Blog Hop (6)

Book Blog Hop is a weekly meme hosted by Jennifer at Crazy For Books.

Q. “In honor of Banned Books Week, what is your favorite “banned or frequently challenged book”?”
Click here for 2010-11 list in PDF format. You can also click HERE to view past years and choose from any of those titles!

The only one on that list that I have actually read is THE HUNGER GAMES.  I have heard of several, though.

Paranormalcy by Kiersten White

Weird as it is working for the International Paranormal Containment Agency, Evie’s always thought of herself as normal. Sure, her best friend is a mermaid, her ex-boyfriend is a faerie, she's falling for a shape-shifter, and she's the only person who can see through paranormals' glamours, but still. Normal.

Only now paranormals are dying, and Evie's dreams are filled with haunting voices and mysterious prophecies. She soon realizes that there may be a link between her abilities and the sudden rash of deaths. Not only that, but she may very well be at the center of a dark faerie prophecy promising destruction to all paranormal creatures.

So much for normal.








Okay, before I start my review, I have something to say to the author.  Why did you kill Lish!!!! Why!!!
Thank you for your patience, and for allowing me to address that matter.

I was sad to put this book down, and even more sad to finish it.  It had a wonderful pot, the characters were amazing, and the cover is beautiful.

The paranormals in this story are entirely unique.  Sure, they may seem like the same old, same old, with vamps, werewolf's, mermaids, etc.  But I'm telling you, they were unique!

I really like Evie.  She wanted to be "normal" but at the same time had friends that were Paranormals.  She seemed like a real teen, not the oh-so-perfect I work for a special company haughty person she could have been.

I am currently reading the second book, SUPERNATURALLY, and it is really good so far!  I can't wait to see how this story ends.

I give this book a 4/5 and would recommend it to lovers of paranormal, romance, and cool monsters.

Market: YA
Language: Mild
Violence: Mild
Sensuality: Extremely Mild

Follow Friday (6)

Feature and Follow Friday is hosted by Alison Can Read and Parajunkee

Q. What book that hasn't been turned into a movie (yet) would you most like to see make it to the big screen, and who would you like cast as your favorite character?

I really don't know.  How about...How about one of Janette Rallison's books?  They're hilarious!  Or FORGIVE MY FINS, or HEIST SOCIETY.

As for the cast, I have absolutely no idea.

BTT (1)

So this week I decided to participate in BTT!  Here is the BTT site...

1. What do you think of reading aloud/being read to? Does it bring back memories of your childhood? Your children’s childhood?
2. Does this affect the way you feel about audio books?
3. Do you now have times when you read aloud or are read to?

I think being read to is fine.  That's how I first read the HP (1-5).  My dad read them to me.  Also, I am technically still a kid (or well, a teen), so I can't really answer the last bit...

I have never, and probably never will, read a audio book.  Not that I have anything against them.  It's just, if you're going to read, why not actually read?  If you want to hear something, go watch a movie!

No.  I used to read to my little brother, but now he is plenty old enough to read on his own.

Re-Create a Cover Contest

Over at Princess Bookie there is a AWESOME contest going on, where you re-design a book cover.  Here's my entry!

Original cover:


My re-designed cover:

I would love if you went over and voted for me, but I would understand if you didn't, because it's not that great.  I had fun, though!

Waiting On Wednesday (5)

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine.

What I am waiting for:

The last thing Cammie Morgan remembers is leaving the Gallagher Academy to protect her friends and family from the Circle of Cavan--an ancient terrorist organization that has been hunting her for over a year. But when Cammie wakes up in an alpine convent and discovers months have passed, she must face the fact that her memory is now a black hole. The only traces left of Cammie’s summer vacation are the bruises on her body and the dirt under her nails, and all she wants is to go home.

Once she returns to school, however, Cammie realizes that even the Gallagher Academy now holds more questions than answers. Cammie, her friends, and mysterious spy-guy Zach must face their most difficult challenge yet as they travel to the other side of the world, hoping to piece together the clues that Cammie left behind. It’s a race against time. The Circle is hot on their trail and willing stop at nothing to prevent Cammie from remembering what she did last summer

Why I'm waiting:

I loved the first four in the series, and HEIST SOCIETY, so it's obvious why:)

Teaser Tuesday (3)

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading. To participate:

* Grab your current read

* Open to a random page

* Share two “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!

Here is my teaser(s):

"Seriously,"  Macey snapped.  "Go. Kiss.  A baby."  

"Can you believe her?" Preston asked, cocking his head toward Macey.  "Every time she sees me, all she does is call me baby and talk about kissing."

Sweet Venom by Tera Lynn Childs

Grace just moved to San Francisco and is excited to start over at a new school. The change is full of fresh possibilities, but it’s also a tiny bit scary. It gets scarier when a minotaur walks in the door. And even more shocking when a girl who looks just like her shows up to fight the monster.

