Ramblings of a Bibliophile

Teaser Tuesday (March 23)

2010-03-23T07:00:00.000-07:00

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

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

The Secret Year
by Jennifer R. Hubbard

"There were times when I wanted to plunge through the whole thing without stopping, wolf down page after page, race to the final entry. I had looked ahead, and I knew that she'd written these letters right up to the day she died."

► I'm really enjoying this so far!

Feel free to leave a comment with either the link to your own Teaser Tuesdays post, or share your 2 ‘teasers’ in a comment here!

Interview with author Skyler White!

2010-03-21T08:00:00.000-07:00

I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Skyler White, author of the recently released Dark Fantasy Novel, 'and Falling, Fly'. She was kind enough to answer some questions about her book and share some insight into her life as a writer. Thank you so much Skyler for making the time during your busy schedule!

'and Falling, Fly' was released March 2nd, 2010 by Berkley Books.

(You can read my review: HERE)

Skyler’s contact info:
skyler@skylerwhite.com
http://www.skylerwhite.com

The Interview:

☠ I absolutely love the cover of 'and Falling, Fly'. What does it tell us about the story written beneath it? Do you feel it's an accurate portrayal of the novels heroine?

SW: Thank you, I love it too! And I wish I knew more of the story behind it than I actually do. My editor at Berkley asked me to put together a list of features – hair and eye color, etc. – for the two lead characters in preparation for the cover conference. So of course I, being a newbie author and nervous, built her a giant twenty-slide PowerPoint deck. She went into the black box that is ‘cover negotiations’ and emerged, several months later, with Olivia and her stone wings. I have no idea where the stone wings came from conceptually. I certainly didn’t think of that representation of Olivia’s state, but I think it captures it brilliantly. The leaf-trimmed, vein-or-branch bodice is a bonus, as is the wonderful filtered, slanting light. I still don’t know who I owe drinks to for any of it though – my editor, Berkley’s art department or Craig White, the artist – for the ‘big idea’ behind it.

☠ What initially drew me to 'and Falling, Fly' was the title. Is it the original title you came up with or did it go through various transitions?

SW: It’s the second title, but the only real one. 'Reborn and Undead' was the working title at first, but I always knew I wasn’t going to use that. I was waiting for the right one. ‘and Falling, Fly’ hit me one day, and it never changed after that. Although I’m superstitious, so the folder on my desktops still says “Reborn.”

But the title was important to me, as much a challenge to myself as a summation of the book. It’s both process and product. This was a difficult book to write, and I had to keep throwing myself off the ledge as I wrote. And that same “can’t learn to dive in the shallow end” the Ace of Cups lesson is one of the driving ideas of the book.

Both Olivia and Dominic have very entrenched world views. They each think they’ve got the world sussed. But to see one another, they have to become willing to walk into unknowing, to become comfortable with uncertainty – or at least tolerant of it – to meet the other in their own terrain. Because, to me anyway, that’s what love is. It’s about being willing to be wrong, to love even what you can’t understand. Because risk is part of love. And part of writing.

☠ With the continuous rise in vampire books and growing popularity, what sets 'and Falling, Fly' apart from the others in this budding genre?

SW: Well, ‘and Falling, Fly’ is a very adult book, for one thing, and many of the new vampire books are YA. In ‘and Falling, Fly’, it’s the female character who’s the powerful supernatural creature, and the male who’s human, which is also a little outside the norm in paranormal right now. But I think the biggest difference is the way I’m using vampirism symbolically, not as a bestial or even predatory thing, but as a co-dependent or commercial transaction.

☠ One of the aspects I loved the most about 'and Falling, Fly' are the many different elements present in the story – Did you do a lot of research to build the characters and mythology?

SW: Thank you! I love mythology! And yeah, there’s a lot of research involved in this book. The mythology, both classical and Biblical, is all stuff I had access to, but was fuzzy on. So, for example, naming the nightclub ‘Pandemonium’ came out of my memory of that being the capital of Hell in Milton, but when I wanted to put his language in Gaehod’s mouth, I had to look it up. Same with most of the specific references. They’re there in my memory, but I have to check things out, make sure I’ve remembered correctly, to fill in the details.

With the neuroscience, there was nothing there for me to draw on. I had to learn everything new. But it was so fascinating that my challenge really was to keep myself from totally geeking out on the science, and giving Dominic these long, discursive paragraphs where he explains why temporal lobe seizures might cause the visions he’s experiencing. This is why writers have editors.

☠ L'Otel Matillide, the subterranean Hotel of the Damned, is such a weird, yet fascinating place. Did the idea arise from Ireland itself, or at random?

SW: The hotel came before the Irish location. In fact, I think there are other hotels in other places, although only in Ireland would they be literally underground. The hotel arouse as the place where the “damned, cursed and misbegotten” would feel at home.

☠ In the Media Angels and Talking Points section of your website, you say "and Falling, Fly is the anti-Twilight" which gave me a good chuckle and provided an interesting question: do you feel that the portrayal of vampires has grown rather soft in recent years?

SW: Or at least rather sparkly. I hadn’t read ‘Twilight’ when I wrote ‘and Falling, Fly’, but when I read it subsequently, it was hard for me to imagine two books, both with the same central monster-as-metaphor, being more utterly different. Not only in what the monster means, but in how sexuality, feminism, language and love are interpreted. Almost anything you can say about ‘Twilight’, the inverse is true of ‘and Falling, Fly’.

☠ Setting the bookish questions aside for a moment, I wanted to delve into what fuels you as a writer. Do you have any writing "must-haves" or inspirations?

SW: I don’t mean it to sound like a cop-out, but my biggest must-haves are my two best friends: my husband and a college friend who (unfortunately) lives halfway across the country. Without those two, I wouldn’t have the courage. On a more pragmatic level, my earphones are pretty damn close to musts. I get distracted by noise easily, so I rely on my in-ear headphones and a track of white noise (thunder and rain, go figure!) to keep me on task. Beyond that, for me the biggest necessities, aside from the obvious stuff like uninterrupted chunks of time and a decent laptop, are other people’s artwork. I need to read other writers, see movies, go to plays, and listen to music rather a lot. It feels like fuel to the fire for me. I can’t create if I don’t consume.

☠ Describe your writing style in 5 words or less:

SW: Oh lord. That’s kinda like asking me what I’m like in bed. I don’t know. My style is an extension of myself. I don’t have enough objectivity to describe it. If you’ve read my book, you’ve slept with me in a sense – so you describe it.

☠ Because I couldn't resist, what are your guilty pleasures?

SW: I don’t have any. If it gives me pleasure, I don’t feel guilty. I have guilty displeasures though. Things I do that aren’t productive but don’t give me enough pleasure to make them worthwhile. I fritter. When I’m resisting diving into The Next Thing, whether it’s the dishes or chapter five, and I’m not quite committed, I leaf through stuff. Catalogs, websites, snack cabinets. I’m not engaged enough to be working or playing, so I don’t get anything out of it. It’s stupid and it makes me feel icky.

☠ 'and Falling,Fly' delves deeply in the dark fantasy universe. Is there any particular genre you wish to tackle in the future?

SW: Not really. Fantasy, to me, is all genres collapsed into one, with the added bonus of above-par readers. Fantasy readers are smarter and more open-minded than those of any other genre. Really. Literary fiction readers are smart, self-help readers are introspective, horror readers are tolerant, sci-fi readers engage really deeply, romance readers bring open hearts, but only fantasy readers are all that plus eagerly open-minded. I don’t like to say “never”, but I can’t imagine a reason to write for anyone else. Except little kids. I have a children’s book I’m working on now. But it’s also a fantasy.

☠ On your website, you mention that 'and Falling, Fly' is a part of a series, though it stands on its own. What do we have to look forward to from its successors?

SW: My next book, ‘In Dreams Begin’, comes out December 7. It’s kinda-sorta-but-not-really a series. I think of the books as all belonging to a world I call ‘The Harrowing’, but in publishing-speak, a series follows the same cast of characters, which ‘In Dreams Begin’ doesn’t. It’s linked by story world and by glancing reference, but not by protagonists.

‘In Dreams Begin’ begins with Laura, a contemporary graphic artist, who wakes up on her wedding night channeled into the body of the Victorian Irish revolutionary, famous beauty, and possibly part-faerie Maud Gonne just before she’s introduced to the poet WB Yeats. Laura, the modern cynic falls, rather embarrassingly, immediately in love with the wildly romantic Irish poet whose involvement in the occult is partially responsible for her time-travel and body-hopping.

It’s been a tremendously fun project to work on, because history kept handing me such amazing stuff, allowing me to explore body-image, feminism, fidelity and possession across a hundred years, through several perspectives, and all echoed with lines from Yeats’s published poems and letters.

☠ Lastly, is their anything you'd like to say to the fellow readers and potential readers of your book(s)

SW: ‘Please’ and ‘thank you’. That’s it, really. Writing for readers is really just the first salvo in what I hope will be an on-going and mutually interesting conversation.

More Skyler:

Skyler White is author of dark fantasy novels ‘and Falling, Fly’ (Berkley, March 2010) and ‘In Dreams Begin’ (Berkley, March 2010). She lives in Austin, TX.

Website | Twitter

Purchase 'and Falling, Fly':
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound

Award: Let's Be Friends

2010-03-19T12:05:00.000-07:00

Terra @ Terra On The Bookshelf has given me the "Let's Be Friends Award"!

"Blogs that receive the Let’s Be Friends Award are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement. Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers. Deliver this award to 8 bloggers."

And the award goes to...

Jenn @ Book Crazy
Becky @ The Bookette
Kari @ A Good Addiction
Juju @ Tales of a Whimsy
Eleni @ La Femme Readers
Natalie @ Mindful Musings
Melissa @ I Swim For Oceans
Lori @ Escape Between The Pages

There are so many lovely bloggers out there that it's really hard to narrow it down. But these gals are as friendly as can be and make such a tremendous effort to connect with other bloggers/followers and I wanted to recognize their awesomeness. Congrats girls!

Review Archive

2010-03-18T08:00:00.000-07:00

A

• and Falling, Fly by Skyler White

B

• Blue Moon (The Immortals #2) by Alyson Noel
• Boneshaker by Cherie Priest
• By The Time You Read This, I'll Be Dead by Julie Ann Peters

C

• Chasing Brooklyn by Lisa Schroeder

E

• Evermore (The Immortals #1) by Alyson Noel

F

• Fat Cat by Robin Brande
• Fire (Seven Kingdoms Trilogy #2) by Kristin Cashore
• Fluke, Or I Know Why The Winged Whale Sings by Christopher Moore

G

• Girl In The Arena by Lise Haines

H

• Hate List by Jennifer Brown
• Hearts at Stake (Drake Chronicles #1) by Alyxandra Harvey
• Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger

I

• Impossible by Nancy Werlin
• In Too Deep (39 Clues #6) by Jude Watson

L

• Life As We Knew It (Moon #1) by Susan Beth Pfeffer

M

• Max (Maximum Ride #5) by James Patterson

S

• School of Fear by Gitty Daneshvari
• Shiver (Wolves of Mercy Falls #1) by Maggie Stiefvater
• Struts & Frets by Jon Skovron

T

• The Dark Divine by Bree Despain
• The Lonely Hearts Club by Elizabeth Eulberg
• The Magician's Elephant by Kate DiCamillo
• The Maze Runner (The Maze Runner #1) by James Dashner
• The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoner's Dilemma (The Benedict Society #3) by Trenton Lee Stewart
• The Rise of Renegade X by Chelsea Campbell
• The Way of Shadows (Night Angel #1) by Brent Weeks
• Thirst (No. 1) by Christopher Pike
• Truly, Madly (Lucy Valentine #1) by Heather Webber

U

• Unwind by Neal Shusterman

Review: The Rise of Renegade X by Chelsea Campbell (Traveling ARC Tour)

2010-03-17T07:00:00.000-07:00

Genre: Young Adult, Speculative Fiction - Superheroes
Edition: ARC ; Provided by Traveling ARC Tours
Page Count: 346
Pub & Date: EgmontUSA ; May 11, 2010
Series: Yes (?)

Reading Challenge: Debut Author, Speculative Fiction, Young Adult

My Rating: 4 stars (out of 5)
Amazon.com: N/A (Available for Pre-Order)
Goodreads: 4.64 (Average)

Recommended For: Fans of YA (age 16+), superheroes, mad scientists, devious plots, and exciting adventures.

Book Summary:

Sixteen-year-old Damien Locke has a plan: major in messing with people at the local supervillain university and become a professional evil genius, just like his supervillain mom. But when he discovers the shameful secret she’s been hiding all these years, that the one night stand that spawned him was actually with a superhero, everything gets messed up. His father’s too moral for his own good, so when he finds out Damien exists, he actually wants him to come live with him and his goody-goody superhero family. Damien gets shipped off to stay with them in their suburban hellhole, and he only has six weeks to prove he’s not a hero in any way, or else he’s stuck living with them for the rest of his life, or until he turns eighteen, whichever comes first.

To get out of this mess, Damien has to survive his dad’s “flying lessons” that involve throwing him off the tallest building in the city—despite his nearly debilitating fear of heights—thwart the eccentric teen scientist who insists she’s his sidekick, and keep his supervillain girlfriend from finding out the truth. But when Damien uncovers a dastardly plot to turn all the superheroes into mindless zombie slaves, a plan hatched by his own mom, he discovers he cares about his new family more than he thought. Now he has to choose: go back to his life of villainy and let his family become zombies, or stand up to his mom and become a real hero.

My Thoughts:

The Rise of Renegade X is an unconventional tale that explores an avenue of both superheroes and supervillains in a whole new YA adventure. And it plays out to be a super fun ride!

First and foremost, what really makes this book so enjoyable is the voice of our leading protagonist, Damien Locke. He's got a well mixed blend of snark, sarcasm, and teenage kid idiocy. Like any teen his age, he can't help but get himself into trouble. Only his kind of trouble involves the lives of both family and friends.

But not only is Damien Locke the shining star of the novel, he is followed by some very enjoyable secondary characters. Whether it's his mad-scientist mom, or his safety first father, or the two smart (yet very different) girls who have both taken a romantic interest in Damien - each one has a unique voice and provides a certain vivaciousness that keeps the story at a constant entertaining level.

Through the rest of the journey of caped heroes, evil villains, nagging siblings, and budding love interests, we see Damien in a constant battle with the unforeseen force of his heritage. Being that he is one of the few people in history to have the infamous "X" mark on his thumb, proving that he is product of both superhero and supervillain - he actually has a chance to choose his destiny. After being raised by his supervillain mom for the last 16-years, the boy has a flair for mischief. But little by little we see the good side start to come into focus. But which side will he choose?

Overall Consensus: The Rise of Renegade X isn't your average superhero tale. Sure it's got the capes and a devious plan to take over the world, but it also explores the avenue of the superheroes and villains as regular people underneath the tight garb and special powers. It's not all about fighting good versus evil, but shows the love between family that gives the book a believable feel. The characters themselves are wild and vivid, always providing interesting dialogue and I loved them all. It's an exciting ride from start to finish; displaying a few super powers of its own. Fantastic debut from Chelsea Campbell!

Find the Author: Website | Twitter

► (This ARC copy was provided by Traveling ARC Tours. Thanks guys!)

In My Mailbox (March 14)

2010-03-14T07:00:00.000-07:00

"In My Mailbox" is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi The Story Siren!

Won: (received a few weeks ago)

Daniel X: Watch The Skies by James Patterson
(Thanks YA Books Central!)

Review:

The Rise of Renegade X by Chelsea Campbell
(Part of Traveling ARC Tours)

► Apparently this an "X" themed IMM, haha. Unintentionally, of course. Happy Sunday all!

Apologies/MIA, The Maze Runner Winner + Awards!

2010-03-11T12:00:00.000-08:00

First off, I wanted to apologize for the hiatus I seem to have been on without warning. February was a really weird and busy month for me and it seems to have carried over into March. Work, life, and everything in between has put reading on the back burner, unfortunately. But it's time to get things going again and I hope to be back to full swing soon. Thanks for sticking with me awesome minions. ♥ :)

Secondly, the winner of The Maze Runner giveaway has been chosen! I announced it on twitter for those who follow me but I guess I should make it official by announcing it here. And the winner is...

Emily @ The Ninja Librarian!

Congrats girl! Your book has been sent out and I hope you enjoy it.

Now, even despite the lack of posts and reviews, some of you crazy kids have blessed me with a couple of awards. And I am here to pass them along!

Both Christina @ Confessions of a Book Addict and Amy @ Reversing The Monotony have awarded me the "Prolific Blogger Award"!

A Prolific Blogger is one who is intellectually productive... keeping up an active blog that is filled with enjoyable content.

1. Every winner of the Prolific Blogger Award has to pass on this award to at least seven other deserving prolific bloggers. Spread some love!
2. Each Prolific Blogger must link to the blog from which he/she has received the award.
3. Every Prolific Blogger must link back to this post, which explains the origins and motivation for the award.
4. Every Prolific Blogger must visit this post and add his/her name in the Mr. Linky, so that we all can get to know the other winners. (Click here for the Mr. Linky page.)

Passing this on to...

Misty @ Book Rat
Sara @ The Hiding Spot
Jenny @ Wondrous Reads
Jenn @ Books at Midnight
Alyssa @ The Shady Glade
Carolyn @ Book Chick City
Angela @ Dark Faerie Tales
Rachel @ Parajunkee's View
Sherry @ Flipping Pages For All Ages
Reggie @ The Undercover Book Lover (not really)

Only one word to describe these gals: Awesome. And since I received this twice, I figured it was okay to look past the whole "seven bloggers" rule. Plus, it's the internet, does anyone really care? I'm spreading the loooove this fine Thursday!

I have two more awards to pass along so keep an eye out for those in the next few days. :)

On My Wishlist (15)

2010-03-06T05:00:00.000-08:00

On My Wishlist is a weekly meme hosted by Book Chick City that allows us to share the books we haven't bought yet but are waiting to be bought and devoured.

Title: The Unwritten Rule
Author: Elizabeth Scott
Genre: YA, Contemporary Romance
Published: March 16, 2010

Everyone knows the unwritten rule: You don't like your best friend's boyfriend.

Sarah has had a crush on Ryan for years. He's easy to talk to, supersmart, and totally gets her. Lately it even seems like he's paying extra attention to her. Everything would be perfect except for two things: Ryan is Brianna's boyfriend, and Brianna is Sarah's best friend.

Sarah forces herself to avoid Ryan and tries to convince herself not to like him. She feels so guilty for wanting him, and the last thing she wants is to hurt her best friend. But when she's thrown together with Ryan one night, something happens. It's wonderful...and awful.

Sarah is torn apart by guilt, but what she feels is nothing short of addiction, and she can't stop herself from wanting more...

Title: Unclean Spirits (The Black Sun's Daughter, #1)
Author: M.L.N. Hanover
Genre: Urban Fantasy
Published: December 2, 2008

In a world where magic walks and demons ride, you can't always play by the rules.

Jayné Heller thinks of herself as a realist, until she discovers reality isn't quite what she thought it was. When her uncle Eric is murdered, Jayné travels to Denver to settle his estate, only to learn that it's all hers -- and vaster than she ever imagined. And along with properties across the world and an inexhaustible fortune, Eric left her a legacy of a different kind: his unfinished business with a cabal of wizards known as the Invisible College.

Led by the ruthless Randolph Coin, the Invisible College harnesses demon spirits for their own ends of power and domination. Jayné finds it difficult to believe magic and demons can even exist, let alone be responsible for the death of her uncle. But Coin sees Eric's heir as a threat to be eliminated by any means -- magical or mundane -- so Jayné had better start believing in something to save her own life.

Aided in her mission by a group of unlikely companions - Aubrey, Eric's devastatingly attractive assistant; Ex, a former Jesuit with a lethal agenda; Midian, a two-hundred-year-old man who claims to be under a curse from Randolph Coin himself; and Chogyi Jake, a self-styled Buddhist with mystical abilities - Jayné finds that her new reality is not only unexpected, but often unexplainable. And if she hopes to survive, she'll have to learn the new rules fast - or break them completely....

► Two totally different books, both duly awaiting a spot on my bookshelf. They will be mine, oh yes, they will be mine!

What's on YOUR wishlist? Tell/link me!

Teaser Tuesday (March 2)

2010-03-02T07:00:00.000-08:00

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

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

NUM8ERS
by Rachel Ward

"I woke up on the floor, surrounded by broken stuff, my stuff. The last thought that I'd had before I went to sleep was still in my head: I had nothing left to lose. What more could they do to me than they were already planning?"

► I haven't officially started this one yet but I figured since I just picked it up from the library, might as well share. Looks to be an interesting read.

Feel free to leave a comment with either the link to your own Teaser Tuesdays post, or share your 2 ‘teasers’ in a comment here!

Review: And Falling, Fly by Skyler White

2010-03-01T07:00:00.000-08:00

Genre: Fiction, Dark Fantasy
Edition: Paperback ; Provided by the author
Page Count: 335
Pub. Date: March 2, 2010
Series: Part of The Harrowing Series

My Rating: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
Amazon.com: N/A
Goodreads: 4.00 (Average)

Recommended For: Mature readers. Adult fans of dark fantasy, paranormal books.

My Summary & Thoughts:

If I had to use a term to describe and Falling, Fly, it would be "kind of like falling down the rabbit hole." The characters are unusual, the surroundings imaginative, and the story unique. The book falls outside of the mainstream and is, in essence, a tale about desire vs. love, and the differences between.

