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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"Bloody Little Secrets" by Karly Kirkpatrick

From Goodreads: "17-year-old Vicky Hernandez has a big problem. She's dead. Or not quite. After discovering she's been turned into a vampire, she tries to settle into a quiet suburb of Chicago and return to a normal life. If only she could stop wanting to bite her boyfriend. Not to mention she is dying to find out who turned her, and why. She doesn't have to wait long before they come to her."

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"Into the Shadows" by Karly Kirkpatrick 

From Goodreads: "Paivi Anderson has it all: friends, a spot on the varsity basketball team, wonderful parents, and quite possibly, her first boyfriend. It was everything a freshman in high school could ask for. Her perfect life begins to crumble when she discovers her name on a list distributed by a power-hungry presidential candidate. How could anyone think of Paivi as an Enemy of the State? Could it be because of her special powers? No one was supposed to know about them, but the mysterious messages in her tater tots say otherwise. In INTO THE SHADOWS, Paivi quickly learns who her friends are and is forced into a reality she didn't see coming."
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"Stealing Time" by Elisa Paige  

From Goodreads: "When artist James Wesley realizes Evie Reed is dying, he is so moved by the beautiful reporter's determination to live that he makes her immortal-a vampire, like him. She's the woman he's been waiting over 150 years for. Though initially shocked by the change, Evie quickly embraces her second chance at life, and love.

Just as James and Evie begin to define eternity together, a zealot breaks an ancient treaty, threatening a peace between humans and vampires that has stood for a thousand years. And when he focuses his hatred on Evie, the immortal lovers find themselves swept up in a deadly supernatural war..."

MIA...

I just wanted to apologize  for being pretty MIA for the last week or so. I got really slammed with school, hence, no time for blogging (gosh darn it! Don't professors realize I need time to blog? ;) )... Anyways, I anticipate I am going to be pretty MIA next week too (darn you exams!). But! I promise as soon as everything settles I will be back up to my bloggy self (seriously, I got 9 amazing books from the library today that I have been waiting for forever for). And I will eventually try to get caught up commenting on everyone's fantabulous blogs!

Anyways, thanks for being understanding (which I am just going to assume that you are)... ;)

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: Graveminder
Author: Melissa Marr
Release Date: May 17th, 2011

From Goodreads: "The New York Times bestselling author of the Wicked Lovely series delivers her first novel for adults, a story about the living, the dead, and a curse that binds them.

Rebekkah Barrow never forgot the tender attention her grandmother, Maylene, bestowed upon the dead of Claysville, the town where Bek spent her adolescence. There wasn’t a funeral that Maylene didn’t attend, and at each Rebekkah watched as Maylene performed the same unusual ritual: three sips from a small silver flask followed by the words “Sleep well, and stay where I put you.”

Now Maylene is dead and Bek must go back to the place—and the man—she left a decade ago. But what she soon discovers is that Maylene was murdered and that there was good reason for her odd traditions. It turns out that in placid Claysville, the worlds of the living and the dead are dangerously connected. Beneath the town lies a shadowy, lawless land ruled by the enigmatic Charles, aka Mr. D—a place from which the dead will return if their graves are not properly minded. Only the Graveminder, a Barrow woman, and the current Undertaker, Byron, can set things to right once the dead begin to walk."
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Title: "Possession"
Author: Elana Johnson
Release Date:  June 7th, 2011

From Goodreads: "Vi knows the Rule: Girls don't walk with boys, and they never even think about kissing them. But no one makes Vi want to break the Rules more than Zenn...and since the Thinkers have chosen him as Vi's future match, how much trouble can one kiss cause? The Thinkers may have brainwashed the rest of the population, but Vi is determined to think for herself.

But the Thinkers are unusually persuasive, and they're set on convincing Vi to become one of them...starting by brainwashing Zenn. Vi can't leave Zenn in the Thinkers' hands, but she's wary of joining the rebellion, especially since that means teaming up with Jag. Jag is egotistical, charismatic, and dangerous--everything Zenn's not. Vi can't quite trust Jag and can't quite resist him, but she also can't give up on Zenn.

This is a game of control or be controlled. And Vi has no choice but to play." 
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Title: "A Need So Beautiful"
Author:  Suzanne Young
Release Date:  June 21st, 2011

From Goodreads: "Charlotte’s best friend thinks Charlotte might be psychic. Her boyfriend thinks she’s cheating on him. But Charlotte knows what’s really wrong: She is one of the Forgotten, a kind of angel on earth, who feels the Need—a powerful, uncontrollable draw to help someone, usually a stranger.

There have been others before who’ve felt the Need, but they’re gone—erased from the memories of everyone whose lives they had touched. It's as though they never existed. This is the fate that awaits Charlotte. But the last thing Charlotte wants to do is disappear, to be Forgotten. She wants to stay with her best friend, whose life is spiraling out of control. She wants to lie in her boyfriend’s arms forever. She wishes she could just ignore the Need, but she can’t. And as everyone important in her life begins to slowly forget her, she has to decide if she’ll fight the Need in order to remain herself—no matter how dark the consequences." 

What are you waiting for? 

Presenting Jace Wayland from the "Mortal Instruments" Series

So I am pretty sure that everyone knows by now how much I love Cassie Clare's "Mortal Instruments" series (a lot- I practically worship the series) and for the last couple of years I have wanted to make some poppets of a few of the characters (Jace and Clary), but I just never got around it. Well this weekend when I found what I thought was a great ball of yarn for hair, I knew that I had to put aside everything and get going (sorry homework! ;) ).

