Paranormal Indulgence

Rewind and Review: March

2012-03-05T00:00:00.000-05:00

Books Shown:
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Switched by Amanda Hocking
~~Babe in Boyland~~ by Jody Gehrman

EDIT: Just realized that Babe in Boyland isn't actually 2010 release. MY BAD.

Hosted by:
Ginger @ GReads!
Lisa @ Lisa is Busy Nerding

ARC Review: Shooting Stars

2012-03-04T14:09:00.001-05:00

my thoughts in a few sentences: Shooting Stars is that cute guy/girl who, although he or she isn't the most gorgeous across the planet, makes us laugh and ensnares us anyway. A cute, light, funny read that has all the appeal of a Disney movie, Shooting Stars features a sarcastic main character who unexpectedly reconnects with herself and faces long-buried issues, all while developing an adorable, though predictable crush on the teenage heartthrob of the Hollywood she knows so incredibly well, a kind boy who has secrets of his own to keep hidden. Although it has an element of unbelievability, the differentness of Jo's life makes Shooting Stars that much more of a fun, entertaining read.

interesting first line: "I crouch behind some thick green shrubbery to do my final check."

Rating: Sud-Kissed | Walker/Bloomsbury • NetGalley • Contemporary Romance • 2/28/12 • $9.49

Shooting Stars by Allison Rushby
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Meet Josephine Foster, or Zo Jo as she’s called in the biz. The best pint-sized photographer of them all, Jo doesn’t mind doing what it takes to get that perfect shot, until she’s sent on an undercover assignment to shoot Ned Hartnett—teen superstar and the only celebrity who’s ever been kind to her—at an exclusive rehabilitation retreat in Boston. The money will be enough to pay for Jo’s dream: real photography classes, and maybe even quitting her paparazzi gig for good. Everyone wants to know what Ned’s in for. But Jo certainly doesn’t know what she’s in for: falling in love with Ned was never supposed to be part of her assignment.

I understood the gist of Shooting Stars going in, and I had my own predictions as to how the plot was going to swerve, but I didn't expect to be so thoroughly entertained. The dry humor in Jo's narration is so easy to flow into and enjoy that I found myself grinning at some of her mocking commentary. Rushby really nails the voice of a teenager, striking me with the certainty that I was reading about a girl just like me or my friends in manner, though she lives quite the outlandish lifestyle. Despite the predictable route of the story and the unsatisfying resolution, Shooting Stars kept me amused and interested, a light, relaxing read that takes the edge off of its more edgy, darker counterparts in the YA market.

Jo is a paparazzo, second generation, and very good at what she does. One of the few so young—not to mention short—in the business, she tends to capture shots of her celebrity targets in ways no one else can, a notorious master of disguise and sleuthing. But, sticking to what she knows—and what brings in the cash—isn't her lifelong dream. No, instead she hopes to go to school and hone her skills to one day become a portrait photographer. It seems her dream is fated when a high-paying job crops up and whisks her away to a facility where Hollywood sensation Ned Hartnett is said to be staying. What she doesn't expect is her conscience to block the way to success and to unravel the delectable mysteries of her secret crush. Getting to know Ned turns out to be more heartwarming than Jo could ever have imagined, and her constant struggle with how to proceed touches a cord of sympathy in us, as she's torn between taking a huge step toward her goal or sacrificing the chance to make it happen more quickly than she initially planned. Still, her uncertainty doesn't detract from her appealingly cynical outlook that often induces our smiles and chuckles.

Our main qualms with Shooting Stars isn't necessarily due to the unsurprising resemblance in the pacing and plot direction to other airy contemporary novels that read along the same lines, but with the easy resolution to a very minor conflict that leaves a slight impact and the lack of character depth in the main love interest. Really Jo's crush has more of a surface perfection, sparking off the temperature and lifting our smiles, certainly, but never seeping into our hearts with his likes, views, and feelings. And the fun predictability of the story is marred by the downplay of Jo's internal conflict, which incites very little reaction in the guy she means to betray and following that is a cookie-cutter ending that felt half-done.

Even so, with all the hardcore books we read, Shooting Stars is a pleasant break from what we typically read and gives us the chance to relax and feel cheerful as opposed to the soberness and tension we sometimes feel from books we're more heavily immersed in. A fun, heartening read, Shooting Stars is a comical story of reconnection, self-discovery, and the importance of family, all wrapped up in an attractive package.

I'm not at all worried about the stealth thing; I'm used to that. I've spent half a day in a Dumpster, hidden by a cardboard box. I've 'borrowed' a tent from an electrical company and camped out on the sidewalk for a whole twenty-four hours, an orange safety jacket on my back and a hard hat on my head. I've pretended to be a replacement dog walker and effectively kidnapped a dog for several hours. But this—entering a treatment facility, rehab or otherwise, to take pictures—is simply... low. Lower than low. (8%)

Even though I'll never have what they have, I can do this for them. I can capture this fleeting moment in time that will last forever and not just be thrown out with tomorrow's trash. Because I know that they'll keep these photos forever. They'll still be looking at these photos when they're eighty.
It's pretty special to be able to do that for someone. (96%)

In My Mailbox (37) + Vlog

2012-03-04T10:33:00.000-05:00

My Vlog:

Bloggers Mentioned:
Sarah @ Saz101
Jen @ Makeshift Bookmark

Books Shown:
Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood

(Published: 2/7/12, Putnam/Penguin | Add it to Goodreads? | My Review)

Shadow's Edge by Maureen Lipinski

(Published: 1/8/12, Flux | Add it to Goodreads?)

The Queen of Kentucky by Alecia Whitaker

(Published: 1/2/12, Poppy/Little Brown | Add it to Goodreads?)

A Beautiful Evil by Kelly Keaton (sequel)

(Published: 2/21/12, Simon Pulse | Add it to Goodreads?)

The Rivals by Daisy Whitney (sequel)

(Published: 2/6/12, Little Brown | Add it to Goodreads?)

The Catastrophic History of You and Me by Jess Rothenberg

(Published: 2/21/12, Penguin | Add it to Goodreads?)

E-books/E-ARCs

Click images for larger view.

	Bourne (#3.1) by Lisa T. Bergren Published: Feb 27, 2012 (Bergren Creative Group)
	Struck by Jennifer Bosworth Published: May 8, 2012 (Macmillan)
	Tempest Unleashed (#2) by Tracy Deebs Published: June 5, 2012 (Bloomsbury/Walker)
	Romeo Redeemed (#2) by Stacey Jay Published: Oct 9, 2012 (Delacorte)
	Grave Mercy by R.L. LaFevers Published: April 3, 2012 (Harcourt)
	Unbreak My Heart by Melissa Walker Published: May 22, 2012 (Bloomsbury/Walker)
	Dark Frost (#3) by Jennifer Estep Published: May 29, 2012 (Kensington)
	The Académie by Susanne Dunlap Published: Feb 28, 2012 (Bloomsbury/Walker)
	Shooting Stars by Allison Rushby Published: Feb 28, 2012 (Bloomsbury/Walker)
	Monstrous Beauty by Elizabeth Fama Published: Sept 4, 2012 (Macmillan)
	Monument 14 by Emmy Laybourne Published: June 5, 2012 (Feiwel & Friends/Macmillan)
	Of Poseidon by Anna Banks Published: May 22, 2012 (Feiwel & Friends/Macmillan)
	Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi Published: Jan 3, 2012 (HarperTeen)
	Partials by Dan Wells Published: Feb 28, 2012 (Balzer + Bray/Harper)
	Pandemonium (#2) by Lauren Oliver Published: Feb 28, 2012 (HarperTeen)

Here's what happened on the blog this week:

I reviewed Scarlet by A. C. Gaughen
I reviewed Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood
I reviewed The Star Shard by Frederic S. Durbin
I interviewed Veronica Rossi, author of Under the Never Sky, and, currently, a giveaway for US residents is going on where 2 copies are up for grabs!
I reviewed Allegiance (#2) by Cayla Kluver
I reviewed Graceling by Kristin Cashore
I reviewed Perception (#2) by Kim Harrington and am giving an ARC away to US residents only
I reviewed Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

Other giveaways:

Halflings by Heather Burch (US + INTL)
Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley (US + INTL)

What was your week like?
What did you get in your mailbox? Happy reading!

Review: Under the Never Sky

2012-03-03T20:14:00.000-05:00

my thoughts in a few sentences: Although Under the Never Sky is not that outstandingly special story I would clutch to my chest and never want to pry myself away from, it is a spectacular story! The unsettling alliance made between enemies who seek beyond their differences and discover the truth of their soft hearts and strong wills, the action that can range from vengeful cannibals, assailing wolves, and escaping violent storms, and the circle of varying dynamic characters all make this incessant life-or-death run of a story so unbearable to put down.

hooking first lines: "They called the world beyond the walls of the Pod "the Death Shop." A million ways to die out there. Aria never thought she'd get so close."

Rating: Perfect Bed Partner | HarperTeen • Ebook Purchase • Post-Apocalyptic • 1/3/12 • $9.65

Under the Never Sky by Kristin Cashore
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Since she'd been on the outside, she'd survived an Aether storm, she'd had a knife held to her throat, and she'd seen men murdered. This was worse.

Exiled from her home, the enclosed city of Reverie, Aria knows her chances of surviving in the outer wasteland - known as The Death Shop - are slim. If the cannibals don't get her, the violent, electrified energy storms will. She's been taught that the very air she breathes can kill her. Then Aria meets an Outsider named Perry. He's wild - a savage - and her only hope of staying alive.

A hunter for his tribe in a merciless landscape, Perry views Aria as sheltered and fragile - everything he would expect from a Dweller. But he needs Aria's help too; she alone holds the key to his redemption. Opposites in nearly every way, Aria and Perry must accept each other to survive. Their unlikely alliance forges a bond that will determine the fate of all who live under the never sky.

Of course, I was thoroughly excited for this book. How could I not be? But the incredible response for this book, which resulted in Under the Never Sky's selection for the monthly event around here known as Bloggers' Choice, astounded me and, I will admit, puzzled me slightly. The confusion has long since faded away, drifting from me the moment I closed the book and thought back to those last finishing moments. There's a compelling quality deeply embedded in the core of Under the Never Sky that makes it impossible to halt our entrance, and eventual climbing progression, into this story. How can we stay away from such a heartbreaking journey for answers in a world full of dark perils led by a group of characters that gradually spread into and encompass our hearts?

Told in alternating third person perspectives, Aria begins the tale with her deadly gamble, in which she hopes to find clues as to her mother's mysterious whereabouts from the only poorly guarded information source in her short reach: a boy who has had his eyes on her and is family to the head of security. Our interest in Aria is automatic because she is intelligent, persistent, and brave, yet perfectly accessible in the feelings soaring within her from the moment she begins running for the sake of her and her friend's lives away from the crazed boys she finds herself locked in with to the point where she is thrust into the unpredictable and notorious Death Shop—a place outside of her home in Reverie where survival is as unlikely as staying alive without breath. Enter Peregrine, or Perry, the Savage with a penchant for rescuing her from death before her evolution into a strong girl able to defend herself from the treacherous unknown of this new world she is forced to live in.

At first, the two of them have their own goals and their own means for achieving them, but soon their cares and worries and fears turn onto each other and they become undeniably attracted and attached. Their sensuous ascent into the murky and unfamiliar territory of a love as boundless as their never sky is a harmless, though profound warmth around our hearts, stunning us with so many heart-throbbing stares, whispered secrets, and embraces, incapacitating our careful attention to any other details onward. Tempered with the forbidden, their romance has the power to dispel any resistance we may hold.

And with Perry's invasion into her life comes his undeniably charming, flirty, and teasing brofriend, ROAR, and with his arrival brings a very pitiable boy named Cinder, a lonely and terror-inducing young boy who is suspiciously unafraid of being on his own despite the outrageous dangers. From then on it becomes a race for life and the safety of others so precious their circumstances slash our susceptible hearts, kindling our hopes for their rescue and protection.

I expected to fall in love with the sexily wild Perry, but once again my relationship with the heroine turned out a remarkably happy surprise. Furthermore, my attachment to the revelations of the fast-paced plot and the fascinating group of characters fighting within the rapid-fire play of events is immensely justified, reinforced by every emotional argument and dastardly enemy attack and surge of brilliant feeling. Addicted from front to back, Under the Never Sky is a colossal success, one which stabbed into my heart more deeply than any one of Roar, Aria, or Perry's clear-cut knife thrusts.

"Do the clouds ever clear?" she asked.
"Completely? No. Never."
"What about the Aether? Does that ever go away?"
"Never, Mole. The Aether never leaves."
She looked up. "A world of nevers under a never sky."
She fit in well then, [Perry] thought. A girl who never shut up. (33%)

"That was my first kiss," she said. "My first real one."
He brought his head close, resting his forehead on hers. Blond waves fell around her face, soft against her cheeks. His chest rose and fell as he drew in a breath. "Felt like the first real one for me, too." (79%)

HEY, YOU. Are you a US resident? Well, then, you are officially eligible to win one of TWO copies of Under the Never Sky up for grabs right now!
Click here for details!

ARC Review: Perception + Giveaway

2012-03-03T01:02:00.000-05:00

my thoughts in a few sentences: This series is chockfull of snark and unending wit produced by one awesome main character! Clarity never ceases to surprise me with her guts, bravery, and compassion, but she wasn't the only character who did dazzle me. For the first time, I fell helplessly in love with a love interest that I had no intention of caring for, my reluctance dissolving and inside me desires were lit that entirely centered around these two characters coming together. The growth and appeal of the cast made this read that much more enjoyable, and the mystery made for a quick-paced, tension-filled story that tipped into unlikely, yet somehow attractively predictable territories. Another fun murder mystery to add to my collection, I'm deeply in like with this paranormal mystery series!

hooking first line: "I stepped forward with forced confidence. "Let's do this.""

Rating: Sud-Kissed • No spoilers! | Point • Publicist • Paranormal Romance • 3/1/12 • $10.99

Perception by Kim Harrington
Add it to Goodreads?

DO NOT READ THE SUMMARY IF YOU HAVEN'T READ BOOK ONE.

When you can see things others can't, what do you do when someone's watching you?

Everybody knows about Clarity "Clare" Fern. She's the psychic girl in school, the one who can place her hands on something and see hidden visions from the past.

Only Clare would rather not be a celebrity. She prefers hanging back, observing. Her gift is not a game to her.

But then someone starts playing with her head . . . and heart. Messages and gifts from a secret admirer crop up everywhere Clare turns. Could they be from Gabriel, the gorgeous boy who gets Clare's pulse racing? Or from Justin, Clare's hopeful ex-boyfriend who'd do anything to win her back?

One thing is certain. Clare needs to solve this mystery, and soon. Because the messages are becoming sinister, and a girl in town has suddenly disappeared.

Let me remind you all that I adored Clarity, the first book in the series. It was this perfect surprise, full of all the things I'd needed at the time—a light, funny murder mystery featuring a headstrong heroine and her quirky family of psychics. The mystery was paced in a way that left us guessing then turned out predictable, however that didn't turn us off to the story at all. Harrington has this subtle gift of making whatever she writes incredibly charming and irresistible, drawing us in with her clever dialogue, fiery main character, and the ensuing band of interesting family members and friends that live in her world. The triangular romance is done so authentically and so genuinely, that this aspect balances wonderfully on the line of unbelievable and convincing, and with a girl like Clare in between the deliciously sexy and dark Gabriel and his light and cheerful counterpart, Justin, it isn't so difficult to imagine why the two of them desire to be with her so fiercely.

In Clarity, it's so simple to side with Justin and mentally shove Clare in his direction, hoping for their blissful reconciliation and their eventual romantic reunion. He's so sweet and light-hearted, capturing our hearts with his downright earnest attempts to win over the ex-girlfriend (Clare) he totally didn't mean to cheat on (with her arch-nemesis—OUCH). He would never have made a mistake like that had he been even marginally sober, and it just pains us that such a good guy has this huge mistake hanging over his head, with seemingly no chance to escape it or make amends. In Perception, Clare begins to take the route of forgiveness which relieves us of our sadness toward him. Meanwhile, the brooding, quick-tempered, and dangerously gorgeous Gabriel sneaks his way passed our defenses and suddenly, he's not the creeper we once imagined him to be and we find ourselves fawning over him like ridiculously adoring puppies, ones who happen to want to live in Clare's lucky shoes, even for only a moment. Our only wish is that we receive more insight and in-depth characterizations for these two guys whom we've come to like immensely.

Clare and Perry, unrelentingly loyal brother and sister, are two opposites of the same coin. While Clare is feisty and snarky, Perry is the happy-go-lucky man-slut who can charm his way into anyone's pants if he so wishes, and yet they get along so well that their relationship draws the eye and softens are already susceptible hearts. After the terrifying events of Clarity, their relationship, unfortunately, becomes even more strained and Perry's inner charm begins to dim so that he's closing himself off to the world more and more everyday. It shows, however, the differences in how they handle situations and cope with the awful things that happen to them. Clare comes across as almost alarmingly resilient—could we ever be so bold and strong after all that she has endured?—but deep down, she is girl that carries many fears. Give her crime-fighting case to solve, where kidnapped girls are surfacing shriveled and breathless, and she wants to help and be part of the whole that makes things better. Thrust a potential friend and ally in her line of vision and she is stuck, uncomprehending of how to proceed and engage in a true friendship. As her walls slowly tumble, however, we meet and become incredibly close to a new fun and sweet character that makes this novel all the more fun to read.

We are thrilled by the final turn of events, in which the killer, an unexpected alliance between enemies, and love life decisions tangle together to plunge this story of growth and hard decisions into the bright uncertainty and happiness of the closing. Thoroughly satisfied, we can't help but beg Harrington for much more!

As part of her revenge plot, Tiffany had set her sights on my boyfriend at a party, and Justin had been dumb enough to fall for it. Yeah, alcohol was involved, but that's no excuse. It would take a lot more than tequila to make me lose my virginity to Satan. (16)

Official Giveaway Info:

you do NOT have to be a follower
there are extra entries available
all entrants must be at least 13 years old or older
giveaway deadline is April 3, 2012
giveaway is open to US only*
read my Contest | Giveaway page, as well as my Privacy Notice

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: Graceling

2012-03-02T12:11:00.000-05:00

my thoughts in a few sentences: I was really in the mood for some hardcore fantasy and Graceling delivered with it's fascinating facets of a world as equally well-defined as the heroine. More, I hadn't expected to enjoy the sexy romance between two characters who become the closest of friends, a sweet relationship that sucked me into the story even more than the rest. Drawn in by Cashore's vivid, imaginative prose as well as her awesome array of characters, I'm looking forward to reading on in the series.

mysterious first line: "In these dungeons the darkness was complete, but Katsa had a map in her mind."

Rating: Perfect Bed Partner | Houghton Mifflin Harcourt • Purchased • Fantasy • 10/1/08 • $9.49

Graceling by Kristin Cashore
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Katsa has been able to kill a man with her bare hands since she was eight—she’s a Graceling, one of the rare people in her land born with an extreme skill. As niece of the king, she should be able to live a life of privilege, but Graced as she is with killing, she is forced to work as the king’s thug.

When she first meets Prince Po, Graced with combat skills, Katsa has no hint of how her life is about to change. She never expects to become Po’s friend. She never expects to learn a new truth about her own Grace—or about a terrible secret that lies hidden far away . . . a secret that could destroy all seven kingdoms with words alone.

With elegant, evocative prose and a cast of unforgettable characters, debut author Kristin Cashore creates a mesmerizing world, a death-defying adventure, and a heart-racing romance that will consume you, hold you captive, and leave you wanting more.

I'm a fantasy buff through and through, and I've been receiving recommendations for Graceling since that little fact about myself became known. And I can see why so many bloggers were adamant about my reading the series! It really is one of those perfect fantasy novels that thrusts us into a world very different from our own, but still contains elements that help us relate to it and the people residing in it. It's quite clear that Cashore knows the world of the Seven Kingdoms extremely well, so much so that everything we encounter is as vivid and tangible as the trees or the buildings or the roads outside our door. And the characters are sorted into the pile of high-ranking characters we are most fond of resting in our hearts, until the day we decide to visit them again. While the length may strike us as a bit daunting, it's entirely worth the time it takes to read, because inside Graceling's pages live beautiful characters and a dazzlingly sexy romance that would be a great loss to endure should we refuse to ignore the length of the tale.

Katsa has always been deemed a killer, since an unfortunate accident when she was just a child that still haunts her. She views herself as a monster, unable to control her excellent killing ability. Her slow revelation to the contrary is painful and real and beautiful, and its with the help of her newfound friend, Prince Po (SWOON!), that she begins to understand the truth of her personality and her Grace. Prince Po is the confident, charismatic counterpart to Katsa's closed off, tough girl demeanor, yet they complement each other's strengths and weaknesses so well, so naturally. Po is not afraid to rely on her protection and Katsa slowly begins to trust someone outside of those who have become her family. Their deep loyalty to one another, and the romance that blooms along the way, is one of the most staggeringly stunning aspects of the entire novel.

Although romance plays an enormous part in loving a novel, so does emotion, and it's slightly harder to connect on an emotional level with Graceling. There's this distance that's difficult to pinpoint—perhaps it's the third person narrative. However, the plot is never short on action, a riveting slew of events that fans our interest in the story and never allows it to fade away. The hardships of their journey are more evocative than the major events, as we visualize an unrelenting Po and Katsa labor to save the world despite the necessary and trying sacrifices involved to bring that outcome to fruition.

The final few pages are wrenching in last discoveries and emotion, and even the hardest hearts will melt in sympathy for the extent of the losses of the main characters. However, our worry dissipates when clarity overcomes us and we recognize that those same characters are much stronger than we've given them credit for—which speaks so highly of them, given their bravery and backbone displayed all throughout. It isn't with ease that we say our goodbyes to this astounding cast and this phenomenal story, but we find comfort in the fact that we will meet again. This story is ongoing somehow and the characters will indeed surface anew.

