Crazy Giveaway Alerts

 Le' Grande Codex is giveaway the first three books of the Iron Druid Chronicles. Ends today at midnight.

 

The Tales Compendium is having a great giveaway with a huge selection of books you can choose from. Ends August 11th.

 Read Me Bookmark Me Love Me is having a 850 follower giveaway.
 One lucky winner will win a book part of a May- June release. Another lucky winner will win a book part of an August- October release. Ends August 15th.

In Between Writing and Reading is having a giveaway for her 18th birthday.
One lucky winner could win 4 books from a list of 20 book list. Another lucky international follower will win one book. Ends August 29th.

Mimi Valentine is having a 100 followers giveaway.
One lucky winner who can choose a book from the following list. Ends August 30th.

Laine's Fiction Book's Corner is having a 200 follower giveaway.
One lucky winner will win his/ her choice of any 2 books from a list of 10 books. A 2nd winner will win a book of his/ her choice. Ends September 18th

Pages of Forbidden Love is having a giveaway for her 21st birthday.
One lucky winner could a book of his/ her choice from The Book Depository.

Book Passion for Life is giveaway three swag packs, two of which is for only for UK. There is one for internationals. If you are going to enter this giveaway, please mention that I refer you to this giveaway. If I win, I promise to share it with you guys :) Ends September 1st.

Waiting on Wednesday: Zombie Edition

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

This week I'm waiting on...
Undead
by Kirsty Mckay
Pub Date: September 1st, 2011
Summary:
Being new at school bites. But at least it doesn't kill you. Mostly.

Bobby thinks she might well be on the School Trip from Hell. Too bad she's a noob, too bad her classmates don't rate her weirdo accent and too bad that Scotland is having the worst blizzard since the Ice Age. Looks like she's going to be on this school bus for a quite a while; could things get much worse?

Yep. They could.

Inexplicably, her classmates start dying...and then they come back to life again...and what's more, they're very, very hungry.

With nowhere to run and no contact with the outside world, Bobby is thrown together with a raggle-taggle group of survivors at a roadside café. There's indie kid drop-out Smitty, the class beauty queen Alice, dweeby Pete and two near useless adults: a half-conscious bus driver and a volatile petrol station attendant.

The frenemies struggle to stay alive - through explosions, deadly battles and a breakneck chase through the snowbound wilderness. Somehow they have to make it to safety - and get some answers - no matter what the cost.

Can they survive the Undead? And each other?

Ashes
by Ilsa J. Bick
Pub Date: September 6th 2011
Summary:
It could happen tomorrow...

A cataclysmic event. An army of "The Changed."
Can one teen really survive on her own?

An electromagnetic pulse sweeps through the sky, destroying every electronic device and killing billions. For those spared, it's a question of who can be trusted and who is no longer human...

Desperate to find out what happened and to avoid the Changed, Alex meets up with Tom---a young army veteran---and Ellie, a young girl whose grandfather was killed by the electromagnetic pulse.

This improvised family will have to use every ounce of courage they have just to survive. 


Undead 
by Isabella Kruger
Pub Date: September 13th 2011
Summary:
“I walked into a dark alley somewhere near our compound .I was use to doing the rounds every night. Lord knows I was tougher than most of the males around. I had taught myself how to use a gun and how to survive. No one, not even the hard core survivalists thought that the world would end the way that it did.”

Eighteen-year-old Ethnee Daffy is a freedom fighter, fighting the evils of the apocalypse. For the last 3 years she has battled down Zombies and weird looking government officials. However, her life changes when she meets Aiden a Zombie who claims that he is still half human and that he knows how to cure humanity . Will Aiden and Ethnee find the cure to safe humanity?


 Other WoW editions:

• Dytopian
• Post Apocalyptic 

What are you waiting on this week? Leave me a link and I'll visit. Thanks for stopping by!

Harry Potter Parodies

Well that's it. The books are finished and the movies are now over, but don't despair. As along as us Harry Potter fans are stay strong, Harry Potter will live on. Wow. That sounds a bit corny, but it's true. I want to show guys awesome examples how us fans are keeping Harry Potter alive

This is a sweet music video about the love between a Slytherin and Gryffindor. It makes think about the love Snape had for Lily.

I bet this was how you guys were like at the midnight premiere

Smosh made this video nuf' said. Oh don't worry about the thumbnail picture. That's a guy dressed as Hermione.

I love all the videos of Potter Puppet Pals. This one is my favorite.

Do you know that every the Quidditch World Cup for Muggles is hosted every year in New York? Click here to learn more. If you could would you join a quidditch team?

 

I haven't watch A Very Potter Musical yet, but I heard it's hilarious. It's 2 hours and 46 minutes long and there's a squeal. Click here to see a playlist of the playlist and here for its sequel.

What do you guys think about these videos?

Follow Friday & Blog Hop

Follow Friday is hosted by Parajunkee's View.

This week's question: 

What do I do when I are not reading?

Answer: 

Well, besides blogging I listen to music everyday. Haha I need my daily intake of kpop. I sometimes watch anime and some asian drama, but most of my time is spent watching my little one year old brother.

Blogger Hop hosted by Crazy for Books

This week's question is:

How/Where do you get your books? Do you buy them or go to the library? Is there a certain website you use like paperbackswap?

Answer:

 I mostly get my books from my library branch, ordering the books I want online. I don't really buy books, because I'm trying to save my money.

Weekly Memes:

Cover Crazy

Waiting on Wednesday

Reviews:

Darkness Becomes Her

Other Posts: 

The Myth of Persephone

Harry Potter Parodies

Thanks for stopping by. Leave me your link to your answers and I'll visit it.

The Myth of Persephone

The myth of Persephone is my favorite Greek myth. If you read Abandon by Meg Cabot or The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter, you may have some idea about this myth.

Persephone is the daughter of Zeus and Demeter, the goddess of harvest. She was out picking flowers one day when she was abducted by Hades, the god of the underworld. Hades, of course wanted to make Persephone his queen of the underworld.

Nobody knew where Persephone taken to. Demeter abandoned her duties and started to search everywhere for her. Droughts began and earth ceased to be fertile. When she found out what happen to Persephone from Helios, the god of the sun, she was enraged. She went straight to Zeus and demanded the return of their daughter from Hades.

Hades reluctantly agree to return Persephone, but before she left he gave her a pomegranate to eat. There are multiple variations for this part of the myth, depending on where the myth is being told. Different climates have different season lengths and the myth was change to fit. Some say she swallowed four seeds. Others say six seeds. Each seed she ate represents a month she'll have to stay in the underworld.

Demeter was overjoyed when Persephone return.Her return from the underworld marks the beginning of spring. Because Persephone ate a food of the dead, she must return to the underworld at the end of harvest and winter begins. 

Waiting on Wednesday: Half-Blood

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

This week I'm waiting on...

Half-Blood

by Jennifer L. Armentrout 

Pub Date: October 18th, 2011

Summary:
The Hematoi descend from the unions of gods and mortals, and the children of two Hematoi pure-bloods have godlike powers. Children of Hematoi and mortals well, not so much. Half-bloods only have two options: become trained Sentinels who hunt and kill daimons or become servants in the homes of the pures. 

Seventeen-year-old Alexandria would rather risk her life fighting than waste it scrubbing toilets, but she may end up slumming it anyway. There are several rules that students at the Covenant must follow. Alex has problems with them all, but especially rule #1: 

Relationships between pures and halfs are forbidden.

Unfortunately, she's crushing hard on the totally hot pure-blood Aiden. But falling for Aiden isn't her biggest problem--staying alive long enough to graduate the Covenant and become a Sentinel is. If she fails in her duty, she faces a future worse than death or slavery: being turned into a daimon, and being hunted by Aiden. And that would kind of suck.

 I'm curious as to know learn more about daimons. Why are they being hunted down? Why would Alex be made into one? Half-Blood is sounds like a very interesting book and I'm eagerly waiting for it's release.

What are you waiting on this week? Leave me a link and I'll visit. Thanks for stopping by!

Review: Darkness Becomes Her

Darkness Becomes Her 
by Kelly Keaton

Genres: Mythology, Paranormal, Romance

Series: Gods & Monsters #1

Pub Date: February 22nd 2011

First Lines: "Under the cafeteria table, my right knee bounced like a jackhammer possessed"

Summary:

Ari can’t help feeling lost and alone. With teal eyes and freakish silver hair that can’t be changed or destroyed, Ari has always stood out. And after growing up in foster care, she longs for some understanding of where she came from and who she is. Her search for answers uncovers just one message from her long dead mother: Run. Ari can sense that someone, or something, is getting closer than they should. But it’s impossible to protect herself when she doesn’t know what she’s running from or why she is being pursued.
She knows only one thing: she must return to her birthplace of New 2, the lush rebuilt city of New Orleans. Upon arriving, she discovers that New 2 is very...different. Here, Ari is seemingly normal. But every creature she encounters, no matter how deadly or horrifying, is afraid of her.
Ari won’t stop until she knows why. But some truths are too haunting, too terrifying, to ever be revealed.

My Thoughts:
Darkness Becomes Her completely took me by surprise. I didn't expect that I'll be reading about vampires, witches, shifters, a kick ass heroine and a Greek myth with a twist.

Ari is the type of person who can take of herself. She can easily take down monsters with no problem. Her search for her biological parents takes us to New 2. Along the twist and turns in this journey, romance will bloom and questions will be answered. 

My only complaint with this book is the romance between Ari and Sebastian happen way too fast. Sure he's dark and edgy, but you barely knew each other for a day and you're already smoothing. Yeah..other than that I loved this book.

Darkness Becomes Her is a high originally novel with characters you can't help, but love. I promise you this book won't disappoint. 

My Rating:
 

Cover Crazy: Between the Sea & Sky

 Cover Crazy is a weekly meme hosted by The Bookworms, showcasing covers worth going crazy over.

 

This week I'm crazy about...

Between the Sea & Sky
by Jaclyn Dolamore



I love how the model is floating midair, surround by those swirls of mist. It's very fitting for the title. I also like you only see her body waist up.

I like the colors in this cover. It gives off a calm, soothing feel.







Summary:
For as long as Esmerine can remember, she has longed to join her older sister, Dosinia, as a siren—the highest calling a mermaid can have. When Dosinia runs away to the mainland, Esmerine is sent to retrieve her. Using magic to transform her tail into legs, she makes her way unsteadily to the capital city. There she comes upon a friend she hasn't seen since childhood—a dashing young man named Alandare, who belongs to a winged race of people. As Esmerine and Alandare band together to search for Dosinia, they rekindle a friendship . . . and ignite the emotions for a love so great, it cannot be bound by sea, land, or air.

What do you think about this cover? What covers are you crazy over this week? Leave me a link and I'll visit.

Midnight Summer Festival Kick Off

Today is the start of the Midnight Summer Festival! Hosted by: Rabid Reads, Mission To Read & Deranged Book Lovers.

This event will highlight and cover everything in the name of mythology.

From July 10th to July 20th there will giveaways, author interviews, and posts relating to mythology. Just check out the participating blogs.

Wanna join in on the fun? Just sign up by clicking on the banner above this post.

I love about Greek mythology, especially how it's use to  explain about the mysteries and lessons in life. Take the myth of Hades and Persephone for an example . It explains why there are changes in the seasons.  I'm going to put a huge post about this myth later this week. I can't til you guys see it!

There are so many great mythology books coming out this year. I only read a few mythological books, but my favorite one has to be Darkness Becomes Her by Kelly Keaton. I'll tell more about this book in my review that I'll post up on Tuesday. Til then stay tune for more posts :)

Crazy Giveaways Alert

Book Addict is having a 100 followers giveaway. One lucky winner will receive a book(s) of their choice from The Book Depository that does not exceed $20 US Dollars. Ends July 13th

 
Bookish is giving away copy of Nighshade and Wolfsbane. Ends July 30th.

 

Help We Fancy Books pick a book to pre-order and you might win a copy of  following books. Ends August 8th.

Good Luck!

Waiting on Wednesday: The Night Circus

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

This week I'm waiting on...

The Night Circus
by Erin Morgenstern  
 Pub Date: September 13, 2011

Summary:
The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des Rêves, and it is only open at night.

But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway—a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them, this is a game in which only one can be left standing, and the circus is but the stage for a remarkable battle of imagination and will. Despite themselves, however, Celia and Marco tumble headfirst into love—a deep, magical love that makes the lights flicker and the room grow warm whenever they so much as brush hands.
True love or not, the game must play out, and the fates of everyone involved, from the cast of extraordinary circus per­formers to the patrons, hang in the balance, suspended as precariously as the daring acrobats overhead.

Aww two lovers pin against in a magical duel! Can't wait to read it!

What are you waiting on this week? Leave me a link and I'll visit. Thanks for stopping by!

Cover Crazy: Forsaken Harbor

 Cover Crazy is a weekly meme hosted by The Bookworms, showcasing covers worth going crazy over. 

This week I'm crazy about...

Forsaken Harbor 

by Laura Kreitzer 

The model is so gorgeous in the red dress and look at her hair. She's practically glow.

Love the blocky font of the title and how it just intercepts each other like a crossword puzzle. 

I like the cascade of gears on the side of the cover and how the gears are just overlapping each other.

  

Summary:
The Secret Clock Society has infiltrated every aspect of the government. You can’t hide from them, you can’t out run them—the only choice is to surrender or die fighting. Well, Summer’s found her voice and her confidence. She’ll fight if necessary, but for now she’s on the run. And the only place that can offer her refuge is the one city that’s been devastated with disease and death. Full of savages, Forsaken Harbor holds her life on the edge of a knife. Is there still hope to be found here after all? Or will survival mean savagery?

What do you think about this cover? What covers are you crazy over this week? Leave me a link and I'll visit.

IceyPick July: Answer It

Wanna join in? Click here.

If you could be any paranormal creature, what would you be? Tell us why!


The only paranormal creatures that came to my head were vampires, werewolves and faeries.  I don't want to be any of those creatures. Hmm would a mermaid be considered a paranormal creature? I always wanted to go deep sea sucuba diving, but I don't know how to swim (yet).  It'll be fun out there in the open sea.

Review: Leviathan

Leviathan 
by Scott Westerfeld  
Release Date:  Oct. 6, 2009
Genre: Steampunk, Adventure, Historical Fiction
Series: Leviathan #1

First Line: "The Austrian horses glinted in the moonlight, their riders standing tall in the saddle, swords raised."

Summary:

Prince Aleksander, would-be heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, is on the run. His own people have turned on him. His title is worthless. All he has is a battletorn war machine and a loyal crew of men. 

Deryn Sharp is a commoner, disguised as a boy in the British Air Service. She's a brilliant airman. But her secret is in constant danger of being discovered.

With World War I brewing, Alek and Deryn's paths cross in the most unexpected way…taking them on a fantastical, around-the-world adventure that will change both their lives forever.

My Thoughts:
Leviathan is a non-stop action story, set in an imaginative steampunk world, with two very sympathetic protagonists and amazing illustrations. This is my first time reading steampunk and I LOVED it. 

The imagination that Scott Westerfeld puts into Leviathan is amazing. He takes you into a world in the brink of war. One side, the Darwinist,  have genetically modified "beasties", while the other side, the Clankers, have incredible machinery. Now meet Alek, an ex-prince on the run, and Deryn, a cross-dressing girl in the British Air Service. I love both of theses characters and enjoyed reading their alternating point of views through out the novel.

The two main characters have amazing adventures on their own, but when their paths cross, things start to get really interesting. Leviathan will keep you turning pages and anxious for the next book in the series. Highly recommended.

You have to watch this book trailer! You'll see how amazing the illustrations really are.

Rating:

Awesome Awktopus Summer of YA Lit Challenge

 The Awesome Awktopus Summer of YA List Challenge is hosted by Audrey @ holes In My brain.

Start and finish a series or trilogy. Any genre. Maybe it’s one that you’ve always wanted to try but never have, maybe it’s one you just didn’t have time to tackle, and the 'finish' part is important.
I have this  interesting zombie series on my to-read for a while.

Read the book you’ve been avoiding because of hype.
Yup.  I haven't read TMI yet, but I heard it's really good. 

Read a book published before year 2000. Yes. YA is not just a thing invented after the explosion of Twilight.
I've been meaning to read this book.

Buy a book for yourself as a prize for something (for surviving Monday? Yep, that counts!) and read it!
Okay I'll by myself a little birthday present :)

Wanna join? Head over to holes In My brain to check out the rules and more mini challenges.

Waiting on Wednesday: The Space Between

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

This week I'm waiting on...

 The Space Between 
by Brenna Yovanoff 
Pub Date:  November 15th 2011

Summary:
Everything is made of steel, even the flowers. How can you love anything in a place like this?

Daphne is the half-demon, half-fallen angel daughter of Lucifer and Lilith. Life for her is an endless expanse of time, until her brother Obie is kidnapped - and Daphne realizes she may be partially responsible. Determined to find him, Daphne travels from her home in Pandemonium to the vast streets of Earth, where everything is colder and more terrifying. With the help of the human boy she believes was the last person to see her brother alive, Daphne glimpses into his dreams, discovering clues to Obie's whereabouts. As she delves deeper into her demonic powers, she must navigate the jealousies and alliances of the violent archangels who stand in her way. But she also discovers, unexpectedly, what it means to love and be human in a world where human is the hardest thing to be.

This second novel by rising star Brenna Yovanoff is a story of identity, discovery, and a troubled love between two people struggling to find their place both in our world and theirs.

This book had me at half demon and half fallen angel. How can I not read this book!  And look at that awesome cover!

What are you waiting on this week? Leave me a link and I'll visit. Thanks for stopping by!

Cover Crazy: Under the Stars

 Cover Crazy is a weekly meme hosted by The Bookworms, showcasing covers worth going crazy over.

 

This week I'm crazy about...

Under the Stars 

by Rebecca A. Rogers

This is such a beautiful cover. I love everything about it.

Stars dot the night sky, meteors passing by.  It's like a painting.

I'd love to have this cover blown up to hang in my room! 

Summary:
After seventeen-year-old Andrina’s home is demolished by meteors, she encourages her family to relocate to Legora, one of the few remaining cities that promise a new life to weary travelers. But Legora’s food and supplies are in shortage—too many refugees have sought protection behind its gates—and the only option is to appeal to the King of the New World for provisions. When the town assembles a lottery to choose who will plea to the king, Andrina holds the ill-fated ticket.

Her arrival in Valyad, the royal territory, sparks intrigue from King Zarek. Andrina can’t imagine herself acting like the other girls, who flounce after Zarek’s affection and money, but she considers giving in to her flirty side if it’ll guarantee that her family is fed. So when Zarek leaves Andrina with a bitter decision—marry him or he’ll strip Legora of its supplies—she has no choice but to accept being Queen of the New World.

Soon, though, Andrina uncovers that Valyad is smothered in deceit. Days after their wedding, Zarek is found stabbed to death and all fingers point to Andrina. Betrayed by Valyad’s governor, who wants the crown for himself, Andrina learns that it’s the people who will cast a vote on her fate; people who don’t want a commoner operating their kingdom. Andrina must not only convince Valyad that their king didn’t die by her hand, but also outsmart the sly politicians of the realm with a surprise they can’t outrun.

What do you think about this cover? What covers are you crazy over this week?

In My Mailbox

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by The Story Siren, showcasing what you received in the mail, bought, or borrowed from friends or the library for that week.

Here's what I got this week!

For Review

Borrowed from Library

Won 

So that's what I got from mailbox this past week. It was like an early birthday present because my 16th birthday is today! Yay :D

What did you get in your mailbox this week? Leave a comment with a link to your mailbox so I can check out all the great books that you got.

Review: Enclave

 Enclave by Ann Aguirre

Genre: Zombies, Dystopian, Post Apocalyptic, Romance, Adventure
Release Date: April 12, 2011
Series: Razorland #1

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 she 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.

My Thoughts:

Full of adventure, action and unexpectedly zombies, Enclave will leave you at the edge of your seat. I love post apocalyptic books (as I mentioned on my post apocalyptic WoW post), so this it the perfect book for me.

Deuce kicked ass. There isn't much I love more than a female protagonist who isn't whiny and emotional all the time. In fact, Deuce is hardly capable of those feelings, which made me love her that much more, and certainly allowed me to connect with her character on a deeper level. I knew from the first encounter with Fade that I would love him as well, and I wasn't wrong about that. 

At first, it takes a little getting used to their names and numbers, but soon you'll be sucked into the world Ann Aguirre created. The ending was more of a sigh of relief, and you're left with really wanting to read more, though it's not precisely a cliff hanger. Overall, I enjoyed Enclave a lot.

Rating: