Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Cover Reveals: Wickedness and Goddesses

**A post in which I reveal...new/up and coming, covers of the moment, the ones you should keep an eye out for.**


This week I found some stunning covers. It's Reveal time!!

Wicked Kiss by Michelle Rowen
Publishing: February 26th, 2013
Pages: 304
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Genre: YA, Paranormal, Angels & Demons, Romance
Goodreads Summary

MY KISS CAN KILL.

I used to be ordinary Samantha Day, but that's changed. Now, after one dark kiss from a dangerous boy, I can steal someone's soul...or their life. If I give in to the constant hunger inside me, I hurt anyone I kiss. If I don't...I hurt myself.

Bishop is the one whose kiss I crave most, but if I kiss him, I'll kill him. Then there's another boy, one I can't hurt. One whose kiss seems to miraculously quell my hunger. They're both part of a team of angels and demons that's joined forces in my city to fight a mysterious rising darkness, an evil that threatens everyone I know and love. I just wonder if I'll be able to help Bishop-or if I'm just another part of the darkness he's sworn to destroy....

NIGHTWATCHERS

When angels and demons must work together, something beyond evil is rising...


Publishing: May 28th, 2013
Pages: 432
Publisher: HarperTeen
Genre: YA, Fantasy, Mythology, Romance

Goodreads Summary

After accidentally unleashing the gods from their captivity on Olympus, Helen must find a way to re-imprison them without starting a devastating war. But the gods are angry, and their thirst for blood already has a body count.

To make matters worse, the Oracle reveals that a diabolical Tyrant is lurking among them, which drives a wedge between the once-solid group of friends. As the gods use the Scions against one another, Lucas’s life hangs in the balance. Still unsure whether she loves him or Orion, Helen is forced to make a terrifying decision, for war is coming to her shores.

In Josephine Angelini’s compelling conclusion to the masterfully woven Starcrossed trilogy, a goddess must rise above it all to change a destiny that’s been written in the stars. With worlds built just as fast as they crumble, love and war collide in an all-out battle that will leave no question unanswered and no heart untouched.

**As always, all book summaries were taken from Goodreads.com**



So...Both of these covers are very girly and pretty, and although I disliked it at first, Goddess is really growing on me. This is a quick update of covers mainly because life is a crazy noodle bowl right now and nothing ever sits still; I have to get ready for school in 5 minutes O.O 
So I have to jet, but don't forget to tell me what you guys think! Also, I have midterms coming up...wish me luck!!

XX,










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New Releases: (October 30th-November 5th 2012)

**A meme where I share with you some of the stunning new releases of the week/month, read on to see what's coming out.**
-November 1, 2012 Releases-


What do you want to read, and which releases are you most geared up for? Share in the comments below!

XX,


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Sunday, October 28, 2012

Stacking the Shelves (8) : Angels, Princes and Comic Books

**"Stacking the Shelves" is run by Tynga @ Tynga's Book Reviews and I'm linking up with some of the great books I found this week.**

Hey Lovelies!

So it has been a while since I last stacked some shelves with the best of 'em, but I'm making the lamest of comebacks in this edition of Stacking the Shelves! I ran by Walmart for a few necessities candy, ahem, and hit up the book section while there. It turned out that there were some pretty sweet buys like...

Please forgive the darkness, for some reason I thought taking this at night would make my life simpler. It didn't.

The makers of Archie decided to release a kind of "best of" compilation in two different volumes, featuring the funniest and most loved Archie shticks. When I say that it was a compulsion to buy these two collections, I really do mean it, my childhood is Archie! I grew up loving him - hate his character now - and rooting for my girls Veronica/Ginger (because Betty is far too easy.) I had to buy it. 

And as luck might have it...The Lost Prince released this week too! Man, isn't that awesome? I did a post of all the new books released at the beginning of the week, the link is here, so check that out if you are curious to know what other goodies have been floating around ;) Now, I didn't get Angel Fire from Walmart, it was a pre-order from the BookDepository months back. 

Funny story: The Mail man messed up. We have two separate compartments aside from the assigned mailboxes, specifically for bigger packages. Angel Fire is almost 700 pages...I think it qualifies as being 'bigger.' However, my dear friend Mr. Mail man decided to force my darling book into my much smaller mailbox. This meant that for 3 minutes plus, I stood in almost minus 15 degree weather - and it's always worse when the weather is JUST starting to drop - trying like a mad-woman to disengage my package. My mother called me back to the car, and told my brother to go try his luck instead. Apparently, because I looked like a lunatic trying and because his muscles are oh-so-much more bigger than mine, he could do a better job. Sadly?

He did. 


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Bah, but Whatev's, I still got my book!



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I win, right??
Lol, so there you have it, my latest conquests! What do you think, and what great reads did you find this week?? I make it a rule to always reply/visit anyone who visits me so be sure that I will pay you a visit soon! Thanks again for reading!!

Love you lots,










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Saturday, October 27, 2012

Fiction into Fashion (3) : Poison Princess

**Fiction into Fashion is a meme in which I capture the essence of a previously read book in the form of a fashion set through the use of important themes and/or inspiring objects or characters.**

This Fashion into Fiction set is inspired by Kresley Cole's newest, Poison Princess... 

Evangeline (Poison Princess)



French Connection cap sleeve t shirt, 58 CAD / rag & bone denim jacket, 495 CAD / BLANK skinny jeans / Steve Madden motorcycle boots, 150 CAD / Teardrop jewelry, 285 CAD



Note: The review for this book should be up shortly, I'm even considering doing fashion sets for four other characters in the book, so keep on the look-out! What do you think of this set? It is the end of the world and yet Evie still cleans up well, how unfair is that?! I chose Britt Robertson to model Evie's character mainly because when I think of Evie, this actress comes to mind.

I'd love to hear your thoughts!











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New Adult Giveaway Winner!!


Hey guys!

So a really quick update, the winner for the New Adult Giveaway hosted here a few weeks ago has been chosen. I usually inform the winner before posting, just so we can get the choosing out of the way, and I can let you guys know. Do you mind this method? I particularly have no preference, but if some of you would rather that I announce the winner here and then inform them afterwards, just let me know and we'll work through that :)

So without further delay, the winner is...


Entry #277Karina A


She chose Between the Lines by Tammara Webber as a prize, and the ebook was delivered this morning. Thank-you to everyone who participated, you guys are dear to my heart! Be on the look-out for more Giveaways, I'm thinking of hosting something for Halloween, who likes the sound of that?!

Let me know if you have any Giveaway ideas, recommend the blog to friends/family, and respond in the comments below!

Love you like a love song... ;)











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Friday, October 26, 2012

Review: The Athena Effect by Derrolyn Anderson

**Note: a copy of this book was provided via Smashwords - thank-you! - in exchange for an honest review.**

The Athena Effect by Derrolyn Anderson
My rating: 4 of 5 genies
Published: August 30th, 2012
Genre: New Adult, Romance, Fantasy, Science-Fiction
Publisher: Indie (Self-Published)
Source: Review Copy
Pages: 221
Format: eBook
Purchase At: Amazon.com or Smashwords.com

Goodreads Summary

Country girl Cali has been kept a secret her entire life, raised in isolation by two very troubled people. Despite her parent’s disturbing fits, Cal is perfectly content, living at one with the nature that surrounds her, and finding adventure inside the pages of her beloved books. When an awful tragedy tears her away from her remote cabin in the woods, nothing she’s ever read has prepared her for a world that she knows very little about.

Girls and motorcycles are what bad-boy Cal’s life is all about. Brought up in a raucous party house by his biker brother, he’s free to do as he pleases, going through the motions on his final days of high school. Aimless, Cal stopped thinking about his future a long time ago.

Attacked by a gang of thugs while running an errand for his brother, Cal is in serious trouble until a fierce girl appears out of nowhere to intervene. She chases off three grown men, sparing Cal a brutal beating before disappearing into the night like a spirit. He can’t stop thinking about his mysterious rescuer, and when she turns out to be the weird new girl at school who goes out of her way to avoid him, he can’t contain his curiosity.

He’s never met anyone like her before, and the more he learns about the unusual girl who shares his nickname, the more he wants to know. Cal can’t help falling for Cal, but can he keep her from falling victim to a dangerous enemy from her parent’s tragic past?


