the help of a little magic), she quickly discovers how far she is willing to go—and who she is willing to cross—to get what she wants.

Fans of Lauren Myracle, Jodi Lynn Anderson, and Meg Cabot will love this tale of breakups, friendship, new crushes, and magic. Told with wit and charm, The Secret Sisterhood of Heartbreakers is sure to be one of this winter’s most irresistible reads!

Now, on to the fun stuff. Like a book trailer and an interview!

Wasn't that just cool? :)

Now here's the EVEN COOLER part! an interview with the author herself!

1. Wanna tell us a the twitter version (140 characters or less) about yourself?

Writer of YA books. Eater of snacks. Friend of dogs. Hello!

2. Describe The Secret Sisterhood of Heartbreakers in your own words.
It's about a group of girls who break boys' hearts and use their brokenhearted tears to perform magic. The book starts out when 15 year-old Lucy Wrenn gets her heart stomped on her first day of her sophomore year. The Secret Sisterhood of Heartbreakers (SSH) tells Lucy they can heal her heart in an instant and make it so strong it can never be broken again. And all she has to do is make a boy fall in love with her in the next seven days and then break his heart. They offer to help Lucy snag a boy whose heart to break. But Lucy has other ideas about what she might do with access to their boy-getting-powers...

3. I love the idea of getting back at heartbreakers by breaking their heart! Have you ever gotten back at an ex in any way?
Haha. No. Although it would probably make a better story if I had.

4. What helped you get over heartbreak?
Friends. Books. Time. And this group of girls I met once . . . But I'm not supposed to talk about that.

5. How do you come up with your characters names? Do they just come to you, or do you stress over them?

Some names just seem right right away, some take a little more effort. I like looking at baby naming websites for ideas. In the first draft of SSH the main character was named Rachey. It wasn't until much later she became Lucy.

6. What can readers expect from you next?

I'm working on the sequel to SSH and a proposal for something new.

7. What's the most exciting part of being an author? The lest exciting?

Most exciting: getting to be in touch with readers and other writers, getting to write all day, getting to work odd hours when I want to (I wrote a lot of this book late, late at night).

The least exciting? Writing all day can get lonely if you're sitting alone in your apartment. (So when I'm not working crazy late at night, I try to do most of my writing out of the apartment).

8. What comes first for you? The plot or the characters? Do you just start writing or do you plan everything out first?

It varies, but in general I come up with a little bit of plot first, anything from a paragraph down to just a single sentence. Then I usually write a bit just to see how it goes. If it feels like it could work, then I go back and plot some more. By the time I actually start writing for real, I want to have a pretty good idea of most of the big story beats but leave the details loose.

I love her answers, don't you? Now, why don't you comment and tell Lynn just how much you're looking forward to her upcoming novel before she sends someone out to break your heart! (Just kidding!)

Cover Love - In My Dreams

2011-11-14T18:49:00.001-04:00

In My Dreams by Cameo Renae

(242 pages)
Pub. date: 04/30/11

Series: N/A

About the book:

It was happening again. The dreams. The nightmares. It was something seventeen year-old Elizabeth "Lizzy" Hayes thought she'd outgrown; dreams that would come true; detailed premonitions of how people would die. This time she dreams about her boyfriend, Michael Young, and soon discovers that he's been found... dead.

Michael hasn't crossed over because he was murdered, and now his murderer is coming for Lizzy. His spirit won't rest until she is safe, and as a newbie spirit, the easiest way for him to make contact is through Lizzy's dreams. When she dreams, it's as if he hasn't died.

Lizzy must learn to pull on her inner strength to survive horrifying events. Meanwhile, in the spirit world, Michael learns everything he can about his supernatural gifts to help. But will it be enough to save her?

Cover Love:

What I love msot about this cover is the greyish swirl-y-ness of the background. It's super neat and gives the cover a dream like-feel. Very fitting with the title, and with (going by the summary) the story itself. I like how the girl's dress kind of blends in a bit, but that her dark hair really sticks out.

I really like how almost everything is grey, white, or black (aside from the girl's skin). It makes the book actually look like one of those old black and white movies, and I love it!

The colors on the cover give it a simple feel, while the swirls add to it, subtly making it a little less plain and simple, and a little more unique. This cover really stands out to me.

Firday Finds (11/11/11)

2011-11-11T11:11:00.000-04:00

First off, whooooo hooooo! I've been waiting a WHOLE YEAR to be able to write 11/11/11 and that day is finally here!!! :) And, you know what? I'm going to post this at exactly 11:11 am on 11/11/11! :)

Secondly, happy Remembrance Day everybody. I hope you're remembering.

Thirdly, it's Friday, which means it's time for Friday Finds!

This week I've found quite a few lovely new reads, like:

Rikers High by Paul Volponi

(246 pages)
Pub. date: 02/10/10

Series: N/A

About the book:

Martin was sitting on the front stoop of his apartment building minding his own business when he was arrested for something he didn't even mean to do. Five months later, he's still locked up on Rikers Island, in a New York City jail. Just when it seems things couldn't get much worse, Martin is caught between two warring prisoners, and his face is slashed. Now he'll be forever marked with a prison scar. One good thing comes from the attack: Martin is transferred to a different part of Rikers where inmates are required to attend high school. If Martin opens up to a teacher who really seems to care, perhaps he'll learn a lesson more valuable than any taught in class.

An award-winning author, Paul Volponi is uniquely qualified to tell Martin's story because he taught on Rikers Island for six years. He originally wrote Rikers for an adult audience. The book has been revised for young adults and is being republished as Rikers High.

On the Island by Tracey Garvis Graves

(332 pages)

Pub date: 10/11/11

Series: N/A

About the book:

When thirty-year-old English teacher Anna Emerson is offered a job tutoring T.J. Callahan at his family's summer rental in the Maldives, she accepts without hesitation; a working vacation on a tropical island trumps the library any day. T.J. Callahan has no desire to leave town, not that anyone asked him. He's almost seventeen and if having cancer wasn't bad enough, now he has to spend his first summer in remission with his family - and a stack of overdue assignments - instead of his friends. Anna and T.J. are en route to join T.J.'s family in the Maldives when the pilot of their seaplane suffers a fatal heart attack and crash-lands in the Indian Ocean. Adrift in shark-infested waters, their life jackets keep them afloat until they make it to the shore of an uninhabited island. Now Anna and T.J. just want to survive and they must work together to obtain water, food, fire, and shelter. Their basic needs might be met but as the days turn to weeks, and then months, the castaways encounter plenty of other obstacles, including violent tropical storms, the many dangers lurking in the sea, and the possibility that T.J.'s cancer could return. As T.J. celebrates yet another birthday on the island, Anna begins to wonder if the biggest challenge of all might be living with a boy who is gradually becoming a man.

Beg for Mercy by Shannon Dermott

(472 pages)
Pub. date: 10/19/11

Series: Cambion #1

About the book:

Everyone dreams of that first kiss. Of that magic moment when your lips finally meet those of that special person you’ve waited your whole life for. A little awkward, a little scary, a little hot and every bit amazing. We speculate that the whole world will shake and time will just stop. No one, however, ever imagines that kiss to bring Death himself knocking. Sixteen year old Mercy Moore's life just got more complicated. The kiss that originally could have meant she would finally have a boyfriend now was the kiss that could have very nearly ended his life. A small detail her mother conveniently never told her will take her life for an abrupt u-turn. Dating, no love, was now completely and utterly impossible. And the boy well, that boy would never be the same. But life, however cruel, goes on. Far too soon for her taste, Mercy finds herself at a senior party with the elite students of her school and her best friend. And of all things, playing a stupid game that could very well mean the death of someone in that small room. If it were not for her best friend, the hottest guys in school, and a small need to fit in, she may have been able to escape the disaster that was to come. Her worst nightmare, her personal curse, her very life, only gets dangerously worse.

