Review: Don't You Wish

Title: Don't You Wish
Author: Roxanne St. Claire
Publisher: Delacourte Books for Young Readers
Release Date: July 10, 2012
Find it here: Amazon, Goodreads
Source: ARC compliments of the Publisher

When plain and unpopular Annie Nutter gets zapped by one of her dad's whacked-out inventions, she lands in a parallel universe where her life becomes picture-perfect. Now she's Ayla Monroe, daughter of the same mother but a different father—and she's the gorgeous, rich queen bee of her high school.

In this universe, Ayla lives in glitzy Miami instead of dreary Pittsburgh and has beaucoup bucks, courtesy of her billionaire—if usually absent—father. Her friends hit the clubs, party backstage at concerts, and take risks that are exhilirating . . . and illegal. Here she's got a date to lose her V-card with the hottest guy she's ever seen.

But on the inside, Ayla is still Annie.

So when she's offered the chance to leave the dream life and head home to Pittsburgh, will she take it?

The choice isn't as simple as you think.

My thoughts: 

I really enjoyed this story! It’s a somewhat different take on the whole “the grass is greener on the other side”. And who hasn’t wondered if the grass really is greener on the other side? I know I have. One of the reasons that this book really stuck with me is because I spent a lot of time in junior high and my early years of high school wondering what it would be like if I was born into a wealthy family or if I was more popular. In Don’t You Wish, Annie experiences firsthand what it would be like to have a different life while retaining her previous life memories.

Annie Nutter is a great character! She’s the epitome of nerd, striving to be noticed by those who are deemed “more popular” by her peers. Annie and her best friend eat junk food to their heart’s content, gossip endlessly about the hottest guy in school and have each other’s back no matter what. After a seriously mean prank played on her by her ultimate high school crush, Annie goes home wishing she was popular more than ever. When her house gets hit by lightning, she wakes up a completely different person in a completely different place.

Annie/Ayla is convinced that she is having the most awesome dream for the whole first day. She’s gorgeous, popular, filthy rich with the most popular boyfriend. She is pretty much basking in every moment she can. After a few days pass she begins to understand that not everything is perfect in this world and she doesn’t know if she wants to go back. Even I wasn’t sure if I wanted her to go back and I was kind of hoping that she could fix her family in this new life. Annie/Ayla always does the right thing so I knew in the end she would make the right decision.

I believe that Don’t You Wish dealt with the question of “what if” really well. It showed that nothing can ever be perfect and even wealthy and beautiful people have problems. I give Don’t You Wish 4 hearts for being fun and tackling series questions at the same time!

Waiting on Wednesday (69)

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 the covers are always amazing!

Title: Out of the Easy
Author: Ruta Sepetys
Hitting the Shelves: February 13, 2013

It’s 1950, and as the French Quarter of New Orleans simmers with secrets, seventeen-year-old Josie Moraine is silently stirring a pot of her own. Known among locals as the daughter of a brothel prostitute, Josie wants more out of life than the Big Easy has to offer. She devises a plan get out, but a mysterious death in the Quarter leaves Josie tangled in an investigation that will challenge her allegiance to her mother, her conscience, and Willie Woodley, the brusque madam on Conti Street.

Josie is caught between the dream of an elite college and a clandestine underworld. New Orleans lures her in her quest for truth, dangling temptation at every turn, and escalating to the ultimate test.

With characters as captivating as those in her internationally bestselling novel Between Shades of Gray, Ruta Sepetys skillfully creates a rich story of secrets, lies, and the haunting reminder that decisions can shape our destiny.

What are you waiting for?

Top Ten Tuesday: Blogger Confessions

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme of lists that is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish! 

Forgive me Father for I have sinned. Here are my blogger confessions:

1. Book Hype: Unfortunately, I have found myself caught up in some book hype.  The one that I feel the worst about it Delirium by Lauren Oliver.  When I read the book, I thought it was good but I don't feel like it deserved the five star rating that I gave it. Everyone loved it so much and I felt like I had to love it too! One of these days I'm going to go back and change my review and rating. 

2. Twilight: The Twilight Saga are the books that got me back into reading.  I had always loved to read but while I was in college I didn't read for fun much and when I did, adult chick lit was my genre of choice.  Twilight really opened my eyes to the gems of YA!

3. Library Books: I'm ashamed but I have knowingly stolen library books.  I didn't have the intention of stealing them when I checked them out but then I never returned them. 

4. ARC Jealousy: Sometimes I specifically don't participate in In My Mailbox or Stacking the Shelves because I get so jealous of all the ARC's that everyone gets! I do get ARCs too and I would hate myself for being so jealous so it's something I've been working on and I haven't felt that way in a log time!

5. The Fae: The Fae and I do not get along! No matter how many faery books I've read I just don't like them. Yes, even the Iron Fey series! I only don't like books that are strictly about the fae but I can tolerate them when they're with a mix of paranormal creatures. 

6. Clary Fray: I hate Clary! Last summer I listened to The City of Bones and The City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare on audio book and she is the most annoying character I've come across yet! I felt like she just whined the whole time and got in the way! I couldn't continue the series. 

7. Twitter: I am almost never on Twitter. I don't get it, I don't understand and I don't understand how people spend so much time on it. I'm convinced I'm using it wrong. 

8. Blogger friends: I only, recently, made blogging friends and that was this past summer. After I had been blogging for two and a half years. It has definitely made blogging so much more enjoyable!

9. Comments: I'm the worst commenter in the world! Sometimes I feel like I have nothing to say. 

10. TV: I watch way, way, way too much TV! I can count about 10 shows that I'm excited to return this fall and that's not counting all the new shows I'm going to get sucked into! I could read so many more books if I wasn't addicted to TV!

Review: Cold Kiss

Title: Cold Kiss
Author: Amy Garvey
Series: Cold Kiss #2
Publisher: HarperTeen
Find it here: Amazon, Goodreads
Source: Purchased

Be careful what you wish for. . .


When Wren's boyfriend, Danny, died, Wren decided that what she wanted—what she had to do—was to bring Danny back. And so, in a heartbroken fury, armed with dark incantations and a secret power, she did.

But the Danny who returns isn't the boy Wren fell in love with, and she must hide him away while her life unravels around her. Then Gabriel transfers to her school and somehow he knows what she has done—and he wants to help make things right.

But Wren alone must undo what she has wrought—even if it means breaking her heart all over again.

My thoughts:

Cold Kiss was definitely not what I expected. I had heard that it was about zombies because the main character brings her boyfriend back from the dead but he's definitely not your typical zombie. Actually, I wouldn't really call him a zombie. Cold Kiss was more about witchcraft than anything else. It turned out that I kind of liked it and I kind of didn't like it. I've wavering between a rating of 2.5 and 3 hearts.

Wren is a weird character to me. She was really hard to relate to which is really the best way I could put it. I didn't like any of the decisions she made and I didn't enjoy getting to know this character. The parts that I did like were the flash backs of how she met Danny and the scenes that they had together. I really enjoyed their relationship before he died. Gabriel was an okay character and I'm kind of iffy about what I feel towards him too. I definitely did not like Wren's mom! She kept so many secrets from Wren even when Wren insisted that she tell her even a little bit! I was very annoyed!

Then there was the case of insta-love. Maybe it wasn't necessarily insta-love but it was definitely insta-connection. Gabriel is the new kid at Wren's high school and as soon as their eyes met from across the classroom they started to have feelings for each other! You don't even know him! You only know what he looks like! Things like this frustrate me very much!

I pretty much skimmed the last few chapters because I understood the jist of how it was going to end by then. I felt like most of the book was pretty predictable and I was ready to move on to my next read. I give Cold Kiss 2.5 hearts because it just wasn't anything special to me and I felt like this story has been told before.

Stacking the Shelves: The Most Exciting Edition!

Hey there! Welcome to this week's Stacking the Shelves! This awesome meme is hosted by Tynga's Reviews and we get to show each other the books we acquired this week whether bought, from the library or for review!

It's been so long since you've seen my face so here it is! Enjoy!

Purchased:

Girl of Nightmares by Kendare Blake

Gustav Gloom and the People Taker by Adam-Troy Castro

Enclave by Anna Aguirre

Onyx by Jennifer L. Armentrout

The Mockingbirds by Daisy Whitney

Review: 

Stormdancer by Jay Kristoff

The Evolution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

Top of My Pile

Hey there and welcome to Top of My Pile! I decided to start this post because I often times feel the need to talk about the book that I'm currently reading and throw out some of the thoughts I have about before I finish it! I usually have all these crazy theories about how the story is going to end or what's going to happen to the main characters.  But by the time I get around to writing my review, I forget what was swirling around in my head. So that's why I started this new Saturday post.  It also gives me a chance to let you know what I read this week and also, what I'm planning on reading next.

