Hoping To Be Back

Hello again, Everyone!

I'm not sure what happened to me but I disappeared for a while. I must have been stuck in a rut, because I wasn't even reading that much! *gasp* Finally, I started missing my blog, my books, and my online friends, so now I'm trying to incorporate myself back in the game! You should be seeing more posts from me and more reviews as well.

In the past couple weeks I've been busy looking at grad schools and studying for the dreaded GRE. I take the GRE this Friday though so I won't be doing much studying that much longer. I've decided to apply to grad school for Fictional Writing!! I'm so excited :D I have to admit I'm a little nervous because I don't think I write as much as I should for the programs, but I'm not going to let my nerves get in the way of something I want to do. That would just be silly!

Just wanted to update everyone quickly. Hope everyone has/had a wonderful day :)

Review: Taken at Dusk (Shadow Falls #3)

Title: Taken at Dusk (Shadow Falls #3)
Author: C.C. Hunter
Rating: 4 of 5 stars

Goodreads Summary:

Step into Shadow Falls, a camp for teens with supernatural powers.  Here friendship thrives, love takes you by surprise, and our hearts possess the greatest magic of all.

Kylie Galen wants the truth so badly she can taste it. The truth about who her real family is, the truth about which boy she’s meant to be with—and the truth about what her emerging powers mean.  But she’s about to discover that some secrets can change your life forever…and not always for the better.

Just when she and Lucas are finally getting close, she learns that his pack has forbidden them from being together.  Was it a mistake to pick him over Derek? And it’s not just romance troubling Kylie. An amnesia-stricken ghost is haunting her, delivering the frightful warning, someone lives and someone dies. As Kylie races to unravel the mystery and protect those she loves, she finally unlocks the truth about her supernatural identity, which is far different—and more astonishing—than she ever imagined.

My Review:

Still love this series and continues to be one of my favorites. I think because I enjoy the fact that there are so many different 'kinds' of people in these books. I also love all the second characters just as much as the main characters. There's plenty of action and a good amount of romance to keep everyone interested. 

Kylie continues to be a strong character. I'm sad because her romance issues make me sad. Lucas is there throughout most of the novel but it makes sense because Derek was in the last one more. I have to say that this is one series where I'm still kind of stumped as to who she will pick. Usually it's pretty obvious. Not so much here because Kylie is like a pro at changing her mind AND hiding her feelings. Dangerous combo. Even though I lean more towards Derek, I have to say I'd be ok with either! I've learned to love them both so far. Hunter seems good at making you like who she wants you to and right now she's definitely wanting us to like both!

I have to say that I completely feel in love with Perry in this book. He is taking my love for shape shifters to a whole new level.

The evil in this book stumps me a little, but I think that's because Kylie hasn't even figured it all out herself yet. I think it because I really didn't see everything that was coming in this book. Some surprises are thrown in and I have to say they were entertaining. 

I can't wait for the next. I just love these books!!

Review: Fever (The Chemical Garden #2)

Title: Fever (The Chemical Garden #2)
Author: Lauren DeStefano
Rating: 3 of 5 stars

Goodreads Summary:
Rhine and Gabriel have escaped the mansion, but danger is never far behind.


Running away brings Rhine and Gabriel right into a trap, in the form of a twisted carnival whose ringmistress keeps watch over a menagerie of girls. Just as Rhine uncovers what plans await her, her fortune turns again. With Gabriel at her side, Rhine travels through an enviornment as grim as the one she left a year ago - surroundings that mirror her own feelings of fear and hopelessness. 


The two are determind to get to Manhattan, to relative safety with Rhine's twin brother, Rowan. But the road there is long and perilous - and in a world where young women only live to age twenty and young men die at twenty-five, time is precious. Worse still, they can't seem to elude Rhine's father-in-law, Vaughn, who is determined to bring Rhine back to the mansion... by any means necessary.


In the sequel to Lauren DeStefano's harrowing Wither, Rhine must decide if freedom is worth the price - now that she has more to lose than ever.

My Review:

Disappointed a little :/


I don't know if it was because it was too hard for me to picture everything that was going on but things seemed to move a little slot to me. Maybe because I'm just not that interested? I like Rhine and Gabriel but my favorite character, Rhine's husband (I forget his name), wasn't in the story much at all. So little that I can't even remember his name. 


Anyways, this book is completely different from the first and I think that's what's throwing me off about it. They are out in the world and instead of Rhine learning all these news things along with her surroundings, now she somewhat knows where she is and how things will work. Of course, everything turns out to be a disaster but that's expected. She's taking control and making things happen instead of sitting back and watching all these things happen around her. 