From the beginning we are introduced to Olivia, the fallen angel-turned-vampire of our story. For thousands of years she has fed off the desire and fear of man but has never tasted it for herself. Her mission of redemption long lived has lost its meaning and the task of conformity no longer suits her. So she flies back to Ireland, to the Hotel of the Damned buried deep underground to lose herself in her damnation.

Dominic O'Shaughnessy is an innovative neuroscientist who is breaking ground in his field - while trying to forget a past that spans the last thousand years. He is a reborn. Cursed to immortality and visions of lives past lived, loves past lost. He believes his curse to be nothing more than delusions trapped somewhere in the recesses of his brain. But what fate reveals could be more than his rational mind can handle. Until he meets his guardian angel.

The story is told from two alternating points of view; one from Olivia in the first person and the other from Dominic in the third person. Two very contrasting characters, seeking different ideals, who come together through somewhat fateful circumstance. Their chemistry is magnetic and the sexual tension taught. So much so that I was a bit relieved when the book ended because it was a bit of sensory overload. But the two complex characters really bring a fantastic dynamic to the book. Their character development from start to finish is strong and really well done. And that's not to forget the secondary characters who really help set the tone, providing a little bit of wit and a side of horror that adds to the ambiance of the novel.

The aspect I enjoyed most about and Falling, Fly is the writing. It spans so many different elements while providing abstract details that pack a poetic justice. The prose is almost regal and quite enchanting, giving the reader a certain sense of artistry that you can't help but get lost in.

But where and Falling, Fly fell just short for me is the pacing. It's fairly steady throughout most of the book, providing a lot of rich description for the unusual surroundings and the characters, but the climax happened a lot later than I would have liked. The first two-thirds of the novel is fueled on sexual tension and the dynamic between the characters, which sustained me long enough to reach that point but it felt like a long time coming once I got there.

Overall Consensus: and Falling, Fly is a dark tale that weaves vampire mythology, neurological science, biblical ideals, and hints of steampunk into a sinister story full of sensuality and rich symbolism. It's unique in its portrayal of representing vampires as fallen angels and I was quite intrigued by Skyler's vision of L'Otel Matillide. The prose is mesmerizing and that is a quality the sets this novel apart from other dark fantasy books I've read in the past. It tackles many different avenues of desire and, in my honest opinion, it portrays vampires as the blood-thirsty beings they should be. A definite read for those looking for a book outside of the norm.

P.S. Please keep in mind that this is an adult read. Meaning explicit scenes and language. Pursue at your own leisure.

On My Wishlist (14)

2010-02-27T06:00:00.000-08:00

On My Wishlist is a weekly meme hosted by Book Chick City that allows us to share the books we haven't bought yet but are waiting to be bought and devoured.

Title: The Poison Throne (The Moorehawke Trilogy #1)
Author: Celine Kiernan
Genre: Fantasy
Published: This edition: April 7, 2010 (first published October 13, 2008)

Young Wynter Moorehaw returns to court with her dying father - but she finds her old home shadowed with fear. The king has become a violent despot, terrorizing those he once loved. His son and heir Alberon has fled into exile and now there are whispers everywhere of rebellion. Meanwhile, Alberon's half-brother Razi has been elevated to his throne. He struggles to meet his King's demands while remaining loyal to his beloved brother and to his friend-Wynter.

And at the heart of matters is a secret that no one dares speak of. A secret so large it could tear the kingdom in two and Wynter is the key. Her father lies dying. Her king is mad. Her friends are divided.

She must choose- her father or her dreams, her friend or her king, her duty... or her love.

Title: Hex Hall
Author: Rachel Hawkins
Genre: YA
Published: March 2, 2010

When Sophie Mercer turned thirteen, she discovered that she was a witch. It's gotten her into a few scrapes. Her non-Gifted mother has been as supportive as possible, consulting Sophie's estranged father - an elusive European warlock - only when necessary. But when Sophie attracts too much human attention for a prom-night spell gone horribly wrong, it's her dad who decides her punishment: exile to Hecate Hall, an isolated reform school for wayward prodigium, a.k.a. witches, fae, and shapeshifters.

By the end of her first day among fellow freak-teens, Sophie has quite a scorecard. Three powerful enemies who look like supermodels; a futile crush on a gorgeous warlock; a creepy, tag-along ghost; and a new roommate, who happens to be the most-hated person and only vampire on campus. Sophie soon learns that a mysterious predator has been attacking students, and her friend Jenna is the number one suspect.

Meanwhile, Sophie has a more personal shock to grapple with. Not only is her father the head of the prodigium council, he's the most powerful warlock in the world, and Sophie is his heir. As a series of blood-curdling mysteries starts to converge, Sophie prepares for the biggest threat of all: an ancient secret society determined to destroy all prodigium, especially her.

► Oh hey, long time no post. Life has been rather hectic lately but I thought it was time to pop in and share a few items on my wishlist. How fabulous do both of these sound? I mean really. WAAANT!

What's on YOUR wishlist? Tell/link me!

Teaser Tuesday (Feb 23)

2010-02-23T06:00:00.000-08:00

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

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

Arson
by Estevan Vega

"Arson could feel the cold, could even remember the way everything sounded or how there was no sound at all. Until the night shattered. The weight of remembering dragged him down while he sucked in a filthy drag of water, his coffined body jerking."

► Love, love, LOVE this cover. Only 2 chapters in so far but I'm already diggin' it.

Feel free to leave a comment with either the link to your own Teaser Tuesdays post, or share your 2 ‘teasers’ in a comment here!

Weekly Recap (Feb 15 - 21)

2010-02-22T10:50:00.000-08:00

Reviews:

★ By The Time You Read This, I'll Be Dead by Julie Anne Peters (3.5/5)
★ Fat Cat by Robin Brande (4.5/5)

Posts:

★ In My Mailbox (Feb 21)
★ On My Wishlist (13)
★ Waiting on Wednesday (Feb 17)
★ Teaser Tuesday (Feb 16)

Upcoming:

★ Review for and Falling, Fly plus an interview with the author!

Sites/Links to check out!:

★ I'm giving away The Maze Runner to one lucky participant! Open to US and Canada residents - Ends March 1st. Check out my review and sign up!

Cover of the Week:

Tempest Legacy (Jane True #3)
- I adore the covers for this series! Fabulous. I need to get my butt in gear and read the first one ASAP.

► Another slow week of reading and I have a feeling things will be that way for the next week or so. I may be going on a short hiatus, but we shall see. Too many things to do, and so little time. But amazingly enough I am ONE follower away from 250! Crazy. Do I sense another giveaway coming up? I think I do. :) Wishing all you lovelies another fabulous week!

In My Mailbox (Feb 21)

2010-02-21T11:30:00.000-08:00

"In My Mailbox" is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi The Story Siren!

Gifted:

Mistborn: The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson
The Well of Ascension (Mistborn #2) by Brandon Sanderson
The Hero Of Ages by (Mistborn #3) Brandon Sanderson
(Many thanks to Marc!)

► I've heard some great things about The Mistborn series. Anyone read them yet?

Review: By The Time You Read This, I'll Be Dead by Julie Anne Peters

2010-02-21T05:00:00.000-08:00

Genre: Fiction, Young Adult, Contemporary
Edition: ARC ; Other Shelf Tours
Page Count: 198
Pub. Date: January 5, 2010
Series: N/A

Reading Challenge: Young Adult

My Rating: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
Amazon.com: 4 stars
Goodreads: 4.07 (Average)

Recommended For: YA and Adult readers. Fans of books dealing with real life issues.

My Summary & Thoughts:

By The Time You Read This, I'll Be Dead is about a 15-year old girl who is determined to commit suicide. This time for good.

It's been a year since Daelyn's last suicide attempt which rendered her speechless and living in a neck brace. And life continues to go in a downward spiral. So it's time to try again. She stumbles upon a website called "Through-the-Light", which is dedicated to helping people become complete in their attempts to end their lives. Using the forums on her newly discovered sanctuary, she reveals the torment and ridicule she endured as a child all because she was fat. The lies, the hate, the secrets - all unburdened so she can finally gain some peace.

Then one day while waiting for her mother on the stone bench outside of school, a boy named Santana with bleach blond hair makes every attempt to befriend her. And Daelyn does her best to ignore him. Until, somehow, someway, the boy begins to soften the fortified wall that Daelyn has surrounded herself in. But is it too little too late?

By The Time You Read This, I'll Be Dead is a very thought-provoking book on many different levels. There's a lot of layers to peel back with this one.

Formulated mostly on dialogue, the words are both powerful and heartbreaking. At the beginning the prose is short and concise. But as the story progresses, and a little light begins to show in Daelyn's dark world, the sentence structure becomes more open, more revealing. I really grew to love Santana in all his unrelenting, pesky glory. The boy provided much needed humor in an otherwise sad and heavy tale. And the ending will be a personal choice. Some may love it, some may not, but I felt Julie did a wonderful job closing out the book.

Overall consensus: I didn't really know what to expect when I first started By The Time You Read This, I'll Be Dead. I expected it to be emotional, and it was, but it just didn't have the same affect on me that it did others. A heavy subject to be sure, with raw and real emotion, but I would have liked to have seen it expanded upon. There was just enough to make it a worthy read but not enough to fully satiate my reading appetite. And I won't lie, this book is a bit of a downer (I think the title kind of implies that) but there is a powerful message to relay - that words are indeed a powerful force and can cause some major damage if we aren't careful. This is definitely a book that should be read by both teens and adults.

On My Wishlist (13)

2010-02-20T06:00:00.000-08:00

On My Wishlist is a weekly meme hosted by Book Chick City that allows us to share the books we haven't bought yet but are waiting to be bought and devoured.

Title: Heart's Blood (Whistling Tor #1)
Author: Juliet Marillier
Genre: Fantasy
Published: October 2, 2009

Anluan has been crippled since childhood, part of a curse that has besieged his family and his home of Whistling Tor. But when the young scribe Caitrin is retained to sort through family documents, she brings about unexpected changes in the household, casting a hopeful light against the despairing shadows.

But to truly free Anluan’s burdened soul, Caitrin must unravel the web of sorcery woven by his ancestors before it claims his life—and their love…

Title: Dreamhunter (Dreamhunter Duet #1)
Author: Elizabeth Knox
Genre: YA, Fantasy
Published: This edition: February 21, 2006 ; First published in 2005

Laura comes from a world similar to our own except for one difference: It is next to the Place, an unfathomable land that fosters dreams of every kind and is inaccessible to all but a select few, the dreamhunters. These are individuals with the ability to catch larger-than-life dreams and relay them to audiences in the magnificent dream palace. People travel from all around to experience the benefits of the hunters’ unique visions.

Now, fifteen-year-old Laura and her cousin Rose, daughters of dreamhunters, are old enough to find out if they qualify to enter the Place. But nothing can prepare them for what they are about to discover. In the midst of a fascinating landscape, Laura’s dreamy childhood is ending, and a nightmare is beginning.

► Both of these sound fabulous. What's on YOUR wishlist? Tell/link me!

Review: Fat Cat by Robin Brande

2010-02-18T07:00:00.000-08:00

Genre: Fiction, Young Adult, Contemporary
Edition: Hardcover; Library
Page Count: 327
Pub. Date: October 13, 2009
Series: N/A

Reading Challenge: Young Adult, Local Library

My Rating: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
Amazon.com: 5 stars
Goodreads: 4.11 (Average)

Recommended For: Young and old, tall and short, plump and skinny...basically, everyone.

Book Summary:

You are what you eat...

Cat smart, sassy, and funny — but thin, she’s not. Until her class science project. That’s when she winds up doing an experiment on herself. Before she knows it, Cat is living and eating like the hominids, our earliest human ancestors. True, no chips or TV is a bummer and no car is a pain, but healthful eating and walking everywhere do have their benefits.

As the pounds drop off, the guys pile on. All this new found male attention is enough to drive a girl crazy! If only she weren’t too busy hating Matt McKinney to notice...

My Thoughts:

There are so many great things I could say about this novel! In short, I loved it. Fat Cat is a rich tale combining morals, science, humor, and romance that mixes together to form an immensely enjoyable read. It provides laughter in all the right places and gives the brain some much needed food for thought. While the title suggests that the main focus will be on the "fat girl" and weight issues, it is so much more than that. It's also about friendship, loving people for who they are on the inside, and just being true to yourself.

I loved reading Cat's daily notes as she keeps track of her progress not only for her research project, but for herself. Cat's determination and transition as a character is inspiring. The constant bit of humor, provided by both Cat and friends, is a refreshing aspect that keeps the novel light, all while focusing on some real and important issues. Cat's voice and the secondary characters (her family, best friend, and romantic interest) really drive the book to a new level of authenticity.

On a more personal note, Fat Cat really got me thinking about the kind of food I've been including in my diet and the changes that need to be made (and have been made). It's very rare when a book makes such an impact on me long after I read it. But this novel made an impression not only as a quality read, but in my life as well.

Overall consensus: Fat Cat is a sweetly rich book in all the right ways. It's as real as you can get in contemporary fiction. I felt like I knew the characters, that I could relate to them in many different ways, and that just fueled my enjoyment as a reader. It's refreshing to read about a young female protagonist who enjoys science and things considered "uncool". And what truly makes this book shine is the quality and honesty with which it is written. I have a feeling it'll be a novel I will long remember and recommend to anyone of all shapes and sizes. A book worthy of seconds! ;)

Waiting On Wednesday (Feb 17)

2010-02-17T06:00:00.000-08:00

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

Title: Wintercraft
Author: Jenna Burtenshaw
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Published: May 13, 2010

Ten years ago Kate Winters' parents were taken by the High Council's wardens to help with the country's war effort. Now the wardens are back...and prisoners, including Kate's uncle Artemis, are taken south on the terrifying Night Train. Kate and her friend Edgar are hunted by a far more dangerous enemy. Silas Dane -- the High Council's most feared man -- recognizes Kate as one of the Skilled; a rare group of people able to see through the veil between the living and the dead. His spirit was damaged by the High Council's experiments into the veil, and he's convinced that Kate can undo the damage and allow him to find peace. The knowledge Kate needs lies within Wintercraft -- a book thought to be hidden deep beneath the graveyard city of Fume. But the Night of Souls, when the veil between life and death is at its thinnest, is just days away and the High Council have their own sinister plans for Kate and Wintercraft. To help Artemis, Edgar and herself, Kate must honour her pact with a murderer and come face to face with the true nature of death.

Title: A Blue So Dark
Author: Holly Schindler
Genre: Young Adult
Published: May 1st, 2010

Terrified that her mother, a schizophrenic and an artist, is a mirror that reflects her own future, sixteen-year-old Aura struggles with her overwhelming desires to both chase artistic pursuits and keep madness at bay.

As her mother sinks deeper into the darkness of mental illness, the hunger for a creative outlet keeps drawing Aura toward the depths of her own imagination—the shadows of make-believe that she finds frighteningly similar to her mother’s hallucinations.

Convinced that creative equals crazy, Aura shuns her art, and her life unravels in the process.

► What are you waiting on? Feel free to link me to your WoW posts!

Teaser Tuesday (Feb 16)

2010-02-16T06:00:00.000-08:00

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

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

And Falling, Fly
by Skyler White

"I am primed to kill. My faith in loopholes is the only poorly buried attempt at supernatural sleight of hand. I had cloaked Adam in my hope, but men no longer wrestles angels, and the cheap magician's cape falls to the dust."

► The prose in this book is truly fantastic! Still a good ways to go, but I am enjoying what I've read so far.

Feel free to leave a comment with either the link to your own Teaser Tuesdays post, or share your 2 ‘teasers’ in a comment here!

Weekly Recap (Feb 8 -14)

2010-02-15T06:00:00.000-08:00

Reviews:

★ The Maze Runner by James Dashner (4.5/5)
★ Girl In The Arena by Lise Haines (3/5)

Posts:

★ In My Mailbox (Feb 14)
★ On My Wishlist (13)
★ Waiting on Wednesday (Feb 10)
★ Teaser Tuesday (Feb 9)

Upcoming:

★ Reviews for Fat Cat and By The Time You Read This, I'll Be Dead!
★ Want to participate in my upcoming graphic novel/comic book appreciation month? Read HERE or shoot me an e-mail at book.izzle[at]yahoo[dot]com if you would like to participate!

Sites/Links to check out!:

★ I'm giving away The Maze Runner to one lucky participant! Open to US and Canada residents - Ends March 1st. Check out my review and sign up!

Cover of the Week:

Mockingjay (Hunger Games #3)
- So who DIDN'T see this coming? I mean really, how could I resist after it's been posted about a frillion times. Honestly, I'm not too enthusiastic about the cover, but I just can't wait to have this book in my hands. That trumps aesthetic appeal (although I do love the color blue). Is it August yet?

► A really slow week for reading and reviews. I've been dealing with family issues (including a funeral) over the past 2 weeks and it's been rough, to say the least. :( I'm still trying to get back into the swing of things but life and the Olympics are throwing plenty of distractions my way. Here's hoping that lazy days and lots of book reading will come again soon. Wishing you all a fantabulous upcoming week!

In My Mailbox (Feb 14)

2010-02-14T05:00:00.000-08:00

"In My Mailbox" is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi The Story Siren!

For Review:

• Thyme In A Flask by Glen Quarry
• Arson by Estevan Vega
Signed! Thanks Estevan!
• And Falling, Fly by Skyler White

Won:

• Struts & Frets by Jon Skovron (Review)
Thanks YABC!
• Fallen ARC by Lauren Kate
Thanks Meg O'brien at Random House!

► I'm so excited to have received all 3 of the books for review and I look forward to bustin' these babies open. And, because it is indeed February 14th, I wanted to wish you all a very love filled Valentine's Day! Eat lots of chocolate for me. :)

On My Wishlist (12)

2010-02-13T06:00:00.000-08:00

On My Wishlist is a weekly meme hosted by Book Chick City that allows us to share the books we haven't bought yet but are waiting to be bought and devoured.

Title: Poison Study (Study #1)
Author: Maria V Snyder
Genre: YA, Fantasy
Published: November 21st 2008 ; first published in 2004

About to be executed for murder, Yelena is offered an extraordinary reprieve. She'll eat the best meals, have rooms in the palace-- and risk assassination by anyone trying to kill the Commander of Ixia.

And so Yelena chooses to become a food taster. But the chief of security, leaving nothing to chance, deliberately feeds her Butterfly's Dust and only by appearing for her daily antidote will she delay an agonizing death from the poison. As Yelena tries to escape her new dilemma, disasters keep mounting. Rebels plot to seize Ixia and Yelena develops magical powers she can't control. Her life is threatened again and choices must be made. But this time the outcomes aren't so clear...

- I've heard great things about this one.

Title: House of Dark Shadows (Dreamhouse Kings #1)
Author: Robert Liparulo
Genre: YA
Published: May 6, 2008

Dream house . . . or bad dream?

When the Kings move from L.A. to a secluded small town, fifteen-year-old Xander is beyond disappointed. He and his friends loved to create amateur films...but the tiny town of Pinedale is the last place a movie buff and future filmmaker wants to land.

But he, David, and Toria are captivated by the many rooms in the old Victorian fixer-upper they moved into - as well as the heavy woods surrounding the house.

They soon discover there's something odd about the house. Sounds come from the wrong directions. Prints of giant, bare feet appear in the dust. And when David tries to hide in the linen closet, he winds up in locker 119 at his new school.

Then the really weird stuff kicks in: they find a hidden hallway with portals leading off to far-off places - in long-ago times. Xander is starting to wonder if this kind of travel is a teen's dream come true...or his worst nightmare.

► I really want both of these. They sound so good! What's on YOUR wishlist? Tell/link me!

Review: The Maze Runner by James Dashner + Giveaway!

2010-02-12T09:30:00.000-08:00

Genre: Fiction, Young Adult, Speculative Fiction - Dystopia
Edition: Hardcover; (Won) Publisher
Page Count: 374
Pub. Date: October 6, 2009
Series: The Maze Runner Trilogy, Book 1

Reading Challenge: Young Adult, Speculative Fiction

My Rating: 4.5 stars (out of 5)
Amazon.com: 4.5 stars
Goodreads: 4.03 (Average)

Recommended For: YA readers. Fans of high adrenaline dystopian novels with plenty of twists and excitement.

My Summary & Thoughts:

Thomas wakes up surrounded by nothing but his breath and cold darkness. Suddenly, after what feels like hours of a slow ascension, he sees the light. (No, not THAT light.) A cold metal box is taking him up to a place so vastly different from anything he's ever experienced - that is if he could actually remember anything besides his name. He can remember vague images, people, and items but they quickly slip away like his brain matter is leaking out of his head. Hands grab him and soon he is standing in the middle of what is called The Glade, surrounded by a mass of boys.

Like Thomas, none of the boys remember how or why they are there. The only facts are these: every 30 days a new boy arrives, and every morning the stone doors leading into the maze open and every night, they close. And no one wants to be caught outside in the maze after dark.

Alliances are made, as well as enemies, and Thomas is kicked head first into an awful, yet fairly organized community, considering the circumstances. The basic rule being: Pull your weight and you survive. Every morning Thomas watches as the runners take off into the abyss of the maze - trying to find a means of escape - and every time they come back empty handed. That's assuming they survived the maze in the first place. Soon, Thomas gets a feeling that being a runner is a job he was destined to do.

