Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Cover Reveals: The Diviners, Such a Rush, & Broken Illusions

The Diviners
by Libba Bray
Release Date: November 1, 2012
Number of pages: -----
Format: Hardcover

A supernatural series set in Manhattan during the 1920s that follows a teen heroine reminiscent of two of the era's most famous literary women—Zelda Fitzgerald and Dorothy Parker. The story will be a wild new ride full of dames and dapper dons, jazz babies and Prohibition-defying parties, conspiracy and prophecy—and all manner of things that go bump in the neon-drenched night.

While I will admit that this is far from a good cover,  I love Libba Bray and I can't wait to see what she's come up with now.



Such a Rush
by Jennifer Echols
Release Date: July 10, 2012
Number of pages: 288
Format: Hardcover

 sexy and poignant romantic tale of a young daredevil pilot caught between two brothers.

High school senior Leah Jones loves nothing more than flying. While she’s in the air, it’s easy to forget life with her absentee mother at the low-rent end of a South Carolina beach town. When her flight instructor, Mr. Hall, hires her to fly for his banner advertising business, she sees it as her ticket out of the trailer park. And when he dies suddenly, she’s afraid her flying career is gone forever.

But Mr. Hall’s teenage sons, golden boy Alec and adrenaline junkie Grayson, are determined to keep the banner planes flying. Though Leah has crushed on Grayson for years, she’s leery of getting involved in what now seems like a doomed business--until Grayson betrays her by digging up her most damning secret. Holding it over her head, he forces her to fly for secret reasons of his own, reasons involving Alec. Now Leah finds herself drawn into a battle between brothers--and the consequences could be deadly.

This cover is quiet nice.   I really like the dress, it's so pretty.



Broken Illusions
by Ellie James
Release Date: May 8, 2012
Number of pages: 252
Format: Paperback

The next exciting novel in the thrilling new Midnight Dragonfly series!  
It’s Mardi Gras, but for 16 year-old psychic Trinity Monsour this is no time for celebration. Another girl is missing. Tormented by visions she doesn’t understand—of an empty street lined by crumbling old buildings, a terrified voice warning her to be careful, and a body lying motionless in the grass, Trinity embarks upon a dark odyssey she could never have imagined. She’ll stop at nothing to better understand her abilities, convinced that doing so is the only way she can make sure the terrifying images she sees never actually happen. But it seems everyone wants to stop her. Her aunt is worried Trinity might discover secrets best left in the past. Her best friend, Victoria, is afraid Trinity is slipping away, her boyfriend, Chase, fears she’s taking too many chances, and the lead detective will barely let her out of his sight. Only one person stands by her side, and in doing so, he slips deeper and deeper into her heart and her dreams—blurring the lines of reality and illusion. When the dust settles, one of them will be dead.
 
Oh my gosh I love this cover.  It is awesome.  And it releases on my birthday!!  I'll be 14 when this comes out. :P
 
The Midnight Dragonfly series:

Review: Dead Beautiful

Author: Yvonne Woon
Series: Dead Beautiful #1
Pages: 455
Format: Paperback
Rating: 5/5

Summery:
Renee Winters was a typical, sunny California girl until the day she discovered her parents in the redwood forest, dead in what appeared to be a bizarre double murder. Now her grandfather has sent her to Gottfried Academy, an old-fashioned, elite boarding school in rural Maine.
Soon Renee uncovers the school's dark secret: students have died in the exact same way as her parents, but none of the teachers will talk about it.
Most perplexing of all is the behavior of an elusive, devestatingly beautiful boy named Dante Berlin. He never speaks to anyone besides Renee, and seems by turns fascinated and unsettled by her. When they are together, Renee feels more alive than she ever has before.
Even as she falls in love, Renee realizes that being with Dante is dangerous. Possibly deadly. A future without him seems unthinkable. But is true love worth dying for?


Review:
I was kind of reluctant to read this book, but after finishing page one I knew I would never regret it.

Wow.  Just wow.  I honestly didn't think I'd like this book, but I love it.  It went right into the action on page one, it had a great story line that kept me guessing literally the whole way through, and amazing writing.  I was trying to figure out what would happen, what Dante was, but I just couldn't, and I love that.  The build-up to the climax was great, and I feel like a professor I know so much about Dante.  Woon just explained it so well.  And that ending. *swoon*  What an ending.

