Need - Carrie Jones

Pain shoots through my head.
Fireworks. Explosions. All inside my brain.
The white world goes dark and I know what's
about to happen.

Zara White suspects there's a freaky guy semi-stalking her. She's also obsessed with phobias. And it's true, she hasn't exactly been herself since her stepfather died. But exiling her to shivery Maine to live with her grandmother? That seems a bit extreme. The move is supposed to help her stay sane. . . but Zara's pretty sure her mom just can't deal with her right now.
She couldn't be more wrong. Turns out the semi-stalker is not a figment of Zara's overactive imagination. In fact, he's still following her, leaving behind an eerie trail of gold dust. There's something not right--not human--in this sleepy Maine town, and all signs point to Zara.
In this creepy, compelling breakout novel, Carrie Jones delivers romance, suspense, and a creature you never thought you'd have to fear.

Title: Need
Author: Carrie Jones
Genre: Young Adult, Paranormal, Romance, Suspense
Publisher: Bloomsbury
My Rating: 4/5

I just want to say before I get started on my review that I find it disturbing how many books are rated by Twilight's standards. Sure, Twilight was a good book, but it wasn't spectacular, it just happened to fill the void when Harry Potter finished off. All supernatural elements have been around a lot longer than Twilight, so I'm not sure why Twilight was picked as the how-to guide for vampire/supernatural books.

That said, on with the review.

I really enjoyed Need. I liked the take that Carrie took on with the "Pixie" mythos. I did find that there were some gaping holes in the story, but nothing so bad as to throw the book down in frustration. I loved the characters. Right off the bat I had everyone pretty well figured out, I don't know if she was going for surprise at all, but there were a lot of dead giveaways as to who was good and/or bad. It was effectively creepy in the places it was meant to be creepy. I enjoyed the evocative imagery, or lack thereof to help bring about the overall creepy factor. I found though, that the main characters didn't really balk at who or what they thought was stalking Zara, or hunting in their backwoods town. It just seemed to come together too quickly in that sense. I was surprised that the climax of the book came about as easily as it did as well. I was expecting it to be more laid out and in depth, however we'll probably get more detail as to why/what happens next in the next book, Captivate. I also think that the bad guys in this book need to be fleshed out more, as we only see them as "bad" we don't get the chance to develop any conflicting feelings for them. Overall, I enjoyed this book, I loved how quirky Zara is, and I liked how the phobias were incorporated into the book. I think that this was a good read, and fans of the supernatural should enjoy this one.

This book counts toward the 2010 100+ Reading Challenge hosted over at J. Kaye's book blog.

In My Mailbox -10-

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi over at The Story Siren every Sunday. In My Mailbox is a weekly meme that lets everyone see what books you have received or bought that week.


Mocha wanted in on the picture taking this week, so I figured I'd humour her. :)

For Review

None, though I am still waiting for several items to show up. I just hope that they are late due to the weather, and aren't lost.

Bought

1. Story Of A Girl - Sara Zarr
2. Fairest - Gail Carson Levine
3. Betwixt - Tara Bray Smith
4. Uninvited - Amanda Marrone
5. Cat's Claw - Amber Benson (Tara from BtVS - absolutely love that show. I have started the first book in this series, and am finding it very tongue in cheek - loving it completely, so I can't wait see what trouble Calliope gets into next!)

This week was a relatively inexpensive week. I went in to Coles this week and purchased the first 3 books on their discounted shelf. (Better yet, they had a buy 2, get 1 free offer). As for Uninvited, it is up in the book forum this week (along with Dia Reeves - Bleeding Violet and Julie Anne Peters - By The Time You Read This, I'll Be Dead). If you have read any of these books, feel free to pop in and talk about them in the forum. As a special treat this week, Dia Reeves will be in the chat on Tuesday at 8pm CST/9pm EST. Please stop by! You will need to register to chat, once registered the chat is at the bottom of the forum. We've had some fantastic chats already with authors Chloe Neill and Shelena Shorts. Hope to see you there!

That's what I received in my "mailbox" this week, what did you get in yours?

Going Too Far - Jennifer Echols

HOW FAR WOULD YOU GO?

All Meg has ever wanted is to get away. Away from high school. Away from her backwater town. Away from her parents who seem determined to keep her imprisoned in their dead-end lives. But one crazy evening involving a dare and forbidden railroad tracks, she goes way too far . . . and almost doesn't make it back.
John made a choice to stay. To enforce the rules. To serve and protect. He has nothing but contempt for what he sees as childish rebellion, and he wants to teach Meg a lesson she won't soon forget. But Meg pushes him to the limit by questioning everything he learned at the police academy. And when he pushes back, demanding to know why she won't be tied down, they will drive each other to the edge--and over.

Title: Going Too Far
Author: Jennifer Echols
Genre: Young Adult, Romantic Drama
Publisher: MTV Books/Pocket Books
My Rating: 5/5

It's been a while since I've gotten so engrossed in a book; to say I loved it is an understatement. I loved the characters, the setting, the plot, all of it. Meg and John both have so much depth, and it was a joy to see their layers pulled back slowly so you could savour them. I loved how Jennifer teased us with bits of their characteristics throughout the book, she left me begging for more. Even though there is "sex and drugs" in this novel, it is dealt with tastefully. I could relate to Meg and her realizations when she was discussing sex with her friend Tiffany. I loved the chemistry and the tension between Meg and John. I loved how sarcastic, flippant, and irreverent Meg is and I love how her character matured throughout the book. I can't stress enough how much I loved this book. It was engaging, naughty, witty, and refreshing. All in all, I recommend it to anyone wanting an edgy, tension filled romantic drama. It won't disappoint!