Gretchen is tired of monsters pulling her out into the wee hours, especially on a school night, but what can she do? Sending the minotaur back to his bleak home is just another notch on her combat belt. She never expected to run into this girl who could be her double, though.

Greer has her life pretty well put together, thank you very much. But that all tilts sideways when two girls who look eerily like her appear on her doorstep and claim they're triplets, supernatural descendants of some hideous creature from Greek myth, destined to spend their lives hunting monsters.

These three teenage descendants of Medusa, the once-beautiful gorgon maligned by myth, must reunite and embrace their fates in this unique paranormal world where monsters lurk in plain sight.

I was so excited to get this book!  We walked into a bookstore, they had it, and my parents let me get it!  Alright, anyway, onto the review.

This book was amazing.  I am a total Greek Mythology geek, and this book was a unique spin off of Medusa's tale.  Childs is an amazing authoress, and she makes it seem like the monsters are really real (for which I feel half longing for it to be true, and half terror, hoping its not).

The story is about Grace, a girl who just moved to San Fransisco, started in a new school, is crushing on her brothers friend, and...just saw a Minotaur?  Gretchen, who has been fighting monsters like the minotaur for a quarter of her life, and Greer, the rich, snobby, spoiled girl who just found out she has sisters...

The only (only) thing I didn't like was that my favorite Goddess, Athena, was portrayed as the antagonist.  To the authors defense, however, if you are writing a story with Medusa as a good character mis-portrayed by an angry god, Athena would be your best bet, due to the story of Medusa.

I give this book a 4/5 (so so close to a 5/5)  and would recommend it to overs of Greek Mythology, Tera Lynn Childs books, and a good story.

Market: YA
Sensuality: Mild
Violence: Mild
Language: Mild

Blog Hop (5)

Book Blog Hop is a weekly meme hosted by Jennifer at Crazy For Books.

Q.  “As a blog reader, what information (besides the book review) do you like to see in other bloggers’ reviews of books? (For example – Author bio, social media links, book synopsis from Amazon/Goodreads or one written by the blogger, page count, ISBN number, link to purchase, etc.)”

A.  I like to see the summary, the market (Middle Grade, Ya, Adult, etc.) and the reviewers idea on the books sensuality, language, and violence.  I also like ratings (1-5).

So pretty much what I put in my reviews.

I have also seen some cool things, like when the book was released, links to the author, etc.

In My Mailbox (3)

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted at The Story Siren.

In My Mailbox I have:

Grace just moved to San Francisco and is excited to start over at a new school. The change is full of fresh possibilities, but it’s also a tiny bit scary. It gets scarier when a minotaur walks in the door. And even more shocking when a girl who looks just like her shows up to fight the monster.

Gretchen is tired of monsters pulling her out into the wee hours, especially on a school night, but what can she do? Sending the minotaur back to his bleak home is just another notch on her combat belt. She never expected to run into this girl who could be her double, though.

Greer has her life pretty well put together, thank you very much. But that all tilts sideways when two girls who look eerily like her appear on her doorstep and claim they’re triplets, supernatural descendants of some hideous creature from Greek myth, destined to spend their lives hunting monsters.

These three teenage descendants of Medusa, the once-beautiful Gorgon maligned in myth, must reunite and embrace their fates in this unique paranormal world where monsters lurk in plain sight.

My parents rock.  We went to Barnes & Nobles, and they got me this!  So far, it's great:)

Forgive my Fins by Tera Lynn Childs

Lily Sanderson has a secret, and it’s not that she has a huge crush on gorgeous swimming god Brody Bennett, who makes her heart beat flipper-fast. Unrequited love is hard enough when you’re a normal teenage girl, but when you’re half human, half mermaid like Lily, there’s no such thing as a simple crush.

Lily’s mermaid identity is a secret that can’t get out, since she’s not just any mermaid – she’s a Thalassinian princess. When Lily found out three years ago that her mother was actually a human, she finally realized why she didn’t feel quite at home in Thalassinia, and she’s been living on land and going to Seaview high school ever since, hoping to find where she truly belongs. Sure, land has its problems – like her obnoxious, biker boy neighbor Quince Fletcher – but it has that one major perk – Brody. The problem is, mermaids aren’t really the casual dating type – when they “bond,” it’s for life.

When Lily’s attempt to win Brody’s love leads to a tsunami-sized case of mistaken identity, she is in for a tidal wave of relationship drama, and she finds out, quick as a tailfin flick, that happily-ever-after never sails quite as smoothly as you planned.

I've seen this book at my library plenty of times before.  But I've never gotten it.  Then, someone recommended to me on one of my Follow Friday posts that I should try Tera Lynn Childs books.  So, I picked this book up.  And let's just say, I wish I had done it long ago.

I couldn't put this book down!  It was so good!  The plot was unique.  I know what you're thinking.  Another "girl finds out she is half-mermaid" story.  Nope.  This is more of a "mermaid finds out she's half-human", but Lily already knows it.

