"Ordinary Angels" by India Drummond

From Goodreads: "Most of Zoe’s friends are dead, but she doesn’t mind because they died long before she met them. Then one Tuesday night an angel takes her salsa dancing and turns her world upside down. Grim reality closes in when she discovers a body in her company’s boiler room and Higher Angels accuse her best ghost friend of murder. Knowing she’s the only one who can stand against them, Zoe resorts to lying, stealing and summoning. In the end, getting blood on her hands forces Zoe to question herself."

Okay, can we please take a moment to squeal over this cover? Isn't it gorgeous?!? This is hands-down my most favourite book cover in quite some time. Everything is just so soft and romantic looking. Okay, cover-loving-squeal-moment-over...

Because I have now just started to seriously dip my toes into the world of adult paranormal romance I am still getting a feel for the genre and have yet to form a really concrete opinion of it. As a newbie PNR reader I did like the book quite a bit and as for hardcore PNR readers? Well, I think that you are in for a treat!

This book combined all sorts of paranormal critters in it, from angels to ghosts to seers to demons and I love it when an author doesn't just stick to one paranormal critter- I figure the more the merrier! But while I love lots of paranormal creatures being included in one story, I did feel like there were a few instances when there was too many plot elements going on in general (magical knife, magical keys, weird hallway, weird timeless area, garden of Eden type home, western town, etc.). I think that had all of the elements been toned down a bit I would have enjoyed the book a bit more (because less plot elements= less chance of me getting everything mixed up= less having to reread parts of the book).

I find Zoey to be a really intriguing character, not only is she super snarky/ sassy, but there is much more than meets the eye with her (specifically in her potential abilities). I thought that Alexander was also an intriguing character, I thought that it was really cute that he didn't fully understand how humans are to act and whatnot, plus, the guy is kinda smoldering. 

I hope that India has plans for another book because I'd love to see how everything continues to develop!  

This book will released on April 4th, 2011.

Rating: 7.5/10

I received this e-book from the author and was not compensated for my review (Thanks India! And thanks Carmel for the recommendation!).

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...
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Title: "Divergent"
Author: Veronica Roth
Release Date: May 3, 2011

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

During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles to determine who her friends really are—and where, exactly, a romance with a sometimes fascinating, sometimes infuriating boy fits into the life she's chosen. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers a growing conflict that threatens to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves . . . or it might destroy her."
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Title: "Die For Me"
Author: Amy Plum
Release Date: May 10, 2011 

From Goodreads: "DIE FOR ME is the first of three books about Kate, a sixteen-year-old American who moves to Paris after the death of her parents. It introduces a new version of the undead with revenants, beings who are fated to sacrifice themselves over and over again to save others’ lives. Kate finds herself falling for Vincent, who she discovers is not the typical French teenager he appears: he is something else entirely.

DIE FOR ME presents a new supernatural mythology presented in a city where dreams are sometimes the same as reality."
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Title: "Starcrossed"
Author: Josephine Angelini
Release Date: May 31, 2011 

From Goodreads: "How do you defy destiny? 

Helen Hamilton has spent her entire sixteen years trying to hide how different she is—no easy task on an island as small and sheltered as Nantucket. And it's getting harder. Nightmares of a desperate desert journey have Helen waking parched, only to find her sheets damaged by dirt and dust. At school she's haunted by hallucinations of three women weeping tears of blood . . . and when Helen first crosses paths with Lucas Delos, she has no way of knowing they're destined to play the leading roles in a tragedy the Fates insist on repeating throughout history. 

As Helen unlocks the secrets of her ancestry, she realizes that some myths are more than just legend. But even demigod powers might not be enough to defy the forces that are both drawing her and Lucas together—and trying to tear them apart."

"Tempest" by Holly Hook

From Goodreads: "Life blows for sixteen-year-old Janelle. Ever since moving to Florida, she’s been accidentally breaking people’s arms just by touching them and yanking steel doors off their hinges. Then her new crush, Gary, sees her gray spiral birthmark and tells her she’s a Tempest, able to turn into a hurricane by touching the ocean. Like him. So that’s why she feels ready to explode when she’s at the beach.

