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Thursday, September 30, 2010

Review: Gothic Lolita by Dakota Lane

Author: Dakota Lane
Pages: 194
Publisher: Ginee Seo Books
Genre: YA Free Verse
Source: Purchased
Buy the Book
TWO GIRLS, THOUSANDS OF MILES APART.

Chelsea lives in Los Angeles; Miya lives in Tokyo. Other than the fact they're both half Japanese and obsessed with dressing like Gothic Lolitas, they would seem to have nothing in common. Or do they?

THE BLOG THAT WENT AWAY.

They got to know each other through their blogs. But three years ago something happened to Chelsea, an event so terrible that she stopped writing altogether. Miya's been checking Chelsea's blog ever since, to see if she's come back, but she never has. Until today.

A LIFE AND DEATH CONNECTION.

Today is the day Chelsea finally goes back online and tells Miya everything. And today is the day that Miya's life could change forever because of it. Like a Japanese manga come to life, Gothic Lolita is a mythic fairy tale about love, death, and rebirth...and the courage it takes to reach out to another soul.
Gothic Lolita is one of those novels, one that speaks to the reader and has a message, but one that I really disliked reading.

I really am not a fan of free verse, and that’s exactly what this book was—with no capitalization whatsoever, which REALLY drove me crazy. If you’re like me and are easily distracted by lack of capitalization (my inner-editor was throwing chairs against the walls of my brain) then I suggest not reading this book.

I was just generally confused with this book, and not in the great “Harry Potter” confused way. It also took forever for the book to go anywhere, and even when the plot did move, it only moved an inch and then stopped, as if it were too tired to get up and keep going.

Also, I’m really not too keen on the cover photograph. That angle is really unflattering, and it makes the model look very… un-modely.

One aspect that I did like was the photography in between the narrative parts. The photos gave perspective to the story, and brought to life the setting. I give this novel 1.5 out of 5 stars.

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

The Van Alen Legacy by Melissa de la Cruz


With the stunning revelation surrounding Bliss’s true identity comes the growing threat of the sinister Silver Bloods. Once left to live the glamorous life in New York City, the Blue Bloods now find themselves in an epic battle for survival. Not to worry; love is still in the air for the young vampires of the Upper East Side. Or is it? Schuyler has made her choice. She has forsaken Jack for Oliver, choosing human over vampire. But old loves die hard...And even coldhearted Mimi seems to suffer from the ties that bind.
Young vampires unite in this highly anticipated fourth installment of the New York Times best-selling series.

I love the Blue Bloods series. And I loved this book even more. The Van Alen Legacy finally wove together several of the plots that had been waiting in the wings for a while.

My favorite character is Schuyler, and that’s why I was a little disappointed with how the focus of this book came away form Schuyler and centered more on the two other narrators, Bliss and Mimi. Schuyler as a character was, I think, the best and most impressive yet. She’s traveling the world with no one but Oliver by her side, and she has a team of Venerators on her trail, yet she stays strong and cool.

Plot-wise, this book was a HUGE leap forward. And just like previous books, people die. People that I loved and really, really, really didn’t want to die. Romances blossomed and were reinvigorated, or crumbled and shattered. It was intense, and I almost didn’t see the ending coming.

{By the way, I’m totally going for Jack. Yum.}

Again Melissa de la Cruz gives us an amazing book that’s hard to put down. If you’re a fan of the Blue Bloods series, make sure you pick up The Van Alen Legacy.

Book Details:
Hardcover
369 Pages

4 1/2 Stars







Monday, September 27, 2010

Radiant Darkness by Emily Whitman


Persephone lives in the most gorgeous place in the world. But her mother's a goddess, as overprotective as she is powerful. Paradise has become a trap. Just when Persephone feels there's no chance of escaping the life that's been planned for her, a mysterious stranger arrives. A stranger who promises something more—something dangerous and exciting—something that spurs Persephone to make a daring choice. A choice that could destroy all she's come to love, even the earth itself. In a land where a singing river can make you forget your very name, Persephone is forced to discover who—and what—she really is.

One of my all time favorite Greek myths is the Abduction of Persephone. Honestly, I’m obsessed. So I quickly snatched up Radiant Darkness the moment I found out it was a retelling of that very story.

