Top Ten Tuesday (22)

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

This week's theme is: 

Top Ten Posts I Think Give You the Best Glimpse of Me

1. Review of Pushing the Limits by Katie McGarry
- 1 Star. This is one review that I revealed a lot about myself in.

2. Kristina McBride's One Moment Launch Party Recap
- This says a lot about me, not just because it reveals some personal information, but because it also talks about how much I love to go meet authors.

3. Review of The Keeper by Natalie Star
- 3.5 Stars.This says a lot about me because it was my first ever post. I'm awkward and shaky and you can totally tell that I'm new to blogging, but I had fun and showed enthusiasm. I like to think I'm a fun and enthusiastic person.

4. Review of Bonds of Earth by GN Chevalier
- I'm a really openminded person. I think change and progression are necessary. This includes thoughts and agressions toward homosexual (and the whole LBGQT community). I think that shows in reviews like this. Reading about gay couples is real and enjoyable to me because it's not fiction. It's just another kind of love.

5. Veronica Roth Signing Recap
- I love meeting authors, talking with them, becoming friends. My whole family says that book signing are my niche. I definitely have to agree with them. Books signings give me inspiration for my future career goals, stories of my own (that will never see the light of day) and just expressing myself.

6. Review of Blackout (The Newflesh Trilogy #3) by Mira Grant
- 5/5 Stars. This post is all about zombies. Zombies are my favorite "paranormal/fantasy" beings. I've always found them terrifying and fascinating. You can always find me talking about The Walking Dead on twitter.

7. Review of Shine Shine Shine by Lydia Netzer
- Unrateable. This just shows that I can't always find the words and the rating for a book. I seriously loved this novel, but no rating could express that enough.

8. Review of The Darkest Day (Immortal Heat #1) by Britt Bury
- 1.5/5 Stars. My review for this novel shows that I definitely don't like every book and I'm not shy to say so. If something irks me, I'm upfront and honest about it. I'm not going to hide my opinions away.

9. Review: Confessions of an Angry Girl (Confessions #1) by Louise Rozett
- 5/5 Stars. I fangirl. Hard. And swoon. Often.

10. Review of A Dangerous Expectation (Gentlemen Next Door #3) by Cecilia Gray
- 4/5 Stars. I love a good romance novel. In fact, most of the time, I won't read a book without some kind of romance. I'm a junkie for that stuff. It's like crack, only not dangerous to my health (besides my constant swooning, of course). And this also shows my love for Cecilia Gray. She's freaking adorable and wonderful. I'll pimp her out forever.

This is kind of a toughy because I don't really do that many personal posts. I guess between reviews and signing posts you get to see me because I read more than anything else. Books are pretty much my life.

If you are a blogger, what posts best describe you?

Teaser Tuesday: Throne of Glass (Throne of Glass #1) by Sarah J. Maas

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by MizB over at Should Be Reading!

To participate all you have to do is:

•Grab your current read

•Open to a random page

•Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page

•BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure what you share doesn't give too much away! You don't want to ruin the book for others!) 

 Share the title and author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

-----------------------------

"The assassin hissed, baring her teeth as she twisted her head to look at the kneeling brute. He was almost as large as her overseer, clothed in reds and oranges that matched his thinning hair."

Chapter 2, Page 7 (ARC)

Throne of Glass (Throne of Glass #1) by Sarah J. Maas

-----------------------------

Stacking the Shelves (14)

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews where bloggers share the books and goodies that they've received over the week.

Edwin Didn't Get Anything To Put On His Shelves This Week

Emily's Stack for the Shelves:

From Netgalley:

Tab Bennett and the Inbetween by Jes Young

Release Date: May 1, 2012

Within Reach by Sarah Mayberry

Release Date: August 7, 2012

Close Enough to Touch by Victoria Dahl

Release Date: August 28, 2012

Every Day by David Levithan

Release Date: August 28, 2012

Speechless by Hannah Harrington

Release Date: August 28, 2012

The Time Keeper by Mitch Albom

Release Date: September 11, 2012

The Lost Prince (Call of the Forgotten #1) by Julie Kagawa

Release Date: October 23, 2012

Gifted:

The Wishing Spell (The Land of Stories #1) by Chris Colfer (SIGNED)

Release Date: July 17, 2012

Throne of Glass (Throne of Glass #1) by Sarah J. Maas (ARC)

Release Date: August 7, 2012

Thank you to my lovely mother and my soulmate, Isabelle from Wake Up at Seven!

