Portrait of a Book

Follow Friday (31)

2012-02-24T00:00:00.000-05:00

Follow Friday is hosted by Parajunkee and Allison Can Read. Visit either of their blogs for complete rules of the following fun!

This week's question:

"Activity!!! Take a picture or describe where you love to read the most..."

My answer is going to be kind of boring...my favorite place to read is in my bed, surrounded by lots of pillows and snuggled under a blanket. It's very comfy!

What are your answers? Please leave a comment or a link to your blog!

Review: Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley

2012-02-23T09:00:00.000-05:00

GRAFFITI MOON
By: Cath Crowley
Published By: Knopf Books for Young Readers
Release Date: Feb. 14, 2012
Series: None
Pages: 272
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Reading Level: Young Adult
Source: Netgalley
Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads Summary: Senior year is over, and Lucy has the perfect way to celebrate: tonight, she's going to find Shadow, the mysterious graffiti artist whose work appears all over the city. He's out there somewhere—spraying color, spraying birds and blue sky on the night—and Lucy knows a guy who paints like Shadow is someone she could fall for. Really fall for. Instead, Lucy's stuck at a party with Ed, the guy she's managed to avoid since the most awkward date of her life. But when Ed tells her he knows where to find Shadow, they're suddenly on an all-night search around the city. And what Lucy can't see is the one thing that's right before her eyes.

This book had me intrigued before I even opened the pages. From the great cover to the synopsis, Graffiti Moon seemed like it could be a very sweet book with a great love story. Unfortunately, it didn't live up to my expectations.

Lucy has been admiring Shadow's graffiti for a long time, but more than that, she admires him. She knows that whoever is behind this beautiful artwork has to be the guy for her, and to celebrate her senior year being over, she is determined to find him. Her friends, however, have other plans for her - plans that include going to a party with Ed, a guy with whom she had an awful date a while back. Lucy agrees to go along with her friends as long as they still look for Shadow. As luck would have it, Ed is friends with Shadow and offers to help Lucy find him. Together they explore the city, finding some of Shadow's best work and talking as though their bad date had never happened. But what Lucy doesn't know is how many secrets are between them...and all good things must come to an end...

Let me begin by saying that I think I am in the minority when it comes to reactions to this book. Even though it had it's good points, I had more issues with it than I was expecting. It took me a while to get into this book. What I considered to be a major plot point was revealed fairly early (read: in the first ten pages), and that threw me off a bit. Beyond that, though, not much happened in the first third of the book. However, during the setup, a lot of the dialogue was hard to follow, forcing me to reread passages several times to determine who was saying what. And although I did like Ed and could sympathize with him, I found it difficult to connect with the other characters.

What kept me reading this book (because I did consider putting it down) was Crowley's writing style. She used some beautiful imagery, and I enjoyed seeing how Shadow's graffiti translated into Poet's words and then into Lucy's interpretation. I also liked the extra poems that were interspersed with the chapters of Ed and Lucy's point of view. Yet even though I did finish the book and liked the ending, I never felt the connection to the story that I was hoping for.

As I said before, I am in the minority with my feelings about this book. Though Graffiti Moon didn't meet my expectations, I wouldn't discount reading something by Cath Crowley in the future for her writing style alone. For other opinions of this book, I suggest checking out these reviews from Ginger at GReads! and Tara at Fiction Folio.

"Waiting on" Wednesday

2012-02-22T01:00:00.000-05:00

"Waiting on" Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's selection is:

MIRAGE
By: Kristi Cook
Published By: Simon Pulse
Release Date: June 5, 2012
Preorder the Book: Amazon

Goodreads Summary: Seventeen-year-old Violet McKenna is back for her senior year at Winterhaven, and thrilled to be with Aidan after a long summer apart. But when a violent and disturbing vision begins to haunt her, Violet suddenly feels unsure of everything: who to trust, if she is in danger, and—worst of all—whether she and Aidan are really meant to be together.

Why it's wanted:
I loved Haven and can't wait to read more of the story! Besides, with a cover like that, you know the book has to be good and interesting.

Teaser Tuesday (31)

2012-02-21T01:45:00.001-05:00

I'm very excited to be one of the many blogs participating in Teaser Tuesdays! TT is a weekly meme hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading. To participate:

Here is my teaser:

"'Mission accomplished,' I whispered. Then I turned, knowing it was time to go back to the world where I could be invisible, but never unknown.

And that's when I saw him - a boy across the street - seeing me."

p. 77 from I'D TELL YOU I LOVE YOU, BUT THEN I'D HAVE TO KILL YOU by Ally Carter

Please share your teasers - post them or link to your blog!

Top Ten Tuesday (14)

2012-02-21T00:45:00.000-05:00

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Each week there will be a new topic and a new list to make. Be sure to stop by the host blog to see all of the other blogs participating!

This week's topic:
Top Ten Books I'd Quickly Save If My House Was Going To Be Abducted By Aliens (Or Any Other Disaster)

I'm going to have to cheat a little bit on this list. There are so many books I'd want to save, but honestly, most of them could be replaced. So, as far as books go that can't be so easily replaced, I'd want to save a lot of my signed books. But since I have too many of those, I'll only list a few here, those that have a special message in them:

1. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
2. Illegal by Bettina Restrepo
3. Nightshade by Andrea Cremer
4. Angelfire by Courtney Allison Moulton
5. Trial by Fire by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
6. Unearthly by Cynthia Hand
7. Where She Went by Gayle Forman
8. Texas Gothic by Rosemary Clement-Moore

And now, the dorky moment for this post: Book 9 would be as many of my organ and choral scores as I could possibly grab. I'd hate to lose all of my music with all of my markings...probably even more than I would hate to lose my books.

And finally, I would take my Book of Common Prayer and my first Bible.

What made your Top Ten list? Please leave a comment or link to your blog!

Review: The Butterfly Clues by Kate Ellison

2012-02-20T09:00:00.000-05:00

THE BUTTERFLY CLUES
By: Kate Ellison
Published By: Egmont USA
Release Date: Feb. 14, 2012
Series: None
Pages: 336
Genre: Mystery
Reading Level: Young Adult
Source: Netgalley
Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads Summary: Penelope (Lo) Marin has always loved to collect beautiful things. Her dad's consulting job means she's grown up moving from one rundown city to the next, and she's learned to cope by collecting (sometimes even stealing) quirky trinkets and souvenirs in each new place--possessions that allow her to feel at least some semblance of home.

But in the year since her brother Oren's death, Lo's hoarding has blossomed into a full-blown, potentially dangerous obsession. She discovers a beautiful, antique butterfly pendant during a routine scour at a weekend flea market, and recognizes it as having been stolen from the home of a recently murdered girl known only as "Sapphire"--a girl just a few years older than Lo. As usual when Lo begins to obsess over something, she can't get the murder out of her mind.

As she attempts to piece together the mysterious "butterfly clues," with the unlikely help of a street artist named Flynt, Lo quickly finds herself caught up in a seedy, violent underworld much closer to home than she ever imagined--a world, she'll ultimately discover, that could hold the key to her brother's tragic death.

I'll admit it - I first wanted to read this book because of the cover alone. In a sea of books with covers full of pretty girls in elegant dresses, this book stood out. (In fact, I did a whole feature on this book because of it's cover - you can see that here.) However, once I started reading, it became clear that this book stood out for many more reasons, including great writing and an engrossing story.

If Penelope "Lo" Marin had to be described in one word, it would be this: obsessive. She collects beautiful trinkets, stealing them when she has to, and arranging them all just so in her room. She suffers from obsessive compulsive disorder and feels an urge to tap and whisper to herself (in multiples of three, of course) to make everything alright. And finally, when she learns that a young girl named Sapphire has been murdered when it was almost her instead, Lo won't rest until she finds out who the murderer is. However, finding the murderer takes Lo to a new world, an area of the city known as Neverland. There Lo meets Flynt, a street artist who has the possibility of becoming so much more than just a tour guide. Even with Flynt's help, tracking a murderer isn't easy, despite her clues. But these clues could reveal more to her than she ever imagined...

I know what you're thinking - another murder mystery that can be easily solved. Think again. The Butterfly Clues might be a mystery, but it is more than that: It is truly a story of the characters. Almost everyone that we meet has their own story to tell, and I love that we get to learn them all through Lo's memory and investigation even if we don't meet them directly. Lo herself is such a memorable character. Not only is she forced to deal with constant relocation and the death of a sibling, but also she suffers from OCD; I'm sure I will remember her constant "tap, tap, tap, banana" for a long time. Because Lo is on her own and an outcast, she views the world differently, and this was refreshing to read. I also loved getting to know Sapphire. Her journal entries added so much to the story, making my heart break for her and for her life cut short. Finally there is Flynt...but I think I will leave you to find out for yourself about him.

Even though Lo's OCD habits took some adjusting to and the mystery could be predicted, there were definitely still surprises. Beyond that, though, the story was very well-written with both wonderful descriptions and insights. The dark, seedy world of this book came to life and made me fear for Lo's safety, and yet the characters and their stories were still moving. The mystery might be solved, but the characters' lives weren't, and I would have loved to know what the future had in store for them.

The Butterfly Clues was a fantastic debut novel from Kate Ellison, providing just what you would want in a murder mystery and more. I'll look forward to reading more from this author!

It's Monday! What are you reading?

2012-02-20T01:40:00.000-05:00

It's Monday! What are you reading? is a weekly meme hosted by One Person's Journey Through a World of Books. Each week we will share the books we have just finished reading, are currently reading, and are planning to read.

Just Finished Reading:
The Butterfly Clues by Kate Ellison
Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley
Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Currently Reading:
I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You by Ally Carter
The Mockingbirds by Daisy Whitney (Book Club)

Planning To Read:
Wither by Lauren DiStefano
The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith

What are you reading this week?

In My Mailbox (30)

2012-02-19T00:20:00.000-05:00

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme that was started by Kristi at The Story Siren with some inspiration from Alea at Pop Culture Junkie. It features books or book-related things that have been bought, borrowed, won, or received in the mail. Be sure to check out The Story Siren for a list of all the other blogs participating!

Bought:

I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You by Ally Carter
Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy by Ally Carter
Don't Judge a Girl by her Cover by Ally Carter
Only the Good Spy Young by Ally Carter
Wings of the Wicked by Courtney Allison Moulton
Hallowed by Cynthia Hand

Weekly Recap:

February Book Portrait: The Butterfly Clues by Kate Ellison (Interview and Giveaway)

Review: Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally
Review: Love and Leftovers by Sarah Tregay

Monday Reads
Teaser Tuesday: Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley
Top Ten Tuesday
Waiting on Wednesday: Shadows Cast by Stars by Catherine Knutsson
Book Blogger Hop & Follow Friday

What books did you get this week? Please leave a comment or link to your own IMM post!

Follow Friday (30)

2012-02-17T00:01:00.000-05:00

Follow Friday is hosted by Parajunkee and Allison Can Read. Visit either of their blogs for complete rules of the following fun!

This week's question:

"I like unique names for characters and am looking forward to coming up with some when I start writing. What’s the most unique character name you’ve come across?"

This is a hard one, but I think I'll have to say Zeddicus Zu'l Zorander from Terry Goodkind's Sword of Truth series. There are actually quite a lot of unique names in this series!

What are your answers? Please leave a comment or a link to your blog!

February Book Portrait: The Butterfly Clues by Kate Ellison

2012-02-16T09:00:00.001-05:00

I'm so excited to make the first post of this new feature! Book Portrait of the Month will showcase one book that has a cover/synopsis/etc. that I find particularly striking. In each post I hope to include teasers and author interviews or guest posts (when possible), as well as a giveaway. Hopefully this feature will bring more attention to some very deserving books!

So without further ado I present February's feature:

The Butterfly Clues by Kate Ellison
Reason for Feature: Cover

About the Book:
Published By: Egmont USA | Release Date: February 14, 2012
Reading Level: Young Adult | Genre: Mystery/Thriller

Penelope (Lo) Marin has always loved to collect beautiful things. Her dad's consulting job means she's grown up moving from one rundown city to the next, and she's learned to cope by collecting (sometimes even stealing) quirky trinkets and souvenirs in each new place--possessions that allow her to feel at least some semblance of home.

But in the year since her brother Oren's death, Lo's hoarding has blossomed into a full-blown, potentially dangerous obsession. She discovers a beautiful, antique butterfly pendant during a routine scour at a weekend flea market, and recognizes it as having been stolen from the home of a recently murdered girl known only as "Sapphire"--a girl just a few years older than Lo. As usual when Lo begins to obsess over something, she can't get the murder out of her mind.

As she attempts to piece together the mysterious "butterfly clues," with the unlikely help of a street artist named Flynt, Lo quickly finds herself caught up in a seedy, violent underworld much closer to home than she ever imagined--a world, she'll ultimately discover, that could hold the key to her brother's tragic death.

I grip the butterfly hard, three times more. Are you okay? I look up at the sky. There is no answer from above - no answer from anywhere - other than a light drizzle that begins to fall.

Or maybe that is the answer.

You can read my review of The Butterfly Clues here.

~INTERVIEW~

I'm very excited that Kate Ellison was kind enough to participate in this new feature! Please take a few minutes to learn more about this author and her book.

How would you describe THE BUTTERFLY CLUES in three words?

These are somewhat dramatic, but, then again, I suppose so's the book:
Grief. Compulsion. Redemption.

Can you share anything about how the cover ties into the book?

Well, right off the bat, I'm going to have to say that nowhere in the book are any butterflies murdered, if that's what the cover has led anyone to expect. I've probably just lost about fifty percent of future readers by admitting that, but, moral obligation demands that I be honest and reveal such a grave disappointment as this right away.

Really, though, Lo—the protagonist—uses objects to manage the grief and guilt she's not otherwise prepared to deal with. I know it says all of this in the blurb on the back of the book, so I'll try not to be terribly repetitive, but she finds a butterfly figurine at a flea market, and it is this object—and all the meaning and importance she invests within it—that compels her to investigate the murder of a girl no one seems to give a hoot about. So, there's the butterfly.

As for the blood, well, it's a murder mystery, so...you know.

What surprised you most while writing this book?

How much things can change after the first draft. You sort of get this momentary, cocky “done” feeling, and then notes from the editor come back, and you realize how very far from done you are. It's surprising how much a book can change from inception to completion; I think I knew this logically, but how it feels emotionally—if that's the right word—is a different experience. I had a lot of work to do in terms of not becoming too attached to anything, of not making everything too precious.

The story of THE BUTTERFLY CLUES is very intense. What was it like to delve into this world?

It involved a lot of head-clearing at the end of my writing day, and during it, too, I guess. It was hard, at times, for me to get out of Lo's headspace. I started to train myself to get inside her head, in the way I used to when I'd rehearse for a play, and Lo is dealing with a lot of darkness, a lot of confusion, a lot of pain; I definitely absorbed some of that as I wrote. I also had to search the (not too-far back) recesses of my brain for vestiges of my teenage mind, and, once I located that place, dive in. That, too, was a difficult place to return to. It takes years of growing up and maturing and being exposed to all the options of adult life to start to overcome some of those massive insecurities that you have growing up. When you're subject to the seemingly near-constant judgement of your peers, when you're figuring out who you really are, and what you care about, and what you stand for, it's so hard not to become wrapped up in everyone else's opinion of you, of whether or not you are “good” enough, or “right,” or “worthy.”

On top of all that, writing from the perspective of a person with quite debilitation OCD was certainly intense. I, personally, do not have OCD, but grew up very closely with a cousin who did. I think writing about it helped me understand it better, to sympathize in a way I hadn't before because it can be such a frustrating disorder to be in the presence of. My cousin had habits—compulsions—that I found so infuriating. I didn't understand why she'd go crazy if I moved something an inch across her desk, why my doing something like that could ruin her whole night. It seemed so absurd to me, like she was making it up, or making the choice to freak out. I realize now, of course, that she had no choice, that a lot of her compulsions probably formed as her brain's own attempt to deal with the sometimes-messiness of life around her.

You are a painter, and in THE BUTTERFLY CLUES Flynt is an artist. Do you share any characteristics with him?

I think Flynt and I are similar in a lot of ways—in fact, he may be the character in the book with whom I most relate. We both have major wanderlust, we've both dumpster-dived (he far more than I), we're both sort of strange and theatrical and wear weird clothes, we're both bothered by the insatiability of technology, though I've definitely fallen prey to it in a much bigger way than Flynt ever will.

Really, though, I think Flynt is braver than I am. He's less reliant upon comfort and convenience than I've become. I like sleeping in beds, and having somewhere warm to return to, and sleep, and cook and whatnot—and this, of course, is a pretty common way to feel—but what Flynt values most—or at least does, through most of the book—is his ability to pick-up-and-go. His complete and total freedom. But freedom is tricky, and running away all the time doesn't mean he's conquered the alternative.

I wish, like Flynt, that I was less bogged down by possessions. I think we are tricked in many ways into believing we need so many things, and it's only when you learn to survive with very little that you realize you don't, and never did. Of course, I'm speaking from the relatively privileged place of even being able to choose whether or not to possess a lot of things; I know many people don't have that.

What is/are your favorite painting(s)? What message do they give to you?

I don't know if I have one favorite painting, but I can definitely speak to favorite artists--the first who come to mind being Egon Schiele, Henry Darger, and Marcel Dzama. I think I'm drawn to all of these artists because their work feels so dreamlike to me, and—more specifically in terms of Darger and Dzama—contains a feeling of a twisted, beautiful sort of narrative through image and form and line and color. And the way Schiele interprets figure is something I just love, in my gut, and connect to, and “feel” things by, without necessarily knowing why. I think that's the power of creating world and opinion through any artistic medium—if you stop worrying about the why, and just let it grip you, it can be this almost mystical experience.

In terms of garnering a message from their work, I think something they all do in one way or another is to acknowledge the absurdity of life (again, this probably applies less obviously to Schiele than it does to the others). What draws me to their artwork, and what similarly makes me shy away from most photo-realistic sort of stuff, is that I feel it represents a more honest experience of life. Things aren't neat, and they don't always make sense, or go exactly as you expected them to go. And, sometimes, they involve lots of angular nudity, and/or people in animal masks, surrounded by low-flying bats, holding unclassifiable gray creatures between their fingers. I mean, anything's possible...you know? Yeah, that's another message right there.

Now that THE BUTTEFLY CLUES is finished and you are looking back, are there things about your writing process or the finished product that you wish you could change?

