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Sunday, May 23, 2010

In My Mailbox (33)

In My Mailbox was created by The Story Siren. Click here to learn more about it.





Briana: So... I did not get any books this week :( I'm really trying to cut back on the buying until I read through a good chunk of them. But, I did get something I've been looking forward to!




My birthday is in a few weeks and this was an early gift because of a great sale. I'll be taking pictures of the books "in my mailbox" rather than just posting pictures of the actual books though :)! What did you guys get in your mailbox? Leave me a link to yours so I can check it out!

(Marisa and Arielle may post later)

Friday, May 21, 2010

Revelations



Melissa de la Cruz


Published 2008


300 pages


Rating: A-


Synopsis (may contain spoilers for those who haven't read the first two books in the Blue Bloods series)


Have you ever wondered what secrets lurk behind the closed doors of New York City's wealthiest families? They're powerful, they're famous... they're undead.


Schuyler Van Alen's blood legacy has just been called into question--is the young vampire in fact a Blue Blood, or is it the sinister Silver Blood that runs through her veins? As controversy swirls, Schuyler is left stranded in the Force household, trapped under the same roof as her cunning nemesis, Mimi Force, and her forbidden crush, Jack Force.


When one of the Gates of Hell is breached by Silver Bloods in Rio de Janeiro, however, the Blue Bloods will need Schuyler on their side. The stakes are high; the battle is bloody; and through it all, Carnavale rages on. And in the end, one vampire's secret identity will be exposed in a revelation that shocks everyone.


My review


Well I thought Masquerade was good but Revelations just brought things to a whole new level. I regret saying that I never really expected much of the Blue Bloods series but it did impress me and I simply cannot wait for the other books following The Van Alen Legacy to come out! The series is added to my favorites now for sure after this book. The book follows the characters on their ever lasting battle with the Silver Bloods or more particularly, Leviathan and Lucifer. Instead of Italy, the characters travel to Rio de Janeiro where history was made in the Blue Bloods society.


As for the characters, Schuyler, Jack and Oliver become even more tangled together than before and Bliss.. well don't get me started on her ;) I feel like Revelations was a huge turning point in the series. Their were so many secrets that were revealed about the characters, I couldn't believe it!


To finish, the book definitely exceeded my expectations. The twists and turns were never ending and the entire book had my heart racing. I seriously finished it so quickly because it was just that engrossing. My only problem with it would be the short lenght of the novel. Melissa packed everything together that it just all happened too fast for me all at once, especially near the end. Speaking of the end, I was mind boggled by what was discovered about a certain character. I never would of expected that. For those who read the series, I'm sure you know who and what I'm speaking of. Read it! The title of the book says it all.


-Marisa

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Pretty Little Liars



Sara Shepard


Published 2007


304 Pages


Rating: A-




Everyone has something to hide—especially high school juniors Spencer, Aria, Emily, and Hanna.

Spencer covets her sister's boyfriend. Aria's fantasizing about her English teacher. Emily's crushing on the new girl at school. Hanna uses some ugly tricks to stay beautiful.

But they've all kept an even bigger secret since their friend Alison vanished.

How do I know? Because I know everything about the bad girls they were, the naughty girls they are, and all the dirty secrets they've kept. And guess what? I'm telling.


I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked Pretty Little Liars! Although I felt like some parts of the book were a little unoriginal (maybe a little too much like Gossip Girl), I came out of the book feeling grateful to have bought it.

I kept hearing great things about this book on different kinds of online forums, so after thinking about whether or not this book would be worth the buy, I decided to give it the benefit of the doubt.

This book had a good amount of steamy scenes, without going overboard with details. I'm not going to lie, a little girl on girl action happens in this book and normally I would be a little "eh" about reading them. I have absolutely nothing against gay/bisexual/transgrender lifestyles, I just wouldn't be that crazy about reading about them because I felt as if I couldn't relate. After I read this book though, I found it to be pretty interesting! It was love shown in a totally different way than what I'm used to knowing and Sara Shepard wrote it in a beautiful way.

The suspense was just right! It kept me reading but I also felt like I had time to breathe in between crazy events. Basically it wasn't too much or wasn't too little.

Everything in this book had such a perfect balance for me and I can't wait to go forward with the rest of this series!

The TV series is starting on June 8th on ABC Family and I can't wait to watch it!!! :)

-Briana

Sunday, May 16, 2010

Masquerade

Melissa de la Cruz

Published 2007


320 pages


Rating:
B+/A-

Synopsis (may contain spoilers for those who haven't read the first book)

Schuyler Van Alen wants an explanation for the mysterious deaths of young vampires. With her best friend, Oliver, Schuyler travels to Italy in the hope of finding the one man who can help--her grandfather. Meanwhile, back in New York, preparations are feverishly underway for the Four Hundred Ball, an exclusive gala hosted by the city's wealthy, powerful, and unhuman--a true Blue Blood affair.

But it's at the after-party, a masquerade ball thrown by the cunning Mimi Force, that the real danger lurks. Hidden behind the masks is a revelation that will forever change the course of a young vampire's destiny.

Rich with glamour, attitude, and vampire lore, this second installment in the Blue Bloods saga will leave readers thirsting for more.

My review

After reading Blue Bloods, I was excited to get started on Masquerade. I thought that Blue Bloods was great but Masquerade was even better! It continues right off where Blue Bloods ended, with Schuyler and Oliver running off to Italy for help involving the Silver Bloods mystery. In New York, as said above, Mimi is planning an extravagant masquerade party. Strange things occur at the ball, such as passionate kisses with masked gentlemen. Everything is changing in the Blue Bloods society and not in a good way..

This book was far more enjoyable for me than Blue Bloods. I understand more about the characters now and I really liked the turn in Mimi and Jack's relationship. I wanted to know more about their past lives and Masquerade reveals a lot more not only about them, but about a few other characters' true personalities and qualities. I also loved how Schuyler and Jack's relationship blossomed into something bigger and more exciting. It kept things exciting.

As for the plot, I thought it was fantastic and Melissa de la Cruz included more action, more romance, more mystery, etc. Secrets (that I was dying to know the truth about) surfaced and I was hoping that they would be revealed quickly but obviously you're kept in the dark for awhile to keep things exciting. I thought that everything about the book was very satisfying but I have to admit that it took me awhile to finish the book, for the simple reason that although it was exciting, I just wasn't interested enough for it to keep me up at night, reading whenever possible. But it's not that big of deal since very few books have ever had that impact on me.

I recommend this series to everyone! For those who thought Blue Bloods was just okay, take a chance on Masquerade since it is a great sequel, way better than the first book in the series. It was an awesome read for me. Also, look out for my Revelations review coming up soon!

-Marisa

Sunday, May 9, 2010

In My Mailbox (32)

In My Mailbox was created by The Story Siren. Click here to learn more about it.

Briana: I haven't gotten much lately since I was away at school, but in between breaks I did manage to pick up a few goodies.



Devilish by Maureen Johnson

The only thing that makes St. Teresa's Preparatory School for Girls bearable for Jane is her best friend Ally. But when Ally changes into a whole different person literally overnight the fall of their senior year, Jane's suddenly alone--and very confused.

Turns out, Ally has sold her soul in exchange for popularity--to a devil masquerading as a sophomore at St. Teresa's! Now it's up to Jane to put it all on the line to save her friend from this ponytail-wearing, cupcakenibbling demon . . . without losing her own soul in the process.



This book has been on my B&N wishlist since 10/23/08. It's about time I got it huh? I actually went to Borders and saw it for 3 dollars, in hardcover! I couldn't believe it.






Speak Softly, She Can Hear by Pam Lewis

New York City, 1965: Two Manhattan prep school students, Carole and Naomi, make a pact to lose their virginity before graduation. Eddie, a slick Upper East Side dropout, is handsome, fatally charming, and more than willing to help the girls accomplish their goal. But on one bitterly cold holiday weekend in an isolated cabin deep in the Vermont woods, a horrifying twist develops in the plan. Before the night is over, a stomach-turning secret is sealed between friends, setting in motion a series of events that will have dire and far-reaching consequences.

I saw this at the recommended table at Barnes and Noble, and I wanted to buy at least one book in celebration of summer :)





(Marisa and Arielle may post later)

Friday, May 7, 2010

Back for the Summer!

After tons of amazing adventures in college, I'm finally back home. Although I'll miss all of the crazy times at school, I'm so extremely excited to be back with my lovely books and talking about them with all of you! Before I start talking about books, I wanted to show you guys what happened during my school year.







The first exciting thing that happened is I joined a sorority, Alpha Sigma Alpha. :) I'm in the top left corner with the Little Red Riding Hood costume on.







Another really exciting thing that happened is... my friends and I bought ducklings! I know it sounds crazy but it was a really spontaneous moment and it was fun hiding them in the dorms for a few weeks :P The one on the top is Lewie, he's mine. The one on the bottom is Chunk, and he's my friend Kim's.



Those are the only big things I actually have pictures of, but it was a good year and I hope yours was good too :)

I'll be posting reviews probably by the end of next week, I have to catch up on my reading big time!

-Briana