Deea's Journal

Waiting on Wednesday (1/11)

2012-01-11T14:34:00.000+02:00

Hello!

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases we're eagerly anticipating.

*Thanks Danny @ Bewitched Bookworms for the WoW button

I mentioned a couple of days ago that I'm getting more and more excited about Dystopian novels with every new release. Well, here's another one I can't wait to get my hands on:

Partials (Partials #1)
by Dan Wells

Release Date: February 28th 2012
by HarperCollins Publishers
Hardcover, 472 pages

Goodreads:

The human race is all but extinct after a war with Partials—engineered organic beings identical to humans—has decimated the population. Reduced to tens of thousands by RM, a weaponized virus to which only a fraction of humanity is immune, the survivors in North America have huddled together on Long Island while the Partials have mysteriously retreated. The threat of the Partials is still imminent, but worse, no baby has been born immune to RM in more than a decade. Our time is running out.

Kira, a sixteen-year-old medic in training, is on the front lines of this battle, seeing RM ravage the community while mandatory pregnancy laws threaten to launch what’s left of humanity into civil war, and she’s not content to stand by and watch. But as she makes a desperate decision to save the last of her race, she will discover that the survival of humans and Partials alike rests in her attempts to uncover the connections between them—connections that humanity has forgotten, or perhaps never even knew were there.

Dan Wells, acclaimed author of I Am Not a Serial Killer, takes readers on a pulse-pounding journey into a world where the very concept of what it means to be human is in question—one where our humanity is both our greatest liability and our only hope for survival.

That sounds very interesting and exciting. And a bit scary. :)) I guess Partials has a sci-fi feel to it, but I'm really looking forward to reading a good book out of my comfort zone. I love the cover and there's also a cool, movie-like trailer for this novel that makes me even more eager to read it. Check it out:

So, will you pick up Partials when it comes out?
What are you guys waiting on this week?

xoxo

Half-Blood Giveaway Winners!

2012-01-09T18:22:00.000+02:00

Hey guys!

It's time to announce the winners to my Half-Blood (Covenant #1) by Jennifer L. Armentrout giveaway. So, I'll get right to business:

Based upon number of entries and location, I got 3 lists with contestants and 3 winners: (and I picked the winners with random.org, as usual)

Romania Winner:

Balmez Andrada

International (Europe / Everywhere)

Suzanne Finnegan

US Winner (Half-Blood eBook)

Sophia Rose

Congrats ladies!!! I hope you will enjoy the book as much as I did! I will email you shortly and then you will have 3 days to get back to me with your addresses and all the details so I can send you the books ASAP. ;)

And thanks everyone for entering the contest and for your lovely comments! Your support and presence on the blog means a lot to me! I'll try to have another giveaway for you soon! I want everyone to win!<3

Have a fab week and happy reading!
xoxo

Spotted: Glitch by Heather Anastasiu New Cover & Trailer!

2012-01-09T14:42:00.000+02:00

Hey guys!

Here's something I spotted this morning and I wanted to share with you:

Glitch (Glitch #1)
by Heather Anastasiu

Release date: August 7th 2012
by St. Martin's Press

Goodreads / Website

In the Community, there is no more pain or war. Implanted computer chips have wiped humanity clean of destructive emotions, and thoughts are replaced by a feed from the Link network.

When Zoe starts to malfunction (or "glitch"), she suddenly begins having her own thoughts, feelings, and identity. Any anomalies must be immediately reported and repaired, but Zoe has a secret so dark it will mean certain deactivation if she is caught: her glitches have given her uncontrollable telekinetic powers.

As Zoe struggles to control her abilities and stay hidden, she meets other glitchers including Max, who can disguise his appearance, and Adrien, who has visions of the future. Both boys introduce Zoe to feelings that are entirely new. Together, this growing band of glitchers must find a way to free themselves from the controlling hands of the Community before they’re caught and deactivated, or worse.

In this action-packed debut, Glitch begins an exciting new young adult trilogy.

Trailer:

Eek! Last year I was weary and skeptical about Dystopian novels, but lately I've read a few very good ones and I'm getting more and more excited about this genre with every new release! And Glitch is one I can't wait to read this year (argh! late summer release)! Sounds awesome, don't you think? ;)

Also, I love the cover! I love the overall colors and the font used for the title, with all those little effects! <3 Must have it on my shelf ASAP!

*Source & more info: Author @ Brave New Words Blog

Thoughts? ;)

xoxo

Review: Brightest Kind of Darkness by P.T. Michelle

2012-01-06T21:29:00.003+02:00

Happy Friday everyone! ♥

Brightest Kind of Darkness (Brightest Kind of Darkness #1)
by P.T. Michelle

Published June 27th 2011 by Patrice Michelle

Goodreads:

Nara Collins is an average sixteen-year-old, with one exception: every night she dreams the events of the following day. Due to an incident in her past, Nara avoids using her special gift to change fate…until she dreams a future she can’t ignore.

After Nara prevents a bombing at Blue Ridge High, her ability to see the future starts to fade, while people at school are suddenly being injured at an unusually high rate.

Grappling with her diminishing powers and the need to prevent another disaster, Nara meets Ethan Harris, a mysterious loner who seems to understand her better than anyone. Ethan and Nara forge an irresistible connection, but as their relationship heats up, so do her questions about his dark past.

My thoughts:

(No spoilers)

I think I’ve tried to write this first paragraph at least four times, but it just wouldn’t come out right. So I might as well just say it: Brightest Kind of Darkness blew my mind away! Seriously, it was so good and so full of all kinds of surprises, twists, turns and well, awesomeness, that I don’t even know where to start!

Sometimes I take notes when I read review books, because there are some ideas that just pop into my head and if I don’t write them down right then and there, by the time I sit down to write my review, I forget what I wanted to say at a specific moment or about a specific scene. Well, when I read Brightest Kind of Darkness… I got nothing. I was too immersed in the story, too busy reading or gripping the edges of my seat, too anxious about all the twisty events or too excited about finally figuring something out to just stop from my reading for even a minute or so to take a note. Not that I could have focused on anything else, anyway. All I got are some scattered bookmarks for favorite quotes like“31% Ethan = SWOON” or “59%-WTH just happened?!?!” or “78% - scene 2DIE4. *sigh*

All this may seem irrelevant, but my point is: this book was brilliant and it exceed all my expectations (which were already pretty high). Everything about it is different, surprising, engrossing, and well… pretty amazing! P.T. Michelle is such a talented author! She has this way with words that just pulls you into the story and makes you feel like you’re walking the school halls alongside her characters, seeing what they see and feeling what they feel. Everything is so realistic and all the elements in the story are very well balanced. Whoa!

Ok, I’ll try to make some sense here. LOL

Since she was seven, Nara’s been dreaming her whole the next day, so her life has always been predictable, a routine. When she was little, she tried to make some changes in the course of events and things didn’t end well, so she tried to avoid making any major changes ever since. She just learned to avoid unpleasant situations and to make adaptations to situations that affected strictly her. Until one day, when something had to be changed – and her whole world turned upside down. Ever since she prevented a bomb attack at school because too many people would have been hurt, things have gone from bad to worse. Who knew that one whispered “Can I just have one surprising day?” would give the saying “Be careful what you wish for” a whole new meaning!...

After that experience, any “adaptations” I’d made had been strictly stuff that affected me. And even those weren’t often. I’d learned the hard way that altering an event could affect how the rest of my day was supposed to unfold. Knowing what was coming—even if I didn’t like it—was better than not knowing what would happen if I changed something. Avoidance worked for me. But last night was the first time a dream had left me with only one choice. (Kindle Locations 158-162)

Weird, scary things happen around her. Her dreams start to fade until they disappear completely. Random kids at school get hurt frequently. There are too many accidents around her to be a coincidence. She has serious problems with her soccer teammates and even with her best friend. Her missing father sends her short, cryptic messages after years and years of silence. And then there’s Ethan, the lonely, quiet boy who avoids everyone and keeps to himself, yet who seems to pop up everywhere she is and to know too much about her. There’s something dark and mysterious about him – something that keeps everyone else away from him but draws her closer. The question is, are all these things related? If so, how are they related? What can she do to get her normal life back, dreams and predictability and all?

Many parts of my life—from losing my dreams and Lainey’s friendship, to being attacked in the woods and now my dad texting me—were being tossed and jerked around, just like my dirty clothes in the washer last night. And just like my freshly laundered clothes I’d pulled out of the dryer, I wanted my life to go back to being neat and squeaky clean. Instead, it seemed to be headed in the “wrinkled with set-in stains” direction.(Kindle Locations 1373-1376).

Eventually, she gets to hang out with Ethan more and to understand him. Also, there’s definitely some kind of otherworldly, strong connection between them, but finding out more about it doesn’t make things any easier for them – all on the contrary. They do get to spend more time together and to have feelings for each other, but they still can’t explain what’s going on and don’t know how to stop it. Because a dark, dangerous force seems to be looming over them all and avoiding the disasters it causes only makes things worse. The only way to make it stop is to confront it – but that could be the end for Nara - and everyone else as well.

It’s not easy to tell you what’s the story actually about without giving too much away. You just have to read it and see for yourself, you will be surprised, I promise!:D As I mentioned, there are a lot of WTH moments, twists and turns to make you mad with curiosity about what’s going to happen next. Just when you think you’ve finally figured it out, BAM! Something happens and you’re back to square one. And the ending was killer! There’s no way I could have seen that coming! It wasn’t exactly a cliffhanger, but it did leave me staring wide eyed at the screen and with lots of questions I really, really hope I’ll find the answers to in the next book.

Nara was such a great, tough character! She’s likeable and relatable; it was very easy to connect with her. Given that she always knew what to expect from her life, when she finally faces the unknown, she doesn’t freak out (not much, anyway) and doesn’t hide in a corner waiting for things to get back to normal. She’s scared, but also determined and ready to face everything - life - or whatever forces are in control now - might throw at her. Her inner strength is incredible! And when she finally feels like she can’t take it anymore and she’s ready to collapse, there’s always Ethan to catch her and to try to make things better for her.

“He was there for me, Lainey. You’ve been so busy with your new boyfriend, you didn’t even notice your best friend was going through some stuff. But Ethan did, and that’s enough for me.” (Kindle Locations 805-807).

And even though his actions were somehow questionable and unpredictable, his reasons were always good and sincere.

Ethan had this knack for leaving me breathless and teetering. Like a chair tilted on two legs, I was never sure if I was going to topple over or land on solid ground. (Kindle Locations 562-563).

Speaking of Ethan… Oh my! *sigh* He is a strong, swoon-worthy character (not to mention a blue-eyed hottie *drool*), but in a very realistic kind of way. He has a dark past, but he’s doing his best to get over it and to find a way to cope with all the craziness surrounding him.

Ethan was always so controlled, the brief display of raw emotion threw me. Sometimes he seemed much older, like he’d been through a lot. (Kindle Locations 833-834)

His relationship with Nara is the best thing that happened to him lately; he really cares about her and he would do anything to protect her. (It may or may not be because everyone else only sees his troubled past and dark side, but she doesn’t care about any of that and seems to see the kindness in his heart and to actually get him.)

The world in general is kind of gritty and scary, but the relationship between Nara and Ethan is very sweet and intense. The cuddling, heart-melting, knees-buckling kind of sweet. :D

“Thank you for being there,” I said in an unsteady voice. Ethan clasped my wrist and pulled me into his arms, holding me close. “I’ll always be here for you.” (Kindle Locations 1139-1140) *faints*

That’s why I said P.T. Michelle did an amazing job at balancing all the elements in this book. The high school drama, supernatural, unexpected, mystery, suspense, romance, everything is very well put together and make of Brightest Kind of Darkness a believable, yet very interesting and unputdawnable story that will definitely let readers breathless and eager for more!;)

And now I'll leave you with one of my favorites: (Ethan to Nara)

"…you are my peace, a bright light in all that darkness.” ♥

*Review copy provided by author in exchange for my honest opinion. Thank you!
**I read Brightest Kind of Darkness last year (whoa! I can't believe I refer to sometime three weeks ago as last year) and it was one of my honorable mentions in my Top 10 YA Books of 2011. ;)

Read an excerpt

Get the book from: Amazon / B&N

(it's only $0.99!)

Stalk the author: Facebook / Twitter / Blog

I've heard it will come out in paperback soon and I'll definitely pick up one! The cover is gorgeous! Readers who enjoyed books like Falling Under by Gwen Hayes or Crave by Melissa Darnell will definitely love this one - maybe even more!;)

Have a great weekend!
xoxo

Looking Back... And Looking Forward

2012-01-04T12:31:00.000+02:00

Happy New Year everyone!

Wow! I can't believe it's already 2012! Time flies! And I guess it's that time of the year when we look back at what meant 2011 for us and set our goals for 2012, right? Yikes!

Warning: This is going to be a long post - and mostly irrelevant ramble. ;)

2011 was pretty hectic for me... Not bad, but not as good as 2010 had been either. Sometimes it felt like time stood still, yet a lot of things changed. I changed. (But I guess that's normal at this age, right?:P) The only constant in my life had been my love for books. And this blog had been my outlet, my journal. I put a lot of myself in it and maybe it didn't seem that way, since I hadn't been always constant with my posts, but trust me, it was very important to me. Sometimes maybe too important, because I cared about every single word, post, comment, visit, question that went this way. I wanted to do something just for myself. And that's what I did. That's why not many people I know IRL know about it, or if they do, they don't read or comment about it. (not as far as I know, anyway LOL). A lot of fun, joy, love, excitement and eagerness went into it, but also a surprising amount of work, frustration, anxiety, impatience and stress. But the thing is - somehow it was a welcome stress. A great distraction from the real world. And all that joy and excitement definitely make you forget about those rare moments when you feel stressed and overwhelmed and consider quitting.

It's amazing how receiving a shiny new book in the mail or a thoughtful comment can make you smile and instantly feel better on an otherwise craptastic day. An email from your favorite author, reading a book that deserves 5 stars or more or receiving a much coveted ARC can make your week. And for moments like that, I love blogging and this whole community and all those negative things I mentioned above are irrelevant and easy to forget. And I wouldn't give this up - not even when I can't find my words, I have no inspiration, or I have a blasting headache that makes it hard to think, especially in a language that is not my own.

Speaking of this community... Being part of it is one of the most fabulous and rewarding things ever! I met so many amazing readers, bloggers, authors and their support and all the good vibes they send my way is surreal! I consider all of them my close friends and I'd love to meet them IRL as well - I'm sure we'd have a blast!

Oh, wow... I set up to write about something, but this post became something else entirely. You can consider it a sort of blogoversary ramble. *nervous laugh* Because yeah, I started this book blog a year ago. And one year later, I still get worried about authors reading my reviews (because of all the 'what if's - what if I got it all wrong, what if I somehow offended them, what if they don't like it, what if I'm not making any sense, what if I didn't get what was actually important etc etc). It still takes me way too long to write reviews. I'm still too chicken to approach certain authors and publishers. I still get jealous over other bloggers' amazing, flawless writing. BUT I still LOVE it - and this community - that's what actually matters, right? Besides, I think I finally found my voice and a pattern (well, sort of). And just like IRL, I don't like to do things just to be done or halfway (*points at self* perfectionist, remember?), so if I don't feel like posting something or if I'm not completely satisfied with what's coming out on the page, I don't write a post just to fill in a day. If I lose followers because of that, so be it. I want to really love and enjoy what I do, and maybe others will like it too eventually.

I'm not setting out any goals for 2012 because, truth be told, I suck at lists. Especially at TO DO lists. The big FAIL written all over my last year's resolutions list proves that. :)) What I want this year is to be more organized and open minded - everything would be so much better and easier! Also:

This would work in all the departments

*looks up* Wow! This post is a little dramatic. LOL But I'm just being honest here about what blogging means for me and how it affects me (good or bad... but mostly good). I'll probably delete it once I come back to my senses, but until then...

I wish you all a great, productive year!

Read, have fun, take care of yourselves and smile as often as possible! ♥

P.S. Don't forget about the giveaway! ->

xoxo

Giveaway Half-Blood (Covenant #1) by Jennifer L. Armentrout & #HeroineTourney Ramble Part II

2011-12-31T16:24:00.002+02:00

UPDATE:
Wow, I got lots of entries in this giveaway and I really wish I could give you ALL copies of Half-Blood!<3 Sadly, I can't do that, but here's what I am going to do though:

I'm throwing in yet another copy of the book and extending the giveaway until tomorrow.
So: THREE winners, contest open until Sunday night. Go!;)

**********

Happy New Years Eve everyone!

I guess I should have prepared a End of The Year post, but things have been a bit hectic around here lately, and I'm not talking just about the Heroine Tourney.

Anyway, Alex didn't win the match against Katniss yesterday, but she still got a lot of love and votes. The Half Blood Legion did a great job once again, spreading the word about the match and we did won lots of friends, Alex won lots of new readers and JLA lots of fans. It's been fun! <3

Check out Jennifer L. Armentrout's blog to see all the teasers she offered as incentives for our votes: from Pure (The Covenant Series #2), Obsidian, Onyx (Lux Series #1, #2) and Cursed.

