City of Bones Review

 Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

Publisher:  Margaret K. McElderry Books

Release Date:  March 27th/2007

Pages: 485

Goodreads

What It's About! 

When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder -- much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It's hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing -- not even a smear of blood -- to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy?

This is Clary's first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It's also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace's world with a vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know. . .

Review

I have been so MIA with the blog this last week or so, I just haven't been able to get on the computer or even read much, but here is my review for City of Bones. It's one of the few books I've actually had time to read and finish! I've got some really good books and some more on the way and I can't wait to dive into them, so I hope I will be able to get the blog going again! It will be so much easier when I get my new laptop so I won't have to share with the family anymore (again haha). Anyway, here's my review!

I never thought I would actually read this series. Ya, I've heard people buzzing about Cassandra Clare's books ever since I created my book blog about a year ago, but never seen what was so great about them...until now. Very few books have ever measured up to Harry Potter (I grew up on those books!) until I read The Hunger Games, and now City of Bones. It's a really good series to read while waiting for the next Hunger Games movie. It's got so much action, emotion and things going on, it's amazing. I was so swept up in the story, I'd lose track of time completely!

One of the series that it really reminded me of was Strange Angels. I LOVE that series and City of Bones is a lot like it, and I love that about it. The writing and characters are amazingly done. I have to admit, I was rooting for Jace and Clary in the beginning, but when I reached the end of the novel I was in for such a shock! A few things I saw coming, but others felt like they slapped me in the face, I was so shocked. Kind of like the Pretty Little Liars episode where I found out Toby was a "betrayer"!! Not quite as shocked, but almost.

I loved this novel so much, there was just so much happening that it was hard to pull away when I had to put the book down, even for 5 mins. It just got better and better and the build up of the story from the beginning kept me reading, then when it got to the end I was like what..WHAT?! OMG! So I had to run out the next day and buy City of Ashes. I couldn't wait for it to come in the mail if I had ordered it off the book depository, THAT'S how much I freaking love this book! :)

  Order Now: Book Depository|Amazon 

 

 

 

Stacking The Shelves

 Meme hosted and created by Tynga's Reviews

Purchased:

 Rift by Andrea Cremer

Endlessly by Kiersten White

I had pre-ordered Rift and it finally arrived yesterday! Bought both of these off the book depository :)

 Purchased:

Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry

Wake by Amanda Hocking

I loved Pushing the Limits so much I bought the hardcover copy when I came across it at Walmart-It was the last copy, too! I took that as a sign ;)  

 Purchased:

Beautiful Lies by Jessica Warman

For Review:

 SpookyGirl ARC (Huge thanks to Penguin Canada!) 

And of course, The Hunger Games DVD!!! I ran out and bought it asap today! It was selling fast, glad I got a copy when I did! 

 

Wake Review

Rating: ♥♥♥

Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Release Date: August 7th/2012

Pages: 309

Goodreads

What It's About! 

Fall under the spell of Wake—the first book in an achingly beautiful new series by celebrated author Amanda Hocking—and lose yourself to the Watersong.

Gorgeous. Fearless. Dangerous. They're the kind of girls you envy; the kind of girls you want to hate. Strangers in town for the summer, Penn, Lexi and Thea have caught everyone's attention—but it’s Gemma who’s attracted theirs. She’s the one they’ve chosen to be part of their group.

Gemma seems to have it all—she’s carefree, pretty, and falling in love with Alex, the boy next door. He’s always been just a friend, but this summer they’ve taken their relationship to the next level, and now there’s no going back. Then one night, Gemma’s ordinary life changes forever. She’s taking a late night swim under the stars when she finds Penn, Lexi and Thea partying on the cove. They invite her to join them, and the next morning she wakes up on the beach feeling groggy and sick, knowing something is different.

Suddenly Gemma is stronger, faster, and more beautiful than ever. But her new powers come with a terrifying price. And as she uncovers the truth, she’s is forced to choose between staying with those she loves—or entering a new world brimming with dark hungers and unimaginable secrets.

Review

I was not blown away with how good this book was, like I was with Amanda's Trylle trilogy. The characters are a bit flat, and didn't really have anything about them that made me be able to relate to them or like them, even. I was so excited when I found out this book was coming out, but my excitement died almost as soon as I picked it up to read it.

Wake had a lot of potential and such a good idea for a story, but it was almost like Amanda took the idea, wrote it down, edited it, and there's the published book. I really wanted to love it but I just couldn't. I struggled just to get through the first half of the book. It did start to get better closer to the end, when things really got rolling, but just as it starts to get good, it ends. Now I have to wait for the second book just to find out what happens next. I read the whole book just to have this one big finale happen. It was such a bummer.

This book was good...ish but could have been a lot better. I've only ever read one other mermaid/siren book before Wake, so I'm still not totally sold on the mermaid genre yet. I'm not saying Wake was really bad and boring, it just wasn't what I was hoping for since I love Amanda Hocking as an author. It just wasn't her best work. I'm hoping the 2nd book coming out Winter 2013 will pick up the pace and be better.

 Check out the 2nd book in the Watersong series by Amanda Hocking!

  

 Order Now: Book Depository|Amazon 

 

Spellbinding Review

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

Publisher:  Scholastic Point

Release Date: April 2013

Pages: 272

Goodreads

*An ARC was provided by Netgalley for review*

 

What It's About! 

Salem is the bewitching backdrop to this lush, fast-paced tale of one girl discovering the source of her powers.

It is during a routine school project that Abby Silva--sixteen and nearly friendless--makes a startling discovery: She is descended from women who were accused of witchcraft back in 1600s Salem. And when Abby visits nearby Salem, strange, inexplicable events start to unfold. Objects move when she wills them to. Candles burst into sudden flame. And an ancient spellbook somehow winds up in her possession.

Trying to harness her newfound power, Abby concocts a love potion to win over her longtime crush--and exact revenge upon his cruel, bullying girlfriend. But old magic is not to be trifled with. Soon, Abby is thrust headlong into a world of hexes, secrets, and danger. And then there's Rem Anders, the beautiful, mysterious Salem boy who seems to know more about Abby than he first lets on.

A reckoning is coming, and Abby will have to make sense of her history--and her heart--before she can face the powerful truth.

 

Review 

Spellbinding was a fast, enjoyable read. I really liked Abby, the main character. Right away when I started reading, I was so pulled into the story that I almost read it in one sitting. I had first thought that the book started out too fast-paced, and too rushed, but once I got to about the middle, I could see why the author wrote it the way she did. Yes, the story starts out a bit rushed, but the book wouldn't have been the same if it wasn't. I really liked the build up from the beginning to the climax near the end. 

 

The more I kept reading, the more I wanted to look up and google more of the Salem witch stuff. The whole book is heavily focused and based on actual facts that happened in Salem in the time when people were accused of being witches. I found it very fascinating and interesting. One of the things that made this book really good was because it's based on real facts, with some fiction thrown in. 

Overall, I really liked Spellbinding, but one of the few things that made me like Abby a little less, was how she treated her bff, Rachel. After they have a falling out, Abby goes on with her witch stuff, which is fine, but it seemed like she didn't care the way she should have that she was losing a friend. It was too brushed off and I felt like the author brushed it under the rug instead of adding to the story. Another thing I had trouble with was the ending. It was a good conclusion and tying up of loose ends, but it was so short. The big event near the end happens, then it's like someone ripped out the last few pages of the book and are left wondering if it's really the end, or what. Since it IS an ARC and not a finished copy I hope the author can add a bit more to the end, smooth it out so it's not so suddenly over.

Since I enjoyed Spellbinding so much, I decided to go ahead and give it 5/5 hearts even though it was a little rough around the edges.

 

 

  Order Now: Book Depository|Amazon 

 

Emotobooks: The Fusion of Written Fiction and Expressionistic Art by Ron Gavalik

Thank you to Jessica for allowing me to guest post.

As a writer and publisher, it’s always been a goal to bridge the gap between the cerebral gratifications of well-plotted fiction writing and the visual stimulation of illustrative art. The one day I had a mini-epiphany. Insert expressive, emotionally representative imagery in written stories, during moments of emotional consequence. By delivering a visual of what a character feels, the reader becomes more intensely immersed in the story.

 Emotobooks are written fiction stories, not comics or graphic novels. The few emotional abstract images woven in the stories are the dream-like visuals each of us experience in the middle of the night.

The term Emotobook is a portmanteau word I conjured as a memorable label for the very first fiction medium for smartphones and tablets. For the first time, readers can now see actual representation of character emotions right on the page for a fun, interactive experience.

Stories are published as EmotoSerials or EmotoSingles. EmotoSerials are monthly-released, continuing stories, much like TV dramas or miniseries that continue until their climactic ends. EmotoSingles are individual experiences.

I launched Grit City Publications in July of 2011, with the first Emotobook series titled Grit City, a seven-part story about Dillon Galway, an idealistic freelance journalist, who scrapes out a living reporting on corruption. Since then, we’ve grown the Emotobooks Catalog into an array of fun genre fiction titles in Sci-Fi, Romance, Fantasy, Mystery, Thriller, and Horror.

Each Emotobook title consists of three creators: the author, editor, and illustrator. It’s our philosophy that three contributors on each Emotobook delivers a richer, more flavorful story. The creators even offer Autograph Cards and suggest mood settings, such as food, drink, and music. This way our fans can achieve a full-bodied experience.

Emotobooks accommodate a new audience, who desire a fast “full story experience” on smartphones, iPods, computers, or tablet readers in about 30 to 60 minutes. They can be purchased from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and other retailers.

Our editors are currently seeking the best genre fiction for the Emotobooks transformation. It’s required that fiction writers read our submission guidelines and the free handbook, How to Create Emotobooks, before submitting. Our publishing model is unique and we require long-term participation from authors for everyone’s success.

Now that you’ve been introduced to the Emotobooks Revolution, I hope you’ll join our Readers Cult and begin collecting the coolest titles. We even offer free Autograph Cards to our fans. What it really comes down to is we write, edit, and illustrate the best modern fiction for our fans. Without you, we wouldn’t be here. Thank you.

Ron Gavalik’s Bio:

Born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Ron Gavalik is a seasoned freelance journalist and fiction author of the successful Grit City thriller series. As Publisher for Grit City Publications, he oversees the Emotobooks Revolution. Ron holds an M.A. in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University and a B.S. in Marketing Communications from Point Park University. When not writing, you can find him in the outdoors of Southwestern Pennsylvania on his trail bike, hiking, or fishing.

 

Pushing The Limits Review

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

Publisher:  Harlequin Teen

Release Date: July 31st/2012

Pages: 384

Goodreads

*An ARC was provided by Netgalley for review*

 

What It's About!

No one knows what happened the night Echo Emerson went from popular girl with jock boyfriend to gossiped-about outsider with "freaky" scars on her arms. Even Echo can't remember the whole truth of that horrible night. All she knows is that she wants everything to go back to normal.But when Noah Hutchins, the smoking-hot, girl-using loner in the black leather jacket, explodes into her life with his tough attitude and surprising understanding, Echo's world shifts in ways she could never have imagined. They should have nothing in common. And with the secrets they both keep, being together is pretty much impossible.

Yet the crazy attraction between them refuses to go away. And Echo has to ask herself just how far they can push the limits and what she'll risk for the one guy who might teach her how to love again.

 

Review 

I had been DIEING to read Pushing The Limits since I got accepted to read it from Netgalley. My excitement only grew when I started reading it and got completely submerged into the world of Echo and Noah. Pushing The Limits instantly became one of my most favorite contemporary books, and actually, probably one of my most favorite books PERIOD.

We get to see the world as both Echo and Noah see it, and see their take on everything and see into each of their lives. Each character was so different and so well done, they made the book so good. The whole story of Echo and Noah is so beautifully written and just so real that you can't help but be in love with the characters and their stories. I laughed, cried and experienced everything with them as I read the book. Each transition from one chapter and character to the next was so smooth, I barely noticed any gaps between point of views of the two main characters.

Pushing The Limits is definitely not one of those books you want to just throw in a corner and stomp off annoyed because the author rushed everything and didn't seem to think ANYTHING out. Both Echo and Noah had problems they had to work through, and they ACTUALLY worked through them, meanwhile finding themselves in each other and a love worth fighting for. The build up of their friendship that blooms into love was amazingly done. It wasn't rushed in any way, it was so realistic, they felt like actual real people that I was reading the lives of. Same with their "problems" or "issues". They both see the same therapist but she doesn't feel like JUST an annoying therapist. She really understood them and helped them work through everything. All this really helped set the tone and pace for the novel, making it really enjoyable and a real pleasure to read.

This novel is just so gripping and beautiful, I damn near cried when I reached the end of the book. I was really hoping there would be a second one, but at the same time, the conclusion of the novel made me feel like Echo's and Noah's story was done, and done so well that I'd be afraid that if their WAS to be a second novel, it could ruin the characters' story by not being as good as this book was. There is, however, a companion to this novel, only we see Beth's story and get to dig into who she is. I'm actually quite excited for it, she was kind of a dark, broken character that I'd love to know more about and maybe get to see why she is the way she is.

I highly recommend Pushing The Limits to everyone who loves the YA genre, contemporary fans especially.

 

 

 Order Now: Book Depository|Amazon  

 

 

 

♥Wishlist Wednesday♥

Starling by Lesley Livingston 

Publisher: HarperTeen
Release Date: August 28th 2012
Pages:  352
Goodreads

What It's About!

"Love is just the beginning... of the end."

Mason Starling is a champion fencer for Gosforth Academy, but she’s never had to fight for her life. Until now. When a ferocious storm rips through Manhattan and unleashes terrifying creatures onto Gosforth’s campus, Mason barely escapes alive. Without help from the mysterious stranger who appeared in the midst of the storm, she might not have made it at all. But now, in the aftermath, Mason’s life begins to spin dramatically, mystically out of control, and the only one who seems able to help her is the stranger who can remember nothing but his name: Fennrys Wolf.

As Mason and Fenn uncover more about Fenn’s past and the strange events that surround them, they realize that Mason’s family — and its dark allegiance to the ancient Norse gods — is at the center of everything. A predetermined fate seems to be closing in on Mason, but is it possible to change one’s destiny?

Readers who fell in love with Lesley Livingston’s Wondrous Strange trilogy and those who love Cassandra Clare’s Mortal Instruments series will be captivated by the sweeping romance and pulse-pounding action of Starling.


                                                     Order Now: Book Depository|Amazon   

Tips & Tricks: Adding Slideshows/Blog Rolls

So to start off the new Tips & Tricks page, I thought I'd start with how to add a slideshow. I know to a lot of you it's extremely simple, but not all of us have a million hours to spend trying to figure this stuff out, and a lot of the tutorials on google are outdated and annoying. So I thought I'd give you the most simple, quickest way to add a slide show and/or blog roll (they're the same, but whatever you wanna call it). 

1. Go to www.photobucket.com

2. Once you are signed in, find the blue tabs bar near the top. Under where it says Home|Albums|Explore|Upload, you should see Tools at the very end of the tabs list, then click it.

3.  Scroll down to the row labeled Creation Tools then click on Slideshow

4. It then takes you to a page where you can create your slideshow and add whatever pictures you want. After you're done, hit the Save Slideshow button (right under the slideshow preview).

Now your done! :) Easy, right? Sadly it took me about 2 hours trying to figure out how those other bloggers with their book stip slideshows got them..but hey, not everybody is a computer genius! (Congrats if you are ;) ) 

When posting the slideshow to your blog, go to your blog layout page>Add a Gadget>HTML/JavaScript and post the HTML link from your photobucket slideshow. 

If you don't want the annoying tabs that appear at the bottom of your slideshow, all you have to do is cut that HTML off. I have done an example below, so you can see. Your HTML should not have any spaces, I just did it to show you. DON'T cut off the yellow, cut off everything with the red and hit SAVE, blogger will automatically fix the HTML and your slideshow will still work :) 

<div style="width:480px; text-align: center;"><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" src="http://w1226.photobucket.com/pbwidget.swf?pbwurl=http%3A%2F %2Fw1226.photobucket.com%2Falbums%2Fee406%2FxJessicaraex%2Fb3cbc14f.pbw" height="360" width="480"> <a href="http://photobucket.com/slideshows" target="_blank">   <img src="http://pic.photobucket.com/slideshows/btn.gif" style="float:left;border-width: 0;" > </a><a href="http://s1226.photobucket.com/albums/ee406/xJessicaraex/?action=view&amp;current=b3cbc14f.pbw" target="_blank"><img src="http://pic.photobucket.com/slideshows/btn_viewallimages.gif" style="float:left;border-width: 0;" ></a></div>

Book Reveal!

Things I Can't Forget by Miranda Kenneally 

Publisher: Sourcebooks Fire

Release Date: April/2013

Pages: N/A

Goodreads

What It's About!

Companion to Catching Jordan and Stealing Parker. Set at summer camp, this book is about a girl named Kate falling in love for the first time.

Read an excerpt HERE.




                                              Order Now: Book Depository|Amazon

♥Wishlist Wednesday♥

Size 12 & Ready To Rock by Meg Cabot

Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks 

Release Date: July 10th/2012

Pages: 361

Goodreads

What It's About! 

Summer break ... and the livin' ain't easy!
Just because the students at New York College have flown the coop doesn't mean assistant residence hall director Heather Wells can relax. Fischer Hall is busier than ever, filled with squealing thirteen- and fourteen-year-old girls attending the first ever Tania Trace Teen Rock Camp, hosted by pop sensation Tania Trace herself—who just happens to be newly married to Heather's ex-boyfriend, heartthrob Jordan Cartwright. But the real headache begins when the producer of a reality TV show starring Tania winds up dead ... and it's clear that the star was the intended victim.

Grant Cartwright, head of Cartwright Records, wants to keep his daughter-in-law (and his highest-earning performer) alive. So he hires his oldest son, black sheep of the family and private investigator Cooper Cartwright—who just happens to be Heather's new fiancé. Heather should leave the detecting to Cooper. But with a dorm full of hysterical mini-divas-in-training, she can't help but get involved. And after Tania shares a really shocking secret with her, this reality suddenly becomes more dangerously real than anyone ever anticipated.

 Order Now: Book Depository|Amazon  

 

Burn For Burn Review

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

Authors: Jenny Han & Siobhan Vivian

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers 

Release Date: September 18th 2012 

Pages: 368

Goodreads

What Its About!

BIG GIRLS DON'T CRY...
THEY GET EVEN.
Lillia has never had any problems dealing with boys who like her. Not until this summer, when one went too far. No way will she let the same thing happen to her little sister.

Kat is tired of the rumours, the insults, the cruel jokes. It all goes back to one person– her ex-best friend– and she's ready to make her pay.

Four years ago, Mary left Jar Island because of a boy. But she's not the same girl anymore. And she's ready to prove it to him.

Three very different girls who want the same thing: sweet, sweet revenge. And they won't stop until they each had a taste.

Review

I'm kind of torn between giving this book a 3.5 and a full 4 stars. It was good and well written, but I just couldn't fully get into it. I love Jenny Han and Siobhan Vivian, so I was really excited when I got to read an ARC of this. Although I like the book, I just couldnt love it, the characters were mean and mostly immature little school girls with nothing better to do with their time, except get revenge on people. In a way I could understand WHY they wanted revenge, because the other kids were such jerks but on the other hand, another part of me was like why would you stoop to their level and lower, especially after so much time has passed?

We see the everything through the point of view of three main characters. I found it so confusing at first, it was hard to know which character was talking each chapter, until they said something about their lives or something else so we knew which character it was. I think the chapters should have been labeled with their names to make it easier for the reader to follow. Since its an ARC though, they may change this and I hope they do.

The novel is set at a pretty slow and steady pace. It all seemed to be based on the girls coming together and getting their revenge and in the end, went too far. Nothing special or exciting happens, nothing to pull me in the way I wanted to be. There WAS a little (LITTLE) bit of fantasy thrown in, but not enough for me to call it anything but contemporary with a fantasy twist. There were maybe 2 or 3 small instances when something weird happened that was unexplainable, but that was it. Im actually really glad Burn for Burn is only the first book in a new series, because Im hoping the second one will have more depth to it than this book did. Hopefully its one of those series that gets better with each book instead of worse.

If your a fan of Pretty Little Liars, either of the show, books or both, you should really give Burn for Burn a try, theres a good chance PLL fans will enjoy it :)

*An ARC was provided from Netgalley for review*

 Order Now: Book Depository|Amazon