He laughed. "I know you're teasing me. And you should know I'm not easily humiliated. You may hunt for my food, and pound me every time we fight, and protect me when we're attacked, if you like. I'll thank you for it."
"But I'd never need to protect you, if we were attacked. And I doubt you need me to do your hunting, either."
"True. But you're better than I am, Katsa. And it doesn't humiliate me." He fed a branch to the fire. "It humbles me. But it doesn't humiliate me." (181-182)

She would accept his protection after all, if truly she needed it. She was not too proud to be helped by this friend. He'd helped her in a thousand ways already.
And she would protect him as fiercely, if it were his need—if a fight ever became too much for him or if he needed shelter, or food, or a fire in the rain. Or anything she could provide. She would protect him from everything. (227)

ARC Review: Allegiance (#2)

2012-02-29T23:59:00.000-05:00

my thoughts in a few sentences: ... I'm still attempting to sort out my very complex feelings toward this novel. While I did feel that the sequel served as a better, more solid novel than the first, there are so many conflicting emotions at war within me, as a result of the strangely paced plot, disappointment, surprising grief, and my equally troubling feelings toward the series' heroine. Yet I find myself still in anticipation of the final chapter to these set of books.

mysterious first line: "The hall was empty except for a cloaked figure who stood motionless upon a black marble dais."

Rating: Guilty Pleasure • No spoilers! | HarlequinTeen • NetGalley • Fantasy • 2/28/12 • about $9

Allegiance (#2) by Cayla Kluver
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DO NOT READ THE SUMMARY IF YOU HAVEN'T READ BOOK ONE.

He couldn't help his past any more than he could help the way those intense, deep blue eyes pierced me and held me captive.

An eighteen-year-old queen in love with the enemy as their countries pass the point of no return…

Bound to a man she cannot love, Queen Alera of Hytanica must forget Narian, the young man who holds her heart. For Narian is destined to conquer Hytanica at the behest of his master, the powerful magic-user known as the Overlord. Alera doesn't truly believe Narian will fight against Hytanica—until Cokyrian troops attack with Narian commanding the charge.

Faced with the greatest betrayal a heart can know, Alera must set aside personal feelings and lead her kingdom through its darkest time. And when all hope, will and courage seem lost, she must find strength and remember that even the blackest night must have a dawn…

Looking back on my take on Legacy, the first novel in the series, my annoyance and fondness for it comes through loud and clear. I had so many issues with the first one! A petulant heroine and her irritating taste in men, the lack of time spent with actually interesting characters, and sometimes overdone writing—the kind in which you feel fatigued after sifting through paragraphs of overwhelming descriptiveness—did not endear the series to me, yet, I will be the first to admit, there is something astonishingly addictive about these books! It boggles my mind how I can be scrolling through pages and pages of uninteresting material and still find something to draw my eye, reestablishing my immersion into the story. While the sequel has noticeably less of what bothered me in Legacy, and I did enjoy this one a bit more, my feelings pretty much remain the same, with a few new emotions barging in as well.

Once upon a time, my relationship with Alera was not so complex. I quite simply detested her. However, although the narration is told in her perspective, it was rather easy to... ignore her. In Allegiance things subtly shifted, enough that we notice Alera's gradual growth into a more mature young woman (and a bearable character for me), as this book sees action that surpasses anything we've witnessed in Legacy. It would be rather difficult to hold onto her innate impertinence when men and women she cares for begin dying in random order around her. Never knowing whether her loved ones' lives or her own will be in danger next must have a similar effect to receiving the lash of a punch across the face, and it awakens the brighter, more admirable qualities in her. Finally. Despite this, Steldorites will not be capable of restraining a deeply embedded annoyance with her character for making things so impossible for her and Steldor's relationship to grow. We understand that sometimes love can choose us, rather than us choose it, HOWEVER would it have killed the girl to give the guy a FREAKING break? This probably just stems from the fact that we have no other way of enjoying his more romantic side without her immediate surrender to his sincere and heartwarming attempts.

Romance aside, what tends to strike us sometimes much more deeply is the emotion injected into our hearts as a result of the unfolding of events. Allegiance is dripping with emotion from its overflowing reserve stored deep within the torment and deaths that occurred, and within the words that painted it all so vividly for us to witness and absorb. Beautiful, rich characters are brutally assassinated if not right before Alera's shared eyes, then in the distance, but word reaches us nonetheless and our hearts suffer an onslaught of simultaneously passionate and sorrowful tears. Once the shock wears away, all that is left is a wide stretch of grief.

Although the pacing is strange—picking up and dulling with whiplash force and velocity—the plot in Allegiance is definitely much more engrossing, more action-packed with espionage, prisoner haggling, and an uncomfortably up-close look into the capabilities of the villains, enemies and allies of Hytanica arising both unexpectedly and right on time to strengthen or destroy those villains. And while the ending wraps up in a manner a smidge predictable and too tidy, it leaves us wondering just how Kluver will close the door on this comfortably fantasy series.

"A week ago, you asked me to take things slowly, and I agreed and kept my distance," he chided, examining my face. "I even slept on the floor in my soldier's bedroll the last few nights of our stay in the guest room."
He paused, twirling a strand of my silky hair around his forefinger.
"I fail to understand how you will become physically comfortable with me when you will not even let me kiss you, let alone touch you." (25)

Oh, Steldor, if only...

Bloggers' Choice: Under the Never Sky + Giveaway

2012-02-29T18:22:00.000-05:00

About the Author:
Veronica Rossi's debut novel, UNDER THE NEVER SKY, will be published in over twenty international markets, starting on January 3rd 2012 in the United States. Film rights to the trilogy have been optioned by Warner Bros.When not writing, she chases after her boys, who make her laugh every day, and who teach her about love that's "a million gazillion times bigger than the ocean."

Under the Never Sky has been the talk of the blogosphere for quite a while. I may not have read the book, but I feel like I already know and love Perry and Aria and ROAR. Last month, I asked which February release you were craving and you answered Under the Never Sky.

Congratulations to Veronica Rossi for winning this month's Bloggers' Choice Award! Veronica was happy enough to answer a few of my questions and throw in a VERY AWESOME surprise! Please welcome Veronica Rossi!

Out of more than ten novels up for the voting, Under the Never Sky won out among all of them. How does it feel to know that tons of bloggers are so excited to get their hands on a copy?

A. INCREDIBLE. Flattering. Amazing.Thank you guys!

Under the Never Sky is about a girl named Aria, who has been banished and thrust into an unknown world where the chance of survival is slim, a wasteland that is sure to kill her one way (cannibal attacks) or the other (intense energy storms). Her future is pretty bleak until hope materializes in the form of stranger named Perry. Was this story a surprise thought that took root? Or was it one you’ve always wanted to tell? How did it all start?

A. It started with the desire to pit characters from totally different backgrounds together. I knew I wanted a girl from a very advanced, technologically sophisticated society, and a boy from a primitive society. It started from there, and grew from research and just lots of staring at the walls and imagining.

A wild, savage man like Perry spells delectable to me. Does hate spark immediately upon his and Aria’s meeting due to their differences? What are some things they have in common?

A. Their first meeting is pretty confrontational for many reasons, not just because they come from different societies. They do have some similarities, though. Both Aria and Perry are tenacious and loyal. Those are qualities that start to shine through as they come to know each other.

Is there anything special about Aria that doesn’t make it into the books and you would care to share?

A. She loves sushi, and as a young girl,she sang herself to sleep!

What are some of the downsidesto being a debut author for the young adult market? Some of the positives? Whatkind of future projects can we expect from you?

A. Downsides? I can’t think of any!Positives are the fans, the amazing bloggers—like you!—and other authors I’ve gotten to know. I’m sooo lucky to do what I do. I have a few projects I'm developing for after this trilogy that I'm REALLY excited about, but I've been sworn to secrecy by my agent, unfortunately. Sorry! I'll tell you more as soon as I can.

Finally, looking over the candidates for next month’s Bloggers’ Choice Award what are some of your picks for March’s winner?

A. I have to go with SLIDE by Jill Hathaway…. She’s a friend, and SLIDE is aterrific book!

Thanks so much for having me!

Thank you so much, Veronica! And Veronica is such a fantastic person, as she's offering up TWO hardcovers of Under the Never Sky and some bookmarks in the giveaway below!

Since she'd been on the outside, she'd survived an Aether storm, she'd had a knife held to her throat, and she'd seen men murdered. This was worse.

Exiled from her home, the enclosed city of Reverie, Aria knows her chances of surviving in the outer wasteland - known as The Death Shop - are slim. If the cannibals don't get her, the violent, electrified energy storms will. She's been taught that the very air she breathes can kill her. Then Aria meets an Outsider named Perry. He's wild - a savage - and her only hope of staying alive.

A hunter for his tribe in a merciless landscape, Perry views Aria as sheltered and fragile - everything he would expect from a Dweller. But he needs Aria's help too; she alone holds the key to his redemption. Opposites in nearly every way, Aria and Perry must accept each other to survive. Their unlikely alliance forges a bond that will determine the fate of all who live under the never sky.

Purchase Under the Never Sky today!

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Official Giveaway Info:

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ARC Review: The Star Shard

2012-02-28T20:39:00.000-05:00

my thoughts in a few sentences: I've found myself with another spectacular read, you guys. In the same week! An engrossing, fascinating tale that is as imaginative and reminiscent of Hayao Miyazaki's beautiful stories, including Spirited Away and Howl's Moving Castle, The Star Shard is a wondrous fantasy read that reminded me why I adore the genre so much and granted me characters I was surprised, but thrilled, to love.

imaginative first line: "To say that the Thunder Rake was a wagon would be to call the sea a puddle, for the Rake was a fortified city, full of workshops and stables, houses, towers, gardens—even a rippling canal."

Rating: Special Shelf | Houghton Mifflin Harcourt • NetGalley • Fantasy • 2/28/12 • about $14

The Star Shard by Frederic S. Durbin
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Twelve-year-old Cymbril is a slave on Thunder Rake, a gigantic wagon city that rolls from town to town carrying goods to be sold by its resident merchants. The Rake’s master purchases a new slave, a mysterious boy named Loric who is one of the magical Fey. Because he can see in the dark, Loric’s duty is to guide the Rake through the treacherous wilderness at night. Cymbril and Loric secretly join forces to plan their escape—soon the two friends thread their way through a series of increasing dangers, encountering an enchanted market and deadly monsters as their one chance for freedom draws nearer.

As a general rule, I do don't do middle grade (MG) books. I thought I found them lacking somehow. However, from the moment this title called to me on NetGalley, I suspected something would be different in The Star Shard, and my intuition was spot-on. Or maybe I just have an irrational prejudice against MG books and my eyes have now been opened. Thankfully. The Star Shard is a story that "tackles the issues of slavery and freedom" (book description), but it isn't only that. It spotlights growth and the potency of kindness and a nightlight-sized spark of romance in the burdening shadows. More, the fantastical world-building is a soft, compelling voice that takes us through and tells of a vivid, magical world, one so thoroughly built, we almost refuse to part with it. Between the perfectly named objects and people and the fascinating creatures that walk the Rake, we find ourselves completely enraptured.

Cymbril and Loric. These two characters are such deeply good, genuine, curious people who are beautiful and so perfect together, as friends or as a potential couple. Cymbril has always been heartbreakingly lonely, yearning for escape from the only home she's ever truly known. But only so much happiness can find her when she's a slave forced to sing for her supper and overall care. Though she is not treated harshly, no person should be considered less valuable, less worthy of respect than the next. Still, she is endearingly attached to Urrt—a tender giant man who is responsible for propelling the Rake onward—and Miwa—an abnormally intelligent, loving feline, two dear friends whom have looked after her since the start of their friendships. Cymbril is quick-tempered and endearingly nosy, a notorious meddler who is constantly trying to cure unintentional hurts and make amends. She is inclined to help others before herself, and although she wants to escape with Loric—the newcomer who is actually Fey and Cymbril's newfound friend, her first priority is to set him free, even if that means she has to sacrifice her own freedom to accomplish that. Their quick friendship begins with a few inquisitions on Cymbril's part, continuing on to helping each other and learning more about one another. And the shy and sweet subtle gestures of romance promise for an inseparable relationship in the near future.

The plot travels slowly to start but then builds up in intensity, crackling with heart-pounding mysteries, cunning maneuvers, and unexpected battles with magical creatures harboring wicked ulterior motives. Sorcerers and witches, transforming animals, and Fey lore rolled into one creation propels this amazing storyline. Unquestionable loyalty constantly proves itself a strong force and incites so much emotion from us, Cymbril to Loric, Urrt and Miwa to Cymbril, and surprise allies make a remarkable appearance, striking the plot with an 'OH YES! YOU'RE ALL HERE!' factor that stirs our smiles and our hope for a bright future ahead.

The smiles don't vanish when the end is upon us. No, a light, happy ending awaits us, closing the book in one wide profound and wrenching sweep that leaves us fully, almost foolishly, pleased. I couldn't have asked for better!

"Why are you so eager to help me?" she asked.
He gazed back strangely, as if puzzled by the question. "Isn't that what people do—help each other? We're all part of one another."
"From what I've seen, most people don't help others unless there's payment involved or they're forced to," Cymbril said.
"You're making me shiver," said Loric. "This world is cold, this place of few stars..." (32%)

"Don't hurt yourself."
Cymbril sagged back, gasping, and clenched her fists. "You have to go," she said. Even now, Rombol's men would be racing down ladders, pouring from the bottom hatches.
Loric smiled again and squeezed her wrist. "When we go," he said, "we'll go together."
Now Cymbril couldn't hold back the tears.
With a sudden, nervous flicker in his gaze, Loric leaned close and quickly kissed the side of her head.
As she turned a wide-eyed glance upon him, he hurried out...(69%)

Review: Born Wicked

2012-02-27T23:48:00.000-05:00

my thoughts in a few sentences: A wonderfully thought-out historical world with an undercurrent of the paranormal to excite and bewitch, Born Wicked gives us a familiar take on witches with a twist and takes us back to a time period in our history that sickens us when we think of it, for innocents were slaughtered unmercifully for the wrong reasons. The romance is sexy and adorable, throwing in another heart-throbbing element to an already delightful story.

hooking first line: "Our mother was a witch, too, but she hid it better."

Rating: Perfect Bed Partner | Putnam • Historical/Paranormal Romance • 2/7/12 • about $12

Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood
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Everybody knows Cate Cahill and her sisters are eccentric. Too pretty, too reclusive, and far too educated for their own good. But the truth is even worse: they're witches. And if their secret is discovered by the priests of the Brotherhood, it would mean an asylum, a prison ship--or an early grave.

Before her mother died, Cate promised to protect her sisters. But with six months to choose between marriage and the Sisterhood, she might not be able to keep her word... especially after she finds her mother's diary, uncovering a secret that could spell her family's destruction. Desperate to find alternatives to their fate, Cate stars scouring banned books and questioning rebellious new friends, all while juggling tea parties, shocking marriage proposals, and a forbidden romance with the completely unsuitable Finn Belastra.

If what her mother wrote is true, the Cahill girls aren't safe. Not from the Brotherhood, the Sisterhood -- not even from each other.

So it's no secret that I was absolutely obsessed with the idea of reading this book. Witches are my thing, for sure, but it was Finn Belastra that beckoned me. I was happily surprised to find, however, that I enjoyed the main character, Cate, just as much. A story of the shaky, though unbreakable bond between close siblings, the lengths to go to protect what's most important, even if it means losing the power to choose, and how sacrifice isn't always noble but is sometimes necessary, Born Wicked provokes us to ask questions and shows us the importance of appreciating our ability to make choices.

The characters weren't the only aspect driving me to finish the book; I had so many questions that I desperately coveted the answers. Spotswood is clever in her writing and plot development, as she gently strings us along, careful not to turn us off as she gradually reels us in, lets up, then yanks fast, eliciting the perfect reaction from us. Underlining that is the sense of fear that plagues us, stemming from understanding the actions of the Brotherhood—a group of men with the singular goal of taming women and weeding out ones even slightly suspected of witchcraft. Living in that kind of tension, almost waiting for a guard to fall upon on Cate and her sisters—who are indeed witches, if you haven't guessed—and drag them away is it's own kind of torture. This whole retelling of our history feels so authentic, we wonder if these events really occurred or if they mimicked our country's tragic witch hunts of old and relatively recent.

Spotswood does a remarkable job breathing life into a headstrong heroine that's believable and is considerate to the time period. Cate is stubborn, opinionated, and possesses quite the temper, yet she comes across as meek and inclined toward obedience to others, cautious in her actions because she's well-aware of the consequences. For someone with a close relationship to his or her siblings, it's incredibly easy to resonate with Cate and her instinctive protection of her two younger sisters. Sympathy strikes our hearts for the heavy burden that set fire to her childhood, pressed upon her by her late mother, who urged her to promise to protect their secret. Her frustrations and sorrows make her all the more stunning. And when she catches the eye of Finn Belastra, the studious hunk, a romance full of delicious sweetness, sharp sexual tension, and the spicy edge of the forbidden ignites and sets us all ablaze, making us very willing captives of the sensuous flames.

The ending shakes out curses from our thinned lips the moment we near it, brutally aware of what's about to happen and are completely powerless to stop it. Fortunately, this isn't a goodbye, but a seemingly hopeless beginning that we believe will lead into a hopeful future for these characters whom we've come to adore.

Damn. Why must the sequel keep us suspended in torment until next year?!

"Don't let them make you feel small. It's their specialty, but anyone with half a brain can see how clever you are." He gives me a sideways glance. "And brave. You barely hesitated when you heard they were there."
"You think I'm clever?" Him? The brilliant scholar?
"I do." His fingers curl around my palm, his touch comforting and disturbing all at once. My heart flips over in my chest. (155)

ARC Review: Scarlet

2012-02-27T18:49:00.000-05:00

my thoughts in a few sentences: OW. I just kicked myself for ignoring this book for as long as I did. Scarlet is such a beautiful, perfect story jam-packed with action like you wouldn't believe and a romance that... I seem to have lost my words trying to convey the depth and exquisiteness of the tricky, confusing romance found within the pages of this story, not to mention the dark and raw characterizations that overcame me and devastated my heart. When will I be going on another adventure? I demand more!

hooking first lines: "No one really knows 'bout me. I'm Rob's secret, I'm his informant, I'm his shadow in dark places."

Rating: Special Shelf | Walker/Bloomsbury • NetGalley • Historical Fantasy • 2/14/12 • about $12

Scarlet by A. C. Gaughen
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Many readers know the tale of Robin Hood, but they will be swept away by this new version full of action, secrets, and romance.

Posing as one of Robin Hood’s thieves to avoid the wrath of the evil Thief Taker Lord Gisbourne, Scarlet has kept her identity secret from all of Nottinghamshire. Only the Hood and his band know the truth: the agile thief posing as a whip of a boy is actually a fearless young woman with a secret past. Helping the people of Nottingham outwit the corrupt Sheriff of Nottingham could cost Scarlet her life as Gisbourne closes in.

It’s only her fierce loyalty to Robin—whose quick smiles and sharp temper have the rare power to unsettle her—that keeps Scarlet going and makes this fight worth dying for.

I didn't grow up with Robin Hood. I'd heard of him, sure, but the only interpretation I could recall was the pompous ass they made out of the legendary character in Shrek. I roughly knew the story, the basic details of the legend, but I didn't know much about it in-depth. I'm ecstatic that this Rob is the very first one I encountered, because every one of the past—had I read earlier versions—would've been nothing more than a pale comparison. Where do I even begin? I'm almost scared to attempt to describe Scarlet's absolute and unquantifiable exquisiteness.

How long has it been since a rag-tag group of phenomenal characters came to your attention? Well, meet Scarlet. And Rob, John, and Much. If you're not familiar with the general tale of Robin Hood, the whole concept behind the legend is a mysterious man, who is worshiped by the people, steals from the rich to give to the poor. But, I'd find that an unbelievably difficult, near-impossible task for one man alone. And so we have Rob and his band of thieves. Scarlet is the latest addition to the team, coming to them an impeccable thief able to teach the perfect maneuvers and to pick out the best targets. She has a rough commoner accent that leaks into her narrative—which is a bit jarring initially but grows on you, another detail to a fabulous heroine—and is wicked with knives. A girl packed with so much emotion and secrets, one who carries a deeply scored heart but has so much compassion and bravery that she never ceases to amaze us with her unyielding generosity. Better yet, she has excellent taste in men—oh, ROB—but is endearingly naive to the workings of the male mind, which tends to be the cause of delicious frustration. She knows her own mind, is completely headstrong, and she serves as a wonderful heroine to look up to, especially when we consider the time period. This heroine is far from overshadowed by her leading man, no matter how ~~INSANELY~~ fascinating, gorgeous, and lovable he is.

The emotion laced into the pages is so powerful, brimming over in scenes which we choke back horror and exude sympathy for starving people, broken families, and piercing sacrifices that make us hurt all the more. And each turn of the pages leads to a new striking plot development that breaks our tremulous control on our own emotions, as they overwhelm their drawers and leak into reality (igniting the stares of our fellow classmates and that cute guy friend who decides to ask us what we're reading), causing us to grip our e-readers with white knuckles. Yet there is that brilliant spark of hope as well. The battling—as in knife throwing, flying arrows, severe punches, and hacking swords—is equally darkly thrilling and tension-inducing, as we care to a ridiculous degree for these characters, and we gather a fierce urge to break out our GO TEAM! sweatshirts.

But the slippery, syrupy romance takes the cake. Weirdly enough we DON'T whip out the rifles when an inkling of a love triangle catches our notice, because, deep down, we know who Scarlet really belongs with, a conclusion that strikes her down in the most brutally stunning and exciting way, as we've been waiting for her to make that realization FOREVER. It isn't even worthy of spoilers; it has to be experienced.

I have no idea if Scarlet will develop into a series—goodreads and the author's website are being annoyingly close-mouthed about it—but I fervently hope so, because I don't know how much longer I can last without this gang and their ballsy plots to end wrongs and manipulate situations so that the right win out. I'm totally book bullying you people: buy it. NOW!!

EDIT: After discussing it with my mom, who IS familiar with Robin Hood, much more than I, if you're a fan, you will definitely pick up on the references and delight in the twists the author has created. It made the book that much cooler for me when I learned more about him.

