Friday, June 29, 2012

Randomness: Yay for Book Deals!

So today was my local libraries huge Summer book sale, where I found some great books for super cheap! Being the first day of the sale, it was beyond crowded so I wasn't able to dig around as much as I would have liked. I'll be going back tomorrow to see if I can find anything else but here is what I got today.


-What My Mother Doesn't Know by Sonya Sones
-What My Girlfriend Doesn't Know by Sonya Sones
-The Seeing Stone by Kevin Crossley-Holland
-The Girl in the Steel Corset by Kandy Cross

Both of the Sonya Sones books were in excellent condition and only a dollar each!

The Seeing Stone is about King Arthur & Merlin and being the huge fan that I am of the TV show Merlin I had to pick it up (plus it was only 50 cents!)

I don't know much about The Girl in the Steel Corset, except that it's been getting amazing reviews! Since it looked practically brand new and was only three dollars I figured I'd give it a shot. 


But enough about me, what fun is it to read about someone else getting good deals.
Here are some deals for everyone!

For Kindle Users:


In Paperback:



Happy Bargain Shopping! =D

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Book Review: The Power of Six by Pittacus Lore





Title: The Power of Six
Author: Pittacus Lore
# Of Pages: 416
Publisher: HarperCollins
Publication Date: August 23, 2011
Level: Young Adult
Rating: 5 Hearts







Synopsis

(From Amazon.com)

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

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

They caught Number One in Malaysia.

Number Two in England.

And Number Three in Kenya.

They tried to catch Number Four in Ohio—and failed.

I am Number Seven. One of six still alive.

And I'm ready to fight.

My Verdict

Oh my goodness. I can’t believe I waited so long to read this book. Biggest mistake of my life!

Usually with a book this size there is always a dull patch at some point or another, but let me tell you that is not the case with The Power of Six. The ENTIRE book is fast-paced and full of action without a single dull moment. I started the book in the afternoon and read straight through the day and into the night until I was finished.

To clear up any misunderstandings, since the first book was called I Am Number Four and was all about, you guessed it, Four (a.k.a John Smith) I assumed that the Power of Six would be all about number six, but it’s not. The story continues on with Four, Sam, and Six but it also introduces us to number Seven. The two different stories are woven together perfectly, switching back and fourth at the most intense moments creating a constant air of suspense. The switch between characters is easily seen and marked by a change in font.

One thing I do want to mention is the violence. There are a lot of battle scenes with the Magadorians getting stabbed or dismembered with knives. At times this got a little too graphic for my liking but was easily skimmed over. I mentioned this to my sister however, who laughed at me and said what violence? So it all depends on your tolerance, I guess.

Ahhh the ending! The ending left me sitting there staring at the last page, not ready to accept that it was over and that I would actually have to wait until August to find out what happens next. I started frantically searching the Internet to see if anyone was lucky enough to have an ARC of the Legacy of Nine, who I then planned to bribe until they agreed to send it to me! 

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Tune in Tuesday: Plug In Stereo

Tune in Tuesday is a weekly segment hosted by Ginger from greads that showcases music. 
Each week you post a new or old song in hopes to gain it more interest.

The song I've chosen to share today is 
"Oh Darling" by Plug In Stereo.
I discovered this song a few months ago and thought it was so cute!


To learn more about Plug In Stereo visit his official site HERE
OR
To hear more music go to his youtube channel HERE

Monday, June 25, 2012

Sunday, June 24, 2012

Book Review: The Last Good Place of Lily Odilon by Sara Beitia





Title: The Last Good Place of Lily Odilon
Author: Sara Beitia
# Of Pages: 312
Publisher: Flux
Publication Date: October 8, 2010
Level: Young Adult
Rating: 3 Hearts







Synopsis

(From Amazon.com)

"We have to get to her first…"

Abducted? Runaway? Murder victim? Lily Odilon—local wild child from a middle-of-nowhere town—has vanished after spending the night with her boyfriend, new kid Albert Morales. Suspected in her disappearance, Albert sets out with Lily’s prickly younger sister, Olivia, to discover what really happened to Lily—and to keep the promise he made to her late one night.

My Verdict

This book was a mix of good and bad. The plot was good, and the author did a good job of creating a well paced and suspenseful read. However, the characters weren’t all that likable and the story’s format was confusing to say the least.

The book wastes no time jumping right into the action and kept up a good pace throughout. While a lot of the time I could see what was coming even though Albert was absolutely clueless, there was still a sense of suspense for the overall plot that kept me intrigued, kept me reading.

The book was written in a mix of chapters from the past and present. I was confused at the beginning because I saw no noticeable signal for the switch. I later noticed that the chapters from the present were marked with a time stamp under the chapter number. However it soon became even more confusing because the chapters from the past started jumping around a lot from what happened to Albert after Lily’s disappearance to the time they first met, then to Albert’s life after, then back to their first date. There were also some chapters in a different font than the rest but I have yet to figure out what that was all about.

I really didn’t feel any connection with the main couple, Lily and Albert.

You really only get to know Lily first-hand for a few chapters, after that the only way you learn about her is through Albert’s memories, so she felt like a stranger to me. I felt bad for her and the situation she was in, but I didn’t really like her as a character.

With Albert, who is the main narrator of the story, it wasn’t that I didn’t know him. I couldn’t quite put my finger on why I disliked him so much. I think it might have just been because he makes a lot of stupid decisions over the course of the book and by the middle of it I was so fed up I just wanted to shake some sense into him!

Friday, June 22, 2012

Book News: Cover Reveal

I have a few new cover reveals for ya!








The cover for book number three in the Unearthly Series has just been revealed on Goodreds.

This might be my favorite one yet! I absolutely love the coloring and the sky behind her is so pretty!

Coming sometime in 2013.
















The third, and final book in the Eve Trilogy, coming out in April 2013.

This cover fits perfectly with the previous two and is just as stunning.

I love how we never see the front of Eve's face, just her signature red hair, always running towards whatever is in the distance. I love the colors used as well, I think the blues, and greens contrast really well with her hair, making it stand out even more.

Can't wait to read it!














Now while I do love this one, I'm actually surprised by how close it is to the first. I mean they're practically identical. I loved the first one so I guess I shouldn't be complaining but I just expected there to be a bigger difference between them to help differentiate. I think people could easily confuse the two thinking they had one, when they really had the other...

Coming February 2013.










Just a quick note:
Don't forget to head on over to Cover to Cover and check out my Friday post! =)

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Book Review: Almost Forever by Maria Testa





Title: Almost Forever
Author: Marie Testa
# Of Pages: 80
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Publication Date: August 11, 2003
Level: Ages 9+
Rating: 2 Hearts






Synopsis

(From Goodreads.com)

A spare, lyrical - and ultimately heartening - novel about one family’s experience during the Vietnam War that has much to say to a new generation of readers.

Doctors don’t fight; doctors heal. But when the young narrator of Maria Testa’s lyric novel watches her father march off to serve a year in the U.S. Army Medical Corps, a year seems like a very long time. A year is a long time when you’re waiting for letters, waiting for word. A year seems endless when you don’t know where your father is anymore. A year is almost forever when you’re wondering . . . and forgetting.

My Verdict

Almost Forever is a historical fiction book for young readers about a father going off to war in Vietnam and how his family, particularly his daughter, deal with and feel about the situation.

“I never cared much
about the mail
before,
never cared much
about the envelopes and packages
that were never meant
for me.

But Daddy wrote to us
every day
from Vietnam
and that changed
everything.”

The story is told from the point of view of a six-year-old girl whose name we never even learn. Since the story has such a young narrator, it was interesting too see how much she understood of what was going on around her. While I thought she grasped it really well for one so young, there were some points where you could see she didn’t fully understand. Like when she talks about her mom watching the news every night and how she thinks it’s because she’s in love with the News anchor.

Never the less, it only took ten minutes to read so you really can’t go wrong. 

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Blog Segment: Tune in Tuesday


Tune in Tuesday is a weekly segment hosted by Ginger from greads that showcases music. 
Each week you post a new or old song in hopes to gain it more interest.

I decided to join this feature because along with my love for books, I also have a huge love of music!

I'm constantly listening to music. I listen at home, in the car, at school, I even fall asleep at night listening to my Ipod. I listen to a lot of different types of music: Pop, Country, Rock, Instrumental, Worship, the occasional rap song, etc...

Todays song is by pop/alternative band Jack's Mannequin, who I love for Andrew's amazing piano skills!

Plus, this video is beyond cool.

Sunday, June 17, 2012

Book Review: Hallowed by Cynthia Hand




Title: Hallowed
Author: Cynthia Hand
# Of Pages: 416
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publication Date: January 17, 2012
Level: Young Adult
Rating: 4 Hearts






Synopsis

(From Amazon.com)

For months Clara Gardner trained to face the fire from her visions, but she wasn’t prepared for the choice she had to make that day. And in the aftermath, she discovered that nothing about being part angel is as straightforward as she thought.

Now, torn between her love for Tucker and her complicated feelings about the roles she and Christian seem destined to play in a world that is both dangerous and beautiful, Clara struggles with a shocking revelation: Someone she loves will die in a matter of months. With her future uncertain, the only thing Clara knows for sure is that the fire was just the beginning.

In this compelling sequel to Unearthly, Cynthia Hand captures the joy of first love, the anguish of loss, and the confusion of becoming who you are.

My Verdict

It’s almost 2 AM as I write this review. I am so worked up about this book. I thought it would be best to wait and write my review at a later date, but after lying awake for almost half an hour thinking of nothing but the book, I had to get up and write it now.

I guess I spoke too soon when I said this book would not disappoint, because it does, big time. Is it still worth four hearts you ask? Yes. Did I still like the overall plot? Yes. Were there times when I just wanted to scream from the anger and frustration of it all?  HECK YES!

The author pretty much took everything that I liked about the first book and threw it down the toilet. I loved Clara in the first book, I agreed with every decision she made and thought she was an amazing main character. This time I hated her. Don’t even get me started on Christian, who I also liked in book one, and downright despised this time around! It’s like reliving the whole Bella, Jacob, and Edward thing all over again. It’s mentally exhausting!

WHY DID YOU PUT ME THROUGH THIS CYNTHIA?!?!?

On that note I must also say that I think it’s a pretty amazing thing when an author can make us get so caught up in their story, and care about their characters so much that it feels like we’re getting betrayed along with them when something bad happens.

I’m sorry, I know this review is little more than an emotional rant, but it was a rant I had to make!

Friday, June 15, 2012

Randomness: Contest Winner


Congratulations to Megan from The Book Babe.
You are the winner of a paperback copy of Unbreakable Love by Angela Carling!

Thanks so much to everyone who participated =)

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Wordlover Wednesday: Sabrage


It's time for another segment of "Wait, There's a Word for That!" Where I'll share crazy words for things you never would of dreamed existed. 
So this weeks word is...


Sabrage- the act of opening a bottle with a sabre

I still can't believe there is a word for this. Do that many people really open bottles with sabres to warrant its own word?!?

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Book Review: Under the Mesquite by Guadalupe Garcia McCall





Title: Under the Mesquite           
Author: Guadalupe Garcia McCall
# Of Pages: 224
Publisher: Lee & Low Books
Publication Date: September 9, 2011
Level: Young Adult
Rating: 3 Hearts







Synopsis

(From Amazon.com)

Lupita, a budding actor and poet in a close-knit Mexican American immigrant family, comes of age as she struggles with adult responsibilities during her mother's battle with cancer in this young adult novel in verse. 


