In My Mailbox (40)

Another Sunday, another In My Mailbox! In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi over at The Story Siren where we show what book(ish thing)s we got this week. My week was another good one in terms of books! Don't mind my bedhead in this week's vlog ;)

Heavenly by Jennifer Laurens (for review)

Zwaar Verliefd! by Chantal van Gastel

The Truth about Forever by Sarah Dessen

Born at Midnight by C.C. Hunter

The Iron Daughter by Julie Kagawa

The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness

The Faerie Ring by Kiki Hamilton (swag)

See? Fab week again! Really happy with all of those and I can't wait to read 'em! Big thank you to Jennifer Laurens for sending me Heavenly!

What did you get in your mailbox this week? Happy reading :)

Review: Dead in the Family by Charlaine Harris

Dead in the Family by Charlaine Harris
Published: May 4th, 2010
Publisher: Gollancz
Pages: 311
Age group: Adult
Challenge: 100+ Reading Challenge
Other: Tenth installment in the Sookie Stackhouse series. There will be 13 books in this series. The 11th book, Dead Reckoning, came out in May, 2011.
Buy the book: Bookdepository

Warning: This review might contain (slight) spoilers for those of you who haven't read the previous books in the series. Reading is at your own risk.


After enduring torture and the loss of loved ones during the brief but deadly Faery War, Sookie Stackhouse is hurt and she's angry. Just about the only bright spot in her life is the love she thinks she feels for vampire Eric Northman. But he's under scrutiny by the new Vampire King because of their relationship. And as the political implications of the Shifters coming out are beginning to be felt, Sookie's connection to the Shreveport pack draws her into the debate. Worst of all, though the door to Faery has been closed, there are still some Fae on the human side-and one of them is angry at Sookie. Very, very angry...

Sookie is somehow always getting into trouble and this book is no exception! Thankfully I love the series as a whole, so I will still be reading the rest of the series, but this book was a major in between book and never really climaxed in my opinion.

Now, don't get me wrong, it was still a really nice read. It just felt like Harris was tying up some loose ends before we work towards the climax in the last three books. Which will, no doubt about that, hold more adventure for Sookie, wether she wants it or not. Hopefully there'll be some Eric, too, as well as some Sam (he deserves more love!).

My overall rating:

Three stars filled with hope for epicness in the future. Sookie needs to kick more butt!

On My Wishlist (5)

In On My Wishlist I spotlight books that I'm really looking forward to. I know there's a meme Waiting on Wednesday and there even are others, but I'm going to rebel and do it how I want it (hehe). I'll feature the synopsis as posted on Goodreads and put a linkie to the Goodreads page of the book. This week: Luminous by Dawn Metcalf.

Luminous by Dawn Metcalf
Publication date: July 7th, 2011

Synopsis:
As reality slips and time stands still, Consuela finds herself thrust into the world of the Flow. Removed from all she loves into this shifting world overlapping our own, Consuela quickly discovers she has the power to step out of her earthly skin and cloak herself in new ones-skins made from the world around her, crafted from water, fire, air. She is joined by other teens with extraordinary abilities, bound together to safeguard a world they can affect, but where they no longer belong.
When murder threatens to undo the Flow, the Watcher charges Consuela and elusive, attractive V to stop the killer. But the psychopath who threatens her new world may also hold the only key to Consuela's way home.





Goodreads page

Luminous was first scheduled to be published in 2010 I believe, but was pushed back to 2011. When this post goes up, the book is already published, but it's still on my wishlist. It looks so stunning! And it sounds pretty awesome as well. I like the idea for this story and I can't wait to read it! *needs to pick up a copy stat*

Review: Falling Under by Gwen Hayes

Falling Under by Gwen Hayes 
Published: March 1st, 2011
Publisher: New American Library
Pages: 324
Challenge: Debut Author Challenge 2011, 100+ Reading Challenge
Other: First in the Falling Under series. The second book, Dreaming Awake, will come out on January 3rd, 2012.
Video review: Youtube
Buy the book: Bookdepository


Theia Alderson has always led a sheltered life in the small California town of Serendipity Falls. But when a devastatingly handsome boy appears in the halls of her school, Theia knows she's seen Haden before- not around town, but in her dreams.

