Tuesday, April 26, 2011

And the winner is....


Gabrielle Carolina

You have won

$15 music gift card from Amazon to buy the #CoFA playlist (or whatever you want)

as part of the

Hoppy Easter Eggstravaganza Blog Hop


From StuckInBooks

The lucky winner has been emailed.

Teaser Tuesday

One of the books that I am currently reading is Tiger's Curse by Colleen Houck.

I've only just started it, so my teaser comes very early on in the book.

"You have fooled us all. You are like a coiled cobra that has been hiding in his basket, waiting for the moment to strike."

Tell me what you think? Have you read Tiger's Curse? What's your teaser? Leave me a sentence or two from your current read (no spoilers, please) or a link to your teaser.

Enjoy the read!

Monday, April 25, 2011

Spells by Aprilynne Pike

Summary:

Six months have gone by since Laurel fought with Barns in Wings; David and Laurel are officially a couple; Laurel’s mother is unsure about this whole faerie business; And Laurel spends 8 weeks in Avalon to learn how to be a Fall faerie. While there, Laurel spends a couple of afternoons with Tamani. She is struggling to keep David as her boyfriend and still have a relationship with Tamani. As she tries to straddle both worlds, the danger to the gate, to her family and to anyone close to her increases. The trolls have not forgotten. But learning how to be a Fall faerie is not a quick process. Can Laurel learn fast enough to protect the ones she loves from the danger of the trolls? Can she keep what she has with David and still be friends with Tamani? What about her mother, she doesn’t seem to accept Laurel being a fae. What will happen to Laurel and her mother’s relationship?

My thoughts: (A little spoilery)

3 out of 5

Okay, I will just say it. Spells is suffering from middle book syndrome. Wings was great. It had a fast pace and lots of problems to solve. Laurel grew up a lot in that book. Her relationship with David developed into love. She struggled to accept being a faerie. The world that was crafted was wonderful. It included some of the typical faerie lore but included some new elements that were interesting. The whole experience was exciting and compelling. Enter book two, Spells. I wanted it to be just as good. I enjoyed learning more about the world that includes Laurel. But the pace was so slow. Too much of the book was her building up to being able to actually do something with her faerie power. The development of Laurel and Tamani’s relationship didn’t really do much for me. Because she was physically away from David at the time, it didn’t feel like she was cheating on him. The separation of the two worlds did too much to separate the two relationships. I wasn’t even worried about David and Laurels relationship until the very end. Then the troll attacks were mostly in the background and away from Laurel. The one attack was neatly taken care of. I kept wondering just how powerful these Faeries are if they can’t do anything to help Laurel. The trolls had them chasing shadows and no one seemed to communicate anything to Avalon except Laurel. What are these faeries doing to protect their precious gate? So it seems that this book was just getting us to the right point for the big finale of Illusions (book 3). It’s middle book syndrome defined. I can say that I liked the development of Chelsea’s character. It seems like she may play a bigger role now. Laurel did have some character development. She had to choose between the human world and the faerie world. She had to choose between David and Tamani again. (I sense a theme developing here). I am excited to read Illusions. Most series that have middle book syndrome recover in book 3. I’m hoping for the quality that was Wings.

Sunday, April 24, 2011

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Hoppy Easter Eggstravaganza Blog Hop


Welcome to the Easter Blog Hop

Fill out the form below to enter and hop onto the next blog....

Enter to win a music Amazon gift card to buy the playlist from City of Fallen Angels








1) "If my Heart was a House" Owl City

2) "While We Were Dreaming" Pink Mountaintops

3) Carousel, Paper Route

4) "This is My City" Timothy Victor

5) Sweet and Low, Augustana

6) No Better, Sherwood

7) Fall Hard, Shout Out Louds

8) Marry Song, Band of Horses

9) Degausser, Brand New

10) Wolves, the Accidental

11) "It's in Your Blood" Lydia

12) Angels on the Moon — Thriving Ivory

13) "Love Like This" The Summer Set

14) Parachute, Ingrid Michaelson

15) "In my Veins", Andrew Belle

Check out Cassandra's thoughts on why she choose these songs on the Mundie Moms blog here

So, fill out the form below to win a $15 music Amazon gift card to buy these songs or any songs of your choice! (There is no guarantee of the availability of this music on Amazon.)

