Ready Set ACTION!

December 28th, 2011

It’s been a while since I’ve had the pleasure of reading something filled to the brim with action. (Ok, it may not seem like it to you, but remember…I read 5 books for every 1 I post about.) So when I finally got around to picking up “Touch” by Jus Accardo I was excited.  Hell.. just take a look at the cover quotes:

“Memorable characters, heart pounding action, and sizzling hot romance – TOUCH has it all!”   Jennifer L. Armentrout, Author of Half-Blood

“Raw and emotional; just like it’s heroine, TOUCH packs a mean right hook. Jus Accardo’s action-packed debut is sure to win her a legion of fans.”  Inara Scott, award-winning author of The Candidates and The Marked

Hard to ignore…right?

That’s not to say I didn’t have my reservations though.  Coming on the heals of another book (about a GIRL who can’t touch anyone – “Shatter Me“) I was a tad concerned that my natural need to compare and contrast their greatness would start this little ditty off in the Southern Hemisphere of zero. And while yes… I still firmly believe that “Shatter Me” is the better book, (overall) I think it would be an injustice to compare the two. Why? Because (yay for Accardo) they are VERY DIFFERENT BOOKS!

“How?” you ask… Well, first lets find out what the book is actually about, and then I will tell you why I loved it.

 

When a strange boy tumbles down a river embankment and lands at her feet, seventeen-year-old adrenaline junkie Deznee Cross snatches the opportunity to piss off her father by bringing the mysterious hottie with ice blue eyes home.

Except there’s something off with Kale. He wears her shoes in the shower, is overly fascinated with things like DVDs and vases, and acts like she’ll turn to dust if he touches her. It’s not until Dez’s father shows up, wielding a gun and knowing more about Kale than he should, that Dez realizes there’s more to this boy—and her father’s “law firm”—than she realized.

Kale has been a prisoner of Denazen Corporation—an organization devoted to collecting “special” kids known as Sixes and using them as weapons—his entire life. And, oh yeah, his touch? It kills. The two team up with a group of rogue Sixes hellbent on taking down Denazen before they’re caught and her father discovers the biggest secret of all. A secret Dez has spent her life keeping safe.

A secret Kale will kill to protect.

 

I know that I have told you this before, but my best friend is a raging conspiracy theorist, (a lunatic… I assure you,) but a conspiracy theorist all the same, so when I realized what it was that I was actually reading; I started bouncing. (yes… bouncing, don’t judge me!) Aside from the romance, the somewhat spectacular action sequences and the amazing dip into “originality lake” this book is about a girl whose life is absolutely NOTHING like what she was raised to believe it is. (God that was a mouth full.) And… once she (being Deznee) actually realizes it for herself…all hell breaks loose. (Wait…daddy…you are a WHAT?)

So why is the conspiracy theory aspect of this book so important? Well…other than the fact that it pretty much drives every kick-ass (and I mean that literally) moment of this book, it is what keeps you in touch (<–ha) with the characters themselves.

HUH?

Ok…let me explain that a little better (cause I suck.) Jus Accardo wrote a novel that challenges human nature’s ability to trust.  She thrust her characters into a VERY intricate web of lies, and then forces them to choose.  The choices they make (or don’t make) then act as a catalyst in developing their relationships with each other. In essence, the conspiracy controls the outcome. (*takes a bow for sounding smart*)  And since no conspiracy (geez I’ve said that world like 50 times now) is complete without a handful of misguided superheros and one very angsty girl with daddy issues, those are in there too.

So what about the actual plot? Well…if I tell you I’d have to kill you, but I assure you that it’s a fun ride with plenty of “ahhhs” stuck in for good measure.

There is 1 tiny problem I had with this novel though, and that is that it’s part of a new series, and God only knows I already have 70 of those going.  That said…the book did NOT end in a cliffhanger and (though I don’t recommend it) could be read as a single serving if you really don’t want to get too involved.  Me? I’ll be reading book 2, (cause I have zero self control…and I think Kale is hot. *sigh*)

So there you  have it…another “please don’t touch me” miracle that had me karate chopping my furniture because I’m a little insane and thought it would help.

Happy Reading my fellow Kindle-ites and remember: Just because you CAN jump off of a roof, doesn’t always mean you SHOULD!

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(4/5)

2011 Paranormal Preview

December 19th, 2010

Well Kindle-ites!!! It’s that time again. Time to get out your calenders, fire up your Amazon wish lists, and start ogling over the books in your future. That’s right… it’s my 2011 Paranormal Preview! (happy dance) 2011 is going to be a whopper for the world of the weird and I am excited.  Not only are we blessed with sequels (City of Fallen Angels!! Squeee!!!!!) but we are offered up a few debuts authors. So get your pen ready cause here we go!

Happy Planning!

Click images for release dates/pre-order information & additional details


Ashline Wilde never received an instruction manual on how to be a 16-year-old Polynesian volcano goddess. If she had, it might have contained helpful warnings such as:

• Dreaming about your (thankfully) mortal boyfriend may cause your bed to spontaneously combust
• Oven mitts should be worn at all times during heavy make-out sessions

Instead, Ash has to learn these life lessons the hard way as her dormant powers erupt at the most awkward times. In the wake of a hometown tragedy, Ash transfers to Blackwood Academy, a boarding school nestled in California’s redwoods, where a group of fellow gods-on-earth have mysteriously convened. As if sophomore year couldn’t get any worse, her storm goddess older sister, the wild and unpredictable Eve, resurfaces to haunt Ashline. With a war between the gods looming over Blackwood, Ash must master the fire smoldering within her before she clashes with her sister one final time, which leads us to life-lesson #3:  • When warm and cold fronts collide, there’s guaranteed to be a storm.


It’s been three years since the devastating accident . . . three years since Mia walked out of Adam’s life forever.

Now living on opposite coasts, Mia is Juilliard’s rising star and Adam is LA tabloid fodder, thanks to his new rock star status and celebrity girlfriend. When Adam gets stuck in New York by himself, chance brings the couple together again, for one last night. As they explore the city that has become Mia’s home, Adam and Mia revisit the past and open their hearts to the future and each other.

Told from Adam’s point of view in the spare, lyrical prose that defined If I Stay, Where She Went explores the devastation of grief, the promise of new hope, and the flame of rekindled romance.



Caitlyn Monahan knows she belongs somewhere else. It’s what her dead mother’s note suggested, and it’s what her recurring nightmares allude to. Desperate to flee these terrifying dreams–and her small town–she accepts a spot at a boarding school in France. Only, when she arrives, her nightmares get worse.

But then there are her amazing dreams, so vivid and so real, with visits from an alluring, mysterious, and gorgeous Italian boy from the 1500s. Caitlyn knows they are soul mates, but how can she be in love with someone who exists only in her dreams? Then, as her reality and dream world collide, Caitlyn searches for the real reason why she was brought to this school. And what she discovers will change her life forever.



Theia Alderson has always led a sheltered life in the small California town of Serendipity Falls. But when a devastatingly handsome boy appears in the halls of her school, Theia knows she’s seen Haden before- not around town, but in her dreams.

As the Haden of both the night and the day beckons her closer one moment and pushes her away the next, the only thing Theia knows for sure is that the incredible pull she feels towards him is stronger than her fear.

And when she discovers what Haden truly is, Theia’s not sure if she wants to resist him, even if the cost is her soul.




Freak. That’s what her classmates call seventeen-year-old Donna Underwood. When she was seven, a horrific fey attack killed her father and drove her mother mad. Donna’s own nearly fatal injuries from the assault were fixed by magic—the iron tattoos branding her hands and arms. The child of alchemists, Donna feels cursed by the magical heritage that destroyed her parents and any chance she had for a normal life. The only thing that keeps her sane and grounded is her relationship with her best friend, Navin Sharma. When the darkest outcasts of Faerie—the vicious wood elves—abduct Navin, Donna finally has to accept her role in the centuries old war between the humans and the fey. Assisted by Xan, a gorgeous half-fey dropout with secrets of his own, Donna races to save her friend—even if it means betraying everything her parents and the alchemist community fought to the death to protect.


As if adolescence isn’t enough, California girl Clara has recently begun to come into her powers as a Quartarius, a quarter-angel. Her half-angel single mother lends support, helping to puzzle through visions that reveal tantalizing portions of Clara’s “purpose.” The visions’ clues—a forest fire, license plate, and boy in a black fleece jacket—lead the family to Jackson Hole, Wyoming. There, on Clara’s first day of school, she meets her destiny: A-list football player Christian, the boy of the vision. She also makes friends with two very different girls: easygoing, horse-crazy Wendy, and intense loner Angela. It’s Wendy’s twin brother, Tucker, though, who begins to drive the plot, unwittingly seeming to change Clara’s purpose. If some of this series starter seems overly familiar—the rural setting, the two love interests, the dark powers at work—the details about angels make up for it.


First there are nightmares. Every night Ellie is haunted by terrifying dreams of monstrous creatures that are hunting her, killing her. Then come the memories. When Ellie meets Will, she feels on the verge of remembering something just beyond her grasp. His attention is intense and romantic, and Ellie feels like her soul has known him for centuries. On her seventeenth birthday, on a dark street at midnight, Will awakens Ellie’s power, and she knows that she can fight the creatures that stalk her in the grim darkness. Only Will holds the key to Ellie’s memories, whole lifetimes of them, and when she looks at him, she can no longer pretend anything was just a dream. Now she must hunt. Ellie has power that no one can match, and her role is to hunt and kill the reapers that prey on human souls. But in order to survive the dangerous and ancient battle of the angels and the Fallen, she must also hunt for the secrets of her past lives and truths that may be too frightening to remember.


When tragedy strikes Michele Windsor’s world, she is forced to uproot her life and move across the country to New York City, to live with the wealthy, aristocratic grandparents she’s never met. In their old Fifth Avenue mansion filled with a century’s worth of family secrets, Michele discovers a diary that hurtles her back in time to the year 1910. There, in the midst of the glamorous Gilded Age, Michele meets the young man with striking blue eyes who has haunted her dreams all her life – a man she always wished was real, but never imagined could actually exist. And she finds herself falling for him, into an otherworldly, time-crossed romance. Michele is soon leading a double life, struggling to balance her contemporary high school world with her escapes into the past. But when she stumbles upon a terrible discovery, she is propelled on a race through history to save the boy she loves – a quest that will determine the fate of both of their lives.


The thrilling conclusion to #1 bestselling Shiver trilogy from Maggie Stievater

In Maggie Stiefvater’s SHIVER, Grace and Sam found each other. In LINGER, they fought to be together. Now, in FOREVER, the stakes are even higher than before. Wolves are being hunted. Lives are being threatened. And love is harder and harder to hold on to as death comes closing in.







Exonerated by the Vampyre High Council and returned to her position of High Priestess at Tulsa’s House of Night, Neferet has sworn vengeance on Zoey.  Dominion over Kalona is only one of the weapons she plans to use against Z.  But Zoey has found sanctuary on the Isle of Skye and is being groomed by Queen Sgiach to take over for her there.  Being Queen would be cool, wouldn’t it?  Why should she return to Tulsa? After losing her human consort, Heath, she will never be the same – and her relationship with her super-hot-warrior, Stark, may never be the same either…

And what about Stevie Rae and Rephaim?  The Raven Mocker refuses to be used against Stevie Rae, but what choice does he have when no one in the entire world, including Zoey, would be okay with their relationship?  Does he betray his father or his heart?

In the pulse-pounding 8th book in the bestselling House of Night series, how far will the bonds of friendship stretch and how strong are the ties that bind one girl’s heart?


Since the gripping conclusion of Once a Witch, Tamsin Greene has been haunted by her grandmother’s prophecy that she will soon be forced to make a crucial decision—one so terrible that it could harm her family forever. When she discovers that her enemy, Alistair Knight, went back in time to Victorian-era New York in order to destroy her family, Tamsin is forced to follow him into the past. Stranded all alone in the nineteenth century, Tamsin soon finds herself disguised as a lady’s maid in the terrifying mansion of the evil Knight family, avoiding the watchful eye of the vicious matron, La Spider, and fending off the advances of Liam Knight. As time runs out, both families square off in a thrilling display of magic. And to her horror, Tamsin finally understands the nature of her fateful choice.



What if you knew exactly when you would die?  Thanks to modern science, every human being has become a ticking genetic time bomb—males only live to age twenty-five, and females only live to age twenty. In this bleak landscape, young girls are kidnapped and forced into polygamous marriages to keep the population from dying out.

When sixteen-year-old Rhine Ellery is taken by the Gatherers to become a bride, she enters a world of wealth and privilege. Despite her husband Linden’s genuine love for her, and a tenuous trust among her sister wives, Rhine has one purpose: to escape—to find her twin brother and go home.   But Rhine has more to contend with than losing her freedom. Linden’s eccentric father is bent on finding an antidote to the genetic virus that is getting closer to taking his son, even if it means collecting corpses in order to test his experiments. With the help of Gabriel, a servant Rhine is growing dangerously attracted to, Rhine attempts to break free, in the limted time she has left


Azalea is trapped. Just when she should feel that everything is before her . . . beautiful gowns, dashing suitors, balls filled with dancing . . . it’s taken away. All of it.

The Keeper understands. He’s trapped, too, held for centuries within the walls of the palace. And so he extends an invitation.

Every night, Azalea and her eleven sisters may step through the enchanted passage in their room to dance in his silver forest.

But there is a cost. The Keeper likes to keep things.

Azalea may not realize how tangled she is in his web until it is too late.


Ninety-five days, and then I’ll be safe. I wonder whether the procedure will hurt. I want to get it over with. It’s hard to be patient. It’s hard not to be afraid while I’m still uncured, though so far the deliria hasn’t touched me yet. Still, I worry. They say that in the old days, love drove people to madness. The deadliest of all deadly things: It kills you both when you have it and when you don’t.

Lauren Oliver astonished readers with her stunning debut, Before I Fall. In a starred review, Publishers Weekly called it “raw, emotional, and, at times, beautiful. An end as brave as it is heartbreaking.” Her much-awaited second novel fulfills her promise as an exceptionally talented and versatile writer.



There are many things that Annah would like to forget: the look on her sister’s face when she and Elias left her behind in the Forest of Hands and Teeth, her first glimpse of the horde as they found their way to the Dark City, the sear of the barbed wire that would scar her for life. But most of all, Annah would like to forget the morning Elias left her for the Recruiters.

Annah’s world stopped that day and she’s been waiting for him to come home ever since. Without him, her life doesn’t feel much different from that of the dead that roam the wasted city around her. Then she meets Catcher and everything feels alive again.

Except, Catcher has his own secrets — dark, terrifying truths that link him to a past Annah’s longed to forget, and to a future too deadly to consider. And now it’s up to Annah — can she continue to live in a world drenched in the blood of the living? Or is death the only escape from the Return’s destruction?


City of Fallen Angels is the fourth book in the bestselling series The Mortal Instruments.

“City of Fallen Angels takes place two months after the events of City of Glass. In it, a mysterious someone’s killing the Shadowhunters who used to be in Valentine’s Circle and displaying their bodies around New York City in a manner designed to provoke hostility between Downworlders and Shadowhunters, leaving tensions running high in the city and disrupting Clary’s plan to lead as normal a life as she can — training to be a Shadowhunter, and pursuing her relationship with Jace. As Jace and Clary delve into the issue of the murdered Shadowhunters, they discover a mystery that has deeply personal consequences for them — consequences that may strengthen their relationship, or rip it apart forever. Meanwhile, internecine warfare among vampires is tearing the Downworld community apart, and only Simon — the Daylighter who everyone wants on their side — can decide the outcome; too bad he wants nothing to do with Downworld politics. Love, blood, betrayal and revenge: the stakes are higher than ever in City of Fallen Angels.”


The fourth book in this electrifying vampire series has all the romance, suspense, and page-turning drama that have made Claudia Gray’s Evernight books runaway successes.

Having become what they feared most, Bianca and Lucas face a terrifying new reality. They must return to Evernight Academy, Lucas as a vampire and Bianca as a wraith. But Lucas is haunted by demons, both personal and supernatural. Bianca must help him fight the evil inside him, combat the forces determined to drive them apart—and find the power to claim her destiny at last.

Readers have fallen in love with Bianca and Lucas, and they will be thrilled to read this exciting conclusion to their romantic adventure.



On top of spending most of her time in a bunkerlike safe house and having her dates hijacked by a formidable Fae bodyguard, Faeriewalker Dana Hathaway is in for some more bad news: the Erlking and his pack of murderous minions known as the Wild Hunt have descended upon Avalon. With his homicidal appetite and immortal powers, the Erlking has long been the nightmare of the Fae realm. A fragile treaty with the Faerie Queen, sealed with a mysterious spell, is the one thing that keeps him from hunting unchecked in Avalon, the only place on Earth where humans and Fae live together. Which means Dana’s in trouble, since it’s common knowledge that the Faerie Queen wants her – and her rare Faeriewalker powers – dead. The smoldering, sexy Erlking’s got his sights set on Dana, but does he only seek to kill her, or does he have something much darker in mind?


The small town of Cryer’s Cross is rocked by tragedy when an unassuming freshman disappears without a trace. Kendall Fletcher wasn’t that friendly with the missing girl, but the angst wreaks havoc on her OCD-addled brain.

When a second student goes missing—someone close to Kendall’s heart—the community is in an uproar. Caught in a downward spiral of fear and anxiety, Kendall’s not sure she can hold it together. When she starts hearing the voices of the missing, calling out to her and pleading for help, she fears she’s losing her grip on reality. But when she finds messages scratched in a desk at school—messages that could only be from the missing student who used to sit there—Kendall decides that crazy or not, she’d never forgive herself if she didn’t act on her suspicions.

Something’s not right in Cryer’s Cross—and Kendall’s about to find out just how far the townspeople will go to keep their secrets buried.


Quincie P. Morris, teen restaurateuse and neophyte vampire, is in the fight of her life — or undeath. Even as she adjusts to her new appetites, she must clear her best friend and true love, the hybrid werewolf Kieren, of murder charges; thwart the apocalyptic ambitions of Bradley Sanguini, the seductive vampire-chef who “blessed” her; and keep her dead parents’ restaurant up and running. She hires a more homespun chef and adds the preternaturally beautiful Zachary to her wait staff. But with hundreds of new vampires on the rise and Bradley off assuming the powers of Dracula Prime, Zachary soon reveals his true nature — and a flaming sword — and they hit the road to staunch the bloodshed before it’s too late. Even if they save the world, will there be time left to salvage Quincie’s soul?



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.





Sighing My Life Away

October 25th, 2010

In December of 2009 I reviewed “Torment’s” prequel “Fallen.“  While not a five star book I still loved it, and gave my nod of approval to dive right in.  Then… I put the book to the back of my head and moved on.  Knowing that “Torment” was not to be released until September of the next year there was 0 point (in my mind) to dwell on the excruciating wait that was in my future.  Now… for anyone who reads series novels it is a well known fact that the closer the release date (for the next book) the antsier one gets.  We clean our TBR lists, we make exceptions, and shift obligations so that on that very special day we are ready and waiting for our much anticipated read.  “Torment” was that book for me.

9 months is a very long time, just ask anyone who has ever been pregnant, but in the book world it is an eternity. It is also a time for us to build up unwarranted expectations.


**Fallen Spoilers in italics — you have been warned**

Life has just gotten a little more complicated for Lucinda Price.  Finding out the love of her life Daniel is a fallen angel was one thing, but dropping her off all by her lonesome at a Nephilim boarding school in California? That’s crossing the line.  Still reeling with the fact that her life is set on loop, (Live-Love-Burn-Repeat) Luce does the only thing she can think of while hottie-mic-hotterson is out battling the hell on earth, she starts to dig into her past.  Will glimpsing her past help her cope with her unconventional future? What happens when what she sees is the exact opposite of what she wants? And who is the cute new boy that is starting to make Luce re-think EVERYTHING?


Ok, now here is the part where all of you groan and mutter various versions of the same line “REALLY?”, “Uh-huh”, “Well that blows, ” and yes… I would have to agree with you.  This novel took me way longer than it should have to read. Yes.. I was mildly distracted by postseason baseball but even with my 4 hour breaks 3 times a week I should have knocked this puppy out 3 days after it hit my kindle, and the fact that I didn’t should be a very clear indication of just how disappointed I was.

The writing in “Fallen” was unique, cleverly plotted and angsty to the point of embarrassment, but more than that it was good.  “Torment” felt more like a ride on the “Pity Party Express” only giving tiny glimpses of action, and dropping (God I hate saying this) lame, overly manufactured moments of intimacy in when the plot got so slow I felt as though I would slip into a coma.  The characters we grew to love (and appreciate) in Fallen were all but absent in Torment, and replaced with a whole new, (less than spectacular) set, and the fast paced, action packed plot was clipped down to 1 short chapter at the end of the novel.

Needless to say I think Kate could have done better in her scripting of Luce and Daniel’s story, and even more… she could have amped up the intensity just a smidge, that was (after-all) what kept me flipping pages like a wild woman in book 1.

If you have read Fallen, sure go ahead, get Torment and catch up when you have the free time, but no rush… book 3 doesn’t come out until fall of 2011. And… just to make my point clear on the direction Kate has decided to steer this once very promising series; if “Passions” tanks, I’m out.  I have enough to read without it.

Happy reading my fellow Kindle-ites and remember: 1 book won’t kill a series, but it can definitely make you apprehensive in the future.

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(3/5)

and only because I was teetering and I’m giving the author the benefit of the doubt.


Book Trailer

Mid-Year Paranormal Preview

August 8th, 2010

Dear Paranormal Junkies,

I’m sorry! Can you ever forgive me? I have been so focused on cleaning out my inbox lately that I have been a tad bit neglectful towards you.  Well… the buck stops here, and to prove it… I have put together a list for you.  Here are the biggest of the big slated to come out in the next few  months.  Most of them can be pre-ordered for your Kindle, all of them can be pre-ordered in hardback.  So, here is to making amends, and forging a new path.  My promise to you is this. Every 3rd book I review will be a paranormal. Guaranteed. (Because to be honest… I kind of miss them too.)

Click the book Image for additional details, Click the TITLE to view the book trailer.

Happy Reading my fellow Kindle-ites and remember: I love you :)


2010 End of the Year Paranormal Must Buys!


Halo by Alexandra Adornetto

Release Date 8.31.10

Three angels are sent down to bring good to the world: Gabriel, the warrior; Ivy, the healer; and Bethany, a teenage girl who is the least experienced of the trio. But she is the most human, and when she is romantically drawn to a mortal boy, the angels fear she will not be strong enough to save anyone—especially herself—from the Dark Forces.

Is love a great enough power against evil?





Beautiful Darkness By Kami Garcia

Release Date 10.12.10

Ethan Wate used to think of Gatlin, the small Southern town he had always called home, as a place where nothing ever changed. Then he met mysterious newcomer Lena Duchannes, who revealed a secret world that had been hidden in plain sight all along. A Gatlin that harbored ancient secrets beneath its moss-covered oaks and cracked sidewalks. A Gatlin where a curse has marked Lena’s family of powerful Supernaturals for generations. A Gatlin where impossible, magical, life-altering events happen.

Sometimes life-ending.

Together they can face anything Gatlin throws at them, but after suffering a tragic loss, Lena starts to pull away, keeping secrets that test their relationship. And now that Ethan’s eyes have been opened to the darker side of Gatlin, there’s no going back. Haunted by strange visions only he can see, Ethan is pulled deeper into his town’s tangled history and finds himself caught up in the dangerous network of underground passageways endlessly crisscrossing the South, where nothing is as it seems.


The Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare

Release Date 8.31.10

Magic is dangerous—but love is more dangerous still.

When sixteen-year-old Tessa Gray crosses the ocean to find her brother, her destination is England, the time is the reign of Queen Victoria, and something terrifying is waiting for her in London’s Downworld, where vampires, warlocks and other supernatural folk stalk the gaslit streets. Only the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons, keep order amidst the chaos.

Kidnapped by the mysterious Dark Sisters, members of a secret organization called The Pandemonium Club, Tessa soon learns that she herself is a Downworlder with a rare ability: the power to transform, at will, into another person. What’s more, the Magister, the shadowy figure who runs the Club, will stop at nothing to claim Tessa’s power for his own.

Friendless and hunted, Tessa takes refuge with the Shadowhunters of the London Institute, who swear to find her brother if she will use her power to help them. She soon finds herself fascinated by—and torn between—two best friends: James, whose fragile beauty hides a deadly secret, and blue-eyed Will, whose caustic wit and volatile moods keep everyone in his life at arm’s length . . . everyone, that is, but Tessa. As their search draws them deep into the heart of an arcane plot that threatens to destroy the Shadowhunters, Tessa realizes that she may need to choose between saving her brother and helping her new friends save the world. . . . and that love may be the most dangerous magic of all.


The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff

Release Date 9.21.10

Mackie Doyle is not one of us. Though he lives in the small town of Gentry, he comes from a world of tunnels and black murky water, a world of living dead girls ruled by a little tattooed princess. He is a ReplacementÑleft in the crib of a human baby sixteen years ago. Now, because of fatal allergies to iron, blood, and consecrated ground, Mackie is fighting to survive in the human world.

Mackie would give anything to live among us, to practice on his bass or spend time with his crush, Tate. But when TateÕs baby sister goes missing, Mackie is drawn irrevocably into the underworld of Gentry, known as Mayhem. He must face the dark creatures of the Slag Heaps and find his rightful place, in our world, or theirs.

Edward Scissorhands meets The Catcher in the Rye in this wildly imaginative and frighteningly beautiful horror novel about an unusual boy and his search for a place to belong.


Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick

Release Date 10.19.10

The sequel to the New York Times Best selling phenomenon, Hush, Hush!

Nora should have know her life was far from perfect. Despite starting a relationship with her guardian angel, Patch (who, title aside, can be described anything but angelic), and surviving an attempt on her life, things are not looking up. Patch is starting to pull away and Nora can’t figure out if it’s for her best interest or if his interest has shifted to her arch-enemy Marcie Millar. Not to mention that Nora is haunted by images of her father and she becomes obsessed with finding out what really happened to him that night he left for Portland and never came home.

The farther Nora delves into the mystery of her father’s death, the more she comes to question if her Nephilim blood line has something to do with it as well as why she seems to be in danger more than the average girl. Since Patch isn’t answering her questions and seems to be standing in her way, she has to start finding the answers on her own. Relying too heavily on the fact that she has a guardian angel puts Nora at risk again and again. But can she really count on Patch or is he hiding secrets darker than she can even imagine?


Firelight by Sophie Jordan

Release Date 9.7.10

Descended from dragons, the draki’s ability to appear human protects them from hunters. Jacinda lives with her pride in the Cascades, but she chafes under her special status as the only fire-breather in hundreds of years. Recklessly breaking the “no-fly” rule, she attracts hunters; mercifully, one hunter, a beautiful boy who looks upon her with wonder, lets her escape. After this, the pride intends to hobble her rebelliousness, and Jacinda is forced to flee. But while twin sister Tamra, who never manifested and was shunned, is happy with the move, Jacinda feels only anguish within Nevada’s desert climate. Then she meets Will and, despite recognizing him as the same draki hunter, feels herself come alive. Jordan’s compelling addition to the supernatural star-crossed lovers theme is equal parts taut suspense and sensuous romance, with visceral writing and believable relationships among characters, particularly among Jacinda’s family. A foreshadowed twist and a thrilling confrontation in the end pages leave Jacinda heartbroken and in trouble, and readers will howl for more. Grades 8-12. –Krista Hutley


Paranormalcy by Kiersten White

Release Date 8.31.10

Evie’s always thought of herself as a normal teenager, even though she works for the International Paranormal Containment Agency, her ex-boyfriend is a faerie, she’s falling for a shape-shifter, and she’s the only person who can see through paranormals’ glamours.

But Evie’s about to realize that she may very well be at the center of a dark faerie prophecy promising destruction to all paranormal creatures.




Nightshade by Andrea Cremer

Release Date 10.19.10

Calla Tor has always known her destiny: After graduating from the Mountain School, she’ll be the mate of sexy alpha wolf Ren Laroche and fight with him, side by side, ruling their pack and guarding sacred sites for the Keepers. But when she violates her masters’ laws by saving a beautiful human boy out for a hike, Calla begins to question her fate, her existence, and the very essence of the world she has known. By following her heart, she might lose everything–including her own life. Is forbidden love worth the ultimate sacrifice?







When The Tables Turn

July 27th, 2010

For anyone that reads “series novels” you know there is nothing more agonizing than waiting for the next book, but when you read a book, love a book, and in no way expect a follow-up to it, you become just that much more excited when 6 months down the road they announce its predecessor. I first read “Shiver” by Maggie Stiefvater in September of 2009, and was instantly impressed with it’s originality and beautiful writing. Stiefvater created two very lovable characters, in one very unfortunate situation, and she did it in a way that left the rest of her YA/Paranormal peers in the dust. Her story of a lonely boy who just happens to be a wolf during the winter, and the girl he falls madly in love with was an instant hit, debuting in the #9 spot on the NY Times Bestseller list, and more recently being purchased by Unique Features to be brought to the big screen. Through all of this however, a follow-up was never mentioned… Until January of 2010. To say I was exited would be the understatement of the century, I was ECSTATIC, but with overwhelming joy, comes overwhelming expectations… 7 months of built up expectations to be more specific, and I’m happy to say, that for once, my head didn’t out write the book.

(If you have not read Shiver please stop reading… There are some whopper spoilers to follow and I don’t want to ruin it for you.)

In “Shiver” Sam and Grace race against time, and nature to do the impossible… change the fate of their lives, and their love. In “Linger” the race is on again, only this time… it’s a different kind of race. Grace is tired of her parents. Tired of them being absent, tired of them pretending they give a crap, and tired of them all of a sudden telling her she can’t see the love of her life. Sam is wreck, still emotionally unstable from the dramatic shift in his overall existence he spends more time walking on his tip toes than enjoying life… that is until something strange starts happening to Grace. Will Grace’s sudden need for defiance endanger her well being, and will Sam be able to hold himself together long enough to do what is necessary to save her life?

With the introduction of 2 new narrative characters (Isabel and Cole) Stiefvater took her game to a whole new level, not only did she allow you to keep feeling your emotional connection to Sam and Grace, (that was established through sweat and tears in the first novel) but she created a whole new tangle of teen angst, and unpredictable behaviour through the miss-guided intentions of a former drug addict turned wolf. Now, (while I’ll admit) I was a little lost in the forefront of this novel (more because it has been a year since I read Shiver) the writing as a whole was no less captivating. The only flaw I can note is that the plot took a little longer to establish than I thought necessary… but once it got going it was flawless, (so my complaint becomes pretty insignificant) The ending was (in my opinion) the piece de resistance and was (of course) geniusly plotted for a 3rd book. (Smart girl Maggie… smart-smart-younger-than-me-I’m-so-jealous-of-you girl)

If you have yet to read Shiver … #1 I told you to stop reading 2 paragraphs ago so shame on you, and #2 get your booty in the car, or on the computer and buy it right now. If you HAVE read Shiver… read Linger… it is everything you hoped it would be, only in reverse, and upside down.

Happy reading my fellow Wolf-lovers and remember: if you feed them they will come.

For a complete book description click image

(4.5/5)

I Can See Your Future

July 15th, 2010

Life is full of lessons, some that take us significantly longer to learn, and others that pound into us like 50 foot tidal waves. One of the lesson we learn over and over as we mature is how to love. Love is one of the more complicated of lesson. It is a vast mixture of approximately 500 emotions, most of which you don’t really understand or that you would ever admit, and the other is compromise. Learning that sometimes you have to adjust yourself or your expectations to achieve harmony.

In “The Clearing” by Heather Davis, love becomes even more complicated as it is spread across decidedly different eras.

Amy is damaged, but not in the way one would think for a teenager (all emotional and confused), no… Amy is physically damaged. After months of abuse by her boyfriend Matt, Amy has finally had enough, and so has her mother. She is immediately shipped off to live with her Aunt Mae who (conveniently enough) lives in a tiny town and in an even tinier trailer, but that’s not what is getting under her skin. What is getting to Amy is this mysterious mist that lingers at the edge of her Aunt’s land.

Henry lives in a perpetual cycle of Saturday’s in the year 1944. Nothing ever changes, his family never ages, and no one new ever comes to visit. That is of course until he hears someone talking on the other side of his very own mist. Can these 2 very different, very lonely teenagers find solace in each-other, even though they are (literally) in two different places in their lives? What will happen if they cross the mist? And what happens when time finally starts moving again?

It is not often we as readers are privileged enough to experience two very different “times” in 1 novel. Through language and mannerisms Davis created a scenario that screamed impossible, yet she still managed to grab the reader and have them rooting for the irrational. There were a few gaps in the overall flow, and there were a few places I wish Davis would have expanded the dialogue (for example: the last 15% when Matt appears) but even with the holes, the plot was uniquely surprising. The best part? The last 10 pages. I became overly concerned with the ending of this novel when the characters started to take a certain route, I was almost certain Davis had written herself into a corner, but again, she managed to wrap up a beautiful love story in an almost ingenious way.

I read this in 1 day, but I recommend that you take your time if you decide this is the book for you. I think that developing an urgency to know what’s going to happen can be enhanced by taking your time and really “Feeling” Amy and Henry’s dilemma.

Cheers to originality, you never know what you’re going to get if you really put your mind to it.

Happy reading my fellow kindle-ites and remember: fear makes us skittish, if you see the reluctance in a person’s eyes, don’t be judgemental, be loving.

For a complete book description click image.

(3/5)

The Dangers Of Running Away

June 5th, 2010

After reading roughly 1 million paranormal novels ( ha ), it tends to be a tad bit difficult to impress me. After about 50 all of the plot lines start to resemble each other and even the characters start to take on the same traits, so imagine my surprise when I finally found the time to read “Glimmerglass” and jumped into a entirely new and original world.

Dana has 1 major problem… her mother is a raging alcoholic, but when Dana decides she’s had enough of her 1 problem and hops a plane to her “faerie” father’s house in Avalon, her 1 problem starts to seem minuscule compared to the 10 she just walked into. Avalon is on the brink of political chaos, and unbeknownst to Dana, she is the missing link for anyone wanting to claim the ultimate power. Being juggled from hideyhole to hideyhole isn’t exactly what Dana had planned, and neither is being kidnapped…twice, so she makes another plan to bolt, it’s just to bad that someone was waiting in the corner for her. Will Dana ever know who to trust? Will she ever have free will again? And more importantly is Keane really the ultimate bad boy or is it actually Ethan?

Jenna Black took a classic mom vs. dad story and smacked it with the Faerie stick. She was able to create a plot line that was not only original but kept you guessing. Each and every twist brought a contradicting side to a previously established point, and the inability to figure out who is actually being honest, and who has ulterior motives makes this read a compelling one. Each character is detailed but equally mysterious, and even though a “hero” is established you can see glimmers of a triangle in the future.

I was honestly disappointed when the story ended, and even found myself thinking about if for about an hour after I flipped the cover closed on my Kindle. Now, I don’t know about you, but to me that screams success.

There were evil Aunts, tunnel monsters, a mocha slinging contest, moats, Faerie Knights, a dad that may or may not be in jail, and a very cute boy who just happens to be a fantastic liar.

If you like mythical lands, intense chase scenes and a fun read… here is a winner.

Happy reading my fellow Faeriewalkers and remember: if someone says “Hey follow me into this really dark dungeonesque type room” chances are they don’t want to play dress up.

For a complete description click image

(4.5/5)

Get Out Of My Head!!

May 10th, 2010

With the exception of the “classics” I haven’t been all that thrilled with my free Amazon finds. The majority of them are in need of a diligent editor and if their writing isn’t the problem, 9 times out of 10 the plot is, however… the one thing I DO think they are great for is finding new “series reads.” (Yes.. I know… I shouldn’t be starting anymore series) A few times a month you can find a starter novel (by an established author) up for grabs for 0 denaro. The purpose of these finds are obvious, get 1 free buy the next 5 when you’re sucked in. The problem only arises when you miss the 24 hours they are up for grabs.

Last week I was lucky enough nab “Bite Me” (Book 1 in the Demon Underground series.) by Parker Blue, and while I was expecting no more than a fluffy little vampire piece I was so please with it that I have already purchased book #2 (mission accomplished you evil publishing geniuses!)

Val isn’t like most girls her age…she’s a demon. No… not the green scaly kind more the raging hormones succubus kind, but her inner demon (who she has lovingly named Lola) is the least of her problems. After her bratty 16 year old sister decides to follow her out of the house one night Val’s parents have finally had enough. They cut her off and kick her out. So what exactly is a 18 year old vampire hunting demon girl supposed to do with no place to go and no money? Well… she goes to the police, that’s where. Hoping her (and her hell-hound Fang’s) slayer skills could be of service she makes a play to join the force and take control of her life, but when her sister disappears again and turns up at a local blood bank Val decides that tough love is the only answer. Will her sister ever snap back into reality? Where are all these rogue vampires coming from, and more importantly can she keep the cork on Lola?

Parker Blue opened up a whole new door in the “vampire vs. demon” debate making (for once) the demons the good guys and the vampires the bad (who would have thunk it.) AND she did all of this while skirting the line between YA and Adult paranormal. The plot (thankfully) moved along at a nice steady pace, dueling between action and suspense (the who done it) and to add icing to the cake she had a few (very artfully crafted) angst scenes thrown into the loop. (Hello!!! she is a lust demon for Christ sake.) The development of her characters was very nicely executed (and to be honest) done in one of the most unique ways I’ve read in a while. (Through conversations with her hell-hound.)

There’s not a whole heck of a lot of negative I can spout about this book, with the exception of the ending. It felt short and cut off… like at the last second she decided to make this a book 1, but thankfully that little problem will be resolved with the quick access to book 2. (which came out in March.) Would I have purchased this book if I had only ever seen it at the $9.99 price? Who knows… but I’m here to tell you that if you are a vampire lover I think it’s worth your time.

There were charming vampires in black cloaks, evil ex’s, see through demons, a mind reading mutt, a clueless mother, and 1 girl that hates being called Buffy but loves doing the job.

Happy reading my fellow SCU and remember: Just because you THINK your dog is asleep… doesn’t mean he is. Think about it.

For a complete book description click image.