Poppets are button jointed dolls created by ghillie over on Craftster (you can get the pattern for free HERE). I started making poppets about two years ago and they are my most favourite thing to make (even if I don't get to make them all that often with school and reading- HERE is a gallery that contains all of the poppets that I have made in the past).

This poppet was a lot of firsts for me. This was the first male poppet I have ever made (and those abs? Yeah, kinda hard to make), this was the first time that I had ever used eyelashes (which was surprisingly not hard and I plan to give eyelashes to all of my other poppets I have made that don't have any), this was the first time I tried to make a humanoid poppet (usually poppets have cat ears, a tail, and paws), this was the first time I gave a poppet 5 fingers and 5 toes with the fingers having pipe-cleaners in them so that they can be positioned, and this was the first time I tried painting a poppet (I really love how the runes turned out, I am going to have to go over a few of the areas a couple o'more time, but I think for painting them with a BBQ skewer they came out pretty well- and I added some of the new runes like "love")... I initially made Jace's hair long with the intention of cutting it short afterwards, but over the last day it has really grown on me and I love the length- so I think I will keep it as is (and I love how messy his hair can look).  Since I have always made girl poppets before, I have only ever made dresses (which I find kinda easy to do, even with my lack of clothes-making abilities)... So until I can learn how to make boys clothes, he is going to be naked... Hence the "censored" sign...  ;)

I hope to start Clary soon (when I picked up Jace's hair I also got a great reddish/ orangish hair for her). I don't think that she will be all the difficult to make since, like I said, girl poppets are my forte).

So yep, a pretty productive weekend (despite the fact that I didn't do any homework), I would say!
;)

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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"Angel Burn" by L.A. Weatherly

From Goodreads: "Willow knows she’s different from other girls, and not just because she loves tinkering with cars. Willow has a gift. She can look into the future and know people’s dreams and hopes, their sorrows and regrets, just by touching them. She has no idea where this power comes from. But the assassin, Alex, does. Gorgeous, mysterious Alex knows more about Willow that Willow herself. He knows that her powers link to dark and dangerous forces, and that he’s one of the few humans left who can fight them. When Alex finds himself falling in love with his sworn enemy, he discovers that nothing is as it seems, least of all good and evil. In the first book in an action-packed romantic trilogy, L. A. Weatherly sends listeners on a thrill ride of a road trip – and depicts the human race at the brink of a future as catastrophic as it is deceptively beautiful."
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"Night School" by Mari Mancusi  

From Goodreads: "NIGHT SCHOOL

Vampires, Slayers and…FAIRIES? Sunny and Rayne McDonald are about to get SCHOOLED.

After their parents’ shocking revelation about their fae heritage and an attack on their lives, the McDonald twins find themselves on the run—forced to hide out at Riverdale Academy , a boarding school for vampire slayers, deep in the Swiss Alps. With no cells, no internet, and no way to contact their vampire boyfriends—the twins are on their own.

Being a vampire stuck in a school full of slayers isn’t easy. Especially with no blood substitute stocked on campus. Soon Rayne finds herself succumbing to her bloodlust and losing control—especially around the arrogant, but devastatingly handsome Corbin Billingsworth the Third—who isn’t sure whether he wants to kiss her…or kill her.

But when Sunny starts acting strange, Rayne realizes Riverdale Academy may be hiding some deadly secrets of its own—leading to a showdown in Fairyland that may cost the twins their lives."
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"Born At Midnight" by C.C. Hunter 

From Goodreads: "Don’t miss this spectacular new series that will steal your heart and haunt your dreams,  Welcome to Shadow Falls camp, nestled deep in the woods of a town called Fallen…  
One night Kylie Galen finds herself at the wrong party, with the wrong people, and it changes her life forever.  Her mother ships her off to Shadow Falls—a camp for troubled teens, and within hours of arriving, it becomes painfully clear that her fellow campers aren’t just “troubled.”  Here at Shadow Falls, vampires, werewolves, shapshifters, witches and fairies train side by side—learning to harness their powers, control their magic and live in the normal world. 

Kylie’s never felt normal, but surely she doesn’t belong here with a bunch of paranormal freaks either.  Or does she?  They insist Kylie is one of them, and that she was brought here for a reason.  As if life wasn’t complicated enough, enter Derek and Lucas.  Derek’s a half-fae who’s determined to be her boyfriend, and Lucas is a smokin’ hot werewolf with whom Kylie shares a secret past.  Both Derek and Lucas couldn’t be more different, but they both have a powerful hold on her heart. 

Even though Kylie feels deeply uncertain about everything, one thing is becoming painfully clear—Shadow Falls is exactly where she belongs…"  

What are you wishing for this week?  

"Wings" By Aprilynne Pike

From Goodreads: "Laurel was mesmerized, staring at the pale things with wide eyes. 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.

In this extraordinary tale of magic and intrigue, romance and danger, everything you thought you knew about faeries will be changed forever."

 I love, love, LOVE this book- I think that it was a great debut from Aprilynne Pike, and I'd have to say that this is one of my most favoruite debuts novels of all time.

