Tune in Tuesday (5)

Tune in Tuesday is hosted by Ginger, and she's awesome. That is all. :) 

This week I have to share James Morrisson. I'm sure some of you know who he is. I fell in love with his music a few years ago, back when a few of my online UK friends were raving about him. There is just something about this mans voice. *sigh* Here are a few of my fav songs by him, but truth be told, I love them all!

[Review] Moonglass by Jessi Kirby

From Jessi Kirby, a debut novel about confronting the past in order to move ahead. 
I read once that water is a symbol for emotions. And for a while now, I've thought maybe my mother drowned in both. 
Anna's life is upended when her father accepts a job transfer the summer before her junior year. It's bad enough that she has to leave her friends and her life behind, but her dad is moving them to the beach where her parents first met and fell in love- a place awash in memories that Anna would just as soon leave under the surface. 
While life on the beach is pretty great, with ocean views and one adorable lifeguard in particular, there are also family secrets that were buried along the shore years ago. And the ebb and flow of the ocean's tide means that nothing- not the sea glass that she collects on the sand and not the truths behind Anna's mother's death- stays buried forever.

Cover Commentary

Look at this cover.. What do you see? I see a pretty blonde girl and cute boy standing on the beach. The moon is out, everything is shiny and shimmering. I guess you can’t really see the back from this picture. Well, the back almost looks like scattered stars. What I didn’t see when I first picked up this book in the store, was the scattered shiny things on the sand. I didn’t notice that at all.. Until I started the book. Then I realized it must be sea glass. (more on that in the actual review). This is what makes me giddy about covers. When there are actual elements from the book in the cover.. oooh, I just love it. Too an outsider, it’s just a cover with sparkly shit on the sand, but to the reader, is show’s so much more. I adore everything about this cover, that is all.

Ahhh, Moonglass. I picked this up at a local discount store for $3.99. Let me tell you this is not the kind of book I usually pick up. I have never been into the books that are all about feeling and shit. I had seen Ginger from GReads mention this one on her blog, and I figured if she liked it.. It was worth a shot.. And for that price, I didn’t have much to lose.

Moonglass is a beautiful story about family, love, and loss. At a young age, Anna loses her mother.. This is the story of how her father and her cope. They pick up and move back to the town where her father met and fell in love with her mom. Not an easy thing to do when you have bottled up your feelings for a decade.

Anna learns more about her mother, her father and most of all herself. Sea glass plays a large part. Anna and her mother used to comb the beaches for it when she was young. I love the myths about where it comes from, and how it ties into the whole story.

Moving to a different place means new friends, and new boys. Ashley, she was a great comic relief. I found myself LoL’ing  at most everything that girl said. What a nut ball!  Jillian was a great supporting character as well. I think by just being there, she was a huge help to Anna on her journey, and Tyler. Whew. Have you ever been to the beach, and hoped to find the perfect lifeguard to sweep you off your feet? This guy was it. IT, and a bag of junk food. I say junk food because I’m craving it right now, almost as much as I was craving a little bit of Tyler. Seriously, dark hair, blue eyes, and a nice guy! Yes, not a brooding douche bag, but a genuine nice guy you can bring home to dad.

I really loved Moonglass. Much more than I expected too, which seems to be the going trend lately for me and Contemporary. I think my heart is trying to tell me something. I need to read more...! I think Jessi Kirby has a newer book coming out soon, I will be reading that one for sure.

IMM # 10

In My Mailbox is hosted by The Story Siren... :) It's a great way to show what you got this week.. 


So now, I'm gonna show you some cool shit. I got a new car this weekend... I know, that's not really a mailbox item but I'm excited all the same.  2012 Dodge Avenger.. I have named her Ava. :) oh, and I got a new web cam. Weeee! vlog below, but also a list of the books. 

But now... the books. lol. 


1. The Statistical Probability of love at first sight - by Jennifer E. Smith


2. Catching Jordan - by Miranda Kenneally 


Thanks so much to Andrea for lending them to me!

Young Book Boys make me HOT!!!.. * fans self *

So today I’m guest posting over on Heathers blog.. She just celebrated her one year blog birthday,  so I’m hosting a little giveaway in honor of that! International, as long as the Book Depository ships to you.. so be sure they do before entering.


I have said it time and time again, one of my favorite things about becoming a blogger has been the friendships I have made. Heather, oh what can I say about Heather. I swear, this girl was conceived on pixie sticks, she’s so full of energy all the time. Always happy, and always there to cheer me up if I’m having a rough day. I feel honored to be on her blog today. She's just awesome. And huge congrats to her on her one year! :)

I swear this pic will make sense when you read the post. lol

So head on over and see what young boys I’m lusting over, and I’ll just sit here with my lemon-aid and have a little chat with Chris Hanson and the crew. LoL

Click Here !!!

[Review] Along for the Ride by Sarah Dessen

It’s been so long since Auden slept at night. Ever since her parents’ divorce—or since the fighting started. Now she has the chance to spend a carefree summer with her dad and his new family in the charming beach town where they live. 

A job in a clothes boutique introduces Auden to the world of girls: their talk, their friendship, their crushes. She missed out on all that, too busy being the perfect daughter to her demanding mother. Then she meets Eli, an intriguing loner and a fellow insomniac who becomes her guide to the nocturnal world of the town. Together they embark on parallel quests: for Auden, to experience the carefree teenage life she’s been denied; for Eli, to come to terms with the guilt he feels for the death of a friend. 

In her signature pitch-perfect style, Sarah Dessen explores the hearts of two lonely people learning to connect

Inspired by Jeanette, I’ll be starting out every review with what she likes to call… my Cover Commentary.

What isn’t there to love about this cover? I love the ocean in the background. I’m a big ocean fan… it’s the whole being born a Pisces that does it I think. The bike is very significant to this book, though. Adore her dress… however I don’t remember this dress at all from the story and it does look a little Minnie Mouse-ish. If her head wasn’t faded away, I bet there would be big black ears on it. Also, She’s got killer legs! Photoshop couldn’t even work wonders like that for mine.

This will be a joint review since Andrea (TheBookishBabes) and I read it together...

Here is my review!

Along for the ride is my first experience with Dessen. I don’t know about her, but it was great for me. I’m still relatively new to reading contemporary books. April over and good books and good wine refers to Dessen as 'ol' reliable, and with Andrea’s review of The Truth about Forever, I couldn’t resist snatching a few of her titles up. Andrea and I read this together and we plan to read the rest of them together as well. She named it our DESSENQUEST2012. 

Auden is a great character. I connected with her immediately. She’s the type of person who leaves her troubles behind by diving into her studies. I can relate, I left my troubles at the door and buried myself in reading, and extracurricular activities when growing up.

Summer comes and she picks up and leaves town to visit with her father and his family in small beach town. When you first meet Auden she is guarded. Heavily so. You can especially tell through her relationship with Heidi, her step mom.

What I loved so much about Along the for the ride, is that’s it not just a fluffy read about a girl who likes a boy, and they ride bikes.. *sigh* so romantic. Lol. Nope this book is much deeper than I anticipated. It delves into real life issues. Insecurities, self blame, lost childhood.. But don’t worry, it wasn’t all serious. There were many heartwarming fun moments, so it was the perfect blend.  

The character development was really great. I had such strong feelings for everyone, good and bad. The character that surprised me the most though, was Maggie. I thoroughly enjoyed watching Auden’s friendship with her grow. Having a few close female friends myself, it was just a pleasure to read about. Too many books paint girls as complete loner’s dependant on the Male interest for all interaction. Friendship is important to me so a book that focuses on those bonds scores major points in my book.

Overall, highly recommend this one, and I’m figuring I will be saying that line over and over with every Dessen review I write.  Now I’m off to read Just Listen.  Yay DESSENQUEST2012!


Here is Andrea's Review!



I’ll be up front. I have major love for Sarah Dessen. Like, mega major love. She has a way, with her fluid, wistful style of writing, of sweeping me away. So I will say right now, this isn’t so much a review as it is thoughts about the way the book made me feel.

Each time I sit down to read her books, I find it darn near impossible to stop. When April and I started this read-along, affectionately named #DessenQuest2012 (Yes, I meant to include the hashtag. It’s a movement, people. There are only two of us, but we are rocking the hashtag!), we had a goal of five chapters per week. Silly us. There’s no way, none, that you can limit The Dessen to five measly chapters a week. Anyway…each day progressed with one or the other of us tweeting, asking to “please read just one more chapter, because we can’t possibly stop at this point”. Needless to say, what should have taken us nearly a month to read took around two weeks.

Sarah Dessen has magic in her. A way of transporting readers, even tired, frazzled mommies, back to their teenage years. Self-consciousness, inner turmoil and a little bit of angst are the name of the game. That time when every look and every word could change your life and the future felt endless.

I wasn’t sure that Along for the Ride could compete with the only other Dessen book I’ve read, The Truth About Forever. Could Auden compete with Macy’s endearing nature? Could Eli out sa-woon Wes? Would the story tug on me every way possible and leave me smiling while the tears were streaming down my face? The answers: yes, Auden was magnificent; nobody can out sa-woon Wes, but Eli is just as utterly lovable in his own right; and yeah, this book made me smile and cry at the same time, completely heart-tugging.

I’ve said this is only my second Sarah Dessen book, but I’m sensing a pattern, maybe. I don’t mean the stories, but the effect the stories have. I know that I can count (I think) on a main character that speaks with a real, resonating voice. You may not be just like Auden, or any other of the mc’s, but you can find a way to indentify or even just sympathize with her. She will make wrong choices and stumble a bit on the way, but she will find her path.
There will be girls. Girls who, while they may be seemingly unlike the mc, they will have an underlying quality that will surprise her, and you. They will teach her lessons she never expected from them.

There will be a guy. The guy. A Wes, or an Eli. He will be quiet, possibly have a troubled past; nothing too bad, but just enough to make him extra intriguing. But he’s a really, really good guy that you will fall in love with. He will be handsome, heartbreakingly handsome. He will, in his quiet way, teach the girl The Lesson.

Sarah Dessen’s books have become comfort books to me, my hot tomato soup on a cold, windy day. I look at them on my shelf and I smile. I know they are there, when I need That Boy and That Girl, and the comfort of a beautiful, poignant story, told only the way Sarah Dessen can.


Favorite Quotes:

“Leah looked at Maggie. ‘Great,’ she muttered. ‘He’s got the hots for you, and now we all have to eat wieners because of it.’ “ (pg.184)

“Maybe the truth was, it shouldn’t be easy to be amazing. Then everything would be. It’s the things you fight for and struggle with before earning that have the greatest worth. When something’s difficult to come by, you’ll do that much more to make sure it’s even harder –if not impossible – to lose.” (pg.299)

“You couldn’t just pick and choose at will when someone depended on you, or loved you. It wasn’t like a light switch, easy to shut on or off. If you were in, you were in. Out, you were out. To me, it didn’t seem complicated at all. In fact, it was the simplest thing in the world.” (pg.367)

Top Ten Tuesday : Books that have affected me and why.

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by 

the Broke and the Bookish .

I have not participated in this yet, this is my first time. I see them, I read them, comment on them, but never get around to posting one. So here we go!

Since this week is a freebie, I decided to go with books that have affected me in my life and why. 

1. Sweet Valley Twins.. I wanted to be these girls. I think these books gave me a complex growing up. It was always a little daunting knowing I would never be as perfect as they were. They did keep me reading though. I think I devoured just about every one. 

  2. Did you know this book has sex? Yeah.. it does. My mother told me I couldn't read them in 6th grade, so you bet your sweet ass I was sneaking them off the shelf and hiding them in my room. I read all the V.C. Andrews books I could get my hands on. They truly sparked a love of reading in me. 

3. Ahh, the Wheel of Time Series. I'm not going to lie, I only started reading these because the boy I was crushing on at the time had it in his locker, and I pretended I was interested in it for conversation. Then I felt obligated to read it.. not expecting to love it like I did. Up until that point, my love of fantasy was purely video game related. Oh, and the boy, excellent Kisser he was. 

4. The Harry Potter Series. These books got me through the first half of my pregnancy. After losing our first baby at 23 weeks, this pregnancy was extremely stressful for me.. so I needed to keep my mind busy. These books saved me in ways I could never explain.

5. Fast forward to maternity leave. Screaming newborn, Healing c-section. Breaking dawn came out that summer. I read them all straight through, Aubrey in one arm, book in the other hand. Wonderful time in my life, and I'll always remember these books being a part of it. 

6. This book taught me to try new genres. I read the description, was so not interested. My friend shoved them in my hand and said I had to read them. No was not an option. They all turned out to be one of my fav series. 

7. This is a M/M Erotica. The first erotica book I have ever read. I learned three things from reading this. One, Erotica is not really my thing. lol. Two, Super Faerie lube really does exist apparently. Who woulda thought! And last of all.. ALWAYS read the description when entering giveaways on goodreads!

8. I fucking hate Zombies... but wait! No I don't! Not anymore! Thank you Carrie Ryan for Showing me the light. <3

9. This book was incredible. It really changed how I think about things in life. It didn't make me want to  do my brother. I'm still fairly sure that would be nasty. But let me tell you, if an Author can make me want a bother and sister to be together, that's talent, for sure. Love is love, plain and simple. That's what I got from Forbidden. 

10. Sigh... Anna is the book that made me decided to start buying contemporary books. Thank goodness, because I am loving the contemporary right now.

[Review] My Soul to Save by Rachel Vincent.. SOUL SCREAMERS #2

This is book 2 in the Soul Screamers series, so if you haven't read book one, please go no further unless you want to be spoiled. :oP

When Kaylee Cavanaugh screams, someone dies.

So when teen pop star Eden croaks onstage and Kaylee doesn't wail, she knows something is dead wrong. She can't cry for someone who has no soul.

The last thing Kaylee needs right now is to be skipping school, breaking her dad's ironclad curfew and putting her too-hot-to-be-real boyfriend's loyalty to the test. But starry-eyed teens are trading their souls: a flickering lifetime of fame and fortune in exchange for eternity in the Netherworld—a consequence they can't possibly understand.

Kaylee can't let that happen, even if trying to save their souls means putting her own at risk….

First let’s discuss this cover. I love that they are all different colors. I have to say I prefer the omnibus one the most.. I think that one is gorgeous.. But this one is pretty too. As I’m staring at it, I realize the squiggles actually say save! Some of it even looks like it’s shooting out of her armpit. That’s some powerful armpit action there. Lol

I didn’t know what to expect with book two. I loved My Soul to Take. So now you know they are bean sidhes . This is so cool, because I have never read any books besides these that focus on this kind of paranormal character.

Kaylee continues to be very likable. It isn’t easy for her, all of a sudden being something else. She grew up thinking she was human, then BAM! Everything she thought she knew was wrong.

What I really loved about My Soul to Save is the involvement of her Father. I didn’t have the highest opinion of him previously because of his absence in Kaylees life. I think he really steps up, and though he’s not perfect, no parent is.. You can tell he’s trying. And so can Kaylee. I have a soft spot for parental units trying to redeem themselves, because let me tell you from experience. In real life, they usually don’t.

I also like the closer look you get at Tod. Vincent gives you a peek into his sensitive/kind side, as well as his darker nature. Tod in continually becoming more and more intriguing to me.

We meet a few new characters. Ooh, and you get a peek into the Netherworld and its going’s on.. I won’t say much more on that…but holy interesting!

I have already started book 3, My Soul to Keep, and let me tell you, the plot continues to thicken! I must get back to it.

IMM #9

IMM is hosted by The Story Siren and is a great way to share with everyone the fun stuff you got. :)








This week I only have 4 things to show you... Shortest vlog ever! But if you want to skip that, I listed what I got. :) 
First I received 


E-copy of Shift (The Protector #2) by M.R. Merrick for review. I really enjoyed Exiled, so I'm super excited to dive into Shift.


For Trade


Fury by Elizabeth Miles - Thanks to Megan at Book Brats


Purchased


The summer I turned pretty by Jenny Han


It's not summer without you by Jenny Han

[Review] Hollowland by Amanda Hocking

Goodreads Description

"This is the way the world ends - not with a bang or a whimper, but with zombies breaking down the back door."
Nineteen-year-old Remy King is on a mission to get across the wasteland left of America, and nothing will stand in her way - not violent marauders, a spoiled rock star, or an army of flesh-eating zombies.

Some books will have blurbs that say... Fans of Twilight will love this one!.. or a Hunger Games meets _________ (fill in blank). Well, I'm gonna pull one out of my ass for you.....

Drum Roll Please!!!

