Waiting on Wednesday (76)

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 Indigo Spell
Author: Richelle Mead
Series: Bloodlines #3
Hitting the Shelves: February 12, 2012

In the aftermath of a forbidden moment that rocked Sydney to her core, she finds herself struggling to draw the line between her Alchemist teachings and what her heart is urging her to do. Then she meets alluring, rebellious Marcus Finch--a former Alchemist who escaped against all odds, and is now on the run. Marcus wants to teach Sydney the secrets he claims the Alchemists are hiding from her. But as he pushes her to rebel against the people who raised her, Sydney finds that breaking free is harder than she thought. There is an old and mysterious magic rooted deeply within her. And as she searches for an evil magic user targeting powerful young witches, she realizes that her only hope is to embrace her magical blood--or else she might be next.

Why I want this: Now I am not a fan of this cover nor do I like any of the covers for Richelle Mead's books.  But I just love Richelle Mead's writing so much and I will pretty much devour anything that she writes! I love this series and I can't wait for February! HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!

Top Ten Tuesday: Kick-Ass Heroines!

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish and it's a meme of lists.

1. Rose Hathaway- Rose is one of the strongest female characters I've ever read! She’s been training her whole life to put down Strigoi and to protect the Moroi so it’s no surprise that she can definitely kick some ass!

2. Duce- I've only recently read Enclave and Outpost so Duce definitely sticks out in my mind as a heroine who can really kick some ass! The way she puts down freaks is amazing and the way she can maneuver in the dark and sense what is coming is unreal! She really had to prove herself as a strong fighter in Outpost and it was amazing!

3. Allie-Now the Immortal Rules was not one of my favorite books this year but I can’t deny how kick-ass Allie is. She was turned into a vampire against her will and she proved efficient and competent in her new found skills. 

4. Hermione- She may not be a fighter but she is definitely the brightest witch of her age. If it wasn't for Hermione, Harry and Ron would have died by book 3.

5. Elena- Of course Elena from Bitten is a kick-ass heroine because she is the only female who has survived getting bit by a werewolf and is therefore the only female werewolf in existence! And of course she is one excellent fighter!

6. Violet- Violet from The Body Finder isn't your normal kick-ass heroine. She doesn't fist-fight and she isn’t particularly strong in the physical sense but she can SENSE DEAD BODIES!! That’s pretty awesome in my book!

7. Kaya-In Soulbound Kaya wants to defy the healer that she is expected to be and wants to fight like Barrons. And she even becomes better than the Barron that she is bound to heal!

8. Elisa- Elisa from The Girl of Fire and Thorns is another one of those atypical kick-ass heroines on my list. She is strong, she stands up for what she believes is right and she doesn't let the royal council push her around! 

 
9. Violet- Hey, another Violet! Violet Eden from Embrace and Entice has unknowingly been trained to fight fallen angels. Even though she is forced into making the decision to embrace, she definitely makes one kick-ass heroine!

10. Finley Jayne- Finley Jayne from The Girl in the Steel Corset is somewhat of an experiment gone wrong! She’s a female, steampunk version of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and she unknowingly does bad things when her dark side takes over! She’s trying to learn how to control it which makes her pretty kick-ass!

Middle Grade Monday: Little Magic Shop of Horrors

Hey! Welcome to Middle Grade Monday, a weekly feature I started to talk about anything middle grade bookish related! I never thought I would really enjoy middle grade novels but after reading my first one this year, I was hooked! Since I review mainly YA on this blog, I didn't want the middle grade reviews to get shuffled in with the YA books so I decided to create this feature!

Title: Little Magic Shop of Horrors
Author: Gina and Annette Cascone
Series: Deadtime Stories
Publisher: Starscape
Find it here: Goodreads, Barnes & Noble, Mysterious Galaxy
Source: ARC from ALA

The Deadtime Stories by “Twisted Sisters” Annette and Gina Cascone—they’ll scare you silly and give you giggles at the same time.
Peter Newman really wants a twenty-one-speed mountain bike. That’s the grand prize for his school’s talent competition. And Peter’s pretty sure he can win it. All he needs is a talent….

