Top Ten Tuesday (#10)

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted over at The Broke and the Bookish.

As a lover of lists, I could NOT resist.

This week's Topic:

Top Ten Bookish People You Want To Meet:

1. J.K. f'ing Rowling- The master of the literary universe. The magical genius behind Harry Potter. (My most favorite books in the history of forever) . The giver of Quidditch and Dementors. I figure we meet up and throw back a couple of butterbeers whilst she shows me all her secret continued writings of Harry Potter: The Older Years.
Oh how I love thee.  I'm gonna go ahead and count her as my first 5, cuz that's how I roll.

6. All the writers of the B-I-B-L-E. yes. ALLLL of them. Let's get down to bizniss. I'll bring the wine.

7. Theodor Seuss Geisel, that's Dr.Seuss to you!- The question is why wouldn't I want to meet the genius behind Green Eggs and Ham and The Cat in the Hat? But seriously, Green Eggs and Ham was one of my favorites as a kid...probably because it had to do with food. And I loves me some food. Before I meet him I need to brush up on my rhyming skillz.

8. Edgar Allen Poe- Lets face it. This man was all sorts of crazy. And dark and twisty. My kinda guy. I want to dive into that crazy and swim around..maybe I'll meet a raven.




9. Maria V. Snyder- She wrote one of my favorite books, Poison Study, and I need to meet her to tell her how much I love this trilogy and that she needs to please write one more book after Fire study. I NEED MORE VALEK.

10. Sarah Dessen- She is a FANTASTIC writer, I have loved every book I've read by her so far and will read every book she ever writes. LOVE.  My favorites are Just Listen, The Truth About Forever and This Lullaby.




Thus completes my list.  Can't wait to see who YOU want to meet! Leave me a comment with your link so I can check it out  :)

My Thoughts: Slammed (Colleen Hoover)

Following the unexpected death of her father, 18-year-old Layken is forced to be the rock for both her mother and younger brother. Outwardly, she appears resilient and tenacious, but inwardly, she's losing hope.
Enter Will Cooper: The attractive, 21-year-old new neighbor with an intriguing passion for slam poetry and a unique sense of humor. Within days of their introduction, Will and Layken form an intense emotional connection, leaving Layken with a renewed sense of hope.
Not long after an intense, heart-stopping first date, they are slammed to the core when a shocking revelation forces their new relationship to a sudden halt. Daily interactions become impossibly painful as they struggle to find a balance between the feelings that pull them together, and the secret that keeps them apart. (Goodreads Blurb)




My Thoughts:

Slammed is one of those books that just sucked me in. The writing was easy, the characters came to life and the story was well written.  I laughed, I cried, I loved, I swooned.  I freaking loved this book to pieces and it slammed its way into my heart.

The story of Slammed was written in such a way that I felt completely immersed. It was so realistically realistic. I felt like the characters could be anyone. Layken as a main character was highly likeable. It’s the small things that really helped me attach to her, like when she pretends to be a zombie and chases her little brother around or the incident with the Darth Vader bedroom slippers.    The relationship Layken has with her mother is, again, realistic. It’s not perfect, but what relationship is? There is immediate chemistry between Layken and Will when they first meet; they're cute and awkward and I love them.  And speaking of Will…I was in need of a new favorite bookish boy. Why can't he be real?? ARG.  This book only helped cement my love of boys-next-door (or in this case boys across the street).

2 of my favorite things about this book:

#1 Poetry slams!! Before reading this book, my knowledge of poetry slams was what I’ve gathered from television. All I could think about was the episode of Boy Meets World when Cory gets up and slams TOPANGA! I imagined a dark room filled with people wearing berets drinking espresso and contemplating the universe. The poetry slams in this book RULE!  And I want to go to one!   It’s not just about reading lines off a page; it’s about performing something that lets people “see a glimpse into your soul”.  Who knew poetry slams could be so cool? I know I didn’t. The poems that were presented during the slams were very touching, especially the one Will does at the end of the book. It definitely spoke to my soul.

#2 I love books that include song lyrics. Whether they are given at the beginning of the chapter, as is done in Slammed, or at the end or just randomly scattered. Song lyrics can add a lot of depth and meaning to a story. As did all the Avett Brothers lyrics that were included in this book. I’ve never listened to this band, but they are poets in their own right and I will definitely be checking them out now.

Overall, this book was a slice of apple pie heaven that I want seconds of. Oh that’s right, the second book is already out! Point of Retreat, we'll be meeting very soon.

Favorite Quotes:

“Despite my objections I realize, almost pathetically, that I have just experienced the most passionate kiss I’ve ever received from a guy and it was on the freaking forehead.”

“Forever I will move like the world that turns beneath me. And when I lose my direction, I’ll look up to the sky. And when the black cloak drags upon the ground I’ll be ready to surrender, and remember well we’re all in this together. If I live the life I’m given, I won’t be scared to die.”- The Avett Brothers

Bottom Line: To NOT read Slammed by Colleen Hoover..well that’s NOT a good idea. J 4.5/5

I've included the very funny video of a poetry slam courtesy of Boy Meets World. You're welcome.



My Thoughts: Botanicaust (Tam Linsey)

The only crop left ... is human.

