Belles by Jen Calonita Review

Reading Level: Young Adult
Publisher: Poppy
Source: Conference
First book in the Belles series
Fifteen-year-old Isabelle Scott loves her life by the boardwalk on the supposed wrong side of the tracks in North Carolina. But when tragedy strikes, a social worker sends her to live with a long-lost uncle and his preppy privileged family. Isabelle is taken away from everything she's ever known, and, unfortunately, inserting her into the glamorous lifestyle of Emerald Cove doesn't go so well. Her cousin Mirabelle Monroe isn't thrilled to share her life with an outsider, and, in addition to dealing with all the rumors and backstabbing that lurk beneath their classmates' Southern charm, a secret is unfolding that will change both girls' lives forever.

Review
This one surprised me so much! I really enjoyed it. I can admit I wasn't so sure about it. It didn't really sound like my kinda book, but I was pleasantly surprised. I'm very excited to continue the series.

This tells the story of Isabelle. She's lived a hard life she loves it. Tragedy strikes and she finds herself thrown into a whole new world very unlike what she's used too. Not only is she living the rich lifestyle she also has a new family. Things don't go as expected and she has to adjust to her new life.

I loved Isabelle. She was an amazing character. I loved how down to earth she was. I loved how hard she worked. She never gave up no matter how hard it was. Even if it wasn't how she pictured her life going she did fit in amongst the world she was placed in. I did love how she never really let go of Harbor Side. She really wanted to give back to the people who had done so much for her. I can't wait to continue Isabelle's story. Mirabelle took some getting used to along with the rest of Emerald Cove. I know Mirabelle had the potential to be an amazing character. I think she did a lot of growing throughout the book. I'm excited to learn more about her!

You know that saying "don't judge a book by its cover". I think this book really portrayed that. Imagine being thrown into a new world and having to make it work. I think this has a very unique storyline. I've never read anything like it. It took some time to her into but once I did I couldn't put it down. I enjoyed the story so much I couldn't stop reading. I thought everything was well done and creative. There was so many aspects I loved. Overall I enjoyed this book so much. I'm so glad I had the chance to read it. I can't wait to continue the series. If your a girly girl and love amazing characters this is perfect for you!

Waiting on Wednesday: Teardrop by Lauren Kate

****"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:

Teardrop by Lauren Kate
Expected publication: October 22nd 2013 by Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Never, ever cry. . . . Eureka Boudreaux's mother drilled that rule into her daughter years ago. But now her mother is gone, and everywhere Eureka goes he is there: Ander, the tall, pale blond boy who seems to know things he shouldn't, who tells Eureka she is in grave danger, who comes closer to making her cry than anyone has before.
But Ander doesn't know Eureka's darkest secret: ever since her mother drowned in a freak accident, Eureka wishes she were dead, too. She has little left that she cares about, just her oldest friend, Brooks, and a strange inheritance—a locket, a letter, a mysterious stone, and an ancient book no one understands. The book contains a haunting tale about a girl who got her heart broken and cried an entire continent into the sea. Eureka is about to discover that the ancient tale is more than a story, that Ander might be telling the truth . . . and that her life has far darker undercurrents than she ever imagined. From Lauren Kate comes an epic saga of heart-stopping romance, devastating secrets, and dark magic . . . a world where everything you love can be washed away.

*drools over cover and pets the screen* I am literally dying of excitement for this book! Omg it sounds amazing! Lauren Kate is a favorite of mine. I love her Fallen series and she is super sweet in person. I cannot wait to see what she comes up with! This was like just announced and we have quite the wait on our hands! But, if you haven't already read Fallen this gives you plenty of time! So you should get on that :).

Top Ten Tuesday (8)

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish. We'd love to share our lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!

Each week we will post a new Top Ten list that one of us will answer. Everyone is welcome to join. All that's asked is that you link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND add your name to the Linky widget so that everyone can check out other bloggers lists! If you don't have a blog, just post your answers as a comment. Have fun with it! It's a fun way to get to know your fellow bloggers.

 

This weeks topic is Top Ten Authors I'd put on my auto buy list! This pretty much means no matter what I will buy this authors book! This is probably gonna be a list of my favorite authors! But, I'm also gonna include authors I think could tackle any subject!