Currently Reading:

I am really loving this book! Lincoln and Violet pretty much make out every time they need to heal each other which pretty much means that I would be trying to get injured as much as possible!! Even so, I'm completely frustrated with Lincoln right now because he is keeping so many secrets and running off with stupid Madga. And I'm thinking there might be a new possible love interest for Violet in Spence.  I also love that Violet's BFF Steph isn't getting left in the dark! Entice is turning out to be a great sequel so far!

Reading Next: 

Review: A Need so Beautiful

Title: A Need So Beautiful

Author: Suzanne Young

Series: A Need So Beautiful #1

Publisher: Balzer & Bray

Find it here: Amazon, Goodreads

Source: Borrowed

We all want to be remembered. Charlotte's destiny is to be Forgotten...

Charlotte’s best friend thinks Charlotte might be psychic. Her boyfriend thinks she’s cheating on him. But Charlotte knows what’s really wrong: She is one of the Forgotten, a kind of angel on earth, who feels the Need—a powerful, uncontrollable draw to help someone, usually a stranger.

But Charlotte never wanted this responsibility. What she wants is to help her best friend, whose life is spiraling out of control. She wants to lie in her boyfriend's arms forever. But as the Need grows stronger, it begins to take a dangerous toll on Charlotte. And who she was, is, and will become--her mark on this earth, her very existence--is in jeopardy of disappearing completely.

Charlotte will be forced to choose: Should she embrace her fate as a Forgotten, a fate that promises to rip her from the lives of those she loves forever? Or is she willing to fight against her destiny--no matter how dark the consequences.

My thoughts: 

This book truly shocked me! For a long time I resisted reading A Need So Beautiful because the synopsis really didn't interest me. I finally caved in when I received an unsolicited ARC of A Want So Wicked. I borrowed A Need So Beautiful from my good blogger friend Nicole @ The Reader's Antidote who was kind enough to lend me her copy!

As I said before, I was truly shocked! I was immediately sucked into the story and genuinely intrigued by Charlotte's story! She doesn't have any memories from before she was found in the hospital when she was six years old and has always has a need to help people. She can't run away from this need and finds herself in immense pain if she tries. Charlotte discovers her destiny and it's nothing she could have ever imagined!

Of course, Harlen is like one of my favorite guy characters ever! When everyone else around her is forgetting her, he absolutely refuses to forget her! Their relationship is so cute and they are so completely in love with each other! Charlotte is also a great character! She really is pure of heart and realizes that as much as she wants to fight her destiny, she know what the right thing is! My only complaint about Charlotte is that she's kind of the typical heroine. She doesn't want to have a destiny, she doesn't want to be special and she just wants to live a normal life. I feel like most heroines within the young adult genre have those exact same feelings. They always fight their destinies before they realize that they really don't have any other choice.

A Need so Beautiful really is a great book! Suzanne Young's writing is stunning and incredibly beautiful! I give it 4 hearts for it being a very unique story! And that ending was pretty killer!!

Review: The Probability of Miracles

Title: The Probability of Miracles
Author: Wendy Wunder
Publisher: Razorbill
Find it here: Amazon, Goodreads
Source: Goodreads First Reads

Campbell Cooper has never been in love. And if the doctors are right, she'll never have the chance. So when she's told she needs a miracle, her family moves 1,500 miles north to Promise, Maine--a place where amazing, unexplainable events are said to occur--like it or not. And when a mysterious envelope arrives, containing a list of things for Cam to do before she dies, she finally learns to believe--in love, in herself, and maybe even in miracles, as improbable as they may seem.

My thoughts: 

I never really planned on reading this book until I heard the amazing reviews! Even though the story was really sad and I had a feeling what was going to happen at the end, I tried my hardest not to get involved in the main character. But it wasn't that easy! I was so involved that by the end tears were just streaming down my face. I couldn't help it! This book just blew me away and I thought it was just absolutely amazing!

Since I had a feeling what was going to happen at the end I tried to distance myself from Campbell. I didn't want to go to the extreme of not liking her but I didn't want to feel for her so that her story wouldn't make me so sad. But as it turns out, it was really hard not to like her! She's awesome, sort of a rebel and she works at Disney World! She is also rational about her disease and her chances of survival. Since she was so easy to like I was really hoping that she would survive in the end. I also really liked her family. Her grandma pretty much made me cry in every scene she was in. All the characters are really likeable which really made me enjoy the story!

