Follow Friday - 9/30

Friday, September 30, 2011


This week's feature at Parajunkee's View is: The Bookaholic.




The feature at Alison Can Read is: Starcrossed.

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This week's question:

What book that hasn't been turned into a movie (yet) would you most like to see make it to the big screen, and who would you like cast as your favorite character?


Oh wow, I have no idea! I have been reading so many awesome books. I think the one that I would love to see is The Iron Thorn. As far as the actors goes, I have no clue.



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Teaser Tuesday - 9/20

Tuesday, September 20, 2011



Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. You can visit her fantastic blog here.

These are the rules (anyone can participate):

- Grab your current read
- Open to a random page
- Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
- BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
- Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

This week's teaser comes from The Girl in the Steel Corset by Kady Cross.


" He didn't expect to find much as August-Raynes was still alive. Only the dead lurked in the Aether."


Kindle Version, 21%, pg. 98 of 436

Sorry everyone!

Monday, September 19, 2011
Sorry I have been MIA. I have just been tired and such lately, so I haven't been in a great reading mood. Does anyone else ever go through a blah spell? I really want to get my 2011 Reading Challenge done, and I keep harping on myself about it, while instead I just feel unmotivated. I will get my features done this week though and hopefully muster up the energy to finish my current read.

On another note... I can't believe September is almost over and October is almost here! Where has the year gone??

Hope everyone has a good week!


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Waiting on Wednesday - 9/14

Wednesday, September 14, 2011


This is a meme done by quite a few book review bloggers, and hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

Waiting On Wednesdays shows books that I am stoked about and can't wait to read!

Here are some that I am drooling over this week...


Between the Sea and Sky
Jaclyn Dolamore
10/15/2011

For as long as Esmerine can remember, she has longed to join her older sister, Dosinia, as a siren--the highest calling a mermaid can have. When Dosinia runs away to the mainland, Esmerine is sent to retrieve her. Using magic to transform her tail into legs, she makes her way unsteadily to the capital city. There she comes upon a friend she hasn't seen since childhood--a dashing young man named Alandare, who belongs to a winged race of people. As Esmerine and Alandare band together to search for Dosinia, they rekindle a friendship . . . and ignite the emotions for a love so great, it cannot be bound by sea, land, or air.


Carrier of the Mark
Leigh Fallon
10/4/2011

Their love was meant to be.

When Megan Rosenberg moves to Ireland, everything in her life seems to fall into place. After growing up in America, she's surprised to find herself feeling at home in her new school. She connects with a group of friends, and she is instantly drawn to darkly handsome Adam DeRĂ­s.

But Megan is about to discover that her feelings for Adam are tied to a fate that was sealed long ago—and that the passion and power that brought them together could be their ultimate destruction.



The Nightmare Garden
Caitlin Kittredge
2/14/2012

Everything Aoife thought she knew about the world was a lie. There is no Necrovirus. And Aoife isn't going to succomb to madness because of a latent strain—she will lose her faculties because she is allergic to iron. Aoife isn't human. She is a changeling—half human and half from the land of Thorn. And time is running out for her.

When Aoife destroyed the Lovecraft engine she released the monsters from the Thorn Lands into the Iron Lands and now she must find a way to seal the gates and reverse the destruction she's ravaged on the world that's about to poison her.



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{Sunday} Recap - 9/13

Tuesday, September 13, 2011


Sorry this is late! Had a busy weekend and I was totally pooped out, so I am doing a belated version of my Sunday Recap. I have just been busy in general (bad for squeezing in reading time) and didn't get in as many books as I would've liked to. I am still hoping to reach my 20 books some how by the end of this month.

What I'm Reading: I don't know, just finished The Iron Thorn last night.


What I read this [ummm last] week:



Bad Taste in Boys - Carrie Harris
Unearthly - Cynthia Hand




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The Iron Thorn - Caitlin Kittredge

Title: The Iron Thorn
Author: Caitlin Kittredge
Pages: 493
Genre: Steampunk/Young Adult
Publication Date: 2/22/2011

In the city of Lovecraft, the Proctors rule and a great Engine turns below the streets, grinding any resistance to their order to dust. The necrovirus is blamed for Lovecraft's epidemic of madness, for the strange and eldritch creatures that roam the streets after dark, and for everything that the city leaders deem Heretical—born of the belief in magic and witchcraft. And for Aoife Grayson, her time is growing shorter by the day.

Aoife Grayson's family is unique, in the worst way—every one of them, including her mother and her elder brother Conrad, has gone mad on their 16th birthday. And now, a ward of the state, and one of the only female students at the School of Engines, she is trying to pretend that her fate can be different.



Before I go on with the review I would just like to say that the main character's name is pronounced EE-fah. I had to look it up after a few pages because I knew without a doubt that I was pronouncing it wrong, so I figured I would save you the trouble. I had started out with something that sounded more like Oy-f.