I've mentioned this a couple of times in reviews of other faerie novels, sometimes the authors go into extreme detail explaining the dynamics of faerie life, politics, and whatnot (for example the Winter/ Summer Courts, the Seelie/ Unseelie  Courts, the Great Hunt, and whatnot), but Aprilynne keeps her faerie world basic and I am grateful for that (seriously, its hard to trying to remember/ differentiate between each of the faerie/ fey/ whatever spelling you want to go with worlds in Lesley Livingston's, Holly Black's, Jennifer Armintrout's, and Melissa Marr's books). Furthermore, Aprilynne's faeries are extremely unique, whereas in the majority of faerie novels, the faeries are extremely inhuman looking, beautiful beyond belief, long-limbed, winged, horned, multi-coloured, too good for hell, too bad for heaven, make you dance until your feet, Aprilynne's faeries are much nicer and believe it or not are actually walking/ talking plants (they have no heartbeat, they breathe CO2 and release O2, have sap in lieu of blood, and large flower blossoms instead of wings). Now you might be scoffing at the idea of faeries being plants, since they go against our typical conception of what faeries are, but Aprilynne explains them in a way that makes them seem very believable and you cannot help but nod along with her descriptions and think, "Yeah, that makes sense!"

Here is the gist of Laurel's life... For the majority of her life she believed that she was a 16 year old girl (due to spells/ potions and whatnot) who her parents adopted when she was three years old when they found her on her doorstep... Turns out she is a 19 year old faerie (a faerie trait is that they age quickly, when they are born they act as a young toddler, even though they look like a newborn, when they look to be a 2-3 year old human they are a 7 year old faerie who is years beyond that in intelligence). So prior to being adopted by her parents, Laurel had had a life as a faerie, and in this life was Tamani, now 21 years old and a sentry who job is to look after Laurel and her family's property.

Tamani and Laurel had been best friends during her time as a faerie and he had gradually fallen in love with her.  At 3 human years of age (7 faerie years old) she was sent on a mission that seperated her and Tamani, and during the years of separation his love for her grew even more and he waited patiently for the day that she would once again assume her role as a faeries, and return to him... ISN'T THAT THE MOST ROMANTIC THING YOU HAVE EVER HEARD OF?

Tamani is hands-down one of my most favourite male characters of all time and I think that he really makes this book for me (gosh, now that I think about it, all an author has to do is create a great male character and I am hooked- see Jace, Marc, Dimitri, Jay... I am totally one of those mindless girls I am always writing against, who falls for the boy instantly! UGH! But I digress...). Then there is the other boy, human David... Well, David is a nice guy and all and he really helped Laurel through some difficult times, but I really cannot stand him. Laurel and Tamani are so friggin perfect together. And what kind of relationship are David and Laurel really supposed to have anyways? She is a faerie and is going to live a heck of a lot longer than he is! Hopefully she will come to her senses soon and come to realize that her and Tamani are perfect together! ;)

All in all? Well this is a great debut by Aprilynne and a really unique take on faeries. It might seem a bit juvenile at times, but I think that everything else that happens in the book more than make up for it.

Rating: 10/10

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: "Passion"
Author: Lauren Kate
Release Date: June 14, 2011

From Lauren's Website: "When I started writing Passion, I knew the series was bursting into some very exciting uncharted territory. This chase backwards through time, with each chapter set in a different country and a different century across five thousand years is undoubtedly the most romantic, most intense, most…passionate book I’ve ever written–and I think you’ll agree it has the cover to match. I love the dramatic bursts of color, the intensity and desolation of the backdrop, and of course, the dress. It’s also the perfect book to show just a hint of Luce’s face. I am counting down the days until I can share the book with you, but in the meantime, I hope you love the cover as much as I do."

So I haven't decided whether or not I like this cover yet. "Fallen" and "Torment" had such beautiful covers, I loved how they were all dark, gloomy, and monochromatic, but this book? With it all being in colour? No idea how I feel about it- I think it will take me a while to get used to it. Does anyone else feel like the model is way too skinny looking?

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!

 Title: "Spells"
Author: Aprilynne Pike
Genre: Young Adult Paranormal Romance/ Fantasy

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

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

"Then I guess I'll be waiting forever." (pg. 97) 

What are you reading today?

"Stolen" by Lucy Christopher

From Goodreads: "Sixteen year old Gemma is kidnapped from Bangkok airport and taken to the Australian Outback. This wild and desolate landscape becomes almost a character in the book, so vividly is it described. Ty, her captor, is no stereotype. He is young, fit and completely gorgeous. This new life in the wilderness has been years in the planning. He loves only her, wants only her. Under the hot glare of the Australian sun, cut off from the world outside, can the force of his love make Gemma love him back? The story takes the form of a letter, written by Gemma to Ty, reflecting on those strange and disturbing months in the outback. Months when the lines between love and obsession, and love and dependency, blur until they don't exist - almost."

 When I first started reading this book I realized that it was written in a form that was unfamiliar to me- the entire story had already taken place and the narrator, Gemma, was recounting the story in the form of a letter. Sure, I have read books that contain letters, but not in all their entirety, so it did take me a while to adjust to the rhythm of the writing, but once I did I really came to enjoy how the story was written- it was really unique (notice the copy that I read was not called "Stolen: A Letter to My Captor", had it been called that I don't think I would have run into any problems knowing from the start that it was written in this manner). And all I can say is that thankfully I am not one of those people who cannot put a book down until they finish whatever chapter they are currently on- since there was no chapters in the book!