Yes. Of course. I think there will always be things to change, things that aren't perfect, things that may have been far-from-perfect. I wish I could have adjusted certain aspects of the murderer, and that aspect of the plot, in general. So much of writing this type of book is figuring out the order of events, of red herrings, of what goes where and with who and how. I think certain things get lost in the puzzle of that, and some pieces don't fit quite flush. But I think this whole thing is a giant learning process; I'd never written a book before, and there was a whole lot of groping around in the dark, figuring out how to make things flow, and make sense. It's possible I wasn't entirely successful in that endeavor, but I think that's what any creative process is: a big, hopeful attempt, a creative prayer.

~GIVEAWAY~
I am very excited to offer one copy of The Butterfly Clues for a giveaway!

This contest is open internationally as long as The Book Depository ships to your country. Must be 13 to enter. Please see my Contest Policy for more information.

This contest will close on Friday, March 1 at 12:00 AM CST.

Loading...

Review: Love and Leftovers by Sarah Tregay

2012-02-15T09:00:00.000-05:00

LOVE AND LEFTOVERS
By: Sarah Tregay
Published By: Katherine Tegen Books
Release Date: Dec. 27, 2011
Series: None
Pages: 451
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Reading Level: Young Adult
Source: ALA Midwinter
Buy the Book: Amazon

Author Website Summary:
My wish
is to fall
cranium over Converse
in dizzy, daydream-worthy
love.

(If only it were that easy.)

When her parents split, Marcie is dragged from Idaho to a family summerhouse in New Hampshire. She leaves behind her friends, a group of freaks and geeks called the Leftovers, including her emo-rocker boyfriend, and her father. By the time Labor Day rolls around, Marcie suspects this "vacation" has become permanent. She starts at a new school where a cute boy brings her breakfast and a new romance heats up.

But understanding love, especially when you've watched your parents' affections end, is elusive. What does it feel like, really? can you even know it until you've lost it?

Love and Leftovers is a beautifully written story of one girl’s journey navigating family, friends, and love, and a compelling and sexy read that teens will gobble up whole.

I picked up this book one night because I wanted a story that would really make me think about love. Even though this book didn't turn out to be quite what I was expecting, I still read it in one sitting and found it to be a very good story.

After her mother moves her across the country, Marcie has to begin to make a new life for herself in Hew Hampshire. Even though she misses her dad and her old friends, she can't help but find a connection with a boy in her new school. There's only one problem - she still has a boyfriend back home. But when her mother isn't much of a mother and she feels nothing but loneliness, Marcie can't help but seek what comfort she can. Yet the truth can't stay hidden forever. Marcie has to learn how to handle all of the different relationships in her life, and she learns a lot about love - of all kinds - along the way.

This was my first novel told in verse, and I have to say that I really enjoyed this style. I appreciated that not all of the poems fit a particular mold but still relayed the story very well. The idea of these poems being part of Marcie's journal immediately made me feel connected to her. I could understand Marcie's need for a connection with someone in New Hampshire, even if I didn't agree with all of her choices. Marcie's search for answers is one that I think everyone can relate to, because "love" is so hard to define - it is almost unique to each situation, and with time Marcie comes to realize that. This book might have had its sad moments, but it also had moments of laughter and moments that made me smile.

However, from the summary, I was expecting this book to make me think a lot more than it did. Even though I appreciated the message that it conveyed, to me it just didn't have the revelation or the "wow factor" that I was hoping for. Although I definitely did enjoy it; I just wanted even more from the book.

In Love and Leftovers, Sarah Tregay has crafted a story that is both lyrical and moving. Filled with an exploration of love of all kinds, this is one novel that is guaranteed to warm your heart. I look forward to reading more from her!

"Waiting on" Wednesday

2012-02-15T00:00:00.000-05:00

"Waiting on" Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's selection is:

SHADOWS CAST BY STARS
By: Catherine Knutsson
Published By: Atheneum
Release Date: June 5, 2012
Preorder the Book: Amazon

Goodreads Summary: Two hundred years from now, blood has become the most valuable commodity on the planet - especially the blood of aboriginal peoples, for it contains antibodies that protect them from the plague that is ravaging the rest of the world.

Sixteen-year-old Cassandra Mercredi might be immune to the plague, but that doesn't mean she's safe. Government forces are searching for those of aboriginal heritage to harvest their blood. When a search threatens Cass and her family, they flee to the Island, a mysterious and idyllic territory protected by the Band, a group of guerilla warriors, and by an enigmatic energy barrier that keeps outsiders out and the spirit world in. And though the village healer has taken Cass under her wing, and the tribal leader's son into his heart, the spirit world is angry, and it has chosen Cass to be its voice and instrument...

Why it's wanted:
I really like the idea of blending dystopian and tribal, quasi-fantasy elements. I'm really interested to see how this story works out.

Teaser Tuesday (30)

2012-02-14T00:30:00.000-05:00

I'm very excited to be one of the many blogs participating in Teaser Tuesdays! TT is a weekly meme hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading. To participate:

Here is my teaser:

"At the top of the hill I start riding. The lights of the city reflect and bounce and I fly along my soft corridor thinking about Shadow. Somewhere in the glassy darkness, he's out there. Spraying color. Spraying birds and blue sky on the night."

p. 29-30 (ARC) from GRAFFITI MOON by Cath Crowley

Please share your teasers - post them or link to your blog!

Top Ten Tuesday (13)

2012-02-14T00:00:00.001-05:00

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Each week there will be a new topic and a new list to make. Be sure to stop by the host blog to see all of the other blogs participating!

This week's topic:
Top Ten Books That Broke Your Heart A Little

**Disclaimer: Some of these books did put my heart back together after breaking it. Some did not.

1. Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma - I can't think of any book that broke my heart any more than this one. It still breaks my heart just thinking about it.

2. Eclipse - Yes, I know, but how things ended for Jacob? I'm Team Edward but I was still crying.

3. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows - I'm pretty sure we all know why...

4. Never Eighteen by Megan Bostic - Oh, Austin and Kaylee. The things they went through...

5. Dear John by Nicholas Sparks - All I have to say is that the book does not match the movie. I think I cried for everyone in this book.

6. Lover Eternal, Lover Awakened, and Lover Enshrined from the Black Dagger Brotherhood by J.R. Ward - The things these Rhage, Zsadist, and Phury went through...I suppose I should include V in this list too.

7. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee - I'm sure everyone can understand this one.

8. Dawn Rochelle novels by Lurlene McDaniel - Anything involving cancer can't possibly end well.

9. Wizard's First Rule, Faith of the Fallen, and Phantom by Terry Goodkind - These are rather long, so only portions of them broke my heart, but still. I was completely heartbroken in those moments.

10. Phantom by Susan Kay - My heart always broke for Erik in The Phantom of the Opera...and it's so much worse here.

What made your Top Ten list? Please leave a comment or link to your blog!

New Feature: Book Portrait of the Month

2012-02-13T12:00:00.000-05:00

After a lot of thought and some discussion with two of my blogging friends, I have decided to start a new feature here on the blog: Book Portrait of the Month. Each month I will showcase one book that has a cover/synopsis/etc. that I find particularly striking. In each post I hope to include teasers and author interviews or guest posts (when possible), as well as a giveaway. Hopefully this feature will bring more attention to some very deserving books!

Be sure to look for February's Book Portrait, featuring The Butterfly Clues by Kate Ellison, coming soon!

Review: Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally

2012-02-13T09:00:00.002-05:00

CATCHING JORDAN
By: Miranda Keneally
Published By: Sourcebooks Fire
Release Date: Dec. 1, 2011
Series: None
Pages: 281
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Reading Level: Young Adult
Source: Bought
Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads Summary: What girl doesn't want to be surrounded by gorgeous jocks day in and day out? Jordan Woods isn't just surrounded by hot guys, though-she leads them as the captain and quarterback of her high school football team. They all see her as one of the guys, and that's just fine. As long as she gets her athletic scholarship to a powerhouse university. But now there's a new guy in town who threatens her starting position... suddenly she's hoping he'll see her as more than just a teammate.

Even though this book sounded interesting, I didn't give reading it much thought because I don't like football. And when I say I don't like football, I mean that I won't even watch the Superbowl to see the commercials because it's a football game. But Cari from Cari's Book Blog insisted that I had to read this book, so I did. And once I started reading, this book became one of those "drop everything and read" books for me.

Jordan Woods is not your typical girl. Instead of wanting to date a football player, she wants to be one - and she's one of the best. She's the quarterback and captain of her high school team in Tennessee with her sights set on playing in college at Alabama. Jordan doesn't see any reason why this won't happen or any reason to change the friendships she's always had with the other guys on her team. Then Ty shows up and changes everything. He's a quarterback too, and for the first time Jordan has to worry about her position. That's not all - she might actually like him, a guy on her team, when she's never liked a guy before. And when one thing changes, it seems that everything changes. As Jordan deals with her feelings, she comes to realize that unlike in football, in life, there is no playbook...and no rules.

First things first. Even if you don't like football, don't let that stop you from reading this book. I think I constitute the worst football fan ever (if you didn't get that before), but none of the football scenes in this book bothered me (I even got the references to players and plays. Go me!). That being said, Catching Jordan is about so much more than football. It's about relationships on many levels - those we have with a significant other, those we have with our friends, and those we have with our family. I loved Jordan as a character. Her love for football and her status as "one of the guys" made her different from a lot of the female protagonists in YA, but even still she had to deal with the same issues that we all do, which make her very relatable. I really enjoyed watching Jordan explore the different relationships, especially the one with her dad, and I could appreciate how she came to realize that sometimes there isn't only one path to making your dreams come true.

Another thing I loved about Catching Jordan was how honest and real everything felt. All of the main characters had their own stories that made me love them that much more. Not only did the characters come to life, but also the emotions were raw and acutely felt. Jordan's poems especially added so much depth to the story. Both Jordan's struggles and the characters themselves have stuck with me even though I've read other books since then.

Catching Jordan is a fantastic debut novel with a story that will by turns tug at your heart and make you smile. I cannot wait to read more from Miranda Kenneally!

It's Monday! What are you reading?

2012-02-13T00:05:00.000-05:00

It's Monday! What are you reading? is a weekly meme hosted by One Person's Journey Through a World of Books. Each week we will share the books we have just finished reading, are currently reading, and are planning to read.

Just Finished Reading:
Wings of the Wicked by Courtney Allison Moulton
Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally
Love and Leftovers by Sarah Tregay

Currently Reading:
The Butterfly Clues by Kate Ellison
The Mockingbirds by Daisy Whitney (Book Club)

Planning To Read:
Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley
Cinder by Marissa Meyer

What are you reading this week?

In My Mailbox (29)

2012-02-12T16:16:00.000-05:00

Follow Friday (29)

2012-02-10T00:40:00.000-05:00

Follow Friday is hosted by Parajunkee and Allison Can Read. Visit either of their blogs for complete rules of the following fun!

This week's question:

"What would your prefer: reading your favorite book over and over again until you got sick of it OR reading 100s of mediocre books? And why?"

This is easy - reading my favorite book over and over again. It's my favorite for a reason :) Every time I reread it I find something new about it.

What are your answers? Please leave a comment or a link to your blog!

Review: Wings of the Wicked by Courtney Allison Moulton

2012-02-09T09:00:00.001-05:00

WINGS OF THE WICKED
By: Courtney Allison Moulton
Published By: Katherine Tegen Books / HarperCollins
Release Date: Jan. 31, 2012
Series: Angelfire (#2)
Pages: 528
Genre: Paranormal
Reading Level: Young Adult
Source: ALA Midwinter
Buy the Book: Amazon

Disclaimer: This summary may contain spoilers if you have not read the first book in this trilogy. To read my review of ANGELFIRE, click here.

Goodreads Summary: Life as the Preliator is harder than Ellie ever imagined.

Balancing real life with the responsibility of being Heaven’s warrior is a challenge for Ellie. Her relationship with Will has become all business, though they both long for each other. And now that the secret of who she really is has come out, so have Hell’s strongest reapers. Grown bold and more vicious, the demonic threaten her in the light of day and stalk her in the night.

She’s been warned.
Cadan, a demonic reaper, comes to her with information about Bastian’s new plan to destroy Ellie’s soul and use an ancient relic to wake all the souls of the damned and unleash them upon humanity. As she fights to stay ahead of Bastian’s schemes, the revelations about those closest to her awaken a dark power within Ellie that threatens to destroy everything—including herself.

She’ll be betrayed.
Treachery comes even from those whom she loves, and Ellie is broken by the deaths of those who stood beside her in this Heavenly war. Still, she must find a way to save the world, herself, and her love for Will. If she fails, there will be hell to pay.

Angelfire was one of my favorite books of 2011, so I've been dying to read Wings of the Wicked for a very long time now. I was very eager to delve back into the world that Courtney created and see what Ellie and Will faced this time.

Ellie and Will thought that they had a hard fight in Angelfire, but the worst is not over. Demonic reapers are still after her, and Bastian has certainly not forgotten about her. Even with the help of more angelic vir, Ellie is finding it harder and harder to escape from the demonic. And in addition to all of this, Ellie still has to deal with warnings from Cadan as well as being a senior in high school. Furthermore, with the stress and Will's moral conscience, things between the Preliator and her Guardian are strained at best, very tense at worst. Now not only does Ellie have to fight for her life against demonic reapers, she also has to decide how long she can fight her heart...

Wings of the Wicked in one word: Wow. Sometimes sophomore novels don't live up to the first book, but with Wings of the Wicked nothing could be farther from the truth. This book was darker than Angelfire, but with this came an intensity that made this book impossible to put down. Somehow 500 pages flew by and yet still weren't enough. The world and its angel lore, the action, the romance...all were taken to a new level during this book. Every fighting scene was incredibly vivid, and Will and Ellie's relationship by turns sizzled off the page or made me smile ridiculously or even tear up. And Will. Oh, Will. I'm positive I claimed him as one of my book boyfriends already, but if not, let me do that now. He is swoon-worthy to the max and practically perfect in an endearing way. Then there's Cadan, who definitely surprised me in this book. I'm very curious to see how things will turn out for him in the next book. Finally there's Ellie. Despite her rough patches, she really grew into her own over the course of this book. And all of these characters are woven into a story full of twists and turns that take you on one crazy ride.

It's hard to say what the best part of this book is, because I love the characters, the story, and the writing. Courtney's writing style truly makes every scene come to life and made me feel everything that these characters felt. There's also a bit of evil genius at work in this book...I'm convinced that a few scenes were in there to torture us readers (and Courtney has admitted to her evil ways...).

Be prepared to lose sleep, to laugh, cry, grieve, and rejoice along with Ellie, Will, and the others. I am dying to know what happens next and will be impatiently awaiting the final book in this trilogy!

"Waiting on" Wednesday

2012-02-08T00:00:00.002-05:00

"Waiting on" Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's selection is:

REVIVED
By: Cat Patrick
Published By: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Release Date: May 8, 2012
Preorder the Book: Amazon

Goodreads Summary: As a little girl, Daisy Appleby was killed in a school bus crash. Moments after the accident, she was brought back to life.

A secret government agency has developed a drug called Revive that can bring people back from the dead, and Daisy Appleby, a test subject, has been Revived five times in fifteen years. Daisy takes extraordinary risks, knowing that she can beat death, but each new death also means a new name, a new city, and a new life. When she meets Matt McKean, Daisy begins to question the moral implications of Revive, and as she discovers the agency’s true goals, she realizes she’s at the center of something much larger — and more sinister — than she ever imagined.

Why it's wanted:
This book sounds very different from other things I've read and also very intriguing. I want to know what the conspiracy is!

Teaser Tuesday (29)

2012-02-07T00:15:00.000-05:00

I'm very excited to be one of the many blogs participating in Teaser Tuesdays! TT is a weekly meme hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading. To participate:

Here is my teaser:

"Then he vanished, and an icy breeze billowed the drapes over my open window. I squeezed my eyes shut and let myself cry."

p. 203 (ARC) from WINGS OF THE WICKED by Courtney Allison Moulton

Please share your teasers - post them or link to your blog!

Top Ten Tuesday (12)

2012-02-07T00:00:00.000-05:00

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Each week there will be a new topic and a new list to make. Be sure to stop by the host blog to see all of the other blogs participating!

This week's topic:
Top Ten Books You'd Hand To Someone Who Says They Don't Like To Read

1. Harry Potter - I still maintain that this is one of the most addictive and amazing series written.

2. Hunger Games - It doesn't get more compelling than this.

3. Twilight - Knock it if you will, but this saga got a lot of people back into reading...

4. Wizard's First Rule by Terry Goodkind - If you can get past the length, this book is amazing. It has everything you could want in a book.

5. Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma - This book is amazing. Really, there aren't words.

6. Dear John by Nicholas Sparks - I don't like all of his writing, but this book seemed so very real.

7. The Help by Kathryn Stockett - This book has just the right mixture of good story, humor, and strong message.

8. Crank by Ellen Hopkins - I admit that I haven't read this complete book, but from the bit I have read and other excerpts of her books I know how powerful they can be.

9. Nightshade by Andrea Cremer - I loved this entire trilogy and really think it should be "the next big thing."

10. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins - Who can say no to a romantic comedy? Especially one set in Paris?

What made your Top Ten list? Please leave a comment or link to your blog!

Review: The Gathering Storm by Robin Bridges

2012-02-06T09:00:00.000-05:00

THE GATHERING STORM
By: Robin Bridges
Published By: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Release Date: Jan. 10, 2012
Series: Katerina Trilogy (#1)
Pages: 386
Genre: Historical Fiction / Paranormal
Reading Level: Young Adult
Source: Netgalley
Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads Summary: St. Petersburg, Russia, 1888. As she attends a whirl of glittering balls, royal debutante Katerina Alexandrovna, Duchess of Oldenburg, tries to hide a dark secret: she can raise the dead. No one knows. Not her family. Not the girls at her finishing school. Not the tsar or anyone in her aristocratic circle. Katerina considers her talent a curse, not a gift. But when she uses her special skill to protect a member of the Imperial Family, she finds herself caught in a web of intrigue.

An evil presence is growing within Europe's royal bloodlines—and those aligned with the darkness threaten to topple the tsar. Suddenly Katerina's strength as a necromancer attracts attention from unwelcome sources . . . including two young men—George Alexandrovich, the tsar's standoffish middle son, who needs Katerina's help to safeguard Russia, even if he's repelled by her secret, and the dashing Prince Danilo, heir to the throne of Montenegro, to whom Katerina feels inexplicably drawn.

