All About {n}

Hourglass by Myra McEntire

2012-01-27T09:44:00.001-05:00

Title: Hourglass
Author: Myra McEntire
Pages: 400
Genre: YA/ Science Fiction
Source: Amazon Vine Program

One hour to rewrite the past . . .

For seventeen-year-old Emerson Cole, life is about seeing what isn’t there: swooning Southern Belles; soldiers long forgotten; a haunting jazz trio that vanishes in an instant. Plagued by phantoms since her parents’ death, she just wants the apparitions to stop so she can be normal. She’s tried everything, but the visions keep coming back.

So when her well-meaning brother brings in a consultant from a secretive organization called the Hourglass, Emerson’s willing to try one last cure. But meeting Michael Weaver may not only change her future, it may change her past.

Who is this dark, mysterious, sympathetic guy, barely older than Emerson herself, who seems to believe every crazy word she says? Why does an electric charge seem to run through the room whenever he’s around? And why is he so insistent that he needs her help to prevent a death that never should have happened?

Full of atmosphere, mystery, and romance, Hourglass merges the very best of the paranormal and science-fiction genres in a seductive, remarkable young adult debut [via GoodReads]

Emerson sees ghosts – and like I’m sure any “normal” person would do, she sort of goes crazy. I think that would be the way I would handle it anyway. Her parents’ death and the depression she’s suffering from don’t really help the matter either. But now, somewhat healed, and living with her brother, she endeavors to deal with her condition – you know, the whole “I see dead people” thing. When her brother contacts a secret society called the Hourglass to help her with her “condition,” she’ll find answers that even she couldn’t have imagined.

While I didn’t find that Hourglass was utterly unique, I still found myself intrigued by its storyline. I more or less liked Emerson – she comes off as a kickass girl, independent and fearsome (at times). When she meets Michael things sort of change a little and that’s where some of my concerns lie. At first, Emerson is a strong character – but then Michael walks in and after much description of his hotness and muscles and the like (which btw, is much commented about throughout the story) she sort of loses some of that strong-ness (which is what I liked about her from the start). Most of the explanations she receives she takes at face value. There’s no questioning or experimenting to discover things on her own. I mean her condition is what it is and that is because… well, they said so. I don’t’ know, I expected a little more questioning from her… I guess. I’m not sure if that makes sense if you haven’t read the story but I truly don’t want to give too much away.

While I still enjoyed the story, I found that it got too slow for me somewhere in the middle and I eventually just lost focus. Quite frankly, I forced myself to finish it. I know I’m in the minority here, but I didn’t find it to be all that and a bag of chips like some of the reviews are raving. Yes, there was love, friendships and, of course, the expected, love triangle so that kept me reading, but in the end I found that the storyline wasn’t stellar nor where its characters. Fans of Twilight might enjoy it since I found some very noticeable similarities – and at the same time that might be (the similarities) what turns them off from the story. I also found it reminiscent of X-Men – which may also bring a fan base on that end. Sadly, I found it to be just okay.

My Rating:

Damned by Chuck Palahniuk

2012-01-26T09:05:00.000-05:00

Title: Damned
Author: Chuck Palahniuk
Pages: 247
Genre: Fiction
Source: Purchased

“Are you there, Satan? It’s me, Madison,” declares the whip-tongued thirteen-year-old narrator of Damned, Chuck Palahniuk’s subversive new work of fiction. The daughter of a narcissistic film star and a billionaire, Madison is abandoned at her Swiss boarding school over Christmas, while her parents are off touting their new projects and adopting more orphans. She dies over the holiday of a marijuana overdose—and the next thing she knows, she’s in Hell. Madison shares her cell with a motley crew of young sinners that is almost too good to be true: a cheerleader, a jock, a nerd, and a punk rocker, united by fate to form the six-feet-under version of everyone’s favorite detention movie. Madison and her pals trek across the Dandruff Desert and climb the treacherous Mountain of Toenail Clippings to confront Satan in his citadel. All the popcorn balls and wax lips that serve as the currency of Hell won’t buy them off. This is the afterlife as only Chuck Palahniuk could imagine it. [via GoodReads]

Damned is the story of Madison, dead at thirteen from a marijuana overdose. As if that’s not bad enough, because really, who overdoses on marijuana, but on top of that she’s also been damned to Hell (obviously, because of the marijuana.) Throughout her exploits in Hell, she makes a few friends… a popular girl, a nerd, a jock and a rebel – sound familiar? It definitely reminded me of my favorite 80’s detention movie. She also traverses the many landscapes of Hell, i.e.: the Dandruff Desert, past the Great Ocean of Wasted Sperm, even the Sea of Insects (to name a few). But although she finds that Hell isn’t as terrible as she always imagined while alive, she finds that being in Hell is the least of her worries. To get the answers she seeks, she’ll have to do some growing up and face the big guy himself… Satan.

This is my first Chuck Palahniuk book. I know, I know… why haven’t I read him before? Don’t really know. But, know this, this is just the beginning between the relationship Chuck and I have formed. While I’ve read some of the reviews and I can see the majority think this is not Chuck’s best work, I found this dramedy to be downright hilarious. Luckily, I don’t have a weak stomach, since yes, the Great Ocean of Wasted Sperm is one of the lighter things mentioned. I can see where some might be a little queasy even grossed out by some of the things and scenarios depicted. I quite frankly, found Chuck’s satire un-put-down-able. I love the adventures of Hell. I found it hilarious that The English Patient plays endlessly, that you are in a dirty cage, and that if you encounter a demon, they normally devour you limb by limb, then there was the dandruff, toenail clippings, etc. It was wonderful.

The first, in what has been rumored to be a trilogy, Damned was a great intro to Mr. Palahniuk. No, it’s not a masterpiece, but it was definitely enjoyable. I cannot wait to see what he puts Maddie through next.

My Rating:

Love Story by Jennifer Echols

2012-01-25T12:15:00.001-05:00

Title: Love Story
Author: Jennifer Echols
Pages: 243
Genre: YA / Fiction
Source: Simon & Schuster

For Erin Blackwell, majoring in creative writing at the New York City college of her dreams is more than a chance to fulfill her ambitions--it's her ticket away from the tragic memories that shadow her family's racehorse farm in Kentucky. But when she refuses to major in business and take over the farm herself someday, her grandmother gives Erin's college tuition and promised inheritance to their maddeningly handsome stable boy, Hunter Allen. Now Erin has to win an internship and work late nights at a coffee shop to make her own dreams a reality. She should despise Hunter . . . so why does he sneak into her thoughts as the hero of her latest writing assignment?

Then, on the day she's sharing that assignment with her class, Hunter walks in. He's joining her class. And after he reads about himself in her story, her private fantasies about him must be painfully clear. She only hopes to persuade him not to reveal her secret to everyone else. But Hunter devises his own creative revenge, writing sexy stories that drive the whole class wild with curiosity and fill Erin's heart with longing. Now she's not just imagining what might have been. She's writing a whole new ending for her romance with Hunter . . . except this story could come true.

When Erin puts her foot down and pursues her dream of being a writer – she finds herself stripped of her inheritance and alone at college trying to make a good impression on her creative writing professor and classmates. She writes love stories with her Kentucky farm as the backdrop and her beloved stable boy as her leading man. The same stable boy who her grandmother has bestowed her inheritance upon and whom walks in as the new student in her writing class. As if gaining respect from her classmates as romance author isn’t hard enough. But now, with Hunter (a/k/a the stable boy) in her class reading and criticizing her stories everyone is bound to find out that the stable boy is not just a figment of her imagination.

As one of Jennifer Echols’ fangirls – I was wooed (and I’m sure many of you were too) by the stunning cover and synopsis of Love Story. I mean you can feel the waves of “perfect summer read” coming off of it just from glancing at it. But, (and I’m shrieking at myself over this) – it just didn’t hit the bliss-o-meter, not the way “Going Too Far” and “Forget You” did for me. There were some aspects of the story that I really liked – especially when it came to the stories within the story. Yes, we get to read the short stories Erin and Hunter write for their creative writing class. I loved how it became almost a battle of the minds between them. Questioning and answering each other within their stories. I even enjoyed the time we spend debating with their classmates on the significance of the writing, the characters, the plots, etc. But my reservations were for the characters themselves. I had a hard time relating to Erin and Hunter. Although for the most part, they were realistic, I felt that they bordered on the too dramatic.. which led to moments of frustration on my part. I rooted for their love story to come to fruition but at the same time I found that I really didn’t care that much. Sadly, and I’m seriously pouting over this, I was disappointed.

Now does that mean I’ve given up on Jennifer Echols? Heck no!! On the other hand, I can’t wait for her next book.

My Rating:

2012-01-24T10:46:00.000-05:00

I know some of you were wondering. After my 6 month hiatus, I somehow feel lost starting the blog back up. I do exist, have existed, just haven't had the time to blog. In short, life got complicated. Over the past 6 months, I've taken two new jobs, both at different ends of the world (or so it feels like), have decided to get healthy (lost 60 lbs.), gained 10 back, haven't read as much, but also made more time for my family (the kids are getting big so fast), and pretty much got into a new daily rhythm. It hasn't been easy. But alas, I've made it out in one peace, sane of mind, and happy. That's what matters right?!

Ok, so down to business. I have no idea what's going on. I mean, I've visited all my old daily blogs. Some of you are there, some of you aren't. I guess my life wasn't the only one to get complicated. I updated all your cute blog buttons (check you out, on my sidebar). But I was wondering what new blogs have popped up in the last 6 months that I should follow. Suggestions...

Also, I see that so many of you are truly faithful followers and stuck around for those 6 months when there was complete and total silence on my end. I can't tell you how grateful I am for that. Some of you I never even got around to meeting. Please introduce yourselves in a comment to this post with a link to your blog. I would love to drop by and say hello.

I want to get the blog back up to snuff and will be reinstating the Bookcase of the Week feature. Any of you interested in participating? If so, please let me know. I have to start somewhere, why not with your bookcases.

All in all, I'm glad to be back. I was so happy to hear from some of you guys already. I've missed blogging, missed book chatting, and missed you.

Giveaways will also be reinstated soon. I can't wait!!

Unleashed by Nancy Holder & Debbie Viguie

2012-01-24T09:46:00.000-05:00

Title: Unleashed (Wolf Springs Chronicles)
Authors: Nancy Holder & Debbie Viguie
Pages: 382
Genre: YA / Paranormal Fiction
Source: Amazon Vie Program

Katelyn McBride’s life changed in an instant when her mother died. Uprooted from her California home, Katelyn was shipped to the middle of nowhere, Arkansas, to her only living relative, her grandfather. And now she has to start over in Wolf Springs, a tiny village in the Ozark Mountains. Like any small town, Wolf Springs has secrets. But the secrets hidden here are more sinister than Katelyn could ever imagine. It’s a town with a history that reaches back centuries, spans continents, and conceals terrifying truths. And Katelyn McBride is about to change everything.

Broken families, ageless grudges, forced alliances, and love that blooms in the darkest night—welcome to Wolf Springs. [via GoodReads]

Although I’m not a big fan of the werewolves (sorry Jacob lovers), I was a little intrigued by the synopsis and pretty cover of Unleashed. Unleashed is the first book in the Wolf Springs Chronicles and I’m happy to report that it was a great start to the series.

When an earthquake unexpectedly kills Katelyn’s mom, she is swept away from her life in San Francisco and shipped off to live with her grandfather in Arkansas. As if dealing with her untimely loss is not hard enough, she now basically also has to start a new life, with an unknown grandfather in an unknown school and town.

When she’s asked to do a local history project, she finds herself drawn to the idea of unraveling some of the town’s mystery and maybe finding a way to fit in.

I really liked Katelyn and the dynamics between her and Ed, her granddad. As sad as it is to bear the loss of a parent, I can’t imagine how hard it would also be to have to start a new life. I think the authors did a great job in capturing their budding relationship. I also enjoyed the friendship she forms with Cordelia – that while she felt she had found a friend she also wasn’t too trustworthy since she kept skimming around Katelyn’s questions about the town, her family, etc.. Then there is Justin… Cordelia’s cousin and hottie love interest. While Katelyn is attracted to him… almost stalkerish over him, she’s also interested in Trick… love triangle anyone?

I actually really enjoyed this book. I loved the mystery of it all. Like Katelyn I was weary and questioning of pretty much everything and everyone in the story. It felt tense and suspenseful and had me at the proverbial edge of my seat. I liked that the story was long enough to truly capture its characters and let you know them well enough to where you actually felt invested in them. My only problem (and this is just a small criticism) was its abrupt ending. I get that it’s a trilogy, but I felt that there would be some type of closure. Instead I was left with bated breath waiting for its next installment. Surprisingly very good.

