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Jul 31, 2012

Contemplating Covers: The Forsaken by Lisa M. Stasse

Today I am bringing to you a new feature named Contemplating Covers! What is Contemplating Covers you may ask? Well what this feature is all about is the discussion of book covers! It can be about a cover that we are in love with, a cover that we hate, cover preferences, UK cover vs. US cover, whatever! As long as it has to do with book covers it can and will be discussed in Contemplating Covers.

This week is going to be a cover war between the US edition of The Forsaken and the UK edition.
The Forsaken 
by Lisa M. Stasse
GoodReads / Amazon (US) / Amazon (UK)


"A thought-provoking and exciting start to a riveting new dystopian trilogy.

As an obedient orphan of the U.N.A. (the super-country that was once Mexico, the U.S., and Canada), Alenna learned at an early age to blend in and be quiet—having your parents taken by the police will do that to a girl. But Alenna can’t help but stand out when she fails a test that all sixteen-year-olds have to take: The test says she has a high capacity for brutal violence, and so she is sent to The Wheel, an island where all would-be criminals end up.

The life expectancy of prisoners on The Wheel is just two years, but with dirty, violent, and chaotic conditions, the time seems a lot longer as Alenna is forced to deal with civil wars for land ownership and machines that snatch kids out of their makeshift homes. Desperate, she and the other prisoners concoct a potentially fatal plan to flee the island. Survival may seem impossible, but Alenna is determined to achieve it anyway."

I really love both these covers! I haven't read the book yet so I cant tell you which one best fits the book best but I'm leaning on the UK edition on being my favorite. The US cover is beautiful but according to the synopsis I think that the UK fits just a tad bit better. The US cover looks very hipster sci-fi, while the UK cover looks more like a girl who is determined to survive, which is what the story seems to be about. In terms of beauty, I still have to stick with the UK cover. I don't know what it is but I am absolutely in love with it!

I declare the UK cover the winner!

P.S. I can't wait to get my hands on this book! The premise of the story sounds like such a unique dystopian, and that  is hard to find now. Since I'm located in US I'm sure that ill get the US version but nothing will keep me from lusting over the UK cover. Its so pretty you guys, SO pretty!

Jul 30, 2012

REVIEW: Firelight by Sophie Jordan

Title: Firelight
Series: Firelight, #1
Author: Sophie Jordan
Format: Hardcover
Release Date: September 7, 2010
Publisher: HarperTeen
GoodReads / Amazon

"A hidden truth. 
Mortal enemies. 
Doomed love.

Marked as special at an early age, Jacinda knows her every move is watched. But she longs for freedom to make her own choices. When she breaks the most sacred tenet among her kind, she nearly pays with her life. Until a beautiful stranger saves her. A stranger who was sent to hunt those like her. For Jacinda is a draki, a descendant of dragons whose greatest defense is her secret ability to shift into human form.

Forced to flee into the mortal world with her family, Jacinda struggles to adapt to her new surroundings. The only bright light is Will. Gorgeous, elusive Will who stirs her inner draki to life. Although she is irresistibly drawn to him, Jacinda knows Will's dark secret: He and his family are hunters. She should avoid him at all costs. But her inner draki is slowly slipping away—if it dies she will be left as a human forever. She'll do anything to prevent that. Even if it means getting closer to her most dangerous enemy.

Mythical powers and breathtaking romance ignite in this story of a girl who defies all expectations and whose love crosses an ancient divide."

These last couple of weeks I have been on a huge Fantasy kick, so I had to get my hands on Firelight. I was a bit disappointed. It was good but I just thought that I was going to love it so much more than I did.

The book revolves around Jacinda who is a draki (a dragon who can also turn into a human.) Jacinda, her sister Tamra, and their mother Mrs. Jones live in a pride with a bunch of other draki. For reasons they must flee to the human world. Tamra and Mrs. Jones are fine with this because Tamra never manifested and became a dragon and their mom gave up her draki long ago. Jacinda's mom wants/is-forcing Jacinda to give up her draki by purposely moving them to a desert city where it is impossible for draki to live. Jacinda hates it until she meets Will, who is a draki hunter. And this is where the whole Romeo and Juliet comes into play. After the two meet the story is pretty much just Jacinda trying to stay away from Will and not succeeding.

I'm not a giant fan of the characters in this book. Mrs. Jones and Tamra resent Jacinda for her draki. I get why Tamra would resent Jacinda, but her mom?! Jacinda's mom is literally trying to kill part of her daughter. What kind of mom does that?! Jacinda is an alright character, except that she has like, no will power. One minute she will be snubbing Will and the next they're making-out in the stairwell. Now onto the subject of Will, hmm...Well I must say that he is persistent. If someone snubbed me and gave me as much mixed signals as Jacinda gave to Will, I would not be pursuing them still. Will is probably one of my favorite characters in Firelight because even though he hunts dragons he has a heart of gold. My other favorite character is Xander, Wills cousin. He is just so evil that you just have to love him. 

My favorite thing about Firelight is the dragons. We don't get to meet many dragons yet, but I like that they all posses different types of powers and can morph into humans. What I did not like was the insta-love that is going on in between Will and Jacinda. No doubt about it, it is insta-love. From practically the first moment the two meet they want to jump each others bones. Despite the insta-love and the Romeo and Juliet-esq feel Firelight did keep me entertained and I want to pick up the next book in the series.

Jul 27, 2012

Stacking the Shelves (4)- Wither!

Stacking the Shelves is a meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews that lets us showcase books that we have gotten in the last week.

I suck at not buying books. I have a problem, but when you put me inside a barnes and nobles do you really expect me not to buy something????

Barnes & Nobles:
  • Some super cute bookmarks
  • Wither by Lauren DeStefano (GoodReads)
Amazon:
  • Bourne & Tributary (River of Time #3.1 and #3.2) by Lisa T. Bergren (Amazon)

Kindle(Click on cover for Goodreads):







Jul 26, 2012

REVIEW: The Assassin and the Empire by Sarah J. Maas

Title: The Assassin and the Empire
Series: Throne of Glass, #0.4
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Format: Kindle eBook
Release Date: July 20, 2012
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children
Goodreads / Amazon (psst...its only 99 cents!)

"Celaena Sardothien is the assassin with everything: a place to call her own, the love of handsome Sam, and, best of all, freedom. Yet, she won’t be truly free until she is far away from her old master, Arobynn Hamel; Celaena must take one last daring assignment that will liberate her forever. But having it all, means you have a lot to lose . . . 


This fourth fantastic e-novella gives readers an inside look at the characters who appear in the full-length novel Throne of Glass. Don’t miss out!"

My emotions you guys, my emotions! I knew that this novella was going to end badly because of the synopsis for Throne of Glass but it made me cry anyway. Not many books can boast making me cry, but this one did. It was just so good. This is by far the best Assassin novella.

The Assassin and the Empire has most of the same characters as Underworld, but I believe that this novella takes place about a year later. Celaena has a lot more raw emotion in this one. And when I say a lot, I mean A LOT!  Her compassionate, emotional side comes out which doesn't make Celaena make the most rational decisions at times but it does humanize her. By the end Celaena becomes mentally and emotionally stronger. I still love Sam, even though he does make some foolish decisions. Sam and Celaena together I love. With my whole heart I ship them. They make the perfect little couple, accepting each others flaws and always looking out for each other. And then there is Arobynn...oh how I despise Arobynn. He likes to destroy my happiness and and is just a horrible person. Just...URG! That is all I can say about Arobynn. You ll understand if you've read The Assassin and the Empire, and if you haven't then go read it immediately. It will leave you full of all kinds of feelings. I now anxiously await August 7th for Throne of Glass to come out.

Jul 25, 2012

REVIEW: The Assassin and the Underworld by Sarah J. Maas

Title: The Assassin and the Underworld
Series: Throne of Glass, #0.3
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Format: Kindle eBook
Release Date: May 1, 2012
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children
GoodReads / Amazon (psst...its only 99 cents!)

When the King of the Assassins gives Celaena Sardothien a special assignment that will help fight slavery in the kingdom, she jumps at the chance to strike a blow against an evil practice. The misson is a dark and deadly affair which takes Celaena from the rooftops of the city to the bottom of the sewer—and she doesn’t like what she finds there.

I feel as if these Assassin reviews are getting repetitive because once again I loved this novella! The Assassin and the Underworld starts where the last novella left off, with Celaena arriving back into the city after being sent away to the desert.

In the first Assassin novella you were in the city for maybe a chapter, but in this novella the whole story takes place in Rifthold. Rifthold has the slight feeling of the gritty, underbelly of Victorian London, which I love. In The Assassin and the Underworld you get to see where, how, and with who Celaena grew up. She lives with Arobynn Hamel, the king of the assassins, and other Assassin guild members including Sam! Eeek! Sam was in this one! I love Sam, he is just so swoon-worthy. You learn a lot more about Arobynn Hamel, who had previously only been in one chapter himself but mentioned countless times. Arobynn is one of those people who tries to appear caring and generous on the outside but is really just evil and vindictive on the inside. He knows how to push Celaena and Sam's buttons and he does it on multiple occasions. 

The Assassin and the Underworld is another great installment to the Throne of Glass series and you seriously need to go out and read these like right this second!

Waiting On Wednesday (3)


Waiting on Wednesday is a meme hosted by Breaking the Spine were we showcase a book that we are dying to get our hands on.

Erasing Time by C.J. Hill
Release Date: August 28th, 2012
GoodReads / Amazon

"In this high-action and romantic futuristic adventure, there is no escape from the future for two contemporary girls pulled out of their own time.


When twins Sheridan and Taylor wake up 400 years in the future, they find a changed world: domed cities, no animals, and a language that’s so different, it barely sounds like English. And the worst news: They can’t go back home.


The twenty-fifth-century government transported the girls to their city hoping to find a famous scientist to help perfect a devastating new weapon. The moblike Dakine fights against the government, and somehow Taylor and Sheridan find themselves in the middle. The only way to elude them all is to trust Echo, a guy with secrets of his own. The trio must put their faith in the unknown to make a harrowing escape into the wilds beyond the city.


Full of adrenaline-injected chases and heartbreaking confessions, Erasing Time explores the strength of the bonds between twins, the risks and rewards of trust, and the hard road to finding the courage to fight for what you believe in."

This sounds freakin awesome you guys! Its supposed to be super crazy and weird too. People who I have seen reading it are like "OMG! WHAT IS GOING ON!" whenever they check in on goodreads. I want to read it SO bad!

Jul 24, 2012

REVIEW: The Assassin and the Desert by Sarah J. Maas

Title: The Assassin and the Desert
Series: Throne of Glass, #0.2
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Format: Kindle eBook
Release Date: March 30, 2012
Publisher: Bloomsbury Children
GoodReads / Amazon (psst...its only 99 cents!)

"The Silent Assassins of the Red Desert aren’t much for conversation, and Celaena Sardothien wouldn’t have it any other way. She’s not there to chatter, she’s there to hone her craft as the world’s most feared killer for hire. When the quiet is shattered by forces who want to destroy the Silent Assassins, Celaena must find a way to stop them, or she’ll be lucky to leave the desert alive."

I am in love with these Throne of Glass novella. Sarah J. Maas knows how to write a mean story. Just as with The Assassin and the Pirate Lord I could not put The Assassin and the Desert Down.

Celaena is sent to an assassin school in the desert as punishment for what she and Sam did in the previous novella. In this story you see Celaena grow a lot and even become a bit less...prickly. Not to say that Celaena isn't her usually feisty self, because she most definitely is. I have fallen in love with Celaena Sardothien. She is now on my list of Top 5 favorite female characters of all time!

In the Assassin and the Desert we meet new characters, a new setting, and Celaena even gets herself a bit of a love interest. I was blown away by the world and new characters. Everything is so well developed and I find that surprising with how short the story is. One thing that did disappoint me was that Sam was not in The Assassin and the Desert. Other than Sam not being in it The Assassin and the Desert was fantastic!