I'm not entirely sure how I feel about this book. I think that the story was really unique and the characters were quite interesting, but the slow pace really dragged me down and I found that the action that did take place was very predictable- about one third of the way through the book I was I was pretty sure that I knew how the book was going to end.

Ty was unlike any character I have ever read before. Typically I hate the "bad guy" with every fibre of my being, but I just couldn't make myself hate him, but then again, I couldn't entirely make myself like him- if anything, I felt extreme sympathy for him. He just had such a horrible upbringing... I do think it was somewhat sweet that a ten year old Gemma could completely change his life for the better, but his methods of stalking her afterwards? Not so sweet. I think that had he introduced himself to her at a later time (not when she was 16 and he was 25 like he did in the book) but maybe when she was in her twenties, like a normal person, they could have perhaps had something... But instead, he chose to kidnap her. He did try to justify his actions by saying that her parents were holding her back and whatnot, but it's obvious that he was also doing it selfish reasons. But after kidnapping her, I thought that he was a fairly sweet guy (granted there were a couple of times where he intentionally tried to scare her in the beginning) but he was always there to look after and care for her and he didn't force her into anything. And at the end of the novel? Well he knew exactly how that would end (and not in his favour), yet he still went through with it, when he could have easily run back into the Outback and for that her really redeemed himself in my eyes.

As for Gemma? It seemed like in her previous life she was somewhat superficial, always worried about what boy liked what girl, partying and getting drunk with her friends and whatnot, and typically that really bugs me in a character, but I think  that superficiality completely disappeared, exposing her strength and courage, making me like her quite a bit. I think that had I been in her situation I would have curled up in a ball and just withered away.  

All in all, it is not the worst book I have ever read, nor is it the best book. I did find it to be somewhat slow, but the unique characters, specifically Ty, really help move the story along.
 
Rating: 7.5/10

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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"The Mind Readers" by Lori Brighton 

From Goodreads: "Cameron Winters is a freak. Fortunately, no one but her family knows the truth that Cameron can read minds. For years Cameron has hidden behind a facade of normalcy, warned that there are those who would do her harm. When gorgeous and mysterious Lewis Douglas arrives he destroys everything Cameron has ever believed and tempts her with possibilities of freedom. Determined to embrace her hidden talents, Cameron heads to a secret haven with Lewis; a place where she meets others like her, Mind Readers.

But as Cameron soon finds out some things are too good to be true. When the Mind Readers realize the extent of Cameron's abilities, they want to use her powers for their own needs. Cameron suddenly finds herself involved in a war in which her idea of what is right and wrong is greatly tested. In the end she'll be forced to make a choice that will not only threaten her relationship with Lewis, but her very life.

If you like The Mind Readers, you might also enjoy Lori Brighton's Adult Romance The Ghost Hunter."
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"Wereworld: Rise of the Wolf" by Curtis Jobling

From Goodreads: "'You're the last of the werewolves son. Don't fight it...Conquer it'. When the air is clear, sixteen year-old Drew Ferran can pick up the scent of a predator. When the moon breaks through the clouds, a terrifying fever grips him. And when a vicious beast invades his home, his gums begin to tear, his fingers become claws, and Drew transforms ...Forced to flee the family he loves, Drew seeks refuge in the most godforsaken parts of Lyssia. But when he is captured by Lord Bergan's men, Drew must prove he is not the enemy. Can Drew battle the werecreatures determined to destroy him - and master the animal within?"

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"Vampire Empire: The Greyfriar" by Clay Griffith and Susan Griffith

From Goodreads: "Vampire predators run wild in this exciting steampunk adventure, the first in an alternate history trilogy that is already attracting attention. In 1870, monsters rise up and conquer the northern lands, As great cities are swallowed up by carnage and disease, landowners and other elite flee south to escape their blood-thirsty wrath. One hundred fifty years later, the great divide still exists; fangs on one side of the border, worried defenders on the other. This fragile equilibrium is threatened, then crumbles after a single young princess becomes almost hopelessly lost in the hostile territory. At first, she has only one defender: a mysterious Greyfriar who roams freely in dangerous vampire regions. A trade paperback original; buyer's choice."

Well that's it for my wishlist this week, what's on your wishlist? 

The E-Reader Debate- Opinions?

The other day I received an email from an author asking if I would be willing to review one of their books in PDF format. I declined because and I let them know that while I could love to read their book and review it, I didn't think that I could commit to reading an entire novel on my laptop (seriously, my eyes would go all wonky and I would get all distracted by  the internet and whatnot), and their response to me? "You should really consider getting an e-Reader." It's not as if I haven't thought about getting an e-reader before, because I have. But there are just so many questions I have...