I honestly can say that there wasn't anything that I didn't like about the book. Of course I had hoped for a happier ending but then I guess this book wouldn't be so memorable. If you're really looking for a good book that's going to have you absolutely blubbering by the end then I definitely recommend this book to you! I give The Probability of Miracles 5 hearts because even though Campbell's story is sad she really made an impact on everyone she met!

Waiting on Wednesday (68)

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 the covers are always amazing!

Title: Crash
Author: Lisa McMann
Hitting the Shelves: January 08, 2013

If what you see is what you get, Jules is in serious trouble. The suspenseful first of four books from the New York Times bestselling author of the Wake trilogy.

Jules lives with her family above their restaurant, which means she smells like pizza most of the time and drives their double-meatball-shaped food truck to school. It’s not a recipe for popularity, but she can handle that.

What she can’t handle is the recurring vision that haunts her. Over and over, Jules sees a careening truck hit a building and explode...and nine body bags in the snow.

The vision is everywhere—on billboards, television screens, windows—and she’s the only one who sees it. And the more she sees it, the more she sees. The vision is giving her clues, and soon Jules knows what she has to do. Because now she can see the face in one of the body bags, and it’s someone she knows. Someone she has been in love with for as long as she can remember.

In this riveting start to a gripping series from New York Times bestselling author Lisa McMann, Jules has to act—and act fast—to keep her vision from becoming reality.

What are you waiting for? 

Waiting on Wednesday (67)

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 the covers are always amazing!

Title: Crewel
Author: Gennifer Albin
Hitting the Shelves: October 16, 2012

Incapable. Awkward. Artless.

That’s what the other girls whisper behind her back. But sixteen year-old Adelice Lewys has a secret: she wants to fail.

Gifted with the ability to weave time with matter, she’s exactly what the Guild is looking for, and in the world of Arras, being chosen as a Spinster is everything a girl could want. It means privilege, eternal beauty, and being something other than a secretary. It also means the power to embroider the very fabric of life. But if controlling what people eat, where they live and how many children they have is the price of having it all, Adelice isn’t interested.

Not that her feelings matter, because she slipped and wove a moment at testing, and they’re coming for her—tonight.

Now she has one hour to eat her mom’s overcooked pot roast. One hour to listen to her sister’s academy gossip and laugh at her Dad’s stupid jokes. One hour to pretend everything’s okay. And one hour to escape.

Because once you become a Spinster, there’s no turning back.

Why I want this: Someone who weaves time??!!?? Yes, please! And look at that cover! It took me forever to realize that it's a face which made it look even more amazing! This one sounds amazing!

Summer ALA Read-a-Thon Final Wrap-Up!

Yesterday was the final day of our little read-a-thon and when it's all said and done, I didn't do half bad! I started off a little shaky, but I finally picked up my reading speed and read a few awesome books! I had hoped that I could read six book but I ended up knocking out four! Here's what I read:

Girl of Nightmares by Kendare Blake

Dark Companion by Marta Acosta

Behind the Bookcase by Mark Steensland

The Crown of Embers by Rae Carson

50 pages of Through to You by Emily Hainsworth

To be completely honest I read about 250 pages of Dark Companion but I just couldn't finish it.  So my total number of book is 3 but my total number of pages is 1334 which is a pretty good accomplishment in my book! Thanks for everyone who participated and I hope your read-a-thon was a success as well! 

Review: Embrace

Title: Embrace
Author: Jessica Shirvington
Series: The Violet Eden Chapters #1
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Find it here: Amazon, Goodreads
Source: Purchased

It starts with a whisper: "It's time for you to know who you are..."
On her 17th birthday, everything will change for Violet Eden. The boy she loves will betray her. Her enemy will save her. She will have to decide just how much she's willing to sacrifice.

Dangerously exciting and darkly romantic, EMBRACE is a compelling novel of good and evil, seductive desires and impossible choices. A centuries old war between fallen angels and the protectors of humanity chooses a new fighter. It's a battle Violet doesn't want, but she lives her life by two rules: don't run and don't quit. If angels seek vengeance and humans are the warriors, you could do a lot worse than betting on Violet Eden.

LINCOLN: He's been Violet's one anchor, her running partner and kickboxing trainer. Only he never told her he's Grigori--part human, part angel--and that he was training her for an ancient battle between Angels and Exiles.

PHOENIX: No one knows where his loyalties lie, yet he's the only one there to pick up the pieces and protect her after Lincoln's lies. In a world of dark and light, he is all shades of gray.