My Rating:

Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

2012-01-23T09:00:00.001-05:00

Title: Lola and the Boy Next Door
Author: Stephanie Perkins
Pages: 338
Genre: Fiction
Source: Purchased

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

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

I shall start this review with a warning… this is a gush-fest. Fan girl sighing, squeeing and high-fiving will follow… enter at your own risk.

Stephanie Perkins is my hero. Yes, Anna and the French Kiss was phenomenal – still one of my favorites. And yes, I do gush about it to random strangers at book stores and have even forced one or two of them to grab the book and rush to the nearest cashier. I can’t always say its to buy the book or to call security, but whatevah. With that said, and, of course, needless to say, I was uber excited when I heard about Lola and the Boy Next Door. But even though I was convinced it would be just as wonderful as AatFK, I always have that little nagging at the back of my mind that maybe it won’t be as good as the awesomeness that its predecessor was. Well, let me tell y’all, you have nothing to fear!! It was AHHHH-mazing!

Lola was as quirky and endearing as they come. I loved everything about her. Her fathers, her wonderful sense of style (the dresses, the wigs, the stockings and shoes… le sigh), her rocker boyfriend and yes, especially, the boy next door, Cricket. Love the name *high-five, Stephanie Perkins.* Cricket was everything a girl dreams of… at least, a girl like me (when I was younger of course). He was awkward, sweet, funny, and so lovable. I loved them individually and together.

While AatFK had more of a fairtytale feel to it, Lola’s had a more “real” vibe going. These characters may sound perfect, but if anything, they are perfectly flawed. They’re not perfect, they don’t have all the answers, and while I did have a goofy grin on my face for the most part, there were some moments that had me at the brink of tears.

Lola and the Boy Next Door was everything that I could have asked for in a book. I have not one single complaint (well, maybe that it ended – le sigh). Oh, and did I mention the many cameos that Anna and Etienne make… yep, they’re there too (squee!). I loved it! I think you will too.

My Rating:

The Lover's Dictionary by David Levithan

2012-01-20T09:00:00.001-05:00

Title: The Lover's Dictionary
Author: David Levithan
Pages: 211
Genre: Fiction
Source: Purchased

basis, n.

There has to be a moment at the beginning when you wonder whether you’re in love with the person or in love with the feeling of love itself. If the moment doesn’t pass, that’s it—you’re done. And if the moment does pass, it never goes that far. It stands in the distance, ready for whenever you want it back. Sometimes it’s even there when you thought you were searching for something else, like an escape route, or your lover’s face.

How does one talk about love? Do we even have the right words to describe something that can be both utterly mundane and completely transcendent, pulling us out of our everyday lives and making us feel a part of something greater than ourselves? Taking a unique approach to this problem, the nameless narrator of David Levithan’s The Lover’s Dictionary has constructed the story of his relationship as a dictionary. Through these short entries, he provides an intimate window into the great events and quotidian trifles of being within a couple, giving us an indelible and deeply moving portrait of love in our time. [via GoodReads]

This is Mr. Levithan’s foray into adult fiction and if you’ve read any of his young adult novels (Nick & Norah, Dash & Lily and even the Will Grayson’s) then you will recognize his sense of humor, witty-and-savvyness right from the start. With one word (each entry being a different letter of the alphabet) – you get a glimpse into these two individuals’ relationship their genders are unspecific – which is a nice touch, since you can read it and imagine them to be just about anyone. And you read of the moments that define their relationship - the joys and the sorrows – all told in an honest voice.

I really can’t say what I loved more – the story itself or the uniqueness of the way the story is told… but both make The Lover’s Dictionary a quick and lyrical read that will stay with you long after you are done with it (which in my case was just a few hours).

Maybe it was its simplicity... maybe it was the clues - becuase who doesn't love piecing together a story... it could have also been the wonderful wordplay - using a word to give you a glimpse of the love story between two unnamed individuals. I can't precisely pinpoint exactly what I found so captivating about the Lover's Dictionary bu there were so many factors that seduced me that I found this oh-too-short story to be quite a treat.

My Rating:

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

2012-01-19T11:18:00.001-05:00

Title: The Fault in Our Stars
Author: John Green
Pages: 313
Genre: Fiction
Source: Purchased

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

Two years post-miracle, sixteen-year-old Hazel is post-everything else, too; post-high school, post-friends and post-normalcy. And even though she could live for a long time (whatever that means), Hazel lives tether...moreDiagnosed with Stage IV thyroid cancer at 12, Hazel was prepared to die until, at 14, a medical miracle shrunk the tumours in her lungs... for now.

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

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

I’m always a sucker for a cancer book. Don’t really know why since I’m very much a hypochondriac and since my reading of The Fault in Our Stars have already scheduled myself for a physical… just in case, you know, I have cancer. Don’t judge.

The Fault in Our Stars was amazing. I read it in a few short hours. I was that engrossed and fell that in love with its characters. Sixteen year old Hazel is living with cancer and upon her mother’s request begins attending a youth cancer support group. There she meets Augustus Waters – cancer survivor and the type of guy who grabs life by the reins and just runs with it.

Yes, this is a cancer book. But don’t see that as a downer. Both Hazel and Augustus are such uplifting characters. They give the story a light tone and not make it as suffocating as some cancer books can be. Their witty sense of humors, the way that they deal with sickness, their friendship and budding romance as well as their obsession with An Imperial Affliction and its author make a fascinating read.

Needless to say, it IS a cancer book, so there were tears shed on my end, but I would not trade those moments for laughter. I was enthralled by this story and was very impressed by the way Mr. Green tackled some heavy subjects in a tender yet masterful way.

Hands down The Fault in Our Stars is one of the best books I’ve read in a while… and that’s not a “cancer perk.”

My Rating:

2011 Reading List

2012-01-01T09:00:00.001-05:00

[via WeHeartIt]

1- Invincible Summer by Hannah Moskowitz (completed 1/02/11)
2- Full Dark, No Stars by Stephen King (completed 1/05/11)
3- Beauty's Punishment by A.N. Roquelaure (completed 1/06/11)
4- Timeless by Alexandra Monir (completed 1/09/11)
5- Trickster's Girl by Hilari Bell (completed 1/10/11)
6- The Water Wars by Cameron Stracher (completed 1/11/11)
7- Switched by Amanda Hocking (completed 1/12/11)
8- The Secret Year by Jennifer R. Hubbard (completed 1/13/11)
9- The Poison Eaters & Other Short Stories by Holly Black (completed 1/17/11)
10- Stay by Deb Caletti (completed 1/19/11)
11- Rock Hard by Olivia Cunning (completed 1/21/11)
12- The Iron Thorn by Caitlin Kittredge (completed 1/23/11)
13- Rosebush by Michele Jaffe (completed 1/25/11)
14- These Things Hidden by Heather Gudenkauf (completed 1/26/11)
15- Vesper by Jeff Samspon (completed 1/26/11)
16- Can You Survive the Zombie Apocalypse? by Max Brallier (completed 1/27/11)
17- Divergent by Veronica Roth (completed 1/29/11)
18- Starstruck by Cyn Balog (completed 1/31/11)
19- Vixen by Jillian Larkin (completed 2/01/11)
20- Feed by Mira Grant (completed 2/03/11)
21- Shine by Lauren Myracle (completed 2/04/11)
22- Dreams of a Dark Warrior by Kresley Cole (completed 2/7/11)
23- It Happened One Season by Various Authors (completed 2/8/11)
24- On the Hunt by Various Authors (completed 2/10/11)
25- Will Work for Prom Dress by Aimee Ferris (completed 2/10/11)
26- The Princess in His Bed by Lila DiPasqua (completed 2/12/11)
27- The Countess by Lynsay Sands (completed 2/14/11)
28- Shimmer by Alyson Noel (completed 2/15/11)
29- Numbers 2: The Chaos by Rachel Ward (completed 2/17/11)
30- Wake Unto Me by Lisa Cach (completed 2/17/11)
31- I Think I Love You by Allison Pearson (completed 2/20/11)
32- Desires of the Dead by Kimberly Derting (completed 2/21/11)
33- The Girl Who Was on Fire by Various Authors (completed 2/23/11)
34- With This Ring, I Thee Bed by Various Authors (completed 2/23/11)
35- The Heiress by Lynsay Sands (completed 2/24/11)
36- The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter (completed 2/25/11)
37- Enclave by Ann Aguirre (completed 2/27/11)
38- Girl, Stolen by April Henry (completed 2/28/11)
39- Other Words for Love by Lorraine Zago Rosenthal (completed 3/01/11)
40- Where I Belong by Gwendolyn Heasley (completed 3/02/11)
41- Die for Me by Amy Plum (completed 3/02/11)
42- Lady Isabella's Scandalous Marriage by Jennifer Ashley (completed 3/04/11)
43- So Shelly by Ty Roth (completed 3/06/11)
44- Haunting Violet by Alyxandra Harvey (completed 3/07/11)
45- Tighter by Adele Griffin (completed 3/10/11)
46- Cloaked by Alex Flinn (completed 3/12/11)
47- A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick (completed 3/15/11)
48- Where She Went by Gayle Forman (completed 3/16/11)
49- Beauty's Release by A.N. Roquelaure (completed 3/18/11)
50- The Magnolia League by Katie Crouch (completed 3/20/11)
51- Hereafter by Tara Hudson (completed 3/21/11)
52- The Fall by Guillermo Del Toro & Chuck Hogan (completed 3/22/11)
53- The Dark and Hollow Places by Carrie Ryan (completed 3/24/11)
54- Trapped by Michael Winthrop (completed 3/25/11)
55- Torn by Amanda Hocking (completed 3/25/11)
56- Ascend by Amanda Hocking (completed 3/26/11)
57- The Peach Keeper by Sarah Addison Allen (completed 3/28/11)
58- Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks (completed 3/30/11)
59- Entwined by Heather Dixon (completed 3/31/11)
60- Mermaid: A Twist on the Classic Tale by Carolyn Turgeon (completed 4/02/11)
61- The Darkest Secret by Gena Showalter (completed 4/05/11)
62- Miles from Ordinary by Carol Lynch Williams (completed 4/06/11)
63- The Bird Sisters by Rebecca Rasmussen (completed 4/07/11)
64- Seduce Me in Dreams by Jacquelyn Frank (completed 4/10/11)
65- Possession by Elana Johnson (completed 4/13/11)
66- Semi-Sweet: A Novel of Love and Cupcakes by Roisin Meaney (completed 4/14/11)
67- A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness (completed 4/15/11)
68- Drought by Pam Bachorz (completed 4/17/11)
69- Auschwitz: A Doctor's Eyewitness Account by Miklos Nyiszli (completed 4/18/11)
70- Beauty Queens by Libba Bray (completed 4/20/11)
71- Witches of East End by Melissa de la Cruz (completed 5/01/11)
72- Savage Nature by Christine Feehan (completed 5/18/11)
73- Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini (completed 5/26/11)
74- Graveminder by Melissa Marr (completed 6/07/11)
75- The Lover's Dictionary by David Levithan (completed 6/09/11)
76- Moonglass by Jessi Kirby (completed 6/18/11)
77- Then Came You by Jennifer Weiner (completed 6/22/11)
78- Love Story by Jennifer Echols (completed 6/27/11)
79- Summers Crossing - Julie Kagawa (completed 7/05/11)
80- The Strange Case of Finley Jane by Kady Cross (completed 7/06/11)
81- ImaginaryGirls by Nove Ren Suma (completed 7/11/11)
82- The Girl in the Steel Corset by Kady Cross (completed 7/11/11)
83- The Fox Inheritance by Mary E. Pearson (completed 7/12/11)
84- Lord of the Vampires by Gena Showalter (completed 7/13/11)
85- In the Arms of a Marquess by Katharine Ashe (completed 7/14/11)
86- The Iron Knight by Julie Kagawa (completed 7/14/11)
87- Captured by a Rogue Lord by Katharine Ashe (completed 7/18/11)
88- Just Like Heaven by Julia Quinn (completed 7/19/11)
89- A Lady's Wish by Katharine Ashe (completed 7/21/11)
90- Lord of Rage by Jill Monroe (completed 7/25/11)
91- Lord of the Wolfyn by Jessica Andersen (completed 7/28/11)
92- Seduce me in Flames by Jacquelyn Frank (completed 8/01/11)
93- Wicked in Your Arms by Sophie Jordan (completed 8/03/11)
94- Confessions of an Improper Bride by Jennifer Haymore (completed 8/05/11)
95- The Many Sins of Lord Cameron by Jennifer Ashley (completed 8/09/11)
96- The Help by Kathryn Stockett (completed 9/05/11)
97- Dreamland by Alyson Noel (completed 9/27/11)
98- Fever: 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson (completed 9/28/11)
99- The Darkest Surrender by Gena Showalter (completed 9/30/11)
100- Remedial Magic by Jenna Black (completed 10/03/11)
101- Glimmer Glass by Jenna Black (completed 10/03/11)
102- Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs (completed 10/17/11)
103- Dark Predator by Christine Feehan (completed 10/20/11)
104- Lord of the Abyss by Nalini Singh (completed 10/25/11)
105- Damned by Chuck Palahniuk (completed 10/26/11)
106 - The Pledge by Kimberly Derting (completed 11/04/11)
107- The Power of Six by Pittacus Lore (completed 11/06/11)
108- Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins (completed 11/07/11)
109- Legacy by Molly Cochran (completed 11/07/11)
110- The Best of Me by Nicholas Sparks (completed 11/13/11)
111- Adam by Jacquelyn Frank (completed 11/13/11)
112- Dust & Decay by Jonathan Maberry (completed 11/20/11)
113- The Future of Us by Jay Asher (completed 12/03/11)
114- Hourglass by Myra McEntire (completed 12/06/11)
115- Cordina's Royal Family: Gabriella & Alexander by Nora Roberts (completed 12/07/11)
116- A Courtesan's Guide to Getting Your Man by Celeste Bradley & Susan Donovan (completed 12/08/11)
117- If You Dare by Kresley Cole (completed 12/12/11)
118- If You Desire by Kresley Cole (completed 12/12/11)
119 - If You Deceive by Kresley Cole (completed 12/13/11)
120- The One That I Want by Jennifer Echols (completed 12/15/11)
121- The Captain of All Pleasures by Kresley Cole (completed 12/19/11)
122- The Price of Pleasure by Kresley Cole (completed 12/20/11)
123- Heart of the Dragon by Gena Showalter (completed 12/22/11)
124- Jewel of Atlantis by Gena Showalter (completed 12/28/11)
125- Spirit Bound by Chritine Feehan (completed 12/30/11)

