Young Adult Paranormal Activity Giveaway Hop Winner Announced!!

First I want to extend a huge thank you everyone who entered in the giveaway hop, I had so much fun running this that I plan on doing another one very soon, so please keep checking back for another giveaway!

Now, on to what you are all waiting for,

the winner is...

Jennifer from fictious musings!! )

I will be emailing you shortly with your shipping info!

Congratulations on winning!!

And again thank you to everyone for making this giveaway hop such a huge success!! 

Review: Bittersweet by Sarah Ockler

Title: Bittersweet
Author: Sarah Ockler
Series: Stand Alone
Published By: Simon Pulse (Jan. 3, 2012)
Genre: YA Realistic Fiction
My Rating: 4.5 Stars

Goodreads Description:

 Once upon a time, Hudson knew exactly what her future looked like. Then a betrayal changed her life, and knocked her dreams to the ground. Now she’s a girl who doesn’t believe in second chances... a girl who stays under the radar by baking cupcakes at her mom’s diner and obsessing over what might have been.

So when things start looking up and she has another shot at her dreams, Hudson is equal parts hopeful and terrified. Of course, this is also the moment a cute, sweet guy walks into her life... and starts serving up some seriously mixed signals. She’s got a lot on her plate, and for a girl who’s been burned before, risking it all is easier said than done.

It’s time for Hudson to ask herself what she really wants, and how much she’s willing to sacrifice to get it. Because in a place where opportunities are fleeting, she knows this chance may very well be her last...

My Review:

 

I think the title of this book is so fitting, Bittersweet. It sums up so much in one word, Hudson's life, her dreams, her family, the town she is from. Really it was the perfect title.

I couldn't help falling in love with Hudson, Bug, Dani, Will and Josh. There were so darn loveable, each in their own unique way.

I wanted Bug for a little brother so much and a best friend like Dani, I mean who wouldn't. They had to be two of the best secondary characters ever.

And Will and Josh? Both so great and drool worthy in their own little ways, heck the whole hockey team had their own drool worthy moments, each and every last one of them.

This book makes you want to be a part of it all. The dreams, the hopes, first love and first kisses, heck, it makes you want to even be a part of the town and the little diner itself.

Hudson was a great character, I would even go as far to say that she is one of my favorite characters I have read in awhile. There was just something so real about her that you couldn't help but feel for her, want to help her realize her dreams and help to make them come true. Heck, I wanted to even push her in the right direction at times and help her open her eyes and see what she did have (as strange as that may sound to some).

This really was a sweet story of realizing ones dreams and giving it your all to achieve them and never letting them go.

Tell Me Something Tuesday!

Tell Me Something Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by Cambria Hebert .

   
This is a fun weekly question she asks other bloggers in the hopes that we will all get to know one another a little better.

This question this week is:

 

 

If you could travel into any book to the setting and meet the characters which book would it be and why?

Oh I love this question!

And surprisingly for once it is an easy answer for me! Well, maybe not easy because I could pick a hundred differnert books and places I would want to be a part of but at the top of my list would be the world of Harry Potter.  

 That's right, I would travel to platform 9 3/4 and board the Hogwarts Express and have it take me to the castle.

I have been in love with this world and series from the moment I picked up the first book and entered into that magical place where anything is possible and where magic is very much alive. 

J.K. Rowlings is a master at description and I fell in love with the castle ground and truly all of its inhabitants from the moment I pictured it in my head. It just seemed like the fun place to be. I mean if you have to go to school, why not a school of wizardry right? 
Where hijinks and mischief are as common as the air you breath. 


To be able to walk the halls and discover hidden passages every which way you go. To have magic fill the rooms.

And how could we forget the Forbidden Forrest and all that mystery and chaos and even evil that lurks within?

And yes even the burrow would be on my list of places to go and see.

 


 How could you not read this series and not fall in love with it? How could you not want to travel there and be a part of it if you could?


I couldn't resist it, that is for sure.


So, if you could travel anywhere where would you go? Who would you see?


 

Young Adult Paranormal Activity Giveaway Hop!

Once again I am participating in  a giveaway hop hosted by I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and co hosted by vvb32reads

This is a short hop this time and runs from February  24th through February 28th. The winner will be announced February 29th and selected through Random.org

So what do I have up for grabs?

I will be giving away one ARC paperback  copy of Supernatural Devices signed by Kailin Gow to one luck follower of my blog.

All you have to do to enter the giveaway is be or become a follower of this blog and leave a comment below with your email address when you can be reached if you are the winner.

Sounds fun right?

Want an even better incentive to enter? Okay, here goes. How about I give you a second choice of a book to choose from? How about the winner will also be able to choose an ebook copy gifted to them through Amazon of Jennifer Armentrout's new novella, Shadows (Lux #0.5)

Need another option? How about Devon Ashley's new ebook, Falling In Between as a third option?

 So if you are the winner, you get to choose which one of these three fabulous books you want.

All you have to do is be a follower and leave a comment below with which book you would want if you win (nothing set in stone, you can change your mind later on) and an email address that you can be reached at.

Good luck to everyone who enters and as always thank you so much for being fabulous followers and please remember to check out all the other blogs that are also participating in this hop with the link provided above to I Am A Reader, Not a Writer's blog site. 

Indie Book of the Week: Intangible by J. Meyers

This week I am so excited to be telling you about a great book I read by J. Meyers called Intangible. Actually that isn't exactly true, I am here to tell you about Intangible and the prequel  Intuition.


Let me first start off with Intuition. 
This was such a great prequel. One of those short stories that really knows how to get you excited about a book. 
The writing was so well done and just drew me into the story, in fact I was really sad when it ended but so thankful that I had Intangible already so I could start reading it right away.

The best part about this prequel is that right now on Amazon you can download the Kindle version for free! 
If you haven't already downloaded it, I highly recommend you do, you won't be disappointed.

Like I mentioned above, after reading the prequel to this story, Intuition (which I highly recommend you read first) I just knew it was going to be great, in fact I was super excited to start reading it. I love it when a prequel can do that to you, draw out emotions and make you want to immediately pick up the next book, always a sign of a good author.

And I was not disappointed.

I absolutely adored Sera and Luke. I love the connection they had as not only brother and sister but as twins. How they could read each other and sense what the other was thinking and how they just knew each other. I loved their witty banter and almost sarcastic remarks to each other. You could tell that even while they were making smart quips at one another they still really cared about the other and not only cared but that they were best friends and would do anything for the other. I loved their bond and the protectiveness they both shared.

It seriously made me yearn to have a twin brother something I never thought I would say.

Right away you can tell that there is more to this story than that of a Seer and Healer who happen to be twins. You can tell that there is more going on in the story and that they are not the only ones out their with supernatural powers.

There is an air of mystery right off the bat that draws you into the story and made it almost impossible to put down. In fact I was so glad I started this on a day that I didn't have anything else planned because I know it would have all gotten ignored while I found myself engrossed in the pages of the story.

So what else can I say about this book without giving too much away? Without ruining all of the mystery that slowly unfolds? That is the dilemma I find myself in while writing this review.

A Prophecy from long ago, Vampire Guardians, A Seer, A Healer, Elves, The Shadows, A Mind Reader, The Gifteds.

Gah! It has it all and so much more. I really really enjoyed reading this unique fun story and truly, all of the characters were just fabulous, even the bad guys.

I so look forward to the sequel (and there seriously better be one or I will be crushed!). I have a feeling it is going to be hard waiting for it to come out!

If you enjoy YA and paranormal then this really is a must read.

I give this book a very solid 4.5 Stars!!

 

 

 

Review: Dead of Night by Lynn Viehl

Title: Dead of Night
Author: Lynn Viehl
Series: Book Two in the Youngblood series, also a novella out
Published By: Flux Books (July 8, 2012)
Source: ARC Copy from Netgalley
Genre: YA Paranormal
My Rating: 4 Stars

Goodreads Description:
 True love . . . and an undying obsession

Catlyn Youngblood has a secret life. Despite being a natural-born vampire hunter like her two older brothers, Cat has fallen for Jesse--an ageless boy from a centuries-old vampire clan.

Cat's job cataloguing rare, mystical texts at a bookstore allows her to meet with Jesse alone every evening. But when girls who look disturbingly similar to Cat start disappearing from town, Cat and Jesse discover frightening clues to their whereabouts within the book collection. Together, they must stop a crazed man from realizing his dark scheme-- one that would claim Cat's life.