Jul 23, 2012

GUEST POST: Jackson Keene author of Nolichuck!


Today Jackson Keene, debut author of Nolichuck! TJ's Wild Frontier Adventure, is joining us and was nice enough to write a guest post!

 Find Nolichuck! on GoodReads / Amazon



(NOTE:  TJ, our young hero of NOLICHUCK, endures constant bullying at school.  He even has problems with ruffians when he travels back in time to the wild frontier days.  His story of ultimately overcoming and gaining real confidence is very relevant for youth today who suffer harassment from mean classmates.)    

Are you faced with bullying at school or know students who are?  Ways to deal with bullies.

Bullying in schools has seemingly reached epidemic proportions today.  This appears especially true in elementary school, middle school, junior high school levels, and even up through senior high.  And it's not just the boys who are tormenting their classmates.  Girls often are crueler and much more devious than the boys.

Bullying can take many forms.  It can be verbal such as taunting, teasing that goes way beyond mere kidding around, false accusations, vicious rumors, ugly slurs, constant unkind statements, making fun of someone's appearance or intelligence or lack of material things.  It can be emotional such as constantly and publicly humiliating someone, continuously excluding someone from becoming part of an accepted group or popular crowd, derogating someone's manhood or womanhood.  And it can be physical, including hitting, punching, slapping, kneeing a boy in his private area, shoving, tripping, choking, in the case of girls, pulling hair, yanking on clothes, spitting, biting, kicking, etc.

Whatever form bullying takes and wherever it occurs, bullying kids at school is intolerable behavior.  Unnecessary and unprovoked unkindness is always wrong, no matter what the excuse.

But there are ways students can help protect themselves and deflect bullying actions.
1. Build a "defense team" around you.  The old truism that all bullies are cowards unfortunately is not 100% true.  Yes, many bullies are cowardly at heart, and they seek to lash out at weaker prey.  But all bullies, whether they're a coward or not, respect power.  Two are better than one, three are better than two, four are better than three.  Early on, connect with other students who may also be targets of bullying action, and form a protective group.  In between classes, in the lunchroom, in the gym, on the playground, etc., keep together as much as possible.
2. "Believe in yourself" and your good qualities.  I'm not saying don't be realistic about areas where you want to improve.  We all have things that aren't perfect in ourselves.  But spend equal time encouraging yourself in the many areas where you KNOW you have good qualities.  Think on all the good traits, skills, and abilities you have.  Don't let peer pressure or group mentality or bullying take away your core confidence.  You have a lot of innate value.  You have dreams and hopes.  Don't give those up.  Who knows how productive and how fulfilling your life will be in 10, 20 years versus many of those people who are being mean to you right now.  Look at the long-range picture and KNOW you'll going to be someone and accomplish good things.
3. "Stand up" for your innate worth.  When confronted by untrue or mean statements, reply calmly, logically, and clearly.  State what you know to be true about your self-worth.  Don't back down.  And never give up on yourself.
4. Think about taking some type of "martial arts or self-defense" class.  I'm not necessarily talking about becoming the Karate Kid here.  But learning some basic defense techniques and using them ONLY WHEN ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY will work wonders in scaring off would-be bullies.  I had several fights growing up with bullies.  I was always small, highly intelligent (not a good thing in my generation), but feisty, and I never lost a fight with a bully, and in fact had instances where the bully failed to show at the "appointed time" because my bluster apparently scared them off.
5. "Make allies and be a friend" wherever you can.  Even among the more popular kids, you'll find of lot of them have good hearts and real character who'll sympathize with your plight and take up for you.  Be a true friend to everyone you can, knowing that real friendship pays dividends.  And don't just be a friend to those in power, so to speak.  You should go out of your way to be friends with others less fortunate.  Help those in need, and you'll find help may be coming back to you!
6. "Never return evil for evil".  It never works out the way you'd hoped.  Don't say or do intentionally mean things to get back at bullies or others.  Rise above the maddening crowd and be a better person than the bullies who persecute you.
7. "Make it known".  In today's "zero tolerance" environment, it's not only okay but the correct thing to do to notify school administrators and teachers of bullying behavior.  They'll take steps to stop the aggression.  In addition, you should confide in others who can give you comfort and guidance:  Siblings, family members, friends, acquaintances you can trust, and people at church (if you go).  Talking things out always helps, especially if the person has been through some of the same problems in their school days.   

