#MorningAfter (July 22, 2013) / BookTube-A-Thon Wrap-Up

Hi Guys,
Today I'm going to be doing my fourth #MorningAfter post and I'm also going to be recapping you on what I read this past week during the BookTube-A-Thon. You can check out my last #FridayReads post for more info on the BookTube-A-Thon. Since my last post, I've finished 5 and 1/4 books, those books being: Night World 3 by L.J. Smith, Winger by Andrew Smith, Insurgent by Veronica Roth, Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake, The Fault in Our Stars by John Green, and The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken (which is the book I'm 1/4 of the way through).

#FridayReads (July 12, 2013)

Hi Guys,
This is going to be my fourth #FridayReads post, and unfortunately I have some bad news...

July (2013) Book Haul

Hi Guys,
Today I'm going to do my July (2013) Book Haul. I don't have as many books as I normally do, I've been trying to hold off on buying books. I'm surprisingly doing really well, considering that I only bought one book this month. The other three were free for my Amazon Kindle. Let's jump right into the books I bought.

False Memory Book Review

Hi Guys,
Today I'm going to be reviewing False Memory by Dan Krokos. This was the last book I finished in June, and I'm not quite sure how I feel about it. There were certain things that I loved, and there were other things that I didn't like at all. Here's the synopsis from Goodreads:

Tag Tuesday (4)

Hi Guys,
Today I'll be doing a Tag Tuesday post. I know I haven't done one of these posts in forever, but I thought it would be fun to do again. I've been searching YouTube for about an hour or more trying to find the perfect tag, and I think I've found one: This or That Tag, which is the brainchild of AurasBookBox. This is definitely an older tag, I think it was uploaded in 2011, but it should still be fun, so I'm just going to jump right into it.

#MorningAfter (July 8, 2013)

Hi Guys,
Today will be my third #MorningAfter post, if you don't know what #MorningAfter is, check out my first post here. I did read this past weekend, but I didn't read as much as I wanted to.

#FridayReads (July 6, 2013)

Hi Guys,
Today is my third #FridayReads post, and I'm excited to show you guys what books I'm hoping to read/complete this weekend. If you don't know what #FridayReads is, check out my first #FridayReads post and it'll explain it all to you. So here are the books I'm planning on reading this weekend:

Legend Book Review

Hi Guys,
Today, as promised, I'm going to be reviewing Legend by Marie Lu. This is a dystopian novel, that is unlike any other I've ever read. It's fast-paced. action-packed, and beautifully written., It also has such amazing characters, all of these things make it a MUST-READ! Here is the synopsis of the book from Goodreads:

The 5th Wave Book Review

Hi Guys,
Today I'll be reviewing The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey, the first book in The Fifth Wave series. This novel is 457 pages of nonstop action, characters that you root for, and plot twists that will keep you guessing well after the end of the book. Here's the synopsis from Goodreads:

June Wrap-Up/July TBR (2013)

Hi Guys,
Today I'm going to be trying something that I've never done, and I've seen tons of people do it throughout the book community. I'm going to show you guys my June Wrap-Up/July TBR. I'm going to try to do a post like this every month, just to let you guys know the books I'll be reviewing in the upcoming weeks. Without further ado, here are the novels/novellas I read in June:

#MorningAfter (July 1, 2013)

Hi Guys,
I'm very sorry for the lack of posts this past week. I was doing so well with uploading a post daily two weeks ago, and then last week I didn't post anything. Along with not posting, I didn't read any this past week either (aside from last night).

#FridayReads (June 21, 2013)

Hi Guys,
Today is my second #FridayReads post, and it's going to be super short. If you don't know what #FridayReads is, check out my first #FridayReads post and it'll explain it all to you. So here is the book I'm planning on reading this weekend:

Hush, Hush Book Review

Hi Guys,
Today I'm going to be reviewing a book that was released several years ago. It's been read and reviewed by everyone and their mother, and I just read it a few days ago, Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick. The hype around this book had me worried that it wouldn't live up to my expectations, but it was better than I thought it would be. Here's the synopsis from Goodreads:

A SACRED OATH
A FALLEN ANGEL
A FORBIDDEN LOVE
Romance was not part of Nora Grey's plan. She's never been particularly attracted to the boys at her school, no matter how hard her best friend, Vee, pushes them at her. Not until Patch comes along. With his easy smile and eyes that seem to see inside her, Patch draws Nora to him against her better judgment.
But after a series of terrifying encounters, Nora's not sure whom to trust. Patch seems to be everywhere she is and seems to know more about her than her closest friends. She can't decide whether she should fall into his arms or run and hide. And when she tries to seek some answers, she finds herself near a truth that is way more unsettling than anything Patch makes her feel.
For she is right in the middle of an ancient battle between the immortal and those that have fallen - and, when it comes to choosing sides, the wrong choice will cost Nora her life.

 My first impression of this book was that it would be amazing, I first bought it back in 2009, and I'd never read an angel book. The cover looked amazing though, and I thought that it would be just as amazing. I've had it on my shelf since the day I bought it, and I also bought Crescendo and Silence, the second and third books in the series,. when they came out. I let three of my friends read this book before I even thought about reading it, and their reactions were all the same: "OH MY GOD!!! You have to read this book NOW!", but I never really felt the urge to pick it up. Then I finally decided to pick it up, and I couldn't put it down. It was amazing, I loved the story line, the suspense, the sarcastic humor, and the romantic tension between Patch and Nora. I really was amazed at how much I loved this book, the only thing I didn't really like was that it was a little slow in the first couple chapters, but other than that, it was very fast-paced and action-packed. I give this book 4/5 stars, and I can't wait to read Crescendo. If you guys haven't read this novel, which you probably have, PICK IT UP! It's worth your time, and you will have a new book to add to your favorite books shelf. Check out the blog tomorrow for my second #FridayReads post, and I'll see you guys then.

