Review: Dark Craving (The Watchers, #4.5) by Veronica Wolff

WE'VE FOLLOWED ANNELISE DREW'S JOURNEY AS SHE'S FOUGHT TO SURVIVE THE ISLE OF NIGHT.

NOW IT'S TIME TO HEAR RONAN'S SIDE OF THE STORY.

Tracer Ronan has cared for only one person in his life: Charlotte, his sister. With her death, a consuming desire for revenge and destruction ignited in his heart. But when new recruit Annelise Drew arrives on the island, Ronan finds he craves more than revenge. She is a threat to his mission, his sanity, and his heart. Now Ronan will need every ounce of will and strength to avenge his sister and prove where his true allegiance lies.

Tracer Ronan shares his secrets with no one. But will he survive his darkest cravings?

Shorter reviews for shorter titles and boy do I wish this novella had been longer, because I could not get enough of what Wolff brought to the table.  Wolff did an incredible job of giving Ronan's perspective and life to his side of the story...and what a story it turns out to be.  There was so much information packed into this novella that I just can't imagine how lost readers would be if they failed to pick this one up.  It's not just a side story...it turns out to be THE story.  So if you're a fan of this series, following the series, or just wanting to check something out, you've got to make sure to add this title to your collection.

Yes, Ronan's narration provided some fun additions in the back story department, but there was so much detail throughout that predominantly took place where The Keep left off.  And if readers thought The Keep left us all with a crazy cliffhanger than this one will blow their minds...it did for me.  I thought this novella would help keep me at bay while I waited for the next full installment in the series, but I was wrong!  I want the new books even more so now...so thanks a bunch for that Veronica Wolff!

Review: The Keep (The Watchers, #4) by Veronica Wolff

JUST BECAUSE YOU WORK FOR THE DEAD DOESN’T MEAN YOU WANT TO JOIN THEM.

Drew has just started her second year on the Isle of Night, and the weather isn’t the only thing changing drastically. She has ascended to the rank of Initiate. She’s also found an intimate love in the handsome vampire, Carden. But most of all, she no longer dreams of escape. She dreams of vengeance.

Her friend, Emma, was brutally wounded by the savage vampire Alcántara, and may have been taken to the dreaded castle, from which none of the living return. But there are so many different stories from so many people with so many of their own deceits and machinations, Drew can’t be sure of anything—except that she must find a way into the castle to discover the truth and take down Alcántara once and for all.

But Drew isn’t the only one out for revenge. Someone very dangerous on the island is also out for blood…

Hers…

The action continues and mystery still abounds in Wolff's fourth installment of The Watchers series.  While Carden played center stage in the last book (and is still featured here) Wolff decided to bring Ronan back to the main events.  I most certainly wasn't complaining about that.  This love triangle has always been a bit unique but I've always thought Ronan and Drew were better suited and dare I say, destined for one another.  Let's face facts, without Ronan, Drew wouldn't have survived as long as she has despite her prowess on the island.

This time around the trainees and initiates aren't playing so nice...but it's not like they've ever been striving for Junior League or Debutante status.  Assassination 101 is on the forefront in everyone's mind and of course there are casualties.  Attack after attack after attack, Wolff kept me on the edge of my seat, desperate to know how it would all play out.  And talk about secrets being revealed!  Let's just say the front door isn't the only way into the off limits Keep and Drew never let the saying "curiosity killed the cat" deter her.

Great risks are taken, Alcantara's mind games would drive anyone crazy, the action doesn't stop and the suspense will keep the pages turning for sure.  While readers wait for Wolff's fifth installment to be scheduled for release, Dark Craving, a novella for the series with Ronan's narration should tide us over, at least temporarily.

In My Mailbox (135)

This is a meme that I first heard about from Kristi over at The Story Siren and immediately wanted to jump on board. I'm always picking up new books, because I never tire of reading, but the other thing I like about this meme is that it gives everyone an opportunity to check out what other book fanatics, bloggers, etc... got for themselves. I've gotten great recommendations from this meme and hope that keeps up in the future.

Here's what I got, what did you guys get this week?

  For Review:

 

Dark Craving (The Watchers, #4.5) by Veronica Wolff

 

WE'VE FOLLOWED ANNELISE DREW'S JOURNEY AS SHE'S FOUGHT TO SURVIVE THE ISLE OF NIGHT.

NOW IT'S TIME TO HEAR RONAN'S SIDE OF THE STORY.

Tracer Ronan has cared for only one person in his life: Charlotte, his sister. With her death, a consuming desire for revenge and destruction ignited in his heart. But when new recruit Annelise Drew arrives on the island, Ronan finds he craves more than revenge. She is a threat to his mission, his sanity, and his heart. Now Ronan will need every ounce of will and strength to avenge his sister and prove where his true allegiance lies.

