Teaser Tuesday (2)

“Teaser Tuesday” is a weekly meme hosted by Mizb of Should Be Reading.  Anyone can do it, here’s how:

• 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 that what you share doesn't give too much way, you don't want to ruin the book for others.)

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

I thought it only right to have my "teaser" coincide with the review below.  Happy Reading!

Ink Exchange by Melissa Marr

"Niall pulled her into his arms, holding her as securely as if she'd been falling only to be snatched back from the edge.  His hand cradled the back of her head.  'Will you look poorly on my if I admit I wish I weren't the one to do this?'"

Review: Ink Exchange (Wicked Lovely, #2) by Melissa Marr

Unbeknownst to mortals, a power struggle is unfolding in a world of shadows and danger. After centuries of stability, the balance among the Faery Courts has altered, and Irial, ruler of the Dark Court, is battling to hold his rebellious and newly vulnerable fey together. If he fails, bloodshed and brutality will follow.

Seventeen-year-old Leslie knows nothing of faeries or their intrigues. When she is attracted to an eerily beautiful tattoo of eyes and wings, all she knows is that she has to have it, convinced it is a tangible symbol of changes she desperately craves for her own life.

The tattoo does bring changes; not the kind Leslie has dreamed of but sinister, compelling changes that are more than symbolic. Those changes will bind Leslie and Irial together, drawing Leslie deeper and deeper into the faery world, unable to resist its allure, and helpless to withstand it's perils...

In the second book in the Wicked Lovely series readers will get a closer and more in-depth look at the supporting characters from Wicked Lovely. Leslie, Niall and Irial take center stage in this companion novel and readers will get some of their questions answered regarding these characters. While I loved Aislinn, Keenan and Seth from Wicked Lovely, they have not completely gone away; they still remain as supporting background characters throughout this novel.

The world Melissa Marr created in Wicked Lovely still blows my mind, the creativity that goes into her work despite this being a genre that has been done and re-done so many times impressed me with each turn of the page. I felt that Marr took Ink Exchange and went beyond just the superficial to delve deeper into larger issues, real issues and fae issues as you would have it. Leslie is a girl with a clouded past…readers are never given the full picture up front as to what lies in her past or what spurs her to make the choices she does throughout the novel. And although I'd love Marr to answer every question that pops into my head as I'm reading her work, I enjoy and appreciate the intrigue and reasoning behind her careful planning as to when she reveals her information. When all was said and done I appreciated her character and the struggles she went through because Marr helped readers feel as if they experienced some of those struggles with her character.

The triangle between Leslie, Niall and Irial took me a few minutes to adjust to. I will say I came into this novel doubting that it would rank up there with Wicked Lovely and the love triangle that was present because all three main characters in Ink Exchange were not given much of a spotlight in the series' first novel; however I was proven to be a little short-sighted. Niall was not just another male hunk with a tortured past, as I first thought he would be. Marr went deeper than that. I found myself aching for him for all the difficulties he dealt with on a daily basis, and was hoping someone would come to understand his pain and only love him more for it.

Irial was another tough sell for me because for starters, I usually always root for the good guy. And let's face it, if you're the king of the dark faery court that pretty much puts you in my "bad" guy column. Again Marr proved that I needed to exercise a little more patience. I'm not saying that I'm on "team Irial" but after finishing the book I will say that I enjoyed his character and what he brought to the table. He frustrated me to no end because he refused to stay in my "good vs. bad" column. In my mind he was constantly switching sides.

I’m looking forward to continue reading the Wicked Lovely series and to see what Fragile Eternity, the third novel in the series delivers. On a side note I’m hoping to see more of the character Gabriel in future novels, because he is yet another character who was put into the background but yet still fought to come to life on the pages he was given. He fascinates me and stirs up my curiosity, so I’m crossing my fingers to see more of him in novels to come.

All in all I truly do enjoy Marr’s work. The world and characters she creates and brings to life never fail to impress.

I gave Ink Exchange (Wicked Lovely, #2) 3 shamrocks!!!

Quote of the Week (3)

"A room without books is like a body without a soul."
  -- Marcus Tullius Cicero

I had company come in this weekend and I was teased mercilessly on how my apartment and more specifically my room is filled with wall to wall books....what can I say?  I love to read and I'm not gonna apologize for it, lol.  I know I'm not the only one out there who feels the same way which is why I also know that I'm not the only other avid reader anxiously awaiting the seventh book in P.C. Cast and Kristin Cast's House of Night series, Burned!

The authors have been kind enough to provide readers with the first chapter of the novel to hold us over until it's release on April 27, 2010.  Click here to read the 1st chapter.

Crescendo Storyline Revealed

Author Becca Fitzpatrick has finally put us out of our misery...we as readers have been wondering and contemplating what her sequel to Hush, Hush would be about, and now our wait is over.  Crescendo's storyline has finally been revealed.

Becca's website posted the following:

Nora should have known her life was far from perfect. Despite starting a relationship with her guardian angel, Patch (who, title aside, can be described as anything but angelic), and surviving an attempt on her life, things are not looking up. Patch is starting to pull away and Nora can't figure out if it's for her best interest or if his interest has shifted to her arch-enemy, Marcie Millar. Not to mention that Nora is haunted by images of her father and she becomes obsessed with finding out what really happened to him that night he left for Portland and never came home.

The further Nora delves into the mystery of her father's death, the more she comes to question if her Nephilim bloodline has something to do with it as well as why she seems to be in danger more than the average girl. Since Patch isn't answering her questions and seems to be standing in her way, she has to start finding the answers on her own. Relying too heavily on the fact that she has a guardian angel puts Nora at risk again and again. But can she really count on Patch or is he hiding secrets darker than she can even imagine?

November seems so far away but I can't wait to find out what else Nora comes across on her journey...stay tuned for further updates!

In My Mailbox (1)

This is a meme that I first heard about from Kristi over at The Story Siren and immediately wanted to jump on board. Every week we’ll post about what books we have received (whether they’re bought/borrowed, etc… you get the idea). This is generally done on Sunday, but I’m told that it’s really whatever day works for you; I’m going to do my best to stick with Sunday (although this weekend I won't be around so I'm jumping the gun).
Everyone participating will try and visit other lists to comment and possibly pine for the new arrivals everyone’s talking about. I’ve learned that it’s a great idea to really try and stop by at least two or three lists because I’m constantly finding out about new books that I’ve later added to my TBR list.

Happy Reading!

This week I’ve added the following to my collection:

Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins (See my review below)

Firespell by Chloe Neill

Chasing Harry Winston by Lauren Weisberger

Two out of three of these book are on my 2010 YA Debut Author Challenge so hopefully I'll be able to cross them off my list real soon!

If you're looking to increase what you get in your mailbox maybe you should check out this giveaway over at BookHounds, look here for more information on the contest and good luck!

Review: Hex Hall (Hex Hall, #1) by Rachel Hawkins

Three years ago, Sophie Mercer discovered that she was a witch. It's gotten her into a few scrapes. Her non-gifted mother has been as supportive as possible, consulting Sophie's estranged father--an elusive European warlock--only when necessary. But when Sophie attracts too much human attention for a prom-night spell gone horribly wrong, it's her dad who decides her punishment: exile to Hex Hall, an isolated reform school for wayward Prodigium, a.k.a. witches, faeries, and shapeshifters.

By the end of her first day among fellow freak-teens, Sophie has quite a scorecard: three powerful enemies who look like supermodels, a futile crush on a gorgeous warlock, a creepy tagalong ghost, and a new roommate who happens to be the most hated person and only vampire student on campus. Worse, Sophie soon learns that a mysterious predator has been attacking students, and her only friend is the number-one suspect.

As a series of blood-curdling mysteries starts to converge, Sophie prepares for the biggest threat of all: an ancient secret society determined to destroy all Prodigium, especially her.

If I had to pick one word to describe Rachel Hawkins’ new book Hex Hall it would be AMAZING! The story was fast paced, the characters intriguing, and her new spin on the paranormal genre was refreshing, and not to mention addicting…I couldn’t put the book down.
The protagonist Sophie Mercer was so easy to relate to that I didn’t even realize how easily I connected to her character until I found myself shouting in outrage when she was picked on, or crossing my fingers that she gets the oh-so-dreamy heartthrob and holding out hope that she can make friends in a place where she finally doesn’t have to feel like an outsider. Hawkins created characters that fit the stereotypical outline but yet go beyond the normal limitations. Sophie's fellow witches, for example are not just your normal beautiful, popular, catty mean girls; they’re taken a step further when Hawkins gives them dark powers. Sophie and the readers are not sure what exactly they’re capable of, or how dangerous they really are. I was constantly on the edge of my seat wondering how far they were really willing to go in order to meet their goal, not to mention that I was dying to know what exactly their “goal” really was. Were the rumors at Hecate really true or are these girls just bluffing?

The murder mystery taking place at the Hecate school, affectionately known by the students as Hex Hall will have readers staying up late into the night to see if Sophie can discover who’s behind all these strange attacks, or will she be too late? Will it turn out to be the obvious suspect or someone she least expects? My lips are sealed, if you want to know what happens, you’ll just have to read the book to find out, you won’t regret it. I wasn’t disappointed in the least, but I was left craving for more. So now there is yet another sequel’s release that I’ll be hoping comes out sooner rather than later…these authors will be the death of me with their cliffhangers, and far away release dates. Hex Hall was AMAZING, the series is sure to be a success, and Hawkins has only given us a preview of the amazing writing she’s capable of and we’ll definitely see more of in the future.

I gave Hex Hall (Hex Hall, #1) 5 shamrocks!

Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins

When Sophie Mercer turned thirteen, she discovered that she was a witch. It's gotten her into a few scrapes. Her non-Gifted mother has been as supportive as possible, consulting Sophie's estranged father--an elusive European warlock--only when necessary. But when Sophie attracts too much human attention for a prom-night spell gone horribly wrong, it's her dad who decides her punishment: exile to Hecate Hall, an isolated reform school for wayward prodigium, a.k.a. witches, fae, and shapeshifters. 

By the end of her first day among fellow freak-teens, Sophie has quite a scorecard. Three powerful enemies who look like supermodels; a futile crush on a gorgeous warlock; a creepy, tag-along ghost; and a new roommate, who happens to be the most-hated person and only vampire on campus. Sophie soon learns that a mysterious predator has been attacking students, and her friend Jenna is the number one suspect.

Meanwhile, Sophie has a more personal shock to grapple with. Not only is her father the head of the prodigium council, he's the most powerful warlock in the world, and Sophie is his heir. As a series of blood-curdling mysteries starts to converge, Sophie prepares for the biggest threat of all: an ancient secret society determined to destroy all prodigium, especially her.

Review Coming Soon!!

Review: Fallen (Fallen, #1) by Lauren Kate

There’s something achingly familiar about Daniel Grigori.

Mysterious and aloof, he captures Luce Price’s attention from the moment she sees him on her first day at the Sword & Cross boarding school in sultry Savannah, Georgia. He’s the one bright spot in a place where cell phones are forbidden, the other students are all screw-ups, and security cameras watch every move.

Even though Daniel wants nothing to do with Luce–and goes out of his way to make that very clear–she can’t let it go. Drawn to him like a moth to a flame, she has to find out what Daniel is so desperate to keep secret . . . even if it kills her.

Hooked again! Personally, I’m a series reader….when I fall in love with a really great book, I fall in love with all of it. The plot, the characters, and the world the author has created for them and everything in between. This is why for me, when I learn there will be a sequel to a book I’ve just fallen in love with it’s a silver lining that I grab on to.

Fallen by Lauren Kate has done just that….hooked me to yet another series that I will be dying to continue reading and counting down the days until the next installment hits the bookshelves (how many days until September 28^th?).

Kate created characters in Fallen like Luce, and Daniel and Arriane, who were so full of personality and mystery on top of it that as a reader I was reading as quickly as I could hoping to learn their secrets with each turn of the page. Some secrets came out, others have yet to be revealed. Fallen had me guessing until the very end, even when I thought I was putting the pieces of the puzzle together, new questions were thrown in, it was fabulous! Keeping with the way most series work, Fallen left readers wanting more.

Kate was able to integrate so many different elements throughout the novel and yet I wasn’t feeling overwhelmed with all the information she was giving her readers. I will admit to being disappointed that I was left slightly anxious and nervous concerning the characters fates and futures, but anyone who picks up this novel will agree that the frustration over unanswered questions was worth it!

Now we’re all just anxiously awaiting the release of the next installment in the Fallen series, Torment.

I gave Fallen (Fallen, #1) 4 shamrocks!

Teaser Tuesday (1)

 “Teaser Tuesday” is a weekly meme I heard about from Kristi over at The Story Siren inspired by Mizb of Should Be Reading.  Anyone can do it, here’s how:

• 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 that what you share doesn’t give too much away, you don’t want to ruin the book for others.)

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

Fallen by Lauren Kate

“She felt her lips pull up in a smile back at him, but then he raised his hand in the air.  And flipped her off.”

2010 Debut Author Challenge

This challenge is hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren.  Anyone can join, read her entire post here. I can't wait to see how many books I can get through....so far here's my list, the titles that are in bold I've finished reading, what do ya think? 

1. Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins
2. Brightly Woven by Alexandra Bracken
3. The Iron King by Julie Kagawa
4. 13 to Life:  A Werewolf’s Tale by Shannon Delany
5. Shadow Hills by Anastasia Hopcus
6. Firespell:  A Novel of the Dark Elite by Chloe Neill
7. Other by Karen Kincy
8. Mistwood by Leah Cypress
9. Claire de Lune by Christine Johnson
10. Guardian of the Dead by Karen Healey
11. Angel Star by Jennifer Murgia
12. Voices of Dragons by Carrie Vaughn
13. Nightshade by Andrea Cremer
14. Glimmerglass by Jenna Black
15. Infinity by Sherrilyn Kenyon
16. Vintage Veronica by Erica S. Perl
17. Restoring Harmony by Joëlle Anthony
18. A Most Improper Magick by Stephanie Burgis
19. The Rise of Renegade X by Chelsea Campbell
20. Everlasting by Angie Frazier
21. Plain Kate by Erin Bow
22. Paranormalacy by Kristen White
23. Magic Under Glass by Jaclyn Dolamore
24. Sisters Red by Jackson Pearce
    

Quote of the Week!!! (2)

"Here's to books, the cheapest vacation you can buy.""

--Charlaine Harris

And boy do I need a vacation today....it's been raining non-stop here and it doesn't look like the end of it is coming any time soon.  I can't stand rainy days like today for two reasons...one being the obvious ick! factor that this weather brings with it and two being the fact that there's nothing better to do on a day with weather as rainy as this than to curl up with a good book and forget all about the awful weather, when instead I'm stuck at work, boo!

On a brighter note there are some great books coming out soon and I just can't wait!  Tomorrow the long awaited Brightly Woven by Alexandra Bracken hits the shelves and the beautiful cover alone will have you rushing to the bookstores to get your own copy.

Head over to the Upcoming Releases section to see what else we can look forward to on a rainy day like today.

Currently Reading

Fallen by Lauren Kate

There’s something achingly familiar about Daniel Grigori.

Mysterious and aloof, he captures Luce Price’s attention from the moment she sees him on her first day at the Sword & Cross boarding school in sultry Savannah, Georgia. He’s the one bright spot in a place where cell phones are forbidden, the other students are all screw-ups, and security cameras watch every move.

Even though Daniel wants nothing to do with Luce–and goes out of his way to make that very clear–she can’t let it go. Drawn to him like a moth to a flame, she has to find out what Daniel is so desperate to keep secret . . . even if it kills her.

 

Review coming soon.

Clockwork Angel Cover Unveiled!

Clockwork Angel Cover Unveiled!!

 

Magic is dangerous—but love is more dangerous still.

When sixteen-year-old Tessa Gray crosses the ocean to find her brother, her destination is England, the time is the reign of Queen Victoria, and something terrifying is waiting for her in London's Downworld, where vampires, warlocks and other supernatural folk stalk the gaslit streets. Only the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the world of demons, keep order amidst the chaos.

Kidnapped by the mysterious Dark Sisters, members of a secret organization called The Pandemonium Club; Tessa soon learns that she herself is a Downworlder with a rare ability: the power to transform, at will, into another person. What's more, the Magister, the shadowy figure who runs the Club, will stop at nothing to claim Tessa's power for his own.

Friendless and hunted, Tessa takes refuge with the Shadowhunters of the London Institute, who swear to find her brother if she will use her power to help them. She soon finds herself fascinated by—and torn between—two best friends: James, whose fragile beauty hides a deadly secret, and blue-eyed Will, whose caustic wit and volatile moods keep everyone in his life at arm's length...everyone, that is, but Tessa. As their search draws them deep into the heart of an arcane plot that threatens to destroy the Shadowhunters, Tessa realizes that she may need to choose between saving her brother and helping her new friends save the world...and that love may be the most dangerous magic of all.

 Cassandra Clare’s new series the Infernal Devices has been long awaited.  As August 31, 2010 is still a long way away, Clare is trying to keep us anxious readers sane by offering up the cover art for Clockwork Angel.  You can also find an excerpt on the Infernal Devices webpage, click HERE to read.  Very exciting stuff!

Quote of the Week!!! (1)

Quote of the Week!!!

"Many people, myself among them, feel better at the mere sight of a book."

--Jane Smiley (13 Ways of Looking at the Novel)

I'm one of those people Jane Smiley refers to...picking up a good book changes my whole day...even the plan of going to a book store makes a Monday at the office seem much more tolerable.  And who wouldn't agree with books like Vintage Veronica by Erica S. Perl, Hourglass by Claudia Gray, and The Dead-Tossed Waves by Carrie Ryan finally hitting the bookshelves last week.  These three titles have been on my can't wait to read list for so long that I can't believe they're finally here.  I'm still trying to make my way through this blog and update it with cool features but in the meantime I figured I would just keep updating the posts and letting you know what's out there and what I'm reading.  Hopefully the reviews will follow soon as well as more updates!

1st Posting!

1st Posting!

As a brand new blogger I am still learning my way around this new world of blogging and trying to figure out ways to make my blog the best it can be.  It's very possible no one will ever read or follow this blog but that's not why I'm here.  I'm an avid reader and have never been able to get enough of the books I enjoy, even to the detriment of my bank account.  I follow my favorite authors, book blogs that I've come to love and any other websites that will give me more information and insight into when my favorite book series will have a new installment, when an author will be coming near my area for a book signing, etc...  So for now I'm bumbling my way through this new fun world of blogging and at the moment just trying to figure out how to add a signature to the end of my postings.  I just needed an outlet for my reading obsession and if I'm the only one who ever leaves a post or reviews a book on this blog that's fine, if not than that's great and hopefully you'll forgive this first lame blog...I'm sure it won't be my last but hopefully it will be heavily outweighed by the many AWESOME postings to come.  Here's hoping it works!