As if that’s not lousy enough, all Tempests have to become storms once in their lives. It’s their law…and it’s Janelle’s turn.

No way in hell is Janelle going to kill people, even by accident. So she does what any sane person would do—she runs away from home.

But it’s not long before the Tempest leader discovers and abducts her. Janelle’s told that she’s destined to become the worst hurricane ever. And now she’s the main weapon in the Tempest leader’s plot to hold the world ransom. No way can Janelle live with herself if she kills thousands. But using the power she fears most might be the only way out."

To start off with yes yes the cover is pretty creepy and not like the typical young adult cover we see nowadays with the beautiful and kick-butt female character being held by the swoon-worthy male lead on it, but as the old saying goes don't judge a book by its cover... the story contained within this book pretty awesome and if you pass this one over solely based on the cover, well I think that you are really missing out (and hey, if you buy the E-book you really don't have to look at the cover)! 

In all honesty this is one of the most original young adult paranormal stories I have ever read before, there are no signs of (the oftentimes overplayed) vampires, werewolves, witches, love at first sight, love triangles, and all of that jazz. And as silly as this may sound, this is the best ninety-nine cents I have ever spend before and heck, I would even be willing to pay fifteen or twenty dollars for a hard-copy of this book. This book is fast paced and action packed and the characters are totally likable. 

Since getting my E-reader/ reading E-books I have noticed reviews where people go on and on about how poorly edited indie books are with tons of grammatical errors and whatnot and this book has received its fair share of criticism in this regard. But while reading the book I did not come across any grammatical errors that were glaring obvious (though I should say that I am in no way an editor, I use spell-check as much, if not more, than the next person).  My only complaints about this book was that there there were a few instances where really obvious things were spelled out (things that the reader could have easily grasped themselves) and a few contradictions (a charcter would say one thing in one chapter and the complete opposite in another).

I cannot wait for the next book in this series and I hope that sometime in the near future that Holly will get all of the recognition she deserves for writing such an interesting/ amazing story!

Rating: 9/10

"The Demon Trapper's Daughter" by Jana Oliver

From Goodreads: "Riley Blackthorne just needs a chance to prove herself and that's exactly what the demons are counting on...

Seventeen-year-old Riley, the only daughter of legendary demon trapper Paul Blackthorne has always dreamed of following in her father's footsteps. The good news is, with human society seriously disrupted by economic upheaval and Lucifer increasing the number of demons in all major cities, Atlanta's local Trappers Guild needs all the help it can get---even from a girl. When she's not keeping up with her homework or trying to manage her growing crush on fellow apprentice Simon, Riley's out saving distressed citizens from foul-mouth little devils---Grade One Hellspawn only, of course, per the strict rules of the Guild. Life's about as normal as can be for the average demon trapping teen.

But then a Grade Five Geo-Fiend crashes Riley's routine assignment at a library, jeopardizing her life and her chosen livelihood. And as if that wasn't bad enough, sudden tragedy strikes the Trappers Guild, spinning Riley down a more dangerous path that she ever could have imagined.

As her whole world crashes down around her, who can Riley trust withe her heart---and her life?"

Looking back at all of the reviews I have posted here on my blog I feel like I have rated quite a few books 10/10 and I don't know about any of you, but within the books I have rated 10/10 I have a mental ranking going on of what 10/10 books I like more than others (for instance Cassie Clare's "Mortal Instruments" series and Rachel Vincent's "Shifters" series are my all time favourite 10/10 series and therefore they are situated at the top, followed closely by Kimberly Derting's "Body Finder" series, then Richelle Mead's books, and so on). But this book? Well this book would have to go towards that very top of my mental 10/10 list. Why? Because I thought it to be flat out amazing.