The characters all grew up quit a bit and we meet so many more - which is good because we had a lot die off in the last book :( 


I'm excited to see what the next book brings because I think it's going to be really good. The ending gives you hope and grabs your attention. Sort of. I have my guesses where the story is going and I'm anxious to see if I'm correct! 


Surely I'll be reading the next.

Review: Stake That! (Blood Coven #2)

Title: Stake That! (Blood Coven #2)
Author: Mari Mancusi
Rating: 3 of 5 stars

Goodreads Summary:
Two sisters - as different as the sun and the rain. For one, getting into the Blood Coven is to die for, but it seems destiny has something else in mind...


Rayne McDonald has it all figured out. Get turned into a vampire, become the mate of the Blood Coven leader, and live the high-life for all eternity. Too bad the head vamp took a bite out of her twin sister by mistake. Now, not only is Rayne still not a vampire, but she learns she's a slayer instead - destined to destroy vamps gone bad. 


After being recruited by a secret organization, Rayne is given her first mission: infiltrate a seedy bar downtown and expose its vampire owner, Maverick, for purposedly spreading a nasty blood virus. Luckily the Blood Coven sends some help - in the form of sexy vampire Jareth. Will vampire and slayer be able to settle their differences and work together to bring down the evil Maverick? Or will they find their own hears on the line? 

My Review:
I'm writing this review a bit later so I don't remember much about this book. 


I do know that if you liked the first in this series, then you will probably like this one. It's different most, if not all of it, is written like you are reading blog posts. It's ok that way, but at the same time I kind of wish it was more of a story. 


I liked the characters but it didn't make me love this series and I don't I will continue it. Not because they are bad but because there are others I want to explore. 

Review: Pure (Covenant #2)

Title: Pure (Covenant #2)
Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
Rating: 4 of 5 stars

Goodreads Description:
There is a need. And then there is Fate...


Being destined to become some kind of supernatural electrical outlet isn't exactly awesome -- especially when Alexandria's "other half" is everywhere she goes. Seth's in her training room, outside her classes, and keeps showing up in her bedroom -- so not cool. Their connection does have some benefits, like staving off her nightmares of the tragic showdown with her mother, but it has no effect on what Alex feels for the forbidden, pure-blooded Aiden. Or what he will do -- and sacrifice -- for her.


When daimons infiltrate the Covenants and attack students, the gods send furies -- lesser gods determined to eradicate any threat to the Convenants and to the gods, and that includes the Apollyon... and Alex. And if that and hordes of aether-sucking monsters didn't blog bad enough, a mysterious threat seems willing to do anything to neutralize Seth, even if that means forcing Alex into servitude.. or killing her.


When the gods are involved, some decisions can never, ever be undone.

My Review:

I really like this series and this book was even better than the first! 


I enjoyed the kind-of love triangle because you're expecting it but throughout a lot of the book you aren't really sure if there is one or not. I have to say that while Aiden is my favorite, I really like Seth as well. However, after reading the little extra scene from his POV, I'm not sure I completely understand him/his motives. While reading the story from Alex's POV I got a arrogant ass Seth that still really cared about Alex. But after reading his POV, I feel a little differently. Like he's really holding something important back.


The thing with Alex being an Appollyn is driving me up the wall! I just want to find out  more about what happens to her and how it will effect her and Seth. I don't really understand all the different energies and why sometimes things happen and other times they don't. I want all of this explained! 


It bothered me that Alex was having nightmares and then all of a sudden they weren't ever talked about again. I know they found a temporary solution but even when that solution wasn't 'available' (best way to put it without spoilers), she didn't have them. That left me a little confused.


For some reason to me the characters in this book don't seem completely set. I really, really like this characters but there's just something holding me back from absolutely loving them. I can't put my finger on it. 


Some parts of this book made me laugh out loud and others were full of so much banter I ate it up!


Loved this book and wanting Deity yesterday!! So glad this series is going to be longer than 3 because I really do feel that to bring everything together in one book after this wouldn't work out well. There's too much everyone, including the characters, are in the dark about.


Also, I never noticed until I read the book description from Goodreads but the bad people are trying to stop Seth from getting too much power. Not that there are two Apollyons or that they are just trying to get rid of Alex. They don't want Seth to be too powerful either. From reading the book it seemed like they were only worried about Alex. Interesting.

Miss Weber's Goodbye

Natalie Weber, a girl I went to high school with, passed away Friday. I didn't know her very well but her family and mine knew each other pretty well. Her mother was once of my high school teachers and her brother accompanied me to Homecoming my sophomore year of high school. 

Natalie was a victim of Depression, which eventually lead her to committing suicide. It hurts me so much just to think about the reason for someone completing that act. To think that no one loves you that much. Or that not enough people care. The calling hours where supposed to be from 3-7 but my sister left at 10:15 and there was another half hour behind her. There was so much love and support there for her that she never knew. I was talking with her Father and it broke my heart when he said, 'I wish she could see this. All this support that was here for her.' Then he started to tear up and it broke my heart into a million pieces. I NEVER wanted another parent to feel like that EVER again and I never wanted anyone to feel like Natalie did. That there wasn't anything else they could do, that no one cared enough to listen to her. It makes me want to go into psychology and help people like Natalie so much that it's overwhelming. 

Could I help people like Natalie? Could I have enough patience and control to be able to help someone without making them worse? Would I be able to handle it if I couldn't help one or two of them? Am I willing to take that risk?

I just saw a quote that says, 'Everyone dies but not everyone lives.' At first, it makes sense when people say that, but if you think about it, honestly, can you say that's true? That's implying that people sit around and want to make their lives miserable - they do absolutely nothing for themselves and don't care to improve their life. Just because people aren't partying it up and living the way others think they should doesn't mean they aren't living their life the best they know how. It's self preservation to make oneself happy - is it not? Even people who are depressed and sitting in their houses all day. They are living to the extent that they know how. They haven't given up and doing only what they know how. They are living just as much as someone partying it up because that's all they can handle. Having a mental illness, like Depression, to me, is something that people have to learn to live with. They live their life the best they know how and can. It may not look like fun to you, and it probably isn't much to them either, but if that's all they can handle, then is it nice to say they aren't living? At that point in time it's the best they can give. I'm not saying they shouldn't get help, because they should, but saying they aren't living life to it's fullest, in their situation, it's not true. 

My sister commented on drinking a beer for Natalie because she thought Natalie would want her life celebrated and not have her death be dwelled on. If that was true though, would she have killed herself? If she wanted her life to be celebrated, would she have ended it? 

These have just been things running through my mind lately. Depression is a deep and complicated thing that isn't fully understood. I know I'll never understand it in it's entirty but it leads a lot of questions to the way people live their lives and why they do the things they do, which always fascinates me. 

RIP Natalie Weber - you are missed by many.

Review: Half Black Soul (Alexa Montgomery Saga #2)

Title: Half Black Soul (Alexa Montgomery Saga #2)
Author: H. D. Gordon
Rating: 5 of 5 stars

Goodreads Summary:
In the past few weeks Alexa Montgomery has had her entire world flipped upside down. She's gone from living a semi-normal teenage life to a life full of vampires and werewolves who all expect her to deliver them from the control of an evil dictator. 

Alexa is the last of her kind; a Sun Warrior, and now she has left the safety of Two Rivers to search for her mother, but she's left her sister behind to do so, and Nelly is the one person that she was told that she must always protect. Kayden, a vampire who is Alexa's other half, has followed her on her journey. But, secrets are about to come out, relationships will break and danger lies just up ahead. Will Alexa be able to get through all of this and make it out alive? And, will she be able to protect Nelly from danger when she is so far away?

My Review:

Wow. Just, WOW.


If you liked Blood Warrior, you are going to absolutely LOVE this! The first book was good, but this one is just fantastic! The writing, the action, the sexual tension - all delicious!


I like it that we got this story from both Nelly & Alexa's POVs - there is even a surprise POV hehe :) The only thing that got me was that throughout the book the POVs don't seem to skip significant events, or maybe I just didn't notice, but we skip how Kayden manages to get something done that I would have liked to read. 


I understand that Alexa is the only warrior left and has her crazy killer side (that I freaking love btw!) but I think the ending was a little unrealistic. Other than that though I really enjoyed the characters working together. There was also a surprise at the end I didn't see coming that made me pretty happy about. It makes more sense that way to me. 


I really like Nelly as a character. We learn so much more about her and you can tell a difference in her voice from Alexas. They are a little similar but to me I could tell a difference. Nelly is much more unselfish (at least to me). Alexa has too many issues and is trying to deal with them all. It could also be because I read Blood Warrior a little bit ago but I'm not exactly sure why things are happening at Two Rivers that are. I'm thinking though that I just need to reread the first to completely understand it.


Alexa and herself (her monster inside her) have conversations/debates/revelations together and all the bickering back and forth was cracking me up! They were probably my favorite part of the book! I also loved all the hot and heavy scenes, but who doesn't love those ;) Alexa needs to figure out how she feels about Kayden though, or at least admit it to herself, because I can tell how she feels and it's ticking me off they aren't together.


If you haven't read Blood Warrior, get this series now! I can't wait to see what happens next. :D

Review: Angel Evolution (Evolution Trilogy #1)

Title: Angel Evolution (Evolution Trilogy #1)
Author: David Estes 
Rating: 4 of 5 stars 

Goodreads Summary:
When Taylor meets Gabriel at college, she is in awe of the subtle glow that surrounds him. No one else, not even her best friend, seems to notice. 

Something about him scares her. 

Is all as it appears? While Taylor struggles for answers, she finds herself in the middle of a century old war centered on one miraculous revelation: evolution.

My Review:

I liked this book, particularly because it seems pretty original. It's a story about Angels and Demons but they have special powers so they're pretty cool!


I like that the book was written about a girl in college because most YA books are written about characters in high school, so it was nice to get something different. Taylor and Sam are fun, energetic girls and I liked reading their stories. Sometimes I think Taylor needed to ask more questions, but overall I liked her. Gab was fun to read about because he seems to have a lot of internal struggling happening. Chris was my favorite character. We get enough of him to be interested but not enough, which keeps him interesting.


I liked that we knew what everyone was thinking at the same time I didn't like it. It was great because we got to see the story from so many different angles, but at the same time it seemed like a chapter would be about someone particular but then we would get a sentence or two about what a different character was thinking. I might not have been following the POVs right but it confused me sometimes. 


Although I liked the story, something seemed missing to me and I can't tell what it was. Maybe there was too much foreshadowing? I'm not sure. I think maybe more subtle foreshadowing would have been better. Something I would have needed to figure out instead of being told. That makes the books more exciting for me. But I do like that we were kept in the dark sometimes. Because we could really get into anyones head in this story it was nice to not know everything that was going on.


The two different battle sides were REALLY interesting to experience - because we don't have, or I've never seen, anything like those in our world. It made me want to be in one of those places just to see everything that was happening!


I have a couple  questions, but there is another book so I'll wait and see if they are hopefully answered! Looking forward to reading book two!

Review: The Moon and the Tide (Marina's Tales #2)

Title: The Moon and the Tide (Marina's Tales #2)
Author: Derrolyn Anderson
Rating: 4 of 5 stars

Goodreads description:
Just when things seem to be all figured out, Marina discovers that there's a lot more going on behind the scenes than she ever imagined. When she learned the truth about her past she thought the drama was over, but she couldn't have been more wrong.

Shocked to discover her whole life has been a lie, Marina is confronted with more than one kind of betrayal, taking solace in a dangerous new habit. After a terrible accident exposes her secret, a dangerous enemy arrives on the scene. Marina's bravery is put to the test once again, forcing her to use all of her new-found skills to protect her family.

Can good triumph over evil?

Will true love win out over jealousy?

My Review:

I really liked this novel, even more than the first. I have become addicted to Marina's story!


There seems to be a perfect blend of romance and action happening in this novel. There's a lot of Marina and Ethan being together but there's also a heck of a lot happening to Marina. She finds herself in a lot of situations in this novel!


I really like it that everything I can think of is explained well in this novel. If you don't understand why something is happening, there's definitely an answer by the end. Even how they get out, or in, of some situations so easily sometimes is explained. And it makes sense!! Nothing bothers me more than characters getting out of situations but multiple bouts of luck. That doesn't happen in this novel, at least I didn't notice it did.


One of the things that bothered me was how Marina knew her and Ethan broke up? I guess they kind of mutually agreed on it but it was unspoken or something and I didn't catch it. I figured they were still together and just talking for a bit. It also really bothered me that Marina wouldn't just go talk to Ethan sometimes when she wanted to see him. 


I loved that we saw ore Kimo because I think he's a really fun character. And more Lorelei because she just reminds me of a human barbie - beautiful, childish and excited all the time. 


Marina didn't tell Boris that someone was creeping on her when I thought she should have, and she even had multiple opportunities! That disappointed me a little. All she had to do was call. Oh, and I'm also confused why Ethan and Marina all of a sudden have phones in this novel but they never used them in the first and only certain occasions here. 


I liked the way Marina's obsession with the water was shown. She really is like an addict and I wouldn't expect anything less from her because she's literally fighting against her nature. As a reader I just wish she would be more careful! Every time she went surfing I kept waiting for something bad to happen!


The ending with her also really surprised me and I actually liked the way the ending played out. This novel left me craving more and I'm diving into the next right away :D

Between the Land and the Sea (Marina's Tales #1)

Title: Between the Land and the Sea (Marina's Tales #1)
Author: Derrolyn Anderson
Rating: 3.75 of 5 stars

Goodreads Description:
Something extraordinary is lurking in the deep waters off the coast of Aptos, California. A few weeks after moving to the charming beach town, sixteen year-old Marina has nearly drowned twice, enchanted the hottest guy in school, and discovered a supernatural creature. If she can only manage to survive increasingly dangerous encounters with unpredictable mermaids, she might be able to unlock the mystery of her past and learn how to appease the mysterious forces that seem to want something from her... And maybe even find true love along the way.

My Thoughts:

This was a great read! I really enjoy mermaid books because there always so much talk about beach life, surfing, and their lives are always completely different than mine. 


I enjoyed getting to know Marina and Ethan. The two seemed like a good pair even though I couldn't understand what kept Ethan around in the beginning. She wasn't that nice to him and was really awkward whenever he was around. It bothered me that for over half the book we didn't get one little inkling of how she felt about him. I was assuming she liked him but was avoiding her feelings but that was just me guessing how she felt. After a while though I really liked them together. 


I thought the way the mermaids were calling to Marina was original. I liked that she had powers even though they weren't ever really explained why she has them. Hopefully we find out those details later in the series. 


I was a little confused because the story seems to be from Marina's POV or at least we would know what she was thinking but every once in a while we would get what someone else was thinking and that bothered me a little. Also some of the conversations didn't seem to flow naturally or I felt like I was missing a couple of lines. 


I loved that Cruz and Meghan seemed like real people. I also loved Aunt Evie - she was so much fun!


Overall, an enjoyable read that I will be reading the next book of. If you are a fan of mermaid books I would pick this one up!

A Walk in the Woods

So today's weather in Ohio (in the middle of winter!) was in the 50s. Weird, I know. My mom told me though that because of something with the hurricanes the winds are changing so we won't be getting that cold of a winter this year. Fine by me!

Anyways, since it was such a nice day, I decided to take a walk. I couldn't not take a walk - I didn't have to wear a jacket outside! ME! And I'm always cold. I also love being outside. In the summer, I'm outside every day. It also just felt like the woods were calling to me. So I started walking towards the woods were I felt I should enter.

I've never taken a walk in the woods during winter before, and I realized I'm missing out. There wasn't snow on the ground, but there had been recently, so there wasn't any spider webs! Usually I'll encounter a couple, but all the precipitation must have gotten rid of them. After walking around for a good 15-20 minutes I stopped to listen and just think. I do the best thinking in the middle of the woods. All the silence and slight movements of the outdoors - bliss.

Luckily, one of our dogs followed me. He's a little thing and thinks he's much bigger than he is. One of our neighbors dogs started wailing, at least that's what it sounded like. So lets recap: I'm in the middle of the woods, almost completely alone, and there is a dog that sounded like it's being tortured. Maybe because I read too much or because at work we were having a conversation about Sasquatch today but I started to imagine some huge thing coming at me. Not a completely irrational thought but now that I think about it, I shouldn't have been so scared.

I started walking back to my house and I swear the howls were getting louder. Not only that but my little dog kept stopping and looking back. He only does that if he's interested, so I knew something was moving. I didn't know if maybe the dog was following us or not. Finally, after almost getting back to my house, I spotted a dog jogging through the woods behind me. He didn't even see me at first and I called to him. Then I noticed he had blood on his mouth. At first I panicked. I mean seriously, BLOOD! 'Did this dog do something to the other dog' I thought. But then I remembered that our dogs eat dead deer sometimes (I know, it's really gross) so maybe this dog just got hungry. It didn't seem threatening so I called to it again.

I finally got back on our property and took a look at the dog. It had blood on it's face, green stuff on it's back, beaches stuck in it's fur, and it smelled like feces. I thought I found a lost dog in the middle of the woods. After my quick assessment I noticed another dog coming through the woods. This one had two leaches trailing it. I knew it either got away from it's owner or it broke free from some kind of made-up dog staying contraption.

After calling my Mom and describing the dogs to her, she told me she didn't know who one of them belonged to - the bigger one with the blood on it's face. So I was thinking I found a lost dog! But then we finally contacted some neighbors and we found their owners.

This was kind of a pointless story but it's strange because I wonder if the dogs would have made it home if I hadn't found the one in the woods. They would have had to of crossed a frequently used roadway to get to our house. I like to think that maybe I saved one of them from being injured today. This is why I always follow my instincts. Not doubt I really wanted to go for a walk in the woods today, but I almost felt like I had to. Coincidence or not, I'm glad I ventured out today :)

Review: Angelfall (Penryn & the End of Days #1)

Title: Angelfall (Penryn & the End of Days #1)
Author: Susan Ee
Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Goodreads Summary:
It's been six weeks since angels of the apocalypse descended to demolish the modern world. Street gangs rule the day while freer and superstition rule the night. When warrior angels fly away with a helpless little girl, her seventeen-year-old sister Penrynw will do anything to get her back.

Anything, including making a deal with an enemy angel.

Raffe is a warrior who lies broken and wingless on the street. After eons of fighting his own battles, he finds himself being rescued from a desperate situation by a half-starved teenage girl.

Traveling through a dark and twisted Northern California, they have only each other to rely on fur survival. Together, they journey toward the angel's stronghold in San Francisco where she'll risk everything to rescue her sister and he'll put himself at the mercy of his greatest enemies for the chance to be made whole again.

My Take:

This book was so original! Definitely one of my favorites.


Yes, it was about Angels somewhat, but the world is in shambles. The angel's Apocalypse is in full force and there isn't such a thing as normal living. Penryn's younger sister gets taken by angels and Pen is forced to work with the enemy, an angel. Penryn is trying to get her sister back and Raffe is trying to get his wings back. 


I LOVE the tension in this book. Penryn is trying really hard to suppress her feelings for Raffe, and it's interesting to watch. Throughout the book I was trying to figure out if Raffe was good or bad, and honestly, I'm still unsure. I wish she would have asked Raf more questions throughout the book, but she wouldn't! 


There are many twists in this novel I surely didn't see coming. Strange things keep piling up in this new, dangerous world and it kept me curious. Things happen, but you have no idea what the outcome would be because it's not something you've ever heard of happening before. And with this insane world, you can expect everything to turn out ok. 


There are still MANY questions left unanswered and I'm beyond ready for the next book to be here already! 


I. want. more. NOW!!


(I wish this book was published so I could have one for my shelf!)

Quote: Sonnets from the Portugese by Browning

It's only part of Sonnets from the Portugese by Elizabeth Barrett Browning:

'How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.
I love thee to the depth and breadth and height
My soul can reach, when feeling out of sight
For the ends of Being and ideal Grace.
I love thee to the level of every day's
Most quiet need, by sun and candle-light.
I love thee freely, as men strive for Right;
I love thee purely, as they turn from Praise.
I love thee with the passion put to use
In my old griefs, and with my childhood's faith.
I love thee with a love I seemed to lose
With my lost saints - I love thee with the breath,
Smiles, tears, of all my life! - and, if God choose,
I shall but love thee better after death.'

Love this part! The beginning should sound familiar to a lot of people, and I never knew the rest of it till a couple of days ago. This sonnet is beautiful!

 

 

Review: Boys That Bite (Blood Coven #1)

Title: Boys That Bite (Blood Coven #1)
Author: Mari Mancusi
Rating 2.5 of 5

Goodreads Description:
Two sisters - as different as the run and the rain. For one, getting into the Blood Coven is to die for. But for the other, getting out could be lethal ....

When Sunny McDonald gets dragged to Club Fang by her twin sisters Rayne, she doesn't expect to find anything besides a bunch of Goth kids playing at being vampires. But when some guy mistakes Sunny for her dark-side-loving sister and bites her on the neck, she finds out that his fangs are real - and deadly.

Now, Sunny has less than a week to figure out how to reverse the bite, or else she's going to end up as the perpetually undead. And not only will she be a vampire, she'll also be conned to Magnus - the bloodsucker who bit her - forever. And forever is a really long time...


My Thoughts:
This book was simply OK. The characters were somewhat relatable, but not completely. Especially Magnus since he's like a century old. He still talks of a different time period sometimes and it seems weird compared to the narrator's voice.


There was enough going on to keep me interested but not enough that made me love it. It just seemed like a simple read, and that's exactly what it was.


Will be reading the next though - I already have it from the library so why not?

A Quote: Bradstreet 'To My Dear and Loving Husband'

I started taking some English classes and I keep coming across so many quotes that I love. I just have to share them! So enjoy :)

'To My Dear and Loving Husband'

If ever two were one, then surely we.

If ever man were lov'd by wife, then thee.

If ever wife was happy in a man,

Compare with me, ye women, if you can.

I prize thy love more than whole Mines of gold

Or all the riches that the East doth hold.

My love is such that Rivers cannot quench,

Nor ought but love from thee give recompetence.

Thy love is such I can no way repay.

The heavens reward thee manifold, I pray.

Then while we live, in love let's so persever

That when we live no more, we may live ever.

Isn't that so cute!! I loved it the first time I read it.

Review: Half-Blood (Covenant #1)

Title: Half-Blood (Covenant #1)
Author: Jennifer L. Armentrout
Rating: 4 of 5 stars


Goodreads Summary:
The Hematoi descend from the unions of gods and mortals, and the children of two Hematoi-pure-bloods-have godlike powers. Children of Hematoi and mortals-well, not so much. Half-bloods only have two options: become trained Sentinels who hunt and kill daimons or become servants in the homes of the pures. Seventeen-year-old Alexandria would rather risk her life fighting than waste it scrubbing toilets, but she may end up slumming it anyway. There are several rules that students at the Covenant must follow. Alex has problems with them all, but especially rule #1:Relationships between pures and halfs are forbidden. Unfortunately, she's crushing hard on the totally hot pure-blood Aiden. But falling for Aiden isn't her biggest problem--staying alive long enough to graduate the Covenant and become a Sentinel is. If she fails in her duty, she faces a future worse than death or slavery: being turned into a daimon, and being hunted by Aiden. And that would kind of suck.


My Thoughts:

Gods/Immortals are always interesting for me to read about. And since the main characters name is Alexandria. How could I not read it?


This was a great story. It seemed to mirror Vampire Academy a little bit because of the guy training the girl in a school she fled, but was brought back to. There are a lot of other elements that made this story completely different and I LOVED it! 


First, the Apollyn, this God-like person, was really fun to learn about. Like Alex, I agree that for him to have the name Seth was somewhat of a disappointment. I was looking for something more that said God. 


The story keeps you interested the whole time because there's plenty of action. The only thing I wished there was more of where things like what characters gestures were or what they were doing. Maybe even how they were feeling. There was a lot of dialogue, which I like, but there wasn't much else telling what was going on around them or what they were thinking about it all. I don't remember descriptions of places and stuff to be too much so I think that was really good.


And for the life of me I still can't figure out why Pures and Halfs can't be together. SO stupid. 


Will definitely be continuing the series!

Top Ten Books I'm Excited to Read in 2012

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish where there is a different list featured every week. Anyone can participate and if you link back to their site you might get a couple extra visitors!

It's 2012 and that means more authors and more books! Since I had a little hard time coming up with my top ten, I cheated and split all the ones I'm really excited for up. There's still a list of ten but some extras added later. I figured it's my blog, so I can :)

Top Ten Books I'm Excited to Read in 2012

(This list is all the sequels I'm waiting for. They also all come out in 2012.)

I even tried to put them in order for you guys.

10. Untitled (Hush, Hush #4)

by Becca Fitzpatrick

The end is finally coming and I can't wait to see what happens. I'll be sad to see it go but I just want more Patch!

9. Black Heart (Curse Workers #3)

by Holly Black 

I read the first two books in this series in the middle of last year. I feel like I've been without these characters for too long. I want them back!

8. City of Lost Souls (The Mortal Instruments #5)

by Cassandra Clare

With that cliffhanger in City of Fallen Angels? Who isn't dying to get their hands on this?!

7. Timepiece (Hourglass #2)

by Myra McEntire

A lot of books have two boys going after one girl. This isn't exactly like that but kind of. Kaleb is a huge flirt, even though Michael already has Emerson's heart, and I can't get enough. Kaleb makes this series for me, and he didn't even come till at least half way through. But we'll be seeing a lot more of him in the sequel it seems, so how can I not be excited?

6. Untitled (Madly #3)

by M. Leighton

Madly's story is one of my favorites. Leighton has created an original world and I love all the chaos that goes on. Madly's my first mermaid so of course I love her. I also happen to love the man she loves, so, I want her story. NOW. 

5. Clockwork Princess (The Infernal Devices #2)

by Cassandra Clare

Clare knows what she's doing in both her series. This love triangle is probably one of the best I've come across. With Clare, you can't really guess what she's going to hit you over the head with next. That's why I love her stories, and why they make me want to rip my hair out! Jem or Will? Jem or Will? 

4. Pandemonium (Delirium #2)

by Lauren Oliver

The first half of Delirium was SO slow for me. But by the end I was like WHAT??!! Oliver really knows how to create a cliffhanger, or make you want to hunt her down and demand the next book immediately.

3. Untitled (Shatter Me #2)

by Tahereh Mafi

Shatter Me blew me away. There was everything you could want: action, romance, a slightly unknown world, and awesome characters. Give. me. NOW.

2. Waiting for Mercy (Cambion #2)

by Shannon Dermott

Mercy's story is so unique I feel in love with her story from the first couple of pages. Everything I've read in this story has been a surprise and with all the men floating around, I'm always interested. Mercy has herself in more than one debacle and waiting to see what happens next is killing me.

1. Taken at Dusk (Shadow Falls #3)

by C.C. Hunter

This might be one of my favorite series ever. I'm drawn to the camp, the characters, all their unique situations, and all the craziness that's happening. We're trying to find out what Kylie is along with Kylie. She doesn't know exactly where her heart belongs, and strange things are still happening. There are even other characters that have strange things happening. I think because of all the different relationships and multiple trials that are happening in this story, I'm completely hooked.

Honorable mentions:

Insurgent (Divergent #2) by Veronica Roth & Bloodrose (Nightshade #3) by Andrea Cremer (which comes out today!)

These next books are either first in the series, or I haven't started the series yet.

The Golden Lily (Bloodlines #2)

by Richelle Mead

Even though I haven't read the last VA book yet, or read the first in this series, I'm pumped for this book to come out. I love Adrian and since he's a main character in this, I couldn't be more excited. I knew Rose would end up with Dimitri and since Adrian is one of my favorite characters, I'm not THAT devastated for VA to end. 

Tempest (Tempest #1)

by Julie Cross

This book is about people in college and since I'm a recent college grad, I feel like this book could be more relatable to me than other YA books are. It's also about time travel and love, so duh, I'm excited.

Everneath (Everneath #1)

by Brodi Ashton

Having six months to choose to fight to live with your family, friends and boyfriend on Earth, or give in and live in the underworld with a sexy immortal? I think this is going to be a good one. YES, PLEASE!

Desinty's Fire 

by Trisha Wolfe

This is about shape-shifters (my favorites) and it's set in the future. She's one of the last of her kind and the enemy has better access than ever to her home. It sounds like there's training, fighting, and even romance in this novel. Woohoo :)

Review: Crossed (Matched #2)

Title: Crossed (Matched #2)
Author: Ally Condie
Rating: 2.5 of 5 stars

Goodreads Summary:
In search of a future that may not exist and faced with the decision of who to share it with, Cassia journeys to the Outer Provinces in pursuit of Ky - taken by the Society to his certain death - only to find that he has escaped, leaving a series of clues in his wake.

Cassia's quest leads her to question much of what she holds dear, even as she finds glimmers of a different life across the border. But as Cassia nears resolve and certainty about her future with Ky, an invitation for rebellion, an unexpected betrayal, and a surprise visit from Xander - who may hold the key to the uprising and, still, to Cassia's heart - change the game once again. Nothing is as expected on the edge of Society, where crosses and double crosses make the path more twisted than ever.

My Take:
Since I just thought Matched was good, not awesome or amazing, I thought this one would be the same. In the beginning, it was awful. I couldn't find the story interesting and I almost gave up. But after about 50 pages it gets a lot better. 


I'd never been a huge fan of Ky before but this book tugged my opinion of him all around. Just when I was really starting to like him, he goes and keeps things from Cassia. So I couldn't like him after that of course. But then things keep happening and I'm not sure how I feel anymore. Xander is still my favorite and I'm sad we didn't see him in this book. But I'm thinking we'll see him a lot in the next. 


There are more secrets and things the readers don't know in this book, so that makes it more interesting. Things in their lives are really starting to change and I could have kicked Cassia multiple times for the stupid decisions she was making. I really don't think she uses her head much.


Even though this book was really confusing and I couldn't exactly tell what people were talking about some of the time, I'm glad I read it. I'll definitely be reading the last in the series.

Review: Spirit Bound (Vampire Academy #5)

Title: Spirit Bound (Vampire Academy #5)

Author: Richelle Mead

Rating: 4.25 of 5 stars

Goodreads Summary:

Salvation has its price. 
The words stunned Adrian for a moment, but he kept going. "You're lying. What you're describing is impossible. There's no way to save a Strigoi. When they're gone, they're gone. They're dead. Undead. Forever." 

Robert's next words weren't directed at Adrian. They were spoken to me. "That which is dead doesn't always stay dead...." 

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 Dragomir. It's graduation, and the girls can’t wait for their real lives outside of the Academy’s cold iron gates to finally begin. But even with the intrigue and excitement of court life looming, Rose’s heart still aches for Dimitri. 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 she knows in her heart that he is hunting her. And if Rose won't join him, he won't rest until he's silenced her...forever. 

But Rose can't forget what she learned on her journey—whispers of a magic too impossible and terrifying to comprehend. A magic inextricably tied to Lissa that could hold the answer to all of Rose's prayers, but not without devastating consequences. Now Rose will have to decide what—and who—matters most to her. In the end, is true love really worth the price? 

Fall in love with Rose and Dimitri all over again in Spirit Bound, the eagerly awaited fifth novel in Richelle Mead's enthralling Vampire Academy series.

My Take:
This series just keeps getting better and better! 


Mead knows how to create a wonderful story. She makes a couple things happen at once - we have the Dimitri is a Strigoi issues, Christian and Lissa are still broken up, Adrian wants a relationship, and there's chaos in the royal court. SO much and it's all got me hooked! 


I almost tore into the last book right after this but I made myself sleep instead. I never saw that ending coming :O Thank goodness I don't have to wait a year like everyone else, or I'd go cra-zy. 


I have to admit, I wasn't ever a huge fan of Dimitri, at least not like all the other girls who read this series seem to be, but after this book.. well, he's grown on me, a lot. Christian and Adrian though are still competing for my favorite characters. What can I say, I like the crazy ones. This book has a lot of Adrian, and it's making me really excited to read [book:Bloodlines|8709527]. 


Read this book now!