Sunday, April 29, 2012

"The ghost and the goth" - Book Review



Synopsis:
Alona Dare–Senior in high school, co-captain of the cheerleading squad, Homecoming Queen three years in a row, voted most likely to marry a movie star… and newly dead.

I’m the girl you hated in high school. Is it my fault I was born with it all-good looks, silky blond hair, a hot bod, and a keen sense of what everyone else should not be wearing? But my life isn’t perfect, especially since I died. Run over by a bus of band geeks—is there anything more humiliating? As it turns out, yes—watching your boyfriend and friends move on with life, only days after your funeral. And you wouldn’t believe what they’re saying about me now that they think I can’t hear them. To top it off, I’m starting to disappear, flickering in and out of existence. I don’t know where I go when I’m gone, but it’s not good. Where is that freaking white light already?

Will Killian–Senior in high school, outcast, dubbed “Will Kill” by the popular crowd for the unearthly aura around him, voted most likely to rob a bank…and a ghost-talker.

I can see, hear, and touch the dead. Unfortunately, they can also see, hear and touch me. Yeah, because surviving high school isn’t hard enough already. I’ve done my best to hide my “gift.” After all, my dad, who shared my ability, killed himself because of it when I was fifteen. But lately, pretending to be normal has gotten a lot harder. A new ghost—an anonymous, seething cloud of negative energy with the capacity to throw me around—is pursuing me with a vengeance. My mom, who knows nothing about what I can do, is worrying about the increase in odd incidents, my shrink is tossing around terms like “temporary confinement for psychiatric evaluation,” and my principal, who thinks I’m a disruption and a faker, is searching for every way possible to get rid of me. How many weeks until graduation?




For a long time I had wanted to read this book after reading the synopsis and countless book reviews encouraging everyone to read The Ghost and the Goth as soon as possible. During my last trip to Barnes and Noble I was lucky enough to find this lying on one of the shelves and it took everything from squealing like a little girl in excitement.
I really enjoyed this book, it kind of reminded me of the Kissed by an Angel series during its serious moments and Chasing Brooklyn with the guilt and redemption repetitive themes going on throughout the book.
I really liked the relationship between stuck-up, cheerleader Alona and ghost-whispering, goth Killian. I read this book within less than two days and stayed up way past three in the morning just to finish it, so yeah this book is pretty darn good. Not very many books can make me stay up that late to finish them.
What I like about ghost stories is when the main character is the only one who can hear, see or speak to the ghost and everyone else thinks they've lost it.
The perspective changing was really cool and let you get both sides of the story along the way. It was humorous, lighthearted with some deep moments and really relate-able in terms of high school, drama,acceptance, loss and fear of the unknown.I totally recommend this book hands-down, and just like the many bloggers before me I urge you to get up off your rear, drive to the nearest bookstore and buy your own copy, or order one of amazon or for your e-reader (whatever suits your fancy.) Just read it already. :)        

Friday, April 27, 2012

30,000 words!!! Oh my goodness :D

Hey everyone!


I just wanted to make a quick little announcement to share with you that I've reached a point of a little over 30,000 words of the novel I'm currently writing. I'm so excited because I just stared writing it about a month and a half ago and it's going by really good. I've written several other stories throughout high school but never ever finished them let alone got this far without quitting and starting another story.




I'm determined to finish this book though, it's a present I'm currently making for my younger sisters and is a contemporary chick lit with a dash of paranormal-ness and lots of humor.(But shhhh!!! They don't know I'm writing it, it's a surprise). I'm really excited about it and since I wanted to take you guys along for the journey of its progress until the very end when I'm determined to get it published (whether by self-publishing it or by traditional publishing, whatever happens.) I wanted to let you know about this little milestone!


I know it doesn't seem like much but I haven't had as much time to write as I would like because I was really busy with essays and college work for a couple of weeks and had little to no time to do practically anything else. But the past couple of days have been phenomenal and I've finished chapters at a time and just now I finished chapter 6! So I'm just having a little dance being all excited and knowing I've still got a ways to go. :)

HAPPY READING EVERYONE! :)

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

"Touch of Frost" - Book Review



Synopsis:

My name is Gwen Frost, and I go to Mythos Academy—a school of myths, magic and warrior whiz kids, where even the lowliest geek knows how to chop off somebody's head with a sword and Logan Quinn, the hottest Spartan guy in school, also happens to be the deadliest.