This book counts toward the 2010 100+ Reading Challenge hosted over at J. Kaye's book blog.

The Hollow - Jessica Verday

A LOVE LIKE NO OTHER...

When Abbey's best friend, Kristen, vanishes at the bridge near Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, everyone else is all too quick to accept that Kristen is dead . . . and rumors fly that her death was no accident. Abbey goes through the motions of mourning her best friend, but privately, she refuses to believe that Kristen is really gone. Then she meets Caspian, the gorgeous and mysterious boy who shows up out of nowhere at Kristen's funeral and keeps reappearing in Abbey's life. Caspian clearly has secrets of his own, but he's the only person who makes Abbey feel normal again. . . but also special.
Just when Abbey starts to feel that she might survive all this, she learns a secret that makes her question everything she thought she knew about her best friend. How could Kristen have kept so much? And could this secret have led to her death? As Abbey struggles to understand Kristen's betrayal, she uncovers a frightening truth that nearly unravels her--one that will challenge her emerging love for Caspian as well as her own sanity.

Title: The Hollow
Author: Jessica Verday
Genre: Young Adult, Lore, Ghosts
Publisher: Simon Pulse
My Rating: 3/5

I really wanted to love this book as I love the Legend of Sleepy Hollow, however this book was just "meh". I found it frustrating that the heroine of this story would delve into the mystery surrounding Kristen's death for a chapter or two and then just as quickly, give up. We wouldn't hear of anything for chapters on end, if at all. I thought it would focus more on the Legend than it did as well, but sadly it didn't get really good until the last 20 pages or so. There are various references, but nothing concrete. We are left with a lot of unanswered questions which I hope are answered in the next book "The Haunted" (which comes out in September 2010). I had high hopes for this book, but found that the book spent more time on the day to day stuff (school, hair, projects) than it did on the actual meat of the story. I want to like Abbey, I really do, and I did for a bit, but I think she needs to grow a backbone. Her love interest, Caspian, leaves more questions than answers as well. I will continue to read this series because there was a glimmering of hope that this story isn't done yet, that it could move from the realm of 'meh' to excellent. There are a lot of twists and ideas that make it seem that the story is not over yet, and hopefully Jessica will follow through and explore those twists. In reading this book, and finding out that it is part of a trilogy, I think that it was mainly setting up the story for the next two books, so I hope the next book blows the story into the realm of excellent. All in all, I'll say stick with it, because hopefully the next books will make up for this one! (Though as a disclaimer, I did enjoy this one somewhat, but not nearly as much as I had hoped I would!)

This book counts toward the 2010 100+ Reading Challenge hosted over at J. Kaye's book blog.

My first awards!

Yes, awards, plural! I hadn't received any awards, until this past weekend, and then they all came in at once! Well, some staggered in wondering if they were late to the party... but nope, they weren't. I am super happy about receiving them all, so thank you everyone, it means a lot!

I'm going to work backwards on the awards... so I'll start with the lovely award I received this morning. This one is one that I've seen around on several blogs and it is the "Honest Scrapper" award. I received it from Amanda of Daydreams and Wanderings. Thank you Amanda, I really appreciate this award!


Recipients of this creative award have to list ten things about themselves that few others know. Then they pass it along to seven other blogs. :-D

Ten things you might not know about me:

1. It's not spring until you can smell baseball on the air. I love that wet, earthy smell on a new spring night, when it's just starting to warm up. It just smells like baseball. It's the only way I can describe it. (My brother incidentally agrees with me... I described it to him the other day and he was like, yesss! THAT smell, it DOES smell like baseball!!!)
2. I have mad love for the Backstreet Boys... ever since I first heard them in '97. To this day, I can listen to any and all of their music for hours on end.
3. Number 2 makes me a HUGE dork. (And I am not ashamed of that! lol)
4. In grade 3, my teachers were telling me that I was at a grade 12 reading level.
5. I am left-handed. (My friends know this, but other than that, not a lot of people do.)
6. I play baseball, well, softball both left and right-handed. Throw left, bat right. (Most sports I play right-handed though.)
7. I have 4 cats. 3 girls, 1 guy. Nickelle, Sunny, Mocha, and Skye. (calico, org/wht, siamese X, torti).
8. I wanted to be a veterinarian when I grew up... that was before I discovered books.
9. Now I want to write them.
10. I love the country, the solitude, the trees... nature... I just love it!

Now that I've spilled the beans... I will award some of my fellow bloggers. These are blogs that I love reading, and I love their reviews!

1. I Swim For Oceans
2. Bites
3. A Good Addiction
4. Flipping Pages for all Ages
5. Book Crazy
6. Mrs. Q: Book Addict
7. Escape Between the Pages

This next award I received on 3 separate occasions throughout the weekend. I received it from Jenn of Book Crazy, Shantal of Booknerds are Pretty Too, and last, but certainly not least from Morgan of Smitten With Books. Thank you ladies, I love this award! It is the "Happy 101" award.
The rules for this award are that I must list ten things that make me happy and then pass the award on to ten other bloggers.

