Aug 31, 2012

Feature & Follow (7)


Gain New Blog Followers

The Feature & Follow blog hop is a weekly meme hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read. To join the fun and make new book blogger friends, just follow these simple rules:
  1. (Required) Follow the Follow My Book Blog Friday Hosts {Parajunkee & Alison Can Read}
  2. (Required) Follow our Featured Bloggers
  3. Put your Blog name & URL in the Linky thing. You can also grab the code if you would like to insert it into your posts.
  4. Grab the button up there and place it in a post, this post is for people to find a place to say "hi" in your comments and that they are now following you.
  5. If you are using WordPress or another CMS that doesn't have GFC (Google Friends Connect) state in your posts how you would like to be followed
  6. Follow Follow Follow as many as you can, as many as you want, or just follow a few. The whole point is to make new friends and find new blogs. Also, don't just follow, comment and say hi. Another blogger might not know you are a new follower if you don't say "HI"
  7. If someone comments and says they are following you, be a dear and follow back. Spread the Love...and the followers
  8. If you're new to the follow friday hop, comment and let me know, so I can stop by and check out your blog!
Q: Best cover? What is the best cover of a book that you've read and loved?

A: Obviously this is one of my favorite books EVER, and I think it has the prettiest cover I have ever seen:


The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer (Mara Dyer, #1)

I know that was kind of predictable of me, but I DON'T CARE! The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer is beautiful and an amazing book :D

What book did you pick? Do you disagree with my pick? Just comment and leave your link and say you followed so I can reciprocate! I may not be able to do it until later today or tomorrow (b/c of school) but I will get to it!

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Aug 29, 2012

Waiting on Wednesday (15)



Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine, where we book bloggers talk about upcoming releases we are excited for. This week I'm looking forward to:



Deity (Covenant #3)
By: Jennifer L. Armentrout
Publication date: November 6, 2012
Deity (Covenant, #3)
"History is on repeat, and things didn't go so well the last time. "

Alexandria isn't sure she's going to make it to her eighteenth birthday--to her Awakening. A long-forgotten, fanatical order is out to kill her, and if the Council ever discovers what she did in the Catskills, she's a goner... and so is Aiden.

If that's not freaky enough, whenever Alex and Seth spend time "training"--which really is just Seth's code word for some up-close and personal one-on-one time--she ends up with another mark of the Apollyon, which brings her one step closer to Awakening ahead of schedule. Awesome.

But as her birthday draws near, her entire world shatters with a startling revelation and she's caught between love and Fate. One will do anything to protect her. One has been lying to her since the beginning. Once the gods have revealed themselves, unleashing their wrath, lives will be irrevocably changed... and destroyed.

Those left standing will discover if love is truly greater than Fate...
Do I really need to explain why I'm excited for this one?! I mean this means one more JLA book, more Alex, more Aiden, and everyone says this is the best so far in the series! I can't wait for Seth's true colors to come out (I am so positive he isn't a good guy). Plus, the summary gives me chills! "One will do anything to protect her. One has been lying to her from the beginning." My guess is that that's about Aiden and Seth (duh), and I just can't wait to see what happens!!!!

What are you waiting on this week?

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Aug 28, 2012

Top Ten Bookish Confessions


Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, and today's theme is "Top Ten Bookish Confessions". In the words of our host "anything goes!" 

Let's see:
1. I sometimes dog ear. I actually did up until I got my copy of Onyx and couldn't bear hurting it, so I started using things to mark my place instead of folding the tops of the pages!
2. I did not finish my Summer reading this year. I only got halfway through East of Eden, and 2 chapters into Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting by in America. I feel as though I will be okay, though :)
3. I owe $1.25 to the library. 
4. I rarely have money to buy new books. It's sad, but true. The only books I ever buy are books I've been dying to read (i.e. Onyx, City of Fallen Angels, etc.)
5. I enter an obscene number of book giveaways every day.
6. I don't usually read all of my library books (I returned 12ish a couple days ago that I didn't even read).
7. Having a massive TBR pile freaks me out and stops me from reading.
8. I've lent books to friends and never gotten them back. (In that same strand, I've borrowed books and never given them back...)
9. I really didn't like Demon Princess: Reign or Shine, but gave it an ok review anyways. I hate being mean.
10. I use my grandma's library card. I do not have my own.