When Lupita learns Mami has cancer, she is terrified by the possibility of losing her mother, the anchor of her close-knit family. Suddenly, being a high school student, starring in a play, and dealing with friends who don't always understand, become less important than doing whatever she can to save Mami's life. 


While her father cares for Mami at an out-of-town clinic, Lupita takes charge of her seven younger siblings. As Lupita struggles to keep the family afloat, she takes refuge in the shade of a mesquite tree, where she escapes the chaos at home to write. Forced to face her limitations in the midst of overwhelming changes and losses, Lupita rediscovers her voice and finds healing in the power of words.

My Verdict

Under the Mesquite was broken into six main sections, each section breaking down into smaller chapters. I started it right before bed one night and as I was reading kept telling myself just one more section and I’ll go to bed, just one more, until I had read the whole book! 

One of my favorite things about this book was the time span. Very rarely do you get to see a character grow up throughout their entire teen years. This book starts when the main character, Lupita, is a fourteen year-old freshman and we get to see her grow up all the way through high school graduation and a little beyond.

Lupita was a very strong, personable, main character. Being the oldest of eight siblings a lot of responsibility rests on her shoulders once her mother gets sick, forcing her to grow up fast.

The one thing that was confusing at times were the names of Lupitas’ younger siblings. With the exception of her sister, Victoria, most of them are only mentioned a handful of times so it’s hard to keep them all straight.

Another thing I really enjoyed was the author’s use of both Spanish and English; a lot of the chapter headings as well as everyday household words like mother, father, house, dinner, etc. were in Spanish. Having taken a year of Spanish in school, I thought it was cool to try and remember the words and see if I was right. Just to let you know, there’s a Spanish glossary in the back of the book, which would have helped a lot if I had found it before I finished, HAha!

I’ve decided to end with one of my favorite quotes from the book.

            “ The mesquite listens quietly
               as if the poems budding in my heart,           
               then blossoming in my notebook, are scripture-           
               and never tells a soul
               the things I write.”


Friday, June 8, 2012

Randomness: Exciting News!

Updated every day with a YA book cover for you to judge.



Hey everyone, 
I have some really exciting news to share with you all today! I have been asked by the
lovely Cheyenne to join her and Megan over at [Cover to Cover] which is an awesome blog where a 
young adult book cover is posted everyday for discussion. They also do fun segments like Battle of the 
Editions, Look-Alikes, Paperback vs. Hardcover, Series Spotlights, Themes and US vs. UK.

If you haven't been over there yet you should totally check it out! Anyways, I will now be joining the lovely
duo and will be posting there every Friday. 

So head on over and check out my first post:

Thursday, June 7, 2012

Blog Segment: Book News


So I've noticed a lot of awesome book covers being revealed lately. Some of them I'm sure you've already seen before as I'm a little late with this post, but some of them were announced as soon as yesterday.

So without further ado...






The fourth and final book in the Hush, Hush saga by Becca Fitzpatrick was just unveiled yesterday at BookExpo America.

AHHHH! I can't tell you how excited I am to read this book and seeing the cover just makes it feel that much closer!

Is it just me or is this cover a little too clean cut compared to all the others?? It's not really what I was expecting.

Coming October 23rd!















The Lies That Bind sequel to The Liar Society. I think this cover goes great with the first one. My only question is, what happened to Kate's pink hair?

Coming October of this year.















This book cannot come soon enough! Ever since I finished Awaken I have been dying to continue the journey with Maddie & Justin.

I like that they continued the pixelated look of the cover to match with the first one. I found the Awaken cover to be very symbolic, in the way that the cover design expressed one of the main points of the story. So I can't wait to see how this open window full of butterflies ties in with the sequel.

Coming November 20th











I absolutely LOVED the cover for The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer! While I don't love this one as much as the first, I still think it's pretty awesome. Photographer, Heather Landis, actually did a whole photo series called Abyss of the Disheartened, which is where these beautiful images came from. You can check out the whole series here.
Be prepared to be amazed!