The time has come for Katerina to embrace her power, but which side will she choose—and to whom will she give her heart?

This was one of my highly-anticipated debuts for 2012, and thank goodness I didn't have to wait long into the year to read it! With an exotic Russian setting, an intriguing world of paranormal creatures in the royal court, and a boy worth swooning over, Robin Bridges created a fantastic debut novel and one that kept me up reading into the wee hours of the morning.

From her childhood, Katerina Alexandrovna has carried a dark secret with her: She is a necromancer and can reanimate the dead. In spite of this, or perhaps because of it, she dreams of attending medical school and becoming a doctor. However, she is also a duchess and expected to behave in the royal court and to marry well. Yet when the tsar's son is in danger from a spell, Katerina cannot help but use her power to protect him. Soon she is caught up in a battle that has lasted for centuries, a battle spanning all of the nobility as well as the living and even the dead. Katerina must try to unravel the plot and stop it before it is too late. But to make matters even more complicated, there are boys. Both carry their own secrets, and being with either one would greatly affect the course of Katerina's life. Katerina will have to embrace who she is and to make a choice...a choice that could affect Russia as she knows it...

I think my love for books with foreign settings has been pretty well established, and the setting of The Gathering Storm is no exception. I enjoyed traveling back in time with Katerina to the late 1800s and being part of the Russian nobility, attending balls and witnessing an era when chivalry was very much alive. The addition of the paranormal elements to this world was nothing short of ingenious. There were a variety of paranormal creatures in this book, from faeries to vampires and beyond, yet rather than being overwhelming, all of these elements worked together to create a truly fascinating world. I found myself caught up in the mystery and intrigue of both the paranormal world and the two boys right along with Katerina. I loved that she looked for the reason behind things - in line with her desire to be a doctor - instead of being a "normal" debutante and only looking for a husband. And for those of you who read "two boys" in the summary and immediately thought "love triangle," let me assure you, it's not what you would expect. There are, however, definitely romance scenes in here that will leave you smiling.

There were only two things I wanted with this story - a better way to keep all of the nobility straight, because the amount of names was a bit overwhelming at first - and more. More of the brilliant writing, more of the world, more interaction between Katerina and George. After the ending of this book, I cannot wait to see how everything works out for Katerina.

Blending elements of historical fiction and the paranormal, The Gathering Storm is a fresh new story that will capture you from the very first pages. I will be eagerly anticipating the next book in this trilogy!

It's Monday! What are you reading?

2012-02-06T00:00:00.000-05:00

It's Monday! What are you reading? is a weekly meme hosted by One Person's Journey Through a World of Books. Each week we will share the books we have just finished reading, are currently reading, and are planning to read.

Just Finished Reading:
I have a couple of weeks to catch up on here:
Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi
Don't Breathe a Word by Holly Cupala
Incarnate by Jodi Meadows
The Gathering Storm by Robin Bridges

Currently Reading:
Wings of the Wicked by Courtney Allison Moulton
The Mockingbirds by Daisy Whitney (Book Club)

Planning To Read:
Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally

What are you reading this week?

In My Mailbox (28)

2012-02-04T23:00:00.000-05:00

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme that was started by Kristi at The Story Siren with some inspiration from Alea at Pop Culture Junkie. It features books or book-related things that have been bought, borrowed, won, or received in the mail. Be sure to check out The Story Siren for a list of all the other blogs participating!

For Review:

Griffin's Fire by Darby Karchut
Recieved courtesy of the author

Bought:

Dead to You by Lisa McMann
Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally
Angel Fire by L.A. Weatherly

Weekly Recap:

Review: Don't Breathe a Word by Holly Cupala
Review: Incarnate by Jodi Meadows

Teaser Tuesday: The Gathering Storm by Robin Bridges
Waiting on Wednesday: Insurgent by Veronica Roth
Book Blogger Hop & Follow Friday

What books did you get this week? Please leave a comment or link to your own IMM post!

Follow Friday (28)

2012-02-02T23:30:00.000-05:00

Follow Friday is hosted by Parajunkee and Allison Can Read. Visit either of their blogs for complete rules of the following fun!

This week's question:

"Define what characteristics your favorite books share. Do they all have a kick ass heroine or is the hot love interest the Alpha Male?"

This may be an obvious answer, but what I love is good writing. Whether it's a strong heroine or a swoon-worthy love interest, I want it to be written well with believable characters, settings, and actions. I also like books that make me think or that can cause me to consider things in a different perspective. I read to get lost in the stories, but I also read to expand my horizons. If a story or characters can stick with me long after I've finished the book, that's the hallmark of something truly good.

What are your answers? Please leave a comment or a link to your blog!

Review: Incarnate by Jodi Meadows

2012-02-02T09:00:00.001-05:00

INCARNATE
By: Jodi Meadows
Published By: Katherine Tegen / HarperCollins
Release Date: Jan. 31, 2012
Series: Newsoul (#1)
Pages: 384
Genre: Fantasy
Reading Level: Young Adult
Source: Netgalley
Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads Summary: New soul

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

No soul

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

Heart

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

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

Incarnate has all of the makings of a great book - gorgeous cover, fresh and intriguing idea, and a good blend of fantasy and romance. From the very beginning I found myself lost in Ana's world and wanted to linger there even after I had finished the book.

In the land of Heart, there are a million souls, and each of them have been reincarnated for thousands of years. And then Ana was born...and her soul didn't match any previous soul. Because of this, Ana has been taught all her life that she is a nosoul, a mistake, and someone who quite possibly only has one life to live. Ana is desperate to leave her mother's tyrannical house and find out more about why she was born, but she never imagined the dangers or the resistance she would face. Fortunately she meets Sam, who believes that Ana is not a nosoul but a new soul. With Sam's help, Ana is able to reach Heart and begin her quest for knowledge. Yet not all the souls in Heart are happy about this turn of events...and there may be some who would stop at nothing to take Ana's one life.

First things first. Incarnate may be about reincarnated souls, but it is not your typical reincarnation story. For instance, all of the reincarnated souls retained their memories of their past lives. In addition, Meadows' take on soulmates is slightly different from what I've seen before, though it does have validity. Finally, because Ana was a new soul, her journey was very different from what it would have been had she been reincarnated from a previous life. As we learn through Ana, the world of Range is a most interesting one, combining ancient fantastical creatures such as dragons with modern technology with a dash of a new deity. I enjoyed many of the characters in this book and their easy relationships with one another; I truly did feel like I was amongst an old group of friends. And then there was Sam. For those of you who know me, if you read this book, you will know exactly why I love Sam. There's just something about him...and there are definitely some swoon-worthy scenes between him and Ana.

Although there were many things I liked about this book, there were also a few things that bothered me. It seemed like the writing took a while to even out; in the beginning, there were moments of beautiful prose, but they were often juxtaposed with fragments that seemed jarring (and often ones that presented Ana as more surly than I think she was). At times it was hard for me to connect with Ana. Both her self-pity and the comparison between her and a butterfly were mentioned frequently throughout the book, almost to the point of detracting from their intended purpose. That being said, the world and the other characters were more than enough to keep me reading.

If you like reincarnation stories, fantasy settings, and a sweet, believable romance, you will want to read Incarnate. I will look forward to seeing what else is in store for Ana and Sam!

"Waiting on" Wednesday

2012-02-01T01:00:00.000-05:00

"Waiting on" Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's selection is:

INSURGENT
By: Veronica Roth
Published By: HarperCollins
Release Date: May 1, 2012
Preorder the Book: Amazon

Goodreads Summary: One choice can transform you—or it can destroy you. But every choice has consequences, and as unrest surges in the factions all around her, Tris Prior must continue trying to save those she loves—and herself—while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love.

Tris's initiation day should have been marked by celebration and victory with her chosen faction; instead, the day ended with unspeakable horrors. War now looms as conflict between the factions and their ideologies grows. And in times of war, sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge, and choices will become even more irrevocable—and even more powerful. Transformed by her own decisions but also by haunting grief and guilt, radical new discoveries, and shifting relationships, Tris must fully embrace her Divergence, even if she does not know what she may lose by doing so.

New York Times bestselling author Veronica Roth's much-anticipated second book of the dystopian Divergent series is another intoxicating thrill ride of a story, rich with hallmark twists, heartbreaks, romance, and powerful insights about human nature.

Why it's wanted:
I think everyone who has read Divergent is eagerly awaiting this book. I need to know what happens next! And I need more Tris and Four!

Teaser Tuesday (28)

2012-01-31T00:15:00.001-05:00

I'm very excited to be one of the many blogs participating in Teaser Tuesdays! TT is a weekly meme hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading. To participate:

Here is my teaser:

"The vision was, unfortunately, very familiar.

Death would be dancing with us at the ball that night.

I crossed myself and prayed it would touch no one I loved."

p. 13 (e-ARC) from THE GATHERING STORM by Robin Bridges

Please share your teasers - post them or link to your blog!

Review: Don't Breathe a Word by Holly Cupala

2012-01-30T12:15:00.000-05:00

DON'T BREATHE A WORD
By: Holly Cupala
Published By: Harper Teen
Release Date: Jan. 3, 2012
Series: None
Pages: 299
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Reading Level: Young Adult
Source: ALA
Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads Summary: 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 delectably dangerous Asher, who is smothering her from the inside out.

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

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

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

I haven't read many darker contemporary books, but when I was looking to read an emotional, powerful story, I turned to Don't Breathe a Word. And I was not disappointed. This book is not for the faint of heart, but if you can read past the heartbreaking moments and the grim reality that what is portrayed here is life for some teens, you will be left with a truly poignant story.

Joy Delamere struggles to breathe - literally and figuratively. She suffers from asthma, and because of several near-death experiences, she suffers from overprotective parents who nearly smother her in their effort to make sure she is okay. She also suffers emotionally from her relationship with Asher. Eventually it all becomes too much, and Joy knows what she has to do: disappear without a trace. She runs away from home, finding a new life on the streets of Seattle. There she is befriended by several "Ave Rats" - Creed, May, and Santos - and with their help she learns how to survive on the streets. But Joy soon learns what harsh realities this life brings. She is not the only one with a secret, with things to escape from. People aren't always who they seem to be. And on top of everything else, winter is quickly approaching, bringing with it cold, sickness...and possible death...

Where do I even begin to talk about this book? I am amazed that Holly Cupala could write this story to be heavy, intense, and yet not completely depressing. She doesn't shy away from any issues that kids on the streets (or teens in general) face, but a book like this needs the gritty truth rather than a glossing over of these unpleasant aspects. It's impossible not to be drawn into the world that Cupala has set up for these teens and to hope that they all do find a way to survive (preferably off the streets). At the same time, the relationships they forged, the family they created themselves, was incredibly touching. The fact that these teens who seem to have seen little true love in their life are capable of loving and taking care of themselves and others is inspiring to see. The four main characters in this book - Joy, Creed, May, and Santos - all have their own story and their own secrets to tell, and learning about all of their secrets and how they'd had to deal with them was nothing short of heartbreaking. I cared for each of them and I hope that, even though the story is over, they all continue to find their way.

Surprisingly, the character who bothered me the most in this story was Joy. Even though we learn the most about her story through flashbacks, I wasn't quite as moved by her story as by the others. However, I did appreciate that her time on the streets helped her to grow into a stronger person. Despite my issues with Joy, this book is worth reading for the stories of all the characters, especially Creed, and for insight into lives that most of us cannot even begin to imagine.

Don't Breathe a Word has both a story and characters that will draw you in and not let you go. It is not an easy read, but it is certainly a good one. I will look forward to reading more from Holly Cupala!

In My Mailbox (27)

2012-01-28T22:00:00.000-05:00

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme that was started by Kristi at The Story Siren with some inspiration from Alea at Pop Culture Junkie. It features books or book-related things that have been bought, borrowed, won, or received in the mail. Be sure to check out The Story Siren for a list of all the other blogs participating!

For Review:
Perception by Kim Harrington
Received courtesy of Scholastic

Bought:
Shattered Dreams by Ellie James
On a Dark Wing by Jordan Dane

Weekly Recap:

Young Adult Giveaway Hop - Win SIGNED copies of What Happened to Goodbye and A Touch Mortal!

Review: Hallowed by Cynthia Hand
Review: Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

Monday Reads
Teaser Tuesday: Incarnate by Jodi Meadows
Waiting on Wednesday: The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa
Book Blogger Hop & Follow Friday

What books did you get this week? Please leave a comment or link to your own IMM post!

Young Adult Giveaway Hop

2012-01-27T00:00:00.000-05:00

Welcome to this stop of the Young Adult Giveaway Hop, hosted by I am a reader, not a writer and Down the Rabbit Hole.

As someone who loves YA books, I am thrilled to have a chance to give away some great YA titles! The beauty of YA books is that there is often something for everyone in almost every book.

~GIVEAWAY~

I am very excited to offer two SIGNED YA books for this giveaway. They are:

A Touch Mortal by Leah Clifford
What Happened to Goodbye by Sarah Dessen

The contest is open to US residents only. Must be 13 to enter. Please see my Contest Policy for more information.

Must be a GFC follower to enter.

This contest will close on Wednesday, February 1 at midnight CST.

Loading...

Don't forget to visit the many other stops on this hop!

Book Blogger Hop & Follow Friday (27)

2012-01-26T23:40:00.002-05:00

Book Blogger Hop is a weekly meme hosted by Jennifer at Crazy-for-Books. In the spirit of the Twitter Friday Follow, the Book Blogger Hop is a place just for book bloggers and readers to connect and share our love of the written word! This weekly BOOK PARTY is an awesome opportunity for book bloggers to connect with other book lovers, make new friends, support each other, and generally just share our love of books! It will also give blog readers a chance to find other book blogs to read! So visit Crazy-for-Books to grab the logo, post about the Hop on your blog, and start HOPPING through the list of blogs that are posted in the Linky list there!

This week's question:

Coming soon!

Follow Friday is hosted by Parajunkee and Allison Can Read. Visit either of their blogs for complete rules of the following fun!

This week's question:

"Which book genre do you avoid at all costs and why?"

I'm having a very hard time thinking of a genre I completely avoid. Generally I would say biography/memoirs, but there are a very few I would read. Aside from that, the genres I tend to steer clear from are adult mystery/thrillers, regular romance novels, and chick lit books. As someone in her early twenties I often find it hard to connect with the characters and stories in these novels. I find the stories in YA much more appealing...though I certainly won't say no to a good paranormal romance...

What are your answers? Please leave a comment or a link to your blog!

Review: Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

2012-01-26T09:00:00.002-05:00

UNDER THE NEVER SKY
By: Veronica Rossi
Published By: HarperCollins
Release Date: Jan. 3, 2012
Series: Under the Never Sky (#1)
Pages: 384
Genre: Science Fiction
Reading Level: Young Adult
Source: Netgalley
Buy the Book: Amazon

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

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

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

Combining science fiction with hints of dystopian ideas, Under the Never Sky is a fresh story that, after my recent luck with sci-fi titles, I was looking forward to reading. For me, however, this book did not live up to its hype.

Aria has spent her life in the Reverie Pod, hanging out with her friends in virtual Realms through her Smarteye. But after an adventure gone wrong in a rundown part of the Pod, Aria is cast out into the Death Shop and left there on her own, without a Smarteye. Fortunately, she runs into Perry, an Outsider who is facing his own struggles. Despite the fact that Aria is a Dweller and Perry is an Outsider, it turns out that they have much in common. Both were blamed for something that wasn't their fault, and both have to embark on a journey to try and make everything right again. Together they travel across the Death Shop and make some surprising discoveries about each other and themselves along the way.

It took me a while to get into this book and even longer to care about the main characters. I felt as though Aria's home world, the pod of Reverie, was not well established before Aria was forced to leave it. Similarly, though Perry's world is easier to grasp, I wanted more detail here as well. However, I could have overlooked this, because over the course of the book more is eventually revealed. What bothered me the most throughout this story was the lack of connection with the characters - both my connection as a reader and also Aria and Perry's connection with each other. For a time there was so little dialogue between them that it was very hard for me to appreciate where these two characters ended up. With that, although both Aria and Perry are (or try to be) genuinely good people, for some reason they just didn't seem quite real to me.

All of that being said, there were things about this book that I did like. The story was very inventive and it was very interesting to see such different worlds coexisting and colliding. Also, I enjoyed the alternating points of view between Aria and Perry. There were moments of beautiful writing and some issues that were raised in the book that made me think. Despite my issues with this book, I do plan to read the next installment in the trilogy; I think it will be easier to connect to the second book now that I have more background, and I want to see where Rossi takes this story.

I know that other bloggers have absolutely loved this book, and so I will leave you with their reviews to give you different opinions: See these reviews from Parajunkee and Mundie Moms.

"Waiting on" Wednesday

2012-01-25T01:30:00.000-05:00

"Waiting on" Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's selection is:

THE IMMORTAL RULES
By: Julie Kagawa
Published By: Harlequin Teen
Release Date: April 24, 2012
Preorder the Book: Amazon

Goodreads Summary: You will kill. The only question is when.

In the dark days since the insidious Red Lung virus decimated the human population, vampires have risen to rule the crumbling cities and suburbs. Uncontested Princes hold sway over diminished ranks of humans: their "pets." In exchange for their labor, loyalty and of course, their blood, these pets are registered, given food and shelter, permitted to survive.

Unregistered humans cling to fringes, scavenging for survival. Allison Sekemoto and her fellow Unregistereds are hunted, not only by vampires, but by rabids, the unholy result of Red Lung-infected vampires feeding on unwary humans. One night, Allie is attacked by a pack of rabids, saved by an unlikely hero...and turned vampire.

Uncomfortable in her undead skin, Allie falls in with a ragtag crew of humans seeking a cure, or cures: for Rabidism and for Vampirism. She's passing for human...for now. But the hunger is growing and will not be denied. Not for friendship—not even for love.

Why it's wanted:
This sounds like a really interesting combination of paranormal and dystopian elements. I'm looking forward to reading a new take on vampire books!

Teaser Tuesday (27)

2012-01-24T03:00:00.000-05:00

I'm very excited to be one of the many blogs participating in Teaser Tuesdays! TT is a weekly meme hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading. To participate:

Here is my teaser:

"I glanced over my shoulder, the lake a stretch of darkness and nothing behind me. If there were rocks or chunks of ice, I couldn't see them. Drowning would be a far better end than burning in sylph fire for weeks or months.

