November 29, 2011

Teaser Tuesday #1




Teaser Tuesday is weekly meme hosted by MizB from Should Be Reading.

My teaser for today is from an *ARC of Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi.
Expected release date is January 3, 2012.

Vale handed the rack to Bear. It grew so quiet that Perry heard Bear's leather vest squeak as he moved. Perry's vision started tunneling as it did when he hunted. page 74.




Thanks to Epic Reads (HarperCollins) and Veronica Rossi for sending me this ARC.


*Changes may have been made from ARC to Final Copy. 

November 28, 2011

Monday Current Read #1

Happy Monday everyone! Because it's the first day of the week, I thought I should post up my current read every Monday, starting today*. I'll tell you what I'm reading at this very moment, what it's about and how I'm enjoying it so far (or not).

I am currently reading The Maze Runner by James Dashner.
This is actually the second time I've read this book. I plan on reading all three books in the trilogy straight through with reviews for each book. That way, when I finally read the last book: The Death Cure, my mind has been refreshed from the long awaited year.

In The Maze Runner, Thomas wakes up in a darkened elevator type of machinery. He has no recollection of his past life besides his own name and he has no idea where the elevator is taking him up to. When he finally reaches the top and the doors open, he is surrounded by a bunch of other kids. Some younger and some older than him. The kids call themselves the Gladers who live in what they call The Glade. They are surrounded by an unsolvable, ever-changing Maze with scary, slimy beasts on the rampage.
The Gladers expected Thomas to come but they did not expect the chain of events that occur after his arrival. The Gladers can't help but think Thomas' arrival was no coincidence to these events. And Thomas can't help feeling like he has answers to their freedom, if only he can access his memories. Nevertheless, The Gladers, including Thomas, are very much determined to solve the Maze so they can finally go home. If a home for them even exists.

Although I know exactly what happens at the end of this book, I'm still enjoying the reread. It's been awhile since I've visited these characters and it's nice to get back into their world. The main character in this book is most definitely Thomas. I like Thomas. He has a strong voice, but my favorite character is a fellow Glader: Minho. He's very smart, funny, quirky and pretty much badass. What I like most about this book is the fact that we don't know much about the Gladers because they themselves don't either. There is that air of mystery and suspense that I love. Even with how and why the Gladers are even in the Glade to begin with. I've always questioned why are they there? and why them? What is so special about these kids to have them be put into such undesirable, unpleasant circumstances?
Also, I must say that this book was an easy read then and it still is now. Probably more so. I'm almost half-way through the book already. James Dashner hasn't failed to suck me into the story a second time.
I'm hoping to finish this book tomorrow, if time permits.

If you have time, check out The Maze Runner if you haven't already done so. (click the link above)
Now that I've told you my current read, what's yours? Did you enjoy it (or not)?

*If I'm still reading the same book the following Monday, no post will be made.

November 27, 2011

Book Haul #1


A book haul feature that shares items, such as books and swag, that I received within the week. 

My IMM for this week consists of several books that I bought, one that I won and swag that I received. 

Book I bought:

I actually own an ARC of Crossed that I won from a giveaway awhile back (haven't had the time to read it) but I decided to buy a final copy because I couldn't resist not having my books match. I've been wanting to read The Sky is Everywhere so I finally decided it was high time that I purchased the book. With The Pledge, Iron Knight and Son of Neptune I couldn't wait any longer to have them in my hands! I love Kimberly Derting's other books, so I'm sure I'll love The Pledge. I plan on rereading the rest of the Iron Fey series (with posted reviews) before I finish it up with Iron Knight. And I've always loved Rick Riordan's Percy Jackson series and I loved the first book in the Olympian series. Can't wait to get into Son of Neptune. I purchased Tiger's Voyage because I own the first two, but haven't read them. I decided that it was best to read all 3 books straight. Saves me from the torture of waiting for the next book. 

I won the ARC of Shatter Me from Aeicha at her blog Word Spelunking during her Shatter Me ARC giveaway. I've heard so much good things about Shatter Me! Can't wait to read it. 

Brodi Ashton (author of the upcoming Everneath) kindly sent me two signed Everneath bookmarks, an Everneath pick and a Dead Elvis pick necklace. I was only expecting the necklace, but she surprised me with more! She sent it to me when two book bloggers were talking about it on Twitter and I commented on how lucky there were to get a necklace. Brodi Ashton may have more necklaces this coming week, but I'm not sure. You can ask her if she does, on her twitter account @BrodiAshton.

What did you get in your book haul this week? 

November 26, 2011

REVIEW: The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

*Cover and Summary from Goodreads
Title: The Night Circus
Author: Erin Morgenstern
Publisher: Doubleday
Published Date: 13 September 2011
Edition: 1st; Hardcover: 387 pages

The circus arrives without warning. No announcements precede it. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Within the black-and-white striped canvas tents is an utterly unique experience full of breathtaking amazements. It is called Le Cirque des RĂªves, and it is only open at night. 
But behind the scenes, a fierce competition is underway—a duel between two young magicians, Celia and Marco, who have been trained since childhood expressly for this purpose by their mercurial instructors. Unbeknownst to them, this is a game in which only one can be left standing, and the circus is but the stage for a remarkable battle of imagination and will. Despite themselves, however, Celia and Marco tumble headfirst into love—a deep, magical love that makes the lights flicker and the room grow warm whenever they so much as brush hands. 
True love or not, the game must play out, and the fates of everyone involved, from the cast of extraordinary circus per­formers to the patrons, hang in the balance, suspended as precariously as the daring acrobats overhead.*


My Review: (also posted on my Goodreads page) 

I am very fond of this book and I sincerely loved this book, dislikes and all.

The book starts out agonizingly slow, but if you get through it you will not regret pushing on.

What I loved most was the descriptions. The descriptions in this book are so vivid and so colorful. I thought I could actually see the lights of circus when I close my eyes, or smell the familiar scent of caramel popcorn, or hear the people's amazement. I thought I could see the stars from the Stargazer and feel the coolness from the Ice Garden. I have never been to a circus in my life, but in this book it's like I have. That's how good Morgenstern's writing is. The way she describes The Night Circus, I thought I was living it. I longed to live in it. I wanted to be where The Night Circus was. She took my usual description of a circus and made it better. She made the circus sophisticated and daring, dazzling and dark all at once.

Although the romance in this book is a little downplayed and not really the main center of the book until a certain turning point, Marco and Celia's moments were intense. They're love felt strong and believable. I was so invested in their love. I wanted more scenes with the them. They are truly a perfect match for each other. It broke my heart how much they longed to be together. I felt their pain and sorrow. I just wanted them to be together so much I thought I was going to cry. I thought my heart would burst from the love they have for each other.

"It is destroying me that I cannot ask you to dance," Marco whispers as she passes by him in the ballroom, the deep green of his suit seeping across her gown like moss.

I love the different characters in the book. Of course, my favorite is Marco and Celia. But I enjoyed the scenes with Poppet, Widget and Bailey. I love their interactions. I loved reading about them going through different tents in the circus. I love how many of the people involved within the circus became very close friends. However, because there was so much description of the circus and tents, I had a hard time connecting with the characters. The only character I was remotely connected with was Celia, especially in the beginning. Although I couldn't form much of a connection toward the characters, it doesn't mean they are not likable because they are. I thought every character had a part to play and I enjoyed that.

The book constantly shifts perspectives from different characters, some dealing with the circus, some who are not directly dealing with the circus. There is also a change in time or more precisely, year; back and forth. At first, this made it very difficult for me. It made it hard for me to distinguish between characters and I constantly had to go back to check what year it was or where the circus was at and who the heck perspective it is. Eventually, I got used to it and everything started to flow easily for me. The air of mystery in this book is so lovely that I didn't mind being confused some of the time. I wanted to get sucked into Marco and Celia's game, it was hard not to. Half way through the book I was turning the pages faster than I could read. The intensity of this book is amazing. The last half of the book really draws you in.

The best part is probably the lack of predictability. I never knew what would happen next. I never guess how Marco and Celia's game would play out. I was so shocked when something happened because I never ever expected for something like that to occur. I think this is what makes this book so interesting. The mystery of the circus and the game mixed in with the unexpectedness in every turn of the page. By the end of the book, I didn't know whether I should laugh with joy, cry with sadness or throw the book across the room in a fit of anger. My emotions were all tied up after reading the last page that I am still recovering from the aftermath of it all.

Good and evil are a great deal more complex than a princess and a dragon, or a wolf and a scarlet-clad little girl.

Nevertheless, Erin Morgenstern was able to suck me into this fantasy world I thought I could never love. The Night Circus is everything I thought it should be. It is purely magical with its own sense of beauty all wrapped in one intense love story that captures your heart and never ever lets you go. I loved it.

My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars.

November 24, 2011

Excited For This Release!

First, I want to say Happy Thanksgiving to everyone! I hope you spend it eating lots and lots of food with the people that are dearest to your heart. 

For today, I wanted to share with you a book that I'm really excited for. I cannot contain my patience for this book. I need it so bad. 
Cover from Goodreads
Of Poseidon by Anna Banks
It releases May 22, 2012.
Summary: 
Emma and her friend Chloe are spending vacation in Florida. When Emma (literally) runs into a hot guy named Galen on the beach, little does she know he’s a prince of the Syrena. Galen and Emma both feel something strange – is it attraction? – and Galen suspects that Emma might well be the girl he’s heard of – a human who can communicate with fish. 
What follows is a deadly scene with a shark in which Galen witnesses Emma’s gifts. He must know more about her, and follows her back to New Jersey, and high school, to find out for sure if she’s the key to saving his kingdom. Soon, Emma can’t deny her feelings for him, but can’t explain them, either – and both she and Galen must learn more about where she comes from and what her powers are before they can trust one another and their feelings.*

The cover is just wonderful. I love how she's in the water, floating. So completely at ease, so comfortable. It's completely mesmerizing. Also, I'm very fond of Greek mythology. I'm not quite sure if this is about the Greek god Poseidon, but anything dealing with Poseidon I have to read. Since he and Artemis are my favorite Greek god/goddess. I love the summary too. I want to see how Emma and Galen play out. Does she go to his kingdom and help him? Do they fall in love? Will there be a love triangle? And where does Poseidon fit into this? There is so many questions that I want answers to. I can't wait to get into Emma and Galen's world. 

If you're interested in trying to snag a copy of this book, Goodreads is having a giveaway for this book to one lucky person. *crosses fingers it is me!* So go and enter now, it ends December 1st. Hurry!
If you want to know about the author, check out her Blog and/or follow her on Twitter.

What about you? What 2012 release (if any) are you excited for? 

I'm also excited for:
Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver
Hallowed by Cynthia Hand

*Taken from Goodreads

November 15, 2011

The Pledge by Kimberly Derting Swag Giveaway!

Kimberly Derting's The Pledge released today! 
You guys don't know how excited I am for this book! If only B&N would ship my copy already.  Nevertheless, here is a summary about the book:

In the violent country of Ludania, the classes are strictly divided by the language they speak. The smallest transgression, like looking a member of a higher class in the eye while they are speaking their native tongue, results in immediate execution. Seventeen-year-old Charlaina has always been able to understand the languages of all classes, and she's spent her life trying to hide her secret. The only place she can really be free is the drug-fueled underground clubs where people go to shake off the oppressive rules of the world they live in. It's there that she meets a beautiful and mysterious boy named Max who speaks a language she's never heard before . . . and her secret is almost exposed. 
Charlie is intensely attracted to Max, even though she can't be sure where his real loyalties lie. As the emergency drills give way to real crisis and the violence escalates, it becomes clear that Charlie is the key to something much bigger: her country's only chance for freedom from the terrible power of a deadly regime.* (from Goodreads*)


Sounds awesome right? If you loved The Body Finder and Desires of the Dead as much as I did, please pick up The Pledge. 


If you don't already know, I signed up to be a part of The Pledge Street Team. I've been spreading the word about the book with the swag I received from Kimberly herself, handing them out around my town and such. The picture below shows what I got from Kimberly.


In honor of the release, I want to give away some The Pledge swag!
One winner will win:
- Two The Pledge bookmarks
- Two The Pledge stickers (one of each)
- One The Pledge poster (signed)
- One Citizen of Ludania Passport (signed)
Rules:
- To enter, fill out form below
- One entry per person
- Must be 13 or older
- U.S. Residents only
- Giveaway runs from November 16- December 9, 11:59pm
- Winner will be chosen at random using Random.org
- +3 extra entries can come from any form of twitter, facebook, blog, goodreads, etc and link is required.


This giveaway is CLOSED.
Any entries after 11:59 pm will not be counted.

November 14, 2011

REVIEW: Possess by Gretchen McNeil

Title: Possess
Author: Gretchen McNeil
Publisher: Balzer + Bray (HarperCollins)
Published Date: 23 August 2011
Edition: 1st; Hardcover: 384 pages
Fifteen-year-old Bridget Liu just wants to be left alone: by her mom, by the cute son of a local police sergeant, and by the eerie voices she can suddenly and inexplicably hear. Unfortunately for Bridget, it turns out the voices are demons – and Bridget has the rare ability to banish them back to whatever hell they came from. 
Terrified to tell people about her new power, Bridget confides in a local priest who enlists her help in increasingly dangerous cases of demonic possession. But just as she is starting to come to terms with her new power, Bridget receives a startling message from one of the demons. Now Bridget must unlock the secret to the demons' plan before someone close to her winds up dead – or worse, the human vessel of a demon king*


Just finished Possess today and I couldn't wait to write up a review. This review was originally posted from my Goodreads page.


My Review:
In Possess, we meet 15 year old Bridget Liu. She seems like an ordinary girl attending Catholic school, but she is so much more. Bridget can communicate with demons. Even more shocking, she can banish them back to the darkness of Hell where they belong. (how awesome is that?!)

I have to say that I have never ever read a book like this before. You see, I am a complete sucker for horror stories of any kind. I love scary stuff. So when I stumbled upon this book, read about it, I knew I HAD to read it cover to cover. Now that I have finished it, I can tell you that I. LOVE. THIS. BOOK.
Gretchen McNeil is a freaking genius. Her writing just flows from the pages. Possess is so fast paced, so devouring I had to literally force myself to slow down and savor the book. Her writing is so smooth, so easily-read that I didn't have any trouble what so ever getting into the book. There was not a single slow or boring moment in Possess. Whatever Gretchen is doing, however she is writing, I am loving it through and through.

Main character and heroine, Bridget, is one kickass 15 year old. And I freaking love her to death. She's so quirky, fun, smart and tough. She has a strong voice, strong personality and is completely likable. She owns the story. She doesn't let anyone step all over her. She bleeds confidence, even if she has her doubts. She can communicate with demons, and although she does get scared, she faces it and this is just where she shines with strength. Bridget is the whole package, guys. She is definitely one of my favorite heroines for sure. I might add, Bridget says a line at the very end of Chapter 36 that just completely sold me. While reading that line, all I could think about was how much I loved her and how much she rocks!
I really really thought this was a fantastic book. I was creeped out by a lot of Bridget's scenes with demons. but in a good way. I love how Gretchen McNeil was able to freak me out. I love the demon side to the book. So refreshing from other paranormal books. What I loved most, was the twists and the hint of mystery. I was so interested in Bridget, I kept asking myself: 'who is she? what is she?' Also, I never expected certain events in the book to happen. I was always surprised. And I didn't know which characters to trust.

Oh, and the romance in the book. *sigh* You will love Matt Quinn. You will love his interactions with Bridget. I couldn't help but smile, laugh and just swoon all over their scenes together. I couldn't help but squeal with delight!

Overall, Possess is a must-read. You won't be able to put it down. The story will devour you and keep you within its clutches. You'll think twice about reading this book late into the night, but won't be able to stop yourself no matter how scary it is! This book will creep you out, maybe even make your skin crawl. It'll make you laugh and smile ear to ear, especially the Bridget and Matt scenes. It will bring you to your knees, begging for more!

I highly recommend this book to anyone and everyone. Don't wait and pick this book up now!
My rating: 5 out of 5 stars for Possess

*Summary from Possess Goodreads Page.

Possess trailer!



Learn more about Gretchen McNeil and Possess at her Website.
Follow Gretchen McNeil on Twitter.
Follow her Blog.

November 8, 2011

Stuck in Books GIVEAWAY

I follow many book bloggers and I just wanted to let you know about Stuck in Books' November Giveaway Hop! This giveaway has three books you can choose to win and I myself had to enter it.



Stuck in Books
*Button from Stuck in Books

The three books you can choose from are:
Carrier of the Mark by Leigh Fallon (I chose this one)
Half-Blood by Jennifer Armentrout (I want this one!)
Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi (I want this one sooo bad too!)


Didn't I tell you those were awesome prizes? :]


This is a Giveaway Hop so you can check on other book bloggers that have participated. Each blogger is giving away something different. Here is the link to this giveaway: http://www.stuckinbooks.com/2011/11/giveaway-hop.html
There is a list of the bloggers at the bottom of the giveaway, so check them all out ok? 
Don't forget to FOLLOW the blog and read the directions to the giveaway carefully. You do not know how many people enter giveaways without even bothering to read the directions! Not sure if all are using rafflecopter, but this one is. 


Go forth and enter! Good luck!


P.S. I'll start reviewing books here too instead of just my Goodreads page

November 7, 2011

GIVEAWAY alert: Stuck in YA Books blog

Today, Stuck in YA Books blog has surpassed 500 followers, gaining even more followers by the day. To thank said followers, Stuck in YA Books is holding a BIG Giveaway Surprise! 


Paranormal Wastelands
*Button from Stuck in YA Books


Exciting isn't it? Who wouldn't love a chance to win books!? 


The books that are up for giveaway are: 


*List from Stuck in YA Books post.

If you want a chance to win, I suggest you go over to Stuck in YA Books post, Follow Them and fill out the rafflecopter! Here is the direct link to the giveaway: Stuck in YA Books' Big Giveaway Surprise

Make sure to follow all directions to the rafflecopter. Only one entry per person, except the Tweet Once a Day bit. Increase your chances by doing everything on the rafflecopter! 

Also, stick around and explore the blog! Read reviews and any of the featured books. You won't regret it, I promise.