Margaret's Book Blog

2010 Young Adult Reading Challenge

2009-12-29T17:34:00.001-07:00

J.Kaye’s Book Blog is hosting a Young Adult Reading Challenge. Since all i read is fantasy and YA i thought this was the perfect challenge for me!

Challenge Guidelines:
1. Anyone can join. You don't need a blog to participate.
--Non-Bloggers: Post your list of books in the comment section of the wrap-up post. To learn how to sign up without having a blog, click here.
2. There are four levels:
--The Mini YA Reading Challenge – Read 12 Young Adult novels.
--Just My Size YA Reading Challenge – Read 25 Young Adult novels.
--Stepping It Up YA Reading Challenge – Read 50 Young Adult novels.
--Super Size Me YA Reading Challenge – Read 75 Young Adult novels.
3. Audio, eBooks, re-reads all count.
4. No need to list your books in advance. You may select books as you go. Even if you list them now, you can change the list if needed.
5. Challenge begins January 1st thru December, 2010.
6. When you sign up under Mr. Linky, put the direct link to your post where your Young Adult novels will be listed. Include the URL so that other viewers can find this fun challenge. If you’d prefer to put your list in the sidebar of your blog, please leave your viewers the link to the sign up page. Again, so viewers can join the challenge too.

This one looks hard!! I think i will enter at the “Just my Size (25)” Level…. That’s about 2 books a month….I will list as i go! :)

2010 Fantasy Reading Challenge

2009-12-29T17:19:00.001-07:00

Royal Reviews is hosting a Fantasy Reading Challenge. Since all i read is fantay and YA i thought this was the perfect challenge for me!

Challenge Guidelines:
1. Anyone can join. You don't need a blog to participate.
--Non-Bloggers: Include your information in the comment section.
2. There are four levels:
-- Curious – Read 3 Fantasy Fiction novels.
-- Fascinated – Read 6 Fantasy Fiction novels.
-- Addicted – Read 12 Fantasy Fiction novels.
-- Obsessed – Read 20 Fantasy Fiction novels.
3. Any book format counts.
4. You can list your books in advance or just put them in a wrap up post. If you list them, feel free to change them as the mood takes you.
5. Challenge begins January 1st thru December, 2010.
6. When you sign up under Mr. Linky, put the direct link to the post about the Fantasy Fiction Reading Challenge. Include the URL so that other participants can find join in and read your reviews and post.

*thinks* I will enter this one as Obsessed also…. With audio books as an accepted format, I can go through like 6 or 7 books in a month!!

2010 EBook Challenge

2009-12-29T17:25:00.001-07:00

Royal Reviews is hosting an EBook Challenge. I have sooo many ebooks…. like almost 300, I decided to join this challenge and get them off my tbr list!

Challenge Guidelines:
1. Anyone can join. You don't need a blog to participate.
--Non-Bloggers: Include your information in the comment section.
2. There are four levels:
-- Curious – Read 3 E-Books.
-- Fascinated – Read 6 E-Books.
-- Addicted – Read 12 E-Books.
-- Obsessed – Read 20 E-Books.
3. Any genre counts.
4. You can list your books in advance or just put them in a wrap up post. If you list them, feel free to change them as the mood takes you.
5. Challenge begins January 1st thru December, 2010.
6. When you sign up under Mr. Linky, put the direct link to the post about the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge. Include the URL so that other participants can find join in and read your reviews and post.

*thinks* I will enter this one as Fasinated…. I like audiobooks more…. So i plan on reading those more!

2010 Audio Book Challenge

2009-12-29T17:11:00.001-07:00

Royal Reviews is hosting an Audio book Challenge! I have about 25 audio books i havent read yet, so i figured id enter. Also, i like to listen to audio books at work, so that works good for me!

Challenge Guidelines:
1. Anyone can join. You don't need a blog to participate.
--Non-Bloggers: Include your information in the comment section.
2. There are four levels:
-- Curious – Listen to 3 Audio Books.
-- Fascinated – Listen to 6 Audio Books.
-- Addicted – Listen to 12 Audio Books.
-- Obsessed – Listen to 20 Audio Books.
3. Audio books only.
4. You can list your books in advance or just put them in a wrap up post. If you list them, feel free to change them as the mood takes you.
5. Challenge begins January 1st thru December, 2010.
6. When you sign up under Mr. Linky, put the direct link to the post about the Audio Book Reading Challenge. Include the URL so that other participants can find join in and read your reviews and post.

