In My Mailbox (23)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme that was started by Kristi at The Story Siren with some inspiration from Alea at Pop Culture Junkie. It features books or book-related things that have been bought, borrowed, won, or received in the mail. Be sure to check out The Story Siren for a list of all the other blogs participating!



Bought:

Well, I don't have any books to share with you this week, but I do have a book-related item. Even though I did get some Barnes and Noble giftcards for Christmas, but my Christmas present to myself was this:



I upgraded my Nook! I love my new Nook SimpleTouch. To anyone considering an e-reader who wants one without all the additions of a tablet, I would definitely recommend this one :)



Weekly Recap:

Sophomore Reading Challenge

Review: This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen
Review: Bloodrose by Andrea Cremer

Teaser Tuesday: Everneath by Brodi Ashton
Top Ten Tuesday
"Waiting on" Wednesday: Take a Bow by Elizabeth Eulberg
Book Blogger Hop & Follow Friday



What books did you get this week? Please leave a comment or link to your own IMM post!

Book Blogger Hop & Follow Friday (23)

Book Blogger Hop is a weekly meme hosted by Jennifer at Crazy-for-Books. In the spirit of the Twitter Friday Follow, the Book Blogger Hop is a place just for book bloggers and readers to connect and share our love of the written word! This weekly BOOK PARTY is an awesome opportunity for book bloggers to connect with other book lovers, make new friends, support each other, and generally just share our love of books! It will also give blog readers a chance to find other book blogs to read! So visit Crazy-for-Books to grab the logo, post about the Hop on your blog, and start HOPPING through the list of blogs that are posted in the Linky list there!

This week's question:

Coming soon!





Follow Friday is hosted by Parajunkee and Allison Can Read. Visit either of their blogs for complete rules of the following fun!

This week's question:

"The New Year is here — and everyone wants to know your New Years Blogging Resolution! What are you going to try to revise, revamp and redo for 2012 on your blog?"

I have several. The first is to read more - once again I'm setting a goal to read 100 books. Second, I want to try and be more interactive with other authors and bloggers...this includes commenting on more blogs. Also, I'd like to continue to bring a variety of content to the blog, not just reviews and memes. Finally, I hope to always be organized both with what I'm reading and with what I'm posting...we'll see how that works!



What are your answers? Please leave a comment or a link to your blog!

Review: Bloodrose by Andrea Cremer

BLOODROSE
By: Andrea Cremer
Published By: Philomel
Release Date: Jan. 3, 2012
Series: Nightshade (#3)
Pages: 414
Genre: Fantasy
Reading Level: Young Adult
Source: Borrowed
Buy the Book: Amazon

Disclaimer: Summary may contain spoilers if you have not read Nightshade or Wolfsbane. To read those reviews, click on the links.

Goodreads Summary: The Ultimate Sacrifice.

Calla has always welcomed war. But now that the final battle is upon her, there’s more at stake than fighting. There’s saving Ren, even if it incurs Shay’s wrath. There’s keeping Ansel safe, even if he’s been branded a traitor. There’s proving herself as the pack’s alpha, facing unnamable horrors, and ridding the world of the Keepers’ magic once and for all. And then there’s deciding what to do when the war ends. If Calla makes it out alive, that is.

In the final installment of the Nightshade trilogy, New York Times bestselling author Andrea Cremer creates a novel with twists and turns that will keep you on the edge of your seat until its final pages. A dynamic end to this breathtaking trilogy.



If you've read Nightshade and Wolfsbane, then you know how awesome this trilogy is. (If you haven't, go buy them and move them to the top of your to-read list.) I was thrilled when we had the chance to read the first chapter of Bloodrose early, and I knew from reading it that this book would be incredibly intense and just as amazing, if not more so, than the first two. And Bloodrose did not disappoint.

Bloodrose begins just after the events of Wolfsbane. I don't want to say too much and give anything away, but I will say this. Bloodrose follows Shay's quest to retrieve the Elemental Cross to use to defeat the Keepers. In this final installment, almost nowhere and no one is ultimately safe, and time is of the essence. And despite the battle raging around her, Calla still has to decide who will be the alpha at her side.

I know I have said this before in both reviews, but it bears repeating. Andrea Cremer is a genius. Perhaps an evil genius sometimes, but a genius nonetheless. All of these books are brilliant; the writing is excellent, utterly engrossing and captivating. Just like the others, Bloodrose was a book that I could not put down. You are constantly guessing and wondering what will happen next, and when the answer comes, it is never what you expected. As much as I love the main trio of this story, I also love the smaller characters. I especially enjoyed watching Sabine grow and change in this book. Despite the high stakes, there was no shortage of humor from Connor and Adne. There may have even been some new romances blossoming with the close quarters and dangerous missions...

