Monday, November 7, 2011

Review: Crossed

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.

Review: This book was really great. Reading the first one, I was a little on the fence between if I liked it or not until the middle/end, so although I was eager to read this book, I was a little nervous that I wouldn't get completely into it like I wanted to. This was not the case thankfully. The book was full of beautiful moments, and I will admit I cried a few times. Finally we were taken into the life of Ky Markham a bit more deeply than we were in Matched and that was something I really enjoyed about this book. I think there is still a lot we have to learn about KY and I am hoping that will come out in the next book. This book unlike the previous one was a lot more adventurous and spontaneous. You never knew what to expect. Since Matched takes place when we're still under the rule of the "society" and everything is orderly and planned out it's kind of a change of pace to not know what's gonna happen next, who you're gonna meet on the way, and who you're gonna lose. There was quite a bit of loss in this book, and that made me sad, I hate getting to know a character and begin to really like them, and then have them die, or leave. You grow a kind of friendship and attachment to these characters. I would have liked to see more of Xander, but I liked the secrets that started being revealed about him in this book, and I can't wait to hear the full secret in the next book! A MUST read, loved it!

Quotes I liked:

“In the end you can't always choose what to keep. You can only choose how you let it go.” 

“Everyone has something of beauty about them. But loving let's you look, and look, and look again. You notice the back of a hand, the turn of a head, the way of a walk. When you first love, you look blind and you see it all as the glorious, beloved whole, or a beautiful sum of beautiful parts. But when you see the one you love as pieces, as why's, you can love those parts too, and it's a love at once more complicated and more complete.” 

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Review: Warm Bodies

Summary:A zombie who yearns for a better life ends up falling in love—with a human—in this astonishingly original debut novel. 

R is a zombie. He has no memories, no identity, and no pulse, but he has dreams. He doesn’t enjoy killing people; he enjoys riding escalators and listening to Frank Sinatra. He is a little different from his fellow Dead. 

Review: This review isn't going to be long or very informative. There isn't anything that I didn't like or I liked so much that I'd dote on it like I sometimes do in my reviews. I liked the book, I thought it was an interesting new take on zombies. Normally I don't read zombie books, (I'm too afraid that they're gonna be real someday), but after reading the summary of this one I decided to give it a try. So, I liked it, it was new and interesting, I liked the evolution of the relationship between the two main characters. It was weird, sweet, kind of innocent, but alluring. There is a movie adaptation currently being filmed, starring Teresa palmer who plays number six in I Am Number Four, so I'm super excited to see that and will definitely see it the day it comes out. 


Quote I liked: Soft flesh is eaten by hard teeth.

Cover Reveal

Expected publication: March 13th 2012 by EgmontUSA
A troubled soul. An impossible choice. A final battle. 

Wrestling with the werewolf curse pulsing deep inside of her, Grace Divine was finally able to find her brother, but it nearly cost her everything. 

With her boyfriend, Daniel, stuck in wolf form and Sirhan's death approaching, time is running out for Grace to stop Caleb Kalbi and his gang of demons. If she fails, her family and hometown will perish. Everything rests on Grace's shoulders. 

The final installment in The Dark Divine trilogy brings Daniel and Grace's love story to a breathtaking conclusion.


I won an ARC of this from Bree Despain, which I am impatiently waiting for! I CAN'T wait to read this!! I don't think I will post the review straight away, because I am kind of bad with spoilers, but we shall see.



Cover Reveal

Expected publication: May 2012 by HarperTeen

Review: Something Borrowed

Summary:Rachel White is the consummate good girl. A hard-working attorney at a large Manhattan law firm and a diligent maid of honor to her charmed best friend Darcy, Rachel has always played by all the rules. Since grade school, she has watched Darcy shine, quietly accepting the sidekick role in their lopsided friendship. But that suddenly changes the night of her thirtieth birthday when Rachel finally confesses her feelings to Darcy's fiance, and is both horrified and thrilled to discover that he feels the same way. As the wedding date draws near, events spiral out of control, and Rachel knows she must make a choice between her heart and conscience. In so doing, she discovers that the lines between right and wrong can be blurry, endings aren't always neat, and sometimes you have to risk everything to be true to yourself.


Review: I'll admit, I read this book because I really loved the movie. I'll also admit I only saw the movie because I love Colin Egglesfield (Dex in the movie).  I loved the movie so much that I decided to read the book. There were a couple of things about this book/movie that is different from most book/movies experiences I have. For one, I liked the movie more! That has never happened to me before, I'm not sure if it's because I saw the movie before reading the book or something else. I do know that something I liked more in the movie was that there was no question if Dex loved Rachel loved in law school. He flat out tells her in the movie, and in the book it was kind of hinted out once or twice "I was gonna ask you on a date once" or something silly like that, it doesn't tell me anything. In the movie his feelings are there, they're obvious and he declares them quite often. Anyway, on to the book. Usually when I read a book I hate the "other woman" but Giffin has a way of making you like her. Everyone has the friend like Darcy, gets everything she wants, lucks out and gets things she doesn't want, beautiful, popular, everyone likes her, so you automatically have that  connections with Rachel. You feel connected with her, you cry when she cries, and you get aggravated with Dex when she does.  There's also the relationship between Darcy and Rachel, that close friendship that is like having a sister. I liked it, a lot of people have that relationship, and if they don't they wish they did, so you get to live that friendship for the duration of the book. You're rooting for Rachel in this book, you want her to her the guy, because I think most girls will find a little piece of themselves in her. Darcy has screwed her over so many times you just WANT to see her get hurt in the end, to have the average girl from behind and steal the beautiful girls man away. I still liked the book even though I liked the movie better, I will read the next one for sure!


Quotes I liked: Surely he knows we are all watching. That I am watching. It is always that way when you are in a group and someone decides to go for a swim or walk to the water. The ocean is a giant stage. It is natural that the others watch, if only for a moment.


"I'm telling you, it's harder to find a good guy in New York than anywhere." It is the cliche of single life in Manhattan, but only because it's true.


There is no better audience for someone in love than someone in love.

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Out Today: Daughter Of Smoke and Bone

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?

Friday, September 23, 2011

Review: Vanish

Summary:To save the life of the boy she loves, Jacinda did the unthinkable: She betrayed the most closely-guarded secret of her kind. Now she must return to the protection of her pride knowing she might never see Will again—and worse, that because his mind has been shaded, Will’s memories of that fateful night and why she had to flee are gone. 

Back home, Jacinda is greeted with hostility and must work to prove her loyalty for both her sake and her family’s. Among the few who will even talk to her are Cassian, the pride’s heir apparent who has always wanted her, and her sister, Tamra, who has been forever changed by a twist of fate. Jacinda knows that she should forget Will and move on—that if he managed to remember and keep his promise to find her, it would only endanger them both. Yet she clings to the hope that someday they will be together again. When the chance arrives to follow her heart, will she risk everything for love? 

Review: This book was kind of a disappointment for me, I found it to be really slow going. I was looking forward to this book because I really loved Firelight, and couldn't wait to see what happens with Jacinda, Cassian, and Will. Aside from the obvious main characters, I also wanted to see what happened to Tamra. I was happy to see that she had a pretty major role in this one, and I hope she continues to have a big part in the next book. Although I found this one kind of slow there were parts that I was on the edge of my seat, like Jacinda's public "trial" my heart was racing! It's played out over about three pages and the excitement and tension just kept escalating. My heart was going crazy! The most exciting part was obviously the end, and the cliffhanger that we were left at! I like how the ending kind of promised more Cassian in the next book. I'm team Cassian all the way. For once, I would like a love triangle to end with the boy least expected to get the girl. I haven't had my boy be chosen in a triangle yet. I would still recommend these books even though I found this one a bit slow. I can't wait for book three, and I will definitely continue on reading these books!

3/5 stars:  I liked it.  

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Grace is currently reading....

Did you miss the #allychat on twitter last night?...

Last night Ally Condie and Penguin hosted a #Crossed chat on twitter where Ally answered a bunch of fan asked questions about the highly anticipated second book in the Matched trilogy. If you missed it...

Here is the link: http://the-society.net/2011/09/21/catch-up-on-allychat-with-allycondie-penguinteen/

I can't wait for book two!

Sunday, September 18, 2011

Grace is currently reading....

Just as a side note: I'm reading this while waiting to pick up Vanish from the library. So expect a Vanish review before a review of this book. :)

Review: Vengeance

Summary:After the devastating events at Reed's birthday party, Noelle is determined to put the past to rest, but Reed is adament about rebuilding Billings. Coming up against endless roadblocks from the headmaster, not to mention Billings alumni, Reed will not let her legacy end with a pile of rubble. 

As if that weren't enough, old ghosts come back to haunt to the Billings Girls. Reed has been through the ringer in her time at Easton and she starts to wonder if maybe she can even make it out of this place alive

Review: I actually finished this book on Friday, the day after I started reading it, but since it is the last book in the Private series, and the spin-off Privilege is over as well, I decided to take a few days to just think it over and write the review. Taking the time to write the review gave me a few more days with the series, so it didn't seem like it was over yet. But the time has come to write the review. With the last few books of this series, I was starting to see it going places I didn't expect it to, and I was feeling like it was dragging a bit and becoming weird. With the introduction of the ancient ancestors and the witch craft I was really starting to feel like really? This is getting silly. Happily however; this book went right back to the original things that got me so into this series. There was mystery, murder, unrequited love, secrets, enemies, friendship, all that good stuff. As the pages started to get closer and closer to the end the more I became sad. I started reading this series a few winters ago, when I found Invitation Only in the deleted section of my local library. The deleted section is where they put kind of tattered and old books and you can take them home to keep. So, I took this one because it looked kind of interesting. I read it in one night and realized about halfway through that it seemed like I was missing something. When I checked out the website for the series I found out that there were already like 7 books in the series and I had started on number two. Which is how I first came into reading this series. The last 3 chapters were the saddest for me, because everything was ending, and it was becoming more and more obvious. Characters were graduating, people from the first books were coming back, kind of a last hoorah for us. I feel bad about Mr. Lange, he has become sort of a staple in the background of these books. Whenever something needed to be done, a call to him had it all set up, I was really upset when he was killed. I definitely missed his presence in this book. It's sad Reed won't get to know him as her father, and it's obvious how much Noelle misses him, they were very close. I'll admit I got a little teary eyed at the graduation scene, and on the last page I thought, wow I can't wait for the next one..and then I remembered there wouldn't be a next one. I'll miss this series a lot, and I can't wait for future books from this author. Farewell Private and Privilege, you will be missed. 

5/5 stars

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Review: Unearthly

Summary:In the beginning, there's a boy standing in the trees . . . .
Clara Gardner has recently learned that she's part angel. Having angel blood run through her veins not only makes her smarter, stronger, and faster than humans (a word, she realizes, that no longer applies to her), but it means she has a purpose, something she was put on this earth to do. Figuring out what that is, though, isn't easy.
Her visions of a raging forest fire and an alluring stranger lead her to a new school in a new town. When she meets Christian, who turns out to be the boy of her dreams (literally), everything seems to fall into place—and out of place at the same time. Because there's another guy, Tucker, who appeals to Clara's less angelic side.
As Clara tries to find her way in a world she no longer understands, she encounters unseen dangers and choices she never thought she'd have to make—between honesty and deceit, love and duty, good and evil. When the fire from her vision finally ignites, will Clara be ready to face her destiny?

Review: This was a book that I bought from a closing down Borders. I'd aways see it at bookstores and the library but I never had any interest in it, but finally I decided I'd buy it. The cover is really pretty and it's at a discounted prices so why not? Well, I am SO glad I did! I loved this book a lot!! I regret not reading and buying it sooner. Here are a few things I really liked about this book: 1) the names. I've said in a previous post that a lot of authors go for the exotic strange names. It's almost kind of rare now that you get a book with a name that's simple like..Christian for example. The names in this book were common names, but old ones that you really don't hear that often anymore, Christian, Wendy, Angela, Clara, Jeffrey,  I loved that aspect. Just a group of normally named people. It's just a lot more relatable when it's a name that you could possible pass on the street. 2) It was country! I'm a huge country music fan, and I'm convinced I was born in the wrong state. I love in New York when I should live in Tennessee, so it was really nice to read about all the country-ness of the book. The cowboy hats, the cowboy boots, flannel shirts, country music (even though Tucker kind of hated it). That was a major plus for me. 3) The relationship between the family. They had a really nice family dynamic. The mom wasn't a complete strict mom, but she wasn't too easy going, she was a best friend but also a mom. I think in a lot of books the mother is either so easy going she lets her teenage daughter sleep over her new boyfriends house like its no big deal, or she's so strict she doesn't want her daughter dating at all. Like you're supposed to hate the mother in every book for either caring too much, or not at all. 4) and then there's Jeffrey. He acts tough, and rugged, but he still finds the time to joke around with his mom and Clara, and I really liked that. He's a normal teenaged guy, popular,  but still able to joke with his family. 5) I liked the evolution of Clara's feelings for Tucker. I found that as she started to like him more, I started to like him more, as she started to love him, I started to love him. It wasn't like omg we met I love you. It was a steady incline of feelings, you almost don't realize it until you lose him. Now here is what I didn't like:  I didn't like how Christian was not into her right away. Now this has nothing to do with the author or the writing, it's just me. She's so obviously trying to befriend him, get in a nice conversation and he's always just looking past her, it frustrated me. 
I would definitely recommend this book, I loved it, and I can't wait for the next one!! The twist at the end of this was CRAZY!! I totally didn't expect. One thing i'm hoping for in book two is you find out Midas is okay...you'll see what I mean when you read this one. I really hope there's more Tucker, I felt sad by the turn of events that relationship took.

