Waiting on Wednesday (13)

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:


The Archived (The Archived #1)
By: Victoria Schwab
Publication date: January 22, 2013

Imagine a place where the dead rest on shelves like books.

Each body has a story to tell, a life seen in pictures that only Librarians can read. The dead are called Histories, and the vast realm in which they rest is the Archive.

Da first brought Mackenzie Bishop here four years ago, when she was twelve years old, frightened but determined to prove herself. Now Da is dead, and Mac has grown into what he once was, a ruthless Keeper, tasked with stopping often-violent Histories from waking up and getting out. Because of her job, she lies to the people she loves, and she knows fear for what it is: a useful tool for staying alive.

Being a Keeper isn't just dangerous—it's a constant reminder of those Mac has lost. Da's death was hard enough, but now her little brother is gone too. Mac starts to wonder about the boundary between living and dying, sleeping and waking. In the Archive, the dead must never be disturbed. And yet, someone is deliberately altering Histories, erasing essential chapters. Unless Mac can piece together what remains, the Archive itself might crumble and fall.

In this haunting, richly imagined novel, Victoria Schwab reveals the thin lines between past and present, love and pain, trust and deceit, unbearable loss and hard-won redemption.

Doesn't this just look fantastic?! And the cover is so pretty! Also, I am about to read the 100 page sneak peek you can get from NetGalley. Victoria Scwab is giving away The Archived bookmarks to people who read it & answer her 2 trivia questions! So yeah. Gonna do that. And I really like Victoria Schwab, so her book should be good, right? So, go to veschwab.wordpress.com to do all that!

What are you guys waiting on this week?

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Bout of Books 5.0 UPDATES

Hello fellow internetians! I said in my goals post that I would post my updates with my reviews, but I decided to just put them all together on one post- so I will be updating this post each night this week to tell you guys all I have accomplished!

Monday

Books read:

• Team Human by Justine Larbalestier & Sarah Rees Brennan (review here)
• Deadly Cool by Gemma Halliday (90 pages)

Challenges: 2 (all the challenges for today!!)

Chats: I attempted to participate in today's chat, but lost internet connection   for a while and then when it came back I couldn't follow along! I'll try again tomorrow, though!

Total Books Read: 1

Total Challenges: 2

Total Chats: 0.5

Thoughts on Today: I didn't get as much reading in as I would have liked, but I still had family in town, so tomorrow I'll definitely try to get down to business! Also, my Team Human review is a little rambly because a) I forgot to eat lunch and b) my brain officially lives in my school locker and my writing skills are not as good as they are during the school year. It's Summer. Who needs eloquence? :) Oh and I ordered my copy of Onyx yesterday and B&N shipped it today!!! (Which is weird b/c I thought it was coming out tomorrow, but I don't really care as long as I get it!!) I got like 1-3 day shipping, so it has a chance of getting here tomorrow :D

Tuesday
Books Read:

• Deadly Cool by Gemma Halliday (finished, but haven't witten a review yet.)
• The Demon's Lexicon by Sarah Rees Brennan (finished, no review yet)

Challenges: These are taking a lot more time, but I'm almost done with my challenge post for today, hopefully that'll go out tomorrow morning. I'm having fun with the character interactions, though!

Chats: Was too busy reading ;)

Total Books Read: 3

Total Challenges: 2

Total Chats: 0.5

Thoughts on Today: WHY IS MY COPY OF ONYX NOT HERE YET?! Obviously, I understand that it can take a while, but I was so hoping. I'm at that point where I don't wanna read any book that isn't Onyx... Bad... I'm dying here. Anyways, I read a lot today, and am really proud of myself, but I keep procrastinating on those reviews. Meh. I promise to write them tomorrow. And then my copy of Onyx needs to get here!!!! Arrgh.

Wednesday
Books Read:

• Sirensong by Jenna Black (73 pages)
• Onyx by J. L. Armentrout (187 pages)

Challenges: 4- I finished two from yesterday & did both from today

Chats: 1 (I'm doing it now lol)

Total Books Read: 3.75?

Total Challenges: 6

Total Chats: 1.5

Thoughts on Today: I keep meaning to write reviews from the two from yesterday, but I got Onyx and just couldn't today!! (BTW Onyx is amazing. I'm madly in love with Daemon) Hopefully tomorrow I'll be able to, but I'm working freshman orientation most of the day tomorrow. So, we shall see. :)

Thursday
Books Read:

• Onyx by J. L. Armentrout (I finished it!! Review here!!!)

Challenges: 3

Chats: 0

Total Books Read: 4.5? Maybe

Total Challenges: 9

Total Chats: 1.5

Thoughts on Today: I reviewed a book!! Yay me :D I've just been so excited to get to the next book that I haven't been stopping to write my reviews, but it looks like I'm getting back on track. I really hope I can get reviews of Deadly Cool and The Demon's Lexicon out tomorrow!

Friday
Books Read:

• Once by Anna Carey (Didn't get to finish it- 200 pages. I did however win it from Epic Reads!)

Challenges: 2 (you can read my crappy poetry and see what books I am looking forward to here)

Chats: 0

Total Books Read: 4.9? If you add Sirensong and Once together!

