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Tuesday, December 31, 2013

My 2014 Challenges!

For the year 2014, I want to set some reading challenges for myself. I didn't do any for the year 2013, but I did complete my reading goal.

For 2014, I want to read 115 books, so I'm really hoping to complete that challenge.
(You can check my goodreads to see how I'll do on that!)
I'm going to make my challenges small, but I want to complete them all.


TBR Challenge
-Read 10 books that were released before 2014 that have been on my shelf as of 12/29/13
4/10 books completed
1. Mist by Susan Krinard
2. Targeted by Katie Reus
3. Allegiant by Veronica Roth
4. Champion by Marie Lu
5. The Eye of Minds by James Dashner

Audio Book Challenge
-Listen to 10 audio books
1/10 audio books completed
1. Virals by Kathy Reichs

Complete a Series or Trilogy
-Complete 5 series or trilogies that I've already started
5/5 series completed
1. Under the Never Sky Trilogy by Veronica Rossi
2. The Mythos Academy Series by Jennifer Estep
3. Divergent Trilogy by Veronica Roth
4. Blood of Eden Trilogy by Julie Kagawa
5. Legend Trilogy by Marie Lu

Outside of the Usual
-I never really read outside my usual genres that I read, but I want to give more a try.
1. Historical fiction - 0/1
2. Time Travel - 1/1 - The Here and Now by Ann Brashares
3. New Adult - 1/1 - Addicted To You by Krista and Becca Ritchie
4. Comtemporary - 1/1 - Heartbeat by Elizabeth Scott
5. Adult Romance - 1/1 - Targeted by Katie Reus

(If you have any recommendations for any of these genres, please feel free to leave them in a comment!)


Monday, December 30, 2013

I Hunt Killers by Barry Lyga

I Hunt Killers
(Jasper Dent, #1)
by Barry Lyga
Released |April 3rd 2012 by Little, Brown and Company|
Edition |Audio|

Add to goodreads
What if the world's worst serial killer...was your dad?
Jasper "Jazz" Dent is a likable teenager. A charmer, one might say.
But he's also the son of the world's most infamous serial killer, and for Dear Old Dad, Take Your Son to Work Day was year-round. Jazz has witnessed crime scenes the way cops wish they could—from the criminal's point of view.
And now bodies are piling up in Lobo's Nod.
In an effort to clear his name, Jazz joins the police in a hunt for a new serial killer. But Jazz has a secret—could he be more like his father than anyone knows?
Listening to audio books really help me in trying to get out of a reading slump. That's why I decided to pick up I Hunt Killers on audio from my library. I felt it was a good book, but I feel like I missed out on a lot of the story because I just wasn't in a reading mood and I was losing focus and not paying attention to the narrator a lot of the times in the beginning. It took me about 3/9 parts to finally start getting into the story, understanding the characters, and liking the story as a whole. When I finally started listening to the story fully, I started to really enjoy it. I found Jasper Dent to be an interesting character. His way of thinking was unusual and might be considered weird by many people. I didn't know if I wanted to sympathize with Jasper in the beginning because I didn't know if he would become the bad person that every thought he would be. Being the son of a serial killer was hard on Jasper and it messed with his mind. His father was freaking psychotic, a serial killer! He murdered, raped and just violated over a hundred women and liked to tell Jasper about what he did. What? So you can just imagine how that started to affect Jasper.

Saturday, December 28, 2013

Book Hauling It Up (79)

Hey Everyone,

I hope everyone had a happy Christmas if you celebrated it :) Mine was pretty good and I had fun with my family. I bought a few books with one of the gift cards I got, but I'm trying to wait to use the gift cards for upcoming releases that I really want to get.

Don't forget to leave your links! Is anyone excited for the new year? lol

Audio Book
I've started it and it's pretty interesting so far. 

Print/Ebooks

Friday, December 27, 2013

Team Human by Justine Larbalestier, Sarah Rees Brennan

Team Human
by Justine Larbalestier, Sarah Rees Brennan 
Released |July 3rd 2012 by HarperTeen|
Edition |Audio|

Add to Goodreads
Readers who love vampire romances will be thrilled to devour Team Human by Justine Larbalestier and Sarah Rees Brennan. Team Human celebrates and parodies the Twilight books, as well as other classics in the paranormal romance genre.

Mel is horrified when Francis Duvarney, arrogant, gorgeous, and undead, starts at her high school. Mel’s best friend, Cathy, immediately falls for the vampire. Cathy is determined to be with him forever, even if having him turn her could inadvertently make her a zombie.

And Mel is equally determined to prove to her BFF that Francis is no good, braving the city’s vampire district and kissing a cute boy raised by vampires as she searches evidence in this touching and comic novel
This is a hard review to write because it has been awhile since I've finished the book. Usually I write my reviews right after I finish reading them, so please, bare with me. I have mixed feelings about Team Human. I liked it, but I didn't. It wasn't mind blowing. I've not read a book by either of the authors so I had no idea what to expect. When it says this would be a parody of the twilight books in the synopsis, it wasn't lying. They nailed it! But considering how much I hated the romance in Twilight, I hated it in this pertaining to Cathy and Francis lol It annoyed me and I felt like I was in Twilight all over again with Edward and Bella.

Wednesday, December 25, 2013

Merry Christmas Everyone!

Hey everyone,

I hope everyone has a fantastic Christmas if it is a holiday that you celebrate! I hope you get things from your wishlist and enjoy time with family and friends if you are with them :) Stay safe and enjoy your holiday!

Janina

Monday, December 23, 2013

Wrap Up: 2013

Hey everyone,

I hope everyone had a great year in books! I finished my goodreads goal of reading 110 books and I'm really excited about that. So I say, it was a successful year! I can't wait to get on the ball for 2014. This year I read quite a few interesting books, some outside of my usually genre, some good reads, and some bad reads.

If you want to see the list of books I read in 2013, you can check them out here. Want to see the reviews on the books I reads, check them out here. See my author interviews and guest posts here.

For the year 2013, I also participated in my first readathons and they were so fun :) I also participated in my first live book talk/chat. I'm glad I got to enjoy those this year! I want to thank all my new followers of the year and also my old followers. And also those who visit my blog and leave comments, whether its for one day out the week, month, or even the year! Seeing the comments makes me happy because I love seeing what you guys think :)

I'm still trying to figure out if I'm going to change my blog design for 2014. Should I? I would love your feed back on that!

Top 10 books of 2013
I just realized that every book on my list is a part of a series lol
I'm thinking these are my top books of 2013, but I don't know for sure. 
These books stood out to me and are ones that I enjoyed a lot!

Books That Surprised Me
All four of these books surprised me because I didn't really know what to expect of them and ended up enjoying them. 

Saturday, December 21, 2013

Book Hauling It Up (78)

Hey everyone,

Hope that you all have a great week and happy holidays! I hope everyone has a great Christmas if you celebrate it :) I still have not read any books, but I have been listening to I Hunt Killers on audio.And I got my Mom to read Hush, Hush :) And she's liking it so far even though and I quote "Nora is a ditsy" lol

Bought

I've been curious about both these books for awhile and I couldn't resist getting Ruby Red since it was so cheap!

Thursday, December 19, 2013

Where the Moon Isn't by Nathan Filer

Where the Moon Isn't
by Nathan Filer
Released |November 5th 2013 by St. Martin's Press|
Edition |Hardback, 320 pages|

Source |Publisher|
Add to Goodreads
A stunning novel. Ambitious and exquisitely realized . . . clearly the work of a major new talent." —S. J. Watson, New York Times bestselling author of Before I Go to Sleep
While on vacation with their parents, Matthew Homes and his older brother snuck out in the middle of the night. Only Matthew came home safely. Ten years later, Matthew tells us, he has found a way to bring his brother back...
What begins as the story of a lost boy turns into a story of a brave man yearning to understand what happened that night, in the years since, and to his very person. Unafraid to look at the shadows of our hearts, Nathan Filer's rare and brilliant debut Where the Moon Isn't shows us the strength that is rooted in resilience and love.
Where the Moon Isn't was a story I didn't really know what to expect going into reading it. I hadn't seen any reviews for it, but the synopsis had me very curious and intrigued. Even though I had no I idea what to expect when I started this book, it was still so unexpected. This was is a mystery that you yearned to know what happened on that night and how things would end. You know something bad happens, but you just don't know what. You want to know why Matthew is the way he is. What had me so intrigued with the story was the writing style of the author and how he went about creating this story. I've not read a book quite like this before. Being in the mind of Matthew was hard at times. We get to know him through his past memories when he was child and also in the present. But Matthew isn't an average person, so reading from his POV could be a pain at times. He flips through memories so quickly, but the memories were very important in getting to know him and the pain that he has been going through all these years. Matthew has a mental illness and we learn about it in pieces. The death of his older brother Simon when they were kids started to mess with his mind. Simon had special needs. This story was painful to read. I wouldn't say it was emotional for me to read about, the pain of the situations and having to painful unravel all the painful memories that Matt was reliving was just really hard to read about.

Wednesday, December 18, 2013

Wishlist Wednesday (63): Wings

Wishlist Wednesday is a book blog hop where we will post about one book per week that has been on our wishlist for some time, or just added (it's entirely up to you), that we can't wait to get off the wishlist and onto our wonderful shelves.
Hosted by: Pen to Paper
Wings
(Black City, #3)
by Elizabeth Richards
Releases |June 12th 2014 by G.P. Putnam's Sons BYR|
Add to Goodreads
Following the cliffhanger ending of Phoenix, Natalie finds herself separated from Ash and unexpectedly reunited with her parents, including the father she thought was dead. But she can only think of Ash. She hasn't heard a word of him since she and Elijah were brought to the underground headquarters of the Sentry Rebellion. But she vows to find him.
Ash, meanwhile is back in Black City; it's the perfect place to hide from the Sentry government. But not for long. He won't give up on Natalie or bringing an end to the terrible reign of Purian Rose.
A pulse-racing end to an exciting series.

Why I'm Wishing...
I've been really enjoying this series and can't wait to see how everything ends. It's fun and fast paced and the romance is pretty good as well :) And the covers are just amazing!

Other Books in the Series


Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Movie Reviews (short): Catching Fire, Ender's Games, and City of Bones

Hey Everyone,
I'm here with a couple of movie reviews of movies released in the past few months based off books :) Have anyone read any of the books or seen any of the movies?What did you think of the movies if you saw them?

Okay, so I was really excited for Catching Fire because I just loved the trilogy and I enjoyed the first movie. I was really curious to see how the second one would turn out and it did not disappoint. I seriously enjoy this movie so much! I felt all the characters played their role extremely well and the excitement and anticipating of the scenes were all there for me. And omg, so of the scenes were straight out of the book and were played awesome! I have to agree with some people on that :) I always feel like these movies have some slow parts though. It wasn't slow as in boring, but slow and building up to the next scene. Overall, I loved the movie and can't wait to see how they play out Mockingjay. Speaking of Mockingjay, the Mockingjay dress? Oh say I heard they were splitting Mockingjay into a two part movie. Is that true?


When I saw this movie, I knew there was a book based on it, but I didn't not read the book. So I have no idea how this movie compares to the book. I did enjoy the movie though. It wasn't the best, in my opinion, but I found it very interesting and I'm now curious enough to check out the book at some point. I loved the whole space theme and how the kids played a major role. Ender's way of thinking was interesting and it made him smart and great at surviving. If I were to give a rating, I would probably rate the movie around 3.5 stars which isn't to bad :)

I love this book series, but was pretty skeptical about seeing the movie for some reason. I wasn't to thrill about the character who was playing Jace because it just wasn't how I pictured him in my head lol Is that bad? But by the end of the movie, I actually liked the guy. I enjoyed the movie as well, but there were parts that I didn't like. Valentine wasn't one of my favorites. I didn't like his character all that much. He was sort of weird and not at all how I imagined him in my head. And yes, the movie had its cheesy moments that made me just all out crack up and LOL because of the cheesiness. But it was still enjoyable. Alec's character surprised me. I mean, he was sort of bad ass and his snarky attitude towards Clary was dead on. I'm excited to check out more of the movies now. 


Monday, December 16, 2013

Cover Reveal: Stakeout by Nikki Jefford

Stakeout 
(Aurora Sky: Vampire Hunter, #2.5)
by Nikki Jefford
Releases |January 14th 2014|
Genres |New Adult, Paranormal, Urban Fantasy|
Noel Harper got a second chance at life when the government recruited her as an undercover vampire informant. Since the day they brought her back from the good-as-dead, she has wanted to prove herself worthy.
When a member of her investigative unit is murdered, Noel is paired up with a vampire hunter named Dante to spy on a suspect in Fairbanks. The problem? They’re not the only ones on stakeout. Taking down murderous vampires is one thing. Dealing with the past is another. But this time, Noel isn’t letting fear win. She’s calling in help from the other side and learns a shocking secret along the way.
(STAKEOUT is an Aurora Sky: Vampire Hunter novella told from Noel Harper’s POV. Approximately 40,000 words)

Purchase Book 1
Purchase Book 2

Author Bio
Nikki Jefford is a third generation Alaskan who found paradise in the not-so-tropical San Juan Islands (Wash.) where she is once more neighbors with Canada in a town without a single traffic light. She loves fictional bad boys and heroines who kick butt.
When she's not reading, writing, working, or out on a nature walk, she's out riding her Suzuki DRZ400SM.
Author links

Saturday, December 14, 2013

Book Hauling It Up (77)

Hey Everyone :)

This week I only got one book, which I received from the library.
This is my final week of classes for the semester! YAY, so now I can finally sit down and get some reading done. I think I've only read like one book this month so far. SUCKS!

Library (Audio)
I've been curious about this one. Anyone read it?

Thursday, December 12, 2013

Blood Bound by Keshia Swaim


Blood Bound
by Keshia Swaim
Released |October 8th 2013 by Spencer Hill Press|
Edition |Physical ARC|
Source |Publisher|
Add to Goodreads
Starting college a year early is hard. Starting fae college and learning to protect the world from the Unseelie is harder.
Brielle Reed has always been an over-achiever, but this time she may have bitten off more than she can chew. Between her crash course in fae politics, struggles to control her new mind-reading ability, training sessions with the demanding Dr. Schwartz, and discoveries about the father who is still a mystery to her, Brielle finds herself longing for a chance at a normal life.
But she may not get that chance. Or chance at a life at all, for that matter.
So I have absolutely no idea what to rate this book. My thoughts are so jumbled together as well as my feelings for the book. When I first started Blood Bound, I was really close to DNF'ing it. After about a month or so (I really don't know), I came back to it and finished it in a day because it's a really short read. I had a lot of problems with this book, but by the time I got to the end of the story, I was actually pretty intrigued. I wouldn't say that I liked it, but I also wouldn't say that didn't like if that makes any sense.

I felt this book was all over the place in scene switching. One minute we're here and then the next were there. I also had no connection to any of the characters, but I must say that I did like Brielle's roommate Pamie. She made the story fun. The romance was big part of the story as well as the Unseelie trying to take over. I couldn't get with the romance either. But that's the thing, I didn't like many things, but somehow by the end of the story I was just...okay with the book. I guess what I'm trying to say is that everything was just okay, if that makes since. It was an okay book. I didn't hate any of the character and I didn't hate the romance or the story. I just wish there was some sort of wow factor that would have gotten me excited.

Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Wishlist Wednesday (62): Lies My Girlfriend Told Me

Wishlist Wednesday is a book blog hop where we will post about one book per week that has been on our wishlist for some time, or just added (it's entirely up to you), that we can't wait to get off the wishlist and onto our wonderful shelves.
Hosted by: Pen to Paper
Lies My Girlfriend Told Me
by Julie Anne Peters
Releases |June 10th 2014 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers|
Add to Goodreads
When Alix's charismatic girlfriend, Swanee, dies from sudden cardiac arrest, Alix is overcome with despair. As she searches Swanee's room for mementos of their relationship, she finds Swanee's cell phone, pinging with dozens of texts sent from a mysterious contact, L.T. The most recent text reads: "Please tell me what I did. Please, Swan. Te amo. I love you."
Shocked and betrayed, Alix learns that Swanee has been leading a double life--secretly dating a girl named Liana the entire time she's been with Alix. Alix texts Liana from Swanee's phone, pretending to be Swanee in order to gather information before finally meeting face-to-face to break the news.
Brought together by Swanee's lies, Alix and Liana become closer than they'd thought possible. But Alix is still hiding the truth from Liana. Alix knows what it feels like to be lied to--but will coming clean to Liana mean losing her, too?
Why I'm Wishing...
I ran across this book on Pinterest and the title immediately made me want to check it out :) So, of course, I had to look it up on Goodreads. I don't typically go for books like this, but I'm now curious.

Monday, December 9, 2013

November Wrap Up and December TBR!

Hey Everyone,

I know my wrap up post is kind of late, but I'm going to do it anyway :)
For November I read 10 books, which was exciting. I haven't read that many books in awhile since I've been really busy with school! I also finished my goodreads goal of finishing 110 books in 2013 after finishing Where the Moon Isn't, which is the last book I read in November!


November Wrap Up
The Dollhouse Asylum by Mary Gray - Physical ARC3 stars review
The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes - eARC4 stars review
Sentinel by Jennifer L. Armentrout - 3.5 stars review
Pawn by Aimee Carter - eARC2 stars review
Darkness Awakened by Katie Reus - eARC4 stars review
Through the Ever Night by Veronica Rossi - 4 stars review
These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman - eARC - 4 stars review 
Fake ID by Lamar Giles - eARC - 4 stars review
Blood Bound by Keshia Swaim - Physical ARC - review to come
Where the Moon Isn't by Nathan Filer - review copy - review to come

December TBR
I already finished Team Human and I'm almost a quarter of the way through Mist. 

Sunday, December 8, 2013

Somewhat 2 year Blogiversary/Christmas giveaway (US/CA)!

Hey Everyone,

I've been meaning to give these two books away back in October. I call it a somewhat 2 year blogiversary/Christmas giveaway because I want to do another giveaway. So this is kind of sorta like a part one. My blogiverary was October 18th and I can't believe I've been blogging for 2 years now :)

I'll be giving away a hardback of Poison Princess by Kresley Cole and Rebel Heart by Moira Young
There will be two winners (One winner for each book!)
This is open to the US and Canada.

Synopsis for Poison Princess
She could save the world—or destroy it.

Sixteen-year-old Evangeline "Evie" Greene leads a charmed life, until she begins experiencing horrifying hallucinations. When an apocalyptic event decimates her Louisiana hometown, Evie realizes her hallucinations were actually visions of the future—and they're still happening. Fighting for her life and desperate for answers, she must turn to her wrong-side-of-the-bayou classmate: Jack Deveaux.

But she can't do either alone.

With his mile-long rap sheet, wicked grin, and bad attitude, Jack is like no boy Evie has ever known. Even though he once scorned her and everything she represented, he agrees to protect Evie on her quest. She knows she can't totally depend on Jack. If he ever cast that wicked grin her way, could she possibly resist him?
Who can Evie trust?
As Jack and Evie race to find the source of her visions, they meet others who have gotten the same call. An ancient prophesy is being played out, and Evie is not the only one with special powers. A group of twenty-two teens has been chosen to reenact the ultimate battle between good and evil. But it's not always clear who is on which side.

Synopsis for Rebel Heart (book 2 in the Dustlands Trilogy)
Saba thought her world would return to normal after they defeated the Tonton and rescued her kidnapped brother Lugh. The family head west for a better life and a longed-for reunion with Jack. But a formidable enemy is on the rise. What is the truth about Jack? And how far will Saba go to get what she wants?
a Rafflecopter giveaway


Saturday, December 7, 2013

Book Hauling It Up (76)

Hey Everyone,

I hope everyone has had a great week! I've been trying not to but so many books which is why I haven't been having as many book haul. And I just found out I only have 3 more classes left to take before I get my bachelor's! YAY, I'm super excited!

Don't forget to leave the links to your haul :) I'd love to check them out.

For Review - Edelweiss and Netgalley
I'm so excited for all of these :)

Me and Mom Bought
Will be starting this really soon! (we split the price)
So I got my mom to read this series about a year ago and she finished the VA series in like a week! WOW...and the Bloodlines right after that. We were arguing over who was going to read this one first. I won, of course lol

Ebooks



Thursday, December 5, 2013

Fake ID by Lamar Giles

Fake ID
by Lamar Giles
Released |January 21st 2014 by HarperCollins|
Edition |eARC|
Source |Edelweiss|

Add to Goodreads
Nick Pearson is hiding in plain sight…
My name isn’t really Nick Pearson.
I shouldn’t tell you where I’m from or why my family moved to Stepton, Virginia.
I shouldn’t tell you who I really am, or my hair, eye, and skin color.
And I definitely shouldn’t tell you about my friend Eli Cruz and the major conspiracy he was about to uncover when he died—right after I moved to town. About how I had to choose between solving his murder with his hot sister, Reya, and “staying low-key” like the Program has taught me. About how moving to Stepon changed my life forever.
But I’m going to.
I've been reading a lot of fast paced reads lately and Fake ID was no exception. Mystery with some mob-ish/criminal elements going on within the book equals awesome for me! I didn't really no what to expect when I started reading this book. All I knew was that the synopsis had me intrigued and the more I continued to read, the more I became glued to the story. There were a lot of twists to keep you guessing at was to come next.  I would recommend this to those who enjoys mystery books :)

Wednesday, December 4, 2013

Wishlist Wednesday (61): The Winter People

Wishlist Wednesday is a book blog hop where we will post about one book per week that has been on our wishlist for some time, or just added (it's entirely up to you), that we can't wait to get off the wishlist and onto our wonderful shelves.
Hosted by: Pen to Paper
The Winter People
by Rebekah L. Purdy
Releases |July 1st 2014|
Add to Goodreads
An engrossing, complex, romantic fantasy perfect for fans of Kristin Cashore or Maggie Stiefvater, set in a wholly unique world.
Salome Montgomery fears winter—the cold, the snow, the ice, but most of all, the frozen pond she fell through as a child. Haunted by the voices and images of the strange beings that pulled her to safety, she hasn't forgotten their warning to "stay away." For eleven years, she has avoided the winter woods, the pond, and the darkness that lurks nearby. But when failing health takes her grandparents to Arizona, she is left in charge of maintaining their estate. This includes the "special gifts" that must be left at the back of the property.
 

Salome discovers she’s a key player in a world she’s tried for years to avoid. At the center of this world is the strange and beautiful Nevin, who she finds trespassing on her family’s property. Cursed with dark secrets and knowledge of the creatures in the woods, his interactions with Salome take her life in a new direction. A direction where she'll have to decide between her longtime crush Colton, who could cure her fear of winter. Or Nevin who, along with an appointed bodyguard, Gareth, protects her from the darkness that swirls in the snowy backdrop. An evil that, given the chance, will kill her.

Why I'm Wishing...
I just think this story sounds really interesting :) And I really want to give it a try.

Monday, December 2, 2013

These Broken Stars by Amie Kaufman

These Broken Stars
(Starbound, #1)
by Amie Kaufman and Meagan Spooner
Released |December 10th 2013 by Disney Hyperion|
Edition |eARC|
Source |Netgalley|

