Sing-Along Thursday: Wait for You

I decided to make a weekly post about songs that get stuck in your head. Not just any songs, though. It's only the song that's on repeat while you're reading a certain book. 

The first book and song combo is...

Wait for You by Jennifer L. Armentrout

And every time I see this book I always have to sing this song:

What song pops into your head when you think of this book?

Review: Crimson Frost by Jennifer Estep

Crimson Frost (Mythos Academy #4) by Jennifer Estep

 For a moment, a face flashed before my eyes—the most hideous face I’d ever seen. No matter how hard I tried to forget what had happened, I saw him everywhere I went. It was Loki—the evil god that I’d helped set free against my will.

I should have known that my first official date with Logan Quinn was destined to end in disaster. If we’d gotten into a swordfight, or been ambushed by Reapers, I’d have been more prepared. But getting arrested mid-sip at the local coffee hangout? I didn’t see that one coming.

I’ve been accused of purposely helping the Reapers free Loki from his prison—and the person leading the charge against me is Linus Quinn, Logan’s dad. The worst part is that pretty much everyone at Mythos Academy thinks I’m guilty. If I’m going to get out of this mess alive, I’ll have to do it myself…

My Review:

This series combines so many levels of awesomeness that it's unbelievable! There's descendents of Spartans, Valkyries, Gypsies and Celts! It's just so cool and I'm in love with the idea behind the books; that there's an academy out there teaching these teenagers how to kick butt.

So, this is book #4 in the series. The first book was soooo good, the second was okay, and the third was alright. I was totally scared going into this one that it would just be a repeat of #2 and #3. And for the first fourth of the book it kind of was. BUT, it got a lot better!

In the previous installments I had complained about Logan's lack of presence. Estep said that he could kill someone with a Twizzler, yet I never really saw him pulling some Chuck Norris-ish moves. In fact, he was barely in the books, despite being Gwen's love interest. In this book, I'm glad to say, we get more bada**ness from my dear, dear Logan. Gwen, I feel was a little too much of a pushover in the beginning and middle of the book. She just needed to stand up for herself a little more. 

The plot of the book was really good after getting over that first schlump. Things move along fairly quickly. And in the last half of the book, until things were explained, I totally had no idea what was about to happen. Thus, I was very excited about the ending.

Some minor things that I didn't enjoy included how un-butt-kicking the other students were in the book. Gwen's supposed to be a fighter, but she often says that others are a lot better at it than her, so I couldn't understand why the Valkyries, Celts, etc. were fleeing the scene. Oh, and a certain fight scene dragged on a little too long for what I picture Gwen's skill level being from her description.

All in all it was definitely better than the previous two books in the series. It's totally my second favorite of them all. Now excuse me, I need to go pick up Midnight Frost.

 *Note: I received a copy of this book to review from Netgalley. This in no way altered my opinion/review.

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire - Final Trailer

Ink Review

Ink (Paper Gods #1) by Amanda Sun

 On the heels of a family tragedy, the last thing Katie Greene wants to do is move halfway across the world. Stuck with her aunt in Shizuoka, Japan, Katie feels lost. Alone. She doesn’t know the language, she can barely hold a pair of chopsticks, and she can’t seem to get the hang of taking her shoes off whenever she enters a building.

Then there’s gorgeous but aloof Tomohiro, star of the school’s kendo team. How did he really get the scar on his arm? Katie isn’t prepared for the answer. But when she sees the things he draws start moving, there’s no denying the truth: Tomo has a connection to the ancient gods of Japan, and being near Katie is causing his abilities to spiral out of control. If the wrong people notice, they'll both be targets.

Katie never wanted to move to Japan—now she may not make it out of the country alive.

My Review:

This story is like nothing I've ever read before. Sure, there's mythology involved, but it's not Greek or Roman. So basically, I knew absolutely nothing about this book before I read it. And even though the mythology was a mystery, I still enjoyed it. It was also great reading about another culture. 

The main characters of the story, Katie and Tomohiro, weren't really as developed as I was hoping they would be by the end of the story. Kate cried a lot, for reasons I really couldn't understand. She also did things impulsively that really made me scratch my head. Tomohiro was a better character than her by far. He had this amazing story that got hidden behind a bad reputation and I could practically feel how desperate he was for something to go right in his life. Putting these two characters together didn't really help with Katie's character development, either. They had a pretty good imitation of the insta-love thing going on.

Like I mentioned earlier, I adored this plot. There was no reference for me to search my brain for like there would be with say Hades and Persephone. The world that Sun created was beautiful. It was all about elegant strokes of writing and drawings, and I wish she could have explained it a bit more because some parts were confusing. I also wish that I had a physical copy of this book because there are supposed to be pretty pictures inside, but since I read it on my Kindle, everything got chopped in half. 

All in all, this was good. I loved the world, but not so much the main character. I definitely plan on picking up a copy of this book, someday, and even the sequel down the road.

3/5 stars

*Note: I received a copy of this book to review from Netgalley. This in no way altered my opinion/review.

THE BROKENHEARTED by Amelia Kahaney -- Book Trailer

The Book Doctor

So, I thought that I'd post this just in case no one knew how to make their books look prettier. I'm going to say sorry in advance to those of you who think this is utter blasphemy. 

You know how black, or blue, green, purple, etcetera, books get those icky, beat-up, white spines? Kind of like this:

(This is not my picture. I found it here.)

Unfortunately I don't have one of my own books with me or I'd totally get some better shots of this, but you get the gist. If you're an extreme book nerd, like moi, you can take one of these babies

 (This is not my picture. I found it here.)

and doctor it up a little. BUT, the best color to do it with is BLACK! If you want to fix a blue, red, pink, green, whatever color spine, you have to find a matching marker! AND BE CAREFUL! If you shake a lot, do not do this and expect good results.

And just note, that if this doesn't work for you, then I'm sorry you defaced your book, and I'm totally not responsible. It normally works though, and if I was home, I'd make a video or take pics or something to show you.

Waiting on Wednesday: Ignite Me

"Waiting On Wednesday" is a weekly event, hosted over at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week, what's really got my pages in a twist is...

 

 Ignite Me (Shatter Me #3) by Tahereh Mafi

The heart-stopping conclusion to the New York Times bestselling Shatter Me series, which Ransom Riggs, bestselling author of Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, called "a thrilling, high-stakes saga of self-discovery and forbidden love"

Juliette now knows she may be the only one who can stop the Reestablishment. But to take them down, she'll need the help of the one person she never thought she could trust: Warner. And as they work together, Juliette will discover that everything she thought she knew-about Warner, her abilities, and even Adam-was wrong.

 

Release Date: February 14, 2014

 

For some reason I'm seriously missing Adam and Juliette's characters. Maybe it's because I just read The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken and I got reminded of the Shatter Me storyline. I just need this book!

 

What book are you waiting for this Wednesday? 

Review: Consume by Melissa Darnell

Consume (The Clann #3) by Melissa Darnell

Tristan Coleman has survived the change from Clann magic user to vampire, much to Savannah Colbert's joy—and despair. By changing the Clann's golden boy and newly elected leader, even to save him from death, she has unleashed a fury of hatred and fear that they cannot escape.

As the Clann and the vampire council go to war, Tristan and Sav face a new threat—a fracturing of the all-consuming bond they share. To fight for peace, they must forge a new trust and risk everything to take down their deadliest enemy, even as they must run for their lives. Soon they will learn that some bonds are stronger than love—and some battles cannot be won without sacrifice.

My Review:

It's the end of a series. So sad. I remember reading Crave and Covet and thinking that these books were sooooo good! Tristan and Savannah were friends, who weren't friends, who wanted to be more than friends and everything was just so cute! But then something got kind of twisted in Consume. 

According to Goodreads it took me almost 3 months to read this book. THREE MONTHS! I'll admit, I've sat on books for longer (not literally because that is some major book abuse). However, I remember reading the first two in less than a day each. So what went wrong in this one?

First off, the book was all over the place. The time was totally whacky, because at least in the first two Savannah and Tristan were in school and there was some sort of seasonal background there. In Consume it's just really hard to keep track of what day/month/year it is. And then the romance in this book just felt a lot cheesier than it ever felt in the first two.

Those things said, it was still a good read. It summed up every plot line, maybe a little too neatly at some points, but it still worked. I loved the beginning scenes, that I can't tell you about because there's some major spoilage involved. And Emily, Tristan's sister, is such an awesome character. She may be in a tough spot, but she's going to stand up for herself and what she believes in and I love that about her.

All in all, it was good. It filled in the holes that were left from books 1 and 2 and I'm satisfied with the end result. I'm still a little sad that this witch and vampire combo is over though. But, they're still gonna look super pretty on my shelves! :)

*Note: I received a copy of this book to review from Netgalley. This in no way altered my opinion/review.

Review: The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken

The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken

When Ruby woke up on her tenth birthday, something about her had changed. Something alarming enough to make her parents lock her in the garage and call the police. Something that gets her sent to Thurmond, a brutal government “rehabilitation camp.” She might have survived the mysterious disease that’s killed most of America’s children, but she and the others have emerged with something far worse: frightening abilities they cannot control.

Now sixteen, Ruby is one of the dangerous ones.

When the truth comes out, Ruby barely escapes Thurmond with her life. Now she’s on the run, desperate to find the one safe haven left for kids like her—East River. She joins a group of kids who escaped their own camp. Liam, their brave leader, is falling hard for Ruby. But no matter how much she aches for him, Ruby can’t risk getting close. Not after what happened to her parents.

When they arrive at East River, nothing is as it seems, least of all its mysterious leader. But there are other forces at work, people who will stop at nothing to use Ruby in their fight against the government. Ruby will be faced with a terrible choice, one that may mean giving up her only chance at a life worth living.

My Review:

So I'd heard about this book from other bloggers and reviewers. It was gushed over A LOT. However, I don't think it lived up to the hype. Don't get me wrong, it was a good book, but that was just it, it was a good  book, nothing more.  

The premise of the book is awesome! Teenagers who have powers and a dystopian universe, sounds like reading heaven. And for the most part it was pretty nice. As I got further into the story, I found some things that kind of angered me though. For one, Ruby is supposed to be 10 years old when her entire life changes. Her education was supposed to have stopped there. BUT she still talked and acted like a normal teenager. She used larger words than even I know at some points. It was kind of irritating.

The characters in the story were definitely lovable. Ruby was totally mistreated, like most of the characters were, and you just want her to find her happily ever after, but that would make a super boring series. Liam was... Liam. He's sweet and kind, but he totally fights against "the man" with every thought. Chubs was probably my favorite character, sure he's a tad abrasive at times, but he reminds me of what I would act like in that situation, like a realistic, rational human being. And Zu and her obsession with pink was totally adorable!

For me the plot didn't have enough movement in it. They traveled from place to place, but it kind of just seemed like they jumped from these places, there was no real description (I totally hope that makes sense.). Also, the most frustrating thing about this story was that there were parts of the action that I couldn't follow because it seemed like pieces were left out. If you read it, or have read it, take a look at the part where Ruby slips with Liam there or even just any action scene.

All in all, this book probably would have been better if I hadn't thought that it was going to be such a fantastic read. But since it was only $0.99 on Amazon (it's gone up now), I think it was worth the buy.

*Note: I purchased a copy of this book and all opinions are my own.

My New District ID

Just thought that I'd share the awesomeness...

Here's my new Catching Fire District ID:

When The Hunger Games came out they actually sent these babies to you. Now, I have to find a way to print this out like an actual card. Darn.

If you haven't done yours yet just set up an account here and it will take you through everything.

So TTFN and "May the odds be ever in your favor."

Waiting on Wednesday: The Shadow Prince

"Waiting On Wednesday" is a weekly event, hosted over at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week, what's really got my pages in a twist is...

 The Shadow Prince: Into the Dark 

by Bree Despain

Haden Lord, the disgraced prince of the Underrealm, has been sent to the mortal world to entice a girl into returning with him to the land of the dead. Posing as a student at Olympus Hills High—a haven for children of the rich and famous—Haden must single out the one girl rumored to be able to restore immortality to his race.

Daphne Raines has dreams much bigger than her tiny southern Utah town, so when her rock star dad suddenly reappears, offering her full tuition to Olympus Hills High’s prestigious music program, she sees an opportunity to catch the break she needs to make it as a singer. But upon moving into her estranged father’s mansion in California, and attending her glamorous new school, Daphne soon realizes she isn’t the only student in Olympus who doesn’t quite belong.

Haden and Daphne—destined for each other—know nothing of the true stakes their fated courtship entails. As war between the gods brews, the teenagers’ lives collide. But Daphne won’t be wooed easily and when it seems their prophesied link could happen, Haden realizes something he never intended—he’s fallen in love. Now to save themselves, Haden and Daphne must rewrite their destinies. But as their destinies change, so do the fates of both their worlds.

Release Date: March 11, 2014

Hmm... Another Persephone/Hades story. HECK! YES! I love mythology and having it come together with high school and cute boys is the cherry on top of my double-book-sundae (I don't know what that means any more than you do.). I'm not too terribly thrilled over the cover. I like pretty dresses on my myth books, but I'm sure the content is superb!

What book are you waiting for this Wednesday?

Autumn Rose by Abigail Gibbs Cover Reveal

Fans of Dinner with a Vampire (The Dark Heroine #1), I'm very excited to show you a certain book numero dos that you may have been dying to see. Here's the cover to Autumn Rose by Abigail Gibbs:

 

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | IndieBound | Books-A-Million | iBookstore | Image Map

Autumn Rose (The Dark Heroine #2) by Abigail Gibbs

In book two of her breathtakingly magical series, Abigail Gibbs draws us even further into the dangerous and romantic world of the Dark Heroines.

Autumn Rose lives in a sleepy seaside town in the southwest of England, but buried deep under the surface of her quiet life are dark secrets. Her grandmother is dead, murdered eighteen months before, and the whirling social scene of London in which she was brought up is a world away. Even worse, at her new school she is shunned and condemned-all because of the swirling marks on her skin that prevent her from blending in the crowd.

But the appearance of a handsome young man at her school-who has the same curious markings as Autumn Rose-sends her world into turmoil. Suddenly the marks are cool and Autumn is thrust into the limelight, but her sudden popularity brings danger as her secrets threaten to come to light. Plus, there is the fact that Autumn keeps dreaming of a human girl who is about to be seduced by a very dark Prince… and Autumn must figure out how to save her before it is too late.

Release Date: January 28, 2014

Abigail Gibbs was born and raised in deepest, darkest Devon, England. She is studying for a B.A. in English at the University of Oxford and considers herself a professional student, as the real world has yet to catch up with her. Her greatest fear is blood and she is a great advocate of vegetarianism, which logically led to the writing of her first novel, Dinner with a Vampire. She splits her time between her studies, stories, and family, and uses coffee to survive all three.

 Dinner with a Vampire (The Dark Heroine #1) by Abigail Gibbs

One moment can change your life forever...
 
For Violet Lee, a chance encounter on a darkened street draws her into a world beyond her wildest imaginings, a timeless place of vast elegance and immeasurable wealth – of beautiful mansions and lavish parties – where a decadent group of friends live for pleasure alone. A place from which there is no escape...no matter how hard Violet tries.

Yet all the riches in the world can’t mask the darkness that lies beneath the gilded surface, embodied in the charismatic but dangerous Kaspar Varn.

Violet and Kaspar surrender to a passion that transcends their separate worlds – but it’s a passion that comes at a price...

It's been so long since I've delved into Violet and Kaspar's story. I'm seriously going to have to re-read this. Anywho, what do you think of the new cover? 

My Favorite 2014 Covers (So Far)

 2014 is a few months away, but already there are some gorgeous covers popping up from various publishers. I've been eagerly anticipating some of these books, and I can't wait to stroke their marvelous beauty like a crazy, deranged cat lady - only with hundreds of books instead of kitties.

So here they are:

   Evertrue (Everneath #3) by Brodi Ashton 

 

This entire trilogy has been absolutely beautiful! I mean can anyone honestly tell me that they hate the cover of this book?! No. They cannot.

Release Date: January 21, 2014

The Offering (The Pledge #3)

 by Kimberly Derting

I LOVE Derting's books. Her Body Finder series didn't have the best covers, they were pretty simple, but this series! EEK! They're gorgeous! Now if I can just get my stubby little fingers on a copy of The Essence I'll totally be ready for this bad boy.

Release Date: January 7, 2014

Uninvited by Sophie Jordan

 I admit, I wasn't very impressed with this cover at first. But, I read a comment about the girl's hair. And HOLEY RUSTED METAL, BATMAN! It's DNA! How visually stunning!

Release Date:  January 28, 2014

White Hot Kiss by Jennifer L. Armentrout

He. Has. A. Tattoo. Yum. This cover is so simple, but it's so flippin' amazing! The white and the red! And the author's name! Because, let's be honest here, anything that has Armentrout's name on it is something I'm going to read, even if the cover looked like poop.

 

Release Date:  February 25, 2014

Alienated by Melissa Landers

It's cool colors on top and warm colors on bottom. It's lovely. There's stars and flowers and a hot guy and fluffy clouds and a hot guy. The only thing that I don't like about this cover is the girl's pants. Why? Because when you first look at it, it kind of looks like she's not wearing any. *GASP!*

Release Date: February 4, 2014

 Don't Look Back by Jennifer L. Armentrout 

Was I terribly thrilled about this cover at first? No. I'm not a super huge fan of inanimate objects on covers. However, this one grew on me. Quickly. I'm not sure what it is that got me to like it. If it's the lighting, the colors or the author. All I do know is that I will be buying it.

Release Date: April 15, 2014

"That's all folks!" What's your favorite cover of the year 2014?

Waiting on Wednesday: Crash Into You

"Waiting On Wednesday" is a weekly event, hosted over at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week, what's really got my pages in a twist is...

 Crash Into You by Katie McGarry

 From acclaimed author Katie McGarry comes an explosive new tale of a good girl with a reckless streak, a street-smart guy with nothing to lose, and a romance forged in the fast lane.

The girl with straight As, designer clothes and the perfect life-that's who people expect Rachel Young to be. So the private-school junior keeps secrets from her wealthy parents and overbearing brothers...and she's just added two more to the list. One involves racing strangers down dark country roads in her Mustang GT. The other? Seventeen-year-old Isaiah Walker-a guy she has no business even talking to. But when the foster kid with the tattoos and intense gray eyes comes to her rescue, she can't get him out of her mind.

Isaiah has secrets, too. About where he lives, and how he really feels about Rachel. The last thing he needs is to get tangled up with a rich girl who wants to slum it on the south side for kicks-no matter how angelic she might look.

But when their shared love of street racing puts both their lives in jeopardy, they have six weeks to come up with a way out. Six weeks to discover just how far they'll go to save each other.

Release Date: November 26, 2013

So this post is mostly for myself because I keep thinking that this comes out in 2014 since Dare You To came out this summer. Nope. Anyway, I love that cover and if there wasn't feet on it I would totally dig it even more!

What book are you waiting for this Wednesday?

A Little Too Much Cover Reveal

A Little Too Much by Lisa Desrochers

In the follow-up to Lisa Desrochers’ explosive New Adult novel A Little too Far, Alessandro Moretti must face the life he escaped and the girl he loved and left behind.

Twenty-two year old Hilary McIntyre would like nothing more than to forget her past. As a teenager abandoned to the system, she faced some pretty dark times. But now that’s all behind her. Hilary has her life on track, and there’s no way she’ll head back down that road again.

Until Alessandro Moretti—the one person who can make her remember—shows up on her doorstep. He’s even more devastatingly gorgeous than before, and he’s much too close for comfort. Worse, he sees right through the walls she’s built over these last eight years, right into her heart and the secrets she’s guarding.

As Hilary finds herself falling back into love with the man who, as a boy both saved and destroyed her, she must decide. Past or future? Truth or lies?

 Release Date: November 12, 2013 

 

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