After genetically altered weeds devastate Earth's crop lands, much of humanity turns to cannibalism to survive. Dr. Tula Macoby believes photosynthetic skin can save the human race, and her people single-mindedly embark on a mission to convert the cannibals roaming what's left of Earth. But when Levi, a peaceful stranger, refuses alteration, Tula doesn't think the only options should be conversion or death.

Levi Kraybill, a devout member of the Old Order, left his Holdout farmland to seek a cure for his terminally ill son. Genetic manipulation is a sin, but Levi will do almost anything for the life of his child. When he's captured, he's sure he's damned, and his only escape will be death.

Tula's superiors schedule Levi's euthanization, and she risks everything to set the innocent man free. Now she and Levi are outlaws with her people, and she's an abomination with his. Can they find sanctuary in a cannibal wasteland? (Goodreads Blurb)

My Thoughts:

Botanicaust was a unique, very imaginative read.  I’ve never read anything like it.

Cannibals, plant people, Amish. I would say this book is very much science fiction and lovers of that genre will like this book. I thought it was good, but I didn’t fall in love with the characters.  The world that was built was very creative, but it took a while for it to all come together for me. I very much appreciated the glossary at the end. I would have liked to see more back story and clearer explanation of the actual Botanicaust event. This book definitely makes you think, if all your food resources are gone and you had to choose between eating people, starving to death or being converted into what you believe to be an abomination against  God, which would you choose? Food for thought.

Favorite Quote:

"You are not your body. You are your soul, and your soul is good and beautiful to God. And to me.”

Bottom Line: Botanicaust is a refreshingly different book that I would recommend for science fiction enthusiasts. 3/5

In My Mailbox #16

Only one book this week for my Kindle but it's a goodie.

For Review from Netgalley:

Slammed by Colleen Hoover (I've already read this and loved it, review will post later this week.


Following the unexpected death of her father, 18-year-old Layken is forced to be the rock for both her mother and younger brother. Outwardly, she appears resilient and tenacious, but inwardly, she's losing hope.
Enter Will Cooper: The attractive, 21-year-old new neighbor with an intriguing passion for slam poetry and a unique sense of humor. Within days of their introduction, Will and Layken form an intense emotional connection, leaving Layken with a renewed sense of hope.
Not long after an intense, heart-stopping first date, they are slammed to the core when a shocking revelation forces their new relationship to a sudden halt. Daily interactions become impossibly painful as they struggle to find a balance between the feelings that pull them together, and the secret that keeps them apart.  (Goodreads blurb)

OMG*DIVERGENT MOVIE*OMG

So I just came across this article that states Divergent is set to be in theaters on March 21, 2014!! Hells to the yeeeaaaaaah. I LOVE this book and, if done right, could be a wicked AWESOME movie! I can't freaking wait. 2 years seems like sooooo far away..but hopefully that means it will be done right instead of rushing through a script. Secondly, I had no clue Veronica Roth was so young, 23 when she wrote Divergent. That kinda makes me feel ancient now.
Although, of course, nothing is set in stone when it comes to the movie making world, but things are looking gooooood.

Waiting on Wednesday (#5)

This little gem is hosted over at Breaking the Spine.

One book I can't wait to sink my grubby little claws into is:

Clockwork Princess (Book #3 in The Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare)

(There's only a itty bitty summary blurb on Goodreads so far.)
Danger intensifies for the Shadowhunters as the New York Times bestselling Infernal Devices trilogy comes to a close.


If the only way to save the world was to destroy what you loved most, would you do it?

The clock is ticking. Everyone must choose.

Passion. Power. Secrets. Enchantment.

Danger closes in around the Shadowhunters in the final installment of the bestselling Infernal Devices trilogy.

The Why:
This cover is absolutely GORGEOUS, I LOVES it soo much!!
Clockwork Angel and Clockwork Prince are 2 of my favorite books, they were amazing. I loved them more than The Mortal Instruments. So freaking good and  I'm crossing my fingers for this one. I NEED more Jem stat!!!  I can't believe I have to wait 6 more agonizing months..boohiss. (Set to be published 3/19/13)

Top Ten Tuesday (#9)

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted over at The Broke and the Bookish.

As a lover of lists, I could not resist.

This week's topic is:

Top Ten Books That Make You Think 
 Link will take you to the Goodreads page.

All of the following books I've read and each forced me to think about life, whether it was other people's or my own. They each moved me in a different way.   Check em' out

1. The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

 

2. A Blue So Dark by Holly Schindler



3. Before I Die by Jenny Downham



4. Hunger and Rage by Jackie Morse Kessler



5. Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson



6. The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky



7. Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher



8. Anything by Jodi Picoult



9. The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin



10. ??? I'm too tired to think of anymore.

Can't wait to see everybody else' choices!!

My Thoughts: Sisterhood Everlasting (Ann Brashares)

Now Tibby, Lena, Carmen, and Bridget have grown up, starting their lives on their own. And though the jeans they shared are long gone, the sisterhood is everlasting.

Despite having jobs and men that they love, each knows that something is missing: the closeness that once sustained them. Carmen is a successful actress in New York, engaged to be married, but misses her friends. Lena finds solace in her art, teaching in Rhode Island, but still thinks of Kostos and the road she didn’t take. Bridget lives with her longtime boyfriend, Eric, in San Francisco, and though a part of her wants to settle down, a bigger part can’t seem to shed her old restlessness.

