Sunday, December 30, 2012

Book review: Onyx by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Onyx (Lux, #2)What can I say? I am in love with this series, and with Daemon. Duh!
Honestly, I like the Lux series more than the Covenant... Greek mythology somehow can't capture my attention all that much. But aliens??? Heck yeah!

So, in this installment, we get to see a lot more of the good side of Deamon. I mean, he has his jerk-o moments, and I love him for those too! But also, there are those sweet moments, when I just wanted to kiss him senseless. Or be kissed senseless, doesn't matter. Not really. LOL

Anyway, Onyx is the turning point of this series, I think. So many things happen, so many fates are changed, that the reader is about to explode! Even though I'd known what was to happen, sort of, I was totally surprised by HOW it happened and WHY. I was left with my mouth hanging open for more when I finished the last page, and gosh! I just couldn't handle to wait and got into Opal right away. Addictive much?

To read full review, please click here.

Thursday, December 27, 2012

Merry Christmas everyone!!!

Morning guys! It's a sunny Thursday over here, so even though I've got a ton of work to do, I thought I'd write a short post and wish you a Merry Christmas! I pray that God watches over you and guides you in all the days of your life! May His force be forever with you! *wink, wink*

Saturday, December 22, 2012

YA Story Teller BLOG BIRTHDAY!!!

Oh my! YA STORY TELLER is celebrating it's first BIRTHDAY!!! YAY!!!


I just wanted to thank all my awesome followers for staying with me through all the

nice times and the hard ones! You've been absolutely

AWESOME!! I LOVE YOU ALL!!!




Friday, December 21, 2012

Follow Friday #34

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Follow Me Friday is a book meme hosted by Parajunkee's View and Alison Can Read. #FF is a blog hop that expands your blog following by a joint effort between bloggers. In order to join in the fun, all you need is well . . . A book blog :)


The question this week is:


What have you learned from book blogging that you didn't know before about the publishing industry?

 
My answer:

Goodness! I learned that no book can have any success in sales if it isn't for the bloggers to say it's good enough to buy! I'm not sure I'd spend any money if I don't see the book's rating and reviews first! So yeah, guys! WE, BOOK BLOGGERS, ARE IMPORTANT!


Well, what's your answer?

Please leave links to your FF's, so I can stop by!! Oh, and if you're a new follower, let me know so I could return the favor!

If you're interested in acquiring a copy of All the Broken Pieces by Cindy Madsen, which by the way is an AWESOME book, please enter this giveaway! Good luck and happy holidays!!

Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Waiting on Wednesday # 47

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Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly blog post by Jill over at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights releases we're eagerly awaiting.

My pick this week is:


Title: Scent of Magic
Series: Healer, Book 2
Author: Maria V. Snyder
Release date: December 18th, 2012 by Mira INK

Summary:

As the last Healer in the Fifteen Realms, Avry of Kazan is in a unique position: in the minds of her friends and foes alike, she no longer exists. Despite her need to prevent the megalomanical King Tohon from winning control of the Realms, Avry is also determined to find her sister and repair their estrangement. And she must do it alone, as Kerrick, her partner and sole confident, returns to Alga to summon his country into battle.

Though she should be in hiding, Avry will do whatever she can to support Tohon’s opponents. Including infiltrating a holy army, evading magic sniffers, teaching forest skills to soldiers and figuring out how to stop Tohon’s most horrible creations yet; an army of the walking dead—human and animal alike and nearly impossible to defeat.

War is coming and Avry is alone. Unless she figures out how to do the impossible ... again.


 Why I want to read it:

To be honest, I haven't read the first one yet, but I have it, and as soon as I get the time, I'll be on it! Sounds awesome!

So how about you? What amazing book are you waiting on this week?  

FYI: I have a giveaway going on of an e-copy of All the Broken Pieces by Cindy Madsen. If you're interested, visit my Current Giveaways page. Thanks and good luck!

Monday, December 17, 2012

Books I got last week

It's Monday again! And just before Christmas! Aren't you excited? I sooo am! I've decorated the apartment and have been showing it to my baby girl. She smiles every time she sees the Christmas tree and that makes me soo happy!

Anyway, let me show you which books I got last week:


A compelling US debut about family, forgiveness, and hope

Despite having a depressed alcoholic mother and a little brother who’s convinced he’s a dog, fifteen year-old Laurence Roach is trying to live a normal life. But when his mom doesn’t come home after work one night, Laurence is terrified that child services will find out she’s gone and separate him from his brother.

For two weeks, Laurence does whatever he can to keep her disappearance a secret. Spinning a web of complicated lies for friends, neighbors, and the authorities, Laurence even dresses like his mother to convince everyone she’s still around. By following clues, the brothers are finally able to track down their mother’s whereabouts. And that’s when the real trouble begins in this powerful story about what it means to be a family.


I'm pretty excited about this book because i have the feeling it'll be funny. I'll let you know as soon as I know!



Hunted, Killed—Survived?
As the last Healer in the Fifteen Realms, Avry of Kazan is in a unique position: in the minds of friends and foes alike, she no longer exists. Despite her need to prevent the megalomaniacal K
ing Tohon from winning control of the Realms, Avry is also determined to find her sister and repair their estrangement. And she must do it alone, as Kerrick, her partner and sole confidant, returns to Alga to summon his country into battle.
Though she should be in hiding, Avry will do whatever she can to support Tohon’s opponents. Including infiltrating a holy army, evading magic sniffers, teaching forest skills to soldiers and figuring out how to stop Tohon’s most horrible creations yet: an army of the walking dead—human and animal alike and nearly impossible to defeat. War is coming and Avry is alone.Unless she figures out how to do the impossible…again.


Do I even need to say why I want to read Scent of Magic? :)) I hope it's as good as I hope!

Sunday, December 16, 2012

Book review: Because of Low by Abbi Glines

Because of Low (Sea Breeze, #2)
I loved Breathe so much, that I just went on and started on Because of Low right away. Guess what? I finished it in less than a day! It was an amazing book! Loved it! And it reminded me so much of Beautiful Disaster that I went on and re-read that too. Weired, huh?

Anyway, I was stricken by Low's story. I mean... Marcus's story is pretty common... a cheating father leaves his family for a younger woman. But Low's story... geezh! What kind of person should you be to leave your own sister on the street with just a suitcase in hand?

To read full review, please click here.

Saturday, December 15, 2012

Book review: Breathe by Abbi Glines

Breathe (Sea Breeze, #1)

Breathe was a very quick, interesting read. It got me breezing through the pages, following the story of teenage girl Sadie (who is the grown-up in the family) and Jax (who is a teen rock star). I loved the reality of the story, even though there were some parts that sounded way too fixed to be real.

The way Sadie and Jax's relationship developed was really nice, though at times Jax sounded so bossy I wanted to smack him in the face. And by the end of the book, the relationship between the two had gotten so much like an addiction, neither one could live without the other. I don't know if that's actually healthy, to tell you the truth. There must be passion and love and all that, but not being able to live without the other... seriously?

To read full review, please click here

Thursday, December 13, 2012

Book review: "Covet" by Melissa Darnell

Covet (The Clann, #2)
NOTE: I received this book from Netgalley.

Okay, so I thought that I wouldn't be able to understand whatever happened in the book because I haven't read the prequel. Well, I must say that the author made a pretty good (and sometimes even too much) of a reference to the first book, that I felt like I'd already read it. Still, there were lots of times when I felt like I was missing in on the development of the characters' relationship. I mean, I started off with them already being together and all, and I really love the whole process of the "getting together". In that aspect, I believe one should ALWAYS start a series from book one. Duh.

Anyways, I think that the book was okay on average. It couldn've definitely be shorter. There were large ranges of pages where nothing interesting happened. There was just a constant droning from the POV characters, and that got me irritated and bored. I was flipping through those pages pretty quick, only skimming to see if I had missed anything important. Which I had not.

To read full review, please click here.

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Waiting on Wednesday #46

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Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly blog post by Jill over at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights releases we're eagerly awaiting.

My pick this week is:


Title: Going Vintage
Series: None
Author: Lindsey Leavitt
Release date: March 26th, 2013

Summary:

In this humorous and heartfelt novel, the key to a broken heart is to go vintage: swear off modern technology and live like it's 1962!
When Mallory discovers that her boyfriend, Jeremy, is cheating on her with an online girlfriend, she swears off boys. She also swears off modern technology. Inspired by a list of goals her grandmother made in 1962, Mallory decides to "go vintage" and return to a simpler time (when boyfriends couldn't cheat on you online). She sets out to complete grandma's list: run for pep club secretary, host a dinner party, sew a homecoming dress, find a steady, do something dangerous. But the list is trickier than it looks. And obviously finding a steady is out . . . no matter how good Oliver (Jeremy's cousin) smells. But with the help of her sister, she'll get it done. Somehow.


 Why I want to read it:

First, because it's a contemporary novel and I'm totally in love with those.
Second, because I'd love to see how it works for her to swear off technology.
Third, I'm extremely curious to see how well she manages to stay away from Oliver :)))

So how about you? What amazing book are you waiting on this week?  

FYI: I have a giveaway going on of an e-copy of All the Broken Pieces by Cindy Madsen. If you're interested, visit my Current Giveaways page. Thanks and good luck!

Tuesday, December 11, 2012

In her shoes ~35 ~

Every Tuesday I will pick a character I've read about recently, perhaps even the week before, and try putting myself in her shoes. What things would I do differently? What have I learned from her behavior? That kind of thing. You are welcome to participate if you want, just please link back, so we could build a nice community of followers. Thanks!!! :)



Today I have picked to talk of Willow, a.k.a. Low from Abbi Glines' "Because of Low", the second in the Sea Breeze series. I can only say that I read the book in one breath, falling in love with Low and her strong character.

Yeah, she was portrayed as this person who had panic attacks, and needed her best friend to take care of her, but on the inside, Low was super strong and brave. She loved with all of her persone risked everything without much thought to her own self. She was kind and honorable.

For years she'd seen only abandonment. Her father left her. Her mother died. Her sister was this idiot who actually didn't care. The only pillar of strength Low had was Cage, and he wasn't more than a best friend.

So when Marcus came in the picture, throwing those good boy vibes, Low was defeated. She fell in the trap of Marcus's charms, knowing that he might abandon her too. Because the only sure thing in her life was, and had always been Cage.

Until Low decided to take matters in her own hands. She pulled herself out of her cage and found the strength to give her heart away. I'm sure it takes a great amount of courage to risk the known for the unknown, which is why Low has grown on me. I adore brave heroines :)


Whose shoes would you like to step into this week?

The books I got last week

Yeah, I know this should've been my Monday post but... the baby needs someone to take care of her (and that's no small task I assure you), and now I actually caught some stupid cold and I need someone to take care of me! How pathetic is that?


Anyways, here are the two books I got from Netgalley last week:

When Native American Fredericka ‘Fred’ Oday is invited to become the only girl on the school’s golf team, she can’t say no. This is an opportunity to shine, win a scholarship and go to university, something no one in her family has done.
But Fred’s presence on the team isn’t exactly welcome — especially not to rich golden boy Ryan Berenger, whose best friend was kicked off the team to make a spot for Fred.
But there’s no denying that things are happening between the girl with the killer swing and the boy with the killer smile...
GET HOOKED ON A GIRL NAMED FRED.








... and...



In the future, only one rule will matter:

Don’t. Ever. Peek.

Seventeen-year-old Ari Alexander just broke that rule and saw the last person she expected hovering above her bed — arrogant Jackson Locke, the most popular boy in her school. She expects instant execution or some kind of freak alien punishment, but instead, Jackson issues a challenge: help him, or everyone on Earth will die.

Ari knows she should report him, but everything about Jackson makes her question what she’s been taught about his kind. And against her instincts, she’s falling for him. But Ari isn’t just any girl, and Jackson wants more than her attention. She’s a military legacy who’s been trained by her father and exposed to war strategies and societal information no one can know — especially an alien spy, like Jackson. Giving Jackson the information he needs will betray her father and her country, but keeping silent will start a war.


By the way, I want to let you know about a giveaway that I have going on of All the Broken Pieces by Cindy Madsen. Check it out here---> my giveaways

Friday, December 7, 2012

Book review: The Lost Son by Tamra Torero

The Lost Son
I received this book from Netgalley to review.

Wow! What a nice, quick and completely engulfing read!!! The Lost Son is a story about forgiveness, about growing up and second chances. And in the wake of Christmas, it's definitely a notable read.

There were times when I laughed heartily, and times when I felt sad, because the story just felt so extremely realistic. I need to say that the characters made this story what it was - unforgettable.

To read full review, please click here.

Friday, November 30, 2012

Cover Reveal: The summer I became a nerd

My dearest followers, Entangled Publishing has been awesome sending me the cover and snippet of this fabulous book:

On the outside, seventeen-year-old Madelyne Summers looks like your typical blond cheerleader—perky, popular, and dating the star quarterback. But inside, Maddie spends more time agonizing over what will happen in the next issue of her favorite comic book than planning pep rallies with her squad. That she’s a nerd hiding in a popular girl's body isn’t just unknown, it's anti-known. And she needs to keep it that way.

Summer is the only time Maddie lets her real self out to play, but when she slips up and the adorkable guy behind the local comic shop’s counter uncovers her secret, she’s busted. Before she can shake a pom-pom, Maddie’s whisked into Logan’s world of comic conventions, live-action role-playing, and first-person-shooter video games. And she loves it. But the more she denies who she really is, the deeper her lies become…and the more she risks losing Logan forever.


And here's more information about the author, Leah Rae Miller:

Born and raised in northern Louisiana, Leah Rae Miller still lives there on a windy hill with her husband and kids. She loves comic books, lava lamps, fuzzy socks, and Cherry Coke. She spends most of her days reading things she likes and writing things she hopes other people will like.

Wednesday, November 28, 2012

Waiting on Wednesday #45

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Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly blog post by Jill over at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights releases we're eagerly awaiting.

My pick this week is:

Title: The Gypsy King
Series: None so far
Author: Maureen Fergus
Release date: January 11th, 2013

Summary:

A runaway slave with a shadowy past, sixteen-year-old Persephone has spent four long years toiling beneath the leering gaze of her despised owner and dreaming of a life where she is free to shape her own destiny. Then, one night, a chance encounter with a handsome chicken thief named Azriel changes her life forever.

Sold to him for a small bag of gold coins, Persephone soon discovers what she already suspected: namely, that Azriel is not what he seems. And when she realizes that he believes Persephone has a special destiny—she is determined to escape him and his impossibly broad shoulders.

But things are no longer as simple as they once were.

Torn between her longing for freedom and her undeniable feelings for the handsome thief with the fast hands and the slow smile, Persephone faces the hardest choice she will ever have to make.

And no one—least of all her—could have imagined the shocking truth her decision will reveal.


 Why I want to read it:

I saw this title on Netgalley, and it grabbed my attention. The cover is gorgeous - castle, a girl in a pretty dress, and a dagger... That's exactly to my taste. I can't wait to get my hands on it!!

So how about you? What amazing book are you waiting on this week?  

Tuesday, November 27, 2012

In her shoes ~ 34 ~




Every Tuesday I will pick a character I've read about recently, perhaps even the week before, and try putting myself in her shoes. What things would I do differently? What have I learned from her behavior? That kind of thing. You are welcome to participate if you want, just please link back, so we could build a nice community of followers. Thanks!!! :)





I read The Lost Son last week and enjoyed it very much. Haven't written my review yet, but I'm planning to do so on Thursday.

So, anyway, the girl featured in this stand alone novel is called Corrine. In a couple of weeks she goes through the huge change of losing her best friend Cody (who she is also in love with) in a horrible car accident, only to end up having to help the juvenile who caused the crash in the first place.

Yeah, sounds pretty bad already. But check this out, the juvie, a.k.a. Jacob turns out not to be this big looser Corrine imagined him to be. Sure he had attitudinal problems, and she sure punched the heck out of him as a 'Hello', but that didn't seem to stop her heart from slipping in his general direction.

Can you imagine how huge a heart Corrine must have if she was able to forgive Jacob for what he did to Cody, and actually give him a chance to handle her heart? She was a really brave and straight forward girl, and I liked her for it.


Whose shoes would you like to step into this week?

Monday, November 26, 2012

My Monday gets!

Happy new week, people! How are you enjoying the lovely Monday? I do hope and pray that my UK followers aren't figuring out how to live underwater.. Anyway, so let me share which books I got last week. Actually, as I think of it, it's just been one book.


Summary from GoodReads:

Just who is Halíka Dacomé?

To Roswith her grandmother. She enjoys meeting new friends and catching up with old ones from her childhood holidays — except now she must hide a precious secret from everyone, a gift from birth that defies modern day science. 

Her dreams become riddled with a warrior woman called Halíka Dacomé, but are they visions or messages from the future? She starts her own investigation but encounters more questions than answers. Living right on the edge of Warminster in Wiltshire doesn’t help with its folklore and myths about strange lights in the sky and ghost stories of the Salisbury Plain

Not only that, her troubles really take hold one night when the mysterious Aiden Deverill with his alluring smile, his gorgeous dark looks and hypnotising blue eyes, saves her from a freak fire. Or did he?

