[Waiting on Wednesday] - #7

          Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted over at Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

See something you like here?
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     Starling has been on my list for a while, I've been trying to get my hands on an ARC even to no avail. This book just has so much potential and a brilliant cover that goes so well with the synopsis. Starling a great sounding novel, that I hope brings part a romance and yet another strong female character.

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Title: Starling

Author: Lesly Livingston

Date: August 28th, 2012

     "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.

     Starling, is about a predetermined fate I am not sure exactly that I buy into this whole predetermined thing anymore. Fallen kind of killed most of that for me. Its not that I don't agree with it, it just makes the story seem less interesting knowing that Mason can't make her own choices. So that's what my theory on this is, I just hope that it isn't so predetermined.

     Mason seems like a good strong female character, that not only is faced with the turmoil all around her after a freak storm, but a possible romance with Fennrys Wolf. My problem here is that a storm brings about terrifying creatures? That just seems too overdone that I wish there was something else, than a random freak storm to bring havoc. However, maybe I'm reading too much into this and I'm wrong. Either way I am looking forward to this book and can't wait to get my hands on it.

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[Book Review] - Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

Title: Shadow and Bone

   Author: Leigh Bardugo

   Series: #1 - Grisha Trilogy
   Format: Hardcover
   Release Date: June 5th, 2012
   My Rating: 4.5 out of 5.0

     Alina Starkov doesn’t expect much from life. Orphaned by the Border Wars, the one thing she could rely on was her best friend and fellow refugee, Mal. And lately not even that seems certain. Drafted into the army of their war-torn homeland, they’re sent on a dangerous mission into the Fold, a swath of unnatural darkness crawling with monsters who feast on human flesh.

     When their convoy is attacked, all seems lost until Alina reveals a dormant power that not even she knew existed. Ripped from everything she knows, she is whisked away to the royal court to be trained as a member of the Grisha, the magical elite led by the mysterious Darkling. He believes she is the answer the people have been waiting for: the one person with the power to destroy the Fold.

     Swept up in a world of luxury and illusion, envied as the Darkling’s favorite, Alina struggles to fit into her new life without Mal by her side. But as the threat to the kingdom mounts, Alina uncovers a secret that sets her on a collision course with the most powerful forces in the kingdom. Now only her past can save her . . . and only she can save the future.

My Review:

     Alina Starkov was one of those characters that I'm still not sure what to think of. There were times where I was proud of her and she was the strong female character that I like to read about and come to relate and get invested in. However, there were times where she was too self-centered, too unsure of what she was doing, too scared. There was something about her at times that I just didn't understand. She wants to do things and whats to help, but not until the end of the book does she actually act.

     Mal and Alina have this relationship, as orphans, that from the start of the book I buy into. I just enjoyed how they acted around each other and most of all they seemed natural together. When the two were put into the fold and the true nature of Alina comes to light, literally, she's taken from Mal. The truth behind Alina, was interesting and kept the story going.

     From the series though, I will be interested to see if there is a secret with Mal, one like Alina. That would make the story that much more interesting. And it would explain why he is able to track the things he is able to. Plus Mal in this book has some sort of mystery around him, he seems to show up at an odd time and help Alina.

     The Darkling, that is another can of worms. I was curious to see if he was actually interested in Alina or if it was all an act. There was something in his eyes when he did look at Alina, and there was some parts of the look that he actually seemed like he would want to be with her. However, by the end of the book there was something completely different, there was a chaotic feeling that dwelt within him. I am curious to know more about the Darkling and what he's planning on doing next.

     Finally the Grisha. The Grisha is an army of what I would call Wizards or Sorceress, but they are a bit different, all underneath the Darklings controll. There are different branches or divisions of the Grisha; Corporalki, Etherealki, and Materialki, all of which serve different purposes of the King and Darkling. The hard point of the book though was all the names, the names of towns and other extravagant serious titles. Get past all the hyper chaotic names and titles the book explodes into something worthy of reading and enjoying!

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[Flashback Friday] - #6

Flashback Friday is a weekly event, hosted here, that highlights a past released that we're dying to get our hands on...

See something you like here?
Click the book title to add it to your Goodreads TBR List!

Title:  Wildefire

   Author: Karsten Knight

   Release Date: July 26th, 2011

     Every fire begins with a spark: Teen demigods incite war in this paranormal novel with a darkly humorous bent.

     Ashline and her wild-child sister, Eve, never appeared too remarkable, besides being Polynesian in a white suburban town. That is, until Eve kills a rival of Ashline’s over something completely petty. Shocked, Ashline moves across the country to a remote private school, hoping to put the terrible past behind her. But her fresh start doesn’t go as planned. After a series of dangerous and mysterious occurrences, Ashline is astonished to learn that she and four of her classmates are actually demigods who were compelled to meet at this middle-of-nowhere school.

     Now that she knows she is a volcano goddess, Ashline has to decide what to do with the knowledge—and whether to share it with Colt, the hunky park ranger she can’t stop thinking about. There are two very powerful organizations vying for control, and they have very different ideas on how the demigods should use their powers. Both groups want Ashline on their side—and they’re willing to fight for her.

My Stance:

     There was something about how the synopsis read that gave me the idea of Fallen. Ashline seems like the kind of character that would be shocked and not understand completely why she is what she is, and I hope that's the case. It would just make her character a bit more interesting and add some depth there. Anyways, these demi-gods have me interested, what types of demi-gods are there? Ashline being a Volcano goddess, what does that mean? Can she make all the volcanoes erupt at once, spew lava from her fingers; there's lot options and possibilities here.

     The prospect that there are groups that after the demi-gods and they both have differing opinions. This adds some depth to the plot and give a sense of fear, suspense, and most of all caution. What are these two groups after, by this I mean what is it that they want to do with the power?

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Title: Eve

   Author: Anna Carey

   Release Date: March 27th, 2007

     The year is 2032, sixteen years after a deadly virus—and the vaccine intended to protect against it—wiped out most of the earth’s population. The night before eighteen-year-old Eve’s graduation from her all-girls school she discovers what really happens to new graduates, and the horrifying fate that awaits her.

     Fleeing the only home she’s ever known, Eve sets off on a long, treacherous journey, searching for a place she can survive. Along the way she encounters Caleb, a rough, rebellious boy living in the wild. Separated from men her whole life, Eve has been taught to fear them, but Caleb slowly wins her trust...and her heart. He promises to protect her, but when soldiers begin hunting them, Eve must choose between true love and her life.

My Stance:

     This reminds me so much of Under the Never Sky, Eve just seems to embody Aria completely. I hope that this has some of the potential and power that Under the Never Sky had. Back to Eve, This book brings a bit of confusion to me as well, I haven't been part of a all boys school, so I don't exactly know what they would say about girls/boys, that would make someone afraid of the other. It just doesn't seem practical, but if there was something that happened to Eve that made her distrust the other, that would be make more sense.

     Anyways, Eve has this potential to be a unique and different love story about a girl who doesn't know or frankly understand boys. I am curious to see what she thinks of them, and even more if she's afraid or curious. Curiousity would be better, but I think that's already been taken by Fifty Shades of Grey and we all know how that turned out. The choice though? I believe that's a bit much, I mean if there was someone hunting me, I would want to be with the people I cared about the most and wanted to protect, so that wouldn't be much of a choice for me.

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[Book Review] - Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness

Title: The Knife of Never Letting Go
     Author: Patrick Ness
     Series: #1.0 - Chaos Walking
     Format: Hardcover
     Release Date: September 29th, 2008
     My Rating: 5.0 out of 5.0

A dystopian thriller follows a boy and girl on the run from a town where all thoughts can be heard — and the passage to manhood embodies a horrible secret.
Todd Hewitt is the only boy in a town of men. Ever since the settlers were infected with the Noise germ, Todd can hear everything the men think, and they hear everything he thinks. Todd is just a month away from becoming a man, but in the midst of the cacophony, he knows that the town is hiding something from him — something so awful Todd is forced to flee with only his dog, whose simple, loyal voice he hears too. With hostile men from the town in pursuit, the two stumble upon a strange and eerily silent creature: a girl. Who is she? Why wasn't she killed by the germ like all the females on New World? Propelled by Todd's gritty narration, readers are in for a white-knuckle journey in which a boy on the cusp of manhood must unlearn everything he knows in order to figure out who he truly is.

My Review:

     Patrick Ness created a beast in this book. I was pulled into this monster and it drug me under it's darkness over and over again. Todd and Viola are some of the most unique characters I have found in a book in a long while. However, the main fault i have in this book is their age. It's not that I think the book would be better if they were older or younger, I just couldn't relate to them as well. At first it annoyed me and frankly I threw their age out the window and drew them older. Personally it made that small issue disappear for me.

     The narration by Todd gives a wonky, gritty, and sometimes really confusing jargon and dialect that some people my hate and not be able to get past. Trust me, move past it and there will be a story unlike any you will dream of. This is a great story about friendship or relationships, I am not so sure on the relationship because of the age group of Todd and Viola, aside that what friends do for each other and how they grow up and change around each other is astonishing.

     Aaron for the first book was a great choice for an antagonist. There wasn't another character that was crazy or demented enough to convey the same fear. As well, the pain and how many times Aaron seems to escape and mold death into himself and keep coming back for the kids seems to make him the obvious person to fear and hope doesn't come back. But Aaron isn't the only antagonist, now is he?

     The town of Prentisstown is a work of art. I couldn't even come up with that on my own and I have some pretty wild thoughts at times, just ask the people I work with. The Noise, the fact that theirs only men in the town, and how the secrets come out about what the town is, the town's past, and other odds and ends, just adds to the story, the fear, and the complete understand of Todd and Viola and how they need to run.

     The one point that I felt needed addressing more than anything, was the Spacks. Who were they, how were they involved in the war, just something about them. There was a scene with one of them, and it just peaked my interest into them and what they embodied, but there just wasn't enough of them to make me feel anything of fear or sorrow, or frankly understanding for them.

     Well anyways, the book was great! Even if some people would call it a "children's book". Sorry this book is just as good for anyone over the suggested age group, and I highly recommend people at least pick it up, give it a few chapters and try to tell me you aren't curious either.

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[Stacking the Shelves] - #5

Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga’s Reviews and is all about sharing the books you are adding to your bookshelf, be it the physical one or your digital one!

I got some books in first thing this week. The lot is rather unique and varies a bit. I am happy with the selection and without further discussion here is the list of the books that I acquired this week!

Mail:

Title: Shadows Cast by Stars
     Author: Catherine Knutsson
     Format: Hardback
     Release Date: June 5th, 2012

Old ways are pitted against new horrors in this compellingly crafted dystopian tale about a girl who is both healer and seer.
Two hundred years from now, blood has become the most valuable commodity on the planet—especially the blood of aboriginal peoples, for it contains antibodies that protect them from the Plague ravaging the rest of the world.
Sixteen-year-old Cassandra Mercredi might be immune to Plague, but that doesn’t mean she’s safe—government forces are searching for those of aboriginal heritage to harvest their blood. When a search threatens Cassandra and her family, they flee to the Island: a mysterious and idyllic territory protected by the Band, a group of guerilla warriors—and by an enigmatic energy barrier that keeps outsiders out and the spirit world in. And though the village healer has taken her under her wing, and the tribal leader’s son into his heart, the creatures of the spirit world are angry, and they have chosen Cassandra to be their voice and instrument....
Incorporating the traditions of the First Peoples as well as the more familiar stories of Greek mythology and Arthurian legend, Shadows Cast by Stars is a haunting, beautifully written story that breathes new life into ancient customs.

     Shadows Cast by Stars has been on my list to get to for a long long while. The plot and the idea behind a plague that is cured by some aboriginal heritage trait, has been done more times than not. However what I'm looking at in this book is how she's wanted and is trying to run to save her life. Basically when I read this its a is my life worth saving a group or a whole society? I honestly don't know what I personally would do in that situation, I am a chivalrous guy so...

     Then you have this Native American-like tale where Cassandra is the voice of all the creatures in the spirit world. Again this has been done over and over; I am interesting to see how this take on the whole genre. I am just not sure where this book will go; I just don't want this book to let me down either.

Title: The Gift
     Author: James Patterson
     Format: Hardback
     Release Date: December 13th, 2010

When they were imprisoned by the new, brutal government, Whit and Whisty were barely able to escape with their lives. Discovering a hidden community of children like themselves—hunted by the state and with varying degrees of special talents—they have taken refuge underground. But the New Order is rapidly pushing in on them from all sides, and the pressure to stop the regime is mounting.
One day, as they rush to save another group of kids who are about to be captured by police, Whit and Whisty discover not only their own faces plastered to buildings on wanted posters, but also their parents'. When the hunting party sent out after the siblings always seems to be one step ahead of them, they begin to fear that it is controlled by a very, very powerful force. They are in much more danger than they feared...
With heart-pounding suspense and terrifying plot twists, this highly-anticipated sequel to James Patterson's newest series will thrill you until its jaw-dropping conclusion.

     The second book in the Witch and Wizard series, I haven't managed to get around to the first. However, with me being the way I am, I will have to finish the series. It won't be enough for me to just read the series and not finish it; I will have to complete it (even if I hate it). Anyways, The first book just seems too good, and from what I hear James Patterson is something of wonder what he does with books so I am hoping this will live up to the potential.

Title: Variant
     Author: Robison Wells
     Format: Hardback
     Release Date: April 12th, 2011

Benson Fisher thought that a scholarship to Maxfield Academy would be the ticket out of his dead-end life.
He was wrong.
Now he’s trapped in a school that’s surrounded by a razor-wire fence. A school where video cameras monitor his every move. Where there are no adults. Where the kids have split into groups in order to survive.
Where breaking the rules equals death.
But when Benson stumbles upon the school’s real secret, he realizes that playing by the rules could spell a fate worse than death, and that escape—his only real hope for survival—may be impossible.

     Variant caught my eye while I was just happening to be looking through a section and when I read the synopsis there was just a connection I felt. Something about how Benson thought he was becoming free, getting out of a boring life and into a new world, but he's thrown into a world he's not only not ready for, but didn't expect at all. However, the whole breaking rules means deaths seems a bit much. I mean what are the rules? There is a few questions I have, but that' the point of getting the book, to seek answers and get invested in deep characters.

Title: Wake
     Author: Amanda Hocking
     Format: Hardback
     Release Date: August 7th, 2012

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.

     Wake, I wasn't sure about after I bought it, but I'll judge that when I finish the book. The girl on the cover I have to say is rather pretty, and will equate to a good portion of why I got the book, but the story seems rather interesting. Okay I say interesting a lot, don't i? I am curious to see what "powers" Gemma has when she wakes up after the party and what the price is. I am hoping it's something other than Vampires. I have a few vampire books that I need to get to, so something other than that would be best. Too many vampires...

Title: Throne of Glass
     Author: Sarah J. Maas
     Format: Hardback
     Release Date: August 7th, 2012

After serving out a year of hard labor in the salt mines of Endovier for her crimes, 18-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien is dragged before the Crown Prince. Prince Dorian offers her her freedom on one condition: she must act as his champion in a competition to find a new royal assassin.
Her opponents are men—thieves and assassins and warriors from across the empire, each sponsored by a member of the king's council. If she beats her opponents in a series of eliminations, she'll serve the kingdom for three years and then be granted her freedom.
Celaena finds her training sessions with the captain of the guard, Westfall, challenging and exhilirating. But she's bored stiff by court life. Things get a little more interesting when the prince starts to show interest in her... but it's the gruff Captain Westfall who seems to understand her best.
Then one of the other contestants turns up dead... quickly followed by another. Can Celaena figure out who the killer is before she becomes a victim? As the young assassin investigates, her search leads her to discover a greater destiny than she could possibly have imagined.

     Okay Throne of Glass was a complete impulse buy. I found it on the shelf of a Meijer and well when the synopsis was done I couldn't put it down. There is about Calaena and how she is forced into a volatile and violent life, much like the one Saba had in Blood Red Road. I want a powerful female character, someone that has independence, knows what she wants and isn't afraid to go after it; that's the kind of female character I enjoy in a book. I hope Calaena is like that, and that her trials and the life of her is just as fantastic as I hope.

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[Waiting on Wednesday] - #6

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted over at Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

See something you like here?

Check the book out on Goodreads and add it to your TBR List!

This week it's an author I've had my eyes on and just haven't been able to get around to. I have Witch & Wizard on my shelf and just haven't had time to get around to it, as with Unwind. Anyways, James Patterson gives a new series with so much potential that I just can'st stop thinking about it and how much I want to get my hands on it.

Title: Confessions of a Murder Suspect
     Author: James Patterson and Maxine Paetro
     Date: September 24th, 2012

James Patterson returns to the genre that made him famous with a thrilling teen detective series about the mysterious and magnificently wealthy Angel family . . . and the dark secrets they're keeping from one another.
On the night Malcolm and Maud Angel are murdered, Tandy Angel knows just three things: 1) She was the last person to see her parents alive. 2) The police have no suspects besides Tandy and her three siblings. 3) She can't trust anyone--maybe not even herself. Having grown up under Malcolm and Maud's intense perfectionist demands, no child comes away undamaged. Tandy decides that she will have to clear the family name, but digging deeper into her powerful parents' affairs is a dangerous-and revealing-game. Who knows what the Angels are truly capable of?

     Confessions of a Murder Suspect caught my eye with the cover and the synopsis just made it worse. I am actually happy to say that the synopsis is the main reason I want this book something about a good mystery with a plot that seems to catch your eye immediately, I am used to a mystery being solved with the polices help or just from the police in general. However, in this book the police are an added burden, something that is against Tandy.

     Tandy Angel, being part of a wealthy family with their own share of secrets, that I'm sure will be part of all the happenings with the murders and who they are. I sense something paranormal here, but I could be wrong. I am not sure if they were angels, or demons, or anything if that would be better for the story or not. Part of me wants there to be paranormal, but there is also that part that screams to keep that out. I can't imagine a series trying to go against the Dresden files or even proposing the idea. It just won't happen Harry Dresden is just too good.

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[Book Review] - Fallen in Love by Lauren Kate

Title: Fallen in Love
     Author: Lauren Kate
     Series: #3.5 - Fallen
     Format: Hardcover
     Release Date: January 24th, 2012
     My Rating: 2.5 out of 5.0

Unexpected. Unrequited. Forbidden. Eternal. Everyone has their own love story.
And in a twist of fate, four extraordinary love stories combine over the course of a romantic Valentine's Day in Medieval England. Miles and Shelby find love where they least expect it. Roland learns a painful lesson about finding-and losing love. Arianne pays the price for a love so fierce it burns. And for the first -and last- time, Daniel and Luce will spend a night together like none other.
Lauren Kate's FALLEN IN LOVE is filled with love stories . . . the ones everyone has been waiting for.
True love never says goodbye. . .

My Review:

     Being a semi-fan of the Fallen series, I have to say this was rather interesting and did bring life to some of the background characters more than I thought it did for Luce and Daniel. This book does provide some knowledge and twists what could be the present tense of Rapture (the final book in the Fallen Series), so being a short story or just something on the side, if someone say skipped it for whatever reason, I don't know how this will impact Rapture. I hope it does and doesn't, there are a few tales that are just mesmerizing and just really well done.

     Fallen in Love is a series of four stories regarding a different set of Fallen characters. I am going to attempt my best to really just ruffle the feathers here on all four, cause realistically its a single story-line told around four different stories and relationships. I think this would be the best way to go about this book, and frankly almost the only way to go about it.

     First up is Miles and Shelby, their story with how they find love and go about their story was probably the high point of the book. Not to say that the others weren't good or bad, but I find Miles's and Shelby's the best out of the lot. However, my problem is that Miles seems to go immediately over Luce (upon realizing what Daniel is doing for Luce) and straight into the next person. To me, that's a cheap and almost like a rebound.

     After Miles and Shelby they hand the reigns of the story over to Roland, which has a story of lost love unlike any other. I felt sorry for Roland and there is a pain in his story so deep that I just couldn't help but feel some sort of pain for him. I don't understand if he wakes up in his story, seeing the past version of the one person that he loves or still loves, and realizes he still loves her and wishes he could change something he did. I was a bit confused with what lesson he supposedly learned but it was still decent.

     Roland hands the story over to Arianne, and her story surprised me the most. I didn't picture her story the way it was told, frankly I pictured it completely different. The love between her and her partner burns so deep and bright, that I do wish that they could have come out and said their dues like Luce and Daniel. I don't buy into the bit where Arianne didn't believe they could, but she makes up for in not changing her believes because of someone she cares about. I just pictured Arianne's story told completely different, but it was still good either way.

     Arriane sets up Luce and Daniel's night together. Of course though, they seem to have the most spectacular night of everyone else. However, their love is getting overdone, it's like seeing the same story over and over, but when you see Miles and Shelby theirs seems to trump Luce's and Daniel's because of how unique and fresh it is. As well, their only Valentines Day? Over all the times they were together and the years or months they were together it never seemed to happen on that day again? That's a bit of a stretch, and I don't buy it. Sorry but that's just too cheesy.

     Overall, this book was meh, something I wouldn't really recommend or suggest people to read in the Fallen series. However, when I get into Rapture and if I find out that some of the details (the spoilers I'm not giving) are important and need to be known, that may change. I don't exactly know what to say overall, other than read Miles's and Shelby's and then put the book down cause the rest is just cheesy and almost not even worth the time. Sorry, but I just don't buy into a lot of the gimmicks in this book.

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[Flashback Friday] - #5

Flashback Friday is a weekly event, hosted here, that highlights a past released book that we're dying to get our hands on...

See something you like here?

Check the book out on Goodreads and add it to your TBR List!

Title: Die For Me
     Author: Amy Plum
     Release Date: May 10th, 2010

In the City of Lights, two star-crossed lovers battle a fate that is destined to tear them apart again and again for eternity.
When Kate Mercier's parents die in a tragic car accident, she leaves her life--and memories--behind to live with her grandparents in Paris. For Kate, the only way to survive her pain is escaping into the world of books and Parisian art. Until she meets Vincent.
Mysterious, charming, and devastatingly handsome, Vincent threatens to melt the ice around Kate's guarded heart with just his smile. As she begins to fall in love with Vincent, Kate discovers that he's a revenant--an undead being whose fate forces him to sacrifice himself over and over again to save the lives of others. Vincent and those like him are bound in a centuries-old war against a group of evil revenants who exist only to murder and betray. Kate soon realizes that if she follows her heart, she may never be safe again.

My Stance:

     There is something about this book that caught my eye, maybe it was the cover. I mean the cover has an amazing tribal elegance to it that I enjoy. Anyways that's not entirely why I added this book to the long list of wishlist titles. The synopsis proposes a love sort of like Fallen by Lauren Kate, but not exactly. Vincent seems to be sacrificing his life over and over to save lives of other people, but where does that put Kate in the middle of everything? I sincerely hope that Vincent isn't some zombie abomination, and more of an original paranormal phenomena. I just don't buy into the whole, he's a zombie but can think for himself bit; that's not what the defying bit of a zombie is; a zombie to me is someone who has died and their humanity and personality is gone, not partially there or hiding, GONE. So understanding that, I hope that I've not read too much into Vincent's character and won't be let down.

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Title: City of Bones
     Author: Cassandra Clare
     Release Date: March 27th, 2007

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. . . .

Exotic and gritty, exhilarating and utterly gripping, Cassandra Clare's ferociously entertaining fantasy takes readers on a wild ride that they will never want to end.

My Stance:

     Okay, for one I have heard a lot of good things about this book, and it has a rather huge following that I can't deny at least trying to get into the series and hopefully I'll enjoy it. I'll probably get a lot of grief over this for the fact that I'll get into this and won't even bother or look at Twilight. It's a personal thing, I have seen the Twilight movies, and I wasn't all that impressed to feel the urge or want to read the book, that's enough for me to make a decision on that. However The Mortal Instruments doesn't seem to have a movie or something a bit quicker to make a better decision, that's not biased on other's opinions, so I'll at least put the best foot forward.

     Now, the synopsis just caught my eye. There is something original, well thought out and I hope that the series can keep up with how well this caught my eye. The one question I have in this series, will she find out who the boy was that was killed on the first night like a Harry Dresden series, or will it be more of a get swept up into another unworldly predicament? I am curious for that reason to find out, and I'm not sure which one I am hoping more for. Now Clary and Jace, there seems to be a hint of a relationship or something forming here in the synopsis, but that seems hard to focus on when, even in the synopsis, they seem to have very different personalities.

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[Book Review] - If I Stay by Gayle Forman

Title: If I Stay
     Author: Gayle Forman
     Series: #1 - If I Stay
     Format: Hardcover
     Release Date: April 2nd, 2009
     My Rating: 4.5 out of 5.0

A critically acclaimed novel that will change the way you look at life, love, and family.
In the blink of an eye everything changes. Seventeen ­year-old Mia has no memory of the accident; she can only recall what happened afterwards, watching her own damaged body being taken from the wreck. Little by little she struggles to put together the pieces- to figure out what she has lost, what she has left, and the very difficult choice she must make. Heartwrenchingly beautiful, Mia's story will stay with you for a long, long time.

My Review:

     I had high hopes for If I Stay, I wanted this to be a book that could live up to Before I Fall. Okay I know that's pretty steep expectations, but I was looking for a book that had the same emotional pull. I wanted a book that not only did I get invested in, but I felt myself myself grieve with the characters, I wanted to feel their pain, I wanted most of all a book that got me emotionally involved. Not only did I want to be involved and completely invested, I wanted to feel that pull into the book like Before I Fall did and here If I Stay did the next closest thing.

     I was shocked at this book, there was something about this book, I wasn't sure if it was the ghostly feeling of Mia watching herself in a comatose state while all of her family members were close by. Her boyfriend Adam, I thought would be the most emotional part of the book, but her honestly wasn't. For me her grandparents were the deciding factor, the realization of what happened to Teddy, there was numerous parts, but Adam really didn't get me all that involved. I guess I can't say that entirely, there was the good conversation with Adam and Mia at the end that finally managed to pull me in, but personally there was things with Adam, that I disagreed with.

     Now I will say this, Yea I did disagree with some of Adam's actions and mostly it may be a personal decision of what I would have done in that situation (because I was in a similar situation, not as severe though). Saying that I can say that it is plausible, and I do know what lengths a boyfriend would go through to see a girlfriend and to what ends and creativity he would go through just to hold her hand. I did want Adam's plan to see her succeed, and while it did sort of, it just didn't bring the result I was looking for.

     Mia... I honestly was intrigued by the tales of this story, her decisions and passions throughout the book. I got completely invested in her character and her decisions just bore into you. The complete emotional involvement and how the book didn't just pull me in, it drug me (even if it was willingly). I found myself more than once crying at some of the family members reactions and sometimes I find myself thinking back to it and starting all over again. The book did great at pulling at every string that was around.

     As well, the past "memories" of Mia and her family brought the book home. I think without those memories her character would've been completely flat and not as complex as it could have been. I was happy they were there; as well, they seemed to foreshadow some of the events that would happen and gave reason behind some of her choices while she was in the comatose state. The one memory I didn't quite understand was the whole first sexual experience between Adam and Mia, it seemed almost out of place and like it didn't even belong. I found myself on more than one occasion questioning why that was there, and frankly I don't know.

     Now, eventually I will fire up and read the second part of this series, Where She Went. I am hoping that book is just as good as this one!

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[Stacking the Shelves] - #4

Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga’s Reviews and is all about sharing the books you are adding to your bookshelf, be it the physical one or your digital one!

     I was a bit slower than usual this week. I have a book signing I am going to and frankly I have begun saving a bit of money to the side so I can go. I will go into detail about the signing later, I am much looking forward to meeting some amazing authors though! Anyways, this week was a rather interesting week, a much expected Prequel being released, two new series I'm going to get into and see how it is, and than the finishing of a series I started last week. I hope you all enjoy!

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Title:The Kill Order
     Author: James Dashner
     Format: Hardback
     Release Date: August 14th, 2012

The prequel to the New York Times bestselling Maze Runner series.
Before WICKED was formed, before the Glade was built, before Thomas entered the Maze, sun flares hit the earth and mankind fell to disease.
Mark and Trina were there when it happened, and they survived. But surviving the sun flares was easy compared to what came next. Now a disease of rage and lunacy races across the eastern United States, and there’s something suspicious about its origin. Worse yet, it’s mutating, and all evidence suggests that it will bring humanity to its knees.
Mark and Trina are convinced there’s a way to save those left living from descending into madness. And they’re determined to find it—if they can stay alive. Because in this new, devastated world, every life has a price. And to some, you’re worth more dead than alive.

     The Kill Order I have been looking forward to for a long long while, probably since I finished the series. There was so much to Thomas and Wicked that seemed too open to be left finished, and I am happy that James Dashner went back to address this issue. Okay well maybe he didn't go back specifically for that issue, but whatever it seems to address a gaping hole I found in the story and am curious on.

     My concern with this though, is that it has practically nothing to do with Thomas. I almost feel at the moment that there's something disjointed about The Kill Order and The Maze Runner. Its almost like they should be two series or something. We'll see when I get into it, and who knows maybe my preliminary assessment is wrong, I hope so.

Title: Gone
     Author: Michael Grant
     Format: Hardback
     Release Date: June 24th, 2008

In the blink of an eye. Everyone disappears. GONE.
Except for the young. Teens. Middle schoolers. Toddlers. But not one single adult. No teachers, no cops, no doctors, no parents. Just as suddenly, there are no phones, no internet, no television. No way to get help. And no way to figure out what's happened.
Hunger threatens. Bullies rule. A sinister creature lurks. Animals are mutating. And the teens themselves are changing, developing new talents—unimaginable, dangerous, deadly powers—that grow stronger by the day.
It's a terrifying new world. Sides are being chosen, a fight is shaping up. Townies against rich kids. Bullies against the weak. Powerful against powerless. And time is running out: On your birthday, you disappear just like everyone else....

     I was somewhat interested in Gone and there was about the series that I was interested in and pulled me in. I just didn't know what it was, until I started looking into Michael Grant and some of his work. Way back when, when I was an actual teen, I read the Animorphs series like a religion. Imagine my shock when I found out he helped co-create the series.

     With that knowledge I couldn't help but at least try the series out. It know reminded me of when I was younger and frankly the imagination and ingenuity behind Animorphs was good for a few books but it got old after a while (doing the same thing over and over). I hope this book doesn't fall into the same trap, and that the series brings to light new and more troubling developments.

Title: Enclave
     Author: Ann Aguirre
     Format: Hardback
     Release Date: April 12th, 2011

WELCOME TO THE APOCALYPSE
In Deuce’s world, people earn the right to a name only if they survive their first fifteen years. By that point, each unnamed ‘brat’ has trained into one of three groups–Breeders, Builders, or Hunters, identifiable by the number of scars they bear on their arms. Deuce has wanted to be a Huntress for as long as she can remember.
As a Huntress, her purpose is clear—to brave the dangerous tunnels outside the enclave and bring back meat to feed the group while evading ferocious monsters known as Freaks. She’s worked toward this goal her whole life, and nothing’s going to stop her, not even a beautiful, brooding Hunter named Fade. When the mysterious boy becomes her partner, Deuce’s troubles are just beginning.
Down below, deviation from the rules is punished swiftly and harshly, and Fade doesn’t like following orders. At first Deuce thinks he’s crazy, but as death stalks their sanctuary, and it becomes clear the elders don’t always know best, Deuce wonders if Fade might be telling the truth. Her partner confuses her; she’s never known a boy like him before, as prone to touching her gently as using his knives with feral grace.
As Deuce’s perception shifts, so does the balance in the constant battle for survival. The mindless Freaks, once considered a threat only due to their sheer numbers, show signs of cunning and strategy… but the elders refuse to heed any warnings. Despite imminent disaster, the enclave puts their faith in strictures and sacrifice instead. No matter how she tries, Deuce cannot stem the dark tide that carries her far from the only world she’s ever known.

     Enclave, I admired this book for a long time. There was something about the cover and the brief bits of synopsis that drove me crazy. It's not that bad, what the hell am I reading crazy, but a this is a book that is so full of potential and yet there are some things about it all that has me leery and on the edge about this book. I have high hopes for this book and ultimately for the series.

     Personally I think this book will do a great job and destroying how a caste governmental system functions. As well, there seems to be a good romance that starts to build. I just hope this one is as good as the one in Under the Never Sky. I hate to make an expectation like that, but Under the Never Sky was just so good of a romance that I can't help it.

Title: The Ask and the Answer
     Author: Patrick Ness
     Format: Hardback
     Release Date: September 8th, 2009

Part two of the literary sci-fi thriller follows a boy and a girl who are caught in a warring town where thoughts can be heard — and secrets are never safe.
Reaching the end of their tense and desperate flight in THE KNIFE OF NEVER LETTING GO, Todd and Viola did not find healing and hope in Haven. They found instead their worst enemy, Mayor Prentiss, waiting to welcome them to New Prentisstown. There they are forced into separate lives: Todd to prison, and Viola to a house of healing where her wounds are treated. Soon Viola is swept into the ruthless activities of the Answer, aimed at overthrowing the tyrannical government. Todd, meanwhile, faces impossible choices when forced to join the mayor’s oppressive new regime. In alternating narratives — Todd’s gritty and volatile; Viola’s calmer but equally stubborn — the two struggle to reconcile their own dubious actions with their deepest beliefs. Torn by confusion and compromise, suspicion and betrayal, can their trust in each other possibly survive?

     The Ask and the Answer just better be good. The Knife of Never Letting Go just took my breathe away and doesn't leave me with anything but a choice to have such a high expectation here. As well from some of the reviews and and the perspectives I've gained on this book, it does live up to the calling. I want to know what happens to Viola mainly, she BETTER live! This book, as well as a few others have been great inspiration and whatnot for me and how I'm writing my book (maybe one day it'll be on the shelf too).

Title: Monsters of Men
     Author: Patrick Ness
     Format: Hardback
     Release Date: September 28th, 2010

"War," says the Mayor. "At last."
Three armies march on New Prentisstown, each one intent on destroying the others. Todd and Viola are caught in the middle, with no chance of escape. As the battles commence, how can they hope to stop the fighting? How can there ever be peace when they're so hopelessly outnumbered? And if war makes monsters of men, what terrible choices await? But then a third voice breaks into the battle, one bent on revenge - the electrifying finale to the award-winning "Chaos Walking" trilogy, Monsters of Men is a heart-stopping novel about power, survival, and the devastating realities of war.

     I am going to finish this series and depending on how well it does I will go into A Monster Call by Patrick Ness. I may pick up that book anyways, but this series just got me invested with the first book and I pulled the trigger and picked up all the books. I am looking forward to this series and how it ends. I didn't read the synopsis (I didn't want to spoil anything in the second book), so I can't really say much about the book, other than I bought it to finish the series and here's t hoping it ends with something spectacular.

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[Waiting on Wednesday] - #5

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted over at Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

See something you like here?

Check the book out on Goodreads and add it to your TBR List!

    This week it's UnWholly. Which reminds me I need to read Unwind soon, before this book comes out preferably. I know this Future Friday is a bit late, but I've been busy with work and the whole sort of real life thing, that I haven't really gotten a break until recently, sorry about the delay.

Title: UnWholly
     Author: Neal Shusterman
     Date: August 28th, 2012

Thanks to Connor, Lev, and Risa—and their high-profile revolt at Happy Jack Harvest Camp—people can no longer turn a blind eye to unwinding. Ridding society of troublesome teens while simltaneously providing much-needed tissues for transplant might be convenient, but its morality has finally been brought into question. However, unwinding has become big business, and there are powerful political and corporate interests that want to see it not only continue, but also expand to the unwinding of prisoners and the impoverished.
Cam is a product of unwinding; made entirely out of the parts of other unwinds, he is a teen who does not technically exist. A futuristic Frankenstein, Cam struggles with a search for identity and meaning and wonders if a rewound being can have a soul. And when the actions of a sadistic bounty hunter cause Cam’s fate to become inextricably bound with the fates of Connor, Risa, and Lev, he’ll have to question humanity itself.
Rife with action and suspense, this riveting companion to the perennially popular Unwind challenges assumptions about where life begins and ends—and what it means to live..

     The first book, Unwind, I have been meaning to get around to. So I'll answer the primary question first, Why am I looking forward to this book when I haven't even read the first one yet? There is just something about the series that has me interested in getting to it, and to read the entire series. I can't exactly tell why, but there is just that raw curiosity that's wound around in my head and I will get around to Unwind soon.

     As well, there is something about how this series picks up. I haven't read the synopsis (completely), but from the little couple of sentences that I have read, I am completely interested. The cover caught my attention as well, something about the guys cloaked face with whatever tattoo/symbol on the front just looks astounding. I can't want to dive into the series!

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[Book Review] - Passion by Lauren Kate

Title: Passion
     Author: Lauren Kate
     Series: #3 - Fallen
     Format: Hardcover
     Release Date: June 14th, 2011
     My Rating: 3.5 out of 5.0

Luce would die for Daniel.
And she has. Over and over again. Throughout time, Luce and Daniel have found each other, only to be painfully torn apart: Luce dead, Daniel left broken and alone. But perhaps it doesn't need to be that way....
Luce is certain that something - or someone - in a past life can help her in her present one. So she begins the most important journey of this lifetime...going back eternities to witness firsthand her romances with Daniel...and finally unlock the key to making their love last.
Cam and the legions of angels and Outcasts are desperate to catch Luce, but none are as frantic as Daniel. He chases Luce through their shared pasts, terrified of what might happen if she rewrites history. Because their romance for the ages could go up in flames...forever.
Sweeping across centuries, PASSION is the third novel in the unforgettably epic FALLEN series.

My Review:

     Passion currently is the highlight to the series for me, there was something about this tale and how it was told that actually got me invested in the series. The way Luce dives back in time to try to figure and change things for herself, actually brought life to her character. As well, when Daniel dove back chasing her, trying to find her and stop her from rewriting history.

     This story is told from both Luce and Daniel's perspectives and this brings life to the two characters. In the series I thought the whole lack of information about Daniel and his mysterious attitude seemed to delude his character and made it hard to understand their relationship. However, in this story with part of the story coming from Daniel and even as Luce goes back through their relationship and reliving them, there is a sense of closure. I was happy to see this brought to life, and I wanted this sooner.

     There was one glaring hole I felt needed addressing in this backwards time travel, and the question arose really early for me. Well since Luce and Daniel came from the future, wouldn't anything they do to the past versions of themselves affect what happens to later versions and trickle down to them? What I'm getting at, was since Luce went back and did stuff with her past selves, to see how much Daniel really loved her and why, wouldn't by that technically HAVE to happen to make her the way she is? Basically if she didn't go back in time, she wouldn't be who she is today? I kept asking that, the further she went back and the answer never came.

     Now back to the characters, Luce and Daniel grew on me. This book brought to life their relationship and showed just how eternal their love has been, and just what Daniel went through for her. It wasn't like Daniel just took their relationship for granted because of the curse they had, but it was more that he loved her so much that everyone else would call it a curse.

     Than there Bob the gargoyle, and I hated this character. For who he is (which I guessed almost right away), and what else. Cam really never made an appearance in this book, it's not that I'm asking for the love triangle to make an appearance in this book, at all. What I was wondering was, why was Cam going through time to catch Luce? Miles and Shelby's reason for going back was rather apparent, they were friends. As well, when Miles and Shelby found out just what Daniel went through their whole demeanor of him changed. Which is what happened to me throughout this book. This book did bring Daniel and Luce together.

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[Flashback Friday] - #4

Flashback Friday is a weekly event, hosted here, that highlights a past released book that we're dying to get our hands on...

See something you like here?

Check the book out on Goodreads and add it to your TBR List!

Title: Shade
     Author: Jeri Smith-Ready
     Release Date: May 4th, 2010

Love ties them together. Death can't tear them apart. Best. Birthday. Ever. At least, it was supposed to be. With Logan's band playing a critical gig and Aura's plans for an intimate after-party, Aura knows it will be the most memorable night of her boyfriend's life. She never thought it would be his last.
Logan's sudden death leaves Aura devastated. He's gone.
Well, sort of.
Like everyone born after the Shift, Aura can see and hear ghosts. This mysterious ability has always been annoying, and Aura had wanted nothing more than to figure out why the Shift happened so she can undo it. But not with Logan’s violet-hued spirit still hanging around. Because dead Logan is almost as real as ever. Almost.
It doesn't help that Aura’s new friend Zachary is so understanding—and so very alive. His support means more to Aura than she cares to admit.
As Aura's relationships with the dead and the living grow ever complicated, so do her feelings for Logan and Zachary. Each holds a piece of Aura's heart…and clues to the secret of the Shift.

My Stance:

     Shade has the potential to be a fantastic book, from the synopsis. The whole idea that even in death the two seem to find each other no matter what. As well, aura seeing her love, Logan, as a ghost and the willingness to move on or... However, there is one thing I am on the fence about this book and the series, the damn love triangle. I would love it to be more about moving on from the death of Logan, rather than having a dead lover with a new living one as well. When it's put in that perspective the whole idea is rather silly and to me almost unrealistic, but I'm curious to see what happens and ultimately what is this Shift thing?

Title: Possession
     Author: Elana Johnson
     Release Date: June 7th, 2011

Vi knows the Rule: Girls don't walk with boys, and they never even think about kissing them. But no one makes Vi want to break the Rules more than Zenn...and since the Thinkers have chosen him as Vi's future match, how much trouble can one kiss cause? The Thinkers may have brainwashed the rest of the population, but Vi is determined to think for herself.
But the Thinkers are unusually persuasive, and they're set on convincing Vi to become one of them...starting by brainwashing Zenn. Vi can't leave Zenn in the Thinkers' hands, but she's wary of joining the rebellion, especially since that means teaming up with Jag. Jag is egotistical, charismatic, and dangerous--everything Zenn's not. Vi can't quite trust Jag and can't quite resist him, but she also can't give up on Zenn.
This is a game of control or be controlled. And Vi has no choice but to play.

My Stance:

     I love the last line in this synopsis and there is something about it that pulls me and I want to get my hands on this book! Again though, I hate... HATE love triangles. Anyways, I am looking to see what Vi wants to do and how her willingness to make her own decisions and how the Thinkers want to have things done another way. The control vs be controlled fight is a common thing most people think about, but in this manner, I dunno.

     As well, there seems to be more underlying issues. For instance, what would you do to protect the one you ultimately care the most about. That's What Vi and Zenn represent together, and what I am most interested in here. I wasn't sure about the whole Zenn and Vi thing, to me it's more about what Zenn wants to do and what he wants from Vi rather than more about her and mutual sort of thing. But that's just me reading in to the whole synopsis thing, probably too much.

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[Book Review] - Torment by Lauren Kate

Title: Torment
     Author: Lauren Kate
     Series: #2 - Fallen
     Format: Hardcover
     Release Date: September 28th, 2010
     My Rating: 3.0 out of 5.0

Hell on earth.
That's what it's like for Luce to be apart from her fallen angel boyfriend, Daniel.
It took them an eternity to find one another, but now he has told her he must go away. Just long enough to hunt down the Outcasts - immortals who want to kill Luce. Daniel hides Luce at Shoreline, a school on the rocky California coast with unusually gifted students: Nephilim, the offspring of fallen angels and humans.
At Shoreline, Luce learns what the Shadows are, and how she can use them as windows to her previous lives. Yet the more Luce learns, the more she suspects that Daniel hasn't told her everything. He's hiding something - something dangerous.
What if Daniel's version of the past isn't actually true? What if Luce is really meant to be with someone else?
The second novel in the addictive FALLEN series...where love never dies.

My Review:

     Torment, I kinda knew what I was expecting when I started reading this and from the previous book. Torment picks up shortly after where Fallen left us, and Luce is headed to a new school (go figure), where the kids aren't all what Luce expects they would be. However, the book was generally good and there was some appeal that I got out of the end of the book, it was the middle of the book that I had a huge glaring issue with.

     In Torment, Luce goes from the girl in Fallen who is thrown for a loop when she's told about who she is and who she is in love with to this girl who is so dimwitted and even mockingly stupid that I almost wanted to kill her. There are so many times when I screamed at her to connect the dots, there's a reason Daniel isn't telling you certain things so you'll find them out and won't have everything spilled do you. I enjoyed the ending though, the best thing I can say is Luce grows a backbone.

     Now Daniel is the other issue I have in this book. He's too shady, there is too much mystery surrounding his character in this book, and I felt more pushed away and hurt by his actions toward Luce than actually being drawn in or even the whole character building phase. It was as if he was trying to distance himself from her, and well he wasn't, more or less trying to be protective. As well, there were plenty of times where Daniel would get ready to reveal a life changing story, and than regress backwards to a "I cannot tell you" sort of thing, and it got old really quick.

     Then in this book, there started a Love Triangle that I think Luce didn't mean to get involved in. I think genuinely her character is more monogamous than she lets on, and I enjoy that in a good female character, one who isn't afraid to make a choice (in men or anything) and stand by it. However, she does regret what she did to Daniel and doesn't question their love, but because of how much Daniel pushed her away it was to be expected I guess. Anyways, near the end she just isn't sure how she feels about Miles and that I find grating and very unlike the character I enjoy in Luce.

     I overall liked the book, it was okay. I have to admit I am enjoying the series so far, okay it's not my favorite or let alone close to some of the books that I enjoy. However, there is something about the tale of a never-ending love story that just gets me every time, maybe I'm just a hopeless romantic in that way. I just couldn't rate this higher than Fallen for the reason that the characters seemed to take a giant step backwards and I didn't seem to enjoy their growth through this book, and wished things went back to the way they did in Fallen.

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[Stacking the Shelves] - #3

Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga’s Reviews and is all about sharing the books you are adding to your bookshelf, be it the physical one or your digital one!

     Well this week was busy. I am fairly certain I got more books last week and I got a bit more than I anticipated in anyways! This week was a different direction and looking at what came in, the genre of choice this week must be something paranormal!

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Title: Paranormalcy
     Author: Kiersten White
     Format: Hardback
     Release Date: August 31st, 2010

Weird as it is working for the International Paranormal Containment Agency, Evie’s always thought of herself as normal. Sure, her best friend is a mermaid, her ex-boyfriend is a faerie, she's falling for a shape-shifter, and she's the only person who can see through paranormals' glamours, but still. Normal.
Only now paranormals are dying, and Evie's dreams are filled with haunting voices and mysterious prophecies. She soon realizes that there may be a link between her abilities and the sudden rash of deaths. Not only that, but she may very well be at the center of a dark faerie prophecy promising destruction to all paranormal creatures.
So much for normal.

     I was looking around on Goodreads for a new series. Something that was different, that had a good fanbase, had a few mixed reviews (without trying to spoil the book for me) and just something off the wall to normal books I read. That's where this series came in. I have heard a lot of good things and bad from this book, and frankly I enjoy that. I like to make my own opinion and try to avoid hype as much as possible. And even though I have the first two books on my shelf, I may hold off till some of the hype or expectation dies off.

     Anyways, this falls into the paranormal genre that I have started to get into, but it has a lot more than that too. I am curious on the whole dark faerie thing, and what types of paranormal creatures / people are in this book. Would be interesting to see a paranormal girl trying to act normal and want a normal life. However, at the same time I'm worried that there may be too much paranormal in this book to keep me interested or frankly not confused and always questioning why the paranormals act in X way.



Title: Supernaturally
     Author: Kiersten White
     Format: Hardback
     Release Date: July 26th, 2011

Evie finally has the normal life she’s always longed for. But she’s shocked to discover that being ordinary can be...kind of boring. Just when Evie starts to long for her days at the International Paranormal Containment Agency, she’s given a chance to work for them again. Desperate for a break from all the normalcy, she agrees.
But as one disastrous mission leads to another, Evie starts to wonder if she made the right choice. And when Evie’s faerie ex-boyfriend Reth appears with devastating revelations about her past, she discovers that there’s a battle brewing between the faerie courts that could throw the whole supernatural world into chaos. The prize in question? Evie herself.
So much for normal.

     I bought this at the same time as Paranormalcy, mainly cause I wanted to read the series with how well it's been doing. I just had the curious itch to read the series and get into it, but like I stated before it'll sit for a while so that the hype and expectations I have for this book die down a bit. I think it'll be better and in the end give a a better non-bias review. I am still looking forward to getting into this book / series.

Title: Girl of Nightmares
     Author: Kendare Blake
     Format: Hardback
     Release Date: August 7th, 2012

It's been months since the ghost of Anna Korlov opened a door to Hell in her basement and disappeared into it, but ghost-hunter Cas Lowood can't move on.
His friends remind him that Anna sacrificed herself so that Cas could live—not walk around half dead. He knows they're right, but in Cas's eyes, no living girl he meets can compare to the dead girl he fell in love with.
Now he's seeing Anna everywhere: sometimes when he's asleep and sometimes in waking nightmares. But something is very wrong...these aren't just daydreams. Anna seems tortured, torn apart in new and ever more gruesome ways every time she appears.
Cas doesn't know what happened to Anna when she disappeared into Hell, but he knows she doesn't deserve whatever is happening to her now. Anna saved Cas more than once, and it's time for him to return the favor.

     I have waited for this book for a long time. After reading Anna Dressed in Blood, this sequel has me pumped. As a sequel to one of my favorite books, it's hard to put this down and want my hype to die off before reading it to give a good unbias review. But I'm in the middle of a book at the moment, so it'll have to wait. Anyways, when I do get around to it, I don't think anything will really die off. I love the darkness of this series. Cas and Anna have this great connection that I hope continues and I just frankly love the series to death (literally).



Title: Where She Went
     Author: Gayle Forman
     Format: Hardback
     Release Date: April 5th, 2011

It's been three years since the devastating accident . . . three years since Mia walked out of Adam's life forever.
Now living on opposite coasts, Mia is Juilliard's rising star and Adam is LA tabloid fodder, thanks to his new rock star status and celebrity girlfriend. When Adam gets stuck in New York by himself, chance brings the couple together again, for one last night. As they explore the city that has become Mia's home, Adam and Mia revisit the past and open their hearts to the future-and each other.
Told from Adam's point of view in the spare, lyrical prose that defined If I Stay, Where She Went explores the devastation of grief, the promise of new hope, and the flame of rekindled romance.

     If I Stay brought on this book. Where She Went just pulled me in, when I finished If I Stay, I just had to go out and get this book. I wanted to know what happened to Mia, where she choose to go, and what she's doing in her life now. And this book seems to go on that road and continues the tragic love-story. I am hoping that this book has the same emotional roller coaster that the last book had, and maybe puts an end to the story, or leaves me feeling that the series is somewhat complete.



Title: Halo
     Author: Alexandra Adornetto
     Format: Hardback
     Release Date: August 31st, 2010

An angel is sent to Earth on a mission.
But falling in love is not part of the plan.
Three angels – Gabriel, the warrior; Ivy, the healer; and Bethany, the youngest and most human – are sent by Heaven to bring good to a world falling under the influence of darkness. They work hard to conceal their luminous glow, superhuman powers, and, most dangerous of all, their wings, all the while avoiding all human attachments.
Then Bethany meets Xavier Woods, and neither of them is able to resist the attraction between them. Gabriel and Ivy do everything in their power to intervene, but the bond between Xavier and Bethany seems too strong.
The angel’s mission is urgent, and dark forces are threatening. Will love ruin Bethany or save her?

     I won't say that I'm a huge fan of Fallen, but the series brought upon this series. I normally wouldn't buy books in this manner, that the synopsis needs to get my attention and keep it for me to pick it up. However, I made an exception here, Halo seems like one of those paranormal romance books (well Duh) that may not have a halfway retarded female main character. I am curious and I just love the cover and how it looks. Something about the sun and how the angel and human are together, seem almost meant to be..



Title: Hades
     Author: Alexandra Adornetto
     Format: Hardback
     Release Date: August 30th, 2011

Heaven Help Her.
Bethany Church is an angel sent to Earth to keep dark forces at bay. Falling in love was never part of her mission, but the bond between Beth and her mortal boyfriend, Xavier Woods, is undeniably strong. But even Xavier’s love, and the care of her archangel siblings, Gabriel and Ivy, can’t keep Beth from being tricked into a motorcycle ride that ends up in Hell. There, the demon Jake Thorn bargains for Beth’s release back to Earth. But what he asks of her will destroy her, and quite possibly, her loved ones, as well.
The story that Alexandra Adornetto built in her New York Times - bestselling debut, Halo, comes alive in action-packed and unexpected ways, as angels battle demons, and the power of love is put to the test.

     Hades, I am curious of. Building on the tragic love-story of Halo, Having not read the first one, I can't really say what I'm expecting out of this, but there is a part of the synopsis that makes me wonder. The price of her escape from Hell, I am curious to see what that toll is, and how it effects her and the ones around her. Something about it, reminds me of Daniel's curse in Fallen; how Daniel has to relive every life of Luce, the one he eternally loves, fall in love with him and burst into flames and die, only to be reincarnated and repeat the cycle.

Title: Hemlock
     Author: Kathleen Peacock
     Format: Hardback
     Release Date: May 8th, 2012

Mackenzie and Amy were best friends.
Since then, Mac's life has been turned upside down. She is being haunted by Amy in her dreams, and an extremist group called the Trackers has come to Mac's hometown of Hemlock to hunt down Amy's killer:
A white werewolf.
Lupine syndrome--also known as the werewolf virus--is on the rise across the country. Many of the infected try to hide their symptoms, but bloodlust is not easy to control.
Wanting desperately to put an end to her nightmares, Mac decides to investigate Amy's murder herself. She discovers secrets lurking in the shadows of Hemlock, secrets about Amy's boy-friend, Jason, her good pal Kyle, and especially her late best friend. Mac is thrown into a maelstrom of violence and betrayal that puts her life at risk.
Kathleen Peacock's thrilling novel is the first in the Hemlock trilogy, a spell-binding urban fantasy series filled with provocative questions about prejudice, trust, lies, and love.

     I don't exactly know why or for what reason, but I picked up this book on whim. It made it on my wishlist when I read Under the Never Sky. I enjoyed the cover, it was simple and elegant, but there was something about the synopsis that caught my eye. Frankly I don't normally do werewolf books, after Twilight, but I'm willing to on a limb and try a book out. The plot of trying to go into a pack of werewolves, to find out what happened to your friend and solve what happened to her, that has me curious.



Title: The Unquiet
     Author: Jeannine Garsee
     Format: Hardback
     Release Date: July 17th, 2012

Sixteen-year-old Rinn Jacobs has secrets: One, she’s bipolar. Two, she killed her grandmother.
After a suicide attempt, and now her parents' separation, Rinn and her mom move from California to the rural Ohio town where her mother grew up. Back on her medications and hoping to stay well, Rinn settles into her new home, undaunted by the fact that the previous owner hanged herself in Rinn's bedroom. At school, her classmates believe the school pool is haunted by Annaliese, a girl who drowned there. But when a reckless séance goes awry, and terrible things start happening to her new friends—yet not to her—Rinn is determined to find out why she can’t be "touched" by Annaliese...or if Annaliese even exists.
With the help of Nate Brenner, the hunky “farmer boy" she’s rapidly falling for, Rinn devises a dangerous plan to uncover the truth. Soon reality and fantasy meld into one, till Rinn finds it nearly impossible to tell the difference. When a malevolent force threatens the lives of everyone she cares about--not to mention her own--she can't help wondering: who should she really be afraid of?
Annaliese? Or herself?

     All I have to say is this made my list right after This is Not a Test, the whole plot, the whole suicidal thing has me interested. I have been looking forward to this as far a while, there is just that full appeal that This is Not a Test that had. Then there is that supernatural ghost / haunting of the school pool of Annaliese, that reminded me of the zombies in This is Not a Test. The question I have with Hemlock primarily is Annaliese going to play a big part of the book, or will she be a background effect used to create drama and suspense, while the main issue is still Rinn's want to commit suicide or other personal issues? I am interested this book, has my full attention.



Title: Witch & Wizard
     Author: James Patterson and Gabrielle Charbonnet
     Format: Hardback
     Release Date: December 14th, 2009

The world is changing: the government has seized control of every aspect of society, and now, kids are disappearing. For 15-year-old Wisty and her older brother Whit, life turns upside down when they are torn from their parents one night and slammed into a secret prison for no reason they can comprehend. The New Order, as it is known, is clearly trying to suppress Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Being a Normal Teenager. But while trapped in this totalitarian nightmare, Wisty and Whit discover they have incredible powers they'd never dreamed of. Can this newly minted witch and wizard master their skills in time to save themselves, their parents--and maybe the world?

     When I first saw this book, and read the synopsis, my mind went to Sacred Scars where Somiss had imprisoned the children and was using them to test magic. I began to then question why Wisty and Whit were imprisoned, could someone be trying to push them to learn magic, or teach them? There is questions all over this synopsis. However, the whole added benefit to find their parents, and then save the world? That seems like a leap in the first book, however I am curious as to how the dystopian government and the fantasy witch and wizard collide together.



Title: The Marbury Lens
     Author: Andrew Smith
     Format: Hardback
     Release Date: July 26th, 2011

Sixteen-year-old Jack gets drunk and is in the wrong place at the wrong time. He is kidnapped. He escapes, narrowly. The only person he tells is his best friend, Conner. When they arrive in London as planned for summer break, a stranger hands Jack a pair of glasses. Through the lenses, he sees another world called Marbury.
There is war in Marbury. It is a desolate and murderous place where Jack is responsible for the survival of two younger boys. Conner is there, too. But he’s trying to kill them.
Meanwhile, Jack is falling in love with an English girl, and afraid he’s losing his mind.
Conner tells Jack it’s going to be okay.
But it’s not.
Andrew Smith has written his most beautiful and personal novel yet, as he explores the nightmarish outer limits of what trauma can do to our bodies and our minds.

     The synopsis reminded me so much of X-Files or even Fringe, that I couldn't pass it up when I got it for a steal. The whole being able to see two different worlds seems rather interesting and got my attention. But there is a slight issue with this series is; even if you can see what is going on in the alternate universe, how do you prevent events from happening in that alternate universe? There isn't like a window you can jump through to help or anything, just a lens you can see through, I am curious on that question and it's answer. Probably more so than I should be.

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