REVIEW: The Assassin and the Pirate Lord by Sarah J. Maas

Title: The Assassin and the Pirate Lord
Series: Throne of Glass, #0.1
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Format: Kindle eBook
Release Date: January 13, 2012
Publisher: Bloomsbury Children
GoodReads / Amazon (psst...Its only 99 cents!)

"On a remote island in a tropical sea, Celaena Sardothien, feared assassin, has come for retribution. She’s been sent by the Assassin’s Guild to collect on a debt they are owed by the Lord of the Pirates. But when Celaena learns that the agreed payment is not in money, but in slaves, her mission suddenly changes—and she will risk everything to right the wrong she’s been sent to bring about."

The Assassin and the Pirate Lord is the first of four novella prequels to Throne of Glass. In The Assassin and the Pirate Lord you meet Celaena Sardothien, a 16-year-old assassin, who is good at her job and knows it. Celaena also knows how stunningly beautiful she is. Not gonna lie, Celaena is pretty full of herself. Shes also pretty stuck up and not a very nice person in general. A couple chapters in you get to see Celaena's compassionate side. Celaena works in an Assassins Guild and when she learns that her boss sent her to pick up slaves and not money Celaena is not happy. 

Despite how mean Celaena is at first, I really like her. Now we all know by now that I love a strong, kick-butt female lead and that is most definitely what Celaena is. I think she even rivals Katniss Everdeen in that aspect. The more you read the more you learn of Celaena's insecurities and that her angry, scary demeanour is really just a wall that she puts up to protect herself. When the assassins guild sends Celaena off to see the pirate lord they also send Sam Cortland, a fellow assassin who is about the same age as Celaena. Celaena hates Sam, but I personally like him and want to see more of Sam.

The Assassin and the Pirate Lord is short, I believe that it was about 65 pages long, but I got really into the storyline and the characters. In that 65 pages or so Maas got me addicted to Celaena and her world and I'm dying for more! When an author can tell a whole story that captivates you in such a short amount of time I think it shows how well they write and I can not wait until I can read a full novel by Sarah J. Maas. The Assassin and the Pirate Lord is something I think that everyone needs to read immediately.

Jul 20, 2012

Stacking the Shelves (3)-Seraphina and Assassin and the Empire

Stacking the Shelves is a meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews that showcases books that we have gotten in the last week.

This week I bought some more ebooks, I know, I have a problem. It is just way too easy to buy books on my kindle. I'm going to go on a book buying ban until I actually read most of the books that I have bought and are still sitting unread on my shelf. One book I was super excited to buy was the latest and final Throne of Glass enovella, The Assassin and the Empire. If you haven't read the Throne of Glass enovellas yet you really should! They are amazing! I have reviews coming on all 4 next week so look for those!

A week or so ago I won a twitter giveaway from Random Buzzers for the book Seraphina by Rachel Hartman. It came today! I was so excited! I may or may not have done a happy dance and ran around the house to show everyone my pretty new book.

Won:
Thank you so much Random House and Random Buzzers for giving me the opportunity to win a copy of Seraphina!


Kindle(Click covers for Goodreads):   

 

Jul 17, 2012

Waiting on Wednesday (2)

Waiting on Wednesday is a meme hosted by Breaking the Spine were we showcase a book that we are dying to get our hands on.

This week I am waiting on:

The Kill Order by James Dashner


"Before WICKED was formed, before the Glade was built, before Thomas entered the Maze, sun flares hit the earth and mankind fell to disease.
Mark and Trina were there when it happened, and they survived. But surviving the sun flares was easy compared to what came next.
Now a disease of rage and lunacy races across the eastern United States, and there’s something suspicious about its origin. Worse yet, it’s mutating, and all evidence suggests that it will bring humanity to its knees.
Mark and Trina are convinced there’s a way to save those left living from descending into madness. And they’re determined to find it—if they can stay alive. Because in this new, devastated world, every life has a price. And to some, you’re worth more dead than alive."