Then Tibby reaches out to bridge the distance, sending the others plane tickets for a reunion that they all breathlessly await. And indeed, it will change their lives forever—but in ways that none of them could ever have expected.

As moving and life-changing as an encounter with long-lost best friends, Sisterhood Everlasting is a powerful story about growing up, losing your way, and finding the courage to create a new one. (Goodreads Blurb)


Sisterhood Everlasting is the fifth and final book in the Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series. It's been years since I read the fourth one, but remember loving them all. The characters, the friendships, the ups and downs of love and heartbreak. Sisterhood Everlasting was a perfect closing to a much loved series.

If you've read the first 4 books in this series, don't stop there. You MUST finish it. I know I waited too long. This review is mostly just for myself. It's to get my feelings and thoughts out. It's going to be long.

Sisterhood Everlasting begins with reuniting you with the characters you came to know and love in the previous books. Lena, Tibby, Carmen, and Bridget are now on the cusp of turning thirty. The pants that helped center and connect their friendship and adventures were lost long ago. Now they are all struggling with living their own lives separate from each other, each facing their own difficulties with growing up. Their lives are changing, they as people are changing, and their friendships with each other are changing. Were the pants the one and only thing holding them all together?

I immediately fell back into the lives of these 4 friends:

Carmen was the loud, chubby, bold, at times self-centered girl of the group. She is now an actress living in New York with her fiance. She's no longer plus-sized, goes to fancy parties with her executive fiance and is trying to fit into a mold that isn't her.

Tibby, the quirky, weird girl who looks at things and life differently. Described by the author as brutally honest and a quiet observer. She moved quite suddenly to Australia with her boyfriend Brian and purposefully fell out of touch with her 3 friends. But she always has her reasons. And she's always thinking of others.

Bridget, the girl I envy the most in these books. She's the carefree, adventurous, fearless and  sometimes reckless one who is always chasing after something, always searching, but at the same time always running. She's living with Eric, the hottie she met back at soccer camp. Even though life is good, her life is still missing something.

Then there's Lena. She's the character I loved the most, probably because she's the one I could most identify with. Serious, shy, artsy and sensitive. She was always the careful, responsible one. She has never forgotten the boy who stole her heart.

When I started this book, I had in my head that it was going to be like the other books. The pants would magically reappear, the 4 friends would have their ups and downs, but ultimately they would all come back together and it would be like old times, happily ever after the end. If the book had gone the way I was thinking, it wouldn't have been good. The author took this book in a direction that I honestly could never have guessed or seen coming. And I'm so glad she did.

If there's even a remote chance you will ever read this book, I beg you not to read anymore of my review. You should experience this book as I did. Unaware and completely open. (Spoilers to come)

Tibby has basically been MIA. She hasn't been returning Carmen, Lena or Bridget's phone calls or letters. She deterred them from taking a trip out to see her. She's being secretive and aloof. Out of the blue, Carmen, Lena and Bridget each receive a letter and plane ticket to meet Tibby in Greece. The place where so much transpired between the friends. It's a chance for them all to be united again. It's also where everything changes. Tibby drowns. She dies. And she leaves clues to make her three heart-broken friends believe that she knew she was going to die. Lena, Carmen and Bridget are numb and in shock. Instead of leaning on each other for support, they try to deal with things on their own. Guilt. Each of them has to deal with the guilt of losing Tibby and thoughts they could have done more. This was the gut-twisting direction I didn't see coming. But looking back, this is what made the story come together and make it as amazing as it was.

Bridget leaves Eric, runs away, is taking reckless risks. She soon learns she is pregnant. She doesn't believe she's fit to be a mother.
Carmen throws herself into planning her wedding to the man she...loves? At this point, she just wants to get the wedding over with.
Lena, living alone in Providence, she sequesters herself away. She goes back to Greece to her grandparents home, and calls Kostos, the boy who stole her heart (and mine). They have faced constant obstacles that have kept them from being together. Even now.

The letters Tibby left them tells them to do things and go to certain places. Tibby knew each of her friends souls. She wanted to make sure they ended up okay, and if they needed a push in the right direction, she would give it to them, even if she was gone.

Bridget goes to Australia to see Brian, and learns Tibby had a daughter, named Bailey. She didn't kill herself. She had Huntington's disease and was quickly declining. Her plan was to tell Carmen, Lena and Bridget in Greece and bring all her friends together one last time. She went for a swim, not knowing how weak her body really was. And she drowned. She didn't kill herself. This knowledge changes everything.
Soooo much more happens with all of the characters. Calling them characters doesn't feel right. I feel like I know them so well and they seem so real. I just have to say the whole Lena-Kostos romance is my favorite storyline of all the books. They belonged to each other. Their souls called for each other.

Tibby's death ripped Lena, Carmen and Bridget's already fragile friendships apart. They felt they were all lost without her. Even though she was gone, Tibby brought all her best friends back together and mended their hearts, and friendship.

Favorite Quotes:
"Maybe you think you'll be entitled to more happiness later by forgoing all of it now, but it doesn't work that way. Happiness takes as much practice as unhappiness does. It's by living that you live more. By waiting you wait more. Every waiting day makes your life a little less. Every lonely day makes you a little smaller. Every day you put off your life makes you less capable of living it."

Bottom Line:  Funny, sad, heartbreaking, uplifting, real. Sisterhood Everlasting took me on a roller-coaster of emotions. It broke my heart. And then put it back together. And it was perfect. 5/5

My Thoughts: The Reluctant Amazon (Sandy James)

The last thing Rebecca Massee expects on her wedding day is to go from jilted kindergarten teacher to Amazonian Earth warrior. But when she causes an earthquake after her groom says I don’t, she discovers that not only does she possess incredible powers, she is one of four lost chosen sisters who must fight to keep humanity safe from rogue gods and demons. Luckily she has help: ruggedly handsome Scottish warrior Artair MacKay, her protector and teacher.

An immortal, Artair has trained countless warriors for more than four hundred years. He understands Rebecca’s confusion at the new world she’s been thrust into and worries she is too emotionally vulnerable, but that doesn’t stop his growing feelings for the beautiful and fearless woman.

When an evil force threatens to destroy the Amazons, Rebecca must claim her full powers--but they come at a cost. Can she sacrifice the man she loves if it means saving the world? (Goodreads blurb)


Cover: I really dig the cover of this book. The green and purple are very appealing to the eye with the woods and quiver of arrows in the back, and the kick-ass girl in the front.

My Thoughts:
While the cover may have worked, I unfortunately found a lot wrong with the story of The Reluctant Amazon.

I was interested in this book initially because of the main premise:  Amazons. I've always been fascinated with these strong female warrior characters. The story however did not take me on a deep enough journey.

When I look at the girl on the front cover it does not make me think of the main character Rebecca. When I first started reading, I felt she was real and likeable and I found myself laughing out loud. However, the romance aspect of this book ruined her character for me. She didn't become the strong character I was envisioning. She was stuck on a guy who she just met and was more worried about him then her job as an Amazon.

I felt the romance between Rebecca and Artair really took away from the story. Once again you have this insta-love. It would have been so much better and invoked much more tension if the romance had been a gradual build-up. The passages with the two of them became annoying.  For example, while her home was going down in flames and her sisters had scattered to safety, Rebecca and Artair found time for a sexual romp in the woods.  ugh.

I can definitely say that this story isn't predictable. I was kept guessing the entire time. Which was good.  The mythology that I did get was interesting, but I felt it wasn't taken far enough. I wanted much much more.  I also would have liked less unrealistic romance between Rebecca and Artair and more action, adventure, and story development. While I did like the aspect of the Amazons representing fire, earth, air or water, there was not enough explanation about them and their differences. The characters all needed to be flushed out more.

This book had a lot of potential, but it just didn't come together.  All of that said, I think the author had a solid idea here for a series.

Favorite Quotes:  none

Bottom Line: Overall, The Reluctant Amazon had a skeleton of what could have been an amazing read. However when it came down to the meat of the story I was left unsatisfied. 2.5/5

In My Mailbox (#15)

In My Mailbox is hosted over at The Story Siren.


I've been doing pretty well with my no-more-book-buying-try-to-read-the-books-I-already-own-unless-they-are-the-new-fall-releases-I-can't-NOT-buy-ban. But hey, no one's perfect !!

I have a couple new e-books.  Link will take you to it's Goodreads page.

For review:

Botanicaust by Tam Linsey (From Author via Goodreads)




The Reluctant Amazon by Sandy James (via Netgalley)




Bought: (all of the following I bought on sale e-book style)

Wuthering Frights by H.P. Mallory


Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi



Vamped by Lucienne Diver


Touch of Frost by Jennifer Estep


I Am Legend by Richard Matheson

My Thoughts: The Goddess Test (Aimee Carter)

EVERY GIRL WHO HAS TAKEN THE TEST HAS DIED.

NOW IT'S KATE'S TURN.

It's always been just Kate and her mom--and her mother is dying. Her last wish? To move back to her childhood home. So Kate's going to start at a new school with no friends, no other family and the fear that her mother won't live past the fall.

Then she meets Henry. Dark. Tortured. And mesmerizing. He claims to be Hades, god of the Underworld--and if she accepts his bargain, he'll keep her mother alive while Kate tries to pass seven tests.

Kate is sure he's crazy--until she sees him bring a girl back from the dead. Now saving her mother seems crazily possible. If she suceeds, she'll become Henry's future bride and a goddess. (Goodreads blurb)



My Thoughts:
Okay so maybe it's time I just give up on Greek mythology re-tellings. (Other than the already established awesome by Rick Riordan).  The previously read Abandon by Meg Cabot left a horrible taste in my mouth and I was hoping to be refreshed by The Goddess Test.
Boy oh boy was I wrong. And disappointed. And frustrated. And bored.

The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter definitely helped me perfect my eye rolling technique. I came THIS close to not finishing, but managed to skim through to the end. I hatehatehate giving up on books in case there's the slightest chance of things turning around. Things, however,  only continued to go down hill until the torture finally let up and the book came to an end.
This is probably one of the worst young adult books I've ever read.
For everyone who liked it, I'm glad. Their shining reviews will help outshine my negative one.

Okay....where to start. I guess I'll start with the story itself. This was another retelling of the Greek mythology story of Hades and Persephone, greatly re-imagined. The book starts off confusing, which is never a good thing. We meet Henry and Diana and there's all these dead girls and Henry wants to give up and blahblahblah.
Then there's Kate, her mom's dying. She sees her un-friend friend Ava die. Then be brought back to life. Then die again. Then as a human again, oh i mean a ghost. And then they're instant besties. hooray. Henry tells Kate he will keep her mother alive if she lives with him. It's perfectly easy for Kate to believe and accept that Henry brought Ava back to life and then killed her again, but that he's a God..well that's just too ludicrous. 

