In My Mailbox

In My Mailbox is a meme hosted by The Story Siren! This week in my mailbox I got:

Crescendo by Becca Fitzpatrick
Nora should have known her life was far from perfect. Despite starting a relationship with her guardian angel, Patch (who, title aside, can be described as anything but angelic), and surviving an attempt on her life, things are not looking up. Patch is starting to pull away, and Nora can't figure out if it's for her best interest or if his interest has shifted to her arch-enemy Marcie Millar. Not to mention that Nora is haunted by images of her father and she becomes obsessed with finding out what really happened to him that night he left for Portland and never came home.

The farther Nora delves into the mystery of her father's death, the more she comes to question if her Nephilim blood line has something to do with it as well as why she seems to be in danger more than the average girl. Since Patch isn't answering her questions and seems to be standing in her way, she has to start finding the answers on her own. Relying too heavily on the fact that she has a guardian angel puts Nora at risk again and again. But can she really count on Patch, or is he hiding secrets darker than she can even imagine?




What's in your mailbox?

Book Review: The Body Finder

B

Title: The Body Finder
Series: The Body Finder
Author(s): Kimberly Derting
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: HarperCollins
Pages: 336

Summary:  Violet Ambrose is grappling with two major issues: Jay Heaton and her morbid secret ability. While the sixteen-year-old is confused by her new feelings for her best friend since childhood, she is more disturbed by her "power" to sense dead bodies—or at least those that have been murdered. Since she was a little girl, she has felt the echoes the dead leave behind in the world . . . and the imprints that attach to their killers.

Violet has never considered her strange talent to be a gift; it mostly just led her to find dead birds her cat left for her. But now that a serial killer is terrorizing her small town, and the echoes of the local girls he's claimed haunt her daily, Violet realizes she might be the only person who can stop him.

Despite his fierce protectiveness over her, Jay reluctantly agrees to help Violet find the murderer—and Violet is unnerved by her hope that Jay's intentions are much more than friendly. But even as she's falling intensely in love, Violet is getting closer and closer to discovering a killer . . . and becoming his prey herself.

My Thoughts: Wow! This book was dark, and spectacular! It was an odd combination of my favorite reading genre, paranormal romance, and my favorite TV show, criminal minds, but somehow instead of trickling out into a odd combination between the two it sped by quickly as an intense fast pace book that left me hanging onto every word. Almost every twenty pages I would have to set down the book and take a breather because there was so much suspense and tension I almost couldn't bare continuing in fear that one of the endearing characters, that were so well written, would be killed. Sadly no matter how hard I tried I couldn't rip my eyes away from it. Jay was sweet, loving, and caring but also protective in a hot manly way, not a protective brother way like you would expect. The other characters were equally well written, her parents weren't typical parents but the author did not make a huge deal of that fact, and Violets friends were hilarious. Another amazing thing about this book was how it was written. With a plot line as good as this one the writing could be horrible, and I would still love it, but this writing was spectacular. Since it was written in 3rd person they gave you glimpses into to the minds of different people but not in a unnatural way but a smooth cool slip in that allowed you to gather more information. Overall it was a suspenseful intense book jammed with great characters and spectacular writing!

Overall Rating: 5/5

One word/phrase sum up: Suspenseful and Intense

In My Mailbox

In My Mailbox is a meme hosted by The Story Siren! This week in my mailbox I got:


For Review:

Fallen Angel by Heather Terrell(coming out December 28th 2010)

The first book in a dark, edgy new angel series about a girl who finds herself forced to choose sides in the battle between fallen angels, even if that means going against the boy she loves. 


When Ellie Faneuil first sees Michael Chase she feels an instantaneous connection. But she does not realize how much they have in common, including the ability fly and to see what others are thinking - not to mention a taste for blood. Reveling in their new powers and their growing feelings for each other, Ellie and Michael are determined to uncover what they are, and how they got this way ... together. 
But the truth has repercussions neither could have imagined. Soon they find themselves center stage in an ancient conflict between fallen angels that threatens to destroy everything they love. And it is no longer clear whether Ellie and Michael will choose the same side. 


In this electrifying novel Heather Terrell spins a gripping tale of soul-mates, supernatural powers and a truth that will change Ellie and Michael‘s world forever.