First off, the storyline was so unique and unlike anything I have ever read before. The story is set in 2018 during an economic recession where demons are everywhere, feeding off of the chaos of the human world and everyone knows about these demons, not just a select few (which seems to be a predominant aspect of YA paranormal). And angels? Well, I always love me a storyline with fallen angels and the likes of, so this book made me very happy in that aspect.... Second, the characters are so dynamic and multi-faceted. I don't think that there is a character that I don't like (even the bad guys you want to hate you can't because they are so well rounded and it really feels as if you know them, yes, I am talking to Harper). Third, the boys (Beck and Simon)? Totally swoon-worthy, but even more than that (but who seriously needs more when they are this swoon-worthy?)- overly protective/ possessive (in the best possible way)/ uber caring. Both of them will do anything in their power, even risk their own lives, to ensure that Riley survives and has a relatively normal life. Fourth, Riley? Kick-ass character! Yeah, she is way up there alongside Dru, Merit, and Faythe. While her methods may not always be the best, she is trying her hardest to make what remains of her life her own and to do it well, and for that I can respect her. I also have more respect for her because she is a pretty smart cookie, figuring out one major plot twist after another.

All in all, I think that this a must read. I cannot wait for the next book in these series which is slated to be released this upcoming fall (Jana and St. Martin's Griffin... Write faster! Or edit faster! Just get this next book out faster in general! ;) ).

Rating: 10/10

Amazon (3G+ WiFi) Kindle Review/ Tutorial

So prior to purchasing my 3G Amazon Kindle I did a bunch of research into various E-readers to try to determine which would best suit my needs and whatnot. I found that a lot of the reviews that I read were overly techy and being somewhat technologically challenged I just became more and more confused, therefore I thought it would be nice to post a basic review of it- from one owner to another (potential) owner.  Now, like I said, I am pretty technologically challenged and therefore I am not claiming to be a Kindle-pro, I have only had mine for about two weeks now, but I am going to tell you what I have learned in my researching of the product and the actual using of it.

First off, the third generation of the Amazon Kindle comes in two different versions, the WiFi and the 3G+WiFi. The WiFi Kindle is $139 American and on this Kindle you can obviously access WiFi connections. While I do not have this version I have read numerous reviews where people have said that they have a difficult time accessing WiFi connections and many of these people have returned their WiFi Kindle for the 3G+WiFi Kindle. The 3G+WiFi Kindle (which I have) is $189 American and with this Kindle you can essentially access the Internet anywhere without using passwords, etc. The 3G is similar to that of an Ipad/ cell phone and while you would regularly have to pay anywhere from $30 a month to access this, you do not have to with the Kindle, Amazon pays the cost. But... This feature is experimental and apparently Amazon can yank it at any time or start charging for it.

So you may be wondering why you would want to connect to the Internet on your Kindle. Well, first off that way you an easily purchase books off of the Amazon website, but also, you can do things like search on Google or Wikipedia, Facebook, Tweet, and even use Blogger. Yes, that is right. You can blog while you are reading a book!

(FYI: You can click on the pictures to make them bigger) To access the Internet on your Kindle when you are on the homepage you will click on the "Menu" button (picture one) and a screen will pop up (picture two), you will use the arrows to go to the bottom of this screen and click on "Experimental" (picture three). When the Experimental screen comes up you will see three options, click on the first option "Web Browser" (picture four). A screen will then pop up that gives you lots of options (picture five). I clicked on the Google Option and it easily popped up (picture six), I then typed in my blog name (picture seven) and as you can see my blog is the first thing that came up in the search (picture eight). I clicked on the link and my blog popped up (picture nine).  You can then zoom into the page so that you can see it easier (picture ten). Now I don't know about you but I think that my blog looks pretty good on the Kindle (then again, I am biased... ;) ), especially for the Kindle being in black/ white.

Picture Nine

Picture Ten

I do find that my Internet browser does freeze up quite a few times while using it, but you have to take into consideration that this is not the main purpose of the Kindle, first and foremost the Kindle is an e-reader and it does that job quite successfully, furthermore, the Internet capabilities are under the "Experimental" tab for a reason, because Amazon is trying to experiment with them/ determine how to better it in the future and whatnot.