I really like Renee.  There was just something about her, spunk or something, that I really liked.  She was the one who kept at it and figured out about the murders, not someone else.  I think she was a really strong character and I really have nothing bad to say about her.
And then there's Dante. *swoon* Oh Dante.  That guy is smokin'.  I love him.  He's so sweet, unselfish, and nice.
I also like Eleanor too.  She's not huge in the book, but I like the way Woon wrote her.
And Renee's grandfather.  In the beginning I hated him, but he grew on me as the story progressed.

All in all, this is a truly amazing book, and I can't wait to read the next one, Life Eternal.

What do you think? :)

Dusty Reads: (#6)

Dusty Reads is a weekly meme hosted by Giselle at Xpresso Reads, where you feature a book that has been sitting unread on our bookshelf for a long time.

Add on Goodreads

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

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

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


What's getting dusty on your shelf? :)

Teaser Tuesday: (#14)



Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading.
Anyone can do it.  You just have to do is:
 (1): Grab your current read.
(2): Open it to a random page.
(3): Share 1 or 2 "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page.  BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS!! 
(4): Make sure you also mention the author and title.

Dead Beautiful, by Yvonne Woon

#1: "Just before I turned, a file on her desk caught my eye.  It was a manila folder partially covered in papers.  It was labeled Dante Berlin.  I thought back to the day I'd met Eleanor, when she'd told me she'd asked her brother Brandon to check my file in the headmistresse's office.  Quickly, I glanced around the room, looking for a filing cabinet.  I didn't see one, though I knew it had to be there somewhere."

#2: "Mrs. Lynch's squat figure greeted me, her short hair making her look  more like a man than a dorm mother.  She looked me up and down.  I checked my outfit, making sure all of my buttons were buttoned and buckles snapped, worried she was going to reprimand me for being out of dress code."

What's your teaser this Tuesday?  Leave links. :)

Monday, January 30, 2012

In My Mailbox: (#8)


In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren, where we spotlight the books that we've received for review, swapped, or purchased that week.



FOR REVIEW:
Masque of the Red Death, by Bethany Griffin
Rivals, by Lauren Kunze & Rina Oner
(Huge thanks to Bethany Griffin for passing on my request for forwarding my request for Masque of the Red Death, and another huge thanks to Greenwillow for sending me Rivals when I didn't even ask for it.  It looks really good and I look forward to reading it.) 





GIFTED:
Hallowed, by Cynthia Hand
(I am in love with this cover!!  It's so beautiful!!  I liked Unearthly ok so I'm hoping this book is amazing)



BORROWED:
Thirteen Reasons Why, by Jay Asher
Nevermore, by Kelly Creagh
(I've heard so many good things about Thirteen Reasons Why so I'm really hoping I like it.  And Nevermore looks amazing)

What's in your mailbox?  Leave links. :)

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Review: Destiny's Fire

Author: Trisha Wolfe
Source: Trisha Wolfe (thanks a million!!)
Rating: 4/5

Summery:
It’s the year 2040, and sixteen-year-old Dez Harkly is one of the last of her kind—part of a nearly extinct race of shape-shifters descended from guardians to the Egyptian pharaohs. Her home and her secret are threatened when the Council lowers the barrier, allowing the enemy race to enter the Shythe haven.

As the Narcolym airships approach, Dez and her friends rebel against their Council and secretly train for battle. Not only is Dez wary of war and her growing affection for her best friend Jace, but she fears the change her birthday will bring. When Dez’s newfound power rockets out of control, it’s a Narcolym who could change her fate… if she can trust him.

Dez’s guarded world crumbles when she discovers why the Narcos have really come to Haven Falls, and she's forced to choose between the race who raised her and the enemy she's feared her whole life.


Review:
I usually don't like books with love triangles in them because it lowers my opinion of the main girl character, but in this book it really worked.

I really liked this book.  There was action from page one, beautiful writing, and, of course, the love triangle.  I usually despise books with love triangles in them, but it totally worked for this book.  However, if it had just been the love triangle and nothing else going on, I don't think I would have liked it half as much as I do, so a tip of the hat to Trisha Wolfe for writing it like that.

In the love triangle there are three people: Jace, Reese, and Dez.  Of the two guys, I honestly can't decide which I like best.
On one hand, Reese is super hot and totally swoon-worthy.  But it was like a sea-saw with him: I loved him, I hated his guts, I loved him.  Maybe that's why I like him so much though.
I also really like Jace.  He is also super hot but not as swoon worthy.  I don't know what it was, maybe the fact that he's like a slobbering guard dog when it comes to Dez, but he came across a little creepy.  I like him less than Reese, but it's still really close.
And, last but not least, I like Dez.   I didn't mind that she had two guys going at one time because she didn't go back and forth, back and forth between the two.  She picked one and stuck to him.  Mostly.  I won't give away too much because you have to read it.:p  I also liked that she was a strong female character and actually did something in the book.
This character isn't huge in this book, but I also like Lana.  She was so cool and supportive, I would totally love her as a BFF.