But just when life starts to settle down, everything starts to change. Thomas and the Gladers realize that it's time to find a way out once and for all or they're going to be in deep klunk.

Oh man, as much as I want to keep going, I simply cannot reveal any more of the awesomeness ready to spring at you within the pages. James Dashner did a spectacular job at creating a scenario that just sucks you in. Just when you think it's safe to put the book down for the night (if you can) you are suddenly faced with dire situations and there is just no way you can stop reading. I loved all the characters created in this story. Even the nasty ones. They were easy to like (or dislike) in all their vitality and what they offered to the adventure. And the twists kept me flipping pages till my eyes hurt; all accompanied by the occasional whispered chorus of "OhMyGod".

Overall consensus: Bold and daring. The Maze Runner is one wild tale about perseverance and the will to survive. About coming together with a band of unknowns, despite all differences, and working together to solve the seemingly impossible puzzle of the maze. Once you think you have it all figured out, think again. Talk about one mad adrenaline rush from start to finish. I cannot wait for the next installment!

CLOSED

~~THE GIVEAWAY~~

Thanks to Random House, one lucky winner will receive a brand-new hardcover edition of The Maze Runner to read and enjoy!

To enter, all you have to do is:

~~► FILL OUT THE FORM ◄~~

Simple right? I decided to forgo extra entries this time. Open to US & CANADA RESIDENTS ONLY. GIVEAWAY ENDS MARCH 1ST!

Review: Girl in the Arena by Lise Haines

2010-02-11T06:00:00.000-08:00

Genre: Fiction, Young Adult, Speculative Fiction - Alternate Reality
Edition: Hardcover; Library
Page Count: 324
Pub. Date: October 13, 2009
Series: N/A

Reading Challenge: Young Adult, Local Library, Speculative Fiction

My Rating: 3 stars (out of 5)
Amazon.com: 3.5 stars
Goodreads: 3.15 (Average)

Recommended For: Fans of dystopian novels. YA readers.

Book Summary:

It’s a fight to the death—on live TV—when a gladiator’s daughter steps into the arena

Lyn is a neo-gladiator’s daughter, through and through. Her mother has made a career out of marrying into the high-profile world of televised blood sport, and the rules of the Gladiator Sports Association are second nature to their family. Always lend ineffable confidence to the gladiator. Remind him constantly of his victories. And most importantly: Never leave the stadium when your father is dying. The rules help the family survive, but rules—and the GSA—can also turn against you. When a gifted young fighter kills Lyn’s seventh father, he also captures Lyn’s dowry bracelet, which means she must marry him...

My Thoughts:

Girl in the Arena was mostly girl, without the arena. I have to be honest, the initial summary really grabbed my attention. Neo-Gladiators? In an alternate reality resembling contemporary times? Count me in!

But what it surprisingly lacked, was, in fact, gladiators and the action that came with the word - or at least what I was expecting. An intriguing story from the standpoint that the world Lise Haines created is truly bewildering with the super-advanced technology and twisted idea of entertainment (makes you wonder if something along these lines isn't too far off...) but most of the action that I was expecting was packed in towards the end.

Girl in the Arena is primarily about a girl whose life was always a gamble. Lyn never really had a choice in where her life was going and finally had enough of it. Always having to follow the rules laid out by the GSA (Gladiator Sports Association) because of a contract her mother signed to be a gladiator's wife. A future she too was destined to follow. But that wasn't the kind of future Lyn wanted. She wants to take back what is hers and live a life under her own terms. And that means fighting the man who murdered her father. The man she is required by law to marry.

There were a few anecdotes tossed in that contributed to the story on an emotional level, such as Lyn's struggle to be her own woman and keep her family together. That in itself conveys a strong message, but there was not much else. And it was a bit disappointing.

Overall consensus: Girl In The Arena started off well, continued in a mediocre stupor, and ended with a tiny bang. My complaints are few, in all honesty. A little on the slow side and the format was a bit confusing and choppy at times, but if you don't mind a fairly steady read with little action and some tension here and there, then this is just what you're looking for.

Waiting On Wedneday (Feb 10)

2010-02-10T06:00:00.000-08:00

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

Title: The Clearing
Author: Heather Davis
Genre: Young Adult, Speculative Fiction - Time-Travel
Published: April 12, 2010

Amy, a sixteen-year-old recovering from an abusive relationship, moves to the country to start a new life with her aunt–all she wants is for everything to be different. In the clearing at the back of Aunt Mae’s property, she makes an amazing discovery—Henry, a boy stuck in the endless summer of 1944. Henry and his world become Amy’s refuge and she begins to learn that some moments are worth savoring. But when the past and present come crashing together, both of them must find the courage to face what is meant to be, even if it means losing each other forever.

Title: The Line
Author: Terri Hall
Genre: Young Adult
Published: March 4, 2010

An invisible, uncrossable physical barrier encloses the Unified States. The Line is the part of the border that lopped off part of the country, dooming the inhabitants to an unknown fate when the enemy used a banned weapon. It’s said that bizarre creatures and superhumans live on the other side, in Away. Nobody except tough old Ms. Moore would ever live next to the Line.

Nobody but Rachel and her mother, who went to live there after Rachel’s dad died in the last war. It’s a safe, quiet life. Until Rachel finds a mysterious recorded message that can only have come from Away. The voice is asking for help.

Who sent the message? Why is her mother so protective? And to what lengths is Rachel willing to go in order to do what she thinks is right?

► What are you waiting on? Feel free to link me to your WoW posts!

Teaser Tuesday (Feb 9)

2010-02-09T10:30:00.000-08:00

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

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

By The Time You Read This, I'll Be Dead
by Julie Anne Peters (ARC)

"The home page is black and white. No frills. No flashing ads. That attracted me. When you enter, the monitor goes completely blank, then this white, burning light almost blinds you. If you look hard, and don't look away, you see the message:
Are you ready to pass Through-the-Light?
I've been ready my whole life."

► I received this book yesterday as a part of Other Shelf Tours. I'm only a few chapters in but I have a feeling this is going to be quite the emotional book.

Feel free to leave a comment with either the link to your own Teaser Tuesdays post, or share your 2 ‘teasers’ in a comment here!

Weekly Recap (Feb 1 - Feb 7)

2010-02-08T09:30:00.000-08:00

Reviews:

★ Hate List by Jennifer Brown (5/5)
★ Chasing Brooklyn by Lisa Schroeder (5/5)

Posts:

★ In My Mailbox (Feb 7)
★ On My Wishlist (11)
★ Friday Finds (Feb 5)/ Follow Friday (11)
★ Waiting on Wednesday (Feb 3)
★ Teaser Tuesday (Feb 2)

Upcoming:

★ Reviews for Girl In The Arena and The Maze Runner!
★ Got a giveaway coming up for one of the books I've reviewed (or will be reviewing) so stay tuned! :)
★ Getting some ideas together for my graphic novel/comic book appreciation month. No idea what I'm talk about? Read HERE. Shoot me an e-mail if you would like to participate!

Sites/Links to check out!:

★ Want to win an Amazon Kindle? Check out YABC's Monthly Kindle Giveaway!
★ Hey Neil Gaiman fans, turns out the lovable author with be writing an episode of the BBC television show, Dr. Who. Now I don't know about you guys but this makes me incredibly excited! Read about it HERE!
★ As you all know, Valentine's Day (aka Single Awareness Day) is fast approaching. Carolyn over at Book Chick City is going to immerse herself for two whole days in all things lovey-dovey for the weekend. So go on, Be Her Valentine.
★ Win a book-a-day over at HarperTeen's huge giveaway: 28 Days of Winter Escapes. All you have to do is take the daily poll to be entered in to win the signed book for that day. And not only that, but they're offering an iPod touch ONCE A WEEK!

Cover of the Week:

The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms
- This book was featured on "On My Wishlist" this weekend and I cannot get enough of this cover. Truly awesome.

► Had some great reading this week and got some even more good stuff coming up. I hope you all had a fantastic week. I know you Saints fans did. :) Make sure to keep an eye out for a giveaway in the very near future!

In My Mailbox (Feb 7)

2010-02-07T06:00:00.000-08:00

"In My Mailbox" is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi The Story Siren!

Purchased:

• The Summoning by Kelley Armstrong
• Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead
• Cracked Up To Be by Courtney Summers

Library:

• The Everafter by Amy Huntley
• Fat Cat by Robin Brande

► Not a bad haul this week, if I do say so myself. I'm currently reading Fat Cat and so far I am loving it! Feel free to link to your IMM posts!

And just because it happens to be Superbowl Sunday...GO SAINTS! :)

On My Wishlist (11)

2010-02-06T06:00:00.000-08:00

On My Wishlist is a weekly meme hosted by Book Chick City that allows us to share the books we haven't bought yet but are waiting to be bought and devoured.

Title: The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms
Author: N.K. Jemisin
Genre: YA, Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Published: February 25, 2010

Yeine Darr is an outcast from the barbarian north. But when her mother dies under mysterious circumstances, she is summoned to the majestic city of Sky. There, to her shock, Yeine is named an heiress to the king. But the throne of the Hundred Thousand Kingdoms is not easily won, and Yeine is thrust into a vicious power struggle with a pair of cousins she never knew she had. As she fights for her life, she draws ever closer to the secrets of her mother's death and her family's bloody history.

With the fate of the world hanging in the balance, Yeine will learn how perilous it can be when love and hate - and gods and mortals - are bound inseparably together.

- WANT!

Title: All Unquiet Things
Author: Anna Jarzab
Genre: YA
Published: January 12, 2010

Carly: She was sweet. Smart. Self-destructive. She knew the secrets of Brighton Day School’s most privileged students. Secrets that got her killed.

Neily: Dumped by Carly for a notorious bad boy, Neily didn’t answer the phone call she made before she died. If he had, maybe he could have helped her. Now he can’t get the image of her lifeless body out of his mind.

Audrey: She’s the reason Carly got tangled up with Brighton’s fast crowd in the first place, and now she regrets it — especially since she’s convinced the police have put the wrong person in jail. Audrey thinks the murderer is someone at Brighton, and she wants Neily to help her find out who it is.

As reluctant allies Neily and Audrey dig into their shared past with Carly, her involvement with Brighton’s dark goings-on comes to light. But figuring out how Carly and her killer fit into the twisted drama will force Audrey and Neily to face hard truths about themselves and the girl they couldn’t save.

► Both of these books sound AMAZING. I can't wait to get my hands on them. What's on YOUR wishlist? Tell/link me!

Friday Finds (Feb 5) / Follow Friday (#11)

2010-02-05T11:30:00.000-08:00

Friday Finds is a weekly meme hosted by MizB over at Should Be Reading. The idea is to share books that you recently came across, whether new or old, that you've never heard of before and added to your TBR pile.

Friday Finds:

★ Dead Girl Walking by Linda Joy Singleton
(discovered via Goodreads)
Genre: YA, Paranormal
Released: September 1, 2008

I am so dead. Now, was I supposed to go left or right at the Light? Seventeen-year-old Amber Borden has a lousy sense of direction - so lousy that she takes a wrong turn when returning from her near-death experience. She ends up in the body of the most popular girl in school, who has just tried to commit suicide.
Can a girl who can't even navigate the halls of Halsey High discover the secrets of her new identity and find her way back to her own life?

★ My Ridiculous, Romantic Obsessions by Becca Wilhite
(discovered via Steph Su Reads)
Genre: YA, Contemporary Romance
Released: March 3, 2010

Sarah Howard's first year at the university is everything and nothing she expected especially when a very cute boy named Ben in her Art History class starts to show interest in her.

Sarah feels like she's an average, normal, everyday girl. So, when Ben (to whom she secretly refers as Adonis because she thinks he could be a Greek god) begins to take interest in her, Sarah is in denial. For one thing, last year she was deeply crushed and humiliated by Jesse James a guy who she thought liked her.

She's determined not to get burned again. But in her heart of hearts, what she really wants is a Jane Austen kind of romance. Ridiculous, right? That kind of romance doesn t exist anymore . . . or does it? Sarah is smart and fun to be around and even pretty, despite her Medusa-like red curls. She even plays the guitar. (So does Ben!) Yes, Sarah is everything Ben has wanted. He's crazy for her, but Sarah is just not getting it. She's playing hard to get, and if she s not careful, she s going to lose a real hot gentleman -- her 21st-century Mr. Darcy.

★ The Boneshaker by Kate Milford
(discovered via Goodreads)
Genre: YA, Speculative Fiction - Steampunk
Released: March 24, 2010

Thirteen year-old Natalie Minks loves machines, particularly automata—self operating mechanical devices, usually powered by clockwork. When Jake Limberleg and his traveling medicine show arrive in her small Missouri town with a mysterious vehicle under a tarp and an uncanny ability to make Natalie's half-built automaton move, she feels in her gut that something about this caravan of healers is a bit off. Her uneasiness leads her to investigate the intricate maze of the medicine show, where she discovers a horrible truth, and realizes that only she has the power to set things right.

Follow Friday:

Taking one from Twitter's books here and doing my own version of Follow Friday! Every Friday I will highlight 1-2 blogs that I follow or just discovered who I think are worth following around the bookish blogosphere. :)

★ Monster of Books
(Contest: 100 Follower Giveaway
- International - Ends February 25)

- Monster of Books is yet another blog I've come across in recent weeks. Maura runs a fun, hip site chalk full of book reviews and weekly memes. Make sure you stop by and follow!

► A little late today due to sleeping through my alarm. x_x But I hope everyone has a wonderful Friday!

Review: Chasing Brooklyn by Lisa Schroeder

2010-02-04T15:00:00.000-08:00

Genre: Fiction, Young Adult, Contemporary, Paranormal - Ghosts
Edition: Hardcover; Purchased
Page Count: 412
Pub. Date: January 5, 2010
Series: Companion to I Heart You, You Haunt Me

Reading Challenge: 2010 YA

My Rating: 5 stars (out of 5)
Amazon.com: 4.5 stars
Goodreads: 4.55 (Average)

Recommended For: Everyone. Especially fans of a book in verse format and books containing paranormal elements.

Book Summary:

Restless souls and empty hearts.

Brooklyn can’t sleep. Her boyfriend, Lucca died a year ago, and now their friend Gabe has died of an overdose. Every time she closes her eyes, Gabe's ghost is there, waiting for her. She has no idea what he wants or why it isn't Lucca chasing her through her dreams.

Nico can’t stop. He’s always running, trying so hard not to feel the pain of missing Lucca. But when he begins receiving messages from his dead brother, telling him to help Brooklyn, emotions come crashing to the surface.

As the nightmares escalate and the messages become relentless, Nico reaches out to Brooklyn. But neither of them can admit that they're being haunted. Until they learn to let each other in, not one soul will be able to rest.

My Thoughts:

There is something about this book that resonates in my brain. It is absolutely beautiful. The wording, the writing, all of it. This was the first book I ever read in a versed format, and I can guarantee that it will not be the last. Haunting, inspiring, and emotional are all words that aptly describe this truly unique novel.

A year has passed since Brooklyn lost her boyfriend, Lucca, in a tragic accident. But it isn't until the death of a mutual friend named Gabe that brings both girlfriend and older brother together. Each looking for an escape, they both find unsuspecting comfort in each others company.

Nico is the eldest son of the family, the one who wasn't quite as "perfect" as his younger brother, Lucca. Never seeming to do anything right, he uses running as a method to cope with the empty space in his heart that was once filled by the love from his brother. How things have changed since his death. Especially once Nico starts receiving cryptic messages telling him to help Brooklyn. But how, why?

Meanwhile, Brooklyn is being haunted. In her dreams she is being chased by a relentless shadow that tells her "Love is the answer. Not fear." But how could she possibly not fear the ghost chasing her in the night? And why has he come?

As much as I want to delve into the real essence of the story, I feel that it would be an injustice to spoil anything about this book. Really, it's just that good. The emotion is authentic and real, that you can't help but get lost in the words. Lisa Schroeder did a fantastic job with the format - each word seeming important and placed there for a purpose.

Overall consensus: Chasing Brooklyn is a tender book about remembrance and moving forward. Dealing with love and loss in such a beautifully written way, it will have you contemplating it for days after you finish. One of my favorite reads this year!

Waiting On Wednesday (Feb 3)

2010-02-03T07:00:00.000-08:00

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

Title: The Body Finder
Author: Kimberly Derting
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal
Published: March 16, 2010

Violet Ambrose can find the dead. Or at least, those who have been murdered. She can sense the echoes they leave behind... and the imprints they leave on their killers. As if that weren't enough to deal with during junior year, she also has a sudden, inexplicable, and consuming crush on her best friend since childhood, Jay Heaton.

Now a serial killer has begun terrorizing Violet's small town... and she realizes she might be the only person who can stop him.

Title: The Owl Keeper
Author: Christine Brodien-Jones
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Published: April 13, 2010

Maxwell Unger has always loved the night. He used to do brave things like go tramping through the forest with his gran after dark. He loved the stories she told him about the world before the Destruction—about nature, and books, and the silver owls. His favorite story, though, was about the Owl Keeper.

According to Max’s gran, in times of darkness the Owl Keeper would appear to unite owls and sages against the powers of the dark. Gran is gone now, and so are her stories of how the world used to be. Max is no longer brave. The forest is dangerous, the books Gran had saved have been destroyed, and the silver owls are extinct. At least that’s what the High Echelon says. But Max knows better.

Maxwell Unger has a secret. And when a mysterious girl comes to town, he might just have to start being brave again.

The time of the Owl Keeper, Gran would say, is coming soon.

► I'm LOVIN' the covers for both books. I can't wait to read them!

Teaser Tuesday (Feb 2)

2010-02-02T11:30:00.000-08:00

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

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

The Maze Runner by James Dashner

"He looked in every direction but saw only darkness; he felt along the walls again, searching for a way out. But there was nothing, only the cool metal."

► I'm only a couple pages in, but I can't wait to continue!

Feel free to leave a comment with either the link to your own Teaser Tuesdays post, or share your 2 ‘teasers’ in a comment here!

Review: Hate List by Jennifer Brown

2010-02-01T16:00:00.000-08:00

Genre: Fiction, Young Adult, Contemporary
Edition: Hardcover; Library
Page Count: 408
Pub. Date: September 1, 2009
Series: N/A

Reading Challenge: 2010 YA + 2010 Support Your Local Library

My Rating: 5 stars (out of 5)
Amazon.com: 5 stars
Goodreads: 4.23 (Average)

Recommended For: Everyone.

Book Summary:

Five months ago, Valerie Leftman's boyfriend, Nick, opened fire on their school cafeteria. Shot trying to stop him, Valerie inadvertently saved the life of a classmate, but was implicated in the shootings because of the list she helped create. A list of people and things she and Nick hated. The list he used to pick his targets.

Now, after a summer of seclusion, Val is forced to confront her guilt as she returns to school to complete her senior year. Haunted by the memory of the boyfriend she still loves and navigating rocky relationships with her family, former friends and the girl whose life she saved, Val must come to grips with the tragedy that took place and her role in it, in order to make amends and move on with her life.

My Thoughts:

The first word that escaped my lips the moment I finished Hate List was: "Wow." How do you sum up a book as powerful as this? It was like the words were living, breathing, and Valerie's pain was real. Truly an amazing novel from start to finish.

Hate List is an emotionally charged novel that tugs at your heart strings. Valerie, at a loss for how to move on with her life after the shooting, is constantly at war with herself, her family, and her school. So much to take on at one time, it's pushing her to a place she's never been before. You won't find any diluted plot twists or surprise endings - this novel is pure emotion - focusing more on Valerie and her growth as a character. And we get to experience the journey right with her.

Uniquely woven at the beginning of a few chapters are newspaper clippings, depicting the events of the shooting from completely different points of view. Certainly an original idea that really gives the book an authentic and fresh dynamic.

Jennifer Brown did a wonderful job at capturing such a unique voice in an ultimately realistic way as we read how Valerie struggles to pick up the pieces of her shattered life. Drifting from the past to the present, we get to read about Valerie's life before and after the shooting. The doubts, the heartache, the longing - it's is all there, front and center, for the reader to experience. It's not often that I cry at the end of a novel, but I did for this one.

Overall consensus: Hate List is a compelling read that may leave you with a bit of a heavy heart but a completely satisfied feeling. The prose is a bit angsty at times, but not mired in it. It depicts raw emotion and will certainly have you deep in thought by the end. A book not easily forgotten!

Weekly Recap (Jan 25 - Jan 31)

2010-02-01T06:00:00.000-08:00

Reviews:

★ Struts & Frets by Jon Skovron (5/5)
★ The Lonely Hearts Club by Elizabeth Eulberg (4/5)

Posts:

★ In My Mailbox (Jan. 31)
★ Award Time! Woo-hoo!
★ Friday Finds (Jan 29)/ Follow Friday (10)
★ On My Wishlist (10)/ Waiting on Wednesday (Jan. 27)
★ Teaser Tuesday (Jan. 26)

Upcoming:

★ Reviews for Chasing Brooklyn and Girl In The Arena!
★ Getting some ideas together for my graphic novel/comic book appreciation month. No idea what I'm talk about? Read HERE. Shoot me an e-mail if you would like to participate!

