A Quick Bookish Survey

The Broke and the Bookish is doing a quick little survey. I'm down with surveys and polls, so why the heck not.


1. The Book I'm Currently Reading:  Seraphina by Rachel Hartman. I was initially drawn to this book because of DRAGONS. I'm only about 2 chapters in but I'm hooked already and I think the writing is going to be magical and amazing.

2. The Last Book I Finished:   Deadline by Mira Grant. I posted my review yesterday. Second book in the Newsflesh Trilogy. I dug it.

3. The Next Book I Want To Read: Well I have a giant stack to get to, but the next one on my list has to be Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo. This book sounds monsterifically awesome.



4.The Last Book I Bought: Well I never end up buying just one book..it's usually 3 or more at a time. But I think Sisterhood Everlasting by Ann Brashares was in my last haul. It's the last book in the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series, which I remember loving but it's been quite a while since I read them. I sneak peaked the first chapter and I think it's going to be quite enjoyable. However I am completely against the cover, different then all the others. Boo to the hoo.

5. The Last Book I Was Given: Hmmm..I don't get given a lot of books very often. The last book I borrowed from a work friend was the Fifty Shades of Grey Trilogy by E.L. James. They are what they are and I quite enjoyed what they are. Christian Grey. Yes.

My Thoughts: Deadline (Mira Grant)

Shaun Mason is a man without a mission. Not even running the news organization he built with his sister has the same urgency as it used to. Playing with dead things just doesn't seem as fun when you've lost as much as he has.

But when a CDC researcher fakes her own death and appears on his doorstep with a ravenous pack of zombies in tow, Shaun has a newfound interest in life. Because she brings news-he may have put down the monster who attacked them, but the conspiracy is far from dead.

Now, Shaun hits the road to find what truth can be found at the end of a shotgun.
(Goodreads Summary)

Deadline is book#2 in the Newsflesh Trilogy.
This review will contain SPOILERS from Feed only.


Ok. Wow. So. (That's how the end of Deadline left me)

So Feed basically leaves us with the knowledge that the CDC is corrupted. You don't know who you can trust. You learn that there is a lot more going on with the Kellis-Amberlee virus than once thought. The public has been lied to. Shaun and his friends have been lied to. Buffy and Georgia are dead. Deadline immediately picks up where Feed left off.

There were a couple times in Deadline that I felt bogged down with scientific fact talk. While interesting it, at times, crossed over in to eye glazing territory. Things however quickly picked up. Deadline contains a lot of action, but it's a different kind then most readers will be expecting. It's not all apocalyptic face ripping and innard eating violence on every page. Deadline is more about a ragtag group of bloggers searching for answers and trying not to get murdered in the process. The zombies really aren't their biggest concern. That doesn't mean it's not edge-of-your-seat what's going to happen next suspense at times.

To be honest, I was a little worried going in to book 2. Georgia was my favorite character and with her being all dead now I was a little wary about Shaun taking up the slack. Luckily Georgia is still around seeing as Shaun has gone a little crazy and hears Georgia's voice in his head. And can sometimes see her. And feel her. He deserves to indulge in a little crazy, he did have to see his sister get infected and then shoot her in the head after all. So that means Georgia is still very much present in Deadline, through both the crazy talk in Shaun's head and through old blog entries. But Shaun holds his own as a character and I grew to like him quite a bit. As well as Becks, who kinda steps in as a brave, hardcore female character but also has a soft side.

One part of these books I really think adds a lot are the blog entries, both published and unpublished, that the author includes at the beginning and/or end of each chapter from Shaun, Georgia or one of the other members of their group. They give a lot of insight into the characters and how they are feeling about their friends, family, the world as a whole, and themselves.

Things happen toward the end of this book that I absolutely did NOT see coming and have a LOT of unanswered questions about. As soon as I read the last line, I literally put the book down and said out loud, "What the fuck?!?". There's no way I can NOT read the third and final book, Blackout.

Favorite Quotes:
" That was the sort of grief I can handle. Sadly enough, it's the kind I've been on the inside of, because even saying good-bye isn't enough. There's always one more thing you should have had the time to say, or do, or ask. There's always going to be that one missing piece."

"I think that if anything destroys the human race at this point, it's going to be the human race itself."

"I guess in the end, it doesn't matter what we wanted. What matters is what we chose to do with the things we had."

"The truth may, given the opportunity, set us free."

"Sometimes people make mistakes, and sometimes those mistakes are the sort that don't allow for second chances."


Bottom Line: Basically it's simple, if you liked Feed, you should read Deadline. I don't think you'll be disappointed.   4/5

Ink Scratchers

Everyone should totally head on over to Ink Scratchers blog to enter for an amazing giveaway...some of the book choices if you win are freakin saaawweeeet!  I'm looking at YOU The Lost Prince by Julie Kagawa!! I just entered...here's hopin!

Waiting on Wednesday (#3)

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted over at Breaking the Spine.

It's all about highlighting the book(s) we can't wait to be released!!

Okay, here's one book I'm looking forward to reading:


(Summary from Amazon)

When Barry Fairweather dies in his early forties, the town of Pagford is left in shock.

Pagford is, seemingly, an English idyll, with a cobbled market square and an ancient abbey, but what lies behind the pretty façade is a town at war.

Rich at war with poor, teenagers at war with their parents, wives at war with their husbands, teachers at war with their pupils…Pagford is not what it first seems.

And the empty seat left by Barry on the parish council soon becomes the catalyst for the biggest war the town has yet seen. Who will triumph in an election fraught with passion, duplicity and unexpected revelations?


THE WHY:  Okay. So. I plan on buying and devouring (hopefully smoothly with no feeling of indigestion) this book for one reason and one reason only. The amazing, talented, magical genius that is J.K. Rowling. It's no small secret that my favorite series in the history of forever is Harry Potter. This is J.K.'s first novel for adults. I guess I'm an adult.. sometimes. I don't like the cover or  the title and if this book was written by anyone else I would pass it right by after reading the summary. BUT it's J.K. FREAKING ROWLING. And I optimistically believe she will not let me down. Even though this book doesn't contain quidditch, butterbeer or house elves (that we know of...). LET ME AT IT!

To be released September 27th!!

In My MailBox (#14)

In My Mailbox is hosted over at The Story Siren

Man, it's been a WHILE since my last in my mailbox post. Not because I haven't bought any books, but because I haven't had time to post them.