1. Spending time with my family.
2. Just being with my fiance makes me happy.
3. Relaxing at home and playing with the cats.
4. Reading a good book.
5. Getting comments and followers on here. (this makes me amazingly happy!)
6. Reading a really good review that I can say, yes, I agree with that completely!
7. Walking into Chapters just makes me happy, being surrounded by all of those books!
8. (Incidentally, helping people find books there especially since I don't work there!)
9. Recommending a book to someone and having them come back to me and say they loved it and wanted to know what else I could recommend to them.
10. Listening to my music makes me happy too.

Now I'll pass this award on to some new favourites that make me happy...

1. Mug of Moxie
2. A Literary Odyssey
3. The Farmer's Daughter's Bookshelf
4. My Overstuffed Bookshelf
5. Wondrous Reads
6. Bloody Bad
7. The Bibliophile's Journal
8. Emma Michaels
9. The Serpentine Library
10. Sophistikatied Reviews

Next up is the Prolific Blogger Award. I received this one from Jenn at Book Crazy as well. (Thanks Jenn!) :)

A Prolific Blogger is one who is intellectually productive... keeping up an active blog that is filled with enjoyable content.

1. Every winner of the Prolific Blogger Award has to pass on this award to at least seven other deserving prolific bloggers. Spread some love!

2. Each Prolific Blogger must link to the blog from which he/she has received the award.

3. Every Prolific Blogger must link back to this post, which explains the origins and motivation for the award.

4. Every Prolific Blogger must visit this post and add his/her name in the Mr. Linky, so that we all can get to know the other winners. (Click here for the Mr. Linky page.)


I can choose whomever I want for this award, so I am going to pass this award on to everyone who has also received the Happy 101 award AND the Honest Scrap award. You all deserve it! Spread the love! :)

The next award I received (yes, Jenn went award crazy lol!) is from Jenn at Book Crazy. Thank you for this award, I love it! It is the "Humane Award".

"This award is to honour certain bloggers that are kindhearted individuals. They regularly take part in my blog and always leave the sweetest comments. If it wasn't for them, my site would just be an ordinary book review blog. Their blogs are also amazing and are tastefully done on a daily basis. I thank them and look forward to our growing friendship through the blog world."

1. A Good Addiction
2. Flipping Pages for all Ages
3. Book Crazy
4. Mrs Q: Book Addict
5. I Swim for Oceans
6. Smitten With Books

This next award I also received from Jenn @ Book Crazy. It's the Blogger Buddy Award! Thank you Jenn, it is cute, and much appreciated!

This one speaks for itself... I pass this on to all of my "blogger buddies".

Now, I'm down to the last award. Thank you all for bearing with me! I received this one as well from Jenn at Book Crazy. Thank you Jenn! :) It is the Splash Award.

This award is given to the blog that is alluring, amusing, bewitching, impressive and inspiring.

The Rules:
1. Put the logo on your blog/post.
2. Nominate up to 9 blogs which allure, amuse, bewitch, impress or inspire you.
3. Be sure to link to your nominees within your post.
4. Let them know that they have been splashed by commenting on their blog.
5. Remember to link to the person from whom you received your Splash award.
6. Have F~U~N.

I am passing this award on to the following splashy blogs!

1. Daydreams and Wanderings
2. Smitten With Books
3. Booknerds are Pretty Too
4. Book Crazy
5. Flipping Pages for all Ages
6. I Swim for Oceans
7. Escape Between the Pages
8. Sophistikatied Reviews
9. A Good Addiction

You are probably thinking, finally! She's done! ;) Thank you to everyone who has given me an award. I appreciate it and hope to send them on their way to good blogs everywhere. Thank you again, you don't know how much I appreciate them!

In My Mailbox -9-, Affiliate News and Weekly Wrap-up.

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi over at The Story Siren every Sunday. In My Mailbox is a weekly meme that lets everyone see what books you have received or bought that week.

For Review

1. Mieradome - Kate Hegarty (e-book) (No picture for this book yet as the cover has not been released yet. Review to come in April. Book will be released June 1, 2010.)

Bought

1. Crossed Bones - Jane Johnson
2. Numbers - Rachel Ward
3. First Drop of Crimson - Jeaniene Frost
4. Kitty and the Dead Man's Hand - Carrie Vaughn (realized when I was rearranging my shelves that I was missing this one from the series, so naturally I had to go out and buy it right away.) ;)
5. The Dark Storm - Kris Greene
6. Wake - Lisa McMann
7. Fade - Lisa McMann
8. Evernight - Claudia Gray
9. Stargazer - Claudia Gray

That's what is in my mailbox, what did you receive this week?

Weekly Wrap-up

In case you missed them (though I haven't posted much this week) here are the links for the two books that I reviewed this week. I reviewed my first "verse" book, I Heart You, You Haunt Me by Lisa Schroeder; and Dreamland by Sarah Dessen. I also organized my books and put them on my book shelves, you can find the pictures here.

In Affiliate News

Kari from A Good Addiction reviewed the following books this week.
1. The Pace - Shelena Shorts (3 stars)
2. Lessons From a Dead Girl - Jo Knowles (3 stars)
3. Hate List - Jennifer Brown (5 stars)
She also had an awesome author interview with CJ Omololu.

Sherry from Flipping Pages for All Ages reviewed the following books this week.
1. Poison Study - Maria V. Snyder (5 stars)
2. The Iron King - Julie Kagawa (5 stars)
She also had a pretty cool blog tour author interview with Angela Morrison about the soon to be released Sing Me To Sleep. She is also hosting a contest to win this book, you can find the contest here.

