Book Blogger Hop and Follow Friday (7)

Follow Friday is a really fun way to network your blog and meet some other really cool bloggers in the process! This weekly event is hosted at Parajunkee's View!

Q: Keeping with the dystopian and apocolyse theme that seems to be running rampant I have one very hard question for you: If you were stocking your bomb shelter, which books would you HAVE to include if you only had space for ten?

A: Only ten! How could I only choose ten? Ugh, If I had to chose ten I would choose:

1 and 2: Shadow Kissed and Blood Promise by Richelle Mead
3: A Certain Slant of Light by Laura Whitcomb

4: Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

5: Bitten by Kelley Armstrong

6-10: The Blue Bloods Series

What would you take with you in the bomb shelter?

The Book Blogger Hop is a place just for book bloggers and readers to connect and share our love for the written word. This incredibly awesome weekly event is hosted by Jennifer at Crazy for Books!

Q: Summer is coming quickly-which 2011 summer realease are you most looking forward to?

A: There are so many books that I'm looking forward to reading this summer but I would have to say that I am most excited to a particular. Undercurrent (Siren #2) by Tricia Rayburn and Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake.

The cover is gorgeous and the story sounds so haunting! It's going to be really fun to read!

I read the first one (Siren) and I absolutely loved it! I'm pretty much obsessed with any book that has to do with mermaids or sirens! This is going to be a great sequel!

What are you looking forward to this summer?

Teaser Tuesday (3)

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading. It includes two sentences from your current read without any spoilers!

Since I literally just started Dark Lover by J.R. Ward like 15 minutes ago, I'm turning to a random page and using it as today's teaser.

"He drew in a great breath and emptied his lungs with a vicious yell. The sound vibrated around the room, rattling the doors, the loose weapons, the mirror in the bathroom. Candles flared wildly in response, their flames licking up the walls, greedy to get free of their wicks and destroy what they could. He roared until his throat felt as if it were going to tear apart, until his chest burned." ---pg. 187

What is your teaser this week?

It's Monday! What are you reading? (16)

It's Monday! What are you reading is where we share what we have read this past week, what we hope to read and anything in between. This weekly event is brought to you by Book Journey!

Last week I read:

The Magnolia League by Katie Crouch

Last Sacrifice by Richelle Mead

Wither by Lauren DeStefano

Currently reading:

Dark Lover by J.R. Ward

The only purebred vampire left on the planet, Wrath has a score to settle with the slayers who murdered his parents centuries ago. But when one of his most trusted fighters is killed-orphaning a half-breed daughter unaware of her heritage or her fate-Wrath must usher the beautiful female into the world of the undead...

Racked by a restlessness in her body that wasn't there, Beth Randall is helpless against the dangerously sexy man who comes at night with shadows in his eyes. His tales of brotherhood and blood frighten her. But his touch ignites a dawning hunger that threatens to consume them both.

Hope to read this week:

The Iron King by Julie Kagawa

Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins

Soulless by Gail Carriger

What are you reading this week?

200 Followers Giveaway!

I can't believe that I've reached 200 followers! You guys are all so amazing and as a token of my gratitude, I'm hosting a big giveaway! I'm giving away 2 prize packs! Ends May 31, 2011! US residents only

Prize Pack #1: 1-4 of the House of Night series by P.C. and Kristin Cast (all paperback)

Prize Pack #2: 1-3 of the Immortals series by Alyson Noel (1 and 2 paperback, 3 hardcover)

In My Mailbox (11)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren, where we all share what we got during the week!

This week I finally got Wither by Lauren DeStefano! I'm so excited and I've read about half of it now!

Purchased:

Wither by Lauren DeStefano

Dark Lover by J.R. Ward

For Review from NetGalley:

The Magnolia League by Katie Crouch

Spellbound by Cara Lynn Shultz

The Poisoned House by Michael Ford

Ultraviolet by R.J. Anderson

On My Wishlist (1)

On my wishlist is a fun weekly event hosted by Book Chick City. It's where we list all the books we desperately want but haven't bought yet! And let me tell you, I have a lot of those!