 All the books I'm about to list have been purchased in the last month, possibly two.

Shadow and Bone

    Wanderlove

     Insurgent

       Bitterblue

     The Vampire Chronicles

The Element Encyclopedia of Vampires (I only bought this because it was on bargain clearance)

The Lord of the Rings

   Dreamland

    The Goddess Test

   Goddess Interrupted

The Vicious Deep

  Forgive My Fins

Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side

Water Wars

Lost Voices

Seraphina

Eragon

The Books Thief (Read this one and LOVED it, 5/5)

Between Shades of Gray (Also read this one, pretty good, 3/5)

Deadline (I also bought Feed but let a friend borrow it. You can read my review of Feed that I posted about a week ago, 4/5. I'm almost done with Deadline and loving it)

Sisterhood Everlasting (final book in the Sisterhood of Travelling Pants series which I love)

On a non-bookish note I bought the first season of Happy Endings, such a cute, quirky, hilarious show.

Oh, I almost forgot. I purchased a couple books on my Kindle that were 3.99 and less (except for the H.P. Mallory one). I couldn't NOT buy them.

My new e-books are as follows:

Enclave by Ann Aguirre

Darker Still: A Novel of Magic Most Foul by Leanna Rene Hieber

Hearts at Stake:A Drake Chronicles Novel by Alyxandra Harvey

The Demon Trapper's Daughter by Jana Oliver

Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen

Born at Midnight by C.C. Hunter

Witchful Thinking:A Jolie Wilkins Novel by H.P. Mallory

Well I think that's it for now. I made a vow not to buy anymore books until I get through at least half of the ones I already own. (Unless of course it's one of the new books that is coming out soon that is on my must-have list....)

Blog hiatus

Well it seems I've had an unintentional hiatus from my blog, no posts since March, other then my review a couple days ago.
I had a reading lull and would come home from work too exhausted to do anything but fall into bed. I definitely didn't have enough energy to keep up with my blog.
I'm trying to get back into it now, I've missed posting and reviewing the books I've read for my own records.

I've been under a lot of stress recently and there was some illness in my family. I tend to deal with these things in one of two ways, eating or shopping. I went to the bookstore like 6 times in the course of 2 weeks. I have a TON of new books I'm stoked to read.  Slowly weeding my way through them. I don't know about other readers but sometimes I have the hardest time deciding what to read next. I have a lot of books that are the second or third in a series and feel like I need to go back and read the first one, but that's more time away from reading all my new books. EEEEk.

I'm reading Deadline by Mira Grant right now, the second book in the Newsflesh Trilogy. I definitely recommend this series to people who are a fan of zombies. These books give a more realistic feel to the whole zombie phenomenon.  Note to self...find my zombie survival guide and study up on what NOT to do...

My Thoughts: FEED (Mira Grant)

The year was 2014. We had cured cancer. We had beaten the common cold. But in doing so we created something new, something terrible that no one could stop. The infection spread, virus blocks taking over bodies and minds with one, unstoppable command: FEED. Now, twenty years after the Rising, bloggers Georgia and Shaun Mason are on the trail of the biggest story of their lives - the dark conspiracy behind the infected. The truth will get out, even if it kills them. (Goodreads blurb)

My Thoughts:
As far as zombie books go, this one was pretty excellent.

Let me start by saying every zombie book I have read so far and tv/movie I've watched depicts the new zombiefied worlds as desolate, isolated and just plain lonely.  In Feed, humanity has found a way to survive, pretty well actually. Sure, there are hazard zones and no access areas, pretty much everyone carries firearms, and you have to have blood tests everywhere you go as well as succumb to strict isolation/sterilization protocols.  BUT because of all these things, society as a whole is still functioning.  There are still laws to be followed and, heck in this book there's a presidential race going on.  All of these things together gave this book a realistic feel and gives a good creep-out factor that something like this could possibly be waiting for us in the future. 

In this world, the only reliable news source you can depend on is that from bloggers. I especially liked that premise. It was through a blog that the public first learned about Kellis-Amberlee virus (Zombie virus) which was caused by a mutation of the two cures discovered for cancer and the common cold. So basically you're stoked because you can't die a slow and agonizing death from the big C. But now, you are constantly on the look-out to make sure you don't get infected or eaten by the big Z.

Feed focuses on one particular group of bloggers who makes it their job to make sure the public gets the unfiltered facts, even if it costs them their lives. Most of the characters were easy to relate to and could be anyone. I especially found Georgia's idiosyncrocies to be quite relatable. Even though this book is almost 600 pages, I had no trouble getting through it. It was very interesting and different from other books I've read.

The end of this book was both expected and unexpected. I didn't like it. But it's an author's job to write things that the reader won't necessarily like in order to keep things moving and set up following books. I'm well on my way into Deadline, book #2 in the trilogy.

Favorite Quotes:
“Every life has a watershed moment, an instant when you realize you're about to make a choice that will define everything else you ever do, and that if you choose wrong, there may not be that many things left to choose. Sometimes the wrong choice is the only one that lets you face the end with dignity, grace, and the awareness that you're doing the right thing.
I'm not sure we can recognize those moments until they've passed us.” 

“…but at the end of the day, there’s got to be somebody you’re doing it for. Just one person you’re thinking of every time you make a decision, every time you tell the truth, or tell a lie, or anything.
I’ve got mine. Do you?”

Bottom Line:  If you're tired of all the same old apocalyptic zombie crap and want a some-what more realistic take on a zombie outbreak, I would totally recommend this book. 4/5

Top Ten Tuesday #6

If you're a fan of lists as much as I am, head on over to The Broke and the Bookish.

This week's topic:

Top Ten Books to Read in One Day, because they're just THAT Awesome

1. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (J.K. Rowling)-  Where it all began..

2. The Princess Diaries (possibly the whole series) (Meg Cabot)- The books are short, cute and funny.Love.  

3. Poison Study (Maria V. Snyder)- It never gets old, one of my favorites.

4. Lover Awakened (J.R. Ward)- ZSADISTZSADISTZSADIST

5. The Hunger Games (Suzanne Collins)- I think you know why.

6. Graceling (Kristin Cashore)-  Fantastical world, and I love Katsa and Po.

7. Clockwork Angel and Clockwork Prince (Cassandra Clare)-  These books are fantastic and I couldn't.stop.reading.

8. Twilight (Stephenie Meyer)- FOREVER.

9. Daughter of Smoke and Bone (Laini Taylor)-  I loved this book to pieces and could easily devour it in one sitting.

10. Anna and the French Kiss (Stephanie Perkins)-  Etienne.

My Thoughts: Touch of Power (Maria V. Snyder)

Laying hands upon the injured and dying, Avry of Kazan absorbs their wounds and diseases into herself. But rather than being honored for her skills, she is hunted. Healers like Avry are accused of spreading the plague that has decimated the Fifteen Realms, leaving the survivors in a state of chaos.

