Current Giveaways

Click on the book cover to head over to the giveaway page for these books! None right now :)

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Leaving for Vacation!

Hey guys! Just dropped in to say that I'm leaving for vacation today, going out of the country, so there won't be any new posts until I get back, which will be on Tuesday. Hope you guys enjoyed the holidays, and have a wonderful rest of your vacation!

Love,
Ashley

Sunday, December 26, 2010

In My Mailbox (13) {Late}

Hey guys! Sorry this week's (or last week's now) IMM is late! Here it is!



AHHH! I GOT A NOOK! I'm really excited to read and review some ebooks now!

Friday, December 24, 2010

Merry Christmas!

Just wanted to say MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYBODY! Enjoy this time with your family.


Thursday, December 23, 2010

Lesley Livingston Mini-Interview


If you haven't already, please take this blog evaluation survey for me. Thank you so much! :)

I got together with Lesley Livingston, the author of the amazing Wondrous Strange Trilogy, and did a small interview about the books, theater, and Shakespeare. Here it is:

Q: I myself am a theater person, (the musical I’m in goes up next week! Aah!), and I wanted to know just how big a role does theater plays in your life? Why did you choose theater as a main part of your novels?

Ooh! Break a leg! (er... maybe not in the way Dame Barbara does in WONDROUS STRANGE).

Theatre has always played a huge part in my life. I wanted to be an actor from the time I was a kid and it influenced me greatly growing up. I adore Shakespeare and I love the thrill of getting inside a character's head and then the rush of performing. It's funny how the two professions - acting and writing - dovetail so nicely. They are both storytelling and, while acting - essentially telling someone else's story - is awesome, at some point I realized that I also wanted to tell my own!

As for the theatrical aspects of the WONDROUS STRANGE books, well - it just fit so perfectly: I needed a girl who was living in NYC because of Central Park; the city is famous for its theatre scene; Shakespeare wrote about Faeries; and I already had a deep knowledge of the biz, so... voila! Kelley was an actress from the get-go. I love it when a plot comes together!
 

Q: You have an immense love for Shakespeare. How was the experience of taking characters from his plays (like Puck) and giving them a new life? Also, are there any specific scenes or lines from Shakespeare that you would go back to again and again for inspiration?

I do have a pathological fondness for the Bard, I must admit! It was both daunting and gratifying to take on the task of borrowing from his work, but I think Shakespeare was the kind of writer who would be totally okay with that kind of thing. After all, he himself built some of his best-loved stories around pre-existing plots and characters. And I always say - if you're gonna steal, steal from the best! ;-)

There is so much richness in those tales that it makes it easy to draw inspiration but I did go back again and again to the first confrontation scene between Oberon and Titania, and also to a few of Puck's speeches when I was deciding on what my version of the Fair Folk would be like.

There's also a line from Hamlet which has always inspired me in my writing and that is: "There are more things in Heaven and Earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy".


Thanks so much Lesley for answering my questions! 

_____________________________________________________________________
Lesley is a writer and actor living in Toronto, Canada.  Captivated at a young age by stories of mythology and folk lore, past civilizations, and legendary heroes, she developed into a full-fledged Celtic Mythology Geek, steeped in stories of the Otherworld, Faeries and King Arthur. Lesley went on to earn a Master’s Degree in English from the University of Toronto specializing in Shakespeare and Arthurian literature.

For almost three years, Lesley hosted weekly late-night movie marathons on the nationally broadcast television show, SPACEBAR, as the Waitron-9000, a sparkly holographic waitress with an encyclopedic knowledge of obscure B-movie trivia. She is also a founding member and principal performer with Tempest Theatre Group.

Lesley is an unrepentant egghead – a character-trait that somehow doesn’t interfere with a love of shoes and shiny things. WONDROUS STRANGE is her debut novel, the first in a trilogy published by HarperCollins. The second book in the series, DARKLIGHT, will be in stores in December 2009. 

_____________________________________________________________________

Tempestuous by Lesley Livingston



Author: Lesley Livingston
Publisher: HarperTeen
Pages: 368
Series or Standalone?: Last in series
Buy This Book:

“I don't love Sonny Flannery.”
That's the lie Kelley Winslow told to protect the boy she loves from a power he doesn't know he possesses. Devastated, Sonny retreats—to a haven for Lost Fae that's hidden deep underneath New York City.
But Kelley's not about to let things end in heartbreak. To get Sonny back, she's got to find out who's after his magick—and how to use her own. She's got to uncover who's recruiting Janus Guards to murderously hunt innocent Faerie. She's got to help rebuild the shattered theater company she called family. And she's got to do it all without getting dangerously distracted by the Fennrys Wolf, whose legendary heart of stone seems to melt whenever he's around Kelley.


Wow… where do I even begin?

The Wondrous Strange series is amazing, definitely one of my favorite. The first novel hooked me in. I fell instantly in love with the whole world that Lesley created, as well as the characters. Then Darklight… wow, Darklight was an even more intense ride, and the ending nearly killed me. 


This was an astounding conclusion to the series! I really couldn’t have asked for more. Every question I had was answered, and almost all the loose ends were tied together nicely. There were of course things that were left open for the reader’s imagination, such as Kelley and her parents. I really loved the progression in her relationship with them, and there is a definite possibility that her and her parents may become closer over time. This is what I believe happens, because, seriously, this novel was so good I of course had to continue the story in my head. ;)

The writing was, like always, wonderfully descriptive and vivid. I also loved how we got to see completely different sides to several characters, such as Mabh. We saw an almost… kind side to her. Almost. And Sonny! My heart broke for him. He is just too sweet to be hurt like that.

And then there is Fenn!!!!!!! AHHHHHHHH!!! I must honestly say that I am totally in love with Fenn. Under any other circumstances, I would be rooting for him, but of course, I’m Team Sonny. But Fenn really did win my heart.

There was never a dull moment, or a page where something wasn’t happening. I was gasping dramatically *LE GASP!* or grinning like an idiot the entire time. If you haven’t picked up Tempestuous, go! Read it!

Plot: 4.5/5
Characters: 5/5
Writing: 5/5
Cover: 6/5!
Uniqueness\Creativity: 5/5
Overall

Tempestuous on Goodreads, Shelfari, and LibraryThing

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Blog Evaluation Survey! Please Take!

If you guys would be so kind as to PLEASE take this wonderful blog evaluation survey. This is so I can know what I need to improve on the blog, and what's going well.

To take the survey, CLICK HERE.

Thank you SO much for reading my blog, and I hope to make this experience as wonderful for you as possible!

Lesley Livingston?!?! In a commercial??!!

Holy crap! The blonde woman in this commercial is Lesley Livingston. Isn't that insanely freaking awesome???? I crack up everytime I see this and she randomly yells "HEEEEELP!"


For those who don't know, Lesley Livingston is the author of the novels Wondrous Strange, Darklight, and Tempestuous.



NEW FEATURE! Subscribe Via Email

Hey guys! I just added a new feature to the blog. You can now subscribe via email, and receive the feed for the blog through your email! You can sign up here by entering your email, and then all you have to do is confirm it and you're set.


Enter your email address:

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This handy little widget is also located on the side bar right beneath the follower box. :)

Review: The Greyfriar by Clay Griffith and Susan Griffith

Authors: Clay and Susan Griffith
Publisher: PYR, an imprint of Prometheus Books
Pages: 301
Source: Finished Copy
Buy This Book
In the year 1870, a horrible plague of vampires swept over the northern regions of the world. Millions of humans were killed outright. Millions more died of disease and famine due to the havoc that followed. Within two years, once-great cities were shrouded by the grey empire of the vampire clans. Human refugees fled south to the tropics because vampires could not tolerate the constant heat there. They brought technology and a feverish drive to reestablish their shattered societies of steam and iron amid the mosques of Alexandria, the torrid quietude of Panama, or the green temples of Malaya. It is now 2020 and a bloody reckoning is coming.

Princess Adele is heir to the Empire Equatoria, a remnant of the old tropical British Empire. She is quick with her wit as well as with a sword or gun. She is eager for an adventure before she settles into a life of duty and political marriage to a man she does not know. But her quest turns black when she becomes the target of a merciless vampire clan. Her only protector is the Greyfriar, a mysterious hero who fights the vampires from deep within their territory. Their dangerous relationship plays out against an approaching war to the death between humankind and the vampire clans.
I received The Greyfriar for review awhile ago, and for some reason I kept putting off reading it. I finally decided to pick it up, and I’m so glad I did! This book exceeded any expectations I had of it.

When the novel started out, I was just sort of waiting for something to pull me in. I didn’t feel the spark until The Greyfriar himself showed up, which was really early in the novel. From then on, I was hooked. I finished this novel in one day.

I just couldn’t stop reading.

The plot was action-packed. I the scenes between Adele and Greyfriar, and Adele and Gareth. It was interesting to see the contrast between how she treated each man, and then eventually, the mergence of her actions for both. That part of the plot is a little complicated, and I can’t explain it without giving something away, but if you read it, you’ll know exactly what I’m talking about.

My only issue plot-wise were… well, basically any of the scenes that didn’t have Adele in them. I lost interest slightly when the perspective changed, even though I understood that the change served a purpose.

The romance in the story was… wow. I knew it was coming. I knew. But it’s the kind of romance that just sneaks up on you, and then hits you like a ton of bricks at the end, even though you already saw the bricks hanging in a crumbling net over your head. It slowly built up and simmered, and that’s what I loved. There were some tender moments that just made me smile.

The characters were so well-rounded and described. Each had a role to play, and each played it superbly. Despite the potential for cheesy-ness, the Griffith duo managed to pull everything off wonderfully, and most importantly, believably. My favorite character is a tie between Adele, the butt-kicking heroine, and Gareth, the eldest vampire prince with a kind heart.

I really do commend the Griffith duo for making up such an intricate world, with it’s own history, while intertwining it with real history. And the vampires! A very new twist on an extremely overdone thing. The vampires in this novel, most certainly did not sparkle, but they DID kick some ass.

I guess my only major qualm with the book is the cover. It really does not appeal to me. I’ll admit that it’s a big reason why I didn’t pick this book up sooner. It’s so… gray. And I get that the artist did that to convey the destruction that was happening, but there are much better ways to portray that. Also, I don’t like the model or drawing or whatever that is of Gareth. That’s absolutely not how I picture him, and I actually covered up that part of the cover the entire time I was reading this so it wouldn’t ruin my mental image of him.

Overall, I loved this novel. I really did, and I’m dying for a sequel. Let’s hope it comes out soon! I give it 5 out of 5 stars!

Saturday, December 18, 2010

In My Mailbox (12)

IMM is a weekly meme started by Kristi at The Story Siren.

Here are my books in vlog form! (Sorry, I'm sick so I sound bleh.)



Show me what you got! I love to see them!

Friday, December 17, 2010

Review: Ophelia by Lisa Klein


Author: Lisa Klein
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children’s
Pages: 328
Series or Standalone?: Standalone
Buy This Book:

He is Hamlet, Prince of Denmark; she is simply Ophelia. If you think you know their story, think again.
In this reimagining of Shakespeare's famous tragedy, it is Ophelia who takes center stage. A rowdy, motherless girl, she grows up at Elsinore Castle to become the queen's most trusted lady-in-waiting. Ambitious for knowledge and witty as well as beautiful, Ophelia learns the ways of power in a court where nothing is as it seems. When she catches the attention of the captivating, dark-haired Prince Hamlet, their love blossoms in secret. But bloody deeds soon turn Denmark into a place of madness, and Ophelia's happiness is shattered. Ultimately she must choose between her love for Hamlet and her own life. In desperation, Ophelia devises a treacherous plan to escape from Elsinore forever... with one very dangerous secret.
* * *
Ophelia is my absolute favorite play character of all time. She’s, in my opinion, Shakespeare’s greatest work within his greatest work (Hamlet is also my favorite play, and of course, in my eyes, the greatest play ever written.) So when I saw that my friends were reading this novel called Ophelia, I flipped and instantly ran out and bought it.

Lisa Klein did a great job reinventing Ophelia’s and Hamlet’s relationship, giving it life that we’ve never seen before in Shakespeare’s play, going behind the scenes to show you what happens. She delves into the common controversies regarding this play (such as: was Ophelia pregnant with Hamlet’s child? Was Ophelia really crazy? Did she really kill herself? {My answers to that are Yes, No, and Yes, all in that order.}) and Klein creates this intricate story around them.

I will admit that it started out amazing, and I was loving every moment of the plot twists and turns. I loved looking at the events of the play from a new, more modern perspective. But then half way through the story, things kinda took a turn for the weird, and then by the end, verged on “WTF just happened?” I have mixed emotions about this book, because I agreed with a lot of the things that Klein presented us with regarding the characters and the relationships between them, as well as motives that were vague in Shakespeare’s original work. But once she began distorting things to fit the plot, I kind of put it down and said “Okay, this is getting a little freaky.” But I always picked it back up again.

The writing was wonderful. I really feel that Klein stuck to the Shakespearean theme and tone, which is a ridiculously hard thing to do, so I applaud her for that.

The cover is not one of my favorites, mostly because that’s not how I picture Ophelia at all. Looking at the cover sort of distorts my image of her, so I’m not such a big fan of it.

Basically, if you’re not a Shakespeare enthusiast or not a Hamlet enthusiast, and are just looking for a good read, this is your book. If you are like me, you’ll find yourself nit-picking every little thing and, also like me, won’t enjoy it as much. It’s a toss-up, really. But I do recommend it.

Plot: 2/5
Characters: 4/5
Writing: 5/5
Creativity\Uniqueness: 3/5
Cover: 1.5/5

Thursday, December 16, 2010

Fan Art for Great Books

One thing I love almost as much as books is art. So when talented people combine those two, they create something beyond amazing. Below are some beautiful pictures I've found that illustrate some of of my favorite characters from some of my favorite books. (NOTE: I found all these pictures on Deviantart.com)

Jace Wayland by Tavaron
My personal favorite! This is Jace from the Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare. Okay, he's gorgeous. Absolutely GORGEOUS!



Eavesdropping by Yaneying
This is a picture of Gemma from A Great and Terrible Beauty, Rebel Angels, and The Sweet Far Thing by Libba Bray. A definite favorite of mine!

OR

Nightshade by skellingt0n
Look at this gorgeous cover that skellingt0n made for one of my favorite novels Nightshade by Andrea Cremer. Stunning!


Wondrous in Color by Endorenna
This is beautiful! It's a picture of Kelley from the Wondrous Strange Trilogy by Lesley Livingston. This is exactly how I pictured her!


Katherine: The Vampire Diaries by Morbid-Vixen
This is a drawing of Katherine from the Vampire Diaries by LJ Smith. This series is amazing, and so is this picture!! Katherine looks.... beautiful yet deadly.


Do you have a fan art that you made for your favorite novel? I'd love to see it! Post a link in the comments, and it might get featured!!


Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Enthusiasm by Polly Shulman

Author: Polly Shulman
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile
Pages: 212
Source: Purchased
Genre: YA Contemporary
Buy This Book
There is little more likely to exasperate a person of sense than finding herself tied by affection and habit to an Enthusiast." Julie knows from bitter experience: her best friend, Ashleigh, is an Enthusiast. Ashleigh's current fancy is also Julie's own passion, Pride and Prejudice, and the heroine's quest for True Love. And so Julie finds herself swept along with Ashleigh, dressed in vintage frocks and sneaking into a dance at the local all-boys' prep school. There they discover several likely candidates for True Love, including the handsome and sensitive Parr. And Julie begins to wonder if maybe this obsession of Ashleigh's isn't so bad after all. . . .

I bought Enthusiasm through a catalog that my English teacher would give out each month, and when I saw it, I said “Oh, that looks cute.” So I ordered it, and immediately started reading it when I arrived.

And I immediately loved it.

This isn’t a heavy novel, or complicated, but it had just the perfect amount of normalness, simplicity and fun that I enjoyed reading it more than most books, and I finished it quickly.

Julie was a great character, so realistic and smart. She’s really not a girl you’ll find in most YA books today, which added so much to this already great book as I read it. I obviously had a soft spot of Ashleigh, seeing as my name is Ashley. Ashleigh and I are also very similar personality wise, except I’d like to think I wasn’t so fickle.

Everything about this book was good. The plot, the characters, the writing, and even the cover. This is well worth the money and well worth the read. If you’re looking for a nice book to snuggle up with on a rainy or snowy day, this is definitely your book. I give this novel 5 out of 5 stars.

Monday, December 13, 2010

Questions/Comments for me?

Hey guys, since the year is winding down, I figured I'd do this now.

Does any one have any questions or comments for me? If you do, submit them below! I'm more than happy to read them.

*Please note that this is for meaningful content. Please no spam.

Uninvited by Amanda Marrone


Publisher: Simon Pulse
Pages: 224
Series or Standalone?: Standalone
Buy This Book:


When rejection comes back to bite you...
Jordan's life sucks. Her boyfriend, Michael, dumped her, slept his way through half the student body, and then killed himself. But now, somehow, he appears at her window every night, begging her to let him in.
Jordan can't understand why he wants her, but she feels her resistance wearing down. After all, her life — once a broken record of boring parties, meaningless hookups, and friends she couldn't relate to — now consists of her drinking alone in her room as she waits for the sun to go down.
Michael needs to be invited in before he can enter. All Jordan has to do is say the words....
 
* * *

Uninvited is definitely not a favorite book of mine. It doesn’t even come close. I wanted to like it, but I just couldn’t. It was Jordan that ruined the reading experience for me. The entire book, she was drunk off her ass and because of that, I never got to see the real her. I felt like she spent the whole time complaining about her predicament and never actually doing anything. She was just flat, and… drunk.

There’s a vampire at your window, begging to come in every night. One of three things will happen: A) you let him in and jump his bones  B) You let him in and he kills you C) You pull out a stake and skewer him. Personally, I would choose a combination of options A and C… But it seems Michael had a different idea. 

There was too much casual drinking, sex, and drug use for my taste. I really dislike books like that, because (I’ve said it before) it’s unrealistic.

What I did like about this book was Michael. There was something about him that made the book better. Maybe it’s just my thing for bad boys. But vampire Michael was the highlight of reading this book.

Plot: 2/5
Characters: 3/5
Writing: 3/5
Uniqueness\Creativity: 2.5/5
Cover: 4/5
Overall: 


Uninvited on Goodreads, Shelfari, and LibraryThing.


Sunday, December 12, 2010

In My Mailbox #11

Hey guys! Sorry it's a little late, but better late than never, right??

IMM was started by Kristi at The Story Siren.

This week, I got one book:

An ARC of The Demon Trapper's Daughter by Jana Oliver

That's it, what did you guys get? Link in the comments!

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Kissed By An Angel by Elizabeth Chandler

Author: Elizabeth Chandler
Pages: 690


Ivy always believed in angels. When she meets Tristan, it's the love of a lifetime. When he dies, her heart is broken and her belief in angels vanishes. And without that belief, she is unable to feel Tristan's presence when he returns--as an angel. Now Ivy is in terrible danger, and Tristan is struggling to save her. How can he protect her if she's lost her faith in angels?



Kissed By An Angel is an omnibus (meaning several books bound together in one, just in case anyone didn’t know) and includes the novels Kissed By An Angel, The Power of Love, and Soulmates. But I’m reviewing them as a whole.

Please, don’t pay attention to he Celine Dion-esque titles of the books. They are amazing. Heartbreaking, breathtaking, gut wrenching…. AMAZING. I instantly got into the books, into Ivy and Tristan’s story. Ivy and Tristan’s relationship was so real; this is one of the best YA love stories  have read in a long time. They were so sweet together and Tristan was such a gentleman and a general all around cutie pie.

Ivy herself was my favorite character. She had a lot going on in her life and dealt with all of it as it came. Her emotions were raw and piercing, yet she still retained that sense of self that will sometimes get lost in novels like this.

But the character that came in for a close second is Gregory. Talk about bad boy. He was extremely hot and appealing, except he was… well… insane. But I guess that’s half the attraction.

This is one of those very few and rare novels that really touched me and left me feeling such tumultuous emotions even after I finished it. It left me both heart broken and happy all at the same time. It is also one of the select few that actually made me slightly teary-eyed. This is a definite read for romance lovers, paranormal lovers, and anyone just looking for a great story!


Add Kissed By An Angel of Goodreads and Shelfari.

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

The Prophecy of the Stones by Flavia Bujor

Author: Flavia Bujor {She was 14 when she wrote it}
Pages: 398
Series or Standalone: standalone
Buy This Book:
Amazon

Over the last two years, fifteen-year-old Flavia Bujor became a media sensation around the world with her much-heralded fantasy debut, The Prophecy of theStones. The novel was published in more than twenty-one countries, and Flavia appeared in countless magazines and on television programs including The Today Show. The Prophecy of the Stones tells the story of three teenage girls-Jade, Opal, and Amber-who are chosen to fulfill an ancient prophecy. Although strangers, they must learn to trust one another with their lives as they embark on an epic journey, armed only with magical stones. They must leave their families and friends to battle fierce enemies in a magical land called Fairytale, where evil is unknown.In a parallel world, a young girl named Joa fights for her life in a hospital in Paris. While she is dreaming, she is transported to a magical realm where the three young heroines fight a spectacular battle. Their success or failure will determine the fate of Fairytale . . . and Joa's survival.

*I’m going to be a bit more generous with this review than I normally would be, because this book was originally written in French, and the thing that could make a break a foreign book is a good (or bad) translator. (NOTE: This is not a comment in the translator, only a general statement.)

The novel started out a little childish, and that sense of youth never really left the novel. All three of the girls are on the eve of turning 14 when the book starts out, so right off the bat you know it’s not going to be anything super teenager-ish. The writing itself is sub-par to what I mostly read. But I could deal with it because, as I’m learning French, I realize that not everything translates exactly as it would normally be in the original language. Actually, I want to get the novel in French and take a crack at it.

Still, as I got more into the book, I could overlook the writing and focus more on the plotline. It was cute, but “campy” as the friend who let me borrow it said. The Prophecy of the Stones was a highly entertaining read, although I know a lot of people wouldn’t like it.

This is definitely not YA, more of a Middle Grade, better for 9-13 year olds. Not one of my favorites, but it was good.


Add Prophecy of the Stones on Goodreads and Shelfari.



Monday, December 6, 2010

Glass Houses by Rachel Caine

Author: Rachel Caine
Pages: 248
Publisher: NAL
Buy This Book
Barnes and Noble
Amazon
Borders
Indiebound
College freshman Claire Danvers has had enough of her nightmarish dorm situation. When Claire heads off-campus, the imposing old house where she finds a room may not be much better. Her new roommates don't show many signs of life, but they'll have Claire's back when the town's deepest secrets come crawling out, hungry for fresh blood.
Rachel Caine is honestly one of my favorite authors of all time. I’m shocked and immensely impressed that she can fit so much action and characterization and just general amazing-ness into one very small book.
Glass Houses never once dragged, or lacked in characters, or really anything bad. My only complaint is that it was too short! Haha. At least there are several more books after it. I really enjoyed this book.

Claire is such a well-rounded girl. She’s smart, occasionally sassy, and just all around cool. I would want a best friend like Claire. And Eve is great too, always with some smart-ass comment.

And let me tell you about the boys.

Yum.

Michael was every kind of sexy you could imagine, in a very “I-am-drop-dead-sexy-but-I-don’t-know-it” sort of way. He’s a dreamy blond haired guitarist with some mad skills, and he’s sweet and caring as well. And hot.

And then Shane!

WOO! I need more Shane in my life. I really do. I loved him to no freaking end. He’s my favorite character. He’s so funny and hot, and just generally…… hot. Haha.

The writing was great, the pacing of the plot was amazing, and there were so many things packed in their that you wouldn’t think could fit into only one book. I absolutely recommend this book to anyone! I give this novel 5 out of 5 stars.

Sunday, December 5, 2010

WINNER! of the 200 Follower Giveaway

The 200 Follower Giveaway has officially ended, and I have randomly selected a winner. That lucky person is....


Congrats Lorelei!! Your copies of Teenage Waistland and Jumpstart the World will be mailed out soon! :)


I have other giveaways still going on if any of the other entrants who didn't get picked still want a chance to win some books. You have the option of winning 24 BOOKS! Or, you could win Thirst by Christopher Pike. Head on over now and sign up!

In My Mailbox #10

IMM was started by Kristi at The Story Siren.

This week, I got 3 books.

The first was an ARC of Deadly by Julie Chibbaro. I won it on Goodreads.

The next was an ARC of Torment by Lauren Kate. I won it from Random Buzzers. (This book is already in stores.)


The last one is an ARC of Wither by Lauren DeStefano. This looks amazing!


What did you get in your mailbox? Link in the comments!

:)


Saturday, December 4, 2010

December Book Giveaway

Hey guys! I've decided to give away one book every month, starting this December. For this month, the book I'm giving away is Thirst by Christopher Pike.

As to blood — ah, blood, the whole subject fascinates me. I do like that as well, warm and dripping, when I am thirsty. And I am often thirsty....
Alisa has been in control of her urges for the five thousand years she has been a vampire. She feeds but does not kill, and she lives her life on the fringe to maintain her secret. But when her creator returns to hunt her, she must break her own rules in order to survive.
Her quest leads her to Ray. He is the only person who can help her; he also has every reason to fear her. Alisa must get closer to him to ensure her immortality. But as she begins to fall in love with Ray, suddenly there is more at stake than her own life....

This contest is INTERNATIONAL!!!
It ends December 30th, 2010.

To enter, sign the form below.

Thursday, December 2, 2010

Wish me Luck!

Today is opening night of the play I'm in! It's called Lucky Stiff, and I play Annabel, in case anyone was wondering. You can just look it up, you'll find a synopsis.

I'm really excited, but that's why I haven't been active on the blog lately. 

Anyway, off I go!

Wish me luck, or rather, to break a leg! :)

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson


Author: Laurie Halse Anderson
Pages: 288
Series or Standalone?: standalone
Buy This Book:



“Dead girl walking,” the boys say in the halls.
“Tell us your secret,” the girls whisper, one toilet to another.
I am that girl.
I am the space between my thighs, daylight shining through.
I am the bones they want, wired on a porcelain frame.
 

Lia and Cassie were best friends, wintergirls frozen in matchstick bodies. But now Cassie is dead. Lia's mother is busy saving other people's lives. Her father is away on business. Her step-mother is clueless. And the voice inside Lia's head keeps telling her to remain in control, stay strong, lose more, weigh less. If she keeps on going this way—thin, thinner, thinnest—maybe she'll disappear altogether. 



Wintergirls is the kind of novel that, when you turn the last page, you just sit there thinking. And thinking. And thinking.

This novel deals with girls being ashamed of their image and how they look, and the lengths they will go to change themselves. The things that a person will do to make themselves “thin” or “pretty” can be fatal if it goes too far, as Lia herself learns.

BUT, while this novel deals with those problems, it’s not about them. Anorexia and bulimia were not the disease, only the symptoms. When people describe this book, they often say “Lia suffered from anorexia.” No, she didn’t. She suffered from a crappy life, she suffered from her own fears and insecurities. Lia suffered from herself. Anorexia and cutting were how she escaped. I’m not saying those are right by any means, but this novel isn’t about that. It’s really about coming to terms with yourself, and learning to accept who you are is who you will always be. There are just some things you can never change, and some things you’re not supposed to change.

This novel, for me, was scary as hell, but completely amazing. It delved right into Lia’s mind, into her problems. It really made me think about myself and all of my insecurities, and it helped me accept some things.

Anderson writes with such stark, vivid, dark tones that there were some parts where I had chills running through me. I read this book in one sitting because I just couldn’t stop reading.

I absolutely recommend this book to teenage girls, especially those that have doubt about themselves or who they are.






Add Wintergirls on Goodreads and Shelfari.

Monday, November 29, 2010

Darklight by Lesley Livingston

Author: Lesley Livingston
Pages: 336
Series or Standalone?: 2nd in trilogy
Buy This Book:
Much has changed since autumn, when Kelley Winslow learned she was a Faerie princess, fell in love with changeling guard Sonny Flannery, and saved the mortal realm from the ravages of the Wild Hunt.

 Now Kelley is stuck in New York City, rehearsing Romeo and Juliet and missing Sonny more with every stage kiss, while Sonny has been forced back to the Otherworld and into a deadly game of cat and mouse with the remaining Hunters and Queen Mabh herself.

When a terrifying encounter sends Kelley tumbling into the Otherworld, her reunion with Sonny is joyful but destined to be cut short. An ancient, hidden magick is stirring, and a dangerous new enemy is willing to risk everything to claim that power.
Caught in a web of Faerie deception and shifting allegiances, Kelley and Sonny must tread carefully, for each next step could topple a kingdom . . . or tear them apart.

**Beware, if you have not read Wondrous Strange, DO NOT READ THIS REVIEW!**

Wow, where do I possibly begin with Darklight? I adore this series so much. The premise is so enthralling: Kelley is actually the daughter of the Winter King and the Autumn Queen, stolen away when she was a baby by a mortal woman whose son was also stolen by the fey. That son just so happens to be Sonny Flannery, the boy that Kelley is madly in love with.

Fun, right?

Not just that, but Kelleys’ father, Auberon, has taken his side of Kelley’s birthright from her, leaving her with only her mother’s very potent, darker magick. At the Samhain gate is cracking, letting creatures through and making more work for the Janus guard.

This book was a perfect continuation of Wondrous Strange. It picked up slightly after WS ended, and immediately threw you into action. Kelley takes a trip to Central Park, which she should be avoiding, and from there things go bad.

What really surprised me about this book is the not-so-subtle hinting at Team Fennrys!!!!!! WHOA. From the moment that he started getting some major air time, I couldn’t stop thinking, “Okay, this is going somewhere. But where?” I’m also slightly chagrined to say that I can totally see Kelley with Fenn… But I don’t think it would be right. She belongs with Sonny.

If you liked Wondrous Strange, you’ll love Darklight. I was turning pages frantically, needing to know what happened next. In fact, I started at finished this book in just over 2 hours. I give this novel 5 out of five stars.

Read my review of Wondrous Strange here!

Sunday, November 28, 2010

350 Page Challenge BUTTONS!

Here are some buttons I made that you can put up on your blog to link back to here.
What's the 350 Page Books Challenge? Find out HERE!




Will probably update with more soon. ;)

Until then, remember to sign up!

350 Page Books 2011 Challenge



I’ve noticed that, while I love thick books, I tend to avoid those unless absolutely necessary. So, while I force myself to read the big books, I figured I would make it fun and include you guys too.

And so the 350 page books challenge was born. The objective is to read as many books as possible that contain 350 pages.

The challenge will last from January 1st, 20110- December 31st, 2011.

The Guidelines:
·      *This challenge does not have to only include YA, but it should be predominantly YA that means at least 75% of the books you read should be young adult fiction.
·     * Each book MUST contain 350 pages or more.
·      *Only physical copies and e-books will count toward the challenge. (Sorry, but audio books don’t have pages!)
Y  YES, e-readers DO count! :) 
·       -You can add each book as you read them. You do NOT have to make a list.

One randomly picked participant will receive a massive prize pack with BOOKS and ARCs and SWAG!

So, if you’re willing to join, please fill out the form below!


People Participating:
SIGN UP FOR THIS CHALLENGE IS OVER! 




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