Thursday, March 31, 2011

Hop and Follow Friday!

Book Blogger Hop
Blogger hop friday is hosted by Crazy For Books

This weeks question:
"Since today is April Fool's Day in the USA, what is the best prank you have ever played on someone OR that someone has played on you?"


My Answer:
I'm not the pranking type of person. I can't think of a single prank I've done to someone. Someone back in high school got  a hold of my email address and home address and signed me up for this pregnancy website. The website called my house to tell me congrats about being pregnant but my parents picked up the phone (later they called to congradulate me on having the baby). The site also sent me free cans of baby food, coupons for Disney movies and Dr. Seuss books and more. Jokes on whoever signed me up. My parents thought it was hilarious cause they obviously knew I wasn't pregnant and I had a friend with a baby so I gave her the baby food. It all worked out.
I never did figure out who signed me up. It wasn't a close friend or a close enemy. They obviously didn't really know how me and my family work.

Follow Friday is hosted by Parajunkee

This weeks question:
What is the book that you really don't want to admit to loving??


My answer:
None. I think it's weird when people are embarrassed by what they read. I know lots of people that won't admit to reading romance books. Wtf? What's so bad about romance books?

Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Review: Rosebush

Rosebush by Michele Jaffe
published by Razorbill
genre: YA
$16.99 (US hardback)
326 pages

What it's about:
Jane Freeman opens her eyes on the morning after Jocelyn Gunter's epic Memorial Day party and finds herself tangled in a rosebush, pierced by hundreds of tiny thorns, paralyzed, and unable to remember a single detail from the night before.

Her mother and the doctors say the hit and run was an accident, but Jane knows the truth. Someone tried to kill her. Someone from the party. The clues add up--the drink, the slammed, door, the kiss, the car, the ring--but with no memory, it's impossible for Jane to tell the difference between what really happened and what everyone wants her to believe.

Unable to leave the hospital until she's fully recovered, Jane lets long-buried memories begin to resurface, making her question everything she thought she knew about love, friendship, and loyalty. her friends come and go, each with a different version of what happened that night. And Jane has to figure out who's really on her side--before the killer strikes again.

whose memory can she trust, when she can't even trust her own?

My thoughts:
This is a book I wish I would have read in one sitting, instead it took me a week to read it :/

This book actually really surprised me. I thought it sounded really good and I had a few ideas of what it was going to be like. I was kinda thinking it was going to be like Before I Fall and repeat what everyone did at the party and it would just be like rereading the day of the party over and over. It wasn't like that at all. Everyone tells bits and pieces of what happened, but it wasn't like reliving it. It was very well done.

All the characters surprised me at one point or another. At first Jane annoyed me. Her boyfriend David was obviously abusive and horrible and I hated how Jane acted with him. The guy couldn't be a bigger douche and yet she was tripping over herself to make him happy. I really can't stand girls like that. Then there were the two best friends, and all the guys going in and out of Jane's life. Jane of all of them was the biggest surprise. She changed so much throughout the whole book. I loved seeing her slowly change and become a better person. Fix all her problems while trying to figure out who in the world is trying to kill her.

I'm the annoying person when it comes to watching suspense/horror/mystery movies and tv. I always guess who the killer is within the first 10-30 minutes of the movie and ruin it for everyone else. I guessed the killer in the first Saw movie within the first five minutes and pissed off everyone around me. That's why I was happy when this book had me guessing the whole time. I had a few guesses, but was never positive. Honestly I sort of got it wrong too. (the sort of answer will make sense if you read the book. It would give away too much if I said anymore).

There is one thing that bugs me about the book and that is Bonnie. There were a bunch of questions asked about her and a whole new story plot was hinted at, and it was never answered. If there is going to be a continuing story to this one, it will make sense, but I didn't get the vibe that this is going to be an on going book.

My rating: 9/10
Just for the Bonnie issue.

Monday, March 28, 2011

Top 10 tuesday-- authors that deserve more attention

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish I honestly love TTT. I look forward to it every week. I used to make up my own top ten's and then I found this meme and love it even more.

This weeks top ten is: Top Ten Authors That Deserve More Recognition


Ohhh I have lots of authors for this one! The names with *** next to them means I have reviews for their books in my review section. The amount of stars next to the name is how many of their book reviews I have. I'm not directly posting links because this gives you an excuse to check out my review page. Yes I know, I'm very sneaky. haha.
 
1. Lisa Schroeder***:
Besides being such a cool person, her books are amazing. They are in verse so they are quick reads, get down to the point without all the extra stuff, and are so beautiful. They always have music in them and you can practically hear the music while reading. This was especially true while I was reading I Heart You, You Haunt Me. I couldn't stop listening to The Killers for days after reading that book.
 
2. Janette Rallison**:
I've read 2 1/2 of her books (I haven't finished one of them yet) and both of them were fantastic. They were adorable and while you kinda figured out what was going to happen, I never figured out the way it was going to happen. That is a good thing. I'm trying to get my hands on all of Janette's books now.
 
3. Lili St. Crow**:
she has tons of books out there, yet you never really hear much about them. Her young adult series, Strange Angels, is getting some attention, but not enough! Her fighting scenes can be a little confusing but when you hear the story of how she writes them, it makes sense.
 
4. John Green:
His writing is brilliant. Seriously. And his books do not get enough attention. If you're in the YA scene, most likely you've heard of Looking For Alaska, but probably haven't read it. Honestly, his best book is Paper Towns, and I never really hear about that book. Go read it!
 
5.Kimberly Derting**:
She writes the Body Finder series. I adore those books. Great books I think everyone should read.
 
6. Jeri Smith-Ready*:
As of right now, the only book of her's I've read is Shade and I don't know why. I read this book back in September and I keep thinking about it. I'll probably go and reread it soon. Then I'm gonna go and read her other books.
 
7. Sarah Rees Brennan**:
So far I believe she has two books published, both of which I've read. I love the Demon's Lexicon series. The characters and plot are really unique and not like any of the other series I'm in the middle of right now.
 
8. Brandon Mull**:
He's pretty popular but not popular enough. His Fablehaven series is fantastic and should be right up there with the Percy Jackson books but for some reason isn't. WTF?
 
9. Rachel Hawkins**:
Hex Hall is getting really really really good. The third book could not come out soon enough.
 
10. Julie Kagawa**:
Oh how I love Kagawa's writing. I can't wait for The Iron Knight to come out, and then whatever else she writes. I will always pick up and read her books. She should be a house hold name.
 
All of these authors are ones I hope make it huge. Maybe not Harry Potter huge, but definitely make it big. Everyone should read their books.

Final Harry Potter movie poster

Here it is, the final Harry Potter movie poster. Harry Potter has been my childhood and I can't believe the movies are coming to an end. It was hard enough when the books ended, and now the movies are as well? *le boo hoo hoo. sob*

Sunday, March 27, 2011

Fun book title survey

I did this post back in July and thought I'd do it again. It was fun and I've read different books since then. I'm trying to use books I've read this year. I'm also redoing this one because I adore book surveys and I can't find anymore good ones that I haven't already done. If anyone knows of good ones, send them my way!

Describe yourself: Pale Demon 


How do you feel: Wondrous Strange

Describe where you currently live: Paper Towns
If you could go anywhere, where would you go: Far From You 
Your favorite form of transportation: The Princess and the Hound
Your best friend is: Will Grayson, Will Grayson
You and your friends are: Looking for Alaska
What’s the weather like: Gulliver's Travels
You fear: Demonglass
What is the best advice you have to give: Ten Cents a Dance
Thought for the day: Wolves, Boys, and Other Things That Might Kill Me
How I would like to die: Iron Crowned
My soul’s present condition: Shadowspell

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Blog hop and follow

Book Blogger Hop
Book blogger hop is hosted by Crazy for books
 

This weeks question:

If you could physically put yourself into a book or series… which one would it be and why?


My answer:
Harry Potter. Duh. But I'd be a witch and NOT a muggle.


Follow Friday is hosted by Parajunkee

This weeks question:

Inspired by the inane twitter trend of #100factsaboutme, give us five BOOK RELATED silly facts about you.

My answer:
1. I always keep a list of the books I want to buy in my purse. I also have little notes on it saying if I can get it at the library or not.

2. I also keep a list of all the Agatha Christie books and all the various titles in my purse. I mark down which ones I have or are missing (I'm only missing five now!)

3. I prefer paperback books cause they are easier to hold.

4. I become obsessive with my favorite books. I have to tell everyone I know about them.

5. I fully believe in the saying "you can never have too many books."

I'm going through and adding labels to all my old posts (all 280 of them. *grone*) and for some odd reason some of my old posts have decided to repost themselves under todays date. So here are posts that are up this week on my blog.

Reviews:
Forgive my fins
Beastly
The Deadly Sister
Just One Wish

Other:
Book Boyfriend-- Steve from Just One Wish
Book I gave up on-- Before I Fall
Top Ten Tuesday-- Book pet peeves

Forgive My Fins


Forgive My Fins by Tera Lynn Childs
published by Katherine Tegan Books
$16.99 (hardcover)
Genre: YA
293 pages


FTC: I borrowed this book from a friend. I will not be compensated for reviewing this book.

What it's about:
Lily Sanderson has a secret, and it's not that she has a huge crush on gorgeous swimming god Brody Bennett, who makes her heart beat flipper-fast. Unrequited love is hard enough when you're a normal teenage girl, but when you're half human, half mermaid, like Lily, there's no such thing as a simple crush.

Lily's mermaid identity is a secret that can't get out, since she's not just any mermaid--she's a Thalassinian princess. When Lily found out three years ago that her mother was actually a huan, she finally realized why she didn't feel quite at home in Thalassinia, and she's been living on land and going to Seaview High School ever since, hoping to find where she truly belongs. Sure, land has its problems--like her obnoxious biker-boy neighb or, Quince Fletcher--but it has that one major perk: Brody. The problem is, mermaids aren't really the casual dating type--the instant they "bond" it's for life.

When Lily's attempt to win Brody's love leads to a tsunami-sized case of mistaken identity, she is for a tidal wave of relationship drama, and she finds out, quick as a tailfin flick, that happily ever after never sails quite as smoothly as you planned.

my thoughts:
If someone asked me to define what chick lit is, I would explain what this book is about to them. This book reads exactly like a chick flick movie. There is a girl who loves a certain boy and he has no idea she likes him. Then there is the "other" boy who is in love with girl but she doesn't like him. From the very beginning you know exactly what is going to happen, but enjoy every second of it. That's why there are so many of these type books/movies out there. How can you not love them? Forgive My Fins reminded me of the movies What Happens in Vegas and 27 dresses. Combine those two movies, add in a mermaid theme, and wha-la, you have Forgive My Fins.

There were a few things I didn't fully understand in this book. One was Lily's love for Brody. Brody doesn't seem like anything special at all. He doesn't pay any attention to her at all, they hardly talk to each other, and he's pretty full of himself. There wasn't anything great about him, but Quince was pretty amazing. He was hott but didn't act like it, he paid loads of attention to Lily, and was looking out for her all the time, even if it ment getting hurt himself. Oh, and he rides a motorcycle. Quince was just plain awesome.
I really enjoyed this book. It was pretty fluffy and bubble gum, but that was exactly what I was looking for. I wanted a very light, fun, summer read and found everything I was looking for in this book. The fact that it was about mermaids added in some of the paranormal elements I love so much and gave it a little different edge to the book.

My Rating: 9.5/10

Beastly


Beastly by Alex Flinn
published by Harper Teen
$6.99 (paperback)
Genre: YA
300 pages

FTC: I borrowed this book from a friend. I will not be compensated for reviewing this book.

What it's about:
A beast. Not quite wolf or bear, gorilla or dog but a horrible new creature who walks upright--a creature with fangs and claws and hair springing from every pore. I am a monster.
You think I'm talking fairy tales? No way. The place is New York City. The time is now. It's no deformity, no disease. And I'll stay this way forever--ruined--unless I can break the spell. Yes, the spell, the one the witch in my English class cast on me. Why did she turn me into a beast who hides by day and prowls by night? I'll tell you. I'll tell you how I used to be Kyle Kingsbury, the guy you wished you were, with money, perfect looks, and the perfect life. And then, I'll tell you how I became perfectly...beastly.


My thoughts:
What the discription of the book doesn't really tell you is that this is a modern day telling of Beauty and the Beast, but from the Beasts point of view. I thought this was a pretty cool idea and figured you can't really go wrong with Beauty and the Beast theme.

This was a fast, cute read. Pretty corny really and in the beginning I wasn't sure if I was going to finish it. The main reason I was reading it was because the movie is being made and has Alex Pettyfer in it (I have a big fan girly crush on him). Once I got to a certain point in the book, I found that I was enjoying it. It was too cute not to enjoy it.
I actually really liked Kyle's character from the beginning. This might seem weird knowing how in the beginning he was this horrible kid. I liked how you could see how much potential he had to grow as a character. Plus you could see he was like that because that is how his father is and all of his friends are as well.
Umm there isn't much to say about this book. It was corny as corny could be but very cute. Just like a Disney movie. The chatroom conversations in this book were a little odd (which fairy tale is Grizzly supposed to be?) but overall it works. If you like the story of Beauty and the Beast, go ahead and read this story. It's a cute, mindless, summer read.

my rating: 8/10

The Deadly Sister


The Deadly Sister by Eliot Schrefer
published by Scholastic
$17.99 (hardback)
310 pages

FTC: The publisher gave me this book with the understanding I'd give an honest review. I will not be compensated for reviewing this book.

What it's about:
Abby Goodwin has always covered for her sister. Maya's screwups started out ordinary enough--broken curfews, failed classes, hanging out with drugged-out losers.
But now maya's been accused of murder. And Abby's not sure she'll be able to cover for her anymore.
With the police closing in, Abby helps Maya escape...and then starts investigating, hoping to clear her sister's name. What she finds, though, shows that you can't trust anyone-not even the people you think you know.

My thoughts:
The book starts off with Abby Finding the body of her sister's tutor. This obviously caught my attention pretty fast and I was thinking it was going to be a really great book. Then while I keep on reading I found myself losing interest in the story. I was having a hard time caring about any of the characters because I didn't like a single one of them. I didn't like the parents because they gave up on their daughter, didn't like the best friend, Maya, and least of all, Abby herself. There really was not a reason I did not like Abby's character, I just didn't. She kept doing things that were annoying me and I wanted to scream at her to stop.
The writing was actually pretty fantastic. You could tell that everything that was said and done by the characters was very thought out. Each character was very self aware. I liked how the reader was set up and made sure to only understand what the author wanted the reader to understand.
This wasn't a book that kept me interested throughout the whole thing. Most of the time I thought it was sort of boring. This all changed with the ending. This book had by far one of the best endings out of any book I have ever read. I think my mouth was actually hanging open while reading it because I was in shock. It made it worth reading the book.
My rating: 8/10

Tuesday, March 22, 2011

My Book Boyfriend #2-- Steve from Just One Wish

My Book Boyfriend is hosted every Wednesday by The Unread Reader

Steve from Just One Wish by Janette Rallison.

About Steve:
*He's the lead actor for the tv show "Teen Robin Hood"
*Has brown hair
*Beautiful brown eyes
*Super hott  (has really nice arms)
*Can use a bow and arrow
*owns two horses
*has a trademark smirk
*can read people very well

Who I'd pick to play him:
I have a few personal beliefs and one of them is: you can't get much hotter than Zac Efron.

Right? Can't get much hotter than Zac. Because Steve has blonde hair while playing Robin, then he has natural brown hair, Zac works. Then he's totally buff, and can't you just imagine Zac in an outfit like....

Yes, yes, I know that's Peter Pan and not Robin Hood, but they wear the same outfit in my head. Green tights and a green shirt. The Disney Robin Hood doesn't wear pants, so unless you want to imagin Zac with no pants on, he gets to wear the Peter Pan outfit.


Quotes:
"Yesterday you asked me what the purpose of life is. I've thought about that ever since. I think it's to do good no matter what life throws at you, to not let the pain turn you bitter. It's something we have to learn, something we have to make ourselves become...Little kids don't have to learn it. They already know."

Okay, I returned the book to the library already so I can't go and find more quotes of his. You'll just have to trust me that he's awesome. haha.

Book I gave up on #1-- Before I Fall

I have over 100+ books sitting on my shelves that I have not read, 6 books in my library pile, and about 30 books on my "want" list at this moment. Because of my stalk piles of never ending books, I've decided life is too short for bad books. If I get 50+ pages into a book and it's just not catching my attention, I'm giving up on the book. I gave it a try, but it's just not worth my time. This happened this weekend sadly.

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver
published by Harper Collins
Genre: YA
407 pages

What it's about:
What if you had only one day to live? What would you do? Who would you kiss? And how far would you go to save your own life?


Samantha Kingston has it all—looks, popularity, the perfect boyfriend. Friday, February 12th should be just another day in her charmed life. Instead, it’s her last. The catch: Samantha still wakes up the next morning. In fact, she re-lives the last day of her life seven times, until she realizes that by making even the slightest changes, she may hold more power than she had ever imagined.

Why I gave up:
I read the first chapter (so in other words, the first 82 pages. Longest chapters ever!) and I noticed I did not like Sam at all. I couldn't stand her character. She was bitchy, whiny, and overall unlikeable.

Then there was the last page of the first chapter. It preached at me. That is a giant no-no to me. I do not like to be preached at and it was even weirder that the book directly talked to the reader. That's rule number one in writing (especially in essays) that you do not directly ask the reader questions. It's just awkward.

So I decided to give up. I really didn't care what happened to Sam in the 7 times she repeated her last day. Her character wasn't one I could relate to and one I didn't particularly like as well. Kind of disappointing cause this book was so hyped up.

Top Ten Tuesday-- Book Pet Peeves

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish
This weeks Top Ten is: Top Ten Bookish Pet Peeves (all those things that annoy you in a story, with book covers, bookstores, etc)

Oh boy, I have a few for this one, not sure I can come up with ten though.

1. Love Triangles:
This one didn't used to bother me,  but in the last month or two it's really getting on my nerves. Maybe because it's being over used? Whatever the reason, I'm sick of it.

2. Writing in books:
This one I have a lot of issues with when I'm searching for textbooks even though it's kind of expected. I can't stand it when people mark up their books.

3. Damaged books (broken spines, pages falling out, dog eared, ripped covers and so on):
Why would people want to damage a book? why why why??? Books are to be loved and taken care of, not tossed around.

4. When people get food on the pages:
I once lent a book out to someone and they got nacho cheese disgusting stuff all over the pages. Do not eat Doritos while reading a book! It's gross! Chocolate always seems to be a popular stain on library books, especially romance books. Kinda disturbing really.

5. Accent writing:
 You know when people have funny accents in books and then the spelling is all screwed up cause of it? Like Hagrid or when people do southern accents. Sometimes you can learn to read it really fast but most of the time I just find it annoying.

6. When bookstores don't get books in the day they are released:
You've been waiting and waiting and waiting for a book to come out. You're all excited and have a giant mental note in your head saying "GET THE BOOK!" You make sure that you don't have anything you have to do that day so you can sit around and read the book all day. Get to the store only to find out they didn't get their shipment in. Grrrr. My Borders has a HORRIBLE time with this. I've had to wait two weeks after a book came out once till borders got it. Lameeeee.

7. Cliff Hanger Endings:
I'm impatient. I hate waiting to know what happens next!!!!

8. Killing animals:
I don't care if there is a good reason for killing them off, it still bothers me. I can not handle that. Like when they kill off the family dog cause it got eaten by the aliens or things like that. Why add in that detail? Really? Was it that important to the story plot?

9. Bad endings:
I don't care how good the book is, if it has a sad/bad ending, I don't like the book. It's the same way with movies for me.

10. When a book gets ruined by it's bad movie:
No matter how much you love the book, you are still going to view it different after watching it's movie. There is no turning back once you've seen it. And if the movie is bad? Then the book is tainted.

Sunday, March 20, 2011

Review: Just One Wish

Just One Wish by Janette Rallison
Published by G.P. Putnam's Sons
Genre: YA
$7.99 (US paperback)
264 pages

What it's about:
It seemed like a good idea at the time, a foolproof plan, and not something that was likely to get me, say, thrown in jail. All I was trying to do was help my six-year-old brother, Jeremy, beat his cancer. He's been so afraid of his upcoming surgery that I was trying to use some of that "power of positive thinking" everyone keeps talking about.
I told Jeremy that I had a genie, and I still had two wishes left. He could use one for anything he wanted and one to make sure his surgery went well. I knew he'd ask for the new action figure of Teen Robin Hood. It's all he's talked about since he started watching the TV series.
But there is no such thing as a foolproof plan where six-year-olds are concerened. Instead, he asked for the real Teen Robin Hood to come teach him how to shoot arrows. And now I have just a couple of days to drive to Hollywood, find the actor who plays Teen Robin Hood-incredibly hot and way too famous--and convince him to visit my little brother.
At times like this, I could use a genie myself.


My Thoughts:

This book reached out and grabed me by the heart. It was so sweet, fun, and all around fantastic.


I love Janette Rallison's books. This is the second of hers I've read and I plan on getting her others as well. There is just something about the tone and writing that is captivating.

The relationship between Annika and her brother Jeremey is heart renching. The way she pulls all these crazy stunts to help her brother made me want to cry. When Annika was telling the story about the girl who goes to the underworld to save her brother, I did actually cry. I love how this story is about a girl and the love she has for her brother and how she does everything for him. I don't find many books that are like that.

Besides it being such a sweet love story, it was hilarious. The ways Annika comes up with to sneak onto the set and find Steve? Priceless.

I cried during this book a few times even though I laughed out loud a lot more. This book is very touching. I read it in about 5 hours because I just could not put it down. I had to know the ending. I am absolutely in love with this book and plan on putting it on my "Must Reads" page.

I think I have my next pick for Wednesdays "Book Boyfriend" as well. Fabulous.

My Rating: 10/10!

Spoiler free quotes:

"That's the thing about the internet. It's really good at giving you pointless facts like how many horses a star owns, but not important things like how to invade his trailer." --pg. 77

"Most people who bought snakes probably took them home and plugged their lamps back in, as opposed to using the snakes to stalk celebrities."--pg.82.

"Well, I'm not a normal person; I'm a writer." --pg.141

Thursday, March 17, 2011

Blog Hop and Follow Friday

Book Blogger Hop
Book Bloog Hop is hosted by Crazy for books
 

This weeks question is: "Do you read only one book at a time, or do you have several going at once?"


My Answer:
I almost always have two books going at once. If not more. I have the book I'm reading for fun, the book I'm reading for school, and the audiobook I'm listening to while in art class. But when it comes to me reading for fun? I'll only read one book at a time. 
 
 


Follow Friday is hosted by Parajunkee


This weeks question: How did you come up with your blog name?
 
My Answer: I love John Cusack movies and I happened to be watching Must Love Dogs while I was creating my blog. While I do agree with the whole must love dogs thing, dogs didn't fit with the book theme. So that's why I changed it to Must Love Books. It also explains why my url is mustlovelabradors.blogspot.com. Because it wouldn't let me use mustlovebooks because someone created that name for a blog 6 years ago and never once used it :/

Posts I've done this week:
Review for Demonglass by Rachel Hawkins
Review for Wolves, Boys, and Other Things That Might Kill Me by Kristen Chandler
Top Ten Tuesday: Characters I wish I had as family members
My book boyfriend: Lend

Review: Demonglass

Demonglass by Rachel Hawkins
Series: Hex Hall #2
Published by Hyperion
Genre: YA
$16.99 (US hardback)
359 pages

What it's about:
Sophie Mercer thought she was a witch. That was the whole reason she was sent to Hex Hall, a reform school for delinquent Prodigium (a.k.a. witches, shapeshifters, and faeries). But then she discovered the family secret, and the fact that her hot crush, Archer Cross, is an agent for The Eye, a group bent on wiping Prodigium off the face of the earth.
Turns out, Sophie's a demon, one of only two in the world--the other being her father. What's worse, she has powers that threaten the lives of everyone she loves. Which is precisely why Sophie decides she must go to London for the Removal, a dangerous procedure that will either destroy her powers for good--or kill her.
But once Sophie arrives, she makes a shocking discovery. her new housemates? They're demons too. Meaning, someone is raising demons in secret, with creepy plans to use their powers, and probably not for good. Meanwhile, The Eye is set on hunting Sophie down, and they're using Archer to do it. But it's not like she has feelings for him anymore. Does she?

My thoughts:
Oh boy, this series is getting sooooo good!!!

The first book in the series, Hex Hall, leaves us going "wait, whaaaaa?????? nooooo!!!!!" and this book picks right up where the last one leaves off. Sophie is heading to England to go take away her powers and to get to know her dad a little bit better. Actually, to get to know her dad at all. She of course has to bring along Jenna and the always mysterious Cal. While we don't learn anything new about Jenna or even Sophie for that matter in this book, we learn a lot more about Cal.

After reading this book, you have to decide, Team Archer? Or Team Cal? Personally, I'm staying with Archer. I just can't resist the forbidden love.

Speaking of Archer, *swoon*! If I thought he was crush worthy in HH, it's nothing compared to this book. We get to see a little more of Archer's true self and the building tension between him and Sophie. They have to figure out together who is creating the demons?

There are a few new characters in this book. First, there is Sophie's dad. I actually really liked him. He wasn't the ahole missing father, but then he wasn't the perfect father. He was a happy medium which made him pretty believable. Fun new character. Then there was Nick and Daisy. This couple honestly bothered me. They reminded me of the stereotypical creepy twins which is why I was very grossed out when they started making out and doing too much pda. I was not fond of their characters and would have been glad to see less of them.

Books like Demonglass are the reason I really hate cliffhanger endings. While I honestly do love this series, I'm going to say you should wait a little bit to pick up this series if you haven't read HH yet either. That is just because of the stupid cliff hangers. I hate waiting for the next book to come out and this is going to be a series that's gonna annoy me to wait for.

My rating: 9/10
That's just cause I don't like Nick and Daisy.

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

My Book Boyfriend-- Lend

My book boyfriend is a Wednesday meme hosted by The Unread Reader
Each Wednesday, you post about one of your favorite book boyfriends (because we all have multiple book boyfriends). Post pictures of what you think he could look like, post favorite quotes and so on.

I'm supposed to be doing my British lit final, so instead I decided to do mbbf!! Searching the web for hott guys is so much more fun.

Lend from Paranormalcy

Description of Lend:
*Is some form of paranormal person
*can shape shift into anyone he wants
*Only Evie can see his true self
*Has brown hair
*pretty eyes
*very sweet boy
*likes to draw
I've just started rereading this book so I've been thinking a lot about Lend. I have two picks for who could play him...

Devon Werkheiser (you know, the kid from Ned's Declassified? haha)

Or....

Logan Lerman. I'll honestly use any excuse to post pictures of Logan Lerman on my blog.

Quotes from Lend:
Lend:"Yes, I have a driver's license"

I leaned back against the wall, sighing. "Man, that must be so cool."

Lend: "It ranks right up there with lockers. In fact, sometimes I put my license inside my locker, and it's so cool I worry that the whole thing might explode with the sheer coolness of it all."

*********************************************************************

"I scooted over, patting the bed next to me. "No such luck. And now you get to watch forty straight hours of Easton Heights with me!"

He turned on the first disk, shaking his head, then got onto the bed next to me. "Small price to pay for getting to hold your hand."

I wasn't cold anymore."

**********************************************************************
"I can’t see through clothes or anything. Just glamour skin. Except I can see through all of you, since your clothes aren’t real.” I stopped, horrified. “I mean, I don’t look—It’s hard to see you, and I like looking at your real face, but I don’t try to see anything, because—Oh gosh, this sounds terrible.”

He had a funny look on his face, like he wasn’t sure what to think. “Huh. That’s never been an issue before. Maybe next time you could bring me some shorts."

**********************************************************************
"Told you I was going to mess up your make up," he said, a smug grin on his face."

Ohhh Lend, he is amazing. He is so swoon worthy.


Monday, March 14, 2011

Top Ten Tuesday: characters we wish we had as family members

Top ten tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish
This weeks top ten: This week is all about those characters in books that we wish were in our family!

I have the best family in the whole world, but these are characters I think it'd be fun to add on to my completely awesome family. These are in no order.

1. The Cullens from Twilight:
I know, I know, everyone is saying this one, but come on, these people rock. Plus they always have your back (and cash to lend out when you are really broke). haha. I also wouldn't mind having a doctor in my family.

2. Evie from Paranormlacy:
I think she'd be one of the coolest sisters ever. I could just imagine sitting around, watching horrible gossip shows together and having fun. Maybe even take a few kickboxing classes together or something.

3. The Weasley family from Harry Potter:
Coolest.Family.Ever!!!
4. Quentin from Paper Towns:
I fell in love with this character when I was reading this book. I could just imagine trying to help him out with all his Margo Roth Spiegelman problems and going on that crazy roadtrip together. If I had a brother, I'd want him to be a little something like Quen.

5. Anna from Anna and the French Kiss:
She's fun, she's quirky, and she loves her brother. She'd be a fun add on to any family.

6. Brian from Backstage Pass:
I'd love to have a famous musician in my family. How cool would that be????

7. Will from The Ghost and the Goth:
He's just awesome.

8. Ivy from The Hollows:
She'd be a handy person to have in your family. She'd always help you out and be there for you when you need her most. Plus she'd kick anyones ass if they ever hurt you in any way. I can just imagine having her go after an evil ex-boyfriend. haha.

9. Blake's parents from Flash Burnout:
While it's been a while since I've read this book, I remember really liking his parents. I thought they were a lot of fun and good parents. They'd be a cool aunt and uncle.

10. Calla from Nightshade:
She owns a republicans for Voldemort sweatshirt. That automatically makes her awesome. Plus the whole wolf thing is pretty cool. I'd love to be able to turn into a wolf whenever I wanted without it hurting or making me come back naked when I turned back to a human. Plus the heal yourself thing? That'd be handy to have.

Saturday, March 12, 2011

Review: Wolves, Boys, and Other Things that might Kill Me

Wolves, Boys, and Other Things that Might Kill Me by Kristen Chandler
Published by Viking (Penguin Group)
Genre: YA
$17.99 (US hardback)
371 pages

What it's about:
KJ Carson didn't plan on writing about the wolves living in Yellowstone National Park. She'd been really good at minding her own business for the past sixteen years. But when shaggy-haired Virgil shows up in her journalism class--increasing the population of West End, Montana, to 948--KJ finds herself doing things she'd never imagined. She's getting up before dawn to go wolf watching, writing newspaper articles about the highly controversial wolf reintroduction program, and kissing the boy who helps her do it all. She may be in over her head, but she's finally following her heart.

And then a shotgun blast reminds her where she is: a place where the only good wolf is a dead wolf... and anyone who defends them is threatened with a similar fate. In the past, KJ would've turned tail and run, but now there's more than just her own life at stake. Is she interested in the wolves because she's falling for Virgil? Or is she falling for the wolves themselves?

My thoughts:
I don't know why I do this to myself. I love environmentalism. I love following stories on what is going on with certain areas, and the wolves in Yellowstone is a story I had been following. So finding this book made me really excited.

I should have known better. I get all kinds of worked up when it comes to this sort of story. I get so angry at most of the characters in environmental books like this that it changes my views on the story. I am incredible biased when it comes to this.

With that being said, I still liked this book, even if I didn't much care for most of the characters. I did however really liked KJ. She was willing to look past everything and to try to not be biased. That is impressive for any age, but the fact that she is 16 and does it? Incredible. Virgil was also a pretty fun character. He was cute, talented, smart, and realistic. Chandler even described him as having acne. Not many love interests actually have acne or seem realistic. They are always too perfect. Virgil was not. Just the fact that his name is Virgil shows how he isn't perfect.

I ended up reading this book in two sittings. It sucked me in even though it frustrated me to no end. If you like stories about environmentalism, then you should definitely read this book. If you liked the book Torched by April Henry, then you should read this one as well, or the other way around.

My rating: 8.5/10

"I would laugh at all my provincial inmates, but I'm too busy lusting. I'm not usually interested in a guy with 'take a number' on his forehead, but this guy doesn't have a forehead--it's buried in messy blond hair. And he's not one of the twenty guys I've known my entire pubescent life. He smiles like the Fourth of July. What's a dumb girl to do but get in line with everyone else not in his league? I guess journalism just became my most beloved class." --pg. 16

"You love a good bellyache, don't you, Katherine Jean? Do you think you're the only kid who ever had a bad day or got a bad grade? if you don't like your life, change it."--pg 71.

Thursday, March 10, 2011

Hop and Follow Friday!

Book Blogger Hop
Blogger hop is hosted by crazy for books.

This weeks question: "If I gave you £50 (or $80) and sent you into a bookshop right now, what would be in your basket when you finally staggered to the till?"


My Answer:
Hmm this was kinda a toughy.
*Bite Me by Melissa Francis (I've been searching for this book and can never find it)
*Cryers Cross by Lisa McMann
*The Vespertine by Saundra Mitchell
*Afterlife by Claudia Gray

Those are the books on my "want to read list" that my library doesn't have.




This weeks question:
who are You the Boy/Girl, instead of You the Blogger?

My answer: I'm Ariel (a girl), a 21 year old college student. I'm majoring in English Lit and minoring in studio art. I hope to one day own my own book store/ tea parlor. I'm obsessed with animals and own a border collie and two cats. I want more animals but can't have anymore :( Besides reading and art, I love going to concerts, the beach, and obsessing over my celeb crushes.

If you decide to follow my blog, please leave a comment! I want to be able to follow you back.

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Top Ten Tuesday

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish

This weeks top ten is Top Ten Dynamic Duos


These are the BFFs, partners in crime, powerful couples, and general groups of awesome people that I just can't get out of my head!
 
1. Harry, Ron, Hermione:
These three badasses take down a giant snake, dementors, the ministry, and then Moldie Voldie himself. Best. Team. Ever!
 
2. Percy, Annabeth, and Grover:
They save Olympus. Awesome!
 
3. Peeta and Katniss:
What isn't there to love about these two?
 
4. Dorian and Eugenie:
Eugenie may be dumb when it comes to picking out guys, but Dorian is amazing!
 
5. Ash and Megan:
I just love these two. They had to be on this list.
 
6. Rose and Dimitri:
Yup, yet again a RM duo. These two are so awesome. I love how they are equals and one doesn't depend on the other. That is so rare in stories.
 
7. Kat and Bones:
This seems to be turning into my favorite couples....
 
8. Sophie and Archer:
This will only make sense if you have read Demonglass. Love it!
 
9. Rachel, Ivy, and Jenks:
It wouldn't be a top ten if a Kim Harrison character wasn't on it. haha. Nothing can stop these three. It's awesome. Plus it's fun to tell jokes that go "a witch, a vampire, and a pixie walk into a bar..."
 
10. Jay and Violet:
I love how they are best friends turned lovers. How they know each other better than they know themselves. How they are always there for each other.

Saturday, March 5, 2011

Review: Iron Crowned by Richelle Mead

Iron Crowned by Richelle Mead
Published by Zebra Books
Genre: Adult paranormal romance
Series: #3 of the Dark Swan books
$7.99 (US paperback)
375 pages

What it's about:
Shaman-for-hire Eugenie Markham is the best at banishing entities trespassing in the mortal realm. But as the Thorn Land's queen, she's fast running out of ways to end the brutal war devastating her kingdom. her only hope: the Iron Crown, a legendary object even the most powerful gentry fear...
Who Eugenie can trust is the hardest part. Fairy king Dorian has his own agenda for aiding her search. And Kiyo, her shape-shifter ex-boyfriend, has every reason to betray her along the way. To control the Crown's ever-consuming powers, Eugenie will have to confront an unimaginable temptation--one that will put her soul and the fate of two worlds in mortal peril...

My thoughts:
**WARNING**
Because this is book #3 in the series, I can not guarantee that there will be no spoilers. So read at your own risk if you have not read the first two books.

I have waited for almost two years for this book. These books always end with a cliff hanger and it was torture waiting for this one to come out.

I've read a few reviews for this book and everyone says one thing: Eugenie needs to be punched. I agree completely with this. Normally what I love about Richelle's characters is how head strong the leading ladies are. How they are so badass and are smart. Well, Eugenie does something very stupid in this book and I was insanely annoyed at her. She needs to get over her problems. Geesh!

I love how this story is developing. How all the characters are learning and changing (well, except Eugenie, she's still a little bit dumb). This fairy world is very different than a lot of the other fairy stories. For starters, the fairies don't have wings. Just little things like that. The world that Richelle has created is so imaginative and capturing.

While Iron Crowned does follow some of the same patterns as the first two books, it also takes on a whole different feel. The first two books I could get some of the details mixed up to which book they happened in, but not this one. This one goes beyond the first two.
If you love Richelle Mead's writing, then you HAVE to read this series. No excuses. Then you can be all annoyed when you get to the end of this book and realize that you have to wait at least another year for the next book in the series. Ugh.

My rating: 9.5/10
The only reason I knocked it down a little is because of how much I wanted to punch Eugenie in the story. Her stupidity made me so angry!

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

Cover Reveal: The Pledge by Kimberly Derting

Here is another cover reveal! The Pledge by Kimberly Derting.


What it's about:
THE PLEDGE A romantic fantasy novel set in a dystopic, war-torn world, in which a teenage girl realizes that she may be the key to saving her country.
 RELEASE DATE: NOVEMBER 15, 2011.
I love Kimberly's writing and can't wait for this book! Even if I don't really know exactly what it's about. The cover for it is incredible.

Cover Reveal: Succubus Revealed by Richelle Mead

I'm going to be calling this August "Richelle Mead August" because not only is Bloodlines coming out, but then we get the final book in the Georgina series. The final cover was revealed on Richelle's Blog today.


Anyone else wonder why they keep switching the model around? Or is it that she just looks way different now? Anyways, I still like the cover. That is some crazy red lipstick.