Obsessed With Covers #3

Y'all know how much I love a pretty cover. I think about...40% of the books that end up on my shelves (be they physical or digital) do so because of the covers. Call me shallow but you have to admit that a pretty, shiny cover will catch your eye faster than a dull, boring one. Two, simple rules that I'll follow:

• 1, 2 or 3 (no more than 3, though) covers per week;
• books should be new-ish; no more than 2 years old.

Oh, before I share the covers that made me drool or want to stare at them for hours and hours, I have to say something. This is a semi-original idea. Why semi? Because almost every book blogger has something similar. The only thing I came up with was the title. If by any chance there's another blogger with a similar feature with the same title, I assure you I'm not stealing your idea. I'm just THAT bad with titles. Believe me, I'd love to be smarter and have a witty name for this feature, but I don't. So, no copyright infringement/theft/steal or anything of the sort was desired. All I can say is sorry :P

*all links and covers go to the Goodreads page of each book.

So, here are the prettiest covers I've seen this week.






I can't tell you how much I adore this cover. It's just gorgeous! Her hair is amazing and the way her dress blends with the background is beautiful and, at the same time, a little creepy, because it makes you think she only has a head, with no body. It's just amazing.







The Fairest of Them All - Carolyn Turgeon











I loved the previous cover, I love this one too. Yes, it's for the pretty dress. The thing I like though is that it's a simple dress. Oh sure, it's puffy or whatever, but the colors are tame, or so I see them. I'm used to pretty dresses in flashy colors on the covers and these are really, really tame.







A Darkness Strange and Lovely - Susan Dennard

This is a very, very creepy cover. The colors are amazing, but scary. The clouds make me think not only of an impending storm, but of something dangerous and mysterious going on.  And the girl (with no hands, or I don't see them) dressed in leaves that are blown away by the wind...that is the most amazing thing on this cover. And it also sort of contradicts the title, because the cover doesn't make me think of something quiet. Not even a little bit.





Some Quiet Place - Kelsey Sutton


What pretty covers did you admire this week?

Sunday Book Soundtrack #7: Shadow Kiss by Richelle Mead

Sunday Book Soundtrack is a weekly feature at Ruby's Books, where I share some of my bookish soundtracks. Since I discovered my passion for reading years ago, I've discovered that more and more of the songs I loved remind me of certain books. So I thought I'd share my playlists with you. If you want to listen to the songs, I'll post a link to a Youtube videos for each and every title. No copyright infringement intended! I'll try to find the official videos for each song. There's no set number for each playlist, sometimes I might have 10, sometimes 5, sometimes if I'm one of my moods I'll have 15. If you want to read more about this feature, click the "show more" button below. 

I read with music. If there's no music, I can't read. And not just read, but almost anything, like studying of cooking or doing chores around the house. The only time I don't have music is when I sleep. And during exams, but that's a different story.

Sometimes it happens that a certain song and a book or a scene from the book I'm reading sort of... click. It's like they were made for each other. At least for me. And so I will almost always think of that particular book when hearing that song. I thought I'd share my book soundtracks with you.

Keep in mind that I have a very... weird taste in music. You'll find mostly rock music, country or the 80s-early 90s music in these lists. I might use some "contemporary" songs from now and then, but don't bet on it being something other than those particular genres. Also, not always the songs will be in English. If I have a link to a translation for the lyrics, I'll post it. If you like a song I'm using, that's fine. If not, that's fine too, just don't say I didn't warn you.

The songs aren't always on a book's playlist for their lyrics. Sometimes they're there for an instrument or for a feeling I get when hearing them. Also, I won't always mention what scene I used them for. If it's not a spoiler, I'll share the scene, if it is a spoiler, I'll let you guess.

Anyway, I hope you like my playlists :)

This week's book soundtrack is Shadow Kiss by Richelle Mead (read my review here)

1. Eagles - Doolin Dalton
2. Hoobastank - The Reason - I believe Rose and Dimitri found their "reasons" in each other.
3. Shinedown - Cyanide Sweet Tooth Suicide - For Rose and Christian in a certain scene where I believe they were an amazing team
4. Poets of the Fall - Locking up the Sun - Can't really say much, because it would be a major spoiler. I'll just say ghost and that's that. Read the book if you want to know more :P
5. Prince - Purple Rain
6. Lenny Kravitz - I'll be waiting - Adrian. If you've read the book, you should know what scene I'm talking about.
7. Chris Rea - Road to Hell - When Rose leaves school to search for Dimitri. I think it's the best way to describe that scene.

Know Me Better #1

Know Me Better is a Weekly Meme hosted by I'm A Reader, Not A Writer. Each week she'll pick 5 questions off of her author's interview list to answer and invites us to join in on the fun, giving a way for our readers to get to know us better.

