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

Friday, August 12, 2011

Review: The Betrayal Of Natalie Hargrove

Summary:A steamy Southern beauty makes one fatal mistake

Natalie Hargrove would kill to be her high school's Palmetto Princess. But her boyfriend Mike King doesn't share her dream and risks losing the honor of Palmetto Prince to Natalie's nemesis, Justin Balmer. So she convinces Mike to help play a prank on Justin. . . one that goes terribly wrong. They tie him to the front of the church after a party - when they arrive the next morning, Justin is dead.

From blackmail to buried desire, dark secrets to darker deeds, Natalie unravels. She never should've messed with fate. Fate is the one thing more twisted than Natalie Hargrove.

Review: I read this book because I'm a semi-fan of the Fallen trilogy. I liked  them enough to read them, and buy them (used, value priced) so I decided I'd read this Lauren Kate book as well. It turns out, I liked it a lot more than I liked the Fallen books. While the Fallen books are all about love and passion the furthest the characters went into a scandalous love affair was a stolen and quick kiss here and there. This book had sex, murder, revenge, hate, drugs, more sex, and young girls doing anything (including flashing party guests to get beads) to fit in and get to be with the "In" crowd. I love reading about scandalous rich kids I really do, so I enjoyed this book. There was one thing I really disliked about this book, and I dislike any book that does this, so I'm not just singling this one out. I will try to explain this as clearly as possible. When characters have a past, and you learn early on about it, but you never quite know the details of the past. Justin torments Natalie in this book, and she tells us they'd met before and thats' it. No who what where or why, just she knew him. I can't relate to a character at all or her hatred for Justin unless you tell me WHY you avoid him like the plague right from the get go. The story behind her hate for him doesn't come out until the last chapter the last i'll say...3 pages of the book. If you don't tell me why they hate each other, I will not pay as close attention to their reactions in the book because I feel lost. When I finally found out the reason, I couldn't really remember the interactions they had throughout the book. That being said another thing I didn't understand was how the girls hung out in the bathrooms. I mean bean bags on the bathroom floor, sitting there and meditating. I don't know how their public high school bathroom looks, but if you sat on the floor of my H.S you left with blood, poo, and urine on your pants. It was an okay book, probably would recommend it.

3/5 Stars

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Grace is currently reading...


Casting News!

Lauren Kate's best selling trilogy Fallen has been picked up to be adapted into a film. We have a few of the cast members..including Lucinda Price!!
Adam Gregory as Cam (you may know him from 90210)

Lucy Hale as Luce! You may know her from Pretty Little Liars, I LOVE this actress. I think she is perfect for the part!


Elizabeth Gillies as Adrianne Alter
Agyness Deyn as Molly Zane
What are your thoughts?! We'd love to hear them!

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

Review: Hourglass


  • Reading level: Young Adult
  • Hardcover: 400 pages
  • Publisher: EgmontUSA (June 14, 2011)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1606841440

Summary:For seventeen-year-old Emerson Cole, life is about seeing what isn’t there: swooning Southern Belles; soldiers long forgotten; a haunting jazz trio that vanishes in an instant. Plagued by phantoms since her parents’ death, she just wants the apparitions to stop so she can be normal. She’s tried everything, but the visions keep coming back. 

So when her well-meaning brother brings in a consultant from a secretive organization called the Hourglass, Emerson’s willing to try one last cure. But meeting Michael Weaver may not only change her future, it may change her past. 
Who is this dark, mysterious, sympathetic guy, barely older than Emerson herself, who seems to believe every crazy word she says? Why does an electric charge seem to run through the room whenever he’s around? And why is he so insistent that he needs her help to prevent a death that never should have happened? 

Review: This was a book that I heard of around the same time I had heard of Imaginary Girls, so I kind of lumped them together. Which is no problem because I really enjoyed them both. I really liked this book, I like reading about people who can see the dead and how it affects their lives, their families and their friends. Throw in a romance and an almost sort of kinda love triangle and I'm in! I immediately felt a likeness to the main character in this book: Emerson. I felt for her considering the rough past few years she's had, losing her parents in a violent bus crash, and gaining the ability to see people from the past "rips" as they are called in the book. If I had one thing that was ehh about the book, it would be who turned out to be the "bad guy" it's always the same in every book, the one person you thought was on your side actually wasn't and they were behind every bad thing happening, and the person you hated turns out to be the good one. It's happened in sooo many books that I saw it right away in this one, I was just waiting for the *gasp* revealing moment. That's all I'll say about the to keep from any kind of spoiler. Anyway aside from that predictability, I really did enjoy this book. Even though they weren't in it much I took a liking to Emerson's brother and sister in law, Thomas and Dru. The characters really did that to me in this book, even the most trivial of characters held a spot for me. I liked them all, especially the guys of course! Handsome and endearing. *sigh* the world of YA love interests. I honestly don't know who I like more, Michael or Kaleb...guess I'll find out in book 2! I really loved the cover to this book as well. Definitely a must read...

