Friday, June 29, 2012

Follow Friday (17)



Welcome to Follow Friday hosted this week by Parajunkee and Alison!
The main idea behind FF is just to go see a bunch of new blogs you may never have seen before, and follow the ones you like (and they’ll follow you back!) It’s a total win/win, so take a peek around!


This week’s question is:



Q: Birthday Wishes -- Blow out the candles and imagine what character could pop out of your cake...who is it and what book are they from?


Just one? *frown* Oh, there are so many great, hot male characters out there. Even some female characters too that I'd like in my cake. *taps chin* Let's see, I would LOVE to get Acheron and Savitar from Kenyon's Dark Hunter series. Ummm... Oh, and then there's Cherise Sinclair's Doms. Don't ask which, 'cause I can't decide *sheepish* And Lestat :D

What about you?

Thursday, June 28, 2012

Book Review: Industrial Magic by Kelley Armstrong

Author: Kelley Armstrong
Series: Women of the Otherworld #4
My Rating: 5 cups
Publisher: Random House of Canada
Publication Date: January 26, 2010
Blurb: (from Goodreads)

Meet the smart, sexy — supernatural — women of the otherworld. This is not your mother’s coven...

Kelley Armstrong returns with the eagerly awaited follow-up to Dime Store Magic. Paige Winterbourne, a headstrong young woman haunted by a dark legacy, is now put to the ultimate test as she fights to save innocents from the most insidious evil of all.. . .

In the aftermath of her mother’s murder, Paige broke with the elite, ultraconservative American Coven of Witches. Now her goal is to start a new Coven for a new generation. But while Paige pitches her vision to uptight thirty-something witches in business suits, a more urgent matter commands her attention.

Someone is murdering the teenage offspring of the underworld’s most influential Cabals — a circle of families that makes the mob look like amateurs. And none is more powerful than the Cortez Cabal, a faction Paige is intimately acquainted with. Lucas Cortez, the rebel son and unwilling heir, is none other than her boyfriend. But love isn’t blind, and Paige has her eyes wide open as she is drawn into a hunt for an unnatural-born killer. Pitted against shamans, demons, and goons, it’s a battle chilling enough to make a wild young woman grow up in a hurry. If she gets the chance.

This second book about Paige and Lucas was so great! I loved reading it. Besides the paranormal elements, I felt like I was reading a very good mystery novel. There where a lot of other great things that stood out, but the mystery killer part was the most important one for me.

I liked seeing Lucas and his family play a bigger part in this novel. While he was present in Dime Store Magic, I felt like Lucas was still a huge mystery to me. Not that it bothered me, but I wanted to know more about him. So learning about him, his family and, ultimately, about how the Cabals and their world works, was one of the reasons I loved this novel.

I loved the suspense, the element of danger that this story had. Also, I loved the fact that I couldn't figure out who was the killer, until the very end, when the killer was revealed. I had lots of weird theories about his identity, but I never felt like I had a good idea about him. So that's what made it a good mystery for me *shrug*

One of the things I liked is that we get to see some old friends, like Adam (*swoon*), Cassandra, Jeremy and his Pack. We also meet Savannah's mom, Eve. I didn't know what to think about her when she was in a scene. I was convinced she was just as bad as the other characters thought she was, that she surprised me.

I loved the book and I can only hope we get to be in Paige's POV again soon. And yes, I'm still waiting for Savannah to grow up so that she can hook up with a certain hot male (*wink*).

Can't wait to read Haunted and be in Eve's POV and learn more about her, how she was before her death and how she is now. And also, I'm getting sadder with each and every book I read that the series is coming to an end *sniffle*.


Wednesday, June 27, 2012

News and some changes

Hey everyone! I hope you had a very lovely weekend.

Sorry I've been missing the last few days, life's a little #%@$% and apparently "she can't be ignored" *rolls eyes* The heat in my neck of the woods is killing me!! And the humidity sucks. So that makes reading a little difficult. That and studying, but I manage to ignore that last part :P

I thought long and hard and I realized I needed to do some changes in my reviews, specifically with my rating method. During the Wicked Wildfire Read-A-Thon I read a book that... confused me. While the writing style, the character development, the psychology of each character were asking for the highest rating I could give, it was also a book that made me so uncomfortable I simply couldn't give it more than 2 cups. That doesn't mean the book was bad. But it was so out of my league and certain scenes made me squirm (and not in a good way). So that is why I'll have a secondary rating system that will be only for showing my comfort level while reading the books I'll be reviewing. I'm going to use Jolly Rogers for that. (I'm a geek, ok? :P) I'm going to have that explained better in my Review Policy & Rating System page.

The second change is that I'm going to use icons for various genres. I though they looked cool and fun and also helps the reader know the genres/main idea behind the book/age restrictions and what not. So I put my non-existent drawing skills to use and so far so good. I hope that I'll start using these icons by second week of July. The designs are mine, inspired either by real objects or crazy stuff from my imagination. I can't wait to start using them. They'll probably look as bad and ugly as you're imagining them, but I'm actually very proud of them *shrugs*

That's it for now. No major changes, just small things I felt were needed ;)

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Book Review: Eversworn by Hailey Edwards (+18)




Author: Hailey Edwards
Series: Daughters of Askara #3
My Rating: 5 cups
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
Publication Date: June 26th 2012
Blurb (from Goodreads):



Steal the salt. Bind the grimoire. Escape the male.
When an exchange of stolen goods in the Feriana marketplace turns sour, Isabeau stumbles from the encounter bruised and laden with new orders to complete an even larger heist. With her child’s life at stake, there’s no room for error—or allies. 
Armed with a lethal book of spells, she strikes a dangerous bargain with Roland Bernhard. Steal a shipment of salt from the Feriana colony, and she’ll have her freedom—and her daughter. It’s all she’s ever wanted. At least it was…until she runs into Dillon Preston.
Dillon is out of commission after a mine explosion, and itching for a distraction. He gets it when the female who saved his leg arrives at the colony with nothing but flimsy excuses and even flimsier attire. She’s after something, but is it him—or the salt?
Trapped in a desperate bid to gain true freedom, Isabeau is willing to sacrifice her life for her daughter’s, but Dillon has other plans. He wants a package deal, and he’s not willing to lose either female, even if it means the future king of Sere’s head will roll.
Warning: This title contains a heroine desperate to save her daughter and a hero determined to make them a family. It also includes wings, horns and other assorted appendages.(less)


I really enjoyed this story. You get to see so much more magic being used than in the previous two books and you also get to see the negative part of overusing that magic and the responsibility that comes with using magic and glamour. I liked that part a lot, being able to see the not so pretty side of magic.

We get to learn more about the background of this world, though I'm sure there are more details we haven't learned yet. I liked how the story of how the Evanti were enslaved. I love a good history tale, be it real or fictional, and this one was amazing. I can only hope we'll get to learn more about the world in the future.

I liked the love story between Isabeau and Dillon. I liked the changes they brought in each other and the chemistry between them. Oh, and Dillon was sooooo sexy. I loved his true form, without the glamour and all that magic covering him. And I have to say, he was funny at times. Or maybe that's just my twisted sense of humor? Anyway, I enjoyed his character. And I loved how he protected Isabeau's daughter. You gotta love a big, bad-ass demon who manages to get wrapped around a little girl's finger in an instant. I have a feeling she'll be a little troublemaker :D

Isabeau was surprising. She's the opposite of what we know about how her people are. She's aware of what magic does to people and how it can corrupt and destroy and so she doesn't use it unless necessary. I also respected her for not trying to lie about the things she did, even if it meant losing a dear friend. She accepted the consequences without making excuses and I loved that about her. Her story also managed to break my heart a little.

I know it's too early, but I am SO ready for book 4. I can't wait to go back into that world and learn more and more about it.


Rocked my world photo Image9.png

Sunday, June 24, 2012

Blog Tour Promo: Shadows of Kings by Jack Whitsel

  


SHADOWS OF KINGS

by Jack Whitsel

BLURB:

Steel and sorcery clash as the Harhn incursion sweeps through the Hugue. Mankind faces its greatest peril without the Order Knights of legend to defend them. Crusading deep in the frontier, the Order is unaware of the savage beasts threatening their homeland as the Hugue realms muster their armies for war.

Between a cunning Harhn sorcerer, and an alliance forged with the decadent Darkfey, the horde threatens to extinguish the domains of men. Only Lord Baudouin and Lady Lucia, a Dragon Maiden from the Order, stand in the enemy’s path. One must find the strength to unify the realms. The other must discover the strength within her, while coming to terms with the agendas of her Order. But only together will there be any hope to repel the onslaught, and preserve the future for a mysterious girl they do not know.

Chapter excerpt: http://twilighttimesbooks.com/ShadowsofKings_ch1.html





Author Bio:



Jack Whitsel is a native Californian, but has made Oregon his home since 1982. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree of Finance from Portland State University, but studies medieval history in his spare time. His favorite genres are fantasy and historical fiction with a medieval emphasis. Shadows of Kings, the first novel of the Dragon Rising Series is the love child born of these two passions.


“I love the elements of fantasy when mixed with the gritty aspects of a medieval society,” states the author.


Website: http://www.jackwhitsel.com
Blog: http://jwhitsel.wordpress.com
Facebook fanpage: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Shadows-of-Kings-Book-one-of-the-Dragon-Rising-Series/119975978113722
Twitter: https://twitter.com/JackWhitsel 

Purchase info:

Title: Shadows of Kings
Author: Jack Whitsel
Author web site: http://www.jackwhitsel.com
Publisher: Twilight Times Books
url: http://twilighttimesbooks.com/
Genre: Fantasy
Print ISBN: 978-1-60619-223-8
Format: trade paperback
Distributors: Brodart, Follett, Ingram

eBook ISBN: 978-1-60619-222-1
Format: ebook in pdf, ePub, Kindle, Mobi, PRC, etc.


Distributors: Amazon Kindle; Apple iBookstore; BN.com Nook; eReader; Fictionwise; Kobo Books; OmniLit; Sony eBookstore, etc.




Excerpt from SHADOWS OF KINGS

"Great Dragon, be with me. Let your strength be my own. Let your countenance…"

Her prayer was cut short by the sound of air whistling around her. Arrows rained upon the Harhn from a group of archers approaching from her left. The arrows slew all the Wargunds, but the sorcerer had deflected their lethal intent while catching some of them in midflight. With a force of will, he suspended the shafts momentarily before hurling them at Lucia. Five arrows were deflected by her magic, but one got through, striking her left shoulder. She cried out from the pain, instinctively favoring the wound with her right hand. The act did not dispel the magical shield erected around Narvauth, but its intensity had lessened. She refocused all her remaining strength at him, disregarding her own protection. The next attack was directed at the necromancer, but was easily deflected from the Harhn’s waning strength. The Horgund followed up with another attack directed at Lucia. Every hair rose on her body from the impending attack. When the lightning struck, it sucked all the air from her lungs and singed the cloak wrapped around her body. The assault knocked her to the ground and caused her muscles to mildly spasm. Seconds that felt like hours elapsed before she could catch her breath and regain her faculties. Once she willed herself into an upright position, the air escaped her lungs again. She clutched her throat, but her mortal hands gave no relief to the unseen grip squeezing her esophagus. Her head ached and spun. Rivulets of blood began to flow from her nose from the concentration she exerted to dispel the assault. The more she focused, the more the pounding in her skull intensified. The Horgund slowly advanced, his magically imbued grip still firmly around her throat. The spell would have crushed her throat by now if it were not for the energy she instinctively allocated before the assault. But her mind began to strain as unconsciousness tried to claim her. Lucia fell sideways, her lungs still desperately attempting to capture some of the night air. Then she heard a deep voice say, "It is done."

Air abruptly entered Lucia’s lungs, forcing a fit of gagging. Her eyes drifted to the necromancer. His staff was pointed at the Harhn sorcerer; the ruby at its head glowing with an infernal red glimmer.

The Horgund was paralyzed as Narvauth’s spell lifted him off the ground. The necromancer was uttering a new incantation that differed from the deep monotone chant used for awakening the dead. His mouth stretched open as if muscle and bone could not restrain his jaw. Lucia covered her nose and mouth as the stench of rotting flesh filled her nostrils beyond anything she had experienced while in the necromancer’s presence. A black fog poured from Narvauth’s mouth engulfing the Harhn in darkness. The shroud of death entered into every cavity, causing the Horgund to spasm and gurgle with unsettling shrieks. She still lay upon the ground, her eyes glued on the horror being unleashed upon their adversary. When she caught her breath and fully regained her senses, she realized the black fog was not fog at all. Her eyes widened in fright and awe as the swarm of insect-like apparitions invaded the Harhn’s body. When his struggling ceased, Narvauth released his grip, allowing the limp body to plummet to the ground.

Lucia rolled on her back and gave a quick prayer of thanks, enjoying the air flowing freely through her lungs despite the stench of decay that shared every inhale. She stared at the stars twinkling in the clear sky, and aside from being drenched with the smell of the graveyard, she felt at peace. She had fulfilled her role, lifting a heavy burden that sat so heavily upon her shoulders. But regardless of her moment of satisfaction, she knew there was more to do.

Lucia was startled when Narvauth approached. His skin was paler, almost glowing underneath the moonlight.

"My lady," he said, extending his bony hand to her.

She took it, surprised at the strength hoisting her from the ground. The gaping jaw that released the swarm from the abyss had returned to normal, but she could still feel the residue of his craft emanating from his person.

"Well?" she asked as she applied sorcery to the wound on her shoulder.

"The fullness of the spell has been cast and cannot be undone until I will it so…or negated by means far grander than my own, which is unlikely," Narvauth said with a near smug tone.

"It appears to be working," Lucia said, observing the host of knights as they charged into the panicked mob.

"Of course it’s working," he said, admiring his handiwork before turning to Lucia. "You did well, Viscountess. I trust you are all right?"

Lucia caught his eyes peering at her nose. She became self-conscious, wiping the blood away with her sleeve. "Yes…I’m fine. What now?"

"I shall have my share of ale before retiring for the evening. Then…I shall make for Verslund upon the dawn."

"But there is another Horde at Yalveth. There is still much to be done," she said.

"Indeed. But I must answer to my master just as you must answer those within the Order," he said calmly.

"But…the army needs you," she said, surprised how the words flowed so freely from her tongue. Just minutes before she had loathed his presence, but now she despaired from the thought of his absence.

The necromancer chuckled, his pale fingers moving a straying strand of hair from her face. "The army is in good hands, my lady. They have you."



Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Day 27 – The most surprising plot twist or ending

I'll have to choose In Love With An Angel (original title: Innamorata di un angelo) by Federica Bosco - read my review here.

SPOILER ALERT.

The whole book is built upon a love story so beautiful and innocent, a forbidden love, an unlikely love. You'd think there's a HEA in there somewhere, right? Or at least a HFN (Happy For Now)? Wrong. At the end of the novel, out of the blue, the heroine's lover drowns and (obviously!) dies and the heroine ends up in a coma, after trying to kill herself. While I get the idea that in some cases authors either choose or have to kill a certain character, I have to wonder why kill a main character? Why write one of those dream-like love stories, just to tear it apart in just a few pages? Yes, I know, there will be a second and a third book in this series, but I'm still trying to reconcile with the fact that Pat died and Mia is in a coma.

Anyway, this is the most surprising plot twist that is still fresh in my head. There have been others, but this is the most recent.

What about you?

Wicked Wildfire Read-A-Thon Day 1




Hey everyone! Welcome to the Read-a-Thon!

This is my first read-a-thon and I am very, very excited. Like I said before, I am way behind with my reading, I really do need to get back on track. I have a "couple" of books I hope I finish during this RAT. Also, many reviews need to be written and posted. Thank God it's too hot outside for me to want to go take long walks in the sun or to have a distraction. Well, maybe on Sunday, when I give in and go to the beach, but until then I know I'll be happy to be in my chilly, cozy reader's cave :D

Here are some of the books I hope I finish during this RAT:


Dark Passage 
Differential Equations

The Stone Of Darkness
Alison Wonderland

Code Name Verity
Hourglass

Yeah, so I do hope I read these and get to review them and the other reviews that are sitting on my computer or on papers waiting to be typed and posted.

So if you want to join me in this RAT, just click on the challenge button on the beginning of the post and sign up! 

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Day 26 – A book that changed your opinion about something

Besides Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings there has been one book that changed the way I saw things at a time. I remember I was about 12 when I first read Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. Now, for a girl who doesn't like classical books, it seems unlikely that this book is, to this day, one of my favorite books I've read over the years (and there have been a few since then).

The thing that this book changed for me was the actual reading experience. At the time I first read it my English wasn't what you'd call "good".It was terrible, actually. But I remember I wanted to read it in English, desperately so. I have no idea what made me want to read it in English, but there you have it. I also remember the cover. It looked something like this, only my copy was a shade darker, or so I remember it.


See how he's leaning over her, either to whisper a secret or to take a better look at her, now that she's sleeping? *sigh* I loved the cover! Anyway, I remember I struggled while reading it, but I made it to the end. I remember rereading the book in my mother language years later and feeling a little...cheated? The translation was perfect, flawless, but it still wasn't the same. So you could say that this book changed the way I look at the idea of reading translated books. Of course, if the original language is one that I don't know, I'll read the translation :P

But other than that, I can't say a book changed my opinion about a specific subject.

What about you? Did you ever read a book that changed your opinion about something?

Book Review: Evermine by Hailey Edwards (+18)



Author: Hailey Edwards
Series: Daughters of Askara #2
My Rating: 5 cups
Publisher: Samhain Publishing
Publication Date: February 21st 2012
Blurb (from Goodreads):

He can be a slave to his past…or allow her love to free him.
There’s such a thing as too much change. Emma’s sister is mated. Revolution is brewing in her home realm. The last straw: her would-be mate is back from the dead and back under her skin—yet when it comes to the last five years, he’s not talking.
Desperate for a chance to start her own life, she answers the queen’s call to ensure equality for all of Askara’s newly freed slaves. It’s the perfect opportunity to escape a heartbreak in the making named Harper.
Harper loses a piece of his fractured soul when Emma walks away. His lies were meant to protect her from torturous years that drove him to the point of madness. Instead, when he comes to her a year later to help avert a crisis in a freed-slave community, the wedge those lies drove between them is firmly in place.
As their new lives collide with old wounds, they race to stop a threat that could not only destroy the queen, but send Harper back to the hell he escaped. Emma must decide if the man she still loves deserves equal rights to her heart.
Warning: This title contains torn pants, ripped gowns, and sand in uncomfortable places. It also includes one overcompensating villain, one gnarly priest, and two battered hearts willing to give this thing called love one last chance.

When I finished reading this book I had an "awwww" moment. I mean, the whole story is just so sweet! I loved it. This just proves that I am in fact a sucker for second chances stories.

You get to see Emma from a very different perspective. If in Everlong she was the tough sister, you find out in this second book that she has a softer, vulnerable side. And I think it's a very unique thing, because I'm sure you won't get to see that side of Emma in the other stories. I have a feeling very few people know about this side of hers. It was great to see Emma face her past though and make some changes for herself. Also, I can so understand her coffee addiction. Seriously, the literary world needs more coffee addicts out there :D

I have to be honest about Harper. He surprised me. In a very good way. In the beginning of Everlong I was completely sure he was in love with Maddie. I didn't see it coming, the fact that he was actually in love with Emma. So I didn't know what to expect. But the way this world is built and the way the story is told, it totally makes sense the need to make everyone believe he was in love with the other sister.

I loved the fact that the guy I though as the bad guy turned out to be completely innocent. So it was unpredictable and I loved that. Oh, and let's not forget the sweet moments. There was one in particular (no spoilers, promise) that was sweet and hot at the same time, I just loved it.


Rocked my world photo Image9.png

Monday, June 18, 2012

Day 25 – A character who you can relate to the most

Hmmm. I'm thinking part of me is suspiciously similar to Emma from Sophie Kinsella's Can You Keep A Secret? I mean, I have secrets *gasps* And I have to be honest, with the way my life looks right at this moment, it feels like I'm having a new career choice every few months/years. (Though I do hope that mess ends soon)

What about you? Who do you relate to the most?

Wicked Wildfire Read-A-Thon

Wicked Wildfire Read-A-Thon


After looking over my goals for this year and at the stats for each of the reading challenges I entered, I think it was necessary for me to enter a few read-a-thons. The first one is Wicked Wildfire and it's hosted by Rebecca @ Kindle Fever, April @ My Shelf Confessions. I don't know yet what I'm going to read, I haven't made up my mind yet. There are so many books on my insanely huge TBR pile, I don't even know where to start. I will post my list on 20th, when the read-a-thon starts.

If you want info on the read-a-thon or see who's participating or to sign up yourself, go on this page. You'll find everything you want to know there.

Can't wait to start and to help my shelf "loose weight" so to speak ;)

Cover Love (19)


Rabid Reads - Cover Love


This feature is hosted by Carmel @ Rabid Reads. The rules are very simple. Choose a cover (or two, or three), preferably new-ish, and share what you like about it. Grab the graphic or don't just so long as you link back.


My pick this week:



Something Strange and Deadly (Something Strange and Deadly #1)



I looooove that dress! It's amazing. And the fact that she keeps her hands hidden behind it makes me think she's planning something. Also, the tree branches are creepy.


What's your pick this week?


Thursday, June 14, 2012

Day 24 – A book that you wish more people would’ve read

Whenever I read a book that I consider to be awesome, bestseller material, I start talking about it and basically do some "book pimpage" to all my dear friends and even my family. So I would say that every book I love needs to be read by a lot of people. I don't really have an answer besides that. There are too many books I feel readers need to learn about, but it also depends on your own tastes and likes and dislikes. So whatever floats your boat. As long as you read and you enjoy the experience, I don't think it really matters how much exposure/fan base a book has or hasn't.

What about you?

Dirty Little Secret (12)



Dirty Little Secret is a weekly meme hosted by Under The Covers.

The rules are simple:

1. Be a follower of Under the Covers.
2. Create a post in your blog taking the meme image and copy instructions.
3. Answer the weekly question.

For more information and for signing up, go to the Under The Covers blog.


With the upcoming release of MAGIC MIKE where some of the hottest guys strip nekkid and shake their ummmm assets, we want to know YOUR fantasy cast!
If you could choose six of the hottest stars to shake their moneymakers for you, which guys would it be?



Oooooh, that's a great question. I must think a little though. Hmmmm.... Alex Skarsgaard is a no brainer, then there's Brad Pitt (yes, I still have a major crush on him - especially when he is Achilles or Death), Chris Hemsworth, Ryan Reynolds and Ian Somerhalder (what can I say, he did look hot covered in soap bubbles LOL). And let's not forget the two hotter-than-sin pirates Johnny Depp and Orlando Bloom. Oh, and Dwayne Johnson.




Now, of course, if we're talking fictional hot guys (that are the stars of many fantasies *blush*) I'd say Acheron (Sherrilyn Kenyon), Vishous (J.R Ward), all of Cherise Sinclair's Masters, Wraith (Larissa Ione), Adam Montague (Kallypso Masters) and Clayton (Hailey Edwards). Of course, If I pick Acheron, I feel I must mention Savitar.

So anyway, there you have it. The hottest men/males I'd pick for a striptease show. (It would be a private show too. Sorry girls, I don't share *wink*wink*)

What about you? Who would you pick?

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Day 23 – A book you wanted to read for a long time but still haven’t

The HistorianThe Historian by Elizabeth Kostova is my answer. I remember when it came out in my country, I was in my last year in high school. I loved the premise. Mysteries and Dracula. Finding out the truth about him and I wanted to know how he was shown in the book, the real "Dracula", Vlad the Impaler. At the time, though, I was a huge Anne Rice fan. I wasn't ready to read some other vampire descriptions and stories. Also, the prospect of college scared the living hell out of me, to be honest and I didn't have time to read what I wanted.

In the years that followed, I discovered many books, many vampires, many authors, many genres. And with each book I read, my TBR pile got bigger and bigger. For some reason, The Historian got pushed back. I don't know if I'm ready yet to read it. It may sound stupid, but it's like I'm afraid of being disappointed. I do want to read it, so maybe I should make it a goal: read the book before the year ends. I think I'll do that, actually.



So, what about you? Do you have a book that's been sitting in your shelf for a long time, waiting for you to pick it up?


Blurb (from Goodreads):

For centuries, the story of Dracula has captured the imagination of readers and storytellers alike. Kostova's breathtaking first novel, ten years in the writing, is an accomplished retelling of this ancient tale. "The story that follows is one I never intended to commit to paper.. As an historian, I have learned that, in fact, not everyone who reaches back into history can survive it." With these words, a nameless narrator unfolds a story that began 30 years earlier.
Late one night in 1972, as a 16-year-old girl, she discovers a mysterious book and a sheaf of letters in her father's library -- a discovery that will have dreadful and far-reaching consequences, and will send her on a journey of mind-boggling danger. While seeking clues to the secrets of her father's past and her mother's puzzling disappearance, she follows a trail from London to Istanbul to Budapest and beyond, and learns that the letters in her possession provide a link to one of the world's darkest and most intoxicating figures. Generation after generation, the legend of Dracula has enticed and eluded both historians and opportunists alike. Now a young girl undertakes the same search that ended in the death and defilement of so many others -- in an attempt to save her father from an unspeakable fate.

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Day 22 – Favorite book you own

Without a doubt, Lord of the Rings. It's not the only book that I own that is my favorite, but this one is special. It was the first book (or set of books, as it is) that I bought from my savings and I remember I was actually incredibly proud when I got home to show off my treasure. 


*Note: the picture below is not of my set, I just found it on the net and thought it looked very cool, so I thought I'd share it.

Image Detail

What about you? What is your favorite book you own?

Book Review: Cinder by Marissa Meyer

      
Author: Marissa Meyer
Series: The Lunar Chronicles #1
My Rating: 3.5 cups
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Publication Date: January 3rd 2012
Blurb (from Goodreads):


Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, the ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. . . .

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.


I have to admit that for once I have no idea how to start this review. I mean, the book was very surprising for me. To start, I must be honest: I have no clue what the difference between a cyborg and an android is *sheepish* Not even the tinniest clue, so I was a little lost at times. I guess if I think about it really hard, I suppose androids are just robots and cyborgs are former humans? *shakes head* I think I'll leave it here, or I risk making a fool of myself LOL

I liked Cinder. She was a very like-able character. I liked her sense of humor and her sarcasm. What I liked though was that it was very easy to forget she was "special" or a cyborg. Also, I loved how she could detect lies. I could use that tool, actually :D I wanted to hit something when her stepmother gave her to the scientists.

I also liked that you don't get your usual fairy tale retelling. Things are a bit different here: she is friends with one of her stepsisters, she has a sidekick, she is a well-known mechanic and a lot of other little changes that make the story unique. Oh, I loved her sidekick, Iko. I actually like the idea of a best friend that knows everything. (Could be useful during exams too)

Also, I loved the prince. He was different than what I expected. Good different, not bad ;)

I have to say that I was disappointed by the ending. I mean, yes, I know it's a series that's focused on Cinder and on her journey, but I wanted to see at least one issue resolved. I mean, anything. Her escape or her relationship with the emperor resolved, anything.

Also, there were some elements that where familiar. I don't know if anyone else made this connection, but I felt as though I was reading a new book and watching Sailor Moon at the same time. I'm not saying the book and the TV show are identical, just that some elements reminded me about that show,  a show that I loved as a child.

The story was a little predictable at times, but the writing style (which I loved, might I add) kept me reading and wanting to know how the story unfolds.

In the end, I liked the book. It was a very interesting story and a cool start for a series. I am curious to see how Cinder's journey continues and what will happen next and what other fairy tales will be retold throughout the series.

Better Than I expected photo Image34.png


Other books in the series:

Monday, June 11, 2012

Day 21 – Favorite book from your childhood

This one's easy. Harry Potter, of course. I won't repeat the reasons why (read the About Me section for the entire story LOL). I'll just say this: I am completely grateful to my friend from school who made me read it and to  J.K Rowling for changing my childhood and, in the end, my entire life (no, really!) and for helping me become the avid reader that I am today. That is all :D

Harry Potter Boxed Set (Harry Potter, #1-7)

What about you?

Cover Love (18)



Rabid Reads - Cover Love


This feature is hosted by Carmel @ Rabid Reads. The rules are very simple. Choose a cover (or two, or three), preferably new-ish, and share what you like about it. Grab the graphic or don't just so long as you link back.


My pick this week:



The Accidental Genie (Accidental Friends, #7)




While I can't exactly say I care much for the pinkish color, I love the whole genie-in-a-bottle theme. And the smoke around her is so cool. Also, her costume is sooo cool! I have to say though, the entire series has awesome covers! 


What are your picks this week?

Friday, June 8, 2012

Book Review: Dime Store Magic by Kelley Armstrong

Dime Store Magic  (Women of the Otherworld, #3)
My Rating: 5 cups
Blurb (from Goodreads):


From Canada’s new queen of suspense, another hugely entertaining supernatural thriller that will have you on the edge of your seat. Prepare to be enchanted . . .

Forget the cackling green hag in The Wizard of Oz, forget Samantha from Bewitched. Real witches are nothing, NOTHING like this. For years real witches have hidden their powers, afraid of being persecuted. They have integrated so well into the community, you could have a witch living right next door and never know about it. Take Paige, for instance, whom we first met in Kelley Armstrong’s novel Stolen. Just an ordinary twenty-something who runs her own website design company, worries about her weight and wonders if she’ll ever find a boyfriend. Okay, so she’s leader of the American Coven and guardian of Savannah, the teenage daughter of a black witch. Really, life is ordinary. But then a telekinetic half-demon, Leah O’Donnell, shows up to fight for custody of Savannah. And although Paige is ready for her, she’s not quite so prepared for the team of supernaturals that Leah brings with her, including a powerful sorcerer who claims to be Savannah’s father.
When all hell breaks loose -- literally -- and Paige is accused of witchcraft, Satanism and murder, the Coven, fearing exposure, abandons her. Cut off from her friends, Paige is forced against her better judgment to accept the help of a young sorcerer lawyer. And she quickly comes to realize that keeping Savannah could mean losing everything else.

I must admit that while reading Stolen, the second book of this series, I didn't exactly like Paige. She seemed annoying at first, probably because she was young and impulsive. Then we read about her in Dime Store Magic and we see a mature Paige, one that isn't so impulsive. Also, I loved how she wants to help witches regain their full powers. It is possible that Savannah helped her mature, besides the things that happened in the previous book and that Paige witnessed. All I know is that I liked the change.

Her knight in shinning armor is Lucas Cortez, lawyer and sorcerer, son of one of the most important man in the supernatural world. I liked that some of Paige's beliefs were challenged by this relationship. As we learned before, witches and sorcerers are enemies and hate each other, each thinking the others are beneath them. Yes, Paige and Lucas do have some rough moments and they butt heads a time or two, but in the end they fall in love and overcome their differences. I actually loved Lucas. He was so patient and he helped Paige get out of some really difficult situations in the beginning of the book, even though she did her best to keep him away from her.

I was sad that Adam didn't appear more :( I know it wasn't his story, but still.. Other than that tinny little detail, I can say I loved this book. Very fast-paced, full of suspense, romance, action, humor. Oh, and some sarcasm. I do love a sarcastic character.


Rocked my world photo Image9.png

Thursday, June 7, 2012

Blog Tour Promo: Rapture by Curtis Hox









Rupture
Book One Transhuman Warrior Series
By Curtis Hox


Genre: YA Dystopian Fantasy

Simone Wellborn is a Transhuman with an attitude. She’s been genetically engineered from birth to be super smart. The problem? All that tinkering her parents paid top dollar for provided a few unexpected results, like an annoying ability to blast telekinetic energy at the worst possible times. She also has another tricky issue: strange entities possess her and, worse, transform her into something dangerous.

Simone's mother sends her to the Sterling School for reject Transhumans. While there, she meets a few other students with similar problems. They’re all Transhumans with dirty secrets. Heartthrob Hutto Toth is a charming gladiator. He annoys Simone from day one, but he’s also a Werebear who accidentally killed a boy in a glad match, and Simone can’t stand how much she likes him. There’s two-foot tall Wally Dorsey, who’s determined to pilot a personalized mech. His best friend, Beasley Gardner, is a mountain of a young girl with enough muscle to beat up any boy at school, but she’s suffers from a rage disorder. Finally, Simone meets Kimberlee Newkirk, an unassuming Succubus who fears she’ll kill the next boy she kisses.

These defective students find themselves at the center of a deadly conflict when another student, Joss Beckwith, attracts a Rogue Artificial Intelligence, the new power brokers in a society radically changed by science and technology.

The Transhuman Warrior Series tells the story of Simone and her friends as they’re transformed into highly specialized human weapons. They must challenge the increasing power of the Rogues as these enemies push into Realspace with one goal in mind: total domination.

For more information, check out our website or visit the Transhuman Warrior Series page





Rupture
Excerpt One: Simone Wellborn

"Sterling is for rejects. Tranz rejects."
The words exploded out of Cooter Dawkins' mouth before his girlfriend, Simone Wellborn, could stop him.
The two of them sat across from each other in a booth at Mo's Coffee Shop, Cooter gripping a can of Dr. Pepper, Simone a mochachino topped with a mountain of whip cream.
Simone was an attractive girl with jet-black hair that stood out in two flaring pigtails. She wore baggy clothes that hid a lean but athletic body. She wasn't much more than a hundred and ten pounds, soaking wet, and Cooter was over six-feet tall, and his shoulders were so wide she had to lean to the side to see who walked in.
“Oh, great,” Simone said.
"What?" Cooter swiveled in his seat as if his life depended on it. He spilled his soda all over the sleeve of his navy-blue Ellington Preparatory letterman jacket but kept his eyes glued on the oddball walking to the counter. "Tranz."
The little Transhuman was only two feet tall. He wasn't an infant, or even a dwarf. He was proportioned well enough to look like a shrunken teenager who might do some ollies on a shrunken skateboard. He even wore shrunken clothes.
"Look at that,” Cooter said. “He's wearing a sweet pair of Bermudas, probably special ordered from Freaks-R-Us."
"Shh," Simone replied and pulled on his sleeve. "Don't let him hear you. I know who he is."
Cooter faced her. "So? What's he going to do? Ever since the Sterling freaks started coming to town, everyone has to walk on eggshells. Fuck that. Just because you're transferring there doesn't mean I have to like it."
The coffee shop wasn't a big store, but like most of the businesses in Cranton, Georgia, it was located on Jefferson Davis Road, where the stores lined up one after the other along the only strip in town. Simone liked Mo's because of the mismatched couches, the free WiFi, and the posters of pop stars all over the place. She wondered if the little Sterling student had taken a cab because he was too short to drive, and the Sterling School was several miles out of the town limits in the countryside.
"I wonder how he got here," Simone said.
"Maybe he walked," Cooter replied, then burst out laughing.
The defective Transhuman looked their way. He carried a huge can of soda in his hands, way too big for him, and it was enough to make Cooter laugh again.
"Shh—"
"Don't get your titties in a twister, Simone. Deformed Tranz like him should stay locked away in their school for the fucked-up-and-useless."
Simone sat up straight and considered getting nasty with her jerk of a boyfriend because that two-foot tall Tranz also had a premium intellect package—at least that was what she'd heard.
Cooter continued. "Otherwise, they'll be coming to town all the time. Soon, they'll be cruising up the street, hanging out at the movie theater and game store, and probably applying for summer jobs."
And Cooter couldn't have that, she knew. Cranton was a regulated township for the privileged and wealthy, like Cooter's family, and hers. "He didn't do anything. Leave him alone, Cooter. I'm warning you—"
"Hell if I care what you do. You've been a pain ever since you got kicked out of Ellington. He's one of the Sterling freaks. And don't say a thing, not after Dustin got killed."
"It wasn't this kid who did it—"
"Doesn't matter."
As the little Sterling student neared their table, he almost dropped his soda. It was slick with condensation; he used his entire shirt to wipe it down. "Just want a straw. Can you get it for me?"
His voice was faint and tinny and caused Cooter to sit rigid. He glanced at the sugar counter. "Get it yourself, freak."
Simone stood and admitted to herself it had been a mistake to spite her mother by dating Ellington Prep's star quarterback. She smoothed out the oversized clothes she always wore and considered telling him off but said nothing to her boneheaded (and soon to be) ex-boyfriend. She glided to the counter, grabbed a straw, bent over, and handed it to the little guy.
"Hey, I'm Simone. He's an idiot."
"I'm Wally."
Cooter snorted. "Lucky you she's so nice. I could strangle you with that straw." Again, laughter. And then to Simone: "I'm an idiot?"
Simone and the stranger from outside of town both saw that Cooter was only half kidding. He may have been the best-looking guy around and so socially acceptable and perfect it made Simone’s mother insane with annoyance, and, worse, he'd been engineered by his rich parents to be what he was: Mr. Perfect, but Simone had always known he had a mean streak. He was everything wrong with their new society: Unforgiving. And that made them worlds apart. And, damn it, she hated it when her mother was right.
Wally backed away, eyes locked on Cooter.
"How'd you get here?" Cooter asked.
Wally took another step, almost stumbled.
Cooter slid out of the booth. Simone moved to hold him back, but he pushed her aside and she stumbled backward.
"Ow!"
Another local, a young natural girl, saw it from behind the counter, but did nothing. She obviously knew who Cooter was and didn't want to piss him off. She stood with her hands at her sides, and watched.
"Yo, turd man," Cooter said, “how did you get to town on those little stick legs?"
Wally remained calm but kept backing up, his eyes on the massive young man in front of him. They were so disparate in size that Cooter could toss him across the room.
When the door opened and a figure appeared, Cooter was only one step away from maybe giving Wally a goal-winning kick. The new man was Cooter's equal in size. But he was dressed in a black woolen robe that hid his hands and feet and made him look like some mendicant friar in need of a bath. His long hair hung in strands from his head, nearly covering his face. His skin was sallow, as if he'd never been in the sun a day in his life.
The coffee girl bumped into the espresso machine behind her and spilled a jug of milk.
Cooter paused in mid-step as if someone had used a remote to freeze him. He put his foot back where it had been, not where he'd intended it to go.
The stranger scanned the room. "Wally, get in the car." His voice was soft and broken, and very weak, as if he'd been screaming all night from the bottom of a well.
Wally seemed saddened by what was happening, paused, then turned and walked out.
"Miss Wellborn," the man said, "I'm Coach Buzzal Vaughn. We'll be seeing you later today at Sterling?"
She nodded. "Yes, sir."


