Review! On The Edge by Ilona Andrews

On the Edge (The Edge Series, Book 1)

Ilona Andrews

Ace

September 29, 2009

ISBN-10: 0441017800

The Broken is a place where people shop at Wal-Mart and magic is nothing more than a fairy tale.

The Weird is a realm where blueblood aristocrats rule and the strength of your magic can change your destiny.

Rose Drayton lives on the Edge, the place between both worlds. A perilous existence indeed, made even more so by a flood of magic-hungry creatures bent on absolute destruction.

Rose Drayton has lived on the Edge her entire life. It lies between two worlds, the Broken, where the most magical place would be Wal-Mart and every one thinks magic belongs in fairy tales and the Weird, where aristocrats rule by the strength of their magic. Only people living in the Edge knows about these two worlds and Rose can easily travel between them because her magic is strong.

She lives a hard life, taking care of her two little brothers, Jack and Georgie, and working an off-the-books job cleaning in the Broken to survive. Rose always dreamed of having a better life but the reality is far worse, they're barely surviving as it is. Then, Declan Camarine shows up at her house one day. He's a blue-blood aristocrat from the Weird and he's determined to have Rose. What he soon finds out is that Rose is no weak little woman looking to be swept off her feet. In fact, ever since Rose started developing her magic, blue-bloods from the Weird has gone to the Edge looking to buy her just for her magic so needless to say, she knows better than to trust Declan.

But when horrible creatures start showing up on the Edge, killing animals and people, Declan and Rose have to work together to find out where these creatures are coming from and destroy them before they destroy the Edge.

Let me start by saying that I'm a huge fan of Andrews' books and I absolutely loved this one. My description honestly doesn't do On the Edge justice. It's an absolutely wonderful read. The world-building is top-notch, not unlike the Kate Daniels books. The characters just come off the page and they're so alive. Rose's brothers, Jack and Georgie, were easily my favorite. I actually felt a bit weird because these two characters completely stole my heart. Rose and Declan are just perfect. Rose doesn't have rose-colored glasses, she's a tough cookie and very smart. Declan's unbelievably alpha but not so much that it's annoying, he definitely has his own story to tell. I honestly can't say enough good things about this new series, the writing is griping, the characters easy to fall in love with and On the Edge will keep your attention from beginning to end. A great new series and I can't wait for the next On the Edge book!

Review! Fallen by Lauren Kate

Fallen

Lauren Kate

Delacorte Books for Young Readers

December 8, 2009

ISBN: 978-0-385-73893-4

There's something achingly familiar about Daniel Grigori.

Mysterious and aloof, he captures Luce Price's attention from the moment she sees him on her first day at the Sword & Cross boarding school in sultry Savannah, Georgia. He's the one bright spot in a place where cell phones are forbidden, the other students are all screw-ups, and security cameras watch every move.

Even though Daniel wants nothing to do with Luce--and goes out of his way to make that very clear--she can't let it go. Drawn to him like a moth to a flame, she has to find out what Daniel is so desperate to keep secret . . . even if it kills her.

Dangerously exciting and darkly romantic, Fallen is a page turning thriller and the ultimate love story.

Once you get past the amazing cover - it is honestly beautiful; I want a poster of it! - Fallen is a story that will certainly grab you and not let go until the very end. Let me start by saying that I have never been a big fan of predestined lovers, the concept just has never appealed to me and as such, while I was looking forward to reading Fallen, I was a bit wary. I am happy to tell you that all my worries were for naught. Fallen ripped into my gut like a hungry hippo and didn't let go until I had read the very last word, even then I was left with wanting more.

Luce has been sent to Sword & Cross by her parents after something horrible happened to her. She's now surround by strangers in a morose-looking academy in the middle of nowhere, Georgia and needless to say, not very happy about it. When she meets Daniel, she's immediately drawn to him, too bad he makes it more than clear to stay away from him by flipping her off right off the bat.

But Luce can't help herself - there's something about this boy that calls to her and she soon finds herself on a mission to find out more about him, including what makes him be nice to her one second then brush her off the next. What she doesn't know is that it's more than just attraction and she might not survive uncovering his secrets.

Character-wise, two stole the limelight for me. Arriane, the funny psycho girl who from the beginning takes Luce under her wings (no pun intended) and Cam, the dark-haired boy with the hots for Luce. I admit, I quickly developed a full-on crush on Cam. He is awesome!