The Kindle is not back-lit. What this means is that it does not look like the computer screen you are on right now, the Kindle screen literally looks like a book page (it uses E-ink technology). There are some pros/ cons to this. The pros are that you can stare at the Kindle screen for a much longer period of time without your eyes hurting you (I don't know about any of you, but by the end of the day after looking at my laptop screen for hours upon hours my eyes kill me), another pro is that there is very little glare to the Kindle screen when compared to a laptop/ Nook screen (and I find that you can't get fingerprints on the Kindle screen as easily as you can a laptop screen). Furthermore, you can go out in the sun and actually use the Kindle (have you ever tried to use you laptop outside on a sunny day? It kinda sucks... You have to have the screen bent at such an awkward angle as you tilt your head one way and squint the opposite eye to be able to see anything on it). One of the cons of the screen not being back-lit is that in darker conditions you cannot see the words on the screen all that well (but remember what I said, the screen literally looks like a book page, and obviously in dark conditions you cannot see a book page all that well either). So if you are one of those people who hopes to purchase the Kindle to read in bed before you fall asleep and do not want to disturb your partner, you will have to get some sort of a booklight (Amazon also sells lighted Kindle covers for $59.99 American). 

Also, you must take into consideration that because the Kindle is not backlit that it IS NOT IN COLOUR. I have read countless one star reviews on Amazon where people have complained that the Kindle is not in colour and they purchased it thinking it was. Here is a suggestion, actually read about the Kindle prior to purchasing it. If you want a colour E-reader try something like the Nook Color. Also, remember that the Kindle is NOT touch screen like the Nook Colour.

And now for the books. If you have the intent of purchasing the Kindle so that from now on you are solely going to buy E-books I really recommend that you check out the costs of some of the books you are thinking of buying before you actually buy the Kindle. Why I recommend this is that some E-book are actually more expensive than hardcopies of books- or close to it (For instance, a hard cover book of Beth Revis's "Across the Universe" is $10.68 American and a Kindle E-book is $9.99). A lot of people rant on the Amazon review boards about how Amazon is a gigantic rip-off because of this, but Amazon is not the ones who sets the prices, the publishers do. 

I did not buy my Kindle with the intent of never buying another hardcopy book again, I totally intend to keep buying hardcopies of books that I really want (ie. "City of Fallen Angels") or books where, like Beth Revis's "Across the Universe", the hardcopy is pretty much cheaper than the E-book. I bought my Kindle because a) I thought that it would help me expand my blogging- I have had requests from authors to review their E-book that I have had to turn down because I couldn't commit to reading their book on my laptop because I didn't own an E-reader  b) there are some really great websites out there where you can get free E-books legally c) there are a ton of great books that you can purchase from Amazon for 99 cents and whatnot and d) I thought that it would be great to travel with, especially because it has the whole free 3G thing. 

In fact, I have currently have 23 books on my Kindle and I have only paid $5.00 in total for them. How? Some I have received from authors that I am to review, some I have purchased for 99 cents from Amazon, and some I have gotten for free from Amazon (right now you can get Kim Harrison's "Dead Witch Walking" from Amazon for free and you can pre-order Aprilynne Pike's "Wing" for free). You can also find free books from sites such as this: http://www.ereaderiq.com/free/.

And now on to warranties. If something were to ever go wrong with your Kindle you can call Amazon customer service and they will take you step-by-step about how to correct your problem (I haven't done this *knock on wood*, but from what I have heard they are extremely useful/helpful). Internationally you have a one year warranty and if anything is ever to go wrong Amazon will either send you a new Kindle or a refurbished one. If you are in the US I believe that you have a two year warranty (but don't quote me on that). Furthermore, if your purchase the Kindle and hate it you can return it within 30 days for a full refund.

I personally was very wary of E-readers for quite a long time, while I am not one of those weird people (you know who you are... ;) ) who likes the smell of books, I do like having hardcopies of books mainly because they make my bookshelves look all pretty and whatnot (plus the shock value, I always like to see the look on people's faces when they truly realize how many books I own). Also, I thought that the Kindle was pretty expensive, just being a university student who only works during the summer but I tried this great program Amazon offers, the textbook trade-in. I sent three textbooks to Amazon (the postage was free) that were literally gathering dust on my shelves and I received a $50 gift card in return, so I was able to apply that to my Kindle, dropping the price to $170 from $220 American.

