It's Monday! What are you reading? (25)

It's Monday!  What Are You Reading?  Is hosted by Sheila at One Persons Journey Through a World of Books.  It's a fun meme where we gather to share what we've read last week and our reading plans for this week.

I woke this morning feeling terribly overwhelmed.  I've had review books coming in like crazy and my TBR bookcase has overflowed and even my overflow shelf has overflowed.  So I decided I needed to get things in order so that I don't feel so overwhelmed.  I made a list of books I need to read this month for review this month and in April and books I've borrowed and/or want to read really soon.  I can read about 20 books a month and fortunately I was able to keep my list less then that (which is good because I think I have a few more coming in for review).  

So here's what I read last week, currently, and then hopefully this week.  It feels good to have a plan and feel all organized :)

Read Last Week: *links to amazon*

Silver Phoenix: Beyond the Kingdom of Xia by Cindy Pon (review to come)

Hourglass (Evernight) by Claudia Gray (Review)

Afterlife: An Evernight Novel by Claudia Gray (Review to come)

This Side of the Grave (Night Huntress, Book 5)  by Jeaniene Frost (Review to come)

The Lonely Hearts Club by Elizabeth Eulberg (Review to come)

Currently Reading:

Divergent by Veronica Roth (out May 1st, 2011)

To Read:

Bellyache: A Delicious Tale by Crystal Marcos

Blood of the Rose: The Tudor Vampire Chronicles by Kate Pearce

A Touch Mortal by Leah Clifford

Clarity by Kim Harrington

The Ghosts Of Ashbury High by Jaclyn Moriarty

Fall for Anything by Courtney Summers

Harry Potter 4 & 5

  

And that should keep me busy for a week :)

Interview with Allison Pang, author of A Brush of Darkness

I was lucky enough to snag Allison Pang, author of A Brush of Darkness for this amazing interview.  A Brush of Darkness is an amazing brand new urban fantasy out now.  It's her first book and she did AWESOME with it!  Be sure to check out my review HERE.  

What inspires you?  Is it a certain place, certain music, maybe somebody special?

All sorts of things really. Sometimes music, or movies or other books even.  It all depends on whatever mood I’m in, I think.

When you write do you fly by the seat of your pants?  Or do you have the story all planned out ahead of time?

I’m definitely a panster. I usually know where I want the story to go as far as how it ends, but I don’t always know how I’ll get there.

What was your biggest challenge in writing A Brush of Darkness?

Trusting my inner writing voice, I think. Particularly in the beginning I was asking everyone what they thought and trying to incorporate their opinions into that first chapter and it just made me miserable. Obviously you can’t really please everyone, but it took me a while to figure that out.

I think that UF's are kind of always a competition (not really a competition, but something like that) for having the craziest, weirdest things out there and making it feel like it could be real.  And UF authors have to be very imaginative.  How did you come up with some of the things you put in the story?  Have you always had a wild imagination?

I’ve always been a fantasy reader, so I suppose I’ve always been open to the idea of writing weird things. LOL.  As far as coming up with things, I mostly drew on a lot of the faery lore I already knew and just made up the rest of it (or tweaked it as I needed).

Who was your favorite character to write?  And your most challenging?
I have to say that I LOVED Phin, the pervy unicorn, but all the characters were great!

Heh – Phin definitely seems to be the one who gets the most attention! In some ways he’s the easiest to write, simply because he can get away with saying and doing things the hero/heroine can’t. He’s allowed to be obnoxious and gross and he can say what he wants. It’s rather freeing for me to be able to let a character do that without worrying if people will find it offputting. He’s supposed to be.  Abby is fairly easy for me to write as well, since in many ways she is very much like me – I just have to watch out that she’s not too dependent on others, I think.

Brystion is still the hardest character for me to write. Half the time I don’t know his motivation until I get to that point and I’m writing it down. Some of it I still don’t know.

The idea of the touchstones was great but I found it to be most hard to understand.  Can you explain them to us?

Sure – basically I have the world of the OtherFolk that sometimes intersects with ours – and that would encompass the Fae, the daemons, the angels and a whole bunch of creatures in between.  However, they can only cross over into our world at certain times of day and once they’re here there are limits to their movements and what they can do…unless they have a TouchStone. TouchStones are mortals who enter a (normally) written Contract with an OtherFolk being. Having a TouchStone allows the being to move back and forth between worlds without the normal limitations and they can stay longer in the human world. Usually the Contract stipulates some sort of reward to the mortal for doing so, but that will vary from Contract to Contract.

In A Brush of Darkness, Abby fulfills this need for Moira, the Faery Protectorate. As Moira’s TouchStone, she allows Moira to do her business between worlds as she needs to and in return she’ll get a wish after seven years of service. She also will not age as long as she stays inside the boundaries of Portsmyth.

Do you have a favorite author or book your always recommending to people? 

Probably too many to name, but I love Jacqueline Carey.