'You won't have me.' I spun and leaped off the cliff. Death would be fast and cold; I wouldn't feel a thing."

p. 13 (ARC) from INCARNATE by Jodi Meadows

Please share your teasers - post them or link to your blog!

Review: Hallowed by Cynthia Hand

2012-01-23T09:00:00.002-05:00

HALLOWED
By: Cynthia Hand
Published By: HarperCollins Publishers
Release Date: Jan. 17, 2012
Series: Unearthly (#2)
Pages: 416
Genre: Paranormal
Reading Level: Young Adult
Source: Netgalley
Buy the Book: Amazon

Disclaimer: The summary and review may contain spoilers if you have not read Unearthly. To read my review of that book, click here.

Goodreads Summary: For months part-angel Clara Gardner trained to face the raging forest fire from her visions and rescue the alluring and mysterious Christian Prescott from the blaze. But nothing could prepare her for the fateful decisions she would be forced to make that day, or the startling revelation that her purpose—the task she was put on earth to accomplish—is not as straightforward as she thought. Now, torn between her increasingly complicated feelings for Christian and her love for her boyfriend, Tucker, Clara struggles to make sense of what she was supposed to do the day of the fire. And, as she is drawn further into the world of part angels and the growing conflict between White Wings and Black Wings, Clara learns of the terrifying new reality that she must face: Someone close to her will die in a matter of months. With her future uncertain, the only thing Clara knows for sure is that the fire was just the beginning.

Described by Richelle Mead as “utterly captivating,” Unearthly received outstanding reviews, garnered accolades from New York Times bestselling authors, and was named an Indie Next Pick. In this heart-wrenching sequel, Cynthia Hand expertly captures the all-consuming joy of first love—and the agony of loss. This beautifully woven tale will appeal to fans of Lauren Kate, Becca Fitzpatrick, and Aprilynne Pike.

I have looked forward to reading this book ever since I finished Unearthly last year. I love these angel stories, because they have just the right blend of angel lore, humor, romance, and intrigue. Even though Hallowed is darker and has less action, Hand still manages to capture all of the aspects that made Unearthly such an enchanting book.

After years of preparing for her purpose and then having everything turn out the way it did, Clara wonders what more she can do, or what more she should be doing. It seems as though her purpose may not be over - her visions certainly aren't - but confronting the larger picture may mean confronting her conflicted feelings for Tucker and Christian. On top of this, the visions that Clara is having seem to mean that someone important to her may die sooner rather than later. Clara's world seems to be crumbling around her, and there is little she can do about it. The more Clara struggles with her questions, the more she realizes something - nothing is as simple as it seems.

If I had to sum this book up simply, I would say that Hallowed is a book of revelation. Certain things that were only hinted at in Unearthly are explained in much more detail here, especially the angel lore, and I loved this. With all of the new information I felt even more drawn into the world that Hand created, even though some of the revelations proved to be painful. As mentioned before, this book is darker than Unearthly. There is less of the lighthearted romance and more of a struggle of feelings, less of a happy, united family as instead each person tends to keep their own secrets, and the threat of danger is always prevalent. Even still, there are moments of respite, moments where I felt like I could sit back, read, and smile. Finally, there is Clara herself. I really enjoyed seeing how much she grew throughout this book from someone who was focused on what she wanted to someone who could see the larger picture and act accordingly. By the end of this book I felt a much stronger connection with her than I had in Unearthly.

One of the things that bothered the the most in Unearthly - the love triangle - I actually really enjoyed in this book. Here more so than the first book, Clara's choice is really about more than just choosing between two guys. We also got to see another side of Christian, which I loved. Tucker is an adorable country boy, but if Christian really is how he appears in this book, I think my heart might belong to him a little bit more.

Hallowed was everything that I was hoping for and more. I know that there is much more to come in the third book - more questions to be answered, and an decision to be made - and I cannot wait to see how everything plays out!

In My Mailbox (26)

2012-01-22T19:45:00.000-05:00

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme that was started by Kristi at The Story Siren with some inspiration from Alea at Pop Culture Junkie. It features books or book-related things that have been bought, borrowed, won, or received in the mail. Be sure to check out The Story Siren for a list of all the other blogs participating!

Bought:

I may have had a bit too much fun with the Barnes and Noble 50% off coupon...this is my second batch of books from that!

Bloodrose by Andrea Cremer
Cinder by Marissa Meyer
The Alchemy of Forever by Avery Williams
The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith
The Secret Sisterhood of Heartbreakers by Lynn Weingarten
Possession by Elana Johnson

Weekly Recap:

Review: Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Review: Fracture by Megan Miranda

Monday Reads
Teaser Tuesday: Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi
Top Ten Tuesday
Book Blogger Hop & Follow Friday

What books did you get this week? Please leave a comment or link to your own IMM post!

Book Blogger Hop & Follow Friday (26)

2012-01-19T22:40:00.000-05:00

Book Blogger Hop is a weekly meme hosted by Jennifer at Crazy-for-Books. In the spirit of the Twitter Friday Follow, the Book Blogger Hop is a place just for book bloggers and readers to connect and share our love of the written word! This weekly BOOK PARTY is an awesome opportunity for book bloggers to connect with other book lovers, make new friends, support each other, and generally just share our love of books! It will also give blog readers a chance to find other book blogs to read! So visit Crazy-for-Books to grab the logo, post about the Hop on your blog, and start HOPPING through the list of blogs that are posted in the Linky list there!

This week's question:

Coming soon!

Follow Friday is hosted by Parajunkee and Allison Can Read. Visit either of their blogs for complete rules of the following fun!

This week's question:

"What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done to get your hands on any particular book?"

I'm not sure that I've done anything that crazy. I didn't trip anyone with my crutches at BEA or anything like that...

The only thing I have done is waiting in lines at midnight releases for Harry Potter books (and then proceeded to stay up all night and read them). Because, after all, that's just what you do for Harry Potter!

What are your answers? Please leave a comment or a link to your blog!

Review: Fracture by Megan Miranda

2012-01-19T09:00:00.003-05:00

FRACTURE
By: Megan Miranda
Published By: Walker & Company
Release Date: Jan. 17, 2012
Series: None
Pages: 264
Genre: Contemporary Fiction / Paranormal
Reading Level: Young Adult
Source: BEA
Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads Summary: Eleven minutes passed before Delaney Maxwell was pulled from the icy waters of a Maine lake by her best friend Decker Phillips. By then her heart had stopped beating. Her brain had stopped working. She was dead. And yet she somehow defied medical precedent to come back seemingly fine

-despite the scans that showed significant brain damage. Everyone wants Delaney to be all right, but she knows she's far from normal. Pulled by strange sensations she can't control or explain, Delaney finds herself drawn to the dying. Is her altered brain now predicting death, or causing it?

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

For fans of best-sellers like Before I Fall and If I Stay, this is a fascinating and heart-rending story about love and friendship and the fine line between life and death.

The idea that someone could clinically die and still return to life has always been intriguing to me. Would that person see the world differently? How would their life change? Fracture explores some of these questions in a perhaps unexpected way.

Delaney Maxwell spends eleven minutes trapped in an icy lake before she is rescued. Miraculously, she makes a full recovery from her coma, yet her MRI shows that something isn't right with certain areas of her brain. Despite this, Delaney seems fine, and eventually she is released to go home. But everything doesn't go back to normal. Delaney feels an unexplainable pull to those who are dying, and no matter how she tries, she can't seem to resist the urge to follow the pull. Soon Delaney meets Troy Varga, who also recovered from a coma and feels a similar pull to the dying. But Troy may not be exactly who he seems. As Delaney struggles to come to terms with her new life, with her feelings for her neighbor Decker, and with her tense relationship with her mother, Delaney learns a lot about human nature, life, and even death.

I have to admit that Fracture was not quite what I was expecting. I thought that Delaney would be looking for more from life, trying to piece things together as she wanted them. Instead, her near-death experience caused her to slowly break down and, as the title suggests, fracture. In some ways she struggled with survivor's guilt, but she also struggled to figure out what the pull to the dying meant and what she should do about it. With this, Fracture had an interesting blend of contemporary and paranormal elements. On one level, Delaney was trying to be a normal high school senior and sort out her feelings for Dexter, but on another level, she had a sort of sixth sense. I think that I enjoyed the contemporary aspect more than the paranormal. I could sympathize with the conflict that Delaney had trying to figure out her feelings for Decker as well as understand her relationship with her mother. The emotions were very intense and very well captured.

Then there was the paranormal aspect as well as Troy. Troy was intriguing at first, but then the fascination wore off. Even though I could understand his reasoning, I still had issues with it. In addition, while the paranormal aspect added something to the story, I think that it could have used a bit more fleshing out, and it still felt unresolved at the end. Despite this, the book definitely makes you think about what you would do with only one day left to live and makes you think about life in general.

Fracture is a compelling debut from Megan Miranda, one that I read in one sitting because I was so eager to know the full story. I will look forward to reading more from Megan Miranda!

Teaser Tuesday (26)

2012-01-17T01:00:00.000-05:00

I'm very excited to be one of the many blogs participating in Teaser Tuesdays! TT is a weekly meme hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading. To participate:

Here is my teaser:

"She'd heard all the stories about the Death Shop, like everyone else. A million ways to die. She knew of the packs of wolves as smart as men. She'd heard of the flocks of crows that picked living people to pieces, and Aether storms that behaved like predators. But the worst in the Death Shop, she decided, was rotting alone."

p. 56 (e-ARC) from UNDER THE NEVER SKY by Veronica Rossi

Please share your teasers - post them or link to your blog!

Top Ten Tuesday (11)

2012-01-17T00:30:00.001-05:00

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Each week there will be a new topic and a new list to make. Be sure to stop by the host blog to see all of the other blogs participating!

This week's topic:
Top Ten Books I'd Recommend To Someone Who Doesn't Read X

Since this is a mostly-YA blog, my list is all about YA books.

*Disclaimer - I think Harry Potter, Hunger Games, and Twilight should be on this list. I'm omitting them only because I think most people have read them whether they read YA or not.*

1. Nightshade Trilogy by Andrea Cremer - This is one of my favorite YA trilogies. The story is very inventive and the writing is excellent.

2. Firelight and Vanish by Sophie Jordan - Love these books! Plus they're about dragons.

3. Delirium by Lauren Oliver - A different kind of dystopian novel with beautiful writing.

4. The Mortal Instruments and The Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare - I say this even though I haven't read all the books that are out. The world and characters are just so memorable.

5. Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma - This book is amazing. Really, there aren't words.

6. Never Eighteen by Megan Bostic - This book really makes you think about life.

7. Anna and the French Kiss and Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins - These books are the perfect romantic comedies. I fell in love with the settings, the characters, and the love stories.

8. Blood Red Road by Moira Young - Written unlike any other book, the primitive language draws you in but the story keeps you turning pages.

9. Angelfire by Courtney Allison Moulton - One of the best angel books I've read. I love the action, the folklore, and Will.

10. The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin - One of the most well-crafted mysteries I've read. This book was impossible to put down.

What made your Top Ten list? Please leave a comment or link to your blog!

Review: Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout

2012-01-16T09:00:00.000-05:00

OBSIDIAN
By: Jennifer L. Armentrout
Published By: Entangled Publishing
Release Date: Dec. 6, 2011
Series: Lux (#1)
Pages: 266
Genre: Science Fiction
Reading Level: Young Adult
Source: Netgalley
Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads Summary: Starting over sucks.

When we moved to West Virginia right before my senior year, I’d pretty much resigned myself to thick accents, dodgy internet access, and a whole lot of boring…. until I spotted my hot neighbor, with his looming height and eerie green eyes. Things were looking up.

And then he opened his mouth.

Daemon is infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. We do not get along. At all. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, well, something…unexpected happens.

The hot alien living next door marks me.

You heard me. Alien. Turns out Daemon and his sister have a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal their abilities, and Daemon’s touch has me lit up like the Vegas Strip. The only way I’m getting out of this alive is by sticking close to Daemon until my alien mojo fades.

If I don’t kill him first, that is.

I think I am slowly learning my lesson about not procrastinating on sci-fi books. Obsidian may have aliens, but let me assure you, these aliens are nothing like the stereotypical little green men or ET. These aliens are...well...I think you should read and find out for yourself...but never has an alien been so attractive.

When Katy and her mother move from Florida to West Virginia, Katy is not expecting much more than a humdrum year until she can leave for college. Still mourning the loss of her father and living with her mostly-absent mother, Katy throws herself into her book blog and the fantasy world that books offer. And then she meets Daemon, her hot next-door neighbor. As it turns out, Daemon also has a sister (who is much friendlier), and Katy and Dee begin spending time together, which in turn brings Katy around Daemon. Katy has resigned herself to hating and being hated by Daemon until strange things start happening. It soon becomes clear that Daemon has powers...otherwordly powers. But after learning his secret, Katy is in more danger than ever. Katy is forced to rely on Daemon for protection, which might be every other girl in town's dream, but Daemon hates her...doesn't he?

Where to begin? Even though I had put off reading this book, I was completely sold by the time I'd finished the first chapter. Katy may be one of my favorite heroines that I've read in a while. First of all, I love that she's a book blogger. But beyond that, I loved her voice and her snark. Katy is not afraid to speak her mind and she's often highly entertaining while doing it. She is both brave and tough, whether she's standing up for herself or fighting for those she loves. Enter Daemon, the irresistibly hot but oh-so-infuriating alien neighbor. There were times when I loved the dialogue between these two, a few scenes that made me smile...and then there were the moments where their chemistry sizzles right off the page. Two other things I especially liked about this book: There was no insta-love, thank goodness, and Katy had other friends than just Daemon's sister. Even though I liked the alien lore and the excitement in the story, the characters really made the book.

I really did enjoy this book, but I know that I am one of the few people not giving it five stars. Although there were many things I loved - especially the beginning and the end - somewhere in the middle I became very frustrated with Daemon's constant hot and cold game with Katy as well as Ash's posturing. I feel like the book lost a bit of its momentum and that impacted my overall impression. However, that certainly won't stop me from reading more of Arementrout's books.

Inventive and fresh, Obsidian is a great book for fans of sci-fi or the paranormal. I will be looking forward to reading more from Jennifer L. Armentrout in the future, both Half Blood and future books in the Lux series!

It's Monday! What are you reading?

2012-01-16T01:30:00.001-05:00

It's Monday! What are you reading? is a weekly meme hosted by One Person's Journey Through a World of Books. Each week we will share the books we have just finished reading, are currently reading, and are planning to read.

Just Finished Reading:
Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Fracture by Megan Miranda
Hallowed by Cynthia Hand

Currently Reading:
Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

Planning To Read:
Don't Breathe a Word by Holly Cupala
Incarnate by Jodi Meadows

What are you reading this week?

In My Mailbox (25)

2012-01-14T23:45:00.000-05:00

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme that was started by Kristi at The Story Siren with some inspiration from Alea at Pop Culture Junkie. It features books or book-related things that have been bought, borrowed, won, or received in the mail. Be sure to check out The Story Siren for a list of all the other blogs participating!

Bought:

I may have had a bit too much fun with the Barnes and Noble 50% off coupon...this is my first batch of books from that!

A Beautiful Dark by Jocelyn Davies
Dragonswood by Janet Lee Carey
Dearly, Departed by Lia Habel
Invincible by Sherrilyn Kenyon
Ingenue by Jillian Larkin
Beautiful Days by Anna Godberson
Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick
Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick
Silence by Becca Fitzpatrick

Weekly Recap:

Audiobook Clip and Giveaway: Glow by Amy Kathleen Ryan

Review: Remembrance by Michelle Madow
Review: Never Eighteen by Megan Bostic

Monday Reads
Teaser Tuesday: Fracture by Megan Miranda
Top Ten Tuesday
"Waiting on" Wednesday: Pieces of Us by Margie Gelbwasser
Book Blogger Hop & Follow Friday

What books did you get this week? Please leave a comment or link to your own IMM post!

Book Blogger Hop & Follow Friday (25)

2012-01-12T22:20:00.000-05:00

Book Blogger Hop is a weekly meme hosted by Jennifer at Crazy-for-Books. In the spirit of the Twitter Friday Follow, the Book Blogger Hop is a place just for book bloggers and readers to connect and share our love of the written word! This weekly BOOK PARTY is an awesome opportunity for book bloggers to connect with other book lovers, make new friends, support each other, and generally just share our love of books! It will also give blog readers a chance to find other book blogs to read! So visit Crazy-for-Books to grab the logo, post about the Hop on your blog, and start HOPPING through the list of blogs that are posted in the Linky list there!

This week's question:

Coming soon!

Follow Friday is hosted by Parajunkee and Allison Can Read. Visit either of their blogs for complete rules of the following fun!

This week's question:

"Many readers/bloggers are also big music fans. Tell us about a few of your favorite bands/singers that we should listen to in 2012."

I'm sure this will come as a surprise, but I'll be honest - I listen to country music, and not necessarily current country music. So I don't have very many recommendations, but the few (non-country) artists that I can suggest are DHT, Anna Nalick, and Missy Higgins.

What are your answers? Please leave a comment or a link to your blog!

Review: Never Eighteen by Megan Bostic

2012-01-12T09:00:00.000-05:00

NEVER EIGHTEEN
By: Megan Bostic
Published By: HMH Children's Books
Release Date: Jan. 17, 2012
Series: None
Pages: 204
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Reading Level: Young Adult
Source: Publisher
Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads Summary:
Austin Parker is on a journey to bring truth, beauty, and meaning to his life.

Austin Parker is never going to see his eighteenth birthday. At the rate he’s going, he probably won’t even see the end of the year. The doctors say his chances of surviving are slim to none even with treatment, so he’s decided it’s time to let go.

But before he goes, Austin wants to mend the broken fences in his life. So with the help of his best friend, Kaylee, Austin visits every person in his life who touched him in a special way. He journeys to places he’s loved and those he’s never seen. And what starts as a way to say goodbye turns into a personal journey that brings love, acceptance, and meaning to Austin’s life.

I knew this book would be moving and emotional just from the synopsis, and it certainly was. In Never Eighteen, Megan Bostic takes the reader on a physical and emotional journey right along with Austin, leaving us, like those he visited, changed at its conclusion.

Austin is sure that he won't live to see his eighteenth birthday because of the cancer. However, he also knows that many of the people around him have virtually stopped living even though they still have life. And so Austin decides that, before he dies, he wants to help others redirect their lives...he wants them to truly live even though he can't. Austin recruits Kaylee, his best friend, to be his chauffeur for the weekend, and they even visit a variety of people and even some places together. Somehow, during the course of the weekend, Austin's visits to say goodbye turn into so much more than that. It becomes a journey for everyone involved...and every journey begins with a single step...

Let me just say: Wow. For a book that is on the short side, Never Eighteen sure packs a LOT of emotion. With the exception of Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma, I don't remember the last time my heart broke for so many characters in a single book. Every stop on Austin's journey yielded a new story for him or for his friend, stories that were by turns painful, touching, and beautiful. In addition to the depth of this book, I loved the way in which it was told. The writing was a unique blend of conversation, quasi-stream of consciousness, and narrative, and I truly felt everything that Austin did. Everything flowed well together, even the moments that were difficult or awkward. And yes, I will admit that I did have tears in my eyes at the end of this book...and I know that I wasn't the only one.

The only thing I did want from this book was more. I would love to know how Austin's visits affected everyone in the long run. Even without that, I've found myself thinking about this book long after it was over. Never Eighteen has a powerful message and one that I think readers of all ages can appreciate.

Never Eighteen is a compelling debut by Megan Bostic, one that is full of more poignant moments than many books I've read. I cannot wait to see what this author writes next!

Audiobook Clip and Giveaway: Glow by Amy Kathleen Ryan

2012-01-11T09:00:00.007-05:00

"Waiting on" Wednesday

2012-01-11T00:00:00.000-05:00

"Waiting on" Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's selection is:

PIECES OF US
By: Margie Gelbwasser
Published By: Flux
Release Date: March 8, 2012
Preorder the Book: Amazon

Goodreads Summary: Two families. Four teens.
A summer full of secrets.

Every summer, hidden away in a lakeside community in upstate New York, four teens leave behind their old identities…and escape from their everyday lives.

Yet back in Philadelphia during the school year, Alex cannot suppress his anger at his father (who killed himself), his mother (whom he blames for it), and the girls who give it up too easily. His younger brother, Kyle, is angry too—at his abusive brother, and at their mother who doesn’t seem to care. Meanwhile, in suburban New Jersey, Katie plays the role of Miss Perfect while trying to forget the nightmare that changed her life. But Julie, her younger sister, sees Katie only as everything she’s not. And their mother will never let Julie forget it.

Up at the lake, they can be anything, anyone. Free. But then Katie’s secret gets out, forcing each of them to face reality—before it tears them to pieces.

Why it's wanted:
This sounds like a very intense but very good contemporary. I am very curious to see how everything unfolds for these characters.

Teaser Tuesday (25)

2012-01-10T00:15:00.000-05:00

I'm very excited to be one of the many blogs participating in Teaser Tuesdays! TT is a weekly meme hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading. To participate:

Here is my teaser:

"I crumpled onto the floor and held my head in my hands, pressing my fingers into my temple. Something in there was wrong. Not a fluke or an anomaly and definitely not a miracle.

An abomination. And I had no one to talk to but Troy."

p. 157 (ARC) from FRACTURE by Megan Miranda

Please share your teasers - post them or link to your blog!

Top Ten Tuesday (10)

2012-01-10T00:00:00.001-05:00

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Each week there will be a new topic and a new list to make. Be sure to stop by the host blog to see all of the other blogs participating!

This week's topic:
Top Ten Authors I Wish Would Write Another Book

1. Charlotte Bronte - Jane Eyre is one of my all-time favorite books and I wish Charlotte had written more.

2. Jane Austen - What can I say...I love Victorian romances.

3. Stephenie Meyer - Yes, I know. But I wish she would finish Midnight Sun.

4. Kathryn Stockett - I loved The Help and would love to see more from her.

5. Susan Kay - I absolutely love her retelling of Phantom of the Opera. I think any book from her would be fabulous.

6. J.K. Rowling - Need I say more?

And I'll add more as I think of them!

What made your Top Ten list? Please leave a comment or link to your blog!

Review: Remembrance by Michelle Madow

2012-01-09T09:00:00.000-05:00

REMEMBRANCE
By: Michelle Madow
Published By: Dreamscape Publishing
Release Date: July 27, 2011
Series: Transcend Time (#1)
Pages: 314
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Reading Level: Young Adult
Source: Author
Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads Summary: New Hampshire high school junior Lizzie Davenport has been reincarnated from Regency Era, England ... but she doesn't know it yet.

Then Drew Carmichael transfers into Lizzie's school at the beginning of the year, and she feels a connection to him, almost like she knows him. She can't stop thinking about him, but whenever she tries talking with him about the mysteries behind her feelings, he makes it clear that he wants nothing to do with her. Reaching him is even more difficult because she has a boyfriend, Jeremy, who has started to become full of himself after being elected co-captain of the varsity soccer team, and her flirtatious best friend Chelsea starts dating Drew soon after his arrival. So why can't she seem to get him out of her mind?

Even though Lizzie knows she should let go of her fascination with Drew, the pair of them soon find that fighting fate isn't going to be easy.

Once I knew that the story of Remembrance was inspired by the music video for Taylor Swift's song "Love Story," I knew I had to read this book. (Yes, I do like country music and Taylor Swift. But I digress.) Add in the reincarnation aspect and the flashes to Regency England and I was completely sold.

Lizzie is ready for her junior year...until Drew Carmichael walks into her classroom. Even though Lizzie has a wonderful boyfriend Jeremy and her best friend Chelsea seems interested in Drew, Lizzie cannot help but be drawn to him. She cannot deny that things are changing between her and Jeremy and perhaps even changing in her life outside of her relationship. Lizzie finds herself drawing Regency-era masks and dresses that she's never seen before as if they were right before her eyes, and certain memories even return to her. Could it be that she and Drew were together in a past life? And if so, what does it mean for them - and their friends - in this lifetime?

I love the idea of reincarnation, and so I always enjoy books that have this as part of them. I think it's a fascinating concept and always interesting to see how authors work it into their books. Besides, who can resist a timeless love story? I loved watching Lizzie rediscover more of her past life as well as discover new talents. In addition, there were some very touching moments between her and Drew. Aside from the reincarnation aspect, much of this book felt incredibly realistic and seemed to be a true picture of high school life. One of the other things I really enjoyed about this book were the references and allusions to Pride and Prejudice and Jane Austen's life. That is one of my favorite books and it was fun to relive aspects of that story here.

I will admit that I did get frustrated with both Lizzie and Drew at times. Although I respected Lizzie's desire to not hurt her friends and Drew's desire to not hurt Lizzie, I thought that they both dragged things out longer than they should have. It would have been nice to see Drew and Lizzie discover or remember some moments together. When everything did come out, I was slightly disappointed about the big secret. That being said, I am curious to see what the future holds for this couple.

Overall, Remembrance is a fast, enjoyable read that truly does show just how love can transcend time. I am looking forward to the next book in this trilogy!

It's Monday! What are you reading?

2012-01-09T01:05:00.000-05:00

It's Monday! What are you reading? is a weekly meme hosted by One Person's Journey Through a World of Books. Each week we will share the books we have just finished reading, are currently reading, and are planning to read.

Just Finished Reading:
Never Eighteen by Megan Bostic

Currently Reading:
Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Planning To Read:
The Gathering Storm by Robin Bridges

What are you reading this week?

In My Mailbox (24)

2012-01-08T17:40:00.000-05:00

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme that was started by Kristi at The Story Siren with some inspiration from Alea at Pop Culture Junkie. It features books or book-related things that have been bought, borrowed, won, or received in the mail. Be sure to check out The Story Siren for a list of all the other blogs participating!

For Review:

Hallowed by Cynthia Hand
Incarnate by Jodi Meadows
(Both received courtesy of HarperTeen via Netgalley)

Gifted/Won:

Mozart's Sister by Nancy Moser (Christmas Gift)
The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin
(Signed copy won from Sash & Em)

Weekly Recap:

Blog Tour: Review and Giveaway of Tempest by Julie Cross
Review: Everneath by Brodi Ashton

Monday Reads
Teaser Tuesday: Never Eighteen by Megan Bostic
Top Ten Tuesday
"Waiting on" Wednesday: Ghost Flower by Michele Jaffe
Book Blogger Hop & Follow Friday

What books did you get this week? Please leave a comment or link to your own IMM post!

Book Blogger Hop & Follow Friday (24)

2012-01-07T01:15:00.000-05:00

Book Blogger Hop is a weekly meme hosted by Jennifer at Crazy-for-Books. In the spirit of the Twitter Friday Follow, the Book Blogger Hop is a place just for book bloggers and readers to connect and share our love of the written word! This weekly BOOK PARTY is an awesome opportunity for book bloggers to connect with other book lovers, make new friends, support each other, and generally just share our love of books! It will also give blog readers a chance to find other book blogs to read! So visit Crazy-for-Books to grab the logo, post about the Hop on your blog, and start HOPPING through the list of blogs that are posted in the Linky list there!

This week's question:

Coming soon!

Follow Friday is hosted by Parajunkee and Allison Can Read. Visit either of their blogs for complete rules of the following fun!

This week's question:

"Go count the number of unread books sitting on your shelf. How many?"

Since I'm not at home with my bookshelves, I counted the number of books on my to-read list instead. Counting just the books I have on my shelves (or rather, my shelves, kitchen table, and bar, as I ran out of shelf space) I have 225 books to read. And yet I keep buying more...

What are your answers? Please leave a comment or a link to your blog!

Review: Everneath by Brodi Ashton

2012-01-05T09:00:00.000-05:00

EVERNEATH
By: Brodi Ashton
Published By: HarperCollins / Balzer + Bray
Release Date: Jan. 24, 2012
Series: Everneath (#1)
Pages: 384
Genre: Paranormal / Mythology
Reading Level: Young Adult
Source: Publisher
Buy the Book: Amazon

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

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

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

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

From cover to synopsis, everything about this book made me want to read it. Once again judging a book by its cover worked out well, because the story between the covers was just as good as the picture outside.

Nikki Beckett has spent a century in the Everneath, a realm in which immortals (Everliving) Feed on the emotions of humans. At the end of the century, Cole, the Everliving who has been Feeding from Nikki, asks her to stay, but instead Nikki chooses to Return to the surface. Once she Returns, she has six months before the Everneath claims her forever...six months to say a proper goodbye to her family and friends. Unfortunately, she can't just walk back into her old life. Her family and friends - even her old boyfriend, Jack - aren't quite ready to be completely trusting. And to make matters worse, Cole is determined to win her for his own. As her time runs out, Nikki must find out if there is a way to avoid the Everneath and the Tunnels altogether, looking for help in the most unlikely places...and the one place in which she could have found help all along.

I love mythology, so I was very excited to read this retelling of the Persephone myth. I enjoyed that the basic tenets of the myth were brought into a modern-day setting and other similar stories from mythology were also included along the way. If I had to pick one word to describe Everneath, it would be intense. From the grief to the love, I could feel all of Nikki, Jack, and Cole's emotions. Even though things between Jack and Nikki weren't perfect for a long time, the bond between them was undeniable. And as for Cole, even though he is made out to be the villain, I can't help but think that there is more to him that has yet be seen. Beyond this, the writing of Everneath was excellent. I was completely drawn into the story and its mystery and did not want to put this book down until I knew everything there was to know. Because we get to see not only the present day but also Nikki's flashbacks to the time before the Feed, I felt so much closer to her and Jack. I am already dying to know how things work out for them in the next book.

I do wish that Nikki had been a bit of a stronger character. Even though I could sympathize with her, some of her decisions frustrated me. I also would have liked to see a bit more with her brother - even though he was important to her, I felt that the relationship was glossed over a bit more than necessary. My only other complaint is how long it will take for us to get the next book - I need it now!

In Everneath, Brodi Ashton wove a story full of passion, love, loss, and life. This was a fabulous debut, and I cannot wait to read more from her!

"Waiting on" Wednesday

2012-01-04T00:00:00.002-05:00

"Waiting on" Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's selection is:

GHOST FLOWER
By: Michele Jaffe
Published By: Razorbill
Release Date: April 12, 2012
Preorder the Book: Amazon

Goodreads Summary: Eve, a runaway, finds a new job at a coffee shop on the outskirts of Tuscon. When she's approached by two wealthy teens who claim she bears an uncanny resemblance to their missing cousin Aurora, her life takes a turn for the dark and mysterious. Drawn into a scheme to win Aurora's inheritance, Eve finds herself impersonating the girl, who disappeared three years ago on the night her best friend Elizabeth died. But when Liza's ghost begins to haunt Eve, doing harm to the people close to her under the guise of "protecting" her, Eve finds herself in a nightmare maze of lies and deception that leads her to question even her own identity. She realizes her only chance is to uncover the truth about what happened the night Liza died, and to find Liza's killer - before she's next.

This teen thriller by Michele Jaffe will keep readers turning pages well into the night.

Why it's wanted:
I usually don't read many thrillers, but this one sounds incredibly interesting, and I do love a good ghost story.

Blog Tour: Review and Giveaway of Tempest by Julie Cross

2012-01-03T09:00:00.004-05:00

TEMPEST
By: Julie Cross
Published By: St. Martin's Griffin
Release Date: Jan. 17, 2012
Series: Tempest (#1)
Pages: 352
Genre: Sci-Fi
Reading Level: Young Adult
Source: ALA
Buy the Book: Amazon

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

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

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

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

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

October 7, 2007
“Are you okay? You look really...pale.” Holly’s voice, like it was coming from a distance.

Both of their faces spun in front of me and then I just closed my eyes and fell into nothing.

Does that teaser have you hooked? It should! I have to admit that I'm always a little hesitant to read sci-fi books. I had generally steered clear of them until I read Ender's Game, and that opened the door, showing me that the story of sci-fi books can be so good that you forget there's any science involved while you're reading. Tempest fits into this same category.

Jackson Meyer is just like any other college guy...except he can travel through time. He's never been able to go to the future, and even his jumps to the past aren't that exciting - just a few days back, and nothing is different when he returns. Then he makes the jump that changes everything. After watching his girlfriend, Holly, get shot, he makes his biggest jump yet: back to 2007. And no matter what he does, he can't seem to get back to 2009. However, while he's in 2007 and making other jumps, he stumbles onto some surprising news - his life and he himself aren't what he always believed. Things far stranger and much larger than just his ability to travel through time begin to come to light, and Jackson must figure out how to protect himself and those he loves. But can he do it in time?

With time travel, mystery, and a sweet romance, Tempest delivers one non-stop ride. Even though the book started out slowly, once Jackson started unraveling the mystery of who and what he was, the action picked up and almost raced to the end. I really appreciated the new spin on time travel in this book and the fact that everything involved the past (and not the distant past) rather than the future. I also enjoyed Jackson's point of view and the direct style of writing. It really brought things to life in both the past and the present scenes. As for the characters, in addition to Jackson, I especially enjoyed Adam. His ability to think outside the box was definitely refreshing. I am also very curious about Emily and will look forward to seeing more of her in the future.

I will say that at times this book was a bit confusing. Even though the time jumps were laid out quite well, occasionally I had to reread a bit to make sure all of my facts were straight. In addition, I found it slightly difficult to relate to Holly. But as with the other characters, I am eager to see what the next book will bring for her.

If science fiction isn't for you, don't let that stop you from reading Tempest, because there is so much more than time travel in this book. Julie Cross has created a fascinating story in her debut novel, and I can't wait to read more!

~ GIVEAWAY ~

There are five signed, finished copies of TEMPEST being given away as part of this tour! You can enter to win on each blog for up to 15 chances of winning. To enter, fill out the form here.

Missed any of the stops on the tour? Find a complete list here.

Teaser Tuesday (24)

2012-01-03T00:15:00.000-05:00

I'm very excited to be one of the many blogs participating in Teaser Tuesdays! TT is a weekly meme hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading. To participate:

Here is my teaser:

"I get into the car and tell Kaylee to drive. Once we're down the street, I cry. Maybe it was too much, seeing Allie, hearing her story, being a witness to her loneliness, her sadness. For the first time that day, I feel truly overwhelmed."

p. 58 (ARC) from NEVER EIGHTEEN by Megan Bostic

Please share your teasers - post them or link to your blog!

Top Ten Tuesday (9)

2012-01-03T00:00:00.000-05:00

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Each week there will be a new topic and a new list to make. Be sure to stop by the host blog to see all of the other blogs participating!

This week's topic:
Top Ten Books I'm Excited To Read in 2012

1. Lover Reborn by J.R. Ward - It seems like I've been waiting forever for this. I love Tohr and I can't wait to read his story.

2. Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver - I loved Delirium and can't wait to know what happens next!

3. Hidden by Sophie Jordan - I'm dying to know how this trilogy ends!

4. Arise by Tara Hudson - The first book was beautiful, and I'm sure this one will be as well.

5. A Breath of Eyre by Eve Marie Mont - This book reimagines Jane Eyre, and I can't wait to see how everything comes together!

6. Rebel Heart by Moira Young - I loved Blood Red Road and am eager to get back into this world.

7. Isla and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins - Stephanie Perkins' romances are always wonderful, and I'm really looking forward to this one!

8. Illuminate by Aimee Agresti - I love the premise of this book and can't wait to see how it all plays out!

9. Spark by Amy Kathleen Ryan - I'm really looking forward to knowing what happens next in this trilogy!

10. Outlander Series by Diana Gabaldon - I know these aren't new, but I have wanted to read these books for a while. This year I joined a challenge to read them and I'm looking forward to knowing what everyone is talking about!

What made your Top Ten list? Please leave a comment or link to your blog!

It's Monday! What are you reading?

2012-01-02T00:00:00.000-05:00

It's Monday! What are you reading? is a weekly meme hosted by One Person's Journey Through a World of Books. Each week we will share the books we have just finished reading, are currently reading, and are planning to read.

Just Finished Reading:
Tempest by Julie Cross
Everneath by Brodi Ashton
Remembrance by Michelle Madow

Currently Reading:
Never Eighteen by Megan Bostic

Planning To Read:
Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout

What are you reading this week?