Books read this year: 125

# of pages read this year: 36,333

2010 reading list
2009 reading list
2008 reading list

Witches of East End by Melissa de la Cruz

2011-06-24T09:00:00.001-04:00

Title: Witches of East End

Author: Melissa De La Cruz

Pages: 288

Genre: Fiction

Source: Amazon Vine Program

The three Beauchamp women--Joanna and her daughters Freya and Ingrid--live in North Hampton, out on the tip of Long Island. Their beautiful, mist-shrouded town seems almost stuck in time, and all three women lead seemingly quiet, uneventful existences. But they are harboring a mighty secret--they are powerful witches banned from using their magic. Joanna can resurrect people from the dead and heal the most serious of injuries. Ingrid, her bookish daughter, has the ability to predict the future and weave knots that can solve anything from infertility to infidelity. And finally, there's Freya, the wild child, who has a charm or a potion that can cure most any heartache.

For centuries, all three women have been forced to suppress their abilities. But then Freya, who is about to get married to the wealthy and mysterious Bran Gardiner, finds that her increasingly complicated romantic life makes it more difficult than ever to hide her secret. Soon Ingrid and Joanna confront similar dilemmas, and the Beauchamp women realize they can no longer conceal their true selves. They unearth their wands from the attic, dust off their broomsticks, and begin casting spells on the townspeople. It all seems like a bit of good-natured, innocent magic, but then mysterious, violent attacks begin to plague the town. When a young girl disappears over the Fourth of July weekend, they realize it's time to uncover who and what dark forces are working against them.

With a brand-new cast of characters, a fascinating and fresh world to discover, and a few surprise appearances from some of the Blue Blood fan favorites, this is a page-turning, deliciously fun, magical summer read fraught with love affairs, witchcraft, and an unforgettable battle between good and evil. [via GoodReads]

I was excited to hear that Melissa de la Cruz was coming out with a paranormal adult series. So needless to say, I was the first one in line searching for an ARC, which I gladly received through Amazon. But before I can even start my review, I must confess that I have not read Ms. de la Cruz's Blue Bloods series so I can't say how or if the stories are related.

With that said, I found the Witches of East End to be a unique story of three witches - a mother and her two daughters. Told through alternating points-of-view, you get to learn more of Joanna, Ingrid and Freya, their very long lives and why they're bound by rules that won't allow them to use their magic.

While I can't say that I loved this book, I did find the story intriguing at times. There were times were I found myself sludging to get through some chapters, while at other times I was flying through the pages. I'm not sure if I was confused for most of the story with trying to truly understand and getting to know (and like) the main characters. Which I never truly succeeded at - since I did like Joanna and Ingrid but I definitely had my issues with Freya. Aside from my mild dislike of the main characters, I felt that the story just didn't move along fast enough to keep me entertained. It almost felt disjointed at times. When the main plot points were finally revealed I think I was just over the whole thing.

I did enjoy reading about the haven they found in North Hampton - and I enjoyed meeting the town residents, the love interests, and the mystery of it all. I also loved the way the Salem Witch Trials and Nordic mythology were weaved into the storyline... yet it wasn't enough for me to fall in love with it.... sadly.

While the synopsis does mention that this is the perfect read for cross-over fans of Ms. de la Cruz'a YA series - I would like to mention that there are numerous "explicit" sex scenes. And while I'm sure the more mature teens will be okay with this, I found myself a tad uncomfortable with some of these scenes... like maybe I didn't need that many of them... I'm just saying.

All in all, Witches of East End fell flat for me. Yet I see plenty of mixed reviews out there - so my final verdict would be, enter at your own risk.

My Rating:

Where I Belong by Gwendolyn Heasley

2011-06-22T09:00:00.002-04:00

Title: Where I Belong

Author: Gwendolyn Heasley

Pages: 304

Genre: YA/Teen

Source: Around the World ARC Tours

Meet Corrinne. She's living every girl's dream in New York City—shopping sprees at Barneys, open access to the best clubs and parties, and her own horse at the country club. Her perfect life is perfectly on track. At least it was. . . .

When Corrinne's father is laid off, her world suddenly falls apart. Instead of heading to boarding school, she's stripped of her credit cards and shipped off to the boonies of Texas to live with her grandparents. On her own in a big public school and forced to take a job shoveling manure, Corrinne is determined to get back to the life she's supposed to be living. She doesn't care who she stomps on in the process. But when Corrinne makes an unlikely friend and discovers a total hottie at work, she begins to wonder if her life B.R.—before the recession—was as perfect as it seemed. [via GoodReads]

I love this type of story... instead of it being a rags to riches one, it's a riches to rags tale. Where the mean, snobby, rich girl learns that there's more to life than just money. I love this type of story because you will always find great character development. And that is exactly the type of character Corinne is. At first, you don't truly like her. She's spoiled, obnoxious and quite frankly annoying when it comes to her selfishness. But when her lifestyle takes a nosedive after her father loses his job and she ends up living in small town Texas with her grandparents - she'll learn that not everything revolves around her wants and needs, where she'll make true friendships, learn the importance of family and enjoy the stirrings of a new love.

I enjoyed seeing the many changes in Corrine. Her internal diaglogues were very entertaining and you fully and believably grasp the strenuous situation she believes herself to be in once she realizes that she has no money. I found it funny that in the first pages you are forewarned about what an unlikeable character she is but to give her a chance because she just might grow on you... and that she does. I found myself taken in by the story. I loved reading of the town of Broken Spoke and its quirky residents.

All in all, Where I Belong is a fun and quick read - a sweet contemporary YA story of one girl's path to self-discovery. It definitely made me want go out and buy me my own set of boots and cowboy hat.

My Rating:

Moonglass by Jessi Kirby

2011-06-21T09:00:00.004-04:00

Title: Moonglass
Author: Jessi Kirby

Pages: 240
Genre: YA/ Teen

Source: Amazon Vine Program

Anna's life is turned upside down when her father accepts a job offer far from her home, her friends, her beach, and the waves that took her mother's life. Now, at Crystal Cove, she is even more haunted by the loss of her mother... for it is the same place her mother and father once met and fell in love. Although she and her father have always maintained a good relationship, she feels that mentioning her mother and her loss is taboo. So instead of dwelling in the past, she plans on enjoying her summer. After all, she has a new beach to swim in, new boys (one hottie lifeguard in particular) to fall for, and new friends to make... but uncovering family secrets may be just what she and her father need to finally begin to truly live.

Moonglass is the ideal summer read. There's the beach, the sand, the lifeguards (wink wink), the search for the perfect moonglass and even a mystery to unravel.

While I truly enjoyed reading Moonglass, and getting to know Anna - whom I must say I truly liked, my favorite aspect of the story was the setting... the beach - Crystal Cove. Ms. Kirby does a phenomenal job of describing everything from the sand in your toes to the smell of salt in the air. It was a very visual experience for me.

Although the story did have a slow start for me and there were a few moments that lost their momentum, I was still very intrigued by the relationship between Anna and her father. How strained it had become since the loss of her mother and my hopes that they would somehow begin to accept their loss and eventually heal. I also found it a nice surprise that while there was some mild romance it wasn't the main focus of the story. Instead I found Moonglass to have a more serious tone... bittersweet and heartbreaking, yet sweet and inspirational.

Moonglass will have you yearning for summer and a chance to stick your feet in the ocean. A lovely read, one that you should not leave out of your beach bag this summer.

My Rating:

Hello friends.

2011-06-19T18:11:00.000-04:00

It's a rainy and gloomy Sunday here in Miami. I love this weather! I fear that I have let my blog become a little run down, so I want to make it a point to post whenever I can and pretty much do whatever I want... it's my blog and I do what I want to... I hope you guys understand. Although I'm not blogging nearly as much, I am happy to say that I am reading and participating in my local author events. Yay me! So I wanted to share my adventure from this past week.

I got to meet the oh-so-pretty and wonderfully stylish authoress, LAUREN KATE!!! *fanfare*

Lauren toured through Miami Last week - just a few days after her Passion release and we were part of her welcoming party at our local Books & Books.

Lauren was sweet as pie and not only read to us from Passion, but she also gave us a lot of juicy details about what's going to happen throughout the series... she even told us the ending.... yeah right! Either way, I had a blast. Not only was it a pleasure to meet Lauren but I was also able to meet up with my lovely blogging buddies. We even have a group picture to share... but it wasn't part of my pictures. Once I can snag a copy I'll share that one with you as well.

I hope you are all having a marvelous weekend. Hope to hear from you soon. Big smooches to you all.

Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini

2011-05-27T13:00:00.001-04:00

Title: Starcrossed
Author: Josephine Angelini

Pages: 496
Genre: YA/ Teen

Source: Kismet Book Touring

How do you defy destiny?

Helen Hamilton has spent her entire sixteen years trying to hide how different she is—no easy task on an island as small and sheltered as Nantucket. And it's getting harder. Nightmares of a desperate desert journey have Helen waking parched, only to find her sheets damaged by dirt and dust. At school she's haunted by hallucinations of three women weeping tears of blood . . . and when Helen first crosses paths with Lucas Delos, she has no way of knowing they're destined to play the leading roles in a tragedy the Fates insist on repeating throughout history.

As Helen unlocks the secrets of her ancestry, she realizes that some myths are more than just legend. But even demigod powers might not be enough to defy the forces that are both drawing her and Lucas together—and trying to tear them apart. [via GoodReads]

Well let's start with the eye candy... yes, that cover! Hello lovah!! Needless to say, from the moment that I saw the gorgeous cover of Starcrossed I knew I just had to get my hands on a copy. Secondly, after a quick skim over the synopsis and my ensuing realization and utter joy that there is a thread of Greek mythology running through our story... well hello (insert Gollom voice) my precious...

I absolutely fell in love with this story. Helen is such a likeable leading lady - she was a breath of fresh air. She came off as a strong and decisive young lady, normal in the eyes of most, but with a big secret. We instantly realize that she is far from normal and no matter how hard she tries to hide her strength, speed and breathtaking good looks (a lot like me - ahem), she cannot help but stand out. When the Delos family arrive in her small and sheltered Nantucket island, acting normal is the least of her worries. For shortly after their arrival, she must face not only the reality of who and what she is, but the tragedy that fate has in store for her.