Sites/Links to check out!:

★ Want to win an Amazon Kindle? Check out YABC's Monthly Kindle Giveaway!
★ Hey Sookie Stackhouse fans! Charlaine Harris has chapter 1 of Dead in the Family up on her site for viewing. (Or for a direct link to the pdf file, click HERE)
★ Did you know that the new upcoming movie, The Losers, is based on a graphic novel? No? Well head over HERE to read about it and download issue #1!
★ Today, February 1st, marks day one of HarperTeen's huge giveaway: 28 Days of Winter Escapes. All you have to do is take the daily poll to be entered in to win the signed book for that day. And not only that, but they're offering an iPod touch ONCE A WEEK. How cool is that?

Cover of the Week:

The Life of Glass
- I've been seeing this book pop up all over the blogosphere and I just love the cover.

► I hope you all have a fantastic week! Make sure to keep an eye out for a giveaway in the very near future. :)

In My Mailbox (Jan 31)

2010-01-31T07:00:00.000-08:00

"In My Mailbox" is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi The Story Siren!

Purchased:

• The Pace by Shelena Shorts

Library:

• Girl In The Arena by Lise Haines

► I did get a third book this week, but I'm not going to tell you what it is. Turns out a publisher sent me a second copy of a book I already received (not sure if it was a mistake or a contest win), so it looks like I have a surprise giveaway in the very near future. :)

So what did YOU receive in the mail? Anything good? Link me!

Award time! Woo-hoo!

2010-01-30T11:00:00.000-08:00

The lovely Miss Cindy at Simple Life and Reading has recently awarded me with two very cool blog awards. So now it's my turn to pass them on!

The first one is:

Now I've received this award before but it's ALWAYS nice to get it again. :)

1) Accept the award, post it on your blog together with the name of the person who has granted the award and his or her blog link.

2) Pass the award to 15 other blogs ~~that you have newly discovered.~~

3) Remember to contact the blogger's to let them know they have been chosen for this

15?! Wowsers, how about 10? Okay here we go:

The Book Vixen
Laura @ The Calico Critic
Morgan @ Books and Literature for Teens
Jessica @ Book Bound
Rachel @ Parajunkee's View
JuJu @ Tales of a Whimsy
Natalie @ Mindful Musings
Mel @ He Followed Me Home
Carolyn @ Book Chick City
Kate @ The Neverending Shelf

I know some of you guys have received this before but TOUGH. You're getting it again! :)

The second one is:

Which I am going to pass on to my top commentators! Thank you lovelies for constantly stopping by and leaving my blog some love. You guys are a great support and totally fantasmical!

Juju @ Tales of a Whimsy
Becky @ The Bookette
Alyssa @ Teens Read & Write
Jenn @ Books at Midnight
Marie @ Monster of Books
Jenn @ Book Crazy
Lisa @ Book Blab
Eleni @ La Femme Readers
Angel (ninefly) @ Story on a Page
And of course, Cindy

Many lovely thanks to all my followers, you each deserve these awards! I hope everyone has a great Saturday. ♥

Friday Finds (Jan 29) / Follow Friday (#10)

2010-01-29T11:30:00.000-08:00

Mary expected her seventeenth birthday to be a blowout to remember, courtesy of her best friends, fellow New York City prepsters Amy and Joon, and her doting boyfriend, Trick.

Instead, the day starts badly and gets worse. After waking up in a mortifying place with a massive, unexplainable hangover, Mary soon discovers that nobody at school is even aware that it's her birthday. As evening approaches, paranoia sets in. Mary just can't shake the feeling that someone is out to get her—and, as it turns out, she's right. Before the night is over, she's been killed in cold blood.

But murder is just the beginning of Mary's ordeal. Her soul gets trapped in a strange limbo, and she must relive the day of her death through the eyes of seven people—each of whom, she finds, had plenty of reasons to hate her. As Mary explores the mysteries of her world, discovering secrets that were hidden in plain sight while she was alive, she clings desperately to the hope that she can solve her own murder, change the past, and—just maybe—save her own life.

★ Nomansland by Lesley Hauge
(discovered via Goodreads)
Genre: YA
Released: June 22, 2010

Sometime in the future, a lonely, windswept island is populated
solely by women.

Among these women is a group of teenaged Trackers — expert equestrians and archers — whose job is to protect their shores from the enemy. The enemy, they’ve been told, is men. When these girls come upon a partially buried home from the distant past, they are fascinated by the strange objects—high-heeled shoes, teen magazines, make-up found there. What are they to make of these mysterious things? And what does it mean for their strict society where friendship is forbidden and rules must be obeyed—at all costs?

Follow Friday:

Taking one from Twitter's books here and doing my own version of Follow Friday! Every Friday I will highlight 1-2 blogs that I follow or just discovered who I think are worth following around the bookish blogosphere. :)

★ Lily's Bookshelf
(Contest: Follower/Series Giveaway
- International - Ends January 31st.)

- Lily's Bookshelf is another blog I recently came across. She has a very chic site (another lovely design by Rachel) and definitely worth checking out. Stop by and follow!

► I hope everyone has a wonderful Friday and Happy Reading!

2010 Debut Author Challenge

2010-01-28T19:30:00.000-08:00

2010 Debut Author Challenge hosted by The Story Siren

♣ The objective is to read a set number of YA (Young Adult) or MG (Middle Grade) novels from debut authors published this year. I'm going to challenge everyone to read at least 12 debut novels! I’m hoping to read at least 30! You don’t have to list your choices right away, but if you do feel free to change them throughout the year. I will also be focusing on mostly Young Adult novels.
♣ Anyone can join, you don’t need a blog to participate. If you don’t have a blog you can always share your views by posting a review on Amazon.com/BarnesandNoble.com/GoodReads/Shelfari, or any other bookish site.
♣ The challenge will run from January 1, 2010- December 31, 2010. You can join at anytime!

If you sign up, make sure to link your post in the Mr. Linky!

My goal: 20 books

01. The Dark Divine (Review)
02. Hearts at Stake by Alyxandra Harvey (Review)
03. The Lonely Hearts Club by Elizabeth Eulberg (Review)
04. The Rise of Renegade X by Chelsea Campbell

Possible books: (subject to change)

The Mark - Jen Nadol
The Body Finder - Kimberly Derting
13 To Life - Shannon Delaney
Firespell - Chloe Neill
Shadow Hills - Anastacia Hopcus
Bleeding Violet - Dia Reeves
Guardian of the Dead - Karen Healey
Harmonic Feedback - Tara Kelly
Voices of Dragons - Carrie Vaughn
Feed - Mira Grant
Nomansland - Lesley Hauge
Prophecy of Days - Christy Raedeke
A Blue So Dark - Holly Schindler

► Alright, alright, I caved! So much for limiting myself to 3 reading challenges. I couldn't resist.

Review: The Lonely Hearts Club by Elizabeth Eulberg

2010-01-28T08:00:00.000-08:00

Genre: Fiction, Young Adult, Contemporary - Teen
Edition: Hardcover
Page Count: 320
Pub. Date: December 29, 2009
Series: N/A

Reading Challenge: 2010 YA

My Rating: 4 stars (out of 5)
Amazon.com: 4.5 stars
Goodreads: 4.04 (Average)

Recommended For: Teenage girls, any Young Adult/Teen readers, Fans of The Beatles

Book Summary: (inside cover)

Penny is sick of boys and sick of dating, so she vows: No more. She's had one too many bad dates, and has been hurt by one too many boys.
It's a personal choice...and soon everybody wants to know about it. It seems that Penny's not the only girl who's tired of the way girls change themselves (most of the time for the worst) in order to get their guys...or the way their guys don't really care.
Girls are soon thronging to The Lonely Hearts Club, and Penny finds herself near legendary for her nondating ways - which is too bad, since the leader of The Lonely Hearts Club has found a boy she can't help but like.

My Thoughts:

Boys suck. (Okay, maybe not ALL the time). And our leading lady, Penny Lane, has had it with them. Especially the boys at school with their fake personas and childish behavior. As it turns out, Penny wasn't the only one. What started as a club of three, soon blossoms into a club consisting of forty-plus girls all feeling the same way. And that turns into a bit of a fiasco at McKinley High School with the opposite gender. With Penny's lifelong crush pleading for reconciliation after breaking her heart, the school's principle breathing down her neck demanding that the club shut down, and a new boy on the horizon, Penny begins to understand that you CAN get by with a little help from your friends.

And that was my favorite aspect of this novel. While the story begins with a broken heart and a feeling of hopelessness, the theme matures to a tale of independence and self-discovery. We see the rise of friendship through many differences and all odds. A group of girls coming together through hardships to stand by one another. And the great characters just kept coming. I loved the vast array of personalities that contributed to the story. Even the boys.

Another thing I enjoyed was the Beatles undertones, which played very nicely with the rest of the content. (The inclusion of The Beatles is actually one of the first reasons I decided to read this book.) Penny's parents are a riot in the fact that they would probably put most Beatles fans to shame. Naming all three of their daughters after Beatles songs (Lucy, Rita, & Penny Lane), swearing against Beatles cover-bands, taking yearly trips to Liverpool, AND being vegetarians to follow Paul's beliefs - they would make most children cringe at their obsession. But for Penny, the Beatles were her vice - the 4 boys who never let her down.

Overall consensus: The Lonely Hearts Club is a genuinely good read. Slightly predictable in some parts but I completely felt for Penny and enjoyed the camaraderie within the story. A book flowing with teenage issues, self-discovery, and love - it will have you smiling and cheering on Penny and The Lonely Hearts Club. Oh and one last thing, make sure you have a Beatles album lying around because I guarantee you'll want to listen to them when you're finished. :)

I get by with a little help from my friends...

On My Wishlist (10) / Waiting on Wednesday (Jan 27)

2010-01-27T09:00:00.000-08:00

On My Wishlist is a weekly meme hosted by Book Chick City that allows us to share the books we haven't bought yet but are waiting to be bought and devoured.

Title: Malice
Author: Chris Wooding
Genre: YA, Graphic Novel
Published: February 2, 2009

Everyone's heard of it, but nobody's read it...Seth and Kady have heard all the stories about MALICE - a secret comic about a strange and awful world full of traps and tricks, overseen by a sinister master of ceremonies, Tall Jake. But if rumors are to be believed, the children in this comic are real...

- This is getting me pumped up for my graphic novel/comic book appreciation month!

Title: Daughter of the Flames
Author: Zoë Marriott
Genre: YA, Fantasy
Published: February 10, 2008

What if your deadliest enemy were the only one who could save you?

Inside an ancient temple in the mountains, fifteen-year-old Zira trains in the martial arts to become a warrior priestess who can defend the faith of the Ruan people. Bearing a scar on her face from the fire that killed her parents, the orphaned Zira is taught to distrust the occupying Sedornes. Terror strikes when the forces of the tyrannical Sedorne king destroy the only home she knows. To survive, Zira must unravel the secrets of her identity, decide her people’s fate — and accept her growing feelings for a man who should be her enemy.

- How awesome is that cover? Fantastic.

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

Title: Possessed
Author: Kate Cann
Genre: Young Adult, Speculative Fiction - Ghost/Horror
Published: February 1, 2010

Rayne can't wait to start her summer job at a remote country mansion, far from the crowded, noisy London she so desperately wants to escape. But the retreat soon turns into a nightmare -- the mansion is creepy, the legends of ghosts keep Rayne up at night, and she doesn't feel safe anywhere.

Can Rayne figure out why she's so freaked -- before she becomes a ghost story herself?

How about you, what is on YOUR wishlist?

► Just to let you all know, as of next week "On My Wishlist" will be moving to Saturday per Book Chick City's changes to her blog. Not going to lie, I'm actually kind of excited because I'll finally have something to post every Saturday, haha. Happy Wednesday everyone! Expect my review for The Lonely Hearts Club tomorrow. :)

Teaser Tuesday (Jan 26)

2010-01-26T11:20:00.000-08:00

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

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

Chasing Brooklyn by Lisa Schroeder

"When I fall asleep for real,
I'm a butterfly,
floating from flower to flower.
There's no color but I still feel
peaceful and happy.
At home.

A nice dream
until a shadow comes,
and swallows the warm sunshine."

► I actually just finished this the other day, but seeing as I am still undecided about what book to read next, I figured I might as well use it for today's Teaser Tuesday. Such a fantastic read! Review is in the works. :)

Feel free to leave a comment with either the link to your own Teaser Tuesdays post, or share your 2 ‘teasers’ in a comment here!

Review: Struts & Frets by Jon Skovron

2010-01-25T12:00:00.000-08:00

Genre: Fiction, Young Adult, Contemporary - Music
Edition: Hardcover; Library
Page Count: 304
Pub. Date: November 1, 2009
Series: N/A

Reading Challenge: 2010 YA + 2010 Support Your Local Library

My Rating: 5 stars (out of 5)
Amazon.com: 5 stars
Goodreads: 3.87 (Average)

Recommended For: Everyone - especially YA readers, anyone who loves music.

Book Summary:

Music is in Sammy’s blood. His grandfather was a jazz musician, and Sammy’s indie rock band could be huge one day—if they don’t self-destruct first. Winning the upcoming Battle of the Bands would justify all the band’s compromises and reassure Sammy that his life’s dream could become a reality. But practices are hard to schedule when Sammy’s grandfather is sick and getting worse, his mother is too busy to help either of them, and his best friend may want to be his girlfriend.

When everything in Sammy’s life seems to be headed for major catastrophe, will his music be enough to keep him together?

My Thoughts:

Forewarning: major musical geeking out is about to take place. I kind of feel like a babbling baboon (say that 5x fast, I dare you) Anyway!

Music is such a big part of my life, even considering the fact that I can't play an instrument to save my life. But reading this book reminded me why I love it so much. Like reading, it transports you to a different place. When nothing else can seem to get me grounded, music has what it takes to give me that push.

Struts & Frets reverberates in my brain; like listening to a song at maximum volume with the biggest headphones that eyes could ever see. I may not be able to tell you what cord-C or cord-D sounds like or looks like on paper, but the passion for music was just flowing as I was reading this. And it's always amazing when life combines two things I love, reading and music, and provides another outlet that I can get lost in. That is why I absolutely adore this book.

And then you add in everything in between. Sammy Bojar, the main character, is a 16 year-old boy who has a tendency to wear his heart on his sleeve and just wants to make music. So much so, that he is willing to keep his band, Tragedy of Wisdom, together despite the fact that the lead singer scares the crap out of him. But through the journey of surviving high school drama, family woes, dealing with a band made of opposites, taking risks, and finding love - he is discovering that life is messy and complicated, but it's also full of promise and potential.

In this tale of love, loss, and discovery, Sammy's adolescent voice rings true and honest. Complete with insecurities, doubt, and the awkwardness that comes with the territory of growing up. But never once does he cross that line into whiny, self-absorbed angst. And the other characters are just as easy to love. Jen5 (called such because all the other Jennifer nicknames were taken) is a fun, competent girl who provides Sammy with the solidity that his life is lacking and challenges him to break out if his shell. Jon Skovron really put authenticity and a well-versed sense of reality into his writing. Never once does he skirt the heavier issues of growing up, instead embraces it while adding that extra dose of humor that creates a very cool read.

And while I realize that not everyone will feel that same musical buzz that I did, I can only hope that you at least give it a chance. It may not be the best book ever written, but the impact it had on me is what made this book so great. Anyone who has ever felt that musical pang in their chest when listening to a song, or even those who have ever felt like an outsider because of a passion or an ideal, can - and will - take something away from this book. Or maybe you'll find that inner musical geek within yourself.

Overall consensus, Struts & Frets is a book to be enjoyed by everyone. And any book that can make The Pixies and Shakespeare work together to form a great story like this has my highest recommendation. Whether you're a music fiend or just looking to get lost in a good story, this is a book to read. Press play and enjoy the beat! :)

Links: Author's Website

Weekly Recap (Jan 18-24)

2010-01-25T03:00:00.000-08:00

Reviews:

★ Thirst (No. 1) by Christopher Pike (3/5)
★ Hearts at Stake by Alyxandra Harvey (3.5/5)

Posts:

★ In My Mailbox (Jan. 24)
★ New Blogs on the Block @ Book Chick City
★ Friday Finds (Jan 23)/ Follow Friday (9)
★ On My Wishlist (9)/ Waiting on Wednesday (Jan. 20)
★ Teaser Tuesday (Jan. 19)
★ M.I.A - Computer Issues

Upcoming:

★ Reviews for Struts & Frets, The Lonely Hearts Club, and Hate List!
★ Getting some ideas together for my graphic novel/comic book appreciation month. No idea what I'm talk about? Read HERE!

Sites/Links to check out!:

★ YA Connection (January 16-22) @ The Story Siren
★ Want to win an Amazon Kindle? Check out YABC's Monthly Kindle Giveaway!
★ Love YA fiction? Stop by/sign up for TeenFire - a great new social networking site on the Ning network. Thanks Teens Read & Write for the heads-up!
★ Not a Sci-Fi fan? You should be. Check out Tor.com's article: What books are good for introducing non-SF readers to SF? - Some interesting suggestions in the comments!

Cover of the Week:

Siren
- Love it!

► A lot of good stuff this week and even more good stuff to come! Woo-hoo!

In My Mailbox (Jan 24)

2010-01-24T05:00:00.000-08:00

"In My Mailbox" is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi The Story Siren!

LAST WEEK...

Won:

• The Maze Runner by James Dashner (TBR)

(From The Book Butterfly - Thanks Kim! And a special thanks to Laura)

• The Dresskeeper by Mary Naylus (TBR)

(From Book Chick City - Thanks Carolyn!)

Purchased:

• Hearts at Stake (Drake Chronicles 1) by Alyxandra Harvey (Review)

THIS WEEK...

Won:

• Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl (TBR)
• Tempest Rising by Nicole Peeler (TBR)

(From Parajunkee's View - Thanks Rachel!)

Purchased:

• The Lonely Hearts Club by Elizabeth Eulberg
• Chasing Brooklyn by Lisa Schroeder (TBR)
• The Thief (Queen's Thief #1) by Meghan Whalen Turner (TBR)

Library:

• Hate List by Jennifer Brown
• Struts & Frets by Jon Skovron

► Phew! Got a double IMM today since I missed last week due to computer issues. I can't believe I've already read 4 of them. So many glorious books! *_* How was your loot this week? Tell me/Link me!

New Blogs on the Block @ Book Chick City!

2010-01-23T07:00:00.000-08:00

Hey guys, the lovely Book Chick City has interviewed me for her weekly feature, "New Blogs on the Block". Stop by and check it out! Hopefully I didn't embarrass myself too much, haha. ;) Many copious thanks to Carolyn for having me on her wonderful blog today!

ALSO! In the interview I mentioned that in the very near future I planned on doing a graphic novel/comic book appreciation month...well, I've decided that it is definitely going to happen. The month is still undecided (I was thinking about either April or May) but I wanted to get the word out. And in doing so, I was wondering if any of you lovely bloggers would be interested in getting involved. Maybe posting about your favorite comics, answering some questions for an interview, and/or even sending me some comic news. The ideas are in motion and still in the beginning stages, but if you or anyone you know would like to be involved somehow, someway, please feel free to drop me a comment or an e-mail! (E-mail addy is in my sidebar) I have a few friends and fellow bloggers interested already, but I'd love to hear from you!

Friday Finds (Jan 23) / Follow Friday (#9)

2010-01-22T10:30:00.000-08:00

The girl, Baz, and the boy, Demi, are master pickpockets. They weave through rich neighborhoods to slip bags off shoulders and wallets out of pockets before disappearing into the crowd. Their loot goes to Fay, who runs a gang of child thieves from her den in the Barrio. This sweltering slum—in a city that is imagined, but all too real—is what passes for home to the kids, and Fay is what passes for family.

That all changes the day Demi steals a magnificent blue ring. Soon, the police chief and the Barrio’s crime boss close in on Fay, and she begins to break under their pressure. Baz has never doubted Fay before. She’s never been apart from Demi, either. But soon, Baz is left alone to find her way through a world more corrupt than she’s ever realized. Here, the lives of children are thrown away without a moment’s hesitation. Here, the rich and powerful are just thieves on a larger scale. And somewhere in this wreck of a city, Baz must find the scraps of hope, the small acts of kindness, and the steely strength that will take her back to Demi and wash them both out of the Barrio for good.

Follow Friday:

Taking one from Twitter's books here and doing my own version of Follow Friday! Every Friday I will highlight 2-3 blogs that I follow or just discovered who I think are worth following around the bookish blogosphere. :)

★ Tales of a Whimsy
(Contest: There's 3 different contests going on right now for the following titles: Powers, Through The Triangle, and Split by a Kiss & Extreme Kissing. I highly encourage you to check em out!)

- Juju at Tales of a Whimsy was one of the first to ever welcome me into the blogging world and one of the first blogs I ever followed. She is such a sweetheart and continues to be one of my favorite bloggers around the blogosphere. :)

★ The Book Butterfly
(Contest: Kim has 5 contests going on right now, all of them for some up & coming (and rather popular) YA titles. Go check em out on her sidebar!)

- Kim at The Book Butterfly is another blogger I enjoy following with her fab reviews, smart interviews, and generous giveaways. She's got a great site with a lot of content to be enjoyed by all. Check her out!

► I hope everyone has a wonderful Friday and Happy Reading!

Review: Hearts at Stake by Alyxandra Harvey

2010-01-21T08:00:00.000-08:00

Genre: Fiction, Young Adult, Paranormal-Romance, Vampire
Edition: Softcover
Page Count: 249
Pub. Date: December 22, 2009
Series: Drake Chronicles, #1

Reading Challenge: 2010 YA Challenge

My Rating: 3.5 stars (out of 5)
Amazon.com: 4 stars
Goodreads: 4.22 (Average)

Recommended For: YA readers, fans of paranormal romance and/or teen vampire books.