Now, some of you may ask WTH is all the fuss about. Well, here's the scoop:

The awesome girls from YA Sisterhood organized this event called YA Heroine Tourney. Basically, it's a competition between all our favorite heroines from YA books. It's all about letting people know about some of the best YA series, praising our old favorites and having lots of fun. You can check out the official post to get more details.

And Alex is the heroine in The Covenant Series by Jennifer L. Armentrout. In JLA's words, "Alexandria 'Alex' Andros is a relatively new character to the YA World. She made her debut in Oct. 2011 and most won't see her again until April 2012. Not many got to know her. But some did and decided that she was a worthy opponent in the YA Heroine Tourney." And I chose to support her because of all the heroines I've read about this year, I liked her the best. She's tough, cool, kickbutt, feisty and gets the HOTTEST guys. Here's the official blurb:

Half-Blood (Covenant #1) by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Published October 18th 2011
by Spencer Hill Press

Goodreads / Official Website

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

Gods, awesome powers, kickbutt characters, lots of wit and hot guys. What else could you ask for?;)

If you didn't have a chance to start this series yet, I'm giving away 2 copies of Half-Blood. A paperback copy for International readers and an e-book for US readers.

Giveaway ends Jan. 6th 2012.

Winners picked with random.org

I'm trying to keep this giveaway short and easy, so no mandatory or extra entries. But it's open to everyone so I would really appreciate it if you spread the word about it. ;)

Just fill in the form bellow:

*It's the same form I posted yesterday, but I wanted to have an updated post just for the giveaway. If you've already filled in the form in the previous post, you're entered. I hope I didn't make it all even more confusing.LOL

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And... that's it. I hope you all have a wonderful New Years Eve and an even better New Year! Cheers!

xoxo

Alex vs Katniss in the #HeroineTourney + Giveaway Half-Blood by Jennifer L. Armentrout

2011-12-30T17:11:00.002+02:00

Hello everyone!

As you may recall, Alex won the match against Rose (Vampire Academy) in the YA Heroine Tournament last week. (YAAAAY!) So in this next match, she's fighting against Katniss from the Hunger Games Trilogy. Yup, Katniss. Oh, why does Alex have to go against these heroines that have years, lots of books and huge fandoms supporting her? *sigh* I would give her a hug just because, but I know she would not appreciate that (and it would be awkward anyway), so at least I'm going to plead her case here, because I know she's super awesome, I know you love her too if you've already read the books and I know she deserves to be on that pedestal with our favorite YA heroines.

The Alex vs Rose match had been very tight and fierce. Because both Rose and Alex are likeable, determined kickbutt heroines with great, strong personalities and they wouldn't just back dawn and let the other one win. And their fans are a bunch of great fighters as well. And just like I said in my previous defending post, I can see them fighting back to back against creepy villains, all powerful and feisty, throwing witty remarks at each other. What can I say, I have a crazy imagination! :)) Now, you may be wondering what's all this ramble got to do with today's match. Well, here's the deal: if Alex hadn't won last match, today it would have been Rose vs Katniss. And considering all the support she got in that match, I assume you would have voted for Rose today, right? Well, I want to ask YOU ALL preeeeeety please to vote for Alex today. Both Alex's AND Rose's fans. Because Katniss is one very strong heroine herself and and it would probably take both Rose's experience and Alex's abilities to fight her. She really needs all the support she can get in this match.

Still with me here? :))

Anyway, the point is: VOTE ALEX!

And because Jennifer L. Armentrout is super awesome, here's the incentives she's offering for today match:

*drum roll*

250 votes: a teaser from Pure

500 votes: a teaser from Onyx

750 votes: a teaser from Pure and Onyx

1,000 votes: a POV from Daemon (Obsidian)

And that's not all.

1250 votes: a teaser from Seth's POV in Pure

1500 votes: a teaser from Shadows.

WINNING votes: a teaser from Pure, Shadows, Onyx, and Cursed

AND

And for every 1000 votes, JLA will give away an ARC of Pure, up to 6000 votes

- ARCs will be given away on Twitter

*jaw drop* Did you read all that?! A teaser from Seth's POV. Seth. In Pure!!! And teaser from Cursed. Cursed, people, which doesn't come out untill FALL 2012. And ARCs of Pure. *hyperventilates*

If you still haven't got the chance to meet Alex (the prequel novella is still free on the publisher's website -see link on my left sidebar to get it), I'm going to give you a chance to do it - and trust me, you'll like her too.

So I'll give away two copies of Half-Blood: a paperback copy for International readers and an e-copy for US readers.
I'm doing the giveaway this way because I know from experience that it's really hard to get US editions of our favorite books overseas and not everyone around here has an e-reader. I get all my books from The Book Depository, but not everyone is comfortable with that site, so I want to give people who can't get a physical copy of Half-Blood more chances to win.

~~Just fill in the form bellow:~~

*I want to keep this short and simple, so it's not necessary to follow my blog, spread the word, yada yada, but I would really, really appreciate it if you ~~voted for Alex in this match today.~~ :D

Check out THE UPDATED POST to enter the giveaway.

And don't forget Momo's giveaway, she's giving away a whole set of the Covenant series. ;)

That's it for now.

Good luck everyone!

*fingers crossed for #HalfBloodLegion* #Alex FTW

Just a quick reminder why she deserves to win:

Click on the picture to go to the match link

xoxo

Top 10 Book Boyfriends of 2011

2011-12-30T04:19:00.001+02:00

Hey guys!

I'm back with another Top 10! I'm a bit late with this one so I'm going to skip the Top 10 Favorite Characters (which was scheduled for today...err, yesterday?), but there was no way I could miss listing my top 10 Book Boyfriends. :D And, of course, I couldn't stop at 10 names. Here goes:

(in no particular order)

1. Aiden

The Covenant Series by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Oh, Aiden... He' s too good to be real.
Actually, he's too good to be even a book boyfriend.
He's so... Perfect! *dreamy sigh* OMG, the eyes...<3

2. Adam

Shatter Me (Shatter Me #1) by Tahereh Mafi

Adam is my latest book crush. But I have a feeling he's going to be in top for a looong time. ;) He's strong, protective, caring and, well, everything a perfect book boyfriend should be - and more. And let's not forget the "…blue blue blue...blue and bottomless like the deepest part of the ocean" eyes. *faints*

3. Aren

The Shadow Reader (McKenzie Lewis #1) by Sandy Williams

Take Aiden's best qualities, add Adam's best qualities, a bit of power, some sparks (literally) and killer combat moves and you get Aren. Mmm...

4. Noah

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer (Mara Dyer #1) by Michelle Hodkin

Noah is the charming hot guy with a British accent, "panty-dropping smile" and some of the best lines I ever read in YA. And you know how much I love dry humor, witty and sarcastic characters, right?:D Yum!
*Oh, here's some takes from that spectacular uber hot trailer:

Umm... Yeah. He should be illegal. *fans self*

*clears throat* Oookay, moving on.

5. Four

Divergent (Divergent #1) by Veronica Roth

Well, Four is a very, very complex and surprising character.
It's absolutely impossible not to love him. Seriously.

6. Cassel

Curse Workers series by Holly Black

Cassel was quite a surprise for me!
And because I got White Cat and Red Glove on audio,
it was so much easier for me to really get him, to feel for him.
And to be captivated by his personality, his voice and his witty attitude. :)

7. Daemon

Obsidian (Lux #1) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Ah, Daemon... *sigh* He kind of reminds me of Adam Black (Immortal Highlander by Karen Marie Moning) and I've had a big obsession with that character.
Really, I re-read that book so many times, it's not even funny.
Anyway, Daemon's arrogant, smart-mouthed, funny, sarcastic, infuriating, badass, protective, mysterious. gorgeous, has emerald eyes.... Ok, I should probably stop now, but you get the picture. ;) "Beautiful face. Beautiful body. Horrible attitude. It was the holy trinity of hot boys." (Ha! Katy)

8. Aden

Intertwined by Gena Showalter

Hmm... Considering how he broke my heart in Twisted (Intertwined #3), he shouldn't be here, but I couldn't help myself. *just kidding* He's too swoon-worthy not to be on this list. :D Another very complex character with a great personality. And I think he's the kind of guy I'd like to hang out with IRL too. If he didn't have so many issues, of course. :))

9. Lucas

Starcrossed (Starcrossed #1) by Josephine Angelini

I 'met' Lucas months ago, but just the fact that I find myself smiling and remembering random things about him and quotes just looking at the book on my shelf proves that he's a great, memorable character.

He's a hottie and a badass, of course.

10. Alden

Shattered Souls by Mary Lindsey

He's from the sweet, protective, kind, charming, heart-melting category.

And of course, gorgeous and with a killer accent. Love!

***

These are my most recent book crushes. I didn't even mention the obvious choices like Jace (The Mortal Instruments), Dimitri or Adrian (Vampire Academy), Trent (The Hollows) Patch (Hush, Hush), Ash (The Iron Fey series) etc. They are part of the all times favorites category. :D

But for my honorable mentions, I can't forget my alpha males (from my favorite adult series):

Barrons (Fever series by Karen Marie Moning), Bones and Vlad (Night Huntress series by Jeaniene Frost), Ethan (The Chicagoland Vampires by Chloe Neill), Reyes (Charley Davidson by Darynda Jones), Deah (Alex Craft series by Kalayna Price), Packard (The Disillusionists Trilogy by Carolyn Crane).

I guess that's all. *looks up* *blushes* Ok, so I may or may not have a thing for A -names, blue eyes, sexy accents and witty attitude. :D

*takes a deep breath* Time to get back to reality. But feel free to share your opinions and book crushes in the comments!;)

Oh, and if you want to know more about this event hosted by Jessica (Confessions of a Bookaholic), Lisa (A Life Bound By Books), Rachel (Fiktshun) and Jaime & Patricia (Two Chicks on Books), check out the original post.

Monday 12/26 – Top 10 Books I’ve read in 2011

Tuesday 12/27 – Top 10 Book Covers of 2011

Wednesday 12/28 – Top 10 Book Boyfriends in 2011

Thursday 12/29 – Top 10 Characters in 2011 (This can be anything you’d like to make it for characters. You can post your favorite Villains, etc. Just be sure that this post is character based.)

Friday 12/30 – Top 10 Books I’m looking forward to in 2012 (Also on this day, we’ll each be adding some kind of a recap of the total number of books read, pages read, etc. This part of the post is optional. Feel free to add any stats you’d like to share with everyone. So, if you’d like to also include some end of year stats, feel free to join us!)

xoxo

Top 10 Book Covers of 2011

2011-12-28T01:39:00.000+02:00

Hey guys!

Today is the second day of Top 10 of 2011. If you missed my post yesterday, this is an event hosted by Jessica (Confessions of a Bookaholic), Lisa (A Life Bound By Books), Rachel (Fiktshun) and Jaime & Patricia (Two Chicks on Books), where we share our favorite books, covers and characters of 2011. Check out the original post to get the details and to sign up. ;)

Top 10 Book Covers of 2011

I loved a lot of book covers this year, but I managed to narrow my list dawn to just a few of my favorites. No need to get into details, the pretty pictures speak for themselves. <3

*Again, this is in no particular order

**Links go to Goodreads

1. Shatter Me (Shatter Me #1) by Tahereh Mafi

Wow! This cover is almost as stunning as the book itself! I like how fierce looks the model, it's really fitting!

And those drops (or shards or whatever they are) are really cool!

Everything looks so much better IRL, it's all lights and shines... Lovely!

2. Starcrossed (Starcrossed #1) by Josephine Angelini

This cover looks better IRL too and it's also shiny. There's this watery effect that looks really cool in the light! I love the main colors, the dress fluttering in the wind and... Well, everything about it. :D

3. The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer (Mara Dyer #1) by Michelle Hodkin

I love that the models are underwater! And the velvety feel of the cover IRL!

4. Wither (The Chemical Garden #1) by Lauren DeStefano

Well, isn't this cover absolutely stunning?<3

The geometrical elements are really interesting and unique!

5. Unearthly (Unearthly #1) by Cynthia Hand

The colors, the dress, the eerie feeling, the swirly font (which is shiny and silvery IRL)...

Everything about this cover is so pretty!

6. Falling Under (Falling Under #1) by Gwen Hayes

I love the black/red contrast! And it has that velvety feel to it as well!

Also, it's so fitting for the story!<3

7. Delirium (Delirium #1) by Lauren Oliver

8. Darkest Mercy (Wicked Lovely #5) by Melissa Marr

Oh! I love the sparkly colors on this cover and I love the flower!

9. The Goddess Test (Goddess Test #1) by Aimee Carter

10. The Girl in the Steel Corset (Steampunk Chronicles #1)

Isn't that dress GORGEOUS? And I like the steampunk elements!

Honorable mentions:

Across the Universe | Beautiful Disaster | Die For Me |

After Obsession | Wander Dust | Half-Blood

Well, what do you think? Do you like the covers? What about your favorite covers of 2011?

Tomorrow is Top 10 Book Boyfriends in 2011. Now that should be fun and interesting! *wiggle eyebrows*

xoxo

Top 10 Books I've read in 2011

2011-12-26T21:25:00.000+02:00

Hello everyone!

I hope you've all had a great time on Christmas!:D

And now that 2011 is coming to an end, it's time to look back over all the amazing books we've read over the year and to see what we put on our keepers shelves.

To make it all fun and easy, Jessica (Confessions of a Bookaholic), Lisa (A Life Bound By Books), Rachel (Fiktshun) and Jaime & Patricia (Two Chicks on Books) are hosting a top 10 week event, where everyone can join the fun and share their favorite books, covers and characters of 2011.

So, today's topic is...

Top 10 Books of 2011!

I feel like I'm cheating (just a little), but I just couldn't narrow down ALL the books I read this year so far to 10. And because I read YA and Adult books alike (depending on my mood etc), I decided to make a top 10 YA books and a top 10 Adult books. I'll try to keep it short though, I promise. ;) (and the books are in no particular order)

Part I: Top 10 YA Books of 2011

1. The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer (Mara Dyer #1)
by Michelle Hodkin

Published September 27th 2011

by Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing

Goodreads / Amazon / The Book Depository

*I know I said this was in no particular order, but Mara Dyer might just be my favorite book of the year. Or at least in my top 3. It's EPIC! And you either love it (like, really, really love it) or you hate it. One way or another, it gets to you!;)

2. Divergent (Divergent #1)
by Veronica Roth

Published May 3rd 2011

by Katherine Tegen Books

Goodreads / Amazon / The Book Depository / Leda Books

*Definitely the best Dystopian novel I ever read! PERFECTION!

3. Shatter Me (Shatter Me #1)

by Tahereh Mafi

Published November 15th 2011

by Harper/HarperCollins

Goodreads / Amazon / The Book Depository

*I'm still currently reading this one (grr, I had to put it aside for a while) but... Saying it's mind blowing would be a major understatement.

4. Bloodlines (Bloodlines #1)
by Richelle Mead

Published August 23rd 2011

by Razorbill

Goodreads / Amazon / The Book Depository

5. Twisted (Intertwined #3)
by Gena Showalter

Published August 30th 2011

by Harlequin

Goodreads / Amazon / The Book Depository

*I love this series! Though I might have enjoyed the first book in the series more (after the first two books, Gena Showalter really broke my heart with Twisted - and then stomped on the pieces), I thought I'd better mention in my top the one that came out this year. *sigh*

6. Blood Magic (The Blood Journals #1)
by Tessa Gratton

Published May 24th 2011

by Random House Books for Young Readers

Goodreads / Amazon / The Book Depository

*One of my favorite debut novels of the year! It's so perfectly well balanced! Beautiful writing, interesting, original plot, great characters and NO love triangle! Awesomeness!

7. Starcrossed (Starcrossed #1)
by Josephine Angelini

Published May 31st 2011

by HarperTeen

Goodreads / Amazon / The Book Depository / Rao Books

8. The Goddess Test (Goddess Test #1)
by Aimee Carter

Published April 19th 2011 by Harlequin

Goodreads / Amazon / The Book Depository / My review

9. Obsidian (Lux #1)

by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Published December 6th 2011

by Entangled Publishing

Goodreads / Amazon / The Book Depository

*Umm... With all my Jennifer L. Armentrout fangirling on the blog lately, is anyone surprised that this book is on this list?:D (My review)

10. Falling Under (Falling Under #1)

by Gwen Hayes

Published March 1st 2011

by New American Library

Goodreads / Amazon / The Book Depository

*Falling Under was dark, twisted and a bit of a tear-jerker, but I loved it!

Honorable mentions:

The Girl of Fire and Thorns (Fire and Thorns #1) by Rae Carson (this book was so, so good; you don't need a favorite genre to love it), Half-Blood (Covenant, #1) by Jennifer L. Armentrout (the only reason this book is not on the main list is because I already had my top 10 books narrowed down by the time I read it and couldn't find it in myself to delete and replace any of those books; but yeah, Half-Blood was fantabulous!), Brightest Kind of Darkness (Brightest Kind of Darkness #1) by P.T. Michelle, Out for Blood (Drake Chronicles #3) by Alyxandra Harvey, Red Glove (Curse Workers, #2) Holly Black.... and ok, I should stop now.

