Jace Wayland Cast in TMI Series!

As y'all have probably guesstimated by now (since I am always going on and on about it) Cassie Clare's "Mortal Instruments" series is my most favourite book series of all time therefore I am beyond excited to announce that Jace Wayland (aka the most swoon-worthy boy of all time) has been cast in the film adaptation!

At first I was totally Team Alex, but after a couple of months of negotiations I started to realize that the reality of him becoming Jace was pretty slim. Therefore when names like Max Irons, Jamie Campbell Bower, and the likes of were thrown around for the role of Jace, Jamie quickly became the frontrunner in my mind (especially after seeing Max Iron's kinda cruddy role in "Red Riding Hood"- seriously, did he say more than 10 words in that film?) because well.... Look at him! I can totally picture him as Jace! And I personally feel that he looks quite a bit younger than Alex (remember Jace is only supposed to be 16 in the books/ film and if they were to make every book in the series- 6 in total- they wouldn't want him to look all that old right off the bat, they would want him to grow throughout the films a la "Harry Potter" actors).

Anyways, what are your thoughts? Do you feel, like I do, that Jamie makes a perfect Jace?

ARC Review: "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?"

As I mentioned in my review of "Camille" by Tess Oliver Victorian Era/ historical fiction reads aren't my typical go-to books and it really is a shame because I am probably missing out on so many great reads (case in point, this book, had it not been given to me I would most likely not have read it and in doing so I would have missed out on reading about one of the most swoon-worthy boys I have read to date, oh, and a pretty great female lead as well).

And who might this swoon-worthy boy be? Why Colin of course (forget the stuffy Xavier)! I was so glad to see Alyxandra gradually develop the relationship between Violet and Colin - having them grow up together and in doing so, truly knowing and understanding one another- as opposed to having them fall instantaneously in love which seems so prevalent in YA books. Aside from Colin, my other favourite character was actually Violet's mother. She was such a beautifully developed character with all of her conniving antics and all around sleaziness- she was a character that you both wanted to knock some sense but couldn't help but respect due to her villianous-ness.

All in all this book has everything that you need, action, adventure, romance, a paranormal element, and a beauitful style of writing which transports you back to this time period. Furthermore, Alyxandra's style of writing is quite lighthearted and carefree making it an extremely easy read, when many books of this nature possess writing that is quite heavy, stuffy and difficult to plow through. It is quite unlike any ghost related book I have read to date (and lately I seem to be on a ghost kick). It truly is a superb book from Alyxandra Harvey and I cannot wait to see what she has in store for us next!

Rating: 10/10

Special thanks to Rachel from Fiktshun for my ARC!

In My Mailbox

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.
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Over the last couple of weeks I found a ton of really great e-books on Amazon that were being offered for free:
"Dark Legacy" by Anna DeStefano
"Haven" by Justin Kemppainen (You can still get this for free)
"Demon Girl" by Penelope Fletcher 
"Starfire Angels" by Melanie Nilles (You can still get this for free)
"The Black God's War" by Moses Siregar III (You can still get this for free)
"The Amulet: A Faedra Bennett Custodian Novel" by Alison Pensy (You can still get this for free)
"The Charmer" by Autumn Dawn

Bought
"Pride, Prejudice and Zombies" by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith

Won 
"Haunting Violet" by Alyxandra Harvey (Thanks so much to Rachel over at Fiktshun!)

For Review (Thanks to each of the authors for providing me with their books!)
"44" by Jools Sinclair
"Blood Faerie" by India Drummond
"Drowning in the Dark" by Allison Karras
"Between the Land and the Sea" by Derrolyn Anderson
"The Moon and the Tide" by Derrolyn Anderson
"She Smells the Dead" by E.J. Stevens
"Spirit Storm" by E.J. Stevens
"Farro" by Arreana Krueger

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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"Clockwork Prince" by Cassandra Clare 


From Goodreads: "In Clockwork Prince, with Mortmain vanished and the clock counting down on how long Charlotte can keep control of the Institute away from Benedict Lightwood, Will, Jem and Tessa must dig into Mortmain’s past to predict what he will do in the future, But secrets about Mortmain aren’t all they find buried — Tessa begins to uncover the truth about her own birth, and the ghosts of Will’s past return to haunt him. As Tessa grows closer to Jem, and Will is driven further toward the brink of madness by jealousy and guilt, will they discover the truth in time to halt the next phase of Mortmain’s evil plan?"

"44" by Jools Sinclair

From Goodreads: "Last year after falling through the ice, seventeen-year-old Abby Craig woke up from death.

But she woke into a world she barely recognizes. She can't see colors, memories have been erased, and her friends all hate her. And then there's Jesse, who she loves, but who refuses to forgive her the one mistake she made long ago.

Just when she thinks it can't get any worse, the visions begin. In them, she sees a faceless serial killer roaming the streets. While the police believe that there have been a lot of accidents in town lately, Abby knows differently. And she soon realizes that it's up to her to find him.

But to stop him, she'll have to confront more than just the killer. She'll have to face something else that was lost in those dark waters. The truth.

In the tradition of Amanda Hocking, 44 is a thrilling paranormal romance mystery novel that keeps readers at the edge of their seats and glued to the very end. The ending will haunt you forever."

When I first started this book and saw that it was only 70 PDF pages long I must admit that I was initially taken aback. I have grown so accustomed to YA books which are at least 200 pages long and therefore I was quite concerned that this story wouldn't be all that developed/ that the plot would be rushed. Though I am more than pleased to say that that is not the case whatsoever for this book- everything from the setting, to the timeframe, to the characters, was beautifully developed.

The ending of this book took me completely by surprise- the first time I read it I actually did a double take thinking to myself, "Huh?" and had to reread it. Though what is revealed in the ending is quite depressing I wouldn't have wanted it any other way- the ending of this book truly makes it stand out amongst so many YA books which deal with psychic abilities, ghosts, and the likes of- leaving the reader utterly speechless (in the best possible way) and itching for the next installment in this series.

All in all, this book is truly a gem and I highly recommend it- especially for those who are fans of Kimberly Derting's "The Body Finder" series and Meg Cabot's "Vanished" and "Mediator" series. I truly (and somewhat surprisingly) have no complaints about this book because it literally took my breath away.

Rating: 10/10

I received this book from the author to read and honestly review. I was not compensated in any way for said review.

"Blood Faerie" by India Drummond

From Goodreads: "Sentenced to death, Eilidh ran—away from faerie lands, to the streets of Perth, Scotland. Just as she has grown accustomed to exile, local police discover a mutilated body outside the abandoned church where she lives. Recognising the murder as the work of one of her own kind, Eilidh must choose: flee, or learn to tap into the forbidden magic that cost her everything." 

While I thought India's "Ordinary Angels" was quite unique in its plot, I must say that this book is tenfold more unique! Never before have I read of Fae who behave in quite the ways that they do in this book (I am more so accustomed to Fae being almost villainous characters who are very heartless when it comes to the human race and who are extremely Otherworldly-looking tricksters, though in this book the Fae have an almost childlike innocence to them with their largest concerns being maintaining their societies rules/ regulations) and I must say that this book is truly a welcome reprieve from such Fae stories (I can only stomach reading of Fae seducing humans with their food and making them dance until their feet fall off for so long).  Furthermore, I really enjoyed the fact that this story took place in Scotland- while I have read quite a few stories that have taken place in Europe- especially France (ie. "Anna and the French Kiss" and "Die For Me"), I cannot recall reading a story which took place in Scotland.

However, I did find myself missing the character development that I had seen in "Ordinary Angels" in this book- I had a bit of difficulties connecting to Eilidh, Soar, and the gang and because so parts of it do make for a slow story. Furthermore, I really did miss the romance aspects that were so prevalent in "Ordinary Angels"- though with what occurs at the end of this book I think that it is safe to assume that the romance will pick up quite a bit in the next book in this series, ""Azuri Fae" (which is scheduled to be released in 2012).

All in all, this is hands down one of the most unique Fae stories I have ever read before- India has truly created a beautiful world. Though, the lack of romance in this story and character development does somewhat drag the story down. However, I am quite excited to see what India has in store for us next!

Rating: 7.5/10

I received this book from the author to read and honestly review. I was not compensated in any way for said 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...
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Title: Inheritance
Author: Christopher Paolini
Release Date: November 8th, 2011

From Goodreads: "Not so very long ago, Eragon Shadeslayer, Dragon Rider, was nothing more than a poor farm boy, and his dragon, Saphira, only a blue stone in the forest. Now the fate of an entire civilization rests on their shoulders. 

Long months of training and battle have brought victories and hope, but they have also brought heartbreaking loss. And still, the real battle lies ahead: they must confront Galbatorix. When they do, they will have to be strong enough to defeat him. And if they cannot, no one can. There will be no second chances. 

The Rider and his dragon have come further than anyone dared to hope. But can they topple the evil king and restore justice to Alagaësia? And if so, at what cost? 

This is the much-anticipated, astonishing conclusion to the worldwide bestselling Inheritance cycle."

I fell head over heels for "Eragon" when it came out when I was in grade eight...  8 years later the series is finally coming to a close and I cannot wait to see how everything is wrapped up!