June (2013) Book Haul

Hi Guys,
Today I'm going to be doing my June, 2013 Book Haul. I've got ARCs, Galleys, and Books I bought myself. So, let's jump right into it with the ARCs.

I received one ARC, but it was like two, because it was a flip ARC. On one side it was Project Cain and on the other side it was Cain's Blood, and they are both by Geoffrey Girard.

 I then received several Galleys of books. I received Charm & Strange by Stephanie Kuehn, Extremities by David Lubar, The Island by Jen Minkman, Quarantine: The Saints by Lex Thomas, and False Sight by Dan Krokos.

I also bought five books for myself which include: The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams, The Book of Celtic Verse which was put together by John Matthews, Grimm's Complete Fairy Tales by The Brothers Grimm, The Darkest Minds by Alexandra Bracken, and The Complete Tales and Poems of Edgar Allan Poe by Edgar Allan Poe.

So that's all I've got for this book haul, let me know in the comments what books you've recently received. I'll see you guys tomorrow with a review of Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick.

Carrier of the Mark Book Review

Hi Guys,
Today I'll be reviewing Carrier of the Mark by Leigh Fallon which is the first book in the Carrier Trilogy. This was originally a story posted on InkPop that was published by HarperTeen. This was several years ago, and ever since I heard about it, I was excited to read the novel. The idea of this book seemed amazing, and IT'S BASED IN IRELAND! Needless to say, I couldn't wait to get my hands on this novel. Here's the synopsis from Goodreads:

Their love was meant to be.
When Megan Rosenberg moves to Ireland, everything in her life seems to fall into place. After growing up in America, she's surprised to find herself feeling at home in her new school. She connects with a group of friends, and she is instantly drawn to darkly handsome Adam DeRÍs.
But Megan is about to discover that her feelings for Adam are tied to a fate that was sealed long ago—and that the passion and power that brought them together could be their ultimate destruction.

My first impression of this book was that it would amazing. First of all, it was chosen from tons of stories by HarperTeen to be published from InkPop. It also sounds very ominous from the synopsis, it's based in Ireland, and the cover is pretty cool. I'm just going to go ahead and give you guys my rating so I can get my pros and cons out of the way. I give this novel 1/5 stars, and honestly I think this is being generous. I hate giving this book such a low rating because I really wanted to love this book, but I couldn't possibly give it anything higher than a 1/5 stars. Here are the pros:

Pros

• Ireland... 'nuff said
• The folk lore and general idea for the paranormal in the book is very original
• Rian and Aine
• Fionn
•  Randall the crow
• Caitlin (Megan's friend)

Yep, that seems about right. That's everything I could think of, I don't think I liked anything else. Now, on to the cons:

Cons 

• Megan
• Adam
• Megan and Adam's Relationship
• The awkward tension throughout the book
• The similarities to Twilight (not really going to go into this one but for a better look at what I mean check out the Cuddlebuggery Book Blog)
• The plethora of info-dumps

These cons were all major parts of the story, taking 3 stars away from it. The pros are pretty self-explanatory, but the cons aren't really that easily explained. If you don't like the main character (Megan) in a story, you won't like the story that much. You REALLY won't like the story if you can't stand the main character or even their love interest (Adam). This is how I felt throughout the majority of the book, I could stand them when they weren't together, but barely. When they're together, however, I couldn't stand either of them. Especially with horribly awkward scenes such as this one:

""Megan," Caitlin called from the direction of the bonfire.
I looked away from him (Adam) reluctantly. "Over here." A little embarrassed by my intense feelings, I pulled my hand away, but Adam held it to his lips, letting his tongue lightly caress my palm. My eyes closed in pleasure. "

Um... GROSS! I don't know of any couple, fictional or not, that do that. Oh, I forgot to mention that these two were on their "first date" and hadn't really talked to each other before. I just can't see how anyone would justify MAKING OUT with someone's HAND!!! There were several other awkward parts throughout the book, they just made me cringe... more than when I read a Dexter book. Lastly, the info-dumping... it was the only way that info about the world and mythology was given to the reader. A ton of information would be given to me, and I didn't understand that much of it the first time reading it. Even as I read it for the fifth time, I could only understand about half of the information given. It's like I went into a reading coma while reading these parts, and I couldn't understand any of it. From what I could grasp of the elemental mythology with the 5th, was that it was like Captain Planet... but I'm not sure. If I had to tell you whether or not to read it, I would say not to read it, it's a waste of your time. For recommendations, I would have to say if you really, REALLY, want to read it, I would recommend it for fans of Ireland, horrible romance, The Last Airbender, Captain Planet, gross love scenes, and corny love stories. That's the best I can do guys. I really hate that I hate this book because I really wanted to love it, but no such luck. I am, however, going to be reading the next book Shadow of the Mark. I want to see if the author can turn some of my cons into pros, and the idea is neat enough that I want to know what happens next. If it gets better, I will let you guys know whether it's worth getting through this book to read the next one. I hope it's amazing, but if it's anything like the first one, I'm going to be disappointed.

Check out the blog tomorrow for my In My Mailbox post, I have quite a few books to show you guys.

#MorningAfter (June 17, 2013)

Hi Guys, 

As you guys know, my last blog post was a #FridayReads post. I listed three books that I would be reading/trying to finish this weekend: Legend by Marie Lu, The Island (novella) by Jen Minkman, and False Memory by Dan Krokos. On Mondays, I will do a blog post, #MorningAfter, in which I'm going to share with you the books from #FridayReads that I finished. I don't know if there are any other hash-tags like this, if there are, I apologize, I couldn't find any. To my knowledge this is a very original idea. If you guys want to take part, all you have to do is post on social media sites: "#MorningAfter" and the books you finished. This would be a very neat thing to get started, I would love to see the books everyone completed over the weekend. Anyway, on to the books that I completed this weekend:

The first book I finished this weekend was Legend by Marie Lu. I LOVED this book, it was so original and well thought-out. I loved the characters, the plot, the setting, just EVERYTHING about this book. Well, not everything... the last couple pages were just sort of "bleh" for me, but it doesn't take away from the whole novel. If you want to see my full thoughts on this novel, and what my rating of it is, you will have to stay posted on the blog, my review is coming soon.

