2012 Reading Challenges: Wrap-Up

This year I didn't sign up for any blog related challenges. I wanted it to be stress free, and it was! All of the following challenges were on Goodreads, and I'd say I did pretty good for most of them. Here's the progress that was made:



SOS: Serious Overload of Series & One Million Pages Per Lifetime - 12x12 in 2012

79/144 completed

1. First in Series (10/12)
1. The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot 13/1/2012
2. Incarceron by Catherine Fisher 9/3/2012
3. D.Gray-man Volume 1 by Katsura Hoshino 21/4/2012
4. Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi 31/5/2012
5. Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins 30/5/2012
6. Alice in the Country of Hearts Vol 1 by Quinrose Nov 2012
7. Light Dreams by DeeStory Dec 2012
8. Blue Bloods by Melissa de la Cruz 20/6/2012
9. 13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson 13/5/2012
10. Nevermore by Kelly Creagh 8/5/2012

2. Second in Series (9/12)
1. The Power of Six by Pittacus Lore 27/10/2012
2. Goddess Boot Camp by Tera Lynn Childs 8/6/2012
3. Alice in the Country of Hearts Vol 2 by Quinrose Nov 2012
4. Echoes by DeeStory Dec 2012
5. Betrayed by P.C. & Kristin Cast 1/5/2012
6. The Last Little Blue Envelope by Maureen Johnson Sept 2012
7. Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick 19/5/2012
8. D.Gray-man Volume 2 by Katsura Hoshino 23/4/2012
9. Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Volume 2 by Naoko Takeuchi 16/7/2012

3. Third+ in Series (9/12)
1. Silence by Becca Fitzpatrick 26/5/2012
2. Sailor Moon Volume 4 by Naoko Takeuchi 24/10/2012
3. Alice in the Country of Hearts Vol 3 by Quinrose Dec 2012
4. D.Gray-man Volume 3: The Rewinding City by Katsura Hoshino 16/7/2012
5. D.Gray-man Volume 4: Carnival by Katsura Hoshino 19/7/2012
6. Sailor Moon Volume 3 by Naoko Takeuchi 15/10/2012
7. Feast of Fools by Rachel Caine 24/4/2012
8. Whisper by Alyson Noel 22/7/2012
9. Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days by Jeff Kinney 21/9/2012

4. eBooks (8/12)
1. V is for Virgin by Kelly Oram Nov 2012
2. Black Moon by CL Bevill 21/1/2012
3. Amber Moon by CL Bevill 23/1/2012
4. Silver Moon by CL Bevill 27/1/2012
5. Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare 28/1/2012
6. Harvest Moon by CL Bevill 29/1/2012
7. Death by Chocolate Anthology by Lucy swing, etc. 2/4/2012
8. An Abundance of Katherines by John Green 8/4/2012

5. e/Freebies (8/12)
1. Trials of Death by Darren Shan 27/4/2012
2. Paper Towns by John Green 3/5/2012
3. When the Black Girl Sings by Bil Wright 24/5/2012
4. Au Revoir, Crazy European Chick by Joe schreiber 6/6/2012
5. Alice in the Country of Hearts Vol 4 by Quinrose Dec 2012
6. Bumped by Megan McCafferty 12/6/2012
7. Bewitching by Alex Flinn 16/6/2012
8. Alice in the Country of Hearts Vol 5 by Quinrose 29/12/2012

6. New Authors (6/12)
1. Hourglass by Myra McEntire 17/6/2012
2. A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry 26/7/2012
3. When It Happens by Susane Colasanti 8/1/2012
4. Sailor Moon Volume 1 by Naoko Takeuchi 31/1/2012
5. Ordinary Wisdom by K. Blue 27/3/2012
6. Serial Hottie by Kelly Oram 29/6/2012

7. Classics/Audiobooks (5/12)
1. Great Expectations by Charles Dickens 19/2/2012
2. Oh. My. Gods. by tera Lynn Childs 1/1/2012
3. Tell Me a Secret by Holly Cupala 2/1/2012
4. My Soul to Lose by Rachel Vincent 29/1/2012
5. The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern 11/6/2012

8. Stand Alones (7/12)
1. Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson 23/5/2012
2. The Bet by ilurvbooks Dec 2012
3. Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly 15/5/2012
4. To Kill a Mockingbrd by Harper Lee 19/3/2012
5. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green 18/3/2012
6. Looking for Alaska by John Green 17/5/2012
7. Total Blueprint for World Domination by Jolene Stockman 22/6/2012

9. Vampires (6/12)
1. The Vampire's Assistant by Darren Shan 26/1/2012
2. Tunnels of Blood by Darren Shan 19/3/2012
3. Vampire Mountain by Darren Shan 4/4/2012
4. Marked by P.C. & Kristin Cast 29/4/2012
5. Eighth Grade Bites by Heather Brewer 5/7/2012
6. D.Gray-man Volume 5: Announcement by Katsura Hoshino 11/10/2012

10. Other Paranormal Creatures (4/12)
1. Firelight by Sophie Jordan 23/7/2012
2. Fallen by Lauren Kate 8/7/2012
3. Eyes Like Stars by Lisa Mantchev 29/5/2012
4. Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick 19/5/2012

11. Rereads (4/12)
1. The Last Straw by Jeff Kinney 2/8/2012
2. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins 23/3/2012
3. The Night My Life Changed Forever by Sara Lisowski 24/3/2012
4. The Clique by Lisi Harrison 6/4/2012

12. Miscellaneous (3/12)
1. D.Gray-man Volume 6: Delete by Katsura Hoshino 11/10/2012
2. ttfn by Lauren Myracle 4/1/2012
3. Night by Elie Wiesel 22/4/2012

The Lost Challenges - A to Z Series

17/26 completed

A - Alice in the Country of Hearts: Alice in the Country of Hearts Vol 1 by Quinrose Nov 2012
B - Bumped: Bumped by Megan McCafferty 12/6/2012
C - Cirque Du Freak: Tunnels of Blood by Darren Shan 19/3/2012
D - D.Gray-man: D.Gray-man Volume 2 by Katsura Hoshino 24/4/2012
E
F - Fallen: Fallen by Lauren Kate 8/7/2012
G
H - The Hunger Games: The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins 23/3/2012
I - Infernal Devices: Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare 28/1/2012
J - A Jack Blank Adventure: The Accidental Hero by Matt Myklusch
K - Kendra Chronicles: Bewitching by Alex Flinn 16/6/2012
L - Little Blue Envelopes: 13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson 13/5/2012
M - Morganville Vampires: Feast of Fools by Rachel Caine 24/4/2012
N - Nevermore: Nevermore by Kelly Creagh 8/5/2012
O - Oh. My. Gods.: Oh. My. Gods. by Tera Lynn Childs 1/1/2012
P - The Princess Diaries: The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot 13/1/2012
Q - Lorien Legacies: The Power of Six by Pittacus Lore 27/10/2012
R - Riley Bloom: Whisper by Alyson Noel 22/7/2012
S - Soul Screamers: My Soul to Lose by Rachel Vincent 29/1/2012
T - Theatre Illuminata: Eyes Like Stars by Lisa Mantchev 29/5/2012
U
V
W
X
Y
Z


My Big Fat Booky Challenge-athon - Big Book 500

2/10 completed

1. Great Expectations, 516 pages 19/2/2012
2. Nevermore, 543 pages 8/5/2012


My Big Fat Booky Challenge-athon - The Book Word Challenge

17/17 completed, DONE

P - The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot 13/1/2012
A - Amber Moon by CL Bevill 23/1/2012
R - Feast of Fools by Rachel Caine 24/4/2012
A - An Abundance of Katherines by John Green 8/4/2012
N - The Night My Life Changed Forever by Sara Lisowski 24/3/2012
O - The Fault in Our Stars by John Green 18/3/2012
R - Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly 15/5/2012
M - To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee 19/3/2012
A - Looking for Alaska by John Green 17/5/2012
L - Death by Chocolate Anthology by Lucy Swing, etc. 2/4/2012

R - Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins 30/5/2012
O - Oh. My. Gods. by Tera Lynn Childs 1/1/2012
M - Vampire Mountain by Darren Shan 4/4/2012
A - Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson 23/5/2012
N - Night by Elie Wiesel 22/4/2012
C - Incarceron by Catherine Fisher 9/3/2012
E - 13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson 13/5/2012

My Big Fat Booky Challenge-athon - The Book Word Challenge Part 2

13/17 completed

H - Hourglass by Myra McEntire 17/6/2012
I -
S - Silence by Becca Fitzpatrick 26/5/2012
T - Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi 31/5/2012
O - Serial Hottie by Kelly Oram 29/6/2012
R - D.Gray-man Volume 3: The Rewinding City by Katsura Hoshino 16/7/2012
I -
C - Blue Bloods by Melissa de la Cruz 20/6/2012
A - Au Revoir, Crazy European Chick by Joe Schreiber 6/6/2012
L - Eyes Like Stars by Lisa Mantchev 29/5/2012

F - Bewitching by Alex Flinn 16/6/2012
I -
C - The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern 11/6/2012
T - Goddess Boot Camp by Tera Lynn Childs 8/6/2012
I -
O - V is for Virgin by Kelly Oram Nov 2012
N - Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Volume 2 by Naoko Takeuchi 16/7/2012
_________________________________________________________

Be sure to check out the Reading Challenges page to see what I'm aiming to complete in 2013!

Let Me Count the Ways Reading Challenge 2013

It's that time of year again! I don't think I'll be signing up for any other blog challenges for 2013 besides the following. I really liked this year not having the stress of wanting to finish them. But anyway, I found a really awesome one through Goodreads!

Avanti @ Avanti's Place is hosting an awesome challenge this upcoming year for people who want to count their pages! Signup is easy: just post about your participation on your blog, Goodreads/Shelfari, etc. and add your link to the linky on the signup post! She offers several levels for you to join, and lucky for all of us (this is not sarcasm), the rules are that you can only level up, not down. (YUS! This means I can't back out of my goal at all.)

For the Book Version, I will be aiming for the Mansion level (10,001+ pages) because I ususally reach that pretty easily. At the same time, I've been struggling to read with my school work, etc. getting in the way, so it will still be a challenge!

Avanti loves us oh so very much that she also has an Audio Version to the challenge! Now we all know I'm not one to listen to audiobooks very often, but I'm so behind on the ones that I DO have. They're just stacking up on my iPod....(shakes head). To try and catch up on them all, I am also going to participate in the Audio Version!

I will be aiming for the College Dorm level (4,501-9,000 minutes (76-150 hours)). Don't want to aim too high if I don't buy a lot of audios this year, but I know I have at least this much waiting for me already.


Don't be shy! Hurry and sign up for one or both of these challenges. Everyone loves a good page/minute count challenge! :D

In My Mailbox #56

In My Mailbox

Hosted by Kristi @ The Story Siren

Kindle

Poison Princess by Kresley Cole

Audible.com

Behemoth by Scott Westerfeld

Poison Princess by Kresley Cole

Seraphina by Rachel Hartman

Goliath by Scott Westerfeld

Changeling by Philippa Gregory

From store

Finale by Becca Fitzpatrick ( :D ! )

For review:
Brachman's Underworld by Vlad Vaslyn
V is for Virgin by Kelly Oram

Teaser Tuesday #47

Teaser Tuesday

Hosted by MizB @ Should Be Reading

This week I'm giving you guys a teaser from the story I'm working on. This is from the middle of chapter six, but I liked this part a lot. Let me know how you feel!

"You can come in, Ally," he said in the softest tone I've ever heard him speak in. He sighed as I continued to stand there. Grabbing his McKinley High Letterman jacket off the coat stand next to the door, Michael joined me outside.

"What are you doing?" I asked, but the only response I got was him handing the jacket to me. "I'm not cold."

"Your sweater doesn't look like it's very thick and you're cold-natured." He gave me a 'just take it' look and pushed it into my hands.

I sighed. "Fine, Michael. I'll do this your way since you have to be so demanding." I gave in, pulling the jacket on. His face softened again when I said this; he looked as if he wanted to ask me something, but he kept his mouth closed.

"So . . . did you want to take another walk or something?" he queried. I scrunched my eyebrows in confusion. He quickly explained. "Well, when I said you could come in, you kept standing there like you didn't want to go inside."

"Well, I definitely don't want to go anywhere with you. You'd probably just leave me by myself again anyway."

Michael looked away from me, and the mood became awkward between us. "I didn't leave you, baby girl. You were acting like you didn't want to talk to me, so I told you to just call me when you wanted me to let you in."

"Oh. Well, you should have made sure you had my attention." I did feel bad, though, as he explained what happened. I honestly hadn't heard him at all earlier because I was so caught up in reminiscing. "Can we go in now? I really need some sleep." I looked up at him hesitantly and wrapped his jacket tighter around me. "Oh, and you're not getting this jacket back any time soon," I said with a genuine smile.

He chuckled and opened the door, gesturing for me to go through. "Same old Allison."

Be sure to let me know what you think! Something to remember, though, is that I haven't finished editing and adding descriptions, etc.

In My Mailbox #55

In My Mailbox

Hosted by Kristi @ The Story Siren

Bought from the store

D.Gray-man Volume 5: Announcement by Katsura Hoshino

D.Gray-man Volume 6: Delete by Katsura Hoshino

In My Mailbox #54

In My Mailbox

Hosted by Kristi @ The Story Siren

Bought from store

The Godfather by Mario Puzo

Sailor Moon Vol 3 by Naoko Takeuchi

Sailor Moon Vol 4 by Naoko Takeuchi

Kindle

The Rise of Nine by Pittacus Lore

Paper Towns by John Green

Borrowed from teacher
Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions by Edwin A. Abbott

Review: The Last Little Blue Envelope by Maureen Johnson

The Last Little Blue Envelope (Little Blue Envelopes, #2) by Maureen Johnson
282 pages, Kindle Edition
Finished in Sept. 2012
Genres: Young Adult, Contemporary, Adventure, Romance, Realistic Fiction, Coming of Age
Synopsis via Goodreads:

Ginny Blackstone thought that the biggest adventure of her life was behind her. She spent last summer traveling around Europe, following the tasks her aunt Peg laid out in a series of letters before she died. When someone stole Ginny's backpack--and the last little blue envelope inside--she resigned herself to never knowing how it was supposed to end.

Months later, a mysterious boy contacts Ginny from London, saying he's found her bag. Finally, Ginny can finish what she started. But instead of ending her journey, the last letter starts a new adventure--one filled with old friends, new loves, and once-in-a-lifetime experiences. Ginny finds she must hold on to her wits . . . and her heart. This time, there are no instructions.

Motivation to Read It: My school started a new program this year called Reading Scholars, so that influenced me a little bit. Plus I've been wanting to read this one since I finished 13 Little Blue Envelopes.

Review: It took me two whole months to find time to finish this book, but school didn't keep it from being an awesome sequel to 13 Little Blue Envelopes. I'm glad that I got a chance to read this series! It's like travelling to Europe with Ginny instead of just reading about her and her friends going. I also learned some things from Ginny's experiences.

Ginny left us in teh last novel with her backpack being stolen and all the letters, including the unread 13th letter, being in the bag as well. Now Oliver, an Englander, contacts her saying that they should meet so he can give her the letter. She goes and discovers that the last letter requires her to travel across Europe once again. This time, however, she brings along Oliver, Keith (remember him?), and Keith's new girlfriend Ellis. Talk about some good reading!

The characters were even better this time around than they were in the first book. Ginny isn't paranoid anymore, and Keith's mixed feelings are enough to keep anyone interested. Oliver had his moments where he seemed as if he actually cared, but at other times he was just being a smart-alick. Even though, at first, I wanted Ginny and Keith to further their "kind-of-something," Ellis was such a sweetheart. She admired Ginny from the stories Keith had told about her and always tried to be as helpful as she could be the entire time they traveled.

The plot was, to me, more fast-paced than the first book. They went to the European countries so fast, and the trips were pretty much a paragraph long, then they explained what happened while they were there. Not that this was a bad thing of course. I'm not too fond of books that move super slow, so it was nice to travel at top speed. Maureen describes the settings, actions, and characters very well. The way they all interacted with each other and their surroundings was definitely entertaining.

Hopefully -- just maybe -- Johnson will decide to write a third book following Ginny. I'm not sure how she could continue the series with the same concept, but I'm sure she'd come up with something truly spectacular!

Satisfying eBook

(Rating System)

This Month's Reads: October 2012

Hey guys!

If you're still hanging in there with me, thanks so much. It's going to take me a while to get back in the groove of managing everything.

This month I'm putting some of last month's books back on the list because eventually I will get sick of them being on the list and read them. Until then, they're stuck.

Nevermore: A Final Maximum Ride Adventure by James Patterson
Torment by Lauren Kate
Sailor Moon Vol 3 by Naoko Takeuchi
Sailor Moon Vol 4 by Naoko Takeuchi
This Is Not a Test by Courtney Summers
The Power of Six by Pittacus Lore

Reading Update

Hello lovelies!

Just typing a quick blog post to let you know that,

1) I've just been grounded and won't have access to the blog for a few more weeks.
2) I've finally continued working on my story (updated the sidebar).
3) I've only finished two books this month -- The Last Little Blue Envelope & Dog Days.

Hopefully I'll be able to get on more in the next few months. I'll let you know ASAP.

Happy reading!! :)

This Month's Reads: September 2012

This month I'm just going to try to read the following. If I can get these done, it will be a miracle!

The Last Little Blue Envelope by Maureen Johnson
Dog Days by Jeff Kinney
Torment by Lauren Kate
This Is Not a Test by Courtney Summers
Nevermore by James Patterson.


What are you planning to read this month?

Prolonged Absence

Hey everyone!!!!

I hate that I haven't been on at all lately in August, but school (mainly homework) is kicking my butt right now. I'm trying to manage everything better so that I can read and blog more, but who knows what will happen. I hope you've all been doing awesome!

Happy Reading,
Zakiya LadyWings

P.S., On a side note I have started writing another story; I'm about to put my Story Progress on the far right sidebar right now. (:

Summer Wrap-Up Readathon (#SWUR): Goals

The Summer Wrap-Up Readathon has begun!! It's being hosted by Jude @ In Between & Jennifer @ Some Like It Paranormal. It will last for nine whole, reading-filled days--August 4th-12th. You can follow along on Twitter using the hashtag #SWUR. As always, I'm aiming for book related goals, no pages or any of that extra stuff. Just finish some books.

Books I want to finish:

If I can finish all four of these, I'll be really happy. Especially since school started yesterday!

What are you aiming for? Leave a link so I can stop by!

On the Shelves: Hide and Seek by Sara Shepard & The Waiting Sky by Lara Zielin

Hey everyone!!! Sorry I didn't post one of these last week. The books I'd chosen were so anticipated that there really wasn't a need.

Hide and Seek (The Lying Game, #4) by Sara Shepard
Release Date: July 31, 2012
Publisher: HarperTeen
352 pages, hardcover
Add It: Goodreads, Shelfari
Buy It: Amazon, The Book Depository, Barnes & Noble

My friends and I used to play lying games.

Now my twin sister is living one.

When I was alive, my family seemed picture-perfect. My adoptive parents adored me, and my little sister, Laurel, copied my every move. But now that my long-lost twin, Emma, has taken my place to solve my murder, we're both learning just how flawed my family really is.

Laurel is shooting Emma nasty looks and sneaking around with my ex-boyfriend. And it turns out my parents are keeping a huge secret--could it be the reason I'm dead?

How far would they go to keep the truth buried? No one can harm me now, but Emma is still fair game. And if she's not careful, she'll end up buried, too. . . .

From Sara Shepard, the #1 "New York Times" bestselling author of the Pretty Little Liars books, comes a riveting series about secrets, lies, and killer consequences.

Book Trailer:



I'm soo behind on Shepard's writing. I still haven't caught up with Pretty Little Liars. I'll get to this series sooner or later.

Stalk the Author: Goodreads, Twitter, Website, Facebook

_________________________________

The Waiting Sky by Lara Zielin
Release Date: August 2, 2012
Publisher: Putnma Juvenile
224 pages, hardcover
Add It: Goodreads, Shelfari
Buy It: Amazon, The Book Depository, Barnes & Noble

One summer chasing tornadoes could finally change Jane's life for the better.

Seventeen-year-old Jane McAllister can't quite admit her mother's alcoholism is spiraling dangerously out of control until she drives drunk, nearly killing them and Jane's best friend.

Jane has only one place to turn: her older brother Ethan, who left the problems at home years ago for college. A summer with him and his tornado-chasing buddies may just provide the time and space Jane needs to figure out her life and whether it still includes her mother. But she struggles with her anger at Ethan for leaving home and feels guilty--is she also abandoning her mom just when she needs Jane most? The carefree trip turned journey of self-discovery quickly becomes more than Jane bargained for, especially when the devilishly handsome Max steps into the picture.

(I couldn't find a book trailer for this one, so if anyone does, let me know!)

I've honestly never heard of Lara Zielin before I saw this book, but I'd be willing to try this one out! It looks and sounds like it's going to be really great.

Stalk the Author: Goodreads, Website, Twitter, Facebook

This Month's Reads: August 2012

I read a good amount of books in July, just not off the list I posted. :) Hopefully I can stick to the following list, because these are all the books that I want to read for challenges. One is August only, and the other ends in August, so wish me luck!

The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan

The Last Straw by Jeff Kinney (reread)

Dog Days by Jeff Kinney

The Ugly Truth by Jeff Kinney

Passion by Lauren Kate

Across the Universe by Beth Revis

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson

The Throne of Fire by Rick Riordan

Cabin Fever by Jeff Kinney

What Happened to Goodbye by Sarah Dessen

The Last Little Blue Envelope by Maureen Johnson

Nevermore by James Patterson

The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde

Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

Space by Emily Sue Harvey (reread) (maybe)

What's Your Status? #73 & In My Mailbox #53

What's Your Status?

Don't Miss:

~~High Summer Readathon Wrap-Up

Reviews:

~~Whisper by Alyson Noel

Memes:

~~Recommend A...

~~Manga Corner

Finished This Week:

~~Whisper by Alyson Noel, 22/7/2012
~~Firelight by Sophie Jordan, 23/7/2012
~~A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry, 26/7/2012

Currently Reading:

~~Torment by Lauren Kate, page 1
~~Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka, page 1

Top of the TBR Pile:

~~The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan

Upcoming Events:

In My Mailbox

Hosted by Kristi @ The Story Siren

From friend (Audible.com)

~~Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld
~~The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson

Ordered Online
~~The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane
~~Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka
~~Boys R Us by Lisi Harrison
~~A Separate Peace by John Knowles
~~Ninth Grade Slays by Heather Brewer
~~Tenth Grade Bleeds by Heather Brewer
~~Torment by Lauren Kate
~~Passion by Lauren Kate
~~This Is Not a Test by Courtney Summers
~~The Fault in our Stars by John Green

Received from author
~~Untraceable by SR Johannes

Review: Whisper by Alyson Noel

Whisper (Riley Bloom, #4) by Alyson Noel
215 pages, paperback
Finished on 22/7/2012
Genres: Young Adult, Coming of Age, Some Adventure, Romance, Paranormal
Synopsis via Goodreads:

This time, Riley might really have bitten off more than she’s ready for. After practically begging the Council for a more challenging Soul Catch, she is assigned an actual Roman gladiator—Theocoles, the Pillar of Doom. How is Riley, a skinny twelve-year-old, supposed to get through to him? Then she meets the beautiful Messalina, who convinces her that her only chance is to become part of this world. To accomplish this, Messalina helps Riley through a dramatic, mystical makeover, transforming her into the beautiful and mature teen she’s always wanted to be. Finally, Riley can experience her first boyfriend and her first kiss. With a dream this enchanting, will she ever want to leave?

Motivation to Read It: I really liked the first books in the series, so I jumped at the chance to buy this one! (I'd honestly forgotten all about it; *shakes head* I'm telling you: there are too many books coming out every week.)

Review: Alyson Noel is amazing. What a marvelous end to the Riley Bloom series! Not only was Whisper a quick, fun read, but I felt like it really was a coming of age noel because Riley matured so much in this one.

I realize that I didn't do a review for books 2 and 3 in this series, and for that I'm truly sorry. Believe me when I tell you, however, that they were really good and worth the time!

At the end of Dreamland, Riley has had a talking-to with the Council -- or rather, the Council had a talking-to with her -- and they've given her something to appeal to her wishes: a harder Soul Catch. Off to Rome she flies, discovering when she reaches the Colosseum that she must handle this one on her own. No help from Bodhi (although in the end he does sort of provide her with some).

The characters: wonderful. Riley was still a little short-tempered, but she controlled it for the most part and tried to get her job done. Messalina was a great character to me. Whether she was playing the best friend or the evil person that wanted you to never leave, she made it very believable. Dacian was very sweet; I think he makes a great match for Riley. All the characters have good personalities that make them enjoyable.

The plot carried along nicely. We got to see Riley live in Messalina's world for about what counted as 4 - 6 days. There's a point where it seems like several days might've been skipped, but when you read it, it's pretty obvious what happened during that time period if there were any skipped. It wasn't fast-paced, but it wasn't exactly slow either. I would say that it was at that comfortable in-between place.

I'm so sad to see this series come to an end, but it's given me an incentive to finaly finish the Immortals series. It's about time I did!

Satisfying eBook

(Rating System)

Manga Corner #1

So this is something that I thought I could do to make up for not reviewing manga books. I don't feel like my reviewing is good enough right now to really review manga books as I would like to. So I'll post Manga Corners to feature the books I've finished until I do :).

This past week I finished some books that are parts of series I started earlier this year.

Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon by Naoko Takeuchi

I absolutely adore these novels! They don't have as much going on as the next series, but they still make for fun reads. Now if I could just find the TV show online somewhere so I could watch it...!

D.Gray-man by Katsura Hoshino

I really like this series! Like I mentioned before, D.Gray-man has a little more going on it in than Sailor Moon. There's more of a plot, more battle scenes, more character development.

I seriously need to get some more money so I can continue both of these amazing manga series! :)

High Summer Readathon (#HSreadathon) Wrap-Up

I'm really proud of myself! After my Once Upon a Readathon catastrophe, I read a lot more this week than I thought I would. I finished:

I started the following, but didn't get to finish it:

Total Books Finished: 4
Total Pages Read: 762

So how did your reading week go?

Recommend A... #3

Hosted by Shanyn @ Chick Loves Lit

This week's prompt:

Recommend a book that you read this year.

Oh. My. Gods. by Tera Lynn Childs
Dutton Juvenile, 2008


A modern girl's comedic odyssey in a school filled with the descendants of Greek gods.

When Phoebe's mom returns from Greece with a new husband and moves them to an island in the Aegean, Phoebe's plans for her senior year and track season are ancient history. Now she must attend the uberexclusive academy, where admission depends on pedigree, namely, ancestry from Zeus, Hera, and other Greek gods. That's right, they're real, not myth, and their teen descendants are like the classical heroes: supersmart and superbeautiful with a few superpowers. And now they're on her track team! Armed only with her Nikes and the will to win, Phoebe races to find her place among the gods.

I really enjoyed this book! It was funny and a quick read (well, listen since it was an audiobook). It's a light read that took my mind off back-to-school stress for sure. I also suggest you read the other book in the series as well, as it was a fun read, too:

Goddess Boot Camp by Tera Lynn Childs
Dutton Juvenile, 2009


Phoebe, who recently discovered she’s a descendant of Nike (the goddess, not the shoe), is finding that supernatural powers come with a crazy learning curve. Her stepfather, headmaster of the Academy for descendants of the Greek gods, has enrolled her at Dynamotheos Development Camp—aka Goddess Boot Camp—with a bunch of ten-year-olds for the summer. Embarrassing as that is, hopefully it’ll help her gain control over her powers in time to pass the test of the gods, continue training hard enough to qualify for the Pythian Games, and enjoy her godly boyfriend, Griffin, all while avoiding the ultimate mistake of accidentally misusing powers.

It’s another fast-paced myth-inspired heroine’s quest that’s sure to bring out the goddess in anyone.

If you get the chance to read them, let me know! I would love to know what you thought of them :).

What's Your Status? #72

What's Your Status?

Don't Miss:

~~High Summer Readathon Goals
~~High Summer Readathon Update

Reviews:

~~Eighth Grade Bites by Heather Brewer

~~Fallen by Lauren Kate

Memes:

~~In My Mailbox

~~Recommend A...

~~On the Shelves

Finished This Week:

~~Pretty Guardian: Sailor Moon Volume 2 by Naoko Takuchi, 16/7/2012

~~D.Gray-man Volume 3: The Rewinding City by Katsura Hoshino, 16/7/2012

~~D.Gray-man Volume 4: Carnival by Katsura Hoshino, 19/7/2012

Currently Reading:

~~Whsiper by Alyson Noel, page 39
~~Firelight by Sophie Jordan, page 123

Top of the TBR Pile:

~~Lost Voices by Lauren Myracle

Upcoming Events:

#HSreadathon Update

So far this High Summer RAT is going really well!!! This week went better than I thought, and I'm hoping the weekend will be really good, too.

I have finished:

I'm currently reading:

How have you been doing with your reading??

Review: Fallen by Lauren Kate

Fallen (Fallen, #1) by Lauren Kate
452 pages, paperback
Finished on 8/7/2012
Genres: Young Adult, Coming of Age, Romance, Some Action, Fantasy
Synopsis via Goodreads:

There’s something achingly familiar about Daniel Grigori.

Mysterious and aloof, he captures Luce Price’s attention from the moment she sees him on her first day at the Sword & Cross boarding school in sultry Savannah, Georgia. He’s the one bright spot in a place where cell phones are forbidden, the other students are all screw-ups, and security cameras watch every move.

Even though Daniel wants nothing to do with Luce–and goes out of his way to make that very clear–she can’t let it go. Drawn to him like a moth to a flame, she has to find out what Daniel is so desperate to keep secret . . . even if it kills her.

Motivation to Read It: I started reading this last year, and gave up on it near the beginning. I figured it was high time for me to try again.

Review: I really liked this book! I was just really getting into it last year when I stopped in the middle of it, and I hate that I did because I could be reading Rapture right now!

Luce sees shadows, and these shadows come around during the weirdest times -- when she's in dark, creepy places by herself, for example. The last school experience she had ended very badly, so she really wants to fit in at Sword & Cross and forget her past.

The characters were spectacular. I honestly couldn't tell where Arrianne's motives were headed in the beginning, but I'm glad with where they led; her character is very bouncy and happy and carefree. Cam started off as a great charrie. Honestly, even after you learn of his motives you must admit that he was played out nicely. Luce was a good one as well; she was really curious as to what Daniel's problem was. Daniel was very mysterious and, at times, a serious butthole. He honestly was starting to tick me off after a while. His constantly pushing Luce away made me want to know every last thing about him, simply to explain his actions.

The plot was absolutely spectacular. It's really easy to get caught up in it; I was so into it, and I didn't want to have to put the book down. It was like it was one thing after another at Sword & Cross (at least for Luce it was anyway), and those periods of time where Lauren Kate gave her characters a little break, were politely skipped over and summarized in a couple of sentences. I love fast-paced books, and this one definitely hit the spot.

To conclude, I really enjoyed reading Kate's debut novel, and I can't wait to get my hadns on a copy of Torment!

Shelf-Worthy

(Rating System)

Review: Eighth Grade Bites by Heather Brewer

Eighth Grade Bites (The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod, #1) by Heather Brewer
182 pages, paperback
Finished on 5/7/2012
Genres: Young Adult, Coming of Age, Fantasy
Synopsis via GoodReads:

Junior high really sucks for thirteen-year-old Vladimir Tod. Bullies harass him, the principal is dogging him, and the girl he likes prefers his best friend. Oh, and Vlad has a secret: his mother was human, but his father was a vampire. With no idea of the extent of his powers, Vlad struggles daily with his blood cravings and his enlarged fangs. When a substitute teacher begins to question him a little too closely, Vlad worries that his cover is about to be blown. But then he faces a much bigger problem: he's being hunted by a vampire killer.

Motivation to Read It: I've had this book for either two years or going on two years; I've been meaning to read it, so I'm glad I finally got around to it.

Review: This book series has a lot of potential! EGB wasn't exceptionally wonderful or anything, but there's  room for the next books to make it really awesome.

Vladimir Tod is a vampire, and what really struck me as unique with this novel was that regular humans knew he was a vampire. Usually they can't tell anyone but other vampires about their true nature. I liked that he had this aunt to help him get food, rather than having to hunt for himself.

The plot was good; it traveled smoothly, and I wasn't confused at any point with what was going on. The characters were great! Aunt Nelly was so caring and loving that you couldn't help but love her just as much. Henry made me laugh; he brought the corny vampire jokes to the story. Mr. Otis was a really good teacher, although a little creepy. I wanted to be in his classes just because they seemed really fun. He could be a confusing character neat the end, though. Our main charrie Vlad was smarter than I thought he would be. He knew pretty quickly that he should be careful around Mr. Otis. He didn't know exactly what Otis wanted with him, but he was cautious.

Overall, this book was pretty good. Like I said, it's not amazing, but it was enjoyable; I plan on getting the next couple of books in the series to see where Heather Brewer's writing leads us. As I stated at the beginning, the series has potential, so we'll see if it lives up to it.

Library Grab/Satisfying eBook
(Rating System)