Waiting on Wednesday / WWW Wednesday 2-29-12

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine  to share what book you are highly anticipating the release of.

My waiting on Wednesday this Week is Before I Wake by Rachel Vincent. Book six in her amazing Soul Screamers series. If you haven't read all of the other books, the book description is spoilery! I have put the text in white, so if you want to read it just highlight. (Sorry, I know it's a pain in the butt. I just don't want to spoil anyone if they accidentally see it if they don't want to)

 

• Publisher: Harlequin
• Publication date: 6/26/2012
• Pages: 304

Overview

I died on a Thursday—killed by a monster intent on stealing my soul.
The good news? He didn’t get it.
The bad news? Turns out not even death will get you out of high school…

Covering up her own murder was one thing, but faking life is much
harder than Kaylee Cavanaugh expected. After weeks spent
“recovering,” she’s back in school, fighting to stay visible to the human world, struggling to fit in with her friends and planning time alone with her new reaper boyfriend.

But to earn her keep in the human world, Kaylee must reclaim
stolen souls, and when her first assignment brings her face-to-face with an old foe, she knows the game has changed. Her immortal status won’t keep her safe. And this time Kaylee isn’t just gambling with her own life….

I am going crazy waiting for this book. I absolutely love the Soul Screamers series, and the way If I Die ended just has me all wound up for this one. Now that the book description has finally been released I am seriously dying to read it!!

WWW Wednesdays is hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading  

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…

• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you’ll read next?


I am currently reading: Shadows on the Moon by Zoe Marriot. I really didn't want to read it this early (I got it from NetGalley and it doesn't come out until April 24th), but for some reason it downloaded, and it is about to expire so I need to read it before it does.

I recently finished reading: Wither by Lauren DeStefano, Shadows (Lux #0.5) by Jennifer L Armentrout, Starters by Lissa Price, and In Leah's Wake by Terri Guiliano Long.

Next I am going to read: Chosen Ones by Tiffany Truitt, On The Island by Tracey Garvis-Graves, and Cross My Heart by Sasha Gould. I really wanted to get to Fever, and Pandemonium, but I have review books to get out of the way first.

Leave me a link to your Waiting on Wednesday or WWW Wednesday post and I will check it out!

Leap into Books Giveaway Hop

I am happy to be taking part in the Leap into Books Giveaway hop hosted my I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and Jinky is Reading. 

This Hop will  run through Monday, March 5th 11:59pm.


My giveaway is for an ebook from the choices listed. It is international as long as the book you choose is available in your country. I don't know the rules when it comes to gifting ebooks internationally, so please be sure you can get it before entering. You can pick from one of the following ebooks. (I will be gifting the book from B&N or Amazon so please be sure you can get those formats, either by owning a device or having the apps.) I have been really loving contemporary books lately so I am going to stick with that theme for my giveaway. Clicking on the title will bring you to the Goodreads page.

• Sophie and Carter  by Chelsea Fine
• Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally
• Breathe by Abbi Glines
• Because of Low by Abbi Glines 
• The Vincent Boys by Abbi Glines (this is only available on Amazon at the moment, so kindle only)

Happy leap day and good luck. Don't forget to check out all of the other stops on the hop for a chance to win other awesome books!! The list of other blogs participating is after the rafflecopter form.

Teaser Tuesday (19)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! You should too, it's really fun and a great way to find out about other awesome books, and blogs. Just do the following:

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

My Teaser this week is from Starters by Lissa Price. This book is really cool and interesting.

• Publisher: Random House Children's Books
• Publication date: 3/13/2012
• Pages: 352

My Teasers

This wasn't some place I just didn't want to go. It was my worst nightmare. (pg 203 eARC)

Because it was three-dimensional, its effect was eerie, not silly like a flat costume mask, but not so smooth that it could pass for a real face. It was something in between, artificial but captivating. (pg 280 eARC)

*these teasers are taken from an uncorrected advance copy and may differ from the actual finished book

I am almost done with the book now, and it's really good. I would love to see your Tuesday post. Leave me a link. :)

Cover Reveal: Luminosity by Stephanie Thomas

I am excited to take part in another awesome cover reveal. Entangled Publishing is totally rocking the awesome covers, and great sounding books. So here it is.....Luminosity by Stephanie Thomas.

Add to Goodreads

Publish Date: September 11, 2012
Available for pre-order from Amazon.

Blurb:

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

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

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

How cool is that cover. I love it! And the book just sounds awesome!! I am so excited about the books that Entangled is publishing this year. They can't come soon enough. What do you think? 