In My Mailbox (23)

2011-12-31T22:00:00.000-05:00

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme that was started by Kristi at The Story Siren with some inspiration from Alea at Pop Culture Junkie. It features books or book-related things that have been bought, borrowed, won, or received in the mail. Be sure to check out The Story Siren for a list of all the other blogs participating!

Bought:

Well, I don't have any books to share with you this week, but I do have a book-related item. Even though I did get some Barnes and Noble giftcards for Christmas, but my Christmas present to myself was this:

I upgraded my Nook! I love my new Nook SimpleTouch. To anyone considering an e-reader who wants one without all the additions of a tablet, I would definitely recommend this one :)

Weekly Recap:

Sophomore Reading Challenge

Review: This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen
Review: Bloodrose by Andrea Cremer

Teaser Tuesday: Everneath by Brodi Ashton
Top Ten Tuesday
"Waiting on" Wednesday: Take a Bow by Elizabeth Eulberg
Book Blogger Hop & Follow Friday

What books did you get this week? Please leave a comment or link to your own IMM post!

Book Blogger Hop & Follow Friday (23)

2011-12-30T21:30:00.000-05:00

Book Blogger Hop is a weekly meme hosted by Jennifer at Crazy-for-Books. In the spirit of the Twitter Friday Follow, the Book Blogger Hop is a place just for book bloggers and readers to connect and share our love of the written word! This weekly BOOK PARTY is an awesome opportunity for book bloggers to connect with other book lovers, make new friends, support each other, and generally just share our love of books! It will also give blog readers a chance to find other book blogs to read! So visit Crazy-for-Books to grab the logo, post about the Hop on your blog, and start HOPPING through the list of blogs that are posted in the Linky list there!

This week's question:

Coming soon!

Follow Friday is hosted by Parajunkee and Allison Can Read. Visit either of their blogs for complete rules of the following fun!

This week's question:

"The New Year is here — and everyone wants to know your New Years Blogging Resolution! What are you going to try to revise, revamp and redo for 2012 on your blog?"

I have several. The first is to read more - once again I'm setting a goal to read 100 books. Second, I want to try and be more interactive with other authors and bloggers...this includes commenting on more blogs. Also, I'd like to continue to bring a variety of content to the blog, not just reviews and memes. Finally, I hope to always be organized both with what I'm reading and with what I'm posting...we'll see how that works!

What are your answers? Please leave a comment or a link to your blog!

Review: Bloodrose by Andrea Cremer

2011-12-29T09:00:00.000-05:00

BLOODROSE
By: Andrea Cremer
Published By: Philomel
Release Date: Jan. 3, 2012
Series: Nightshade (#3)
Pages: 414
Genre: Fantasy
Reading Level: Young Adult
Source: Borrowed
Buy the Book: Amazon

Disclaimer: Summary may contain spoilers if you have not read Nightshade or Wolfsbane. To read those reviews, click on the links.

Goodreads Summary: The Ultimate Sacrifice.

Calla has always welcomed war. But now that the final battle is upon her, there’s more at stake than fighting. There’s saving Ren, even if it incurs Shay’s wrath. There’s keeping Ansel safe, even if he’s been branded a traitor. There’s proving herself as the pack’s alpha, facing unnamable horrors, and ridding the world of the Keepers’ magic once and for all. And then there’s deciding what to do when the war ends. If Calla makes it out alive, that is.

In the final installment of the Nightshade trilogy, New York Times bestselling author Andrea Cremer creates a novel with twists and turns that will keep you on the edge of your seat until its final pages. A dynamic end to this breathtaking trilogy.

If you've read Nightshade and Wolfsbane, then you know how awesome this trilogy is. (If you haven't, go buy them and move them to the top of your to-read list.) I was thrilled when we had the chance to read the first chapter of Bloodrose early, and I knew from reading it that this book would be incredibly intense and just as amazing, if not more so, than the first two. And Bloodrose did not disappoint.

Bloodrose begins just after the events of Wolfsbane. I don't want to say too much and give anything away, but I will say this. Bloodrose follows Shay's quest to retrieve the Elemental Cross to use to defeat the Keepers. In this final installment, almost nowhere and no one is ultimately safe, and time is of the essence. And despite the battle raging around her, Calla still has to decide who will be the alpha at her side.

I know I have said this before in both reviews, but it bears repeating. Andrea Cremer is a genius. Perhaps an evil genius sometimes, but a genius nonetheless. All of these books are brilliant; the writing is excellent, utterly engrossing and captivating. Just like the others, Bloodrose was a book that I could not put down. You are constantly guessing and wondering what will happen next, and when the answer comes, it is never what you expected. As much as I love the main trio of this story, I also love the smaller characters. I especially enjoyed watching Sabine grow and change in this book. Despite the high stakes, there was no shortage of humor from Connor and Adne. There may have even been some new romances blossoming with the close quarters and dangerous missions...

And then there was the love triangle. There are scenes that made me sigh, scenes that made me swoon, scenes that made me want to yell, "Just pick him already!" Both the tension and the love were palpable. In the end Calla does make a choice...and I think I will leave it at that.

Bloodrose will make your jaw drop, will tear at your heart, and will make you laugh and cry. And for those of you who love the Nightshade world as much as I do, fear not - Andrea has plans to write not one but two prequels to the trilogy! I cannot wait to read more from her!

Sophomore Reading Challenge

2011-12-28T01:00:00.000-05:00

With only a few days left in 2011, I've been busy getting my reading lists and spreadsheets in order for 2012. And that of course means signing up for challenges! There are so many debuts from last year that left me longing for the sequel, and so when I found the Sophomore Reading Challenge hosted by Shanyn at Chick Loves Lit, I knew I had to join.

Without further ado, here are the sophomore books I plan on reading next year (subject to change):

Hallowed – Cynthia Hand
Angel Fire – L.A. Weatherly
Wings of the Wicked – Courtney Allison Moulton
A Touch Morbid – Leah Clifford
Perception – Kim Harrington
Pandemonium – Lauren Oliver
Until I Die – Amy Plum
Insurgent – Veronica Roth
Dreamless – Josephine Angelini
Arise – Tara Hudson
Mirage – Kristi Cook
Timepiece – Myra McEntire
Spark – Amy Kathleen Ryan
Girl of Nightmares – Kendare Blake
Outpost – Ann Aguirre
Rebel Heart – Moira Young
Shadows – Ilsa J. Bick
The Madness Underneath – Maureen Johnson

There are more, of course, but for some of the other books I still need to read the first book. So many books, so little time!

"Waiting on" Wednesday

2011-12-28T00:00:00.000-05:00

"Waiting on" Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's selection is:

TAKE A BOW
By: Elizabeth Eulberg
Published By: Point
Release Date: April 1, 2012
Preorder the Book: Amazon

Goodreads Summary: From the fantastic author of The Lonely Hearts Club and Prom & Prejudice comes a story of all the drama and comedy of four friends who grow into themselves at a performing arts high school.

Emme, Sophie, Ethan, and Carter are seniors at a performing arts school, getting ready for their Senior Showcase recital, where the pressure is on to appeal to colleges, dance academies, and professionals in show business. For Sophie, a singer, it's been great to be friends with Emme, who composes songs for her, and to date Carter, soap opera heartthrob who gets plenty of press coverage. Emme and Ethan have been in a band together through all four years of school, but wonder if they could be more than just friends and bandmates. Carter has been acting since he was a baby, and isn't sure how to admit that he'd rather paint than perform. The Senior Showcase is going to make or break each of the four, in a funny, touching, spectacular finale that only Elizabeth Eulberg could perform.

Why it's wanted:
I love books about the performing arts, and I have a feeling this book will take me right back to my senior year in high school. I'm curious to see how everything plays out for the performers!

Teaser Tuesday (23)

2011-12-27T00:15:00.000-05:00

I'm very excited to be one of the many blogs participating in Teaser Tuesdays! TT is a weekly meme hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading. To participate:

Here is my teaser:

"'Never say never, Nik. I won't.' He leaned his head against the window frame. 'I'm not giving up on you.' He shoved the window down and disappeared.

My fingers clenched the edge of my desk. His words sounded like a threat."

p. 95 (ARC) from EVERNEATH by Brodi Ashton

Please share your teasers - post them or link to your blog!

Top Ten Tuesday (8)

2011-12-27T00:00:00.000-05:00

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Each week there will be a new topic and a new list to make. Be sure to stop by the host blog to see all of the other blogs participating!

This week's topic:
Top Ten Favorite Books I Read in 2011

1. Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma - I don't have enough words for this book. It's amazing.

2. Wolfsbane and Bloodrose by Andrea Cremer - Possibly the best YA paranormal books I've read. If you haven't read this trilogy, you definitely should.

3. Delirium by Lauren Oliver - Wonderful dystopian novel. Everything about the book was brilliant!

4. Hereafter by Tara Hudson - I think I can sum up the writing and this story in one word: beautiful.

5. Vanish by Sophie Jordan - This book was just riveting, full of action and love, and certainly left me wanting more.

5. Where She Went by Gayle Forman - Another book with beautiful writing, and better than If I Stay, if that's possible.

6. Lover Unleashed by J.R. Ward - It's the WARDen. Need I say more?

7. Anna and the French Kiss and Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins - I fell in love with the love in these books. Such wonderful stories!

8. Angelfire by Courtney Allison Moulton - I loved the action in this book as well as Will, the love interest. He may be my top book boyfriend of the year.

9. Blood Red Road by Moira Young - Written unlike anything I'd ever read before, I was quickly swept up in this story. An epic dystopian that is more than it appears to be.

10. The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin - Quite possibly one of the most well-crafted mysteries I've ever read. Noah had me swooning and Mara kept me guessing. Loved it!

What made your Top Ten list? Please leave a comment or link to your blog!

Review: This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen

2011-12-26T09:00:00.000-05:00

THIS LULLABY
By: Sarah Dessen
Published By: Viking
Release Date: May 27, 2002
Series: None
Pages: 345
Genre: Contemporary
Reading Level: Young Adult
Source: Bought
Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads Summary: When it comes to relationships, Remy doesn't mess around. After all, she's learned all there is to know from her mother, who's currently working on husband number five. But there's something about Dexter that seems to defy all of Remy's rules. He certainly doesn't seem like Mr. Right. For some reason, however, Remy just can't seem to shake him. Could it be that Remy's starting to understand what those love songs are all about?

I've read other books by Sarah Dessen, but this one has been on my to-read list for a long time. I'd heard that it was one of people's favorite Sarah Dessen books, so I had high hopes for it. However, this book wasn't quite was I was expecting.

Remy is an expert at relationships - after watching her mother go through husband after husband, she has to be. Remy has everything down to a science: How long a relationship can be good, when all the speeches need to be given, and when things need to be over. She and her friends have their summer planned; there's going to be nothing but fun (and her mother's fifth wedding) before they all separate for college. But nothing could have prepared Remy for Dexter. He somehow gets under Remy's skin without her realizing it, and it seems like he will stay there. But sometimes in love, things don't always go as planned...

Remy is a character with a lot of issues. Her mother's relationship troubles have definitely made her cynical about love. All she really knows of her father is that he wrote "This Lullaby" for her, in which he admits that he'll always let her down. Thankfully Remy has a close group of friends - Jess, Lissa, and Chloe - and together the four of them can face anything. In fact, even though this was supposed to be Remy and Dexter's story, I loved the interactions among the four friends more than anything else. They had just the right mix of humor, insight, and support. As for Dexter, to me he seems like one of those guys - the kind that annoys you at first, but after a while you can't help but come to like him. He's not a "dream guy" by any means, but he still has his own appeal. He and Remy certainly prove to be good for each other.

Despite the fact that I enjoyed the characters of this book, I did have an issue with it: things often seemed stagnant. I felt like certain scenes got bogged down with unnecessary descriptions, which really affected the pace. Although I enjoy introspective books, and even though I could identify with Remy, the internal conflict wasn't quite compelling enough for this book to completely draw me in.

Even though This Lullaby wasn't everything I hoped for, it certainly had good moments. There are still other Sarah Dessen books that I want to read, and I look forward to seeing what those stories hold!

Happy Holidays!

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

I can't believe that Christmas is here already! It seems like it was just yesterday that I started this blog and my fall semester of school. But now it's time for a much-needed break :) I don't know about all of you, but I have some great books lined up to read over Christmas vacation, and, after seeing my family (and eating way too much good food), I can't wait to dive into them!

In light of the season, I just wanted to take a moment to thank everyone who has supported this blog in any way. Day after day I am thankful for the great people I have met through the blogging community. And with that being said, I wish everyone a very happy holiday! However you are spending your time, I hope that you enjoy it!

Book Blogger Hop & Follow Friday (22)

2011-12-23T15:35:00.000-05:00

Book Blogger Hop is a weekly meme hosted by Jennifer at Crazy-for-Books. In the spirit of the Twitter Friday Follow, the Book Blogger Hop is a place just for book bloggers and readers to connect and share our love of the written word! This weekly BOOK PARTY is an awesome opportunity for book bloggers to connect with other book lovers, make new friends, support each other, and generally just share our love of books! It will also give blog readers a chance to find other book blogs to read! So visit Crazy-for-Books to grab the logo, post about the Hop on your blog, and start HOPPING through the list of blogs that are posted in the Linky list there!

This week's question:

Coming soon!

Follow Friday is hosted by Parajunkee and Allison Can Read. Visit either of their blogs for complete rules of the following fun!

This week's question:

"If you had to spend eternity inside the pages of a book which book would you choose and why?"

This is so hard! There are a lot of book worlds that I'd love to visit, but I'm not sure I'd want to live in them...I think I would have to say Harry Potter. I certainly wouldn't mind magic being real.

What are your answers? Please leave a comment or a link to your blog!

Review: Shattered Souls by Mary Lindsey

2011-12-22T09:00:00.000-05:00

SHATTERED SOULS
By: Mary Lindsey
Published By: Philomel
Release Date: Dec. 8, 2011
Series: None
Pages: 336
Genre: Paranormal
Reading Level: Young Adult
Source: Borrowed
Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads Summary: 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.

Shattered Souls had a lot of advance hype, and after reading the book, I can certainly see why. Mary Lindsey has spun a story that is incredibly gripping and one that left me wanting more.

Lenzi has been hearing voices, and this terrifies her - she is afraid that she is turning into her father who recently committed suicide because of his mental issues. Lenzi tries her best to block out the voices, but they just keep coming. On the night of her birthday, the voices suddenly turn into hallucinations...or do they? She meets a mysterious stranger who just happens to know a few things about her, and Lenzi must accept that Alden, as well as what he's saying, is real. Only Lenzi doesn't want any part of the life Alden describes. She is happy with her boyfriend Zak, and everything else she will handle. But Alden can help her with the voices - the lost souls - and she quickly finds herself drawn into his world. Soon Lenzi has a decision to make: will she lead the life she wants or the life she is destined to lead?

Shattered Souls is a book that you can't put down. I loved that the paranormal aspect was introduced so quickly, and once I knew a bit of the world I was dying to know even more. Lenzi and Alden were both characters that I enjoyed getting to know. Lenzi is a genuinely good person and Alden is incredibly devoted to her, even if I did want to tell him to speak up for what he wanted. Even though the world is new to Lenzi, they quickly manage to work together and are a phenomenal team of Speaker and Protector. Beyond this, I loved the history woven through this book. It was interesting to learn not only Lenzi and Alden's stories but also the stories of the souls that Lenzi helped. Then there were Race and Maude, whose quips added just the right touch of humor to the book. And finally there is Zak. As much as I wanted to dislike him, I just couldn't. All of these characters manage to tug at your heart, each for their own reasons. And if you thought you'd seen evil spirits before...think again.

I do have to admit that several aspects of this book - reincarnation, lost memory, and teamwork through centuries - reminded me of another book that I read earlier this year. Even though I loved the characters and the idea of helping souls pass on, I couldn't help but be distracted at a few points. Even so, I couldn't stop reading until I had turned the last page.

I do hope that Mary will write more books in this world - these characters and the world are too good to let go of this soon! And I am very much looking forward to her next book, a retelling of Poe's Annabel Lee!

Review: The Future of Us by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler

2011-12-21T09:00:00.001-05:00

THE FUTURE OF US
By: Jay Asher & Carolyn Mackler
Published By: Razorbill
Release Date: Nov. 21, 2011
Series: None
Pages: 356
Genre: Contemporary
Reading Level: Young Adult
Source: ALA
Buy the Book: Amazon

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

By refreshing their pages, they learn that making different decisions now will affect the outcome of their lives later. And as they grapple with the ups and downs of what their futures hold, they're forced to confront what they're doing right - and wrong - in the present.

After reading Thirteen Reasons Why, I was especially excited to read this book. Add to that the fact that this book is set in the 1990s and involved Facebook, and I knew it was a must-read.

When Emma loads her AOL CD onto her computer, she has no idea that she will get a glimpse into her future. But that's exactly what she sees - her Facebook page in fifteen years. Together she and Josh, her neighbor who gave her the CD, are lost in the world of Facebook, learning about their futures as well as their friends' futures. Only their futures constantly change based on even the smallest decisions. As Emma struggles to make her future exactly perfect, Josh struggles with his feelings for Emma. However, Emma soon comes to learn that some things about the future she is better off not knowing...because once she does, how can she change them?

This book has such an intriguing premise, and it was very well executed. Haven't we all wished that we could see what our future holds? I loved seeing how little decisions could affect status updates and bigger decisions could change the course of their lives. Reading this book certainly makes you think about how little decisions impact your life. Beyond that, one of my favorite things about this book was the time setting. I loved revisiting the 90s - reading this book was like a trip down memory lane. I also enjoyed the alternating points of views in this novel; they allowed me to feel connected to both of the characters, and I cared about both of them. Emma especially had a lot of growth as a character. Aside from seeing into the future, everything about this book was very realistic and it made for a very enjoyable read.

Although the 90s references may not matter much to current teens, there are still many aspects of this book that would be appealing. Occasionally the plot moved a bit slowly with emphasis on Emma trying to figure out her life. While I enjoyed some of these moments, at times I just wanted to know what would happen next. With that, I would also love to know what really does happen for these characters fifteen years down the road.

Once again, Jay Asher, along with Carolyn Mackler, has written a novel that carries a great message about how choices impact your life. I will look forward to reading more from both of these authors in the future!