Having researched so heavily on this myth, I went in reading with a head full of facts and expectations. When it came to the test, Radiant Darkness did not do justice what I was expecting. The whole point of Radiant Darkness is to tell the “truth” about Hades and Persephone: that Hades never really kidnapped her. “Okay, I’ll play along,” I thought at first. But Hades and Persephone knew each other all of a few days when he suddenly asks her to be his wife and queen. There was barely any development to their romance. Just four or five encounters and then he’s whisking her off (willingly) to the Underworld.

            {Also just saying, Hades had a beard. I don’t dig beards.}

One of the aspects that I loved about this book was the Underworld itself. It wasn’t simply stone and dirt, dark and gloom, but rather a complete world of its own with the sun shining during the day and even gardens for Persephone to tend. Whitman turned the Underworld into something new and original, and I really appreciated it.

I also loved the evolvement of Persephone’s character from a girl to a woman­¾from average to goddess. Part of this evolvement was the growth of her relationship with her mother, Demeter. At first, Demeter only did was she thought was best for Persephone without any consideration for what her daughter wanted, but towards the end, she realized her daughter was a grown woman and could not be suffocated and smothered. On her part, Persephone realized that her mother loved her more than anything, and was only doing what she did because of that love.

Whitman’s writing was very elegant, and interestingly descriptive. She continually uses a descriptive technique that’s all her own, and I loved. Example:

“It’s a deep voice. I can feel it reverberate in my chest and echo all the way down to my toes. I know I should leave, but I don’t want to. I want to keep my senses like this forever. I’m all eye, all ear, all skin.”

Radiant Darkness was an all right book that I did like reading. It just could have been better.






Sunday, September 26, 2010

GIVEAWAY!

I know it’s several months early, but I figured I’d get a start on it now. I’m giving away 24 books for this year’s holiday season. 24 BOOKS! I know, I’m crazy.

One lucky winner will get this massive package of books:


Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants by Ann Brashares
Eragon by Christopher Paolini
Eldest by Christopher Paolini
Brisingr by Christopher Paolini
Rosie and Skate by Beth Ann Bauman
3 Willows by Ann Brashares
The Pillow Book of Lotus Lowenstein by Libby Schmais
A Great and Terrible Beauty by Libba Bray
Rebel Angels by Libba Bray
The Book of the Maid Servant by Rebecca Barnhouse
Going Bovine by Libba Bray
Love Is the Higher Law by David Levithan
Madapple by Christina Meldrum
Solace of the Road by Siobhan Dowd
Three Black Swans by Caroline B. Cooney
Confessions of a Serial Kisser by Wendelin Van Draanen
The Asylum for Wayward Victorian Girls by Emilie Autumn
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne
The Trials of Kate Hope by Wick Downing
The Fire Within by Chris D’Lacey
Swallowing Darkness by Laurell K. Hamilton
The Ashleys by Melissa de la Cruz
The Nightmarys by Dan Poblocki
Black Box by Julie Schumacher


You MUST be a follower to enter. The contest will run until MIDNIGHT, DECEMBER 24TH, and then I will choose a winner and send it out as soon as possible. So, who’s ready for this?

To enter fill out THIS FORM.

YES, the contest IS international! :) SO FEEL FREE TO JOIN ALL YOU FOREIGN BLOGGERS!


Friday, September 24, 2010

Over the Weekend Hiatus

Hey fellow readers!

This weekend, I'll be gone, and I haven't had enough time to schedule a post, so instead I'm just taking a hiatus. I should be back on Monday with a review of The Van Alen Legacy, or, actually, I WILL be back on Monday. So you guys can look forward to that.

Also, in other news, I've set myself the goal of finishing 100 books in 101 days. I've gotten through 2 books, and I have 97 days left. Anyone think I'm not up for it?

Sincerely,
Ashley

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday was started over at Breaking the Spine.


Night Star by Alyson Noel. Released November 16, 2010.
I really like the Immortals series, and I can't wait to get my hands on this one!




Last Sacrifice by Richelle Mead. Released December 7, 2010.
Also a big fan of the Vampire Academy books. 




The Lost Saint by Bree Despain. Released December 28, 2010.
These covers are just so beautiful. Such a great series. I'm very eagerly waiting for this one.


Tuesday, September 21, 2010

My Soul to Take by Rachel Vincent

Author: Rachel Vincent
Book Type: Paperback
Number of Pages: 279

She doesn't see dead people, but… She senses when someone near her is about to die.