The next thing I read was a novella entitled: The Island by Jen Minkman.  This was an okay read for me, I didn't love it, but I didn't hate it. The characters were okay, I thought that the relationship between Walt and Leia was put together way too quickly, which I understand it's a novella, but I just didn't buy it. The plot was good for the most part, I loved the Children of the Corn/Lord of the Flies vibe I got from it, but the Star-Wars concept wasn't something I liked. The whole story was just sort of weird to me, which isn't always a bad thing, I just couldn't connect because I don't know that much about Star-Wars, and this was a major part of the book. If you like Star-Wars and dystopian novels, check this book out, if not... I think it's a decent read, but I don't think it will be your favorite. Enter The Island at your own risk. I give this novella 2/5 stars.

 The last book I read this weekend was False Memory by Dan Krokos. I read about 128 pages into the novel, but I've yet to finish it. So far I'm really enjoying it, even more so now that there is an extra sci-fi element added into the mix of action. I love the fast-paced plot, and also the characters and plot are great too. I'm looking forward to finishing this novel this week. 

Well, these are the books I finished/started this past weekend. Again, let me know what you read, by using the hash-tag on a social media site, I would love to see it. I hope you guys enjoyed this post, and I'll see you again tomorrow with a book review of Carrier of the Mark by Leigh Fallon, I can't wait to get that review off my chest.

#FridayReads (June 14, 2013)

Hi Guys,
Today I've decided to make a blog post about something that's been going on for a while now. I've decided to take part in #FridayReads, where I tell you guys the books I'm planning on reading over the weekend. #FridayReads was created by @thebookmaven, and has grown immensely since that first tweet. All it requires of you is to tweet "#FridayReads" and the books you are planning on reading over the weekend. This twitter sensation has since been brought to the BookTube community by Bunny Cates, and I've also seen several blog posts about them, so I've decided to join the party. The books seen above are the books I'm planning on reading over the weekend. So, I'll jump right into them.

Legend

By: Marie Lu

What was once the western United States is now home to the Republic, a nation perpetually at war with its neighbors. Born into an elite family in one of the Republic’s wealthiest districts, fifteen-year-old June is a prodigy being groomed for success in the Republic’s highest military circles. Born into the slums, fifteen-year-old Day is the country’s most wanted criminal. But his motives may not be as malicious as they seem.
From very different worlds, June and Day have no reason to cross paths—until the day June’s brother, Metias, is murdered and Day becomes the prime suspect. Caught in the ultimate game of cat and mouse, Day is in a race for his family’s survival, while June seeks to avenge Metias’s death. But in a shocking turn of events, the two uncover the truth of what has really brought them together, and the sinister lengths their country will go to keep its secrets.

I've started this book recently, and I'm loving it. I'm about half-way into it, and I now understand why it's so hyped up. I'm very confident that I'll finish this novel over the weekend.

The Island

By: Jen Minkman

 ‘I walk toward the sea. The endless surface of the water extends to the horizon, whichever way I look.
Our world is small. We are on our own, and we only have ourselves to depend on. We rely on the Force deep within us, as taught to us by our forefathers.
If I were to walk westward from here, I would come across a barrier – the Wall. Behind it, there are Fools. At least, that’s what everyone says.
I have never seen one.’
Leia lives on the Island, a world in which children leave their parents to take care of themselves when they are ten years old. Across this Island runs a wall that no one has ever crossed. The Fools living behind it are not amenable to reason – they believe in illusions. That’s what The Book says, the only thing left to the Eastern Islanders by their ancestors.
But when a strange man washes ashore and Leia meets a Fool face to face, her life will never be the same. Is what she and her friends believe about the Island really true?
Or is everyone in their world, in fact, a Fool?

This is a novella that I received from NetGalley, and it's only 105 pages, so it shouldn't take me long. It sounds amazing, in my opinion, and I can't wait to read it. I'm very confident that I'll finish this novella over the weekend, and most likely in one sitting. 

False Memory

By: Dan Krokos 

 Miranda wakes up alone on a park bench with no memory. In her panic, she releases a mysterious energy that incites pure terror in everyone around her. Except Peter, a boy who isn’t at all surprised by Miranda’s shocking ability.
Left with no choice but to trust this stranger, Miranda discovers she was trained to be a weapon and is part of an elite force of genetically-altered teens who possess flawless combat skills and powers strong enough to destroy a city. But adjusting to her old life isn’t easy—especially with Noah, the boyfriend she can’t remember loving.
Then Miranda uncovers a dark truth that sets her team on the run. Suddenly her past doesn’t seem to matter... when there may not be a future.

This novel sounds really good, and I've decided to read it because I received a galley of the second book in the trilogy, False Sight. I'm excited to read it, it sounds really good. I think I'll get pretty far in this novel over the weekend, but I'm not sure that I'll finish it.

Well, this it what I'm planning on reading this weekend. I loved making this post, it gives you guys a sneak peek on what reviews are to come. Let me know what you guys thought of the post in the comments, and I'll post again next week with another book review, or two, a book haul/in my mailbox, and, if you guys liked it, another #FridayReads.

