In My Mailbox (05/01/11)

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi over at The Story Siren.

I haven't done IMM in a long time. I've gotten a few things over the weeks but I've been too busy to do an actual post. So prepare for my GRAND IMM! It's going to be epic, no doubt. All books were bought, unless stated otherwise.

Week of April 3rd 

1. The Gathering by Kelley Armstrong (signed)
2. Cryer's Cross by Lisa McMann (signed)
3. City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare

Week of April 10th 

1. Mythlopedia: What A Beast! by Sophie Kelly
2. Mythlopedia: All In The Family! by Steven Otfinoski
3. Mythlopedia: Oh My Gods! by Megan E. Bryant
4. Mythlopedia: She's All That! by Franklin Watts

Week of April 17th (THANK YOU BRODIE FOR THE BOOK! -> She runs Eleusinian Mysteries. You should follow her! I love her to bits <3 )

1. Falling Under by Gwen Hayes

Week of April 24th 

1. Athena the Brain (Goddess Girls #1) by Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams
2. Persephone the Phony (Goddess Girls #2) by Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams
3. Aphrodite the Beauty (Goddess Girls #3) by Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams
4. Artemis the Brave (Goddess Girls #4) by Joan Holub and Suzanne Williams
5. The Giver by Lois Lowry
6. Blood Red Road by Moira Young [Galley Grab]
7. He's So Not Worth It by Kieran Scott [Galley Grab]
8. The Day Before by Lisa Schroeder [Galley Grab]
9. Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma [Galley Grab]

I KNOW RIGHT? THIS IS JUST AMAZING!

I honestly didn't even realize that I got so many books this month.

I went to a Kelley Armstrong signing where I picked up The Gathering before it's release date. I also grabbed a signed copy of Cryer's Cross. I ran to the bookstore after school to pick up CoFA and devoured it.

All the books I bought in the weeks of April 10th and 24th were from the Scholastic catalogues that my younger brother brings home from school so the books were really cheap. I bought the Goddess Girls series for 13 dollars. All four of them. I just can't resist their prices! I bought the Mythlopedia books and The Giver from Scholastic as well.

XOXOXOXO to Brodie! She's just the best! She bought me Falling Under, which I can't wait to dive into.

And Galley Grab. LOVE! I got two of my most anticipated books from their newsletter, Blood Red Road and He's So Not Worth It! YEAHHHHHHHH! 

This was a long post so thank you to whoever (whomever?) reads the whole thing. If you didn't, that's cool! Just link me your IMMs in the comments and I'll drop by! 

2011 Young Adult Contemporary Challenge

Yuup, I'm about to participate in a reading challenge! My first :) I'm super duper excited because I'm really really REALLY into contemporary books right now. There are so many great ones coming out this year and I just want to eat them all up! I mean...read them all up....which doesn't sound as good as eat them all up but *shrugs*

Taken from The Undercover Book Lover’s blog:
Because of the plethora of paranormal books flooding the market (not that I have anything against it, in fact, I love paranormal books!), realistic contemporary YA fiction has taken the back seat. My goal with this challenge is to get you guys to read more YA contemporary books, hence, the 2011 Young Adult Contemporary Challenge! Spread the word (You can use either images above for the official button)!

What is contemporary? It’s the genre wherein the events can happen in real life at the present time. The characters in the novel can be present in real life.

Goal: To read a minimum of thirteen young adult contemporary novels published in 2011.

Yeahhhhh I'm totally ganna own this challenge! It's going to be sorry it ever tried to challenge me! I'M SO EXCITED!  I've already read two: Invincible Summer and We'll Always have Summer

On another note: I'VE REACHED 100 FOLLOWERS! 101 to be exact. Congrats to Bethany, my 100th follower! She's honoured, I know she is ;) Check out her blog. I've totally branded it with my stamp with coolness. (That's right, I have a stamp of coolness. It's for the elite few [read: my followers])

You guys are freaking amazing. I seriously don't know why you all follow me but I must be doing something right :) I do have a giveaway planned. I'm ganna post it next week though. 