Two sides: Angel or Exile.

Two guys: Lincoln or Phoenix.

The wrong choice could cost not only her life, but her eternity...

My thoughts: 

Whenever I come across a synopsis that I like and then discover that it’s an angel book, for some reason it always turns me off. I really don’t know why. Most of the angel books that I’ve read I have really liked. Unearthly is one of my favorite series so I definitely like angel books. So when Embrace came out, I never got around to reading it even though I was hearing great reviews! I finally made the decision to read it when I received a copy of Entice for review. And I am kicking myself for waiting so long!

I really loved Embrace! The story was really great and addicting. I found that I couldn’t wait to get back to the book while I was at work or doing something that didn’t involve reading! The author poses a very unique look at how angels come to be and the purpose of their existence. Enough information was revealed so that the reader can understand but enough was also kept secret to keep the reading wanting to know more! I was totally enthralled with all the action as well and always contemplating what was going to happen next.

I loved almost all the characters in Embrace! Violet was a great main character because she made really awesome decisions and she had good reasons for why she made those decisions. She’s strong, can kick your ass and doesn’t give up no matter what! And Lincoln! OMG Lincoln is one Hottie McTottie! He taught Violet how to fight for the past couple years and he flirts with her all the time! And then we learn that he is half angel and I just wanted to melt! Even though I’m usually not a fan of love triangles, this love triangle was awesome! Phoenix is also hot and totally into Violet! The characters really made the story!

I love a YA book that’s not afraid to tackle the sex question! There’s flirting, sexual tension, making out and even *gasp* sex! Shirvington’s characters have sex and she doesn’t gloss over it. Not that it’s graphic by any means, but the main character is left to deal with the consequence of what she did. I’m excited to see how this further plays out in the next book!

Embrace is a really great read and one I would recommend to those who really enjoy angel books! It’s exciting, fresh, unique and full of hotties which means that I have to give it 4.5 hearts! One of my favorite reads this year!

Stacking the Shelves (11)

Hey there! Welcome to this week's Stacking the Shelves! This awesome meme is hosted by Tynga's Reviews and we get to show each other the books we acquired this week whether bought, from the library or for review!

I'm still on a book buying ban and I've been doing such a great job! But, oh my, it's really hard! I have pretty much forbidden myself to go on Amazon because that it where I spend the most money. Luckily the book gods were watching over me this week and I got a free book! Apparently a lot of book were left behind from the Romance Writers Conference and one of the hotels I work in didn't know what to do with them.  So I stopped by and I found a book that I've been really wanting!

The Taker by Alma Katsu

They even had like 10 copies of the book so I grabbed a few for my friends! 

Reviewed this Week:

The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson

Current Giveaways:

Win a signed ARC of Prodigy by Marie Lu and a signed ARC of Hallowed by Cynthia Hand HERE!

Win an ARC of The Land of Stories by Chris Colfer HERE!

Enter for your chance to win the August box of books giveaway HERE!

ALA Read-a-Thon Day 2 Wrap-Up

Day 2 of this read-a-thon went a lot better than the first day! I finished reading The Girl of Nightmares by Kendare Blake and I read about half of Dark Companion by Marta Acosta! So far total amount of pages under my belt is 336 for The Girl of Nightmares and about 180 pages for Dark Companion.  So after two days I've read 516 pages which isn't too bad! I look forward to reading more in the next few days! Happy reading friends!!

ALA Read-a-Thon Day 1 Wrap-Up

Yesterday was the first day of the ALA Summer Read-a-thon! I have been so excited to start it because I’ve been passing the books everyday that I put aside that I wanted to read for this! Then I had an out of town guest the past couple of days. Since I work for Disney, I thought it would be nice if I treated him to Disneyland and Disney’s California Adventure for a couple days! I was so exhausted from the past two days, that I didn't want to even think about moving my body; it just aches. So, for a good part of the morning I vegged out on my couch and watched the first season of Felicity.  Epic fail! I read the first half of Girl of Nightmares by Kendare Blake and the total amount of pages I've read so far is 182.  I was hoping to read all of it but since that didn't happen I'm hoping for total catch-up today! 

So wish me lunch and hope that I can catch up on all of the reading that I missed yesterday!!

Review: The Girl of Fire and Thorns

Title: The Girl of Fire and Thorns
Author: Rae Carson
Series: Fire and Thorns #1
Publisher: Green Willow
Find it here: Amazon, Goodreads
Source: Purchased

Once a century, one person is chosen for greatness.
Elisa is the chosen one.

