Paranormalcy by Kiersten White

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

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

So much for normal."

Right off the bat, if you find the slightest bit of superficiality in YA books as a turn off, or just not your cup of tea, then stay away from this book. I mean, sparkly pink taser named Tasey? Lots of "You are so hot!" banter, a character who is very much obsessed with how she looks "I felt so uncomfortable without my make-up on!", "Do these pink high-heeled boots match my zebra print wrap dress?", "Shopping always makes me feel better", maybe not in those exact words, but you get the point... These aren't the sort of things that personally interest me, but if they do, heck, will you love this book, if they don't- well, I still think that you will like the book (just maybe not to the extent that sparkly pink taser toters will ;) )

That being said,  I couldn't not finish the book (due to the superficiality aspect of it), because if I didn't finish it, I would never learn more about Lend. Oh Lend, probably the bestest good boy I have ever read about and actually loved (seriously, I am usually all over the bad boys- Jace? Marc? Yes please!). He wasn't the wishy washy good boy we sometimes see that it a complete push-over or too nice for his own good. He was a strong character, helping Evie out whenever he could, extremely talented, and a pretty funny guy. Plus, his ability was pretty awesome, the ability to turn into whoever you want? Yep, that is pretty neat-o...

And what about Evie, the main female character of the book? Well I had hoped that she would be super kick-ass, independent and whatnot, but clearly as mentioned, she was pretty superficial (I will give her credit though, when Lend took on the body of a less than attractive teenage boy, she didn't even bat an eyelash, she didn't care about the looks, just the personality), but more than that, she was just a puddle. I lost track of the number of times she felt like crying or actually did cry. And yes, I understand that your life as you know it, is falling apart- but you have to get it together girl! There is so many people relying upon you and by not being strong, how can you ever help them? Seriously, if I were to find out that I possessed a supernatural ability, I would be ecstatic ;)... Simply finding out that you have a power does not make you a monster, it is how you use those powers that determines whether or not you are a monster (ie. I run around and kill everyone I encounter, using my powers, for sheer fun versus, I run around helping people, using my powers).

And the bad "guy" Vivian? I felt so gosh darn bad for her throughout the novel. She never chose to have the abilities she possessed and as she was raised by fairies for her entire life, she had clearly not experienced much in the way of love and having been raised by fairies she would have experienced so much of the evils of the Seelie/ Unseelie courts, and therefore it only stands to reason that she, also, would resort to being evil... She just wasn't dealt a good hand in life. And you know what? I don't think she even understood the whole extent of her powers... I think that the fairies showed her only how to use one (the evil) aspect of her powers, without explaining to her the good that she could do. 

I must say that I do love the world that Kiersten has created. A sort of CIA dedicated to helping rid of the world of creepy crawlies and whatnot? Awesome! The fairy folklore/ prophecies? So intriguing! I cannot wait to see where the next book in the series, "Supernaturally", runs with the fairy idea.

Rating: 9/10

And for those of you who may have already read the book, what is your take on the whole Evie still has fire/light floating around in her heart and through her veins? I think that it is love! I think that it would just make a lot of sense.And I found this music video and I thought that it perfectly showed how I imagine the light/fire would look in both Lend and Evie (well not the part with Nicole running around in the see-through dress):



PS. Don't forget to check out MY FANTABULOUS FIRST GIVEAWAY!  

Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins

From Goodreads: "Three years ago, Sophie Mercer discovered that she was a witch. It's gotten her into a few scrapes. Her non-gifted mother has been as supportive as possible, consulting Sophie's estranged father--an elusive European warlock--only when necessary. But when Sophie attracts too much human attention for a prom-night spell gone horribly wrong, it's her dad who decides her punishment: exile to Hex Hall, an isolated reform school for wayward Prodigium, a.k.a. witches, faeries, and shapeshifters.

By the end of her first day among fellow freak-teens, Sophie has quite a scorecard: three powerful enemies who look like supermodels, a futile crush on a gorgeous warlock, a creepy tagalong ghost, and a new roommate who happens to be the most hated person and only vampire on campus. Worse, Sophie soon learns that a mysterious predator has been attacking students, and her only friend is the number-one suspect.

As a series of blood-curdling mysteries starts to converge, Sophie prepares for the biggest threat of all: an ancient secret society determined to destroy all Prodigium, especially her."

So I must say... FINALLY!!! A book worthy of ten stars! It feels like forever since I have read a book that I have liked as much as this (only one I an recall in quite some time is "Alpha" by Rachel Vincent, heck, even Cassandra Clare's [who I worship] "Clockwork Angel" wasn't all that great in my opinion.

Okie dokie, so now that I have gotten that off of my chest... On to the good stuff. When I first picked this book up and saw that it was a Disney book I rolled my eyes. I figured that it would be some crummy storyline that was only written so that it could be made into some straight to DVD movie or some Saturday morning Disney show a la Hannah Montanna, HOWEVER, imagine my surprise when I read the book and find that it is really good- and better than even good! Like, "I think you would be crazy to not like this book".

Sometimes YA books revolving around 16 year olds irk me a bit, I just find them to be kinda mindless or too superficial, however, I did not experience that at all while reading this book. I found myself bursting out laughing quite a few times in this book, and not because I was laughing at dumb writing or anything, I was laughing because Sophie is a great strong female character with a killer sense of humor (I know, I probably looked really weird reading a Disney novel in the university library, and randomly bursting out in laughter, while everything was dead silent because everyone was studying for exams- oh well)... And I really did like the best friend, Jenna, in this instance. Sometimes I find that the best friend can be a little annoying or completely unnecessary in a storyline (see Shelby in Lauren Kate's "Torment"), but I didn't find that at all. Also... The love interest Archer? Great guy and totally swoon worthy. And again (thank the high heavens), Sophie and him did not develop feelings for one another as soon as they set their eyes upon one another.

