Waiting On Wednesday (3/30/2011) Bad Taste in Boys

Bad Taste in Boys
Author: Carrie Harris
Expected Release Date: July 12th
Summary from Goodreads:

Someone's been a very bad zombie.

Kate Grable is horrified to find out that the football coach has given the team steroids. Worse yet, the steriods are having an unexpected effect, turning hot gridiron hunks into mindless flesh-eating zombies. No one is safe--not her cute crush Aaron, not her dorky brother, Jonah . . . not even Kate!

She's got to find an antidote--before her entire high school ends up eating each other. So Kate, her best girlfriend, Rocky, and Aaron stage a frantic battle to save their town  . . . and stay hormonally human.

 Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we (bloggers) are anxiously awaiting. So what book are you excited about right now?

April = NetGalley

Red House Books announced on her blog today that she is declaring the month of April to be NetGalley month.  She is even offering PRIZES!!!  If you don't know what NetGalley is you should head on over there right now and check them out because they are awesome!!! Just today I received Queen of the Dead and The Near Witch.  So if you are like me and seem to hit that request button a little more often than you really have time for, then join us for NetGalley April.  I'm hoping to get at least 6 of my NetGalley books read.  If you are up to the challenge you can sign up at Red House Books

Playing Hurt - Reviewed

Playing Hurt
Author: Holly Schindler
Release Date: March 1, 2011
Publisher: Flux
Pages: 312
Target Age: Young Adult
Source: My lovely daughter
Summary from Goodreads:

Star basketball player Chelsea "Nitro" Keyes had the promise of a full ride to college—and everyone's admiration back home. Then she took a horrible fall during senior year. Now a metal plate holds her together and she feels like a stranger in her own family.
That summer, Chelsea's dad hires Clint, a nineteen-year-old ex-hockey player and "boot camp" trainer, to work with her at a northern Minnesota lake resort. As they grow close, Chelsea finds that Clint's haunted by his own tragedy. Will their romance end up hurting them all over again—or finally heal their heartbreak?

Playing Hurt is so much more than just a romance.  It's a story about two teenagers both trying desperately to over come their own separate tragedies.  Chelsea is a pretty relate-able character even if at times I found her slightly over dramatic.   Sure she has been through a lot but things could have been so much worse.  However, I remember as a teenager things didn't always have such a silver lining.  Clint's heartbreaking story drew me in much more than Chelsea's.  I really loved Clint and Chelsea's banter even before they realized that they might have more than just trainer/trainee feelings for each other. Chelsea's little brother was an amusing character and I just loved him and his super high energy.  I loved reading a story about summer romance in the winter.  I could hear the crickets and feel the warm sun.  Holly Schindler's descriptions were so amazing that I forgot that running outside with my shorts on was a bad idea in my area's freezing temperatures.  If you are looking for a great summer romance you need look no further it's right here.  

The Winner of Where She Went is....

I LOVED New York City.  I had an amazing time and can't wait to go back next year with my daughter for her sixteenth birthday.  The Strand really is an awesome book store for all of you that advised  me to go there.  While I was there I met one of Jessica's blog followers.  Ashleigh (hope I spelled your name right) I loved meeting you and hope we can get together again when I return!

Times Square is SO bright even at night! 

I'm pretty sure I'm sitting in Madison Square Gardens taking this picture and getting ready to eat at The Shake Shack! Awesome mushroom "burger"!

OK, now that I have bored you all with talk and pictures of New York it's time to announce the lucky winner of the FANTASTIC book Where She Went.

 Congratulations to...........

Kristen My Bookish Fairy Tale

I'll be emailing you in just a minute Kristen.  

Thanks everyone for entering!

Third Line Thursday (10) Kiss Me Kill Me

Kiss Me Kill Me
Authors: H.P. Mallory, Zoe Winters, Daniel Arenson, and many more
Third Line Thursday from: Impulse Control by Susan Bischoff

Not that I know why I should make feel any better.  Do you have any idea how exhausted I am? Do you have any idea how long that girl stayed awake last night thinking at the top of her brain waves about what an awesome kisser you are?  


A nice little side note about this book.  All proceeds from this anthology will be donated to GreaterGood.Org charity

My simple rules for Third Line Thursday are as follows: Pick up the book you are currently reading, go to chapter 3 or page 3 or any page or chapter with a 3(13, 23, ect.) then type in the third line (sentence) from that page. See simple!

Waiting On Wednesday (3/23/2011) Luminous

Luminous
Author: Dawn Metcalf
Expected Release Day: July 7, 2011
Summary from Goodreads:

As reality slips and time stands still, Consuela finds herself thrust into the world of the Flow. Removed from all she loves into this shifting world overlapping our own, Consuela quickly discovers she has the power to step out of her earthly skin and cloak herself in new ones-skins made from the world around her, crafted from water, fire, air. She is joined by other teens with extraordinary abilities, bound together to safeguard a world they can affect, but where they no longer belong.When murder threatens to undo the Flow, the Watcher charges Consuela and elusive, attractive V to stop the killer. But the psychopath who threatens her new world may also hold the only key to Consuela's way home.

 Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we (bloggers) are anxiously awaiting. So what book are you excited about right now?

Third Line Thursday (9) Demonglass

Demonglass (Hex Hall #2)
Author: Rachel Hawkins
Third Line Thursday Page 113

I looked around for a scary monster bouncer, but there was no one.  There wasn't even one of those cool panels that open so you can whisper a password.  Then I realized the door was wavering slightly.

My simple rules for Third Line Thursday are as follows: Pick up the book you are currently reading, go to chapter 3 or page 3 or any page or chapter with a 3(13, 23, ect.) then type in the third line (sentence) from that page. See simple!

Waiting On Wednesday (3/16/2011) Possession

Possession
Author: Elana Johnson
Expected Release Day: June 7, 2011
Summary from Goodreads: 

Vi knows the Rule: Girls don’t walk with boys, and they never even think about kissing them. But no one makes Vi want to break the Rules more than Zenn…and since the Thinkers have chosen him as Vi’s future match, how much trouble can one kiss cause? The Thinkers may have brainwashed the rest of the population, but Vi is determined to think for herself.
But the Thinkers are unusually persuasive, and they’re set on convincing Vi to become one of them….starting by brainwashed Zenn. Vi can’t leave Zenn in the Thinkers’ hands, but she’s wary of joining the rebellion, especially since that means teaming up with Jag. Jag is egotistical, charismatic, and dangerous: everything Zenn’s not. Vi can’t quite trust Jag and can’t quite resist him, but she also can’t give up on Zenn.
This is a game of control or be controlled. And Vi has no choice but to play.

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we (bloggers) are anxiously awaiting. So what book are you excited about right now?

 

Teaser Tuesday (3/15/2011) Hex Hall

Hex Hall
Author: Rachel Hawkins
Excerpt from page 89

Clearly my whining about a boy I liked was interfering with Jenna's reading, because she uncrossed her legs and came to perch on the edge of her desk. "Archer's not cute," she amended.  "Puppies are cute. Babies are cute. I'm cute. Archer Cross is smokin' hot."

 Miz B hosts Teaser Tuesday every week, check her out for the official rules.  I never seem to be able to stick to the rule about only 2 sentences. 

Trickster's Girl - Reviewed

Trickster's Girl
Author: Hilari Bell
Release Date: January 2011
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Pages: 289 (on the nook)
Target Age: Young Adult (and middle grade)
Source: From the publisher through NetGalley
Summary from Barnes and Noble:
In the year 2098 America isn't so different from the USA of today. But, in a post-9/11 security-obssessed world, "secured" doesn't just refer to borders between countries, it also refer to borders between states. Teenagers still think they know everything, but there is no cure for cancer, as Kelsa knows first-hand from watching her father die.

The night Kelsa buries her father, a boy appears. He claims magic is responsible for the health of Earth, but  human damage disrupts its flow. The planet is dying.

Kelsa has the power to reverse the damage, but first she must accept that magic exists and see beyond her own pain in order to heal the planet.

