Charming Covers [3]

Charming Covers is a feature where I show some covers for upcoming books that have recently been revealed/ I've recently found.



From Bad to Cursed by Katie Alender

Release Date: June 14, 2011

Alexis is the last girl you'd expect to sell her soul for beauty and popularity. After all, she already has everything she needs--an adorable boyfriend, the perfect best friend, and a family that finally seems to be healing after her sister Kasey's unfortunate possession by an evil spirit.

But then Kasey tells Alexis about the mysterious new club she has joined, and the oath she has taken to someone named Aralt. Worried that Kasey's gotten in over her head again, Alexis and her best friend Megan decide to investigate by joining the Sunshine Club, too. At first, their connection with Aralt seems harmless. Alexis tries a new -- normal-- look, and finds herself reveling in her elegance and success.

Still, despite the Sunshine Club's outward perfection, the group is crumbling from within, and soon Alexis finds herself battling her own personal demons. She can hardly even remember why she joined in the first place. Surely it wasn't to destroy Aralt...why would she hurt someone who has given her so much, and asked for so little in return?

This is the sequel to Bad Girls Don't Die. I read the first a few years ago, and remember liking it a lot. So, I'm going to try the sequel. Hopefully it'll be just as good.

This cover is kind of creepy, like the first one. It's not the prettiest of covers, but I think it goes with the story.

Review: Shadowspell

Shadowspell

Jenna Black

Release Date: January 4, 2011

Publisher: St. Martin's Press

Rating: 3.5/5

On top of spending most of her time in a bunkerlike safe house and having her dates hijacked by a formidable Fae bodyguard, Faeriewalker Dana Hathaway is in for some more bad news: the Erlking and his pack of murderous minions known as the Wild Hunt have descended upon Avalon. With his homicidal appetite and immortal powers, the Erlking has long been the nightmare of the Fae realm. A fragile treaty with the Faerie Queen, sealed with a mysterious spell, is the one thing that keeps him from hunting unchecked in Avalon, the only place on Earth where humans and Fae live together. Which means Dana’s in trouble, since it’s common knowledge that the Faerie Queen wants her – and her rare Faeriewalker powers – dead. The smoldering, sexy Erlking’s got his sights set on Dana, but does he only seek to kill her, or does he have something much darker in mind?

I really enjoyed the first book, Glimmerglass, and was even more captivated by Shadowspell. It was a good story with a few surprises.

There were times when I loved Dana, and times when I wanted to slap her. I don't know if I would have made different decisions in her situation, but there were times when I wanted to scream at her "Don't do it! Nothing good can come of it!" Sh was, at times, very self involved, but had a kind and good heart.

Though I did enjoy this book, there were times that it did make me mad. In a good way though. Like, "I'm pissed off yet I have to read the next book to know what happens" kind of mad. I can't say why it mad me angry because that would give away spoilers.

Overall, I enjoyed Shadowspell. It has the elements to make a good fairie story. I'll definitely be picking up the next one

Review: The Dark and Hollow Places

The Dark and Hollow Places
Carrie Ryan
Release Date: March 22, 2011
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Rating: 4.5 stars

There are many things that Annah would like to forget: the look on her sister's face before Annah left her behind in the Forest of Hands and Teeth, her first glimpse of the Horde as they swarmed the Dark City, the sear of the barbed wire that would scar her for life. But most of all, Annah would like to forget the morning Elias left her for the Recruiters.



Annah's world stopped that day, and she's been waiting for Elias to come home ever since. Somehow, without him, her life doesn't feel much different than the dead that roam the wasted city around her. Until she meets Catcher, and everything feels alive again.


But Catcher has his own secrets. Dark, terrifying truths that link him to a past Annah has longed to forget, and to a future too deadly to consider. And now it's up to Annah: can she continue to live in a world covered in the blood of the living? Or is death the only escape from the Return's destruction?
 
This series is one of my favorite dystopian series. (Second only to a series I think we all know). The Dark and Hollow Places was as fabulous as the others. I'm not sure if it's my favorite in the series, per say, but it makes an excellent edition to the series.


This installment is about Annah, Gabry's (The Dead-Tossed Waves) twin sister. I felt bad for Annah. Although, the dwelling on the self-pity thing did get anoying throughout the book. It was part of who she was, though.

The Dark and Hollow Places was just as captivating as the others. The story Carrie Ryan was spun is yet again a thrilling ride. After the first page I was addicted. The world that Ryan has created is scary at best, yet is very easy to imagine.

All I can say is that if you have not read this series yet, you need to. You won't regret

Charming Covers [2]

I just found the cover to As I Wake by Elizabeth Scott last week. Not sure if it is final, but here it is:

What if you woke up and didn't know where you were?

What if you didn't know who you were?

And what if, when your memories started to come back--what if they didn't match the you that you're supposed to be?

I'm really excited for this one. I love Elizabeth Scott. This cover is different from her other covers, but by the description, the book is different, too.

April is NetGalley Month!

Emily over at Red House Books has declared April NetGalley Month! The goal of this is to read as many books from NetGalley as you can. I don't know about everyone else, but I really needed this.

Rules to enter:

*Make your own post declaring April NetGalley month linking back to this post

OR

*Tweet the following:

@NetGalley April as been declared! I'm joining @WilowRedHouse for a chance to win some awesome prizes-will you join us? http://bit.ly/fzxPRE

*If you don't have a blog or Twitter - post it to Facebook with a link

*If you don't blog, tweet or FB but still want to join in - send me an email at WilowRaven[at]yahoo[dot]com

For more information, go .here

Books I plan to read:

Hereafter by Tara Hudson

Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini
Mercy by Rebecca Lim

The Near Witch by Victoira Schwab

Wherever You Go by Heather Davis

Ultraviolet by R.J. Anderson

The Girl in the Steel Corset by Kady Cross

There are others, but I'll stick to these for now. Hopefully I can get through them all. 

In My Mailbox (59)

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

I only got 3 books this week:

For Review:

(from Around the World Tours)

Haunting Violet by Alyxandra Harvey- Violet Willoughby doesn't believe in ghosts. But they believe in her. After spending years participating in her mother's elaborate ruse as a fraudulent medium, Violet is about as skeptical as they come in all matters supernatural. Now that she is being visited by a very persistent ghost, one who suffered a violent death, Violet can no longer ignore her unique ability. She must figure out what this ghost is trying to communicate, and quickly because the killer is still on the loose.

Afraid of ruining her chance to escape her mother's scheming through an advantageous marriage, Violet must keep her ability secret. The only person who can help her is Colin, a friend she's known since childhood, and whom she has grown to love. He understands the true Violet, but helping her on this path means they might never be together. Can Violet find a way to help this ghost without ruining her own chance at a future free of lies?

.From Library: Second Helpings by Megan McCafferty- "Knowing that I’ve just done something that will take decades off my parents’ lives with worry, you’ll excuse me for not getting into the fa-la-la-la-la Yuletide spirit this year. . . . The only difference between Christmas 2001 and Christmas 2000 is that I don’t have a visit from Hope to look forward to. And Bethany has already packed on some major fetal flab. Oh, and now Gladdie doesn’t need to ask a bizillion questions about my boyfriend, because she’s already gotten the dirt from you know who.”

Jessica Darling is up in arms again in this much-anticipated, hilarious sequel to Sloppy Firsts. This time, the hyperobservant, angst-ridden teenager is going through the social and emotional ordeal of her senior year at Pineville High. Not only does the mysterious and oh-so-compelling Marcus Flutie continue to distract Jessica, but her best friend, Hope, still lives in another state, and she can’t seem to escape the clutches of the Clueless Crew, her annoying so-called friends. To top it off, Jessica’s parents won’t get off her butt about choosing a college, and her sister Bethany’s pregnancy is causing a big stir in the Darling household.

With keen intelligence, sardonic wit, and ingenious comedic timing, Megan McCafferty again re-creates the tumultuous world of today’s fast-moving and sophisticated teens. Fans of Sloppy Firsts will be reunited with their favorite characters and also introduced to the fresh new faces that have entered Jess’s life, including the hot creative writing teacher at her summer college prep program and her feisty, tell-it-like-it-is grandmother Gladdie. But most of all, readers will finally have the answers to all of their burgeoning questions, and then some: Will Jessica crack under the pressure of senioritis? Will her unresolved feelings for Marcus wreak havoc on her love life? Will Hope ever come back to Pineville? Fall in love with saucy, irreverent Jessica all over again in this wonderful sequel to a book that critics and readers alike hailed as the best high school novel in years

The Dark and Hollow Places by Carrie Ryan- There are many things that Annah would like to forget: the look on her sister's face before Annah left her behind in the Forest of Hands and Teeth, her first glimpse of the Horde as they swarmed the Dark City, the sear of the barbed wire that would scar her for life. But most of all, Annah would like to forget the morning Elias left her for the Recruiters.

Annah's world stopped that day, and she's been waiting for Elias to come home ever since. Somehow, without him, her life doesn't feel much different than the dead that roam the wasted city around her. Until she meets Catcher, and everything feels alive again.

But Catcher has his own secrets. Dark, terrifying truths that link him to a past Annah has longed to forget, and to a future too deadly to consider. And now it's up to Annah: can she continue to live in a world covered in the blood of the living? Or is death the only escape from the Return's destruction

 

What did you get this week?

March Rewind

This month, I was slacking as far as reading. I'm supposed to read 17 books a month to reach my goal of 200 books this year. This month I only read 13. So that means in the next following months, I'm going to have to read a couple more books per month.

Here's what I read:

1. Divergent by Veronica Roth
2. Desires of the Dead by Kimberly Derting
3. Bitten by Kelley Armstrong
4. Stray by Rachel Vincent
5. Die for Me by Amy Plum
6. Evercrossed by Elizabeth Chandler
7. Stolen by Kelley Armstong
8. Darkness Becomes Her by Kelley Keaton
9. Dime Store Magic by Kelley Armstong
10. The Book of Tomorrow by Cecila Ahern
11. Playing Hurt by Holly Schindler
12. Sloppy Firsts by Megan McCafferty
13. Afterlife by Claudia Gray 

Other Reviews:

The Iron Witch by Karen Mahoney

Cloaked by Alex Flinn

Goals for April:

1. Read 17 + books -- I don't think that this is going to be a problem. I'm got spring break this month (now actually) so I will read a lot in the next week.
2. Review every YA book I read this month-- yes, that's my goal. Except I'm giving myself 2 exceptions. I don't know what I'll use these on, maybe a book that I didn't like that much or one that came out a long time ago. We'll see.