Total Challenges: 11

Total Chats: 1.5

Thoughts on Today: Well, I slept most of the day today (I wasn't feeling great, needed sleep) so I didn't get a lot of reading in. However, I did win a copy of Once from Epic Reads, and it's signed! So that made the day a good one :D I also got both of today's challenges in, so that's always a plus, right?


Saturday
Books Read:

• Once by Anna Carey (Still haven't finished, read another 100 pages or so)
• The Girl in the Clockwork Collar by Kady Cross (130 pages)

Challenges: 3

Chats: 0

Total Books Read: 4 whole books and 3 partial

Total Challenges: 14

Total Chats: 1.5

Thoughts on Today: I did not read as much as I would have liked, but the challenges are certainly fun! Oh and I got my review for Deadly Cool written :D Go me! I still need  to review The Demon's Lexicon :(

How did you other Bout of Booksers do today? Links to your update posts??? 

Happy reading!

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Team Human

Team Human

Justine Larbalestier & Sarah Rees Brennan

Pages: 352
Publisher: HarperTeen

Format: Hardcover

Source: Library

Age Group: Young Adult

Date Published: July 3, 2012

Just because Mel lives in New Whitby, a city founded by vampires, doesn't mean she knows any of the blood-drinking undead personally. They stay in their part of town; she says in hers. Until the day a vampire shows up at her high school. Worse yet, her best friend, Cathy, seems to be falling in love with him. It's up to Mel to save Cathy from a mistake she might regret for all eternity

On top of trying to help Cathy (whether she wants it or not), Mel is investigating a mysterious disappearance for another friend and discovering the attractions of a certain vampire wannabe. Combine all this with a cranky vampire cop, a number of unlikely romantic entanglements, and the occasional zombie, and soon Mel is hip-deep in an adventure that is equal parts hilarious and touching.
Acclaimed authors Justine Larbalestier and Sarah Rees Brennan team up to create a witty and poignant story of cool vampires, warm friendships, and the changes that test the bonds of love.

Aww Team Human was so cute!!! It was funny and cute and suspenseful and super interesting! The characters were sweet and funny and plot was nice and twisty and it was just really cute.

Yeah, like the plot summary thingy says- the vampire shows up at school, Mel doesn't like him, and Cathy likes him a little too much. Mel's friend Anna had been hurt pretty badly by a vampire (sort of indirectly) and Mel just kind of thinks they're bad news. So, Mel decides to try and talk Cathy out of Francis (*giggle* that's the vamp. It's also my daddy's name), and while she's doing that, she's also trying to figure out why Anna's mom is acting strangely. The two problems kind of collide, and everyone ends up in her (their?) little (actually it's kind of big) entanglement. Because Mel is the Fixer of Things, and she must Fix (yes, capital F) both issues. Unfortunately she is neither rational under duress (the prospect of your BFF dating a vampire kinda does that to you) nor is she a very good detective, so she needs a lotta help. The whole story is really funny and really cute, but also very touching. I found myself laughing a lot and then ending up on the edge of my seat wanting to know what happens next! Team Human combined the perfect amount of humor, romance, and suspense. It was fantastic.

So, I kind of adored Mel. And not just because her sense of humor was similar to mine (it leans on the meaner side). She wanted to fix everything for her friends and make things better for them. She was witty and smart, but she knew when to back off. She wasn't quite as smart as her friends, but she had people skills when they did not (which is actually very realistic. the super nerdy kids are often the most awkward. I would know.). She was just all kinds of awesome. I really liked her friend Anna, because she was logical and bookish, and was rational under duress. She was the brains of the group. Cathy was adorable, but she did kinda get on my nerves a little bit. She used too many big words and wasn't exactly present all the time, if you know what I mean. She was kind of in her own world of Shakespeare and chivalry, which is fine, just annoying. I did like her, though. Kit was definitely my second favorite character (you know, after Mel). Kit is in fact a boy (not an American Girl doll... isn't there a movie about her?). He's kind of Mel's boy, whether she'll admit it or not. He's cute and funny, with the right parts of awkward. He doesn't have any people skills (kind of a result of his upbringing), but it works for him. He's very candid and just kind of blurts out what he's thinking. I liked that a lot. Francis the vampire was interesting, minus the fact that he shares a name with my dad... just can't get over that. He acted more like he was 40 than 17 (which kinda makes sense.... he's like 200 years old or something), but so did Cathy, so they worked ok. I wouldn't date him, that's for sure. Anyways, all the characters together were kinda awesome. They all just kind of clicked in a way that made the book hilarious and sweet... at the same time.

I dig the cover. It's like super cute and fits the comical feel of the book. Also, cover-Mel looks totally determined. And cover- Francis & cover-Cathy look.... well like themselves. Nerdy and haven't seen the sunlight in a while (Francis more so...)

Anyways, I loved this book. Like a lot. definitely giving it 5 stars. It was funny and touching and you should read it. :D I haven't eaten in a while so my brain feels weird and this might not all make sense and I'm using and a lot....

My poor eating habits aside, you should read this book. But first, you should enter my giveaway! :) I'll post my Bout of Books updates tonight, too.

Every Other Day

Every Other Day

Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Every other day, Kali D'Angelo is a normal sixteen-year-old girl. She goes to public high school. She attends pep rallies. She's human.

And then every day in between . . .She's something else entirely.