Review: Wither by Lauren DeStefano

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• Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers
• Publication date: 3/22/2011
• Pages: 368
• Source: Own

Purchase from B&N, Amazon, and The Book Depository

Overview

At age 16, Rhine Ellery has four years to live. Thanks to a botched effort to create a perfect race, all females live to age 20 and males live to age 25. On the cusp of her 17th birthday, Rhine attempts to flee, but what she finds is a society spiraling out of control.

My Thoughts

I had wanted to read this book for a while, but kept putting it off. It wasn't until all of the hype for Fever, the next book in the series, that I decided I finally needed to read it. It's quite an interesting book. I thought it was a bit slow, but the writing is fantastic. The whole idea of males taking multiple wives, and the girls (literally girls) getting pregnant at 13 yrs old was a little disturbing. With the situation in the book it makes sense though, and it is believable that that type of thing could happen if we all died at such young ages. 


Rhine is taken into the home of Linden and becomes one of his wives. She actually despises Linden since he has taken her away from her only family, but as she discovers secrets, she realizes that he may be a prisoner too. He is left in the dark about so many things, and really is kind of clueless. I really like her character. She is strong and is determined to leave that place and find her twin brother. She is also very nice and caring to all the other people around her.


I liked the relationships that developed too. Rhine and the other sister wives really end up connecting, and I thought it was really touching some of the things they would do for each other, or the things they would say and talk about. There is still a lot of secrecy, but in general, they really all cared about each other. I loved the relationship between Rhine and Gabriel. He is so likable and sweet. It was nice that they developed a friendship, and then slowly fell for each other. I was really hoping it wouldn't be an insta-love thing, so I was happy about that. I honestly really did like Linden too. I really felt bad for him. He has no clue how messed up his father really is, or the things he has done. He truly cares about Rhine, and it really kind of broke my heart. It made me wish the situation was different. I still really adore Gabriel though, so I guess I am glad that things happened the way they did. 


This book moved along at a slow steady pace. I normally like a faster paced story, but this was a good lead up to the next book. I think that it was necessary to let you get to know Rhine well. I really did enjoy the book, I was disgusted by some of the things that happened, but I understand that it's "normal" for them. Whether it's right or wrong. I want to say that it was really emotional, but it wasn't. Some of the things that happened should have made me sad, but I was lacking a solid connection to the characters. I connected on some level, but it wasn't a deep connection. Hopefully I will feel that connection in the next book. I loved the ending, and I am looking forward to reading Fever to see where the story goes now. 3.5 out of 5 stars.

In My Mailbox 2/26/12 Loaded with awesome!

In My Mailbox is a weekly event hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren to show what bookish things you have gotten in the past week, or month, or however frequently you would like to do it.

Another week of bookish awesomeness. I have been having a lucky streak, and I have to say I love it. :) I know it's got to end sometime, but for now I will enjoy it. So onto the good stuff.

Book I bought

• eBook of Shadows (Lux #0.5) by Jennifer L Armentrout. (LOVED IT!!)
• eBook of Fever (Chemical Garden trilogy #2) by Lauren DeStefano

 Books and swag I won

• Ashes by Isla Bick from Jen Ryland / YA Romantics (I answered one of her trivia questions)
• eBook of Stirring up Trouble by Juli Alexander from Uniquely Moi Books
• eBook of Because of Low by Abbi Glines from tour stop @ The Bookish Babes
• Swag from Cherie Coyler from blog tour stop @ The Bookish Babes
• Swag from Andrea @ The Bookish Babes from a different blog tour (Seriously, her blog loves me!)
• The ENTIRE Jessica Darling Series by Megan McCaffery from Sash & Em
• Zombies Don't Cry, Vamplayers, and Double Feature of the Living Dead (which has Ushers, Inc. and Panty Raid at Zombie High in it) by Rusty Fischer from Gothic Angel Book Reviews. 

Thank you to Jen, Uniquely Moi, Juli, Abbi, The Bookish Babes, Cherie, Sash, Em, Gothic Angel  Book Reviews, and Rusty Fischer. My mailbox rocks this week thanks to all of you!
*note* I actually had only won a paperback copy of Zombies Don't Cry and eBook of Panty Raid at Zombie High, but somehow it got overlooked. Rusty, being as absolutely freaking awesome as he is, sent me all of that stuff to make up for it. I totally freaked out at the awesomeness of it!) 
 

SQUEE! These sound awesome!! I am so excited to read them!

 AHHH OMG!! Look at the awesomeness of this!

Books for review

• Wicked Sweet by Mar'ce Merrell Thank you to Feiwel and Friends, and Macmillan

Wow! Another really awesome and surprising week. I am really looking forward to getting to all of these. Man I wish there were more hours in a day. Lol! Thank you again to all of the above mentioned people. You have totally rocked my mailbox!