The Walking Dead meets Siegfried & Roy

Yup.. as silly as that sounds.. I promise it will make sense soon. Now I think maybe I have been spoiled a bit when it comes to Zombies. I read Carrie Ryan’s Forest of Hands and Teeth trilogy and loved it with all my heart. I have always disliked zombies. My husband watches those corny ass zombie movies, Return of the living dead. So my fondness for Zombies was pretty much at zero when I picked up those books. Shortly after I read them, the husband came home with the first season of The Walking Dead for us to watch on DVD. Fell in love with that as well. Zombies are precious to me now.. I'm kinda a Zombie snob.

I liked Hollowland. I have a few problems with it though. For one, it starts out in the middle of mass action. This can be a good thing sometimes if it's done correctly. I felt in this case too much was going on. And it didn't stop! Pretty much the whole book was GO GO GO! Like the energizer bunny. This kept me super interested in what was going on, but not much room for character connection. I didn't really feel connected to Remy (the Main Character) at all though the story. I liked her, but I just didn't feel like I knew her. For me that's very important, being able to connect with who I'm reading about. She does kicks some zombie ass, so I'll give her that.

Hollowland takes place in your typical zombie apocalyptic world. Zombies try to eat you, you run, you fight, you try and survive. Though I wasn't very scared by these zombies for whatever the reason. The whole idea of Zombies overtaking the world is pretty unrealistic. Could it happen, I sincerely think it could someday, but is it likely? Probably not... My problem with Hollowland, is it was a bit over the top. There are lions and tigers!... OH MY! Yes, that's right.. your crossing the wasteland.. and look. A lion, and it wants to be my friend, Believe It or Not! Lets name her Ripley. There are a few more over the top things.. I just felt like it was too much. The pacing was already so fast and action filled. I would have liked some more down time to get to know the characters better. Also, there were a lot of things that came too easy. Some things I thought should have been harder to obtain. I wish I could elaborate, but that would spoil. If you read it.. you probably know the main event in which I'm referring to. Anyway, it irked me.

I do think I will be reading the rest of this series though, because I really would like to know what happens next. It does kinda leave you hanging. I know this comes off as not the best review, but for me to finish it and want to read the sequel, that's big. I don’t read books I don’t like. I didn't love it, but the series does have potential. I hope that the character development gets a little better, because if not, I may have to abort.

 

TGIF @ GReads # 3

graphic made by Ginger :o)

 Todays Question
2012 Must Reads: Which books are at the top of your list to be read this year (new or old) ?

Well, I think this year I want to really concentrate on the books I still have sitting on my shelf. I have so many books I have bought this past year and haven't touched. 

 Yeah, pretty much all of those... and this is not even counting the boat load of Contemps I ordered for after Christmas. Or the two I'll be ordering today.. lol. but I really need to catch up on my reading. 


As far as new stuff.... 

These are four that I feel like I must Must MUST! Read this year. lol. I'm sure as the year goes on, I'll think of some more, but for the most part I think I'm going to try not to buy to many until I get a bit more caught up. 

[Review] My Soul to Take by Rachel Vincent

GOODREADS DESCRIPTION

She doesn't see dead people. She senses when someone near her is about to die. And when that happens, a force beyond her control compels her to scream bloody murder. Literally.
Kaylee just wants to enjoy having caught the attention of the hottest guy in school. But a normal date is hard to come by when Nash seems to know more about her need to scream than she does. And when classmates start dropping dead for no apparent reason, only Kaylee knows who'll be next.

Middle School lunch table

I am very fortunate to have great bookish friends in my life. Online and Off. An old H.S. friend of mine has been bugging me for almost a year to read this series. I haven’t, because there are 5 books out already! I felt intimidated being that far behind. I requested from the library, but everyone, I live in bum fuck Pa. Our library does not have a huge YA section. Sometimes they even have to borrow from other counties, to get the books I request. So after a year of waiting and not buying them, my friend Heather lent me her old kindle loaded with all of them. So very nice of her. We go back, like middle school lunch table back. I'm the one with the white shirt and food hanging out of my mouth. See, I haven't changed much. lol. Heather is the girl in the bright yellow shirt. We were so cool. <3

So anyway, I can’t believe these books aren’t more popular. I just finished the 2^nd book and I’m in love with this series. The whole premises is so original.

Kaylee screams.. She knows when people are going to die. You definitely find out why she does. I won’t say why, but I had no idea.. but wow, what a great idea. Different. I was surprised.

I really love Kaylees Character. I feel for her. She thinks she’s going crazy, her mom has been dead for years, and her dad is out of the picture most of the time. Her uncle is mildly cool, her aunt seems alright, but her cousin Sophie is a total bitch. I want to punch her in the face. For real.

Poor Kaylee, I want to give her a big hug.

Thank goodness for Nash, cause if anything can help you from going over the deep end, it’s a delicious hottie like him. And his mom is awesome.. I wish I had boyfriends moms offering me fresh baked cookies after a make out session.. hell yes! A little tongue, chased with some chocolate chip goodness.


One of the things about this book I loved, is how emotional it made me. It takes a lot for a book to bring tears to my eyes, but there is a moment Kaylee has that had me wiping my eyes like a fool at work. lol. 

The ending was even a bit of a shock to me which is nice. I hate spoiler reviews, so I’m not going to say much more about this one.. I will say that I am so glad I started reading this series. I plan on reading them almost straight through. I wish I hadn’t waited so long. Having read the first two and one novella, I can honestly say I wouldn’t have been disappointed spending money on them. In fact, I will most likely be buying my own copies now.. Highly recommend these if you have been putting them off like me.

[Review] My Soul to Lose 0.5 by Rachel Vincent

GOODREADS DESCRIPTION

It was supposed to be a fun day, shopping at the mall with her best friend. Then the panic attack started and Kaylee Cavanaugh finds herself screaming, unable to stop. Her secret fears are exposed and it's the worst day of her life.

Until she wakes up in the psychiatric unit.

She tries to convince everyone she's fine--despite the shadows she sees forming around another patient and the urge to scream which comes burbling up again and again. Everyone thinks she's crazy. Everyone except Lydia, that is. Another patient with some special abilities....

I’m not sure when this Novella came out. I think it might have came out after the first book in this series, My Soul to Take. I probably could have read it in that order, but since it says 0.5 I read it first. I’m kinda glad I did!

It’s basically a telling of the hospital incident that’s brought up a few times in MSTT. It’s mentioned, but never really explained.. so I felt like I was part of the loop when reading book one.. “ Oh yeah, I remember when that happened. “

Which is probably part of the purpose of her writing it.. to give us readers some more insight into what happened before everything got crazy. Well, it worked! And it also gave me a small taste of her YA writing. I had read Blood Bound a while back, so I already knew I liked her style. I really liked this little gem. I'm quickly becoming a huge Vincent fan. 

IMM #8

 In my Mailbox is hosted by the Story Siren. It's a great way to share what new books you've gotten! :)


So this week, I got a ton of stuff! I will list them for those who don't have time to watch my vlog. :)


Aubrey got - Singing light up Tangled Doll and Mini Mouse dress up toy. She insists on showing you in the vlog. lol


Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare.. SIGNED TO ME!!! Gift from Andrea - <3 Thank you! 

Look!!! She even took me to the signing with her! lol -------->


Lock and Key by Sarah Dessen


Just Listen by Sarah Dessen


Along for the ride by Sarah Dessen


The Truth about Forever by Sarah Dessen


Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins


Obsidian by Jennifer L. Armentrout


Half Blood by Jennifer L. Armentrout


Crossed by Ally Condie ----- this one isn't in my vlog, b/c my coworker already snatched it. lol

[Review] Exiled by M.R. Merrick

Chase Williams is a demon hunter in the Circle, or at least he was supposed to be. On his fifteenth birthday, Chase stepped up to the altar to claim his elemental power, but it never came. Elemental magic is passed down to a hunter through the bloodline, but on Chase's birthday, the bloodline stopped. 

Exiled without the Circle's protection, Chase has spent two years trying to survive a world riddled with half-demons and magic. When he has a run in with a frightened and seemingly innocent demon, he learns the Circle's agenda has changed: the Circle plans to unlock a portal and unleash pure-blood demons into the world. Vowing to stop them, and knowing he can't do it alone, Chase forms a reluctant alliance with Rayna — a sexy witch with an attitude and a secret. 

In their attempt to stop them, Chase and Rayna find themselves in the middle of the Circle's plan, leaving one of them to decide what their friendship is worth, and the other's life depending on itYour Text Here

Before I get started I have to thank the lovely Andrea for lending this to me. I have been wanting to read it ever since I saw the cover, but was hesitant to purchase it. I have read a ton of great reviews about Exiled. I follow Mr. Merrick on twitter, and most of the reviews I have read on it are by bloggers who interact with him regularly. That scares me sometimes, because even though we all swear we review completely based on the book… to an extent I feel that’s unrealistic. If I think an Author is a total asshole, that’s probably going to sway how I feel about the book at least a little bit.

I have tweeted a little bit with Merrick, but not enough to be biased, so with that being said… I’m pleasantly surprised to see his blogger friends were not just being swayed by his tweeting charms. Exiled is a really great book. At least in my opinion, and let’s be honest, my opinion matters the most. Lol. J/k.

First… I must delve into my cover love. I’m obsessed with covers. I cream myself over covers. Not literally but you get the point. The cover for Exiled really got my attention. Look at that tree! Yeah, your all thinking whatever, its’ just a tree. NO, no it’s not! Please forgive me while I reference video games, I can’t help my nerdy self. Have you ever heard of the Mana tree? I remember playing a game called the Secret of Mana. Mana is Magic.. and this game kicked ass. It’s been forever since I played it, but there was a huge tree and they called it the Mana Tree. When I look at this cover, I can’t help but remember the game. Exiled has nothing to do with my old video game, but I will tell you the tree on this cover is relevant to the story. So is everything else on the cover, and that’s awesome! I love when I can look at the cover and actually see elements from the book.

As for the story, I found it to be very original. That’s a rarity these days, so it’s refreshing to pick up a book that’s different. I felt so bad for Chase being exiled the way he was. I wanted to reach out and hug him. But I also wanted to slap the shit out of him at times. He doesn’t stop to think, he just does! Ooh, he made me mad, but he always acknowledged he made a mistake. So I never stayed mad at him for long, and Rayna was always there to put him in his place.

Oh Rayna! I love love loved her! She’s strong, mysterious, and sexy as hell. I can honestly say I may have a girl crush. Maybe just a tiny one, but don’t worry everyone. I still prefer my tacos of the food variety, and I won’t be switching teams anytime soon. Unless Andrea moves to Pa, then I may have to reconsider. <3 Serious now, Rayna is the shit. Not the smelly kind.. but the golden nugget kind that you keep on your entertainment center and dust every week. Now I’m just being ridiculous.

Over all though, I loved Exiled. I pretty much had no idea where the book was taking me. Again… refreshing. Every turn was a surprise. I’m really looking forward to seeing where book 2 takes me, and I have a lot of questions so you bet your ass I’ll be reading it!

Here's Me, blabbing about the New Year a few days late.

pretty in her holiday dress

It's a new year, and guess what! I'm already slacking as a blogger and talking about it late. Lol. I hope that everyone had a wonderful Holiday Season. Mine was great.... with a dash of interesting.

I'm really excited for the new year, but before I move on, I want to focus on some of the high points of 2011. My family. Every minute I spend with my Husband and Daughter is precious to me. That is when they aren't driving me crazy. They truly are my reason for living.

My loves! Taken our our cruise from June

Also, I started my blog last May. If you asked me then, if this would be so important to me, I would have laughed. I really had no clue. I have made so many awesome friends in this community, and it's like icing on cake I already call a good year!

I'm not just posting to talk about last year though, I wanted to mention a few changes I'm making in my “blogging” life now that the hectic Holiday Season is over.

Everyone... I love to read.. Love it.. of course I do, otherwise I wouldn't have a book blog. Well, if you follow me or have read my info at all, you know that I started this blog with the intention of just posting my book trailers with the occasional review. I didn't know what book blogging was when I started. I didn't know there were all kinds of daily things to participate in, and that I would enjoy visiting and reading other bloggers reviews. It's so much more than I imagined, and I want to be a part of it a bit more.

Most of all, I want to read more. I love making my trailers, and I still plan on making them, but I cranked out a lot last fall and summer. They take time, and they take work. I love it.. but I need a little break. I know when I'm working on one, and I'm thinking to myself how much I just want to go back to my book, that it's time to take a step back. I'm going to be focusing more on my reading, because that's really what started all of this. I was playing the Sims after I had read matched, and couldn't get the story out of my head.. so I brought it to life. It was magical for me. I will still make the trailers and post them, but not as frequently. On a positive note, this means you'll be seeing more reviews from me.