From the Library:

Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte 
"Wuthering Heights", Emily Bronte's only novel, is one of the pinnacles of 19th-century English literature. It's the story of Heathcliff, an orphan who falls in love with a girl above his class, loses her, and devotes the rest of his life to wreaking revenge on her family.


















What did you get in your mailbox?

Life is Good Award!

I'm very glad to announce that I has received an award, The Life is Good Award, from YA Bookie Monster!

So, there are a few rules that you have to follow if you recieve this award. They are as follows:

- Thank and link back to the person that gave this award.
- Answer the 10 survey questions.
- Pass the award along to 15 bloggers who you have recently discovered and who you think are fantastic.
-Contact the bloggers you’ve picked to let them know about the award. 

Questions:


1. If you blog anonymously are you happy doing it that way; if you are not anonymous do you wish you had started out anonymously so you could be anonymous now?
I'm not anonymous but I don;t post my name, so yes I love the level of secrecy I have, and the lack of judgment that I get on my blog.


2. Describe one incident that shows your inner stubborn side:
Wow.... every day? I'm not sure if I can pin point a certain one.. I'm usually good about always listening except after swim practice. Every day when I get out of swim practice(goes from 6-8:30pm everyday...) I'm hungry and tired and have loads of homework, so typically whenever someone suggests something or gets it wrong I immediately turn ugly on them....


3. What do you see when you really look at yourself in the mirror?
That really depends... in the morning I see a blurry picture of stress, and throughout the day I see an overachieving nerd, but at night, or with my friends, where I actually try to look nice because I am with the people who's opinion I value, I like my appearance because it looks happy and relaxed. Then there is my after swimming look... chlorine matted hair, dry skin... ekk... I don't want to go into the details!


4. What is your favourite summer cold drink?
Probably any sports drink. I am a gatorade addict, and will drink all sorts of flavored water. 

5. When you take time for yourself, what do you do?
Usually I blog, eat, read, but mostly I try to hang out with friends, and if that is not possible I send off tons of e-mails so I can keep communicating.


6. Is there something you still want to accomplish in your life? What is it?
I have swimming goals, both short term, and long but I also have personal goals. Mostly about writing but also about succeeding, and always trying my best... nerdy stuff like that.


7. When you attended school, were you the class clown, the class overachiever , the shy person, or always ditching?
Still in school.... I don't know what I am. Since I'm tall most people know me by name because... well... I'm hard to miss but in most of my classes... I'm not sure. Most of my close friends only have one or two classes with me but I still make lots of people laugh. I am also a nerd... so probably an odd cheesy mix between the class overachiever, and a floater... 

8. If you close your eyes and want to visualize a very poignant moment of your life what would you see?
For me it was when my first close family member died... it was odd... it still is(happened a couple weeks back) I still am puzzled kind of dazed.  It's weird because I know she is dead but I feel as if she is just in the room in the retirement home waiting for us to come over with news or fresh fruit...

9. Is it easy for you to share your true self in your blog or are you more comfortable writing posts about other people or events?
Its easier to share about myself... no one can judge me or say mean things, and if they do well... I can block them or something!


10. If you had the choice to sit down and read or talk on the phone, which would you do and why?
Read.... thats an obvious one. Phones are stupid, and have bad connection while if you have a good book well.... anything can happen. Your mind can be blown away, or you can giggle while you laugh at a nerdy character!


I'm supposed to name 15 people to give it to but anyone who reads this post(which will probably be only like 5). So, if you accept this award please just comment to say so!
  

Book Review: After the Death of Anna Gonzales

Title: After the Death of Anna Gonzales
Series: No
Author(s): Terri Fields
Genre: Fiction
Publisher: MacmillanPages: 100

Summary:   Brutally honest and authentic in tone, this collection of voices centers on the suicide of high school freshman Anna Gonzales. 

Each piece, read alone, portrays a classmates or teachers personal reaction to the loss, taken hard by some, by others barely noticed. Read together, the poems create a richly textured and moving testimony to the rippling effects of one girls devastating choice. 

Terri Fields has written a thought-provoking, important work that resonates with both pain and hope. This is a book that will stay with readers long after they put it down.