Though she still looks like herself, every twenty-four hours predatory instincts take over and Kali becomes a feared demon-hunter with the undeniable urge to hunt, trap, and kill zombies, hellhounds, and other supernatural creatures. Kali has no idea why she is the way she is, but she gives in to instinct anyway. Even though the government considers it environmental terrorism.

When Kali notices a mark on the lower back of a popular girl at school, she knows instantly that the girl is marked for death by one of these creatures. Kali has twenty-four hours to save her and, unfortunately, she'll have to do it as a human. With the help of a few new friends, Kali takes a risk that her human body might not survive. . .and learns the secrets of her mysterious condition in the process.

Holy crap. This book was freaking amazing. It was entirely unpredictable and twisty in the plot area, and the characters were amazing and wonderful, and I almost just cried when I found out it was a standalone. I want more. I'm left really, really wishing it was the beginning of a series. It was that good.

It starts with hunter Kali (she has such a cool name!!), and she's killing things that go bump in the night, and it's almost dawn. She hurts herself pretty bad, and she's just like "Eh, I got a couple hours. It'll heal." And then it does. When dawn hits, she's suddenly human, which she wasn't entirely the day before. She goes to school. She makes friends with the girl who refers to her self as the "School Slut," and finds out a girl she knew from her childhood was going to die. From the very beginning, I was hooked. The action and things we (and Kali) find out about her world just make this book incredible. People aren't who they seem, monsters aren't what they seem, and Kali is just something else entirely. I found myself turning pages and being absolutely shocked at what happens next. It wasn't like the new discoveries come from nowhere; they make sense, but you just don't expect them to happen. I was just constantly saying "woah" or laughing out loud. Every Other Day managed to be comical one moment and scary as I'll get out the next. You just never knew which one was coming. Of course, it had it's share of sweet moments, but that wasn't really the whole point of the book. And then the ending leaves you dying for a sequel. I really want another one. The series could be like "The Chimera Chronicles" or something. Just please give me another one!!!

The characters really made the book over the top amazing. I liked hunter-Kali and human-Kali equally, although hunter-Kali scared me and I think human-Kali and I would be BFFs. She was just really funny (even though she didn't mean to be) and she had this hero complex no matter what state she was in. She was beyond brave and brilliant and such an amazing heroine!!!! And then my next favorite character would definitely be Skylar. That chick was just hilarious. She was so sure of herself all the time and could just care less when people were mean to her. The stole her tampons, they spray painted her locker, and she just didn't care. It might have been a front, but, even so, she was the strongest character ever, if I do say so myself. He family really cracked me up. She had a lot of brothers, and they did everything. One was a lawyer who was really good at stealing cars, another was an FBI agent, one was a marine, and the last was a popular jock. When I say everything, I really do mean everything! Bethany was a little bit of an anomaly to me, until I learned her story. I won't tell you much about that, but I will tell you that she is another very strong girl. I liked her a lot (not as much as Skylar and Kali, but still). Zev was so cool. Saying anything else about him would be kind of spoilery, so I won't, but, trust me, you will like him.

At first I didn't really like the cover. I think my exact thoughts on it were "It looks like one of those low budget free ebook covers." But, then I got used to it and realized it's actually kinda cool. It's totally different from the other YA books out there, because it doesn't have some cool shot of a pretty chick meant to look like the main character (not that I have anything against those). The cover with the bloody hourglass was actually kind of refreshing. So, I did end up liking it.

I definitely give this book 5 stars, even though I really want a sequel. Like really bad. Anyways, the plot's amazing, the characters are amazing, and you should read it. It's soooo worth it.

Wow, that was a really long review. Jeez. BTW I am having a giveaway. Click on the button at the top of my sidebar. (seriously. It's my first. pleaaassseeee enter for me?)

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Bout of Books 5.0 GOALS

Hey guys! I'm very excited to tell you all that I am doing another read-a-thon starting tomorrow :D Like the pic says, the Bout of Books read-a-thon will last all next week. It looks like soooo much fun and I have a ton of books I need to read, so I thought I should do it! At the moment I have this stack of books to read:

That's 12 books there, and then I have a couple on hold at my library and I am buying Onyx first thing Tuesday morning. So, obviously I am not going to make it through all 10 bagillion (I swear it's a real number) books in the next week, so my main goal is to get through as many as I can. I do have some specific goals though:

• Read 7-8 books and post reviews
• Participate in 1 Twitter chat
• Participate in EVERY CHALLENGE

I am going to be doing update posts everyday, hopefully accompanying reviews. :) ALSO, I am having my very own 50(+) followers giveaway!!! I'm giving away any YA book up to $15 from the Book Depository. So, if you're interested, click on the giveaway button on my sidebar!

Happy reading!

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50+ Follower Giveaway!!

Hey guys! A couple weeks ago my blog hit 50 followers and I was just so grateful. I started Bookworm in Love a few months ago and would get excited over 4 followers, and now I have over 70! I meant to do this giveaway weeks ago, but life got in the way, so I'm doin' it now! To show my love and appreciation, I am going to give one of you any YA book of your choice up to $15 from The Book Depository :D 

Rules:

• You must be 13+ to enter
• Giveaway is INTERNATIONAL as long as TBD ships free to your country
• Winner has 48 hours to respond or I will pick a new winner
• No cheating! I delete entries from cheaters. Seriously. I will check.

