Review: Daughter of Smoke & Bone by Laini Taylor (Updated)

Goodreads Summary:

Around the world, black handprints are appearing on doorways, scorched there by winged strangers who have crept through a slit in the sky. In a dark and dusty shop, a devil’s supply of human teeth grown dangerously low. And in the tangled lanes of Prague, a young art student is about to be caught up in a brutal otherwordly war. Meet Karou. She fills her sketchbooks with monsters that may or may not be real; she’s prone to disappearing on mysterious "errands"; she speaks many languages not all of them human; and her bright blue hair actually grows out of her head that color. Who is she? That is the question that haunts her, and she’s about to find out. When one of the strangers—beautiful, haunted Akiva—fixes his fire-colored eyes on her in an alley in Marrakesh, the result is blood and starlight, secrets unveiled, and a star-crossed love whose roots drink deep of a violent past. But will Karou live to regret learning the truth about herself?

Pages: 418

Published by: Little, Brown Books (Septermber 27th, 2011)

Genre: YA high fantasy (+romance, adventure, & mythology)

My rating for Daughter of Smoke & Bone (#1):

By the end of this novel, I was really loving this book, but it took me a while to get to that point where I was truly enjoying it. 

Honestly, it was kind of weird at first. I didn't understand what was up with all the chimaera. I was confused by Karou's connection with them and it took a while to figure out what was so special about her and why she had to be their messenger. I also thought the connection between Karou and Akiva was super silly because it was instantaneous, but that was later explained and then I was okay with it. Also, the initial setting was Prague, which was SO cool! Loved that aspect.

The last thirdish of the story took us back in time and that answered a lot of the questions that were formed as I read. It was a little jarring, not being in the present for so long, and at some points I was anxious/bored to get back to the present again. However, when all the pieces slowly fell together,  I immediately had a deep appreciation for the book and how it was written!  The insight was definitely needed to fully understand the gravity of Karou and Akiva's situation. The story layout left me wondering what was going to happen next between Karou and Akiva and I wanted to know how the truth would change their relationship. I was enticed by the unique monsters, the angels, their worlds... those were created in a really cool way! (A hint of sci-fi was added in here with the reference to other planets, which was awesome!)

Karou and Akiva were very interesting together. I was definitely puzzled by them, and sort of still am. Their ship wasn't very hot, but they still were an interesting duo to read about. And without giving any spoilers, I will say that there were a few parts with them that couldn't keep a smile off my face.

A negative of the story for me was that some elements introduced in the beginning and presented with such importance didn't play a large role in the end. For example, Karou's art school, Karou's ex-boyfriend, and the weird little quirks about her that pertained to the chimaera. I assume they were all added to set the foundation of Karou's home, personality, artistry, and life as well as indicate her interaction with her chimaera family; however, these facets were completely dropped from the book before midway and it was just unsettling.

The cliffhanger at the end was torturous! I was so frustrated with it that I started laughing! I just couldn't believe it ended the way it did. Despite my frustration, it was a great note to end on because now I must continue read the sequel!

Recommended for readers who like: high fantasy, unique writing styles, a little romance mixed in the big plot.

~

Learn more about Laini Taylor and her books on her website and Goodreads!

Review: Half-Blood by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Goodreads Summary:

The Hematoi descend from the unions of gods and mortals, and the children of two Hematoi-pure-bloods-have godlike powers. Children of Hematoi and mortals-well, not so much. Half-bloods only have two options: become trained Sentinels who hunt and kill daimons or become servants in the homes of the pures. Seventeen-year-old Alexandria would rather risk her life fighting than waste it scrubbing toilets, but she may end up slumming it anyway. There are several rules that students at the Covenant must follow. Alex has problems with them all, but especially rule #1:Relationships between pures and halfs are forbidden. Unfortunately, she's crushing hard on the totally hot pure-blood Aiden. But falling for Aiden isn't her biggest problem--staying alive long enough to graduate the Covenant and become a Sentinel is. If she fails in her duty, she faces a future worse than death or slavery: being turned into a daimon, and being hunted by Aiden. And that would kind of suck.

Genre: YA mythology+romance

My rating for Half-Blood, (Covenant, #1):

Alexandria Andros is no Rose Hathaway, but dang do I like this girl! I love a heroine who causes a little bit of mischief and revels in it, one who knows what she wants and works her butt off to get it. I'm not the physically strong and mischievous kind of gal so it's really fun for me to read characters who think and act differently from myself.