The Whisperer by Donato Carrisi

(416 pages)
Pub. date: 01/05/12

Series: N/A

About the book:

A gripping literary thriller and smash bestseller that has taken Italy, France, Germany and the UK by storm.
The severed arms of five girls who vanished in broad daylight are discovered buried in a clearing in the woods. Alive or dead, the remainder of the girls' bodies are nowhere to be found. Worse still, there is a sixth, yet to be identified.
At first, the case seems simple. A series of clues leads investigators Mila Vasquez, a celebrated profiler with an attitude problem who is an expert in crimes relating to children, and Goran Gavila, the eerily prescient criminologist who sees deeper into Mila's dark past than any man has before, to a twisted killer. But when they begin to follow the leads for the second missing child, it points in a vastly different direction.
Vasquez and Gavila begin to wonder if they've been brought in to take the fall in a near-hopeless case. Is it all coincidence? Copycats? Or, is there a mastermind of evil behind the killings? And if so, from where is he conducting his symphony of murder?
Obsessed with a case that becomes more tangled and intense as they unravel the layers of evil, Gavila and Vasquez find that their lives are increasingly in each other's hands....
THE WHISPERER, as sensational a bestseller in Europe as the Stieg Larsson novels, is that rare creation: a thought-provoking, intelligent thriller that is also utterly unputdownable.

What new reads did you find this week?

Review - Hunger

2011-11-10T13:05:00.000-04:00

Hunger by Michael Grant

(590 pages)

Pub. date: 05/26/09

Series: Gone #2

My rating: 4/5

About the book:
It's been three months since everyone under the age of fifteen became trapped in the bubble known as the FAYZ.

Three months since all the adults disappeared. GONE.

Food ran out weeks ago. Everyone is starving, but no one wants to figure out a solution. And each day, more and more kids are evolving, developing supernatural abilities that set them apart from the kids without powers. Tension rises and chaos is descending upon the town. It's the normal kids against the mutants. Each kid is out for himself, and even the good ones turn murderous.

But a larger problem looms. The Darkness, a sinister creature that has lived buried deep in the hills, begins calling to some of the teens in the FAYZ. Calling to them, guiding them, manipulating them.

The Darkness has awakened. And it is hungry.

My thoughts:

As much as I wasn't in love with Gone, Hunger drew me in and pretty much demanded I love it. While in Gone I felt overwhelmed with so many new characters being introduced with Hunger that wasn't as much of an issue. I already had a whole book to get to know everyone so I wasn't always thinking, wait, who was this person again? These were characters I'd already come to love from the first book. There were a few new characters introduced, and a few more minor characters were given larger roles in Hunger, but for the most part I wasn't overwhelmed with new characters and trying to remember who did what. (Side note, I thought Taylor turned invisible in the first book, but in the second she has the power to bounce from place to place. Is it just me forgetting, or is it something you noticed too?)

I really liked how Sam's character developed throughout the second book. Last book it was all yay-Sam-this and yay-Sam-that, and it got rather tiring how he was always the good guy. But now he's making mistakes. The fact that he's just a fifteen year old kid is starting to show and is making him seem more human. I like him a lot better this time around. I think his relationship with Astrid is really cute, and although normally I'd say it's over the top, in this situation (being no adults present ad all) I think it fits okay.

Caine... I have to say I feel bad about the guy. He's been to visit the Darkness and is left scarred and out of commission for three months. His mother gave him up for adoption but kept his twin brother Sam. He's in love with Diana but she treats him like crap and I'm not really sure what she feels towards him. And he, and everyone else at Coates Academy, is starving. Honestly, the guy can't catch a break. He may be the antagonist, or one of them, but I actually really like the guy and I keep finding myself hoping he turns good sometime soon and joins up with Sam.

There are so many other characters I'd like to talk about but there just isn't time. Or, well, I don't have the paitence to sit here and talk about every single major or semi-major character in the book. It would take too long. So I'll just say a little something about my favorites.

Edilio: LOVE this boy! He's a genuinely nice guy and loyal friend to Sam, who really needs loyal friends right now. Keep waiting for his plot to thicken though.

Quinn: Started out in Gone not liking him, but gradually came to like him okay in Hunger. Still has a lot of redeeming to do though.

Drake: Words cannot express how horrible, cruel, twisted, sick and stupid this boy is. As much as I hate him I love his character. His is one of the most fun to read about because he's so crazy and you never know what he'll do.

Diana: One of the characters I really don't care for. She's manipulative and smart and sometimes nice but most often she's a b-i-t-c-h. She acts like she cares about people and then throws them under the bus. She manipulates everyone, including Caine, who she possibly cares about. I really want to see her be the next one to die.

Little Pete: All I'm going to say is that he started out a little cutie, but this kid is getting creepier than ten Drake's combined. Something even bigger is going to happen with this kid but I have no clue what.

My favorite part about Hunger came in tow parts. First, people really started going crazy. Food was running out and kids wanted to eat. They didn't care how they got the food, or hat it was, they just wanted food. They didn't care if it liver or mushrooms or their nieghbour's cat. And this hunger was driving kids to do crazy things. Kids were rebelling against Sam, the "freaks", everything. And this hunger is what lead to my other favorite part. The plot didn't stop. Partly because of the many POVs and partly because kids were always getting up to something, or trying to kill someone or developing new powers. I was frantically turning pages trying to figure out what was going to happen next. And I usually couldn't guess. This book is just so far out from pretty much any other book I've read. It's random and crazy and unpredictable which is what is keeping me reading. (And waiting VERY impatiently for the third book to get here from the library. The second I finished Hunger I wanted tit to morph into the third book, Lies. Sadly, that didn't happen.)

So although I wasn't crazy about Gone, Hunger blew me off my feet. The only reason I'm giving it a four star instead of five is because of the fact that there really are just too many people and POVs tto keep track of. That and the fact that I find the girls a little under played. Wrote? Whatever. It seems like the guys are getting all the action while the girls (like Diana and Astrid) are being pushed to the side.

Cover Love - Sweet Evil

2011-11-09T13:46:00.000-04:00

When We Stand Together by Wendy Higgins

(464 pages)
Pub. date: 05/01/12

About the book:

What if there were teens whose lives literally depended on being
bad influences? This is life for sons and daughters of fallen
angels in Sweet Evil.

Anna, a tender-hearted southern girl, was born with the sixth
sense to see and feel emotions of other people. She’s aware of
a struggle within herself, an inexplicable pull toward danger,
but it isn’t until she turns sixteen and meets the alluring
Kaidan Rowe that she discovers her terrifying heritage, and her
will-power is put to the test. He’s the boy your daddy warned
you about. If only someone had warned Anna.

A cross-country trip forces Anna and Kai to face the reality
that hope and love are not options for their kind. When it's
time for Anna to confront her demons, will she choose to embrace
her halo or her horns?

Cover love:

This cover is dark and eerily beautiful. The guy in the background is a bit creepy looking, but there's an actual GUY on the cover. A lot of covers never feature the girl's love interest(s) which I find unfortunate. I like how this cover goes a bit out of the box.

I also like the foggy, creepy background. It gives the cover an extra creepy factor, and makes it that much better. The girl's dress is gorgeous. I love the little details and how it's floating around her. I love how the guy is wearing all dark clothes, almost blending into the background. Am I the only one getting the impressions that he's doing some serious thinking?

The one thing I don't really like is how the girl has her arm across her stomach. It sorta gives me the impression that she's preggers. Oh, and I'm not crazy about the font. It's a little too plain.

Waiting on Wednesday (11/09/11)

2011-11-09T12:26:00.000-04:00

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

This week I'm waiting for...

Fever by Lauren DeStefano

(368 pages)

Pub. date: 02/21/12

Series: The Chemical Garden #2

About the book:

Rhine and Gabriel have escaped the mansion, but danger is never far behind.

Running away brings Rhine and Gabriel right into a trap, in the form of a twisted carnival whose ringmistress keeps watch over a menagerie of girls. Just as Rhine uncovers what plans await her, her fortune turns again. With Gabriel at her side, Rhine travels through an environment as grim as the one she left a year ago - surroundings that mirror her own feelings of fear and hopelessness.

The two are determined to get to Manhattan, to relative safety with Rhine’s twin brother, Rowan. But the road there is long and perilous - and in a world where young women only live to age twenty and young men die at twenty-five, time is precious. Worse still, they can’t seem to elude Rhine’s father-in-law, Vaughn, who is determined to bring Rhine back to the mansion...by any means necessary.

In the sequel to Lauren DeStefano’s harrowing Wither, Rhine must decide if freedom is worth the price - now that she has more to lose than ever.

Every day I see the countdown on I have on my blog getting smaller and smaller and every day I find myself getting that much more excited. I cannot wait for February 21st! The day can't come soon enough! And the cover! It's such a stunner! One of the most stunning covers out there! I can't even imagine what's in the works for the cover of book 3!

What are you waiting for this Wednesday?

Top Ten Tuesday - Top Ten Books That I Read That Were Outside Of My Comfort Zone

2011-11-08T14:27:00.000-04:00

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

This week's list is...

