Friday Book Blogger Hop!

Friday's Book Blogger Hop is hosted by Crazy For Books.

This week's question is:

"Summer is coming quickly - what 2011 summer release are you are most looking forward to?"

This is a super hard question for me. I'm anticipating so many good books and I have an extensive list of books to buy when they come out ha ha. But, if I had to pick one or two I would have to go with Passion by Lauren Kate and Die For Me by Amy Plum....and Forever by Maggie Stiefvater! Ok, that's it those three ha ha. I linked all three books to their goodreads pages so if you want to check them out, just click on them! : )

What books are you most excited for this summer? Don't forget to leave your links! : )

Happy Hopping!

Book trailers

I haven't posted since Tuesday-it's terrible, I know! And I feel awful...but I was in Canada visiting my family for a week for Easter. So I didn't get much time in to read because I was visiting. BUT now I am back in NY. Even though I have family coming to visit this weekend. I'm still hoping to be able to get some reading in and be able to keep up posting. Anyways, I missed the Waiting on Wednesday meme yesterday. And I like WoW and Friday's Book Blogger Hop, they are two of my favorite weekly events. So, I'm just going to share some awesome book trailers with you! : )

The first one is for the 'Dark Days of Supernatural-Summer Tour 2011'. I am anxiously awaiting ALL of these books. I read Hereafter already and reviewed it, but I'll probably still buy the actual copy of the book when it comes out. Anyways, here's the awesome trailer that showcases all of the books that I can't wait for! : )




What did you think? Are you waiting for any of these books to come out?

The books and release dates in the video are:
Divergent by Veronica Roth-May 3, 2011
Illusions by Aprilynne Park-May 3, 2011
Die For Me by Amy Plum-May 10, 2011
Cryptic Cravings by Ellen Shreiber-May 17, 2011
Something Deadly This Way Comes by Kim Harrison-May 24, 2011
Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini-May 31, 2011
Hereafter by Tara Hudson-June 7, 2011

I can not wait for all of these books to be released!! They are probably my most anticipated books at the moment.

My Sparkling Misfortune by Laura Lond

Reading Level: Young Adult

Paperback: 126 Pages

Publisher: Create Space

ISBN-13: 978-1460922361

My Rating: 5/5

Yes, you have guessed it: I am a villain. What? You wanted a noble hero? Well, tough. You've got the wrong book then. But let me tell you something before you put it down: there are no heroes without us villains. They'd have nothing to show off against. Besides, good boys do some wicked tricks as well, as you will see if you keep reading my story, and it takes some heroism to be a villain at times, too. I suppose you already know it though, if you're smart, which you have to be because I'm not writing this for silly people.

I absolutely loved this story! I can honestly say that I don't think I've ever read anything like it. Especially because it is from the villains point of view. I completely adored the story and characters. Even the "villain." Lond created a captivating tale full of suspense and humor. I think it would be an amazing book to anyone but particularly to a younger...young adult ha ha. Like, between 10 years and 13 especially.

'My Sparkling Misfortune' is a book about a book told through Lord Arkus, or the Lakeland Knight. He is the villain in the story, which is one thing that makes this book so different from anything else. Another thing that completely separates 'My Sparkling Misfortune' from any other like it, is the fact that Lord Arkus is writing his own book, which is the book you are reading. So, at some points, it's like he's commentating, which is really cool. I also love the cover picture and the pictures throughout the book. Every chapter has a picture at the very end depicting one event that happened within the chapter.

'My Sparkling Misfortune' is a great story. Lond writes with good humor and created awesome characters! I liked everything about the story. Especially the flip flop with the villains. It's definitely worth the read, which is why I gave it 5/5! I would suggest it to people who are fond of fairy tale type books. It's a quick, but cute, read and I hope that Lond will be writing more books like this one. I'll definitely be watching for more from her.

Hoppy Easter!!!

I normally would post a book review and/or my IMM but, it's Easter. So, I thought I'd make a post wishing all my fabulous followers a Happy Easter!!!! : )

For Easter this year, my family and I dyed Easter Eggs...even though were all grown up, it's still a tradition! ha ha. And today we are having a big Easter Dinner with ham, asparagus (YUM!), scalloped potatoes and all that yummy goodness!! : )

I would love to know what everyone else is doing for Easter! Are you doing an Easter Egg hunt? What are your Easter dinner plans? What is your favorite Easter tradition?

I hope everyone has an amazing Easter and there will be some good things to come on the blog soon!

Happy Easter everyone!!!!!!!!

Friday Book Blogger Hop

The Friday Book Blogger Hop is a weekly event hosted by Crazy for Books.

This week's question is:

"If you find a book you love, do you hunt down other books by the same author?"

Absolutely! I always read other books by authors that i like and/or love. I mean, if they have one book out that you loved a lot, then why not try out there other books as well right? Whether or not you like there other stuff is another thing altogether. For example, I loved the Twilight Saga, it's what got me back into reading. So, I checked out The Host by Stephenie Meyer and I found myself really bored with the beginning of the book and I never ended up finishing it. But, that's not to say I won't give any other book she releases a shot. I definitely will. 

What about you? Do you hunt down other books by the same author if you love their work?

Hereafter by Tara Hudson

Reading Level: Young Adult

Hardcover: 416 Pages

Publisher: HarperTeen

ISBN: 978-0-06-202677-4

Release Date: June 7th, 2011

My Rating: 5/5

Drifting in the dark waters of a mysterious river, the only thing Amelia knows for sure is that she's dead. With no recollection of her past life-or her actual death-she's trapped alone in a nightmarish existence. All of this changes when she tries to rescue a boy, Joshua, from drowning in her river. As a ghost, she can do nothing but will him to live. Yet in an unforgettable moment of connection, she helps him to survive. Amelia and Joshua grow ever closer as they begin to uncover the strange circumstances of her death and the secrets of the dark river that held her captive for so long.

'Hereafter' by Tara Hudson is one of my favorite books so far this year. It's incredibly powerful and completely riveting. I could have devoured the entire book in one sitting! I had other things going on so it took me a little longer to read it but when I wasn't able to read it, I was thinking about it. I love ghost stories and Tara Hudson has created an amazing one.

The story is told by Amelia, a young girl who knows only that she's dead. She relives her death over and over and it's a terrifying one. She meets Joshua who, esentially, rescues her. They develop a love through a friendship. Their story is inspiring. As usual, I won't give away much because it's an ARC.

Hudson is an amazing author who created a beautiful story! I could picture everything as I read, which is always a plus. Amelia is an extremely loyal and lovable character and Joshua is just as incredible. I can't wait to read more about Amelia and Joshua. I hate having to wait but this is a the first book in a series (I noticed on goodreads!) and I'm anxiously awaiting book #2. I have to recommend that everyone buy, pre-order, or borrow Hereafter from the library! It's an amazing story!

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine.

My WoW this week is:

Die for Me by Amy Plum

Release date: May 10, 2011 (SO CLOSE!)

from Goodreads:

My life had always been blissfully, wonderfully normal. But it only took one moment to change everything.
Suddenly, my sister, Georgia, and I were orphans. We put our lives into storage and moved to Paris to live with my grandparents. And I knew my shattered heart, my shattered life, would never feel normal again. Then I met Vincent.
Mysterious, sexy, and unnervingly charming, Vincent Delacroix appeared out of nowhere and swept me off my feet. Just like that, I was in danger of losing my heart all over again. But I was ready to let it happen.
Of course, nothing is ever that easy. Because Vincent is no normal human. He has a terrifying destiny, one that puts his life at risk every day. He also has enemies . . . immortal, murderous enemies who are determined to destroy him and all of his kind.
While I'm fighting to piece together the remnants of my life, can I risk putting my heart—as well as my life and my family's—in jeopardy for a chance at love?

What book are you waiting for? Don't forget to leave your link! : )

My weekend!

I just wanted to make a post to let everyone know why I haven't posted since Friday. I feel bad when I don't post more than everyday or every other day. I don't think there's some rule stating that you have to post that much BUT I worry about not having things to post or not posting things. Anyways, I had family come and visit me this past weekend. I'm usually the one that has to go and visit other people so I didn't do any blogging. I also didn't get any reading done this weekend. To be honest, all I really did was hang out with my family and go shopping ha ha. So, instead of leaving every one in the dark about why I haven't been posting, I thought I'd just let you know.

I'm in the middle of reading 'Hereafter' by Tara Hudson right now. I have to say, it's amazing. I am SO excited to start reading it again because I haven't been able to read since Thursday! So I will hopefully be posting the review for that sometime soon. Thanks for being patient with my non-posting lol. Also, I'm planning a giveaway really soon so be on the lookout for that! : )

Book Blogger Hop

Friday's Book Blogger Hop is hosted by Crazy for Books.

This week's question is:

"Pick a character from a book you are currently reading or have just finished and tell us about him/her."

I recently read 'Familiar Origins' by B. Pine which has a lot of amazing and unforgettable cahracters in it. I guess if I have to pick one it has to be Galen. Galen is a child...I think she's 8 when the book starts...maybe 9. She lives with her mom and dad and is an amazing scout. She can travel through the woods with complete quiteness and be totally undetected! This little girl is fierce though. Her village is attacked by these horrible men and they just burn everything and kill everyone. Luckily Galen survives the attack and manages to get away. She has this magical ability that helps her. I don't want to spoil the book and give away too much though but I will say that she is one of the best characters (they all are) in the book. And the book itself is amazing. You can actually read a sample chapter for it on Goodreads! It's amazing!! : )

What was your character pick? Don't forget to leave your links! Happy hopping : )

Marked by P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast

Reading Level: Young Adult

Paperback: 320 Pages

Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin

ISBN-13: 978-0-312-36026-9

My Rating: 3/5

Enter the dark, magical world of the House of Night, a world very much like our own, except here vampyres have always existed. Sixteen-year-old Zoey Redbird has just been Marked as a fledgling vampyre. That is, if she makes it through the Change-and not all of those who are Marked do. It sucks to begin a new life, especially away from her friends, and on top of that, Zoey is no average fledgling. She has been chosen as special by the vampyre Goddess Nyx. Zoey discovers she has amazing powers, but along with her powers come bloodlust and an unfortunate ability to imprint her human ex-boyfriend. To add to her stress, she is not the only fledgling at the House of Night with special powers. When she discovers that the leader of the Dark Daughters, the school's most elite group, is misusing her Goddess-given gifts, Zoey must look deep withing herself for the courage to embrace her destiny-with a little help from her new vampyre friends.

I've wanted to start reading the 'House of Night' novels for a long time. I heard amazing things about them so I was excited when I received a copy of the book and couldn't wait to read it. Unfortunately, I'm not a fan. Although I didn't completely hate it, I didn't love it either. I mean, I'm so conflicted over whether or not I liked it...I like the parts when Zoey isn't having inner thoughts within her inner thoughts. And there are so many celebrity comparison's it's crazy! And, according to Zoey, every one's a slut. She practically calls everyone a slut. That's not to say the book was all bad though. I did enjoy parts when Zoey wasn't being a prude or having stupid inner thoughts. I just knew that every time I saw her "thinking" something and then there was a bracket, she was probably going to say something dumb.

The story is told through Zoey Redbird. She's a typical high school student with some annoying friends. I don't usually like all the characters in the book so it didn't surprise me that I hated Kayla, her friend from her high school. Or that I didn't like Heath. Zoey was tolerable at best. I think that maybe this series just isn't for me. I was interested in the book. It had an amazing story line. The plot was incredible. However the overly annoying characters and numerous "slut" definitions and celebrity references ruined it for me.

Overall, I Marked was okay. Like I said, I didn't love it, didn't hate it. I'm absolutely willing to give the series another shot and I will be picking up Betrayed. There is incredible potential for the series so I'm hoping it will get better as it goes. I know that not everyone shares my opinion and hundreds or maybe thousands of people LOVE this series. I can't say as of yet if I do. I want to read the second book and see if it's any better.

Has anyone else read this series? If so, do you think it got better or worse after book 1?

Shadow Kiss by Richelle Mead

Reading Level: Young Adult

Paperback: 448 Pages

Publisher: Razorbill

ISBN: 978-1-59514-197-2

My Rating: 5/5

Rose knows it is forbidden to love another guardian. Her best friend, Lissa-the last Dragomir princess-most always come first. Unfortunately, when it comes to gorgeous Dimitri Belikov, some rules are meant to be broken...
Then a strange darkness begins to grow in Rose's mind, and ghostly shadows warn of a terrible evil drawing nearer to the Academy's iron gates. The immortal undead are closing in, and they want vengeance for the lives Rose has stolen. In a heart-stopping battle to rival her worst nightmares, Rose will have to choose between life, love, and the two people who matter most...but will he choice mean that only one can survive?

The Vampire Academy series is easily one of my favorites. Although I've only read the first three books, it's a series that I love to get so completely consumed in that I don't care about anything else. Ha ha. I loved 'Shadow Kiss' so much, it's hard to describe. It's definitely my favorite in the series so far and it completely surpassed my expectations for the series.

'Shadow Kiss' is told through Rose Hathaway. It picks up shortly after 'Frostbite'. Rose is still attending St. Vladimir's Academy and (by the end of the book) is mere months from graduating. She trains like crazy, and all the graduating Dhampir students are partaking in a field exam where they are assigned a Moroi to guard from fake "strogoi" attacks. Rose was, and remains to be, one of my favorite characters in a series. And I can't get enough of her and Dimitri. Their story really heats up in this book. I don't want to give away too much for the people who haven't read this book but I was shocked by the ending!

If you haven't had a chance to read Vampire Academy, or have just been putting it off, I urge you to start reading it! The series just keeps getting better and better. I mean, I can really only say that it's amazing. Richelle Mead is a phenomenal writer and I love reading her books! I desperately want to read the next book in the series, Blood Promise. I'm sure it's going to be just as incredible!

Familiar Origins by B. Pine

Paperback: 438 Pages

Publisher: Silver Leaf Books

ISBN: 978-1-60975-031-2

Release Date: May 1st, 2011

My Rating: 5/5

There is a universe where dragons are supreme sentient beings, second in power only to the Creator of all. These dragons are divided into two factions. The Debellos live to conquer worlds to fuel their powerful magic, while the Tueri strive to protect these worlds and their sentient beings.

One world, teeming with human life and rich with magic, is the perfect illustration of the struggle between the Debellos and the Tueri. Despite their centuries-old deadlock, the dragons know that the very outcome of their conflict depends on which side will gain control of eight special humans. And so both factions watch and wait patiently, hoping to be the first to find the human best suited for them to train and guide. They focus on five young children with the power to challenge dragons, who hold the fate of their world within their hearts and minds.

As these five children grow up, they confront tragedy and horror, betrayal and deception. With their innocence shattered at a tender age, they must learn how to live under the influence of powerful beings wishing to use them for their own ends. They must come to terms with who they are and what their fate holds for them. And they must survive the will of the one Debellos who has ultimate control of all their lives.

'Familiar Origins' is the first installment in 'The Draca Wards Saga'. B. Pine has done an amazing job of creating a new world, with unforgettable characters. 'Familiar Origins' is one of those books that grabs you from the first page, pulls you in, and keeps you there. I mean, what more could you ask for? Magic, shape shifting, dragons, warriors, epic battles. This book has a little bit of everything that turns a good book into a great book!

Normally, I would break down the book a little here and talk about the main character. Unfortunately, there are quite a few main characters and they are all so unique and dominant in their own way, that it's hard to break them down in a quick, sentence long synopsis. I will mention a few of my favorites. One of the characters in the book is Ben. Ben is completely in love with Princess Jania but he can't tell her. Because she's a princess and he's a nobody? Because they are mage partners? Because they are stuck sitting beside each other in class for the next 7 years? I mean, pick one! lol. He's distraught over the whole thing. I also really liked Rohen. He has one of the more tragic, heartbreaking stories in the book. His story was what pulled me initially and made me gasp in shock from the beginning.

Basically, the book is centralized around the academy. All the Wards (the kids like Rohen and Ben) end up going to the academy to hone in on a particular skill. At the Academy the children can become Healers, a Mage, a Scout. There's a lot of possibility. But, they also have special powers, if you will, that make them unique. Like the ability to use night vision, visit the astral plane, sense magic users and other people near them.

I loved 'Familiar Origins' from start to finish. There wasn't anything that I disliked about it...except that it had to end! I'm anxiously awaiting the next book in the series. I can't wait to find out more about the Draca Wards, and the Dragons. If you are a fan of the Harry Potter series, then you will definitely love 'Familiar Origins' so make sure you pick it up and check it out on May 1st!

In My Mailbox

In my mailbox is a weekly event hosted by The Story Siren.

The books I received this week are:

Gift:

Familiar Origins by B. Pine

  I just started reading this one and I absolutely LOVE it so far. Also, if you're looking for debut authors, this is one--->

Random Buzzers:

The Nighmary's by Dan Poblocki

What did you get in your mailbox?