Follow Friday!

Feature and Follow Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Alison Can Read and Parajunkee.

Q: What book are you embarrassed to admit you LOVED? (try to think beyond Twilight).

Honestly, I don't have one. I don't really believe in "guilty pleasure" reading- because I don't think you should feel guilty about anything you read. The fact that you pick up a book period is pretty damn amazing. I guess, if anything, I would say I have "guilty pleasure themes", like Love Triangles. I eat those suckers up. I know they're not for everyone, but I love a good dramatic edge of your seat "who's she gonna pick" romance. But I still don't really consider those "guilty pleasures" lol.

Make sure you tell me in the comment the ways in which you follow (preferably GFC or FB) and leave me a link to your blog so I can follow back in the same way(s)!

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating!

This weeks WW is Sentinel by JLA! It's a bittersweet wait though, since it's the final Covenant book! I don't know how I'm going to manage without Aiden!

From Goodreads: It's a beautiful day for a war.

As the mortal world slowly slips into chaos of the godly kind, Alexandria Andros must overcome a stunning defeat that has left her shaken and in doubt of their ability to end this war once and for all.

And with all the obstacles between Alex and her happily-ever-after with the swoonworthy Aiden St. Delphi, they must now trust a deadly foe as they travel deep into the Underworld to release one of the most dangerous gods of all time.

In the stunning, action-packed climax to the bestselling Covenant series, Alex must face a terrible choice: the destruction of everything and everyone she holds dear… or the end of herself.

"Origin" by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Series: Lux #4
Genre: YA Paranormal Romance/ Aliens
Format: Kindle
Publication: August 27, 2013 by Entangled
Cover Rating: 5/5 ...DUH, come on look at him! Like I would give him anything less!

From Goodreads: Daemon will do anything to get Katy back.

After the successful but disastrous raid on Mount Weather, he’s facing the impossible. Katy is gone. Taken. Everything becomes about finding her. Taking out anyone who stands in his way? Done. Burning down the whole world to save her? Gladly. Exposing his alien race to the world? With pleasure.

All Katy can do is survive.

Surrounded by enemies, the only way she can come out of this is to adapt. After all, there are sides of Daedalus that don’t seem entirely crazy, but the group’s goals are frightening and the truths they speak even more disturbing. Who are the real bad guys? Daedalus? Mankind? Or the Luxen?

Together, they can face anything. 

But the most dangerous foe has been there all along, and when the truths are exposed and the lies come crumbling down, which side will Daemon and Katy be standing on? 

And will they even be together?


My Thoughts: The Queen of Cliff-Hangers has done it again! JLA what are you doing to me?! You're killing me! KILLING ME! I need the next book now! Can't we just... can't we just come to some kind of agreement about this? You give me the next book,and I supply you with coffee for a year? No? Darn.

Seriously kids,I feel silly even trying to write this review. Because we all know what I'm going to say: JLA is epic and awesome and this book was phenomenal and can I please have Daemon's babies. The Lux series just keeps getting better with each new book and the action amps up majorly in Origin. We see a side of both Daemon and Kat that we haven't before and it's pretty freaking great. I love how the characters are growing as the series continues on- it really shows how great of a writer JLA is. She has definitely got a gift.

Anyway, I loved it and I really really really really cannot wait until the next book! I hope I don't die between now then, because I'll be super pissed ;)

My Rating:

Top Ten Scariest Looking Book Covers!

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

I love this weeks category! But in a surprising turn of events, I have only actually read one of these books! When I was in grade school, I picked up R.L. Stine's Night of the Living Dummy. I don't really remember it very well, but I remember being pretty freaked out by the cover! I hate those wooden dolls!

I definitely think the scariest cover on here goes to The Dead of Winter, though. Totally freaky.

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you all have a spooktacular Halloween!

 

ARC Review: "Alienated" by Melissa Landers

Series: Alienated #1
Genre: Paranormal Romance YA
Format: ARC/ Kindle
Publication: February 4, 2014 by Disney Hyperion
Cover Rating: 5/5 Stars

From Goodreads: Two years ago, the aliens made contact. Now Cara Sweeney is going to be sharing a bathroom with one of them. 