For Rose, her new life is beginning but she soon realises that despite assurances people are not always what they seem. What she always believed to be a happy family and a friendly town soon turns on its head when she discovers that her family secret, Aiden Deverill and the truth behind Halíka Dacomé is at the heart of the whole conspiracy.


I got the book from Netgalley. It was first published in 2011, and is about to be published again. So I thought, why not? I've seen both positive and negative reviews of it, so I"m curious on where I'd stand :)



Saturday, November 24, 2012

Book review: Hanging by a Thread by Sophie Littlefield

Hanging by a Thread

NOTE: I received this title from Netgalley to review.

I just finished reading the book, and thought I should go ahead and write the review right away, while the story and characters are still fresh in my mind.

So, here's what I have to say: The story was original, as in I haven't read anything like it before. It was a unique concept, where the heroine had this special ability to read people's thoughts, memories etc. by simply touching their clothes. I thought that was pretty cool skill, though I confess it could turn cumbersome.

Anyway, I really liked the story, because it wasn't at all obvious. I mean, I had no idea what was going on until the very last moment. I also liked that it wasn't all that long, and it was a quick read.

To see full review, please click here.

Friday, November 23, 2012

Follow Friday #33

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Follow Me Friday is a book meme hosted by Parajunkee's View and Alison Can Read. #FF is a blog hop that expands your blog following by a joint effort between bloggers. In order to join in the fun, all you need is well . . . A book blog :)


The question this week is:


What blog are you thankful for?

 
My answer:

Oh, that's a Thanksgiving question......... umm... okay, let's see..

I think I'm thankful for 

*Alison can read - because the FF has brought many awesome followers my way ;)

*Breaking the Spine - because I've found a ton of amazing books and blogging friends through it
*All my follower's blogs - because they're just stupendous! :)

Well, what's your answer?

Please leave links to your FF's, so I can stop by!! Oh, and if you're a new follower, let me know so I could return the favor!

Thursday, November 22, 2012

Book review: Soul's Gate by James L. Rubart

Soul's Gate
NOTE: I received the book from Netgalley.

One word: POWERFUL!!!

Technically, Soul's Gate isn't considered a YA book. However, there's absolutely nothing adult in it, except the characters, so it's perfectly safe (and I even recommend it) for teens to read. It was a very very powerful book, that shattered me from the inside out and built me back again. It was INCREDIBLE!

In fact, let me share something with you - there were moments when my skin was crawling with goosebumps while I read. The power of the Spirit was so strong, it was dripping from each and every page. And when I finished the book, it felt like it had been I who'd gone on the journey inside a person's soul. I can't describe the feeling, but it was absolutely amazing! I'm sure going to reread it!

To read full review, please click here.

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Waiting on Wednesday #44

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Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly blog post by Jill over at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights releases we're eagerly awaiting.

My pick this week is:


Title: HURT
Series: The Solitary Tales, Book 4 (finale)
Author: Travis Thrasher
Release date: January 1st, 2013

Summary:

His Rebellion Will Soon Turn to Hope.
When Chris Buckley first encountered the mysteries of creepy Solitary, North Carolina, he had little idea how far he would fall into the town’s shadows. After losing the love of his life, Chris tried to do things his way. He hunted answers. Then he gave up trying to find them. But now Chris comes back to Solitary knowing there’s a purpose for his being there. As he watches his place in a twisted and evil bloodline become clear, Chris waits for the last battle—and wonders who will be left when he finally makes his stand. The fourth and final book in the Solitary Tales shines light into deep darkness as Chris’s journey to Solitary comes to a dramatic close.

 Why I want to read it:

You can't believe how long I've waited for this book to come out!!! And I finally got it on Netgalley!!!! I'm so SUPER EXCITED, you can't believe it!! I ABSOLUTELY LOVED The Solitary Tales. There's mystery, love, hurt... all the drama and then some!

So how about you? What amazing book are you waiting on this week?  

Tuesday, November 20, 2012

In her shoes ~33~




Every Tuesday I will pick a character I've read about recently, perhaps even the week before, and try putting myself in her shoes. What things would I do differently? What have I learned from her behavior? That kind of thing. You are welcome to participate if you want, just please link back, so we could build a nice community of followers. Thanks!!! :)





Technically, the book I'm going to tell you about today isn't considered YA. However, there's absolutely nothing adult in it, except the characters, so it's perfectly safe (and I even recommend it) for teens to read. It was a very very powerful book, that shattered me from the inside and built me back again. It was INCREDIBLE!

Now, since this isn't technically my review, let me share with you a character, whose special ability to lead people into the heart of hardship and back out struck me as amazing.

Her name is Dana, and she's a radio station financial manager. She's also a Christian, though she never had an idea what real faith meant until she was called by the Spirit to spend a week with a bunch of dudes at some secluded resort. The days she spent there changed her life forever, as what she learned from the Bible and her own experience shattered any understanding she'd previously had on life and the world.

Instead of returning to ordinary life, Dana had entered the world of spiritual warfare, where demons fought God's people on a daily basis. And she'd just become one of those people. Demons attack her physically and spiritually, but through the power of Jesus and the faith He gave her, she was able to fight back bravely.

I honestly thought that at one point she'd give in to the threats of the demons, but thanks to her group of warriors, and the Spirit, she got back her courage and decided that fighting the enemy back was worth it.

I loved that girl, how real she was, how incredibly smart and logic her thinking was. And I loved her desire to let faith rule her life. I truly want to be like her.


Whose shoes would you like to step into this week?

Monday, November 19, 2012

My Monday gets!

Happy Monday morning ya'll! Was the weekend good for you? It sure was for me, since I knocked down one of my exams. Just one more to go! YAY!!!

So here are the books I got last week:


Most dads love their daughters, but they're uncertain how they can show that love in a way their daughters understand...or figure out what their girls really need from them.

Jay Payleitner has given thousands of dads great, man-friendly advice in his bestselling 52 Things Kids Need from a Dad. Now Jay guides his readers into what is unexplored territory for many of them--girl land--giving them ways to...

do things with their daughters, not just for them lecture less and listen more be on the lookout for "hero moments" and take advantage of them realize that their daughters are females...and tailor their actions and responses accordingly give their daughters a positive view of the male sex
Dads will feel respected and encouraged--not made to feel guilty--and they'll gain confidence to initiate activities that build lifelong positives into their girls. Great gift or men's group resource.


Okay, I know you'll probably look at this first title and say "Huh, she must be kidding! Why'd she want to read that book?" Well, then answer is simple, I want my hubby to be informed about these things. And even though our daughteris just a little over a month old, it's never too early to start preparing for these things. :)


My name is Beatrice. When I was born, I was blessed with the Sight. I was immediately removed from my parents and enrolled in the Institution. At the age of twelve, I had my first true vision, earning my raven’s wings. And when I turned seventeen, one of my visions came true. Things haven’t been the same since.

The Institution depends on me to keep the City safe from our enemy, the Dreamcatchers, but I’m finding it harder to do while keeping a secret from everyone, including my best friend Gabe. It is a secret that could put us all in danger. A secret that could kill me and everyone close to me.

But the enemy has been coming to me in my dreams, and I think I’m falling in love with him. He says they’re coming. He says they’re angry. And I think I’ve already helped them win.




These are my last week's gets, what are yours?

Saturday, November 17, 2012

Book Review: The Lost Prince by Julie Kagawa

The Lost Prince (The Iron Fey: Call of the Forgotten, #1)

NOTE: I received this book from Netgalley and MiraINK in exchange for my honest review. Thanks!

The last book I read of the Iron Fey series, The Iron Knight, was a huge (and I can't stress enough how huge that is) a disappointment. Until that book I'd loved Ash and Puck and Meghan. The Iron Knight made me dislike them.

So, when I requested The Lost Prince, I was a little biased. I wondered whether it would be more like the first three books, or like the fourth one. Turns out it was different from both.

To read full review, please click here.

Friday, November 16, 2012

Follow Friday #32

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Follow Me Friday is a book meme hosted by Parajunkee's View and Alison Can Read. #FF is a blog hop that expands your blog following by a joint effort between bloggers. In order to join in the fun, all you need is well . . . A book blog :)


The question this week is:


Books are turned into movies all the time! Turn it around.What movie would make a great book?

 
My answer:

Tam-ta-dam-tam. Let me think it through, okay?

*thinking....*


*thinking....*


*apple falls on head*

Dude, duh! I'd love to read a PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN novel! :) 

Well, what's your answer?

Please leave links to your FF's, so I can stop by!! Oh, and if you're a new follower, let me know so I could return the favor!

Thursday, November 15, 2012

Book revies: The Paladin Prophesy by Mark Frost

The Paladin Prophecy (The Paladin Prophecy, #1)

NOTE: I received this book upon request from Netgalley.

I absolutely loved this book. While I was reading it, I felt the same excitement and anticipation I usually feel when reading Harry Potter, so that must say a lot. The story, I think, was unique and captivating, and the storytelling was done masterfully.

To be honest, I had a completely different notion on this book before I sat down to read it. For one, I thought it would be a high fantasy novel (paladin, duh!), and two, I believed it would be a story of magic. It was neither. Sure, it had paranormal elements, but nothing of the fantasy sort, and there was absolutely no magic.

To read full review, please click here.

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Waiting on Wednesday #43

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Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly blog post by Jill over at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights releases we're eagerly awaiting.

My pick this week is:


Title: Crimson Frost
Series: Mythos Academy, Book 4
Author: Jennifer Estep 
Release date: December 24th, 2012

Summary:
For a moment, a face flashed before my eyes—the most hideous face I’d ever seen. No matter how hard I tried to forget what had happened, I saw him everywhere I went. It was Loki—the evil god that I’d helped set free against my will.

I should have known that my first official date with Logan Quinn was destined to end in disaster. If we’d gotten into a swordfight, or been ambushed by Reapers, I’d have been more prepared. But getting arrested mid-sip at the local coffee hangout? I didn’t see that one coming.

I’ve been accused of purposely helping the Reapers free Loki from his prison—and the person leading the charge against me is Linus Quinn, Logan’s dad. The worst part is that pretty much everyone at Mythos Academy thinks I’m guilty. If I’m going to get out of this mess alive, I’ll have to do it myself…


 Why I want to read it:

I've wanted to start on this series for a while, but I just can't get to it. Sad, I know. But I have book one waiting for me on the shelf, and Crimson Frost was given to me to review by Netgalley, so I'm feeling lucky :) I might actually get to read it soon :))

So how about you? What amazing book are you waiting on this week?  

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

In her shoes ~ 32 ~

Every Tuesday I will pick a character I've read about recently, perhaps even the week before, and try putting myself in her shoes. What things would I do differently? What have I learned from her behavior? That kind of thing. You are welcome to participate if you want, just please link back, so we could build a nice community of followers. Thanks!!! :)


The last book I got to read was The Lost Prince by Julie Kagawa. In fact, I just finished it last night, and I can say it was amazing. I still need to write my review though.

Anyway, I wanted to share with you the character of Kenzie (MacKenzie) St. James, who happened to stumble upon the world of Ethan Chase, the Iron Queen (Meghan Chase's) brother. Ever since Kenzie made it her business to get to know Ethan better, her world turned by 180 degrees.

The normal world that she was used to living in was replaced by the world of the fey. In the beginning, it appeared that Kenzie wasn't at all shocked by the strangeness, that she took everything normally. But truth was, she was terrified, even if curious and ready to explore at the same time. Still though, she didn't show her freight, she didn't show her inner fears.

Kenzie was brave and ready to risk her own life for the good of others. Even if those others had hurt her, she still did her best to help out and put herself out there for them. I was simply impressed by her openness and generous nature and love for the beautiful things in the world.

Whose shoes would you like to step into this week?

MiraINK blog competition

I suppose I'm very much behind on this info, but I'd rather share it late than never. Since I don't have time or ability to participate, I'd like to spread the word about it, so whoever's interested could go ahead and win herself some nice prizes. 

So here are the rules:


MIRA Ink is launching a very exciting competition to find the next big star of the blogging world, and as one of our highly valued and esteemed bloggers, we wanted you to be amongst the first to know! We’re offering one incredible prize, a twelve month paid contract as our in-house book reviewing blogger AND a top of the range laptop or iPad.
‘How can I get Involved?’ you may be asking… Well, it all begins tomorrow when round one opens for entries. We’d LOVE you to enter and here’s how you do it:
1.       Write a blog about a topic of your choice, as long as it’s no longer than 500 words and somehow related to books (it doesn’t have to be a straightforward review though)
2.       Submit it via our Facebook App by the 25th November
Visit our Facebook app for the full competition details http://www.facebook.com/#!/miraink/app_465730946803270 (you won’t be able to enter until the competition officially launches tomorrow though).
A top 10 will be announced on the 29th November – these people will go through to round 2 where they’ll be asked to make a 60 second video convincing us that they should be the BlogINK winner. (If you get through to round 2, we’ll tell you everything you need to know).
If you don’t think the competition is for you, don’t worry, you can still get involved by talking about the competition and helping us spread the word in the blogging community.
·         Follow us on Twitter @MIRAInk using the competition hash tag #blogINK
·         Read and comment on the entries which will be posted on our Tumblr page www.miraink.tumblr.com
·         Keep checking our Facebook page www.facebook.com/MIRAInk for the latest competition news
·         We’d LOVE you to publicise the competition on your own blog - Just tell us if you need any more information.

I I hope one of you guys gets to win the prize! If you do, don't forget to let me know so I could feature you on YA Story Teller!

Tuesday, November 6, 2012

In her shoes ~31~

Every Tuesday I will pick a character I've read about recently, perhaps even the week before, and try putting myself in her shoes. What things would I do differently? What have I learned from her behavior? That kind of thing. You are welcome to participate if you want, just please link back, so we could build a nice community of followers. Thanks!!! :)


The Paladin Prophesy is the last book I read. The narration was done from a male POV, and since this is a girl-related MEME, I thought I would skip this week's post. However, I remembered this character, Elise, who was super cool and just plain awesome and I thought I should give her some praise.

True, Elise was not a main character. She wasn't even the main character's girlfriend. But she was a devoted - even if brooding - friend and I really loved her.

In the beginning, Elise was forbidding and distant. She didn't trust the new arrival to the Center - a.k.a. Will West. But that was only on the outside. In her heart she knew he was someone special, and she was just waiting for him to AWAKEN to who he was. She stood by his side and helped even at the cost of her own health.

How could you not love her? Her quiet love and suffering at the loss of her boyfriend, which she carried with great dignity and bravery were like a crown to her character.

Elise is my pick this week, who's shoes would you like to step into this week?

Monday, November 5, 2012

My Monday gets!

I had been waiting for a while for a couple of books to arrive in my mailbox. And guess what I got this Saturday???? The books! The amazing, super cool books, courtesy to Mira INK. Thank you very much Elise for sending me those ARCs!


And, as you can see, I've already started on The Lost Prince. It captivated me from the very beginning, and I can't wait to get into it!!

So how about you? What did you get this week?

Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Waiting on Wednesday #42

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Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly blog post by Jill over at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights releases we're eagerly awaiting.

My pick this week is:


Title: Uses for Boys
Series: none
Author: Erica Lorraine Scheidt 
Release date: January 15th, 2013

Summary:
Anna remembers a time before boys, when she was little and everything made sense. When she and her mom were a family, just the two of them against the world. But now her mom is gone most of the time, chasing the next marriage, bringing home the next stepfather. Anna is left on her own—until she discovers that she can make boys her family. From Desmond to Joey, Todd to Sam, Anna learns that if you give boys what they want, you can get what you need. But the price is high—the other kids make fun of her; the girls call her a slut. Anna's new friend, Toy, seems to have found a way around the loneliness, but Toy has her own secrets that even Anna can't know.

Then comes Sam. When Anna actually meets a boy who is more than just useful, whose family eats dinner together, laughs, and tells stories, the truth about love becomes clear. And she finally learns how it feels to have something to lose—and something to offer. Real, shocking, uplifting, and stunningly lyrical, Uses for Boys is a story of breaking down and growing up.


 Why I want to read it:

Umm... why indeed? Did you read that summary up there^^^^^^??? If not, then scroll up and do read it!!! It's a hot contemporary YA romance of growing up and falling in love. Of course I can't wait to get my hands on it!!! Oh, and they have it on Netgalley ;)

So how about you? What amazing book are you waiting on this week?  

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

In her shoes ~ 30 ~

Every Tuesday I will pick a character I've read about recently, perhaps even the week before, and try putting myself in her shoes. What things would I do differently? What have I learned from her behavior? That kind of thing. You are welcome to participate if you want, just please link back, so we could build a nice community of followers. Thanks!!! :)


All The Broken Pieces featured one very brave young lady, who captured my attention in the most spectacular way. Liv was in a coma after a frightening car accident. She doesn't remember anything when she wakes up. She doesn't know who she is, who her parents are, or what happened.

She accepts her parents' story for what happened, but all the while feeling in her gut that something is terribly wrong.

Going through an assortment of weird events, Liv keeps her mind around. Even with all the broken memories that keep popping in her mind, she doesn't break down. She's so strong and brave that I am in awe with her.

Through all the different events, Liv stays true to her new self - she respects people, she doesn't defy authority, she is just really nice and open. I really truly loved her!

Who's shoes would you like to step into this week?