Thursday, February 28, 2013

February Wrap-up

I read a lot of books this month. I am so impressed. I got a Kindle Paperwhite for my 9 year anniversary from my fiancee so I used it a lot more than I have ever used any other e-reader. I am in love with it.
 
Graphic novels: 2
Library books: 9
Books I own: 20
Audio: 1
E-Books: 8
Total Books read: 29
 
This month I read...
 
Gates of Paradise- Melissa De La Cruz
Janie Face to Face- Caroline B. Cooney
Lullaby- Amanda Hocking
The Demon's Lexicon- Sarah Rees Brennan (Audio)
Vesper- Jeff Sampson
What We Saw at Night- Jacquelyn Mitchard
Level Two- Lenore Appelhans
One Day- David Nicholls
Charmed Thirds- Megan McCafferty
Destroy Me- Tahereh Mafi (E-book)
Swim- Jennifer Weiner (E-book)
Endurance- Ann Acquirre (E-book)
The Princess Bride- William Goldman
Little Star- Andi Watson
Shades of Earth- Beth Revis
Abandon- Meg Cabot (E-book)
Boom!- Mark Haddon
Days of Blood and Starlight- Laini Taylor
The Wind in the Willows- Kenneth Grahame
Crash- Nicole Williams (E-book)
The Poison Eaters- Holly Black
The Madman’s Daughter- Megan Sheperd
52 Reasons to Hate My Father- Jessica Brody
Dancegirl- Carol M. Tanzman
Briar Rose- Jane Yolen
Friends With Boys- Faith Erin Hicks
Leaving Paradise- Simone Elkeles (E-book)
Isolation- Dan Wells (E-book)
1984- George Orwell (E-book)
 
What books did you get this month?

Tuesday, February 26, 2013

52 Reasons to Hate my Father- Jessica Brody

Title: 52 Reasons to Hate My Father
Author: Jessica Brody
Source: Bought New
Series: No
Rating: 4/5















Lexington Larrabee has never to work a day in her life. After all, she’s the heiress to the multi-billion-dollar Larrabee Media empire. And heiresses are not supposed to work. But then again, they’re not supposed to crash brand new Mercedes convertibles into convenience stores on Sunset Blvd either.

Which is why, on Lexi’s eighteen birthday, her ever-absent, tycoon father decides to take a more proactive approach to her wayward life. Every week for the next year, she will have to take on a different low-wage job if she ever wants to receive her beloved trust fund. But if there’s anything worse than working as a maid, a dishwasher, and a fast-food restaurant employee, it’s dealing with Luke, the arrogant, albeit moderately attractive, college intern her father has assigned to keep tabs on her.


Thoughts:

This book provided exactly what I was looking for. I just finished the Madman's Daughter by Megan Shepard which was dark and spooky so I wanted something more light and this book delivered exactly what I was looking for. It was so funny and sad. It was just so good.

Characters:

I thought that Lexington was a complete and utter horrid person. She was so snotty to everyone and treated everyone like they were beneath her. I know Lexington is this rich snotty girl but I wanted to smack her so hard. I thought she completely deserved what her father dished out to her. Luke oh Luke I have to mention you because you were so amazing. He completely took Lexi's dad's side on the whole situation and did not bend to her will like some of the other characters did ( cough Hiracio), he was a good balance for her. I loved the side characters, her dad seems like this distant figure but he knows exactly what is going on and puts his foot down. I loved all the characters.

Plot:

When I read the synopsis I knew I had to own this book. I loved the unique plot. I loved the idea of it and how it played out. Understandably it was a little predictable but I loved it none the less. Lexi tried out so many different jobs and had some pretty hilarious encounters when she got there.

Conclusion:

This was my first Jessica Brody book and she did not disappoint. I absolutely loved this book and I am so glad that I decided to buy it. I am definitely going to be reading more of her books in the future.

Sunday, February 24, 2013

Stacking the Shelves (60)

Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews.
 
I forgot a ton of books last week when I was doing my STS. Oops. I added them to this week's haul instead. I got my Kindle Paperwhite for my 9 year anniversary from my fiancee and I love it!!

I got a ton of books. They were all inexpensive but there is a lot of them.
 
Bought New (Kindle)
 
The Secret Garden- Frances Hodgson Burnett (Free for Kindle)
The Girl in the Steel Corset- Kady Cross
The Fallen Star- Jessica Sorensen (Free for Kindle)
Crash- Nicole Williams 
 
 
Bought New
 
Boom!- Mark Haddon ($2!!)
The Madman's Daughter- Megan Shepard
 
 
Bought Used
 
A World Without End- Ken Follett (Free with my coupon)
Lady Chatterley's Lover- D.H. Lawrence
Fury- Elizabeth Miles (Bought on credit)

 
 
What did you get in your mailbox?

Thursday, February 21, 2013

Shades of Earth- Beth Revis



 

Title: Shades of Earth
Athor: Beth Revis
Source: Borrowed from the library
Series: Yes, book three
Rating: 4/5
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


 
 
Amy and Elder have finally left the oppressive walls of the spaceship Godspeed behind. They're ready to start life afresh--to build a home--on Centauri-Earth, the planet that Amy has traveled 25 trillion miles across the universe to experience. But this new Earth isn't the paradise that Amy had been hoping for. Amy and Elder must race to uncover who--or what--else is out there if they are to have any hope of saving their struggling colony and building a future together. But each new discovery brings more danger. And if their colony collapses then everything they have sacrificed--friends, family, life on Earth--will have been meaningless...
 
 
Amazing ending to a series. This did not suffer from series syndrome. It got better as the series went on. I was iffy about the first book but the ending made me want to read the second then the second book was sooo good and I was dying for the third book and now I have read the third book and I can say it was my favorite. I love this series, its different from anything else I have read and I loved it.

I love the characters. Elder grew so much throughout this series. I really was not a fan of him in the beginning but slowly he grew on me and in the last book I was so happy to see what a great leader he became. Amy also grew a lot as a character, she became less selfish as the series went on and also became someone that everyone could look up to. There was so much character growth in all of the characters, theship born completely changed. They all seem to come into their own and stood up for themselves.
The setting is this book is just completely amazing. The author paints a picture of the Godspeed, I felt like I was right there on the ship. It was so futuristic but realistic. She portrayed it so well that I can picture the ship being built and people living on it.

I do not want to go into too much detail about what happened in this book because it is the final book in the series and I do not want to give anything away. This is a book for everyone, it is a unisex book for sure. If I could convince my fiancée to read a book this is the one I would recommend. I completely love this series and I am really sad that it is done. I hope I will get to see these characters again.

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

The Eternal Ones- Kirsten Miller

Title: The Eternal Ones
Author: Kirsten Miller
Source: Bought new
Series: Yes
Rating: 4/5















Summary:

Haven Moore can't control her visions of a past with a boy called Ethan, and a life in New York that ended in fiery tragedy. In our present, she designs beautiful dresses for her classmates with her best friend Beau. Dressmaking keeps her sane, since she lives with her widowed and heartbroken mother in her tyrannical grandmothers house in Snope City, a tiny town in Tennessee. Then, an impossible group of coincidences conspire to force her to flee to New York, to discover who she is and who she was. In New York, Haven meets Iain Morrow and is swept into an epic love affair that feels both deeply fated and terribly dangerous. Iain is suspected of murdering a rock star and Haven wonders, could he have murdered her in a past life? She visits the Ouroboros Society and discovers a murky world of reincarnation that stretches across millennia. Haven must discover the secrets hidden in her past lives, and loves¸ before all is lost and the cycle begins again.

Thoughts:

Reincarnation, having visions of a past life of a boy who may or may not be a murderer? How could you say no to this book. I was completely absorbed from the first page. It was hard to put down, one chapter he might be the love of her life and in the next he might be the one that killed her. There was so much deceit and backstabbing.

Plot:

Haven is having visions about a boy named Ethan. She has visions about a life in New York with him but she is has never met Ethan. She lives with her grandmother and her mother in a religious town who believes her visions are from the devil. Haven knows she must find Ethan and find out why she is having these visions and if her visions are trying to tell her something sinister about Ethan.

Characters:

Haven is not completely useless. I love when the main character can actually do something for herself. She tolerates her grandmother and her religious views none to quietly until she can finally escape to New York and find why she has these visions of Ethan. She meets Iain Morrow who tells her he was Ethan in a past life and is determined to make her remember there life together. Iain was a little bit of a jerk at times and at other times I thought he was a little creepy. The house is what creeped me out a little bit but I can understand it. I do not want to say much more than this because I do not want to give too much away. Haven had some pretty awesome friends on her side who were willing to help out in anyway they can to help her escape the tight grasp her grandmother has on her.

The End:

The big thing that made me not fall completely in love with this book is Haven's age which I know seems a little weird but it was hard to get past. In her past life she appears to be a lot older than sixteen but when she is reincarnated she is sixteen but trying to act way older. If Haven had been older I think the book would have flowed better. I feel like this book left me satisfied. I do not think I will read the sequel right away. I may read it someday but I am in no rush.

Sunday, February 17, 2013

Stacking the Shelves (59)

Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews.

 I finished my TBR for the month early so I veered off and read a lot of good library books this week. I also went to a used book store by my work that always has a good selection and they had a shelf of books that were wrapped up and you choose it based on a summary of someone who read the book and you has no idea what you were taking home which I thought was super so I tried it out.

The best thing that happened this week however is that me and my fiancee had our nine year anniversary. Yes we have been dating that long and yes we decided to get married next year. I hope to share some awesome books next week (fingers crossed he will take me to a book store! :) )


Borrowed from the Library

Shades Of Earth- Beth Revis

Little Star- Andi Watson

The Princess Bride- William Goldman

Days of Blood and Starlight- Laini Taylor


Bought New

City of Ashes- Cassandra Clare

Les MisĂ©rables – Victor Hugo (Free for Kindle)

Nineteen Eighty-Four George Orwell

Abandon- Meg Cabot


Bought Used

City of Glass- Cassandra Clare

The Poison Eaters- Holly Black

Juliet ,Immortal- Stacey Jay

On the Pleasure of Hating- William Hazlitt (My wrapped book)

Thursday, February 14, 2013

Just One Day- Gayle Forman

Title: Just One Day
Author: Gayle Forman
Source: Bought New
Series: Yes
Rating: 4/5















Summary:
When sheltered American good girl Allyson "LuLu" Healey first meets laid-back Dutch actor Willem De Ruiter at an underground performance of Twelfth Night in England, there’s an undeniable spark. After just one day together, that spark bursts into a flame, or so it seems to Allyson, until the following morning, when she wakes up after a whirlwind day in Paris to discover that Willem has left. Over the next year, Allyson embarks on a journey to come to terms with the narrow confines of her life, and through Shakespeare, travel, and a quest for her almost-true-love, to break free of those confines.

Thoughts:

I fell in love with Forman's writing when I read If I Stay. This book does not disappoint, the beautiful, haunting writing that I loved from the first book that I read from her was also found in this novel. I laughed at times and felt like my heart was being torn out in others. Simply beautiful. I adored this book even thought at times I felt like my heart was being trampled.

Plot:

The pretense of having one day in a foreign city and having no idea where and what you want to do. I would love to do this. Just disappear for a day in a city and explore it, discover it's secrets. Allyson is given this opportunity when she meets Willem while he is performing Shakespeare's Twelfth Night. She spends the day in England and when she wakes up the next morning. Willem has disappeared into thin air.

Characters:

Allyson was a little bit flaky. I understood her pain of being left after an amazing day with in Willem in England but falling into a sort of depression and secluding herself from the world was a little irritating. I understand she thinks she has fallen in love but I could not get over how she allowed life to continue while she pined over Willem. There was Willem himself to contemplate. I thought he was a jerk in a way. I mean he disappears, Allyson has no idea where he has gone but I also understand that he made her no promises. I am a little torn on how I feel about him. If I was Allyson's friend I would think he was a complete and utter jerk but looking from the situation from the outside. I cannot completely hate him for what he did. The last character I feel who needs to be mentioned is Allyson's best friend who covers for her while she disappears to London. I sympathized with her because she's the one who has to pick up the pieces after Willem disappears.  I wish she could have somehow stopped Allyson or been able to go with her to protect her from what is coming.

The End

This ending was terrible in a good way. It looked like things were just going to be wrapped up nicely but no of course not. We are left with questions that are dying to be answered. I eagerly look forward to reading Just One Year. I wish I could have given this a 5/5 but Allyson was a hard character to connect with and so regretfully I can only give this a 4/5.

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Shut Out- Kody Keplinger

Title: Shut Out
Author: Kody Keplinger
Source: Bought new
Series: No
Rating: 4.5/5














Most high school sports teams have rivalries with other schools. At Hamilton High, it's a civil war: the football team versus the soccer team. And for her part,Lissa is sick of it. Her quarterback boyfriend, Randy, is always ditching her to go pick a fight with the soccer team or to prank their locker room. And on three separate occasions Randy's car has been egged while he and Lissa were inside, making out. She is done competing with a bunch of sweaty boys for her own boyfriend's attention. Then Lissa decides to end the rivalry once and for all: She and the other players' girlfriends go on a hookup strike. The boys won't get any action from them until the football and soccer teams make peace. What they don't count on is a new sort of rivalry: an impossible girls-against-boys showdown that hinges on who will cave to their libidos first. But what Lissa never sees coming is her own sexual tension with the leader of the boys, Cash Sterling...

I am almost sad that I read this book because I have read everything by Kody Keplinger now and I already miss her books. She goes places that most books just skirt around and I absolutely love how she can do this. I have flown through all three of her books and I recommend all three highly.

Lissa is tired of fighting for her boyfriend Randy's attention. She feels like he cares more about the rivalry between the soccer and football team so she decides to fight back by going on a hookup strike with the girlfriends of the other football and soccer players girlfriends. 

Battle of the sexes? Hookup strike. Awesome. Lissa is a little neurotic, she tries to control her life as much as possible.  Since losing her mom she feels like she needs to control everything in her life.  Her best friend Chole keeps her in line and is the complete opposite of her which evens her out. Chole is a great best friend, she sticks up for Lissa and she never turns her back on her. I loved there friendship. There were the boys.  Oh the boys. I loved Cash, he's smart, athletic and he likes to read. Amazing. He is pretty high up on the hot boy book list. Randy was a jerk but really I did not expect much from him so when he started acting like a jerk I predicted it. 

I loved the plot. Attempting to stop a school rivalry by cutting off hooking up plus swoony hot boy? Completely sucked in.  I know I am probably completely botching the explanation of this book but all I can say is like her two other books this one is also amazing. It is a little more mature than a lot of YA books out there which I loved about it. All I can say is read it and tell me what you thought.

Sunday, February 10, 2013

Stacking the Shelves (58)

Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews.

I did not buy any books this week I did however get a book from my Christmas gift cards.

Gifted

Unravel Me- Tahereh Mafi

Borrowed from the library

Level 2- Lenore Appelhans

What We Saw At Night- Jacquelyn Mitchard


What did you get in your mailbox?

Thursday, February 7, 2013

Dear Teen Me: Authors Write Letters to Their Teen Selves

Title: Dear Teen Me
Author: Multiple authors
Source: Borrowed from the library
Series: N/A
Rating: 4/5















Dear Teen Me includes advice from over 70 YA authors (including Lauren Oliver, Ellen Hopkins, and Nancy Holder, to name a few) to their teenage selves. The letters cover a wide range of topics, including physical abuse, body issues, bullying, friendship, love, and enough insecurities to fill an auditorium. So pick a page, and find out which of your favorite authors had a really bad first kiss? Who found true love at 18? Who wishes he’d had more fun in high school instead of studying so hard? Some authors write diary entries, some write letters, and a few graphic novelists turn their stories into visual art. And whether you hang out with the theater kids, the band geeks, the bad boys, the loners, the class presidents, the delinquents, the jocks, or the nerds, you’ll find friends--and a lot of familiar faces--in the course of Dear Teen Me.

It's really hard to write a review of a book that is essentially a collection of diaries. I feel like I am being slightly intrusive and getting an inside look into people's personal lives.

I really liked this book because there is a lot of things I would like to tell my teen self. I would tell myself not to worry that the boy you meet in the 9th grade will one day be the one you are getting married to and that your friends will stand by you no matter what and I would also tell myself I was going to lose my mom way to soon and it will hurt a lot but you will get through it.

This book was really touching, there was some really sad stories but I loved each one. I do not miss being a teenager. I miss not having as many worries and being care free but I am so glad I am out of high school and mostly acting like an adult.

Tuesday, February 5, 2013

Scarlet- Marissa Meyer


Title: Scarlet
Author: Marissa Meyer
Source: From the publisher
Series: Yes
Rating: 5/5













Cinder returns in the second thrilling installment of the New York Times-bestselling Lunar Chronicles. She’s trying to break out of prison—even though if she succeeds, she’ll be the Commonwealth’s most wanted fugitive.

Halfway around the world, Scarlet Benoit’s grandmother is missing. It turns out there are many things Scarlet doesn’t know about her grandmother and the grave danger she has lived in her whole life. When Scarlet encounters Wolf, a street fighter who may have information as to her grandmother’s whereabouts, she has no choice but to trust him, though he clearly has a few dark secrets of his own.

As Scarlet and Wolf work to unravel one mystery, they find another when they cross paths with Cinder. Together, they must stay one step ahead of the vicious Lunar Queen who will do anything to make Prince Kai her husband, her king, her prisoner.


This review contains spoilers if you have not read Cinder which I suggest you do immediately since it is amazing, 

I am going to confess this right now. I liked this more than Cinder. This never happens. I normally love the first book the most but for whatever reason this book has decided to make me break the trend. This series just gets better and better. Amazing.

Scarlet is on the hunt for her grandmother who has gone missing. She tries talking to the police but they think her grandmother has committed suicide or has taken off for good and was not kidnapped. As Scarlet is preparing to start her search she meets a boy named Wolf who offers to help her find her grandmother. As Scarlet and Wolf are searching for her grandmother there path crosses with Cinder. I missed Cinder and Kai but most of all Iko. I am so glad she is back. 

Scarlet has a short fuse and loses her temper easily. She is very mistrusting of Wolf but slowly they start to trust each other and there is some romance involved. Cinder is stuck in jail trying to figure out how she can escape and help Kai. Queen Levana is still threatening to invade earth if Kai refuses to marry her or if she cannot execute Cinder. There was not much from Kai this book which made me a little sad but the ending did not leave me being his biggest fan. 

The story mostly revolves around Scarlet and Wolf but Cinder make an appearance and the story of her continues. Kai makes the occasional appearance but not as much as I wanted. I miss him. Queen Levana reveals a little more of her past which I hope will be revealed further in future books.

I cannot state enough how amazing this book was. Cinder fans will be swept off there feet. It is just so good.  I need the third book.

Sunday, February 3, 2013

Stacking the Shlelves (57)

Stacking the Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews.

I got a ton of books this week but I only paid for one and it was on sale for $5.99. I am quite proud of myself. I have even already finished reading it to make myself feel better about buying it.

Bought on Credit

A Discovery of Witches- Deborah Harkness
Let The Great World Spin- Colum McCann (I had a copy but someone borrowed it and never brought it back)

Gifted- Thanks to my amazing fiancée

Cinder- Melissa Meyer

Bought New

White Horse- Alex Adams

Borrowed from the Library

Gates of Paradise- Melissa De La Cruz
The Arrival- Shaun Tan
Maus- Art Spiegelman
Janie Face to Face- Caroline B. Cooney
The Demon's Lexicon- Sarah Rees Brennan


What did you get in your mailbox?

Friday, February 1, 2013

January Wrap-up/ February TBR

This month I feel like I accomplished a lot this month. I got a lot of reading done and I also did a lot of wedding planning. Yay Me. I read 19 books to start the year off. 

This month I read...
The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian- Sherman Alexie
Bro Code for Parents: What to Expect When You're Awesome - Barney Stinson
The Farm- Emily McKay

Under the Tuscan Sun: At Home in Italy by Frances Mayers
The Bad Beginning (A Series of Unfortunate Events #1) – Lemony Snicket
Harriet the Spy- Louise Fitzhugh 
Dear Teen Me- Multiple Authors
The Peach Keeper- Sarah Addison Allen
The Eternal Ones- Kristen Miller
Just One Day- Gayle Forman
Shut Out- Kody Keplinger
Audrey, Wait!- Robin Benway
Glitches- Melissa Meyer
There is No Dog- Meg Rosoff
The Woman In White- Willkie Collins
White Horse- Alex Adams
Shift- Jeri Smith-Ready
The Arrival- Shaun Tan
Maus-Art Spiegelman

In February I hope to read...
One Day- David Nicholls
Vesper- Jeff Sampson
Charmed Thirds- Megan McCafferty
Lullaby- Amanda Hocking
Janie Face to Face- Caroline B. Cooney
The Demon's Lexicon- Sarah Rees Brennan (Audio)