When he and his best friend Bo see an ad for the Little Magic Shop of Horrors, they rush right over. For only $9.95, Peter buys a magic kit and becomes “Peter the Great.” Now he can do tricks even Houdini couldn’t perform!

The only problem is Peter can’t undo the tricks. But that doesn’t bother him too much. Until he wins the talent contest—by taking off Bo’s head! Will Peter be able to save his headless best friend?

My thoughts:

I knew that when I sat down to read this book, I would finish it in one sitting. It kind of reminded me of those Goosebump books I was so fond of when I was younger. Coming in at just around one hundred and fifty pages, Little Magic Shop of Horrors is a fun and entertaining read to pass a little time!

Peter and Bo want to win the school talent show. They decide to do a magic act so they look up a magic store in their local phone book. After several attempts to find this little magic shop with no luck, it mysteriously appears out of nowhere! The shop owner does some really weird magic tricks that make the boys even more excited about learning magic and they can’t believe it when he practically gives them a huge starter kit for less than ten dollars! Disaster ensues when Peter starts trying all these magic tricks without any kind of instruction manual.

Peter and Bo make a good team. Peter is so determined to become a great magician and to win the talent show that he sometimes loses sight what happening in reality. Bo is definitely his voice of reason and seems to understand that magic is not worth risking your life for. I have to say that my favorite character is Peter’s grandma! She is the crazy, nutty old lady who is convinced that she flew a bomber plane in WWII and that she was Houdini’s assistant. So when all this magic ensues, she gets really excited!

I love middle grade reads like this that are super fun and so easy to read! This book is only the first of the Deadtime Stories series that I've read but I can definitely say that I will be reading more of them. I give Little Magic Shop of Horrors 4 hearts because it is a book that middle grade readers will love especially around Halloween time!

Stacking the Shelves (18)

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!

Bought:

Beautiful Days by Anna Godbersen

As I Wake by Elizabeth Schott

Soulbound by Heather Brewer

Library:

Burn for Burn by Jenny Hay and Siobhan Vivian

What new books are stacking you shelves?

Top of My Pile (7)

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 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.

I've had a pretty good week, reading and catching up on my blog! 

Currently Reading:

The Agency: The Body at the Tower by Y.S. Lee

I'm really loving this book! I'm about one hundred pages into it and Mary Quinn has to dress like a boy for her assignment. James Easton is also back in England and their paths are going to cross eventually and I'm so excited to read the rest! 

Reading this Week:

Chosen Ones by Tiffany Truitt

The Blessed by Tonya Hurley

Framed & Dangerous by Kim Harrington

Weekly Recap:

Sunday I showed you guys the new books Stacking my Shelves

Monday I talked about spooky middle grade reads

Tuesday I recaped the Libba Bray signing at Vroman's 

Wednesday I waited on The Dollhouse Asylum by Mary Gray

Thursday I reviewed Picture the Dead by Adele Griffin

Friday I reviewed Firelight by Sophie Jordan

Review: Firelight by Sophie Jordan

Title: Firelight
Author: Sophie Jordan
Series: Firelight #1
Publisher: HarperTeen
Find it here: Barnes & Noble, Goodreads, Mysterious Galaxy
Source: Purchased

A hidden truth.

Mortal enemies.

Doomed love.

Marked as special at an early age, Jacinda knows her every move is watched. But she longs for freedom to make her own choices. When she breaks the most sacred tenet among her kind, she nearly pays with her life. Until a beautiful stranger saves her. A stranger who was sent to hunt those like her. For Jacinda is a draki, a descendant of dragons whose greatest defense is her secret ability to shift into human form.

Forced to flee into the mortal world with her family, Jacinda struggles to adapt to her new surroundings. The only bright light is Will. Gorgeous, elusive Will who stirs her inner draki to life. Although she is irresistibly drawn to him, Jacinda knows Will's dark secret: He and his family are hunters. She should avoid him at all costs. But her inner draki is slowly slipping away—if it dies she will be left as a human forever. She'll do anything to prevent that. Even if it means getting closer to her most dangerous enemy.