Stressed and tired from hiding, Avry must heal a plague-stricken prince—leader of a campaign against her people. As they traverse the daunting Nine Mountains, beset by mercenaries and magical dangers, Avry must decide who is worth healing and what is worth dying for. Because the price of peace may well be her life...
(Goodreads summary)



My Thoughts: It's no secret that Maria's Poison Study series is one of my favorites.  After reading her Inside Out series I was a bit let down. Going into this book I was excited and hopeful.  I'm happy to report.. Maria is BACK ya'll!

  I just loved the general idea of this book, a girl touched with the power to heal people not just by taking their sickness into herself, but also their suffering. The main character Avry has qualities that would make me proud to call her my friend. She's brave and tough and selfless. She puts others before herself even though it could cost her her life. I also loved the fact that she is 20 years old, which makes her more relatable to me.

The writing style itself was reminiscent of The Poison Study books, and was easy to follow. I was definitely pulled into the story.  There's peace lily's, death lily's, 11 different types of magicians, and magic sniffers.  Action and adventure, comedy and sadness, betrayal and hope, love and heartache.

What I loved most about this book are the characters. Sometimes supporting characters leave a lot to be desired and just annoy rather then add anything special. So not the case here. The supporting characters add a LOT to this book, and I was just as invested in their lives. One of my favorite characters was Belen, aka Poppa Bear. He was a source of comedy and true-hearted goodness. I also loved the fact that there was no unrealistic insta-love-at-first-sight, but a gradual build-up of feelings. Sometimes the tension between 2 people makes the best read.   And then there's Kerrick. Oh Kerrick, you really know how to make a girl crazy.

Bottom Line: My faith is restored!! I can't wait for book #2.
                          4/5

April: TBR Pile and other stuff

So my goal for April is to read MORE. The last 2 months were a bit shameful.  To help me along with this, I signed up to participate in a cool April counting page contest over at Reading Angel, you should go visit her site and sign up! She's going to be giving away some prizes, and who doesn't like prizes? 

Also, I aim to post more and write more of My Thoughts posts on the books I've read.

And, I'm horrible at commenting on other people's blogs and am going to try and do this more.

On to my TO BE READ list for the month...it may seem pretty ambitious, but it's always better to overreach. So, this month I hope to devour the following books, and possible more:
1. Hex Hall (Rachel Hawkins)
2. The Fault in Our Stars (John Green)
3. Shatter Me (Tahereh Mafi)
4. The Immortal Rules (Julie Kagawa)- Of course this doesn't come out until April 24th, but I have a feeling I'm not going to be able to wait until May to read this!
5. Touch of Power (Maria V. Snyder)-  I already started this, but have another 1/3rdish to go.
6. Rampant (Diana Peterfreund)
7. Eona (Alison Goodman)
8. Daughter of the Centaurs (Kate Klimo)
9. The Sky is Everywhere (Jandy Nelson)
10. Dragonswood (Janet Lee Carey)

Of course I'm not going to limit myself to just this list, if one of the many other books on my shelf calls out to me I'm not going to turn my back.  I've read this many books in a month before, and I can do it again!

In My Mailbox #13

Visit The Story Siren


My box of awesomeness from Amazon arrived earlier this week!!!

Link will take you to goodreads.

1. Shatter Me (Tahereh Mafi)

2. Touch of Power (Maria V.Snyder)

3. Dragonswood (Janet Lee Carey)

4. Spell Bound (Hex Hall #3) (Rachel Hawkins)

5. The Fault in Our Stars (John Green)

6. Rampant (Killer Unicorns #1) (Diana Peterfreund)

7. Black Dagger Brother Hood Insider's Guide (w/ novella Father Mine) (J.R.Ward)

AHHH I'm so excited! I know I got like a million books at the book fair, but these are ones I've been dying to read. I mainly bought the BDB insider's guide because I wanted the novella Father Mine in hard copy. I originally read it on my Kindle.  My bookish friend Jeskuh keeps raving about Shatter Me, and I've read like  abillion positive reviews for The Fault in Our Stars.  I love the hex hall series, but will be sad for the final third installment. I can really get into some killer unicorns, and I think Rampant was on sale so I bought it. Dragonswood sounds intriguing.

I'm currently reading (almost finished) Touch of Power..all I have to say is Maria V. Snyder is BACK yall!!   

What did you get in your mailbox?

January, February and March Recaps

I meant to do a recap post every month, but that plan got a little sidetracked, so for now I'll do a 3 month recap.


I'll start with January:

Total blog posts: 6

My Thoughts posts: 1. Clockwork Prince (Cassandra Clare)
                                   2. Lola and the Boy Next Door (Stephanie Perkins)

Books read:
1.The Iron Knight (Julie Kagawa)
2. Lola and the Boy Next Girl (Stephanie Perkins)
3. Anna Dressed in Blood (Kendare Blacke)
4. Clockwork Prince (Cassandra Clare)
5. Divergent (Veronica Roth)
6. Lover Revealed (Black Dagger Brotherhood #4) (J.R.Ward)
7.Lover Unbound (BDB #5) (J.R.Ward)
8. Lover Enshrined (BDB #6) (J.R.Ward)
9. Get Well Soon (Julie Halpern)

Favorite read of the month: It's a tie between Clockwork Prince and Divergent.

Least Favorite read of the month: Get Well Soon

Favorite Quotes:
"His beauty did not blaze like Will's did in fierce colors and repressed fire, but it had its own muted perfection, the loveliness of snow falling against a silver-gray sky." -Clockwork Prince

"Something about him makes me feel like I am about to fall. Or turn to liquid. Or burst into flames."
      -Divergent

Now for February:

Total blog posts: A big fat wopping zero.

My Thoughts posts:  Again with a zero.

Books read:
1. The Girl of Fire and Thorns (Rae Carson)
2. Lover Avenged (Black Dagger Brotherhood #7) (J.R.Ward)
3. Father Mine (BDB Novella) (J.R.Ward)
4. Lover Mine (BDB #8) (J.R.Ward)
5. Lover Unleashed (BDB #9) (J.R.Ward)

Favorite read of the month: Most definitely the novella by J.R. Ward- Father Mine.  Why? BECAUSE IT'S MORE ZSADIST! And he's my favorite BDB character hand down.  I would be okay with all the books being based on him. This was one of the best, if not the best, novella I have read.

Least favorite read of the month: None. All the books I read this month were worth it.

Favorie Quote:
"No matter what you wear...to me, you will always have diamonds on the soles of your shoes." -Lover Avenged

March Recap:  So total books read really hit a low this month. Hopefully I can double it in April.  I actually started a couple books, only to read a couple chapters and then put them back. I'm not sure what I was looking for, but I have since found it in what I'm currently reading now.

Total blog posts: 6

My Thoughts posts:
1.Divergent
2. Five Flavors of Dumb
3. Daughter of Smoke and Bone

Books read:
1. Daughter of Smoke and Bone (Laini Taylor)
2. Other Words for love (Lorraine Zago Rosenthal)
3. Across the Universe (Beth Ravis)
4. Five Flavors of Dumb (Antony John)

Favorite read of the month: DAUGHTER OF SMOKE AND BONE!!!

Least favorite read of the month: Other Words for Love

Favorite Quotes:
"It was what she had always wanted and thought she'd found: someone who was for her, as she was for him, whose blood and butterflies sang to hers and answered them, note for note." -Daughter of Smoke and Bone

"It was like a piece of my soul had been lost, empty, and it is now filled with the light of a million stars."  -Across the Universe

Top Ten Tuesday #5

If you're a fan of lists as much as I am, head on over to The Broke and the Bookish.

This week's topic:

Top Ten Books I'd Play Hooky With
I've mixed it up with books I own, books that aren't out yet, books I've already read..

1. Harry Potter (J.K. Rowling) (All)-being my favorite series in the history of forever, I'd gladly skip work to reread these gems.

2. Lover Reborn (Black Dagger Brotherhood #10) (J.R.Ward)- I LOVE this series, and the newest one just came out today. I'd love to spend my day getting to know the brothers better.


3. The Hunger Games (Suzanne Collins)-  I haven't seen the movie YET so maybe I should skip work tomorrow and reread this awesomeness to distract me until I can get to the theater.

4. Daughter of Smoke and Bone (Laini Taylor)- I just finished this book like 2 weeks ago, but it was so fantastic that I could read it again.right.now.

5. Insurgent (Veronica Roth)- I'm so looking forward to the next installment and know I will devour this one. Work be damned.

6. Bitterblue (Kristin Cashore)- I have been stoked about this book since I found out about it. Graceling was amazing and Fire was also great. I have a feeling I won't be able to put this one down.

7. The Immortal Rules (Julie Kagawa)- I mean, it's Julie Kagawa. The End. p.s. LOVE THE COVER.

8. The Princess Diaries Series (Meg Cabot)- One of my favorites, I could easily stay home and hang with my bff Mia. And one of my favorite bookish boys, Michael.

9. Lover Awakened (Black Dagger Brotherhood #3)- I want to spend all day (and night) with this book.  Why?  ZSADIST!!

10. Witchful Thinking (H.P. Mallory)- I love this series, and really need to read the next installment in the Jolie Wilkins series. Like tomorrow..during the day..when I'm supposed to be at work..

In My Mailbox #12

Head over to The Story Siren to check out other people's bookish buys.

I haven't posted my bookish purchases since January.  Since that time, I have accumulated just a few more...  I find myself just staring at them.   I can't be the only one who does this.

All of these books were bought by myself with either my hard-earned money or through gift cards I received for my birthday last month. Except for one, which was loaned to me by a fellow book lover.

I'll start with the first pile:

-I'm in love with Meg Cabot's Princess Diaries series (if you haven't read it, you should), and am in the process of collecting them. So I bought the next 3 in the series:
Princess in the Spotlight, Princess in Love, and Princess in Waiting.
-The Mammoth Book of Merlin (edited by Mike Ashley): As I've mentioned in a previous post, I'm obsessed with anything Merlin, Knights of the round table, Camelot..etc.
-Rot & Ruin (Jonathan Maberry)
-Across the Universe (Beth Ravis); I finished this the other day, will post my thoughts hopefully later in the week.
-Other Words for Love (Lorraine Zago Rosenthal); also finished this last week
-Daughter of the Centaurs (Kate Klimo); hoping this will be as amazing as it sounds
-Bloodrose (Andrea Cremer); I started this, but put it down for now and started a different book. I'll get back to it at some point.

So when it comes to book fairs, or discount books I tend to get a little excited and freak out a bit with the buying. About 2 weeks ago I went to the The Green Valley Book Fair, which is about 1.5 hours from where I live. It's held in a giant 3 room warehouse and it hosts thousands upon thousands of all different kinds of books, all different genres, ALL. FOR.DISCOUNT.  I'm talking I paid as little as $2.50 and no more then $6.50 for my books, depending if they were paperback vs. hardback and depending on how massive they were. They had an excellent young adult section and I filled up 2 baskets in no time. When I took my initial haul to the checkout, the lady was like "Is all of this for you", and I was like, well yeah. I may have a bit of a problem.

 I walked away with 24 books and only spent $110.  At retail price, I would have spent well over $300.  If you live anywhere close to this book fair I HIGHLY recommend you go, I promise you will not be disappointed.  I couldn't get a good picture of all the books together so I broke it up in to 3 pictures:

-A Certain Slant of Light

-Nick & Nora's Infinite Playlist

-Wintergirls

-Dust

-Will Grayson,Will Grayson

-Knightley Academy

Next Batch:

-Wither

-The Sky is Everywhere

-Amy & Roger's Epic Detour

-The Summer I Turned Pretty

-It's Not Summer Without You

-We'll Always Have Summer

-Uglies

-Pretties

-Specials

-Extras

And finally:

-Slice of Cherry

-The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer

-Eona

-Blood Red Road

-Five Flavors of Dumb

-Red Glove

-White Cat

-Dust & Decay

 Whoa man. Can you dig it?

Lastly, but certainly not leasty, my fellow bookish friend whom I like to call Jeskuh loaned me her ARC of Tempest.    