I LOVE Jacqueline Carey!  She's my all time favorite author.  ALL TIME!

If you could be any paranormal creature what would you pick?

A unicorn.

Anything else you'd like to add? 

All your bacon are belong to us.

Thanks so much Allison!  I think I have a better feel for your personality now ;)  Can't wait for more!  Write fast!  
You can find Allison on her Website.

The Giveaway *ENDED*:

Allison is offering up a copy of A Brush of Darkness to one random commenter.  Just leave a comment telling us one of your all time favorite creatures, people or things you've found in a book.  I'm talking about the unusual here! 

This Giveaway is Open to US mailing addresses and ends March 12th.  You must be 18 or older to enter, this is an adult book.  

Book Review: A Brush of Darkness by Allison Pang

I'll have an interview and giveaway with the author HERE.  Check it out!

Title: A Brush of Darkness

Author: Allison Pang 

Details: Mass Market Paperback, 384 pgs.

Published: Jan. 25th, 2011 by Pocket

isbn: 1439198322 (ISBN13: 9781439198322)

Reading Level: Adult

Source: ebook galley provided by author for review purposes

Description:

The man of her dreams might be the cause of her nightmares. Six months ago, Abby Sinclair was struggling to pick up the pieces of her shattered life. Now, she has an enchanted iPod, a miniature unicorn living in her underwear drawer, and a magical marketplace to manage. But despite her growing knowledge of the OtherWorld, Abby isn’t at all prepared for Brystion, the dark, mysterious, and sexy-as- sin incubus searching for his sister, convinced Abby has the key to the succubus’s whereabouts. Abby has enough problems without having this seductive shape-shifter literally invade her dreams to get information. But when her Faery boss and some of her friends vanish, as well, Abby and Brystion must form an uneasy alliance. As she is sucked deeper and deeper into this perilous world of faeries, angels, and daemons, Abby realizes her life is in as much danger as her heart—and there’s no one she can trust to save her. 

My Thoughts:

Some things I love about urban fantasy is the extremes, the unusual.  If an urban fantasy doesn't have those things, well, then it sucks.  This book had all that.  It was a world full of crazy creatures with a completely unique story line unlike anything I've ever read.  

Sometimes an urban fantasy turns out to be so complicated it's nearly impossible to follow.  It can be an overload.  Not this one!  It's starts out slower introducing the world and how it works while still leaving more to figure out as you read as well.  But then when it picks up it really picks up!  There were plenty of parts I couldn't seem pull my eyes away from the page, flying through it as fast as I could. 

I really enjoyed the main character, Abby and watching as she grew through the book.  Although she's been somewhat immersed in this world with faeries, incubi's, sucubi's, daemons, unicorns, etc, she still didn't know that much about how it all worked.  So as she learned more, we learned more as well.  

Brystion, well, he was one hot guy!  I actually wasn't feeling him until a few chapters in but then he really grew on me.   I don't want to give any spoilers so it's hard to talk about him much, but he was great!

The side characters were amazing.  From Abby's friends and foes (or are they?) to her 'pet' unicorn, they all had unique and strong personalities that added to the story without being too overwhelming.  There wasn't character overload, it was just perfect!
I can't really get away without saying something about the sex.  I'm not a fan of tons of sex in books, and this one didn't have a lot.  There were some sexy scenes but none were overdone or long and boring (long is usually boring to me, sorry).  They were tasteful and left enough to the imagination while still putting in enough description for a visual.  I liked how she put together the scenes and how it all played out. 
I'll definitely have Allison Pang on my to-watch-list and give anything she writes a try.  Her writing was good, her characters spoke to me and her world building was fantastic.  Give her a try if you haven't already!  

You can find Allison Pang on her:

Website | Twitter | Blog

Disclosure: I received this ebook free of charge from the author in return for an honest review.  I was not paid or influenced in any way.  All opinions expressed are my own. 

In My Mailbox (48) - Vlog

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren and is where we share the books we got through the week.  

I was determined to do a vlog but the kids were so freaking loud!  I finally got one without much noise but it's very rushed.  I didn't get to properly thank everyone.

Also, once again I apologize for my crappy video quality.  I should pull out my real camcorder but it just takes so long to load.  And I have no patience.  

Bought:

This Side of the Grave (Night Huntress, Book 5) by Jeaniene Frost

Gifts:

Divergent by Veronica Roth (thank you Jen!) I am SO SO SO excited to read this one!

Cleopatra's Daughter: A Novel by Michelle Moran *signed* (Thank you Briana at The Book Pixie!)

Other Words for Love by Lorraine Zago Rosenthal (Thank you Lori at Pure Imagination!)

I'm feeling so much love from book bloggers and I'll be passing on Divergent to others who didn't get an ARC.  I already have a few lined up :) 

Want to learn more about R.A.K?  Go to Book Soulmates and check it out!