Mythical powers and breathtaking romance ignite in this story of a girl who defies all expectations and whose love crosses an ancient divide.

My thoughts:

The main reason I wanted to read this book is because it is about dragons! I didn't even know what is was about expect for the fact that the characters are shape-shifters who turn into dragons! It was the first book that I had ever read concerning dragons and I really really liked it! 

Jacinda, the main character, is a twin (her twin never shifted into a dragon at puberty) who lives with her mom and sister in their draki tribe somewhere in the mountains.  After she breaks the rule and is nearly caught by dragon hunters, her mother makes them leave the tribe so Jacinda can escape a very harsh punishment. 

Cassian, the son of the tribe's leader, is someone I would want to punch in real life! One of those guys who walks around like they're entitled to everything they have and can get anything they want. I really felt bad for Jacinda and was really mad when her mother and sister wanted her to stop shifting into a dragon so that she could become a normal person. She really didn't complain when I felt like she could have.  She is a strong character that made the best of her circumstances.  There's so much mystery surrounding Will! I can't wait to read Vanish and find out what's going on with him and what happened to him when he was younger! The forbidden romance between Will and Jacinda made this an even more exciting read!

Firelight was such an exciting read for me! I've read a lot of reviews where the readers felt like it was kind of a redundant romance and a predictable story. But what made it so special for me is that they're DRAGONS!!! I give Firelight 4 hearts for being a refreshing read is a sea of cookie-cutter books! 

Review: Picture the Dead

Title: Picture the Dead
Author: Adele Griffin, Lisa Brown (Illustrator)
Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire
Find it here: Goodreads, Mysterious Galaxy
Source: Picked up at ALA

Jennie feels the tingling presence of something unnatural in the house now that Will is dead.

Her heart aches without him, and she still doesn't know how he really died. It seems that everywhere she turns, someone is hiding yet another clue. As Jennie seeks the truth, she finds herself drawn ever deeper into a series of tricks and lies, secrets and betrayals, and begins to wonder if she had every really known Will at all.

My thoughts:

There is something so haunting and creepy about this book yet so inviting at the same time! The illustrations, the mystery, the letters from other characters and the narrative of the story mixed all together make it one of the most unique books I've ever read! I will definitely be keeping an eye out for more books written with mixed media. 

When Jennie is very young her parent die and she moves in with her aunt, uncle and two older male cousins. One of her cousins, Will, begins to like her and they become engaged.  But before they can get married, he is sent off to fight in the Civil War.  The book begins with Jennie and the family receiving a letter that Will has been killed in battle just as her other cousin returns home very injured.  And so begins the mystery of how Will really died and why she is being haunted by his ghost.  

Jennie is a really great character. She's been through a lot with the death of her parents, the death of her twin brother and living with relatives who don't really want her around.  But she stays strong through all these adversities and is able to pick up on the small signs that the ghost of her betrothed is haunting her and as it turns out for a good reason! Throughout the book Jennie picks up little nick knacks around the house and little pieces of evidence that she keeps in a scrapbook. What I loved is that I would turn the page and be able to see all the things that she picked up because they would be illustrated. 

Picture the Dead was such a fun read! The mixture of the illustrations, the mystery and the story made it very interesting to read! I give Picture the Dead 5 hearts for being a very unique and memorable read!

Waiting on Wednesday (75)

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 Dollhouse Asylum
Author: Mary Gray
Hitting the Shelves: October 08, 2013

A virus that had once been contained has returned, and soon no place will be left untouched by its destruction. But when seventeen-year-old Cheyenne wakes up in Elysian Fields--a subdivision cut off from the world and its monster-creating virus--she is thrilled to have a chance at survival.

At first, Elysian Fields,with its beautiful houses and manicured lawns, is perfect. Teo Richardson, the older man who stole Cheyenne's heart, built it so they could be together. But when Teo tells Cheyenne there are tests that she and seven other couples must pass to be worthy of salvation, Cheyenne begins to question the perfection of his world.