I only have a few complaints about the Kindle: 1) the battery life, Amazon claims that the battery life will last one month if the wireless is turned off or ten days if the wireless is turned on and I have found this not to be true with my Kindle. I had to recharge my Kindle after only four days of using it with the wireless off. I am not sure if this is because I was using it more than the average person or what. I should probably contact them and see what they say. 2) If you are American and purchase the Kindle I believe that you automatically get a plug which allows the USB cord to be plugged into the wall so that you can charge the Kindle that way as opposed to charging it on your computer. Because I am Canadian I did not get this plug (and I thought that I did, but I guess that that is my mistake for not fully reading the Kindle page) and if I want it (which I kinda really do) I will have to pay an additional $19.99 American plus shipping, handling, and customs. I really hate plugging things into my laptop, that is why I barely ever use my Ipod... But I did read somewhere that apparently you can charge a Kindle with a cell phone charger, but I do not think that I would try that just because I would be afraid of it shorting out or something.

All in all I am very happy with the product. Since getting it I have read three books on it and I have lots more lined up to read. Hopefully this post will help some of you out there who have really been debating whether or not an E-reader/ Kindle is right for you! And if you have any additional questions feel free to ask them in the comments and I will try to respond to them to the best of my ability!

Rating: 9/10

PS. Obviously I am not affiliated with Amazon or anything, I just think that had I read a review like this when I was debating about whether or not to get a Kindle I would have had an easier time making a decision. 

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!
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"Between The Sea and Sky" by Jaclyn Dolamore

From Goodreads: "For as long as Esmerine can remember, she has longed to join her older sister, Dosinia, as a siren--the highest calling a mermaid can have. Then Dosinia runs away to the mainland, and Esmerine is sent to retrieve her. Using magic to transform her tail into legs, she makes her way unsteadily to the capital city. There she comes upon a friend she hasn't seen since childhood--a dashing young man named Alandare, who belongs to a winged race of people. As Esmerine and Alandare band together to search for Dosinia, they rekindle a friendship . . . and ignite the emotions for a love so great it cannot be bound by sea, land, or air." 
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"Dead Rules" by Randy Russell 

From Goodreads: "Sometimes falling in love means you have to kill somebody.

Jana Webster and Michael Haynes were destined to be together forever. Of that, Jana was sure.

But Jana just died—in a bowling accident. And now she’s trapped in Dead School. Jana is certain that it won’t be long before Michael kills himself in order to spend eternity with her—but the days are passing and Michael is, inexplicably, still alive. So Jana decides to take matters into her own hands. And nothing—not even Dead School bad boy Mars Dreamcote’s enticingly warm touch or the devastating secret he holds about her death—will stop her from making her dreams come true.

Romeo and Juliet meets Heathers in this hilariously macabre take on paranormal romance, packed with heart-stopping suspense and sizzling star-crossed love."
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"Haunting Violet" by Alyxandra Harvey   

From Goodreads: "Violet Willoughby doesn't believe in ghosts. But they believe in her. After spending years participating in her mother's elaborate ruse as a fraudulent medium, Violet is about as skeptical as they come in all matters supernatural. Now that she is being visited by a very persistent ghost, one who suffered a violent death, Violet can no longer ignore her unique ability. She must figure out what this ghost is trying to communicate, and quickly because the killer is still on the loose.

Afraid of ruining her chance to escape her mother's scheming through an advantageous marriage, Violet must keep her ability secret. The only person who can help her is Colin, a friend she's known since childhood, and whom she has grown to love. He understands the true Violet, but helping her on this path means they might never be together. Can Violet find a way to help this ghost without ruining her own chance at a future free of lies?"

What is on your wishlist? 

"The Unfinished Song: Initiate" by Tara Maya

From Goodreads: "A DETERMINED GIRL...

Dindi can't do anything right, maybe because she spends more time dancing with pixies than doing her chores. Her clan hopes to marry her off and settle her down, but she dreams of becoming a Tavaedi, one of the powerful warrior-dancers whose secret magics are revealed only to those who pass a mysterious Test during the Initiation ceremony. The problem? No-one in Dindi's clan has ever passed the Test. Her grandmother died trying. But Dindi has a plan.

AN EXILED WARRIOR...

Kavio is the most powerful warrior-dancer in Faearth, but when he is exiled from the tribehold for a crime he didn't commit, he decides to shed his old life. If roving cannibals and hexers don't kill him first, this is his chance to escape the shadow of his father's wars and his mother's curse. But when he rescues a young Initiate girl, he finds himself drawn into as deadly a plot as any he left behind. He must decide whether to walk away or fight for her... assuming she would even accept the help of an exile."

In all honesty I am having a somewhat difficult time reviewing this book. While reading the first couple of pages of this book I was so confused as to what was going on because Tara had introduced so many different terms that I was unfamiliar with (ie. krall, aurochsen, etc.) and therefore I would have to reread sentences trying to use the words context in order to determine what they meant and a lot of the time I was unable to do so. Furthermore, in the beginning I was quite confused by the politics of the world/ how all of the different people were situated in comparison to all of the other, though this confusion did ease up with time. On the other hand, this story was super unique/ intriguing and unlike any fae-ish/ tribal story I have ever read before, the characters were quite believable and relate-able, and the cover? Super gorgeous (I think that I read that that Tara created the cover herself!).

Aside from Kavio, my favourite character was hands-down Gwenika (mainly because I can relate to her so much- hypochondriac/ major worrier much? You bet!). Kavio was such an interesting male character, he seemed to always be pulling a new talent out of his repertoire and I think that he can definitely be added to the 'swoon-worthy' list! And Dindi was also a very interesting character, she was so caring and patient with all of the people around her (I know I could never be as patient as she was).     

I loved how fast paced and action-packed the second half of this book was- I am looking forward to the next book in this series mainly because this book ended on a complete cliffhanger. 

Rating: 6.5/10

I received this book from the author, I was not compensated for my review.  

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...

Title: Silence
Author: Becca Fitzpatrick
Release Date: October 4th, 2011

From Goodreads: "The noise between Patch and Nora is gone. They've overcome the secrets riddled in Patch's dark past...bridged two irreconcilable worlds...faced heart-wrenching tests of betrayal, loyalty and trust...and all for a love that will transcend the boundary between heaven and earth. Armed with nothing but their absolute faith in one another, Patch and Nora enter a desperate fight to stop a villain who holds the power to shatter everything they've worked for—and their love—forever."
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Title: The Girl of Fire and Thorns
Author: Rae Carson
Release Date: September 20, 2011

From Goodreads: "Once a century, one person is chosen for greatness.

Elisa is the chosen one.

But she is also the younger of two princesses, the one who has never done anything remarkable. She can’t see how she ever will.

Now, on her sixteenth birthday, she has become the secret wife of a handsome and worldly king—a king whose country is in turmoil. A king who needs the chosen one, not a failure of a princess.

And he’s not the only one who seeks her. Savage enemies seething with dark magic are hunting her. A daring, determined revolutionary thinks she could be his people’s savior. And he looks at her in a way that no man has ever looked at her before. Soon it is not just her life, but her very heart that is at stake.

Elisa could be everything to those who need her most. If the prophecy is fulfilled. If she finds the power deep within herself. If she doesn’t die young.

Most of the chosen do."   

"Demonglass" by Rachel Hawkins

From Goodreads: "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 Archer to do it. But it’s not like she has feelings for him anymore. Does she?"

When I picked up "Hex Hall" last year and saw that it was a Disney Hyperion book, I am not going to lie, I scoffed at it. I figured that it would be some totally mindless book that was only written to become some Saturday morning TV show like "Hannah Montanna" or "Wizards of Waverly Place", but boy was I ever wrong. The book completely blew me away (as you can see from my review) and well Lady Hawkins, you have done it again! You have written an amazing story!