My confessions are kind of pathetic, but they are all true! What did you guys confess?

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Aug 27, 2012

Defiance ARC Review


C.J. Redwine
Pages: 416
Publisher: Balzar and Bray
Format: ARC
Source: Epic Reads
Age Group: Young Adult
Date Published: August 28, 2012 (TOMORROW!!!!)
Within the walls of Baalboden, beneath the shadow of the city’s brutal leader, Rachel Adams has a secret. While other girls sew dresses, host dinner parties, and obey their male Protectors, Rachel knows how to survive in the wilderness and deftly wield a sword. When her father, Jared, fails to return from a courier mission and is declared dead, the Commander assigns Rachel a new Protector, her father’s apprentice, Logan—the same boy Rachel declared her love for two years ago, and the same boy who handed her heart right back to her. Left with nothing but fierce belief in her father’s survival, Rachel decides to escape and find him herself. But treason against the Commander carries a heavy price, and what awaits her in the Wasteland could destroy her.
At nineteen, Logan McEntire is many things. Orphan. Outcast. Inventor. As apprentice to the city’s top courier, Logan is focused on learning his trade so he can escape the tyranny of Baalboden. But his plan never included being responsible for his mentor’s impulsive daughter. Logan is determined to protect her, but when his escape plan goes wrong and Rachel pays the price, he realizes he has more at stake than disappointing Jared.
As Rachel and Logan battle their way through the Wasteland, stalked by a monster that can’t be killed and an army of assassins out for blood, they discover romance, heartbreak, and a truth that will incite a war decades in the making.

First off, I want to say (again) a big thank you to Epic Reads for sending me an ARC of Defiance. It was amazing, and I just really appreciate it :)

With that said, I'll get on to the book! Defiance was amazing. It was suspenseful and heart-wrenching and funny, sometimes all at once. It gave me a little bit of a similar feel to Birthmarked (which, coincidentally, is one of my favorite books EVER). It was just the whole "post-apocalyptic reverted in modernization" feel with a strong heroine who stands up for what she believes in. Mind you, Gaia was a little bit smarter and more stubborn and generally different than Rachel, but whatever.

I have like ADD today, so bear with me. Let's go over the plot (because I can't put my thoughts together any other way): So, Rachel's dad hasn't come home within his 60 day time frame (weird) and has to be declared dead. Rachel and co. don't think he's dead, but they have to go along with it because of their crazy dictator. They go and read his will and he lists Logan (his apprentice, aged 19) as Rachel's new Protector (a man who has to go with Rachel everywhere and look out for her), while they had all expected Oliver (kind of Rachel's stand in grandfather) to be named. Poor Rachel now has to go live with Logan (whom she had declared her love for when she was 15 and he turned her down, now she hates his guts). Theeeennnn, Rachel and Logan hatch a plan to go find her daddy (after many, ah, mishaps?). Eventually everyone ends up in the Wasteland and it's very dangerous for all involved. Yup. Well, that's pretty much everything that isn't too spoilery. There's a lot of romance and tragedy thrown in throughout, and that made everything very interesting. My only complaint is that I was a little bored in the beginning, and found myself skipping paragraphs and even pages. Needless to say, I was confused often. It really picks up one Rachel goes out into the Wasteland, and that's the majority of the book. Plus, the boringness may have come from the fact that I went all ADD (again) the first day I was reading Defiance and was having a hard time paying attention. Overall, it was a beautiful plot and I did like it very much.

The characters were interesting. Rachel's the stubborn kind of girl who picks a stance and doesn't really do her research. For example, she hated Logan without knowing his whole story. She just decided to hate him because he turned her down. She has this air of innocence, even though she can take down and kill any full grown man. She is fully capable, but she can be really stupid. It really just boils down to the fact that she lets her emotions rule her rather than logic. While Logan, on the other hand, was Mr. Logical who always has a plan. He always thought through every worst case scenario (typically there were 3) and how to deal with each. He knew every way to escape and always had a back-up plan. I think he and Rachel really made a good team. She was the heart and he was the brains, and I really liked that about them. Logan was also kind of a genius, and I loved him for it (smart guys are my favorite). I gotta say, though, my favorite character is this chick named Willow who is only in the book for a couple chapters. She was just too funny!! She has like no mental filter and just says whatever she thinks. I really hope we get to see more of her.

