Top Ten Tuesday-- 10 TBR Books

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Each week, they come  up with a topic for a list, and you write your answers. Cause who doesn't love making lists?

This weeks list is top ten books at the top of my tbr pile for the fall. It's more like "which books come out this fall I'm excited to read." All the books come out from today (August 30th) till before Christmas. These are in no order.


1. Succubus Revealed by Richelle Mead:
I ordered this book and I'm just waiting for it to come in the mail. I can not wait to get my hands on this book!!!!!!!!! I'm dying to know how the series ends.

2. Bloodlines by Richelle Mead:
I can not get enough of her books.

3. Awake at Dawn by CC Hunter:
I read the first book in this series in one night. I couldn't put it down. What in the world is Kylie???????
4. Eve by Anna Carey:
I just think this one sounds really good.
5. Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins:
Ahhhhh!!!!!  I want to meet the boy next door! If he's anything like St.Clair *swoon*

6. Son of Neptune by Rick Riordan:
I love this series almost as much as I love the Percy Jackson series. So fantastic and I can't wait to hear more about this other camp!
7. Reckoning by Lili St.Crow:
This is the final book in the Strange Angels series and I'm excited to know how it ends. Can't wait to get more Graves back into the story! Go team Graves!
8. The Pledge by Kimberly Derting:
I love Kimberly's other books. She is such a fun person and I know this book will be really good.
9. Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare:
AHHHHH!!!!!! This one does not need explination
10. The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Modrin:
Everyone is talking about this book and I'm really curious.

Book questionaire

I decided to do yet another one of these because I've noticed I never really have anything to post on the weekends. That and I love this kind of thing and I am bored right now anyways.

Which book has been on your shelves the longest?

That hasn't been read yet? I'm going to have to say most of my Agatha Christie books. I have to be in the mood for her books. And of course Harry Potter because those were some of the first books I ever bought with my own money that I have kept.

What is your current read, your last read and the book you’ll read next?

Current read: Juliet, Immortal by Stacey Jay
Last read: Angel Burn by LA Weatherly
Next read: umm probably Dark Angel by Eden Maguire

What book did everyone like and you hated?

Hands down have to say Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan and Infinite Days by Rebecca Maizel. I'll never understand why people like those books.

Which book do you keep telling yourself you’ll read?

Oh I have lots of them. The one that pops into my head is Jane Eyre. Maybe Lord of the Flies too so I know what everyone is talking about. Oh and Pride and Prejudice.

Which book coming out in 2011 is top priority to read?

Hmmm I'm going to have to go with Succubuss Revealed by Richelle Mead. It's the last in that series and I'm dying to know how it ends. I'm also going with Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare.

Last page: read it first or wait ’til the end?

Almost always read it last. Thought there have been a few books that I've read it about halfway through cause I needed to know if my guess was correct.

Acknowledgements: waste of ink and paper or interesting ?

I think they're fun. Unless it's literally just a list of names. Most authors I like make them funny though.

Which book character would you switch places with?

I'm going to say ... Hannah Abbot from the Harry Potter series. Why? Cause I want to live in that world and hers is one of the only ones that ends up having a good life through the whole series. She marries Neville and she owns the Three Broomsticks. Random I know but most of the characters from my books have real craptastic lives and I wouldn't want to switch with them.

Which Authors do you want to read that you haven’t yet?

Well a couple different Eden Maguire books are on my tbr pile. And I've been meaning to read a P.C. Cast book for years now.

Which books are still on your shelf from when you were in school?

All of them, I'm technically still in school. For now. *mummbles* stupid college *mummble.complain.complain. bitch bitch bitch*

Which book has been with you to the most places?

I'm going to say Wings by Aprilynne Pike. I took it with me to my trip to Europe two years ago. So it's seen Paris, London, and Edinburgh. Other than that, my Harry Potter books have been with me to a lot of places as well.

Any “required reading” you hated in high school that wasn’t so bad ten years later?