My Review:

  I seriously love this series. It is so cute and fun and just a really different take on vampires and vampires hunters. It is one of those series that just grows on you with each new book and one that you have a great time while you are reading it.

I LOVE the fact that we got some Seek and Kari time! I was so disappointed in the first book that they both didn't have a bigger role in the book so it was so much fun to see them in this book and that they had more than just a couple of scenes. I really hope we will see more of them in future books. I just feel in love with them after reading Dark of Heart.

Catalyn and Jesse were as great as ever and I loved the whole mystery aspect of this one too. Even though I was pretty sure what was going on, there were still twists and turns I didn't see coming. Especially with her family. I love her brothers but man! Sometimes I think they both could use some sense knocked into them! I know they were trying to protect Cat but there was so much they were keeping from her over the years that I just felt awful for her and furious at them for keeping it all from her and for all that they had done to her to keep it secret.

We learn a lot about all of Cat's family in this book and some very interesting things about Jesse and his family as well and of course the town. The mystery of Lost Lake and its members just keeps getting better and better.

I can't even believe how the book ended! While it wasn't a huge horrible cliffhanger it was definitely one that makes you want to read the next book in the series to see what happens next, which I will definitely be doing when it comes out.

Tell Me Something Tuesday!

Tell Me Something Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by Cambria Hebert .

   
This is a fun weekly question she asks other bloggers in the hopes that we will all get to know one another a little better.

This question this week is:

 

How do you feel about love triangles?

 

 

 

 

I think I have a love hate relationship with love triangles.

 

What do I mean by that exactly?

 

Sometimes I think they add a certain something that would be missing from a book without one. A certain excitement and anticipation. Sometimes it adds heartache and brings out emotions in you a book without one wouldn't have brought forth otherwise.

 

I think in all honestly they can add an element to a book that truly is necessary, for example The Mortal Instruments series would not have been the same without the conflict between Jace and Simon and Clary. 

 The series just wouldn't have been the same without Simon's quiet love for Clary and Jace's tormented and forbidden love for her as well. 

 

The Vampire Academy series would not have been the same without Dimitri and Adrian. It just wouldn't have.

And then sometimes, well sometimes they are just annoying and unnecessary and they can get tiring. 

 

Make you roll your eyes and want to chuck you book across the room because the protagonist is just so stupid she can't make a choice over who she wants to be with and you feel sorry for the guys who are getting their hearts ripped out over a girl who, in all honestly, probably doesn't deserve either of them to begin with.

 

But what do I think of them overall?

 

I like them. I do. There I said it out loud.

 

I like how it can get my heart racing and make me hold my breath waiting for her to make a decision. And yes, I even like how I sometimes feel angry or sad for the one who didn't get picked. I can't help it, I like a little drama in my stories sometimes.

I mean truly, what girl wouldn't want two really hot, adorable, sweet and caring guys vying for her attention and love?

 

So yes, in short (okay maybe not so short) answer, I love a good love triangle every now and then but not in every book I read because that just gets old.

 

I would love to hear your thoughts on this as well.

Do you love them?

Do you detest them? 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Review: I've Got Your Number by Sophie Kinsella

Title: I've Got Your Number
Author: Sophie Kinsella
Series: Stand Alone
Published By: Dial Press (Feb. 14, 2012)
Source: ARC Copy Netgalley
Genre: Contemporary Romance
My Rating; 4.5 Stars

Goodreads Description:

 I've lost it. The only thing in the world I wasn't supposed to lose. My engagement ring. It's been in Magnus's family for three generations. And now, the very same day his parents are coming, I've lost it. The very same day. Do not hyperventilate Poppy. Stay positive!!


Poppy Wyatt has never felt luckier. She is about to marry the ideal man, Magnus Tavish, but in one afternoon her 'happy ever after' begins to fall apart. Not only has she lost her engagement ring but in the panic that followed, she has now lost her phone. As she paces shakily round the hotel foyer she spots an abandoned phone in a bin. Finders keepers! Now she can leave a number for the hotel to contact her when they find her ring. Perfect!

Well, perfect except the phone's owner, businessman Sam Roxton doesn't agree. He wants his phone back and doesn't appreciate Poppy reading all his messages and wading into his personal life.

