Book Blogger Hop (2)

  

Book Blogger Hop is a new meme hosted by Jennifer @ Crazy For Books. This is a pretty fun way to discover new blogs and connect with more people. If you'd like to participate, visit Crazy For Books where she explains how it works.

Here are some pretty cool blogs I came across today:

• Stories & Sweeties
• Love at the End of the World
• The Eager Readers
• The Bookshelf Sophisticate

If you found my blog through Book Blogger Hop, please leave a comment and let me know! I look forward to meeting new bloggers and readers :)

Raised by Wolves by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Publication Date: June 8, 2010

ARC Source: Around the World Tours

Summary Taken from Goodreads:
Adopted by the Alpha of a werewolf pack after a rogue wolf brutally killed her parents right before her eyes, fifteen-year-old Bryn knows only pack life, and the rigid social hierarchy that controls it. That doesn't mean that she's averse to breaking a rule or two.

But when her curiosity gets the better of her and she discovers Chase, a new teen locked in a cage in her guardian's basement, and witnesses him turn into a wolf before her eyes, the horrific memories of her parents' murders return. Bryn becomes obsessed with getting her questions answered, and Chase is the only one who can provide the information she needs.

But in her drive to find the truth, will Bryn push too far beyond the constraints of the pack, forcing her to leave behind her friends, her family, and the identity that she's shaped? 

My Two Cents: 

This was pretty slow in the beginning but it was Bryn's character that really made me keep going. She was just such a badass I couldn't help but love her. She lived a life that was pretty much unheard of. Her parents had been killed by wolves and now she was being raised by wolves. The most used word in this book? "Pack". Everything she did, felt, breathed was pack. This is what separated her from every other human. Because of being accepted into the pack she couldn't be touched by other wolves....only if she violated pack rules. She puts everything on the line, including her life when she meets Chase. He was turned into a wolf by a rabid. She's determined to find answers from him...answers the pack have kept hidden from her since she was born. At one point, I was trying to decide whether Bryn was extremely brave or just plain crazy with some of the stunts she pulled. I really enjoyed this one once I really got into the "meat" of the book. The ending is awesome so definitely keep reading. It seems like there may be a sequel and I hope I'm right.

Rating:

Waiting on Wednesday (9)

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Infinity: Chronicles of Nick by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Publication Date: May 25, 2010

Why I'm So Antsy (Taken from Goodreads):

At fourteen, Nick Gautier thinks he knows everything about the world around him. Streetwise, tough and savvy, his quick sarcasm is the stuff of legends. . .until the night when his best friends try to kill him. Saved by a mysterious warrior who has more fighting skills than Chuck Norris, Nick is sucked into the realm of the Dark-Hunters: immortal vampire slayers who risk everything to save humanity.

Nick quickly learns that the human world is only a veil for a much larger and more dangerous one: a world where the captain of the football team is a werewolf and the girl he has a crush on goes out at night to stake the undead.

But before he can even learn the rules of this new world, his fellow students are turning into flesh eating zombies. And he’s next on the menu.

As if starting high school isn't hard enough. . .now Nick has to hide his new friends from his mom, his chainsaw from the principal, and keep the zombies and the demon Simi from eating his brains, all without getting grounded or suspended. How in the world is he supposed to do that?
 This sounds like it won't be boring at all! What are you waiting on?

In My Mailbox (4)

In My Mailbox is hosted by Krist from The Story Siren

Not as many as last week, but still awesome :)

As Pictured:

~The Deadly Sister by Eliot Schrefer (Trades)
~Dark Life by Kat Falls
~Prophecy of Days-Book One:The Daykeeper's Grimoire by Christy Raedeke
~Lost for Words by Alice Kuipers
~Gifted:Finders Keepers by Marilyn Kaye
~Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder (PBS)
~Catwalk by Deborah Gregory (PBS) Thanks for the rec Ari!
~I Heart You, You Haunt Me by Lisa Schroeder (PBS)
~Tricks by Ellen Hopkins (PBS)

What did you guys get??

Side Note: So I'm thinking, if I build up enough courage by next week I'll do a vlog. I kind of chickened out this week lol.What do you think??

Book Blogger Hop (1)

After seeing how much fun this looked last Friday I decided to hop on in! Book Blogger Hop is a new meme hosted by Jennifer @ Crazy For Books. This is a pretty fun way to discover new blogs and connect with more people. If you'd like to participate, visit Crazy For Books where she explains how it works.

Here are some pretty cool blogs I came across just this morning:

• Book Sake
• Star Shadow Blog
• Emily's Reading Room
• In the Hammock Blog
  

If you found my blog through Book Blogger Hop, please leave a comment and let me know! I look forward to meeting new bloggers and readers :)

Waiting on Wednesday (8)

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

 Infinite Days by Rebecca Maizel

Publication Date: August 3, 2010

Why I'm So Antsy:

When Lenah Beaudonte, a 500-year-old vampire queen, wakes up a human teenager at an ultra-cliquey prep school, she must choose between embracing the humanity she’s always craved and saving her new friends from her vicious coven. The first in a sizzling new YA series.

Lenah Beaudonte is, in many ways, your average teen: the new girl at Wickham Boarding School, she struggles to fit in enough to survive and stand out enough to catch the eye of the golden-boy lacrosse captain. But Lenah also just happens to be a recovering five-hundred-year-old vampire queen. After centuries of terrorizing Europe, Lenah is able to realize the dream all vampires have -- to be human again. After performing a dangerous ritual to restore her humanity, Lenah entered a century-long hibernation, leaving behind the wicked coven she ruled over and the eternal love who has helped grant her deep-seated wish.

Until, that is, Lenah draws her first natural breath in centuries at Wickham and rediscovers a human life that bears little resemblance to the one she had known. As if suddenly becoming a teenager weren’t stressful enough, each passing hour brings Lenah closer to the moment when her abandoned coven will open the crypt where she should be sleeping and find her gone. As her borrowed days slip by, Lenah resolves to live her newfound life as fully as she can. But, to do so, she must answer ominous questions: Can an ex-vampire survive in an alien time and place? What can Lenah do to protect her new friends from the bloodthirsty menace about to descend upon them? And how is she ever going to pass her biology midterm?

I am in love with this cover first but the summary has me very interested. What are you waiting on?

Arson by Estevan Vega

Publication Date: May 4, 2010

ARC Source: Traveling ARC Tours

Summary:

ARSON GABLE FEELS LIKE A FREAK. HE CAN CREATE FIRE. HE NEVER ASKED FOR IT. HE NEVER WANTED IT. BUT HE CAN'T SHUT IT OFF.


Before now, three things were true: he both loved and despised his grandmother; his life was going nowhere; and he was alone. But when a strange girl-who feels more normal behind a mask than inside her own skin-moves in next door, Arson hopes to find something he's never had: purpose. Using what he fears the most about himself, Arson must face his consuming past and confront the nightmare that is present as he walks the fine line between boy and monster.

My Two Cents:

Okay first I just want to say "WOW". I'm worried that my review won't even do this book any justice. It's written so beautifully...yet so twisted and dark. I love it. I'm a lover of the weird and unusual.

First let's talk about Arson character. He can create fire. I felt so sorry for him in the beginning with his crazy grandmother, his sucky job and this curse that makes him feel like a freak. It was just freaking depressing! Then here comes Emery who makes me want to give her a huge hug. When I first picked up this book I thought it was Arson on the cover. I never would have guessed a female character would be wearing that. She feels more comfortable in this Jason mask than she does in her own skin. She has so much spunk and she's so strong but extremely sensitive when it comes to Arson. Her love for him is beyond words. The mask  makes her seem rough around the edges at first, but eventually we see that she's just a girly girl with real feelings like the rest of us. Them two together make such a weird but deep relationship. Ever since that day, years ago, he stopped using his power for fear of being called a freak or the devil but when Emery's in danger he doesn't hesitate to set things off! Now that's what I call true love lol.

This could easily cross over to Adult mystery/thriller. I definitely would not call this your everyday YA book. The adults in this book have a voice that is so clear. I love that this entire book wasn't about Arson and his ability to create fire. It had a real plot. Real issues were here, especially surrounding the adults. Excellent character development. For the first time in a while I read a book where I felt like I really KNEW these characters. Vega takes us into their private thoughts which is all a piece of a puzzle. Is it possible to make a mystery/thriller/paranormal/romance all in one book?? YES! I wouldn't believe it myself but it's been done and I was literally on the edge of my seat the whole time. I honestly cannot wait for the sequel. Don't go through summer without picking this one up! This book is definitely a shelf keeper (if only I had the space).

Rating:

Teaser Tuesday (2)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS!
• Share the title and author, too, so others can add the book to their TBR Lists if they want

My Teaser:

"My hands rested on Zach's shoulders, and something tugged at my mind. I was dizzy and disoriented, like I'd just stepped off a tire swing."

~"Shadow Hills" by Anastasia Hopcus, Page 93 

Ooooo sounds pretty steamy lol

PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT with either the link to your own Teaser Tuesdays post, or share your 2 ‘teasers’ in a comment here (if you don’t have a blog). Thanks!

In My Mailbox (3)

In My Mailbox is hosted by Krist from The Story Siren

This week I did pretty good!

I got:

• Every Little Thing in the World by Nina de Gramont
• Lifted by Wendy Toliver
• Voices of Dragons by Carrie Vaughn
• The Daughters by Joanna Philbin
• The Unwritten Rule by Elizabeth Scott
• The Agency: A Spy in the House by Y.S. Lee
• Anastacia's Secret by Susanne Dunlap
• Still Sucks to be Me by Kimberly Pauley
• Somewhere in the Blue by Gillian Cummings
• The Returners by Gemma Malley
• The Snowball Effect by Holly Nicole Hoxter
• Dead is a State of Mind by Marlene Perez (Pbs)
• Keep Sweet by Michele Dominguez Greene
• Wherever the Truth Lies by Jessica Warman
• A Blue So Dark by Holly Schindler
• Unidentified by Rae Mariz
• Shadow Hills by Anastasia Hopus (Around the World tours)
• Take Me There by Carolee Dean
• Anxious Hearts by Tucker Shaw
• Vintage Veronica by Erica S. pearl

 Woohoo! I haven't even tried to stuff them in my shelves yet I'm so excited lol. What did YOU get??

The Tension of Opposites by Kristina McBride

Publication Date: May 25, 2010

ARC Source: Around the World Tours

Summary:


It’s been two years since Noelle disappeared. Two years since her bike was discovered, sprawled on a sidewalk. Two years of silence, of worry, of fear.


For those two long years, her best friend Tessa has waited, living her own life in a state of suspended animation. Because how can she allow herself to enjoy a normal high school life if Noelle can’t? How dare she have other friends, go to dances, date boys, without knowing what happened to the girl she thought she would share everything with?


And then one day, someone calls Noelle’s house. She’s alive.


A haunting psychological thriller taken straight from the headlines, The Tension of Opposites is a striking debut that explores the emotional aftermath of a kidnapping on the victim, and on the people she left behind.


My Two Cents:

Ever since Noelle disappeared Tessa pretty much disappeared as well......mentally. She couldn't live her life as normal while worrying about what happened to Noelle. So she decided not to live her life at all but to simply exist. No dating, hanging out, meeting new friends, school dances, or anything that might be considered fun.

When Noelle came back, all of my questions were answered slowly throughout the rest of the book; how he kidnapped her, how she escaped, what sick things he did to her and how she will move on from it. When she comes back, Tessa feels as though she has to protect her, thus still not making a life of her own. Tessa was definitely the wet blanket because she reminded me of someone's mom lol. She was never able to truly relax and made it so others couldn't as well. The romance aspect that was slipped in was hot one minute and the next, completely ice cold. It didn't seem like it really belonged there.

One thing I did like was that it wasn't just about Noelle being kidnapped. In books there's always a story about a girl being kidnapped but no one ever writes about what happens if she comes back and how it effects their family and friends. Unfortunately this didn't turn out to be as good as I'd imagined it would be BUT it was good enough to continue reading.

Recommended for those looking for an emotional read mixed with high school politics.

Rating:

Waiting on Wednesday (7)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme to discuss upcoming books we're so antsy about. Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.     
     

The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff


Publication Date: September 16, 2010


Why I'm So Antsy:

Mackie Doyle seems like everyone else in the perfect little town of Gentry, but he is living with a fatal secret - he is a Replacement, left in the crib of a human baby sixteen years ago. Now the creatures under the hill want him back, and Mackie must decide where he really belongs and what he really wants.

A month ago, Mackie might have told them to buzz off. But now, with a budding relationship with tough, wounded, beautiful Tate, Mackie has too much to lose. Will love finally make him worthy of the human world?

 oooooo spooky right?? Do you see that cover?? Anywho what are you waiting on??

Teaser Tuesday (1)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS!
• Share the title and author, too, so others can add the book to their TBR Lists if they want

My teaser:

"As the headmaster had been detailing our punishment, I'd had a chance to think on why Little had cut me off, why he would allow me to inform Dr. Hunter of Hamish and Mercy's involvement in our misadventure. Clearly, he feared reprisals." 

~"The Education of Bet" by Lauren Baratz-Logsted, Page 95

PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT with either the link to your own Teaser Tuesdays post, or share your 2 ‘teasers’ in a comment here (if you don’t have a blog). Thanks!

Good News!!

Helloooo my lovely followers!! I will be making some downright changes around here! As my old followers know, my laptop has been broken since I started this blog in November. So all of my previous posts have been done while sneaking at work, or during my lunch hour. I just want to thank you all for hanging in there with me while I was only able to post when I could. So the great news is, my boyfriend and I finally broke down and purchased a new laptop! Woohoo!! It came Saturday and I am just too excited! So now that I can devote more time to my blog from my home now I apologize because you'll probably get sick of me lol. Before I didn't really want to participate in any memes since I didn't know how often I'd be able to get on so here are the ones I'll be participating in:

• Teaser Tuesdays
• Waiting on Wednesday
• In My Mailbox

These will be in effect this week. Monthly giveaways for upcoming books, I have some author interviews coming up as well and of course MORE REVIEWS now that I won't have to rush.Also, I'm putting up a blogroll. If you'd like me to add you to mine please leave me a comment with your blog url.