The final actual premise of this book is this: Henry is Hades, and ruler of the in between.  Henry needs (wants) someone to be by his side, if not, he's going to give up his job to his relatives and fade into nothingness. So he keeps finding girls he thinks are "THE ONE" to take 7 tests. If they pass them all it means they are worthy of becoming immortal and staying by Henry's side. Wait, no that's wrong. Even if she passes, it's still up to his family to determine if she's worthy. Every girl has died up to this point. Kate is Henry's last hope. Oh, all the while Henry is still devastated and puppy-dog hung up on the death of his beloved, Persephone who actually didn't love him and chose to love a human and then subsequently died herself. 

A lot of people hate insta-love.  In this book, there was insta-friendships that made absolutely no sense, were not believable and had me acting crazy. All the characters were just surface characters, no depth, no life, no soul.  Kate was annoying. Ava was annoying.  The romance between Henry and Kate was tepid.  There was a lot of hypocrisy going on in things characters said or events that transpired.  I felt like the story was just BAMBAMBAM. No build-ups, no intensity, just this is the way it is and this is what happened next. I wasn't TAKEN ON a journey, I was told a story in a matter-of-fact voice.

This book was a definite struggle all the way through. It was boring and predictable and blah. Which makes me sad. Because I bought book 2 already and am never going to read it. EVER.

If you liked Abandon by Meg Cabot, there's a good chance you'll like this book. Otherwise, I would give it a pass.

Favorite Quotes:
"His eyes were the color of moonlight."

"I expected death to be cold. Instead the first thing I felt was warmth-incredible warmth that filled my body, or at least what was left of it, and spread through me like honey."

Bottom Line: The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter was a Greek mythology retelling gone wrong.  1.5/5

My Thoughts: Seraphina (Rachel Hartman)

Four decades of peace have done little to ease the mistrust between humans and dragons in the kingdom of Goredd. Folding themselves into human shape, dragons attend court as ambassadors, and lend their rational, mathematical minds to universities as scholars and teachers. As the treaty's anniversary draws near, however, tensions are high.

Seraphina Dombegh has reason to fear both sides. An unusually gifted musician, she joins the court just as a member of the royal family is murdered—in suspiciously draconian fashion. Seraphina is drawn into the investigation, partnering with the captain of the Queen's Guard, the dangerously perceptive Prince Lucian Kiggs. While they begin to uncover hints of a sinister plot to destroy the peace, Seraphina struggles to protect her own secret, the secret behind her musical gift, one so terrible that its discovery could mean her very life.  (Goodreads Blurb)



My Thoughts:
Seraphina was one of those books that dragged me in under false pretenses. What do I mean by this? The beautiful cover immediately captured my attention, then I was yanked in further by the captivating summary blurb, the first couple chapters as well had me thinking wow, this book is going to be magically awesome. And dragontastic. Well. ahem.

Even now, it's hard for me to put my thoughts down.

I found the mythology of the dragons that was created in this book to be interesting and unique. The first couple pages pulled me in instantly with the writing and beautiful descriptions.  However, I eventually found myself getting bored with the story development. I found some parts to be confusing. The climax of this book was anticlimactic and the ending was eh. Why did I keep reading, well as soon as I was ready to give up, BAM, I would come to a magical passage that would suck me back in. 

Sometimes I can put up with a little bit of boring or a little bit of poor writing if the characters are AMAZING. I just couldn't connect with any of the characters, which was disappointing. I didn't root for any of them. I was just reading about characters on a page. I didn't feel them come to life. And I didn't get pulled under by the romance.  Sad.

Seraphina had all the ingredients to be magical and amazing, but somehow it just didn't all come together for me. I will probably read the next book because the moments of  magic it did have were worth reading.

Favorite Quotes:
"A feeling rose in me, and I just let it, because what harm could it do? It only had another thirty-two adagio bars of life in this world. Twenty-four. Sixteen. Eight more bars in which I love you. Three. Two. One."

"He is transparently simple, this one, and unexpectedly complicated. And radiantly beautiful."

"If I could keep a single moment for all time, that would be the one. I became the very air; I was full of stars. I was the soaring spaces between the spires of the cathedral, the solemn breath of chimneys, a whispered prayer upon the winter wind. I was silence and I was music, one clear transcendent chord rising toward Heaven. I believed, then, that I would have risen bodily into the sky but for the anchor of his hand in my hair and his round soft perfect mouth."

Bottom Line: Seraphina had moments of dragon magic, but somehow didn't live up to the hype in my head. 3/5

Waiting on Wednesday (#4)

Waiting On Wednesday is hosted over at Breaking the Spine. It highlights upcoming releases we are stoked for.


This stunning debut captures the grotesque madness of a mystical under-land, as well as a girl’s pangs of first love and independence. Alyssa Gardner hears the whispers of bugs and flowers—precisely the affliction that landed her mother in a mental hospital years before. This family curse stretches back to her ancestor Alice Liddell, the real-life inspiration for Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Alyssa might be crazy, but she manages to keep it together. For now.

