Thursday, March 31, 2016

March 2016 Wrap-Up!

A review of the monthly activities on the blog incl. book reviews, memes, 
reading challenge additions, book hauls

Hey Bookies!

This is my second Wrap Up post! I had a wicked book slump :(


Books Read:


N/A

*Book-slump galore!


Books Reviewed:



The Dark Divine by  Bree Despain
The Lost Saint by Bree Despain

New Books:


Breaking Dawn*(special edition) by Stephenie Meyer
Thirteen Days to Midnight by Patrick Carman
The Siren*(Original release) by Kiera Cass
I Am Number Four and The Power of Six by Pittacus Lore

. . . To name a few


For full details check out my In My Mailbox posts for February


Book In Progress:



The May Queen Murders by Sarah Jude 


April TBR:

The May Queen Murders by Sarah Jude
Between The Devil and The Deep Blue Sea by April Genevieve Tucholke
A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas
Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge

If you have any suggestions on improving my Wrap Ups for the future posts, comment below.


Happy Reading!
Wednesday, March 30, 2016

Wishlist Wednesday #76


*Wishlist Wednesday is where you show a book that has been on your wishlist/TBR list for a while, the meme is hosted by Pen to Paper*



Crystal Storm by Morgan Rhodes

Publisher
Razorbill 
Release DateDecember 13, 2016
Pages: 336

The Story:

An epic clash between gods and mortals threatens to tear Mytica apart . . . and prove that not even the purest of love stands a chance against the strongest of magic.

MAGNUS and CLEO are forced to test the strength of their love when Gaius returns to Mytica claiming he's no longer the King of Blood but a changed man seeking redemption.

LUCIA, pregnant with the child of a Watcher, has escaped the clutches of the unhinged fire god. Her powers are dwindling as she goes forth to fulfill a prophecy that will keep her baby safe . . . but could mean her demise.  

JONAS treks back to Mytica with a plan to overtake Amara, but fate takes hold when he runs into the beautiful Princess Lucia and joins her on her perilous journey.

AMARA has taken the Mytican throne, but with no way to unleash the water magic trapped within her stolen crystal, she'll never be able to seize glory and get sweet revenge.

And what kind of darkness will descend--and who will be safe--after Prince Ashur reveals the dangerous price he paid to cheat death?

-via Amazon





Meet the Author

Morgan Rhodes is the New York Times bestselling author of the Falling Kingdoms series. Under another pen name, she's an award-winning author of more than two dozen novels. Morgan lives in Southern Ontario. Connect with her on Twitter @MorganRhodesYA or visit fallingkingdoms.com for more info.





Want to see my entire Wishlist? Check it out on Amazon: Books I Dream About

Happy Reading!


Thursday, March 24, 2016

Review : The Lost Saint by Bree Despain

*Warning: This review may contain spoilers. Read at your own risk.

Publisher
EgmontUSA 

Release DateNovember 22, 2011
Pages: 464
Source: Own

The Story:

The non-stop sequel to The Dark Divine delivers an even hotter romance and more thrilling action than Bree Despain's first novel.  Grace Divine made the ultimate sacrifice to cure Daniel Kalbi.  She gave her soul to the wolf to save him and lost her beloved mother.  When Grace receives a haunting phone call from Jude, she knows what she must do.  She must become a Hound of Heaven.  Desperate to find Jude, Grace befriends Talbot - a newcomer to town who promises her that he can help her be a hero.  But as the two grow closer, the wolf grows in Grace, and her relationship with Daniel begins to crumble.  Unaware of the dark path she is walking, Grace becomes prideful in her new abilities - not realizing that an old enemy has returned and deadly trap is about to be sprung.  Readers, ravenous for more Grace and Daniel, will be itching to sink their teeth into The Lost Saint.
via Amazon

Rating






One-word ReviewAlluring

Reading Tune: Drift by Forty Foot Echo


My Review


I loved the first book in the Dark Divine trilogy, The Dark Divine, so I could not wait to get my hands on 
The Lost Saint! And I was not let down!

Tag Line:


A family destroyed

A love threatened
An enemy returns

Opening Line:


"You can do this, Grace," Daniel said between sharp breaths. 


Plot:

The premise of 
The Lost Saint was alluring! Grace gave up her soul to save her one true love. Then had to learn to hone her power without becoming a slave to it. Insert smooth, mysterious Talbot who gets along great with Grace and tries to help her with her new gift. And alas ... This go around it was all about the love triangle. Honestly, I have never really been into the whole love-triangle bit -- it usually is not done well in my experience. However, I would be remiss if I did not admit how Talbot was definitely a worthy opponent. Daniel was not so bad-boy anymore -- losing his werewolf edge -- and now things seemed up in the air between him and Grace. So, throwing Talbot into the mix spiced the plot up some.


The pacing of 
The Lost Saint was was great for the plot of the story. There was a new wicked enemy, loss, new journeys, a rift between Daniel and Grace and the delicious Talbot. 
The writing was just as good as the first go around. Despain's storytelling was enticing and kept me wanting more!

All in all, while I loved The Dark Divine more, I gobbled up The Lost Saint and enjoyed it. If you have read The Dark Divine, definitely read The Lost Saint. You will not be sorry you did! This is my favorite werewolf series and Despain does not disappoint.

Meet the Author:








Bree rediscovered her childhood love for creating stories when she took a semester off college to write and direct plays for at-risk, inner-city teens from Philadelphia and New York. She currently lives in Salt Lake City, Utah with her husband, two young sons, and her beloved TiVo. THE DARK DIVINE is Bree's debut novel.


***Check out Bree Despain's website for more information about her and 
The Lost SaintHERE




Happy Reading!


Wednesday, March 23, 2016

Wishlist Wednesday #75


*Wishlist Wednesday is where you show a book that has been on your wishlist/TBR list for a while, the meme is hosted by Pen to Paper*



Blue Lily, Lily Blue by Maggie Stiefvater

Publisher
Scholastic Press; Reprint edition
Release DateDecember 29, 2015
Pages: 400

The Story:

Blue Sargent has found things. For the first time in her life, she has friends she can trust, a group to which she can belong. The Raven Boys have taken her in as one of their own. Their problems have become hers, and her problems have become theirs.

The trick with found things, though, is how easily they can be lost.

Friends can betray.

Mothers can disappear.

Visions can mislead.

Certainties can unravel.

In a starred review, The Bulletin called The Dream Thieves, the previous book in The Raven Cycle, "a complex web of magical intrigue and heart-stopping action." Now, with Blue Lily, Lily Blue, the web becomes even more complex, snaring readers at every turn.

-via Amazon



Meet the Author

Hello. After a tumultuous past as a history major, calligraphy instructor, wedding musician, technical editor, and equestrian artist, I'm now a full-time writer living in the middle of nowhere, Virginia, with my charmingly straight-laced husband, two kids, four neurotic dogs who fart recreationally, and a 1973 Camaro named Loki.

I'm also an award-winning colored pencil artist, play several musical instruments (most infamously, the bagpipes), and recently acquired a race car.



Want to see my entire Wishlist? Check it out on Amazon: Books I Dream About

Happy Reading!


Monday, March 21, 2016

In My Mailbox #21



*In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren which allows bloggers to share what books they bought/received each week.*


Hey Bookies! This week will be the twenty-first time hosting In My Mailbox and I am so excited to share with you what I received in my mailbox recently.


All books from this IMMB are from a book-sale I attended a couple of weeks ago in Connecticut. I found The Siren by Kiera Cass -- she rewrote the story and it was released in January of this year -- but I have yet to read it. Instead, I read the newer version and reviewed it HERETake a look below:


*If you're interested in the other books that are on my radar you can check out my Amazon Wishlist: Books I Dream About!

Happy Reading!
Wednesday, March 16, 2016

Wishlist Wednesday #74


*Wishlist Wednesday is where you show a book that has been on your wishlist/TBR list for a while, the meme is hosted by Pen to Paper*


Ghostly Echoes by William Ritter

Publisher
Algonquin Young Readers 
Release DateAugust 23, 2016
Pages: 352

The Story:

Jenny Cavanaugh, the ghostly landlord of 826 Augur Lane, has enlisted the services of her detective-agency tenants to solve a decade-old murder--her own. Abigail Rook and her eccentric employer, R. F. Jackaby, dive into the cold case, starting with a search for Jenny’s fiancé, who went missing the night she died. But when a new, gruesome murder closely mirrors the events of ten years prior, Abigail and Jackaby realize that Jenny’s case isn’t so cold after all, and her killer may be far more dangerous than they suspected.

Fantasy and folklore mix with mad science as Abigail’s race to unravel the mystery leads her across the cold cobblestones of nineteenth-century New England, down to the mythical underworld, and deep into her colleagues’ grim histories to battle the most deadly foe she has ever faced.

-via Amazon





Meet the Author

William Ritter began writing the Jackaby series in the middle of the night when his son was still an infant. After getting up to care for him, Will would lie awake, his mind creating rich worlds and fantasies--such as the one in New Fiddleham. Will lives and teaches in Springfield, Oregon. 






Want to see my entire Wishlist? Check it out on Amazon: Books I Dream About

Happy Reading!


Thursday, March 10, 2016

Review : The Dark Divine by Bree Despain


*Warning: This review may contain spoilers. Read at your own risk.

Publisher
EgmontUSA

Release DateDecember, 2009
Pages: 372
Source: Own

The Story:

Grace Divine, daughter of the local pastor, always knew something terrible happened the night Daniel Kalbi disappeared--the night she found her brother Jude collapsed on the porch, covered in blood--but she has no idea what a truly monstrous secret that night held.

The memories her family has tried to bury resurface when Daniel returns, three years later, and enrolls in Grace and Jude's high school. Despite promising Jude she'll stay away, Grace cannot deny her attraction to Daniel's shocking artistic abilities, his way of getting her to look at the world from new angles, and the strange, hungry, glint in his eyes.

The closer Grace gets to Daniel, the more she jeopardizes her life, as her actions stir resentment in Jude and drive him to embrace the ancient evil Daniel unleashed that horrific night. Grace must discover the truth behind the boys' dark secret...and the cure that can save the ones she loves. But she may have to lay down the ultimate sacrifice to do it--her soul.
via Amazon

Rating






One-word ReviewMysterious

Reading TuneDance With the Devil by Breaking Benjamin

My Review

I read 
The Dark Divine around the time it was just released and I loved it! LOVED it! To date it is probably my favorite werewolf story.

Tag Line:

A prodigal son
A dangerous love
A deadly secret

Opening Line:

"Grace! You have got to see the new guy."


Plot:


The premise of 
The Dark Divine was the life of a good-girl is turned upside down when she is drawn to a childhood friend who comes back from the "dead" and monstrous baggage with him. Family secrets are thrust into the light. A mortal budding love. A terrible curse.


The pacing  of 
The Dark Divine was perfect. The buildup was mysterious and the timing was flawless. I was kept at the edge of my seat as I zipped through the story. Despain's style of writing was enthralling. I savored every morsel of words through the entire book.

All in all, I enjoyed Bree Despain's The Dark Divine. I highly recommend this story to anyone who loves YA paranormal romance. And have a particular soft-spot for furry supernatural monsters. When I finished I immediately bought the sequel, The Lost Saint, gobbled it up and anxiously awaited the third installment, The Savage Grace.

Character Breakdown:


The character dynamic in The Dark Divine was

Grace Divine - Perfect example of a pastor's daughter... Good-two-shoes who got her skirt raised by mysterious, bad boy, Daniel. Do not get me wrong, although her character stood well on the moral side, Grace's character did not annoy me.


Daniel - Mean and mysterious. . . Epitome of the swoon-worthy bad boy.



'Daniel leaned toward me until his warm breath lingered on my face again. "You know, some religious scholars believe that when faced with overwhelming temptation" — he reached out and brushed a tangled strand of hair off my neck — "you should commit a small sin, just to relieve the pressure a bit."'

Meet the Author:








Bree rediscovered her childhood love for creating stories when she took a semester off college to write and direct plays for at-risk, inner-city teens from Philadelphia and New York. She currently lives in Salt Lake City, Utah with her husband, two young sons, and her beloved TiVo. THE DARK DIVINE is Bree's debut novel.


***Check out Bree Despain's website for more information about her and The Dark DivineHERE



Happy Reading!



Wednesday, March 9, 2016

Wishlist Wednesday #73


*Wishlist Wednesday is where you show a book that has been on your wishlist/TBR list for a while, the meme is hosted by Pen to Paper*



Untamed by A.G. Howard

Publisher
Harry N. Abrams 
Release DateDecember 15, 2015
Pages: 288

The Story:

Alyssa Gardner went down the rabbit hole and took control of her destiny. She survived the battle for Wonderland and the battle for her heart. In this collection of three novellas, join Alyssa and her family as they look back at their memories of Wonderland. In Six Impossible Things, Alyssa recalls the most precious moments of her life after Ensnared, and the role magic plays in preserving the happiness of those she loves. Alyssa’s mother reminisces about her own time in Wonderland and giving up the crown to rescue the man who would become her husband in The Boy in the Web. And Morpheus delves into Jeb’s memories of the events of Splintered in The Moth in the Mirror, available in print for the first time.

Read all the books in the New York Times bestselling Splintered series: Splintered (Book 1), Unhinged (Book 2), Ensnared (Book 3), and Untamed (The Companion Novel).

-via Amazon



Meet the Author

A.G. Howard was inspired to write SPLINTERED while working at a school library. She always wondered what would've happened had the subtle creepiness of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland taken center stage, and she hopes her darker and funkier tribute to Carroll will inspire readers to seek out the stories that won her heart as a child. 

When she's not writing, A.G.'s pastimes are reading, rollerblading, gardening, and family vacations which often include impromptu side trips to 18th century graveyards or condemned schoolhouses to appease her overactive muse.



Want to see my entire Wishlist? Check it out on Amazon: Books I Dream About

Happy Reading!


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