Review: Shadows (Lux # 0.5) by Jennifer L Armentrout

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• Publisher: Entangled Publishing, LLC
• Publication date: 2/20/2012
• Format: eBook 
• Source: Own

Purchase from B&N or Amazon

Overview

The last thing Dawson Black expected was Bethany Williams. As a Luxen, an alien life form on Earth, human girls are…well, fun. But since the Luxen have to keep their true identities a secret, falling for one would be insane. Dangerous. Tempting. Undeniable.

Bethany can’t deny the immediate connection between her and Dawson. And even though boys aren’t a complication she wants, she can’t stay away from him. Still, whenever they lock eyes, she’s drawn in. Captivated. Lured. Loved.

Dawson is keeping a secret that will change her existence...and put her life in jeopardy. But even he can’t stop risking everything for one human girl. Or from a fate that is as unavoidable as love itself.

My Thoughts

It's no secret that Obsidian is pretty much my favorite book, so I had been dying to read Shadows. If you don't already know, this is the prequel novella to Obsidian. It blew my mind!!! I loved getting to know Dawson and Bethany. It also really gives you insight on why Daemon is such a douche in Obsidian towards Katy. This novella was everything I could have wanted and more. It was like a full course meal of emotions for me. It was full of some really hilarious lines that Jennifer does so well. I got a few of those funny looks when I just burst out laughing. There was swoon worthy moment, times when you feel like punching someone, and oh, the tears. Yup, JLA has done it again with making me feel every emotion while reading one of her books. 


Shadows is told through three POV's. Dawson, Bethany, and Daemon. I loved getting to know Dawson and Bethany along with them getting to know each other. You could feel them falling in love with each other. You could feel the tension from Daemon, and the other Luxen. You want so much for them to be happy and everything to have a happy ending. I really enjoyed getting to be inside Bethany's head. She is a very likable character. She is so sweet, and funny. Dawson is just totally swoon worthy. Okay so I know I have claimed that Daemon is my book boyfriend, and he is, but Dawson is just so caring and nice. He is almost nothing like Daemon at all, except when you make him angry. Then he is just as fiery as Daemon. Not someone I would want to make mad, that's for sure. 

Right from the first page I was completely hooked, and had to keep reading. Jennifer knows how to capture you with her writing. I loved how the relationship slowly progressed. It was a wonderful build up, which made the end even more devastating then it would have been anyways. Through the entire book I was either laughing, gripping my nook in anticipation, sighing and swooning, or crying. I can't even begin to tell you how much I love this book. Now I am even more eager to get my hands on Onyx. I just need to dive back into this awesome world JLA has created for us. I think I need to read Obsidian again now after finishing Shadows. Can I give this like 5 million stars?....No, okay 5 out of 5!

Cover Reveal: The Vincent Brothers (Vincent Boys #2) by Abbi Glines + Playlist and Dream Cast

I just recently read, and loved The Vincent Boys by Abbi Glines, so I am totally psyched to be part of the cover reveal for the next book in the series, The Vincent Brothers. It is awesome! I absolutely love the cover!! I will get on with it because I know you all want to see it, but first the book description.

He may have given her up without a fight, but Sawyer Vincent is far from over losing the girl he’s loved all of his life. Instead of giving up his best friend and the girl he thought he’d spend forever with, he gave Ashton and his brother Beau his blessing. However, adjusting to seeing Ashton wrapped up in Beau’s arms isn’t easy. Complicating everything even more, Ashton’s cousin Lana is in town for the summer. Sweet, kind, soft-spoken Lana, who gets under his skin. Just being near her makes him forget all about Ashton and his broken heart. Lana is everything he wanted Ashton to be except she isn’t Ashton. She lacks the backbone to stand up for herself and confidence that Ashton wears like a crown. 

Lana McDaniel  has lived her life in her cousin's shadow. While Lana struggled with her grades no matter how hard she tried, her mother praised Ashton's intelligence. She hadn’t been blessed with Ashton’s blond hair and flawless skin, but that didn't keep her mother from lamenting her naturally red hair and freckles. But none of that would have mattered if Ashton hadn’t always had Sawyer Vincent wrapped around her finger -- the only boy Lana wanted. Once Ashton let Sawyer go, Lana had been so sure that he’d move on. Determined to make Sawyer finally see her, she'd talked her mother into letting her spend the summer with Ashton. But Sawyer is still in love with Ashton, and Lana isn’t going to be anyone's rebound girl. No matter how yummy Sawyer Vincent’s kisses taste.

Add to Goodreads

 OMG!! *flails* How AWESOME is that cover?!! I am in love with it! So now that you have seen how great the cover is, I have some other great stuff for you. Abbi's dream cast followed by  her playlist for the book.