I love a strong heroine and, Helen was definitely that! She is the type to roll with the punches (sometimes even in the literal sense). If life gave her lemons, well she made lemonade. I liked this so much about her and I found it so refreshing. She has so much character growth throughout the story - from a hunched over young girl trying to hide away who she is, to a brave and proud young woman who would not let something as trivial as fate stand in the way of what she wanted her outcome to be.

Ms. Angelini also gives us an abundance of great characters to pick and choose from - aside from the awesomeness that is Helen, we meet Lucas - the super cute and utterly romantic love interest, Claire a/k/a Giggles - Helen's BFF, her father, the Delos' and their extended family... I mean there were many that instantly became favorites.

The storyline was very attractive and I instantly became immersed in it. Ms. Angelini is not only a phenomenal writer but she definitely knows how to keep you on your toes. Just when I thought I had it all figured out there was a twist... then a turn... then a curve... well needless to say, I never knew what was going to happen next. I loved the suspense, the drama, the angst... the love (le sigh). I'm a sucker for starcrossed lovers, what can I say?

All in all, Starcrossed blew me away. I felt that it had the perfect amount of humor, action, drama, friendships, relationships, family, etc. It was fun, fast-paced, action-packed and had the a great, modern twist on Greek mythology. Ms. Angelini has got a winner on her hands that I'm sure will appeal to many readers - no matter the age. In conclusion, this reader highly recommends it!

My Rating:

Listen up Starcrossed Blog Tour Followers: you have a chance to win a Kindle 3 and quite possibly, the most gorgeous skin I've ever seen...

To enter you must be following the blog tour and collect words from a love letter that Lucas wrote to Helen. Here is today's piece of the letter:

Contest rules for the Kindle Giveaway:

In order to enter to win a Kindle3 WiFi, including a copy of Starcrossed, a personal letter from Josie to the winner and covered in a GelaSkin of Starcrossed's cover art, you must collect the pink highlighted words from Lucas's love letter to Helen that are provide each day at the individual tour stops. The daily words can be joined together in sequential order to create the winning secret message. Once you've constructed the winning secret message, you will need to enter that message on Starcrossed's tour home page (http://www.kismetbt.com/upcoming-tour/starcrossed-by-josephine-angelini-on-tour-mayjune).
No purchase, affiliation, status as follower to a certain blog or any other association is required to enter.
Full rules for the contest can be found at the Starcrossed tour home page here.
Winner of the Kindle give-away will be announced on Josie's homepage on Tuesday, June 7th.

Tour Stops:
Monday May, 16th - Bewitched Bookworms/ Tour Kick-off!
Tuesday, May 17th - Becky, Stories & Sweets
Wednesday, May 18th - Elie, Ellz Reads
Thursday, May 19th - Heidi, YA Bibliophile
Friday, May 20th - See Scoot Read / Character Interview with Helen's BFF Claire
Monday May, 23th - Missie, The Unread Reader / "When I'm not Writing"
Tuesday, May 24th - Savanna, Books with Bite
Wednesday, May 25th - Natalie, The Mindful Musings / Character Interview with Helen
Thursday, May 26th - Heather, Buried in Books /Interview with Josie
Friday, May 27th - Nely, All about {n} / "Josie's Bookcase"
Monday May, 30th - Candace, Candace's Book Blog / Interview with Josie
Tuesday, May 31st (Starcrossed Book Birthday!) - Kristi, The Story Siren / Vlog post by Josie
Wednesday, June 1st - Small Review
Thursday, June 2nd - Jenny, Supernatural Snark / Character Interview with Lucas
Friday, June 3rd - Cynthia - A Book About Nothing

Tuesday, June 7th: Announcement of the big prize winner on Josie's Blog!

My thanks to Kismet Book Touring and Josie Angelini for providing me with my copy of Starcrossed for review.

Bookcase of the Week - Starring... Josephine Angelini

2011-05-27T08:30:00.002-04:00

In today's Bookcase of the Week feature, it is with great pleasure that I bring you author Josie Angelini's bookshelves. I was ecstatic when my dear friend Danny and one of the founders of Kismet Book Touring asked me to participate in Josie's book tour... like if I could pass up on that (duh!). I was even more excited to learn that Josie agreed to show us her bookcases as part of the Bookcase of the Week - eeeek!! Aren't you excited?! I know I was. So without further ado my peeps, here is Josie... Josie the mic is all yours:

At first, I thought I was going to do the safe thing with this essay and take a wide shot of my big book case, write a few lines about what books in general have meant to me over the years, and be done with it. Then I started looking at the books I have all jumbled up together and I realized that the safe route wasn’t going to cut it. My bookcase was talking to me. What is was saying was, “You’re an odd duck, Angelini.”

I’ve never had a system for how my books appear on the shelf. I usually try to lump all the works of one author or an entire series together, but only because it looks better that way. Mostly, my books go up on the shelf the way they come out of the box when I move. I’ve never been afraid of randomness; in fact, I’m a fan of trying to find patterns in chaos. I don’t know if there is any code to all this, but I do know that I found some things that I thought were worth pointing out as if to say to the
world… WTF?

Ah, Douglas Adams. How do I love thee? And right next to “The Guide” is Chabon’s awesome “The Amazing Adventures of Cavalier and Clay”. Not too weird to have those next to each other. But look to the left. Just beyond “The Red Tent” (a book about the beginnings of Judaism and women’s place in it) is “The Eternal Now” a book written by Socialist Christian thinker Paul Tillich who taught at the Harvard Divinity School. And next to that is a book about particle physics written by the Nobel Laureate and funny man Leon Lederman. Next to that is “Monkey”, a collection of Eastern folk tales about a monkey who meets a bunch of gods and ogres and causes a lot of mischief.

So we’ve got a Christian Socialist, Judaism, particle physics, and a monkey all hanging out on a shelf together. That reminds me of a joke….

Mythology, The Bible, a collection of some of the greatest plays ever written, Eastern religion, the dictionary, and a book called Art and Physics.

Art, god(s), and Physics all stacked up together. Oh, and a dictionary in case I don’t know what a word means (which happens a lot more than I should probably admit).

I’m starting to see a pattern here…wait for it… nope. I lost it.

Okay, now that’s just weird. I don’t remember buying “The Power of Myth”. Must have been a present. The rest of the books are fantastic and I’d recommend them in a heartbeat, although the one about Heisenberg (a physicist and contemporary of Einstein’s) might be a little dry for most people’s taste. Pablo Neruda *sigh*. Man, I love a good poet. I wonder if Neruda and Heisenberg would hit it off over cocktails?

I am not getting any clearer to myself. But “Catcher in the Rye” is one of my favorite books ever, whatever that means.

A lot more about Judaism, Christianity, and Islam on one side-- then as we travel through M. John Harrison’s fantastic books, through “The Last Temptation of Christ” and “Doctor Faustus” (our moral compass swinging wildly as we go), we end up in a godless, post apocalyptic hellscape with Cormac McCarthy’s “The Road”. That book still gives me nightmares and makes me think. Amazing book.

And now I’m lost again.

I have no idea what my bookcase says about me. I studied a lot of religion and philosophy, art history, and a smattering of physics in college, not to prepare myself for the future (whatever that means) but because these subjects interest me. Heck, I was getting a BFA, why not study what I want? Nothing you can do with a BFA in the real world except maybe have a lot of interesting things to talk about at a dinner party. I figured, why not go all in and study every non-career oriented subject they teach at NYU and see if I can’t make myself the most un-employable, but hopefully interesting, person I can be? And for years, outside of bartending, I was unemployable-- but I sure did get invited to a lot of dinner parties! So, mission accomplished, I guess.

I’m so lucky I got published. Maybe that’s what I’ve learned by going through my bookcase-- that I should feel fortunate I got to read all these books and think all these thoughts and I can still support myself by doing what I love.

Yeah. I’m very lucky. And very, very grateful.

For those of you who don't know, Josephine Angelini is the author of Starcrossed. She is a Massachusetts native and the youngest of eight siblings. A real-live farmer's daughter, Josie graduated from New York University's Tisch School of the Arts in theater, with a focus on the classics. She now lives in Los Angeles with her husband. Starcrossed is her first novel.

Thanks so much Josie for playing along with us and giving such a wonderful tour of your bookcase.

Stay tuned for my review of the awesomeness that is STARCROSSED and for your chance to win a Kindle 3!

If you would like to learn more about ~~hottie~~ author Josephine Angelini and/or her debut novel Starcrossed, you can ~~stalk~~ find Josie here: Facebook // Twitter // Blog

The Fall by Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan

2011-05-26T09:00:00.003-04:00

Title: The Fall
Authors: Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan
Pages: 320
Genre: Horror
Source: Harper Collins

From the authors of the instant New York Times bestseller The Strain comes the next volume in one of the most imaginative and frightening thriller series in many, many years Last week they invaded Manhattan. This week they will destroy the world.

The vampiric virus unleashed in The Strain has taken over New York City. It is spreading and soon will envelop the globe. Amid the chaos, Eph Goodweather—head of the Centers for Disease Control's team—leads a band out to stop these bloodthirsty monsters. But it may be too late.

Ignited by the Master's horrific plan, a war erupts between Old and New World vampires, each vying for control. At the center of the conflict lies a book, an ancient text that contains the vampires' entire history . . . and their darkest secrets. Whoever finds the book can control the outcome of the war and, ultimately, the fate of us all. And it is between these warring forces that humans—powerless and vulnerable—find themselves no longer the consumers but the consumed. Though Eph understands the vampiric plague better than anyone, even he cannot protect those he loves. His ex-wife, Kelly, has been transformed into a bloodcrazed creature of the night, and now she stalks the city looking for her chance to reclaim her Dear One: Zack, Eph's young son.

With the future of humankind in the balance, Eph and his team, guided by the brilliant former professor and Holocaust survivor Abraham Setrakian and exterminator Vasiliy Fet and joined by a crew of ragtag gangsters, must combat a terror whose ultimate plan is more terrible than anyone has imagined—a fate worse than annihilation. [via GoodReads]

The Fall is the second installment in Guillermo Del Toro and Chuck Hogan's The Strain trilogy. In The Strain an airplane full of dead passengers is found on the tarmac of JFK and shortly thereafter chaos ensues. Vampires... and not of the teen heartthrob nor sparkly variety. These are more animalistic in nature and have one goal in particular... total world domination.

This book reads almost like a movie... it's actually detailed and vivid enough that you have a clear picture of exactly what is going on. Told in the same style as The Strain, you have various viewpoints and resulting vignettes. Sometimes these different points-of-view can be a little disorienting, but once you get the gist of the storytelling, you see how clever it all is as it comes together.

Although I found The Strain to be more of a scientific thriller than a horror story... The Fall was definitely more horror. Very dark, action-packed and with the perfect mix of sci-fi and fantasy you'll find it to be quite the page-turner. While I personally enjoyed The Strain better than I did this second installment, I still would not pass up on the chance of reading this series in its entirety. Eternal Night the third in the trilogy is scheduled to release in late 2011 - I cannot wait!

My Rating:

A Reliable Wife by Robert Goolrick

2011-05-25T09:00:00.000-04:00

Title: A Reliable Wife

Author: Robert Goolrick
Pages: 291

Genre: Fiction

Source: Purchased

He placed a notice in a Chicago paper, an advertisement for "a reliable wife." She responded, saying that she was "a simple, honest woman." She was, of course, anything but honest, and the only simple thing about her was her single-minded determination to marry this man and then kill him, slowly and carefully, leaving her a wealthy widow, able to take care of the one she truly loved.

What Catherine Land did not realize was that the enigmatic and lonely Ralph Truitt had a plan of his own. And what neither anticipated was that they would fall so completely in love.

Filled with unforgettable characters, and shimmering with color and atmosphere, A Reliable Wife is an enthralling tale of love and madness, of longing and murder. [via GoodReads]

I must admit that the synopsis for this book was what intrigued me. I'm quite fascinated by the time period it's set in (early 1900s). but at the same time I was never quite sure whether or not I would actually like the story. Well let me say, that I was quite surprised. I actually enjoyed this story much more than I thought I would.

While the story itself revolves around characters whose pasts have left them all miserable, struggling with their present lives and looking for ways to atone for their sins - quite frankly, none of them (Catherine, Ralph nor Antonio) were likeable. Yet I found myself rooting for them... hoping that they would find some hope in this cold and dark, gothic tale.

When Ralph places an advertisement for "a reliable wife" - Catherine responds that she is "a simple, honest woman." Exactly what he's looking for - yet she's nothing like what he expected. Catherine has her own agenda... marry Ralph and then kill him. Simple, tidy and no one would be the wiser... but she didn't expect Ralph to marry her and quickly ship her off in search of his long lost son Antonio.

Mr. Goolrick's writing is compelling from the first page. I found that the descriptions of the bitter cold and desolate Wisconsin countryside gave this dark story the perfect atmosphere. The story itself was tense and engaging with a few surprising twists that I did not see coming.

Full of betrayal, bitterness and the hope of love and forgiveness - I simply could not put this one down.

My Rating:

Die For Me by Amy Plum

2011-05-24T09:00:00.001-04:00

Title: Die For Me
Author: Amy Plum
Pages: 344
Genre: YA/ Paranormal
Source: Netgalley

My life had always been blissfully, wonderfully normal. But it only took one moment to change everything.

Suddenly, my sister, Georgia, and I were orphans. We put our lives into storage and moved to Paris to live with my grandparents. And I knew my shattered heart, my shattered life, would never feel normal again. Then I met Vincent.

Mysterious, sexy, and unnervingly charming, Vincent Delacroix appeared out of nowhere and swept me off my feet. Just like that, I was in danger of losing my heart all over again. But I was ready to let it happen.

Of course, nothing is ever that easy. Because Vincent is no normal human. He has a terrifying destiny, one that puts his life at risk every day. He also has enemies . . . immortal, murderous enemies who are determined to destroy him and all of his kind.

While I'm fighting to piece together the remnants of my life, can I risk putting my heart—as well as my life and my family's—in jeopardy for a chance at love? [via GoodReads]

I found Die For Me to be a fun, fresh and wonderfully captivating debut novel. Amy Plum introduces us to Revenants... Revenants were once humans who died selflessly saving another's life and who return to their dead bodies to live again. They use these born-again lives to continue saving more lives. I have a thing for zombies and I really liked this version of a more romanticized nature. Revenants sleep for three days each month which regenerates them and should they be killed they easily return to their bodies.

After the loss of her parents, Kate and her sister move to Paris to live with her grandparents. There she meets Vincent, a mysterious young man who has one heck of a secret. There were so many aspects of this novel that captivated me. The first few chapters where you get to meet Kate and learn how the loss of her parents has affected her really rang true for me. I found myself choking back on tears on more than one occasion. I enjoyed reading of her relationship with her sister (they were more like BFF's), and her getting used to her new guardians, her grandparents (whom quite frankly, were just lovely). I also loved reading of her relationship with Vincent. I liked that their relationship wasn't rushed... instead they took their time to get to know each other, which in turn made you like them even more. I truly hate when characters are rushing into those "I Love You" moments. I personally like the more realistic version of relationships and considering Die For Me is a paranormal fiction, I found this aspect of the story to be true to life.

Oh and did I mention it's set in Paris.... oh le Pareees. Ms. Plum gives you pure mind candy with her stunning and very vivid descriptions of Paris. I loved taking a stroll with Kate or sipping a latte along with her while enjoying a good book at the local cafe. I found the setting to really give the story a lot of character.

Aside from our main characters and wonderful setting - I really enjoyed the storyline. The introduction of the Revenants and, of course, their more evil counterparts. I also enjoyed meeting the supporting cast - Vincent's roommates (also Revenants), Kate's sister, her grandparents. Altogether I was very pleased with this story. I actually read the whole thing in one sitting - I could not put it down.

All in all, Die For Me, is a fabulous debut. With so many new paranormal stories written every day, it was a breath of fresh air to find such a unique storyline. Although Die For Me has a definite ending (one, I might add, that left me with a big goofy smile on my face), it certainly is not the end of our story. I, for one, can honestly say that I loved this story and cannot wait to get my hands on its sequel. Fans of paranormal, young adult will rejoice in this one.

My Rating:

Manic Monday Recaps (Week 5/23/11)

2011-05-23T09:00:00.000-04:00

Hello friends! I'm a little depressed knowing I was supposed to meet many of you live this week at BEA, but with my new job, new routine, and new schedule I had to settle for once again cancelling my plans and pronouncing that next year (2012 now) would be the year that I finally made my appearance at BEA. It was a tough decision to make, but one that I decided would be the best. So now I'm sulking... bleh

For those of you who most likely aren't at BEA and have the chance to visit your daily blogs... .well hello there. It's been a while hasn't it?

I've been off my "reading" game in the past several weeks. I thank you all for your well wishes and good luck mojo. Luckily I really like my new job and I've somewhat accustomed myself to the drive and new routine.

Here's what I plan on reading this week:

I plan on squeezing a few others in there. I'm hoping to get back on track this week and especially catch up with the long weekend up ahead.

I hope you are all doing well.

Happy Reading!

Well hello there!! or Manic Monday Recaps (Week 5/02/11)

2011-05-02T21:25:00.000-04:00

Hi friends! I have missed you all. As some of you may have noticed, I've been MIA. I recently started a new job and decided to take a week off from blogging to focus and get a new routine. My previous job was not overly busy so it allowed me to work on my blog, surf the net, facebook, tweet and hang out on goodreads all day long. This new job... yea, not that cool. Here I actually have to work.. not that I'm complaining. At least I got a job, ya know. I also had a 5 minute drive from my house to my previous job. Now I have a longer drive... meaning getting up at the crack of dawn, getting home about an hour later than I used to and passing out by 10pm - there goes my late night reading time. So last week was a "break" week. I did nothing other than find a routine - no reading, no blogging, barely any internet time. I was suffering, I admit it. But I'm more confident this week. Yes, this post is coming at a later time than usual, but I plan on starting up a new blogging routine that I hope will get me back up to date and back to early morning posts. Bear with me dear friends - I promise we'll be back to normal in no time and I'll post giveaway winners soon. (keeps fingers crossed)

Here's what I plan on reading this week:

I'm keeping it simple this week. I promise reviews, giveaways and winners will be posted this week.

Happy Reading!

Miles from Ordinary by Carol Lynch Williams

2011-04-20T16:45:00.000-04:00

Title: Miles from Ordinary
Author: Carol Lynch Williams
Pages: 208

Genre: YA/ Teen

Source: Amazon Prime Program

Thirteen year old Lacey just wants an ordinary life... shoot, she'll even settle for just one ordinary day. It's her first day of work at the library and, although she's excited to begin work at one of her favorite places and the chance at following in her aunt's footsteps, she still finds herself worried over her momma. For it is also her momma's first day of work as cashier at the Winn-Dixie.

She hopes for an ordinary day where they both go to work and meet back up on the bus route. But nothing is ordinary in Lacey's life. For her day takes an unexpected turn and you slowly begin to realize just how not ordinary Lacey's life truly is.

As a big fan of Ms. Lynch Williams' The Chosen One, I knew Miles from Ordinary would be a powerful and thought-provoking story. The whole story takes place throughout the span of one day in Lacey's life. With tons of flashbacks you get a feel for the background of these characters and just how big Lacey's responsibilities as the caregiver for her mother are.

At a little over 200 pages this was a very quick read. I sat down and read the whole story through. My only complaint is that it did have a slow start but yet I found myself captivated by the young Lacey's voice. You know from the start that something is not right and you find the intrigue and mystery of it all to be a real page turner. By the story's conclusion I was terrified. I think Ms. Lynch Williams did a phenomenal job in describing someone suffering from mental illness. The paranoia, the delusions - I had moments where I wondered if something was real or not... it was all very well done.

While I didn't love this one as much as I did The Chosen One, it was still a riveting read. Carol Lynch Williams has beautifully written a novel that will touch your heart. It is a unique and interesting contemporary story that will leave you feeling haunted.

My Rating:

The Dark and Hollow Places by Carrie Ryan

2011-04-19T16:51:00.000-04:00

Title: The Dark and Hollow Places
Author: Carrie Ryan
Pages: 384

Genre: YA/ Teen Horror
Source: Purchased

In the third and final installment in her Forest of Hands and Teeth series, Carrie Ryan, introduces you to Annah. Annah has been living on her own in the Dark City since Elias left to join the protectorate. With scars that mar her face and body, Annah is more of a recluse. She uses her street smarts - bowing her head, not making eye contact and blending into the shadows as a weapon. Without any friends or family she has used these skills as a way to survive the dangers of the Dark City. Waiting for Elias, her life has become as lifeless as that of the Unconsecrated but then she meets Catcher. Catcher who brings with him memories of a past that she has longed to forget.

Out of the three leading ladies you will find in this series, Annah was hands down my favorite. She wasn't a whiner like Mary, and Gabry annoyed me with all her boy drama... but Annah was phenomenal. She was tough as nails, brave, strong and courageous. Her will to live was a breath of fresh air. Even though she's scarred, feels alone and even broken at times - she still was not willing to give up.

Out of the three books I believe this was the darkest one. Their struggle for survival was the most intense. I went through a slew of emotions from sadness, hopelessness, and even found myself choked up more than once. I can't even imagine a life this bleak where the unconsecrated are a threat but humans can be just as dangerous.

Yet through it all I found myself hopeful. I found myself waiting for and really savoring the moments that weren't as dark... moments of light. Especially when those moments dealt with Annah and Catcher's relationship. The fact that they are both so broken and flawed really makes you hope that they can find a way to make it work in a world infested by the living dead. Originally, I was worried that I wouldn't like this final installment since I was so focused on Gabry and Elias's story (The Dead-Tossed Waves) but I think Ms. Ryan did a wonderful job in connecting everything together.

Overall this book was incredible. The whole series is amazing. Full of tension, suspense, nail-biting action and Unconsecrated... lots and lots of Unconsecrated. I can't recommend it enough!

My Rating:

GIVEAWAY: Tabloid City

2011-04-19T14:24:00.000-04:00

In a stately West Village townhouse, a wealthy socialite and her secretary are murdered. In the 24 hours that follow, a flurry of activity circles around their shocking deaths: The head of one of the city's last tabloids stops the presses. A cop investigates the killing. A reporter chases the story. A disgraced hedge fund manager flees the country. An Iraq War vet seeks revenge. And an angry young extremist plots a major catastrophe.

The City is many things: a proving ground, a decadent playground, or a palimpsest of memories-a historic metropolis eclipsed by modern times. As much a thriller as it is a gripping portrait of the city of today, TABLOID CITY is a new fiction classic from the writer who has captured it perfectly for decades. [via GoodReads]

GIVEAWAY: I have 2 copies up for grabs thanks to the lovely Anna at HBG.

As always, leave a comment for one entry. If you'd like extra entries just say so in your comment or separate comments (extra entries for followers, Twitter, sidebars, All About {n} button, Facebook, etc.) Stalkers are always welcome. Make sure to leave an e-mail address, especially if you are leaving comment under Anonymous.

Rules: This contest is open to US and Canada only. Winner will be drawn Friday, May 6.

Manic Monday Recaps (Week 4/18/11)

2011-04-18T10:31:00.000-04:00

Happy Monday friends! I hope you all had a lovely weekend. I sure did. I spent most of it shopping. As most of you may know from my frantic tweets over the past couple of weeks - I was in search of a new job and I got hired in a great firm in Downtown Miami (excited!). Next Monday shall be my first day... and what does this mean? I need a new wardrobe, duh. So that's what I've been doing. Shopping, shopping, shopping. This also means I've been too pooped out to get much reading done.

Here's what I plan on reading this week:

Here's what I read last week:

- Possession by Elana Johnson

- Semi-Sweet: A Novel of Love and Cupcakes by Roisin Meaney

- A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness (which I loved but took me almost 4 days to read)

I reviewed the following:

- Hereafter by Tara Hudson [review]

- Entwined by Heather Dixon [review]

- Already Home by Susan Mallery [review]

Have a great week friends. Happy Reading!

So Many Books, So Little Time [17]

2011-04-14T13:00:00.002-04:00

Here are some of the books that I discovered over the past couple of weeks scheduled for release that I cannot wait to get my hands on. I will pay, beg and contemplating stealing (mwahahaha) for one of them.

Witches of East End
by Melissa de la Cruz
Releases on 6/21/11

The two novels will follow the lives of the Beauchamp girls, who live in the fictional town of North Hampton, as they struggle to stop an arch nemesis and restore the delicate balance between good and evil. De la Cruz will weave characters from her best-selling Blue Bloods young adult series into this new paranormal series for adults.

The Fox Inheritance
by Mary E. Pearson
Releases on 8/30/11

Once there were three. Three friends who loved each other—Jenna, Locke, and Kara. And after a terrible accident destroyed their bodies, their three minds were kept alive, spinning in a digital netherworld. Even in that disembodied nightmare, they were still together. At least at first. When Jenna disappeared, Locke and Kara had to go on without her. Decades passed, and then centuries.