All in all, I really enjoyed this book and can't wait to see what Trisha Wolfe comes up with next.

Huge thanks to Trisha Wolfe for sending me a copy for review of this book.  It was totally awesome and I really appreciate it.  THANKS!!!

Waiting on Wednesday (#16): Glimmer


This is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine that spotlites upcoming new releases that we're highly anticipating.


This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

Glimmer,  by Phoebe Kitanidis

What if you forgot your identity and had to rely on other people to tell you who you were?

And what if to discover your true self, you first had to unravel a mystery so big and terrifying you were not sure you’d survive solving it?


When Marshall and Elyse wake up in each other’s arms with zero memory of how they got there or who they are, it’s the start of a long journey through their separate pasts and shared future.

Terrified by their amnesia, the two make a pact to work together to find the answers that could jog their missing memories. As they piece together clues, they discover they’re in the idyllic mountain resort town of Summer Falls, where everyone seems mysteriously happy, but as Marshall and Elyse quickly learn, darkness lurks beneath the town’s perfect facade. Not only is the town haunted by sinister ghosts, but none of its living inhabitants retain bad memories of anything—not the death of Marshall’s mom, not the hidden shame in Elyse’s family, not even the day-to-day anguish of high school.

Lonely in this world of happy zombies, Marsh and Elyse fall into an intense relationship...but the secrets they uncover could be the death of this growing love—and the death of everyone, and everything, they love in Summer Falls.

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Teaser Tuesday: (#13)



Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading.
Anyone can do it.  You just have to do is:
 (1): Grab your current read.
(2): Open it to a random page.
(3): Share 1 or 2 "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page.  BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS!! 
(4): Make sure you also mention the author and title.

Destiny's Fire, by Trisha Wolfe

#1:  "A group of Shythe halted mid-conversation as we passed them in the hallway. Reese squeezed my hand. We had discussed that revealing our relationship was the right thing to do, but I still felt sick to my stomach as I imagined Jace running into us. I didn’t know how I’d handle that scenerio.  I pushed the thought away.  No matter what the Councils were up to, we still had to support their decision to end the prejudice against the races.  And we also figured by publicily supporting the Council's decision, we could get closer to them-and the truth.  As we pushed through the doors to the courtyard, I noticed downcast faces everywhere.  It wasn't our display that was upsetting people, though we did get some angry looks.  There was something going on."

#2: "I was finally enjoying myself, laughing with Lana as Nick attempted to a dance move that involved jumping over his leg and falling on his backside.  I felt flush, so I stepped off the floor and moved away from the steam pipes.  As I leaned against the wall, I spotted Reese walking in from the side entrance.  My insides knotted.  But instead of turning around and avoiding him like I'd done the night before, this time, I met his challenging gaze.  His eyes widened, flashing an intense red glow as they traced me.  His lips curled into a grin and he headed sraight for me."

What's your teaser this Tuesday?

Friday, January 20, 2012

ARC Review: Social Suicide

Author: Gemma Halliday
Series: Deadly Cool #2
Format: ARC
Source: Gemma Halliday
Rating: 5/5

Summery:
Twittercide [twit-er-sahyd]: the killing of one human being by another while the victim is in the act of tweeting.

Call me crazy, but I figured writing for the Herbert Hoover High Homepage would be a pretty sweet gig. Pad the resume for college applications, get a first look at the gossip column, spend some time ogling the paper's brooding bad-boy editor, Chase Erikson. But on my first big story, things went...a little south. What should have been a normal interview with Sydney Sanders turned into me discovering the Homecoming Queen-hopeful dead in her pool. Electrocuted while Tweeting. Now, in addition to developing a reputation as HHH's resident body finder, I'm stuck trying to prove that Sydney's death wasn't suicide.

I'm starting to long for the days when my biggest worry was whether the cafeteria was serving pizza sticks or Tuesday Tacos...


Review:
Wow.  This book is amazing.  I don't usually like mystery books, but this book is something special.  It's hard to write long reviews for books you love so this one will probably be super short.

I loved it.  That's really all I can say.  It had a great story line, was hilarious, and the writing was amazing.  The characters were great, it all worked perfectly together.  In Deadly Cool I wrote in my review that the motive for the killer was kind of lame.  Well, this one wasn't.  It was a great motive, and I loved the ending.  The rescue of Hartley was great too.  I won't say too much because you all have to read it. Some of my favorite parts in the book is when she gets all dressed up because she thinks Chase asked her out.:p

I loved Hartley.  She was funny, kick-ass, and smart.
I think I have a crush on Chase.  He's cute, sexy, and totally swoon-worthy.  The whole book I felt like yelling "Ask Hartley out!!"
I know this character isn't huge in this book, but he was just so funny I have to mention him.  I loved Connor.  He was so funny, stuck-up, and clueless.  I loved that Gemma Halliday wrote him like that.

All in all, I absolutely love this series.  It's my favorite of all time and I really hope Gemma Halliday writes another book for it.

Huge thanks to Gemma Halliday for sending me a pdf of this book.  I really appreciate it.  It's one of my favorites ever. :)

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Review: Carrier of the Mark

Author: Leigh Fallon
Series: Carrier Trilogy #1
Pages: 342
Format: Paperback
Rating: 1/5

Summery:
From the moment she sets foot at her new school in Ireland, Megan is inexplicably drawn to the darkly handsome Adam DeRis. But Megan soon discovers that her feelings for Adam are tied to a supernatural fate that was sealed long ago—and that the passion and power that unites them could be their ultimate destruction.

Review:
Leigh Fallon.  I really, really hate to be mean, but if you don't take criticism well, please don't read this review.  I hate bashing authors and I hate it even more if they read it and hate me.

I was so excited about this book.  I thought it would be amazing.  I even bought it!  What a waste of money.  I didn't even finish it.

I hate ripping authors.  I don't enjoy criticizing their hard work.  So it's going to be hard to write this review without seeming down-right mean.  I respect Leigh Fallon for making something happen, for putting her work on Inkpop to try and get it published.  But, honestly, I don't see how it was.  In the beginning I loved it.  It had a really great story line, a really good idea.  Then Adam made his entrance, and from then on I hated it.  The dude is just creepy.  I like nothing about him.  I can't explain why, but he just doesn't seem right to me.  And the writing.  The writing wasn't very good.  It was choppy, disconnected, and didn't flow AT ALL.  And the romance.  Where the heck did that come from?!  One second Megan is walking into a school and the next she's making out with Adam.  The romance is supposed to grow and be sweet and slow.  This one was like *snap fingers* that.

My favorite character in the whole book would have to be Caitlin, because she was the least creepiest, the least shallow, and the one with the most personality.
I hated Megan.  She was sappy, shallow, and weak.
Like I said earlier, I hate Adam.

All in all, I won't be buying the next book but I will read it because I really, really, really want Leigh Fallon to redeem herself.

Waiting on Wednesday (#15): Sweet Evil


This is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine that spotlites upcoming new releases that we're highly anticipating.


This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

Sweet Evil, by Wendy Higgins

What if there were teens whose lives literally depended on being bad influences? This is life for sons and daughters of fallen angels in Sweet Evil.

Anna, a tender-hearted southern girl, was born with the sixth sense to see and feel emotions of other people. She’s aware of a struggle within herself, an inexplicable pull toward danger, but it isn’t until she turns sixteen and meets the alluring Kaidan Rowe that she discovers her terrifying heritage, and her will-power is put to the test. He’s the boy your daddy warned you about. If only someone had warned Anna.

A cross-country trip forces Anna and Kai to face the reality that hope and love are not options for their kind. When it's time for Anna to confront her demons, will she choose to embrace her halo or her horns?

Release Date: May 1, 2012

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Going to Disney World!!!!!!!! (:(:(:

Hi everyone!!  How you doing?

Well, I'm posting this to let you all know that for a week or so I will have to neglect my blogger duties because I'm going on vacation.  To be more specific, I'm going to Disney World!!!!!


Yep!! Disney World!  I'm going to miss you all but I'll be back before you know it :P

I hope you all have a great week!!!!

Love,
:) Emily (:

Waiting on Wednesday (#14): Incarnate


This is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine that spotlites upcoming new releases that we're highly anticipating.


This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:


Incarnate, by Jodi Meadows

NEWSOUL
Ana is new. For thousands of years in Range, a million souls have been reincarnated over and over, keeping their memories and experiences from previous lifetimes. When Ana was born, another soul vanished, and no one knows why.

NOSOUL
Even Ana’s own mother thinks she’s a nosoul, an omen of worse things to come, and has kept her away from society. To escape her seclusion and learn whether she’ll be reincarnated, Ana travels to the city of Heart, but its citizens are suspicious and afraid of what her presence means. When dragons and sylph attack the city, is Ana to blame?

HEART
Sam believes Ana’s new soul is good and worthwhile. When he stands up for her, their relationship blooms. But can he love someone who may live only once, and will Ana’s enemies—human and creature alike—let them be together? Ana needs to uncover the mistake that gave her someone else’s life, but will her quest threaten the peace of Heart and destroy the promise of reincarnation for all?

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

Cover Reveals: Endure, Sweet Shadows & Fury

Sweet Shadows
by Tera Lynn Childs
Release Date: 2012
Number of pages: -----
Format: Hardcover
































Other novels in this series:






Fury
by Rebecca Lim
Release Date: June 7, 2012
Number of pages: 306
Format: Paperback

Hell hath no fury like an angel scorned…

Heartbreak. Vengeance. Truth. Betrayal.

Everything that has happened to Mercy over millennia has made her who she is. Now she and The Eight wage open war with Luc and his demons, and the earth is their battlefield.

Ryan’s love for Mercy is more powerful than ever, her guiding light in the hour of darkness. But the very love that sustains her, now places Ryan in mortal danger.

Two worlds collide as Mercy approaches her ultimate breathtaking choice.

Hell hath no fury like Mercy









Other novels in this series:





Endure
by Carrie Jones
Release Date: May 8, 2012 (my birthday!!!)
Number of pages: 288
Format: Hardcover

It’s all-out war (and no-holds-barred romance) in the climactic conclusion to Carrie Jones’s bestselling series.

Zara is at the center of an impending apocalypse. True, she’s successfully rescued Nick from Valhalla, but it simply isn’t enough. Evil pixies are ravaging Bedford, and they need much more than one great warrior; they need an army. Zara isn’t sure what her role is anymore. She’s not just fighting for her friends; she’s also a pixie queen. And to align her team of pixies with the humans she loves will be one of her greatest battles yet. Especially since she can’t even reconcile her growing feelings for her pixie king . . .







Other novels in this series:

In my Mailbox: (#7)


In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren, where we spotlight the books that we've received for review, swapped, or purchased that week.



FOR REVIEW:
A Demon Made Me Do It, by Penelope King
Fire with Fire, by Penelope King
(Huge thanks to Penelope King for sending me these books for review.  And for signing them!!  Thanks!!!!!)



BOUGHT:
Bloodrose, by Andrea Cremer
Touch of Power, by Maria V. Snyder
A Beautiful Dark, by Jocelyn Davies
Shattered Souls, by Mary Lindsey
(Wow.  Look at all the great books I got!!!  I can't wait to read Bloodrose because I read the one before it, Wolfbane (I actually own Wolfsbane) and loved it, so I'm hoping Bloodrose will be just as good.  I've read pretty much all of Maria V. Snyder's other books and loved or liked them, so I really, really hope this one is good too.  And gosh, look at the cover of A Beautiful Dark!!!!  And Shattered Souls, that looks amazing too.)


BORROWED:
Dead Beautiful, by Yvonne Woon
(Oh my god, look at this cover.  I love it!!!)

Teaser Tuesday: (#12)



Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading.
Anyone can do it.  You just have to do is:
 (1): Grab your current read.
(2): Open it to a random page.
(3): Share 1 or 2 "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page.  BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS!! 
(4): Make sure you also mention the author and title.


Love Story, by Jennifer Echols


#1: I wanted to ask him where his blond girl had gone off to.  Now that I looked, she'd disappreared from the shower, and she wasn't hanging behind him with her hand on his shoulder.  But I should not have lusted for him anyway, and he probably had no idea that he was making my skin burn on the side where he sat.  I struggled to focus on the group conversation, which had returned to Gabe.

#2: Riding was dangerous, with the constant threat of being thrown and trampled, but ironically, once I was up in the saddle and way from Boo-hoo's legs, I felt safe.  I directed her out of the stable--she was in grea spirits today, kicking up her heels and shaking her head as if bragging to the other horses that she was going for a run and they were not, ha ha, so there--and I trotted her across the paddock to the back pasture.  Then I loosened the reins and let her go.  She loved to run.

what is you teaser this tuesday?
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