Part II: Top 10 Adult Books of 2011

1. Shadowfever (Fever #5)
by Karen Marie Moning

Published January 18th 2011

by Delacorte Press

Goodreads / Amazon / The Book Depository

*Oh my... I can't even express how much I love this series. Hands down, my favorite book of the year - and possibly my favorite series EVER!

2. Pale Demon (The Hollows #9)
by Kim Harrison

Published February 22nd 2011

by Eos/HarperVoyager

Goodreads / Amazon / The Book Depository / My Review

*Favorite author, favorite series, favorite book in that series. Enough said :D

3. Second Grave on the Left (Charley Davidson #2)
by Darynda Jones (Goodreads Author)

Published August 16th 2011

by St. Martin's Press

Goodreads / Amazon / The Book Depository

*Love this series! Charley is so cool and hilarious! And Reyes... Mmm... *fans self*

4. The Shadow Reader (McKenzie Lewis #1)
by Sandy Williams

Published October 25th 2011 by Ace

Goodreads / Amazon / The Book Depository / My Review

*Great start to what I'm sure will become another favorite series! The word building was amazing!

5. Grave Dance (Alex Craft #2)
by Kalayna Price

Published July 5th 2011

by Penguin Group (USA)

Goodreads / Amazon / The Book Depository

*Interesting take on magic and Fae word.

6. Spirit Dances (Walker Papers #6)
by C.E. Murphy

Published March 22nd 2011 by Luna

Goodreads / Amazon / The Book Depository

*I actually see this series as The Hollows' little sister. There's something about the heroine and about Murphy's writing style that reminds me about Rachel and Kim Harrison. And of course, I loved them both. Keeping that in mind, Spirit Dances was for Walker Papers what Pale Demon was for The Hollows (they both had that "finally!' moment with the main characters. :D Mmmmm... <3)

7. Head Rush (The Disillusionists Trilogy #3)
by Carolyn Crane

Published December 6th 2011 by Samhain

Goodreads / Amazon

*I'll confess it wasn't as mind blowing as I expected it to be (considering the long wait until it came out and the crazy cliffhanger the previous book ended with), but it was still very good. That happy ending was perfect and heart melting! <3

8. Eternal Rider (Lords of Deliverance #1)
by Larissa Ione

Published April 1st 2011

by Grand Central Publishing

Goodreads / Amazon / The Book Depository

*I love Larissa Ione (she may be my favorite Adult Paranormal Romance author!) All her books offer more than a love story; her style is not at all cheesy; all her characters are very well developed and the word building in her novels is pretty amazing! <3

And the last two books didn't come out in 2011, but I did read them this year, so I guess they still count, right?:D

9. The Immortal Highlander (Highlander #6)
by Karen Marie Moning

Published May 30th 2006 by Dell

Goodreads / Amazon / The Book Depository

I adored this book! I LOVE Adam! And the sarcasm-snark-wit-innuendos-constant-banter-hate/love-relationships-badass-heroes lover in me was completely satisfied when I read it! This is the book I go to when I'm in a funky mood, it always makes me laugh and/or feel all warm and fuzzy!

10. Sin Undone (Demonica #5)
by Larissa Ione

Published September 1st 2010

by Grand Central Publishing

Goodreads / Amazon / The Book Depository

*I actually read the whole series this year, but book #5 was my favorite!<3

As a honorable mention, I'll add another older release that blew my mind this year: Acheron (Dark-Hunter, #15) by Sherrilyn Kenyon.

Phew! That's a lot of books! And there are a lot of series I love but I didn't have the chance to read their latest release this year, otherwise they would have made the list too. Series like The Mortal Instruments, The Morganville Vampires, Night Huntress, Chicagoland Vampires, Elemental Assassin...

Anyway, to join in the fun, all you have to do it so follow the event dates, post your Top 10s on the assigned dates and post your link on Mr. Linky on one of the hosts' posts.

More details about the event and the dates on the original post. They also have a generous giveaway:

Monday 12/26 – Top 10 Books I’ve read in 2011

Tuesday 12/27 – Top 10 Book Covers of 2011

Wednesday 12/28 – Top 10 Book Boyfriends in 2011

Thursday 12/29 – Top 10 Characters in 2011 (This can be anything you’d like to make it for characters. You can post your favorite Villains, etc. Just be sure that this post is character based.)

Friday 12/30 – Top 10 Books I’m looking forward to in 2012 (Also on this day, we’ll each be adding some kind of a recap of the total number of books read, pages read, etc. This part of the post is optional. Feel free to add any stats you’d like to share with everyone. So, if you’d like to also include some end of year stats, feel free to join us!)

xoxo

Rambling about the #HeroineTourney and whatnot

2011-12-24T14:27:00.001+02:00

Heya!

OMG YOU GUYS! That battle yesterday in the #HeroineTourney was SO FREAKING FIERCE! And so MUCH FUN! There are so many Alex (The Covenant series by Jennifer L. Armentrout) and Rose (Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead) fans out there, it's scary! Yes, Alex won, but it was crazy, the gaping between the votes was sooo small and constantly changing in favor of one of the heroines or the other. It was nerve wrecking, to say the least! And it was hard because most of us love both heroines; battling against people we know wasn't easy either - but it was all AWESOMESAUCE! And even though we tweeted like crazy, I say we kept things friendly. So thumbs up for both #TeamAlex and #TeamRose for that, we're both winners IMO! <3

I don't know how many of you voted, spread the word, etc etc, but THANK YOU! The support for #TeamAlex was incredible! Let's keep in mind that Rose had a few years and six books to gain our love, and Alex's journey has just started a few months ago, but she gained our love too. So, yeah... Pretty incredible!

And don't get me started on the #HalfBloodLegion - you guys are amazing! I want to have you all at my Christmas dinner!:))

And Momo - you're the best advocate ever!<3 *cheers*

So, after all this, I don't know if it has anything to do with it being Christmas Eve and the Christmas spirit, but:

I don't do hugs. But I would hug each and every person who's part of the #HalfBloodLegion right now.
I don't do high praising and fangirling, not even for my all time favorite authors. But I'd go all fangirly on Jennifer L. Armentrout right now, because she's too awesome for words. Seriously.
I don't get uber excited about novellas and book excerpts. But I stayed up until over 4AM to read a specific scene from Daemon's POV (well, to tweet too) and got all warm and fuzzy reading another specific scene from Aiden's POV.
I don't let things that happen in the virtual world (so to speak) get to me IRL. But I got all excited, worked up and/or exasperated last night when the voting was constantly changing in favor of Alex/Rose.
I don't do rereading books (not often, anyway) but I would drop everything and re-read Half-Blood and Obsidian right now. (I almost did yesterday, anyway, when I was looking for some killer quotes).

I could go on and on forever, but bottom line, that match was quite an experience! One that reminded my why I love blogging and being part of this community so much! And I would do it all over again!<3

Now, to sum it up, here are our prizes, as JLA promised:

Pure (Covenant #2) Teaser - Pool Scene

Chapter 16 from Half-Blood (Covenant #1) from Aiden's POV

Chapter 26 (frying laptop scene) from Obsidian (Lux #1) from Daemon's POV

Shadows (Lux #0.5) cover AND blurb:

(out February 2012 just in time for my birthday woohoo!!!!)

Dawson and Daemon are identical twins & that's Dawson on the cover

The last thing Dawson Black expected was Bethany Williams. As a Luxen, an alien life form on Earth, human girls are…well, fun. But since the Luxen have to keep their true identities a secret, falling for one would be insane. Dangerous. Tempting. Undeniable.

Bethany can’t deny the immediate connection between her and Dawson. And even though boys aren’t a complication she wants, she can’t stay away from him. Still, whenever they lock eyes, she’s drawn in. Captivated. Lured. Loved.

Dawson is keeping a secret that will change her existence…and put her life in jeopardy. But even he can’t stop risking everything for one human girl. Or from a fate that is as unavoidable as love itself.

Holly smokes!!! How cool does that sound?! *faints*

Argh, is it February yet?!

Now... Because Alex won, in the next match she'a up against Katniss. yes, that Katniss. And if we brought the big guns for the fight against Rose, we're going to need some nuclear bombs or something in this next battle. But nothing is impossible for the #HalfBloodLegion now, is it? ;)

Ok, time to wrap this up.

I hope you all have a peaceful, wonderful, full of presents Christmas Eve! I'll see you all next week with the Top 10s, featuring the best books, characters etc from 2011.

Once again, congrats Team Alex!!! *throws confetti*

Stay warm and cozy and Happy Holidays!

xoxo

YA Heroine Tournament: Alex vs Rose

2011-12-23T06:00:00.001+02:00

Hey guys!

You might remember that last week I asked you to vote for Alex (The Covenant series by Jennifer L. Armentrout) in the Heroine Tourney. Well, she won that match (thanks everyone who voted btw!) and she made it to the next round, so here I am asking preeeetty please to support us again!♥ But this time around, the stakes are a little higher. The battle is going to be tougher. But the awards will be SO much greater as well! Just you wait and see!

Because, in this round...

*inserts music effects for suspense here*

It's Alex against Rose (from The Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead).

*bites nails*

And before you all give me THAT look, hear me out:

We all love The Vampire Academy series and we all love Rose, I know that. I love Rose too, she's one of my favorite heroines ever (not just from YA books)! But that series is over now (and no, Bloodlines doesn't count) and though Rose will always have a special place in our hearts, I think it's time to move on. It's time for someone else to take the stage, so to speak. And I'm not saying for someone to replace her, far from it, but just for someone to be right there with her, side by side, kicking villains butt, getting THE guy and just making us smile with her witty remarks. Getting us impatient for the next book release and always eager to read about her next adventure and about her perfect hottie and their electrifying, heart-melting moments. Those Favorite Heroines/Series lists I know you all have (at least an idea of one in your minds LOL) need to be updated from time to time, right? Well, here's your chance to do it. Because if there's anyone who deserves to be on that same stage with Rose (and high up on the faves list), that should be, hands down, Alex. If you've already read the series, you know I am right.;) If you didn't *sticks tongue out at you* *just kidding*, you're seriously missing out. And you'll have to trust me on this one ~~because I'm an Aquarius and I'm always right especially when it comes to books, just ask my close friends~~ or just read the rave reviews on GR or the posts Momo (Alex's advocate) made for this match that totally say why Alex is such a FANTABULOUS heroine and why she deserves all the love.

Point is: I truly believe that Alex deserves her high place among the YA heroines, so go vote for her to get her there!;)

***

Ok now, enough about Rose and all that. Here's why I say Alex should win. She's...

Besides, she gets Aiden!!! And... Umm... Seth?

Ok, she doesn't actually get them, but you know what I mean ;)

Speaking of...

*inserts drum roll effects here because this is going to be HUGE*

...........

Remember when I said there's going to be EPIC rewards if Alex makes it? Well, here's what the uber talented and uber awesome author Jennifer L. Armentrout promised us for this match:

500 Votes: If Alex reaches 500 votes, I will give you a juicy scene from Pure. It involves a pool, but will be edited to avoid spoilers.

750 Votes: If Alex gets 750 votes, I will give you Chapter 16 from Half-Blood in Aiden's POV.

Yes, that chapter.

1000 Votes: If Alex get 1000 votes, I will give you Chapter 26 from Obsidian in Daemon's POV.

Yes, that chapter.

Winning votes: If Alex wins against Rose, I will write a very lengthy scene/ basically a freaking novella from Aiden's POV about a trip he and Leon took that involved searching down a certain daimon that got away at the end of Half-Blood.

Chapter 16, people!!!!!!!! And chapter 26!!!! Just... ZOMG! *speechless*

*faints*

Ok, need I say more here already? GO VOTE FOR ALEX!!! (and get your neighbors and everyone you know to vote too - it's not like you want to get out of the house and face the before-Christmas-shopping craziness anyway, right? LOL)

Bonus: If you vote for her, you get a chance to win a package with ALL THE THREE BOOKS CURRENTLY AVAILABLE IN THE COVENANT SERIES (prequel novella Daimon, Half-Blood + pre-order of Pure)! Go over Momo's blog to enter the giveaway!

xoxo

Happy Holidays!♥

Guest Post: What Makes a Strong Heroine in YA Books? by Untraceable Author S.R. Johannes

2011-12-21T00:00:00.001+02:00

Hello everyone!

I love strong, kick butt heroines in my YA books. And because the last book I read, Untraceable, featured a super awesome, independent heroine who stands up for herself and the ones she cares about and has no problem kicking butt when pushed too far, I asked the author, Shelli (S.R. Johannes) what makes, in her opinion, a strong heroine in YA. She graciously accepted to talk about this here on the blog, so, everyone, please welcome Shelli!

********

What Makes a Strong Heroine in YA Books?

S.R. Johannes

When I started Untraceable, I set out to create a strong heroine. So what is a strong heroine? And how does Grace embody those qualities?

To me:

She needs to be tough and take care of herself. Grace knows wilderness survival and self-defense. She is tough when she has to be.
She can still be afraid but she works through it internally as opposed to panics. Since she’s had training, she keeps a somewhat level head. Well sometimes.
She has to be relatable, likable, and feminine. I wanted you to think Grace could be your friend.
She does the right thing when she has to. Grace puts herself at risk to help others and to stand up for what is right.
She doesn’t revolve around boys and she doesn’t like the “bad boy” who treats her like crap. Grace has 2 boys that like her and they treat her well.
She is dependable and loyal.

I personally like it when you have a strong girl in the real world. It’s easy to be strong when you have special powers. But in the real world, finding courage in situations when you have nothing is a challenge.

So to me, Grace embodies independence, loyalty, and toughness that I think we should encourage in all girls. But most of all, she is a real girl in a real world.

Some other tough girls in young adult that I like:

Katniss in Hunger Games

Billy in Devil’s Kiss

Mary in Forest of Hands and Teeth

What do you think makes a strong heroine?

********

I love this post! And I totally agree with Shelli - it's very important to be tough in the real world and face real threats and situations. That's where the real challenge arises. I also think that a strong heroine has to be loyal and caring - if she doesn't care enough about the people around her, she won't find it in herself to fight and face the world's dangers. For me, a strong heroine accepts her mistakes, learns from her experiences, doesn't shy away from her responsibilities.

And I really, really love Grace! She's super awesome and I can indeed see her as a friend. I also can see her in the next year's Heroine Tourney. ;)

Katniss is one tough cookie too. And since we're on Dystopian, another heroine I really love is Tris from Divergent (no surprise there, hehe). Also, Rose (The Vampire Academy) and most recently Alex (The Covenant series) are on my favorite heroines list too.

Ok, your turn: what do YOU think makes a strong heroine? Who's your favorite?

In case you missed it, Grace is the heroine in Untraceable by S.R. Johannes. You can download the ebook for 99 cents HERE and read my REVIEW HERE.

Find Shelli (S.R. Johannes)

Blog / Twitter / Facebook / Blog Tour Stops

xoxo

Review: Untraceable by S.R. Johannes

2011-12-20T17:25:00.002+02:00

Untraceable (The Nature of Grace #1)
by S.R. Johannes

Released: November 29th 2011 by Coleman & Stott
Formats: ebook, paperback, 315 pages

Goodreads:

Everyone leaves a mark. What if yours could be erased?
Untraceable is a new teen wilderness thriller with a missing father, a kickbutt heroine, and of course - two hot boys.

16 year old Grace has lived in the Smokies all her life, patrolling with her forest ranger father who taught her about wildlife, tracking, and wilderness survival.

When her dad goes missing on a routine patrol, Grace refuses to believe he’s dead and fights the town authorities, tribal officials, and nature to find him.

One day, while out tracking clues, Grace is rescued from danger by Mo, a hot guy with an intoxicating accent and a secret. As her feelings between him and her ex-boyfriend get muddled, Grace travels deep into the wilderness to escape and find her father.

Along the way, Grace learns terrible secrets that sever relationships and lives. Soon she’s enmeshed in a web of conspiracy, deception, and murder. And it’s going to take a lot more than a compass and a motorcycle (named Lucifer) for this kick-butting heroine to save everything she loves.

"This thrilling story is a dramatic entanglement of mystery, deception and teen romance. The action flows like a brisk mountain stream interspersed with rapids, holding suspense to last page." - Kirkus Reviews

"Grace is a spunky, independent, nature girl who doesn't need a boy to save her. With wilderness survival, a juicy love triangle, and more twists and turns than a roller coaster, this fast-paced novel had me holding my breath until the very last page—and still begging for more!"
-Kimberly Derting, author of the The Body Finder series

My thoughts:

Untraceable was another nice surprise for me. It’s a YA contemp mystery/ thriller, so it’s not something I usually read and review on the blog. But it was a great novel and I’m so glad I had the chance to read it (I wonder why I haven’t read something like it before).

Basically, it’s the story of a young, strong, sassy girl who faces the dangers of wilderness, scary criminals, reluctant officials, twisted events and confusing emotions, all to find her missing dad.