Elisha Cuthbert as Ashton


I would have picked her too! I think she is the perfect Ashton.












Cam Gigandet as Beau


*Swoon* I don't know that this is who I would have picked, but seeing this pic, It's definitely who I am picking now.










Penn Badgley as Sawyer


I can see him as Sawyer. I wasn't really sure who I would have picked for him, but Penn Badgley suits him well.

Cintia Dicker as Lana


This is a good pick for Lena. To be honest, I don't really remember if she was described in The Vincent Boys. If this is who Abbi picks, it must be good. 



I think those are all really great picks! Now here's Abbi's book playlist. (which is great)

Get bookish goodies for 25% off and support a good cause!

Who doesn't love bookish goodies right? I know I am obsessed with bookmarks, and notebooks / journals. Well, from now until March 23 you can get 25% off some awesome bookish stuff (except for bookends) from Gone Reading International, LLC. They have marketed all sorts of great products to appeal to book lovers like all of us. What's even better is they donate 100% of the after-tax profits to fund libraries in the developing world. So you get to buy some cool products and help others to get the gift of reading. That's a big win right?! So just use the coupon code BOOKLOVING25 to get your 25% off. If you would like to read their Philanthropic Mission click  here. This really is for a good cause. Now I will leave you with some of the awesome products you can purchase!

 Some bookmarks.

Some pretty journals.

Even a cool bookish game to play with friends or family!

They have a great selection of products for every type of book lover. Don't forget to use coupon code  BOOKLOVING25 until March 23 to get 25% off of your purchase (excluding bookends) at Gone Reading International, LLC

Review: The Academie by Susanne Dunlap

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• Publisher: Bloomsbury USA
• Publication date: 2/28/2012
• Edition number: 1
• Pages: 368
• Source: eARC from NetGalley/Bloomsbury

Purchase from B&N, Amazon, or The Book Depository

Overview

Eliza Monroe—daughter of the future president of the United States—is devastated when her mother decides to send her to boarding school outside of Paris. But the young American teen is quickly reconciled to the idea when—ooh, la-la!—she discovers who her fellow pupils will be: Hortense de Beauharnais, daughter of Josephine Bonaparte; and Caroline Bonaparte, youngest sister of the famous French general. It doesn't take long for Eliza to figure out that the two French girls are mortal enemies—and that she's about to get caught in the middle of their schemes.

Loosely drawn from history, Eliza Monroe's imagined coming of age provides a scintillating glimpse into the lives, loves, and hopes of three young women during one of the most volatile periods in French history.

My Thoughts

I don't really read many historical fiction novels, so I didn't quite know what to expect from this. The synopsis sounded interesting, so I was really excited to read it. It is a slow but steady story that picks up a little as it goes, but to me it was too slow overall.  It is told in three different PoV's and I really like how they tie together in the end. I never felt confused at all. It was a well done multi-PoV.


We first meet Eliza, who is the American girl who is pretty much dumped off at this boarding school. I thought she was a little too self-centered, and easily manipulated. She was likable enough, but in general, I found her a bit dull and kind of annoying. Then there's Hortense, who is daughter of Josephine. She is a very complex character, and there is a lot of depth to her. She isn't at all what she seems. I really enjoyed getting to know her, and her secrets. Madeline is the daughter of an actress. I felt bad for her, then didn't like her at all, but by the end I was heart-broken for her. We also have Caroline, who doesn't have her own PoV, but we get a lot of her. She is quite vindictive and I didn't like her at all.


It was interesting to read about how an all girls academy was back in 1799. I really was expecting a little bit more detail and descriptions, but it fell a little flat with that. The story was really centered completely around the characters themselves, with very little information about the other important things going on in France, and the US. We get just a little taste of it. There was a lot of deception going on in this story, but I didn't really feel anything while reading it. I wanted to feel like I was being betrayed, or loved, or tortured. I wanted to feel what the characters were feeling, but I just didn't. The only character I really felt a slight connection to was Madeline. She was just treated so horribly by her mother, but was so hopeful because she was in love. 


So I don't even really know what else to say about this story. Eliza is pretty much just thrown into the middle of things. and literally dragged around and stuck in the middle of Hortense and Caroline's plans. She has a bit of her own thing going on, but for the most part she is just kind of there. All of the other girls have their love interests, and families, and Eliza is tagging along. Hortense, Caroline, want to marry for love. Their families want them to marry for convenience. Madeline just wants to escape her awful mother and marry the man she loves. The thing she doesn't know is that his mother won't hear of it. She is just an actresses daughter, no one of importance. They will all lie and deceive to try to get what they want. There is a lot of "Oh, this is what I want, but I don't want to hurt so and so.", but it never really felt like they were really concerned about others. It was just empty words. Everyone had their own agenda to get exactly what they wanted. I feel like this review seems really negative, and I don't mean for it to come across that way at all. I did enjoy the book. There were plenty of things I did like. I thought that some of the touches of romance were sweet, but there were just a lot of things that put me off.  I guess I really wanted to know more, and I wanted a little faster pace. It was well written, and I was content reading it. I would give this 3 out of 5 stars.