Top Ten Books That I Read That Were Outside Of My Comfort Zone

I really don't have a "comfort zone", I'll give pretty much anything a chance, so making this list might be hard, and I might not get a full 10 books listed her. But I'm going to try.

1. Marked by P.C. and Kristin Cast

Honestly, by the time I started hearing about these books I was a little sick of vampires but I decided to give it a try anyway. I'm glad I did!

2. Hamlet by William Shakespeare

I'm not a fan of Shakespeare but I actually enjoyed Hamlet quite a bit more than his other works.

3. The DOME by Nova Sparks

The DOME is quite a bit of sci-fi, not a favorite genre of mine, but it was quite enjoyable and I'm glad I gave it a try.

4. Because I Am Furniture by Thalia Chaltas

This is written in verse, something I'm not a fan of, but I didn't end up minding it all that much.

5. Animal Farm by George Orwell

A book about talking animals isn't really my cup of tea, not since I was 7 anyway. I can't say I really loved this book, but the message was meaningful.

Okay, so five book are all I can think of. Like I said, I'll try any book at least once.

What books have you read that were outside of your comfort zone? Did you end up loving them or hating them?

ARC Review - Don't Let Me Go

2011-11-08T12:09:00.000-04:00

Don't Let Me Go by J.H. Trumble

(400 pages)

Pub. date: 12/27/11

My rating: 5/5 stars

Series: N/A

About the book:

My thoughts:

I fell in love with this book, the characters, everything! Don't Let Me Go easily made it onto my 2011 favorite reads list. I was so happy to be fortunate enough to get an ARC of this, and was even happier when I realized just how great this book was!

Nate was a wonderful main character. He was loveable and real and a strong person. Nate is funny and talented and a good friend. And Nate is dealing with his past, a past that was horrifying and terrible and very public. Without his boyfriend Adam's help Nate might never have gotten though it.

Adam was one of my favorite characters. He was funny and easy going and talented and a great guy. He had his faults though. He spent most of the novel in New York, while his boyfriend was at home in Texas. Adam living with three other guys, fellow actors, and trying to keep a long distance relationship going strong. But things begin to fall apart between the two with a series of misunderstandings and busy schedules.

Nate deals with this with the help of a new friend, Danial. Danial is comfortable being friends with the schools only openly gay student even though he himself is straight. Danial is my favorite character. He is protective of his friends and will do anything to see that the people he cares about don't get hurt. So it's only fitting that, when Nate starts up a campaign at school, Danial appoints himself as his bodyguard and best friend.

Without revealing too much, Luke was a character I started out disliking, then began to like and feel bad for, then disliked again. Luke was shy and sweet, naive and innocent, but he also got a little annoying and I felt like he was too naive sometimes. He began to boarder on pathetic when he got to chasing Nate around, even though Nate was in love with Adam.

As for background characters. I loved Adam's parents, particularly Ben, and I LOVED Nate's grandma, (I want a grandma like her!) I liked Juliet okay, but felt like she was a little desperate. I liked Mr. Wolf. I pretty much liked the majority of the characters.

I really enjoyed how Nate and Adam's story was written, going back and forth between the past and present. Going back into the past gave readers a chance to get to know Nate before he met Adam, after, and when his relationship with Adam is tested because of the events of one horrifying night. We get to see the boys' coming out stories. But we also get to see what happens after all that, when their relationship is tested this time with distance.

I really loved this book! Don't Let Me Go was one of those books you want to start again the moment you finish it. It was heartbreaking and hopeful, filled with strong and wonderful characters. Tackling strong subjects like homophobia and abuse, this novel was an amazing debut. You couldn't ask for anything more in a book. I have no complaints other than it ended.

Review - Lola and the Boy Next Door

2011-11-07T12:04:00.000-04:00

Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins
(338 pages)
Pub. date: 09/29/11
My rating: 4.5/5
Series: N/A

About the book:

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.

My thoughts:

Since I read and loved Anna and the French Kiss by the same author I've been really looking forward to reading Lola and the Boy Next Door! Not only was the cover adorable but the summary make Lola sound like one cool chicky! I've been counting down the days until I got this one! And, finally, I did! Of course I zoomed through it within one day.

Lola was just as wacky and cool as I thought she'd be. She had her own mind and her own (very unique) look and she was a character I immediately loved. She had a strong background which didn't overshadow the real plot, but made it better. You see, Lola lives with her two dads, but throughout the book her ex-druggie birth mother comes for a visit, causing a bit of turmoil for Lola. Instead of taking over the plot it added to the background very nicely.

One thing I didn't like about Lola was how she was with her boyfriend Max. Max was a bit of a jerk at times, wanting nothing to do with her friends and only tolerated her family. He got too jealous at times, and acted like he only did things for Lola because he had too, not because he wanted to. Instead of supporting her uniqueness he often criticized her for it. Lola, instead of telling him off, put up with it.

Cricket, on the other hand, would have done anything for Lola. Cricket was Lola's childhood friend and first love, but it never seemed to work out for the two. Cricket was sweet and caring and funny and cute and extremely tall. Lola was having a hard time getting him out of her mind even though she was totally over him and completely in love with Max... Or was she? Really, it seemed quite obvious that she was still in love with him from the start. I felt a little bad for Cricket when she was stringing him along like that. I loved how he never gave up though! Why can't Cricket by MY neighbour? (Yes, I'm Canadian. I spell "neighbour" with a "u").

I was really thinking that that there'd be some big confrontation between Lola and Cricket's twin sister Calliope but I was a bit disappointed there. Nothing really big ever happened.

The best surprise for me was Anna and St. Clair from Anna and the French Kiss being in the novel. They were friends and coworkers of Lola's. It was so great getting to see them again and to see how their relationship progressed! It kind of made me think of Sarah Dessen and how soem of her characters and places keep reappearing throughout her novels.

Not liking Lola's relationship with Max and how it drug on and on even though it was obviously over was really the only problem I had with the book. Other than that it was a wonderfully cute book and I highly recommend it!

In My Mailbox (11/06/11)

2011-11-06T08:30:00.000-04:00

In My Mailbox is hosted by The Story Siren.

This week, due to lack of time, I'm just going to list and link the books I got. I've got a busy weekend (I'm going to my first university open house!) so I'm scheduling this on Friday before I head to school.

Here's what my library oh-so-generously sent me:

Bloodlines by Richelle Mead

Chain Reaction by Simone Ekleles

Unwelcome by Micheal Griffo

Love Story by Jennifer Echols

Hunger by Micheal Grant

Entwined by Heather Dixon

Forgotten by Cat Patrcik

Not a huge hall this week, but the amount of really great books make up for that! (:

Here's my weekly roundup.

Monday - Happy Halloween!

Tuesday - (no post)

Wednesday - WoW - Don't Breathe A Word

Thursday - Review - Clockwork Angel & November 2011 Wishlist

Friday - Cover Love - The Treachery of Beautiful Things

Saturday - Review of What They Always Tell Us

What did you get in your mailbox this week?

Review - What They Always Tell Us

2011-11-05T12:04:00.000-03:00

What They Always Tell Us by Martin Wilson

(293 pages)
Pub. date: 08/12/08

My rating: 4/5 stars

Series: N/A

About the book:

JAMES AND ALEX have barely anything in common anymore—least of all their experiences in high school, where James is a popular senior and Alex is suddenly an outcast. But at home, there is Henry, the precocious 10-year-old across the street, who eagerly befriends them both. And when Alex takes up running, there is James’s friend Nathen, who unites the brothers in moving and unexpected ways.

My thoughts:

James and Alex are two brothers who really don't know one another anymore. James doesn't know why Alex tried to kill himself and doesn't know how to act around his brother anymore. Alex is hiding a secret which causes him to become distant from his family and friends. Both brothers are rather lost, and are untied by Henry, the strange little boy on their street, and Nathan, James' friend who also befriends Alex.

Alex feels comfortable around Nathan. Nathan doesn't treat him like a ticking time bomb or a loser or a freak. He doesn't ask Alex about Alex's breakdown, and encourages him to join the cross country team with him. As the two continue to work out together feelings develop and the two eventually become a couple. James has no clue that his friend and his brother are gay, much less a couple, although he knows the two are close. James isn't sure if he likes the fact that Nathan would rather hang out with his brother than him, but sees the change in Alex and knows it is a good thing.

Henry is such a sweet addition to the novel, helping to unite the brothers as well. He was one of my favorite characters, and I really got into his story. I felt bad for the kid most times, but was happy with his outcome.