Tracer Ronan shares his secrets with no one. But will he survive his darkest cravings?

 

Beauty At Home by Aerin Lauder

 

Style icon Aerin Lauder reveals what it means to live beautifully

Extravagant and fun to be around, Estée Lauder, Aerin's grandmother, loved jewelry and chocolate-covered marshmallows. She adored flowers and rooms full of exuberant patterns. When Aerin was a child, weekend visits with Estée meant ice-cream-and-late-night-TV adventures and spending time together at her grandmother's dressing-room table with its intriguing lipsticks and creams. From an early age, Aerin understood that Estée's passion for family was equal to her love of beauty.

Now, Aerin has made this legacy her own. For the first time, she shares memories of the family celebrations and world travel that formed her sense of style. Aerin opens the doors to her New York apartment, where on any given night she might host a relaxed dinner with firends under a vintage French chandelier or, just as often, an impromptu get-together for her sons. Aerin also reveals how she preserved Estée's heritage in her former Hamptons home while adding her own twists. The traditions Aerin has created in her own family--from pool parties with her sons to walks along the beach collecting sea glass to breezy summer lunches--blend elegance and fun in equal measure.

Throughout this book, evocative photographs by Simon Upton show Aerin's world in inspiring detail and enhance Aerin's insights into surrounding oneself with beauty and family in every aspect of life.

 

Full Moon (The Crescent, #3) by Jordan Deen

 

You know her story. You know her painful initiation into the werewolf world and you’ve seen her struggle to find the truth.

Now, Lacey Quinn is ready for the war to be over. Are you?
Lacey has been used, lied to and cheated out of the only thing she ever wanted: independence. Struggling with her newfound knowledge of being pack leader, Alex coming back into her life and the kidnapping of Lily’s mate—Matt—Lacey is faced with one of the biggest decisions of her life: fight or flight. While she knows running from the war will risk many lives, but staying means she would never have the life she wants and quite possibly never know a world without werewolves, witches and war.
Sometimes doing the right thing isn’t always the first or most obvious choice. Lacey Quinn is about to challenge what everyone thinks is the right thing to do. Unfortunately for her, most will not agree with her decision or the painful outcome.

Sometimes, love means death.

Rules of Civility by Amor Towles

On the last night of 1937, twenty-five-year-old Katey Kontent is in a second-rate Greenwich Village jazz bar with her boardinghouse roommate stretching three dollars as far as it will go when Tinker Grey, a handsome banker with royal blue eyes and a tempered smile, happens to sit at the neighboring table. This chance encounter and its startling consequences propel Katey on a yearlong journey from a Wall Street secretarial pool toward the upper echelons of New York society and the executive suites of Condé Nast--rarefied environs where she will have little to rely upon other than a bracing wit and her own brand of cool nerve.

Wooed in turn by a shy, principled multi-millionaire and an irrepressible Upper East Side ne'er-do-well, befriended by a single-minded widow who is a ahead of her time,and challenged by an imperious mentor, Katey experiences firsthand the poise secured by wealth and station and the failed aspirations that reside just below the surface. Even as she waits for circumstances to bring Tinker back into her life, she begins to realize how our most promising choices inevitably lay the groundwork for our regrets.

In My Mailbox (134)

This is a meme that I first heard about from Kristi over at The Story Siren and immediately wanted to jump on board. I'm always picking up new books, because I never tire of reading, but the other thing I like about this meme is that it gives everyone an opportunity to check out what other book fanatics, bloggers, etc... got for themselves. I've gotten great recommendations from this meme and hope that keeps up in the future.

Here's what I got, what did you guys get this week?

  

For Review:

 

Taming Darkness (Artemis Lupine, #4) by Catherine Banks

 

Things aren't going like anyone planned and life keeps throwing one curve ball after another at Artemis and Ares. Can she live up to the prophecy or have they been wrong this entire time? Join them as they try to right the balance of light and dark in the final installment of Artemis Lupine's life.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Darlings by Cristina Alger

 

A sophisticated page-turner about a wealthy New York family embroiled in a financial scandal with cataclysmic consequences. Now that he's married to Merrill Darling, daughter of billionaire financier Carter Darling, attorney Paul Ross has grown accustomed to New York society and all of its luxuries: a Park Avenue apartment, weekends in the Hamptons, bespoke suits. When Paul loses his job, Carter offers him the chance to head the legal team at his hedge fund. Thrilled with his good fortune in the midst of the worst financial downturn since the Great Depression, Paul accepts the position.

But Paul's luck is about to shift: a tragic event catapults the Darling family into the media spotlight, a regulatory investigation, and a red-hot scandal with enormous implications for everyone involved. Suddenly, Paul must decide where his loyalties lie-will he save himself while betraying his wife and in-laws or protect the family business at all costs?

Cristina Alger's glittering debut novel interweaves the narratives of the Darling family, two eager SEC attorneys, and a team of journalists all racing to uncover-or cover up-the truth. With echoes of a fictional Too Big to Fail and the novels of Dominick Dunne, The Darlings offers an irresistible glimpse into the highest echelons of New York society-a world seldom seen by outsiders-and a fast-paced thriller of epic proportions.

 

Wife 22 by Melanie Gideon

 

For fans of Helen Fielding’s Bridget Jones’s Diary and Allison Pearson’s I Don’t Know How She Does It comes an irresistible novel of a woman losing herself . . . and finding herself again . . . in the middle of her life.

Maybe it was those extra five pounds I’d gained. Maybe it was because I was about to turn the same age my mother was when I lost her. Maybe it was because after almost twenty years of marriage my husband and I seemed to be running out of things to say to each other.

But when the anonymous online study called “Marriage in the 21st Century” showed up in my inbox, I had no idea how profoundly it would change my life. It wasn’t long before I was assigned both a pseudonym (Wife 22) and a caseworker (Researcher 101).

And, just like that, I found myself answering questions.

7. Sometimes I tell him he’s snoring when he’s not snoring so he’ll sleep in the guest room and I can have the bed all to myself.
61. Chet Baker on the tape player. He was cutting peppers for the salad. I looked at those hands and thought, I am going to have this man’s children.
67. To not want what you don’t have. What you can’t have. What you shouldn’t have.
32. That if we weren’t careful, it was possible to forget one another.

Before the study, my life was an endless blur of school lunches and doctor’s appointments, family dinners, budgets, and trying to discern the fastest-moving line at the grocery store. I was Alice Buckle: spouse of William and mother to Zoe and Peter, drama teacher and Facebook chatter, downloader of memories and Googler of solutions.

But these days, I’m also Wife 22. And somehow, my anonymous correspondence with Researcher 101 has taken an unexpectedly personal turn. Soon, I’ll have to make a decision—one that will affect my family, my marriage, my whole life. But at the moment, I’m too busy answering questions.

As it turns out, confession can be a very powerful aphrodisiac.

Opposition (Lux, #5) by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Katy knows the world changed the night the Luxen came.

She can't believe Daemon welcomed his race or stood by as his kind threatened to obliterate every last human and hybrid on Earth. But the lines between good and bad have blurred, and love has become an emotion that could destroy her—could destroy them all.

Daemon will do anything to save those he loves, even if it means betrayal.

They must team with an unlikely enemy if there is any chance of surviving the invasion. But when it quickly becomes impossible to tell friend from foe, and the world is crumbling around them, they may lose everything— even what they cherish most—to ensure the survival of their friends…and mankind.

War has come to Earth. And no matter the outcome, the future will never be the same for those left standing.

The Keep (The Watchers, #4) by Veronica Wolff

JUST BECAUSE YOU WORK FOR THE DEAD DOESN’T MEAN YOU WANT TO JOIN THEM.

Drew has just started her second year on the Isle of Night, and the weather isn’t the only thing changing drastically. She has ascended to the rank of Initiate. She’s also found an intimate love in the handsome vampire Carden. But most important, she no longer dreams of escape. She dreams of vengeance.

Her friend Emma was brutally wounded by the savage vampire Alcántara and may have been taken to the dreaded castle, from which none of the living returns. With so many different stories from so many people with so many of their own deceits and machinations, Drew can’t be sure of anything—except that she must find a way into the castle to discover the truth and take down Alcántara once and for all.

But Drew isn’t the only one out for revenge. Someone very dangerous on the island is also out for blood….

Hers…

Review: Blood Fever (The Watchers, #3) by Veronica Wolff

THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE HOME—EVEN IF HOME IS WHERE THE DEAD LIVE...

It’s the start of the fall semester, and a new crop of Acari and Trainees have descended on the Isle of Night. Watcher training has intensified, and Drew has a new roommate named Mei-Ling. But Mei-Ling harbors a dangerous secret that drove the vampires to abduct her against her will. Drew knows she shouldn’t get involved, but she can’t seem to leave her roommate to fend for herself.

Luckily, Drew has other things on her mind—like vampire Carden. A blood bond to a brawny, eighteenth-century Scottish bad boy tends to preoccupy a girl. And though she’s still figuring out what this bond means, one thing has become clear: She craves him in a major way.