"Waiting on" Wednesday

2011-12-21T00:15:00.000-05:00

"Waiting on" Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's selection is:

A BREATH OF EYRE
By: Eve Marie Mont
Published By: Kensington Publishing Corporation
Release Date: April 1, 2012
Preorder the Book: Amazon

Goodreads Summary: Emma Townsend has always believed in stories—the ones she reads voraciously, and the ones she creates in her head. Perhaps it’s because she feels like an outsider at her exclusive prep school, or because her stepmother doesn’t come close to filling the void left by her mother’s death. And her only romantic prospect—apart from a crush on her English teacher—is Gray Newman, a long-time friend who just adds to Emma’s confusion. But escape soon arrives in an old leather-bound copy of Jane Eyre...

Reading of Jane’s isolation sparks a deep sense of kinship. Then fate takes things a leap further when a lightning storm catapults Emma right into Jane’s body and her nineteenth-century world. As governess at Thornfield, Emma has a sense of belonging she’s never known—and an attraction to the brooding Mr. Rochester. Now, moving between her two realities and uncovering secrets in both, Emma must decide whether her destiny lies in the pages of Jane’s story, or in the unwritten chapters of her own...

Why it's wanted:
Jane Eyre is one of my favorite books, so I love the idea of jumping into her book and retelling it slightly. I can't wait to see how this story comes together!

Teaser Tuesday (22)

2011-12-20T00:30:00.000-05:00

I'm very excited to be one of the many blogs participating in Teaser Tuesdays! TT is a weekly meme hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading. To participate:

Here is my teaser:

"'Don't shoot him!' Courtney screamed. But then they were all gone. Or I was gone. Back to purgatory."

p. 59 (ARC) from TEMPEST by Julie Cross

Please share your teasers - post them or link to your blog!

Top Ten Tuesday (7)

2011-12-20T00:10:00.002-05:00

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Each week there will be a new topic and a new list to make. Be sure to stop by the host blog to see all of the other blogs participating!

This week's topic:
Top Ten Books I Hope Santa Brings

1. The Outlander Series by Diana Gabaldon - I've been wanting to read this series for a while, because I keep hearing great things about it. 2012 will be the year I do!

2. Game of Thrones Series by George R.R. Martin - After hearing so much about the TV show, I want to read the books that inspired it.

3. Twilight Graphic Novel Vol. II - I have all of the other books, so I need this one to complete my collection.

4. Infinity by Sherrilyn Kenyon - I've enjoyed reading her Dark-Hunters series and I'm really curious about this YA spinoff.

5. Graceling and Fire by Kristin Cashore - I've heard a lot of good things about these books and really want to read them.

5. Everlasting and The Eternal Sea by Angie Frazier: I love the premise behind these and have wanted to read them for a while.

This is my list for now - I'm sure I'll think of more!

What made your Top Ten list? Please leave a comment or link to your blog!

In My Mailbox (22)

2011-12-17T23:15:00.000-05:00

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme that was started by Kristi at The Story Siren with some inspiration from Alea at Pop Culture Junkie. It features books or book-related things that have been bought, borrowed, won, or received in the mail. Be sure to check out The Story Siren for a list of all the other blogs participating!

For Review:

On a Dark Wing by Jordan Dane
Received courtesy of Harlequin Teen via Netgalley

Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi
Received courtesy of Harper Teen via Netgalley

Bought:

Last Breath by Rachel Caine
Illuminated by Erica Orloff

Weekly Recap:

This week has been dedicated to #BIR2011, or Best I've Read 2011. These are book features, author interviews, and giveaways that you won't want to miss!

Glow by Amy Kathleen Ryan
Blood Red Road by Moira Young
Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins
Virtuosity by Jessica Martinez
The Pledge by Kimberly Derting
Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma
Angelfire by Courtney Allison Moulton
Where She Went by Gayle Forman

What books did you get this week? Please leave a comment or link to your own IMM post!

#BIR2011: Where She Went by Gayle Forman

2011-12-17T09:00:00.001-05:00

WHERE SHE WENT by Gayle Forman

It's been three years since the devastating accident . . . three years since Mia walked out of Adam's life forever.

Now living on opposite coasts, Mia is Juilliard's rising star and Adam is LA tabloid fodder, thanks to his new rock star status and celebrity girlfriend. When Adam gets stuck in New York by himself, chance brings the couple together again, for one last night. As they explore the city that has become Mia's home, Adam and Mia revisit the past and open their hearts to the future - and each other.

Told from Adam's point of view in the spare, lyrical prose that defined If I Stay, Where She Went explores the devastation of grief, the promise of new hope, and the flame of rekindled romance. (From Goodreads)

You can read my review here.

~GIVEAWAY~
I am very excited to have one copy of WHERE SHE WENT to give away!

This contest is open to residents of the U.S. only. Must be 13 to enter. Please see my Contest Policy for more information.

This contest will close on Saturday, December 23 at 12:00 AM CST.

This contest is now closed.

Today the Best I've Read blog is featuring DELIRIUM by Lauren Oliver! Please click here to learn more about this book and author!

#BIR2011: Angelfire by Courtney Allison Moulton

2011-12-16T09:00:00.001-05:00

ANGELFIRE by Courtney Allison Moulton

First there are nightmares.
Every night Ellie is haunted by terrifying dreams of monstrous creatures that are hunting her, killing her.

Then come the memories.
When Ellie meets Will, she feels on the verge of remembering something just beyond her grasp. His attention is intense and romantic, and Ellie feels like her soul has known him for centuries. On her seventeenth birthday, on a dark street at midnight, Will awakens Ellie's power, and she knows that she can fight the creatures that stalk her in the grim darkness. Only Will holds the key to Ellie's memories, whole lifetimes of them, and when she looks at him, she can no longer pretend anything was just a dream.

Now she must hunt.
Ellie has power that no one can match, and her role is to hunt and kill the reapers that prey on human souls. But in order to survive the dangerous and ancient battle of the angels and the Fallen, she must also hunt for the secrets of her past lives and truths that may be too frightening to remember. (From Goodreads)

You can read my review here.

~INTERVIEW~

I'm very excited to have Courntey Allison Moulton here today as a feature for Best I've Read 2011. Her novel ANGELFIRE comes complete with a swoon-worthy boy, one of my top book boyfriends of the year, and lots of great swordfighting. Please take a few minutes to learn more about this amazing author!

If this were Twitter, how would you pitch Angelfire in 140 characters or less?

A badass heroine with angelfire swords fights the forces of Hell :)

The angel mythology you use in Angelfire is very interesting. How much of this is drawn from research and how much is your own creation?

I grew up with a Roman Catholic mother and Protestant father, so faith has always been a part of my life. I’ve always been fascinated by the darker side of Christian lore and its monsters and scary stories. While I’ve taken liberties with a decent amount of the world-building in Angelfire, I’ve been able to pick and choose beliefs that work in my book from a religion that has branched off so many times and retold stories in such different ways.

The fighting scenes in Angelfire were incredibly well-written. Where did you draw your inspiration for these scenes??

Thank you! I’m really proud of my action scenes and love writing them. As a very visual person, I see every single movement in my head and it translates well on paper. I’m very happy that readers appear to enjoy the action in my books because I feel it is pretty unique, especially in the young adult genre. I’m a huge stylistic action movie geek and I’m sure that shows in my writing. One of my favorites is Equilibrium, not only because it’s an incredible dystopian story, but also because the stunt team involved created its own fighting style called Gun Kata, a feat that I admire greatly. In my own books, I tried to create my own style of fighting drawing from mixed martial arts, the brutal method of Keysi, and a mixture of Eastern, Western, and Middle Eastern sword fighting techniques.

What would be your dream vacation?

I’m obsessed with history, so a tour of my favorite historical sites would be my dream vacation. Forget the most beautiful beaches in the world! I’m desperate to see every last inch of Egypt, Greece, Italy, visit Mayan and Aztec ruins, climb through the temple ruins at Angkor and Preah Khan...I want to see EVERYTHING. I know I’ll pee my pants the moment I enter the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.

What is your favorite quote?

“How dare you and the rest of your barbarians set fire to my library? Play conqueror all you want, mighty Caesar! Rape, murder, pillage thousands, even millions of human beings! But neither you nor any other barbarian has the right to destroy one human thought!” – Cleopatra, 1963

Can you share anything about Wings of the Wicked?

I will say that writing Wings of the Wicked took an enormous toll on my soul. It’s darker, more brutal, and I feel like a became a real writer during its completion. Angelfire was written for fun during NaNoWriMo and I am immensely proud of its sequel.

~GIVEAWAY~
I am very excited to have one copy of ANGELFIRE to give away!

This contest is open to residents of the U.S. only. Must be 13 to enter. Please see my Contest Policy for more information.

This contest will close on Saturday, December 23 at 12:00 AM CST.

This contest is now closed.

Today the Best I've Read blog is featuring HEREAFTER by Tara Hudson! Please click here to learn more about this book and author!

Book Blogger Hop & Follow Friday (21)

2011-12-15T23:20:00.000-05:00

Book Blogger Hop is a weekly meme hosted by Jennifer at Crazy-for-Books. In the spirit of the Twitter Friday Follow, the Book Blogger Hop is a place just for book bloggers and readers to connect and share our love of the written word! This weekly BOOK PARTY is an awesome opportunity for book bloggers to connect with other book lovers, make new friends, support each other, and generally just share our love of books! It will also give blog readers a chance to find other book blogs to read! So visit Crazy-for-Books to grab the logo, post about the Hop on your blog, and start HOPPING through the list of blogs that are posted in the Linky list there!

This week's question:

Coming soon!

Follow Friday is hosted by Parajunkee and Allison Can Read. Visit either of their blogs for complete rules of the following fun!

This week's question:

"Q: When you’ve read a book, what do you do with it? (Keep it, give it away, donate it, sell it, swap it..?)"

It depends on the book, though I have to say that the vast majority I end up keeping. Some I will give away. I really should be better about swapping or giving away books - I have far too many and no room for them all!

What are your answers? Please leave a comment or a link to your blog!

#BIR2011: Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma

2011-12-15T09:00:00.002-05:00

FORBIDDEN by Tabitha Suzuma

Seventeen-year-old Lochan and sixteen-year-old Maya have always felt more like friends than siblings. Together they have stepped in for their alcoholic, wayward mother to take care of their three younger siblings. As defacto parents to the little ones, Lochan and Maya have had to grow up fast. And the stress of their lives—and the way they understand each other so completely—has also also brought them closer than two siblings would ordinarily be. So close, in fact, that they have fallen in love. Their clandestine romance quickly blooms into deep, desperate love. They know their relationship is wrong and cannot possibly continue. And yet, they cannot stop what feels so incredibly right. As the novel careens toward an explosive and shocking finale, only one thing is certain: a love this devastating has no happy ending. (From Goodreads)

I have to gush a bit, because this may well be my favorite book of the year. The writing and story of FORBIDDEN are amazing. If you think you will be put off by the subject matter, consider giving it a chance. You won't regret it.

You can read my full review here.

~GIVEAWAY~
I am very excited to have one copy of FORBIDDEN to give away!

This contest is open to residents of the U.S. only. Must be 13 to enter. Please see my Contest Policy for more information.

This contest will close on Saturday, December 23 at 12:00 AM CST.

This contest is now closed.

Today the Best I've Read blog is featuring VANISH by Sophie Jordan! Please click here to learn more about this book and author!

#BIR2011: The Pledge by Kimberly Derting

2011-12-14T09:00:00.001-05:00

THE PLEDGE by Kimberly Derting

In the violent country of Ludania, the classes are strictly divided by the language they speak. The smallest transgression, like looking a member of a higher class in the eye while they are speaking their native tongue, results in immediate execution. Seventeen-year-old Charlaina has always been able to understand the languages of all classes, and she's spent her life trying to hide her secret. The only place she can really be free is the drug-fueled underground clubs where people go to shake off the oppressive rules of the world they live in. It's there that she meets a beautiful and mysterious boy named Max who speaks a language she's never heard before . . . and her secret is almost exposed.

Charlie is intensely attracted to Max, even though she can't be sure where his real loyalties lie. As the emergency drills give way to real crisis and the violence escalates, it becomes clear that Charlie is the key to something much bigger: her country's only chance for freedom from the terrible power of a deadly regime. (From Goodreads)

You can read my review here.

~INTERVIEW~

I'm very excited to have Kimberly Derting here today as a feature for Best I've Read 2011. Her novel THE PLEDGE is a fantastic addition to the dystopian genre. Please take a few minutes to learn more about this amazing author!

How would you describe The Pledge in three words?

Dark. Dangerous. Secretive.

In The Pledge, what language you speak is extremely important. How did you get this idea? Do you speak other languages?

The original idea for The Pledge didn’t come all at once (like it did with The Body Finder). This book came to me in pieces. The first piece was just a simple question: “What would it be like if someone could understand all languages?” But I definitely wanted the story itself to be bigger than just that component. I spent a lot of time—over a year—thinking about how Charlie’s ability would work, what kind of world she would live in, and creating the monarchies and her friends and family, before I’d ever written a single word.

I talk more about how I got the idea here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hcwK-Ja9wk4

All of your stories have an element of fantasy/magic or the paranormal. Why do you feel drawn to these genres?

For me, I love writing in this genre because it takes me back to my childhood when absolutely nothing was impossible. I had a pretty wild imagination, and was always the kid in class who was staring out the window daydreaming. (Although, I’m pretty sure I never fantasized about being able to find dead bodies or having my soul stolen by an evil queen.)

Out of all the characters you've written, which do you connect with the most? Which do you enjoy writing the most?

As far which character I have the most in common with, I’d have say Chelsea from the Body Finder series. She’s a say-it-like-it-is kinda girl who likes to use shock value to get attention. I’m not nearly as bad as she is, but I definitely had a mouth on me in high school. I think I’ve outgrown that trait. Mostly.

But asking me which character I most enjoy writing is practically like asking me to choose which of my kids I like best. I’m totally gonna do it, though (the favorite character, not the favorite kid!). Here goes…

Angelina.

She’s adorable and smart and may have a few secrets of her own.

If you could visit a world created in a book, which book would you choose? What would you do there?

I love this question! I think I’d choose the world of Holly Black’s Curse Worker’s series (White Cat, Red Glove, and Black Heart). And I’d definitely, absolutely, totally buy some illegal curse charms! (And if you haven’t read the books yet, you totally should!)

What can you tell us about the next book in this trilogy?

Probably the most I can say is that there will be a lot more of Queen Sabara in book two. And Charlie is not very happy about it.

~GIVEAWAY~
I am very excited to have one copy of THE PLEDGE to give away!

This contest is open to residents of the U.S. only. Must be 13 to enter. Please see my Contest Policy for more information.

This contest will close on Saturday, December 23 at 12:00 AM CST.

This contest is now closed.

Today the Best I've Read blog is featuring WOLFSBANE by Andrea Cremer and THE UNBECOMING OF MARA DYER by Michelle Hodkin! Please click here to learn more about this book and author!

"Waiting on" Wednesday

2011-12-14T00:00:00.000-05:00

"Waiting on" Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's selection is:

PERCEPTION
By: Kim Harrington
Published By: Scholastic Point
Release Date: March 1, 2012
Preorder the Book: Amazon

Goodreads Summary: When you can see things others can't, what do you do when someone's watching you?

Everybody knows about Clarity "Clare" Fern. She's the psychic girl in school, the one who can place her hands on something and see hidden visions from the past.

Only Clare would rather not be a celebrity. She prefers hanging back, observing. Her gift is not a game to her.

But then someone starts playing with her head . . . and heart. Messages and gifts from a secret admirer crop up everywhere Clare turns. Could they be from Gabriel, the gorgeous boy who gets Clare's pulse racing? Or from Justin, Clare's hopeful ex-boyfriend who'd do anything to win her back?

One thing is certain. Clare needs to solve this mystery, and soon. Because the messages are becoming sinister, and a girl in town has suddenly disappeared.

Why it's wanted:
I really enjoyed Clarity, and I can't wait to see what's in store for Clare next!

#BIR2011: Virtuosity by Jessica Martinez

2011-12-13T09:00:00.001-05:00

VIRTUOSITY by Jessica Martinez

Now is not the time for Carmen to fall in love. And Jeremy is hands-down the wrong guy for her to fall for. He is infuriating, arrogant, and the only person who can stand in the way of Carmen getting the one thing she wants most: to win the prestigious Guarneri competition. Carmen's whole life is violin, and until she met Jeremy, her whole focus was winning. But what if Jeremy isn't just hot...what if Jeremy is better?

Carmen knows that kissing Jeremy can't end well, but she just can't stay away. Nobody else understands her--and riles her up--like he does. Still, she can't trust him with her biggest secret: She is so desperate to win she takes anti-anxiety drugs to perform, and what started as an easy fix has become a hungry addiction. Carmen is sick of not feeling anything on stage and even more sick of always doing what she’s told, doing what's expected.

Sometimes, being on top just means you have a long way to fall.... (From Goodreads)

You can read my review here.

~INTERVIEW~

I'm very excited to have Jessica Martinez here today as a feature for Best I've Read 2011. Her debut novel is definitely a whirlwind read and so very good! Please take a few minutes to learn more about this amazing author!

How would you describe Virtuosity in three words?

Music. Love. Lies.

Just like Carmen, you are a violinist. How much of what Carmen experiences was drawn from your life?

Carmen’s story is not my own, but everything she experiences is something I personally witnessed in the classical music world. I lived in that world. Stage moms, drug use, corruption—those are all things I saw happening around me.

Books about the arts seem to have become more popular as of late. Why do you think this is?

Good question. I’m not really sure. They certainly weren’t popular when I was writing it, but maybe we were all feeling some subliminal cultural turn towards the fine arts? Who knows? I'm just embracing it!

What are some little-known facts about you?

Ha! I don’t feel like anything is little-known about me anymore—I have been confessing to all manner of weirdness lately. Hmm. I’ll try: I’m an insomniac. I love waking up before everyone else. I’m not very good at decorating my house. I don’t like business or anything money related—I’d rather just create what I want to create and enjoy what I want to enjoy without economics (and bills!) screwing everything up. I'm in love with ice cream. I hate techy things--my cell phone is old school and I barely know how to use it. I can knit something fierce.

What was your favorite book as a child?

Whatever I was reading! I loved all of Roald Dahl’s books, but especially The Witches. I read the Babysitter’s Club series, Nancy Drew, The Narnia Chronicles, Anne of Green Gables—pretty much anything I could get my hands on.

Do you have any upcoming projects that you can tell us about?