But she is also the younger of two princesses, the one who has never done anything remarkable. She can't see how she ever will.

Now, on her sixteenth birthday, she has become the secret wife of a handsome and worldly king—a king whose country is in turmoil. A king who needs the chosen one, not a failure of a princess.

And he's not the only one who seeks her. Savage enemies seething with dark magic are hunting her. A daring, determined revolutionary thinks she could be his people's savior. And he looks at her in a way that no man has ever looked at her before. Soon it is not just her life, but her very heart that is at stake.

Elisa could be everything to those who need her most. If the prophecy is fulfilled. If she finds the power deep within herself. If she doesn’t die young.

Most of the chosen do.

My thoughts: 

Even though The Girl of Fire and Thorns was published in 2011, it is definitely one of my favorite reads this year! It literally blew me away! I can’t even tell you how many times my jaw dropped after reading some of the scenes! I loved this book so much that I really hope my review does it justice!

The premise of the book is so interesting and unique! Rae Carson has quite the imagination and a gift for storytelling. I was absolutely enthralled with the world that she built and the history that was attached to the kingdoms that she created! Even though I thought the beginning was a little bit slow, it eventually picked up and then there was just adventure after adventure!

Elisa has to be one of my all-time favorite heroines! First of all, she starts out as being one of the most unlikely people to save her nation. She is chunky, she likes to eat, she doesn’t consider herself very athletic and she is very religious. She carries the Godstone which means she is meant to do something great but she has no idea what that entails. The only reason she thinks she thinks she valuable is because of her vast knowledge of war strategies. She thinks of herself as a very average girl who could possibly have an extraordinary future but because she has been left in the dark for most of her life, she is very unsure of herself.

Before I got to meet Humberto, I really liked the King. I thought he was really nice to her and that they could grow to love each other. Then she met Humberto and I could have cared less if she went back to the King. He was so in love with her that I just wanted her to stay forever! I have to say that my favorite scene was when she went back to the Kingdom and introduced herself as the leader of the Rebels. That whole part gave me chills and I literally wanted to stand up and cheer for her!

The Girl of Fire and Thorns is one of the best books I have read in a long time! Carson is a fearless writer who is not afraid to kill of some characters. It’s something I really admire because her story is about war and unfortunately, people die during war. Not everyone gets a happy ending. The ending, thank God it wasn’t a cliffhanger, really leaves it open for the next stage in Elisa’s story!

The Girl of Fire and Thorns is exciting, adventurous and heartbreaking! I give it 5 hearts because it is just one of the most epic and intense books I’ve read!!

Waiting on Wednesday (66)

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 the covers are always amazing!

Title: Falling Kingdoms
Author: Morgan Rhodes
Hitting the Shelves: December 11, 2012

In a land where magic has been forgotten but peace has reigned for centuries, a deadly unrest is simmering. Three kingdoms grapple for power—brutally transforming their subjects’ lives in the process. Amidst betrayals, bargains, and battles, four young people find their fates forever intertwined:

Cleo: A princess raised in luxury must embark on a rough and treacherous journey into enemy territory in search of a magic long thought extinct.

Jonas: Enraged at injustice, a rebel lashes out against the forces of oppression that have kept his country impoverished—and finds himself the leader of a people’s revolution centuries in the making.

Lucia: A girl adopted at birth into a royal family discovers the truth about her past—and the supernatural legacy she is destined to wield.

Magnus: Bred for aggression and trained to conquer, a firstborn son begins to realize that the heart can be more lethal than the sword...

The only outcome that’s certain is that kingdoms will fall. Who will emerge triumphant when all they know has collapsed?

Why I want this: For some reason I've had this insatiable need to read anything fantasy and I have been devouring fantasy novels like it's no one's business! I just love them so much! Falling Kingdoms is definitely on my must read list before the year is over! I'm so excited!!

Stacking the Shelves (10)

Hey there! Welcome to this week's Stacking the Shelves! This awesome meme is hosted by Tynga's Reviews and we get to show each other the books we acquired this week whether bought, from the library or for review!

Unfortunately, I'm on a book buying ban and I'm not even letting myself go on Amazon because it's way too tempting! So these are the books I got for review this week:

For review from Netgalley:

Amber House by Kelly Moore

Ironskin by Tina Connolly

Mark of the Witch by Maggie Shayne

Reviewed this Week:

God Save the Queen by Kate Locke

The Little Woods by McCormick Templeman

Once by Anna Carey

Giveaways!

