Win a signed copy of Wake and a bunch of swag!

Just Blinded Book Reviews is having a giveaway!  Wake by Lisa McMann and a bunch of swag!  To enter go here.

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

I'm finally getting a chance to post my review!  Woo hoo!  It was AWESOME!  First a little back story.  I had this on my wishlist for awhile, the library didn't have it and wouldn't commit to buying it, and it was a little expensive new so I was putting it off.  Then when I heard my friend Lori (Pure Imagination) said she was going to a signing I said "screw it!"  I LOVE signed copies!  So I asked her to get me one.  Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl both signed it TO ME!  Most of my signed copies of books are just signed, but this one is directly to ME!  Not sure why it's such a big deal to me, but I guess it's cause I'm a book addict/whore.  Seriously.  I'll spend so much more on a signed copy that one that isn't.  Anyway, I got it the end of January but I had a TON of books come in from the library so I had to read them first.  I finally got to this one four days ago and I just wanted to keep reading it!  It's 563 pgs (if I remember correctly) so it takes a little bit of time.  But it's young adult so it's certainly not heavy reading.  The book intrigued me from the beginning because the narrating character is a male.  Not sure why that struck me this time, as I'm sure I've read plenty of books that are narrated from a male, but this one I must have assumed was going to be a female.  Especially since the one with 'uniqueness' (sorry, don't want to give any spoilers!) is the female. 
This book was beautifully written.  I think someone said it's a gothic fantasy (or something like that!) and I think gothic is a great word to describe it.  It was dark and light, and happy and sad and everything in between.  It's a story of friendship and love, enemies and hate.  It's a story of the south how I imagine it could really be (have been told it is, to a certain extent).  It has strong side characters that are imperative to the story and really add to the whole thing.  Several of them I could read about all day (the 3 aunts are so funny!).
I could really go on about this much longer but I've got two kiddos crying and jabbering at me and keeping my train of thought is getting mighty difficult!  So I'm just going to add that I can't wait for the next book and this is a book I'll proudly display and will urge everyone to read!    5 stars!

First Drop of Crimson by Jeaniene Frost

Description:
From the New York Times bestselling author of the Night Huntress series comes a breathtaking new journey to the dark side of desire.
The night is not safe for mortals. Denise MacGregor knows all too well what lurks in the shadows—her best friend is half-vampire Cat Crawfield—and she has already lost more than the average human could bear. But her family's past is wrapped in secrets and shrouded in darkness—and a demon shapeshifter has marked Denise as prey. Now her survival depends on an immortal who lusts for a taste of her.
He is Spade, a powerful, mysterious vampire who has walked the earth for centuries and is now duty-bound to protect this endangered, alluring human—even if it means destroying his own kind. Denise may arouse his deepest hungers, but Spade knows he must fight his urge to have her as they face the nightmare together . . .
Because once the first crimson drop falls, they will both be lost.

My review:
WOWZA!  Jeaniene did it again!  She wrote an amazing story with characters you can't help but fall in love with (I certainly would NOT mind having my own Spade!).  This is the first spin off of the Night Huntress series and I wasn't sad that Cat and Bones weren't the main characters.  Sure I missed them, but Spade and Denise were fantastic characters and I would love to read more about them.  They could have their own series now!  Sadly I don't believe that to be the plan.  I am excited to read more of the spin off books, the next being with Mencheres and a new character.  With this book the story was unique (though some parts I suppose are just characteristic of romances and that aspect can't be avoided, and I'm NOT talking about sex!) and it had some interesting twists and turns.  I can't wait for her next book!

As a side note, Jeaniene is only getting better and better.  Each book seems better then the last to me and although I've enjoyed all her books the first couple were four stars.  Can't remember what I've rated the last one or so, but this one made it all the way to 5 stars!  I really did love Spade!  And I know some people might stone me, but I think I might like him more then Bones!  *ducking from the stones*
For those of you non romance lovers (*me, me!*), this book, as with all of Jeaniene Frosts' books, are not all romance.  No, there is much much more to the story!  This book only had 2 sex scenes, I believe. 

The Dark Divine by Bree Despain

Description: Grace Divine, daughter of the local pastor, always knew something terrible happened the night Daniel Kalbi disappeared--the night she found her brother Jude collapsed on the porch, covered in his own blood--but she has no idea what a truly monstrous secret that night held.

The memories her family has tried to bury resurface when Daniel returns, three years later, and enrolls in Grace and Jude's high school. Despite promising Jude she'll stay away, Grace cannot deny her attraction to Daniel's shocking artistic abilities, his way of getting her to look at the world from new angles, and the strange, hungry glint in his eyes.

The closer Grace gets to Daniel, the more she jeopardizes her life, as her actions stir resentment in Jude and drive him to embrace the ancient evil Daniel unleashed that horrific night. Grace must discover the truth behind the boy's dark secret...and the cure that can save the ones she loves. But she may have to lay down the ultimate sacrifice to do it--her soul.

My review
This was a WOW book for me. It pulled me in from page one and it held my attention (rapt attention, might I add!) until the last page. I hated putting the book down, I just wanted to read straight through!   I really felt more connected to these characters because it seemed more realistic then so many other young adult books. It seems like so much of the time the kids are free to run amock and have no rules and no one to answer to. The fact that they were expected to help out and had rules just made it more real for me.
In this book the author keeps you guessing about what is really going on though she does a great job of foreshadowing you don't really know for sure. There are twists and turns that keep you wondering if your guess is wrong. One major factor of the story is the relationship between Grace and Daniel and her brother Jude. Grace and Daniel are obviously attracted to each other but Jude makes it clear he hates Daniel. Grace feels torn about who to be true to.
5 Stars!!!!


I was almost finished when I sat in on a chat with the author. I'd wanted to finish it so I wouldn't get spoilers, but I couldn't quite do it. So I did end up hearing some spoilers that would have totally surprised me if I hadn't found them out. I did find out some great things though and can't wait for the next book! Tentative release for December '10.

Linger giveaway!!!! ARC's ROCK!

In Maggie Stiefvater's Shiver, Grace and Sam found each other.  Now, in Linger, they must fight to be together. For Grace, this means defying her parents and keeping a very dangerous secret about her own well-being. For Sam, this means grappling with his werewolf past . . . and figuring out a way to survive into the future. Add into the mix a new wolf named Cole, whose own past has the potential to destroy the whole pack.  And Isabelle, who already lost her brother to the wolves . . . and is nonetheless drawn to Cole.

At turns harrowing and euphoric, Linger is a spellbinding love story that explores both sides of love -- the light and the dark, the warm and the cold -- in a way you will never forget.

Comes out in stores everywhere July 20th. Pre-order here.

Enter to win an advanced review copies of LINGER, Sisters Red, The Dead-Tossed Waves, and The Replacement on Maggie's blog.

Soulless by Gail Carriger

Description:

Alexia Tarabotti is laboring under a great many social tribulations. First, she has no soul. Second, she's a spinster whose father is both Italian and dead. Third, she was rudely attacked by a vampire, breaking all standards of social etiquette. Where to go from there? From bad to worse apparently, for Alexia accidentally kills the vampire -- and then the appalling Lord Maccon (loud, messy, gorgeous, and werewolf) is sent by Queen Victoria to investigate. With unexpected vampires appearing and expected vampires disappearing, everyone seems to believe Alexia responsible. Can she figure out what is actually happening to London's high society? Will her soulless ability to negate supernatural powers prove useful or just plain embarrassing? Finally, who is the real enemy, and do they have treacle tart? SOULLESS is a comedy of manners set in Victorian London: full of werewolves, vampires, dirigibles, and tea-drinking.

Review:

The storyline was great and well thought out as well as unique. In a world saturated with paranormal I was very happy to get unique! I enjoyed the characters, particularly Lord Alkamend (sorry, can't remember the spelling and already passed the book along) as well as the butler and Professor. The banter between Lord Maccon and Alexia was quite funny and I loved that she wasn't ridiculously prude like so many women of that time period. This book had a great balance of funny and serious and from the middle on I truly did not want to put it down. I am very anxious to read the second book!

Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta

Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta
4 stars
Description
"What do you want from me?" he asks. What I want from every person in my life, I want to tell him. More. Abandoned by her mother on Jellicoe Road when she was eleven, Taylor Markham, now seventeen, is finally being confronted with her past. But as the reluctant leader of her boarding school dorm, there isn't a lot of time for introspection. And while Hannah, the closest adult Taylor has to family, has disappeared, Jonah Griggs is back in town, moody stares and all. In this absorbing story by Melina Marchetta, nothing is as it seems and every clue leads to more questions as Taylor tries to work out the connection between her mother dumping her, Hannah finding her then and her sudden departure now, a mysterious stranger who once whispered something in her ear, a boy in her dreams, five kids who lived on Jellicoe Road eighteen years ago, and the maddening and magnetic Jonah Griggs, who knows her better than she thinks he does. If Taylor can put together the pieces of her past, she might just be able to change her future.

My review:
Although the first couple chapters were a little slow and a bit confusing it picked up after that and it was fun piecing everything together and watching as Taylor tried to piece her past together (and her mothers past). It was a bit emotional as Taylor ached to know more about herself, her mother, and Hannah. Although the story unfolds as though it's going to be about the territory wars between the townies, cadets and the school, it really wasn't about that at all and it was great to watch everyone grow up a bit in those few weeks and discover what is really important in life. I loved the romance that bloomed and was sad when the story ended. I would love to read more about Taylor and that particular love affair when they are a bit older.
I had high expectations for this book and it mostly lived up to them. If shelfari let us rate halves, I would give it 4 1/2 stars as the only reasons I didn't give it a 5 stars was the beginning was just too confusing and threw it off just a bit for me.

Of Bees and Mist by Erick Setiawan

I can't believe it's been nearly a year since I posted on here!  It's about time I started posting again!  Hopefully I can manage to keep up with it now.  Last time I posted was two days before I gave birth to my baby boy that's almost one now!  Anyway, this is the latest book I've read.
Of Bees and Mist by Erick Setiawan
3 stars
I had a hard time in the beginning of this book. It was very different and I struggled with the whole 'feeling' it emitted (does that make a lick of sense? Oh well). It was a world very similar to ours and in the beginning I really wanted to know what time period it was suppose to take place in as well as where it took place. But we never did find that out though I kind of get the feeling that it was the 50's or 60's kinda era. I don't think he meant for it to be in any certain era though. I first pushed myself to read 50 pgs but by 50 pgs I really wanted some answers so I pushed myself to read for answers. By page 100 I was pretty engrossed in this quite dark tale. It wasn't exactly an easy read, but yet pretty engrossing. It's a world where magic is normal but it's a different kind of magic. I mean, I went into this book thinking it was going to be some fairytale or something (I read Magic and the reviews on the back) and it's not like that at all. You know how we warn our children if they are horrible their spine will grow crooked? Or when someone gossips constantly or harps on people constantly we say something like they sound like bees (or something like that)? Well, in this book those things are literal. It wasn't easy to understand that though cause I spent so much time trying to figure out if they were really being literal or not. They were (well, HE was). Anyone who's had a cheating lover, or a horrid MIL may really enjoy this book. It's not a book I would recommend to most, but some people really like this style and feel of book.  For me, it was just a bit too dark, too long and maybe a bit too sad. It stirred the emotions (anger, love, laughter, frustration, hate, the whole nine yards). And I give it 3 stars but it really is a book that will stick with me for a few days and I'm almost tempted to give it 4 stars.