tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36877957111516922532024-02-20T18:40:10.506+08:00Cup of Tea ReviewsA place to come in, read a book and have a nice cup of tea...Pathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11649795848981876893noreply@blogger.comBlogger120125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3687795711151692253.post-63546157118137050302012-06-16T08:28:00.001+08:002012-06-16T08:28:18.365+08:00The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjMMJRWxWvXJIELPz3_-FKDJ_CmH1NecRNR4froJrUQmGjZk_wNO3QamaPdE0xgaVXsfD-N9c0kwXXauEtGJGYOKai-ZnncbjdYqJV7dMS7F_7uU4vlEDUeNT3Ejrf1JO5Oo8V_kmg_NA/s1600/5821978.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjMMJRWxWvXJIELPz3_-FKDJ_CmH1NecRNR4froJrUQmGjZk_wNO3QamaPdE0xgaVXsfD-N9c0kwXXauEtGJGYOKai-ZnncbjdYqJV7dMS7F_7uU4vlEDUeNT3Ejrf1JO5Oo8V_kmg_NA/s320/5821978.jpg" width="226" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Title: The Summer I Turned Pretty (The Summer Trilogy)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Author: Jenny Han</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Published by: Simon and Schuster Books For Young Readers</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pages: 276</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Release Date: May 5, 2009</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Reviewed by: Pat</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;">Some summers are just destined to be pretty. Belly measures her life in summers. Everything good, everything magical happens between the months of June and August. Winters are simply a time to count the weeks until the next summer, a place away from the beach house, away from Susannah, and most importantly, away from Jeremiah and Conrad. They are the boys that Belly has known since her very first summer -- they have been her brother figures, her crushes, and everything in between. But one summer, one wonderful </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;">and terrible summer, the more everything changes, the more it all ends up just the way it should have been all along.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;">My Thoughts</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;"><br /></span></span></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I never knew about this series until I watched a Sims 3 series of this (Sadly, it was only three episodes and I was looking forward to how it would go in a Sims movie) on YouTube. I decided to get the book after watching the Sims 3 version and I loved it.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It's an easy read and the chapters are a bit quick and short. It is an amazing read. It's good that the author added flashbacks, but some of them do tend to get in the way of the story. But the flashbacks were kept short and there weren't a lot so it wouldn't stray away from the plot. There were some parts that I felt weren't necessary or parts that kept me hanging. There were also cute moments in the books which I admit made me giddy and giggly. Towards the end, some parts drag a bit, but it quickly got me hooked back into the story.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The only problem I had with the book was the main character, Belly. I liked her in the first two chapters, but after that I started to not like her after that. I wasn't really fond of her personality and her attitude towards some things. I didn't like the way she treated her mother and her friend, Taylor Jewel. She treated Susannah like she was her mother and treated Laurel like she wasn't her mother at all. The way she treated her mother was disappointing and I felt bad for her because she did things so that she could be a mother to Belly. But towards the end, I did develop a soft spot for Belly since I started to understand her a bit more.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Since I had fun reading this one, I think I might read the next two books and I'm very excited to find out what's next. Since my birthday's coming up soon, I might as well get the last two books to read (Yay!). </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"><br /></span></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />Pathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11649795848981876893noreply@blogger.com55tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3687795711151692253.post-14492344120642249992012-06-06T17:45:00.000+08:002012-06-06T17:45:00.159+08:00Torn by Dean Murray<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zVV99VseHlI/T8oi4vuKXOI/AAAAAAAAAa0/OJPYKwz9OZE/s1600/9917938.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zVV99VseHlI/T8oi4vuKXOI/AAAAAAAAAa0/OJPYKwz9OZE/s320/9917938.jpg" width="200" /></a>Title: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12931303-torn" target="_blank">Torn</a> (Reflections #1)<br />
<br />
Author: <a href="http://deanwrites.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Dean Murray</a><br />
<br />
Release Date: 10/17/11 (ebook)<br />
<br />
Reviewed by Sabrina<br />
<br />
Shape shifter Alec Graves has spent nearly a decade trying to keep his family from being drawn into open warfare with a larger pack. The new girl at school shouldn't matter, but the more he gets to know her, the more mysterious she becomes. Worse, she seems to know things she shouldn't about his shadowy world.<br />
<br />
Is she an unfortunate victim or bait designed to draw him into a fatal misstep? If she's a victim, then he's running out of time to save her. If she's bait, then his attraction to her will pull him into a fight that'll cost him everything.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">My Thoughts</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I'm starting to think I am not a reader for the YA paranormal anymore.<br />
<br />
What I can say about <i>Torn</i> is that its most aspect is Alec's struggles with his pack and how he tries to put them under control. The characters were fleshed-out well enough. <span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">There were some awkward words here and there. There are somethings that could have been improved. </span></div>
<br />
Adri could have more action in the later part of the novel. She greatly felt like she was weighing Alec's pack down. I would have preferred if more was revealed about her in <i>Torn</i>. I was confused about her complete trust for Alec and Alec's full-blown affection for her that developed halfway through. There were not enough scenes before to support, well, <i>why</i>. Initially, whenever they were around each other, there was hatred and anger.<br />
<br />
Alec could be really frightening at times. I understand that he has a lot of pressure on him (since he is the pack leader and shifter instincts make everything intense, after all) but there is only so much I can tolerate.
<br />
<br />
There is a companion novel, <i>Broken</i>, which is told in Adri's point-of-view that is said to fill up a lot of missing/needed parts of this story. If so, I think that it would have been much better if those two were just put together<i>.</i>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3687795711151692253.post-61652233794043416342012-05-11T22:21:00.003+08:002012-05-11T22:26:39.886+08:00Jaguar Sun by Martha Bourke<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_O4tIdSMbEY/T6d0lG81E2I/AAAAAAAAAac/IWM_IDO-g7k/s1600/11966216.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_O4tIdSMbEY/T6d0lG81E2I/AAAAAAAAAac/IWM_IDO-g7k/s320/11966216.jpg" width="202" /></a></div>
Title: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13411799-jaguar-sun" target="_blank">Jaguar Sun</a> (Jaguar Sun #1)<br />
<br />
Author: <a href="http://www.jaguarsunseries.com/" target="_blank">Martha Bourke</a><br />
<br />
Publisher: Balam Press<br />
<br />
Release Date: 1/3/12<br />
<br />
Pages: 258<br />
<br />
Reviewed by Sabrina<br />
<br />
DECEMBER 21, 2012 Will that fateful day destroy our world, or did the Mayans have something else in mind?<br />
<br />
Maya Delaney knows. Unfortunately.<br />
<br />
Maya Delaney is just an average sixteen-year-old. She’s busy dealing with exams, her soon to be ex-boyfriend and fitting in.<br />
<br />
But Maya’s got bigger problems. She’s hiding a major secret from her dad and having strange visions she can’t control.<br />
<br />
In her struggle to figure out who she is, she learns that she is meant to fulfill an ancient Mayan Prophesy and bring forth a New Age on earth.<br />
<br />
Will the spirit magic Maya wields be enough to defeat Toltec, an evil society bent on keeping her from her destiny?<br />
<br />
Or will that destiny destroy her?
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">My Thoughts</span></div>
<br />
Like with the Trylle Trilogy, I think that <i>Jaguar Sun</i> would have been better if it had expanded on some of its ideas. The story lacked excitement, or maybe just couldn’t bring out that feeling from me.<br />
<br />
<i>Jaguar Sun</i> is set in the same world as ours, except for the fact that Shifters exist and practically everyone knows about them. When the so-called end of the world is only a few weeks away, Maya undergoes a dramatic transformation that changes the lives of her family, friends, and even those of the Shifters.<br />
<br />
Maya constantly shows that she has a quick wit and can easily adapt to different situations throughout the pages. Her thoughts were hilarious and I found myself smiling from time to time. Her best friends, the twins Lyssa and Damian, were fun, well-written characters that really made <i>Jaguar Sun</i> more worthwhile. You can bet that Lyssa and Damian landed on my Favorite Characters of All Time list. Again, we see a strong loyalty in a close-knit group like theirs, which I absolutely loved.<br />
<br />
Unfortunately, I wasn't that much invested in the characters, partly due to the fast-pacing of the novel and that they weren't fully fleshed out. Matt, Maya's boyfriend, is the one main character that wasn’t developed enough. Not much is known about him.<br />
<br />
Now I said before the story lacked excitement. There was a good dose of action so that wasn't the problem. I think that maybe the writing conveyed things in a way that wasn't interesting enough for me.<br />
<br />
<i>Jaguar Sun</i> is another read to pass the time with and, given the chance, I would read the sequel just to see more of Maya and the twins.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3687795711151692253.post-84626337632599570742012-04-27T07:43:00.000+08:002012-05-30T17:57:53.587+08:00Torn by Amanda Hocking<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EIj4hu_R2VM/T5jmaoY0uHI/AAAAAAAAAaQ/KUkhr0QphPI/s1600/11966216.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-EIj4hu_R2VM/T5jmaoY0uHI/AAAAAAAAAaQ/KUkhr0QphPI/s320/11966216.jpg" width="212" /></a></div>
Title: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8606522-torn" target="_blank">Torn</a> (Trylle Trilogy #2)<br />
<br />
Author: <a href="http://amandahocking.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Amanda Hocking</a><br />
<br />
Publisher: St. Martin's Press (originally self-published)<br />
<br />
Release Date: 2/28/12 (orignally 11/15/10)<br />
<br />
Pages: 324<br />
<br />
Reviewed by Sabrina<br />
<br />
When Wendy Everly first discovers the truth about herself—that she’s a changeling switched at birth—she knows her life will never be the same. Now she’s about to learn that there’s more to the story…<br />
<br />
She shares a closer connection to her Vittra rivals than she ever imagined—and they’ll stop at nothing to lure her to their side. With the threat of war looming, her only hope of saving the Trylle is to master her magical powers—and marry an equally powerful royal. But that means walking away from Finn, her handsome bodyguard who’s strictly off limits…and Loki, a Vittra prince with whom she shares a growing attraction.