This week on my wishlist:

I chose Incarceron by Catherine Fisher because I have picked up this book so many times in the bookstore, read the synopsis and then put it back. I want to read it so bad but then something I want more always catches my eye. The cover is amazing, the second one has already been released so I've made the decision that I'm just going to buy it as soon as I can and not opt for a different book!

Incarceron is a prison unlike any other: It's inmates live not only in cells, but also in mental forests, dilapidated cities, and unbound wilderness. The prison has been sealed for centuries, and only one man, legend says, has ever escaped.

Finn, a seventeen-year-old prisoner, can't remember his childhood and believes he came from Outside Incarceron. He's going to escape, even though most inmates don't believe Outside exists. And then Finn finds a crystal key and through it, a girl named Claudia.

Claudia claims to live Outside-her father is the warden of Incarceron and she's doomed to an arranged marriage. If she helps Finn escape, she will need his help in return. But they don't realize that there is more to Incarceron than meets the eye. Escape will take their greatest courage and cost far more than they know.

Because Incarceron is alive.

So excited to finally get my hands on this book!!

What's on your wishlist?

Book Blogger Hop (7) and Follow Friday (6)

Follow Friday is a really fun way to network your blog and meet some other really cool bloggers in the process! This weekly event is hosted at Parajunkee's View! The featured bloggers is Caitlin at The Cait Files!

Q: What is on your current playlist right now?

A: Right now I've been listening to a lot of Mumford and Sons! They're amazing and so unique. I also love Cage the Elephant, Death Cab for Cutie (new album coming soon), Florence and the Machine, Civil Twilight, Jukebox the Ghost and of course, I love Muse. I've got a bit of an indie rock theme going on. Their music is all so catchy and fun to listen to. I pretty much love them all because I can blast them in my car, roll the windows down and just enjoy what I'm listening to.

The Book Blogger Hop is a place just for book bloggers and readers to connect and share our love for the written word. This incredibly awesome weekly event is hosted by Jennifer at Crazy for Books!

Q: If you find a book you love, do you hunt down other books by the same author?

A: I have done that in the past but then I have come to figure out that although I love the author, what I really fall in love with is either that one book or the series. I have been disappointed many times when a find another book or series by the same author. I have also found other books by the same author that I loved. It's just a gamble sometimes!

Review- Second Helpings

Title: Second Helpings

Author: Megan McCafferty

Publisher: Three Rivers Press
Rating: 5/5
Find it here: Amazon, Goodreads

Blurb:

"Knowing that I've just done something that will take take decades off my parents' lives with worry, you'll excuse me for not getting into the fa-la-la-la-la Yuletide spirit this year...The only difference between Christmas 2001 and Christmas 2000 is that I don't have a visit from Hope to look forward to. And Bethany has already packed on some major fetal flab. Oh, and now Gladdie doesn't need to ask a bazillion questions about my boyfriend, because she's already gotten the dirt from you know who."

Jessica is up in arms again in this much-anticipated, hilarious sequel to Sloppy Firsts. This time the hyerobservant, angst-ridden teenager is going through the social and emotional ordeal of her senior year at Pineville High. Not only does the mysterious and oh-so-compelling Marcus Flutie continue to distract Jessica but her best friend Hope, still lives in another state and she can't seem to escape the clutches of the Clueless Crew, her annoying so-called friends. To top it off, Jessica's parents won't get off her butt about choosing a college and her sister Bethany's pregnancy is causing a big stir in the Darling household.

My thoughts:

In this fun and hilarious second installment of the Jessica Darling series, Jessica finds herself in her senior year of high school with little more than a clue of what she is going to do after she graduates. Marcus Flutie is even more confusing with his silently rebellious T-shirts and his inconspicuous signals that he still has feelings for her. The sexual tension is crazy thick between the two of them and I literally wanted to shout at the book for them to get together already!!