Handpicked to host the first-ever L’eihr exchange student, Cara thinks her future is set. Not only does she get a free ride to her dream college, she’ll have inside information about the mysterious L’eihrs that every journalist would kill for. Cara’s blog following is about to skyrocket.

Still, Cara isn’t sure what to think when she meets Aelyx. Humans and L’eihrs have nearly identical DNA, but cold, infuriatingly brilliant Aelyx couldn’t seem more alien. She’s certain about one thing, though: no human boy is this good-looking.

But when Cara's classmates get swept up by anti-L'eihr paranoia, Midtown High School suddenly isn't safe anymore. Threatening notes appear in Cara's locker, and a police officer has to escort her and Aelyx to class. 

Cara finds support in the last person she expected. She realizes that Aelyx isn’t just her only friend; she's fallen hard for him. But Aelyx has been hiding the truth about the purpose of his exchange, and its potentially deadly consequences. Soon Cara will be in for the fight of her life—not just for herself and the boy she loves, but for the future of her planet.


My Thoughts: First of all, a HUGELY EPIC thank you to Netgalley and Disney Hyperion for providing me this ARC!

Alienated was so original! I loved it! I started this book late into the night and didn't put it down until I was turning the last page. I NEED the next book ASAP!

Cara, a human high school senior, is an awesome heroine, with plenty of spunk and wit. Aelyx is a quiet, bizarre alien exchange student sent to Earth to help form an alliance with the human race... an alliance in which both species could benefit from. The only problem? Not every human is over the moon about the L'eihrs, and Aelyx and his two friends don't feel much differently about them either. Until he meets Cara.

I absolutely loved the chemistry between these two characters. They complimented each other so well! Not to mention the plot was so absorbing! I just could not stop reading it. If you're a fan of Jennifer L. Armentrout's Lux series, then you will definitely want to check out Alienated!

This is definitely one series I will be keeping up with it! HIGHLY Recommend!

If you Pre-Order your copy right now, you can get awesomely free Swag from the author! Check out her site for more info by clicking here! Hurry! Limited quantity!

My Rating:

"Reckless" by S.C. Stephens

Series: Thoughtless #3
Genre: New Adult
Format: Kindle
Publication: March 5, 2013 by Gallery Books
Cover Rating: 5/5 Stars

From Goodreads: Can love survive when life gets Reckless?

When the band hits it big, Kiera and Kellan must ask themselves: Can their love for each other survive the constant pressures of superstardom? The friendships they've formed, the new family they've found, and the history they've forged will all play a part in helping them navigate the turbulent waters of the band's exploding popularity. A greedy executive hell-bent on success, a declining pop star looking for an edge, and a media circus that twists lies into truths are just some of the obstacles the lovers will have to overcome if they are going to remain together. Fame comes with a price-but will it cost Kiera and Kellan everything?

My Thoughts: I absolutely LOVED the final installment to this trilogy!!! It was the perfect ending to a great romance story. Kiera has finally become a character that I absolutely love, and not one that drives me up the walls by making poor decisions over and over again. Kellan and the rest of the D-Bags have really hit it big and it was fun reading about all of their adventures and seeing how they responded to such fame. I'm tied between deciding which book is better Thoughtless or Reckless!

If you're looking for a great (and I'll admit it,somewhat cheesy) romance, this trilogy is perfect!

My Rating: 

"Effortless" by S.C. Stephens

Series: Thoughtless #2
Genre: New Adult
Format: Kindle
Publication: March 15, 2011
Cover Rating: 4/5 Stars

From Goodreads: A continuation of the novel, Thoughtless...

A lot can happen in a year. You grow, you change, you learn from your mistakes. And Kiera had made a lot of mistakes to learn from. But she had learned, and she was determined to never cause a man pain again, especially the amazing man who currently held her heart. But life offers new challenges for every relationship, and when Kiera’s love is put to the ultimate test, will it come out the other side unscathed?

Love is easy…trust is hard


My Thoughts: *Swoon* I'm so in love with Kellan Kyle, it should be illegal that he's fictional. Effortless was just as good as Thoughtless, if not better! Kiera is slowly growing up, but she definitely still has some issues to work through. I also still thought the author could have cut out some of the book, there was a lot of going back and forth about trust issues that could have been wrapped up better, but I still loved it. I honestly don't know what it is specifically about this series, but it has just sucked me in completely. The writing is so fantastic and the romance is just... so swoon-worthy! It's definitely one of those books that you can just devour. If you like the New Adult genre, you will definitely love this series!

My Rating:

"Eleanor & Park" by Rainbow Rowell

Genre: Coming of Age/ YA
Format: Kindle
Publication: February 26, 2013 by St. Martin's Press
Cover Rating: 5/5 Stars

From Goodreads: Set over the course of one school year in 1986, ELEANOR AND PARK is the story of two star-crossed misfits – smart enough to know that first love almost never lasts, but brave and desperate enough to try. When Eleanor meets Park, you’ll remember your own first love – and just how hard it pulled you under.

My Thoughts: Wow. I don't even know where to begin with this review! Eleanor & Park was, to put it simply, amazing! I devoured this book and fell in love with the characters and with Ms. Rowell herself. Everything about it was perfect and wonderful and just... exactly what I wanted it to be. It's so rare to find a book that you would leave untouched, but I can not think of one single thing that I would ever want to change about Eleanor and Park. As soon as I finished it, all I wanted to do was go back and re-read it from the beginning (which never happens).

Usually I start my reviews off with what I didn't like about the novel, but I just can't do that with this one because I loved it completely, from the first page to the last. So here are some of the things that I absolutely loved and that stood out to me the most:

• It was real. Even though E&P is set in 1986, it can still be very much related to the here and now. I graduated high school in 2006 and the whole time I was this I just kept thinking "Oh yeah, I remember how that felt" or "Man, that reminds me of that time..." It was all so relevant to that time in our lives when everything sucks and everything feels overwhelming.
• Eleanor. THANK YOU RAINBOW ROWELL! FINALLY someone sat down and said, you know what- my heroine is going to be fat. Not small and pixie-sh, but F.A.T. Granted, I didn't picture Eleanor as being so huge that she couldn't walk down the hallway, but I did picture her on the larger side. What was really great though, was that this wasn't JUST who Eleanor was. A lot of books want to say "Oh yeah, she's big and she has these self-esteem issues and she loses weight blah blah blah". Eleanor was actually a really hip chick and someone I would definitely want to hang with.
• Park. Okay, I'll admit it. I'm kind of in love with him. Beside he's amazing music taste, Park reminds me of the guy I liked in high-school (or what I pictured the guy I liked in HS to be like). He was sensitive and even a little bit shallow just like every other teenage guy out there. But he moved past it.
• The music. Joy Division's Love Will Tear Us Apart is possibly my favorite song of all time. It breaks my heart every time I hear it and I can listen to it over and over again. E&P has an amazing playlist to go along with amazing story.

Overall, this book has definitely earned its place on my "favorites" shelf and I would HIGHLY recommend it to anyone!

My Rating:

"Ten Tiny Breaths" by K.A. Tucker

Series: Ten Tiny Breaths #1
Genre: New Adult
Format: Kindle
Publication: December 11, 2012
Cover Rating: 5/5 Stars

From Goodreads: Kacey Cleary’s whole life imploded four years ago in a drunk-driving accident. Now she’s working hard to bury the pieces left behind—all but one. Her little sister, Livie. Kacey can swallow the constant disapproval from her born-again aunt Darla over her self-destructive lifestyle; she can stop herself from going kick-boxer crazy on Uncle Raymond when he loses the girls’ college funds at a blackjack table. She just needs to keep it together until Livie is no longer a minor, and then they can get the hell out of Grand Rapids, Michigan.

But when Uncle Raymond slides into bed next to Livie one night, Kacey decides it’s time to run. Armed with two bus tickets and dreams of living near the coast, Kacey and Livie start their new lives in a Miami apartment complex, complete with a grumpy landlord, a pervert upstairs, and a neighbor with a stage name perfectly matched to her chosen “profession.” But Kacey’s not worried. She can handle all of them. What she can’t handle is Trent Emerson in apartment 1D.