Grace’s dad has disappeared. Everyone assumes he’s dead, including the town’s officials, but Grace refuses to let go just yet. She hasn’t lost hope that her father is still alive out there somewhere in the forest, so armed with all the knowledge, hunting and tracking skills her father thought her and a lot of courage, she starts looking for him every day. And things get more twisted and dangerous with every step she takes.

Since her dad disappeared, she’s gone through a lot. Her mom is kind of out of it, trying to bury her sorrow in work. The town’s officials and even her dad’s old friends are convinced he’s dead, so they don’t want to help her look for him. Her ex boyfriend is still there for her, but he doesn’t really seem to get it either. The forest seems to be her only friend – that is, until she meets Mo and things get a bit more interesting - and complicated.

While searching the woods, Grace finds some clues that her dad might be still alive. She goes to the town’s police officers and tries to make them look into it, but they won’t have any of it. Apparently they’ve already kept the case open longer than they should have just because Grace thought she’s found something useful every now and then. So, what’s a girl to do? Go out there and put all the clues together and solve the case by herself, of course. But her snooping around gets her in trouble with some seriously creey hunters. They’re definitely up to something bad and our fearless girl is immediately set to find out what that is, but…*sigh* If only she didn’t almost get herself killed (or worse) in the process… And that’s when Mo comes in. *dreamy sigh* He’s mysterious and his presence in the middle of nowhere is questionable, but he also saves Grace and takes care of her. He has some secrets of his own, but at least he seems eager to help Grace and to protect her. They get to spend a lot of time together and there’s a lot of sizzle between them, but scary things happen around them as well, and all that only makes you devour every page and find out what happens next and what’s the truth.

What I loved most about this book is Grace. Reading from her perspective was so much fun! OMG, she’s soooo adorable! I want ~~to be like her~~ her to be my bff. For real. She’s spunky, clever, strong willed and very caring. She’s sarcastic, single minded, kickbutt and independent – she won’t let people push her around, no matter how much she cares about them and their opinion. She’s ambitious and she knows what she wants - well, most of the time. With two hotties making their way into her heart it’s hard to decide what to do. Eventually, things get seriously tangled, but she doesn’t shy away from the danger. She’s set to do everything to find her dad and to prove everyone they’re wrong. That makes her really stubborn (ok, maybe a little too stubborn sometimes, but it’s quite understandable). She’s also fearless – seriously, walking through the woods in the middle of the night knowing there are some creeps with guns who want her dead around there? *shudders* That takes some courage (and maybe a bit of recklessness?)

And then there’s the setting. Wow, the fresh, imaginative and vivid world the author created was part of the story as much as the characters were! The wilderness, the sounds, the colors, everything was so well described and seemed so real! I could almost feel the moss under my fingers, get the smell of the trees and hear the splashes of the river. Pretty amazing!

I breathe through my mouth and refocus my attention on how the blooming bushes splatter the green forest with blotches of pale pink. I take in their sweet perfume, letting it replace the holiday scent. After hiking a couple more miles, the murmur of gurgling water beckons me. I gallop to the tree line and stop to watch the river. Mossy boulders crowd Bear Creek as it glistens in the sunlight. I close my eyes, inviting the sun to stroke my cheeks and warm my soul. (Kindle Locations 531-534).

And let’s not forget the boys. Wyn, her childhood best friend and ex boyfriend clearly still cares about her and tries to help her with her crazy plans – even though he can’t always understand her and doesn’t agree with her methods. He’s really sweet and cute (as Grace puts it, “not hot cute, but adorable cute”). She’s not really over him either, but she doesn’t want to be distracted by her confusing feelings for him at the moment. Finding her dad should be her priority.

After Wyn leaves, a mixture of emotions stirs around inside me. Why is it guys always seem cuter after you break up? In Wyn’s case, he’s never been hot cute, just adorable cute. But mostly, I’ve always digged his sense of humor. He makes me laugh even when I don’t want to. On paper, we’re probably the perfect pair. A comfortable blend. So different, not alike in most ways, yet still go together somehow. Like peanut butter and jelly or cookies and milk. (Kindle Locations 1252-1255).

Speaking of distractions, let’s not forget Mo. :D He’s more the flirty, “hot cute” type. He’s mysterious, protective, sexy and has a delicious British accent. He has his own secrets and almost broke my heart by the end of the book, but I still love him, hehe.:P

Mo crowds me, and I try hard not to stare into his eyes. My fear mixes with excitement and anticipation, concocting an explosive reaction. The sweats. Probably not listed in Cosmo’s “Top Ten Ways To Attract A Hot Guy.” He places his hand on the wall just inches above my head. With his other hand, he moves a damp strand of hair that’s clinging to my cheek. My breath quickens. His silky lips graze my cheek and move to my ear where he whispers, “I like you, Grace.” (Kindle Locations 2345-2349). *melts*

*clears throat* What I also found very clever and interesting about this book is all the info about surviving in the wild and tracking found throughout the story. There are awesome little survival tips at the beginning of each chapter. Also, Grace’s and her dad’s older friends give some very useful and inspirational advice and life lessons through their stories. (actually, this whole book can be a life lesson, so I really recommend picking it up!)

As I mentioned, it’s not the kind of book I usually read, and because it’s a bit out of my comfy zone, I found the middle of the book a bit dizzying and I felt like the plot was dragging. The ending was quite surprising; I’m very curious where things could go now. Overall, it was a really, really, good book and I will most definitely pick up the next book in the series when it comes out - and I suggest you do too!;)

Oh, and I LOVE the cover! It fits the story and the main character perfectly!<3

Get the book: (only $0.99!)

Amazon / Barnes & Noble / Smashwords

Find Shelli (S.R. Johannes)

Blog / Twitter / Facebook / Blog Tour Stops

*Review e-copy provided by the author in exchange for my honest opinion. Thank you so much!

And stay tunned, Shelli will come by later today to talk about strong, kickbutt heroines in YA! Woohoo!

xoxo

Cover Reveal: Sleepers (The Swarm #1) by Megg Jensen

2011-12-19T21:06:00.000+02:00

Heya!

Today I am honored to take part in the cover reveal of a great bestselling YA novel, Sleepers by Megg Jensen. It was released earlier this year, but it's relaunched in January and it gets a new, cooler cover with artwork from the incredible PhatPuppy. Here it is:

Sleepers (The Swarm #1)
by Megg Jensen

Goodreads / The Swarm Trilogy Website

An adoptee raised in a foreign land, sixteen-year-old Lianne was content with her life as handmaiden to the queen, until a spell cast on her at birth activated. Now she's filled with uncontrollable rage and access to magic she thought had been bled from her people years ago. Even her years of secret training in elite hand-to-hand combat and meditation can’t calm the fires raging inside her.

Her heart is torn between two boys, the one she’s always loved and the one who always ignored her. But when the kingdom threatens to tear itself apart due to rumors surrounding the queen’s alleged affair, who will Lianne protect and who will she destroy?

Pretty, isn't it?:D I love the background effects and the overall tones!

Old cover, in case you're wondering :P

Find the author:

Website / Blog / Facebook / Twitter

Get the book: (it's only $0.99!)

Amazon / Smashwords / Barnes & Noble

My review of the book should go live later this week. If you want to find out more about the trilogy and about the makeover story, check out Megg's blog. ;)

Megg's also the author of the awesome Cloud Prophet Trilogy. (You can still get the first book in that series for free, check out my left sidebar to get it)

So, let me know what you think!

Happy Christmas shopping! ;)

xoxo

Waiting on Wednesday (12/14)

2011-12-14T14:13:00.000+02:00

Hey!

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases we're eagerly anticipating.

*Thanks Danny @ Bewitched Bookworms for the WoW button

My pick this week:

Stolen Away by Alyxandra Harvey

Release Date: January 5th 2012
by Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Paperback, 277 pages

Goodreads:

For seventeen years, Eloise Hart had no idea the world of Faery even existed. Now she has been abducted and trapped in the Rath of Lord Strahan, King of Faery. Strahan was only meant to rule for seven years, as Faery tradition dictates, and then give up his crown to another. But he won't comply, and now chaos threatens both worlds.

The only one who can break his stranglehold on the Faery court is his wife. . . Eloise's aunt Antonia. Using Eloise to lure Antonia, Strahan captures his wife, desperate to end the only threat to his reign. Now Eloise must become the rescuer. Together with her best friends Jo and Devin, she must forge alliances with other Fae, including a gorgeous protector named Lucas, and Strahan's mysterious son, Eldric-who may or may not betray them.

I love Alyxandra Harvey's Drake Chronicles series! So her amazing, addictive writing style + Faeries = awesome! I'm just sure of it!:)) Really now, I can't wait to see how she does Faeries, this story sounds really interesting! Thankfully, January is right around the corner!;)

Hardcover

What are you waiting on this week?

xoxo

Deity (Covenant #3) by Jennifer L Armentrout Cover Reveal and VOTE ALEX!

2011-12-12T15:30:00.002+02:00

Hey!

UPDATE: Eeeep! Alex won the match *throws confetti* so here's the scene Jennifer L. Armentrout promised:

Extra Scene Alex & Aiden

Maybe you didn't believe me las week when I mentioned I became a huge fan of Jennifer L. Armentrout. Well, today I'm here to show my support for Alex, the heroine of her Covenant series, in the YA Heroines Tourney and also to ask for your help. ;) But first things first:

In case you don't know what I'm talking about, here is the official synopsis for the first book in the Covenant series:

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

Check it out on: Goodreads / Official Website / Facebook / Jennifer L. Armentrout Blog

Daimon (Covenant 0.5) - Published May 10th 2011 by Spencer Hill Press (Free Prequel Novella)

Half-Blood (Covenant #1) - Published October 18th 2011 by Spencer Hill Press

Pure (Covenant #2) - Release Date: April 3rd 2012 by Spencer Hill Press

Now, maybe you've heard about the Tournament of Heroines hosted by the YA Sisterhood. Well, in today's match, Alex is up against Nora from Becca Fitzpatrick's Hush, Hush series. I love Nora, but Alex is super cool and kickass and I really, really, want for her to win this match and go on in the tourney! So all I'm asking is to vote for her! If I'm not that convincing, check out today's post for this match, Alex's advocate did an amazing job in telling us why Alex should win! Or visit her blog, she's got plenty of cool info there too. ;)

*jumps up and down in excitement*

To show us their gratitude for our support, Spencer Hill Press and Jennifer L Armentrout have given us permission to reveal the cover for the third book in the series, Deity, 5 months early! Here it is:

Deity (Covenant #3) - Release Date: November 2012

WOW! I love all the covers in this series, but this one is seriously HOT! <3

And last, but definitely not least, if Alex wins this first match, Jennifer will post an extra scene between Alex and Aiden, that happens between Half-Blood and Pure. A steamy scene.;) *gasp!* So, GO VOTE ALEX and spread the word! #VoteAlex and #HalfBloodLegion on Twitter ;)

xoxo

Romanian Bookish Love #7

2011-12-11T13:26:00.000+02:00

Hello everyone!

How's your weekend going?

It's been pretty quiet around here lately, so I took the opportunity to read a few books and I can't wait to talk about them with you! And there are yet so many books I want to read by the end of this year! Can I have a couple of weeks more before Christmas? *sigh* So many books, so little time...

Which brings me to the point of this post. Here are two books I added recently to my collection (I mentioned them in my last IMM post), but I don't think I will get to read soon. I am very excited though, because our Romanian publishers have started to bring us the hottest releases - and to give them cool, original covers. It feels like we're finally getting on track. So:

Matched (Matched #1) by Ally Condie

US Original Cover	Romanian Cover

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

US Original Cover	Romanian Cover

So, what do you think about the covers? Which one do you prefer? And what about the books, have you read them?

I'll go back to searching a nice holiday theme for the blog now!;)

Have a great Sunday!

xoxo

Review: Obsidian (Lux #1) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

2011-12-07T20:22:00.000+02:00

Hi!

First off, give me a moment to bang my head on the wall for not reading something written by Jennifer L. Armentrout before (especially after all my crazy attempts to get an ARC of Half-Blood over the summer -which I didn’t get, but still…)

Second, I’ve got to say that this is my kind of book and my kind of writing style! I love it! I may or may not have become a ~~crazy stalker~~ fan of Jennifer L. Armentrout. :D

And third, there may be some gushing, fangirling (is that a word?) and plain old swooning in this review. Now that I've got that off my chest and you’ve been warned, here goes:

Obsidian (Lux #1) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Release Date: December 6th 2011
Publisher: Entangled Publishing
Available as: e-book, Paperback, 266 pages

Goodreads / Official Website

Starting over sucks.

When we moved to West Virginia right before my senior year, I’d pretty much resigned myself to thick accents, dodgy internet access, and a whole lot of boring…. until I spotted my hot neighbor, with his looming height and eerie green eyes. Things were looking up.

And then he opened his mouth.

Daemon is infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. We do not get along. At all. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, well, something…unexpected happens.

The hot alien living next door marks me.

You heard me. Alien. Turns out Daemon and his sister have a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal their abilities, and Daemon’s touch has me lit up like the Vegas Strip. The only way I’m getting out of this alive is by sticking close to Daemon until my alien mojo fades.

If I don’t kill him first, that is.

My thoughts: (No spoilers)

Obsidian was a quick, fun, sexy read. It’s one of those books that captures you from the very first pages and you end up read in one sitting, that reminds you why you love reading (and blogging, for that matter) so much, puts a big smile on your face and lets you craving for more. In one word: delightful!

Katy and her mom move from Florida to a small town in West Virginia to try to get a new, better life after Katy’s dad died. Things haven’t been easy for them since that happened, but they hope they can put it all behind and start over. To prove her mom she really wants to ‘make an effort’ to make things better, Katy tries to get to know her neighbors next door, who apparently are close to her age and go to the same high school. But her attempts at getting some kind of social life don’t go so well, because when she meets Daemon, things are pretty clear: he’s arrogant, infuriating, rude and well… a jerk. A gorgeous one, but still… A jerk. They just can’t stand each other. But thanks God for his sister, Dee, who’s cool and friendly and seems eager to hang out with Katy. Sadly though, there’s no spending time with Dee and avoiding Daemon at the same time, so she gets to be around Daemon quite a lot. Maybe a little too much for her liking. And despite Dee’s efforts to make them get along, it seems impossible. They fight, they banter, they fire mean, rude words at each other. But seriously - who are they kidding? They are just as intrigued and attracted to each other as they are angry and exasperated. They’re drawn to each other and the chemistry between them is undeniable.

[Daemon] “You’re nothing like I expected.”
“What did you expect?” I was sort of turned on by the fact I had surprised him. Weird. My eyes dropped to his poetic lips. Such a waste of a mouth.
“You and I have to talk.”
“We have nothing to talk about.” His gaze dropped, and the air suddenly felt steamy. Unbearable.
“Yes,” he said, voice low, “we do. Tonight.”
[…] The teacher cleared his throat. Blinking tightly, I saw that we had the entire class transfixed. Flushing to the roots of my hair, I turned around and gripped the edges of my desk.

And just when Katy thought things couldn’t get any worse, a freak accident reveals Daemon’s secret identity and his unnatural (alien) powers. And like that wasn’t crazy enough, when Daemon uses those powers to save her life, he marks her and puts her into the spotlight where others like him and big bad guys can see her. So he has to stay close to her to protect her, at least until the mark disappears. And slowly, things get even more interesting and their attraction even harder to ignore – not that they don’t try to act like there’s nothing going on.

At first, I noticed that one of the blond boys was turned in his seat, talking it up with a boy at the table in front of them. Then I shifted my gaze, and my eyes locked with Daemon’s. Even though several tables separated us, my breath caught. There was something…wicked in those emerald-colored eyes. Consuming. I couldn’t look away, and he didn’t either. The distance between us seemed to evaporate. A second later, he smirked and turned away, focusing on what Ash was saying to him.

Anyway, there’s not much I can say about the plot, the official blurb sums it up pretty well and I don’t want to spoil anything for you. But I can tell you that there’s lots of action, villains, likeable badass characters, hot aliens (and when I say aliens don’t think little-slimy-green-men kind of aliens, but ‘I-Am-Number-4’-only-better kind of aliens) and some pretty steamy scenes that make you devour every page of the book.

We were too close and there was too much tension between us. His gaze burned as it latched onto mine. He lowered his head, and I forgot how to breathe. Fascinated, I watched his lips slowly curved into a smile. It was hard to pay attention to his words when he spoke, but they somehow made it through the strange fog clouding my brain. “I have a strange idea that I should test this out.” “Test what?” My eyes dropped to his lips. I felt myself sway.

The writing is amazing, you can’t not get pulled into the story and enjoy every second of it! Katy has a super awesome voice, as you can probably tell from the synopsis. She’s spunky, fun, clever and she can hold her own when it comes to confronting Daemon. Though he tries to be all bad boy and to intimidate her into staying away from him and from his sister, Katy is not one to get scared and back down easily. All on the contrary. The tension between them, their banter and the innuendos are so hilarious and adorable! And totally hot! Really, sometimes I was surprised smoke wasn’t coming out of my screen. (umm… no pun intended here;) )

[Katy:] “Stalking me again, I see. Do I need to get a restraining order?”
“In your dreams, Kitten.” He smirked. “Oh wait, I’m already starring in those, aren’t I?”
I rolled my eyes. “Nightmares, Daemon. Nightmares.”

I loved reading Obsidian from Katy’s perspective! She has such a fun voice and the way I could relate to her was almost crazy, with her being a blogger and all. She’s also level-headed, determined, caring and even gets to kick some butt by the end. Really, you can’t not love her! And then there’s Daemon. *dreamy sigh* He’s the perfect bad boy everyone loves to hate! He’s arrogant, mischievous and kind of a smartass, always laughing at Katy and having a mean comeback to throw at her, but he can also be really sweet, charming and intense. He’s very protective of his sister and his family, which explains his behavior around Katy and well, humans in general. But either way, he’s a very complex and swoon-worthy character and no matter what, there’s always a reason behind his actions, which makes it so much easier to overlook his bad temper and manners. Also, did I mention that he’s hot, has badass powers and the best one-liners? *swoon*

*Whispers* There’s this one scene that everyone was expecting and yet no one saw it coming, not then and there anyway, but... Holly smokes! *faints* (um, yeah, smoking hot – and I mean, literally smoking hot - doesn’t even cover it). Chapter 26. Enough said. ;)

Ok, moving on.

Another thing I really liked about this novel is the complexity of the secondary characters. They all have great abilities, but they also have their own well crafted personality. They all add to the plot and make the story captivating and a total page-turner. And though some of the aspects of the novel may seem familiar, Jennifer L. Armentrout brings enough originality, humor and plot twists to keep the pace flowing and the reader invested in the story.

All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed Obsidian and probably my review doesn't make it any justice, but I’m sure it will appeal young adults and adults alike! I had three other quotes to tease you with, but I think I've already overdone it, so you'll have to read the book and discover the pure awesomeness of it for yourselves. ;)

Amazon / Barnes & Noble / The Book Depository

***Review e-copy provided by the publisher Entangled Publishing and NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion. Thank you!

P.S. Because I love Daemon and he totally makes it on my top 10 book boyfriends, here's a lovely button for our collection: (courtesy to Lewis @ Entangled Publishing):

P.P.S.If you're not convinced yet, Stuck In Books have prepared A Week of Obsidian and they have some pretty cool features (including a fun interview with Katy) and giveaways you might want to check out. ;)

xoxo

Waiting on Wednesday (12/7)

2011-12-07T09:00:00.004+02:00

Hey!

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases we're eagerly anticipating.
*Thanks Danny @ Bewitched Bookworms for the WoW button

My pick this week:

The Taken (Celestial Blues #1) by Vicki Pettersson

Release Date: June 12th 2012
by Harper Voyager
Paperback, 400 pages

Goodreads:

He’s a fallen angel. She’s a rockabilly reporter. Together they must solve a deadly string of murders plaguing the mortal and the immortal worlds.

Griffin Shaw used to be a PI, but that was over fifty years ago when gumshoes hoofed the streets . . . and he was still alive. Now he’s a Centurion, an angel who assists other murdered souls through their journey to the afterlife. But while Shaw might be an angel … he’s no saint. Haunted by the mysterious events surrounding his own death, he seizes a chance to wreak some vengeance when he witnesses a deadly attack on journalist Katherine “Kit” Craig.

Joining forces, the unlikely avengers take to the streets, hunting a killer whose trail of bodies stretches across Las Vegas and into an immortal netherworld. It is a dangerous trek that lead them into the darkest corners of Sin City and into the heart of an evil conspiracy extending beyond the lights of the Strip that could destroy them both.

But destruction isn’t the only threat Griffin faces. The closer he gets to Kit, the more he finds himself bewitched by her mortal charms. Can he resist falling under her spell? And does he want to?

Though I haven't finished Vicki Pettersson's Signs of the Zodiac series yet, I always liked her unique writing style, amazing word building and awesome character development. So when I heard she was working on a new series, I became instantly intrigued! And Celestial Blues sounds so good and different from her other series! (it got me with those first three sentences). So... Fallen angels, immortals, netherworld, Vegas (!!!), conspiracies, mysteries, investigations, romance... Mmm, it really sounds like a great new series and I can't wait to read it! Also, how GORGEOUS is that cover? I love it!!! Is it summer 2012 yet?
I so want that dress!

What are you eagerly anticipating this week?

xoxo

Cover Reveal: Onyx (Lux #2) By Jennifer L. Armentrout

2011-12-05T01:00:00.032+02:00

Hey guys!

I'm really excited and honored to take part in the Onyx Cover Reveal today! And just you wait till you see how absolutely stunning it is! *bounces up and down*

Onyx is the second book in the Lux Series by Jennifer L. Armentrout. Obsidian, the first book in the series, comes out on December 6th 2011. I had the opportunity to read an early copy of it and it's super awesome, I'm sure you will love it too!

Ok, enough talk already. Here's what you should know:

Obsidian (Lux #1) by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Release Date: December 6th 2011
Publisher: Entangled Publishing
Available as: e-book, Paperback, 266 pages

Goodreads / Official Website

Starting over sucks.

When we moved to West Virginia right before my senior year, I’d pretty much resigned myself to thick accents, dodgy internet access, and a whole lot of boring…. until I spotted my hot neighbor, with his looming height and eerie green eyes. Things were looking up.

And then he opened his mouth.

Daemon is infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. We do not get along. At all. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, well, something…unexpected happens.

The hot alien living next door marks me.

You heard me. Alien. Turns out Daemon and his sister have a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal their abilities, and Daemon’s touch has me lit up like the Vegas Strip. The only way I’m getting out of this alive is by sticking close to Daemon until my alien mojo fades.

If I don’t kill him first, that is.

And now...

*drumroll*

Onyx (Lux, #2)

OMG! Isn't it GORGEOUS?! I love the blue-ish theme. And how adorable are Katy and Daemon holding hands?<3 I also like that you can still see Daemon's beautiful, eerie eyes. *swoon* Anyway, I LOVE the cover and I can't wait to have both books on my keeper shelf!

Onyx comes out in May 2012,

so it's still early for the full official synopsis,

but here's a sneak peek:

No one is who they seem. And not everyone will survive the lies…

Until then, make sure you grab a shiny copy of Obsidian:

Amazon / Barnes & Noble / The Book Depository

*There are big discounts on B&N for the digital edition and on TBD for the paperback edition;)

So... thoughts?:D

In My Mailbox #11: The 'There's No Such Thing As Too Many Books' Edition

2011-12-04T18:26:00.001+02:00

Hey!

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi @ The Story Siren and inspired by Alea @ Pop Culture Junkie, where we share the books we got in the mail the previous week(s).

I got all these books last week, so I'm on a book buying ban now (well, at least until Christmas).

Sorry about the quality of the pics, my phone is not that fancy dandy :P

From the Gaudeamus Book Fair I got:

✓ Clockwork Angel (The Infernal Devices #1) by Cassandra Clare
(that would be the Romanian edition; I read the book last year and I loved it, so I needed a new hardcover copy for my collection)
✓ Matched by Ally Condie (Legaminte)
✓ Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver (O zi din sapte)

From The Book Depository:

✓ The Hollows Insider by Kim Harrison

✓ Shatter Me (Shatter Me, #1) by Tahereh Mafi

They are GORGEOUS! And some of the best books I got this year!♥ There was a lot of squealing, jumping up and down around the room and book petting involved when they arrived :D

From the used bookstore:

✓ Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead (I already read this series, it's one of my favorites, but I needed the Romanian hardcovers for my collection... I only found 4 books though. Thanks Cristina @ Bibliophile Mystery for book #6!)
✓ The Darkest Powers Trilogy by Kelley Armstrong
(Again, just for my Romanian books collection)
✓ Dead Until Dark (Sookie Stackhouse #1) by Charlaine Harris
I got this one because I'm probably the only paranormal / supernatural books/TV shows lover who's not a fan of True Blood and hasn't read any of the books in the series. So I want to see what's all the fuss about. :D

From authors for review:

✓ Untraceable by S.R. Johannes
✓ Brightest Kind of Darkness (Brightest Kind of Darkness #1) by P.T. Michelle
✓ Sleepers (The Swarm #1) by Megg Jensen
(this is not the final cover, but until the new one is revealed, this will do :P)
✓ Hellsbane (Hellsbane #1) by Paige Cuccaro

Thank you all!

What did you get in your mailbox?

Happy reading!
xoxo

November Favorites!

2011-12-02T19:47:00.000+02:00

Hello everyone!

I love books and I read a lot (duh!), but I can't write reviews for all the books I read.:( And I started this book blog mainly because I wanted to talk about books I really enjoyed with fellow book lovers, so here's what I thought: at the end of each month, I'd do a little post to talk about the books I read and loved that month and I didn't have the time to write full length reviews for them (but I still thought they were worth mentioning).
* I should mention that this post was inspired by Farrah's vlogs (from I Eat Words). But if someone has a feature or meme or anything like this, let me know to give them credit.
** All links send to Goodreads

Sooo... here's what I read in November. I was a very lucky reader, I loved all the books I got to read - though most of them were very powerful and emotional and they even made me cry - when I wasn't gripping the edges of my seat because of all the tension or, you know, just swooning. LOL

Twisted (Intertwined #3) by Gena Showalter

I actually got this one from audible.com. I LOVE this series and I think the narrator is simply amazing! (if I hadn't listened to it, I probably wouldn't have loved this series so much; it has a big cast of characters and the narrator did a great job at catching all the accents, nuances, emotions, pauses and everything a perfect storytelling requires. The story itself was brilliant, but heart wrenching. A lot of things happened in this book; it's twisted (ha!), dark, emotional, complicated, unpredictable... There's love, loss, pain, danger, action, dark humor... Simply put, it's a powerful book. And that cliffhanger at the end... Gah! I get goose bumps and teary-eyed just thinking about it. *shudders* Gena Showalter broke my heart with it - and then stomped on the pieces when she mentioned the next book was coming out in the summer of 2013. I'll pull all my hair out by then. LOL
I gave Twisted 4.5 stars. (not a perfect 5 because Mary Ann's whining and some of Aden's actions really bothered me, they didn't seem necessary for the story).

***

Flesh and Blood (House of Comarré #2) by Kristen Painter

I love the unique and interesting world Kristen Painter created in this series! Her take on vampires is quite original (and we have Vlad Tepes and a few other Romanian personalities and even locations in it, so I can't not love this series, hehe). Still, I enjoyed the first book in the series much more. With this one, I felt like there was something missing - maybe because there are a few new characters in it and with all the various POV's in 3rd person, I found it difficult to connect with the characters and just to stick with someone. Adding a new love interest for Crysabelle might have something to do with that too. I love Malkolm and I really felt for him! :( But it's a very promising and intriguing series and I'll keep reading the next books!:D
3.5 starts

***

Head Rush (The Disillusionists Trilogy #3) by Carolyn Crane

Again, I got this on audio. I've been waiting for this book the whole year! The previous book in the series had one of the most frustrating cliffhangers I ever read! So of course my expectations for this final installment in the series were very high - which is why I didn't enjoy it as much as I hoped I would. *sigh* There were a few things that just didn't seem right to me - but this might actually have something to do with the narrator, not with the story itself. (she made Justine sound too whiny and clingy for my liking). And then there was Justine and her obsession with Otto's 'perfection'! Grr! I wanted to reach into the book her shake her and eventually strangle him and be done with it.LOL. Thankfully, she got over it quickly (maybe too quickly?IDK) Anyway, I can't wait to read the e-book when it comes out next week, I'm sure there are things I missed and things I'll see differently.
***Don't get me wrong here: I still loved the book; I loved how the story ended and I still think Ms Crane is a genius! Packard is definitely of my favorite male leads of all time and he had some super awesome, knees-buckling, toes-curling, tear-jerker's lines and heart melting moments in this book. Oh my!***
4.5 stars - This remains one of my favorite series!

***

Grave Witch & Grave Dance (Alex Craft #1 & #2) by Kalayna Price

I got the audiobooks as well. You know I love magic and witches in my books and this one seemed like a perfect fit for me. And it was! Actually, I might consider it one of my new favorite UF series! The word building is unique and very interesting, the pace is fast, the writing flows and all the characters are realistic, complex and easy to relate to. Alex is a sassy, strong, smart girl and I really liked her as a main character. Even if she got herself in all kinds of trouble! LOL And don't get me started on the love interests - oh my! There are some pretty kick butt, swoon worthy male characters you just love to hate! And there's a lot of banter and sexual tension in this series! *swoon* Price's take on magic and Faeries is very refreshing. So, we have magic, action, romance, suspense, mystery, witches, faeries and the Grim Reaper (LOVE him!). Seriously, what else could you ask from a good UF series? Kalayna Price's writing style is quite addictive, I can't wait to get lost in her a wonderful world again!
4.5 stars

***

Dragon Bound (Elder Races #1) by Thea Harrison

Also audiobook. I'm very picky when it comes to PNR books, but some of my Goodreads friends kept recommending this series, so I wanted to give it a try. It was surprisingly good - good plot, interesting back story, fun secondary characters, lots of action and twists, and, most importantly, strong and very likebale main character (I hate it when the male lead character is super badass, alpha male, yada yadar and his soulmate is just a whiny, shallow, damsel in distress. *head desk* Balance people, balance!) So the main characters were super awesome and they completed each other perfectly. Also, the paranormal elements were super cool - a breath of fresh air after all the vamps, witches and werewolves on the PNR scene. Oh, and another aspect I should mention - no infuriating insta-love!
4 stars

***

Spider's Bite (Elemental Assassin #1) by Jennifer Estep

I wasn't planning on starting this series anytime soon (not until the next book in the series comes out in February next year, anyway) but I went on a trip last weekend and I needed a fun, fast read and a small book to carry around and this is what I ended up grabbing from the TBR pile. I can see why this series has so many fans - it's amazing and really addictive! Gin is one though girl! I loved her snarky attitude, the sarcasm, the humor, the sexy characters, the tension and all the kick ass scenes in this book! Unputdownable!
4 stars

***

The only YA books I actually read last month are Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout and Everneath by Brodi Ashton and I absolutely LOVED them, but I won't get into any details here, I'll post my reviews in the next few days.

That's it, I guess. I could say it was a slow month, but I also re-read 3 of my all times favorites (I went into a reading flunk and they always get me back on track).

What books did you read in November? Which one was your favorite? Have you read any of the books I mentioned?

Have a wonderful weekend!;)
xoxo

Spotted: Touching the Surface Blurb & Cover!

2011-11-30T22:49:00.000+02:00

Hey guys!

Here's a new book I just I added to my wishlist for the next year! It sounds so original and interesting and the cover is so beautiful, that I just had to share it with all of you! <3

Touching the Surface
by Kimberly Sabatini

Release Date: September 4th 2012
by Simon Pulse; Hardcover
Find the author: Twitter / Blog

Goodreads:

Life altering mistakes are meant to alter lives…

When Elliot dies for the third time, she knows this is her last shot. There are no fourth-timers in this afterlife, so one more chance is all she has to get things right. But before she can move on to her next life, Elliot will be forced to face her past and delve into the painful memories she’d rather keep buried. Memories of people she’s hurt, people she’s betrayed…and people she’s killed.

As she pieces together the mistakes of her past, Elliot must earn the forgiveness of her best friend and reveal the truth about herself to the two boys she loves…even if it means losing them both forever.

Afterlife, past lives, memories, love, heartbreak, forgiveness, last chances... Oh my! How unique and totally amazing does all that sound?<3 And I love the cover! See those little paper birds? They're so cool! (I think the hardcover will be shiny. You know how much I love shiny covers).

So, what do you think? Are you going to add Touching the Surface to your TBR lists?;)

*Thanks Lindsay for the tip! :)

xoxo

Waiting on Wednesday (11/30)

2011-11-30T14:27:00.000+02:00

Heya!

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases we're eagerly anticipating.
*Thanks Danny @ Bewitched Bookworms for the WoW button

My pick this week:

Black Heart (Curse Workers #3)
by Holly Black

Release Date: April 3rd 2012
by Margaret K. McElderry
Hardcover, 320 pages

Goodreads:

Cassel Sharpe knows he’s been used as an assassin, but he’s trying to put all that behind him. He’s trying to be good, even though he grew up in a family of con artists and cheating comes as easily as breathing to him. He’s trying to do the right thing, even though the girl he loves is inextricably connected with crime. And he’s trying to convince himself that working for the Feds is smart, even though he’s been raised to believe the government is the enemy.

But with a mother on the lam, the girl he loves about to take her place in the Mob, and new secrets coming to light, the line between what’s right and what’s wrong becomes increasingly blurred. When the Feds ask Cassel to do the one thing he said he would never do again, he needs to sort out what’s a con and what’s truth. In a dangerous game and with his life on the line, Cassel may have to make his biggest gamble yet—this time on love.

I love this series! It's one of my favorite YA series ever! I had the chance to read the first two books back-to-back, but the second book ended with a killer cliffhanger and the wait for the next book has been driving me crazy, grrr! I can't wait to see what's going to happen with Cassel and Lila! (oh, Cassel... He really deserves some good things to happen to him for a change...) Ms Black sure knows how and when to throw the twists and turns to keep her fans on the edge of their seat and always craving for more! And since 2011 is almost over, the wait for the last book of the trilogy doesn't seem to be that long anymore... does it?

Also, I know the Curse Workers series is getting a completely new look and I really like it (that purple is cool and everything), but I still prefer the old one, I think it's more appropriate for the series. Oh well...

What are you waiting on today?

P.S. If you haven't started this series yet, I highly recommend it! I think you can still get the first book on audio for free HERE (I listened to the audiobook as well and I loved it! My glowing review)

P.P.S. For my fellow Romanian readers who celebrate their Name Day today (myself included, hehe), Happy Name Day! I hope you're having a wonderful one!
>La multi ani!<

xoxo

Spotted: Clockwork Prince (The Infernal Devices #2) by Cassandra Clare Official Trailer!

2011-11-28T23:35:00.001+02:00

Hi!

Oh, wow! The Clockwork Prince official trailer is finally here! It has been released earlier today

exclusively on EW.com - go HERE to watch it - and then come back to tell me what you think of it, hehe. ;)

***UPDATE: Here it is now:

Have you noticed how book trailers are getting better and better lately? How they get real actors and catch the feeling of the books? Well, I think this one is absolutely amazing! Then again, it's not like we expected anything less from Vanya from VLC Productions. I think it's really well done, everything seems so real! And don't you just love Ed Westwick' s voice on the background? *melts*

Also, looks like there are some rumors about an upcoming Infernal Devices movie. Check out THIS ARTICLE for details. (Thanks Mundie Moms for the tip!)

Clockwork Prince (The Infernal Devices #2) - Pub. Date: December 6th 2011

The Infernal Devices Trilogy by Cassandra Clare on Goodreads

P.S. If you live in Romania and haven't started this series yet (a pity, really), you can always get a pretty hardcover copy from Leda Books HERE.

Have a great week!

xoxo

Review: The Shadow Reader by Sandy Williams

2011-11-26T00:43:00.000+02:00

The Shadow Reader (McKenzie Lewis #1)
by Sandy Williams

Published: October 25th 2011
by Ace; Paperback, 307 pages
Goodreads:

There can only be one allegiance.
It’s her time to choose.

Some humans can see the fae. McKenzie Lewis can track them, reading the shadows they leave behind. But some shadows lead to danger. Others lead to lies.

A Houston college student trying to finish her degree, McKenzie has been working for the fae king for years, tracking vicious rebels who would claim the Realm. Her job isn’t her only secret. For just as long, she’s been in love with Kyol, the king’s sword-master—and relationships between humans and fae are forbidden.

But any hope for a normal life is shattered when she’s captured by Aren, the fierce and uncompromising rebel leader. He teaches her the forbidden fae language and tells her dark truths about the Court, all to persuade her to turn against the king. Time is running out, and as the fight starts to claim human lives, McKenzie has no choice but to decide once and for all whom to trust and where she ultimately stands in the face of a cataclysmic civil war.

My thoughts:
(NO spoilers)

OMG, you guys! This book was so freaking awesome! It’s been a while since I read an Adult Urban Fantasy book and I loved it so much, that I wanted to rave about it here on the blog too (and not just drive crazy my FB/Twitter/Goodreads friends). I’m very picky when it comes to Fae/Faeries books (you can blame the Fever series for that, it’s a hard one to follow), but this one was fabulous, the plot was very original and captivating! It’s a very complex book that kept me on the edge of my seat the whole time! It has strong, like-able main characters, interesting story, wonderful world building, fast paced action, kick ass scenes, engrossing plot and just the perfect amount of romance… It’s everything a good UF series should be – and more!

Also, if you’ve read my rant on love triangles a few weeks ago, you know I’m not their biggest fan. But this love triangle?! Oh my! It’s one of the best! It drove me crazy most of the time – but that’s one of the reasons I loved it so much, hehe! Seriously, I was more than halfway through the book and I was still bewildered and confused; each character grew on me without me even realizing it and I had no idea who was the bad guy and what team was I supposed to be. Which is crazy (and very rare), because when it comes to love triangles, I always know who the right choice is; I pick a team from the very start and end up immensely annoyed with the other guy and I just want him out of the way. :)) Well, it wasn’t the case here. On the contrary, just like our heroine, I wanted them both and I felt myself pulled in two very different and very appealing directions!

Ok, I already got lost in the awesomeness that is The Shadow Reader. Let me get back to the beginning:

McKenzie Lewis is a shadow reader; not only she can see the Fae, but she can also see the shadows they leave behind every time they leave the Mortal realm (when they fissure out or sift). She can draw maps based upon those shadows and determine their next location. And because of her strong and rare ability, she’s been working for the Fae Kingdom for the last 10 years, helping the king in tracking dawn and catching the bad guys (rebellious, dangeorus Fae who live outside the Kingdom and don’t follow any of the rules), pointing the King’s men in their direction. She’s been trying to be ok with working with Kyol (the King's sword-master), dealing with her forbidden feelings for him and living a normal, collage student life this whole time… But everything turns upside down when she’s kidnapped by the rebels’ leader, Aren. He takes her to the rebels’ camp and tries to persuade her into reading the shadows for them, because apparently they need her to prove they are not the bad guys and they have to do justice for the Realm. Lost already? Well, don’t worry, it gets even more twisted and complicated. ;) While staying with the rebels, McKenzie learns all kind of weird and unexpected things about them and even about the Court; yet, she doesn’t trust any of them and she tries to stay loyal to the Court, without revealing any of its secrets. She keeps trying to escape – but to no avail. She also gets to know Aren and his ‘people’ a bit better – and slowly she finds herself questioning her own reality and loyalties. Letting Aren plant the seed of the doubt in her heart is so wrong – bu also so inevitable! Because the rebels seem to have a good cause – and maybe, just maybe they are not the bad guys after all. Maybe they do try to get to the Court and claim it because it’s corrupt and the King used her to go after innocent people and gain all the power instead. She can’t let appearances, her insecurities and her growing feelings for Aren (wait – when did she go from hating Aren to trusting him and, even worse, having feelings for him?) make her doubt Kyol and the Fae who have been a big part of her life for so long… right? Speaking of Kyol – what’s his deal? Why hasn’t he done anything for her until now? What’s his role in this war? Is he really corrupt or just being played? Can she trust him again? Yeah… That’s the kind of questions that torment McKenzie throughout the book – as if all the dangerous situations and action weren’t enough to give her nightmares. Because before she knows it, she’s thrust in the middle of a civil war and she’s being pulled in two directions without any chance of escape. Well, not without losing a part of herself and her heart in the process, anyway.

As I was saying, this is a very complex novel. The Fae politics, the war battles, the twists and all that make the plot interesting, but the characters are unique, very well crafted and so real! They grow with each chapter and their emotional turmoil makes them more believable, easier to connect with.

*sigh* This review doesn't make the book any justice; I could talk about The Shadow Reader forever! It’s so tiny, yet so intense! There are so many nuances! Not to mention that the plot grabs you from the very first page! If you start reading it, you can’t put it down until you finish it, it’s as simple as that. And did I mention how hot, mysterious, kind, badass and *introduces all the adjectives that describe a perfect male lead character here* Aren is?! *swoon*

So… I initially wanted to give this book a 4.5 (McKenzie annoyed me at some point and I just couldn’t get why the two men were so crazy about her), but then I remembered that this is only the first book in the series, and as far as starts of series go, this one is as close to being perfect as it can get.
Now, Ms Williams, I hope you’ve already written book #2 and you’re at the final edits stages or something equally close to the book being finished and published, yes? *taps foot impatiently* *just kidding**needs sequel like yesterday**gets teary-eyed remembering that ending**gets even more impatient*

Ok, I’m done now. Bottom line, The Shadow Reader is a must-read for the Urban Fantasy fans. It definitely goes on my keeper (re-reads) shelf!

P.S. Remember when was the last time I gave a UF book a 5 stars rating? Yes, this book is that good!

xoxo

Romanian Bookish Love #6

2011-11-20T22:31:00.000+02:00

Hey guys!

Sorry for the radio silence, but I've had a crazy, eventful week and I didn't have the time or the means to blog or to stay online. :( I did manage to read a couple of books though, I'll post my reviews next week.

Aaanyway... Since our Romanian publishers are constantly surprising us with their upcoming fabulous titles, I figured I'd spread the word and share the love!

So here's a new release I'm very excited about:

Starcrossed (Starcrossed #1) by Josephine Angelini
Published May 31st 2011
by HarperTeen in the US

How do you defy destiny?

Helen Hamilton has spent her entire sixteen years trying to hide how different she is—no easy task on an island as small and sheltered as Nantucket. And it's getting harder. Nightmares of a desperate desert journey have Helen waking parched, only to find her sheets damaged by dirt and dust. At school she's haunted by hallucinations of three women weeping tears of blood . . . and when Helen first crosses paths with Lucas Delos, she has no way of knowing they're destined to play the leading roles in a tragedy the Fates insist on repeating throughout history.

As Helen unlocks the secrets of her ancestry, she realizes that some myths are more than just legend. But even demigod powers might not be enough to defy the forces that are both drawing her and Lucas together—and trying to tear them apart.

Starcrossed is one of my favorite debut novels of 2011 and I'm sooo happy it's released in my country as well! (I read it for DAC2011.) Though I haven't written a full review of it (yet!), I've been raving about it everywhere with any chance I got: on Facebook, Twitter, blogs, real life friends etc. I know that people have been complaining about the similarities with Twilight and whatnot, but nothing of that bothered me: on the contrary, I saw it as an upgrade. Sometimes I actually got myself thinking "Ha! This is how things should have be done/said in Twilight!". *hides* The writing is beautiful and compelling, the story original, the pace flows, the action rocks and the cast of characters is awesomesauce! Not to mention the dynamic between Lucas and Helen! *melts*

So, my point is: if you haven't already read it, give it a shot! If you live in Romania, it just came out last week, pick it up, you will not be disappointed!

*** You can order it online on Rao Books' website HERE.

And last but not least, what do you think about our cover? :D

xoxo

Giveaway Winner! (Castigator Concurs Zori de Zi + Bree Tanner)

2011-11-18T15:16:00.000+02:00

Hello everyone!

First of all, let me thank you all for entering the giveaway and for spreading the word about it! This was the first time when I worked with a local publisher for something like this and I must confess that I was a bit nervous about it.:)) But everything worked out in the end and I hope I'll get to do this again soon - our Romanian publishers are now bringing us the hottest titles and it would be awesome to spread the love for books with my Romanian fellows! That being said, here's the winner for a copy of Bree Tanner + Breaking Dawn: (Noua si scurta viata a lui Bree Tanner + Zori de zi)

*as usual, picked by random.org

Petcan Teodora Catalina

Congrats!!!

Also:

I asked in the giveaway form what was your favorite Twilight book/ movie. Looks like most of you loved Twilight #1 (Amurg) which was quickly followed by Braking Dawn (Zori de zi) in your top. As for the movie preferences, there was a tie between Twilight and Eclipse (Eclipsa), New Moon (Luna Noua) being your least favorite. But let's see how Breaking Dawn The Movie will change everything!

And last, but definitely not least, a big thank you to RAO Books for making this giveaway possible and for bringing Twilight in Romania!

Enjoy the movie everyone and have a fabulous weekend!
xoxo

Waiting on Wednesday (11/16)

2011-11-16T14:45:00.001+02:00

Hi!

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases we're eagerly anticipating.
*Thanks Danny @ Bewitched Bookworms for the WoW button

I'm back on adult books territory this week. Here's my pick:

Immortal Rider (Lords of Deliverance #2)
by Larissa Ione

Release Date: November 22nd 2011
by Grand Central Publishing
Mass Market Paperback, 432 pages

Goodreads:

The signs are everywhere...disastrous world events. Evil rising up, unleashed upon the innocent. The prophecies were there...but no one listened. Until now. The time has come for those who can either usher in Doomsday...or prevent it. They are here. They ride. The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.

Arik Wagner, a soldier with the U.S. Army's paranormal unit, the R-XR, kissed a girl and liked it. And then he went to hell as punishment. Where he's spent weeks being tortured...and plotting revenge.

Limos, Horsewoman of the Apocalypse, isn't your average girl. She's immortal, dangerous, and her fiancé is Satan himself. In a moment of weakness, she gave in to her desire and kissed Arik, triggering her fiancé's wrath - and his claim on her. In order to save Arik, and the world, Limos must make a dangerous pact with her recently turned evil brother, Pestilence. A deal that might just cost her her soul...and her heart.

I'm so excited this book comes out next week! I've recently fallen in love with Larissa Ione's writing (yes, I know, I'm always late to the party) and I've been eagerly anticipating her next release! Though I loved her Demonica series, I kind of like Lords of Deliverance better. Well, at least for now; I love the back story. The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse are so cool! And it seems like everything gets better with every book! I really liked Limos in the previous book, she's a lot of fun and I've been waiting for a story for Arik for a long time! And seriously now, Arik and Limos? Arik?! This story should be very interesting!:D

So, what are you waiting on this week?

xoxo

In My Mailbox #11

2011-11-13T17:28:00.000+02:00

Hey!

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi @ The Story Siren and inspired by Alea @ Pop Culture Junkie, where we share the books we got in the mail the previous week(s).

Here's what I got in the past couple of weeks:
*Links send to Goodreads

The Shadow Reader (McKenzie Lewis #1) - by Sandy Williams
*I'm currently reading this one and it's super awesome! I'm very picky when it comes to Fae/ faery books (thank you, Fever series) but this one is actually very good!

Flesh and Blood (House of Comarré #2) by Kristen Painter
*I got the first book in the series, Blood Rights from NetGalley a few weeks ago and I loved it (review to come soon). So of course I had to get the second book as soon as it came out! It wasn't as good as the first one, but I really like the premise and the series overall, so I can't wait to read the next one. Good thing they're released almost back to back!

Hunting Lila (Lila #1) by Sarah Alderson

A Need So Beautiful (A Need So Beautiful #1) by Suzanne Young (audiobook)

Head Rush (The Disillusionists Trilogy #3) by Carolyn Crane (audiobook - I love audible.com!)
*Of course I already listened to it and.... whoa! It was quite a ride! Can't wait to read the book, or the ebook, whichever comes out first!

And a big THANK YOU to NetGalley and HarperCollins! You are the best!<3

Hallowed (Unearthly #2) by Cynthia Hand

Incarnate (Newsoul #1) by Jodi Meadows

Everneath (Everneath #1) by Brodi Ashton

Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

Obsidian (Lux #1) by Jennifer L. Armentrout
*Thank you Entangled Pub!

OMG! I'm so excited about these books! I wasn't expecting them quite so soon *happy dance* and I have no idea what to read first. Suggestions?:D

What did you get in your mailbox?
Happy reading!

xoxo

Waiting on Wednesday (11/9)

2011-11-09T12:22:00.000+02:00

Hi!

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases we're eagerly anticipating.
*Thanks Danny @ Bewitched Bookworms for the lovely button

Two weeks ago, 2012 seemed to be pretty far away. Today, it seems way too close! I love debut novels and though I haven't read all the awesome debut novels that came out this year (pff, far from it!), I'm already coveting 2012 debuts! And here's another one I'm eagerly anticipating:

Under the Never Sky
by Veronica Rossi

Release Date: January 3rd 2012
HarperCollins; Hardcover, 400 pages

Goodreads:

Aria is a teenager in the enclosed city of Reverie. Like all Dwellers, she spends her time with friends in virtual environments, called Realms, accessed through an eyepiece called a Smarteye. Aria enjoys the Realms and the easy life in Reverie. When she is forced out of the pod for a crime she did not commit, she believes her death is imminent. The outside world is known as The Death Shop, with danger in every direction.

As an Outsider, Perry has always known hunger, vicious predators, and violent energy storms from the swirling electrified atmosphere called the Aether. A bit of an outcast even among his hunting tribe, Perry withstands these daily tests with his exceptional abilities, as he is gifted with powerful senses that enable him to scent danger, food and even human emotions.

They come together reluctantly, for Aria must depend on Perry, whom she considers a barbarian, to help her get back to Reverie, while Perry needs Aria to help unravel the mystery of his beloved nephew’s abduction by the Dwellers. Together they embark on a journey challenged as much by their prejudices as by encounters with cannibals and wolves. But to their surprise, Aria and Perry forge an unlikely love - one that will forever change the fate of all who live UNDER THE NEVER SKY.

I love the cover! (no big surprise there, I'm a cover junkie and this one is gorgeous! Love the blueish tones) The story sounds very interesting and original and I've already read some gushing reviews of it, so of course I can't wait to read it!

What are you waiting on this week?

xoxo

Spotted! The Iron Fey Website

2011-11-08T19:09:00.000+02:00

Heya!

The new official website for Julie Kagawa's Iron Fey series has been live since yesterday, but I wanted to mention it here, in case you missed it. It's really cool in my opinion, it has awesome graphics, trailers, pics to download and deleted scenes from all the books in the series. Also, don't miss Ash's final letter to Meghan - before the events of The Iron Knight (I may or may not have shed some tears when I read it and I may or may not want to re-read the entire series or at least that final book *sigh*). Oh, and there's also a little surprise for Julie Kagawa's fans: the blurb for The Immortal Rules, her upcoming post-apocalyptic vampire series. Check it out!

The Iron Fey website

The Iron Fey on Goodreads

xoxo

Review: The Near Witch by Victoria Schwab

2011-11-06T19:03:00.004+02:00

Hello everyone!

I hope you're all having a great, relaxing Sunday! Here's a book I find very appropriate for this kind of weather and for lazy days...

The Near Witch
by Victoria Schwab
Released: August 2nd 2011
Hyperion Books, Hardcover, 282 pages

Goodreads:

The Near Witch is only an old story told to frighten children.

If the wind calls at night, you must not listen. The wind is lonely, and always looking for company.

And there are no strangers in the town of Near.

These are the truths that Lexi has heard all her life.

But when an actual stranger—a boy who seems to fade like smoke—appears outside her home on the moor at night, she knows that at least one of these sayings is no longer true.

The next night, the children of Near start disappearing from their beds, and the mysterious boy falls under suspicion. Still, he insists on helping Lexi search for them. Something tells her she can trust him.

As the hunt for the children intensifies, so does Lexi’s need to know—about the witch that just might be more than a bedtime story, about the wind that seems to speak through the walls at night, and about the history of this nameless boy.

Part fairy tale, part love story, Victoria Schwab’s debut novel is entirely original yet achingly familiar: a song you heard long ago, a whisper carried by the wind, and a dream you won’t soon forget.

My thoughts (spoiler free):

I must admit that The Near Witch wasn’t what I expected it to be. It was an amazing book though and I totally recommend picking it up if you haven’t already! It came out in the summer, but I think it’s the kind of book you might enjoy reading on a cold day, laying on the couch in front of the crinkling fire and drinking hot chocolate. It’s such a beautiful story and it reads more like a fairy tale for grown ups. It’s engrossing, touching, haunting, imaginative and vivid in the same time. Victoria Schwab’s writing is absolutely stunning *includes major fan girl moment here* and the whole story has this eerie, mystical, otherworldly feel to it that makes you forget about everything and devour each and every page of it! So, simply put, I ADORED this book!

Lexi lives with her mother and sister in the town of Near. It’s a small, peaceful, close community; everyone knows everyone and everyone knows the old story of the Near Witch and about the two witches who still live close to the moors. But one day, everything changes, when a stranger comes close by. There’s something different and mysterious about him and Lexi is immediately interested in him – but so is the whole town, because children start disappearing and he seems to be the most viable suspect. Because no one ever comes here and the old Witch is gone so really, who else could take the children from their beds in the middle of the night, right? Riiight.

The city council starts looking into the matter immediately, but they don’t seem to have any success in finding the missing children or keeping it from happening again. And being her father’s daughter, of course Lexi can’t just sit there waiting, doing nothing. Besides, there’s something odd going on and she might be the only one who can find out what it is - before it’s too late and the children are gone for good. So she sneaks out, puts in practice all the hunting and tracking tricks her father had thought her and starts her own investigation, despite her family’s warnings and complaints. She meets the stranger, ‘Cole’ and she immediately knows that he’s innocent. He’s quiet, aloof, reluctant to tell her anything about him and tends to disappear into thin air, but eventually, he comes around and helps her solve the mystery. And if there’s anyone who can decipher the nature’s signs and the wind’s whispers to get to the bottom of the problem, it’s them.

Lexi is a fabulous heroine! Her father had died and though she tries to live a nice, quiet, life with her mom and her sister, she can’t be the kind of girl her mother wishes her to be. And she will never forget her father; she can’t forget the stories he used to tell and everything he had thought her. She’s strong willed, tenacious, clever, intuitive and extremely caring. She’s also very tough and courageous – she keeps wandering around the town or in the woods in the middle of the night looking for clues. *shivers* She loves her family, respects her uncle and the town elders, cares about her friends and the children and she’s ‘on good terms’ even with the creepy old witches everyone seems to avoid and to be afraid of. She can tell that whatever the men are doing to find the children is ineffective; they’re not looking in the right places or for the right people. She can feel that there’s something dark and twisted lurking around and if she doesn’t find out what that is quickly, things will end badly. Thankfully, so does ‘Cole’ and dealing with the problems surrounding the disappearances brings them closer together. And this ‘Cole’… whoa, he’s another mystery altogether! A delightful one at that!:) “With his pale face, dark eyes, and sad mouth, he seems made of black and white, just like the world at night.” The love story that develops between them is tentative, sweet, beautiful and so adorable – even though they seem to be surrounded by danger, darkness, creepy wind and mist all the time.

And then there are the witches. They are old, powerful and downright scary. They talk in quotes and riddles, use words with double meaning and complete each other’s sentences – it’s like they’re always casting some spell.*shudder* But they also seem to know more about what is happening in their small town and they prove to be very useful in solving the missing children enigma.

Anyway, Victoria Scwab is a fantabulous story teller! Seriously, she could write weather reports and I’d still read them.:)) And The Near Witch is an amazing book - dark and eerie, rich and intense… It’s impossible not to get immersed into the story from the very first line! Everything about it is so mysterious, beautiful and captivating!

I gave it 4 stars (and not a perfect 5 stars rating) because I’m an action junkie and sometimes it felt like the story was dragging or getting too long and I just wanted for something to happen already! But don’t let my impatience mislead you; The Near Witch is a book not to be missed! *has another fan girl moment because Victoria Schwab’s writing is so freaking good*

***Review copy provided by the publisher Hyperion in exchange for my honest opinion. Thank you!

Find Victoria: Blog / Twitter

Get the book: The Book Depository / Amazon

Happy reading!
xoxo

Giveaway: Breaking Dawn & The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner by Stephenie Meyer (RO Only)

2011-11-05T01:51:00.001+02:00

Hey!

I have a surprise for my Romanian readers:

To celebrate the upcoming release of the movie The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn: Part 1 (Zori de zi) in our Romanian theaters, Rao Books has graciously offered a set of Breaking Dawn (Zori de zi, Twilight #4) AND The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner (Noua si scurta viata a lui Bree Tanner, Twilight #3.5) by Stephenie Meyer to give away on the blog to one lucky reader.

The Twilight craziness started in our country when RAO published the first book in the series years ago, and they did an amazing job promoting it over the years. Great translations, beautiful hardcovers, timely releases, fun meetings, giveaways, interviews, etc. I'm so very grateful for that because yes, I'm one of those people who got into reading lots of (paranormal) books, blogging and everything because of the Twilight Saga and the series couldn't have been in better hands! If you live under a rock and don't know what I'm talking about, read more about Rao and the Twilight phenomenon in Romania on their blog HERE.

I will admit that I'm very excited (and maybe a bit nervous) about the movie and I think I will re-read the last book in the series before the big release and if you want to read it too but you don't have it on your shelf, here's your chance to get it:

The books are provided by the publisher so this giveaway is open only for my Romanian readers. (Sorry International readers, I'll make it up to you soon!;))

All you have to do is fill in the form bellow (all the details are in the form).

There is no requirement to follow me or my blog, but it’s always appreciated!:)

You have two weeks to enter; I'll announce the winner on the movie release day, to double celebrate;)

~~GIVEAWAY FORM~~

The contest is now closed. Winner announced HERE.

xoxo

Waiting on Wednesday (11/2)

2011-11-02T18:53:00.000+02:00

Hey!

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

*Thanks Danny @ Bewitched Bookworms for the lovely button

Today I'm waiting on...

Third Grave Dead Ahead (Charley Davidson #3)
by Darynda Jones

Release Date: January 31st 2012
St. Martin's Press, Hardcover, 320 pages

Goodreads:

Charley Davidson—grim reaper extraordinaire, private investigator . . . meh—is practicing her profession under the influence, caffeine and copious amounts of it, due to an extreme desire to induce insomnia. Every time she closes her eyes, Reyes Farrow, the part-human, part-supermodel son of Satan, is there. Only thing is, he’s a tad peeved. She did him bind for all eternity, so it’s hard blame him. But 13 days without a wink is bound to bring out the crazy in a girl. So, when a man hires her to find his wife, Charley accepts the job with one goal in mind: Put the man behind bars, and not the wet kind. She can sense the guilt waft off him and vows to find the woman’s body and prove he’s a murderer.

In the meantime, Reyes is back in prison and none too happy about it . . . so Charley thinks, until she is carjacked by the dark-haired rake, who swears the very man he went to prison for killing is not only alive, but close by. And he wants Charley to find him.

While a visit to her old friend Rocket sheds no light on Reyes’s situation, Charley finds out the man’s wife is still alive and time is running out. Finding her before she dies would be a miracle, but she has to try. Together with the help of a fashion-impaired receptionist named Cookie, Charley sets out to bring the bad guys to justice. She just hopes Reyes is not one of them. And that she’s not hallucinating from her self-induced bout with insomnia.

If you've been following me around or reading my review for First Grave on the Right, you know that I'm a huge fan of Darynda Jones and that I ADORE this series. I just can't get enough of Darynda's fabulous writing, Charley's snarky humor and Reyes' smoking hotness! So I can't wait to read the third book in the series to see what's the gang up to this time around! And considering how the second book ended *sniffle*, I have a feeling the third one is going to be quite... intense. *sigh* And have you noticed how cool are all the covers?<3 (I think I'll go with the UK version for Third Grave, I really like it and it comes out just a few days before my birthday!)

See those shoes? I WANT!:))

What are you guys waiting on?

xoxo

Spotted: Body and Soul (The Ghost and the Goth #3) by Stacey Kade Cover

2011-11-01T12:25:00.000+02:00

Hey guys!

Sorry for the lack of posts, but my craptastic Internet connection died on me again last week. *cries* (we're still not on good terms, not to mention that I'm getting behind with my reviews again). I know, perfect timing... I missed my Halloween post and all the events around the blogosphere!:( I hope you had a good time if you celebrated! :D

Anyway, I don't want to start this week complaining, so here's a pretty cover I spotted today that I had to share with you:

Body and Soul (The Ghost and the Goth #3) by Stacey Kade

Release Date: May 29th 2012 by Hyperion

Goodreads:

The Ghost
I’ve been trapped in the body of Lily “Ally” Turner for a month now. Talk about a fashion crisis on an epic scale. What worries me more, though, is sometimes I catch Will looking at me like he thinks I’m Lily...or that he wishes I were. Without the good looks of my former self, I don’t know who I am, or if who that is is good enough. I need out of this mess. Now.

Will and I have been looking for a solution, one that would separate me from Lily without killing her. But it’s not going well. Then, when it seems like things couldn’t get any worse, we run into Misty, my former best friend and boyfriend-stealer extraordinaire, who claims she’s being haunted...by me. Seriously?

I’m determined to get to the bottom of who’s pretending to be the spirit of Alona Dare (while I’m pretending to be someone else) and then get the heck out of this body. Or die trying...

The Goth

I’ll admit it. It’s really weird to look at Alona but see Lily. I do know the difference, though, contrary to what Alona might be saying. And Alona is more than a pretty face to me, not that she would believe that.

Our one lead for some help in this messed up situation might be a page torn from the yellow pages-—the “Psychics” section-—I found in my dad’s stuff. One of the “fakes” seems a bit more real-—and odd-—than the others. Before I can investigate further, though, Alona is off and chasing a ghost that’s probably nothing more than a figment of Misty’s guilty imagination. Now Lily’s family is freaking out because she didn’t come home, my mom is ordering me to stay out of it, and something is definitely wrong with the person formerly known as Lily “Ally” Turner...

Cool, right?:D Check out Stacey's website to get more details about the cover and the book. I haven't started this series yet, but it is on my TBR list, it seems like a cute, fun read. And rumor has it that it's going to be published in Romania as well, so you'd better be on the lookout for it!;)

Previous books in this series...

What do you think?

Have a great week!

xoxo

Review: Crave (The Clann #1) by Melissa Darnell

2011-10-28T20:05:00.000+03:00

Hi!

Crave (The Clann #1)
by Melissa Darnell

Release Date: October 25th 2011
by Harlequin Teen
Paperback, 416 pages
Goodreads:

Savannah Colbert has never known why she's so hated by the kids of the Clann. Nor can she deny her instinct to get close to Clann golden boy Tristan Coleman. Especially when she recovers from a strange illness and the attraction becomes nearly irresistible. It's as if he's a magnet, pulling her gaze, her thoughts, even her dreams. Her family has warned her to have nothing to do with him, or any members of the Clann. But when Tristan is suddenly everywhere she goes, Savannah fears she's destined to fail.

For years, Tristan has been forbidden to even speak to Savannah Colbert. Then Savannah disappears from school for a week and comes back…different, and suddenly he can't stay away. Boys seem intoxicated just from looking at her. His own family becomes stricter than ever. And Tristan has to fight his own urge to protect her, to be near her no matter the consequences….

My thoughts: (spoiler free)

Told from both Savannah and Tristan’s POVs, Crave is a beautiful story of forbidden love, strong magic, games of power, painful loss and unimaginable danger.

Savannah and Tristan have always been drawn to each other. When they were kids, they used to be best friends and to spend all the time together. But one day, the Clann (formed from the town’s founding families who were rumored to have witchy powers) asked Tristan and all their other kids to stay away from Savannah for ever. None of them understood why, but they had to comply. Savannah never got the chance to find out why all her friends were avoiding her, so feeling hurt and betrayed, she never talked to Tristan again. But that didn’t mean she didn’t still feel his presence every time he was around her or that her feelings for him just disappeared – on the contrary. So every other day at her high school was a nightmare and the fact that she was shy, quiet and clumsy didn’t make it feel any better. Especially not when all the Clann’s kids seemed to hate her and made a routine from messing with her.

But all of a sudden, everything changed. Savannah went sick and after a few confusing, painful days of staying at home, when she went back to school, everything was different. She was different. She felt better, stronger, she even looked prettier - and suddenly she was the center of attention. Tristan noticed too, because her presence was affecting him like it never did before. She was constantly on his mind and it even made him act weird. The pull between them became stronger and almost impossible to ignore. And though they knew better than to give in to the powerful attraction that drew them to each other and to ignore the danger their being together represented for everyone, they started to see each other and spend more and more time together. But the Clann and an even more dominant, evil, merciless force was lurking around, always watching, always testing and they were not happy with the turn of events, because Sav and Tristan seeing each other could start a war and the consequences could be disastrous. The two have to support the repercussions of their acts and of neglecting the rules - and things don't go well.

There’s not a lot of action in this novel, but the suspense, the unpredictability, the twists and turns, the constant presence of danger and evil forces, the hidden truths, the perpetual changes, the annoying hold their powerful families had on Sav and Tristan, their strong feelings for each other and the way they affected them and everyone around them made of this book a very enjoyable, engaging read. Of course, Melissa’s beautiful and compelling writing had a lot to do with it; the story was intense and flowed easily.

Despite everything, Sav and Tristan are so adorable together! I love Tristan, he’s strong, snarky, protective and oh, so charming; reading from his POV was a delight! There was a lot of pain and difficult changes in Sav’s life, so her side of the story was a bit darker; it was grim and sad, yet understandable. She had a few moments when I just wanted to shake her, but… I got over it quickly. :)) She grew on me and became a more likeable character with every chapter, with every new development of the story.

All in all, I really, really liked this book. There are some elements in it that I've always loved and I've always wanted to see combined (can't tell you what exactly I'm talking about, it would be spoilery) so THANK YOU Melissa Darnell for making it happen! *hugs*

Of course, the ending left me craving for the sequel – I can’t wait to see where Savannah and Tristan’s story goes and I wouldn’t mind a little more action in the next books in the series, those super bad ass powers should be put to work!:))

***Review copy provided by the publisher Harlequin Teen and NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion. Thank you guys!

P.S. Isn't that cover gorgeous?<3

xoxo

Waiting on Wednesday 10/26

2011-10-26T11:00:00.002+03:00

Hey!

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

*Thanks Danny @ Bewitched Bookworms for the lovely button

My pick is a bit random, but you know that I'm a moody reader, and this is what I'd give anything to read at the moment:

Insurgent (Divergent #2)
by Veronica Roth

Release Date: May 28th 2012
by HarperCollins

Goodreads:

One choice can transform you—or it can destroy you. But every choice has consequences, and as unrest surges in the factions all around her, Tris Prior must continue trying to save those she loves—and herself—while grappling with haunting questions of grief and forgiveness, identity and loyalty, politics and love.

Tris's initiation day should have been marked by celebration and victory with her chosen faction; instead, the day ended with unspeakable horrors. War now looms as conflict between the factions and their ideologies grows. And in times of war, sides must be chosen, secrets will emerge, and choices will become even more irrevocable—and even more powerful. Transformed by her own decisions but also by haunting grief and guilt, radical new discoveries, and shifting relationships, Tris must fully embrace her Divergence, even if she does not know what she may lose by doing so.

New York Times bestselling author Veronica Roth's much-anticipated second book of the dystopian Divergent series is another intoxicating thrill ride of a story, rich with hallmark twists, heartbreaks, romance, and powerful insights about human nature.