Excerpt Two: Hutto and Wally

That night Hutto and Wally sat by the window in Wally's fifth-floor dorm, looking across the courtyard toward the girl's wing. The RA had told them all the racket was coming from the new girl's room. They could clearly see movement through the half-open blinds. Simone seemed to be sitting on her bed, flailing her arms every few seconds.
"Cat fight," Hutto said. "Mom against daughter. God, I wish I could see that."
"Mom would win," Wally said.
"Hell, yeah."
Hutto had knocked on Wally's door hours ago and only planned to stay a few minutes. Hutto was surprised at how cool his room was. Someone had made a fortress for Wally. A miniature wooden ladder led to a loft with railings and several interior structures. Wally had an apartment within an apartment. Hutto could see several cushions, a bed, a mini-fridge. He even had windows and low-energy light bulbs in there.
"Home away from home," Wally said.
He'd created a secondary platform under the top of the loft so that he could sit eye-to-eye with any guests. A comfy, regular-sized loveseat meant anyone sitting would actually be a bit lower than him.
Wally couldn't decide what he liked better: Hutto or the cat fight. He kept flitting his eyes back and forth. He had the finest specimen of masculinity right in front of him, a young man bred to fight, to become a warrior hero. Beasley was great and all, and his very best friend; she'd tear down heaven for him. But she was withdrawn, sullen six days out of seven, and damn near impossible to cheer up when she decided a funk was in order. Hutto, on the other hand, always had a smile, a joke, and a story to tell.
"Did you see her mom tonight?" Hutto asked.
Wally nodded vigorously. He let his legs hang from the platform under his loft. A foam cushion underneath would catch him if he jumped off (usually he targeted the loveseat). "She kicked their asses."
"Yes she did. Do you have any idea what we saw tonight?"
Wally did, but he wasn't sure if he should say. "Psy-sorcery."
"Hell, yeah!" Hutto looked like he would have jumped to his feet if he'd had space. "I've heard my brother Nisson talk about it. He's ... been around that stuff."
"The Megamech pilot?"
"That's Almont." And then, as if on a side note he'd return to later, he said, "Nisson used to glad fight, until he got in trouble."
Wally nodded and waited, hoping for more info on Hutto's infamous brother who'd been banned from glad fighting. Everyone had wondered when Hutto would bring him up.
"The psy-sorcerers are one big fuckin' mystery, man,” Hutto said. “What do you know?"
Wally knew enough not to speculate. The fanboys could go on for hours about who was the most powerful Consortium agents: the original cy-warriors, Cybertranshuman Interfacers like Rigon Wellborn who used the vast resources of parallel processing computing systems, the same ones the SAIs used, to surf Cyberspace as disembodied persons; or the new psy-sorcerers, psychic Altertranshumans like them who somehow used their minds and bodies as weapons that channeled and summoned strange powers called entities. "The son versus the mother—"
"They're both Wellborns."
Wally knew who the Association members were, of course, but he didn't correct Hutto. "What a family."
"Reminds me of mine." Hutto leaned forward after catching more movement in the far window. "They're really going at it. Looks like her mom is yelling back now. Listen." They could both hear the yelling, nothing distinct, just enough edge to be of interest.
"The new girl really messed up," Wally said.
"But mom saved the day." Hutto smiled, while he watched, as if he was hoping he might spy them naked. "And, boy, is mom hot."
"She's natural—"
"I mean hot in the way she moved. Did you see it? And the way she jumped in and just smashed that evil shit. She could fight in the open leagues."
"Not while she's Consortium—"
"Just saying. Women like that get me going."
"You're a dog."
Hutto leaned back and ran his fingers through his surfer-boy hair. "You have no idea. My dad said I pull more tail than any of my brothers." Hutto beamed, his face barely scarred, his nose already healed from Beasley's punch.
Wally couldn't help but look at him with open admiration. He was everything Wally wasn't.
Hutto saw it. "Shit, man. Sorry. You, uh, never been with a girl, right?" Wally shook his head. "I'm an idiot." As if he hadn't just spotlighted Wally's deficiency, he said, "What about Simone? I bet she's as hot as her mother under all those clothes."
Wally nodded. "She's scary, though."
Hutto nodded as well. "Like her mom." He edged forward on the loveseat, as if he had a secret to tell. "And what about us? They've enlisted us in some secret program. Are we going to learn that shit?"
Wally had no idea what they would teach Hutto. "Don't you have a rage problem?"
"I got it under control. Only let it out once or twice. Not pretty at all. A kid got killed." The charm extinguished, replaced by something darker.
Wally knew about the Ellington prep kid, a friend of Cooter Dawkins, and one of the reasons Cooter hated Sterling. Wally thought about mentioning that fact to Hutto, but he didn't want Hutto to feel any worse than he did.
"If I didn't have this problem,” Hutto said, “I could be with my family, still training. And that kid would still be alive."
Wally stammered a few insensible words, but eventually said, "You know, all of us are really supposed to be the same. I don't know much about it. But some people say the variety of Alters—Channelers, Summoners, Melders, Animators, Ragers, and Pscyheads, and all the rest—just haven't learned to use their minds properly. I studied this a little because I think I've got the mind thing down. It's my gift."
Hutto looked up. "Controlling machines?"
Wally looked over at the old-fashioned chronometer on a shelf. It was no bigger than a toaster, but he'd lugged it with him to school because it was the first device he'd mastered. "I've always been able to do it."
"You just command them?"
"It's more like becoming them." The clock hadn't been wound in years. He never used it for the time. It's gears were so precisely fabricated that moving along them eased his mind. "Pick a time."
"Huh?" Hutto scrunched is face up in the eternal mask of the confused. "Like lunchtime?"
"No," Wally said with practiced ease. Dealing with guys like Hutto with an intellect package that, apparently, had never expressed in smarts was rare, and Wally knew better than to front an attitude. "Like, on a phone."
"Oh, okay. Midnight."
Wally stared at the old chronometer inside its wood frame with its two hands and the thousands of moving pieces inside. He dove in.
What Hutto saw was the little guy stare at the old clock. But the prickly sensation along his arms and neck told him Wally was doing something to it. Hutto rubbed his forearms and mumbled under his breath. He'd felt the same thing in the clinic, as well, and had had about enough of that stuff for the night, although the memory of Simone's mom in that super-hot silver Bodyglove caused another sort of excitement.
He forgot her when he saw the hands on the clock move. They began winding forward, clicking through the minutes and the hours, faster and faster. He could barely see Wally's eyes, but he saw them staring wide open at the thing.
"Oh, fuck, more freaky shit at Sterling."
The hands stopped at twelve o'clock.
Wally turned, smiling, as if he'd just knocked a guy out with a clean cross.
"Aren't you full of surprises?" Hutto said. He returned to the edge of his seat, the expected enthusiasm bursting again. "I got a trick I can teach you. You know how to unhook a bra strap?”