Jenn from Book Crazy reviewed the following books this week.
1. Incarceron - Catherine Fisher (2 mushrooms)
2. Love, Aubrey - Suzanne LaFleur (4 mushrooms)
3. Gone - Lisa McMann (5 mushrooms)
4. Fallen - Lauren Kate (5++ mushrooms)
She is also hosting a contest to win her copy of Incarceron. You can find the contest here. (She also passed along 5 awards to me and gave us a sneak peek of her book shelves. Thanks Jenn! I appreciate the awards!)

Hope you are all having a great weekend and having fun reading! Let me know what you've got in your mailbox this week!

Happy Reading!

I Heart You, You Haunt Me - Lisa Schroeder

Girl meets boy.
Girl loses boy.
Girl gets boy back...

...sort of.

Ava can't see or touch him,
unless she's dreaming.
She can't hear his voice,
except for the faint whispers in her mind.
Most would think she's crazy, but she knows he's here.

Jackson.
The boy Ava thought she'd spend the rest of her life with.
He's back from the dead,
as proof that love truly knows no bounds.


Title: I Heart You, You Haunt Me
Author: Lisa Schroeder
Genre: Young Adult
Publisher: Simon Pulse
My Rating: 4/5

This was a light and easy read. I wasn't expecting this book to be all in verse. I enjoyed the style of the writing. It flowed quite well, especially for being set in a poetic format. I loved Ava's character, she has a strong voice, and we follow her after the tragic loss of her boyfriend, and first love, Jackson. We see how she copes with his death, as well as his ghost. It was a very heart-warming story. I don't want to say too much more as I don't want to give out any spoilers. All in all, it was a unique format, and a quick read. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants something "light-hearted", but deals with tough subjects, to read.


This book counts toward the 2010 100+ Reading Challenge hosted over at J. Kaye's book blog.

Waiting on Wednesday -2-

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme, which is hosted by Jill from Breaking The Spine. It spotlights upcoming releases that we are eagerly anticipating.

This week, I have decided to pick Spirit Bound by Richelle Mead. It is scheduled for release on May 18, 2010. (Synopsis taken from goodreads.)

Dimitri gave Rose the ultimate choice. But she chose wrong…

After a long and heartbreaking journey to Dimitri’s birthplace in Siberia, Rose Hathaway has finally returned to St. Vladimir’s—and to her best friend, Lissa. It is nearly graduation, and the girls can’t wait for their real lives beyond the Academy’s iron gates to begin. But Rose’s heart still aches for Dimitri, and she knows he’s out there, somewhere.

She failed to kill him when she had the chance. And now her worst fears are about to come true— Dimitri has tasted her blood, and now he is hunting her. Only this time, he won’t rest until Rose joins him…forever.

The second book that I am showcasing this week is an adult fiction, urban fantasy called... Twice Bitten and it is by Chloe Neill. It is scheduled for release on July 6, 2010. (Synopsis taken from goodreads.)

Merit, Chicago’s newest vampire, is learning how to play well with others. Other supernaturals, that is. Shapeshifters from across the country are convening in the Windy City, and as a gesture of peace, Master Vampire Ethan Sullivan has offered their leader a very special bodyguard: Merit. Merit is supposed to protect the Alpha, Gabriel Keene—and to spy for the vamps while she’s at it. Oh, and luckily Ethan’s offering some steamy, one-on-one combat training sessions to help her prepare for the mission.

Merit must accept the assignment, even though she knows that she’ll probably regret it. And she’s not wrong. Someone is gunning for Gabriel Keene, and Merit soon finds herself in the line of fire. She’ll need all the help she can get to track down the would-be assassin, but everywhere she turns, there are rising tensions between supernaturals—not least between her and a certain green-eyed, centuries old master vampire.


That is what is on my wishlist this week, what's on yours?

My Bookshelves.

This past weekend, I ended up shelving all of my books. Well, the ones that I have received in the last little while. I still have several boxes full, but I figured I'd post these pictures of my shelves.

This first picture is a "collage" of my first two book cases. I ended up taking two different pictures and getting the angles different so I merged the two pictures.


The second picture (located below) is of the last two bookcases that I have. In total I have four full bookcases, and 1 half book case (not pictured) as well as several boxes full of books yet. Clearly, I own too many books. I apologize in advance for the double stacking. Several books get "lost" because they are hidden behind the rest.

Dreamland - Sarah Dessen

"Wake up, Caitlin." My English teacher wasn't the only one who'd noticed.
"Caitlin?" my mother said at dinner. "Honey, are you okay?"
"Caitlin!" the dance coach barked as I flubbed another cartwheel.
"Caitlin?" Rina, my best friend, asked in our one shared class. "Hello?"
And finally, the one voice to which I snapped to attention, every time.
"Caitlin," Rogerson said, and I'd listen so hard, trying to tell just by the cadence what might happen when we were alone.

What no one understands is that Caitlin can't afford to leave this dreamland, this half-sleeping state where everything--and everyone--can be kept at arm's length. Because then she'd have to face the ugly truth about her relationship with Rogerson, magnetic, fascinating--and very dangerous--Rogerson. What is it about Rogerson Biscoe. . . and why can't she leave him?
In her most challenging novel yet, acclaimed author Sarah Dessen guides readers through the harrowing netherworld of Caitlin's dreams, to her potent and affecting awakening.

Title: Dreamland
Author: Sarah Dessen
Genre: Young Adult, Abusive Relationships.
Publisher: Viking
My Rating: 3/5

This book was a sleeper for me. I didn't really like the beginning, but as the story unfolds, and Rogerson starts to hit Caitlin, I found myself more engrossed in the story. It is definitely a sad one about a girl whose sister has run away, leaving her family floundering, trying to gain a sense of normalcy. Caitlin tries to fill in the gaps by joining the cheerleading squad, going out to parties, and meeting guys from the various school teams. All this falls to the wayside when she meets Rogerson, his bad boy appearance speaks to her. She emphatically breaks from the mold and dates him (something her sister would never do). I can't believe how easily she made so many bad decisions. They all happened in quick succession and once done, it was very hard for her to surface from her dreamland. In fact, she couldn't maintain relationships with friends, or family that she once had for fear that they would figure out that something was going on. When pressed about certain things, she gave rote answers; everything was fine, okay, just as long as she didn't have to bare her soul. This book was kept almost "light" though. The abuse was present, but it wasn't detailed explicitly. It was definitely heartbreaking for Caitlin, to see her in the state that she was in. So many, like Caitlin, think that they deserve the abuse. They don't. I don't feel completely bad for Rogerson. He had the opportunity to stop the cycle, and he didn't. I do feel sympathy for him because his father abused him, but not for continuing the cycle. All in all, this book was an eye-opener to the feelings that one can have for their abuser, and it just makes it that much more sad.
If anyone finds themselves in this situation, please, find someone to help you out of it. Support groups, friends, family, anonymous tip lines, anything. It is a long road to recovery, but you are worth it.

This book counts toward the 2010 100+ Reading Challenge hosted over at J. Kaye's book blog.

Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB from Should Be Reading, and anyone can play along!

• grab your current read
• flip to a random page
• select two teaser sentences from somewhere on that page
• try not to include spoilers!
• please let us know the author and book so we can add them to our TBR pile!

I'm currently reading The Hollow by Jessica Verday.

"He spoke quietly, and I had to lean forward to catch his words. "If you ever decide to build your magic rain castle again, Abbey, let me know. I'll have to stop by for a visit."" pg. 36

What is your Tuesday teaser?

Happy Reading!

IMM and Affiliates

I was hoping to post this yesterday and I didn't get around to it, so I'm posting it now.

Happy Belated Valentine's Day.

My In My Mailbox post is an easy one today. I didn't receive anything for review, and I didn't buy anything this past week. I'm waiting for a few things and am hoping they didn't get lost in the mail. Hmm. Hopefully they'll come in this week. I'll hopefully be able to catch up on my reading... I've got a lot of stuff out from the library, so we'll see. :)

Affiliates

I have gained some affiliates and I'm hoping to make the affiliate posts a weekend thing. I'll most likely coincide it with or around the IMM posts.


First up, I have affiliated with Kari from A Good Addiction.

She has an awesome blog, really good reviews, author guest posts, and she has a meme that focuses on "the little guys". I think she has a contest on right now for the Percy Jackson books, so go enter! (That is if you want the books.) :) She also has a book forum that opens on Sundays, but the books can be talked about/posted throughout the week that they are featured. If you haven't read the books and it's a few weeks later, that is no problem. The topics are still up and you can discuss them still at that point. Kari is awesome, so go check out her blog and forum! :)

The second affiliate that I have gained is Jenn from Book Crazy.

Her blog is awesome. She has a meme called Music Monday, as well as reviews, author guest posts etc. I love her reviews too. She has an international contest running for the book Undead Much? by Stacey Jay. It ends on the 18th, so don't hesitate to enter! Jenn's tons of fun, so go check out her blog! :)

The third (and last) affiliate that I've joined up with is Sherry from Flipping Pages for all Ages.

Sherry has really great reviews as well. She has a ton of guest author posts, and she just finished up a pile of contests. Well, even though she had several of them finish up, she still has 3 ongoing contests. You can enter to win Firespell and swag, The Body Finder and swag, and last, but certainly not least, she's got a Harlequin Book giveaway. If you haven't already, go enter! Sherry is awesome too, so go check out her blog! :)

Those are all of my affiliates for right now. I hope to start a weekly wrap up post this coming weekend, so look for my posts regarding these three lovely ladies and their blogs.

Happy Reading everyone! I hope you have a GREAT week. Happy President's Day to those in the U.S. and umm, Happy Family Day to those in Ontario, Canada. (Apparently this holiday doesn't extend to the rest of Canada...)

Winner!!

I'm ending the contest an hour or so early because I don't think anyone else is going to enter "under the wire". I had 32 entries. Thank you everyone! The "random" number that popped up when entered into random.org was...

# 31. The Library Lurker

Congratulations! I've emailed the recipient and will wait for 48 hours. If there is no reply, I'll draw another name for the contest.

Thank you to all of you who participated! Once I hit 100 followers, I'll be having another contest (it will be international). I'm having trouble deciding what books to offer up for the 100th follower contest, so I would like your input on what books you would want to win. What are you wanting the most?

Abandoned - Cody McFadyen

HE DOESN'T KILL FOR THRILLS, FOR SEX, OR EVEN FOR POWER. IT'S FAR MORE TWISTED THAN THAT. . . .