That cover is just too gorgeous! I love cover-Rachel and her outfit totally fits the book. And the Baalboden in the background is EXACTLY how I pictured it! It's just so perfect, and the main reason I was actually interested in the book in the first place (then, you know, I read the summary and was hooked).

I give Defiance 4 stars, because, while I really enjoyed it, the beginning was a little slow. Obviously, I recommend it to all of you reading this, especially fans of the Birthmarked series. 


Today is my first day of school (I wrote this yesterday). I'm kind of nervous, but definitely excited for Junior year. I just hope I'll be able to update my blog as often as I do now! Wish me luck :)
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Aug 25, 2012

Stacking the Shelves (3)


Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme held by Tynga at Tynga's Reviews, and her guidelines are:

  • Create your own Stacking The Shelves post. You can use my official graphic or your own, but please link back to Tynga’s Reviews so more people can join the fun!
  • You can set your post any way you want, simple book list, covers, pictures, vlog, sky is the limit! 
  • I am posting Stacking The Shelves on Saturdays, but feel free to post yours any day that fits you. 
  • Visit Tynga’s Reviews on Saturday and add your link so others can visit you 
  • Visit other participants link to find out what they added to their shelves!
So, this week I won:


The Innocents: Lili Peloquin + 2 signed bookmarks and and cute little The Archived... thing? Anyways, it's all from Victoria Schwab, to whom I am immensely grateful!


Defiance: C.J. Redwine I was surprised with this from Epic Reads on Thursday!! So another big thanks to them.
Pure: Julianna Baggott I knew I was getting this one, but I didn't think it would come so soon!! I got it through Goodreads First Reads, so a massive thank you to whoever listed the giveaway and sent me my book :)

From Netgalley:

The Lost Prince (The Iron Fey: Call of the Forgotten, #1)


The Lost Prince: Julie Kagawa *Dances around like a madwoman* This is the first legit book I've been approved for on one of the egalley sites!!! And I wrote about it in a WoW a couple weeks back, and I am just so EXCITED. Seriously, when I got the email, I was like this:

image

So, yes, we have a very happy Megan here. (Seriously, this is 3 ARCs this week, my first ones ever, actually).

I also got 3 books for upcoming blog tours:

Swipe (Swipe, #1) Sneak (Swipe, #2) Careful (The Careful, Quiet, Invisible Series, #1)

Swipe: Evan Angler
Sneak: Evan Angler
Careful: Isobella Jade

With all of this, I just never bothered to go to the library! Unfortunately this means I also have overdue books, but they were due yesterday and I'm gonna stop by today.... :)

So, yeah! What did you guys get this week?

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Aug 24, 2012

Feature & Follow (6)


Gain New Blog Followers

The Feature & Follow blog hop is a weekly meme hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read. To join the fun and make new book blogger friends, just follow these simple rules:
  1. (Required) Follow the Follow My Book Blog Friday Hosts {Parajunkee & Alison Can Read}
  2. (Required) Follow our Featured Bloggers
  3. Put your Blog name & URL in the Linky thing. You can also grab the code if you would like to insert it into your posts.
  4. Grab the button up there and place it in a post, this post is for people to find a place to say "hi" in your comments and that they are now following you.
  5. If you are using WordPress or another CMS that doesn't have GFC (Google Friends Connect) state in your posts how you would like to be followed
  6. Follow Follow Follow as many as you can, as many as you want, or just follow a few. The whole point is to make new friends and find new blogs. Also, don't just follow, comment and say hi. Another blogger might not know you are a new follower if you don't say "HI"
  7. If someone comments and says they are following you, be a dear and follow back. Spread the Love...and the followers
  8. If you're new to the follow friday hop, comment and let me know, so I can stop by and check out your blog!
Q: Worst cover? What is the worst cover of a book that you've read and loved?.

A: Well, I rarely read books with bad covers (I'm kind of a cover snob), so the only bad-covered book I can think of that I actually enjoyed is:


The Demon's Lexicon

And, even then, I didn't love it. You can read my review here, if you feel so inclined.

So, follow me and comment so I can follow you! :)

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Aug 23, 2012

Once

Anna Carey
Once (Eve, #2)
When you're being hunted, who can you trust?
For the first time since she escaped from her school many months ago, Eve can sleep soundly. She's living in Califia, a haven for women, protected from the terrifying fate that awaits orphaned girls in The New America.
But her safety came at a price: She was forced to abandon Caleb, the boy she loves, wounded and alone at the city gates. When Eve gets word that Caleb is in trouble, she sets out into the wild again to rescue him, only to be captured and brought to the City of Sand, the capital of The New America.
Trapped inside the City walls, Eve uncovers a shocking secret about her past--and is forced to confront the harsh reality of her future. When she discovers Caleb is alive, Eve attempts to flee her prison so they can be together--but the consequences could be deadly. She must make a desperate choice to save the ones she loves . . . or risk losing Caleb forever.
In this breathless sequel to "Eve," Anna Carey returns to her tale of romance, adventure, and sacrifice in a world that is both wonderfully strange and chillingly familiar.
First off, I'd like to say thank you so much to Epic Reads for this book! It made me so happy :D 

Unfortunately, though, Once wasn't quite as amazing as Eve. Don't get me wrong, it was definitely good. It just didn't wow me like the first book did! 

So, Eve is in Califia and Caleb was sent out into the real world b/c it's a women's only settlement (who would even want that?!). Arden shows up and they end up having to leave (circumstances are explained in the book). So, they go out and get captured by the king's men (idiots). They get split up and Eve ends up in the City of Sand (it's really not that sandy). Eve lives in the King's palace and hates it all. Caleb shows up and you're like "Yay, everything's gonna be great!" and of course you are wrong, and something happens to throw a wrench in their plans (doesn't that always happen?). From there it's basically a lot of coded communicating and Eve hating on everyone for the crap that's happened and trying her darndest to rescue people. And then some more bad things happen and plans fall through and the end is kind of abrupt. The plot wasn't awful, but not a whole lot of stuff happened. I mean, there isn't really any exciting action and the stuff that does happen is just a lot of sneaking around and kissing. It was all kind of bland.

I liked Eve a lot in the first book, but in this one? She totally bored me. She let people do things for her most of the time, and rarely had a backbone. Drove. Me. Insane. And then Caleb, who I also loved from the first book, was hardly in this one! And when he was, he wasn't as awesome. I just, I was kind of disappointed in the characters here. I dunno. They weren't terrible, mind you. They just weren't as amazing as I thought they were in Eve.

The cover is definitely pretty, though! That's always a plus.

I'll give Once 3 stars, because it does continue the story and made me want to read the next book. It just wasn't amazing. Once was another one of those books that just kind of was. It wasn't great and it wasn't terrible. 

This review wasn't the nicest (or best) one I've ever written, but school starts on Monday and I'm kinda stressed. I guess that came out in the review. It is all my opinion though, it just wasn't as kindly put as I usually try to do!

Again, I kept getting distracted my City of Bones movie set pics (Robbie is so cute!). 

Sooo yeah! Anyone read anything good lately? Need to decide what to read next. :D

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Aug 22, 2012

Waiting on Wednesday (14)



Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine, where we book bloggers talk about upcoming releases we are excited for. This week I'm looking forward to:

Unravel Me (Shatter Me #2)
By: Tahereh Mafi
Publication date: February 5, 2013
Unravel Me (Shatter Me, #2)
tick, tick, tick, tick, tick it's almosttime for war.
Juliette has escaped to Omega Point. It is a place for people like her—people with gifts—and it is also the headquarters of the rebel resistance.
She's finally free from The Reestablishment, free from their plan to use her as a weapon, and free to love Adam. But Juliette will never be free from her lethal touch.
Or from Warner, who wants Juliette more than she ever thought possible.
In this exhilarating sequel to Shatter Me, Juliette has to make life-changing decisions between what she wants and what she thinks is right. Decisions that might involve choosing between her heart—and Adam's life.
Doesn't that just sound ominous? Gives me chills. I'm pretty much just dying here for the sequel to Shatter Me. I mean, I just can't get enough Adam, and Juliette is one amazing heroine, and I just want this one really bad right now. I just loved Shatter Me with every fiber of my being and I need the rest of the story. Also, isn't the cover just so pretty? I adore it.

So, what are you guys Waiting on this Wednesday? 

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Aug 21, 2012

The Girl in the Clockwork Collar

The Girl in the Clockwork Collar (Steampunk Chronicles #2)
Kady Cross

The Girl in the Clockwork Collar (Steampunk Chronicles, #2)

In New York City, 1897, life has never been more thrilling - or dangerous.
Sixteen-year-old Finley Jayne and her "straynge band of mysfits" have journeyed from London to America to rescue their friend Jasper, hauled off by bounty hunters. But Jasper is in the clutches of a devious former friend demanding a trade-the dangerous device Jasper stole from him...for the life of the girl Jasper loves.
One false move from Jasper and the strange clockwork collar around Mei's neck tightens. And tightens.
 I'd forgotten how much I loved this world. The machines, the weird "evolutions," all set in Victorian England (well, sort of, they are in America for this one, but you know what I mean). I love Finley Jayne and her band of misfits. It's just so fun, you know?

So, I don't really think I can do my typical summary, because everything is kind of spoilery. I can say that the plot is intricate, twisted, dangerous, and kind of awesome. Finley never just sits on the sidelines; she goes out and does what she has to to get things done. I think that's what really made this book. She was biggest driver in everything, and she doesn't really fear anything, so she'll do anything. It's amazing. There are a lot of big plot twists (starting like a chapter into the book) and that's always fun and interesting. Especially when you don't see them coming.

I seriously just love Finley. She is amazing. With her super-strength and all she kind of reminds me of a 19th century Hulk, except she stays little and cute while she kicks your butt. She's snarky and funny, and always knows the right thing to say (well, for her desired outcome). She can act and she can be real. She's sometimes a little dangerous and stupid, but she doesn't lose her head. She's also brutally honest, and I liked that about her. Then there was Griffin. I love Griffin. He was always my favorite and I just like him a whole lot, okay? He's protective and proper (usually) and he knows how to handle Finley (he just doesn't always use that knowledge). I loved that he never made assumptions, he let Finley decide on everything. He was never like "Oh, yeah, she's definitely in love with me," because he simply didn't know and wasn't about to jinx himself. I loved Emily, too. She's brilliant and sweet and caring, and she made a great secondary character. Jasper was another of my favorite characters. He was funny and a great fighter. There comes a point in the book where you just really have to feel for the guy, and I think that might be part of the reason why I like him so much. Sam was in this one too, I just didn't like him very much. 

The only person missing was Jack Dandy, and I kind of wish he had been a bigger part of the story, only because I feel like Kady Cross created a love triangle in the first one, and then dropped it in the second. However, I never did like Jack, so it wasn't that big of a deal that he wasn't there.

The Girl in the Steel Corset (Steampunk Chronicles, #1)
The cover is very pretty, but I do like the cover of The Girl in the Steel Corset better, just because of the coloring, I guess, and the dress. I love the dress on the first cover so much, that I had a hard time loving the second as much.


All in all, I give The Girl in the Clockwork Collar 4.5 stars. The only thing I really saw wrong with it was that Jack Dandy wasn't in it, but, like I said, I never liked him so it's not much of a loss for me. :) This is a great, fun series and I highly suggest reading it. Especially if you like kick-butt heroines who aren't afraid to get their hands dirty and proper English gentlemen. 

I haven't been reading a whole lot lately. Well, not books I actually enjoy. You see, I found out I'm going to have to write an essay on East of Eden possibly on the first day of school (which is in less than a week), and I am not even halfway through. It stinks. I must persist though, and hopefully I'll get it done and be able to make it through my ever increasing stack. 

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Top Ten Tuesday


I know it's been a while since I've done one of these, but I was feeling listy today and the theme is "The Top Ten Books You've Read Since You Started Blogging" or something along those lines and I felt like participating :) 

So, Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish, because they like lists there.

My top ten books are:

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer (Mara Dyer, #1)
1. The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer: I mean, if you have been reading my blog for any amount of time at all, then you should know I love this book. It's one of my favorite books I've ever read. It's just so brilliantly written and the characters are amazing and I REALLY JUST LOVE IT A LOT.

2. Obsidian: Uh hello? Can you say "Daemon Black"? Seriously, though, I'm in love with this book! I loved every single character (especially Daemon... all right, and Katy). This one actually got me back into blogging, because Katy was a book blogger herself (how cool is that?!) Just an amazing book.