This contest is closed

Wings by Aprilynne Pike

5/5 stars

Summary:

Laurel is different. She only eats fruits and vegetables, very vegan. She doesn’t know who her birth parents are because she was left on her adoptive parent’s doorstep. Oh, and she has a flower blooming from her back. Did I mention the lack of blood? Well Laurel is different, and everything that David wants in a girlfriend. Together, they work on figuring out what it is that makes Laurel different. While doing that, they also have to figure out what is happening to her human family. Nothing in Laurel’s formally ordinary life has prepared her for the mess it has become.

My thoughts:

Okay, I know. I should have read this book already. Honestly, it has been on my “to be read” list for a while. It just kept getting pushed down the list. Now that I have read it, the sequel has moved right to the top of the list.

I love it when an author can create a world where everything seems normal and then upon closer inspection, it is anything but. That is what Aprilynne Pike has accomplished in Wings. Laurel is a normal teenager who has been homeschooled until she reaches high school. Now she is facing the social challenges that go along with school. All of that distracts the reader from the really strange things in Laurel’s life. She isn’t just a vegetarian; she eats nothing but vegetables and fruit. Not to mention that eating anything else makes her sick. She has never been to the doctor not even for a physical. Her skin is perfectly clear and white, what teenager does that happen to. She hasn’t started her period by 15 years of age. All of these things can be explained away but once you put them all together it adds up to Laurel not being human. Once it is clear that she is a faerie, then the adventure begins.

I really liked the character David. He is a great model boyfriend. At first, I thought he was very two dimensional but that quickly changed as they struggled to help Laurel’s father and the fae. Tamani was an instead favorite. I loved how he was mysterious yet he immediately cared for Laurel. It was clear there was a history there. Laurel was a strong character as well. I look forward to seeing her learn more about what it means to be a fall faerie.

The book was remarkable. It was a quick read that I really enjoyed. I am excited that I can immediately reach for book two and the last one is close at hand. Maybe waiting to read it wasn’t just a bad idea after all. Don’t put this on off any longer.

Enjoy the read!

Monday, April 18, 2011

It's Tuesday...So

What are you reading? Grab your book and give us a teaser. No spoilers. Just a sentence or two to get us excited about the book.

I'm reading Wings by Aprilynne Pike (I know - it's about time huh)


"Enraptured, Laurel just stared. His green-and-black hair hung in long strands that fell across his forehead, just shy of his eyes...He was maybe six inches taller than her and moved with a catlike grace she'd never seen in another boy." (from page 82)

So if you haven't read this book, what do you think of Tamani?

What are you reading?

Leave us a tease in the comments.

Sunday, April 17, 2011

Afterlife by Claudia Gray

***Spoilers*** If you haven’t read the 3rd book in this series do not continue.

3/5 stars

Summary:

Bianca and Lucas have both realized their greatest fear. Bianca is dead and is a wrath. Lucas is dead and is a vampire. But they are together and that’s what matters. Lucas is struggling with his blood hunger, so much worse for him than most vampires. He is terrified that he will make a mistake and kill a human. He couldn’t live with that. So Bianca convinces him to go back to Evernight Academy and learn how to be a better vampire. Though he is unsure if he will be welcomed after being Black Cross, he agrees to go. Once there, Bianca is in danger and the secrets of the past are being unraveled. Will the answers be anything either of them can live with?

My thoughts:

I was devastated when Bianca died in book 3. I couldn’t see how things could go on in the series but Claudia Gray does a good job of bringing Bianca and Lucas back together in the last book of the series. There have been a lot of unanswered questions throughout the books and they all get answered in this one.

I enjoyed that this book took us back to where things all started. They spend time in the gazebo where they first kissed. They spend time in the movie theater, where they went on their first date. It was all really sweet and quite hopeless.

I guess I had a hard time with some of it. There were lots of answers and I was glad about that. I guess my problem was that Bianca was always floating around somewhere making her less a part of the story and more an observer. Since the story was from her point of view, too much of the action didn’t include her. I missed that. Things just got fixed when Bianca figured out how to use her powers. With next to no forethought, Bianca just knew what to do. I was glad about that in the end because I loved the ending. There was just a lack of drama that had been present in the other three books and more a sense of hopelessness. I still enjoyed the book and definitely think you should read it. It’s just not as good as the first one.

Saturday, April 16, 2011

And the winner is....


The first copy of City of Fallen Angels goes to

Megan

The second copy of City of Fallen Angels goes to

Ashley Holt

The copy of Red Glove goes to

as always ♥ Carol

Congratulations everyone!

An email has been sent to the lucky winners listed above, please respond.

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Teaser Tuesday

What are you reading?

I started Afterlife last week before City of Fallen Angels reached my house. I took a break to read CoFA but now I'm back at Afterlife. Don't think that it isn't good becasue I could put it down for four days to read CoFA. It's just that CoFA is a favorite series. I love Afterlife. Here's a teaser..

"By all that divides us from the living, I divide you from this place. By all that darkness that dwells within us, I consign you to darkness. By all the death that gives me power, I take your power from you."

That was Bianca from page 233 of 360

Loving this book - look for the review coming soon.


You're turn - What are you reading?

Have you read Afterlife?

If you were turned into the worst possible paranormal creature you could possibly imagine, how would you cope?

Would you continue to be with the one you love?

What are you reading? Pick up your book and find a sentence or two that you can safely share (no spoilers) and let us know.


Don't forget to enter the giveaway for City of Fallen Angels and Red Glove. There will be three winners! See the link under current giveaways on the top left.

Saturday, April 9, 2011

City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare

Summary:

In a world of vampires, werewolves, warlocks and Shadowhunters, nothing is ever as it seems! Clary and Jace should be living that happily ever after thing but he seems more distant than ever and she doesn’t know what is happening to him. Simon’s band finally knows the truth but his mom is another story. He is struggling with being a vampire and everyone is interested in having him on their side. Isabelle and Maia are both dating him and that’s not going to be a problem, right? But everything is not as it seems. There are Shadowhunters dying. There’s a wedding being planned. There are secrets being kept. There are people from the past returning. Valentine may be gone but the damage of his actions remains. Who will survive? Who will change? How can they go on?

My thoughts:

5/5 stars (Was there ever any doubt?)

I struggled to read this book, I will admit. I was nervous about what would happen to my beloved characters. I love them all and hated to think about what might happen in the first of three books. It’s not like starting a new series where I had no connection with them yet. I know Clary, love Jace, and worry about Simon. But knowing that there would have to be pain to make an interesting story that would span three books, I was afraid. So while I could have devoured it in a matter of hours, I read it over four days, putting it down when I couldn’t stand it anymore. Crying at times, I hurt for my friends on the pages. But I know Cassandra Clare’s writing, having read everything she has published. And I know something of her character having followed her on twitter for awhile. I have come to trust her as a writer. She may inflict pain on her character but she does it only to tell the story. She loves her characters too and I must trust her. So I have finished the book and I loved it. I can’t wait for City of Lost Souls to be available.

Cassandra Clare is a masterful story teller. She has brilliantly crafted a new story, the city of Fallen Angels, from the neatly closed ends of the last. This story is more sophisticated that the last, for an older teen reader. There are more threads woven together and one wonders what they all have to do with each other. Unlike the previous books, this one spreads the character out into different locations doing different things. They don’t face things together but it is carefully and purposefully orchestrated.

Simon is trying to figure out how to be a vampire. We see a lot more him in this book. Second only to Clary, he is a central character. He needs blood to survive but he loathes drinking it. He waits too long to feed and pays the price. He struggles to understand his relationships with both Isabelle and Maia. He has one real fan of the band, fourteen year old Maureen. She complicates things as well. Everyone is interesting in having his allegiance. The clave want him. Some vampires want him. The new enemy wants him. They all have different agendas and motivations but they all want Simon. He has the mark to deal with and that is more than he would have ever have realized. And there is a new member of the band that seems very interested in him too, Kyle. But what does Simon want? He has overcome his love for Clary he thinks and all he really wants a normal life but that is impossible.

Clary is trying to learn to be a Shadowhunter. She wants Jace but her mother is not a fan. Her efforts to keep them apart limit Clary’s time with Jace but then he starts limiting their time together and Clary is confused. Something is wrong with Jace but he won’t talk to her. Their desire and passion for each other is unchanged but something is keeping them apart? When Clary finally finds out, she aches for him, as did I. Their secret of his death and return haunts them both. Their love is strong and unyielding but I wonder how much anyone can take.

There is a lot of relationship angst in this book. Isabelle has never loved any boy. She is afraid of them hurting her so she never gives her heart but it might be too late as far is Simone is concerned. Maia has been hurt lots of times and Simon is just the latest. She has been hurt by Jordan and by her own brother and now her past comes back to haunt her again. Not to be left out, Alec and Magnus have problems as well. It seems the only relationship left unscathed in this book is Luke and Jocelyn.

Many small plot points were neatly wrapped in this book but the ending is a cliffhanger. I knew that because I had heard before hand that it had that kind of ending. I wanted to warn the characters. I shouted at the pages at times afraid of what was coming but it was to no avail. It came anyway. It is, of course, an emotional roller coaster but it was an exciting ride, one that I will take again and again as I wait for the next book in the series to be published. Thanks, Cassandra for the journey.

Don’t miss this one. Enjoy the read!

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

300+ Followers Celebration


I have asked what I should give away to celebrate 300+ followers and you have answered.

What else can I give away on April 5th other than City of Fallen Angels?

So to say that the survey was overwhelming in favor of me giving away City of Fallen Angels for all three prizes would be an understatement!

So here is the the plan:

I will be giving away 3 books to celebrate, 3 separate winners

2 copies of City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare

1 copy of Red Glove by Holly Black

Current followers have the advantage. But you can still follow and enter the giveaway. Fill out the form below by April 15th. Good luck!

This contest is closed
>

Sunday, April 3, 2011

Let's have 2 winners, shall we?

OK, so there was some problems on this contest. Somehow, my blog ended up on the hop twice which caused some people to enter twice. Don't worry, I didn't disqualify anyone. I just deleted the extra entry.

BUT, I was blown away with the number of people who entered the contest. I assume that is because I choose well about which books to give away. I was surprised that there were almost as many entries for low red moon as there were for City of Fallen Angels.

SO, I decided that I would give away both books. I separated the entries for each book, checked the entries, and used random.org to pick winners.




The winner for low red moon is... Tiffany Drew





The winner of the Barns & Nobel Edition of City of Fallen Angels is... Devony


I have sent emails to the lucky winners.

If you didn't win, the book depository is having a 10% sell until 4/4. Grab the discount code here and then happy shopping! Remember free shipping to most places from book depository!

Saturday, April 2, 2011

WOW what happened on my Blog!

Wow! I zipped right past 200 followers and then past 300 followers in the last 2 days!

Clearly a celebration is in order :D

What's a celebration without presents? Those presents need to be for my followers! YAY!

So I want some ideas from you as to what you want me to giveaway. I am thinking about the playlist for City of Fallen Angels from Amazon or iTunes, another copy of City of Fallen Angels from Barns and Nobles, and a copy of Red Glove. Please take a moment and fill out my survey so I know what to giveaway. If you have another idea, let me know that too. I plan on making it a giveaway geared more to current followers. So excited to have you following along. Hope you enjoy the ride and make sure you enjoy the read!

Thanks for following.




And the winner is....


Congratulations!

MonaG

You have won Sean Griswold's Head

I have sent you an email and the book will be in the mail next week!