And then there was the love triangle. There are scenes that made me sigh, scenes that made me swoon, scenes that made me want to yell, "Just pick him already!" Both the tension and the love were palpable. In the end Calla does make a choice...and I think I will leave it at that.

Bloodrose will make your jaw drop, will tear at your heart, and will make you laugh and cry. And for those of you who love the Nightshade world as much as I do, fear not - Andrea has plans to write not one but two prequels to the trilogy! I cannot wait to read more from her!

Sophomore Reading Challenge

With only a few days left in 2011, I've been busy getting my reading lists and spreadsheets in order for 2012. And that of course means signing up for challenges! There are so many debuts from last year that left me longing for the sequel, and so when I found the Sophomore Reading Challenge hosted by Shanyn at Chick Loves Lit, I knew I had to join.

Without further ado, here are the sophomore books I plan on reading next year (subject to change):

Hallowed – Cynthia Hand
Angel Fire – L.A. Weatherly
Wings of the Wicked – Courtney Allison Moulton
A Touch Morbid – Leah Clifford
Perception – Kim Harrington
Pandemonium – Lauren Oliver
Until I Die – Amy Plum
Insurgent – Veronica Roth
Dreamless – Josephine Angelini
Arise – Tara Hudson
Mirage – Kristi Cook
Timepiece – Myra McEntire
Spark – Amy Kathleen Ryan
Girl of Nightmares – Kendare Blake
Outpost – Ann Aguirre
Rebel Heart – Moira Young
Shadows – Ilsa J. Bick
The Madness Underneath – Maureen Johnson

There are more, of course, but for some of the other books I still need to read the first book. So many books, so little time!

"Waiting on" Wednesday

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



This week's selection is:

TAKE A BOW
By: Elizabeth Eulberg
Published By: Point
Release Date: April 1, 2012
Preorder the Book: Amazon

Goodreads Summary: From the fantastic author of The Lonely Hearts Club and Prom & Prejudice comes a story of all the drama and comedy of four friends who grow into themselves at a performing arts high school.

Emme, Sophie, Ethan, and Carter are seniors at a performing arts school, getting ready for their Senior Showcase recital, where the pressure is on to appeal to colleges, dance academies, and professionals in show business. For Sophie, a singer, it's been great to be friends with Emme, who composes songs for her, and to date Carter, soap opera heartthrob who gets plenty of press coverage. Emme and Ethan have been in a band together through all four years of school, but wonder if they could be more than just friends and bandmates. Carter has been acting since he was a baby, and isn't sure how to admit that he'd rather paint than perform. The Senior Showcase is going to make or break each of the four, in a funny, touching, spectacular finale that only Elizabeth Eulberg could perform.



Why it's wanted:
I love books about the performing arts, and I have a feeling this book will take me right back to my senior year in high school. I'm curious to see how everything plays out for the performers!

Teaser Tuesday (23)

I'm very excited to be one of the many blogs participating in Teaser Tuesdays! TT is a weekly meme hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading. To participate:

* Grab your current read
* Open to a random page
* Share two “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
* BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS!
(Make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
* Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Here is my teaser:



"'Never say never, Nik. I won't.' He leaned his head against the window frame. 'I'm not giving up on you.' He shoved the window down and disappeared.

My fingers clenched the edge of my desk. His words sounded like a threat."


p. 95 (ARC) from EVERNEATH by Brodi Ashton

Please share your teasers - post them or link to your blog!

Top Ten Tuesday (8)

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Each week there will be a new topic and a new list to make. Be sure to stop by the host blog to see all of the other blogs participating!



This week's topic:
Top Ten Favorite Books I Read in 2011

1. Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma - I don't have enough words for this book. It's amazing.

2. Wolfsbane and Bloodrose by Andrea Cremer - Possibly the best YA paranormal books I've read. If you haven't read this trilogy, you definitely should.