The people they were before are gone. Cheyenne is now "Persephone," and each couple has been re-named to reflect the most tragic romances ever told. Everyone is fighting to pass the test, to remain in Elysian Fields. Teo dresses them up, tells them when to move and how to act, and in order to pass the test, they must play along.

If they play it right, then they'll be safe.

But if they play it wrong, they'll die.

Libba Bray Signing Recap!

I really love going to book signings at my local bookstore! Vroman's is such an awesome bookstore so I always end up buying three or four books from them every time I visit. 

We were lucky enough here in Los Angeles to have Libba Bray signing her new book The Diviners! I've been waiting so long to meet her! I loved the Gemma Doyle series and I've seen a few of her video on Youtube and she is hilarious! 

She read us her really funny story that she wrote in the 5th grade! She is literally one of the funniest YA authors I've ever heard speak!

Book signigs are the best and I always look forward to the one's at Vroman's! 

Middle Grade Monday- Spooky Creepy Reads

Hey! Welcome to Middle Grade Monday, a weekly feature I started to talk about anything middle grade bookish related! I never thought I would really enjoy middle grade novels but after reading my first one this year, I was hooked! Since I review mainly YA on this blog, I didn't want the middle grade reviews to get shuffled in with the YA books so I decided to create this feature!

Halloween reads are some of my favorite and they're always best when read at this time of year! YA horror reads are few and far between but I've found that middle grade has an abundance of horror books! Here are a few of my favorites.

Skary Chidlrin and the Carousel of Sorrows by Katy Towell

Grave Secrets by Annette and Gine Cascone

Skeleton Creek by Patrick Carman

Middle grade is a great place to get some really fun, creepy reads! They're usually not too scary but they're just spooky enough to get you in the Halloween mood! What books are you reading for Halloween?

Stacking the Shelves (17)

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!

So many books this week! Let's get started!

Purchased from Vroman's:

The Diviners by Libba Bray

Dracula by Bram Stoker

Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) by Mindy Kaling

Purchased from B&N:

The Insomniacs by Karina Wolf

Library:

The Blessed by Tonya Hurley

Gifted:

Unofficial Harry Potter Cookbook by Dinah Bucholz

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

Hidden by Sophie Jordan

Firelight by Kristen Callihan

Halfway to the Grave by Jeaniene Frost

Thanks Laura, Thuy @ RNSL Nite Lite and Kimberly @ The Windy Pages

Top of My Pile (6)

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 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:

Something Red by Douglas Nicholas

I'm reading Something Red for book club this month and I have to admit it is a bit of a snooze fest. I'm about two hundred pages in and not much has happened.  And it's not even as scary as I hoped it would be! I hope something really awesome happens at the end!

Red Rain by R.L. Stine

Red Rain was pretty much my holy grail and I've been holding out until Halloween time to read it. And now I'm finally reading it! So far it's pretty good and a bit of a slow creepy build up! That kid is really creepy!

Some Girls Bite (audio book) by Chloe Neill

I've just started listening to Some Girls Bite and I'm really liking it! I guess I'm on chapter two and I'm really hoping for a kick ass semi sexy adventure! 

Reading this week:

Dracula by Bram Stoker

I have never read this book! I KNOW! I decided that close to Halloween would be a great time to do that!

The Agency: The Body at the Tower by Y.S. Lee

Loved the first one and I can't wait to continue the series!

Stacking the Shelves (16)

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've been a little absent this week because I've been on jury duty.  It's not as completely awful as I thought it would have been but it's definitely a time suck.  I didn't get any books this week for review but I did renew my Audible subscription because I've been enjoying my audio books so much lately! They're also having a really great Halloween sale and releasing new title every week! So here's what I got:

Library:

Something Red by Douglas Nicholas

Purchased Audio Books:

Seraphina by Rachel Hartman

Some Girls Bite by Chloe Neill

Top Ten Tuesday: Favorite Reads Since Blogging

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

What?! I can only choose ten? Oh man! I've discovered so many awesome and incredible books since I've started my blog!