<br />
<br />
Torn between her heart and her people, between love and duty, Wendy must decide her fate. If she makes the wrong choice, she could lose everything, and everybody, she’s ever wanted…in both worlds.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">My Thoughts</span></div>
<br />
I had no intention of continuing the Trylle Trilogy. That all changed when I heard about Loki. You see, I used to be addicted to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mythical_Detective_Loki_Ragnarok" target="_blank">Matantei Detective Loki</a> when I was younger and Loki was my favorite character of all time. If something had the name "Loki" on it, I would read it, watch it, or buy it. So <i>Torn</i> got my attention.<br />
<br />
<i>However</i>, what sealed the deal was that, after I read a review of <i>Ascend</i> out of sheer boredom, I discovered that (this is a spoiler so it's white) <span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: white;">our brooding stalker Finn was going to be passed off for Loki!</span> Is it horrible for me to want to see that?</span><br />
<br />
Now to the review!<br />
<br />
There was a pacing problem. The events seemed to be unfold too quickly and not fully explored to its potential. Like in the first book, I still didn’t feel that the Vittra was a threat. I really didn’t get that vibe from them. The story could have delved more into the relationship of Rhys and his real family. I really wanted to read Kim’s reaction to seeing her real son. Now that would be <i>very</i> fun to read.<br />
<br />
Wendy was great. Instead of obsessing over her "break-up" with Finn, she actually tries to get over him! Wendy rightfully and <i>finally</i> calls Finn out on being a cold, overbearing--not to mention, overprotective--jerk. No longer is she so deeply dependent on him.<br />
<br />
Loki, the new love interest and a man almost high enough to be a Vittra Prince, was an okay character for me. He’s witty, charming, and strong in his own way. He could have been more developed and put less effort into being the flirty bad boy of the love triangle.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sRerRlC54L4/T3Q4JERE6bI/AAAAAAAAALo/moKWHr_rzNc/s1600/3.5.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sRerRlC54L4/T3Q4JERE6bI/AAAAAAAAALo/moKWHr_rzNc/s1600/3.5.png" /></a></div>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3687795711151692253.post-25332292876266369882012-04-26T15:11:00.000+08:002012-04-26T16:03:04.201+08:00Scary School by Derek the Ghost<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mxj2LaHEiUI/T4uKCDIuy4I/AAAAAAAAAZQ/U4AuYrpjZAs/s1600/10062358.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mxj2LaHEiUI/T4uKCDIuy4I/AAAAAAAAAZQ/U4AuYrpjZAs/s320/10062358.jpg" width="216" /></a></div>
Title: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10062358-scary-school" target="_blank">Scary School</a> (Scary School #1)<br />
<br />
Author: <a href="http://www.scaryschool.com/" target="_blank">Derek the Ghost</a><br />
<br />
Publisher: HarperCollins<br />
<br />
Release Date: 6/21/11<br />
<br />
Pages: 237<br />
<br />
Reviewed by Sabrina<br />
<br />
You think your school's scary?<br />
<br />
Get a load of these teachers:<br />
<br />
"Ms. Fang," an 850-year-old vampire<br />
"Dr. Dragonbreath," who just might eat you before recess<br />
"Mr. Snakeskin"--science class is so much more fun when it's taught by someone who's half zombie<br />
"Mrs. T"--break the rules and spend your detention with a hungry "Tyrannosaurus rex"<br />
<br />
Plus<br />
<br />
Gargoyles, goblins, and Frankenstein's monster on the loose<br />
The world's most frighteningly delicious school lunch<br />
<br />
And<br />
<br />
The narrator's an eleven-year-old ghost
<br />
<br />
Join Charles "New Kid" Nukid as he makes some very Scary friends--including Petunia, Johnny, and Peter the Wolf--and figures out that Scary School can be just as funny as it is spooky.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">My Thoughts</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
Ever got in trouble on the first day of school? How about getting detention for wearing the school uniform? Absurd as that may sound, that is the last thing anyone in Scary School should worry about. Unfortunately, the new kid, Charles Nukid, doesn't know this and nearly becomes a snack for a hungry giant squid, T-Rex, and even a dragon!<br />
<br />
While the New Kid tries to figure out the ropes of Scary School, Principal Headcrusher is planning ahead for this year's Ghoul Games. Pretty exciting since it's the first time humans were allowed to compete against monsters... except for the part that the winners get to eat the losers.</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br />
<div style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="text-align: left;">Each wacky character is given their own great adventure and all of them connect into one spectacular ending. </span>The dialogue and narration is ridiculousness funny. Despite the silliness of <i>Scary School</i>, there are serious and nice lessons to learn. Anyone who loved <i>Wayside School</i> will surely love the new <i>Scary School</i>!</div>
</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Thank you to the author for providing me a free copy of <i>Scary School </i>for an honest review!</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-U_d8HQHULc8/T3RKBrajG4I/AAAAAAAAAMI/KuZzN-V_oBM/s1600/4.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-U_d8HQHULc8/T3RKBrajG4I/AAAAAAAAAMI/KuZzN-V_oBM/s1600/4.png" /></a></div>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3687795711151692253.post-10073834387696002422012-04-19T15:53:00.000+08:002012-04-22T20:58:04.101+08:00Halo by Alexandra Adornetto<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-F-M8gUM_6iE/T4-RjXIoAKI/AAAAAAAAAZg/ii7cNMGh7Ag/s1600/6134826.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-F-M8gUM_6iE/T4-RjXIoAKI/AAAAAAAAAZg/ii7cNMGh7Ag/s320/6134826.jpg" width="219" /></a>Title: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7778981-halo" target="_blank">Halo</a> (Halo #1)<br />
<br />
Author: Alexandra Adornetto<br />
<br />
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends<br />
<br />
Release Date: 8/31/10<br />
<br />
Pages: 496<br />
<br />
Reviewed by Sabrina<br />
<br />
Three angels – Gabriel, the warrior; Ivy, the healer; and Bethany, the youngest and most human – are sent by Heaven to bring good to a world falling under the influence of darkness. They must work hard to conceal their luminous glow, superhuman powers, and, most dangerous of all, their wings, all the while avoiding all human attachments.<br />
<br />
Then Bethany meets Xavier Woods, and neither of them is able to resist the attraction between them. Gabriel and Ivy do everything in their power to intervene, but the bond between Xavier and Bethany seems too strong. Then comes the brooding and popular new transfer, Jake Thorn... who just so happens to be in Bethany's class. Something about Jake seems to be hiding something darker, something more powerful than expected. That thing, and Xavier, distracts Bethany to a point that Gabriel and Ivy are concerned.<br />
<br />