Onyx (Lux, #2)
3. Onyx: I'm feeling mildly predictable, but I can't have Obsidian and not mention Onyx!! They both have equal awesomeness. I like Daemon even better in this one, and it was just really fun, and you should read this series. 

4. Nevermore: This book was dark and scary and romantic and filled with lots and lots of Poe (I like Poe). I just really, really loved it. A lot. Isabel was full of awesomesauce and Varen was creepy, yet romantic. The whole story reeled me in, and I remember reading it all in one sitting- and it's a huge book.

Shatter Me (Shatter Me, #1)5. Shatter Me: I loved everything about this book. The way it was written, the characters, the plot. It was amazing. Juliette was so kind and good and Adam was just something else. He was fantastic. I was so sad when he didn't make it very far in the YA Sisterhood Crush Tourney. I LOVE HIM. I just want more Adam. 

6. Variant: The plot in this one just constantly kept me on the edge of my seat and the characters were all so well created. After I finished it left me doubting my own reality, and I loved that it was able to pull me into it's world so quickly. LOVE.
Of Poseidon (Of Poseidon, #1)
7. Of Poseidon: Basically, I love mermaids and I love Galen. Oh, and I love pretty covers. It was just a really cute, fun, Summer read. I loved reading it while sitting on the edge of the pool; it just fit, you know? 

8. Cinder: I really, really love fairy tale retellings, and Cinder is one of my favorites. I mean, a cyborg Cinderella? How much more awesome can you get? The plot was fun, and everything wasn't centered around romance, which was nice and kind of refreshing.

Pure (Covenant, #2)9. Pure: This is yet another JLA book (she's amazing, and I can't help myself). It's the second in the Covenant series (I liked it a lot better than the first). Alex is SUCH a great character and Aiden is the embodiment of sexiness. I loved it!!!

10. Eve: I always love a good dystopia, and Eve is definitely one of my favorites. The plot kept me going, the romance was sweet, and the world was amazing. I really loved everything about this book. It was just so fun (in an "I'm running for my life, but it's really interesting" kind of way).  

So, yeah! I know I haven't been blogging long, but I feel like I came up with a pretty good list! :) What books did you guys pick?

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Aug 20, 2012

The Demon's Lexicon

Sarah Rees Brennan
The Demon's Lexicon
Nick and his brother, Alan, have spent their lives on the run from magic. Their father was murdered, and their mother was driven mad by magicians and the demons who give them power. The magicians are hunting the Ryves family for a charm that Nick's mother stole -- a charm that keeps her alive -- and they want it badly enough to kill again.
Danger draws even closer when a brother and sister come to the Ryves family for help. The boy wears a demon's mark, a sign of death that almost nothing can erase...and when Alan also gets marked by a demon, Nick is desperate to save him. The only way to do that is to kill one of the magicians they have been hiding from for so long.
Ensnared in a deadly game of cat and mouse, Nick starts to suspect that his brother is telling him lie after lie about their past. As the magicians' Circle closes in on their family, Nick uncovers the secret that could destroy them all.
This is the Demon's Lexicon. Turn the page.
This book was good. I mean, it wasn't "ohsweetbabyJesus" amazing, but it was good. I liked the story, and I liked Nick, even if he had a smaller emotional range than a gnat. The ending really made me sad, though. I dunno. It wasn't amazing, but I did really like the book.

So, Nick and Alan have pretty much spent their entire lives running from power-crazed magicians, and have killed plenty of them. Their mom lives with them, but she's pretty much entirely off her rocker and hates Nick, and their father is dead (killed by magicians- duh). Enter Mae and Jamie. Two kids from Nick's school, who need some help in the magic department, or Jamie may die, because of some weird mark on him. And, Alan, being the nicer of the two brothers, whom already knew Mae, decides that he and Nick need to help them. Unfortunately, the magicians now know where they live and they had to flee to London. Also, quite unfortunately, Alan still continued to try and help the siblings (you know, Mae and Jamie), which put Alan and Nick into a lot of trouble. Alan, who is a little too kindhearted for his own good, decided to take part of the mark on Jamie (weird demon magic junk, all made sense in the end). So, with all of that, these four teenagers were thrown together in an adventure that ended with some extremely shocking revelations and a lot of fight scenes. *wipes forehead* It was actually an interesting plot. The story itself was extremely refreshing (because it was not a love story) and there was a lot of evil and desperation thrown in for good measure. I liked it. It was fun. And then in the end, you question yourself and think "Huh. Am I evil, too, but I just don't know it?" That was also fun, and refreshing. 