About Curtis Hox




A little about me: I’ve written six unpublished contemporary, literary science fantasy novels in the last decade, all of which I finished and promptly put away.

I didn’t even let my wife read one until this year. (I know, ultra critical and self defeating as hell, but that’s me.) I did rounds of agent hunting with little luck, and since everyone is talking about epublishing, I thought I’d give it a try by writing a series of three YA novels with all the juicy stuff I love from Sci Fi and Fantasy and just have fun with it.

I’m also forcing myself to be open to everything that goes along with the business side of marketing without griping, “Frack it! I just want to write.” So this site will, at first, probably be a bit about process, plus be a place for me to explore ideas related to my projects. Then, if all goes well, a way to market my novels.

As of now, we’ve soft launched Bleedover, a contemporary science fantasy novel I wrote a few years ago. We’re using it to learn the marketing side, while I finish working with an editor on the first three books in my Transhuman Warrior Series, the fun YA novels I wrote last summer. These have all been drafted, with covers.

Dirty Little Secret (11)



Dirty Little Secret is a weekly meme hosted by Under The Covers.

The rules are simple:

1. Be a follower of Under the Covers.
2. Create a post in your blog taking the meme image and copy instructions.
3. Answer the weekly question.

For more information and for signing up, go to the Under The Covers blog.


This week's question:

Share your experiences with blogging!
List TWO "Don't" and one "Do" when it comes to blogging and reviewing.

Oh, good question!


  • Don't be afraid to write about anything your heart desires. It is your blog, so if you want to write about the latest cookbook you bought, even if you usually review paranormal, you can. I don't think there's a "recipe" for what you can or can't write on your blog. 
  • Don't be dishonest in your reviews. If you didn't like a book, say it, respectfully, but don't write a fake review just for the sake of writing a good review. 
  • Do have an open mind. Ever since I started book blogging, I discovered a lot of different genres, a lot of which I didn't expect to enjoy reading. 
What about your list?

Wednesday, June 6, 2012

Day 20 – Favorite romance book

I completely forgot that I didn't finish this challenge *iz ashamed*
Um, I don't have a favorite romance book. I know it sounds weird, but for me every book I read, even if they're part of the same series, is different and unique in its own way. So it would be almost like comparing apples and oranges. That said, the one book that pops into my head right now is Kat Martin's Nothing But Velvet.

Nothing But Velvet (Litchfield #1)


It's the first historical romance I've read and it's one of the few books I reread every year. I remember when I first read it I was still pretty bad at English and it took me a while to finish it, but I'm glad I did. I loved it then and I love it now even more.

What about you? What's your favorite romance book?

Book Review: In Love With An Angel by Federica Bosco

Innamorata di un angelo


Author: Federica Bosco
Original Title: Innamorata di un Angelo
Series: Innamorata di un Angelo #1
Country: Italy
My Rating: 4 cups


When I first saw this book on the shelf in a bookshop I felt this incredible pull towards it. Maybe it was the gorgeous cover, maybe it as the title or maybe the fact that it was wrapped in a plastic cover with no way to take a peek inside it and find out what it was about (yes, I always do that when I want to buy a book :P). I don’t know, I just knew I had to buy it.

If you’re looking for a HEA book, this isn’t your book. Before you go away though, I have to say there is a second book after this one. I don’t know if there will be others or if the next one will be also the end of the story, though I’m sure I’ll be buying the next book and the ones after that. Like I said, no HEAs, but you do get an extraordinary book, one worth reading.

It’s told from the heroine’s perspective. Mia is a fifteen year old girl, with big dreams of making it to the Royal Ballet School in London. But she’s a real teenager. You know how you get to read YA novels and they don’t feel they’re about real teens? This one is. You get to read about real teens, with teenage angst, first love, first kiss, the first real fight with your best friend, first time, first big fight with your parents, wishing never to grow up if that meant understanding what “compromise” is, everything.

Aside from being a very good ballerina, Mia is also experiencing forbidden love. She’s in love with Patrick, her best friend’s older brother, but she tries so hard to hide it, knowing that if she acted on it, she might lose her only real friend. So she keeps silent, left only with dreams, fantasies and hopes. When Patrick lets her know that he actually fell for her, it’s like a dream come true. And while it might seem sappy, their love story is so pure and real and strong and it left me rooting for them and hoping they make it and stay together forever. Then the ending came and things changed, but I’m getting ahead of myself.

I loved Mia. She was a little too mature at times, not in a false way, but because life was a bit cruel for her and her mother, and that forced her to see the world as it is too early. I think a lot of girls, teenager or past that age, could see themselves in Mia. She’s an outcast and while at fifteen anyone feels like that, she was a real outcast. She was a virgin while all girls her age were so past the first time, it wasn’t even funny. She wasn’t talented at anything except dancing, she wasn’t one of the best students in school. A real outcast, with only Nina as her friend. Though I have to be honest, I didn’t like Nina at all, even at the beginning of the book. She seemed like one of those girls that would have a best friend but not be a best friend. Mia was always there for her, but Nina wasn’t or when she tried, she came up with crazy stunts which landed only Mia in trouble.

I loved Patrick. While older than Mia, he didn’t treat her like she was a mindless little girl. On the contrary, he treated her like a mature woman, not trying to shelter her with pretty words when she needed to be shaken up a little bit and when she made a mistake, he told her she made it and why she needed to apologize or make it right. I loved him for that and for also being able to treat Mia like the most special person in the world.

The ending left me crying. It’s been a long time since I actually wanted to curl up in bed and cry after reading a book, but this one made me want just that. I wanted to slap Nina so hard at the end. And also, the ending didn’t feel right. Maybe it ended that way because there is a second book, maybe there will be some way to make it all right. But for now, I feel my heart breaking just thinking about the ending and about how Mia and Patrick’s love story developed. It may as well have ended, though I don’t want to try and anticipate anything. All I know is that I hope I’ll find the second book fast. I need to see what happens next NOW.

I do hope this book gets translated in English, because I do believe it’s one of those Must Reads. So if you can speak Italian or if In Love With An Angel is already translated, go check it out. You won’t be sorry for trying it, trust me!


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Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Book Review: I've Got Your Number by Sophie Kinsella

I've Got Your Number


Author: Sophie Kinsella
My Rating: 5 cups
Blurb: (from Goodreads)

I've lost it. The only thing in the world I wasn't supposed to lose. My engagement ring. It's been in Magnus's family for three generations. And now, the very same day his parents are coming, I've lost it. The very same day. Do not hyperventilate, Poppy. Stay positive!!
Poppy Wyatt has never felt luckier. She is about to marry the ideal man, Magnus Tavish, but in one afternoon her 'happy ever after' begins to fall apart. Not only has she lost her engagement ring but in the panic that followed, she has now lost her phone. As she paces shakily round the hotel foyer she spots an abandoned phone in a bin. Finders keepers! Now she can leave a number for the hotel to contact her when they find her ring. Perfect! 
Well, perfect except the phone's owner, businessman Sam Roxton doesn't agree. He wants his phone back and doesn't appreciate Poppy reading all his messages and wading into his personal life. 
What ensues is a hilarious and unpredictable turn of events as Poppy and Sam increasingly upend each other's lives through emails and text messages. As Poppy juggles wedding preparations, mysterious phone calls and hiding her left hand from Magnus and his parents... she soon realises that she is in for the biggest surprise of her life.


Another Kinsella masterpiece. That’s the first thing that popped into my head after I finished reading I’ve Got Your Number. I loved this book, just like I loved every other one of her books. I think I might be obsessed with this author. Kinsella is the author that introduced me into the wonderful world of chick lit and I can’t really think of anyone better than her. All her heroines are normal women, with flaws, with bad hair days, fears, questions, insecurities, everything that can make these women look… normal. Like you and me.

Poppy, the heroine from I’ve Got Your Number, is no different. She was a fun heroine to meet. She’s funny, a bit curious (okay, more than a bit), she’s trying to help everyone and she’s one of those girls that have a hard time expressing their feelings out of fear of offending someone. Or maybe she’s just trying to fit in, not wanting to lose someone important to her. I loved her. From the very first moment I read about her, while she was desperately searching for her engagement ring in a hotel lobby, to the very last moment when she’s standing in front of the church, dressed in a wedding dress and talking to the man she loves. Also, she loves footnotes :D

Sam is one of those imperfect heroes I love. He might be smart, gorgeous, successful, but he’s not one to be polite just to spare someone’s feelings, he’s not a guy who will send birthday cards to his colleagues or “I’m sorry your dog died” messages. But he’s the perfect guy for Poppy and I can see why she fell for him. He is funny, he is strong, he is a guy that will tell you the truth. And he looks good. What more can one wish for, right?

I laughed so hard while reading this book. I laugh at all of Kinsella’s books actually. Though I might suggest not reading them while on a bus or a subway?! People will look at you like you've lost your mind if you have tears streaming down your face and you’re laughing like a loon while reading. It was a gorgeous story. And humor aside, this is a story about real love, second chances, luck, coincidences and a lot more.

I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again. I love Sophie Kinsella and her books are on my “auto-buy” list. If you haven’t yet read her books (though seriously, what are you waiting for???!!) you need to give them a try! You won’t regret it.


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Monday, June 4, 2012

Book Review: Stolen by Kelley Armstrong

Stolen (Women of the Otherworld, #2)
My Rating: 4 cups
Blurb (from Goodreads):


It was in Bitten, Kelley Armstrong's debut novel, that thirty-year-old Elena Michaels came to terms with her feral appetites and claimed the proud identity of a beautiful, successful woman and the only living female werewolf.

In Stolen, on a mission for her own elite pack, she is lured into the net of ruthless Internet billionaire Tyrone Winsloe, who has funded a bogus scientific investigation of the "other races" and their supernatural powers. Kidnapped and studied in his underground lab deep in the Maine woods, these paranormals - witches, vampires, shamans, werewolves - are then released and hunted to the death in a real-world video game. But when Winsloe captures Elena, he finally meets his match.

If the first book if this series, Bitten, was about werewolves only, we get to meet some very cool creatures in Stolen. Vampires (swoon), witches, shamans, sorcerers, demons, half-demons, and some creatures I haven't heard of before. I liked that part. While I loved Elena and her Pack mates, I was sure there had to be more creatures out there in this world. Glad I wasn't mistaken :)p

I felt that the story was a little slow, slower than in the previous book, but not enough to bother me. Or maybe I was expecting a little more... let's say drama? Before you start throwing things at me, let me explain. While the idea of human scientists targeting and kidnapping supernatural creatures in order to understand what makes them tick is fantastic, I was expecting a lot more gruesome details. I was ready for the torture, in other words. The fact that they just observed them without much harm, only a complete physical check up, was a little baffling. Not a bad thing though, since I would've hated to see Elena or any of the others tortured, but still... (I'm not making any sense, am I? Sorry for that)

If Clay and Jeremy managed to attract my attention in the first book, in this one Adam, the half-demon, made a very good impression. I'm actually hoping he'll be the HEA of a certain very young witch. In the future books, not now o.O Like, when she'll be twenty-ish. I also think he needs his own song. Something like I Love Playing with Fire (The Runaways <3).

All in all, I really am enjoying this series. So if you haven't started reading it yet, don't wait any longer. READ IT!!


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Cover Love (17)



 

Rabid Reads - Cover Love


This feature is hosted by Carmel @ Rabid Reads. The rules are very simple. Choose a cover (or two, or three), preferably new-ish, and share what you like about it. Grab the graphic or don't just so long as you link back.


My picks this week:






Starcrossed (Starcrossed, #1)
Starcrossed - Josephine Angelini


The first thing I see when I look at this cover is the sea. I love the sea. I actually want to be a mermaid when I grow up, but that's a different story. Sea breeze, sea, storm clouds and a pretty dress. What more can I wish for?














Angel Arias (Night Creatures, #2)
Angel Arias - Marianne de Pierres


There's something incredibly creepy about this cover. Also, for some reason, she reminds me of the Evil Queen from Snow White. I have no idea why, but that's what I think of when I see this cover.















The Space Between
The Space Between - Brenna Yovanoff


I remember I saw this cover sometimes last year. I loved it then and I love it now. I like how she is lying on a bench and behind her is Hell. Or that's how I see it. And the bench is, in my eyes, some sort of door. And, also, the swirls around the bench make me want to get creative and make some sort of jewelry resembling that. ( I recently discovered wire jewelry *smile*)












What are your picks this week?
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