The angel’s mission is urgent, and dark forces are threatening. Will love ruin Bethany or save her?<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">My Thoughts</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I tried. I tried to give <i>Halo</i> a chance. If you loved this book, please turn away now.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I can start with its best points. I was hooked into <i>Halo</i> for one-third of the 496 pages. The idea of the story was interesting enough. There was enough potential for <i>Halo</i> to develop into something better. The writing, while a bit too descriptive, didn't scary me off as much as I expected it would. The angels, Gabriel and Ivy, are nice, responsible figures. Then there's Bethany...</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Bethany is one of the most <i>extremely</i> annoying characters I have read. The only thing that goes on in her mind is Xavier and that ache in her chest. She is always protected by him, despite the fact that she has these celestial powers. When her fellow angels try to talk some sense into her, she snaps, "I won't be treated like a child." She knows what's right but ignores it. She absolutely refuses to listen to that voice in head that tells her to stop and <i>think</i>. Why couldn't this be written in 3rd person?</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Let's talk about my next issue with <i>Halo</i>. I didn't understand why <i>three</i> angels were needed in Venus Cove. Gabriel, being an archangel, and Ivy, having the power of healing, shouldn't be in a such cozy, mostly quiet town. They should be over to places where the situation is urgent, or at least in a nearby shelter. There only seemed to be some minor incidents that just one angel could handle.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Speaking of which, the angels should have put more effort into finding the evil that caused those incidents instead of sitting around and waiting for something to happen. In fact, since Venus Cove is said to be the "target of the Dark Forces" there should have been tons of drastic events--so much that it was to be considered common. Seeing those might have made the story a lot more interesting. But no, instead of the mysterious, somewhat exciting story I was expecting, we have the (almost) ordinary story of a strange girl adjusting to the (very cliched) high school life, who falls for Mr. Perfect.<br />
<br />
Lastly, I just wanted to add that I hated the messages that were shoved onto the reader, especially the one about "studious girls" having no imagination.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
So, as you can tell, <i>Halo</i> wasn't for me. There are others who favored this and if you are still interested, give it a shot. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PtPeivuy__E/T4-sAvjcBeI/AAAAAAAAAZ4/jlisdOh6YfM/s1600/2.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PtPeivuy__E/T4-sAvjcBeI/AAAAAAAAAZ4/jlisdOh6YfM/s1600/2.png" /></a></div>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3687795711151692253.post-80842124155166022702012-04-13T14:15:00.003+08:002012-04-16T09:51:55.508+08:00The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUVX377oeGv_ym0ijhHgrI4LkPun51h-aerrrTOc8jeIVw0iV47pyeKuPNTZU3wYu7v5CZfApZ_C_pAX_MXvfcLVLJ_K7DrQ8LLxeOcAYKWU9eeNkPXRUXNuysXO6MgfsKa4DOTE7IVOx_/s1600/10626594.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUVX377oeGv_ym0ijhHgrI4LkPun51h-aerrrTOc8jeIVw0iV47pyeKuPNTZU3wYu7v5CZfApZ_C_pAX_MXvfcLVLJ_K7DrQ8LLxeOcAYKWU9eeNkPXRUXNuysXO6MgfsKa4DOTE7IVOx_/s320/10626594.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>
Title: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10626594-the-scorpio-races" target="_blank">The Scorpio Races</a><br />
<br />
Author: <a href="http://www.maggiestiefvater.com/" target="_blank">Maggie Stiefvater</a><br />
<br />
Publisher: Scholastic<br />
<br />
Release Date: 10/18/11<br />
<br />
Pages: 409<br />
<br />
Reviewed by Sabrina<br />
<br />
It happens at the start of every November: the Scorpio Races. Riders attempt to keep hold of their water horses long enough to make it to the finish line. Some riders live. Others die.<br />
<br />
At age nineteen, Sean Kendrick is the returning champion. He is a young man of few words, and if he has any fears, he keeps them buried deep, where no one else can see them.<br />
<br />
Puck Connolly is different. She never meant to ride in the Scorpio Races. But fate hasn’t given her much of a chance. So she enters the competition — the first girl ever to do so. She is in no way prepared for what is going to happen.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">My Thoughts</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i>The Scorpio Races</i> is a slow paced, dystopian novel set in an alternate timeline, taking place on the fictional island of Thisby. Despite what the title and summary suggests, the plot does not focus on the actual race. Instead, the attention is on the <i>capall uisce </i>(water horses).<br />
<br />
One problem I had with <i>The Scorpio Races</i> was that I did not see a lot distinction between Puck and Sean's viewpoints. I liked Sean's point of view more though, since he has a conflicted relationship with his water horse, Corr. That, and Puck irritated me in the beginning. Sean wants to trust Corr but putting that trust there could get himself killed.<br />
<br />
The atmosphere fit the story nicely. I love how Maggie Stiefvater created a nice amount of tension and fear in certain scenes (e.g. when a wild water horse confronts a human, Sean needing to trust Corr, etc). What I loved even more was that she had written a more realistic, light romance between Sean and Puck that did not drag down the story. It was the huge (<i>really</i> slow) amount of buildup that did. But the ending was nice, the writing was beautiful, and the story was fine so...<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKtT4h8R3pfz_lZnfdTF50B8MxtZsHE2isNqWQcxTzr8je1GmPOUAJMXMfcOWwHe0qZpO81Lr4AnWUnf_ZiTJ0jzaY3XS2ZvUH_2QZiTvWSdF3YzQCTXjZmZCh01OF0BA9vBWFyNQ6cf2u/s1600/3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKtT4h8R3pfz_lZnfdTF50B8MxtZsHE2isNqWQcxTzr8je1GmPOUAJMXMfcOWwHe0qZpO81Lr4AnWUnf_ZiTJ0jzaY3XS2ZvUH_2QZiTvWSdF3YzQCTXjZmZCh01OF0BA9vBWFyNQ6cf2u/s1600/3.png" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3687795711151692253.post-80393444467754030332012-04-08T21:34:00.000+08:002012-04-09T03:42:14.575+08:00Wolfborn by Sue Bursztynski<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-W2P5p-OUoQI/T4F2NpPblEI/AAAAAAAAAXw/JYjpkOAli2w/s1600/9702148.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-W2P5p-OUoQI/T4F2NpPblEI/AAAAAAAAAXw/JYjpkOAli2w/s320/9702148.jpg" width="206" /></a></div>
Title: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9702148-wolfborn" target="_blank">Wolfborn</a><br />
<br />
Author: <a href="http://suebursztynski.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Sue Bursztynski</a><br />
<br />
Publisher: Woolshed Press<br />
<br />
Release Date: 12/1/10<br />
<br />
Pages: 287<br />
<br />
Reviewed by Sabrina<br />
<br />
Break the curse or howl forever.<br />
<br />
Etienne, son of a lord in the kingdom of Armorique, goes to train as a knight with Geraint of Lucanne. Geraint is brave and kind, a good teacher and master - but he has a secret that he has kept from his family. He is bisclavret, a born werewolf. When Geraint is betrayed, Etienne must ally with the local wise-woman and her daughter, themselves bisclavret, to save his lord. But time is running out. If Geraint's enemies have their way, Geraint will soon be trapped in his wolf form.<br />
<br />
And Etienne has his own secret. The decisions he makes will change his life forever . . .<br />
<br />
Inspired by a medieval romance, this engaging novel forces us to question everything we thought we knew about werewolves.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">My Thoughts</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
No, <i>Wolfborn</i> is not some teenage-angst, modern retelling of an werewolf folktale, whose male lead has an uncanny resemblance to Jacob Black. Instead, it is a breath of fresh air in YA supernatural romance.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Almost the whole story is told in Etienne's point of view. He is a very strong character that didn't annoy me in the least. In fact, all the protagonists are very likeable. I love that they have this trust and loyalty to each other. Despite their fears, they always push through when there is something they need to do. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
The world of <i>Wolfborn</i> is vividly written. The pacing works perfectly with the mystery and adventure. In total, everything was enjoyable. I might have liked <i>Wolfborn</i> more if Jeanne, the wise-woman's daughter, had a bigger role in the main plot of the story.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Beautiful cover, by the way.
