Waiting on Wednesday #11

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine where you share an upcoming release that you're anticipating on reading.

I'm so not patiently waiting on..

Hidden by Sophie Jordan

Expected Publication: September 11, 2012

Goodreads Summary:

Jacinda was supposed to bond with Cassian, the "prince" of their pride. But she resisted long before she fell in love with Will—a human and, worse, a hunter. When she ran away with Will, it ended in disaster, with Cassian's sister, Miram, captured. Weighed down by guilt, Jacinda knows she must rescue her to set things right. Yet to do so she will have to venture deep into the heart of enemy territory.

The only way Jacinda can reach Miram is by posing as a prisoner herself, though once she assumes that disguise, things quickly spiral out of her control. As she learns more about her captors, she realizes that even if Will and Cassian can carry out their part of the plan, there's no guarantee they'll all make it out alive. But what Jacinda never could have foreseen is that escaping would be only the beginning....

Loyalties are tested and sacrifices made in the explosive conclusion to Sophie Jordan's Firelight trilogy.

Why I'm waiting?

1. Jacinda.

I adore Jacinda. I totally look up to her fierceness, her strength, her courage and her overall fight for freedom and for what she wants. She's kick ass awesome and I would love to be just like her down to her personality and to her draki abilities. She's one of my favorite heroines and I just love her to death. I can't wait to get back into her head. I can't wait to see what she does next in Hidden. 

2. Will and Cassian.

Yes, I said Will and Cassian. I fell in love with Will in Firelight, but I also fell in love with Cassian in Vanish. Both are completely devoted to Jacinda. They love her so much that they'd do anything for her. I think Will is adorable and sweet. He warms my heart and makes me melt. While Cassian is daring, strong-willed and a little mysterious, he still has that heart of gold that I always seem to be a sucker for. You won't be able to resist these two, I sure couldn't. So, I can't wait to see what will happen. Who will ultimately win Jacinda's heart? Who will stand by her side until the end? 

Have I mentioned that both are swoon-worthy? lol

3. Draki mythology.

I never read a book that is related to anything about dragons. I was first drawn to Firelight by the cover, then I read the blurb and decided that I had to read it. I must say that picking up Firelight was the best decision I ever made. Why I didn't pick it up sooner is beyond me?! Anyway, the mythology is original, unique and very intriguing. Sophie really weaves the draki mythology so well. The draki are magical and amazing. How can I not want to read more about them? 

4. The Overall Ending of the Trilogy.

I'm sad that this will be the end of the Firelight novels, but I'm also really excited to know just what will go down in Hidden. I wonder what Jacinda has to face. I have many questions that I really want answered. I want closure with Jacinda and I'm hoping there's a happy ending for my favorite heroine. :)

What are you waiting on?

Leave me a link in the comments below so I can stop by too! <3

Teaser Tuesday #9

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

My teaser for this week...

Starters by Lissa Price* | Lissa's Website

Expected Publication: March 13, 2012

"The marshal was approaching. Had he spotted us? He crouched and edged closer, his gun drawn. My heartbeat echoed in my ears. I gripped Michael's shirt and pressed my cheek to his shoulder

The marshal's hand groped through the leaves in front of my face. He was so close I could smell the oily scent of his gloves. I held my breath. "

*Received from Netgalley, courtesy of Random House

Monday Current Read #8

This week I'll be reading

Starters by Lissa Price

I haven't started this one yet as I'm still finishing Clockwork Prince since last week gave me no time to read at all. However, I'm really interested in this book so I can't wait to start it. The cover freaks me out just a tad bit, but it's also mesmerizing too. I hope that I'll love this book enough so I can get a final copy because I think the cover will look really nice on my shelf. I only have a copy through Netgalley, but at least I can properly use my Kindle Fire!

What are you reading?

Book Haul #11

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

I'm back everyone! It was a hectic week, full of stress and worry about passion my exams. Thanks to everyone who wished me good luck. I really really appreciate it. It lifted up my spirits. :) I'm more than relieved and glad that this week is coming to a close. Although I had no time to make any posts because of school, this past week was an AMAZING book haul for me!

Bought:

1. Angelfire by Courtney Allison Moulton

2. Shadows by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Received/Gifted:

1. A Little Wanting Song by Cath Crowley

2. Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley (My Review)

*Both were sent to me by Cath Crowley! I cannot thank her enough! She's absolutely amazing!

Cath even personalized both books <3 I love her :) Thanks times a million, Cath! 

Won:

1. A Temptation of Angels by Michelle Zink (ARC)

*Won during Michelle's #ATemptationofAngels Twitter Giveaway

2. 6 Temptation Bookmarks

3. A Temptation of Angels Magnet

4. A Temptation of Angels Postcard (Signed/Personalized with a message from MZ)

5. Gold angel wing picture frame

6. "Are You Tempted?" candy tin with chocolate kisses

*Every person who commented on MZ's Superfan Giveaway post got this awesome prize pack!

Michelle also personalized my ARC <3 Thanks so much for all of this, Michelle :)

I also won..

1. Meant to Be by Tiffany King

2. Forgotten Souls by Tiffany King

3. Slide by Jill Hathaway (ARC)

4. Tempest by Julie Cross (ARC)

5. Hallowed by Cynthia Hand (ARC)

6. Daughter of Smoke and Bone (ARC in an awesome box!)

7. Signed Smart Chicks Poster

8. Epic Reads Sling Backpack

9. Various Swag!

*I won all of these amazing prizes from Jamie and Patricia from Two Chicks on Books for their Blogaversary Giveaway! Thanks so much, Jamie and Patricia! This prize is out of this world <3 :)

Just wanted to share that the two Tiffany King books were signed, too :)

Freebie:

- Exiled by M.R. Merrick (ebook)

*It was free for day on Saturday (2/25) at Amazon.

That's all I got this week, everyone! It's been wonderful. Thanks to everyone who put up with my absence. Also, thanks to my new followers while I was away! I've hit 80 and it still continues to blow my mind. Only 20 more until the 100 Follower Giveaway! I appreciate each and everyone of you guys, and you know I love you guys to death! Have an awesome week <3 :)

What's in your book haul?

Cover Reveal: The Vincent Brothers by Abbi Glines

Today is very special to me because I, along with other bloggers, get to reveal the cover and blurb to Abbi Glines's upcoming book: The Vincent Brothers.

The Vincent Brothers is the next book, following The Vincent Boys that was centered between my three favorite characters: Ashton, Beau and Sawyer.

Now the story continues..                     *drum roll*

Summary:

 He may have given her up without a fight, but Sawyer Vincent is far from over losing the girl he’s loved all of his life. Instead of giving up his best friend and the girl he thought he’d spend forever with, he gave Ashton and his brother Beau his blessing. However, adjusting to seeing Ashton wrapped up in Beau’s arms isn’t easy. Complicating everything even more, Ashton’s cousin Lana is in town for the summer. Sweet, kind, soft-spoken Lana, who gets under his skin. Just being near her makes him forget all about Ashton and his broken heart. Lana is everything he wanted Ashton to be except she isn’t Ashton. She lacks the backbone to stand up for herself and confidence that Ashton wears like a crown. 

Lana McDaniel  has lived her life in her cousin's shadow. While Lana struggled with her grades no matter how hard she tried, her mother praised Ashton's intelligence. She hadn’t been blessed with Ashton’s blond hair and flawless skin, but that didn't keep her mother from lamenting her naturally red hair and freckles. But none of that would have mattered if Ashton hadn’t always had Sawyer Vincent wrapped around her finger -- the only boy Lana wanted. Once Ashton let Sawyer go, Lana had been so sure that he’d move on. Determined to make Sawyer finally see her, she'd talked her mother into letting her spend the summer with Ashton. But Sawyer is still in love with Ashton, and Lana isn’t going to be anyone's rebound girl. No matter how yummy Sawyer Vincent’s kisses taste.

*sigh* Isn't the cover gorgeous? It's so cute, fun and very flirty. I absolutely love it. The cover and blurb alone is killing me because I cannot wait to get my hands on this book! <3

To really get you excited for this book, check out Abbi's Playlist for The Vincent Brothers:

Swoon Alert:

*Abbi's Dream Cast*

Cintia Dicker as Lana

Penn Badgley as Sawyer

Elisha Cuthbert as Ashton

Cam Gigandet as Beau

Gods, isn't Beau's dream cast dreamy?  To-Die-For. Cam is exactly how I pictured Beau! And I cannot deny that Sawyer is pretty hot too. lol ;) I love Abbi's picks for Ash and Lana. I say it's perrrrfect <3

So, what did YOU think of the Cover and Blurb reveal? How does it compare to The Vincent Boys cover? Don't you just love how they match, because I sure do! :)

Also, how did you like the music and what about that steaming hot Dream Cast? Does it make you just as anxious as me to read The Vincent Brothers? 

If you haven't read The Vincent Boys yet, I suggest you do! 

Read my review for The Vincent Boys, here.

Get to know Abbi Glines and her other amazing books:

Blog | Twitter | Facebook

Purchase The Vincent Boys at Amazon! 

*Thank You so much Abbi, for allowing me to be a part of this epic awesome and most anticipated cover reveal ever <3 :) 

Temporary Leave of Absence

*from Google images, not owned by me

Hey Everyone!

The title of this blog is correct. I'm sad to say that I must take a temporary leave of absence, a hiatus if you will, for FIVE DAYS possibly six. It's not anything serious, so there's no need to worry or panic.

THE DEAL.

School started a month ago and so far everything was running smoothly. But these past few weeks, I've been finding myself getting drowned more and more with assignments and upcoming exams and papers. This week is no different. I have three exams for three different classes and a paper due at the end of the week. It doesn't sound like much, but I hate how it's back to back to back. I need this week to focus on getting through the work and get this week past me. Because of the unfortunate events of my school life, I wont have any posts scheduled up for this week at all. That means no memes, no cover reveals, no reviews, no NOTHING. This makes me really sad because I've tried so hard to juggle my school life with my blogging life as easily as I could and I thought I was doing such a great job until now. 

My Apologies in Advance.

I want to say sorry to everyone and anyone who supports my blog. You guys have been amazing, supporting me through all this. I hope I haven't disappointed you guys in any way. I hope you guys understand, and I'm sure you do, that I need this week to just focus. I cannot promise you that this will not happen again in the future, but I'll try my best to schedule my time better so that I do have posts up even if and when I am gone. 

The Plan.

My hiatus will only be for six days, max, starting today. I'll use my last day of absence to catch up on any reading that I haven't finished already and to write reviews. If anything should go wrong, I will let you guys know. I plan to come back with a post on Sunday (2/26) for my IMM post if I get anything while I'm away studying my brains out. If I get nothing, I will post something else in its place. That I promise.

What's to Come.

Even with my absence, I already planned the Cover Reveal for The Vincent Brothers by Abbi Glines. That will definitely go up on the 25th. I cannot deprive you guys of the awesomeness of it. Also, when I come back I will be posting, what I feel is my best review, for Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor. I've also realized that because school will be colliding with my blog life, I'll probably be reading all my review books once I get back so I don't have to worry that I won't have my review up in time. This means I'll have to set aside my TBR pile once again. *sobs*

See You Later.

I'm hoping that I get through this week with grace and pass all my exams. A week seems like forever to me. I've been blogging for a very very short time and I'm already in love with it. I'm in love with the community and all the bloggers a part of it and of course, ALL OF YOU! I will miss you guys terribly so. Thanks again for all your understanding and support. I'm hoping to get 100 followers soon so I can hold a giveaway for you guys, but alas, we're still at 78. No worries though. I'll get there and we can celebrate like there is no tomorrow. lol. Wish me luck, everyone! I'll see you guys next week! 

P.S.

I may be taking a leave on my blog, but I will be popping up on Twitter every so often (maybe more than I should), so make sure to follow me: @xjessirae. There, I'll still talk books and possible update on how I'm doing in school so far. If you need to contact me in anyway or form, please feel free to shoot me an email: xjessirae(at)gmail(dot)com. I will reply to you as soon as I can. :)

Book Haul #10

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

For Review: 

 Life is But A Dream by Brian James via Netgalley

- Thanks to Macmillan <3

Won:

1. Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood

- Won from Kate @ Ex Libris

2. Untraceable by S.R. Johannes

3. Pure by Terra Elan McVoy

4. After the Kiss by Terra Elan McVoy

- Won from Shelli (S.R. Joahnnes) during Indelibles blog hop and OTBS Twitter Launch Party

Thanks you so much Shelli :)

Forbidden by Syrie James & Ryan M. James (Kindle ebook)

- Won from Janina @ Synchronized Reading; Thanks Janina <3

SWAG! (Won and Received)

1. 5 Slide Bookmarks (signed) from Jill Hathaway; thanks Jill!

2. The Vincent Boys Bookmark (Signed)
3. Existence Postcard (signed)
4. Heart shaped lollipop
- All from Abbi Glines for Beau's Valentine <3 TYSM for this Abbi :)

5. Fracture Bookmark (signed by Megan Miranda)
6. Cupcake stickers (which are super cute!)
- Won from Aeicha @ Word Spelunking

Bought:
1. Untraceable by S.R. Johannes (Kindle ebook) -- Buy it! It's only $0.99 at Amazon :)
- I couldn't help myself even though I have the PB now, lol! :)
2. Destined by Jessie Harrell (Kindle ebook) -- Buy it at Amazon! :)

What's in your book haul?
Leave me a link to your post :)

Blog Tag Part 2

I was already tagged the first time, but because I took a long time to make a post, I decided I would take the time to answer the questions from Vanya @ YA Story Teller  and Janina @ Synchronized Reading.

Here goes..

Vanya's Questions:

1. When the tension in a book is too much to handle, what do you do?
This doesn't really happen to me, but if I need a breather I just do something else. Watch TV, listen to music to unwind. It's the only way to relax after an intense reading session.

2. Where do you like to read? Your most favorite place?
I like to read in my room where I'm most comfortable, but I can read pretty much anywhere that doesn't have too much noise.

3. Is there a book that made you cry with real tears in some scenes and laugh heartily in others?? Which one?
Hm, I don't think that's ever happened where I'm crying in one scene and then laughing in the next. I think it's because when I start crying it's complete waterworks. Sobbing and everything that I have to stop and just let it all out before I read again. Probably not even pick up the book until the next day or so.

4. Do you have a page limit when choosing your books?
No page limit. As long as the book is really good, I don't care if it's a million pages long.

5. While reading, what else do you do?
Sometimes I have a snack or I watch TV and read in between commercials. Otherwise my full attention is on the book.

6. Since Maghon asked mainly about boys, I'm gonna turn feminist. So, who is your most favorite heroine and why?
Most favorite heroine? Hm, I would say Katniss, but I think after reading a lot of books recently I have to say Karou from Daughter and Smoke and Bone. I'm not exactly sure why. I just think Karou is amazing. Her personality and her character. She's selfless, caring, daring, striking, challenging, curious, strong, fierce, talented, compassionate, loving, and she's still discovering who she is. She's feels real. She feels human. She knows that there is more to life than this world and that sometimes you have to find it and believe it to reach it. I want to be like her. Or at least, someone who might reflect her. She's amazing.

7. If you receive a book for review, but half-way through you decide that no matter how hard you try it doesn't grab your attention, what do you do?
This has never happened to me. I never ever not finish a book no matter what. I never start something that I cannot finish, it's a rule of mine. I push through because sometimes you just never know. The ending may surprise you and I always see that somehow the grass has to be greener on the other side.

8. Do you write negative reviews if you really don't like a book? What would you say?
So far, all the books I have been reading lately have been 4-5 stars. But if I did write a negative review, I will never ever bash the author or the book itself. I'll probably talk about what I didn't like and why and then talk about the things I did like and still recommend the book to people because everyone has different tastes. I'll be completely honest, but still kind and respectful. No need to get nasty in a review.

9. If a book's cover looks really hideous, but you've heard nice things about the story, would you read it?
Yes. If the story is amazing, why not? I didn't buy the book for the cover, but for what's written within. I know I shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but sometimes I do. When I look at a book and there's an ugly cover, I probably won't pick it up but I take it a step further: look at the ratings, reviews, read the summary and then go out and read the first chapter or two before I make a decision if I should purchase it or not.

10. What would you do if you come home and find your most favorite book chewed by your dog?
I would probably be very very angry and freak out and then I'd cry. I love my books and keep them in the most pristine condition. I like books looking brand new. If this happened, I'd probably buy a new one right away.

Janina's Questions:

1. Why and when did you start book blogging?
I started blogging maybe 5 months ago because I saw how closely knit the blogging community is and I wanted to be a part of it. I also wanted to share my thoughts and feelings for books. I want to be able to discuss it with other people. :) Meet new people who share my passion too <3

2. What's your all time favorite book or series?
My all time favorite book is The Hunger Games, but my newest favorite is Graffiti Moon by Cath Crowley and runner ups are Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi and Stephanie Perkins's books. My favorite series is Paranormalcy trilogy and Iron fey series. I actually love a lot more of that but those are the first to pop into my mind.

3. Do you use a bookshelf and if so how many do you have?
I have a tall 6 shelf bookcase and a long shelf above my closet. My room is quite small, so room is running short. That's why I wanted a Kindle Fire.

4. What's your favorite genre of books? (paranormal romance, contempory, dystopian etc)
Anything that is YA I'm willing to try out and I do enjoy some memoirs and Literature Fiction books.

5. How many books do you read a month?
This depends. When I have school, sometimes I end up reading only 4 books a month at best since I'm at school all day and have homework all night so I get too tired. When I have no school or if it's a good month, I can read about 2 books a week so possibly 8-10 books a month maybe even 15. It all depends on time for me. Lately finding the time to read have been difficult because of school. It makes me want to cry. I used to be able to read one book a day before I started university.

6. Where do you buy your books?
In store, I usually buy at B&N or back before it closed, Borders. Borders was the closest, so when it closed down I had to order my books from either B&N, Book Depository or Amazon.

7. Do you have problems with e-readers?
I don't have a problem with e-readers. I have a Kindle Fire now but I'll always prefer print books to ebooks.

8. What's your favorite movie (s)? 
My favorite movies are Tristan & Isolde and all the Underworld movies. I can't really think of any more movies.

9. Who is your favorite book boyfriend/girlfriend?
Cricket Bell from Lola and the Boy Next Door.

10. What characteristics do you like in the main character of a book?
Someone who is strong, snarky, witty, caring, loving, fierce and basically someone who feels real feels human even if they are made up.

11. What are some books that brought tears to your eyes? 
Forbidden by Tabitha Suzuma
Delirum by Lauren Oliver
Before I Die by Jenny Downham
Fairy Tale by Cyn Balog
Bloodrose by Andrea Cremer

Hope you enjoyed my answers! Thanks for the questions, Janina and Vanya!

Book Tag

This is so long overdue! lol. It's so badly overdue that I was tagged 3 times >.< So, I decided I will do this tag post for the first person who tagged me, but I'll create two more posts to answer Vanya and Janina's questions only :)

I was first tagged by the awesome, Miri @ http://itishowyouarenot.blogspot.com. Thanks for tagging me, Miri :) You totally rock!

THE RULES
1. You must post the rules.
2. Answer the questions the tagger set for you in their post and then create eleven new questions to ask the people you’ve tagged.
3. Tag eleven people and link to them on your post.
4. Let them know you’ve tagged them!

Questions from Miri:
1. Which book have you reread most often and what is your favorite thing about this book?
The book I've probably reread the most often was Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins. I can never get enough of that book :) <3 Runner ups are Twilight Saga and Maggie Stiefvater's the Wolves of Mercy Falls trilogy.

2. Which is the latest book you bought?
The latest book I bought is Angelfire by Courtney Allison Moulton. Which I am still awaiting its arrival. It's funny because I've got the sequel, Wings of the Wicked first before I decided to purchase Angelfire which is book 1. lol!

3. Do you prefer tea or coffee?
This is a tough question because I don't particularly like hot tea, but I love Arizona Green Tea which is a cold drink. It's what I prefer to anything. But I definitely love coffee too. Especially, so I can function in the morning ;)

4. Do you like borrowing books (e. g. from a library) or do you want to own every book you read?
I don't have a library to go to that I can borrow books, nor do I have anyone to borrow them from. If I could, I would totally do that to save me some money and space. However, I'm the kind of person that wants to own every book I read whether or not I'll be rereading it again. I have a small room hence I solved the problem of space with a Kindle Fire ;) With the limited money and space, I choose my purchase of books wisely.

5. What is your favorite first sentence and from what book is it?
Nothing really stands out. The first sentence of a book never really lingers in my mind. More like the last page and how it makes me feel. Plus, I've read so many good books it'd be hard for me to sift through them all and remember which one stuck.

6. Do you prefer physical copys or ebooks?
Although I am a proud new owner of a Kindle Fire, which I love to death, I will forever prefer print copies over anything in this world. There is just something about having the book physically in your hands. Being able to hold it, touch it, smell it, hug it. There's just no feeling like it. I love the sound of turning the pages and being able to easily flip back to a passage and run my finger over the lines like I'm trying to imprint the words through me.

7. What is your favorite non-fictional book? And if you don't have one, why don't you like non-fictional books?
Ah, I have never read a non-fiction book. Not really my type of genre, I don't know why. Besides reading textbooks for school and memoirs, that's as close to reality as I'll get. lol.

8. What is your favorite kind of chocolate?
I absolutely love chocolate! Any kind that tastes remotely good and edible, I'll freakin' eat it. I prefer milk and white chocolate over dark. Hand me a Crunch bar and I will forever be indebted to you. ;]

9. How do you organise your books? In shelves? In boxes? And then - title, genre, size?
I have a tall 6 shelf bookcase and a long shelf that runs across the top of my closet. The way I organize my books is very complicated. I can't begin to explain how because it'll never make sense but I usually arrange it first by completed series, most favorite, publisher, size/height and if it fits on the shelf the way I like it. lol. It gives me a headache trying to rearrange it all.

10. If you could live in any fictional world/country (e. g. Narnia, Harry Potter, Inkworld...) where would you live and why would you like to live there?
I would probably want to live in the Nevernever from Julie Kagawa's Iron Fey series, because it's a world of magical, mystical, mysterious and dangerous things. I want to explore where Puck, Ash and Meghan live. I want to run into faeries, and gremlins and who knows what. I want faerie powers and want to never age :)

11. Why did you decide to write your own blog?
I've always had this blog, but it started out as my personal blog until I decided to transform it into a book blog because I wanted to share my love for books. I wanted to be a part of the book blogging community.

TAG, You're IT:

Bailey @ Novel Nerd

Ren @ Ren's Rambles

Michelle @ Passionate Bookworm

Celine @ Forget Me Not

Mimi @ Diminutive Mimi

Carina @ Carina's Books

Ishita @ The Reading Fish

Sarah @ Inklings Read

Melody @ Follow the Melody

Erika @ Moonlight Book Reviews

Questions:
(just copy and paste to answer)
1. What is your all time favorite book, one that you could read over and over again?
2. What usually draws you to a book besides the cover?
3. If you could live in any book, which would it be and why?
4. If you could only pick ONE book boyfriend, who would it be and why?
5. What is one 2012 newly released book that you would recommend to someone wanting to read YA?
6. Top 5 authors you would love to meet?
7. What is your favorite book to movie adaptation?
8. Do you ever read ahead?
9. Top 5 places you would love to travel to?
10. What is the one quote from a book that immediately pops into your mind and why?
11. Who is your favorite book antagonist and why?

REVIEW: The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

Title: The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer (Mara Dyer #1)
Author: Michelle Hodkin
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Published: 27 September 2011
Format: First Edition; Hardcover: 452 pages
GR Summary:
Seventeen-year-old Mara cannot remember the accident that took the lives of three of her friends but, after moving from Rhode Island to Florida, finding love with Noah, and more deaths, she realizes uncovering something buried in her memory might save her family and her future.

My Review:
The beginning of the The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer is definitely an attention-grabber. From the very start, Michelle Hodkin had me drawn to this book so easily. That first page was so intriguing I knew I just had to have more and boy did Michelle really take me by surprise in the best possible way. 



Mara wakes up in the hospital after a tragic accident happens, leaving her alive and her friends dead. She doesn’t remember anything. Mara and her family move in order to forget what happened, but it seems the past continues to haunt Mara. She’s hallucinating; walls moving, ghosts of her friends and her ex boyfriend, Jude, popping up in the mirror and she even hears voices. Mara’s mom and therapist believe she’s just experience PTSD, traumatized from the events, but maybe there something more to it than that. As Mara adjusts to her new school, she meets this beautiful, sexy and dangerous boy that will change and help her ultimately discover what really happened that night. Everything will never be the same, but despite the crazy Mara is going through... she falls helplessly in love.



Michelle Hodkin’s writing is spectacular. The descriptions are so well thought out, so clearly written that my skin crawled from all the creeptastic things that were going on with Mara. Everything was easy to imagine, easy to visualize. I absolutely loved the plot of this book. It was scary, disturbing and fascinating all mixed into one. I enjoyed the “before” scenes because I got to know more along with Mara throughout the book. Those flashback/memories were very insightful and I loved how Michelle Hodkin decided to show and not tell. My interest with The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer was beyond anything I have ever experienced.



I really loved the paranormal aspect of the story. It was complex and well thought out. It’s hard not to love in this book. It’s so addicting.  Many of the twists of this book will you keep on the edge of your seat and possibly have your stomach churning from all the excitement.



I love Mara Dyer so much, it’s so hard to explain. The depth in which we get to know her is incredible. I really felt what she was going through. I was able to connect with Mara the instant she showed up on page. Her pain and suffering became mine and sometimes I just had to take a breather from all the intensity of Mara’s feelings. It was completely thrilling to be able to feel this way with a character. I loved Mara’s witty personality. She had this unique sense of humor and sarcasm that had me smiling.  I loved how she was independent and had this air of spark and spunk that made me relate to her even more. I also loved how even though she was a strong character, she was still broken and vulnerable making her a more realistic MC.

“What would you do if I kissed you right now?"
I stared at his beautiful face and his beautiful mouth and I wanted nothing more than to taste it. "I would kiss you back.” 

What I also loved with Mara is the fact that she had such an amazing relationship with the other characters, especially with her brother Daniel. I thought they were cute and funny. Their banter had me grinning throughout the whole book. I love how she was protective of her little brother and how she cared so much for Jamie despite knowing him for only a short time. I loved how Mara really thought of her family first, even though she was having a hard time. I really admire Mara for her strength, her courage and her devotion to her family. 



I’m going to admit now that I loved Noah long before I read the book. Noah Shaw is my hero. I always love a bad boy gone good for the sake of love. Noah is cocky, overconfident, intelligent but so zealous. He’s deliciously sexy, kind hearted, caring and very protective of Mara. I loved getting to know him just as Mara did. No wonder she couldn’t help but fall for him because I sure did. He’s such a fascinating character. He really is to-die-for. 



“You want me as much as I want you. And all I want is you."
My tongue warred with my mind. "Today," I whispered.
Noah stood slowly, his body skimming mine as he rose.  

"Today. Tonight. Tomorrow. Forever.”

The ending of this book really wowed me to no extent. I didn’t see it coming. It was so unexpected, I thought my mind was going to explode with theories and the possibilities of it all. I was amazed to no extent.

Overall, The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer is utterly shocking and mind blowing. It’s mysterious, sexy, dark and downright gut wrenchingly explosive. It’s a heart-stopping novel that will keep you needing more and more. 



My Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars


Cover Reveal: Capture by Brina Courtney

Today I get to reveal the cover for Capture by Brina Courtney in a Blog Blast with other amazing bloggers! I absolutely loved the cover for Reveal, the first book in the Cryptid Tales series, and I just know that you're going to love the cover for Capture!

Without further-ado...

Waiting on Wednesday #10

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill @ Breaking the Spine where you share an upcoming release that you're anticipating on reading.

This week I'm waiting on..

  

Sweet Shadows by Tera Lynn Childs (Medusa Girls #2)

Summary Not Yet Available Yet.

Why I'm Waiting?
I read Sweet Venom a few months back and I loved it so much, it's no wonder that I'm dying for Sweet Shadows.

Reasons for why I'm waiting:
1) The Sisters. Not only are there two, but three of them! And they are triplets. All three are from different worlds. They each have their own personalities, strengths and weaknesses. I love Grace, Gretchen and Greer <3 They are too awesome.

2) The Mythology. Yes, another book based on some sort of Greek Myth. This one is about Medusa's descendants. Medusa is usually the villain, right? Well, the twist in the Medusa Girls is that they're the good ones. They fight all the evil monsters lurking the city. Nothing can get better than that. There was so much adventure and humor in the last book, I'm just dying to get back into the world.

3) The Boys. My favorite is Thane, though he is not really prominent and not really a love interest (for now). But I also adore Nick and Milo. It's so awesome how each girl has their own love interest, but I love the fact that even the boys are different from each other and they totally complement the sisters. And to mention, they are oh so delicious. So how can I not want Sweet Shadows with all these lovely boys to swoon for! lol

4) The Ending to Sweet Venom. The ending was not cliffhangery like, lets say Cassie Clare's books, but it's those type of cliffhangers where you're turning the last page back and forth wondering where the rest is at! 

Read My Review for Sweet Venom 
*Warning: It's one of my first reviews ever, so it's quite gushy. LOL.

What are you waiting on?
Leave me a link in the comments below so I can check out your picks :)

WINNER: Nightshade Poster

Time to announce the winner of the SIGNED Nightshade Poster!

Ishita aka Fishy

Ishita, you have 48 hours to respond to my email notification or I will have to choose another winner!

To everyone who entered, THANK YOU so much. There was an overwhelming 466 entries! I never thought there would be that many entries with a lot of people entering. Don't despair because there will be plenty of Giveaways in the future, both U.S. and International. In the meantime, if you haven't already, my 50 Follower Giveaway is still going on. Make sure to enter :)

Thanks again and I hope everyone has a wonderful day <3

In His Eyes (Indelibles Valentine’s Anthology)

Just in time for Valentines Day, The Indelibles bring you a one-of-a-kind young adult anthology! Sixteen original short stories, all from the point of view of our favorite male characters - some are old flames from our novels and some were dreamed up especially for this anthology.

Let these imminently crushable, swoon-worthy guys show you what romance looks like – in his eyes. 


The contributors to In His Eyes include award winners, frequent “Top 100” placers, and hot 2011 debut authors. 

Stories included in the Anthology:

Surprise, Surprise by Stacey Wallace Benefiel, author of Glimpse: Half the women in Melody's family can see the future, which makes it nearly impossible for Raleigh to surprise her. What's a guy to do for Valentine's Day when his girlfriend is always one step ahead of him? 

First Kiss or First Kill? by C.K. Bryant, author of Bound: Love isn't always rainbows and kittens, sometimes it can be downright deadly. (A deleted chapter from Bound.) 

Shattered by Ali Cross, author of Become: James and Desi use each other in an effort to cling to the darkness in each of them, but in the end they discover that love changes you. (A chapter of Become from James’ POV.

Before by Jessie Harrell, author of Destined: When a younger Eros is exiled to a land that doesn't believe in the Greek gods, he finds the first love of his immortal life. Read Eros' first person account of his romance, and heartbreak, in the time before he met Psyche. 

The Qualm Before the Storm by Karen Amanda Hooper, author of Tangled Tides. Yara Jones doesn’t want to be a mermaid. Treygan doesn’t want to be the monster who turns her. You can’t always get what you want. (A short prequel to Tangled Tides.) 

Unspeakable by S.R. Johannes, author of Untraceable: When Mo sees a strange girl in the woods, he follows her. He soon realizes they are both in a dangerous position and might not get out alive. 



In the Beginning by Katie Klein, author of Cross My Heart: Seth is falling hard for Genesis Green, but the guardian angel is determined not to interfere, until an accident changes the course of their lives forever. (A short prequel to The Guardian.) 

A Chance Encounter by Cheri Lasota, author of Artemis Rising: Finnian's eyes hide a terrible secret. But a girl on the train home, the girl in tears with a secret of her own...She sees right through him. A scene from the upcoming novel, Echoes in the Glass. 

Family Bonds by Heather McCorkle, author of The Secret of Spruce Knoll: A Halloween party filled with teens who can channel energy and use it to kill, what could go wrong? For Spruce Knoll fans who are dying to read more about Fane. 

Getting Closer by Lisa Nowak, author of Running Wide Open: Megan is smart, hot, and an upperclassman—in other words, way out of Cody’s league. So why did she choose him? (An excerpt of Getting Sideways.) 

The Almost Assassin by Laura Pauling, author of A Spy Like Me, releasing Spring 2012: Malcolm tries his hand at the family business but his conscience and a beautiful "spy" may be his downfall. 

Mind Games by Susan Kaye Quinn, author of Open Minds: Raf wants to take Kira—the only girl in school who doesn’t read minds—to the mindware Games, but his friends have other plans. (A short prequel to Open Minds.) 

By The Firelight by Elle Strauss, author of Clockwise: When Nate McKenzie asks an unpopular girl to dance on a dare, he's in for the time of his life. 

A Very Alien Valentine’s Day by Magan Vernon, author of How To Date An Alien: After surviving confinement and an intergalactic war for his human half, Alex, now he has to live through the biggest challenge of them all: Valentine's Day. 

Aligned by RaShelle Workman, author of Exiled: A half-Eternal boy and an Eternal girl must free millions of tortured souls from a creature whose been feasting on their pain and suffering.

--

In His Eyes is FREE at Smashwords, and $0.99 at Amazon and B&amp;N - hopefully to go free there as well by the release date on February 14th for Valentines Day. Or you can add In His Eyes to your TBR list on Goodreads.

For more information about The Indelibles, check out their blog, facebook page, or follow them on Twitter.

Teaser Tuesday #8

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

My Teaser is from Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare (The Infernal Devices #2):

My Teasers:
Tessa looked sideways at Jem in astonishment. "He means me?"
Jem nodded. His expression somber.

"I can't-- I'll chop off my own foot!"

"If you're going to chop off anyone's foot, chop off Benedict's," Will muttered. page 24
------
"It's too bad", she said. "Someone as pretty as Jessamine ought to have her pick, but she's so determined that a Shadowhunter won't do--"

"You are much prettier," said Jem. page 46

Monday Current Read #7

I'm currently reading two books again this week:

In His Eyes Anthology (Stories from a Cute Guy)

I've started this already and just finished the first Short Story. It was so so cute. I adored it very much. I cannot wait to dive into the other stories. I just know I'm going to swoon and aw at all the book boys.<3

Make sure to look out for my post tomorrow on this book. I'll be posting more details on what each of the stories are about :)
My review should be up by the end of this week at the earliest.

Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare (The Infernal Devices #2)
It's a shame that I have not read this already. To be honest, I haven't even opened it yet. I plan on starting today, for sure. I'm excited to step back into the Shadow World. I adore Tessa and I'm still on the fence between Will and Jem. It's like a tug of war. When I'm reading a part about Will, I like him more. Then I read a part about Jem and I like him more. It's very frustrating that I cannot choose when I always pick a Team (i.e. Peeta, Ren, Jack, Tucker, Vincent, etc). See what I mean? I have never been so conflicted! Anyway, I'm going to try to eat this book up so I can have a review up lickety split! lol

If you've read CP, whose Team are you on? Will or Jem? Did you change teams after reading Clockwork Angel? Or did you stick with one? Maybe you're super conflicted like me!? Let me know :) I'd love to hear your thoughts.

And please No Spoilers!


Recently Finished:
Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor
Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare (Reread)
    - Both reviews will be up in the next week or so :]

What are you reading?