Why Don't I Have A Genie? (4)

Inspired by features/memes like Books To Pine For and Waiting on Wednesday! But I dno't like being constricted to Wednesdays so here we go! And as for that title...I don't even know, guys. Just go with it. (Sorry for the fact that there is no real post today but i'm reading Insurgent and at the moment, NOTHING ELSE MATTERS. lol)

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Title: Rebel Heart (Dust Lands)

Author: Moira Young

Release Date: October 30th, 2012

Publisher: Margeret K. McElderry 

Pages: 448

Edition: Hardcover

Note: BLOOD RED ROAD is like, one of my all-time favorite books so I am DYING.

Goodreads: Link

The Tonton have been defeated. Lugh has been rescued.
The heartstone has brought Saba and Jack together.
Now, Saba and her family head west to meet him and start a new life. All should be well. But shadows of the dead are stalking Saba.
And another kind of shadow is creeping over the dustlands.
Then a messenger shows up.
With news of Jack.

Title: Crewel

Author: Gennifer Albin

Release Date: October 16th, 2012

Publisher: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux

Pages: 368

Edition: Hardcover

Note: Sounds so cool and it was chosen as a Buzz Book for BEA! 

Goodreads: Link

Incapable. Awkward. Artless.

That’s what the other girls whisper behind her back. But sixteen year-old Adelice Lewys has a secret: she wants to fail.

Gifted with the ability to weave time with matter, she’s exactly what the Guild is looking for, and in the world of Arras, being chosen as a Spinster is everything a girl could want. It means privilege, eternal beauty, and being something other than a secretary. It also means the power to embroider the very fabric of life. But if controlling what people eat, where they live and how many children they have is the price of having it all, Adelice isn’t interested.

Not that her feelings matter, because she slipped and wove a moment at testing, and they’re coming for her—tonight.

Now she has one hour to eat her mom’s overcooked pot roast. One hour to listen to her sister’s academy gossip and laugh at her Dad’s stupid jokes. One hour to pretend everything’s okay. And one hour to escape.

Because once you become a Spinster, there’s no turning back.

Title: Starling

Author: Lesley Livingston

Release Date: August 15th, 2012

Publisher: HarperTeen

Pages: --

Edition: Hardcover

Note: Lesley Livingston's Wondrous Strange Trilogy used to be one of my favorite books, so I want to give this a try!

Goodreads: Link

"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?

Right? RIGHT?
Happy Reading! 

“There is no shame in scars, Ismae.”

Title: Grave Mercy (His Fair Assassin #1)

Author: Robin La Fevers

Release Date: April 3rd, 2012

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Pages: 549

Edition: Hardcover

Cover Judge: I like it less than the Angelfire cover but I still really like it!

Quote Choice: I love that scene SO.
Note: Not a werewolf, book. JUST A WARNING.
Source: For Review

Goodreads: Link

Why be the sheep, when you can be the wolf?

Seventeen-year-old Ismae escapes from the brutality of an arranged marriage into the sanctuary of the convent of St. Mortain, where the sisters still serve the gods of old. Here she learns that the god of Death Himself has blessed her with dangerous gifts—and a violent destiny. If she chooses to stay at the convent, she will be trained as an assassin and serve as a handmaiden to Death. To claim her new life, she must destroy the lives of others.
Ismae's most important assignment takes her straight into the high court of Brittany—where she finds herself woefully under prepared—not only for the deadly games of intrigue and treason, but for the impossible choices she must make. For how can she deliver Death’s vengeance upon a target who, against her will, has stolen her heart?

This book is like all of my favorite thing mashed up together in a book of Epic.

There is POLITCAL INTRIGUE. Y'all, one of my favorite things about High Fantasties and Historicals is the fact that there is so much secrets and lies swarming around that your desperate to put the pieces together and figure things out. Ismae is sent to go help out Duchess Anne, the ruler of Brittany in a time period where France was trying to take over. This is a Historical Fantasy, people, so that means that it is set in a time period and place that is real but there is some fantasy elements that make it super kickass.

Ismae is an assassin...but she's also a daughter of Death. The book starts you off with her being sent off to a convent after escaping the awful husband her father engaged her too and being trained in the art of stealth, combat, poison, and basically everything you'd need to carry out Death's duty and get rid of the people she is ordered to do.

Ismae as a character really was amazing. She was passionate and stubborn (but not overly snarky) and very introspective; I loved seeing her over the course of the novel having to fight between her moral values and the duty that has been brought upon her. She was a young girl who had been taken out of an awful situation and told that she was supposed to help a Saint and really was good at what she did, even if she didn't believe it herself. She was a strong heroine and I really loved watching her grow throughout the novel into someone who wasn't afraid to make their own decisions, even if it pissed off the people who took her in and raised her.

The writing is very lush and I will admit -- a bit tedious to read at times. Like most Historicals, it's full of details and descriptions and sometimes I just wanted to get past that and dive back into the story! But it wasn't bad enough that I'd consider it a completely bad thing.

THE CHARACTERS. Duval is the best, seriously. The moment they set out on this journey, they're wary of each other and constantly doing their best to pretend the other isn't even around, which ultimately fails. They form a bond slowly and lovingly and every second made me want to squeal! The more Duval's character was fleshed out and his history was revealed, the more I loved him and his devotion and passion for his country and his queen. Duval and Ismae do bring in the steam but really, it was the connection that they shared through a mutual trust that made me all happy inside.

Overall, a FANTASTIC read.
Happy Reading!

I'm BACK + Hunger Games? Hell yeah, let's talk about it.