Even with all the above awesomeness, apparently my needs weren't satiated as I just ordered 7 more books from Amazon. AHHHH.  Sweet, sweet books.

My Thoughts: Daughter of Smoke and Bone (Laini Taylor)

 Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.

In a dark and dusty shop, a devil's supply of human teeth grown dangerously low.

And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly war.

Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real; she's prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands"; she speaks many languages—not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she's about to find out.

When one of the strangers—beautiful, haunted Akiva—fixes his fire-colored eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself? (Goodreads)

Cover: I like it because it actually has something to do with the story.

My Thoughts:
I don't have the words to give enough justice to the amazingness of this book. Beautiful does not begin to describe the incredible artistry that is contained in these pages. I fell in love with the world, and more importantly I fell in love with the characters. This is one of those books that is going to stay with me.
Instant favorite. Highly recommended. 

I am so sad that I have to wait until November for Days of Blood and Starlight.  Oh my gah.

Favorite quotes:
"Wishes are false. Hope is true. Hope makes its own magic."

"It was what she had always wanted and thought she'd found: someone who was for her, as she was for him, whose blood and butterflies sang to hers and answered them, note for note."

Final Thought: Breathtaking, heartbreaking, magical. Wow.    5/5

My Thoughts: Five Flavors of Dumb (Antony John)

The Challenge: Piper has one month to get the rock band Dumb a paying gig.

The Deal: If she does it, Piper will become the band's manager and get her share of the profits.

The Catch: How can Piper possibly manage one egomaniacal pretty boy, one talentless piece of eye candy, one crush, one silent rocker, and one angry girl? And how can she do it when she's deaf?

Piper can't hear Dumb's music, but with growing self-confidence, a budding romance, and a new understanding of the decision her family made to buy a cochlear implant for her deaf baby sister, she discovers her own inner rock star and what it truly means to be a flavor of Dumb.  (Goodreads Summary)


Cover:  I really dig this cover; it's cool, it's hip, it's unique.

My Thoughts:  So when I read the synopsis of this book, it sounded like it should be good. I blew through this book in a day, and although I wasn't left with that "OMG that was incredible" feeling after I finished, I'm glad I read it. Part of the appeal for me was that it was based around a band.  If I could come back for another life I would totally want to be in a band. Who wouldn't?

 I was also attracted to the main character, Piper, being deaf.  This is what gave the book a twist and helped make the story interesting.  The dynamics between her and her family were real and honest.  You get to see the growth and positive change of a lot of the characters, which I appreciated, especially with her dad.  I loved the character of Ed.  Having a boy join the chess club, that he doesn't even enjoy, only to be subjected to never winning a single game just to be near the girl he likes...well that's sweet. I enjoyed getting to know the different band members and seeing how Piper deals with the challenges she faces because she's deaf.  I also appreciated the fact that the author didn't take the route of making Piper feel sorry for herself or having her view herself as disabled. This book also had some funny moments that made me giggle.

Favorite quotes:
"I watched Josh strutting, Ed practicing, Kallie hiding, Will spacing, and Tash gazing at Will, and realized that Baz was right. This wasn't a group at all. There was no togetherness, no blending-just five separate flavors of an indigestible dish called Dumb."

"I turned off the light and crawled into bed. I wanted to fall asleep, to escape the thoughts clawing at my consciousness, but instead the evening just replayed in my mind, a crappy movie on endless loop."

"It was the smallest, gentlest, most earth-shattering kiss in the long and glorious history of kisses, and it took my breath away."

Final Thought:  An enjoyable read. 3.5/5

Back to Basics

This blog layout was looking all sorts of crazy. I have no idea what I'm doing or how to change stuff. So, for now I changed the layout to something simple and easy to read.  Sometime in hopefully the near future, I'll get a blogging-for-dummies book, and perhaps find someone who can design a cool-ass header for me. I was using all sorts of different font colors, so past blog entries may not be so easy to read. You live, you learn.

I think I was going about this whole blog thing all wrong.  I was concentrating and worrying too much about how my posts were coming across. Especially when it came to my thoughts on the books I was reading. When it comes to writing professional, succinct "reviews", well, that's not me. I have a friend whose writing is very witty and funny. Yeah, things like that just don't come out of my brain.  I use the word awesome a lot and sometimes my thoughts are a bit jumbled. But, I didn't start this blog for other people, I started it because reading is one of my passions, and I wanted a place I could record my thoughts about all the books I've read. The in my mailbox, top ten tuesday, etc are just fun extras.

So. Back to the basics. Write for myself. And if on the off-chance people like what I write, perhaps they'll be back.  If not, who cares.

My Thoughts: DIVERGENT by veronica roth

In Beatrice Prior’s dystopian Chicago world, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can’t have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles alongside her fellow initiates to live out the choice they have made. Together they must undergo extreme physical tests of endurance and intense psychological simulations, some with devastating consequences. As initiation transforms them all, Tris must determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes exasperating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers unrest and growing conflict that threaten to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves . . . or it might destroy her.  (amazon)



If you want a well-written synopsis or professional sounding review, you're in the wrong place.

My Thoughts:
I LOVED LOVED LOVED this book. It sucked me in from the first sentence, and hooked me until the last. I found the concept very interesting.  I was instantly drawn in by the writing and found the explanation of this dystopian society to be easy to understand. I would have liked some more background information about the factions and how they all originated, but I def don't hold that against the book.
I couldn't put it down.  Everyone should read this book.  Now let's talk about Four.  He's most definitely one of my new favorite bookish boys. I liked both him and Tris because they both showed just enough vulnerability.  Not too much, not too little.
My attention was kept the entire time, which is a feat in and of itself.  I'm struggling to write a half-way decent review, so let me just say this: READ IT.  I am STOKED for Insurgent.  (May 1st)

Favorite Lines:
 "I feel like there is a bubble in my chest that expands more by the second, threatening to break me apart from the inside."

"Something about him makes me feel like I am about to fall. Or turn to liquid. Or burst into flames."

"Why do people want to pretend that death is sleep? It isn't. It isn't."

"I have never been carried around by a large boy, or laughed until my stomach hurt at the dinner table, or listened to the clamor of a hundred people all talking at once. Peace is restrained; this is free."

Bottom Line: Divergent is one of those books that as soon as I read the last word I squealed in glee. 5/5

Top Ten Tuesday

Check out The Broke and the Bookish.

LIST TIME AGAIN!

Today's Topic:

Top Ten Authors I Wish Would Write Another Book:
So this list is only going to have 2 author's on it, because they are the only ones that I am dying for more books to be written by.

#1.   2 words: Harry Potter.  J.K. Rowling is a fucking GENIUS. Harry Potter is my all-time favorite series ever. She created this fantastic world that I dreamed about being apart of.  I wish I had her brain.  I've read articles that she's writing other series.. so I say WHERE ARE THEY?

#2.  I know there are a lot of haters out there, but the Twilight Series is one of my absolute favorites. I read these books during a particularly difficult time in my life. I laughed. I cried. I yelled. I swooned. Stephanie Meyer knows what she's doing. The Host was also quite excellent. So I can't wait for what she comes out with next.

These are the authors that stick out most in my mind. I am quite interested to read who other people chose.

Listy Goodness

So I'm feeling listy tonight.

I like The Broke and the Bookish's weekly Top Ten Tuesday.  They have good ideas for lists. I missed last Tuesday's so I'm gonna do it now.

The topic was:
Top Ten Books I'm Excited to Read in 2012
1. Now that I've almost devoured Divergent and freaking LOVE it, I can't wait for the next book, Insurgent (by Veronica Roth)- (May 1, 2012).
2. Graceling (by Kristin Cashore) is one of my favorite books. Fire was also good. So I am SOOO ready for Bitterblue. (May 1,2012)

3. I've read the first 3 books in the Black Dagger Brotherhood Series by JR Ward. The first one was okay, the second one better, and the third one left me speechless I loved it so much. So I'm excited to read the rest of this series.
4.Witchful Thinking (February 28,2012) I love HP Mallory's writing, so I'm super excited to read the next installment in the Jolie Wilkins series.
5. Daughter of Smoke and Bone (Laini Taylor)- I got this book for Christmas. I've heard amazing things and I can't wait to read it.
6. Bloodrose (Andrea Cremer)- I've read a lot of disappointing reviews about this one. But I really enjoyed the first 2, so I gotta read this one.
7. Blood Rights (Kristen Painter)  For the sole reason of the cover-It's COMPLETELY FUCKING AWESOME. One of my favorite covers eva.
8.Touch of Power (Maria V. Snyder)- The Poison Study Series is one of my favorites. I was slightly disappointed with her Inside Out series, but this one sounds exciting.
9.Vanish (Sophie Jordan)- I really enjoyed the first one. I love me some dragons.
10.Rot & Ruin (Jonathan Mabery)- I need more zombies in my life. This cover creeps me out.




My excitement of course cannot be contained to just these 10 books, but I can't wait to get my eyes on them.

My Thoughts:Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare

Clockwork Prince (The Infernal Devices Book 2) (Cassandra Clare)

Cover: Love.

My Thoughts:
So I LOVED Clockwork Angel, and picked this one up right after I finished the other. It's freaking fantastic.  I love these books more than The Mortal Instruments.  Jem could be partly to blame for that fact. I am totally TEAM JEM. all the way. I love him. Forever. The end.

*I try not to reveal spoilers,but there may be an accidental one*

So basically in this book, Charlotte has 2 weeks to find the Magister (Mortmain) or risk losing her position as head of the Institute to Benedict Lightwood. Will has a secret that he hasn't told anyone, not even his parabatai Jem. He decides enough is enough and goes to Magnus Bane (who by the way is also one of my favorite characters) for help. I'm not going to say what the secret is, but it explains why he acts the way he does towards people.  Tessa and Jem grow closer,  but Tessa still struggles with feelings for Will.  This kinda gets on my nerves. (Tessa in general gets on my nerves sometimes) I feel like a lot of books I've read lately the girl is torn between 2 guys, one an obvious choice (who she usually ends up with) and one whom she likes, but ultimately doesn't feel "that way" about and just ends up leading him on. I am totally in love with Jem, and if Tessa is leading him on or breaks his heart, there's gonna be a fight. I'm just sayin.
 There is betrayal by someone who was thought to be trusted. There's more a-holeness from Tessa's brother Nate. New love.  Secrets revealed.  Death. Action. Kissing.
This review really isn't doing the book justice. It's fantastic. FANTASTIC.   The end sets up the next book PERFECTLY.   I need book 3 LIKE NOW.

Favorite Quotes:
"His beauty did not blaze like Will's did in fierce colors and repressed fire, but it had its own muted perfection, the loveliness of snow falling against a silver gray sky."

"You cannot buy or drug or dream your way out of pain."

"Don't make it sound like that. Like some ordinary sort of grief. It's not like that. They say time heals all wounds, but that presumes the source of the grief is finite. Over. This is a fresh wound every day."

"He's very broken. Like a lovely vase that someone has smashed. Only luck and skill can put it back together the way it was before."

Final Thought:  FANTASTIC. Need I say more? 5/5

In My Mailbox

In My Mailbox is hosted over at The Story Siren

Whoa man, it's been like MONTHS since my last in my mailbox post.
I got a bunch of awesome books for Christmas, and have also bought a couple as well with some Christmas money. So this particular post is going to be super-sized. Lucky for me my Dad gave me a bookshelf for Christmas, which I've already filled and am needing another.

Gifted:

1.Lola and The Boy Next Door (Read)

2. The Graveyard Book (One of my favorites)

3.Divergent (Currently reading this now, LOVE IT)

4. Destined

5. The Girl of Fire and Thorns

6. Anna Dressed In Blood (Finished this and can finally sleep with the lights out.)

7.Vanish

8.Daughter of Smoke and Bone

9.The Night Circus

10.Clockwork Prince (Just finished this last night-FANTASTIC)

11.The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (I was never interested in these until I saw the movie-OMG)

12. The Girl Who Played With Fire

Bought:

1.  The Help (Saw the movie, was told I HAD to read the book)

2. The Scorpio Races (AMAZING, LOVE IT COMPLETELY)

3. Get Well Soon

4.The Princess Diaries (I read this series last year and fell in love, trying to buy them all now)

5. Last Sacrifice (Already read, but needed it to complete my collection)

6.The Magician King

7.Explosive Eighteen

Borrowed:

1.The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest

Whoa.  I got a LOT of reading to do. Not to mention I already have a bunch of books I bought last year that I haven't gotten around to reading. EEEEEP!

Now for a picture of my new bookshelf. Of course it can only fit a fraction of my books but at least I can display them now. I plan on putting my Harry Potter collection on the top. Why? Because they are my favorite books in the history of forever.

I end this post with a picture of the keepers of my bookshelf:  Stain Boy, Girl With Many Eyes, Toxic Boy, Mummy Boy, and Penguin Boy.  Don't judge them. They don't like it.

My Thoughts: Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

Cover: Cute.
My Thoughts:
After reading Anna and the French Kiss, I knew I would be reading the next book written by Stephanie Perkins.

Lola is an off-beat, quirky 17 year old girl who is crazy about fashion and her older musician boyfriend Max.  Her 2 dads of course don't approve of him, but she is happy.  That is until twins Calliope and Cricket Bell move back in to the house next door.  Lola hasn't seen Cricket in 2 years, since he moved away and left her confused.  She doesn't like him, she doesn't want to see him, she wishes he would just stay away....or does she?  She loves Max. She wants to be with Max. Right?

So I totally loved the fact that Anna and Etienne from Stephanie's first book show up in this one, Anna as Lola's co-worker, and Etienne as Cricket's dorm mate at Berkley. I still love me some Etienne.
The writing style flows and is easy to follow.  I like that Lola wears weird outfits and has gay dads. I wish I lived next door to a Cricket (boy, not insect), though it is a tad bit difficult to fantasize about a boy who has a name that reminds me of my nemesis: bugs.Overall, I like the characters, I like the story, and I like Lola. But not as much as I loved Anna.

Favorite Quotes:
"Perfect is overrated. Perfect is boring"

"It's easy to talk about things we hate, but sometimes it's hard to explain exactly why we like something.:

"Need. What a powerful, frightening word."

"That's the thing about depression. When I feel it deeply, I don't want to let it go. It becomes a comfort. I want to cloak myself under its heavy weight and breathe it into my lungs. I want to nurture it, grow it, cultivate it. It's mine. I want to check out with it, drift asleep wrapped in its arms, and not wake up for a long, long time."

Final Thought:  Although predictable at times, Lola and the Boy Next Door is a sweet, cute read that made me smile. 3.5/5

2012. Ready or not, here it comes.

It seems I fell off the blogosphere for a while.  Life, you know?

It's a new year, and with that I'm hoping comes good things.  And lots of awesome books to read.
I meant to post this yesterday, but alas my Internet connection was toying with me, so today will have to do.

As I'm sure most people do, I made a list of goals I hope to accomplish in 2012.

 #1. Pay bills on time. (Oopsies)
 #2. Regularly balance checkbook.  (Double oopsies)
 #3. Lose weight.  (Standard fare this)
 #4. Exercise regularly. (Just do it)
 #5. Find new job I don't hate. (For the love of God.)
 #6. Re-read 1 book per month. (I'll never forget!)
 #7. Craft more. (anything, something)
 #8. 365project.org  (A photo a day-my life in pictures)
 #9. Blog it out.  (do it for me)
#10. Read more in general.  (Most def)
Plus a few others.

I've also created a list of general rules to follow:
#1. Make it count.
#2. Just say yes.
#3. What doesn't kill you makes you stronger.
#4. (Re-)connect.
#5. No fear.
#6. Let it go.
#7. No worries.

Now, time to list (no longer in any particular order) all the books I read in 2011. I temporarily stopped keeping track at one point, so I may have left a few off.   I've highlighted my favorites.
Ignore the messed up formatting.I'm still learning.

1.Dark Life (Kat Falls)
2.Please Ignore Vera Dietz (AS King)
3.The Mermaid's Mirror (LK Madigan)
4.Dark Lover (J.R. Ward)
5.The Reapers are the Angels (Alden Bell)
6.Awakened (PC/Kristen Cast)
7.Thirteen Reasons Why (Jay Asher)
8.The Princess Diaries (Meg Cabot)
9.Princess in the Spotlight (Meg Cabot) 10.The Lost Hero (Rick Riordan) 11.Poison Study (Maria V. Snyder) 12.A Blue So Dark (Holly Schindler) 13.Gone (Lisa McMann)
14.Matched (Ally Condie)
15.The Mockingbirds (Daisy Whitney)
16.Just Listen (Sarah Dessen) 17.Generation Dead (Daniel Waters)
18.If I Stay (Gayle Forman)
19.Infinite Days (Rebecca Maizel)
20.Princess in Love (Meg Cabot)
21.Princess in Waiting (Meg Cabot)
22.Princess in Pink (Meg Cabot) 23.Moon Dance (Vampire for Hire #1)(JR Rain)
24.Vampire Moon (Vampire for Hire #2)(JR Rain)
25.Fire Burn and Cauldron Bubble (HP Mallory) 26.The Iron Witch (Karen Mahoney)
27.Paranormalcy (Kiersten White)
28.Kiss of Life (Daniel Waters)
29.Toil and Trouble (H.P. Mallory) 30.Succubus Blues (Richelle Mead)
31.The Iron King (Julie Kagawa)
32.Perfect Chemistry (Simone Elkeles)

