February 29, 2012

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly Meme hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine. Book bloggers present upcoming books they can’t wait to read and share their enthusiasm about new releases.


Author: Tara Hudson
Title: Arise
Series: Hereafter #2
Publisher: HarperTeen
Genre: Paranormal/YA
Release Date: June 5, 2012

Amazon Description: A stranded spirit, and a love story that crosses the divide between the living and the dead…In this hauntingly lovely sequel to HEREAFTER, Amelia – still trapped somewhere between life and death – continues to fight for her relationship with her mortal love, Joshua.Looking for answers, they visit some of Joshua’s relatives in New Orleans. But even in a city so famously steeped in the supernatural, Amelia just ends up with more questions… and becomes increasingly convinced that she and Joshua can never have a future together.Then Amelia meets other spirits in-between and begins to seriously consider joining them. Caught between two worlds, Amelia must choose carefully, before the evil spirits of the nether world can choose for her.

Reaction: I just got the first book in this series, Hereafter, and I can't wait to read it! The covers on these two books are beautiful! The story sounds so interesting and I'm sure that Arise will be a must-have book of the summer!

What book are you waiting on?

February 28, 2012

Review: The Restorer by Amanda Stevens

The Restorer (The Graveyard Queen #1)
Author: Amanda Stevens
Genre: Paranormal Romance/Mystery
Release Date:April 19, 2011
Review Source: Library
Format: Paperback

Summary: Amelia Gray has always been aware of ghosts, and now she travels all over the South cleaning up forgotten or abandoned graveyards. When an enigmatic yet haunted police detective asks for her help to trap a serial killer, their growing attraction constitutes the very gravest of threats.
Review: I had very high hopes when picking up this book. The description sounded right up my alley - a series of murders in an abandoned graveyard? Awesome! This plot sounded fresh and really interesting - tons of potential. The main line of the story is what kept me reading. It was something new and the twists were good - they had me guessing until the end. The main character, Amelia Gray, was a well done heroine. She had the normal struggles in life with the added problems that seeing ghosts brings to the table. Aside from the solid characters and strong story line, my love for this book stopped there. Of course there was some romance, as to be expected, but what could have been an intriguing relationship or at least the start of one, turned out to be overly predictable and boring. Parts of the story, mostly about the background of some of the characters and the stories surround Charleston's history really bogged the book down. There were good twists and secrets throughout the book, which I was hoping would be given answers at the end, but I was left hanging - and not in a good way. I see how leaving questions unanswered leaves an open ending for the next book, but these questions left me feeling frustrated instead of intrigued. I have already received the next two books in this series, and I'm hoping that they will rekindle my love for this Gothic romance.

Teaser Tuesday!

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!


"But I hear the deathbed words of Auntie Helene echoing in my head: In this world, baby girl, there's no such thing as justice. You got to make your own."

"All I feel is weary. I'm thinking about a young woman, raped, her face sliced off. I'm tired of it all and wishing for sleep." - pg. 144


February 25, 2012

In My Mailbox: 2/19 - 2/25



In My Mailbox is a meme hosted by Kristi of The Story Siren and was inspired by Alea of Pop Culture Junkie. This meme is about books that you received or bought during the week.

For Review

 A big thanks to HarperCollins, Random House, Tor Teen, NAL, Harlequin, Penguin, and author J. Meyers for providing me with these books for review!!

Won
 
  Thanks to Heatheraine from All Things Supernatural for hosting the giveaway!!

Bought
I finally got around to using my Amazon giftcards from Christmas! YAY!!

Library 

What did you get in the mail this week? 

February 23, 2012

Review: Embrace by Jessica Shirvington


Embrace
Author: Jessica Shirvington
Genre: Young Adult
Release Date: March 6, 2012
Review Source: Sourcebooks (publisher)
Format: ARC paperback

Summary: It starts with a whisper: “It’s time for you to know who you are…”

Violet Eden dreads her seventeenth birthday. After all, it’s hard to get too excited about the day that marks the anniversary of your mother’s death. As if that wasn’t enough, disturbing dreams haunt her sleep and leave her with very real injuries. There’s a dark tattoo weaving its way up her arms that wasn’t there before.

Violet is determined to get some answers, but nothing could have prepared her for the truth. The guy she thought she could fall in love with has been keeping his identity a secret: he’s only half-human—oh, and same goes for her.

A centuries-old battle between fallen angels and the protectors of humanity has chosen its new warrior. It’s a fight Violet doesn’t want, but she lives her life by two rules: don’t run and don’t quit. When angels seek vengeance and humans are the warriors, you could do a lot worse than betting on Violet Eden…
 
Look for the sequels ENTICED in September 2012 and EMBLAZE in March 2013!


Review: Embrace is the first book in a new YA paranormal series. It falls in nicely with the popular teen literature trend of angels and fallen angels, but goes a step above. It is a coming-of-age story that deals with important personal themes like family, friendship, love, trust, fate, and betrayal. Shirvington takes normal teenage problems and adds another layer of paranormal angst as icing on the cake. The characters, especially our heroine Violet, are all well-rounded and accessible. They are dealing with everyday problems that we all have or will have to face, and their reactions are believeable, which makes us identify with them even more. We almost automatically take Violet’s side and understand her confusion and pain at what is happening in her life. Throw in a couple of handsome guys fighting over her and a battle between exiled angels and humans – you have all the ingredients for a hit book. This book is very well written with a great narrative and easy flow to the storyline. The reader is drawn into the world that Shirvington has created and I was disappointed that the book had to end. Needless to say, I am now eagerly awaiting the coming novels, but I wish I didn’t have to wait so long to see what will happen next! I highly recommend that everyone who enjoys YA fiction read Embrace – don’t miss this one!


Disclosure: I received my copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

February 19, 2012

In My Mailbox



In My Mailbox is a meme hosted by Kristi of The Story Siren and was inspired by Alea of Pop Culture Junkie. This meme is about books that you received or bought during the week.

My mailbox this week was CRAZY good!! I received some very awesome books & swag! Check it out!!

For Review

 A huge thanks goes out to Crown Publishers, Egmont USA, HarperCollins, Random House, St. Martin's Press, and Sparks PR Agency for sending me these books to review! Also - just wanted to point out the beautiful bookmark that matches The Butterfly Clues that Egmont USA send in my package! Thank you!!

Won 

 Big thanks to Bookreporter.com for sending me the three hardcovers and to Aeicha @Word Spelunking for hosting the giveaway where I won a *signed* Fracture bookmark! It's so gorgeous I had to do a closeup of it:

Bought

Technically, I only bought Delirium and my husband got me the other ones for Valentine's Day!! What an awesome week! Now I have to get reading...

What was in your mailbox this week?

 
 

February 16, 2012

Review: The Twisted Thread by Charlotte Bacon


The Twisted Thread
Author: Charlotte Bacon
Genre: Suspense/Thriller
Release Date: June 14, 2011
Review Source: Publisher via Netgalley
Format: eBook

Summary: When beautiful but aloof Claire Harkness is found dead in her dorm room one spring morning, prestigious Armitage Academy is shaken to its core. Everyone connected to school, and to Claire, finds their lives upended, from the local police detective who has a personal history with the academy, to the various faculty and staff whose lives are immersed in the daily rituals associated with it. Everyone wants to know how Claire died, at whose hands, and more importantly, where the baby that she recently gave birth to is--a baby that almost no one, except her small innermost circle, knew she was carrying.

At the center of the investigation is Madeline Christopher, an intern in the English department who is forced to examine the nature of the relationship between the school's students and the adults meant to guide them. As the case unravels, the dark intricacies of adolescent privilege at a powerful institution are exposed, and both teachers and students emerge as suspects as the novel rushes to its thrilling conclusion.

With The Twisted Thread, Charlotte Bacon has crafted a gripping and suspenseful story in the tradition of Donna Tartt's The Secret History, one that pulls back the curtain on the lives of the young and privileged.

Review: This book has a good plot and the storyline is solid. It’s been done before, but not tired out. It is full of intrigue, mystery, complicated social themes, and likeable characters. The novel itself had a lot of potential, but seemed to go the safe route with predictable outcomes and twists you could see coming a mile away. The author spent too much time trying to build the history of the school and the backgrounds of the character; it became almost a boring interlude to the main story. There was the expected conflict between the privileged youth from the boarding school and the regular people in the town below. Overall, Bacon’s writing was solid and she had a good narrative. The characters were likeable and dealt with real-life problems and situations. It also gave good insight into the life of privileged teens and what goes on behind the closed doors of a prestigious boarding school. This book didn’t blow me away, but it was a good book and is worth reading.

Disclosure: I received my copy of this book for free in return for an honest review.