Review: The Vincent Boys by Abbi Glines

Add to Goodreads

• Publish Date: October 17, 2011
• Format: eBook
• Source: Own

Buy from Amazon

Overview

Being the good girl isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Ashton Gray has grown weary of playing the part to please her parents, and to be worthy of the town’s prince charming, Sawyer Vincent. Maybe That’s why she’s found herself spending time with Sawyer’s cousin, Beau, while he’s away for the summer camping with his family. Beau is nothing like her perfect boyfriend. He’s the sexiest guy she’s ever seen, dangerous in ways she’s only day dreamed about, and the one guy she should stay away from.
Beau never envied Sawyer his loving parents, his big nice home, or his position as quarterback. He loves him like a brother. Which is why he's tried everything in his power to keep his distance from Sawyer’s girlfriend. Even if he has loved her since the age of five, Ashton is Sawyer’s girl, so therefore she’s off limits. But when Sawyer leaves for the summer, Ashton, the one girl Beau would move Heaven and Earth for, decides she wants to get into trouble. Stabbing the one person who’s always accepted him and stood by him in the back, is the cost of finally holding Ashton Gray in his arms. Is she worth losing his cousin over?.... Hell Yeah.

My Thoughts

OMG!! I loved this book! Okay, so I am totally going to be a blabbering mess with this review I think. Just a few months ago I decided that I needed to expand what types of books I read, and there are so many contemporary books that sounds good. I didn't really know what book I should try to read or what was a good one to start with. Well, I bought this one since my awesome blogger friend Andrea over at The Bookish Babes recommended it. I didn't end up reading it right away (I actually read a few contemporary books before finally getting to this one, this was just the first one I bought.), but now that I have. WOW! Now I understand why so many others completely fan girl over Abbi Glines. I am a fan for life now! I need to read everything she has written ASAP. This book blew me away! I could not stop reading. The characters are so awesome and man does she know how to do romance and heartbreak! This book didn't just tug on my emotions, it yanked and pulled!

Ashton is likable, and not likable at the same time. Okay, I ended up loving her, but for a while I was just so angry with her. I was mad at her for doing things that she shouldn't, but she redeems herself in the end by trying to do what is right in the end, even if it breaks her own heart. I really could feel how she was struggling with things. Her boyfriend Sawyer is absolutely perfect. Ashton feels like she needs to keep up with her perfect exterior to please not just him, but her family and everyone. She has been friends with both Sawyer and Beau since they were kids, but when she starts dating Sawyer, Beau is just shut out of her life. She always had fun with Beau, and spending time with him is making her second guess herself.

Beau, oh where do I even start with him. Super hot, swoon worthy bad boy! Except he's not really a bad boy. A lot of books have the "bad boy" who is a jerk, but totally sexy right? Well, Beau isn't really a jerk, that's what makes him even more appealing. He acts like a jerk at times for sure, but in reality he is super sweet, smart, and caring. He has had a hard life, but he just goes with it. He's not jealous of what he doesn't have. (With the exception of Ash) He loves his cousin Sawyer more than anyone, and has always been happy for him even though he has everything any high school boy could want. I couldn't help but absolutely fall in love with Beau. He is just so complex and wonderful. He is also very perceptive. He notices things and remembers them. It's like he keeps all those special things locked up and hidden away.

I can't say that I agree with the things that happen in this book, but it's very realistic. These things do happen. Teenagers party, they make the wrong decisions, they hurt each other. That's life. This book is very raw and emotional. It lets you feel what the characters feel. Hurt when they hurt, laugh when they laugh. There are secrets, deception, and also the understanding that you can't really change things. You need to come to terms with certain things and except them as they are. I can't wait for the next book in this series. I read this book in just a few hours, and was so sad to have it end. 5 out of 5 stars!

Waiting on Wednesday / WWW Wednesday 2-22-12

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine  to share what book you are highly anticipating the release of.

 I just recently finished Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake, and I am really, really looking forward to the next book, Girl of Nightmares.