 

1. Cassandra Clare. Does this even need a reason? She may do amazing in the Shadow Hunter world but I have no doubt any world she writes would be amazing!
2. Maggie Stiefvator. Okay, not only is she an amazing author, every book I read from her I love with all my heart!
3. Lauren Kate. I have so much faith in this author and I know she can tackle whatever she decides to take on!
4. Jennifer L. Armentrout. Does this need a reason? I will love every character this author ever chooses to write!
5. Lisa McMann. This is another one of those authors who I've had such good experiences with! She can do middle grade and YA fantastic!
6. Stephanie Perkins. Her reason is she's Stephanie Perkins! And, even if I ever don't like one of her books, I love her as a person!
7. Veronica Roth. Does this need a reason?
8. Myra Mcentire. I am so excited to see this author tackle another world! Not that I want the Hourglass world to be over!
9. Michelle Hodkin. I think this author has all my faith in the world! I can't wait to see what other creepy concepts she comes up with and what other amazing characters she makes for me to love!
10. Colleen Houck. So if you know me you know why this author is on this list!

So that was fun! A little fangirling is good for the body :). Let me know if we have any matching this week and leave me links to your Top Ten Tuesday!

Through the Ever Night by Veronica Rossi Review

Reading Level: Young Adult
Publisher: Harper Collins
Source: Bought
Second book in the Under The Never Sky series
It's been months since Aria last saw Perry. Months since Perry was named Blood Lord of the Tides, and Aria was charged with an impossible mission. Now, finally, they are about to be reunited. But their reunion is far from perfect. The Tides don't take kindly to Aria, a former Dweller. And with the worsening Aether storms threatening the tribe's precarious existence, Aria begins to fear that leaving Perry behind might be the only way to save them both.
Threatened by false friends, hidden enemies, and powerful temptations, Aria and Perry wonder, Can their love survive through the ever night?
In this second book in her spellbinding Under the Never Sky trilogy, Veronica Rossi combines fantasy and dystopian elements to create a captivating love story as perilous as it is unforgettable.

Review
I've waiting so long for this book. This series is very amazing and I love it so very much. The writing is beautiful. The characters are absolutely amazing. Even though it tied into the first book, this was very much it's own book. It's not comparable to the first book at all. And I really like that. It left me dying for more. As soon as I finished it I wanted to reread it 5 billion times.

This one continues Perry and Arias story. Perry is learning to cope with being Blood Lord of the Tides. And, Aria is trying to help as much as she can. Even though it isn't her world. Perry and Aria find out whether their love can survive Through the Ever Night!

My love for Aria has grown. She's such an amazing character. She never let anything affect her. She's always so strong. She knew what she had to do and was willing to do anything to make sure it happened. She cared more for others than herself. I think she fits in so well into a world she was really just thrown into. I couldn't imagine her anywhere else. I feel like we really got to know Perry in this. I loved that we got to read from his perspective. My love for him grew with every page. He is such a unique character. I loved how hard he tried to be a good leader. Even when people didn't believe in him. Both Perry and Aria have become amazing characters. Not that they weren't already! I can't wait to continue their story. Roar as also pretty amazing. I love him. I loved that he played such a big part.

I have no words for the amazingness of this storyline! It's addicting. You can't put it down. I read this in a day! The world building is so amazing. There was action and suspense. There as twists and turns. It was great! Everything was so well done. It should be impossible really but the author did it. She made an absolutely amazing sequel. Props to her for that :). Overall I think you can tell I really enjoyed this book. I did quite a nice amount of fangirling. That alone should make you want to read this one. If not maybe me saying I oh so highly recommend will!

Destiny and Deception by Shannon Delany Review

Reading Level: Young Adult
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
Source: Library
Fourth book in the 13 to Life series
The sensational fourth novel in the 13 to Life series sees Jessica and the Rusakovas fighting to overcome their biggest challenge yet.
With the threat of the mafia seemingly gone and the company's headquarters in Junction destroyed, Pietr Rusakova is adjusting to being a normal teen and Jess is realizing normalcy may not be what she wanted after all. But both Jess and Cat know the truth--that normal can't be taken for granted. Their precious cure isn't permanent--and when a new danger stalks into their small town, Alexi decides he must overcome his issues with the mother who abandoned him to be raised by wolves and make a brand new deal to save his adopted family.

Review
I didn't enjoy this one as much as I liked the third one. It was like a waiting game and by the end of the book you were still waiting. I liked the new wolf pack but keeping up with everything was hard. And the tension between characters got old. But I am excited to finish out the series with the next book.

This one continues the story of Jessie and Pietr. The threat of the mafia has disappeared but they now face a new threat. Jessi has a tough time figuring out what she really wants. Now that Pietr has changed she isn't quite sure if he's still the guy she loves.