Add to Goodreads
It's a night like any other on board the Icarus. Then, catastrophe strikes: the massive luxury spaceliner is yanked out of hyperspace and plummets into the nearest planet. Lilac LaRoux and Tarver Merendsen survive. And they seem to be alone.
Lilac is the daughter of the richest man in the universe. Tarver comes from nothing, a young war hero who learned long ago that girls like Lilac are more trouble than they’re worth. But with only each other to rely on, Lilac and Tarver must work together, making a tortuous journey across the eerie, deserted terrain to seek help.
Then, against all odds, Lilac and Tarver find a strange blessing in the tragedy that has thrown them into each other’s arms. Without the hope of a future together in their own world, they begin to wonder—would they be better off staying here forever?
Everything changes when they uncover the truth behind the chilling whispers that haunt their every step. Lilac and Tarver may find a way off this planet. But they won’t be the same people who landed on it.
Every thing I got from These Broken Stars was just so unexpected. I ended up really enjoying this book and flew through the story. I found the world that was created to be really interesting because I don't read many sci-fi/outer space type of stories. This book was all about survival, with a little bit of romance thrown into the mix. I was intrigued throughout the entire book and had a really hard time putting it down. And also liked how we got both the perspectives of Lilac and Tarver. I would definitely recommend giving this book a try :)

Thursday, November 28, 2013

Pawn by Aimee Carter

Pawn 
(The Blackcoat Rebellion, #1)
by Aimee Carter
Released |November 26th 2013 by Harlequin Teen|
Edition |eARC|

Source |Netgalley|
Add to Goodreads
YOU CAN BE A VII. IF YOU GIVE UP EVERYTHING.
For Kitty Doe, it seems like an easy choice. She can either spend her life as a III in misery, looked down upon by the higher ranks and forced to leave the people she loves, or she can become a VII and join the most powerful family in the country.
If she says yes, Kitty will be Masked—surgically transformed into Lila Hart, the Prime Minister's niece, who died under mysterious circumstances. As a member of the Hart family, she will be famous. She will be adored. And for the first time, she will matter.
There's only one catch. She must also stop the rebellion that Lila secretly fostered, the same one that got her killed …and one Kitty believes in. Faced with threats, conspiracies and a life that's not her own, she must decide which path to choose—and learn how to become more than a pawn in a twisted game she's only beginning to understand.
Going into Pawn, I believe I had a bit of a high expectation because of how much I enjoyed the author's other series. Pawn was let down for me. I just couldn't connect with the story or the characters. The story was interesting, yes, I will definitely give it that and it was probably the reason why I continued to read it, but I just couldn't connect with it. The part I found the most intriguing was when Kitty was Masked. I found it kind of fascinating and was curious to see where the story would go from there. The raking system was also very interesting to read about. Being ranked from a I to VII was pretty interesting. I wish we could have learned about the other parts of the country instead of just the area that Kitty was from. It would have been nice to see. And by the end of the book, I sort of liked Knox. I thought his character was cute and was hoping for a bit more there, but that really didn't happen. 

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Wishlist Wednesday (60): Forget Me

Wishlist Wednesday is a book blog hop where we will post about one book per week that has been on our wishlist for some time, or just added (it's entirely up to you), that we can't wait to get off the wishlist and onto our wonderful shelves.
Hosted by: Pen to Paper

Forget Me
by K.A. Harrington
Releases |August 14th 2014 by Penguin|
Add to Goodreads
Two names. One face. A dangerous secret exposed.
Morgan never minded her boyfriend Flynn’s dark and private nature. She found it mysterious and alluring. But now he’s dead, and she can’t move forward. On the three-month anniversary of Flynn’s death, Morgan uploads her only photo of him to the social media site FriendShare to get some closure, but she’s shocked when the facial recognition software suggests she tag him as Evan Murphy. She’s never heard of Evan, but a quick search tells her that he lives in a nearby town and looks exactly like Flynn. Same eyes, nose, jawline. Only this boy is very much alive.
Digging through layers of secrets, Morgan questions everything she thought she knew about her town, her boyfriend, and even her parents’ involvement in this massive web of lies. K. A. Harrington’s superb plotting and breakneck pacing will keep readers turning each tension-filled page in a race to the stunning conclusion
Why I'm Wishing...
This sounds pretty good. I definitely want to give it a try because I love a mystery :)

Monday, November 25, 2013

Through the Ever Night by Veronica Rossi

Through the Ever Night
(Under the Never Sky, #2)
by Veronica Rossi
Released |January 8th 2013 by HarperCollins|
Edition |Hardback, 341 pages|
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It's been months since Aria learned of her mother's death.
Months since Perry became Blood Lord of the Tides, and months since Aria last saw him.
Now Aria and Perry are about to be reunited. It's a moment they've been longing for with countless expectations. And it's a moment that lives up to all of them. At least, at first.
Then it slips away. The Tides don't take kindly to former Dwellers like Aria. And the tribe is swirling out of Perry's control. With the Aether storms worsening every day, the only remaining hope for peace and safety is the Still Blue. But does this haven truly exist?
Threatened by false friends 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 sci-fi elements to create a captivating adventure-and a love story as perilous as it is unforgettable
I really enjoyed Through the Ever Night :) I don't know why I've been putting off reading it for so long, but I'm so glad that I finally read it! I was hoping my library would get the audio of it since I read Under the Never Sky in audio form, but hey, it doesn't matter. I loved being back in this interesting world and reconnecting with all the amazing characters. I was pretty amazed at how easily it was for me to dive into the story because lately I've not been able to really get fully into a book until about a quarter of the way in. The story was really good and I'm can't wait to start the next book to see how everything turns out. 

Saturday, November 23, 2013

Book Hauling It Up (75)

Hey Everyone :)

I hope everyone has had a great week!
And also enjoy your weekend.
I would love to check out your hauls as well :)

Library - (Audio)

Ebooks Bought
I really don't know why I got Beautiful Nightmare, but will see. I didn't like the first two, but I feel the need to finish out the series.


Thursday, November 21, 2013

Darkness Awakened by Katie Reus

Darkness Awakened
(Darkness, #1)
 by Katie Reus
Released |November 3rd 2013 by Katie Reus|
Edition |eBook|
Source |Netgalley|

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Years ago he ended things between them to protect her…
As leader of one of the fiercest werewolf packs in the south, Finn Stavros is in full battle mode 24/7. He has no choice—he’s one of the few beings strong enough to fight the Akkadian demons, whose mysterious escape from hell threatens the entire world. With the battle turning bloodier by the second, Finn is ready for anything…until his vampire long lost love shows up on his doorstep in desperate need of his help, sending his heart into a tailspin. He agrees to help her, unaware that she carries a shocking secret that will turn his life upside down.
This time, he’s not letting her go…
Vampire Lyra Marius curses the day she met Finn. The ruthless werewolf promised to love her forever, but he rejected her instead—before she could share her life altering news. Pregnant, kicked out of her coven, and cast aside by the love of her life, Lyra struggled to raise their rare shifter-vampire daughter Vega alone among humans. When the 16-year-old is kidnapped and used to fulfill a frightening prophecy, Lyra swallows her pride and turns to Finn for help. But how long can she fight her feelings for him and keep him from guessing the truth about who Vega really is? As they race against the clock to save their daughter, they must defeat the lethal threat imposed by demons infiltrating the human world and a hell gate that could not only reveal their existence to mankind, but destroy the world in the process.
Darkness was a very fast paced read that had some very exciting elements to it. It's been quite awhile since I've read a book that involved shifters and vamps, especially with the two together. It was nice to be back on that side of things since I am definitely a shifter fan. This was a fun read. The pacing was fast, but you get some pretty awesome characters to back it up. I would recommend this to those who like these kind of stories.

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Wishlist Wednesday (59): Captivate

Wishlist Wednesday is a book blog hop where we will post about one book per week that has been on our wishlist for some time, or just added (it's entirely up to you), that we can't wait to get off the wishlist and onto our wonderful shelves.
Hosted by: Pen to Paper
Captivate
by Vanessa Garden
Releases |January 1st 2014 by Harlequin TEEN|
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In a glittering underwater world, nothing is as it seems...
For the past twelve months since her parents’ death, seventeen-year-old Miranda Sun has harboured a dark secret — a secret that has strained the close relationship she once shared with her older sister, Lauren. In an effort to repair this broken bond, Miranda’s grandparents whisk the siblings away on a secluded beach holiday. Except before Miranda gets a chance to confess her life-changing secret, she’s dragged underwater by a mysterious stranger while taking a midnight swim.
Awakening days later, Miranda discovers that she’s being held captive in a glittering underwater city by an arrogant young man named Marko...the King of this underwater civilisation.
Nineteen-year-old Marko intends to marry Miranda in order to keep his crown from falling into the sinister clutches of his half-brother, Damir. There’s only one problem. Miranda is desperate to return home to right things with her sister and she wants nothing to do with Marko. Trying to secure her freedom, Miranda quickly forms an alliance with Robbie — Marko’s personal guard. However, she soon discovers that even underwater, people are hiding dangerous secrets...

Why I'm Wishing...
I haven't read a book like this in quite awhile and I only just found out about this yesterday. I'm intrigued :) I'd definitely like to know what secret she's desperately trying to tell her sister.

Monday, November 18, 2013

Sentinel by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Sentinel
(Covenant, #5)
by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Released |November 2nd 2013 by Spencer Hill Press|
Edition |ebook|
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It's a beautiful day for a war.
As the mortal world slowly slips into chaos of the godly kind, Alexandria Andros must overcome a stunning defeat that has left her shaken and in doubt of their ability to end this war once and for all.
And with all the obstacles between Alex and her happily-ever-after with the swoonworthy Aiden St. Delphi, they must now trust a deadly foe as they travel deep into the Underworld to release one of the most dangerous gods of all time.
In the stunning, action-packed climax to the bestselling Covenant series, Alex must face a terrible choice: the destruction of everything and everyone she holds dear… or the end of herself.
I must say that out of all the books in this Covenant series, this is my least favorite even though I still enjoyed it. Now don't get me wrong, even though I said it was my least favorite, I still thought the book was good. It had some enjoyable moments, but as a final book, I thought it could have been better. I'm glad I started to the series and I'm definitely sad to see it end. This installment had some action packed moments and I was dying to know how things would end. I still would recommend this series because it is a favorite of mine. I can't wait to see what Armentrout has in store for us next.

Thursday, November 14, 2013

The Naturals by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

The Naturals
by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Released |November 5th 2013 by Disney-Hyperion|
Edition |eARC|
Source |Netgalley|

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Seventeen-year-old Cassie is a natural at reading people. Piecing together the tiniest details, she can tell you who you are and what you want. But it’s not a skill that she’s ever taken seriously. That is, until the FBI come knocking: they’ve begun a classified program that uses exceptional teenagers to crack infamous cold cases, and they need Cassie.
What Cassie doesn’t realize is that there’s more at risk than a few unsolved homicides— especially when she’s sent to live with a group of teens whose gifts are as unusual as her own.
Sarcastic, privileged Michael has a knack for reading emotions, which he uses to get inside Cassie’s head—and under her skin. Brooding Dean shares Cassie’s gift for profiling, but keeps her at arm’s length.
Soon, it becomes clear that no one in the Naturals program is what they seem. And when a new killer strikes, danger looms closer than Cassie could ever have imagined. Caught in a lethal game of cat and mouse with a killer, the Naturals are going to have to use all of their gifts just to survive.
I was so glad for the opportunity to review The Naturals through Netgalley because Jennifer Lynn Barnes is one of my go to authors. Every single book I've read by this author has not disappointed me and this book was no exception. Even though I was excited to read this book, I really didn't know what to expect. The more and more I read, the more and more I found myself being intrigued with the characters and the story line. Each character had their own unique talent that kept me engrossed in the story. And the mystery aspect of the book was awesome. I thought I knew who was doing all the killing, but my thoughts turn out to be wrong! That was the best part :)

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Wishlist Wednesday (58): Savage Drift

Wishlist Wednesday is a book blog hop where we will post about one book per week that has been on our wishlist for some time, or just added (it's entirely up to you), that we can't wait to get off the wishlist and onto our wonderful shelves.
Hosted by: Pen to Paper
Savage Drift
(Monument 14, #3)
by Emmy Laybourne
Releases |May 6th 2014 by Feiwel & Friends|
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The stunningly fierce conclusion to Emmy Laybourne's Monument 14 trilogy.
The survivors of the Monument 14 have finally made it to the safety of a Canadian refugee camp. Dean and Alex are cautiously starting to hope that a happy ending might be possible.
But for Josie, separated from the group and trapped in a brutal prison camp for exposed Type Os, things have gone from bad to worse. Traumatized by her experiences, she has given up all hope of rescue or safety.
Meanwhile, scared by the government's unusual interest in her pregnancy, Astrid (with her two protectors, Dean and Jake in tow) joins Niko on his desperate quest to be reunited with his lost love Josie.
Author Emmy Laybourne reaches new heights of tension and romance in this action-packed conclusion to the Monument 14 trilogy
Why I'm Wishing...
I have been enjoying this trilogy so far and I'm definitely curious to see how things will wrap up in this final book. I really excited for it :)

Other Books in the Series


Monday, November 11, 2013

Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson

Twisted
by Laurie Halse Anderson
Released |March 20th 2007 by Viking Juvenile|
Edition |Audio|

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High school senior Tyler Miller used to be the kind of guy who faded into the background—average student, average looks, average dysfunctional family. But since he got busted for doing graffiti on the school, and spent the summer doing outdoor work to pay for it, he stands out like you wouldn’t believe. His new physique attracts the attention of queen bee Bethany Milbury, who just so happens to be his father’s boss’s daughter, the sister of his biggest enemy—and Tyler’s secret crush. And that sets off a string of events and changes that have Tyler questioning his place in the school, in his family, and in the world.
In Twisted, the acclaimed Laurie Halse Anderson tackles a very controversial subject: what it means to be a man today. Fans and new readers alike will be captured by Tyler’s pitch perfect, funny voice, the surprising narrative arc, and the thoughtful moral dilemmas that are at the heart of all of the author’s award-winning, widely read work.

I've been wanting to read Twisted for a long time now and when I saw the audio book at the library I couldn't pass it up. The book was really interesting and I like the realistic feel that it had to it. I like books that feel realistic and I could definitely relate to the family issues that Tyler was experiencing. I think the author did a great drama of portraying all the issues of emotional and verbal abuse in the within a household on all sides. You could see it with the kids and also the parents and how it was taking it's tole.

Saturday, November 9, 2013

Book Hauling It Up (74)

Hey Everyone,

I hope you guys have had a great week!
I swear this year is passing by so fast. I mean, we are already getting closer and closer to December.
WTH!
But yeah (lol), don't forget to leave your links :)

For Review (Edelweiss and Netgalley)

Bought
Already read Sentinel.