Sunday, January 27, 2013

I'll Be Back

I'm going to be taking a short break this week because I have midterms. As much as I don't want to I have to study so that means I won't be reading *gasp* or posting anything new.

But never fear! I'll be back after my last midterm (which should be Friday if there aren't any snow days) so I won't be gone very long.

Review: Paper Valentine by Brenna Yovanoff

Paper Valentine by Brenna Yovanoff
Published: January 8, 2013
Publisher:
Razorbill
Pages:
306
My Rating: 
3 of 5 stars

Synopsis:
The city of Ludlow is gripped by the hottest July on record. The asphalt is melting, the birds are dying, petty crime is on the rise, and someone in Hannah Wagnor’s peaceful suburban community is killing girls.

For Hannah, the summer is a complicated one. Her best friend Lillian died six months ago, and Hannah just wants her life to go back to normal. But how can things be normal when Lillian’s ghost is haunting her bedroom, pushing her to investigate the mysterious string of murders? Hannah’s just trying to understand why her friend self-destructed, and where she fits now that Lillian isn’t there to save her a place among the social elite. And she must stop thinking about Finny Boone, the big, enigmatic delinquent whose main hobbies seem to include petty larceny and surprising acts of kindness.

With the entire city in a panic, Hannah soon finds herself drawn into a world of ghost girls and horrifying secrets. She realizes that only by confronting the Valentine Killer will she be able move on with her life—and it’s up to her to put together the pieces before he strikes again.

Paper Valentine is a hauntingly poetic tale of love and death by the New York Times bestselling author of The Replacement and The Space Between.


My Review: The first couple pages were amazing. I mean ghosts and murder? Doesn't that sound interesting? Too bad it wasn't all about the murder.

The characters were kind of average, except for Lillian but I'll get to her later. I have mixed feelings about the main character, Hannah. There was nothing about her that made me dislike her, but I wasn't exactly rooting for her either. The not so average thing about Hannah is that she can see ghosts. This is never really explained, but that didn't really bother me too much. Basically Hannah is haunted by her dead best friend.

I feel like the romance was just not needed. Finny was the typical bad boy and of course Hannah falls in love with him.Their relationship didn't add anything to the story for me, it was just kind of there and I tolerated it...kind of. The murders were way more important than the romance, but guess which one trumped the other? That's right, the romance. 

But the romance didn't take center stage either. Instead I think that this book was mostly about Hannah dealing with the loss of her best friend, Lillian. Lillian had anorexia and Hannah did practically nothing to help her best friend get better. Even though Lillian's dead she still has a huge influence on Hannah and on their other friends.

I wish the murders had been more important to the story. The ending felt so rushed and it was really obvious (to me) who the murderer was. At first I had no idea who the murderer was, but when I started thinking about it I was able to figure it out pretty quick. 

Overall I I liked Paper Valentine but I didn't think it was anything special. I was looking for a murder mystery but instead I got something else.

New Releases: January 27- February 2

Here's this week's new releases:

Prodigy by Marie Lu
(January 29th)

 Asunder by Jodi Meadows
(January 29th)

Shadows in the Silence by Courtney Allison Moulton
(January 29th)

 Nobody But Us by Kritin Halbrook
(January 29th)

 The Madman's Daughter by Megan Sheperd
(January 29th)

'Til The World Ends by Julie Kagawa, Ann Aguirre & Karen Duvall
(January 29th)

Shadowhunters and Downworlders: A Mortal Instruments Reader
(January 29th)

Saturday, January 26, 2013

Stacking The Shelves #21

Stacking the Shelves is a meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews and here you can find all the books I've recently received that I'm stacking my shelves with!

Bought:
Paper Valentine by Brenna Yovanoff
I'm about halfway through this and so far I'm really liking it. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the rest of it is good!

Friday, January 25, 2013

What is New Adult?

Have you heard of the genre New Adult? Up until a few weeks ago somehow I had missed the whole New Adult genre. It had me confused. Why was a new genre created? Just to make everything more confusing?

