Thank you to everyone who stopped over at Ruby’s Reads to check out my Book Bully Week : Dark Hunter Series post!!

And the winner of two Dark Hunter books of their choice is

- YA, paranormal, fantasy -

received for review via Around the World Tours

Author’s Website : www.leahclifford.com

Amazon : pre-order hardcover / pre-order eBook

Add To Your GoodReads TBR List [Keep reading...]]]>  A Touch Morbid by Leah Clifford

Feb 28, 2012

- YA, paranormal, fantasy -

received for review via Around the World Tours

Book Order (A Touch Trilogy)

1. A Touch Mortal * * * *
2. A Touch Morbid (02.28.2012)
3. Untitled

Links

Author’s Website : www.leahclifford.com

Amazon : pre-order hardcover / pre-order eBook

Add To Your GoodReads TBR List (55 ratings : 4.38 avg)

In Six Words

did not live up to expectations

Why did I read this? And am I glad I did?

There were two main reasons I did not like this book : (1) It had been far too long since I read the first in the series and I did not have take the time to reread it. (2) The main character lost her umpf.

Let’s take it back a step… I really enjoyed the first in this series. I thought the characters had depth and a sense of realism that made the mythology work. I’m not a huge fan of angel themed YA books, but I was intrigued by the Upstairs, Downstairs, Bound, Fallen, and especially the Siders. I still am. To be honest the mythology was the main thing that got me through this one. That and Madeline.

I loved Madeline. Had the book been about her and Luke more and less about Eden it would have had a much higher rating. She is messed up, crazy, easy to hate and love. I’m torn on whether I’ll read the next one, but if I do it will be to see more of her. Luke is amazingly complex. You can’t quite figure him out.

That brings me to Eden. She seemed lifeless. I understand that it was on purpose… to a point. But at what point does making a character blah go too far? I wanted to know what happened to Gabriel, Madeline, other Siders, even Az… but I didn’t really care about her. I don’t remember disliking her. I just don’t remember her.

All and all, I finished the book in one night. I was entertained, but I would have rather been reading something else. And yes, I may even still pick up the next book.

My Recommendation : Go ahead and read it if you have read the first one. If you haven’t started the series yet, maybe wait until the last one is released and reviewed.

Brief Summary

Eden won the battle-she saved her true love from the darkest evil. But the war has only just begun. With secrets swirling around her, powerful allies unraveling, and life-and death-as she knows it eroding, Eden and those she loves tread dangerous ground. Can she trust anyone? Will her unearthly powers be her salvation or her downfall? A sweeping, dark, and sexy paranormal romance that will haunt readers with an inventive mythology and a cinematic New York City filled with shadows and longing.

- via GoodReads.com

Other Reviews

None of my GoodReads friends have read/rated this yet. Have you?

Just be prepared to be convinced into starting an amazing series

Author’s Website : www.jessica-sims.com

Amazon : paperback / eBook (21 reviews : 4.0 avg)

Add To Your GoodReads TBR List (413 ratings : 3.76 avg)

Clock Rewinders on a Book Binge is where Amanda @ On a Book Bender and I shamelessly plug each other, share the fantastic posts, giveaways, or whatever else we’ve found and loved by other awesome bloggers (or authors!) during the week, and talk about the books we plan on reading in the coming week.

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Do you have a literary tattoo? I’d love to feature it!

 Just send me an email with a picture and story behind it.

If I remember correctly Rachie @ And the Plot Thickens… loves this author

(click to enlarge)

I got this tattoo as a tribute to my favourite book ‘The [Keep reading...]]]>

Do you have a literary tattoo? I’d love to feature it!

 Just send me an email with a picture and story behind it.

If I remember correctly Rachie @ And the Plot Thickens… loves this author

(click to enlarge)

I got this tattoo as a tribute to my favourite book ‘The Wind Up Bird Chronicles’ by Haruki Murakami. I had it done at the brilliant Cock-a-snook tattoo parlour in Newcastle Upon Tyne by the phenomenally talented Paul Johnson. The finished result came out better than I could have ever imagine, and I love it.

- posted 29 October, 2011 by Stephanie Richards on Fuck Yeah, Tattoos!

Clock Rewinders on a Book Binge is where Amanda @ On a Book Bender and I shamelessly plug each other, share the fantastic posts, giveaways, or whatever else we’ve found and loved by other awesome bloggers (or authors!) during the week, and talk about the books we plan on reading in the coming week.

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- YA, paranormal, fantasy, dystopian -

Author’s Website : www.liahabel.com

Author’s Twitter : @liahabel

Amazon : hardcover / eBook (69 reviews : 4.0 avg)

Add To Your GoodReads TBR List (686 ratings : 4.03 avg)

utterly [Keep reading...]]]> Dearly, Departed by Lia Habel

via Around the World Tours

- YA, paranormal, fantasy, dystopian -

Book Order (Gone With the Respiration)

1. Dearly, Departed * * * *
2. Dearly, Beloved  (2012?)

Links

Author’s Website : www.liahabel.com

Author’s Twitter : @liahabel

Amazon : hardcover / eBook (69 reviews : 4.0 avg)

Add To Your GoodReads TBR List (686 ratings : 4.03 avg)

In Six Words

utterly unique with only minor annoyances

Why did I read this? And am I glad I did?

To be honest, I have no idea why I decided to read this one. I’m not a fan of zombie books (well at least not compared to other paranormals). However, I enjoyed this more than I expected. I was captured from the opening lines (I was buried alive.) until the last page. I wasn’t sold on the multiple shifting of POVs until later in the book (which was the annoyance mentioned in the Six Words). Overall I’d recommend this book to fans of YA fantasy.

I’ll be picking up the next in the series and other books by the author.

Brief Summary

Love can never die.

Love conquers all, so they say. But can Cupid’s arrow pierce the hearts of the living and the dead—or rather, the undead? Can a proper young Victorian lady find true love in the arms of a dashing zombie?

The year is 2195. The place is New Victoria—a high-tech nation modeled on the manners, mores, and fashions of an antique era. A teenager in high society, Nora Dearly is far more interested in military history and her country’s political unrest than in tea parties and debutante balls. But after her beloved parents die, Nora is left at the mercy of her domineering aunt, a social-climbing spendthrift who has squandered the family fortune and now plans to marry her niece off for money. For Nora, no fate could be more horrible—until she’s nearly kidnapped by an army of walking corpses.

But fate is just getting started with Nora. Catapulted from her world of drawing-room civility, she’s suddenly gunning down ravenous zombies alongside mysterious black-clad commandos and confronting “The Laz,” a fatal virus that raises the dead—and hell along with them. Hardly ideal circumstances. Then Nora meets Bram Griswold, a young soldier who is brave, handsome, noble . . . and dead. But as is the case with the rest of his special undead unit, luck and modern science have enabled Bram to hold on to his mind, his manners, and his body parts. And when his bond of trust with Nora turns to tenderness, there’s no turning back. Eventually, they know, the disease will win, separating the star-crossed lovers forever. But until then, beating or not, their hearts will have what they desire.

In Dearly, Departed, romance meets walking-dead thriller, spawning a madly imaginative novel of rip-roaring adventure, spine-tingling suspense, and macabre comedy that forever redefines the concept of undying love.

- via GoodReads.com

Plot/Pacing/Writing Style

The book picks up from the beginning and the mystery and action continue to build throughout the book in a way that kept me entranced. I loved the author’s writing style. It was often poetic without being too overdone.

The plot was fantastic. As you may know by now, as a science nerd I am overcritical of medical explanations for paranormal mythology. This one was done brilliantly. If there were a biological cause for zombies, prions would be it. Wonderful job Lia Habel! Wonderful and scary…

The setting was also very well developed. I’m not a fan of steam-punk, but this future copying the past era really worked for me.

Characters

At 26% I updated GoodReads with how shocked I was to be invested in the main characters so early. This was mainly due to Bram, but Nora grew on me as well.

Nora was an oddball for her time period. She was encouraged at a young age by her father to be interested in things little girls should not be. The book begins a year after her father’s death. Nora is not dealing well with her loss. However, once the action starts, I really liked her reactions and ability to adapt. I’m very much so looking forward to seeing more of her in the next book.

Bram can compete with any vampire love interest. He is smart, sweet, caring, brave, cute, and dead. His prologue had me hooked. His actions throughout the rest of the book had me falling for him. I really hope to see more of him.

The side characters were ok. I loved the other zombies, but wasn’t a huge fan of Pam’s (until the end). The bad guy was beautifully developed. I had no idea where to place him until the end.

Favorite Quotes

Dread became a solid, burning thing within me, something twisting my own flesh to its will, speeding my heart and making my skin slick with sweat.

- an example of what I loved about the author’s writing style

I knelt down to stroke the head of a black kitten, and it reared up for the contact. “The cute is strong in this one.”

- Got to love a Star Wars reference

“Vampires are just zombies with good PR!”

- So true!

Other Reviews

Tiger Holland (All-Consuming Books) rated it 

Wicked Lil Pixie (Natasha) rated it 

Jennifer Sicurella rated it 

Candace rated it 

I’m finally announcing the winner of my Extra Hour Celebration Giveaway.

To check out the interview with Sierra Dean, go here.

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And the good news? Shane bought me a new laptop for Christmas!!

Part of [Keep reading...]]]>

I’m finally announcing the winner of my Extra Hour Celebration Giveaway.

Kenda @ Reader’s Edyn won books from Sierra Dean’s amazing Secret McQueen series.

To check out the interview with Sierra Dean, go here.

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And the good news? Shane bought me a new laptop for Christmas!!

Part of my lack of blogging has been due to my computer’s tendency to turn itself off.  I’m hoping having the ability to blog easier will encourage me to add it back to my daily schedule

For more information on what An Extra Hour Celebration is and how to join in, go here!

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Some of you may remember me recently reading Something Secret This Way Comes by Sierra Dean. Not only did I give it 4 1/2 stars, but it busted me out of a slump [Keep reading...]]]>

For more information on what An Extra Hour Celebration is and how to join in, go here!

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Some of you may remember me recently reading Something Secret This Way Comes by Sierra Dean. Not only did I give it 4 1/2 stars, but it busted me out of a slump and created a new Sierra fan girl. I barely blinked between stopping this one and starting the next. This is due to the evil cliffhanger. It was brilliant. Just like the love triangle was. Yes, you read that correctly. I said both the cliffhanger and love triangle were brilliant.

What kind of book pusher would I be if I didn’t force this on my friends?! And so I’m giving away a copies of the books and I was lucky enough to interview Sierra Dean!!

So check out the interview then enter to win the book. No, you don’t have to be participating in the read-a-thon to enter this giveaway, but you will get an extra entry.

Sierra Dean : Busy, boring, fun, hilarious, exhausting, fulfilling.

Absolutely! Secret has much MUCH fancier shoes than I do with her Jimmy Choo’s and Louboutin’s, but I own more shoes than is humanly necessary. They’re like art. I enjoy looking at them.