Must Read Faster

Read-a-thon: A Winter's Respite sticky

2013-01-23T05:00:00.005-06:00

Everyone that's ever been to my blog knows I'm a read-a-thon slut! I join up every single one of them! So when my friend Michelle announced this one..well you can tell how that turned out for me! ;)

Book Stack:

The Haunting of Hill House
Halfway to the Grave
Bastion
All these Things I've Done
All's Fair in Vanities War
The Fallen Queen
~~The Great Gatsby (ebook)~~
The Scarlet Letter (ebook)
Pride and Prejudice

Update: 1/23
Book: The Great Gatsby (Ebook) start: 36/135 (end: 70/135)
Pages: 34
Challenges: Post a picture of your stack

Update: 1/24
Book: The Great Gatsby (Ebook) start: (70/135) FINISHED
Pages:65
Challenges: None

Update: 1/25
Book: The Haunting of Hill House-Shirley Jackson (12 pages)
Pages:77
Challenges: none today

Update: 1/26 & 1/27 & 1/28
Book: The Haunting of Hill House-Shirley Jackson (start pg 12/ end pg --)

Pages:77
Challenges:
I am failing miserably. Is there a challenge for just reading? LOL

Double Post: Affairs of Steak and All I Want Is You

2012-01-26T06:00:00.002-06:00

Blurb:
SHE'S STEALING HIS HEART . . .

Vintage boutique owner Venus Smith is stunned to realize her newest acquisition comes with a larcenous legend. Stolen years ago, the antique mermaid brooch belongs to the Clayworth family. The right thing to do would be to return it, but that means facing Connor Clayworth O'Flynn, the sexy department store heir Venus has had an unrequited crush on since childhood-and the man who helped ruin her father.

ONE KISS AT A TIME

Connor knows that Venus has never forgiven him for what happened between their families. But business isn't personal, even though Venus's father's betrayal still cuts him like a knife. So when Venus proposes a deal-she'll return his family's brooch if he helps clear her father's name-he reluctantly agrees. As action-packed days turn into flirtatious fall nights, it isn't long before old memories resurface . . . and new desires ignite. Can two young lovers leave the past behind? Or must they first admit that all they've ever really wanted . . . is each other?

Book Details:

Mass Market Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: Forever; Original edition (January 1, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0446584355

My (QUICK) Review:
This was a cute story. I cannot say that it wasn't predictable, but it was light and a bit fluffy. JUST what I needed! The main character Venus is really fun. Sherrill Bodine, didn't fall into the trap of making the romantic female lead a wuss. Yay! I do have to admit that I did a SMALLISH eye roll at the choices of names for all the sisters, but it was smallish. *Probably me just being a little pickey..it didn't have a thing to do with the plot* The romance is sweet and hot all in one. The love scenes *wink wink, nudge nudge* were just sexy enough but not raunchy. There is definitely a bit of heat, but your pot's not going to over boil. (Okay, I'll stop it now!)
So my rating for All I Want is You by Sherrill Bodine is a 3.5 out of 5.

Blurb: White House chef Olivia Paras and her arch nemesis, White House Sensitivity Director Peter Everett Sargeant, must work together to solve the double murder of one of the First Lady's assistants and the Chief of Staff-before they become the next victims of a merciless assassin with a secret agenda.

Book Details:

Paperback: 304 pages
Publisher: Berkley; Original edition (January 3, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0425245837

My (Quick) Review:
Woah! Coming out of left field this book is (and Yoda I talk like!) This was a really fun, fast read! It's not predictable in the least! I really loved it! I have to say I was surprised by how well it was written! The mystery is ..well mysterious. I didn't see it coming! The main character is definitely smart and witty! I even loved the secondary characters and the little details! The romance did seem a little forced at times, which is one of the reasons this didn't get a perfect rating. I will definitely read some of the other books in this series!

So I give Affairs of Steak by Julie Hyzy a rating of 4.5 out of 5.

*thanks goes to Dana Kaye of Kaye Publicity for providing me with copies of both books for review*

Review: Scary School by Derek The Ghost

2012-01-25T06:00:00.000-06:00

Blurb:

You think your school's scary?
Get a load of these teachers:
Ms. Fang, an 850-year-old vampire Dr. Dragonbreath, who just might eat you before recess Mr. Snakeskin—science class is so much more fun when it's taught by someone who's half zombie Mrs. T—break the rules and spend your detention with a hungry Tyrannosaurus rex!
Plus
Gargoyles, goblins, and Frankenstein's monster on the loose
The world's most frighteningly delicious school lunch
And
The narrator's an eleven-year-old ghost!
Join Charles "New Kid" Nukid as he makes some very Scary friends—including Petunia, Johnny, and Peter the Wolf—and figures out that Scary School can be just as funny as it is spooky!

My Review:
This was a fun book! My son actually read it way before I got a chance! He would not give it back. I would say that this is a book that both parent's and kids can read and have fun! I enjoyed that the book didn't talk down to kids. It's obviously geared towards kids that enjoy an off beat sense of humor. My son could not get enough of it! I had a fun time reading and talking to him about the book and his favorite characters. This was awesome!

I give this a 4 out of 5 rating!

The Sunday Salon-(3)

2012-01-22T05:36:00.000-06:00

So I think that I can count this last week as a success! I accomplished my goals (mostly) and read quite a lot! I have so many things coming up, both personal and bloggy, so the fact that I am feeling good is a great sign! :) So I am pleased.

So this week's post is going to be short and sweet! Party on! I'm going to keep on keeping on and see how next week is going to treat me! :)

Oh and also! Tomorrow starts another read-a-thon! Yay!

I would suggest signing up! :)

Review: Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare

2012-01-20T06:00:00.000-06:00

Blurb:

"In the magical underworld of Victorian London, Tessa Gray has at last found safety with the Shadowhunters. But that safety proves fleeting when rogue forces in the Clave plot to see her protector, Charlotte, replaced as head of the Institute. If Charlotte loses her position, Tessa will be out on the street—and easy prey for the mysterious Magister, who wants to use Tessa’s powers for his own dark ends.

With the help of the handsome, self-destructive Will and the fiercely devoted Jem, Tessa discovers that the Magister’s war on the Shadowhunters is deeply personal. He blames them for a long-ago tragedy that shattered his life. To unravel the secrets of the past, the trio journeys from mist-shrouded Yorkshire to a manor house that holds untold horrors, from the slums of London to an enchanted ballroom where Tessa discovers that the truth of her parentage is more sinister than she had imagined. When they encounter a clockwork demon bearing a warning for Will, they realize that the Magister himself knows their every move—and that one of their own has betrayed them.

Tessa finds her heart drawn more and more to Jem, though her longing for Will, despite his dark moods, continues to unsettle her. But something is changing in Will—the wall he has built around himself is crumbling. Could finding the Magister free Will from his secrets and give Tessa the answers about who she is and what she was born to do?

As their dangerous search for the Magister and the truth leads the friends into peril, Tessa learns that when love and lies are mixed, they can corrupt even the purest heart."

Book Details:

Hardcover: 528 pages
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books (December 6, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1416975888

My Review:
Sheesh! This book! My brain cannot take it! I am on a roll with books that I just simply loved so hard, this year is shaping out great! It is a fine continuation of the first book and has everything rolling along nicely, and plots are plotting along as well. I cannot say that Jessamine's acts were all that surprising, but I still felt all kinds of pity for her. (Sob) Her sitch is just all kinds of messed up, but still I had my "grr" face on when I read her parts!

I am falling in love with these characters! I swear it! Jem and Will are soooo fun to read! They both are shaping up to be perfect, which is going to be so sob-worthy when the CHOICE (because we all know there is choosing coming!) will be made! I will have to invest in tissues by November! I will probably take off a few days from work to read and recover! I have a feeling that Madam Clare will try to kill me with her next book.

So plots are cooked up, people are dead, things are done! This is one actiony book! I highly recommend you pick it up and read it! Why haven't you done it already? Why?!

I give it a 4.5 out of 5 star rating.

Review: Blood Rights-Kristen Painter

2012-01-19T06:00:00.000-06:00

Blurb:

Born into a life of secrets and service, Chrysabelle's body bears the telltale marks of a comarré -- a special race of humans bred to feed vampire nobility. When her patron is murdered, she becomes the prime suspect, which sends her running into the mortal world...and into the arms of Malkolm, an outcast vampire cursed to kill every being from whom he drinks.

Now, Chrysabelle and Malkolm must work together to stop a plot to merge the mortal and supernatural worlds. If they fail, a chaos unlike anything anyone has ever seen will threaten to reign.

Book Details:

Mass Market Paperback: 432 pages
Publisher: Orbit; 1 edition (October 1, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0316084778

My Review:

This was an unexpected treasure! I was captivated by the cover and had read a few good reviews, so I figured why not? I have to say I could NOT put this down! I loved it! Chrysabelle is one kick ass character! I cannot wait to read the rest of this series! It's got everything that a reader could want; excellent writing, great characters, and loads of action! Tons of things happen in this book and it does NOT seem bogged down with details. Kristen Painter has created an amazing world and I wanna go back there with the next book!

See all the exclamation marks?!!! That's how good it is!

I gave it a solid 4 out of 5.

Review: The Night Cicus-Erin Morgenstern

2012-01-18T06:00:00.000-06:00

Blurb:

The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open at night.

But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway—a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them, this is a game in which only one can be left standing, and the circus is but the stage for a remarkable battle of imagination and will. Despite themselves, however, Celia and Marco tumble headfirst into love—a deep, magical love that makes the lights flicker and the room grow warm whenever they so much as brush hands.

True love or not, the game must play out, and the fates of everyone involved, from the cast of extraordinary circus performers to the patrons, hang in the balance, suspended as precariously as the daring acrobats overhead.

Written in rich, seductive prose, this spell-casting novel is a feast for the senses and the heart.

Book Details:

Hardcover: 400 pages
Publisher: Doubleday; First Edition edition (September 13, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0385534639

My Review:
OH wow! This book! I was hoping this book would live up to the hype and it did! It completely surpassed the hype and blasted off into space! This has to be one of the most beautifully written books I've read all year. There were several times where I just sat there reading slack jawed and wide eyed in wonder. This rarely ever happens with me. I lost myself in this book and drifted off so many times my husband actually asked me if I was okay. I found myself thinking about this book, even when I wasn't reading it. THAT was how hard it rocked.

The characters are all well constructed and interesting. I just wanted to know more about them! I wanted to understand what was going on and why things were the way they were. This book had me at page one. I have sat here trying to rack my brains for something that was wrong or something I would change and I can only come up with one thing..I wished there was more about the contest. When did it start? Why did it start? That was the biggest and only thing that I felt was close to a negative. That would be the only thing I would change about the book.

I do love this book and will recommend it with a big smile and a thumbs up!

I gave it a 5 out of 5.

Teaser Tuesday-3

2012-01-17T07:45:00.000-06:00

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by Miz B at Should Be Reading.

Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

Grab your current read

Open to a random page

Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers.

My teaser comes from:

"She might know everything about jewelry, but obviously she knew nothing about how to deal with men." pg. 82.

I know it says to post 2 sentences, but I think this one covers the main character's personality pretty well! LOL

Now show me yours! ;)

What are you Reading Monday? -3

2012-01-16T05:00:00.000-06:00

I had my first bad week of the year! Last week I just didn't read quite as much as I had hoped. I also failed to keep my blog current. I only updated the Read-a-thon post. This week I have realized my mistake on my blog calendar, and tweaked it so I have more time to read. I THINK
this will solve my problem!

Read Last Week:

Clockwork Prince-Cassandra Clare (review coming soon)
Scary School-Derek the Ghost (review coming soon)

To Read this Week:

All I Want Is You-Sherrill Bodine
Affairs of Steak-Julie Hyzy
The Haunting of Hill House-Shirley Jackson
Halfway to the Grave-Jeaniene Frost (I don't know who sent me this through RAK, but thank you! )
Bastion-A.L. Collins

Read-a-Longs

The Great Gatsby
The Scarlet Letter
Pride and Prejudice

Review: Bad Taste in Boys -Carrie Harris

2012-01-13T06:00:00.000-06:00

Blurb:

Someone's been a very bad zombie.
Kate Grable is horrified to find out that the football coach has given the team steroids. Worse yet, the steroids are having an unexpected effect, turning hot gridiron hunks into mindless flesh-eating zombies. No one is safe--not her cute crush Aaron, not her dorky brother, Jonah . . . not even Kate! She's got to find an antidote--before her entire high school ends up eating each other. So Kate, her best girlfriend, Rocky, and Aaron stage a frantic battle to save their town . . . and stay hormonally human.

Book Details:

Reading level: Ages 12 and up
Hardcover: 208 pages
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers (July 12, 2011)
Language: English

My Review:
This one is short and sweet. Sometimes that's all I need in a book! This one had all the things a girl like me needs. Zombies, funnies, a kick butt smart chick, and a great story! Carrie Harris had me from the first word and didn't stop punching me in the face with awesomeness until the end! I cackled out loud people! Snorts and hoots and all! This book was fun and definitely something I'm gonna keep on my shelf!

Plus the cover is freakin' gorgeous! *but it makes my lips itch*

I give it a 4 out of 5.

Bloggy Update: Jan. 11th

2012-01-11T07:39:00.000-06:00

So this is my pile for the read-a-thon. It just so happens this is my pile of books to review this week. Hmm...I do have to say that I think this week's reviews will be pushed back a bit. I will try and catch up today. I don't have much work so I will read, read, and read some more! :)

Teaser Tuesday-2

2012-01-10T08:36:00.001-06:00

*Grab your current read

*Open to a random page

*Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

*BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

*Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My selection comes from:

"The carriage swung out of a narrow street and into a huge square; Tessa drew in a breath. Before them rose a magnificent cathedral, its Gothic turrets piercing the gray sky like Saint Sebastian stuck through with arrows." page 98.

Bout of Books Update Post STICKY POST

2012-01-09T06:00:00.027-06:00

Yay! Another read a thon! :) You know I can't pass up on one! So here we go!
This one starts today (9th) and goes all the way til the 15th! I'll use this post to update as I go along.

My Goals

I would like to read at least 4 or 5 books, plus get my read-a-longs up to date. That would be awesome!

Books To Read

~~Clockwork Prince~~
~~Scary School~~
All I Want Is You
The Haunting of Hill House
The Night Swimmer
Irises

Read-a-Longs:

Pride and Prejudice
The Scarlet Letter (ebook)
The Great Gatsby (ebook)

Updates

1/9
Books: Clockwork Prince (pages) s-1/e-100
Total number of page I’ve read: 100
Books Total:0
Challenge: TBR Pile Picture and Search

We are to take a picture of our TBR pile. Either for the read-a-thon or our normal TBR. Since mine is massive I'll just post a picture of what I intend to read. (Two of my read-a-longs are on my Nook)

1/10
Books: Clockwork Prince (pages) s-100/e-200
Total number of page I’ve read: 200
Books Total:0
Challenge: No challenges today

1/11
Books: Clockwork Prince (pages) s-200/e-end!
Total number of page I’ve read: 498
Books Total:1
Challenge: Book Cover Challenge

1/12
Books: Scary School (1/s:72 /e)
Total number of page I’ve read: 570
Books Total: 1
Challenge: None

1/13
Books:Scary School (72/s: 233/e), Pride and Prejudice (1/s: 20/e)
Total number of page I’ve read:823
Books Total: 2
Challenge: Picture Challenge: Post our Current Read and our Snacks

My cup looks dirty :( but it really isn't! I just drink a lot of coffee and tea! I'm not actually eating any snacks right now though, so I hope this still counts!

1/14 and 1/15 (I didn't read much on Saturday)
Books: Pride and Prejudice (20/s-36/e)All I Want is You (1/s-65/e)
Total number of page I’ve read:904
Books Total: 2
Challenge: Book Tagline

End
Books Read: 2
Pages Read: 904

Review: Dearly, Departed-Lia Habel

2012-01-09T06:00:00.026-06:00

Blurb:

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.

Book Details:

Hardcover: 480 pages
Publisher: Del Rey; 1St Edition edition (October 18, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0345523318

My Review:
Dearly, Departed is one of those books that are just hard to put down. I had a hard time comprehending the fact that a Zombie and a Human would be able to fall in love..it goes against everything I believe in, BUT it worked. I usually prefer my Zombies to be the bad guys, maybe with a touch of sympathy, but still the bad guys. The eat your brains, not kiss your face. So of course I was a bit put off. Lia Habel has made a believer out of me. Nora and Bram are adorable. They are from totally different worlds but it works. It wasn't sappy and it wasn't hurried. At least it didn't feel like that to me.

I loved the world that they lived it. It's stark in some places and beautiful in others. It had a Firefly (tv show) like feel to it in a way. The past intermingled with the future, which I thought rocked hard! This book lived up to the hype and surpassed it.

My only gripe is that the one character's "twist" was kind of predictable, but even that wouldn't stop me from recommending it.

I give it a 4.5 out of 5.

What are you Reading Monday? -2

2012-01-09T05:00:00.000-06:00

I'm participating in the Bout of Books read-a-thon this week so my list is already there! I will however list them here too.

To Read:

Clockwork Prince
Scary School
All I Want is YOu
The Haunting of Hill House
The Night Swimmer
Irises

Plus my Read-a-longs:

The Great Gatsby
The Scarlet Letter
Pride and Prejudice

I am hoping to get most of these read! I think it's doable! :) What are you reading this week?

The Sunday Salon-(2)

2012-01-08T05:14:00.000-06:00

Well, I did it! I am keeping up with my goals and seeing how fun (and stressful) it can be all at the same time! :) I have to find a way to put more reading time into my day though, otherwise I'll get behind! My reading schedule isn't horrible, but I do procrastinate a lot. Hmm..maybe I should get that fixed?

Bloggy Plans:
This week I have a full plate again! I have reviews coming for a handful of fun books! Including one that my son read and LOVED! :) Starting Monday, I'll be participating in the Bout of Books readathon again, so that will DEFINITLEY help me make my goals again this week!

Life Plans:

I still need to work on my diet. We are in between paychecks so it's easy to rely on cheap foods instead of getting in what we need. This is going to take some getting used to, working on a balanced meal plan. My son has been given a preliminary diagnosis of ADHD, and I have read that diet helps. So that is another good push (if my growing gut wasn't enough!) We will just have to keep working on improving!

Well, another week is gone and a new one is starting! Here goes nothing....

Weekend Plans

2012-01-07T06:00:00.000-06:00

The weekend is my time to catch up on my read-a-longs, and see about getting a head start on next week's books! I have to work every weekend, but I get off fairly early, so I usually try and use that time to my advantage! So what am I reading this weekend? Let's see.

The Great Gatsby: January 6- 12 :: page 90

The Scarlet Letter: January 10--Chapters 5-10

Pride and Prejudice: January 8th --Chapters 1-7

I also want to have Cinder finished by Sunday! :) So I have a busy reading weekend ahead of me! Woot! What are you up to this weekend?

Review: Daughter of Smoke and Bone-Laini Taylor

2012-01-06T06:00:00.000-06:00

Blurb:

Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky.

In a dark and dusty shop, a devil's supply of human teeth grown dangerously low.

And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly war.

Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real; she's prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands"; she speaks many languages--not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she's about to find out.

When one of the strangers--beautiful, haunted Akiva--fixes his fire-colored eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?

Book Details:

Hardcover: 432 pages
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (September 27, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0316134023

My Review:
I enjoyed this book tremendously! Sometimes the reviews hype up a book and I get it and it's a let down, but this was NOT like that at all. The dreamy world that Laini Taylor has created is perfect! Karou is such an interesting character. She knows something is missing but she's not sure what. It's sad yet liberating at times for her. I totally enjoyed the story and cannot wait to see what else is next for Karou!

This book has a dreamy quality to it. The whole cast of characters move through like part of some amazing dream! Zuzana is a wonderful friend. I would totally hang out with her. Again, this instant attachment shows me how talented the writer is. I ENJOYED every character right down to the sort of skeevy ex boyfriend!

Now we cannot have a review without mentioning two important male characters..I almost said men but..are Angels men? I dunno, but he has all the right stuff. He's definitely not the typical "I love you because you're so pretty.." kind of guys. He is tortured by his past and he is struggling. I found him so interesting and such a yummy character! I do like the interactions between Karou and Akiva.

And Brimstone...SO wicked cool! I want to know his story too! I am not going to spoil it for anyone that hasn't yet read the book, but he is such a unique character! He's gruff and distant, but at the same time I could tell he was caring and protective. He is one of those conflicted characters that you just want to figure out like a puzzle! Bravo, Ms. Taylor!

Again, so many good things I could be here all day! I will just sum up this review with this statement: READ THE BOOK!

I give it a 5 out of 5.

Review: Everneath by Brodi Ashton

2012-01-05T12:20:00.001-06:00

Blurb:

Last spring, Nikki Beckett vanished, sucked into an underworld known as the Everneath. Now she’s returned—to her old life, her family, her boyfriend—before she’s banished back to the underworld . . . this time forever. She has six months before the Everneath comes to claim her, six months for good-byes she can’t find the words for, six months to find redemption, if it exists.

Nikki longs to spend these precious months forgetting the Everneath and trying to reconnect with her boyfriend, Jack, the person most devastated by her disappearance—and the one person she loves more than anything. But there’s just one problem: Cole, the smoldering immortal who enticed her to the Everneath in the first place, has followed Nikki home. Cole wants to take over the throne in the underworld and is convinced Nikki is the key to making it happen. And he’ll do whatever it takes to bring her back, this time as his queen.

As Nikki’s time on the Surface draws to a close and her relationships begin slipping from her grasp, she is forced to make the hardest decision of her life: find a way to cheat fate and remain on the Surface with Jack or return to the Everneath and become Cole’s queen.

Book Details:

Reading level: Ages 14 and up
Hardcover: 384 pages
Publisher: Balzer + Bray (January 24, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0062071130

My Review:
I love mythology and when I read the description for this book I knew it would be interesting. Not all stories told with a mythological twist turn out right, but this one did. I really really enjoyed this book. I have to admit that it was hard to put down. Stupid real life got in the way! (i.e.-why this review wasn't posted earlier today) The main characters were flawed but real and definitely interesting. Nikki and Jack were sweet. I loved their romance.

Cole, is a hard character to define. I like that. You want to dislike him and call him the bad guy, but Brodi Ashton wrote him with just a touch of sympathy. You don't really know, even at the end, if he was lying to Nikki or not. You don't know his TRUE motives at all. It adds to the intrigue of his character. He was such a fun antagonist!

The only character I wished that was fleshed out a bit more was Jules. I really wanted to know more about her and Nikki's relationship. We know they are friends and she takes care of Jack after Nikki vanishes, but what else? What makes her tick? The book describes her as being Nikki's best friend, but she's not really in the book much. That is the only thing I can think of to nitpick.

To sum up. I enjoyed this book. I look forward to seeing what else Brodi Ashton has up her sleeve.

I rate this a 4.5 out of 5.

Everneath-Sorry for the Delay

2012-01-05T06:41:00.001-06:00

I will post my review of Everneath by Brodi Ashton later today.

Review: The Yoga Club

2012-01-04T06:00:00.000-06:00

Blurb:

Chatting it up with bendy WASPs is the last thing on Coco Guthrie’s mind during her 8:30 a.m. yoga class. Having made her fortune as the world-renowned inventor of Butt-B-Gone derriere cream, Coco still doesn’t feel like she belongs among the upper class— until she attends the swankiest Halloween soiree in Greenwich, Connecticut, where three of her fellow morning yogis shared her brilliant idea to appear as Sarah Palin. Soon it’s clear that a love of stretching isn’t all this accidental sorority—which includes a single mom with echolalia, an entertainment reporter who charms the pants off handsome stars, and a drama-prone producer with a taste for drag— have in common.

When the four mischievous Sarahs wander away from the party to sneak a peek at the mayor’s neighboring estate, they are stunned to find him adorned in leather and latex, and rolling up a woman’s body in a Persian rug. To make matters worse, someone has spotted the spying Palins. Someone who threatens to expose their torrid affairs in business and the bedroom. Now the unlikely foursome must use all their wits and wiles to get to the bottom of the kinky crime. But will their budding friendship be strong enough to protect their deepest secrets?

Book Details:

Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: Gallery Books; Original edition (December 20, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1439187274

My Review:

This was a cute read! It went pretty quickly and definitely was entertaining! The book centers around a bunch of haphazard friends, thrown together by chance and mystery! I loved the way this was written and was just a bunch of fun to read!

I can only really think of two issues I had with this book. I'll address them separately.

CJ..I loved the character but it seemed like his "gayness" always took center stage. Don't get me wrong he is a great character, but after a while it was like ..yes you're gay. We get it. It just seemed like she wrote him extra special flaming to prove he was really gay. (I hope that makes sense?) I have nothing wrong with gay characters or homosexuality in general, but it just kind of seemed overdone a few times. HOWEVER, and this may seem contradictory, I LOVED CJ. He was my favorite character next to Coco.

The other gripe I have, and it's a very tiny one really. The name dropping. Bailey sleeps with a LOT of celebrities and they range from Keifer Sutherland to John Meyer...after about the fifth name drop it kind of made me roll my eyes. Maybe I felt that way because I am neither a fan of John Mayer OR some of the other celebrities in the book? I dunno.

These two were very tiny gripes though. The rest of the story is awesome! I think if you are in the mood for a quick fun read and you like a little bit of mystery/drama involved, then this is what you are after!

I give it a 4 out of five.

Thank you Gallery Books for providing me a copy of this book for review

Teaser Tuesday-1

2012-01-03T06:00:00.004-06:00

*Grab your current read

*Open to a random page

*Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

*BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

*Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My selection comes from:
"In a flash, I was suspended in the air, the back of my head inches from the ground, Jack's face a breath away from mine, his lips in a wicked grin. I gasped, more from surprise at the sudden dip that from fear.." pg. 57

I showed you mine, now show me yours!

DNF: Halo-Alexandra Adornetto

2012-01-03T06:00:00.003-06:00

Blurb:

Three angels are sent down to bring good to the world: Gabriel, the warrior; Ivy, the healer; and Bethany, a teenage girl who is the least experienced of the trio. But she is the most human, and when she is romantically drawn to a mortal boy, the angels fear she will not be strong enough to save anyone—especially herself—from the Dark Forces.

Is love a great enough power against evil?

My Thoughts:
I don't like to put books aside, but one of my new year's resolutions (to myself) is to not force myself to read a book that I didn't enjoy. So with that, I have to say I did not finish Halo. I just could not get into it. The writing itself wasn't horrible, but to me the story felt very cliched. I know this book has it's fans, but I am not one of them.

What are you Reading Monday? -1

2012-01-02T06:00:00.002-06:00

This is hosted by Sheila at Bookjourney and is a weekly event for people to share what they are reading or plan to for the upcoming week! I LOVE seeing what everyone is reading! My wishlist always grows just a bit bigger each week thanks to this meme!

Plans:

Everneath
Cinder
Clockwork Prince
All I want is You
Tangled Tides (ebook)
Affairs of Steak (if I get the time)

I finally got caught up on all my reviews from last year, so I have nothing to catch up on but reading! :) It's great to start off fresh isn't it?

Quick Review: Plague of the Dead-Z.A. Recht

2012-01-02T06:00:00.001-06:00

"Blurb:

The “zombie apocalypse,” once on the fringes of horror, has become one of the most buzzworthy genres in popular culture. Now, in Plague of the Dead, Z.A. Recht delivers an intelligent, gripping thriller that will leave both new and die-hard zombie fans breathless.

The end begins with a viral outbreak unlike anything mankind has ever encountered before. The infected are subject to delirium, fever, a dramatic increase in violent behavior, and a one-hundred percent mortality rate. But it doesn’t end there. The victims return from death to walk the earth. When a massive military operation fails to contain the living dead it escalates into a global pandemic. In one fell swoop, the necessities of life become much more basic. Gone are petty everyday concerns. Gone are the amenities of civilized life. Yet a single law of nature remains: Live, or die. Kill, or be killed. On one side of the world, a battle-hardened general surveys the remnants of his command: a young medic, a veteran photographer, a brash Private, and dozens of refugees, all are his responsibility—all thousands of miles from home. Back in the United States, an Army colonel discovers the darker side of Morningstar virus and begins to collaborate with a well-known journalist to leak the information to the public...and the Morningstar Saga has begun."

Book Details:
Paperback: 320 pages
Publisher: Permuted Press; 1 Reprint edition (December 29, 2009)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1439176736

My Review:
Zombies are my favorite. If you've been to my blog before then you already know this. I loved Thunder and Ashes so hard! I loved the stark military like aspect of it. It was brutal and bare bones and it made me happy. Plague of the Dead was good. It definitely reads like the first in a series, but for me it lacked the "umph" that made me plow through T&A.
Do not get me wrong this is a solid book, I just missed the urgency that I got with the sequel. I do recommend this one though for any zombie book collection!

I give it a 3.5 out of 5.

Must Read Faster

Read-a-thon: A Winter's Respite *sticky*

Double Post: Affairs of Steak and All I Want Is You

Review: Scary School by Derek The Ghost

The Sunday Salon-(3)

Review: Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare

Review: Blood Rights-Kristen Painter

Review: The Night Cicus-Erin Morgenstern

Teaser Tuesday-3

What are you Reading Monday? -3

Review: Bad Taste in Boys -Carrie Harris

Bloggy Update: Jan. 11th

Teaser Tuesday-2

Bout of Books Update Post *STICKY POST*

Review: Dearly, Departed-Lia Habel

What are you Reading Monday? -2

The Sunday Salon-(2)

Weekend Plans

Review: Daughter of Smoke and Bone-Laini Taylor

Review: Everneath by Brodi Ashton

Everneath-Sorry for the Delay

Review: The Yoga Club

Teaser Tuesday-1

DNF: Halo-Alexandra Adornetto

What are you Reading Monday? -1

Quick Review: Plague of the Dead-Z.A. Recht

Read-a-thon: A Winter's Respite sticky

Bout of Books Update Post STICKY POST