But then bodies start turning up on the island. All the evidence points to the existence of a rogue vampire, and the sinister vampire Alcántara is gunning for Carden, even though Drew has proof that Carden had nothing to do with the murders. Now she has to find the true killer—without endangering Carden, Mei-Ling, or herself…

Wolff did it again!  I was so anxious to dive right into this one after the way the second installment ended that I could barely contain my excitement and anticipation....somehow I managed to take a few deep breaths and slowly open up to the first page.  From there I flew through the pages and forgot about everything else going on around me.  All that mattered was finding out what would happen next.  And for me, that's one of the easiest ways to realize that a book or series or author is going to rank high on your list of favorites.  If a book can get me to want to block out the outside world, or have me sad when I have to close the cover because it's too late and I can't possibly function the following day if I don't get to sleep pronto, well that sums it all up for me.

Drew is once again the low man on the totem pole in so many ways and there is so much going on in this installment that I couldn't believe she was able to keep up.  She gets herself a new roommate that had a somewhat different experience when coming to the island.  She's got herself bound to a vampire, and nice or not that's a serious issue that she's forced to come to terms with.  And the vampire who at one point (while still scary) was on her side and looking out for her, may have changed his tune.  And did I mention the bodies that were piling up while all of this was going on?  As if that wouldn't be enough on it's own right?  Wolff had me anxious, tense, swooning, anxious again, and at some points very sad.  All in all, while it was a crazy roller coaster I'm yet again hoping I don't have to wait oh so very long for the next installment in the Watchers series.

I gave Blood Fever (The Watchers, #3) 4 shamrocks!!!!

In My Mailbox (68)

This is a meme that I first heard about from Kristi over at The Story Siren and immediately wanted to jump on board. I'm always picking up new books, because I
never tire of reading, but the other thing I like about this meme is that it gives everyone an opportunity to check out what other book fanatics, bloggers, etc... got for themselves. I've gotten great recommendations from this meme and hope that keeps up in the future.

Here's what I got, what did you guys get this week? 

 

For Review:

Blood Fever (The Watchers, #3) by Veronica Wolff

THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE HOME—EVEN IF HOME IS WHERE THE DEAD LIVE...

It’s the start of the fall semester, and a new crop of Acari and Trainees have descended on the Isle of Night. Watcher training has intensified, and Drew has a new roommate named Mei-Ling. But Mei-Ling harbors a dangerous secret that drove the vampires to abduct her against her will. Drew knows she shouldn’t get involved, but she can’t seem to leave her roommate to fend for herself.

Luckily, Drew has other things on her mind—like vampire Carden. A blood bond to a brawny, eighteenth-century Scottish bad boy tends to preoccupy a girl. And though she’s still figuring out what this bond means, one thing has become clear: She craves him in a major way.

But then bodies start turning up on the island. All the evidence points to the existence of a rogue vampire, and the sinister vampire Alcántara is gunning for Carden, even though Drew has proof that Carden had nothing to do with the murders. Now she has to find the true killer—without endangering Carden, Mei-Ling, or herself…

Airel (The Airel Saga, #1) by Aaron Patterson and Chris White

All Airel ever wanted was to be normal, to disappear into the crowd. But bloodlines can produce surprises, like an incredible ability to heal. Then there’s Michael Alexander, the new guy in school, who is impossibly gorgeous…and captivated by her. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she can hear the sound of pages turning, and another, older story being written. It is the story of an ancient family, of great warriors, of the Sword of Light, and the struggle against an evil so terrible, so far-reaching, that it threatens everything. Airel knew change would be an inevitable part of life. But can she hold on when murder and darkness begin to close in and take away everything she loves? Will she have what it takes when the truth is finally revealed?

Countdown: 2012 Releases (17)

Have you guys started making your lists of new releases scheduled for 2013? I know I have a few in the back of my mind that I know are scheduled to come out next year, but for right now I've got my hands full to bursting with all these titles that are still scheduled to come out in the coming months. Every time I think it's not possible for my TBR list to get any bigger I see a few more new releases that I can't resist adding.

It's terrible because I make myself all anxious and worried that I'll never be able to get to all of these great titles and that I'll be missing out on fantastic reads and new authors that would certainly become favorites. But then I try and remind myself that everyone must go through this kind of anxiety because it's simply not possible to read fast enough to enable yourself to stay caught up on every single title you're hoping to read. It's not going to happen, but I can try my hardest to read as fast as possible while still managing to enjoy the reads, and hopefully I'll get through enough of these titles that I won't feel too far behind. Enough about my neurotic thoughts, let's get to the countdown, shall we?

Countdown Pick #1: The Raft by S.A. Bodeen (08/21/2012)

Robie is an experienced traveler. She’s taken the flight from Honolulu to the Midway Atoll, a group of Pacific islands where her parents live, many times. When she has to get to Midway in a hurry after a visit with her aunt in Hawaii, she gets on the next cargo flight at the last minute. She knows the pilot, but on this flight, there’s a new co-pilot named Max. All systems are go until a storm hits during the flight. The only passenger, Robie doesn’t panic until the engine suddenly cuts out and Max shouts at her to put on a life jacket. They are over miles of Pacific Ocean. She sees Max struggle with a raft.

And then . . . she’s in the water. Fighting for her life. Max pulls her onto the raft, and that’s when the real terror begins. They have no water. Their only food is a bag of Skittles. There are sharks. There is an island. But there’s no sign of help on the way.

Oh my gosh! How is it possible that just this small description has my stomach plummeting to my feet and my anxiety ratcheted up to the highest possible level? It's crazy and should be a clear warning that this book will be too intense for me to handle, but no. I, of course won't listen to reason and have decided that I MUST read this title when it's released. I don't want to wait a second longer to see what happens...I'm just hoping that the sharks mentioned don't play a huge part in the whole thing, because that is a HUGE fear of mine and one that I don't need to hear about in live and living color.

Countdown Pick #2: The Edge of Nowhere by Elizabeth George (09/04/2012)

The first young adult book by a #1 New York Times bestselling author

Whidbey Island may be only a ferry ride from Seattle, but it's a world apart. When Becca King arrives there, she doesn't suspect the island will become her home for the next four years. Put at risk by her ability to hear "whispers"--the thoughts of others--Becca is on the run from her stepfather, whose criminal activities she has discovered. Stranded and alone, Becca is soon befriended by Derric, a Ugandon orphan adopted by a local family; Seth, a kindhearted musician and high school dropout; Debbie, a recovering alcoholic who takes her in; and Diana, with whom Becca shares a mysterious psychic connection.

This compelling coming-of-age story, the first of an ongoing sequence of books set on Whidbey Island, has elements of mystery, the paranormal, and romance. Elizabeth George, bestselling author of the Inspector Lynley crime novels, brings her elegant style, intricate plotting, incisive characterization, and top-notch storytelling to her first book for teens.

How could I resist a series opener right? While I haven't heard how many installments are planned for this new YA series, it sounds like it'll be a good series to get started on early. I love the talk of romance with some paranormal elements thrown in for good measure, don't you? With talk of being on the run and mysteries surrounding our main character at every turn, this title looks like it's got the potential to be a nail biter for sure, and one that will keep me up at night because I just won't be able to put it down. I'll let you know if my predictions turn out to be fact.

Countdown Pick #3: Middle Ground (Awaken, #2) by Katie Kacvinsky (11/20/2012)

In the sequel to Awaken, seventeen-year-old Maddie is in LA, is trying to stay out of trouble. But she can't quell the fire that rages within her against the digital life, and one night, a seemingly small act of rebellion lands Maddie in the place she fears the most: a detention center. Here, under the guise of rehabilitation, patients are reprogramed to accept the digital life. When Maddie discovers what goes on here, her fight shifts. She's no longer just fighting against the digital life. She's fighting for her mind, her soul, and her life. Once again, Katie Kacvinsky paints a disturbing picture of what the future holds if we're not careful.

So I have the first installment in this series and I haven't had a chance to crack it open yet. But since this sequel does not hit the shelves until November of this year I still have time to make that happen. And if I manage to finish the first book sometime soon, I'll be able to jump right into this sequel and pick up where the first left on and continue on in the adventure that Kacvinsky has painted for her readers. Have you guys checked out this series yet? What did you think? The descriptions for both the first and now this second installment sound fantastic, and just like the kind of suspense and action packed titles that I could really enjoy.

Countdown Pick #4: Blood Fever (The Watchers, #3) by Veronica Wolff (08/07/2012)

THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE HOME—EVEN IF HOME IS WHERE THE DEAD LIVE...

It’s the start of the fall semester, and a new crop of Acari and Trainees have descended on the Isle of Night. Watcher training has intensified, and Drew has a new roommate named Mei-Ling. But Mei-Ling harbors a dangerous secret that drove the vampires to abduct her against her will. Drew knows she shouldn’t get involved, but she can’t seem to leave her roommate to fend for herself.

Luckily, Drew has other things on her mind—like vampire Carden. A blood bond to a brawny, eighteenth-century Scottish bad boy tends to preoccupy a girl. And though she’s still figuring out what this bond means, one thing has become clear: She craves him in a major way.

But then bodies start turning up on the island. All the evidence points to the existence of a rogue vampire, and the sinister vampire Alcántara is gunning for Carden, even though Drew has proof that Carden had nothing to do with the murders. Now she has to find the true killer—without endangering Carden, Mei-Ling, or herself…

Huge, huge, huge fan of this series! I have been biting my nails for this title to finally be released and at the end of the Summer it looks like I'm finally going to get my wish. I was able to get an advanced copy of the second installment in this series, and while that was awesome, it meant that my wait for this third series installment was that much longer. So now, after trying to be as patient as possible, the release date is almost here!!! So excited to see what's in store next for Drew and the rest of the island.

Countdown Pick #5: The Syndicate by Shelena Shorts (07/09/2012)

For centuries, the Petrescu family has been protecting society from a danger that moves among the population undetected. Eighteen-year-old Vasi Petrescu has never had a problem carrying out his duty, but, when ordered to eliminate an eighteen-year-old girl, he is immediately taken out of his comfort zone.

The Syndicate has never targeted a female before, yet somehow this one has ended up on more than one hit list. Vasi would like to find out why, but there may not be time.

Now, he'll have to decide whether or not to keep her alive even if it means going against his own family.

The action, mystery, and conspiracy in The Syndicate will take readers on an immersing journey in which decisions are not only life changing, but irreversible.

As a big fan of Shelena Shorts and her Pace series, I was very excited to hear about this new adventure she'll be putting her readers through. How exciting and intense does this sound? I'm personally looking forward to seeing if Shorts will instill her magic touch into yet another book, much like she did with her Pace series, and what fun can be had along the way. This title sounds to me like there will be lines drawn and crossed, decisions set up and made, and a lot of chaos going on in between...the perfect equation for an exciting new release if you ask me.

Review: Vampire's Kiss (The Watchers, #2) by Veronica Wolff

IF YOU’RE GOING TO BE PARTNERED WITH A VAMPIRE, YOU HAVE TO WORK THE NIGHT SHIFT.

By her wits, blood, and sacrifice, so far Drew has survived the intensive training on the Isle of Night. As a second-year Acari, her ultimate goal is to become a Watcher, and now she has a shot at her first mission. Except nothing is as it seems. The vampire Alcántara is as sinister as he is sexy, Ronan is more distant than ever, and it turns out there are other vampires out there. Bad ones.

Ancient, bloodthirsty, and powerful, these undead are really old school. They’ve captured one of the Watcher vamps and are torturing him for information. The only chance to save him is to infiltrate a major summit the baddies are holding on their own island. There will be mortals there, serving as butlers, maids, and various hired help. Drew had better brush up on her skills as a serving girl, because she’s about to go undercover…

But, when their vampire prisoner turns out to be a gorgeous bad boy, Drew’s first mission quickly turns into more than she bargained for…

Oh I think it's pretty much a guarantee that I'll always be a big fan of all things vampires, but this series has really been a lot of fun so far in my opinion. Definitely a very unique and addicting spin on a genre that seems overrun with a good amount of the same ideas. But I just can't seem to get enough of Acari Drew and the rest of these characters. Drew proved yet again in this second installment that she's a fun heroine to watch and root for. Ronan was as brooding as ever, but I enjoyed learning a little more about him, and getting those small peaks into his past that readers have been dying to get. And I'm not sure I even know where to begin when it comes to Alcantara...there's just no way to describe him is there? One minute I was on his team and liking what I was reading, and the next minute he manages to put my opinion totally up in the air with his antics and mysterious nature.

The mission was just what I was expecting from Wolff. A very tense and action packed, not to mention surprising adventure that ended with me all out flabbergasted. No other way to put it without doing it an injustice. So hopefully Wolff continues to crank more installments out in this series, because there's no way I'm even close to getting enough. Her third installment, sadly doesn't come out until August 2012, but Blood Fever looks like it'll be yet another winner. So be on the lookout for this second installment which hits stores next week, March 6th and once you're hooked yet again (which is inevitable) mark your calendars for Blood Fever coming out in August.

I gave Vampire's Kiss (The Watchers, #2) 4 shamrocks!!!!

In My Mailbox (41)

This is a meme that I first heard about from Kristi over at The Story Siren and immediately wanted to jump on board. I'm always picking up new books, because I never tire of reading, but the other thing I like about this meme is that it gives everyone an opportunity to check out what other book fanatics, bloggers, etc... got for themselves. I've gotten great recommendations from this meme and hope that keeps up in the future.

Here's what I got, what did you guys get this week?

For Review:

Vampire's Kiss (The Watchers, #2) by Veronica Wolff (Thanks to NAL Trade & Penguin Publishing)

IF YOU’RE GOING TO BE PARTNERED WITH A VAMPIRE, YOU HAVE TO WORK THE NIGHT SHIFT.

By her wits, blood, and sacrifice, so far Drew has survived the intensive training on the Isle of Night. As a second-year Acari, her ultimate goal is to become a Watcher, and now she has a shot at her first mission. Except nothing is as it seems. The vampire Alcántara is as sinister as he is sexy, Ronan is more distant than ever, and it turns out there are other vampires out there. Bad ones.

Ancient, bloodthirsty, and powerful, these undead are really old school. They’ve captured one of the Watcher vamps and are torturing him for information. The only chance to save him is to infiltrate a major summit the baddies are holding on their own island. There will be mortals there, serving as butlers, maids, and various hired help. Drew had better brush up on her skills as a serving girl, because she’s about to go undercover…

But, when their vampire prisoner turns out to be a gorgeous bad boy, Drew’s first mission quickly turns into more than she bargained for…

The Calling (Darkness Rising, #2) by Kelley Armstrong (Thanks to HarperCollins)

Maya Delaney's paw-print birthmark is the mark of what she truly is—a skin-walker. She can run faster, climb higher, and see better than nearly everyone else. Experiencing intense connections with the animals that roam the woods outside her home, Maya knows it's only a matter of time before she's able to Shift and become one of them. And she believes there may be others in her small town with surprising talents.

Now Maya and her friends have been forced to flee from their homes during a forest fire they suspect was deliberately set. Then they're kidnapped, and after a chilling helicopter crash, they find themselves in the Vancouver Island wilderness with nothing but their extraordinary abilities to help them get back home.

In The Calling, the sizzling second book in the Darkness Rising trilogy, New York Times bestselling author Kelley Armstrong pumps up the romance, danger, and suspense that left readers of The Gathering clamoring for more.

The Academie by Susanne Dunlap (Thanks to Bloomsbury Publishing)

Eliza Monroe—daughter of the future president of the United States—is devastated when her mother decides to send her to boarding school outside of Paris. But the young American teen is quickly reconciled to the idea when—ooh, la-la!—she discovers who her fellow pupils will be: Hortense de Beauharnais, daughter of Josephine Bonaparte; and Caroline Bonaparte, youngest sister of the famous French general. It doesn't take long for Eliza to figure out that the two French girls are mortal enemies—and that she's about to get caught in the middle of their schemes.

Loosely drawn from history, Eliza Monroe's imagined coming of age provides a scintillating glimpse into the lives, loves, and hopes of three young women during one of the most volatile periods in French history.

Transcendence by by C.J. Omololu (Thanks to Walker Childrens Publishing)

Love isn’t the only emotion to survive death . . .

When a visit to the Tower of London triggers an overwhelmingly real vision of a beheading that occurred centuries before, Cole Ryan fears she is losing her mind. A mysterious boy, Griffon Hall, comes to her aid, but the intensity of their immediate connection seems to open the floodgate of memories even wider.

As their feelings grow, Griffon reveals their common bond as members of the Akhet—an elite group of people who can remember past lives and use their collected wisdom for the good of the world. But not all Akhet are altruistic, and a rogue is after Cole to avenge their shared past. Now in extreme danger, Cole must piece together clues from many lifetimes. What she finds could ruin her chance at a future with Griffon, but risking his love may be the only way to save them both.

Full of danger, romance, and intrigue, Transcendence breathes new life into a perpetually fascinating question: What would you do with another life to live?

Review: Isle of Night (The Watchers, #1) by Veronica Wolff

Is life offering fewer and fewer options? Then join the dead.

When Annelise meets dark and seductive Ronan, he promises her a new life-if she has the courage to chance the unknown. Now, she's whisked away to a mysterious island and pitted against other female recruits to become a Watcher-girls who are partnered with vampires and assist them in their missions. To survive and become a Watcher, Annelise has to beat out every other girl, but she's determined to do so, because to fail doesn't mean dishonor-it means death.

I was so excited to start this series that I think I expected too much at first. The first two or three chapters just didn't grab me right away. Slow moving and hard to stay with was my initial impression. But... after that initial slow start, it changed and the pace of the plot right along with it. So looking back I think it was more me than the writing itself.

So once I was off and running I found myself truly engrossed in this plot. The gladiator style fighting theme, and mysterious surroundings kept things entertaining. It was like the girl version of Peter Pan's lost boys. Only these girls didn't ask or choose really to be brought to the Isle of Night. Girls with no family and nothing to return to at home, and their options were gone. Once these girls arrived it was survive or die. There is no leaving... only survival. Tough doesn't even begin to describe it.

These girls were no wall flowers, but nor were most of them ruthless killers to start with either. It kept this Darwinian theme of survival of the fittest right to the end. Scary stuff. This of course became another series I want to continue and am looking forward to seeing where things go from here.

So if you enjoy a good suspense and action packed adventure, you might want to look into this one. But it doesn't stop with the physical contests, mental fitness and agility were just as intense. I'm looking forward to seeing more in Vampire's Kiss (The Watchers, #2) coming out on March 06, 2012.

I gave Isle of Night (The Watchers, #2) 3 shamrocks!!!

New Finds (2)

After finding so many great new titles on my recent book exploration I decided I didn't want to squeeze them into just one post. So hopefully you guys enjoy finding new reads as much as I do, because here are a few I came across and wanted to share.