Two-hundred-and-sixty years later, they have been released at last. Given new, perfect bodies, Locke and Kara awaken to a world they know nothing about, where everyone they once knew and loved is long dead.

Everyone except Jenna Fox.

After Obsession
by Carrie Jones & Steven E. Wedel
Releases on 9/05/11

There is a river spirit tormenting a town in Maine. Two teens named Amie and Alan, battle it when it tries to possess Alan’s cousin and Amie’s best friend.

Enthralled
by a slew of awesome YA authors
Releases on 9/20/11

- Giovanni’s Farewell by Claudia Gray
- Scenic Route by Carrie Ryan
- IV League by Margaret Stohl
- Red Run by Kami Garcia
- Things About Love by Jackson Pearce
- Niederwald by Rachel Vincent
- --- by Melissa Marr
- Facing Facts by Kelley Armstrong
- Let’s Get This Undead Show on the Road by Sarah Rees Brennan
- Bridge by Jeri Smith-Ready
- Skin Contact by Kimberly Derting
- Leaving by Ally Condie
- At the Late Night Double Feature Picture Show by Jessica Verday
- Gargouille by Mary E. Pearson
- The Third Kind by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
- Automatic by Rachel Caine

Lola and the Boy Next Door
by Stephanie Perkins
Releases on 9/29/11

In this companion novel to Anna and the French Kiss, two teens discover that true love may be closer than they think.

For budding costume designer Lola Nolan, the more outrageous, the outfit—more sparkly, more fun, more wild—the better. But even though Lola’s style is outrageous, she’s a devoted daughter and friend with some big plans for the future. And everything is pretty perfect (right down to her hot rocker boyfriend) until the dreaded Bell twins move back into the house next door.

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

Variant
by Robison Wells
Releases on 10/1/11

Benson Fisher thought a scholarship to Maxfield Academy would be the ticket out of his dead-end life.

He was wrong.

Now he’s trapped in a school that’s surrounded by a razor-wire fence. A school where video cameras monitor his every move. Where there are no adults. Where the kids have split into groups in order to survive.

Where breaking the rules equals death.

But when Benson stumbles upon the school’s real secret, he realizes that playing by the rules could spell a fate worse than death, and that escape—his only real hope for survival—may be impossible.

Beautiful Chaos
by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl
Releases on 10/18/11

Ethan Wate thought he was getting used to the strange, impossible events happening in Gatlin, his small Southern town. But now that Ethan and Lena have returned home, strange and impossible have taken on new meanings. Swarms of locusts, record-breaking heat, and devastating storms ravage Gatlin as Ethan and Lena struggle to understand the impact of Lena's Claiming. Even Lena's family of powerful Supernaturals is affected - and their abilities begin to dangerously misfire. As time passes, one question becomes clear: What - or who - will need to be sacrificed to save Gatlin?

For Ethan, the chaos is a frightening but welcome distraction. He's being haunted in his dreams again, but this time it isn't by Lena - and whatever is haunting him is following him out of his dreams and into his everyday life. Even worse, Ethan is gradually losing pieces of himself - forgetting names, phone numbers, even memories. He doesn't know why, and most days he's too afraid to ask.

Sometimes there isn't just one answer or one choice. Sometimes there's no going back. And this time there won't be a happy ending.

Crossed
by Ally Condie
Releases on 11/01/11

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

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

Wherever You Go
by Heather Davis
Releases on 11/14/11

Seventeen-year-old Holly Mullen has felt lost and lonely ever since her boyfriend, Rob, died in a tragic accident. The fact that she has to spend most of her free time caring for her little sister and Alzheimer’s-stricken grandfather doesn’t help. But Holly has no idea that as she goes about her days, Rob’s ghost is watching over her. He isn’t happy when he sees his best friend, Jason, reach out to help Holly with her grandfather—but as a ghost, he can do nothing to stop it. Is his best friend really falling for his girlfriend?

As Holly wonders whether to open her heart to Jason, the past comes back to haunt her. Her grandfather claims to be communicating with the ghost of Rob. Could the messages he has for Holly be real? And if so, how can the loved ones Rob left behind help his tortured soul make it to the other side?

Told from the perspectives of Holly, Jason, and Rob, Wherever You Go is is a poignant story about making peace with the past, opening your heart to love, and finding the courage to move forward into the light.

These are just some of the one's that I'm looking forward to. Which books are you dying to get your hands on?

Already Home by Susan Mallery

2011-04-14T09:00:00.000-04:00

Title: Already Home
Author: Susan Mallery
Pages: 368

Genre: Women's Fiction
Source: Planned Television Arts

After nearly a decade as a sous-chef in a trendy eatery, Jenna is desperate for a change. She's supported her ex-husband's dreams for so long that she can't even remember her own. Until she sees a for-lease sign near her parents' home and envisions her very own cooking store.

Her crash course in business is aided by a streetwise store manager and Jenna's adoptive mother. But just as she's gaining a foothold in her new life, in walk her birth parents—aging hippies on a quest to reconnect with their firstborn.

Now Jenna must figure out how to reconcile the free-spirited Serenity and Tom with her traditional parents, deal with her feelings for a new love interest and decide what to do about her ex's latest outrageous request. In the end, Jenna will find that there is no perfect family, only the people we love…. [via GoodReads]

Let's start with the cover of this book... just look at it.... I mean, this is the type of book I'd buy just because of its stunning cover. But once I opened its pages I knew that this is the type of book that you enjoy owning because you just want to own it.

When Jenna's husband betrays her, she leaves her home and career as a sous-chef in L.A. and returns to her small hometown in Texas to rebuild her life. She decides to switch gears and opens a cookware store where she meets a slew of characters (some family, some friends, some customers) who play important roles in her coming to terms with the lemons life has given her.

I love stories where the dynamics of relationships are the main focus and that is what you will find in Already Home. Jenna's friendship with Violet, her love for her adoptive mother and that of her biological mother, even her feelings for a new suitor are at the forefront of this story.

Although Jenna is our leading lady, you also meet Violet, a young woman who begins working with Jenna with her own skeletons in the closet. There is a lot going on and there are a lot of characters that you are introduced to that have their own side stories. Ms. Mallery is an expert storyteller for what I would normally find to be too busy, was rather uncomplicated. She gave you time with each of her characters giving you a chance to know them and understand them which helped in distinguishing each one separately and in the end relating to and connecting with them.

As for romance, there was some romance, but it was almost like a side note. Instead, I found this to be a story about relationships, about friendships, about love, about finding and believing in oneself. My only concern was that I found that it ended rather abruptly. And while I do enjoy a happily-ever-after ending, I found that it ended on the right note -- leaving the reader feeling hopeful.

All in all, this was a very well-written, emotion-packed story. I loved its wonderful characters and surprisingly how much depth the story truly had. A great introduction to this author - I'll definitely be looking for more from her.

My Rating:

GIVEAWAY: I have 2 copies up for grabs thanks to the folks over at Planned TV Arts/a division of Ruder Finn Inc.

As always, leave a comment for one entry. If you'd like extra entries just say so in your comment or separate comments (extra entries for followers, Twitter, sidebars, Facebook, etc.) ; and for putting my spiffy little button on your blog. Make sure to leave an e-mail address, especially if you are leaving a comment under Anonymous.

Rules: This contest is open to U.S. & Canada residents. International followers feel free to enter giveaway as long as you have someone in the U.S. or Canada willing to accept the book for you. Winners will be drawn Friday, April 22.

Entwined by Heather Dixon

2011-04-13T10:01:00.000-04:00

Title: Entwined
Author: Heather Dixon
Pages: 480
Genre: YA/ Teen
Source: Book It Forward ARC Tours

Azalea is trapped. Just when she should feel that everything is before her . . . beautiful gowns, dashing suitors, balls filled with dancing . . . it's taken away. All of it.

The Keeper understands. He's trapped, too, held for centuries within the walls of the palace. And so he extends an invitation.
Every night, Azalea and her eleven sisters may step through the enchanted passage in their room to dance in his silver forest.

But there is a cost.

The Keeper likes to keep things.

Azalea may not realize how tangled she is in his web until it is too late. [via GoodReads]

I love the tale of The Twelve Dancing Princesses by the Grimm brothers - so needless to say, reading Entwined was a "must" for me. Ms. Dixon not only uses the tale as the backbone of her story, but she cleverly gives the story a twist to make it unique, engrossing and just downright fun.

Azalea and her eleven sisters, along with their kingdom, are all mourning the loss of their mother, the queen. Donning black dresses, staying in doors, allowing no dancing, or the prospect of suitors... nor anything remotely fun, the girls are depressed. The king is heartbroken over the loss of his wife and marches off to war leaving the girls, including their newborn sister, on their own. It is while he is away that the girls discover an enchanted staircase leading far beneath the castle to a world where they dance and dance... and dance. They literally dance their shoes to shreds every night. But beneath its lovely facade, there is danger lurking in this world.... and if the girls don't get out before it's too late, they might have to give up more than just their dancing shoes.

Told through the eyes of Azalea, you learn of their kingdom, of her sisters whom are all named after flowers starting with Azalea (the oldest) to Lily (the new addition). Oh but, I loved Azalea and her sisters. I liked how they each had their story - although not all got the same attention, you still knew who each sister was and how their stories entwined. I loved their sisterly bond and the love they had for one another was really joyful to read about.

Ms. Dixon has a sense of humor - with laugh out loud moments, you could really see her wittiness shine through. I loved those silly moments where I found myself giggling or with a big goofy grin on my face. It really gave this story - which from previous re-tellings I've found dark and gothic, to be something fun and carefree.

All in all, Entwined is a beautiful fairytale, riddled with music and dancing, romance and sisters and love ... in many forms. I found myself swept away by its beauty and magic.

My Rating:

Technical Difficulties.... still!

2011-04-13T09:49:00.001-04:00

As you can see, we continue having problems with Photobucket and their maintenance issues. Please forgive the busted-ness of my page.. I swear it's not my fault. I curse the Photobuket gods! Either way, at least you can now see what I post, so although the page might not be looking its best, I shall continue with the regularly scheduled programming.

Technical Difficulties

2011-04-12T16:20:00.001-04:00

If you notice, my blog looks like hell today. Photobucket is performing maintenance on some of its accounts and it just so happens that Danny's account was part of the 2% affected. Bleh. Hopefully we'll be back to our regularly scheduled programming tomorrow... since I refuse to post anything because you can't read it! Carry on.

Hereafter by Tara Hudson

2011-04-11T16:04:00.000-04:00

Title: Hereafter
Author: Tara Hudson
Pages: 416
Genre: YA/ Teen
Source: Book It Forward ARC Tours

Drifting in the dark waters of a mysterious river, the only thing Amelia knows for sure is that she's dead. With no recollection of her past life—or her actual death—she's trapped alone in a nightmarish existence. All of this changes when she tries to rescue a boy, Joshua, from drowning in her river. As a ghost, she can do nothing but will him to live. Yet in an unforgettable moment of connection, she helps him survive.

Amelia and Joshua grow ever closer as they begin to uncover the strange circumstances of her death and the secrets of the dark river that held her captive for so long. But even while they struggle to keep their bond hidden from the living world, a frightening spirit named Eli is doing everything in his power to destroy their newfound happiness and drag Amelia back into the ghost world . . . forever. [via GoodReads]

Ameila has been a wandering soul since her death. She doesn't know how she died nor does she remember anything from before she death. Her life... or whatever you'd call her in her ghostly state is emotionless and numb. But that all changes the day she saves Joshua. When Joshua awakens from his near death experience he can suddenly see and even touch Amelia. Their feelings for one another begin to grow and through their encounters Amelia begins to see glimpses of her life. Riddled with seers and evil ghosts, Hereafter, is more than just a story about a girl trying to solve the mystery of her death.

When I first read the synopsis of Hereafter, I was intrigued about this story of star-crossed lovers. He's alive - she's dead... how can they make it work? And, although I found that the story was primarily a love story, I also enjoyed the mystery of it all. I was instantly taken in by Ms. Hudson's writing - her vivid descriptions of the dark and tumultuous waters beneath High Bridge, the black wraiths hovering and even the creepy encounters with Eli (a ghost who keeps harassing Amelia about becoming his apprentice). To further make things interesting, you also have Eli's grandmother, Ruth, who feels that Amelia is evil and wants to exorcise her ghost.

