Follow Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Rachel of Parajunkee and Alison of Alison Can Read! It's a great way to meet new blogger friends!
This weeks question is:
Do you read one book at a time or do you switch back and forth between two or more?
Answer: I usually read one book at a time. I would rather immerse my self completely in one book then a few of them.
There have been times where I have read two at a time. It's usually a paper copy and an ebook. This happens when I can't bring my book somewhere, so I end up reading a book in my iPhone.
What about all of you? Do you read one book at a time, or a few at the same time? Leave me your links in the comments so I can check it out!
Mirabelle’s past is shrouded in secrecy, from her parents’ tragic deaths to her guardians’ half-truths about why she can’t return to her birthplace, Beau Rivage. Desperate to see the town, Mira runs away a week before her sixteenth birthday—and discovers a world she never could have imagined.
In Beau Rivage, nothing is what it seems—the strangely pale girl with a morbid interest in apples, the obnoxious playboy who’s a beast to everyone he meets, and the chivalrous guy who has a thing for damsels in distress. Here, fairy tales come to life, curses are awakened, and ancient stories are played out again and again.
But fairy tales aren’t pretty things, and they don’t always end in happily ever after. Mira has a role to play, a fairy-tale destiny to embrace or resist. As she struggles to take control of her fate, Mira is drawn into the lives of two brothers with fairy-tale curses of their own ... brothers who share a dark secret. And she’ll find that love, just like fairy tales, can have sharp edges and hidden thorns.
A few days before Mira turns 16, she runs away from home. Her entire life her godmothers forbade her to go to Beau Rivage, the place where she was born and her parents were killed. This alone completely intrigued me! Then you add cute boys, mystery, and fairytale retellings! There isn't anything to not love about Kill Me Softly!
The first night in Beau Rivage, Mira meets two brothers-Blue and Felix. Blue is around her age and a complete ass. His older brother is kind, helpful and upon their first meeting is willing to do anything to help Mira. While Mira finds nothing wrong with Felix being so kind to her, Blue keeps telling her to stay away from him, and even kidnaps her to keep her away from him!
Blue and his friends completely intrigued me. They all have curses placed on them. Cinderella, The Little Mermaid, Beauty and the Beast and even Snow White, are just some of the fairytales mentioned. But this isn't your Disney version fairytales. There's blood, torture and death involved in these curses. The reader doesn't learn what Blue and Felix's curse is until closer to end, but boy, is it a good one and completely sucky for Mira!
I thought all of the characters were really well written. Felix is supposed to be the "evil" one but I couldn't help but love him too. Blue was my favorite though. He's the classic, "I am an ass to push people away" character! I felt so bad for Mira. Even though she has had a good life with her godmothers, she wants to know about her past and where she came from. She just wanted to visit her parents grave once. I felt for her, and wanted her to find what she was looking for.
The secondary characters were awesome and consisted mostly of Blue's friends. I wish I could have been friends with all of them. They were so much fun! They all had their issues and their curses to deal with and I loved learning about every single one of them.
The ending definitely set us up for a second book, and I really hope that happens. I can't wait to see everyone again!
Also, can we just discuss how beautiful the cover is! If the synopsis doesn't hook you, this cover definitely will!
Nineteen-year-old vampire Dawn has led a sheltered life within the confines of her father’s presidential headquarters. Upon being sent on a mission to revamp four goofy misfits into guardians of a peaceful little town of AngelCreek, Dawn believes that all her dreams have finally come true. What starts off as a simple task, turns into something unexpected, changing Dawn’s life forever and leading the action-loving, thrill-seeking vampire teen on a path of mystery, danger and intrigue.
When a human girl is kidnapped by a group of rogue vamps, Dawn discovers that there is more going on in AngelCreek than meets the eye. And it all connects to Ethan, the cute newcomer who seems too perfect to be true, Sebastian, the mysterious vampire with a turbulent past, and even Dawn herself. Dawn must not only succeed in revamping the troubled recruits, but must also prevent the vampire race from being overtaken by a malevolent villain who has a strange and obsessive fascination with her. As threat escalates, romance blooms, and ghosts from her past begin to surface, Dawn is sure of only one thing: her life will never be the same.
Wow. I don't even know where to begin. ReVamped is a completely different and original read from any other vampire story out there. This novel had everything I could ask for in a story. The writing was great, the plot was fast-paced and exciting and I absolutely loved everything about every character!
