Book Review: Black Spring by Alison Croggon

 

*Received this book from Around the World ARC Tours for review*

Synopsis (from Goodreads):  Inspired by Emily Bronte’s Wuthering Heights, BLACK SPRING reimagines the passionate story in a fantasy 19th century society sustained by wizardry and the vengeance code of vendetta.

Anna spent her childhood with Damek and her volatile foster sister Lina, daughter of the Lord of the village. Lina has magical powers, and in this brutal patriarchal society women with magical powers are put to death as babies. Lina’s father, however, refuses to kill her but when vendetta explodes in their village and Lina’s father dies, their lives are changed forever. Their new guardian Masko sends Anna away and reduces Lina to the status of a servant. Damek—mad with love for Lina—attempts to murder Masko, then vanishes for several years. Anna comes home five years later to find Lina about to marry a pleasant young farmer, and witnesses Damek’s vengeful return and its catastrophic consequences.

Passionate, atmospheric and haunting, BLACK SPRING will stay with readers long after they turn the final page.

My Thoughts:  I read Wuthering Heights in high school and I fell in love with the story.  I was a little worried about reading this book but it has been a really long time since high school and I've forgotten some of the story so I thought it would be okay.

The book started out a little slow for me with the story of Hammel (a.k.a. Mr. Lockwood).  Hammel was leaving the city for the North to put some distance between himself and a lady.  After arriving, he decides to meet the man who is letting him stay at the Red House, despite his housekeeper's warnings.  Halfway to the Master's house, a storm develops and Hammel has to stay the night with the miserable man he finds at the manse.  Hammel meets Damek (Heathcliff) and his young wife, who is quite angry and who is treated very poorly.  After Damek tells his manservant to put Hammel in a room, Hammel spends a very uneasy night and in the morning, he is greeted by the face of a woman with violet eyes in the mirror.  After telling Damek what he sees, Damek goes a little crazy and Hammel quickly leaves.

Once back at the Red House, Hammel gets ill from being out in the storm and the dog bite that he received at Damek's house and has to be nursed back to health by Anna (Nelly).  Anna tells him the story of herself, Damek and a young woman named Lina (Catherine).  You see, Lina and Anna were milk sisters and although Lina had royal blood, she treated Anna like a sister for the first years of their lives.  After Lina's father brings Damek home, Lina instead turns to Damek as her best friend.  After Lina's father dies in an unfortunate accident, the King gives the estate over to a disgusting pig of a man, Masko.  Masko abuses Lina and Damek and Anna both leave.  Anna is summoned back to be Lina's housemaid when Lina is engaged and is shocked by Lina's fragile appearance.  Lina marries and becomes pregnant and then Damek returns.  From there, everything goes downhill.

The one element in this book that wasn't in the original was the wizards and witches.  Wizards have much control over the villages and are greatly feared.  Witches are usually killed.  Lina has the violet eyes of a witch and must be careful.  There is also the "vendetta" which was particularly  disturbing to me.  Vendetta is this:  if someone in the village gets killed, that person's first male relation must then kill his murder.  There is a 40 day grace period between the time the person is killed and the time that the male relation can kill the murderer.  Then that person's first male relation must avenge the death and so on.  This can effectively kill off entire villages.  The people must also pay a "blood tax" on each person that kills.  The people in the villages never knew when or where it would happen but always feared it.  

I really enjoyed this story.  It was very close to what I remember of Wuthering Heights.  It was a dark read and a little slow at the beginning but once I got into Anna's story, I couldn't put the book down.  I enjoyed this retelling of an amazing classic!

 

Blog Tour & Giveaway: Pods by Michelle K. Pickett

**I received this book from Spencer Hill Press for an honest review**

Synopsis (from Goodreads):  Seventeen-year-old Eva is a chosen one. Chosen to live, while others meet a swift and painful death from an incurable virus so lethal, a person is dead within days of symptoms emerging. In the POD system, a series of underground habitats built by the government, she waits with the other chosen for the deadly virus to claim those above. Separated from family and friends, it's in the PODs she meets David. And while true love might not conquer all, it's a balm for the broken soul.

After a year, scientists believe the population has died, and without living hosts, so has the virus. That's the theory, anyway. But when the PODs are opened, survivors find the surface holds a vicious secret. The virus mutated, infecting those left top-side and creating... monsters.

Eva and David hide from the infected in the abandoned PODs. Together they try to build a life--a new beginning. But the infected follow and are relentless in their attacks. Leaving Eva and David to fight for survival, and pray for a cure.

My Thoughts:  This book scared me to death!  Seriously, it did.  The first reason is because I could totally see this happening.  I mean, whether the government releases it or it's some virus that we have never seen, it could totally happen.  The second reason is because I have kids.  Unlike Eva's parents, I have more than one child...I have three.  Now, if you haven't read the book, you won't know why this scared me so I'll tell you.  There are only so many spaces in the Pods for the uninfected to live in.  Therefore, there was a "raffle" and if your social security number was picked, you got to live! I spent the first few chapters thinking "what if this happened and if it did, what if only ONE of my kids got chosen?"  As a parent, how would you deal with that?  Luckily for Eva and her parents, she was an only child.

Eva comes home from school one day to find her parents watching the news.  They immediately turn it off and don't let her see anything because they don't want to worry her.  However, they forgot how rapidly news, especially "end of the world" news travels.  She finds out during school the next day that a virus is very quickly spreading through the world and killing everyone who comes in contact with it.  The government has no cure for it.  They don't even know how it is spreading.  The government decides that they are going to take the "important" people and then some lucky "regular" people underground to live in Pods until the virus is gone.  A raffle is planned for one evening and happens behind closed doors.  Eva is one of the lucky "winners" but her parents are not.

Going into the Pods reminds me a little of the T.V. shows Big Brother or The Real World.  Ten strangers are put into each sub-pod and must learn to live together for the next year.  No one comes in and no one goes out.  Eva is put into a Pod and gets to know her new roommates quickly.  Of course, when you are young (and they were all young) and stuck in a small area together for a long period of time, you are bound to have some romances.  Eva meets David and even though they fought it for awhile (how awkward would a break up be in the Pods??), they end up getting together.  

Everything is going along somewhat smoothly until they are told they are being released.  No one knows yet what is up above but they are told they will be going into "villages" which end up being more like compounds.  David and Eva are separated.  After some time, Eva finds out that there were survivors of the virus.  Some of the survivors are okay but others have a mutated form of the virus that has basically made them into zombies.  Everyone is safe as long as they are in the compounds but of course, that doesn't happen.  

Now outside the compound, but with David again, Eva must fight for her life.  David and Eva are part of a group of "outsiders" that are trying to make it to California.  They are fighting the "zombies" the whole way and lose some friends.  When they find the entrance to the now abandoned Pods, Eva and David show their group and everything goes smoothly until the infected find them again.  Now they must decide whether they stay in the Pods or try to make it to California.  

I liked Eva and David.  They were great characters and very strong but very stubborn.  I liked how Eva chose to fight with the men instead of cower in the circle but I really thought there should have been more of Eva teaching the other girls how to fight not just yelling at them to fight.  There were A LOT of romantic scenes in this book.  Enough that even I wanted to yell at Eva and David to get a room already.  Let me tell you, that must have been some love too because at one point, Eva mentions she hasn't showered in over two weeks, hasn't brushed her teeth in just as long and yet her and David are making out hot and heavy.  All I could think of was morning breath and slimy teeth...yuck!  

I really enjoyed the other characters like Tiffany, George, Jessica and Devlin.  I am hoping to get to hear more about them in the next book.  You know where George is and you know how Tiffany is doing at the end of this book but this book leaves you wondering what happened to the other Pod members and Jessica and Devlin.  

This book will definitely keep you on your toes.  It is filled with action and excitement and you never really know what is going to happen.  There were times when I held my breath right along with Eva while I read through the intense moments.  Make sure you have time to read because once you start this one you will NOT want to put it down until you have finished it!

 Fill out the rafflecopter for a giveaway of PODs!
 

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Book Review: Safe Haven by Nicholas Sparks

 

Synopsis (from Goodreads):  Love hurts. There is nothing as painful as heartbreak. But in order to learn to love again, you must learn to trust again.

When a mysterious young woman named Katie appears in the small North Carolina town of Southport, her sudden arrival raises questions about her past. Beautiful yet self-effacing, Katie seems determined to avoid forming personal ties until a series of events draws her into two reluctant relationships: one with Alex, a widowed store owner with a kind heart and two young children; and another with her plainspoken single neighbor, Jo. Despite her reservations, Katie slowly begins to let down her guard, putting down roots in the close-knit community and becoming increasingly attached to Alex and his family.

But even as Katie begins to fall in love, she struggles with the dark secret that still haunts and terrifies her . . . a past that set her on a fearful, shattering journey across the country, to the sheltered oasis of Southport. With Jo’s empathic and stubborn support, Katie eventually realizes that she must choose between a life of transient safety and one of riskier rewards . . . and that in the darkest hour, love is the only true safe haven.

My Thoughts:   I had this book sitting on my Nook and finally started reading it after watching the movie.  As usual, don't watch the movie first or if you do, don't expect it to be the same as the book.  I hate how they change even the smallest things (like the color of Katie's hair or the daughter's name).  The book was much better than the movie, of course, but reminded me a lot of Sleeping with the Enemy.  I found that towards the end, I could not put it down.

Katie has started a new life in Southport.  She stays to herself and tries to be as invisible as possible.  In a small town that is not easy to do though.  Katie catches the attention of the store owner where she shops.  Alex is a widower with two children.  He used to be a detective in the military and notices Katie right away. The two get to know each other and eventually fall in love.  There is only one thing that gets in their way though.  Katie is already married.  Oh, and her name really isn't Katie.

Katie comes from an abusive relationship.  She is finally able to run away from her husband and lands in this small town.  She is finally starting to get comfortable and falls into a routine that includes Alex and his two children.  It also includes her neighbor, Jo, who has become the friend that Katie didn't think she'd have.  

Through flashbacks we see how Katie came to where she is now.  We are also introduced to Katie's husband, Kevin, about halfway through the book.  That's when things got really interesting for me.  Kevin's thinking is so crazy that you couldn't help but get caught up in it to find out what he would possibly do next.  

I really liked Katie and thought she was extremely brave.  She did what she had to do to preserve her life until she could get away.  When she did get away, she covered her tracks very well.  She was very smart and determined and I liked that about her.  

I loved Alex because he was a great father!  He tried hard to be a huge part of his kids' lives and they were his top priority.  Even when he was dating Katie, he made sure his children were comfortable with it.  Alex figured out what was going on with Katie before Katie told him but he didn't push her to tell him anything.  

Jo was awesome and seriously, when you find out who Jo really is, you will be shocked (unless, like me, you saw the movie first).  She was a great character who was a true friend to Katie.  She offered the best advice and would just listen when Katie needed to talk.  

Kevin was the ultimate bad guy.  He was so psychotic and his reasoning was so crazy that you can't help but want to read more about him.  It's a little like watching a huge spider or snake....it's so creepy and gross but you want to watch because it's fascinating in a creepy way. 

The ending was fast paced and  full of suspense.  There were several things that were surprising to me (that they changed in the movie).  I thought that I would be able to put the book down but I had to stay up late to finish it.  I liked this book because it wasn't strictly romance.  It touched on some hard topics, was a little dark and had some suspense in it.  It does have a happy ending though so you still come away with a "good" feeling.

Top Ten Tuesday

 

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.  This week's topic is the top ten books dealing with tough subjects.

Here are my top ten "tough" books to read:

1.  Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys.  This books deals with WWII  but it's not your typical WWII book about Hitler.  It is about Stalin and his abuse of the Lithuanian people.  It was heartbreaking but a must read!

2.  The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne.  Another WWII book but this time it is about Hitler.  This book is told through the eyes of a young boy who's father has moved the family.   While exploring, he meets another little boy in "striped pajamas" on the other side of the fence.  What happens next is ironic and heartbreaking.

 

3.  Pretty Girl-13 by Liz Coley.  This book was about a girl who was abducted. While reading what happened to the girl and how she dealt with it, I was very disturbed.  It was a very good book but a very difficult one to process.

4.  My Sister's Keeper by Jodi Picoult.  This book deals with cancer and even worse, it deals with a child who has cancer.  It also deals with a sister who is being used (in my opinion) by her parents to cure her sick sister.  It was just a very sad and emotional book and the end was totally ironic.

5.  Breaking Beautiful by Jennifer Shaw Wolf.  This book dealt with death and an abusive/jealous relationship.  While that might be enough of a "tough" subject for some, what made this book a tough read for me was the main character and her self blame and weakness.  I didn't care for the book because of the main character and her pathetic demeanor.  

6.  The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini.  The relationship between Amir and Hassan is amazing.  It also takes place during a time of unrest in Afghanistan.  An extremely emotional read about friendship and betrayal.

7.  The Murder's Daughters by Randy Susan Meyers.  This book deals with domestic violence, murder, guilt and forgiveness.  It definitely worth reading despite the difficult topics.

8.  Salem Falls by Jodi Picoult.  This is a book about false accusations.  It amazes me at how some people do not understand the consequences of their actions or their words.  A false accusation will follow someone even after proven untrue.  When someone accuses someone of something just to "get even", it really bothers me.  That's what you've got in this book.

 

9.  Night by Elie Weisel.  This is another heartbreaking book about WWII.  I had to read this in high school along with The Diary of Anne Frank.  This one affected me SO much more than Anne Frank did.  It was so amazing.  This is a book my kids will definitely be made to read!

10.  Something Like Normal by Trish Doller.  This book was about PTSD.  Travis comes home from war where his friend was killed.  It is so emotional!  I read this book in one day...it was that good!

These are my top ten tough reads.  What are yours?

Book Review: Parallel by Lauren Miller

**Thank you to HarperCollins for a review copy**

Synopsis (from Goodreads):
Abby Barnes had a plan. The Plan. She'd go to Northwestern, major in journalism, and land a job at a national newspaper, all before she turned twenty-two. But one tiny choice—taking a drama class her senior year of high school—changed all that. Now, on the eve of her eighteenth birthday, Abby is stuck on a Hollywood movie set, miles from where she wants to be, wishing she could rewind her life. The next morning, she's in a dorm room at Yale, with no memory of how she got there. Overnight, it's as if her past has been rewritten.

With the help of Caitlin, her science-savvy BFF, Abby discovers that this new reality is the result of a cosmic collision of parallel universes that has Abby living an alternate version of her life. And not only that: Abby's life changes every time her parallel self makes a new choice. Meanwhile, her parallel is living out Abby's senior year of high school and falling for someone Abby's never even met.

As she struggles to navigate her ever-shifting existence, forced to live out the consequences of a path she didn't choose, Abby must let go of the Plan and learn to focus on the present, without losing sight of who she is, the boy who might just be her soul mate, and the destiny that's finally within reach.

My Thoughts:  While this book had me completely confused at points, I thought it was very entertaining and definitely interesting.  It kept me on my toes and even though I had to reread certain parts just to try to understand it, I finished it quickly.

Abby is living a life that most almost 18 year old girls would love to live!  She is in Hollywood filming a movie with one of the hottest actors.  However, for Abby, it wasn't how she had her life planned and she was miserable.  She had had her whole senior year of high school planned out so that she could get into the college she wanted to go too and pursue the career she wanted. When the teacher of her music class decided not to teach it after all, she was thrown into Drama which led to her being completely out of control of her life.  

The night before her 18th birthday, she goes out with her fellow actors to party.  When she wakes up the next morning, she is at Yale.  Abby has no recollection how she got there or who her roommate is.  Luckily, her best friend, Caitlin is there to help. With the help of Caitlin and Dr. Mann, Abby figures out she is living an alternate life.  

I could really relate to Abby because like her, I am a Type-A, control freak personality.  When things don't go my way, I tend to have serious freak outs.  I have to have things planned down to the very smallest detail.  I totally felt Abby's pain when her plans for senior year got screwed up.  I can see how she could get annoying to some people though with her constant need to be in control but I got it.  

Caitlin was an awesome character!  She looked like a super-model (in fact, her mother is one) but she is a nerdy scientist underneath all those good looks.  She is so smart and doesn't care that she is beautiful.  She cares about getting into Yale and spending time in the lab.  She also isn't perfect.  She has dyslexia which causes her to have some low self-esteem.  I just liked how she was gorgeous but wasn't your typical popular, beautiful girl.  She was popular and beautiful but she had learning problems and liked science.  

A couple things I didn't like...the book was very jumpy.  You jumped between Abby's current life and then a year ago, where Abby was living her parallel life.  Some of it got a little confusing.  I also had no clue what Dr. Mann and Caitlin were talking about when they discussed the parallel universe.  I reread it several times and still didn't really get it.  I am not sure that I liked the twist at the end either.  It was a huge twist and I didn't see it coming at all but I am just not sure how I felt about it.  

I really enjoyed the concept of this book.  I liked how every day Abby experienced something new because of some choice her parallel made the year before.  Abby never knew what was going to happen and had to learn to just go with the flow.  This book really makes you think about how every decision you make could totally change the course of your life.  

This book was interesting and I didn't want to put it down.  Even though it was a little confusing at times, it held me attention through the whole book.  

Spring Fling Giveaway Hop Winner Announced!

It's time to announce the winner for the Spring Fling Giveaway Hop!  A big congratulations goes out to.....

Tabitha S.!

The winner has been emailed and has 3 days to email me back with an address or I will pick a new winner.  

Thank you to all who entered and all my new followers!  I now have over 1,000 followers!  So....stay tuned for another giveaway coming up in the next couple of days to celebrate that!

 

Teaser Tuesday: Parallel by Lauren Miller

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

This week my teaser comes from Parallel by Lauren Miller.  

 


"When you make sense of the chaos, the chaos disappears.  Or maybe, what looked at first like chaos never was." 
~page 205 of Parallel by Lauren Miller.

*quote taken from an ARC and subject to change*

Book Review: Insomnia by J. R. Johansson

**I received this book from NetGalley for an honest review**

 

Synopsis (from Goodreads):  It’s been four years since I slept, and I suspect it is killing me.

Instead of sleeping, Parker Chipp enters the dream of the last person he’s had eye contact with. He spends his nights crushed by other people’s fear and pain, by their disturbing secrets—and Parker can never have dreams of his own. The severe exhaustion is crippling him. If nothing changes, Parker could soon be facing psychosis and even death.

Then he meets Mia. Her dreams, calm and beautifully uncomplicated, allow him blissful rest that is utterly addictive. Parker starts going to bizarre lengths to catch Mia’s eye every day. Everyone at school thinks he’s gone over the edge, even his best friend. And when Mia is threatened by a true stalker, everyone thinks it’s Parker.

Suffering blackouts, Parker begins to wonder if he is turning into someone dangerous. What if the monster stalking Mia is him after all?

 

My Thoughts:  Imagine going to sleep but not really sleeping.  This is how Parker has lived his life for the last 4 years.  His body sleeps but his mind ends up in other people's dreams and does not get the rest it needs.  After four years of this, Parker is getting worried about how much longer this can go on before he dies.  His mom thinks he is on drugs and his doctor's only solution (to a problem he doesn't really know about) is to give Parker sleeping pills.  Nothing works and Parker has come to the realization that he may die before he even graduates.  Everything seems hopeless until he meets Mia. 

 

Parker doesn't just see into anyone's dreams...it's the last person he has made eye contact with.  After almost causing an accident, Parker looks into Mia's eyes at the end of the day.  Not only is Mia beautiful and fiesty, she has the calmest dreams that Parker has ever been in.  They are so calm that Parker can actually fall asleep in her dreams.  After one night of actual sleep, Parker is addicted.  He goes out of his way to find Mia and make sure she is the last person he makes eye contact with at the end of the day.

 

Of course, this gets a little creepy.  Parker is stalking Mia and becoming a true addict.  He is not himself and will do anything to make sure that Mia is the only person he makes eye contact with at the end of the day.  He skips soccer, alienates his best friend and his best friend's sister and worries his mother to no end.  He also starts to freak Mia out.  She wants nothing to do with Parker and is terrified when he comes anywhere near her.  

 

Parker knows he is acting crazy but he can't help it.  Until Mia's dreams start to change.  No more is the calm dream where Parker can sleep.  Now it is a terrifying nightmare where the star bad guy is Parker.  He realizes then that he needs to leave Mia alone but finds out that Mia really is being stalked by someone else...maybe.  Parker can't tell if the mysterious stalker is really a mysterious stalker or if it is him.  He has to find out before someone gets hurt.

 

I liked Parker and felt sorry for him and his lack of sleep but sometimes he annoyed the heck out of me!  His mom was being a typical mom and would ask him if he was doing drugs and search his room.  You have to remember that Parker hasn't slept in 4 years.  He doesn't look so great and then after he meets Mia, he stops playing soccer and becomes a different person altogether.  What else is his poor mom going to think?  But he was just horrible to her.  I got tired of his "poor me" party and just wanted to smack him at times and say "tell someone"!  I understand why he was hesitant to tell anyone (who would believe it?) but guess what?  He can prove it!  All he had to do was watch the person's dreams and he could describe them to the person so I don't understand why he didn't do that with the doctor.  Why did he not try hypnosis himself?  His neediness for Mia is also understandable but at the same time completely annoying and creepy.

 

I liked Mia except for at the end during the climax.  I have a phobia of needles and yet I still get my shots and get blood drawn when I need too (heck, I had an amnio and 3 c-sections...talk about some big needles!) but Mia was completely pathetic when faced with fire.  I was annoyed at her lack of fighting back.  Other than that though, I thought she was a great character.

 

Finn and Addie were the best characters in this book!  Finn is so funny and sarcastic.  I loved him and his loyalty to Parker even when Parker was a complete jerk to him.  Addie was sweet and of course, you can see the romance between her and Parker coming from a mile away.  It was sweet though and I really like her and Parker together. 

 

This book was very addictive and very hard to put down.  There are so many questions and you end up questioning whether Parker is the good guy or not.  The ending was a little disappointing but it led into the next book well.  It was definitely a different book for me and I enjoyed it!

 

 

Book Review: Last Sacrifice by Richelle Mead

Synopsis (from Goodreads):  They come first.

My vision was growing dimmer, the blackness and ghosts closing in. I swore it was like I could hear Robert whispering in my ear: The world of the dead won't give you up a second time. Just before the light completely vanished, I saw Dimitri's face join Lissa's. I wanted to smile. I decided then that if the two people I loved most were safe, I could leave this world.

The dead could finally have me.

Rose Hathaway has always played by her own rules. She broke the law when she ran away from St. Vladimir's Academy with her best friend and last surviving Dragomir princess, Lissa. She broke the law when she fell in love with her gorgeous, off-limits instructor, Dimitri. And she dared to defy Queen Tatiana, leader of the Moroi world, risking her life and reputation to protect generations of dhampir guardians to come.

Now the law has finally caught up with Rose - for a crime she didn't even commit. She's in prison for the highest offense imaginable: the assassination of a monarch. She'll need help from both Dimitri and Adrian to find the one living person who can stall her execution and force the Moroi elite to acknowledge a shocking new candidate for the royal throne: Vasilisa Dragomir.

But the clock on Rose's life is running out. Rose knows in her heart the world of the dead wants her back...and this time she is truly out of second chances. The big question is, when your whole life is about saving others, who will save you?

Join Rose, Dimitri, Adrian, and Lissa in Last Sacrifice, the epic, unforgettable finale to Richelle Mead's international #1 bestselling Vampire Academy series.

My Thoughts:  I have loved this series since I started it.  It was one of those series where I could relate to the characters and could really immerse myself in their world.  So, when this book became available for preorder, I ordered it and anxiously waited for it to be delivered to my Nook.  And it was delivered....and there it sat for TWO LONG YEARS!  Yep, it was one of those books.  I had to have it but then couldn't find the time to read it.  

I finally started it in February of this year.  I think it is pretty obvious it doesn't usually take me long to read books.  And this was one of those really good books.  I think I dragged it out because it was the end.  I hate endings!  Anyways, I finished it and I loved it!

Rose has been arrested for the murder of Queen Tatiana.  Dimitri, who has just been restored from being Strigoi, still isn't quite trusted by anyone and he has pushed Rose away because he doesn't feel worthy of her love.  When Dimitri and a couple other guardians show up during Queen Tatiana's funeral and break Rose out of prison, she is shocked and confused.  With the help of Rose's father, Abe, and Adrian and Lissa, Dimitri is able to get Rose out of Court and from there we head out on a quest to find out who really killed Tatiana and who Lissa's illegitimate sibling is.  

This book was full of twists and turns and filled with mystery and excitement.  There are lots of characters from the first few books that resurface (Sonya Karp, Mikhail, etc) and I enjoyed catching up on them. I think Sydney is one of my favorite characters from the last book so I was glad to see her again in this book. I loved how involved she was and am very happy Mead is writing a spin-off (of which I have already read book 1) with Sydney.   I enjoyed how Lissa proved that she could get along with Rose and I loved the little twist at the ending regarding their bond.  

Dimitri and Adrian and Rose...the ultimate love triangle!  I was very happy with how it ended.  I felt bad for the guy that was left behind but I was happy with who Rose ended up with.   

This is an amazing series!  I am glad I finally finished it but also sad that it is over.  If you haven't read the series, I strongly suggest you go get them and enjoy them!  I have no doubt that you WILL enjoy them!

 

Spring Fling Giveaway Hop

This hop is hosted by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer & Eve’s Fan Garden.  It is open from May 1 to May 7. 

I am giving away an ARC copy of September Girls by Bennett Madison.

Synopsis:  When Sam's dad whisks him and his brother off to a remote beach town for the summer, he's all for it-- at first. Sam soon realizes, though, that this place is anything but ordinary. Time seems to slow down around here, and everywhere he looks, there are beautiful blond girls. Girls who seem inexplicably drawn to him.

Then Sam meets DeeDee, one of the Girls, and she's different from the others. Just as he starts to fall for her, she pulls away, leaving him more confused than ever. He knows that if he's going to get her back, he'll have to uncover the secret of this beach and the girls who live here.


So, all you have to do is fill out the Rafflecopter below!  Giveaway is US only.  Winner will be notified by email and will have 3 days to respond before I pick another winner.   Don't forget to check out all the other great giveaways!