1. The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan- The reason I’m saying only the Forest of Hands and Teeth and not the whole series is because I wasn't too happy with the way the series played out. The Forest of Hands and Teeth was so awesome and it posed so many great questions that I hoped would have been answered. It’s really a great book even though the series didn't live up to it.

2. Unwind by Neal Shusterman- Unwind came out long before I started my blog but I didn't even hear about until maybe last year. This book really gets you thinking about a whole bunch on different things and it isn't short on adventure either!

3. The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting- I love everything about The Body Finder series! I love Jay and Violet, I love her “echo sense” and I even love Rafe! The mysteries are great and I’m excited to see what Derting has in store for us with the next installment!

4. The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin- What can I even say about this book that hasn't already been said? I love it even though it confused the hell out of me! I’m super psyched to read the next one!

5. The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson- After reading the Crown of Embers last month it has become my current obsession (besides Harry Potter which is a life-long obsession)! I love Carson’s writing style and the way she had me drooling over every page! I need the final installment like now!!!

6. Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo- I’m so glad this book live up to its early hype! I love the world that Bardugo created and I really hope it’s a great trilogy!

7. Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi- Mafi's writing style is exquisite and the story is absolutely fascinating! 

8. Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Lani Taylor- Hands down one of my favorite books last year and one of the sequels I've been anticipating the most! 

9. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins- Super cute contemporary and pretty much everyone loves!

10. Going Too Far by Jennifer Echols- I've said it before and I'm going to say it again; definitely my favorite contemporary read ever! 

Middle Grade Monday (2) Why I Love Harry Potter!

Hey! Welcome to Middle Grade Monday, a weekly feature I started to talk about anything middle grade bookish related! I never thought I would really enjoy middle grade novels but after reading my first one this year, I was hooked! Since I review mainly YA on this blog, I didn't want the middle grade reviews to get shuffled in with the YA books so I decided to create this feature!

The Harry Potter series has always played an important role in my life because I feel like I've experienced the journey with these beloved characters. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone was published in the United States when I was in the 9th grade and it didn't take me very long to get lost in the adventure. I can honestly say that Harry Potter was the first epic reading adventure that I embarked on. It unlocked the reader that I am today!

Even though I had read the books and loved them, it took me a while to get into the movies. I didn't see Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone until after Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets was released on DVD. But I obviously discovered the awesomeness and a fangirl was born! I was able to experience movies 4 through 8 in the movie theater and I’m still in awe when I see my favorite characters come to life.

The great thing about Harry Potter is that it appeals to so many various age groups. Even though the entire series is shelved in the children’s section, the maturity of the content grows with the maturity of the characters. We go from middle grade novels in to young adult that are filled with dark magic, evil villains and death.

Like most of the fandom, I was sad when the final movie came out. I felt like I was saying goodbye to an entire twelve years of my life. It was like the loss of a good friend. But the Harry Potter fandom continues and there is still so much to discuss! I never realized all the little details I missed when I read the series the first time. Now that I’m reading through them again, I can really appreciate how great of a writer Rowling is and how she planned everything out perfectly. We’re also getting new and exclusive content on Pottermore! To my great delight, and the nerdy fangirl inside me, Harry Potter continues!

I'm able to keep the Harry Potter magic alive in my life by participating in a global re-read and deep analysis of the series with Alohomora! The team of podcasters are super awesome, have read the series multiple times and point out things I would never have seen on my own.  Even though I consider myself a Harry Potter fangirl, I'm still learning so much about the Wizarding World that Rowling and Universal have created! As a true Ravenclaw, I look forward to reading essays and getting involved in more Harry Potter discussions in the future!

I believe that Harry Potter will remain a constant throughout my life. I’m always going to want to read the series again and if I ever have children, Harry Potter will be read to them. Now that Universal Studios is building a Wizarding World here in Los Angeles, I will probably be visiting it regularly! When I thought Harry Potter was coming to an end, it seem like its only beginning!