Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Waiting on Wednesday (55) - The Girl of Fire and Thorns

The Girl of Fire and Thorns
Rae Carson
Publisher: HarperCollins
To be released: September 20, 2011

Summary (from Goodreads):

Once a century, one person is chosen for greatness.

Elisa is the chosen one.

But she is also the younger of two princesses, the one who has never done anything remarkable. She can’t see how she ever will.

Now, on her sixteenth birthday, she has become the secret wife of a handsome and worldly king—a king whose country is in turmoil. A king who needs the chosen one, not a failure of a princess.

And he’s not the only one who seeks her. Savage enemies seething with dark magic are hunting her. A daring, determined revolutionary thinks she could be his people’s savior. And he looks at her in a way that no man has ever looked at her before. Soon it is not just her life, but her very heart that is at stake.

Elisa could be everything to those who need her most. If the prophecy is fulfilled. If she finds the power deep within herself. If she doesn’t die young.

Most of the chosen do.

I really cannot wait to read this book. It sounds very interesting and I love fantasy novels like this. I cannot wait for September to read!!

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event highlighting exciting upcoming releases. It is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Angel Burn by L.A. Weatherly

Angel Burn
L.A. Weatherly
Publisher: Candlewick Press
Release Date: May 24, 2011
Series or Standalone: Angel Trilogy #1
ISBN: 0763656526
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 464
Source: BEA
Websites:

Rating: 3 Stars


Angel Burn offers a new take on the ever-popular angels. This is not your typically angel book in any way. L.A. Weatherly has created a new type of angel, one that is not benevolent, kind or angelic, which provides the basis for a good read.

I liked Angel Burn. It was not the stereotypical angel book, which made me enjoy this book a lot more. The angels in this book are down right frightening. One my level of scary angels, they are just below the weeping angels from Doctor Who. Weatherly has created a world based off these frightening angels. The angels are not nice at all, they feed off of humans leaving them with angel burn and it basically destroys the human’s life. I loved the whole aspect of the Church of Angel. The angels are disguised as humans and gain a human following, but the humans have no idea the effect the angels are having on them. The Church of Angels seemed like a cult, and was seemed like a frightening place to be if you know what those angels were doing. The angels that Weatherly created made me really like this book. The books stand-out from all the other angel books.

I really liked the shifting point of views. The story was told from first person from Willow but also let the read see the point of view of Alex and even the angels at times. The different perspectives worked really well into building the story. I also really liked that both Willow and Alex had very strong, distinctive voices.

However, I felt the pacing on this book was a bit off. I wish at parts that the pacing was slower and at other parts that it was faster. Also, there was bit too much of instant-love for me that made me really wish Alex and Willow’s relationship was slowed down a lot. The action at the end happened very quickly and left me a bit confused as to what happened that I need to reread a few pages to figure it out. There needed to be a better balance with the pacing of this book.

Overall, I enjoyed Angel Burn. The angels that Weatherly has created are awesome and they make the book for me. I’m interested to see where the next book in the series takes us and to learn more about the angels.


Friday, June 24, 2011

Blogoversary Giveaway: Forever by Maggie Stiefvater


UPDATE: Giveaway is closed. 

And the final blogoversary giveaway is an ARC of Forever by Maggie Stiefvater. I accidentally ended up with two copies of this book because I got one at BEA and then one at the Scholastic event so I am going to give one of my copies away. Fill out the form below to be entered to win.

Contest runs until midnight on July 1, 2011. Open INTERNATIONALLY. One entry per person. Multiple entries will be deleted.

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Blogoversary Giveaway: City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare


UPDATE: Giveaway now closed!

Today's blogoversary giveaway is City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare. I'm giving away a SIGNED hardcover copy of City of Fallen Angels. Fill out the form below to be entered to win.

Contest runs until midnight on June 30, 2011. Open INTERNATIONALLY. One entry per person, multiple entries will be deleted.

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Waiting on Wednesday (54) - Au Revoir, Crazy European Chick


Au Revoir, Crazy European Chick
Joe Schreiber
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children           
To be released: October 24, 2011

Summary (from Goodreads):

Perry Stormaire is a normal high school senior– he is busy applying to college and rehearsing with his band –until he agrees to go to the prom with the Lithuanian exchange student who is staying with his family. It turns out that Gobi Zaksauskas is not the mousy teenager that she seems but rather an attractive, confident trained assassin. Instead of going to the prom, Perry finds himself on a wild ride through the streets of New York City as Gobi commandeers the Jaguar his father lent him for the prom in order to take out her targets. Perry learns a lot about himself – and ends up with some amazing material for his college application essays.