What ensues is a hilarious and unpredictable turn of events as Poppy and Sam increasingly upend each other's lives through emails and text messages. As Poppy juggles wedding preparations, mysterious phone calls and hiding her left hand from Magnus and his parents... she soon realises that she is in for the biggest surprise of her life.

My Review:

 

This is the first book I have read by Kinsella even though I have been hearing her name for litterally years now. I don't know why I haven't tried her books before now but there you have it.

So I was pretty excited to start this book and see what all the hype was about with her work. And I have to hand it to her, she managed to make me laugh out loud within the first few pages and smiling as I read on.

I absolutely adored this book. The characters were so loveable and real and I just felt that istant connection that I love from a good book.

You know what I am talking about, where you instantly care about the characters and are rooting for them and feel all of the emotions they are feeling. I absolutely LOVE books like that and I am so happy that this was one of them.

The fact that this book took place in England was even better. I don't know why but it made the characters are the more loveable to me and made me want to be a part of their world.

There was some swearing in this book, okay there was a lot of swearing in parts which really I didn't care for, I don't love the f-word, I just don't so I was a little put off by that but other than that minor detail, this was a fantastic read and I really enjoyed it and would recommend it to anyone that loves a really good well written contemporary romance that is just down right believable.

Poppy (isn't that just a great name?) was so fabulous. I love how caring she was and funny and okay, a little meddling at times too but always in the name of goodness. She was just one of those characters that felt so real to me. Someone I would be friends with and just love hanging out with.

Sam was just fantastic. Everything I really like a good solid character to be. He was strong and no nonsense but still caring and insightful and genuinely was a good guy. I love how little by little we got to see him more and learn more about him and ultimately fall in love with. It was hard not to care about Sam and all his gruffness.

Sophie Kinsella is an amazing writer and I am so sad that it took me so long to try one of her books. This will not be the last one I read, in fact I plan on looking for some of her others books and soon as I get done posting this, this book was that good.

Review: The Giver by Lois Lowry

Title: The Giver
Author: Lois Lowry
Series: Book One in The Giver Trilogy
Published By: Delacorte Books For Young Readers (Jan. 24, 2006)
Genre: YA Dystopian
My Rating: 3 Stars

Goodreads Description:

 Jonas's world is perfect. Everything is under control. There is no war or fear or pain. There are no choices. Every person is assigned a role in the Community. When Jonas turns twelve, he is singled out to receive special training from The Giver. The Giver alone holds the memories of the true pain and pleasure of life. Now, it is time for Jonas to receive the truth. There is no turning back.

My Review:

  You know, I have heard a lot about this book over the years but for whatever reason have never felt the urge to buy it and read it.

Maybe because in the past dystopian has never really been my thing but thanks to some recent great reads (mainly Lauren Oliver's Delirium series) that has changed.

So, when I saw this go on sale in ebook form for only $.99 I thought what the heck and picked it up.

I really wasn't sure what to expect for this read. I try not to listen to hype about books too much because more often than not, I find myself disappointed with books that have gotten fabulous reviews and well, that just sucks when that happens.

So I tried going into this one with an open mind and no expectations whatsoever, which was probably a good thing.

I am not going to say that I didn't enjoy this read because I did, I really did. It was imaginative and creative and down right poetic at times but yet...it just didn't grab me like it seemed to for others.

It was kind of sad and even a little creepy the extent that the elders and council would go to to keep the Sameness and as the story unfolded you got glimpses of why things were the way they were and the extent of what life was like there.

I felt for The Giver and for Jonas and the struggles and challenges that they had with their calling and with them wanting to make their lives better and to open the eyes of the others.

I couldn't imagine living in a world devoid of life and emotions and color.

How sad that would be.

Maybe it was the ending that did it for me, or rather didn't quite do it for me. There really wasn't a definite “this is how it is” type of thing. You are left wondering if things really changed and what happened with Jonas, The Giver and even baby Gabe. Sometimes I like that definite ending to be there. I don't always want to make up my own happy ever after. And while this did hint at what was to come I just wish it would have been a little more detailed, but then again, this is a trilogy so maybe there is more of that in the next two books. One can only hope at any rate.