But lately, things have been weird, even for Mythos. First, mean girl Jasmine Ashton was murdered in the Library of Antiquities. Then, someone stole the Bowl of Tears, a magical artifact that can be used to bring about the second Chaos War. You know, death, destruction and lots of other bad, bad things. Freaky stuff like this goes on all the time at Mythos, but I'm determined to find out who killed Jasmine and why—especially since I should have been the one who died. . .




The story about me obtaining this book was all on a whim. (Read blog post here). But I soon ended up reading it and liking it a lot. This book wasn't something extraordinary but the main character Gwen was really relate-able and Jennifer Estep's characterization allowed us to feel like we've known Gwen forever. I thought that the plot was really intricate and well thought out and wasn't just your ordinary average Joe 'boarding-school for paranormal beings' book. The students are warriors sent to the academy to train for an upcoming battle between the Greek gods and goddesses. This book was also really enlightening about Greek Mythology and was really fun to read. I found myself thinking that Logan Quinn (The hunky dangerous guy) was irresistible no matter how cliche the encounters between him and Gwenn were.
I'd recommend this book, I gave it a four out of five stars on GoodReads and it definitely is a spring/summer type of book. I'll soon be reading the sequel in the Mythos Academy series called Kiss of Frost and I'm kind of excited to find out what's going to happen after the cliffhanger we were given at the end of Touch of Frost. I'm also thinking about possibly making a giveaway for this series once I finish reading the whole thing...still not sure but we'll see how things go :).

HAPPY READING EVERYONE! :)

Friday, April 20, 2012

"Switched"- Book Review


Synopsis:

When Wendy Everly was six years old, her mother was convinced she was a monster and tried to kill her. Eleven years later, Wendy discovers her mother might have been right. She’s not the person she’s always believed herself to be, and her whole life begins to unravel—all because of Finn Holmes.

Finn is a mysterious guy who always seems to be watching her. Every encounter leaves her deeply shaken…though it has more to do with her fierce attraction to him than she’d ever admit. But it isn’t long before he reveals the truth: Wendy is a changeling who was switched at birth—and he’s come to take her home.

Now Wendy’s about to journey to a magical world she never knew existed, one that’s both beautiful and frightening. And where she must leave her old life behind to discover who she’s meant to become…



I had originally heard about the Trylle series after hearing about the Amanda Hocking phenomenon. Her story requires a separate post of it's own because a couple of paragraphs wouldn't do it justice.
Switched is the first book in the Trylle series and I just finished reading it not even half an hour ago and I must say I loved it, absolutely loved it. I liked the whole concept of the troll people A.K.A. Trylle and the original idea that Amanda had with this story.
The book was beautifully written with such vivid imagery and humor I fell in love with the book after only the second chapter. This book also had a few "swoon-worthy" moments regarding a romance that takes place in the book that I couldn't resist smiling to as I read along. The characters were so lively and likable, Amanda did a phenomenal job with characterization and plot. Unlike other reviews I've read I don't agree with what they said about the pace of the novel, saying it was too quick and choppy. However, I beg to differ I honestly think it ran quite smoothly and I wouldn't have wanted it any other way. This was a great book and I completely recommend it without a moment's hesitation, I can't wait to dive into the sequel. I also want to mention how beautiful the cover work is :) I really like the concept of each of the covers playing with the story included in each book.
What I really liked about this version of the book is that it came with a bonus short story related to the Trylle series told from the perspective of the Vittra (basically the bad guys in the series). I  liked the perspective change and it definitely gave a different angle to look at everything from. Get your hands on this book and get reading because the last book of the series Ascend is coming out this coming Tuesday (April 24th).



Here's the book trailer for Switched, the first of the Trylle series for anyone that wants to check it out.


Happy Reading Everyone!

The King Must Die Book Tour Announcement

Hey everyone! I have more super exciting news!! As part of becoming a GoddessFish Book Tour partner I'm going to be participating in a really exciting book tour! (Yayyy!! the crowd goes wild) 


"The King Must Die" by N. Gemini Sasson Virtual Book Tour
(5/28/2012  -  6/12/2012)



What is done cannot be undone.