And the bad guys (yes, there was more than one, and Rachel did a beautiful job weaving them all in together and tying up all of the loose ends at the end of the novel)... Bad "Guy" #1, Elodie, was pretty likable, which again, is kinda surprising for me to admit. There was a few times in this novel where I did feel really bad for her, especially after losing her friends and finding that her boyfriend had feelings for another... And I didn't feel like pulling my hair out when reading about her and all of her crazy antics. And of course, that darn Alice (Bad "Guy" # 2)! I didn't trust her from the get-go... I mean, isn't it kinda weird that the ghost of your dead grandmother, who mysteriously developed magical powers out of the blue (which is completely unheard of), and who is almost the same age as you are (which is just plain weird), just randomly shows up, tells you that you are one of the most powerful magical beings ever- if not the most, and wants to teach you how to hone your ability? I mean, on the one hand, you might think that that is really nice and all, but on the other hand, there is just so much mystery surrounding her that you can't help but be a little suspicious of her motives. And Bad Guy # 3? Well, I will keep that one a mystery... But I will say that I don't think that this character is bad whatsoever, though the evidence (the tattoo) may suggest otherwise. It might be naive of me to think this, but I think that this character is innocent and was coerced for whatever reason into doing what they did, I don't think that had a choice in the matter whatsoever (but as mentioned, that might just be wishful thinking on my part).

AND THE ENDING/ LAST SENTENCE OF THE BOOK?!? UGH!!! It is really shocking in my opinion and it completely changes the outcome of the story (but in a good way, I think. Well... I hope so at least).

So yes, I think that you are really missing out if you have yet to read this book (or if you have this book at the bottom of your TBR pile- you know who you are! Move this book up to the top ;) )... And I am super looking forward to the second book in this series, "Demonglass", which comes out in a matter of months! 

Rating: 10/10

PS. Don't forget to check out MY FANTABULOUS FIRST GIVEAWAY!  

Spotlight Sunday: Swag Bucks

So I thought that it would be fun to start a little weekly event called “Spotlight Sunday” where I feature something that I come across and I think that EVERYONE should know about, something that I think is under-appreciated, something that I find interesting, or something along those lines. And now you also can participate in my weekly "Spotlight Sunday" by grabbing my button!

<a href="http://averysbooknook.blogspot.com/"<br>target="_blank"><br><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsW_IuFz81PkSTQMr77MxXMujLEYU4sm_NjMK3ChmcFQ8uWvjVRCaKVner_UlLrs1yElwbKPH6kvs7fhy_rG0OoTY8hx10KJCohTp6GSEfw2GQICU7pyIcdapkIwz0B0ELKYf-BGrXwV0/s1600/spotlight+sunday.jpg" <br>alt="Alternative Name" /></a>

Okay, so I have to tell y'all about something cool I discovered about a few months ago.  Swag Bucks (and no worries, I am no way affiliated with Swag Bucks ;) ). I just think that this is something that not a lot of people are aware of and they totally should be!

So here is how Swag Bucks work (the simplified version), it is a site where  you can earn points by using its search engine tool, when you use this you have the chance of winning points (usually I win between 7-12 points from using this tool, but in some cases you can win upwards of 50 points and on Fridays is Mega Swag Bucks Day and you can win up to 1000 points from one search! Super simple!).

You can also participate in the daily poll on the website, initially you will receive 1 point for doing this, but as your time as a member grows, so will your awarded point value (I now receive 2 points for doing this and I have only been a member for about two months).

You can also win points by participating in "Trusted Surveys", this function can award major points (upwards of 150 points), but a downfall is it can take a lot of time (40 minutes) and sometimes it is hard to actually qualify to participate in a survey (Swag Bucks always tells you what the chances are that you will be able to participate in a survey (ie. 60% or 3%)- don't let this get you down though! I totally participated in a survey the other day that I only had a 3% chance of qualifying for and I ended up with 150 points in the end... Score! Oh, and I should mention, just by vising the "Trusted Survey" page you are awarded points.

And now the fun part... The points! So it doesn't take very long at all for those points to add up and once they do! Well, let me tell ya... You can get lots of cool free stuff (and this is legitimate, I swear, I have been awarded 3 prizes already. No one asks for your credit card number, they ACTUALLY do send you the prize, you don't get tons of random spam in your inbox and whatnot). For instance, if you live in the States you can get a necklace, school supplies, and whatnot. Seeing as I am Canadian I am only able to get gift cards, but heck, that is a-okay with me!

So you may be wondering, what does this have to do with books? Well, using my points I have been buying myself Amazon.ca $5.00 gift cards for 450 points (you can also get gift cards to Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk using this method). $5.00 may not seem like very much if you think about it, new hardcover releases that are typically $20.00 at a bookstore are $15.00ish on Amazon, add a free $5.00 gift card to that and you are getting the book for half price, only $10.00 (and who doesn't love a good deal?)!

Now, they do carry $50 Amazon gift cards for 5,900 points, but why would you buy one of those for that price when you can buy 10 $5 cards for 4,500 points? See! Saving on book purchases and saving on points!  ;)

And if you buy as many books as I do you know that it can quickly add up ($1000 Amazon bill... Oops! ;) ), so this is a really great way to save money. Best of all, it's free to join, its for realsies, and it is super easy to use! I def. think that everyone should take advantage of this!

If you want to try out Swag Bucks click HERE! 

PS. Don't forget to check out MY FANTABULOUS FIRST GIVEAWAY!  

Versatile Blogger Award

To accept this award you must:

1. Thank and link back to the person who gave you this award.

2. Share 7 things about yourself.

3. Pass the award along to 15 bloggers who you have recently discovered and who you think are fantastic for whatever reason! (In no particular order...)

4. Contact the bloggers you've picked and let them know about the award.

Here we go!

