Cover Reveal!

Crimson Frost (Mythos Academy #4)by Jennifer Estep

Publisher: Kensington

Release Date: December 24th/2012

Pages: 384

Goodreads

What It's About!

For a moment, a face flashed before my eyes — the most hideous face I’d ever seen. No matter how hard I tried to forget what had happened, I saw him everywhere I went. It was Loki — the evil god that I’d helped set free against my will.

I should have known that my first official date with Logan Quinn was destined to end in disaster. If we’d gotten into a swordfight, or been ambushed by Reapers, I’d have been more prepared. But getting arrested mid-sip at the local coffee hangout? I didn’t see that one coming. I’ve been accused of purposely helping the Reapers free Loki from his prison — and the person leading the charge against me is Linus Quinn, Logan’s dad. The worst part is that pretty much everyone at Mythos Academy thinks I’m guilty. If I’m going to get out of this mess alive, I’ll have to do it myself …

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When You Were Mine Review

Rating: ♥♥♥♥  

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Release Date: May 1st 2012

Pages: 334

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What It's About!

In this intensely romantic, modern recounting of the greatest love story ever told, Romeo’s original intended—Juliet’s cousin Rosaline—tells her side of the tale.

What’s in a name, Shakespeare? I’ll tell you: Everything.

Rosaline knows that she and Rob are destined to be together. Rose has been waiting for years for Rob to kiss her—and when he finally does, it’s perfect. But then Juliet moves back to town. Juliet, who used to be Rose’s best friend. Juliet, who now inexplicably hates her. Juliet, who is gorgeous, vindictive, and a little bit crazy… and who has set her sights on Rob. He doesn’t even stand a chance.

Rose is devastated over losing Rob to Juliet. This is not how the story was supposed to go. And when rumors start swirling about Juliet’s instability, her neediness, and her threats of suicide, Rose starts to fear not only for Rob’s heart, but also for his life. Because Shakespeare may have gotten the story wrong, but we all still know how it ends…

 Review

 When I first started reading it, I wanted nothing more than to slap the main character, Rosaline. Shes this snarky, snobby brat with an attitude. That aside, I actually ended up really enjoying the book. It was a fast, easy read with somewhat good characters.

 Its not so much about Shakespeare, but more about the typical workings of high school. Rosealine is, in a way, popular by default, because of who shes friends with. So of course she wants one of the most popular guys in school, and live happily ever after. Cant say that happens. 

Sometimes the characters bugged me, just the way they act and how their little teenage brains think. Overall I tried to ignore it and just read the story, which turned out to be pretty good. It wasnt the best book Ive ever read in this type of genre, but it wasnt totally horrible, either. I think younger people like teenagers would probably enjoy this book, because they can relate a lot better to the characters. Its a good summer beach read, thats for sure.

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Author Interview with Sonia Korn-Grimani

“I stand three feet six inches tall when I am declared an enemy of the German state...”

In 1939, little Sonia Korn and her family were given a grim option; either they must find a way to leave Germany on their own, or be deported. After a perilous escape to the Belgian border, after getting caught in the chaos and carnage of war-torn France and Belgium, Sonia lived with her family in the shadows, fleeing and hiding from persecution until she was placed in an orphanage in 1942. There she lived with more than 20 other Jewish children, all hidden in plain sight disguised as Catholic orphans, and all kept near starvation by the corrupt proprietress.

Sonia forged triumph from these tragedies with unshakable tenacity and beguiling charm, a life chronicled in the new book Sonia’s Song.  From her humble beginnings of singing daily mass in the orphan choir,  after the war Sonia became an international sensation of radio and television, singing to the delight of audiences throughout the world. Sonia became a champion of women’s rights, a French tutor to a Queen, and was named Chevalier and Officier by the French Government for her contributions to French culture.

I am honored to chat with Sonia Korn-Grimani, and talk with her about her writing process for her book Sonia’s Song.

Q: Thank you so much for taking the time to do this interview with me, Sonia.  How long did it take to write Sonia’s Song?

SKG: I wrote 3 versions of Sonia’s Song, first in German, then in French and then in English. It took me about 8 years.  


Q: What made you need to write it?

SKG: I wrote this book for my children, grandchildren and husband, so that the memories will last forever. 


Q: What was your writing process like? Was it difficult to bring all of these memories back to life?

SKG: I found myself still tormented by my past as a little girl. Finally, I forced myself to write it all down. I locked myself in my room for weeks and just wrote. It was very difficult to put these memories down on a blank sheet of paper, and I was anxious not to forget anything of my family’s and my own journey.  It was a painful process.



Q. Were you inspired by any other memoirs or authors?

SKG: I was particularly inspired by The Diary of Anne Frank and more recently by Sarah’s Key by the French author Tatiana de Rosnay.


Q. Do you have any advice to aspiring authors?

SKG: My advice to aspiring authors is that no matter how difficult it is to sit down and write, each of us has unbounded potential to transcend the most formidable of obstacles! 

 

Cover Reveal!

Cover Reveal: Finale (Hush, Hush #4) by Becca Fitzpatrick

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing

Release Date: October 23rd/2012

Pages: 352

Goodreads

What It's About!

Nora is more certain than ever that she is in love with Patch. Fallen angel or no, he is the one for her. Her heritage and destiny may mean that they will always be enemies, but there is no turning her back on him. But now they face their biggest challenge. Can their love survive a seemingly insurmountable divide. And in the end, will there be enough trust left to rebuild what has been broken? The lines are drawn - but which sides are they on?

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The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer Review

Rating: ♥♥♥♥ 

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing

Release Date: September 27th/2011

Pages: 452

Goodreads

What It's About!

Mara Dyer doesn’t think life can get any stranger than waking up in a hospital with no memory of how she got there.

It can.

She believes there must be more to the accident she can’t remember that killed her friends and left her mysteriously unharmed.

There is.

She doesn’t believe that after everything she’s been through, she can fall in love.

She’s wrong.

Review

Mara wakes up in the hospital not remembering a thing. She is told her and 3 of her friends we're in an old abandoned building when it collapsed. Everyone died but Mara...but why? This is what Mara is trying to find out. Slowly, her memory of that night starts coming through in her dreams and strange things seem to be happening to her. She sees Jude, her boyfriend that was in the accident, and Claire, who was also in the accident, show up in her reflections and thinks she sees them when they're really not there.

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer is definitely original, with it's many dark and creepy twists and turns, a lot of stuff you wouldn't expect. I found Mara to be a very difficult character to understand and get to know. Sometimes I felt just as confused as she was at some points and in other parts I wanted to just rip my hair out in frustration and find out the big secret of why, why WHY?!, did it really happen? was it just a dream? It definitely keeps you guessing and it's hard to assume what is going to happen. I wouldn't put the book down for long periods of time hoping to find out why she's seeing things and why Noah, her new lover boy, seems to know more than he's letting on, which you find out very close to the end, that yes, he does, and explains what he knows.

I was and wasnt surprised by the ending at the same time. There were a few points that led up to it, but I still didnt expect it to happen like that. The author definitely tried to hook you into wanting to read the next book with the cliffhanger ending of this one.  Hodkin sure knows how to rope a reader in!

This book is full of mystery, darkness, some romance, and an amazingly twisting storyline that was very well done. I really enjoyed it for the most part and creeped out in others.

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Whispers From the Grave Review

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

Publisher: Berkley

Release Date: June 1st 1995

Pages:  272

Goodreads 

What It's About!

 

When Jenna discovers the diary of a girl who was murdered over 100 years ago, she is startled by how much they have in common. Rita looked like her, acted like her, and faced the trials of high school while experiencing the thrill of first love. As Jenna reads of Rita's tragic past, she fears for her own future. Because Rita's history is repeating itself--in Jenna's life.

A copy was provided for review from Netgalley

Review 

As soon as I started reading this book, it had my attention. However, it wasn't at all what I was expecting. Jenna finds this old photo of a girl from a 100 years ago, and also the girl's diary. We even get to see entries from the diary, and see things from Rita's point of view.  I thought it was going to be more of a murder mystery, possibly with a paranormal twist. It actually turned out to be both of those things, but also had a bit of sci-fi, romance and other elements all mixed into one. There are many unexpected twists, turns and surprises that keep you wanting to read more. I don't really know what else to say without having to give everything away!

While I did enjoy reading it, I think I would have totally loved it if I had read it back in middle school.  That said, I would recommend it more for younger readers who like a good twisting mystery story with lots of different elements threaded throughout.

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The Shapeshifter's Secret Review

Rating: ♥

Publisher: Cedar Fort

Release Date: June 12th/2012

Pages: 328
Goodreads

What It's About!

Julia is finally discovering what–not who–she is.

Like any sixteen-year-old, Julia's used to dealing with problems. From her overprotective father to her absent mother to a teacher who definitely has it in for her. But everything changes when Julia's reactions become oddly vicious and angry---more animal than human. This action-packed adventure has it all: humor, romance, and a plot that will keep you guessing to the very last page.

A copy was provided for review from Netgalley

 

Review

At first I was really excited to read this book, and so happy when I got accepted by Netgalley. However..I couldn't finish it. This is one of the very few books I haven't been able to finish, I got as far as the third chapter and gave up. Right within the first few pages, it goes from Julia never having talked to this Caleb guy, to supposedly being friends with him. UM..WHEN did this happen?? I thought I missed something but when I read it over, I really don't think I did.

I found the story a bit weird. And how did Caleb know Julia's father? Maybe we find out later in the story, but I couldn't wait and find out. Her father and Caleb are a bit creepy. I found it really odd when Caleb, a guy she just started talking to, like, the day before, started to get all mad and upset when she told him about sneaking out of her bedroom. Her father is so overprotective he could drive a preacher to drink. AND make a nun swear.

Then there's Julia's friends. I wanted to slap them all in the face. They talked about nothing worth mentioning and were so stereotypical annoying girls, it ruined a lot for me. I think maybe younger readers would probably like it, but for someone who wants something good to sink their teeth into, I don't think this is it.

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The Taming Review

Rating: ♥♥

Publisher: Doubleday Canada

Release Date: January 24th/2012

Pages: 240

Goodreads 

What It's About!

Katie likes to believe she's invisible. It seems much safer than being exposed as she is--shy, poor, awkward. So getting up on stage in the school production of The Taming of the Shrew should be complete torture. But as Katie tells it, something totally unexpected happened when she stepped on stage: "My head exploded. I loved it. Acting hit me like a sucker punch and I loved, loved, loved it! . . . Invisible Katie became visible Katharina."

Evan Cooper is, as they say, another story. He knows just what it takes to get noticed, and he uses every one of the skills he's honed after years of being the new kid. Like tossing the keys to his father's high-end Audi to a kid he's never met, first day of school. "I have insurance for car theft," he explains to a shocked Danny. "And there's a full tank." An abuse of the power that comes with privilege and money? Sure.

But more dangerously, is his romance with Katie another version of the same thing? Or is it the real thing?

A copy was provided for review from Netgalley

                                                                               Review

Honestly, the best part of this novel is the cover. I have to admit, I was expecting a little more than what it gave me. I love when I can sink into a book, and get lost in it for a while. Unfortunately, The Taming just wasn't for me. I liked the idea of the story, and thought it sounded like it could be really good, but I just couldn't get into it. After I read the first 4 or 5 pages, I lost interest and didn't read it for about a month.

What kind of confused me, was how Katie went from super shy, invisible girl, to this stage queen in 2.2 seconds. I think if we, as readers, had been introduced to Katie as the shy girl and were able to watch her slowly grow from shy to outgoing, it would have been more understandable, instead of someone flipping a switch and BAM, she's changed. With Evan, I felt like he was too unrealistic. He was definitely not what you would expect of a 17 yr old. Neither of them were very easy to relate to, and I just didn't really care for them much.

This was just one of those books I read, but couldn't fully grasp what was happening, so many things felt like they were rushed and hurried and all over the place. Other parts weren't so bad. I found myself having to re-read a few paragraphs because I felt my mind wondering instead of being in the story. It just couldn't hold my attention for very long. I'm actually kind of amazed I managed to finish it.

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Keep Holding On Review

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥ 

*ARC was provided by Penguin Canada for review (HUGE thanks!!)*

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Noelle's life is all about survival. Even her best friend doesn't know how much she gets bullied, or the ways her mom neglects her. Noelle's kept so much about her life a secret for so long that when her longtime crush Julian Porter starts paying attention to her, she's terrified. Surely it's safer to stay hidden than to risk the pain of a broken heart. But when the antagonism of her classmates takes a dramatic turn, Noelle realizes it's time to stand up for herself--and for the love that keeps her holding on.

Review

By the time I finished reading this, I felt so inspired. The book is based on high school and bullying, and we see it all through Noelle's eyes. It starts off with Noelle being bullied really bad, with a mother that doesn't seem to really care about her and she starts off with one true friend. There's never any food to eat and they live in a tiny 2 bedroom apartment that her mother can barely afford rent for.

I felt so bad for Noelle, there was no reason at all for kids to be bullying her like that and being so mean. Sad thing is, a lot of kids really ARE that mean. I think any kid that's in grade 12 and lower should read this book.

It starts off with Noelle getting bullied but slowly things start to change and she starts to find out who her real friends are. She also starts to see that people aren't totally blind, and have been doing things to try to help her all along. About the middle of the book is when we really start to see the changes happening. Things really started to turn around for Noelle, but for others being bullied, not so much.

Susane Colasanti did an amazing job writing about the ups and downs of high school and the bullying that can, and does happen. I was never bullied like Noelle was, but I can just imagine how it can affect someone who IS. Keep Holding On is a good example on how you CAN change your life around and stand up to bullies, no matter how hard it is.

I think every school library should have 20 copies of this book on the front shelves so everybody reads it! :)

 

The Selection Review

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

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For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in the palace and compete for the heart of the gorgeous Prince Maxon.

But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her. Leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn't want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks.

Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she's made for herself- and realizes that the life she's always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined.

Review

I totally fell in LOVE with this book, even though I didn't expect to. As soon as I seen it around the blogsphere, I knew I had to read it, if only because the cover is so gorgeous!

It's in NO WAY related to the Hunger Games!! If you think it is u must be stuck under a rock somewhere out in never never land. Just sayin.

Now onto the characters. It took a bit for me to warm up to America, but I finally did, especially at the end. I loved the way she treated her three maids, I think I would have been the same way. I liked Aspen right away, but after reading a little further, I sort of lost interest in him. My favorite character would have to be Prince Maxon. It was pretty predictable that he wasn't going to be the snobby royalty that America thought he would be, but I didn't expect to like him SO much! I also really liked May, America's younger sister, she's always so happy and excited about everything.

I loved this book from beginning to end, and this usually doesn't happen for me. I generally love parts of books, or the book as a hole, but not often I love the whole thing. I love the way America basically went from nothing, to everything and still stayed the same. She didn't even try to change who she was for the Prince, even after certain events and things happened.

After I finished reading it, I was so not ready for it to end. I will for sure be reading the second book! 

Cover Reveal!

Cover Reveal: The Dead and Buried by Kim Harrington

Release Date: January 1rst/2013

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What It's About!

Jade loves the house she's just moved into with her family. She doesn't even mind being the new girl at the high school: It's a fresh start, and there's that one guy with the dreamy blue eyes. . . . But then things begin happening. Strange, otherworldly things. Jade's little brother claims to see a glimmering girl in his room. Jade's jewelry gets moved around, as if by an invisible hand. Kids at school whisper behind her back like they know something she doesn't.

Soon, Jade must face an impossible fact: that her perfect house is haunted. Haunted by a ghost who's seeking not just vengeance, but the truth. The ghost of a girl who ruled Jade's school -- until her untimely death last year. It's up to Jade to put the pieces together before her own life is at stake. As Jade investigates the mystery, she discovers that her new friends in town have more than a few deep, dark secrets. But is one of them a murderer?

 

Underworld Review

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

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Escape from the realm of the dead is impossible when someone there wants you back.

Seventeen-year-old Pierce Oliviera isn’t dead.

Not this time.

But she is being held against her will in the dim, twilit world between heaven and hell, where the spirits of the deceased wait before embarking upon their final journey.

Her captor, John Hayden, claims it’s for her own safety. Because not all the departed are dear. Some are so unhappy with where they ended up after leaving the Underworld, they’ve come back as Furies, intent on vengeance…on the one who sent them there and on the one whom he loves.

But while Pierce might be safe from the Furies in the Underworld, far worse dangers could be lurking for her there…and they might have more to do with its ruler than with his enemies. And unless Pierce is careful, this time there’ll be no escape.

Review

Meg Cabot is one of my most favorite authors, and she usually writes amazing novels. And this, is another one. After reading Abandon, I couldn't wait to get my hands on Underworld, which actually turned out to be better than Abandon.

In this 2nd novel of the Abandon trilogy, we have all the old characters, like Pierce, and her Underworld boyfriend, John, but we are also introduced to some new characters, whom I really liked. When they were first introduced, I didn't think we'd actually get to know them, but as the book went on, I was pleased to find out we did. They really helped to mold the story.

Pierce is still just as dumb as she was in the last book, but not as much. She seemed to gain some depth and smarts to her character. As for John, well, he's amazing! He's not a creepy Underworld, death creeper, stalker, whatever, that they seem to try making him out to be. I really like him, especially in this novel.

Underworld has a lot of things going on, that happen throughout the whole book. Unlike Abandon, we're given a lot more emotion, and depth to the story. I really enjoyed reading it from beginning to end. And the end btw, is a total cliffhanger! After I read the last paragraph I was left with wanting more so bad that I read the little blurb at the back of the book for the 3rd installment of the trilogy. I never read them, it just makes me want the next book RIGHT NOW.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who likes the mythology stuff, and of course, Meg Cabot fans especially.

News!

Unearthly and The Selection tv shows!

By now I'm sure a lot of you have heard that Unearthly by Cynthia Hand was in the running to get turned into a tv show by the CW. Today I have just found out that Kiera Cass' novel, The Selection, is being made into a tv show also! 

After digging into this a little further, I found some websites that said Unearthly has not yet gotten passed for a pilot, but so far The Selection is well on it's way to hitting the CW channel this fall! 

I thought Unearthly was for sure a go, but I guess we will see...

So I have to admit, I'm sort of on the fence about the CW and it's books to shows business. On the one hand, I'm super excited, especially for The Selection to be made into a tv show. I think it will be amazing. I highly doubt, however, that it's anything close to the Hunger Games, as I've heard a lot of people say. I really hope Unearthly ends up making it onto tv too, but I wouldn't be that heartbroken if it stayed as a book. 

Getting to my next point, I LOVE shows like the Vampire Diaries and Gossip Girl, and really hope these 2 books turn into shows as well, but can the CW really not come up with their own original material for shows, that they have to always turn popular YA books into their tv shows? I'm not saying I'm against it in any way, I'm just wondering, since it seems like all the movies and tv shows these days are either based off of best selling novels, or are remakes of things already done. 

I guess what I'm really trying to say, is I think it'd be a lot better if it was 50/50. Sure, make awesome books like the Hunger Games, Gossip Girl, etc. into books and movies, but still have some original material happening here. It's getting a bit old seeing all the same stuff all the time, how about something new for a change? 

What are your thoughts on this? Leave a comment below and let me know!

Witches of East End Review

Rating: ♥♥♥




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 The three Beauchamp women--Joanna and her daughters Freya and Ingrid--live in North Hampton, out on the tip of Long Island. Their beautiful, mist-shrouded town seems almost stuck in time, and all three women lead seemingly quiet, uneventful existences. But they are harboring a mighty secret--they are powerful witches banned from using their magic. Joanna can resurrect people from the dead and heal the most serious of injuries. Ingrid, her bookish daughter, has the ability to predict the future and weave knots that can solve anything from infertility to infidelity. And finally, there's Freya, the wild child, who has a charm or a potion that can cure most any heartache.

For centuries, all three women have been forced to suppress their abilities. But then Freya, who is about to get married to the wealthy and mysterious Bran Gardiner, finds that her increasingly complicated romantic life makes it more difficult than ever to hide her secret. Soon Ingrid and Joanna confront similar dilemmas, and the Beauchamp women realize they can no longer conceal their true selves. They unearth their wands from the attic, dust off their broomsticks, and begin casting spells on the townspeople. It all seems like a bit of good-natured, innocent magic, but then mysterious, violent attacks begin to plague the town. When a young girl disappears over the Fourth of July weekend, they realize it's time to uncover who and what dark forces are working against them.

With a brand-new cast of characters, a fascinating and fresh world to discover, and a few surprise appearances from some of the Blue Blood fan favorites, this is a page-turning, deliciously fun, magical summer read fraught with love affairs, witchcraft, and an unforgettable battle between good and evil.

Review

This book had sat on my shelf since last summer, since I bought it a few days after it came out, and finally I decided to read it. At first I was really excited to read it, I love Melissa De La Cruz and her Bluebloods series, but after reading people's reviews on it, I got a little less excited.

I didn't end up being as disappointed as I'd expected though. Overall, it was a really good read. The thing that bothered me the most, was the mother, (Joanna?), and her "obsession" with the Tyler kid. Like where did it even come from? It seemed like one minute she hired this housekeeper and hung out with the housekeeper's son for like an hour and already had this whole "motherly" relationship with him, there was nothing leading up to it or anything. Just found it a bit weird.

My favourite character would have to be Freya. She was the most real character, she had a lot of personality and the whole "torn between 2 guys" thing going on, which, I'll admit, I can be a total sucker for. Ingrid was a very flat and boring character, not much else to say about her.

I have to say, I was actually a bit surprised by the ending, I really thought it was going to turn out different. It turned out to not be as predictable as I was expecting, which was nice. I really enjoyed this book for the most part, but not as much as I enjoyed Melissa's Bluebloods series. I would probably recommend anyone who wants to read it to get it from the library, or not pay more than $5 for it, it just doesn't have that WOW factor.

Stacking The Shelves

 Meme hosted and created by Tynga's Reviews

Bought: The Vow DVD

Acsend by Amanda Hocking

Underworld by Meg Cabot

The Selection by Kiera Cass

For Review:  In Dreams by Robert Logan