Review: Black City by Elizabeth Richards

Title: Black City

Author: Elizabeth Richards

Series: Black City #1

Publisher: Putnam's Sons BYR

Source: Library

Find it Here: Amazon, Goodreads

A dark and tender post-apocalyptic love story set in the aftermath of a bloody war.

In a city where humans and Darklings are now separated by a high wall and tensions between the two races still simmer after a terrible war, sixteen-year-old Ash Fisher, a half-blood Darkling, and Natalie Buchanan, a human and the daughter of the Emissary, meet and do the unthinkable—they fall in love. Bonded by a mysterious connection that causes Ash’s long-dormant heart to beat, Ash and Natalie first deny and then struggle to fight their forbidden feelings for each other, knowing if they’re caught, they’ll be executed—but their feelings are too strong.

When Ash and Natalie then find themselves at the center of a deadly conspiracy that threatens to pull the humans and Darklings back into war, they must make hard choices that could result in both their deaths.

My Thoughts:

Since I already own an ARC of Phoenix and just received an ARC of the final book in the trilogy Wings I thought that it’s probably high time that a write a review for Black City. I was a little hesitant going into this book because I had heard it was about vampires and we all know that the whole vampire thing is way overdone in YA lit!

Looking back, I’m glad I've waited so long to write this review. I've read a few vampire novels since Black City and they all fell flat for me and has made me realize how unique this vampire story really is. While checking out my Goodreads account, I noticed that I gave this book 3 start just after I finished reading it. After my year of retrospection of vampire novels, this book definitely deserves 4 stars.

Black City starts off really, really strong! It’s super action-packed right off the bat which reeled me immediately! But then towards the middle it starts to drag a bit and get a little boring. And then at the end it gets really good again! I feel like I’m describing a trilogy all in one book!!

Even though it has a little insta-love, I still really loved the relationship between the two main characters. As far as world building, I really enjoyed the uniqueness of the vampires and/or darklings and how they’re depicted as a separate species. It’s all very interesting and something I want to read more about. Black City is one of the better vampire novels out there in YA literature!

Review: The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black

Title: The Coldest Girl in Coldtown
Author: Holly Black
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Release Date: September 03, 2013
Source: Library
Find it Here: Amazon, Goodreads

Tana lives in a world where walled cities called Coldtowns exist. In them, quarantined monsters and humans mingle in a decadently bloody mix of predator and prey. The only problem is, once you pass through Coldtown’s gates, you can never leave.

One morning, after a perfectly ordinary party, Tana wakes up surrounded by corpses. The only other survivors of this massacre are her exasperatingly endearing ex-boyfriend, infected and on the edge, and a mysterious boy burdened with a terrible secret. Shaken and determined, Tana enters a race against the clock to save the three of them the only way she knows how: by going straight to the wicked, opulent heart of Coldtown itself.

The Coldest Girl in Coldtown is a wholly original story of rage and revenge, of guilt and horror, and of love and loathing from bestselling and acclaimed author Holly Black.

My thoughts:

There has been a whole lot of hype surrounding this book and people have been giving it rave reviews almost across the board. People have said that it’s a unique take on the overdone vampire story and that they found it very refreshing. I’m definitely going to be in the minority when it comes to The Coldest Girl in Coldtown because I don’t think that it’s all that great! So for this review I’m going to make a list of the problems and why it’s not all that unique.

1. Clocking in at over 400 pages, The Coldest Girl in Coldtown is just way too long especially since not much happens for most of the book. The first 30 pages start off really strong with a super gruesome scene of an entire party that has just been slaughtered. So I thought, “Yes! This is going to be great!!” But no. It was very slow and at times I questioned whether or not I was going to finish it.

2. Tana, the main character, is very unlikable and just makes horrible decisions. “Hey, let me save this vampire who could possibly drain me dry once we are out of danger. That’s an awesome idea!” “Instead of just dropping my newly turned vampire ex-boyfriend off at the nearest coldtown I’m actually going to go in and hang out for a little bit! That also sounds awesome!” Everything that happened to her is her own damn fault. She is just a flat character and was exactly the same person at the end as she was at the beginning.

3. If I thought Tana was unlikable and annoying, her little sister was even worse! What a naive little brat. The only purpose she served was as a plot device for the ending of the story. That’s it!!

4. In my humble opinion this certainly did not seem like a “unique” vampire story. In The Coldest Girl in Coldtown there are vampires who have been around for a very long time who worked tirelessly to keep their existence a secret. When a person gets bit by a vampire they then turn into a full-fledged vampire after consuming human blood. The older the vampire is the stronger the vampire is. The vampires get burned to ash if they are in direct sunlight. How is this in any way unique? The only part that I thought was remotely interesting was the coldtowns. But unfortunately there is not a lot of information there.

So overall the book was a bit of a letdown. It’s way too hyped for what it is. If someone wants to read a unique take on vampires, go read the Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead. Now that’s what I call a good vampire story!