Book Summary: (back of the book)

Solange Drake always knew she was destined to become a vampire queen. And as the only female vampire ever born, not made, she is surrounded by danger on all sides - from vampire suitors, who want to join with her lineage to bounty hunters who are set on destroying her and her family. When she is kidnapped, it's up to her older brother Nicholas and her human best friend, Lucy, to save her. But can Lucy save herself from Nicholas, who tempts her with his every look? And what will be Solange's own fate if she surrenders her heart to the vampire hunter helping her survive the deadly intrigue at the royal court?

My Thoughts:

Hearts at Stake is another novel to be added to the ever-growing trend of teenage vampire books, but in all honesty, it's a nice addition to that humongous pile. Wit, adventure, and enjoyable writing are all terms that come to mind when I think about it. I surely had a good time while reading it. And I must say that Hearts At Stake was a nice reprieve from the violence induced novel that was Thirst by Christopher Pike. I needed the side of romance after reading that one, phew.

I loved the characters, I enjoyed the storyline, but there just wasn't enough for me to get totally invested in the novel. The book was continuously moving but I guess a part of me would have liked it to be a bit darker and lengthier, but that's just my opinion. The continuous chapter switch from both Lucy and Solange's POV kinda threw me at first, but it didn't take long for me to get in the groove. The action kept me interested in seeing where the twists led, even if the ending was slightly predictable. But, all-in-all I had a great time getting involved in the story.

The characters themselves were very enjoyable, especially Lucy. I loved her feisty attitude and the loyalty she showed towards her best friend (and vampire princess) Solange. Their interactions were always entertaining and provided many laughs throughout the story. The secondary characters, mainly being The Drake family, also provided some great dialogue and kept the pace flowing. Although, I would love to see more interaction from the other Drake family members in the upcoming installments. Fingers crossed.

Overall consensus: Honestly, there really isn't anything bad that I have to say for Hearts at Stake, only that it was more of a "filler" read for me more than anything. Too light for my kind of vampire book, but I know that there are many readers out there who'll get a kick out of it. It comes with my recommendation for any YA paranormal/para-romance readers.

On My Wishlist (9) / Waiting on Wednesday (Jan 20)

2010-01-20T08:00:00.000-08:00

On My Wishlist is a weekly meme hosted by Book Chick City that allows us to share the books we haven't bought yet but are waiting to be bought and devoured.

Title: Rising Shadow
Author: Jacquelyn Wheeler
Genre: YA, Urban Fantasy
Published: September 10th, 2009

Ashlyn Woods just transferred to one of the most beautiful campuses on the west coast, where she can't wait to start her life over as a normal college student. But her plans take an unexpected turn when she discovers that she is a Soterian: a person who develops amazing powers when the balance of good and evil shifts too far in evil's favor. Soon she and the other Soterians are studying martial arts and learning to use their powers to prevent California from being plunged into chaos. But they quickly discover that they're up against a much more dangerous enemy than they anticipated. And when Ashlyn meets Kai, a devastatingly gorgeous guitar player, she realizes she must sacrifice more than she ever imagined.

- Ooh, cool!

Title: The Bookman
Author: Lavie Tidhar
Genre: Steampunk, Historical Fiction
Published: January 7th, 2010

A masked terrorist has brought London to its knees - there are bombs inside books, and nobody knows which ones. On the day of the launch of the first expedition to Mars, by giant cannon, he outdoes himself with an audacious attack. For young poet Orphan, trapped in the screaming audience, it seems his destiny is entwined with that of the shadowy terrorist, but how? Like a steam-powered take on V for Vendetta, rich with satire and slashed through with automatons, giant lizards, pirates, airships and wild adventure, The Bookman is the first of a series.

- Love the cover, love the summary!

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

Title: Voices of Dragons
Author: Carrie Vaughn
Genre: YA, Fantasy
Published: March 1, 2010

On one side of the border lies the modern world: the internet, homecoming dances, cell phones. On the other side dwell the ancient monsters who spark humanity’s deepest fears: dragons.

Seventeen-year-old Kay Wyatt knows she’s breaking the law by rock climbing near the border, but she’d rather have an adventure than follow the rules. When the dragon Artegal unexpectedly saves her life, a secret friendship grows between them—even though the fragile truce that has maintained peace between their two species is unraveling around them. As tensions mount and battles begin, Kay and Artegal are caught in the middle. Can their friendship change the course of a war?

How about you, what is on YOUR wishlist?

Teaser Tuesday (Jan 19)...better late than never!

2010-01-19T21:20:00.000-08:00

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

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

Struts & Frets by Jon Skovron

"I pulled out my notebook and stared for a moment at the title I'd written down: Plastic Baby. I didn't know what it meant. It had just come bubbling out of my psyche or something during study hall. I tried to look at writing a song almost like solving a mystery. The song was there, buried somewhere in my brain. All I had to do was follow the clues until I figured it out."

► I'm such a sucker for a book about music. Just started it and I like it already.

Feel free to leave a comment with either the link to your own Teaser Tuesdays post, or share your 2 ‘teasers’ in a comment here!

Review: Thirst (No. 1) by Christopher Pike

2010-01-19T16:30:00.000-08:00

Genre: Fiction, Young Adult, Paranormal, Vampire
Edition: Softcover
Page Count: 624
Pub. Date: August 4, 2009
Series: Book 1

Reading Challenge: 2010 YA Challenge

My Rating: 3 stars (out of 5)
Amazon.com: 4 stars
Goodreads: 3.79 (Average)

Recommended For: Older Teens & Adults, Gritty vampire/paranormal readers

Book Summary:

Alisa has been in control of her urges for the five thousand years she has been a vampire. She feeds but does not kill, and she lives her life on the fringe to maintain her secret. But when her creator returns to hunt her, she must break her own rules in order to survive.

Her quest leads her to Ray. He is the only person who can help her; he also has every reason to fear her. Alisa must get closer to him to ensure her immortality. But as she begins to fall in love with Ray, suddenly there is more at stake than her own life....

My Thoughts:

First off, I know this claims to be a Young Adult read, but I'd recommend it for older teens. There are elements in the book that are for more mature readers. Now, for my review...

This one was a bit of a hit or miss with me. Sometimes I enjoyed it, other times I was ready to set the book aside and start reading something else. But, for the most part, I did like it. I bought this book on a whim, having only seen it once or twice around the blogosphere, and let me tell you - you won't find any sparkly vampires here.

The leading character, a Miss Alisa Perne, is a 5,000 year old vampire who befriended some of the most accomplished artists, scholars, and influential people of the centuries. I found her history to be a most intriguing plot point in the storyline. One thing Alisa doesn't lack is tenacity. And my, does she have it ten-fold. Her cruelty and cunning personality are both amazing and ruthless. She's not your average leading female protagonist who you can relate to and/or empathize with. But her unforgivable nature is what makes her such a memorable character. In a way, you kinda just want to hate her at times - not going to lie.

The writing was most interesting in the fact that the prose often reached a poetical plateau, in a sense, that I just wasn't expecting. Every chapter is very much too the point. At times it almost read like a journal entry - or like you were hearing Alisa speak the words from her own lips. It gives the reader(s) an interesting look at her thought process.

The aspect that threw me the most was the mythological part of the story. Krishna? Vashnu? Huh? More than once I had struggled with the idea of skipping those chapters entirely, but because they were so laced with Alisa's past, I couldn't - not without jeopardizing the story anyway. In the end, intrigue won out and I thought it was an interesting part of the book. Definitely a unique twist in a vampire story.

Overall consensus: Thirst is a dark and gritty vampire book with unique mythological aspects, some - yet very little romance, and plenty of violence. Not cutthroat by any means, but there are some explosions, copious amounts of fighting, and some folks losing their heads. If you're looking for a light read, look elsewhere. But if you want a book that deals with vampires like they should be (ruthless paranormal creatures) then this is a book to be added to your "TBR" pile. Although I won't go as far as saying it's a "must-read".

M.I.A. - Computer issues and continued love/hate relationship with technology

2010-01-17T12:00:00.000-08:00

As much as I love technology, it can be a REAL pain sometimes. Especially when my computer is hanging on by its last breath. I've been computer/internetless since January 11th, therefore, my blog has remained idle for about a week. I wanted to extend my sincere apologies for not being able to log on before then. I know a few people have tried to reach me by e-mail and I'm sorry that I was not able to reach you guys before then.

BUT, it seems the long and tiresome effort actually paid off and my computer is back up and running. *dances on the spot!* Seriously, for awhile I thought that I would have to invest in a new one, but thank God I don't have to spend that kind of money.

Anyways, during my extended leave of absence from the web, I did get some good reading time in. So look out for a couple reviews in the next few days. :)

I still have quite a few things to do yet, but it's just good to be back! Looks like I got a lot of catching up to do.

Weekly Recap (Jan 4 - Jan 10)

2010-01-11T10:30:00.000-08:00

Reviews:

★ The Dark Divine by Bree Despain (4.5/5)

Posts:

★ In My Mailbox (Jan. 10)
★ Friday Finds (Jan 8)/ Follow Friday (8)
★ On My Wishlist (8)/ Waiting on Wednesday (Jan. 6)
★ Teaser Tuesday (Jan. 5)
★ 2010 Book List

Upcoming:

★ Review for Thirst (No. 1) by Christopher Pike (About halfway through!)
★ Going to start delving into Graphic Novels soon. Although I'm debating if I want to dedicate an entire month (or couple weeks) to them. To be decided upon!

Sites/Links to check out!:

★ Have you read The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins? Want to discuss it with other enthusiastic readers? Well check out The January Book Talk post over at The Neverending Shelf for details. I know I'm down. :)

(I've been away from the blogosphere for the past day or so, meaning I need to do some major catching up. Expect this section to be updated - possibly - a little later)

Cover of the Week:

Harmonic Feedback
- Yep, still in love with this cover. I don't know what it is exactly - Probably a combination of the darkness + simplicity. It was featured on my "Friday Finds" post this past week. Love it!

► Oh hey, long time no see Weekly Recap post. Busy, busy, busy! Seems to be the theme of 2010 so far. Dear life, please to be knocking off with the shenanigans if you don't mind. I miss curling up with a book for hours on end. I'll hopefully get back to my hermit-ways soon. ;)

In My Mailbox (Jan 10)

2010-01-10T00:00:00.000-08:00

"In My Mailbox" is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren!

Won:

• Green Rider (#1) by Kristen Britain (TBR)
• First Rider's Call (#2) by Kristen Britain (TBR)

(From Bookworming in the 21st Century - Thanks Kristen!)

Purchased:

• Thirst (No. 1) by Christopher Pike (Currently Reading)

A slow week bookwise in an otherwise completely busy week for my personal life. I was hoping with the new year that things would slow down after the holidays, but man, oh man, was I wrong. Fingers crossed that life starts to slow down so I can spend my time at home curled with a book for hours on end.

In other news, HOLY CRAP, I'm 3 followers from 200! Crazy!

How about YOU? Get anything good in the mail? Tell/link me!

Friday Finds (Jan 8) / Follow Friday (#8)

2010-01-08T08:00:00.000-08:00

Friday Finds is a weekly meme hosted by MizB over at Should Be Reading. The idea is to share books that you recently came across, whether new or old, that you've never heard of before and added to your TBR pile.

Friday Finds:

★ Faces In Time by Lewis Aleman
(discovered via Goodreads)
Genre: Speculative Fiction
Released: December 15, 2009

A 20-Year Race Through Time... In the near future, one man holds the key to our past. Chester Fuze lived a solitary life until he flung himself twenty years back in time. For years, he had loved movie star Rhonda Romero through television screens, movie theaters, and magazine covers. It wasn't until she had fallen so far as to sell her face for a cosmetic transplant that he knew he had to travel back and save her before her life headed down such a tragic and destructive path. Lunging backward through two decades in a flash, Chester races across country and enters the world of seedy gambling and the bizarre jungle of behind-the-scenes Hollywood, while being hunted down by a deranged bookie, an escaped convict, and even his past self, all of whom are determined to kill him. He had put aside the secret to time travel, daring not risk the world to test his theory. It had placed him in a straight jacket for several years of his life. It had estranged his own mother from him. He had let it go for his own sanity. Now, he'll pick it back up to save Rhonda. God help us all.

- Time traveling? Count me in!

★ Harmonic Feedback by Tara Kelly
(discovered via Page Turners Blog)
Genre: Young Adult
Released: May 2010

Sixteen-year-old music and sound design obsessed Drea doesn't have friends. She has, as she's often reminded, issues. Drea's mom and a rotating band of psychiatrists have settled on "a touch of Asperger's."

Having just moved to the latest in a string of new towns, Drea meets two other outsiders. And Naomi and Justin seem to actually like Drea. The three of them form a trip-hop band after an impromptu jam session. Justin swiftly challenges not only Drea's preference for Poe over Black Lab but also her perceived inability to connect with another person. Justin, against all odds, may even like Drea.

It's obvious that Drea can't hide behind her sound equipment anymore. But just when she's found not one but two true friends, can she stand to lose one of them?

- LOVE this cover. *_*

Follow Friday:

Taking one from Twitter's books here and doing my own version of Follow Friday! Every Friday I will highlight 2-3 blogs that I follow or just discovered who I think are worth following around the bookish blogosphere. :)

★ Books at Midnight
(Contest: 200 Followers - Ends 1/15)

- Books at Midnight was one of the first blogs I ever followed when I joined the blogging world and it still, to this day, remains one of my favs. Jenn has some cool discussions going on every week as well as great reviews. Pop on over and tell her I sent you. :)

★ Shut Up! I'm Reading
(Contest: 200 Follower Shin-dig - Ends 2/14)

- Shut Up! I'm Reading is a sweet blog I recently came across while surfing around the blogosphere. I love the title, btw! Jessica's site has a lot of great content from reviews and books meme's, to great contest that is currently underway. Check it out and follow!

► On a sidenote: One of these days I will make a button for my follow Friday posts. One day. Got your own Friday Finds post? Link me!

Review: The Dark Divine by Bree Despain

2010-01-06T13:00:00.000-08:00

Genre: Fiction, Young Adult, Paranormal Romance, Fantasy
Edition: Softcover ARC
Page Count: 375
Pub. Date: December 22, 2009
Series: Book 1

Reading Challenge: 2010 YA Challenge

My Rating: 4 stars (out of 5)
Amazon.com: 4.5 stars
Goodreads: 4.28 (Average)

Recommended For: Teens & Adults, YA Readers, Fans of good Paranormal-Mystery Romance novels

Book Summary:

Grace Divine, daughter of the local pastor, always knew something terrible happened the night Daniel Kalbi disappeared--the night she found her brother Jude collapsed on the porch, covered in his own blood--but she has no idea what a truly monstrous secret that night held.

The memories her family has tried to bury resurface when Daniel returns, three years later, and enrolls in Grace and Jude's high school. Despite promising Jude she'll stay away, Grace cannot deny her attraction to Daniel's shocking artistic abilities, his way of getting her to look at the world from new angles, and the strange, hungry glint in his eyes.

The closer Grace gets to Daniel, the more she jeopardizes her life, as her actions stir resentment in Jude and drive him to embrace the ancient evil Daniel unleashed that horrific night. Grace must discover the truth behind the boy's dark secret...and the cure that can save the ones she loves. But she may have to lay down the ultimate sacrifice to do it--her soul.

My Thoughts:

The Dark Divine has been out for a few weeks now, and in those few weeks the buzz surrounding this novel has been incredible - It's even on its second print run (Congrats Bree!) - And I am happy to conclude that it lived up to most of the hype, in my opinion! A compelling read full of mystery and suspense that is truly like the title says: divine. Such a welcome addition to the world of paranormal books. Plus, look at that cover - so pretty and haunting, I love it.

Bree Despain takes religion and the supernatural, and fuses together a mythological story that is dark, sinister, and ultimately intriguing. And even though it feels like the storyline has been played out before, (ie: good girl falls for the bad boy - turns out to be kind of a jerk but ultimately isn't as bad as he seems, etc)...I felt that there were certain aspects that set The Dark Divine apart.

First and foremost being the secret held within. Having no idea what I was getting myself into when I first began, I was met with a most unexpected journey through a tale that was non-too-predictable. A refreshing surprise in an otherwise full and popular genre.

The characters themselves really brought the book to life. It was easy to get enveloped in their lives and hope for their well-being. Grace Divine, the book's narrator, is a strong female protagonist, yet young and vulnerable in her own right. Not one of those "Oh woe is me" type of gals. Grace's strong personality and loyalty made her a real, viable, and overall likable character.

Now Daniel was such a mystery to me, which was both endearing and frustrating at the same time. His true nature is veiled throughout most of the book, that is, until his past is revealed and we come to understand what really happened some three years ago. In the end, I thought the mystery played very well to his character and made him all the more interesting. (Of course I ended up liking him immensely, what can I say.)

As the story moves forward, we get teased with bits from the past, showing us what life was like before Daniel's mysterious disappearance and the incident that caused so much turmoil. Those brief glimpses really helped the pieces fall into place as the story progressed. They also did a nice job of formulating a better understanding of the bond between Daniel and the Divine family.

The romance isn't much more than a delicious tease, but I really enjoyed the interactions between Grace and Daniel. There were definitely sparks and I felt the connection between them almost instantly. I couldn't wait to find out what happened between them.

The first half of the book starts off at a fairly even pace, providing the reader with information about the characters and giving us an idea of who they are. I was quite taken with the Divine family and enjoyed the dynamics between them as the story took flight.

The second half of the book pretty much solidified my feelings. I just had to know what happened next! With the amount of twists and turns this book provided, it was hard to put it down. The uncertainty of what would happen next just fueled my desire to read with each turn of the page.

Overall consensus: An excellent debut from author Bree Despain! I really enjoyed the mythology she wove within her story and its characters. It didn't take very long for me to be caught in the web. Definitely a book that should be on most, if not all, YA reader's radar. Needless to say, I can't wait for the next installment!

On My Wishlist (8) / Waiting On Wednesday (Jan 6)

2010-01-06T10:00:00.000-08:00

On My Wishlist is a weekly meme hosted by Book Chick City that allows us to share the books we haven't bought yet but are waiting to be bought and devoured.

Title: Chasing Brooklyn
Author: Lisa Schroeder
Genre: YA, Contemporary, Paranormal
Published: June 5, 2010

Restless souls and empty hearts.

Brooklyn can’t sleep. Her boyfriend, Lucca died a year ago, and now their friend Gabe has died of an overdose. Every time she closes her eyes, Gabe's ghost is there, waiting for her. She has no idea what he wants or why it isn't Lucca chasing her through her dreams.

Nico can’t stop. He’s always running, trying so hard not to feel the pain of missing Lucca. But when he begins receiving messages from his dead brother, telling him to help Brooklyn, emotions come crashing to the surface.

As the nightmares escalate and the messages become relentless, Nico reaches out to Brooklyn. But neither of them can admit that they're being haunted. Until they learn to let each other in, not one soul will be able to rest.

- I've heard good things. Want!

----------

Title: Going Bovine
Author: Libba Bray
Genre: YA, Fiction
Published: September 22, 2009

Cameron Smith, 16, is slumming through high school, overshadowed by a sister “pre-majoring in perfection,” while working (ineptly) at the Buddha Burger. Then something happens to make him the focus of his family's attention: he contracts mad cow disease. What takes place after he is hospitalized is either that a gorgeous angel persuades him to search for a cure that will also save the world, or that he has a vivid hallucination brought on by the disease. Either way, what readers have is an absurdist comedy in which Cameron, Gonzo (a neurotic dwarf) and Balder (a Norse god cursed to appear as a yard gnome) go on a quixotic road trip during which they learn about string theory, wormholes and true love en route to Disney World

----------

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

Title: Dead In The Family (Sookie Stackhouse #10)
Author: Charlaine Harris
Genre: Urban Fantasy, Paranormal
Published: May 2010

- I'm leaving out the summary so I don't spoil anyone who has just started the series (or will start). But man, oh man, I cannot wait for this one!

How about you, what is on YOUR wishlist?

Teaser Tuesday (Jan 5)

2010-01-05T10:00:00.000-08:00

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

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

The Demon King by Cinda Williams Chima

"They ran across the ridge, slipping and sliding on the shale and wet leaves, knowing a fall could mean disaster. They took refuge behind a rocky prominence that pierced the thin vegetative skin of the mountain. Rabbits, foxes, and other small animals galloped past, just ahead of the flames. The fire line swept by, hissing and snapping, greedily consuming everything in its path."
And after came three riders, like shepherds driving the flames before them."

Feel free to leave a comment with either the link to your own Teaser Tuesdays post, or share your 2 ‘teasers’ in a comment here!

2010 Book List

2010-01-04T11:45:00.000-08:00

This will be the main post where I will keep track of all the books I read this year. I'm on a mission to pass the 118 I read in 2009. Bring it on!