• If I were to buy an e-Reader, would I actually use it (seriously, I bought an Ipod Nano a few years ago when they first blew up and I rarely use it... In fact I don't know if I could even tell you its current location). 
• Would it even be worth it to even buy an e-Reader if I didn't plan on buying e-books... (Instead I would only use it for free books from such sources as Netgalley, from authors who want me to review their books, free releases by authors such as Shannon Delany's "Beasts and BFFs" or Rachel Vincent's "Reaper" because I would still plan on buying real books)? 
• I understand that buying e-Readers is more environmentally friendly and a lot of people say that it is cheaper buying e-books than real books... But I disagree. Take "The Lost Saint" by Bree Despain for example, it is $10 for an e-book or $15 for a hardcover copy of the book. Yes there is a $5 price difference but because I am superbly technically challenged I feel like I could easily lose my e-book downloads and then what am I left with? Nothing. I would have to repurchase any of the books that I had and lost. But with a real book? I have it forever and I can't really just lose them). It isn't like I just read a book and toss it out (thus making me un-environmentally friendly)... I keep them and constantly reread them (this situation is kinda like my music situation- I always buys CDs as opposed to downloads because I am continuously losing data on my computer, forgetting to back-up stuff and whatnot, but because I buy CDs I can easily redownload them, whereas I cannot if I were to just have one downloaded copy of it- I would have to buy everything that I lost again, doubling my costs).
• What is the best e-Reader? I have done some research online about various e-Readers/ reviews, but I would love to hear what some of you think about your e-Reader. Do you like yours? Would you recommend it? What have you heard about other e-Readers?
• And the question that I am having the hardest time answering. At this time would I rather spend $150+ on an e-Reader (where I could potentially have thousands of books on it but may only occasionally use) or would I rather buy 15+ books that I would most likely continuously reread from Amazon for the same price?

It's a tough call- I would love to hear what you think!

Book Blogger Hop

 

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

"Why do you read the genre that you do? What draws you to it?"

Okie dokie, so I think it is pretty obvious that  I almost strictly read YA paranormal/ fantasy (though I do read the occasional adult paranormal romance or other genres of YA).  I think that my love of fantasy first emerged through watching such television shows as "Sabrina the Teenage Witch" and movies such as "Race to Witch Mountain" at a young age- probably around 5 years of age. When all of the little girls in my cases wanted to be princesses, mommies and whatnot, I wanted to be a witch... This love of fantasy/ paranormal increased tenfold with the release of the  "Harry Potter" series which came out when I was in grade four. My love of the paranormal/ fantasy continued on throughout the years, but my love of young adult novels didn't fully rear its head until I started working at my local library when I was in grade ten. Because I was a young adult I obviously gravitated towards the young adult section of the library- the juvenile stuff was well, just too juvenile for me, and the adult stuff was obviously way too adult for me and it has just kinda stuck with me. Though I am sure that I will continue reading YA stuff into the future, I must admit that at the age of 20 I am already finding it increasingly difficult to connect with some of the young adult characters- especially if they are around 14-16 years of age, so I think that I will focus less attention on YA novels where the characters are so young, and focus more so on YA novels where the characters are 18+ (plus, aren't YA books typically said to be for around 14-24 year olds? Hope so!).

Anyways, what genres do you prefer? 

"Captivate" by Carrie Jones

From Goodreads: "Zara and her friends knew they hadn't solved the pixie problem for good. Far from it. The king's needs grow deeper every day he's stuck in captivity, while his control over his people gets weaker. It's made him vulnerable. And now there's a new king in town.

A turf war is imminent, since the new pixie king, Astley, is moving in quickly. Nick nearly killed him in the woods on day one, but Zara came to his rescue. Astley swears that he and Zara are destined to be together, that he's one of the good guys. Nick isn't buying it, though Zara isn't as sure -- despite herself, she wants to trust the new king. But it's a lot more than her relationship with Nick that is at stake. It's her life -- and his."

So the other day I read and reviewed "Need" by Carrie Jones. I just picked the book up at the store mainly for the fact that it was in the bargain bin for $5.99 in hardcover (shame on them! It was worth more than the $5.99 price tag) and I had seen it here and there in the blog world, so I figured that it if other bloggers were reading it, well then there must be something good there. And was there ever! I loved the book so much and it easily became one of the best books that I have read in some time. I thought that the plotline was very unique, combining pixies and weres, and that the characters were totally relatable/ likable/ people I would be proud to call my friends in real life. So obviously when I finished it I knew that I had to get my hands on the second book in the series, "Captivate". I was positive that this story was going to blow me out of the water like "Need" did, however, I am quite disappointed/ let-down by it, and I am even more disappointed because I read quite a few Amazon reviews and every single one of them was positive and every single one of them rated the book as 5 stars out of 5 stars, so I just feel like I should have liked the book since everyone else did- but in all honesty, I didn't.

When I first read Nick refer to Zara as "baby" I "awwww"ed, I thought it was cute and found myself thinking, "Look y'all! They are so in love!" But 5 minutes later I just wanted to pull my hair out- it became very old very quickly. Do people in love really talk like that? Tacking "baby","sweetheart", and other equally lovey-dovey/ barf-tastic (to all those surrounding them) pet-names to the end of every sentence? All I can say is thank goodness that I am destined to be a lonely cat lady for all of my days!

On a serious note though, I just felt like there were too many important plot elements in this book that were either introduced in the last minute or just casually mentioned, with little to no explanation- kind of like they were an afterthought. For instance, "The story Nick told you about his parents? Total fabrication! Sucks that he didn't trust you, his girlfriend/ the girl he supposedly loves with the truth!", "Your pixie dad forgot to mention that you would turn blue when you are in the presence of a pixie king that you are attracted to? Oops! You are going to need a lot of foundation to fix that floosy!", or my favourite (er... least favourite), "So there is this mythical place, called Valhalla, that even the mythical creatures like pixies don't believe in! I mean, they are all fantastically-like and they don't even believe in it? Well best of luck trying to find it so that you can retrieve what it stole from you/ what means most to you!" Right. Great. UGH!