1. I just have to thank Small Review for this award!  Go check out her blog! Its a beauty!

2. Seven things, hmm...

• I am in third year university studying bioarchaeological anthropology and primatology (so bone and primates)... I am having an uber hard time choosing which way I want to go in the world of anthropology. I intend on applying for grad school next year (I am super stressed currently at raising my average)
• My parents are self-employed, they have been my whole life. They own a cute little architectural and garden store (if you check out their website I will love you forever... My dad is really cute about it, he loves seeing where everyone who visits the website comes from in the world). 
• I love to craft. Seriously, between reading and crafting I really have no idea how I get everything else done (*cough, cough, school)... I especially love making poppets.
• I think that Craftster.org is awesome. If you have never been on it, go check it out! It is so amazing to see what everyone makes. And they have craft swaps where you are matched with someone anywhere in the world, who you swap crafts with and whatnot- it is a great way to meet people from all over and make some really great friends. 
• Popcorn, ice-cream, rice, and potatoes are the best foods in the entire world and they pretty much compose 100% of my diet (well not really, but almost). If I had to choose one food to eat for the rest of my life it would be potatoes- just think of all of the fantabulous foods you could make... Hash browns, baked potatoes, french fries. I don't think I could ever get sick of them. 
• It's no surprise... I worship Cassandra Clare. Her "Mortal Instruments" series is my favourite book series ever. (<3 Jace)
• I have cats... I think that they are the cutest thing ever. We had never been cat people before we found a stray cat outside of our store about a year and a half ago, and since then we have had about 14 cats/ kittens. Currently we only have 4, but there are a couple more stray cats outside of the store that we are hoping to bring into the house/store before more snowfall. *fingers crossed*...

3. Fifteen fantastic bloggers I am passing the award to (in no particular order- I apologize if I give someone an award and they have already got it):

Sarah from Miss Page-Turner's City of Books 

Heather from Prue's Book Blog

Stephanie over at Stephanie Reads

Kari from over at A Good Addiction
Bella from Beguile Thy Sorrow
Book Loving Mommy
Julie at Books Complete Me 
Michelle over at Clover Hill Book Reviews
Emma Michaels 
Magemanda at Floor to Ceiling Books 
Kathy at I am a Reader, Not a Writer
Melissa at I Swim For Oceans 
Kelly at I Work For Books *g*
Linda Weaver Clarke
The Book Pixie 



PS. Don't forget to check out MY FANTABULOUS FIRST GIVEAWAY!  

On My Wishlist...

 On My Wishlist is a great event that Book Chick City runs every Saturday. It's where you list all of the books that you desperately want but haven't actually bought yet. They can be old, new or forthcoming. I thought that this was a fantabulous idea so I thought I would join in!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I just finished reading "Hex Hall" by Rachel Hawkins the other day (I will have a review of it up soon) and I cannot wait for the next book in the series, "Demonglass", which is being released Feb 22 2011- so not that fair away!

From Amazon: "Sophie Mercer thought she was a witch.
 
That was the whole reason she was sent to Hex Hall, a reform school for delinquent Prodigium (aka witches, shapeshifters, and fairies). But that was before she discovered the family secret, and that her hot crush, Archer Cross, is an agent for The Eye, a group bent on wiping Prodigium off the face of the earth.

Turns out, Sophie’s a demon, one of only two in the world—the other being her father. What’s worse, she has powers that threaten the lives of everyone she loves. Which is precisely why Sophie decides she must go to London for the Removal, a dangerous procedure that will destroy her powers.

But once Sophie arrives she makes a shocking discovery. Her new friends? They’re demons too. Meaning someone is raising them in secret with creepy plans to use their powers, and probably not for good. Meanwhile, The Eye is set on hunting Sophie down, and they’re using Acher to do it. But it’s not like she has feelings for him anymore. Does she?"
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I just randomly came across "Once a Witch" by Carolyn McCullough which has already been out for awhile, so that's great because I won't have to wait for it! 

From Amazon: "Tamsin Greene comes from a long line of witches, and she was supposed to be one of the most Talented among them. But Tamsin's magic never showed up. Now seventeen, Tamsin attends boarding school in Manhattan, far from her family. But when a handsome young professor mistakes her for her very Talented sister, Tamsin agrees to find a lost family heirloom for him. The search--and the stranger--will prove to be more sinister than they first appeared, ultimately sending Tamsin on a treasure hunt through time that will unlock the secret of her true identity, unearth the sins of her family, and unleash a power so vengeful that it could destroy them all.

This is a spellbinding display of storytelling that will exhilarate, enthrall, and thoroughly enchant" 
  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I always love a good retelling of a classic, so I think that "Ash" by Malinda Lo looks very intriguing.

From Amazon: "In the wake of her father's death, Ash is left at the mercy of her cruel stepmother. Consumed with grief, her only joy comes by the light of the dying hearth fire, re-reading the fairy tales her mother once told her. In her dreams, someday the fairies will steal her away, as they are said to do. When she meets the dark and dangerous fairy Sidhean, she begins to believe that her wish may be granted.

The day that Ash meets Kaisa, the King's royal Huntress, her heart begins to change. Instead of chasing fairies, Ash learns to hunt with Kaisa. Though their friendship is as delicate as a new bloom, it reawakens Ash's capacity for love-and her desire to live. But Sidhean has already claimed Ash for his own, and she must make a choice between fairy tale dreams and true love.

Entrancing and romantic, Ash is an empowering retelling of Cinderella about the connection between life and love, and solitude and death, where transformation can come from even the deepest grief." 

Well that's it for my wishlist- what's on yours?!?

PS. Don't forget to check out MY FANTABULOUS FIRST GIVEAWAY!  

 

Book Blogger Hop

 Jennifer from Crazy for Books asks for this week's Book Blogger Hop question:

"WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE BOOK COVER?"

I think that this may just be one of the best questions ever, though one of the hardest to answer... I can't pick just one! Therefore I will pick 5 of my all time favourite book covers:

"City of Bones" by Cassandra Clare (Jace decked out in all of his runes... What could be better?)

"Wicked Lovely"by Melissa Marr

"Paranormalcy" by Kiersten White (I just finished reading this and hope to have a review up soon!)

"Nightshade" By Andrea Cremer (okay, so I haven't even read this book yet but I think that the cover is one of the most beautiful covers I have ever seen before and I would buy the book just for the cover, regardless of the story)

"Angelfire" by Courtney Alosin Moulton (yep, haven't read this book either but she looks really kick-ass, so  I think that the story will rock)...

PS. Don't forget to check out MY FANTABULOUS FIRST GIVEAWAY!  

Waiting on Wednesday

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted over at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating. Since I just finished reading and reviewing Shannon Delany's "13 to Life" I thought that it was only appropriate that I add the second book in the series to my wishlist! 

Title: "Secrets and Shadows" 
Author: Shannon Delany
Release Date: February 15, 2011


From Shannon's website: "The supernatural stakes are higher than ever now that more than just werewolves prowl the town of Junction--friendships will be formed, choices will be made and allies may become enemies...

Nothing's simple when you run with werewolves. Jess Gillmansen thinks she's seen it all but her eyes are about to be opened to even more danger and a reality far more paranormal than she's suspected."
 



PS. Don't forget to check out MY FANTABULOUS FIRST GIVEAWAY!  

13 to Life by Shannon Delany

From Amazon: "Everything about Jessie Gillmansen’s life changed when her mother died. Now even her hometown of Junction is changing. Mysterious dark things are happening. All Jessie wants is to avoid more change. But showing a hot new guy around Junction High, she’s about to discover a whole new type of change. Pietr Rusakova is more than good looks and a fascinating accent—he’s a guy with a dangerous secret. And his very existence is sure to bring big trouble to Jessie’s small town. It seems change is the one thing Jessie can’t avoid…"

What I liked about this book is that it did not start out like this: "The young female character looked across the school cafeteria at the dark, haired mysterious and utterly gorgeous new boy in school. When he looked up from his lunch and looked at her, sitting across the room, their eyes met. There was an instant connection, sparks flew, and she knew that nothing would ever come between them and that she would protect him no matter what and he would feel and do the same", like I have found so many young adult books to start out like lately (see my more in-depth rant into idea at my review of "Halo" by Alexandra Adornetto)... So all I can say is THANK GOODNESS! Nope, Jessie was very resistant and it took her a while to trust Pietr and come to like him. She wasn't one of those drippy girls who fell for his charms right away.

Jessie is such a strong female character- seriously, the whole Sarah situation?!? Yeah, I think I know that had I been in that situation I would not have been forgiving whatsoever... And it's not like Jessie just forgave Sarah, no, she went way above and beyond, helping Sarah like no other had helped her (well, besides the doctors and whatnot I am sure who had to physically stitch her up)... Not going to lie though, I was getting a little peeved off with Jessie when she kept referring to Sarah as her best friend in front of Amy (who should have been her bestest best friend), I mean, come'on! That is the most annoying thing ever, when the best you consider to be your best friend doesn't consider you to be their best friend... And the CIA jazz?!? Not expecting that whatsoever, so I am really looking forward to how that is going to play out in the next book.   

My only real complaint is that I think that had the ending, where pretty much all of the action taken place, should have started earlier in the novel (and should have constituted more than the last twenty or so pages of the book)... I think that had that happened I would have liked the book even more so. I am just left with so many darn questions with the ending (and we all know how much I hate that!)... I think I may have to reread the ending... For instance, so because Alexi is not Pietr, Cat's and Max's brother, he is not a werewolf? How in the world could he hide that little fact? Or is the werewolf gene only thought to "pop up" in some children and not others thereby explaining that little discrepancy? Werewolves lifespans are compressed/ shortened? So why does when Alexi ask Pietr how old Jessie is say "Almost seventeen, like you?" I read it like Alexi was implying that Pietr is not like Jessie in age whatsoever, like he was not seventeen, or like he had been seventeen for a long time (FLASHBACK TO "TWILIGHT": "How old are you?" "Seventeen." "How long have you been seventeen?" "For a while."- Totally had that memorized... HA!). And what is with age thirteen? Does age thirteen mark their change?

My philosophy? If you like "Twilight" you will like this book. If you don't like "Twilight", well, you will still like this book! EDIT: And I totally apologize for originally spelling Pietr's name wrong, I totally had a one of those "Oh my gosh! Your name isn't Peter! It's Pie-eater?" moments... ;)

Rating: 8.5/10 (I would just like to note that I would have probably rated this book 10/10 had the author, Shannon Delany, agreed to write me into her next book as either Pietr's love interest or as a chick ass CIA chick, as per our Twitter conversation... Just kidding, kinda ;) )...

PS. Don't forget to check out MY FANTABULOUS FIRST GIVEAWAY! 

Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! 

The rules are:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS!

I am currently reading:
Title: "Hex Hall"
Author: Rachel Hawkins
Genre: Young adult paranormal

"So you've never seen your dad?" (page 38)

"I just...  I just wish I could have given you a more normal childhood." (page 39) 

A Couple of Interesting Things...

Okie dokie, so I have a couple of announcements and I figured that I might as well combine them all into one biggasized post.

First, originally for my FIRST FANTABULOUS GIVEAWAY I was giving away Amazon gift cards to either Amazon.ca, Amazon.com, or Amazon.uk.co... However, someone suggested that I give the winner the choice between an Amazon gift card or a Book Depository gift card, since the Book Depository ships to a lot more locations than Amazon does (aka everyone who couldn't enter the giveaway because they had no use for an Amazon gift card because there wasn't any shipping to their country can now enter) and the Book Depository's shipping is free. Well, I thought that this was a fantabulous suggestion (thanks Larissa)... So that is exatly what I am going to do!

