Author Love #11 Stephanie Perkins

Author Love is a meme we came up with. There are so many authors and books out there that we love so much and want the world to know about them. If you want to play along all you have to do is pick one of your favorite authors. Write what you like about them and/or their books. You can also include an author bio and synopsis of their book if you want.

My pick this week is: Stephanie Perkins

Author Bio from authors website-
Well, hello! I'm Stephanie Perkins, and I write novels for teens (and for adults who aren't afraid to admit that teen books are awesome). I was born in South Carolina, raised in Arizona, attended universities in San Francisco and Atlanta, and now I live in the mountains of Asheville, North Carolina.
My best friend is my husband Jarrod. Our house is almost a hundred years old, and every room is painted a different color of the rainbow. We share it with a cat named Mr. Tumnus.
I've always worked with books—first as a bookseller, then as a librarian, and now as a novelist. On weekdays, you'll find me at my desk, typing away, downing cups of coffee and tea. On the weekend, you'll find me at the movies, waiting for the actors to kiss. I believe all novels and films should have more kissing.
For more information, please check out my F.A.Q.


I absolutely love Stephanie Perkins. I wish I would have gotten to meet her. She seems so sweet. I'm going to meet her one day. Its going to happen, I swear! Anna and Lola are some of my absolute favorite books. There AMAZING. I can't wait for Isla to come out. I'm sure its going to be just as amazing if not more. I can't even pick between Anna and Lola because I love them both so much. Thier both so unique and unlike any other book I've read. The charcaters are my favorite part. Their just so easy to fall in love with. If you haven't read her books you need to. I will hunt you down and force you, then we can fangirl about the cuteness together :).

Jasmine <3

Series Love #11 Anna Duology

Series Love is a meme we came up with. There are so many amazing book series out there. We love to share the love and help spread the word. If you want to play along all you have to do is pick a series. It doesn’t matter if it only has one book or a million. Include authors name and the covers of the books.

My pick for this week is the Anna duology by Kendare Blake.

This is an amazing series. Both books have amazing story lines. The plots so creepy. I love the ghosts and the magical aspect. These books were impossible to put down. Cas is an absolutely amazing main character. I love him. I was so sad when I found out Girl of Nightmares was the last book. This series is so amazing it could have gone on forever. I can't even pick which book is my favorite because their both that good. Plus look at those beautiful covers. Why wouldn't you want to read them with covers like that. Their very eye catching. If you haven't read this series you should. I highly, highly, highly recommend.

Jasmine <3

Waiting on Wednesday: Prodigy by Marie Lu

****"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly event hosted by Jill at the Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.****

 

My pick for this week is:

Prodigy by Marie Lu

Expected publication: January 29th 2013 by Putnam Juvenile

Jan. 4. 1932 Hours.
Ocean Standard Time
Thirty-Five Days After Metias’s Death
June and Day arrive in Vegas just as the unthinkable happens: the Elector Primo dies, and his son Anden takes his place. With the Republic edging closer to chaos, the two join a group of Patriot rebels eager to help Day rescue his brother and offer passage to the Colonies. They have only one request—June and Day must assassinate the new Elector.
It’s their chance to change the nation, to give voice to a people silenced for too long.
But as June realizes this Elector is nothing like his father, she’s haunted by the choice ahead. What if Anden is a new beginning? What if revolution must be more than loss and vengence, anger and blood—what if the Patriots are wrong?

 

Legend was an amazing read. I loved it with all my heart. The wait for Prodigy so far has been killer and it's nowhere near January. I know its going to be an amazing sequel because Legend was so good. The plot was so exciting and the characters were great. Plus both Legend and Prodigy have beautiful covers and the fonts inside the book are colored too. If you haven't read Legend I highly recommend. It's such a great read.

 

Jasmine <3

Teaser Tuesday #13

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My teaser for this week is from Such a Rush by Jennifer Echols.

A sexy and poignant romantic tale of a young daredevil pilot caught between two brothers.When I was fourteen, I made a decision. If I was doomed to live in a trailer park next to an airport, I could complain about the smell of the jet fuel like my mom, I could drink myself to death over the noise like everybody else, or I could learn to fly.
Heaven Beach, South Carolina, is anything but, if you live at the low-rent end of town. All her life, Leah Jones has been the grown-up in her family, while her mother moves from boyfriend to boyfriend, letting any available money slip out of her hands. At school, they may diss Leah as trash, but she’s the one who negotiates with the landlord when the rent’s not paid. At fourteen, she’s the one who gets a job at the nearby airstrip.
But there’s one way Leah can escape reality. Saving every penny she can, she begs quiet Mr. Hall, who runs an aerial banner-advertising business at the airstrip and also offers flight lessons, to take her up just once. Leaving the trailer park far beneath her and swooping out over the sea is a rush greater than anything she’s ever experienced, and when Mr. Hall offers to give her cut-rate flight lessons, she feels ready to touch the sky.
By the time she’s a high school senior, Leah has become a good enough pilot that Mr. Hall offers her a job flying a banner plane. It seems like a dream come true . . . but turns out to be just as fleeting as any dream. Mr. Hall dies suddenly, leaving everything he owned in the hands of his teenage sons: golden boy Alec and adrenaline junkie Grayson. And they’re determined to keep the banner planes flying.
Though Leah has crushed on Grayson for years, she’s leery of getting involved in what now seems like a doomed business—until Grayson betrays her by digging up her most damning secret. Holding it over her head, he forces her to fly for secret reasons of his own, reasons involving Alec. Now Leah finds herself drawn into a battle between brothers—and the consequences could be deadly.

Teaser:
Watching my mom's signature on the lease, I copied the S in Sheryl onto the permission form. It wasn't a perfect imitation. My hand shook. But Mr. Hall wouldn't have her signature on file like the school did. I copied heryl. I was going to get in trouble for this.

Hm, I wonder what she's up too. This is from page 13 of my hardcover copy.

Jasmine <3

Six Weeks to Yehidah by Melissa Studdard Blog Tour Stop and Joint Review

Reading Level: Middle Grade
Publisher: All Things That Matter Press
Source: Publisher
Standalone
*This was gifted to me from publisher for review*
"The thing you would notice most was the rain, how the rain fell and fell and never seemed to stop. The sky was constantly swollen with it, then birthing it, swollen, then birthing again, and the hills, like greedy babies, suckled up all that rain. They shone and glistened green as the backs of frogs on bright green lily pads.
Annalise was ten then, old enough that she’d begun thinking about grown up things, like picking her own clothes out for school, yet young enough, still, to indulge in fanciful imaginings of enchanted trees and talking hills. Her best friends were the clouds that canopied her village and the verdant hills that hosted her most precious and outrageous dreams."
As spunky young Annalise travels from one adventure to another, she learns ancient wisdom traditions and gains deeper and deeper insight into herself and her world. Eventually she must make the most important decision she's ever faced -- whether or not to return to the self she has always known.


Author Bio
Melissa Studdard is the author of the bestselling novel Six Weeks to Yehidah, which also won the 2011 Forward National Literature Award for Middle Grade Chapter Books. She is also a professor, a book reviewer at-large for The National Poetry Review, a contributing editor for both Tiferet Journal and The Criterion, and the host of the radio interview program Tiferet Talk. As well, she is a member of many literary organizations, including the National Book Critics Circle and the Society of Childrens Book Writers and Illustrators.
She loves anything related to writing and reading, whether it's sitting alone with a book and a cup of hot tea, or attending a large poetry reading or literary festival. She also loves travelling, meditating, going for walks, bicycling, practicing yoga, and spending time with family.
She currently resides in Texas with her wonderful daughter and their four sweet but mischievous cats

Jasmine's Review
This was a little young for me. It didn't have a lot of excitement. One thing it did have a lot of was creativity. It was very unique. Also the main character was absolutely adorable. I think this was such a cute read and I think a lot of people will enjoy it.

Annalise is quite the character. She is an adorable little girl. She has a great personality. She always made the best of things. She was very smart and creative. She fit in perfectly with the storyline. She had quite the adventure and she had a lot of fun during it. Not only did she have fun but she learned some good lessons also. I didn't really understand Mabel and Mimi. I think because they were sheep who acted like human kinda threw me off. But, I thought they were a nice addition to the story. They were hilarious and good companions. Plus they were super cute. This had some pretty interesting secondary characters. I liked how different they were from each other. They all had their own unique qualities.

The plot was a little slow at times. All the tasks were pretty interesting but there wasn't any action. I loved all the different settings. There was so many colorful, unique worlds. Two words come to mind when I think about this book. One, creative and two adorable. Overall this was such a cute read. It's perfect for middle grade. I enjoyed it a lot. I'm glad I got the chance to read it. Everything was so well done. I think a lot of people will enjoy this and I highly recommend. 4/5 stars

Marissa's review:

This wasn't my normal read. The main character was younger than I'm used to. But I still enjoyed it. It sort of reminded me of Alice in Wonderland or A Wrinkle in Time and all the movies/books I loved when I was little. I think if I read this when I was younger it would have been one of my favorites.

Annalise was a really fun character to read about. She was very upbeat and kept moving forward. She seemed old for her age. But at the same time I could tell I was reading from a ten year olds point of view. I think my favorite thing about thing about this book was the side-kicks-especially the animal ones. I think there should be more of those in books. Mabel and Mimi her talking sheep and best friends were so entertaining. Bob was always there for Annalise and I liked how his story played out. I never knew what to expect from Hogski.

Annalise and her side-kicks went to a lot of different places. An Acoustic Island, Utopian Falls, a garden, a labyrinth, a sheep heaven, a city underwater and more. I loved reading about all the places they went to and how different and original they were.

Overall I really enjoyed this book. It had a really nice message and a nice character journey. I wanted to see how it ended and what happened to the characters so it was a very quick read for me. Even if like me this isn't what you normally read I would still suggest you read it. You might be surprised.
4/5 stars

 

 

Jasmine Clearing the Shelves Giveaway

Since you guys are so awesome I decide to host a giveaway. I know we have had a lot lately but we like to appreciate our followers. I had some books I plan on buying in a set or hardcover so I thought I would give them away. Now they are used but in pretty good condition. If you decide you don't want one of the books in the prize pack just let me know, but I would like to give all of them to a nice home. Beautiful creatures is a little beat up. The spine is a little bent and there is quite a few dog eared pages( I used to dog ear to mark the cute parts). Sadly this isn't international. Also please no cheating. I want this to be fun for everyone. Below you will find a rafflecopter giveaway and pictures of the books.Prize Pack includes paperback 1st editon copy of Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout, Hardcover copy of Destined by Aprilynne Pike, and a paperback copy of Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl. Keep an eye out for our 100 followers giveaway coming up soon. We have some pretty awesome prizes for you guys!

From left to right, Obsidian Destined and Beautiful Creatures

 

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Onyx by Jennifer L. Armentrout Review

Reading Level: Young Adult
Publisher: Entangeled Teen
Source: Bought
Second book in Lux series
Being connected to Daemon Black sucks…
Thanks to his alien mojo, Daemon’s determined to prove what he feels for me is more than a product of our bizarro connection. So I’ve sworn him off, even though he’s running more hot than cold these days. But we’ve got bigger problems.
Something worse than the Arum has come to town…
The Department of Defense are here. If they ever find out what Daemon can do and that we're linked, I’m a goner. So is he. And there's this new boy in school who’s got a secret of his own. He knows what’s happened to me and he can help, but to do so, I have to lie to Daemon and stay away from him. Like that's possible. Against all common sense, I'm falling for Daemon. Hard.
But then everything changes…
I’ve seen someone who shouldn’t be alive. And I have to tell Daemon, even though I know he’s never going to stop searching until he gets the truth. What happened to his brother? Who betrayed him? And what does the DOD want from them—from me?
No one is who they seem. And not everyone will survive the lies…


Review
The wait for this has been killer. I was so excited when it was finally out in the world. Obsidian was a great read. Onyx was even better. I loved it with all my heart. I like how it was pretty different from the first. I'm so glad I only have to wait a couple moths for the next book. Any longer would be torture.

I loved Katy even more in this. I like how she always stands up for herself. She always puts Daemon in his place. I think it's so awesome that she's a book blogger. I can honestly say I'm glad she's more than just human. She's a lot stronger now. She's becoming pretty fierce. Oh, Daemon. I love him with all my heart. I love his snarky personality. He was much sweeter in this. Less of a jerk. He was also pretty romantic. There was some pretty adorable moments. Now Blake annoyed me so much. I really didn't like him. I have a feeling were gonna see more of him in the future.

This has so much action. I loved it. There was also some mystery which I enjoyed. I loved Katy's training because we got to see more of the Luxen powers. Along with the action there was so many adorable moments. That was my favorite part. The ending left me dying for more. I cannot wait for the third book. Overall this was an amazing sequel. I loved it so much. Everything was so well done. I can't wait to see where the rest of the series is going to go. I highly recommends this series. 5/5 stars

Jasmine <3

30 Day Book Challenge Catch Up Post 2

To see all the information about this challenge see my day 1 post.

I'm sorry! I know I've slacked off on this challenge but I really do want to finish it. From now on I'm just going to do catch up posts instead of daily posts. That way I can catch up and get it done :).  Since I feel so bad about falling so far behind these catch up posts are going to include a lot of cute gifs. Also I will include a gif if I don't have an answer for a question.

The question for day 14 is- What is your favorite book from your favorite author.

I chose Cassandra Clare as my favorite author. I had trouble deciding between City of Glass and City of Lost Souls. In the end I decided on City of Glass. I really love that one. Below you can find the goodreads page for City of Glass.

City of Glass Goodreads page

The question for day 15 is- Who is your favorite male character.

This is a hard one because there are so many options. But if I had to chose I would chose Ren from the Tigers Curse series. Everyone knows I'm incredibly obsessed with the Tigers Curse series. It's my absolute favorite series right now. Ren is an amazing character. A lot of people like his brother Kishan but I will always love Ren. Below you will find the Goodreads page for the first book in the Tigers Curse series.

Tigers Curse Goodreads Page

The question for day 16 is- Who is your favorite female charcacter.

This is another hard one because there are so many female characters. I couldn't even decide so I narrowed it down to three. First we have Tris from Divergent series. Tris is an amazing heroine. The Divergent series is such an amazing series. Second, we have Helen from the Starcrossed series. The Starcrossed series is OMG amazing. It's insanely popular and one of my absolute favorites. Lastly, we have Hazel from The Fault in Our Stars. The Fault in Our Stars is a book I think everyone should read. I love John Green and The Fault in Our Stars is my favorite book by him.

The question for day 17 is- What is your favorite quote.

I have so many quotes that I love. I keep a quote journal and all the quotes are from books I've read. Over time I keep adding to it. It's getting pretty impressive and has over 100 quotes in it. I looked through it and picked a page. Below you will find a picture I took of one of the pages from my quote journal.

 

 

Thats it for today. I'll try to do another one of these soon. As promised here is a bunny gif :).

 

 

 

Review: Freak by E.K Henry

Reading Level: Young Adult
Self published
Source: Author
First in a possible series
*This was gifted to me by the author in exchange for an honest review*

Being a lower-class human born into a world where vampires rule sucks. No matter how hard Juniper Rayne tries to fit in, she's labeled a freak. When her dad signs the family up to take part in a reality television show, Juniper hopes that it'll give her the edge she needs to shed her freak label.

Unfortunately for Juniper, vampires aren't that accepting.

She decides to take control of her life and become a vampire hunter, instead of continuing to live in her own personal hell any longer.

She will regain control or die trying.

If you know me or follow the blog you probably know that I love vampires. Good, bad or both. Sparkly or burnable. Vegetarian or not. I love them all. This vampire book was different than other ones I've read. Vampires are rich, famous and can get away with a lot. It's illegal for them to drink human blood unless it is from a blood bank but they can go out in the sun with special lotion. Humans are the minority and looked down upon.

When Juniper finds out that her family is going to be on a tv show about life as a human she knows her life is going to change. And not for the better. She already gets enough bad attention at school for being human and being famous for it won't make it any better. No one seems to understand that and her parents are even excited about it. During the first couple episodes she loses friends, gets beaten up multiple times and fights with her parents. She knows she has to do something. So set on getting her life back she joins a group called Daystar and starts learning how to kill vampires.

I didn't always like Juniper. At first she was a little whiny and overly dramatic but as the story progressed I started liking her more and by the end I liked her. I liked how strong she was and that she stood up for herself and did what she had to. Juniper's parents annoyed me. They didn't ask her what she wanted and never listened to her. In the beginning I liked Juniper's best friends Kirsten and Abigale. I continued to like Kirsten but by the end I really didn't like Abigale. She let Juniper and then her fame go to her head. A lot of stuff happened to her during the story and one thing I guessed early on but the other was a complete surprised. I really liked the love interest Brandon. Even though he came up later in the book he made an impression. He was always there for Juniper and I loved how protective he was of her. Their relationship was a little insta-love but they were so cute it didn't bother me to much.

This book was action packed and I never wanted to stop reading. I kept trying to guess the ending but it still blew me away. I never saw it coming. Overall I really loved this book. Vampires, romance and action what more could you want? The ending was a cliff-hanger and left me with a million questions. I hope there's another one and that I get to read it very soon.
4/5 stars.

-Marissa

Review: Pure by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Reading Level: Young Adult
Publisher: Spencer Hill Press
Source: Bought
Second in the Covenant series

There is need. And then there is Fate...

Being destined to become some kind of supernatural electrical outlet isn't exactly awesome--especially when Alexandria's "other half" is everywhere she goes. Seth's in her training room, outside her classes, and keeps showing up in her bedroom--so not cool. Their connection does have some benefits, like staving off her nightmares of the tragic showdown with her mother, but it has no effect on what Alex feels for the forbidden, pure-blooded Aiden. Or what he will do--and sacrifice--for her.

When daimons infiltrate the Covenants and attack students, the gods send furies--lesser gods determined to eradicate any threat to the Covenants and to the gods, and that includes the Apollyon... and Alex. And if that and hordes of aether-sucking monsters didn't blow bad enough, a mysterious threat seems willing to do anything to neutralize Seth, even if that means forcing Alex into servitude... or killing her.

When the gods are involved, some decisions can never, ever be undone.

*This is a review for the sequel to Half-blood if you haven't read that you're seriously missing out and should do that before you read this*

I read Half-blood last year and completely fell in love. With the world, the mythology, the characters and especially Aiden. I was incredibly excited to read this. I loved returning to the world and all the characters I missed and of course Aiden. Though I knew he would make me feel depressed. Even though this book was a little depressing for my poor Aiden loving heart I thought it was an amazing sequel to an amazing book and made me love the series even more.

Alex is back as her kicking butt and take names self or more like her throwing apples and having nightmares self. After stopping her mom and learning what she really is her life hasn't gotten any less crazy. She still has training with Aiden-the Aiden who she once shared a bed with-plus Apollyon training with Seth-the infuriating Seth who she has a weird connection with-and a Council with the Covenant coming up-the Covenant who is very suspicious of her and could send her into servitude at any time. There is a lot on Alex's shoulders and there's stuff coming at her at all times. The oh so forbidden Aiden is getting closer only to pull away farther than ever and the far to eager Seth is her only relief from her constant nightmares. On top of that she loses someone very important to her and blames herself.

About the Aiden/Seth situation. If you haven't already guessed I love Aiden. He's such an amazing character. He tries so hard to do what he thinks is right even if it means denying what he wants most. He would do absolutely anything for Alex except for the one thing they both want because he couldn't live with himself if he took everything from her. It makes me crazy. There were parts between them that we so intense and sad that it made my heart ache. Both Aiden and Alex come to terms with how they really feel about each other and the fact that that is the last thing they're allowed feel. Stupid pure and half-blood rule. Now onto the other corner of the love-triangle, Seth. From the beginning he annoyed me I got to know him better in this one but it didn't make him annoy me any less. There's still a lot he's not telling about himself and it makes me suspicious. Pure seemed a very Seth book. There was a lot of him and every time Alex needed help and someone would show up I would hope it was Aiden and it was almost always Seth. I just don't really like his personality and I think it clashes with Alex's too much. If she chose him I think she would be settling for something not real just Apollyon connection caused. Their banter is really entertaining but I think they would be better off as friends.

This book was a roller-coaster of emotions for me. I was hopeful, sad, furious, confused, breathless. Every time I had something figured out there would be a huge twist or betrayal. The last 100 pages or so I couldn't stop reading. So much was happening and it was so action packed but all the action was never boring. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time and when I turned the last page I was in shock. The stakes are set so much higher for the next book. Which I would do anything to get my hands on. November please come faster.
5/5 stars.

-Marissa

Series Love #10: Across the Universe Trilogy

Series Love is a meme we came up with. There are so many amazing book series out there. We love to share the love and help spread the word. If you want to play along all you have to do is pick a series. It doesn’t matter if it only has one book or a million. Include authors name and the covers of the books.

My pick this week is The Across the Universe Trilogy by Beth Revis




On top is the original first two covers and on the bottom is the new covers. The old ones top are some of my all time favorite covers but I think the new ones fit the books very well. This is one of my favorite series ever. As soon as I saw the cover for Across the Universe I wanted to read it so bad. When I did I was blown away. It's set in space obviously and it's one of the first-if not the only-sci-fi book I've read. I've never read anything like it. A Million Suns is one of those sequels that completely lives up to the first one and isn't at all filler. I think it's awesome how Beth Revis can pull off a book series in space with no aliens (yet) and without making it seem like a cheap sci-fi channel movie. There's explosions and space talk but there isn't so much of it that it gets boring or goes over your head. Amy is an awesome heroine. She's doesn't let people see her weak or push her around. I don't know how she does it. I would be a puddle of tears on the floor if I was in her situation. Elder is one of my all time favorite heroes. He's not like all the other ones. He's realistic and flawed and unsure of himself. His character growth throughout the books from an awkward, quiet trainee to a leader and the things he goes through to make that change are amazing. I love the romance in these books. There's hints of it in the first one and more in the second (and hopefully lots in the third). There's not so much of it that it would make some readers roll their eyes but there's not too little that's it's boring. The tension between Amy and Elder is so intense that sometimes I want to grab their heads and be like okay now kiss but I love how Beth Revis twisted it so that it's not girl sees guy and falls in love immediately instead it's guy sees girl and falls head over heels and girls like I'm not so sure I want this right now. It's different. If you haven't read this series yet you don't know what you're missing. There's explosions and stars and mystery and kissy scenes all balanced out perfectly. Go read them and then we can anxiously wait for Shades of Earth together.

-Marissa

Author Love #10: Lauren Oliver

Author Love is a meme we came up with. There are so many authors and books out there that we love so much and want the world to know about them. If you want to play along all you have to do is pick one of your favorite authors. Write what you like about them and/or their books. You can also include an author bio and synopsis of their book if you want.

My pick this week is: Lauren Oliver


Bio from blog: I grew up in Westchester, New York and live in Brooklyn now, which I believe is the happiest place on earth. I love to write, read, cook, and totter around in improbably high heels. My favorite things are: friends who make you laugh until you think you might pee; great food you can eat with your hands; and long summer nights, preferably spent on a beach. My least favorite things are bananas (I totally agree. Yuck) and people who tell you your ideas are bad or impossible. Boring! I am addicted to jeans, coffee, and fun, but I am also a hard worker and I love to run, kickbox, and contort myself into funny yoga positions. I believe in karma, kindness, and cookies.
Lauren Oliver is one of my favorite authors ever. I've read Before I Fall, Delirium and Pandemonium and I own both of her middle grade books and can't wait to read them. I will read anything she writes. Before I Fall was sad and it made me think about the kind of person I am and what I would do if I only have 7 days to make all my wrongs right before I died. I think it would make an awesome movie. Delirium is one of the slower dystopians but it's one of my favorites. It sticks with you. I could reread it again and again. Though I didn't love Pandemonium as much as I did Delirium it still was an amazing book and it kept me on the edge of my seat. My favorite thing about her books is her writing style. It's descriptive and poetic but it doesn't drag or distract from what's happening. I got to meet her back in March and she was super cool. When I walked into the bookstore she was sitting on a table asking questions. Because chairs are too boring of course. Then I fangirled while she wrote nice things in my books. If you haven't read anything by Lauren Oliver I highly recommend you do.

Me and Lauren Oliver

 

The Reading Games Final Wrap Up

Button Credit to Amelia from The Authoress
 

So The Reading Games is officially over. It's bittersweet but I'm sure you are all excited to know who won right? Well you won't have to wait much longer

The books I read during The Reading Games are:
The Iron King by Julie Kagawa, 363p
The Finising of Lady Amelia by Scarlett Rains, 127p
Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout, 335p
The Fairytale Keeper: Avenging the Queen by Andrea Cefalo, 267p
As You Wish by Jackson Pearce, 298p
The First by Sara Zaske, 98p
Pure by Jennifer L. Armentrout, 329p
Endlessly by Kiersten White, 389p
Freak by E. K. Henry, 267p
Rift by Andrea Cremer, 464p
Beautifully Broken by Sherry Soule, 330p
Nevermore by James Patterson, 368p
The Possesion of Cassie Quinn by Kathryn Knutson, 200p
In Honor by Jessi Kirby, 235p
Tempest by Julie Cross, 334p
Xor: The Shape of Darkness by Moshe Sipper, 295p

The ones with links are ones that I've written a review for. For the Goodreads links to all these books click here.

Ready to find out who won? Drumroll please.
                      ....



                          ...



                    ..


                          .

Marissa:                                          

Total number of books read: 16      
Total pages: 4, 699

Aneeqah:
Total number of books read: 22

So that means Aneeqah is the winner! This time. I'm not a sore loser though. I still have a little less than two weeks left before I have to start school and I plan on doing nothing but reading :). A free book would be awesome but I don't need anymore books to add to my ever groing to read stack. I'll be buying Aneeqah a book of her choice as soon as possible. You know what's funny? Me and Aneeqah didn't read any of the same books. Not one.

Please leave a comment if you've read any of the books we did and what you thought of them or if you think we should do a rematch next summer.

For the last time:
May the odds be ever in your favor.
-Marissa

The Fallout Lola St. Vil Review

Reading Level: Young Adult


Self Published
Source: Author
Second book in Guardians series
*This was gifted to me from author for review*
Just because she has wings,
doesn’t mean she’s an Angel…
It's front page news on every Angel gossip rag:
“Marcus & Ameana: Gone The Way Of “Brad & Jennifer.”
So, Who Is The “Angelina?” Emmy Baxter—a mere mortal!”
Ameana tries to avoid her ex and his new love by focusing
on the other evil out to destroy the team. But soon her pain
turns to fury.
And before the end…a girl plots revenge, a leader is on the edge
and an Angel falls.

Review
I really liked the first book in this series. I was excited to see where the story was going to go. I think this had a very exciting storyline. The storyline and characters were what I liked best about the first book. I feel like this was a little darker the first. I ended up not liking the characters as much because they were so dark. With that being said, I didn't enjoy this as much as the first. It was still a great read and a awesome sequel.

This was from both Emmy and Ameana's point of view. At first I wasn't sure if I was going to enjoying reading from Ameana's perspective. I ended up enjoying it. She had a very different story than Emmy. She also had a different outlook on things. I think she was really trying to find herself. She made some pretty stupid moves. But she did grow a little and I have a feeling she is going to keep growing. As for Emmy, I still really liked her. She had some moments where she annoyed me. I feel like she could be stronger. She needs to stop second guessing herself and stick to what she believes in. The hostility between Emmy and the other Guardians really annoyed me. It just felt like it wasn't needed.

I liked how adventurous the plot was. It was pretty fast paced. There was always something happening to different characters. This left me wondering where the story was going to go which made me not want to put it down. I wonder what's going to happen to who next. Overall I think this was a great sequel. I'm glad I got the chance to read it. I'm excited to see where the series is going to go. I highly recommend if you enjoy angels and lots of action. 4/5 stars

Jasmine <3

Waiting on Wednesday: Reached by Ally Condie

****"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly event hosted by Jill at the Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.****

My pick this week is:

 



Reached by Ally Condie
Expected release date: November 13, 2012
from Dutton Childrens Books

Cassia faces the ultimate choices in the long-anticipated conclusion to the New York Times bestselling Matched Trilogy

After leaving Society and desperately searching for the Rising—and each other—Cassia and Ky have found what they were looking for, but at the cost of losing each other yet again: Cassia has been assigned to work for the Rising from within Society, while Ky has been stationed outside its borders. But nothing is as predicted, and all too soon the veil lifts and things shift once again.

In this gripping conclusion to the #1 New York Times bestselling Matched Trilogy, Cassia will reconcile the difficulties of challenging a life too confining, seeking a freedom she never dreamed possible, and honoring a love she cannot live without.



 

I loved Matched when I first read it and Crossed was just as amazing. This is one of my favorite dystopian series. It's slower than other ones but the writing is gorgeous. The romance is so adorable. I'm going to be so sad when it's over but I've been waiting so long to see how this fabulous series ends.

-Marissa

Girl of Nightmares by Kendare Blake Review

Reading Level: Young Adult
Publisher: Tor Teen
Source: Bought
Second and final book in Anna series
It's been months since the ghost of Anna Korlov opened a door to Hell in her basement and disappeared into it, but ghost-hunter Cas Lowood can't move on.
His friends remind him that Anna sacrificed herself so that Cas could live—not walk around half dead. He knows they're right, but in Cas's eyes, no living girl he meets can compare to the dead girl he fell in love with.
Now he's seeing Anna everywhere: sometimes when he's asleep and sometimes in waking nightmares. But something is very wrong...these aren't just daydreams. Anna seems tortured, torn apart in new and ever more gruesome ways every time she appears.
Cas doesn't know what happened to Anna when she disappeared into Hell, but he knows she doesn't deserve whatever is happening to her now. Anna saved Cas more than once, and it's time for him to return the favor.

Review
I am so sad that this series only has two books. It could go on forever and I would be happy. This was such an amazing sequel. It had such an amazing storyline. The characters were amazing. Plus that cover is gorgeous. I'm sad to see this series end but it was amazing while it lasted.

Cas is an amazing hero. I absolutely adore him. I love his snarky personality. I love how strong of a leader he is. I love how he never have up. He didn't let anyone decide for him. He is such a strong character. He reminds me of Cassel Sharpe from Holly Black's Curse Workers series. I think it was really big of him to make the right choice about Anna. He didn't think about himself he thought about her. I really loved Thomas even more in this. I love his personality. I love how powerful he is. He's really come into himself. I also love how he really stuck with Cas. He was the only one who stayed with him through it all. As for Carmel, I was glad when she left and I was glad when she came back. It wasn't the same when she wasn't there. I'm really gonna miss these characters.

This had such an amazing storyline. I really loved it. It was so creepy. I loved the mystery. I couldn't put this down because I had to know what happened. The characters and plot for perfectly together. Everything was is well done. Overall this was an amazing read. I'm sad to see this series end. It was so amazing and I can't wait to see what this author comes up with next. 5/5 stars

Jasmine <3

Showtime by Chloe Kayne Review

Reading Level: Young Adult
Self Published
Source: Author
Firstbook in Marvelle Circus series
*This was gifted to me by author for review*
The grandeur of the traveling circus is at its peak in the early 1920s when sixteen-year-old Laila Vilonia is searching for an escape from her bleak future. Behind the gates of the legendary Marvelle Circus, she is thrust into a mysterious world she never knew existed—a paradise populated with outcasts. It’s in this glamorous new home that Laila sparks a controversial romance with notorious sideshow performer, "The Disappearing Man," and learns just how dangerous her new life can be.
Touring the picturesque eastern coast of America, Laila’s immersed in friendship, vaudeville, festivals, sequins, and serial killers. But behind the curtain, a sadistic plan is brewing that will crack the very foundation upon which she’s become so dependent.

Review
This was such an amazing read. This had one of the most unique story lines I've ever read. The setting was fascinating. The characters were so amazing. This has everything a great book needs. Once I really got into it, I never wanted to put it down. I kept thinking to myself this would be an amazing movie. I can't wait to see where the rest of the series goes.

I really liked Laila. I like how she never gave up. She wasn't happy with her life so she made a new life for herself. Her character really evolved throughout the book. She became an amazing aerialist and really made the circus her home. I didn't really understand Dex. His character confused me a lot. I liked him but I wish we could have gotten to know his jars tee more. Laila and Dex had an adorable relationship. They were super adorable. I liked how he was very protective over her. I hope we get to learn more about him on future books. This had some pretty amazing secondary characters. I liked how they really cared about Laila.

The setting was my favorite part. It made me want to go to the circus. It also made me want to do something adventurous just to know that I could. There was so many unique aspects to the storyline. So much creativity. I loved it. I also loved the mystery. It made me not want to stop reading. Also I really loved the aerialist aspect. I thought that was the coolest thing ever. And all the detail that came with it. I felt like I was right there in the stands. I loved all the different acts at the circus. This was impossible for me to put down because of all the excitement. Overall I am so glad I read this. I can't wait to see where the rest of the series is going to go. I highly recommend because I really love this. 5/5 stars

Jasmine :)

My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick Review

Reading Level: Young Adult
Publisher: Dial Books For Young Readers
Source: Bought
Standalone
A gorgeous debut about family, friendship, first romance, and how to be true to one person you love without betraying another
“One thing my mother never knew, and would disapprove of most of all, was that I watched the Garretts. All the time.”
The Garretts are everything the Reeds are not. Loud, numerous, messy, affectionate. And every day from her balcony perch, seventeen-year-old Samantha Reed wishes she was one of them . . . until one summer evening, Jase Garrett climbs her terrace and changes everything. As the two fall fiercely in love, Jase's family makes Samantha one of their own. Then in an instant, the bottom drops out of her world and she is suddenly faced with an impossible decision. Which perfect family will save her? Or is it time she saved herself?
A dreamy summer read, full of characters who stay with you long after the story is over.

Review
I knew from the minute I started this I was going to love it. I had wanted to read it for so long before I actually did. This is one of those books that make me love contemporary. This was just so so so good. When I finished it, I thought to myself it should have been 400 pages longer. I was so sad it was over. I still am but I can reread it.

I love Samantha. She's a very unique character. I love her strong personality. She was very sweet and caring. I like how she was always willing to help the Garrets. Even with we lifestyle she still enjoyed the simple things. She changed a lot when she started hanging with the Garrets. I absolutely adore Jase. He was so cute. I loved how important his family was to him. He didn't always want to take care of them but he still did. He has such a good, sweet personality. He's one of those characters you wish were real because their so amazing. I loved how each member of the Garrets has a different, unique personality. George was my favorite. I wish my family was like that( even though we are just as crazy). I think these characters were incredibly well done.

This has a great storyline. It was a adorable love story. It was also very relate able. Sam and Jase lived the real life of an average teenager. I think it really showed what teens should be focusing on. Plus it has so many cute moments. Those were the best part. This has it's fair share of serious moments too. Overall this was an amazing read. I loved it so much. It made me want to read more contemporary. I can't wait to see what this author comes up with next. I highly recommend you checking this out. 5/5 stars

Jasmine <3

Author Love #9: Tera Lynn Childs

Author Love is a meme we came up with. There are so many authors and books out there that we love so much and want the world to know about them. If you want to play along all you have to do is pick one of your favorite authors. Write what you like about them and/or their books. You can also include an author bio and synopsis of their book if you want.

My pick this week is: Tera Lynn Childs.
Author Bio from website-
Tera Lynn Childs is the award-winning author of the mythology-based Oh. My. Gods. and Goddess Boot Camp, the mermaid tales Forgive My Fins, Fins Are Forever and Just For Fins (July 3, 2012), and a new trilogy about monster-hunting descendants of Medusa, starting with Sweet Venom and Sweet Shadows (September 4, 2012). She has also epublished two fun chick lit romances, Eye Candy and Straight Stalk. Tera lives nowhere in particular and spends her time writing wherever she can find a comfy chair and a steady stream of caffeinated beverages.

I chose Tera Lynn Childs because I love her to death. She is so sweet. When we first met her at the Texas Tea Party at TLA, she had such encouraging words for us. That really helped us. She was always very nice when we went to her signing. So far I have only read Sweet Venom and Sweet Shadows. I plan on reading her other series as soon as possible. I also hope we get the chance to see her again at a event in the future :).

Jasmine <3

Series Love #9: Maximum Ride Series

Series Love is a meme we came up with. There are so many amazing book series out there. We love to share the love and help spread the word. If you want to play along all you have to do is pick a series. It doesn’t matter if it only has one book or a million. Include authors name and the covers of the books.

My pick for this week is the Maximum Ride series by James Patterson. This is in honor of the final book in the series coming out this past week.


I picked this series because it is one of my favorites. I've loved this series since I started reading. I had the killer waits for Angel and Nevermore. This series is like a part of me. Sadly it just ended but boy did it go out with a bang. The amazingness of this series is unbelievable. I think this is a series everyone should read. Plus look at how pretty all those covers are. How could you not want to read them? Seriously if you haven't read this series you need too!

Jasmine <3

Jasmine: August To-Read Vlog

Hey guys, here is my lastest to read stack. I know it's not the best video ever but they will get better. I'm sorry it's so long I had to include a lot of books.

I'm super excited to read all of those books. Keep an eye out for another video in a couple weeks. Also keep an eye out for reviews!

Jasmine <3

Luminescence by J.L. Weil Review

Reading Level: Young Adult
Self Published
Source: Author
First book in Luminescence series
*This was gifted to me by author for review*
Caught between a dream and reality, Brianna Rafferty finds herself in a unique love triangle between two guys that cast her into the most spellbinding journey of her existence.
Orphaned at a young age, Brianna resides with her aunt in the small town of Holly Ridge, North Carolina, where she stumbles into Gavin Mason, the sexy dark and mysterious new guy who defiantly has a secret worth uncovering. Gavin might absorb her days but it was Lukas Devine who had her nights. The boy next door guy of her dreams – literally, Lukas heats up her dreams and blurs her heart. The more time she spends with them, the stranger things become.
Her senior year is proving to be anything but uneventful.


Review
This wasn't what I was expecting at all. It reminded me a lot of Twilight but witches instead of vampires. Once I got into it I never wanted to put it down. The storyline was great and I loved the characters. It left me wanting more. I can't wait for the sequel.

I really liked Brianna. I liked how accepting she was. She didn't give anything a second thought, she just went with it. Of course when it came to herself she didn't handle it as well. I still thought she was easy to relate too. I'm glad by the end she accepted who she was and really came into herself. I loved Gavin. He's not really the type of guy I normally like. He's the bad boy. Even though he was the bad boy, he was still pretty sweet. He had a good personality. His family was what reminded me of Twilight. I liked his family a lot. I like how they all played their own little part. I didn't really understand Lukas. I felt like he should have played a bigger part. I have a feeling that will come up later in the series. I also have a feeling I wont like him very much because he could cause a love triangle.

This was very hard to put down. It wasn't incredibly fast paced but it didn't bore me. I loved all the magic. I felt like the author put a lot of creativity into the magical aspect of the story. One thing that could use a little work was, there was a few spelling and grammar errors. It could use a good look through. Other than that I really enjoyed this. Everything seemed very well done. I'm excited to see where this story is going to go and I highly recommend. 5/5 stars

Jasmine <3

Waiting on Wednesday: Through the Ever Night by Veronica Rossi

****"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly event hosted by Jill at the Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.****

 

My pick this week is:

Through the Ever Night by Veronica Rossi.

Expected publication: January 8th 2013 from  HarperCollins

This doesn't have a synopsis yet but hopefully soon.

 

Oh the prettiness. Isn't that such a pretty cover? I love that Perry is on the cover. I didn't really picture him like that but he is cute stuff. I loved Under the Never Sky. It was absolutely amazing. I don't know how it could get any better but I know this will be just as amazing, if not more. The wait so far has been killer and it's not even close yet. If you haven't read Under the Never Sky you should. I highly recommend.

 

Jasmine <3

Teaser Tuesday #12

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My teaser this week is from An Abundance of Katherines by John Green.


 When it comes to relationships, Colin Singleton's type is girls named Katherine. And when it comes to girls named Katherine, Colin is always getting dumped. Nineteen times, to be exact.
On a road trip miles from home, this anagram-happy, washed-up child prodigy has ten thousand dollars in his pocket, a bloodthirsty feral hog on his trail, and an overweight, Judge Judy-loving best friend riding shotgun - but no Katherines. Colin is on a mission to prove The Theorem of Underlying Katherine Predictability, which he hopes will predict the future of any relationship, avenge Dumpees everywhere, and finally win him the girl.
Love, friendship, and a dead Austro-Hungarian archduke add up to surprising and heart-changing conclusions in this ingeniously layered comic novel about reinventing oneself by Printz medalist John Green, acclaimed author of Looking for Alaska.

Teaser:
"Hassan Harbish. Sunni Muslim. Not a terrorist." "Lindsey Lee Wells. Methodist. Me, neither."

This is from page 33 of my paperback copy.

Jasmine :)