Review: The Indigo Spell

Title: The Indigo Spell
Author: Richelle Mead
Series: Bloodlines #3
Publisher: Razorbill
Source: Purchased

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.

My thoughts: 

Richelle Mead is hands down, by far my favorite paranormal author! And I'm pretty sure this is how all my reviews of her books start. She is just one phenomenal writer and she continues to blow me away with her books! Do you guys realize that The Indigo Spell, The Fiery Heart and Gameboard of the Gods are all published this year?!? Man, Richelle Mead sure was working hard last year! 

The Indigo Spell was just another great installment in the Bloodlines series! I loved the sexual tension between Sydney and Adrian! It just continued to build and build until there were a few hot and steamy moments that made me want to cheer. I think it's so funny that she's always telling herself that she can never be with someone like Adrian because he's a Moroi but when it comes down to it she just can't control herself or her feelings! She has huge feelings for Adrian and I really hope they win out in the end. 

I'm also intrigued by all this magic that is being introduced to the series.  The Vampire Academy world is so vast and I'm continually surprised by all the new aspects that are coming out of the woodwork.  But this magical element is just so awesome and how Sydney is taking to it.  If she thinks that she doesn't really like the Moroi then she really doesn't like the magic and she continues to resist! But I have a feeling that the magic is also going to win out in the end. Oh, this series is just so amazing!!!

Needless to say, I cannot wait for the Fiery Heart!!! I will be there, at the bookstore, on release day, ready to dive into the next installment of the Bloodlines series!!

Review: The Golden Lily

Title: The Golden Lily
Author: Richelle Mead
Series: Bloodlines #3
Publisher: Razorbill
Find it here: Barnes & Noble, Goodreads, Mysterious Galaxy
Source: Purchased

Sydney Sage is an Alchemist, one of a group of humans who dabble in magic and serve to bridge the worlds of humans and vampires. They protect vampire secrets—and human lives.

Sydney would love to go to college, but instead, she’s been sent into hiding at a posh boarding school in Palm Springs, California–tasked with protecting Moroi princess Jill Dragomir from assassins who want to throw the Moroi court into civil war. Formerly in disgrace, Sydney is now praised for her loyalty and obedience, and held up as the model of an exemplary Alchemist.

But the closer she grows to Jill, Eddie, and especially Adrian, the more she finds herself questioning her age–old Alchemist beliefs, her idea of family, and the sense of what it means to truly belong. Her world becomes even more complicated when magical experiments show Sydney may hold the key to prevent becoming Strigoi—the fiercest vampires, the ones who don’t die. But it’s her fear of being just that—special, magical, powerful—that scares her more than anything. Equally daunting is her new romance with Brayden, a cute, brainy guy who seems to be her match in every way. Yet, as perfect as he seems, Sydney finds herself being drawn to someone else—someone forbidden to her.

When a shocking secret threatens to tear the vampire world apart, Sydney’s loyalties are suddenly tested more than ever before. She wonders how she's supposed to strike a balance between the principles and dogmas she's been taught, and what her instincts are now telling her.

Should she trust the Alchemists—or her heart?

My thoughts: 

I want to start this by saying that Richelle Mead writes the most amazing stories! I have yet to read one of her books that I don’t like! I've read all the Vampire Academy novels, the first and second in the Bloodlines series and I’m getting ready to start the second book in her Succubus series. I love them all! I just can’t get enough! You can bet that I will be buying the first book in her newest series, Gameboard of the Gods!

So pretty much in The Golden Lily, vampire hunters are after Sonia because they don’t believe that she is truly restored and Sydney is fighting her inner conscience about possibly using magic. That’s pretty much all that happens. Little side stories here and there, Adrian trying to be a better Adrian and of course the awesome ending and DIMITRI!

I love when I get to immerse myself with this world that I love so much. At first, Sydney was just an okay character for me when we first met her in the Vampire Academy series. But now I’m really starting to love her! She’s always looking out for other people while constantly reminding herself that she needs to keep everything professional because it’s her job. I also love her internal struggle and conversations with herself about magic. I knew it was just a matter of time before she gave in! The one thing that always annoys me is when she thinks she needs to be on a diet because being a size 2 isn't skinny enough. I HATE that! I wanted to give Adrian a big high five when he told her that she could stand to gain a few pounds! And speaking of Adrian and Sydney together!! We’re finally getting some sparks and passion! Dimitri is, of course, perfect and I just love how he always plays the protector role!

Needless to say, Bloodlines is one of my favorite series and The Golden Lily was just spectacular! I have to give The Golden Lily 5 hearts because I am on the edge of my seat waiting for The Indigo Spell!!

Review: A Discovery of Witches

Title: A Discovery of Witches
Author: Deborah Harkness
Series: All Souls Trilogy #1
Publisher: Penguin Books
Find it here: Amazon, Goodreads
Source: Purchased

A richly inventive novel about a centuries-old vampire, a spellbound witch, and the mysterious manuscript that draws them together.

Deep in the stacks of Oxford's Bodleian Library, young scholar Diana Bishop unwittingly calls up a bewitched alchemical manuscript in the course of her research. Descended from an old and distinguished line of witches, Diana wants nothing to do with sorcery; so after a furtive glance and a few notes, she banishes the book to the stacks. But her discovery sets a fantastical underworld stirring, and a horde of daemons, witches, and vampires soon descends upon the library. Diana has stumbled upon a coveted treasure lost for centuries-and she is the only creature who can break its spell.

Debut novelist Deborah Harkness has crafted a mesmerizing and addictive read, equal parts history and magic, romance and suspense. Diana is a bold heroine who meets her equal in vampire geneticist Matthew Clairmont, and gradually warms up to him as their alliance deepens into an intimacy that violates age-old taboos. This smart, sophisticated story harks back to the novels of Anne Rice, but it is as contemporary and sensual as the Twilight series-with an extra serving of historical realism.

My thoughts: 

I remember thinking when A Discovery of Witches came out that I absolutely have to read that book because it sounds so amazing! It was getting rave reviews and I love books that deal with witches and magic. So why did it take me so long to finally read it!? I have no idea but I'm definitely kicking myself for not reading it sooner! 

I love the whole aspect of the story that there's all these family secrets and the fact that Diana does not want to be a witch and choose not to participate in all these witchy things.  So she run to the opposite of witchcraft which is facts, history and studying things that have evidence.  She is super smart and doesn't let anything get in the way of her studies and research.  She is also very determined.  She has a tough time coming to terms with notions that she could possibly be the chosen one and that her magic and relationship could bring about the biggest change known to her supernatural kind.  

Matthew is such a great character and one of my favorite vampires of all the vampire books that I've read. He is such a gentleman and deeply rooted in old fashioned chivalry while being very fierce and protective at the same time.  He is the ideal vampire. And he's smart and sexy to boot.  Even all the side characters were really great! They all have their own very unique personalities and while I was reading some of the vampires, I truly believed that they had been living for over a thousand years! The characterization in A Discovery is Witches is phenomenal! 

I love that A Discovery of Witches is a mix of supernatural creatures instead of focusing on just one. If witches can exist why not vampires? Even though it is a pretty long read, it is richly detailed and very interesting.  I give A Discovery of Witches 5 hearts for finally portraying vampires how I always imagined them to be.  And can I say new book boyfriend? Most definitely!

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!

Review- The Immortal Rules

Title: The Immortal Rules
Author: Julie Kagawa
Series: Blood of Eden #1
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Find it here: Amazon, Goodreads
Source: ARC provided by NetGalley and Harlequin

In a future world, Vampires reign. Humans are blood cattle. And one girl will search for the key to save humanity.

Allison Sekemoto survives in the Fringe, the outermost circle of a vampire city. By day, she and her crew scavenge for food. By night, any one of them could be eaten.

Some days, all that drives Allie is her hatred of them. The vampires who keep humans as blood cattle. Until the night Allie herself is attacked—and given the ultimate choice. Die… or become one of the monsters.

Faced with her own mortality, Allie becomes what she despises most. To survive, she must learn the rules of being immortal, including the most important: go long enough without human blood, and you will go mad.

Then Allie is forced to flee into the unknown, outside her city walls. There she joins a ragged band of humans who are seeking a legend—a possible cure to the disease that killed off most of humankind and created the rabids, the mindless creatures who threaten humans and vampires alike.

But it isn’t easy to pass for human. Especially not around Zeke, who might see past the monster inside her. And Allie soon must decide what—and who—is worth dying for.

My thoughts: 

This is a very difficult review for me to write. So many people are big fans of Julie Kagawa, her Iron Fey series and of The Immortal Rules. I’ve read the first two books in the Iron Fey series and even though I thought they were pretty good and enjoyable, I felt like they were unnecessarily long. And I have the same feelings toward The Immortal Rules. I enjoyed it enough, but I felt it was unnecessarily long.

When I heard Julie Kagawa was writing a vampire series, I inwardly groaned because I have grown somewhat weary of vampire books. There are only so many ways you can write a vampire story and after a while they all start sounding the same. But somehow Kagawa was able to make it different. I really enjoyed the dystopian aspect of the book and the world building. Allison is human in the beginning and she talks of humans being taken over, books being outlawed and not a lot of use for the modern technology that we have now. What really made her vampire story different was the hierarchy of the vampire race and the mass population of rabid vampires. When a master vampire creates anther vampire, the bloodline become diluted. So when that new vampire tries to create a new vampire it becomes even more diluted and it doesn’t take as easily. Thus ending up with rabids who have no inclination of common sense or self control.

But there the story becomes the same is the vampire who is struggling to hold on to her humanity. This is a very common story line in vampire books which is understandable because the vampire was once human and they don’t want to be some kind of killing machine. They don’t want to become what they once hated.

Allison is an enjoyable main character. She’s a strong, kick ass, Asian girl who wields a samurai sword! That’s pretty awesome! She has a fierce survival instinct but can also be compassionate. She took a weaker kid under her wing; she protected him from the bullies and fed him when she was struggling to feed herself. I really felt for her most of the time. She’s had it rough. As for the romance, I think it's doomed from the start! She meets Zeke on the road to Eden where vampires are not allowed in, but they still managed to fall for each other. I don't see how this romance could possible continue in the future! But it definitley has me looking forward to see how it's going to play out!

Even though I enjoyed The Immortal Rules, I have a feeling it was all build up to the next one. It makes me really excited to thinks that the second book is going to be completely awesome! I give this book 3.5 hearts for an action-packed adventure and incredible world building!

Fangtastic Friday Read-Along (1)

This week's Fangtastic Friday Read-along is hosted by the awesome Ashley @ The Bookish Brunette.  This week we read chapters 1-6 of Rhiannon Frater's Pretty When She Dies.

1. After reading through Amaliya's 'awakening'... So realistic and freaking horrifying right? *shudders* What are your reactions to such a vivid scene?

I really appreciate an author who is bold enough to tell you how it is and Rhiannon Frater is just that author.  She wants her readers to know the reality for her character and the world that she has created.  When authors are too vague they can sometimes leave too much for their readers to fill in for them and they may not grasp the horror or the fear that the character is going through.

2. I know it's EARLY on, and we've only gotten a glimpse of him, but... In YOUR opinion, the man who made Amaliya into a vampire... friend or foe?

As of right now, it seems like Amaliya's life is only for his amusement.  He knew that because of her strength of character and what she's been though in the past that her transformation and early years as a vampire are going to be different than the others he created.  She's like his pet project. 

3. Amaliya's family are some PIECES of work aren't they??? While I HOPE no one has a family as freaking crazy nuts as hers... We all have a few nutjobs in our family tree right? Tell me about a crazy member of YOUR family... Or a time when you thought, "Please, NO... I am SO not with them!"

OMG I can't answer this question, my family sometimes reads this blog! And it would be just my luck that they happen to read this post! Honestly though, I've never been completely embarrased of my family.  They have been known to act crazy when they drink too much, but never to the point that I would want to separate myself from them.

4. Pete... Awww, Pete... He confesses his unending love for her, then everything goes to hell in a hand-basket! Who is/was YOUR Pete? Did you have a guy who was hopelessly in love with you for years that you never even knew about?

Aww, I love Pete too and I felt so bad for him.  I don't think anyone has ever harbored a crush on me for years and years or anything like that, but there was a guy in my french class in high school who would propose marriage to me at least a couple times a week.  Each time he did it, he would give me a new reason of why we should get married.  It was kinda cute.  

5. Have you started connecting with Amaliya? What specific instance stands out the most for you? (hopefully you are LOVING her hardcore by Chapter 6!)

I really do like Amaliya.  Even though she has her soft spots, she tough as nails and she's not letting anyone take advantage of her!  But I already knew that going back to her family was a bad decision and I was hoping that she would just take off without returning the truck.  Her dad could have gone and found it himself.  With her family's track record, there was not way they were going to be accepting of her. 

Review- Eighth Grade Bites

Title: Eighth Grate Bites
Author: Heather Brewer
Series: The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod #1
Publisher: Dutton Children's Books
Find it here: Amazon, Goodreads
Source: PaperBackSwap

Junior high really sucks for thirteen-year-old Vladimir Tod. Bullies harass him, the principal is dogging him, and the girl he likes prefers his best friend. Oh, and Vlad has a secret: his mother was human, but his father was a vampire. With no idea of the extent of his powers, Vlad struggles daily with his blood cravings and his enlarged fangs. When a substitute teacher begins to question him a little too closely, Vlad worries that his cover is about to be blown. But then he faces a much bigger problem: he’s being hunted by a vampire killer.

My thoughts: 

Before picking up this series, I had always seen them on the shelves everywhere and I even though that they pre-dated Twilight but unfortunately they don't.  One of the reasons I really wanted to read the Chronicles of Vladimir Tod is because of the titles of the books.  I liked how they followed the main character by the school years.  But I had hesitations.  Even after getting Eighth Grade Bites, it sat on my self for quiet some time.  I thought it might be a lame middle grade vampire book.  I also had not seen it around much on the blog but this book completely surprised me.  

I loved everything about this book.  There's the mystery of how his parents died and why only their bedroom burned and not the whole house.  The mystery concerning his existence and whether or not there are other vampires out there.  He starts finding strange things in the house he lived in with his parents and the weird substitute teacher who somehow knows he's a vampire.  What I thought would be extremely boring and incredible lame has turned out to be one of my favorite series right now.

I had also been itching to read a good vampire book for some time now.  After Twilight, I read as many vampire books as I could and burnt myself out on them so I've been mainly reading other paranormal themes.  But I think I'm getting a taste for vampires again and this was a good book to start me out!

