Pendant Winners

So here we are, the winners of the pendants (that I still have to put the finishing touches on).  Drum roll pleaseeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee.

There were a total of 137 entries and 52 people entered!  I'll likely do something like this again, although how soon I don't know.  So without further adue (which IS a word gosh darn it blogger!) THE WINNERS!

The winner of                                                                                   

is Pearl

and the winner of

is Autum Frailey!!!

Congrats, I've emailed you and when they get to you I hope you enjoy your pendants.

Review-Envy

I'm always weary of a book when an author of another genre moves into YA but Gregg Olsen does a pretty good job.  He's regularly an adult fiction writer who focus is thriller novels and he has decided to take that into YA now as well.  I have to admit this book was a little hard for me to get into.  I'm not sure why this is, but it just didn't grab me like some YA novels do.  It wasn't the story, cause that was interesting, and the characters were really great, but I think it just jumped around a little to much for my tastes.  There were a few times when I found myself having to look back in the book to figure out who a character was.  I did LOVE the fact that the book was based on true events and that it was set in Washington, because ever since Twilight there haven't been many books set in Washington State.  Envy was creepy and was a great mystery book that is geared towards teens and the reason for what happened in the book really makes you think about the  law, what's appropriate, and how you treat that girl that's more of an outsider.  The book comes with a sneak peek at the second novel in the series and from the small excerpt I'm looking forward to reading the sequel as well.  If you like a good mystery and don't mind a paranormal element in your books I would suggest that you pick this book up at your local bookstore or at least check it out at the library.  Envy wasn't a bad read but it wasn't one of my favorite books in the world, but the sneak peek at the second book gives me hope that it will be better.   This one really sets up the characters and story, but there is still that good story line that keeps you entertained throughout the book.

Out Now!!!

4/5 dust spirits

Giveaway-Handmade Pendant

So everyone on the facebook page really liked the idea that I was going to make a necklace that had this on it;

so I'm going to do a contest.  There will be two winners, one who gets a pendant with that on it (see above) and one with a pendant that says this on it (see below).  Just fill out the form to enter! :D

*Please note that these ARE handmade so they won't be perfect, but they WILL be as good as possible.

This contest is now closed!!!  See winners here!

Review-Possess

I got this book months early to review and just the other day I realized that IT COMES OUT TODAY (or if we're talking about the day I realized it it was more like IT COME OUT IN 5 DAYS!!!) which is why I read this book, well, that and because, let's face it, the cover is awesome and the story sounds great.  I have to admit the first few pages didn't capture me as much as I hoped they would, but I read on like a good little reviewer does, and finally I got to the part that really caught my attention. Possess was lots of fun with a great creepy factor that, while didn't give me nightmares did cause me to shiver a few times.  I really loved Bridget because she really was the kind of main female character that the YA world needs more of. She was a tough sarcastic bada** that, although did a little of the "poor me" stuff she really came through in the end.  If you're looking for a good spooky book I would highly recommend this debut novel.  McNeil comes up with an idea all her own and although for me the way of writing was a little hard for me to get used to in the end it turned out to be a good story.  I also applaud the fact that McNeil managed to keep me guessing the entire time on what was going to happen next, and then because she is a girl (and I am a girl) there was that great romance going on in between all of the freaky stuff going on in the characters life.  A great debut novel I highly recommend you pick this book if it sparked your interest at all, or maybe if you just like the idea of a teenage girl kicking some demon a**?  A great thriller debut and I can't wait for Gretchen's next novel, which sounds like it will be a slasher book! (wait, do they have those, slasher books, or is it just slasher flicks?)

OUT NOW!!!

4.5/5 dust spirits

In Which I Talk About Reviews to Come

Wow, that title sounded a little ominous if I do say so myself, but really what it's about it all the books I have to review because I said I would, and I hate being a liar (unless I'm lying for good reason, but I rarely lie for good reasons when it comes to books [unless I'm talking about how many I want to get at the store {that I won't be paying for}]).  Also, WOW that was a lot of those parenthesise things in one sentence.  Basically this is a list of books that I have to review, and I'm basically going to put them in order of reviews, which is based, NOT on which I want to read first (because there would be a few that would be higher up on the pile) but based on when they come out.  So without further adu (adue?) here is a list (with some pictures) of the books I MUST review soon.  Basically what I'm saying is this is a list of the next dozen or so reviews that will be posted on the blog, with the possible few exceptions depending on how much time I have between the release date and how fast I read the books.  Also, I've decided that as I read each book I will cross it off the list, because I've always wanted to use that slash thing, but I never do. ;)