I cant wait for The Kill Order to come out! The Maze Runner series weren't my favorite books ever but I always wanted to know what came before WICKED and how it got started. Here's the book trailer that was released. Just like the trailer for The Death Cure this trailer is amazing too!


Jul 16, 2012

REVIEW: Snow White and the Huntsman by Lily Blake

Title: Snow White and the Huntsman
Authors: Lily Blake, Evan Daugherty, John Lee Handcock, Hossein Amini
Format: Paperback
Release Date: June 5th, 2012
Publisher: Poppy
GoodReads / Amazon


"A breathtaking new vision of a legendary tale. Snow White is the only person in the land fairer than the evil queen who is out to destroy her. But what the wicked ruler never imagined is that the young woman threatening her reign has been training in the art of war with a huntsman 
who was dispatched to kill her."


The reason why I wanted to get this book was because I LOVED the movie. When I saw the book at Target I thought "Ohhhh! The book will probably give even more details! yay!" and then I realized that the book was based on the movie and not the other way around. I still enjoyed the novel. It followed the movie pretty much to the T with only a few changes. What I liked about the book was that you learned a bit more the Huntsman and his story before he met Snow White. In the movie they just refer to him as "The Huntsman" but in the book they actually give him a name, Eric. Everyone deserves to have their own name so I'm happy that they gave him one.

One of the best parts about the book and what drew me in is the layout and design. Before each chapter there is this beautiful page with a creepy/pretty print and the chapter number on it. Before the story begins their is a poem that is written in the most beautiful type! Don't even get me started on the cover! Its dark, pretty, and whimsical and I love it. If you don't want to read the book that's fine but you NEED to flip through it and look at the prettiness while you're at the store.

If you have seen the movie the book is not a must read. I do wish that they had gone a lot more in depth with the characters and plot but all in all it wasn't bad. It was a quick read that I found enjoyable. 


Jul 13, 2012

Stacking the Shelves (2)- The River of Time series FTW!


Stacking The Shelves is a meme hosted at Tynga’s Reviews which showcases new books you’ve received the previous week.

When I bought my Kindle I got 1 month free of Amazon Prime. What I was most excited about was the free 2 day shipping. Since I had to use it AT LEAST once it gave me an excuse to buy some books! You may notice that I bought the physical copies of The River of Time series that I previously purchased on my ereader, that is because they are amazing and ill have a review for them up later. Do yourself a favor and read the series. Its SOO good! 

There was some good books on sale for the Kindle this week. You should def check them out.

Amazon:
  • Waterfall (The River of Time #1) by Lisa T. Bergren (GoodReads)
  • Cascade (The River of Time #2) by Lisa T. Bergren (GoodReads)
  • Torrent (The River of Time #3) by Lisa T. Bergren (GoodReads)
  • Behemoth (Leviathan #2) by Scott Westerfeld (GoodReads)
  • Specials (Uglies #3) by Scott Westerfeld (GoodReads)
  • Looking for Alaska by John Green (GoodReads)
Kindle(Click covers for GoodReads):



Jul 11, 2012

Waiting on Wednesday (1)

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted over at Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.


Its my very first Waiting on Wednesday! This week I'm waiting on:

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

"After serving out a year of hard labor in the salt mines of Endovier for her crimes, 18-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien is dragged before the Crown Prince. Prince Dorian offers her her freedom on one condition: she must act as his champion in a competition to find a new royal assassin.

Her opponents are men—thieves and assassins and warriors from across the empire, each sponsored by a member of the kings council. If she beats her opponents in a series of eliminations, she’ll serve the kingdom for three years and then be granted her freedom.

Celaena finds her training sessions with the captain of the guard, Westfall, challenging and exhilirating. But she’s bored stiff by court life. Things get a little more interesting when the prince starts to show interest in her... but it’s the gruff Captain Westfall who seems to understand her best.