Saturday Situation- Link up your Reviews and Giveaways! 2/26

 Saturday Situation is hosted by both Lori at Pure Imagination and myself.  It's a linky for you to link your  Giveaways and Reviews (and whatever neglected posts you may have).  You'll find the same linky's at Pure Imagination, so don't enter them twice!

Keep in mind that you can add your links through the entire week.  

You can find this post again by clicking the button on the top right of my blog.  I'll try to keep it up to date to go to the newest Saturday Situation post.

PLEASE make sure you use the correct linky! Giveaways go in the BOTTOM one!

BOOK REVIEWS AND OTHER NEGLECTED POSTS

Example:
Name: Fallout Review
URL:

BOOK RELATED GIVEAWAYS

Example:
Name: Middle Grade Giveaway- It's Raining Cupcakes and others Ends Sept 30th US Only
URL:

Book Review: Awakened (House of Night) by P.C. and Kristin Cast

Title: Awakened (House of Night#8) 

Author: P.C. and Kristin Cast

Details: Hardcover, 290 pgs (I have International version and it's paperback)

Published: Jan. 4, 2011 by Atom

isbn: 1905654847 (ISBN13: 9781905654840)

Reading Level: Young Adult (OLDER YA)

Source: Traded

Description:

At the start of Awakened, the pulse-pounding eighth installment of the bestselling House of Night series, Zoey has returned, mostly whole, from the Otherworld to her rightful place as High Priestess at the House of Night. Her friends are just glad to have her back, but after losing her human consort, Heath, will Zoey—or her relationship with her super- hot Warrior, Stark—ever be the same? Stevie Rae is drawn even closer to Rephaim, the Raven Mocker with whom she shares a mysterious and powerful Imprint, but he is a dangerous secret that isolates her from her school, her red fledglings, and even her best friends. When the dark threat of Neferet—who is coming closer and closer to achieving her twisted goal of immortality—and Kalona returns, what will it take to keep the House of Night from being lost forever, and what will one desperate girl do to keep her heart from being irreparably broken?

My Thoughts on House of Night series in general, no spoilers:

I have a love hate relationship with this series.  I wish I'd never started reading them.  Then I wouldn't be sucked into this world that drives me so crazy!  It's actually a series I don't recommend to people but yet I can't stop reading them myself.  I have to see what happens but the whole time I want to throw the book across the room.  The authors have created a great world and the story line is fantastic.  BUT the characters all drive. me. crazy!   The whole series is just a crazy roller coaster ride that keeps me screaming (not in a good way) the whole stinking time.   This series is full of sex.  Not totally explicit adult sex, but a bit more description then I would like in any YA book I read.  It doesn't have a lot of bad language, but there's a bit of it.  It has subject matter that not every household would find appropriate, however. 

My Thoughts on Awakened, spoilers from previous books are included in this review:

This book kind of felt like not much happened.   But it stressed me out the whole freaking time!  She-who-shall-not-be-named just has me SEETHING.  SEETHING.  I can't stop thinking about her horrible-ness.  Her evilness.  Her disgusting-ness.  Okay, she definitely got my emotions going.  I just wanted to step into this book and smack her. 

I was really anxious to see more of Raphael and Stevie Rae.  I think I'm just reading the series for them now.  The thing that's crazy is,  why the heck do I find a bird man attractive?   I mean, I can understand the wings.  That's just hot.  But doesn't he have a beak?  In my mind he's pure hotness.  And I have to say I enjoyed seeing their story in this book.  

Zoey and Stark didn't seem as important in this book but there was definitely set up for the next one.  They also are on their way to healing I guess.  I wasn't really feeling it with them, I'm not sure why that is though.

I'm not sure what to say other then that without a bunch of spoilers, but some major stuff happens, we just won't really see what's going to happen until the next book.

So what do I rate a book that I wanted to throw across the room the whole time?  Hmmm...  

I don't have a clue.  There was good and bad, but charged emotions is definitely not a bad thing.  It means I was into the story, right?  I think it's hard to rate any of these books and at this point I'm rating them more based on the others in the series.  Compared to the last book I found this one lacking, but I think it was partly my mood.  I guess 3.5?

You can find the authors on the House of Night Website.

You can purchase at your favorite bookstore of help support my blog giveaways by using any of my affiliate links, located at the bottom of my blog.

Book #Giveaway *CLOSED* Hourglass and Afterlife by Claudia Gray

Since I don't have the first two books in this series I've decided to pass on my copies of Hourglass and Afterlife.  These are books #3 and #4  from the Evernight series by Claudia Gray.  I really enjoyed this series and I'd like to pass on my love to someone else.  

Hourglass is a hardback book, read once by me.  No wear and tear that I can see.  Afterlife is an ARC (advanced reading copy), read once by me.  It's also in excellent condition.  This is an opportunity for someone who may be wanting the series and now will only have to purchase the first two, or someone who may not have these books in the series.  One US winner will win both books. 