Review- Bloodlines

Title: Bloodlines
Author: Richelle Mead
Publisher: Razorbill
Series: Bloodlines #1
Find it here: Amazon, Goodreads
Source: ARC compliments of Razorbill

When alchemist Sydney is ordered into hiding to protect the life of Moroi princess Jill Dragomir, the last place she expects to be sent is a human private school in Palm Springs, California.  But at their new school, the drama is only just beginning.

Populated with new faces as well as familiar ones, Bloodlines explores all the friendship, romance, battles and betrayals that made the #1 New York Times bestselling Vampire Academy series so addictive-this time in a part-vampire, part-human setting where the stakes are even higher and everyone's out for blood.

My thoughts:

I LOVE VAMPIRE ACADEMY!!!!  Whew, i just had to get that out of the way.  Richelle Mead's young adult books literally make me feel like a screaming teenage girl again.  When I received Bloodlines in the mail, I jumped up and down in my living room and left my family wondering if they needed to check me into the nearest mental institution! There's just something about the characters of Vampire Academy that make me all crazy and giggly.

At first I was hesitant to read Bloodlines because Sydney was not my favorite character towards the end of the series.  And also, I'm a hard core Rose fan.  But as soon as I was a couple of chapters in, I realized that I was enjoying the change of perspective and seeing the vampires from an alchemist's eyes.  Bloodlines takes the reader deeper into the magical world of moroi, strigoi, and alchemists and we're getting to see more than just one aspect.  We get more background and more history to these (for lack of a better word) creatures that Mead has created.

I love the very big role that Adrian has been given in this series.  In Vampire Academy he was only this spoiled, rich brat who went around doing whatever he wanted and not caring about the consequences.  But now he has the opportunity to become so much more and he's definitely learning the ins and outs of what it takes to be his own person.

Mead is such a fantastic writer.  She leaves a mini-cliffhanger at the end of every chapter which pretty much makes it impossible to put the book down.  There are also so many twists and turns and surprises around every corner.  I can't even begin to guess what's going to happen or how it's going to end because she always just blows my imagination out of the water!  The ending just blew my mind and I was speechless after I read the last page.  And wishing I could get my hands on the next book that very instant!

So many of my friends and family love this series that my copy of Bloodlines has already been passed around! If you are a huge fan of Vampire Academy, you will not be disappointed! Trust me; go out and buy it now!!

True Blood: Book to Show Comparison

Hello everyone, it's Alyson and like I said before, from now on the comparison posts are going to go from episode to episode.

So last weeks episode was good. It didn't hold that much drama as other episodes, which sometimes is a good thing. I am going to tell you about what I like and didn't like about this episode.

Starting with all the witching stuff that is going on: I like it. They doing a good job of not making it too weird. Lafayette and his boyfrind also always give me a good crack up sometimes. I really enjoy seeing what happens next between the two of them. Also speaking of, Tara and her girlfriend, they seem to be making a cute couple. Two tough girls who can help each other out; it's nice. But how funny was the bantering when Pam shows up at the end to attack them. I thought it was funny that first off they thought they could run fast enough to get away, then they thought they had enough time to banter with each other before they started to run. And Pam just cracks me up. I feel sorry for her right now because she is rotting away.

Again I don't like Bill, he is being an ass hole. For him to say that Eric is dangerous and needed to be killed was so annoying. Eric is just lonely and scared and for Bill to take advantage of that and go against Sookie is really making me mad. At least he came to his senses at the end. I was also very angry that Jason didn't change at the full moon. I still think something is going to happen with that though. Because the werepanthers wouldn't go through all that trouble if it doesn't work. But how cute was it that Jessica was there to help Jason through that. I thought that was so sweet but I do still like her and Hoyt together. I hope things work out between them. But I really don't hope that Alcide and Debbie stay together. I can't believe that she convinced him to run with another pack. I don't think that's right, it's so different from the book, and I really can not stand Debbie, she annoys me. And who is stupid enought to say that solidarity is not good for my sobriety. YES it is! Anyone knows that the when you start hanging out with the same crowd and similar people that you used to, your going to lapse and do it again, and in this case I am hoping it does happen to her, because that is how much I don't like her.

Moving on to my last main character Sam. Well I am not completely happy that Sam's brother can change into another human, I feel like he is constantly doing stupid things and stabbing people in the back so much that he is never giong to change. I really don't like having him on the show, I feel it is just putting so much stress on Sam that he doesn't need. I like Sam and I like his charachter and I like that girl that he had but Sam's brother screwed that up for him, too.

Well I think I covered all the main characters. Let me know what you thought of last weeks episode. I am looking forward to Sunday night to watch the new one.  Until next week!

Day 2: A Week's Worth of Giveaways!

Rules:

• One entry per person

• US only

• 13 years or older

• Ends midnight, August 13!

Day 1: A Week's Worth of Giveaways!

I've decided to do a bunch of giveaways to show just how much I appreciate the blogging community and all my reader friends out there! I will be giving away a book a day for the next week! Even if you missed one day, they'll still be open for about a week after the last giveaway so you can always come back and enter!  I will also leave links for the previous days giveaways! Have fun guys!

Rules:

• One Entry per person
• Must be 13 years or older
• US ONLY!
• Ends August 13

Good Luck!

Guest Post- True Blood Book/Show Comparison

So to start I want to tell you what I think about the TV show. I really like the TV show. My friends and I try to get together every Sunday and watch it. I like most of the characters in the show, honestly Sookie is not quite how I pictured her from the book but she does play a good role. I think it's kind of funny how Bill gets better looking with each season. Eric is definitely my favorite character in the book and in the show, Pam is my favorite character.

So I started off watching the first season of True Blood and after I liked it I started reading the books. I even got my Mom hooked on watching the show. This season is so good that it keeps me waiting for the next episode.

Now to tell you a little about the books. I think the characters roles in the books are better told than in the show. The lives that each character lead are better in the books because the show puts little twists on each character. I'll cover that later when I compare and contrast the books and the show. The way Charlene describes Bill and what he did make you still feel for him and you want him to be happy and get what he wants (Sookie). It's like you feel sad for him and like him but at the same time don't want Sookie and Bill to be together. Its kind of funny because Sookie goes from dating no one to dating a lot of people since the world around her unfolds and she discovers the  true nature of others around her: Vampires, shapshifters, were's and many more. And the way Eric is described at first it's like you want to dislike him but you can't help but like him, he has little funny quirks and the things he does make you fall for him.

So thats basically how I feel about the books and show in a nut shell because what I really want to do is dive into is comparing the two. Lets start with Sookie: so far she is pretty on track. They make her the sweet, little innocent girl next door, but a woman of independence and can stand her ground and tell you what she thinks. Bill's character is correct because he tries to do what is right yet always having to answer to his maker, which is on track with the books. But in the books, Bill never made another vampire and in the show he made Jessica. That is actually one of the twists that I like because I have really grown to like her character a lot. Also Bill never became king and never killed the queen. In the books, the Queen dies a whole other way, because half her body was destroyed in the bombing of a hotel and then the king of Las Vegas decides to take over the Louisianna region and kills the queen while she is injured. Now Eric is pretty close to his character, being the sheriff of his region, the maker of Pam, and even his maker Godrick. But Godrick, his maker never met the sun (dies) which is obvious in the last book that was recently released, which makes me curious on how the show will play out.

Now Lafayette is a main character in the show but dies in the second book or somewhere early in the series. And Tara is correctly Sookie's best friend but she is not a main character in the books like she is in the show. She mostly just comes and goes. The background on her family the show tells with her mom could very well be true because the book says her mother was alcoholic. Also the fact about the vampire taking advantage of her was correct. Pam is the same in the book.  I like Sam in the show just as in the book, he is always such a good friend to Sookie, always being there for her. But it's his family in the show that's different. He has a brother and the show made a whole role for him and his family that is mostly kept out of the book. And Andy Bellefleur is not hooked on V in the book, but I think his role in the show is kind of funny and gives me a little chuckle when I see him. Also Sookie's brother Jason's part is true being with all the girls and stuff and it is true about him being bit by panthers but not for the reason they give. In the book one of Crystal's family is jealous so he kidnaps him and bits him. They don't bite him so that he can help impregenate the girls of Hot Shot.

Now to move on to Arlene: she doesn't date the crazy Irish guy and get pregnant.  In fact, he doesn't even come from the book. Actually, once the Vampires are revealed, she becomes a vampire hater and even joins with the Fellowship of the Sun. So her and Sookie do grow apart and she tries many things to get Sookie killed. But Arlene never has to worry about an evil child. Surprisingly though, I like that twist they gave in the show. I really like Hoyt's character in the show. In the book he's not that big. He kind of gets mentioned now and then like Tara does. The whole witch thing that is going on in the show right now does indeed follow the book because a big part of the books are about Eric loosing his memory and the witches verses vampires. I'm sure the show will go into more detail soon.

The character of Alcide, being the big bad (yet caring) wolfe is true. But I am so mad that in the show he is back with Debbie Pelt. There is a big part in the book that I was hoping they would keep and I am still keeping my fingers crossed for it. But Alcide shows a lot more interest in Sookie than in the show. And in the book you really like Alcide in the beginning and truly, I was hoping that they would get together. But later on so many things happen to Alcide that harden him and change him so much that you start to not like him as much. And there is one character in the book that I can't wait for them to introduce in the show because I really like him but I don't want to give a name and give too much away.

Well I hope you liked my little compare and contrast between the movie and book. Please feel free to correct me on anything I got wrong or give your own opinion. I would love to know what you think. When I watch the show with my friend we always discuss how it compares with the book. Thanks for reading! Oh and this is my first blog I've ever written so I hope you like it!

My New Guest Blogger!

Are you a fan of True Blood? Both the books and the TV show? Well, you've come to the right place! I would like you guys to meet my sister, Alyson, who has read all the books in the series so far and is a big fan of the HBO hit series True Blood.  Not much of a reader until recently, Alyson became interested in Young Adult fiction after picking up Twilight a little over two years ago.  She always believed recreational reading was equal to school reading: boring, hard and something that puts her to sleep, not the exciting, fantastical experience she has now come to love.  Among her favorite series are Twilight, Vampire Academy, House of Night and the Immortals.  When she's not reading or hanging out with her boyfriend, she's working at the Queen Mary or watching a John Travolta movie.  She has also agreed to do some guests posts where she will be doing weekly comparisons of the True Blood TV show to the books.

Alyson and I also love to go to author signings, hang out at the beach or the local bookstore and most recently we stood in line all day for the premier of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2.  She's really excited about helping out with the blog but nervous about putting her words out there for everyone to read! But we hope you guys enjoy what she has to say and tomorrow her first guest post will go up and she will be comparing the first three seasons to the first three books! We hope you guys have a great Friday and come back tomorrow!

Waiting on Wednesday (27)

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!

I am a big fan of the Infernal Devices series and I love Will and Jem!!  I read the prequel series before I read Mortal Instruments which is why I like Infernal Devices so much better.  I just feel like Shadowhunters belong in the steampunk world and not the modern world. I'm super excited for Clockwork Prince to be released even though it's still going to be a little bit of a wait.  December 6, 2011!

In the magical underworld of Victorian London, Tessa Gray has at last found safety with the Shadowhunters.  But that safety proves fleeting when rogue forces in the Clave plot to see her protector, Charlotte, replaced as head of the Institute.  If Charlotte loses her position, Tessa will be out on the street--and easy prey for the mysterious Magister, who wants to use Tessa's powers for his own dark ends.

With the help of the handsome, self-destructive Will and the fiercely devoted Jem, Tessa discovers that the Magister's war on the Shadowhunters is deeply personal.  He blames them for a long-ago tragedy that shattered his life.  To unravel the secrets of the past, the trio journeys from mist-shrouded Yorkshire to a manor house that holds untold horrors, from the slums of London to an enchanted ballroom where Tessa discovers that the truth of her parentage is more sinister than she had imagined.  When they encounter a clockwork demon bearing a warning for Will, they realize that the Magister himself knows their every move--and that one of their own has betrayed them.

Tessa finds her heard drawn more and more to Jem, but her longing for Will, despite his dark moods, continues to unsettle her.  But something is changing in Will--the wall he has built around himself is crumbling.  Could finding the Magister free Will from secrets and give Tessa the answers about who she is and what he was born to do?

As their dangerous search for the Magister and the truth leads the friends into peril, Tessa learns that when love and lies are mixed, they can corrupt even the purest of heart.

Well, I hope that the whole story wasn't just told in the synopsis, because that is one of the longest ones I've ever read! What are you waiting for?

Review- Witches of East End

Title: Witches of East End

Author: Melissa de la Cruz

Publisher: Hyperion

Find it here: Amazon, Goodreads

Source: ARC compliments of Hyperion

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

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

My thoughts:

I've been a long time fan of Melissa de la Cruz and I haven't come across a published work of hers that I do not like. She is a fantastic writer, the Blue Bloods series is amazing and Witches of East End is no different.

Cruz weaves such a uniquely complicated story that at first I was worried that I was going to get lost in all the details of the witches and the townspeople. But I was sucked in so completely that following along and understanding was very easy. It was so interesting and I always wanted to know what happened next.

The chemistry and tension between Freya and Killian was so intense and hot I could almost feel the heat coming off the pages. Even though she's technically cheating on her fiance Bran, in a way I was rooting for Killian because of their unusual connection. I loved Freya's centuries old love story and that she has been searching for her long lost love for hundreds of years.

While they were doing their magic, I was on the edge of my seat, waiting for something bad to happen because they're not supposed to be using their powers! I was almost saying to myself, "Not so much magic. Take it down a notch, you're using too much!" The mystery and the possibility of what was lurking around the next corner was just to intriguing! And just when I thought I had the whole story figured out, the ending blew me a way and completely caught me off guard.

Anyone who loves Melissa de la Cruz and the Blue Bloods series, then Witches of East End is a must read; especially with the mysterious appearance of a few Blue Blood characters!

Review- Paranormalcy

Title: Paranormalcy

Author: Kiersten White

Publisher: HarperTeen

Rating: 4/5

Find it here: Amazon, Goodreads

Evie's always thought of herself as a normal teenager, even though she works for the International Paranormal Containment Agency, her ex-boyfriend is a faerie, she's falling for a shape-shifter, and she's the only person who can see through paranormals' glamours.

But Evie's about to realize that she may very well be at the center of a dark faerie prophecy promising destruction to all paranormal creatures.

So much for normal.

My thoughts:

I was so skeptical when I bought this book because of all the hype that it got. I've had a few bad experiences with a couple of really hyped up books so this book sat on my shelf for a little while before I gave it a chance. I am so glad I finally read it!

What I liked most about Paranormalcy was that it still had the seriousness of a book with supernatural characters with the light humor of a teenager. I also really enjoyed Evie's personality and the way she made me laugh during the dangerous times with vampires and other paranormal creatures being killed.

Kiersten White did a great job of webbing a story of secrets and exciting revelations. I was totally shocked by Evie's status in the Paranormal Containment Agency. I also thought that the story was very unique within the genre of paranormal and it wasn't assumed that all paranormal creatures are bad or killers by nature. In a lot of paranormal books, supernatural characters are bad and trained killers are going around staking vampires, but in Paranormalcy, almost all the supernatural beings are given a chance to prove themselves.

Evie is just awesome in general. She travels down faery paths around the world to catalog supernatural creatures while wearing high heels and leopard print mini dresses! I also loved the very honest relationship that she has with Lend. They show each other their true nature without any judgement and they accept each other for who they are.

Paranormalcy is such a unique story and I did not expect it to be so good. I'm super excited to see how this story continues in Supernaturally. And the covers are pretty awesome!

Review- City of Ashes (Audio Book)

Title: City of Ashes

Author: Cassandra Clare

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Rating: 3/5

Find it here: Amazon, Goodreads

A murderer is loose in New York City...

...and the victims are Downworlder children. Clary Fray and her fellow Shadowhunters have a strong suspicion that Valentine, Clary's father, may be behind the killings. But if he is the murderer, then what's his true motive? To make matter worse, the second of the Mortal Instruments, the Soul-Sword, has been stolen, and the mysterious Inquisitor has arrive to investigate, with her eyes vigilantly targeted on Clary's brother, Jace.

Clary will need to face some terrifying demons and even more terrifying family decisions. No one said that the life of a Shadowhunter would be easy.

My thoughts:

After the horrible experience I had with the City of Bones audio book, I was dreading City of Ashes. As I have said before, the reader didn't do much to enhance the story. But lucky for me, City of Ashes has a different reader, one who does a much better job.

Even with a new reader, I'm still not a huge fan of this series. Clary seems to whinny, she has no idea what she's doing but she always insists on going out and being in the middle of the action. She just seems so stupid to me. If it wasn't for Jace and the other Shadowhunters, she would have died first action scene in the first book.

And don't even get me started on her guilt and how she constantly blames herself for everything that's happened. I just want to scream in her face and shake her until she understands that everything would have happened that way anyway, no matter what she did. I know that she is going to have a certain amount of guilt which is natural, but her's is just blown out of proportion. For some reason, Clary just really annoys me a lot. But I like the other characters in the book, especially Alec, Isabel and Magnus. I would be a lot happier if Isabel was the main character.

After saying all that, the plot of the story still interests me and curiosity makes me still want to know how the series is going to end. It was much better than City of Bones because the story was able to develop more and Cassandra Clare was able to get into the meat of the plot. There's just something fishy about who Jace and Clary are and whether or not they're truly related. There are also many mysterious facets that have yet to be explored that could be very entertaining if done the right way. I can feel that there is some big revelation that is yet to come in the next two books. And because I want to know, I will most likely listen to them, as well.

Fans of the Mortal Instruments series will most likely not enjoy this review. But that's not saying that I'm completely opposed to Cassandra Clare. I very much enjoyed Clockwork Angel and I'm eagerly anticipating Clockwork Prince. I know the stories are somewhat the same, but I just really like the steampunk setting of the Infernal Devices series. So, in my closing statement: to each his own!

Review- City of Bones (Audio book)

Title: City of Bones

Author: Cassandra Clare

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books

Rating: 2/5

Find it here: Amazon, Goodreads

When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder-much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It's hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing-not even a smear of blood-to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy?

This is Clary's first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It's also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace's world with a vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. Buy why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know...

My thoughts:

I have read so much about this book on the blogs until the point of "I need to get this book to find out what everyone is raving about!" The opportunity arose when I was driving my car from Virginia to California and I decided to get the audio book version. I had only listened to one audio book before City of Bones and I really enjoyed the experience. Knowing I would have a lot of listening time on my hands, I also got the City of Ashes audio book.

Listening to an audio book and reading a physical book are two very different experiences and can dramatically shape your opinion of the book depending on the reader. Physically reading a book allows the reader to make their own voices in their head and gives them time to imagine the setting, the tone and the pace. But when an audio book, all that is determined by the reader.

City of Bones audio book has a terrible reader. She made all the girl characters sound like they were wining and all the male characters sound too girly. She also didn't have much conviction behind her voice. When Clary was supposed to be screaming or yelling, she would hardly raise her voice. When there was action or someone was supposed to be out of breath, she talked the same way as the rest of the book. It was a very odd experience.

I had already known what to expect of the story since I had read Clockwork Angel, so I already knew about the different types of creatures. They story was definitely exciting and there was a lot of action but because of the reader I had a hard time feeling the chemistry between Clary and Jace, not that I should really want to knowing how it ended. The end left me really wanting to know what was going to happen with Clary and Jace and if her mom would wake up again.

Overall, I found City of Bones to be very addictive, constantly wanting to know what happened next. The story was very good, but as far as the audio book version goes, I would recommend that it's to be read instead of listened to.