With this change the prizes now sit at three Amazon or Book Depository gift cards (one to each of three lucky followers) that are valued at $15 American a piece. If I can reach 150 followers before the end of the giveaway (December 22nd), the gift cards value will increase to $25 a piece, and if I can reach 200 followers by that date I will increase the gift cards to $40 a piece!

Second, I am now on Twitter! Not going to lie, I don't Tweet all that much (though I am sure that that will quickly change), but I still think that you should go follow me ;) ! My Twitter is @AverysBookNook and as of right now I am too technicalogically challenged to make a blog button for it, but I eventually will!

Third, well this isn't an announcement per se, just something that I found interesting... Did y'all know that there was a "Red Riding Hood" movie coming out? I sure didn't! But I think that it looks super awesome and I just had to share!

Spotlight Sunday: Aprilynne Pike

So I thought that it would be fun to start a little weekly event called “Spotlight Sunday” where I feature something that I come across and I think that EVERYONE should know about, something that I think is under-appreciated, something that I find interesting, or something along those lines. And now you also can participate in my weekly "Spotlight Sunday" by grabbing my button!

<a href="http://averysbooknook.blogspot.com/"<br>target="_blank"><br><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsW_IuFz81PkSTQMr77MxXMujLEYU4sm_NjMK3ChmcFQ8uWvjVRCaKVner_UlLrs1yElwbKPH6kvs7fhy_rG0OoTY8hx10KJCohTp6GSEfw2GQICU7pyIcdapkIwz0B0ELKYf-BGrXwV0/s1600/spotlight+sunday.jpg" <br>alt="Alternative Name" /></a>

This week I have decided to shine a spotlight on author Aprilynne Pike!

 

The other day when I blogged about the soon-to-be-released book in Aprilynne's "Wings" series, "Illusions", I noticed that there were a few comments that people had yet to read the series, and as I think that it is such a great series (that everyone should read), I thought that I would let people know exactly what the whole dealio is. 

"Wings" is the first book in the series, followed by "Spells" and the aforementioned "Illusions". Here are just short little summaries of each of the books:


 From Amazon: "Laurel was mesmerized, staring at the pale things. They were terrifyingly beautiful—too beautiful for words. 

Laurel turned to the mirror again, her eyes on the hovering petals that floated beside her head. They looked almost like wings. 

Laurel's life is the very definition of normal . . . until the morning when she wakes up to discover a flower blooming from her back. As it turns out, nothing in Laurel's life is what it seems. Now, with the help of an alluring faerie sentry who holds the key to her true past, Laurel must race to save her human family from the centuries-old faerie enemies who walk among them."

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

From Amazon: ""I can't just storm in and proclaim my intentions. I can't ‘steal' you away. I just have to wait and hope that, someday, you'll ask," Tamani said.

"And if I don't?" Laurel said, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Then I guess I'll be waiting forever."

Although Laurel has come to accept her true identity as a faerie, she refuses to turn her back on her human life—and especially her boyfriend, David—to return to the faerie world.
But when she is summoned to Avalon, Laurel's feelings for the charismatic faerie sentry Tamani are undeniable. She is forced to make a choice—a choice that could break her heart." 
  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
From Aprilynne's website: "Laurel hasn't seen Tamani since she begged him to let her go last year. Though her heart still aches, Laurel is confident that David was the right choice.

But just as life is returning to normal, Laurel discovers that a hidden enemy lies in wait. Once again, Laurel must turn to Tamani to protect and guide her, for the danger that now threatens Avalon is one that no faerie thought would ever be possible. And for the first time, Laurel cannot be sure that her side will prevail."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

What I love about this series is that it is quite a different take on  faeries. Instead of being humanoid's, they are actually all living breathing plants that can walk and whatnot (seriously, it may sound weird, but it isn't). Because they are plants their wings are not like typical butterfly-ish wings, but they are actually large blooms (like the covers of "Spells" and "Illusions" I suppose). Furthermore, depending on what they eat, their hair can change colour (lots of green= green roots)... I kinda based my little Fairy/Elf doll heads off of this idea.

What I also really like is the storyline in general... In this story, age much faster than humans, and when Laurel looked like a 2 or 3 year old human, she was actually a 7ish year old fairy. Laurel is shocked when she finds out that she is a fairy hidden within the human world (her parents opened their door one day and found Laurel at age 2 or 3 trying to climb out of the basket that she was placed within, they then brought her in as their own)... Because of the age differences between humans and faeries, she learns that she is not a fifteen year old human girl but an almost twenty year old faerie. Furthermore, she learns that it was her choice to be placed within the human world ( faeries are educated at a very young age, they have an adult intelligence at 7 or so years of age), so when she was a 7 year old faerie (3 year old human), in order to help her people she chose to be placed within the human world and have all of her faerie memories erased. One of the memories that she has erased is of Tamani, her best friend who is in love with her. When she does come to terms with her past, Tamani is ecstatic because he believes that they can finally be together, however, Laurel has a human boyfriend David that is she unwilling to give up (I think that she is being a booger and needs to drop David ASAP). Does that make sense? Hope so! Anyways, it is a super unique take on the whole genre of faeries and unlike anything I have ever seen/ read before- so therefore, it is awesome!

One downside, in my opinion, is that the characters are 15 (well, as I mentioned Laurel is technically older than that, but as she has been raised as a fifteen year old human it is the age/ way she knows how to act)! Does anyone else out there ever feel weird about reading love stories about 15 year olds?!? I mean I wasn't 15 all that long ago, only like what(?) 5 years ago... But I sometimes just feel a bit uncomfortable reading about them and their little love lives.

Also, a little side note... The movie rights to this book were purchased by Disney. There has been discussion of Miley Cyrus playing Laurel (not going to lie, I hope that she doesn't, I think that someone like Evanna Lynch who plays Luna Lovegood in the "Harry Potter" movies would be much better).

Anyways, if you have yet to read this series, shame on you! ;) I swear it is really good and that the majority of you will really like (if not love) it!

PS. Don't forget to check out MY FANTABULOUS FIRST GIVEAWAY! 

*Drum Roll Please...*

So I now have officially have... 100 followers (you guys rock- thanks so much!)! So what does this mean?!? The prize  for my FIRST EVER FANTABULOUS GIVEAWAY has been BIGGASIZED! This means that I will awarding THREE $15 Amazon gift cards, one to each of THREE lucky winners!

But wait...

Since you guys are so fantabulous (100 followers in less than a month- and there is still a month left in the contest), I think that we can gather even more followers! What I propose is that if we can reach 150 followers I will bump up each of the three $15 Amazon gift cards to $25 each! If we can reach 200 followers between now and the end of the contest I will bump up the three gift cards to $40 each! Would it be so much more awesome-er getting $40 worth of books rather than just $15?!?

I believe in your skills!

Also, I should make note that I originally said that the contest was going to end on December 24th. But seeing as I am going to be in a car all day/ night, driving from Ontario, Canada to Pigeon Forge Tennessee it will be pretty much impossible for me to blog. Therefore the contest will now actually be ending a couple of days earlier, on December 22nd! I hope no one is affected/ cheesed off by this.

On My Wishlist

 On My Wishlist is a great event that Book Chick City runs every Saturday. It's where you list all of the books that you desperately want but haven't actually bought yet. They can be old, new or forthcoming. I thought that this was a fantabulous idea so I thought I would join in!

"Child of Darkness" is the second book in the "Lightwood/ Darkwood" series by Jennifer Armintrout. I just finished reading the first book in the series (I reviewed it here), so I am really excited what happens with all of the great characters in this next installment. 

 From Amazon: "At a Lightworld royal gala, Queene Ayla announces the betrothal of her daughter, Cerridwen, to a high-ranking councilor. Though strategically brilliant, the engagement comes as a shock—to Cerridwen especially. Infuriated by her mother's high-handedness, ignorant of her own true origins, she flees the court—leaving herself vulnerable to those who would see the Lightworld destroyed.

Amid burgeoning unrest, desperate desires become divided loyalties and terrifying mercenaries lurk in the shadowy space between rebellion and anarchy".

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 

This, "Veil of Shadows", is the third and last book in the "Lightwood/ Darkwood" series by Jennifer Armintrout. Again, super excited to see how the books are all wrapped up. 

From Amazon: "With the immortal denizens of the subterranean Lightworld and Darkworld societies locked in battle, the heiress to the Faery throne is exiled to the Human realm above. Accompanied to the Upworld by her mother's trusted advisor, Cerridwen is bound for Éire—and the last Fae stronghold on Earth. But even this fabled colony is no true haven.

In the absence of the true Fae monarch, the formidable Queene Danae established herself as ruler—and she does not wish to relinquish her power, especially over the devout Humans who live among the Fae as servants.

Torn between her own beliefs and the ideals her mother died for, Cerridwen searches for clues to her destiny—is it on Earth among the Humans, or beyond an ethereal portal, in the immortals' ancestral home? Neither path can avert bloodshed—and the choice may not be hers to make."

Well that's it for my weekly wishlist... What is on yours?!?

PS. Don't forget to check out MY FANTABULOUS FIRST GIVEAWAY! 

Book Blogger Hop

Jennifer from Crazy for Books asks for this week's Book Blogger Hop question:

Since Thanksgiving is coming up next week, let's use this week's Hop to share what we are most thankful for and what our holiday traditions are!

Well since I am Canadian we celebrated Thanksgiving over a month ago, but that doesn't mean that I am not thankful for anything now! ;) Let's see... I am thankful for my fam jam (Maj, Faj, and the little sis) and my cats Ruffles and Marbles (even though they are both crazy). I am thankful for having the best grandparents in the entire world, even if they are no longer with us today. I don't think I would be the person I am today if it weren't for them.

I am definetely thankful for fantabulous books- seriously if books did not exist I have no idea what I would do with myself- well, I suppose I would probably be a crazy gamer or something (but I would most likely suck since I have never played a video game before) or maybe a better student since I would have nothing to distract me from school- Oops. I am thankful for my education- even though most of the time I  feel like pulling my hair out. One. Piece. At. A. Time. (Cultures of the Middle East exams will do that to you).

And I am thankful for my followers (as corny as it sounds), y'all are great! I don't know if you can comprehend how much I appreciate/ get excited for reading comments and all of that jazz... Oh yes, and Craftster! Can't forget about the greatest website ever. I have been introduced to amazing crafters all over the world and have made some really great friendships from it! Anyways, Happy early Thanksgiving to all of my American friends/ followers (and anyone else who may be celebrating Thanksgiving next weekend)- Hope you have an amazing weekend (well, how could you not?!? Turkey! Pumpkin pie with whip cream! Yummy food in general?!?).

  
PS. Don't forget to check out MY FANTABULOUS FIRST GIVEAWAY! I only need 2 more followers to "up" the prize!  

Queene of Light by Jennifer Armintrout

From Amazon: "In a time not long from now, the veil between fantasy and reality is ripped asunder—creatures of myth and fairy tale spill into the mortal world. Enchanted yet horrified, humans force the magical beings Underground, to colonize the sewers and abandoned subway tunnels beneath their glittering cities. 

But even magic folk cannot dwell in harmony, and soon two Worlds emerge: the Lightworld, home to faeries, dragons and dwarves; and the Darkworld, where vampires, werewolves, angels and demons lurk. 

Now, in the dank and shadowy place between Lightworld and Darkworld, a transformation is about to begin….

Ayla, a half faery, half human assassin, is stalked by Malachi, a Death Angel tasked with harvesting mortal souls. They clash. Immortality evaporates, forging a bond neither may survive. And in the face of unbridled ambitions and untested loyalties, an ominous prophecy is revealed that will shake the Worlds." 


(Quick Note: So I blogged a month or so about how I had reorganized all of my bookshelves and in doing so I found a ton of books that I had purchased but never gotten around to reading, this was one of them. I don't know why I didn't read it sooner, it is a pretty quick read, something right up my alley (fantasy), and whatnot. Slightly kicking myself for waiting so long to read it...)

Sometimes I find when readings books dealing with Fae/Faery/ Fey/ you know what I am talking about regardless of the spelling, hauntingly beautiful creatures, sometimes with or without wings, that like to play little tricks and mind games on human, are allergic to iron and whatnot,  I find that you have to have some previous knowledge of how the Faery world works, for instance the Dark and Light Courts, the Seelie and the Unseelie Courts, the Winter and the Summer Courts, The Great Hunt and things along those lines. When I was reading the first thirty or so pages of this book I felt like I did not understand anything that was going on... I don't know if if is because I am used to reading about the Summer and Winter Courts in books by authors like Melissa Marr and the Seelie/ Unseelie Courts Holly Black, that I found it difficult to completely understand/ comprehend how this world of Faeries is organized and structured. However, I was fortunately soon able to pick up the general idea of how it is structured/ its happenings and whatnot (but you know, after 30 pages into it ;) ).

It is a nice take on the world of the faeries... It kind of reminds me of the "Artemis Fowl" series, the human live above ground and the faeries live below ground, and at the same time reminding me of "Avatar", with the big beautiful tree of life thinger. The world isn't so hauntingly beautiful that humans cannot grasp/ comprehend such beauty like many faery stories, everything in this world is almost downtrodden or muted.

I really like this book, it is probably the best book I have read within the last month or so... The character development is great, there is the good guy turned into evil villain that you cannot help but love yet loathe at the same time, the strong little female character who will protect anyone and everyone no matter how much it hurts her to do so (which makes you approve of her even more), and the mysterious male character whose intentions you question in the beginning but soon fall head over heels for...

What I also appreciate about this book is that though it does have a cliffhanger ending, it isn't the kind of cliffhanger that makes me want to shake the author and yell "WHY CAN'T YOU WRITE A COMPLETE STORY?!?", or you know, just makes me want to pull my hair out. This book could stand alone by itself, without any additional books- but that wouldn't be as much fun. But I will definitely be checking out the last 2 books of this trilogy (and you should too!).

Rating: 3/5

PS. Don't forget to check out MY FANTABULOUS FIRST GIVEAWAY! I only need 3 more followers to "up" the prize! 

Waiting on Wednesday

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted over at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

What I can't wait to get my hands on?

"Illusions" 
Author: Aprilynne Pike
Release Date: May 3rd, 2011

From Aprilynne's website: "Laurel hasn't seen Tamani since she begged him to let her go last year. Though her heart still aches, Laurel is confident that David was the right choice.

But just as life is returning to normal, Laurel discovers that a hidden enemy lies in wait. Once again, Laurel must turn to Tamani to protect and guide her, for the danger that now threatens Avalon is one that no faerie thought would ever be possible. And for the first time, Laurel cannot be sure that her side will prevail."

I loved "Wings" and "Spells" so much- they were amazing and therefore I cannot wait for this book to come out. Especially when taking into consideration that "Spells" was pretty much a cliffhanger and left us heartbroken (well at least me- TEAM TAMANI) and eager for more! May 2011 cannot come fast enough in my opinion. 

PS. Don't forget to check out my FIRST FANTABULOUS GIVEAWAY! I only need 4 more followers to "up" the prize! 

Teaser Tuesday!

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! 

The rules are:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS!

I am currently reading (I will have a review of it up in the next couple of days- so stay tuned!):
Title: "Queen of Light"
Author: Jennifer Armintrout
Genre: Young adult fantasy

"Kill them! Kill them both now! she screamed frantically at herself. But the moment had passed." (pg.126)

"He's my friend..." (pg. 127)

PS. Don't forget about my FIRST FANTABULOUS GIVEAWAY that you can enter at HERE!

Lookie Here! My First Award!

Here is what is what they've asked after receiving this Award:

1.Thank and link back to the person that gave this award.
2.Answer the following 10 survey questions mentioned below.
3.Pass it on to another 15 Blogs that are fairly new and interesting to you.
4.Contact the bloggers so they know they've been chosen.

This is a great refreshing idea that will be useful and fun for blogs mentioned and blogs just beginning. The questions are a neat way to find out more about fellow blogs as well discover other likes and dislikes. So without further adieu... let's continue with this ongoing extravaganza! 


I received this award from Melissa over at Books and Things. She has a great blog that you have got to check out!

1. If you blog anonymously are you happy doing it that way; if you are not anonymous do you wish you had started out anonymously so you could be anonymous now? 

 
Hmmmm... Can't say that I have ever thought of this before. Sure, the way that I blog people get some understanding of who I am, what my personality is and whatnot, but I don't think that I, as a blogger, am totally out there. I don't think I would have had a problem blogging anonymously though either. 

2. Describe one incident that shows your inner stubborn side:

Oh gosh... This happens so often that I don't even keep track anymore.

3. What do you see when you really look at yourself in the mirror? 

A short, scrawny kid who is way pale from never venturing outside the house due to the fact that she hides herself away in the house reading or crafting. Seriously... 

4. What is your favorite summer cold drink? 

I don't really drink anything besides water, but I will indulge in Oasis Pomegranate Berry (?) juice on occasion... It is fantabulous.

5.When you take time for yourself, what do you do? 

Usually I will read or sew or whatnot. But I am in no way opposed to slumming it in my pajamas or sweats all day long in the house, watching way too much TV or just screwing around on the computer.