Cody McFadyen, acclaimed author of The Darker Side, The Face of Death, and Shadow Man, delivers this shocking new thriller that brings to light a psychopath unlike any we've ever seen--a killer who thrives in absolute darkness and doesn't derive pleasure from the kill. And only one woman has the ability to see him coming . . . even if it's already too late to stop her own murder.

For FBI special agent Smoky Barrett, the wedding of one of the Bureau's own was cause for celebration. Until a woman staggered down the aisle, incoherent, emaciated, head shaved, and wearing only a white nightgown.
No one knows who she is or where she's come from--or why she's chosen to appear in a church filled with law enforcement agents. Then a fingerprint check determines that the woman has been missing for nearly eight years--that once she was someone's wife, someone's mother. . . and a cop. Imprisoning her in a dark cell, depriving her of any contact with the outside world, her enigmatic captor was a man she didn't know and who seldom spoke, who punished her only when she failed to follow his most basic instructions designed to keep her alive.
Cold, businesslike, seemingly indifferent to his victims, he's a predator with an M.O. as terrifyingly inscrutable as any Smoky has ever encountered. As she fits together the pieces of what remains of his victim's fractured life, a chilling picture emerges of a killer every bit as calculating, masterful, and professional as Smoky and the team she leads--a psychopath who doesn't take murder personally and never makes a mistake.
There's a reason he let one of his victims go free. And by the time Smoky pierces the darkness of his twisted mind, it may cost her more than she can bear to lose to escape. For a trap snapped closed the moment she took this case too much to heart.

Title: Abandoned
Author: Cody McFadyen
Genre: Adult Fiction, Thriller, Suspense.
Publisher: Bantam Books
My Rating: 5/5

Cody has done it again. In this latest installment, Smoky Barrett has met the most disturbing serial killer yet. Reminiscent of the show Criminal Minds, Smoky and her team are FBI profilers. This is the fourth book with this set of characters, and they all are portrayed amazingly. I can't tell you how much I love this cast of characters. The side characters are more so three dimensional as well. (I'll just say that I'm a huge fan of one of the side characters in this book, and I'm now somewhat perturbed with Cody. I won't post spoilers as I don't want to ruin the book for anyone.) This book is incredibly detailed, and some of the things that are done are just gruesome, but it just adds more to the story. It is very gritty, and the characters are so human. The level of depravity they have to deal with is incredible. I enjoyed this book immensely and was surprised by the ending as I didn't see that coming. (I probably should have, but I didn't. It just goes to show you how great an author Cody is.) It is a hauntingly dark read, and I'd recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good, dark, thriller.


This book counts toward the 2010 100+ Reading Challenge hosted over at J. Kaye's book blog.

Waiting on Wednesday -1-

I joined the "On My Wishlist" meme and found that it moved to Saturdays, so I figured that I would join the meme "Waiting on Wednesday" so I'd have something for sure to post on Wednesdays. :)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme, which is hosted by Jill from Breaking The Spine. It spotlights upcoming releases that we are eagerly anticipating.

I'm going to post both YA's and Adult Fiction as there are an abundance of titles from both groups that I am eagerly anticipating. All links under the books will take you to their goodreads page and synopsis.

Waking The Witch - Kelley Armstrong

I can't wait for this one to come out. This is the new US cover I believe. I think that we'll be stuck with the black/white/red cover in Canada. (I like these covers, or this cover, much better than the simplistic ones!)

Kiss of Death - Rachel Caine

I just recently started The Morganville Vampire series and so far, I am loving it! I ended up buying all of the books, and just now need to find the time to read them. :)

Radiant Shadows - Melissa Marr

This is the fourth installment in the Wicked Lovely series. I think that they seem to get better with each new book. I can't wait to read this one!


I think I'll stop there for today, otherwise this post will be huge. I hope to add more each week. It's always nice to see what is coming out soon, and what people are reading!

Happy Reading!

Chat with Chloe Neill

Hey all! I just wanted to do a quick post to get the word out that tomorrow CHLOE NEILL will be over at the book club forum doing a LIVE CHAT! The book forum is hosted by Kari from the blog we all know and love, A Good Addiction. Join the forum and scroll down to the bottom of the page to enter the chat. You need to sign up to see the chatroom. Chloe will be there from 8-9pm CST. Feel free to stop by and chat with us! (So, how many times can I say the word chat in one post, hmm?) :)
Hope to see you there!

The Life of Glass - Jillian Cantor

Before he died, Melissa's father told her about stars. He told her that the brightest stars weren't always the most beautiful--that if people took the time to look at the smaller stars, if they looked with a telescope at the true essence of the star, they would find real beauty. But even though Melissa knows that beauty isn't only skin deep, the people around her don't seem to feel that way. There's her gorgeous sister, Ashley, who will barely acknowledge Melissa at school; there's her best friend, Ryan, who may be falling in love with the sophisticated Courtney; and there's Melissa's mother, who's dating someone new, someone who Melissa knows will never be able to replace her father.
To make sure she doesn't lose her father completely, Melissa spends her time trying to piece together the last of his secrets and completing a journal he began--one about love and relationships and the remarkable ways people find one another. But when tragedy strikes, Melissa has to start living and loving in the present as she realizes that being beautiful on the outside doesn't mean you can't be beautiful on the inside.
This is a lyrical tale of love, loss, and self-discovery from the author of THE SEPTEMBER SISTERS.