The world that Ada Adams created was fantastic. In her world, humans coexist with vampires. The vampires decided that since society had such a fascination with vampires in movies and books, it would be ok for them to tell the world that they actually do exist and they can live on synthetic blood (blood cola and blood vodka are very popular among the vampires). The vampires are even celebrities in Hollywood. They are in all the major blockbusters and reality shows!
Dawn is a 19 year old born vampire who is on a mission to train the four most unlikely ban of vampires we have ever seen. Seriously. These are not your normal vampires that you have seen in the movies or in books. There's Brook, whose all about fashion, boys and cheerleading. Sophie, who became a vampire in the early 1900's and still has no clue what that means. Hunter, a former 80's band member, whose also a drug addict and Seth, who literally became a vampire two weeks ago by Brook on accident. I loved these guys! I loved watching them grow as characters and I love how much they came together as a group.
Dawn was a pretty awesome character. She's been sheltered her entire life by her vampire father, but he still made sure she was able to stick up for herself. This girl seriously kicked ass. She was strong, smart and loyal, but when it came to boys she was utterly clueless. It was adorable watching her be like any other normal girl when it came to Ethan.
There's also a pretty awesome love triangle between Dawn and gorgeous, sweet human Ethan (who actually happens to have the same birthday as me) and swoon-worthy vampire Sebastian. I love these two guys! Both of them had these amazing qualities that I could not get enough of. I loved learning about Sebastian. His back story is very sad, and it made me love him even more.
The writing was wonderful. At first I was a little confused with what was going on, but that soon changed as more things started to be explained and I was drawn more into the story. I was not able to turn the pages fast enough. When you think you have the story pretty much figured out, Adams surprises you with this whole other storyline which was very interesting!
There was nothing to not like about ReVamped. If your like me and you love a good vampire story, this one is definitely for you! I can not wait to see what is in store for us next!
After breaking a centuries-old romantic curse, Emma Connor is (almost) glad to get back to normal problems. Although...it's not easy dealing with the jealous cliques and gossip that rule her exclusive Upper East Side prep, even for a sixteen-year-old newbie witch. Having the most-wanted boy in school as her eternal soul mate sure helps ease the pain-especially since wealthy, rocker-hot Brendan Salinger is very good at staying irresistibly close....
But something dark and hungry is using Emma and Brendan's deepest fears to reveal damaging secrets and destroy their trust in each other. And Emma's crash course in über-spells may not be enough to keep them safe…or to stop an inhuman force bent on making their unsuspected power its own.
I loved, loved, loved Spellbound, so when I heard that there was going to be a second book in the series, I was excited. Even though I thought Spellbound was going to be a stand alone, and I thought it made a fantastic stand alone, I was still excited to see these characters again. Unfortunely, Spellcaster fell kind of flat for me, but that isn't to say others won't love it. It had some really great parts!
Spellcaster picks up four months after Emma and Brendan broke their curse. They have blissfully been in a relationship, and things couldn't be going better for the two of them. Except nothing can stay perfect forever, and some crazy chick from their past wants to ruin their relationship and make them pay.
When I read a second, or third book in a series, I can never remember half the points from the last book that I am supposed to remember. I hate when an author doesn't find some way to incorporate it into their new book. I was happy that that did not happen here. Cara Lynn Shultz explained everything that I felt like I just finished reading the first book!
Emma and Brendan's romance was hot in this book! I was so happy seeing them happy and together. Emma definitely grew into her witch roots in this one, and not only became a kick ass witch, but an awesome fighter too! I enjoyed watching her character grow. There were also many hilarious lines and I couldn't help but laugh out loud at some of the things that were said.
My biggest issue with this book was the slowness. It took me forever to get into the book, and by the time the book finally picked up, I didn't care as much for the story. Remember when I said I like when authors tell the reader what happened in the first book? Well the first half of the book was almost a retelling of the first book. Points were repeated so many times, that I started to get annoyed. I think that if the book was maybe 100 pages shorter, I would have loved it. I think Spellbound was better as a stand-alone, and I kind of wish it was.
But that is just me. As I said earlier, there are still many things that were great about this book. I think it would appeal most to people who love stories about witches!
Life as the Preliator is harder than Ellie ever imagined.
Balancing real life with the responsibility of being Heaven’s warrior is a challenge for Ellie. Her relationship with Will has become all business, though they both long for each other. And now that the secret of who she really is has come out, so have Hell’s strongest reapers. Grown bold and more vicious, the demonic threaten her in the light of day and stalk her in the night. She’s been warned.
Cadan, a demonic reaper, comes to her with information about Bastian’s new plan to destroy Ellie’s soul and use an ancient relic to wake all the souls of the damned and unleash them upon humanity. As she fights to stay ahead of Bastian’s schemes , the revelations about those closest to her awaken a dark power within Ellie that threatens to destroy everything—including herself. She’ll be betrayed.
Treachery comes even from those whom she loves, and Ellie is broken by the deaths of those who stood beside her in this Heavenly war. Still, she must find a way to save the world, herself, and her love for Will. If she fails, there will be hell to pay.
I thought Angelfire was a terrific novel, but Wings of the Wicked has surpassed all of my expectations. It was a terrific follow-up that is sexy, dark, and full of action and I already can't wait for the third book in the Angelfire series! At over 500 pages, you would think that you would be bored because the author must be dragging out every single scene. That is not the case at all, the writing is so amazing and the story is so captivating, you won't be able to turns the pages quick enough.
I loved Ellie even more in this book. She understands what her job is now, and takes it very seriously, but she is still a teenage girl at heart. She's funny, brave, caring and loving. Her and Will have amazing chemistry and history and they really are so cute together. I love everything about the two of them together. Will is one of my favorite guys in YA, and he completely blow me away with his honesty and loyalty in Wings of the Wicked.
I enjoyed all of the secondary characters as well. Nathanial was still as sweet as I remember him and I loved learning more about Cadan, who I was so intrigued with in Angelfire.
The plot held my attention the entire time. We learn so many things about the war between Heaven and Hell and Will and Ellie are right in the middle of it. We also learn some very interesting things about Will, but it doesn't make me, or Ellie love him any less.
Wings of the Wicked ended with the worst cliffhanger in the history of cliffhangers! I will be waiting (not-so-patiently) for the third book. I can not wait to see where Courtney Allison Moulton leads us to next!
Follow Friday is a weekly meme hosted by Rachel of Parajunkee and Alison of Alison Can Read! It's a great way to meet new blogger friends!
This weeks question is:
What is the longest book you've read? What are your favorite 600+ page reads?
Answer: The longest book I've read was The Instructions by Adam Levin at 1,030 pages. This book was huge and could easily be used at a weapon to fight off any kind of attackers!
I enjoyed this book as well, so I will choose it as my favorite 600+ page book as well!
What is the longest book you ever read? Leave me your link in the comment section so I cam check your answer out!
Death of a Dreamer: The Assassination of John Lennon
By: Alison Behnke
Pub. Date: May 1, 2012
Publisher: Learner Publishing Group
Pages: 112
Source: Netgalley
New York, December 8, 1980: The announcement shocked the world. Beatles founder and legendary musician John Lennon had been murdered in front of his New York home. With no warning, a lone gunman opened fire, shooting Lennon in the back just as Lennon returned from a recording session with his wife, Yoko Ono. Husband, father of two, cultural icon, and hero to millions, Lennon was dead.
Around the globe, people mourned the loss of a man who had stood for peace, a man who had given so much joy to the world through his gift of music. No one had seen it coming…except one man—Mark David Chapman, Lennon's assassin.
What drove this former Beatles fan to commit such a terrible act? Follow the lives of both Lennon and Chapman, learn about the political and cultural settings in which both grew up, and trace—step by excruciating step—the final moments of John Lennon's life.
I am a huge fan of John Lennon. I wasn't even born when he was murdered, but I still mourn his death. He was an incredible person, who had a beautiful message to share with everyone, and because of that, he was killed.
Even though John died over 30 years ago, many people, young and old are still fascinated with the man that he was. This is the perfect book for them. There's facts, a timeline and pictures. It's simple and a very easy way to learn about him.
The book was very easy to follow and I loved the pictures that were added. It begins with John's early childhood, to his time in The Beatles, his marriage to Yoko Ono, and eventually his death and the legacy he left behind.
Death of a Dreamer is the perfect book for any Beatles or John Lennon fan. It's also perfect if you don't know much about Lennon and his life and you want to know about the man behind "Imagine".
Two years ago, Scarlet awoke in the forest alone, afraid, and unable to remember anything. Lost and confused, her life was a mystery...until she met a boy with a familiar voice.
Gabriel Archer has a voice from her past, and Scarlet's determined to remember why. She immerses herself in his life only to discover he has a brother he's kept hidden from her: Tristan Archer.
Upon meeting Tristan, Scarlet's world becomes even more muddled. While she's instinctively drawn to Gabriel, she's impossibly drawn to Tristan--and confused out of her mind. As she tries to piece together her history Scarlet realizes her past...might just be the death of her.
I fell in love with Chelsea Fine's writing after I read Sophie & Carter, which ended up being one of my favorite books of 2011. When I found out she was writing a new series, I was super excited! I don't know what made we wait to long to read Anew. It was amazing and I can not wait for Awry, the second book in the series.
The story starts with Scarlet waking up alone in a forest with no memories of her life. The one thing that she does know is her name and her age. Flash forward two years, and Scarlet is now living in Avalon, Georgia. She has a guardian named Laura, who treats her like a daughter and a best friend, Heather. She still has no idea where she came from, but she makes due with what she has. Every year her town throws a Kissing Festival, and it is there that she meets Gabriel, who she is instantly attracted too. The two of them begin dating, and this is when her life begins to change. When she meets Gabriel's twin brother, Tristan, who she was never supposed to meet, her life becomes even more complicated!
There isn't much to say about Anew except that it is amazing! Ms. Fine is truly a talented writer. First she completely ripped my heart out in Sophie & Carter, then she blows my mind with Anew. The writing flowed nicely, and sometimes I think authors find it difficult to write multiple point of views, but Fine was able to write Scarlet's, Gabriel's and Tristan's view points perfect, sucking me into the story even more! The plot was fast paced and I was not able to put it down. I read it on a flight from Texas to New York. Best flight of my life!!
The characters were absolutely terrific and you couldn't help but fall in love with every single one of them. Scarlet's been through a lot and I felt for her. I couldn't imagine how difficult it must have been for her to not know anything about her past. I really enjoyed her character. She wasn't annoying and took everything that she learned about herself in stride. Her best friend Heather had to have been my favorite character. She was hilarious! You could tell that she really cared about Scarlet, which was nice.
Then there are the Archer brothers! Holy crap, the Archer brothers! These guys were fantastic. Cute, funny, caring, I seriously fell in love with both of them, Tristan especially. Despite coming off as an ass, he was anything but, and I really liked that. I loved the banter between the two brothers. They were so funny and quick witted. Gabriel and Tristan each have distinct personalities, but where it counted they were exactly the same. The cared so deeply for Scarlet and were willing to do anything for her.
Anew is the kind of book that you need to read over and over again. What's not to love, it has everything, including an amazing cover! I seriously can not wait for the second book to come out in the Summer.
An intense look at the rules of high school attraction -- and the price that's paid for them. It happens every year. A list is posted, and one girl from each grade is chosen as the prettiest, and another is chosen as the ugliest. Nobody knows who makes the list. It almost doesn't matter. The damage is done the minute it goes up. This is the story of eight girls, freshman to senior, "pretty" and "ugly." And it's also the story of how we see ourselves, and how other people see us, and the tangled connection of the two.
I actually wasn't planning on reading The List right now, but when some bloggers that I talk to on twitter started discussing it, I had to get on the bandwagon and see what all of the talk was about. Wow! I seriously was not expecting such a great book. Siobhan Vivian's ability to weave eight different point of views in one story was admirable, and was executed wonderfully!
The Monday before Homecoming, a mysterious student determines who the prettiest girl and the ugliest girl is in each class grade. The List is the story of the eight girls that were chosen this year, and how the list affects them. The worst thing about this is that the list isn't some sort of prank, it happens every single year, and it is a tradition for the students. The first eight chapters is each girl's POV of hearing the news that they were on the list. Some are delighted, others are angry and can't believe it. It was really sad, and I could only imagine the pain that the "ugly" girls felt. The girls that were labeled pretty, were of course surprised and delighted by the outcomes list, but you start to see how it changes them as well.
You would think it would be hard to feel so connected to eight different characters, but that is not the case at all. I really cared for every single one of them. The writing was fantastic, and I liked that there was a copy of the list at the beginning of the book. I found myself referring to the list a lot in the first few chapters to remind myself who all of the girls were. Despite this, I wasn't confused with all of the POVs.
The only issue that I found myself having was that I wish there was some sort of epilogue at the end, some sort of closure about the girls. There were a lot of unanswered questions, and I really wished these questions were answered and the ending wasn't left so open-ended.
Other then that, I really enjoyed The List. This was the first book that I read from Siobhan Vivian, and I am looking forward to reading her other books!
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