Booking Through Thursday (4)

What’s the best book you’ve read recently?

(Tell me you didn’t see this one coming?)

Briana: I think I'll have to say Candor by Pam Bachorz. It was a really intriguing book with a great plot. Check out my review of it here.

Marisa: Probably Strange Angels by Lili St. Crow. It was full of action and I enjoyed Dru's personality. And I had a thing for Christophe :) Check out my review for it here.

Arielle: I would have to say Gone by Michael Grant. It is a really good book, and thanks to Marisa, I read it! I havent reviewed it yet, but check out Marisa's review here!

Bloody Bookaholic's Mega Palooza Contest!

Hey guys! There's an AWESOME contest going on at Bloody Bookaholic's blog! 20 books! There's three winners! Click here to enter!

-Briana

Waiting on Wednesday (5)

Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. It's a weekly meme to post about books that you can't wait to come out in book stores.


Marisa:

Shadow Souls (The Vampire Diaries: The Return #2)

Elena Gilbert is at the center of magic and danger beyond her imagining. But this time her vampire boyfriend, Stefan, isn’t there to help! Elena is forced to trust her life to his brother, Damon, the handsome but deadly vampire who wants Elena, body and soul. The tension between Elena and Damon mounts until Elena is faced with a terrible decision: Which brother does she really want?

I can't wait for this book to come out! I have been waiting for a long time and it's supposedly coming out in spring 2010. I also don't know for sure if this is the proper cover or description but it looks like it!





Briana:

The Unwritten Rule by Elizabeth Scott

I liked him first, but it doesn't matter.

I still like him.

That doesn't matter either.

Or at least, it's not supposed to.

Not a very descriptive description, but I think I get the idea. I've been in the mood for some good chick lit lately!







(Arielle may post later.)

Wishlist Wednesday (12)

Marisa:

Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

St. Vladimir's Academy isn't just any boarding school—it's a hidden place where vampires are educated in the ways of magic and half-human teens train to protect them. Rose Hathaway is a Dhampir, a bodyguard for her best friend Lissa, a Moroi Vampire Princess. They've been on the run, but now they're being dragged back to St. Vladimir's—the very place where they're most in danger. . . .

Rose and Lissa become enmeshed in forbidden romance, the Academy's ruthless social scene, and unspeakable nighttime rituals. But they must be careful lest the Strigoi—the world's fiercest and most dangerous vampires—make Lissa one of them forever.

I have been wanting to read the Vampire Academy series for a REALLY long time! I think that I'm going to finally buy the book the next time I go out because it sounds great and a lot people seem to love it. And it's about vampires so it's a must read!

Briana:

Ballads of Suburbia by Stephanie Kuehnert

Kara hasn't been back to Oak Park since the end of junior year, when a heroin overdose nearly killed her and sirens heralded her exit. Four years later, she returns to face the music. Her life changed forever back in high school: her family disintegrated, she ran around with a whole new crowd of friends, she partied a little too hard, and she fell in love with gorgeous bad-boy Adrian, who left her to die that day in Scoville Park....

Amid the music, the booze, the drugs, and the drama, her friends filled a notebook with heartbreakingly honest confessions of the moments that defined and shattered their young lives. Now, finally, Kara is ready to write her own.

I think just about everyone that read this book, LOVED it. I just entered a contest to win it at The Book Pixie!

(Arielle may post later.)

Official New Moon Clip: Meet Jacob!

Briana: The video wasn't working so just click here and it should be on the page. I love it! I think I might be turning into a Team Jacob girl... it's hard to tell right now. Everything looks SO great! Let us know what you thought of the video, good or bad.

Strange Angels

Lili St. Crow

Published 2009

293 pages

Rating: A-

Synopsis

Dru Anderson has what her grandmother called "the touch." (Comes in handy when you're traveling from town to town with your dad, hunting ghosts, suckers, wulfen, and the occasional zombie.)

Then her dad turns up dead—but still walking—and Dru knows she's next. Even worse, she's got two guys hungry for her affections, and they're not about to let the fiercely independent Dru go it alone. Will Dru discover just how special she really is before coming face-to-fang with whatever—or whoever— is hunting her?

My review

So I received this book in the mail and I was pretty excited because I love supernatural books but I had also heard some bad things about the book too. It's pretty much about a girl named Dru Anderson who helps her dad kill creatures of the night, such as: ghosts, poltergeists, vampires, zombies, werewolves and more. But when Dru's dad comes back from a hunt as a zombie, Dru knows that something terrible killed her dad and that now... it's coming for her.

I really liked this book! It was full of action, which obviously I like and there were some parts of the book that actually did creep me out. Right from the beginning, the book had me hooked on what would happen next. And at the end of the book, you'll be begging for more. I also liked how zombies were involved in the book too. It was the first time I had read about zombies and I really enjoyed it. And I also really liked Dru's personality and her sense of humor. She made me laugh a few times and comedy is always a good thing. Oh and you can't forget about the love triangle! Yes, once again, there IS a love triangle! It seems that love triangles are everywhere these days. You have Graves, the somewhat Goth boy who is protective, nice and funny. Then you have Christophe (Chris for short), the sexy half-vampire who is dangerous, strong, witty and also funny. You could fall in love with either of them but I tend to LOVE the bad boys soooo obviously I fell in love with Christophe.

Any bad things to say about the book? Not really. Maybe a few things I could mention. Some things were definitely repeated too much, for example, the color of a person's eyes. And there were some awkward words in the book that didn't fully make sense, in my opinion. I also wish that the werewolves vs. vampires thing would come to an end because frankly, too many books are about that feud.

So to finish, I loved reading this book and I can't wait to read Betrayals. I recommend this book to anyone who loves creepy, action-packed and supernatural books. Actually, I think pretty much anybody could read this.

-Marisa

In My Mailbox (10)

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

Briana: I thought my mailbox was going to be empty this week, wrong! :)

The Other Side of the Island by Allegra Goodman

Honor and her parents have been reassigned to live on Island 365 in the Tranquil Sea. Life is peaceful there—the color of the sky is regulated by Earth Mother, a corporation that controls New Weather, and it almost never rains. Everyone fits into their rightful and predictable place. . . .

Except Honor. She doesn't fit in, but then she meets Helix, a boy with a big heart and a keen sense for the world around them. Slowly, Honor and Helix begin to uncover a terrible truth about life on the Island: Sooner or later, those who are unpredictable disappear . . . and they don't ever come back.

Doesn't this book sound amazing? I was very happy to receive this book in the mail from Chelsea over at The Page Flipper. Don't you just love contests? :)

Secret Society by Tom Dolby

Once you get in . . . you can never get out.

Do you ever wonder how some people have it all? The best schools, the hottest parties, the priciest clothes, the easiest jobs? Maybe it's not because they work hard and get a lucky break every once in a while. Maybe it's because they're part of a secret group. A secret society.

Okay, so I've been wondering ever since I got this, why I got it. I'm pretty sure I didn't request it and I don't think I won it from a contest. Don't get me wrong, I'm SO excited to read this! It sounds so fantastic and I love the whole glamorous life style type of books and the mystery just adds to the excitement I have for this book. I just would really like to know how I got it! Lol. It's from Harper Teen. That's what it said on the package. Hm... a mystery :)

Marisa: This is my first time posting for "In My Mailbox" because usually I only have one book
but this week I have many.




Hunger by Michael Grant (Gone series)

IT'S BEEN THERE MONTHS SINCE EVERYONE UNDER THE AGE OF FIFTEEN BECAME TRAPPED IN THE BUBBLE KNOWN AS THE FAYZ.

THREE MONTHS SINCE ALL THE ADULTS DISAPPEARED.

GONE.

Food ran out weeks. Everyone is starving, but no one wants to figure out a solution. And each day, more and more kids are evolving, developing supernatural abilities that set them apart from the kids without powers.

Tension rises and chaos is descending upon the town. It's the normal kids against the mutants. Each kid is out for himself, and even the good ones turn murderous.

But a larger problem looms. The Darkness, a sinister creature that has lived buried deep in the hills, begins calling to some of the teens in the FAYZ. Calling to them, guiding them, manipulating them.

The Darkness has awakened. And it is hungry.

I read Gone awhile ago and I really liked it so I've been looking forward to reading Hunger for a long time now.



North of Beautiful by Justina Chen Headley

As he continued to stare, I wanted to point to my cheek and remind him, But you were the one who wanted this, remember? You're the one who asked-and I repeat-Why not fix your face? It's hard not to notice Terra Cooper. She's tall, blond, and has an enviable body. But with one turn of her cheek, all people notice is her unmistakably "flawed" face. Terra secretly plans to leave her stifling small town in the Northwest and escape to an East Coast college, but gets pushed off-course by her controlling father. When an unexpected collision puts Terra directly in Jacob's path, the handsome but quirky Goth boy immediately challenges her assumptions about herself and her life, and she is forced in yet another direction. With her carefully laid plans disrupted, will Terra be able to find her true path?

I've heard alot of good things about this book and it sounds great so I can't wait to read it!




Hate List by Jennifer Brown

Five months ago, Valerie Leftman's boyfriend, Nick, opened fire on their school cafeteria. Shot trying to stop him, Valerie inadvertently saved the life of a classmate, but was implicated in the shootings because of the list she helped create. A list of people and things she and Nick hated. The list he used to pick his targets. Now, after a summer of seclusion, Val is forced to confront her guilt as she returns to school to complete her senior year. Haunted by the memory of the boyfriend she still loves and navigating rocky relationships with her family, former friends and the girl whose life she saved, Val must come to grips with the tragedy that took place and her role in it, in order to make amends and move on with her life.

My first ARC! YAY! Apparently this book is amazing and it does sound great so I am super excited to read it!




Prophecy of the Sisters by Michelle Zink

Without the Keys, something terrible will happen.
Something that cannot be undone.
And with them, I might bring an end to the riddle of the Prophecy and my strange part in it.

If Alice and I are on conflicting sides of the Prophecy,
the Keys would be dangerous in her hands.
Which means I have to find them.
And I have to do it before my sister.

Sixteen year-old Lia Milthorpe has just recently lost her father, leaving her parentless. But when a strange mark appears on her wrist, she realizes she is being branded with much more than her newfound title of orphan. Lia and her twin sister Alice are part of an ancient prophecy that has turned generations of sisters against each other. Lia hides this discovery from Alice and even from her beloved James, but to escape from the burden this secret bestows she must end the prophecy-before her sister. Only then will she understand the mysterious circumstances of her parents' deaths, the true meaning of the mark on her wrist, the lengths to which her sister will go to defeat her, and the impact the resolution of the prophecy could have.

This book sounds so awesome! I love everything about it!




Thirst (No. 1) 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....

I borrowed this from a friend because it sounds good and I'm willing to give a try. Besides it's about vampires! So it's a must read :P





Extras by Scott Westerfeld (Uglies series)

It's a few years after rebel Tally Youngblood took down the uglies/pretties/specials regime. Without those strict roles and rules, the world is in a complete cultural renaissance. "Tech-heads" flaunt their latest gadgets, "kickers" spread gossip and trends, and "surge monkeys" are hooked on extreme plastic surgery. And it's all monitored on a bazillion different cameras. The world is like a gigantic game of American Idol. Whoever is getting the most buzz gets the most votes. Popularity rules. As if being fifteen doesn't suck enough, Aya Fuse's rank of 451,369 is so low, she's a total nobody. An extra. But Aya doesn't care; she just wants to lie low with her drone, Moggle. And maybe kick a good story for herself. Then Aya meets a clique of girls who pull crazy tricks, yet are deeply secretive of it. Aya wants desperately to kick their story, to show everyone how intensely cool the Sly Girls are. But doing so would propel her out of extra-land and into the world of fame, celebrity...and extreme danger. A world she's not prepared for.

So I know I haven't read the first three books in the Uglies series but I saw this on sale at a bookstore for 5$ and I had to get it because at some point I will read the Uglies series.

(Arielle is on vacation.)

Kissed by an Angel

Elizabeth Chandler

Published 2008

704 pages

Rating: B-

Synopsis

A love beyond life...a danger beyond doubt.

In a romantic and suspenseful collection of the New York Times bestselling trilogy, love's unbreakable bonds are put to the test.

When her boyfriend, Tristan, died, Ivy thought she'd lost everything, even her faith in angels. But now she's discovered that he's her guardian angel — his presence so strong that she can feel the touch of his hand, the beat of his heart. Ivy needs Tristan now more than ever because he knows she's in terrible danger. Only Ivy's guardian angel can save her now that his killer is after her.

But if Tristan rescues Ivy, his mission on earth will be finished, and he must leave her behind forever. Will saving Ivy mean losing her just when he's finally reached her again?

My review

This is going to be a short review since I don't have much to say about the book. So this book was about Ivy and her boyfriend Tristan. They started dating near the beginning of the book and fall madly in love with each other. While driving to a restaurant, Tristan and Ivy get in an accident that wasn't actually an accident. Ivy survives the crash but Tristan doesn't. Instead of waking up in heaven, he wakes up on Earth. Nobody can see him except for other angels. He realizes that he has a mission on Earth and that mission is to save Ivy since she was the one who was supposed to die that night of the crash, not him. But saving Ivy will mean he'll have to leave her once again... but this time it's forever.

Okay so the storyline sounds really good right? Well it is. But the book dragged on WAY too long. I mean I could of probably took out 300 pages of the book and it would of been much better. Maybe it was just me but I don't know. Trust me I liked the book but I couldn't wait to finish it because the same things were happening over and over in the book. I mean Ivy only learns that Tristan is her guardian angel until the end of the book! But I did like some parts of the book that were intense and suspenseful. Really though, the book only picked up near the end. I actually really liked the end. But the whole middle section was BORING! I mean if you like romantic books with not a lot of action then read this. Oh and I also couldn't really connect with Ivy.

Let's talk about the good stuff now. I loved the characters in this book. But I did feel that Ivy got ALL of the guys just like in every other book. I hate it when authors make it seem like the female role is perfect because, um hello, girls are NOT like that in real life! Sorry good stuff. Um. I fell in love with Will :) You might fall in love with Tristan or Gregory but for me, it was Will. The book kept me guessing, which I like. Some parts of the book actually did creep me out, I must admit.

And there you go. Another review of me just babbling. I'm not sure if I recommend this. I guess for romance lovers go ahead. And mystery lovers. But don't spend your money on it. Borrow it from a friend or rent it from the library. Read it on a rainy day or when you have nothing else to read.

-Marisa