When her mother’s mental health takes a turn for the worse, Alyssa learns that what she thought was fiction is based in terrifying reality. The real Wonderland is a place far darker and more twisted than Lewis Carroll ever let on. There, Alyssa must pass a series of tests, including draining an ocean of Alice’s tears, waking the slumbering tea party, and subduing a vicious bandersnatch, to fix Alice’s mistakes and save her family. She must also decide whom to trust: Jeb, her gorgeous best friend and secret crush, or the sexy but suspicious Morpheus, her guide through Wonderland, who may have dark motives of his own. (Goodreads blurb)


The Why:
First of all, I am in LOVE with this cover, so freakin gorgeous.  Secondly, the summary for this book sounds wickedly awesome! (Due for publication January 2013)

My Thoughts: Shadow and Bone (Leigh Bardugo)

(Goodreads Blurb) Alina Starkov doesn’t expect much from life. Orphaned by the Border Wars, the one thing she could rely on was her best friend and fellow refugee, Mal. And lately not even that seems certain. Drafted into the army of their war-torn homeland, they’re sent on a dangerous mission into the Fold, a swath of unnatural darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh.

When their convoy is attacked, all seems lost until Alina reveals a dormant power that not even she knew existed. Ripped from everything she knows, she is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling. He believes she is the answer the people have been waiting for: the one person with the power to destroy the Fold.

Swept up in a world of luxury and illusion, envied as the Darkling’s favorite, Alina struggles to fit into her new life without Mal by her side. But as the threat to the kingdom mounts, Alina uncovers a secret that sets her on a collision course with the most powerful forces in the kingdom. Now only her past can save her . . . and only she can save the future.

My Thoughts:
This was one of those books that I just knew.  I just knew that it was something special and I was going to love it. And love it I did.

First off, there's a map inside. Score! Maps to me always make new worlds come to life.

We meet Alina and Mal, both made orphans from the border wars. They are eventually sent off to be in the king's army. Alina is an assistant mapmaker and Mal a tracker. All they have is each other.
The next thing you know, Alina saves him and others from death by summoning a power that she didn't know she had. She is the one and only Sun Summoner which basically means she's a wanted girl, mostly in the dead variety. She's swept away by the Darkling, the most powerful Grisha and second in power only to the king. Alina is told she's the only hope to help him destroy the Shadow Fold, a vast sand expanse plagued by darkness and bloodthirsty creatures. Alina is willing, but not sure she's up for the task. 
Aaaand there's a lot more. But you'll have to read it for yourself.

This book was wonderfully imaginative! I blew through it in a day.

I LOVED it. The characters, the writing, the descriptive world, it was all great.
I was pulled in from the very start with the writing. I loved the explanation of all the different Grisha.
The Darkling drew me in and I wanted to be his.
Then there was Mal, the reliable best friend. He was an instantly likeable character.
Man, I could say so much about this book but I'm afraid I couldn't do it without giving spoilers. So instead I'll just say, this book was awesome, I can't wait until the next one and everyone should read it!

Favorite Quotes:
“The moment our lips met, I knew with pure and piercing certainty that I would have waited for him forever.” 

Bottom Line: Shadow and Bone is a world that will be hard to forget.     5/5

Top Ten Tuesday (#8)

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted over at The Broke and the Bookish.

As a lover of lists, I could not resist.

This week's topic is:

 Top Ten Books On Your Fall TBR List:

1. Days of Blood and Starlight  by Laini Taylor.  (11-6) Daughter of Smoke and Bone was one of my top favorite reads this year. Magically breathtaking. This is probably the book that I'm most looking forward to this fall. The cover is stunning.

2. The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater. (9-18)  I will read anything this particular author writes.  The Scorpio Races was another of my favorite reads this year. The Raven Boys sounds creepily awesome.

 

3. The Lost Prince by Julie Kagawa. (10-23) The Iron Fey series is one of my favorites, I loved the world that Julie created and all the characters within. This spin-off sounds like a must read and from the excerpt I've read I'm pretty sure I'm right.



 

4. The Mark of Athena (Heroes of Olympus Book #3) by Rick Riordan. (10-2) Love love love Percy Jackson and all associated books, Greek mythology fiction at its best.



 

 

5. Black City  by Elizabeth Richards. (11-13).  Another book on vampires? Sounds new, exciting and awesome, I'm in! Another great cover.

 

6. Notorious Nineteen  by Janet Evanovich. (11-20) This is book 354 in the Stephanie Plum Series...Okay #19. I know a lot of people who gave up on this series books ago. I'm hanging in there..for the sole reason that I have this persistent unending hope that someday, somehow, Stephanie Plum will stop being a slut and pick a man already! And by a man I mean RANGER. So I keep reading. Last book was a let down, the one before that was pretty good. I'm hoping this petal of a book won't have me throwing it across the room in annoyance. I've read this long, might as well continue on.

 

 

7. Crewel by Gennifer Albin. (10-16) This book sounds AH-MAZING. I'll go ahead and list the goodreads blurb:

Incapable. Awkward. Artless.

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

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

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

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

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

 

 

8. Carnival of Souls by Melissa Marr (9-4) I love carnivals and this book sounds like it's gonna be a wild awesome ride!

 

 

9. Lover Reborn  by JR Ward (Black Dagger Brotherhood Series #10). (10-2) Now I realize the hardback of this book came out back in March. But seeing as I have all the paperbacks I had to wait. Love this series. Can't wait for more brotherhood action!! And I've heard what the next book is supposed to be about and I must say I AM SO FREAKIN EXCITED. Blay and Quinn!!



 

 

10. Happier at Home: Kiss More, Jump More, Abandon a Project, Read Samuel Johnson, and My Other Experiments in the Practice of Everyday Life by Gretchen Rubin. (9-4) I read Gretchen's first book about 2 years ago called The Happiness Project. It was kinda life-changing at the time. Majorly thought-provoking. Loved her life examples and real-world writing. Although this particular book may not be as relateable to me as the other, I'm very much a fan of Gretchen and can't wait to read this.

My Thoughts: Scarlet (A.C. Gaughen)

(Goodreads Blurb)
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.




My Thoughts:
The lore of Robin Hood and his merry men is one of my favorites, I watch every movie that comes out and saw the brief TV show. I admit I haven't read many books on the subject.

I was drawn to this retelling in particular because it's from the view of Will Scarlet, who is actually a girl in disguise. She has a lot of secrets that she keeps even from Robin, the leader of their little band of do-gooders. Scarlet along with Robin, Much and Little John steal from the rich to give to the poor. Scarlet definitely hold her own, being quite skilled with a knife. The sheriff hires Guy of Gisborne to track down and capture Robin Hood. But it's Scarlet that has the most to be afraid of if she were to be captured.

I'll start with the writing. It was difficult for me to get past the way the author had Scarlet speak. I imagine it was supposed to be reminiscent of that time period, but all it ended up doing was annoy me. Especially the overused word of "were" in particular. It made the writing less flowy.

I found the story to be very predictable, nothing happened that I didn't really expect. Even though the character of Scarlet was different, this tale of Robin Hood was fairly like all others I've known. However, I still enjoyed it and read it straight through.

I wish we could have seen more action between Scarlet and Robin. Robin was my favorite character. He was everything you imagine Robin Hood to be. I didn't get enough of him. The moments we did get between him and Scarlet had that push-pull make you want to scream JUST KISS EACH OTHER ALREADY feeling (which are the best). If you've seen the TV show Robin Hood, this book is kinda similar, especially with the storyline of Guy of Gisborne. As far as the other thieves in Robin's band, Little John really didn't do much for me. I wanted to just yell at him "BACK OFF SHE'S ROBIN'S!, but held my tongue. Haha. Much was, well Much. Endearing.

Favorite Quotes:
" That's how it were between me and Rob-he'd say such things that made my chest feel like porridge instead of a heart, and just when I thought it might mean something more than me being a fool girl, he'd pull away sharp."

"It's not that I see through you, it's that I see you. You don't want anyone to see you, but I do."

"My heart cracked open and clear dropped out of me."

"He didn't look angry now. He looked lost. I felt lost. I stared at him and my heart broke fresh again. 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 lose 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."

Bottom Line: Overall, Scarlet was a solid retelling of an old tale with a twist. 3.5/5

My Thoughts: Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist (Rachel Cohn & David Levithan)

(Goodreads Blurb)

It all starts when Nick asks Norah to be his girlfriend for five minutes. He only needs five minutes to avoid his ex-girlfriend, who's just walked in to his band's show. With a new guy. And then, with one kiss, Nick and Norah are off on an adventure set against the backdrop of New York City;and smack in the middle of all the joy, anxiety, confusion, and excitement of a first date.















Cover: I generally have a broad hate for movie covers. I only bought this one because it was on sale for $2.75. So basically, not a fan of the cover.

My Thoughts: I really loved this book. It was everything I was expecting.

I have seen the movie, and thought it was okay. In general, I won't want to read the book if I watch the movie first. Once I see the movie, that's all I can picture in my head. I'm always comparing the two. My own picture of the book in my head is way better than the movie.

The writing was easy and flowy and sucked me right in. I loved that the chapters alternated between Norah (written by Rachel Cohn) and Nick's (written by David Levithan) point of view. Of course it made perfect sense for the setting to be in New York. I've never been to New York but I imagine it to be huge and scary, but at the same time filled with endless possibilities of adventure.

The novel starts off with us meeting Nick, whose girlfriend of 6 months dumped him 3 weeks ago, and he's still a sad little thing nursing his wounded heart. He's a bassist in a queercore band and uses music and lyrics to express his soul. We also meet Norah, who is described as a basic frigid bitch. But this frigidity is a cover up for having a best friend whom she always has to take care of and a boy who never made her feel like she was amazing. To avoid his ex, Nick asks Norah to be his 5-minute girlfriend. By accepting his request, it turns into night that they'll never forget and they form a bond that was created by their love of music.

The romance between Nick and Norah is sweet and funny and hot and they are both very endearing characters who I came to love. You can't help but to root for them.  This book also includes references to Johnny Castle (hells to the yeah), My-So-Called-Life and The Beatles, which made it all the more better.

Another score for Rachel and David.

Favorite Quotes:
"She's cinematic and I'm a fucking sitcom."

"There's no such thing as ready, there's only willing."

"Why do we even bother? Why do we make ourselves so open to such easy damage? Is it all loneliness? Is it all fear? Or is it just to experience those narcotic moments of belonging with someone else?"

"...they nailed it. That's what everyone wants. Not 24-7 hot wet sex. Not a marriage that lasts a hundred years. Not a Porsche or a blow job or a million-dollar crib. No. They wanna hold your hand. They have a feeling that they can't hide."