Then one of the other contestants turns up dead... quickly followed by another. Can Celaena figure out who the killer is before she becomes a victim? As the young assassin investigates, her search leads her to discover a greater destiny than she could possibly have imagined."

Ive actually already pre-ordered Throne of Glass; I'm that excited for it! Right now I'm reading the prequel novellas and I already love Celaena. She is a total BAMF! I cant wait until I get my copy!

Jul 9, 2012

REVIEW: Bloody Jack by L.A. Meyer

 

Title: Bloody Jack: Being an Account of the Curious Adventures of Mary "Jacky Faber"
Series: Bloody Jack, #1
Author: L.A. Meyer
Rating: 4.5 Stars
GoodReads

Synopsis:
“Life as a ship's boy aboard HMS Dolphin is a dream come true for Jacky Faber. Gone are the days of scavenging for food and fighting for survival on the streets of eighteenth-century London. Instead, Jacky is becoming a skilled and respected sailor as the crew pursues pirates on the high seas.

There's only one problem: Jacky is a girl. And she will have to use every bit of her spirit, wit, and courage to keep the crew from discovering her secret. This could be the adventure of her life--if only she doesn't get caught. . . .”

Review:
                 I discovered Bloody Jack about a year and a half ago and it has quickly become one of my favorite books, Its an easy and fun read. I love Jacky and how she has to prove how brave she is so that she can pretend to be one of the boys. My favorite shipmate of Jacky’s is her friend and fellow ship’s boy, Davy. He is hilarious and exactly the kind of character that I love. One character who just rubs me the wrong way is Jaimy Fletcher. Jaimy plays a pivotal role in the books and I’m sure many people love him, but I am just not a fan!
                 The best element of the story has to be the writing style. When the book first starts Jacky isn’t properly educated so she uses a lot of street slang. Not only do Jacky’s thoughts use this street slang but the whole writing/wording of the first few chapters are like this. As Jacky finds herself more educated the writing and speech becomes a whole lot smoother and proper.
                 Bloody Jack is a fun read for anyone who love a good seafaring story or who loves a strong female lead.

Jul 8, 2012

Stacking the Shelves (1.2)- eBook edition




Stacking The Shelves is a meme hosted at Tynga’s Reviews which showcases new books you’ve received the previous week.

I have a nook that is a hand-me-down from my mom. It's the first generation nook that she used to use until my dad bought her a new one. Ive had this nook for awhile but I never used it. I just was not a fan of eBooks. Sure, I didnt mind reading books from my mom's nook but I prefered (and still do) reading a physical book. Plus I always thought that if I was going to buy a book I would rather have a physical copy anyway. What I loved the nook for was when I finished a book and I immediatly needed the next book I am able get it right away. I did this with Hunger Games. I read the first book that I got from the library (I had to wait a whole month for it) and then finished it in a day and a half. I needed the other 2 books immediatly. I couldnt wait for the library to get them in, so I bought them on the nook and devoured them. Recently I have become of a different mindset. Now I like buying ebooks because a lot of the time you can find books on sale for really great deals. So about 2 weeks ago I bought a bunch of books on my nook. 

I just graduated from highschool this year so I have a little bit extra spending money and have been toying with the idea of getting a tablet. For like 2 seconds I thought about getting an Ipad but then decided against it since they are $500. Then I thought about getting a Kindle Fire since its a tablet/ereader and it is only $200, so two days ago I went ahead and bought myself a Kindle Fire along with a bunch of books that were on sale. Long story short, I now have a nook and a kindle and they both have books that I want to read on them. I wish I could put my nook books onto my kindle, if you know how to do that tell me in the comments please!