Ms. Hudson's debut will leave you feeling haunted. It will have you sighing one moment and all goosebump-y from the creepiness the next instant. I truly enjoyed the romance, the chilling evil creeping around its corners and the mystery of who Amelia was and what happened to her. This is the first installment in the series so be forewarned - although its conclusion will leave you satisfied it will also leave you pining for more.

My Rating:

Manic Monday Recaps (Week 4/11/11)

2011-04-11T10:31:00.001-04:00

Happy Monday friends! I hope you all enjoyed your weekend. Mine was wonderful. We went with family up north to Melbourne, FL where we went to the beach... yea that water was freezing. My poor ovaries were recoiling from the horror. But, once you actually got past the first few steps in there it actually felt pretty good. From there we went to hang with my sister and her brood who were camping at the local state park and we did some fishing, biking and just hung out around the fire and to top it off we didn't have to rough it. Instead we spent the night at the local Best Western... because sadly I am not that outdoorsy. haha

Here's what I plan on reading this week:

Here's what I read last week:

- The Darkest Secret by Gena Showalter

- Miles From Ordinary by Carol Lynch Williams

- The Bird Sisters by Rebecca Rasmussen

- The Goodbye Quilt by Susan Wiggs

- Already Home by Susan Mallery

- Seduce Me in Dreams by Jacquelyn Frank

I reviewed the following:

- The Magnolia League by Katie Crouch [review]

- The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter [review]

- Girl, Stolen by April Henry [review]

- Mermaid: A Twist on the Classic Tale by Carolyn Turgeon [review]

Have a great week friends. Happy Reading!

Bookcase of the Week - Starring... Natalie of Mindful Musings

2011-04-09T10:00:00.000-04:00

On this week's Bookcase of the Week it is with great pleasure that I bring you Natalie of Mindful Musing's bookcases. I love visiting Natalie's site.. we have a lot of the same reading tastes plus I love her Movie Cast Monday and Weekly Wrap-Up posts. I know a lot of you already know her, so I knew that I just had to ask if she'd be willing to participate in the Bookcase of the Week feature and, lucky for us, she agreed. Here's what she had to say:

Since I live in an apartment with two roommates, I don't have room for as many bookcases as I'd like, but I'd love to show you the ones I do have! They used to be organized by author and genre, but since I started book blogging, they've kind of exploded, and I've ended up using my bookcases in the most practical way possible...also known as stuffing everything anywhere as long as it fits! As you can see by looking at the towering pile of books on the top of my first bookcase, it's about time for me to invest in buying another one, though I have no idea where I'll put it. Hmmm...maybe I'll sell my bed and start sleeping in the closet...

This is my smaller, slightly more organized bookshelf. I've got large hardbacks on the first shelf, mass market paperbacks on the second, random YA on the third, and an assortment of YA and MG on the bottom. Once again, this shelf was also more organized a year ago, when I didn't own near as many books as I do now. I can't even fit all my books on bookshelves. I still have two giant boxes in my closet, and that's not even counting what's stashed away somewhere in my parents' basement back home. Shhh! Don't tell them. I was supposed to clear those out six months ago when I moved into my apartment, but since they rarely check the storage room...I figured I'd take advantage of the extra space!

This is a picture of my desk and laptop, where I do most of my blogging. As you can tell by the speakers hooked up to my laptop, I love listening to music while I blog and browse through my Google Reader. It's kind of my way to unwind and relax (and sometimes, to procrastinate doing homework). Believe it or not, this is actually pretty clean for my desk. Usually it's stacked with all sorts of textbooks and coffee mugs. I guess you can tell my semester hasn't really kicked into full gear yet!

And finally, this is a chair where I do a lot of my reading. When I'm "fun" reading (aka: blog reading), I also like to read in bed or on our couch in the living room. However, when I'm trying to read for one of my literature classes, I usually end up passed out and drooling over my textbooks if I'm too comfy. This chair's comfortable enough so I'm not constantly fidgeting, but I also have a harder time falling asleep in it (not that I haven't dozed off in it, because I totally have).

Thanks so much to Nely for inviting me to participate in this awesome feature!

Natalie, the pleasure was all mine. Thank you so much for giving us a glimpse into your room and your bookcases. There is so much goodness in those shelves. I kept maximizing the pictures just to read all your titles... I know, I'm so nosy. Either way, thank you again, for playing along with us.

For those of you who haven't passed on through to Natalie's yet, please visit her here (tell her I say HI!)

Le Olde Box 'o Books Giveaway

2011-04-08T15:00:00.001-04:00

That's right my lovelies. I'm cleaning out my shelves and ridding myself of a lot of my beloved ARC's and even some finished copies. They are all gently read copies. I take care of all my books so if they are not perfect, they are in very near-perfect condition. I have two boxes that I'll gladly fill-up and send to two lovely winners. I can do just a YA box and an Adult Fiction box or I can mix them up. It'll be the winners choice but titles will remain a secret... because I think surprises are fun. :)

GIVEAWAY: There will definitely be 2 winners (maybe even 3 winners if I can fill up a third box) of a big ole box of books.

This is a followers only giveaway. So you must be following the blog in order to qualify.

Extra entries for those who also follow via: Twitter, sidebar the contest, Facebook, have my spiffy All About {n} button on their blog, etc. Yes, stalkers are welcome. :) Make sure to leave an e-mail address, especially if you are leaving a comment under Anonymous.

Rules: This contest is open internationally! Winners will be drawn Friday, April 29.

Mermaid: A Twist on the Classic Tale by Carolyn Turgeon

2011-04-08T09:30:00.003-04:00

Title: Mermaid: A Twist on the Classic Tale
Author: Carolyn Turgeon
Pages: 256
Genre: Adult Fiction/ Fantasy

Source: Amazon Vine Program

As a big fan of 'Disney's The Little Mermaid' and having read Ms. Turgeon's Godmother a few years back, I knew that I could not go without reading this dark and gothic retelling.

Obviously Hans Christian Andersen's tale of The Little Mermaid is the back bone of this story, but sadly I've never read his version so I can't do any comparisons to his work. What I can tell you is that this is the story of two sheltered princesses. One princess resides on the land while the other lives "under the sea" (I couldn't help myself!).

Using alternating chapters you learn of both princesses and how their lives collide. Princess Margrethe lives in a world of turmoil. Her northern kingdom is at constant war with the South and at the current moment she finds herself in hiding at a convent. Lenia is the youngest daughter of the merfolk King and Queen. She loves her life, home and family but constantly finds herself longing for more than what she has. Since she has now reached an age where she can go to the surface, she finds herself saving a young prince who is nearly drowned. She knows to save him she must return him to land and does so leaving him in the care of Margarethe. From this selfless act, Lenia, Margarethe and the prince, all from different worlds, will find themselves bound together forever.

There were so many things I loved about this book. Ms. Turgeon's writing is unique and even poetic at times. I found that I felt as if someone were reading the story to me. I found it atmospheric in its medieval setting - although you never truly know where it takes place or during what year. I enjoyed reading of Margarethe's kingdom and how bleak their lives are due to the constant warring with the South. But I absolutely devoured Lenia's chapters. I love her descriptions of life "under the sea" (haha), her sisters, her kingdom and their beliefs.

My only qualm with the story was how both women fell in love with the same prince and the guy had barely even spoken a sentence. I understand it's a fairytale retelling and these things just happen when it comes to fairytales... but it still irked me that he was the reason why Lenia would have her tongue cut-out, live in constant pain the moment she gained her feet and quite possibly give her life for him. Margarethe was also willing to make sacrifices in order to gain the Prince's attention. But although I found that my Girl Power! feelings were hurt, I still think Ms. Turgeon handled the situation wisely. She made you, in time, understand the inner turmoil within the young women, and their intense feelings for their Prince. She also expertly described the love that Margarethe felt for Lenia - one that could leave you forever aching and restless.

This was definitely a fairytale for adults - one that I'm glad that I had the opportunity to read. It had the dream-like quality that I find necessary for a fairytale to work, but it was also riddled with very real and strong emotions leaving the reader wanting more of this world.

My Rating:

Girl, Stolen by April Henry

2011-04-07T09:50:00.000-04:00

Title: Girl, Stolen

Author: April Henry

Pages: 224

Genre: YA/ Teen

Source: Purchased

From the moment I read what this book was about I just knew that I would have to read it.

Sixteen year old Cheyenne Wilder is sleeping in the back of her stepmother's car when a young man opens the door and takes off with the car with her in it. Griffin did not mean to kidnap Cheyenne, he just wanted to steal the Cadillac Escalade she was in and impress his father. But when his father finds out that Cheyenne is the daughter of the president of a very powerful corporation they realize that the car is really only a consolation prize... she is worth a whole lot more. But what they don't know is that Cheyenne was sleeping in the back of the car because she has pneumonia and even worse than that, she is also blind. Although she uses her blindness to her advantage, making her captors feel as if she isn't a threat, little do they know that by using her other senses she may be able to get herself out of this dangerous situation.

Ms. Henry captures Cheyenne and her blindness perfectly. This is the first book that I read told through the eyes (no pun intended) of a blind person and I think this made it an even more suspenseful read. I enjoyed the insight we get into the life of someone who is blind. In her case, Cheyenne was in an accident that caused her to lose her sight, and through flashbacks we get to see how her life has changed since, how she had to accustom herself to a walking stick and the use of a guide dog, etc.

Told in alternating chapters, you also get to hear Griffin's perspective. Although he's the one who unintentionally abducted Cheyenne, he's also the only one to look after her. He makes sure that she's fed and he's even given her some expired aspirin to help with her pneumonia. Throughout the ordeal the two of them get to know each other and although they form a reluctant friendship - they still understand that they are on opposite teams.

I really enjoyed the way the author captured it all. I think Ms. Henry does a wonderful and credible job of slowly building the unlikely friendship between Griffin and Cheyenne. I fought it for a while at first thinking she would fall for her captor, but I found that Cheyenne was a big girl, and she definitely had her big girl pants on and never lost sight of her goal... her freedom. The suspense was intense and although it did have a slow start towards the end I was at the edge of my seat. All in all, this was a very entertaining read - one that I found scary, tense and, in the end, hopeful.

My Rating:

The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter

2011-04-06T14:28:00.002-04:00

Title: The Goddess Test

Author: Aimee Carter

Pages: 304

Genre: YA/ Teen

Source: Netgalley

Every girl who has taken the test has died.

Now it's Kate's turn.

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

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

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

If she fails... [via GoodReads]

I loved, loved, loved this book! That should suffice as a good review, right?!

What can I tell you? Ms. Carter "had me at hello" when I read that her book revolved around Greek mythology and even more so around the story of Hades and Persephone. le sigh. I'm a sucker for a romance riddled with heartbreak and despair.

I found that I read this story without over-thinking it too much and this may be why I enjoyed it so much. I didn't really give too much thought to the characters or scenarios, instead I just read the story, enjoyed Kate and the part that Henry played in her life. This may be why I was surprised by the twists and turns the story took. I was fascinated by the Greek mythology (of course!) and I really liked the modern twist on the Gods. Not to mention I found the whole premise - a girl undergoing various tests and if succeeding becoming a goddess - to be a very intriguing one.

Kate was a great heroine. She was brave, tough, selfless and you find yourself truly invested in her. Her maturity and strength are something that you know she's acquired during the years of taking care of her mother. She brought me to tears when it came to the love she felt for her dying mother... I definitely found myself sniffling more than once over it. Then there's Henry (a/k/a Hades) - I love a dark, brooding and tortured hero... and he's definitely that. While he was quiet and reserved most of the time, I found him very appealing. I liked that he wasn't portrayed too severely as the God of the Underworld but instead someone whose strength and power can be felt as underlying threads in the story.

In the end, (and I'll say it again) I loved, loved, loved this book! From the first page, I found myself rooting for Kate and hoping that she'd find some happiness in her bleak life. Ms. Carter has crafted a beautiful love story- but be prepared, for Gods have the same feelings as humans do and there is no shortage of jealousy and insecurity amongst them. With twists and turns that I definitely did not see coming, this was an edge-of-my-seat read. Fans of YA fiction but especially ones who enjoy fantasy and paranormal stories with a clever twist on Greek mythology will love The Goddess Test. I know I did!

My Rating:

GIVEAWAY: The Bird Sisters by Rebecca Rasmussen

2011-04-05T10:27:00.000-04:00

When a bird flies into a window in Spring Green, Wisconsin, sisters Milly and Twiss get a visit. Twiss listens to the birds' heartbeats, assessing what she can fix and what she can't, while Milly listens to the heartaches of the people who've brought them. These spinster sisters have spent their lives nursing people and birds back to health.