33.The Iron Daughter (Julie Kagawa)
34.Princess in Training (Meg Cabot)35.Party Princess (Meg Cabot)
36.Princess on the Brink (Meg Cabot)
37.Princess Mia (Meg Cabot)
38.Forever Princess (Meg Cabot)
39.Anna and the French Kiss (Stephanie Perkins)40.Keeping the Moon (Sarah Dessen)
41.Songs For A Teenage Nomad (Kim Culbertson) 42.Spirit Bound (Richelle Mead) 43.Once a Witch (Carolyn McCullough)
44.The Iron Queen (Julie Kagawa) 45.Willow (Julia Hoban)
46.Hex Hall (Rachel Hawkins)
47.To Kill a Warlock (H.P. Mallory)
48.A Tale of Two Goblins (H.P.Mallory)
49.Great Hexpectations (H.P. Mallory) 50.Be Witched (Novella) (H.P. Mallory)
51.Darkfever (Karen Marie Moning)
52.Last Sacrifice (Richelle Mead)
53.Beautiful Disaster (Jamie McGuire)
54.Boy Proof (Cecil Castellucci)
55.Stray (Rachel Vincent)
56.Inside Out (Maria V. Snyder)
57.The Replacement (Brenna Yovanoff)
58.Outside In (Maria V. Snyder)
59.Hunger (Jackie Morse Kessler)
60.Rage (Jackie Morse Kessler)
61.City of Bones (Cassandra Clare)
62.City of Ashes (Cassandra Clare)
63.Lover Eternal (J.R. Ward)
64.Lover Awakened (J.R.Ward)
65.Wildefire (Karsten Knight)
66.Rules of Attraction (Simone Elkeles)
67.The Earth,My Butt, and Other Big Round Things (Carolyn Mackler)
68.Nightshade (Andrea Cremer)
69.Wolfsbane (Andrea Cremer)
70.Dead Reckoning (Charlaine Harris)
71.City of Glass (Cassandra Clare)
72.Chain Reaction (Simone Elkeles)
73.Halfway to the Grave (Jeaniene Frost)
74.Rogue (Rachel Vincent)
75.Pride (Rachel Vincent)
76.Prey (Rachel Vincent)
77.Shift (Rachel Vincent)
78.Alpha (Rachel Vincent)
79.Opal Fire (Barbra Annino)
80.Before I Die (Jenny Downham)
81.The Scorpio Races (Maggie Stiefvater)
82.The Son of Neptune (Rick Riordan)
83.Smokin' Seventeen (Janet Evanovich)
84.Dash & Lily's Book of Dares (Rachel Cohn & David Levithan)
85.The Dark and Hollow Places (Carrie Ryan)
86.Forever (Maggie Stiefvater)
87.Clockwork Angel (Cassandra Clare)
88.Winter's Passage (Novella) (Julie Kagawa)
89.Summer's Crossing (Novella) (Julie Kagawa)
90.Demonglass (Rachel Hawkins)
91.Eon (Alison Goodman)

I'm probably missing a couple. My goal was to read 100 books in 2011.  Just a little shy.
So my first read of 2011 was Dark Life. Last Read of 2011 was actually the Novella, Summer's Crossing.

Emotional Reads that speak to real-life issues:
-A Blue So Dark
-Hunger/Rage
-Before I Die

I finished up a lot of series this year, some of which I'm in love with completely. (I did not include series that authors are still writing to)
1.The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot-Well-written characters. There's humor, love, heartache and ridiculousness. What's  not to love.
2.The Shifters Series by Rachel Vincent. Definitely one of my favorite series. All the books are awesome. Exciting, funny,suspenseful, heartbreaking,and sexy.
3.The Forest of Hands and Teeth series by Carrie Ryan-So I bought the final book (The Dark and Hollow Places) when it first came out, but it took me forever to actually read. I couldn't foresee how in the world this series was going to conclude, and I was kept guessing until the end.  Normally the last book is my least favorite, but not in this case. Perfectly imperfect ending to a well-written series.
4.The Wolves of Mercy Falls by Maggie Stiefvater. Definitely one of my favorite authors. Overall, a good series.
5.The Iron Fey Series by Julie Kagawa-Very descriptive writing, which just transports you to a different world. Loved the characters, even the nonhuman ones. I can't help it, that last book I was totally team Puck and wish him to have his own spin-off series.

Overall I read some amazingly awesome books.  Round about June I started a book "journal" so to speak. I very much recommend everyone do this. I record notes, favorite passages/lines and overall thoughts along with the finish date. I like to be able to look back and refresh my memory. Some of these authors come up with some quite poignant one-liners.  Sometimes it's like they had direct access to my brain. What I can't seem to put into words, they do for me.

Here's a very very small sampling of some favorite passages:
"Sometimes your whole life could hinge on a fraction of an inch. Or the beat of a nanosecond. Or the knock of a door." (Lover Awakened, J.R.Ward)

"Sometimes you wake up from a dream. Sometimes you wake up in a dream. And sometimes, every once in a while, you wake up in someone else’s dream." (Succubus Blues, Richelle Mead)

"...she screwed her eyes closed and hoped that dying wouldn't hurt too much. Death seemed like a nice guy; maybe dying would be soft like a kiss. Maybe he'd sing to her before sending her on to eternal sleep." (Hunger, Jackie Morse Kessler)

"Half of your attention is better than all of anyone else's." (City of Bones, Cassandra Clare)

"She had wandered out of the land of too much and set up camp in Emptyville. Tumbleweeds blew in her chest, and she breathed the dust of abandoned buildings." (Rage, Jackie Morse Kessler)
"....his music Band-Aids my soul." (Songs For a Teenage Nomad, Kim Culbertson)

"The broken ones need someone to fight for them even harder." (The Dark and Hollow Places,Carrie Ryan)

"There is no better taste than this: someone else's laughter in your mouth." (Forever, Maggie Stiefvater)

"It was the fireworks-in-the-sky; forget-your-own-name, can't-feel-your-toes solution to all my problems. At least for the moment." (Stray, Rachel Vincent)

"Sometimes things are so big and complicated that you can't actually talk about them." (The Replacement, Brenna Yovanoff)


Thus concludes my recap of 2011.

July in retrograde

So July. Over in a flash. Which is okay with me, because it has been unbearably hot this summer, and I'm ready for fall. After a couple months of dragging with the reading, I'm making a come-back. This month I read some amazing books and some eh books.

Books read:
-Inside Out by Maria V. Snyder
-Outside In by Maria V. Snyder
-The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff
-Hunger by Jackie Morse Kessler
-Rage by Jackie Morse Kessler
-City of Bones by Cassandra Clare
-City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare
-Lover Eternal by J.R. Ward
-Lover Awakened by J.R. Ward
-Wildefire by Karsten Knight

Favorite Read: LOVER AWAKENED

Least Favorite Read: Wildefire

My Thoughts:
Inside Out
Outside In
Hunger
The Replacement
Wildefire

Books I hope to read in August: (This is just a sampling of course)
-Wolfsbane by Andrea Cremer
-Supernaturally by Kiersten White
-Forever by Maggie Stiefvater
-City of Glass by Cassandra Clare
-The Dark and Hollow Places by Carrie Ryan
-Last Sacrifice by Richelle Mead
-Darkfever by Karen Marie Moning
-more of the Black Dagger Brotherhood series by J. R. Ward

 I know I've been slacking with returning comments, posting reviews, and posting in general so I hope to be better with this in August. I do appreciate all the comments people have left.
And sometime in the near future I hope to make my blog more presentable, I just haven't had time to find a blogging for dummies book.

July OUT.