Follow Friday 4-29-11

Hi everyone! Welcome to all my new and old visitors. It's time for Follow my book blog Friday hosted by Parajunkee's View  I am running a bit late today because I wanted to watch the Royal Wedding on tv.

This week's question comes from Marla @ Starting the Next Chapter

Q. Keeping with the dystopian and apocalypse theme that seems to be running rampant on parajunkee.com, I have one very hard question for you: If you were stocking your bomb shelter, what books would you HAVE to include if you only had space for ten?

A. Well, I would think that I would have my Kindle with me.  I never leave home without it.  I even took it in the basement when we were under a  bunch of tornado warnings Wednesday night.  It never leaves my side.  With that being said, I think that there would still be electricity in the bomb shelter, like in the movie Blast From The Past but if not, I tried to come up with a list of only 10 (and just let me say- it was sooo hard trying to drop some of my all time favorites from my list) that I would put on my shelf.  My top 10 are as follows in no particular order:

1. Twilight - Stephenie Meyer
2. Evermore - Alyson Noel
3. The Dark Divine - Bree Despain
4. Evernight - Claudia Gray
5. Vampire Kisses: The Beginning - Ellen Schreiber (this is the book that contains the first 3 in the series)
6. Heavenly - Jennifer Laurens
7. Night World Book 1 - L.J. Smith (this is the book that contains the first 3 in the series)
8. Halo - Alexandra Adornetto
9. Shiver - Maggie Stiefvater
10. Hush, Hush - Becca Fitzpatrick

Some that I dropped off my list (even though I didn't want to)
1. My Blood Approves - Amanda Hocking
2. Vampire Academy - Richelle Mead
3. Low Red Moon - Ivy Devlin

Feel free to comment cause I love them and read every single one of them. I'd also love to hear your answers...Leave me a link for yours so I can check it out.


Don't be afraid to follow either, cause I will gladly return the favor.  Just let me know if you are a new follower in your comment ;)

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases we can't wait to get our hands on.

My Pick This Week:

Title: Sacrifice (Crave #2)

Author: Laura J. Burns & Melinda Metz

Release Date: September 20th, 2011

Gabriel and Shay are convinced that they can make their relationship work. Knowing that Shay is half-vampire, Gabriel thinks that his coven will embrace her as one of their own, but instead they view her as an abomination, a thing that doesn’t belong in either world. And they want her dead. Now Gabriel must make the ultimate decision - watch his love be killed by his coven or defy the people closest to him, the people he has spent centuries with to save her. 

~ I loved the first book.  My hubby had bought me a Kindle copy of the book the day before my birthday as an early birthday present.  I finished it in one day.  It was sooo good that I didn't want to stop reading.  I finished it all in one sitting and basically ended up ignoring my hubby that evening.  The ending was a major cliffhanger and I have wanted the sequel ever since!  My review for Crave can be found here.

The cover for Sacrifice is georgeous.  This one sounds like it picks right back up from where Crave left off.  I can't wait to get my hands on a copy of this book!!~

Feel free to comment cause I love them and read every single one of them. I'd also love to see what you are waiting for...Leave me a link for yours so I can check it out.

Don't be afraid to follow either, cause I will gladly return the favor. Just let me know if you are a new follower in your comment;)

Review: The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn

Title: The Kissing Hand
Author: Audrey Penn
Release Date: June 25th, 2006 (first published in 1993)
Publisher: Tanglewood Press
Source: NetGalley

Description from Goodreads:

In this contemporary classic Chester Raccoon seeks love and reassurance from his mother as he ventures out into the world to attend his very first day of school.



My Thoughts

Chester is scared to leave his mother and go to school. So she tells him the secret of "The Kissing Hand" that he can keep with him while at school and when he feels lonely or scared while he's away, he can just raise his hand to his cheek and know that Mommy loves him.



Such an adorable little story! I think this is a great idea to keep children from being afraid when they are away from their loved ones. The pictures in the story are so cute and will really be able to touch a child's heart. They show the emotions that Chester and his mother are going through and it kindla breaks your heart when you think that your child is scared and doesn't want to leave you, but that if you do "The Kissing Hand" the way mother does, your child will know that you are missing them and loving them just as they are for you. I really recommend this to parents that are getting ready to go through being away from their children - whether it be first day of school, going away on a trip without you (like to a grandparent's house) or just for a time in the future you know you'll be separted for awhile where it would come in handy for later. Great idea and Story!!

5 Stars

Follow Friday

Hi everyone! Welcome to all my new and old visitors. It's Follow my book blog Friday hosted by Parajunkee's View and this is my second time participating.


This week's question comes from Caitlin @ The Cait Files

Q. What is on your current playlist right now?


A. Well, I don't really see what this has to do with books, but I will answer anyway what is on my Kindle's Playlist since I like to listen to music sometimes while I read.  There are too many in the car to list. Since the Kindle songs take up a lot of room, I only have 6 on there.


1. Don't You Wanna Stay - Jason Aldean and Kelly Clarkson
2. Back To December - Taylor Swift
3. I Won't Let Go - Rascal Flatts
4. Tomorrow - Chris Young
5. Jar of Hearts - Christina Perri
6. When I Look At You - Miley Cyrus


Feel free to comment cause I love them and read every single one of them. I'd also love to hear your answers...Leave me a link for yours so I can check it out.


Don't be afraid to follow either, cause I will gladly return the favor. Just let me know if you are a new follower in your comment;)

Waiting on Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases we can't wait to get our hands on.

My Pick This Week:

Title:  Original Sin (Personal Demons #2)
Author:   Lisa Desrochers
Release Date:  July 5th 2011

Luc Cain was born and raised in Hell, but he isn’t feeling as demonic as usual lately—thanks to Frannie Cavanaugh and the unique power she never realized she had. But you can’t desert Hell without consequences, and suddenly Frannie and Luc find themselves targeted by the same demons who used to be Luc’s allies.


Left with few options, Frannie and Luc accept the protection of Heaven and one of its most powerful angels, Gabe. Unfortunately, Luc isn’t the only one affected by Frannie, and it isn’t long before Gabe realizes that being around her is too…tempting. Rather than risk losing his wings, he leaves Frannie and Luc under the protection of her recently-acquired guardian angel.


Which would be fine, but Gabe is barely out the door before an assortment of demons appears—and they’re not leaving without dragging Luc back to Hell with them. Hell won’t give up and Heaven won’t give in. Frannie’s guardian exercises all the power he has to keep them away, but the demons are willing to hurt anyone close to Frannie in order to get what they want. It will take everything she has and then some to stay out of Hell’s grasp.

And not everyone will get out of it alive.

~I have been waiting since last summer for this one.   I loved the whole storyline and the characters.  Lisa is a really creative writer and her book Personal Demons had me hooked from page one.  I'm not too thrilled about the cover but this is a case that I know I won't care because I will be waiting for what's inside.  The first book was so good and I can't wait to see what happens in the sequel... so hurry up July and get here already!!~

Feel free to comment cause I love them and read every single one of them. I'd also love to see what you are waiting for...Leave me a link for yours so I can check it out.



Don't be afraid to follow either, cause I will gladly return the favor. Just let me know if you are a new follower in your comment;)

Review: The Day Before by Lisa Schroeder

Title: The Day Before
Author: Lisa Schroeder
Publisher: Simon Pulse
Release Date: June 28th 2011
Source: ARC e-galley from Simon and Schuster


Description from Goodreads: 


Sometimes there's no turning back.


Amber's life is spinning out of control. All she wants is to turn up the volume on her iPod until all of the demands of her family and friends fade away. So she sneaks off to the beach to spend a day by herself.