I actually had my own favorite image from looking at the series that I was hoping would be the cover for this, maybe the next one...


Coming October 23rd.






So it seems that Tahereh Mafi and her team decided to go in a new direction with the books cover. This is the new cover that she revealed a few days ago that will be used for the paperback edition of Shatter Me. This is also the new direction the rest of the covers in the series will be following.

You can read Tahereh's blog post about it here: http://stiryourtea.blogspot.com/2012/06/new-shatter-me-cover-ahhhh.html

I usually don't like when series remake their covers but in this case I'll make an exception ;) I think this cover does a much better job of portraying the beautiful words and story that is inside.

I'm just in awe!

ABSOLUTELY STUNNING!

Now I have to re-buy the book because I NEED this version. Like now.

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Book Review: Miles From Ordinary by Carol Lynch Williams





Title: Miles From Ordinary
Author: Carol Lynch Williams
# Of Pages: 208
Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin
Publication Date: March 15, 2011
Level: Middle Grade
Rating: 2 Hearts







Synopsis

(From Amazon.com)

Thirteen-year-old Lacey wakes to a beautiful summer morning excited to begin her new job at the library, just as her mother is supposed to start work at the grocery store. Lacey hopes that her mother's ghosts have finally been laid to rest; after all, she seems so much better these days, and they really do need the money. But as the hours tick by and memories come flooding back, a day full of hope spins terrifyingly out of control....


My Verdict

I could have stopped reading this book at any point and never thought twice about it. It was repetitive, boring, and just plain weird.

The whole story takes place in a 24-hour period, which I normally love. However, in this case there was not enough of a plot to even fill that 24 hours, instead it was full of repetition and scenes being dragged out painfully slow. 

The best part about this book was that Lacey is an easy character to connect with. She has a really hard life for a thirteen year old, and spends all of her time outside of school taking care of her mother who is mentally ill. You are instantly pulled into what it’s like for Lacey, the stress, worry, and fear she lives with make you wish there was something you could do to help. Although she’s just thirteen years old, Lacey has had to deal with stuff way beyond her age level so she seemed a lot older to me. 

I felt like this was intended to be a suspenseful story, but it just came off as strange and a little creepy rather than suspenseful. The author took the ending in a different direction than I thought, so that was a nice twist (I use that word very loosely). 

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Randomness: The Day Before Out in Paperback!

Today is the day that The Day Before by Lisa Schroeder comes out in paperback. HOORAY *throws confetti* If you're a frequent follower of my blog then you already know my love for any and all of Lisa Schroeder's novels in verse! I'm already the proud owner of a hardcover copy otherwise I'd be on my way to the store right now!



Synopsis:

Sixteen-year-old Amber, hoping to spend one perfect day alone at the beach before her world is turned upside down, meets and feels a strong connection to Cade, who is looking for his own escape, for a very different reason.

In honor, I thought I would share some of my favorite quotes from the book... 

"I wish
for the breeze to blow away
our troubles.

I wish 
for the sun to
dry out
our sorrows.

I wish
for the friendship
to fill up
our hearts."

Want to read it yet? No... 

"Life is the bad
with all the good.

The deadly sharks 
with the beautiful sea stars.

The gigantic waves
with the sand castles.

The licorice 
with the lemon and lime.

The loud lyrics
with the rhythm of the music.

... (omitted spoiler) 

It's life.

Sweet, beautiful,
wind on your face,
air in your lungs,
kisses on your lips.
life."

How about now? Yes.
Good =)

Monday, June 4, 2012

Breathtaking Book Cover: Breathless


Today's Breathtaking Book Cover is...

Breathless
by
Jessica Warman

Goodreads

I just got home from the library where I discovered this stunning cover while browsing the YA shelves.

Sunday, June 3, 2012

Blog Segment: Random Reads (1)

Random Reads is a monthly segment where you use Random.org to choose a book from your TBR list to read during that month. 