It hasn't been 10 years since high school for me. Just 4. But no, the books that were horrible then are still horrible now.

Stephen King or Anne Rice?

Read both of them before and I guess I'm going to have to go with Anne Rice.

Used or brand new?

Both. Used prices but I tend to have to get my books new because the used bookstores don't have the books I want.

Have you ever seen a movie you liked better than the book?

Yup. A few actually. Who Framed Roger Rabbit is my all time favorite movie, and the book Who Censored Roger Rabbit was really awkward and not nearly as good as the movie.

Who is the person whose book advice you’ll always take?

I have a few people. My friends Sarah, Lesa, and Chantelle and my sister, Arwen. We all have the same tastes in books and swap all the time.

Recommend a series/ or book:

For kids: Percy Jackson series
For YA: Divergent by Veronica Roth
For Adults: The Hollows series by Kim Harrison.
For everyone: Harry Potter. Duh.

Favorite line from a book:
"Do not pity the dead, Harry. Pitty the living, and above all, those who live without love" --Albus Dumbledore, Deathly Hallows.

Top Ten Tuesday-- Books I love but never wrote about:

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish
This weeks topic is books you loved but never posted reviews for.
These are in no particular order.

1: Paper Towns by John Green:
Actually, I never wrote a review for any of the John Green books I read. I read them so fast and kept reading for so long I just never wrote about them.

2: The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare:
I read these before I started blogging. I became obsessed with them, even named a few of my pets after the characters. Then I forced the books down the throats of everyone I know; my mom, sister, aunt, babysitting kids, ect. Can't get enough of Jace. *sigh* awwww Jace.

3. Backstage Pass by Olivia Cunning:
I don't write reviews on the romance adult books I read. My blog is mostly for YA books and I know that some of my followers are younger in age. Plus it's just awkward to write those reviews.

4. The Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer:
I wasn't blogging at the time. Plus I find this one of those series it's just not necessary to write reviews for. Kind of like Harry Potter. It's awesome and I think you should read them. I don't care who you are.

5. Harry Potter by JK Rowling:
^^ If you haven't read them, do it now! These are a must. These books changed the world.

6. The Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan:
Another series I read before I blogged. Also another series I tend to shove at people. These are must reads for every kid.

7. The Iron Queen by Julie Kagawa:
I just forgot to write the review. I read it during a really hard time in my life and I wasn't online much.

8. Clarity by Kim Harrington:
Also another case of forgotten review.

9. Vampire Crush by A.M. Robinson:
I keep telling myself I'm going to write this review and never do. I don't know what to say about it besides OMG I LOVED IT! One day I'll get around to writing the review.

10. Dark Desires After Dusk by Kresley Cole:
This is another series I don't write reviews for. Maybe because every single one of her books follows the same patterns and I'd be saying the same exact thing in every one of the reviews. Out of the books I've read in this series, this one was my favorite so far.

Book I Gave Up On #2 -- Angel Burn

I have a never ending list of tbr books that grows every single day. My poor list never gets any shorter no matter how fast I read. Today alone I added 10 new books to the list. Because of this, I've decided life is too short for bad books. If I start reading it and only get a little ways into it and don't even try to pick it back up in three-ish days, then I'm done with it.

Angel Burn by L.A. Weatherly

Published by Candlewick Press

Genre: YA

$17.99 (US hardback)

449 pages

What it's about:

Willow knows she’s different from other girls, and not just because she loves tinkering with cars. Willow has a gift. She can look into the future and know people’s dreams and hopes, their sorrows and regrets, just by touching them. She has no idea where this power comes from. But the assassin, Alex, does. Gorgeous, mysterious Alex knows more about Willow than Willow herself. He knows that her powers link to dark and dangerous forces, and that he’s one of the few humans left who can fight them. When Alex finds himself falling in love with his sworn enemy, he discovers that nothing is as it seems, least of all good and evil. In the first book in an action-packed, romantic trilogy, L..A. Weatherly sends readers on a thrill-ride of a road trip - and depicts the human race at the brink of a future as catastrophic as it is deceptively beautiful.

They’re out for your soul . . . and they don’t have heaven in mind.

Why I gave up on it:
This one had multiple reasons I gave up on it after 120 pages.
I couldn't get into this type of angel. In this story, angels are not angelic. They are these weird creatures who suck the life/essence/whatever you want to call it out of people and replace it with something bad, like cancer. Then the victim spends the rest of their life trying to find the angel again. I couldn't get myself to like this kind of angel or even tollerate it. I'm not a very religious person at all, but I didn't like angels being these horrible creatures. I just couldn't read about it.

Next was the writing style. If this would have all been from Willow's perspective, I think I could have finished the book. Instead it kept switching around. Willow's sections are in her POV and in first person. Then it will randomly switch over to Alex and that is not written in first person. Having this switch around all the time bugged me.

Goodness knows I tried multiple times to keep going with this book. All the reviews I've read for it said the book is really good and I know it turns into a road trip book which I normally LOVE, but I just couldn't finish this book. I would pick it up, read about 10 pages, be bored and do something else. It's too bad because so far I had really liked Willow's character. I'm still a little curious about the book, just not enough to keep reading it.

Review: Personal Demons

Personal Demons by Lisa Desrochers

Published by Tor Teen

Genre: YA

$9.99 (US paperback)

365 pages

What it's about:

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

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

But if Luc fails, there will be Hell to pay . . . for all of them.
My thoughts:
I have about a million reasons to dislike this book. I can tear it apart, YET I actually really enjoyed the book. I have so many mixed reactions to it.

I'll get it over with and say why I disliked it. My main problem was I didn't care much for Frannie. I never fully connected with her. She wasn't all that likable to me until the end. I also didn't like her best friend Taylor or the relationship between them. It bugged me a lot more than I'd like. I also had a problem with Gabriel. I just don't think angels should say the word "shit." Other than that, he was okay. He needed to be in it more.

The next problem I had was the fact that both Luc and Frannie had the exact same voice. Sometimes I'd forget whose POV I was reading and would get a little confused and have to go back and look. I couldn't tell whose head I was in unless I was told. I also wish that Gabriel would have had a POV as well. Because I honestly rooted for the demon the whole time. I would have liked to see a little more of Heaven boy in it.

So those were the main reasons I had a problem with it. Why did I like it? Luc of course. I thought that he was fantastic in it. I loved seeing his character growth and watching a demon try and deal with teenage hormones (because what is more scary than teenage hormones?) and trying to figure out how to solve his little dilemma.

Something I didn't really have a problem with but I know a lot of people do is the insta-love thing. If you don't like it, I wouldn't recommend this book. The whole book takes place in 3 weeks yet they are acting like it's been 3 years.

Overall, I'm pretty mixed up how I feel about this book. While there was a lot that bugged me, I read it in one sitting. I couldn't put it down. I'll be reading the next book in the series in the hopes that we get to see another side of Gabe. I'm really interested in him. And of course for Luc as well :)

My rating: 8/10

Blog hop!

Hey guess what? The picture ^^ there will not take you to the blog. So if you want to see one of the hosts of FF, click HERE


Onto the question!
If you could write yourself a part in a book, what book would it be and what role would you play in that book?

Hmmm man that is a really hard one. My first reaction is to say add myself into a Harry Potter book because I want to live in that world so bad. But that is too easy of an answer. So then I'm going to say I'd want to be in the Fablehaven books. I can walk out my back door and be in a magical world with fairies, satyrs, centaurs, and so on. But then I could leave the property, go into town and have it be a normal life. That would be pretty cool. Living in both worlds like that.


 
Now here is a question I'm asking of my own. Right now I'm reading Angel Burn and can't decide if I should finish reading it. I'm having a few problems with the angels in it. Has anyone read this book and is it worth finishing?

Daniel Radcliffe's new movie trailer

My future hubby (hahaha don't I wish?) is in a new movie that comes out in Feb 2012 called The woman in black. The teaser trailer just came out and oh man, it looks soooooo good! Look how gorgeous Daniel is in it! *swoons* When it comes to Daniel Radcliffe, I have to see all his movies and post about them.

Anyone else really excited for February now?



Damn those dolls are creepy.

Top Ten Tuesday-- Places I wish I lived

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish
Because this week is a freebie, I decided to do Top Ten Settings I Wish I Lived. This can either be in a 'fake' world from a series or a real place.

1. Kim Harrison's The Hollows:
It's been awhile since I've had a KH on the list and thought I needed to bring her back. haha. I would love to live in Kim Harrison's world. The only problem being if you are human you don't eat tomatoes. That'd suck. But I'd hope that I was a witch ;)

2. Harry Potter's world:
Who doesn't want to live in that place after Volie is dead? Seriously.

3. Victorian London:
Okay, I wouldn't want to live there, but I sure would like to visit. This is one is done in multiple books.

4. Camp Half Blood from Percy Jackson:
I think it'd be cool to have demigod powers for a summer or so. Stay at the camp, learn some cool things, and then go home, monster free.

5. The Nevernever from the Iron Fey:
It'd be sooooo cool to go there!

6. Idris from The Mortal Instruments:
Yay for shadowhunters! I want runes!

7. Hex Hall:
It would mean that I'm a supernatural. How cool!

8. The Camp from Born at Midnight:
Once again, I'd be a supernatural. Yay!

9. Fablehaven:
That house sounds so cool.

Okay, I've run out of places I'd want to live. Most of the books I read are based in horrible places or worlds that I'd never want to even set foot in (Hunger Games, Forks, Chicago from Divergent, and so on).

Review: Ten Things We Did (and probably shouldn't have)

Ten Things We Did (and probably shouldn't have) by Sarah Mlynowski

Published by Harper Teen

Genre: YA

$17.99 (US hardback)

368 pages

What it's about:

2 girls + 3 guys + 1 house – parents = 10 things April and her friends did that they (definitely, maybe, probably) shouldn't have.

If given the opportunity, what sixteen-year-old wouldn't jump at the chance to move in with a friend and live parent-free? Although maybe "opportunity" isn't the right word, since April had to tell her dad a tiny little untruth to make it happen (see #1: "Lied to Our Parents"). But she and her housemate Vi are totally responsible and able to take care of themselves. How they ended up "Skipping School" (#3), "Throwing a Crazy Party" (#8), "Buying a Hot Tub" (#4), and, um, "Harboring a Fugitive" (#7) at all is kind of a mystery to them.

In this hilarious and bittersweet tale, Sarah Mlynowski mines the heart and mind of a girl on her own for the first time. To get through the year, April will have to juggle a love triangle, learn to do her own laundry, and accept that her carefully constructed world just might be falling apart . . . one thing-she-shouldn't-have-done at a time.


My thoughts:
This was the first Sarah Mlynowski book that I've ever read, and it definitely won't be my last.

Right from the beginning I was laughing out loud. April and her friends are hilarious. I fell instantly in love with the trio and caring about what would happen to each of them. The idea of two teenage girls trying to live in a house parent free was quite funny if not a little sad. Watching April try and learn how to do things that adults have to do every day was great. Learning how to manage money, doing the dishes, cleaning, all that.

What really drew me to this book was the voice. It was one of those books that I instantly fell in love with just because of it. It was random and hilarious. I loved some of the quotes so much I had to jump up, find a pen and paper, and write them down so I could add them to my quote book later.

Though it wasn't exactly what I thought it was going to be, I honestly can't think of one complaint that I have about this book. I loved every minute of it.

My rating: 10/10

My Book Boyfriend-- Will from C.A.

My Book Boyfriend is a weekly meme that is hosted by Missy from The Unread Reader. Every week you pick a man from a book that makes you swoon.

I'm picking Will from Clockwork Angel for this weeks MBB. I am so obsessed with this book right now it's not even funny. When Cassandra Clare asked me if I was team Will or team Jem and I had to pick on the spot, I picked Will. Turns out I was the first person that night to pick him. Whaaaaa?????

How Tessa describes Will:
"He had the most beautiful face she had ever seen. Tangled black hair and eyes like blue glass. Elegant cheekbones, a full mouth, and long, thick lashes. Even the curve of his throat was perfect. He looked like every fictional hero she'd ever conjured up in her head."

Other facts about Will:
*Lives in London during the 1800s
*Is a Shadowhunter
*Is an asshole that is trying to hide his true, good chocolately center.

Who I picture him looking like:
Cassie has a page of people fans have picked to play the characters and a popular choice for Will is Nicholas Hoult. I think he would be pretty good. It's hard to find a face as hott as the one I picture for Will.

This last one is an especially good one for Will. Look at the color of those eyes! *swoons*

Quotes (don't worry, I don't believe there are any spoilers):
"I've mastered many things in my life. Navigating the streets of London, dancing the quadrille, the Japanese art of flower arranging, lying at charades, concealing a highly intoxicated state, delighting young women with my charms... Alas, no one has ever actually referred to me as 'the master,' or 'the magister,' either. More's the pity..."

"Let me give you a piece of advice. The handsome young fellow who's trying to rescue you from a hideous fate is never wrong. Not even if he says the sky is purple and made of hedgehogs."

"You know," Gabriel said, "there was a time I thought we could be friends, Will."

"There was a time I thought I was a ferret," Will said, "but that turned out to be the opium haze. Did you know it had that effect? Because I didn't."

"What kind of monster could possibly hate chocolate?"

"Many who have gazed upon me have compared the experience to gazing at the radiance of the sun."

"Remember when you tried to convince me to feed a poultry pie to the mallards in the park to see if you could breed a race of cannibal ducks?"

"They ate it too," Will reminisced. "Bloodthirsty little beasts. Never trust a duck."

"Well, she's not responding to my advances," he observed more brightly than he felt, "so she must be dead."

"Where there is our Will, there is a half dozen women claiming he's compromised their virtue."

I could honestly list about everything he says in this book because it is all so funny.

Review: Raised by Wolves

Raised by Wolves by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Published by Egmont USA

Genre: YA

$9.99 (US paperback)

418 pages

What it's about:

Adopted by the Alpha of a werewolf pack after a rogue wolf brutally killed her parents right before her eyes, fifteen-year-old Bryn knows only pack life, and the rigid social hierarchy that controls it. That doesn't mean that she's averse to breaking a rule or two.

But when her curiosity gets the better of her and she discovers Chase, a new teen locked in a cage in her guardian's basement, and witnesses him turn into a wolf before her eyes, the horrific memories of her parents' murders return. Bryn becomes obsessed with getting her questions answered, and Chase is the only one who can provide the information she needs.

But in her drive to find the truth, will Bryn push too far beyond the constraints of the pack, forcing her to leave behind her friends, her family, and the identity that she's shaped?

My thoughts:
I put off reading this book for so long and I really don't know why I did. It was fantastic!

A trend that is popular right now is strong leading ladies and Bryn definitely falls into this trend. She has grown up with werewolves but is human herself so she has to know how to take care of herself. She is smaller and physically weaker than her werewolf family, but she is strong willed and never backs down. I love that about her. She is so caring and unique that I couldn't help but love her.

The werewolves in this book are a little of the same old same old, and a little bit of the new. They have a pack bond like the wolves of New Moon, mixed with the beauty of the Shiver wolfs, and the fierceness of actual wolves. The way Barnes describes the feelings and the pack bond is repetitive but also very...real? She describes it so well it is easy to feel like you are a part of the bond. It's a little intense.

The plot was very well thought out and laid down. While the beginning seemed to go on for a little too long and the end came pretty fast, it was still really good. It gave you enough time to fully understand all the characters and their motives.

Raised by Wolves is a fresh story about werewolves, friendship, family, and love. I loved every minute of it and after finishing, I ran straight to my bookcase and started reading the next book in this series. Jennifer Lynn Barnes has earned a place on my favorite authors list and I hope to be able to read lots of her books.

My rating: 9/10

Review: Born at Midnight

Born at Midnight by C.C. Hunter

Published by St. Martins Griffin

Genre: YA

$9.99 (US paperback)

416 pages

What it's about:

Don’t miss this spectacular new series that will steal your heart and haunt your dreams, Welcome to Shadow Falls camp, nestled deep in the woods of a town called Fallen…

One night Kylie Galen finds herself at the wrong party, with the wrong people, and it changes her life forever. Her mother ships her off to Shadow Falls—a camp for troubled teens, and within hours of arriving, it becomes painfully clear that her fellow campers aren’t just “troubled.” Here at Shadow Falls, vampires, werewolves, shapshifters, witches and fairies train side by side—learning to harness their powers, control their magic and live in the normal world.

Kylie’s never felt normal, but surely she doesn’t belong here with a bunch of paranormal freaks either. Or does she? They insist Kylie is one of them, and that she was brought here for a reason. As if life wasn’t complicated enough, enter Derek and Lucas. Derek’s a half-fae who’s determined to be her boyfriend, and Lucas is a smokin’ hot werewolf with whom Kylie shares a secret past. Both Derek and Lucas couldn’t be more different, but they both have a powerful hold on her heart.

Even though Kylie feels deeply uncertain about everything, one thing is becoming painfully clear—Shadow Falls is exactly where she belongs…


My thoughts:
Once I read the blurb on what Born at Midnight was about, I knew I had to read it. Vampires, werewolves, fae, and ghost? At a camp? Awesome!

After reading a chapter or two, I was pretty nervous for the book. Kylie complained a lot (she had good reason too) but lately when I read a book that has a lot of complaining in the beginning, I end up not liking the MC and then not liking the book. Thankfully I didn't have to worry about this for long. I ended up really liking Kylie. She was strong in a normal person way. Not like a Rose Hathaway type strong. She has good morals and is all around very likable.

Hunters supernaturals have their own twists to them that I liked a lot. I liked how different the vampires, fae, and werewolves were compared to all the other books out there. She didn't stick to the norm and I liked that a lot.

The relationships, both friendships and otherwise, were really great. You could actually feel the connections and the relationships growing. The reader wasn't just told everyone was friends and that was that, but actually be able to see and relate to them. I think that was my favorite part of this book, watching Kylie bond with Della, Miranda, Holiday, and the rest of them.

So overall, I really enjoyed this book. It kept me guessing and had me laughing out loud a lot (check the sex. hahahahaha). I'm glad that I haven't figured out all the questions that were asked in this book yet which is a sign of great writing. I normally guess pretty easily what is going to happen. I'm dying to get my hands on the next book of this series which will be released October 11, 2011.

My rating: 10/10

Will's POV from Clockwork Angel

I have become so obsessed with all things Clockwork Angel by Cassie Clare lately. I've read the book a few times, and now I'm relistening to the audiobook (does anyone else LOVE the audiobook as much as I do?). This is why I was really excited to see that Cassandra posted Will's POV during the Holy water scene. If you read the book, you know which part I'm talking about. How could you ever forget that part????

Thanks to Mundie Moms for posting this. I never check twitter so I doubt I would have seen this for a long time.

Holy hot damn. Read this!

Now I'm off to find an actor I like for Will so I can finally do a my book boyfriend post about him.

Pottermore!

Today is the last day of early access to Pottermore. How many people have been accepted? I have!!!

I'm insanely excited.

JUST SO YOU KNOW, AS OF RIGHT NOW, THE FINAL CLUE IS STILL UP. IT IS EXTREMELY EASY. Pottermore.com to go look at it.

There is a facebook page for the people who have early access. So if you are one of the lucky million people, go like the page! Pottermore facebook page

I wish I could have picked my own login name. I had one all figured out and everything.

Review: Starcrossed

Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini

Published by Harper Teen

Genre: YA

$17.99 (US Hardback)

496 pages

What it's about:

How do you defy destiny?

Helen Hamilton has spent her entire sixteen years trying to hide how different she is—no easy task on an island as small and sheltered as Nantucket. And it's getting harder. Nightmares of a desperate desert journey have Helen waking parched, only to find her sheets damaged by dirt and dust. At school she's haunted by hallucinations of three women weeping tears of blood . . . and when Helen first crosses paths with Lucas Delos, she has no way of knowing they're destined to play the leading roles in a tragedy the Fates insist on repeating throughout history.

As Helen unlocks the secrets of her ancestry, she realizes that some myths are more than just legend. But even demigod powers might not be enough to defy the forces that are both drawing her and Lucas together—and trying to tear them apart.


My thoughts:
Everyone was going on and on about how fantastic this book was and I was so excited to read it. I only thought it was okay. My best response to "was it any good?" is "meh."

I almost gave up on this book. For the first 70 pages, all Helen did was complain. She was a constant cranky pants. I honestly never fully grew to like her. She was just...blan. She really needed more depth and it never fully grew. I however LOVED the best friend! She was quirky and fun and everything Helen was not. Then you have the Delos family. Hmmm the best way to describe them would be a Cullen knockoff. I can't help but compair this book to Twilight. The writing style was similar along with most of the plot. Just add in some greek gods and take out the vampires and you have most of this book.

I finally started getting into this book about 200 pages into it. It took a really long time but it finally came. While I never fully believed the romance between Helen and Lucas, I still enjoyed reading it. It was completely unbelievable and cheesey, just like Bella and Edward. Then the ending of the book hit and I started having problems with the story again. There is a major flaw in the end that I can not see how it was overlooked. It is still bugging me and will always probably bug me when I think of this book. All the stuff I started to like about the story was taken away because of this flaw.

In other words, I only liked about 1/3 of the book and that was the middle part. The beginning and the end lacked. I don't see myself picking up the next book in this series.

My rating: 6/10

Follow Friday

 This weeks question:Q. Talk about the book that most changed or influenced your life (was it a book that turned you from an average to avid reader, did it help you deal with a particularly difficult situation, does it bring you comfort every time you read it?).

My answer:
I have a feeling that my answer is going to be a really popular one this week. Harry Potter changed my childhood and started my love of reading. After a few years, I wasn't reading nearly as much anymore. Then my sister got me to read the Twilight series and I fell madly in love with reading again. I started reading everything I could get my hands on. This was 3 years ago now and I haven't stopped reading. It has become my addiction. It along with my art, is what helps me get out of my moods and motivates me to do anything at all. I owe JK Rowling and Stephenie Meyer a lot for changing my life. They ignited my love for reading and have changed my hopeful future. My love of reading is motivating me to start my own bookstore. It's given me goals for my life.
 
It's been a long time since I've done a FF and I'm glad to be back! yay! One rule I try to follow is if you follow me, I'll follow you back. Please leave a comment if you decide to follow me so I can make sure to follow you back :)

Review: Tell Me a Secret

Tell Me a Secret by Holly Cupala

Published by Harper Teen

Genre: YA

$16.99 (US hardback)

292 pages

What it's about:

In the five years since her bad-girl sister Xanda's death, Miranda Mathison has wondered about the secret her sister took to the grave, and what really happened the night she died. Now, just as Miranda is on the cusp of her dreams--a best friend to unlock her sister's world, a ticket to art school, and a boyfriend to fly her away from it all--Miranda has a secret all her own.

When two lines on a pregnancy test confirm her worst fears, Miranda is stripped of her former life. She must make a choice with tremendous consequences and finally face her sister's demons and her own.

My thoughts:

This was the first teen pregnancy book that I had ever read (Breaking Dawn does NOT count as a teen pregnancy book). I didn't really know how I would feel about it but I actually really liked this book.

The characters in this book made me soooooooo angry! I wanted to punch Miranda's parents in the face through the whole book. And then there was the horrible boyfriend who really deserved to be kicked in the you-know-where for being so horrible.

I felt for Miranda. The poor girl did not have a strong support system and could not get over the death of her sister. While it had been 5 years and most people would say move on, I understood her drive to know what happened and respected her for not giving up. She needed answers.

Overall, this was a pretty good book. It gripped at my heart and kept my eyes glued to the page until I was finished.

My rating: 8/10

Top Ten Tuesday-- 10 Trends

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish
This weeks top ten is trends I'd like to see more of/less of.

Honestly, the trends I want to see less of popped into my head first, so I'll start with those.

Have less of:
1. Love Triangles:
There is wayyyyy too much of this going on lately. I loved them at first cause who doesn't? But it's gotten old. Really old.

2. The "second book rule":
I posted about this a few days ago and what it means. For the full explanation of it, you can read my post here

3. Making fun of Twilight in books:
We get it, we get it, Twilight is popular so it must mean we have to make fun of it. Honestly, enough is enough. It's not funny, it's just old.

4. Celebrities writing really bad books:
Just because they are on tv does not mean that people want to read what they have to think. The book that makes me cringe at the thought of is the Snooki book. Why was she able to publish a book but  a lot of good authors have a hard time getting published? Seriously.

*gags*

Trends I do like:
5. Having more books about animals:
Love love love love this trend! All these books about animals and the amazingness they are. The Art of Racing in the Rain and Marley and Me being my favorite of these types of books.

6. Audiobooks:
I love how almost all books are now getting audiobooks. I listen to ab all the time while I'm working on art projects and I love how I can listen to my favorite books.

7. Not talked about much themes:
I'm sad I missed this topic of TTT last week because I can think of a few books for this. Forbidden and Stolen are books about something that isn't talked about much and I loved those books.

8. New paranormals:
There are lots of new paranormals that are coming into the book world that I love. Now it's not just werewolves, fairies, and vampires, but you can also read about revenants, empty ones, and soul screamers and all these other cool paranormals.

9. Princess stories:
I've always wanted to be a princess and I loveeeeeeeee reading about them.

10. Dystopian:
I loveeeeeeeee dystopian books! Divergent and Hunger Games being my favorite. I love these alternate worlds that are not paranormal but not like the world I live in.

New pets: Peeta and Simon

My family is filled full of soft hearted people that can not resist the big sad eyes of animals.

This means that in the last two weeks, we have adopted a new dog and a new kitten to add onto the 2 cats and dog we already owned. My house is turning into an animal farm.

This is Simon. We named him after Simon from the Mortal Instruments series by Cassie Clare. My other dog is named Isobelle after the same series.

Both the doggies together. They absolutely love each other. Fun stuff. Yes that's right, Simon is wearing a diaper. He wasn't house trained the first few days we had him. Did you know they make special diapers for dogs?

And then a few days ago I brought home a new baby orange kitten. A family I babysit for found a litter of kittens when they were 3 weeks old. I've been bottle feeding and helping take care of them for a few weeks and couldn't help but bring one home.

This is Peeta. That's right, all my animals have to be named after book characters.

He is my baby boy. Loves to cuddle and eat. He also likes to play with my toes when I'm trying to fall asleep. Don't know why.

So that's what I've been up to. Bringing lots of new animals home, introducing them to the old ones, getting them potty trained and so on. Lots of work but who could say no to those faces?