Win signed ARCs of Prodigy by Marie Lu and Hallowed by Cynthia Hand HERE! 

Win the August box of books giveaway HERE!

Win an ARC of The Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell by Chris Colfer HERE!

Review: God Save the Queen

Title: God Save the Queen
Author: Kate Locke
Series: The Immortal Empire #1
Publisher: Orbit
Find it here: Amazon, Goodreads
Source: ARC

The undead matriarch of a Britain where the Aristocracy is made up of werewolves and vampires, where goblins live underground and mothers know better than to let their children out after dark. A world where being nobility means being infected with the Plague (side-effects include undeath), Hysteria is the popular affliction of the day, and leeches are considered a delicacy. And a world where technology lives side by side with magic. The year is 2012 and Pax Britannia still reigns.

Xandra Vardan is a member of the elite Royal Guard, and it is her duty to protect the Aristocracy. But when her sister goes missing, Xandra will set out on a path that undermines everything she believed in and uncover a conspiracy that threatens to topple the empire. And she is the key-the prize in a very dangerous struggle.

My thoughts: 

I thought this was a really interesting book! I really enjoyed the world building and the development of the creatures. Locke described it kind of like an evolution and the royal families evolved into the vampires that they are in the present time in God Save the Queen. It’s a very unique take on a world with vampires, werewolves, faeries, goblins and half bloods of everything in between!

I do have to say that Xandra is a pretty awesome main character! She’s part of the royal guard and had devoted her life to protecting the members of the aristocrat. She’s also a halvie so in her case she is half vampire and half human. Or is she? In the beginning of the book, one of her sisters, who has been at Bedlam, the mental institution, has gone missing and it sends Xandra on a mission and she ends up uncovering a lot of secrets about her family and the royals.

Looking for her sister brings her to meeting a very hot werewolf and I believe he is the leader of the werewolves of Scotland. This book became very confusing for me because I didn’t know there was a glossary of terms in the back. Soon, they get to know each other very well and they become lovers which I expected to be really fun because I thought this was an adult novel. But the author just skips right over all the sexy times. I’ve read some YA novels that were more graphic than God Save the Queen.

I also thought the cover was very misleading. The girl on the front is totally decked out in awesome steampunk cloths yet the steampunk is very minimal in the book. I expected more of a Girl in the Steel Corset (same author) feel but it definitely wasn’t there. I really enjoyed the vampire skulls on the cover; those are really awesome!

Overall, I was just a little disappointed. The cover and synopsis of God Save the Queen gave me expectations that were not met in the story. But the world building was interesting enough that I gave it 3 hearts because I will probably continue the series to find out what happened with the characters!

Chris Colfer Signing Recap and Giveaway!

I have known for some time that Chris Colfer was writing a middle grade novel but what I didn't know was that he was going to do a book tour! I just figured that because he's super famous and so busy with Glee that he probably wouldn't.  But to my surprise, no only did he do a book tour but he had two separate appearances in the Los Angeles area! I was so excited to go; I couldn't wait!!

So we (my sister, my friend and I) arrived at Mrs. Nelson's around 2:30 and there already were a whole bunch of people there.  We hung around until they started passing out wrist bands so that we could line up.

We came prepared! It was a pretty warm day so we brought a huge umbrella, sunscreen and a few chairs because we didn't want to sit on the ground. 

While we were waiting, the staff of Mrs. Nelson's passed around a copy of The Wishing Spell for everyone to sign if they wanted as a gift for Chris. My sister put her phone number in it!

When he finally got there, they herded everyone through as fast as they could. There were no pictures, no personalization of books, no talking, reading or Q&A.  It was kind of a let down. It all happened so fast I didn't even have time to process that I met the guy! Luckily my sister didn't follow the rules and snapped a few pics! 

And she got one of Chris and me in the same picture!!

Craziness, I know!!! So when it was all said and done, I got my book signed, he actually said words to me and my sister got a picture with him and me, sort of! 

Kind of a crappy signature, but oh well! I'm sure he signs thousands of autographs a year! 

And now for the giveaway! Unfortunatelly I was unable to get my ARC signed but that doesn't mean one lucky person won't get the chance to win it! It's still a free book! 

Rules:

• Must be 13 years or older to enter
• Must be a US resident
• Giveaway will end promptly on Friday Aug. 17 at 11:59pm
• Winner has 48 hours to claim their prize or another winner will be chosen! 