Despite our differences, I felt connected to Alex, which I'll attribute to the Jennifer L. Armentrout's writing. I think she did a fine job with developing all of her characters.

Caleb was a fun character! I liked that Alex had a guy friend who didn't become a love interest. But because they had been such good friends for so long, I wish there had been deeper conversations between the two. I know at one point in the book Caleb didn't pressure her into talking/admitting the truth because he knew Alex wouldn't like, but I would have liked it a bit more if their relationship was one where they could share everything with each other because they were just that good of friends. Maybe that's crazy talk of mine because Alex is a tough girl and because the dynamics of a boy-girl friendship is a bit different than a girl-girl friendship. Maybe that makes a difference, but I still would have liked to see a tad more vulnerability in Alex when she was with her best friend... Armentrout showed vulnerability in Alex at the memorial service though so maybe I should just shut up now.

Speaking of vulnerability...Alex and Aiden, eh? Damn, did I like them! I think Armentrout built that relationship BEAUTIFULLY. The pacing was perfect and had me waiting and reeling in at just the right spots! Eeep! I still get all the butterflies when I think of those first moments of theirs... Those two characters made a huge contribution to my liking of the book.

Of course, I liked them so much that I was annoyed by Seth's interjection and I'm not sure how I'm going to take to that with the freakish connection he and Alex now have going on. I have a bad feeling he's going to start coming on strong to her...I guess I'll see where that goes!

Now, an issue I have with Half-Blood (which is probably a very unfair complaint) is that it didn't live up to Vampire Academy. Yeah, I know the comparison is unfair since they're written by authors with completely different styles and one is about Greek mythology while the other is a world of vampires, but seeing as how both the main characters are tough, I-don't-take-shit-from-anyone type of girls who are also “halfs” of their kind, who fall in love with their trainer... it's difficult not to compare them. And in comparing them, I find Rose to be the much more dominant and dimensional character. That's not to say I didn't like Alex, because I've already stated that I really do like her, but it just so happens that I think Rose outshines her.

I really enjoyed the world of pures and halfs. I love reading books about mythology and this was no exception. I cannot wait to read the rest of the series! 

Oh, and how GORGEOUS is this cover?! I'm crazy about this cover, it's just so pretty!! The other novels/novellas (Daimon, Pure, Deity, Elixir, and Apollyon) in the Covenant series are just as pretty too! Love, love, love!

Apart from the Covenant series, Jennifer L. Armentrout has another series called the Lux series, a couple stand-alone novels, and she's recently began writing new adult novels under the name J. Lynn. Find out more about her and her books on her website, Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads! 

Review: Running On Empty by L.B. Simmons

Goodreads Summary: 

I had the perfect life. Beautiful and loving husband. Three gorgeous little girls. Successful career. The only thing missing was the white picket fence. I really wanted that fence. Three years ago, I lost that life. I lost my husband. And I lost myself. But, eventually, I found my way through the darkness. I’ve made peace with my new life. I have my girls, and that’s all that matters. They are my world. I have no illusions of ever falling in love again or getting whisked away on a white horse. But then he came back into my life. On a freakin’ motorcycle. There’s no way I’ll let him turn my life completely upside down. Absolutely no way. The question is…How long can I keep pretending that I’m happy with my life being right-side up?

Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance

My rating for Running On Empty (Mending Hearts, #1):

Running On Empty is a quick, delightful story about the bonds of friendship and love.

Alex is a widow of three young children and although her best friend and work partner Harlow wins the BFF award of the year for the helping hand, shoulder to lean and cry on, and comic relief she's provided Alex since her husband passed away three years ago, Alex is still living a hollow life.

Enter Blake, Alex's childhood friend. His arrival to town stirs up old memories and with his blunt attitude toward her and her loved ones constanting pushing her at him, she's already sick of him. Or is she?

In Running On Empty, Alex learns not only is it okay to accept help, but that it's okay to admit to needing help. She learns to trust, love, live, have hope, and take chances again: all firsts for her since her husband's death.

I love Alex. She's such a loving mom who just wants to get through the day without finding tooth paste in her hair towel or having to play the copy game with her youngest angel. She had so much to gain in this novel and I love what L.B. Simmons did with Alex.

I love Alex's girls: Nycole, Kyndall, and Rylie, all whose personalities strongly showed through in Simmons writing and I LOVED that! Apart from the books where the main character is a child, children aren't typically written as being profound, complex, or with strong (and sometimes adult-like) personalities. Writers will just portray children the way society as a whole thinks of them, but thanks to Simmons own experience with her three daughters, she was able to nail the personalities of these three little girls on the head! The little things they said and did made me smile countless times.

Oh, Harlow. I feel like writers almost always give the best friend of the M.C. spunky, outgoing, or crazy characteristics so it didn't exactly thrill me or surprise me to find this story was no exception, but it doesn't bother me in this one because I enjoy reading those characteristics on a thirty-something year old, instead of a teenager like I typically do. Harlow is a fun, well written character and I think her personality actually was a large contribution to the sanity of Alex and her girls, so I enjoyed her presence.

I absolutely adore Blake. He's handsome, sexy, caring, gentle, compassionate, awesome with kids, and has a deep connection with Alex. He was also very single. ;) He isn't the “bad boy” type of guy--although he does rides a motorcycle! He was just a fun guy with character and THAT is much more realistic than the swoon-worthy bad boy. Major kudos to Simmons for creating a hot love interest who doesn't fit that stereotype!

This novel is fast in the right parts, slow and detailed just where it needs to be; the characters and the plot are well developed; the romance moves at just the right pace; it is really just the perfect balance of everything a good story needs! You can't go wrong with Running On Empty.

Side note: I love when I'm reading a novel and the reason behind the title becomes clear to me. I especially love titles that are phrases or a couple words such as Running On Empty is. When the double meaning behind the title was pointed out in the book, it made me love the book that much more.

“He reminds me every day that when you’re running on empty, you won’t ever get where you need to be. Both in Life and Love. (And sometimes Suburbans…) -Alex"

~

Show L.B. Simmons some love on her website, facebook, and Goodreads! 
Running On Empty is available for purchasing at Amazon and Barnes & Noble. 

Review: Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry

Goodreads Summary:

No one knows what happened the night Echo Emerson went from popular girl with jock boyfriend to gossiped-about outsider with "freaky" scars on her arms. Even Echo can't remember the whole truth of that horrible night. All she knows is that she wants everything to go back to normal.But when Noah Hutchins, the smoking-hot, girl-using loner in the black leather jacket, explodes into her life with his tough attitude and surprising understanding, Echo's world shifts in ways she could never have imagined. They should have nothing in common. And with the secrets they both keep, being together is pretty much impossible.

Yet the crazy attraction between them refuses to go away. And Echo has to ask herself just how far they can push the limits and what she'll risk for the one guy who might teach her how to love again.

Genre: YA romance

My rating for Pushing the Limits (#1):

WOW did I love this book! I was not expecting this at all! I started it on a whim after my lovely friend Bayli Lane at Bayli's Bookshelf recommended I read it. (She recommends the best books to read so definitely check her out!) I repeat, I did not expect this story. The first sentence of this YA book by itself told me I didn't know what I was getting myself in to: 

"My father is a control freak, I hate my stepmother, my brother is dead and my mother has...well...issues."

Echo, echo, echo...is not just the repetition of sound produced by sound waves. It's the name of a 17 year old girl who had almost been murdered by her bi-polar mother. "Almost" meaning she could have died if she had been discovered any later than she had been. Since that time, she's become a self-inflicted recluse with a hint of reject from her peers. When she tries working towards the only thing she can imagine getting happiness from, restoring her deceased brother's cherished car, she is faced with Noah.

Noah is a bad boy, a hot and sexy stoner who hooks up with basically girl who approaches him. Little does anyone know that there's more to him than his physique and skills and his bad reputation. I mean, would you expect the hottest guy in school to have lost his parents to a fire, to now be a bobbing through the foster care system while his two younger brothers are on the brink of being adoptive by another family not of blood? Yeah, I wouldn't.

Echo and Noah team up together to get a peak at something they're both dying to get a hold of, but more than just an alliance strikes between them.

And that something was one of the most beautiful things I've ever read! Their file of fears and issues stacked sky high and then when a spark was ignited between them, everything was left up in the air! I knew that they might tip at any moment, balance for half a second before tumbling hard to the ground, or...well, I didn't even want to get my hopes up for a success, but gah! What did happened was beautiful, I tell you!

I'm amazed at how crafted this story is. The topics were so brave to venture into and done extremely well and original! Echo and Noah are unlike ANY OTHER character I have ever read and their relationship is not one I have seen either! The honesty, the rawness, the emotions conveyed, and just the chances the characters went through... it all made me so ecstatic!

“I watched you battle against the worst memory of your life and I watched you win. Make no mistake, Echo. I battled right beside you.” 