To enter just fill out this Rafflecopter form:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Good luck!

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Stacking the Shelves (1)

I told y'all last week that I would be switching to Stacking the Shelves instead of In My Mailbox (just 'cause Saturday works better for me!), so here it is!! 

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, here we go:

This week I got waaay too many books (I still have like four from last week left), but I'm doing the Bout of Books read-a-thon (goals post tomorrow) next week, so maaaayyyybbbeee I'll be able to read a lot of them? It's a nice sentiment anyways :) (please ignore my ugly carpet) Both pics are library books, I just split them up.

The Demon's Lexicon: Sarah Rees Brennan

Torn: Erica O'Rourke

Deadly Cool: Gemma Halliday

Sirensong: Jenna Black

Team Human: Justine Larbalestier & Sarah Rees Brennan

Gilt: Katherine Longshore

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight: Jennifer E. Smith

Every Other Day: Jennifer Lynn Barnes

And then I am obviously buying Onyx first thing Tuesday morning.... I'm so not gonna get to all these books. Ohhh well I'll try :)

Did you guys get anything good this week? If you leave me a link, I'll come visit your post!!

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Wondrous Strange

Wondrous Strange (Wondrous Strange #1)
Lesley Livingston

17 year-old Kelley Winslow doesn’t believe in Faeries. Not unless they’re the kind that you find in a theatre, spouting Shakespeare—the kind that Kelley so desperately wishes she could be: onstage, under lights, with a pair of sparkly wings strapped to her shoulders. But as the understudy in a two-bit, hopelessly off-off-Broadway production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, wishing is probably the closest she’s going to get to becoming a Faerie Queen. At least, that’s what she thinks... In this fun, urban fantasy, Kelley's off-stage life suddenly becomes as complicated as one of Shakespeare’s plot twists when a nighttime trip to Central Park holds more than meets the mortal eye.

I enjoyed Wondrous Strange. It was fun and interesting, and definitely one of the better fairy books out there. The plot got a little boring at times, but I didn't really mind, because the characters were very charming and I liked reading about them. I had a lot of fun with the multiple creatures from the realm of Faerie that I haven't read about since I was in the 4th grade and into The Spiderwick Chronicles (seriously, she has a Kelpie in her bathtub for a good portion of the book).

There were plenty of plot twists that actually surprised me. I mean, when they came I was like "Duh, of course," but I never saw them coming. By the end of the book, not a single character is who you (and Kelley) thought they were. Wondrous Strange was written with one chapter about Kelley and the next about Sonny. We learned the most from the Sonny chapters, mainly because he was actually part of the Faerie world, where Kelley was not (well, he knew more than she did anyways). The sudden discoveries made up for the boring bits, because they managed to keep me on my toes. 

The characters were cute. I really liked Sonny, because he was extremely awkward, if only because he wasn't around people of the 21st century all the time. He knew what he wanted to happen, but Kelley refused to believe most of what he said. He was also extremely sweet. He saw Kelley crying in the park (before they knew each other) and gave her a rose to cheer her up. He's just that kind of guy. Kelley was sweet, too, if a little stupid. I don't think she had a mean bone in her body, but that could be potentially bad in New York. I loved her passion for acting. She just wanted to be the best she could, but she would still get nervous in front of those whose opinions mattered to her. She was just very... sweet. I really liked her roommate, Tyff. She was just funny and snarky and was kind of the opposite of Kelley. I just wished we got to see more of her in the book. There were a lot of very kind minor characters from the play Kelley was in, but you'll have to read the book to learn more about them :P

The cover is gorgeous. It's very ethereal, and fits the tone of the book really well. I love cover-Kelley, because she is very similar to how I pictured Kelley (not exactly, but close). It just kind of all works nicely.

I'm giving Wondrous Strange 4 stars, because there were a few parts that bored me (I know, I already said that. I'm just reminding you). The rest of it was very good and fun. If you liked the world of Wicked Lovely and Wings, then you might wanna check this book out!

Before I let you go, there were some quotes I wanted to share:

"He ate my soap." Tyff walked slowly out of the bathroom, arms folded across her chest, the tone of her voice pleasantly conversational. "My eighty-dollar bar of hand-milled Japanese herbal complexion soap. He ate it."
"Oh..." (Kelley)
"He also ate your two-dollar bar of Irish Spring. I let him eat that one."
"Tyff, I'm really, really sorry-"
"Actually, I gave it to him to eat." Tyff smiled sweetly.

"I think he might be... following me." (Kelley)
"Okay," Tyff said slowly. "I know you're new to the big city and all but, see, that's not a good thing, Kelley."

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to startle you." He glanced at her purse. "Please, if you're looking for mace, you don't need to. I... I only wanted to give you this." He held out the rose. "You looked as though you could use something... nice."

Not as great as the Mara Dyer quotes, but still cute :)

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Feature & Follow (4)

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: What would you do over if you were to start your blog again from scratch?

A: If I were to start my blog over from scratch, I might have started doing my reviews differently and posted a lot more in the beginning. Or at least tried to get the word out there about my blog sooner. I'm just not sure how I would have done that XD

Y'all know the drill- follow me and tell me you were here, so I can follow back!!