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Thank you to <a href="http://thewriteobsession.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Lan</a> and <a href="http://suebursztynski.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Sue Bursztynski</a> for the awesome signed copy!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-U_d8HQHULc8/T3RKBrajG4I/AAAAAAAAAMI/KuZzN-V_oBM/s1600/4.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-U_d8HQHULc8/T3RKBrajG4I/AAAAAAAAAMI/KuZzN-V_oBM/s1600/4.png" /></a></div>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3687795711151692253.post-62072100667491101032012-04-08T03:08:00.000+08:002012-04-08T02:48:41.258+08:00The 2012 Standalone Reading Challenge<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.iceybooks.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="Not Afraid 1" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-VQfvNxiPJ6I/TsrGevfFDGI/AAAAAAAABSs/rNu5TeUsBcI/s150/Not%252520afraid%252520blue.jpg" /></a>
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
I'm so late for this but I'm taking up the challenge! The Standalone Reading Challenge is hosted by <a href="http://www.iceybooks.com/">IceyBooks</a> and <a href="http://www.ilikethesebooks.com/">I Like These Books</a>. The goal is to read 15 YA standalone books in 2012. If you would like to participate, you can still sign up <a href="http://www.iceybooks.com/2011/11/introducingthe-standalone-reading.html">here</a>. In no particular order, I plan to read...</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
1) <i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12814519-belles">Belles</a> </i>by Jen Calonita</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
2) <i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13533688-sacred">Sacred</a> </i>by Elana K. Arnold</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
3) <i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10798416-the-statistical-probability-of-love-at-first-sight">The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight</a> </i>by Jennifer E. Smith</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
4) <i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12897020-river-in-the-sea">River in the Sea</a> </i>by<i> </i>Tina Boscha</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
5) <i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11870085-the-fault-in-our-stars">The Fault in Our Stars</a> </i>by John Green</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
6) <i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12043771-this-is-not-a-test">This Is Not a Test</a> </i>by Courtney Summers</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
7) <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7818683-five-flavors-of-dumb"><i>Five Flavors of Dumb</i></a><i> </i>by Antony John</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
8) <i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11387507-graffiti-moon">Graffiti Moon</a></i> by Cath Crowley</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
9) <i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9943245-au-revoir-crazy-european-chick">Au Revoir, Crazy European Chick</a> </i>by Joe Schreiber</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
10) <i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8306761-for-darkness-shows-the-stars">For Darkness Shows the Stars</a> </i>by Diana Peterfreund</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
11) <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10194548-ditched"><i>Ditched: A Love Story</i></a> by Robin Mellom</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
12) <i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12962345-earth-girl">Earth Girl</a> </i>by Janet Edwards</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
13) <i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11778281-destined">Destined</a></i> by Jessie Harrell</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
14) <i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10866233-the-list">The List</a></i> by Sioban Vivian</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
15) <i><a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10413869-someone-else-s-life">Someone Else's Life</a></i> by Katie Dale<br />
<br />
If anyone would like to recommend any good YA standalone novel, please comment below :) </div>
</div>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3687795711151692253.post-31060884047666249552012-04-07T18:01:00.000+08:002012-04-26T15:17:02.308+08:00Prince of Powys Giveaway<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-i0nWSHwvzWw/T3872BiV6gI/AAAAAAAAAXE/APeQeAcojiA/s1600/13392821.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-i0nWSHwvzWw/T3872BiV6gI/AAAAAAAAAXE/APeQeAcojiA/s1600/13392821.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
Giveaway time! This is something that's been long overdue. 10 PDF <br />
ebook copies of <i>The Prince of Powys</i> by Cornelia Amiri is up for grabs! As you probably know, the giveaway form is at the bottom of this post. The blurb:<br />
<br />
<i>In an age of heroes, Branda, a Saxon princess helps Blaise, a prince of Powys, escape her father’s stronghold. In turn, he vows to escort the princess to her sister in Scotland so she can escape an arranged marriage. Instead, he holds her captive as his hostage in the unbreachable hill fort of Dinas Bran, where she captures his heart. Will Blaise be forced to throw away his honor for love or tear out his heart for honor?</i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Prince-Powys-Cornelia-Amiri/dp/1615725830/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1333739279&sr=8-1">Amazon</a> | <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-prince-of-powys-cornelia-amiri/1108220098">Barnes & Noble</a></div>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3687795711151692253.post-4535350521761718952012-04-07T04:05:00.000+08:002012-04-07T18:46:17.496+08:00Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QBx8A2Pthew/T3RKoPHzwnI/AAAAAAAAAMY/2djJyb3t7Po/s1600/Night-Circus-UK-cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-QBx8A2Pthew/T3RKoPHzwnI/AAAAAAAAAMY/2djJyb3t7Po/s320/Night-Circus-UK-cover.jpg" width="211" /></a>Title: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10637959-breadcrumbs">Breadcrumbs</a><br />
<br />
Author: <a href="http://www.anneursu.com/">Anne Ursu</a><br />
<br />
Publisher: Walden Pond Press<br />
<br />
Pages: 313<br />
<br />
Release Date: 7/27/11<br />
<br />
Reviewed by Sabrina<br />
<br />
Once upon a time, Hazel and Jack were best friends. They had been best friends since they were six, spending hot Minneapolis summers and cold Minneapolis winters together, dreaming of Hogwarts and Oz, superheroes and baseball. Now that they were eleven, it was weird for a boy and a girl to be best friends. But they couldn't help it - Hazel and Jack fit, in that way you only read about in books. And they didn't fit anywhere else.
<br />
<br />
And then, one day, it was over. Jack just stopped talking to Hazel. And while her mom tried to tell her that this sometimes happens to boys and girls at this age, Hazel had read enough stories to know that it's never that simple. And it turns out, she was right. Jack's heart had been frozen, and he was taken into the woods by a woman dressed in white to live in a palace made of ice. Now, it's up to Hazel to venture into the woods after him. Hazel finds, however, that these woods are nothing like what she's read about, and the Jack that Hazel went in to save isn't the same Jack that will emerge. Or even the same Hazel.
<br />
<br />
Inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's "The Snow Queen," Breadcrumbs is a story of the struggle to hold on, and the things we leave behind.
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">My Thoughts</span></div>
<br />
I don't often read a lot of Middle Grade novels but this one had caught my eye for weeks. I finally got myself to buy the book. First thing I have to say about it? I don't think that the intended age group will exactly want to read this one.<br />
<br />
The first half of the story deals with Hazel's problems in the real world. This would have to be the most depressing part of the novel. Hazel goes through issues such as not fitting in and her parent's divorce. Her friendship with Jack becomes strained as his friends try to separate them. Everything becomes different when the children around her begin to change into teenagers. In the second half, Jack changes when a magical glass shard gets caught in his eye. When he's out alone in the snow, the Snow Queen becomes interested in him and persuades him to come with her.<br />
<br />
I did not expect to be so wowed by <i>Breadcrumbs</i>. The writing is beautiful and the atmosphere and the mood of the novel is slow, majestic and dreamlike. I felt like I was with Hazel out in the woods, hearing the snow crunch under my shoes and feeling the bitter cold air against my skin. Anne Ursu also has an amazing talent of conveying emotions to the reader. I cried when Hazel had lost her friend, Jack, or when she tried so hard to fit in but didn't quite cut it.<br />
<br />
Hazel is a smart, imaginative young girl. I loved reading about her worries and decisions. She's wonderful heroine that I would love to see more often in other works. Her journey through the forest makes her learn the harsh facts about both the world of the woods and the wold where she had come from.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: -webkit-auto;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: -webkit-auto;">
The ending was left with many loose-ends, but it was a reasonable, almost perfect ending for the story. That doesn't mean that I liked it though.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: -webkit-auto;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: -webkit-auto;">
Overall, <i>Breadcrumbs</i> is a great book that might work well for those who are fans of contemporary or fantasy.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: -webkit-auto;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nVQshlJ53iM/T39MhZT0FXI/AAAAAAAAAXM/bJNAPgiVdas/s1600/4.5.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nVQshlJ53iM/T39MhZT0FXI/AAAAAAAAAXM/bJNAPgiVdas/s1600/4.5.png" /></a></div>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3687795711151692253.post-20417887041465384712012-04-04T02:25:00.000+08:002012-05-12T11:36:37.134+08:00Sex, Life and Hannah Giveaway<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-weHJJEeguM8/T38r4RId3fI/AAAAAAAAAW8/NBENjIYCPnk/s1600/a.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-weHJJEeguM8/T38r4RId3fI/AAAAAAAAAW8/NBENjIYCPnk/s1600/a.png" style="cursor: move;" /></a></div>
<br />
Time for another giveaway! This time, it's an online book club membership that gives you full access to the <a href="http://www.sexlifeandhannah.com/">Sex, Life, & Hannah</a> website. The membership also gives you the first two ebook copies of Sex, Life, & Hannah series, along with the next two as well! The giveaway form is at the bottom of this post. Here's the blurb:<br />
<br />
<b>Sex, Life, & Hannah: Volume 1, WINTER SEASON</b><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>When Hannah’s boyfriend of five-and-a-half years breaks up with her on New Year’s Eve, Hannah is shocked, and stunned…before picking up a glass and throwing it at him. Forced to search for love in the battlegrounds of L.A. she finds herself agonizing over The Ex, trying to comfort herself in the neighbor’s bed, and falling in love…again? Surrounded by a colorful cast of characters, Hannah treads the infamous waters of heartbreak and heartache.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<strong style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left;">Sex, Life, & Hannah: Volume 2, SPRING SEASON</strong>
<br />
<i><br /></i>
<br />
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 1em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left;">
<i>Shake, rattle, and roll! But don’t skip a word because you’ll be hanging on to each one as you crack open this roller coaster ride.</i></div>
<div style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 13px; margin-bottom: 1em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left;">
<i>The SLH Spring Season is the continuation of Hannah’s fall from perfect twenty-something grace. As she heads toward every new ray of light, she seems to fall into a black hole—which is enough to make anyone a little jaded. Hannah’s run-in with The Ex is more about icing her nose than melting her heart; she seems to be making all the wrong decisions about all the right men; and Mr. Smyth turns out to be the tall, dark, sophisticated older man she thought he was…with just one problem. The unexpected twists would drive any woman to the opposite side of “nice girl”, which is exactly what happens to Hannah. But it doesn’t mean a bad girl can’t have some fun along the way.</i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://twitter.com/#%21/sexlifehannah">Twitter</a> | <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SexLifeandHannah">Facebook</a><br />
<a href="http://www.sexlifeandhannah.com/buy/">Buy Your Own Copies Here!</a></div>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3687795711151692253.post-84471995159502118302012-04-03T18:33:00.000+08:002012-04-11T18:08:38.057+08:00Draykon by Charlotte E. English Giveaway<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IHXeypL76vs/T3mAJOntzcI/AAAAAAAAANY/Uf8hFBZZYog/s1600/127553004.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-IHXeypL76vs/T3mAJOntzcI/AAAAAAAAANY/Uf8hFBZZYog/s1600/127553004.JPG" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Here, we have the Draykon Giveaway today! We'll be giving away three ebook copies (any format) of <i>Draykon, </i>provided by the author, Charlotte E. English. You can enter the giveaway by using the form at the end of this post. Check out the Blurb:<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<i><br /></i>
<i>When shy and retiring Llandry Sanfaer discovers a mesmerising new gemstone, she suddenly becomes the most famous jeweller across the Seven Realms. Demand for the coveted stone escalates fast; when people begin dying for it, Llandry finds that she herself has become a target.</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<i>Lady Evastany Glostrum has her life in pristine order. Prestigious, powerful and wealthy, she is on the verge of crowning her successes with the perfect marriage. But when her closest friend is murdered for the jewellery she wears, Eva is drawn into the mystery surrounding the curious "istore" gem.