As for the characters in this book? Well the majority of them just grated on my nerves- even Nick who I professed my love for in my review of "Need"! Nick was just so gosh darn macho in this book, his hero complex? Yeah, it skyrocketed past the "Oh he is just so gosh darn sexy protecting me" to "Oh my gosh, my boyfriend is utterly possessive, who will not let me (the mere fragile mortal) do anything dangerous, while he jumps in ready to fight at the first sign of danger". And Devyn? What the flip are you doing with Cassidy, when you and Is are clearly in love and watching you two together is breaking her heart, piece by piece?!?  As for Zara? Well I applaud her for taking the bull by the horns and making her own decision on whether or not to become a fairy, without any outside influence from any of the battling pixie kings, I just didn't like her methods (ie. running out on her family and keeping her decision to herself). As for Betty? Well, she is always a riot and therefore I am always more than happy to read about her and her escapades and I really liked Is in this book. It was nice to see her experience more emotions than her usual happy-go-lucky/I-can't-do-anything-without-tripping-over-my-feet self.

The one good thing that I can say about this book? Well, the humorous parts were quite humorous and I did find myself giggling every now and again, like from this little snippet off of page 17 [context: Zara had just been yelling at Nick, her boyfriend, that he wasn't to go off looking for dangerous situations/ pixies without informing anyone (via text or call) and she promises to do the same] , "Hey, Nick. It's me," I whisper, turning slowly in a circle, looking for predators. "I'm near BSS by the tracks, running. I think... I hear something. Okay. Yeah. I'm going to check it out. If I don't call again, I'm probably dead or something. Yeah. Right. Bye." Or Betty's little notes [Betty being Zara's grandmother who she lives with], "Early Shift. Take you pain medicine. Do not sell it at school. JUST KIDDING! Sort of. :) " I lived for the funny parts since they were really the other parts of the story that I enjoyed...

All in all? Well if you have just read "Need" and are intending to read this book next... DON'T! "Need" can work perfectly as a stand alone novel- and you in no way, shape, or form, need to subject yourself to this book (well, except in reading my fantabulous review ;) ). However, I will admit, despite all of my grumblings... I am still going to read the third book in the series, "Entice", but mainly because I am one of those obsessive readers who cannot not finish reading a series, despite the fact that I may hate every moment of the series- but who knows? Maybe the third book will restore my faith in this series *fingers crossed*!

Rating: 6.5/10

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...

So I first made note of this book last week in my "Waiting on Wednesday/ Top 10 Most Anticipated Books of 2011" post... But in that post I mentioned that I didn't actually know what the name of the book was, when it was going to be released, what it was about and all of that jazz... All I knew for certain? That Rachel Vincent, one of my most favourite authors of all time, was writing it and therefore it was bound to be good (haha... No pun intended)...

So the book?!? *Drum Roll* please!  

Blood Bound (it is set to be released September 1st, 2011)!!!

And this is what Rachel has to say about it (which I completely stole borrowed from her blog):

"Genre: The Unbound series is paranormal. It’s a little more romance-heavy than the early Shifters books are, and about in line with romance/relationship content of the last couple of Shifters books.

Audience: The Unbound books are intended for adults. As my editor said, BLOOD BOUND is “twisted.” (Is it wrong that her quote makes me smile? ;)) If this first book is any indication, these books will be very dark and gritty, violent, and tense, but with some humor (mostly dialogue) to take the edge off.

The world: The idea behind the Unbound world-building is simple. The execution is a little more complicated. For me, it all started with the cliché “a man’s word is his bond,” then grew to include, “the pen is mightier than the sword” and the concept of “word of mouth.”

“What…” I thought, as I was brainstorming, “…if those clichés could be taken literally?”

What if a person’s word really was his or her bond? What if, once given, a promise could never be taken back? Would you be more careful what you say? Wouldn’t we all, if we were bound to our words?

Then I took it a step further. If the spoken word carries that much power, how much more would the written word carry? What about words written in (or sealed in) blood? What about words written in (and sealed in) flesh? Tattoos and graffiti take on a whole new meaning, huh?

Needless to say, once I headed down that thought-path, the world-building exploded—there’s much more to it now (but I’m not going to give you any more just yet). The story lines grew from the world-building possibilities and conflicts. The characters developed based on the experiences they would've had, growing up in this world.

The bad guys are bad (twisted, according to some…), but they have very human motivations.

The good guys are…not exactly wearing white hats. But the innocent are still innocent, and someone has to fight for them. (This may, in fact, be the only thing Shifters has in common with Unbound.)

The characters:

Olivia Warren owes her friend Anne a favor. Anne needs someone found and brought to a very quick, private justice.

The catch? Olivia must work with Cam Caballero to complete this favor. The problem? Cam is Olivia’s ex—the man prophesied to either kill her or die by her hand. It's a tense reunion, at best.

As Olivia and Cam chase their target through public streets, private lives, and a dangerous criminal underworld, everything they thought they knew comes into question. In the end, they can only be sure of three things…

No one can be trusted.
Everyone’s lying.
And someone’s going to pay."

And Rachel also answered another great question:

"What are the characters (re: paranormal abilities/species)? They are human+. But not anything you'd know from other books or movies. That's all I can say right now."

I love how Rachel always writes about unique paranormals, seriously, has anyone else ever read a book about bean sidhes before- or how many authors really write about werecats (most seem to write only about werewolves!)? And though we don't know much about these new characters, they sure as heck sound intriguing! And it'll be out in time for my Birthday! You don't have to guess what I will be asking for! ;)

What are you waiting for?

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 (and yes, this is probably my sixth, or seventh, or more likely eighth time reading this book, but I seriously never get sick of it):

Title: "Stray"
Author: Rachel Vincent
Genre: Adult Paranormal

"Blood rushed into my mouth in spurts as her heart pumped her life into me until my teeth pinched her throat closed, suffocating her" (pg. 193). 

"... shoving my lingering bloodlust to the back of my mind" (pg. 193).

What do you happen to be reading?

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 "Need" by Carrie Jones and I loved it! Therefore I cannot wait to get my hands on the next books in the series! 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Captivate" by Carrie Jones

From Goodreads: "Zara and her friends knew they hadn't solved the pixie problem for good. Far from it. The king's needs grow deeper every day he's stuck in captivity, while his control over his people gets weaker. It's made him vulnerable. And now there's a new king in town.

A turf war is imminent, since the new pixie king, Astley, is moving in quickly. Nick nearly killed him in the woods on day one, but Zara came to his rescue. Astley swears that he and Zara are destined to be together, that he's one of the good guys. Nick isn't buying it, though Zara isn't as sure -- despite herself, she wants to trust the new king. But it's a lot more than her relationship with Nick that is at stake. It's her life -- and his."
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Entice" by Carrie Jones 

From Goodreads: "Zara and Nick are soul mates, meant to be together forever.
But that's not quite how things have worked out.

For starters, well, Nick is dead.
Supposedly, he's been taken to a mythic place for warriors known as Valhalla, so Zara and her friends might be able to get him back. But it's taking time, and meanwhile a group of evil pixies is devastating Bedford, with more teens going missing every day. An all-out war seems imminent, and the good guys need all the warriors they can find. But how to get to Valhalla?

And even if Zara and her friends discover the way, there's that other small problem: Zara's been pixie kissed. When she finds Nick, will he even want to go with her? Especially since she hasn't just turned...she's Astley's queen."

What are you wishing for? 

"Need" by Carrie Jones

From Goodreads: "Zara White suspects there's a freaky guy semi-stalking her. She's also obsessed with phobias. And it's true, she hasn't exactly been herself since her stepfather died. But exiling her to shivery Maine to live with her grandmother? That seems a bit extreme. The move is supposed to help her stay sane...but Zara's pretty sure her mom just can't deal with her right now.

She couldn't be more wrong. Turns out the semi-stalker is not a figment of Zara's overactive imagination. In fact, he's still following her, leaving behind an eerie trail of gold dust. There's something not right - not human - in this sleepy Maine town, and all signs point to Zara.

In this creepy, compelling breakout novel, Carrie Jones delivers romance, suspense, and a creature you never thought you'd have to fear."

This is a great book to start the new year off with- if all of the books that I read this year are as good as this, well then I have an amazing year ahead of me! I think that this book has the perfect amount of adventure and romance and therefore this book= perfect for me!

I am not going to lie, I had no idea what this book was about prior to buying it- in fact, I didn't even figure out what type of paranormals were in it until 70 pages into the book and when it was revealed that the paranormals were pixies and weres I was quite surprised. I can't recall ever reading a story where both of these magical races play leading roles together/ the history of them being arch enemies was something new to me, so I just thought that it was a unique spin on the typical were/ faerie story.

Anyways, I am in love! I know, I know, I profess love for every new male character I happen to come across, but this time I am serious! Nick is a combination of Jace Wayland and Jay Heaton- he is all bad-ass like Jace and all cute and caring like Jay= perfect.  

I can't help but think that maybe it would have been best had Zara's mom stayed with her dad at the end of the novel. I mean, her mom did technically send her away because she didn't want to deal with her and her depression anymore and as such, was most likely not going to be a major component of her life anymore. So I don't understand why having a pixie mom would be such a big deal? I just think that cheesing her father off will make him even more vengeful and because they double crossed him he will no longer be willing to make any deals with them in the future. Talk about burning that bridge... Plus Zara talked to her father about martyrdom, sacrificing oneself for the greater good- why could she not have understood and accepted that this was exactly what her mom was trying to do?  

 Anyways, I have read numerous reviews where people have said that this book is a blatant rip-off of "Twilight" and though there are some similarities between the two novels, I feel like these similarities are coincidental or that they are so minuscule that they by no means have that much impact on the outcome of the story/ plot line. For instance, both books start off with the main characters on an airplane, moving across the country to start a new life- that is where that similarity ends. It is Bella's choice to move in with her father so that her mom and step dad can start a new life together, whereas Zara has no choice in the matter when it comes to moving in with her grandmother, her mother forces her into it, thinking that a change in scenery will help alleviate her daughters depression. Another similarity that arises is that both male main characters cars are mentioned throughout the novel- personally I'd take Nick's car over Edward's any day. 

Whereas Edward is all pretty boy, very much someone who is unattainable in the realm of high school, and someone who I believe the reader may have a difficult time relating to, I think that Nick is kind of  lumberjack chic or humble jock boy, an all around nice guy with a hero complex, and a guy who is entirely relatable to the reader- he is just like that childhood friend that you've grown up with and have always been able to depend on. Both females are warned about the boys that they eventually fall for- Bella is warned by Jessica not to get too attached to Edward because he has no apparent interest in high school girls, whereas Zara is warned that Nick is "bad news". Both girls have a quirky BFF, Bella has Alice and Zara has Is. Both Zara and Bella think about sacrificing themselves in order to protect those that they love, but only Bella goes through with it, as Zara chickens out at the last minute. However, Zara more than makes up for it with her plan at the end of the novel. Thankfully Nick and Zara do not profess their love for one another early in the plot line like Bella and Edward do, in fact, they do not profess their love for one another whatsoever, they only admit to "really, really liking" one another.  Unlike in "Twilight" however, in this book I actually really like the main female character, Zara. Zara doesn't do the whole bittey lip thing, she is quite strong and independent (well, after she gets over her depression that is) and she actually has a personality. Furthermore, I didn't really feel any connection to the authority figures in "Twilight" (ie. Charlie, Carlisle, and whatnot), like I did in this book. Betty? Yeah, friggin hilarious and Zara is super lucky to have her as a grandmother.

Even now I admit that I feel like I had to fish for the similarities- kind of like how I think that the critics of this book had to- this is a YA adult, and as such the characters are typically teenagers. Well what do teenagers do? They go to high school, make friends, gossip, think about cute boys, start dating cute boys and whatnot, as it is for every other YA plot line. So I don't think that it is fair to say that this is a rip off by any means, these are necessary elements of a YA novel. Furthermore, in my opinion the differences fair outweigh the similarities. 

Rating 10/10

Waiting on Wednesday/ Top 10 Most Anticipated Books of 2011

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted over at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating... I decided to expand this week's Waiting on Wednesday a bit to include the top ten books that I am eagerly anticipating in 2011... (note: I have actually ordered them, it was a tough call and involved lots of switcherooing around, but I think I finally nailed it)...

1) "City of Fallen Angels" by Cassandra Clare 
Release Date: April 5th, 2011
This should come to no surprise to anyone, since I practically worship Cassie. When I thought that "The City of Glass" was the last book in the "Mortal Instruments" series I was heartbroken, but *happy dance* Cassie is writing three more books in the series= more Jace for me to love.


2) Rachel Vincent's WIP
So you might be like, "What in the world is she talking about?" Well over in the world of Twitter Rachel has been posting some little snippets of her current WIP that is going to be released in Fall of 2011. I have no idea what it is about, the title, or any of that jazz, all I know is that it is an adult book and that it is clearly going to be amazing since Rachel is writing it. Here are a few of the little teasers from Twitter:  

• "If I’m going to have to beat the information out of you, we should really get started." 
• "Something inside him broke; I saw it happen. I *made* it happen, and I hated myself for it. " 
• "That looked like fun. I call dibs on the next over-the-top destruction of evidence."

Oh, and I think that one of the characters may or may not be named Mika (or Rachel may have just been a big tease and was just throwing that out there to trick people like me)...

3) "The Gathering" by Kelley Armstrong
Release Date: April 5, 2011
So I know that this new little trilogy centres around the Phoenix Project kids, but I really, really, really hope that it has my darn Derek in it! Even a little tiny mention and I will be happy! Oh, and I suppose I will be happy with mention of Chloe, Simon and Tory too...

4) "Defiance" by Lili St. Crow
Release Date: April 1, 2011
So "Jealousy" was a complete cliff-hanger and I NEED TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS TO MY DARN GRAVES!!! Seriously. And I wanna see Dru become even more kick-ass. And I wanna see Ash all un-broken and whatnot. And I wanna see more of Dibs in all of his nervousness cuteness. Okay, so I just wanna see all of the darn characters!

  5) "Desires of the Dead" by Kimberly Derting 
Release Date: February 15, 2011
In my opinion "The Body Finder" was hands down the best book of 2010 and therefore I obviously cannot wait for its sequel! Plus, Jay Heaton is my new favourite book crush...

6) "Bloodlines" by Richelle Mead
Release Date: August sometime I believe
So even though Rose won't be narrating this book (instead it will be narrated by Jill/ Adrian/ Eddie/ Sydney), I do think that the book will still be decent- Oh who am I kidding? The book will still be fantabulous (but please, please, please have some Dimitri and Rose in there!).


7) "Angelfire" by Courtney Allison Moulton 
Release Date: February 15th, 2011
So I think that this book sounds amazing... Kinda reminiscent of my dear Shadowhunters, add in a kick-ass sounding bad boy and I think that you have a perfect story.

  8) "Demon Glass" by Rachel Hawkins
Release Date: Not February 22nd anymore I believe... Early March now.
The last sentence of "Hex Hall" book was such a friggin cliffhanger! I honestly gasped out loud when I read it and was all like, "No! Noooo! NOOOO!!!" (getting progressively louder with each "No"). I cannot wait to see how this book is going to unfold. 

9) "Illusions" by Aprilynne Pike 
Release Date: May 3, 2011
So "Spells" completely left me heartbroken (darn you cliffhanger endings!). So yes, this is an obvious must read...


 10) "Afterlife" by Claudia Gray
Release Date: March 8th, 2011
So this story keeps getting more and more ridiculous with each new book- but in a good way! I cannot wait to see how Lucas adjusts and how Bianca will continue to deal with the whole wraithiness dealio.



And I am going to take a page from Jessica over at A GREAT Read and make a few notable mentions: