Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Waiting on Wednesday (20)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine to spotlight upcoming releases. This week I am waiting on Possess by Gretchen McNeil. I love demons so I am super excited for this one. And I can't ignore the fact that the cover is super pretty.

 (Goodreads) Summary:

Fifteen-year-old Bridget Liu just wants to be left alone: by her mom, by the cute son of a local police sergeant, and by the eerie voices she can suddenly and inexplicably hear. Unfortunately for Bridget, it turns out the voices are demons – and Bridget has the rare ability to banish them back to whatever hell they came from.

 
Terrified to tell people about her new power, Bridget confides in a local priest who enlists her help in increasingly dangerous cases of demonic possession. But just as she is starting to come to terms with her new power, Bridget receives a startling message from one of the demons. Now Bridget must unlock the secret to the demons' plan before someone close to her winds up dead – or worse, the human vessel of a demon king.
 
Possess is released on August 23rd 2011. What are you waiting on?

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Review: If I Die Young

Title: If I Die Young

Author: Talia Jager

Format: Ebook

Source: Author

Rating: 4/5

(Amazon) Summary:

When Caelyn Noel was diagnosed with asthma five years ago, it put a damper on things. Now, she’s sixteen and things are finally going her way. She has loving parents, the best friend ever, and the boy she has had a crush on since elementary school has finally noticed her. Then, she collapses in school one day. To her horror, she finds out her heart is failing and she must have a heart transplant to live. Caelyn struggles with her fear of dying and worries of having someone else’s heart.

My Thoughts:

This book happily satisfied my craving for a teenage drama/romance! Its been a long while since I have read a book of this genre and it was a nice refresher. Most teenage dramas are sad and may bring tears to the reader's eyes, but I'm one of those odd people who likes sad books, songs, and movies. I've forgotten how much I love this genre and will have to start reading a little more of it!

Lets start with the plot. Caelyn thinks she is an every day teenager with an allergy problem until she finds out the hard way that she truthfully has heart failure. After staying in the hospital for what seems like an eternity, Caelyn discovers that she needs a heart transplant in order to survive the condition trying to claim her life. And of course, along the way she finds a handsome lover who has a few problems of his own. It is a very original and suspenseful plot that I thoroughly enjoyed!

Onto the characters. I liked all the characters but I couldn't connect to any of them. I have almost nothing in common with Caelyn and have never experienced anything she was going through. Lindsay, the best friend, is my favorite character because she is very loyal, smart, and probably the best friend a girl could ever ask for. She almost seemed a little too perfect at times...

As for the love connection between Austin and Caelyn, I found it to be a little rushed especially towards the very end of the book but I enjoyed it nonetheless.  It was heart warming and inspiring reading about a girl near the edge of death falling in love and being happy once again.

I absolutely loved following Caelyn's horrific journey. It was an eye opener to read how a strong girl can be so close to dying and then recover to live a happy life. I can't even imagine taking all the tests Caelyn did or thinking about leaving my family and friends behind for good.

 I look forward to reading more of this genre and maybe even some of Talia's other novels! I recommend If I Die Young to every single person out there. It is a fun, short read that can teach everyone life long lessons. Because while this book was fiction, it is crazy to know that there are people who are going through the exact same thing as Caelyn Noel.

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Waiting on Wednesday (19)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine to spotlight upcoming releases. This week I am waiting on Shattered Souls by Mary Lindsey which is expected to release on December 8th 2011. Is it not obvious why I picked this book? Just look at that stunning cover!

(Goodreads) Summary:

Lenzi hears voices and has visions - gravestones, floods, a boy with steel gray eyes. Her boyfriend, Zak, can't help, and everything keeps getting louder and more intense. Then Lenzi meets Alden, the boy from her dreams, who reveals that she's a reincarnated Speaker - someone who can talk to and help lost souls - and that he has been her Protector for centuries.
Now Lenzi must choose between her life with Zak and the life she is destined to lead with Alden. But time is running out: a malevolent spirit is out to destroy Lenzi, and he will kill her if she doesn't make a decision soon.


What are you waiting on?

Monday, June 20, 2011

Review: Blood Magic

Title: Blood Magic

Author: Tessa Gratton

Publisher: Random House

Pages: 405

Source: Friend

Rating: 4/5

(Goodreads) Summary:

 It starts off simply.
Draw a circle ... place a dead leaf in the center ... sprinkle some salt ... recite a little Latin ... add a drop of blood ...
Maybe that last part isn't exactly simple. Yet somehow it feels right to Silla Kennicott. And nothing in her life has felt remotely right since her parents' horrific deaths. She's willing to do anything to uncover the truth about her family—even try a few spells from the mysterious book that arrived on her doorstep ... and spill some blood.
The book isn't the only recent arrival in Silla's life. There's Nick Pardee, the new guy next door who may have seen Silla casting a spell. She's not sure what he saw and is afraid to find out. But as they spend more time together, Silla realizes this may not be Nick's first encounter with Blood Magic. Brought together by a combination of fate and chemistry, Silla and Nick can't deny their attraction. And they can't ignore the dark presence lurking nearby—waiting to reclaim the book and all its power.
Tessa Gratton's intoxicating first novel will keep pulses racing, minds reeling, and pages turning right up to the very last drop of blood.
 