Review: Life is But a Dream by Brian James

Title: Life is But a Dream
Author: Brian James
Series: Stand Alone
Published By: Feiwel & Friends (March 27, 2012)
Source: ARC Copy from Netgalley
Genre: YA Realistic Fiction
My Rating: 4 Stars


Goodreads Description:

 Sabrina, an artist, is diagnosed with schizophrenia, and her parents check her into the Wellness Center. There she meets Alec, who is convinced that it's the world that's crazy, not them. But when Alex starts to convince Sabrina that her treatment will wipe out everything that makes her creative, she worries she'll lose hold of her dreams and herself.

My Review:
 

Do you ever have those books that after you get done reading them, even hours after you get done reading them, you still have a hard time thinking of something to say about them?

It isn't that the book was bad or awful, more than you are still kind of lost in the book. You are still thinking about it but it was so interesting and different that you just don't know how to describe everything that is going through you. All the thoughts and feelings you have about said book?

Well, Life is But A Dream is that book for me.

Truly, I am sitting here hours after I have finished it and I still can't quite grasp the words I want to say to convey how great this read was.

It was tragic and sad but eye opening and just....gah! I don't know how to say it all.

This review will not do the book justice and that just makes me a little bit sad.

This book was beautifully written and actually reminded me a little of the movie Crazy Love.

I honestly wasn't sure at first if Sabrina was crazy or just smarter and more insightful than the rest of us there for a little while.

I love that it wasn't exactly clear which was the case. Who was crazy, who wasn't and who maybe was just really lost and lonely and confused in this great big world of ours.

And while I don't want to give anything away, I was very happy with the way this book turned out and with the insight that was brought into it with Sabrina and Alec’s character.

My heart goes out to them both having to live with the things that they did and saw and knew.

My heart aches with their struggles but it also rejoices in their strength and courage to go forward and face some really hard things in their lives and to become better and to really let reality in...in a good healthy way.

This book was brilliant really, from the characters to the story line to the growth of the characters, everything. And while it wasn't something that I normally read because lets face it, this book covers some really hard issues that some people really are dealing with and struggling with, it great to read it and get that insight and to better understand maybe what they are going through and how hard it is for them, each and every day.

Review: The Restorer by Amanda Stevens

Title: The Restorer
Author: Amanda Stevens
Series: Book One in the Graveyard Queen series (also a prequel)
Published By: Mira (April 19, 2011)
Genre: Paranormal
My Rating: 4 Stars

Goodreads Description:

 Amelia Gray has always been aware of ghosts, and now she travels all over the South cleaning up forgotten or abandoned graveyards. When an enigmatic yet haunted police detective asks for her help to trap a serial killer, their growing attraction constitutes the very gravest of threats.

My Review:

Isn't the cover on this book hauntingly beautiful?

For some reason I just love it. It is sort of creepy and beautiful all rolled together. If I hadn't already read the prequel to this series, The Abandoned and fallen in love with the series, the cover alone would of made me pick this book up and read it.

As it is, this is quite an unusual series which leads to it being a really interesting read and one that was surprisingly hard to put down. I was drawn into the story pretty much after the first chapter. I mean, a graveyard restorer dubbed the graveyard queen that can see ghosts? 

Pretty fantastic idea and one that sort of boggles the mind, I mean, if you could see ghosts wouldn't a cemetery be the last place you would want to be?

As it happens Amelia knew from a pretty young age that she could see ghosts, I mean she grew up as the daughter of a cemetery caretaker and restorer, so having lived near a graveyard practically her whole life, she was bound to run into a ghost or two in her day.

Thankfully she wasn't alone, her father can also see and hear ghosts but tells Amelia from an early age that here are 4 rules that she must always abide by:

1: never acknowledge them 

2: never stay too far from hallowed ground

3: keep your distance from those who are haunted
 4: and he stresses the most important rule, never ever tempt fate 

Having followed her father's rules for most of her life Amelia has kept a pretty safe distance from ghosts and kept her secret hidden, that is, until she is hired to restore the cemetery in a little place near Charleston South Carolina and meets a detective there named Devlin who haunted by not one but two ghosts of his own.  From there her whole world is thrown upside down, her rules are broken and everything is about to change as she helps Devlin and local law enforcement to uncover a serial killer who is dumping bodies in the very graveyard Amelia was hired to restore.

As this story unfolds we learn more and more about not only Amelia but also a little bit about her family and that everything isn't quite as it seems. That maybe her father has kept a little more from her than he ever let on about this whole ghost thing. 

We also learn a lot about the town and that it too has secrets. Not only is there a serial killer on the loose but a secret society as well that would do anything to protect its own.

While not everything is uncovered or cleared up in the first book (as is typical for a series), I think the majority of it was as far as the mystery behind the serial killer and the identity of the killer and their victims and as to be expected there is just so much more to learn about Amelia, her family and (hopefully) in the next book about Devlin too.

I would really really like to see things go further with him. I would like there to be more about him revealed. I really liked his character in all his glorious torment and would like to see more growth from him and to see him and Amelia together.

I feel just a little disappointed that we didn't get more about his ghosts and his past although some of it was revealed, I just wanted more.   

This book wasn't necessarily scary as it was just creepy at times and made the hair on your arm stand up and maybe look behind your shoulder a time or two to make sure no one was behind you (okay, well maybe that last part was just me). 

 I really enjoyed a lot of the secondary characters as well and would love to see more of them and to learn more about the society of The Coffin and Claws. I think there is such a good story there that I really hope that even though Amelia finds herself in another place for the next book, that it comes back to this story and reveals a little more about what was left unsaid and undiscovered.

It does make me want to read the next book in the series and that is a good thing. I want to learn more about all of them and I want to know all of their secrets, because I am positive their is a treasure trove (or maybe coffin would be the more appropriate word to use for this book) of them out there just waiting to be found and told.

This first book has definitely made me curious about everyone and I want more!

Winner of Follower Love Giveaway Hop!

And the winner is.....

Lexie.BookBug!!

Huge congrats and thank you to all of my followers, old and new!!

I will also be hosting another hop with a great giveaway later this month so please keep checking back for that sign up as well!

Review: Lies Beneath by Anne Greenwood Brown

Title: Lies Beneath
Author: Anne Greenwood Brown
Series: Book One in the Lies Beneath Series
Published By: Delacorte (June 12, 2012)
Source: ARC copy NetGalley
Genre: YA Paranormal
My Rating: 4 Stars

Goodreads Description:
Calder White lives in the cold, clear waters of Lake Superior, the only brother in a family of murderous mermaids. To survive, Calder and his sisters prey on humans, killing them to absorb their energy. But this summer the underwater clan targets Jason Hancock out of pure revenge. They blame Hancock for their mother's death and have been waiting a long time for him to return to his family's homestead on the lake. Hancock has a fear of water, so to lure him in, Calder sets out to seduce Hancock's daughter, Lily. Easy enough—especially as Calder has lots of practice using his irresistable good looks and charm on ususpecting girls. Only this time Calder screws everything up: he falls for Lily—just as Lily starts to suspect that there's more to the monsters-in-the-lake legends than she ever imagined. And just as his sisters are losing patience with him.


My Review:

 I don't normally read a lot of books about sirens or merpeople. Not because I don't like them, just for whatever reason they aren't usually high on my list of things to read. Which is strange since I loved mermaids when I was younger.

So when I found this one, it looked so interesting that I knew I needed to give it a chance and the fact that it is narrated through the voice of a merman? Well even better.

For whatever reason, there aren't too many YA books out there told from the male point of view so it is always fun to find one that is.

I really enjoyed Calder's voice. I liked that he was a little bit jaded and sarcastic and that there was a mystery behind him. That he has a story that was slowly unraveled within another story.

I liked how he handled himself and that he didn't let his (evil) sisters get the best of him. That he learned to really live and love and that there was more to what he thought was out there.

I guess I really just liked that he was willing to chance it, willing to take that leap of faith and be better than he ever thought he could be.

I think Lily was a great character as well and really just what Calder needed. I like how strong she was and I really liked unraveling her mystery as well (although not all of that has been revealed yet) and her dad and the whole Hancock promise.

I don't want to give anything away but a lot really happens in a short amount of time towards the end of the book and some things are left up in the air. I really look forward to seeing where Brown will take their story from here.

What happens to Lily and Calder and his sisters and of course the mystery behind the Hancock's as well.