But back in the summer of 1947, Milly and Twiss knew nothing about trying to mend what had been accidentally broken. Milly was known as a great beauty with emerald eyes and Twiss was a brazen wild child who never wore a dress or did what she was told. That was the summer their golf pro father got into an accident that cost him both his swing and his charm, and their mother, the daughter of a wealthy jeweler, finally admitted their hardscrabble lives wouldn't change. It was the summer their priest, Father Rice, announced that God didn't exist and ran off to Mexico, and a boy named Asa finally caught Milly's eye. And, most unforgettably, it was the summer their cousin Bett came down from a town called Deadwater and changed the course of their lives forever.

Rebecca Rasmussen's masterfully written debut novel is full of hope and beauty, heartbreak and sacrifice, love and the power of sisterhood, and offers wonderful surprises at every turn. [via GoodReads]

I'm so thrilled about this giveaway!!!

A few days ago I received a huge box at home and when I opened it, I found not one, not even five, but ten (yes, ten!) beautiful, shiny finished copies of Rebecca Rasmussen's The Bird Sisters (throws confetti and toots horn). I was so excited that I instantly tweeted Rebecca just in case they reached me by error. But nope, they're mine to giveaway. So woo-woo, you guys are in luck!

Rules: All I ask for an entry into the giveaway is that you guys drop a quick hello and send some good luck vibes on her debut novel, to my dear friend, Rebecca. You can tweet her or visit her blog at these links.

This contest is open internationally! Winners will be drawn Tuesday, April 12 - the day of the book's release.

Luck, y'all!

The Magnolia League by Katie Crouch

2011-04-04T13:56:00.000-04:00

Title: The Magnolia League
Author: Katie Crouch
Pages: 368
Genre: YA/ Paranormal

Source: Book It Forward ARC Tours

After the death of her free-spirited mother, sixteen-year-old Alex Lee must leave her home in northern California to live with her wealthy grandmother in Savannah, Georgia. By birth, Alex is a rightful, if unwilling, member of the Magnolia League, Savannah's long-standing debutante society. She quickly discovers that the Magnolias have made a pact with a legendary hoodoo family, the Buzzards. The Magnolias enjoy youth, beauty and power. But at what price?

I have read all of Katie Crouch's adult-themed novels and was quite surprised to see that she was venturing off into the YA genre. I knew right away that I just had to read The Magnolia League - not to mention the synopsis mentioned magic, debutantes and the South... well you know that that makes for good reading.

After her mother's death, Alex leaves her humble, hippie lifestyle to live with her rich grandmother in Georgia. As if that's not a culture shock on it's own, her grandmother is the head of the elite Magnolia League. Alex quickly learns that the debutantes of the Magnolia League are blessed with good looks, handsome men and wealth. But she soon realizes that there is more than just luck when it comes to the members of this elite group.

As with all of Ms. Crouch's books, she depicts the South so vividly. You can hear the southern drawl in her characters' voices and she depicts Savannah, GA, its scenery and residents expertly. I loved the feel of it and I couldn't help but find myself instantly captivated by its southern charm. I also really enjoyed the magical elements of the story... the Hoodoo. I loved to read about the spells and magic charms - it was all very detailed and it seemed natural and realistic.

What I had a problem with was the romance. I think the relationship between Alex and Thaddeus felt forced. I also had a few problems with Alex herself - she was mean to her new friends, constantly criticizing and belittling them. She had her good moments, but she also had her bad moments.

All in all, I still found The Magnolia League to be a very interesting and consuming read. It was fast-paced and full of wonderful comedic moments (as I've come to expect from Ms. Crouch). I do recommend it for older readers though as there is lot of pot-smoking (remember Alex was raised on a hippie commune), partying, booze and the like. I also want to forewarn that there is a cliff-hanger ending so y'all will have to wait for the next installment, The White Glove War, releasing some time next year. I, for one, will definitely be looking out for it.

My Rating:

Manic Monday Recaps (Week 4/04/11)

2011-04-04T12:47:00.001-04:00

Happy Monday friends! I hope your weekend was fabulous. As always, mine was too short. I didn't get as much reading done as I would have liked but I did spend the weekend doing fun stuff with the kids so that made up for it. I've been sick and stressing and interviewing for a new job... I have been having a rough month but hopefully within the next day or two I should hear back from an employer that might be the one (keeps fingers crossed). Wish me luck!

Here's what I plan on reading this week:

Here's what I read last week:

- The Peach Keeper by Sarah Addison Allen

- Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks

- Entwined by Heather Dixon

- Mermaid: A Twist on the Classic Tale by Carolyn Turgeon

I reviewed the following :

- Haunting Violet by Alyxandra Harvey [review]

- Where She Went by Gayle Forman [review]

- It Happened One Season by Various Authors [review]

Have a great week friends. Happy Reading!

It Happened One Season by Stephanie Laurens, Mary Balogh, Jacquie D'Alessandro & Candice Hern

2011-04-01T15:55:00.000-04:00

Title: It Happened One Season
Authors: Stephanie Laurens, Jacquie D'Alessandro, Candice Hern & Mary Balogh
Pages: 432
Genre: Historical Romance
Source: Netgalley

A reclusive former soldier, the younger brother of a titled lord, must marry in order to ensure the succession of his family line. The heroine is shy and/or unattractive and has never had a suitor. These are the underlying threads in the four stories you'll find that It Happened One Season revolve around. The fun part - each author uses this thread and the stories they weave are all so very unique and different from one another.

The Seduction of Sebastian Trantor by Stephanie Laurens - Sebastian Trantor has no choice but to find himself a wife. His older brother has just had his fifth daughter and he knows that gh is the only one that can ensure the succession of the family line. When he meets Tabitha Makepeace she is trying to break into a desk at a ball that they are both attending. He immediately knows that the feisty and clever young lady is "wife material". He just has to convince her of that.

Only Love by Mary Balogh - Cleo Pritchard is making the best out of her widowhood. Her belated husband was not a very nice man and she has found that, although she is alone, she can live with that. Plus, there is always the thought of a memorable kiss she shared years ago with Major Jack Gilchrist to keep her warm at night. When by chance Cleo bumps into Jack at a ball, she fibs, giving him the impression that she is content with her life. Jack, on the other hand, can't stop thinking about Cleo and that kiss they shared. Knowing that he must find a wife, he tries to woo Cleo into that role, but Cleo knows that Jack only wants an heir and she is not sure that she can have children. It will be up to Jack to convince Cleo that his feelings for her are true and an heir is the least of his worries.

Hope Springs Eternal by Jacquie D’Alessandro - Alec Trentwell is still plagued by guilt over the death of Edward Markham. In fact, he feels that to make up for it, he must take care of Edward's sister, Penelope. But Penelope is nothing like what Alec imagined. She is a beautiful woman, an artist surrounded by scandal and in dire need of funds. Since she refuses his charity, Alec commissions her to paint his portrait, but when she is threatened by more scandal and ruin he does the only thing a gentleman would.. he proposes. But how will she feel about him once she learns the part that Alec played in her brother's death?

Fate Strikes a Bargain by Candice Hern - Nathaniel Beckwith is in no mood to court the young ladies and their mama's in order to find himself a bride... thus he finds himself hiding behind a strategically-placed orange tree. But to his surprise, he meets Philippa Reynolds... also hiding behind said orange tree. Phillippa is there for different reasons... she has a disability that renders her unable to walk or dance without a severe limp. Nat can't help but find himself enchanted by her friendly and kind demeanor... so he finds himself striking a bargain... an engagement.

I thought the premise of these stories was so fun. I was interested in seeing if these authors would be able to use the same plot points and come up with different stories and I was not disappointed. These stories could not be any more different. I think out of the four, Fate Strikes a Bargain, was my favorite. I loved the sweet tale of a handicapped heroine and her brave hero. I also enjoyed the introduction to mostly all new authors - since I had only read Mary Balogh in the past.

These four stories will leave you feeling satisfied with their enchanting heroes, delightful heroines and requisite happy ever afters. Fans of historical romance will rejoice over this wonderful anthology.

March Recap

2011-03-31T16:50:00.000-04:00

I read the following books throughout the month of March. My favorites this month were Where She Went The Peach Keeper, and The Dark and Hollow Places. I was able finish a few series this month - the Trylle Trilogy by Amanda Hocking, I read the final installment in A.N. Roquelaure's Sleeping Beauty series as well as Carrie Ryan's final book in the Forest of Hands & Teeth series. This month I read a total of 22 books. Woo me! That's two more than last month. *brushes shoulders off*

Where She Went by Gayle Forman

2011-03-31T10:53:00.000-04:00

Title: Where She Went

Author: Gayle Forman

Pages: 208

Genre: YA/ Teen

Source: Around the World ARC Tours

**Spoilers - if you have not read If I Stay, the summary/review for this book will contain spoilers. And just as a side note, go get yourself a copy of If I Stay asap for you are truly missing out.**

If I Stay was one of my favorite reads from 2009. In it, we met Mia, a very talented cellist who has a terrible car accident and has to make a tough decision between life and death.

In Where She Went we learn that it's been three years since that fateful accident. Adam was Mia's boyfriend at the time of the accident and since then there have been a lot of changes. First and foremost, he and Mia are no longer together (shocker!). Since their break-up his band has had worldwide success and is at the top of the charts. All that he knows about Mia is that she left to school in New York and never looked back. He knows why she stayed... he just doesn't understand where she went...

I can't tell you how much I have looked forward to this book. I fell in love with Mia in If I Stay, but Where She Went made me fall in love with Adam. God, he was such a tormented soul. His separation from Mia was devastating - even though this same devastation caused him to become a very famous rock star. His voice was so unique, albeit heartbreaking and achingly sorrowful. I especially loved that we get snippets of the lyrics to Adam's songs at the beginning of each chapter.. they were haunting.

Once again, Ms. Forman has chapters that alternate between the present and the past told entirely through Adam's point-of-view. Using this technique we get small glimpses of what went wrong... why Mia left and how Adam came to be the broken soul that he is today.

The writing is raw and strong and is so infused with grief and pain that I felt my heart at my throat the whole time reading it.... you know, that feeling you get when you want to sob but don't actually break down... yea, that one. Mia and Adam are so imperfect that they are perfect. I laughed, I cried... I might have even sobbed a little.

If you've read If I Stay then you know it ended perfectly. But this sequel will bring you closure. It will leave you feeling hopeful and all warm and toasty inside - you'll also find a big goofy grin on your face at its closure. I loved it! It was definitely worth the wait.

My Rating:

I don't know about you guys....

2011-03-28T15:27:00.000-04:00

But this makes me very excited! July can't come soon enough.

Haunting Violet by Alyxandra Harvey

2011-03-28T13:09:00.002-04:00

Title: Haunting Violet

Author: Alyxandra Harvey

Pages: 352

Genre: YA/ Paranormal

Source: Book It Forward ARC Tour

Violet Willoughby does not believe in ghosts. She has been forced, from a young age, to help her fraudulent, spiritualist/medium mother con her grieving customers to believe that she can contact the dearly departed. With the help of Colin, her mother's assistant, her mother has been able to give Violet a semi-decent life, passing her off as more of a lady than the pauper that she really is. When Violet's mother is invited to the estate of Lord Jasper to once again play the part of medium, Violet is not too thrilled. For she knows she must play the part, not only to help her mother, but also so that young, wealthy Xavier takes notice of her. Although her feelings for Xavier may not be as strong as what she feels for Colin, she knows that Xavier won't be too critical about her past.

But Violet soon realizes her love problems are the least of her worries, since shortly, after their arrival at the estate Violet begins to see the ghost of a dead girl. Although at first, she refuses to believe it, the dead girl is rather adamant that Violet help her not only protect her sibling but also solve the mystery of her murder.

I was rather surprised by how much I actually enjoyed this story. Foremost, the historical aspect of it was what grasped my attention. I love stories (especially YA) that have a historical setting and Ms. Harvey accurately depicted London in the late nineteenth century. Secondly I love a good ghost story... and Haunting Violet was definitely that. The parts where Violet encounters a ghost were spine-tingling. I loved the atmospheric changes like a dramatic change in the wind, or water slowly creeping around her feet, or when she would walk into a room how all the ghosts would suddenly stop and stare at her... it was downright creepy.

All in all, I thought Finding Violet had a lot of my favorite things all wrapped up to make it the perfect package. The mystery, romance, historical setting and paranormal aspects really held my attention. Not to mention there were a few twists and turns in there that I did not see coming. It was fun and fast-paced, had great characters, a mystery to be solved and ghosts.... I honestly couldn't ask for more.

My Rating: