Fool For Books Giveaway Hop!

Welcome to my Fool For Books Giveaway Hop! This hop is organized by Kathy at I Am A Reader Not A Writer and The Bookish Snob. Than you for participating! One winner will be selected and they will have their choice of one of the following titles:

An ARC of Across The Universe by Beth Revis; Head Games by Keri Mikulski; or Unearthly by Cynthia Hand. Click on any of the the links for my review or the Goodreads summary.

You must be a follower through Google Friend Connect (GFC) to enter and live in the US or have a US shipping address. There is an extra, optional entry (not required) if you follow me on Twitter. If you have any questions, please email me at bookishlilly@gmail.com. Don't forget to visit the other participating blogs. Good luck and thanks for stopping by!

Review of Red Glove by Holly Black

Release Date: April 5, 2011
Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry
Pages: 320 pages
Genre: Fantasy, Mystery
Rating: 4.5 stars
Source: ARC provided by publisher

This summary and review contains spoilers to White Cat, the first book in the Curse Workers series.

Goodreads Summary: Curses and cons. Magic and the mob. In Cassel Sharpe's world, they go together. Cassel always thought he was an ordinary guy, until he realized his memories were being manipulated by his brothers. Now he knows the truth—he’s the most powerful curse worker around. A touch of his hand can transform anything—or anyone—into something else.

That was how Lila, the girl he loved, became a white cat. Cassel was tricked into thinking he killed her, when actually he tried to save her. Now that she's human again, he should be overjoyed. Trouble is, Lila's been cursed to love him, a little gift from his emotion worker mom. And if Lila's love is as phony as Cassel's made-up memories, then he can't believe anything she says or does.

When Cassel's oldest brother is murdered, the Feds recruit Cassel to help make sense of the only clue—crime-scene images of a woman in red gloves. But the mob is after Cassel too—they know how valuable he could be to them. Cassel is going to have to stay one step ahead of both sides just to survive. But where can he turn when he can't trust anyone—least of all, himself? Love is a curse and the con is the only answer in a game too dangerous to lose.

Review: Red Glove, the sequel to last year’s White Cat, is a crazy, dark, fantastic, wild ride of a book. This Curse Workers series is one of the most original in young adult books today. Holly Black has successfully built an incredible world with the most unlikely of elements: con artists, mobsters and magic.

Cassel is such a great character, you can’t help but love him and feel incredibly sorry for him despite his moral ambiguity. Born into a family of major con artists and curse workers, he tries to not be like his mother and brothers. The problem is that Cassel believes that the con is what he is best at and it does not help that he has found out that he is one of the most powerful curse workers in the world. No matter how hard he tries to get out, his family, the mob, the feds just pull him back in.

I enjoyed Ms. Black’s descriptions of the art of the con. I also love how Cassel matures in the book, becoming so much more open and honest with his friends. Most of the characters that we met from the first book are back, including Lila. I didn’t love her in the first book, but I can say I understand her a bit better in this one.

Red Glove is a great sequel to White Cat. The characters are extremely well rounded, the story is exciting and fast paced and the plot is multi-dimensional. It is also a bit dark so I would recommend it for older teens and of course adults.

Black Heart, the third book in the series, comes out next year. I bet it will be awesome!

Content:  Language, violence, sexual situations, underage drinking and smoking

Waiting on Wednesday – The Faerie Ring by Kiki Hamilton

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine, and specifically spotlights upcoming novels we can't wait to read. This week’s choice is:

Title: The Faerie Ring
Author: Kiki Hamilton
Publisher: Tor Teen / Macmillan
Publish Date: Sept. 27, 2011
Pages: 352
Genre: Paranormal, Historical

Summary: London, December 1871. Orphaned and picking pockets in London’s Charing Cross station to support not only herself, but her ‘family’ of orphans, sixteen year-old Tiki steals the Queen’s ring and thinks she’s solved their problems. That is, until Rieker, a pickpocket from the North End, suspects her in the theft and tells her that the ring is really a reservoir that holds a truce between the British and Faerie courts.

When he warns her that the fey will do anything, including murder, to recover the ring, Tiki is unsure whether to believe him or not. To complicate matters, Rieker seems to know something about the unusual birthmark on Tiki’s wrist. But when Tiki and her family are threatened the game changes.

In a dazzling debut that takes you from the gritty slums of Victorian London to the glittering ballrooms of the Royal Palace to the menacing Otherworld, you won’t want to miss this thrilling tale of mystery, adventure and romance.

This book sounds like an amazing mix of paranormal, historical, action and adventure plus the cover is so gorgeous! I can’t wait to get my hands on it!

What books are you waiting on?

Review of The Iron Daughter by Julie Kagawa

Release Date: August 1, 2010
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Pages: 359 pages
Genre: Fantasy, Paranormal Romance
Rating: 4.5 stars
Source: Library

Goodreads Summary: Half Summer faery princess, half human, Meghan has never fit in anywhere. Deserted by the Winter prince she thought loved her, she is prisoner to the Winter faery queen. As war looms between Summer and Winter, Meghan knows that the real danger comes from the Iron fey—ironbound faeries that only she and her absent prince have seen. But no one believes her.

Worse, Meghan's own fey powers have been cut off. She's stuck in Faery with only her wits for help. Trusting anyone would be foolish. Trusting a seeming traitor could be deadly. But even as she grows a backbone of iron, Meghan can't help but hear the whispers of longing in her all-too-human heart.

Review: The Iron Daughter is the sequel to The Iron King, a book that I really loved. The story picks up where the novella, Winter’s Passage, ends and gives us beautiful, vivid descriptions of the Winter Court and the Nevernever.

The Iron Daughter has a bit of everything: action, adventure, romance and an awesome group of characters, some old, some new. The secondary characters really add a lot to the story, especially Ironside, Leanansidhe and especially Grimalkin.

Megan’s character is a sixteen year old girl struggling with first love. She starts off a bit shaky with lots of angst, but she matures and really comes into her own. I love the fact that Megan is so honest with Ash, even at the expense of her own feelings.

While I do like the forbidden, Romeo and Juliet-like romance between Ash and Megan, I do see Puck’s appeal. Both guys are just wonderfully written and it’s the romance and the tension of this love triangle that stands out in the story for me. I usually don’t like love triangles, but this one works. 

The Iron Daughter is a great sequel. I actually think it may even be a bit more exciting than The Iron King, which makes me really anxious to read the third installment, The Iron Queen. This series is shaping up to be one of my favorites!

Content:  Language, violence, lots of sexual tension between Ash and Megan

Review of Ballad: A Gathering of Faerie by Maggie Stiefvater

Release Date: October 1, 2009
Publisher: Flux
Pages: 352 pages
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Rating: 3 stars
Source: Library

Goodreads Summary: In this sequel to Lament: The Faerie Queen's Deception, music prodigy James Morgan and his best friend, Deirdre, join a private conservatory for musicians. James' musical talent attracts Nuala, a soul-snatching faerie muse who fosters and feeds on the creative energies of exceptional humans until they die. Composing beautiful music together unexpectedly leads to mutual admiration and love. Haunted by fiery visions of death, James realizes that Deirdre and Nuala are being hunted by the Fey and plunges into a soul-scorching battle with the Queen of the Fey to save their lives.

Review: Let me start by saying I love Maggie Stievater’s writing. I am a fan of her Wolves of Mercy Falls series and really enjoyed Lament, so I was excited to read the sequel and see what happened with the characters.

In Lament, we met Dierdre, or Dee, had the unfortunate distinction of being a cloverhand, one who can see faeries, and this earned her a spot on the faerie queen’s hit list at the hand of Luke, the queen’s assassin. A bit of a love triangle developed with Dee, Luke and James, Dee’s best friend who had been in love with her. I loved Dee’s character in Lament. She was strong, resourceful and grew so much throughout the story. James was an awesome character, handsome, smart, snarky and totally deserving of his own story, especially since (SPOILER) he did not get the girl at the end of the first book.

Ballad is James’ story and it’s great to hear from him. I still love him but I just could not connect with his love interest Nuala or their romance. Dee was virtually unrecognizable, floating through the story every now and again, heartbroken and depressed, her butt-kicking days somewhere behind her.

Stiefvater’s storytelling and knowledge of Celtic lore are solid. Her descriptions of the faeries, the music and the poetry are beautiful. I really do feel like this series needs a third book to redeem Dee and develop Nuala’s character, but I am not sure if another book is in the works.

Content: Language, violence, sexual content, a character is assaulted (I am still not sure if she was raped or not)

Follow My Blog Friday – 3/25/11

Happy Friday everyone! Follow My Book Blog Friday is hosted at Parajunkee's View.  If you're a new follower, please leave a link to your blog in the comments so that I can visit your blog.

This week's question from Follow My Book Blog Friday: Inspired by the inane twitter trend of #100factsaboutme, give us five BOOK RELATED silly facts about you.

1. I am a sucker for a book with a pretty cover and have made reading choices based on that alone.

2. I am reluctant to start the first book in a series that already has more than five books. It just seems like so much of a commitment (silly, I know).

3. I almost always sneak a peek at the end of the book before I’m done reading it. I try to resist the urge but it’s just too tempting and I usually look when I am about half way through.

4. I love my e-reader a lot more than I thought I would. I don’t ever want to stop reading bound books, but the e-reader is so convenient, especially at night when I don’t want to turn the lamp on.

5. As a teenager, I loved to read horror but as an adult, I now find those same books extremely frightening.

What are some silly, book related facts about you?

Library Thursday – 3/24/11

Library Thursday is a weekly blog hop hosted by Lazy Girl Reads to:
1. Encourage people to support their libraries when they can
2. Meet new bloggy friends and grow your following

I have been working at balancing how many books I get from the library with my non-library books so that everything gets read. I got three books this week, which is a good number because I have another six non-library books waiting on me. Here is what I got:

Haven by Kristi Cook

Tiger’s Curse by Colleen Houck

Darkness Becomes Her by Kelly Keaton

Lately, my four-year-old has lost interest in story books and only wants informational books about animals, insects and plants even at bedtime, so I got him:
- Beavers and Other Animals with Amazing Teeth by Susan LaBella
- Ocean Floors by JoAnn Early Macken
- Coral Reefs by JoAnn Early Macken
- Animals of the Ocean by Kathleen Pohl

What did you get from your library?

Waiting on Wednesday – Enshadowed by Kelly Creagh

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine, and specifically spotlights upcoming novels we can't wait to read. This week’s choice is:

Title: Enshadowed (Nevermore #2)
Author: Kelly Creagh
Publish Date: Jan. 24, 2012
Pages: 416
Genre: Fantasy, Horror

Summary: While Varen remains a prisoner in the dream-world, Isobel is haunted by his memory. He appears to her in her dreams and soon, even in her waking life. But is she just imagining it? Isobel knows she must find a way back to Varen. She makes plans to go to Baltimore. There, she confronts the figure known throughout the world as the Poe Toaster—the same dark man who once appeared to Isobel in her dreams, calling himself "Reynolds."

Isobel succeeds in interrupting the Toaster's ritual and, in doing so, discovers a way to return to the dream-world. Soon, she finds herself swept up in a realm which not only holds remnants of Poe's presence, but has also now taken on the characteristics of Varen's innermost self. It is a dark world comprised of fear, terror, and anger.

When Isobel once more encounters Varen, she finds him changed. With his mind poisoned by the dream world, he becomes a malevolent force, bent on destroying all—even himself. Now Isobel must face a new adversary, one who also happens to be her greatest love.

Nevermore was one of my favorite books of 2010. It ends with a huge cliffhanger and the sequel does not come out until January 2012 which is a bit of a bummer because I am so excited for it. I love how the cover shows Isobel and Varen's faces. I cannot wait to read this!

What books are you waiting on?

Review of A World Without Heroes by Brandon Mull

Release Date: March 15, 2011
Publisher: Aladdin
Pages: 464 pages
Genre: Adventure, Fantasy, Middle Grade, Young Adult
Rating: 4 stars
Source: ARC from Publisher

Goodreads Summary: Jason Walker has often wished his life could be a bit less predictable--until a routine day at the zoo ends with Jason suddenly transporting from the hippo tank to a place unlike anything he's ever seen. In the past, the people of Lyrian welcomed visitors from the Beyond, but attitudes have changed since the wizard emperor Maldor rose to power. The brave resistors who opposed the emperor have been bought off or broken, leaving a realm where fear and suspicion prevail.

In his search for a way home, Jason meets Rachel, who was also mysteriously drawn to Lyrian from our world. With the help of a few scattered rebels, Jason and Rachel become entangled in a quest to piece together the word of power that can destroy the emperor, and learn that their best hope to find a way home will be to save this world without heroes.

Review: Even though I have heard great things about his Fablehaven series, this is my first book by Brandon Mull so I was not sure what to expect. The story starts out a bit slow and I was tempted to stop reading, but it picks up fantastically in the middle and continues that fast pace until the end. I am so happy I gave it a chance. This is a fun, action packed adventure that would appeal to both boys and girls and especially to reluctant readers.

Both Jason and Rachel’s characters are well developed, smart, brave and resourceful. The secondary characters are equally well developed and so very interesting. Mull’s world building in amazing! As I read the book, I could really picture Lyrian.

There are several fight scenes, some with fatalities, so if you have a younger reader, you may want to be aware of this. While there is fighting and violence, the book is not gory.

Even though I am recommending this book to a tween and teen audience, I am an adult and I loved it! The story does ends with a cliffhanger, and I am eagerly looking forward to the sequel coming out next year.

Quick comment about the cover. I received the book as an electronic ARC so could not fully appreciate the cool holographic cover until I saw it in Barnes and Noble this weekend. It adds so much to the magic of the story!

Content:  Violence

Giveaway Winners!

I had two giveaways that ended this weekend and the winners, both chosen by Random.org, are:

The Iron King Giveaway: Erin Golsen

The Lucky Leprechaun Blog Hop: Susanna

Congratulations to the winners who have both have been contacted! Thank you to everyone who participated in these giveaways, you guys rock! I will be doing another giveaway on April 1 for the Fool For Books Hop so stay tuned!

Blog Hop & Follow My Blog Friday – 3/18/11

Happy Friday everyone! The Follow My Book Blog Friday is hosted at Parajunkee's View and the Book Blogger Hop is hosted by Crazy for Books.  If you're a new follower, please leave a link to your blog in the comments so that I can visit your blog.

I also have two giveaways going on, The Iron King Giveaway which ends today and the Lucky Leprechaun Blog Hop which ends on Sunday.

This week's question from Book Blogger Hop is: "Do you read only one book at a time, or do you have several going at once?"

I almost always reading more than one book at a time, usually one (or two on my e-reader) and another bound book. I like reading multiple books and in both formats, it just works for me!

The question from Follow Your Blog Friday is: How did you come up with your blog name?

I was a bookish child who grew up to be a bookish adult. It’s just how I have always seen myself – as someone who is truly bookish J. The name seems very fitting!

Lucky Leprechaun Giveaway Hop

Welcome to my Lucky Leprechaun Giveaway Hop! This hop is organized by Kathy at I Am A Reader Not A Writer and Cindy at Books Complete Me. I am very excited to participating and happy that you stopped by. One winner will be selected and they will have their choice of one of the following titles:

Delirium by Lauren Oliver;  An ARC of Across The Universe by Beth Revis; or Nailed by Jennifer Laurens. Click on any of the the links for my review or the Goodreads summary.

You must be a follower through Google Friend Connect (GFC) to enter and live in the US or have a US shipping address.  There is an extra, optional entry (not required) if you follow me on Twitter. If you have any questions, please email me at bookishlilly@gmail.com. Good luck and thank you for participating!

My First Interview!

Amber at AwesomeSauce Book Club had been doing a great series of blogger interviews and today is my turn! If you want to check it out, click here! 

Waiting on Wednesday – The Carrier of the Mark

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine, and specifically spotlights upcoming novels we can't wait to read. This week’s choice is:

Title: The Carrier of the Mark
Author: Leigh Fallon
Publisher: HarperTeen
Publish Date: Sept. 13, 2011
Pages: 352
Genre: Paranormal

Summary: A move to Ireland is about to introduce Megan to her destiny, her real destiny, can she embrace it and will she survive it?

A tragedy in Megan’s past set her on a predetermined course. A chain of events has been set in motion that brings Megan to Kinsale, a small town in the south of Ireland where her destiny awaits her. Her life starts to fall into place as she makes new friends and settles into her new school. However, the reclusive and distant Adam DeRís calls to her body and soul.

She finds herself increasingly drawn to Adam and his strange family. Adam knows a secret from her past and he and his family hold the key to her future. A future that binds her to Adam and his world, a world of power, mystery and ancient orders. A world that unbeknownst to her, she very much belongs in.

This book has a lot of good buzz about it already. It will be the very first book published by HarperTeen that was found on inkpop.com. Should be good!

What books are you waiting on?

Review of The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter

Release Date: April 19, 2011
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Pages: 297 pages
Genre: Fantasy, Mythology, Romance
Rating: 4 stars
Source: ARC from Publisher through NetGalley

Goodreads Summary: Every girl who has taken the test has died. Now it's Kate's turn. 

It's always been just Kate and her mom--and now her mother is dying. Her last wish? To move back to her childhood home. So Kate's going to start at a new school with no friends, no other family and the fear her mother won't live past the fall.

Then she meets Henry. Dark. Tortured. And mesmerizing. He claims to be Hades, god of the Underworld--and if she accepts his bargain, he'll keep her mother alive while Kate tries to pass seven tests.

Kate is sure he's crazy--until she sees him bring a girl back from the dead. Now saving her mother seems crazily possible. If she succeeds, she'll become Henry's future bride, and a goddess.  If she fails...

Review: I love Greek mythology and modern retellings so I was very excited to see a few coming out this year, especially for The Goddess Test, a debut novel from Aimee Carter.  Even though Ms. Carter uses characters from Greek myth, this is an original story, not a retelling like I first thought. The book is fresh, touching and romantic with a bit of mystery thrown in.

Lately, I have been reading a few books with smart, brave, strong girls who will put others before themselves, a great trend in YA, and The Goddess Test is no different. I love Kate and her relationship with her mother, the way she takes care of her, is so touching. I love the fact that Kate is a mature 18 year old and not which is much more appropriate for any main character dealing with life-long commitments, sex and marriage.

I must admit, I have a thing for the dark, brooding hero so I really like Henry. I appreciate the way their relationship developed over time and how they slowly fell in love. I want to know more about the secondary characters, especially James, and I hope we get better acquainted with them in upcoming books.

The story does not end with a cliffhanger, but it does leave you wanting more and Goddess Interrupted will be the title of the sequel. I am looking forward to it.

Content:  Characters have sex but there are no details.

Review of Warped by Maurissa Guibord

Release Date: Jan. 11, 2011
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Pages: 352 pages
Genre: Fantasy, Romance
Rating: 4 stars
Source: Library

Goodreads Summary: Tessa doesn't believe in magic. Or Fate. But there's something weird about the dusty unicorn tapestry she discovers in a box of old books. She finds the creature woven within it compelling and frightening.

After the tapestry comes into her possession, Tessa experiences dreams of the past and scenes from a brutal hunt that she herself participated in. When she accidentally pulls a thread from the tapestry, Tessa releases a terrible centuries old secret. She also meets William de Chaucy, an irresistible 16th-century nobleman.

His fate is as inextricably tied to the tapestry as Tessa's own. Together, they must correct the wrongs of the past. But then the Fates step in, making a tangled mess of Tessa's life. Now everyone she loves will be destroyed unless Tessa does their bidding and defeats a cruel and crafty ancient enemy.

Review: If you are looking for something different in the paranormal romance department that does not include vampires, faeries, wolves or angels, Warped is it.  This is a great debut novel by Marissa Guibord. It’s a modern fairy tale about love, loss, fate, destiny and sacrifice.

There are so many things about this book to love. I really enjoyed that Tessa’s father owns a book store and they live above it. Throw in a centuries old magical tapestry with a unicorn, time travel, the Sisters of Fate and a witch that must be defeated and you have the makings for an awesome story. I also really loved the characters, especially Tessa, Will and Opal. They are strong and likable. Tessa is very selfless and puts the welfare of her loved ones before herself. Will is very swoon worthy and in a deliciously arrogant kind of way.

The story wraps up very nicely and could easily be a standalone novel, but it leaves the possibility for more of Tessa and Will’s story to be told as well. I asked Ms. Guibord if there is a sequel planned for Warped and she graciously responded that there are no plans for a sequel right now though she may write one in the future. She also told me that her next novel is called REVEL and it's about a girl who comes to a remote private island off the coast of Maine for the summer and discovers the people living there are hiding secrets. Revel will definitely be on my TBR list.

Content:  Tessa and Will make out a bit on the floor, but that’s about it.

Cover Reveal: Crossed by Ally Condie

Here is the official summary of Crossed, the sequel to Matched:

In search of a future that may not exist and faced with the decision of who to share it with, Cassia journeys to the Outer Provinces in pursuit of Ky—taken by the Society to his certain death—only to find that he has escaped, leaving a series of clues in his wake.

Cassia’s quest leads her to question much of what she holds dear, even as she finds glimmers of a different life across the border. But as Cassia nears resolve and certainty about her future with Ky, an invitation for rebellion, an unexpected betrayal, and a surprise visit from Xander—who may hold the key to the uprising and, still, to Cassia’s heart—change the game once again. Nothing is as expected on the edge of Society, where crosses and double crosses make the path more twisted than ever.

The book is scheduled to be released on November 1. What do you guys think of the cover? It goes very well with the story, but maybe I was expecting something a bit more, well, unexpected. I’m sure I will grow to love it. I am very excited to read this book.

Blog Hop & Follow My Blog Friday – 3/11/11

Happy Friday everyone! The Follow My Book Blog Friday is hosted at Parajunkee's View and the Book Blogger Hop is hosted by Crazy for Books.  If you're a new follower, please leave a link to your blog in the comments so that I can visit your blog.

I also have a giveaway, a copy of The Iron King by Julie Kagawa. CLICK HERE to go to the post to enter the giveaway.

This week's question from Book Blogger Hop is: If I gave you $80 and sent you into a bookshop right now, what would be in your basket when you finally staggered to the register?

This is a tough question! I usually don’t buy books, I get most of what I read from the library. Occasionally, I read books that I love so much, I want to own them so I can read them again. Books that I have read but don’t own and would buy:
1. Nevermore by Kelly Creagh
2. Birthmarked by Caragh O’Brien

There are also new books that I have not read but I want. They are not out yet, but I could pre-order, right? J:
3. Supernaturally by Kiersten White
4. Divergent by Veronica Roth
5. Wolfsbane by Andrea Cremer
6. Vanish by Sophie Jordan

The question from Follow Your Blog Friday is: Who are you the girl instead of you the blogger?

I am a mom of two boys, one is four and the other is 16 months old (he is currently teething so it’s like I am living with a small, grumpy dictator who screams at me for a good part of the day). I am married to the best husband and father in the world and up until a few months ago I worked from home in public relations. I hope to do so again very soon. I love to read and travel and do as much of both as I can!

Comparing Covers

Aanchal over at Book Flame has a post up for the beautiful cover art on an upcoming title: The Mephisto Covenant by Trinity Faegan. It’s a beautiful cover that looks a lot like the Australian version of Unearthly by Cynthia Hand. It looks like the same model, same dress (in a different color) in a different pose. I like the Unearthly cover more. What do you think?

I also saw these books with the same stock photo but the picture is flipped. I like the North of Beautiful cover more.

And these two books have the same stock photo, I like the richness of the Vespertine cover more.

Library Thursday – 3/10/11

Library Thursday is a weekly blog hop hosted by Lazy Girl Reads to:
1. Encourage people to support their libraries when they can
2. Meet new bloggy friends and grow your following

The Broward County Library, South Regional Branch, is so awesome! They have a new program that they lend e-readers and if they don’t have an e-book that you want, they will buy it for you! Only one book per person and when you are finished, the book is available to everyone. I chose the Iron Daughter, partly because I need to read it and partly because they have first and third book in that series, but not the second and I was a bit frustrated by that. Here are my books this week:

Cryer’s Cross by Lisa McMann

Ballad by Maggie Stiefvater (E-book)

The Iron Daughter by Julie Kagawa (E-book)

For my four-year-old I got:
Wag a Tail by Lois Ehlert
Amphibian by Barry Clarke
It’s a Butterfly’s Life by Irene Kelly
Bats by Melissa Gish
Spooky Wolf Spiders by Meish Goldish

What did you get from your library this week?

Review of Wither by Lauren DeStefano

Release Date: March 22, 2011
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing
Pages: 356 pages
Genre: Dystopia, Human trafficking, Romance
Rating: 4.5 stars
Source: ARC from the Publisher

Goodreads Summary: What if you knew exactly when you would die? Thanks to modern science, every human being has become a ticking genetic time bomb—males only live to age twenty-five, and females only live to age twenty. In this bleak landscape, young girls are kidnapped and forced into polygamous marriages to keep the population from dying out.

When sixteen-year-old Rhine Ellery is taken by the Gatherers to become a bride, she enters a world of wealth and privilege. Despite her husband Linden's genuine love for her, and a tenuous trust among her sister wives, Rhine has one purpose: to escape—to find her twin brother and go home.

But Rhine has more to contend with than losing her freedom. Linden's eccentric father is bent on finding an antidote to the genetic virus that is getting closer to taking his son, even if it means collecting corpses in order to test his experiments. With the help of Gabriel, a servant Rhine is growing dangerously attracted to, Rhine attempts to break free, in the limited time she has left.

Review:  This is such a powerful novel of love, loss, making the most of your life and so much more. It is chilling to image a world where young women are no older than 20 years-old and young men are no older than 25. There are older adults, the first generation who are in their late sixties, but no one in between those two age groups.  This is a society where so many children are orphans and/or forced to make really horrific decisions in order to survive.

This story is all about the girls: Rhine, Jenna and Cecily. Their characters are wonderfully developed and have so much depth; you feel so much for them.  Rhine is such a fighter, refusing to be lulled into complacency by comfort and wealth; she is determined to live her short life on her own terms. I loved her and Jenna and pitied Cicely who just didn’t know any better. I am so curious about the men, Gabriel, Linden and Rowan, their characters were nowhere as developed as the girls. I hope that we to know them better in upcoming books.

I love that there is no cliffhanger to the book and that the end is satisfying. There is so much more story to tell, so much more to find out, I cannot wait for the sequel.

I would recommend this book for older or more mature teens. The story contains adult and sexual themes including a 13-year-old who seduces her 20-year-old husband and gets pregnant as a result.

Content: Talk of prostitution, the Kama Sutra, and the adult and sexual themes mentioned above.

Review of Prom and Prejudice by Elizabeth Eulberg

Release Date: Jan. 1, 2011
Publisher: Point
Pages: 231 pages
Genre: Romance, Classical retelling
Rating: 3.5 stars
Source: Library

Goodreads Summary: After winter break, the girls at the very prestigious Longbourn Academy become obsessed with the prom. Lizzie Bennet, who attends Longbourn on a scholarship, isn’t interested in designer dresses and expensive shoes, but her best friend, Jane, might be — especially now that Charles Bingley is back from a semester in London.

Lizzie is happy about her friend’s burgeoning romance but less than impressed by Charles’s friend, Will Darcy, who’s snobby and pretentious. Darcy doesn’t seem to like Lizzie either, but she assumes it’s because her family doesn’t have money. Clearly, Will Darcy is a pompous jerk — so why does Lizzie find herself drawn to him anyway?

Will Lizzie’s pride and Will’s prejudice keep them apart? Or are they a prom couple in the making?

Review:  I really love Pride & Prejudice and so when I saw that Elizabeth Eulberg was writing a modern YA version of P&P I was very excited and have been looking forward to it for months.

I started reading the book with a huge smile on my face because it really did feel like I was catching up with old friends. I knew everyone’s personality, the love interest, the villains, there was definitely a feeling of comfort and home for me in the book.

Elizabeth Eulberg has written almost all the characters that we love (or love to hate) in this book, most of them even have their original names. Darcy is not quite as swoon worthy as he is in the original, but hot nonetheless. Lizzie is sweet and smart, a little too mean to Darcy for too long of a time, but she’s Lizzie so we love her.

I did notice a few things that I thought were off. The language the characters used would be formal at some points and modern the next. Additionally, because I knew P&P, the book was a bit predictable for the first two-thirds, but did throw some surprises at the end.

Overall, this was a fun and very quick read. I would recommend it to both readers who don’t know the original at all and would like a very casual introduction, and to fans of the original who would love to read something a bit different with their beloved P&P characters.

Content: Some underage drinking.

Top 10 Most Anticipated Books of 2011

This week’s weekly prompt, hosted by Jenny at New Books for New Bloggers, is what are your Top 10 Most Anticipated Books of 2011.

This year has already yielded some awesome books, I won’t put anything I already read on the list. Last year was a great year for books and debut authors and so, not surprisingly, these are a few sequels that I cannot wait to read. There are also some books by both new and established authors that I am eagerly anticipating in 2011:

1. The Iron Queen (1/25) (I can’t wait to read this!)
2. Divergent by Veronica Roth (5/3) (This looks like a great dystopian novel)
3. Starcrossed by Josephine Angelini (5/15) (A paranormal love story with Greek myth, two things I love)
4. Nightshade by Andrea Creamer (7/26) (Team Ren all the way!)
5. Supernaturally by Kiersten White (8/30) (Evie’s voice is so awesome! Can’t wait to hear more from her)
6. Vanish by Sophie Jordan (9/6) (Love the romance in Firelight, I bet it’s going to be even better in Vanish!)
7. The Faerie Ring by Kiki Hamilton (10/1) (Historical fiction and faeries!?! This has to be good!)
8. Frost by Wendy Delsol (10/15) (Katla and Jack were so very cute in Stork, can't wait to see what happens next)
9. Prized by Caragh O’Brien (11/8) (Birthmarked was one of my favorite books last year)
10. The Pledge by Kimberly Derting (11/15) (I know almost nothing about this book but it’s dystopian and the cover is soooo pretty!

What books are you anticipating in 2011?

Blog Hop & Follow My Blog Friday – 3/4/11

Happy Friday everyone! The Follow My Book Blog Friday is hosted at Parajunkee's View and the Book Blogger Hop is hosted by Crazy for Books.  If you're a new follower, please leave a link to your blog in the comments so that I can visit your blog.

I also have a giveaway, a copy of The Iron King by Julie Kagawa. CLICK HERE to go to the post to enter the giveaway.

This week's question from Book Blogger Hop is: Who’s you all time favorite book villain?

There have been so many great villains! I’m going to pick President Snow from one of my favorite books, the Hunger Games.  Snow is a brilliantly written, evil dictator who smells like blood and roses, got to love it!

Waiting on Wednesday – The Pledge

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine, and specifically spotlights upcoming novels we can't wait to read. This week’s choice is:

Title: The Pledge
Author: Kimberly Derting
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Publish Date: Nov. 15, 2011
Pages: Unknown
Genre: Romance, Dystopia

Summary: A romantic fantasy novel set in a dystopic, war-torn world, in which a teenage girl realizes that she may be the key to saving her country.

Another dystopian novel for me to drool over! This is not much of a summary, but the book does not come out until November so I’m sure there more about it soon. The cover is gorgeous and I like Kimberly Derting’s writing. I think this one will be good!

What books are you waiting on?

Review of Cloaked by Alex Flinn

Release Date: Feb. 8, 2011
Publisher: HarperCollins
Pages: 256 pages
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 3 stars
Source: E-book from the Library

Goodreads Summary: I'm not your average hero. I actually wasn't your average anything. Just a poor guy working an after-school job at a South Beach shoe repair shop to help his mom make ends meet. But a little magic changed it all.

It all started with a curse. And a frognapping. And one hot-looking princess, who asked me to lead a rescue mission.

There wasn't a fairy godmother or any of that. And even though I fell in love along the way, what happened to me is unlike any fairy tale I've ever heard. Before I knew it, I was spying with a flock of enchanted swans, talking (yes, talking!) to a fox named Todd, and nearly trampled by giants in the Everglades.

Don't believe me? I didn't believe it either. But you'll see. Because I knew it all was true, the second I got cloaked.

Review:  I like fairytale retellings, and Alex Flinn does it well. I read both Beastly and A Kiss in Time and liked them both so I had really high hopes for Cloaked. While I don’t think it’s as much fun as those other two books, it’s a decent read.

Flinn draws inspiration from several fairy tales, some well known and some not so popular. It is fun to see how she weaves them into the story and she actually sparked my interest to get to know some of these fairy tales a little better.

The story is predictable and cute, but I took it as a light read among my stacks of dystopia related books and it worked just fine. Another thing I liked was that the story is set in South Florida (South Beach, Key Biscayne and the Florida Keys) so it’s nice to read about some beautiful places that I am familiar with.

If you are looking for a book that’s going to keep you reading into the wee hours of the morning or a romance that will leave you breathless, this is not it. This is a quick, fun and silly read. If you go in with these expectations, I think you will like it.

Content: Clean read.

Top 10 Most Unique Paranormal/Fantasy Books

Jenny over at New Books for New Bloggers has a new feature, the weekly prompt. Last week’s weekly prompt was: Top 10 Most Unique Paranormal/Fantasy Books. And by unique, she means they have characters that are not often written about (as in NOT vampires, werewolves, faeries, and fallen angels.)

While there are tons of great books in these genres, here are my most recent reads, not in any particular order. I read most of these books before I started blogging so I don't have reviews for all of them...

1. Paranormalcy by Kiersten White
2. Firelight by Sophie Jordan
3. Stork by Wendy Delsol
4. Siren by Tricia Rayburn
5. Secondhand Charm by Julie Berry
6. The Line by Teri Hall
7. Dead Beautiful by Yvonne Woon
8. Enchanted Ivy by Sarah Beth Durst
9. The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting
10. White Cat by Holly Black

What are your unique paranormal/fantasy reads?