Monday, March 28, 2011

2 Lucky Winners!

Just to make this a quick announcement the winner of:

ARC of Angel in My Pocket by Ilene Cooper is.... Autum Frailey

And the winner of the ARC of Born at Midnight by C.C. Hunter is... Erinberry

You can either e-mail me with your address whenever you see this post, or I will contact you whenever I find the time during this busy week.

Congrats!
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Be on the look out for more giveaways coming soon!

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

"Waiting On" Wednesday (3)


"Waiting On" Wednesday is hosted weekly by Jill @ Breaking the Spine. Waiting On is where bloggers can share with others what book they are currently waiting to read.

This week's "Waiting On" is:

Juliet Immortal by Stacey Jay


The Synopsis:
"These violent delights have violent ends
And in their triumph die, like fire and powder,
Which as they kiss consume."
—Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

The most tragic love story in history . . .

Juliet Capulet didn't take her own life. She was murdered by the person she trusted most, her new husband, Romeo Montague, a sacrifice made to ensure his own immortality. But what Romeo didn't anticipate was that Juliet would be granted eternity, as well, and would become an agent for the Ambassadors of Light. For 700 years, she's fought Romeo for the souls of true lovers, struggling to preserve romantic love and the lives of the innocent. Until the day she meets someone she's forbidden to love, and Romeo, oh Romeo, will do everything in his power to destroy that love.

My Thoughts:
Look at that cover and tell me it does not make you want to pick up this book and start reading it right away. Plus that sentence on the cover telling us that the story of Romeo and Juliet is a lie. What? What? Oh, now I must read it to find out why. Also, that synopsis just clarifies why this is my kind of book: suspense, romance, forbidden love, and paranormal (in a way).

So tell me what your thoughts are for Juliet Immortal and mark your calendar for the release date for this book is September 13, 2011. Can't come soon enough huh?

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Summer's Secrets in Then I Met My Sister


Then I Met My Sister by Christine Hurley Deriso

Synopsis: Shannon has been the backdrop of my life since the moment I was born.

Summer Stetson lives inside a shrine to her dead sister. Eclipsed by Shannon's greatness, Summer feels like she's a constant disappointment to her controlling, Type A momzilla and her all-too-quiet dad. Her best friend Gibson believes Summer's C average has more to do with rebelliousness than smarts, but she knows she can never measure up; academically or otherwise.

On her birthday, Summer receives a secret gift from her aunt; Shannon's diary. Suddenly, the one-dimensional vision of her sister becomes all too solid. Is this love-struck, mom-bashing badass the same Shannon everyone raves about? Determined to understand her troubled sister, Summer dives headfirst down a dark rabbit hole and unearths painful family secrets. Each revelation brings Summer closer to the mysterious and liberating truth about her family,and herself.

________________________________________________

The Ten Secrets Summer has:

1. She's scared to death that she's a lot like her mom.

2. She wishes guys liked her more.

3. She really does care about grades but fears she's not smart enough to excel.

4. She wishes she knew her dad better.

5. She kinda hates her dead sister.

6. She hides depression and anxiety by being glib.

7. She doesn't feel beautiful and hates that she cares.

8. She's scared of college.

9. She wishes she could relate to girls better.

10. She's afraid of death but more afraid of life.

To Find out more about Christine and her books please visit here.

If you want to, which I suggest you do, follow the rest of the Then I Met My Sister blog tour feel free to go to The Teen {Book} Scene.

Sunday, March 20, 2011

In My Mailbox (31), (32), (33), and (34)

IMM is hosted weekly by The Story Siren. IMM is where reviewers can show what books they got that week.