I decided to do some research.

Icon

I've come to the conclusion that New Adult is like the bridge between Young Adult and Adult books.
"They’ve labeled this category “new adult” — which some winkingly describe as Harry Potter meets “50 Shades of Grey” — and say it is aimed at 18-to-25-year-olds, the age group right above young adult."

As I kept reading it basically said that the "goal" of this genre is to "retain" young readers that grew up reading the Harry Potter series, The Hunger Games, and Twilight. Interesting...does that mean I count? Since technically I grew up reading the Harry Potter series even though I'm not 18.

Apparently New Adult books are supposed to appeal to readers in the age group listed above that enjoyed those books because they are more mature (there's more intense romance and explicit sex).

Now this is what I was wondering about:
"While publishers like the concept of creating a new-adult category, its hybrid nature has been problematic. The books fall into an undefined territory between adult and children’s literature, and there is no obvious place for them in bookstores. Even within publishing houses, new-adult authors are being split between children’s and adult divisions."
You've probably heard of the book Easy by Tammara Webber. I've seen some pretty positive reviews on it so I went to my local Barnes & Noble to see if they had it. I couldn't find it in the Young Adult section so I kind of gave up and picked up something else. While walking around the store I spot Easy in the Adult section. I literally stood there for a few minutes looking at the books because along with Easy there was Stormdancer and Ironskin. Two other books I wanted to read but they were more expensive than the average Young Adult book. I knew that Easy wasn't exactly a Young Adult book but I had absolutely no idea that the other two weren't (according to the bookstore I went to). Where does the line between YA and New Adult and Adult get drawn? Is it closer to YA or Adult?

 

Why bookstore? Why not just put in a New Adult section to make everything less confusing! I don't have a problem with New Adult just the fact that there is no place for them in bookstores (yet?). Please make a special place for them because technically they aren't actually Adult books or YA books.
"Beyond appealing to the maturing tastes of young readers, these more sophisticated books could potentially draw in the millions of older readers who have flocked to the young-adult category, publishers said. A study released in September by Bowker, a market research firm that studies publishing trends, showed that more than half the buyers of young-adult books were 18 or older, and the vast majority said they were purchasing for themselves."
I've actually started to notice this. I'll be searching the shelves at Barnes & Noble and a person that is not a teenager will be looking at the same book that I just put down. Honestly I hope I'm like that person when I'm older. 

I actually think that New Adult is a pretty interesting and good idea because there are definitely a lot of readers from all different ages. I'll have to read a New Adult book sometime to see what it's like. 

Have you read a New Adult book? What are your thoughts on the new genre?

SOURCE 

Feature & Follow #26

Feature and Follow is a blog hop hosted by Parajunkee & Alison Can Read. The purpose is to meet new people and gain more followers in the book blogging community.

Q: What is the last book that kept you up late into the night just to finish it?

A: Falling Kingdoms by Morgan Rhodes. The ending was just so intense that I couldn't put it down! I actually don't stay up late to finish things. I stay up reading but I don't normally finish books at night that often.

What about you?
Please follow and leave a link to your post so I can follow back!

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Waiting on Wednesday #28

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly Meme. It's hosted on Breaking the Spine. It spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pick:
The Indigo Spell
by Richelle Mead
Release date: February 12th 2013

In the aftermath of a forbidden moment that rocked Sydney to her core, she finds herself struggling to draw the line between her Alchemist teachings and what her heart is urging her to do. Then she meets alluring, rebellious Marcus Finch--a former Alchemist who escaped against all odds, and is now on the run. Marcus wants to teach Sydney the secrets he claims the Alchemists are hiding from her. But as he pushes her to rebel against the people who raised her, Sydney finds that breaking free is harder than she thought. There is an old and mysterious magic rooted deeply within her. And as she searches for an evil magic user targeting powerful young witches, she realizes that her only hope is to embrace her magical blood--or else she might be next.