- Re-reads will be marked with ☻
- 2009 Book List
- Also keeping track via Goodreads

01. The Dark Divine by Bree Despain (375) (YA Challenge) (Debut Author Challenge)
02. Thirst, No. 1 by Christopher Pike (610) (YA Challenge)
03. Hearts at Stake (Drake Chronicles, #1) by Alyxandra Harvey (248) (YA Challenge) (Debut Author Challenge)
04. Struts & Frets by Jon Skovron (294) (YA Challenge) (Support Your Local Library Challenge)
05. The Lonely Hearts Club by Elizabeth Eulberg (297) (YA Challenge) (Debut Author Challenge)
06. Hate List by Jennifer Brown (405) (YA Challenge) (Support Your Local Library Challenge)
07. Chasing Brooklyn by Lisa Schroeder (412) (YA Challenge)
08. Girl In The Arena (325) (YA Challenge) (Support Your Local Library Challenge) (Speculative Fiction Challenge)
09. The Maze Runner by James Dashner (374) (YA Challenge) (Speculative Fiction Challenge)
10. Fat Cat by Robin Brande (329) (YA Challenge) (Support Your Local Library Challenge)
11. By The Time You Read This, I'll Be Dead ARC by Julie Anne Peters (198) (YA Challenge)
12. and Falling, Fly by Skyler White (335) (Speculative Fiction Challenge)
13. The Rise of Renegade X ARC by Chelsea Campbell (346) (Debut Author Challenge) (Speculative Fiction Challenge) (YA Challenge)
14. The Secret Year by Jennifer R. Hubbard (192)

Total pages read: 4,840

In My Mailbox (Jan 3)

2010-01-03T00:00:00.000-08:00

"In My Mailbox" is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren!

Won:

• The Dark Divine ARC by Bree Despain (signed + swag)

(From Dark Faerie Tales - Thanks Angela!)

• Remarkable Creatures ARC by Tracy Chevalier (TBR)

(Via Twitter from @penguinusa)

Purchased:

• Four and Twenty Blackbirds by Cherie Priest (TBR)
• Not Flesh Nor Feathers by Cherie Priest (TBR)
• Wings to the Kingdom by Cherie Priest (TBR)

Library:

• The Demon King by Cinda Williams (TBR)

(not pictured)

• The Stupidest Angel by Christopher Moore (TBR)

(not pictured)

Gifts:

• The Hobbit: Collector's Edition
(Close-up)

This is a combo IMM consisting of books from the past 2 weeks. The Hobbit was a Christmas gift from a very good friend of mine and it is SO pretty in person. LOVE IT! Another fab IMM for me this week. :)

How about YOU? Get anything good in the mail? Tell/link me!

Boneshaker giveaway WINNER!

2010-01-01T19:30:00.000-08:00

The winner out of 67 entrants and 222 total entries is...

Sarah Emmerson

Congrats Sarah! You have a brand new copy of Boneshaker by Cherie Priest headed your way. Please reply back to my e-mail with your mailing address so I can get your book out to you as soon as possible.

Thank you so much to everyone who participated! I had a lot of fun interviewing Cherie and hosting this giveaway. If you didn't win, don't let that discourage you from reading her fantastic steampunk novel. One of my favorite reads of 2009!

If you would like to purchase your own copy, you can do so at Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble, and/or The Book Depository.

Friday Finds (Jan 1) / Follow Friday (#7)

2010-01-01T13:45:00.000-08:00

Friday Finds is a weekly meme hosted by MizB over at Should Be Reading. The idea is to share books that you recently came across, whether new or old, that you've never heard of before and added to your TBR pile.

Friday Finds:

★ Picture The Dead by Adele Griffin
(discovered via Dark Faerie Tales)
Genre: Young Adult
Released: May 1st, 2010

Jennie’s connection with her twin brother, Toby, grew stronger after he died in 1864. Now Jennie must rely on her ability to communicate with the dead to find out what has happened to her beloved fiance, Will, while he was off at war. The army says he died honorably in battle. His brother confides that he became a violent criminal and died in a prison camp. Jennie begins to doubt that anyone is telling her the truth.

- This sounds mighty intriguing!

★ Thin Executioner by Darren Shan
(discovered via La Femme Readers)
Genre: Young Adult, Speculative Fiction
Released: August 2010

In a brutal nation of warriors, Jebel’s family holds the highest honor: his father is executioner. But Jebel is considered too thin to compete to replace him. Humiliated and furious, Jebel vows to regain his honor in a quest to petition the fire god for invincibility. The journey is long, filled with unknown monsters. And by the end of it Jebel isn’t quite sure what he wants anymore. In Darren Shan’s imaginative first standalone novel, he explores themes of religious tolerance and cultural understanding, and champions the idea that peace is often the bravest choice of all.

Follow Friday:

Taking one from Twitter's books here and doing my own version of Follow Friday! Every Friday I will highlight 2-3 blogs that I follow or just discovered who I think are worth following around the bookish blogosphere. :)

★ Parajunkee's View
(Contest: Design Contest)

- Rachel runs a very cool blog and it's one of my favorites! She's a very talented graphic designer and provides such a neat sense of creativity to her site. At Parajunkee's View you'll find great reviews, contests, and more. Stop by and say hello and tell her Nikki @ Bookizzle sent you. :)

★ Book Blab
(Contest: Leviathan - Ends 1/15)

- Lisa has a very fun and innovative site, full of well written reviews, and lots of great content. She just recently surpassed 200 followers (Congrats!) and I definitely recommend following her. Don't forget to check out her steampunk giveaway!

P.S. You have until the end of TODAY to get in your entries for my BONESHAKER giveaway! You don't wanna miss out.

► Woo-hoo first post of 2010! Got some exciting things in store for the new year and I cannot wait for all the great books coming out. I have a feeling that 2010 is going to be another excellent year for books. :) I hope everyone had a fun new years!

2009 Favorites + Happy New Year!

2009-12-31T13:11:00.000-08:00

2009 has been another crazy roller coaster ride, but thankfully one I quite enjoyed. Amidst all the turmoil in my personal life this year, the end has done rather well to redeem the suck that was the beginning of 2009. And I owe a lot of that to books and the blogging world.

I've only been among your ranks since October 13th (it feels like it's been much longer!), but I already feel like I found a place here. I've come to know so many wonderful people, whether it be through our blogs or twitter, and I can't even begin to tell you how awesome you all are! So thanks guys for helping me keep my sanity and welcoming me to a place where I can share my thoughts and express what I love (or sometimes didn't love) about the awesome books I read. ♥

NOW, time for some of my favorite things from 2009!

BOOKS(Note: not everything I mention was released and/or published this year, but rather, books that were newly read and impacted me in some way)

► Yeah, I may have gone a little overboard, haha. Let's just say that 2009 was my year for books. When I began the year I never even thought I'd pass 50 but, lo and behold, I ended up finishing with 118! Crazy! (My full list for 2009) - I can already tell that 2010 is going to be an excellent year for books and I cannot wait! :D

MOVIES

► So many movies that made my geeky heart soar with glee! I was totally lacking in the movie department this year (I think I went to the movies around 4 times) but I'm fairly happy with what I did see. Star Trek and Sherlock Holmes were among the best released movies this year, in my opinion, and they are definitely two of my favorites. Overall, a pretty sweet year for movies. (Grand total for movies seen in 2009: 113 - Of the 113, 63 were new, never seen before)

I was going to do a list for TV shows but this list has taken me long enough, haha. I never really do resolutions for my personal life because, well, life is too unpredictable. But for 2010, I will make an exception for reading.

In 2010 I hope to:

● Read more (and pass my 118 books read this year)
● Review more (around 2-3 a week)
● Maintain an active and engaging blog
● Host more author interviews and giveaways
● Comment, comment, comment!

Easy peasy, right? Haha. Anyway, I just wanted to wish you all a HAPPY NEW YEAR and I hope 2010 brings you lovely bloggers everything you want and more. Happy reading! :)

P.S. Don't forget! There is still some time to sign up for my BONESHAKER giveaway! Ends tomorrow. :)

Happy Holidays!

2009-12-24T07:00:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to do a quick flyby post and wish all of you lovely followers/bloggers/cool folks who celebrate a very MERRY CHRISTMAS!

I will be on a bit of a hiatus posting-wise for the next few days (maybe week), but I do suspect I'll be making the commenting rounds when I can.

I hope you all have a wonderful time this Christmas and that your holidays are filled with lots of love and presents. :)

See you on the flipside!

On My Wishlist (7) / Waiting On Wednesday (Dec 23)

2009-12-23T09:00:00.000-08:00

On My Wishlist is a weekly meme hosted by Book Chick City that allows us to share the books we haven't bought yet but are waiting to be bought and devoured.

Title: The Edge of the World (Terra Incognita #1)
Author: Kevin J. Anderson
Genre: Speculative Fiction, Epic Fantasy
Published: June 8th, 2009

Terra Incognita - the blank spaces on the map, past the edge of the world, marked only by the words "here be monsters."

Two nations at war, fighting for dominion over the known, and undiscovered, world, pin their last hopes at ultimate victory on finding a land out of legend.

Each will send their ships to brave the untamed seas, wild storms, sea serpents, and darker dangers unknown to any man. It is a perilous undertaking, but there will always be the impetuous, the brave and the mad who are willing to leave their homes to explore the unknown.

Even unto the edge of the world...

- I can't believe I just recently discovered this! It sounds amazing.

----------

Title: The Demon's Lexicon (Demons #1)
Author: Sarah Rees Brennan
Genre: YA, Speculative Fiction - Urban Fantasy
Published: June 2, 2009

Nick and his brother, Alan, have spent their lives on the run from magic. Their father was murdered, and their mother was driven mad by magicians and the demons who give them power. The magicians are hunting the Ryves family for a charm that Nick's mother stole -- a charm that keeps her alive -- and they want it badly enough to kill again.

Danger draws even closer when a brother and sister come to the Ryves family for help. The boy wears a demon's mark, a sign of death that almost nothing can erase...and when Alan also gets marked by a demon, Nick is desperate to save him. The only way to do that is to kill one of the magicians they have been hiding from for so long.

Ensnared in a deadly game of cat and mouse, Nick starts to suspect that his brother is telling him lie after lie about their past. As the magicians' Circle closes in on their family, Nick uncovers the secret that could destroy them all.

----------

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

Title: The Rise of Renegade X
Author: Chelsea Cambell
Genre: Young Adult, Speculative Fiction - Superheroes
Published: May 11, 2010

Damien Locke knows his destiny--attending the university for supervillains and becoming Golden City's next professional evil genius. But when Damien discovers he's the product of his supervillain mother's one-night stand with--of all people--a superhero, his best-laid plans are ruined as he's forced to live with his superhero family.

Going to extreme lengths (and heights), The Rise of Renegade X chronicles one boy's struggles with the villainous and heroic pitfalls of growing up.

- I cannot wait for this!

How about you, what is on YOUR wishlist?

Teaser Tuesday (Dec 22)

2009-12-22T12:50:00.000-08:00

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

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

The Things That Keep Us Here (ARC) by Carla Buckley

Someone called out, "Do you think we're going to have a pandemic?"
Peter regarded the young faces turned toward him. He thought of all those mute bobbing birds, felled instantly by the same sharp blow. "What does science tell us?"
Silence. They were thinking about this.
"Put yourself in the virus's place. If you had a good thing going, hooking up with everybody in town, would you move on?"

I have a feeling this is going to be an very interesting read. Especially with a viral pandemic being so real to the times today. (Also, one of these days I will stick to just 2 sentences, haha)

Feel free to leave a comment with either the link to your own Teaser Tuesdays post, or share your 2 ‘teasers’ in a comment here!

Review: In Too Deep (39 Clues, Book 6)

2009-12-21T09:00:00.000-08:00

Genre: Fiction, Young Adult, Adventure, Mystery, Historical Fiction
Edition: Hardcover, Library Edition
Page Count: 206
Pub. Date: November 3, 2009
Series: 39 Clues, Book 6

My Rating: 4 stars (out of 5)
Amazon.com: 4.5 stars
Goodreads: 4.10 (Average)

Recommended For: Everyone - Kids, Teens, Adults - good family series

Book Summary (back of the book):

Fourteen-year-old Amy Cahill and her younger brother, Dan, head to the Land Down Under to discover what their own mother and father knew about the hunt for the 39 Clues. But following in their parent's footsteps brings up lost memories for Amy so awful that she can't share them...even with Dan. Haunted by the ghosts of their past, chased by deadly competitors, Dan and Amy can't see who is an enemy and who is a friend. Their blindness leads to a terrible mistake....and the death of a hidden ally.

My Summary:

Excellent, excellent continuation of the 39 Clues adventure! Amy and Dan Cahill are back and better than ever.

To get you newbies caught up to speed:

Ever since her (Amy) grandmother's will had been read, she'd been chased from one continent to another...by her own relatives. Her grandmother Grace Cahill had laid down a challenge to every branch of the Cahill family - either join the race for the 39 Clues and become the most powerful person in the world... or walk away with a million dollars. Amy and Dan had chosen the chase. Not that a million dollars wouldn't be pretty sweet. But they knew their grandmother wanted them to win.

pg. 3

In Too Deep provides much more of a back story, which is one of the things I was most excited about. The story was driven more by the characters, rather than the search for clues. And we finally get some semblance of an answer to the burning question: "What really happened to Amy and Dan's parents?" (Keyword being, "semblance") Amy and Dan are hit with some shocking news that sends their world in a brief spiral. And not only that, but images from the past are starting to burn their way into Amy's present. Pieces are coming together and new alliances are being formed in coalescence with that one fateful night.

In the 6th book, we see a little separation between the Amy and Dan due to a circumstance that Amy isn't fully prepared to share with her brother. But once the cat is out of the bag, you see an even stronger bond form between them which makes this such a well-rounded book amidst all the craziness.

In addition to the regular cast of characters, Amy, Dan, and their au pair Nellie, are met by two new relatives - one a long lost beach bum of a cousin, and the other a relative they have only known by name and her reputation for ruthlessness. The mother of Ian and Natalie Kabra. And my does her unannounced arrival add much excitement to an already perilous quest. Such an interesting twist! I love being able to glimpse other members of the Cahill family. And it doesn't look like she's going anywhere.

Another interesting turn of events was the discovery that Nellie, their trusted au pair and guardian, may be more than she says. Her character has the opportunity to become a great asset to the series. I just hope the next author follows suit.

The aspect I enjoyed most was the fact that there was a plot and purpose. Some of the other books lead Amy and Dan to wander around the globe, jumping from place to place all while trying to escape the snares of their conniving relatives - yet there's never really any depth to the story. But Jude Watson gave the book plenty. The twists and turns kept me in suspense and were well placed throughout the book. And I thought the storyline was met with a nice mix of history - which a few of the previous books tend to lack. Being the history buff that I am, I was quite thrilled with the direction it took. (Without giving too much away, it involves planes and one lost heroine)

Overall consensus - an exciting continuation that has once again sparked my interest in this series. I have to admit, it waned a little after the fifth book, but this was immensely satisfying. I can't wait to see what happens next! If you haven't read the series, I highly recommend it. The books are roughly 200 pages each and such a fun ride.

Book 7, The Viper's Nest by Peter Lerangis is slated to be released February 2nd, 2010!

Weekly Recap (Dec 14 - Dec 20)

2009-12-20T15:00:00.000-08:00

Reviews:

★ Blue Moon (The Immortals#2) by Alyson Noel (3.5/5)

Posts:

★ Bookizzle's first ever giveaway WINNERS!
★ Friday Finds (Dec. 18)/ Follow Friday (6)
★ Boneshaker Giveaway
★ Interview with steampunk author Cherie Priest
★ On My Wishlist (6)/ Waiting on Wednesday (Dec 16)
★ Teaser Tuesday (Dec. 15)

Upcoming:

★ Review for In Too Deep (39 Clues #6) by Jude Watson
★ My best of 2009 list(s)!

Sites/Links to check out!:

★ CONTEST: 100 Followers Giveaway @ In Which A Girl Reads
★ CONTEST: Pre-Kick Off Contest @ Princess Bookie
★ CONTEST: 12 Blogs of Christmas - Day 5 @ Ellz Reads
★ CONTEST: 12 Blogs of Christmas - Day 6 @ The Book Rat
★ CONTEST: 200 Followers Contest @ Sophistikatied
★ CONTEST ARC of Firespell @ Bookworming in the 21st Century
★ CONTEST: The Body Finder + Swag @ The Road To Publication (Author of The Body Finder, Kimberly Derting)

Giveaway Update:

★ The winners for my first ever giveaway have been announced! I have received word from all winners so expect your prizes to be mailed to you soon. Didn't win a book? Have no fear - I'm also giving away a brand new copy of BONESHAKER to one lucky participant. Contest is international. Sign up now!

(P.S. Don't forget to check out all the great contests/giveaways on my sidebar)

Cover of the Week:

Merlin's Harp
- A new twist on Arthurian history? I'm down.

In other news, I'm sick. :( So that is my excuse for the lack of reading and reviews. It sucks, but what can you do. Also, no IMM this week. Still awaiting a delivery from bookcloseouts.com - which is taking FOREVER. I hope they'll be here soon. I miss getting books in the mail.

I hope everyone had a fantastic week. Happy Sunday!

Bookizzle's first ever giveaway WINNERS!!

2009-12-19T11:00:00.000-08:00

Dean & Sam Winchester approved :)

124 comments and 529 entries later, we have our 5 winners! Thank you so much to everyone who participated and helped promote my contest. I'm so happy that my first ever contest was such a success. (I was so worried when I started, omg) But you guys are awesome. ♥

And NOW, the winners!

GRAND PRIZE:
Ms_Blingammm
(She chose: Catching Fire and Tithe)

FIRST PRIZE:
The Book Vixen
(She chose: Blue Moon)

SECOND PRIZE:
5peasinapod
(She chose: Wicked Lovely)

THIRD PRIZE:
Ladytink_534
(She chose: Soulless)

FOURTH PRIZE:
Jenny N.
(She chose: Speak)

Winners were chosen via Randomizer.org. Emails have/will be sent out in order of the prize winners. You have 72 hours to respond before I pick another winner. (Although I do ask that you please reply in a timely manner so that the other winners can choose their book. I want to mail everything out ASAP)

Didn't win a book? Have no fear - I'm giving away a brand new copy of Boneshaker over here! Contest is international too. :)

Friday Finds (Dec 18) / Follow Friday (#6)

2009-12-18T12:00:00.000-08:00

Friday Finds is a weekly meme hosted by MizB over at Should Be Reading. The idea is to share books that you recently came across, whether new or old, that you've never heard of before and added to your TBR pile.

Friday Finds:

★ Dull Boy by Sarah Cross
(discovered via The Book Smugglers)
Genre: Young Adult, Speculative Fiction - Superheroes
Released: May 2009

(*grabby hands*)

★ The Gaslight Dogs by Karen Lowachee
(discovered via Orbit Books)
Genre: Speculative Fiction - Urban Fantasy/Sci-Fi
Released: April 2010

(I adore the cover!)

Follow Friday:

Taking one from Twitter's books here and doing my own version of Follow Friday! Every Friday I will highlight 2-3 blogs that I follow or just discovered who I think are worth following around the bookish blogosphere. :)

★ Ash Books Community

- A recent affiliate! Check 'em out, they've got a nice site going on.

★ Bookworming in the 21st Century
(Contest: Big Birthday Bash)

- Kristen has a very lovely and insightful blog, not to mention a really fantastic contest going on. Make sure you stop by and say hello!

P.S. If you follow me on twitter than you've heard that I have calculated all the of entries for my first ever giveaway. The total was: 124 comments - 529 entries! WOW. Thank you guys for making it so successful! I'll be (randomly) choosing the winners tomorrow so stay tuned!

P.S.S. Don't forget to check out my interview with author Cherie Priest! I also have a giveaway going for her recently released steampunk novel, BONESHAKER. Make sure to sign up!

Giveaway: BONESHAKER

2009-12-18T06:00:00.000-08:00

CLOSED!

In celebration of the holidays and the new year, I wanted to give away a copy of BONESHAKER to one lucky participant. BONESHAKER is truly an amazing novel and I can't help but love it even more for introducing me to steampunk. For more information on one of my favorite reads of 2009, check out my review and my interview with author Cherie Priest! You really don't want to miss out on this one, trust me.

And now for the giveaway! One lucky winner will receive a brand new copy of BONESHAKER. If I get a plethora of entries, I will up the ante to TWO books/winners. Oh, and did I mention that the contest is International? :)

To Enter:

» FILL OUT THIS FORM «

Guidelines:

- Giveaway is International!
- Must be over 13 to enter
- Extra entries included in the form
- BONUS: Take 'The Steampunk Style Test' and post your results for an extra entry :)

Giveaway ends January 1st, 2010!

Interview with steampunk author Cherie Priest

2009-12-17T07:00:00.000-08:00

Today I am very excited to welcome author Cherie Priest to my humble blog! I read and reviewed her recently released steampunk novel, BONESHAKER - which garnered a respectable 5 out of 5 stars from me. (Not to mention the rave reviews it's getting online) It was one of my favorite books of 2009 and one I can't stop sharing with the masses. This is a book to be enjoyed by everyone! Seriously, what are you waiting for?

Cherie was kind enough to answer some questions about her latest novel and provide some insight into her life as a writer.

(You can read my review: HERE)

Very Short Bio:

Cherie Priest is the author of seven novels from Tor books and Subterranean Press, including Boneshaker, the award-winning Eden Moore series, Dreadful Skin, and Fathom.

The Interview:

► Dirigibles, sky pirates, a mad inventor, AND zombies - What triggered the idea for BONESHAKER?

CP: The Seattle Underground -- which is a real ... place? I guess you'd have to call it a place. You can tour it, if you ever visit; it's the remains of the old city, buried under the streets and sidewalks in the wake of a city-wide regrade around the turn of the 20th century (intended to get Seattle up off the tidal mud flats and onto something more solid). Granted, the Underground in BONESHAKER is very different from the real-life Underground -- but the rest of the story came out of local history. Sort of. Very, very warped local history. And anyway, I like dirigibles.

► BONESHAKER has been classified as a "steampunk" novel - How would you describe the genre?

CP: As I've described it in brief before, steampunk is essentially the science fiction stylings of a future that never happened. It's the old stuff -- by the likes of Mary Shelley, Jules Verne, H.G. Wells -- written before there was any concept of the microchip, or even (in some cases) the internal combustion engine. If you'd like something a little more in depth, feel free to visit my little Steampunk FAQ over on the Clockwork Century's website: here.

► Was the experience of writing BONESHAKER different from your other novels?

CP: My previous books are all set in the southeast (or midwest), so this was my first book set in the Pacific Northwest -- where I've now lived for about four years. It's a very different vibe -- different perks, different drawbacks, different people. So it was kind of a shift in gears.

► What do us readers have to look forward to from "The Clockwork Century" universe?

CP: Well, there are two more books planned in that particular alternate-history universe: Clementine (coming summer of 2010 from Subterranean) and Dreadnought (coming in fall of 2010 from Tor). Neither one is really a direct "sequel," per se, though some of the same characters appear.

► As much time as I'd love to spend talking about Boneshaker, I want to delve into what fuels you as a writer. Every author has their writing "must-haves" and tools for inspiration, what are yours?

CP: I have a kitty. I also have Coke Zero, some lavender-scented hand sanitizer, and various assorted snack foods. Though truth is, I can work pretty much anywhere, if I have to. I always have a notepad and a bunch of pens with me, in case of Emergency! Inspiration.

► How do you research your novels? Is there a certain process that you've adapted or is every novel different?

CP: Every novel's different, but the same, too. I started seriously writing fiction while I was in graduate school, where research was pretty much ubiquitous. So it's not something I find particularly miserable. I like reading reference volumes! It's leisure reading for me. I have a preposterous assortment of them. But sometimes I just stumble across something -- an interesting fact or possibility -- and then I go off in that particular direction, reading everything I can get my hands on, pertaining to that subject.

► What do you enjoy most about writing?

CP: It's indoor work, with no heavy lifting.

► What are you currently working on? Can we get a sneak peek?

CP: Right now, for the first time in literally years, I'm not working on anything new. That's not to say I'm not working! I'm in editorial purgatory on four books (Clementine, Dreadnought, Bloodshot, and Fort Freak -- which is a collaborative work with the Wild Cards consortium), so I'm sort of swamped -- going back and forth, trying to clean up each one in turn, on time. I'm honestly not sure what I'm going to start writing yet, but after New Year's I'm going to work up some proposals for a couple more Clockwork Century books, tentatively called Ganymede and Jacaranda.

► For fun! I'm actually a big fan of Victorian-era fashion, describe your ultimate steampunk ensemble!

CP: Hmm .... I just put together a "shipwrecked air pirate left on a desert island" ensemble for an exposition, and I was rather fond of it. Fluffy pirate shirt (vintage! I've had it since the 80s), Victorian-length corset with old-fashioned brocade pattern and cool "fish net" accents, a green taffeta skirt over copper-colored crinolines (visible via clip-on skirt-lifters), and a muted-orange bustle over a bustle-pillow for extra "oomph." And boots. Always boots -- my knee-high Fluevog jobbies with the buckles across the toes. And don't forget the pirate hat! I got one that I tricked out with starfish, sand dollars, sea horses, and fake seaweed.

► Lastly I leave the floor open to you, is there anything you'd like to say to the current and potential readers of your book(s)?

CP: Thanks so much for reading this interview, and if you haven't picked up Boneshaker yet, I hope you'll consider it. And if you read it, I hope you enjoy it :)

Many abundant thanks to Cherie Priest for taking the time between deadlines to chat with me. She was a wonderful interviewee!

More Cherie:

If you would like to know more about the author and her published novels as well as upcoming releases, visit her at the following:

» Website ● The Clockwork Century ● Twitter

» Purchase BONESHAKER:
Amazon | Book Depository | B&N

» And don't forget to check out her other books!:
Fathom (2008)

Dreadful Skin (2007)
Those Who Went Remain There Still (2009)

Four and Twenty Blackbirds (2005)
Wings To The Kingdom (2006)
Not Flesh Nor Feathers (2007)

Remember - Be sure to check back tomorrow for a surprise! :)

On My Wishlist (6) / Waiting On Wednesday (Dec 16)

2009-12-16T03:00:00.000-08:00

On My Wishlist is a weekly meme hosted by Book Chick City that allows us to share the books we haven't bought yet but are waiting to be bought and devoured.

Title: Stray (Shifters #1)
Author: Rachel Vincent
Genre: Speculative Fiction - Urban Fantasy
Published: June 1st, 2007

There are only eight breeding female werecats left...
And I'm one of them.

I look like an all-American grad student. But I am a werecat, a shape-shifter, and I live in two worlds.

Despite reservations from my family and my Pride, I escaped the pressure to continue my species and carved out a normal life for myself. Until the night a Stray attacked.

I'd been warned about Strays -- werecats without a Pride, constantly on the lookout for someone like me: attractive, female, and fertile. I fought him off, but then learned two of my fellow tabbies had disappeared.

This brush with danger was all my Pride needed to summon me back...for my own protection. Yeah, right. But I'm no meek kitty. I'll take on whatever -- and whoever -- I have to in order to find my friends. Watch out, Strays -- 'cause I got claws, and I'm not afraid to use them.

----------

Title: The Espressologist
Author: Kristina Springer
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Published: October 27th, 2009

What’s your drink of choice? Is it a small pumpkin spice latte? Then you’re lots of fun and a bit sassy. Or a medium americano? You prefer simplicity in life. Or perhaps it’s a small decaf soy sugar-free hazelnut caffe latte? Some might call you a yuppie.

Seventeen-year-old barista Jane Turner has this theory that you can tell a lot about a person by their regular coffee drink. She scribbles it all down in a notebook and calls it Espressology. So it’s not a totally crazy idea when Jane starts hooking up some of her friends based on their coffee orders. Like her best friend, Em, a medium hot chocolate, and Cam, a toffee nut latte. But when her boss, Derek, gets wind of Jane’s Espressology, he makes it an in-store holiday promotion, promising customers their perfect matches for the price of their favorite coffee.

Things are going better than Derek could ever have hoped, so why is Jane so freaked out? Does it have anything to do with Em dating Cam? She’s the one who set them up! She should be happy for them, right? With overtones of Jane Austen’s Emma and brimming with humor and heart, this sweet, frothy debut will be savored by readers.

- A book about coffee? Oh you just know I'm in! :)

----------

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

Title: The Red Pyramid
Author: Rick Riordan
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy/Adventure
Published: May 4th, 2010

Since their mother’s death, Carter and Sadie have become near strangers. While Sadie has lived with her grandparents in London, her brother has traveled the world with their father, the brilliant Egyptologist, Dr. Julius Kane.

One night, Dr. Kane brings the siblings together for a "research experiment" at the British Museum, where he hopes to set things right for his family. Instead, he unleashes the Egyptian god Set, who banishes him to oblivion and forces the children to flee for their lives.

Soon, Sadie and Carter discover that the gods of Egypt are waking, and the worst of them--Set--has his sights on the Kanes. To stop him, the siblings embark on a dangerous journey across the globe--a quest that brings them ever closer to the truth about their family, and their links to a secret order that has existed since the time of the pharaohs.

- I LOVED the Percy Jackson series, so I'm really excited about this! Another new twist on mythology. Cool. :)

How about you, what is on YOUR wishlist?

Teaser Tuesday (Dec 15)

2009-12-15T12:45:00.000-08:00

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

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

In Too Deep (39 Clues #6) By Jude Watson

"Sometimes Amy wondered what the scariest thing about being involved with the hunt for the clues was. Maybe it wasn't being buried alive or almost creamed by a train or locked in a mummy's tomb. All those things had actually happened to her...and she'd survived. Maybe it was this - having to be suspicious of every single person on the planet.

I'm totally cheating the 2 sentence bit, but oh well. Such a great opening chapter! If you haven't read this series - you should. Nothing but fun and entertainment to tickle your brain.

Feel free to leave a comment with either the link to your own Teaser Tuesdays post, or share your 2 ‘teasers’ in a comment here!

Review: Blue Moon (The Immortals, Book 2)

2009-12-15T06:00:00.000-08:00

(This is long overdue!)

Genre: Fiction, Young Adult, Paranormal Romance
Edition: Softcover
Page Count: 284
Pub. Date: July 7th, 2009
Series: The Immortals, Book 2

My Rating: 3 stars (out of 5)
Amazon.com: 3.5 stars
Goodreads: 3.85 (Average)

Recommended For: Teens, Fans of Paranormal Romance novels, Those tired of vampires and/or werewolves who like a fresh outlook on a different type of supernatural mythology.

Book Summary (back of the book):

Just as Ever is learning everything she can about her new abilities as an immortal, initiated into the dark, seductive world by her beloved Damen, something terrible is happening to him. As Ever's powers increase, Damen's begin to fade after he is stricken by a mysterious illness that threatens his memory, his identity, his life.

Desperate to save him, Ever travels to the mystical dimension of Summerland, where she uncovers not only the secrets of Damen's past - the brutal, tortured history he hoped to keep hidden - but also an ancient text revealing the workings of time. With the approaching blue moon heralding her only window for travel, Ever is forced to decide between turning back the clock and saving her family from the accident that claimed them - or staying in the present and saving Damen, who grows weaker by the day.

My Thoughts:

(Forewarning: this review may come off more negative than I intended. But believe me, I did actually enjoy it, haha)

I've spent the past few days trying to write a review for Blue Moon. And every time my hands hit the keyboard I find myself critiquing the things I didn't like, versus praising the things that I did. Basically, the issues I have with Blue Moon are fairly similar to the ones I had with Evermore.

The aspects that I most enjoy about this series is the whole mythology of it - immortal powers, living forever, Summerland, etc. It's really quite fresh and intriguing. But I am having a difficult time becoming emotionally invested in the characters.

Book 2 basically leaves Ever to her own devices, which was a nice change of pace. We got to see her move and act on impulse and that gave her a whole new sense of independence. But what it didn't give her was maturity. Ever still manages to make hasty and boneheaded decisions that ultimately hurt her and the people she loves. I'm trying to rationalize that behavior with her age and naivety, but my brain won't allow it. And in result, it gives the story the feel of going in circles. It felt like too many steps toward progress, only to be forced to go back to square one. Again.

In a more superficial regard, the lack of Damen was rather depressing. I believe he gives the story that sense of maturity that is missing with Ever. He keeps her grounded, I guess you could say. And the lack of his suave 600 year old self was a bit of a downer.

The ending wasn't quite what I expected (was I the only one reminded of the show Dark Angel?) and it left me shaking my head in disbelief. It was one heck of a cliffhanger I will admit, but it didn't quite provoke a response in me for such a crazy situation. (Maybe it was the writing, maybe it was the late hour...who knows.)

HOWEVER, nitpicking aside, as a whole I was much more engrossed with the sequel than its predecessor. I figured out the ruse early on but it did little to take away from the suspense and uncertainty I felt while reading. I was much more interested in the outcome.

I enjoyed the glimpse into Damen's past as well as the little pieces of Ever's previous lives. I was also excited to get a better in-depth look into Summerland. That is one of my curiosities that wasn't quite satisfied from the first book. (And I'm loving the idea of it more and more)

The addition of Rayne and Romy was another interesting aspect. At the beginning I had no idea what their purpose was, apart from being a bit creepy, but I enjoyed their presence in the book. I wouldn't mind delving more into their characters and storyline.

Overall consensus: To me, Blue Moon was just "Ok". I felt it lacked a finale to really seal the deal.

Don't forget to check out my review for Evermore - Book 1 in The Immortals series!

(Have YOU read Blue Moon? Feel free to leave a comment, I'm always open to discuss a book!)

In My Mailbox (Dec 13)

2009-12-13T10:15:00.000-08:00

"In My Mailbox" is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren!

Won:

The Monstrumologist by Richard Yancey (TBR)
The Hollow by Jessica Verday (TBR)
-(Both from The Book Smugglers - Thanks guys!)
Shiver ARC by Maggie Stiefvater

-(From last week via Mindful Musings - Thank You Natalie!!)

Purchased:

Ballad by Maggie Stiefvater (TBR)

Library:

39 Clues: In Too Deep (#6) by Jude Watson

Swag:

Awesome bookmarks from Chelsea Campbell
(Close-up)

Very, very pleased with this weeks IMM! I love new books and swag. :)

How about YOU? Get anything good in the mail? Tell/link me!

Friday Finds (Dec 11) / Follow Friday (#5)

2009-12-11T08:00:00.000-08:00

Friday Finds is a weekly meme hosted by MizB over at Should Be Reading. The idea is to share books that you recently came across, whether new or old, that you've never heard of before and added to your TBR pile.

Friday Finds:

★ Prophecy of Days, Book One: The Daykeeper's Grimoire by Christy Raedeke
(discovered around the blogosphere)
Genre: Young Adult, Mystery, Sci-Fi(ish)?

★ The Blade Itself (The First Law, #1) by Joe Abercrombie
(discovered via Goodreads)
Genre: Speculative Fiction (Epic Fantasy)

(I actually discovered this a few weeks ago but still - do want!)

Follow Friday:

Taking one from Twitter's books here and doing my own version of Follow Friday! Every Friday I will highlight 2-3 blogs that I follow or just discovered who I think are worth following around the bookish blogosphere. :)

★ The First Novels Club
(Contest(s): ARC The Dark Divine & ARC Fallen/Hush,Hush)

★ The Book Shopaholic
(Contest: 75 Followers)

- Both are relatively new finds for me and I love their blogs! Make sure to stop by and say hello. Don't forget to check out their awesome contests they have going on!

P.S. I am VERY excited to announce that I have been in touch with an author whose book I recently reviewed and absolutely loved. And not only that, but she was kind enough to make some time around her deadlines and provide me with an interview. Not telling who just yet! Oh, and did I forget to mention that there will be a giveaway attached to the interview? I will put the details on my sidebar in the next few days, so keep a lookout! :D

DON'T FORGET! 5 days left to sign up for my giveaway! 11 books, 5 winners!

2010 Speculative Fiction Challenge!

2009-12-10T17:15:00.000-08:00

2010 Speculative Fiction Challenge hosted by Book Chick City

Timeline: 1st Jan 2010~ 31st Dec 2010. Only books started on January 1st count towards this challenge.

Details:

1. Anyone can join. You don't need a blog to participate.

2. There are four levels:

• Inquisitive – Read 3 Speculative Fiction novels.

• Enthusiastic – Read 6 Speculative Fiction novels.

• Addicted – Read 12 Speculative Fiction novels.

• Obsessed – Read 24 Speculative Fiction novels.

3. Any book format counts.

4. You don't have to select your books ahead of time, you can just add them as you go. Also if you do list them upfront then you can change them, nothing is set in stone!

5. The books you choose can crossover into other challenges you have on the go.

My goal: Addicted – Read 12 Speculative Fiction novels.

01. Girl in the Arena by Lise Haines (Review)
02. The Maze Runner by James Dashner (Review)
03. and Falling, Fly by Skyler White (Review
04. The Rise of Renegade X by Chelsea Campbell

(Possible books - subject to change)
Leviathan - Scott Westerfeld
Knife of Never Letting Go - Patrick Ness
The Ask and Answer - Patrick Ness
Soulless - Gail Carriger
Changeless - Gail Carriger
Four and Twenty Blackbirds - Cherie Priest
Fathom - Cherie Priest
Shadows Edge by Brent Weeks
The Monstrumologist - Richard Yancey
The Demon King - Cinda Chima

I was going to limit myself at 2 challenges in 2010, but this was too hard to resist! I will start off with 12, but hopefully time will allow me to jump up to "Obsessed" (24 novels). I love this genre!

Award time! Blog Monster rawr

2009-12-10T15:00:00.000-08:00

This award was given to me by La Femme Readers the other day and I have to admit, it's pretty awesome. :) Thank you so much Eleni! ♥

It signifies all the bloggers out there who constantly work hard to keep an updated and insightful website. They aren't afraid to take a bite with their honest reviews and enjoyable content. You amaze me, you inspire me so I call you a blog monster.

Kari @ A Good Addiction
Jenn @ Books at Midnight
Natalie @ Mindful Musings
Rachy @ Parajunkee's View
Ana and Thea @ The Book Smugglers
Becky @ The Bookette

I could easily hand this out to every single blog I follow, but I decided to limit myself to six. It gives other awardee's a chance to pass it around to those who have yet to receive it. Plus, Eleni nominated most (if not all) of the blogs I would have nominated anyway. :)

In other exciting news, I PASSED 150 FOLLOWERS! So I am happy to announce that there will now be FIVE winners to my giveaway! Thank you so much my lovely minions for spreading the word and making it successful. You guys are awesome! :D ♥

On My Wishlist (5) / Waiting On Wednesday (Dec 9)

2009-12-09T08:00:00.000-08:00

On My Wishlist is a weekly meme hosted by Book Chick City that allows us to share the books we haven't bought yet but are waiting to be bought and devoured.

Title: The Maze Runner (Maze Runner #1)
Author: James Dashner
Genre: YA, Speculative Fiction
Published: October 6th, 2009

When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his first name. He has no recollection of his parents, his home, or how he got where he is. His memory is black. But he’s not alone. When the lift’s doors open, Thomas finds himself surrounded by kids who welcome him to the Glade, a large expanse enclosed by stone walls.

Just like Thomas, the Gladers don’t know why or how they got to the Glade. All they know is that every morning, for as long as they could remember, the stone doors to the maze that surrounds them have opened. Every night, they’ve closed tight. Every thirty days a new boy is delivered in the lift. And no one wants to be stuck in the maze after dark.

The Gladers were expecting Thomas’s arrival. But the next day, a girl springs up—the first girl ever to arrive in the Glade. And more surprising yet is the message she delivers. The Gladers have always been convinced that if they can solve the maze that surrounds the Glade, they might be able to find their way home . . . wherever that may be. But it’s looking more and more as if the maze is unsolvable.

And something about the girl’s arrival is starting to make Thomas feel different. Something is telling him that he just might have some answers—if he can only find a way to retrieve the dark secrets locked within his own mind.

(Just one for today!)

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

Title: Changeless (Parasol Protectorate, #2)
Author: Gail Carriger
Genre: Urban Fantasy, Steampunk
Published: March 30, 2010

Alexia Tarabotti, now Lady Maccon, awakens in the wee hours of the mid-afternoon to find her husband, who should be decently asleep like any normal werewolf, yelling at the top of his lungs. Then he disappears -- leaving her to deal with a regiment of supernatural soldiers encamped on her doorstep, a plethora of exorcised ghosts, and an angry Queen Victoria.

But Alexia is armed with her trusty parasol, the latest fashions, and an arsenal of biting civility. Even when her investigations take her into the backwaters of ugly waistcoats, Scotland, she is prepared: upending werewolf pack dynamics as only a soulless can.

She might even find time to track down her wayward husband, if she feels like it.

How about you, what is on YOUR wishlist?

Teaser Tuesday (Dec 8)

2009-12-08T08:30:00.000-08:00

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

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

Blue Moon (The Immortals #2) By Alyson Noel

"Ever." He shakes his head. "You were supposed to think of an orange. This isn't even close."
"Nope, nothing fruity about him." I laugh, smiling at each of my Damens - the replica I manifested before me, and the flesh and blood version beside me. Both of them equally tall, dark, and so devastatingly handsome they hardly seem real.

Well now, wouldn't THAT be an awesome gift to have, haha. ;)

Feel free to leave a comment with either the link to your own Teaser Tuesdays post, or share your 2 ‘teasers’ in a comment here!

Review: Truly, Madly

2009-12-07T14:00:00.000-08:00

Genre: Fiction, Contemporary, Mystery, Romance
Edition: Softcover; ARC
Page Count: 316
Pub. Date: February 2, 2010
Series: Book 1

My Rating: 4 stars (out of 5)
Amazon.com: N/A
Goodreads: 4.14 (Average)
Buy: Barnes and Noble

Recommended For: Readers who like a sassy female protagonist, People who like a little suspense and mystery with their romance (with a slight paranormal twist)

My Summary:

Lucy Valentine comes from a long line of Valentine's who have been gifted with the psychic ability to read people's auras. A gift, generations ago, that her family capitalized on by professionally matching potential lover's based on the color they emit. But when Lucy was 14, an electrical surge shorted out some inner workings in her brain and the ability inherited from her family has ceased to exist. Needless to say, this does nothing for Lucy's potential takeover of the family business. Unless of course, anyone needed her to find their lost car keys.

So from the age of 14, instead of spotting auras, Lucy can now track down any lost object as long as the person is thinking about said object the same time she comes into contact with them. Neat right? Not the gift she would choose, but one that came in handy from time to time. Until she touched the hand of a client who happened to be a missing an engagement ring that was on the hand of a skeleton.

Uncovering such unwelcome information sends Lucy's life into a whirlwind. Does she simply forget it ever happened, or go digging into a past that is sure to wreak havoc in her already complicated life? The answer to her is simple - she needs to find out who that person was and why they were wearing that particular ring. But she can't do it alone.

And along the way, she discovers some new truths to her own life.