I invite you to share your answers to these questions as well. You can share them as a comment on this post or share them on your own blog and link up to this post.

1. Where is your favorite spot to read? 
If I have to pick a spot I'd say in my bed. I like to be comfortable when I read, and my soft bed and fluffy blanket and my numerous pillows get me in the mood to read, so to speak.

2. Are you a fast or slow reader? (you can test your reading speed here) 
Well, it depends on what I'm reading. Sometimes, a book makes me want to read each and every word and take my time with it. Other books don't make me want to do that and I sort of skip a few rows or so. But if it's non-fiction (mostly text books) then I'm as slow as a snail.

3. Fanfition - Love it or Hate it? Have your ever read/written it? 
I have read it. Never wrote it. I much rather read original stories than fanfics, though I have to admit that some of them are quite good.

4. Summer or Winter? 
This one's tricky. I love summer, but the excessive heat drives me crazy and I get sick sometimes (think a powerful hangover, that's what too much heat will make me feel like). I'd choose something in between.

5. Truth or Dare?
I always choose truth. What can I say, I'm a wuss *blushes*

Your turn now! Share your answers either in the comments or the link to your post.

12 Days of 2012: Day 7 Best Book Kisses

BEST BOOK KISSES

I'm a sucker for a good kiss scene. Books, movies, music videos, it doesn't matter. There are good kisses, and then there are those kisses that make you shiver and you need to grab a fan, cause you feel you don't have enough air. Here are 8 of the best kisses I've read about in 2012 (Might contain SPOILERS if you haven't read the books!!Highlight the colored lines (sorry to those who've already read the post yesterday, I just figured out the easiest way to do it *is ashamed*)):

• Sydney & Adrian - The Golden Lily by Richelle Mead

I was waiting for that scene. What I didn't like was the way Sydney reacted afterwards. Yes, I know the whys of it, I just think that Adrian deserved better. Or maybe a better way to be refused.

• Anna & Kai - Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins

They kissed a few times in the book, but my favorite has to be the "pinkie scene". It was so unexpected and passionate, yet pure and innocent all at once. Also, the scene after broke my heart a little

• Jaime & Jeremy - No Humans Involved by Kelley Armstrong

*ahem* I loved all kisses between these two *blush*

• Mana & Vaughn - A Feast of Souls by Hailey Edwards

Same as before. Though the one that stands out at this moment is the kiss they share while they're in the spiritlands. The entire scene is so sweet and perfect.

•  Lissa & Christian - Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead

Their first kiss was so hot. Also, she reacted a lot better in my book than Sydney did when Adrian kissed her. *swoon*

• Dimitri & Rose - Frostbite by Richelle Mead

The one where they're both in the gym and she was mad at her mom and Dimitri pissed her off and she kissed him. It was cool to see Dimitri loose control like that.

• Limos & Arik - Immortal Rider by Larissa Ione

Their very first kiss and it cursed him. It was kind of funny at first. The idea, not the fact that he was tortured and stuff. But anyway, the kiss was very nice :D

•  Elena & Clay - Stolen by Kelley Armstrong

When they see each other again, right after Elena escapes. The full scene is great, not just the kiss.

These are some of the kissing scenes that stuck with me. There are more, but it would mean to list all the books I read in 2012 (plus the rereads, because the kisses in the rereads, no matter the numbers I've read those books, are always good). What kisses did you like best in the books you read last year?

Book Review: Shadow Kiss by Richelle Mead

Author: Richelle Mead
Series:Vampire Academy #3
Publisher: Razorbill
Release Date: November 13th 2008
My Rating:4.5 cups
Blurb (from Goodreads):

It's springtime at St. Vladimir's Academy, and Rose Hathaway is this close to graduation. Since making her first Strigoi kills, Rose hasn't been feeling quite right. She's having dark thoughts, behaving erratically, and worst of all... might be seeing ghosts.

As Rose questions her sanity, new complications arise. Lissa has begun experimenting with her magic once more, their enemy Victor Dashkov might be set free, and Rose's forbidden relationship with Dimitri is starting to heat up again. But when a deadly threat no one saw coming changes their entire world, Rose must put her own life on the line - and choose between the two people she loves most.

Attention: Some Spoilers if you haven't read the previous books!!

I know I'm getting ahead of myself just a little, but I need to say this. This book made me cry. A lot. I know a lot of readers said that they were expecting this book to end the way it did and that they weren't surprised by it, but I really didn't see it coming.

One of the things that I loved in this book is that we see Christian show us that the Moroi can actually do something other than hide and be the perfect targets for the evil vampires. And that scene with him and Rose  was great.

Another thing that I loved is that we get to see the guardians fight. It really shows what they can do and why they're good at being bodyguards.

We also get more Adrian silliness and that's always good. Even though I'm not on Adrian's team in this series, I do believe he's a good character. I feel like he has a lot of growing up to do, but I do appreciate the way he comes and makes certain really tense scenes become funny or easier to read.

The only reason I can't give this book a full 5 cups rating is because of one little scene that I've waited ever since Dimitri admitted that he had feelings for Rose, in Frostbite. If you've read the book, you know that I'm talking about the cabin scene. I just felt that the scene where Rose and Dimitri are cursed back in the first book was way hotter and sexier than this one. Also, Lissa and Christian's scenes (I think we get only two? maybe three?) are sexier than this famous cabin scene. I know it's a YA series and therefore you can't expect the same amount of hotness as in an adult book, but I feel like it could have been better.

Like I said before, I cried at the ending. I jumped right into the next one because I didn't want to believe that that was it. I think it's been a while since a book in a series made me want to go ahead and read the next one so soon and so fast. It's good when that happens.

Again, I'll tell you what I've told you before: if you haven't read the series, don't wait, go ahead and read it. It is amazing.

Early Book Review: Broken by A.E. Rought

Author: A.E. Rought
Series: -
Publisher: Strange Chemistry
Release Date: January 8th 2013
My Rating:4.5 cups
Source:Netgalley
Blurb (from Goodreads):

Imagine a modern spin on Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein where a young couple’s undying love and the grief of a father pushed beyond sanity could spell the destruction of them all.

A string of suspicious deaths near a small Michigan town ends with a fall that claims the life of Emma Gentry's boyfriend, Daniel. Emma is broken, a hollow shell mechanically moving through her days. She and Daniel had been made for each other, complete only when they were together. Now she restlessly wanders the town in the late Fall gloom, haunting the cemetery and its white-marbled tombs, feeling Daniel everywhere, his spectre in the moonlight and the fog.

When she encounters newcomer Alex Franks, only son of a renowned widowed surgeon, she's intrigued despite herself. He's an enigma, melting into shadows, preferring to keep to himself. But he is as drawn to her as she is to him. He is strangely... familiar. From the way he knows how to open her locker when it sticks, to the nickname she shared only with Daniel, even his hazel eyes with brown flecks are just like Daniel's.

The closer they become, though, the more something inside her screams there's something very wrong with Alex Franks. And when Emma stumbles across a grotesque and terrifying menagerie of mangled but living animals within the walls of the Franks' estate, creatures she surely knows must have died from their injuries, she knows.

I have to be honest and say that this was another one of those "Oooh, pretty cover *clicks for request*" situations. I had already read a review on this book and I had read the blurb, but since I haven't read the original Frankenstein, I had no idea what it was about. Oh, sure, I've heard about Frankenstein and his monster before (I think I might have seen this monster in a cartoon or so before, too) but hey, I don't like the classics *shrugs*.

I did love this book, though. There's a mixture of cute, funny, dramatic, creepy, romantic, sad, mysterious, dark, with some teenage angst and fights with overprotective parents. And it was a good mix. It had basically everything I could wish for.

I really liked Emma. She started out as a sad teenager, mourning the loss of her boyfriend, and blossomed towards the end of the book. I also liked her dreams. Those were very creepy.

Alex is one of those mysterious until the end character. I couldn't figure him out. I liked the way he treated Emma and how he helped her when she needed it. And he seemed kind of old school, with the proper attitude towards her and their relationship and towards her parents. I liked that.

Something happened while I was reading this book. See, if you read the blurb closely, you might realize what I'm talking about. It's practically like a mantra: "Alex, Daniel, Daniel, Alex, Alex, Daniel". But this is one of those moments where my brain reverses the information it receives. For more than half of this book I thought the connection between the two boys was the exact opposite. So when I got to the ending of the book, I think I had my eyes open very, very wide (think about those big, round plates they bring you when you order pizza in a restaurant). Yes, I was that surprised by the ending. It really is good when a book surprises me that much.

There's another character in this book that surprised me, but this time not in a good way. I thought Josh was a nice guy at first. Then things happened and I realized how wrong I was. Part of me was sad about it. I mean, I loved the initial banter between him and Emma, they were quite funny. Oh well.

The reason why I can't give this book 5 cups is a small one, really: the ending felt too... abrupt. Part of me wanted a "Years later" chapter. I wanted to see them safe, still together, sure that they do in fact love each other and not a memory or an idea of what the other should/could be.

I have to say I was surprised by this book. I feel more open to "classic tale" retellings now, than I was before I read Broken. So if you like the story of Frankenstein and want a more modern spin on it, or even if you're like me and have no idea of how the original story goes but you want something different, try this book. I think you'll like it :D