You can find my interview with Claudia Gray HERE.  And my review of Hourglass HERE.  My review of Afterlife will go up next week.

To enter this contest you must have a US address for me to ship to.  You must be 13 years or older to enter.  This contest ends March 1st since Afterlife releases on March 3rd.  You'll know before the release date whether you won or not. 

I hope you'll take the time to read and comment on my interview with Claudia Gray, if you do you'll get an extra point into the contest.

To enter just fill out the form. Comments alone do NOT count as an entry,  though are quite welcome! *GIVEAWAY HAS ENDED*

Book Review: The Liar Society by Lisa & Laura Roecker

Title: The Liar Society

Authors: Lisa & Laura Roecker

Details: 361 pgs.

Published: March 1st, 2011 by SourceBooks Fire

Reading Level: Young Adult

Source: SourceBooks Fire, for review

Description:

Kate Lowry didn't think dead best friends could send e-mails. But when she gets an e-mail from Grace, she’s not so sure.

To: KateLowry@pemberlybrown.edu
Sent: Sun 9/14 11:59 PM
From: GraceLee@pemberlybrown.edu
Subject: (no subject)

Kate,
I'm here…
sort of.
Find Cameron.
He knows.
I shouldn't be writing.
Don't tell.
They'll hurt you.

Now Kate has no choice but to prove once and for all that Grace’s death was more than just a tragic accident. But secrets haunt the halls of her elite private school. Secrets people will do anything to protect. Even if it means getting rid of the girl trying to solve a murder...

My Thoughts:

I LOVED this book!  Finally a character that didn't annoy me, at all!  Kate was in pain and dealing with a lot.  The death of her best friend, the loss of her other best friend and on top of that her parents and everyone else didn't believe her when she said that Grace's death was more then an accident.  But even through all that Kate was a strong person.  She has a bit of a snarky personality that doesn't always show because she's trying to stay a bit under the radar.  But when she lets it out it's perfect.  It's her.  She doesn't let things stand in her way and even through threats and weird things happening she is determined to find out the truth.

Grace takes on the nerdy neighbor kid as her trusty side kick and he was a hoot!  Lisa and Laura did amazing with their characters and they were all so easy to picture!  Not only that but they had fantastic personality's that I truly loved.

There is also a hot dude, and he's a very hot dude indeed!  We don't know if he's good or if he's bad, at least for awhile, but I loved him anyway.  There was just something about him and from the second he was described I was anxious to see more of him. 

This is a mystery.  There's lots of sleuthing involved but this super fancy private school has some secrets!  And Kate was all over figuring it all out!  

The writing was great, the characters were great, the storyline was great~ yep, this is definitely a book you gotta check out!  I can't really think of a single complaint.  

Lisa and Laura Roecker

Website |  Blog |  Twitter

Disclosure: I received this book free of charge in return for an honest review.  All opinions expressed are my own and I was not paid or influenced in any way.

  

 

Interview with Kate Pearce and #giveaway of Blood of the Rose! Open Internationally

Today we have the lovely author Kate Pearce on to talk about her books from The Tudor Vampire Chronicles.  I recently discovered this series and quickly devoured the first one.  You can check out my review here.  

I liked the book so much that I immediately contacted Kate about having her on the blog.  She's been very fun to chat with.  So I'm excited to share this lovely interview with all of you as well as a giveaway of the second book in the The Tudor Vampire Chronicles,  Blood of the Rose and some soap and perfume she had made up for the books.  The giveaway is open internationally so we have to say a huge thank you to her for the giveaway and especially for making it international! 

And as a disclosure for my younger readers, this series is not erotic, but it is a romance and does have sex and adult themes, so it's definitely for the older readers.
 

Can you tell us just a bit about yourself and the books you have out before we get started any further?

I'm originally from the UK and grew up just outside London. I went to college in Wales, got married and eventually moved over to California 13 years ago when my husband's job relocated over here. I have 4 kids, 3 boys and a younger girl. I write for Signet Eclipse, Kensington Aphrodisia and various other publishers. I think Blood of the Rose is my 15th published novel.

When I saw the cover of Kiss of the Rose it drew my eye immediately. I like historical fiction, I like paranormal and I like romance. But really, I think the cover was what sealed the deal for me. Did you have any input in the covers of either of the books in the Tudor Vampire Chronicles?

Yes, I did have some input. Very early on in the process, I was asked for my thoughts and I sent the wonderful art department at Penguin NAL images of the original Tudors and also some more 'modern' interpretations from the Showtime The Tudors series. They came up with a series of covers that incorporate both old and new and I was absolutely delighted. The only thing I changed was on the cover for Kiss of the Rose, when I asked it they could put a beard on the hero. :)

And that leads to this, do you ever judge a book by it's cover? I'll confess that personally I don't usually like covers of romances. Be it historical, paranormal, etc. They normally have characters that are hanging all over each other and don't look at all like the characters in the book look (wrong color hair, etc). But these ones, definitely not the case! I LOVE these covers!

A great cover will make me pick up a book in a store and at least read the back cover to see if I'd enjoy it. Kiss of the Rose recently took 1st place in the JABBIC contest (Judge a book by its cover) so I have to be glad about that cover! LOL

What inspired you to write historical paranormal romance?

I've always wanted to write about the Tudors, and when my agent made the suggestion to me about combining the two genres, I jumped at the opportunity.

What has been the biggest challenge when writing your characters?

Sometimes it's hard when you expect them to do certain things at certain times and they don't want to, or they go off and do other things and you feel like you are just catching up. I know that sounds weird, but that's how it feels sometimes. :)

When writing the Tudor Vampire Chronicles what kind of research did you have to do? Did you get to travel back in time and experience Tudor Court first hand? Because if so I'm *really* jealous!

I'm lucky because having grown up in the UK, I've actually visited all the places that are in my books-the ones that still exist anyway, so I have a sense of them as I'm writing. Writers also have to thank the Google and the Wikipedia for giving them access to all kinds of information without moving out of their chair. I also love to read research books so I cover all the bases-apart from the time traveling, which would be awesome!

What is one author, or book that you recommend over and over to people?

Probably the Dorothy Dunnett ,Nicolo and Lymond series. They are the best historical novels I have ever read.

If you could have one superpower what would you pick?

The ability to read peoples minds. LOL Especially my teenagers.

If you could be a supernatural creature which would you like to be?

I think I'd like to be a Fae.

Anything you'd like to add?

Well firstly, thanks for having me. :)
And please, check out my website at www.katepearce.com where I have a list of all my books and a great page of behind the scenes information about the Tudor Vampire Chronicles.

The Giveaway:

Kate is giving away one copy of Blood of the Rose (The Tudor Vampire Chronicles #2) and soap and perfume made for the books to one winner.

This Giveaway is open Internationally. You must be 17 or older to enter.  This giveaway ends March 5th, 2011.

To Enter:

Leave a thoughtful comment with contact information.  That's it! 

Book Review: Kiss of the Rose by Kate Pearce

Title: Kiss of the Rose (Tudor Vampire Chronicles #1)

Author: Kate Pearce

Details: Mass Market Paperback, 296 pgs

Published: August 3rd, 2010 by Signet

isbn: 0451230949 (ISBN13: 9780451230942)

Reading Level: Adult

Source: A Gift

Description:

First in a sexy new series that takes a bite out of the court of King Henry VIII

Desperate to defeat King Richard III and gain the crown, Henry Tudor made a pact with the Druids binding him and his heirs to the Druids' struggle against vampires. Ever since, the Llewellyns, a vampire- slaying family, have been in the king's employ. Now Henry VIII reigns, and his father's bargain has been almost forgotten-until bloodless corpses turn up in the king's bedchamber. To save the king, Vampire hunter Rosalind Llewellyn must form an uneasy alliance with Druid slayer Sir Christopher Ellis. But soon, Rosalind must face an unthinkable truth: that her sworn enemy may be her soulmate...

My Thoughts:

I loved this book!  Romance of any sort is hit or miss with me.  But when I saw Tudor Vampire Chronicles on the cover, and I read the description, I was sold!  I actually got the book and read it the same week I heard of it.  It was the kind of book that just hit the spot for my mood.

There are a few things in many romance books I'm not fond of.   I  hate the cat and mouse.  When they think they don't deserve each other and are constantly indecisive about the matter.  It's not always that they think they don't deserve each other, like in this case they were sworn enemies.   The thing is, it didn't bother me in this book.  There also wasn't excessive sex scenes and they weren't long and drawn out, which is another thing I tend to get annoyed with.  They were well placed and tasteful, in my opinion. 

As far as the cat and mouse part~ well, even though they were attracted to each other but yet knew they were sworn enemies, I didn't feel annoyed at all with their behavior.  The way it was wrote just seemed more realistic to me.  It's a bit of a love triangle, but it wasn't one that annoyed the heck out of me like most do.

I really liked Rosalind.  I think she was pretty smart about things 90% of the time and only did a few things that were stupid.  But hey, no one is perfect!  

Rhys (man, I love that name!) played his part perfectly.  I didn't fall in love with him, but he was the guy that Rosalinds family approved of.  He was a good guy and he took care of Rosalind well.  

Sir Christopher, *sigh* now that is one hot man!  He was perfect, and even in the courting play he didn't make me want to strangle him.  He was fighting some demons (not literally, btw) and once you find it all out it's easier to understand all his actions.  But he knew he wanted Rosalind and he was determined to get her!  He didn't over think the whole sworn enemies thing and went with his heart more.  I liked that.  