My Thoughts

I was positive there wouldn’t be any more Indie author reviews coming from me this year, mainly because of life being hectic, and also because the waters between bloggers and self-published authors had long since grown troubled. After witnessing many others bear the brunt of insult or heckling because of conflicting views and opinion, I was in no hurry to put myself in any such position. So I closed up shop, blocking out self-published authors along with their books. In this case, I’d have to really like the book, from an indie author, to review it on request.

And wouldn’t you know it? I really liked this book.

The author, Derrolyn, is a very sweet lady. Heck, I just called her a lady, which should tell you something! She was very humble when requesting this review, explaining that she knew how strained things had become, and also that she would still like me to consider The Athena Effect for review. When I told her that the review might come a little late, she was cool, and very accommodating to my circumstance. How could I say no?

The premise of Derrolyn’s novel first struck me as being intriguing, a girl with strange abilities and a love interest with a similar name? It was all very interesting and I went to work on it almost as soon as it was downloaded to Tookie, my kindle. This is almost an embarrassment to admit, if it wasn’t so incredible, but the book grabbed me, and I lost against the sheer force of The Athena Effect’s awesomeness. There is solid plot, ingenuity, humour, romance and a peculiar brand of uniqueness about Derrolyn’s writing that I am sure will see to it that she, along with this series, goes very far.

The prologue kicks things off with a strange man and woman, both gravely malnourished, and running from something. It is revealed that the woman, Jenny, is pregnant, and both she and the man, David, are in desperate need of help, and a ride. They end up receiving assistance from a kind, sympathetic trucker who agrees to take them north…yes, very mysterious, I know, but the real story begins a few years later with Cali, Jenny and David’s daughter; she was a treat. Being a girl raised completely in the woods with hardly anyone but her parents, Cali is in all respects, a wild child. The girl blends like a ninja, hunts as well as any samurai, and generally keeps to herself. Except for one thing… Cali is fairly learned. Meaning, she has most probably gone through more books than me.

*Blinks* What, Grey’s Anatomy is a book?!?
*Sarcastic face* See?

Despite her lack of exposure to the outside world, she is still a brilliant young woman, capable of survival and superior intellect; I had to respect that. Cali is an intelligent and deeply thoughtful heroine. Her parents have always prohibited contact with the outside world and generally go to town only for the most necessary of errands. When most girls are grieving over which prom dress to pick, Cali can sit back and read. How cool is that? Very, if you ask me, but of course things take a major 360 turn when her parents are found dead, victims of a motorcycle accident.

Cali is left alone, and used to turning to her parents for direction, she now stands aimless. There is no foul play suspected in the occurrence of their deaths, her parents have long been victim to terrible seizures, horrible hallucinations, and Cali believes that they ran into a semi-truck while undergoing one of these seizures. Almost as soon as their funeral is through, she is on a bus, bound for the city and her Aunt Angie’s house. Cali is still a minor and will have to live with her new guardian until she is of age to make her own decisions legally and hopefully return to the cabin in the woods, the only home she has ever known.

This is the first time we get a view of Cali’s visibly strangest quality, her eyes. She later describes the condition as heterochromia, meaning she has two different eye colors, one blue and the other green. Couple that with her heightened awareness of people’s feelings, an ability that allows her to read their “colors” and ultimately emotions, and you know this girl is different. Although almost oblivious to her differences, she embarks on her adventure to the city a little hesitant, but ultimately just curious. She will have to have her wits about her to confront the dangers awaiting: the man her parents spent the better half of their lives running from, and her aunt’s major creep of a boyfriend, Phil, who means a lot more harm than good. There are challenges at every corner for Cali; the girl can’t ever seem to catch a break. My heart ached for her.

Imagine not knowing how to interact in modern society, or never having to deal with the numerous constraints that govern daily life before, how would you cope with being suddenly thrust into such a world, expected to adjust quickly and following a tragedy such as your parent’s deaths? I couldn’t do it. It was a weird perspective, reading of someone who knew so much and yet was unaware of what is commonly taken for granted as basic etiquette.