"I shouldn't want the song to end. I always think of each night as a song. Or each moment as a song. But now I'm seeing we don't live in a single song. We move from song to song, from lyric to lyric, from chord to chord. There is no ending here. It's an infinite playlist."

Bottom Line:  An endearing, fun, musical ride. 4/5

I leave this review with one of my favorite covers of The Beatles song I Wanna Hold Your Hand

September Goals and my TBR pile

(I got this image off free wallpaper)

Ahhhh September. I love you because you mark the closing of Summer and the anticipation of cooler weather to come. Kids are going back to school, football obsessions are re stirring and you hold the promise of my favorite TV shows returning. Most of all, you make me look forward to my favorite season, Fall, and all that it will bring. So here's to you September! May you be bountiful in books and maybe throw a new bookish friend my way.

Goals for September:
1. Post at least 3 times a week
2. Read at least 2 books per week
3. Read one book on my Kindle
4. Post a review for every book read
5. Comment more on other peoples blogs
6. Try for one new follower
7. Keep up with Goodreads, I just joined a paranormal book clubby group on there, hoping it will connect me with some other bookish people
8. Learn how to do one new thing for blog

Whenever I made monthly to be read lists in the past, I never followed them. Moods change and my bookish desires stray with them. But Ima give it another go. I'm in a paranormal group on Goodreads and there are 4 books of the month. I've already read 2 of the ones for September, so I'll try to get the other 2 read.

September TBR
1. Feathermore (Lucy Swing)- Paranormal Lovers Goodreads group
2. The Moon Dwellers (David Estes)- Paranormal Lovers Goodreads group
3. Shadow and Bone (Leigh Bardugo)
4. Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist (Rachel Cohn & David Levithan)
5. Sisterhood Everlasting (Ann Brashares)
6. Insurgent (Veronica Roth)
7. The Water Wars (Cameron Stracher)
8. Scarlet (A.C. Gaughen)

That's all I'm going to plan. I've mixed giant fat books with thin. Books I own, books I generally would pass by if not for a bookish club. I think a good mix.

Happy September :)

August in Retrograde

Time for my August Recap.

August was hard. I'll have a later personal post touching on this fact.
The good news is, it's over and I'm looking forward to Fall and the possibilities it brings.

After being away from my blog for quite a while, I'm back in the action.
I'm slowly getting this blog in to tip top shape. After 2 years I finally figured out how to add tabs to the top, and actually put stuff on the page it links to. (Thanks to my brother the computer whiz)
I eventually want to make a more attractive layout to fit my blog title and learn how to add other cool stuff. All in good time. Right now my focus is posting more and writing good reviews on every book I read.


August Blog recap:
Total posts: 8
Total books read: 4
Favorite read of the month: Feed (Mira Grant)
Least Favorite read of the month: Abandon (Meg Cabot)
Total books reviewed: 2
New Followers: 0 (I mean i wouldn't follow someones blog either who doesn't post consistently, but hoping I can change this!)



I'm looking forward to reading lots more books (hopefully ones I already own), although there are books coming out this fall that I can't NOT buy. I'm looking at YOU Days of Blood and Starlight and The Lost Prince !!

Top Ten Tuesday (#7)

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted over at The Broke and the Bookish.

As a lover of lists, I could not resist.

Topic: This is my Confessioooonnnn (Bookish, that is):

1. Book lending. I will let friends borrow my books, but it comes with a list of rules. I'm not letting you borrow it for a year. Either read it or give it back. I realize not everyone reads fast, but if it's been 2 weeks, I will start asking you every other day how the book is going until you either finish it or get irritated with me and return it. It's always in the back of my mind who I've loaned books to.  And you best give it back to me in the condition it started in.

2. Dog ear my book pages and I'll hurt you.

3. So there was this book I thought I was really going to like and went ahead and bought it. Well it was a thin book, I read it in a day, I could barely finish it. I just didn't like it. I was sad that I had paid money for it. So...I returned it to the book store. I was all paranoid they were going to somehow see it in my eyes that I read the book and call the popo.

4. I can only read one book at a time. I will get confused. I want to immerse myself completely in one story and finish it before moving on to another one.

5. Sometimes I just sit and stare at my books. I have a very small bookshelf, so they are all just kinda crammed in together. In my head I'm constantly categorizing them in to groups.

6. I have to really dislike a book not to finish it.

7.  I'm constantly buying notebooks and making book lists. Books to read, series to read, coming soon books, books I've read but need to buy to have for my collection, books to look into, books I own, etc, etc.  There's something so satisfying about being able to cross something off a list. Ahhhh.

8. All my books in series need to match, as far as hardback vs paperback and if they don't it kinda stresses me out. Case in point, I've read and own all the Black Dagger Brotherhood books up until the most recent one that came out back in March. I am waiting until October to read/buy it when it comes out in paperback. And it's killing me!

9. I can't stop buying books. I will buy 3 or 10 that I really want to read. Then I'll somehow go to the bookstore again and repeat. and repeat. I can't help it!  So basically I'll never catch up.

10. I cannot read if I'm the least bit sleepy. I just can't. I'm not one of those people who can stay up until 1 or 2 in the morning reading. Even if it's Harry freakin Potter, if the eyelids are drooping the least bit, it's all over.