Speaking of reviews... again.. new to the blogging. I felt awkward at first posting reviews on here. I felt obligated to be somewhat professional about it, but you know what guys! I'm not paid to review books. I don't even get books for free. I recently came to the conclusion that I'm just going to be myself. I think it's reflected in my reviews and comments, I like being silly. Respectful of course, but silly as well. :)

I also want to make a rating system. I have had some ideas on that, but until I get the trailer I'm working on out of the way, I wont be able to start that. Soon though!

You will probably notice that I won't rate books poorly too often. That is not because I'm a puss. I just don’t get review books. All the books I read I have either purchased or burrowed. So most books I'll probably at least like, since I picked them out.

I'm not sure what I want out of my blog, it's still less than a year old. I don't think I would mind reading some review books, but honestly I'm pretty happy just reading my own. I do know I never want to be overwhelmed like most bloggers out there. Props to you all, I could never handle that kind of stress.

I just realized how long this post is.. Ha! Anyway, I look forward to getting to know more bloggers out there, and to an even more fun 2012! :) 

[Review] A Million Suns by Beth Revis "Across the Universe 2"

Please if you have not read book one, go no further. I would hate to be the cause of any spoils. 

GOODREADS DESCRIPTION

Godspeed was fueled by lies. Now it is ruled by chaos.

It's been three months since Amy was unplugged. The life she always knew is over. And everywhere she looks, she sees the walls of the spaceship Godspeed. But there may just be hope: Elder has assumed leadership of the ship. He's finally free to enact his vision - no more Phydus, no more lies.

But when Elder discovers shocking news about the ship, he and Amy race to discover the truth behind life on Godspeed. They must work together to unlock a puzzle that was set in motion hundreds of years earlier, unable to fight the romance that's growing between them and the chaos that threatens to tear them apart.

In book two of the Across the Universe trilogy, New York Times bestselling author Beth Revis mesmerizes us again with a brilliantly crafted mystery filled with action, suspense, romance, and deep philosophical questions. And this time it all builds to one mind-bending conclusion: They have to get off this ship.

I signed up a while back to be a part of an arc tour for this. I ended up winning a an arc copy shortly before it was my turn to get it! That was almost the happiest day of my life, aside from my wedding and daughters birth, but that's all trivial stuff. Lol J/k.

Brian Cox

I read Across the Universe last year and adored it. There is just something so fascinating about space stuff. I love watching all those informative shows about space on the educational channels with my husband. I'll have full intentions of getting ready for bed, but then Wonders of the Universe will come on, and I'm glued to the TV. I find it so interesting, and that's not just because a foreign dream boat physicist hosts it. Although, you have to admit he's pretty sexy, especially when he's blowing bubbles.

bubblicious

But I'm getting off track here! So back to A Million Suns!! Okay, so overall I loved this book. I will admit though, the beginning was a little bit slow for me. I felt like there wasn't as much going on in the first half, but I'm sure that was mostly in part to the build up. I can't really elaborate much without spoiling, but lets just say the second half will blow your mind.

Now, Amy and Elder. I'm still now sure what to make of their relationship. It's complicated. Even though its been almost a year since I read ATU, Elder is still on my shit list. I still don't know how sold I am on it.. but that's okay, because it's not the focus of the story.

my gerbil crib

Oh but the story, gosh I love it.. The idea of traveling across space to a new planet... Ahhhh!!! That's right people! Get out your yarn and tinfoil. I'm so ready to make a space suit! I have a hot glue gun, we can totally make this happen! I sincerely think it will some day! Not the space suit, who has that kind of time, but the exploration of space. Traveling to other planets! My luck, I'll be reincarnated as a gerbil when it does, and I wont get to experience all the excitement. I can only hope my owner keeps my cage clean.

Enough being silly though. If you haven't read Across the Universe yet, then read it now! And shame on you for reading this after seeing my spoiler alert up top. If you have read and liked it, then I think you will love A Million Suns. I don't know how I'm going to wait so long for the conclusion. My mind is spinning. Yours will be too!

On a side note, some of you knew I was making a full trailer for this, and I am. Due to some events that happened in December, and the holiday rush, I wasn't able to finish it when I wanted to, but I wanted to post my review close to the release date. I will still be doing the trailer, and I'll be giving my arc away when it's finished. :)