This was my first venture into the steampunk world (and yet it still mixes in a little dystopia) and I have to say that I was quite impressed. At almost 500 pages long (hardback version), it was quite a long read, but well worth the time put into it. The Iron Thorn has an intricate plot, filled with mystery, secrets, and lies.

Aoife is fifteen years old and is dreading each day that brings her closer to her sixteenth birthday - the day she will surely go mad, the same as her brother and mother before her. Until she starts receiving mysterious letters from her brother that is. Aoife soon discovers that her whole world may not be as it seems.

There was so many twists and turns, background information, new information to take in, that it was like I was living in a different world while I was reading this and I loved every bit of it. Ms. Kittredge paints such a vivid world - from Lovecraft to Arkham - that it is easy to lose yourself in it. There was a lot to discover about Aoife and her friends Cal and Dean that it would have you hanging at the edge of your seat just waiting to see what on earth could possibly happen next. I am not giving away any secrets because I would have never have guessed the truth that was in the pages of The Iron Thorn.

The second in this series, The Nightmare Garden is to be published in February 2012. So here I am, yet again, waiting for 2012 to get here and give me my sequels!

What I give this book:
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Follow Friday (6)

Friday, September 9, 2011


This week's feature at Parajunkee's View is:

Holjo (Pedantic Phooka)

and the feature at Alison Can Read is:

Jacob @ Drying Ink.





Q. Have you ever wanted a villain to win at the end of a story? If so, which one??


I can't really think of any to be honest.












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Waiting on Wednesday - 9/7

Wednesday, September 7, 2011


This is a meme done by quite a few book review bloggers, and hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

Waiting On Wednesdays shows books that I am stoked about and can't wait to read!

Here are some that I am drooling over this week...


Hallowed
Cynthia Hand
1/24/2012

For months part-angel Clara Gardner trained to face the raging forest fire from her visions and rescue the alluring and mysterious Christian Prescott from the blaze. But nothing could prepare her for the fateful decisions she would be forced to make that day, or the startling revelation that her purpose—the task she was put on earth to accomplish—is not as straightforward as she thought. Now, torn between her increasingly complicated feelings for Christian and her love for her boyfriend, Tucker, Clara struggles to make sense of what she was supposed to do the day of the fire. And, as she is drawn further into the world of part angels and the growing conflict between White Wings and Black Wings, Clara learns of the terrifying new reality that she must face: Someone close to her will die in a matter of months. With her future uncertain, the only thing Clara knows for sure is that the fire was just the beginning.



Illuminated
Erica Orloff
12/8/2011

Some loves are not made to last . . . Like Romeo and Juliet, Heloise and Abelard were doomed from the start, and their romance was destined to pass into history. Yet when sixteen-year-old Callie Martin discovers a diary hidden within an antique book, their story—and hers—takes on another life. For the diary leads Callie to the brilliant and handsome August, who is just as mysterious as the secret the diary hides. Their attraction is undeniable. As the two hunt down the truth behind the diary—and that of Heloise and Abelard’s ancient romance—their romance becomes all-consuming. But Callie knows it can’t last . . . love never does. Will their love that burns as bright as a shooting star flame out, or will these star-crossed lovers be able to defy history?




Born Wicked
Jessica Spotswood
2/7/2012

Everybody knows Cate Cahill and her sisters are eccentric. Too pretty, too reclusive, and far too educated for their own good. But the truth is even worse: they're witches. And if their secret is discovered by the priests of the Brotherhood, it would mean an asylum, a prison ship—or an early grave.

Before her mother died, Cate promised to protect her sisters. But with only six months left to choose between marriage and the Sisterhood, she might not be able to keep her word . . . especially after she finds her mother's diary, uncovering a secret that could spell her family's destruction. Desperate to find alternatives to their fate, Cate starts scouring banned books and questioning rebellious new friends, all while juggling tea parties, shocking marriage proposals, and a forbidden romance with the completely unsuitable Finn Belastra.

If what her mother wrote is true, the Cahill girls aren't safe. Not from the Brotherhood, the Sisterhood—not even from each other.




Past Perfect
Leila Sales
10/4/2011

All Chelsea wants to do this summer is hang out with her best friend, hone her talents as an ice cream connoisseur, and finally get over Ezra, the boy who broke her heart. But when Chelsea shows up for her summer job at Essex Historical Colonial Village (yes, really), it turns out Ezra’s working there too. Which makes moving on and forgetting Ezra a lot more complicated…even when Chelsea starts falling for someone new.

Maybe Chelsea should have known better than to think that a historical reenactment village could help her escape her past. But with Ezra all too present, and her new crush seeming all too off limits, all Chelsea knows is that she’s got a lot to figure out about love. Because those who don’t learn from the past are doomed to repeat it….