I first heard about this book from a friend at BEA. It sounds like a really good funny read. Cannot wait to read it.

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event highlighting exciting upcoming releases. It is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

Blogoversary Giveaway: Red Glove by Holly Black


UPDATE: Contest now closed! 

Today's blogoversary giveaway is of Red Glove by Holly Black. I'm giving away a signed hardcover copy of Red Glove. Fill out the form below to enter to win.

Contest runs until midnight on June 29, 2011. Open for residents of the US only. One entry per person, multiple entries will be deleted.

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Blogoversary Giveaway: Beauty Queens by Libba Bray


UPDATE: Contest now closed. 

For today's Blogoversary giveaway, I'm giving away an ARC of the hilarious book Beauty Queens by Libba Bray. Fill out the form below to be entered to win.

Contest runs until midnight on June 28, 2011. Open for residents of the US only. One entry per person, multiple entries will be deleted.

Monday, June 20, 2011

Blogoversary Giveaway: Brightly Woven by Alexandra Bracken


UPDATE: Contest is now closed.

Today's blogoversary giveaway features one of my favorite books from 2010 Brightly Woven by Alexandra Bracken. I am giving away a signed paperback of this book. Just fill out the form below to be entered to win.

Contest runs until midnight on June 27, 2011. Open for residents of the US only. One entry per person, multiple entries will be deleted.

Sunday, June 19, 2011

Blogoversary Giveaway: Intertwined by Gena Showalter


UPDATE: CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED

Today's blogoversary giveaway is a hardcover copy of Intertwined by Gena Showalter. Just fill out the form below to be entered to win.

Contest runs until midnight on June 26, 2011. Open for residents of the US only. One entry per person, multiple entries will be deleted.

Saturday, June 18, 2011

Blogoversary Giveaway: The Lost Saint by Bree Despain


UPDATE: CONTEST NOW CLOSED!

Today I'm giving away an ARC of The Lost Saint by Bree Despain as part of the celebrate for my blogoversary. Just fill out the form below to be entered to win.

Contest is open until June 25, 2011. Open to US residents only. One entry per person, multiple entries will be deleted.



Friday, June 17, 2011

The Demon's Lexicon Trilogy Giveaway



UPDATE: CONTEST IS NOW CLOSED!

I was fortunate enough to be able to meet Sarah Rees Brennan at the Diversity in YA tour stop in Cambridge, MA in May and get signed copies of the Demon's Lexicon and Demon's Covenant to giveaway to one lucky person. Since the Demon's Surrender's also out, I am going to also be giving away a finished copy of that book along with a signed book plate for it. So I am going to be giving away the trilogy for the conclusion of Sarah Rees Brennan week and as a kick off of my blogoversary which is today! All you have to do is fill out the form below.

The contest will run for a week, from today June 17, 2011 until next Friday June 24, 2011. This contest is open INTERNATIONALLY. Fill out the form below.

My Blogoversary!!!

Today is marks my one year anniversary of blogging. I'm kind of still in shocking it has been a whole year. I am so proud of myself that I have managed to keep this blog going and am so glad that I am still having so much fun doing this!

I want to say that it has been a great first year of blogging. I've met so many wonderful people and authors and I have loved it. I even got to go to BEA for the first time which was great. I'm looking forward to continuing blogging for as long as it remains enjoyable.

To celebrate my blogoversary, for the next week I will be doing giveaways to give back to all the people who read and visit my blog as a thank you. I'm kicking this week off with a giveaway of the complete Demon's Lexicon series as a conclusion for Sarah Rees Brennan week and as a kick off for my blogoversary. Check back everyday for a new giveaway. There are some pretty good ones!!

And thank you so much to everyone who reads my blog and comments and talks to me on twitter. You've made me so proud to be a blogger and made this whole experience so much more enjoyable.