Hmm, i think i’ll be in the Obsessed section! What only 20..hehe… I’ll list them as i go… i still need to buy some!!

2010 To Be Read Challenge Lite

2009-12-21T03:35:00.002-07:00

MizB is hosting a Lite version of the To Be Read (TBR) Challenge. The full version asks you to read 12 books in 12 months. That does seem too hard, but with school I have decided to do the Lite version instead!

With TBR Lite Challenge, you have 3 different options:

OPTION A: read 6 books in 12 months ~ your list of books CANNOT be changed, but you are allowed to have an “Alternates” list to choose from (like in the Original TBR Challenge).

OPTION B: read 6 books in 12 months ~ you CAN change your reading list throughout the year

OPTION C: make up a list of however many books you think you could get read in 12 months, as long as they are from your TBR stack/list, and then read them between January 1st and December 31st. You must have at least 3 books on your list.

Since im not sure how much i’ll be able to read, i think i will choose option C. I also plan to enter some other challenges! :)

My list:

Charity Opportunity (3)

2009-12-23T10:22:00.000-07:00

The “Give Books Give Smiles” program accepts books or cash donations in order to fund there operation. The books and cash are sent to children, families and schools in India. While not all children in India can read, the best books to donate are color ones with vivid illustrations.

To learn more about this program, check out there website!

Read With Me?

2009-12-23T03:10:00.001-07:00

I’ve recently found a new website called BookGlutton.com. I totally think this is my new favorite book site(with GoodReads.com as a close second)! On BookGlutton.com they allow you to read books with other people. Whenever you find a book you want to read with others, you can either chat (like in a chat room) if you are in the book at the same time as your friends or leave comments for each other on different paragraphs, if you aren’t(They will email you when new comments are made).

When looking at the book selection, there are about 1500 books available. Most of the public domain books are in there and they are FREE to read. There are some more modern titles and those require you to have to pay for access. I think it is perfectly worth it…..

I think my favorite feature is the “Upload” feature. If you have an EPub or html file that you’d like to upload, it will be created in a book that is shareable on site! Your upload is initially private and you have the option of sharing it with people and choosing who gets to see!

This site is very useful for book clubs also! Not only do they have a option to create a group for dedicated web space, but they also allow you to filter the chat and comments within a public book to only those added by members in a specific group. The group features also lets you designate a “currently reading” selection and a reading list.

I, of course, wanted to test out the the functionality of the site so i made a book club of my own, Margaret’s Book Club. If you want to test this site out with me, leave your email address and i’ll send you an Invite! Also, do you have any suggestions as to what book we should read?

REVIEW: The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan

2009-12-06T11:57:00.001-07:00

Title: The Forest of Hands and Teeth
Author: Carrie Ryan
Age Range: 13+
Genre: YA Horror/Fantasy

Protagonist: Mary [POV]
Antagonist: Unconsecrated & The Unknown
Supporting: Cass [Best Friend]
Supporting: Harry/Travis [Love Interests]

When I'm at the highest point in our village I look out at the Forest. I strain to see if I can find the edge of it, find where the rest of the world begins. But all I can see is darkness. My entire life has been about the world outside the fence line, has been about the Forest.

- Mary

Summary

Through twists and turns of fate, orphaned Mary seeks knowledge of life, love, and especially what lies beyond her walled village and the surrounding forest, where dwell the Unconsecrated, aggressive flesh-eating people who were once dead.

My Opinion

Characters. I have read a few reviews saying that the characters in this book were undeveloped and didn’t feel “important”. While i read books, i mostly picture what I'm reading from what I’m given from the author. I’m happy to say that i had no problem visualizing any part of this book. The characters all had a certain personality and was easy for me to like. I think the character development is very good without be too much. In some books, you just get way too much stuff. This book seems level and even.

Theme. The theme of this book is centered around free will. Mary’s village is controlled by the “Sisterhood.” Mary doesn’t want to be forced to conform. It’s not that she wants to go crazy and do illegal or immoral things, she just wants to be able to choose her own path. Instead, the sisterhood determines what is best, then everyone does what they want to achieve that.

Plot. This story has various elements of suspense. There were times where I couldn’t stop reading because i needed to know what was going to happen! There is a huge journey throughout the book; not just literally but emotionally as well. There is also some mystery because there is a speculation that the sisterhood may know more then they let on too.

Style. This story evoked many emotions from me including fear, sadness and brief happiness (very, very brief). It was simple to read and understand. Some simile/comparisons but not too much to cause it to be too confusing. The dialog was somewhat brief but i found it effective.

Setting. The setting of this book occurs in an isolated village. This village is surrounded on all sides by a fences and a forest beyond the fence. The unconsecrated zombies are in the forest preventing escape. There are also abandoned trails lead away from the village, but the villagers are prohibited from exploring these trails. The trails seem to be a huge maze! The atmosphere is developed great.

Comparison. Similar to Resident Evil & The Village [that movie] but written for a younger audience.

Overall. Defiantly 5 stars because it was written well, had great characters and cover a topic i have seen much in young adult books. I really really enjoyed this book. I may even go out on a limb and say it was the best one i have read in a while. This reason for this i think is because it really made me think. It some YA books, there is a girl and a boy and the whole story is about there love or relationship. While that kinds of book are good, i think i really like this too. In this book, the whole villages’ wellbeing was considered. There was more issues then just that “mysterious new guy at school” one that so often comes up. Family, friendship, duty, and lose are all covered in this book. And I'm not ashamed to admitted that i almost cried (ok, maybe more then almost.)

The Bottom-Line

Mary lives in a secluded village surrounded my people eating zombies, protected only by a fence. She wants to find a way out of the village..out of that life.

Please check back often, as I will be continuing update with new books . If you have any questions, please post a comment and I'll get back to you. :D

Thank you for reading my review.

Author Interview

2009-12-22T23:54:00.001-07:00

Hello Everyone! I was creating a form for author interviews and I decided to post what i have so far for your input! I think i have a good start, but i’d love your input! What questions do you want to know?

Thanks for looking!

Charity Opportunity (2)

2009-12-22T18:05:00.001-07:00

Tha annual 100 Points of Light Campaign supports Book Gifting Missions and new publications. The goal is to raise one hundred thousand dollars each year through this campaign. They have exceeded this goal in both 2007 and 2008, delivering a total of 45,000 books to kids affected by Katrina in 2007 and over 27,000 books to children in Croatia and Kenya in 2008. This is in addition to the tens of thousands of books and products they donate each year.

Click on the image to check out there site now!

Just Arrived (3)

2009-12-22T12:05:00.001-07:00

The Wife’s Tale by Lori Lansens

On the eve of their Silver Anniversary, Mary Gooch is waiting for her husband Jimmy--still every inch the handsome star athlete he was in high school--to come home. As night turns to day, it becomes frighteningly clear to Mary that he is gone. Through the years, disappointment and worry have brought Mary's life to a standstill, and she has let her universe shrink to the well-worn path from the bedroom to the refrigerator. But her husband's disappearance startles her out of her inertia, and she begins a desperate search. For the first time in her life, she boards a plane and flies across the country to find her lost husband. So used to hiding from the world, Mary finds that in the bright sun and broad vistas of California, she is forced to look up from the pavement. And what she finds fills her with inner strength she's never felt before. Through it all, Mary not only finds kindred spirits, but reunites with a more intimate stranger no longer sequestered by fear and habit: herself.

New Releases: December 22

2009-12-21T23:26:00.000-07:00

Yay, another Tuesday! That means New Releases! There aren’t too many good ones today, only two that caught my eye!

Darklight by Lesley Livingston

Faerie can't lie . . . or can they? Much has changed since autumn, when Kelley Winslow learned she was a Faerie princess, fell in love with changeling guard Sonny Flannery, and saved the mortal realm from the ravages of the Wild Hunt. Now Kelley is stuck in New York City, rehearsing Romeo and Juliet and missing Sonny more with every stage kiss, while Sonny has been forced back to the Otherworld and into a deadly game of cat and mouse with the remaining Hunters and Queen Mabh herself. When a terrifying encounter sends Kelley tumbling into the Otherworld, her reunion with Sonny is joyful but destined to be cut short. An ancient, hidden magick is stirring, and a dangerous new enemy is willing to risk everything to claim that power. Caught in a web of Faerie deception and shifting allegiances, Kelley and Sonny must tread carefully, for each next step could topple a kingdom . . . or tear them apart.

The Dark Divine by Bree Despain

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.

Upcoming Book Releases

2009-12-14T12:16:00.005-07:00

Here is the list of upcoming book releases. I know there are probably LOTS more that are missing! Please comment the names and titles and I’ll added them! YAY! Also, the ones available for preorder will have the book title linked so you can order it!