1. Possession-McNeil
2. Envy-Olsen
3. Ultraviolet-Anderson
4. The Eleventh Plague-Hirsch
5. Shut Out-Keplinger
6. All These Things I've Done-Zevin
7. Frost-Baer
8. Daughter of Smoke and Bone-Taylor
9. The Name of the Star-Johnson
10. Carrier of the Mark-Fallon
11. The Scorpio Races-Stiefvater
12. Dearly, Departed-Habel
13. Half-Blood-Armentrout
14. Crossed-Condie
15. Dark Eden-Carman
16. Shatter Me-Mafi
17. Legend-Lu

And now, THE PICTURES!!!

Review-Epic Fail

First off I feel the need to point out how amazing this title is, I mean really, it's just...it's amazing.  Now, Claire has written other books, but this is her first YA book, and let me tell you it was just so much fun!  I asked for this ARC a long time ago and I got it around the same time, but I held off because I always had something else to read, and once I read it was inspired by Pride and Prejudice I was a little weary, because, for those of you who don't know, I'm not a fan of the classics.  I am really glad I did decide to read this book because it was really great.  Elise (which also happens to be the name of one of my good friends) is such a great character because she's not like every other female main character out there, which means she doesn't always conform to the social norms, she isn't immediately attracted to the hot movie star son, and when she makes mistakes she admits them and doesn't dwell and go "poor me".  The thing I liked best about Elise is the fact that I feel she's so much like me, which I'm sure sounds dorky, but I connected with her so much on so many levels it was really great.  The story was cute and quirky, and the characters were really well developed.  Yeah, this book may be like almost every other love story in the world and if it were made into a movie it would be what you would call cliché but Claire crafts the story so well you don't want to put it down and you'll easily forget you might have read books with a similar plot.  I applaud Claire's YA debut and i will definitely be looking forward to more book by her in this genre, and if you read adult fiction too you should read some of her other books as well, because I'm sure she writes with just as much charm there as she does in this book.

Out Now!

5/5

Review-Chain Reaction

I have to say, this has been one of my favorite contemporary series and I'm really sad to see it end, but at least we got a series and not just one book.  For some reason Simone makes her characters perfectly, and no, that doesn't mean they're perfect, it just means that despite all of their flaws (and they have many, believe me) you still just want to...well, we'll just say kiss them, but we all know we want to do WAY more than that with them, especially the Fuentes brothers.  Most of the time it's hard to top the first book in a series, and if you do the end will suck, but I have to say, the third and final installment could quite possibly be my favorite out of all three.  I was also really taken by Nikki.  I wasn't sure how I was going to like this book because from the synopsis I wasn't sure how relateable Nikki was going to be, and even though I don't stutter or have the perfect life with a less than perfect home life, Kira and Brittany were both characters I could relate to.  In the end though, like always, Simone did a perfect job at making Nikki a character I grew to love because, honestly, it's what she does.  Now Luis, I knew Luis was going to be amazing but not THAT amazing.  He might be my favorite Fuentes brother just because he's everything I wish I had in a guy (minus the whole, trouble with the gang thing).  He was so much like his brothers (which we also got to see, and I LOVED) but he was also fully his own person and even though that doesn't make sense it's true.  The one thing that makes me not give this book a perfect rating is the Spanish, and it's not because I hate Spanish, or the Latino population, but because I take Japanese and not Spanish and I didn't want to stop reading and look up the phrases and such on the Internet I was forced to either guess what meant or just skip it all together because I knew in the long run it wasn't THAT important.  Maybe a nice Spanish glossary in the back of the book for those of us who don't speak Spanish, but other than that this books was, as all the others, amazing and maybe if we all wish hard enough Simone will write more about the Fuentes brothers (or their children) in the future because I just can't seem to get enough of them!

4.5/5 dust spirits

Review-Beyond the Grave

I'm really bummed that this series isn't more readily available to the public, but sometimes that's what happens, the good series are harder to find, and maybe it's because of that it makes them harder to find...or maybe I'm just crazy.  This series has really been fun to read because it starts off with a great first book that really breaks the norm in a paranormal YA book.  The most amazing thing, THE GIRL DOESN'T FALL IN LOVE WITH THE SPIRIT!!!  Now, I'm all for a great paranormal romance with sexy ghosts, but it might be overdone, so when the ghosts aren't hot, it's interesting.  Mara is such a great writer and I'm really sad to see that this whole series is over.  Charlotte was such a great character and I could really connect with her.  No, my mom isn't in a coma due to a crazy dark spirit and no, my boyfriend isn't seemingly being possessed by said spirit either (and I know you're all going, WHAT BOYFRIEND, YOU HAVE NONE!), but she's such a down to earth character.  This book really seems to wrap everything up and even though it's a paranormal book I think it has a really great message to everyone out there, and that is that you CAN face your problems and win.  I do have to say it's darker than the first two books, especially at the end, but with all the "dark stuff" that's supposedly in YA it's not that bad at all, just some minor bone breaks and a few concussions.  I do think that Mara has the potential to continue this series and I think it could be really great, but I don't think she will.  I will definitely be on the lookout for her next book series (or maybe another book in the Past Midnight series *hint hint hint*) because although she's less known that doesn't mean her books are inferior to other big names in any way.

Released August 23, 2011

5/5 dust spirits

Thanks Mara for the copy to review!!!

In Which I Talk About My Rating System

So all of you know that I rate by books on a scale of 1 to 5, 5 being Amazing and 1 being...well, that pretty much means that I won't even finish it and post a review at all, so you'll probably never see any reviews with a 1/5 rating.  You might see some with a 2/5 rating, but most of those are books I was forced to read in school (which somehow always makes me read the most depressing books EVER) so mostly things are 3+ when it comes to books I review.  Originally on the facebook page I just rated it x/5 but since I'm now using a blog and can post graphics with the rating I use these; 

 the dust spirits from the Miyazaki films (My Neighbor Totoro and Spirited Away) because really, they're so cute!!! (Even if you're a guy you have to admit they're cute!) 

Here I was going to explain my rating system, what a 5/5 means what a 4.5/5 means, and so on and so forth, but then I realized that while I have a rating system with numbers every book is different and every book deserves to be rated on a different scale, and that's sort of what I do.  Book A could be a great paranormal fantasy and book B could be a great contemporary fiction and they could both get a 5/5 but they really aren't the same, are they?  I know there are quite a few people (myself included) who just look at the rating at the end of a blog posts and skim the review that's been written, but I think that it's sometimes really important to read those small little comments that people make in their reviews because as I said I don't think it's possible to grade all books the same way.  So yes, I do rate books, and I've noticed that most of the books I read I give a 5 or a 4 to, but that's because most books that are a 3 or below I don't actually bother finishing because I have so many other books to read, but each rating is individual, which is why I didn't put a general rating system on the side of the blog like other blogs do.

Basically each of my reviews and ratings are unique because every book that I read is unique too, so there is no way for me to make a set system I can use for all the books I own.  Each book review will be as unique as each book is, but I can tell you that my reviews are as honest as I can be based on other books I've read in the genre and possibly the first book (or books) if it happens to be a series (or by the same author or such).

Review-The Forest of Hands and Teeth

This was a great zombie book that never actually used the word zombie anywhere in it. I wouldn't call it scary, but definitely suspensful it was interesting to see how the Unconsecreated turned the world back to such primal ways of living. I don't think I would have been able to function if I were in the same conditions that Mary was, but her longing for something she's never known was definitely familiar. Ryan does a great job at crafting a dystopian world that is anything but, and it makes you wonder what could happen if we try something like reviving the dead. A beautifully crafted world of horror The Forest of Hands and Teeth is a great read for all of you who enjoy zombie movies or just a good suspense movie in general. I can't wait to sink my teeth into the next installment of the series. The only thing that bugged me was the fact that we didn't learn what CAUSED the "Return" in the first place. But maybe if I keep reading that will become clear? Other than that it was great and the tension that she laced throughout the book was definitely a great way to keep readers hooked.

4.5/5 dust spirits



*Note, this was an older review originally from the facebook page.

Review-The Dead-Tossed Waves

I was really pleased with this companion novel to Carrie's The Forest of Hands and Teeth because we saw some old characters, met some new ones, and we really got to see past the Forest and some of the reasons for the Return.  I think that when we leave a book we all want to know what happens next but sometimes a sequel isn't always the best way to do that.  A companion novel can be great as long as it's set up right, and this one was set up very well.  Returning to the same world was really great because you leared about the world before, and now you're building on what you already know.  Gabry was a really great character because I think she's what most people in zombie, excuse me Mudo/Unconsecrated books (and movies) aren't; afraid.  In all of the movies and books you have a head-strong hero/heroin who seems to not be afraid of anything, but I think that honestly in that situation most of us would be scared sh*tless, and I think that sometimes writers/authors forget that fact because they feel that it's unapealing in a character.  Carrie is such a great writer and I think that she really hit her calling when she started writing YA zombie suspense novels.  The thing is, she's not afraid to kill characters, which I think is something a lot of YA writers are afraid to do because they feel it will be too dark.  Honestly I did like this book more than the first in the series, maybe it was the characters, maybe it was the setting, maybe it was the romance that seemed to blossom, and maybe it was because I could see myself as Gabry but she was so much stronger than I think I would be in her situation, which is why I really admire her.  It was a riveting sequel and I can't wait to see if we see more of Gabry in the last companion novel, The Dark and Hollow Places.

5.5 dust spirits

(Technically it's more like 4.75/5 dust spirits, but since it would be weird to cut a dust spirit into 3/4 and then everything would ger REALLY complicated we'll just round up to 5)

Review-Small Town Sinners~Blog Tour

Before I start this review I want to let you guys know something, I'm not a religious person.  My father is religious but I myself have no feelings towards God and am fine with some of the things extremist's are upset about, mainly abortion (I'm pro-choice) and gay marriage (I'm all for it).  I know that when you go into reading a book, especially as a reviewer, you want to be objective, but every person brings their own experiences and beliefs into the books they read and they really do shape what we think about a book.  I did come into this book with an open mind, and I'm actually surprised at how much I did end up enjoying this book despite the religion that was a huge part of the book.  I think that all teenagers are trying to figure out who and what they are, and Melissa does a great job at showing how difficult it can be to do that, especially when you're told exactly who you are supposed to be from the moment you were born.  This novel is really about two things, finding yourself and then finding your place in the world when you're not sure what you believe anymore.  The main character was really great, and although I wanted to bang my head against the book and yell at some of the characters Lacey Anne was not one of them.  It was really great to see how she goes to just blindly following the things she's been taught to finally starting to question the world around her and thinking for herself. Also, can you say yum when it comes to Ty? He's pretty much what I want in a guy, well, maybe minus the whole deep secret thing, but I could get over that because he's actually the exact kind of guy I think I would like.  The Hell House part of the book was really fascinating because I had heard of them but they had never actually been incorporated into a teen book before, so that was really interesting.  As I said I didn't exactly agree with all of the things that were being said in the book but that was okay because all in all it turned out to be a good read.  I think that even if you don't believe in God like me it's a good book to read because it's an interesting take, and if you do maybe you should read it too because it might change how you look at the things around you.

Out Now

4/5 dust spirits

Review-The Near Witch

Part fairy tale, part romance, and part bedtime story The Near Witch is fully amazing.  There's that spark of recognition in the story that makes you swear you had heard it before but once you read it you know it's all new.  Schwab's debut novel is outstanding and truly beautiful in every way imaginable.  Almost haunting in a way Lexi's story will have you wanting to know if there's a happily ever after in her future.  I was happily pleased by Lexi's character because even though she's a girl she's the kind of girl I like to see in YA literature, the kind that really doesn't take crap from anyone and somehow still manages to stay true to herself while doing it.  She doesn't seem bitchy or whiny and manages to assert herself as a strong lead character and I just loved that.  The description was really amazing and even though I felt it was set years ago I didn't care because it was just such a beautiful story I couldn't seem to bring myself to even be bothered by that, which is usually something that happens to me quite frequently.  I'm sure that this book will quickly become a hit and my advice is to go out and buy it or borrow it from a friend or your local library as soon as possible, because it's just a really great read.  The only reason I don't give this book a full 5 stars is because I just felt like there was something missing.  It was magical and lovely, haunting and romantic, but I just feel that there was that one thing missing.  I can't put my finger on it, and if I could I would tell you what it was, but it was still a really great book and something I think that all fans of the Disney movies and those who like fairy tales should read, because you won't be disappointed.  I can't wait to see what Victoria writes next because I will definitely be checking it out.

4.5/5 dust spirits

Review-Thirteen Reasons Why

Asher's debut novel is an amazing show of literary genius and I don't think I've ever been as awestruck by a first novel as I was by this one.  It was shocking and unforgettable and if you haven't read it I highly recommend you go pick it up now.  There are no words to explain how amazing this novel is, but if I had to choose some they would be "beautiful", "lyrical", and "haunting" and with this novel Jay really made a splash.  The feature on the back of the dust jacket was an added bonus, being able to see the map that Hannah referred to all throughout the book was really great and I found myself looking at it right along with the main character as I read the words that were being spoken through the tapes on the pages.  When I finished this book I found myself in awe of the writing and astounded by the story that Asher had woven in such a short novel.  Fans of Ellen Hopkins and the novel Cut will love this book and eat it up.  I'm sure that it has been ban in a few schools around the country but I think it's really important that every child (or even adult) read this book at one point in their life because the impact it has is huge.  Even the reluctant reader will find themselves glued to the pages as the story unfolds and you read on to see the reason a teenage girl decided to end her own life.  The whole idea of this book, that just one person could have changed the outcome of a situation and saved her life, really hits you hard and makes you think about all of those times you've insulted someone, and all the poor things that you've done to others will come back into your mind.  This novel has a great air of mystery about it as well and I think that's the other thing that fascinated me, you needed to know what happened to Hannah and why she took her own life.  The question is, if you were the reason someone killed themselves would you have the courage to find out why, and what would you do to change yourself once you knew why?

5/5 Dust spirits

*Note, this review has been redone from the original because it was short and I didn't feel it did the book justice.  Some of my older reviews will be redone but I'll let you know the ones I do change.

Review-The Pledge (e-ARC)

I was so pleased when I got to read this book early because, if you've been following me from the start, you'll know how much I LOVE Kimberly and her books.  I do have to say, it can be a little scary to read a book by an author when it's a slightly different genre then the one they started with, but I was really happy with Kimberly's move.  She moved from a paranormal romance to more of a dystopian novel and she did a really good job.  Most of the dystopian novels that are out now a days are in one of two categories, post-apocalyptic or the perfect society with advanced technology.  Kimberly made a world all her own and it was a great mix of past and present, which is something you don't see at all.  Ludania was such a great world because it mixed parts of the ancient world such as vendors and markets with things that were more modern like cars, clubs, and abandoned subway tunnels.  The whole idea of the book was great too, about language separating classes of people, because that's actually how it used to be in ancient times.  Keeping with her signature character the book is about a girl with a strange ability that very few people know about and could very well get her killed, so it was really refreshing to at least have that part be the same.  I do have to admit that the beginning was a little shaky, but it quickly picked up and soon I couldn't keep my eyes from returning to the screen of my computer/nook to finish the next page/chapter.  Based on the ending I can't tell if there will be a sequel (and since it hasn't been announced and Kimberly can't tell us "yay" or "nay" yet) but I do feel that though the ending was tied up nicely there is still room for there to be a sequel and it could be just as great.  If you're a fan of Kimberly Derting's Body Finder series I highly recommend that you pick up this book when it comes out because it really does stick with Kimberly's style and the story is fresh and new.

Released November 15, 2011

4.5/5 dust spirits

August Book Giveaway

So you all said that a monthly giveaway would be a good idea, so here's how it's going to work.  There will be six books you can choose from that come out during the month the contest is for, so because it's August the book you choose will have come out in August, not in July, or December, or any other month, just August.  The book will be shipped at the beginning of the next month, so if you're looking to get the book right when it comes out you're out of luck, because that's not going to happen.  Winners will be announced on the first of the month and a new giveaway will be posted then as well.  You can only enter ONCE, if you enter more than that you will be disqualified.  The contest will be international as long as the Book Depository ships to your country for free (want to know if it does?  Check here).  All you have to do is fill out the form and press "send" or whatever it is at the end of the form, and then wait.  You have until August 31st at 12:00 Midnight Pacific Standard Time to enter.  Good luck.  See winner here.

Day 32 - Wait, Day 32!?

The winner of day 31 is Perla!!! Congrats, I've emailed you and you can get back to me whenever.

Now, I'm sure you're asking, Day 32!?  There's ANOTHER giveaway!?  and my answer is No, not yet, but I have decided to do one giveaway a month, and you get to pick the book I'm giving away, so day 32 is PICK WHAT BOOK I GIVE AWAY THIS MONTH DAY!!!

YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA.  So, I've decided that it should be a book that comes out durring that month, so this month you can vote for a book that comes out in August.  I'll pick 6 books it could be and you vote on...how about the google form thing, cause I like those, they're spiffy. :D  so basically fill out the form, I'll leave it up for...3 days, then announce which book won and start the contest.  Soooo, GO!