My Thoughts:

This novel ended up being so much more than I expected! Despite the fact that I would have loved a little more romance, there was just enough to satiate my appetite. And what's more is the suspense and mystery that unfolded throughout the book. Definitely didn't see that coming. At least the amount of it. But, I was completely happy with the result.

Heather Webber introduces us to a delightful character in Lucy Valentine. I'm always a sucker for a leading character with sass. And Lucy has plenty of it. Humanistic, funny, and feisty are all attributes that make up the core of this novel's leading lady. Relatable in many aspects - she makes for a great narrator. Then you throw in a Mr Sean Donahue to the mix. Oh my, a delicious fellow with his own secrets and story to tell? TELL ME MORE. These two connect so well and their interactions fuel much fire to the story. I won't go into too much detail, but all the characters provided a fun and laugh provoking entity to the book that made it as enjoyable as it was.

It was fun seeing Lucy unfold as a character, taking control of circumstances and using her gift in a most useful way. I'm curious to see where the next book takes it.

The writing is light, playful, and flirtatious with just the right amount of tease, all while being tossed with a nice mix of mystery. And the ending left me with anticipation for the sequel, Deeply, Desperately. A enjoyable series debut from Heather Webber!

Also, thank you so much to Barnes and Noble's Sneak Peek for sending me an ARC copy!

It's Monday! What are you reading? (Dec 7)

2009-12-07T11:30:00.000-08:00

This is a weekly book meme hosted by J. Kaye over at J. Kaye's Book Blog.

Another one book week. :( I didn't get much reading done this weekend due to the hustle and bustle of the upcoming holidays but it looks like things are finally settling in and my schedule is showing more normalcy than it has been lately. Just a few weeks left in December and I'm going to push through the rest of 2009 and get in as many books as I can. In other news, less than 10 days left till I announce the winners to my first ever giveaway! Exciting!! :)

Completed this past week:

- Truly, Madly by Heather Webber (Review to be posted later today!)

Currently reading:

Blue Moon By Alyson Noel

Up and Coming:

The 39 Clues: In Too Deep by Jude Watson
The Things That Keep Us Here by Carla Buckley (ARC)
Shadows Edge (Night Angel #2) by Brent Weeks
...AND LOTS MORE.

I know I had Blue Moon featured on my "It's Monday!" post a few weeks ago, but I'm finally getting around to reading it. I'm looking forward to seeing how the story progresses.

What are YOU reading? Link me!

P.S. Sign ups still open for my first ever giveaway! 12 more followers and I add another winner. Spread the word! (Ends 12/16)

Weekly Recap (Nov 30 - Dec 6)

2009-12-06T09:35:00.000-08:00

Reviews:

★ Boneshaker by Cherie Priest (5/5)

Posts:

★ Friday Finds (Dec. 4)/ Follow Friday (4)
★ Giveaway Update! New Books Added to My Giveaway
★ On My Wishlist (4)/ Waiting on Wednesday (Dec 2)
★ Teaser Tuesday (Dec. 1)
★ It's Monday! What are you reading?

Upcoming:

★ I added a few books to the 2010 YA Reading Challenge - hosted by J. Kaye's blog. Go HERE for the details. Also, I added a Mr. Linky to the bottom of my entry for others to include a link to their challenge posts. Feel free to share! I'd love to be able to see how everyone progresses.

Sites/Links to check out!:

★ Vote for your Favorite Book of 2009 @ Mindful Musings! Don't forget to vote in the other categories as well!
★ A HUGE contest is going on over at The Enchanted Inkpot on Livejournal. 3 Winners will receive a basket filled with 8 different books. How cool is that?

New Content:

★ I have a new layout!! Being the neat freak that I am, I decided that a change was necessary to get my blog looking shiny and snazzy. What do you think? Let me know if you see any issues!

Giveaway Update:

★ I passed 100 followers! So this means my giveaway now has FOUR winners! I'm 17 followers away from adding yet ANOTHER winner so maker sure to keep spreading the word! Go SIGN UP if you haven't already. Sign ups end 12/16.

(P.S. Don't forget to check out all the great contests/giveaways on my sidebar)

Cover of the Week:

Gladiatrix
- I am intrigued. I love the green/blue hues.

(This is kind of a flyby post. I'll add anything I missed when I get home from work)

No IMM this week. :( Since most of the books I received are for my secret santee I decided to just combine this week with next week. Plus, I'm still waiting on at least 1 book. *grabby hands*

I keep telling myself that work + holidays won't be getting in the way of reading, but alas. I didn't foresee just how busy I was going to be. But nothing I can do about it except fit some reading in as much as possible. Plus, 2010 is going to be a whole new year and I'm determined to pass the 115 books I've read this year (so far). *fingers crossed* :)

I hope everyone had a fantastic week. Happy Sunday!

Friday Finds (Dec 4) / Follow Friday (#4)

2009-12-04T08:00:00.000-08:00

Friday Finds is a weekly meme hosted by MizB over at Should Be Reading. The idea is to share books that you recently came across, whether new or old, that you've never heard of before and added to your TBR pile.

Friday Finds:

★ 13 To Life by Shannon Delany
(discovered around the blogosphere)
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal

★ The Pirate Vortex: Elizabeth Latimer, Pirate Hunter by Deborah Cannon
(discovered via Goodreads)
Genre: YA Fiction

(I don't often go for books with such a lackluster cover, but the blurb sounds quite interesting!)

Follow Friday:

Taking one from Twitter's books here and doing my own version of Follow Friday! Every Friday I will highlight up to 3 blogs that I follow or just discovered who I think are worth following around the bookish blogosphere. :)

★ Book Chick City

★ La Femme Readers

- Chic and charasmatic are two words to describe the blogs (and ladies) above. Reviews, memes, giveaways - there's plenty of great content to be fond on both!

P.S. NEW LAYOUT! Being the neat freak that I am, I just HAD to get my blog more organized and I felt a layout change would do the trick. As much as I'll miss the layout that began it all, it was necessary. Let me know what you think! If there are any issues, please let me know.

P.S.S. CONTEST ALERT! Don't forget to check out the AMAZING giveaway at The Enchanted Inkpot. They're giving away 3 giant gift baskets filled with books. Go check it out!

Speaking of giveaways, if you haven't signed up for my first ever giveaway, why the heck not? You're missing out! I also just wanted to say a BIG thank you to each and everyone of you who are helping me promote. Whether it's through word of tweet or on your blog, THANK YOU! ♥

On My Wishlist (4) / Waiting On Wednesday (Dec 2)

2009-12-02T09:00:00.000-08:00

On My Wishlist is a weekly meme hosted by Book Chick City that allows us to share the books we haven't bought yet but are waiting to be bought and devoured.

Title: The Thief (The Queen's Thief #1)
Author: Megan Whalen Turner
Genre: Fiction, YA, Fantasy/Adventure
Published: 1996; This Edition: January 1st, 2006

The king's scholar, the magus, believes he knows the site of an ancient treasure. To attain it for his king, he needs a skillful thief, and he selects Gen from the king's prison. The magus is interested only in the thief's abilities.

What Gen is interested in is anyone's guess. Their journey toward the treasure is both dangerous and difficult, lightened only imperceptibly by the tales they tell of the old gods and goddesses.

Title: Looking Glass Wars (Book 1)
Author: Frank Beddor
Genre: Fiction, YA, Fantasy
Published: 2005; This Edition: September 26th, 2006

You know the myth...

A little girl named Alice tumbled down a rabbit hole and proceeded to have a charming adventure in the delightful, made-up world of Wonderland...

Now discover the truth... Wonderland Exists!

Alyss Heart, heir to the Wonderland throne, was forced to flee through the Pool of Tears after a bloody palace coup staged by the murderous Redd. Lost and alone in Victorian London, Alyss is befriended by an aspiring author to whom she tells the violent, heartbreaking story of her young life only to see it published as the nonsensical Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Alyss had trusted Lewis Carroll to tell the truth so that someone, somewhere would find her and bring her home. But Carroll had gotten it all wrong. He even misspelled her name! If not for royal bodyguard Hatter Madigan's nonstop search to locate the lost princess, Alyss may have become just another society woman sipping tea in a too-tight corset instead of returning to Wonderland to fight Redd for her rightful place as the Queen of Hearts.

Meet the heroic, passionate, monstrous, vengeful denizens of this parallel world as they battle each other with AD-52's and orb generators, navigate the Crystal Continuum, bet on jabberwock fights and travel across the Chessboard Desert.

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

Title: Erik's Ransom (Rangers Apprentice #7)
Author: John Flanagan
Genre: Young Adult
Published: January 5, 2010

What does it mean to earn the Silver Oakleaf? So few men have done so. For Will, a mere boy, that symbol of honor has long felt out of reach. Now, in the wake of Araluen’s uneasy truce with the raiding Skandians comes word that the Skandian leader has been captured by a dangerous desert tribe. The Rangers are sent to free him. But the desert is like nothing these warriors have seen before. Strangers in a strange land, they are brutalized by sandstorms, beaten by the unrelenting heat, tricked by one tribe that plays by its own rules, and surprisingly befriended by another. Like a desert mirage, nothing is as it seems. Yet one thing is constant: the bravery of the Rangers.

- I highly, HIGHLY recommend the Ranger Apprentice series!

I'm on a fantasy/adventure kick, can't you tell?? ;) How about you, what is on YOUR wishlist?

Giveaway Update! New books added.

2009-12-02T00:40:00.000-08:00

ATTENTION!

As promised, here are the books that I will be adding to my giveaway pile. Rules are still the same, except for the addition of a fourth winner.

BOOKS ADDED TO THE LOOT

Blood and Chocolate by Annette Curtis Klause (Softcover)
Eragon by Christopher Paolini (Softcover)
Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr (Softcover)

GO SIGN UP IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY!

And in other news, I have decided to keep the number of winners where it is currently at. If I reach 150 followers before the December 16th deadline, then I will add another lucky winner for a total of FIVE. (30 away!)

I'm fairly certain this will be the last time you see a post concerning my giveaway (unless of course I reach 150). So till December 16th rolls around, keep promoting and keep RT-ing!

Meme: Teaser Tuesday (Dec 1)

2009-12-01T08:00:00.000-08:00

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

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

Truly, Madly (ARC) By Heather Webber

"It was just so hard not to question my place here, to question the reason I'd been given this particular gift. Matching lovers benefited many, changed lives for the better. Finding my father's thong bathing suit didn't."

LOL! For obvious reasons I just HAD to use this quote. ;) I love it! Very cute book so far. I look forward to sitting down and reading it later today.

Feel free to leave a comment with either the link to your own Teaser Tuesdays post, or share your 2 ‘teasers’ in a comment here!

Review: Boneshaker

2009-11-30T11:00:00.000-08:00

Genre: Fiction, Steampunk, Altered History, Science Fiction
Edition: Softcover; Library
Page Count: 416
Pub. Date: September 29, 2009
Series: First installment of The Clockwork Century Universe

My Rating: 5 stars (out of 5)
Amazon.com: 4.5 stars
Goodreads: 4.13 (Average)

Recommended For: Fans of steampunk or those looking to delve into the genre, Readers who like an inventive story (that happens to include zombies), Folks with imagination

My Summary & Thoughts:

An alternate-history novel based in the late 1800's with destruction, adventure, dirigibles, sky pirates, a mad inventor, AND zombies? COUNT ME IN. A book just as fascinating as its cover. You guys, Boneshaker was so much more than I expected! Such a brilliantly imaginative tale with flair and grit.

To start it all off, let me just talk about the appearance of the book. The cover is so lovely in person. A beautiful mix of art and design, all while giving a hint to what the story will hold within. And the pages - toned to a light sepia color with brown font, giving it that aged look and feel. The only thing it was missing was the musty smell that can only gather with time. (Though I settled for the new book smell!) From the start you can tell that every detail was doted upon in the process...much like the writing style. Which I absolutely fell in love with. Wonderfully descriptive and engaging; I could envision everything as if I was watching it unfold right before my eyes.

Boneshaker begins with a journalistic piece from a one, Hale Quarter. A young journalist who sets the ground work and describes the events leading up to creation of the terrible Bone-Shaking Drilling Machine at the hand of Dr. Leviticus "Levi" Blue. A single man and machine responsible for a disaster that caused most of downtown Seattle to cave in on itself, while bringing disease and terror in the form of a toxic substance known as The Blight.

While the early days of the Civil War were taking place, the Russians were looking for a way to drill trough the icy Klondike where a fortune of gold supposedly awaited any man who dared. After many had tried and failed, esteemed inventor Leviticus Blue won a contest offering him 100,000 rubles and six months to build a machine strong enough to penetrate the buried vein of gold. But being the smart man that he is, Levi finished well before the deadline. During an unannounced test run on the afternoon of January 2, 1863, the Earth shook under the vast central business district of the Seattle streets. The foundations of four major banks were ground to oblivion, taking with it hundreds of innocent bystanders.

However, no one could predict the kind of destruction that would follow. The streets were in an upheaval sure, but what was worse was the mysterious gas leaking from the tunnels created by the monstrous machine. Slow and sickly, the odorless and colorless gas crept along inch by inch poisoning all those who were nearest. Temporary measurements were taken until a city wide evacuation was the only way to survive. One by one the plans to contain the gas failed. Thousands of people fell ill and thousands more after. Simple barriers were not enough to hold it until, approximately one year later, the entire downtown area of Seattle was surrounded by an incredible 200 foot high brick and stone wall.

The story begins sixteen years later with Briar Wilkes (formerly Briar Blue) and her son Ezekiel "Zeke" Wilkes. The two live in the Outskirts just beyond the wall but not so far from it that they can forget it ever happened. Due to the endless plague the Blight reigns upon the city, the water has been poisoned and must be boiled and treated for 17 hours at the factory in Puget Sound where Briar works. Day after day she works to provide for her and her son, trying ever so hard to leave behind the tarnished legacy of her dead husband. But it's not so easy. Who can forget the man that changed all their lives? Zeke, having never met his father, is forced to rely on the horrid stories passed from one person to the next since his mother refuses to relay the truth or any information to satiate his growing curiosity.

But one day, Zeke decides he's had enough. He determines to make his way inside The Wall, back to a home he never knew and clear his father of the terrible crimes that have plagued their family for 16 years. If only he can get his hands on the papers the Russians sent demanding Dr. Blue do an early test run, if they even existed, then it would all be over. Provisions in hand, Zeke sets off through the underground tunnels that run up through the downtown. But he never expected just how bad the Blight had infected the city...or its undead inhabitants.

After hours spent fretting with worry and guilt, Briar does the only thing a mother could do - she sets off after him. After nearly beating information from Rector, a boy up to no good and a friend of her son, Briar sets off for the same exact tunnels Zeke allegedly took. But as she waits near the entrance, an earthquake shatters all means of hope and escape for her only son. Now that the option of going under is taken away, Briar is left with but one other choice: Over. Seeking the help from the air captains and sky pirates, Briar is led to Andan Cly, captain of the Naamah Darling, who just so happens to be in debt to the Wilkes family.

Flying high and dropping into the city, Briar is led by survival instincts and using all means necessary to find her son. But what surprised her the most was not how much the city has been polluted, but the fact that there were people living there. The dead and undead alike. What kind of trouble lies beyond the wall? Can Briar do it alone? Will she be able to survive the the Blight and the creatures it created? Can she outlast the rotters, the undead who feast on flesh and feel no pain? More importantly, will she find her son alive?

...Those are questions you will have to answer yourself! :)

Seriously, I cannot begin to describe how imaginative and ingenious this tale is. Once you start you won't want to stop until you reach the very end. And then you'll just want more. Boneshaker is totally unique in its vision of combining very real, albeit altered, history and science fiction. Trust me when I say that I am not really a big fan of zombies or anything related, but this story would not have been the same nor quite as exciting without them.

Same goes for each and every character. Without them the story wouldn't have the same warmth and purpose as I felt while reading. Briar is a no nonsense type of woman with admirable qualities, surviving on what little she can afford and wanting what's best for her son. The people she meets only fuel her desire to continue on and provide a shining light in the darkness.

Overall consensus: There's so much more I could tell you about the story but I'll just leave you with the words: Exciting, original, intense, unique, and satisfying. Being that this is my first outing with Cherie Priest, I can conclude that it will not be the last. If books like Boneshaker are what I have to look forward to in the steampunk genre, then count me in because I'm not going anywhere!

(On a sidenote: While I consider this an Adult read, I would also classify it as suitable for Young Adults. And well...everyone!)

- Also reviewed on Amazon and Goodreads

It's Monday! What are you reading? (Nov 30)

2009-11-30T00:45:00.000-08:00

This is a weekly book meme hosted by J. Kaye over at J. Kaye's Book Blog.

Ahh, Thanksgiving has come and gone and I must say that it was an excellent week. Even despite the fact that I didn't get as much reading in as I would have liked. But I did reach (and pass!) 100 followers which is quite exciting! I can't wait to get the ball rolling for my first ever giveaway. I'm hoping to make some lovely people happy. :)

Completed this past week:

- Boneshaker by Cherie Priest (Review to be posted later today!)

Currently reading:

Truly, Madly (ARC) By Heather Webber
(For review and discussion on the Barnes and Noble Book Club website!)

Up and Coming:

The Things That Keep Us Here by Carla Buckley (ARC)
Blue Moon by Alyson Noel
Wake by Lisa McMann
Soulless by Gail Carriger
Shadows Edge (Night Angel #2) by Brent Weeks

Not sure how the rest of my TBR pile will play out, but I'm excited to find out! There are some great books coming out next month and I can't wait to get my hands on them. (IE: The Dark Divine & Beautiful Creatures)

What are YOU reading? Link me!

P.S. Don't forget to sign up for my first ever giveaway! Open to the US and Canada. Sign ups end December 16th.

Ramblings of a Bibliophile

Teaser Tuesday (March 23)

Interview with author Skyler White!

Award: Let's Be Friends

Review Archive

Review: The Rise of Renegade X by Chelsea Campbell (Traveling ARC Tour)

In My Mailbox (March 14)

Apologies/MIA, The Maze Runner Winner + Awards!

On My Wishlist (15)

Teaser Tuesday (March 2)

Review: And Falling, Fly by Skyler White

On My Wishlist (14)

Teaser Tuesday (Feb 23)

Weekly Recap (Feb 15 - 21)

In My Mailbox (Feb 21)

Review: By The Time You Read This, I'll Be Dead by Julie Anne Peters

On My Wishlist (13)

Review: Fat Cat by Robin Brande

Waiting On Wednesday (Feb 17)

Teaser Tuesday (Feb 16)

Weekly Recap (Feb 8 -14)

In My Mailbox (Feb 14)

On My Wishlist (12)

Review: The Maze Runner by James Dashner + Giveaway!

Review: Girl in the Arena by Lise Haines

Waiting On Wedneday (Feb 10)

Teaser Tuesday (Feb 9)

Weekly Recap (Feb 1 - Feb 7)

In My Mailbox (Feb 7)

On My Wishlist (11)

Friday Finds (Feb 5) / Follow Friday (#11)

Review: Chasing Brooklyn by Lisa Schroeder

Waiting On Wednesday (Feb 3)

Teaser Tuesday (Feb 2)

Review: Hate List by Jennifer Brown

Weekly Recap (Jan 25 - Jan 31)

In My Mailbox (Jan 31)

Award time! Woo-hoo!

Friday Finds (Jan 29) / Follow Friday (#10)

2010 Debut Author Challenge

Review: The Lonely Hearts Club by Elizabeth Eulberg

On My Wishlist (10) / Waiting on Wednesday (Jan 27)

Teaser Tuesday (Jan 26)

Review: Struts & Frets by Jon Skovron

Weekly Recap (Jan 18-24)

In My Mailbox (Jan 24)

New Blogs on the Block @ Book Chick City!

Friday Finds (Jan 23) / Follow Friday (#9)

Review: Hearts at Stake by Alyxandra Harvey

On My Wishlist (9) / Waiting on Wednesday (Jan 20)

Teaser Tuesday (Jan 19)...better late than never!

Review: Thirst (No. 1) by Christopher Pike

M.I.A. - Computer issues and continued love/hate relationship with technology

Weekly Recap (Jan 4 - Jan 10)

In My Mailbox (Jan 10)

Friday Finds (Jan 8) / Follow Friday (#8)

Review: The Dark Divine by Bree Despain

On My Wishlist (8) / Waiting On Wednesday (Jan 6)

Teaser Tuesday (Jan 5)

2010 Book List

In My Mailbox (Jan 3)

Boneshaker giveaway WINNER!

Friday Finds (Jan 1) / Follow Friday (#7)

2009 Favorites + Happy New Year!

Happy Holidays!

On My Wishlist (7) / Waiting On Wednesday (Dec 23)

Teaser Tuesday (Dec 22)

Review: In Too Deep (39 Clues, Book 6)

Weekly Recap (Dec 14 - Dec 20)

Bookizzle's first ever giveaway WINNERS!!

Friday Finds (Dec 18) / Follow Friday (#6)

Giveaway: BONESHAKER

Interview with steampunk author Cherie Priest

On My Wishlist (6) / Waiting On Wednesday (Dec 16)

Teaser Tuesday (Dec 15)

Review: Blue Moon (The Immortals, Book 2)

In My Mailbox (Dec 13)

Friday Finds (Dec 11) / Follow Friday (#5)

2010 Speculative Fiction Challenge!

Award time! Blog Monster *rawr*

Award time! Blog Monster rawr