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Teaser Tuesday - 9/6




Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. You can visit her fantastic blog here.

These are the rules (anyone can participate):

- Grab your current read
- Open to a random page
- Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
- BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
- Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

This week's teaser comes from The Iron Thorn by Caitlin Kittredge.


"There are seventeen madhouses in the city of Lovecraft. I've visited all of them."


pg. 1 of 493. These are the first two sentences in the book. Anything that starts out like that is bound to be interesting!










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Unearthly - Cynthia Hand

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

Title: Unearthly
Author: Cynthia Hand
Pages: 435
Genre: Young Adult/Paranormal
Publication Date: 1/4/2011

In the beginning, there's a boy standing in the trees . . . .

Clara Gardner has recently learned that she's part angel. Having angel blood run through her veins not only makes her smarter, stronger, and faster than humans (a word, she realizes, that no longer applies to her), but it means she has a purpose, something she was put on this earth to do. Figuring out what that is, though, isn't easy.

Her visions of a raging forest fire and an alluring stranger lead her to a new school in a new town. When she meets Christian, who turns out to be the boy of her dreams (literally), everything seems to fall into place—and out of place at the same time. Because there's another guy, Tucker, who appeals to Clara's less angelic side.

As Clara tries to find her way in a world she no longer understands, she encounters unseen dangers and choices she never thought she'd have to make—between honesty and deceit, love and duty, good and evil. When the fire from her vision finally ignites, will Clara be ready to face her destiny?

Unearthly is a moving tale of love and fate, and the struggle between following the rules and following your heart. (Goodreads)



This turned out a lot different than I expected but in a good way.

I was skeptical about another angel book after the Fallen books (which I liked, but I want my answers!!) and my failed attempts at starting Hush, Hush (which I will read eventually). I was quite impressed by Unearthly. Clara is a great character. She is part angel, but doesn't always act like one. In fact, in a lot of ways she actually acts her age, which is nice for a change. A lot of characters act older or younger than what you would expect.


I genuinely enjoyed reading this - and I don't think you will be disappointed in the romance department. I'm not going to say too much on that. ;)

Honestly, this one went a lot differently than I had expected. Some plots are so see through that it takes the fun out of reading, but this one wasn't too bad. Some parts were predictable but for the most part I wasn't sure what to expect. I can't wait until Hallowed comes out. It is expected to be released in Jan. 2012.


What I give this book:
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Bad Taste in Boys - Carrie Harris

Sunday, September 4, 2011
Title: Bad Taste in Boys
Author: Carrie Harris
Pages: 201
Genre: Young Adult/Urban Fantasy
Publication Date: 7/12/2011

Someone's been a very bad zombie.

Kate Grable is horrified to find out that the football coach has given the team steroids. Worse yet, the steroids are having an unexpected effect, turning hot gridiron hunks into mindless flesh-eating zombies. No one is safe--not her cute crush Aaron, not her dorky brother, Jonah . . . not even Kate!

She's got to find an antidote--before her entire high school ends up eating each other. So Kate, her best girlfriend, Rocky, and Aaron stage a frantic battle to save their town. . . and stay hormonally human


Geeky girl. Crush-able guy. High school.

and... Zombies.

This was a fun, light read. At 201 pages, I finished it in one sitting. With all the dystopians with more serious tones (which I love) this was a nice change of pace for me. Kate is our main character in Bad Taste in Boys. She is an intelligent, quirky girl just trying to make through high school when something goes horribly wrong with the high school football team. The football players have managed to turn into zombies and now Kate has to figure out how to stop them.

There were quite a few moments when I laughed out loud. Even some of the more "gross" parts were funny. The good news is there isn't really a cliffhanger ending, which with all the series/trilogies I have started lately, is a pretty nice change.

Some parts were predictable and some parts caught me by surprise, but it was enjoyable. I look forward to the next book in the Kate Grable series.

What I give this book:

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Sunday Recap - 9/4

Saturday, September 3, 2011



What I'm reading: still trying to decide right now...

What I've read this week:




Divergent - Veronica Roth
Ashfall - Mike Mullin
Beauty Queens - Libba Bray

I am not sure what I'm going to read this week or what I'm going to read next. Decisions, decisons. :)


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Follow Friday (5)

Friday, September 2, 2011


This week the featured blogger at Parajunkee's View is: Lisa @ Lisa Loves Literature

If you could change the ending of any book (or series), which book would you choose? Why and to what?


Okay - you might want to skip over my question this week if you haven't read ALL of the Harry Potter books...


I love(d) Harry Potter. I read and followed HP since I was 9 years old, in the 4th grade. This is a series I grew up with. Needless to say, I was super mad when some of my favorite characters kept getting killed off! First, Sirius. I remember 8th grade Spring Break, I spent crying over Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix when Sirius is killed. Eventually, I settled myself down, I was like hey, it will be ok, she'll bring him back somehow, and you still have Lupin after all. Or not, seeing as he was killed off too! I have this running joke with my friends that all the characters I like get killed, which happens way too much for me. It all started (I think) with The Outsiders. Dally and Johnny were my two favorites -- and where are they now you might ask?! Ahem. There you have it...



This week's feature blogger at Alison Can Read is: Molli @ Once Upon a Prologue




August Recap

Thursday, September 1, 2011

I am shocked at how fast August went by! I am super excited for fall though. Over here where I am, the humidity and the heat is crazy. I am definitely not a hot weather person. So, with fall coming, I thought I would add a nice picture of what I am looking forward too. ;)

With that said, this has been one crazy summer! First, I would like to thank Parajunkee (Parajunkee's View) for featuring me on Follow Friday again and thanks to all my new followers!

So, my fall goals are to increase the number of books I read so I can reach my 2011 reading goal. I lost out on a few months, since I started in May. So far I have read 41 books, so I am 9 away from the halfway point.

Books Read in August:

The Magnolia League - Katie Crouch 5/5
The Summoning - Kelley Armstrong 4/5
The Iron Daughter - Julie Kagawa - 5/5
Life As We Knew It - Susan Beth Pfeffer 4/5
The Dead and the Gone - Susan Beth Pfeffer 3/5
This World We Live In - Susan Beth Pfeffer 4/5
Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side - Beth Fantaskey 4/5
Mockingjay - Suzanne Collins 5/5
Delirium - Lauren Oliver 5/5
Matched - Ally Condie 4/5
Ashfall - Mike Mullin 4/5
Divergent - Veronica Roth 5/5


I have to say that I have read some really awesome books I don't think you should miss! As you see, I linked up the titles so you can see the review for them easily instead of having to search. :) I read 12 books in August and I am hoping to bump that up to 20 books in September. I am hoping to squeeze in 8 books more this month than I had in August.

I have also come to love dystopian novels so much (as you can see, I have been reading a good bit of those). I'm thinking I might have a new favorite genre......


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Beauty Queens - Libba Bray

Title: Beauty Queens
Author - Libba Bray
Pages: 390
Genre: Young Adult
Publication Date: 5/24/2011

The fifty contestants in the Miss Teen Dream pageant thought this was going to be a fun trip to the beach, where they could parade in their state-appropriate costumes and compete in front of the cameras. But sadly, their airplane had another idea crashing on a desert island and leaving the survivors stranded with little food, little water, and practically no eyeliner.

What's a beauty queen to do? Continue to practice for the talent portion of the program--or wrestle snakes to the ground? Get a perfect tan--or learn to run wild? And what should happen when the sexy pirates show up?

Welcome to the heart of non-exfoliated darkness. Your tour guide? None other than Libba Bray, the hilarious, sensational, Printz Award-winning author of A Great and Terrible Beauty and Going Bovine. The result is a novel that will make you laugh, make you think, and make you never see beauty the same way again.


This novel turned out a lot differently than I had expected. It was a little darkness, a lot of humor, and fluff.

After half-way through the book, I was like, yeah this is going to be a 4/5. I was sucked in, it was quite funny, and just entertaining in general. Unfortunately, the last half just fell out. I was disappointed because Beauty Queens had such potential at the beginning, but then just kind of fizzled out. I wouldn't recommend this for younger readers either; sexual scenes, profanity, and even a scene where they are accidentally high off of some unknown fruit. This stuff doesn't typically bother me, but I thought I would bring it to attention as some readers are and I wanted to let it be known for the younger readers as well.

Don't get me wrong, I didn't hate this one, it just ended up not being as good through the end as it was to start with. It just seemed to veer off into left field. I'm on the fence on recommendations.


What I give this book:

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Cover Crazy - 9/1



Cover Crazy is hosted by Tawni at The Book Worms.

I think this one is simply spectacular! I love the colors and the space feel. This one is also on my TBR list.

Seventeen-year-old Amy joins her parents as frozen cargo aboard the vast spaceship Godspeed and expects to awaken on a new planet, three hundred years in the future. Never could she have known that her frozen slumber would come to an end fifty years too soon and that she would be thrust into the brave new world of a spaceship that lives by its own rules.

Amy quickly realizes that her awakening was no mere computer malfunction. Someone - one of the few thousand inhabitants of the spaceship - tried to kill her. And if Amy doesn't do something soon, her parents will be next.

Now, Amy must race to unlock Godspeed's hidden secrets. But out of her list of murder suspects, there's only one who matters: Elder, the future leader of the ship and the love she could never have seen coming.








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