Kacey doesn’t want to feel. She doesn’t. It’s safer that way. For everyone. But sexy Trent finds a way into her numb heart, reigniting her ability to love again. She starts to believe that maybe she can leave the past where it belongs and start over. Maybe she’s not beyond repair.

But Kacey isn’t the only one who’s broken. Seemingly perfect Trent has an unforgiveable past of his own; one that, when discovered, will shatter Kacey’s newly constructed life and send her back into suffocating darkness.

My Thoughts: I love the New Adult genre, truly I do. But I have issues with it too. Almost every single New Adult book follows a simple formula: Girl has a troubled past, meets guy, falls in love despite trying not to for whatever reason, insert some kind of trouble here, they break up, they get enlightened and get back together. And it works. I eat that stuff up like cotton candy. The problem is, it gets old. Quick. I can't read a New Adult book right after another one. I get bored.

My problem with Ten Tiny Breaths is this: Instalove. I hate it. I absolutely loved the story that K.A. Tucker has written. It was sad and beautiful and everything that a romance should be... except for the fact that Trent and Kacey barely know each other. I actually really loved Kacey's character, I know some of my friends found her hard to connect with, but I thought she was awesome. She's tough and bruised from a tragic past. She makes poor decisions, but she owns up to them. I kind of respect her. Until Trent comes a long. Then all of a sudden just because he's hot she melts? It seemed way too convenient. I felt cheated out of my good romance. The really bizarre part is, I loved every other character in the book, EXCEPT Trent. It wasn't that I didn't like him, I just felt like I didn't know anything about him.

Overall the story itself is good, but predictable. Would I recommend it? Eh, probably not. The New Adult genre is just booming right now, and there are way too many other good romances that beat this one out for me. I love a good tortured, tragic heroine, but I need the quality romance too, and I just didn't get that with Ten Tiny Breaths.

My Rating:

"Antigoddess" by Kendare Blake

Series: Goddess War #1
Genre: YA Paranormal / Mythology
Format: Hardback, 333 pages
Publication: September 10, 2013 by Tor Teen
Cover Rating: 5/5 Stars

From Goodreads: The Goddess War begins in Antigoddess, the first installment of the new series by acclaimed author of Anna Dressed in Blood, Kendare Blake.

Old Gods never die…

Or so Athena thought. But then the feathers started sprouting beneath her skin, invading her lungs like a strange cancer, and Hermes showed up with a fever eating away his flesh. So much for living a quiet eternity in perpetual health.

Desperately seeking the cause of their slow, miserable deaths, Athena and Hermes travel the world, gathering allies and discovering enemies both new and old. Their search leads them to Cassandra—an ordinary girl who was once an extraordinary prophetess, protected and loved by a god. 

These days, Cassandra doesn’t involve herself in the business of gods—in fact, she doesn’t even know they exist. But she could be the key in a war that is only just beginning. 

Because Hera, the queen of the gods, has aligned herself with other of the ancient Olympians, who are killing off rivals in an attempt to prolong their own lives. But these anti-gods have become corrupted in their desperation to survive, horrific caricatures of their former glory. Athena will need every advantage she can get, because immortals don’t just flicker out. 

Every one of them dies in their own way. Some choke on feathers. Others become monsters. All of them rage against their last breath.

The Goddess War is about to begin.

My Thoughts: First of all I would like to say a HUGE thank you to Tor Teen for sending me Antigoddess in exchange for my honest review! You guys are awesome.

Antigoddess was everything I expected it to be and more. Kendare Blake is just an amazing storyteller and writer. Just like her other series, Anna Dressed in Blood (my review here), Antigoddess is original and thrilling! Seriously, I have never read anything like this before and I loved it. The characters were fantastic- Athena and Cassandra being two of the most badass heroines around- and the way Blake puts a modern spin on the mythological stories that we've all grown up with? It's just so imaginative! Seriously, read this book! You will NOT be disappointed!

My Rating: