Review: Monument 14 by Emily Laybourne

Monument 14 by Emily Laybourne

Monument 14 #1

Release Date: June 5th, 2012

Number of Pages: 294

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

Source: NetGalley

Your mother hollers that you’re going to miss the bus. She can see it coming down the street. You don’t stop and hug her and tell her you love her. You don’t thank her for being a good, kind, patient mother. Of course not—you launch yourself down the stairs and make a run for the corner.

Only, if it’s the last time you’ll ever see your mother, you sort of start to wish you’d stopped and did those things. Maybe even missed the bus.But the bus was barreling down our street, so I ran.Fourteen kids. One superstore. A million things that go wrong.In Emmy Laybourne’s action-packed debut novel, six high school kids (some popular, some not), two eighth graders (one a tech genius), and six little kids trapped together in a chain superstore build a refuge for themselves inside. While outside, a series of escalating disasters, beginning with a monster hailstorm and ending with a chemical weapons spill, seems to be tearing the world—as they know it—apart.

There are books you start with no expectation, others you think you’ll love. This one was one of the latter. Sadly, I didn’t really enjoy this book. The thing is, it simply wasn’t for me. I was expecting a book full of action, full of interaction between the outside world and the students. Yet, I mostly found teenage drama.

Some of the things that put me off while I was reading this novel were the characters. I felt like there were way too many characters to follow. Also, I felt like they were too stereotypical for my tastes. I could almost guess what most of them would be doing next based on the way they were presented. The youngest children all seemed a lot more mature than they should have been for their age. Or maybe it’s just me. Then, the main character just didn’t cut it for me. Dean just felt off. His major crush on Astrid was a little annoying (am I the only one who find him creepy to spy on her?). There was simply something that felt wrong in his personality.

Another disappointment to me was the lack of outside threat. Yes, there are some people that come to them, trying to get in. Yes the air is having a strange effect on them based on their blood type. Yet, the end of the world seems to be happening, but we just see them inside the store. They are stuck inside a store, where most of what they need is available. It just made the book so flat to me. I felt like everything that could have been a challenge had been made easy. I was expecting more. There was so much potential in this book. The premise really caught my attention, but story could have happen without that much of an outside threat, and it would have felt a lot less disappointing.

Overall, I just felt let down by this book. I was expecting a lot more from it, and it really disappointed me not to be able to love this book. I had been excited about it since I first heard of it, and it just not being for me. Some will love it, I’m sure. It simply wasn’t me.

Waiting on Wednesday: Beta by Rachel Cohn

 Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly Meme hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine. It is an opportunity for us to show books we can't wait to get our hands on.

This week, I'm waiting for:

Beta by Rachel Cohn
Release Date: October 16th, 2012
Disney Hyperion

In a world constructed to absolute perfection, imperfection is difficult to understand—and impossible to hide.

Elysia is a clone, created in a laboratory, born as a sixteen year old girl, an empty vessel with no life experience to draw from. She is a Beta, an experimental model of teenaged clone. She was replicated from another teenage girl, who had to die in order for Elysia to be created.

Elysia's purpose is to serve the inhabitants of Demesne, an island paradise for the wealthiest people on earth. Everything about Demesne is bioengineered for perfection. Even the air there induces a strange, euphoric high that only the island's workers—soulless clones like Elysia—are immune to.

At first, Elysia's new life on this island paradise is idyllic and pampered. But she soon sees that Demesne's human residents, the most privileged people in the world who should want for nothing, yearn. And, she comes to realize that beneath its flawless exterior, there is an undercurrent of discontent amongst Demesne's worker clones. She knows she is soulless and cannot feel and should not care—so why are overpowering sensations clouding Elysia's mind?

If anyone discovers that Elysia isn't the unfeeling clone she must pretend to be, she will suffer a fate too terrible to imagine. When Elysia's one chance at happiness is ripped away from her with breathtaking cruelty, emotions she's always had but never understood are unleashed. As rage, terror, and desire threaten to overwhelm her, Elysia must find the will to survive.

I've been curious about this book since I first heard of it. Can't wait to get my hands on it! 

Review: The Demon King by Cinda Williams Chima

The Demon King by Cinda Williams Chima

Seven Realms #1

Release Date: October 6^th, 2009

Number of Pages: 506

Publisher: Hyperion Books

When 16-year-old Han Alister and his Clan friend Dancer encounter three underage wizards setting fire to the sacred mountain of Hanalea, he has no idea that this event will precipitate a cascade of disasters that will threaten everything he cares about.

Han takes an amulet from one of the wizards, Micah Bayar, to prevent him from using it against them. Only later does he learn that it has an evil history—it once belonged to the Demon King, the wizard who nearly destroyed the world a millennium ago. And the Bayars will stop at nothing to get it back

Han’s life is complicated enough. He’s the former streetlord of the Raggers—a street gang in the city of Fellsmarch. His street name, Cuffs, comes from the mysterious silver bracelets he’s worn all his life—cuffs that are impossible to take off.

Now Han’s working odd jobs, helping to support his family, and doing his best to leave his old life behind. Events conspire against him, however. When members of a rival gang start dying, Han naturally gets the blame.

Meanwhile, Princess Raisa ana’Marianna has her own battles to fight. As heir to the Gray Wolf throne of the Fells, she’s just spent three years of relative freedom with her father’s family at Demonai Camp—riding, hunting, and working the famous Clan markets. Now court life in Fellsmarch pinches like a pair of too-small shoes.

Wars are raging to the south, and threaten to spread into the high country. After a long period of quiet, the power of the Wizard Council is once again growing. The people of the Fells are starving and close to rebellion. Now more than ever, there’s a need for a strong queen.

But Raisa’s mother Queen Marianna is weak and distracted by the handsome Gavan Bayar, High Wizard of the Fells. Raisa feels like a cage is closing around her—and an arranged marriage and eroded inheritance is the least of it.

Raisa wants to be more than an ornament in a glittering cage. She aspires to be like Hanalea—the legendary warrior queen who killed the Demon King and saved the world. With the help of her friend, the cadet Amon Byrne, she navigates the treacherous Gray Wolf Court, hoping she can unravel the conspiracy coalescing around her before it’s too late.

I finally read The Demon King, a book I had been excited to read for a while. I did enjoy it, but I sadly didn’t love it. I don’t know if I was just expecting too much from this series, but I felt like there was a little something missing to live up to its reputation.

One of the things I really liked about the book was the dual point of view. I found it interesting to get both Raisa’s and Han’s point of view. It thought Raisa was an interesting character. She was strong, forceful, and I liked that she was able to made up her own mind. She can be a little annoying when she wants her way, but it is easy to understand why she was that way. After all, she is a Princess, and she will be soon Queen. Han was interesting to me mostly for his interaction with the clan and his family. I found it great to see him be good when his past was full of mistakes. The characters were well written in my opinion. They felt so complete, and they were so easy to either love, or love to hate.

It took me a while to really get into the novel. I can’t really explain why the story couldn’t hook me. Still, once I was addicted, I couldn’t stop reading. I really enjoyed the writing and, of course, the world Cinda Williams Chima created. One thing I have to say is even if you have trouble getting into the story, give it a try. It really got a lot better the more I read.

I hadn’t read that many high fantasy novels. I did enjoy this book, but this series won’t become my favorite series. Still, fan of high fantasy will enjoy this book. Overall, it is a great and interesting world, 

Review: Changeling by Philippa Gregory

Changeling by Philippa Gregory

The Order of Darkness #1

Release Date: May 29^th, 2012

Nuber of Pages: 266

Publisher: Simon Pulse

Source: Simon & Schuster Canada

Italy, 1453. Seventeen-year-old Luca Vero is brilliant, gorgeous—and accused of heresy. Cast out of his religious order for using the new science to question old superstitious beliefs, Luca is recruited into a secret sect: The Order of the Dragon, commissioned by Pope Nicholas V to investigate evil and danger in its many forms, and strange occurrences across Europe, in this year—the end of days.     

Isolde is a seventeen-year-old girl shut up in a nunnery so she can’t inherit any of her father’s estate. As the nuns walk in their sleep and see strange visions, Isolde is accused of witchcraft—and Luca is sent to investigate her, but finds himself plotting her escape.    

Despite their vows, despite themselves, love grows between Luca and Isolde as they travel across Europe with their faithful companions, Freize and Ishraq. The four young people encounter werewolves, alchemists, witches, and death-dancers as they head toward a real-life historical figure who holds the boundaries of Christendom and the secrets of the Order of the Dragon.     

The first in a series, this epic and richly detailed drama is grounded in historical communities and their mythic beliefs.

I hadn’t read anything by Philippa Gregory before getting my hands on this book. I didn’t really know what to expect when it came down to the writing, to the story, but I was happy with what I was given. The Story was interesting. I love historical novel, even though I don’t read enough of them.

Luca, one of the main characters was really interesting. He is intelligent, and he seems able to think for himself, which is always important when you’re given that much power over people by the Church. Still, there were moments in the book that I really got the feeling he was a little full of himself, mostly because of the way he acted with Freize. Isolde, the second main character, was really interesting to me, even more than Luca. We got to see a little of her life before she is sent to the nunnery.  She seemed strong, intelligent and well spoken. Then came the arrival of Luca at the nunnery, where Isolde already is. We then meet a different Isolde, who seemed really isolated. It made me unsure of whom she really was. I like that in a character. I don’t need to be told flatly everything about her to know her.

There weren’t only those two characters, of course. Where I liked Isolde, it took me a while to really like Ishrap, mostly because we aren’t told much about her. Well, we’re not told that many good things about her. One of the characters that I really liked was Freize. He was funny and I liked that he was ready to do right thing even if it meant trouble for him.

Overall, I really enjoyed that book. It was well written; it interesting and it made me curious about what will happen next. The only thing I have to say I was disappointed in was how it was developed. The thing is, there are two stories in this book. There is what happens at the nunnery, and then there’s what we could call the werewolf story. Was I the only who felt that it should have been two books? I wish it had been that way, and that because of that, the story had been more developed. I wanted to know more. The book isn’t that long (under 300 pages).  It would have felt more complete that way. I don’t like getting the feeling in the middle of the book that the story is done.  I think that’s why I felt like there was something wrong that I couldn’t find at first, something missing. Other than that, I was really satisfied with my first book by Philippa Gregory. I’m still looking forward to read more.

The Trailer

Review: Of Poseidon by Anna Banks

Of Poseidon by Anna Banks
Of Poseidon #1
Release Date: May 22nd, 2012
Number of Pages: 324
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Source: Raincoast Books

Galen, a Syrena prince, searches land for a girl he's heard can communicate with fish. It’s while Emma is on vacation at the beach that she meets Galen. Although their connection is immediate and powerful, Galen's not fully convinced that Emma's the one he's been looking for. That is, until a deadly encounter with a shark proves that Emma and her Gift may be the only thing that can save his kingdom. He needs her help--no matter what the risk.

I had been curious about this book since I had first seen it online. It sounded intriguing. I was really satisfied with the book. It was simply addicting. I ended up reading it in a matter of hours. It was funny, cute and addicting.

Of course, the book isn’t perfect. I didn’t really like Emma’s best friend, and I wasn’t really sure about her being killed off so soon. I could have lived without that part. The insta-love also could be a little off-putting at first, but it didn’t take long for me to forget about the fact that they met not long ago.

When it comes down to Galen and Emma, there were things I liked, and things that did annoy me. I liked that she seemed to challenge Galen. On the other end, she seemed to think he was only using her. She seemed to have trouble giving him a chance to show her otherwise. I didn’t liked that Galen seemed to be always ordering her around, but I understood why she acted that way. He is a Prince after all. The other characters were also enjoyable, even if I was slightly annoyed at Rayna for playing so hard to get. I really liked Toraf though. There was something so fun about him.

The story really hooked me from the beginning. It was swoon worthy, captivating and addicting. It left me wanting more. The ending left me wondering what would happen next. The world of the Syrena was really interesting, and I liked that we were given enough information about them. I may still have unanswered questions, which I hope will be answered in the next book. I really appreciated the changing point of view. The fact that Emma’s point of view was in the first person and Galen’s was in the third person made it easier to know whose point of view I was reading.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It was interesting and I was happy with it. It made me smile and laugh. It is a great read for the summer. I can’t wait to get my hands on the sequel.

Master Of The Veil by Daniel A. Cohen BookBlast!

Goodreads - Facebook

Master of the Veil by Daniel A. Cohen

Published by Spencer Hills

Life can't get much better for Sam Lock. Popular, good-looking, and with a future as a professional football player. every guy at Stanton High School wishes he were Sam. That is, until his championship football game, when Sam accidentally links with an ancient source of energy known as the Veil and reveals his potential to become a powerful sorcerer. Sam is whisked off to Atlas Crown, a community of sorcerers who utilize the Veil as a part of everyday life. Once there, he trains beside a mute boy who speaks through music, an eternal sage who's the eyes and ears of the Veil, and a beautiful girl who's pretty sure Sam's an idiot. As it becomes clear Sam's meant for power magic-the most feared and misunderstood form of sorcery-people beyond Atlas Crown learn of his dangerous potential. An exiled group of power sorcerers are eager to recruit Sam, believing that he is destined to help them achieve their long-held goal. If they succeed, they could bring about the downfall of not only Atlas Crown. but all humankind.

PRAISES:

"This Book was brilliant, creative, and completely magical. If you want an amazing book to read in 2012, I would suggest you go to the bookstore and pick up a copy of Masters of the Veil."~Julia @Inkbitten

"A funny, imaginative, and delightful read!" ~Author Kate Kaynak

"I absolutely adored Masters of the Veil. It is a unique and creative read in today's sometimes overwhelming YA market. Daniel is taking JK Rowling's lead and putting a whole new twist on fantasy." ~Kristin @ Better Read Than Dead 

To Buy the Book:

Barnes & Noble - Amazon

Author Daniel A. Cohen
Blog - Twitter

Daniel A. Cohen was just your average business student. Microeconomics, finance, marketing… you name it, he had to do a PowerPoint presentation on it. One dark and stormy night, he was bitten by the radioactive realization that memorizing business jargon could possibly be the most boring activity known to man.

After gaining eagle-eye vision, abs that could grate cheese, and a talent for imagining things (including his cheese-grating abs), he wrote his first novel and began his epic battle against the formidable business jargon. He continues to fight the good fight by playing saxophone and writing YA fantasy, forever hoping his Veil trilogy will help inspire others to join his cause.

Giveaway Details

Author Daniel Cohen is offering one lucky person a $100 Amazon.com Gift Card.

Last day to enter is May 31st

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Open to anyone who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent's permission. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

Waiting on Wednesday: Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Mass

 Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly Meme hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine. It is an opportunity for us to show books we can't wait to get our hands on.

This week, I'm waiting for:

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
Release Date: August 7th, 2012
Publisher: Bloomsbury

After serving out a year of hard labor in the salt mines of Endovier for her crimes, 18-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien is dragged before the Crown Prince. Prince Dorian offers her her freedom on one condition: she must act as his champion in a competition to find a new royal assassin.

Her opponents are men—thieves and assassins and warriors from across the empire, each sponsored by a member of the kings council. If she beats her opponents in a series of eliminations, she’ll serve the kingdom for three years and then be granted her freedom.

Celaena finds her training sessions with the captain of the guard, Westfall, challenging and exhilirating. But she’s bored stiff by court life. Things get a little more interesting when the prince starts to show interest in her... but it’s the gruff Captain Westfall who seems to understand her best.

Then one of the other contestants turns up dead... quickly followed by another. Can Celaena figure out who the killer is before she becomes a victim? As the young assassin investigates, her search leads her to discover a greater destiny than she could possibly have imagined.

I've been hoping to get my hands on this book since I first read about it. It sounds addicting. I wasn't approved on NetGalley for this one, but hopefully I'll be able to get my hands on it at BEA!

What are you waiting for this week?

Review: Fated by Alyson Noel

Fated by Alyson Noel

Soul Seekers #1

Release Date: May 22^nd, 2012

Number of Pages: 306

Publisher: St. Martin’s Press

Source: Raincoast books

Lately strange things have been happening to Daire Santos. Animals follow her, crows mock her, and glowing people appear out of nowhere. Worried that Daire is having a nervous breakdown, her mother packs her off to stay in the dusty plains of Enchantment, New Mexico with a grandmother she’s never met.

There she crosses paths with Dace, a gorgeous guy with unearthly blue eyes who she’s encountered before...but only in her dreams. And she’ll get to know her grandmother—a woman who recognizes Daire’s bizarre episodes for what they are. A call to her true destiny as a Soul Seeker, one who can navigate between the worlds of the living and the dead. Her grandmother immediately begins teaching her to harness her powers—but it’s an art that must be mastered quickly. Because Dace’s brother is an evil shape-shifter who’s out to steal her powers. Now Daire must embrace her fate as a Soul Seeker and find out if Dace is one guy she’s meant to be with...or if he’s allied with the enemy she’s destined to destroy. 

I have read both The Immortal series and the Riley Bloom series by Alyson Noel before reading this book. The first series I did enjoy (though I didn’t LOVE it), but the second really wasn’t for me. I was quite curious to see where this new series would take me. I have to say, I did find it to be better than her other work. Now the question is if the story will keep getting better or if it will go the other way.

I have to be honest; if you really dislike her other work, don’t bother. You probably won’t suddenly fall in love with her work, because it is similar to what she has done before. I personally think that it’s part of her style, which isn’t something everyone will love. It’s okay. That’s why there are so many different things out there.

I do have to confess, there were a couple of things that did annoy me in this book, the kind of things that makes you stop and wonder. First, I found it hard to believe that the mother could send her daughter to a veterinarian for help. I get that he’s a friend of her grandmother, but still. Not mother of the year material. The fact that Dari dated many movie stars wasn’t really necessary, wasn’t it? I could get one (the last one as a matter of fact), but still. I just didn’t get why she needed to have that history.

One of the things that really made me stop was the brothers. I find it funny that their names are Dace and Cade. After all, just switch the consonants and you get the other’s name. How original…. Talking about the brother, I have to say that I did like Dace, as he was really sweet, but I do hope we won’t get the ‘way too perfect male main character”. Now, Cade was a guy I would have gladly punched in the face. He’s clearly a jerk. Now, Daire was one of those characters that I neither love nor hate. I think I just need to see more of her to make up my mind. I there is one thing for sure, I really hated the mother while I really like the grandma.

Overall, it wasn’t the best book I had read this year, but I still curious to see where Alyson Noel will take us next. I found the idea of the Soul Seekers quite interesting. Fated is a book that I believe will please fans of Alyson Noel and the Immortal series.

Bout of Books 4.0: Final Update

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My Goal was to read  14 books in a week, and I'm happy to say I did it! I changed only one book from my Goal List (I read 13 Little Bleu Envelipos instead of Ordinary beauty)

5/14

Number of books I’ve read today: 2

Total number of books I’ve read: 2

Books: The Near Witch, Shine

5/15

Number of books I’ve read today: 2

Total number of books I’ve read: 4

Books: Code Name Verity, Monument 14

5/16

Number of books I’ve read today: 3

Total number of books I’ve read:7

Books: Spells, Clean, Entice

5/17

Number of books I’ve read today: 1

Total number of books I’ve read: 8

Books: The Exiled Queen

5/18

Number of books I’ve read today: 3

Total number of books I’ve read: 11

Books: Wake, The Catastrophic History of You and Me, Wildefire

5/19

Number of books I’ve read today: 2

Total number of books I’ve read: 13

Books: Ink Exchange, Wings of the Wicked

5/20

Number of books I've read today: 1

Total number of books I've read: 14

Books: 13 Little Blue Envelopes

How did you do?

Review: The Girl in Steel Corset by Kady Cross

The Girl in Steel Corset by Kady Cross

The Steampunk Chronicles #1

Release Date: May 24^th, 2011

Number of Pages: 473

Publisher: Harlequin Teen

In 1897 England, 16-year-old Finley Jayne is convinced she's a freak. No normal Victorian girl has a darker side that makes her capable of knocking out a full-grown man with one punch. Only Griffin King sees the magical darkness inside her that says she's special . . . that she's one of "them."

If there is one thing that I absolutely love about this novel (well, beside the cover), it’s the world Kady Cross created. I’m a huge fan of Steampunk (since reading the Leviathan series by Scott Westerfeld), so I was really excited to read this book. I love the description, the Victorian vibe, and the idea of Organites… It all made the novel captivating.

On the other hand, the plot was slightly disappointing. It wasn’t boring or uninteresting, far from that. I simply felt like there was some aspects of the story were really rushed, while others slowed the plot.  It didn’t mean I wasn’t enthralled by the story (and mostly the world) Kady Cross created.

Character wise, I was easily captivated by Jack Dandy. Can I get a book only about him? There is simply something about him that makes me extremely curious. Of course, I have to talk about the main character Finley. If there is one thing about her that is certain, it’s that she is a kick-ass character. Still, I felt like she was a little all over the place. It doesn’t mean I thought she wasn’t interesting. The problem I have with her is that her relationship with the characters seemed off. One of the relationships that I felt the most rushed was the one between Griffin and Finley. He seems to trust her so easily, yet she is a complete stranger with a double personality. Talking about her personality, am I the only one disappointed that it seems to resolve itself without much help.

Overall, I have to confess that it is mostly the world and the descriptions that made the book for me. The villain may have been predictable to me, yet I’m still quite curious about what is to come in book two!

Review: Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

Release Date: May 15^th, 2012

Number of Pages: 339

Publisher: Doubleday Canada

Source: NetGalley

Code Name Verity is a compelling, emotionally rich story with universal themes of friendship and loyalty, heroism and bravery.

Two young women from totally different backgrounds are thrown together during World War II: one a working-class girl from Manchester, the other a Scottish aristocrat, one a pilot, the other a wireless operator. Yet whenever their paths cross, they complement each other perfectly and before long become devoted friends.

But then a vital mission goes wrong, and one of the friends has to bail out of a faulty plane over France. She is captured by the Gestapo and becomes a prisoner of war. The story begins in “Verity’s” own words, as she writes her account for her captors.

Code Name Verity was a book that I was expecting to really like. After all, I love history, and World War Two is probably the time that fascinates me the most when it comes to the twentieth century. I had heard from many blogger how good it was. Maybe that’s why I started this book with high expectation. Sadly, I didn’t love this book. I found this book to b simply okay in my opinion.

I find it hard to review this book. The story was interesting, but I didn’t like that it was presented as a journal. I felt like it was making the text a lot heavier, as we get a look at the story she is telling and what is going on while she is writing it. I can’t say much about the story, as it is all connected. I would hate to spoil the story for anyone.

The characters for me were hard to really feel towards them. After all, you have a girl who is writing the first ‘journal’ telling her best friends story. Than we meet the best friend later. To me, it is hard to judge a character by that. I felt like I knew more of Von Linden and Engel than Maggie and Verity. I liked both those characters, because to me they represent in a way the impact on German of the Nazis and the war. Everything may not be, as it always seem. After all, Von Linden seems so evil, but through some of his action, I think you can see that he doesn’t always wants to do what he has to do (especially since he has a daughter the same age as Verity)

The story over all was heartbreaking. It was a great idea, but I just couldn’t connect with the story. The way it is told really made it hard for me to enjoy it. I still think you should give it a shot to make your own opinion, or read more reviews about this book. I know many readers who have loved this book. In the end, it just wasn’t for me….

Bout of Books 4.0: Update + Challenge Day 2

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Here is my update post for the first day of Bout of Books Read-a-thon:

5/14
Number of books I’ve read today: 2
Total number of books I’ve read: 2
Books: The Near Witch by Victoria Schwab

Shine by Lauren Myracle

And I started Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein.

How is it going for you guys?


I'm also doing the This or That section of the Book Confession Challenge:

Physical book or eBook?

Physical Books all the way. I don't really like eBook

Paperback or Hardcover?

Hardcover usually, Paperback for the budget...

Reality or Make-believe?

Depends. As long as it is believable in the world created

Adult or Young-Adult?

YA, of course.

Dog ears or Bookmarks?

More like "Any piece of paper I have with me".

Breaking the spine or Barely open the book?

Barely open. 

Tea or Coffee?

COFFEE!!!!

Reading in bed or On the couch?

In bed! 

 Series or Standalone?

Series, but I hate to wait for the next book.

Original or TV Adaptation?

Original

 Defy motion sickness or Audiobooks?

Defy motion sickness

Author crushes or Who-was-that-guy-again?

Author crushes ^.^

Interview or Guest post?

Guest Post.

Review: City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare

City of Lost Souls by Cassandra Clare

The Mortal Instruments #5

Release Date: May 8^th, 2012

Number of Pages: 536

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry

The demon Lilith has been destroyed and Jace has been freed from her captivity. But when the Shadowhunters arrive to rescue him, they find only blood and broken glass. Not only is the boy Clary loves missing–but so is the boy she hates, Sebastian, the son of her father Valentine: a son determined to succeed where their father failed, and bring the Shadowhunters to their knees.

 No magic the Clave can summon can locate either boy, but Jace cannot stay away—not from Clary. When they meet again Clary discovers the horror Lilith’s dying magic has wrought—Jace is no longer the boy she loved. He and Sebastian are now bound to each other, and Jace has become what he most feared: a true servant of Valentine’s evil. The Clave is determined to destroy Sebastian, but there is no way to harm one boy without destroying the other. Will the Shadowhunters hesitate to kill one of their own?

Only a small band of Clary and Jace’s friends and family believe that Jace can still be saved — and that the fate of the Shadowhunters’ future may hinge on that salvation. They must defy the Clave and strike out on their own. Alec, Magnus, Simon and Isabelle must work together to save Jace: bargaining with the sinister Faerie Queen, contemplating deals with demons, and turning at last to the Iron Sisters, the reclusive and merciless weapons makers for the Shadowhunters, who tell them that no weapon on this earth can sever the bond between Sebastian and Jace. Their only chance of cutting Jace free is to challenge Heaven and Hell — a risk that could claim any, or all, of their lives.

And they must do it without Clary. For Clary has gone into the heart of darkness, to play a dangerous game utterly alone. The price of losing the game is not just her own life, but Jace’s soul. She’s willing to do anything for Jace, but can she even still trust him? Or is he truly lost? What price is too high to pay, even for love?

Darkness threatens to claim the Shadowhunters in the harrowing fifth book of the Mortal Instruments series.

This review will be extremely short. The thing is, I love this series. This book didn’t really disappoint me.  After all, this is the story that we have loved for already four books. It has the same character we love, the same character we love to hate.

The thing is, I find it hard to review when I love a book this much. Why? Well, I simply love the series, and to me, it can do no wrong. Well, unless she made her characters do something that is so not them (like Jace falling in love with Simon…)

The story caught me form page one, and I couldn’t stop reading until I was done. There was only one thing that I didn’t like about the book, and it was the abundance of Maya and Jordan. There were many scenes with only those two. The thing is, I don’t really care for them. I want to read about Jace, Clary, Simon, Alec, Magnus and Isabelle. I don’t really care for the other characters so much. I don’t care if it’s a scene that we absolutely need, but when it is only a glance at their relationship, I don’t really want to read about it so much.

If you love this series, you will enjoy this book. It is a nice continuation of City of Fallen Angels.

Bout of Books 4.0: My Goal

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I've decided to enter Bout of Books Read-a-thon, as I'm trying to clean my TBR shelves before BEA. Bonus, I'm not working this week so I have a lot of time to read. To know more about this read-a-thon, simply click on the button above. The read-a-thon starts Monday and ends Sunday. You still ahve time to join if you want!

My Goal:

I want to read at least two books per day. After all, I'm not working this week, so I have a lot of time to read.

My List:

Clean by Amy Reed

The Near Witch by Victoria Schwab
Ordinary Beauty by Laura Wiess
The Exiled Queen by Cinda Williams Chima
Ink Exchange by Melissa Marr
Wake by Amanda Hocking
Entice by Carrie Jones
Shine by Lauren Myracle
Wings of the Wicked by Courtney Allison Moulton
The Catastrophic History of You and Me by Jess Rothenberg
Wildfire by Karsten Knight
Spells by Aprilynne Pike
Monument 14 by Emmy Laybourne
Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

The list may change, and if it's the case, I'll change it here.

Are you participating? What are your goal?
If you want to follow my updates, it will be mostly on twitter, and once a day here!

Updates:
5/14
Number of books I’ve read today: 2
Total number of books I’ve read: 2
Books: The Near Witch, Shine

5/15
Number of books I’ve read today: 2
Total number of books I’ve read: 4
Books: Code Name Verity, Monument 14


5/16
Number of books I’ve read today: 3
Total number of books I’ve read:7
Books: Spells, Clean, Entice


5/17
Number of books I’ve read today: 1
Total number of books I’ve read: 8
Books: The Exiled Queen


5/18
Number of books I’ve read today: 3
Total number of books I’ve read: 11
Books: Wake, The Catastrophic History of You and Me, Wildefire


5/19
Number of books I’ve read today: 2
Total number of books I’ve read: 13
Books: Ink Exchange, Wings of the Wicked


5/20
Number of books I've read today:
Total number of books I've read:
Books:

Stacking The Shelves (3)

Stacking the Shelves is a meme hosted by Tynga at Tynga's Reviews, inspired by In My Mailbox. It is a way for blogger to share the books we got during the week.

Here is what I received:

Eona by Alison Goodman

And here is what I bought:

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith
Glow by Amy Kathleen Ryan
Clean by Amy Reed
The Near Witch by Victoria Schwab

What did you get this week?

Review: Glow by Amy Kathleen Ryan

Glow by Amy Kathleen Ryan

Sky Chasers #1

Release Date: September 13^th, 2011

Number of Pages: 307

Publisher: St. Martin’s Griffin

What if you were bound for a new world, about to pledge your life to someone you'd been promised to since birth, and one unexpected violent attack made survival—not love—the issue?

Out in the murky nebula lurks an unseen enemy: the New Horizon. On its way to populate a distant planet in the wake of Earth's collapse, the ship's crew has been unable to conceive a generation to continue its mission. They need young girls desperately, or their zealous leader's efforts will fail. Onboard their sister ship, the Empyrean, the unsuspecting families don't know an attack is being mounted that could claim the most important among them...

Fifteen-year-old Waverly is part of the first generation to be successfully conceived in deep space; she was born on the Empyrean, and the large farming vessel is all she knows. Her concerns are those of any teenager—until Kieran Alden proposes to her. The handsome captain-to-be has everything Waverly could ever want in a husband, and with the pressure to start having children, everyone is sure he's the best choice. Except for Waverly, who wants more from life than marriage—and is secretly intrigued by the shy, darkly brilliant Seth.

But when the Empyrean faces sudden attack by their assumed allies, they quickly find out that the enemies aren't all from the outside.

I had been really curious about Glow for a while, so when I got my hands on a copy not long ago, I had to read right away. The summary reminded me a little of Across the Universe by Beth Revis, a book I had absolutely loved. Glow sounds similar, so I should love it, right? Wrong. I didn’t hate it; I simply didn’t love it. There were a couple of things that really made me cringe while I was reading it.

First, there was only one character that I really liked. Waverly was, to me, a complete character with strengths and weakness that actually did compliment her. I felt like she didn’t simply want to believe all the information she was fed. She wanted the truth, and she is the kind of person who will fight to find it. I really understood the way she reacted on the other ship, the way she tried to protect the girls and find a way to save them and the other captives. Her parts in the book were really my favorite.

Now, on the other side, there’s Kieran. I felt like Amy Kathleen Ryan was trying to portray him as this amazing good guy, the complete opposite of Seth. That annoyed me. The good guy, the one that doesn’t want to use violence or guns, the one that believes in God and in what the adults always told him. He simply doesn’t look like the kind of person who would question anything. That annoys me in a main character. Seth wasn’t that much better. I liked him at first, when we first meet him with Waverly. Once there is not more adult, he turns into this mean and cruel guy who wants to control the ship with fear. I felt like we were fed two extremes simply to give us conflict on the ship, and it is something I usually dislike.

Lastly, I have to talk about the religious aspect that is present on both narrations. Waverly isn’t a believer, but we are confronted with a lot of God talk, of religion on the New Horizon ship, as they are all believers. The “Captain’ is after all the Pastor. If the book only had that as religious, I wouldn’t have minded. Yet, Kieran on his ship brings religion into their life, and start preaching every Sunday. That really made me cringe. Religion in books is something I’m not really comfortable with, unless really really nicely done. In this book, it made me uncomfortable in the end.

Overall, this book was simply okay to me. The Waverly part of the novel really made up for the weaknesses. Those who like that kind of novel, and that don’t mind the religious theme will probably enjoy it. For those of you who have trouble with religion on book, I maybe wouldn’t put it on top of your reading list.

Have you read it? What did you think?

Review: The Statitistical Probability of Love At First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith

The Statitistical Probability of Love At First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith

Release Date: January 2^nd, 2012

Number of Pages: 236

Publisher: Poppy

Who would have guessed that four minutes could change everything?

 Today should be one of the worst days of seventeen-year-old Hadley Sullivan's life. She's stuck at JFK, late to her father's second wedding, which is taking place in London and involves a soon to be step-mother that Hadley's never even met. Then she meets the perfect boy in the airport's cramped waiting area. His name is Oliver, he's British, and he's in seat 18C. Hadley's in 18A.