I read Divergent just a few weeks ago and I still have everything fresh in my mind (and in my heart, I should add). It's a really great Dystopian novel and the ending was so heartbreaking! So of course I need the sequel NOW!

What are you waiting on this week?:)

xoxo

Spotted: The Hollows Series by Kim Harrison to come on CW TV?!

2011-10-26T02:01:00.000+03:00

Heya!

Whoa, how did I miss this?! *hyperventilates*

It's not official yet, but seems like the CW has bought the rights to Kim Harrison’s The Hollows series (and Cynthia Hand’s Unearthly series). Smallville’s Jordan Hawley has written the script for The Hollows, and serves as executive producer.

The Hollows (CW), based on the bestselling book series The Hollows by Kim Harrison:

Set in an urban fantasy world, Rachel Morgan, a PI witch, works with local law enforcement agencies to combat threats both mundane and supernatural.

EP/W: Jordan Hawley

***More info at the sources: deadline.com & Heroes and Heartbreakers (Thanks Megan!)

The Hollows is my second favorite series EVER (it's what introduced me to adult Urban Fantasy years ago so it will always be special to me) and I know that some of you ladies love it as well, so I wanted to hear your thoughts on this. What do you think about Rachel Morgan getting on the small screen?

When I first heard about it, I got super excited and I practically jumped up and down around the room. And THEN I realized what was happening and I got all nervous. OMG! We're talking Kim Harrison here! What if they mess with my beloved series? What if they do it all wrong? What if they add cheesy romance to it (because we know this series is more about the world, action, character development, world building, mystery, and stuff like that than romance). What if they miss the important stuff and add something unnecessary? What if they change things drastically (CW tends to do that quite a lot *caugh*The Vampire Diaries *caugh*). What if they pick the wrong actors (seriously, who could make any justice to Kisten? Or Trent?! *faints*) And then there's that tone, humour and story telling that's so unique and so Kim Harrison... Really hard to get it right. So, yeah... you get my point: I'm excited and worried at the same time. (Sorry, I tend to get all fangirly and over protective when it comes to my fav characters.LOL)

Anyway, what do you guys think? ;)

P.S. Actually, I have the same feelings about the Fever series (Karen Marie Moning) being made into movies, but... Let's just not get there now.

P.P.S. Speaking of The Hollows, did you get the Insider's guide today? I hear it glows in the dark and it has tons of awesome pictures and behind-the-scenes-like info! <3

xoxo

Romanian Bookish Love #5

2011-10-23T14:57:00.001+03:00

Hey guys!

I haven't posted this feature in a long time, but our lovely publishers spoiled us with a lot of amazing titles lately, so I thought I'd share some of them with you. I know you enjoy seeing International editions, so here are some of the books they have in store for us this fall:

Eve (Eve #1) by Anna Carey

US Edition	Romanian Edition

Fallen (Nine Lives of Chloe King #1) by Celia Thomson

US Edition	Romanian Edition

Swoon (Swoon #1) by Nina Malkin

US Edition	Romanian Edition

*Romanian editions courtesy to Leda Books Romania!

So, what do you guys think? Which cover do you prefer? Do you like the US or the Romanian covers better?:)

Have a great Sunday!

xoxo

Spotted: Until I Die by Amy Plum Cover!

2011-10-23T13:12:00.001+03:00

Happy Sunday everyone!

Just a quickie post to show you the new cover of Until I Die (Revenants #2) by Amy Plum. It's so beautiful, I just had to share it with you all! <3

Out: May 3rd 2012

Previous book cover:

Die for Me (Revenants #1)

So, what do you think?

xoxo

My Bookish Pet Peeves

2011-10-21T02:45:00.000+03:00

Hey!

I enjoy most of the books I read, because I (almost) always find something to like about them. Yes, I am a perfectionist and a moody reader, but when the story is good, the plot is interesting, the characters are like-able, the world building is very well done, I can overlook tiny flaws. But there are a few things that really tick me off. They make me grit my teeth, bang my head on the wall, roll my eyes, pull my hair and raise my hands up to sky in a "Oh, God, not again!" manner. (ok, I don't actually do those things, but you know the feeling.:)) I just drop a star or two from my final rating). Well, I'd like to ~~complain~~ talk about all this for a bit.

But before I do that, let me say that I am aware that there are exceptions, sometimes these things are very well done, there are books that are so good and authors who are so talented, that if I find any of these things in their works, it doesn't even matter. Also, I don't want to be mean or disrespectful to any author, I'm just stating my personal opinion about things I don't like in general. That being said, here we go:

1. The dumb, whiny heroine

We meet them mostly in YA novels, in the first book of the series.

Sometimes the heroines are so disoriented, stubborn, blind etc that they make me want to reach into the book, grab them by the shoulders and shake the hell out of them. They're wimpy, whiny and annoying, everyone figures things out before they do, they ask ridiculous questions, make stupid decisions etc.

Ok, I get it: they are young, inexperienced, scared, confused, betrayed, hurt but THEY.ARE.NOT.STUPID. Or just some pathetic crybabies! Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying they all have to be tough little cookies from the very start, I understand that they have to grow and develop as characters, they can't be perfect and all that. But seriously, there must be some kind of balance! Don’t underestimate them and don’t make them the dumbest girls on the block, exaggerating with their flaws, imperfections and insecurities is so not necessary!

2. The Love Triangle

*sigh* I guess there's always been a little drama because of this subject around the blogosphere. I'll try to keep this short, but you're going to hate me anyway.;)

So... What I believe is that love triangles are annoying and as of lately, over used. (again, especially in YA novels). They kind of lost their appeal. Mostly, because they are so predictable. Just let me tell you a little story: Enters lead character A. She's a normal, nice girl with a normal life. Suddenly, she meets X. (Whoa!) He's all Mr. Tall Dark and Handsome, he's interesting, mysterious, has a troubled past and a dangerous side. They fall in love, but something bad happens and then they realize that being together is very dangerous (for themselves or for someone/everyone else). They broke apart. But hey, never fear! Here comes boy Y to the rescue! He's the always caring, always nice bff who suddenly becomes good boyfriend material (wow, when did he become so handsome?) And then there's a lot of action and drama yada yada yada and A and X find each other again, cry, hug each other, swear eternal love and get their HEA. But what about Y? Oh, he was too nice to be happy anyway!*waves hand dismissively* It's not like he ever had a real chance to get A in the first place! But he's a good guy and after he gets over the heart wrenching refusal of A, he'll find someone nice to love him back. Hey, maybe even someone we met before in the story - someone veeery important!*snort* Sounds familiar? Well, this is the kind of dynamic that annoys me to no end. Again, I know love triangles can be very well done (honestly, some of my all times favorite series have love triangles) but... Yeah, there's always a big BUT when it comes to them. *weary*

3. Insta-love/Insta-lust

Do I really need to say more here?

I understand when A and X being instantly drawn to each other is absolutely necessary for the main plot, but sometimes it happens way too fast! (I recently started reading a book where A and X find each other and obviously fall head over heels in love on the second page. Enough said.) Not to mention what comes next: the obsessive, stalker behavior.*thud* And if I can deal with that kind of thing in YA novels, I definitely can't be ok with it in Adult Paranormal Romance. You know, when people rip their clothes off from the very first page, no matter that the guy stalked her, broke into her apartment, seems to be very dangerous and she doesn't even know his name - or anything for that matter - about him. I mean, c'mon! Really?! *shudders*

4. Clichés

I'm not talking about the big ones (like: new girl in town, all the boys from her new school fall for her and yet she never notices; or the perpetual family issues), but those tiny ones that show up here and there just to make ~~you mad~~ the story more dramatic and interesting. (X tells A under no circumstances to get out of the house because the Big Bad could be out there waiting for her, yet when he turns his back... Surprise, surprise, what does she do? Goes out and whoa! the Big Bad comes out of nowhere and grabs her! *groans* Or: when A finally musters the courage to walk up to X and talk to him/confront him/declare to him, he's talking to/kissing her enemy.) Sorry, maybe these are not the best examples, but I'm tired and I can't remember anything more specific right now. But I think you get what I mean - clichés are clichés after all!

So... that's what really bothers me in books. As I said, I understand there are ways around them and they can be exceptionally well done and good for the story, but... I'm very picky when it comes to books featuring them. And though I didn't want to give names in this post, I can't not mention a debut novel I read this summer that had none of these issues: NONE! Blood Magic by Tessa Gratton. In my humble opinion, this book was very, very good and perfectly balanced! Gratton is really awesome; she could write a 400 pages book with all kinds of elements in it: love, drama, tension, paranormal, action, twists, turns, mystery, secrets; she could be very original, keep my interest from the first page to the last AND avoid all those annoying things, so she has my eternal respect and gratitude! Ok, I'll stop fangirlying now (is that a word?), but I'd send her a big virtual hug and some home made special Romanian cookies (those wouldn't be virtual; give me her address and I'll send them.LOL) just for being fabulous. *bows*

Phew! That's a lot of ramble! But I really want to know your opinion: do you have bookish pet peeves? Is there anything that usually annoys you in books and makes you avoid them? Do you share some of mine? Let me know!

And now that I got that out of my chest, I can go back to reviewing the book that got this started! :))

xoxo

Spotted: The Hollows by Kim Harrison New UK Covers!

2011-10-20T18:05:00.000+03:00

Heya!

Kim Harrison just mentioned on her blog that UK is going to be reissuing the earlier titles in her The Hollows/Rachel Morgan series. Here are the first two covers: *jumps up and down in excitement*

Dead Witch Walking; The Good, the Bad and the Undead (The Hollows #1, #2)

** Source **

Well, they look very good and fierce IMO! ( Is that Ivy?:D) I think I'll get them as well, since I LOVE this series, but I'm not a big fan of the initial covers.

So, what do you think? If you haven't started this series already, here's you chance to pick it up! I know long series like this one can be scary, but they are worth it, believe me! ;)

xoxo

Waiting on Wednesday (10/19)

2011-10-19T13:38:00.000+03:00

Hey!

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

*Thanks Danny @ Bewitched Bookworms for the lovely button

My pick...

Head Rush (The Disillusionists Trilogy #3)
by Carolyn Crane

Release Date: December 6th 2011 by Samhain (ebook)
October 25th 2011 (Audiobook)

Goodreads:

In an attempt to put her unhappy past behind her, Justine Jones throws herself into nursing school and planning her wedding to Otto Sanchez, the man of her dreams. But something is off. Random details aren’t adding up…and is it her imagination, or are her friends and fiancé keeping secrets from her? And what’s with this strange sense of unease, and her odd new headaches?

Justine tries to stay upbeat as Midcity cowers under martial law, sleepwalking cannibals, and a mysterious rash of paranormal copycat violence, but her search for answers leads her into the most dangerous mindgame yet.

With the help of unlikely allies, including her paranoid dad and best frenemy Simon, Justine fights her ultimate foe…and unravels the most startling mystery of all.

The wait for this book has been a torture. I mentioned before that this series is very special to me and the end of the second book was like a punch in the gut. I was so mad and heart broken when I finished reading it, that I tossed the book across the room and paced around the room for hours, not being able to think about anything else. And like the long wait wasn't bad enough, up until last week there was no cover, no blurb, nothing to ease my pain. Well, seems like the release date is finally close and it's a good thing I love audiobooks, because there's no way I could wait until the release of the ebook, much less of the physical book sometime next year. Ok, I'm babbling already. The point is, one week to go and I can breathe again!

The Disillusionists Trilogy on Goodreads

So, what are you waiting on this week?:)

xoxo

In My Mailbox #10: The AH-MAZING! edition

2011-10-17T15:01:00.000+03:00

Hey!

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi @ The Story Siren and inspired by Alea @ Pop Culture Junkie, where we share the books we got in the mail the previous week.

So this should be part 2 of that long overdue IMM post. It's a few weeks worth of books and I think it's the best haul yet! So many amazing books (most of the books I already read/listened to got 5 stars!)
*Links send to Goodreads

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyerby Michelle Hodkin

(Finally! Yes, there was a lot of squealing and book petting involved when I got it.

The cover is gorgeous in person and the book was indeed mind blowing.

My favorite debut of the year so far!)

Carrier of the Mark by Leigh Fallon

***

Poison Study (Study, #1) by Maria V. Snyder

Storm Glass (Glass #1) by Maria V. Snyder

(Thanks to Harlequin Teen Australia!)

The Emerald Talisman (Talisman, #1) by Brenda Pandos

Descended by Blood (Vampire Born #1) by Angeline Kace

Half-Blood (Covenant #1) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

Dark Eden by Patrick Carman (NetGalley)

Blood Rights (House of Comarré #1) by Kristen Painter (NetGalley)

Crave (The Clann #1) by Melissa Darnell (NetGalley)

Where Demons Fear to Tread by Stephanie Chong (NetGalley)

Dearly, Departed (Dearly #1) by Lia Habel (NetGalley)

The Pledge (The Pledge #1) by Kimberly Derting (S&S GalleyGrab)

Audiobooks:

Twisted (Intertwined #3) by Gena Showalter

Second Grave on the Left (Charley Davidson #2) by Darynda Jones

Three Days to Dead (Dreg City #1) by Kelly Meding

The Demonica Series by Larissa Ione

Phew, I should be back on track now!:)

What did you get in your mailbox?

Have a wonderful week!
xoxo

Quickie Review: Dead Rules by Randy Russell

2011-10-10T23:34:00.001+03:00

Dead Rules

by Randy Russell

Release Date: June 21st 2011
by HarperTeen
Hardcover, 384 pages

Goodreads:

Till death

Jana Webster and Michael Haynes were in love. They were destined to be together forever.

Do

But Jana's destiny was fatally flawed. And now she's in Dead School, where Mars Dreamcote lurks in the back of the classroom, with his beguiling blue eyes, mysterious smile, and irresistibly warm touch.

Us

Michael and Jana were incomplete without each other. There was no room for Mars in Jana's life—or death—story. Jana was sure Michael would rush to her side soon.

Part

But things aren't going according to Jana's plan. So Jana decides to do whatever it takes to make her dreams come true—no matter what rules she has to break.

My thoughts: (spoiler free)

I read this book a few months ago and the details are a bit fuzzy, but I really liked it and I still feel like recommending it. Besides, it is very appropriate for the season. It's one the most original, twisted, dark, haunting, hilarious, interesting book I have read in a while!

So... Meet Jana and Michael. They are a happy couple of high school students who are deeply in love with each other. They have all their future planned out and of course, they will live happily ever after together. Or so they thought. Because all their future plans fall apart when Jena dies and ends up in Dead School.

After the bewilderment of being dead and in a school for dead people wears of, Jana realizes that Michael is not there with her, which is so not fair, because their love story can’t end just like that, right? Would Romeo and Juliet’s love story be so epic if only Juliet died? Probably not, so our Jana decides that she will do anything to be with Michael again – even if she has to kill him.

Just like any other school, Dead School has rules, cliques and getting around them is not as easy at it seems. Here, the consequences of breaking rules can be much more dangerous, more… final. But that won’t stop Jena from trying to get to Michael so they can get their happily ever after.

Anyway, even in this strange place, she can find some friendly faces. Ok, maybe their faces are not always literally friendly (most of the students have the same look they had when they died – you see a girl with a dart in her head here, a boy with broken limbs there, another girl with feathers coming out of her mouth somewhere else) but they can be very nice. Even Mars, who is supposed to be one of the bad guys. In fact, he doesn’t seem so bad to her, on the contrary, he is nice, charming, always there when she needs him and he even helps her with her plan to get to Michael. But spending so much time with him confuses her; she realizes that she likes his company more than she should. Which makes her question her own feelings, her relationship with Michael and the reasons why she wants to be with him. She couldn’t actually be wrong about her feelings for him, could she? They belong together, they always have. Right? Well, sometimes I had to roll my eyes at Jana's obsession with Michael, but everything turned out ok in the end. The whole story is twisted, creepy, tense, hilarious at times and keeps you guessing until the very last page.

And there are so many super funny moments in this book! Randy Russel has this twisted, dry, sometimes morbid humor that is so unique and quite addictive! The plot is interesting as well, of course, but without the amazing writing, I doubt the story would have the same appeal. You just have to read it and see for yourselves!

Speaking of which, I just had to share with you a couple of quotes. Maybe it's just my vivid, crazy imagination or the timing, but reading these scenes had me rolling on the floor laughing and gasping (not really, but almost)

Pauline was the center of attention. The senior danced with two boys at once, one in front of her, and one behind. She turned her top half to face one while her bottom half faced with the other. At one point, the boy dancing with Pauline’s top half took her hand and twirled her around from the waist up. Both boys had to duck in turn when her hair, permanently swept straight out to one side, came around.

She watched Wyatt at the Sliders’ end of the gym. He was taller than most of the other students in Dead School. No one had a name for the dance he did. He stood in place and rocked from side to side, using his good arm to roll imaginary toilet paper around his wrist.

Oh, and the cover! When this book first came out, I was like obsessed with it. Those eerie, hypnotic eyes... *stares**shudders* Yup, definitely a must read for the season!:))

xoxo