Thursday, June 30, 2011

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.

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

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!

Monday, June 27, 2011

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...



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?

Sunday, June 26, 2011

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.

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Review: Enclave


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: 

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Waiting on Wednesday: Post-Apocalyptic Edition!

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


Expected publication: July 5, 2011

 LONDON, 2012: It arrives and with that the world is changed into an unending graveyard littered with the bones, wreckage, and memories of a dead past, gone forever.LONDON, 2032: Twenty years later, out of the ashes, a new world begins to rise, a place ruled by both loyalty and fear, and where the quest to be the first to regain lost knowledge is an ongoing battle for power. A place where laws are made and enforced by roving gangs-the Bloomsbury Boys, the Gardners, the Red Lady's Gang-who rule the streets and will do anything to protect their own.THE FOUR: Zane, Titus, Erin, Eve. Living in this new world, they discover that they have abilities never before seen. And little do they know that as they search post-apocalyptic London for Titus' kidnapped sister that they'll uncover the secret of It, and bring about a reckoning with the forces that almost destroyed all of humanity.


Expected publication: Sept 1, 2011

The wars that followed The Collapse nearly destroyed civilization. Now, twenty years later, the world is faced with a choice—rebuild what was or make something new.

Stephen Quinn, a quiet and dutiful fifteen-year-old scavenger, travels Post-Collapse America with his Dad and stern ex-Marine Grandfather. They travel light. They keep to themselves. Nothing ever changes. But when his Grandfather passes suddenly and Stephen and his Dad decide to risk it all to save the lives of two strangers, Stephen's life is turned upside down. With his father terribly injured, Stephen is left alone to make his own choices for the first time.

Stephen’s choices lead him to Settler's Landing, a lost slice of the Pre-Collapse world where he encounters a seemingly benign world of barbecues, baseball games and days spent in a one-room schoolhouse. Distrustful of such tranquility, Stephen quickly falls in with Jenny Tan, the beautiful town outcast. As his relationship with Jenny grows it brings him into violent conflict with the leaders of Settler's Landing who are determined to remake the world they grew up in, no matter what the cost.



Expected publication: Oct. 11, 2011


Under the bubbling hot springs and geysers of Yellowstone National Park is a supervolcano. Most people don't know it's there. The caldera is so large that it can only be seen from a plane or satellite. It just could be overdue for an eruption, which would change the landscape and climate of our planet.
Ashfall is the story of Alex, a teenage boy left alone for the weekend while his parents visit relatives. When the Yellowstone supervolcano erupts unexpectedly, Alex is determined to reach his parents. He must travel over a hundred miles in a landscape transformed by a foot of ash and the destruction of every modern convenience that he has ever known, and through a new world in which disaster has brought out both the best and worst in people desperate for food, water, and warmth. With a combination of nonstop action, a little romance, and very real science, this is a story that is difficult to stop reading and even more difficult to forget.

I love the post-apocalyptic genre. I don't know about you, but reading about the character's tale of survival after an epic catastrophic event makes for an exciting read.

What do you think about these books? What are you waiting on this week?

Saturday, June 18, 2011

Review: The Goddess Test

Release Date: April 19th, 2011
Genres: Romance, Mythology
Series:  Goddess Test #1

It's always been just Kate and her mom—and her mother is dying. Her last wish? To move back to her childhood home. So Kate's going to start at a new school with no friends, no other family and the fear her mother won't live past the fall.Then she meets Henry. Dark. Tortured. And mesmerizing. He claims to be Hades, god of the Underworld—and if she accepts his bargain, he'll keep her mother alive while Kate tries to pass seven tests.
Kate is sure he's crazy—until she sees him bring a girl back from the dead. Now saving her mother seems crazily possible. If she succeeds, she'll become Henry's future bride, and a goddess.


My Thoughts:

I love greek mythology, so when I heard about the Goddess Test I had to read it.


Kate was a great heroine. She was brave, tough, and so selfless. Her maturity and strength are something that you know she's acquired during the years of taking care of her mother. Henry wasn't exactly what I had in mind for Hades. He had everything to be the bad-sexy-guy, but he was so...sad. I liked him, but he was always silent and never really a protagonist. 

The Goddess Test did a retelling of the myth of Persephone (yay! my favorite Greek myth). It's interesting reading how Aimee Carter creates mythological twists in the novel, such as having to pass all seven testes for immortality. Speaking about those testes, I expected it to be difficult. But they weren't and they were given to Kate without neither her or the readers' knowledge. That was a disappointment considering many girls have tried to pass the seven tests and failed.

The gods in this book were way too normal and average - be it their names or their actions in the book. It disappointments me that the characteristics of the Greek gods were almost not used in the book and I think it would have given and added so much to it.


It's an original, refreshing story and it grabbed me, but I was expecting more. I'm looking forward to see what else the series has in store for us.

Rating:
 

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Waiting on Wednesday: House of Comarré series

"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...

Pub Date: Oct. 1, 2011

Born into a life of secrets and service, Chrysabelle’s body bears the telltale marks of a comarré—a special race of humans bred to feed vampire nobility. When her patron is murdered, she becomes the prime suspect, which sends her running into the mortal world…and into the arms of Malkolm, an outcast vampire cursed to kill every being from whom he drinks.

Now Chrysabelle and Malkolm must work together to stop a plot to merge the mortal and supernatural worlds. If they fail, a chaos unlike anything anyone has ever seen will threaten to reign.




 

 Pub Date: Nov 1, 2011

Those born into the comarré life produced blood in rich, pure, powerful abundance...

With the Ring of Sorrows still missing, and the covenant between othernaturals and mortals broken, Chrysabelle and Malkolm’s problems are just beginning. Chrysabelle still owes Malkolm for his help, but fulfilling that debt means returning to Corvinestri, the hidden vampire city where neither is welcome.







Pub Date: Dec 1, 2011

Samhain approaches, bringing with it the final melding of the mortal and othernatural worlds. No one knows just how much power the night holds...

Violent murders occur in Paradise City as counterfeit comarré are systematically hunted. The police and the Kubai Mata have more than enough trouble to keep themselves occupied. As war erupts at home, Malkolm and Chrysabelle head to New Orleans to recover the Ring of Sorrows. Chrysabelle is forced to make a life and death decision and will realize that her relationship to Malkolm may have fatal consequences.
The clock is ticking . . .






What are you waiting on this week? Leave a comment and let me know!

Monday, June 13, 2011

Cover Crazy: Void

 Cover Crazy is a weekly meme hosted by The Bookworms, showcasing covers worth going crazy over.
 
This week I'm crazy about...

Epic. That’s what I thought when I came across this cover.

I love the title is right in the middle, all big and surround the light.

Ohh and look at those buildings. They remind me of Interception.

Yup, Void is going to be a great read.







Goodreads Summery:
The CPS, a secret government agency, is on a mission to seek and destroy the Hex - human mutants with supercomputer minds. They are young. They look like normal teens. They must never be allowed to grow up. But the CPS hasn't discovered Raven. Soon they will feel her power and know her rage. .

Raven and her brother, Wraith, must use Raven’s Hex powers and Wraith’s street skills to save first their long-lost sister, and then the entire Hex community. But before they start, Raven must overcome her mantra: work alone and think only of herself. Even then the challenges don't stop as they must crack the top-secret and high-tech security of the CPS, ally with a political-terrorist group, and then ultimately take down the evil European Federation. And even the best laid plans can go awry.



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

Sunday, June 12, 2011

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 

Thanks for stopping by my blog.  
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.

Saturday, June 11, 2011

Crazy Giveaways Alert

 Hey guys! Check theses awesome giveaways going around.

Ends June 13th
Dust & Decay Giveaway @ Today's Aventure

Ends June 17th
200 Follower Giveaway @ Loren Chase

Ends June 20th
Summer Giveaway @ Hooked on Books
Dystopian Prize Pack @ Fragments of Life

Ends June 21st
BEA Giveaway @ Karissa's

Ends June 30th
Birthday Giveaway @ Jennifer <--Epic giveaway here but I don't have a FB or twitter  >.<
June Giveaway @ Addicted 2 Novels
50 Follower Giveaway @ Turning Pages

Good luck!

Thursday, June 9, 2011

Rating System

5 lil flowers: Amazing! Just go out and get this book!
 
4 lil flowers: Great book! I enjoyed it.
 
3 lil flowers: It was okay, but it could have been better.
2 lil flowers:There were some good parts, but I struggle to finish it.

 
1 lil flower: Don't waste your time

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Waiting on Wednesday: Eve

"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 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.


 I love dystopian and post-apocalyptic books. Eve sounds like an interesting read and it has a beautiful cover. Can't wait to read it!


What are your anticipated reads?

Monday, June 6, 2011

Cover Crazy: Envy

 Cover Crazy is a weekly meme hosted by The Bookworms, showcasing covers worth going crazy over.
 
This week I'm crazy about...
Envy (Empty Coffin, #1)

Envy by Gregg Olsen 

 

I don't come of across green covers often, much less a dead girl in a bath tub. This certainly gives of an eerie vibe. I love covers that do that! I also like the font of the title. 

Don't you get the feeling if you stare long enough, the girl will slowly turn her head and give you a big, creepy smile? Anyone?





Summary:
Crime lives--and dies--in the deceptively picture-perfect town of Port Gamble (aka “Empty Coffin”), Washington. Evil lurks and strange things happen--and 15-year-olds Hayley and Taylor Ryan secretly use their wits and their telepathic “twin-sense” to uncover the truth about the town's victims and culprits.
Envy, the series debut, involves the mysterious death of the twins' old friend, Katelyn. Was it murder? Suicide? An accident? Hayley and Taylor are determined to find out--and as they investigate, they stumble upon a dark truth that is far more disturbing than they ever could have imagined.
Based on the shocking true crime about cyber-bullying, Envy will take you to the edge--and push you right over.


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


Thursday, June 2, 2011

Review: Wither


 Release Date: March 22nd 2011
 Publishers: Simon & Schuster 
 Genres: Dystopian, Romance, Science Fiction

Goodreads Synopsis
What if you knew exactly when you would die?

Thanks to modern science, every human being has become a ticking genetic time bomb—males only live to age twenty-five, and females only live to age twenty. In this bleak landscape, young girls are kidnapped and forced into polygamous marriages to keep the population from dying out.

When sixteen-year-old Rhine Ellery is taken by the Gatherers to become a bride, she enters a world of wealth and privilege. Despite her husband Linden's genuine love for her, and a tenuous trust among her sister wives, Rhine has one purpose: to escape—to find her twin brother and go home.

But Rhine has more to contend with than losing her freedom. Linden's eccentric father is bent on finding an antidote to the genetic virus that is getting closer to taking his son, even if it means collecting corpses in order to test his experiments. With the help of Gabriel, a servant Rhine is growing dangerously attracted to, Rhine attempts to break free, in the limited time she has left.

Review: 5 stars
Wither left me speechless. Lauren Destefano throws you into a frightening world where females live up to the age of twenty, while males live up to twenty-five. Due to this virus, children have no time for childhood; they are forced into adulthood. Few are privilege enough to have both parent.


Wither is wonderfully written; I can't remember the last time I encountered so many words I never heard of. The scenes are so vivid, I kinda wish I took my time reading this book. The characters feel so real. I desperately wanted Rhine and her sister wives to find way out of their situation. My hearts bleeds for Rhine throughout this book. Despite her situation, she's keen on escaping her prison to be reunited with her brother.

I love everything about Wither, especially its jacket. Its so brilliantly designed, I couldn't stop staring at it! If you haven't read this book, I highly recommend it. 

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