Second helpings is so funny that, again, I was laughing out loud, sometimes without even realizing it! There should be a warning on the cover of these books saying "WARNING: MAY CAUSE SUDDEN OUTBURSTS OF LAUGHTER! TAKE EXTREME CAUTION WHILE READING IN PUBLIC!!" I felt like I had to be careful of where I was reading in case I couldn't control my laughter.

I have really enjoyed being on this journey with Jessica and watching her learn how to stand up for herself. I have to say that one of my favorite characters is her grandmother Gladdie because she is just completely forward and in your face. She isn't afraid to tell Jessica that she needs to follow her heart no matter what her parent say. I also love that she is a big supporter of Marcus and their relationship.

Although this book can sometimes be frustrating because Jessica is her own worst critic, it has definitely become one of my favorite series right now. It's a great crossover from adult to young adult fiction that readers of both will love!

Waiting on Wednesday (17)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we are eagerly anticipating. This is one of my favorite memes because not only is my TBR pile so much bigger at the end of the night but also because the covers are always amazing!

Sweet Venom by Tera Lynn Childs

Release date: October 4, 2011

Blurb:

Grace just moved to San Fransisco and is excited to start over at a new school. The change is full of fresh possibilities, but it's also a tiny bit scary. It gets scarier when a minotaur walks through the door. And even more shocking when a girl who looks just like her shows up to fight the monster.

Gretchen is tired of monsters pulling her out into the wee hours, especially on a school night, but what can she do? Sending the minotaur back to his bleak home is just another notch on her combat belt. She never expected to run into this girl who could be her double, though.

Greer has her life pretty well put together, thank you very much. But that all tilts sideways when two girls who look eerily like her appear on her doorstep and claim they're triplets, supernatural decedents of some hideous creature from Greek myth, destined to spend their life hunting monsters.

These three teenage decedents of Medusa, the once-beautiful gorgon maligned by myth, must reunite and embrace their fates in this unique paranormal world where monsters lurk in plain sight.

What are you waiting for?

Teaser Tuesday (2)

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading. It includes two sentences from your current read without any spoilers!

This week's teaser is from The Magnolia League by Katie Crouch! pg. 39:

"'And one more thing, Alexandria...'

'Yeah?' I hesitate by the door.

'This is your home and I want you to be comfortable here, but the rules are to be followed.'

'Meaning?'

'If a door is locked, my dear, you are not welcome there.'"

This book is so exciting and I'm super stoked to find out what happens next!

Review- Delirium

Title: Delirium

Author: Lauren Oliver

Publisher: HarperTeen

Rating: 4/5

Find it here: Amazon, Goodreads

Blurb:

Before scientists found the cure, people thought love was a good thing. They didn't understand that once love--the deliria--blooms in your blood, there is no escaping it's hold. Things are different now. Scientists are able to eradicate love, and the government demands that all citizens receive the cure upon turning eighteen. Lena Holoway has always looked forward to the day when she'll be cured. A life without love is a life without pain: safe, measured, predictable and happy.

But with ninety-five days left until her treatment, Lena does the unthinkable: She falls in love.

My thoughts:

Lena lives in a world where people believe that love is a disease. They believe that it is responsible for crime, poverty, psychosis and any other crazy thing that you can think of. This dystopian society is strictly limited to only the essentials: working, creating more children with an approved match and raising those children to live the same kind of life. No one travels, no one reads classic literature anymore (torture!) and no one even has friends really. Life seems quite dull after the cure is administered. The "cure" is apparently this procedure that takes out the part of the brain that processes emotions and feelings. Sometimes even personalities are altered in the process. Mothers aren't even supposed to show too much affection towards their children.

I really enjoyed this book (then again, I enjoy most dystopian novels). I couldn't even imagine living in a world where everything is chosen and laid out for you. Especially not being able to freely travel between states and/or cities as I choose. What I thought was most interesting was the fact that the main character could not wait to enter into a zombie-like state (not the blood thirsty type) and live the rest of her life without any excitement!

I also noticed a lot of parallels between Delirium and Romeo and Juliet. Starcrossed lovers, breaking the rules to be together and the sacrifices they made for one another.