 I needed to keep flipping the pages so I could get to another part where Echo and Noah were in the same scene together! I liked how their relationship grew :)

I was so sad when I neared the end of the story, but the ending was beautiful as well and I couldn't have asked for a better conclusion to Echo and Noah's story!

Real issues, romance, originality, and talent all wrapped up in this one book by Katie McGarry!

Katie McGarry has a SEQUEL coming out May 28, 2013 called Dare You To, which follows Beth, Noah's friend who was introduced in Pushing the Limits. A novella to the series called Crossing the Line was released April 1, 2013 and it is about Echo's friend Lila and her little romance...

Show Katie McGarry some love on and her website, Facebook, and Goodreads!

Her books are available for purchase at Amazon or Barnes & Noble if you are interested in the. I hope you love Pushing the Limits as much as I do!

YA Scavenger Hunt: Discover New Books, Authors, and Exclusive Material!

I'm sorry y'all are getting a late start on this, but having just discovered what this event even is and then completing the Spring 2013 YA Scavenger Hunt myself, I really want to share with you what this is!

So what is this?

The YA Scavenger Hunt is a tri-annual event that was first organized by one of my all-time favorite authors, Colleen Houck, the brilliant mind behind the Tiger's Curse series! This event promotes new YA authors (as well as some of our favorites), introduces readers to new books AS WELL AS gives readers a chance to gain access to exclusive bonus material such as deleted scenes, sneak peeks, and cover reveals, AND readers also have a chance to win some awesome prizes such as signed ARCs, books, and book swag! 

If you join this hunt, which I strongly encourage you do, you'll not only get access to exclusive content from each author, but you also get a clue for the hunt (each author's favorite number.) Add up the numbers you find on each author's blog page and you can enter for the grand prize--one lucky winner will receive one signed book from each author on the hunt team of their choice! This year's Spring 2013 Scavenger Hunt is from noon (PST) on April 4th to noon (PST) on April 7th. The exclusive material will ONLY be available through this hunt and there's about 24 hours left to play, so join now!

How do I join the hunt?

There are two teams in this hunt: the Red and the Blue team. Below is the list of authors who are involved in the Spring 2013 YASH. Check it out and decide which team you'd like to join, which team you'd like to gain access to exclusive material for and have a chance to win their books. This hunt takes a little bit of time, but it's not hard, and you can join BOTH teams if you wish (as I did and it was a blast!), collect the favorite numbers from every author, and then submit your total answer for each team on this page.

RED TEAM

The following authors are participating in the Red Team's Scavenger Hunt.Each author should have links to the next author in their hunt post, but if you're having trouble finding a specific author, you can click on their name here and be taken directly to that site.

NAME

HEATHER ANASTASIU

JENNIFER ARMENTROUT

KENDARE BLAKE

RACHEL CARTER

RENEE COLLINS

LEIGH FALLON

MARLEY GIBSON

ALYXANDRA HARVEY

AMALIE HOWARD

CHLOE JACOBS

J.R. JOHANSSON

STEPHANIE KEYES

SUZANNE LAZEAR

MARI MANCUSI

GRETCHEN MCNEIL

LEA NOLAN

KATHLEEN PEACOCK

APRILYNNE PIKE

LISSA PRICE

ELIZABETH RICHARDS

MINDI SCOTT

JESSICA SHIRVINGTON

SCOTT TRACEY

ERIN UNDERWOOD

BRENNA YOVANOFF

BLUE TEAM

The following authors are participating in the Blue Team's Scavenger Hunt. Each author should have links to the next author in their hunt post, but if you're having trouble finding a specific author, you can click on their name here and be taken directly to that site.

NAME

AMBER ARGYLE

JOSEPHINE ANGELINI

KATE AVELYNN

LISA BURSTEIN

TERA LYNN CHILDS

KATE EVANGELISTA

TARA FULLER

RACHEL HARRIS

COLLEEN HOUCK

JUSTINA IRELAND

ELLIE JAMES

CARRIE JONES

JESSICA KHOURY

CINDI MADSEN

MAUREEN MCGOWAN

MEGAN MIRANDA

ERICA O’ROURKE

DIANA PETERFREUND

AMY PLUM

BETH REVIS

GINA ROSATI

VICTORIA SCOTT

JESSICA SPOTSWOOD

K.A. TUCKER

LISA VOISIN

Once you've chosen which team you are on (or which team you'd like to start with), click on the name of the author you'd like to start with and you'll be sent to their blog. On their blog, they'll be "hosting" one of the other authors on their team and giving you that guest author's exclusive content. The hosting author will have their favorite number, in the color of the team they are on, somewhere in the post. Make sure to write down that number (I suggest writing their name next to it so you can keep track of which author's pages you have visited) and then click the link that will send you to the next author and so on! Again, here's the page you'll need to go to, once you've collected all 25 numbers, in order to enter the grand prize!