Won:

The Orchid House by Lucinda Riley

Release Date: February 14, 2012

The Iron Legends (The Iron Fey #1.5, 3.5, 4.5) by Julie Kagawa (SIGNED)

Release Date: August 28, 2012

Endurance (Razorland #1.5) by Ann Aguirre

Release Date: July 20, 2012

Catching Suki (Lila #0.5) by Sarah Alderson

Release Date: February 1, 2012

Bought:

The Demon's Lexicon (The Demon's Lexicon #1) by Sarah Rees Brennan (SIGNED)

Release Date: June 2, 2009

The Demon's Convenant (The Demon's Lexicon #2) by Sarah Rees Brennan (SIGNED)

Release Date: May 18, 2010

The Demon's Surrender (The Demon's Lexicon #3) by Sarah Rees Brennan (SIGNED)

Release Date: June 14, 2011

Team Human by Sarah Rees Brennan and Justine Larbalestier (SIGNED)

Release Date: July 3, 2012

The Iron King (The Iron Fey #1) by Julie Kagawa (SIGNED)

Release Date: February 1, 2010

The Iron Daughter (The Iron Fey #2) by Julie Kagawa (SIGNED)

Release Date: August 1, 2010

The Iron Queen (The Iron Fey #3) by Julie Kagawa (SIGNED)

Release Date: January 25, 2011

The Iron Knight (The Iron Fey #4) by Julie Kagawa (SIGNED)

Release Date: October 26, 2011

The Immortal Rules (Blood of Eden #1) by Julie Kagawa (SIGNED)

Release Date: April 24, 2012

XVI (XVI #1) by Julia Karr (SIGNED)

Release Date: January 6, 2011

Truth (XVI #2) by Julia Karr (SIGNED)

Release Date: January 19, 2012

The Vespertine (The Vespertine #1) by Saundra Mitchell (SIGNED)

Release Date: March 7, 2011

The Springsweet (The Vespertine #2) by Saundra Mitchell (SIGNED)

Release Date: April 17, 2012

Book Review: Cody Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein

The blurb as seen on Goodreads:

Release Date: February 6, 2012
Publisher: Egmont Press
452 Pages

I have two weeks. You’ll shoot me at the end no matter what I do.

That’s what you do to enemy agents. It’s what we do to enemy agents. But I look at all the dark and twisted roads ahead and cooperation is the easy way out. Possibly the only way out for a girl caught red-handed doing dirty work like mine — and I will do anything, anything, to avoid SS-Hauptsturmführer von Linden interrogating me again.

He has said that I can have as much paper as I need. All I have to do is cough up everything I can remember about the British War Effort. And I’m going to. But the story of how I came to be here starts with my friend Maddie. She is the pilot who flew me into France — an Allied Invasion of Two.

We are a sensational team.

VISIT THE AUTHOR:

Goodreads.Twitter.Website.Facebook

FIND THE BOOK:

Goodreads.Amazon.Barnes & Noble

Reivew:

I honestly don't know why I didn't like this book, but I didn't and that bums me out.

Everyone RAVES about Code Name Verity. I was really looking forward to it. I absolutely love the cover, so that got me even more excited. Though for some reason, when I started it, I thought it was a contemporary story about wrestlers. WHAT. I know, I know. I never paid attention to the blurb. Honestly, the things I come up with… So that was a great shock for me. When I reread the summary, I was still super interested. It's really like nothing I've ever read before. I don't read a lot of historical/war books. Not that I'm not intrigued by it, but because I like angsty romance. That's my niche. Reading this brought me way out of my comfort zone.

I liked the main character. She was smart and had a wicked tongue. I think my trouble was in the fact that I knew what was coming and maybe a little bit because there was no romance. I feel so blasphemous saying that… But many stories seem utterly dull without it. This was one of those stories in my opinion. It just needed… something. I can't tell you what, that's why I'm not an author, but for me it was lacking.

There is a part where I cried. It's hard not to cry. There were times where I laughed as well. Ms. Wein writes emotion very well. I felt the emotions of the characters in the pit of my stomach. The writing really was what drove this story. So where did this go wrong? I'll admit that a part of me believes it is because of the technicalities in the story. Things are described that I couldn't understand. My knowledge of airplanes, warfare and foreign countries is sorely lacking. That's most likely why I had the most trouble, but I really don't know. If you can figure it out, please tell me.

I was reminded of my grandfather a lot as I read. I grew up on his war stories and he always talked about his respect for women who served for the good of our world. I may buy him a copy because I know he would enjoy it, even though he isn't a fan of fiction. My grandpa and other fans of historical war novels will love this. I'm bummed that I wasn't blown away.

I skimmed the last 40%. Getting into Code Name Verity was impossible for me. So many people loved it. I'm one of the very few that didn't. And many people to come will love it. Elizabeth Wein had a wonderful idea, but it just didn't come through for me.

I received and e-copy of this novel from the publisher through Netgalley for my honest opinion and review.

Dante Walker Website Reveal

Today Ms. Victoria Scott revealed the website for her new book's main character,

Dante Walker

Find the website HERE.

You need a password to read most of the information.

The password is: Charlie

VISIT THE AUTHOR:

Goodreads.Twitter.Website.Facebook

FIND THE BOOK:

Goodreads

THE COLLECTOR is due to be released in March of 2013.

It will be published by Entangled Teen.

Follow Friday (25)

Feature & Follow Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Parajunkee's View and Alison Can Read.

Q. Do your reading habits change based on your mood? Do you read a certain genre if you are feeling depressed or happy?

A. Usually, yes. If I'm feeling sad, I usually stalk Goodreads for a book that people have said makes them cry. Or if I'm really happy, I usually like a full-on romance. I like having the swoonz. If I'm bored, or in a book rut, I usually pick up a paranormal/fantasy/scifi book. They often pull me back into a good book place.

Do you read depending on your mood?

Review: The Darkest Day (Immortal Heat #1) by Britt Bury

The blurb as seen on Goodreads:

Release Date: July 3, 2012
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
300 Pages

ALL-CONSUMING DESIRE . . . 
Izel Campbell was raised to believe she is an immortal Fionn with the magical skills of persuasion. But when she travels to Scotland to visit her ancestral home, Izel discovers that she is actually the world's last living human. Forced to run for her life, Izel crosses paths with Kelvin Kerr, the Campbells' greatest foe-and the most magnificent warrior she has ever seen. 
BURNS BRIGHTEST . . . 
A thousand-year-old battle chief of the Kerr clan, Kelvin lives only to avenge his father, who died at the hands of the bloody Campbells. Honor demands he kill the Campbell heir, but when he learns that the lovely Izel is both Campbell "and" human, Kelvin is torn between duty and desire . . . 
ON "THE DARKEST DAY" 

WARNING: THIS BOOK CONTAINS MATERIAL UNSUITABLE FOR CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF 18. 

VISIT THE AUTHOR:

Goodreads.Twitter.Website.Facebook

FIND THE BOOK:

Goodreads.Amazon.Barnes & Noble

Review:

You know what phrase I'm tired of using? "This book had so much potential." Because really, there was so much potential in The Darkest Day. But there isn't much else to say about this book. 

The cover is hot. Extremely sexy. And the pink writing is a great contrast to the blue background. It really drew me in. And then when I read the summary, I needed to read it. Hellllllllo pretty Scotsman and paranormal romance. I thought this was going to be REALLY good. I was so wrong. So very, very wrong.

I liked it in the beginning. The world that Ms. Bury has set up is very interesting and I could've been really entranced by it.  This is ff there was more of a plot than a relationship. Usually, I'm okay with a lot of romance, but really, what drew these two together? The only thing that I can remember them saying about each other is how hot the other one is and how they wanted to get in each other's pants.

Can I just ask something? Why is Kelvin's "race" called Pookah? It's not really a question I want or need answered. I just want to make a point about how ridiculous it sounds. Seriously, does that sound at all legitimate to anyone? Every time I read it, I wanted to go smoke some hookah. I even had to google Pookah to know if was an actual paranormal being. It wasn't. In fact, the only thing I could find on it was an urban dictionary entry that says Pookah is "a term of endearment for someone you're dating" or "a verb meaning great or extraordinary." It's not a good creation. It was impossible for me to take it seriously.

The main characters in this story are Kelvin Kerr and Izel Campbell. Neither of them appeal to me. Izel is just another woman who lets her life be controlled by a man. Kelvin is a jerk. There is literally a part in the story where "Kel" admits to verbally abusing Izel. REALLY. AND THAT'S SUPPOSED TO BE HOT. The minor characters were more interesting than these two. I really, really loved Ryo. She and Ramsey were my favorite, and really, the only two characters that I liked. Ryo was funny, witty and had a much better personality than Izel. Honestly, I think that Ryo would've made a better mate for Kel than Izel did. Basically, I just don't like Izel. (Or Kelvin. (But mostly Izel.))

I could rave and rant about Izel's idiocy all day, but I'll just mention a few key points that made me loathe her: SPOILERS. SPOILERS. SPOILERS.

1) Izel storms into a town knowing that if she was found out, she would be dead in an instant.

2) Her way of standing up for herself is by endangering herself.

3) She leaves without telling Kel where she is going, while they are in a crowded town. And goes to GET DRUNK. REALLY. REALLY? Because that's safe.

4) She doesn't even know Kel and she thinks she's in love with him. It would make more sense if they were just mates and then grew to love each other. But noooo, after traveling with him, for what felt like a few days, she's in love with him.

5) She goes back to a guy who tried to push her away by mocking her innocence, virginity and who was a possessive jerk.

Now for Kelvin's good attributes? He's a gorgeous male specimen. He's a good fighter. He's a good lay. …Is that is? Yeah… Yeah, that's it. So obviously, you can tell that I'm not a fan of Kel. Nor will I ever be.

There is really no love lost between me and The Darkest Day. At 38%, I noted that I wanted to flounce. You know it's bad when you can't even get halfway through a book before wanting to drop it. This is another series I'm breaking up with. I just do not like the characters, or the plot that barely exists until the last 40%. And the only parts that I enjoyed were in that last 40%. That's the reason this gets a 1.5 instead of a .5, because the plot picked up after 60ish% and the characters got a little better. Very little. Like the-size-of-my-pinky-nail little. Really, the rest of the novel is them fighting strange sexual tension, having "relations" and annoying each other/yelling/fighing/annoying the hell out of me. Not jumping on board this crazy train. Thank you very much.

I received and e-copy of this novel from the publisher through Netgalley for my honest opinion and review.

Desperately Wanting Wednesday (7)

Desperately Wanting Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Rachel at Parajunkee's View. Unlike "Waiting On Wednesday" the meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, you can talk about books that you want that have already been released, but you haven't had a chance to read.

This week's theme is:

Books That Make Me Want to Start Prepping... That I Haven't Read Yet!

Our Released Pick:

Dust & Decay (Benny Imura #2) by Jonathan Maberry
Release Date: August 30, 2011
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Book for Young Readers
519 Pages

Six months have passed since the terrifying battle with Charlie Pink-eye and the Motor City Hammer in the zombie-infested mountains of the Rot & Ruin. It's also six months since Benny Imura and Nix Riley saw something in the air that changed their lives. Now, after months of rigorous training with Benny's zombie-hunter brother Tom, Benny and Nix are ready to leave their home forever and search for a better future. Lilah the Lost Girl and Benny's best friend Lou Chong are going with them. Sounds easy. Sounds wonderful. Except that everything that can go wrong does. Before they can even leave there is a shocking zombie attack in town. But as soon as they step into the Rot & Ruin they are pursued by the living dead, wild animals, insane murderers and the horrors of Gameland -where teenagers are forced to fight for their lives in the zombie pits. Worst of all...could the evil Charlie Pink-eye still be alive?

In the great Rot & Ruin everything wants to kill you. Everything...and not everyone in Benny's small band of travelers will make it out alive.

I really enjoyed the first book in this series and I own the second. It's high on my list to read next! Hopefully, I'll get to it soon!

Our To-Be-Released Pick:

Dearly, Beloved (Gone With the Respiration #1) by Lia Habel

Release Date: September 25, 2012

Publisher: Del Ray

496 Pages

Can the living coexist with the living dead? 

That’s the question that has New Victorian society fiercely divided ever since the mysterious plague known as “The Laz” hit the city of New London and turned thousands into walking corpses. But while some of these zombies are mindless monsters, hungry for human flesh, others can still think, speak, reason, and control their ravenous new appetites.

Just ask Nora Dearly, the young lady of means who was nearly kidnapped by a band of sinister zombies but valiantly rescued by a dashing young man . . . of the dead variety.

Nora and her savior, the young zombie soldier Bram Griswold, fell hopelessly in love. But others feel only fear and loathing for the reanimated dead. Now, as tensions grow between pro- and anti-zombie factions, battle lines are being drawn in the streets. And though Bram is no longer in the New Victorian army, he and his ex-commando zombie comrades are determined to help keep the peace. That means taking a dangerous stand between The Changed, a radical group of sentient zombies fighting for survival, and The Murder, a masked squad of urban guerrillas hellbent on destroying the living dead. But zombies aren’t the only ones in danger: Their living allies are also in The Murder’s crosshairs, and for one vengeful zealot, Nora Dearly is the number one target.

As paranoia, prejudice, and terrorist attacks threaten to plunge the city into full-scale war, Nora’s scientist father and his team continue their desperate race to unlock the secrets of “The Laz” and find a cure. But their efforts may be doomed when a mysterious zombie appears bearing an entirely new strain of the virus—and the nation of New Victoria braces for a new wave of the apocalypse.

Lia Habel’s spellbinding, suspenseful sequel to Dearly, Departed takes her imaginative mash-up of period romance, futuristic thriller, and zombie drama to a whole new level of innovative and irresistible storytelling.

I won the first book in this series from Goodreads last year and really really enjoyed it. Such an interesting twist and take to zombies. Love me some zombies. If only they were all that nice in real life...

What books make you want to start prepping?