3. Delirium by Lauren Oliver - Wonderful dystopian novel. Everything about the book was brilliant!

4. Hereafter by Tara Hudson - I think I can sum up the writing and this story in one word: beautiful.

5. Vanish by Sophie Jordan - This book was just riveting, full of action and love, and certainly left me wanting more.

5. Where She Went by Gayle Forman - Another book with beautiful writing, and better than If I Stay, if that's possible.

6. Lover Unleashed by J.R. Ward - It's the WARDen. Need I say more?

7. Anna and the French Kiss and Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins - I fell in love with the love in these books. Such wonderful stories!

8. Angelfire by Courtney Allison Moulton - I loved the action in this book as well as Will, the love interest. He may be my top book boyfriend of the year.

9. Blood Red Road by Moira Young - Written unlike anything I'd ever read before, I was quickly swept up in this story. An epic dystopian that is more than it appears to be.

10. The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin - Quite possibly one of the most well-crafted mysteries I've ever read. Noah had me swooning and Mara kept me guessing. Loved it!



What made your Top Ten list? Please leave a comment or link to your blog!

Review: This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen

THIS LULLABY
By: Sarah Dessen
Published By: Viking
Release Date: May 27, 2002
Series: None
Pages: 345
Genre: Contemporary
Reading Level: Young Adult
Source: Bought
Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads Summary: When it comes to relationships, Remy doesn't mess around. After all, she's learned all there is to know from her mother, who's currently working on husband number five. But there's something about Dexter that seems to defy all of Remy's rules. He certainly doesn't seem like Mr. Right. For some reason, however, Remy just can't seem to shake him. Could it be that Remy's starting to understand what those love songs are all about?



I've read other books by Sarah Dessen, but this one has been on my to-read list for a long time. I'd heard that it was one of people's favorite Sarah Dessen books, so I had high hopes for it. However, this book wasn't quite was I was expecting.

Remy is an expert at relationships - after watching her mother go through husband after husband, she has to be. Remy has everything down to a science: How long a relationship can be good, when all the speeches need to be given, and when things need to be over. She and her friends have their summer planned; there's going to be nothing but fun (and her mother's fifth wedding) before they all separate for college. But nothing could have prepared Remy for Dexter. He somehow gets under Remy's skin without her realizing it, and it seems like he will stay there. But sometimes in love, things don't always go as planned...

Remy is a character with a lot of issues. Her mother's relationship troubles have definitely made her cynical about love. All she really knows of her father is that he wrote "This Lullaby" for her, in which he admits that he'll always let her down. Thankfully Remy has a close group of friends - Jess, Lissa, and Chloe - and together the four of them can face anything. In fact, even though this was supposed to be Remy and Dexter's story, I loved the interactions among the four friends more than anything else. They had just the right mix of humor, insight, and support. As for Dexter, to me he seems like one of those guys - the kind that annoys you at first, but after a while you can't help but come to like him. He's not a "dream guy" by any means, but he still has his own appeal. He and Remy certainly prove to be good for each other.

Despite the fact that I enjoyed the characters of this book, I did have an issue with it: things often seemed stagnant. I felt like certain scenes got bogged down with unnecessary descriptions, which really affected the pace. Although I enjoy introspective books, and even though I could identify with Remy, the internal conflict wasn't quite compelling enough for this book to completely draw me in.

Even though This Lullaby wasn't everything I hoped for, it certainly had good moments. There are still other Sarah Dessen books that I want to read, and I look forward to seeing what those stories hold!

Happy Holidays!

I can't believe that Christmas is here already! It seems like it was just yesterday that I started this blog and my fall semester of school. But now it's time for a much-needed break :) I don't know about all of you, but I have some great books lined up to read over Christmas vacation, and, after seeing my family (and eating way too much good food), I can't wait to dive into them!

In light of the season, I just wanted to take a moment to thank everyone who has supported this blog in any way. Day after day I am thankful for the great people I have met through the blogging community. And with that being said, I wish everyone a very happy holiday! However you are spending your time, I hope that you enjoy it!

Book Blogger Hop & Follow Friday (22)

Book Blogger Hop is a weekly meme hosted by Jennifer at Crazy-for-Books. In the spirit of the Twitter Friday Follow, the Book Blogger Hop is a place just for book bloggers and readers to connect and share our love of the written word! This weekly BOOK PARTY is an awesome opportunity for book bloggers to connect with other book lovers, make new friends, support each other, and generally just share our love of books! It will also give blog readers a chance to find other book blogs to read! So visit Crazy-for-Books to grab the logo, post about the Hop on your blog, and start HOPPING through the list of blogs that are posted in the Linky list there!

This week's question:

Coming soon!





Follow Friday is hosted by Parajunkee and Allison Can Read. Visit either of their blogs for complete rules of the following fun!