It was really cool for me to read the exclusive material, learn about new authors and new series, enter in the contests, and collect all the numbers! 

To learn more or clarify any questions you may have regarding the hunt, go to the YA Scavenger Hunt page.

You can also leave a question in the comments below for me and I should be able to help you if you still don't quite understand what you have to do. Oh, and if you do the hunt, leave a comment below telling me what you thought of it, what book you are most excited to read now, or what your favorite exclusive material was! (But no spoilers, please!)

Happy hunting!

Review: Vain by Fisher Amelie

Which cover do YOU like more?

About the book 

If you’re looking for a story about a good, humble girl, who’s been hurt by someone she thought she could trust, only to find out she’s not as vulnerable as she thought she was and discovers an empowering side of herself that falls in love with the guy who helps her find that self, blah, blah, blah...then you’re gonna’ hate my story. Because mine is not the story you read every time you bend back the cover of the latest trend novel. It’s not the “I can do anything, now that I’ve found you/I’m misunderstood but one day you’ll find me irresistible because of it” tale. Why? Because, if I was being honest with you, I’m a complete witch. There’s nothing redeeming about me. I’m a friend using, drug abusing, sex addict from Los Angeles. I’m every girlfriend’s worst nightmare and every boy’s fantasy. I’m Sophie Price...And this is the story about how I went from the world’s most envied girl to the girl no one wanted around and why I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.

Genre: NA contemporary fiction + romance

My rating for Vain (The Seven Deadly Series, #1):

+ a round of applause and three thumbs up!

Oh sugars, where do I even begin with this one? 

Oh, I know: THIS BOOK WAS PHENOMENAL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Does that about cover up my thoughts? No, not quite, because this book deserves all the words and all the praise in the world! The story + the characters + the writing alone and then the meaning behind it all was so well done! Beautiful, incredible, brilliant, jaw-dropping, breath-taking, heart-wrenching, stunning, and (almost) indescribable are some of the words I think of when I think of this novel! 

I was initially intrigued by the idea of a story about a "bad girl" in contrast to the very common and popular "bad boy" story. While reading Vain though, it really wasn't about a "bad girl" as it was a girl who has been under-appreciated her entire life. 

Sophie Price's parents are filthy-rich workaholics who only care about appearances, leaving Sophie to only care about the material side of life. Sophie has the perfect hair, a rocking body, endless money to spend on whatever the hell she wants because of course her parents don't care what she does as long as her actions don't turn up in the publicity and at that, her parents just bribe their way out of any mess created. Sophie knows she's gorgeous and is at the top of food chain among her peers, which is why she uses her friends and goes through boys like they're objects. 

But in reality, she treats herself like an object. She throws up a barrier when she hooks up with guys and she parties hard with destructive substances to get away from her imperfect perfect life. Her actions could be labeled as bad, but everything she does is because she has no sense of self-worth and she wants to feel important.

The emotion stifled beneath Sophie's actions rammed into me like no other and I felt for her so bad! I haven't met a character like Sophie whose tears (that slipped her facade only in the company of her bedroom or shower) were crying for help, for a purpose, for happiness, but knew of no other way. My heart ached for Sophie like no other.

One night Sophie is busted at a party...and the next thing she knows, Sophie's life is turned upside down. I've revised my review here because I realized an aspect I loved about this book was how the next events in the book were complete surprises for me, and maybe it's best if you didn't go into reading this with more than what I've already given you. With that in mind, I felt like I was Sophie as she faced struggles and met very different people than herself in their completely foreign place. From this point on, my emotions and thoughts were so in sync with Sophie's as she maneuvered through these new challenges, but also as she slowly started transitioning from the spoiled girl to one who was selfless one she became. Her questions, doubts, and frustrations as she tried to prove herself transitioned to perfectly that I believed every bit of progress she made and I felt like I grew alongside her.

And then, of course, there was Ian. Ian, a.k.a. Dingane. Sophie and Ian were a unique duo. Originally, I wasn't sure what to make of then. Then, they became something I highly anticipated, who kept me on my toes, and eeking for more as the book progressed! It wasn't unexpected, but it continuously took my breath away and I would be lying if I said Sophie & Ian DIDN'T have an effect on how I looked at falling in love. Understanding and compassion broke their prejudices and tensions and I couldn't contain myself. The things Ian said, well, they practically made me cry because for the first time ever, Sophie could think of herself as more than just an object, than an appearance, and that was worth more than any money in the world could ever buy.

"Your heart is startlingly beautiful, Sophie."

“You are so gosh damn beautiful in here," he said, tapping my chest, "that what's here," he spoke, running the side of his hand down my face, "is magnified tenfold and that is a sight to be hold.” 

Fisher Amelie wrote an utterly captivating story of the importance of little things, how hope, faith, and love will prevail all, and that there is more than meets the eye. I loved every moment of the story from the ugly and cruel aspects as well as the beautiful and sweet parts of life that were framed within Vain. Sophie, Ian, Mandisa, Charles, Karina, Kate, Spence... I loved every single one of them. My heart had swollen five times its size during the duration of the novel that when it ended, it was pure pain for me because there was nothing left to read! So I flipped to page 1 again and began Sophie's life-changing journey for a second time because it's just that beautiful of a creation from God-given talent.

Find everything that has to do with Fisher Amelie, Vain, her other novels, and more here!

Cover Reveal: This Girl by Colleen Hoover

Synopsis: Slammed from Will's P.O.V. will a mix of insight to Will & Lake's future together.

Release date: April 30, 2013

On Tuesday, March 26th, this cover was revealed by Colleen Hoover on her blog! I would have made this cover reveal post on the day of the announcement, but I've been on vay-k and haven't bothered if the pesky internet ;) hehe.

This Girl is a follow up book to Slammed and Point of Retreat, and while it gives a further insight on Will & Lake's lives together after Point of Retreat, it's mainly Slammed from Will's P.O.V. which is pretty freaking awesome for Slammed fans! It's being released in ebook format on April 30, 2013 (exactly one month away!!)

A plethora of links are provided here if you're interested in pre-ordering This Girl and that's where you can also order the previous ebooks in the Slammed series AS WELL as Colleen Hoover's most recent novel, Hopeless, and pre-order the ebook of Hopeless in Holder's P.O.V. which is called Losing Hope. Paperbacks are not available yet, but here's a link if you'd like to see what creations of Colleen Hoover's are currently available in physical form.

I HIGHLY recommend reading all of Colleen Hoover's books because she's a freaking writing genius and is able to spit out beautiful and roller coaster feeling novels like it's nothing! Seriously, these novels are beautiful. Here's my review for Hopeless to prove it, but I'm warning you, there ARE spoilers! (sorry!)

Back to the cover, I'm not WOWED by it because I've seen some SUPER beautiful book covers in the past (ehem, Hopeless), but I think it would totally look beautiful sitting next to Slammed and Point of Retreat on my shelf, once it's available in paperback. I think incorporating the poetry chair from Slammed, the butterflying butterfly from Point of Retreat, and then the adding Will & Layken to the cover is awesome. I personally think it's ties everything together nicely.

What do you think of the cover for This Girl?

To learn more about the writer, mother, ninja, wife, Avett fanatic, hardcore realist, a.k.a. Colleen Hoover, creep on her on her blog, facebook page, email, and Goodreads.

F.Y.I., when the cover is released for Losing Hope, I will most definitely be posting that on my blog as well! :)

Review: Boundless by Cynthia Hand

The past few years have held more surprises than part-angel Clara Gardner could ever have anticipated. Yet from the dizzying highs of first love, to the agonizing low of losing someone close to her, the one thing she can no longer deny is that she was never meant to live a normal life. 

Since discovering the special role she plays among the other angel-bloods, Clara has been determined to protect Tucker Avery from the evil that follows her . . . even if it means breaking both their hearts. Leaving town seems like the best option, so she’s headed back to California - and so is Christian Prescott, the irresistible boy from the vision that started her on this journey in the first place. 

As Clara makes her way in a world that is frighteningly new, she discovers that the fallen angel who attacked her is watching her every move. And he’s not the only one. . . . With the battle against the Black Wings looming, Clara knows she must finally fulfill her destiny. But it won’t come without sacrifices and betrayal. 

In the riveting finale of the Unearthly series, Clara must decide her fate once and for all.

Genre: YA paranormal/romance

My rating for Boundless (Unearthly, #3):

It's about time I caught up on my blogging, right? I've been meaning to review this book since I read it and only now am I finding the time to really sit down and write this. So here we go!

Boundless was the perfect conclusion to a beautiful trilogy. As simple as that! But I'll elaborate for your sake ;)

The setting: The setting of Wyoming in the first two books of the Unearthly series (Unearthly & Hallowed. Definitely check those two out!) was awesome! It was because of this book that I actually fell in love with the idea of moving to Wyoming some day! (Or at least having an extended vacation there!) The adventure and natural beauty sounds irresistible and I think Cynthia Hand painted the setting beautifully! So it was to no surprise for me that the Stanford setting was just great too! I felt like I was a part of Clara's freshmen year of college experience! Loved that!

I liked how Clara trained with her dad in this book. It was great to see bonding between them since he always pops up and then has to go again. It felt like he was in this book "longer." And all the angel-stuff was awesomeness too :) Of course, it was amazing! Anything to do with angels is bound to be! (I swear, I did not plan that amazing pun!)

I adored the Clara and Mom scene! OMG my adoration for that scene went beyond the heavens! 

One of my status updates on Goodreads while reading this scene (from 1/24/13): "All the secrets (well, I think all of them) Clara's mom kept from her make sense to me now! Awwwwwww! That was such a beautiful seen!!! Awwww! x100"

An infinite number of pieces finally clicked into place with that scene added and I was just like, "Thank you, Cynthia Hand! Thank you for this scene!" I cannot even tell you how many times I was frustrated with Clara's mom's mysterious, sorry-my-lips-are-sealed, you'll-find-out-in-good-time attitude! This scene was worth all of that frustration! It was perfect! 

What else is there to mention? Oh, yeah.

Christian Prescott.

Christian Prescott: I LOVED getting to know Christian more in this! As funny as it sounds, I rooted for Tucker the entire time I read Unearthly and Hallowed. And then during the wait 
between Hallowed and Boundless...I fell in love for Christian. 

I blame it all on Cynthia. She wrote both love interests in this book fabulously. Not even joking, this is the best I've ever seen an author write the love triangle! Typically with love triangles, there's some sweet gentleman (kinda nerdy too) and then there's the witty, charming hotty and it's like a la-duh situation as to which one we're going to root for. That is NOT the case with Tucker and Christian though! Tucker is all cowboy cute, strong, and adventurous while Christian is the "it-boy" of the town who just happens to be a REALLY decent guy too!! They were both so extremely lovable that I fell for them both and my taste ended up swaying a bit over to the Team Christian side a bit. Or a lot. ;)

I know about 95% of the Unearthly fans are Team Tucker all-the-way, but, I mean, COME ON. How can you NOT love a guy who says this to Clara: 

“I love you," he murmurs. "Can you feel that? You. Not some destiny I think I'm called to. You. I'm with you. My strength. My soul. My heart. Feel it.” 

Since I changed to Team Christian, I was hoping, wishing, PRAYING for Clara to GET A CLUE and fall for Christian...

The way the book did end kind of left me heartbroken. I KNOW why Cynthia concluded the series the way she did and it worked out best that way. It was all just kind of bittersweet for me and I didn't feel right for about a week after finishing Boundless. I probably would have rated this book 1 star if I had reviewed it at that point because the ending was so bittersweet. I was just so emotionally attached to Christian and I really wanted him to have a happily ever after, but I still liked Tucker and I knew he was still so in love with Clara...

Besides that little tid-bit I was pleased with the action and the little plot twist with Angela. After reading Unearthly #2.5, Radiant, I expected a little bit more of Phen in this book, and I was surprised when he popped in for a page and was out by the next. 

The love interest and all the original angel-lore kept me reading well into the morning of the night I got it in the mail and it truly was a wonderful conclusion to the trilogy!

“We think of happiness as something we can take. But usually it comes from being content with what we have, and accepting ourselves.”

Show Cynthia Hand some love on her website, Facebook, Twitter, and Goodreads! Check out the "Books" tabs on her website to find out where you can find her novels.

Vampire Academy Casting Release!

This news isn't exactly "new" -- it's been out for over a month -- but I really wanted to announce it on my blog because it's super FREAKING EXCITING news!

The roles for who is playing Rose, Lissa, & Dimitri from the book to movie adaptation of Vampire Academy have been announced! 

I am pleased to introduce to you:

Zoey Deutch as Rose Hathaway: I think Zoey is super pretty, but I don't think "badass!" when I see her. I haven't seen her act either, but she's supposed to be a really good actress so hopefully her kick-ass training and her acting skills unveil a badass side to her!

Lucy Fry as Vasilisa "Lissa" Dragomir: She is PERFECT! Perfect as Lissa! Pretty and totally has that look of innocence to her that I think of when I read the books. She doesn't look like a fighter. Basically, she's the opposite of what I'd imagine Rose to be like.

Danila Kozlovsky as Dimitri Belikov: I've always had a bit of trouble imagining Dimitri while reading VA. I love him beyond reason and I think he's hot but I've never been able to pinpoint what his "hot" face looks like. I've kind of imagined a dark and long-haired Channing Tatum...(maybe a little?) since Tatum is big and can look awfully stoic and like someone you do not want to mess with. But this Danila guy *waggles eyebrows* is definitely good-looking!! And I feel like he could give off that serious Dimitri manner really well! AND he's Russian! I APPROVE!

Click here for more pictures and info on the new cast! (Don't you love the GIF?)

No other characters have been cast yet, to my knowledge, but after seeing this bunch, I have complete faith in the casting directors to find awesome accompanying characters! It'll be exciting to find out who will be playing the roles of Christian, Adrian (is he in the first book?), Mason, etc!

What do YOU think? Like? Love? Not so much? Let me know! :)

The highly anticipated movie, "Vampire Academy: Blood Sisters," is set to release February 14, 2014. It seems to me like an awfully tight schedule to fit casting, filming, and editing in, but as I said, I have faith!

Review: Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher

Clay Jensen returns home from school to find a mysterious box with his name on it lying on his porch. Inside he discovers thirteen cassette tapes recorded by Hannah Baker, his classmate and crush who committed suicide two weeks earlier. On tape, Hannah explains that there are thirteen reasons why she decided to end her life. Clay is one of them. If he listens, he'll find out how he made the list. Through Hannah and Clay's dual narratives, debut author Jay Asher weaves an intricate and heartrending story of confusion and desperation that will deeply affect teen readers.

Genre: YA contemporary fiction
Subject: teen suicide

My rating for Thirteen Reasons Why:

I wasn't necessarily planning on writing a review to this book because it's a bit older and I wasn't expecting it to be a "WOW" book, but then two reasons presented themselves to me:

1. It was a freaking good book and deserves a review.
2. By finishing this book, it marked my 200th book I've rated on Goodreads and since that's a pretty big milestone, I thought, this is a sign. I must do something in honor of this awesomeness.

So here I am with a review for Thirteen Reasons Why!

I've known of this book for a while and I knew it was about a girl who leaves cassette tapes for someone(s), telling them the 13 reasons why she committed suicide. I've heard that it was good and it's been on my will-read-at-some-point list since it first came out. 

And now that I'm finished with it, finished it in less than a day after ignoring it for five years, I'm telling you it is a read I will not forget. Ever.

Thirteen Reasons Why was a hard-hitting read and it's message was always very clear: Everything you do has an outcome. 

I've always been a strong believer of this. Always have been and always will, especially after this book. I know that the smallest of actions can be that one thing that gives someone hope while they are having a crappy day, can be that one final thing to send someone over the edge. That's how it was in this book. The simplest, thoughtless, and not entirely harmful actions of one person built upon another's and then another's and the end result was more than what each of those contributors ever intended.

I'd like to think I treat people with decency and respect. I've never been a fan of gossip and tisk my friends or classmates when I hear them talking about others negatively. But I can't say I'm perfect or that I have never said something hurtful to another classmate, to another human being. Or even just something not positive. Something that wasn't negative nor positive and the thought of that one action of mine, being the trigger to send someone over the edge, to make them break down in tears, to play horribly in their game, to say something to someone that they would otherwise regret...that's what I've been left thinking about.

Thirteen Reasons Why put a lot of things in perspective for me. It made me think twice about the things I've done and said, how I've treated people, and how I will treat others.

This book's last impression on me was this: If I always strive to keep nice things coming out of my mouth, or good deeds and actions coming from my body, then maybe that small and simple positive thing I did, is that one thing that gives someone their last thought of hope. Or a smile. Or just make them think: everything is going to be okay.

~

I rated this a 3/5 star because it's not the sort of read I typically enjoy reading (who wants to read about suicide?) but it was well-written, especially for a first book, and I thought the message was amazing. You should read this book because no matter how much I talk about its impact on me and no matter how much you say "Yeah, I get it. I understand what you mean," the suicide in this story is more than just a fictional story. It's something that is very real and happens a lot these days and you won't really "get it" unless you read it for yourself.