Child's makes the land of Thalassinia seem perfectly plausible.  Like, how can humans not notice a kingdom in the sea?  Easy.  Its hidden by coral. 

I didn't really love Lily.  She, as Quince says, only sees what she wants to see.  But still, she was a good character, and developed as the story went along.


The only thing I did not love about FORGIVE MY FINS was the ending.  Come on!  Why did they (I'm not sayin' who they are, even though you probably know) have to get un-bonded!  But, the ending does leave lots of room for a sequel, which made me happy!

I give this book a 5/5 and would recommend it to lovers of fantasy, fairy-tale, romance, and a good book.

Market: YA
Sensuality: Mild
Violence: None/Mild
Language: Mild

Also, check out the German cover.  Ich leiber es!(I love it!)

The title translates to "Sea Virgin looks for Prince for Life", which made me laugh!

Another Faust by Daniel and Dina Nayeri

On a single night, five children suddenly vanish from their homes in Paris, Glasgow, Rome, and London. Years later, five enigmatic teenagers make an impressive entrance at an exclusive New York holiday party with their strange but beautiful governess, Madame Vileroy. Rumor and intrigue follow the Faust children to the elite Manhattan Marlowe School, where their very presence brings unexplainable misfortune.
Using “gifts” given to them by Madame Vileroy, these mysterious teenagers rise to suspicious heights at Marlowe. Though at first their abilities seem almost childlike in their simplicity, they soon learn that their newfound talents for cheating, stealing, hiding, and lying are far more potent than they had ever imagined — and far more addictive.
Ignoring the side effects of pursuing their individual obsessions, bargaining with the very devil in their midst as they claw their way to the top, these five ambitious teens draw ever nearer to their goals . . . until two of them uncover a secret even more shocking than their own most unforgivable sins. Dialing up the ancient dilemma of indulgence versus redemption, this modern-day retelling of the Faustian bargain story, set in twenty-first-century Manhattan, provides a look into the cutthroat world of high-school competition that is both bitingly funny and scorchingly wicked.

This book was weird.  Seriously, that's one of the only ways I can think to describe it.  Weird.  The plot, the characters, the antagonist, the ending, even the time it is set in (it feels like it is a period novel, but it is set in the twenty-first century).  Weird.

I'll admit, I don't like the cover.  At all.  The reason I even looked at this book was because of the name, and then once I read it, the inside flap.  And I'm glad I did pick it up, because it was and entirely unique read.

The main characters are five teenagers.  I really did not like any of them.. Belle was vain, Bice was unrelatable, Valetin was cruel, Christian was again, unrelatable, and Victoria was pure, pure, evil.  But, somehow, the undeveloped, unlikable characters suited the book.  The five teens live with their "governess",  Madame Vileroy.  There is definitely a secret surrounding her, and it isn't a good one!

I don't know how to describe this book without spoilers, but I'll do my best.  It was weird, as I mentioned before, but it was also really good.  I didn't want to put t down, and I didn't know how it was going to end until, well, the ending! 

As the book said, the ending wasn't a fairy-tale ending.  But maybe it was a fairy-tale beginning.

I give this book a 4/5 and would recommend it to lovers of mystery, scary stories, fantasy, and adventure.

Market: YA
Sensuality: Mild/Moderate
Language: Moderate
Violence: Mild

Goliath by Scott Westerfeld

Alek and Deryn are on the last leg of their round-the-world quest to end World War I, reclaim Alek’s throne as prince of Austria, and finally fall in love. The first two objectives are complicated by the fact that their ship, the Leviathan, continues to detour farther away from the heart of the war (and crown). And the love thing would be a lot easier if Alek knew Deryn was a girl. (She has to pose as a boy in order to serve in the British Air Service.) And if they weren’t technically enemies.

The tension thickens as the Leviathan steams toward New York City with a homicidal lunatic on board: secrets suddenly unravel, characters reappear, and nothing is at it seems in this thunderous conclusion to Scott Westerfeld’s brilliant trilogy.


This book is amazing, fantastic, and everything I wanted it to be.  The writing was great, there were plenty of surprising twists and turns, and the ending was fairy-tale perfect.   You've probably read my praises of the first two, and how much I was waiting on this book, and it turned out perfect!  Maybe even better than I expected!  Everyone must read this book! 

In this book Alek finally (finally) finds out Deryn's secret, which causes some problems.  I finished it really quickly, even though it was a big book.  It was just un-put-down able!  I'll admit, I am sad.  This was the last in one of my favorite series...but it was so good!  I am actually contemplating re-reading it... 

The cool thing about the LEVIATHAN series is it is a mix of historical fiction, steampunk, and fantasy.  I am a deep lover of history and fantasy, so I love them.  I learn a lot, especially in the afterward, when Mr. Westerfeld explains all f the things he changed.  And about the fantasy element?  Well, I want a Loris.  I mean, what better fantastical beastie can you get? 

I give this book a 5/5 and recommend it to everyone!  Oh, wait, you want specifics?  Well, lovers of steampunk, fantasy, historical fiction, action, adventure, cool beasties, and long awaited romance!

Market: YA
Sensuality: Mild
Language: Mild
Violence: Moderate

Follow Friday (5)

Feature and Follow Friday is hosted by Alison Can Read and Parajunkee

Q. Do you have a favorite series that you read over and over again? Tell us a bit about it and why you keep on revisiting it?

Ahem, let's see:

Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Harry Potter, Twilight, The Books of Bayern (Shannon Hale), The Dragon Series (Jessica Day George), and Leviathan.

Series are so cool, because you get more than one great books.  But I also kinda don't like them, because you get the cliff-hangers!  Like how badly I was waiting for GOLIATH (which rocked, btw) or the SON OF NEPTUNE, or the final HP (which, yes, I know is out, but I'm using it as an example).

But if its good enough, I'll definantly re-read it.  I've read some of my books so many times they are worn.  The Seventh HP has pages falling out, making it really hard to read, but I still do!

Sorry for the rant;)

Waiting On Wednesday (5)

I'm back!!!!  Well, maybe...  I am actually doing this to see if my computor still works, and decided to blog whilst doing so.  The only good thing about this computor malfunction is I caught up on my huge pile of reading.  I (seriously, no joke) read eight books and am currently reading GOLIATH (woo-hoo!!!) in three/four days.

And now on to the Waiting On Wednesday:

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine.

What I am waiting for:

10560331.jpg

For some reason my computor won't ;let me copy the image so click above

The last thing Cammie Morgan remembers is leaving the Gallagher Academy to protect her friends and family from the Circle of Cavan--an ancient terrorist organization that has been hunting her for over a year. But when Cammie wakes up in an alpine convent and discovers months have passed, she must face the fact that her memory is now a black hole. The only traces left of Cammie’s summer vacation are the bruises on her body and the dirt under her nails, and all she wants is to go home.

Once she returns to school, however, Cammie realizes that even the Gallagher Academy now holds more questions than answers. Cammie, her friends, and mysterious spy-guy Zach must face their most difficult challenge yet as they travel to the other side of the world, hoping to piece together the clues that Cammie left behind. It’s a race against time. The Circle is hot on their trail and willing stop at nothing to prevent Cammie from remembering what she did last summer

Why I'm waiting:

I loved the first four in the series, and HEIT SOCIETY, so it's obvious why:)

In My Mailbox (2)

I GOT IT!!!!!!   I REALLY GOT IT!!!!  WHOO HOOO:):):):):):):)

\In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted at The Story Siren.

In My Mailbox I have:

I officially have it!  Today is a great day:):

Oh yeah, I'm back, I was actually going to say that in my WoW post, but GOLIATH came, so whoo-hoo:):)

You Might Be Wondering Why...

I haven't been blogging/reading posts/commenting since Friday-ish.  Well guess what!  I have a viable excuse.  My computer has a virus:(!!!!!!  I am currently using my brothers computer, but I can pretty much only use it for school, with a few exceptions.  Hopefully my computer will be virus-free soon, but who knows.

On a happier note, GOLIATH by Scott Westerfeld is out today!!!!  I should get mine on Friday (soooooo looong).  Well, bye for now.

Violet Eyes by Debbie Viguie

When a storm brings the dashing Prince Richard to her family's farm, Violet falls in love at first sight. Richard also gives Violet his heart, but he knows his marriage is destined to be an affair of state, not of passion. For the king and queen have devised a contest to determine who will win their son's hand in marriage.

To be reunited with her prince, Violet must compete against princesses from across the land. It will take all of her wits - and a little help from an unexpected source - if Violet is to demonstrate the depth of her character and become Richard's bride.





I just finished reading this for the second time.  It is a totally cheesy, light, almost chick-lit, romance.  It is a fast and easy read. 

I like the overall story plot.  The idea that the pea is more than just a pea is cool.When I first read it, I liked it better, but my taste in books pobably has grown over the years.  The story was inconsistent, sometimes really good, and then something would happen and you would be like, wha!?!? 


As I said before, its REALLY cheesy.  It has weird lines that don't seem to fit, and they say things to eachother like 'I would walk through fire for you'.  So yeah, read it if you're fond-ue (sorry, bad pun) of cheese!

I give this book a 3/5 and would recommend it if you are looking for a light read with fantasy, romance, and a little bit of adventure.

Market:  YA
Language:  None
Violence:  None/Mild
Sensuality:  Mild

Blog Hop (4)

Book Blog Hop is a weekly meme hosted by Jennifer at Crazy for Books

This Weeks Question:
As a book blogger, how do you introduce yourself in your profile?

My answer:
I beleive I say (and this is without looking, so it may be slightly inacurate):  'Hi!  I'm a fourteen year aold girl, living in Northeast Ohio and attending K12 Ohio Virtual Academy.'  and then I continue on with other stuff.

Follow Friday (4)

                          Feature and Follow Friday is hosted by Alison Can Read and Parajunkee

Q. It's that pesky magic book fairy again! She has another wish: What imaginary book world would you like to make a reality?

A.  This is really hard!  There are so may great books out there, and so many cool worlds.  Maybe I'd choose the land in two of my favorite novels, PRINCESS OF THE MIDNIGHT BALL and PRINCESS OF GLASS by Jessica Day George.  And then of course, HARRY POTTER!  Magic, magic, and oh yeah!  MAGIC!!!!!!!

I can tell you what world I wouldn't want to exist/live in.  The world in THE HUNGER GAMES.  Seriously, no thanks.  I would be terrified.

Judging a Book by its Cover (3)

Everyone's heard the saying "Don't judge a book by it's cover", but sometimes, you've got to admit you do. Judging A Book By Its Cover is a weekly meme hosted here at Lost In A Book where you can show books you judged by its cover, whether it's an awesome cover and an equally awesome book, a cover and book you didn't enjoy, or even a great cover, bad book, or bad cover great book scenario.

Want to join? Please do! Just grab the button and link back here!

This weeks judging:

Azalea is trapped. Just when she should feel that everything is before her . . . beautiful gowns, dashing suitors, balls filled with dancing . . . it's taken away. All of it.
The Keeper understands. He's trapped, too, held for centuries within the walls of the palace. And so he extends an invitation.

Every night, Azalea and her eleven sisters may step through the enchanted passage in their room to dance in his silver forest.

But there is a cost.

The Keeper likes to keep things.

Azalea may not realize how tangled she is in his web until it is too late.

I loved the cover online, but when I got it I liked it slightly less.  Just a downsizing from a five to a four, but still.  I'd give the book a 4/5 and the cover a 4/5.  So pretty good!

Click here to read my review of ENTWINED.

Waiting On Wednesday (4)

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine.

This week I am waiting for:

Queen Victoria has a little problem: there’s a petty thief at work in Buckingham Palace. Mary Quinn takes the simple case, going undercover as a domestic servant. But before long, a scandal threatens to tear apart the Royal Family.
One of the Prince of Wales’s irresponsible young friends is killed in disgraceful circumstances. Should the Queen hush things up or allow justice to take its course? Mary’s interest in this private matter soon becomes deeply personal: the killer, a drug-addicted Chinese sailor, shares a name with her long-lost father.
Meanwhile, James Easton’s engineering firm is repairing the sewers beneath Buckingham Palace. Trouble is, there’s a tunnel that’s not on the plans. Its purpose is unclear. But it seems to be very much in use.
These overlapping puzzles offer a perfect opportunity for Mary and James to work together again… if they can still trust one another. This is Mary’s most personal case yet and she has everything to lose.

I own the first two in this series and have been waiting for this one since Christmas. The cover shown is the UK cover, and this book in released in the UK, but will not be released in the US until sometime in 2012.

read currently-reading to-read

Added to my books! add my review

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Queen Victoria has a little problem: there’s a petty thief at work in Buckingham Palace. Mary Quinn takes the simple case, going undercover as a domestic servant. But before long, a scandal threatens to tear apart the Royal Family.

One of the Prince of Wales’s irresponsible young friends is killed in disgraceful circumstances. Should the Qu

WATCH THIS!

Yes, I know this is a book blog, but you MUST watch this video. Seriously, watch it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Teaser Tuesday (2)

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by MizB at Should Be Reading. To participate:

* Grab your current read
* Open to a random page
* Share two “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!

Here is my teaser(s):

"This face is no where to be found.  For a glimmer of a second, I'm sad about that fact." ~ page 10

"Raise the fire to free the lord
By the power of wood and sword.
The dragon looked at me suspiciously, "Where did your mother learn dragon spells?" "

Do you like it???

Hi! So I put a new header, background, etc. on my blog, and I had some difficulties (no, I did not erase everything.  Okay, so maybe I did) but that is in the past.  Now I need to know, do you like it?

And also, to gve credit where credit is due, here is the link to the blog that told me how to make a header, and put it in.

The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor

Alyss Heart can't stand that "master of fantasy" bunk; she knows that Lewis Carroll was nothing more than an incompetent reporter. After she generously shared her Wonderland experiences with this fledgling author, he totally botched the retelling, even mangling her name. Alyss, however, refuses to merely grouse; she and royal bodyguard Hatter Madigan decide to make another emergency excursion down the rabbit hole, opening our eyes to parallel realms that prim Rev. Dodgson never imagined. A refreshing take on a Victorian classic.







This is one of the best books I have read in a long time.  In fact, tho whole series is wonderful.  It's amazingly unique.  I would never have thought of something so wonderful.  The story didn't really feel like a retelling.  Why?  Because it felt like this was how the story was supposed to go.

But wonderland has some unwonderful creatures in it.  Take the Chesire Cat - he's no longer a smiling feline.  No, he's an assassin who works for Red, Alyss's Aunt.  And imagination may be Wonderland's saviour, but there is another kind of imagination - a dark kind, that could be Wonderland's downfall.

I give this book a 4/5 and would recommend it to lovers of Louis Carroll's ALICE'S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND, along with lovers of fantasy, adventure, action, romance, and stories that aren't what they seem.

Market:  YA
Sensuality: None/Mild
Violence: Mild/Moderate
Language: None

It's Monday! What are you reading? (3)

It's Monday! What are you reading? is a weekly meme hosted by One Person's Journey Through a World of Books.

This week I am reading THE ENCHANTED FOREST CHRONICLES by Patricia C. Wrede, a collection of four books in said series.

What are you reading?

Super 8 helps prove my point

My family just got back from watching SUPER 8 (which, BTW, is a GREAT movie).  I wanted to use it to illustrate a point I made at last Friday's Follow Friday.  The point is that the only time I root for a villain is when they were forced to turn bad, or were so mistreated they turned bad.  The alien in SUPER 8 is a perfect example because humans mistreated him so much that he turned evil.  Sure, at one point in the movie, he was eating people, but you just felt bad for him!

Captured by Maggie L. Wood

Fifteen-year-old Willow Kingswell has been listening to her Nana's tales of faeries and enchanted kingdoms for as long as she can remember. But when she is magically transported to the realm of Mistolear, she is stunned to learn that the stories were true, and that she is actually a princess. Suddenly, Willow has to fit into a royal family she didn't know she had, deal with customs she doesn't understand and sort out her feelings for Brand, the handsome knight who has sworn to protect her.On top of everything, she may also be the key to saving Mistolear from a terrifying spell. The nefarious faerie prince Nezeral has pitted two kingdoms against each other in a life-or-death chess match, in which people are the game pieces. As a pawn, Willow now glows with the light of the game and must find the courage and cleverness to battle Nezeral before her loved ones fall. Could a meager pawn really be the most powerful piece on the board? Captured is the first book in the thrilling Divided Realms series.








Willow lives with her Nana in the mortal realms, and her Nana is always telling her stories about a faerie realm.  Willow, of course, never believes her, but on a night when her Nana dies, she is transported to the faerie realms, where she learns that she is a princess, and was sent to the mortal realm to protect her.  The twist?  She was sent to the mortal realm fifteen weeks ago, when she was an infant.

Her mother, father, and grandmother are captured.  The two kingdoms are at war.  And she is the only one that can save them.  With Brand, her knight, and other friends, she embarks on a quest that seems a whole lot like chess...

This was a good book, but a bit predictable.  The next in the series, THE DARKENING, was equally good, and left me waiting for the final installment.

I give this book a 3/5 and would recommend it to lovers of fantasy, fairy tales, romance, and adventure.

Market: YA
Sensuality: Mild
Language: Mild
Violence: Mild

Bright, Young, & Luxe giveaway at Libraryland

Over at LC's Adventure's In Libraryland there is an amzing giveaway!  Go check it out!

100 Most Popular YA Books and Series

Before i start, I just want to say, I have no idea if this list is in any way accurate or not.  I got it off of another blog I read.

Bold means I've read it.
Italics means I own it, but have not read it yet.

1. Alex Finn – Beastly
2. Alice Sebold – The Lovely Bones
3. Ally Carter – Gallagher Girls (1, 2, 3, 4)
4. Ally Condie – Matched
5. Alyson Noel – The Immortals (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
6. Anastasia Hopcus – Shadow Hills
7. Angie Sage – Septimus Heap (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
8. Ann Brashares – The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (1, 2, 3, 4)
9. Anna Godbersen – Luxe (1, 2, 3, 4)
10. Anthony Horowitz – Alex Rider (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
11. Aprilynne Pike – Wings (1, 2, 3)
12. Becca Fitzpatrick – Hush, Hush (1, 2)
13. Brandon Mull – Fablehaven (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
14. Brian Selznick – The Invention of Hugo Cabret
15. Cassandra Clare – The Mortal Instruments (1, 2, 3, 4)
16. Carrie Jones – Need (1, 2, 3)
17. Carrie Ryan – The Forest of Hands and Teeth (1, 2, 3)
18. Christopher Paolini - Inheritance (1, 2, 3, 4)
19. Cinda Williams Chima – The Heir Chronicles (1, 2, 3)
20. Colleen Houck – Tigers Saga (1, 2)
21. Cornelia Funke – Inkheart (1, 2, 3)
22. Ellen Hopkins – Impulse
23. Eoin Colfer – Artemis Fowl (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
24. Faraaz Kazi – Truly, Madly, Deeply
25. Frank Beddor – The Looking Glass Wars (1, 2, 3)
26. Gabrielle Zevin – Elsewhere
27. Gail Carson Levine – Fairest
28. Holly Black – Tithe (1, 2, 3)
29. J.K. Rowling – Harry Potter (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
30. James Dashner – The Maze Runner (1, 2)
31. James Patterson – Maximum Ride (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
32. Jay Asher – Thirteen Reasons Why
33. Jeanne DuPrau – Books of Ember (1, 2, 3, 4)
34. Jeff Kinney – Diary of a Wimpy Kid (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6) (this is YA?)
35. John Boyne – The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
36. John Green – An Abundance of Katherines
37. John Green – Looking for Alaska
38. John Green – Paper Towns
39. Jonathan Stroud – Bartimaeus (1, 2, 3, 4)
40. Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl – Caster Chronicles (1, 2)
41. Kelley Armstrong – Darkest Powers (1, 2, 3)
42. Kristin Cashore – The Seven Kingdoms (1, 2)
43. Lauren Kate – Fallen (1, 2, 3)
44. Lemony Snicket - Series of Unfortunate Events (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13)
45. Libba Bray – Gemma Doyle (1, 2, 3)
46. Lisa McMann – Dream Catcher (1, 2, 3)
47. Louise Rennison – Confessions of Georgia Nicolson (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
48. M.T. Anderson – Feed
49. Maggie Stiefvater – The Wolves of Mercy Falls (1, 2, 3)
50. Margaret Peterson Haddix – Shadow Children (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
51. Maria V. Snyder – Study (1, 2, 3)
52. Markus Zusak - The Book Thief
53. Markus Zusak – I am the Messenger
54. Mark Haddon – The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time
55. Mary Ting – Crossroads
56. Maureen Johnson – Little Blue Envelope (1, 2)
57. Meg Cabot – All-American Girl (1, 2)
58. Meg Cabot – The Mediator (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
59. Meg Cabot – The Princess Diaries (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
60. Meg Rosoff – How I live now
61. Megan McCafferty – Jessica Darling (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
62. Megan Whalen Turner – The Queen’s Thief (1, 2, 3, 4)
63. Melina Marchetta – On the Jellicoe Road
64. Melissa de la Cruz – Blue Bloods (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
65. Melissa Marr – Wicked Lovely (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
66. Michael Grant – Gone (1, 2, 3, 4)
67. Nancy Farmer – The House of the Scorpion
68. Neal Shusterman – Unwind
69. Neil Gaiman – Coraline
70. Neil Gaiman – Stardust
71. Neil Gaiman – The Graveyard Book
72. P.C. Cast & Kristin Cast – House of Night (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 )
73. Philip Pullman – His Dark Materials (1, 2, 3)
74. Rachel Caine – The Morganville Vampires (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10)
75. Rachel Cohn & David Levithan – Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist
76. Richelle Mead – Vampire Academy (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
77. Rick Riordan – Percy Jackson and the Olympians (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
78. Rom LcO’Feer – Somewhere carnal over 40 winks
79. S.L. Naeole – Grace (1, 2, 3, 4)
80. Sabrina Bryan & Julia DeVillers – Princess of Gossip
81. Sarah Dessen – Along for the Ride
82. Sarah Dessen – Lock and Key
83. Sarah Dessen – The Truth about Forever
84. Sara Shepard – Pretty Little Liars (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
85. Scott Westerfeld - Leviathan (1, 2)
86. Scott Westerfeld - Uglies (1, 2, 3, 4)
87. Shannon Hale – Books of a Thousand Days
88. Shannon Hale – Princess Academy
89. Shannon Hale – The Books of Bayern (1, 2, 3, 4)
90. Sherman Alexie & Ellen Forney – The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
91. Simone Elkeles – Perfect Chemistry (1, 2, 3)
92. Stephanie Meyer – The Host
93. Stephanie Meyer – Twilight Saga (1, 2, 3, 4)
94. Sue Monk Kidd – The Secret Life of Bees
95. Susan Beth Pfeffer – Last Survivors (1, 2, 3)
96. Suzanne Collins – Hunger Games (1, 2, 3)
97. Suzanne Collins – Underland Chronicles (1, 2, 3, 4, 5)
98. Terry Pratchett – Tiffany Aching (1, 2, 3, 4)
99. Tonya Hurley – Ghost Girl (1, 2, 3)
100. Wendelin Van Draanen – Flipped

So, if you count series as one book, I've read twenty-nine (unless I accidentally counted wrong) out of one-hundred books, and own but have not read one out of one-hundred books.  Not so shabby, if I do say so myself.  (Now, this of course might be due to the fact I figured I would only have read, like, eight of them).

Making the TBR List (1)

Ever read a rave review? Did it make you want to run to the nearest bookstore or library? Tell us about those books that have made it to your To Be Read list. Hosted by Lulu at The Bookworm Is Here!






What made my TBR list:

Lexi is cursed with a dark secret. Each day she goes to school like a normal teenager, and each night she must swim, or the pain will be unbearable. She is a siren - a deadly mermaid destined to lure men to their watery deaths. After a terrible tragedy, Lexi shut herself off from the world, vowing to protect the ones she loves. But she soon finds herself caught between a new boy at school who may have the power to melt her icy exterior, and a handsome water spirit who says he can break Lexi's curse if she gives up everything else. Lexi is faced with the hardest decision she's ever had to make: the life she's always longed for - or the love she can't live without?

Beautiful cover, great description, and a raving review (sorry, can't remember where or who it was from) all make me want this book.

Follow Friday (3)

Feature and Follow Friday is hosted by Alison Can Read and Parajunkee

Q. Have you ever wanted a villain to win at the end of a story? If so, which one?

I honestly don't know if I have ever rooted for a villain.  If I ever have, it would be because:

A:  The hero is bad.  Whether it's because s/he is to Mary Sue/Gary Stu, or a total snob, or the author just didn't write him/her to well.

B:  I feel bad for the villain.  Maybe because s/he became a villain due to some deeply scarring back story (Phineas and Ferb, anyone;)), or the villain is still good but sort of persuaded to become evil.

Ooh, ooh, ooh!  Writing that made me think of two cases!  One:  PERCY JACKSON AND THE OLYMPIANS.  When Luke starts to regain control of his body when he has Kronos in him, I want so much for him to be the good guy (of course, Percabeth must prevail!).

Two:  Okay, this one isn't a book, but a movie.  Who, when watching the last STAR WARS (technically the third one made, but still the last in the saga) doesn't want Darth Vader to be good?  Is it just me?  Am I the only STAR WARS lover here?



Blog Hop (3)

Book Blogger Hop is a weekly meme hosted by Crazy For Books.

This weeks question:

“Many of us primarily read one genre of books, with others sprinkled in. If authors stopped writing that genre, what genre would you start reading? Or would you give up reading completely if you couldn’t read that genre anymore?”

My answer:
I am a deep, deep, deep, lover of fantasy.  However, I would not stop reading just because that genre is no longer being written.  I love reading way  to much!

Nope, I would just read another genre.  I guess I like paranormal (its so close to fantasy!) historical (I <3 History) and just plain old fiction.  I also like Janette Rallison's romantic comedy's, so I might try some of those genre's.

But I am soooooooo glad this is just a question and authors will still be writing fantasy.  Even if they did stop, I'd continue writing fantasy...It's not banned, is it?

Judging A Book By Its Cover (2)

Everyone's heard the saying "Don't judge a book by it's cover", but sometimes, you've got to admit you do. Judging A Book By Its Cover is a weekly meme hosted here at Lost In A Book where you can show books you judged by its cover, and were right about, whether it's an awesome cover and an equally awesome book, or a cover and book you didn't enjoy.

Want to join? Please do! Just grab the button and link back here!

This weeks judging:

Agnes Wilkins is standing in front of an Egyptian mummy, about to make the first cut into the wrappings, about to unlock ancient (and not-so-ancient) history.

Maybe you think this girl is wearing a pith helmet with antique dust swirling around her.

Maybe you think she is a young Egyptologist who has arrived in Cairo on camelback.

Maybe she would like to think that too. Agnes Wilkins dreams of adventures that reach beyond the garden walls, but reality for a seventeen-year-old debutante in 1815 London does not allow for camels—or dust, even. No, Agnes can only see a mummy when she is wearing a new silk gown and standing on the verdant lawns of Lord Showalter’s estate, with chaperones fussing about and strolling sitar players straining to create an exotic “atmosphere” for the first party of the season. An unwrapping.

This is the start of it all, Agnes’s debut season, the pretty girl parade that offers only ever-shrinking options: home, husband, and high society. It’s also the start of something else, because the mummy Agnes unwraps isn’t just a mummy. It’s a host for a secret that could unravel a new destiny—unleashing mystery, an international intrigue, and possibly a curse in the bargain.

Get wrapped up in the adventure . . . but keep your wits about you, dear Agnes.

Alright, I'll admit. I picked this book up because of the cover. I mean, just look at it!

I love the way that Agnes is clutching the mummies wrappings and her dress, and the way her dress connects with the title, which connects with the mummy.

My favorite color is pink, so the varying pink tones are beautiful. Even the blue background (I don't love blue) is a beautiful shade and makes the cover even more lovely.

I swear, there is not one thing that I dislike about this cover. It's just perfect.

I give this cover: 5/5.  It's just amazing.

The book, too, was a mazing.  The first few pages I didn't love, but after that, I couldn't put it down!
Click HERE to read my review of WRAPPED.