Then Amber meets Cade. Their attraction is instant, and Amber can tell that he's also looking for an escape. Together they decide to share a perfect day: no pasts, no fears, no regrets.


The more time that Amber spends with Cade, the more she's drawn to him. And the more she's troubled by his darkness. Because Cade's not just living in the now--he's living each moment like it's his last.

My Thoughts:

Amber was switched at birth.  Now that her biological parents know about the mix-up, they are awarded shared custody with each set of parents getting  the 15 year old for six months at a time.  It is the day before she leaves to meet her birth parents.  She decides that she wants to spend her last day in Oregon at the beach alone.

While she is looking at the jellyfish in an aquarium, she meets a boy, Cade.  He suspects who she is from all the news reports in the media, but they agree not to ask each other their problems cause Cade has something that is bothering him on his mind too.

They spend the day at the beach building sandcastles, talking about their interests and lives, going to dinner and falling for each other.  Now that she's met Cade, she doesn't want to leave to go to Texas to meet her biological parents.   When it comes down to leaving, will she be able to leave her family, friends and Cade or will she run away?

This was an easy read for me.  It was written in verse, as all of Lisa Schroeder's books are that I've read.  It took me less than two hours to read the whole book.  Once I started, I was drawn into the characters' lives and didn't want to stop until I concluded their story.

I can't imagine being switched at birth.  Amber's life is turned upside down when her biological parents start fighting for shared custody.  Through their letters to Amber, we see that they really are loving and caring people whom are devoted to make Amber happy when she comes to stay with them.  Sure, it might be a little scary at first, leaving everyone behind in Oregon, but Amber needs to see where they're coming from and at least give them a chance.  It's not their fault there was a mix-up at the hospital.

Overall, I really enjoyed the story.  The romance between Amber and Cade was really sweet.  They both had something happening the next day and were able to bond over what was going on in their lives as well as comfort and understand each other.   I was in suspense wondering what Cade's big secret was the whole time I was reading.  So if you like moonlit campfires on the beach, family drama, kissing, and suspense that keeps you guessing the entire time- then look no further because this is the book that you're looking for.  It's a fast and purely enjoyable read with a storyline that pulls you in and won't let you go and even days after you are finished, you will still be thinking about it.

5 Stars

Review: Chime by Franny Billingsley

Title: Chime
Author: Franny Billingsley
Release Date: March 17th 2011
Publisher: Dial
Source:  ARC for Review (Thank you!)  and bought a copy for my kindle


Goodreads Description:


Before Briony's stepmother died, she made sure Briony blamed herself for all the family's hardships. Now Briony has worn her guilt for so long it's become a second skin. She often escapes to the swamp, where she tells stories to the Old Ones, the spirits who haunt the marshes. But only witches can see the Old Ones, and in her village, witches are sentenced to death. Briony lives in fear her secret will be found out, even as she believes she deserves the worst kind of punishment.


Then Eldric comes along with his golden lion eyes and mane of tawny hair. He's as natural as the sun, and treats her as if she's extraordinary. And everything starts to change. As many secrets as Briony has been holding, there are secrets even she doesn't know.


My Thoughts:

We know from the start that Briony is a witch and she is to be hung.  The story is what leads up to trial of her hanging and the events that precede her revealing her secret all the while falling for a boy, Eldric. 

Briony isn't your typical witch that you think of with a black hat, black cat, and a cauldron.  She is a girl who can see spirits, The Buggy Mon, and many other unique creatures and horrors (some of which are naked- which really made me laugh while reading that scene) that will try to get you in the while you are in the swamp unless you carry a bible ball, a piece of paper with a script written on it, with you.
Briony must find a way to save her sister and she will do whatever she has to do, including revealing her true identity. 

Chime is filled with secrecy, betrayal, mysterious creatures, and even some romance. The pages take you to another world entirely filled with monsters and something that you would read out of a Grimm's fairy tale. It is surprisingly different than what I was expecting it to be and it's definitely something different than what I usually end up reading.  If you're ready for a unique cast of characters along with an original storyline, then this is a book that you should get your hands on. 