Extremities: Stories of Death, Murder, and Revenge (Galley) Book Review

Hi Guys,
I hope you are enjoying your Summer vacation, I know I am. So far I've finished 3 books over this summer vacation, which started Friday for me. On my last post I explained that I was on an amazing book streak. Well, that's not the case anymore, and you guys will see in my next review just which book I didn't enjoy so much. Although, the book I'll be reviewing today is one that I very much enjoyed. Extremities: Stories of Death, Murder, and Revenge by David Lubar is a collection of short-stories that revolve around... well... death, murder, and revenge. I've never really reviewed a short-story compilation, so this is new for me. I will list the title of each story, and under it, I'll explain how I felt about it, and give each story a rating between 1 and 5 stars. Here's the synopsis of the overall collection from Goodreads:

Master of the macabre David Lubar turns his attention to dark and twisted tales for teens with Extremities: Stories of Death, Murder, and Revenge
A group of high school girls takes revenge on their sadistic gym teacher in the most fitting way possible. Two stowaways find themselves on a ship for the dead. An ancient predator stalks the wrong victim. Here are thirteen tales of death, murder, and revenge from the fertile and febrile imagination of master storyteller David Lubar—his first story collection for the teen audience.

My first impression of this book was that it would be decent. I'm not a real fan of the cover, and you guys know how I can't help but judge a book by it's cover. Although, the overall idea of it sounded really neat. I love reading short stories, especially about dark, morbid, and creepy things. This compilation didn't disappoint, either. Let's jump right into the stories!

"Running Out of Air" 

I really enjoyed this story, I'm not a fan of revenge stories, because I end up feeling bad for the original "bad guy". This, however, was a story that I felt could be straight from the local news. Teens always have quarrels with their gym teachers, and this coach went a little too far. I loved that it was quite realistic, and it, of course, made me feel bad for all parties. I give this story 3/5 stars.

"Split Decision"

OH MY GOD, I LOVED THIS STORY! This is definitely one of my favorites from the entire collection. I thought that it was a really neat idea, and I enjoyed reading it. I loved that it was short and to the point, which didn't allow it to drag out in some parts. I also loved the idea of the story, and also the way things tied up at the end. I'm still a little unsure why he chose to run away because of his step-mom's pregnancy, but it's fine, because that part didn't need to be explained for me to understand the story. I give this story 5/5 stars.
 

"Apparent Motives"

This was a good story. I didn't love it, but I didn't hate it... quite frankly, I forgot what it was about, and I just had to skim over it again. Uh-Oh. I did actually think it was a good story, though. It was a lot to take in at first, but once I finally understood exactly what was happening, Lubar through a twist ending that was heart-breaking to say the least. I give the story 3/5 stars. 
 

"Feelings"

 This story seemed to last FOREVER for me. I don't know if it's because the three before it were so short, or because this one was just boring, but I was stuck on this one for a bit. I did like it though, I liked the first couple pages, then it got boring, then I enjoyed it again, then it got boring...again, and it did this up until the end where I was captivated and couldn't turn the page fast enough. This was the first story to feature a paranormal element, and so far I liked the "everyday life" stories better. I  give this one 2/5 stars.

"Every Drop"

This story was very interesting, I was captivated from start to finish, and I loved the idea behind it. It started off like one of the "everyday life" stories, but quickly changed, and I really enjoyed it. I thought the ending was appropriate, and it was an overall enjoyable story about revenge. I give this one 4/5 stars.
 

"Patterns of Fear"

THIS STORY!!! OH MY GOD! IT WAS AMAZING! I loved everything about it, it was perfect in my eyes. I wanted to read an entire novel about this story, it was THAT good. I'm telling you guys, "Patterns of Fear" and "Split Decision" are tied for first right now. There's nothing else I can say, I don't feel like I could come anywhere close to giving it justice. I give this story, as if it wasn't obvious already, 5/5 stars.
 

"Free Seas"

This story was probably my least favorite of the entire collection. It wasn't long enough to let a story develop, in my opinion. It also wasn't that great, or original, of a story. One reason I know I didn't like it as much was because it had to follow "Patterns of Fear", and this was definitely a "NO-CONTEST" situation. I give this story 1/5 stars. 

 "Blood Magic"

Uh, can you say creepy? I really enjoyed this story for the first half, and then when someone started bleeding, then it was just creepy. It did have tons of action, and intrigue. I did love learning about this certain someone, but I was so weirded out about it, that I couldn't really enjoy it. I give this story 3/5 stars.

"A Cart Full of Junk"

  This story was really interesting, it sort of reminded me of "Split Decision" because of it's foreshadowing, and the outcome. I really enjoyed this story and I couldn't see anything wrong with this one either. I give this story 5/5 stars.
 

"Morph"

 This was another long story, but I actually thoroughly enjoyed this one. It was very original, and entertaining. I loved the characters, the plot, the creatures, and the story all together. I give this story 5/5 stars.
 

"Whoodoo"

This story was very short, but very enjoyable. I loved this story, coming from a broken family, I could empathize with what the main character felt about his parents' upcoming divorce, and wanting them to fall in love again. But this story had an added twist that made this story awesome. I give this story 4/5 stars.
 

"The Ex Box"

This was a generally good story. It wasn't creepy, it wasn't scary, but it was interesting. I loved reading about these characters, and even though I thought that one of the characters was a certain supernatural being, I put that thought aside thinking that that would be too mainstream/obvious. But then Lubar shocked me by doing the most obvious thing, which I really liked. I give this story 3/5 stars.
 

"Evil Twin"

 This story was another very original story. I want to read a novel all about this story... it is so good, and leaves you with a question. "Was she the good twin, or the evil twin? I loved the idea so much. I give this story 5/5 stars.

This compilation was amazing! I really liked it, I give it 4/5 stars overall. I not only loved the stories, I also loved the illustrations that went along with each story. I can't wait for it to release on July 23rd, so you guys can read it. It's so amazing, I NEED SOMEONE TO TALK TO ABOUT THE STORIES! I can definitely see myself re-reading these stories. You guys definitely need to buy this book ASAP, and read them, and if you are like me, re-read them.

Gone Book Review

Hi Guys,
For this week's review I will pick back up with the Dream Catcher Trilogy. This is going to be a review of the third and final book of the trilogy, Gone by Lisa McMann. Before the review I would like to let you guys know that I have a feeling this summer will be full of awesome reviews. Some of the reviews to come, so far, are: Light by Michael Grant, Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick, and The 5th Wave by Rick Yancey. I'm also about to finish The Carrier of the Mark by Leigh Fallon soon, and I just started Legend by Marie Lu and I love it. So, yeah, SUMMER OF EPIC REVIEWS! I can't wait. Anyway, here's the synopsis of Gone from Goodreads:

Janie thought she knew what her future held. And she thought she’d made her peace with it. But she can’t handle dragging Cabel down with her. She knows he will stay with her, despite what she sees in his dreams. He’s amazing. And she’s a train wreck. Janie sees only one way to give him the life he deserves—she has to disappear. And it’s going to kill them both.
Then a stranger enters her life--and everything unravels. The future Janie once faced now has an ominous twist, and her choices are more dire than she’d ever thought possible. She alone must decide between the lesser of two evils. And time is running out...

My first impression of this book was that it would be mediocre like the other books in this series.  The cover didn't really pop to me either, and the synopsis didn't seem to catch my attention. This book was definitely better than Wake, but nowhere close to Fade. I was expecting the conclusion of this series to hook me more than the previous two books, but that wasn't the case. It was definitely mediocre, and as for the actual ending, it was quite depressing. I mean, it was a good ending, just very depressing. I give this book 3/5 stars because I loved seeing how the characters grew, how Janie's power has transformed (and originated), and how the story ended. These things made the book good, but the lack of any sort of excitement, or pop, and the depressing nature of this novel, definitely deducted 2 stars from it. Overall if I were you, I would check this series out from the library if you're interested, I don't think it's worth buying, just because it's a very dark and depressing world that I wouldn't want to enter a second time. I hope you guys enjoyed the review, and I look forward to posting more reviews soon. The next review will most likely be on Light by Michael Grant, the conclusion to this epic series. I can't wait to share my thoughts! Also, check out some of the previous reviews if you haven't already, I know the first couple reviews are a little rough, but I believe they get better as I went along. Also, please share this blog with your reading friends, it would be great to see this blog grow, and have more opportunities for other awesome blog things.

Charm & Strange (Galley) Book Review

Hi Guys,
I know, I know... I haven't been posting reviews like I need to, I apologize. I can't help it, my schedule has been hectic this semester, and things are just starting to die down now that I only have two exams left to take. Although, you guys should be pleased to learn that I've been reading quite a few books since I last posted a review. I would also like to say that I've been on an amazing book streak, every book I've read in the past month has been phenomenal. One of those phenomenal books just so happens to be the book I'll be reviewing today: Charm & Strange by Stephanie Kuehn. I received this a few weeks before it was released as a galley from the publisher. So I want to give a huge thanks to St. Martins Griffin publishers, I really appreciate the opportunity to read this book early. Here's the synopsis from Goodreads:

When you’ve been kept caged in the dark, it’s impossible to see the forest for the trees. It’s impossible to see anything, really. Not without bars . . .
Andrew Winston Winters is at war with himself.
He’s part Win, the lonely teenager exiled to a remote Vermont boarding school in the wake of a family tragedy. The guy who shuts all his classmates out, no matter the cost.
He’s part Drew, the angry young boy with violent impulses that control him. The boy who spent a fateful, long-ago summer with his brother and teenage cousins, only to endure a secret so monstrous it led three children to do the unthinkable.
Over the course of one night, while stuck at a party deep in the New England woods, Andrew battles both the pain of his past and the isolation of his present.
Before the sun rises, he’ll either surrender his sanity to the wild darkness inside his mind or make peace with the most elemental of truths—that choosing to live can mean so much more than not dying.

My first impression of this novel was that it was going to be really good. I e-mailed the publishers, and they sent me a galley copy of this, and I was very excited. This book starts off very weird, but amazing. I read the first half of the book in an hour, and I didn't want to put it down. This book is separated by alternating chapters, matter and anti-matter. Matter being what is presently happening to Win, and anti-matter being something that Win has previously experienced. The further I got in this novel, the more I understood, but with every one thing I understood, I got ten more questions about Win and his circumstances. This is definitely a good mystery novel, not because Win is trying to find a killer, or a thief, but because he is trying to find himself. I went through half of this book believing one thing about Win, and the other half questioning my belief and trying to make sense of the information the book gave. This book has several plot twists, and I loved learning about Win, and how he came to be the way he is. I loved this book so much, it is eerily amazing, and unbelievably dark. It is like a slightly more dark and sinister version of The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky. Before reading this book, I was in a slump, and this novel definately brought me out of it. I give this book 4/5 stars, not for any particular reason, it just didn't seem like a 5-star book to me. You guys definately have to check this book out when it is released on June 11th. This book has impacted me immensely, and I find myself thinking about it, even now, a month after reading it. It's dark and impactful nature definitely makes this book one of my favorites. Mark your calendars, June 11th.

US v.s. UK (1)

Hi guys,
            I'm sorry for not posting anything for the past couple weeks... so much for my new year's resolution right... I feel disappointed in myself. There's not much of an excuse, I've been busy, but most of all, I think it's out of pure laziness... not laziness for not posting, but for not reading. I was trying to think of posts to post, and the only ones I really felt like doing were book reviews, but I just couldn't since I haven't read anything lately. I'm starting to read more, I'm currently reading, and loving, Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick. So today I saw a very unique post my Emily's Crammed Bookshelf called US v.s. UK, and here's the info on it: "US vs UK is a meme hosted by Book Passion for Life.  In this meme, I will post a US and UK cover from the same book, and you guys will vote which one you like best."

The first book cover battle is going to be on The Hunt by Andrew Fukuda. This is a novel I've started reading but had to put down because I was in a book slump, but I hope to pick it up again soon because it was amazingly original.  Without further ado, here are the covers...

             US                                 v.s.                            UK

 My Vote: 

This is not a hard choice for me at all, I prefer The Hunt... UK EDITION! I don't think this will be a hard choice for you guys either. The US edition just doesn't express the mood of the book in my opinion. The UK edition however expresses that immensely, especially with the pack of vampires, showing that it's Gene (a human) against a world of vampires. 

Let me know which book cover you guys prefer, US or UK? I hope you guys enjoyed reading this feature, I really loved doing it, and I have TONS of book covers that I would love to do this with, this is just scratching the surface. I hope to post another review this week, but I don't know if I will be able to. HOPEFULLY I can! Until next time, check out this book if you haven't already. 

Fade Book Review

 Hi Guys, 
This week's review will be of Fade by Lisa McMann, the second book in the Dream Catcher series. A story about a girl who can enter others' dreams, whether joyful, embarrassing, or nightmarish. Here's the synopsis from Goodreads:

SOME NIGHTMARES NEVER END.
For Janie and Cabel, real life is getting tougher than the dreams. They're just trying to carve out a little (secret) time together, but no such luck.
Disturbing things are happening at Fieldridge High, yet nobody's talking. When Janie taps into a classmate's violent nightmares, the case finally breaks open -- but nothing goes as planned. Not even close. Janie's in way over her head, and Cabe's shocking behavior has grave consequences for them both.
Worse yet, Janie learns the truth about herself and her ability -- and it's bleak. Seriously, brutally bleak. Not only is her fate as a dream catcher sealed, but what's to come is way darker than she'd feared....

My first impression of this book was that the cover for Fade was so much better than the cover for Wake. I don't know why, but there's something about the ominous objects on the covers of these books, it really draws my eye, and makes me want to read it more. Aside from the cover, the synopsis of this book was also better than the synopsis of Wake. The synopsis doesn't really cover exactly what really happens in the book, what they mention have very little significance in this novel, in my opinion. It took a little while to get into this book, it was just a tad bit boring in the beginning, but once Janie and Cabel decide to become Narcs, it starts to get really interesting. This novel takes two very serious situations that seem to be happening more and more in our world: drugs and alcohol with teens, and teacher-student affairs. Janie and Cabel work with the police to find out exactly what is happening in both scenarios, and they both get into very dangerous situations. I really loved the action and suspense of this book. You also got to learn more about Janie's condition, and more about her relationship with Cabel. It's very interesting, and I couldn't wait to read Gone, the third and final installment in this series. I give this book 4/5 stars, just because of the slow start. Besides that, it was a very interesting read. The story line was still a little depressing, but nowhere close to the depression I felt while reading Wake. It picks up a lot, and you guys should read it, it's pretty short. I think it has around 250 pages, but I can't really remember. You guys should really check out this series, if you didn't like Wake, keep reading the series, it picks up so much from Wake. CHECK IT OUT, NOW!

Wake Book Review

Hi Guys,
This week's book review is going to be on a book I finished in a couple hours over the summer, Wake by Lisa McMann. I don't know why I'm just now posting a review, I guess I just forgot to review it when I finished the series. This is the first book in the Dream Catcher trilogy, and here's the synopsis from Goodreads:

NOT ALL DREAMS ARE SWEET.
For seventeen-year-old Janie, getting sucked into other people's dreams is getting old. Especially the falling dreams, the naked-but-nobody-notices dreams, and the sex-crazed dreams. Janie's seen enough fantasy booty to last her a lifetime.She can't tell anybody about what she does -- they'd never believe her, or worse, they'd think she's a freak. So Janie lives on the fringe, cursed with an ability she doesn't want and can't control.Then she falls into a gruesome nightmare, one that chills her to the bone. For the first time, Janie is more than a witness to someone else's twisted psyche. She is a participant....
  
My first impression of this book was that it was original, and I love the ominous cover. Janie's ability is one unread about in books, yet everyone has thought about the possibility of going into other people's dreams. We all think it would be very amazing seeing what others dream about, but in this book it shows the negative side-effects of this ability. I read it very quickly, it's only 210 pages, and I found it easy to read with the way the book itself was structured. I longed to learn everything about Janie and her ability, and eventually about Cabel. The characters were amazing, you either loved them or hated them with a passion. When I was reading about Cabel's dream, I was a little scared, it definitely made me look over my shoulder a few times. Overall, though, this book was very depressing, I was expecting a fun, light hearted, story about  a girl who can visit other people's dreams, but this was not that type of book. This depressed me to the core, I was looking forward to it picking up and getting better, but it never did. I liked learning about the characters, and Janie's condition, but I didn't know how much longer I would be able to take the depression of this book. I give this book 3/5 stars, which is an "average" rating. I didn't hate this book by any means, I thought it was very good, but the depression of this book definitely made a four starred book become a three starred one. I would still check it out if you don't have a problem with the depressing storyline. The characters are really good, and so is the mystery around Janie's condition, but it lacked something that I was looking for. If you've read this novel, let me know what you thought of this book in the comments.

Pretty Little Liars Book Review

Hi Guys,
I'm sorry I didn't post a review this weekend. It's been because of homework/projects/events going on during my weekend. Anyway, this week's book review will be on a book I read a few summers ago, Pretty Little Liars by Sara Shepard. I know, you're probably thinking, "This is really girly, I mean just look at the cover, why would you read this?" This is exactly what I thought about it until I heard more. Here's the synopsis from Goodreads:

Everyone has something to hide-especially high school juniors Spencer, Aria, Emily and Hanna.
Spencer covets her sister's boyfriend. Aria's fantasizing about her English teacher. Emily's crushing on the new girl at school. Hanna uses some ugly tricks to stay beautiful. But they've all kept an even bigger secret since their friend Alison vanished.
How do I know? Because I know everything about the bad girls they were, the naughty girls they are, and the dirty secrets they've kept. And guess what? I'm telling.
-A

My first impression of this was that it was definitely a "chick-book", I don't see me, or any other guy, ever picking this up to read. This reaction was apparently just made off of the cover alone. One day in class my friend was talking about an all new show that was really good, and would "beat out the Vampire Diaries TV show," (close, but no cigar). At the time I didn't think I would watch it because I saw the cover of the book at a book store, I knew it would be girly... well, one day while at home, I had absolutely nothing to do, and the first episode of this show was on for a re-run, and I decided I might as well, and I've been watching the show ever since. The show is inevitably what made me want to read the book in the first place. The show is amazing, and although I've only read the first book, I continue to watch the show every Tuesday night. This definitely has some "girly" aspects to it, but overall it isn't really too girly. There are a lot of  secrets, mystery, suspense, and characters. My favorite character to read about is Aria, then a close second is Spencer (she kind of reminds me of myself a little). The other characters kind of fell flat to me in this novel, on the show however, I like all of them. The events that happen in this novel are basically what happens within the first three episodes. I like this book I give it 4/5 stars, just because it had some things that I just got bored reading about. If you haven't checked out this series/show... do it now, they're really good. Guys, don't be afraid that it looks to "girly", it isn't too bad, and it's probably the best mystery book I've ever read. I really need to catch up on these books, they're already in season 3 of the show... Yikes, I'm quite a slacker when it comes to this series. If you guys want me to put the next couple books of these higher on my TBR, just comment letting me know, otherwise it's about midway through my TBR pile, but don't fret, I at least have it bought on my new kindle, so I could start it any time.

The Rise of Nine Book Review

Hi Guys,
I'm sorry I'm a couple days late on the review, I've been a little busy this week. But, I didn't forget, so here is the review for The Rise of Nine by Pittacus Lore, the third book in the I am Number Four series. This was another amazing installment in this book, and I can't wait to review it. Here is the synopsis from the Goodreads:

Until the day I met John Smith, Number Four, I'd been on the run alone, hiding and fighting to stay alive. Together, we are much more powerful. But it could only last so long before we had to separate to find the others. . . . I went to Spain to find Seven, and I found even more, including a tenth member of the Garde who escaped from Lorien alive. Ella is younger than the rest of us, but just as brave. Now we're looking for the others--including John. But so are they. They caught Number One in Malaysia. Number Two in England. And Number Three in Kenya. They caught me in New York--but I escaped. I am Number Six. They want to finish what they started.
But they'll have to fight us first.

My first impression of this book was that it didn't really look like the other covers, I liked the first two, but this one kind of fell flat to me. When I bought the book, I noticed that the cover felt strange too, I didn't like that either... I'm also confused as to whether the book cover is a rock, or sand. I thought it was sand at first, but I've heard people say it was a rock, so I don't know. Besides the cover, I was hoping this would be a good book, I loved the I am Number Four, but The Power of Six was below average for me. I started reading this in August of 2012, but I just finished this past Saturday. I wasn't reading it the whole time, I set it down to read some other books, and I just got back around to it. It was an easy read for the last 150 pages or so. Although, it was a little boring in parts in the middle. The plot wasn't very interesting, the only new thing was the vision of Setrakus Raa (#Spellcheck) by each member of the Garde. There were also some "surprise" plot twists (I guess that by the quotation marks, you guys understand that they weren't very surprising). I loved the additional new characters, Nine has instantly become one of my favorite fictional characters ever, and Eight was likable enough, but I felt something that made him seem like the "Judas" of the story, but I don't know how it'll turn out. The action of this book was amazing, and the suspense left me on the edge of my seat. I'm really looking forward to what happens in the future books, I want for Five to be introduced, and I WANT TO KNOW WHERE/HOW SAM IS!!! Sam is one of my favorite characters of this series, and I need to read about him some more, I miss his hilarious wit. I also liked some of the new legacies introduced in the book. I give this book 4/5 stars. It was better than the Power of Six, but nowhere close to I am Number Four. The reason I gave it four stars, is because of the boring parts, and that's about it. I can't wait for the next novel, and I hope it's the best one yet! Check this book series out, if you haven't already, It's AMAZING!!!

The Queen's Army Short Story Review

Hi Guys,
This week was another "chill" week for me, I only had to go to school Monday-Wednesday because of teacher workdays, and this coming Monday I don't have to go because of Martin Luther King Jr. day. I love long weekends, and this is one of the longest. So far this break I haven't really read a whole lot, I've been doing the last little bit of homework I had, and watching the first 18 episodes of Supernatural on Netflix. I hope to get some reading done guys, I promise. I'm about 50 pages into The Hunt, about 50 pages into The Immortal Rules, 240 pages into The Rise of Nine, and 11 pages into Game of Thrones. So maybe I'll finish 1 or 2 of these books this week. But I don't know, Supernatural is getting really interesting... sorry I'm a little late on that band-wagon... 8 seasons late I think. Anyway, This week's review is on The Queen's Army, another short-story by Marissa Meyer, and this is based in the same world as her novel Cinder, and her other short story, Glitches. Here is the synopsis from Goodreads:

It is time. The boy must leave his family to serve in the Queen’s army. To be chosen is an honor. To decline is impossible. The boy is modified. He is trained for several years, and learns to fight to the death. He proves to the Queen -- and to himself -- that he is capable of evil. He is just the kind of soldier the Queen wants: the alpha of his pack.

My first impression was good, since I already read Glitches and pretty much liked it, I thought I would like this as well... but I didn't. I LOVED IT! This was so good, it was fast-paced, it had enough of a story-line to keep you interested, and had some of the best characters I've read about. Meyer has the ability to captivate you with a character, I wanted to know everything about the main character, whose name I've forgotten. He was very interesting, and I loved learning about the wolves as well. I loved how his brother was brought into everything, I loved the ending... I LITERALLY LOVED EVERYTHING!!! I can't think of anything I didn't like about this story. I give this book, if you haven't guessed already, 5/5 stars, because, in my eyes, it was perfect. I can't wait to read Cinder and Scarlet if this is what one of Meyer's short stories is like. I understand that Scarlet isn't in the POV of this character, but I think I'll still enjoy at least reading about him again. I'm so ready to start this series! You guys should definitely check this out, it has tons of action, plot-twists, character development, humor, anything you would want in a story... except for romance. So go read it NOW! It's only like a dollar on amazon. NOW!!!

Glitches Short Story Review

Hi Guys,
This week has gone pretty smoothly for me, thank you God! With exams, and the alternative scheduling of my classes, I've had no homework, and very little classwork. So I have no altercation with posting this week's review... this week. This is going to be the first Short Story review on my blog, and I'm quite excited about it. I really liked this short story, and I look forward to reading the novel that follows this story. I read this short story on my kindle for free a few weeks ago, the name of it is Glitches, and it was written by Marissa Meyer. It is book 0.5 in the Lunar Chronicles series, the first book being Cinder by Meyer, which was released around mid-2012. Here's the synopsis of this short story from Goodreads:

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. In “Glitches,” a short prequel story to Cinder, we see the results of that illness play out, and the emotional toll that takes on Cinder. Something that may, or may not, be a glitch...

My first impression of this story was that I really didn't know what to expect... I mean I've wanted to read Cinder since it's release, but I've yet to read it. I got this all because of the fact that it was free on my kindle, I didn't know if it would be fine for me to read this before Cinder, but I did anyway. Don't worry guys, it's perfectly fine to read this without reading Cinder... it just basically gives her back-story.  When I started reading this story, I was enveloped in the character of Cinder. I wanted to know EVERYTHING about her immediately. Once she arrived in Japan, however, I got a little bored. The only thing I was really interested in was the friendship between Cinder and her new step-sister. This went on for a few pages, before it started to pick up again. When Cinder started to mend the broken android, I was captivated yet again, and not long after that scene, her step-father became very ill, making it very interesting to me once more. I wanted to know what disease he had, and what some of the symptoms/treatments were. Thankfully it gave you a brief bit of information on the sickness right before the story ended. I give this story 4/5 stars for the lack of interest I had during the middle. Overall, however, it was a good read, it had great characters, a wonderful scenery, and a very original re-telling idea. I enjoyed it, and I believe you guys would too, so check this story out. You will still be able to read this story if you haven't read Cinder, so this is for ANYONE to read! The next review will also be on a short story by Marissa Meyer, The Queen's Army (book 1.5 of the Lunar Chronicles).

Lockdown Book Review

Hi Guys,
I'm trying my best to keep up with doing at least one post a week for the new year. I don't know how it'll work out, but so far, it's working. I know I said I was going to do a review of Glitches next, but I decided to do a book I finished a few days ago instead.This is the first book I finished in 2013, and for those of you are follow me on Goodreads might have seen this on my 2013 Challenge. For those of you who haven't seen it the name of the book is Lockdown by Alexander Gordon Smith, and it's the first novel in the Escape from Furnace series. I've heard several people talk about this book, and I've heard mixed reviews... but the good reviews, plus the strangely awesome cover, led to me picking this book up. This is also the third book I read on my kindle paperwhite (I'm still loving it guys!). Here's the synopsis of Lockdown from Goodreads:

Furnace Penitentiary: the world’s most secure prison for young offenders, buried a mile beneath the earth’s surface. Convicted of a murder he didn’t commit, sentenced to life without parole, “new fish” Alex Sawyer knows he has two choices: find a way out, or resign himself to a death behind bars, in the darkness at the bottom of the world. Except in Furnace, death is the least of his worries. Soon Alex discovers that the prison is a place of pure evil, where inhuman creatures in gas masks stalk the corridors at night, where giants in black suits drag screaming inmates into the shadows, where deformed beasts can be heard howling from the blood-drenched tunnels below. And behind everything is the mysterious, all-powerful warden, a man as cruel and dangerous as the devil himself, whose unthinkable acts have consequences that stretch far beyond the walls of the prison. Together with a bunch of inmates—some innocent kids who have been framed, others cold-blooded killers—Alex plans an escape. But as he starts to uncover the truth about Furnace’s deeper, darker purpose, Alex’s actions grow ever more dangerous, and he must risk everything to expose this nightmare that’s hidden from the eyes of the world.

My first impression of this book was that it looked scary... and that's not a bad thing, but I just don't really read a lot of horror fiction, not that I don't want to, it's just that there are very few horror books I'm interested in.  Once I read the synopsis, I realized that it seemed like a book I might like, so I kept it in the back of my mind. Then I saw CassJayTuck do a review of the first three books in the series, and she seems to like some of the same books I like, so I put it a little higher on my TBR list, but still wasn't in a real hurry to read it. But once I got my paperwhite, one of the books I saw recommended for me in the kindle shop was this, and I figured, "Why not?", so I bought it right then. So when I started to read it, I found that I didn't want to put it down. Before too long, I'd finished and LOVED it. This is one of my favorite books now, and I can't believe I waited so long to read it. The characters, the plot, the setting, the action, and the writing of this novel left me breathless, and I can't wait to read the next book. My favorite character was Donovan, he seemed like a very sensible guy, and I like how he helped Alex as much as he could, even if he didn't want to half the time. I'm a little shocked about what happened to him at the end of the book, but it just makes me want to read the next book more to find out what happened to him. I give this book 5/5 stars, I didn't see anything wrong with it at all... I mean, it got a little gory at times, but I'm a guy, so I liked it. Like I said before, I can't wait to read the next couple books in the series, and I was left on a cliff-hanger at the end of this book, and I need to know what happens next! I wish the next book were free so I could already read it and review it, but I'll just have to wait until I feel like I want to buy another kindle book (since I got so many for Christmas). I just can't wait to read Solitary!!! I NEED IT!!! Anyway, hopefully next week I will have another review for you guys, and it probably will be Glitches this time, but "the world may never know." Until next time guys, keep reading, and PICK UP THIS NOVEL!!!