Before I began reading, this was by far the portion of the book I feared the most; I didn’t know how well it would be executed, hesitant at the thought of having to endure some bimbo, doe-eyed character. To think that such an individual with apparently latent TSTL symptoms might have been let loose upon the fictional world to ‘ooh’ and ‘ah’ over every pothole and sewer drain made me cringe, but to my delight, Derrolyn knew exactly what she was doing! Cali embodied newness, an endearing naivety. The idea of her, the character, struck me as being completely authentic. Also, the coupling of Cal and Cali, two protagonists with very similar names, was another aspect of this novel I loved, loved, loved! These concepts were like toss-ups, gambles in a world of contrived cookie-cutter cut-outs and they paid off. It was different…an innovative, brilliant combination and I adored it.

For fear of accidentally ruining anything, I will keep the following details pertaining to Cal and Cali’s romance to a minimum. Let me say though, that they were both very good together. Cal is set up as the bad boy biker and player extraordinaire. Cali kind of takes him by surprise because she isn’t fazed by his show of machoness. Quite frankly, she can see right through him, and under the leather and flair, he’s just a boy with surprisingly earnest feelings and a good heart. They would do anything for each other, and watching their affection grow was by far my favorite part of the journey.

This quote from the book takes place as Cali sits at the bus station, waiting for Angie to arrive and pick her, it is a beautiful peek into their relationship:

“She watched the one named Cal as he sauntered back to his bike. It was a bigger, more powerful looking motorcycle than her father’s; she’d never seen one that looked like it before. She tried not to stare, but she’d never seen anyone who looked like him before either.

He was tall, taller than her father, clad in dirty blue jeans and a black leather jacket that fit snug across his broad shoulders. His hair was dark, like his eyes, which were fringed with black lashes that made them stand out even from a distance. She’d never seen a really good-looking man before, and she watched him, fascinated.

He walked with a confident swagger that belied the anxious chartreuse color he was radiating. Like everyone else at the bus station, he was troubled. He reached into his pocket for a pair of mirrored sunglasses, slipping them on to hide his arresting eyes. She watched him straddle the bike gracefully, without putting on a helmet. He revved the engine and sped away, going much too fast.

Beautiful idiot, she thought.”


And there’s even more to come, the book expands really well on its initial themes, and while some were mature, dealing with suicide, obsession, depression, etc. the book is a stand-out of epic proportions. It didn’t feel self-published, and ultimately, I am glad to have given The Athena Effect a chance; this novel certainly deserves to be read by everyone with a strong interest in science-fiction and romance. Personally, I would categorize The Athena Effect as being more of Mature YA/New Adult in genre simply because there are sexual situations and it feels a lot more grown up than most YA fiction, but in a good way! There is an ease to which things play out and plenty of heart-warming scenes to keep readers gripped. There were instances I felt my periphery melt away; it was like watching a really sweet movie. Basically this book has a little bit of everything, humour, action, romance, and a sci-fi twist that most readers will love, everyone should read this.

genies: A good read. I enjoyed this book, not quite loved, but it 
isn't far off from being amazing.



What do you make of this review, any plans to read The Athena Effect? I really did enjoy this book and would love to know your thoughts on it, if you've read the book or are making plans to do so! I'm also thinking of doing a "Fiction into Fashion" set inspired by Cali's style soon, any suggestions?

As always, take care!

Love you lots, XX,









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Cover Reveal: Sweet Peril


**A post in which I reveal...new/up and coming, covers of the moment, the ones you should keep an eye out for.**

Now hold onto your seats, and get ready to lose it a little, because it's finally here. I kid you not, ladies, he has arrived! KAIDAN FREAKING ROWE!!! Gosh, my life is so totally complete.

Check out this GORGEOUS cover!

Sweet Peril by Wendy Higgins
Publishing: April 30th 2013
Pages (est.): 464
Publisher: HarperTeen
Genre: YA, Paranormal, Angels and Demons, Romance

Goodreads Summary

Anna Whitt, daughter of a guardian angel and a demon, promised herself she’d never do the work of her father—polluting souls. She’d been naive to make such a claim. She’d been naive about a lot of things.

Haunted by demon whisperers, Anna does whatever she can to survive, even if it means embracing her dark side and earning an unwanted reputation as her school’s party girl. Her life has never looked more bleak. And all the while there’s Kaidan Rowe, son of the Duke of Lust, plaguing her heart and mind.

When an unexpected lost message from the angels surfaces, Anna finds herself traveling the globe with Kopano, son of Wrath, in an attempt to gain support of fellow Nephilim and give them hope for the first time. It soon becomes clear that whatever freedoms Anna and the rest of the Neph are hoping to win will not be gained without a fight. Until then, Anna and Kaidan must put aside the issues between them, overcome the steamiest of temptations yet, and face the ultimate question: is loving someone worth risking their life?

How can you not sigh after reading all that?!? I cannot wait for April of next year to come! The Author is a total sweetheart, you should check her out in the links above and comment with me on your thoughts on this awesome series, YES IT'S A SERIES, and I'll chat right back!

Love you lots!
XX,










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Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Waiting on Wednesday (6)

*Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill@Breaking the Spine and is a weekly meme allowing for bloggers to connect and share their most anticipated reads.*


This week I'm waiting on... 

Black City by Elizabeth Richards
Publishing: November 13th, 2012
Pages: 384
Genre: YA, Paranormal, Romance
Publisher: Putnam's Son's BYR


Goodreads Summary

A dark and tender post-apocalyptic love story set in the aftermath of a bloody war.

In a city where humans and Darklings are now separated by a high wall and tensions between the two races still simmer after a terrible war, sixteen-year-olds Ash Fisher, a half-blood Darkling, and Natalie Buchanan, a human and the daughter of the Emissary, meet and do the unthinkable—they fall in love. Bonded by a mysterious connection that causes Ash’s long-dormant heart to beat, Ash and Natalie first deny and then struggle to fight their forbidden feelings for each other, knowing if they’re caught, they’ll be executed—but their feelings are too strong.

When Ash and Natalie then find themselves at the center of a deadly conspiracy that threatens to pull the humans and Darklings back into war, they must make hard choices that could result in both their deaths.



What are you waiting on?? Share in the comments below. Are any of the books on my wishlist similar to yours? I'd love to know :) 

Until next time...I love you lots!
XX,










**Disclaimer: All book summaries were taken from Goodreads.**
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Thursday, October 18, 2012

Cover Reveal: Ink Enchantments

**A post in which I reveal...new/up and coming, covers of the moment, the ones you should keep an eye out for.**

This week in Cover Reveal we have...


Ink by Amanda Sun
Release Date: June 25th 2013
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Genre: YA, Fantasy, Mythology

Goodreads Summary

I looked down at the paper, still touching the tip of my shoe. I reached for it, flipping the page over to look.

Scrawls of ink outlined a drawing of a girl lying on a bench.

A sick feeling started to twist in my stomach, like motion sickness.

And then the girl in the drawing turned her head, and her inky eyes glared straight into mine.

On the heels of a family tragedy, the last thing Katie Greene wants to do is move halfway across the world. Stuck with her aunt in Shizuoka, Japan, Katie feels lost. Alone. She doesn’t know the language, she can barely hold a pair of chopsticks, and she can’t seem to get the hang of taking her shoes off whenever she enters a building.

Then there’s gorgeous but aloof Tomohiro, star of the school’s kendo team. How did he really get the scar on his arm? Katie isn’t prepared for the answer. But when she sees the things he draws start moving, there’s no denying the truth: Tomo has a connection to the ancient gods of Japan, and being near Katie is causing his abilities to spiral out of control. If the wrong people notice, they'll both be targets.

Katie never wanted to move to Japan—now she may not make it out of the country alive.

My Thoughts: Ever since I chanced upon the summary of Ink on Goodreads, I knew that this book HAD to be mine! The cover is a little underwhelming when compared to the stunning summary, however, I still have high hopes for this début. This is totes on my Wishlist!

Share with me, what do you make of it, and what fabulous covers have you found this week?










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The Truth And Nothing BUT...

Going by FTC guidelines, allow me to point out that all the novels reviewed on this blog were either bought by me, or given by an author or publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Those books received from Authors and Publishers will be stated clearly as such, as will the ones purchased by myself. There is no shady business going on; no coercion, bribery or compensation has or will ever be received in exchange for any reviews. These thoughts are mine, wacky as they may be, and my honest opinion is all you can truly expect. Still reading? You should be off checking out those awesome reviews ;)