That's all for now. I promise promise promise that I'll be more active on the blog this week :) 

Follow Friday (04/29/11)

Follow Friday is a weekly meme hosted over at Parajunkee's View. Each week one blogger will be selected as a feature, so sign up for the Follow Feature. Future features are picked randomly.

Q. Keeping with the dystopian and apocalypse theme that seems to be running rampant on parajunkee.com, I have one very hard question for you: If you were stocking your bomb shelter, what books would you HAVE to include if you only had space for ten?

Oh man, why must you torture me so! 

Harry Potter series (that's 7 already!)

The Book Thief

Anna and the French Kiss

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

I got a bit of everything in there! 

This week has been reallly slow on the blog. School has just been really hectic. I haven't even had time to read a book yet! I started The Gathering on Monday and I'm only 150 pages in. It's exciting but I just don't have the frickken time. 

So I have a feeling I'm going to hit 100 followers this weekend. YAY! I love you all! I mean it, I love you. Because I  love you all oh so much, I'm ganna do a giveaway. Next week :)

Links in the comments! I'll drop by when I have time. Or when I'm procrastinating :)

Review: We'll Always Have Summer (Summer #3)

Author: Jenny Han

Release: April 26, 2011

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing

Goodreads 

Likes

• Raw emotion. Belly is totally conflicted. She thinks she's in love with Jeremiah but then she starts thinking of Conrad in that way all over again. The emotional tension between the characters (especially when we read from Conrad's POV) was intense.
• The beach! The beach in the Summer series has always drawn me in with its soothing waves and warm air. I go to the beach approximately 1 time a year so reading the Summer series is always great for transporting myself to the beach when I'm stuck at home. 
• Belly. If you read the entire series, beginning to end, you can tell that Belly has grown from an insecure, annoying, naive girl. She's been through great ordeals throughout the series and she's always being pulled one way or another. It takes her a while to figure out exactly what and who she wants but she does.
• The boys. Belly's boys. MY boys. Jeremiah and Conrad. They're my boys as much as they are hers. I love them both. I've been through shit with both. I've seen them crumple and rise. I've felt their pain and happiness. I know what they've been through. Technically, the boys should be after me, not Belly ;) 
• First book, I was Team Conrad because he was a dick and I was going through a phase where I loved boys who were jerks. Second book, I was Team Jeremiah because I saw him for the sweet, caring, fun, loving, free-spirited boy that he was. Third book, I'm all Team Belly. After this book, I've come to realize that both boys are too different to compare. They both have their faults but they're both amazing boys. Belly just needed to decide who fit better with her and I think she made the right decision.
• The ending. The ending of the book AND the series, was perfect. In the back of my mind, I always knew who she'd be with but Han takes us on a ride that leaves us doubting ourselves. 
• The secondary characters hit me hard in WAHS. They played big roles in the first two books but this one really took the cake. They were DOWN TO EARTH. Which was something that Belly needed in WAHS. Her decisions were pretty rash but secondary characters (like her mom) always tried to push some sense into her. But she's REALLY stubborn so, ultimately, she only listened to herself. 

Dislikes

• The beach. Don't get me wrong, I frickken love the beach. But we don't see as much of it as I'd hoped in WAHS. The parts that were set on the beach were important and exciting, but the majority of the time was set away from the beach.
• Belly. Belly. Belly. Gosh, grow up Belly. Believe in your intuition. Stop doubting yourself. You see that feeling in your gut that acts up when shit goes wrong? LISTEN TO IT. Or, don't. Because it makes for a better read :)
• The plot. It dragged here and there. But the emotional tension made up for it. 

To Sum It Up

• Satisfying end to the roller coaster that is this series. (DOES THAT EVEN MAKE SENSE? LOL)
• Characters were believable and relatable. 
• Emotion! It was high strung throughout the series. 
• Plot sorta dragged, time on the beach was lacking.

*Thank you Galley Grab!

Blogger Hop & Follow Friday (04/22/11)

The Book Blogger Hop is a weekly meme hosted by Jennifer at Crazy For Books. Each weekend a new question is posted for book bloggers to answer on their blogs. Find out more and join in on the fun at this weekend's post here.

"If you find a book you love, do you hunt down other books by the same author?"

YES! Every. single. freaking. time. When I read a book that I absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE to pieces, I feel really empty after putting it down. I need something similar that'll keep me going. So I look for books by the same author in the hopes of experiencing his/her writing style and imagination once again.

Follow Friday is a weekly meme hosted over at Parajunkee's View. Each week one blogger will be selected as a feature, so sign up for the Follow Feature. Future features are picked randomly.

Q. What is on your current playlist right now?

Hm...
 Ne-Yo, Drake, Nicki Minaj, Chris Brown, T.I., Adele, Miley Cyrus, Taylor Swift.

I'm into rap & hip hop but I've become flexible over the years, hence the Miley, Taylor, and Adele LOL Adele's amazing, for realll! 

Links, links, links in the comments! I'm heading out to the US this weekend so I won't drop by right away but I will when I get back!

Also, don't forget to check out my reviews this week: 

Hunger by Michael Grant
Stay by Deb Caletti
Invincible Summer by Hannah Moskowitz

Teaser Tuesday (04/19/11)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My Teaser:

"I had to know. I had to hear it from Jeremiah."
- We'll Always Have Summer by Jenny Han

Damn... I'm past this part and let's just say that Belly's not happy with what she hears....

Don't forget to check out my review for Invincible Summer by Hannah Moskowitz. It was released TODAY! I think you need to pick it up. Then tweet Hannah telling her how freaking awesome she is. Then follow her blog because....just go on her blog. Read her stuff. You'll know why you need to follow it! 

Review: Invincible Summer

Author: Hannah Moskowitz

Release: April 19, 2011

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Rating: 4.5/5

Goodreads

Likes

• For a book about summer, it was very profound. It was emotional and thought provoking. Nothing that I was expecting.
• The main character, Chase, was an absolute treat. His character was raw and honest. He cared about one of the most important things in life above all else: family. The story was told over 3 summers and the character development is clearly there. He's a completely different person at the end of the novel.
• Gideon, Chase's deaf younger brother, stole my heart. He added depth and heart wrenching emotion to the novel. For a seven year old, he was wise. Much more wise than I was at seven. 
• All of the characters were diverse and their personalities just fit together like the pieces of a puzzle. They all influenced each other in one or another and they all developed as characters because of those influences.
• The writing just sucked me in. Probably because it's similar to the way I talk in my head. I was able to just breeze through the pages without any discrepancies. 
• Although it was an emotional read, I was still satisfied with summeriness (it's not a word but it's effective!) When summer rolls around, I tend to yearn for summer-y novels and I swear I was able to feel the sand between my toes while I read Invincible Summer.
• This novel was able to make me laugh one second and choke up with sadness in the next. Roller coaster ride of emotions? I think so!
• The plot never faltered. It moved at a steady pace to match the characters and the high strung emotions. 

Dislikes

• Chase's younger sister Claudia was a bit bleh to me in the beginning. She was too...sexual for her age, I guess. But that actually changes over the four summers. She, like the rest of the characters, grows and matures because of the trials she faces. This isn't really a dislike though, more like a minor irritation that goes away. 
• The constant quoting of Cadmus quotes was a bit unrealistic but the quotes fit into the book perfectly so...*shrugs*

To Sum It Up

• My favourite quote: "There is no going back, so fuck you, universe." Leave it to Chase to say something profound while flipping the middle finger to the universe. That's why I love him. 
• Definitely not a light summer read. Highly emotional and nerve wracking. 
• Perfect character development and plot.
• Cover and synopsis are pretty misleading. Don't judge this book based on the cover.

*Thank you Galley Grab! Recieved an arc...honest review..blah blah blah.

Review: Stay

Author: Deb Caletti

Release: April 5, 2011

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Rating: 4/5

Goodreads

Likes

• Plot was really intriguing. The chapters switched from past to present. Learning about events in the past built up a lot of suspense because it was obvious that something big was going to happen in the present because of the past.
• Accurate portrayal of emotional abuse. Christian messed with Clara's head. I totally saw it but he lured her into his trap and she was obviously blind to the hidden abuse. 
• Clara learned a lot from her experiences and grew as a character. In the flashbacks, we learn about her relationship with Christian and it was very hasty. She just rushed into it and didn't get to know him beforehand. She learns from her mistakes though. 
• I love love love Clara's father!! He's poetic and thoughtful because he's a writer. But he's oh, so smart. I'm talking life smart though. He's funny, enthusiastic, loving. And I absolutely love that he swears so much! It just works for him LOL
• Christian. He's a creepy, manipulative, bi-polar psychopath but I have to appreciate his character. If I were Clara, I would've bitch slapped him all the way to Mars. No matter how much he pissed me off, I still respect his character because he was able to evoke such strong emotions in me. 
• Every character was unique. They all contributed to the plot, no matter how small their role. 
• The dialogue was great. It was natural and easy to follow. Funny too. 
• Caletti's writing was beautiful. She was descriptive and her writing made me stop and think constantly. I began questioning things that I'd never even thought of before. 
• Resolution tied up the plot points nicely.

Dislikes

• The ending wasn't as climatic as I expected. The lead up to the end was huge. I was anxious to see how it all played out but it fell flat. 
• Caletti uses footnotes to give extra information. I liked the info but I didn't like stopping in the middle of the page to read the footnote. It kinda threw me off balance and messed up my flow. 

To Sum It Up

• Plot kept me interested.Writing was graceful.
• Characters were believable and developed throughout the novel.
• Climax flopped but resolution was good. 

Review: Hunger (Gone #2)

Author: Michael Grant

Release: May 26, 2009

Publisher: HarperTeen

Rating: 3.5/5

Goodreads

Likes

• Diana, the antagonist's girlfriend-ish type friend, really stole the show! I loved her. She was cruel and yet I could tell that she felt conflicted about what she did. I feel like she's on the verge of doing something good but I can never be too sure with her.
• The suspense kept me moving through the pages. There was always something going on.
• The characters showed their frustration, anger, and fear, making them more believable.
• Grant's writing was nicely paced. The story kept moving. For certain characters, the writing kept me engaged. 

Dislikes

• It was far too long. It could've been shortened by at least 100 pages. 
• Some of the plot lines were pointless. Some of them just went on and on and then ended. I'm not sure if they'll resurface in the future books or if they aren't quite over but they felt done to me.
• There are far to many villains. There are 3 at the end of Hunger. Reading about one in particular was tedious because I felt that the other villains were more important.
• In Gone, the point of view switched between characters but it wasn't confusing. I can't say that for Hunger. I felt disoriented when the point of view changed, especially around the end.
• I couldn't connect with some of the characters. They just didn't strike a cord with me. When these types of characters were narrating, the plot and writing usually dragged. 

To Sum It Up

• Plot was suspenseful, kept me intrigued. 
• Some characters didn't do anything for me, others got me really excited.
• Too many villains. 
• Will read the next in the series, Lies. 

Review: Anna and the French Kiss

Author: Stephanie Perkins
Release: December 2, 2010
Publisher: Dutton
Rating: 5/5
Goodreads

Likes

• ANNA is incredibly cute! So cute that my face was plastered with a big goofy grin for 90% of the book!
• Etienne! I know every other girl who read ANNA has called dibs on him (I'M TALKING TO YOU BRODIE) but I can't help but want him all to myself! He's cute, smart, passionate, friendly, loyal. He has a great heart and he messes up just like everyone else. His great hair and smile are just added bonuses! And that English accent? MAJOR SWOON!
• Character development is a must for me and ANNA does not fail in that category. Every single character shows some kind of development, either positive or negative. It was most obvious in Anna. She grew from being scared, lost, and sorta childish to strong, independent, and self-sufficient. 
• All the characters have background. By which I mean that they have reasons to behave and think the way they do because of their past experiences. It makes sense, and I empathize with them, no matter how messed up their decisions are.
• The chemistry between Etienne and Anna is electric! Their relationship starts with regular attraction but then it blossoms into love. They actually TALK to each other and get to know each other. Anna doesn't pull a Bella and fall in love with Etienne simply because he's beautiful. 
• The dialogue!! Their conversations actually make sense, I didn't randomly get lost. And they were easy going and believable too, not awkward.
• Paris is the perfect setting for ANNA. It simply exudes romance. Plus the historical background adds to the plot. The characters are able to do so much in a city filled with opportunities. Paris actually felt like it's own character to me.
• Perkin's writing just drew me into the book. I got so involved and engaged in the writing. I felt like I was in the book with Anna and the crew drinking coffee, making jokes, eating lunch, rubbing peculiar places on statues LOL
• The ending is perfect. P-E-R-F-E-C-T! I loved that all the loose ends are tied up and I wasn't left wondering what happens to the characters that I invested in.

Dislikes

• ...Probably when....well....there was that one part....yeah... I can't think of anything to dislike. 

To Sum It Up

• Loads of character development. Allowed me to connect with the characters.
• Romance was cute, real, and torturous (I say that in the best way possible)
• I was thinking about ANNA for DAYS after I finished it. When I'm trying to go to bed, I think about ANNA and start smiling to myself. I think about ANNA whenever my French teacher discusses her trip to Paris, or whenever she speaks French for that matter (which is ALL THE TIME). I think about ANNA when I see the cute boy in my English class ( because he's just so cute! Like Etienne! YUMM <3 )
• I'm totally kicking myself in the rear for not reading ANNA earlier. I don't know how I survived without reading it!

Review: City of Fallen Angels (TMI #4)

Author: Cassandra Clare
Release: April 5, 2011
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry
Rating: 5432424/5
Goodreads

Likes

• Being back in the TMI world was so invigorating. I didn't realize how much I missed it until I read the first page! Once I started, I just couldn't stop. The setting, the writing, everything is just perfect!
• Simon. No matter what anyone says, CoFA is HIS book. Everything ties to him. He's funny and quirky, exactly how he was in the first three. He's gone through a lot though and it shows in CoFA. He's much more mature and he's developed a lot from CoG.
• Clary was really kicking ass in CoFA! She kicked ass in the first three as well but it was more prominent in CoFA. She's still new to the Shadowhunter world though and she has a long way to go.
• Jace and Clary. Need I say more? No, but I will! Their relationship is just, WOAH! I love that they're not totes-in-love-with-no-problems-whatsoever, it's much more believable. Personal struggles abound between the two and their relationship is greatly affected. They're growing stronger as a couple because of their issues. 
• Magnus and Alec. They got mad problems goin on too, but similar to Clary and Jace, their relationship is only growing. They're able to lean on each other and their love just feels true.
• I have to give a special mention to Isabelle. My admiration for her has only grown. She has such a strong heart and mind. Nothing can touch her, physically and mentally. Plus, she kicks ass and looks good while she's at it! 
• The old characters! They're all like old friends. Even the evil characters have a special place in my heart. 
• The new characters! Wonderful additions to the cast. They offer so much more to the plot and they bring forth so many new opportunities!
• The plot! The plot of CoFA was everything I hoped for and more. It was filled with darkness, pain, angst, mystery and BLOOD! 
• There was never a dull moment! It kept moving and moving and I was literally FLYING THROUGH THE PAGES! 
• The antagonist. I never would've guessed who it was! The antagonist was perfect though. Perfectly evil, with believable motives and intentions.
• The ending was just...HOLY CRAP! I don't want to give anything away but let's just say there was a crapload of blood. So much blood, I was smelling it! I think my nose was bleeding though. My nose is pretty smart, it performs special effects at the perfect times! And don't you "EWWW" me! LOL
• The Jace/Clary letter from CoG! In Canada, the special edition CoFA was available with the letter. It was so cute! And heart breaking too. Oh Jace, be mine <3 Well, not really. I don't want Clary coming at me with her new Shadowhunter weapons! 

Dislikes

• *cricket cricket*

To Sum It Up

• I stayed up all night to finish it. You'd think that I would've been tired at school after staying up all night but I wasn't! I was stuck on a CoFA high! But that evening, the CoFA withdrawal hit. I MISSED IT SO MUCH! It hadn't even been 24 hours after I put it down and I YEARNED TO READ IT AGAIN. It was THAT good!
• Cassie Clare has a way of sucking me in and spitting me out. She'll grab my brain (& my heart!) with her talented hands and squeeze them until they're oozing and raw. Then she'll drop them and walk away while I crawl in the dirt behind her, BEGGING FOR MORE!
• I'm willing to commit murder for City of Lost Souls. No lie. 
• GO READ IT! GO READ IT! GO READ IT! GO READ IT! Have I said it enough? No? GO READ IT!

Follow Friday (04/08/11)

Follow Friday is a weekly meme hosted over at Parajunkee's View. Each week one blogger will be selected as a feature, so sign up for the Follow Feature. Future features are picked randomly.

So, this week's question:

Q. DO YOU JUDGE A BOOK BY IT'S COVER?

Yeah I do. My initial interest stems from the cover. But that's not the only thing that catches my attention first. The title, the author, the blurb (if any) on the cover all contribute to my attraction. If I hear rave reviews about a book from bloggers or friends that I trust, I'll pick it up. I actually never read the synopsis of a book. I want to go into the book totally unaware and the synopsis gives the whole story away. So yes, I do judge books by their covers but that doesn't mean I won't pick them up!

If you have time, check out some of my posts for this week:
Spread The Awesome #1
Review: Angelfire by Courtney Allison Moulton
Review: Red Glove by Holly Black

Links in the comments! I may drop by a little late but I'll drop by for sure!

Spread The Awesome #1

Brodie of Eleusinian Mysteries started this new meme called Spread The Awesome. So no picture yet for this feature because Brodie's a "spur of the moment" type of girl and she put up her first post three hours after creating the feature. Plus, I bet she's clueless with all that technical mumbo jumbo, as am I. It's okay Brodie! We still love you *kisses*

UPDATE! Brodie went out and found the awesome-est picture thingy for this meme:

A weekly feature in which I spread the awesome about something I'm in love with at the moment. Whether it's a book, piece of news, person in the blogging/writting/publishing community - anything that is awesome and remotely related to reading. There can never be too much 'lovefesting' in the world :)

Yes Brodie, "lovefesting" is a must!

So here goes. My AWESOMENESS for this week is a blogger. She's a friend too, one of my firsts in the blogosphere. I think I've gotten awesome-er by following her blog. Can you guess who it is? None other than:

MS.BRODIE OF ELEUSINIAN MYSTERIES

No surprise there! This is going to sound creepy but I WORSHIP this girl. To organize my thoughts in a concise and organized manner, I shall write the reasons I think she's awesome in a list.

Reasons Why Brodie is Full of Awesome Sauce:

• Well, she's my friend. All of my friends are awesome. I exude awesomeness. That's why all of you are awesome too! If you're reading this blog post, my awesomeness is slowly seeping into your skin. Cool right?!?! LOL 
• She's the most helpful person IN THE WORLD. I'm not even exaggerating. If I asked her to write my blog posts for a week, she'd do it. 
• She's Australian. 'Nuff said.
• She has the most creative brain in the world. Read her posts. Just read them and you'll know what I'm talking about. She comes up with these cool, funny phrases and I'm just here trying to write something that doesn't make me sound like a fool. But I always fail. 
• She gives the best advice EVER. Whenever I have a hard time with something I ask her for help and she always knows exactly what to say. When I was having issues with my blog name, I went to her and she was so sweet about it. When I wrote my post about honest reviews, I asked for her help and feedback; her advice makes so much sense and she's so polite. 
• Her blog is freaking amazing! It's simple and elegant. She puts so much work into it and her efforts are totally worth it. Content is honest and thoughtful. Layout is visually pleasing. Title is intriguing. Her blog has got it going on!
• She's obsessed with Harry Potter. Again, 'nuff said.
• She's a tree hugging vegan! I swear, this girl can single handedly save the environment.

There are so many more reasons why Brodie is awesome. I just don't want this post to go on for another 5 days. Anyone who knows her will agree that she's awesome. She's the awesome-est person I've met in the blogosphere! Follow her blog and you'll totally see what I'm talking about! Read her Spread The Awesome post here! 

Brodie's Awesome Twitter
Brodie's Awesome Blog (I know, I've already linked it 2 times before but I REALLY want you to click it!)

Brodie's Awesome Goodreads

Review: Angelfire

Author: Courtney Allison Moulton
Release: February 15, 2011
Publisher: HarperCollins / Katherine Tegen Books
Rating: 1.5/5
Goodreads

Likes

• The premise is very promising. 
• Dialogue between characters was fun, for the most part. 
• I liked that Moulton was very graphic when describing injuries. There were a couple sentences about tendons and ligaments showing and I got pretty excited!
• Ellie's mom was probably my favourite character. She was motherly: worried, strict, kind, loving.

Dislikes

• I thought the beginning was very slow because Ellie focused on her personal life a lot. I thought she would make fighting a priority but she didn't. It took me a while to get into it because for more than half the book, Ellie was chilling with her friends, not focusing on the major issues at hand. 
• I couldn't connect with Ellie at all. Probably because I couldn't understand her motives and reasons for doing the things she did. 
• In fact, I couldn't connect with any of the characters. They were very inconsistent; they said one thing, did another. Personalities didn't correspond to decisions and actions, especially for Ellie.
• Ellie and her friends were not the type of people I would get along with, which is why I didn't like them as characters.
• Sometimes the dialogue was awkward. I mean, I don't go around calling my friend a "hooker" for going out with someone. I know it's a joke but the word choice is just...weird.
• Ending wasn't really climatic for me. 

To Sum It Up

• Wasn't the book for me. 
• Didn't capture and hold my attention.
• Didn't care for any of the characters. 
• Dialogue was engaging though.

Review: Red Glove (Curse Workers #2)

Author: Holly Black
Release: April 5, 2011
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry
Rating: 4.5/5
Goodeads

Likes

• The world! The world Holly has created is incredibly fascinating. So many twists and turns! It's impossible to tell who's your friend and who's your enemy. 
• Cassel. Oh boy, he's easily working his way up my list of favourite male characters. You probably don't know this but I have a thing for bad boys. And Cassel is definitely one. But the cherry on top is that he has a good heart. He tries to do the right thing. He's shown a lot of character development from White Cat. But he's still a flirt with a bad ass attitude! Yummmmm !!
• I liked Cassel's indecision between getting involved in the con world or not. It showed good character development as well. 
• We get to see much more of Lila in Red Glove. I can gladly say that I FREAKING LOVE her!! She's bad-ass. She's cool. She does dumb things but whatever. I love that she's the daughter of a mobster. 
• Cassel's family is beyond cool! Mentally twisted, but awesome!
• Plot was nicely paced. There was never a dull moment, Cassel just can't stay out of trouble!
• Got straight to the action in the beginning. Holly didn't spend 100 pages retelling the story from White Cat. She reiterated the most important points and kept the plot of Red Glove moving. 
• The ending still left me anxious for more, even though the climax wasn't as shocking as White Cat.
• The mindset of all the characters was really interesting to read about. Some of them believe with all their heart and mind that conning people and doing illegal things is just a normal part of life. I liked the variety of perspectives and it kept me engaged in the story. 

Dislikes

• I felt the plot building up towards a grand climax but it fell short. 
• White Cat had a huge OMG-I-DIDN'T-SEE-THAT-COMING twist at the end and even though I didn't predict the end of Red Glove, I still expected more of a climax.

To Sum It Up

• Excellent character development. This series is one of the rare few in which I absolutely love every single character.
• Fast-paced plot. Jam packed with action and twists.
• Climax fell short. Ending was exciting, nonetheless.
• I NEED BLACK HEART (CURSE WORKERS #3) !!

Red Glove comes out April 5th. That's tomorrow folks! City of Fallen Angels comes out tomorrow as well! Scurry down to your nearest bookstore and grab a copy of both. I know I will!! Also, don't forget to check out Lila's short story to the left, to the left of the blog. LOL

* Galley received courtesy of Galley Grab (what an amazing bunch!) for an honest review. 

In My Mailbox, er, Email Inbox (04/03/11)

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi over at The Story Siren.

Now, get ready for this. So, in February, I signed up for Galley Grab. I was all, "COOL!!! Man, technology is really feeding my book addiction!" They told me to do a bunch of stuff (download this, and sign up for that, and do this and that). Well, they told me to do two things, but you get the idea. I, being the book strumpet that I am, went and did everything they told me to do. After I did it all, they told me to wait and said that I'd receive invitations for books. Okay, I thought, let's see how this goes. I waited, and waited, and waited, and waited. NOTHING EVER CAME. 

Until now. *insert boss-like head nod*

When I saw the email, I felt like a baby getting offered some chocolate. And when I saw all the titles they were offering, I was in chocolate heaven! So I just sat there downloading all the chocolate I could :) I ended up with 9 (yes, you read that correctly) 9 BOOKS! THATS 3 TO THE POWER OF 2. I am such a boss. 

1. Red Glove by Holly Black
2. We'll Always Have Summer by Jenny Han
3. Invincible Summer by Hannah Moskowitz
4. Stay by Deb Caletti
5. The Summer Before Boys by Nora Raleigh Baskin
6. The Summer of Firsts and Lasts by Terra Elan McVoy
7. Sixteenth Summer by Michelle Dalton
8. Between Here and Forever by Elizabeth Scott
9. Boyfriends with Girlfriends by Alex Sanchez

This is the email inbox of a boss. I admit, there must be many bosses in the world right now, considering the amount of people that blog about books. I'm glad to be one of them. We're book bosses!

PS. High fives to everyone who caught my use of the word "strumpet." We're reading Othello in English class and the word strumpet comes up A LOT. 

Also, I got the email last last week but I knew that this week would be IMM-less if I didn't hold off on these books 

LINKKKKKKKKKS in the comments, my friends. I want to see how much of a boss you all are! 

Blogger Hop & Follow Friday (04/01/11)

The Book Blogger Hop is a weekly meme hosted by Jennifer at Crazy For Books. Each weekend a new question is posted for book bloggers to answer on their blogs. Find out more and join in on the fun at this weekend's post here.

Today's question:

"Since today is April Fool's Day in the USA, what is the best prank you have ever played on someone OR that someone has played on you?"

My French teacher actually played a really convincing prank on my class once. She was packing up her stuff during class because she had to leave early and she told us that she was packing up because she just got fired. She's famous at our school for threatening students who don't complete their homework and she told us that one of the students reported her. Her threats are always hilarious so the whole class was devastated. After telling us that she was joking, she reminded us to study for the test scheduled for the following day. We all freaked out until she yelled April Fool's again!

Follow Friday is a weekly meme hosted over at Parajunkee's View. Each week one blogger will be selected as a feature, so sign up for the Follow Feature. Future features are picked randomly.

So, this week's question:

Q. WHAT IS THE BOOK THAT YOU REALLY DON'T WANT TO ADMIT TO LOVING?? 

Hmm...this one is hard. I really can't think of a book that I love but can't admit. If you read my post about honesty in reviews, you'll understand that I just say what I feel about a book. I'm not into hiding things. 

If you want me to drop by and stalk- I mean, follow you, leave links in the comments!