I did as much as I could, but it weren't like I could get everyone something every night. That seemed like the cruelest part. I tried not to think 'bout the people that woke up and rushed to the door and didn't find nothing; it made my chest hurt. (4%)

I hung there, under the water. My eyes were closed and my skin went fair numb. My lumps and slices went to ice. There were no room for nothing in my mind but cold.
When I pulled out of the water, heaving shivery breaths on the shore, I were fearless. (17%)

Okay, so maybe I'll get a little spoilery, but it's worth it:

Loving him felt like drowning in his ocean eyes, like a tide I couldn't hold back, crashing on me again, filling me up with hurt and shame and despair. Standing so close to him, all I could think were the hundred things I should have told him long ago. A hundred moments I'd lost because I were scared and weak and shameful. It were fair twisted, but maybe doing this, maybe this sacrifice would make me, for one breath, the person he could love. (89%)

Review: Hunting Lila

2012-02-26T23:25:00.000-05:00

my thoughts in a few words: An explosive blend of the supernatural, mystery, and kick-butt action, followed by a mind-fizzling romance between two characters we're forced to adore, Hunting Lila allows for ZERO dull moments—it drove me into the wee hours of the morning.

hooking first line: "Only when the tip of the knife started to shave against the white of his eye like a scalpel about to pierce a boil, did I realise that I was the one holding it."

Rating: Perfect Bed Partner | Simon & Scuster UK • Paranormal Romance • 8/5/11 • under $10

Hunting Lila by Sarah Alderson
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17-year-old Lila has two secrets she's prepared to take to the grave. The first is that she can move things just by looking at them. The second is that she's been in love with her brother's best friend, Alex, since forever.

After a mugging exposes her unique ability, Lila decides to run to the only people she can trust - her brother and Alex. They live in Southern California where they work for a secret organisation called The Unit, and Lila discovers that the two of them are hunting down the men who murdered her mother five years before. And that they've found them. In a world where nothing and no one is quite as they seem, Lila quickly realises that she is not alone - there are others out there just like her - people with special powers -and her mother's killer is one of them...

I was intensely bullied into reading this book, and, boy, do I have to THANK MY TWITTER ATTACKERS (you, you, and you know who you are), because this story would've been left to rot on my bookshelf for who knows how long. I realize now that it was criminal of me to leave what turned out to be such a fantastic story buried.

I've been going through a mega irritating blogging/reading funk and the excitement of Hunting Lila helped me slowly return to the world and to the things I love. Alderson immediately shoves us into a situation of life-altering peril, in which Lila is about to stab a would-be mugger in the eye! First-liners have been known to make me arch a brow in a cynical gesture, laugh my tail off, or tantalize my curious nature. With Hunting Lila my eyes sort of popped, because despite the rumors, I hadn't been expecting, well, that to happen... and so quickly! The story never falters in pacing either, because we're shipped off to California alongside Lila directly after. Lila herself saturates the story with heartbreaking confusion and loneliness, and with insight into two amazing characters who nearly outshine her. Oh, Jack, Alex, the two of you truly made this story that much more fun to read. The relationship shared between the three is unshakeable and natural, one which incites brutal envy in us as we watch these three characters take care of and protect, motivate, and strengthen each other. Though the narration never wavers to an alternative character, we feel so connected to these three and it's their bond that makes it so effortless, despite the rockiness of the events in the plot.

From stunning action—like gun fights, missile-fast motorcycle getaways, and deflecting shady organizations bent to kill—to an overwhelming romance that is both long overdue and every bit worth the wait, Hunting Lila wrings your emotional palette while simultaneously blowing your mind with the intensity of the plot. Lila's determination to uncover the truths related to the organization manipulating her brother and crush drives us to support her snooping. And the jaw-dropping turn of events propels us to flip through the pages as quickly as possible.

It was 4:45 am when I FINALLY put this story down and I still can't get it out of my head. It has been so long since the wait for a sequel has plagued my thoughts. Losing Lila couldn't feel more elusive and far away!

He rubbed a hand across his forehead like he had a migraine. "I like you too much. Too much."
I took in such a huge gulp of oxygen that the air turned thin around me. He liked me? Alex, who I had loved my entire life, liked me. And, from the sound of it, he meant like as in like. Not as in liking a great aunt or tea with sugar. But it didn't make sense for him to like me. It didn't add up. I sat up.
"But you laughed. When she told you [how I felt], you laughed."
Alex shut his eyes for a few seconds and when he opened them he seemed to have decided something. "I was laughing, Lila, because I didn't believe her. I thought Rachel had to be joking." (207)

Blogging Break

2012-02-20T08:00:00.000-05:00

So sorry guys for the lack of posting. I'm taking a blogging break during my upcoming winter recess from school. I've been feeling a little burntout lately, and there are other things I want to do with this free time, so it really couldn't be more perfect point to take a break!

I may post sporadically during my absence, depending on my mood. But I won't be around for commenting and such.

See you guys soon!

ARC Review: Graffiti Moon

2012-02-14T23:42:00.000-05:00

Graffiti Moon

by Cath Crowley

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Purchase: Amazon | BookDepository
Release Date: February 14, 2012
Publisher: Knopf
Age Group: Young Adult
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Source: NetGalley
Rating: Perfect Bed Partner

Hover over Books in the navigation bar above to find a link to My Rating System In-Depth.

About the Book:

Senior year is over, and Lucy has the perfect way to celebrate: tonight, she's going to find Shadow, the mysterious graffiti artist whose work appears all over the city. He's out there somewhere—spraying color, spraying birds and blue sky on the night—and Lucy knows a guy who paints like Shadow is someone she could fall for. Really fall for. Instead, Lucy's stuck at a party with Ed, the guy she's managed to avoid since the most awkward date of her life. But when Ed tells her he knows where to find Shadow, they're suddenly on an all-night search around the city. And what Lucy can't see is the one thing that's right before her eyes.

I pedal fast. Down Rose Drive, where houses swim in pools of orange streetlight. Where people sit on verandas, hoping to catch a breeze. Let me make it in time. Please let me make it in time...

Graffiti Moon is like a dream that entraps your consciousness and urges you to leave reality, and all it's difficulties, behind. Crowley's soft whimsical flow of writing are luminous clouds in a bright blue sky, something beautiful that, when you stop to pay attention and really look, sweetly lulls the mind and heart. It's as if Crowley took the world we live in and put it behind another pair of lenses, granting us a heartachingly wonderful view of the same place only with infinitely more color and vibrancy, a precious place that we wish we didn't have to abandon for our own. For the first time, things cease to seem ordinary and the characters are little points of light that stand out even among all the charm already present in the fancifully written setting. They are weird and fascinating and dazzling, and they never give us a reason to want to escape them. They are open books themselves that constantly tug on our sympathy and ignite our smiles, leaving us with a burning need to see them all happy by the end.

Lucy wants Shadow. Once, Shadow had wanted her. She just didn't know it then... Lucy and Ed can be so opposite yet they share similarities that aren't easily observable, to us and between each other. Lucy is strong-willed, dreamy, optimistic, and even naive, and grabbing the events of the story and trying to focus in on them through her eyes is definitely a fun adventure. Lucy has this way of making us laugh even as we feel something profound, has the ability to cut through the BS and see into the other side. That's what gravitates to her interesting people like ourselves and Ed, the extreme loner-looking guy who has all his words shut in but all the pictures of his thoughts and memories dripping out of his fingertips. Not only is he very cute, but he appreciates art and most of its many faces, has a keen sense of loyalty and a hard strategy on how to show his feelings to others. Lucy and Ed couldn't be a better suited match. The problem? The fact that their first date dropped into a new level of hell and Lucy ended the night in a way that left Ed in pieces of doubt and chunks of disappointment. Their reconnection after these past couple of years is a syrupy progression, with sticky areas of discussion and a slow melting quality.

The other characters were just as thickly characterized, with so much going on inside, and Crowley writes little to let us know it but shows us so much about each person. It isn't a far stretch for us to fall in love with each face and attitude we hang with throughout the novel. The predictable plot was successfully carried out and never once fell and cracked to reveal a familiar dull story. Graffiti Moon is a clever interpretation of a place and storyline we may have seen before, and is also one that's more alluring and beautifully devastating and warm than any I've ever found and enjoyed. Crowley truly has to hatch another sweet, romantic idea told in an equally mesmerizing way as Graffiti Moon.

Lucy looks out the window, staring at something that's in her head, the same way she did two years ago when I watched her. She hasn't changed much except now she's bunching up her hair with paintbrushes. She's still smiling like she's thinking something you want to hear.
"Why do you want to find him so bad?" (25%)

Guest Post: Cath Crowley + Giveaway

2012-02-14T06:49:00.000-05:00

About the Author:

Author of A Little Wanting Song (Chasing Charlie Duskin), Graffiti Moon and the Gracie series. Cath lives in Melbourne, Australia and is writing her next book. You can also find her at cathcrowley.com.au.

I'm currently reading Graffiti Moon and it is beautiful so far; oh gosh, THE WRITING. I'm so happy to have Cath Crowley here today for Valentine's Day. Please give her a spectacularly warm welcome!

CC: I get up early in the morning to make new characters. I like to write in dream-slicked skin, before I’m fully awake. My computer faces the window and I can’t see anything but shapes of plants in darkness.

What do you love? I ask them over and over but they don’t tell me.

The click of words, loud sun, shade, figs, trees with branchy armpits, mystery novels, romances, birds, shadows, flight, sun? What, what, what?

It takes all day before I get an answer that I think might be true.

‘Corners,’ a boy says. ‘I love the corners.’

I write it down and wait for something else. I eat quite a bit of chocolate while I’m waiting. They won’t even tell me if they like chocolate.

Who doesn’t like chocolate? I write for something to write.

‘Me,’ one of them says. It’s a girl. Both of them are seventeen, I’m sure of it. I think she has a bit of an attitude. I’m not sure she likes me.

Do you know each other?

‘Yes.’

Have you kissed?

‘No.’

Do you want to?

No answer.

I give up and go to bed.

I get up in the dream-slick and try again.

Today, before the sun, I pull one memory out of the girl.

She’s lying on the grass shining a torch tunnel at the sky. Looking for words in the stars, I think, but I’m not sure. She has a light blue dress with a white bird sewn onto the corner and a dog with three legs lying next to her. He’s called Fat Harvey. She loves Harvey but he’s dying. He’s got the wise look of a dog that’s close to the other side. She swings the light around and makes the stars look like they’re something she can control but she knows she can’t.

I’m writing a lot of Valentine’s Day posts this week so I ask her about love because it’s on my mind. Because I think it might be on her mind too.

She moves the torch around and tells me about a boy she kissed at a party last night. She snuck out her window and cut through the trees and arrived at the same time as her friend. ‘It was a coincidence,’ she tells me.

They went inside.

She skips the house that the party is in. She doesn’t tell me who is holding it.

She takes me out to the back yard where there’s a clothesline and a boy underneath. I can see the stars and the shape of shirts and trousers hanging.

She tells me he is the best-looking boy in the class and I can see that. He plays sport but I don’t know what. His hair is black and his eyes are green, I think. The moon isn’t bright enough to see.

She kissed him that night and thought of another boy, an ugly boy. He’s crooked and strange and no one at school talks to him except her. She talks to him in secret, though. His voice is honeyed gravel.

‘I imagined,’ she tells me, ‘that while we kissed that I could taste honey.’ She imagined that she was in a corner, kissing someone else. The crooked boy. She calls him Crow.

Somewhere, Crow is hiding in the corners. I have the start of him though.

I have the start of them both.

And in the quiet of the mornings I know that if I am patient, I will find them.

This post was absolutely beautiful, Cath! Thank you so much! And Cath continues to be amazing by offering up a copy of her book!

Be sure to to catch my review for Graffiti Moon later.

Senior year is over, and Lucy has the perfect way to celebrate: tonight, she's going to find Shadow, the mysterious graffiti artist whose work appears all over the city. He's out there somewhere—spraying color, spraying birds and blue sky on the night—and Lucy knows a guy who paints like Shadow is someone she could fall for. Really fall for. Instead, Lucy's stuck at a party with Ed, the guy she's managed to avoid since the most awkward date of her life. But when Ed tells her he knows where to find Shadow, they're suddenly on an all-night search around the city. And what Lucy can't see is the one thing that's right before her eyes.

Purchase Graffitti Moon today!

Follow Cath on Twitter |Become her fan on Goodreads | Visit her Website

Official Giveaway Info:

you do NOT have to be a follower
there are extra entries available
all entrants must be at least 13 years old or older
giveaway deadline is March 13, 2012
giveaway is open to US + INTL*
read my Contest | Giveaway page, as well as my Privacy Notice

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: Article 5

2012-02-12T19:09:00.000-05:00

Article 5

by Kristen Simmons

Add it to Goodreads?
Purchase: Amazon | BookDepository
Release Date: January 31, 2012
Publisher: Tor Teen
Age Group: Young Adult
Genre: Dystopian
Source: Requested from Publicist
Special: 2012 Debut Author Challenge
Rating: Perfect Bed Partner

Hover over Books in the navigation bar above to find a link to My Rating System In-Depth.

About the Book:

New York, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C., have been abandoned.

The Bill of Rights has been revoked, and replaced with the Moral Statutes.

There are no more police—instead, there are soldiers. There are no more fines for bad behavior—instead, there are arrests, trials, and maybe worse. People who get arrested usually don't come back.

Seventeen-year-old Ember Miller is old enough to remember that things weren’t always this way. Living with her rebellious single mother, it’s hard for her to forget that people weren’t always arrested for reading the wrong books or staying out after dark. It’s hard to forget that life in the United States used to be different.

Ember has perfected the art of keeping a low profile. She knows how to get the things she needs, like food stamps and hand-me-down clothes, and how to pass the random home inspections by the military. Her life is as close to peaceful as circumstances allow.

That is, until her mother is arrested for noncompliance with Article 5 of the Moral Statutes. And one of the arresting officers is none other than Chase Jennings…the only boy Ember has ever loved.

Beth and Ryan were holding hands. It was enough to risk a formal citation for indecency, and they knew better, but I didn't say anything...

Kristen Simmons gifts us a tale full of heart and insight; the emotion in Article 5 is so incredibly palpable! Simmons gradually and skillfully invites us into her characters' minds and feelings so that they feel beautifully human, spinning this connection that is overwhelming and genuine. The world of Article 5 instantly becomes our own, inciting fear in us for what may happen down the road to our own country. Is it possible that the United States could morph into such a terrible place as the one described in the book? There are so many well-written ties to history, a play at what might have been had the events of our ancestors' time unfolded differently. A harsh alternative universe is portrayed in this story, in which women must be subservient men, children born of wedlock need to be rehabilitated, and young men are ripped and pulled apart to create a new terrifying, heartless soldier. As we enter this redesigned U.S., we evidently see how rapidly reforms and fresh statutes are created, punishing the most miniscule error and no one is left unscathed. Article 5 brings back the horrors of old and exposes us to them so that they no longer seem like flat, inaccessible stories found in a heartless textbook.

Immediately the action kicks up, taking us first into the bleak reality of Ember's life, where teenage couples can't even hold hands without seeming reckless, then shoving us into the jarring arrest of her rebellious, though sweet mother. Reading as Ember is brutally torn away from the other half of what makes up her family sparks throat-clogging sympathy in us, leaving us devastated for a relatively newly introduced character. Matters only continue to worsen as the boy she once loved is forced to take part in the arrest. The sense of crushing betrayal engulfs us as Ember is shockingly turned against by the one other person she had always believed she could trust.

What stands out about Ember is her driving desperation. The frantic need to escape her consequent prison, to free her mother from wherever the cruel 'Moral Militia' has taken this woman so crucial to her life. Although she makes almost impulsive decisions to reach her goals, getting back to her mother is priority. As she progresses through the story, however, it becomes clear that she realizes her mother isn't the only important one, that her poorly thought-out methods can cause inifinitely more damaging effects, and it was a painful, though necessary internal journey to witness. As if that alone isn't enough for her to deal with, she must now also face the inescapable feelings constantly fighting to surface whenever she is near Chase, the boy she loved and lost. Not knowing what Chase's motives are was a tough thing to endure, but as we receive vital flashbacks into Ember's memory of him, he proves, between his actions of then and now, that he can be trusted. And rekindling their heartachingly lovely relationship isn't a distant possibility any longer, especially when faced with this changed Chase who goes to extraordinary measures to protect her, who wants her to return to him but is endearingly unsure of how to make that happen.

Article 5 would especially appeal to fans of Delirium and Shatter Me, not only through their shared threads of dystopian world-building but through the remarkable actions of the characters and their urgency in escaping these crooked worlds they find themselves in. I will have my ear firmly glued to the ground, on the lookout for any news of the sequel, which is deeply desired despite the wonderful non-cliffhanger ending. There is such heartbreaking beauty in the Simmons' words, her world, but most exceptionally the lovable characters she masterfully established in this fast-paced, gripping novel!

"He's not really a monster, anyway," I said [in reference to Frankenstein]. "It's everyone else that makes him that way because he's different. It's sad, you know? How people can tear you down like that. How you try to do the right thing but you just can't."
[Chase] tilted his head, eyes peering deep inside of me in a way that made me feel exposed, like I'd never really been seen before, yet the same time safe, like he'd never tell a soul what he'd found. His fingers laced with mine.
"It sounds lonely," he said. (234)

In My Mailbox (36) + Vlog

2012-02-12T08:37:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, my mom, sisters, and I went out to a really huge mall in our state to have our yearly shopping trip in which we splurge on whatever we want. Mom gave us $50 each for books (yes, we're all big readers, yo) and so I got some fantastic ones to share with you guys, among other spectacular review books, library books, and more! :DD

My Vlog:

In which I think everything is awesome and I smack around my books, exhibiting my book-abusive tendencies. Oops.

Bloggers Mentioned:
Lisa @ Read Me Bookmark Me Love Me
Angie @ Beneath the Jacket (Thank you, Angie!)
Brodie @ Eleusinian Mysteries
Steph @ Poetry to Prose

Books Shown:
Perception by Kim Harrington

(Published: 3/1/12, Scholastic | Add it to Goodreads?)

Article 5 by Kristen Simmons

(Published: 1/31/12, Tor Teen | Add it to Goodreads?)

Embrace by Jessica Shirvington

(Published: 3/6/12, Sourcebooks Fire | Add it to Goodreads?)

Switched by Amanda Hocking

(Published: 2/8/11, St. Martin's Griffin | Add it to Goodreads?)

A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness + Buttons

(Published: 3/6/12, Viking Adult | Add it to Goodreads?)

Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones

(Published: 4/22/08, Eos | Add it to Goodreads?)

Graceling by Kristin Cashore

(Published: 10/1/08, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt | Add it to Goodreads?)

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

(Published: 1/10/12, Dutton | Add it to Goodreads?)

Bittersweet by Sarah Ockler

(Published: 1/3/12, Simon & Schuster | Add it to Goodreads?)

The Mockingbirds by Daisy Whitney

(Published: 11/2/10, Little Brown | Add it to Goodreads?)

Fixing Delilah by Sarah Ockler

(Published: 12/1/10, Little Brown | Add it to Goodreads?)

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

(Published: 3/2/10, HarperCollins | Add it to Goodreads?)

E-books/E-ARCs

Click images for larger view.

	Here by Denise Grover Swank Published: Nov 11, 2011(CreateSpace)
	Initiation by Imogen Rose Published: Dec 25, 2011 (Imogen Rose)
	Hollyweird by Terri Clark Published: May 8, 2012 (Flux)
	This is Not a Test by Courtney Summers Published: June 19, 2012 (St. Martin's Griffin)
	Magic Under Stone by Jaclyn Dolamore Published: April 10, 2012 (Bloomsbury)
	Tomorrow is Today by Julie Cross Published: Dec 6, 2011 (St. Martin's Griffin)
	11:15: The Making of a Halfling by Heather Burch Published: Dec 6, 2011 (Zondervan)
	Enchantment by Charlotte Abel Published: June 23, 2011 (Charlotte Abel)

Here's what happened on the blog this week:

I interviewed Vine from Halflings by Heather Burch and there's a copy of the book up for grabs!
I participated in Giselle's Dusty Reads meme and reviewed Going Too Far by Jennifer Echols
I guest posted at Read Me Bookmark Me Love Me
I posted a mini review of Half-Blood by Jennifer L. Armentrout
I interviewed Jennifer L. Armentrout, the genius behind both Obsidian and Half-Blood

What was your week like?
What did you get in your mailbox? Happy reading!

Author Insider: Jennifer L. Armentrout

2012-02-11T15:00:00.000-05:00

About the Author:

Jennifer L. Armentrout lives in West Virginia.All the rumors you heard about her state aren’t true.Well, mostly. When she's not hard at work writing, she spends her time, reading, working out, watching zombie movies, and pretending to write.

I'm so stoked to have Jennifer Armentrout on the blog today! She wrote the AMAZING Lux and Covenant series, with way more awesome books on the way. I'm a huge fan! Please give her a warm welcome on the blog today, as she answers some questions I've been dying to know the truth about!

I find it totally amazing that there are so many fans of your books. I certainly am one! A BIG ONE. Were you ever expecting this kind of response toward your Lux/Covenant series?

A. Thanks! I don’t know. Honestly, when I started writing (any book really), I just hoped people liked them. Anytime I get an email from a fan or something in the mail, I’m always blown away. Like I can’t believe people want my signature. It’s really cool and awe-inspiring.

Which story were you inspired to write first? How did you begin to write it? Which came to you instantly, the characters, the setting, or the events of the plot?

A. I wrote Half-Blood first. I began to write that in late 2007 and finished in 2008. The characters came first and then the plot. The setting changed a couple of times until I discovered Bald Head Island in NC.

From aliens to figures in Greek mythology, both are on completely different ends of the YA paranormal spectrum. Why aliens? And was Greek mythology something you always wanted to write about?

A. I know. Totally bizarre, right? I’ve always been obsessed with Greek mythology, but didn’t want to retell a myth, so I created my own. The aliens were actually one of my editor’s ideas. At first I laughed and told down the offer to write about aliens, because seriously, aliens? But then I thought about it and decided to give it a go.