England, 1326. Edward II has been dethroned. Queen Isabella and her lover, Sir Roger Mortimer, are at the pinnacle of their power.

Fated to rule, Isabella’s son becomes King Edward III at the callow age of fourteen. Young Edward, however, must bide his time as the loyal son until he can break the shackles of his minority and dissolve the regency council which dictates his every action.

When the former king is found mysteriously dead in his cell, the truth becomes obscured and Isabella can no longer trust her own memory . . . or confide in those closest to her. Meanwhile, she struggles to keep her beloved Mortimer at her side and gain yet another crown—France’s—for the son who no longer trusts her.

Amidst a maelstrom of shifting loyalties, accusations of murder propel England to the brink of civil war.

In the sequel to "Isabeau", secrecy and treason, conspiracy and revenge once again overtake England. The future rests in the hands of a mother and son whose bonds have reached a breaking point.



So stay tuned on May 31st for a review and author interview :)

Happy Reading Everyone! :)

Thursday, April 19, 2012

In My Mailbox



Hey everyone!

In My Mailbox is a book blogging internet meme started by Kristi over at The Story Siren. In My Mailbox is a meme where you talk about books you recieve in your mailbox, giveaways, books you bought at stores, borrowed from the library and etc!


This is an accumulated haul of books that I've gotten in the last couple of weeks from book stores and even my local grocery store :).
(In order from top to bottom);

Torn (Sequel of the Trylle series) by Amanda Hocking
The Scorch Trials (Sequel to The Maze Runner) by James Dashner
Matched by Ally Condie
Chime by Franny Billingsley
Switched (First book of the Trylle series) by Amanda Hocking

Of the mentioned books I'm currently reading Switched and I'm really excited about it. I think I'll do a separate post about the story behind the Trylle series because it deserves a blog post of its own.
Those are my collected books and hopefully there will be reviews coming out shortly :).

Happy Reading Everyone!

Wednesday, April 18, 2012

Pottermore and magical things



As many of you may already know the long awaited opening of Pottermore had taken place at the beginning of this week no longer having to see the 'Coming soon' plastered on the front of the webpage. I truly am enjoying exploring Pottermore and falling in love again with Harry Potter. Although the story of Harry Potter had come to an end in both book form and the movies within the last five years, Pottermore allows die-hard Harry Potter lovers to explore it all over again. It makes me smile knowing that the story lives on. Pottermore also gives users a chance to get insider information from J.K. Rowling about aspects of the book only found on the site.
Users also get to go through the chapters with wonderful graphics and animation and relive Harry's journey from the beginning and throughout Hogwarts. You're able to get your very own wand and get sorted into your Hogwarts house by the infamous sorting hat. What I really love about the site is that everything centers on Harry Potter from the chosen usernames to avatars. While exploring you find objects to collect and place in your trunk and hidden clues.
I signed up for Pottermore on Monday and have been having a wonderful time dueling other players, getting sorted into my house and learning secrets behind the world of Harry Potter from J.K. Rowling.



If anyone would like to add me as a friend on Pottermore my username is PumpkinFeather28948. Can't wait to hang out and have with all of you in the virtual magical world of Harry Potter.

Prior to getting your wand and being sorted into your house you're asked several questions that you must answer truthfully from personality questions to odd questions and physical attribute questions like about your height or eye color. Once placed in your house you earn points for your given house just like in Harry Potter...my house is losing undeniably and the last time I checked I believe RavenClaw was in the lead.



When it came to my wand I answered a few questions and the result was "Alder with Unicorn Core, Ten and Three Quarter Inches, Surprisingly Swishy" Soon after I arrived at Hogwarts I had the sorting hat placed on my head and was given yet another set of questions to determine which house was for me. I was sorted into HufflePuff! I really didn't expect to be sent there but according to the Prefect of HufflePuff, who's name I already have forgotten (whoopsie) we're known for our honesty, modesty in terms of not boasting about how truly brilliant we actually are ;) and just pure awesomeness. Cedric Diggory was a HufflePuff so I guess it isn't all that bad ;). Our mascot is a badger...I'm still not sure how I feel about that but I'll let you know when I find out.



Happy Pottermore Everyone!