And when that happens, a force beyond her control compels her to scream bloody murder.

Literally.

Kaylee just wants to enjoy having caught the attention of the hottest guy in school.
But a normal date is hard to come by when Nash seems to know more about her need to scream than she does.

And when classmates start dropping dead for no apparent reason, only Kaylee knows who'll be next…

I got this book through the Harlequin Teen Panel, and I was very excited to read it after reading nothing but good reviews. Reading all this wonderful feedback gave me some pretty high expectations. These expectations were exceeded in some cases, and fell flat in others.

First off, Rachel Vincent is a sensational writer. Her style was easy to follow and refreshingly descriptive. She set the mood and tone of the novel perfectly. Lately I’ve read too many books that either talk down to teenagers, or portray the characters like 30 year olds instead of 17 year olds. But Vincent found a nice middle ground. The entire novel is told through Kaylee’s point of view, and being inside her head was enjoyable. She was rational and smart, and very real.

I also have to give Miss Rachel some major bonus points for the originality! I have read enough about vampires and werewolves and ghosts (oh my!) to last me a lifetime. But I have yet to come across another book about banshees. Or bean sidhes, as it’s originally spelled. I actually didn’t know very much about bean sidhe mythology, and I wasn’t very interested in it until I read My Soul to Take. After I finished, I went and started looking up all sorts of information, and I must say I have a new favorite mythological creature. (Funnily enough, my friends call me a banshee all the time because I can do this weird high pitched keening, kinda like Kaylee. I wonder why I’ve never bothered to look into it.)

Kaylee as a protagonist was great. My only complaint was that I’m a little tired of the “But I’m not that pretty!” schtick, but at least she didn’t emphasize it that much. Kaylee carried a lot of baggage from a terrible childhood. Her mother died, her father dumped her with her aunt and uncle and barely talked to her or even visited, and at one point she was institutionalized. And she isn’t on very good terms with her prim and perfect cousin Sophie, either. But she’s got a good friend Emma, who is there for her even when Kaylee is having her “panic attacks”, which is actually her soul song for the people who are about to die. I would have actually liked to see more Emma in the novel. She was in there a lot at the beginning, then slowly dwindled away until she just stopped appearing by the last few chapters.  

Plotwise, it was very interesting and unique. We were introduced to creatures not seen much in the YA market, such as banshees and grim reapers. My qualm about the plot is that it happened over a period of 4 days, and so much happens in the four days that honestly, it doesn’t seem like it’s possible for everything that took place to happen in four days. (Also, while we’re on the subject of timing, at one point, Kaylee takes a shower, gets dressed, and blow dries her hair in all of 20 minutes. Girls, I think you’ll agree when I say that I take 20 minutes just to get dressed, let alone shower and blow dry my hair. That was so unrealistic I couldn’t help but notice that one sentence).

And in the course of these four days, Miss Rachel Vincent falls into the dreaded love snare that it seems every YA book these days is falling into: the ‘I’m in love with you, even though we just met’ trap. Yes, my friends. I know. Admittedly, there is a sense of gradualness to Kaylee and Nash’s relationship (Nash is, of course, a jock, gorgeous, and one of the most popular guys at school) but it still happens fairly quickly for my taste.

Definitely a good book, and worth the read, although if you’re nitpicky like me, you’ll notice these things like I did. But, either way, I do recommend this book.

Wow, this was a long review. :)



Monday, September 20, 2010

Changes

Okay, well I knew the whole schedule thing wouldn't last long.

It's been a week and a few days now that I've used the schedule that I made for myself, and I decided that I'm no longer going to follow it. I was thinking about it, and I realized that following the same bi-weekly schedule just feels... mechanic and unreal. So I'm just going to go with the flow. I'm still acclimating to being a blogger again, so it may take time for me to get back in the groove. But I know I'll have it down soon. In the meantime, I will finish up this week using the Week B schedule, and then next week... I'm on my own I guess.

Anyway, I have some BIG things planned for the near future, some huge announcements (*cough*contest/giveaways*cough*) and I'm just dying to spill. But for now, all I can say is expect some great stuff on the way.

I just want to thank everyone who is following this blog, and everyone who has commented. I really, really, sincerely appreciate everything. I didn't expect to get 21 new followers in one week. That really just blew my little mind.

Classics Monday

Young Adult novels are wonderful and all, but amidst all of this angst and vampires and supernatural, people seem to be losing touch with the original great novels. So, every other Monday, I will take the time to point out one classical novel and tell you a little bit about it. Who knows? Maybe you'll be inspired to pick it up.

So, for this Monday, I chose A Doll's House by Henrik Ibsen.
"Ibsen's best-known play displays his genius for realistic prose drama. An expression of women's rights, the play climaxes when the central character, Nora, rejects a smothering marriage and life in "a doll's house."

A Doll's house is really one of my favorites. Please check it out!

(Also, don't let the creepy cover freak you out. That's a rarer cover. Most of the normal ones are a lot more... Pleasant.)




Saturday, September 18, 2010

In My Mailbox #2

In My Mailbox is hosted by the wonderful Kristi from the Story Siren!

This week is a very special week, because it's the week I got my very first ARC! I won it in a contest from RandomBuzzers.com! So without further ado, here is my ARC:

THE SCORCH TRIALS!

The Scorch Trials by James Dashner. Released October 12, 2010

I'm so excited to read this! 

What did you guys get in your mailboxes? Feel free to comment and tell me!


Blood and Chocolate by Annette Curtis Klause


Author: Annette Curtis Klause
Pages: 264
Publisher: Laurel Leaf
Genre: YA Paranormal
Reading Level: 15 years old+
Buy the Book
Vivian Gandillon relishes the change, the sweet, fierce ache that carries her from girl to wolf. At sixteen, she is beautiful and strong, and all the young wolves are on her tail. But Vivian still grieves for her dead father; her pack remains leaderless and in disarray, and she feels lost in the suburbs of Maryland. She longs for a normal life. But what is normal for a werewolf? Then Vivian falls in love with a human, a meat-boy. Aiden is kind and gentle, a welcome relief from the squabbling pack. He's fascinated by magic, and Vivian longs to reveal herself to him. Surely he would understand her and delight in the wonder of her dual nature, not fear her as an ordinary human would. Vivian's divided loyalties are strained further when a brutal murder threatens to expose the pack. Moving between two worlds, she does not seem to belong in either.

What is she really--human or beast? Which tastes sweeter--blood, or chocolate?
I bought Blood and Chocolate ages ago, and only just picked it up last week. I’m very glad I did, because Blood and Chocolate has become one of my favorite werewolf books of all time.

The big kicker with this book is that instead of the fragile human girl falling for the dangerous otherworldly boy, it’s the exact opposite! Vivian is the femme fatal, beautiful and dangerous, who makes Aiden fall for her. I loved that Vivian was strong and willful, doing what she wanted even when it went against everyone in her pack. She followed her heart, even if the outcome didn’t exactly go as she had planned.

It was interesting to read this book, because it was one of the more, erm, risqué ones I’ve read in a while. Nothing outrageous, but there are elements that definitely make this book anti-middle school student. But I enjoyed that Klause included these matters and didn’t curb around them as if teenagers are too stupid to understand what they are.

The book was well written, and I could easily get into Vivian’s head. Take away the fact she was a werewolf, and I could relate to her well. She went through normal teenage girl dilemmas: boyfriend troubles, ex-boyfriend troubles, jealousy, heartbreak, and having all the boys ogling her… Okay, well maybe not normal teenage girl troubles, but it happens. I give this novel 4 out of 5 stars.

Friday, September 17, 2010

Flippin' Awesome Covers

This is a weekly meme-type-thing that I'm going to start doing every Friday. In it I will showcase some cool covers I've come across from both released and unreleased books.

Torment by Lauren Kate. Released September 28, 2010.

The Replacement by Brenna Yavanoff. Released September 21, 2010.
Okay this cover really freaks me out, but I'm also intrigued to read it.

Matched by Ally Condie. Released November 30, 2010

(Did anyone get the pun in the title?)

Thursday, September 16, 2010

The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner by Stephenie Meyer


Author: Stephenie Meyer
Book Type: Hardcover
**SLIGHT SPOILERS AHEAD**
Bree Tanner can barely remember life before she had uncannily powerful senses, superhuman reflexes and unstoppable physical strength. Life before she had a relentless thirst for blood... life before she became a vampire.
All Bree knows is that living with her fellow newborns has few certainties and even fewer rules: watch your back, don't draw attention to yourself and, above all, make it home by sunrise or die. What she doesn't know: her time as an immortal is quickly running out.
Then Bree finds an unexpected friend in Diego, a newborn just as curious as Bree about their mysterious creator, whom they know only as "her". As they come to realize that the newborns are pawns in a game larger than anything they could have imagined, Bree and Diego must choose sides and decide whom to trust. But when everything you know about vampires is based on a lie, how do you find the truth?

Stephenie Meyer strikes again, this time with a novella detailing the daily lives of the newborn vampires. It was an interesting idea, to see how the rogue vampires lived, but not so extremely interesting that it made up for the other problems with the book, and not executed correctly to make me like the book.

My first issue with this book was the characters. More specifically, Bree and Diego. It really bothered me how they only knew each other for a about two hours, and suddenly they were holding hands, and then they kissed, and then Bree felt something irrevocably change in her, suddenly knowing there was a bond between her and Diego, and they are meant to be together. There was no build up to their relationship that could possibly justify something like that. In the blink of an eye, they just were. I would have liked to see more of a romantic development before that happened. And anyway, Diego disappeared after the first 60 or 70 pages.

Also, why do authors feel the need to make their Hispanic characters say something in Spanish, even though no one else in the book speaks Spanish? Is it a political statement or something? As a Hispanic myself, I actually found it annoying for Diego to say “No estoy cemando, I’m not burning.” He just repeated the same thing twice in two different languages for no reason. Bree doesn’t speak Spanish, so what was the point? Maybe Stephenie thought it would emphasize the fact that he was Hispanic.

Plot-wise, the entire novel was completely superfluous, personally. I could have just read Eclipse and been done with it. The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner didn’t tell me anything I needed to know beyond what I already did, and more importantly, didn’t keep me intrigued enough. I knew how it would end, but I was hoping for a better ride on the way down.

Overall, I didn’t enjoy this book as much as I wanted to. It just didn’t work for me, and I’m actually very sorry for that. But on the bright side, it was for charity. The only redeeming quality from this book was one character whom I wished had a larger story arc, and that was Freaky Fred. He could have given the story the fire it needed, but alas. No dice.


Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Waiting on Wednesday

WoW was started by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

Zombies Vs. Unicorns by Holly Black and Justin Larbalestier. Unknown Release Date.
---------
Seriously, how much more AWESOME can something get? Zombies? Unicorns? Holly? AND Justine? I think my head just exploded. Plus, the cover is so colorful I can't resist it. Seems very promising.



Ghost Town by Rachel Caine. Released October 24, 2010
---------
I absolutely cannot WAIT for this book to come out. The Morganville Vampires Books are my favorite, and so far none of the books has disappointed me. This is one of those series that never gets old, even though Ghost Town is to be the ninth book.

That's it for this week. We'll see what else I come upon while I lurk Amazon and Barnes and Noble online.





Tuesday, September 14, 2010

A Reading Meme


I saw this somewhere and I just thought I'd try it. I actually had done it before, but I decided to do it again with much better answers.

Hardback, trade paperback or mass market paperback?
I actually prefer trade paperbacks. They're much easier to handle and read, and also to carry on the go.

Barnes & Noble or Borders?
Barnes & Noble!!!

Bookmark or dog-ear?
Normally, a book mark. But lately, on books I don't love too much, I will dog ear. I've become much more lenient with this.

Amazon or brick-and-mortar?
A little bit of both, although I prefer brick-and-mortar slightly because seeing a book first hand before I buy it assures me if I want it or not.

Alphabetize by author, or alphabetize by title, or random?
I USED to alphabetize by author, and then once my books started numbering in the 200s and 300s, I stopped. Now I just put them together in a way that looks nice.

Keep, throw away, or sell?
I prefer to keep my books. They each have some sentimental value.

Keep dust jacket or toss it?
I don't understand why anyone on this earth would throw away a dust jacket... They're so pretty.

Read with dust jacket or remove it?
Remove it. I hate having it get messed up or in the way. I actually have a rack where I put them while I'm reading.

Short story or novel?
Novels, usually. But I do enjoy the occasional anthology. They can be nice for those short attention-span days.

Harry Potter or Lemony Snicket?
Harry Potter, because he just rules. Seriously.

Stop reading when tired or at chapter breaks?
Chapter breaks. I feel so... incomplete when I stop randomly. Although there are times when one must stop in the MIDDLE of the most important scene because one's teacher starts talking. Grrarl.

“It was a dark and stormy night” or “Once upon a time”?
How about "Once upon a time, on a dark and stormy night..." That sounds much better.

Buy or borrow?
BUYBUYBUYBUYBUYBUY!! I HATE borrowing, and my friends can attest to that. My books need to be MINE.

Buying choice: book reviews, recommendations, or browse?
Whatever strikes my fancy at the moment. Usually browsing, although I do like to read reviews before I buy a book.

Tidy ending or cliffhanger?
Whichever doesn't make me want to hurl the book at the wall.

Morning reading, afternoon reading, or nighttime reading?
Usually late, LATE night reading, around 2am-5am. But whenever I have time, really. Which also means in the five minutes between classes and whenever my teachers aren't paying attention.

Stand-alone or series?
Both. I enjoy any book, as long as it's good. And if it's an exceptionally good book, I like series because the story doesn't have to end for a little while longer.

Favorite series?
Well, this is really a toss up between Mortal Instruments and the Morganville Vampires. Right now, I'd have to say the Morganville Vampires series. Totally amazing.


Favorite children’s book?
Goodnight Moon. HANDS DOWN.

Favorite YA book?
Glass Houses by Rachel Caine.


Favorite book of which nobody else has heard?
To Catch a Pirate by Jade Parker.

Favorite books read last year?
I really can't remember.

Favorite books of all time?
The Phantom of the Opera.

What are you reading right now?
My Soul to Take.

What are you reading next?
Most likely Clockwork Angel.

Favorite book to recommend to an 11-year-old?
11? Um... Kissed By an Angel.

Favorite book to re-read?
I don't reread often. So I don't really have an answer for this.

Do you ever smell books?
All the time. ALL THE TIME. I've actually been caught in B&N by the staff. They look at me weird.

Do you ever read primary source documents like letters or diaries?
Not really, no.

Which book do you irrationally cringe away from reading, despite seeing only positive reviews?
None, because I give all books (except ones for school) a fair chance. I read it, I like it, or I don't. simple.

If you could bring three characters to life for a social event (afternoon tea, a night of clubbing, perhaps a world cruise), who would they be and what would the event be?
Jace, from Mortal Instruments. And Sin from Swoon, because then it would be a hot guy party. And Gabriel from Blood and Chocolate.

(Borrowing shamelessly from the Thursday Next series by Jasper Fforde): you are told you can’t die until you read the most boring novel on the planet. While this immortality is great for awhile, eventually you realize it’s past time to die. Which book would you expect to get you a nice grave?
Timothy of the Cay. (RIP.)

Come on, we’ve all been there. Which book have you pretended, or at least hinted, that you’ve read, when in fact you’ve been nowhere near it?
I pretended to have finished reading Envy by Anna Godbersen for awhile, when in fact I had a good 200 pages left.

As an addition to the last question, has there been a book that you really thought you had read, only to realise when you read a review about it/go to ‘reread’ it that you haven’t? Which book?
Not really, because I know when I've read a book or not.


You’re interviewing for the post of Official Book Advisor to some VIP (who’s not a big reader). What’s the first book you’d recommend and why? (If you feel like you’d have to know the person, go ahead and personalize the VIP.)
Kissed by an Angel, because it's so heartbreakingly real that ANYONE can love it.

A good fairy comes and grants you one wish: you will have perfect reading comprehension in the foreign language of your choice. Which language do you go with?
French, because that's my class this year!

A mischievious fairy comes and says that you must choose one book that you will reread once a year for the rest of your life (you can read other books as well). Which book would you pick?
Blood and Chocolate.

That good fairy is back for one final visit. Now, she’s granting you your dream library! Describe it. Is everything leatherbound? Is it full of first edition hardcovers? Pristine trade paperbacks? Perhaps a few favourite authors have inscribed their works? Go ahead—let your imagination run free.
If I explained it to you, we'd be sitting here for days.
See, I TOLD you that you couldn't always trust the schedule. Today was supposed to be my break day. But oh well, this was fun.


Monday, September 13, 2010

Kiss of Death by Rachel Caine


Author: Rachel Caine
Book type: Paperback

Vampire musician Michael Glass has attracted the attention of a big- time producer who wants to cut a demo and play some gigs-which means Michael will have to enter the human world. For this, he's been assigned escorts that include both a dangerous immortal as well as Michael's all-too-human friends. And with that mix of personalities, this is going to be a road trip from hell…

It takes a very skilled author took keep a book series going over 8 books (soon to be 9, when Ghost Town is released on October 24, 2010) and still keep readers thoroughly satisfied and eager for more. Kiss of Death most definitely meets expectations and keeps those pages turning.
Seeing as this is the 8th book, characterization is basically complete. None of the four main protagonists change much over the course of the story, as they had in previous books. Instead, we have side characters really blossoming and showing their true colors. Among them were Oliver, of whom we see a more compassionate and almost human side.
Almost.
But my favorite character that got more emphasis in this book was Eve’s brother, Jason. He has come to the forefront, and, just like in the previous books, I still couldn’t decide whether I liked him or not, or whether he could be trusted. But that’s half of the fun, isn’t it?
The one aspect that sets Kiss of Death apart from the other Morganville books is that this book doesn’t take place in Morganville. This is the FIRST time we have ever been taken outside the borders of Morganville, and it was refreshing. But, of course, we can’t leave the vampires behind for long…
The entire time I am reading any one of Caine’s books, I always have the feeling that within all this mayhem and chaos, Caine is setting us up, biding her time until the time comes for the final, massive HURRAH. Something big is going down in Morganville, and I for one can’t wait to find out.
My only complaint is that the ending seemed to wrap up to cleanly and quickly for what was going on. I would have liked a little more conflict.
I give this novel 4 out of 5 stars.

Sunday, September 12, 2010

Awesomest Blog I Stumbled Across Award


This award is was created while lurking around the YA Blogosphere and other such directories. And there were so many amazing blogs that just needed to be randomly awarded. So, here are the rules for the award:
1. Lurk around some sort of blog directory. Stumble upon blogs you love.
2. Tag 8 people with this award. You don't need to know them.
3. Leave them a comment telling them they have an award waiting for them.

If you're receiving this award, please link back to the person who gave it to you.

SO here are the 8 people I'm (randomly) tagging:
1. Tina from Book Couture
2. Taschima from Bloody Bookaholic
3. The Book Bind
4. Book Love Teen
5. The Book Pixie
6. Garden of Books For Teens
7. Eating YA Books
8. A Good Addiction

In My Mailbox #1

IMM was started by Kristi from the Story Siren.

This week I only got one book in the mail, but what a great book it is!

Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare.

I can't wait to read this book! Has anyone else read it? Can you tell me how it is?



A New Beginning.... Take Three

Hello hello HELLO!

All right, I know I have said about two other times that I was going to revive the blog, and I didn’t, but this time I am totally serious. I do plan to consistently post things on here, and to ensure that I keep my promise, I’ve made up a schedule! Yay!

It’s actually pretty hilarious that I pick this year to revive the blog, because I’m busier than ever now, but oh well. I do plan to keep this up, and I’m actually really excited for it.

So, without further ado, I present to you the new and improved blog, which will be updated according to a block, Week A-Week B schedule. Here is the schedule, just so you’ll know the method to my madness:

Week A

Monday: Review

Tuesday: Break Day*

Wednesday: WoW

Thursday: Review

Friday: Flippin’ Awesome Covers

Saturday: Review

Sunday: IMM

Week B

Monday: Classic Monday

Tuesday: Review

Wednesday: WoW

Thursday: Review

Friday: Flippin’ Awesome Covers

Saturday: Break Day*

Sunday: IMM

*These are days that I will most likely not post anything. But, of course, that is subject to change. Just don't expect anything on those days.

I’ll be adding this schedule in the left sidebar, along with a box that will tell you what week we are in, so you’ll always know what to expect. Well, maybe not always, because I do like to switch things up a bit sometimes, so there will be instances when I don’t follow the schedule and throw something else in. Or, sometimes when maybe I’m too busy to follow the schedule, and can only get something up on my convenience. BUT, I am more likely to follow the schedule. I am a high school student, following schedules is second nature. : )

I hope you all enjoy my blog, and I really do hope I help some fellow readers out there make good reading choices.

Love,

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