This is my first month participating in Random Reads and I couldn't be more excited! =D

I was a bundle of nerves and excitement as I hit the generate button.
Here is what I got...


Number 57 = Jellico Road by Melina Marchetta, on my list since January 1, 2012


Summary:

"What do you want from me?" he asks. What I want from every person in my life, I want to tell him. More.

Abandoned by her mother on Jellicoe Road when she was eleven, Taylor Markham, now seventeen, is finally being confronted with her past. But as the reluctant leader of her boarding school dorm, there isn't a lot of time for introspection. And while Hannah, the closest adult Taylor has to family, has disappeared, Jonah Griggs is back in town, moody stares and all.

In this absorbing story by Melina Marchetta, nothing is as it seems and every clue leads to more questions as Taylor tries to work out the connection between her mother dumping her, Hannah finding her then and her sudden departure now, a mysterious stranger who once whispered something in her ear, a boy in her dreams, five kids who lived on Jellicoe Road eighteen years ago, and the maddening and magnetic Jonah Griggs, who knows her better than she thinks he does. If Taylor can put together the pieces of her past, she might just be able to change her future.

I've already looked it up, and my library has a copy available so I'll be going to pick it up tomorrow!


Want to Participate in Random Reads?
  1. If you’re on Goodreads enable sorting to your to-read shelf (you should see numbers next to each book now).
  2. Go to Random.org and type in the Min as 1 and the Max as how many ever books are on your to-read shelf.
  3. Scroll down to the book matching the number Random.org picks.
  4. Link up your Random Reads over at imlovingbooks.com
It's that easy! =)

Friday, June 1, 2012

Book Review & Giveaway: Unbreakable Love by Angela Carling




Title: Unbreakable Love
Author: Angela Carling
# Of Pages: 220
Publisher: Acacia Publishing
Publication Date: November 21, 2011
Level: Young Adult
Rating: 3 Hearts

Many thanks to Acacia Publishing for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!






Synopsis

(From Amazon.com)

Jennie Townsend is unlucky in love, so she is immediately suspicious when a mysterious new student named Nate tries to gain her friendship. But there is something special about Nate, and in spite of her best efforts Jennie finds her feelings for the boy growing deeper every day.

In fact, Nate is more special than Jennie can even imagine. He is a guardian angel, sent to protect Jennie during a most dangerous time in her life. To do so, he must first become close to her – but not too close. The rules for Protectors warn against physical contact and strictly forbid falling in love. But the more time Nate spends with Jennie, the harder the rules are to follow. Will Nate be able to save Jennie from a premature end, or will his own emotions – and Jennie's – get in the way of completing the task for which he was specifically chosen?


My Verdict

This was a sweet, romantic and totally clean love story, which is something I really appreciated!

I’ve never been a fan of the narrative writing style in any book, I feel like it keeps people from getting to know the characters deeply and being able to fully connect with them. That was the case with this book as well. I felt like I didn’t get to know Jennie and Nate as much as I would have liked, which in turn, hindered me from getting too attached.

Although it took me awhile to get used to, and connect with the characters, once I did, I found them all to be very likable. Aside from Jennie and Nate, my favorite character was Marissa who is Jennie’s best friend. She wasn’t in the story a whole lot and I found myself wishing she had a bigger part. 

Nate was a too good to be true (but really is) kind of guy who also happened to be a guardian angel. His love for Jennie is so genuine and sweet it made my heart smile. 

One of the things I really liked about this book was the family dynamic. Jennie, her sister, and parents are a close-knit family who actually enjoy spending time together, having game nights and such. I feel like in most YA the main character has some form of broken relationship with their family, so it was a nice change to see a loving family in the picture.

While I enjoyed the book as a whole I didn’t really care too much for the ending. I can’t really say why without spoiling it but lets just say it was kind of overkill.


GIVEAWAY


Not only did Acacia Publishing provide me with a copy of Unbreakable Love, but they also gave me an extra copy to giveaway to you guys! =)



a Rafflecopter giveaway