Blogoversary Giveaways coming up this week
The Demon's Lexicon Series by Sarah Rees Brennan (signed)
The Lost Saint by Bree Despain (ARC)
Intertwined by Gena Showalter
Brightly Woven by Alexandra Bracken (signed)
Beauty Queens by Libba Bray (ARC)
Red Glove by Holly Black (signed)
City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare (signed)
Forever by Maggie Stiefvater (ARC)

Thursday, June 16, 2011

The Demon's Surrender by Sarah Rees Brennan

The Demon’s Surrender
Sarah Rees Brennan
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
Release Date: June 14, 2011
Series or Standalone: The Demon’s Lexicon #3
ISBN: 1416963839
Format: ARC           
Pages: 400
Source: Borrowed
Websites:
Rating: 4.5 Stars

I was super excited to read the final installment in the Demon’s Lexicon series. I couldn’t have been more satisfied with the ending of the series.

Initially, I was very worried about this book. Like the previous two books in the series, this book is told from the point of view of another character. The first book was told by Nick’s point of view and the second from Mae’s point of view. The final book is told from Sin’s point of view, and this worried me a bit. Sin was more of a secondary character in the first two books so I was a bit worried about how the narration of the central story line would play out. However, I ended up really liking Sin as a narrator and the story played out perfectly. I really liked learning more about Sin and I loved her personality. She was probably one of the best people to tell the conclusion of this story and I really loved learning her back story.

I have to say, most of my fears about Sin as the narrator stemmed from the fact that I really wanted Nick and Mae together. I worried that because Sin was the narrator we would get none of the private scenes between those Nick and Mae, but Sarah Rees Brennan handled it well. We still got many private scenes between other characters as well.

The plot picked up from where we left after the Demon’s Covenant. I was really happy with were Sarah Rees Brennan took the story. I think the twist in this book could really rival the twist from the first book, and that was a huge twist. I knew things were going too well for it too remain so happy, and boy did she deliver a shocking twist. Sarah Rees Brennan was probably the evilest in this book to her characters, but it made the story so great and was done to the benefit of the story, so I can forgive her for her evilness.

I was very happy with how all the characters story lines were settled. I really enjoyed seeing whom everyone kind of ended up with and seeing the amazing growth of nearly every character in this book. The characters were put through very difficult times in this books, I really liked watching them growing and becoming stronger because of these difficulties. And I have to say, I was very happy with who ended up with who in the end. It was perfect.

The emotions were running high in this final installment of the Demon’s Lexicon series. It was another emotional roller coaster. I was happy, I was angry, and I was sad. At parts I was crying. And then there were those scenes that just made me so giddy and happy. They were perfect and I could not have wanted anything else. And my favorite scene was one of the most emotional for me. That scene that Sin overhears between Nick and Mae. My favorite, even if it was very emotional. Trust me you will understand when you read it.

I was really happy with how this series concluded. The ending wrapped up the main story line, but did not leave everything wrapped in a perfect package. Instead, things in the ending were still a bit shaking with the characters. The characters and their world still had always to go before everything to be settled perfectly and the ending demonstrates that. I was really happy with where the characters were all heading in the future, even though we do not know if everything they plan for will occur. The ending was very bittersweet for me because it was the last time I’d hear these characters stories. I really liked that the ending did wrap up every little detail and solve every problem, because that is not real. The ending felt real and I loved that.

It’s really hard to say goodbye to this series because it really is one of my favorites. I will never forget reading the ending of Demon’s Lexicon and my awe at the twist at the end. I will never forget all the incredible twists and turns that Sarah Rees Brennan has taken me on. I love this series and I want everyone to read. I am deeply sadden that this GREAT series has ended and that I will never read more about Nick, Mae, Jamie, Alan, Sin and everyone else, but thankfully I can always reread this series and there are always more books to come from Sarah Rees Brennan.

If you have never read this series, I highly suggest that you read it. It is one of the best series I have ever read and I DO force it onto people. It is a must read for everyone! 

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

The Demon's Covenant by Sarah Rees Brennan

The Demon’s Covenant
Sarah Rees Brennan
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry
Release Date: May 18, 2010
Series or Standalone: The Demon’s Lexicon # 2
ISBN: 1416963812
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 440
Source: Bought
Websites:

Rating: 5 Stars

As I said in my Demon’s Lexicon review, I am a huge fan of this series. And I have to say, The Demon’s Covenant, hands down, is my favorite book in the series. This book is made of win. Every time I read this book it gets better and better.