My next novel (title still being decided) comes out next fall. It’s about two sisters with a terrible secret. They lie to the world and to each other, but their lies can't save them. That’s a little vague, but the best I can do right now. I should have a cover to show off soon, so be watching for that! Oh, and my good news: I just signed a deal with Simon Pulse for two more books in fall 2013 and 2014!

~GIVEAWAY~
I am very excited to have one copy of VIRTUOSITY to give away!

This contest is open to residents of the U.S. only. Must be 13 to enter. Please see my Contest Policy for more information.

This contest will close on Saturday, December 23 at 12:00 AM CST.

This contest is now closed.

Today the Best I've Read blog is featuring THE IRON QUEEN and THE IRON KNIGHT by Julie Kagawa! Please click here to learn more about this book and author!

Teaser Tuesday (21) - #BIR2011 Edition

2011-12-13T00:00:00.000-05:00

I'm very excited to be one of the many blogs participating in Teaser Tuesdays! TT is a weekly meme hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading. To participate:

Today, instead of sharing a teaser from my current read, I'm sharing a teaser from today's Best I've Read selection. And here it is:

"He played Carmen perfectly, I think. I only half heard him. Instead, my brain went over the rocky ledge of trauma and panic, where I held on by my fingernails. Dear God, please let the earth crack open, suck me in, and swallow me whole."

p. 77-78 (ARC) from VIRTUOSITY by Jessica Martinez

Please share your teasers - post them or link to your blog!

#BIR2011: Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

2011-12-12T09:00:00.002-05:00

LOLA AND the BOY NEXT DOOR by Stephanie Perkins

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

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

You can read my review here.

~INTERVIEW~

I'm very excited to have Stephanie Perkins here today as a feature for Best I've Read 2011. Her stories are full of warm fuzzies with both touching and humorous moments - definitely must-reads. Please take a few minutes to learn more about this amazing author!

If this were Twitter, how would you pitch Lola and the Boy Next Door in 140 characters or less?

Man seeks revenge on white whale.

Wait.

All of your characters are incredibly vivid and real. How do you create them? How much is drawn from real life and how much is imagination?

Thank you very much. My characters are created from different pieces of myself, positive and negative traits. I enjoy rounding them out with details from people (both famous and non) who I am personally fascinated by.

Your books are all adorable romantic comedies. Have you ever considered writing anything darker or paranormal?

Merci! And absolutely.

Do you have a life motto or words to live by?

All you can do is all you can do.

Who are your all-time favorite heroes/heroines from books?

Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Princess Mia Thermopolis. Elizabeth Bennet.

Do you have any projects in mind after Isla and the Happily Ever After?

Many. And they’re all a secret. ;-)

~GIVEAWAY~
I am very excited to have one copy of LOLA AND THE BOY NEXT DOOR to give away!

This contest is open to residents of the U.S. only. Must be 13 to enter. Please see my Contest Policy for more information.

This contest will close on Saturday, December 23 at 12:00 AM CST.

This contest is now closed.

Today the Best I've Read blog is featuring DIVERGENT by Veronica Roth! Please click here to learn more about this book and author!

#BIR2011: Blood Red Road by Moira Young

2011-12-11T09:00:00.001-05:00

BLOOD RED ROAD by Moira Young

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. (From Goodreads)

You can read my review here.

~GIVEAWAY~
I am very excited to have one copy of BLOOD RED ROAD to give away!

This contest is open to residents of the U.S. only. Must be 13 to enter. Please see my Contest Policy for more information.

This contest will close on Saturday, December 23 at 12:00 AM CST.

This contest is now closed.

Today the Best I've Read blog is featuring HAVEN by Kristi Cook! Please click here to learn more about this book and author!

#BIR2011: Glow by Amy Kathleen Ryan

2011-12-11T08:00:00.003-05:00

GLOW by Amy Kathleen Ryan

What if you were bound for a new world, about to pledge your life to someone you'd been promised to since birth, and one unexpected violent attack made survival—not love—the issue?

Out in the murky nebula lurks an unseen enemy: the New Horizon. On its way to populate a distant planet in the wake of Earth's collapse, the ship's crew has been unable to conceive a generation to continue its mission. They need young girls desperately, or their zealous leader's efforts will fail. Onboard their sister ship, the Empyrean, the unsuspecting families don't know an attack is being mounted that could claim the most important among them...

Fifteen-year-old Waverly is part of the first generation to be successfully conceived in deep space; she was born on the Empyrean, and the large farming vessel is all she knows. Her concerns are those of any teenager—until Kieran Alden proposes to her. The handsome captain-to-be has everything Waverly could ever want in a husband, and with the pressure to start having children, everyone is sure he's the best choice. Except for Waverly, who wants more from life than marriage—and is secretly intrigued by the shy, darkly brilliant Seth.

But when the Empyrean faces sudden attack by their assumed allies, they quickly find out that the enemies aren't all from the outside. (From Goodreads)

You can read my review here.

~INTERVIEW~

I'm very excited to have Amy Kathleen Ryan here today as a feature for Best I've Read 2011. She was kind enough to answer a few questions for me. Please take a few minutes to learn more about this amazing author!

Would you tell us a little bit about Glow, both the story and your inspiration for it?

Glow was years in the making. The germ for it began in a class I took about the early puritan settlers in America, and how their ethos became a part of our culture. I think living in New York City during the 9/11 attacks also influenced me, as I saw, albeit from a distance, the horror of mass murder, and how the trauma affects a society.

Glow is a unique blend of the science fiction and dystopian genres. How did you go about developing the story and the world?

Honestly it just happens word by word. When I write, I add by layers. Often I start with dialogue, then I add action in the next pass, and then finally setting. Revision is a huge part of how I write.

There is a strong religious undertone running throughout the story. Was this intentional from the beginning or did it develop as the world did?

It developed. I didn't set out to write about religion, but I couldn't help asking myself, how would these people see themselves? Their mission to preserve Earth origin life is, in a way, sacred. It seems quite likely to me that they would see themselves as being a grand culmination, the final step in the process of life on Earth. It would be hard for such a huge undertaking to be devoid of religious undertones.

Out of all the characters you've written, which do you connect with the most? Which did you enjoy writing the most?

I think I relate the most to Waverly. She and I are both fairly reserved, and observant of people. I think she's a bit braver than I am, though. But I most enjoyed Anne Mather. She's deliciously evil, but self deluded, too. Fun to write.

If you could have any talent or skill, what would you choose??

I kind of wish I could be a long distance runner. I love to jog, but I am injury prone, unfortunately. I envy those folks who can run ten miles without blowing out a knee.

What can you tell us about the second book in the Sky Chasers trilogy?

The second book is largely Seth's story. He's got a lot of pressure on him to make good after all the trouble he caused. He started out as kind of a villain, and now he's going to try redeem himself.

~GIVEAWAY~
I am very excited to have one copy of GLOW to give away!

This contest is open to residents of the U.S. and Canada only. Must be 13 to enter. Please see my Contest Policy for more information.

This contest will close on Saturday, December 23 at 12:00 AM CST.

This contest is now closed.

Today the Best I've Read blog is featuring HAVEN by Kristi Cook! Please click here to learn more about this book and author!

In My Mailbox (21)

2011-12-10T22:30:00.000-05:00

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme that was started by Kristi at The Story Siren with some inspiration from Alea at Pop Culture Junkie. It features books or book-related things that have been bought, borrowed, won, or received in the mail. Be sure to check out The Story Siren for a list of all the other blogs participating!

For Review:

Alias Dragonfly by Jane Singer
Received courtesy of Bell Bridge Books via Netgalley

Bought:

Two great books released this week, so of course I had to get them both! I was also lucky enough to go to Mary Linsey's launch party for Shattered Souls, so I have a pretty signed copy :)

Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare
Shattered Souls by Mary Lindsey

Weekly Recap:

Review: Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare
Review: Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

Monday Reads
Teaser Tuesday: Tempest by Julie Crossy
Top Ten Tuesday
"Waiting on" Wednesday: Various Positions by Martha Schabas
Book Blogger Hop & Follow Friday

What books did you get this week? Please leave a comment or link to your own IMM post!

Book Blogger Hop & Follow Friday (20)

2011-12-09T00:00:00.000-05:00

Book Blogger Hop is a weekly meme hosted by Jennifer at Crazy-for-Books. In the spirit of the Twitter Friday Follow, the Book Blogger Hop is a place just for book bloggers and readers to connect and share our love of the written word! This weekly BOOK PARTY is an awesome opportunity for book bloggers to connect with other book lovers, make new friends, support each other, and generally just share our love of books! It will also give blog readers a chance to find other book blogs to read! So visit Crazy-for-Books to grab the logo, post about the Hop on your blog, and start HOPPING through the list of blogs that are posted in the Linky list there!

This week's question:

Coming soon!

Follow Friday is hosted by Parajunkee and Allison Can Read. Visit either of their blogs for complete rules of the following fun!

This week's question:

"Q: Keeping with the Spirit of Giving this season, what book do you think EVERYONE should read and if you could, you would buy it for all of your family and friends?"

Even though this book is in the middle of a series, I would have to say Faith of the Fallen by Terry Goodkind. In all honesty, I think everyone should read the entire series. Not only does this series have a wonderful story but also it helps shape your thought process and views on life. The series is nothing short of amazing.

What are your answers? Please leave a comment or a link to your blog!

Review: Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

2011-12-08T10:00:00.000-05:00

SHATTER ME
By: Tahereh Mafi
Published By: HarperCollins
Release Date: Nov. 15, 2011
Series: Shatter Me (#1)
Pages: 346
Genre: Dystopian
Reading Level: Young Adult
Source: BEA
Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads Summary: 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.

Some of my favorite books this year have been dystopian novels, and Shatter Me is no exception. Everything about this book, from the characters, to the plot, to the writing, drew me in and kept me turning page after page, leaving me unable to put the book down until I had devoured it all.

Juliette has lived in isolation, neither speaking to anyone nor touching anyone, for 264 days. Her touch killed someone, but nobody knows why. All of her life Juliette has been an outsider, forced to live with the knowledge that she is different, and after the accident, with horrible guilt. And then, on day 265, Juliette gets a roommate - Adam. At first Adam seems as enigmatic to her as she is to him, but then, gradually, things begin to change. The Reestablishment has other plans for Juliette than simply leaving her behind bars. Soon Juliette is swept up into something much bigger than herself and forced to answer a tough question: How far is she willing to go in life...and in love?

The first thing that stood out to me about Shatter Me (after the gorgeous cover, of course) was the writing style. The opening portion of Shatter Me reads very much like a diary. I loved the phrases that were struck out and then replaced; these provided great insight into Juliette's character and made me sympathize with her even more. This unique writing was captivating, but throughout the course of the book it does change to be more of a standard first-person narrative. Even still, the writing remains beautiful. Juliette's gradual change from someone incredibly guarded and self-deprecating to someone who was courageous enough to open up as well as recognize her power was a wonderful journey. I also loved that the supporting characters had as much depth as Juliette. Tahereh Mafi delivers a love interest that makes you both question and swoon as well as a sympathetic villain that can't be easily pegged down.

As with many dystopian novels, there is much about Shatter Me that kept me guessing. Even after reading this book I'm not sure if certain characters can be trusted. But instead of being frustrated by the questions, in this case, I'm even more intrigued to see what will happen in the sequel. Shatter Me has its share of twists and turns, some of which I liked, and some of which I did find a bit odd. I will be curious to see how things develop in the next book.

There are many things to love about this book, and I am sure great things are to come in this series. With a strong female protagonist, a well-developed romance, and an intriguing story, Shatter Me is a debut novel that's not to be missed!

"Waiting on" Wednesday

2011-12-07T00:30:00.000-05:00

"Waiting on" Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's selection is:

VARIOUS POSITIONS
By: Martha Schabas
Published By: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Release Date: Feb. 14, 2012
Preorder the Book: Amazon

Goodreads Summary: Trapped between the hormone-driven world of her friends and the discontent of her dysfunctional family, fourteen-year-old Georgia is only completely at ease when she's dancing. When she is accepted into Canada's preeminent ballet school, Georgia thinks it is the perfect escape. Artistic Director Roderick Allen singles her out as a star, subjecting her to increasingly intensive training, and Georgia obsesses about becoming the perfect, disciplined student. But as she spends more and more time with Roderick, it's not so clear exactly what their relationship means. Is he her teacher and mentor, or is there something more? These blurred lines will threaten both Roderick's future at the academy and Georgia's ambitions as a ballerina.

Why it's wanted:
I love books about the arts, and this one sounds especially interesting. Plus, I can be a ballerina vicariously through Georgia.

Teaser Tuesday (20)

2011-12-06T00:30:00.001-05:00

I'm very excited to be one of the many blogs participating in Teaser Tuesdays! TT is a weekly meme hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading. To participate:

Here is my teaser:

"But right before everything turned black, I saw it. Her chest rose and then fell again. She was alive and I just left her there."

p. 24 (ARC) from TEMPEST by Julie Cross

Please share your teasers - post them or link to your blog!

Top Ten Tuesday (6)

2011-12-06T00:00:00.000-05:00

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Each week there will be a new topic and a new list to make. Be sure to stop by the host blog to see all of the other blogs participating!

This week's topic:
Top Ten Childhood Faves

1. The Chimney Witches by Victoria Whitehead - I guess even as a child I loved paranormal books. I'm not sure what it was that made me love this book so much, but I checked it out from the library several times a year. A few years ago, I finally found a copy on Amazon and purchased it. There's just something about the books you loved as a child that makes you have to have them.

2. Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery - There is so much to love about this book. And I always wanted a friend like Anne.

3. The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams - I don't think it's possible to not love this book.

4. The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner - I remember waking up early on Saturday mornings, getting all of my books stacked in order, and seeing how many I could read before my parents discovered that I was awake. I loved getting lost in these stories.

5. Nancy Drew Books by Carolyn Keene - I liked some books in this series more than others, but I always enjoyed the adventures of Nancy and her friends.

6. A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle - I was always fascinated by this story. I know that I read this book and its sequels multiple times.

7. Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder - I've lost track of how many times I read these books. I was so curious about what it would have been like to live in a different time.

8. Heidi by Joanna Spyri - I guess my love for books in foreign settings goes all the way back to childhood. I could lose myself for hours with Heidi and her goats.

9. Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell - I used to love dolphins, and I think the fact that 'dolphins' was in the title made me love the book. Even so, it's a wonderful story and one that I reread many times.

10. The Babysitter's Club - I still remember the first book I read from this series - Mallory and the Trouble with Twins. I wanted to be just like these girls when I grew up. That didn't quite happen, but the books were great!

What made your Top Ten list? Please leave a comment or link to your blog!

Review: Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

2011-12-05T10:00:00.000-05:00

CLOCKWORK ANGEL
By: Cassandra Clare
Published By: Margaret K. McElderry
Release Date: Aug. 31, 2010
Series: The Infernal Devices (#1)
Pages: 476
Genre: Steampunk
Reading Level: Young Adult
Source: Bought
Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads Summary: 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.

I will admit that I've only read the first Mortal Instruments book, though I fully intend to read the rest of them at some point. Even so, I enjoyed being back in the Shadowhunter world almost as much as I enjoyed the new story.

Tessa has lost both her parents and her aunt, and so she boards a boat to head to London and join her brother there. But when she arrives, her brother isn't waiting for her. Instead, she is taken by the Dark Sisters, who waste no time in letting her know that she has a unique power: she can transform herself into another person. The Dark Sisters force her to Change again and again, all in the name of preparing her for marriage with the Magister. Tessa finally sees her chance and escapes, but she finds herself in just as unfamiliar of a place: The Institute of the Shadowhunters. Though they promise to help find her brother, they also want her to use her power for them. As Tessa tries to learn more about this new world, she finds herself struggling with her feelings for both Will and Jem. And the more she learns, the more she realizes that nothing is what it seems...

If you've read other reviews of mine, this will come as no surprise: I love books set in foreign cities. I've only spent a few days in London and I would love to go back, so I was thrilled to get to do this vicariously through Tessa. I also loved the poetry quotations at the beginning of each chapter. They really helped to set the mood as well as giving me some things to think about. In addition to this, there were literature references sprinkled throughout - as a fan of the classics, I really liked this inclusion. But now for the story and characters themselves. Clockwork Angel is like a roller coaster: full of ups and downs, twists and turns, full of action and over far too soon. Tessa's strength and intelligence made her a great character. And then there are Jem and Will...even though Will made me laugh and I enjoyed his bad-boy attitude, I have to say that I had a soft spot for Jem and his quiet but dedicated nature. The story around the characters was completely engrossing and kept me searching for answers right along with Tessa and the Shadowhunters.

As someone who hasn't read all of Mortal Instruments, I appreciated that I could pick up Clockwork Angel and still follow everything. The world is rebuilt (though not so much as to be redundant for people who have read TMI) and I got to have the joy of discovering a new world all over again with Tessa. There were a couple of characters that I was disappointed in because of their actions...but as for which ones, you'll have to read and see for yourselves.

I am dying to see what else is in store for everyone involved and to learn even more about these characters. Thank goodness there isn't long to wait before Clockwork Prince!

It's Monday! What are you reading?

2011-12-05T00:00:00.000-05:00

It's Monday! What are you reading? is a weekly meme hosted by One Person's Journey Through a World of Books. Each week we will share the books we have just finished reading, are currently reading, and are planning to read.

Just Finished Reading:
Shattered Souls by Mary Lindsey
This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen

Currently Reading:
Tempest by Julie Cross

Planning To Read:
Remembrance by Michelle Madow

What are you reading this week?

In My Mailbox (20)

2011-12-04T00:00:00.000-05:00

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme that was started by Kristi at The Story Siren with some inspiration from Alea at Pop Culture Junkie. It features books or book-related things that have been bought, borrowed, won, or received in the mail. Be sure to check out The Story Siren for a list of all the other blogs participating!

I bought two things this week, one a book and one only book-related:

So Silver Bright by Lisa Mantchev
Harry Potter Complete Eight-Film Collection

Weekly Recap:

Review: Faking Faith by Josie Bloss
Review: Eternal Starling by Angela Corbett

Monday Reads
Teaser Tuesday: Shattered Souls by Mary Lindsey
Top Ten Tuesday
"Waiting on" Wednesday: Life is But a Dream by Brian James
Book Blogger Hop & Follow Friday

What books did you get this week? Please leave a comment or link to your own IMM post!