Populated with new faces as well as familiar ones, the Bloodlines series explores all the friendship, romance, battles, and betrayals that made the #1 New York Times bestselling Vampire Academy series so addictive—this time in a part-vampire, part-human setting where the stakes are even higher and everyone’s out for blood.
 

Sunday, January 20, 2013

Wishlist Challenge!

I've decided to join the wishlist challenge! This is the first challenge I've ever participated in and so far I really like it.

This challenge is hosted by Uniflame Creates and for this challenge you pick 12 books (one for each month) from your wishlist and read them!
Here's my wishlist:
Tiger's Curse by Colleen Houck
Dare You To by Katie McGarry
The Eternity Cure by Julie Kagawa
Just One Day by Gayle Forman
Everbound by Brodi Ashton
Asunder by Jodi Meadows
Prodigy by Marie Lu
Scarlet by Marissa Meyer
The Indigo Spell by Richelle Mead
Requiem by Lauren Oliver
Pivot Point by Kasie West
Clockwork Princess by Cassandra Clare

New Releases: January 20-26

Here's this week's new releases:

Everbound by Brodi Ashton
(January 22nd)

Nobody by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
(January 22nd)

The Archived by
(January 22nd)

Friday, January 18, 2013

Review: Splintered by A.G. Howard

Splintered by A.G. Howard
Published: January 1, 2013
Publisher:
Amulet Books
Pages:
384
Series: Splintered #1
My Rating:  4.5 of 5 stars

Synopsis: Alyssa Gardner hears the whispers of plants and animals. She hides her delusions for now, but she knows her fate: she will end up like her mother, in an institution. Madness has run in her family ever since her great-great-great-grandmother Alice Liddell told Lewis Carroll her strange dreams, inspiring his classic Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. 

But perhaps she's not mad. And perhaps Carroll's stories aren't as whimsical as they first seem. 

To break the curse of insanity, Alyssa must go down the rabbit hole and right the wrongs of Wonderland, a place full of strange dark agendas. Alyssa brings her real-world cursh--the protective Jeb--with her, but once her journey begins, she's torn between his solidity and the enchanting, dangerous magic of Morpheus, ber guide to Wonderland. 

But no one in Wonderland is who they seem to be--not even Alyssa herself...

My Review: Immediately after finishing this book I went around speaking nonsense as I tried to convey my feelings. That didn't go well so I ended up trying to explain though movement. Kind of like this:

So that's basically how I'm feeling about that ending right. I almost cried. I had to put the book down and walk away so that I could get my feelings under control. 

I went into this book with high hopes and I wasn't disappointed. I loved Wonderland in this story. It was creepy and filled with puzzles. The way everything was described was so detailed that I could imagine exactly what characters looked like and what Wonderland looked like.

The thing that really made me love this book was the fact that I didn't know how it was going to end. I never predicted the twists and character's motives. Normally I can figure out what's going to happen before the character does but not in Splintered. I love it when books can surprise me like that.

I loved the Wonderland characters especially Morpheus. He was definitely my favorite character because he was just so interesting and it was never quite clear what he was thinking. I never would have guessed what his motives were.

Throughout most of the book I liked Alyssa. In the beginning she just let herself be saved by Jeb or whoever else happened to be around. She didn't really have control over anything that happened to her but by the end she really grew as a character. She was able to stand up for herself and actually defend herself without Jeb's help.

Honestly the only reason I didn't give this book five stars was because of Jeb. He bugged me to no end. He couldn't seen that Alyssa was perfectly capable of making decisions without him and that he didn't need to protect her like she was a child.

Going into this book I knew that there was a love triangle. I was ready for the inevitable. When it finally happened I was surprised by how much it didn't bother me. It was obvious who Alyssa would choose in the end so it didn't really feel like the typical love triangle.

The ending left me kind of unsatisfied and it will probably stick with me for a few days. Other than that and Jeb this book was amazing and I would definitely recommend this to anyone who likes fairytale retellings.

Feature & Follow #25

Feature and Follow is a blog hop hosted by Parajunkee & Alison Can Read. The purpose is to meet new people and gain more followers in the book blogging community.

Q: Who is your favorite villain from a book?

A: How can I choose? I tend to love villains (sometimes more than the main character). The first villain that came to my mind was Bellatrix from Harry Potter but then I also thought of Sebastian from The Mortal Instruments. Both characters are twisted in their own way and both left a lasting impression on me.

What about you?
Please follow and leave a link to your post so I can follow back!

Thursday, January 17, 2013

What's Next? #21

 What's Next? Hosted by IceyBooks
What's Next is a weekly meme hosted by IceyBooks!
Here's how it works:
-Every Thursday select three-five books (not too many, not too little!) that you want to read but can't decide which one to read first.
-Post the cover, and if you want, the synopsis or even a random line from the book, for each of your selections.
-At the end of your post, ask readers to vote on which one you should read next!

The Nightmare Affair
by Mindee Arnett

Sixteen-year-old Dusty Everhart breaks into houses late at night, but not because she’s a criminal. No, she’s a Nightmare.

Literally.

Being the only Nightmare at Arkwell Academy, a boarding school for magickind, and living in the shadow of her mother’s infamy, is hard enough. But when Dusty sneaks into Eli Booker’s house, things get a whole lot more complicated. He’s hot, which means sitting on his chest and invading his dreams couldn’t get much more embarrassing. But it does. Eli is dreaming of a murder.

Then Eli’s dream comes true.

Now Dusty has to follow the clues—both within Eli’s dreams and out of them—to stop the killer before more people turn up dead. And before the killer learns what she’s up to and marks her as the next target.


Every Day
by David Levithan

Every day a different body. Every day a different life. Every day in love with the same girl.

There’s never any warning about where it will be or who it will be. A has made peace with that, even established guidelines by which to live: Never get too attached. Avoid being noticed. Do not interfere.

It’s all fine until the morning that A wakes up in the body of Justin and meets Justin’s girlfriend, Rhiannon. From that moment, the rules by which A has been living no longer apply. Because finally A has found someone he wants to be with—day in, day out, day after day.


The Darkest Minds
by Alexandra Bracken

When Ruby woke up on her tenth birthday, something about her had changed. Something alarming enough to make her parents lock her in the garage and call the police. Something that gets her sent to Thurmond, a brutal government “rehabilitation camp.” She might have survived the mysterious disease that’s killed most of America’s children, but she and the others have emerged with something far worse: frightening abilities they cannot control.

Now sixteen, Ruby is one of the dangerous ones.

When the truth comes out, Ruby barely escapes Thurmond with her life. Now she’s on the run, desperate to find the one safe haven left for kids like her—East River. She joins a group of kids who escaped their own camp. Liam, their brave leader, is falling hard for Ruby. But no matter how much she aches for him, Ruby can’t risk getting close. Not after what happened to her parents.

When they arrive at East River, nothing is as it seems, least of all its mysterious leader. But there are other forces at work, people who will stop at nothing to use Ruby in their fight against the government. Ruby will be faced with a terrible choice, one that may mean giving up her only chance at a life worth living.
 


What should I read next?

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

ARC Review: Nobody But Us by Kristin Halbrook

Nobody But Us by Kristin Halbrook
Published: January 29, 2013
Publisher:
HarperTeen
Pages:
304
My Rating: 
2 of 5 stars

Synopsis: Bonnie and Clyde meets IF I STAY in this additively heart-wrenching story of two desperate teenagers on the run from their pasts.

They’re young. They’re in love. They’re on the run.

Zoe wants to save Will as much as Will wants to save Zoe. When Will turns eighteen, they decide to run away together. But they never expected their escape to be so fraught with danger....

When the whole world is after you, sometimes it seems like you can’t run fast enough.

Nobody But Us, told in alternating perspectives from Will and Zoe, is an unflinching novel, in turns heartbreaking and hopeful, about survival, choices, and love...and how having love doesn’t always mean that you get a happy ending. Described as “beautiful, heartbreaking, and exhilarating” by Kody Keplinger, author of The DUFF, Nobody But Us will prove irresistible to fans of Nina Lacour, Jenny Han, and Sara Zarr.


My Review: When I saw this book being compared to If I Stay I thought I would really like it since I loved If I Stay. This book was nothing like If I Stay. I'm not sure why it's being compared to it. I guess it's kind of like Bonnie and Clyde but a more toned down version.

I was very close to giving this book one star and I think two stars is a little generous but I think that the writing deserves some points. Alternating point of views are sometimes really confusing to read and sometimes the characters sound so similar that I can't tell which character is narrating but I think it worked pretty well in Nobody But Us. I wasn't a big fan of Will's point of view since he used words like "ain't" and "gonna" but at least I could tell when it wasn't Zoe's point of view.

That was the only thing I kind of liked about the book.

What really put me off was the romance. Will and Zoe's relationship was unhealthy. Over the course of the book Will beats up at least three people for Zoe. One of those people is her father. Now I understand that Zoe's father was abusive but if Zoe hadn't stopped him then Will probably would have killed that man. That all happened in the first or second chapter. 

At one point he beat up his friend because he didn't like what he was saying. Then later he beats up another person that was harassing Zoe but instead of asking if she was alright Will asks if she was flirting with the guy. He apologizes later for making her afraid that he might hit her because she flinched when he went to touch her. Then Zoe is sorry that she flinched when he went to touch her. 

Later in the book Zoe finally starts to have a backbone but then she hits her boyfriend that has anger issues and then she wants him to hit her. That is not a good relationship. People should not be hitting their boyfriend/girlfriend. Even though Will never hit Zoe I have no doubt that eventually he would hit her since his behavior has all kinds of red flags.

I also don't understand how Will and Zoe weren't caught while they were traveling. They acted so suspicious in restaurants and everywhere that they went. Zoe was practically clueless that the police would come after them. Their plan for when they got to Vegas had so many flaws that it was practically one giant hole.

I didn't really like the ending either since in Zoe's eyes Will is still perfect for her and she still believes her relationship with him was healthy. At one point I thought that Zoe would realize that she was just like her mother in almost every way but she kind of just avoids those kinds of thoughts.

I expected so much more form this book and it just didn't deliver. I thought I would be reduced to tears at the end because it was supposed to be "heartbreaking" but I felt relieved that it was over and that I wouldn't have to deal with Will and Zoe's messed up relationship anymore.

*I won this from a Goodreads giveaway.

Waiting on Wednesday #27

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly Meme. It's hosted on Breaking the Spine. It spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pick:
Asunder
by Jodi Meadows
Release date: January 29th 2013

DARKSOULS
Ana has always been the only one. Asunder. Apart. But after Templedark, when many residents of Heart were lost forever, some hold Ana responsible for the darksouls–and the newsouls who may be born in their place.

SHADOWS
Many are afraid of Ana’s presence, a constant reminder of unstoppable changes and the unknown. When sylph begin behaving differently toward her and people turn violent, Ana must learn to stand up not only for herself but for those who cannot stand up for themselves.

LOVE
Ana was told that nosouls can’t love. But newsouls? More than anything, she wants to live and love as an equal among the citizens of Heart, but even when Sam professes his deepest feelings, it seems impossible to overcome a lifetime of rejection.

In this second book in the Incarnate trilogy, Ana discovers the truth about reincarnation and will have to find a way to embrace love and make her young life meaningful. Once again, Jodi Meadows explores the extraordinary beauty and shadowed depths of the soul in a story equal parts epic romance and captivating fantasy.
 

Calling All Bloggers!! Do you want to be part of The List??

Entangled Publishing Wants You!! Be Part of the List!!

Do you want access to books before they release?

If your answers to these questions is a resounding "YES" then you're the right blogger for the job.

We want you! Now's a great time to join The List.

If you want to be a part of The List, here's what you have to do:
1. Add Til Death to your Goodreads TBR pile: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/16129271-til-death

and

2. Leave the following in the comments section:
http://kateevangelistarandr.blogspot.com/2013/01/we-want-youto-be-part-of-list.html

a. Your Name

b. Your Blog URL

c. Your Goodreads Name

d. Your Email Address


Source
Additional Option: URL to your blog post about this call for bloggers.

Priority will be given to those who help spread the word by creating a post on this call for bloggers on their blog. *smiles*

Don't miss this exciting opportunity.

Be part of The List today.

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Cover Reveal & Giveaway: The Forgotten Ones by Laura Howard


The Forgotten Ones
Author: Laura Howard
Genre: NA Paranormal Fantasy Romance
Expected release date: May 15, 2013
Age Group: New Adult
Cover Designer: Stephanie Mooney 

Book Description:

Allison O'Malley just graduated from college. Her life's plan is to get a job and take care of her schizophrenic mother. She doesn't have room for friends or even Ethan, who clearly wants more. 

When Allison's long-lost father shows up, he claims he can bring her mother back from the dark place her mind has sent her. He reveals legends of a race of people long forgotten, the Tuatha de Danaan, along with the truth about why he abandoned her mother.


Share on Facebook and/or Twitter and you could win a $50 Amazon (or B&N) Gift card!

Sunday, January 13, 2013

The Ultimate Book Tag!

So I saw this over on Anne's blog and thought it looked really fun so I decided to post my own and tag all of you!

Questions:
1. Do you get sick while reading in the car?
Nope. I would get so bored if I was going on a long trip and couldn't read in the car.

2. Which author's writing style is completely unique to you and why?
I love Maggie Stiefvater's writing. Ever single time I sit down to read one of her books I'm completely sucked into the worlds she has created. I also really like Julie Kagawa's writing basically for the same reason.

3. Harry Potter series or the Twilight Saga?
Harry Potter hands down. #1: There isn't a creepy stalker for a love interest. #2: The supernatural creatures are way cooler and don't sparkle and the writing is just way better. #3: Sirius Black

4. Do you carry a book bag? If so, what is in it (besides books...)?
I actually don't carry around a book bag because I would probably forget it somewhere. I use a backpack at school  with all my school supplies but I'm not sure if that's the same thing as a book bag.

5. Do you smell your books?
Yeah. I love the smell of new and old books!

6. Books with or without little illustrations?
With as long as there aren't a lot of them. I love maps at the beginning of fantasy books but if there's a picture every page then I don't really like it. 

7. What book did you love while reading but discovered later it wasn't quality writing? (Ex. I read Twilight before I read HP and thought the writing was amazing but read HP and now think Twilight is a little bit of a joke).
So I read Twilight when I was in 6th grade because I hadn't read any quality books and I was just starting to get really into YA books so I thought that it was amazing but then I read other books and now I just look back at my 6th grade self and shake my head. 

8. Do you have any funny stories involving books from your childhood? Please share!
When I was in the second grade we used to have Silent Sustained Reading and we would have to bring in a book to read. I didn't actually like reading at that age so I would sit in the corner and just flip through the pages really fast pretending to read. I would also ask my parents to buy books just so that I would have books on my bookshelf. I think I read two of the books I got when I was little. 

9. What is the thinnest book on your shelf?
I think that would be Dear Teen Me: Authors Write Letters to Their Teen Selves

10. What is the thickest book on your shelf?
I'm pretty sure Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix is the thickest one.

11. Do you write as well as read? Do you see yourself in the future as being an author?
I love writing. At the moment I'm working on two things. One is a short story and the other is a much longer story. My main probably is starting the book. I have no shortage of ideas since I spend a lot of time daydreaming. I really want to be an author in the future. I think I could see myself as an author in the future. 

12. When did you get into reading?
I really got into reading in the 6th grade because I found book series that I actually enjoyed and I was allowed to read whatever I wanted.

13. What is your favorite classic book?
I loved The Catcher in the Rye and Lord of the Flies

14. In school was your best subject Language Arts/English?
Right now my best subject is English. I actually started taking Honors English this year (its the highest level I can take as a sophomore) and I'm doing better than I did in the level below it.

15. If you were given a book as a present that you had read before and hated...what would you do?
Hope that there is a gift receipt and if there isn't I would probably give it to someone else.

16. What is a lesser known series that you know of that is similar to Harry Potter or the Hunger Games?
I'm having such a hard time thinking of any lesser known series that are like Harry Potter or The Hunger Games. I guess Skinned is similar to The Hunger Games because both have a corrupt society.

17. What is a bad habit you always do (besides rambling) while blogging?
Forgetting to post memes. I don't think I've posted anything for Teaser Tuesday for a couple of weeks. I also tend to forget commas while I type mainly because when I do use them I get comma happy and then I start to question myself and then I just take them out.

18. What is your favorite word?
Obstreperous. It means noisy and difficult to control.

19. Are you a nerd, dork, or dweeb? Or all of the above?
I proudly consider myself a nerd.

20. Vampires or Fairies? Why?
Fairies! I mean they can be mischievous creatures but they are way better than vampires. I don't understand why the idea of someone sucking your blood is so popular when there is the whole world of fairies to be explored.

21. Shapeshifters or Angels? Why?
Shapeshifters because I really like the idea of people changing into animals. I haven't read many books about shapeshifters but I really want to read more.

22. Spirits or Werewolves? Why?
Werewolves because spirits creep me out. Plus I love wolves.

23. Zombies or Vampires?
Vampires. I'm actually terrified of zombies. I won't see movies about zombies, play games with zombies, and I avoid books with zombies.  I don't like vampires much but I definitely like them better than zombies.

24. Love Triangle or Forbidden Love?
Honestly I'm getting so sick of love triangles because they are overused. I feel like every book I pick up has a love triangle. Forbidden love is also very annoying because when I read a book with that I can normally expect the character complaining about how she/he can't be with their love interest. I guess I'll have to go with forbidden love because that one bothers me less.

25. AND FINALLY: Full on romance books or action-packed with a few love scenes mixed in?
Action-packed with a few love scenes. I don't think I've read many full on romance books. Probably because those kind of books tend to be really slow and I lose interest in them.

I really liked doing that so I think I'll try to look for more of these types of things. Feel free to do this too because I'm tagging anyone who wants to join!

New Releases: January 13-19

Here's this week's new releases:

 Gates of Paradise by Melissa de la Cruz
(January 15th)

Level 2 by Lenore Appelhans
(January 15th)

Saturday, January 12, 2013

Stacking The Shelves #20

Stacking the Shelves is a meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews and here you can find all the books I've recently received that I'm stacking my shelves with!

Bought:

Splintered by A.G. Howard
Every Day by David Levithan

For Review:

The Nightmare Affair by Mindee Arnett

Won:

Nobody But Us by Kristin Halbrook

I won Nobody But Us from a Goodreads giveaway and I just started it. So far its ok. I can't wait to read Splintered because I love the retellings and I'm pretty sure its a retelling of Alice in Wonderland.

Friday, January 11, 2013

Feature & Follow #24

Feature and Follow is a blog hop hosted by Parajunkee & Alison Can Read. The purpose is to meet new people and gain more followers in the book blogging community.

Q: If you could choose one supernatural being/creature to really exists what would it be and why?

A: If supernatural beings existed I would want to be one. I would not want to be a human up against the supernatural. If I could be a supernatural being I would totally be a faerie (the Iron Fey kind) mostly because I would love to visit the Nevernever and I would love to be Winter Fey. I couldn't be a faerie then I would probably be a witch so that I could cast spells. If I couldn't be a supernatural creature then I wouldn't want them in the world. I would probably be too afraid to go anywhere knowing that I could be attacked by a vampire or zombie at any moment.

What about you?
Please follow and leave a link to your post so I can follow back!

Wednesday, January 9, 2013

Waiting on Wednesday #26

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly Meme. It's hosted on Breaking the Spine. It spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pick:
Everbound 
by Brodi Ashton
Release date:  January 22nd 2013

Nikki Beckett could only watch as her boyfriend, Jack, sacrificed himself to save her, taking her place in the Tunnels of the Everneath for eternity — a debt that should’ve been hers. She’s living a borrowed life, and she doesn’t know what to do with the guilt. And every night Jack appears in her dreams, lost and confused and wasting away.

Desperate for answers, Nikki turns to Cole, the immortal bad boy who wants to make her his queen — and the one person least likely to help. But his heart has been touched by everything about Nikki, and he agrees to assist her in the only way he can: by taking her to the Everneath himself.

Nikki and Cole descend into the Everneath, only to discover that their journey will be more difficult than they’d anticipated — and more deadly. But Nikki vows to stop at nothing to save Jack — even if it means making an incredible sacrifice of her own.

In this enthralling sequel to Everneath, Brodi Ashton tests the bonds of destiny and explores the lengths we’ll go to for the ones we love.

 

Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Review: Paper Towns by John Green

Paper Towns by John Green
Published: September 22, 2009
Publisher:
Speak
Pages:
320
My Rating: 
4 of 5 stars
  
Synopsis: Quentin Jacobsen has spent a lifetime loving the magnificently adventurous Margo Roth Spiegelman from afar. So when she cracks open a window and climbs back into his life—dressed like a ninja and summoning him for an ingenious campaign of revenge—he follows.

After their all-nighter ends and a new day breaks, Q arrives at school to discover that Margo, always an enigma, has now become a mystery. But Q soon learns that there are clues—and they’re for him. Urged down a disconnected path, the closer he gets, the less Q sees of the girl he thought he knew.


My Review: This is now the third book I've read by John Green and I have to say that I will definitely read An Abundance of Katherines and Will Grayson, Will Grayson sometime in the future.

I really enjoyed Paper Towns but I feel that The Fault in Our Stars and Looking for Alaska were definitely better.

A few of the characters in Paper Towns really bothered me. I'm still not sure how I feel about Margo. I'm leaning more towards tolerating her but for most of the book I wasn't a Margo fan. Then there's Ben. By the end I actually liked Ben but in the beginning I just wanted to strangle him so that he would stop using the word "hunnybunny" I was embarrassed for him and for some reason the word just didn't feel right. If someone called me that I either look at them like they were insane or walk away quickly or punch them in the face.

The other characters were all amazing and believable. John Green has this amazing ability to create characters that act like normal teenagers and seem so realistic.

I really enjoyed the beginning of the book when Margo and Quentin pull this elaborate prank. That part was probably the best part about the book. The entire book was actually pretty hilarious. I actually laughed out loud while I read and got a few weird looks from people because I was laughing so hard.

The mystery surrounding Margo and how she left behind all the clues was pretty interesting. At one point I figured something out way before Quentin but that didn't frustrate me as much as I thought it would.

After reading The Fault in Our Stars and Looking for Alaska I think my expectations were too high because I just didn't enjoy Paper Towns as much as the other two. I still really enjoyed it but it just didn't meet my expectations.

Sunday, January 6, 2013

New Releases: January 6-12

Here's this week's new releases:

 Crash by Lisa McMann
(January 8th)

Broken by A.E. Rought
(January 8th)

Just One Day by Gayle Forman
(January 8th)

Paper Valentine by Brenna Yovanoff
(January 8th)

The 13th Sign by Kristin O'Donnell Tubb
(January 8th)