This IMM post is a little weird for me. I'm not completely sure if it is to 34 or if its 31-35. Either way here is what I got over the weeks. :)

This week's mailbox contained:

For Review:
Wither by Lauren DeStefano (finished copy; I read it and LOVE it! Review will be posted soon.)
Hourglass by Myra McEntire

Previous weeks:
Bought:
Haven by Kristi Cook
Nightshade by Andrea Cremer
Angelfire by Courtney Allison Moulton
Darkness Becomes Her by Kelly Keaton
The Vespertine by Saundra Mitchell
Unearthly by Cynthia Hand
Desires of the Dead by Kimberly Derting

For Review:
Angelfire by Courtney Allison Moulton (2nd copy; look for a giveaway)
Darkness Becomes Her by Kelly Keaton (2nd copy; look for a giveaway)
Father of Lies by Ann Turner
Blood and Flowers by Penny Blubaugh (not shown)

Won (from RandomBuzzers):
The Iron Thorn by Caitlin Kittredge

Big Big BIG THANKS to: HarperCollins/HarperTeen, EgmontUSA + Goodman Media, Simon and Schuster, and RandomBuzzers/Random House!

Now for you awesome people, I'd love to see what you got in your mailbox!

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Review + Giveaway: Born at Midnight by C.C. Hunter

Born at Midnight (Shadow Falls, #1)
Synopsis (from Goodreads.com): Don’t miss this spectacular new series that will steal your heart and haunt your dreams, Welcome to Shadow Falls camp, nestled deep in the woods of a town called Fallen…

One night Kylie Galen finds herself at the wrong party, with the wrong people, and it changes her life forever. Her mother ships her off to Shadow Falls—a camp for troubled teens, and within hours of arriving, it becomes painfully clear that her fellow campers aren’t just “troubled.” Here at Shadow Falls, vampires, werewolves, shapshifters, witches and fairies train side by side—learning to harness their powers, control their magic and live in the normal world.

Kylie’s never felt normal, but surely she doesn’t belong here with a bunch of paranormal freaks either. Or does she? They insist Kylie is one of them, and that she was brought here for a reason. As if life wasn’t complicated enough, enter Derek and Lucas. Derek’s a half-fae who’s determined to be her boyfriend, and Lucas is a smokin’ hot werewolf with whom Kylie shares a secret past. Both Derek and Lucas couldn’t be more different, but they both have a powerful hold on her heart.

Even though Kylie feels deeply uncertain about everything, one thing is becoming painfully clear—Shadow Falls is exactly where she belongs…

Book Details:
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Pub. Date: March 29, 2011
Format: Paperback
Pages: 416

My Review:

Born at Midnight by C.C. Hunter is the epitome of self discovery. For real. The whole book was based on Kylie Galen trying to find out who and what she is. When I got this book I was excited to read it, because I have never read a book that contains all the supernaturals (or should I say supernatural creatures?). At the same time I also had my doubts about whether I would like, or even love, Born at Midnight.


Kylie Galen has never really fit into any social groups at her school. Its always been her and her best friend. One night they go to a party. There Kylie sees her newly ex-boyfriend with another girl. Eventually the cops come and Kylie ends up taken away to camp. Only its not like ordinary camps. Oh no, this camp is for supernaturals: mostly shape-shifters, werewolves, vampires, witches, and fairies. The vampire part I admit was the reason why I had my doubt about liking this book. I did end up liking one vampire, Della. Who became friends with Kylie at camp. She was like a good kind of vampire. I also liked Kylie’s other friend Miranda who is a witch. She was quirky and funny.


Anyways Kylie’s life is seemingly going downhill. Her boyfriend cheated on her, her parents are divorcing, she is miles away from her best friend, and she is at a camp full of freaks. She wants to get out of camp as fast as she can. Life gets a little better when her roommates, Miranda and Della as mentioned above, become really good friends to her. Plus she has two amazingly awesome boys pining for her. one of the boys is sweet and caring Derek. The other is Lucas who use to be her neighbor back when they both were in either elementary or middle school. Kylie’s life just got a little more complicated by having two cute boys after her affection, and all Kylie wants to know is if she is a normal human being or actually one of the supernaturals.


I really found Born at Midnight an okay book but the book series has the potential to be really good. I didn’t like how the teens cussed. They cussed so much and then it was irritating when they took a break from cussing. I mean come on you’ve already been saying those words might as well keep it going instead of going from PG-13 to a censored PG. The book, for me at least, did not pick up until the last 100 pages. The first 200 pages were interesting but more often slow reading. But hey its the first in a series so I’ll give it a break. Back in middle school I read The Clique by Lisi Harrison that book was so slow. Only after the first book the rest of the series was so good until I grew out of the series.


I love the relationships Kylie forms with Della, Miranda, Derek, and Lucas. The question as to who Kylie will eventually date kept me from not giving up on this book. Plus I wanted to know WHAT KYLIE WAS! Oh, and the shape-shifter Perry added the humor in the book. I found myself laughing whenever he was involved in the book. Can’t wait to read the next book, Awake at Dawn, coming out this October. So if you are a fan of supernatural creatures, funny books, mystery, a bit of romance, and self discovery then this book is for you!


3 Stars!


Wednesday, March 16, 2011

"Waiting On" Wednesday (2)

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine. "Waiting On" is where bloggers can share what they are most eagerly waiting to read in the upcoming months.

My "Waiting On" this week is:
Haunting Violet
Haunting Violet by Alyxandra Harvey!

Synopsis: Violet Willoughby doesn't believe in ghosts. But they believe in her. After spending years participating in her mother's elaborate ruse as a fraudulent medium, Violet is about as skeptical as they come in all matters supernatural. Now that she is being visited by a very persistent ghost, one who suffered a violent death, Violet can no longer ignore her unique ability. She must figure out what this ghost is trying to communicate, and quickly because the killer is still on the loose.

Afraid of ruining her chance to escape her mother's scheming through an advantageous marriage, Violet must keep her ability secret. The only person who can help her is Colin, a friend she's known since childhood, and whom she has grown to love. He understands the true Violet, but helping her on this path means they might never be together. Can Violet find a way to help this ghost without ruining her own chance at a future free of lies?

My thoughts: What can I say beside the fact that I love the color purple? Haunting Violet's cover is so pretty and purple! I love the background scenery. Other than the cover this story sounds interesting.

What are your thoughts on Haunting Violet? Sounds like a book you would read?

Haunting Violet by Alyxandra Harvey will be released June 21st, 2011 from Walker Books for Young Readers!

Monday, March 14, 2011

Book Trailer: Wither by Lauren DeStefano

Wow wow wow wow wow!!!!!! The book trailer for Wither is finally here. After watching it for the first time I could not stop myself from playing this trailer again and again and again.


I'm currently reading Wither (I have 40 pages left to read) and the writing is so well done. Plus the story is haunting in a way. Well maybe I'm trying to think of a different word but haunting will work for now. I really try to stay away from comparing books to other books or authors to other authors, but Lauren DeStefano writes so beautifully like Lauren Oliver. They are both amazing and gifted authors.

What are your thoughts on Wither's book trailer? Are you excited to read Wither? There is only 7 days left until Wither's official release date.

Blog Tour: The Liar Society by Lisa and Laura Roecker

Since I'm not smart enough to embed the link in the banner above here is the website to learn more about the tour details. Better yet just read what Lisa and Laura have to say below after watching the interview!

I'm so excited to be able to show you the fabulous interview vlog Lisa and Laura took the time to do. Thanks Lisa and Laura for answering my questions. I had such a great time reading The Liar Society and coming up with the interview questions. For those who have not read The Liar Society go get a copy right away! It is one of my most favorite books of 2011. No lie. ;)

Without further ado here is the vlog!


A word from L&L:
Thanks for putting up with us, everyone! If you want to enter The Liar Society Blog Tour of Awesome contest, and really, who wouldn't want to enter!?! There's a $100 Amazon gift card up for grabs! Just click here and enter the super secret password, FARROWS, for an entry. Remember you can enter one time for each stop on our blog tour, so be sure to click here and see where else we're visiting this month to maximize your chances of winning.

Wednesday, March 9, 2011

Giveaway: ARC of Angel in My Pocket by Ilene Cooper

This will be a quick giveaway, because the book will be released on March 15. That is only 4 days away! And really who doesn't love quick giveaways? ;)

Angel in My Pocket
Synopsis: When Bette finds an angel coin among the money collected in a carwash, she puts it in her pocket and forgets about it. But things start to change, especially once Gabby, a mysterious and kind new neighbor, moves into Bette’s Chicago building.
Suddenly, Bette is able to face some big losses—her mother’s recent death; her sister’s departure for college—and move forward. And once the angel coin falls into the hands of three other kids in Bette’s class, their lives change, too. Soon, these two girls and two boys will be connected in ways that open them up to unlikely friendships and new ways to believe in themselves. Here is an entirely new twist on the angel trend.

This Giveaway will run until March 12 at midnight EST time.
This giveaway is open to U.S. and Canada residents.
You don't have to be a follower to enter but it is great appreciated!
To enter fill out the form below:

"Waiting On" Wednesday (1)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine. WoW is for Bloggers to share what book(s) they are eagerly anticipating. This is my very first WoW. I've been wanting to participate in this weekly meme for quite awhile now. What better time to start than now? Waiting On Wednesday seems as fun as Kristi's In My Mailbox weekly meme. Here is my "Waiting On" for Wednesday! :)

Small Town Sinners by Melissa C. Walker
Small Town Sinners
Synopsis:
Lacey Anne Byer is a perennial good girl and lifelong member of the House of Enlightenment, the Evangelical church in her small town. With her driver's license in hand and the chance to try out for a lead role in Hell House, her church's annual haunted house of sin, Lacey's junior year is looking promising. But when a cute new stranger comes to town, something begins to stir inside her. Ty Davis doesn't know the sweet, shy Lacey Anne Byer everyone else does. With Ty, Lacey could reinvent herself. As her feelings for Ty make Lacey test her boundaries, events surrounding Hell House make her question her religion.

Melissa Walker has crafted the perfect balance of engrossing, thought-provoking topics and relatable, likable characters. Set against the backdrop of extreme religion, Small Town Sinners is foremost a universal story of first love and finding yourself, and it will stay with readers long after the last page.

My Thoughts: First who can't look at the cover and fall in love with it? As soon as I saw the cover for Small Town Sinners I knew I just had to read this book. I really want to read this book because I've been reading way too many Paranormal books lately. Sometimes all anyone needs is a break from a certain genre, and Small Town Sinners seems like the perfect book to read for that break.

Small Town Sinners will be released on July 19th by Bloomsbury USA. So mark your calendars!

Monday, March 7, 2011

I'm still alive! A post every blogger or aspiring blogger should read.

The last time I made a blog post was Feb. 15. That is nearly 3 weeks of being away from my blog. For the followers who have stuck by my side I want to say THANK YOU. YOU GUYS MEAN A LOT TO ME!

I'm currently in my second semester in college and taking a little more classes than last semester. I have to say it is really tough. French takes up 80% of my time alone. The second hardest class I'm taking is English. I've never had to write about topics I'm not passionate about let alone having to write 5 full pages about them. Last semester my English Prof. (a different one from this semester's) was more about quality over quantity. This semester I'm with a Prof. who is more about both.

Back in High School I knew college was going to be a lot more work. I just never knew how time consuming the assignments are. So my question for High School Book Review Bloggers; Have you thought about how you are going to balance your blog, school work, and maybe even a job when you are a full time student at a college?

Seriously when I get home from school all I want to do is absolutely nothing. I'm serious NOTHING. By saying this I'm not saying I'm a slacker even if the statement does sound like one. I have always been a hard worker. In other news,I don't know about other college peeps but whenever I work on my homework I eat so much. My brain and body are so not use to being overworked. Is this why they say the freshman 15?

Right now I'm on Spring Break. This means I have a lot of time to read and catch up on my blog. Of course I'm not off the hook from school work unfortunately. Nevertheless I plan on writing blog posts that should last a week or two. I have even created a resolution for blogging. Hopefully I can stick to it. I miss all of you in the blogging community.

For my ending question I want to ask all the college student bloggers and even the working mom blogger; How do you handle school along with the homework or work along with having kids while maintaining a blog? I'm finding out more and more that maintaining a blog requires two things motivation and devetion. I admire all of you who are able to post every day of the week and maintain good grades or a job. Seriously I don't know how I'd be able to do it without going insane. lol. :)