3 1/2 Stars

Follow Friday

Hi everyone!  Welcome to all my new and old visitors.  It's Follow my book blog Friday hosted by Parajunkee's View and this is my first time participating. 

This week's question comes from My Keeper Shelf 

Q.  Do you judge a book by it's cover?

A.  I am gonna be honest and say yes, I do.  I tend to notice the cover first while searching through books.  If the cover is pretty or eye catching, then I immediately go and look at the description.  If the description doesn't interest me, then I won't even worry about how pretty the cover is.  The only times that I don't judge a book by it's cover is when I have heard fantastic things about the book or if it is by an author that I really love to read. 

Feel free to comment cause I love them and read every single one of them.  I'd also love to hear your answers...Leave me a link for yours so I can check it out.

Don't be afraid to follow either, cause I will gladly return the favor.  Just let me know if you are a new follower in your comment;)

Winner of the " ARC of Chime by Franny Bilingsley" Giveaway

I just want to say a quick thanks to everyone who entered!  I am already thinking of a bunch of ideas for the next giveaway, but still not sure what it will be yet.  Thanks to everyone who helped spread the word about the blog so I could make my 25 follower goal.  I think my next goal is gonna be a bit bigger the next time around but I'll also make the prize bigger as well:)  OK- enough of my rambling...I tend to go on and on and on about absolutely nothing.  I don't know why, but I do and y'all don't care about that do ya?    You just want to know who the winner is.  So you are all thinking "just shut up and tell us already!!!"  Ok, ok, sorry.  Here we go...Drum Roll Please! 

Katie

Katie will have 48 hours after I email her to claim her prize and confirm her address for me.  Thanks again to everyone who participated and I can't wait to do this again!!

Thanks again to Penguin Young Readers Group for sending me the ARC of Chime!!  I will post my review tomorrow.

25 Follower ARC of Chime by Franny Billingsley Giveaway Update - Ends Tomorrow at Noon

Congrats everyone!  We reached our 25th follower this evening!   Go ahead and get in any extra entries that you need to get in by noon tomorrow on 4-7-11 because the winner of Chime will be announced tomorrow evening.  All extra entries can be left in the comments below if you have already filled out the form.  1 extra entry will be awarded for any extra mentions of the giveaway from now until noon tomorrow.  Leave me links cause I will check:)

Good Luck to everyone who entered!!

For those of you who haven't filled out the form yet.  The post is here explaining all the details.

Waiting On Wednesday

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases we can't wait to get our hands on.

My Pick This Week:

Title: Wildefire
Author: Karsten Knight 
Release Date:  July 26th 2011

Ashline Wilde is having a rough sophomore year. She’s struggling to find her place as the only Polynesian girl in school, her boyfriend just cheated on her, and now her runaway sister, Eve, has decided to barge back into her life. When Eve’s violent behavior escalates and she does the unthinkable, Ash transfers to a remote private school nestled in California’s redwoods, hoping to put the tragedy behind her. But her fresh start at Blackwood Academy doesn’t go as planned. Just as Ash is beginning to enjoy the perks of her new school—being captain of the tennis team, a steamy romance with a hot, local park ranger—Ash discovers that a group of gods and goddesses have mysteriously enrolled at Blackwood…and she’s one of them. To make matters worse, Eve has resurfaced to haunt Ash, and she’s got some strange abilities of her own. With a war between the gods looming over campus, Ash must master the new fire smoldering within before she clashes with her sister one more time… And when warm and cold fronts collide, there’s guaranteed to be a storm.

~I can't wait for this title to come out!  It sounds amazing.  I love the cover and that is what first caught my attention.  After reading the description I realized this is an original idea for a plot and it actually sounded really good.  So soon after, I started going to the author's blog and found that he is so incredible.  Not only is he hot -don't tell my hubby I said that- but he is hilarious, super smart, and talented (seriously - just check out his dancing) and if he can interpret all that into his writing style, then we will have a major hit on our hands and a hot new author to watch out for!!







 

Review: Born at Midnight (Shadow Falls #1) by C.C. Hunter

Title:  Born at Midnight (Shadow Falls #1)

Author:  C.C. Hunter

Release Date:  March 29th 2011

Publisher:  St. Martin's Griffin

Source: Bought


Goodreads Description:


Don’t miss this spectacular new series that will steal your heart and haunt your dreams, Welcome to Shadow Falls camp, nestled deep in the woods of a town called Fallen…

One night Kylie Galen finds herself at the wrong party, with the wrong people, and it changes her life forever. Her mother ships her off to Shadow Falls—a camp for troubled teens, and within hours of arriving, it becomes painfully clear that her fellow campers aren’t just “troubled.” Here at Shadow Falls, vampires, werewolves, shapshifters, witches and fairies train side by side—learning to harness their powers, control their magic and live in the normal world.

Kylie’s never felt normal, but surely she doesn’t belong here with a bunch of paranormal freaks either. Or does she? They insist Kylie is one of them, and that she was brought here for a reason. As if life wasn’t complicated enough, enter Derek and Lucas. Derek’s a half-fae who’s determined to be her boyfriend, and Lucas is a smokin’ hot werewolf with whom Kylie shares a secret past. Both Derek and Lucas couldn’t be more different, but they both have a powerful hold on her heart.

Even though Kylie feels deeply uncertain about everything, one thing is becoming painfully clear—Shadow Falls is exactly where she belongs…


My Thoughts:


Kylie Galen heads to a party one night after her grandmother's funeral and learning of her parents' plans to divorce.  She doesn't drink like her friends but is still put into custody when the police bust up the party. 

Her mom sends her to Shadow Falls Camp.  She soon learns the summer camp is inhabited with freaks when she steps on the bus and finds people that are nothing like her.  They are kids who look like the real troublemakers wit their multicolored hair, piercings, and tattoos.  Kylie finds out after she arrives that the camp is not for ordinary kids, but for supernaturals such as vampires, werewolves, and shapeshifters and that she is actually a supernatural.

She spends her summer making new friends and learning about their special gifts all the while searching her history trying to find out if she truly is a supernatural and what kind she might be.  She knows that she can see a ghost, was born at midnight, and can feel when people try to touch her and change her state of emotion so now she begins her journey to discover what she is and if she happens to meet a couple of cute boys along the way- all the better.  What Kylie discovers just might change her entire life.

First of all, let me say that the beautiful colors on the cover are what drew me to Born at Midnight in the first place.  It's creepy and mysterious all at the same time.  Bravo on the cover!

This is wonderful.  I was immediately drawn into Kylie's life from the first page.  Her home life was really believable and I can imagine the tension between Kylie and her parents that are separating.  What I can't believe is that she would be sent away after one minor screw up to a summer camp. 

My favorite scene is when Perry, a shapeshifter, transforms to a kitten and Kylie takes it in to keep it safe.  I'm not gonna say what happens, but let me tell you that it was a non-stop, laugh out loud funny sort of moment.  I was laughing so hard that I started getting tears in my eyes.  Towards the end though,  I actually did shed a few tears, so have a tissue handy just in case you need one.

Born at Midnight is the start of a new series by C.C. Hunter.  It is a really addicting story so once you start, you'll use every free minute you can to continue Kylie's journey.  The author creates a world where supernaturals exist and rogues want Shadow Falls shut down.  This story is filled with humor, sadness, and romance along with mystery and a little drama among friends.  So those of you who want a breath of fresh air from your original paranormal romance, go grab C.C. Hunter's debut title, Born at Midnight, cause it has it all.

4.75 STARS