Twists of fate and quirks of timing play out in this thoughtful novel about family connections, second chances and first loves. Set over a 24-hour-period, Hadley and Oliver's story will make you believe that true love finds you when you're least expecting it.

I didn’t really know what to expect with The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight. It sounded like a cute story, and I had heard so many great reviews about it. (I mean, even John Green said that he loved that book…) I started it, not knowing where exactly the story was going. I knew it was in an airport. I knew there would be love at first sight, which isn’t always nicely done. In this book, it was easy to see why Hadley fell for Oliver. As much as I don’t usually find love at first sight believable, in this book, I can easily believe in it.

Hadley is forced to go to London to assist to the wedding of his father and a woman she has never met. She is still mad at her dad for leaving her mother and her. I loved how she was all over the place with her emotions. She doesn’t really want to go to the wedding, yet she is still going, and still trying to make it on time. Then, you have Oliver, who starts as a kind of gentleman, as a sweet guy that can’t seem to let Hadley alone, something she is really happy about. I mean; Oliver is simply amazing with her! She is trying to make the flight easier as she is claustrophobic, he keeps her company, and he tried to make thing better for her when it comes to her father wedding.

The relationship between these two characters does grow fast, but it is incredibly well done. It is believable. After all, they are stuck together for a couple of hours in the airport, than in the airplane. To be stuck so close for so long can make things happen faster. I loved seeing the romance grow between those two. It is really well written. You can’t stop yourself from smiling and giggling as they get to know each other.

This is a perfect read for the summer if you haven’t read it yet. It is short, addicting and easily readable within a few hours. I devoured it in a matter of hours. I simply couldn’t put it down. A must read for those of you who enjoy cute and romantic story. 

Waiting on Wednesday: The Lost Prince by Julie Kagawa

 Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly Meme hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine. It is an opportunity for us to show books we can't wait to get our hands on.

This week, I'm waiting for:

The Lost Prince by Julie Kagawa
Release Date: October 23rd, 2012
Publisher: Harlequin Teen

Set several years after the events of the first, this trilogy will star an older Ethan Chase, Meghan's brother.

How can I not be excited for a new book by Julie Kagawa!!! I mean, I love the Iron Fey series AND the Immortal Rules. I can't wait to read about Ethan.

What are you waiting for this week?

Review: Until I Die by Amy Plum

Until I Die by Amy Plum

Revenants #2

Release Date: May 8^th, 2012

Number of Pages: 352

Publisher: HarperTeen

Kate and Vincent have overcome the odds and at last they are together in Paris, the city of lights and love.

As their romance deepens there’s one question they can’t ignore: How are they supposed to be together if Vincent can’t resist sacrificing himself to save others? Although Vincent promises that he’ll do whatever it takes to lead a normal life with Kate, will that mean letting innocent people die? When a new and surprising enemy reveals itself, Kate realizes that even more may be at stake—and that Vincent’s immortality is in jeopardy.

In Die for Me, Amy Plum created a captivating paranormal mythology with immortal revenants and a lush Paris setting. Until I Die is poised to thrill readers with more heart-pounding suspense, spellbinding romance, and a cliff-hanger ending that will leave them desperate for the third and final novel in the series.

Die For Me was a novel that I had devoured when I first read it. That made me really excited about the sequel Until I Die. Was I disappointed? No. Overall, it was a great sequel. The only complaint I have is the cliffhanger, which leaves us wondering about the future of Vincent and Kate. It wasn’t a horrible and cruel cliffhanger, simply just enough to get you annoy that you can’t read the next book right away.

This novel brings back most characters from the first book. I still like Vincent, but I have to say that I was a little mad that he tried to hide so much from Kate. I mean; Kate did prove in Die For Me that she was strong enough for his world, no? I liked Kate as mush as in Book one, as she is still strong and stubborn. I loved that she was simply sitting back. She tried to find information to make things easier between Vincent and her. After all, their romance is a little affected by the death of Genevieve’s husband, who was also human. It reminded Vincent and Kate that this could be them in a few years…

We are also introduced to two new characters: Arthur and Violette. Both of them are slightly hard to really figure out. We’re never really sure what side they are really on when it comes to Kate. I didn’t like Violette at first, but not after long she starts acting all friendly with Kate. On the other side, Arthur says thing that make Kate thinks he hates human, but he acts really nice with Kate’s sister Georgia. I really like this addition to the characters, as they made things a little more complicated for Kate. I like complicated in books…

Another thing I really liked about this book is that we get to learn more about the revenant, about the numa and about Vincent. Kate tries to figure out more about the origin and the implication of the existence of the revenants. This brought her in a couple of complicated situations.

Overall, I think that readers that have enjoyed the first book in the series, Die For Me, will probably also enjoy this book. It is a nice sequel that makes us excited and curious about what’s to come.