This week's question:

"If you had to spend eternity inside the pages of a book which book would you choose and why?"

This is so hard! There are a lot of book worlds that I'd love to visit, but I'm not sure I'd want to live in them...I think I would have to say Harry Potter. I certainly wouldn't mind magic being real.



What are your answers? Please leave a comment or a link to your blog!

Review: Shattered Souls by Mary Lindsey

SHATTERED SOULS
By: Mary Lindsey
Published By: Philomel
Release Date: Dec. 8, 2011
Series: None
Pages: 336
Genre: Paranormal
Reading Level: Young Adult
Source: Borrowed
Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads Summary: A thrilling debut story of death, love, destiny and danger.

Lenzi hears voices and has visions - gravestones, floods, a boy with steel gray eyes. Her boyfriend, Zak, can't help, and everything keeps getting louder and more intense. Then Lenzi meets Alden, the boy from her dreams, who reveals that she's a reincarnated Speaker - someone who can talk to and help lost souls - and that he has been her Protector for centuries.

Now Lenzi must choose between her life with Zak and the life she is destined to lead with Alden. But time is running out: a malevolent spirit is out to destroy Lenzi, and he will kill her if she doesn't make a decision soon.



Shattered Souls had a lot of advance hype, and after reading the book, I can certainly see why. Mary Lindsey has spun a story that is incredibly gripping and one that left me wanting more.

Lenzi has been hearing voices, and this terrifies her - she is afraid that she is turning into her father who recently committed suicide because of his mental issues. Lenzi tries her best to block out the voices, but they just keep coming. On the night of her birthday, the voices suddenly turn into hallucinations...or do they? She meets a mysterious stranger who just happens to know a few things about her, and Lenzi must accept that Alden, as well as what he's saying, is real. Only Lenzi doesn't want any part of the life Alden describes. She is happy with her boyfriend Zak, and everything else she will handle. But Alden can help her with the voices - the lost souls - and she quickly finds herself drawn into his world. Soon Lenzi has a decision to make: will she lead the life she wants or the life she is destined to lead?

Shattered Souls is a book that you can't put down. I loved that the paranormal aspect was introduced so quickly, and once I knew a bit of the world I was dying to know even more. Lenzi and Alden were both characters that I enjoyed getting to know. Lenzi is a genuinely good person and Alden is incredibly devoted to her, even if I did want to tell him to speak up for what he wanted. Even though the world is new to Lenzi, they quickly manage to work together and are a phenomenal team of Speaker and Protector. Beyond this, I loved the history woven through this book. It was interesting to learn not only Lenzi and Alden's stories but also the stories of the souls that Lenzi helped. Then there were Race and Maude, whose quips added just the right touch of humor to the book. And finally there is Zak. As much as I wanted to dislike him, I just couldn't. All of these characters manage to tug at your heart, each for their own reasons. And if you thought you'd seen evil spirits before...think again.

I do have to admit that several aspects of this book - reincarnation, lost memory, and teamwork through centuries - reminded me of another book that I read earlier this year. Even though I loved the characters and the idea of helping souls pass on, I couldn't help but be distracted at a few points. Even so, I couldn't stop reading until I had turned the last page.

I do hope that Mary will write more books in this world - these characters and the world are too good to let go of this soon! And I am very much looking forward to her next book, a retelling of Poe's Annabel Lee!

Review: The Future of Us by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler

THE FUTURE OF US
By: Jay Asher & Carolyn Mackler
Published By: Razorbill
Release Date: Nov. 21, 2011
Series: None
Pages: 356
Genre: Contemporary
Reading Level: Young Adult
Source: ALA
Buy the Book: Amazon

Goodreads Summary: It's 1996, and Josh and Emma have been neighbors their whole lives. They've been best friends almost as long - at least, up until last November, when Josh did something that changed everything. Things have been weird between them ever since, but when Josh's family gets a free AOL CD in the mail, his mom makes him bring it over so that Emma can install it on her new computer. When they sign on, they're automatically logged onto their Facebook pages. But Facebook hasn't been invented yet. And they're looking at themselves fifteen years in the future.

By refreshing their pages, they learn that making different decisions now will affect the outcome of their lives later. And as they grapple with the ups and downs of what their futures hold, they're forced to confront what they're doing right - and wrong - in the present.



After reading Thirteen Reasons Why, I was especially excited to read this book. Add to that the fact that this book is set in the 1990s and involved Facebook, and I knew it was a must-read.

When Emma loads her AOL CD onto her computer, she has no idea that she will get a glimpse into her future. But that's exactly what she sees - her Facebook page in fifteen years. Together she and Josh, her neighbor who gave her the CD, are lost in the world of Facebook, learning about their futures as well as their friends' futures. Only their futures constantly change based on even the smallest decisions. As Emma struggles to make her future exactly perfect, Josh struggles with his feelings for Emma. However, Emma soon comes to learn that some things about the future she is better off not knowing...because once she does, how can she change them?

This book has such an intriguing premise, and it was very well executed. Haven't we all wished that we could see what our future holds? I loved seeing how little decisions could affect status updates and bigger decisions could change the course of their lives. Reading this book certainly makes you think about how little decisions impact your life. Beyond that, one of my favorite things about this book was the time setting. I loved revisiting the 90s - reading this book was like a trip down memory lane. I also enjoyed the alternating points of views in this novel; they allowed me to feel connected to both of the characters, and I cared about both of them. Emma especially had a lot of growth as a character. Aside from seeing into the future, everything about this book was very realistic and it made for a very enjoyable read.

Although the 90s references may not matter much to current teens, there are still many aspects of this book that would be appealing. Occasionally the plot moved a bit slowly with emphasis on Emma trying to figure out her life. While I enjoyed some of these moments, at times I just wanted to know what would happen next. With that, I would also love to know what really does happen for these characters fifteen years down the road.

Once again, Jay Asher, along with Carolyn Mackler, has written a novel that carries a great message about how choices impact your life. I will look forward to reading more from both of these authors in the future!

"Waiting on" Wednesday

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



This week's selection is:

A BREATH OF EYRE
By: Eve Marie Mont
Published By: Kensington Publishing Corporation
Release Date: April 1, 2012
Preorder the Book: Amazon

Goodreads Summary: Emma Townsend has always believed in stories—the ones she reads voraciously, and the ones she creates in her head. Perhaps it’s because she feels like an outsider at her exclusive prep school, or because her stepmother doesn’t come close to filling the void left by her mother’s death. And her only romantic prospect—apart from a crush on her English teacher—is Gray Newman, a long-time friend who just adds to Emma’s confusion. But escape soon arrives in an old leather-bound copy of Jane Eyre...

Reading of Jane’s isolation sparks a deep sense of kinship. Then fate takes things a leap further when a lightning storm catapults Emma right into Jane’s body and her nineteenth-century world. As governess at Thornfield, Emma has a sense of belonging she’s never known—and an attraction to the brooding Mr. Rochester. Now, moving between her two realities and uncovering secrets in both, Emma must decide whether her destiny lies in the pages of Jane’s story, or in the unwritten chapters of her own...



Why it's wanted:
Jane Eyre is one of my favorite books, so I love the idea of jumping into her book and retelling it slightly. I can't wait to see how this story comes together!

Teaser Tuesday (22)

I'm very excited to be one of the many blogs participating in Teaser Tuesdays! TT is a weekly meme hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading. To participate:

* Grab your current read
* Open to a random page
* Share two “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
* BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS!
(Make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
* Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

Here is my teaser:



"'Don't shoot him!' Courtney screamed. But then they were all gone. Or I was gone. Back to purgatory."


p. 59 (ARC) from TEMPEST by Julie Cross

Please share your teasers - post them or link to your blog!

Top Ten Tuesday (7)

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Each week there will be a new topic and a new list to make. Be sure to stop by the host blog to see all of the other blogs participating!



This week's topic:
Top Ten Books I Hope Santa Brings

1. The Outlander Series by Diana Gabaldon - I've been wanting to read this series for a while, because I keep hearing great things about it. 2012 will be the year I do!

2. Game of Thrones Series by George R.R. Martin - After hearing so much about the TV show, I want to read the books that inspired it.

3. Twilight Graphic Novel Vol. II - I have all of the other books, so I need this one to complete my collection.

4. Infinity by Sherrilyn Kenyon - I've enjoyed reading her Dark-Hunters series and I'm really curious about this YA spinoff.

5. Graceling and Fire by Kristin Cashore - I've heard a lot of good things about these books and really want to read them.

5. Everlasting and The Eternal Sea by Angie Frazier: I love the premise behind these and have wanted to read them for a while.

This is my list for now - I'm sure I'll think of more!



What made your Top Ten list? Please leave a comment or link to your blog!