Jessie was a little different in this. She was very conflicted with her feelings. You could tell she wanted to do something about her frustration but she never did. That bothered me. I wanted her to stand up and be strong. I'm hoping things will be better for her in the next book. Pietr annoyed me so much. I can totally understand why he was acting the way he was. But, he didn't even feel like a part of the story. He was just there. I really liked the addition of Marlaena's pack. It made the story more exciting and gave me some new characters to like. But, it was hard to keep up and we didn't really get to know any of the characters. I'm hoping for more character development in the next book and maybe more closeness between characters.

The reason I compared this to a waiting game was because I spent a lot of time waiting and wondering. I was waiting for action and wondering how things were gonna turn out. The action never really came. This ending without wrapping things up. I know the next book will answer my questions but I wish this had more. It didn't feel like it was necessary to the story. Overall even though I didn't enjoy this one as much as previous books. It was still a nice addition to the series. It gave me some pretty high expectations for the next book!

Waiting on Wednesday: Infinityglass by Myra McEntire

****"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:

Infinityglass by Myra McEntire
Expected release date: July 9th, 2013
from EgmontUSA

The stakes have risen even higher in this third book in the Hourglass series.

The Hourglass is a secret organization focused on the study of manipulating time, and its members — many of them teenagers -­have uncanny abilities to make time work for them in mysterious ways. Inherent in these powers is a responsibility to take great care, because altering one small moment can have devastating consequences for the past, present, and future. But some time trav­elers are not exactly honorable, and sometimes unsavory deals must be struck to maintain order.

With the Infinityglass (central to understanding and harnessing the time gene) at large, the hunt is on to find it before someone else does.

But the Hourglass has an advantage. Lily, who has the ability to locate anything lost, has determined that the Infinityglass isn't an object. It's a person. And the Hourglass must find him or her first. But where do you start searching for the very key to time when every second could be the last?
 

That cover is absolutely gorgeous. The covers for this series are some of my favorites. I need this book in my hands. The first two were amazing. I can't wait to find out whose perspective this is from. I hope it's someone who hasn't gotten to tell their story before. And that there's plenty of the cuteness Myra McEntire is so good at :).

Top Ten Tuesday (7)

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created by The Broke and the Bookish. We'd love to share our lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!

Each week we will post a new Top Ten list that one of us will answer. Everyone is welcome to join. All that's asked is that you link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND add your name to the Linky widget so that everyone can check out other bloggers lists! If you don't have a blog, just post your answers as a comment. Have fun with it! It's a fun way to get to know your fellow bloggers.

This weeks topic is Top Ten Characters from X Genre. I picked paranormal because it's what I've read most of. This list will be a lot of bookish boyfriends and couples cause you can't have one without the other, right? (These are in no particular order because they're all awesome-sauce)












Ethan Lawson Wate and Lena- How do I really explain my love these two? They're both amazing, incredibly well written characters and one of my favorite literary couples. I could write a whole post about their cuteness. If I wasn't afraid of what Lena would do to me I would take Ethan for myself.
 
Uncle Macon- I have to include him as well because he's always fighting for the place of my favorite character in the series. He's so complex and his story is so, so sad. Everybody loves the broken ones, right?













Ren- You just have to see my room to know my love for this character. It's stuffed white tigers galore even a huge life sized one. All because of the tiger (weretiger?) prince who stole my heart.













Sophie and Archer- Oh these two. They're so snarky and adorable and perfect for each other. Mercer and Cross :)
I have to make an honorable mention for Sophie's vampire best friend Jenna for her awesome obsession with pink.













Sam- He's so sweet and scarred (seriously) and I just wish he would come play me a song on that guitar of his.













Evie- For the same reason I love Jenna-this girl loves her pink. But that doesn't mean she can't kick some major paranormal booty. Especially with that sparkly pink taser of hers. I need to get me one of those. Sadly I can't get me a Lend like she has. I'm afraid I'd get tased.













Katy and Daemon- Katy is just plain awesome. She doesn't let anybody push her around not even a snarky alien with moments of great dickdom. She's also a book blogger so she gets major points for that. Like I said Daemon isn't perfect but he has moments of sweetness too and Katy definitely tamed him. Plus his hotness helps.

Edward Cullen- I couldn't have a list of favorite paranormal characters without my first book boyfriend ever- who's also a vampire.

So there's my list for this week. Was that 11? Oh well. Of course these aren't all of them and I'm sure there's many I missed. What did you pick? Where any of ours the same? Tell me in the comments :)

Playing Nice by Rebekah Crane Review

Reading Level: Young Adult
Publisher: In This Together Media
Source: Author
Stand alone
*This was gifted to me by author for review*
Martina "Marty" Hart is really nice. At least, that's what people think.
It's Marty's junior year at Minster High. Minster's a small town where making great grades, smiling pretty, helping old people, running the new-student Welcoming Committee, and putting up decorations for all the dances--including the totally awful Hot Shot fall hunting celebration--gets you ... what? Marty's not sure. Instead of dreaming about a sororities-and-frats future at nearby University of Michigan, she's restless, searching for a way out of the box her controlling mother and best frenemy Sarah have locked her in. When Lil--don't call her Lily!--Hatfield transfers to Minster, Marty gets her chance. Lil's different. She smokes, wears black, listens to angry punk records, and lives in a weird trailer with her mother. Lil has secrets--secrets that make her a target for all the gossiping and online bullying Minster can muster. But so does Marty. And Marty sees something different in Lil. Something honest.
Something real.
PLAYING NICE is the achingly true story of a girl who's been following the rules for so long she's forgotten who she was when she started. It's about falling in love with the wrong people and not seeing the right ones, about the moments in life when you step out of line, take a chance ... and begin to break free

Review
This was a very interesting read. It has some great things and some not so good things. I did enjoy it a lot. I read it in about a day. I really liked the storyline and the characters were very well done.

This one tells the story of Marty a very nice girl. She's always been well behaved but she decides to test the waters when she meets Lil. As Marty and Lil grow closer, Marty's life becomes more complicated and she has to decide what's best for her. And, what she wants from her life.

I really enjoyed Marty. I liked her sense of adventure. I liked how polite she was. I liked how she grew throughout the story. She was so different by the end of the story. She had really come into herself. Let me just say I loved Lil. She like made the story. She was an amazing addition. It wouldn't have been the same without her. Her and Marty made a great pair and I loved their relationship.

I really liked this storyline. I loved how relatable it was. It was very hard to our down. There was really only one thing I didn't enjoy. That was the use of I guess you could say sexual words. Not because I mind them but it was overdone. Too many references to things like that. Overall this was a very fun read. I really enjoyed it and I think you will too!

Discussion Post: Memes VS Reviews

Okay so blog content is probably the most important part of a blog. It pretty much makes or breaks your blog. Memes have become so popular in the blogging community! Personally I love them. I think they are a great way to spread the word about books. There are so many memes out there right now. There is even a directory which can be found here. I do think they should be used carefully because they can be taken wrong at times.

I do think memes VS reviews can cause a lot of talk between other bloggers. Some say that your blog can look less professional if there are too many memes. I don't really agree with that. I do think if you do memes that you should have enough reviews to keep up. I think there should be 50/50. So if you do a ton of memes then you should have a ton of reviews too. I only think that because its very hard to find a review on a blog if there are a million memes. They look different and you have to scroll and scroll to find an actual review. Memes are an easy way to socialize with other bloggers. You can see what you have in common. You get to see what other bloggers are enjoying.

We have been a little meme heavy and I've been working on getting more reviews up to match. Having enough reviews to keep up with memes is important to me. I just think it looks good! I think reviews are more important because they are really what make me want to follow a blog. I always try and find a review of something I've read to read. Reviews also help you learn about a blogger. Like if you find a blogger who writes more negative reviews or the opposite. It all depends on what you like to read. But, memes are so much fun! I really enjoy doing them! There are so may creative memes out in the world. They really do spread the word out on different books. I can't even tell you how many new books I've found from memes.

You know there isn't a rule book for blogging. Everyone has a different blog. So if someone decides to do 10 memes a week then that's up to them.  I don't think its fair to say a meme filled blog is less professional. Memes are such a good way to share the love. This is all about having fun right? I've seen some amazing blogs that do memes. I will say that in my opinion if you have 5 memes a week than you should have at least 3 or 4 reviews too. No offense is intended at all with this post! These are just some of my thoughts on the subject :). What is your opinion on memes VS reviews? Leave me a comment with your thoughts!

Series Love #21: Graceling Realm 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 Graceling Realm series by Kristin Cashore.


I can honestly admit, I didn't want to start this series! I had heard amazing things but I had to hold off on Graceling for awhile. Of course after finally reading, I loved it with all my heart. It was amazing. I actually became pretty obsessed after reading. I soon after read Bitterblue and I have Fire on my current to read stack. This series is like perfection. All the wonderful things you hear? Yeah its earned them. The characters are the bomb.com. The storylines are like jaw dropping amazing. They are just that good. I was lucky enough to meet this author and shes very nice. I hope more books are coming to this series. If you haven't checked out this series, I highly recommend. Especially if you like historical fiction!

Author Love #21: Aprilynne Pike

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 for this week is: Aprilynne Pike.
Author Bio from website:
Critically acclaimed, #1 New York Times best-selling author Aprilynne Pike has been spinning tales since she was a child with a hyper-active imagination. At the age of twenty she received her BA in Creative Writing from Lewis-Clark State College in Lewiston, Idaho. When not writing, Aprilynne can usually be found out running; she also enjoys singing, acting, reading, and working with pregnant moms as a childbirth educator and doula. Aprilynne lives in Arizona with her husband and four kids; she is enjoying the sunshine.

I picked Aprilynne Pike because I am a huge fan! I read her Laurel series early in my start to reading. I've reread that series so many times! I wish I owned all the books! I also wish I had meet this author. But, don't no worry one day it shall happen! Aprilynne is also a very fun author! She is the biggest tease ever. She tweets teasers all the time from all her books. Shes very active on Twitter. I am literally dying of excitement for her upcoming books Life After Theft and Earthbound! I'm gonna include covers for this author just because they are all super pretty. If you don't know who this author is, you should fix that problem! I would start by following her on Twitter :).

Shades of Earth by Beth Revis Review

Reading Level: Young Adult
Publisher: Razorbill
Source: Bought
Last book in the Across the Universe trilogy
Amy and Elder have finally left the oppressive walls of the spaceship Godspeed behind. They're ready to start life afresh--to build a home--on Centauri-Earth, the planet that Amy has traveled 25 trillion miles across the universe to experience.
But this new Earth isn't the paradise Amy had been hoping for. There are giant pterodactyl-like birds, purple flowers with mind-numbing toxins, and mysterious, unexplained ruins that hold more secrets than their stone walls first let on. The biggest secret of all? Godspeed's former passengers aren't alone on this planet. And if they're going to stay, they'll have to fight.
Amy and Elder must race to discover who--or what--else is out there if they are to have any hope of saving their struggling colony and building a future together. They will have to look inward to the very core of what makes them human on this, their most harrowing journey yet. Because if the colony collapses? Then everything they have sacrificed--friends, family, life on Earth--will have been for nothing.
FUELED BY LIES.
RULED BY CHAOS.
ALMOST HOME.



Review
I can't believe it's really over. My babies are all grown up. This was the most amazing conclusion. It was like the best roller coaster in the world. It went up and down and all around with twists and turns. I read it in about a day and it was beyond amazing.

This one tells the story of Amy and Elder. They finally made it to Sole Earth but its not quite what they expected. Having been warned of the dangers of Sol Earth. They gave them together and must decide if the planet will ever be livable.

I've loved Elder from the start. I think he is the most amazing character. I love his personality. I love how much he's grown. I love how much he cared for his people. And, I love how adventurous he was. But I did wish he would stand up for himself. He did more of that in this than in other books though. I think he was as good a leader as he possibly could have been and wish his people would have treated him better. It shocks me how much Amy has grown. She's become so amazing. I loved her most in this because she really stood up for herself and what she wanted. She was so strong. Plus, Amy and Elder are the most adorable thing ever. I'm so happy their relationship worked out. This one had a ton if secondary characters. I loved the variety and the tension between them.

From page 1 this book never slows down. The storyline was amazing. The world Amy and Elder found themselves in was beautifully made. I loved how complex it was. I loved the attention to detail. I loved how we still saw characters from past books. I loved all the action and suspense. Let me just say I shed quite a few tears and did my fair share of telling. I explain more below in the video of my feels. Overall this was an amazing read. It's hard to say goodbye to this series. It has a very special place in my heart. If you haven't read this series, your missing out!

 

 

I also have a very interesting video of how this book made me feel after finishing! It's kinda crazy but I thought I would include it :). SPOILER WARNING!!!!!!!

 

Dance of the Red Death by Bethany Griffin

****"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:

Dance of the Red Death by Bethany Griffin.
Expected publication: April 23rd 2013 by Greenwillow Books
Bethany Griffin continues the journey of Araby Worth in Dance of the Red Death—the sequel to her teen novel Masque of the Red Death.
In Dance of the Red Death, Araby’s world is in shambles—betrayal, death, disease, and evil forces surround her. She has no one to trust. But she finds herself and discovers that she will fight for the people she loves, and for her city.
Her revenge will take place at the menacing masked ball, though it could destroy her and everyone she loves…or it could turn her into a hero.
With a nod to Edgar Allan Poe, Bethany Griffin concludes her tragic and mysterious Red Death series with a heroine that young adult readers will never forget.

I was pleasantly surprised by Masque of the Red Death. I hadn't originally wanted to read it. But, I am so glad I did! It was so good. I don't know much about Edgar Allan Poe but Masque made me want to learn more. I cannot wait to continue this series! Plus that cover is so beautiful. Can't wait to have it on my shelf. If you haven't read Masque, I highly recommend checking it out! Then we can wait together :).