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Sunday, October 31, 2010

Shrinking the TBR Pile #1

Shrinking the TBR Pile is a weekley meme that Ashley from What's Your Story? hosts. Ashley has created a fabulous way to read books from your TBR Pile. Just number all the books in your pile, then every week draw from a hat (or whatever you prefer) three numbers. The books that corrospond to those numbers is what you read this week.

This week I only chose two: 7 and 32

Those correspond with:
#7


and #32

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Review: The Twin's Daughter

The Twin's Daughter
Lauren Baratz-Logsted
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children's Books
Release Date: September 1, 2010

Lucy Sexton is stunned when a disheveled woman appears at the door one day... a woman who bears an uncanny resemblance to Lucy's own beautiful mother. It turns out the two women are identical twins, separated at birth, and raised in dramatically different circumstances. Lucy's mother quickly resolves to give her less fortunate sister the kind of life she has never known. And the transformation in Aunt Helen is indeed remarkable. But when Helen begins to imitate her sister in every way, even Lucy isn't sure at times which twin is which. Can Helen really be trusted, or does her sweet face mask a chilling agenda?



Filled with shocking twists and turns, The Twin's Daughter is an engrossing gothic novel of betrayal, jealousy, and treacherous secrets that will keep you guessing to the very end.
 
I love Lauren's books. I've only read a few of her works, but I loved all of them, and The Twin's Daughter is no exception. I wouldn't say it's my favorite of her's, but I was delighted by how it turned out.


When I started this book, I had no idea where the story would take me. It had a terrible description so I was expecting a light, playful novel. But what I thought would be loight turned into a fierce murder mystery.

This started super slow. It took well over one hundred pages to even get anywhere. But once it got going it picked up and ran. The mystery to it threw me off. I was so sure of one thing then the opposite would happen. I have seen mysteries done a lot better, but for this kind of book it was delicous.

This was a decently romantic book. Romance obviously didn't play a huge part of the book, but whay it did play a role in was good. It was sweet and worked well with everything else in the book.

Lucy was a sweet girl. Incredibly naive and a forgettable character overall, but in the end she turned out the be very selfless. She was perfect to watch go through the journey of the book.

The Twin's Daughter was a reasonably good mystery. I think Lauren is an incredible writer. Thes was an inventive plot, per usual of hers. I would definitely reccomend this book. 

Rating:

Monday, October 25, 2010

It's Monday! What Are You Reading 10-25

Read Last Week:
The Twin's Daughter
Return to Paradise by Simone Elkeles
Where the Truth Lies by Jessica Warman

Currently Reading:
Crusade by Nancy Holder Debbie Viguie

Up Next:
The Frenzy by Francesca Lia Block
Firelight by Sophie Jordan
Extraordinary by Nancy Werlin

I didn't get very much done last week, so I'm really hoping that this week I'll get more reading done.

Sunday, October 24, 2010

In My Mailbox (44)

We have Kristi at The Story Siren to thank for hosting IMM every week.

Okay, I must say I hit the jackpot at the library this week. So many books I've been dying for!


Phoebe finds herself drawn to Mallory, the strange and secretive new kid in school, and the two girls become as close as sisters . . . until Mallory's magnetic older brother, Ryland, shows up during their junior year. Ryland has an immediate, exciting hold on Phoebe, but a dangerous hold, for she begins to question her feelings about her best friend and, worse, about herself. Soon she'll discover the shocking truth about Ryland and Mallory: that these two are visitors from the faerie realm who have come to collect on an age-old debt. Generations ago, the faerie queen promised Pheobe's ancestor five extraordinary sons in exchange for the sacrifice of one ordinary female heir. But in hundreds of years there hasn't been a single ordinary girl in the family, and now the faeries are dying. Could Phoebe be the first ordinary one? Could she save the faeries, or is she special enough to save herself?
 With her rare ability to breathe fire, Jacinda is special even among the draki—the descendants of dragons who can shift between human and dragon forms. But when Jacinda’s rebelliousness leads her family to flee into the human world, she struggles to adapt, even as her draki spirit fades. The one thing that revives it is Will, whose family hunts her kind. Jacinda can’t resist getting closer to him, even though she knows she’s risking not only her life but the draki’s most closely guarded secret
 Love is a werewolf, influenced by the moon and terror, and always about to change. Liv has a secret. Something happened to her when she was thirteen. Something that changed everything. Liv knows she doesn't belong anymore-not in her own skin, not in her family . . . not anywhere. The only time she truly feels like herself is when she's with her boyfriend, Corey, and in the woods that surround her town. But in the woods, a mysterious woman watches Liv. In the woods, a pack of wild boys lurks. In the woods, Liv learns about the curse that will haunt her forever. The curse that caused the frenzy four years ago. And that may cause it again, all too soon.While Corey and Liv's love binds them together, Liv's dark secret threatens to tear them apart as she struggles to understand who-or what-she really is. And by the light of the full moon, the most dangerous secrets bare their claws. . . .
 For Zack Thomson, life in the Nicholls Ward wasn't so bad. After his parents died, he developed strange allergies, and the mental institution was the only place where he could be properly looked after. As strange as it was, it was home. But that all changes the night a stranger on a Harley crashes through the front doors and tells him to run. Along with his best friend Charlie and a girl he may or may not be falling in love with, Zack does just that: run. Under the cover of night, hiding amongst the shadows, he races for the truth











On the surface, Emily Meckler leads the perfect life. She has three best friends, two loving parents, and the ideal setup at the Connecticut prep school where her father is the headmaster. But Emily also suffers from devastating nightmares about fire and water, and nobody knows why. Then the enigmatic Del Sugar enters her life, and Emily is immediately swept away—but her passionate relationship with Del is just the first of many things that aren't quite what they seem in Emily's life. As the lies she's been told start to unravel, Emily must set out to discover the truth regarding her nightmare; on a journey that will lead her to question everything she thought she knew about love, family, and her own idyllic past.
Maggie and Caleb just went through the worst year of their lives. Hit by a car and starting life over with a limp, Maggie never thought she would forgive Caleb. But she did—and fell in love. What they shared was real. But Caleb wanted to be free from the past—and a terrible secret: he wasn't the one who hit Maggie. So he left Paradise—and Maggie—forever. When Maggie and Caleb run into each other in a different town, they can't deny their true feelings. Will Maggie let Caleb get away again? Or will Caleb face the truth and return to Paradise?


I can't wait to read all of these!
What awesomness did you get in your mail box this week?

Friday, October 22, 2010

Book Beginnings on Friday

Book Beginnings on Friday is hosted by Becky at Page Turners.  Anyone can participate; just share the opening sentence of your current read, making sure that you include the title and author so others know what you're reading. If you like, share with everyone why you do, or do not, like the sentence.

Where the Truth Lies by Jessica Warman:
"I have insomnia. Actually, I have something called night terrors."

This is definitely an interesting start to the book. It gets you wondering about why she is having these and what they are. I like it.

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Review: Low Red Moon

Low Red Moon
Ivy Devlin
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children's Books
Release Date: September 14, 2010

Avery Hood is reeling from the loss of her parents--and the fact that she can't remember what happened to them even though she was there.


She's struggling to adjust to life without them, and to living with her grandmother, when she meets Ben, who isn't like any guy she's ever met before.


It turns out there's a reason why, and Ben's secret may hold the key to Avery finding out what happened to her parents...


But what if that secret changes everything she knows about--and feels for--Ben?

Low Red Moon was an almost heartbreaking tale of grief, love and werewolves. I enjoyed it a lot, but it's not one of my favorites. Maybe it was because I was expecting a lot out of this book, but I didn't enjoy it as much as I thought.


Poor, poor Avery. She found both her parents murdered in pieces and can't remember what happened that night. Through the book we watch as the mystery unravels. But while Avery is learning dark secrets, she is also falling in love.

Ben was very sweet I thought. He helped Avery as much as he could. Even though Avery suspects him we find out the truth. I knew he was a werewolf from the beggining because of the description, but I kind of wish we had the mystery of discovering what he was.

Low Red Moon moved very quickly. Not that that's always a bad thing, but it would have neen better it it were a little longer. If there were more details it probably would have helped with the flow.

Even though I felt it was too short, I still really enjoyed it. It was a good mystery and I'm looking foward for more of Ivy's work.

Rating:
3.5 hearts
(sorry my pictures not working right now!)

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Waiting on Wednesday: Between Here and Forever

Between Here and Forever by Elizabeth Scott

Abby accepted that she can’t measure up to her beautiful, magnetic sister Tess a long time ago, and knows exactly what she is: Second best. Invisible.
Until the accident.

Now Tess is in a coma, and Abby’s life is on hold. It may have been hard living with Tess, but it's nothing compared to living without her.

She's got a plan to bring Tess back though, involving the gorgeous and mysterious Eli, but then Abby learns something about Tess, something that was always there, but that she’d never seen.

Abby is about to find out that truth isn't always what you think it is, and that life holds more than she ever thought it could.

I love Elizabeth Scott, but I have to admit that I've been pretty dissapointed in her last couple of books, so I'm really hoping that this one will be as amazing as my favorites of hers. I' pretty excited to see how this one will turn out.

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Review: Why I Let My Hair Grow Out

Why I Let My Hair Grow Out
Maryrose Wood
Publisher: Berkley Trade
Release Date: March 6, 2010


Being sent to your room is one thing. But being sent to another country? Morgan's boyfriend dumped her on the last day of school-it seemed the only thing to do was to hack off her hair and dye the stubble orange. Unfortunately, Morgan's parents freaked and decided a change of scenery would do her good. So they're sending her off on a bike tour of Ireland. But Morgan gets more than she bargained for on the Emerald Isle-including a strange journey into some crazy, once upon a time corner of the past. There, she meets fairies, weefolk, and a hunky warrior-dude named Fergus, and figures out that she's got some growing to do-and she doesn't just mean her hair.



Awe... What a cute story! This has been on my TBR shelf for quite some time now. I finally picked it up and I loved it! It was such a fun adventure around Ireland. And I have to give Ms. Wood props for coming up with something so creative.


If I had to say one thing about this book that I didn't like, though, it would be the main character Morgan. She was just really rude and moody and it really bothered me. It got better the last half of the book, though. She started to actually try to help others instead of just herself. The book definitely got a lot more enjoyable after that.

I loved how original the plot was. I loved the setting and the story line. Morgan actually ends up going through two different worlds: present day and a long time ago. She meets some interesting people in both worlds. The ending felt a little bit rushed, but I still enjoyed it.

I'm very interested to see what happens in the second book. This was such a cute story and I can't wait to continue Morgan's adventure.


Rating:

Monday, October 18, 2010

It's Monday! What Are You Reading 10-18


I haven't done one of these in a while, so here we go!

Read Last Week:
Nevermore by Kelly Creagh
Low Red Moon by Ivy Devlin
Why I let My Hair Grow Out by Maryrose Wood
Bright Young Things by Anna Godberson

Not bad, but not really good either. I've been majorly slacking with my reading lately, so I'm just getting caught up. It wasn't a bad week compared to lately.

Currently Reading:
No idea. Let me know what you think I should read from the list below!

Up Next:
Mostly Good Girls Leila Sales
The Abused Werewolf Rescue Group by Catherine Jinks
Crusade by Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguie


Saturday, October 16, 2010

In My Mailbox (43)

We have Kristi at The Story Siren to thank for hosting IMM every week.

I only got one book this week, and I'm pretty excited to read it!
For Review:

I still hadn't fully absorbed the terrible possibility that I might actually be a werewolf. A werewolf. I kept stumbling over that word; it made no sense to me. How could I be a werewolf? Werewolves didn't exist.


When Tobias Richard Vandevelde wakes up in hospital with no memory of the night before, his horrified mother tells him that he was found by the police. At Featherdale Park. In a dingo pen.

As if that isn't weird enough, suddenly a very menacing looking guy and a priest show up at his door.

As the mystery unfolds, Toby finds himself keeping company with some very strange and sickly looking people - members of a suburban vampire support group. And when he's abducted in broad daylight, he will need all their help to break free ... and to come to terms with his own incredibly rare condition




That's what I got this week.
Did anyone else get anything interesting?

Sunday, October 10, 2010

In My Mailbox (42)

Let me just start by saying we have Kristi at The Story Siren to thank for hosting IMM every week.

And, also, before I begin I'd like to apologize for my blog being pretty much dead for the past couple of weeks. I've been busy for a while but not any more. It should start kicking up again here.

Now, down to the good stuff!
Library:
Nevermore by Kelly Creagh-Cheerleader Isobel Lanley is horrified when she is paired with Varen Nethers for an English project, which is due—so unfair—on the day of the rival game. Cold and aloof, sardonic and sharp-tongued, Varen makes it clear he’d rather not have anything to do with her either. But when Isobel discovers strange writing in his journal, she can’t help but give this enigmatic boy with the piercing eyes another look.

Soon, Isobel finds herself making excuses to be with Varen. Steadily pulled away from her friends and her possessive boyfriend, Isobel ventures deeper and deeper into the dream world Varen has created through the pages of his notebook, a realm where the terrifying stories of Edgar Allan Poe come to life.
As her world begins to unravel around her, Isobel discovers that dreams, like words, hold more power than she ever imagined, and that the most frightening realities are those of the mind. Now she must find a way to reach Varen before he is consumed by the shadows of his own nightmares.
His life depends on it.


The Twin's Daughter by Lauren Baratz-Logsted- Lucy Sexton is stunned when a disheveled woman appears at the door one day... a woman who bears an uncanny resemblance to Lucy's own beautiful mother. It turns out the two women are identical twins, separated at birth, and raised in dramatically different circumstances. Lucy's mother quickly resolves to give her less fortunate sister the kind of life she has never known. And the transformation in Aunt Helen is indeed remarkable. But when Helen begins to imitate her sister in every way, even Lucy isn't sure at times which twin is which. Can Helen really be trusted, or does her sweet face mask a chilling agenda?


Filled with shocking twists and turns, The Twin's Daughter is an engrossing gothic novel of betrayal, jealousy, and treacherous secrets that will keep you guessing to the very end.
 
 
 
 
 
Crusade by Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguie- The ultimate battle. The ultimate love.
For the past two years, Jenn has lived and trained at Spain's Sacred Heart Academy Against the Cursed Ones. She is among the few who have pledged to defend humanity or die trying. But the vampires are gaining power, and the battle has only just begun.
Forced to return home after death takes a member of her family, Jenn discovers that San Francisco is now a vampire strong-hold. As a lone hunter apart from her team, Jenn is isolated—and at risk. She craves the company of her fighting partner, Antonio: his protection, his reassurance, his touch. But a relationship with Antonio comes with its own dangers, and the more they share of themselves, the more Jenn stands to lose.
Then Jenn is betrayed by one who was once bound to protect her, causing her to doubt all she had held as true. To survive, Jenn must find the courage to trust herself—and her heart.

Low Red Moon by Ivy Devlin- Avery Hood is reeling from the loss of her parents--and the fact that she can't remember what happened to them even though she was there.

She's struggling to adjust to life without them, and to living with her grandmother, when she meets Ben, who isn't like any guy she's ever met before.
It turns out there's a reason why, and Ben's secret may hold the key to Avery finding out what happened to her parents...
But what if that secret changes everything she knows about--and feels for--Ben?





Fearscape by Simon Holt- The Vours: evil, demonic beings that inhabit human bodies on Sorry Night, the darkest hours of the Winter Solstice. It's been a year since Reggie first discovered the Vours, and the Winter Solstice is approaching once again. It will be another night of unspeakable horror for those unlucky enough to be taken by the Vours, because this time, she won't be able to stop them. The Vours have imprisoned Reggie in a psychiatric hospital, where she is subjected to a daily routine of unfathomably sadistic experiments. Her life is a living Hell, but she won't give up. They attacked her brother. They killed her friend. And Reggie will never stop fighting back.




I'm pretty excited about all my loot this week. There's a lot of books that I got that I've been wanting for a while now. Gotta love the library!

What did you get this week?

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Review: Past Midnight

Past Midnight
by Mara Purnhagen
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Release Date: September 1, 2010

Let me set the record straight. My name is Charlotte Silver and I'm not one of those paranormal-obsessed freaks you see on TV…no, those would be my parents, who have their own ghost-hunting reality show. And while I'm usually roped into the behind-the-scenes work, it turns out that I haven't gone unnoticed. Something happened on my parents' research trip in Charleston—and now I'm being stalked by some truly frightening other beings. Trying to fit into a new school and keeping my parents' creepy occupation a secret from my friends—and potential boyfriends—is hard enough without having angry spirits whispering in my ear. All I ever wanted was to be normal, but with ghosts of my past and present colliding, now I just want to make it out of high school alive….

Past Midnight was a fun adventure. I found the story and the characters were very interesting. I loved how unusual everything was. I mean, the main character charlotte's patents are ghost hunters who don't even believe in ghosts. Where else are you going to find that?


Charlotte had always been embaressed about her parents' job. She is in a new town where nobady knows her, and she's actually made friends. Everything seems great, that is until she starts beingstalked by a ghost and learns of her new friend's tragedy. I think Charlotte was a good character. She was very sweet. She was a little self-centered at whiny at times, but not very much.

There were a couple of different sub-plots in this story. The writing was, at times, a bit choppy. Some of the story just didn't flow. It also was a little slow at times. Even through this, though, I really enjoyed it. Like I said before ist was really different and I really liked that.

This is a real cute, quick read. It had a few problems, but some perks as well. It was fun and I can't wait to see what happens in the next one!

Rating:

Saturday, October 2, 2010

Going to the mountains.....

So sorry Book Fanatics is probably about dead right now. I usually get all my stuff done for the week on weekends, but I cannot this weekend because I am in the mountains! Yay! it's absolutely gorgous up here and I am loving it!
Anyway, I'll be backs Sunday, so no worries.
This isn't exactly where  I am, but isn't it beautiful?