Tuesday, January 1, 2013

January Random Reads (1)

 
Hosted by I'm Loving Books!
 
 What is Random Reads?

In short, Random Reads is a meme where we pick a random book from our shelf to read within the month. I’m on Goodreads so I’m using a combination of the sorting feature and Random.org to pick the book I’m going to read.
 
 
I've been wanting to do this for forever and now I'm finally doing it, woohoo!
 
Anyways, my random read for this month is-
 
 


 
Summary
 

When Bee is imprisoned in a magical, cursed house because of her father's selfish choices, she has just one plan... escape! But she must solve a riddle and help her fellow prisoners break the curse that binds them all before she can leave, and that is proving more difficult than she originally thought thanks to the bitter young master of the house, Will.

Will wants nothing to do with Bee or her help (and he certainly isn't planning on falling in love with her), but he might have underestimated just how determined and clever--and irresistible--she can be.
 
 
Now since this one is short I am going to do another random pick, which is-
 
 
 
 
Summary
 
 
Grace just moved to San Francisco and is excited to start over at a new school. The change is full of fresh possibilities, but it’s also a tiny bit scary. It gets scarier when a minotaur walks in the door. And even more shocking when a girl who looks just like her shows up to fight the monster.

Gretchen is tired of monsters pulling her out into the wee hours, especially on a school night, but what can she do? Sending the minotaur back to his bleak home is just another notch on her combat belt. She never expected to run into this girl who could be her double, though.

Greer has her life pretty well put together, thank you very much. But that all tilts sideways when two girls who look eerily like her appear on her doorstep and claim they're triplets, supernatural descendants of some hideous creature from Greek myth, destined to spend their lives hunting monsters.

These three teenage descendants of Medusa, the once-beautiful gorgon maligned by myth, must reunite and embrace their fates in this unique paranormal world where monsters lurk in plain sight.
 
 
Can't wait for both!
 
Happy New Year Everybody!
 
 
 
 

2013 Reading Challenges




Welcome to the 2013 Paranormal Reading Challenge hosted by Megan Likes Books and Auntie Spinelli Reads! Sign up!
 
 
The goal is to read at least one book featuring each of the following paranormal creatures:
  • Vampires
  • Werewolves/Shifters
  • Fey
  • Angels/Nephilim
  • Mermaids
  • Dragons
  • Zombies
  • Demons
  • Witches/Wizards
  • Ghosts
  • Aliens
  • Other (ie: sirens, unicorns, centaurs, timetravel etc.)
 
I'll be vaguely following this list they created though with one little tweak! I'm switching Fey and Demons, putting Demons in march and Fey's in april!

 But since I pretty much live in the Paranormal world, it's kinda hard to just do one creature a month. So, I'll read one of these creatures in the month they are scheduled in, so it'll be half of the challenge. The other bit will be just counting how many of these creatures I read in the year in whatever order I want! ^_^ 

  • January - Vampires
  • February - Angels/Nephilim
  • March - Fey
  • April - Demons
  • May - Aliens
  • June - Zombies
  • July - Witches and Wizards
  • August - Mermaids
  • September - Dragons
  • October - Ghosts
  • November - Werewolves/Shape-shifters
  • December - Other

  •  


    Welcome to the 2013 Sequel Challenge, hosted by Auntie Spinelli Reads!

    The goal: To read as many sequels as you can. You set your goal at whatever number works for you.
     
     
    I'm so bad at getting back to series so I'll start my goal to 10 sequels and then go from there!
     
    

     
    Welcome to some Dystopias in 2013, hosted by Blog of Erised!
     
    I'll be doing Level 2: Rebel (7 to 12 books)
     
    but of course this can change and I can surpass it cause I'm really into Dystopians right now! Yee :D
     
     


    Welcome to some retellings and I just love them, hosted by Debz Bookshelf!
     
    I'll be doing Lady in Waiting: 4-6 books
     
    but of course that can change and work on passing that pre-goal, haha!
     
     


    2013 Young Adult Reading Challenge hosted by My Overstuffed Bookshelf!
     
    Of course I'm going to freaking join, I live in YA haha! So, I'll be going for the big shabam: 
     
    The Mega size YA Reading Challenge – Read 50+ Young Adult novels.
     
     


    Welcome to the Zombie Reading Challenge 2013! Hosted by, Book Chick City!
     
    Two Chomps: Read 12 Zombie books in 2013
     
     

     
    2013 Goodreads Reading Challenge!
     
    My goal is 80 books & Tasha's goal is 60 books

     
    So, there you go. I can't wait to get started on these challenges *squeal*!
     
    Okay, it's your time. What reading challenges are you doing this year?
     
    Happy New Years Everybody!
     
     
    
    

    Monday, December 31, 2012

    Review: Ghosting


     
     
    Ghosting by Keith Gray
    Publication Date: September 1st 2012
    Genre: YA Paranormal
     
     
    Summary
     
    Nat's sister Sandy speaks to the dead. It's a gift, and a good way to make a living. Only thing is, it isn't true. So imagine Nat and Sandy's surprise when the dead start to speak back. But it seems the dead are the least of their problems

    This book is targeted for reluctant or struggling readers or children with dyslexia. The interest level is 11 and up while it is at a 4th grade reading level.



    Ghosting is an exciting read that’ll have you turning the pages till you reach the end, craving for more.
    If you are looking for a fast, short, creeptastic of a read then this is exactly what you are looking for.
    The characters are great and believable. The enemy is written perfectly as a man you should watch out for, the perfect man that can give you the chills, the goose bumps that crawl along your arms.
    Sandy and Nat con people into believing they can actually talk to the dead and because of this, it leads them to a house that is actually haunted with some darkly secrets.
    Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this quick little read! I couldn’t take my eyes away from the words, they seriously got their grasp on me. Plus this really started to creep my out a bit as I was reading this late at night, around the time my noisy house becomes quiet and everyone is settling in for the evening. So, of course this is the time to start thinking about the monsters. So, my creative mind started to play tricks on me, haha!

    A little bit of blood but it isn’t over the top. So this is perfect for any horror lover or anyone who is looking to getting a bit of the chills.
     
     
    Happy Reading Everybody!
     
     
    

    Sunday, December 30, 2012

    December Read Along week 4 {Review} The Calling




    Maya Delaney's paw-print birthmark is the mark of what she truly is -a skin-walker. She can run faster, climb higher, and see better than nearly everyone else. Experiencing intense connections with the animals that roam the woods outside her home, Maya knows it's only a matter of time before she's able to Shift and become one of them. And she believes there may be others in her small town with surprising talents.

    Now Maya and her friends have been forced to flee from their homes during a forest fire they suspect was deliberately set. Then they're kidnapped, and after a chilling helicopter crash, they find themselves in the Vancouver Island wilderness with nothing but their extraordinary abilities to help them get back home.

    In THE CALLING, the sizzling second book in the Darkness Rising trilogy, New York Times bestselling author Kelley Armstrong pumps up the romance, danger, and suspense that left readers of THE GATHERING clamoring for more.
     
     
    
    Week Four- 8 chapters, 253-326 pages
     
     
    Our thoughts:
     
    Plot- It's was okay but it felt like it was being force and stretch a little thin. Could have been 100 or so pages, less then 326. Wished she changed up the formula a bit, made it a little different then the first series. Also, we wished she brought a character from the first series into this one to help move along the plot.
     
     
    Characters- Maya, she doesn't feel her age. Spoiled, seemed like she always wanted the others to always agree with her, not much character development and coming into her powers dragged on.  Sam, changed from being the bad ass type to being the clingy, overprotective, paranoid friend of Daniel and always seemed mad at Maya for apparently stringing Daniel along. Her character also felt as if she had a crush on him yet she is supposedly gay. Though, yes she changed, she still had her moments here and there. The other characters didn't really stand out and they always just went along with Daniel and Maya, never really standing up for the own opinions.
     
    Overall, this is a so-so book. Most definitely has the sequel syndrome, it's mostly just Maya explaining what the hell is going on and telling the others that they have powers, which they took very oh so calmly. The powers were sadly not very explored and only a few showed some signs of these supposedly powers. We are afraid that in the third book the characters are going to be spread too thin and that there's not going to be any real focus.
     
    Lots of question and not enough answers, hopefully everything will get tied up in the third book. However, this series feels underdeveloped, not paced well, and doesn't have the same grip as the first series.     
     
     
    Get it just to work on finishing the series

    Happy Reading Everybody!
     
     
     &
    
    

    I am a Book Hoarder (13)




    
    Of bookish things we got in the last week!
     
     
     


    Ascend by Amanda Hocking- Got for my birthday, Dec 1, from my brother ^_^!
     
    Play Dead by Ryan Brown- Got this for a $1 a few weeks ago
     
    Forsaken by Keary Taylor- Christmas gift from my Daddy! And I just love the new cover, I can't keep my eyes off it *squeal*
     
    The Curse Girl by Kate Avery Ellison- Another gift from my Daddy and all I have to say is that he picked two really great ones off my list!
     
    Fated (The Soul Seekers #1) by Alyson Noel- Bought yesterday with my Birthday money. An unexpected buy 
     
    & Lastly,
     
    Ghoulfriends Forever (Monster High #1) by Gitty Daneshvari- Also, bought with birthday money and I can't wait to dive in. I just adore monster high! ^_^
     
    So, there are my jewels of the week! Hope everyone got many books over the holiday!
     
    Happy Reading Everybody!
     
     
     
    I just got one book.
     


    The Demon King (Seven Realms #1) by Cinda Williams Chima
     
     
     
    
    

    Saturday, December 29, 2012

    What's with Persephone & YA?




    Is it just me or is Persephone the only greek myth YA authors actually want to write about?
     
     
    Yes, it's a great myth but I'm sure there are others that are just as great!



    But anyways, I’ve seen a recent growth of Persephone themed books and I would like to just point out all of them, the ones I’ve seen and know of.

    I haven’t read all the ones I’m going to show case today but there is one I have read and a few I do want to pick up. But really, must it be the only mythology one out there in our YA shelving?


    Abandon by Meg Cabot

    New from #1 New York Times bestselling author Meg Cabot, a dark, fantastical story about this world . . . and the underworld.

    Though she tries returning to the life she knew before the accident, Pierce can't help but feel at once a part of this world, and apart from it. Yet she's never alone . . . because someone is always watching her. Escape from the realm of the dead is impossible when someone there wants you back.

    But now she's moved to a new town. Maybe at her new school, she can start fresh. Maybe she can stop feeling so afraid.

    Only she can't. Because even here, he finds her. That's how desperately he wants her back. She knows he's no guardian angel, and his dark world isn't exactly heaven, yet she can't stay away . . . especially since he always appears when she least expects it, but exactly when she needs him most.

    But if she lets herself fall any further, she may just find herself back in the one place she most fears: the Underworld.
     

    Everneath by Brodi Aston

    Last spring, Nikki Beckett vanished, sucked into an underworld known as the Everneath. Now she's returned--to her old life, her family, her boyfriend--before she's banished back to the underworld . . . this time forever. She has six months before the Everneath comes to claim her, six months for good-byes she can't find the words for, six months to find redemption, if it exists.

    Nikki longs to spend these precious months forgetting the Everneath and trying to reconnect with her boyfriend, Jack, the person most devastated by her disappearance--and the one person she loves more than anything. But there's just one problem: Cole, the smoldering immortal who enticed her to the Everneath in the first place, has followed Nikki home. Cole wants to take over the throne in the underworld and is convinced Nikki is the key to making it happen. And he'll do whatever it takes to bring her back, this time as his queen.

    As Nikki's time on the Surface draws to a close and her relationships begin slipping from her grasp, she is forced to make the hardest decision of her life: find a way to cheat fate and remain on the Surface with Jack or return to the Everneath and become Cole's queen.

    Everneath is a captivating story of love, loss, and immortality from debut author Brodi Ashton.


    The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter

    EVERY GIRL WHO HAS TAKEN THE TEST HAS DIED.

    NOW IT'S KATE'S TURN.

    It's always been just Kate and her mom--and her mother is dying. Her last wish? To move back to her childhood home. So Kate's going to start at a new school with no friends, no other family and the fear that her mother won't live past the fall.

    Then she meets Henry. Dark. Tortured. And mesmerizing. He claims to be Hades, god of the Underworld--and if she accepts his bargain, he'll keep her mother alive while Kate tries to pass seven tests.

    Kate is sure he's crazy--until she sees him bring a girl back from the dead. Now saving her mother seems crazily possible. If she suceeds, she'll become Henry's future bride and a goddess.

    IF SHE FAILS


    Persephone by Kaitlin Bevis

    There are worse things than death, worse people too

    The “talk” was bad enough, but how many teens get told that they’re a goddess? When her mom tells her, Persephone is sure her mother has lost her mind. It isn’t until Boreas, the god of winter, tries to abduct her that she realizes her mother was telling the truth. Hades rescues her, and in order to safely bring Persephone to the Underworld he marks her as his bride. But Boreas will stop at nothing to get Persephone. Despite her growing feelings for Hades, Persephone wants to return to the living realm. Persephone must find a way to defeat Boreas and reclaim her life.

    And now another I just found on Netgalley, which sparked this post in the first place!
     

    My ex from hell by Tellulah Darling

    Sixteen-year-old Sophie Bloom wishes she’d been taught the following:

    a) Bad boy’s presence (TrOuBlE) + teen girl’s brain (DraMa) = TrAuMa (Highly unstable and very volatile.)
    b) The Genus Greekulum Godissimus is notable for three traits: 1) awesome abilities, 2) grudges, and 3) hook-ups, break-ups, and in-fighting that puts cable to shame.

    Prior to the Halloween dance, Sophie figures her worst problems involve adolescent theatrics, bitchy yoga girls, and being on probation at her boarding school for mouthy behaviour. Then she meets bad boy Kai and gets the kiss that rocks her world.

    Literally.

    This breath stealing lip lock reawakens Sophie’s true identity; Persephone, Goddess of Spring. She’s key to saving humanity in the war between the Underworld and Olympus, target numero uno of Hades and Zeus, and totally screwed.

    Plus there’s also the little issue that Sophie’s last memory as Persephone was just before someone tried to murder her.

    Big picture: master her powers, get her memories back, defeat Persephone’s would be assassin, and save the world. Also, sneak into the Underworld to retrieve stolen property, battle the minions of Hades and Zeus, outwit psycho nymphs, slay a dragon, rescue a classmate, keep from getting her butt expelled from the one place designed to keep her safe …

    … and stop kissing Kai, Prince of the Underworld.

    My Ex From Hell is a romantic comedy/Greek mythology smackdown. Romeo and Juliet had it easy.
     

    So, there you have it. I’ve read Everneath and freaking adored *squeal*! Can’t wait for the sequels. And I pretty much want to read the others however I’m just a little afraid some might blend in together.

    So, is this a new growing trend? What’s your take on all the growing Persephone themed books out there?

    Happy Reading Everybody!

     

    Friday, December 28, 2012

    Know Me Better (7)



     
     
    
    Know Me Better is a Weekly Meme hosted by I'm A Reader, Not A Writer.
    Each week she'll pick 5 questions off of her author's interview list to answer and invites us to join in on the fun, giving a way for our readers to get to know us better.
     
    
    Favorite restaurant?
    A: Wow, okay hard one haha. Uh, I’ll have to say Applebee’s. The food is very tasty, there’s a variety, and I have really enjoyed going the last two times with my amazing man!
    T: I, too, have to say Applebee’s. I love their bourbon street steak. It’s really good.
     What is your view on self publishing?
    A: I’m all for it, as I am one myself! Woohoo, I just published last month my horror short story of 29 pages and it’s the first for a series. The Harvesters (Harvesting Series #1). I'm actually having a Giveaway right now for it! I also love to read them, plus, I have met some really nice indie authors too.
    T: I think it’s great. It’s a great way to get your name out there.
     How do you feel about banned books? Do you have a favorite?
    A & T: Okay, banned books. I honestly never heard of them till I started blogging however I don’t know any that are, haha. But my take on it is there better be a good reason for it to be banned. If not then why do it. Yes, some books should be viewed only by a certain age group so if the parents don’t want their kids to read those certain books then they should do something about it. And if you don’t want that book in your store then don’t order it. I don’t know, to me it seems a little silly. Like I said, it’s mainly up to the parents and the book store owners, you know.
     Are you for or against books being made into movies?
    A & T: No, I’m not against them. I’m just in fear of them if I’ve read the book before knowing about the movies. I’ve also loved the movie and then went to the book, loving the movie more than the written pages sometimes. It just all depends on the directors, producers, the cast they choose, and what not.
     Top 3 things on your bucket list?
    A: Own my own book store, sneak into a graveyard at night (yea, I know. I’m creepy, haha), and being able to dance without a care of anyone watching me, haha! (these are just what came to mind, though I actually have a five year bucket list written down J)
    T: Finish and publish my book, go skydiving, and see a Green Bay Packers game at Lambeau field. I’m a big Packers and football fan.
     
    Thanks for stopping by!
     
     
     &