As the Haden of both the night and the day beckons her closer one moment and pushes her away the next, the only thing Theia knows for sure is that the incredible pull she feels towards him is stronger than her fear.

And when she discovers what Haden truly is, Theia's not sure if she wants to resist him, even if the cost is her soul.

When I first heard about this book and added it to my wishlist, I somehow thought it had influences of Greek Mythology in it. It does NOT. However, the book is a great read and in my opinion a very good debut.

Having said that, I want to say that I didn't particularly love this book despite its awesome storyline. The reason for that is that the main characters in this book are instantly falling for eachother; Insta-love. And let me make this clear; I'm a big fan of developing relationships. Sure, lust at first sight is completely believable, but to basically sacrifice yourself to save the boyfriend you've only known for a short time, is going too far in my opinion. It was annoying me throughout the story and it felt wrong. It was bothering me all throughout the book, even though I enjoyed the writing and the rest of the storyline.

Hayes's writing style is pleasant and easy to read, as is the story she wrote. If it doesn't bother you that there's insta-love, I'd definitely recommend picking up this book; you won't be disappointed.

My overall rating:


3.5 stars - because I'm not in love with it, but it makes a great story

In My Mailbox (39)

Another Sunday, another In My Mailbox! In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi over at The Story Siren where we show what book(ish thing)s we got this week :) A small but good week for me! Here's this week's vlog:

The Darkest Pleasure by Gena Showalter

It's not summer without You by Jenny Han

Personal Demons by Lisa Desrochers

Also mentioned: You've Got Mail, one of my favorite movies of all time! I still watch it at least once a year, it's just so adorable! 

That's all for me this week :) What did you get in your mailbox? Happy reading!

200 followers celebration!

Soooo I logged on to my Blogger dashboard yesterday and noticed that I now have 200 GFC followers! (No, I wasn't refreshing my dashboard every 30 minutes for the past couple of days, really!) And because I love all my 200 followers a whole lot, here's a cyber hug!

*SQUEEEEEEZES YOU ALL INTO A HUG*

But because I think cyber hugging isn't enough celebrating, I've decided to host a little giveaway as well! *bounces from excitement* 

I will be giving away a paperback copy of Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan to one lucky winner! (for my review, click *here*!)

There'll be a couple of rules for this giveaway, I'm sorry about that, but, well, it's necessary evil! 

The Rules:

- You have to be a public follower of my blog using Google Friend Connect (GFC)

- Winner will be drawn at random

- Winner will be notified via email and on the blog. The winner has 48 hours to claim their prize before I draw another winner

- The prize will be shipped out using Book Depository, so make sure they ship to your country before entering

- I am not responsible for damaged items or items that get lost in the mail

- I have the right to disqualify any entry as I see fit

So now we got all that out of the way, time to ENTER! Just fill in the form below and you'll be entered :) 

» This giveaway is now closed «

This giveaway will be open from 23rd July til 30th July, 2011. Good luck and thank you so much for following! It means the world to me!! *sends luv*

Review: Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan

Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan
Published: April 6th, 2010
Publisher: Dutton
Pages: 310
Challenge: 100+ Reading Challenge
Other: n/a
Video review: YouTube
Buy the book: Bookdepository


One cold night, in a most unlikely corner of Chicago, two teens—both named Will Grayson—are about to cross paths. As their worlds collide and intertwine, the Will Graysons find their lives going in new and unexpected directions, building toward romantic turns-of-heart and the epic production of history’s most fabulous high school musical.

I heard that the book was rude, hilarious, funny, honest and awesome, before I even started reading it. And then I picked it up. And the people telling me all those forementioned things, were right! Dead right! But they forgot to mention Tiny Cooper.

I loved this book. I read it within a day and was laughing throughout the entire book. The part of the picking other people's noses? Hi-la-ri-ous. It got me a couple of weird looks, but I didn't care at the slightest. This book was so funny! And somehow, it felt real. Like it could really happen.