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Shadowspell

Shadowspell (Faeriewalker #2)

Jenna Black

On top of spending most of her time in a bunkerlike safe house and having her dates hijacked by a formidable Fae bodyguard, Faeriewalker Dana Hathaway is in for some more bad news: the Erlking and his pack of murderous minions known as the Wild Hunt have descended upon Avalon. With his homicidal appetite and immortal powers, the Erlking has long been the nightmare of the Fae realm.

A fragile treaty with the Faerie Queen, sealed with a mysterious spell, is the one thing that keeps him from hunting unchecked in Avalon, the only place on Earth where humans and Fae live together. Which means Dana’s in trouble, since it’s common knowledge that the Faerie Queen wants her – and her rare Faeriewalker powers – dead. The smoldering, sexy Erlking’s got his sights set on Dana, but does he only seek to kill her, or does he have something much darker in mind?

Well, I liked Shadowspell well enough. It had plenty of action and romance. Not enough Keane for my liking. It wasn't a bad read, though. And the cover is pretty. It just wasn't one of my favorite books.

The plot was a lot darker this time. It wasn't quite as teenage-girl bubbly, which makes sense, considering that poor Dana's life is in constant danger, so she had to be a little bit more serious this time. Dana did make some typical teenage mistakes, like when she snuck out to go to Kimber's party, with a lot heavier consequences. The freaky Erlking (immortal people hunter) and his hunters are in town, and everyone is afraid that he'll try and use Dana for his benefit, and he does try. So, there are a lot of plot twists and dangerous situations and fighting, and that was pretty interesting. It just wasn't amazing.

I kind of like Dana, she is kind of annoying, though. She makes a lot dumb mistakes and she's just kind of an airhead. And she doesn't really think things through. I guess that kind of makes her a typical teenager, but I don't really relate. I still like Kimber best, because she's such a great friend and is so smart, and I just like her. Ethan isn't that bad. He's just really persistent, and that isn't always a bad thing, but I certainly wouldn't date him. I definitely like Keane better. He's protective, but he doesn't constantly need to be Alpha male. He's cocky, but he knows when to back off. Ethan doesn't really do any of that. I really want the author to delve more into the prospect of Dana and Keane as a couple, and she just hasn't gone there, yet. 

I do love that cover, though. I love that it has a lot more meaning once you finish the book, because you understand what it means and what the stag is. Even the title has more meaning once you've finished, and that's really cool.

I give Shadowspell 3 stars, just because I really didn't love it, but I didn't hate it. It was just kind of... there. It's in the middle. I will definitely be reading the next one, though, because I'm really curious about what's going to happen next. The series has a lot of potential, and I have higher hopes for the third book.

On a different note, who else is super duper excited about Onyx coming out on Tuesday?! I'm just dying here!! This is so gonna be the longest 5 days ever.

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Glimmerglass

Glimmerglass (Faeriewalker #1)

Jenna Black

It's all she's ever wanted to be, but it couldn't be further from her grasp...

Dana Hathaway doesn't know it yet, but she's in big trouble. When her alcoholic mom shows up at her voice recital drunk, again, Dana decides shes had enough and runs away to find her mysterious father in Avalon: the only place on Earth where the regular, everyday world and the captivating, magical world of Faerie intersect. But from the moment Dana sets foot in Avalon, everything goes wrong, for it turns out she isn't just an ordinary teenage girl, she's a Faeriewalker, a rare individual who can travel between both worlds, and the only person who can bring magic into the human world and technology into Faerie.

Dana finds herself tangled up in a cutthroat game of Fae politics. Someone's trying to kill her, and everyone seems to want something from her, from her newfound friends and family to Ethan, the hot Fae guy Dana figures she'll never have a chance with...until she does. Caught between two worlds, Dana isn't sure where she'll ever fit in and who can be trusted, not to mention if her world will ever be normal again.

I read this right after I read Tiger Lily, in hopes that it would cheer me up, and it did! Glimmerglass was really fun and a quick read, and not at all what I had expected. It was humorous and cute, and just overall really (for lack of a better word) fun to read.

I'm really struggling to write this review for some reason, and the best thing I can think of to get my thoughts out is to give my summary of the plot. A little redundant, I know, but it should work. Glimmerglass starts off with Dana Hathaway being utterly fed up with her mother. Ms. Hathaway is a drunk, and Dana hates having to be the one who takes care of her. So, she decides to give up the responsibility and go to live with her dad, in Avalon. Avalon is the one place on Earth where magic works, and it is home to humans and fae alike. Unfortunately for Dana, her dad is indisposed and she is whisked away by her weird, overbearing aunt- whom she's never met. It's kind of just one bad thing after another for Dana, but it's pretty funny for the reader. She's kidnapped, and then kidnapped again, develops a little bit of Stockholm, and then is reunited with her father. Mixed in with that is some romance and fighting. Altogether, it makes for just kind of a quick, fun read. In my opinion (which most of this is), it read a lot like Demon Princess: Reign or Shine (which I reviewed earlier this year, here). However, I did like Glimmerglass a lot more.

