Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Review: Pure - Julianna Baggot


Hardcover:  448 pages
Publisher:  Grand Central Publishing (February 8, 2012)
Language:  English

We know you are here, our brothers and sisters . . . Pressia barely remembers the Detonations or much about life during the Before. In her sleeping cabinet behind the rubble of an old barbershop where she lives with her grandfather, she thinks about what is lost-how the world went from amusement parks, movie theaters, birthday parties, fathers and mothers . . . to ash and dust, scars, permanent burns, and fused, damaged bodies. And now, at an age when everyone is required to turn themselves over to the militia to either be trained as a soldier or, if they are too damaged and weak, to be used as live targets, Pressia can no longer pretend to be small. Pressia is on the run.
Burn a Pure and Breathe the Ash . . . There are those who escaped the apocalypse unmarked. Pures. They are tucked safely inside the Dome that protects their healthy, superior bodies. Yet Partridge, whose father is one of the most influential men in the Dome, feels isolated and lonely. Different. He thinks about loss-maybe just because his family is broken; his father is emotionally distant; his brother killed himself; and his mother never made it inside their shelter. Or maybe it's his claustrophobia: his feeling that this Dome has become a swaddling of intensely rigid order. So when a slipped phrase suggests his mother might still be alive, Partridge risks his life to leave the Dome to find her.
When Pressia meets Partridge, their worlds shatter all over again.


My Thoughts...

To say that this book didn't creep me out would be a lie, but while yes it was, it was still pretty great. On one side of life you have Pressia who is a wretch she lives outside the dome and has a doll head fused to her hand. On the other side you have Partridge who does live in the dome, is getting an education and has access to medicine and comforts the wretches can only dream of. When Partridge decides to escape the dome in search of his mother he has no clue how this will effect the lives of many. From the girl who was the last person to see him before the escape to Pressia herself. When these two meet it starts them on a journey that will forever change them.

Now lets take a second and look at our characters. Pressia is a survivor, she wants to take care of her grandfather and survive. After meeting Partridge things become more complicated she is thrust into situations she doesn't understand but still manages to survive. Partridge can barley remember life outside the dome, before the detonations, but is willing to brave the unknown to find the truth about his mother. I loved both these characters they really came to life for me. 

The world we enter in this book is creepy with all the fusions, and mutations, but they added a realness to the setting and story. I can't wait to see where we will go next with this story, but I can't wait to be creeped out and enthralled all at the same time. I give this one 4 stars and a huge recommendation  to all dystopain fans.

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Review: Bloodlines - Richelle Mead



Reading level: Ages 12 and up

Hardcover: 432 pages
Publisher: Razorbill (August 23, 2011)
When alchemist Sydney is ordered into hiding to protect the life of Moroi princess Jill Dragomir, the last place she expects to be sent is a human private school in Palm Springs, California. But at their new school, the drama is only just beginning. 
Populated with new faces as well as familiar ones, Bloodlines explores all the friendship, romance, battles and betrayals that made the #1 New York Times bestselling Vampire Academy series so addictive - this time in a part-vampire, part-human setting where the stakes are even higher and everyone's out for blood.
My Thoughts...
Have I ever mentioned what a Mead fangirl I am? I jump at the oppertunity to read anything this woman writes. I am happy with the characters that this story centers around. I really loved Sydney in Vampire Academy and love her more in Bloodlines. Eddy, Jill and Adrien all brought something to this story and I am so glad Richelle decided to write this spin off. These were some characters I wasn't ready to let go of, and a world that I loved.  I loved the look we go into Sydneys head and her life. I also really liked seeing Eddy he had it rough but he is so dedicated to Jill and his job. I hope as this story continues that things get better for him.  The relationship between Jill and Adrien is kinda cool too (don't go jumping to confusions) lol. Sydney has a lot going on, trying to protect her sister, and do her job while not seeming to friendly with the others, and dealing with another alchemist that is trying to ruin her. I think she managed to handle herself well and I for one can't wait for the next book and more Adrian..Oh how I love him! I give this one 5 stars and strongly urge you guys to read it.


Friday, February 24, 2012

Review: Fracture - Megan Miranda




  • Reading level:
  •  Ages 12 and up
  • Hardcover:
  •  272 pages
  • Publisher:
  •  Walker Childrens; 1 edition (January 17, 2012)


Eleven minutes passed before Delaney Maxwell was pulled from the icy waters of a Maine lake by her best friend Decker Phillips. By then her heart had stopped beating. Her brain had stopped working. She was dead. And yet she somehow defied medical precedent to come back seemingly fine. Everyone wants Delaney to be all right, but she knows she's far from normal. Pulled by strange sensations she can't control or explain, Delaney finds herself drawn to the dying. Is her altered brain now predicting death, or causing it? 



Then Delaney meets Troy Varga, who recently emerged from a coma with similar abilities. At first she's reassured to find someone who understands the strangeness of her new existence, but Delaney soon discovers that Troy's motives aren't quite what she thought. Is their gift a miracle, a freak of nature-or something much more frightening? 
For fans of best-sellers like Before I Fall and If I Stay, this is a fascinating and heart-rending story about love and friendship and the fine line between life and death.


My Thoughts...
Delaney Maxwell should have died after falling through the ice, but she lived, she spent 6 days in a coma. Some how she comes out of her coma despite sever brain damage, yet she is alive. Although she now somehow has this strange ability to tell when people are going to die/dying. Delaney has some serious issues to work through during this book, as does her best friend Decker. Throughout all issue dealing going on Delaney meets a boy named Troy. It tuns out that he is just like Delaney. Complete with issues of his own. While he has the same ability as Delaney he uses his powers to find dying/suffering people and end there pain. Overall this was a good story, but I had some trouble getting into it, and staying into it. It is a rather original story and the characters were pretty well developed. I'm not sure what it was that kept me from truly sinking into this story, but I gave this one 3 stars. I do suggest you give this one a try though. I have read many great reviews for this book and I am seriously thinking of giving this one a reread to see if maybe I was just in a funk when I went to read this one. So for now this one gets 3 from me, but I really suggest you give it a try!

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Shelf Love (05) - Portero Series by Dia Reeves

Ok so I'm going to be doing a new feature on the blog. Every Thursday I'm going to pick a series and display their covers all together just to show how great they would all look sitting on the shelf. Since most of my reading is done with E-Books, I don't have an impressive shelf at home to display all my pretty books. So this will be my chance to make a pretty shelf of my own.  If you guys feel like joining in and showing off great cover sets to series you love just leave a comment below and I'll come check it out =o)

My pick this week is,  The Portero Series by Dia Reeves

I LOVE these covers they are both so creepy and strange. They also seem to fit the books once you read them. These two are proudly sitting on my itty bitty real life shelf and they look great sitting there next to each other! 

Tell me what you think of these or what covers you like! =o)

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Waiting on Wednesday (20)

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

My picks this week are...
Dying of a broken heart is just the beginning.... Welcome to forever. 


BRIE'S LIFE ENDS AT SIXTEEN: Her boyfriend tells her he doesn't love her, and the news breaks her heart—literally. 


But now that she's D&G (dead and gone), Brie is about to discover that love is way more complicated than she ever imagined. Back in Half Moon Bay, her family has begun to unravel. Her best friend has been keeping a secret about Jacob, the boy she loved and lost—and the truth behind his shattering betrayal. And then there's Patrick, Brie's mysterious new guide and resident Lost Soul . . . who just might hold the key to her forever after. 


With Patrick's help, Brie will have to pass through the five stages of grief before she's ready to move on. But how do you begin again, when your heart is still in pieces?

This just look so interesting to me, I really can't wait to get this one. I enjoy after death books, it interests me to see how others precieve after death. 


This is a short story in the Denazen series and I can't wait to read more in this series. I loved Touch and these characters and there stories just sucked me in. Lets also mention that Kale is hott! 

Sequel to TOUCH. 


When a Six saved Kale’s life the night of Sumrun, she warned there would be consequences. A trade-off. Something taken for the life they gained. But Dez never imagined she’d lose the one thing she’d give anything to keep… And as if it’s not enough Dez finds her immunity to Kale fading, the Six brought in to help Kale learn to control his killer touch starts drooling on him the moment they meet. Worse than that? Jade can touch Kale. But bimbo Barbie is the least of Dez's problems. 


After Dez and Kale got away at Sumrun, her father lost not only his most powerful weapon but an important piece of the Supremacy project. Forced by Denazen to remedy the situation, he poisons Dez and offers her a choice—surrender to Denazen for the cure…or die. Determined to find a solution that doesn’t involve being bagged and tagged—or losing someone she loves—Dez keeps the poison a secret. But when a rash of Denazen attacks hit a little too close to home, Dez is convinced there’s a traitor among them. Jade. 


Sacrifices, broken promises, and secrets. Dez will have to lay it all on the line if there’s any hope of proving Jade’s guilt before they all end up Residents of Denazen. Or worse, dead...






Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Teaser Tuesday (18) - Touch by Jus Accardo

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!
This week my teaser is from...

"I am not a fortune-teller," Ginger said. Her face reverted back to its usual, stony set. "Do you see a crystal ball? Am I wearing a turban? The information I am privy to is not for others."

I finished this book in the early hours of the morning and decided that this had to be my TT post, this set of lines just totally struck me as a perfect example of the whit and sarcasm this book holds. I loved this story and can't wait to continue on with this series!

Saturday, February 18, 2012

Review: Dark Mirror - M.J. Putney




  • Reading level:
  •  Ages 12 and up
  • Paperback:
  •  320 pages
  • Publisher:
  •  St. Martin's Griffin (March 1, 2011)

Lady Victoria Mansfield, youngest daughter of the earl and countess of Fairmount, is destined for a charmed life. Soon she will be presented during the London season, where she can choose a mate worthy of her status.
Yet Tory has a shameful secret—a secret so powerful that, if exposed, itcould strip her of her position and disgrace her family forever. Tory’s blood is tainted . . . by magic.
When a shocking accident forces Tory to demonstrate her despised skill, the secret she’s fought so hard to hide is revealed for all to see. She is immediately exiled to Lackland Abbey, a reform school for young men and women in her position. There she will learn to suppress her deplorable talents and maybe, if she’s one of the lucky ones, be able to return to society.
But Tory’s life is about to change forever. All that she’s ever known or considered important will be challenged. What lies ahead is only the beginning of a strange and wonderful journey into a world where destiny and magic come together, where true love and friendship find her, and where courage and strength of character are the only things that determine a young girl’s worth.

My Thoughts...
Victoria the daughter of an Earl would have lived a great life if only her magic would have stayed hidden. Put in the position to use her power to save her nephew or keep it hidden and let him die, she saves him, and is out casted for her good deed. She is sent to a boarding school where she will be "fixed", "cured" of her magic. The more time she spends there the more unsure she becomes. She eventually comes across a secret group of kids/teachers that embrace there magic and want to use it to defend England from the threat of Napoleon. Well one meeting the meeting gets raided. Tori thought she was caught until she happened upon a mirror that took her into the future to world war 2 England. Long story short this was a great book! I loved the old day English setting, and world war 2 English setting . I loved the characters each one was unique and added something to this story. I also really enjoyed the magic. This was a really great historical paranormal read. If you haven't read it yet then go do it now! Then start the second book! I give this one 5 stars! 

Friday, February 17, 2012

Review: Frost - Marianna Baer





  • Reading level:
  •  Ages 13 and up
  • Hardcover:
  •  400 pages
  • Publisher:
  •  Balzer + Bray (September 13, 2011)

Leena Thomas’s senior year at boarding school begins with a shock: Frost House, her cozy dorm of close friends, has been assigned an unexpected roommate: confrontational, eccentric Celeste Lazar. But while Leena’s anxiety about a threat to her sanctuary proves valid, it becomes less and less clear whether the threat lies with her new roommate, within Leena’s own mind, or within the very nature of Frost House itself. Mysterious happenings in the dorm, an intense triangle between Leena, Celeste, and Celeste’s brother, and the reawakening of childhood fears, all push Leena to take increasingly desperate measures to feel safe. Frost is the story of a haunting. As to whether the demons are supernatural or psychological . . . well, which answer would let you sleep at night?


My Thoughts...
Leena thought her senior year at her boarding school would be perfect. Her and her friends are set to live in Frost house. The only problem is when they get there they have an extra roommate. Celeste, who is known to be a bit odd. It doesn't take long for things to start getting weird. Celeste's things start getting broken, and the room she and Leena share freaks her out while Leena developes an obsession with the closet in their room, and a very protective mindset of the room itself. Celeste stops sleeping and is covered in bruises she eventually changes room and Leena gets worse, she redecorates the room and basically starts sleeping in the closet. She is hearing voices, I'm not sure if the house itself was haunted or if Leena was just crazy. This story had its creepy moments and left me with alot of questions at the end. Was it Leena or was it the House? I guess it is one of those things that the author wants us to think about and come to our own conclusion. I for one just hope it was the house cause otherwise Leena was really just wacked out.  I had a hard time getting into this one and I struggled to finish it. All in all the story wasn't bad but this really wasn't the book for me. I gave this one 3 stars.

Thursday, February 16, 2012

Shelf Love (04) - Bright Young Things Series by Anna Godbersen

Ok so I'm going to be doing a new feature on the blog. Every Thursday I'm going to pick a series and display their covers all together just to show how great they would all look sitting on the shelf. Since most of my reading is done with E-Books, I don't have an impressive shelf at home to display all my pretty books. So this will be my chance to make a pretty shelf of my own.  If you guys feel like joining in and showing off great cover sets to series you love just leave a comment below and I'll come check it out =o)

My pick this week is... Bright Young Things by Anna Godbersen

I love these covers! I haven't read them yet but I am looking forward to starting them soon. There is something about this time period that I just seem to be fascinated by. And I really love the hair and the clothes on these models seems to really fit with the time period. 

Let me know what you think of these or what covers you love together!


Saturday, February 11, 2012

Review: Deadly Cool - Gemma Halliday





  • Reading level:
  •  Ages 13 and up
  • Paperback:
  •  320 pages
  • Publisher:
  •  HarperTeen (October 11, 2011)

Hartley Grace Featherstone is having a very bad day. First she finds out that her boyfriend is cheating on her with the president of the Herbert Hoover High School Chastity Club. Then he's pegged as the #1 suspect in a murder. And if that weren't enough, now he's depending on Hartley to clear his name. Seriously? Not cool. 

But as much as Hartley wouldn't mind seeing him squirm, she knows he's innocent, and she's the only one who can help him. Along with her best friend, Sam, and the school's resident Bad Boy, Chase, Hartley starts investigating on her own. But as the dead bodies begin to pile up, the mystery deepens, the suspects multiply, and Hartley begins to fear that she may be the killer's next victim.


My Thoughts...
This was a cute, sometimes creepy mystery. I enjoyed this one. I really found i to be a cute easy read. Hartley  is having a rough day...first she finds out her boyfriend is cheating with the head of the chastity club, then when she goes to confront him she finds said "miss chastity" dead in his closet. From there she walks down a path that has her tripping over dead bodies, making spooky midnight meeting with informants, all because while her ex may be a jerk, he isn't a killer. There were parts to this that did creep me out, and I was surprised by the resolution. But the biggest thing for me was, I fell in love with Hartley. She was awesome and while afraid she pushed through because deep down she truly believed her ex was innocent. I also might be a little in love with Chase! I really want to see what kind of trouble Hartley can get into next. I give this one 4 stars!

Thursday, February 9, 2012

Shelf Love (03) - Angelfire - Courtney Allison Moulton


Ok so I'm going to be doing a new feature on the blog. Every Thursday I'm going to pick a series and display their covers all together just to show how great they would all look sitting on the shelf. Since most of my reading is done with E-Books, I don't have an impressive shelf at home to display all my pretty books. So this will be my chance to make a pretty shelf of my own.  If you guys feel like joining in and showing off great cover sets to series you love just leave a comment below and I'll come check it out =o)
This week I'm going to have to go with the Angelfire series by Courtney Allison Moulton


I adore this series, well the first book anyway. But I have the second book and can't wait to start it very very soon. But these covers are so pretty. I also think that the cover for the first book fits with the book itself. I hope that the same will hold true for the second book. These would look so great together on a bookshelf. The most unfortunate thing is that I don't have a big enough shelf to hold all the books that I want to put on it. 

Tell me what series you love!



Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Review: Hard Bitten - Chloe Neill





  • Reading level:
  •  Ages 18 and up
  • Paperback:
  •  368 pages
  • Publisher:
  •  New American Library; 1 edition (May 3, 2011)

Times are hard for newly minted vampire Merit. Ever since shapeshifters announced their presence to the world, humans have been rallying against supernaturals-and they're camping outside of Cadogan House with protest signs that could turn to pitchforks at any moment. Inside its doors, things between Merit and her Master, green-eyed heartbreaker Ethan Sullivan are...tense. But then the mayor of Chicago calls Merit and Ethan to a clandestine meeting and tells them about a violent vamp attack that has left three women missing. His message is simple: get your House in order. Or else. Merit needs to get to the bottom of this crime, but it doesn't help that she can't tell who's on her side. So she secretly calls in a favor from someone who's tall, dark, and part of underground vamp group that may have some deep intel on the attack. Merit soon finds herself in the heady, dark heart of Chicago's supernatural society-a world full of vampires who seem ready to fulfill the protesting human's worst fears, and a place where she'll learn that you can't be a vampire without getting a little blood on your hands... 


My Thoughts... 
I think this has to be one of my favorite series. I love everything about these books! Merit is one of my favorite characters. I really enjoyed watching Merit try to figure out what was wrong with the vampires and who was causing the problem. Her first reaction was Celina, but the GP has basically put her out of bounds for Merit. But she was tough, tenacious, and pretty kick ass. In the end I think you will be shocked by the conclusion of this mystery. I loved Eathen! What I wouldn't give to have him "chase" me the way he "chased" Merit. The ending to this book left me flabbergasted, but at the same time I can't wait to read the next book to see just where this is all going. I give this one 5 stars! 

Thursday, February 2, 2012

Shelf Love (02) - Bumped Series by Megan McCafferty

Ok so I'm going to be doing a new feature on the blog. Every Thursday I'm going to pick a series and display their covers all together just to show how great they would all look sitting on the shelf. Since most of my reading is done with E-Books, I don't have an impressive shelf at home to display all my pretty books. So this will be my chance to make a pretty shelf of my own.  If you guys feel like joining in and showing off great cover sets to series you love just leave a comment below and I'll come check it out =o)

This week I think I'm going to have to go with the Bumped Series by Megan McCaffety




I love these covers, they are so simple but yet once you read Bumped they take on a meaning beyond an egg on a cover. I can't wait to read Thumped, and these are two books that I think are going to have to go on my little itty bitty real life shelf.

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Review: Vanish - Sophie Jordan





  • Reading level:
  •  Ages 13 and up
  • Hardcover:
  •  304 pages
  • Publisher:
  •  HarperCollins; First Edition edition (September 6, 2011)

To save the life of the boy she loves, Jacinda did the unthinkable: She betrayed the most closely-guarded secret of her kind. Now she must return to the protection of her pride knowing she might never see Will again—and worse, that because his mind has been shaded, Will’s memories of that fateful night and why she had to flee are gone. 

Back home, Jacinda is greeted with hostility and must work to prove her loyalty for both her sake and her family’s. Among the few who will even talk to her are Cassian, the pride’s heir apparent who has always wanted her, and her sister, Tamra, who has been forever changed by a twist of fate. Jacinda knows that she should forget Will and move on—that if he managed to remember and keep his promise to find her, it would only endanger them both. Yet she clings to the hope that someday they will be together again. When the chance arrives to follow her heart, will she risk everything for love?


My Thoughts...
I adore Jacinda! After the cliffhanger ending of Firelight, I was happy to see this book picked up where Firelight left off. I enjoyed the path this book took. I feel that we got to see some major growth in Jacinda and I loved the new angel on Tamara's character! That was actually one of my favorite parts of this story. Tamara and her new place in the world. Cassian *swoon* also played a large roll in this book. There wasn't as much Will, but when he was there the tension and passion practicly climbed off the page and smacked you in the face. I can not wait for the next book. I want to know what happens with Jacinda, Tamara, Cassian, Will and everyone else. What will happen when the dust settles, there are choices to be made and I am desperate to know what the final decisions are going to be. I really hope that you guys have read this series, it is a great one! I give this one 5 stars!
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