So hi guys :) I'm back with my normal scheduling and everything's calmed down around here now that I've had time to relax a bit more and focus on a lot of things that I had been pushing back. As an update for anyone who might be interested, my father is now in the hospital prepping for the surgery, which will be on Thursday. We found the perfect doctor and hopefully everything will turn out alright.

BUT IN OTHER NEWS: I saw the Hunger Games. And I want to talk about it, really talk about it, but I loved it. I know a lot of people are complaining about them not including a bunch of stuff but particular things in the movie really spoke to me, which I felt were important and made the adaptation so incredible.

But before that, guys. So amazing.

1. The acting was amazing. Seriously guys, Jennifer Lawerence was phenomenal and blew everyone out of the water. She took Katniss and made her real and breathing and relatable and even made me like her so much more (but still, in a small part of my heart, hate her, which is what I want to feel). The scenes in the arena were heart-breaking and someone mentioned something about her that I found absolutely true: She's not afraid to look ugly. She'll sob and scream and she doesn't care if she looks awful, because she's playing the part. She didn't pretty-cry, it was gut-wrenching sobs that brought tears to my own eyes.

2. One word: Effie. Elizabeth Banks was born to play that role. Her accent, her personality, everything she said was so endearing and so...Effie, I loved it. From the moment she yelped out: THAT IS MAHOGANY, I knew she was going to be a favorite. Haymitch was also amazing played by Woody Harrelson and he really nailed the sarcastic, biting drunk that he's supposed to play. Not as bitter as in the books, but I'm sure we'll see more of that in Catching Fire.

3. Cinna gets his own damn category because LENNY KRAVITZ KICKS SOME ASS. Everyone was complaining about him pre-release but oh my god, he was Cinna. He talked with such a lightness but intensity and that scene between him and Katniss before she goes to the games was just...TOO MUCH INTESNITY. I seriously thought they were going to make out with the tension going on in that room.

4. The romance between Peeta and Katniss was sweet, but not the focal point, which I appreciated. I was afraid they'd turn the movie into this torid love triangle where she desperately wants both of them and BLAH BLAH BLAH and just like in the book, the romance is there, but it's not the main thing. The cave scene did feel a little rushed but I hardly even noticed because I wanted to see how the feast would play out or when the nutts would come or when Clove was gonna appear (side note: loved Clove. And Glimmer. And all the careers. They were squealing like it was Spring Break while chasing Katniss).

5. But what I think is the most important thing is this: they captured the essence of the book. They took the pain and the suffering and put it into a movie without making it too gruesome or awful. I think that was the point, really. People wanted it to be rated R, people wanted there to be special effects, people wondered why it wasn't in 3D: That was the point. The Hunger Games is about a society that watches children kill each other for sport. This was supposed to be stark, bleak, desperate, and sad. There was no huge explosion sequences, no crazy gruesome killings, because this movie was meant to open eyes, not become something like the capitol instead.

The way that they created this movie and made me feeling everything I felt while I was reading it is worth more to me than any scene added or missed. Each character was brought back to life with accuracy and heart and it was just such an enjoyable experience for me I can't even.

And that, my people, is why it's one of my favorite adaptations of all time.
Happy Reading and please love your comments down in the comments and we can discuss!

Temporary Hiatus

So hey guys.

I'm going to be taking a week off from the blog for various reasons that I'll be explaining now.

So yesterday I posted that I was sick and that was why I haven't been posting very often. I'm feeling slightly better now but that's not really the main cause of my lack of usual perk and cheer.

I haven't mentioned this on here and I've mentioned it maybe once on twitter, but a few weeks ago, my dad started getting sick. He was hospitalized and everyone here at Casa Harmony has been kind of at a stand-still.

Yesterday he had a biopsy and it's been confirmed that he was a brain tumor that needs to be removed immediately. This has really taken a toll on not only my mother and sister, but me as well.

Because of this, I just can't seem to bring myself to write reviews and discussions with the usual perkiness that I do. And I don't want to give you guys half-assed anything so instead, i'm taking a break. Right now, my family and I need to explore our options and decide what we're going to do and I don't to have to worry too much about keeping you guys hanging. We are lucky enough to have a lot of options and doctors available to us because of my sister's line of work (she is a microbiologist and therefore works at hospital with amazing surgeons and brain specialists) and the place where we live and so hopefully everything will turn out perfect.

I will have a review up on Friday at a new review site I've joined bookalicious.org, created by the lovely Pam, for Unraveling for Elizabeth Norris.

But besides that, I'll be on twitter and the like being my usual self and i'll be back soon.
I'll see you the 27th,
Happy Reading!

I Am Sick.

So no post today because I want to pound my head against something with how awful I feel.

So I will leave you with this:



I love this book, which you know, so trailer!

Happy Reading!

“I'm a reader,not a fighter."

Title: Wings of the Wicked (Angelfire #2)

Author: Courtney Allison Moulton

Release Date: January 31st, 2012

Publisher: HarperTeen

Pages: 516

Edition: Hardcover

Cover Judge: I like it less than the Angelfire cover but I still really like it!

Quote Choice: Because my FAVORITE character is Nathaniel.
Note: THIS IS A SPOILER-FREE REVIEW FOR ANGELFIRE. But the summary may have spoilers so don't read it!
Source: Bought

Goodreads: Link

Life as the Preliator is harder than Ellie ever imagined.
Balancing real life with the responsibility of being Heaven’s warrior is a challenge for Ellie. Her relationship with Will has become all business, though they both long for each other. And now that the secret of who she really is has come out, so have Hell’s strongest reapers. Grown bold and more vicious, the demonic threaten her in the light of day and stalk her in the night.