Akex was my favorite of the brothers, mostly because I felt James was a little shallow sometimes. Alex had more depth than James, and had a much more interesting story than James. James' story was mostly about accepting his brother and had a lot of stupid girl trouble. Alex's story was about his suicide attempt and accepting him for who he was.

I felt Alex's coming out story was just beginning as the book came to a close, and I felt like it was still unfinished. I was left wanting more, and sadly, there is no more. James's story was a bit more finished and satisfying. All in all, a great coming of age story, but I would have liked a more finished ending and a more likable James.

Cover Love - The Treachery of Beautiful Things

2011-11-04T08:11:00.000-03:00

The Treachery of Beautiful Things by Ruth Frances Long

(300 pages)
Pub. date: 08/16/12

About the book:

The trees swallowed her brother whole. And Jenny was there to see it. Years later, when she returns to the woods where Tom was taken to say good-bye at last, she finds herself lured into a world where stunning beauty masks the most treacherous of evils, and strange and dangerous creatures await—creatures who seem to consider her the threat. Among them is Jack, mercurial and magnetic, with allegiances that shift as much as his moods. Determined to find her brother, with or without Jack’s help, Jenny struggles to navigate a faerie world where nothing is what it seems, no one is who they say, and she’s faced with a choice between salvation or sacrifice—and not just her own.

Cover Love:

I love, love, love the flowers on this cover! By far my favorite part, and what I find the most eye catching. I also really like the light shining out from between the trees. The trees in the background rather creep me out a bit, as does the cover model. I'm not quite sure if she's supposed to look a little fake or not, but she does.

This cover is not overly stunning, but the flowers really make it for me. I just wish, with a title like The Treachery of Beautiful Things they made the cover a little more beautiful overall.

Review - Clockwork Angel

2011-11-03T14:09:00.000-03:00

Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

(476 pages)
Pub. date: 08/31/10

My rating: 3.5/5

Series: The Infernal Devices #1

About the book:

Magic is dangerous--but love is more dangerous still.

When sixteen-year-old Tessa Gray crosses the ocean to find her brother, her destination is England, the time is the reign of Queen Victoria, and something terrifying is waiting for her in London's Downworld, where vampires, warlocks and other supernatural folk stalk the gaslit streets. Only the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons, keep order amidst the chaos.

Kidnapped by the mysterious Dark Sisters, members of a secret organization called The Pandemonium Club, Tessa soon learns that she herself is a Downworlder with a rare ability: the power to transform, at will, into another person. What's more, the Magister, the shadowy figure who runs the Club, will stop at nothing to claim Tessa's power for his own.

Friendless and hunted, Tessa takes refuge with the Shadowhunters of the London Institute, who swear to find her brother if she will use her power to help them. She soon finds herself fascinated by--and torn between--two best friends: James, whose fragile beauty hides a deadly secret, and blue-eyed Will, whose caustic wit and volatile moods keep everyone in his life at arm's length...everyone, that is, but Tessa. As their search draws them deep into the heart of an arcane plot that threatens to destroy the Shadowhunters, Tessa realizes that she may need to choose between saving her brother and helping her new friends save the world...and that love may be the most dangerous magic of all.

My thoughts:

While I enjoyed Clockwork Angel I didn't like it near as much as I did the Mortal Instruments series. I think the biggest reasons were that the two novels were too similar and I didn't really care for two of the main characters. I felt like the whole I'm-special-but-I-didn't-know-I-was thing was overused. First with Clary, which was okay, but now with CP's MC Tessa, that was too much. Tessa wasn't my favorite character, she was a bit naive and single minded. But she was kind and witty and I did end up liking her okay.

What I disliked most though was Will. He was arrogant and rude and selfish and I did not like him one bit. I have no clue what Tessa saw in him. He was even worse than Jace, and that's really saying something. Sure, his "nice" side showed occasionally, usually when around Jem, but more often than not the rude side overshadowed the nice. I spent most of the novel cursing at him and hating him and wishing him dead. Sadly, that didn't happen.

One character I really loved was Jem. He was sweet and kind and wonderful and completely opposite Will. I have no clue how the two became best friends, and I have no clue why Jem doesn't tell will off ten times a day. But that's just the nice guy in Jem. Jem's backstory makes him so much more loveable and I just wanted to jump inside the book and hug him!

I was really excited that Magnus, one of my favorite characters from the Mortal Instruments series, came into the book. He's a 800 year old warlock, and Alec's boyfriend in MI, but Camille's lover in CP. It was strange seeing him with Camille, even if they really never had many scenes together. (Like 1 maybe?) I like to see how his character changed and how he was different back then. I've been most intrigued seeing how Will tied into his story. I remembered a little tibit of info Camille let slip in City of Fallen Angels about Will, and have been anxious to see what it meant.

Plot wise, I felt that it was a little slow sometimes, but it was fun and intense and I wanted Tessa to succeed. I got really into the story about getting Tessa's brother back, and was even more into it when it came apparent the vampires were involved.

The ending left me wanting more. And me wanting to strangle Will. Again. I can't wait to see what happens next, even if I'm not a fan of Will. I can only hope someone kills him and Tessa does NOT pick him.

November 2011 Wishlist

2011-11-03T10:39:00.000-03:00

Normally I post my monthly wishlists on the 1st of every month, but I didn't get time to post on the 1st, so I'm doing it today, two days late.

Here's the top ten books on my November 2011 wishlist.

Crossed by Ally Condie

(384 pages)
Pub. date: 11/01/11

Series: Matched #2

About the book:

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.

The Space Between by Brenna Yovanoff

(352 pages)

Pub. date: 11/15/11

Series: N/A

About the book:

Everything is made of steel, even the flowers. How can you love anything in a place like this?

Daphne is the half-demon, half-fallen angel daughter of Lucifer and Lilith. Life for her is an endless expanse of time, until her brother Obie is kidnapped - and Daphne realizes she may be partially responsible. Determined to find him, Daphne travels from her home in Pandemonium to the vast streets of Earth, where everything is colder and more terrifying. With the help of the human boy she believes was the last person to see her brother alive, Daphne glimpses into his dreams, discovering clues to Obie's whereabouts. As she delves deeper into her demonic powers, she must navigate the jealousies and alliances of the violent archangels who stand in her way. But she also discovers, unexpectedly, what it means to love and be human in a world where human is the hardest thing to be.

This second novel by rising star Brenna Yovanoff is a story of identity, discovery, and a troubled love between two people struggling to find their place both in our world and theirs.

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

(342 pages)
Pub. date: 11/15/11

Series: Shatter Me #1

About the book:

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.

Touch by Jus Accardo

(251 pages)
Pub. date: 11/01/11

Series: Denazen #1

About the book:

When a strange boy tumbles down a river embankment and lands at her feet, seventeen-year-old adrenaline junkie Deznee Cross snatches the opportunity to piss off her father by bringing the mysterious hottie with ice blue eyes home.

Except there's something off with Kale. He wears her shoes in the shower, is overly fascinated with things like DVDs and vases, and acts like she'll turn to dust if he touches her.

It's not until Dez's father shows up, wielding a gun and knowing more about Kale than he should, that Dez realizes there's more to this boy, and her father's "law firm," than she realized. Kale has been a prisoner of Denazen Corporation -- an organization devoted to collecting "special" kids known as Sixes and using them as weapons -- his entire life.

And, oh yeah, his touch? It kills.

The two team up with a group of rogue Sixes hellbent on taking down Denazen before they're caught and her father discovers the biggest secret of all. A secret Dez has spent her life
keeping safe.

A secret Kale will kill to protect.

Darker Still by Leanna Renee Hieber

(320 pages)

Pub. date: 11/01/11

Series: Magic Most Foul #1

About the book:

The Picture of Dorian Gray meets Pride and Prejudice, with a dash of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

New York City, 1882. Seventeen-year-old Natalie Stewart's latest obsession is a painting of the handsome British Lord Denbury. Something in his striking blue eyes calls to her. As his incredibly life-like gaze seems to follow her, Natalie gets the uneasy feeling that details of the painting keep changing...

Jonathan Denbury's soul is trapped in the gilded painting by dark magic while his possessed body commits unspeakable crimes in the city slums. He must lure Natalie into the painting, for only together can they reverse the curse and free his damaged soul.

So now my photos aren't working anymore. Grrr. I'm just going to list and link the last five books.