Pick #1: The Predicteds by Christine Seifert (9/1/11)


Your future is not your own...


"We wanted to know what makes a good kid good and a bad kid bad. Can you blame us for that? We found an astoundingly, marvelously simple answer: The brain isn't so much a complicated machine as it is a crystal ball. If you look into it, you will see everything you want to know."

-Dr. Mark Miliken, senior researcher at Utopia Laboratories


Who will it be?

Will the head cheerleader get pregnant?

Is the student council president a secret drug addict?


The whole school is freaking out about PROFILE, an experimental program that can predict students' future behavior.
The only question Daphne wants answered is whether Jesse will ask her out...but he's a Predicted, and there's something about his future he's not telling her.


Yet another attempt at Utopia and the big brother government leading the charge as usual. This spin on utopia is a little different. The idea that someone would be able to run a test and lay out your future for you is quite tempting. And while I do like the element of surprise in my life, it's an intriguing concept. One I'm not sure I could resist...could you?

Pick #2: Isle of Night (The Watchers, #1) by Veronica Wolf (9/6/11)



Is life offering fewer and fewer options? Then join the dead.


When Annelise meets dark and seductive Ronan, he promises her a new life-if she has the courage to chance the unknown. Now, she's whisked away to a mysterious island and pitted against other female recruits to become a Watcher-girls who are partnered with vampires and assist them in their missions. To survive and become a Watcher, Annelise has to beat out every other girl, but she's determined to do so, because to fail doesn't mean dishonor-it means death.


Count me in! It's survivor meets vampires with danger and drama all mixed together. I'm curious to see what kind of missions Wolf has her vampires going on and what the weeding out process for Watchers will entail. The cover pulls you in and I'm hoping Wolf's writing and creativity has my flying through the pages.

Pick #3: A Long Long Sleep by Anna Sheehan (8/9/11)

It should have been a short suspended-animation sleep. But this time Rose wakes up to find her past is long gone— and her future full of peril.


Rosalinda Fitzroy has been asleep for sixty-two years when she is woken by a kiss. Locked away in the chemically induced slumber of a stasis tube in a forgotten subbasement, sixteen-year-old Rose slept straight through the Dark Times that killed millions and utterly changed the world she knew. Now, her parents and her first love are long gone, and Rose— hailed upon her awakening as the long-lost heir to an interplanetary empire— is thrust alone into a future in which she is viewed as either a freak or a threat. Desperate to put the past behind her and adapt to her new world, Rose finds herself drawn to the boy who kissed her awake, hoping that he can help her to start fresh. But when a deadly danger jeopardizes her fragile new existence, Rose must face the ghosts of her past with open eyes— or be left without any future at all.


Sleeping Beauty was my favorite Disney movie when I was growing up and the little girl in me kind of drooled over this one when I came across it. Adding to the fairy tale a post apocalyptic twist sounds awesome to me. Everything about it sounds fun and I'm not one to turn down a good, fun read very often. Bring it on Sheehan and I'm crossing my fingers for making a new favorite out of an old one.

Pick #4: Witchlanders by Lena Coakley (8/30/11)

High in their mountain covens, red witches pray to the Goddess, protecting the Witchlands by throwing the bones and foretelling the future.
It’s all a fake.
At least, that’s what Ryder thinks. He doubts the witches really deserve their tithes—one quarter of all the crops his village can produce. And even if they can predict the future, what danger is there to foretell, now that his people’s old enemy, the Baen, has been defeated?
But when a terrifying new magic threatens both his village and the coven, Ryder must confront the beautiful and silent witch who holds all the secrets. Everything he’s ever believed about witches, the Baen, magic and about himself will change, when he discovers that the prophecies he’s always scorned—
Are about him.
Witches seem to be drawing me in lately and this title was no exception. The idea of a small town paying tribute to witches for protection is captivating enough, but with the added prophecies and danger heading for these characters ensured I was a goner. I'm anxious to check this one out and eager to read from a male's point of view. Those books are few and far between for me, but hopefully this male's voice will be a nice change of pace.

Pick #5: Dark Angel (Dark Angel, #1) by Eden Maguire (/8/4/11)

Tania's heart belongs to Orlando. Nothing can rip them apart. Until the seduction begins in a flurry of glamour and magic, music and parties all orchestrated by the mysterious and mesmerising Zoran, an iconic rock star who has retired to a remote ranch in the nearby mountains. And there Tania meets the dark side. Can she resist temptation?

Although I read the book's description I'm still not quite sure what this one's all about. The hint at a love triangle is always compelling but it also sounds like this one goes deeper still. Maybe it's the beautiful cover, maybe it's the mystery, but my curiosity has most definitely gotten the best of me and I've added this title to my TBR pile.