5/5 Stars

Quote I liked: "He's like a God. You worship the gods, but you don't go out with them. you only like guys like that from a distance."

Monday, September 12, 2011

Sunday, September 11, 2011

More Borders Saves

3 hardcovers, $15

Cover Reveal

Kieran Scott reveled the cover of the last book in the She's So Dead To Us trilogy. I'm praying for a happy ending for Jake and Ally but....look at that baby bag! PLEASE don't let it be his baby!!...Please?!

Fury: Elizabeth Miles-Trailer

Review: Fury

Summary:It’s winter break in Ascension, Maine. The snow is falling and everything looks pristine and peaceful. But not all is as it seems...
Between cozy traditions and parties with her friends, Emily loves the holidays. And this year’s even better--the guy she’s been into for months is finally noticing her. But Em knows if she starts things with him, there’s no turning back. Because his girlfriend is Em’s best friend.
On the other side of town, Chase is having problems of his own. The stress of his home life is starting to take its toll, and his social life is unraveling. But that’s nothing compared to what’s really haunting him. Chase has done something cruel...something the perfect guy he pretends to be would never do. And it’s only a matter of time before he’s exposed.
In Ascension, mistakes can be deadly. And three girls—three beautiful, mysterious girls—are here to choose who will pay.
Em and Chase have been chosen.

Review: Just as a warning, there will be spoilers in this review, I usually don't post spoilers, but in order to get my point across I'm going to have to post some. Here we go, I LOVED this book...a lot. I'm a big fan of horror so when I read that this book was sort of scary I knew I had to read it. One of the things in fact, that I loved about this book was that it was scary. I love young adult literature, but theres usually nothing scary happening in them (except maybe your favorite vampire leaving town for half a year). But at points I was really scared of this book. At one point when Em looks out the door she sees a white face staring back at her, I got so spooked I had to close my curtains, I was genuinely scared! The main character of this book is a girl named Em Winters, but there is a sort of back and forth between another sub main character Chase Singer. Believe it or not, I grew quite attached to Chase, and I was really upset when he...died. Your main characters don't usually die in books, and that was another thing I liked about this book. It wasn't all rainbows and butterflies, bad things happened, tragedy struck, people were hurt. I was happy when Em finally realized J.D was in love with her, and that she finally understood how good he was to her, I wanted to shake her and tell her to wake up and smell the perfect man next door! I'm hearing its's a trilogy and I hope that's right, because the way it ended...i needed more! I need to know that Em will find a way to defeat the Furies and take her life back, and I need to know what taking the red pills did to J.D's memory of Em and what happened. Please let me be together in the next book! Or at least on the road to recovery. A definite must read highly recommended.

5/5 

Fury: Elizabeth Miles

Thursday, September 8, 2011

check out this interview and giveaway

http://t.co/WgezuWH

Grace is currently reading....

Review: The Eternal Ones: All You Desire

Summary:Haven Moore and Iain Morrow have been living a blissful life in Rome, an ocean way from the Ouroboros Society and its diabolical leader. But paradise is not to last. The mysterious disappearance of Haven's best friend, Beau, sends the pair running back to New York, where they encounter the Horae, an underground group of women who have spent centuries scheming to destroy Adam Rosier. Only they can help Haven uncover the secret to Beau's whereabouts in one of her past lives. But their help comes at a price: Haven must infiltrate the Ouroboros Society, charm Adam Rosier, and lure him into a trap. It's a plan the Horae believe will save the world-but Haven and Iain fear that it may destroy the happiness they've been chasing for two thousand years


Review: The Eternal Ones was a book I read last year and absolutely LOVED. I devoured it and finished it in like two days. When part two came out I was so excited because of how much I loved part one.  However; part two just didn't do it for me as much as the first one which I was really sad about. Here's my thing: in the first book of a series or trilogy, the main couple struggles to be together, I can deal with it. Yes, it's the first book and the reader needs to be in suspense of their relationship. Will they end up together? Are they really meant to be together, and all that. So at the end of book one when they end up together, I don't expect to see all that drama again in book two. They went through the turmoil, I want happiness after that. Even if they have to fight evil, or kill an enemy, they should be doing it together. On a happier note, I will definitely continue to read these books, I still love the characters and the premise of the books. I'm excited to see what happens to the Ouroboros society after what happened in this book. I didn't HATE the book I'd still recommend it, and I'm still looking forward to the next books.


3/5 stars

Monday, September 5, 2011

Fever Jacket Giveaway On Lauren Destefano's Blog!

If you're a fan of Wither by Lauren Destefano, and you're super excited for the release of Fever, than you should check out her blog for a chance to win a Fever cover jacket!




Here's the Link: http://www.laurendestefano.com/blog.php

Have fun and good luck!

A word on Borders

I'm still really saddened by the idea of Borders' closing down. Going in to any store now is a dreary experience. The lights are dim, the shelves are empty, books I loved are at ridiculously low prices. But there is something good coming from this, a whole mess of books for low prices, so if it's your first time reading it, and you hate it, at least it was cheap. On Saturday went into a Borders to browse, and left with a pretty impressive stack of YA books for only $48. I took a picture of my spoils because I was so proud of them.



Friday, September 2, 2011

Grace is currently reading....


Review: Succubus Revealed


Summary: With a shot at love, and maybe even redemption, is the ultimate seductress finally going soft? Like hell she is. . .
Georgina Kincaid has had an eternity to figure out the opposite sex, but sometimes they still surprise her. Take Seth Mortensen. The man has risked his soul to become Georgina's boyfriend. Still, with Lucifer for a boss, Georgina can't just hang up her killer heels and settle down to domestic bliss. In fact, she's being forced to transfer operations. . .to Las Vegas.
The City of Sin is a dream gig for a succubus, but Georgina's allies are suspicious. Why are the powers-that-be so eager to get her away from Seattle—and from Seth? Georgina is one of Hell's most valuable assets, but if there's any way out of the succubus business she plans to take it—no matter how much roadkill she leaves behind. She just hopes the casualties won't include the one man she's risking everything for. . .

Review: Me and Georgina have as much of a tumultuous relationship as her and Seth do. When I first started reading Succubus Blues a few years ago, I didn't like it. I think I read about thirty pages and decided to call it quits. A few months later I went back and decided to give it another go. And thank goodness because this series quickly became my favorite! Then, just as quickly as I came to love it, I came to hate it! When Seth and Georgina broke up, and Seth had sex with Maddie I was DONE. I remember the exact place I was the second those horrible words came out of Maddie’s fat mouth. “I had sex with Seth.” I was reading on my lunch break at work, I violently closed the book and through it across the table. I planned to never read the rest, or even finish the series. In fact, when the new one came out, I made no plans to go buy it, I didn’t even put it on hold at the library. I remember going to a Borders and reading the last few pages, and seeing that Georgina was helping Maddie plan her wedding..wedding?! So now they’re not just having sex, but they’re dating, and engaged to be married?! This was so not happening, I boycotted the books. Alana continued to read the series and she had to tell me when it was safe to start reading again, when Georgina and Seth would finally be back together. So that leads us here to the ending of the series and the conclusion of the tumultuous relationship me and Georgina had. I liked this book a lot. The twists were C-R-A-Z-Y I never suspected any of them at all. It was a complete and utter shock to me. I’m happy I got the ending I wanted, but I’m sad because of what happens to another character I loved..Roman. I won’t say what happened, but I hope he’s okay, and I can’t believe the sacrifice he risked for Georgina. I wish she would have stayed to listen to what he had to say. If it’s possible I fell even more in love with almost everyone in this book...especially Carter. Something Richelle did in this book that I really liked, was she tied Seth’s...authorness (for lack of a better word) into her own, and into this story. Here is what I mean: 
“Are Cady and O’neill ever going to get together?”-Georgina
“ Do you think they should?”-Seth
“Well, they’ve been through an awful lot together. And if there’s only one book left, it kind of seems like they’re running out of time.”-Georgina
Ahhh I LOVED that! This book and this series are a must read! I think I will even read them over in the near future. Definitely recommended. Farewell Georgina it was a bumpy but great ride. 
p.s: I would still love a prequel to these books, like her lives in all the previous 9 men she’s loved (you’ll see what I mean by the end of this one.)

5/5 Stars

Grace is currently reading....


Review: The Power Of Six

Summary:I've seen him on the news. Followed the stories about what happened in Ohio. John Smith, out there, on the run. To the world, he's a mystery. But to me . . . he's one of us. 

Nine of us came here, but sometimes I wonder if time has changed us—if we all still believe in our mission. How can I know? There are six of us left. We're hiding, blending in, avoiding contact with one another . . . but our Legacies are developing, and soon we'll be equipped to fight. Is John Number Four, and is his appearance the sign I've been waiting for? And what about Number Five and Six? Could one of them be the raven-haired girl with the stormy eyes from my dreams? The girl with powers that are beyond anything I could ever imagine? The girl who may be strong enough to bring the six of us together? 

They caught Number One in Malaysia. 
Number Two in England. 
And Number Three in Kenya. 
They tried to catch Number Four in Ohio—and failed. 

I am Number Seven. One of six still alive. 

And I'm ready to fight

Review: I actually wrote a review on this book already, it was my hurricane read so I had it read up pretty quickly. However; something happened and my post was deleted and I was so frustrated I haven''t tried to rewrite it since. Here I am trying again. This may sound weird but when I'm reading a book there's always something I'm looking for. The title. I like to find the words of the title in the book, this way I can be like oh so THAT'S where the title came from! Once I find it I'm a happy camper. I am number four had that shattering moment where he realizes he's number four and obviously, you had the title search over pretty quickly, and in a pretty serious scene. In this book it happened not once but TWICE, and for two totally different reasons. John is watching Six fight and he says "I always underestimate the power of Six" and then later on he goes on to explaining how the power of six (as in all six of the Lorien Garde) will succeed in this fight with the Mogardorians. So I was real happy about that. I really really loved this book for a lot of reasons. It was just as action packed as the first, if not more, and you really got to know the characters a whole better. I've been a big fan of Sam so I'm happy he got to be in this book a lot, and he also gets some love..I won't say from who. Now, I don't know if I just really like Diana Agron and that's why I have such a dislike for Sarah, or if I just really hate Sarah's character. Man I don't like her! I want John with someone else, preferably a Lorien, and after what happened in this book with Sarah I hope that happens. The dialogue between Sam and John is so perfect for 15 year old boys that I adore reading their conversations. A lot of authors give teens such a weird voice when writing in their dialogues but this as so spot on, it was refreshing. There are introductions to others of the Garde that you will fall in love with in an instant, I know I did.  The explosions are bigger, the creatures are scarier, and the Mogadorians have doubled in number you MUST read this book. It was SO good, I will anxiously be awaiting the release of book three!!

5/5 stars

Monday, August 29, 2011

Grace is currently reading....


Review: Twisted

Summary: (via goodreads)It’s been a year since the torturous notes from A stopped and the mystery of Alison DiLaurentis’s disappearance was finally put to rest. Now seniors in high school, Aria, Spencer, Hanna and Emily are older, but they’re not any wiser. The Pretty Little Liars have more secrets than ever - twisted secrets that could destroy the perfect lives they’ve worked so hard to rebuild. 

Aria’s jealous of her boyfriend’s new exchange student. Spencer’s getting a little too cozy with her soon-to-be-stepbrother. Hanna’s one scandalous photo away from ruining her dad’s Senate campaign. And Emily will do anything to get a swim scholarship. 

Worst of all: Last spring break in Jamaica, they did something unforgivable. The girls are desperate to forget that fateful night, but they should know better than anyone that all secrets wash ashore … eventually

Review: With the massive success of the T.v series, I think Sara decided she was going to milk this as much as she could (making 4 more books). When the last book ended it was the END and that was obvious, so when I found out this book was coming out I was both confused and excited. I didn't see a need to keep the series going because it ended on a good note and everything was solved and perfect. But I was excited because I liked these books and I was curious to see what was gonna happen to these pretty little liars we have all come to love. I must admit, I was SUPER confused when the last book came to an end and everything was solved, between Ali and Courtney my mind was reeling, and it continued on in this book when they were mentioned. That made it hard to follow for me, but otherwise I really enjoyed this book. I love these books and I love the scandals. The problems with the law Hannah always finds herself in, the bad boy situations Spencer always ends up in ahh I love it. This book brought back all the things you loved in the other books, all the characters all the drama, and excitement. A definite must read if you loved all the other books. I still don't see a need for this book, and I still am really confused about the Courtney/Ali thing so..


As a side note: there was something that bugged me:
1)When Zach is leaning over Spencer she says his longish hair was falling down into his eyes, then later on in the book she says his short brown hair was sticking up all over the place. 


3/5 stars

Friday, August 26, 2011

Review: Bloodlines

Summary:When alchemist Sydney is ordered into hiding to protect the life of Moroi princess Jill Dragomir, the last place she expects to be sent is a human private school in Palm Springs, California. But at their new school, the drama is only just beginning. 


Review: With the Vampire Academy series ending in December with Last sacrifice, I was sad to see the world of Damphir, Moroi, and Strigoi go...but alas! The Bloodlines series would be a spin off of Vampire Academy so we would not have to give up the world for good! One of the things I loved about this book was that we got to stay in the world that we came to love in Vampire Academy. Many of the same characters make an appearance in this book, wether it be a main character *cough* Adrian, Sydney, and Eddie or a quick appearance like Abe and Rose. When I found out that Adrian was going to be the main squeeze of this book I was SO excited, I loved him in Vampire Academy and even started to like him more than Dmitri towards the end (blasphemous I know!). When I'm reading a book I usually keep a little piece of paper in it as a book mark that I use to write things on it, like quotes I like, things I laughed at or things I hated. One of the first things I wrote was "Adrian is SO funny" and then a few lines down I wrote again, "Adrian cracks me up" Without getting too spoilery, I was laughing at all his interviews, and finding out the way he behaved and why he didn't get the jobs and when he is telling Sydney about how he actually cleaned his house. Early in the beginning he says "O Positive: my favorite" that's my bloodtype so I just kept thinking of Adrian and being his blood donor...hmm. The only problem I had with this book was I had it figured out VERY early and there was no surprise left for me. This won't stop me from reading the other books though I DEFINITELY recommend this book of course, and I'm so happy there are more to come! Oh and I almost forgot...THE LAST LINE!!!!


Quotes and moments I liked: "takes a lot of tries before you hit perfection" he paused to think about this "well, except for my parents, they got it on the first try."


It wasn't the kind of touch that said, Hey, I've got a plan, so hang in there because we're going to get out of this. It was more like the kind of touch that simply said, You aren't alone. It was really the only thing he could offer. And in that moment, it was enough.




  • "Yeah? Can you draw a skeleton riding a motorcycle with flames coming out of it? And I want a pirate hat on the skeleton. And a parrot on his shoulder. A skeleton parrot. Or maybe a ninja skeleton parrot? No, that would be overkill. But it'd be cool if the biker skeleton could be shooting some ninja throwing stars. That are on fire." 

4/5 stars



Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Grace is currently reading....


Review: Fins Are Forever

Summary:On Lily Sanderson’s eighteenth birthday she’ll become just a girl—still a mergirl, true, but signing the renunciation will ink Princess Waterlily of Thalassinia out of existence. That leaves plain old Lily living on land, dating the boy she loves, and trying to master this being-human thing once and for all.
Now that Lily and Quince are together, mer bond or not, she’s almost content to give up her place in the royal succession of Thalassinia. But just when she thinks she has everything figured out, the waves start to get rough. Lily’s father sends a certain whirlpool-stirring cousin to stay with her on land. What did Doe do to get herself exiled from Thalassinia and stuck in terraped form when everyone knows how much she hates humans? And why why why is she batting her eyelashes at Lily’s former crush, Brody?
The seafoam on the raging surf comes when a merboy from Lily’s past shows up—Tellin asks Lily for something that clouds her view of the horizon. There’s a future with Quince on land, her loyalty to the kingdom in the sea, and Lily tossing on the waves in the middle. Will she find a way to reconcile her love, her duty, and her own dreams?

Review: The imagery of these books always impresses me. There are such details put into the description of people, places, and things..nouns in general that you really feel like you are there seeing the people in the book. Childs uses colors to describe some mer-peoples fins or hair color that you can really visualize. My favorite visual is Peri and her mother's workshop, with all the colorful cloths hanging on the walls and the different sized pearls and buttons. Anybody who has been to the beach knows what it means when she says seaweed green or caribbean blue. I was happy to see the progression of Quince and Lily's relationship to this book from the last. They seem to have grown up a bunch together since the last book, and it's nice to see Lily get with a guy who actually loves her in this one! Even though she is over Brody, loves Quince and they are happy together I still got really upset when Doe and Brody started hooking up. I don't know, I guess I still consider him Lily's Brody. I really like this series and I will continue on with the rest when they come out, because there are not enough mermaid books out there! I'm excited to see what Lily does with her new found title...I won't say what that is to avoid any spoilers.

3/5 stars

Monday, August 22, 2011

Bloodlines Trailer

Just as a reminder Bloodlines by Richelle Mead comes out tomorrow! It's the Vampire Academy spinoff so if you like that series you'll most likely like this one too!


Review: Tighter

Summary:When 17-year-old Jamie arrives on the idyllic New England island of Little Bly to work as a summer au pair, she is stunned to learn of the horror that precedes her. Seeking the truth surrounding a young couple's tragic deaths, Jamie discovers that she herself looks shockingly like the dead girl—and that she has a disturbing ability to sense the two ghosts. Why is Jamie's connection to the couple so intense? What really happened last summer at Little Bly? As the secrets of the house wrap tighter and tighter around her, Jamie must navigate the increasingly blurred divide between the worlds of the living and the dead. 


Review: First of all how awesome is the cover of this book?! It is so freaky, and that is what attracted me to this one in the first place. Even while reading the summary I got a chill up my spine, I haven't really read any creepy or spooky books, so a young adult creepy book was like a jackpot for me. The story is a re-telling of The Turn Of The Screw by Henry James, I'll admit I never read or even heard of the original, but after reading this I may have to. I quickly came to like the main character Jamie and the girl she was to be sitting Isa. There was such an innocence about Isa and all the silly little games she liked to play that I liked reading about her, because kids her age these days aren't the innocent and cute kids they used to be. Just when Jamie is trying to get to the bottom of things and becoming the super sneak, I was becoming curious too right along with her. Who was Jessie, Pete? Who are the figures I keep seeing? Often when Jamie was in a situation or thinking to herself she would incorporate a Mother-goose nursery rhyme into it, and they always fit so perfectly, I loved that. The very last page sent a shiver through my spine, the very last page made this book a must read!


4/5 stars

Thursday, August 18, 2011

Review: Wolfsbane

Summary:When Calla Tor wakes up in the lair of the Searchers, her sworn enemies, she’s certain her days are numbered. But then the Searchers make her an offer—one that gives her the chance to destroy her former masters and save the pack—and the man—she left behind. Is Ren worth the price of her freedom? And will Shay stand by her side no matter what? Now in control of her own destiny, Calla must decide which battles are worth fighting and how many trials true love can endure and still survive


Review: The Nightshade books are wildly popular and well liked my many, so I know this review is going to come as a bit of a shock to some. I have to see I'm not really a HUGE fan of these books like most people appear to be. While I do own the first book, I bought it only because I was at a book signing that Andrea was signing at and decided well why not? I waited quite some time for this book from the library, there were a lot of holds on it before me. When I finally got it  I had some trouble reading through it. I considered putting it aside and starting another book and coming back to it, but I endured. I found the book to be really boring, with the most action coming pretty late in the book. So late in fact that had I quit when I wanted to I would have been nowhere near this part. When a book starts introducing a whole bunch of new people really quickly, I can't keep track of them and I get confused and stop paying attention. Which is what happened here with Connor, Ethan, Adne, Anika and so on. I would have liked to see more of Ren and less of Shay i'm tired of him. Now I know this has nothing to do with the book, but I was really upset when the cover was changed from the original cover to the one it is now. Especially when a lot of fans were saying they didn't like it and the change still stuck. Too slow a read, I don't think I would recommend it.


2/5 stars: it was ok

Monday, August 15, 2011

Grace is currently reading....



Review: Never Have I Ever

Summary:My perfect life was a lie. 

Now I’d do anything to uncover the truth. 

Not long ago, I had everything a girl could wish for: amazing friends, an adorable boyfriend, a loving family. But none of them know that I’m gone—that I’m dead. To solve my murder, my long-lost twin sister, Emma, has taken my place. She sleeps in my room, wears my clothes, and calls my parents Mom and Dad. 

And my killer is watching her every move. 

I remember little from my life, just flashes and flickers, so all I can do is follow along as Emma tries to solve the mystery of my disappearance. But the deeper she digs, the more suspects she uncovers. It turns out my friends and I played a lot of games—games that ruined people’s lives. Anyone could want revenge . . . anyone could want me—and now Emma—dead. 

Review: I'm writing the review of this book while watching the premiere of the show on ABC family. And as always...it's different already! This isn't how the girls met, they didn't have long lengthy convos online butttt this isn't a review of the show, so moving on. I still don't know how they can have a show on a book series with all of TWO books, one when the show started filming. Okay, seriously, enough. I liked this book a whole lot more than I liked the first book. Every time Emma got a new lead it was squashed and she found herself at square one and confused all over again. It still grossed me out to read a book with the love interest named Ethan (that's my brothers name). But all in all I really enjoyed this book, like I said a whole lot more than the first. You get to know all the main character's a lot more in this one, hearing the story behind mysterious Thayer, and Madeline's home life. The more Emma falls for Ethan I did too. You also get to read more about the pranks they played in the Lying Game which was fun to see, how did the girls get in trouble for this one? One thing I have a problem with was the narration by Sutton, it kept really confusing me, I thought I was reading from a non-specific narrator, and then Emma then it would bounce to Sutton and I was never quite sure who was narrating until they would mention a name. But that's easily overlooked. I will definitely keep reading the series I'm starting to really like it.

3/5 stars