My Thoughts:
 
If this is the first time you have stumbled across a review for this book, do not let the summary discourage you. After reading Blood Magic then re-reading the blurb, I found they are completely different. The summary hardly even mentions the antagonist who is a big and fascinating part of the book.
 
I am so glad that Tessa decided to incorporate interchanging perspectives. The book switched back and forth from Silla's and Nick's POV and the antagonist's (Josephine) journal entries. Because I read in the eyes of both lovers, I liked Silla and Nick a lot. But if the book was written only in Nick's perspective, I most likely wouldn't have liked Silla and vice versa. Reading Josephine's journal entries was fun and interesting because there was a better understanding of the antagonist and her intentions.
 
The plot was, for the most part, unoriginal but still enjoyable. It started with the main characters' parents dying in a tragic and unexplainable accident, then a new boy comes to town and together they discover powers they never had before, fall in love, and eventually solve the mystery of the parents' deaths. Despite the unoriginal story line, I still loved reading about the blood magic which is very new to me.
 
Tessa's writing was smooth and easy to read. She does a wonderful job of creating a unique personality for each character that readers are sure to connect to. She added just enough suspense, romance, and (of course) blood to keep the pages turning.
 
 Overall, Blood Magic was a fun and fascinating read.. Anyone who likes witches and magic is sure to lose themselves in this book.
 

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Waiting on Wednesday (18)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill over at Breaking The Spine that lets bloggers spotlight upcoming releases. This week I am waiting on Strange Fate by L.J.Smith. This series could possibly be the first YA series I ever read (It could have been Twilight but I can't remember....) and I couldn't be more excited that a 10th book is being released! Too bad I'll have to wait about 3 years! Strange Face won't hit stores until February 1st 2014...unless L.J. changes the release date again....

(Goodreads) Summary:

Vampires, werewolves, witches, shapeshifters -- they live among uswithout our knowledge. Night World is their secret society, a secret society with very strict rules. And falling in love breaks all the laws of the Night World.
Sarah Strange's life was what you might call ordinary. Then her mother died.
Now Sarah has visions -- visions of a place where dragons darken the sky and a young girl is fighting to survive.
When Sarah confides in her best friends, Mal and Kierlan, about the devastation in her dreams, she discovers that her friends are not what they seem. They are part of the Night World -- and they believe Sarah has a special role in their world. And if Sarah's visions are any indication of the impending danger and destruction, there is no time to lose....

Saturday, June 11, 2011

Review: Cleah: The Lost Fury Chronicles

Title: Cleah: The Lost Fury Chronicles (The Otherworld)

Author: Brenda McCreight

Format: Ebook

Source: Author

Rating: 4/5

(Goodreads) Summary:

Long ago, in ancient Eire, lived a young orphaned slave named Cleah. Her life is shattered when raiders destroy her home and she is forced to find safety in the Otherworld, where fairies, trolls and dangers await as well as the possibility of love. Cleah soon realizes that in order to survive and return to her own World, she must first learn to fight and to love; and, she must uncover the tangled truth of her origins.

My Thoughts:

I wasn't sure what to expect when I first started this book but I'm pleasantly surprised to say that I liked it a lot! There was just enough romance, action, and suspense to satisfy my craving. I also really like the cover, which is odd because I'm not usually fond of covers with full bodies on them. But the model looks exactly like the Cleah I pictured in my head.

One of the main focuses in the novel are slaves. The readers get a glimpse of what slavery is like for Cleah at the beginning, then more of it towards the end. For those who may be sensitive to reading about subjects such as these, know that Brenda does a fabulous job at making slavery brutal and cruel without giving too many gruesome details.

The romance couldn't have been more perfect. Cleah and Rowan started the journey not liking each other all that much, but slowly grew closer and closer. In most novels I read the romance is way too fast, rushed, and usually unrealistic. With Cleah and Ronan, they took it slow but not so slow that is was boring or uninteresting.

The end of the book had a lot of action and tragedy. It was a good ending but I thought it was sort of sad. Ronan and Cleah's future definitely didn't turn out the way I wanted or expected it to, but that's not a bad thing. I'm glad I had a chance to read this novel and for those of you who haven't, I suggest you go pick it up right now!




Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Waiting on Wednesday (17)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine in which bloggers can spotlight upcoming releases. This week I am waiting on is Darkness Descending by Devyn Quinn. I recently discovered this book and while I'm not a fan of the cover, the summary sounds great!