I have to say that for the first 300something pages, there was very little - if any - explanations on why things were happening. The reader is teased with hints throughout but it's not until the 300ish mark that we actually start to find out the reasons behind some characters' actions and even then, it's just enough to answer some questions. I feel that Fallen is more of a introductory story than anything. It sets the story arc and the characters while giving some slight resolution at the end with an incredible cliffhanger.


With that said, I think Fallen is a very good first book of a series that has the potential to become awesome. The characters were endearing, even when they did something that I didn't like and throughout the whole story, I was on the edge of my seat wanting to read more. I am definitely looking forward to the next book titled Torment, which sadly doesn't come out until September next year.

It's Monday! What are you reading?

Hosted by J.Kaye

 

Read this past week: 

 

Friday Night Bites by Chloe Neill (Review)  

 

&.. that's it. It was a very sucky week, reading wise. Not because FNB sucked, because hello! It didn't. But because my usual reading mojo disappeared. I am blaming Rachael for this.

 

 

Currently Reading:

Fallen by Lauren Kate

Skin Game by Ava Gray (One word: Heyes. HOT)

 

Reading Next:

 

The Year of Living Shamelessly by Susanna Carr.

I am eagerly awaiting Tainted by Julie Kenner, which I have been swore to start immediately upon arrival. I am also blaming Rachael for this. 

 

And I hope my mojo comes back this week.

In My Mailbox! (8)

Quick! The winner of the swag is.. MEL. Congrats! I'll be emailing you for your info later tonight. 

So! IMM time. (Hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren)

I got a book this week and it looks awesome!

Excuse the glasses. And the pen. And the headphones. Just don't mind the mess!

 Fallen by Lauren Kate

Hello, my pretty! I'm just slightly sadden that it doesn't have the final cover, it's so lovely! Ever since I heard about this one in the blogosphere I've wanted it! I'm so happy I got it and of course, I'll be reviewing on the blog.

&

The whole top is cut off. Grr.

A Hush, Hush poster! It's even prettier in person. Thanks to Simon & Schuster!

That's all for this week!

2-for-1 Reviews! Some Girls Bite & Friday Night Bites by Chloe Neill [+ Giveaway!]

Some Girls Bite (Chicagoland Vampires, book 1)
Chloe Neill
NAL Trade
April 7, 2009
ISBN-10: 0451226259
  
First in a brand new series about a Chicago graduate student’s introduction into a society of vampires.

Sure, the life of a graduate student wasn’t exactly glamorous, but it was Merit’s. She was doing fine until a rogue vampire attacked her. But he only got a sip before he was scared away by another bloodsucker—and this one decided the best way to save her life was to make her the walking undead.

Turns out her savior was the master vampire of Cadogan House. Now she’s traded sweating over her thesis for learning to fit in at a Hyde Park mansion full of vamps loyal to Ethan “Lord o’ the Manor” Sullivan. Of course, as a tall, green-eyed, four-hundred- year-old vampire, he has centuries’ worth of charm, but unfortunately he expects her gratitude— and servitude. But an inconvenient sunlight allergy and Ethan’s attitude are the least of her concerns. Someone’s still out to get her. Her initiation into Chicago’s nightlife may be the first skirmish in a war—and there will be blood.

Some Girls Bite is the debut novel by Chloe Neill about a grad student who suddenly finds herself a vampire and well, it is GOOD.  Merit, the main character, was attacked by a rogue vampire and next thing she knows, she's ankle-deep into vampire politics. Most importantly, she's now part of House Cadogan and has to "service" the Master: Ethan Sullivan.

But it's not as dirty as I make it sound. Unfortunately.  It means that she owes her loyalty to him and to the House and has to do anything and everything to defend them. But having to deal with Ethan, their growing attraction and having a new life as a vampire is nothing compared to the fact that someone is still out to get her. Could it be the vampire who first tried to murder her? Or a vampire from a rival House?

Merit doesn't know but she has to found out before someone else dies.

Like I first mentioned, Some Girls Bite is incredibly awesome. I was very impressed, the plot is tight and consistent, the character development absolutely compelling. I must say that the first thing I look for in a good book is character development and Neill more than delivered. I loved every character - even the "bad guys"! - especially Morgan. He's second to the Navarre House and just sounds yummy! And Jeff, the twenty-one year old computer genius. Can I please have him? I just fell in love with ever character and from the beginning, I loved Merit and her story.

Neill has created a fabulous new world where vampires mingle with humans, nymphs fight over the Chicago river, and shape-shifters who are incredibly hot and funny (Jeff. Seriously - Can I have him?) The book has great, funny characters, hot sexual tension and more than enough action. I absolutely loved reading Some Girls Bite and I can't wait to start Friday Night Bites, the second book in the Chicagoland Vampires series.

***

Friday Night Bites (Chicagoland Vampires, book 2)
Chloe Neill
NAL Trade
October 6, 2009 
ISBN-10: 045122793X

The story of a young heiress's initiation into the dark society of the Chicagoland Vampires continues...

Ten months after vampires revealed their existence to the mortals of Chicago, they're enjoying a celebrity status usually reserved for the Hollywood elite. But should people learn about the Raves-mass feeding parties where vampires round up humans like cattle-the citizens will start sharpening their stakes.

So now it's up to the new vampire Merit to reconnect with her upper class family and act as liaison between humans and bloodsuckers, and keep the more unsavory aspects of the vampire lifestyle out of the media. But someone doesn't want peace between them-someone with an ancient grudge... 

Friday Night Bites is the second book in the Chicagoland Vampires series and the awesomeness just continues! Merit has only been a vampire for about two months now but in that time she has risen in power and status in the Cadogan House, the house of vampires in which she belongs to. Something I love about this character is how she's not perfect, the fact that she's now pretty high in the upper echelon of the vampire politics hasn't gone to her head. She's adapting but still struggling with her new life and trying to balance her human and vampire sides and when Ethan Sullivan, the master of Cadogan and her boss, orders her to reconnect with her old human family in order to found more information and try to keep the raves out of the human eye, she doesn't have much choice but to accept.

Merit is also trying to deal with her love life. She's being courted by Morgan, the new Master of the Navarre House but she also has feelings for Ethan, which isn't good because from the beginning, he's put vampire politics before anything that could happen with her, and on top of that, it seems that he doesn't necessarily trust her. It definitely annoyed me whenever Ethan sort of played with her. He would once second kind of flirt and open up and next thing you know he's shutting the metaphysically door right in Merit's face! Needless to say, I liked Morgan way more but there's just something about Ethan I love too and I hope they somehow manage to make it work.

My other favorite characters are back! Jeff, the twenty-one year old genius shifter, Mallory, Merit's best friend and Catcher, Mallory's boyfriend, Merit's trainer and fourth-grade sorcerer. They're all such great secondary characters and make the story even more entertaining and fun to read.

Throughout the book, there's hints about what the next book is about and of course, I'm itching to read more! Friday Night Bites is a fabulously well-written, sexy and funny story and this series has quickly become one of my favorites yet!


Now - time for the giveaway! I have some Cadogan swag for a lucky winner; including a bookmark of Chloe's up-coming YA debut book called Firespell (Out in January) which I can't wait to read! (It sounds so good!) The bookmarks are super cute and I also added a handful of other different ones.

Stupid Flash.

So! To enter, leave a comment and I'll choose a winner Sunday night, and the goodies will go out on Monday! And also, don't forget to check out Chloe's Chicagoland Vampires books, they're awesome!

Guest Post! Authors Christine & Ethan Rose.

Please welcome Christine and Ethan Rose! They're the authors of Witch on the Water and Rowen of the Wood and this is their second stop on their book tour, more info here.
___________________________

Mythology has always played a significant role in my writings. Many of the writers who influenced me and my own writing style at an early age used mythology in their works.

Tolkien of course is a prime example. Most of the creatures and tales within Middle-earth are borrowed from or based on actual mythologies and histories if only loosely. This does not make him a plagiarist. It makes him a good story teller.

The best stories are not new ones, but old tales told in a new way. William Shakespeare did not write new stories. He only retold old stories in a way that his generation could appreciate. The words may have been different, but the underlying essence was the same.

Lloyd Alexander also played a significant role in my literary development with his Prydain Chronicles. He was telling tales from a mythology I wasn't yet familiar with. These books helped me to discover the links between mythology, fairy tales, and modern fantasy. I explored these connections in much greater depth after discovering Joseph Campbell and Charles DeLint years later, but Lloyd showed me what to look for.

Roger Zelazeny was also a master at modernizing mythology. He could write about gods as if they were ordinary people. Greek, Egyptian and even fictional gods roamed the pages of his books with fantastic powers but the same foibles that you and I struggle with every day. His best work in my opinion is his science fiction spiritual journey of a would be Siddhartha in rebellion against the Hindu gods.

Good Modern Fantasy is a continuation.
_______________________________

Thank you, Christine, for such an interesting post! For more information on their books, news and events, visit their website.

It's Monday! What are you reading?

Hosted by J.Kaye

Read this past week: 

Dreaming Anastasia by Joy Preble (Review)

Some Girls Bite by Chloe Neill (Which I'll posting a review of pretty soon)

Currently Reading:

 Friday Night Bites by Chloe Neill (2nd book in the Chicagoland Vampires series)

 

 Ballad by Maggie Stiefvater (Reading along with Lauren)

Reading Next:

 

Skin Game by Ava Gray (If I don't read this one soon, The Fiction Vixen might just beat the crap out of me! Ha)

In My Mailbox (7)

The Year of Living Shamelessly by Susanna Carr (If I ever wear such boots, I'd break a leg! No joke)
Sins of the Flesh by Caridad Pineiro
Skin Game by Ava Gray
Blaze of Memory by Nalini Singh

They all look good! Question: For those whom have read Singh's Psy series, do you think I can read Blaze without having read the previous books and not be completely lost? Hope so!

- IMM is hosted by Kristi at the Story Siren!

Review: Dreaming Anastasia by Joy Preble

Dreaming Anastasia
Joy Preble
Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
September 1, 2009
Young Adult
ISBN-10: 1402218176

What really happened to Anastasia Romanov?

Anastasia Romanov thought she would never feel more alone than when the gunfire started and her family began to fall around her. Surely the bullets would come for her next. But they didn't. Instead, two gnarled old hands reached for her. When she wakes up she discovers that she is in the ancient hut of the witch Baba Yaga, and that some things are worse than being dead. 

In modern-day Chicago, Anne doesn't know much about Russian history. She is more concerned about getting into a good college—until the dreams start. She is somewhere else. She is someone else. And she is sharing a small room with a very old woman. The vivid dreams startle her, but not until a handsome stranger offers to explain them does she realize her life is going to change forever. She is the only one who can save Anastasia. But, Anastasia is having her own dreams…

Dreaming Anastasia is the debut novel by Joy Preble and a very entertaining one! The story is told in Anne's, Ethan's and Anastasia's points of view and that gives the reader a better opportunity to understand what's going on and why. Anne has been having the same dream for years now and in it, she's Anastasia, who is Tsar Nicholas' youngest daughter, and she is trapped in a crazy witch's hut. Needless to say, she's understandably freaked out about that and when Ethan shows and starts stalking her, it doesn't help matters one bit.

But Ethan is not just a creepy stalker, he's part of a Brotherhood whose main goal is save Anastasia and he needs Anne to do this. But it's not as simple as it sounds because there's someone who doesn't want Anastasia to be freed and he'll do anything to stop Ethan and Anne.

While I really like Ethan and Anne, I have to say that Tess, Anne's best friend, was absolutely my favorite character. She had Anne's back and was there to help her with anything. She was also terribly funny and easily my favorite!

Dreaming Anastasia was very enjoyable to read. The plot was definitely what first attracted to this book, it's based on Russian folklore and I think that's hugely original. In a genre that's fill with vampires and faeries and werewolves, getting a witch who's called Baba Yaba and has huge hands that sweep down from the sky and grab you is really refreshing! Especially because said witch lives in a hut that has chicken legs (No joke) which move around an enchanted forest to keep from being found. And let's not forget the bleached skulls planted around said hut because it's not like the chicken legs and crazy witch would keep any sane person away!

Dreaming Anastasia is a very entertaining and original story with good characters and I really enjoyed reading this book.

Waiting on Wednesday (7)

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

  Betrayals (Strange Angels, #2)

Lili St. Crow

Poor Dru Anderson. Her parents are long gone, her best friend is a werewolf, and she's just learned that the blood flowing through her veins isn't entirely human. (So what else is new?)


Now Dru is stuck at a secret New England Schola for other teens like her, and there's a big problem - she's the only girl in the place. A school full of cute boys wouldn't be so bad, but Dru's killer instinct says that one of them wants her dead. And with all eyes on her, discovering a traitor within the Order could mean a lot more than social suicide. . .


Can Dru survive long enough to find out who has betrayed her trust - and maybe even her heart? (from Goodreads)

I'm insanely glad that they finally settled on this cover. I love the girl on it (her hair!) and the guys in the back actually look like (at least in my head) the guys in the book so WIN. I can't wait to read it and hopefully I'll get to review this one! Betrayals comes out November 17th.

Review: Rampant by Diana Peterfreund

Rampant

Diana Peterfreund

August 2009

HarperCollins Publishers

Young Adult

ISBN: 0061490008

  

Forget everything you ever knew about nicorns . .

Real unicorns are venomous, man-eating monsters with huge fangs and razor-sharp horns. Fortunately, they've been extinct for a hundred and fifty years. Or not. 

Astrid had always scoffed at her eccentric mother's stories about killer unicorns. But when one of the monsters attacks her boyfriend—thereby ruining any chance of him taking her to the prom—Astrid finds herself headed to Rome to train as a unicorn hunter at the ancient cloisters the hunters have used for centuries.

 However, at the cloisters all is not what it seems. Outside, the unicorns wait to attack. And within, Astrid faces other, unexpected threats: from the crumbling, bone-covered walls that vibrate with a terrible power to the hidden agendas of her fellow hunters to—perhaps most dangerously of all—her growing attraction to a handsome art student . . . an attraction that could jeopardize everything.

When I received this book, I was extreme excited because I had seen rave reviews about it online but unfortunately, it didn't exactly turned out like I had hoped. In fact, parts of it just bored me and it just dragged at a snail's pace. Astrid's interesting enough of a character but at times, I felt like she was whiny and that annoyed me but admittedly, she does grow as the book progresses. However, the premise for the story of killer unicorns was pretty great, I really liked reading about the different types of killer unicorns. Several of the secondary characters were very interesting to read about, and these things together was what kept me reading Rampant.

I absolutely hated Astrid's mom, no joke. She was portrait pretty horribly, in my opinion, because it sounded like she was forcing Astrid to go to Italy to learn how to fight the unicorns because that was her dream and she was living vicariously through her kid and honestly, that annoyed the living lights out of me. Enough that I skipped her parts after a while.

While I thought I would really like Rampant and sure, some parts of it were pretty entertaining, those weren't enough for me to really love the book, killer unicorns or not.

It's Monday! What are you reading?

Hosted by J.Kaye!

 Read this past week: 

   Cute book, really funny.     Review coming tomorrow.

  Currently Reading:

They took out the creepy-looking dude in the back?! He's still in my copy!

Reading Next:

Really looking forward to both!

In My Mailbox! (7)

It's been an awesome week book-wise! Look at the loot:

Someone should make my bed.

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater (Another BFG book, thank you, Kristi!)
Cracked Up to Be by Courtney Summers
How to Catch and Keep a Vampire by Diana Laurence (I giggle every time I look at this book. Oh...my god)
Vampire Kisses by Ellen Schreiber
Beastly by Alex Flinn (Thank you, Kimmie!)
Ballad by Maggie Stiefvater
Night Runner by Max Turner

&

Don't mind the coffee cup.

Dreaming Anastasia by Joy Preble  
Some Girls Bite and Friday Night Bites by Chloe Neill (Along with some cute swag!)
(these I received after I took the first picture and didn't have time to get them all together due to work.)

See? AWESOME. I'm terribly excited to read each one! 

- IMM is hosted by Kristi at the Story Siren!

Review: Stolen Seduction by Elisabeth Naughton

Stolen Seduction (Book 3 in the Stolen Trilogy)
Elisabeth Naughton
Love Spell
December 29, 2009 
ISBN-10: 0505527952

A missing bronze holds the key to a decade’s-old murder. To prove her innocence, she’ll have to partner up with the sexy homicide detective who has the power to steal more than her freedom—if she’s not careful, he may just steal her heart…(from author's site)

All Hailey Roarke wants is to be left alone by her family. She's not interested in the family fortune, which is why she became a cop and just wants to live her normal life without all the family drama. But when her dad dies and leaves her a mysterious message concerning hidden statues and deciphering a code, she can't help but get involved. Hailey goes to Chicago, where her multi-millionaire family is, to try to find out what her dad's message was about and why she got it. However, she soon finds herself in the middle of a murder investigation; her cousin is dead and all evidence points to her.

To make matter worse, Shane Maxwell, is the detective in charge. Hailey and Shane met months ago at a wedding and while they both went their separate ways, their attraction for each other never lessened and they never stopped thinking about each other. Now that they're in close proximity, the sparks are flying but there's something sinister going on that's bigger than they could ever imagine. Now, Shane and Hailey are smack in the middle of a global hunt started by her late father and they have to trust each other or they won't survive.

Stolen Seduction is the third in Naughton's Stolen series and in my opinion, the best yet! The chemistry between Hailey and Shane comes off the page and it's so steamy. Reading how they're slightly reticent about trusting each other at first but having to start was very enjoyable to read. The treasure hunt and finding out who was behind the murder kept me on the edge of my seat all along, I really wanted to find out who was orchestrating the murders and why. Stolen Seduction's a very fun, adventurous, and sexy book and I highly recommend it.

[Posted on NOR]

Review: Shadowfae by Erica Hayes

Shadowfae 
Erica Hayes
St. Martin's Griffin
October 13, 2009
ISBN-10: 0312578008

Imagine a secret world veiled in fairy glamour and brimming with unearthly delights. A city swarming with half-mad fairies, where thieving spriggans rob you blind, beautiful banshees mesmerize you with their song, and big green trolls bust heads at nightclubs. And once you’re in, there’s no escape…

Enslaved by a demon lord, Jade is forced to spend her nights seducing vampire gangsters and shapeshifting thugs.  After two hundred years as a succubus, she burns for freedom and longs to escape her brutal life as a trophy girl for hell’s minions.  Then she meets Rajah, an incubus who touches her heart and intoxicates her senses. Rajah shares the same bleak fate as she, and yearns just as desperately for freedom.  But the only way for Jade to break her bonds is to betray Rajah—and doom the only man she’s ever loved to a lifetime in hell.

Jade is a soul-sucking succubus but she doesn't get to seduce nice guys who treat her to dinner and a movie. Her boss, who happens to be a demon, wants her going after gang members and murderers. She's pretty sick of it and Jade is willing to do anything to get out of this life. When she meets Rajah, a four-hundred-year-old incubus, she finds out about an ancient spell that could break the demonic bonds so she can be freed. But Rajah's looking for his freedom too and this makes Jade and Rajah enemies, even though they're wildly attracted to each other.

Finding their freedom could curse the other and when things go beyond just a physical attraction, Jade's torn between gaining her freedom and cursing Rajah to a lifetime of slavery as an incubus or spending eternity as a trophy girl for hell's minions. While both Jade and Rajah are fighting for for their freedom, there's someone killing faeries and unbeknown to both of them, they're right in the middle of it.

The world of Shadowfae is anything but light and cute faeries. They're dark beings that steal and mesmerize human beings. Shadowfae's a very dark story, while it has its funny moments, things continue to escalate and get serious as Jade and Rajah fight for their freedom. I had a hard time with Jade. I liked her as a character, especially how she was so determined to gain her freedom. However, at other times I just found her annoying and I just couldn't connect with her. Surprisingly enough, I really liked the "bad guy". I think it was due to the writing, Ms. Hayes has a way with words that is atmospheric and it flows very nicely and the way this character was written just attracted me.

There were certain parts that were just pretty gross. The way Jade has to go about getting these souls is just yucky, I'll leave it at that! All-in-all, I did enjoy Shadowfae. I have mixed feelings about it though and I think with the next book in the series, I could go either way. I think it has the potential to become a very good Urban Fantasy series and I'm definitely looking forward to the next book, Shadowglass, out March 2010.

[Posted on NOR]

It's Monday! What are you reading?

Hosted by J.Kaye!

Read this past week

Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick (Review here!)
Rampant by Diana Peterfreund (I suck 'cause I've barely read this book!)

Currently Reading:

Rampant (I KNOW)

Reading Next:


Cracked Up to Be by Courtney Summers
Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater (Hope I get it this week!)
Vampire Kisses by Ellen Schreiber
Haven't gotten Super Sekrit group reading book but hopefully will this week!


Have you noticed how I've been reading A LOT of YA lately? Sooo awesome!

In My Mailbox (7)

Another week - Another IMM post! (Thanks to Kristi at The Story Siren!)

This week I received:

Amazon Ink by Lori Devoti
Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick (See my review here)

I've never read any of Devoti's previous books but this is apparently her new UF and I'm a big fan of those so can't wait to read it! And needless to say, I totally already read Hush, Hush.

This isn't book-related but it's so cute that I wanted to mention it. Months ago I heard about EOS (Evolution of Smooth^tm) products and they were running this promo where they were sending out their lip balms to try out. I put my info down and this week, I got this!

It's Sweet Mint Smooth Sphere and lookit! So cute. Normally I'm not big on minty stuff but it's so good! It's completely organic, moisturizes my lips (awesome for Fall!) and it TINGLES a bit after you put it on. Seriously.

So, you twist it open and tada!

Cool, eh? I think it's adorable and very creative. There's other flavors and if you want one, there's more info here.

Anyway - that's all for this week!

P.S: Kudos to whomever notices what book the lip balm is lying on!

Review: Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick

Hush, Hush
Becca Fitzpatrick
Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
October 13, 2009
ISBN-10: 1416989412

For Nora Grey, romance was not part of the plan. She's never been particularly attracted to the boys at her school, no matter how much her best friend, Vee, pushes them at her. Not until Patch came along.

With his easy smile and eyes that seem to see inside her, Nora is drawn to him against her better judgment.

But after a series of terrifying encounters, Nora's not sure who to trust. Patch seems to be everywhere she is, and to know more about her than her closest friends. She can't decide whether she should fall into his arms or run and hide. And when she tries to seek some answers, she finds herself near a truth that is way more unsettling than anything Patch makes her feel.

For Nora is right in the middle of an ancient battle between the immortal and those that have fallen - and, when it comes to choosing sides, the wrong choice will cost her life.


I can't tell how much I've been looking forward to reading this book and sometimes when I'm chomping at the bits for a certain soon-to-be-released book I just get it in my head that that certain book will be AWESOME and blow me away. Well, Hush, Hush did that to me. I have the hardest times writing reviews for books I love because apart from saying OMG, YOU HAVE TO READ THIS, what more do you need?

Well, I've made a list: Why You Need To Read Hush, Hush. And PRONTO.

1. It's set in Coldwater, Maine, a spooky mostly-isolated town. Perfect setting for mystery and dare I say, murder?

2. High School Drama, which, admit it, it's always fun to read!

3. The heroine, Nora, is unbelievably real as a character. Fitzpatrick has written an awesome character that you can't help but love.

4. One word: Patch. Hooboy. This is, by far, one of my favorite characters ever. He's so mysterious and sexy and if he wasn't a fallen angel but an actually student I would feel slightly pervy about having these thoughts about him!

5. Nora and Patch are FABULOUS together. He's such a flirty little hunk and because Nora definitively has some common sense, she knows that something's going on but how could she - or any one else! - resist Patch, I ask?

6. There's some parts in Hush, Hush that I actually blushed and grinned like an utter idiot because the chemistry between these two characters just comes right off the page and that was one of my favorite things.

I could keep going but this is the gist of it: Hush, Hush is a fantastic debut with characters that you'll fall in love with and a plot that'll keep guessing until the very end. I highly recommend it to anyone - from a 17-year-old to a 32-year-old. It's a wonderful story and I, for one, cannot wait for more of Patch! And uhm, Nora too!

Oh! And one last thing - the cover! Oh my god, huge kudos to the S&S Cover Dept. It's FABULOUS. If you like a chance to win a poster of Hush, Hush (I know I would!) and to check out the book's trailer, go here.  

I've turned into a reading nut.

Really!

Normally I'm a one-book-at-a-time sort of reader but lately, well, I've been reading up to five - 5! - books at time. It's insane because personally, I like to focus on one book and don't cheat on it with others. It seems that the minute I get a new book I want to start it immediately and pushed aside my current read. I pushed aside Kiss & Hell to read Never Cry Werewolf then when I got Ballad (Oops! My bad, I meant RAMPANT but I did order Ballad so I can't wait for that one too!), I did the same with with K&H and NCW then! I got Hush, Hush.

Do I even have to say it?

It's not that I don't want to read the other books, not at all! That's the thing - I'm greedy to read them ALL. I just would rather do it one at a time but I can't seem to help myself nowadays.

Admittedly when I get a book for purely reviewing purposes and I'm in the middle of a book that while I'll be reviewing, it wasn't sent just for that, I'll put that one aside and start the Review Book. I'm a nut about that and I admit it. But none of these books that I'm dividing my attention with currently were sent for reviews!

I'm hoping that once I finished all of these books, I stopped the craziness. I'm hoping even more that I don't get Shiver before I get a chance to finish H&K, NCW and Ballad Rampant because you just know I'll start reading that one immediately.

Does this happen to you too? If so, how do you control yourself? (Clearly, I have NO self-control when it comes to books!)