Add to Goodreads

• Publisher: Doherty, Tom Associates, LLC
• Publication date: 8/7/2012
• Pages: 304

 Overview

In this follow-up to Anna Dressed in Blood, Cas begins seeing Anna everywhere: sometimes when he’s asleep, and sometimes in waking nightmares. But something is very wrong. These aren’t just daydreams. Anna seems tortured, torn apart in new and ever more gruesome ways every time she appears.

Cas doesn’t know what happened to Anna when she disappeared into Hell, but he knows she doesn’t deserve whatever is happening to her now. Anna saved Cas more than once, and it’s time for him to return the favor.





I am am seriously pining for this book.  Besides the fact that it sounds really great, the cover is amazing!

WWW Wednesdays is hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading  

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…

• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you’ll read next?


I am currently reading: Wither by Lauren DeStefano I decided I needed to see what all the hype for Fever was about, but I need to read this one first. I am also reading In Leah's Wake by Terri Guiliano Long, which I actually stopped reading for a bit, but I plan on getting back to it soon.


I recently finished reading: The Vincent Boys by Abbi Glines, OMG! My review actually will be up today. Finally finished the audio book of Lips Touch Three Times by Laini Taylor, and The Academie by Susanne Dunlap.


I think next I am going to read: Shadows by Jennifer L Armentrout. (I would be reading it now if B&N had it up to purchase. Since I have a nook, I can't get it from Amazon unless I want to read on my phone or computer.) Fever by Lauren DeStefano, and I'm not sure what else yet.


What are you waiting on this wonderful Wednesday? Leave me a link and I will be happy to check out your Wednesday post.

Top Ten Tuesday (2)

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme created by  The Broke and the Bookish. Each week there is a different topic for the Top Ten. This weeks topic is Top Ten books I would save if my house were abducted by aliens (or other natural disaster) Lol! Crazy aliens trying to get my books. These are in no particular order.

1. First thing is my nook! I know that's kinda cheating, but hey it's book sized. I have a whole lot of books in there too. See, eReaders are a good thing. I have so many of my faves in both ebook and physical form. (The Hunger Games series, and The Soul Screamers series are in my nook, so I won't put them on the list)  :)
2. My Harry Potter collection. Yes I know that's actually 7 books, but seriously I need all of them. 
3. The Twilight Saga. Yes I love my Twilight books. 
4. The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare. Man I'm a cheater. I suppose I should stop since I am way over 10 actual books lol. 
5. The Infernal Devices series by Cassandra Clare. (There's only two so that's not too bad.)                        (I know, I am totally at like almost 20 books now. The Hubs can take some for me)
6.  The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E Smith. This is one of those books I could read over and over again. It's so beautiful.
7. Half-Blood by Jennifer L Armentrout (and Daimon, and Pure...what I can't leave them behind)
8. Obsidian by Jennifer L Armentrout Does this even need an explanation,? It is one of my favorite books!

I guess since I totally cheated I will stop. I don't know how I could possibly really choose only 10. I would still be so sad to leave behind so many other books, but these ones could keep me satisfied until I could get more. I am really interested in seeing what other people have picked for this weeks topic.

Teaser Tuesday (18)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! You should too, it's really fun and a great way to find out about other awesome books, and blogs. Just do the following:

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

My Teaser this week is from The Academie by Susanne Dunlap. I actually just finished it.

• Publisher: Bloomsbury USA
• Publication date: 2/28/2012
• Edition number: 1
• Pages: 368

My Teaser

We are silent. I am thinking how selfish I am, to worry about the state of my heart when the future of France is at stake, when my stepfather may be mortally injured. (pg 276 eARC)

This book is in a multi-POV. The teaser I used is from Hortense's POV.  Being that I am reading it on an eReader it's hard to find a good teaser. It's not very easy to just flip through the book. My review for this book should be up in a few days. Leave me a link and I will be happy to check out your Tuesday post.

Audio Review: Lips Touch Three Times by Laini Taylor

• Publisher: Brilliance Audio
• Publication date: 12/28/2010
• Format: CD
• Source: Won / Own 

Purchase form B&N, Amazon, or The Book Depostitory

Overview

Three tales of supernatural love, each pivoting on a kiss that is no mere kiss, but an action with profound consequences for the kissers' souls:

Goblin Fruit: In Victorian times, goblin men had only to offer young girls sumptuous fruits to tempt them to sell their souls. But what does it take to tempt today's savvy girls?

Spicy Little Curses: A demon and the ambassador to Hell tussle over the soul of a beautiful English girl in India. Matters become complicated when she falls in love and decides to test her curse.

Hatchling: Six days before Esme's fourteenth birthday, her left eye turns from brown to blue. She little suspects what the change heralds, but her small safe life begins to unravel at once. What does the beautiful, fanged man want with her, and how is her fate connected to a mysterious race of demons?

My Thoughts

Going into this book, I knew it was going to be heavy on fantasy. I like fantasy, but sometimes it's too much. Laini Taylor does a fantastic job with the fantasy in this, but still makes it seem believable. This book (or audio book which is what I have) is three completely different stories, that all lead up to  a kiss. Each story is told so beautifully, and the detail is just incredible. I almost want to read the actual book so I can really absorb it better, but this is one of the best audio books I have ever listened to and I highly recommend it. It keeps you completely engaged and you need to know where each story is going. The narrator is amazing. She really does each voice uniquely, with different accents, and deeper voices. It's easy to be pulled into each story.

Goblin Fruit was my least favorite of all of them, but it was still really great. I won't even try to get the characters names right, since I listened to it and didn't read it. The main character is a girl who is pretty much an outcast. She is exactly the type of girl the goblins want. She isn't skinny and gorgeous, she doesn't hang out with the cool people, and her family is really weird. The goblins know exactly what to do to get her. This one is a quick story, but still very interesting.

Spicy Little Curses was really great. Annamique (I don't know if that's the spelling since I didn't see it written down) is a beautiful girl, who has the most devastatingly beautiful voice, literally. She was cursed so her voice will kill anyone who hears it. Even as a baby she somehow knew to never make a sound. She has never even tried to test her voice on ants in the yard. This is a very suspenseful story to see if she will test the curse that her true love does not believe is real. This story was both touching and heartbreaking!

Hatchling, the last and in my opinion best out of the three was full of fantasy. They all are, but this one I think the most. This one is about creatures called Druj. This story has love, heartbreak, and shape shifters. This story was quite intense and I have to say a little confusing, but I eventually understood things. I don't think I would have been confused if I had been reading it. This one had a very surprising outcome.

Overall I really enjoyed this audio book. The stories were just so amazing and creative, and the details, and voice really keep you sucked right in. If you are looking for a great audio book with a lot of fantasy, this is definitely the one for you. There is some profanity, and sexual references, so I wouldn't recommend it to anyone younger than maybe 14. Laini Taylor is very creative and talented. This book was fantastic. 4 out of 5 stars.

Cover Reveal: Inbetween (Kissed by Death #1) by Tara Fuller

I am really excited about this cover reveal. The cover is really pretty and it sounds awesome! Entangled has some really fantastic books coming out this year. Here's the cover and overview of Inbetween by Tara Fuller.

Overview

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

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

This sounds seriously amazing right? If you are as excited for it as I am, you can add it to Goodreads, and  Pre-order from Amazon. It will be published August 7th, 2012

In My Mailbox 2/19/12

In My Mailbox is a weekly event hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren to show what bookish things you have gotten in the past week, or month, or however frequently you would like to do it.

Hi everyone!! I have had a pretty awesome week as far as books go, so this is a big IMM. I have had a lucky streak and have won some great books lately, finally got in some I was waiting for, and got some for review. One in particular I literally screamed and ran around the house, while my three year old watched in confusion. So onto the good stuff.

Books that I bought

• Bittersweet by Sarah Ockler (I actually bought it weeks ago, but it took a while to get here)
• Harbinger by Sara Entienne OMG the texture of the cover is awesome, and it's beautiful IRL!
• eBook of On the Bright Side by S.R. Johannes

Books for review

• The Peculiars by Maureen Doyle McQuerry (Thank you Abrams Publishing and NetGalley)
• Welcome, Caller, This is Chloe by Shelley Corielle (Thanks to Abrams and NetGalley)
• Don't You Wish by Roxanne St. Claire (Thank you Random House and NetGalley)
• On the Day I Died by Candace Flemming (Thank you Random and NetGalley)
• The Academie by Susanne Dunlap (Thank you Bloomsbury and NetGalley)
• Masque of the Red Death by Bethany Griffin (I almost died!!! Thank you so much Harper Collins!)

Okay, so I was so super excited about this. I checked my mail and saw an envelope from Harper Collins and could not open it fast enough!! I have been wanting to read this since I first heard about it, and I am psyched to have gotten an ARC to read and review!!

Books that I won

• eBook of I Zombie by Jack Wallen ( Thank you to the author and Giselle @ Xpresso Reads)
• eBook of Embrace by Cherie Colyer (Thanks to the author and Andrea @ The Bookish Babes)
• Signed copy of Haunted on Bourbon Street by Deanna Chase (Thanks to the author and Heather @ Supa Gurl Books)
• ARC of Tempest by Julie Cross (Thanks to Macmillan and Heather @ Supa Gurl Books)

 
That wraps up my awesome week of bookish things!! Thank you again to all the authors, publishers, and bloggers mentioned. Leave me a link to your IMM and I will go check it out! Much love everyone! :)

Review: Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake

• Publisher: Doherty, Tom Associates, LLC
• Publication date: 8/30/2011
• Pages: 320
• Source: Own 

Purchase from B&N, Amazon, or The Book Depository

Overview

Cas Lowood has inherited an unusual vocation: He kills the dead.

So did his father before him, until his gruesome murder by a ghost he sought to kill. Now, armed with his father's mysterious and deadly athame, Cas travels the country with his kitchen-witch mother and their spirit-sniffing cat. Together they follow legends and local lore, trying to keep up with the murderous dead—keeping pesky things like the future and friends at bay.

When they arrive in a new town in search of a ghost the locals call Anna Dressed in Blood, Cas doesn't expect anything outside of the ordinary: move, hunt, kill. What he finds instead is a girl entangled in curses and rage, a ghost like he's never faced before. She still wears the dress she wore on the day of her brutal murder in 1958: once white, but now stained red and dripping blood. Since her death, Anna has killed any and every person who has dared to step into the deserted Victorian she used to call home.

And she, for whatever reason, spares his life.

My Thoughts


It's not often that I have trouble thinking of things to say, but this book...I just don't even know how to say the things I am feeling. I absolutely freaking loved it!! I mean, that just doesn't really seem like enough. It has romance, action, ghosts, creepiness, just awesome really!  I was hooked right from the beginning. I really love Cas and Anna, but the other characters are great too. I was never bored with this book, in fact I felt like I couldn't read it fast enough, and at the same time did not want it to end. Oh, and also awesome, it's told from a male PoV. 

Cas and his mother moved to Thunder Bay so he can hunt Anna. He was given a tip off from a good informant, and though he didn't know much about her, Cas was intrigued by her. He knew he needed to act on this one. He easily gets acquainted with the popular girl at school. He knows that he has to get in with the people who know all the good stories. He gets them to open up about Anna very quickly, and even take him to the old Victorian house that she haunts. She brutally murders anyone who enters the house. Things actually get quite complicated there. Cas finds that he is going to need help, which he has never needed before. He also discovers friendship with Thomas and Carmel. He usually avoids friendship since he moves around all the time for different hunts. Things get a lot worse too. It's not just getting rid of Anna he has to worry about. 


So Cas, what can I say....he's pretty awesome. I love his personality. He's sarcastic, independent and tough. When you're a ghost hunter you can't very well be a wuss. He is very self assured, and knows what he needs to do to get his job done. Some of his lines in the book had me cracking up too. When he meets Anna he knows she is different from any ghost he has ever had to "kill". 


Anna is freaking scary!! When we first meet her she is a violent crazy ghost! I would not want to get in her way at all! For some reason, she doesn't harm Cas though. Her inner demon is somehow able to hold back from killing him, and even she doesn't know why. 


The writing was fantastic, the story was incredible, the characters are likable and easy to connect with, and the progression was perfect! I loved everything about this book. This is one of those books that you tell yourself you will just read one more chapter, but you fight through your exhaustion to keep reading! I can't even put into word how much I loved this book. I am absolutely dying for Girl of Nightmares to come out!! Definitely 5 out of 5 stars to this!!

Book Trailer: Fever by Lauren DeStefano

With all the anticipation for Fever, (Chemical Garden #2) I thought I would share the book trailer with you. MTV just recently posted it on their Hollywood crush site. I am actually going to be reading Wither very soon, so I am ready for Fever when it comes out on February 21st. After watching this trailer I am pretty excited for it.

Get More: Movie Trailers, Movies Blog

Cover Reveal: GRAVITY by Melissa West

I am so excited to take part in the cover reveal for GRAVITY by Melissa West. This is her debut sci-fi YA book. It sounds fantastic and the cover is really pretty!! So I will get right to it. Here it is...

Coming in October 2012 from Entangled Publishing

Overview

In the future, only one rule will matter:

Don’t. Ever. Peek.

Seventeen-year-old Ari Alexander just broke that rule and saw the last person she expected hovering above her bed—arrogant Jackson Locke, the most popular boy in her school. She expects instant execution or some kind of freak alien punishment, but instead, Jackson issues a challenge: help him, or everyone on Earth will die.

Ari knows she should report him, but everything about Jackson makes her question what she’s been taught about his kind. And against her instincts, she’s falling for him. But Ari isn’t just any girl, and Jackson wants more than her attention.  She’s a military legacy who’s been trained by her father and exposed to war strategies and societal information no one can know—especially an alien spy, like Jackson. Giving Jackson the information he needs will betray her father and her country, but keeping silent will start a war.

I know that I am pretty excited about this one! What do you think?