The story line was great!  I loved the whole Druid's fighting vampires thing and then the Druid slayers who are on the vampires side.  It took a little getting used to, Druid slayer just sounds kind of silly for some reason, but once I read it all it seemed to fit and make more sense.  

I had read some reviews of this book where they weren't satisfied with the ending.  I was expecting a horrible ending after reading that, but it's the typical ending for a series book.  It wasn't a terrible cliffhanger, but enough of one to make you anxious to read more.   I thought it ended perfectly, honestly. 

I don't usually comment on the cover of a book, but I have to here because I LOVE this cover!  Romance covers usually bother me.  I hate the naked or half naked people and I usually don't like having a visual of what they look like.  But not in the this case!  That male cover model is HOT and fit the character.  Same thing with the cover model of Rosalind, she just fit.

The day I finished the book I rushed to the store to buy the second one but they didn't have it in stock!  I was furious.  I want to read it NOW!  (Update: I got the second one!  I'll have a review up soon!)

You can find Kate Pearce

Website | Blog

Her books are sold at most book stores. 

 

Book Review: Hourglass by Claudia Gray

With Afterlife coming out soon I thought it was time to finally catch up!  So here's my thoughts on Hourglass.  Be sure to check out my interview with Claudia Gray as well! 

Title: Hourglass (Evernight #3)

Author: Claudia Gray

Details: Hardcover, 339 pgs.

Published: March 9th, 2010 by HarperCollins

isbn: 0061284475 (ISBN13: 9780061284472)

Reading Level: Young Adult

Source: Purchased

 

Description: Do not read if you haven't read the previous books!

Bestselling author Claudia Gray’s Evernight series continues. In Hourglass, Bianca and Lucas have found a way to be together. But it means lying to the people who care about them the most.

After escaping from Evernight Academy, the vampire boarding school, Bianca and Lucas seek refuge with Black Cross, the elite group of vampire hunters led by Lucas’s stepfather. When Bianca’s close friend—the vampire Balthazar—is captured by Black Cross, Bianca knows she has to do whatever it takes to save him. But at what cost?

Hourglass, the third book in this gripping vampire series by the author of the New York Times bestseller Stargazer, has all the romance, suspense, and page-turning drama that have made Claudia Gray’s books runaway successes. 

My Thoughts:

This series is full of twists and turns and the author is a pro at surprising us!  I remember in the first book being shocked by things and this one just steps up with WAY more surprises.  

The beginning starts out a bit slower but I was never bored and it wasn't hard to read.  I was interested in learning more about Black Cross so it was great spending some time with them but nerve wracking because I was worried about Bianca being found out.  The way things played out I was kept on the edge of my seat the whole time.  But the really crazy stuff doesn't happen until the last quarter and I have to warn you~ you'll want some free time to read through it once it gets crazy because your eyes are not going to want to leave the page! 

Bianca and Lucas are growing up and it's clear that they are maturing, but I still feel like Bianca wasn't quite there in this book.  She made some compulsive, stupid decisions that I wanted to smack her for.  BUT she's still only 17.  She's got room to grow up yet!  And actually I think she learned so much in this book that in the next one she'll be a much tougher, stronger and less compulsive person.  Lucas has already grown up a lot and I thought he did a great job in trying to ensure Bianca's safety.  At least until a certain spot towards the end.  But I can't talk about that~ you'll just have to read it!  

This book is definitely for more mature YA as there is more mature subject matter.  Keep in mind that Bianca turns 18 in this book.  There's nothing too graphic, it's mostly just alluded to.  

You can find Claudia Gray

website | Twitter 

Disclosure: I purchased this book myself.  All opinions expressed are my own and were not influenced in any way.

 

Interview with Claudia Gray

Today I have Claudia Gray on the blog.  Her newest book in the Evernight series, Afterlife,  is coming out March 8th by HarperTeen.  If you haven't read the Evernight series I suggest you jump on that right away! 

Claudia, it's a pleasure having you here on my blog today!  I'm a big fan of your books and I love that they have a unique feel to me.  They are full of twists and turns and I find predicting the outcome completely impossible.  I'm anxious to see where you take things!  
When you started writing the series did you know where things would go?  Were the majority of the twists and turns in your head at the beginning, or did they come later as you continued to write?  

 

Thanks so much! I'm delighted that you enjoy the plot twists and turns.  I do plan most of this out in advance -- I'm a big outliner. But while the biggest twists were mostly things I knew either before I began the series or soon after I began, there were a few things that popped up and surprised me along the way!  It's fun to strike the balance between what I knew was going to happen and what I never dreamed would happen. 

 

When you started the series what was your inspiration?  Did something specific spark the idea?

 

I was trying to think of how I could write for young adults.  I grew up in a very small town and attended a very small school K-12, so in many ways I had an atypical high school experience.  This made me think that I couldn't write for teens, because how did I know what their lives were really like?  Then I thought, well, what would be a school even more unusual than mine?  Evernight Academy sprang from that, and Bianca was born from my asking who would be the most interesting person to have studying there -- the person who would be most conflicted by it. 