She’s been warned.
Cadan, a demonic reaper, comes to her with information about Bastian’s new plan to destroy Ellie’s soul and use an ancient relic to wake all the souls of the damned and unleash them upon humanity. As she fights to stay ahead of Bastian’s schemes , the revelations about those closest to her awaken a dark power within Ellie that threatens to destroy everything—including herself.

She’ll be betrayed.
Treachery comes even from those whom she loves, and Ellie is broken by the deaths of those who stood beside her in this Heavenly war. Still, she must find a way to save the world, herself, and her love for Will. If she fails, there will be hell to pay.

So if you saw my tweet a few days ago, you know that there are some songs that I sing while i'm reading. They're really short but there is four main ones: "ANGST ANGST" "Seeeeexy Timez" "Oh...Oh my god" "CRAAAAAZY" 

And during Wings of The Wicked? I SANG THEM ALL. Moulton raises the stakes in every way with an amazing sequel to Angelfire that features everyone we know and love -- Ellie, Will, Nathaniel, Kate, and some new people as well! 

I think while reading, you can tell what Courtney really likes to write. FIGHT SCENES. Because hot damn, are they intense! Your heart really starts pounding when you're reading them because everything happens so fast between Ellie and the other virs; people are flying everywhere, limbs are being ripped apart, swords all over the place. But none of it feels too gruesome because she doesn't focus directly on the details which definitely adds a pace I appreciated. 

Ellie is hands down one of my favorite heroines of all time. She is one of the most well-written, realistic teenagers ever. I can imagine her walking down the halls of my school, the way she is. She's fierce and brave but she also gets excited about Coldstone and going to Prom and wants to have a life apart from hunting for her friends and family. In Angelfire Ellie tries to find the balance between the two but Wings, the balance seems to topple and Ellie finds herself more torn between the two when someone close to her dies because of the whole reaper business. At that point in the day is really when Ellie breaks down and this heart-breaking vulnerablility shows for not only her, but Will. She still stays herself but the depiction of a girl grieving while still needing to live her life was perfect. Just completely perfect. 

Now possibly the only thing I didn't like is that I wanted to claw my hair out with Will's constant indecisiveness about Ellie. They'd be apart, pull apart, be together, pull apart and I wanted to just go into the book and yell at them to shut up and kiss already! The sexual tension between them sizzles every time they look at each other but the angst level is intense in and of itself! And then you have Cadan coming from the other side starting to be as sweet and funny as I knew he was going to be, making me want to take him for myself! But Will and Ellie clean up their act quickly and they seriously are the cutest couple. 

Overall, I LOVED it even though Courtney broke my heart on some levels (but in a good way)

Happy Reading!

Video Interview with Claudia Gray, Lauren Oliver, and Dan Wells !

Hey guys, today I have three lovely authors to answer a few questions for us! 

Lauren Oliver's Most Recent Release: 

PANDEMONIUM | LAUREN OLIVER | GOODREADS | FEB. 28TH

I’m pushing aside the memory of my nightmare, pushing aside thoughts of Alex, pushing aside thoughts of Hana and my old school, push, push, push, like Raven taught me to do.The old life is dead.But the old Lena is dead too.I buried her.I left her beyond a fence,behind a wall of smoke and flame.Lauren Oliver delivers an electrifying follow-up to her acclaimed New York Times bestseller, Delirium. This riveting, brilliant novel crackles with the fire of fierce defiance, forbidden romance, and the sparks of a revolution about to ignite.

Claudia Gray's Most Recent Release:

BALTHAZAR | CLAUDIA GRAY | GOODREADS | MARCH 6TH

Haunted by memories from his first days as a vampire, Balthazar has spent hundreds of years alone—without allies, without love. When he emerges from his isolation to help Skye Tierney, a human girl who once attended Evernight Academy, Balthazar has no idea how dangerous it will be. Skye’s psychic powers have caught the attention of Redgrave, the cruel master vampire responsible for murdering Balthazar and his family four centuries ago. Having learned of Skye’s powers and the remarkable effect her blood has on vampires, he plans to use her for his own evil purposes. As they stand together to fight the evil vampire, Balthazar realizes his lonely world could finally be changed by Skye...just as Redgrave realizes that he can destroy Balthazar once and for all by taking her for his own.

In a story filled with forbidden love and dark suspense, one of the most beloved characters in Claudia Gray’s New York Times bestselling Evernight series will captivate readers with his battle to overcome his past and follow his heart.

Dan Well's Most Reent Release: 


PARTIALS | DAN WELLS | GOODREADS | FEB. 28TH

Humanity is all but extinguished after a war with partials--engineered organic beings identical to humans--has decimated the world’s population. Reduced to only tens of thousands by a weaponized virus to which only a fraction of humanity is immune, the survivors in North America have huddled together on Long Island. The threat of the partials is still imminent, but, worse, no baby has been born immune to the disease in over a decade. Humanity’s time is running out.

When sixteen-year-old Kira learns of her best friend’s pregnancy, she’s determined to find a solution. Then one rash decision forces Kira to flee her community with the unlikeliest of allies. As she tries desperately to save what is left of her race, she discovers that the survival of both humans and partials rests in her attempts to answer questions of the war’s origin that she never knew to ask.

Combining the fast-paced action of The Hunger Games with the provocative themes of Battlestar Galactica, Partials is a pulse-pounding journey into a world where the very concept of what it means to be human is in question--one where our sense of humanity is both our greatest liability, and our only hope for survival.

Happy Reading!

Recap: The Dark Days of Supernatural! -- with Lauren Oliver, Dan Wells, and Claudia Gray

Dan Wells

Lauren Oliver

Time to recap! 

Claudia Gray

So on Friday, I went to The Dark Days of Supernatural signing that was going on in Books & Books, my local indie in Coral Gables. I went about an hour early because I was going to be interviewing the authors (EEP! That video will be up tomorrow) so we started setting everything up and it was fantastic.

Lauren Oliver & I!

Of course, because it was ME doing the interviewing, there was some minor technical difficulties. As in, my camera had a mental breakdown in the middle of the interview and I wanted to faint dramatically from how embarrassed I was! Haha. But all three authors were gracious and lovely so we thought things resolved and it went off without another hitch!

And then it was time for the actual event! The lovely JJ from JJ Reads was saving me a seat and so we waited for the authors to arrive. And they finally did!

Claudia Gray & I !

Claudia Gray went first and since I've met her three times, I already knew how hilarious she was. But then came Dan Wells and I had NO idea how funny he was! And he's SUPER funny. Finally, Lauren Oliver came on and I swear, she is one of the sweetest people I've never met, it was so nice.


They each took a moment to explain their books and finally, we settled for the Q&A portion of the evening. People asked really good questions, a lot to Lauren Oliver, and someone almost spoiled the book! Thankfully most people didn't hear her or there would've been trouble!

Dan Wells & I!

After that, it came time for signing and there was a long line to wait. Us bloggers all shuffled to the back because I prefer it since I don't feel rushed into not being able to talk to them because I know there are people waiting behind me.

I stayed for way too long talking to bloggers and the authors and finally, I went home!

Here is the TRANSCRIPT of my tweets during the event so you can see some of these authors being hilarious in action:

Love the character thats going to die? Kill 'em! If you're heartbroken , then the READER will be heartbroken! -Dan Wells #PitchDarkDays

Lauren Oliver wrote 1600 pages with no plot and only character development! Haha! #PitchDarkDays

Delirium and Before I Fall have been optioned for film!#PitchDarkDays

Lauren Oliver jumped on the Harry Potter in High School!#PitchDarkDays

Lauren Oliver on how to sludge through a novel: blow something up, tension, conflict!#PitchDarkDays

Lauren Oliver started out writing Fanfiction and sequels for books that already had sequels! Haha #PitchDarkDays

Claudia writes paranormal because she's hoping one day the real world will be as interesting! Ha! #PitchDarkDays

Claudia checks to see if her ideas are crazy enough by seeing if it could be in a Doctor Who episode! #PitchDarkDays

Partials is Dan Well's first YA novel even though most people thought his other books were YA #PitchDarkBooks

Claudia Gray wants to write more books about Balthazar! #PitchDarkBooks

All in the all, the event was fantastic and if a Dark Days tour stop is anywhere near you, I recommend going!
Happy Reading!

"The eyeball with the thick black lashes always wins."

Title: Slide

Author: Jill Hathaway

Release Date: March 27th, 2012

Publisher: HarperTeen

Pages: 256

Edition: Hardcover

Cover Judge: I guess it's alright, I like the blue
and the mysterious feeling of it!

Quote Choice: Don't ask me explain but I really liked that sentence.
Source: For Review

Goodreads: Link

Vee Bell is certain of one irrefutable truth—her sister’s friend Sophie didn’t kill herself. She was murdered.

Vee knows this because she was there. Everyone believes Vee is narcoleptic, but she doesn’t actually fall asleep during these episodes: When she passes out, she slides into somebody else’s mind and experiences the world through that person’s eyes. She’s slid into her sister as she cheated on a math test, into a teacher sneaking a drink before class. She learned the worst about a supposed “friend” when she slid into her during a school dance. But nothing could have prepared Vee for what happens one October night when she slides into the mind of someone holding a bloody knife, standing over Sophie’s slashed body.

Vee desperately wishes she could share her secret, but who would believe her? It sounds so crazy that she can’t bring herself to tell her best friend, Rollins, let alone the police. Even if she could confide in Rollins, he has been acting off lately, more distant, especially now that she’s been spending more time with Zane.

Enmeshed in a terrifying web of secrets, lies, and danger and with no one to turn to, Vee must find a way to unmask the killer before he or she strikes again.

So my first thought for this review was: I had some pretty high expectations for Slide since it promised me murder mystery, romance, and crazy drama. But sadly, the story-telling just didn't live up for me.

The concept was definitely interesting, which I appreciated. Vee has been diagnosed with narcolepsy ever since she was young but only she knows the truth -- she has the ability to slide into people's minds. She can't just do it whenever she wants to but when she touches something that they've recently touched, she can see what they're currently doing even if they're far away. That's awesome, right? So when she slides into someone unknown and sees them committing a murder? Insert crazy murder mystery here! Except it wasn't crazy because I totally called every plot point that was thrown at me (so either I've got crazy skills or it was too predictable)

Vee was an alright heroine, but there wasn't anything that really set her apart from any other spunky, confused heroine I've read about. The fact that it's been a while since I've read the book and I don't really remember anything about her speaks for itself, I suppose. What I did love, however, was the whole family drama going on behind the scenes of the big murder going on with Vee. Watching the family putting itself back together, especially the sister's, was probably my favorite part!

The love story was pretty bland but that was mostly because I didn't feel anything between the characters! No passion or even cutesy infatuation, I wasn't even that interested to see them get together.

Overall, I know other people liked it but I just couldn't get into it.
Happy Reading!

Why Don't I Have A Genie? (2)

Inspired by features/memes like Books To Pine For and Waiting on Wednesday! But I dno't like being constricted to Wednesdays so here we go! And as for that title...I don't even know, guys. Just go with it.

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Title: Tiger Lily

Author: Jodi Lynn Anderson

Release Date: July 3rd, 2012

Publisher: HarperTeen

Pages: 304

Edition: Hardcover

Note: This covvvvvvvvvver, gah. Love.

Goodreads: Link

15 year old Tiger Lily, proud and fierce, wild and misunderstood, doesn't believe in love stories or happy endings. Then she meets the teenage Peter Pan in the forbidden woods of Neverland, and immediately falls under his spell. Peter is unlike anyone she's ever known. Impetuous and brave, big-hearted but hard to reach, he both scares and enthralls her. As the leader of the Lost Boys, the most fearsome of Neverland's inhabitants, Peter is an unthinkable match for Tiger Lily. Soon, she is risking everything - her family, her future - to be with the haunted, hunted, courageous boy who loves her. When - as a punishment for her rebellious ways - she is faced with marriage to a terrible man in her own tribe, she must choose between the life she's always known and running away to an uncertain future with Peter. With enemies threatening to tear them apart, the lovers seem doomed. But it's the arrival of Wendy Darling, an English girl who's everything Tiger Lily is not, that leads Tiger Lily to discover that the most dangerous enemies can live inside even the most loyal and loving heart.

Title: Through To You

Author: Emily Hainsworth

Release Date: October 2nd, 2012

Publisher: Balzer + Bray

Pages: 304

Edition: Hardcover

Note: SCI-FI THRILLER WITH LOVE. WOOT.

Goodreads: Link

A romantic sci-fi thriller about love and second chances.

Camden Pike has been grief-stricken since his girlfriend, Viv, died. Viv was the last good thing in his life: helping him rebuild his identity after a career-ending football injury, picking up the pieces when his home life shattered, and healing his pain long after the pain meds wore off. And now, he’d give anything for one more glimpse of her. But when Cam makes a visit to the site of Viv’s deadly car accident, he sees some kind of apparition. And it isn’t Viv.

The apparition’s name is Nina, and she’s not a ghost. She’s a girl from a parallel world, and in this world, Viv is still alive. Cam can’t believe his wildest dreams have come true. All he can focus on is getting his girlfriend back, no matter the cost. But things are different in this other world: Viv and Cam have both made very different choices, things between them have changed in unexpected ways, and Viv isn’t the same girl he remembers. Nina is keeping some dangerous secrets, too, and the window between the worlds is shrinking every day. As Cam comes to terms with who this Viv has become, and the part Nina played in his parallel story, he’s forced to choose—stay with Viv or let her go—before the window closes between them once and for all.

Title: The Darkest Minds

Author: Alexandra Bracken

Release Date: December 18th, 2012

Publisher: Hyperion

Pages: 496

Edition: Hardcover

Note: I love Alexandra Bracken's debut so I LOVE.

Goodreads: Link

When Ruby woke up on her tenth birthday, something about her had changed. Something frightening enough to make her parents lock her in the garage and call the police. Something that gets her sent to Thurmond, a brutal government “rehabilitation camp.” She might have survived the mysterious disease that’s killed most of America’s children, but she and the others have been cursed with something far worse: frightening abilities they cannot control.

Now sixteen, Ruby has spent nearly half her life desperately trying to hide the fact that she’s outwitted the camp’s sorting system—that she isn’t powerless, or safe. She’s one of the dangerous ones… and everyone knows what happens to them.

When the truth comes out, Ruby barely escapes Thurmond with her life. Now she’s on the run, desperate to find the one safe haven left for kids like her—East River. She joins a group of teens who escaped their own camp, pursued along the way by terrifying bounty hunters. Liam, their brave leader, is falling hard for Ruby. But no matter how much she aches for him, Ruby can’t risk getting close to him. Not after what happened to her parents.

When they arrive at East River, nothing is as it seems, least of all its mysterious leader. But there are other forces at work, people who will stop at nothing to use Ruby in their fight against the government. Before the end, Ruby will be faced with a terrible choice, one that may mean giving up her only chance at a life worth living.(

Happy Reading!

"I like the world in my dreams. It's a happier place than here"

Title: Life Is But A Dream
Author: Brian James
Release Date: March 27th, 2012
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Pages: 234
Edition: Hardcover
Cover Judge: Eh, I don't like it much.
Quote Choice: I like this quote because it's basically Sabrina.
Goodreads: Link

Sabrina, an artist, is diagnosed with schizophrenia, and her parents check her into the Wellness Center. There she meets Alec, who is convinced it's the world that's crazy, not the two of them. They are meant to be together; they are special. But when Alec starts to convince Sabrina that her treatment will wipe out everything that makes her creative, she worries that she'll lose hold of her dreams and herself. Should she listen to her doctor? her decision may have fatal consequences.

I was pretty surprised with how much I loved this book, guys!

Sabrina was always called a "creative" child. She'd spend hours creating imaginary worlds for herself with faeries, magic, and dark things for her to overcome. She was spacey, a dreamer, and unique. That is, until she grew way too old to be living in fantasy worlds all the time and her friends started shunning her. Slowly, people started realizing something may be wrong with her, especially when a series of circumstances occur (which you find out about as the novel progresses) that ends up with her being admitted to a Wellness Center for acute schizophrenia.

Now, I find mental illnesses fascinating. It was my favorite chapter to learn about in psychology and therefore, I love finding that rare amazing gem that portrays a main character with a mental disorder that is insane, but still likable. And for so long, Bleeding Violet by Dia Reeves was the only one on that list (Manic-Depressive / Bipolar Disorder) BUT I am happy to say I will be adding Life Is But A Dream. James writes in Sabrina's first person which means that the writing clearly reflects just how jumbled her mind is. She'll go on and on about how people don't see what she sees and what's going on in the "static", this dangerous noise that's trying to kill her in a way that just seemed so realistic and intriguing that I have to applaud him for giving Sabrina, and the illness as a whole, such a voice that really left me flipping pages as fast as I could!

At the beginning, I was a little bit confused every time Sabrina's mind would go from one memory to another and then back to the hospital. But as more time passed, it didn't bother me because the way it slipped from one thought to another was completely in accordance to the way Sabrina's mind worked. She was a girl with major problems and her journey of simultaneously spiraling into madness and getting better was riveting.

Alex was a complicated character in and of himself. He was passionate, rebellious, and the sway he had over Sabrina could be scary at times. She was so convinced he was like, that she had seen him in her dreams, that when she starts to worsen, she think it's alright. But even so, I loved them together. Their entire relationship is formed with mutual trust but also a HUGE misunderstanding so when the end came, I was quite happy because I wasn't expecting a happy ending.

Happy Reading!

Food For Thought: Stereotyping Novels (2)

Hey guys! Welcome to another little segment of Food For Thought!

If you don't know what this is about, it's basically going to be me rambling a little bit about something book-related I've been thinking about and then in the comments, we talk!

why? because I love this gif. Let's pretend the guy getting punched is the book you don't like.

THOUGHT: Why when people hate, let's say, a werewolf book, then they start going around saying all werewolf books are the same thing?

Now, i'm not going to pretend sometimes that isn't true. There's SO many angel/werewolf/fae/vampire books out there that are exactly the same. But what really bothers is when people just outright REFUSE to read about a certain character or plot element because they had one bad experience with them.

I have a motto: EVEN THE BAD THINGS CAN BE DONE WELL. 

Love triangles? Yeah, most of the time they're annoying. But other times? They are fantastic, well-done, heart-breaking love triangles and I do my best never to be put off with something like that.

Examples of great Love Triangles:
Linden / Gabriel from Chemical Garden Trilogy by Lauren DeStefano
Jem / Will from Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare
Seth / Kiernan from Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr
(feel free to tell me more!)

Those love triangles where you really have no idea who she's going to end with and they're both really good, well-rounded characters.

SO QUESTIONS FOR COMMENTS:
Have you ever not picked up a book because you thought you were going to hate it because it was about [insert creature here]?
Have you ever DNF-ed a book because it was too typical?
Any books that you think do a great job of breaking out of the norm?

Happy Reading!

“So, yes, I will marry you. Someday. If you'll have me."

Title: The False Princess
Author: Eilis O'Neal
Release Date: January 25th, 2011
Publisher: EgmontUSA
Pages: 319
Edition: Hardcover
Cover Judge: It's very typical (half-face cover) but I really like that the locket shows her face!
Quote Choice: I LOVE THAT SCENE SO BAD.
Goodreads: Link

Princess and heir to the throne of Thorvaldor, Nalia's led a privileged life at court. But everything changes when it's revealed, just after her sixteenth birthday, that she is a false princess, a stand-in for the real Nalia, who has been hidden away for her protection. Cast out with little more than the clothes on her back, the girl now called Sinda must leave behind the city of Vivaskari, her best friend, Keirnan, and the only life she's ever known.
Sinda is sent to live with her only surviving relative, an aunt who is a dyer in a distant village. She is a cold, scornful woman with little patience for her newfound niece, and Sinda proves inept at even the simplest tasks. But when Sinda discovers that magic runs through her veins - long-suppressed, dangerous magic that she must learn to control - she realizes that she can never learn to be a simple village girl.
Returning to Vivaskari for answers, Sinda finds her purpose as a wizard scribe, rediscovers the boy who saw her all along, and uncovers a secret that could change the course of Thorvaldor's history, forever.

*KICK-ASS HIGH FANTASY ALERT*

Okay, here's the deal: Sinda has been a princess her entire life. She's kind of clumsy, not too graceful, but she's sweet and kind and stubborn, all good qualities for someone who will rule. That is, until her parents let her know that they're not her parents and she's just been a stand-in for the REAL princess, who's arriving in a few days. So, with almost no money and stripped of her title, she is sent to live with her aunt and in a tumble of crazy things, sent on a magical quest to find out about this prophecy that made her a False Princess in the first place.

THIS PLOT GUYS. I absolutely love love love the idea of a Fake Princess and Sinda was the best there is! She was fierce and loving and she had some guts, going on this crazy journey even though at the very beginning, she knows the consequences. Instantly you and Sinda are thrown out into the streets of Thorvaldor and the pace quickly picks up from there. Sinda has no idea how to be a peasant or...well, anything besides a princess and I loved seeing her overcome the struggle that came with finding out everything you loved and had was...well, not yours. I imagine that must be one of the craziest things: to realize your life wasn't ever yours. The way Sinda deals with it is intelligent and so realistic for a teenager who just realized how lonely she was (with the exception of Keirnan, of course, BUT THAT'S FOR LATER) and just how she's going to deal with that.

O'Neal has the kind of writing style that flows with such an ease that pace was never a problem. I never felt bored or robbed of details and everything was descriptive without being too wordy and full of that purple prose. It had a fairy-tale-esque quality to it that I definitely appreciated; lyrical with a dash of dangerous adventure. Also: MAGIC GUYS. Sinda finds out early on she is a magician and she gets taken in by this awesome old lady who wants to teach her how to hone that type of MAD SKILLZ she's been suppressing her whole life.

Finally, Keirnan. Oh, he makes me do the dreamy sigh. I love romances that are nurtured and grown over time, even if that time isn't shown in the book. Keirnan is an immediate love interest and you can see the sparks between them the moment he steps on the page. Plus, they've been best friends for a reallllly long time. YA romances like that are rare but proof that friendship is really a gateway to a relationship and it can be done well.

Happy Reading!

In My Mailbox (64)

Hosted by Kristi from The Story Siren

To Review:
Thief's Covenant by Ari Marmell
Abandon by Meg Cabot
Shadow and Bone by Leigh Burdago
The Hunger Games Companion by Lois H. Gresh
Breaking Beautiful by Jennifer Shaw Wolf

Borrowed:
Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer

Happy Reading!

YA WATCH (2/25 - 3/3)

COVER NEWS:

Title: Reached
Author: Ally Condie
Release Date: November 13th, 2012
Publisher: Dutton (Penguin)
Pages: 384
Edition: Hardcover
Cover Judge: Eh, I would've liked it a lot more if the glass thing had been broken but no one was in it. It'd show that she finally escaped instead of that photo-shopped looking girl just standing there.
Note: A lot of people liked these books! I barely made it through Matched.
Goodreads: Link

No summary.

 Title: Rift
Author: Andrea Cremer
Release Date: August 7th, 2012
Publisher: Philomel (Penguin)
Pages: 448
Edition: Hardcover
Cover Judge: HER DAGGERS LOOK SO BADASS. It's an alright cover, matches with the rest of the series, but i've only read Nightshade so I can't judge it as a whole.
Goodreads: Link

Before Calla Tor, there was Ember Morrow

Sixteen-year-old Lady Ember Morrow fulfills a family obligation by joining her friend Alistair in the Conatus Guard and begins training to help with the order’s true mission, to seek out and stop evildoers and their unnatural creations.

  Title: The Darkest Minds
Author: Alexandra Bracken
Release Date: December 18th, 2012
Publisher: Hyperion
Pages: 496
Edition: Hardcover
Cover Judge: This seems like the type of cover that will make more sense after reading the book so therefore, I like it! Also I LOVE HER DEBUT NOVEL, Brightly Woven. LOVE.
Goodreads: Link

When Ruby woke up on her tenth birthday, something about her had changed. Something frightening enough to make her parents lock her in the garage and call the police. Something that gets her sent to Thurmond, a brutal government “rehabilitation camp.” She might have survived the mysterious disease that’s killed most of America’s children, but she and the others have been cursed with something far worse: frightening abilities they cannot control.

Now sixteen, Ruby has spent nearly half her life desperately trying to hide the fact that she’s outwitted the camp’s sorting system—that she isn’t powerless, or safe. She’s one of the dangerous ones… and everyone knows what happens to them.

When the truth comes out, Ruby barely escapes Thurmond with her life. Now she’s on the run, desperate to find the one safe haven left for kids like her—East River. She joins a group of teens who escaped their own camp, pursued along the way by terrifying bounty hunters. Liam, their brave leader, is falling hard for Ruby. But no matter how much she aches for him, Ruby can’t risk getting close to him. Not after what happened to her parents.

When they arrive at East River, nothing is as it seems, least of all its mysterious leader. But there are other forces at work, people who will stop at nothing to use Ruby in their fight against the government. Before the end, Ruby will be faced with a terrible choice, one that may mean giving up her only chance at a life worth living.

 Title: The Essence
Author: Kimberly Derting
Release Date: January 1st, 2012
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Pages: --
Edition: Hardcover
Cover Judge: Hmmm...I don't know how I feel. It's better than the first one, definitely. I just don't know why The Pledge has a sequel when it wrapped up PERFECTLY.
Goodreads: Link

no summary.

DEAL NEWS:

Clarie Legrand's YA debut WINTERSPELL, a retelling of the Nutcracker in which a seventeen-year-old girl journeys from 1899 New York City to a hidden land of Cane to rescue her father from a mad faery queen, only to find herself falling in love with a cursed prince as she struggles to conceal a deadly secret that could destry -- or save -- them both, to Zareen Jaffrey at Simon and Schuster's Children, in a two-book deal, at auction, by Diana Fox at Fox Literary (World English)

In a bit of serendipitous deal-making fit for a Hollywood movie, former Paradigm assistant Amy Tintera's old employer sold film rights to her debut novel, Reboot, which has also just sold to HarperTeen. Kari Sutherland bought North American rights to the book, winning a four-way auction, after Paradigm's Lucy Stille closed a preempt on the film rights from Fox 2000. The novel, the first in a series, follows two teenagers who die and are then "re-booted" in order to serve as soldiers in a futuristic world which is at war; the pair fall in love as they attempt to save their own kind. 

Katherine Tegen has won at auction two novels by Robin Schneider for her eponymous imprint at HarperCollins. The first, scheduled for publication in winter 2014, is called Severed Heads, Broken Hearts; it takes readers through a year with prom king Ezra Faulkner, whose charmed life collides with two misfortunes: he witnesses his girlfriend with another guy, and he shatters his leg – and his professional tennis ambitions – in a catastrophic car accident. Merrilee Heifetz at Writers House did the deal for North American rights for the two novels.

Catherine Onder at Disney-Hyperion has bought a four-book middle grade series, Oh My Godmother, by debut authors Barbara Brauner and James Mattson, to be illustrated by Abigail Halpin. The first book, scheduled for summer 2013, centers on Lacey Unger-Ware, a modern-day middle-schooler who becomes a reluctant fairy godmother. Joseph Veltre at Gersh Agency represented the authors and Emily van Beek of Folio Literary Management represented the illustrator in the deal for North American rights.

TRAILERS:

MOVIE NEWS:

Emmy Rossum, star of Shameless, has joined the exciting upcoming adaptation of Beautiful Creatures, according to Variety! The film, an adaptation of the first novel by co-authors Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl, follows two star-crossed teenage lovers — a local boy and a mysterious new girl — who uncover dark secrets about their families, their history and their town. The film already has tapped Alice Inglert, Jack O’Connell, Viola Davis and Emma Thompson to star. Rossum will play Ridley, Inglert’s cousin who turned into a dark witch on her 16th birthday – making the two girls enemies.

We have another cast member for the upcoming pilot ‘The Selection,’ being made for the CW, which is an adaptation of the novel by Kiera Cass. Thomas will play “Sylvan Santos, a close adviser to the current queen and an expert in royal etiquette who advises the participants in the competition.

Earlier this week Aimee Teegarden (Friday Night Lights [TV]) nabbed the female lead America and today Ethan Peck (In Time) grabbed one of the male leads. Ethan , grandson of legendary Gregory Peck, plays Prince Maxon who is at the center of the competition that the story follows and is essentially the prize.

(Like I said before, I didn't like this book at all but the show might be amazing! I'm liking the cast so far and the CW has a knack for making good Book to TV adaptations with The Vampire Diaries)

Missi Pyle (The Artist), Yvette Nicole Brown (Community) and Mary Birdsong (The Descendants) have been cast as the Three Fates for Percy Jackson & the Olympians: Sea of Monsters. The trio will play the Three Fates sisters who determine the events of every mortal’s life and bicker over the single eye they share, but are given a modern twist for the movie in that they will also be taxi drivers. It has already been announced that Logan Lerman would be returning to his role of Percy Jackson.

Percy Jackson Movie was awful but Percy Jackson book? AMAZING.

Fox 2000 has set Brian Percival (Downton Abbey) to direct The Book Thief. The Marcus Zusak novel was adapted by Michael Petroni (Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader). Karen Rosenfelt (Twilight Saga) is producing, and a summer production start is being eyed. 

DOWNTON ABBEY DIRECTOR!

COOL STUFF:

Happy Reading!

“Anger can try to break your heart, but sorrow is what will. What can. What does.”

Title: Between Here and Forever
Author: Elizabeth Scott
Release Date: May 14th, 2011
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Pages: 250
Edition: Hardcover
Source: Bought
Cover Judge: Cute enough!
Goodreads: Link

Abby accepted that she can’t measure up to her beautiful, magnetic sister Tess a long time ago, and knows exactly what she is: Second best. Invisible.

Until the accident.

Now Tess is in a coma, and Abby’s life is on hold. It may have been hard living with Tess, but it's nothing compared to living without her.

She's got a plan to bring Tess back though, involving the gorgeous and mysterious Eli, but then Abby learns something about Tess, something that was always there, but that she’d never seen.

Abby is about to find out that truth isn't always what you think it is, and that life holds more than she ever thought it could...

Between Here and Forever is my first foray into Elizabeth Scott's writing, so I went in with some pretty high expectations. I've heard amazing things about Scott and while I didn't get what I was expecting, I did enjoy reading Between Here and Forever.

Abby is a kind of conflicting character for me and let me just take a moment to explain why. I know what it's like being the youngest sibling to a sister that seems to be successful in everything she does. Seriously, I do. But Abby's personality just bomb-dropped into the negative numbers because of Tessa and I really hated the fact that every time Eli tried to approach her or something, she'd be like: "Why you even talking to me? Bleh. I'm not Tessa. Bleh. Everyone hates me. I can't be loved, etc, etc". But by the end of the novel, she did become more of a realistic character for me once Clarie gives her a good talking too, especially. I just waited to smack her across the head sometimes for being so down on herself all the time. (But that might just be me, because I have a very low toleration for people who are constantly putting themselves down and saying that no one wants to be their friend.)

The plot wasn't really a big surprise to me, considering I knew all of Tessa's big secrets by the third or four chapter while it takes Abby nearly the entire novel to figure things out. But, in context, Abby does live a pretty sheltered life on this small island where they are only white people so I can imagine that Tessa's problems probably don't happen too often there and so it was some huge big surprise for her.

Eli was a really, really nice guy. Seriously, he has some mega-patience because when a girl comes up to you and says: "Your voice can wake up my comatose sister"? Your first reaction isn't usually to agree. And it wasn't his either, but he went nonetheless and that was pretty impressive. Also, the whole "being the most gorgeous thing in the universe" thing? I actually didn't mind because I imagine they don't get half-black, half-white, half-asian people walking around there everyday.

Overall, a contemporary fluff with some serious issues and a relatable voice.
Happy Reading!

Giveaway Time -- Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers

Giveaway time! Houghton Mifflin was lovely enough to send an extra copy to give to you guys and since this is the book i'm currently reading; what better time to give it away! (It's awesome, by the way. Beautiful, deadly, and wonderful)

Title: Grave Mercy
Author: Robin LaFevers
Release Date: April 3rd, 2012
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
Pages: 509
Edition: Hardcover
Cover Judge: Eh, I like the ARC cover better. It's simple and elegant and this just seems done.
Goodreads: Link

Why be the sheep, when you can be the wolf?

Seventeen-year-old Ismae escapes from the brutality of an arranged marriage into the sanctuary of the convent of St. Mortain, where the sisters still serve the gods of old. Here she learns that the god of Death Himself has blessed her with dangerous gifts—and a violent destiny. If she chooses to stay at the convent, she will be trained as an assassin and serve as a handmaiden to Death. To claim her new life, she must destroy the lives of others.

Ismae's most important assignment takes her straight into the high court of Brittany—where she finds herself woefully under prepared—not only for the deadly games of intrigue and treason, but for the impossible choices she must make. For how can she deliver Death’s vengeance upon a target who, against her will, has stolen her heart?

a Rafflecopter giveaway Happy Reading!