(Goodreads) Summary:

The first seal has been broken, signaling the end of days. Fallen angels in the form of vampires are infecting humans one by one, creating an army fit for Armageddon. Of the few who survive the infection, one stands alone above all others…
For one year, Jesse Burke has been suppressing the beast within, driven by vengeance to destroy the vampiric fallen angels terrorizing New Orleans. But a war of biblical proportions is too much for one girl to handle, and she must turn to slayer Maddox deValois for training, though it threatens her fiercely-guarded independence. But the sinister demon Queen Amonate is doing everything in her power to lure Jesse to her side to fulfill her destiny as the mother of the devil’s child.
Before this war is over, everyone will learn that hell hath no fury like a woman possessed…

Darkness Descending hits stores on August 2nd 2011. What are you waiting on?

Sunday, June 5, 2011

Winner!

I would like to thank all of the people for entering my first giveaway. It was lots of fun and I'm sad to see it come to an end, but I promise there will be more in the future!


I had way more entries than I thought I would (500+) and out of those the lucky number chosen by random.org is 225 - Syki from the blog knizni doupe! Which I think means "Book Den" in English... So congratulations Syki and an email is on it's way!

Saturday, June 4, 2011

Iron Knight

I am in love with this series so I was really excited when I first saw this cover. I really do like it but its certainly not my favorite. The color scheme and font is perfect as always but I'm not a fan of the model. I wish I could tell you why but i don't know. I guess its just not how I pictured Ash in my head. What do you guys think?

Friday, June 3, 2011

Review: Personal Demons

Title: Personal Demons

Author: Lisa Desrochers

Publisher: Tor Teen

Pages: 365

Source: Won

Rating: 5/5

(Goodreads) Summary:

Frannie Cavanaugh is a good Catholic girl with a bit of a wicked streak. She has spent years keeping everyone at a distance—-even her closest friends—-and it seems as if her senior year is going to be more of the same . . . until Luc Cain enrolls in her class. No one knows where he came from, but Frannie can’t seem to stay away from him.
What she doesn’t know is that Luc is on a mission. He’s been sent from Hell itself to claim Frannie’s soul. It should be easy—-all he has to do is get her to sin, and Luc is as tempting as they come. Frannie doesn’t stand a chance. But he has to work fast, because if the infernals are after her, the celestials can’t be far behind. And sure enough, it’s not long before the angel Gabriel shows up, willing to do anything to keep Luc from getting what he came for. It isn’t long before they find themselves fighting for more than just Frannie’s soul.
But if Luc fails, there will be Hell to pay . . . for all of them.

My Thoughts:

My friend recommended this book to me and I have to say, I loved it a lot more than I anticipated. I know the "never judge a book by it's cover" rule, but we all do it sometimes and I definitely did it with this book. I think they could have made it a lot better but for everyone out there thinking the same thing, don't let the cover fool you.

The characters in Personal Demons couldn't have been more perfect. Everyone down to the minor characters had depth, difference, and were relatable. My favorite character by far was Luc. The story switched back and forth between his point of view and Frannie's. If it wasn't for that, I probably wouldn't like him as much which is most likely why I am not too fond of Gabe.

The love triangle wasn't much of a love triangle. Yes Gabe was angelic and beautiful, but the reader can tell that Frannie had her heart set on Luc from the beginning. Because the book is partly in Luc's P.O.V., its easier to care more for him whereas Gabe was just sort of there. The way Frannie was all over him actually made me mad because she was practically dating Luc.

The plot made Personal Demons one of those books that makes you want to read it all in on sitting.Two completely different people were trying to tag Frannie's soul either for Heaven or Hell and I had to keep reading to find out where and with whom Frannie was going to end up.

The ending was great and I can hardly wait until Original Sin hits stores. Lisa's writing style was smooth and I look forward to reading more of her in the future. I recommend Personal Demons to anyone who loves demons, angels, and a good romance.

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Waiting on Wednesday (16)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine to spotlight upcoming releases. This week I am waiting on The Pledge by Kimberly Derting. This book sounds really..different. In a good way of course!

(Goodreads) Summary:

In the violent country of Ludania, the classes are strictly divided by the language they speak. The smallest transgression, like looking a member of a higher class in the eye while they are speaking their native tongue, results in immediate execution. Seventeen-year-old Charlaina has always been able to understand the languages of all classes, and she’s spent her life trying to hide her secret. The only place she can really be free is the drug-fueled underground clubs where people go to shake off the oppressive rules of the world they live in. It's there that she meets a beautiful and mysterious boy named Max who speaks a language she's never heard before . . . and her secret is almost exposed.
Charlie is intensely attracted to Max, even though she can’t be sure where his real loyalties lie. As the emergency drills give way to real crisis and the violence escalates, it becomes clear that Charlie is the key to something much bigger: her country’s only chance for freedom from the terrible power of a deadly regime.


What are you waiting on? And while your here, don't forget to enter my GIVEAWAY (Link located in the sidebar)