Title: The Life of Glass
Author: Jillian Cantor
Genre: Young Adult
Publisher: HarperTeen An Imprint of HarperCollins Publishers
My Rating: 4/5

I enjoyed this book. It was written beautifully; the words just dance across the page as it slowly tells the story of a girl, Melissa, who has lost her father to cancer. It tells us of how she deals, or doesn't deal with his death, and how she maintains friendships with those around her. A few things fell flat for me though. I can't imagine her mother would be dating so soon after losing her husband--she's dating a year later. The author never expands on how it really impacts Melissa and Ashley, it never goes into detail on how upset the girls are or should be. There doesn't seem to be any depth to their emotions concerning her dating. I know that people handle grief differently, but this just seemed slightly false. There should have been some reaction vocalized between the two girls and their mother. (A fight or two, at least something.)
Other than that, and the semester long frog dissections, I enjoyed it. Melissa comes into her own, and discovers that life can and will go on without her father, but that she can keep his essence alive through her memories of him. She pores over his journal, and savours it because it brings him back vividly to her through those few pages. All in all, this is a coming of age novel, wherein Melissa finds herself, and learns to look to the future, instead of living in the past. An enjoyable read; I'd recommend it to anyone looking for something heartfelt to read.


I received this book through the BORROW MY ARC TOUR hosted by Katrina over at Bloody Bad.



This book counts toward the 2010 100+ Reading Challenge over at J. Kaye's book blog.

Moonlight - Rachel Hawthorne

I see him and know what this turmoil inside of me means: He's the one. My forever.

KAYLA is the nature lover, the all-American beauty who can't understand why she's so drawn to distant, brooding Lucas. Adopted as a young child, she has no way of knowing that she's inherited a terrifying--and thrilling--gene that will change her life forever.
LUCAS is dangerous, gorgeous . . . and a werewolf. As leader of the Dark Guardians, shape-shifters who gather deep within the state park, he has sworn to protect his pack. But when Lucas finds his true soul mate, his love could put them all in harm's way.
As Lucas and Kayla struggle with their feelings for each other, a greater danger lurks: Humans have discovered the Dark Guardians and are planning their destruction. Kayla must choose between the life she knows and the love she feels certain is her destiny.

Title: Moonlight (A Dark Guardian Novel)
Author: Rachel Hawthorne
Genre: Young Adult, Werewolves
Publisher: HarperTeen (An Imprint of HarperCollins Publishers)
My Rating: 4/5


I liked this book, but I found that the synopsis was somewhat misleading. I would have found the story more believable if Kayla and Lucas actually talked to each other more in the first half of the book, and spent time together more so than having "unsettled feelings" whenever they saw each other. The second half of the book sees them interacting more when Kayla finds out that Lucas is a werewolf. I am glad that this is a series though, because I found that the crisis with the "scientists" was a bit weak, and I hope that this storyline is developed further.

I don't agree that this is a "spin-off" of the Twilight series. Granted, I've only read the first book in that series so far, but I find it hard to believe that all of these books are supposed to emulate Twilight. I'm not saying I didn't enjoy reading Twilight, I just don't see what the big deal was with that particular book. There have been werewolf books, and vampire books long before Twilight ever graced the bookshelves, and there will be long after the hype dies down. Therefore, I think it is unfair to base all books against one book that happened to be in the right place, at the right time. (Just my $0.02 worth.)

All in all, I did enjoy this book, and I will be reading the rest of the series. I hope that the storyline is flushed out a bit more, but otherwise it was a great read.

This book counts toward the 2010 100+ Reading Challenge over at J. Kaye's book blog.

In My Mailbox -8-

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi over at The Story Siren every Sunday. In My Mailbox is a weekly meme that lets everyone see what books you have received or bought that week.

For Review

None

Bought

1. The Maze Runner - James Dashner
2. The Dark Divine - Bree Despain
3. The Knife of Never Letting Go - Patrick Ness (Chaos Walking Book 1)
4. Unknown - Rachel Caine (Outcast Season Book 2)
5. Original Sin - Allison Brennan
6. Break Neck - Erica Spindler


The contest for Break by Hannah Moskowitz is still running. It will end on February 12th at midnight EST. Feel free to check it out and enter. You can find it here.

If you have read Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl, or Firespell by Chloe Neill, and want to discuss them with others who have read them, feel free to drop by the book forum hosted by Kari from A Good Addiction. The forum opens up on Sunday at roughly noon CST.

That is what I received "in my mailbox" this week, what did you receive?

Happy Reading!

Contest over at Library Lounge Lizard!

Check out the contest hosted by Darcy over at the Library Lounge Lizard. You can win a signed copy of In A Heartbeat by Loretta Ellsworth!


It looks really good, and I love the cover for this book! Go over and enter! :)

Immortal - Gillian Shields

Wyldcliffe Abbey School for Young Ladies, housed in a Gothic mansion on the bleak northern moors, is elite, expensive, and unwelcoming. When Evie Johnson is torn away from her home by the sea to become the newest scholarship student, she is more isolated than she could have dreamed. Strict teachers, snobbish students, and the oppressive atmosphere of Wyldcliffe leave Evie drowning in loneliness.
Evie's only lifeline is Sebastian, a rebellious, mocking, dangerously attractive young man she meets by chance. As Evie's feelings for Sebastian grow with each secret meeting, she starts to fear that he is hiding something about his past. And she is haunted by glimpses of a strange, ghostly girl--a girl who is so eerily like Evie, she could be a sister. Evie is slowly drawn into a tangled web of past and present that she cannot control. And as the extraordinary, elemental forces of Wyldcliffe rise up like the mighty sea, Evie is faced with an astonishing truth about her own incredible fate.
Gillian Shields's electrifying tale will dazzle readers with suspense, mysticism, and romance.