 4/5 stars!

Grace is currently reading....


Review: Imaginary Girls


  • Reading level: Young Adult
  • Hardcover: 352 pages
  • Publisher: Dutton Juvenile; Stated to be First Edition (June 14, 2011)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0525423389



Summary:Chloe's older sister, Ruby, is the girl everyone looks to and longs for, who can't be captured or caged. When a night with Ruby's friends goes horribly wrong and Chloe discovers the dead body of her classmate London Hayes left floating in the reservoir, Chloe is sent away from town and away from Ruby.

But Ruby will do anything to get her sister back, and when Chloe returns to town two years later, deadly surprises await. As Chloe flirts with the truth that Ruby has hidden deeply away, the fragile line between life and death is redrawn by the complex bonds of sisterhood.

Review: First off let me say that this book was absolutely BEAUTIFULLY written. I was originally drawn to this book because of the cover, which I think is so intriguing. You have to wonder who is this girl, is she drowning, floating? Living, dying? The imagery in which Suma used was so clear and so descriptive you seriously felt like you were in the story, looking over the scene of the reservoir feeling that cold spot right in the middle. I pictured the town in my head with every description adding more and more buildings, benches, and bars until I had the whole town panned out in full detail in my mind. The relationship built between Chloe and her sister Ruby is so endearing. I think a lot of people will be able to relate to the sisterly bond that is the main focus of this whole book. People without a sister will wish they had one, and wish they had this kind of relationship with her. The supernatural-ness that is woven throughout the book really left me wondering. I wasn't sure if it was really there, it sure seemed like it was, there was evidence throughout the book to point that it was indeed true, but I wasn't sure if it was just the imagining of a young girl who absolutely adores her sister. It's this confusion that makes me wonder about the title, "Imaginary Girls". I don't know exactly how it relates to the book, was the supernatural things imaginary to Ruby and Chloe? I don't know! There were times when I was genuinely freaked out by some occurrences, and I had goosebumps and felt the hair raise on my neck. this book is a must read, definitely recommend it, if not the the actual content than at least to experience how beautifully it's written. 

4/5 Stars: read this book!

Friday, August 5, 2011

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Review: Trial By Fire

Summary: There can only be one alpha.
 Bryn is finally settling into her position as alpha of the Cedar Ridge Pack—or at least, her own version of what it means to be alpha when you’re a human leading a band of werewolves. Then she finds a teenage boy bleeding on her front porch. Before collapsing, he tells her his name is Lucas, he’s a Were, and Bryn’s protection is his only hope.

But Lucas isn’t part of Bryn’s pack, and she has no right to claim another alpha’s Were.  With threats—old and new—looming, and danger closing in from all sides, Bryn will have to accept what her guardian Callum knew all along. To be alpha, she will have to give in to her own animal instincts and become less human. And, she’s going to have to do it alone.


Review: I really enjoyed the first book in this series, Raised By Wolves. I'm really enjoying the switch from Vampires to Werewolves that's been happening of late so this book was something I really wanted to read. I like this series because although she is raised as a wolf and she acts like one, she's actually human. Sort of like a human in wolfs clothing. This book essentially picks up where the last one ended, Bryn having her own pack and taking the position of Alpha for the Cedar Ridge pack. If there was one thing I didn't like about this book, it was the relationship between her and Chase. There didn't seem to be much of it in this book, they were distant and not very affectionate, save for a few encounters that lasted a short half page. The introduction of Luke caused quite a stir in their little pack, and I think it was too soon for drama of such a large scale to take place. I would have enjoyed the book just being Bryn's struggle as trying to balance being the Alpha and trying to have a normal teen relationship with Chase. I felt at times like maybe there was a short novella in between the two that I missed that showed Chase and Bryn's relationship in a way I didn't get to read in this book. When Shay writes an e-mail to all the alpha's asking if they have seen his "missing runt" it got a little chuckle out of me. Over all this book was okay, I liked it, but I definitely liked part one better, and hopefully I will like the next one better.