The characters were fun, but the only one I actually got attached to was Nick. And he had no emotions and hated everyone (have you guys watched the show Avatar? He reminds me of Mai, Zuko's girlfriend) except for his brother (but there was a point where he hated him, too). He was snarky and stoic, kind of like Jace in City of Bones, before we found out he actually did have a heart and was not, in fact, made of stone. Nick, however, really didn't have emotions, like at all. Well, except for anger. The dude did want to kill people often, but I was always like "Well, I would too if my mom hated me." That was also refreshing (I mean, how often do you read a book about a guy who constantly feels homicidal? Not sure what this says about me...) Anways, I liked the characters a lot, I just wasn't all that worried about Jamie dying or Mae's feelings or Alan's.... Alan-ness. They just kind of were. I did feel for the guy who didn't feel, so who knows, maybe I'm just weird.

I hate the cover with a passion. It's a good thing it contained a good story.

I'll give it 3.5 stars, because it was good, just not amazing, and I hated the cover. It was a good read, though. It was one of those books you wake up at 6 AM with the sudden desire to finish... or maybe that's just one of those freaky Megan things. Not sure.

This review took FOREVER to write, 'cause I couldn't stop staring at pics of the CoB set. I mean, really?



And then Lily Collins is just the perfect Clary:


You can't blame me. They're just so perfect.

Sorry for the pic spam. I just can't help myself. 

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Aug 18, 2012

Bout of Books Day 6 Virtual Travels Challenge

Bout of Books Read-a-Thon

Sorry to spam my lovely followers with these challenge posts, but I am having fun with them, so bear with me for these last couple days. The last challenge for today is hosted by Ex Libris, and we have to pick a book and come up with pictures for where it takes place!

My Choice:
City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

City of Bones (The Mortal Instruments, #1)

Where it Takes Place:

I kind of see the Institute looking like this to mundanes (it has a glamour on it that makes it look gross so people don't bother them):


And then most of the book takes place just around New York:


(They do fly over the bridge at one point, so I feel that that last picture was fitting... and pretty)

So, yeah! I'm done spamming you with challenge posts today! 

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Bout of Books Day 6 Music Challenge

Bout of Books Read-a-Thon

Yay! More challenges!!! :D First up is the Music Challenge from My Not So Real Life. You just pick a book you've read this year and pick a song to go with it and explain:

My Pair:
The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer (Mara Dyer, #1)

Paired With:
You are a Tourist by Death Cab for Cutie


Why?: Well, first off, Mara and Noah both like Death Cab, so obviously I had to use the band. And then, the video is all artistic, like Mara. The song says
"When there's a doubt within your mind/ Because you're thinking all the time/ Framing rights into wrongs/ Move along, move along" and that made me think of Mara and how guilty she felt about everything that had happened to her friends before she moved and how Noah kept telling her it was okay. It also says "When there's a burning in your heart/ An endless yearning in your heart/ Build it bigger than the sun/ Let it grow, let it grow/ When there's a burning in your heart/ Don't be alarmed" and that made me think of how Noah wanted Mara to just let herself be in love with him and let their love grow. 

So, yeah! What book did you do? :D

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Deadly Cool

Gemma Halliday
Pages: 303
Publisher: HarperTeen
Format: Paperback
Source: Library
Age Group: Young Adult
Date Published: October 11, 2011

Hartley Grace Featherstone is having a very bad day. First she finds out that her boyfriend is cheating on her with the president of the Herbert Hoover High School Chastity Club. Then he’s pegged as the #1 suspect in a murder. And if that weren’t enough, now he’s depending on Hartley to clear his name.
But as much as Hartley wouldn’t mind seeing him squirm, she knows he’s innocent, and she’s the only one who can help him. Along with her best friend, Sam, and the school’s resident Bad Boy, Chase, Hartley starts investigating on her own. But as the dead bodies begin to pile up, the mystery deepens, the suspects multiply, and Hartley begins to fear that she may be the killer’s next victim.

I've been struggling to write this review for days, because I just couldn't think of anything to say about it. Deadly Cool was silly and fun. Sort of a modern day Nancy Drew with a lot more high school drama and psychotic color guard girls. It wasn't terrible, but it was definitely not one of my favorite books ever. It just kind of... was.

So it starts off with a very angry Hartley searching her boyfriend's locker for evidence that he's cheating on her (he was). And then when she goes to confront him, she finds the girl he was cheating on her with- dead and in his closet. To prove his innocence (he may be a cheating idiot, but she's convinced he isn't the murderer), Hartley and her BFF Sam decide to investigate. They team up with Chase, black-clad, bad-boy extraordinaire, and together they work to solve the murders. It was fun and cutesy, but just a little too cute to have been dealing with murder, you know? I always felt guilty for giggling throughout the book because it was about girls being murdered. But, other than that, the plot was fun and interesting.

I liked Hartley well enough, except she was kind of stupid. She went and met with anonymous people at midnight in the football field, she broke into a potential murderer's house, and told the news that she was working to find the murderer. Just kind of dumb and brainless. Other than that, she was really funny and brave. I did like her overall. Her ex-boyfriend was a moron, and her best friend had no common sense. I liked Chase. He was funny and confident. He was also smart and just didn't care what anyone else thought. He was typically the voice of reason and attempted to talk Hartley out of doing stupid things. He was also hot. I liked that :D

I do have to say that the cover is really pretty. I love the girl's eye makeup and the way the picture was taken. I love that Cool is written in earbuds (makes sense when you read the book). It's just overall very nice.

I give it 3 stars, since it was just kind of in the middle. I don't love it, but I don't hate it. The writing is similar in fashion to Demon Princess and Glimmerglass, you know, narrated by the giggly teenage girl sort of thing. So, if you liked those books, you may want to give this one a try.



Yay!! I got my review done! Go me :D Getting mildly closer to my Bout of Books goal with the reviews (I am so not going to get through 7 books, though). 

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Stacking the Shelves (2)



Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme held by Tynga at Tynga's Reviews, and her guidelines are:

  • Create your own Stacking The Shelves post. You can use my official graphic or your own, but please link back to Tynga’s Reviews so more people can join the fun!
  • You can set your post any way you want, simple book list, covers, pictures, vlog, sky is the limit! 
  • I am posting Stacking The Shelves on Saturdays, but feel free to post yours any day that fits you. 
  • Visit Tynga’s Reviews on Saturday and add your link so others can visit you 
  • Visit other participants link to find out what they added to their shelves!
I was thinking about doing a vlog, but I look wretched and am feeling incredibly lazy. So, I'm just going to tell you guys what I got :D

I've won a lot of books in the past month or so, and I got the first of which (er not the first I won, just the first to get here) yesterday!! So:

Won:

Once (Eve, #2)

Once (Eve #2): Anna Carey Thanks so much Epic Reads!!

And then my library got an insane number of new books and I just had to get some... or 6 but I mean, I can't help myself. I have like 9 at home still... Anyways:

Library:

The Girl in the Clockwork Collar (Steampunk Chronicles, #2) Eon: Dragoneye Reborn (Eon, #1) A Beautiful Dark (A Beautiful Dark, #1) Endure (Need, #4) Darklight (Wondrous Strange, #2) Tempestuous (Wondrous Strange, #3)

The Girl in the Clockwork Collar (Steampunk Chronicles #2): Kady Cross
Eon: Dragoneye Reborn (Eon #1): Alison Goodman
A Beautiful Dark (A Beautiful Dark #1): Jocelyn Davies
Endure (Need #4): Carrie Jones
Darklight (Wondrous Strange #2): Lesley Livingston
Tempestuous (Wondrous Strange #3): Lesley Livingston

For Review:

Madman Dreams (Book One: Reanimated) Stitch (Stitch Trilogy, #1)

Madman Dreams (Book One: Reanimated): Keith A. Ferstl
Stitch (Stitch Trilogy #1): Samantha Durante [This one is more for the blog tour]

Soooo, yeah... I got an overabundance of books and still need to read my Summer reading books (school starts in 8 days) and review Deadly Cool and The Demon's Lexicon... not good. But whatever, I got good books :D

Did you get any good books? Care to share? I'm just curious! Oh and what do you think of the books I got?!

Happy reading!

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