Destined by P.C. and Kristin Cast

Lightbringer by K.D. McEntire

Wherever You Go by Heather Davis

The Pledge by Kimberly Derting

Legend by Marie Lu

What are your most anticipated reads this month?

Waiting on Wednesday - Don't Breathe A Word

2011-11-02T18:32:00.000-03:00

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill from Breaking the Spine.

This week I'm waiting for...

Don't Breathe A Word by Holly Cupala

(320 pages)

Pub. date: 01/03/11

About the book:

Joy Delamere is suffocating...

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

Joy can take her cruel words until the night they go too far.

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

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

I can't believe how amazing this one sounds! My heart is already breaking for Joy and I haven't even got my hands on the book yet. This one is a must have, and I can't wait until January.

Happy Halloween!

2011-10-31T21:40:00.001-03:00

Just a quick post to say Happy Halloween! :)

I hope all of you readers, bloggers and writers are out there getting candy! Or eating your kids' candy. Whichever works. ;)

I really don't have time to write anything else, but I will post something tomorrow. Maybe my review of Lola and the Boy Next Door if I can get it finished in time!

Review - Blood Red Road

2011-10-30T15:17:00.000-03:00

Blood Red Road by Moira Young

(459 pages)

Pub. date: 06/07/11

My rating: 1/5 stars (DNF)

Series: Dustlands #1

About the book:

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

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

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

My thoughts:

Saba's world is that of bare minimum. They scavenge bits and pieces of old things to make thier houses, sheds, etc. They have little food and the river is drying out. They live in a dystopian society of the worst kind.

I really hate to say it, but I wasn't impressed in the least. I had been hearing fairly good things, so I was expecting to like it. But when I opened the book to the first page I knew I'd be struggling to finish it. In the end I couldn't even do that.

You see, the book is written differently than most. The main character, Saba, seems to lack education and the knowledge on how to speak properly, and it's also in the writing. Words are misspelled, the grammar is horrid, and when the characters talk it's always (blank) says. Never said, asked, answered, yelled. It's says. Always.

It really got to me, no matter how much I tried to get past it, and that was the main reason I quit reading about 1/4 of the way through. I tried, I really did.

Another big reason why I couldn't finish was the fact that I really disliked Saba, the main character. Disliking the main character is never good, because it usually means that you don't enjoy the book as much - or at all. In this case, I could stand Saba. She was rude and hateful towards her little sister, and was narrow-minded and shallow. The only person she really cared about was her twin brother, and that was almost bordering on obsession. I quit reading before this supposed love interest came into the book, so I don't know how he changes her, if at all.

I got really bored when reading this book, and often found my mind wandering. It was rather slow, possibly because it hadn't gotten time to get into things, but I just couldn't bring myself to read any more in hopes that it got better.

I left off sometime around the time Saba and her sister got kidnapped by those two people in the rolling boat thinger. I'm not sure what ends up happening and I don't really care. I'd recommend that if you're like me and cannot so much as stand a typo on Facebook to not read this book. It will bother you.

Eragon - Book vs. Movie

2011-10-29T12:33:00.000-03:00

So if you've been following my blog, Twitter or Goodreads updates recently you'd have noticed that I've been preparing for the upcoming release of the fourth and final Inheritance book, creatively called Inheritance.

(Click image for Goodreads description)

I read Eragon, then Eldest, then Brisinger. Then I had the bright idea to go watch the movie.

Mistake.

It just served to piss me off again. Never, ever have I watched a movie as horrible as Eragon. On it's own, without the book to compare it to, the movie would have been okay. Compared to the book? It was repulsive. ALMOST NOTHING was the same. They so utterly and completely ruined the movie that there's no way any true fan of the books could ever bring themselves to watch the next movie (although I don't think they're actually making Eldest into a movie - correct me if I'm wrong on that though).

The movie gets so much wrong I'm left to wonder if the writers even read the book, or just skimmed through the pages picking up a few bits of random info. It's not even just the little things, it's the big, important things that you'd think they'd actually try to get right. I ended up making a list of everything they forgot or changed too badly. The list got long, fast. In the effort of saving time, and actually being able to go to bed at a decent hour, I'm going to shorten it a bit, and just write what I think are the biggest problems.

- First off, Eragon is 15 in the book, 17 in the movie. It's a simple thing, and there's actually no real point with changing his age.

- Arya is NOT A REDHEAD. I get that the characters can't look exactly like I picture in the book, but Arya's hair is dark. Not red.

- In the movie, Galbatorix knows exactly who the new Rider is, right off the bat. In the book, he doesn't until Eragon and Brom start causing trouble all over the place.

-The Ra'zac are just... not right.

- Garrow didn't die in the house, like the movie says. He was alive when Eragon found him, so Eragon and Saphira took him to town. In the movie, the three never went to town, instead Brom met them rat the farm.

- In the movie, they speed up Saphira's growth up way too much, and make her name herself.

- The mark on Eragon's hand was way different. They didn't even bother to try to make it the same.

- Katrina wasn't even in the movie. WTF?

- The Urgals looked too human.

- The whole Eragon-meets-Angela scene took place in Teirm, not Daret. And it was too changed. Angels looked funny. In fact, Eragon and Brom never even went to Teirm in the movie. They never met Joed, Eragon never learned to read, or where the Ra'zac lived.

- Arya was almost always shown wearing dresses. Not something she often did in the book.

- The Ra'zac never attacked them in the woods - Urgals did though.

- In the books, the Ra'zac didn't die until the third book. For some reason, Brom and Eragon both killed one in the movie.

- Durza wasn't responsible for Eragon's Arya dreams, that was something Arya did accidentally.

- Brom died too differerntly, and at the wrong time.

- Murtagh showed up during the Arya rescue in the movie, and before that, during Brom's death during the book.

- Eragon was never captured in the movie.

- Arya was unconscious during the book, and mostly conscious during the movie.

- Durza didn't kill Brom, the Ra'zac did.

- Murtagh wasn't what I pictured - at ALL!

- Murtagh seemed almost too eager to go to the Varden in the movie, where in the book he didn't want to go at all.

- They ditched the horses. :(

- What happened to traveling through the desert for days?

- The Twins. I don't remember them in the movie.

- There's like, no dwarves in the movie. Not even Orik or the dwarf King.

- In the movie, Murtagh confides in Eragon the truth of his father. In the book, Eragon doesn't know this until Ajihad tells him.

- Murtagh's scar was just... wrong.

-The never let Murtagh out to fight in the battle, instead they kept him locked up - in the middle of the freakin' battle! - and he didn't get out until Eragon rescued him.

-Nasuada just was not what I pictures. At all.

- Furthern Dur sucked.

- Eragon never blessed Elva.

- Saphira breathed fire too soon.

- There were soldiers in the battle against Furthern Dur. Not in the book there wasn't!

- Durza didn't appear until the end of the battle, not right in the beginning. Furthermore, WTF was he riding on?

- Eragon never got the scar on his back.

- Saphira and Arya never broke that sapphire thinger.

-Arya didn't leave for Elesmera until the second book, and she left with Eragon, not alone. PLUS, the movie ended with her leaving, but the book ended just after Eragon's chat with "The Cripple That Is Whole".

Some of these things I can see leaving our or changing a bit because it would make the movie too long, but some of these things are important!!! With the Ra'zac now dead, who's going to kidnap Katrina and destroy Carvahall? But wait... She's not even in the movie!If Orik and the dwarves are gone, what's going to happen during battle when they're outnumbered? Or when Eragon goes back to Furthern Dur in book 3 to help choose a new king? Is that (rather big) portion of the book just going to get cut out?

They changed too much, making the movie horrible, and making it almost impossible to make a second or third movie.

Eragon (the movie) is the reason why I'm always a little nervous to see a book-made-into-a-movie. I'm always wondering if it's going to be as bad as Eragon was. No matter how good the movie actually is, I'm always comparing it to the book. And no matter how good the movie actually is, it will never be better than the book. Not in my book anyway!

Friday Finds (10/28/11)

2011-10-28T09:38:00.000-03:00

Friday Finds is a weekly meme hosted by Should Be Reading meant to showcase some exciting finds you've found over the week that you're really looking forward to.

This week I've found some pretty cool books, including...

(Click the links to go to the Goodreads summary).

Darkspell by Elizabeth Mueller

Untraceable by S.R. Johannes

(No cover available)

Where You Are by J.H. Trumble

What new reads did you find this week?

Review - The Power of Six

2011-10-27T15:11:00.000-03:00

The Power of Six by Pittacus Lore

(406 pages)

Pub. date: 08/23/11

My rating: 3.5/5 stars

Series: The Lorien Legacies #2

About the book:

I've seen him on the news. Followed the stories about what happened in Ohio. John Smith, out there, on the run. To the world, he's a mystery. But to me . . . he's one of us.

Nine of us came here, but sometimes I wonder if time has changed us—if we all still believe in our mission. How can I know? There are six of us left. We're hiding, blending in, avoiding contact with one another . . . but our Legacies are developing, and soon we'll be equipped to fight. Is John Number Four, and is his appearance the sign I've been waiting for? And what about Number Five and Six? Could one of them be the raven-haired girl with the stormy eyes from my dreams? The girl with powers that are beyond anything I could ever imagine? The girl who may be strong enough to bring the six of us together?

They caught Number One in Malaysia.
Number Two in England.
And Number Three in Kenya.
They tried to catch Number Four in Ohio—and failed.

I am Number Seven. One of six still alive.

And I'm ready to fight.

My thoughts:

I wasn't overly impressed with the new character - Number Seven. That was my biggest problem throughout the novel, and most of the reason why I'm only giving this book 3.5 stars.

Number Seven - Marina - is one of those characters who always whines about things, but never really does anything about it. She wants to be on the move like they were told to be, but when Katrina refuses to leave she stays with her. For years. In the same place. It's like alien 101 - never stay in the same place for more than a few months. Katrina was my other major problem in the book. She did nothing. Her job was to protect Marina but she was brainwashed by religion and chose to do nothing.

I felt like Number Seven should have just forced Katrina to open the Chest, or killed her, or something, then took off on her own. But she stayed there for years. Why I'll never know.

The Power of Six is told in alternating POVs, going back and forth between John (Number Four) and Marina (Number Seven). I much preferred John's chapters - I found them a lot more interesting and action packed. While Marina's chapters were much like the first book in a many book series (mostly getting to know the character, with only a little action), John's story was much more in the middle of things. He, Six and Sam are on the run after the big showdown in Paradise. John's face is everywhere and they have to be super careful not to get caught by the cops (oops!) and the Mogs (again, oops!) Not to mention John's personal life is much more interesting that Seven's. (Hint, hint, spoil, spoil) - things get juicy and much more complicated).

While at times the plot slowed for John too, I was always interested on what was going on with him, while I wasn't as concerned with Marina. Maybe it's just cause she's new. Maybe I'll warm up to her eventually.

I loved almost all of the characters on Four's side of things. Sam is funny and sweet, and completely dorky. And Six is BADASS! Do NOT mess with this girl. She will kick you back a week or two on the calendar. Sarah.... Never really liked her in I Am Number Four, and now have more reason not to like her.

One thing I really wanted to see was more of John's legacies, and was sadly disappointed that nothing much happened with that. However, the Chest holds some interesting things, which is all I'll say about that. Actually, another thing I didn't like was how certain characters didn't even meet up yet. Major disappointment, but it'll make for an interesting third book.

It wasn't until the ending that I really got interested in both character's stories. And it wasn't until the (almost very) ending where a new character got introduced. I think I'm going to like this character a lot more than I did with Number Seven.

The Power of Six ended with quite the cliffhanger, so I'm counting down the days (rather impatiently, I might add) for the release of the third book, The Rise of Nine. (The title is making me hopeful that Number Nine will be narrating some of the book. Maybe taking the place of Seven? :) :D)

Cover Love - The Atheist's Daughter

2011-10-26T17:30:00.000-03:00

The Atheist's Daughter by Renee Harell

(? pages)
Pub. date: 09/?/11

About the book:

"Why am I such a freak?"

Kristin Faraday feels trapped, worried she'll spend the rest of her life in the small and suffocating town of Winterhaven. She also worries because she's different from her family and friends. She knows other people's secrets because she can tell, with certainty, when they're lying to her.

She doesn't realize she has this ability as a “gift” from Mrs. Norton, the woman who murdered her father. When Mrs. Norton and her family return to Winterhaven, Kristin discovers she's the only one that can see them for what they truly are.

They aren't human. They feed on humans.

Mrs. Norton is aware that Kristin is the one person who can stop her -- if the teenager only knew how. But this is one secret that Kristin Faraday hasn't learned....

Cover Love:

The best part of this cover is easily the girl fading into the background, shushing... someone. I think it's rather eerie and creepy and completely cool! The building in the background is also creepy, but I felt like there could have been things done to make it a little less plain and a little more creepy.

I'm also not crazy about the fount, but I really like the cross for the t in "Atheist's". I find it rather ironic, don't you? The color of it makes it really stand out, and it was the first thing I noticed.

Between the title, the cross and the girl on the cover, it really makes me wonder what's going on. Is she in danger? Does she have some big secret? The cover grabs my attention and makes me ask questions, which is what a good cover is supposed to do, so congrats to whoever designed this cover!

Waiting on Wednesday - Enshadowed

2011-10-26T07:39:00.000-03:00

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill from Breaking the Spine.

This week I'm waiting for...

Enshadowed by Kelly Creagh

(560 pages)
Pub. date: 08/28/12

About the book:

While Varen remains a prisoner in the dream-world, Isobel is haunted by his memory. He appears to her in her dreams and soon, even in her waking life. But is she just imagining it? Isobel knows she must find a way back to Varen. She makes plans to go to Baltimore. There, she confronts the figure known throughout the world as the Poe Toaster—the same dark man who once appeared to Isobel in her dreams, calling himself “Reynolds.”

Isobel succeeds in interrupting the Toaster’s ritual and, in doing so, discovers a way to return to the dream-world. Soon, she finds herself swept up in a realm which not only holds remnants of Poe’s presence, but has also now taken on the characteristics of Varen’s innermost self. It is a dark world comprised of fear, terror, and anger.

When Isobel once more encounters Varen, she finds him changed. With his mind poisoned by the dream world, he becomes a malevolent force, bent on destroying all—even himself. Now Isobel must face a new adversary, one who also happens to be her greatest love.

The first book ended in a major cliffhanger, so obviously I'm wanting a time machine for this one. Bet I'm not the only one either. I adore Varen and cannot wait to see what happens with his relationship with Isobel.

Top Ten Tuesday - Top Ten Books To Read During Halloween

2011-10-25T18:54:00.000-03:00

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. To learn more about TTT or to find out some of the upcoming lists, check out the site!

This week's list is...

I've been quoted!

2011-10-22T10:43:00.001-03:00

Hey all!

I just wanted to stop by and let you all know that I've been quoted in a book talk about Boys in YA fiction by Esther's Ever After. It's a wonderful little post about how YA boys are portrayed, about love triangles, and much more.

To read the post, and to share your thoughts on the subject go here.

Friday Finds (10/21/11)

2011-10-21T07:36:00.000-03:00

Friday Finds is a weekly meme hosted by Should Be Reading meant to showcase some exciting finds you've found over the week that you're really looking forward to.

Here are some great reads I've recently discovered:

(No cover available)
The Rise of Nine by Pittacus Lore
(? pages)
Pub date: 08/?/12

There is also no description available. It is the third book in the Lorien Legacies series. AND I CAN'T BELIEVE I HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL AUGUST FOR IT!!!!

Eternal Starling by Angela Corbett
(320 pages)
Pub. date: 12/06/11

About the book:

A love so strong, even eternity can’t separate them.

Evie Starling has lived a relatively uneventful life hanging out with friends, gossiping about boys, and driving her 1966 Mustang. All of that changes when she moves to Gunnison, Colorado, to start college and meets two mysterious men.

For centuries, Alex Night and Emil Stone have yearned for Evie—but they each have their own reasons for wanting to be with her. When both men claim to be her soul mate and tell her about an unbelievable past, Evie learns that she’s not the person she thought she was. Soon, Evie finds herself in the middle of an age-old battle between the Amaranthine Society—the soul protectors, and the Daevos Resistance—the soul destroyers. With a past she doesn’t understand, and a future rife with danger, Evie has to decide who she can trust. But Alex and Emil aren’t the only ones who want Evie, and her soul is about to become the rope in an eternal tug-of-war.
I was going to add a few more books, but blogger is being difficult and the covers are going all over the place, so I'm just going to add the links.

Existence by Abbi Glines

The Treachery of Beautiful Things by Ruth Frances Long
And since the images wont work properly, I'm not posting my little signature thingy. Grrr... Stupid blogger.

Review - Gone

2011-10-20T13:08:00.000-03:00

Gone by Michael Grant

(558 pages)
Pub. date: 07/01/08
My rating: 3.5/5 stars

About the book:

In the blink of an eye. Everyone disappears. GONE.

Except for the young. Teens. Middle schoolers. Toddlers. But not one single adult. No teachers, no cops, no doctors, no parents. Just as suddenly, there are no phones, no internet, no television. No way to get help. And no way to figure out what's happened.

Hunger threatens. Bullies rule. A sinister creature lurks. Animals are mutating. And the teens themselves are changing, developing new talents—unimaginable, dangerous, deadly powers—that grow stronger by the day.

It's a terrifying new world. Sides are being chosen, a fight is shaping up. Townies against rich kids. Bullies against the weak. Powerful against powerless. And time is running out: On your birthday, you disappear just like everyone else...

My thoughts:

I bought this book back when it first came out, but never got around to reading it. Oops. I really should have because it turned out to be pretty good. It was a little strange and hard to understand at first, but once I got to know the characters and the story started making more sense (and getting a lot more intense!) I really got into it.

My biggest problem with this book was the fact that while Sam was the main character, and the majority of the POVs were his, there were also a lot of other characters that got POVs throughout the story. There was never a header stating that this POV was Sam's or Caine's or Astrid's, and sometimes it took a while to figure out who was telling this part of the story. Also, it jumped back and forth a lot between the POV's. It wasn't every different chapter got a different POV, but every few pages. It sometimes got annoying and hard to follow.

It seemed like pretty much every big/important character got at least a few POVs and I'm still not sure if I liked that or not. I enjoyed getting a better look inside of the character's heads, but at the same time some of the characters blended together and it was sometimes hard to remember who was who. Especially at first, when the characters were just getting introduced.

Besides my problem with the POVs, I really liked this book. It was strange and very out there, but it was also a lot of fun and got very intense at times. I really liked the idea of putting a bunch of kids into a situation like that and seeing how they handled it. No one was older than fourteen and most just wanted their parents back. Some of the kids relished the freedom and tried to take control, others just tried to deal with what was going on while looking after the younger kids. I thought the whole Caine in control thing was a little too far-fetched, as well as him letting Drake do pretty much whatever he wanted, but I liked how a lot of the other kids handled the disappearance of the adults.

Astrid just wanted to find her missing little brother. Quinn wanted his parents back. Albert wanted to help however he could. Mary and John as well. And Sam. Sam doesn't want to be a hero, he doesn't want to be in charge. He just wants to figure out what is going on with the light and the adults going poof. But he soon gets pushed into a leadership role anyway.

Sam, Caine, and Drake were probably my favorite characters. Sam because he was real and strong and a genuinely good guy. Caine because I felt he was a bit unpredictable, but had the most room for character growth and has potential to be either a really hated character, or a really great character. And Drake because he's crazy and insane and I never know just exactly what he's going to do next. I think this boy is really going to go off the deep end soon.
By the end of the book I had more questions than answers, so thankfully it's a series and the next few books are already out, or else I might just go as insane as Drake trying to figure out what's going to happen.

Waiting on Wednesday - Beauty Dates the Beast

2011-10-19T07:43:00.000-03:00

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly event meant to share with other bloggers what book(s) you can't wait for! It is hosted by Jill from Breaking the Spine. So if you choose to participate, be sure to give her a shout out! (:

This week I'm waiting for...

Beauty Dates the Beast by Jessica Sims

(384 pages)
Pub. date: 10/25/11

About the book:

WANTED

Single human female to join charming, wealthy, single male were-cougar for a night of romantic fun—and maybe more.

Me: The tall, sensuous, open-minded leader of my clan.

You: A deliciously curvy virgin who’s intimately familiar with what goes bump in the night. Must not be afraid of a little tail. Prefer a woman who’s open to exploring her animal nature. Interest in nighttime walks through the woods a plus.

My turn-ons include protecting you from the worst the supernatural world has to offer. Ready for an adventure? Give me a call.

Vampires and doppelgangers need not apply.

I think this one has the potential to be really interesting! Sounds like it's going to be somewhat like Beauty and the Beast, but I'm hoping that this one's going to be filled with plenty of twists making it unique and a great read.

Annddd, bonus! I don't have to wait very long for this one to come out! Whoot! Whoot!

What are you waiting for this Wednesday?

My recent absence...

2011-10-17T22:27:00.000-03:00

As you may or may have not noticed, the past few days I've been rather absent. Since Thursday really, with only a quick review on Saturday and nothing since, not even an All About You interview today.

I want to apologize and let you know just why I've been gone. It's actually been a rather busy week ever since Thanksgiving. (Remember, I'm Canadian. We celebrate Thanksgiving in October, not November). Thanksgiving was when we found out that my grandmother (aka nana) had been accepted into a nursing home nearby, and me, my parents, my sister, and my aunts have been busy getting nana for the move all week. Friday, which was Grad Picture Day, (the beginning of senior year fun) was also the day nana moved into the nursing home.

Over the weekend, as I may have mentioned in my Saturday post, the parents, sister and I headed for the city to spend all day shopping. Not something I was counting on. I figured I'd be home in time to schedule my IMM post and a few others for this week before bedtime. But, by the time we got home I only had enough time to bake a cake for my other grandmother's (aka nanny) birthday before I was too sleepy to keep my eyes open to so much as read a chapter of my book, so off to bed I went. I like getting my hours of sleep and if I don't I get grumpy. Plus I had to get up early the next morning to finish decorating the cake.

Sunday we dropped my sister off at work then headed to nanny's for her birthday barbeque. I was there until it was time to pick my sister up from work and go visit nana at the nursing home. We finally left there at 8, getting to the local gas station/hangout at 9, where we spent an hour talking to our favorite employee. Getting home after 10 I was ready to pass out.

And today... Today was... fun. I spent three + hours with my least favorite teacher doing a first aid class. Then spent my entire lunch at a yearbook meeting. Had free block right after that, only to find out that halfway through we had an assembly. Kids Help Phone representatives came to visit us and chatted about stuff we all really knew already. Several kids tried to leave - didn't work. The last half hour of the day was spent back with my least favorite teacher watching some first aid related video that was rather boring. I almost fell asleep. Then an hour long bus ride with annoying children and I was home - with one gigantic headache.

Add all of that with homework, car troubles (my car broke on Thursday), friend drama, scholarship applications, and you know, personal hygiene and whatnot and I really didn't have much time to even look at the computer, much less post something. If you still don't believe I've been busy, get this: I've been reading the same book for over a week now. Not something I normally do unless I don't like the book. I like the book (Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare) so the only excuse for not finishing it is not having time too.

Upsetting. Truly upsetting.

So. I hope things will calm down soon, so I can get back to posting regularly. Hopefully tomorrow. Tonight after I post this I'm going to try to get ahead of reading/answering questions about Hamlet for English class so I won't have any homework this week, and I'll try and get all of my French stuff done in class or during free. Wednesday I have a dentist appointment after school (hopefully they're not going to tell me that I need to get some Wisdom teeth removed - there's at least one growing in) and on Thursday I've got our school Halloween dance. I won't be able to post/schedule anything then because I'm going to a friend's right after school. Friday I might get some work done, but on Saturday I think I'm going to an open house for a university I'm interested in, and on Sunday I think we're visiting nana again.

I'm going to try, but I'm not sure what's going to happen with blog posts this next week. So sorry! Don't hate me!

Review - Sing You Home

2011-10-15T10:21:00.002-03:00

Sing You Home by Jodi Picoult

(466 pages)
Pub. date: 03/01/11

My rating: 4/5 stars

About the book:

One miscarriage too many spelled the end of Max and Zoe Baxter's marriage. Though the former couple went quite separate ways, their fates remained entangled: After veering into alcoholism, Max is saved in multiple senses by his fundamentalist conversion; Zoe, for her part, finds healing relief in music therapy and the friendship, then romantic love with Vanessa, her counselor. After Zoe and Vanessa, now married, decide to have a baby, they realize that they must join battle with Max, who objects on both religious and financial grounds. Like her House Rules and several other previous Jodi Picoult novels, Sing You Home grapples with hot button issues. The novel also includes a CD of songs, each matched with a chapter in the book. Perfect for book clubs.

My thoughts:

This has to be a quick review, because I'm leaving soon to (hopefully) go get my new car and go shopping in the city. I wouldn't have posted anything, but I've been so busy the past two day that I didn't post anything for two whole days. So, review time today. Even if it's a short review.