The second book in the Demon’s Lexicon series is told from Mae’s point of view instead of Nick’s as it was in the first book. I love that this book is from Mae’s perspective. I love Mae. She is probably my favorite character and to her be the central character was AWESOME. She has just an incredible personality and I love her voice. In this book, we really see Mae grow a lot of the first book. She no longer has to solely rely on the Ryves brothers. She is willing to fight back in anyway possible. She becomes and incredible strong character and I really loved the growth in her character.

I was really glad the whole gang from the first book were back in action for this book. I want to get this review spoiler free for the first book because I do not want to give away THAT TWIST, but we see everyone trying to deal with the consequences of that twist in this book. I really loved learning more about Alan and Nick’s childhood in this book to through the diary entries of their Dad that Mae reads. It’s really interesting to see how they were raised effected the people they are now. I also really loved the impact this had on Nick. And I’m gonna stop there about that so not to say anything spoilery.

In this book, I really liked that we got to delve deeper into Nick and Alan’s world. We got to see a lot more of the Goblin Market and more of Sin which I loved because I love the world of the Goblin Market, much like Mae does. I also really liked learning more about the Warlocks and different Warlocks circles. They play a big part in this book. I also liked that Jamie had a more important role in this book. He becomes extremely important. And we learn more about Alan too. And man, Alan, I wanted to hit you over the head some times. Let's just say he is still not everything he appears to be. 

And I have to talk about the plot. This book was a rollercoaster ride. My emotions were everywhere. The plot was amazing and literally kept me on the edge of my seat, turning pages until I got to the end. And then the ending. I think I tried to will more pages to appear at the end of this book because I wanted more. Once again, there are great twists and turns in this book that had me cursing the brilliance of the evil Sarah Rees Brennan. And boy, does Sarah Rees Brennan know how to deliver an emotional punch. I will admit, I did tear up towards the end of this book.

I also really need to talk about the ROMANCE. Sarah Rees Brenna writes some of the best kissing scenes I have ever read. And the sexual tension. It’s great. Personally, I really want Nick with Mae, even though there are tons of obstacles in there way and more are constantly being added, but still, I want them together. Badly. And then there is that one scene, on the roof, in the rain. *sigh* That scene. Yeah, you will get what I mean when you read it. Sarah Rees Brennan can definitely play with your emotions in the best of ways as well as deliver shocking blows.

This second book in this trilogy surpass it’s predecessor. The second book is not some filler book that has you waiting for the all the action in the conclusion, but extremely important and sets the stage for the final book. Even after reading The Demon’s Surrender, this book is still my favorite. Everything is just spot on perfect, the writing, the characters, the plot, the romance, the twists, everything. I love this book so much that I own three copies, a UK, US and eBook version. I stayed up to get it on my Nook the night it was released I was that excited. And it so worth it. One of my favorite books of all time and of 2010.


Waiting on Wednesday (53) - All These Things I've Done

All These Things I’ve Done
Gabrielle Zevin
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
To be released: September 27, 2011

Summary (from Goodreads):

In 2083, chocolate and coffee are illegal, paper is hard to find, water is carefully rationed, and New York City is rife with crime and poverty. And yet, for Anya Balanchine, the sixteen-year-old daughter of the city's most notorious (and dead) crime boss, life is fairly routine. It consists of going to school, taking care of her siblings and her dying grandmother, trying to avoid falling in love with the new assistant D.A.'s son, and avoiding her loser ex-boyfriend. That is until her ex is accidently poisoned by the chocolate her family manufactures and the police think she's to blame. Suddenly, Anya finds herself thrust unwillingly into the spotlight—at school, in the news, and most importantly, within her mafia family.

I’ve heard some really great things about this book. I’m really sad that I missed it at BEA, but I cannot wait to read it. I really like Gabrielle Zevin’s previous books and this one sounds really good. Cannot wait!

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event highlighting exciting upcoming releases. It is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

The Demon's Lexicon by Sarah Rees Brennan

The Demon’s Lexicon
Sarah Rees Brennan
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry
Release Date: June 2, 2009
Series or Standalone: The Demon’s Lexicon #1
ISBN: 1416963790
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 336           
Source: Bought
Websites:

Rating: 4.5 Stars

I just want to start off by saying that this book is the first book in one of my favorite series. Seriously. You do not want to know how many times I have read this book (It’s a lot). I first read this book way back in June of 2009 when it was a featured book on PulseIT. I remember reading it in one sitting and staying up way to late for a school night. Every time I go back and read it, it becomes better and better.

Let me start off by talking about the characters. I love every single character in this book well except for the bad guys. I’m just gonna go through the characters in this book and just rattle off some of my favorite things about them. Nick Ryves: dark, brooding, sexy and deadly. That basically sums him up in a nutshell. Also, he makes me laugh, a lot. He’s got a lot of great one liners. Alan Ryves: Oh Alan. *sigh* Alan is Nick’s older brother. He’s is geeky, but extremely caring. He has this endearing characteristic. He also is not all he appears to be. Mae Crawford: HANDS DOWN MY FAVORITE CHARACTER! I am Team MAE! She has pink hair, is spunky and feisty and will do anything to save her brother. Plus she is just awesome. Jamie Crawford: Mae’s little brother. Jamie is also pretty awesome. I should just be on team Crawford, cause I love Jamie too, even though Jamie is gay. Jamie is the most vulnerable character I would say, but he is also pretty funny. Nick and his unlikely friendship is also one of my favorite parts of this book. Sin: You just sort of meet Sin in this book, butt still you learn a bit about her, like she dances at the Goblin Market and is the one who will eventually take it over. And she’s also pretty awesome. So that’s my take on the characters in this book. Bascially they are all awesome. They are each their own person too. The character in this book come alive off the page.

This book series reminds me of a British version of the television show Supernatural. It is just as awesome as well. There is a lot of butt kicking of warlocks and demons and such. And there are two brothers who fight these bad things. Its amazing.

So I want to talk about how this book’s twist completely left me blindsided. I have to say, this was probably one of the first books I had ever read where I was completely AWESTRUCK by the twist at the end. I had no idea it was coming. First time I read the book I remember sitting there thinking “No, no, no. That cannot be true. That cannot happen.” But alas, it did. Bravo to Sarah Rees Brennan for an amazing twist that completely took me by surprise. Literally, I had no clue. However, upon going back and reading the book, you see little hints and little clues that are super obvious once you know the twist. And I love that.

Besides being awesome, this book is also really humorous. Sarah Rees Brennan has a great balance of seriousness with humor. Seriously, I giggle a lot when I read this book. But also, there are some really serious parts that are written extremely well. Also, Sarah Rees Brennan is and evil genius. I swear she takes pleasure out of torturing her characters, and this is just the beginning. And I mean that in the nicest way possible. You learn that when things in this series seem good, something bad is gonna happen. And it makes you gasp and kind of freak out and yell with your fist shaking “Curses Sarah Rees Breenan!” Or at least this book does that to me.

Basically, this book is just awesome. It’s a great first book in a series that really gets the ball rolling. I feel like more people need to read this book series, because a lot of people haven’t. I have to say, I love this series so much I have two different editions of it, the UK and US version. People most go out and read it!


Monday, June 13, 2011

Sarah Rees Brennan Week!

Sarah Rees Brennan Week
Today kicks off the first day of Sarah Rees Brennan week on the blog. This lovely little event is hosted by Heidi at YA Bibliophile and Jacinda and Jasmine at The Reading Housewives of Indiana. To find out more about this week visit here or click the button at the beginning of this post.

Basically, since the final book in the Demon's Lexicon series, the Demon's Surrender comes out this week, we are celebrating the awesomeness that is Sarah Rees Brennan by talking about the books, posting reviews, having giveaways and such.

So I really love the Demon's Lexicon series, like I love it a lot, so I was immediately on board. I have reviews of the series coming up this week along with a giveaway at the end of the week. So stay tuned!!



Friday, June 10, 2011

The Girl in the Steel Corset by Kady Cross

The Girl in the Steel Corset
Kady Cross
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Release Date: May 24, 2011
Series or Standalone: Series: Steampunk Chronicles #1
ISBN: 0373210337
Format: Hardcover
Pages: 477
Source: BEA
Websites:

Rating: 4 Stars

The Girl in the Steel Corset has solidified my love for the steampunk genre. Before this book, I had only read a few books that could be classified as Steampunk and I really loved them, but it might have been just because of the authors. But this book proved to me how  AWESOME, steampunk really is.

I have to say that this book was one of the books I read instead of studying for finals. I couldn’t put it down once I started it. I really loved how the steampunk element of the book wasn’t overbearing, like it sometimes can be. Instead, the use of machines and science gave the book a bit of a paranormal air, but it still felt realistic.

The characters in this book were pretty awesome. Lets start with Finley for example. She can kick some serious butt, but the butt kicking brings out her dark side, a huge problem for Finley. I also want to say the English major nerd in me loved the comparison of Finely to Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and love how she and her father might have been the inspiration for that story in the book. One of my favorite characters though has to be Jack Dandy. He is a mystery and a bit of a bad boy. I cannot wait to find out more about him in the next book in the series. The band of characters in this book really made me think of a Victorian type of X-Men. Each character had some unique quality that made them different from normal people. They have banned together to try to figure out who the Machinist is. Each character had their own powers and their own flaws, which I really liked.

I do have to say, I felt a bit confused by the plot at times. It kind of felt like we were in the middle of a series instead the first book of the series, because sometimes I thought I was missing things. But as the book went on, I became more settled into the plot. I did really enjoy reading this book though and wanted to find out what happened next. My one wish for this book was that their was more romance! There were inklings of it but not enough for my taste. I really would have liked more on that front, but it is the first in a series, so hopefully a lot more will come.

This book was a great mixture of Victorian England, adventure, mystery, suspense and action. This book is also gorgeous! I love that cover!! I thoroughly enjoyed this book and cannot wait to read the next book to see what happens next.
  

Thursday, June 9, 2011

Winner of the Signed Near Witch Contest

The winner of the signed Near Witch is Kristina Ebert of My World of Books. Thanks to all who entered! There will be one more giveaway of a signed copy of the Near Witch in the beginning of July.

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Waiting on Wednesday (52) - Wings of the Wicked

Wings of the Wicked
Courtney Allison Moulton
Publisher: Harper Collins
To be released: 2012

Summary (from Goodreads):

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.

OMG! SWOON! This cover is gorgeous plus I REALLY cannot wait to read the next book in this series. I really loved Angelfire and cannot wait to read the next book in the series. The cover for this book was just released and Courtney Allison Moulton is holding a giveaway with some great prizes on her blog too. Click here to find out about the contest. But anyways, I really want this book. I loved the first one and cannot wait to find out what happens next in this series. Super excited.

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event highlighting exciting upcoming releases. It is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

Friday, June 3, 2011

Hourglass by Myra McEntire

Hourglass
Myra McEntire
Publisher: EgmontUSA
Release Date: June 14, 2011
Series or Standalone: Series
ISBN:1606841440
Format: ARC
Pages: 397
Source: Borrowed
Ratings: 5 Stars



I do not even know where to start with Hourglass. I have been putting off writing this review for months because this book is just filled with win. I have been really stumped as to how to my feelings for this book into words. If I could, I would just write a review that would say “Buy this book it is full of awesome. Everyone must buy it. ADJKAJGKAJGKDL It’s awesome.”, but that would not be super helpful.

In April, I did a post for the ten reasons why you must buy this book. I think that I’m going to use that as a basis for my review so this review is not just BUY THIS BOOK. So let me start off by talking about the characters in this book. I felt that all the characters in this book served a purpose and were all well defined characters. Every character that we met had their own personality and traits. The characters were extremely well written. Let’s start with Emerson Cole, the main character. I loved her. She was snarky, kick-butt and different. She was strong and able to stand up for herself, even when everyone thought she was crazy because of her visions. Also, she can kick-butt. Seriously, she has brown belt to prove it. And I love girls who can kick-butt because I truly wish I was that badass. And she is snarky. I love snark. It makes me laugh and Em did make me laugh. Emerson was one of those characters that got stuck in my head after I finished reading the book. She was just one of those characters with a really strong voice that will stick with you. And then there are the boys in this book. I just have to mention them. So first we have Michael Weaver who is a very mysterious guy. He works for a mysterious agency and knows more about Em than Em herself does. Basically, I was smitten by him the first time we met him and ended up loving him more as the book went out and we learned more about Michael. And then ther was also Kaleb, the other boy in this book who I really loved. Kaleb is Michael’s friend and works with Michael and is just as hot as Michael. But they are too completely different boys. Kaleb was in my opinion adorable. At times I felt really bad for him and just wanted to give him a hug. He was probably one of my favorite characters in this book. He was flawed and dealing with issues but was still able to be strong. I like that. And the romance. Boy. The romance could have gone crazy wrong but it was perfect. The build-up and the sexual tension was all spot on perfect. I was at points literally screaming for them to just kiss already, which I love. I just loved the romance.