They just re-released the cover of Obsidian, and it’s a personal favorite of mine. What was your initial reaction to the first version? And now, with this gorgeous newer version?

A. I really liked the first version, too. It was so different than what you typically see on the YA shelves, so I’m thrilled they kept the 2nd cover unique and I love the new background.

Can you tell us how many books will be in either series?

A. There is four books in the Covenant Series and at this time, three books in Lux series plus a novella.

Do you have a favorite character you love writing for? Are there any surprising twists we can expect to head this character’s way?

A. I love writing all the characters, and oh yes, you can expects lots and lots of twists.

I hear you just landed another book deal. Congratulations! With Cursed releasing in September (oh, I’m so excited!) and now with talk of Don’t Look Back, this must be an exciting time for you. What can fans expect from either of these new novels? Is there anything you can reveal for us fans?

A. Thank you! There isn’t much I can say about Don’t Look Back yet other than it’s a contemporary mystery/thriller. Cursed is also very different from Obsidian and Half-Blood and I think people will really connect with Ember.

Okay. We’ve looked at the positives. But what are some of the worst aspects of having so many stories circulating at once? Is there any frustration or pressure going on? What’s something you do to take your mind off of the stress?

A. Sometimes it feels like my head is going to implode. The bad side is when a lot of things come do at one time and you have to be really careful about your time management.

So you like bad zombie movies. What are some of your favorites? Do you have a favorite good zombie movie/show? Are any zombie story ideas cooking in the brain for future books?

A. Oh, man, do I love crappy zombie movies. I like the old school zombie flicks, not that they are bad, but they are totally different. The Walking Dead is awesome. And I don’t know if I’d ever write about zombies. They’ve gotten a lot of attention right now and it would be super hard to stand out.

I had such a fangirl moment when you agreed to stop by the blog, Jennifer! I can't wait for ALL your upcoming books!

Be sure to read my review for Obsidian and my mini review of Half-Blood.

The Hematoi descend from the unions of gods and mortals, and the children of two Hematoi-pure-bloods-have godlike powers. Children of Hematoi and mortals-well, not so much. Half-bloods only have two options: become trained Sentinels who hunt and kill daimons or become servants in the homes of the pures.

Seventeen-year-old Alexandria would rather risk her life fighting than waste it scrubbing toilets, but she may end up slumming it anyway. There are several rules that students at the Covenant must follow. Alex has problems with them all, but especially rule #1:Relationships between pures and halfs are forbidden. Unfortunately, she's crushing hard on the totally hot pure-blood Aiden. But falling for Aiden isn't her biggest problem--staying alive long enough to graduate the Covenant and become a Sentinel is. If she fails in her duty, she faces a future worse than death or slavery: being turned into a daimon, and being hunted by Aiden. And that would kind of suck.

Purchase Half-Blood today!

Follow Jennifer on Twitter | "Like" her on Facebook | Visit her Website
Become her fan on Goodreads | Visit her blog

Mini Review: Half-Blood

2012-02-11T08:51:00.000-05:00

Half-Blood

by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Add it to Goodreads?
Purchase: Amazon | BookDepository
Release Date: October 18, 2011
Publisher: Spencer Hill
Age Group: Young Adult
Genre: Paranormal Romance/Fantasy
Source: ebook Purchase
Special: 2012 TBR Challenge
Rating: Sud-Kissed

Hover over Books in the navigation bar above to find a link to My Rating System In-Depth.

About the Book:

The Hematoi descend from the unions of gods and mortals, and the children of two Hematoi-pure-bloods-have godlike powers. Children of Hematoi and mortals-well, not so much. Half-bloods only have two options: become trained Sentinels who hunt and kill daimons or become servants in the homes of the pures.

Seventeen-year-old Alexandria would rather risk her life fighting than waste it scrubbing toilets, but she may end up slumming it anyway. There are several rules that students at the Covenant must follow. Alex has problems with them all, but especially rule #1:Relationships between pures and halfs are forbidden. Unfortunately, she's crushing hard on the totally hot pure-blood Aiden. But falling for Aiden isn't her biggest problem--staying alive long enough to graduate the Covenant and become a Sentinel is. If she fails in her duty, she faces a future worse than death or slavery: being turned into a daimon, and being hunted by Aiden. And that would kind of suck.

My eyes snapped open as the freakish sixth sense kicked my fight or flight response into overdrive.

Half-Blood is completely different from the story we find in Obsidian. I mean, we're going from aliens to Greek mythology; there is a bit of a gap in subject matter there. But that fact alone has us falling deeper in love with Armentrout's writing, simply because when we pick up any one of her books, we know that we won't be reading the same story with different characters or vice versa. Alex, the main character, has a perspective that's completely her own, and while both Kate and she share a creator, their voices are distinctly separate. Alex comes across as more of a tough bad girl who's fast on her feet and quick with her punches, eager to take on the foes of her world.

I have to admit, however, that out of the two star boys in her books, Daemon is absolutely my favorite. There's this annoying perfection about Aiden - though his hotness helps blind me to that - whereas Daemon is - no way to sugarcoat it - an asshole, exhibiting some type of personality flaws, though lovable. As much as I would like to say that I'm straight up Team Aiden, Seth is also very appealing somehow (maybe cos he is flawed? Or maybe I'm just attracted to a-holes?), and so I'm going to stick with their being too little about both in the book for me to firmly make up my mind.

Besides Alex's voice, what sold me on this book was her cryptic relationship to the gods of Greek mythology, the mystery of these daemons (they remind me of Richelle Mead's Strigoi), and those wicked beings' connection to the mythology as well. I'm excited to see where Armentrout is going to take her story from here.

I'm Guest Posting at Read Me Bookmark Me Love Me

2012-02-08T18:40:00.000-05:00

Since I'm participating in one of the Love Triangle Debates in Lisa & Brodie's Valentine's Day Blog Event, you should head over to

Read Me Bookmark Me Love Me!

Find out why I think Edward Cullen rocks!

After learning more about him, you can decide for yourself which, Edward or Jacob (BOO!!), is Bella's perfect match.

Dusty Reads Review: Going Too Far

2012-02-07T23:56:00.000-05:00

Review:

Going Too Far

by Jennifer Echols

Add it to Goodreads?
Purchase: Amazon | BookDepository
Release Date: March 17, 2009
Publisher: MTV Books
Age Group: Older Young Adult
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Source: e-book Purchase
Special: 2012 TBR Challenge
Rating: Special Shelf

Hover over Books in the navigation bar above to find a link to My Rating System In-Depth.

About the Book:

HOW FAR WOULD YOU GO?

All Meg has ever wanted is to get away. Away from high school. Away from her backwater town. Away from her parents who seem determined to keep her imprisoned in their dead-end lives. But one crazy evening involving a dare and forbidden railroad tracks, she goes way too far...and almost doesn't make it back.

John made a choice to stay. To enforce the rules. To serve and protect. He has nothing but contempt for what he sees as childish rebellion, and he wants to teach Meg a lesson she won't soon forget. But Meg pushes him to the limit by questioning everything he learned at the police academy. And when he pushes back, demanding to know why she won't be tied down, they will drive each other to the edge -- and over....

"That's the worst idea I ever heard," I told Eric. Then I took another sip of beer and swallowed. "Let's do it."

I'd been telling myself forever that I was going to read this book. Of course I really liked Echols' Boys Next Door and The Ex-Games novels, and so, after hearing talk of the ~~swoonalicious~~ sexy John After, I couldn't resist FINALLY reading Going Too Far for very much longer once it was actually in my possession. Because that would be stupid, right? And I learned something valuable once I was done with that final, breathtaking page. Bad girls can be more like crack than the bad boys. Slow and searing is the romance. Heart-pounding and emotional is the plot. And the characters stick close to the heart even after the book is closed because the story is never really over there and continues on. But, Meg, our oh-so-lovable wild child protag beckoned me aboard first and really quickly.

Ever watch those cruise commercials on TV and imagine yourself there, vividly, and when the narrator tries to sell you on how wonderful the place is, you wonder why he's even bothering because there are no words needed! Of course, you want to go there! Endorsement isn't required by this point. You would go so far as to kick baby kitties in their jaws if it got you anywhere near a ticket. Everyone wants to go there! Meg is Going Too Far's main attraction, and there is no need for further convincing once she enters the scene. Bad girl to the bone, a little bitter, about 50% obnoxious, Meg leads a very crazy lifestyle, her cavalier attitude toward sex and her constant search for thrills showing just how jaded she is when we first 'meet' her. Her life seems to be bumping along just fine, until Officer John After arrests her for underage drinking while doing some serious trespassing. Like strolling along train tracks and tiptoeing death serious. And when, consequently, Meg is forced to play tagalong with the same stupid, annoying cop responsible for her arrest throughout the duration of what should've been an amazing spring break, she's none to pleased with this young, confusing, MEGA HOT guy weirdly chained to her ridiculously unimpressive hometown. Her endless resentment of John's desire to show her the error in her ways only fuels the animosity between them... and the sexual tension.

BUT NO. They do not go on to have hot jungle sex like crazed monkeys. There's this Opposites Attract slow burn, a peeling back of layers to reach the soft, vulnerable centers of who they are. They discover each other, misunderstand one another, and make mistakes. They unravel secrets and talk pasts and old wounds, overstep and soothe, gradually exploring, constantly testing and toying and teasing. Circling each other. Delicious intensity, Sexy Times, and gooey sweet moments, the story is wonderfully wrapped up in the romance, but it doesn't overrun the crux of it. Mostly, it's about change and healing, of letting go and beginning anew, and how loving someone and having them love us back can be perfectly unplanned and exactly right. Can make us better. And both aspects--the romance and the message--stuck with me tighter than the effects of crazyglue. I'm cuckoo in love with this book.

Going Too Far may just be the best Jennifer Echols will ever have to offer. My heart broke a little when that last sentence led to nothing more.

"...Why would I be embarrassed to be seen with you?"
He asked so earnestly that I felt like I had to explain the obvious. "My hair, and the way I dress."
"You dress like you're Japanese," he said.
"The clueless Japanese who work at the car factory and wear those weird plastic sandals? Thanks."
"No, the cute Japanese girls you see at the mall in Birmingham."
He looked down at his forms, pen poised. But he didn't write anything. That blush crept up from his neck and across his cheeks. He had just realized he'd called me cute.
"I mean, the Japanese girls," he said, still looking down. "You know how you dress. With your T-shirt and your jacket and you jeans and your shoes and your weird socks and your hairpins and your blue hair."
He was digging himself a deeper hole. Now he had told me he'd noticed every detail of what I looked like. (22%)

Character Interview: Vine + Giveaway

2012-02-06T16:02:00.000-05:00

Vine from Halflings has graciously accepted my invitation to join me on the blog for an interview. I'm so thrilled to have him here! Vine is one of the only characters we DON'T get a POV from in Halflings, and so I thought it would be fun to pick his brain for some need-to-know answers!

I'd like to say that although Mitch Hewer isn't Vine exactly, he certainly comes close! Although, Vine has much more beautiful hair ;)

About Vine

What can you say about Vine? He's adorable. Fifteen earth years, white blond hair, and electric blue eyes. And oh yeah, he loves candy! But right now, Vine's working hard to keep Nikki safe and Mace and Raven out of fist fights! --taken from Heather Burch's Website

Q. What is your most vivid memory before your time spent protecting Nikki? A time that you look back to the most fondly?
V: Definitely the rock concert we were sent to. Well, I wasn’t supposed to go, but Mace and Raven begged Will and he finally caved. Probably didn’t want me moping around the house for the whole night. You can read about the story in 11:15, The Making of a Halfing. It’s my favorite ‘cause, it’s mostly about me.

Q. What is your favorite aspect of being a Halfling? Your least favorite?
V: Flying. Snapping your wings open and catching a breeze. Man, there’s nothing like it. You can drop off a cliff edge and free fall until you think your skin will come off, then, snap! Wings spread, air slows. You feel invincible. My least favorite? I guess I’d have to say not having a home. Not just a physical home, but we don’t belong anywhere. Humans don’t know how good they have it.

Q. If you could be human for a day, how would you spend that particular day?
V: Wow, this is getting heavy. I’d be someone’s son. Hey, you can make sure the other Halflings don’t read this, right? I already get powned enough about eating candy all the time and how I’m younger than the others. Uh, btw, how old is your audience? Do I need to explain what powned means? ‘Cause if you don’t play HALO, you might not know.

Q. It seems we don’t get much of your perspective in Halflings, sadly. What are some of your biggest worries on this journey?
Right? I guess you have to fall for Nikki to get much face time. I’m just kidding, I know there will be a book with me as the main character. Heather’s already promised it.
My worries? Running out of candy. Jaj. Omega Corporation has way too much power. They’re in everything and down deep I know we’re just beginning to scratch the surface. I have this reoccurring dream where I’m standing on a hillside watching earth literally melt below my feet. The only thing I can distinguish is a sign that says Omega. We really have to stop them.

Q. How do you feel about Nikki? Have you noticed any… changes in your brothers, in their attitudes and so forth as a result of her presence in your lives?
Nikki’s cool. Changes in Mace and Raven? Where do I start? It’s pathetic. Don’t get me wrong, earth girls are totally hot. But they’re like sprinkles on ice cream. You want to order them because they look so good, but honestly, they kind of ruin the ice cream. You know? Will has to do something. I know he’s going to. I just don’t know what it is. We don’t feel like a team anymore. But hey, fighting for your life has a way of focusing your perspective. Maybe we just need a battle. Yeah, a ‘to the death fight’ with some hell-hounds and demons to set things right again.

Q. Name one thing about yourself that readers won’t find out about in Halflings.
I don’t heal well. Halflings usually heal really quickly. I heal, but my body takes more time. Sometimes I think that’s why Raven and Mace baby me so much. As long as we’re confessing, here’s a little more. Will found me in a children’s hospital when I was small. No info about how I got there. I seemed pretty normal other than anomalies in my blood.
Will rescued me and that’s when I learned I was a Halfling and would one day tap in and have wings.

Q. You seem to like candy. A LOT. If you could mix two candy flavors, what would the final product taste like?
Oh man, this is like the ultimate fantasy. Okay, so it’d have to have the texture of Skittles but be more sour. Ultra sour. Ultra sour Skittles with gummy worm dust. That’d rock.

Q. Many females seem to be flocking to you and your brothers. Humans and Halflings alike. Do you have a dream a girl? An ideal girlfriend? Is there a specific girl out there who’s caught your eye?
Girls are nothing but trouble. I'm pretty sure. But, yeah. There's one I like. She's the one that doesn't seem to see me. I don't really want to say a name, 'cause, seriously, if anyone reads this, I'm dead. But, when she's around, I get that feeling like when you drop off a roller coaster edge? Even with all the flying I do, coasters still turn my stomach upside down. I'm talking about really good roller coasters, not the cheezy ones. So, to answer your question, yeah. There's one girl who turns my stomach.

Ah, Vine, I'm such a fan! EEEEP, can't wait for the sequel! Thanks so much for stopping by!
You guys, isn't he the coolest cool kid on the block? I love Vine. Hey, don't forget to read my review!

After being inexplicably targeted by an evil intent on harming her at any cost, seventeen-year-old Nikki finds herself under the watchful guardianship of three mysterious young men who call themselves halflings. Sworn to defend her, misfits Mace, Raven, and Vine battle to keep Nikki safe while hiding their deepest secret—and the wings that come with.

A growing attraction between Nikki and two of her protectors presents a whole other danger. While she risks a broken heart, Mace and Raven could lose everything, including their souls. As the mysteries behind the boys’ powers, as well as her role in a scientist’s dark plan, unfold, Nikki is faced with choices that will affect the future of an entire race of heavenly beings, as well as the precarious equilibrium of the earthly world.

Purchase Halflings today!

Visit the Official Website | Follow Heather on Twitter | Become her fan on Goodreads | Visit her website

About the Author:

Heather writes full time and loves being involved with groups that promote books! Writing about the Halflings has been the funnest and most exciting writing journey of her life! Before novels, she wrote teen curriculum published in both the U.S. and Asia Pacific.
She spent eight years in the "spa world" as a licensed esthetician and won a trip to Europe for her commitment to the spa industry. With that knowledge, she developed the Writer's Ten Step Excercise: Save Your Neck, Shoulders, Back, and Wrists!

Official Giveaway Info:

you do NOT have to be a follower
there are extra entries available
all entrants must be at least 13 years old or older
giveaway deadline is March 5, 2012
giveaway is open to US + INTL*
read my Contest | Giveaway page, as well as my Privacy Notice

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Fact Fusion: Marie Landry + Giveaway

2012-02-04T19:05:00.002-05:00

About the Author:

Marie Landry has always been a daydreamer. She has created imaginary worlds for as long as she can remember, so it only seemed natural that she would become a writer. With a passion for words that started in early childhood, Marie has written a varied range of works, and has been freelance writing since 2009. She resides in Ontario, Canada, and most days you can find her writing, reading, blogging about writing and reading, listening to U2, or having grand adventures with her two precious nephews.

Although Marie Landry's Blue Sky Days isn't one of my favorite books, I still liked the story. And today, as part two to my blog tour stop, I'm welcoming the author behind the story, Marie Landry, and I hope you enjoy learning more about her!

Here's what you don't know:

Written by Marie Landry

I share a birthday with Jane Austen and Beethoven, which I always thought was ironic because two of my greatest passions are writing and music.

I’m obsessed with Ireland. My ancestors on my mum’s side are all from Ireland, and it’s my top wish list destination pick. I love Irish music, Irish folklore…Irish boys with Irish accents. ;-)

I always eat pizza, pie, and sandwiches crust first.

No matter where I am or what I’m doing, if I hear the theme song for Friends, you can guarantee I will stop what I’m doing and clap during that part of the song.

I love Ryan Gosling. I’m almost beginning to think he’s my muse, because it was while watching The Notebook (three times in the theatre) that the idea for Nicholas from Blue Sky Days fully formed in my mind, and it was while watching him in Crazy Stupid Love just a few days before the BSD launch that I got the idea for my next novel.

When I was 17, my best friend and I went to France together on a school trip. We were surprised (and amazed and excited) to find out that we pretty much had free reign when we weren’t doing group activities. Those were definitely the best 10 days of my life.

My guilty pleasure is crazy, dramatic reality TV. I try to stay away from drama in real life, but when it comes to TV, the more drama the better. I’m obsessed with the Real Housewives shows. Those women tend to have more money than brains, get in fights over the stupidest things, and I get so mad at them, but I’m completely addicted.

I’ve been a house-sitter, a house-cleaner, a nanny, a preschool teacher, an editor, a graphic designer, and a whole bunch of other little odd jobs.

I think I have my mum just about convinced that I am the reincarnated spirit of her Gran, who died a decade and a half before I was born.

#10

When I was 22, I traveled across part of the States with someone I met online and hardly knew. We hit nine States in about as many days. Someday I’d like to write a road trip book. I know there are a lot of them, but I love them, and I want to do all the research first-hand.

Thanks so much, Marie, for stopping by the blog and letting us all know a little bit more about you! Be sure to read my review of the book.

A year after graduating from high school, nineteen-year-old Emma Ward feels lost. She has spent most of her life trying to please her frigid, miserable mother - studying hard, getting good grades, avoiding the whole teenage rebellion thing - and now she feels she has no identity beyond that. Because she spent so many years working hard and planning every moment of her life, she doesn't have any friends, has never had a boyfriend, and basically doesn't know who she is or what she really wants from life. Working two part-time jobs to save money for college hasn't helped her make decisions about her future, so she decides it's time for a change. She leaves home to live with her free-spirited, slightly eccentric Aunt Daisy in a small town that makes Emma feel like she's stepped back in time.

When Emma meets Nicholas Shaw, everything changes - he's unlike anyone she's ever met before, the kind of man she didn't even know existed in the 21st century. Carefree and spirited like Daisy, Nicholas teaches Emma to appreciate life, the beauty around her, and to just let go and live. Between Daisy and Nicholas, Emma feels like she belongs somewhere for the first time in her life, and realizes that you don't always need a plan - sometimes life steers you where you're meant to be.

Life is wonderful, an endless string of blue sky days, until Nicholas is diagnosed with cancer, and life changes once again for Emma in ways she never thought possible. Now it's time for her to help Nicholas the way he's helped her. Emma will have to use her new-found strength, and discover along the way if love really is enough to get you through.

Purchase Blue Sky Days today!

Follow Marie on Twitter | "Like" her on Facebook | Read her blog
Become her fan on Goodreads | Visit her website

Official Giveaway Info:

you do NOT have to be a follower
there are extra entries available
all entrants must be at least 13 years old or older
giveaway deadline is March 1, 2012
giveaway is open to Everyone*
read my Contest | Giveaway page, as well as my Privacy Notice

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blog Tour: Review: Blue Sky Days

2012-02-03T18:45:00.000-05:00

Blue Sky Days

by Marie Landry

Add it to Goodreads?
Purchase: Amazon
Release Date: January 17, 2012
Publisher: Self-Published
Age Group: Young Adult
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Source: Author for Blog Tour
Special: 2012 Debut Author Challenge
Rating: Guilty Pleasure

Hover over Books in the navigation bar above to find a link to My Rating System In-Depth.

About the Book:

A year after graduating from high school, nineteen-year-old Emma Ward feels lost. She has spent most of her life trying to please her frigid, miserable mother - studying hard, getting good grades, avoiding the whole teenage rebellion thing - and now she feels she has no identity beyond that. Because she spent so many years working hard and planning every moment of her life, she doesn't have any friends, has never had a boyfriend, and basically doesn't know who she is or what she really wants from life. Working two part-time jobs to save money for college hasn't helped her make decisions about her future, so she decides it's time for a change. She leaves home to live with her free-spirited, slightly eccentric Aunt Daisy in a small town that makes Emma feel like she's stepped back in time.

When Emma meets Nicholas Shaw, everything changes - he's unlike anyone she's ever met before, the kind of man she didn't even know existed in the 21st century. Carefree and spirited like Daisy, Nicholas teaches Emma to appreciate life, the beauty around her, and to just let go and live. Between Daisy and Nicholas, Emma feels like she belongs somewhere for the first time in her life, and realizes that you don't always need a plan - sometimes life steers you where you're meant to be.

Life is wonderful, an endless string of blue sky days, until Nicholas is diagnosed with cancer, and life changes once again for Emma in ways she never thought possible. Now it's time for her to help Nicholas the way he's helped her. Emma will have to use her new-found strength, and discover along the way if love really is enough to get you through.

It was infatuation at first sight. An infatuation that quickly turned into love, but at that moment I didn’t know what love was.

Too perfect. Those are the best two words I can muster to summarize the whole experience. And, unfortunately, that did set me back some. The lack of true conflict in the characters, the almost cliche character growth, and the instalove romance, while adorable, the chemistry basically believable, has a giant absence of real turbulence in the relationship, which morphed this story into a mostly surface read, a cute romance to warm the heart that missed the mark in being genuinely, unquestionably profound. And that struck me as Blue Sky Days' biggest issue. Although, Blue Sky Days has select scenes that properly evoked emotion (I mean, I cried), there isn't a natural flow that creeps into the heart and grants a full-on picture of raw and true emotion. Landry had the pieces, but I kept feeling as if they didn't quite fit in that beautifully, just-right sort of perfect way that makes a novel a grand addition to our bookshelves.

We sense emotions whipping and tumbling under the surface of the main character, Emma, and through her inner turmoil, it's easy to become sympathetic to her plight. However much we've been exposed to it in other main characters we've run across before. But from the moment Emma walks through her Aunt Daisy's door, there never seems to be that required authenticity to make every character entirely believable. We have a difficult time buying into everyone's endless easygoing nature, because, let's face it, we all have bad days. That's what makes us human. Instead, we are merely given simple characters that don't quite leap off the page. Mild interest is sparked when we meet the remaining cast members of the book, as we know that we're not going to receive any reactions and encounters and emotions true to human nature. And while we may fall in love with Noah, the romantic lead, he too never strikes us as anything other than imaginable. A product of pure fiction too perfect to ever really exist. Where are his flaws?

The conflict of cancer is a scary leap in the story. Though, the characters handle the ensuing events with equally scary grace that doesn't feel very genuine or completely suitable to the situation. Even as we pour tears for Nicholas' fate, we wish to feel a deeper pain, one that rips us of our hearts and shatters us as powerfully as the other novels who've tackled the same plot dilemma. And with a sweet, however predictable ending, Blue Sky Days is another novel that perfectly depicts the true meaning of its Guilty Pleasure rating. A novel that needs much more substance, Marie Landry's Blue Sky Days is a better start to a writing career than most, but failed to incite spectacular emotion and a memorable aftertaste.

ARC Review: Halflings

2012-02-01T18:03:00.001-05:00

Halflings

by Heather Burch

Add it to Goodreads?
Purchase: Amazon | BookDepository
Release Date: February 1, 2012
Publisher: Zondervan
Age Group: Young Adult
Genre: Paranormal Romance/Urban Fantasy
Source: NetGalley
Special: 2012 Debut Author Challenge
Rating: Perfect Bed Partner

Hover over Books in the navigation bar above to find a link to My Rating System In-Depth.

About the Book:

After being inexplicably targeted by an evil intent on harming her at any cost, seventeen-year-old Nikki finds herself under the watchful guardianship of three mysterious young men who call themselves halflings. Sworn to defend her, misfits Mace, Raven, and Vine battle to keep Nikki safe while hiding their deepest secret—and the wings that come with.

A growing attraction between Nikki and two of her protectors presents a whole other danger. While she risks a broken heart, Mace and Raven could lose everything, including their souls. As the mysteries behind the boys’ powers, as well as her role in a scientist’s dark plan, unfold, Nikki is faced with choices that will affect the future of an entire race of heavenly beings, as well as the precarious equilibrium of the earthly world.

Fangs sank into Nikki Youngblood's leg, setting her skin on fire. A scream gurgled in her throat, but she willed herself past trees smeared by her jarred vision.

Remember when I said I was firmly in the NO ANGEL BOOKS camp, unless said books were written by Cynthia Hand? Yeah, well I've now stretched that once taut line to include Heather Burch, because she sure can write an angel book that's thrilling, intense, and chockfull of deeply lovable characters! Ya'll know that I'm a character girl through and through. So excellent angel lore and its interjection into the story aside, Burch really won me over with each of the characters she painted for me within Halflings's pages. The three guys in the main character's life are each entirely their own person, but they each carry hurts and uncertainties that strike a cord in us nearly instantaneously. They're like lost puppies, pained and unsure, floundering in doubts pertaining to their roles in the universe, which is ironic when we consider that they call themselves Lost Boys. Add to that they are gorgeous beings who pledge themselves as protectors to an unsuspecting, though appealingly strong main character, willing to lay their lives down unquestionably. They battle, they defend, and they are otherworldly. And our hearts are lost to them.

A beautifully written, unquestionably compelling story, we're thrust into the slowly unraveling life of Nikki Youngblood, our headstrong, kick-ass heroine who isn't afraid to admit fear but is also unwilling to back down when the fight presents itself. And this brave, though smartly fearful girl has a right to be suspicious and wary as when the first pages are turned, we find ourselves panicked and sweaty with exhaustion alongside her as she runs for her life from shuddersome foes that will turn her world completely upside down. Suddenly swooping in to save her are three mysterious guys who steadily bombard her life and only add to the crazy that wraps around her life. How can she trust them when they appear at the most random times, tackling strange, watchful men and trailing her wherever she goes, happening to crop up when she most needs them?

I might know what you're thinking. That this has Twilight all over it. And you couldn't be more wrong.

While I personally loved Twilight and have no qualms with it, some seem to have issues with Bella and the love triangle consuming the sequels. Well, let me reassure you that Nikki is no Bella. A long-time karate student, motorcycle-riding, brazen girl who mostly knows her own power is hardly what we'd call a Bella Swan type of main character. And though there is a love triangle, Mace and Nikki and Raven's entanglement can totally take its place next to the greatest of love triangles, the ones we all know and love. We find it extremely difficult to secure a position on either side of this agonizing love triangle, constantly wavering in our resolve. Inexplicably drawn to secure and sweet Mace while equally enraptured by the dark, brooding, badboy Raven, Nikki isn't the only one who has a tough time deciding who's best for her.

Mace, Raven, Vine, Will, Zero. The awesome girly girl best friend. The trio of Halfling girls. My head is spinning. Every character Burch introduces ensnares our attention, beckoning us to dig into their psyches, learning their thoughts, emotions, and personalities. Told in third-person and in multiple points of view, we receive viewpoints of every event through ever-switching eyes. We want to tightly hug these characters, pushing their sorrows and fear and anguish into nonexistence. The dialogue was unequivocally addictive and funny, even when it was inconsistent, and the way Burch moves the story along from plot point to plot point is quick and intriguing, rousing more questions than answers and pressing upon us is a deep-seated concern for everyone involved as a result.

Romance, kick-butt action, perilous circumstances, and a paranormal element that is somehow fresh in the hands of this wonderful author, I thoroughly enjoyed Halflings and seek to learn all hidden truths, to uncover the thread of future events in the ensuing books. I'm more than eager to clutch the sequel to me and embark on Nikki's next adventure!

"I want to know more."
"And I said, you know enough for tonight."
She pulled from his grasp and crossed her arms defiantly. "I'm not leaving."
"It's gonna get lonely out here."
Nikki huffed and decided to try a new approach. She gazed up at him. "Pleeeeease?" She batted her eyes as insurance.
Mace's resolve crumbled and he sank into the swing. "One more question, then we're done." (37%)

Mace had looked at the painting and saw possibilities. To him, the gate was an invitation. Mace was her invititation. He embraced her destiny, saw her as a future warrior, and swore to see her through.
And that made Raven her broken pot. The one who embraced the person she was right now. Odds were, he'd likely stand beside her and die to protect her as well, if she gave him the chance. Which one understands the real me? (62%)

Michelle Madow's Project Tell Taylor

2012-02-01T00:00:00.000-05:00

Michelle Madow's debut novel Remembrance was inspired by Taylor Swift's "Love Story" music video. She talked all about it in a blog entry a few months ago, discussing how Remembrance was inspired by Taylor Swift's "Love Story" music video. She even wrote a letter to Taylor Swift and sent it to her, along with a signed book!

It's been a few months now, and she has yet to hear back from Taylor that she received the letter and book. She really wants to tell Taylor about how inspiring she and her music have been to her, but since Taylor Swift is an international superstar, she’s a little hard to reach. This is where YOUR help comes into play! Michelle is giving away the biggest prize pack she's offered yet, and the ways to enter to win are by telling Taylor Swift about Remembrance.

The Goal: Get Taylor Swift to Tweet about Remembrance!

Click here for more information!

I think what Michelle's trying to do is touching and sweet. I like the fact that this story was inspired by Taylor Swift just because I have an unnatural obsession with her. It all started with the 'You Belong With Me' music video. xD No, seriously.

Anyway, Michelle asked all of her Spreaders of the Word to talk about what inspires us. Honestly, for me, it's usually an experience or story from my friends. Sometimes it can be a movie. And sometimes it's just a pretty place outside of my general area.

Lizzie Davenport has been reincarnated from Regency Era, England ... but she doesn't know it yet.

Then Drew Carmichael transfers into Lizzie's high school at the beginning of the year, and she feels a connection to him, almost like she knows him. She can't stop thinking about him, but whenever she tries talking with him about the mysteries behind her feelings, he makes it clear that he wants nothing to do with her. Reaching him is even more difficult because she has a boyfriend, Jeremy, who has started to become full of himself after being elected co-captain of the varsity soccer team, and her flirtatious best friend Chelsea starts dating Drew soon after his arrival. So why can't she get him out of her mind?

Even though Lizzie knows she should let go of her fascination with Drew, fighting fate isn't going to be easy.

Purchase Remembrance today!

Follow Michelle on Twitter |Become her fan on Goodreads | Follow Her Blog

Read on to enter!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Bloggers' Choice: Everneath + Giveaway

2012-01-31T00:00:00.000-05:00

About the Author:

Brodi Ashton writes Young Adult novels. She eats cinnamon bears. She love herself some Diet Coke.Her debut book EVERNEATH (the first in a trilogy) comes out in early 2012 with Balzer and Bray (Harper Collins).She is represented by Michael Bourret at Dystel and Goderich Literary Management.

Everneath totally blew me away with the emotion permeating the story, and I can't wait to see what Ashton does in future books. Apparently, you guys loved it too (or couldn't wait to love it), because last month I asked about everyone's most anticipated January release and you answered Everneath! So congratulations to Brodi Ashton for winning 2012's first Bloggers' Choice Award!

Brodi was awesome enough to answer some of my questions and provide a nice surprise! So without further ado, please give a warm welcome to Brodi Ashton!

Out of about ten novels up for the voting, Everneath won out among all of them. How does it feel to win the first Bloggers' Choice award of the year?

A. Wonderful!!! I rarely win things, so this is so exciting!

Everneath is about a girl named Nikki, who has just recently escaped the clutches of the underworld but is being forced to go back after her six month reprieve on the Surface. Everneath definitely seems to be a play on the Greek myth of Hades and Persephone, but from what I’ve gathered there is no love for the enigmatic immortal, Cole, whose intent is to drag Nikki back to be with him. What can you tell us about this story that we don’t already know? What was the inspiration for this story?

A. Everneath started with one scene in my head, about a girl who's come back to her high school after a long mysterious absence. Rumors of where she’s been are circulating, but all she cares about is finding the boy she left behind. This scene was actually inspired by real events in my life, but I used mythology to tell the rest of the story.

I’ve found that it’s totally unfair that I have yet to catch the attention of TWO beautiful guys! Have you ever been the object of two guys’ desires at the same time? Just to be sure, is there a love triangle here?

A. No. Two guys fighting over me is a completely foreign concept.
I never really thought of it as a love triangle, because Nikki only loves one guy. It’s not a spoiler to say that either. The conflict in EVERNEATH comes from Nikki and Jack not being able to be together. It doesn’t come from Nikki not being able to choose between two guys, which is what I consider a love triangle to be. Also, we don’t know if what Cole feels for Nikki can be considered love. :)

After reading the book, I don't really feel like there's a love triangle either.

Does Nikki have any quirky qualities or fun hobbies that you’d care to share?

A. She knits like crazy, because she needs to keep her hands busy.
She loves to play poker. Jack taught her, and it calms her.
She has a new obsession with mythology.

I could always use another book boyfriend to add to the lists. (And I did.) What are some aspects of Jack that might make fans (ME!) melt… at least a little? What makes he and Nikki so compatible and happy together?

A. Nikki and Jack are unique because they’ve known each other for years and they have a connection that goes beyond each of their little crushes on other people along the way. But Jack has a reputation, and he is never sure he really deserves Nikki, so he avoids his feelings for a very long time. By the time they do get together, they know each other’s souls. Okay, that sounds way too sweet, but it’s true!

The cover is just… ensnaring, gorgeous! I love the dress! As well as the way it swells and swirls, and the way it tumbles into what looks like smoke. It appears as if the girl on the cover is being sucked away. How closely does the cover relate to the story on the pages of Everneath? What was your knee-jerk reaction to it?

A. My knee-jerk reaction is that I finally experienced love at first sight for myself! As far as representing the book, the swirling smoke gathering around Nikki is practically an exact illustration of a scene toward the end.

It is!!!

What was the toughest, you-were-so-ready-to-burst-into-tears part of the book you had to write? The part that went the most smoothly?

A. Toughest: The scenes with Cole. It was so hard to find the right balance between complete loathing for a character, and yet sympathy for him too.

Smoothest: Yeah, the scenes with Jack.

Finally, looking over the candidates for next month’s Blogger’s Choice Award (the choices: Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen, Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi, The Girls of No Return by Erin Saldin, Article 5 by Kristen Simmons, Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood, Harbinger by Sara Etienne, In Too Deep by Amanda Grace, Wings of the Wicked by Courtney A. Moulton, The Fine Art of Truth or Dare by Melissa Jensen, A Beautiful Evil by Kelly Keaton, Fever by Lauren DeStefano, and The Catastrophic History of You and Me by Jess Rothenberg), what are some of your picks for February’s winner?

A. Oh wow. I’ve only read one of those, and that was UNDER THE NEVER SKY by Veronica Rossi. I loved that book! But I would love to get my hands on any of those other books!

Thank you so much for everything, Brodi! And Brodi is so awesome, she's offering up a copy of her book, some bookmarks, and temporary tattoos in the giveaway below! Also, be sure to read my review for the book.

Last spring, Nikki Beckett vanished, sucked into an underworld known as the Everneath, where immortals Feed on the emotions of despairing humans. Now she's returned- to her old life, her family, her friends- before being banished back to the underworld... this time forever.

She has six months before the Everneath comes to claim her, six months for good-byes she can't find the words for, six months to find redemption, if it exists.

Nikki longs to spend these months reconnecting with her boyfriend, Jack, the one person she loves more than anything. But there's a problem: Cole, the smoldering immortal who first enticed her to the Everneath, has followed Nikki to the mortal world. And he'll do whatever it takes to bring her back- this time as his queen.

As Nikki's time grows short and her relationships begin slipping from her grasp, she's forced to make the hardest decision of her life: find a way to cheat fate and remain on the Surface with Jack or return to the Everneath and become Cole's...

Purchase Everneath, from HarperTeen, today!

Follow Brodi on Twitter |Become her fan on Goodreads | Follow Her Blog

Official Giveaway Info:

you do NOT have to be a follower
there are extra entries available
all entrants must be at least 13 years old or older
giveaway deadline is February 27, 2012
giveaway is open to US only*
read my Contest | Giveaway page, as well as my Privacy Notice

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Review: Brightly Woven

2012-01-30T11:00:00.000-05:00

Brightly Woven

by Alexandra Bracken

Add it to Goodreads?
Purchase: Amazon | BookDepository
Release Date: June 1, 2010
Publisher: EgmontUSA
Age Group: Young Adult
Genre: Fantasy
Source: Borrowed
Special: 2012 TBR Challenge
Rating: Special Shelf

Hover over Books in the navigation bar above to find a link to My Rating System In-Depth.

About the Book:

When Wayland North brings rain to a region that's been dry for over ten years, he's promised anything he'd like as a reward. He chooses the village elder's daughter, sixteen-year-old Sydelle Mirabel, who is a skilled weaver and has an unusual knack for repairing his magical cloaks. Though Sydelle has dreamt of escaping her home, she's hurt that her parents relinquish her so freely and finds herself awed and afraid of the slightly ragtag wizard who is unlike any of the men of magic in the tales she's heard. Still, she is drawn to this mysterious man who is fiercely protective of her and so reluctant to share his own past.

The pair rushes toward the capital, intent to stop an imminent war, pursued by Reuel Dorwan (a dark wizard who has taken a keen interest in Sydelle) and plagued by unusually wild weather. But the sudden earthquakes and freak snowstorms may not be a coincidence. As Sydelle discovers North's dark secret and the reason for his interest in her and learns to master her own mysterious power, it becomes increasingly clear that the fate of the kingdom rests in her fingertips. She will either be a savior, weaving together the frayed bonds between Saldorra and Auster, or the disastrous force that destroys both kingdoms forever.

The day the rains finally came was like any other, with blistering air coating the canyon in a heavy stillness...

Recommendations for this book had been finding me everywhere, and, since I'm a huge fantasy buff, I thought I'd take a crack at it. It quickly became abundantly clear why Brightly Woven is so well-loved. I haven't been overly impressed by the fantasy books I've recently stumbled across, but Bracken spins a gorgeous tale that is magical, intense, and gripping, saturated with wizarding duels and epic rivalries, a terrorizing war, and an endearing love/hate romance that swallowed my attention from the beginning. An irresistible read, Bracken delicately, elegantly delivered me a priceless story of forgiveness, acceptance, and the importance of standing up for the right when things are disturbingly wrong, as well as wove characters that were swiftly imprinted into my heart.

A fascinating young woman, Sydelle Mirabil makes a squealing fangirl out of us by simply being herself. She is unlike what we expect--a fierce, solemn girl who loves her family deeply and will do what's necessary to protect those who matter. Her spirit and courage separates her from the flock of weak-willed/TStL leading ladies inserted in some of the more disappointing novels we've read lately and are mere shadows in comparison. And when Wayland North crops up in her small desert town under suspicious circumstances, Sydelle isn't blinded by him and willing to fall at his feet. After all, he does yank her away from her home to embark on a mysterious journey and is much too secretive for her liking. While unexplained and brand new feelings for North begin to surface, STILL she is cautious and unwilling to crumble under his demands. As for trust, that's far from an option, at least until North is inclined to be more forthcoming. Their developing relationship, strengthened by care and subtle romance, has us wanting to clear up any misunderstandings, then roll up our sleeves and knock the two together until they see what we do. Yet, the pacing of their evolving relationship is beautifully written. And their blazing sweet and hot interactions toward the final chapters are well worth the wait.

The enthralling fantasy element combined with awesome side characters (OWAIN!) added to the already swoonworthy main characters/couple snowballs Brightly Woven into something smashing and devastating and FUN. Traversing through neighboring cities, described vividly by this talented author, and experiencing the unrelenting 'race against time' feel of the plot makes us simultaneously tense and excited, with little to no time left to wonder what thrilling thing Bracken will toss in next.

I'm ecstatic to have found such a brilliant fantasy tale written by a very gifted author and will be reading whatever Alexandra Bracken decides to put together in the (hopefully near) future.

I felt North before I heard him. That same tingling warmth that I associated with him seeped under my skin, even if just for a moment. My back was pressed against his chest, and his tall frame completely enveloped me. I felt his heart racing.
"N...Nor...," I cried. "Please help me, please, it hurts, it hurts. I can't breathe. Please..."
"You're going to be all right," he said fiercely. "I've got you, I've got you."
[Skip.]
"That's my girl," he said. Sensation was tingling in my toes and fingers, but I still couldn't move, paralyzed by the pain the cold had left behind, by its last grip on my body.
That, and the solid, undeniable warmth that was North.
The wizard fell back against the wall in exhaustion. He held me against him gently, as if I was glass--as if I could shatter and fall away from him at any moment and leave him breathless and alone once more.
"That's my girl...," he whispered, resting his cheek against my shoulder. (148-150)

Through the Grapevine: Jan. 9-31

2012-01-29T15:11:00.001-05:00

Through the Grapevine is a weekly feature (usually) in which I dish on upcoming releases and bookish events sweeping across the blogosphere. Find out about giveaways and author news, just-released books, among other fun, exciting reveals!

Fresh Faces

Amazon.com Widgets

Ditched: A Love Story by Robin Mellom
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
First Date by Krista McGee
Jessica Rules the Darkside by Beth Fantasky
The Gathering Storm by Robin Bridges
A Million Suns by Beth Revis
Revealing Eden by Victoria Foyt
Fracture by Megan Miranda
Halflings by Heather Burch
Hallowed by Cynthia Hand
In Darkness by Nick Lake
Lovetorn by Kavita Daswani
Me@You.com by K.E. Payne
Never Eighteen by Megan Bostic
The Pregnancy Project by Gaby Rodriguez
Stolen Away by Alyxandra Harvey
Tempest by Julie Cross
The Vampire Diaries: Stephan's Diaries: The Asylum by L.J. Smith
Getting Somewhere by Beth Neff
Truth by Julia Karr
Try Not to Breathe by Jennifer R. Hubbard
Daughter of the Centaurs by Kate Klimo
Diabolical by Cynthia Leitich Smith
Everneath by Brodi Ashton
Fallen in Love by Lauren Kate
Forbidden by Syrie James & Ryan M. James
Getting Over Garrett Delaney by Abby McDonald
Havoc by Jeff Sampson
Life Eternal by Yvonne Woon
Mesmerize by Artist Arthur
My Awesome/Awful Popularity Plan by Seth Rudetsky
Pink Smog by Francesca Lia Block
There is No Dog by Meg Rosoff
The Way We Fall by Megan Crewe
Angelfire by L.A. Weatherly (Audiobook)
Article 5 by Kristen Simmons
The Dead of Winter by Chris Priestley
Destiny & Deception by Shannon Delaney
The Edumacation of Jay Baker by Jay Clark
Incarnate by Jodi Meadows
Lenobia's Vow by P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast
New Girl by Paige Harbison
The Survivors by Will Weaver
Wings of the Wicked by Courtney Allison Moulton

Future Finds

Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood
In Too Deep by Amanda Grace
The One I Want by Jennifer Echols

Happenin' Hotspots

Jennifer Armentrout wants YOU to make AN OBSIDIAN FAN TRAILER!
Click here for the deets.

Michelle Madow has a message for Taylor Swift about her book, Remembrance!
Find out all about it here. And I have a post coming up on Wednesday with more info. :)

Gratifying Giveaway Gleans

Stories and Sweeties: What's New in January (US + INTL)

Win any January release of YOUR choice!

Bloody Bookaholic: Goodbye 2011 Contest (US + INTL)

One winner will receive 20 books, winner #2 15 books, and the last winner will receive 5 books! That's 40 books, total, up for grabs!

Once Upon a Prologue: New Years Giveaway (US + INTL)

You could win either Fracture by Megan Miranda, Tempest by Julie Cross, Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi, or Cinder by Marissa Meyer!

Once Upon a Prologue: New Years Giveaway (US + INTL)

One person will take home Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver, Fallen in Love by Lauren Kate, A Million Suns by Beth Revis, AND Partials by Dan Wells!

And don't forget my giveaways (which can be found in the sidebars)!!

Cover Confessions

Deadly Hemlock by Kathleen Peacock (UK edition)
Renegade by J.A. Souders
The Goddess Hunt (1.5) by Aimee Carter
The Serpent's Shadow by Rick Riordan

Untouched by Jus Accardo
A Midsummer's Nightmare by Kody Keplinger
The Space Between Us by Jessica Martinez
Purity by Jackson Pearce

Triumphant Trailers

Have you guys figured out how excited I am for Born Wicked yet?

Other

There's a chapter sampler for Black Dawn by Rachel Caine, and I nearly passed out when I saw it! Click here!

And finally, don't forget to answer the poll in my sidebar! The voting decides next month's Blogger's Choice Award winner! :) Expect fun author posts from the winners at the end of each month (teeheehee)!

What are you most looking forward to?

Blog Tour: Reviews: Everneath | Hallowed

2012-01-27T00:00:00.000-05:00

Everneath by Brodi Ashton

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Purchase: BookDepository
Release Date: 1/24/12
Age Group: Young Adult
Rating: Sud-Kissed

Hover over Books in the navigation bar above to find a link to My Rating System In-Depth.

+ Hover for Summary »Last spring, Nikki Beckett vanished, sucked into an underworld known as the Everneath, where immortals Feed on the emotions of despairing humans. Now she's returned- to her old life, her family, her friends- before being banished back to the underworld... this time forever.

She has six months before the Everneath comes to claim her, six months for good-byes she can't find the words for, six months to find redemption, if it exists.

Nikki longs to spend these months reconnecting with her boyfriend, Jack, the one person she loves more than anything. But there's a problem: Cole, the smoldering immortal who first enticed her to the Everneath, has followed Nikki to the mortal world. And he'll do whatever it takes to bring her back- this time as his queen.

As Nikki's time grows short and her relationships begin slipping from her grasp, she's forced to make the hardest decision of her life: find a way to cheat fate and remain on the Surface with Jack or return to the Everneath and become Cole's...

Hallowed (#2) by Cynthia Hand

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Purchase: BookDepository
Release Date: 1/17/12
Age Group: Young Adult
Rating: Perfect Bed Partner

Hover over Books in the navigation bar above to find a link to My Rating System In-Depth.

+ Hover for Summary »For months part-angel Clara Gardner trained to face the raging forest fire from her visions and rescue the alluring and mysterious Christian Prescott from the blaze. But nothing could prepare her for the fateful decisions she would be forced to make that day, or the startling revelation that her purpose—the task she was put on earth to accomplish—is not as straightforward as she thought.

Now, torn between her increasingly complicated feelings for Christian and her love for her boyfriend, Tucker, Clara struggles to make sense of what she was supposed to do the day of the fire. And, as she is drawn further into the world of part angels and the growing conflict between White Wings and Black Wings, Clara learns of the terrifying new reality that she must face: Someone close to her will die in a matter of months. With her future uncertain, the only thing Clara knows for sure is that the fire was just the beginning.

Described by Richelle Mead as “utterly captivating,” Unearthly received outstanding reviews, garnered accolades from New York Times bestselling authors, and was named an Indie Next Pick. In this heart-wrenching sequel, Cynthia Hand expertly captures the all-consuming joy of first love—and the agony of loss. This beautifully woven tale will appeal to fans of Lauren Kate, Becca Fitzpatrick, and Aprilynne Pike.

I honestly cannot think of two more complementary stories to throw together for a blog tour. I commented on a blog a couple of days ago that I had read both Hallowed and Everneath within a few days of each other and I feel like buckets of SAD has been dumped all over me. What's ironic is that they are two COMPLETELY different stories, with characters who are nothing alike, yet they left me feeling the exact same way--eager for what's next and a little bit hollow inside.

Both books are bursting with a melancholy tone right from the first couple of chapters. In Everneath, Nikki Beckett has just escaped the clutches of Ashton's variation of the Underworld, called (surprise!) the Everneath, and has one goal in mind: to say goodbye to her family, friends, and the boy who got her through the horrible ordeal she wishes to forget, in a somehow better way than her previous abrupt departure. We revisit Clara Gardner in Hallowed and Hand instantly sets the tone for the rest of the book with a touching goodbye between Tucker and pieces of himself he's forced to leave behind. And what's worse? Someone so vital to Clara's life, a character (and the not knowing whom is pure torture), who we've no doubt become immeasurably attached, will die in the pages that follow. Talk about torn heartstrings.

Pros for Everneath:

The Seamless Blend of the Borrowed and the Unique

While Ashton may have taken from the Greek myths we were all taught at some point, she completely spins her own tale that stands strong and fresh among all the other retellings. Ashton incorporates what I was cheated out of in books like The Goddess Test, where I failed to see the connection, the innovation. It was such a paranormal (Yup, I went there.) take on the Hades/Persephone myth, what we perceive as the Underworld/Hell. Somehow Ashton cloaks Everneath in a deeper darkness than we've known in other retellings, adding a striking quality to this story.

The Lack of Hope Until There's a Touch

Maybe this is just one of those "me" things, but the utter despair that washes the story really made Everneath memorable. It's that pain and hollowness that really strikes us down and causes our hearts to burn with sympathy for everyone involved. I mean, here we have a girl who went missing for months. Imagine how her family and the people closest to her reacted. And then, for a while, it almost felt as if her return only caused more suffering, when all Nikki herself wanted to do was remedy the mess she'd inadvertently made. Ripping our hearts is the knowledge that Nikki has gone through an inconceivable horror and no one knows, so bearing the rumors and accusations and the hurt is almost too much. Even though the story's wrap-up is bitter and wrenching, there's a faint hope that glistens in the promise of the next book.

Pros for Hallowed:

A Book with Characters I Wish Were Flesh-n-Blood

For someone who's been thrust into the abnormal and near-incomprehensible in a surprisingly swift matter of months, Clara Gardner is a fighter; she doesn't go unappealingly batshit crazy when things stop making sense. She's real and she makes mistakes which piss us off at times, but we can't help but feel as if she's an embedded part of ourselves, which we can relate to with ease. Tucker is the guy we all want to notice us, the tough guy with a dazzling heart of gold and a romantic streak that only surfaces with the right girl. Wendy is the best friend we need and Angela is the sibling we love to hate. Toss in Clara's family, and we've got a winning cast in this series.

What Did She Say About Angels?

I'm deep in the camp that believes if you've read one angel book you've read them all. But Hand waves away that notion and proves us all wrong, removing what we thought we knew about angels and implanting a whole different set of rules. Ones that send us flares of red-herrings, boggle our minds, and generally set out to confuse, fascinate, and intrigue.

The Sads and Other Stuff

This installment's going-ons are tragic and bewildering and heartbreaking. There's SO MUCH EMOTION. It's as if Hand holds a gun and she plants bullet after bullet into our bodies and still somehow crazily expects us to stand up again. Despite the fact that our hearts are peppered with quarter-sized holes. Taking out our complementary Harry Potter cauldrons, throw in Clara and Tucker's Trouble in Paradise montage, the dying of a character that makes our hearts bleed, Clara's inner turmoil, fallen angels running amok for revenge and secret crushes, AND SO. MUCH. MORE. and we've successfully cooked up a batch of Hallowed. I even cried.

Not to mention the band of boys in both books who frustrated me, made me want to cry, smile, and every emotion in between. My feelings go something like,

And same thing applies to Jack Caputo (as Tuck) and Cole (as Christian).

Overall I enjoyed both Everneath and Hallowed, and although one clearly WOWed me more than the other, both met my expectations completely so that I wasn't disappointed in the least.

Tucker looks over my shoulder and seems to notice Christian for the first time.
"How you doing, Chris? Have a nice summer?" he asks.
"Yeah, fantastic," answers Christian, and his mind suddenly retreats from mine into a wave of forced indifference. "How about you?"
They stare at each other, one of those high-testosterone stares. "Amazing," Tucker says. There's a challenge in his voice. "Best summer of my life."
I wonder if it's too late to get out of this class.
"Well, that's the thing about summers, isn't it?" says Christian after a minute. "They have to end sometime." (3%) ~ Hallowed

Discussion: My Instawuv is Better Than Yours

2012-01-26T13:11:00.000-05:00

I've been tossing this idea around in my head mostly because I have not written, let alone thought, about a topic that has to do with Things Unrelated to When TVD is Coming Back and How Much I'm Hating My Life Right Now. But, SERIOUSLY, I've been thinking about this since I finished The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight, which, if you don't know, I love that book like anotha sibling, bro. AND this is also the perfect moment to mention that I'm giving away a copy of this badboy right HERE.

Anyway, once I finished putting down that awesome book and stopped telling everyone on this good planet how much I LOVED it, Oliver and Hadley's romance got me to thinking. We've got this book,

and nobody gives a darn (including me) about the falling in love in a VERY short time frame (I'm talking the very long span of 24 hours, readers) romance dominating the book, and it made me wonder why? I'm a hard sell when I read something like they're both feeling something strange - could it possibly be attraction? She's really fun and sweet and super nice, and he's a regular mastodon. After dumping buckets of soda on her, their eyes meet and love blooms. She can't deny her feelings for him, but she can't describe them. And that's a good thing because he certainly can't explain it either. Yuck. Like. Really?

But then, books like TSPoLaFS flutter into view and suddenly meeting a guy on a plane ride and then falling in love with that guy is HOT BEYOND WORDS. If it happens in the time frame of a day, SO BE IT, in fact, EVEN BETTER. But when books like,

You've just been REJECTED.

show up, I want hack and stab and tear this 'instawuv' romance to unidentifiable shreds of shame.

So here we are, paranormal instaluv vs. contemporary instaluv. Why do we tolerate either over the other, neither, or both? What makes one type more attractive and likeable than the other?

When two characters meet and we JUST KNOW that they're going to end up together, and we can't wait for That Magic Disney Moment or The Hot Sexy Times to happen, we're practically begging for instaluv to shower over these two. But when two characters are ogling each other's hotness for 100-something pages we get turned off.

I'm curious. What are your theories here?

January's Brood of Bookalicious Brews

2012-01-25T17:00:00.000-05:00

Hey, there! So you might be wondering, what is Brood of Bookalicious Brews?

Really, it's a simple post dedicated to showcasing new releases within the month that I haven't read yet!

It's a little reminiscent of The Story Siren's Books to Pine For posts, however this post will be featured monthly and is only limited to my choice of books releasing within the month.

Jessica Rules the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey

Add it to Goodreads? | Amazon / BookDepository

January 10, 2012 » Harcourt «

It’s one thing to find out you’re a vampire princess. It’s a whole other thing to actually rule. Newly married Jessica Packwood is having a hard enough time feeling regal with her husband, Lucius, at her side. But when evidence in the murder of a powerful elder points to Lucius, sending him into solitary confinement, Jessica is suddenly on her own. Determined to clear her husband’s name, Jessica launches into a full-scale investigation, but hallucinations and nightmares of betrayal keep getting in her way. Jessica knows that with no blood to drink, Lucius’s time is running out. Can she figure out who the real killer is—and whom she can trust—before it’s too late?

Why I Want to Read It: I read Jessica's Guide, the first book, a while back, before I started blogging, and it's one of those early books I fell in love with. I can't wait to see what's happened since then.

The Book of Wonders by Jasmine Richards

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January 17, 2012 » HarperTeen «

Magic, Djinn, Ogres, and Sorcerers. Thirteen-year-old Zardi loves to hear stories about fantastical beings, long banned from the kingdom of Arribitha. But anyone caught whispering of their powers will feel the rage of the sultan—a terrifying usurper who, even with his eyes closed, can see all.

When her own beloved sister is captured by the evil ruler, Zardi knows that she must go to any lengths to rescue her. Along with her best friend, Ridhan—a silver-haired, violet-eyed boy of mysterious origins—and an unlikely crew of sailors led by the infamous Captain Sinbad, Zardi ventures forth into strange and wondrous territory with a seemingly impossible mission: to bring magic back to Arribitha and defeat the sultan once and for all.

Why I Want to Read It: So I'm a HUGE fantasy buff, especially high fantasy, which makes me willing to overlook the fact that this is an MG novel and I don't really do MGs. An exception is being made because... well, LOOK AT IT. It's gorgeous, and the summary leaves me terminally gaga. Here's hoping the story delivers.

Incarnate by Jodi Meadows

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January 31, 2012 » HarperTeen «

NEWSOUL
Ana is new. For thousands of years in Range, a million souls have been reincarnated over and over, keeping their memories and experiences from previous lifetimes. When Ana was born, another soul vanished, and no one knows why.

NOSOUL
Even Ana’s own mother thinks she’s a nosoul, an omen of worse things to come, and has kept her away from society. To escape her seclusion and learn whether she’ll be reincarnated, Ana travels to the city of Heart, but its citizens are suspicious and afraid of what her presence means. When dragons and sylph attack the city, is Ana to blame?

HEART
Sam believes Ana’s new soul is good and worthwhile. When he stands up for her, their relationship blooms. But can he love someone who may live only once, and will Ana’s enemies—human and creature alike—let them be together? Ana needs to uncover the mistake that gave her someone else’s life, but will her quest threaten the peace of Heart and destroy the promise of reincarnation for all?

Jodi Meadows expertly weaves soul-deep romance, fantasy, and danger into an extraordinary tale of new life.

Why I Want to Read It: You knew this one was coming. Breathtaking cover. Interesting premise (I mean, 'cuz really when was the last time we all read about reincarnation?). There's a big fat giant flying rumor that there's dragons involved, among other cool and crazy cool things... I'd faint dead away if Incarnate landed in my lap.

Dragonswood by Janet Lee Carey

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January 5, 2012 » Penguin «

Wilde Island is in an uproar after the recent death of its king. The uneasy pact between dragons, fairies, and humans is fraying, and a bloodthirsty witch hunter with a hidden agenda whips villages into frenzies with wild accusations. Tess, a blacksmith’s daughter from a tiny hamlet near the mysterious Dragonswood, finds herself caught in the crosshairs of fate when she is accused of witchery and has to flee for her life along with her two best friends.

Not even Tess’s power to see the future can help the girls as they set off on their desperate journey, but she keeps having visions of a man wielding a sword. And when she finally meets him, Tess has no idea how to handle the magnetic attraction she feels for him, or the elusive call she hears from the heart of the Dragonswood.

In this epic romance, an ancient prophecy comes true in a way neither dragon, fairy, nor human would have predicted.

Why I Want to Read It: Ah, another fantasy. Surprise, surprise. And it's a PARANORMAL fantasy. *squeals* *jumps up and down* Don't even get me started on the cover.

The Alchemy of Forever by Avery Williams

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January 3, 2012 » Simon & Schuster «

After spending six hundred years on Earth, Seraphina Ames has seen it all. Eternal life provides her with the world's riches but at a very high price: innocent lives. Centuries ago, her boyfriend, Cyrus, discovered a method of alchemy that allows them to take the bodies of other humans from jumping from one vessel to the next, ending the human's life in the process. No longer able to bear the guilt of what she's done, Sera escapes from Cyrus and vows to never kill again.

Then sixteen-year old Kailey Morgan gets into a horrific car accident right in front of her, and Sera accidentally takes over her body while trying to save her. For the first time, Sera finds herself enjoying the life of the person she's inhabiting--and falling in love with the boy who lives next door. But Cyrus will stop at nothing until she's his again, and every moment she stays, she's putting herself and the people she's grown to care about in danger. Will Sera have to give up the one thing that's eluded her for centuries: true love?

Why I Want to Read It: I haven't read many stories with alchemy in it. So I'm kinda maybe a little bit desperate for this one. Have you SEEN the reviews for The Alchemy of Forever? I'm dyin' here.

Bittersweet by Sarah Ockler

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January 3, 2012 » Simon & Schuster «

Once upon a time, Hudson knew exactly what her future looked like. Then a betrayal changed her life, and knocked her dreams to the ground. Now she’s a girl who doesn’t believe in second chances… a girl who stays under the radar by baking cupcakes at her mom’s diner and obsessing over what might have been.

So when things start looking up and she has another shot at her dreams, Hudson is equal parts hopeful and terrified. Of course, this is also the moment a cute, sweet guy walks into her life…and starts serving up some seriously mixed signals. She’s got a lot on her plate, and for a girl who’s been burned before, risking it all is easier said than done.

It’s time for Hudson to ask herself what she really wants, and how much she’s willing to sacrifice to get it. Because in a place where opportunities are fleeting, she knows this chance may very well be her last…

Why I Want to Read It: Lemme just begin by saying that I'm a die-hard Sarah Ockler fan. She's a one-hit wonder, having blown my heart to smithereens with Twenty Boy Summer. My mission in life is to read anything she comes out with. So I have to get to Fixing Delilah at some point, BUT I REALLY REALLY REALLY WANNA READ Bittersweet.

What January releases have you doing the antsy-pants dance?

My Book Boyfriend for January: Jack Caputo

2012-01-25T12:33:00.002-05:00

This month's pick was a lot tougher than I expected. Who knew I would encounter such fresh and delicious man-crack all in a single month? It's almost too much hotness to handle. Up for the running was Oliver from The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight, Ian from Ditched, Decker from Fracture, Tucker from Hallowed, and, of course, my final pick, Jack from Everneath. After careful consideration, in which I went back to all my favorite moments with these guys, it came down to Tucker and Jack. My palms started sweating as my eyes darted between the two guys, one of whom I've been in love with for nearly a year. But then, my eyes narrowed at Tucker, as I realized I was a little bit pissed off at him for the going-ons in Hallowed. Say what you will about my senseless anger, but my choice solidified. Jack it was.

Jack Caputo

eyebrow piercing
chocolate-brown eyes
shaggy rich brown hair
strong, well-muscled

is the football quarterback
has a tattoo that means 'ever yours'
has an older bro

"Shush. I'm trying to work," he growled. He kept his head down, but his lips turned up slightly.
A soft chuckle escaped me. The first in a hundred years. Jack stared at me, and I gasped.
"What'd you say?" he asked.
I shook my head, my mouth slightly open. I couldn't have just laughed. I didn't even have the ability anymore, did I?
"It sounded like a laugh."
"No," I said abruptly. "No. It's not funny."
He raised an eyebrow at me. "Are you sure? Because it sounded almost as if you said something to me, and then I said something back that you found funny. And you giggled. I'm pretty sure that's what happened."
I took a few calming breaths. "No. That's impossible."
"Impossible that I said something funny?"
And there it was. I laughed again. "No. Impossible that I laughed."
His smile widened, and I laughed some more, at first because it was obviously not impossible, and then because I knew what it meant. I'd recovered enough to laugh.
Jack seemed amazed. "I think anything's possible, Becks."
And then the fleeting levity disappeared. He called me Becks. He believed anything was possible. I couldn't let him believe that. I was being selfish.
I didn't bother putting my books in my bag. I just grabbed them and took off. I could hear his footsteps behind me as I yanked the door open.
"I'll just follow you."
This made me freeze. "You don't know what you're saying."
He grabbed my wrist and pulled me around. "I let you go once, and you disappeared on me. Without a word. I'm not asking it to be the same as it was, but I just want to know you again. Please. Can I know you again?" - Everneath

Now if only we could make Grey Damon pull a Kristen-Stewart-as-Bella-Swan move and stick brown eye contacts into his sockets, then we'd be all set to go. Now, as you know there are FAR sexier pics of the gorgeous specimen, but it was this one, with his beautiful smile, that reminded me most of Jack. Thanks to Sarah of Forever Young Adult for providing the perfect casting call.

My Book Boyfriend is hosted by Missie at The Unread Reader, and it's a weekly meme in which you choose a fictional boy that makes your heart all gooey and write up a post for him. For more information, check out the introduction post. For sign ups and Missie's choice this week click here.

What fictional male can't you live without this week?

ARC Review: Fracture

2012-01-24T15:06:00.000-05:00

Fracture

by Megan Miranda

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Purchase: BookDepository
Release Date: January 17, 2012
Publisher: Walker/Bloomsbury
Age Group: Young Adult
Genre: Paranormal/Contemporary Romance
Source: NetGalley
Special: 2012 Debut Author Challenge
Rating: Sud Kissed

Hover over Books in the navigation bar above to find a link to My Rating System In-Depth.

About the Book:

Eleven minutes passed before Delaney Maxwell was pulled from the icy waters of a Maine lake by her best friend Decker Phillips. By then her heart had stopped beating. Her brain had stopped working. She was dead. And yet she somehow defied medical precedent to come back seemingly fine

—despite the scans that showed significant brain damage. Everyone wants Delaney to be all right, but she knows she's far from normal. Pulled by strange sensations she can't control or explain, Delaney finds herself drawn to the dying. Is her altered brain now predicting death, or causing it?

Then Delaney meets Troy Varga, who recently emerged from a coma with similar abilities. At first she's reassured to find someone who understands the strangeness of her new existence, but Delaney soon discovers that Troy's motives aren't quite what she thought. Is their gift a miracle, a freak of nature-or something much more frightening?

For fans of best-sellers like Before I Fall and If I Stay, this is a fascinating and heart-rending story about love and friendship and the fine line between life and death.

The first time I died, I didn't see God. No light at the end of the tunnel. No haloed angels...

I'm not exactly certain why my brain repelled the idea of reading this book. It was like all the stress from this past week was being pinned onto this book and I instantly took several steps back. But when I finally hunkered down and started reading, I wanted to slap myself into a stupor for being so irrationally reluctant. A blend of two of my favorite genres, Fracture hit high scores for both its paranormal and contemporary facets. Anna at Anna Reads described it perfectly by connecting it to both The Body Finder and If I Stay, because that's one of the best ways to epitomize the sadness, guilt, and Delaney's miraculous recovery permeating the story.

The mystery of Delaney's unexplainable retraction from death kindles questions in our heads that we can't ignore while reading about her return to her once normal life. Our hearts go out to this young girl who was once carefree and happy, her only concern resting on where to hide during a game of manhunt while donning a bright red parka in the snowy white of her world, and who now has the role of the miraculous guilt-ridden survivor of a horror that has killed so many before her. What makes me so special? is her on-going dilemma that begins to fester and block out what's really important--like how her best friend has feelings that don't belong in someone who's just a friend. This survivor's guilt plagues her, and the sadness disarms us, clogs our throat as a result. Even when her guilt and sadness vaporizes her sense at times, we're subtly persuaded to sympathize with her, and all those around her who suffer alongside her.

Fracture is told entirely from Delaney's perspective, but the easygoing, simplistic connection running from us to Decker provides us with such insight into his feelings. Unlike half-done, far less appealingly written friendships, it's abundantly clear how well these two characters know each other, how deeply embedded they are into each others' lives. Their romantic spark just adds another delightful layer to their relationship, although at times we want to pull our hair out from the understandable, yet totally frustrating one-step-forward-two-steps-back transition. Their moments run from wrenching to heartwarming, and it's so hard to determine which their next scene together will fall under. At the same time, this aspect is so well-written and agonizing and genuine, that we're pleased when hope flourishes for what they may have together.

I expected to hate this one and was stupidly amazed when I realized I didn't once I hit the end. If the opportunity to read something else of Megan Miranda arises again, I won't waste time with foolish doubts.

"Are you insane?" Decker looked me over.
"What?" I asked, hands on hips.
"You're not serious."
We were on our way to play manhunt. Most kids played in the dark, wearing black. We played in the snow, wearing white. Unfortunately, Mom had gotten rid of last year's jacket and replaced it with a bright red parka.
"Well I'd rather not freeze to death," I said.
"I don't know why I bother teaming up with you. You're slow. You're loud. And you're target practice."
"You team up with me because you love me," I said.
Decker shook his head and squinted. "It's blinding." (1%)

Review: Tempest

2012-01-22T10:58:00.000-05:00

Tempest

by Julie Cross

Add it to Goodreads?
Purchase: Amazon | BookDepository
Release Date: January 17, 2012
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Age Group: Young Adult
Genre: Sci-Fi/Paranormal
Source: Requested from Publicist
Special: 2012 Debut Author Challenge
Rating: Perfect Bed Partner

Hover over Books in the navigation bar above to find a link to My Rating System In-Depth.

About the Book:

The year is 2009. Nineteen-year-old Jackson Meyer is a normal guy… he’s in college, has a girlfriend… and he can travel back through time. But it’s not like the movies – nothing changes in the present after his jumps, there’s no space-time continuum issues or broken flux capacitors – it’s just harmless fun.

That is… until the day strangers burst in on Jackson and his girlfriend, Holly, and during a struggle with Jackson, Holly is fatally shot. In his panic, Jackson jumps back two years to 2007, but this is not like his previous time jumps. Now he’s stuck in 2007 and can’t get back to the future.

Desperate to somehow return to 2009 to save Holly but unable to return to his rightful year, Jackson settles into 2007 and learns what he can about his abilities.

But it’s not long before the people who shot Holly in 2009 come looking for Jackson in the past, and these “Enemies of Time” will stop at nothing to recruit this powerful young time-traveler. Recruit… or kill him.

Piecing together the clues about his father, the Enemies of Time, and himself, Jackson must decide how far he’s willing to go to save Holly… and possibly the entire world.

Saturday, April 11, 2009: Okay, so it's true. I can time-travel. But it's not as exciting as it sounds.

ON THE STORY: I'm a major time-travel fan. In books, that is. So when a trace of Tempest flitted passed my eyes, I instantly knew that this book was something worth checking out. It's so exciting when a debut author whips around and dazzles you with their first book, and Cross's simplistic, insightful narrative in Jackson Meyer's point of view (big plus right there) and her fresh outlook on time-travel completely drew me in to the story and left me fascinated.

Constant questions flash in our minds as Jackson is suddenly thrust into the impossible time and again, and feelings of sympathy and pangs of grief worm into our hearts for this once seemingly normal boy, who's sanity and willpower are harshly tested. Each new addition to the puzzle is like being slammed by brutal fists from all corners with no real way of deflecting them. Watching as Jackson is forced to grow up and endure a lonely quest for answers makes us feel as though we have to stick close to him, a warm body to lend heat in the cold. From gazing at a near-lifeless Holly to being pressed into the past with no escape to home to unearthing confusing bits of the past of a father he thought he knew, Jackson's perseverance endears him to us further.

Although the other characters don't embed themselves deeply into our lasting memory, they still create a likable impression. Jackson's geeky, computer nerd side-kick, Adam, and his beloved girlfriend, Holly, who is pretty tolerant of Jackson's secretive ways, are a charming and fun and witty duo to read about and enjoy. And the twin sister Jackson lost years ago slashes at our hearts with her weak and fading reflection in the weeping portions of Jackson's memory.

As if Cross doesn't wrangle with our emotions enough, she builds-up for her final, wrenching blow, slicing our hope into almost irretrievable shreds. And despite the wit and hilarity and shocking truths, the pain and sadness woven into the story is its most memorable element. Tempest's finishing development is STILL dominating my thoughts.

ON THE AUDIOBOOK: In a previous IMM, I mentioned that I was an audiobook virgin, having never had the inclination to try one out. My expectations were of an unyielding, sterile voice just playing the story for me. I was happily surprised when Matthew Brown portrayed every inflection and created voices for every character which worked. I found that even while I was reading the book, Brown's voice came to me as Jackson. My only qualm, which may be for audiobooks in general, is that they appear to take forever, and, I, a very fast reader, am far too impatient to listen to audiobooks all the way through for every book I read. So, while it was a nice experience which I enjoyed, audiobooks aren't my preference.

Jess Rothenberg's This or That + Giveaway

2012-01-17T00:00:00.000-05:00

About the Author:

Jess Rothenberg grew up in Charleston, South Carolina, graduated from Vassar College, and spent most of her twenties editing books for teens and middle grade readers (like the bestselling titles VAMPIRE ACADEMY, STRANGE ANGELS, and I AM A GENIUS OF UNSPEAKABLE EVIL & I WANT TO BE YOUR CLASS PRESIDENT, to name just a few). She lives in Brooklyn where she writes full-time, dances interpretively (http://bit.ly/xeGlEZ), and dreams of one day owning a sheepdog named Leo.

THE CATASTROPHIC HISTORY OF YOU AND ME is her first novel.

The Catastrophic History of You and Me is one of my most anticipated reads for 2012 and I'm so excited to welcome Jess Rothenberg on the blog today!

WOULD YOU RATHER EAT/DRINK:

Cupcakes or muffins? I’ll say muffin, but only under one condition: it has to be an APRICOT muffin from NYC’s Terallucci e Vino (to die for). If not, cupcake all the way.

Peanut butter or jelly? Homemade jam, like you’d buy at a farmer’s market. Preferably raspberry.

Ice cream or icees? Coffee Häagen-Dazs and/or Cookies and Cream.

Pastries or junk food? Nobody better lay a finger on my Butterfinger.

Coffee or tea? Coffee in the morning and tea allllll day long.

Soda or juice? Fresh-squeezed orange juice, please.

WHICH WOULD YOU RATHER READ:

Sci-fi or dystopian? Dystopian. (Don’t tell my Dad, he’ll be heartbroken.)

Contemporary romance or paranormal romance? As long as it’s forbidden, I’m in.

Urban Fantasy or High Fantasy? High fantasy. Secret Lord of the Rings fan girl here.

Myth retellings or fairy tale retellings? Fairy tale!

Tragedies or comedies? To me, the best stories are those that successfully blend both. Sometimes a good cry is just as satisfying as a good laugh.

WHICH WOULD WIN IN A FIGHT?

Vampires or werewolves? I just feel like werewolves would have the upper hand. Er, paw.

Ghosts or the living? Ghosts. (That whole walking through walls thing.)

Gods/Goddesses or demi-gods? I’d put my money on absolute power.

Witches or faeries? Witches. They’re better at blending in with the crowd and striking when you least expect it... Cackle.

Mermaids or sharks? Sharks. Stronger, faster, chompier. (Swim, Ariel, swim!)

WHEN YOU READ, YOU WOULD RATHER:

Sit in a chair or lay on a bed? Curling up in bed with a good book = the best.

Speed through the story or savor it? Savor! I get too sad when a fabulous story ends to rush through it.

Dog-ear the book or bookmark it? Dog-ear. Why is there never a bookmark around when you need one? (Or maybe I just need to tidy up my room.)

A long book or a short book? A good book.

A physical copy or an ebook? Physical. I love the texture of a cover, the delight of turning actual pages, and the sense of accomplishment I feel when I reach the end and can add it to my sprawling living room bookshelf.

YOU WOULD CHOOSE:

Stefan or Damon? (The Vampire Diaries) Can’t say, since I haven’t read the series or watched the show…

Christian or Tucker? (Unearthly) Same goes for Unearthly, alas.

Ash or Puck? (Iron Fey series) Eeek, I haven’t read this series either. I know, I must! *Hides face in shame.*

Edward or Jacob? (Twilight) Bella and Edward belong together, 100%. But personally, I’d go for Jacob. For one thing, he’s alive, which is always a plus in a significant other. But more than that, Jacob is sweet, snuggly, adorable, and—most importantly—a loyal friend. My kind of guy.

Dimitri or Adrian? (Vampire Academy/Bloodlines) I actually edited the entire Vampire Academy series, beginning to end, back when I was an editor at Razorbill, so THIS is one I can answer! Adrian is hilarious, no question about it, but I’m Team Dimitri all the way. : )

Thanks again for hosting me, Asher!
Hope you enjoy The Catastrophic History of You and Me when it lands in bookstores on 2/21!

Oh my gosh, Jess, it was such a pleasure! Thanks for answering so honestly and for happily participating! I'm so revved to pick up The Catastrophic History of You and Me and will at the first opportunity.

Dying of a broken heart is just the beginning.... Welcome to forever.

BRIE'S LIFE ENDS AT SIXTEEN: Her boyfriend tells her he doesn't love her, and the news breaks her heart—literally.

But now that she's D&G (dead and gone), Brie is about to discover that love is way more complicated than she ever imagined. Back in Half Moon Bay, her family has begun to unravel. Her best friend has been keeping a secret about Jacob, the boy she loved and lost—and the truth behind his shattering betrayal. And then there's Patrick, Brie's mysterious new guide and resident Lost Soul . . . who just might hold the key to her forever after.

With Patrick's help, Brie will have to pass through the five stages of grief before she's ready to move on. But how do you begin again, when your heart is still in pieces?

Purchase The Catastrophic History of You and Me, from Penguin, today!

Follow Jess on Twitter | "Like" her on Facebook | Read her blog | Become her fan on Goodreads

Official Giveaway Info:

you do NOT have to be a follower
there are extra entries available
all entrants must be at least 13 years old or older
giveaway deadline is February 1, 2012
giveaway is open to US residents only*
read my Contest | Giveaway page, as well as my Privacy Notice

a Rafflecopter giveaway

ARC Review: Stolen Away

2012-01-16T07:24:00.000-05:00

Warning: As I am a die-hard fan of Alyxandra Harvey, this review may be a TAD biased.

Stolen Away

by Alyxandra Harvey

Add it to Goodreads?
Purchase: Amazon | BookDepository
Release Date: January 17, 2012
Publisher: Walker/Bloomsbury
Age Group: Young Adult
Genre: Paranormal Romance/Fantasy
Special: YA/MG Fantasy Challenge
Source: NetGalley
Rating: Perfect Bed Partner

Hover over Books in the navigation bar above to find a link to My Rating System In-Depth.

About the Book:

When a cute guy dressed like a Victorian pirate kneels in front of Eloise the day after her seventeenth birthday, she knows that something strange is going on-and that's before he vows to be her champion and mentions her flaky aunt, Antonia, who's gone incommunicado once again. But this appearance isn't a coincidence, and when Eloise is attacked and pushed into an alternate world called Faery, she becomes embroiled in the underground politics of this world. Her captor is Lord Strahan, the ruler of Faery who is desperately clinging to his throne and will do anything to keep it. The only one who can break his power is his wife, Eloise's aunt Antonia-and Eloise has become his bargaining chip.

Now Eloise must find a way to save her aunt from Lord Strahan, and she'll need the help of her best friends Jo and Devin, along with the other Fae captives of Strahan's hall, including his son, Eldric. With a whole world of Faeries out to get her, Eloise must stop Strahan both worlds are thrust into complete chaos.

"I hate this town," Jo complained. "There isn't a single hot guy anywhere."

Alyxandra Harvey's books are like pockets of gleaming treasure; they typically have everything I want - great romance, a fast-paced, blood-pounding story, and characters and prose that are full of charm and humor. Personally, I think Harvey is a writing genius, so after hitting up vampires and ghosts, I was ecstatic for her take on faeries! Which are creatures Eloise Hart never imagined encountering in her relatively ordinary life. After being sought out in an open crowd by a guy clothed in an outrageously old-fashioned get-up, spouting out obvious nonsense about mysterious kidnappers on the hunt for her, Eloise hasn't a clue about the hidden supernatural world that's about to clash with hers. And it'll be up to the teamwork of she and her friends, along with unlikely relatives, to untangle the muddled mess born from this complicated, unbidden merging.

An inseparable, witty, hysterical trio, Devin, Eloise, and Jo are such enjoyable characters to read about, with their entertaining interactions being some of the highlights of this read, however they weren't as fleshed out as I typically come to expect from Harvey or as I'd've liked. Unlike with her other novels, I felt as if we absorb the surface of these characters and don't acquire a deeper look inside. Still, although I wouldn't say the three became my best buds by the end of the book, I loved how each of them balanced out their friendship and truly came through for each other, even when that meant trying to save their best friend from the capture of one power-hungry faery king or enduring the company of an irritated, bitter ancient faery with a penchant for insulting their intelligence. Despite their pitiable lack of knowledge for faery lore, they each brashly bust in guns blazing for those they care about, though the situation could be termed dire. It's damn near impossible to refrain from liking and admiring them.

With rapidly flourishing romances, the two couples that emerge in the story could be chalked up to 'instaluv.' But here's the thing: even when writing an instaluv-esque romance, Harvey still knows how put the swoon in swoon-worthy when it comes to the chemistry, and, oh, THE KISSING. Harvey should definitely be written down as one of the Kiss Scene Mastahs. I like how the romance was woven into the story, although I do wish there was more of it. And I enjoyed watching the sweet, tension-filled build-up in each relationship, leading to that first kiss, that first admission of feelings for one another. It was sweet and happy at times, sexy at others, and even wrenching. I'm no fan of a romance without substance, but I thought Harvey did a wonderful job considering the circumstances within the novel.

What's shouting in my brain is, I wish there had been more! I wish there was going to be more! Stolen Away did feel a bit rushed and not as thorough as I've know Harvey's novels to be; it should've been either lengthier or stretched out into, at minimum, a two-story arcing plot. While I won't say Stolen Away outshined the faery books that have dazzled the market, it was a fun, fast-paced adventurous tale that colors faeries in a sinister and exciting shade, and gave me another reason to love Alyxandra Harvey!

Eloise: "Eloise."
I squawked like a chicken being plucked bald. I had the most attractive reactions; I couldn't think why I didn't have a hundred boyfriends eager for my company.
Still, when you found someone hiding in the shadows of your roof garden, a little screeching was healthy. Elvis hissed and darted past me to the safety of the apartment. Fat lot of good he was to me.
"How did you get up here?" The fairy lights caught the silver of his sword hilt. A sword hilt. "Did you follow me?" (6%)

Jo: "Where's your mother's stash of PMS chocolate?"
"Behind the dried lenthils. But it's for emergencies."
"Hello?" I pointed at her. "Kidnapped." Then at myself. "Shot."
"Good points. Give me a piece of that."
I rolled my neck. "I hurt all over. Elf darts, my ass. I'm getting myself a water gun full of holy water."
"We're not after vampires."
We stared at each other in horror. (58%)

In My Mailbox (35)

2012-01-15T10:31:00.000-05:00

So I took a bit of a blogging/reading break this weekend, which is why I haven't been commenting as much these past couple of days. But, don't worry. You'll be seeing more fun stuff this upcoming week ;)

What I Got:

For Review:

	Lies Beneath by Anne Greenwood Brown Published: June 12, 2012 (Delacorte) Purchase: Amazon \| BookDepository
	Sisters of Glass by Stephanie Hemphill Published: March 27, 2012 (Knopf) Purchase: Amazon \| BookDepository
	Goddess Interrupted by Aimee Carter Published: March 27, 2012 (HarlequinTeen) Purchase: Amazon \| BookDepository
	Spellcaster by Cara Lynn Shultz Published: March 27, 2012 (HarlequinTeen) Purchase: Amazon \| BookDepository

Borrowed:

	Brightly Woven by Alexandra Bracken Published: June 1, 2010 (EgmontUSA) Purchase: Amazon \| BookDepository
	The Demon's Lexicon by Sarah Rees Brennan Published: June 2, 2009 (Margaret K. McElderry) Purchase: Amazon \| Book Depository
	The Demon's Surrender by Sarah Rees Brennan Published: June 14, 2011 (Margaret K. McElderry) Purchase: Amazon \| Book Depository

Bought/Ebooks:

	First Frost by Jennifer Estep Published: July 1, 2011 (Kensington Books) Purchase: Amazon
	Touch of Frost by Jennifer Estep Published: July 26, 2011 (Kensington Books) Purchase: Amazon \| BookDepository

Here's what happened on the blog this week:

I reviewed Ditched: A Love Story by Robin Mellom
I signed up for more 2012 challenges
I participated in Waiting on Wednesday with my own version, My Big Fat TBR Pile (14)
I reviewed The Gathering Storm by Robin Bridges
I dished out some YA news with Through the Grapevine, including info for giveaways, new covers, book trailers, and book releases, and so much more!

Happy reading! What was your week like?
What did you get in your mailbox?

ARC Review: The Gathering Storm

2012-01-12T00:00:00.000-05:00

The Gathering Storm

by Robin Bridges

Add it to Goodreads?
Purchase: Amazon | BookDepository
Release Date: January 10, 2012
Publisher: Delacorte
Age Group: Young Adult
Genre: Historical/Paranormal Romance
Special: YA Historical Fiction Challenge
Source: NetGalley
Rating: Guilty Pleasure

Hover over Books in the navigation bar above to find a link to My Rating System In-Depth.

About the Book:

St. Petersburg, Russia, 1888. As she attends a whirl of glittering balls, royal debutante Katerina Alexandrovna, Duchess of Oldenburg, tries to hide a dark secret: she can raise the dead. No one knows. Not her family. Not the girls at her finishing school. Not the tsar or anyone in her aristocratic circle. Katerina considers her talent a curse, not a gift. But when she uses her special skill to protect a member of the Imperial Family, she finds herself caught in a web of intrigue.

An evil presence is growing within Europe's royal bloodlines—and those aligned with the darkness threaten to topple the tsar. Suddenly Katerina's strength as a necromancer attracts attention from unwelcome sources . . . including two young men—George Alexandrovich, the tsar's standoffish middle son, who needs Katerina's help to safeguard Russia, even if he's repelled by her secret, and the dashing Prince Danilo, heir to the throne of Montenegro, to whom Katerina feels inexplicably drawn.

The time has come for Katerina to embrace her power, but which side will she choose—and to whom will she give her heart?

Our family tree has roots and branches reaching all across Europe, from France to Russia, from Denmark to Greece, and in several transient and minute kingdoms and principalities in between. This tree is tangled with all the rest of Europe's royalty, and like many in that forest, my family tree is poisoned with a dark evil...

Excitement swelled in massive waves when I first caught a glimpse of The Gathering Storm. Besides my love for historical fiction, I have a serious fascination with the Russian culture, the language and history in particular, so of course I was thrilled to happen upon a novel set in Imperial Russia! From the lush scenery painted for us by Bridges's very talented hands, which makes us feel very much a part of a world we've only seen in snatches in the history books, to the riveting paranormal element embedded in the story, I'm content with the story I unearthed in The Gathering Storm, although I wasn't pitched over the moon by insurmountable joy and love.

Katerina, or Katiya, as she is called, a young woman too forward for her time, harbors a disturbingly dark power that she has kept buried since early childhood. At our first meeting, Katiya seems to be a strong, independent female capable of thinking without direction from others, who is admirably advanced in her desires for life. Yet, there were points where a connection wouldn't sprout from the seed Bridges carefully planted; there were moments where her character struck me with a certain lack of believability or general intelligence, which drove a formidable wedge between us. Brilliant potential emanates from Katiya but I haven't hopped on board her fanclub train yet; I'm still waiting to be wowed by her. And shadowing that thought comes the feelings of aloofness pervading the other characters, a missing connection that bothered me while I was reading. I desperately wanted to like these characters for their dazzling personalities, but I wasn't awed by them, including the romantic lead, merely enjoying them at a few points here or there.

During the first half or so of The Gathering Storm, I was enthralled by what I found within its pages. An intriguing mystery would surface here and there, and then everywhere. I was constantly being swiped at by the mounting suspicion and puzzlement over these seemingly normal Russian aristocrats. And when the clues were peeled away to reveal the ripe supernatural secrets smeared over each of the members of Russian royalty, I was ecstatic! I thought, this, this, is where the novel will get explosive! And in those first few moments of shining discovery, the paranormal aspect was totally engrossing. But then between the confusing names and royal titles and the bewildering histories, throwing in a supernatural element seemed to overwhelm the story and changed it so that the plot appeared foggy, dare I say a tad cluttered. When the latter half ended, I was left with this faint disappointment at the turn of events headed toward the ending.

I am content with the story overall, but it had its bumps and awful spins that nearly eclipsed my comfortable liking for this book. Although I wanted to be sucker-punched by it's awesomeness, The Gathering Storm is, at best, a decent, likable novel. I'm hopeful that the rest of the series will turn out to surprise me in the best possible ways.

My Big, Fat TBR Pile (14)

2012-01-11T00:00:00.001-05:00

Most Wanted:

So I requested this book from a publisher/publicist about a month ago and still haven't heard back from them, but I'm still hoping for the best! Because, hey, that's me, the grotesquely optimistic sort. But, I'm SO IN LOVE WITH the idea of BORN WICKED by Jessica friggin' Spotswood. And it happened after I read this excerpt. I think it's pretty damn obvious who I would like to win next month's Blogger's Choice. ;P

Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood

Putnam Juvenile, February 7, 2012

Add to Goodreads?

A Great and Terrible Beauty meets Cassandra Clare in this spellbinding fantasy.

Everybody knows Cate Cahill and her sisters are eccentric. Too pretty, too reclusive, and far too educated for their own good. But the truth is even worse: they're witches. And if their secret is discovered by the priests of the Brotherhood, it would mean an asylum, a prison ship—or an early grave.

Before her mother died, Cate promised to protect her sisters. But with only six months left to choose between marriage and the Sisterhood, she might not be able to keep her word . . . especially after she finds her mother's diary, uncovering a secret that could spell her family's destruction. Desperate to find alternatives to their fate, Cate starts scouring banned books and questioning rebellious new friends, all while juggling tea parties, shocking marriage proposals, and a forbidden romance with the completely unsuitable Finn Belastra.

If what her mother wrote is true, the Cahill girls aren't safe. Not from the Brotherhood, the Sisterhood—not even from each other.

Why I Want to Read It: I mean that one-liner at the top alone would totally suck me in. But combine that with the cover and THE ACTUAL SUMMARY, and I'm completely hooked. I've been seeing some fantastic buzz for this novel. Plus, I read a short excerpt for the book and I'm totally sold on the characters already. Is that pathetic or amazing?

Fresh Faces:

Jessica Rules the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey
Harcourt, January 10, 2012

Getting Over Garrett Delaney by Abby McDonald
Candelwick Press, January 24, 2012

Dust-Lined:

Night Pleasures by Sherrilyn Kenyon
St. Martin's Press, September 4, 2002

Heavenly by Jennifer Laurens
Grove Creek, April 15, 2009

And that's it for this week's glimpse into my TBR pile.
I look forward to showing you more of what's in My Big, Fat TBR Pile.

What's lingering in your to-read pile?

More 2012 Challenge Sign-Ups

2012-01-10T15:35:00.002-05:00

Click here for info and sign-ups!

Level: 3, which is 15+ books

WHAT I HAVE FOR THIS CHALLENGE:

Wanderlove by Kerstin Hubbard
Fracture by Megan Miranda
Ditched by Robin Mellom
Life is But a Dream by Brian James
Blue Sky Days by Marie Landry
Welcome, Caller, This is Chloe by Shelley Coriell
Grafitti Moon by Cath Crowley

WHAT I WANT FOR THIS CHALLENGE:

Amazon.com Widgets

AND

My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick
A Midsummer's Nightmare by Kody Keplinger
Waiting by Carol Lynch Williams

Why I Want to Participate:

I love paranormal books, I do. But sometimes I need a break from the para part and want to stick with the normal. Contemporary romances are relatable, riddled with uncomplicated humor and every-day sort of issues. And because this year's set of contemps seem to be made entirely out of win, there's no way I could've passed up this challenge, since I'll be reading boatloads of contemporaries this year!

Click here for info and sign-ups!

Challenge: Read 10 YA or MG fantasy that are released in 2012

WHAT I HAVE FOR THIS CHALLENGE:

Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen
Allegiance by Cayla Kluver
Cinder by Marissa Meyer
Stolen Away by Alyxandra Harvey

WHAT I WANT FOR THIS CHALLENGE:

Amazon.com Widgets

Why I Want to Participate:

I. LOVE. Fantasy. It's definitely one of my favorite genres, besides, OBVS, paranormal romance. And fantasy could mean so many things - there's paranormal fantasy, historical fantasy, urban fantasy, high fantasy, etc. This genre rocks! and it gives me loads of breathing room as far as which ones I can pick for the challenge. Really, all I have to say is 10 books? Really, that's all?

Click here for info and sign-ups!

Level: 2, which is 10 books

WHAT I HAVE FOR THIS CHALLENGE:

The Gathering Storm by Robin Bridges
The Revenant by Sonia Gensler
Lily of the Nile by Stephanie Dray
Plain Kate by Erin Bow
Allegiance by Cayla Kluver
The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

WHAT I WANT FOR THIS CHALLENGE:

Amazon.com Widgets

Why I Want to Participate:

Historical Fiction books are awesome. I love that despite the time period of whatevs, the heroines/heroes and their leading men (or ladies) are oftentimes dealing with contemporary issues. It's a wonderful feeling, to be able to relate to a girl from, say, the Victorian era, despite the beautiful, fluffy dresses and the dance cards, because, hey, our emotions and our struggles TRANSCEND EVEN TIME.

So what about you? Are you participating in any of these challenges this year? What are you participating in? Got any reading suggestions to ensure success?

ARC Review: Ditched: A Love Story

2012-01-09T06:54:00.001-05:00

Ditched: A Love Story

by Robin Mellom

Add it to Goodreads?
Purchase: Amazon | BookDepository
Release Date: January 10, 2012
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Age Group: Young Adult
Genre: Contemporary Romance/Chick Lit
Source: NetGalley
Rating: Sud-Kissed

Hover over Books in the navigation bar above to find a link to My Rating System In-Depth.

About the Book:

High school senior Justina Griffith was never the girl who dreamed of going to prom. Designer dresses and strappy heels? Not her thing. So she never expected her best friend, Ian Clark, to ask her.

Ian, who always passed her the baseball bat handle first.

Ian, who knew exactly when she needed red licorice.

Ian, who promised her the most amazing night at prom.

And then ditched her.

Now, as the sun rises over her small town, and with only the help of some opinionated ladies at the 7-Eleven, Justina must piece together — stain by stain on her thrift-store dress — exactly how she ended up dateless. A three-legged Chihuahua was involved. Along with a demolition derby-ready Cadillac. And there was that incident at the tattoo parlor. Plus the flying leap from Brian Sontag's moving car...

But to get the whole story, Justina will have to face the boy who ditched her. And discover if losing out at prom can ultimately lead to true love.

I don't know how I ended up on the side of Hollister Road, lying in this ditch...

Alternating between chats at 7-11 in the present and the horrific events of the night before, Ditched immediately sets out to intrigue us with the heroine's current predicament: stranded, without money, no phone, and, oh yeah, she's been ditched by her best friend on prom night. From the first few lines, I was hooked, because as soon as the story begins we find Justina in a ditch along the side of the road with few memories intact. Once she hikes up to the nearest 7-11, however, the events of what should have been the best night of her life - in which she was planning to lock lips with her best friend and crush - come flooding back to her, provoking our insatiable curiosity. What happened to this girl? Where did all those stains on her heinously iridescent prom dress come from? And why is she sporting a tattoo and a bruise shaped like a french fry? All of these questions are answered chapter by chapter, in the most witty, charming way.

A main character like Justina, sarcastic and uncomfortable in her own skin, really pulled this story together. She emanates this laugh-out-loud humor in her words and her recounting of events to clerk and customer at her refuge in 7-11. And as Justina tells her insane story, we get to see and know the other characters through her eyes. It was fun and sweet watching the unlikeliest of people come through for her, helping her along her quest to track down Ian, her AWOL prom date.

I loved her happy, simmering relationship with Ian. It was easy to spot the wondering, the yearning between the two, and their snippets together tugged gigantic smiles out of me. Although, at times, Ian's perfection could be disconcerting and borderline unbelievable, the fact is, my Inner Cynic's jeering thoughts were railroaded by the profound cuteness of this Blossoming Into Something More relationship. These two had a deep and complete understanding of one another, an irremovable trust, and a need to protect, console, and cheer each other. A delightful companionship that has always straddled the boundary between friends and Something More, I basked in the obvious clues of Ian's feelings, and watching Justina uncover the truth was so rewarding.

Ditched could have easily been a cheesy, fluffy story with no heart, and while it has subtle elements of the cutesy and mushy, it was never unbearable. Instead, Ditched proved to be the perfect sit-down read to have when the day is crappy and a serious mood lifter is in order. Looking to laugh away your troubles? Ditched is the perfect solution.

"But Ian proved he was boyfriend material?"
"Yeah. Except it took a long time for me to realize it. We were... friends. For a long time. Like, almost nine months. I mean, that's how long it takes to incubate a baby." (21)

"Ian drove me to school every day. And he'd remind me which color uniform I needed for a track meet. I trusted him." I stare at the half-eaten gummy bear, getting lost in memories of him. "It's strange how you can be friends with someone for so long and then one day he brings you licorice and Motrin because you're whacked out from heinous painful cramps straight from the Devil, but you notice he's wearing a new shirt that's a certain shade of green... and whammo! Your insides turn to pudding and all you can do is think about making out with him. He's the same guy, doesn't change a bit from one day to the next" - I start to think about his eyes, his mouth - "but because a color brings out his eyes, you suddenly realize..."
Gilda finishes my sentence. "Boyfriend material." (22)

"So you don't like flat things?" I'd wiggle my chest, strangely unafraid around him to be proud of my less-than-impressive humps.
"Are we comparing chips to the female form?"
"I don't know." I'd squint my eyes. "Are we?"
"Yes, Justina. That makes perfect sense. I only eat Ruffles because they make me think of girls' breast, and I'm the type of guy to base my food preferences on girly parts. I prefer grapefruit to apples, you know."
"And the truth comes out."
We always teetered on the edge of flirtation - delicately dipping our toes in, but never fully plunging. That was the best part of our friendship, the unsaid part - the playful looks, the teetering, the toe-dips. (34)

He didn't talk to me for two entire days. We only went back to being best friends after I repeated an apology he had written down on a napkin from the nacho bar at 7-Eleven.

I, Justina Griffith, apologize for my rudeness in not accepting a gift from my awesome and oh-so-handsome friend Ian. Who might also possibly be magic. And therefore, hither and dither, former and latter, perfunctory and whatnot... I'll never do it again.

Ian is planning on becoming a lawyer one day. He likes to inject fancy nonsense words into his writing in preparation for his future career. (102)

Through the Grapevine: Dec. 26-8

2012-01-08T00:01:00.006-05:00

Through the Grapevine is a weekly feature in which I dish on upcoming releases and bookish events sweeping across the blogosphere. Find out about giveaways and author news, just-released books, among other fun, exciting reveals!

Fresh Faces

Amazon.com Widgets

The Amanda Project: Book 3: Shattered by Laurie Faria Stolerz & Amanda Valentino
Emily the Strange: Piece of Mind by Jessica Gruner & Roger Rener
Every Other Day by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Kiss Crush Collide by Christina Meredith
Love & Leftovers by Sarah Tregay
Magic of the Moonlight by Ellen Streiber
Replication: The Jason Experiment by Jill Williamson
Secret Sisterhood of Heartbreakers by Lynn Weingarten
Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler & Maira Kalman

Addison Blakely: Confessions of a PK by Betsy St. Arhant
Irises by Francisco X. Stork
The Storyteller by Antonia Michaelis
Darkness Falls by Cate Tiernan
The Queen of Kentucky by Alecia Walker
The Statistical Probability of Love by Jennifer E. Smith

The Alchemy of Forever by Avery Williams
Alienation by Jon S. Lewis
Bittersweet by Sarah Ockler
Bloodrose by Andrea Cremer
Charmfall by Chloe Neill
Cinder by Marissa Meyer
Cracked by K.M. Walton

Don't Breathe a Word by Holly Cupala
Dreaming Awake by Gwen Hayes
Everything You Need to Survive the Apocalypse by Lucy Klauss
International Kissing Club by Ivy Adams
Pretty Little Liars: Pretty Little Secrets by Sara Shepard
Switched by Amanda Hocking
Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi
Unraveling Isobel by Eileen Cook

Dragonswood by Janet Lee Carey
Lilah May's Manic Days by Vanessa Curtis
Love? Maybe by Heather Hepler
Run: A Subject Seven Novel by James A. Moore
Fangtastic by Lucienne Diver
Shadow's Edge by Maureen Lipinsky

Future Finds

Jessica Rules the Dark Side (#2) by Beth Fantaskey
A Million Suns (#2) by Beth Revis
The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

Happenin' Hotspots

Creators: Brodie & Lisa

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Gratifying Giveaway Gleans

Lauren DeStefano: Paperback Giveaway! (US + INTL)

Win one of two signed US paperbacks of Lauren's first novel, Wither!

A Book and a Latte: New Years Giveaway! (US + INTL)

A choice of 1 new release title (up to $15) will be shipped by Amazon or the Book Depository to the winner. If the chosen title has not yet released, then Jen will pre-order you a copy.

Makeshift Bookmark: 16 Book Giveaway! (US + INTL)

You can win the following ARCs: Kiss, Crush, Collide by Christina Meredith, Extraordinary by Nancy Werlin, Glow by Amy Kathleen Ryan, The Power of Six by Pittacus Lore, All These Things I've Done by Gabrielle Zevin, The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin, Dark Eden by Patrick Carman, A Touch Morbid by Leah Clifford, Everneath by Brodi Ashton, Tempestuous by Lesley Livingston, Eve by Anna Carey, Incarnate by Jodi Meadows and the following finished copies: Under the Green Hill by Laura Sullivan, The Long Weekend by Savita Kalhan, Dangerous Angels by Francesca Lia Block, The Time-Traveling Fashionista by Bianca Turetsky!

And don't forget my giveaways!

Currently up for grabs:

Like swag? Three people will win a bunch of really pretty bookmarks!
You could also win a copy of The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith.
Jordan Dane is graciously offering a signed copy of On a Dark Wing, as well.

All of this can be found by clicking here.

Cover Confessions

Shadows: A Lux Novel (#0.5) by Jennifer L. Armentrout
City of Lost Souls (#5) by Cassandra Clare
Toxic (#2) by Jus Accardo
Before I Wake by Rachel Vincent
Stealing Parker by Miranda Kenneally

Author Spills

Marissa Meyer, young adult debut author of Cinder, has a blog tour rolling through January. Check it out for some awesome prizes!

Triumphant Trailers

Other

Check the Dark Days Central Facebook page to check out exciting new releases and read a GENEROUS EXCERPT for each book!

(You have to have Facebook though.)

Onyx (#2) by Jennifer L. Armentrout has a blurb!

(Highlight to read)

Being connected to Daemon Black sucks…

Thanks to his alien mojo, Daemon’s determined to prove what he feels for me is more than a product of our bizarro connection. So I’ve sworn him off, even though he’s running more hot than cold these days. But we’ve got bigger problems.

Something worse than the Arum has come to town…

The Department of Defense is here. If they ever find out what Daemon can do and that we're linked, I’m a goner. So is he. And there's this new boy in school who’s got a secret of his own. He knows what’s happened to me and he can help, but to do so, I have to lie to Daemon and stay away from him. Like that's possible. Against all common sense, I'm falling for Daemon. Hard.

But then everything changes…

I’ve seen someone who shouldn’t be alive. And I have to tell Daemon, even though I know he’s never going to stop searching until he gets the truth. What happened to his brother? Who betrayed him? And what does the DOD want from them—from me?

No one is who they seem. And not everyone will survive the lies…

HOLY COW BABIES, doesn't that sound... totally MYSTIFYING. And awesome!

And finally, don't forget to answer the poll in my sidebar! The voting decides next month's Blogger's Choice Award winner! :) Expect fun author posts from the winners at the end of each month (teeheehee)!

What are you most looking forward to?

In My Mailbox (34) + Vlog

2012-01-08T00:00:00.002-05:00

Vlog:

What I Got:

For Review:

	Tempest by Julie Cross (Physical + Audiobook) Published: Jan. 17, 2012 (St. Martin's Griffin) Purchase: Amazon \| BookDepository
	Stolen Away by Alyxandra Harvey Published: Jan. 17, 2012 (Walker) Purchase: Amazon \| BookDepository
	Scarlet by A. C. Gaughen Published: Feb. 14, 2012 (Walker) Purchase: Amazon \| BookDepository
	Fracture by Megan Miranda Published: Jan. 17, 2012 (Walker) Purchase: Amazon \| BookDepository

Borrowed:

	Babe in Boyland by Jody Gehrman Published: Feb. 17, 2011 (Dial) Purchase: Amazon \| BookDepository
	Tyger, Tyger by Kerstin Hamilton Published: November 15, 2010 (Clarion Books) Purchase: Amazon
	Born at Midnight by C. C. Hunter Published: March 29, 2011 (St. Martin's Griffin) Purchase: Amazon \| BookDepository
	Awaken at Dawn by C. C. Hunter Published: Oct. 11, 2011 (St. Martin's Griffin) Purchase: Amazon \| BookDepository
	Shadowcry by Jenna Burtenshaw Published: June 21, 2011 (Greenwillow) Purchase: Amazon \| BookDepository
	Starcrossed by Elizabeth C. Bunce Published: Oct. 1, 2010 (Arthur A. Levine) Purchase: Amazon \| BookDepository

Bought:

	Dark Lover by J. R. Ward Published: Sept. 6, 2005 (Signet) Purchase: Amazon \| BookDepository
	The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han Published: May 5, 2009 (Simon & Schuster) Purchase: Amazon \| BookDepository
	Slice of Cherry by Dia Reeves Published: Jan. 4, 2011 (Simon & Schuster) Purchase: Amazon \| BookDepository
	The Artemis Fowl Files by Eoin Colfer Published: Oct. 14, 2004 (Miramax) Purchase: Amazon \| BookDepository
	Night Pleasures by Sherrilyn Kenyon Published: Sept. 4, 2002 (St. Martin's Press) Purchase: Amazon \| BookDepository
	Daughters of the Moon 1-3 by Lynne Ewing Published: March 2, 2010 (Hyperion CH) Purchase: Amazon \| BookDepository

Here's what happened on the blog this week:

I reviewed The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith and am giving away a copy! (US + INTL)
I reviewed Cinder by Marissa Meyer
I participated in the Busting the Newbie Blues blog event hosted by Small Review
I reviewed On a Dark Wing by Jordan Dane
Marissa Meyer stopped by the blog for a Fact Fusion
I participated in a blog tour for Yesterday's Daughter by Sallie Lundy-Frommer
Jordan Dane hits up the blog with answers to some of my questions and offers up a signed copy of On a Dark Wing to US + Canada residents!
I dished out some YA news with Through the Grapevine, including info for giveaways, new covers, book trailers, and book releases, and so much more!

Happy reading! What was your week like?
What did you get in your mailbox?

	Lies Beneath by Anne Greenwood Brown Published: June 12, 2012 (Delacorte) Purchase: Amazon \| BookDepository
	Sisters of Glass by Stephanie Hemphill Published: March 27, 2012 (Knopf) Purchase: Amazon \| BookDepository
	Goddess Interrupted by Aimee Carter Published: March 27, 2012 (HarlequinTeen) Purchase: Amazon \| BookDepository
	Spellcaster by Cara Lynn Shultz Published: March 27, 2012 (HarlequinTeen) Purchase: Amazon \| BookDepository

	Tempest by Julie Cross (Physical + Audiobook) Published: Jan. 17, 2012 (St. Martin's Griffin) Purchase: Amazon \| BookDepository
	Stolen Away by Alyxandra Harvey Published: Jan. 17, 2012 (Walker) Purchase: Amazon \| BookDepository
	Scarlet by A. C. Gaughen Published: Feb. 14, 2012 (Walker) Purchase: Amazon \| BookDepository
	Fracture by Megan Miranda Published: Jan. 17, 2012 (Walker) Purchase: Amazon \| BookDepository

	Babe in Boyland by Jody Gehrman Published: Feb. 17, 2011 (Dial) Purchase: Amazon \| BookDepository
	Tyger, Tyger by Kerstin Hamilton Published: November 15, 2010 (Clarion Books) Purchase: Amazon
	Born at Midnight by C. C. Hunter Published: March 29, 2011 (St. Martin's Griffin) Purchase: Amazon \| BookDepository
	Awaken at Dawn by C. C. Hunter Published: Oct. 11, 2011 (St. Martin's Griffin) Purchase: Amazon \| BookDepository
	Shadowcry by Jenna Burtenshaw Published: June 21, 2011 (Greenwillow) Purchase: Amazon \| BookDepository
	Starcrossed by Elizabeth C. Bunce Published: Oct. 1, 2010 (Arthur A. Levine) Purchase: Amazon \| BookDepository

	Dark Lover by J. R. Ward Published: Sept. 6, 2005 (Signet) Purchase: Amazon \| BookDepository
	The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han Published: May 5, 2009 (Simon & Schuster) Purchase: Amazon \| BookDepository
	Slice of Cherry by Dia Reeves Published: Jan. 4, 2011 (Simon & Schuster) Purchase: Amazon \| BookDepository
	The Artemis Fowl Files by Eoin Colfer Published: Oct. 14, 2004 (Miramax) Purchase: Amazon \| BookDepository
	Night Pleasures by Sherrilyn Kenyon Published: Sept. 4, 2002 (St. Martin's Press) Purchase: Amazon \| BookDepository
	Daughters of the Moon 1-3 by Lynne Ewing Published: March 2, 2010 (Hyperion CH) Purchase: Amazon \| BookDepository