Lena really comes into her true self and questions everything that she has been taught to be true. She learns that her society is afraid of love because it is something that they don't understand and most have not experienced because they were given the cure before they had the chance. By the end, she relies on her own instincts and realizes there's more out there than a just a perfectly laid out life.

Delirium is excellent! It's beautifully written and very much believable. I don't know it this is the first in a series or not, but the end definitely left me wanting to know more!

It's Monday! What are you reading? (15)

It's Monday! What are you reading? is where we share what we have read this past week, what we hope to read and anything in between. This weekly event is brought to you by Book Journey!

Last week I read:

13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson

Currently Reading:

The Magnolia League by Katie Crouch

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 Magnolia's have made a pact with a legendary hoodoo family, the Buzzards. The Magnolia's enjoy youth, power and beauty. But at what price?

Hopefully reading this week:

Blood Feud by Alyxandra Harvey

The Last Sacrifice by Richelle Mead

Wither by Lauren DeStefano

What are you reading on this beautiful Monday?

Current Theme Song

I've had quite the weekend! Sinus infection, congestion in my lungs and pink eye in both my eyes (I work with children). I only felt well enough to read one book! During all my time lying around the house, I listened to the Civil Wars and came to the conclusion that this is the theme song of my life right now. It's a cute song and very fitting.

Follow Friday (5) and Book Blogger Hop (6)

Follow Friday is a really fun way to network your blog and meet some other really cool bloggers in the process! This weekly event is hosted at Parajunkee's View! The featured bloggers is Romance Around the Corner!

Q: Do you have anyone that you can discuss books with IRL (in real life)? Tell us about him/her.

A: I did not have anyone to talk to about books for years which is why I started my blog. But then one Christmas my mom actually asked for the Twilight series and I bought it for her. Ever since then, she'll ask me for book, we totally girl talk about the Vampire Academy series and gush over Vampire Diaries every week! Not only did my mom jump on board the YA ship but my sister (very reluctantly) picked up Twilight after my mom had read it and now she is a reading machine! If she had the time she would read more than me. I love that my mom and my sister now read as much as I do. We have way too much fun with books!

The Book Blogger Hop is a place just for book bloggers and readers to connect and share our love for the written word. This incredibly awesome weekly event is hosted by Jennifer at Crazy for Books!

Q: Pick a character from a book you are currently reading or have just finished and tell us about him/her.

A: I'm currently reading the 3rd book in the My Blood Approves series, which is kind of cheesy but I'm really addicted. The book is called Flutter and it's by Amanda Hocking. One of the characters I really like is Peter. He's been a vampire for a really long time, at least a couple hundred years, and he was turned into a vampire by one of the other characters named Ezra. This series kind of has a Twilight feel to it but it's a lot different and I really like it. Peter originally bonded with another vampire many, many years ago but she died and they weren't together for very long. So, naturally, he is very tortured and broods a lot. In the present day, he has bonded with the series main character named Alice but since the first book, their bond had been broken and he has run away from his life. He is described as tall, dark and handsome with glowing green eyes. He pretty much sounds really hot but he's kind of mean and I think he needs a better personality. So far, he's one of my favorite characters in the series.

Review-Sloppy Firsts

Title: Sloppy Firsts

Author: Megan McCafferty

Publisher: Three Rivers Press

Rating: 5/5

Find it here: Goodreads, Amazon

Blurb:

"My parents suck ass. Banning me from the phone and restricting my computer privileges are the most tyrannical parental gestures I can think of. Don't they realize that Hope's the only person who keeps me sane?....I don't see how things could get any worse."

When her best friend, Hope Weaver, moves away from Pineville, New Jersey, hyperobservant sixteen-year-old Jessica Darling is devastated. A fish out of water at school and a stranger at home, Jessica feels more lost than ever now that the only person with whom she could really communicate is gone. How is she supposed to deal with the boy-and shopping-crazy girls at school, her dad's obsession with her track meets, her mother salivating over big sister Bethany's lavish wedding, and her nonexistent love life?

