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Sunday, January 29, 2012

In My Mailbox #43


In My Mailbox is a meme hosted every week by The Story Siren. To find out how to participate and the "official" details, check out the IMM page.

Anyone can participate in IMM and you are not limited to sharing books that arrive via your mailbox. You can also share books that you've bought or books that you've gotten at the library.

-----------------------------------------------------



Received from friend (Audible.com):
~~My Soul to Lose by Rachel Vincent
~~The Prague Cemetery by Umberto Eco
~~The New World by Patrick Ness
~~A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness



Borrowed from school library:
~~The Vampire's Assistant by Darren Shan
~~Incarceron by Catherine Fisher

Happy Reading! Leave a link to your IMM in the comments, and I'll be sure to stop by!

Saturday, January 28, 2012

What's your status? (28/1/2012)





This post was inspired by, well, my previous Reading Status posts. I wanted to make it something that everyone could particpate in. Every Saturday (and sometimes Sunday), I will post what I've finished in the past week, what I'm currently reading and where I am in the book/s, what I plan to read next, and possibly what I want to buy/get. I will be trying to do this every week, so be sure to check back every weekend! Be sure to leave your links to your WYS posts in the comments.

This next portion of the post is an idea that I saw on the wonderful blog Small Review. She posts what reviews and memes she has posted and participated in that last week. Remember, however, that it is not mandatory for you to do this part of the post.

**Forgot about the vlog again. Grrrr.**

Things You Don't Wanna Miss:
~Nothing right now.

Reviews this week:
~None :(

Memes this week:
~None.



Finished This Week:
1. Black Moon (Moon trilogy, #1) by CL Bevill. Finished on 21/1/2012.

2. Amber Moon (Moon trilogy, #2) by CL Bevill. Finished on 23/1/2012.

3. The Vampire's Assistant (Cirque Du Freak, #2) by Darren Shan. Finished on 26/1/2012.

4. Silver Moon (Moon trilogy, #3) by CL Bevill. Finished on 27/1/2012.

Currently Reading:
1. Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare. Have read 72%.

2. Great Expectations by Charles Dickens. On page 171.

3. Incarceron by Catherine Fisher. On page 1.

Next On My TBR (To Be Read) Pile:
1. Holes by Louis Sachar. Purpose: challenges.
2. Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly. Purpose: challenges & leisure.

What I Would Like To Buy Next:
~Well, it didn't last too long... But at least I can use the books for the 12x12! :)

Don't forget to leave the link to your WYS post in the comments!

Saturday, January 21, 2012

What's your status? (21/1/2012)





This post was inspired by, well, my previous Reading Status posts. I wanted to make it something that everyone could particpate in. Every Saturday (and sometimes Sunday), I will post what I've finished in the past week, what I'm currently reading and where I am in the book/s, what I plan to read next, and possibly what I want to buy/get. I will be trying to do this every week, so be sure to check back every weekend! Be sure to leave your links to your WYS posts in the comments.

This next portion of the post is an idea that I saw on the wonderful blog Small Review. She posts what reviews and memes she has posted and participated in that last week. Remember, however, that it is not mandatory for you to do this part of the post.

**Forgot about the vlog for this week. Will have one up Saturday.**

Things You Don't Wanna Miss:
~
My Complete 2012 Challenge List

Reviews this week:
~Dael and the Painted People, by Allan Richard Shickman
~Crossed, by Ally Condie
~Vampire Academy & Frostbite, by Richelle Mead

Memes this week:
~In My Mailbox

~Teaser Tuesday


Finished This Week:
1. Nothing :(

Currently Reading:
1. Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare. Have read 67%.

2. Great Expectations by Charles Dickens. On page 79.

3. The Vampire's Assistant by Darren Shan. On page 1.

Next On My TBR (To Be Read) Pile:
1. The Power of Six by Pittacus Lore. Purpose: challenges.
2. Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly. Purpose: challenges & leisure.

What I Would Like To Buy Next:
~Well, it didn't last too long... But at least I can use the books for the 12x12! :)

Don't forget to leave the link to your WYS post in the comments!

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Vampire Academy & Frostbite by Richelle Mead

Vampire Academy (Vampire Academy, #1)
By Richelle Mead
Publisher: the Penguin Group, 2007
332 pages, paperback
Date Finished: 13/11/2011
Genres: Young Adult, Coming of Age, Action, Adventure, Romance, Fantasy
Vladimir’s Academy isn’t just any boarding school—it’s a hidden place where vampires are educated in the ways of magic and half-human teens train to protect them. Rose Hathaway is a Dhampir, a bodyguard for her best friend Lissa, a Moroi Vampire Princess. They’ve been on the run, but now they’re being dragged back to St. Vladimir’s—the very place where they’re most in danger. . . .

Rose and Lissa become enmeshed in forbidden romance, the Academy’s ruthless social scene, and unspeakable nighttime rituals. But they must be careful lest the Strigoi—the world’s fiercest and most dangerous vampires—make Lissa one of them forever...

~from goodreads.com~
~First Line: "I felt her fear before I heard her screams."
~Last Line: "From far away, I heard the sound of cawing, almost like laughter."

Review: This is and always will be one of my favorite series of all-time. Rose and Lissa, but especially Rose, make me feel like my problems aren't all that when I read about theirs. When I reread this novel, I couldn't put it down for anything in the world.

Rose Hathaway is a dhampir -- half human, half Moroi (vampire). She has a psychic bond with here best friend Lissa Dragomir. Liss is a Moroi princess, the last left of her family line, the Dragomirs. At thebegininng of the novel, you witness the girls being captured (more like finally found) and being taken back to St. Vladimir's Academy, a school only for Moroi and dhampirs.

The plot was really really great! The girls were always getting into some kind of action, although it was more Rose than Lissa. (Rose acts, then thinks; Lissa's the opposite, which is why she gets along better with people.) The romance aspect added to the book, too. You can't help but be pulled into it. "But he's not popular." "He's too old for you!" These are only a few of the things I said while flipping through the pages. :)

Rose is one of those kick butt people that everyone likes but would never want to get into a fight with. (Her and Chuck Norris desperately need to have a showdown!) Lissa is a kind, sweet, loving person who just wants to live up to her brother's ghost. She's really good at compulsion and still hasn't specialized in an element(magic), which isn't something she likes mentioning.

Two more characters that you definitely need to know are Dimitri Belikov, Rose's seven-years-too-old-for-her-crush and training mentor, and Christian Ozerathe son of two Moroi-turned-Strigoi parents (Strigoi = bad, Moroi = good, Moroi turning Strigoi = horrible). Dimitri totally has feelings for Rose. It's super obvious; he can't help himself sometimes. Christian is sweet like Lissa, who he likes, but has a fierce side like Rose. Definitely a nice combination, Ms. Mead.

Overall, GET THIS BOOK. Read it. It will become an addiction. A good one, but an addiction all the same. And I'll still be here for you to thank later :)

Plot Rating: 5
Character Rating: 5
Cover Rating: 4
GoodReads Rating: 5

Overall rating:
and three-fourths :)
______________________________________________

Frostbite (Vampire Academy, #2)
By Richelle Mead
Publisher: the Penguin Group, 2008
327 pages, paperback
Date Finished: 23/11/2011
Genres: Young Adult, Coming of Age, Romance, Some Adventure, Action, Fantasy
Rose loves Dimitri, Dimitri might love Tasha, and Mason would die to be with Rose…

It's winter break at St. Vladimir's, but Rose is feeling anything but festive. A massive Strigoi attack has put the school on high alert, and now the Academy's crawling with Guardians—including Rose's hard-hitting mother, Janine Hathaway. And if hand-to-hand combat with her mom wasn't bad enough, Rose's tutor Dimitri has his eye on someone else, her friend Mason's got a huge crush on her, and Rose keeps getting stuck in Lissa's head while she's making out with her boyfriend, Christian! The Strigoi are closing in, and the Academy's not taking any risks… This year, St. Vlad's annual holiday ski trip is mandatory.

But the glittering winter landscape and the posh Idaho resort only create the illusion of safety. When three friends run away in an offensive move against the deadly Strigoi, Rose must join forces with Christian to rescue them. But heroism rarely comes without a price...

~from goodreads.com~
~First Line: "Things die."
~Last Line: "Lots of things."

Review: The sequel to Vampire Academy was even better than the first. Although it had some sad parts, too, but don't all books?

Rose and Lissa escape the perilous hands of Lissa's "Uncle" Victor. Only to be pulled into even more drama. But of course, that's one of the best parts of these books :D.

Two more really important characters in this novel are Adrian Ivashkov, who I would love to meet in person, and Mason Whose-last-name-I-can't-remember. Adrian is a bad boy. Period. I can't even explain without giving him away. Picture, and charcterize, the baddest bad boy you can imagine; Adrian is probably two levels down from that. Ahmazing, huh?

Mason is one of Rose's classmates and a really good friend of her's, too. I've always thought that Rose and Mason make such a cute couple together. hHe understands her like other people don't and most never will. When they "fought" it was so heart-breaking, kind of.

The plot . . . all I can say without including spoilers is that I wish the novel had a completely different ending. I think you will think the same thing whenever you read it. Quite sad indeed.

Without a doubt, this book was really good, and anyone who still hasn't started reading this series: please start. SOON! :D

Plot Rating: 5
Character Rating: 5
Cover Rating: 4.5
GoodReads Rating: 5

Overall rating:
and seven-eighths :)

Teaser Tuesday #43

This meme is hosted by MizB @ Should Be Reading.

*Grab your current read.
*Open to a random page.
*Share two teaser sentences from that page.
*Be careful not to include spoilers!
*Share the title and author.
*Leave a link to your teaser in the comment section at MizB's Blog.

From: Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare (Kindle Edition)
Kindle Location: 285-96
Links: GoodReads, Amazon

"Charlotte sat calmly with her hands in her lap; only someone who knew her well would have seen the tension in her shoulders and the set of her mouth."

Comments: The book is pretty awesome so far!!! I'm excited to see what happens throughout the rest of the book; Clare is definitely one of my favorite authors! :D

Happy Reading!

Monday, January 16, 2012

Crossed by Ally Condie

Crossed (Matched, #2)
By Ally Condie
Publisher: Dutton Books, 2011
367 pages, hardcover
Date Finished: 8/11/2011
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Futuristic, Romance, Adventure, Coming of Age
In search of a future that may not exist and faced with the decision of who to share it with, Cassia journeys to the Outer Provinces in pursuit of Ky - taken by the Society to his certain death - only to find that he has escaped, leaving a series of clues in his wake.

Cassia's quest leads her to question much of what she holds dear, even as she finds glimmers of a different life across the border. But as Cassia nears resolve and certainty about her future with Ky, an invitation for rebellion, an unexpected betrayal, and a surprise visit from Xander - who may hold the key to the uprising and, still, to Cassia's heart - change the game once again. Nothing is as expected on the edge of Society, where crosses and double crosses make the path more twisted than ever.

~from goodreads.com~
~First Line: "I'm standing in a river."
~Last Line: "It looks, I imagine, as if someone painted stars or flowers at exactly the right time; a momentary capture of beauty that will too soon vanish."

Review: The sequel to Matched was better than I thought it was going to be. I was glued to the pages and didn't want to have to put the book down for anything.

Cassia has been relocated a lot in the beginning of Crossed (remember how her family left the city at the end of Matched?). But anyway, she's out trying to find Ky. She goes through a lot I must say.

You read this book, alternately, in both Cassia's and Ky's perspectives. I think that was my favorite part. In Matched, I was always hoping to hear his thoughts if only for one sentence.

The plot of Crossed was super awesome! Ky and Cassia want to get to each other so bad that they do everything they can, no matter what the cost is. Kyle makes a couple of friends, Eli and another boy whose name starts with a V. Cassia makes a friend in a girl named Indie. Indie is trustworthy, and, like Cassia, she has secrets. Only thing is, the secret Indie has causes more turmoil when it comes to the light.

The characters in general were really great. Everything you learn about them in this book, and what you get to reflect on, had its own peace in the puzzle. The perfect character setup. Feel what the charries feel, etc. :P

Altogether, this novel was ahmazing! The third and final book in the Matched trilogy, which is untitled as the moment, will be out sometime in 2012. Keep your eyes open for it!

Plot Rating: 5
Character Rating: 5
Cover Rating: 5
GoodReads Rating: 5

Overall rating:
Colorful Animated Butterfly Pictures, Images and PhotosColorful Animated Butterfly Pictures, Images and PhotosColorful Animated Butterfly Pictures, Images and PhotosColorful Animated Butterfly Pictures, Images and PhotosColorful Animated Butterfly Pictures, Images and Photos

Sunday, January 15, 2012

Dael and the Painted People by Allan Richard Shickman

Dael and the Painted People (Zan-Gah, #3)
By Allan Richard Shickman
Publisher: Earthshaker Books, 2011
155 pages, paperback
Date Finished: 6/11/2011
Genres: Young Adult, Historical Fiction, Some Adventure
When Dael, guilty and tormented, came to live with the tribe of the painted people, he longed for peace and restoration; but without knowing it, he made a powerful enemy. Luckily, Dael had friends-including a troop of crows-and his own mystical powers. The disturbed and violent hero learns from the Children of the Earth, and from his submissive wife, a new way of life that is peaceful and generous.
~from goodreads.com~
~First Line: "To dream of a head dripping with blood and look into its glazed and lifeless eyes might, even in sleep, leavae the dreamer changed and chastened."
~Last Line: "Her name was Siraka-Finaka."

Review: The third installment in the Zan-Gah series was told in Dael's perspective instead of Zan's. In ways I liked it even better. Most likely because we got to see Dael go through  mental change.

Dael and Sparrow run away from the BaCoro and end up living in the red-painted people's tribe. They have a child, get married, the whole nine yards. I'll stop there; I don't want to give the book away :).

One of the main parts of the entire book, I think, is the fact that Dael's mental health takes a turn for the better, the much better. He goes from a wild, insane, war-centered beast to a man that loves his family, will do anything to protect them, and actually tries to talk things out instead of just killing people. Quite an improvement, don'tcha think?

The characters were all really good. Dael meets one of the painted people, Koli, who was without a doubt one of my favorites. He's always in good spirits and helps anyone he can without hesitation. When they first meet, Dael is still a war-beast, but his terrible attitude doesn't turn Koli away. If anything, it just makes Koli like him even more.

The plot was superb. It switches between Dael's perspective and Rydl's. Rydl has become . . . well, I'll let you read about that :D.

Overall, though, this book was really great! If you haven't started this series yet, and you're in to Historical Fiction books, I think you might like this one!

Plot Rating: 5
Character Rating: 5
Cover Rating: 4.5
GoodReads Rating: 4

Overall rating:
Colorful Animated Butterfly Pictures, Images and PhotosColorful Animated Butterfly Pictures, Images and PhotosColorful Animated Butterfly Pictures, Images and PhotosColorful Animated Butterfly Pictures, Images and Photos and five-eighths :)

In My Mailbox #42: Welcoming in 2012


In My Mailbox is a meme hosted every week by The Story Siren. To find out how to participate and the "official" details, check out the IMM page.

Anyone can participate in IMM and you are not limited to sharing books that arrive via your mailbox. You can also share books that you've bought or books that you've gotten at the library.

-----------------------------------------------------

(These are the books I've gotten in 2012 so far.)



Received from friend (Audible.com):
~~The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova
~~Oh. My. Gods. by Tera Lynn Childs
~~Tell Me a Secret by Holly Cupala
~~When It Happens by Susane Colasanti



Bought from the store:
~~Beautiful Chaos by Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl
~~The Unseen by Richie Tankersley Cusick
~~The Unseen 2 by Richie Tankersley Cusick

Happy Reading! Leave a link to your IMM in the comments, and I'll be sure to stop by!

Saturday, January 14, 2012

What's your status? (14/1/2012)





This post was inspired by, well, my previous Reading Status posts. I wanted to make it something that everyone could particpate in. Every Saturday (and sometimes Sunday), I will post what I've finished in the past week, what I'm currently reading and where I am in the book/s, what I plan to read next, and possibly what I want to buy/get. I will be trying to do this every week, so be sure to check back every weekend! Be sure to leave your links to your WYS posts in the comments.

This next portion of the post is an idea that I saw on the wonderful blog Small Review. She posts what reviews and memes she has posted and participated in that last week. Remember, however, that it is not mandatory for you to do this part of the post.



Things You Don't Wanna Miss:
~
2012 TBR Pile Reading Challenge
~My Complete 2012 Challenge List

Reviews this week:
~none


Memes this week:
~In My Mailbox



Finished This Week:
1. The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot. Finished on 13/1/2012.

Currently Reading:
1. Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare. Have read 0%.

2. Great Expectations by Charles Dickens. On page 36.

Next On My TBR (To Be Read) Pile:
1. The Power of Six by Pittacus Lore. Purpose: challenges.
2. Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly. Purpose: challenges & leisure.

What I Would Like To Buy Next:
~Well, it didn't last too long... But at least I can use the books for the 12x12! :)

Don't forget to leave the link to your WYS post in the comments!

Monday, January 9, 2012

What's your status? (8/1/2012)





This post was inspired by, well, my previous Reading Status posts. I wanted to make it something that everyone could particpate in. Every Saturday (and sometimes Sunday), I will post what I've finished in the past week, what I'm currently reading and where I am in the book/s, what I plan to read next, and possibly what I want to buy/get. I will be trying to do this every week, so be sure to check back every weekend! Be sure to leave your links to your WYS posts in the comments.

This next portion of the post is an idea that I saw on the wonderful blog Small Review. She posts what reviews and memes she has posted and participated in that last week. Remember, however, that it is not mandatory for you to do this part of the post.

**No Vlog, but I'll try to have one up Saturday!**

Things You Don't Wanna Miss:
~
2012 TBR Pile Reading Challenge
~My Complete 2012 Challenge List

Reviews this week:
~none


Memes this week:
~none



Finished This Week:
1. Oh. My. Gods. by Teri Lynn Childs. Finished on 1/1/2011.

2. Tell Me a Secret by Holly Cupala (Audio). Finished on 2/1/2011.

3. ttfn by Lauren Myracle. Finished on 4/1/2011.

4. When It Happens by Susane Colasanti. Finished on 8/1/2012.

Currently Reading:
1. The Princess Diaries by Meg Cabot. On page 26.

2. Great Expectations by Charles Dickens. On page ?.

3. Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare. On chapter ?.

Next On My TBR (To Be Read) Pile:
1. The Power of Six by Pittacus Lore. Purpose: challenges.
2. Feast of Fools by Rachel Caine. Purpose: challenges.

What I Would Like To Buy Next:
~Well, it didn't last too long... But at least I can use the books for the 12x12! :)

Don't forget to leave the link to your WYS post in the comments!

Sunday, January 8, 2012

In My Mailbox #41: Goodbye, 2011!


In My Mailbox is a meme hosted every week by The Story Siren. To find out how to participate and the "official" details, check out the IMM page.

Anyone can participate in IMM and you are not limited to sharing books that arrive via your mailbox. You can also share books that you've bought or books that you've gotten at the library.

-----------------------------------------------------

(These are the books I got from the second week in Dec. to the end of 2011. I'll post one the first 2012 IMM next week.)



Received for Review:
~~Ugly to Start With by John Michael Cummings



Received from friend (Audible.com):
~~Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare
~~Soulless by Gail Carriger
~~Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi


Bought from the store:
~~Night by Elie Wiesel
~~A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens (audio)



Received from friend (Kindle):
~~Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake
~~Bad Taste in Boys by Carrie Harris
~~Burn Bright by Marianne de Pierres
~~The Girl in the Steel Corset by Kady Cross
~~Imaginary Girls by Nova Ren Suma
~~Juliet Immortal by Stacey Jay
~~Eyes Like Stars by Lisa Mantchev
~~Sweet Venom by Tera Lynn Childs
~~A Touch Mortal by Leah Clifford
~~Angel Burn by L.A. Weatherly
~~If I Stay by Gayle Forman
~~The Iron Thorn by Caitlin Kittredge
~~Paranormalcy by Kiersten White
~~Supernaturally by Kiersten White
~~The Name of the Star by Maureen Johnson
~~Hourglass by Myea McEntire
~~Ash by Malinda Lo
~~Nevermore by Kelly Creagh
~~Siren by Tricia Rayburn



Borrowed from friend:
~~Angel by James Patterson


Christmas Presents:
~~Inheritance by Christopher Paolini
~~iPod Classic!!!! :D

Happy Reading! Leave a link to your IMM in the comments, and I'll be sure to stop by!