Nook Books:
  • The Assassin and the Pirate Lord (A Throne of Glass Novella)-Sarah J Maas (GoodReads)
  • The Assassin and the Desert (A Throne Of Glass Novella)- Sarah J Maas (GoodReads)
  • The Assassin and the Underworld (A Throne of Glass Novella)- Sarah J Maas (GoodReads)
  • The Girl Is Murder-Katheryn Miller Haines (GoodReads)
  • Everblue- Brenda Pandos (GoodReads)
  • Waterfall (River of Times #1)- Lisa T. Bergren (GoodReads)
  • Cascade (River of Times #2)- Lisa T. Bergren (GoodReads)
  • Torrent (River of Time #3)- Lisa T. Bergren (GoodReads)
  • Bourne (River of Time #3.1 Novella)- Lisa T. Bergren (GoodReads)
  • Tributary (River of Time #3.2 Novella)- Lisa T. Bergren (GoodReads)
  • Peaches- Jodi Lynn Anderson (GoodReads)
Kindle eBooks:
  • Real Mermaids Don't Wear Toe Rings- Helene Boudreau (GoodReads)
  • Crown Duel- Sherwood Smith (GoodReads)
  • The Girl of Fire and Thorns- Rae Carson (GoodReads)
  • Robin: Lady of Legend- R.M. ArceJaeger (GoodReads)
  • Variant- Robinson Wells (GoodReads)
  • The Agency: The Body at the Tower- Y.S. Lee (GoodReads) I have a hard copy of this one but since it was only 2.99, and I love it, I couldnt pass it up. Now I can always have a copy of it with me :)
Sent for Review:
  • Nolichuck! TJ's Wild Frontier Adventure- Jackson Keene (GoodReads)

Jul 6, 2012

Stacking the Shelves (1)- My Major Haul from the Last 5 Months

Stacking The Shelves is a meme hosted at Tynga’s Reviews which showcases new books you’ve received the previous week.

As you all know I have been gone from the blogging world for some time so I haven't been able to share the books Ive picked up with you. This is going to be just a huge mass haul of all the books Ive got since the beginning of February. I hope I got them all but there is a chance that Ive left out 1 or 2 books. Since this is already such a large haul I'm going to do a second Stacking the Shelves tomorrow, this time featuring all the ebooks that I have recently purchased!

Books (from various sources):







Jul 2, 2012

REVIEW: Virals by Kathy Reichs


Title: Virals
Series: Virals #1
Author: Kathy Reichs
Rating: 4 1/2
GoodReads

Synopsis:
“Tory Brennan, niece of acclaimed forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan (of the Bones novels and hit TV show), is the leader of a ragtag band of teenage "sci-philes" who live on a secluded island off the coast of South Carolina. When the group rescues a dog caged for medical testing on a nearby island, they are exposed to an experimental strain of canine parvovirus that changes their lives forever.


As the friends discover their heightened senses and animal-quick reflexes, they must combine their scientific curiosity with their newfound physical gifts to solve a cold-case murder that has suddenly become very hot-if they can stay alive long enough to catch the killer's scent.


Fortunately, they are now more than friends- they're a pack. They are Virals.”

Review:
  When I first saw Virals, what drew me in was that it is written by Kathy Reich, the same author that writes the books that the show Bones is based off of. Ive never read any of the Temperance Brennan novels, but I love the show Bones so I decided that I needed to give Virals a try.

  The first time that I read the synopsis I was skeptical. Virals sounded fast paced and thrilling but I also thought that it sounded weird. A book where kids get dog powers? How good can that be? I actually ended up really enjoying it. I loved the mystery, the plot, the characters, and even the so called “dog powers.”

  The main character is Tory, who is Temperance Brennan’s niece. With Tory’s dad being a scientist and her aunt being an anthropologist you know that Tory is going to be one smart cookie. I ended up really liking Tory but, who I like even more than Tory is  her group of friends. Tory hangs out with 3 other nerdy guys and they are great! Tory and her friends live on a private island, where their scientist parents can easily go to work (another, different private island.) How cool is that?! It would be awesome to live on a private island with only your friend’s families and very few else. Now I won’t go and spoil anything by telling you about the canine abilities that Tory and her friends develop except that they are seriously awesome.

  I really liked Virals, way more than I thought that I was going to. I highly recommend that you read it if you like fast paced mysteries with some sci-fi geekery going on. Virals is the first book in a series that I cant wait to get my hands on!