I think these books are so successful because:

A) There really isn't a set age range to them, I think that a thirty year old would love them as much, if not more than a thirteen year old  

B) Snark. These books are friggin' hilarious. Three or four pages into "Demonglass" I was laughing my butt off and my parents were rolling their eyes saying "Oh gosh, here she goes again".  

C) Strong female character. Sophie, yeah, she has balls and is, as previously mentioned, snarky. While she may not have always made the best decisions at the time, she is overall a pretty selfless character.  

D) The boys (oh how I love me some book boys!). I was seriously crushing on Archer in the last book, but Cal? Well he didn't really make an impact on me whatsoever in "Hex Hall", but in this book? He is my new fav! I think that Cal can really give Archer a run for his money.

E) You honestly cannot put these books down (I know, I know, I say that all the time, but it is for reals in this instance)! The fam and I left to shopping/ to the movies when I was about halfway through the book. As the fam was walking around the mall I was trailing behind them reading as I walked. And then when we went to the movies later on I had my cell phone out during the previews trying to illuminate the pages so that I could continue reading. As soon as we got out the theater I pulled the book back out and continued reading until I finished it.

F) It isn't your typical YA paranormal/ witchy story. The Eye? The Removal Process and whatnot? Unlike anything I have ever read before. 

G) Fast. Paced. Action. And. Adventure. ('nuff said).  

H) If you are still reading this list and are not convinced to go read these series, well I think you are crazy and you really need to reread this list!

Rating: 10/10

***Special thanks to Jess from A GREAT Read for my copy of the book!***

"Firelight" by Sophie Jordan

From Goodreads: "A hidden truth.

Mortal enemies.

Doomed love.

Marked as special at an early age, Jacinda knows her every move is watched. But she longs for freedom to make her own choices. When she breaks the most sacred tenet among her kind, she nearly pays with her life. Until a beautiful stranger saves her. A stranger who was sent to hunt those like her. For Jacinda is a draki—a descendant of dragons whose greatest defense is her secret ability to shift into human form.

Forced to flee into the mortal world with her family, Jacinda struggles to adapt to her new surroundings. The only bright light is Will. Gorgeous, elusive Will who stirs her inner draki to life. Although she is irresistibly drawn to him, Jacinda knows Will's dark secret: He and his family are hunters. She should avoid him at all costs. But her inner draki is slowly slipping away—if it dies she will be left as a human forever. She'll do anything to prevent that. Even if it means getting closer to her most dangerous enemy.

Mythical powers and breathtaking romance ignite in this story of a girl who defies all expectations and whose love crosses an ancient divide."

I hate when I read reviews and people have compared books to "Twilight" saying that the book that they read is a blatant rip-off of "Twilight" and whatnot, because a) "Twilight" ain't the most original story out there and therefore it should not be the book that all other books are compared to and b) the majority of the time the book that the reviewer has said is just like "Twilight" isn't. At. All. A lot of time I go out of my way to defend these books because, as mentioned, in the majority of cases they are not like "Twilight" and in my opinion, I think that by comparing them to "Twilight" people who are completely anti-"Twilight" will set these books aside thinking that they are cliche-ridden books with lots of teen angst and sparkly hot male characters and not read them- and I think that in not reading them they are missing out on some really great stories.

Now you may be wondering where this is all leading to? Well, I must admit... I found the first half of this book to be entirely reminiscent of "Twilight" (hangs my head in shame, I know, I know... I am totally being hypocritical) and then the second half of the book seemed entirely reminiscent of Claudia Gray's "Evernight" series.

Now how was this book so similar to "Twilight"? Well first off, Both Bella and Jacinda move before they feel pressure to do so, second, they go to their new school and meet a boy, a boy who happens to hang out with a crowd that the entire school seems to worship/ hold in awe, the boys family. Though all of the girls at the boys schools throw themselves at said boy he never shows any interest in them until new girl comes along. New girl and boy start to develop feelings for one another, but boy keeps telling girl that she shouldn't hang out with him because he is dangerous. One of one's family members takes a weird interest in girl and tries to intimidate her whenever possible (ie. Rosalie and Xander). Both boys (and their families) disappear from school for days at a time (one uses the excuse of fly fishing, one uses the excuse of camping). When boy is gone from school girl becomes overly dramatic moaning and groaning about how she misses said boy and how her life is a little less bright without him in it.

And how is this book similar to Claudia Grays "Evernight" series? Both boy and girl are keeping major secrets from one another. Girl is a paranormal/ fantastical being and boy is a hunter, a hunter who kills said paranormal/ fantastical being. Despite knowing about one another's secrets, both fall in love and all seems doomed because of their families/ occupations. Both girls also have boys of their paranormal/ fantastical racewho wants to be with them, pretty much at whatever cost, and both boys get kinda jealous when girl chooses "the enemy" over him.

All in all? I think that despite the similarities between "Twilight" and the "Evernight" series this is still a good book, but I just wish that it had been a bit more unique. I must say that I do prefer Jacinda over "Twilight's" Bella because Jacinda actually has a personality, though I prefer Bella's/ Edward's family over Jacinda's family, mainly because (for the most case) Edward's family was supportive of him (I cannot comprehend whatsoever what is going on in Jacinda's mothers head. Yes, I understand that she wants to keep her daughter safe, but pretty much forcing her daughter's draki to die? Not cool. They could have moved to a town like Forks! Where it was always rainy and tree-y and everything, where Jacinda could have really thrived, instead she forced them to move to the dessert where Jacinda was pretty much in pain 99.9% of the time). And the ending? Well, I wouldn't consider this to be a full story whatsoever. There are a ton of loose ends that were not tied up, nor even touched upon! It seriously just ended, probably with one of the worst cliffhanger endings I have ever read before. But then again, Sophie is a genius in ending the book like that because it keeps us on the edge of our seats/ makes us want to know how everything is going to play out in the second book in the series, "Vanish", which comes out in September 2011.

Rating: 7.5/10

In My Mailbox (aka lots of fun stuff)

In My Mailbox is a weekly post hosted by Kirsti at The Story Siren as a chance to share the books we've bought or received over the past week.

This week has probably been one of the best book weeks I have ever had. Seriously. Usually my "In My Mailbox" features books that I have borrowed from my local libraries, but not this week, these are all MINE! ;)

First off I got my Kindle! I had been so on the fence about E-readers for quite a long time, but when I traded in some textbooks and got a $50 Amazon card from them, well I just knew that I had to apply it a Kindle purchase. I haven't had all that much time to play around with it yet because of school and whatnot, but from what I have done on it? Well it is amazing! I love that I can surf the net, Tweet, read books on it and everything!

Because I bought the Kindle I also decided to buy a few books for it. These books were all really cheap ($1.99 and less, and they had some pretty awesome ratings, so I thought I would give them a go!):

I then also joined the March Random Acts of Kindness Event over at Book Soulmates and within 15 or so minutes of posting my wishlist I received amazing 3 E-Books (thanks so much Ivy)!

I then went to Chapters (where I hate buying books because they are always so expensive/ the store never has sales when compared to Amazon) and lo and behold! They had a ton of great books on sale! I got all four for less than $17- and all hardcover (well except for the Melissa Walker book):

And then I got "Demonglass" by Rachel Hawkins from Jess over at A GREAT Read. I finished it within a couple of hours of receiving it and I cannot wait to share my review of it with y'all within the next couple of weeks: 

And okay, so obviously this did not happen in my mailbox, but I just had to share! 

Do you remember Oreo who I introduced to y'all when we rescued him a few months back? Well when we rescued him we figured that he was maybe 3-4 months old (because he was so tiny) and therefore we though that he wouldn't be able to reproduce being so young. Well, turns out we were wrong and he was older than we thought! A few weeks back I was looking at Ruffles our female cat and I said to my parents, "Ah. She looks preggos". Everyone thought I was crazy. Turns out I was not! And what do you get when you mix Ruffles and Oreo?!? Pumpkin and Patch!

 

I love them. They are so tiny/ fuzzy/ squeaky.

Anyways, what did you get in your mailbox?