Dana was a sweet girl. Fairly cynical, and kind of stupid sometimes, but still pretty sweet. She's 16 and isn't very experienced in the boy department (I can definitely relate), so when a totally gorgeous fae guy shows interest, she goes for it. Unfortunately, that ends up backfiring a little on her, but I don't blame the girl. She definitely makes a lot of mistakes, and doesn't really think things through, but I liked her well enough. Ethan was cute. Cocky and totally annoying, but cute. I didn't like him very much for Dana, but he was a fun character to read about. His sister Kimber was definitely my favorite of the female characters. She was funny and has a totally cool name. She was also pretty cynical, and kind of reminded me of me (she's an engineering major!!). So, she got lots of bonus points in my book. My overall very favorite character award here definitely goes to Keane. First, he has the same name as one of my very favorite bands (eep!). Second, he's a total jerk, but he's not overly cocky like Ethan. And third, he's just totally awesome. He gives Dana some self-defense lessons, and is a really good teacher. He's cute in the bad boy sense, and I like him as a possible prospect for Dana in the future books :) Jenna Black gave each character a lot of personality, and that did make this a pretty good read. There were plenty more characters that I could talk about, but these were all the teenagers, and I liked them better than the social-ladder-climbing adults.

And then there was the cover. The cover is beautiful!! It's actually the main reason I wanted to read this book so bad. It love the cover-Dana looking at herself and the silver sparkle dots all over it. I think the design on the spine was definitely my favorite, though. It's pink and has the sparkle dots, too. :) I love it a lot. 

I'm gonna give it 4 stars, because, while it was definitely a fun read, it was a little too fast paced, and the romance was just kind of superficial and moved way too quickly. Other than that, it was good! I recommend it to fans of the Demon Princess books, because (like I said earlier) it reads very similarly. 


I've got the second one sitting here next to me, so I'll go read that now :)

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Waiting on Wednesday (12)

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:

The Lost Prince
By: Julie Kagawa
Publication date: October 23, 2012

Don't look at Them. Never let Them know you can see Them.

That is Ethan Chase's unbreakable rule. Until the fey he avoids at all costs—including his reputation—begin to disappear, and Ethan is attacked. Now he must change the rules to protect his family. To save a girl he never thought he's dare to fall for.

Ethan thought he had protected himself from his older sister's world—the land of Faery. His previous time in the Iron Realm left him with nothing but fear and disgust for the world Meghan Chase has made her home, a land of myths and talking cats, of magic and seductive enemies. But when destiny comes for Ethan, there is no escape from a danger long, long forgotten.

My name is Ethan Chase. And I may not live to see my eighteenth birthday.

Doesn't that last sentence just give you chills? It certainly does for me. I'm just excited to delve back into the world of the Iron Fey, especially because I loved the first series soooo much. Julie Kagawa is an amazing author, and I just can't wait to see what she has in store for us next!!! (Also, little Ethan has grown up quite nicely doncha think?) :)

What are you waiting on this week? I promise I'll try to be more timely in following up on your links this week! (key word there is try) I'll definitely get to them eventually, though!

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Tiger Lily

Tiger Lily

Jodi Lynn Anderson

Before Peter Pan belonged to Wendy, he belonged to the girl with the crow feather in her hair. . . .

Fifteen-year-old Tiger Lily doesn't believe in love stories or happy endings. Then she meets the alluring teenage Peter Pan in the forbidden woods of Neverland and immediately falls under his spell.

Peter is unlike anyone she's ever known. Impetuous and brave, he both scares and enthralls her. As the leader of the Lost Boys, the most fearsome of Neverland's inhabitants, Peter is an unthinkable match for Tiger Lily. Soon, she is risking everything—her family, her future—to be with him. When she is faced with marriage to a terrible man in her own tribe, she must choose between the life she's always known and running away to an uncertain future with Peter.

With enemies threatening to tear them apart, the lovers seem doomed. But it's the arrival of Wendy Darling, an English girl who's everything Tiger Lily is not, that leads Tiger Lily to discover that the most dangerous enemies can live inside even the most loyal and loving heart.

From the New York Times bestselling author of Peaches comes a magical and bewitching story of the romance between a fearless heroine and the boy who wouldn't grow up.

Let me say, first, that I know I am totally behind on reading Tiger Lily. Everyone else read and reviewed it at the beginning of July and stuff, but I'm typically broke and didn't buy it. Anyways, I just now got and read it, so I'm reviewing it now. Mmmkay? Good.

Tiger Lily was as heartbreaking as it was amazing. I just finished it and I really feel like Jodi Lynn Anderson took my heart and beat it violently with her book. I'm concerned I'm going to cry. I knew how it would end, but I just didn't realize how badly it would hurt. I mean, even the book summary that comes with the book tells us that Wendy would come and screw everything up. I just had now clue how attached I would get to Tiger Lily and Tinker Bell. The ending hurt. A lot. Oddly enough that was actually my favorite part. (Let me just say that it's a little bit of happy/sad, so don't let the sad deter you from reading it!)

OKAY enough about how bad the end hurt. The entire story was absolutely beautiful. It was almost poetic in the way it flowed. Tiger Lily was really different from every other YA book out there. I loved that it was not narrated by Tiger Lily, but by Tink. She was funny and was a perfect narrator, because she could see everything that was going on. I loved her opinions on everything, too. It read like a fairy tale, but had the emotional pull of a novel. I loved everything about it.

The characters were all beautifully crafted, too. Tiger Lily was headstrong and independent, but you knew there had to be some vulnerability in her. She wanted to be better, stronger, faster, but not better than Peter. Peter was awkward and immature and forever stuck in the body and mind of a teenage boy. I already talked about Tink. I love her. The lost boys were all stuck in youth like Peter, but they each had their own quirks and personalities. Nibs was my favorite. He had compassion and was smart and was considerably more mature than the rest, but let Peter lead. I just liked him a lot. There was also Tiger Lily's two friends, Moon Eye and Pine Sap. I loved them both. They were her friends and were with her always, even if she was a little standoffish and unwelcoming. They were there for her always, and cared for her no matter what. We got to know Pine Sap better, because he and Tiger Lily have been attached at the hip since they were children. I really liked Pine Sap. He was awkwardly built, but wasn't exactly ashamed of it. He clung to Tiger Lily because he knew she needed him, even if she didn't want him around. He was perfect for her. There were a lot more characters, but those were my favorite.

That cover is just gorgeous. I love the colors and the dress. I EVEN LOVE THE FONT. I love that this book delves into Tiger Lily's story. I love everything about it. This is one of my new favorite books. I give it five stars for the sheer beauty of the story and how bad my heart STILL hurts. Jeez. I highly recommend it to all literate people with tissues. Read it. Now. :) Please?

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In My Mailbox (11)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren, (for more info click on the picture) where we book bloggers talk about the books we have received/borrowed/bought for the week. I didn't do an IMM last week, mainly because I just didn't have any new books. Also, I was lazy. And next week, I think I'm going to switch to Stacking the Shelves. But for now, I got some great library books:

Lola and the Boy Next Door: Stephanie Perkins

Cricket was one of the competitors in the YA Crush Tourney (speaking of which, go vote for Daemon for me? Please. Just click here. I will be forever in your debt :D), and he sounded like my kind of guy. You know, cute, awkward sorta guy. So, I picked up the book. 

Uncommon Criminals: Ally Carter

I couldn't just sit here and hope Kat finally grew a brain and dated Hale. I had to know.

Tiger Lily: Jodi Lynn Anderson

I have been dying to read this book forever. I love Peter Pan (although this version doesn't make me like him very much or Wendy for that matter). I started it already, so I should be giving a review today or tomorrow. Probably tomorrow. 

Looking for Alaska: John Green

My 9th grade English teacher had this John Green obsession. We watched his youtube videos in class and she talked me into reading his books. I loved Paper Towns and An Abundance or Katherines. I also saw a really cute excerpt from Looking for Alaska and knew I had to read it.

Glimmerglass: Jenna Black

The cover is pretty. I like fairies. Does that count as a reason?

Above: Leah Bobet

Amanda from Vivalabooks wrote a review for this. She didn't really like it very much, but her review made me curious. So I requested it at my library and here it is. 

Soooooo yeah. That is my link-filled IMM for the week. My uncle is coming tomorrow, so I'm not sure how much reading time I'll get in. OH BTW, Amanda did a post on releases this week AND THERE ARE SOME REALLY GOOD ONES. Seriously, I think I'm heading to Barnes & Noble soon. (Her post is here) 

Yup. You guys get anything good this week? I'm really behind on following links and stuff from comments, but I promise I'll get to it!

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Ultraviolet

Ultraviolet (Ultraviolet #1)

R. J. Anderson

Once upon a time there was a girl who was special.

This is not her story.

Unless you count the part where I killed her.

Sixteen-year-old Alison has been sectioned in a mental institute for teens, having murdered the most perfect and popular girl at school. But the case is a mystery: no body has been found, and Alison’s condition is proving difficult to diagnose. Alison herself can’t explain what happened: one minute she was fighting with Tori—the next she disintegrated. Into nothing. But that’s impossible. Right?

I have always been attracted to books involving some sort of mental illness aspect. They kind of fascinate me. So, when I read the lovely little book blurb on the inner jacket, I felt the need to read this book. I can't say I regret reading it, because it was very good, and very well written, I just had a little bit of difficulty following along with the plot and the science fiction aspects.

The plot basically centered around whether or not Alison is crazy. She tastes letters and shapes, for her certain numbers have certain colors and are friendlier than others and certain foods taste blue and circular, rather than green and square. The depth that R. J. Anderson put into what Alison saw and felt was amazing. I found myself jealous that she could see and feel all these different things. That alone is not enough to make doctors lock her up, but couple that with Alison believing she disintegrated Tori, and they firmly believed they had a case of schizophrenia on their hands. And I totally understand the doctors viewpoints, because schizophrenic people do see things that aren't there and give numbers personalities and stuff like that. The big question mark in the book is "Did Alison disintegrate Tori, or is she just insane?" I feel like that was the major plot driver, and it made everything very interesting, because you never know whether or not you can trust what Alison thinks or says. There is a little bit of a romantic aspect near the end, but it's kind of minor and is overshadowed by the sci-fi and mental illness stuff. Overall, it was an interesting plot and it was very enjoyable.


I liked Alison well enough. I certainly felt for her, because she has gone through a lot of pain in her life, and a lot of uncertainty, and it was just the making of a lot of feels for the reader. She was smart and kind, but I don't think I ever really got attached to her. She was definitely a likeable enough character, though. I really liked her friends at the mental hospital. They were funny and definitely made her stay a little more interesting. Without them, I do think she would have truly lost it. Faraday was a good guy, but I never really got attached to him either. I honestly thought he was kind of weird. But, he was nice to Alison and really cared for her, so that makes him a pretty good guy in my book.


The cover is kinda weird, but it certainly fits the book nicely, so that was good. I love the way the spine of the book looks. That is probably the most gorgeous part, and the reason it stood out to me at the library. The font is really pretty and I just like it. 


I'll give it 4 stars, since it was a good book. I just didn't connect with the characters as well as I would have liked. I do recommend it, and it's a nice summer read, just not my favorite.


So, that's that. I shall now go hide in my cave and attempt to make some headway on East of Eden, even though it's like 600 pages long. UGH. I've got 'til the 27th to finish that and Nickel and Dimed: On Not Getting by in America. Yay AP *sarcasm*. What on Earth was I thinking?  I bet there's gonna be a quiz on the first day. I hope not....


Anyways, happy weekend!! :)


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Feature & Follow (3)

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: Do your reading habits change based on your mood? Do you read a certain genre if you are feeling depressed or happy?

A: If I'm feeling depressed, I'll read something with a lot of humor in it (usually, I'll reread City of Bones or The Lightning Thief). I can read anything if I'm happy. My favorite genre has always been YA paranormal romance, but I just really like a good book. :)

 

Follow me & I'll follow you, just let me know you were here!!!

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Slide

Slide (Slide #1)

Jill Hathaway

Vee Bell is certain of one irrefutable truth—her sister’s friend Sophie didn’t kill herself. She was murdered.

Vee knows this because she was there. Everyone believes Vee is narcoleptic, but she doesn’t actually fall asleep during these episodes: When she passes out, she slides into somebody else’s mind and experiences the world through that person’s eyes. She’s slid into her sister as she cheated on a math test, into a teacher sneaking a drink before class. She learned the worst about a supposed “friend” when she slid into her during a school dance. But nothing could have prepared Vee for what happens one October night when she slides into the mind of someone holding a bloody knife, standing over Sophie’s slashed body.

Vee desperately wishes she could share her secret, but who would believe her? It sounds so crazy that she can’t bring herself to tell her best friend, Rollins, let alone the police. Even if she could confide in Rollins, he has been acting off lately, more distant, especially now that she’s been spending more time with Zane.

Enmeshed in a terrifying web of secrets, lies, and danger and with no one to turn to, Vee must find a way to unmask the killer before he or she strikes again.

 Can I just say that I didn't realize until just now that that was a face on the cover? I honestly thought it was just a bunch of pretty squiggles. My perceptive skills are extraordinary... Anyways this was a very interesting book. Lots of twists and turns and high school romance and gory deaths. The blurb from Goodreads has everything in it, so I don't really see the need for me to give my summary of the plot. The idea of Vee being able to "slide" into other people's bodies was quite creative. The writing style reminded my a little bit of Shade by Jeri Smith-Ready, just because of the way Vee and Zane's romance flowed. The plot was enjoyable, a little freaky with the dying and stuff, but that was kind of the point. 


I kind of liked Vee, but she seemed a little like she was going out of her way to be weird. I mean, with the pink hair and never really talking to people, she seemed kind of snooty. I understand that's because of the way she grew up and her ability, I just think that she could have tried a little harder to not have people dislike her. (I do kind of relate to the whole her getting picked on by the cheerleader she used to be friends with, because that has happened to me) I did adore Rollins, though. I loved the way they became friends (he kind of rescued her). He was such a good guy, and I liked that. Vee's sister, Mattie, was kind of annoying, but she wasn't that bad of a person, and she did get better and grow up a bit as the book progressed. I think that's what all the characters kind of did, though. Every one changed for the better, or became a little bit more mature by the end of the book. That definitely made me curious about the next one. 


That cover is super gorgeous. I love the light and way her face is illuminated like that. It totally fits the overall feel of the book.


It wasn't a terrible book, but because I didn't really get attached to it, I'm giving it 3 stars. I think that if you liked the Shade series, you should give this one a chance, and it definitely had an interesting story and idea, it just wasn't for me. 


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Waiting on Wednesday (11)

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:

Spellcaster
By:Claudia Gray
Publication date: March 5, 2013

When Nadia’s family moves to Captive’s Sound, she instantly realizes there’s more to it than meets the eye. Descended from witches, Nadia senses a dark and powerful magic at work in the town. Mateo has lived in Captive’s Sound his entire life, trying to dodge the local legend that a curse has been placed on his family that will cause him to go insane. When the strange dreams Mateo has been having of rescuing a beautiful girl—Nadia—from a car accident come true, he knows he’s doomed.

Despite the forces pulling them apart, Nadia and Mateo must work together to break the chains of his family's terrible curse, and to prevent a disaster that threatens the lives of everyone in the town. Shimmering with magic and mystery, New York Times bestselling author Claudia Gray’s new novel is sure to draw fans of the Hex Hall and Caster Chronicles series, and fans of the hit CW TV show The Secret Circle.

I really liked the Evernight series, so I'm quite curious as to what Claudia Gray's next book will be like. I love witches and spells and romance. This just seems like its going to be a very good book for me!! Plus that is one of the most amazing covers I've seen- ever. It's so pretty it makes me want to read the book!

So, what are you guys waiting on today? You can tell me in the comments or link to your post! :D

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