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Book Review: All I Need by Susane Colasanti

**I received this book from Around the World ARC Tours for review**

Summary (from Goodreads):  The last night of summer is only the beginning.

Skye wants to meet the boy who will change her life forever. Seth feels their instant connection the second he sees her. When Seth starts talking to Skye at the last beach party of the summer, it’s obvious to both of them that this is something real. But when Seth leaves for college before they exchange contact info, Skye wonders if he felt the same way she did—and if she will ever see him again. Even if they find their way back to each other, can they make a long-distance relationship work despite trust issues, ex drama, and some serious background differences?

Teen favorite Susane Colasanti returns to the alternating-voice style of her beloved debut When It Happens in this Serendipity-inspired story about summer, soul mates, and the moments that change our lives forever.

 

My Thoughts: I'm going to be completely honest right away....I read 2/3 of this book and then I just skimmed the last part.  By skim, I mean I glanced through to see what happened but that's it.  I could not get into this one at all.

 

Skye spends the summers at her beach house.  Every year, there is a party on the beach and every year, Skye hopes to find "the one".  Now, I remember being a teen and going to a party hoping that there was some cute boy there that I could flirt with.  However, I never expected to find "THE ONE" because I was so young.  

 

Well, lucky for Skye, this summer she meets Seth and there is an instant connection.  It was love at first sight and all that stuff that most of us scoff at.  They spend the next couple days together but don't exchange any information like their last names, addresses, where they are even from, etc.  This struck me as kinda funny.  I mean, even in high school, I would introduce myself with my full name.  Getting to know someone usually includes finding out where they are from.  Skye and Seth spent a whole evening and day together and never even talked about where they were from?  

 

The last day, Seth and Skye are suppose to meet up and exchange all that information but Seth never shows.  So Skye goes back to high school (her junior year) and Seth starts college.  But neither of them can forget the other.

 

I had a hard time dealing with Skye during her junior year.  She compared every other guy to Seth and seriously couldn't move past him.  He was her soulmate and the only one for her.  It got really annoying and I felt she was very childish.  She certainly did not strike me as a junior in high school.

 

Seth was a little better and I liked reading about his first year in college.  I remember all those wonderful things you must deal with...the loud music through the walls, the skanky roommate (or in this case, the guy next door's roommate) who had sex while you were still in the room, the hard choices of having to decide your major, etc.  I related to Seth a whole lot more than I did Skye.  

 

The next summer (this book spans 3 years), Skye and Seth meet back up at the beach and are still madly in love with each other.  This time they exchange all the important information and make it official.  After summer, Seth visits Skye....and that is as far as I got.  During my "skimming", I did see that there was one (and only one) conflict/fight that the two of them had but other than that, it was all too fake for me.  

 

I would have a hard time recommending this book because 1.  I didn't enjoy it at all and 2.  I am not sure what age group it should be for.  It is way too childish for anyone older than 15 (in my opinion) but deals with more mature matters (such as sex, etc.) that is too old for anyone younger than 15 to read.  I guess if you like "fluffy" books that have a happy ending, you will probably like this one.  It just was not for me though.

 

  

Book Review: The Beginning of Everything by Robin Schneider

**I received this book from Around the World ARC Tours for review**

Synopsis (from Goodreads):  Golden boy Ezra Faulkner believes everyone has a tragedy waiting for them—a single encounter after which everything that really matters will happen. His particular tragedy waited until he was primed to lose it all: in one spectacular night, a reckless driver shatters Ezra’s knee, his athletic career, and his social life.

No longer a front-runner for Homecoming King, Ezra finds himself at the table of misfits, where he encounters new girl Cassidy Thorpe. Cassidy is unlike anyone Ezra’s ever met, achingly effortless, fiercely intelligent, and determined to bring Ezra along on her endless adventures.

But as Ezra dives into his new studies, new friendships, and new love, he learns that some people, like books, are easy to misread. And now he must consider: if one’s singular tragedy has already hit and everything after it has mattered quite a bit, what happens when more misfortune strikes?

Robyn Schneider’s The Beginning of Everything is a lyrical, witty, and heart-wrenching novel about how difficult it is to play the part that people expect, and how new beginnings can stem from abrupt and tragic endings.

 

My Thoughts:  First off, let me say that this book has been renamed and will be published as The Beginning of Everything.  This, in my opinion, is SO unfortunate!  The original title so funny and fit the book perfectly!

 

Anyways, I really enjoyed this book and was surprised by how much I actually liked it.  Ezra was the typical popular jock during his junior year of high school.  He was a tennis star, dating a beautiful and popular girl and went to all the great parties.  He had everything going for him until one fateful night when an accident changed his life forever.  

Ezra starts out his senior year alone after shutting out all his old friends.  He is unsure where he will fit in now that he can't play tennis anymore.  When his old friend, Toby, takes Ezra under his wing, Ezra finds out how fake his old life was.  Ezra meets a new girl, joins the debate team and becomes friends with the "nerd" group.  With the help of Cassidy, Toby and the rest of the group, Ezra finally figures out who he really is and what he wants out of life.  

I loved Ezra and Cassidy's relationship.  There was no insta-love which I was grateful for.  They were friends first and I loved their friendly (and sometimes not so friendly) banter towards each other.  The mystery behind Cassidy was sad and explained a lot.  I was sad at the end with what happens with Cassidy but you know what?  It was real and I appreciate that.  I get tired of always having happy endings because that just isn't life.

Toby was awesome!  He was quirky and had his own style and I love that he just plain didn't care what others thought of him.  He had a very traumatic thing happen to him when he was younger that he constantly got teased about but he didn't feel sorry for himself.  I also loved how he didn't hold a grudge against Ezra.  He just carried on like nothing had ever happened.  

I thought this book was funny, sad, and romantic all at once.  It showed how great friends never really lose that friendship, even if they grow apart.  I really enjoyed it and found this book hard to put down. It was very engaging and a realistic read. I only wish the original title would have been kept.

Teaser Tuesday: Severed Heads, Broken Hearts by Robyn Schneider

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

"How many beers do ya'll think it takes before one internationally respected scientist turns to another and says, 'Dude, bet you twenty bucks I can levitate a frog with a magnet?'" Sam drawled.

 ~Page 81 of Severed Heads, Broken Hearts by Robyn Schneider

**quote taken from an ARC and subject to change**

Book Review: Hourglass by Myra McEntire

Synopsis (from Goodreads):  One hour to rewrite the past . . .

For seventeen-year-old Emerson Cole, life is about seeing what isn't there: swooning Southern Belles; soldiers long forgotten; a haunting jazz trio that vanishes in an instant. Plagued by phantoms since her parents' death, she just wants the apparitions to stop so she can be normal. She's tried everything, but the visions keep coming back.

So when her well-meaning brother brings in a consultant from a secretive organization called the Hourglass, Emerson's willing to try one last cure. But meeting Michael Weaver may not only change her future, it may also change her past.

Who is this dark, mysterious, sympathetic guy, barely older than Emerson herself, who seems to believe every crazy word she says? Why does an electric charge seem to run through the room whenever he's around? And why is he so insistent that he needs her help to prevent a death that never should've happened.

 

My Thoughts:  I bought this book when it first came out because I really wanted to read it.  I haven't read anything about time travel yet so the idea intrigued me.  However, life happens and ARCs kept coming and this book just kept getting pushed down the pile.  Well, I took a little bit of a break from blogging due to house problems and packed all my books when I moved.  My sister returned this book to me and since it was one of the few I had that wasn't in a box in a garage somewhere, I was finally able to read it!

 

Emerson is an interesting character.  She has dealt with a lot in her life but I never saw the twist at the end coming...the twist of how Landers found her.  But...Emerson is special.  She can see "rips" better known as ghosts or spirits.  Emerson, who lives with her older brother and his wife, isn't sure how to handle this so her brother brings in a specialist, Michael, to help her.   Michael is from an organization called the Hourglass.  

 

Of course, Emerson and Michael have an instant attraction but the romance is forbidden.  That doesn't stop Emerson though.  Then Kaleb enters the picture and there is a (very) small love triangle.  

Together, Emerson, Michael and Kaleb have to figure out how to go back in time and change the past...without, you know, changing the past.  They can't "disrupt" the timeline so they have to get it just right.  And there is a bad guy that tries to mess it all up.  

One of the things I did have a problem with was Lily, Emerson's best friend.  She was huge in the beginning, always being there for Emerson.  Lily even has her own special abilities that briefly get touched upon but then...poof!  She's gone.  Okay, she's not really gone but she falls WAY back in the book.  I think there is one or two mentions of Lily during the time travel period but that's all.  Emerson gives her a call to warn her about something and then Emerson calls her after everything is over to tell her she can't work at the coffee shop anymore and that's it.  No more on Lily's ability or even her just being there for her bestie.  It was slightly disappointing as I liked her character a lot.

 

Still, I was completely engrossed in this book.  The twists and turns were unexpected and the romance was hot!  I loved that it wasn't too much science fiction (that just loses me) but this book was very easy to understand.   I am very glad I have the second book...and it's even on my Nook so I don't have to dig through boxes to read it!

Teaser Tuesday: Hourglass by Myra McEntire

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

"I'd been emotionally naked with him on the couch while Ava had been asleep upstairs.  
And from the way she was looking at him, they were way more than friends." ~Page 170 of Hourglass by Myra McEntire.

Book Review: Night School by C.J. Daugherty

**I received this book from Around the World ARC Tours for review**

Synopsis (from Around the World ARC Tours):   

Allie’s world is falling apart…

She hates her school. Her brother has run away. And she’s just been arrested. 

Again. 

Now her parents are sending her away to a boarding school where she doesn’t know a soul.

But instead of hating her new school, Allie finds she’s happy there. She’s making friends. And then there’s Sylvain, a suave French student who openly flirts with her. And Carter, the brooding loner who seems to have her back.

Soon, though, Allie discovers Cimmeria Academy is no ordinary school. Nothing there is as it seems. And her new friends are hiding dangerous secrets.

My Thoughts:  I devoured this book!  Really....I didn't want to put it down because there are SO many questions to find the answers too and so many mysteries to solve!

Allie used to be a good girl.  She used to get good grades, obey her parents and stay out of trouble.  Then something happened that changed Allie.  Now she is getting arrested (3 times in one year!) and causing her parents all sorts of trouble.  Her parents are at a loss of what to do with Allie after her third arrest and send her off to a mysterious boarding school, Cimmeria.  

Unexpectedly, Allie starts to enjoy her time at the school.  She makes some great friends, is pursued by 2 boys (yes...another love triangle) and gets along with most of her teachers.  There are some weird things happening however...mysterious voices and footsteps in the night, an incident in the walled garden and Night School.  Night School is only for certain students and is extremely secretive.  

After the Summer Ball, everything at the school changes for Allie and the other students.  Now everyone is in danger and Allie wants to know what is going on.  When she finds out some startling revelations about her own family, she decides to take things in her own hands and find the answers to all the questions surrounding her family and the school.

I really enjoyed Allie's character.  She was definitely rebellious and stubborn but also very caring.  She keeps her head held high when things at the school get tough and is smart when it comes to her friends.  I also really liked Rachel.  She was a very good friend to Allie and I liked how she didn't really care what people thought but also she knew everything about them and liked to gossip (although she didn't gossip to be spiteful).  I just liked how real she was.  Carter was another favorite of mine because he was snarky and also didn't care what others thought of him.  His circumstances were different from the other kids at Cimmeria and so that made him a very likeable character to me.

I wasn't huge on the whole ending and the explanation we got.  It seemed like it could have been bigger, ya know?  Maybe there will be more in the next book because honestly, you don't get a lot of explanation as to who these people are (names omitted to avoid spoilers) or what they are doing but the big ending just wasn't very big.  That being said, I would still recommend this book because I think it can only get better as the series goes on!

This book kept me on my toes through the WHOLE book!  Seriously, there was not a boring moment in this book.  I didn't want to put the book down because I had to get the answers and now I am impatiently waiting for the next book in the series because I didn't get a lot of answers I wanted!  Daugherty definitely knows how to keep you intrigued!  

Book Review: Spellbinding by Maya Gold

**I received this book from Around the World ARC Tours for review**

Synopsis (from Goodreads):  There's more than one way to be powerful . . .

It is during a routine school project that Abby Silva--sixteen and nearly friendless--makes a startling discovery: She is descended from women who were accused of witchcraft back in 1600s Salem. And when Abby visits nearby Salem, strange, inexplicable events start to unfold. Objects move when she wills them to. Candles burst into sudden flame. And an ancient spellbook somehow winds up in her possession.

Trying to harness her newfound power, Abby concocts a love potion to win over her longtime crush--and exact revenge upon his cruel, bullying girlfriend. But old magic is not to be trifled with. Soon, Abby is thrust headlong into a world of hexes, secrets, and danger. And then there's Rem Anders, the beautiful, mysterious Salem boy who seems to know more about Abby than he first lets on.

A reckoning is coming, and Abby will have to make sense of her history--and her heart--before she can face the powerful truth.

 

My Thoughts:  Ah, I had such high hopes for this book.  You see, I love reading about witches...shhh...don't tell anyone in my church.  It's apparently a no-no (this is a whole other rant for a whole other post though).  Anyways, I had hopes that this would be a fun book about witches with maybe a little history thrown in, since we are talking about the Salem Witch Trials.  

 

Sadly, this book was a huge disappointment.  I mean....HUGE!  I will tell you the one good thing about it though.  It's a very easy read so you get through it quickly...if you don't throw it out a window in pure frustration first. 

Let's start with Abby, the main character.  She is supposedly 16 but acts like she is 12.  She has only one friend and of course, has a huge crush on the most popular guy in school.  He is dating the most popular (and very mean) girl in school, who is also perfect in every way.  Abby doesn't stand a chance with Travis.  

In her history class, Abby is assigned a project to trace back her family tree.  She finds out that she is a descendant of a witch.  After she finds out this little tidbit, she suddenly has "magical" powers.  She aces her driver's test (after a little magical help) and heads into Salem to do more research.  There she finds a guy, Rem, who catches her attention (hello love triangle).  She also finds a job.  She has no car and no way to get to the job but she takes it because it's in Salem and guess what?  Everything "magically" works out for Abby.  She gets a car and can suddenly drive over the big bridge with no fear, even though she has had a crippling fear of water/bridges.

As things start falling into place for Abby, she suddenly has more confidence.  The new found confidence, along with a spellbook that found it's way into her bag, and she has decided to steal Travis away from Megan, who has been increasingly mean to Abby.  She casts an attraction spell on Travis and when he starts following her around like a little puppy dog, she starts to fall for Rem.  It was so annoying! Then, she decides to get back at Rem for something and she casts the full blown love spell on Travis.  Now, I know I am not the first person to ask this but why?  Why cast a spell on someone to "love" you when you know it's not really love?  And it NEVER works out.  

Abby is very childish, selfish and whiny.  She is horrible to her dad's new (and very nice) girlfriend and actually does some horrible magic curses on her. I could not relate to Abby at all.  Maybe it's because I'm not 12.  A younger girl might have more fun with this book and Abby.  As for me, she just was not a  likable character.

Travis was too perfect and then he was too pathetic.  I know it was the spell that caused him to be this way but it was super annoying.  Rem and Dyami (Abby's boss) were the most interesting character's for me.  

The ending fell flat for me as well.  It was rushed and just didn't work.  Everything gets wrapped up in a pretty little bow and ends up perfect.  Again, didn't work for me.  So, sadly this book did not do it for me...at all!  I think younger girls (think ages 12-14) might enjoy it but once you get a little older, you are going to be annoyed by it.  

Teaser Tuesday: Spellbinding by Maya Gold

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:
• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My Teaser is from Spellbinding by Maya Gold.

"Or have I inherited something else from my forebears - not magic, but madness?  There's a word for people who hear voices and see things, and it's schizophrenic."  ~ Page 45 of Spellinbinding by Maya Gold

*Quote taken from an ARC and is subject to change*