(4/5)

Hey!! Don’t Dig There!

March 29th, 2010

Dear Mysterious Powers and Angry Evil Dudes… my how I have missed you.

As you know by know (because I’m annoying and have said it about 500 times) I have been slammed with review request over the last month which, coincidentally enough, has left me little time to my OWN devises (aka the multitude of books I purchased that having been sitting on my Kindle like little sad puppies for a while now.)  So, when my husband had to make a sudden trip out of town, and offered to bring the kiddos with him, my first thought was Wahoo!!! I can read ALL NIGHT with no interruptions!!  Well, of course that didn’t happen, instead I went a little overboard with the Netflix, but regardless, I still managed to knock out not 1 but 2 of my lovely little paranormal ditties.

First up is “The Body Finder”

For most of you, you have already seen this book because it was a part of my “2010 Paranormal Book Preview” but for those that haven’t… it’s time to quit stalling and buy it already.

It’s not often that a title of a book and the plot of the book are one in the same (usually the title is much more abstract) but with “The Body Finder” what you read… is what you get.

Violet has a little problem.  Dead people talk to her. Not in the hey-how-are-you-I’m-a-ghost way one would expect, but more the what-is-that-ringing-oh-that’s-right-there’s-something-dead-buried-there way. Since she was a child the echos of the dead have spoken to her, and unless they are properly put to rest, Violet herself will get no sleep.  So, when her sleepy little town suddenly turns into the hot spot for kidnapped and murdered teenage girls, Violet does what she does best, she finds the body and then finds the echo that matches it.  With her best friend and local hottie Jay by her side nothing can go wrong right? Not so much.  When a nightmare, Violet thought had ended, suddenly turns into a game with her being the pawn, can she escape with her life or is she the next to be found beneath the trees?

Now, to be perfectly honest I’m not sure if I liked this book so much because of my recent paranormal absence or because I was expecting another “preview” let down, but the fact remains… this was one of the best YA books I have read so far this year.  “Derting” (this was her debut) was not flawless by any means, the first couple of chapters were sloppy and repetitive, and the character development was extremely lopsided; but by the time the action crept in her writing smoothed out enough for it to be enjoyable.  Her YA angst techniques were in full force and very well executed (loved the party scene) and the suspense towards the end of the book was not only dead on, it was surprising.  The one thing that discouraged me however was a misinterpretation about 70% through when I thought “Derting” had chopped the ending bluntly and unnecessarily, but have no fear… I was wrong, which made the last 2 chapters even more exciting.  I’m not sure what “Derting” has up here sleeve for her next novel, but lets just hope that she learns from her mistakes, tweaks them,  and runs like the wind… her knack for story telling is obviously natural, now all she needs is a little more focus and a mission.

There were bells in the cemetery, evil blondes, oil like substances in the lake, flat tires, over-protective boys, crutches, man hunts, unintentional cliff diving, and a chase through the woods that left several people breathless.

This one is a must read for paranormal lovers, I’m just glad the media finally got one right.

Happy Reading my fellow Finders and remember: peace and quiet is often over-rated…use the closest bathroom available.

For a complete book description click image.

(4/5)


You Can Fix My Car Too!

February 12th, 2010

What would you do if you found your true love? Cling to him/her with all of your might? Run away scared? What if after weeks of pure bliss with this new love you found out that everything he’s told you is a lie… or is it?

I found this book out of pure happenstance.  I wanted a change of pace so I did what most mentally unstable people would do and I “Googled” “Books…change of pace” and viola’ guess what popped up… a book called “The Pace.” Now…I wasn’t expecting Google to quite so specific (or smart-ass) with my request, but since I technically asked for it, I thought it was only right to give this particular book my undivided attention.

Sophie was stuck in a rut, after moving to many times to count and being the “new girl” more times than she would like, her mother finally gave in and let her join Online High School. While this particular option would have most 18 year old girls cringing from lack of girlfriend/boyfriend interaction, Sophie was in heaven.  This is of course until her mother, who worked at the Berkley campus, decided her daughter spent way to much time in her room.  Hoping to do nothing more than to pacify her mother and keep her easy life of “school in pajamas”  in tackt she agreed to weekly lunches on campus, what she didn’t agree to however was running her Jeep into a particularly hot guys car.  After several awkward meetings and a declarations on both sides Wes and Sophie decide to date, but after an impromptu interrogation with her mom, Sophie starts to suspect that things are exactly what they seem.  In a quest to seek the truth Sophie finds more than she can handle…is Wes who he really says he is? Was she wrong to jump so quickly? And what is it about 1916 that has everybody such a flutter?

“Shorts” writing was actually a tad bit baffling.  The first half of the book was almost unbearably choppy and progressed at an uncanny pace (0-60 in 3 chapters), but once I hit the 50% mark it all sorta took an abrupt halt and solidified into a pretty decent read.  The plot although jumpy at points what intriguing and amazingly original (which is kinda hard to find these days) and even though there were times when I was sure that I wasn’t going to like where it was going, the ending had me exactly where the author wanted me…eager to read it’s follow up.

There were dented Maseratis, loads of mysterious cash, a pissed off boyfriend with a broken hand, lots of “Say what?” moments, and an amazingly written torture scene that had me unconsciously holding my fingers.

If you are tired of reading the same thing over and over and need a change of pace like I did…jump on in, the water is fine, but if you don’t want to get wrapped up into another series (which in truth…if I had known this was a book 1, I wouldn’t have touched it) then steer clear because there is no way to recover from the ending without reading book number 2.

Happy reading my fellow Ageless and remember: wind + funnel cake = an unexpected opportunity.

For a complete description click image

(3.5/5)

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