Trickster's Girl isn't just a story, it sends a message as well.  Granted it's a message we've been receiving from all over lately: we are killing our Earth.  In this story human's have once again created something that is killing the Earth.  A mysterious boy named Raven comes to Kelsa and claims he wants to help her save the trees. Raven does want to help her but he definitely has his own agenda as well. While this book has some action scenes that were a bit tense and exciting I'm afraid that the book's story didn't stick with me as much as I would have liked, and at moments it was a little to easy to put down. I did enjoy Kelsa's character, she is brave and adventurous and I really enjoyed reading about her journey. The healing process that she was able to experience on a personal level while she was healing the planet was interesting to read.  I was kind of expecting a dystopic, romantic storyline when I picked this up and it didn't really live up to that expectation at all. There is no romance and even though this novel is set in 2098 this really isn't a dystopic world it's more like there are some technological upgrades. I would recommend this to the younger, young adult readers the most.

In My Mailbox (3/12/2011)

NetGalley has a lot of great reads for review right now.  These are the ones I've received this week.

Mercy by Rebecca Lim

Putting Makeup on Dead People by Jen Violi

Never Eighteen by Megan Bostic

Dark of The Moon by Tracy Barrett

I also received the following for review from the authors:

 Blood of a Werewolf by T. Lynne Tolles (who also sent me some beautiful bookmarks that I'll be sharing with you guys soon)

and a yet to be published novella by J.M. Array titled Two Lives...One Diary

In My Mailbox is a weekly event hosted by The Story Siren.  You can stop by her blog for a whole list of bloggers showing off their weekly loot. So what's happening in your mailbox?

On My Wish List (3)

On My Wishlist is a fun weekly event hosted by Book Chick City and runs every Saturday. It's where I list all the books I desperately want but haven't actually bought yet. They can be old, new or forthcoming. It's also an event that you can join in with too - Mr Linky is always at the ready for you to link your own 'On My Wishlist' post(found at Book Chick City). If you want to know more click here.

Right now I'm looking at and wishing for:

The Duff

Author: Kody Keplinger

Released: September 2010

Summary from Goodreads: 

Seventeen-year-old Bianca Piper is cynical and loyal, and she doesn’t think she’s the prettiest of her friends by a long shot. She’s also way too smart to fall for the charms of man-slut and slimy school hottie Wesley Rush. In fact, Bianca hates him. And when he nicknames her “the Duff,” she throws her Coke in his face. But things aren’t so great at home right now, and Bianca is desperate for a distraction. She ends up kissing Wesley. Worse, she likes it. Eager for escape, Bianca throws herself into a closeted enemies-with-benefits relationship with him.
Until it all goes horribly awry. It turns out Wesley isn’t such a bad listener, and his life is pretty screwed up, too. Suddenly Bianca realizes with absolute horror that she’s falling for the guy she thought she hated more than anyone.

Blood of a Werewolf

Author: T. Lynne Tolles

Released: May 2010

Summary from Goodreads:

Darby O'Rielly is not your typical girl next door. She and her sister are ancestral witches, but have never been taught the art of their craft in an attempt to have the girls 'fit in' to their tiny community. When a dark stranger and his brother enter her life, love blooms and havoc ensues. For these two handsome brothers aren't just good looking, they are 'born vampires' of royal blood and they have hunters hot on their trail. When a Van Helsing wanna-be arrives and threatens Devon and Blake's immortal lives, Darby unleashes a deadly magic in order to save them. As vengeance for killing his hunter, our villain kidnaps, Rowan, Darby's sister and injects her with werewolf blood. Darby, Devon and Blake take a redeye to Maine to try and save her. A search then ensues to find a werewolf named Dean who isn't exceptionally friendly or eager to help friends of vampires. Will Rowan survive her transformation or will the werewolf blood wreak havoc on her body and kill her. You'll find out when you read this action packed urban fantasy romance novel yourself.

Hopefully I can acquire and read both of these soon. What are you wishing for right now?

 

New York City Excitement and Where She Went giveaway!!!!

 This time next week I'll be in New York City and I'm so excited.  I've never been to "The City" before and I've been making lots of plans for sights to see and places to shop, eat and did I say shop? One place I am definitely planning to visit is the famous bookstore The Strand and a restaurant that I've heard a lot about (as a vegetarian that dabbles in vegan and raw food) One Lucky Duck.  Luckily for me both of these are pretty close to where I'll be staying.  Of course I'll also be visiting some of the more famous landmarks as well.

Coincidentally, I recently read Where She Went by Gayle Forman which takes place in New York City and let me tell you my review will be a lot of gushing and babbling about how much I loved this book. Where She Went was simply AMAZING! My favorite book of the year so far.  So to celebrate my excitement for my upcoming trip, my birthday (two days ago), and my love for Where She Went I will be hosting a contest for a pre-ordered copy of Where She Went for one of my lucky, lucky followers. Open to all countries that Book Depository ships to.  To enter simply leave me a comment below telling me if you've ever been to New York City and if you have what your favorite place was/is? I'll give an additional point to anyone who is following me.  New followers count too. Leave me your email address as well so I can get in touch with you if you win.  I'm starting the contest right now and running it until March 21st at midnight.  I'll announce the winner by Friday the 25th.  Good Luck!

Teaser Tuesday (3/08/2011) Ten Miles Past Normal

Ten Miles Past Normal
Author: Frances O'Roark Dowell
Excerpt from page 67

Sarah and I both jump.  Standing in front of us-no, make that looming over us-is a Mack truck of a guy,six-two at the very least, in overalls and a tie-dyed T-shirt, his long red hair pulled into a ponytail. He shoves his hands in his pockets and leans back on his heels. "Monster Partin Monroe.  It's right there on the birth certificate. I'll drive down to the county courthouse and get you a copy if you want."

 Miz B hosts Teaser Tuesday every week, check her out for the official rules.  I never seem to be able to stick to the rule about only 2 sentences.  

 

Angelfire - Reviewed

Angelfire
Author: Courtney Allison Moulton
Release Date: February 15, 2011
Publisher: HarperCollins
Pages: 464
Target Age: Young Adult
Source: Publisher through NetGalley
Summary from Goodreads:
This debut, the first novel in a trilogy, is achingly romantic, terrifying, and filled with blistering action.

When seventeen-year-old Ellie starts seeing reapers - monstrous creatures who devour humans and send their souls to Hell - she finds herself on the front lines of a supernatural war between archangels and the Fallen and faced with the possible destruction of her soul.

A mysterious boy named Will reveals she is the reincarnation of an ancient warrior, the only one capable of wielding swords of angelfire to fight the reapers, and he is an immortal sworn to protect her in battle. Now that Ellie's powers have been awakened, a powerful reaper called Bastian has come forward to challenge her. He has employed a fierce assassin to eliminate her - an assassin who has already killed her once.

While balancing her dwindling social life and reaper-hunting duties, she and Will discover Bastian is searching for a dormant creature believed to be a true soul reaper. Bastian plans to use this weapon to ignite the End of Days and to destroy Ellie's soul, ending her rebirth cycle forever. Now, she must face an army of Bastian's most frightening reapers, prevent the soul reaper from consuming her soul, and uncover the secrets of her past lives - including truths that may be too frightening to remember.

It's great to see a real kick-ass heroine in a young adult novel, although she doesn't quite start out that way. Ellie is reluctant in the beginning to accept that she is indeed a kick-ass girl that can defeat monsters that seem hell bent on killing her.  Once El accepts her fate and starts really fighting is when I really started liking her. I loved Will and his seemingly uptight ways. Though he is much younger Will often times reminds me of Giles from Buffy. Sometimes I felt like I was predicting what was going to happen in the story a little to easily and then I would get thrown for a surprise a little later.  I loved having those little twists and turns thrown at me.  The secondary characters were great as well though this book really focuses mostly on Will, El, and of course the evil that they are up against. With so much action and great characters this was a super fast read.  I truly enjoyed reading this outstanding new book from upcoming author Courtney Allison Moulton and can't wait to read book 2!! Jump up and add this to your shopping cart if you haven't already you won't be disappointed. 

 

Third Line Thursday (8) A World Without Heroes by Brandon Mull

A World Without Heroes (Beyonders #1)
Author: Brandon Mull
Third Line Thursday Page 35 according to the nook

"Can you believe this?" he said.
She turned to him. Her rather wide-set eyes came to his chin.  "Can I believe that my brother is about to kill himself to create a ridiculous spectacle?"

  My simple rules for Third Line Thursday are as follows: Pick up the book you are currently reading, go to chapter 3 or page 3 or any page or chapter with a 3(13, 23, ect.) then type in the third line (sentence) from that page. See simple!