Title: Immortal
Author: Gillian Shields
Genre: Young Adult, Witches
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books (An Imprint of HarperCollins Publishers)
My Rating: 4/5

I really liked this book. I picked it up and was immediately drawn into Evie's world. I could imagine the isolation she felt as well as the beauty and danger of the land around her. I was drawn right in and held within the book's grasp, until maybe one third of the way through. The past is denoted in a journal which is presented in the book as flashbacks every so often. It, at times, was a (little) bit confusing as there was no explanation until later on. This caused the book to drag for a bit (not long), but once we find out certain elements of the story, any questions were cleared up. At this point, once everything is being clarified, the author reels us deeper into the story and doesn't let go until the end. The ending was left wide open for a second book, and I can't wait to read it. (There is no maybe, there HAS to be a second book.) I really enjoyed this book. The characters aren't perfect, and there are some minor bullies, but they don't compare to what is really out there after Evie. All in all, I'd say this was a good read, and I can't wait for the next installment. I'd recommend this book to anyone wanting a quick and easy read. It has romance, mystery, and witchcraft all bundled up in a gorgeous package. (I really love the cover for this book!)

Addendum: Yes, the romance was a bit contrived, and yes it was predictable in places, but I still really enjoyed it, at least the beginning and the last 150 pages or so. Please, don't base your opinions on all of the somewhat negative reviews out there. This one is still a pretty good book.

This book counts toward the 2010 100+ Reading Challenge over at J. Kaye's book blog.

Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB from Should Be Reading, and anyone can play along!

• grab your current read
• flip to a random page
• select two teaser sentences from somewhere on that page
• try not to include spoilers!
• please let us know the author and book so we can add them to our TBR pile!

This week finds me still reading Abandoned by Cody McFadyen. What I've read so far, I'm enjoying, and it is a true "whodunit" type of book. Hauntingly dark and just excellent writing.

"An adage from my father pops into my head. Chase the wind and you'll be running forever.
It applies to Kirby. Either cut her out of your life or accept her as she is, because you'll never tame her. She's the wind." pg. 150



I am also starting Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl. This is a book club book that will be featured at the end of the week. (Along with Firespell by Chloe Neill). You can join in with the fun here. Anyway, enough shameless promoting. On with the quote!

"I tried to make eye contact with Lena, but her eyes were fixed on Ridley. And they were fierce. I just hoped Ridley was the only one her anger was directed at." pg. 172

Those are my quotes for the week. What is your teaser?

Happy Reading!

January Wrap-Up, and Hello February!

Where to begin... This is my first "wrap-up" post. I'm thrilled to have 58 followers now. When I started out I didn't think I'd have that many, so I'm really happy that I do. Thank you guys! I've met some great bloggers this past month, and am proud to call some, friends. I can't wait to meet more awesome people, or find more great blogs. For this month at least, I kept my reviews to mostly Young Adult books. I'm hoping to branch out to cover more genres so as not to keep me pinned down to a single one.

I joined a book club this month. You can find the link here. (Feel free to join.) It is hosted by Kari from A Good Addiction. Kari also had me do a guest post on her blog a week or so ago. If you haven't read it, you can find it here. In it you will get to know a little bit more about me and my blog.

I also joined an Arc Book Tour courtesy of Katrina from Bloody Bad. I received my first book late last week. I still need to get started on the book, but I'm hoping to have it read and sent out for hopefully the beginning of next week.

Jenn from Book-Crazy made a button for my blog as well. It's on the sidebar. Thank you Jenn! It's really cute! :)

I read and reviewed ten books this month. I'm definitely keeping on track for the 100+ Reading Challenge hosted over at J. Kaye's book blog.

1. Wings - Aprilynne Pike
2. The Faerie Path - Frewin Jones
3. Vacations from Hell - Libba Bray et al
4. Blue Bloods - Melissa De La Cruz
5. Masquerade - Melissa De La Cruz
6. Revelations - Melissa De La Cruz
7. Once A Witch - Carolyn MacCullough
8. Break - Hannah Moskowitz
9. Ghost Town Stories of Ontario - Maria Da Silva & Andrew Hind
10. Ghostgirl - Tonya Hurley

I also am hosting my first giveaway/contest. I'm giving away my copy of Break by Hannah Moskowitz. It was an excellent read and I know there are a lot of people out there who want to read this book, so I figured I'd help advocate this book. The link for the contest/rules is here.

I recently received an email from an author whose book I had reviewed. I had asked if there was going to be a sequel and she said yes! The book in question is Once a Witch by Carolyn MacCullough. She said the following:

"Thank you for such a lovely review of Once a Witch--I truly appreciate it! And yes, there is a sequel. Always a Witch--due out Spring 2011. The adventures of Tamsin and Gabriel continue with more time travel, Talents, spywork, and the evil Knights--this time in 19th century New York City. So stay tuned..."

This makes me very happy. I don't know if it's up on her website yet? Okay, I just checked and there is nothing on her website about this book so (I guess) it's very new news. :)

I think that's about it for this wrap-up. Thank you again for following my blog. You don't know how much I truly appreciate it. Have a good February! :)