 

What was the most challenging part of writing this series?  

 

Striking the balance between the overall plot arc of the series and the need for each book to be a complete story that could stand on its own in some way.  

What is one book that you find yourself constantly recommending to people? (I know that's hard, I'll let you name a few, if you prefer.)

 

A few YA books I push on everyone: HOW I LIVE NOW by Meg Rosoff; GOOD GIRLS by Laura Ruby; STEALING HEAVEN by Elizabeth Scott; anything by Kelley Armstrong; and of course THE HUNGER GAMES by Suzanne Collins, though by now most people have heard of those with no help from me! 

If you could be a paranormal creature, what would you pick?

 

 

I'd be a witch. All the power, all the glamour, and very few drawbacks now that burning at the stake is only a remote possibility.  Plus you get to wear a lot of black. Very flattering. 

If you could have one super power what would it be?

 

 

Invulnerability.  Without that one, all the other superpowers are more or less useless.  I don't want to fly if I'm not going to be invulnerable to lightning strikes! 

Thanks so much for taking the time to answer my questions! I can't wait to read Afterlife and share my thoughts with everyone! 

 

To learn more about Claudia Gray or to look up her books you can find her on her:

Website | Twitter

 

 

Will she be in your area? Here are her tour Dates:

March 8 @ 7:00 PM               

Changing Hands                      

Tempe, AZ

 

March 9 @ 7:00 PM               

Mysterious Galaxy                   

San Diego, CA

 

March 10 @ 6:00 PM 

Barnes & Noble

Frisco, TX

 

March 11 @ 4:30        

Park Road Books                    

Charlotte, NC

 

March 17 @ 7:00 PM             

Barnes & Noble                      

Roseville, MN

*Dark Days group event w/ Kimberly Derting and Courtney Allison Moulton

 

March 18 @ 7:00 PM             

Anderson’s                              

Naperville, IL

*Dark Days group event w/Ellen Schreiber, Kimberly Derting and Courtney Allison Moulton

 

March 19 @ 7:00 PM 

Books & Books                      

Coral Gables, FL

*Dark Days group  event w/  Kimberly Derting and Courtney Allison Moulton

Book Review: Prom & Prejudice by Elizabeth Eulberg

Title: Prom & Prejudice

Author: Elizabeth Eulberg

Details: Hardcover, 231 pgs.

Published: Jan. 1st, 2011 by Point (I believe it was published early, but this is still the date given)

isbn: 0545240778 (ISBN13: 9780545240772)

Reading Level: Young Adult

Source: Borrowed from Lori

Description:

After winter break, the girls at the very prestigious Longbourn Academy become obsessed with the prom. Lizzie Bennet, who attends Longbourn on a scholarship, isn’t interested in designer dresses and expensive shoes, but her best friend, Jane, might be — especially now that Charles Bingley is back from a semester in London.

Lizzie is happy about her friend’s burgeoning romance but less than impressed by Charles’s friend, Will Darcy, who’s snobby and pretentious. Darcy doesn’t seem to like Lizzie either, but she assumes it’s because her family doesn’t have money. Clearly, Will Darcy is a pompous jerk — so why does Lizzie find herself drawn to him anyway?

Will Lizzie’s pride and Will’s prejudice keep them apart? Or are they a prom couple in the making? Whatever the result, Elizabeth Eulberg, author of The Lonely Hearts Club, has concocted a very funny, completely stylish delight for any season — prom or otherwise. 

My Thoughts:

This was a really fun book!  But it wasn't all about the fun.  It had some more serious issues as well and made some excellent points.  It teaches us a bit about judging everyone by a few people's actions and not taking the time to get to know the person yourself, or their side of the story.  

I really liked the MC Lizzie but she drove me nuts for awhile.  She was so sure she was right and even when I was figuring things out she was being a pig headed idiot!  I understood her standpoint though, and I forgive her ;) 

I loved Darcy!  Right from the beginning when he was a bit of an idiot and not so smooth with his words I still saw through it and loved him.  I knew he was a good guy underneath all his idiocy.  

I thought the story line of this was great!  I thought Elizabeth Eulberg was great in this retelling and came up with a creative story.  It's not one that keeps you guessing, because we all know what the outcome is, right?  Even if you haven't read the original your probably going to know.  It's just figuring out how it all happens and when. 

This was also a very fast read.  I read it in a couple hours, and I thoroughly enjoyed it!

You can find Elizabeth Eulberg on her Website.

You can purchase at your favorite bookstore, or support by blog and giveaways by using any of my affiliate links, now located at the very bottom of my blog.

Want a chance to help save a man's life?

In your lifetime, there are few moments when you’re given the opportunity to directly save another person’s life.-Bryan Mealer, HuffPo

If you had a chance to save somebody’s life, and it didn’t take all that much… would you do it?  Well, here’s that chance.

Check out Shiloh Walker’s blog for a chance to read how you can help save a man’s life…

Young Adult Book Review: Darkness Becomes Her by Kelly Keaton

Title: Darkness Becomes Her

Author: Kelly Keaton

Details: ARC, 288 pgs. (Published in Hardcover)

Published: Feb. 22nd, 2011 by Simon Pulse

isbn: 144240924X (ISBN13: 9781442409248)

Reading Level: Young Adult

Source: Borrowed ARC from friend

Description:

Ari can’t help feeling lost and alone. With teal eyes and freakish silver hair that can’t be changed or destroyed, Ari has always stood out. And after growing up in foster care, she longs for some understanding of where she came from and who she is. Her search for answers uncovers just one message from her long dead mother: Run. Ari can sense that someone, or something, is getting closer than they should. But it’s impossible to protect herself when she doesn’t know what she’s running from or why she is being pursued.
She knows only one thing: she must return to her birthplace of New 2, the lush rebuilt city of New Orleans. Upon arriving, she discovers that New 2 is very...different. Here, Ari is seemingly normal. But every creature she encounters, no matter how deadly or horrifying, is afraid of her.
Ari won’t stop until she knows why. But some truths are too haunting, too terrifying, to ever be revealed.

My Thoughts:

This book ended up being totally, completely and utterly different.  It was a world completely different from anything else and full of character's you would never see coming.   It was a post disaster New Orleans which gave it a dystopian feel.  Making this book a mixed bag of dystopian and paranormal, with the paranormal being very different from the average...

The book started out with action immediately, there was no skirting around issues or waiting for things to happen.  It all progressed rapidly but yet I felt like we didn't have things thrown at us so quickly we couldn't absorb them.  We were introduced to everything as Ari was, so we saw it all through her eyes.  It all worked out very well.

I liked Ari a lot.  She was kick butt and a strong person.  But there were a few times she got on my nerves.  Even when she knew that there were some strange things going on she had a hard time accepting them.  It seems like once she saw something strange it would be easier for her to accept but she kept having this urge to run.  Maybe it was more realistic that way, but I just felt annoyed with her.  Overall it ended up not being a big deal because everything else that was amazing far overshadowed it.  But it was the biggest downfall to the book.

The romance was good but wasn't a major factor of the story.  It was also insta-romance, which I'm not a fan of, but it really wasn't a big negative to me with this book.  It just didn't bother me as much as it usually does.  I can't say I got a chance to really 'feel' the romance because it was so fast, but I think things between them haven't really come to head yet, that's in the future.  They were too busy trying to stay alive in this book...

This book was full of characters and they were all important in there own ways.  But even though there were a lot of characters I never felt confused or overwhelmed.  They each had a very strong personality and were interesting in the way they looked, acted and what they could do.  

The story line was amazing!  I loved how everything played out.  I was able to predict some things and I realized that was because of small hints that I hadn't really noticed until I knew for sure that what I was thinking was actually true.  

I really look forward to reading the next book and anything else this author writes!

You can find Kelly Keaton:
Website | Twitter

Disclosure: I borrowed an ARC of this book from a friend and was under no obligation to write a review.  I was not paid or influenced and all opinions expressed are my own.

In My Mailbox (47) - Vlog

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren and is where we share the books we got through the week. 

Please ignore the screaming child.  I redid the video but it was actually worse so I went with this one.  He's only crying at the end.

For those of you who are not regular visitors, this is not an average week.  This was one of those AMAZING weeks that makes up for all the weeks during the year I don't get books.

e-books For Review:

The Day Before by Lisa Schroeder (AMAZING!)

Red Glove by Holly Black

Phoenix Rising: A Ministry of Peculiar Occurrences Novel by Pip Ballantine and Tee Morris

 

Books for Review:

Afterlife: An Evernight Novel by Claudia Gray

Bellyache: A Delicious Tale  by Crystal Marcos

Blood of the Rose: The Tudor Vampire Chronicles by Kate Pearce (and goodies!)

Borrowed  

from Lori at Pure Imagination and Angela from Reading Angel:

Fall for Anything by Courtney Summers

Where She Went by Gayle Forman (AMAZING!)

Darkness Becomes Her by Kelly Keaton

The Ghosts Of Ashbury High by Jaclyn Moriarty

Won:

Nocturne by Syrie James

Bought:

Hourglass (Evernight) by Claudia Gray

The False Princess by Eilis O'Neal

Silver Phoenix  by Cindy Pon

The Greyfriar (Vampire Empire, Book 1) by Clay & Susan Griffith

Inside Out (Harlequin Teen) by Maria V. Snyder

The Iron Queen (Harlequin Teen) by Julie Kagawa

Thanks goes to Lori, Angela, Kate Pearce, HarperTeen, HarperCollins, Crystal Marcos and Simon & Schuster for many of these books.