I really enjoyed Sing You Home. I thought the message was important, and I love how Picoult always tackles such difficult subjects. Her writing is strong and beautiful, heartwarming and heartbreaking. I always cry while reading her novels, and Sing You Home was no exception.

I really liked the main characters, Zoe, Vanessa and Max. All were completely unique and fun to read about. I think Zoe was a little obsessive at times, but was ultimately a strong main character, and I believe she will be a loving and great mom. Vanessa was probably my favorite character, she was loving and supporting and funny. Max often annoyed me with his religiousness, and the fact that he listened to Clyde over his own heart, but I thought his character was the one that grew the most throughout the novel. Dana, Zoe's mom, was a blast! I loved her! And I even ended up liking Liddy and Reid a bit.

The best part about Jodi Picoult's writing is the fact that it is so real and complex, and there's always this big twist (sometimes multiple twists) at the end of the book that leave you shell shocked and you can never guess. While there were multiple twists, I actually ended up guessing a couple of them, which left the ending a little sucky for me. I'd have rather not guessed it at all. I didn't really get that shell shocked feeling this time, which left the book's impact a little lacking.

The ending and the religious factor of this book is what is keeping me from giving it five stars. I'm not a fan of being preached too, which I felt like this book was doing a bit too much at times.

Waiting on Wednesday - The Catastrophic History of You and Me

2011-10-12T08:29:00.000-03:00

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill from Breaking the Spine. Check out her blog for details on how you can participate.

This week I'm anxiously awaiting the release date of...

The Catastrophic History of You and Me by Jess Rothenberg

(288 pages)
Pub. date: 02/21/12

About the book:

BRIE'S LIFE ENDS AT SIXTEEN: Her boyfriend tells her he doesn't love her, and the news breaks her heart—literally.

But now that she's D&G (dead and gone), Brie is about to discover that love is way more complicated than she ever imagined. Back in Half Moon Bay, her family has begun to unravel. Her best friend has been keeping a secret about Jacob, the boy she loved and lost—and the truth behind his shattering betrayal. And then there's Patrick, Brie's mysterious new guide and resident Lost Soul . . . who just might hold the key to her forever after.

With Patrick's help, Brie will have to pass through the five stages of grief before she's ready to move on. But how do you begin again, when your heart is still in pieces?

I think that this is going to be a fun, cute read and I can't wait! I bet it's going to be filled with tons of wit and laughs!

What are you waiting for this Wednesday?

Top Ten Tuesday - Top Ten Books I Wish I Could Read Again For The First Time

2011-10-11T07:24:00.000-03:00

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Check out their blog for future Top Ten lists and to see how you can participate!

This week's list is...

Top Ten Books I Wish I Could Read Again For The First Time

1. Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult

This book i a favorite of mine. It has a haunting message and theme and plot, and the characters are so real. I'd read this again for the first time a hundred times!

2. Wither by Lauren DeStefano

Written beautifully and with characters that grab at your heart, I could easily read this book fifty times and still not be bored!

3. Paranormalcy by Kiersten White

This book was tons of fun and had lol moments on every page! I love Evie and her friends!

4. Don't Let Me Go by J.H. Trumble

I recently received an advanced copy of this novel, and I LOVED it. I highly recommend buying it when it comes out. Since most of you probably haven't read it yet, that's all I'm going to say.

5. Jude by Kate Morgenroth

This was one of my favorite books when I first read it several years ago, and it remains a favorite to this day. I love the plot, the characters, the message, everything!

6. Break by Hannah Moskowitz

I loved this book! Jonah and Jesse captured my heart and didn't let go. The story was so interesting, and the characters were wonderfully written!

7. Whale Talk by Chris Crutcher

I really enjoyed this book when I first read it as a tween, and have read it several times since. It had the biggest impact the first time around, and I wish I could read it for the first time again!

8. Alpha by Rachel Vincent

As the final book in the series, Alpha was jam packed with action, hope, tears, and emotion. I didn't want it to end! The ending of the story was bittersweet, but one I felt fit the story. I'd love to be able to read this one again for the first time so I could feel the emotions just as strongly as Faythe did

9. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

THG was the best book in the series, in my opinion, and I wish the other two had been as great.

10. Split by Swati Avasthi

I loved this book, and felt so bad for the boys. This plot was wonderful and heartbreaking/

I found this list really hard to make. I almost resorted to ending the list short.

All About You (6) - Lucia (iLive iLaugh iLove Books)

2011-10-10T10:09:00.000-03:00

All About You is a weekly memecreated by yours truly. If you would like to be featured in AAY or would liketo find out more about it, you can visit my AllAbout You page, or email me.

Interview with Lucia @ iLiveiLaugh iLove Books -

First off, a bit about Lucia!

Name?
- Lucia, pronounced LOU-CHEE-YA. No LOU-SEE-YAs or LU-SHAs.

What is your blog called?
- iLive, iLaugh, iLove Books - http://leecheeeee813.blogspot.com

Other links –
Twitter: @Leecheeeee_3LB http://twitter.com/leecheeeee_3LB
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/LiveLaughLoveBooks
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/user/show/4140061-lucia

What kinds of books do youreview?
- YA. :) And MG. I can’t be more specific, because I’ll do pretty muchany genre.

Wanna tell me a little bit about you?
- Here’s my bio: Lucia is the brainsbehind the middle grade and young adult fiction blog iLive, iLaugh, iLoveBooks. She began blogging in early 2011 when she decided she needed somebuddies to fangirl about books with. Lucia is notorious for her unhealthyobsession of chocolate and cookies. Her literal closest friends are herkidneys, Martha and George. Lucia likes to chat until she wears herself out (arare occurrence) unless she’s called away by her Ninja Master to some missionto save the world. She likes unicorns. She also pinky swears she doesn’t haveADD. Or OCD, for that matter.

Why did you decide to become a book blogger? How did you goabout it?
- I decided to become a blogger because I a) was lonely (nobody in my circleof friends likes books as much as I do!); b) was bored; and c) wanted to trysomething new. So I went “What the heck, why not?” I discovered blogging whileI was doing some Cassandra Clare research. I had just finished City of Glassand was hoping to find out more. And voila! Mundie Moms.

Now for the REAL questions –

1. What book-made-into-a-moviedid you think was the worst? The best?
- I loved Lord of the Rings. But I know that most people that have read thebooks didn’t like the movies. But I never read the books, so I don’t care. Ialso loved The Chronicles of Narnia. They dramatized the movies a bit(Hollywood.) but I still liked them, especially The Lion, the Witch, and theWardrobe. As for the worst, Eragon was kind of LOL-bad. And not in a good way.

2. Besides reading and blogging, what are your other hobbies/interests?
- I play piano and flute. I’m in band and orchestra. I also play tennis, andI love to bake food. COOKIES. <3

3. Are your bookshelves organized? Overflowing? Stacked up on the floor?
- They’re organized, but also overflowing. I’m scared that the shelf mightbreak, but I REFUSE to put books into a box under my bed or stack them on thefloor. *shudder* I organize my books by genre, and then alphabetize them byauthor’s last name.

4. Why do you think it's often harder to get guys to read than girls?
- Video games. LOL. Well, that’s one. Also, I suppose romance isn’t “manly”enough for them. *rolls eyes*

5. Which would you rather,write with paper and a pen or on a computer/laptop? Why?
- It usually depends on what I’m writing, but typically laptop. I type somuch faster than I write. And it’s neater. (OCD, lol.)

6. If you could only read books from one author for the rest of yourlife, which author would you pick?
- Ohmigosh, kill me now. Okay. Either Rick Riodan or Cassandra Clare. *bitesnails* I can’t decide!

7. Would you let people intoyour bedroom right now, looking exactly the way it does?
- It depends who they are, but sure. I don’t care. It’s neat, except for mybed. But what’s the point of making a bed if you’re going to sleep in it later?LOL.

8. Coke or Pepsi?
- There’s a difference? Actually, neither. I don’t drink soda much.

9. Be honest, are you a lazyblogger?
- I’m always lazy. But strangely, not at all with blogging. I spend so muchtime doing it... there’s not much else I do. I’m practically glued to the chairin front of my laptop during the day.

10. Is there a genre of bookyou just wont read, no matter what?
- Horror. I’m a scaredy-cat. :)

I would defiantly pick Cassandra Clare! I love her books, even if Jace pisses me off sometimes! :) If you liked Lucia's answers and want to know some more about her, check out iLiveiLaugh iLove Books!