My favorite character? Tiny Cooper of course! He was the star of the show and the book could have easily had his name as a title. Tiny is awesome.

My overall rating:

DEFINITELY RECOMMENDED. In capitals, yes. Go read it.

Review: White Cat by Holly Black

White Cat by Holly Black 
Published: January 1st, 2010
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry
Pages: 310
Challenge: 100+ Reading Challenge
Other: First book in the Curse Workers series. Book two, Red Glove, was published on April 5th, 2011.
Buy the book: Bookdepository

Cassel comes from a family of curse workers — people who have the power to change your emotions, your memories, your luck, by the slightest touch of their hands. And since curse work is illegal, they're all mobsters, or con artists. Except for Cassel. He hasn't got the magic touch, so he's an outsider, the straight kid in a crooked family. You just have to ignore one small detail — he killed his best friend, Lila, three years ago.

Ever since, Cassel has carefully built up a façade of normalcy, blending into the crowd. But his façade starts crumbling when he starts sleepwalking, propelled into the night by terrifying dreams about a white cat that wants to tell him something. He's noticing other disturbing things, too, including the strange behavior of his two brothers. They are keeping secrets from him, caught up in a mysterious plot. As Cassel begins to suspect he's part of a huge con game, he also wonders what really happened to Lila. Could she still be alive? To find that out, Cassel will have to out-con the conmen.

Let me start out by saying that I was *really* excited to finally read this book. The synopsis of this book was awesome, so I thought I would definitely enjoy reading White Cat. Unfortunately, I didn't enjoy reading it all that much.

Now, don't get me wrong, I think the story is great. The storyline and the idea for the story are awesome, and I also love the fact that we have a male main character that we are following around. BUT I had a lot of trouble getting into this book. The first 80 or 90 pages (almost 1/3 of the book!) is only used to describe the world in which Cassel lives and the situation that he is in - the only person in his family who isn't a curse worker. I had SO much trouble getting through this part of the book.

After that, the book picked up some speed, and even though the story developed in a pretty darn nice plot, it didn't make me want to read faster or whatever. It never turned into the pageturner that it's supposed to be for me.

And I have to say that the fact that I didn't really enjoy reading this book had nothing to do with the story itself. I'm just someone who likes it when there's action in the beginning of the book as well - that there's actually something happening when the author is still describing the world/setting/person/whatever needs to be described to give the reader a base for the story. It never got really exciting for me, which is the reason that I didn't really enjoy reading it.

However, the story itself is awesome. I liked Cassel as a character and I liked how Black wrote the characters around him, especially his family. I've heard that Red Glove is better than White Cat, so I might pick that one up eventually. But this one definitely doesn't get the full rating for me.

My overall rating:


Because it wasn't really for me, but the story was awesome nontheless.

Review: Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan

Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan
Published: January 1st, 2006
Publisher: Knopf
Pages: 192
Challenge: 100+ Reading Challenge
Other: has been made into a movie in 2008
Buy the book: Bookdepository

It all starts when Nick asks Norah to be his girlfriend for five minutes. He only needs five minutes to avoid his ex-girlfriend, who’s just walked in to his band’s show. With a new guy. And then, with one kiss, Nick and Norah are off on an adventure set against the backdrop of New York City—and smack in the middle of all the joy, anxiety, confusion, and excitement of a first date. 

This he said/she said romance told by YA stars Rachel Cohn and David Levithan is a sexy, funny roller coaster of a story about one date over one very long night, with two teenagers, both recovering from broken hearts, who are just trying to figure out who they want to be—and where the next great band is playing. 

After reading Dash & Lily's Book of Dares, I was so excited to read more of their books. And I was not disappointed! This book tells the story of two teenagers who accidentally bump into eachother when Nick asks Norah to be his girlfriend for five minutes. What follows is a crazy evening and night in which they try to somehow make it a real first date.

This book was incredibly funny, but also packed with bad language. I'm not that picky about swearing and stuff in books, but this one has an entire page filled with f- this and f- that, which I found both funny (because he comes to a certain conclusion) and annoying (because of all the swearing).

Both characters have great personalities and I love how Cohn and Levithan combined the double narritive into this story. I love how they showed doubts, not only about the other person and the situations, but also about themselves. They weren't flawless, and I loved that!

My overall rating:


And I can't wait to read Naomi and Ely's No Kiss List :)

On My Wishlist (4)

In On My Wishlist I spotlight books that I'm really looking forward to. I know there's a meme Waiting on Wednesday and there even are others, but I'm going to rebel and do it how I want it (hehe). I'll feature the synopsis as posted on Goodreads and put a linkie to the Goodreads page of the book. This week: Personal Demons by Lisa Desrochers.

Personal Demons by Lisa Desrochers
Publication date: September 14th, 2010

Synopsis:
Frannie Cavanaugh is a good Catholic girl with a bit of a wicked streak. She has spent years keeping everyone at a distance—-even her closest friends—-and it seems as if her senior year is going to be more of the same . . . until Luc Cain enrolls in her class. No one knows where he came from, but Frannie can’t seem to stay away from him.

What she doesn’t know is that Luc is on a mission. He’s been sent from Hell itself to claim Frannie’s soul. It should be easy—-all he has to do is get her to sin, and Luc is as tempting as they come. Frannie doesn’t stand a chance. But he has to work fast, because if the infernals are after her, the celestials can’t be far behind. And sure enough, it’s not long before the angel Gabriel shows up, willing to do anything to keep Luc from getting what he came for. It isn’t long before they find themselves fighting for more than just Frannie’s soul.

But if Luc fails, there will be Hell to pay . . . for all of them.




Goodreads page

This one has been out for a while, so I feel like this one needs an explanation. I've been dying to read this book, but I can only find the book with a different cover (that I absolutely do not like). So I've been looking and looking for this cover, but I can't find it. Or, I can find it, but it's out of stock. Anyway, I love the sound of the blurb on the cover. "If you had to choose between Heaven and Hell, which would it be? ... Are you sure about that?" Aaaah!! Want to read that!! *goes off to hunt for the pretty cover again*

In My Mailbox (38)

Another Sunday, another In My Mailbox! In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi over at The Story Siren where we show what book(ish thing)s we got this week. It was a bit of a small week for me this week, but I got three AWESOME books! One of them is my very first RAK, thanks to Adam! Here's this week's vlog:

I'm Not Her by Janet Gurtler

Incarceron by Catherine Fisher

Dear Mr. Potter by Lily Zalon

Big thank you to Adam from Roof Beam Reader for my very first RAK! 

That's all for me this week (including a bit of Deathly Hallows Part 2 talk), what did you get in your mailbox this week? Happy reading!

PS: If you've seen Deathly Hallows Part 2 already, let me know what you think!

Review: City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare

City of Ashes by Cassandra Clare
Published: March 25th, 2008
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry
Pages: 453
Challenge: 100+ Reading Challenge, 350 Page Books Challenge, YA Series Challenge
Other: Second book in The Mortal Instruments series. There will be six books in this series. The fourth installment, City of Fallen Angels, was published on April 5th, 2011.
Buy the book: Bookdepository

A murderer is loose in New York City ... 

... and the victims are Downworlder children. Clary Fray and her fellow Shadowhunters have a strong suspicion that Valentine, Clary's father, may be behind the killings. But if he is the murderer, then what's his true motive? To make matters worse, the second of the Mortal Instruments, the Soul-Sword, has been stolen, and the mysterious Inquisitor has arrived to investigate, with his eyes vigilantly targeted on Clary's brother, Jace. 

Clary will need to face some terrifying demons and even more terrifying family decisions. No one said that the life of a Shadowhunter would be easy.

After finally reading City of Bones, I was *thrilled* to start reading City of Ashes. Where CoB was made of awesomesauce, CoA was slightly disappointed because it just didn't have me hooked like the first book did.

Cassandra Clare has developed an exciting and thrilling world of Shadowhunters and demons. I really like how she put everything together! Somehow, I wasn't that thrilled about the sequel. It felt like an inbetween book and I generally don't like those kind of books. I felt the plot was okay, but it didn't feel like an awesome, thrilling and good plot like it did in the first book in the series.

Having said that, I really liked Simon. I think I am starting to like him better than I like Jace (and I LOVED him in the first book) and I liked that Simon had a slightly bigger role in this book. I've heard that he's going to have a prominent role in the third book as well, so that's something that I really will be looking forward to!

Of course, I will continue the series. I'm not as excited for City of Glass as I was for this book after reading the first book, but I will definitely be reading it in the summer.

My overall rating:


Because despite the less appealing plot, I loved the world Cassandra Clare created for Shadowhunters and demons!

On My Wishlist (3)

In On My Wishlist I spotlight books that I'm really looking forward to. I know there's a meme Waiting on Wednesday and there even are others, but I'm going to rebel and do it how I want it (hehe). I'll feature the synopsis as posted on Goodreads and put a linkie to the Goodreads page of the book. This week: The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin.

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin
Expected publication date: September 27th, 2011

Synopsis:
Mara Dyer doesn't think life can get any stranger than waking up in a hospital with no memory of how she got there.
It can.

She believes there must be more to the accident she can't remember that killed her friends and left her mysteriously unharmed.

There is.

She doesn't believe that after everything she's been through, she can fall in love.

She's wrong.


Goodreads page

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaah I'm SO excited for this book. First up, the cover is gorgeous. Second, the synopsis sounds *awesome*. I've heard that it's quite the ride in this book, that it's really sad (at least at some points), so that makes me even more curious. Is it September yet?

Review: Unearthly by Cynthia Hand

Unearthly by Cynthia Hand
Published: January 4th, 2011
Publisher: HarperTeen
Pages: 435
Challenge: Debut Author Challenge, 100+ Reading Challenge, 350 Page Books Challenge
Video review: YouTube
Other: First book in the Unearthly series. The second book, Hallowed, will come out in 2012.
Buy the book: Bookdepository

In the beginning, there's a boy standing in the trees . . . .

Clara Gardner has recently learned that she's part angel. Having angel blood run through her veins not only makes her smarter, stronger, and faster than humans (a word, she realizes, that no longer applies to her), but it means she has a purpose, something she was put on this earth to do. Figuring out what that is, though, isn't easy.

Her visions of a raging forest fire and an alluring stranger lead her to a new school in a new town. When she meets Christian, who turns out to be the boy of her dreams (literally), everything seems to fall into place—and out of place at the same time. Because there's another guy, Tucker, who appeals to Clara's less angelic side.

As Clara tries to find her way in a world she no longer understands, she encounters unseen dangers and choices she never thought she'd have to make—between honesty and deceit, love and duty, good and evil. When the fire from her vision finally ignites, will Clara be ready to face her destiny?

This book was a lot better than I expected it to be! I put it off for a little while, so the book was just looking pretty on my shelf, but I'm so glad that I picked it up now!

Unearthly is the first book by Cynthia Hand and I think she did a great job! The book is really well written and had me hooked within a couple of pages. I really liked the characters, especially Tucker - even though he is pretty annoying in some parts! I loved how he was described, I could just see him in my mind and feel what he felt. Clara was a great character as well. It was nice to follow her around and to experience everything from her point of view.

I wasn't really into angel books, I have to admit.. And this was only my second (?) angel title, but it's getting me hooked thanks to great titles like this! I loved the plot. It wasn't mushy or sugar coated, and I really liked what the author did with working out the story lines.

Unearthly is the the thrilling first book in the Unearthly series and forms a great base for the rest of the series to lean on. It's well written, with a great love story and a well described journey for Clara to work towards her purpose. I'm hooked!

My overall rating:

Four stars! Because Clara's story gave me wings.

In My Mailbox (37)

Another Sunday, another In My Mailbox! In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi over at The Story Siren where we show what book(ish thing)s we got this week. I have another full IMM this week, so here's this week's vlog!

Damned by Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguié (eGalley)

The Unwanteds by Lisa McMann (eGalley)

A Beautiful Dark by Jocelyn Davies (eGalley)

The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson (eGalley)

Tris and Izzie by Mette Ivie Harrison (eGalley)

Ashfall by Mike Mullin (eGalley)

Desire Unchained by Larissa Ione

Sin Undone by Larissa Ione

Vampire Kisses by Ellen Schreiber

Hunger by Michael Grant

Keeping The Moon by Sarah Dessen

This Lullaby by Sarah Dessen

Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen

The Morganville Vampires Volume 2 by Rachel Caine

Infinity by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Swag:

The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare

Eon/Eona by Alison Goodman

Burn Bright by Marianne de Pierres

Plague by Michael Grant 

Like I said, tons of stuff! :D Big thank you to Braiden for the swag that I won of his blog! Also a big thank you to NetGalley, Simon & Schuster, HarperCollins, EgmontUSA and Tanglewood Press for the eGalleys :) 

I was quite a bit frustrated with the state of my books that I received from Amazon, but I contacted them and we're working it out.. So overall I would say I had another fabulous IMM! *tries to ignore the bent covers and dog ears*

What did you get in your mailbox this week? Happy reading! :) 

Guest post at The Book Memoirs

The lovely girls from The Book Memoirs have invited me to write a guest post in their Guest Blogger Week and OF COURSE I said yes! Click *here* to read my post - but make sure to check out the other bloggers who stop by this week as well!

Elle and Kate are also giving away one of my favorite books so be sure to head over to the post if you want to win! Also, they're giving away one title of every blogger's favorite books, so make sure you stop buy on their blog! (Even if you don't want to enter, head over there because they are the sweetest!)

Thanks so much for having me ladies! <3

Review: Haven by Kristi Cook

Haven by Kristi Cook 
Published: February 22nd, 2011
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Pages: 416
Challenge: 100+ Reading Challenge, Debut Author Challenge 2011, 350 Page Books Challenge
Other: n/a
Buy the book: Bookdepository

One month into her junior year, sixteen-year-old Violet McKenna transfers to the Winterhaven School in New York’s Hudson Valley, inexplicably drawn to the boarding school with high hopes. Leaving Atlanta behind, she’s looking forward to a fresh start--a new school, and new classmates who will not know her deepest, darkest secret, the one she’s tried to hide all her life: strange, foreboding visions of the future.

But Winterhaven has secrets of its own, secrets that run far deeper than Violet’s. Everyone there--every student, every teacher--has psychic abilities, 'gifts and talents,' they like to call them. Once the initial shock of discovery wears off, Violet realizes that the school is a safe haven for people like her. Soon, Violet has a new circle of friends, a new life, and maybe even a boyfriend--Aidan Gray, perhaps the smartest, hottest guy at Winterhaven.

Only there’s more to Aidan than meets the eye--much, much more. And once she learns the horrible truth, there’s no turning back from her destiny. Their destiny. Together, Violet and Aidan must face a common enemy--if only they can do so without destroying each other first.

After reading the synopsis of this book, I thought: "Awesome! A book about a psychic school!" and yes, it was about teenagers who were attracted to this school and then discover every single person has some sort of psychic abilities. But there's a twist in the story, that suddenly makes it less important in the story. That was really bothering me, and I didn't like that twist.

First up, let me start off by saying how I loved the idea of the book. I was hooked from the first page, and continued to be hooked until the forementioned twist. I was willing to overlook the fact that Aidan reminded me way too much of Edward (Cullen). From the moment he was first introduced, I got that Edward vibe. And I do not like Edward, because Edward has stalker tendencies, so I didn't like that Aiden was described like this. But anyhoo, the book was still good until we found out about The Twist. And I know, it's not really a 'twist', but the change of focus in the book was not something I liked. I think Cook worked up to a nice plot nontheless, but I wasn't thrilled about this book.

Cook's writing is very good, so that had nothing to do with why I didn't really like the book. It was simply not my kind of thing. I'm sure there are lots of people who did really like or love this book, but for me personally it was a bit of a disappointment.

My overall rating:


Because the developments in the story weren't things I was excited about to see in the book.

On My Wishlist (2)

In On My Wishlist I spotlight books that I'm really looking forward to. I know there's a meme Waiting on Wednesday and there even are others, but I'm going to rebel and do it how I want it (hehe). I'll feature the synopsis as posted on Goodreads and put a linkie to the Goodreads page of the book. This week: Crossed by Ally Condie.

Crossed by Ally Condie
Expected publication date: November 1st, 2011


In search of a future that may not exist and faced with the decision of who to share it with, Cassia journeys to the Outer Provinces in pursuit of Ky - taken by the Society to his certain death - only to find that he has escaped, leaving a series of clues in his wake.

Cassia's quest leads her to question much of what she holds dear, even as she finds glimmers of a different life across the border. But as Cassia nears resolve and certainty about her future with Ky, an invitation for rebellion, an unexpected betrayal, and a surprise visit from Xander - who may hold the key to the uprising and, still, to Cassia's heart - change the game once again. Nothing is as expected on the edge of Society, where crosses and double crosses make the path more twisted than ever.


Goodreads page

If you have been following my blog, you probably know that I wasn't *that* excited about Matched when I finished reading it (My review). BUT I do feel it was working up towards something that I would be enthousiastic about, so Crossed is definitely quite high on my I-need-to-get-my-grabby-paws-on-it-list. I was really jealous when I saw all of you who went to BEA and got back with ARCs! Plus, I really like what they've done with the cover art :)

Review: The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan

The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan 
Published: May 4th, 2010
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Pages: 516
Challenge: 100+ Reading Challenge, 350 Page Books Challenge
Other: First book in the Kane Chronicles. There will be three books in total. The second book, The Throne of Fire, was published on May 3rd, 2011.
Video Review: Youtube
Buy the book: Bookdepository

Since their mother's death, Carter and Sadie have become near strangers. While Sadie has lived with her grandparents in London, her brother has traveled the world with their father, the brilliant Egyptologist, Dr. Julius Kane.

One night, Dr. Kane brings the siblings together for a "research experiment" at the British Museum, where he hopes to set things right for his family. Instead, he unleashes the Egyptian god Set, who banishes him to oblivion and forces the children to flee for their lives.

Soon, Sadie and Carter discover that the gods of Egypt are waking, and the worst of them —Set— has his sights on the Kanes. To stop him, the siblings embark on a dangerous journey across the globe - a quest that brings them ever closer to the truth about their family and their links to a secret order that has existed since the time of the pharaohs.

After finishing the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, I was dying to read more Rick Riordan books. I picked up The Red Pyramid, which is based on Egyptian mythology. I really liked the book, but I wasn't as hooked as I was with the Percy books.

This book follows Carter and Sadie, who are brother and sister and find themselfs amidst Egyptian gods. They never thought the gods would be alive, let alone meet them. But when their father summons a god, he lets more loose than he intended, and Carter and Sadie need to work together to make sure the world won't be destroyed in the process of saving their father.

The setup in this book is great. Rick Riordan made it seem like he was simply typing out what the main characters were saying on a tape recording. His humor is great and I loved the writing in this book. I'm more of a fan of Carter's than I am of Sadie, but both are great characters. 

If you love Rick Riordan as much as I do, this is a must to pick up. Egyptian mythology isn't something I've read a lot about (this is my first book..) but I really liked it and I think this can be a great setup for the rest of the trilogy.

My overall rating: 


Simply because I love Rick Riordan's writing and I can't wait to read more about Carter and Sadie (now if my preorder will hurry up and arrive already..)!

Exciting news from Jennifer L. Armentrout!

I'm SO excited to post about this! Jennifer L. Armentrout (Author of Half-blood and the prequel Daimon) has a new book deal! Here's the official cover and the blurb:

Dying sucks--and high school senior Ember McWilliams knows firsthand. After a fatal car accident, her gifted little sister brought her back. Now anything Ember touches dies. And that, well, really blows.

Ember operates on a no-touch policy with all living things--including boys. When Hayden Cromwell shows up, quoting Oscar Wilde and claiming her curse is a gift, she thinks he’s a crazed cutie. But when he tells her he can help control it, she’s more than interested. There’s just one catch: Ember has to trust Hayden's adopted father, a man she's sure has sinister reasons for collecting children whose abilities even weird her out. However, she’s willing to do anything to hold her sister's hand again. And hell, she'd also like to be able to kiss Hayden. Who wouldn't?

But when Ember learns the accident that turned her into a freak may not've been an accident at all, she’s not sure who to trust. Someone wanted her dead, and the closer she gets to the truth, the closer she is to losing not only her heart, but her life. For real this time.


Cursed is due to release in September 2012 from Spencer Hill Press.  

This sounds *so* awesome! I'm really looking forward to reading this book :) Besides that, I *really* like the cover.


What are your thoughts? :)

Covers Recycled (1): The Vespertine vs. Dark Angel

Covers Recycled is a new feature on the blog in which I feature covers that have the same images or other remarkable similarities that I find worth sharing. This will not be a weekly feature, but will pop up when I stumble across duplicate covers. This week: The Vespertine vs. Dark Angel.

The Vespertine by Saundra Mitchell vs. Dark Angel by Eden Maguire

I was surprised to see the actual image when I looked up The Vespertine after seeing the cover of Dark Angel! I wasn't sure if this was the actual same photograph, but it is. The dress is in a different color, but it is clear that it is the same girl in the same setting. They are both beautiful covers though!

What do you think? Which one is your favorite? 

In My Mailbox (36)

Another Sunday, another In My Mailbox! In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi over at The Story Siren where we show what book(ish things) we got this week. I had another great week! I have to admit that this was all from last week, because last week's IMM (here) was insane.. So I split it up in two so I didn't have to rush in my videos :) Here's this week's vlog!

The Complete Tales and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe 

(Barnes and Noble Leatherbound edition)

Extacy Unveiled by Larissa Ione

The Darkest Whisper by Gena Showalter

The Darkest Passion by Gena Showalter

The Maze Runner by James Dashner

Ultraviolet by R.J. Anderson

Blood Red Road by Moira Young

Here's the linkie to the leatherbound edition of the Edgar Allan Poe book (because there were some people asking where I got my Alice in Wonderland leatherbound edition when I had that in my IMM vlog). 

I'm so happy with everything I got! I feel really stupid about forgetting to order book 3 in the Lords of the Underworld series.. But I ordered it so it should be in soon xD I'm REALLY excited for Blood Red Road. I was desperately waiting for it and my excitement died a little because it took over 2 weeks to get here, but still.. OMG! 

That's it for me this week! What did you get in your mailbox this week? Happy reading :)

June wrap up

Soooo June is over already, which means it's time for another wrap up post! I haven't read that much in June because of my sisters illness and her stay in the hospital, but I still managed to read a couple: I read 6 books this month. Unfortunately, that means that I failed my 30 books in 30 days challenge miserably.. But I had different things on my mind.

Some stats: I have read 69 books so far in 2011, which equals a total of 24,514 pages. I'm almost at 25,000!! Squeee!! I'm so proud of myself. According to my Goodreads challenge widget, I'm 19 books ahead of schedule. Since I'm back into reading, I think I can read a lot towards my 100+ Reading challenge!

Here's this months wrap up video :)

Read in June

1. Pleasure Unbound by Larissa Ione

2. The Darkest Kiss by Gena Showalter

3. Lover Eternal by J.R. Ward

4. A Touch Mortal by Leah Clifford

5. Covet by J.R. Ward

6. The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han

Started but not yet finished

Breathe by Sarah Crossan 

(Inside Out by Maria V Snyder - which I put on hold to read later on)

To be honest, I haven't read any *wow* books this month. Yes, I did read some books that I *really* liked, but no 5 star ratings from me this month! (I know, I was surprised, too) I have to say that The Summer I Turned Pretty was a wonderful read for summer, and I would definitely recommend that title to anyone who likes summery reads - but it's not all fluff. 

What did you read this month? What book was your favorite? Did you have any disappointing titles?