6. Is there something you still want to accomplish in your life? What is it? 

Of course! I totally intend on getting my Ph.d. in bioarchaeological anthropology or primatology... I am still a youngin' and gots lots of stuff I gotta do!

7. When you attended school, were you the class clown, the class overachiever , the shy person, or always ditching? 

 

In high school? Totally the class overachiever... In university? Well, just average I suppose (ps. When teachers tell you that your high school average will on drop at least 10% from high school to university, don't just roll your eyes and think that it won't happen- those teachers know what they are talking about ;) ), but in university I am def the shy person- case in point a presentation I had to do last week, it was terrible, I got so nervous and felt really sick- darn nerves :/ .

8. If you close your eyes and want to visualize a very poignant moment of your life what would you see? 

Getting my acceptance letter into grad school... Only one more year to make this a reality!

9. Is it easy for you to share your true self in your blog or are you more comfortable writing posts about other people or events?

 

Heck, I don't have a problem sharing who I am in my blogging, but I also do like writing about other people or events (case in point, Mike Tompkins who you MUST check out- he has a Facebook group too ;) ).

And the award goes to...

Jessica over at A Great Read

Cem over at Cem's Book  Hideout

Amy over at Diary of a Hooker

Deana over at Inspiring Adventures of Always Inspired

Sarah from Miss Page-Turner's City of Books 

Kira over at Oops, I Craft My Pants

Heather from Prue's Book Blog

AQ over at The Asphalt Mom

Carmel from Rabid Reads

Stephanie over at Stephanie Reads

Mary over at Sparkling Reviews

PS. Don't forget to check out MY FIRST FANTABULOUS GIVEAWAY! I only need 5 more followers to biggasize the prize... 

Mike Tompkins (Again)...

So over the last couple of months I have been blogging about Mike Tompkins (here and here). A really talented musician/ music producer who I went to high school with. A few months ago he blew up on Youtube with his a capella rendition of "Teenage Dreams/ Just the Way You" are... And later with "Dynamite".

The craziest thing is that he makes every single sound in his songs using only his mouth! That's right, there is no instrumentals playing whatsoever. That is sheer talent if I ever did see it ;). He was on Ellen a few weeks back and after that the media surrounding him just kinda dropped off...

Imagine my surprise then this morning when I turn on Today as I am getting ready for school and there he is alongside Matt, Al, and Meredith! And teaching them how to recreate "Dynamite"! I thought that it was so great that I had to share it with y'all...



PS. Don't forget about MY FANTABULOUS FIRST EVER GIVEAWAY! I only need 5 more followers until I make it biggasized!

Spotlight Sunday: The Buried Life TV series

So I thought that it would be fun to start a little weekly event called “Spotlight Sunday” where I feature something that I come across and I think that EVERYONE should know about, something that I think is under-appreciated, something that I find interesting, or something along those lines. And now you also can participate in my weekly "Spotlight Sunday" by grabbing my button!

<a href="http://averysbooknook.blogspot.com/"<br>target="_blank"><br><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsW_IuFz81PkSTQMr77MxXMujLEYU4sm_NjMK3ChmcFQ8uWvjVRCaKVner_UlLrs1yElwbKPH6kvs7fhy_rG0OoTY8hx10KJCohTp6GSEfw2GQICU7pyIcdapkIwz0B0ELKYf-BGrXwV0/s1600/spotlight+sunday.jpg" <br>alt="Alternative Name" /></a>

This week's feature? The fantabulous "Buried Life" over on MTV! 

This show follows 4 friends as they try to cross off everything on their list of "100 Things to Do Before You Die" (some of the items that are included on their list were, "ask out the girl of your dreams"> Duncan and the gang ended up sneaking into the Country Music Awards and he was able to ask Taylor Swift out, another one was "streak and get away with it"> unfortunately they were not able to get away with this because they were arrested, but they were able to cross off something else on their list, "spend a night in jail")...

After completing one of the items on their list they then help someone else cross off something on their list (for instance, one homeless man living in the sewer system of California hadn't seen his daughter in over a decade and the boys took him to see her, in another case a young teenage girl who suffered from depression wanted to educate her community on mental health issues, the boys helped her hold a big event that raised a lot of awareness and they then presented her with a scholarship to her dream college as she was unable to afford to attend it).

Its real/ unscripted and for that totally amazing- this ain't no Jersey Shore folks. I love this show for so many reasons: 1) it is so heartwarming 2) it is really funny without ever losing its serious undetone 3) the boys (I love you Jonnie and Duncan) and lastly, 4) it is so original and I have never seen anything like it.

This show makes me wonder... What would I put on my "100 Things to Do Before I Die" list? Well aside from the typical, fall in love, get married, get my Ph.d and things like that, I have a kinda hard time thinking about what else I would include on it... But here is my attempt (at a short list, I don't have time to make a list of 100 items ;) ). Oh yes, and in no particular order...

1) Write a book
2) Work at a zoo
3) Raise an baby animal (it seems like it has been forever since I have had kittens to raise, I wants some more!)
4) Go to an author signing/ meet my favourite author
5) Go to Comic-Con
6) Go back to Florence, Italy and actually eat Italian food this time (ie. no McDonalds)
7) Work at a bookstore
8) Participate in an archaeological dig over the summer
9) See guinea pigs or hamsters running around in their natural environment (seriously, have you ever thought of this? Like we see mice running around here in North America and don't think anything of it, imagine going to Peru or Asia and seeing guinea pigs and mice running around! I think it would be cool)
10) Discover Atlantis

What would you put on your list?



If you decide to participate in Spotlight Sunday and write about pretty much anything you want, comment on this post with your link!

PS. Don't forget to enter MY FIRST FANTABULOUS GIVEAWAY! I only need 6 more followers until I hit 100 and I will biggasize the prize once again!