My thoughts:

Sloppy Firsts is a prime example of why I started a blog. Throughout this book, Jessica is having trouble sleeping so she goes on night runs. While I was reading this I kept thinking that this reminded me a lot of another book I read where the main character goes on night runs and then she breaks her leg (not really a spoiler). Then sure enough, Jessica breaks her leg. But no matter how hard I thought about it, I couldn't remember anything else about the book or how it ended from the first time I read it.

I loved this book both times that I read it! The main character, Jessica Darling (awesome name), has just had her life turned upside down when her best friend Hope moves away and leaves her to deal with her teenage life problems on her own. She's left at school to deal with the Clueless Crew (her other friends that she can't stand) and her middle school ex-boyfriend who still harbors feelings for her.

Sloppy firsts is set up in journal style and is all about Jessica's ramblings and observations during her sophomore and junior years in high school. I loved the witty humor and the smart rhetoric through the story. I literally found myself laughing out loud while reading and finding my roommate startled my sudden outbursts. Even though Sloppy Firsts is an adult fiction novel, I believe it could be enjoyed by young adult readers as well.

Sloppy Firsts is fun, hilarious and definitely a series I am glad to own.

Waiting on Wednesday (16)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we are eagerly anticipating. This is one of my favorite memes because not only is my TBR pile so much bigger at the end of the night but also because the covers are always amazing!

Wrapped by Jennifer Bradbury: May 24, 2011

Agnes Wilkins is standing in front of an Egyptian mummy, about to make the first cut into the wrappings, about to unlock ancient (and not-so ancient) history.

Maybe you think this girl is wearing a pith helmet with antique dust swirling around.

Maybe you think she is a young Egyptologist who has arrived in Cairo on camelback.

Maybe she would like to think that too. Agnes Wilkins dreams of adventures that reach beyond the garden walls, but reality for a seventeen-year-old debutante in 1815 London does not allow for camels-or dust, even. No, Agnes can only see a mummy when she is a new silk gown and standing on the Verdant lawns of Lord Showalter's estate, with chaperons fussing about and strolling sitar players straining to create an exotic "atmosphere" for the first party of the season.

This is the start of it all, Agnes' debut season, the pretty girl parade that offers only ever-shrinking options: home, husband and high society. It's also the start of something else, because the mummy Agnes unwraps isn't just a mummy. It's a host for a secret that could unravel an new destiny-unleashing mystery, an international intrigue and possible a curse in the bargain.

I love history and this book sounds like it's right up my alley! I'm super excited about it!!

What are you waiting for?

Death Cab's new song!!!

While at work today, I almost choked on my coffee when a friend of mine told me that Death Cab for Cutie was coming out with a new album and that they already finished the music video for it's first single!!! How could I have not known?? What kind of fan am I? I call them one of my all-time favorite bands and I don't know this.....it was exciting and slighting upsetting at the same time.

Enough rambling. Here is their brand new, awesome and aesthetically pleasing new video.

Teaser Tuesday (1)

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading. It includes two sentences from your current read without any spoilers!

From The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff:

"It's been hard for you," she said finally. "All the time. How do you think that makes me feel, that everything is poisonous and everything hurts you and there's nothing I can do about it? And everything has to be a secret. Everyone's always asking how we can be so different from each other."

Okay, I could resist and I had to do a little more than just two sentences. I hope you guys enjoyed it!

Review-Twenty Boy Summer

Title: Twenty Boy Summer

Author: Sarah Ockler

Publisher: Little Brown

Rating: 5/5

Find it here: Goodreads, Amazon

Blurb:

"Don't worry, Anna. I'll tell her, okay? Just let me think about the best way to do it."

"Okay."

"Promise me? Promise me you won't say anything?"

"Don't worry." I laughed. "It's our secret right?"

According to her best friend Frankie, twenty days in Zanzibar Bay is the perfect opportunity to have a summer fling, and if they meet one boy every day, there's a pretty good chance that Anna will find her first summer romance. Anna lightheartedly agrees to the game, but there's something she hasn't told Frankie-she's already had that kind of romance, and it was with Frankie's older brother, Matt, just before his tragic death one year ago.