</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i>The emergence of the stone is causing chaos across the Seven. Gates between the worlds are opening at will, pulling hordes of creatures through from the shadowy Lower Realm and the glittering Uppers. As Eva works to discover the culprit behind the spreading disorder, Llandry must learn the truth about her precious istore stone - before she herself becomes a victim. </i></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005KLVNFA/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=ladylibrrevi-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B005KLVNFA" style="text-align: center;">Amazon</a><span style="text-align: center;"> | </span><a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/draykon-charlotte-e-english/1105609603?ean=2940011494130&itm=1&usri=draykon" style="text-align: center;">Barnes & Noble</a><span style="text-align: center;"> | </span><a href="https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/85803" style="text-align: center;">Smashwords</a><br />
<br />***GIVEAWAY IS OVER***</div>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3687795711151692253.post-19176574184984523652012-03-29T19:09:00.001+08:002012-03-29T19:09:06.892+08:00Freshman Year and Other Unnatural Disasters by Meredith Zeitlin<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-j35bIVZwT0w/T3Q0hQf8qmI/AAAAAAAAALg/k8GY2Lu2n7s/s1600/11699323.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-j35bIVZwT0w/T3Q0hQf8qmI/AAAAAAAAALg/k8GY2Lu2n7s/s320/11699323.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="220" /></a>Title: Freshman Year and Other Unnatural Disasters<br />
<br />
Author: Meredith Zeitlin<br />
<br />
Publisher: G.P. Putnam's Sons<br />
<br />
Release Date: 3/1/12<br />
<br />
Pages: 288
<br />
<br />
Reviewed by: Sabrina<br />
<br />
Kelsey Finkelstein is fourteen and FRUSTRATED. Every time she tries to live up to her awesome potential, her plans are foiled – by her impossible parents, her annoying little sister, and life in general. But with her first day of high school coming up, Kelsey is positive that things are going to change. Enlisting the help of her three best friends — sweet and quiet Em, theatrical Cass, and wild JoJo — Kelsey gets ready to rebrand herself and make the kind of mark she knows is her destiny.
<br />
<br />
Things start out great - her arch-nemesis has moved across the country, giving Kelsey the perfect opportunity to stand out on the soccer team and finally catch the eye of her long-time crush. But soon enough, an evil junior’s thirst for revenge, a mysterious photographer, and a series of other catastrophes make it clear that just because KELSEY has a plan for greatness… it doesn’t mean the rest of the world is in on it.
<br />
<br />
Kelsey’s hilarious commentary throughout her disastrous freshman year will have you laughing out loud—while being thankful that you’re not in her shoes, of course…
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">My Thoughts</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Kelsey is excited to get into high school and is determined to make freshman year the best one of her life. Of course, things never go as planned. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Kelsey's feelings were over-the-top and her daily troubles were a bit exaggerated. She's sarcastic and loyal. Not to mention that she is awesomely funny, hyper, and positive (or at least tries to be). That's what I loved about her. She is a girl that that takes everything in a stride and doesn't let anything slow her down. You can't help but root for her to make it out of that disastrous year.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Some of her relationships with characters change significantly throughout the story, subtly making her change the way she acts. She makes mistakes but learns from them. As she fights through all the high school drama, she learns a few lessons from crappy crushes to backstabbing friends and a new student.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
What I really didn't like was some of Kelsey's actions. Most of them seemed too irresponsible to me. But it was a very enjoyable read. The plot was simple, yet I was still excited to read her adventures. It's the kind of ridiculous, cute fun that I half wish was back in YA novels. And...</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
...can I say that I thought that Kelsey and Ben's relationship was super sweet?
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
So please check out the really awesome cover and <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=DOTDUDvvO-k">trailer</a>! I absolutely <i>loved</i> both. Special thanks to Anne Walls for giving me a copy.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sRerRlC54L4/T3Q4JERE6bI/AAAAAAAAALo/moKWHr_rzNc/s1600/3.5.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-sRerRlC54L4/T3Q4JERE6bI/AAAAAAAAALo/moKWHr_rzNc/s1600/3.5.png" /></a></div>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3687795711151692253.post-33870456955320980652012-02-04T21:35:00.000+08:002012-02-04T21:57:16.072+08:00Splendor by Anna Godbersen<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhidSWGT94xbDYQlkmdHeKxOg7SX9WamNXvAXMZNHLtasSkis7cIbTRRZTkGSr5x30nMCoxSGayZjMZYsXzllXNt32M9p1_ZwJDwyPYSSRo-mCzfC2PHJyIWoCXjTIkTtqz6nSGr5yVpL8/s1600/Splendor+by+Anna+Godbersen.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5691865143754545890" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhidSWGT94xbDYQlkmdHeKxOg7SX9WamNXvAXMZNHLtasSkis7cIbTRRZTkGSr5x30nMCoxSGayZjMZYsXzllXNt32M9p1_ZwJDwyPYSSRo-mCzfC2PHJyIWoCXjTIkTtqz6nSGr5yVpL8/s320/Splendor+by+Anna+Godbersen.jpg" style="cursor: pointer; float: left; height: 320px; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; width: 212px;" /></a><span style="font-size: 100%;">Title: <a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/Splendor-Anna-Godbersen/9780061626333/?a_aid=a099a597">Splendor</a> (Luxe #4)<br /><br />Author: <a href="http://www.bytseries.com/">Anna Godbersen</a><br /><br />Publisher: HarperCollins<br /><br />Release Date: 6/29/2010<br /><br />Pages: 391<br /><br />Reviewed by: Pat</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 100%;"><br /></span><span id="freeText4677269123062146989" style="font-size: 100%;">It’s a new year, and Manhattan’s favorite socialites are stirring up brand-new drama: Elizabeth uncovers a dangerous secret from her past; Diana has an opportunity to follow her heart—and claim her future, Lina discovers money can buy happiness (for a time), and Penelope finds that life without Henry brings unexpected pleasures. In this dramatic conclusion to the bestselling Luxe series, old ties are broken, fresh bonds are formed, and every decision comes at a cost.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 100%;"><br /></span>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">My Thoughts</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 100%;"><br /></span>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 100%;">Sorry for not posting for in awhile, I needed to gather my thoughts a bit about the book and I had exams to study. This was supposed to be posted weeks ago, but I had never gotten around to doing it.<br /><br />I think Splendor has become one of my favorites in the Luxe series besides the third book, Envy. I was mostly excited about reading Diana, Henry, and Elizabeth's plots because their plots were the ones that got me excited to get the book. For me, I felt like not much was happening to Carolina (besides her love for Leland) since a lot of exciting things happened to her in the first three books, so it was kind of a bummer for me. But I found what happened to her towards the end quite exciting. Penelope kind of annoyed me in this one but I felt bad for her at the end. I won't spoil anything, but what happened to her in the ending must have been very humiliating. I would've been embarrassed if something like that happened to me.<br /><br />I love how Anna Godbersen had written this last book. It was a wonderful conclusion to everything that happened in the series and I love how this whole series made me feel like I was a part of the story. I really did feel like a witness to everything. I was a bit disappointed with the ending to Diana and Henry's storyline but Elizabeth's ending was wonderful. After reading this, the whole series reminded me of a soap opera (and I wish it was). I hope I get to read more of Anna Godbersen's work and I hope that I enjoy her other work.</span>
<span style="font-size: 100%;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 100%;"><span style="font-size: 100%;"><span style="font-size: 130%;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNScLpu5Mp3i90_GIZRys-eQcdJybbUSXniZNLh85ZjlajwVOjVmVc7i-MJR4-ricEYp3F-Fnuo32loxdkLKkcPydAI7WsGFUCyE_1yVp7mDeteBqCnbAZrujPbckIWOeyVlmvcCX_3aZR/s1600/4.png"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNScLpu5Mp3i90_GIZRys-eQcdJybbUSXniZNLh85ZjlajwVOjVmVc7i-MJR4-ricEYp3F-Fnuo32loxdkLKkcPydAI7WsGFUCyE_1yVp7mDeteBqCnbAZrujPbckIWOeyVlmvcCX_3aZR/s1600/4.png" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 144px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 88px;" /></a></span></span></span></div>
</div>Pathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11649795848981876893noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3687795711151692253.post-7661668857548495022012-01-30T17:26:00.000+08:002012-04-09T08:27:16.946+08:00Switched by Amanda Hocking<div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHV0LsB6ZWVpnddKDiWnC5Jq432eORaHhRztVqRAH7zZ7MStYYz3YsGzNp7ysFssrGsbOKVlTDx4jY4AZJAhmwX-0UtvHjYdHK6WBTyHPG6q5KnKZF1P-hH2Ry7_kMubPKRh-BqdrZmzF-/s1600/11457525.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHV0LsB6ZWVpnddKDiWnC5Jq432eORaHhRztVqRAH7zZ7MStYYz3YsGzNp7ysFssrGsbOKVlTDx4jY4AZJAhmwX-0UtvHjYdHK6WBTyHPG6q5KnKZF1P-hH2Ry7_kMubPKRh-BqdrZmzF-/s320/11457525.jpg" width="211" /></a>Title: <a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/Switched-Amanda-Hocking/9781250006318/?a_aid=a099a597">Switched</a> (Trylle Trilogy #1)<br />
<br />
Author: <a href="http://amandahocking.blogspot.com/">Amanda Hocking</a><br />
<br />
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin (originally self-published)<br />
<br />
Release Date: 1/3/12 (originally 7/12/10)<br />
<br />
Pages: 293<br />
<br />
Reviewed by: <a href="http://sabrinallave.blogspot.com/">Sabrina</a><br />
<br /></div>
<div>
When Wendy Everly was six-years-old, her mother was convinced she was a monster and tried to kill her. It isn't until eleven years later that Wendy discovers her mother might have been right. With the help of Finn Holmes, Wendy finds herself in a world she never knew existed - a world both beautiful and frightening, and Wendy's not sure she wants to be a part of it.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">My Thoughts</span></div>
<br />
<i>Switched</i> was enchanting and wonderful, with a fun voice from Wendy that kept me captivated... for the first 82 pages. I'm serious. Wendy <i>never</i> should have found out what she was or where she came from. The whole mystery part was the best part of the novel, thank you very much.<br />
<br />
Wendy was a great character in the beginning. She seemed like a pretty strong, straight-forward person. But things went downhill when she went along with Finn. The romance between the two was very confusing. I was completely surprised when Finn revealed his feelings because I didn't see any indication before that he liked Wendy back.<br />
<br />
However, Wendy's other *cough*better*cough* interactions with Tove and Rhys were interesting to read. Their personalities were clear to me, unlike Finn's. They seemed like the kind of people that anyone would like to hang out or have fun with.<br />
<br />
For the overall plot, I have to say that I'm more of an action girl and there wasn't enough of that in the story for me. The ending was too quick and wrapped up. It was so rushed and I had no idea what had happened when I read it the first time.<br />
<br />
On the bright side, the previous, and current, covers of the Trylle Trilogy are very nicely done.<br /><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQo7F7cooBCsvJvMRdxST9cGlFyuuckc5D0IUg-P5CY4EmaW2VrIVD0CrdL7py-xLySPhNtxs4OwlgrcNvBO6tSQKYI57hv0rJVAcNNy8xbXGWWr7KzON23SmbhLvHBfokidqcGTCxzrAq/s1600/3.5.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQo7F7cooBCsvJvMRdxST9cGlFyuuckc5D0IUg-P5CY4EmaW2VrIVD0CrdL7py-xLySPhNtxs4OwlgrcNvBO6tSQKYI57hv0rJVAcNNy8xbXGWWr7KzON23SmbhLvHBfokidqcGTCxzrAq/s1600/3.5.png" /></a></div>
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3687795711151692253.post-48213931282378032122012-01-01T09:56:00.000+08:002012-01-01T09:56:02.989+08:00The Pull by Chelsie Shakespeare<a href="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1308013495l/11714491.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Pull" border="0" height="320" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1308013495l/11714491.jpg" width="206" /></a><br />
Title: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Pull-ebook/dp/B0058UE382/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1316305564&sr=8-1">The Pull</a><br />
<br />
Author: <a href="http://www.chelsieshakespeare.com/">Chelsie Shakespeare</a><br />
<br />
Publisher: Noble Romance Publishing<br />
<br />
Release Date: 6/13/11<br />
<br />
Pages: 185<br />
<br />
Reviewed by Sabrina<br />
<br />
Evie Remington had always done what people expected of her. As a result, at twenty-six she finds herself the unhappy owner and manager of a Denver hotel. That is, until deep-rooted memories of a past life and the hidden knowledge of a promise she made in that other lifetime pulls her away from it all. Without knowing where it will lead, Evie sets out on a cross-country journey that will challenge what she believes about life, death, and love.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">My Thoughts</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
Evie has finally had it with her life. Taken by the sudden desire to do something for herself for once, she rides off around the country for some adventure. Along the way, dreams of Bria and Jude, a couple from long ago, come to her. Seeing through the eyes of Bria, she begins to fall in love with Jude. Are these dreams just that-dreams? Could they possibly be a message, or maybe a real memory? </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
In the beginning, I already made a connection to Jude and Bria. I felt really strong emotions for them by chapter one and desperately hoped they could have a happy life together again. I liked reading about Evie's journey and her decisions on whether to follow the path her past self had intended, or to go on a different road.<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
As I got to halfway through <i>The Pull</i>, my interest had waned. I started to pull away, but the events of the novel had begun to get really good towards the end. I loved how everything turned out and some part of me wishes <i>The Pull </i>was longer. For those of you who love sweet romances, and maybe are a bit more on the contemporary side, should pick up this book!</div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNScLpu5Mp3i90_GIZRys-eQcdJybbUSXniZNLh85ZjlajwVOjVmVc7i-MJR4-ricEYp3F-Fnuo32loxdkLKkcPydAI7WsGFUCyE_1yVp7mDeteBqCnbAZrujPbckIWOeyVlmvcCX_3aZR/s1600/4.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNScLpu5Mp3i90_GIZRys-eQcdJybbUSXniZNLh85ZjlajwVOjVmVc7i-MJR4-ricEYp3F-Fnuo32loxdkLKkcPydAI7WsGFUCyE_1yVp7mDeteBqCnbAZrujPbckIWOeyVlmvcCX_3aZR/s1600/4.png" /></a></div>
</div>
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3687795711151692253.post-69933390766626399982012-01-01T09:17:00.000+08:002012-01-01T09:17:15.134+08:00Happy New Year!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpchckF4HDp0x76fZr4VN5jOQHCBECHasuU6ooz9BIcTrasBr5JR3z1bxtZrdQxN-B8iG-AH7-acxnN9zQA2N4L8nUJheZvAmlIk886luMJHpLRv_KQ1QUp2CL8mFGkBUr8bztjY8e9CbL/s1600/page.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpchckF4HDp0x76fZr4VN5jOQHCBECHasuU6ooz9BIcTrasBr5JR3z1bxtZrdQxN-B8iG-AH7-acxnN9zQA2N4L8nUJheZvAmlIk886luMJHpLRv_KQ1QUp2CL8mFGkBUr8bztjY8e9CbL/s640/page.png" width="509" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Note: I was actually kinda scared of coloring in the skin so I left it blank.</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3687795711151692253.post-83284503048879646842011-12-28T14:46:00.001+08:002011-12-28T14:52:17.143+08:00Waiting on Wednesday (2)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqasABGH1LZSLDRtq9kbRmUfLkwP9ZEw1HFZIljHnGve5GyCvaoElzlHlMzg2UwXweJT98NOAMCvUNZE9pOuWlHnz7Hpg_ZpeyBIAlfQqj1A5OPTw3mJ1WtysKC5ymaZh9bCKZ4yIE1QKi/s1600/c.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqasABGH1LZSLDRtq9kbRmUfLkwP9ZEw1HFZIljHnGve5GyCvaoElzlHlMzg2UwXweJT98NOAMCvUNZE9pOuWlHnz7Hpg_ZpeyBIAlfQqj1A5OPTw3mJ1WtysKC5ymaZh9bCKZ4yIE1QKi/s1600/c.png" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQWQFup1htFiy5koZT_U56p2qhRVYugaALhtvmrNwPsRfETWwElK3594ecLLJ2c8FC4BNBmR9nTmDICE2XmaVEMy_bbTPew-WC-WOPBPyGlYjXsmrfqx5whq6glnh8AwZErZhRN37F5udw/s1600/CoverImageEdit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQWQFup1htFiy5koZT_U56p2qhRVYugaALhtvmrNwPsRfETWwElK3594ecLLJ2c8FC4BNBmR9nTmDICE2XmaVEMy_bbTPew-WC-WOPBPyGlYjXsmrfqx5whq6glnh8AwZErZhRN37F5udw/s320/CoverImageEdit.jpg" width="212" /></a><br />
<div style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">
</div>
<blockquote style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(214, 212, 213); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-color: rgb(214, 212, 213); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(214, 212, 213); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(214, 212, 213); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; font: normal normal normal 20px/normal 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 60px; margin-right: 20px; margin-top: 10px; padding-bottom: 20px; padding-left: 20px; padding-right: 20px; padding-top: 20px; text-align: left;">
<div>
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Release Date: June 19, 2012</span></span><br />
<br />
<div style="line-height: 0.8em;">
<em style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">The second thrilling installment in Richelle Mead’s Vampire Academy spinoff series.</em><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;"> </span></div>
<br />
<span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 19px;">Tough, brainy alchemist Sydney Sage and doe-eyed Moroi princess Jill Dragomir are in hiding at a human boarding school in the sunny, glamorous world of Palm Springs, California. The students—children of the wealthy and powerful—carry on with their lives in blissful ignorance, while Sydney, Jill, Eddie and Adrian must do everything in their power to keep their secret safe. But with forbidden romances, unexpected spirit bonds, and the threat of Strigoi moving ever closer, hiding the truth is harder than anyone thought. </span><br />
<br />
<div style="line-height: 0.8em;">
<span style="line-height: 19px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">Populated with new faces as well as familiar ones, Richelle Mead’s breathtaking Bloodlines series explores all the friendship, romance, battles and betrayals that made the #1 </span><em style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;">New York Times</em><span style="background-color: white; color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 14px;"> bestselling Vampire Academy series so addictive. In this second book, the drama is hotter, the romances are steamier, and the stakes are even higher.</span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"> </span><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;"> </span></span><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 19px;"> </span></div>
</div>
</blockquote>
<br />
Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at <a href="http://breakingthespine.blogspot.com/">Breaking the Spine</a>. Sydney, you better end up with Adrian. That's all I can say to you.<br />
<div style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3687795711151692253.post-1486279049696821512011-12-27T13:48:00.004+08:002011-12-28T01:00:34.038+08:00Envy by Anna Godbersen<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8WjZRAKBGzumW4kbNO6ZZJPQXdtdXJl_5JCJnxbmnxQbx7RO97qOsHGfPOHjHvUY80ABj0wFjPWe3eaU0-bGS82AOg07vLoodtM-k7tjfGjn_dgr6kXfufIegOPQo8d0ovCkDOIg-jJQ/s1600/Envy+by+Anna+Godbersen.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5690681084698576242" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8WjZRAKBGzumW4kbNO6ZZJPQXdtdXJl_5JCJnxbmnxQbx7RO97qOsHGfPOHjHvUY80ABj0wFjPWe3eaU0-bGS82AOg07vLoodtM-k7tjfGjn_dgr6kXfufIegOPQo8d0ovCkDOIg-jJQ/s320/Envy+by+Anna+Godbersen.jpg" style="float: left; height: 320px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0pt; margin-right: 10px; margin-top: 0pt; width: 212px;" /></a>
Title: <a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/Envy-Anna-Godbersen/9780061345746">Envy</a> (Luxe #3)<br />
<br />
Author: <a href="http://www.bytseries.com/">Anna Godbersen</a><br />
<br />
Publisher: HarperCollins<br />
<br />
Release Date: 1/1/9<br />
<br />
Pages: 405<br />
<br />
Reviewed by: Pat<br />
<br />
<span id="freeText558447140036835972">Jealous whispers.<br />Old rivalries.<br />New betrayals.<br /><br />Two months after Elizabeth Holland's dramatic homecoming, Manhattan eagerly awaits her return to the pinnacle of society. When Elizabeth refuses to rejoin her sister Diana's side, however, those watching New York's favorite family begin to suspect that all is not as it seems behind the stately doors of No. 17 Gramercy Park South.<br /><br />Farther uptown, Henry and Penelope Schoonmaker are the city's most celebrated couple. But despite the glittering diamond ring on Penelope's finger, the newlyweds share little more than scorn for each other. And while the newspapers call Penelope's social-climbing best friend, Carolina Broad, an heiress, her fortune—and her fame—are anything but secure, especially now that one of society's darlings is slipping tales to the eager press.<br /><br />In this next thrilling installment of Anna Godbersen's bestselling Luxe series, Manhattan's most envied residents appear to have everything they desire: Wealth. Beauty. Happiness. But sometimes the most practiced smiles hide the most scandalous secrets...</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span id="freeText558447140036835972"><span style="font-size: large;">My Thoughts</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
I've only started reading the Luxe series this year and I am in love with this series. I've only read Luxe, Rumours, and Envy. And Envy has to be my favorite from the three. It took me a couple of chapters to get into it but I started wanting to read more after that. I also love the change of setting. From the city of Manhattan to the beaches. It felt good to have a change of scenery in the book and I wanted to see how they interacted with each other in a different environment.<br />
<br />
One of the things I loved when reading this was how all the characters were brought together. I liked seeing how they acted and behaved around one another. I loved how Anna Godbersen played it all out and I was pretty excited to see what was going on. My favorite characters in the series have to be the Holland sisters, Elizabeth and Diana. I was glad to see some sisterly love in this book because I felt that they didn't get to interact with each other much in the first and second book. Though I didn't like her in Luxe and Rumors, I seem to have grown a soft spot for Carolina Broad. I thought I wasn't going to like her in this book but then I grew to love her. I also found myself going against Penelope Hayes. I liked her in the first two books but reading this made me kind of think 'Don't do that Penelope. Don't ruin this', but all her schemes add a bit more drama to it. I also found myself scolding Henry Schoonmaker in my head. I would always think 'Don't just stand there, so something!' or 'Watching the things happening to Diana won't get you anywhere. Or the girl'.<br />
<br />
The last two chapters of the book somehow made me want to cry (Good thing I didn't or my sister would've noticed). I was thinking about what was happening in the final two chapters and I suddenly felt like bursting into tears. This doesn't usually happen to me when reading books but I'm glad I showed a bit of emotion reading this. I think this was the best book from what I've read so far of the Luxe series. It was beautifully written and Anna Godbersen's creativity has wowed me once again. Even though it took me some time to get into it, I'm glad I enjoyed it. I can't wait to read the fourth and final book, Splendor.<br />
<br />
<span id="freeText558447140036835972"><span id="freeText558447140036835972"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNScLpu5Mp3i90_GIZRys-eQcdJybbUSXniZNLh85ZjlajwVOjVmVc7i-MJR4-ricEYp3F-Fnuo32loxdkLKkcPydAI7WsGFUCyE_1yVp7mDeteBqCnbAZrujPbckIWOeyVlmvcCX_3aZR/s1600/4.png"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNScLpu5Mp3i90_GIZRys-eQcdJybbUSXniZNLh85ZjlajwVOjVmVc7i-MJR4-ricEYp3F-Fnuo32loxdkLKkcPydAI7WsGFUCyE_1yVp7mDeteBqCnbAZrujPbckIWOeyVlmvcCX_3aZR/s1600/4.png" style="cursor: pointer; display: block; height: 144px; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; width: 88px;" /></a></span></span></div>Pathttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11649795848981876893noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3687795711151692253.post-47956307207306379782011-12-25T22:01:00.001+08:002011-12-25T22:01:21.876+08:00Happy Holidays!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj5RRUqP364AMTPixIp8O-fw5c2vlGR8wJ7YndCr0ZndddkbtRR47OlIVA4SoylD0R2ncvoQU6aPNiEIYNFBdlyGCxDvQp_wSo93L4AxrDorYPOh2fdb1-g0Ioj1TXDwwZu1sDcMbntTeX/s1600/d.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj5RRUqP364AMTPixIp8O-fw5c2vlGR8wJ7YndCr0ZndddkbtRR47OlIVA4SoylD0R2ncvoQU6aPNiEIYNFBdlyGCxDvQp_wSo93L4AxrDorYPOh2fdb1-g0Ioj1TXDwwZu1sDcMbntTeX/s400/d.png" width="370" /></a></div>
<br />
Happy Holidays, everyone! Be on the lookout for new reviews for this month and January, such as <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9702148-wolfborn">Wolfborn</a>, <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10959277-the-future-of-us">The Future of Us</a>, <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11714491-the-pull">The Pull</a>, <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10626594-the-scorpio-races">The Scorpio Races</a>, <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8709527-bloodlines">Bloodlines</a> and many more!Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3687795711151692253.post-66458592544902075402011-12-23T22:49:00.000+08:002011-12-24T22:33:56.967+08:00Follow Friday (18)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a ff"="http://www.parajunkee.com/" href="http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=3687795711151692253&postID=6088184417921701457" http:="" label="" search="" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" www.parajunkee.com=""><img src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4019/4710921228_e3140444bf_o.png" style="height: 300px; width: 200px;" /></a></div>
<br />
<center style="text-align: left;">Just a few more days 'til Christmas and the start of a New Year! I can't wait! Follow Friday is hosted by <a href="http://www.alisoncanread.com/">Alison Can Read</a> and <a href="http://parajunkee.com/">Parajunkee</a>. This week's features are <a href="http://shadowsireview.blogspot.com/">From the Shadow</a><a href="http://shadowsireview.blogspot.com/">s I review</a> and <a href="http://www.cecesreviews.blogspot.com/">Ce-Ce's Garden of Reviews</a>. This week's question is...</center><center style="text-align: left;"><br /></center><center style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">Q: If you had to spend eternity inside the pages of a book which book would you choose and why?</span></center><center style="text-align: left;"><br /></center><center style="text-align: left;">
<div>
Errr.... um... maybe.... the Vampire Academy series? That's only if I could be a dhampir or morori, and maybe an alchemist. If not, then I chose Divergent, but it would be so hard to chose between the factions (^^;).</div>
</center>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3687795711151692253.post-89927743696442208352011-12-21T16:07:00.002+08:002011-12-21T16:17:02.884+08:00Waiting on Wednesday (1)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqasABGH1LZSLDRtq9kbRmUfLkwP9ZEw1HFZIljHnGve5GyCvaoElzlHlMzg2UwXweJT98NOAMCvUNZE9pOuWlHnz7Hpg_ZpeyBIAlfQqj1A5OPTw3mJ1WtysKC5ymaZh9bCKZ4yIE1QKi/s1600/c.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="142" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqasABGH1LZSLDRtq9kbRmUfLkwP9ZEw1HFZIljHnGve5GyCvaoElzlHlMzg2UwXweJT98NOAMCvUNZE9pOuWlHnz7Hpg_ZpeyBIAlfQqj1A5OPTw3mJ1WtysKC5ymaZh9bCKZ4yIE1QKi/s320/c.png" width="320" /></a></div>
Whooo! It's my birthday! To start it off, I'll be doing a new meme on the blog, which is called Waiting on Wednesday. Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at <a href="http://breakingthespine.blogspot.com/">Breaking the Spine</a>. This is where we highlight releases that we are eagerly waiting for!<br />
<br />
<a href="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1308926197l/9413044.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Everneath (Everneath, #1)" border="0" height="320" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1308926197l/9413044.jpg" width="211" /></a>
<span style="line-height: 0.8em; text-align: left;"> </span>
<blockquote style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(214, 212, 213); border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-left-color: rgb(214, 212, 213); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(214, 212, 213); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(214, 212, 213); border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; font: normal normal normal 20px/normal 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 60px; margin-right: 20px; margin-top: 10px; padding-bottom: 20px; padding-left: 20px; padding-right: 20px; padding-top: 20px; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Release Date: Jan. 24, 2012</span></span><br />
<div style="line-height: 0.8em;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="line-height: 19px;">Summary: Last spring, Nikki Beckett vanished, sucked into an underworld known as the Everneath, where immortals Feed on the emotions of despairing humans. Now she's returned- to her old life, her family, her friends- before being banished back to the underworld... this time forever. </span><br style="line-height: 19px;" /><br style="line-height: 19px;" /><span style="line-height: 19px;">She has six months before the Everneath comes to claim her, six months for good-byes she can't find the words for, six months to find redemption, if it exists. </span><br style="line-height: 19px;" /><br style="line-height: 19px;" /><span style="line-height: 19px;">Nikki longs to spend these months reconnecting with her boyfriend, Jack, the one person she loves more than anything. But there's a problem: Cole, the smoldering immortal who first enticed her to the Everneath, has followed Nikki to the mortal world. And he'll do whatever it takes to bring her back- this time as his queen. </span><br style="line-height: 19px;" /></span><span style="line-height: 19px;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;">As Nikki's time grows short and her relationships begin slipping from her grasp, she's forced to make the hardest decision of her life: find a way to cheat fate and remain on the Surface with Jack or return to the Everneath and become Cole's... </span><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;"> </span></span><span style="color: #181818; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small; line-height: 19px;"> </span></div>
</blockquote>
<br />
Everneath looks amazing, judging by the cover and summary alone. What closed the deal for me was that the story was based on the Greek myth. And that is, you guessed it, Hades and Persephone.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3687795711151692253.post-24529419306574859952011-12-20T22:15:00.000+08:002011-12-21T19:39:47.108+08:00The Unchosen Life by Danka V.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizPJBNrF-PJO2sefb7l509atPLJrsqV_xPqBo6QF6c-FloZo0KbdRZGlK2dm1JIzsP4traiWgebeaSvrKIc79k5NYiX46kykhhhcbT4m6Ku8UuTFuuEYFw1tEb825axcoqZBpXPEwEDjzs/s1600/CoverImageEdit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizPJBNrF-PJO2sefb7l509atPLJrsqV_xPqBo6QF6c-FloZo0KbdRZGlK2dm1JIzsP4traiWgebeaSvrKIc79k5NYiX46kykhhhcbT4m6Ku8UuTFuuEYFw1tEb825axcoqZBpXPEwEDjzs/s320/CoverImageEdit.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<div>
Title: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Unchosen-life-ebook/dp/B005JSJ5YU">The Unchosen Life</a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Author: <a href="http://theunchosenlife.blogspot.com/">Danka V.</a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Release Date: 8/30/11</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Pages: 238 </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
One soul mate… One true love… And the fact that they are not the same person!<br />
<br />
People believe that every soul has its other half somewhere in the world. A soul mate or so I’ve been told, and they spend a lifetime seeking that other half, hoping to find it… I don’t need to hope anymore because mine found me… And tried to take my life! Today, twenty-four years since I was born, I finally do believe that there is a true love in life and that somewhere out there, there is that other one who will, once they show up, complete your own soul. But I learned much too late that they are not the same thing! My name is Elena Wolchek and this is my story.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">My Thoughts</span></div>
<br />
The Unchosen Life is a love story with a small touch of supernatural. Elena has always felt that there was something mysterious about her, even the people she's with had noticed from the beginning. A series of strange dreams and an encounter with her other half, help her realize her power. Instead of being satisfied, she's terrified and wishes to have a normal life. She just wants to be happy with her loved one, not get killed by her soul mate.
<br />
<br />
Elena is your headstrong, tough girl, who can sometimes be too stubborn for her own good. She desperately tries to distance herself from falling in love because she's not only afraid that they'll get hurt, she's also afraid of the pain that comes after it. She's a wonderful character at times and it was nice to see her heart finally opening up.
<br />
<br />
The pacing was a little slow, along with the plot. There are some info dumps that cause the story falter and be unbalanced at times, but I loved the concept of the story. Bittersweet moments and missed chances filled the pages. The Unchosen Life is a nice read that I would recommend for those of you who love humor and romance. Hopefully, the next book will have more action and focas on the paranormal side!<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKtT4h8R3pfz_lZnfdTF50B8MxtZsHE2isNqWQcxTzr8je1GmPOUAJMXMfcOWwHe0qZpO81Lr4AnWUnf_ZiTJ0jzaY3XS2ZvUH_2QZiTvWSdF3YzQCTXjZmZCh01OF0BA9vBWFyNQ6cf2u/s1600/3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKtT4h8R3pfz_lZnfdTF50B8MxtZsHE2isNqWQcxTzr8je1GmPOUAJMXMfcOWwHe0qZpO81Lr4AnWUnf_ZiTJ0jzaY3XS2ZvUH_2QZiTvWSdF3YzQCTXjZmZCh01OF0BA9vBWFyNQ6cf2u/s1600/3.png" /></a></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3687795711151692253.post-50778076158937947622011-12-01T17:06:00.001+08:002012-04-07T18:24:39.956+08:00Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi<div>
<div style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">
<div style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">
<img alt="Shatter Me (Shatter Me, #1)" height="320" src="http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1310649047l/10429045.jpg" width="210" /></div>
Title: <a href="http://www.bookdepository.com/Shatter-Me-Tahereh-Mafi/9780062085481">Shatter Me</a> (Shatter Me #1)<br />
<br />
Author: <a href="http://stiryourtea.blogspot.com/">Tahereh Mafi</a><br />
<br />
Publisher: HarperCollins<br />
<br />
Release Date: 11/15/11<br />
<br />
Pages: 338<br />
<br />
Reviewed by Sabrina<br />
<br />
Juliette hasn't touched anyone in exactly 264 days.
<br />
<br />
The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. No one knows why Juliette's touch is fatal. As long as she doesn't hurt anyone else, no one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old girl. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to find, birds don't fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong color.
<br />
<br />
The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things, so they threw Juliette in a cell. Now so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war-- and The Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she's exactly what they need right now.
<br />
<br />
Juliette has to make a choice: Be a weapon. Or be a warrior.
<br />
<br />
In this electrifying debut, Tahereh Mafi presents a world as riveting as The Hunger Games and a superhero story as thrilling as The X-Men. Full of pulse-pounding romance, intoxicating villainy, and high-stakes choices, Shatter Me is a fresh and original dystopian novel—with a paranormal twist—that will leave readers anxiously awaiting its sequel.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">My Thoughts</span></div>
<br />
The romance of <i>Shatter Me </i>is the greatest theme that urges the reader on, so for those of you who love romance and the supernatural, I suggest you read it. If you're a dystopian fan, not so much. </div>
</div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">The haunting descriptions and thoughts of Juliette were beautiful and unique, but I got really tired of them after a couple of chapters and despite her amazing descriptions, she gives a vague picture of the post-</span>apocalyptic world.<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"> Despite this, the book was fairly interesting and in some ways, </span>surprising<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">. There were a lot of run-on sentences and crossed out words in the story that, instead of turning into a huge annoyance, made Juliette a more realistic character in her situation (It's still an annoyance though). She believes more in herself throughout the pages. She loses whatever insanity and sadness she has within her. But she <i>is</i> really irritating at times. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Adam is Juliette's familiar/mysterious good guy love interest, who always puts </span>Juliette<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"> first and foremost. The only things I don't like about him is that scenes with Adam become are </span><i style="font-family: inherit;">way</i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"> too steamy (I wondered if I was really reading a YA book) and, as much as I like Adam and all, my interest in him sort faded away (Sorry!). </span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The insane, cold Warner is your ruthless antagonist, who happens to be quite handsome. He was the more interesting, infuriating and complex character to me rather than the relationship of Juliette and Adam as the story went on. He was a unique kind of </span>villain that I don't see very often in novels.<span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vGzkUpBy_F4/T3RKEh5uPOI/AAAAAAAAAMQ/-CRGh8_Ypz8/s1600/3.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vGzkUpBy_F4/T3RKEh5uPOI/AAAAAAAAAMQ/-CRGh8_Ypz8/s1600/3.png" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">
</span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com20