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

"Catching Fire"- Book Review




Synopsis:

Against all odds, Katniss has won the Hunger Games. She and fellow District 12 tribute Peeta Mellark are miraculously still alive. Katniss should be relieved, happy even. After all, she has returned to her family and longtime friend, Gale. Yet nothing is the way Katniss wishes it to be. Gale holds her at an icy distance. Peeta has turned his back on her completely. And there are whispers of a rebellion against the Capitol-- a rebellion that Katniss and Peeta may have helped create.

Much to her shock, Katniss has fueled an unrest she's afraid she cannot stop. And what scares her even more is that she's not entirely convinced she should try. As time draws near for Katniss and Peeta to visit the districts on the Capitol's cruel Victory Tour, the stakes are higher than ever. If they can't prove, without a shadow of a doubt, that they are lost in their love for each other, the consequences will be horrifying.

In Catching Fire, the second novel of the Hunger Games trilogy, Suzanne Collins continues the story of Katniss Everdeen, testing her more than ever before... and surprising readers at every turn.



Just an hour ago I finished the sequel to the Hunger Games series.Catching fire was really good though I enjoyed the first book better. I liked how we were able to see Peeta more and because of it he has become such a deep character. Katniss is the same as always, awesome, though I don't like how she can sometimes be so oblivious to what's going on around her. I really liked meeting new characters like the other HG champions that really added color to this story. However Gale has seemed really two dimensional to me, we never really get to know the real him and both of the previous books have only dedicated a couple of chapters to him. What I'm super worried about is if Katniss ends up going with Gale in the next book after everything she and Peeta have gone through and how Suzanne Collins has made us fall in love with him.
I really liked the adventures of the arena and how detailed it all was so that we were able to visualize it all in our mind. The ending was a bit rushed in my opinion and it all kind of went by in a blur of a few pages.The book ended with a cliff hanger of all cliffhangers and I'm really excited about reading the next book. However, I'm kind of sentimental when it comes to the end of book series so I like to stretch the last book out as long as I can, though if it's good I may end up finishing it in a day. I won't be reading MockingJay next just so that I can anticipate the adventure a little bit longer.

Sunday, April 15, 2012

Exciting News!

Hey everyone!

I've got some really exciting news to share with you guys today. :) As of the other day I've become an official Virtual Book Tour Partner of Goddess Fish Promotions! (Goddess Fish) I'm really excited about this wonderful opportunity and I can't wait to take you guys along for the ride.
Hopefully I'll start book touring within the next month so stay tuned for updates!

Also a little update, I'm going to try and get a few book reviews and blog memes up by tonight or tomorrow so keep your eyes peeled. ;)

HAPPY READING EVERYONE! :)

Thursday, April 12, 2012

Indigo - Love of Reading Commercial

There's a particular video I wanted to share with you guys today. A long time ago I had seen this commercial amongst other book vlogs on YouTube and it just warmed my heart. This particular commercial is about how reading can inspire kids. Enjoy :)


I just thought this was too cute and had to share it.

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

"The Maze Runner" Book review



Synopsis:

When Thomas wakes up in the lift, the only thing he can remember is his first name. His memory is blank. But he’s not alone. When the lift’s doors open, Thomas finds himself surrounded by kids who welcome him to the Glade—a large, open expanse surrounded by stone walls.

Just like Thomas, the Gladers don’t know why or how they got to the Glade. All they know is that every morning the stone doors to the maze that surrounds them have opened. Every night they’ve closed tight. And every 30 days a new boy has been delivered in the lift.

Thomas was expected. But the next day, a girl is sent up—the first girl to ever arrive in the Glade. And more surprising yet is the message she delivers.

Thomas might be more important than he could ever guess. If only he could unlock the dark secrets buried within his mind.



Just a few minutes ago I finished reading what is now one of my all-time favorite books. But let's go back a little bit as to how I came across this great little book. Some time during the rising Hunger Games obsession at the beginning of the year when people really couldn't stop talking about the books (I can't blame them, they're awesome!) a lot of people began recommending The Maze Runner by James Dashner. Prior to both the Hunger games series and the Maze Runner I  had never read sci-fi, dystopian books but let me tell you I sure will continue reading those genres now because of said books.
From the very first page I was hooked, and I found myself unable to put it down regardless of the fact that I had a few college essays to write (Which I really recommend you not do because now I'm swamped, but it was totally worth it!). Dashner did a wonderful job making the reader curious as to what's going on from the very beginning. The thing I really liked about this book was how we were on the same page as Thomas, seeing everything from his perspective and being just as clueless as he is from the beginning. As the book goes on you learn more and more alongside Thomas which really helps with the narration and characterization. Speaking of characterization, the characters were so lively and far beyond two-dimensional as some books make them. But even characters that were rarely spoken of were so life-like you felt like you've known them forever.
I immediately fell in love with Thomas, Newt and good ol' Chuck. The thing about this book that really got me was the similarity it has with Lord of the flies by William Golding. Both books center around a group of boys trapped in a place, trying to figure an escape that develop a functioning society in the meantime. Thomas, the protagonist of The Maze Runner strongly resembled the main character of Lord of the Flies Ralph. Chuck, the cute child friend of Thomas, also resembled Piggy from Lord of the Flies right to the very end.
The Maze Runner was wonderful and I'd definitely recommend it to anyone looking for an amazing adventure that will wrench your heart, make your blood pump, challenge your imagination and send you on a roller coaster of excitement. The ending will leave you wanting more. As soon as I finish the college essays awaiting to be written I'm going to immediately dive into the sequel to this wonderful, suspenseful series The Scorch Trials.

Sunday, April 8, 2012

Preoccupied Procrastination

Lately my mind has been all over the place, I  haven't had as much time for reading as I'd like to have because two of my college courses have been dumping tons of work on me. I currently have two essays to finish writing by the end of the next two weeks; one on the differential personalities of siblings and another on the effects of pre-determined expectations of teachers on student performance. Yep, I've got my work cut out for me.
I also want to let you guys know about a project I've been working on for quite a while. I'm currently writing a YA novel that I'm hoping to finish some time this summer. I've found a few publishers that I'll be submitting my manuscript to once it's all polished and edited to perfection. Once it's done I'll update you guys on it's progress and give you a first chapter sneak peak. I  haven't formally written the synopsis yet but I'll be doing that soon I hope.



HAPPY READING EVERYONE! :)

In my mailbox-"Touch of Frost" by Jennifer Estep



Hey everyone!

In My Mailbox is a book blogging internet meme started by Kristi over at The Story Siren. In My Mailbox is a meme where you talk about books you recieve in your mailbox, giveaways, books you bought at stores, borrowed from the library and etc!


Synopsis:

My name is Gwen Frost, and I go to Mythos Academy—a school of myths, magic and warrior whiz kids, where even the lowliest geek knows how to chop off somebody's head with a sword and Logan Quinn, the hottest Spartan guy in school, also happens to be the deadliest.

But lately, things have been weird, even for Mythos. First, mean girl Jasmine Ashton was murdered in the Library of Antiquities. Then, someone stole the Bowl of Tears, a magical artifact that can be used to bring about the second Chaos War. You know, death, destruction and lots of other bad, bad things. Freaky stuff like this goes on all the time at Mythos, but I'm determined to find out who killed Jasmine and why—especially since I should have been the one who died. . .


     Today I finally got this baby in my mailbox. I'm so stoked! There's a funny thing about this book though. About a month ago I was going gift shopping for my sister's upcoming birthday. Knowing that she really liked boarding-school, paranormal type YA books; I found the book "Kiss of Frost" at my grocery store. Yeah you heard right, my grocery store. So I got really excited and after reading the synopsis felt that even I wanted to read it after she was done with it. So I bought the book. When I got home I did a little researching to find out if the book was part of a series so that if it was I could buy her the sequel so she wouldn't have to wait. Well little did I know I had bought the sequel...yeah it was quite the shocker. On the picture of the book online it specifically said "sequel to touch of frost" and I immediately ran upstairs to see if that was written on the cover of the book and lo and behold it was. I felt so stupid and decided that I had nothing to do but by the first book. That was about a month ago and it FINALLY arrived today! Once I'm done with the other couple of books that I'm currently reading simultaneously I'm going to dive into this book. Oh yeah, didn't I give it to my sister? you're asking. Well I ended up giving her another present due to the whole predicament and lateness of my order. But it's alright, now I don't have to wait for the sequel if I end up diving into this book and loving it.

HAPPY READING EVERYONE! :)

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