My thoughts:

On the cover of the copy of the book that I bought it said that Twenty Boy Summer will tear your heart apart and then put it back together. That is exactly what it did. I was in tears by chapter two and I was having a hard time keeping it together through the first half of the book. But then everything turns around and even though it was not the perfect happy ending, it was realistic.

I really enjoyed reading the character Anna because she reminds me a lot of me. The way she keeps all her emotions and thoughts inside is a lot like me when I was growing up. But she is also kind, compassionate and selfless when it came to her best friend's happiness. I also learned a lot from Anna and the importance of moving on with life even though you've suffered a life altering loss.

Sarah Ockler's writing style is beautiful and fantastic. Although Twenty Boy Summer may seem like a lighthearted, fluffy read, it is so much deeper and inspiring than I would have imagined.

Meet me on Monday (1)

I just found this meme and I though I would switch it up a bit this week! Meet me on Monday is a weekly event created to allow readers to get to know the bloggers. This event is hosted by Java at Never Growing Old!

1. Who would be your dream celebrity date?

A: My dream celebrity date would be Ian Somerhalder because I just love him on the Vampire Diaries. I pretty much fawn over him every week! He is just so tall, dark, handsome, tortured and brooding. He is the perfect bad boy!

2. Do you have any food restrictions?

A: No food restrictions but there are some things that I don't like at all like: mushrooms, peas and beets.

3. How much time do you take to get ready in the morning?

A: Usually about 45 minutes but it can take up to an hour if I have to shave my legs in the shower or do something fancy with my hair.

4. Sausage or bacon?

A: Bacon all the way. Sausage doesn't always agree with me.

5. Do you Google, Bing or Yahoo?

A: I Google everything. EVERYTHING! I didn't know how to wash pillows, so I Googled it. I get a call from an 800 number I don't recognize it, I Google it. I wanted to know if tiny giraffes really exist, so I Googled it (I still have not found concrete evidence that they are not real). If I want to know anything about anything, I always Google it.

Book Blogger Hop (5) and Follow Friday

Follow Friday is a weekly event created by Rachel at Parajunkee's View and features a different book blogger every week with an attached question!

Q: Do you judge a book by it's cover?

A: Most of the time, yes. I feel very superficial in doing so knowing that great books do not always have very pretty covers. I judged the first book in the Vampire Academy series by it's cover for so long and I would not read it because the girl on the cover looked a little like Angelina Jolie. That was all I needed to make my decision not to read it. I continued to hear such great things about it that I eventually and read it! I am whole heartedly glad that I did.

The Book Blogger hop is a place just for book bloggers and reader to connect and share our love for the written word. This amazingly fun weekly event is hosted by Jennifer at Crazy for Books!

Postponed 'til later!

An Unpleasant Surprise

Look carefully to fully understand what exactly it is you're looking at below.

That's right! It's a SECURITY DEVISE placed right in the middle of my book. I did not discover this until I was already reading and fully involved! And it's just stuck there, right in the middle of the page, blocking words!! WHAT AM I SUPPOSED TO DO WITH IT?!? Read around it or try and peel it off with the risk of ripping the precious page of Lauren Oliver's Delirium? What a dilemma!

I know you're going out of business Borders but do you really have try and ruin books during your demise? You're lucky it came right off and that the adhesive was not permanent or else we would have a problem! **Sigh of relief**

The end.

Review-Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side

Title: Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side

Author: Beth Fantaskey

Published by: Harcourt

Pages: 351

Rating: 4/5

Find it here: Goodreads, Amazon

Blurb:

Marrying a vampire definitely does not fit into Jessica Packwood's senior year "get-a-life" plan. But then a bazaar(and incredibly hot) new exchange student named Lucius Vladescu shows up, claiming that Jessica is a Romanian vampire princess by birth-and he's her long lost fiancée. Armed with newfound confidence and a copy of Growing Up Undead: A Teen Vampire's Guide to Dating, Health and Emotions, Jessica makes a dramatic transition from average American teenager to glam European vampire princess. But when a devious cheerleader set her sights on Lucius, Jess finds herself fighting to win back her wayward prince, stop a global vampire war-and save Lucius' soul from eternal destruction.

My thoughts:

This book was so much more than I expected. Although it starts off a little Twilight-ish and I kind of had a bit of deja-vu while reading the first chapter or so, it totally takes off in another dark yet equally hilarious direction.

What I loved most about this book is that the reader is given a glimpse into Lucuis' mind and is shown a little bit how he thinks and feels. Not only did this add to the seriousness of the story but it also gave the most hilarious insight on how some foreigners view Americans and the frivolity of teenage life. I have to say that these were my favorite parts of the book.

Lucius' character is really a true gentleman and always has Jess' best interest at heart. His endless chivalry and extremely proper manners left me wanting to find some semblance of a man like that in reality. What woman does not want a man to defend her honor, bring out her true confidence and beauty all with a European accent? Can you say totally HOT!!!??!

Jessica's true character, confidence and intentions really come out in the end and she shows Lucius just how strong she really is. She is a very powerful character and I can't wait to see what she does in Jessica Rules the Dark Side!

Waiting on Wednesday (15)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we are eagerly anticipating! For more information and participation, check out her blog!

This week I chose 2 because I just could not decide which one I should focus on! The first one I chose is Jessica Rules the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey because Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side just absolutely blew me away. It was completely different than anything I was expecting (review coming soon)! The second one is Undercurrent by Tricia Rayburn which is the sequel to Siren which I read a couple weeks ago. Siren was so good and I now have a new obsession with mermaids or "sirens". Release dates:

Jessica Rules the Dark Side: January 9, 2012

Undercurrent: July 12, 2011

Blurb: Jessica Rules the Dark Side

When Jessica Packwood found out that she was a Romanian Vampire princess, she had the shock of her teenage life. Turns out that was the easy part. Now, married to prince Lucius Vladescu, she has to claim her throne and convince a vampire nation she's fit to be their queen. But Jess can't even order a decent meal from her castle's Romanian staff, let alone deal with devious undead subjects who would love to see her fail.

And when Lucius is accused of murdering a vampire Elder and imprisoned without the blood he needs, Jessica finds herself alone, fighting for both their survivals.

Desperate to clear her husband's name and win his release, Jess enlists the help of her best friend Mindy and Lucius' mysterious Italian cousin Raniero. But both of them are keeping some dark secrets. Can Jess figure out who to trust-and how to rise power-before she loses everything, including the vampire she loves?

Blurb: Undercurrent

After losing her sister and finding out who-or what-she really is, Vanessa returns home for her senior year. Everyone at Hawthorne Prep has questions about her tragic summer, but knowing who to open up to is impossible. As she walks the halls without Justine for the very first time, Vanessa has more to worry about than just making a new life her herself.

Because the sirens are out for revenge. To protect herself and the ones she loves, Vanessa must call on powers she believes she has but does not know how to use. To learn, she'll have to seek help from the only person who truly knows her. But first, she must admit the truth about her true identity.

Review-Once a Witch

Title: Once a Witch

Author: Carolyn MacCullough

Published by: Clarion Books

Pages: 292

Rating: 4/5

Find it here: Amazon, GoodReads

Blurb:

Tamsin Greene comes from a long line of witches, and she was supposed to be one of the most Talented among them. But Tamsin's magic never showed up. Now seventeen, Tamsin attends boarding school in Manhattan, far from her family. But when a handsome young professor mistakes her for her very Talented sister, Tamsin agrees to find a lost family heirloom for him. The search-and the stranger-will prove to be more sinister than they first appeared, ultimately sending Tamsin on a treasure hunt through time that will unlock the secret of her true identity, unearth the sins of her family, and unleash a power so vengeful that it could destroy them all.

My thoughts:

Once a Witch is about a girl who feels completely left out of her family because she is one of the only ones who does not have a Talent. In an attempt to show then that she is not absolutely useless, she agrees to help a professor find his lost family heirloom. She enlists the help of Gabriel who, by the way, sounds drop dead gorgeous and he is totally into her. Together they travel though time and figure out what has really been going on with the family.

I loved this book. It was so fun to read and there was action at every turn. I also loved that they time traveled. Since I love the idea of being able to go back and forth through time and the notion that you can change aspects of the future from the past, I was having a lot of fun reading Once a Witch.

I also liked the characters names. They were so unusual and the sister's name is Rowena, which is my middle name and also very uncommon. I definitely recommend this book for young adult and supernatural readers alike.

**Very short review, about to lose internet :/ **

It's Monday! What are you reading? (04 April 2011)

It's Monday! What are you reading? is a weekly event hosted by Book Journey! For more information, follow the link and check out her blog!

Last week I read:

Once a Witch by Carolyn MacCullough

Bloody Valentine by Melissa de la Cruz

Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey

Sloppy Firsts by Megan McCafferty

Currently reading:

Delirium by Lauren Oliver

Blurb:

Before scientists found the cure, people thought love was a good thing. They didn't understand that once love-the deliria-blooms in your blood, there is no escaping it's hold. Things are different now. Scientists are able to eradicate love, and the government demands that all citizens receive the cure upon turning eighteen. Lena Holoway has looked forward to the day when she'll be cured. A life without love is a life without pain: safe, measured, predictable and happy.

But with ninety-five days left until her treatment, Lena does the unthinkable: She falls in love.

Also reading this week:

Second Helpings by Megan McCafferty

The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan

The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han

What are you reading this week?

Review-The Goddess Test

Title: The Goddess Test

Author: Aimee Carter

Published: 26 April 2011

Pages: 297

Rating: 4/5

Received from NetGalley

Synopsis provided by GoodReads:

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...

My thoughts:

The Goddess Test is somewhat of a modern retelling of Greek mythology or a "what would happen if the Greek myths were real and all or most of the gods still existed". The basic gist is that Henry feel in love with Persephone thousands and thousands of years ago but has since died and Henry now needs someone to rule the underworld with him. In order to become a goddess, Kate must pass all seven tests to receive immortality if this is going to happen.

I really enjoyed reading this book partly because the story was awesome and partly because I haven't read many books based on Greek mythology. The story grabbed right from the beginning and I had a hard time putting it down, which is probably why I read it in one day! I have a hard time even dealing with the thought of family members dying so I was pretty much crying in the first few chapters of the book.

I love that there were twists and turns all throughout the book and it constantly kept me guessing. If I could give a theme to this book it would be: Nothing is as it seems! Carter writes with such flow and ease it was not hard to just fly through the book. And I loved the ending! It was definitely a good book and a series I would continue reading!

Book Blogger Hop (4) and Follow Friday

The Book Blogger hop is a place just for book bloggers and readers to connect and share our love for the written word. This is an amazingly fun weekly event hosted by Jennifer at Crazy For Books! Follow Friday is hosted at Parajunkee's View. For more information, participation and rules, hop on over and join the fun!

This week's hop question is:

Since it is April Fool's Day in the USA, what is the best prank that you have ever played on someone or that someone has played on you?

Well, last year, my supervisor, my supervisor's boss and I got together and decided to make everyone believe that my supervisor had been fired and that I'd been given her position. My supervisor played this prank to the nines. She made a whole scene of packing up her desk, yelling at her boss saying that she hated this place and she even threw her agency phone at him. Almost the whole company believed that she had been fired. The whole time, I'm sitting at her cleared away desk, pretending to read a training manual for her position, trying to keep a straight face!

This week's follow features Books Ahoy! And this week's follow question is:

What is the book that you really don't want to admit to loving?

I'm usually not afraid to admit that I love all the books that are my favorite. I guess the only series that I can really think of is Twilight. I read them before the movies, before I started my blog and before I really dedicated myself to reading YA; Twilight sort of perpetuated all that. After I really got into the YA genre, I read a lot of books that overshadowed Twilight, making me second guess how much I really loved them. But after I read them I loved, loved, loved them and I still do; I've just read some really great books since then!