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Review: The Little Woods

Title: The Little Woods
Author: McCormick Templeman
Publisher: Random House Children's Books
Release Date: July 10, 2012
Find it here: Amazon, Goodreads
Source: ARC

Are the woods behind St. Bede's Academy really haunted, or does bad stuff just happen there? When Calista Wood, a new student, arrives midway through her junior year, St. Bede's feels like a normal school . . . until she discovers that a girl had disappeared a couple of months earlier. Some kids think she ran away, others think she was murdered, but it's only when Cally starts digging around that she finds the startling truth.

Watch as Cally enters a world of privilege, weekend-long parties, high school romances, and . . . well-kept secrets. This page-turner will appeal to teens looking for a fast-paced thriller. Written in a voice at once gripping and crystal clear, debut novelist, McCormick Templeman, will take readers on a twisting and turning journey as only a "new girl" can experience.

My thoughts: 

I was so excited to get my hands on this book and start it! I thought I was really going to get a good scary story but when I discovered was a bit different. I wasn’t necessarily disappointed, because it was good, but it turned out to be more of a mystery/thriller type book. It isn’t bad because I love a good mystery that I can’t figure out but I was really hoping for something with a little more horror.

I was very intrigued by the synopsis! A little girl and her friend go missing in the wood near a boarding school and then about ten years later the little girl’s sister decides to attend that boarding school. We’re given no information of the facts surround her disappearance, so going into the story you don’t know if there could be a paranormal aspect to it. So there’s all this mystery surrounding this school before she even gets there.

Personally, I think the main character Cally is a little crazy for willingly applying and enrolling in the very school where her sister went missing! Really, really creepy! And of course there is more going on than Cally could ever have imagined. Before she arrived at the school, another girl went missing and most people believed she ran away. But when Cally and her friends find a body in the wood, things begin to unravel very quickly!

Boarding school dramas are always very interesting to me because with the absence of parents and constant chaperons, almost anything can happen. You don’t question why kids are sneaking around the school grounds late at night or throwing parties or hooking up behind the gym. It’s a boarding school and they’re usually not going to get caught.

Overall, I really enjoyed this thrilling mystery! I couldn’t figure out who had done it by the end so that’s a win in my book. I give The Little Wood 3 hearts for being an interesting mystery even though I was hoping for a horror.

August Box of Books Giveaway!

Another giveaway? YES!! A few months ago I cleaned out my bookshelves and decided to giveaway a whole bunch of book! This is going to be the last box of books giveaway for a while but don't fret, I have more giveaways up my sleeve! Here are the books that are in this box:

Rules: 

• Must be 13 or older to enter the giveaway!
• US residents only please!
• Giveaway ends promptly at 11:59pm on August 31
• Winner has 48 hours to claim their prize or another winner will be chosen
• Thanks for enter!

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Waiting on Wednesday (65)

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 the covers are always amazing!

Title: The Crown of Embers
Author: Rae Carson
Series: Fire and Thorns #2
Hitting the Shelves: September 18, 2012

In the sequel to the acclaimed The Girl of Fire and Thorns, a seventeen-year-old princess turned war queen faces sorcery, adventure, untold power, and romance as she fulfills her epic destiny.

Elisa is the hero of her country. She led her people to victory against a terrifying enemy, and now she is their queen. But she is only seventeen years old. Her rivals may have simply retreated, choosing stealth over battle. And no one within her court trusts her-except Hector, the commander of the royal guard, and her companions. As the country begins to crumble beneath her and her enemies emerge from the shadows, Elisa will take another journey. With a one-eyed warrior, a loyal friend, an enemy defector, and the man she is falling in love with, Elisa crosses the ocean in search of the perilous, uncharted, and mythical source of the Godstone's power. That is not all she finds. A breathtaking, romantic, and dangerous second volume in the Fire and Thorns trilogy.

Why I want this: I read The Girl of Fire and Thorns just recently and it's one of the best books I've read in a long time! I absolutely fell in love with the characters, the setting and the whole story! If you haven't read it, you need to!! Right. NOW! I picked up a copy of The Crown of Embers at ALA and it will definitely be one of the books I read for our ALA Read-a-Thon! 

Looking for a good Read-a-Thon? Have so many review books you can't see straight anymore? Come join our ALA Read-a-Thon! It's for anyone that wants to participate! It's August 8-13 and we're going to read as many books as possible!