Okay, so now I want to talk about how amazing the plot of this book is. Seriously. I did not really know what to expect when I started this book. It sounded like it might be just another paranormal teen book with a girl who sees visions and stuff. But what I got from Hourglass was none of that. I can truly say that this book was something new. Hourglass was seriously a breath of fresh air. I really liked how it blended paranormal elements such as the visions with some more scifi elements such as time travel. It was all mystery, action, paranormal, and wibbly-wobbly timey-wimey stuff wound up into a big ball of awesome. I really really liked the balance between all those elemts. It truly finds a perfect balance between the two and creates this amazing story. And this story kept me on the edge of my seat. I did not know what was going to happen next. I was constantly being blown away by the plot. Twists and turns that took me by surprise. The last quarter of the book, I swear I was just sitting there reading with my mouth wide open because I was literally blown away. I did not expect the story to go in certain ways it did. And I just want to say that Myra McEntire has been added to my list of evil genius authors. There is this huge amazing twist in the book that will literally leave you in shock. I was blown away that she had actually did that. You will know the part I’m talking about when you read the book because you will be sitting there reading the book, dumbfounded that that event just actually happened. Boy, is that an amazing and horribly mean twist.

I really do not know what else to say. This book is just full of win. Myra McEntire has written a beautiful, stunningly awesome debut. It is hard to fathom that this book is her debut novel because it is just so stunning. The writing is beautiful and she has created this whole world were Em and her friends live and do some crazy things. Myra McEntire excuted the plot so brilliantly and is now an evil genius in my book. She literally kept me flipping pages as quickly as possible. Plus, she is also a Whovian. A reference to Doctor Who in your book has me in love with your book forever. Just saying. I am literally blown away by how amazing this book is. Everyone needs to pick up a copy of this book and read it as soon as possible. I mean who would not want a copy of this beautiful book on their shelf? The cover is just as beautiful as the words inside of it. Hourglass is probably one of my favorite books of 2011. Hourglass is an amazing debut that is a must read because it has a little bit of something for everyone.

Thursday, June 2, 2011

Near Witch Giveaway!

It is officially 2 months until the Near Witch by Victoria Schwab is out for everyone to read. 2 MONTHS!! That is so soon!! To celebrate this very special day, I am doing another giveaway of a *signed* finished copy of Near Witch. All you have to do is fill out the form below and you are entered to win. This prize, however, will not arrive until closer to the publication date since it is being sent out from the publisher and will not be mailed out until closer to August when the finished copies are available. This contest will run from today Thursday June 2 and end at midnight on Tuesday June 7. If you tweet about the giveaway please use #NWgiveaway 





Also these following blogs are also doing a giveaway of the Near Witch:
Erica – thebookcellarx.com
Danielle B. – frenzyofnoise.net
Victoria – veschwab.wordpress.com


We are all doing this giveaway because of the little thing call the Near Witch Rap. Go ahead and watch it below while I go hide in a corner.


Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Time for a change

I have been thinking a lot lately about my review format. I have decided I want to change it a bit. I am going to get of the summary of the book, because I know when I read a review of the book I skip over the summary anyway and get straight to the review anyways. I also feel like I want to include a bit more information about the book itself. So I have changed my review format and will be in place from now on. I'm really excited about this for some reason. Yes, I am nerd.

Waiting on Wednesday (51) - The Iron Knight


The Iron Knight
Julie Kagawa
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
To be released: October 25, 2011

While there is no summary for this book yet, I don’t need one to want it. The cover was just released to day and I am in love. I think this is one of my favorites for the series. So pretty. Also, I just need this book. Because, seriously, Julie Kagawa was evil with the ending of the third book in the Iron Fey series Iron Queen. I want Ash’s story. Now!! I’m so excited for this book.

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event highlighting exciting upcoming releases. It is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.