December 2009
The Dark Divine - Bree Despain Dec 22
Darklight - Wondrous Strange 02 - Lesley Livingston Dec 22
Beneath the Skin - The Maker's Song 03 - Adrian Phoenix Dec 29
My Soul to Save - Rachel Vincent Dec 29
Bound By Sin - Cin Craven Novel - Jenna Maclaine Dec 29
Crimson & Steam - Crimson City - Liz Maverick Dec 29
Deadtown - Nancy Holzner Dec 29
Eternal Hunter - Cynthia Eden Dec 29
Gentlemen Prefer Succubi by Jill Myles Dec 29
Hallowed Circle by Linda Robertson Dec 29
My Zombie Valentine by Katie Macalister Dec 29
Nice Girls Don't Live Forever- Jane Jameson 03 - Molly Harper Dec 29
Shades of Midnight: A Midnight Breed Novel by Lara Adrian Dec 29
Spellbent by Lucy A. Snyder Dec 29
Street Game (Game/Ghostwalker) by Christine Feehan Dec 29

January 2010
Kitty's House of Horrors - Carrie Vaughn Jan 4th
Bone Magic - Sisters of the Moon - Yasmine Galenorn Jan 5
Blood Cross - Jane Yellowrock 02 - Faith Hunter Jan 5
Come Hell or High Water - Broken Heart Vampires - Michele Bardsley Jan 5
Death's Mistress - Dorina Basarab 02 - Karen Chance Jan 5
Doppelgangster - Esther Diamond Novel - Laura Resnick Jan 5
Firespell - A Novel of the Dark Elite- Chloe Neill Jan 5
The Good, the Bad, and the Uncanny - Nightside - Simon Green Jan 5
Inked - Karen Chance, Marjorie M. Liu, Yasmine Galenorn, and Eileen Wilks Jan 5
Through Stone and Sea - A Novel of the Noble Dead - Barb Hendee and J.C. Hendee Jan 5
Succubi Like It Hot - Jill Myles January 10
Pleasure of a Dark Prince - Kresley Cole - Jan 19
Ecstasy Unveiled - The Demonica Series - Larissa Ione Jan 26
Spider's Bite - An Elemental Assassin Book - Jennifer Estep Jan 26
Shadow Blade - Seressia Glass Jan 26
A Tale of Two Demon Slayers - Angie Fox Jan 26
Unperfect Souls - Connor Grey 04 - Mark Del Franco Jan 26
Wild Hunt - Margaret Ronald Jan 27

February 2010
The Iron King - Julie Kagawa Feb 1
Archangel's Kiss - Nalini Singh Feb 2
Blood Magic - World of the Lupi 06 - Eileen Wilks Feb 2
Flirt - Anita Blake 18 - Laurell K. Hamilton Feb 2
Real Vampires Hate Their Thighs - Gerry Bartlett Feb 2
Unknown - Outcast Season 02 - Rachel Caine Feb 2
First Drop of Crimson - Night Huntress World 01 - Jeaniene Frost Feb 9
Gone - Wake 03 - Lisa McMann - Feb 9
Black Magic Sanction - Rachel Morgan - Kim Harrison Feb 23
Blood of the Demon - Diana Rowland Feb 23
Cat's Claw - Amber Benson Feb 23
Demon Possessed - Stacia Kane Feb 23

March 2010
Shift - Rachel Vincent Mar 1
A Local Habitation - An October Daye Novel - Seanan McGuire Mar 1
Deep In the Woods - Vampire Babylon - Chris Marie Green Mar 2
Ghouls Gone Wild - Ghost Hunter Mysteries 04 - Victoria Laurie Mar 2
Roadkill - Cal Leandros 05 - Rob Thurman Mar 2
Hourglass - Evernight Series 03 - Claudia Gray Mar 9
Shadow Souls - The Vampire Diaries 06 - L. J. Smith Mar 16
Embers - Laura Bickle Mar 20
The Devil's Playground - Jenna Black Mar 23
Silver Borne - Mercy Thompson 05 - Patricia Briggs Mar 30
Succubus Shadows - Georgina Kincaid 05 - Richelle Mead Mar 30
Can't Teach an Old Demon New Tricks - Cara Lockwood Mar 30
The Mage in Black - Sabina Kane - Jaye Wells Mar 30
Death Blows - The Bloodhound Files - DD Barant Mar 30
Changeless - The Parasol Protectorate - Gail Carriger Mar 30
Never Cry Werewolf - A Crimson Moon Novel - L. A. Banks Mar 30

April 2010
Hell Fire - Corine Solomon 02 - Ann Aguirre April 6
Radiant Shadows - Tattoo Faeries 04 - Melissa Marr April 20
Burned - House of Night Novels - P. C. Cast and Kristin Cast April 27
Chaos Bites - The Phoenix Chronicles - Lori Handeland April 27
The Reckoning - Darkest Power 03 - Kelley Armstrong April 27
Circus of Sins - Natasha Rhodes April 27
Ghosts & Echoes - Lyn Benedict April 27

May 2010
The Darkest Fire\The Amazon's Curse\The Darkest Prison - Into The Dark - Gena Showalter May 1
Dead in the Family - A Sookie Stackhouse Novel - Charlaine Harris May 4
Honeymoon of the Dead - Tate Hallaway May 4
Magic on the Storm - An Allie Beckstrom Novel - Devon Monk May 4
Spells - Aprilynne Pike May 4
Stormwalker - Allyson James May 4
Vampire Mistress - Vampire Queen - Joey W. Hill May 4
White Cat - Curse Workers - Holly Black May 4
Spirit Bound - Vampire Academy 05 - Richelle Mead May 18
Daemon's Mark - Nocturne City - Caitlin Kittredge May 25
Magic Bleeds - Kate Daniels - Ilona Andrews May 25
Moon Sworn - A Riley Jenson Guardian Novel - Keri Arthur May 25
Inhuman Resources - Jes Battis May 25
Unholy Ghosts - Stacia Kane May 25
Web of Lies - Jennifer Estep May 25

June 2010
Bullet - Anita Blake 19 - Laurell K. Hamilton June 1
Revenant - A Zoe Martinique Investigation - Phaedra Weldon June 1
Forgive My Fins - Tera Lynn Childs Jun 1
Everlasting - Angie Frazier
Pray for Dawn - Jocelynn Drake June 22
Sacrifice - Mortal Path 02 - Dakota Banks June 22
Unholy Magic - Stacia Kane June 22
Fatal Circle - Linda Robertson June 29

July 2010
Other - Karen Kincy July 1
Unchained - The Dark Forgotten - Sharon Ashwood July 6
A Glimpse of Evil - Psychic Eye Mysteries 08 - Victoria Laurie July 6
Undead and Unfinished - MaryJanice Davidson July 6
Twice Bitten - Chicagoland Vampires Novel - Chloe Neill July 6
Dark and Stormy Knights - P. N Elrod et al July 20
Sleepless - Cyn Balog Jul 13
Linger - Wolves of Mercy Falls 02 - Maggie Stiefvater Jul 20
As Lie the Dead - Kelly Meding July 27
Bring On the Night - Jeri Smith-Ready July 27
City of Ghosts - Stacia Kane July 27
Here Comes the Vampire - Dead-End Dating Novel - Kimberly Raye Jul 27
Shadow Chase - Seressia Glass July 27
A Wild Light - Marjorie M. Liu July 27

August 2010
No Mercy - Dark-Hunter Novel - Sherrilyn Kenyon Aug 3
Total Eclipse - Weather Warden 09 - Rachel Caine Aug 3
Unsympathetic Magic - An Esther Diamond Novel - Laura Resnick Aug 3
The Darkest Edge of Dawn - Kelly Gay Aug 31
Sparks - Laura Bickle Aug 31

September 2010
The Clockwork Angel The Infernal Devices - Cassandra Clare Sept 14

October 2010
Shotgun Sorceress - Lucy A. Snyder Oct 26

Charity Opportunity (1)

2009-12-21T18:12:00.001-07:00

Since Christmas is the season for giving, i have decided to do a series of charity posts. Everyday this week, i will post information about different charities that accept book donations. Not all families (or even libraries) can afford books! All kids deserve books! Please take some time to look over these opportunities!

The Book Aid International Organization helps to bring books to support literacy, education and development in sub-Saharan Africa.On there website, you can find information about there latest campaign Books Change Lives. This initiative is to better inform people of how important reading is. The children and even adults in that region doesn’t have access to books, so they depend on our donations!

For the actual donations, you have 4 choices: One Time Gift, Regular Gift, Reverse Book Club or Donate While You shop!

The one-time and regular gift options are where you just choose a monetary amount to donate and you change choose the duration of how often you want that amount taken out your debit account.

The Reverse Book Club is where you enter and pay for a continual book club membership on the behalf of someone else. You pay and they receive the books. This is a great option! The child will receive 36 books a year you they are in the club for one full year!

The Donate While You Shop option lets you purchase various things and have a portion donated!

If you’d like to donate, just follow the directions on site!

Friday Firsts (1)

2009-12-18T04:30:00.001-07:00

I was bored and was looking for meme’s and I found this one from Allison on WellReadReviews.com. The purpose is to discover how the first lines of a book can capture you. For this meme, we are supposed to write down the first 2 lines of the book we are currently reading then blog about our thoughts and how well they drew us in!

I recently started reading the book Wondrous Strange by Lesley Livingston. So I’ll use that book this week!

It was the fifth week of rehearsals for the Avalon Grande's production of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream. Never mind that the Avalon Players-a third-tier repertory company so far off Broadway it might as well have been in Hoboken-had only hired Kelley as an understudy, which really meant glorified stagehand.

- Lesley Livingston

I think i really like these first lines. It seems to me that Kelley is a very greatful. Haha, that does seem far off when its only 2 sentences… Hmm, in this information we learn that there will be a production for A Midsummer Night’s Dream. It seems like a small small theater and kelley is on a “stage hand”…but she seems excited to be given any job. She seems to appreciate it, even if it is small… It makes more want to see if she gets promoted…and how the show will turn out.

I guess i will need to read more to see if my prediction is right…. What do you thing?

Friday Finds (1)

2009-12-18T03:35:00.001-07:00

The Friday Finds meme is hosts by MizB at the blog Should Be Reading. This event is for us to blog about new books we've heard about that interested us! I will try to do it on most Fridays! :)

Title: Everlasting
Author: Angie Frazier

Sailing aboard her father’s trade ship is all seventeen-year-old Camille Rowen has ever wanted. But as a girl of society in 1855 San Francisco, her future is set: marry a man she doesn’t love, or condemn herself and her father to poverty. On her final voyage before the wedding, the stormy arms of the Tasman Sea claim her father, and a terrible family secret is revealed. A secret intertwined with a fabled map, the mother Camille has long believed dead, and an ancient stone that wields a dangerous—and alluring—magic.

Title: The Iron King
Author: Julie Kagawa

Meghan Chase has never fit in at her small-town high school, and now, on the eve of her 16th birthday, she discovers why. When her half brother is kidnapped, Meghan is drawn into a fantastical world she never imagined--the world of Faery, where anything you see may try to eat you, and Meghan is the daughter of the summer faery king. Now she will journey into the depths of Faery to face an unknown enemy . . . and beg the help of a winter prince who might as soon kill her as let her touch his icy heart. The Iron King is the first book in the Iron Fey series.

Title: Sleepless
Author: Cyn Balog

Eron De Marchelle isn't supposed to feel a connection. He is a Sandman, a supernatural being whose purpose is to seduce human charges to sleep. While he can communicate with his charges in their dreams, he isn't encouraged to--after all, getting too involved in one human's life would prevent him helping his other charges get their needed rest. But he can't deny that he feels something for Julia. Julia, with her fiery red hair and her sad dreams. Just weeks ago, her boyfriend died in a car accident, and Eron can tell that she feels more alone than ever. Eron was human once too, many years ago, and he remembers how it felt to lose the one he loved. Eron has always felt protective of Julia . . . but now, when she seems to need him more than ever, he can't seem to reach her . . .

Title: Forgive My Fins
Author: 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.

Please check back often, as I will be continuing update with new books . If you have any questions, please post a comment and I'll get back to you. :D

Holiday Break Activity 1: Debut YA Cover

2009-12-18T02:33:00.001-07:00

While I was browsing Natalie’s blog (Mindful Musings), I noticed that she entered the Holiday Break Reading Challenge hosted by Karin the Librarian. It looked fun and I decided to try it out! This will be my first reading challenge EVER, so wish me luck!

The first activity in the challenge is too create a cover for a YA book using random generators. The generators give you a title, author and picture, then you have to put them together to form a book cover! Then, you are to write a summary for what your book could be about, just by looking at your cover.

My attempt is above (click on it for a bigger view). In the generators, i got Whisper for the title, Claire D Herman for the author and that butterfly picture as my cover. I decided to grayscale the image and blur the background slightly, then colorize the butterfly a creamy brownish-tan color.I then added the title and author in pretty fonts. I hope you all like it! I added my summary at the bottom! What do you think?

As a young girl, I used to believe voices…whispers all around me… all the time. My mother used to always tell me I was being silly and I believe her…at first. At first, they were just low voices, barely audible. But now they are louder, they consume me. Ever since my mother died a couple of months back, they have even gotten worse! I have begun to listen, even though my psychologist says I shouldn’t. I am beginning to think they want something from me… I think this because lately the only thing I've heard was “help me”. Then, the other day…i thought i heard my mother calling me… scream my name. Is she the one who needs my help?

- Claire D. Herman

Just Arrived (1)

2009-08-04T12:54:00.001-07:00

Title: A Circle Of Souls
Author: Preetham Grandhi

Hello Everyone,

I have recently moved from phoenix To New Orleans. I am still getting settled in and haven't even gotten my internet turned on yet. I have received some new ARC’s to review and I'm working on some of my favorites. I hope to have some more reviews up soon.

Please check back often, as I will be continuing update with new books . If you have any questions, please post a comment and I'll get back to you. :D

Thank you for visiting.

Just Arrived (2)

2009-12-12T17:57:00.001-07:00

Title: Sea Change
Author: Aimee Friedman

16-year-old Miranda Merchant is great at science...and not so great with boys. After major drama with her boyfriend and (now ex) best friend, she's happy to spend the summer on small, mysterious Selkie Island, helping her mother sort out her late grandmother's estate. There, Miranda finds new friends and an island with a mysterious, mystical history, presenting her with facts her logical, scientific mind can't make sense of. She also meets Leo, who challenges everything she thought she knew about boys, friendship...and reality.

Title: Hush, Hush
Author: Becca Fitzpatrick

For Nora Grey, romance was not part of the plan. She's never been particularly attracted to the boys at her school, no matter how much her best friend, Vee, pushes them at her. Not until Patch came along. With his easy smile and eyes that seem to see inside her, Nora is drawn to him against her better judgment. But after a series of terrifying encounters, Nora's not sure who to trust. Patch seems to be everywhere she is, and to know more about her than her closest friends. She can't decide whether she should fall into his arms or run and hide. And when she tries to seek some answers, she finds herself near a truth that is way more unsettling than anything Patch makes her feel.

Title: Shiver
Author: Maggie Stiefvater

For years, Grace has watched the wolves in the woods behind her house. One yellow-eyed wolf--her wolf--is a chilling presence she can't seem to live without. Meanwhile, Sam has lived two lives: In winter, the frozen woods, the protection of the pack, and the silent company of a fearless girl. In summer, a few precious months of being human . . . until the cold makes him shift back again. Now, Grace meets a yellow-eyed boy whose familiarity takes her breath away. It's her wolf. It has to be. But as winter nears, Sam must fight to stay human--or risk losing himself, and Grace, forever.

Title: Swoon
Author: Nina Malkin

Swoon, Connecticut, stands proudly on its heritage and the good behavior of its Lilly Pulitzer–clad inhabitants, so semi-psychic New York transplant Candice (Dice) sticks out like a sore thumb. On the autumnal equinox, Dice’s sweet and gentle cousin Penelope suddenly changes into a dangerous vixen, and only Dice is able to see that she has been possessed. Dice knows she must exorcise Sinclair, the ghost of a handsome young man from the colonial era, but she has fallen deeply in love with the appropriately nicknamed Sin. Finally, Dice follows Sin’s directions for an exorcism, which frees Penelope from his hold and releases Sin into his own physical form. The golem-like Sin finally reveals his goal: to exact revenge on the descendants of those who unjustly hung him for the murder of his fiancée.

Please check back often, as I will be continuing update with new books . If you have any questions, please post a comment and I'll get back to you. :D

About My Blog

2009-06-21T11:23:00.000-07:00

Welcome to my blog everyone! I only started this blog yesterday, so it is very new still. I was very inspired by a lot of the other blogs I’ve seen here on blogger. There are some amazing ones out there! I put my favorites in the left column, if you’re interested. :D For my first post, I just wanted to let you all know what to expect from my blog.

The Main Page

On the main page, you’ll see two columns. The right one contains all my blogs entries, pretty self explanatory. The left one, I will explain more. The first part is about me and gives links to my other profiles and stuff. Also, there is some fun stuff there: a quote and a blinkie.

Under that, you’ll see the blog stats. This includes: how many readers are online currently, how many visitors we’ve had in total, who has visited recently and who is following the blog. I’ve also included a banner and linky-thing, if you’d like to share/save the blog. :D

Under that I’ve included some links to my favorite site. The Book Blog Directory is amazing. The “Blogs I Like” are the ones that inspired me the most.

Under that are the actual books. I’ve included my book rating system also, to make it easier for you. My Bookshelf is taken from Goodreads.com, which is really great.

My Reviews

I plan to list the following for each of my book reviews:

Title/Author/Series Info
Star Rating
Main Characters and Point of View
Age Appropriateness and Genre
Summary of Book
A Quote
My Thoughts/Opinions
The Bottom-line

Extra Stuff

I really want to hosts challenges and contests as well. That is definitely something to look forward to with this blog after we grow a little more. Some things we are liking into includes: a series reading challenge, a Book of the Month club, a Featured Follower of the month, Trivia contests, etcs.

Please check back often, as I will be continuing to build and update the blog. If you have any questions, please post a comment and I'll get back to you. :D

Thanks for reading

Come Join Top Sites Tuesday and be #1 on BlogDumps!
The purpose of this Meme is to encourage
Networking between bloggers to have fun while doing it!
Make sure to visit all the other participants and leave comments.

My Awards

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This is where I’ll display all of my awards! Thanks in advance for all of you who gives me an award. I will be making an award soon for all the blogs i like, I’ll post it here to!

Let’s be Friends Award

This is my FIRST award!! :) Thank you sooo much to Jessica from A BookLover’s Diary. I will be passing this award along soon. :D

Thank you so much for visiting and reading.

Bookstore

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Here are some books I highly recommend! Available for purchase through Amazon.com.

My EBookshelf

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Most of the books I read are in EBook format. I also really like to listen to audiobooks! Here is my EBookshelf! Have any suggestions? leave a comment! *coming soon: Lend-A-Book*

1st Annual Urban Fantasy Cover Art Awards 2009

2009-12-14T12:53:00.001-07:00

A fellow blogger, Abigail from the All Things Urban Fantasy blog, has created and is sponsoring the 1st Annual Urban Fantasy Cover Art Awards. I just voted!

I am very ashamed to say, but i DEFINITELY judge books by there covers. :/ I really good book with a bad cover has to be suggested to me before I’ll read it! No because im picky or stuck up, more because it just doesnt catch my eye….SO, a cover art awards are a very good idea in my book…. Go and vote!

REVIEW: Wings by Aprilynne Pike

2009-07-05T17:41:00.001-07:00

Title: Wings
Author: Aprilynne Pike
Series: Wings, Book 1 of 4
Age Range: 12+
Genre:Young Adult Fantasy

Protagonist: Laurel [POV]
Antagonist: Barnes
Supporting: David
Supporting: Tamani

There is always someone who secretly believes in myths and legends. Those are the people who look beyond the obvious and see things in this world that are truly wonderful.

- David

Summary

“Fifteen-year-old Laurel has led a sheltered, homeschooled life in a very small town, so when her parents decide to move and enroll her in high school, she has trouble getting used to her new life. A life, as it turns out, that’s not at all like those of other kids. One clear sign is a winglike blossom that blooms on her back. Oh, and her new best friend, the scientifically minded David, reveals under a microscope that her cells are more plant than animal. But it takes an encounter at her old home with the handsome but decidedly different Tamani to convince her that she is a faerie. She also learns it’s up to her to save her land from the evil influences that are trying to take it away from her and her family.” –Ilene Cooper

My Opinion

Characters. I love the characters in this book. Laurel, the main character, seems like a very typical teenagers, but I like her. The author does a really good job building her and the other’s in this book. The characters seemed “true” to themselves throughout the book, which I find important. You get a very good sense of who they are! My favorite is Tamani, of course. I love mythological men!! :D

Theme. The theme of this book is growth and discovery. The protag learns some secrets about her past and needs to learn more about it and herself. It’s almost a coming-of-age story. Then you throw in the love factor. The theme is similar to others in the young adult fantasy genre. I would think the next books will focus more on the love factor. There is also a theme of acceptance from others and accepting yourself.

Plot. The plot in this book starts as easy going learning and discovery and cycles to a suspenseful fight. One plot element of this book does includes mild suspense. Towards the end Laurel has to fight for her Fairy-ness.

Style. There is some mild humor in the book and some symbolism. The writing style is very clear and concise. Very easy to read, understand and like.

Setting. The settings in this book is the forest and in school in a small-town.

Comparison. This book is similar to others in the genre. I think it also stands out because the choice is a little different. In book one, the choice-phase hasn’t quite come to past yet, but in the next books, Laurel will have to choose between her fairy life and her human life. The difference is that she’s already a fair..unlike in Twilight, where the main character has to be changed.

Overall. I really enjoyed this book. I am older (ahem, ahem..lol), but i still enjoyed this book. It sends a positive message. Very good overall.

The Bottom-Line

Laurel discovers she is a fairy. She finds herself stuck between two worlds..and two guys. She will end up having to choose.

Please check back often, as I will be continuing update with new books . If you have any questions, please post a comment and I'll get back to you. :D

Thank you for reading my review.