My Thoughts:  This book was interesting.... it wasn't really a book as much as a collection of stories or after thoughts. Some of the stories were very good with lots of emotion, and wittiness while other were random, and had no revelation to the story. I don't think the school was at all affected by the suicide of Anna. Except for the teachers, and several friends most took advantage of it. There have been several suicides around my area in schools, and I know for a fact that almost 95% of the people were affected, some of my friends at that school didn't even know the guy but still cried the day the school choose to honor him. Anyway, overall this book wasn't all that great, and it looked as if it had major potential.

Overall Rating: 1.5/5

One word/phrase sum up: Slow, and pointless

Random Rantings

Here is just some random things:

• Becca Fitzpatrick has announced the name of her 3rd book(it's on Goodreads...) its name is Tempest! Isn't that just a beautiful title!
• Lauren Kate's book Torment is number one on the Children's chapter book section of the New York Times Best seller list!(My review is here) If you haven't read it it is awesome!
• Sarah Dessen has another book coming called What Happened to Goodbye(What Happened to Goodbye is about a high school senior who, after her parents’ divorce, has taken up the practice of assuming a new identity in each of the four towns she’s lived in.)Here is its beautiful cover:
• Another book cover, and book I didn't know about is So Much Closer by Susane Colasanti. I haven't read anything by her... yet but all I've heard are great things!! Here is the description and cover of the book:    Scott Abrams is the love of Brooke's life. He just doesn't know it yet. So when his family moves to New York City the summer before senior year, Brooke has no choice but to follow Scott. It's her last chance to prove to him that they're meant to be togeher. What will Brooke do when her biggest dream finally comes true, but instead she wants something more?

Anyway that is just some random book news! Have a good week!

Book Review: Torment

Title: Torment
Series: Fallen
Author(s): Lauren Kate
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Pages: 464

Summary: How many lives do you need to live before you find someone worth dying for? In the aftermath of what happened at Sword & Cross, Luce has been hidden away by her cursed angelic boyfriend, Daniel, in a new school filled with Nephilim, the offspring of fallen angels and humans. Daniel promises she will be safe here, protected from those who would kill her. At the school Luce discovers what the Shadows that have followed her all her life mean - and how to manipulate them to see into her other lives. Yet the more Luce learns about herself, the more she realizes that the past is her only key to unlocking her future...and that Daniel hasn't told her everything. What if his version of the past isn't actually the way things happened...what if Luce was really meant to be with someone else?

My Thoughts: Wow! I can't explain the excitement, and expectation leading up to reading this book. I had expectations that it would blow my mind away, and be as good as Fallen which was second only to the Harry Potter Series, and... it was even better then expected!!!! Luce is one girl character that I actually love even when she is with Daniel, many characters become crumbly and soft, and although Luce does do that she is also strong, and sticks to her instinct. She is independent, funny, and one of my all time favorite characters. In the beginning of this book I was a little mad because Luce had to leave Daniel within the first couple of pages. Then as she discovered more about the shadows Announcers I found that Daniel not being there was better for her to develop her skills. The other characters they introduced annoyed me at first but then they grew on me like they grew on Luce. I was very glad that they let you saw the angels from the prior book. I was overly enthused to see Arriane, Roland, and the others who helped Luce. Overall this book had well written characters, amazing plot lines, and was the best book I have read in quite a while!

Overall Rating:5/5

One word/phrase sum up: Better then I could even comprehend  

In My Mailbox

In My Mailbox is hosted by The Story Siren

This week I only got one book but I am very exited about it! The book I got was:

Torment by Lauren Kate 

How many lives do you need to live before you find someone worth dying for? In the aftermath of what happened at Sword & Cross, Luce has been hidden away by her cursed angelic boyfriend, Daniel, in a new school filled with Nephilim, the offspring of fallen angels and humans. Daniel promises she will be safe here, protected from those who would kill her. At the school Luce discovers what the Shadows that have followed her all her life mean - and how to manipulate them to see into her other lives. Yet the more Luce learns about herself, the more she realizes that the past is her only key to unlocking her future...and that Daniel hasn't told her everything. What if his version of the past isn't actually the way things happened...what if Luce was really meant to be with someone else? 

What did you get in your mailbox?