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Sunday, November 27, 2011

In My Mailbox #19 (Vlog #11)- Beyond hyper edition.



In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi over at The Story Siren. The gorgeous button above I stole borrowed from Laura at All of Everything.  I am incredibly hyper in this Vlog, as I just returned from seeing Breaking Dawn, which I thought was awesome. I'm thinking about when I can see it again. So yes, and the video cuts out at the end, because my battery died. But I was done anyways. So enjoy...


Books Mentioned

Library:

Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta

Review:

Dead to You by Lisa McMann

That's it for me ladies and gents. I will be spending the day celebrating my nephews first birthday but I shall return later and comment like crazy for the rest of the night! So don't be shy.

~Happy Reading!

Saturday, November 26, 2011

My Thoughts: The Wolves of Mercy Falls Series

I've read the whole series this year, and I am going provide mini reviews for all three books in this post. Enjoy.

Grace and Sam share a kinship so close they could be lovers or siblings. But they also share a problem. When the temperature slips towards freezing, Sam reverts to his wolf identity and must retreat into the woods to protect his pack. He worries that eventually his human side will fade away and he will be left howling alone at the lonely moon. A stirring supernatural teen romance.







Shiver sat on my shelf for months before I got around to reading it. I was really excited to read it when I first bought it. However, I read some not so great reviews and I my excitement dwindled. I did eventually read it and I enjoyed it, however I also see why others did not like it. The pace was a bit slow for me in the beginning, I wasn't sure what I was waiting for, but nothing was really happening. I was a bit confused about what exactly was going on. But I persevered, and kept reading. Maggie Stiefvater is a phenomenal writer, and it was for the reason alone that I kept reading.

I loved the characters in these books. They were fantastic in all three of these books. I adored Grace. There was something magical about her. She was a strong character that was not at all boring. When she wanted something she went for it. She was beautifully written. Sam was an interesting individual. I'm not sure about him, I think I found him a little too docile for my taste. He wasn't all bad. I liked that he was broody and I appreciated his love for music and poetry.

They idea of the wolves change being provoked by cold weather was interesting, but not something I was terribly fond of. I thought it was a little corny to be honest. It didn't make sense to me. The same goes for the supposed cure.


In Maggie Stiefvater's Shiver, Grace and Sam found each other. Now, in Linger, they must fight to be together. For Grace, this means defying her parents and keeping a very dangerous secret about her own well-being. For Sam, this means grappling with his werewolf past . . . and figuring out a way to survive into the future. Add into the mix a new wolf named Cole, whose own past has the potential to destroy the whole pack. And Isabelle, who already lost her brother to the wolves . . . and is nonetheless drawn to Cole.




I wasn't sure I was going to read Linger. As I mentioned above. I thought Shiver was ok, but I got kind of bored with it. But I got curious and I wanted to know what else was in store for Grace and Sam. I enjoyed Linger WAY more than Shiver. I thought the story was a whole lot more interesting and it brought us Cole. What a wonderfully complex character, he came to us broken and wanting to die. I found this part of his story terribly heart breaking. I loved his encounters with Isabelle, and I loved seeing their relationship develop. I also enjoyed Linger more because we got to see Isabelle grow as a character. I enjoyed her in Shiver and I knew there was more to her then what was initially presented to us.

Grace's Parents. They were the most neglectful people I have ever read about. They're selfishness drove me insane. I could not believe it. The fact that they did not know that Sam was staying at their house at night baffles me. Then we have Beck, he loved Sam and cared for him like any father would love their son. Beck wanted the best for Sam, he tried to give Sam everything that he needed. But for all intents and purposes he kidnapped Sam by intentionally changing him. The parental units in this novel were seriously lacking. Even Isabelle's parents were a little to non-caring for me.


In Maggie Stiefvater's Shiver, Grace and Sam found each other. In Linger, they fought to be together. Now, in Forever, the stakes are even higher than before. Wolves are being hunted. Lives are being threatened. And love is harder and harder to hold on to as death comes closing in.








Forever was the last installment of this trilogy. Again, I enjoyed it, but it wasn't great for me. I still got great characters but the story never really went anywhere for me, I was waiting for certain things to be resolved or explored more, but that never happened. Cole's story for instance, I was expecting a little more detail into his life before he became a wolf but that was never mentioned. His relationship with Victor's sister was never again mentioned, which I thought was a little disappointing. Grace and Sam's story was a little boring for me. Even with the new conflict of Grace being a wolf. I did not enjoy the wolf hunt aspect that Isabelle's father was leading, I thought it unnecessary and trivial. I also did not like the end. I did not think it was much of an ending. There were SO many unanswered questions and that kind of annoyed me.

Overall, I don't think that this was a good series for me. I enjoyed the characters. Although the writing was good I didn't like the story- I don't think werewolves are my thing.

~Happy Reading Everyone!

Sunday, November 20, 2011

In My Mailbox #18 (Vlog #10)



Another week of In My Mailbox. This video was filmed VERY late. Also I lost my voice this week and I only started getting it back yesterday morning, and you can start to hear my croaky-ness a little towards the end of the video. I apologize.

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi over at The Story Siren.



Books Mentioned

Bought:

But I Love Him by Amanda Grace
Wither by Lauren DeStefano

Library:

Lola and the Boy Next Door by Stephanie Perkins

From Net Galley/For Review:

Cinder by Marissa Meyer
Deadly Little Secret by Laurie Faria Stolarz
Incarnate by Jodi Meadows
Saving June by Hannah Harrigton
Someone Else's Life by Kate Dale
Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

That's it for me this week. I can't imagine getting much more for the next couple of weeks. So this might be it for a while. But I have a lot to read and a month long break coming up. So you'll be seeing more from me.

~Happy Reading Everyone!

Thursday, November 17, 2011

2012 TBR Pile Reading Challenge- Sign Me Up!



Ok, lets be honest. Who hasn't bought a book with the intention of reading it right away, and months (maybe even years later) discover it on the shelf with the status "to be read" still attached to it? I've been there. Actually, I have SO many books on my shelf that have just been sitting there, begging me to read them. They've been calling out my name- Sara, read me. Its downright freaky. 

So when I saw that Evie was hosting this amazing challenge I could not pass it up. It's the greatest idea in the whole world. 

The Details:

  1. This challenge will run from Jan 1, 2012 - Dec 31, 2012.
  2. As we would like to see quality reviews linked up to our monthly wrap-ups, only bloggers can enter. Sorry about that!
  3. Any genre, length or format of book counts, as long as it is a book that's been sitting on your shelf for some time now. Only books released in 2011 and earlier! NO ARCs and 2012 fresh-off-the-press releases allowed!
  4. You can list your books in advance or just put them in a wrap-up post. If you list them, feel free to change them as the mood takes you.
  5. When you sign up in the linky, put the direct link to your post about joining the 2012 TBR PILE Reading Challenge (You need to include the info + host list + challenge button. You can also grab the button code and add it to your sidebar!)
  6. You can move up levels, but no moving down.
  7. Sign-ups will be open until Dec 15, 2012, so feel free to join at any time throughout the year.
**There are a few extra details but you can find those over at Bookish (Evie's blog)**
 
The Hosts:

Evie from Bookish - @SeoEvie
Nicole from All I Ever Read - @Nicoleabouttown
Bonnie from Hands and Home - @HandsHomeBlog
Donna from Book Passion For Life - @BookPforLife
Caitlin from WatchYA Reading - @caitlingss
Rie from Mission To Read - @missiontoread
Vicky from Books, Biscuits & Tea -@alouetteuette
Christa from Hooked On Books - @ChristasBooks
Jenna from Fans Of Fiction - @fansoffiction
Angel from Mermaids Vision - http://mermaidvision.wordpress.com @mermaidvisions


The Levels:

1-10 - A Firm Handshake
11-20 - A Friendly Hug
21-30 - A Sweet Kiss
31-40 - Love At First Sight
41-50 - Married With Children

My Challenge:

I have a lot of books on my shelf that need to be read. I can average about six books a month, factor in my other reading challenges and I think I can manage two a month, with a total of 24 books (I am sure I can/will do more, but at this point, that's what I am sticking to).  So, A Sweet Kiss- here I come.

Here is a small taste of what I would like to have read:

Young Adult:

-You Against Me by Jenny Downham
-Slice of Cherry by Dia Reeves
-The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
-Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins
-Glimmer Glass by Jenna Black
-The Power of Six by Pittacus Lore

Adult:

-Handle With Care by Jodi Picoult
- Selfish is the Heart by Megan Hart
- Juliet Naked by Nick Hornby
-True Love by Freya North
- Envy by JR Ward
-Arranged by Catherine Mckenzie

So there you have it. A brief introduction into this wicked awesome challenge. It's going to be a lot of fun, and I encourage you all to head over and sign up.

~Happy Reading Everyone!

Monday, November 14, 2011

My Thoughts: The Space Between by Brenna Yovanoff

Everything is made of steel, even the flowers. How can you love anything in a place like this?

Daphne is the half-demon, half-fallen angel daughter of Lucifer and Lilith. Life for her is an endless expanse of time, until her brother Obie is kidnapped - and Daphne realizes she may be partially responsible. Determined to find him, Daphne travels from her home in Pandemonium to the vast streets of Earth, where everything is colder and more terrifying. With the help of the human boy she believes was the last person to see her brother alive, Daphne glimpses into his dreams, discovering clues to Obie's whereabouts. As she delves deeper into her demonic powers, she must navigate the jealousies and alliances of the violent archangels who stand in her way. But she also discovers, unexpectedly, what it means to love and be human in a world where human is the hardest thing to be.





**ARC received by Penguin Canada**


Before I talk about this book and what I thought about it. Lets talk about this gorgeous cover. I mean really, it's beautiful! I love it. Kudos to the design team for coming up with this one. It's truly magnificent.



Brenna Yovanoff is fairly well known for her debut novel The Replacement. Loads of people have read it and loved it. However, I have not read it and it was because so many people were talking about that The Replacement that I became even more curious about Yovanoff's writing. So, when I was presented with the opportunity to read The Space Between I jumped on the chance. This book took me FOREVER to read. I started to read it shortly after I received it, which was the beginning of October and have only finished it now. It took me so long to read for two reasons. 1.) I am a student, and life as a student got so incredibly busy for just as I started reading The Space Between. I barely had time to sleep, never mind read. and, 2.) It took me a while to get into the book. I found the beginning a little slow and sometimes confusing, and to my sleep depraved mind that was not something I enjoyed. In saying that, I did not dislike this book. The writing was beautiful, the characters were strong and well developed, I think it was the plot that I had the most trouble with.


Its no secret that Brenna Yovanoff is a beautiful writer. She can string words together that you wouldn't think to put together and make them sound so eloquent and classy. I loved that about this book. The writing flowed so well. The detail that went into her descriptions of everything was amazing. I had absolutely no trouble picturing everything she mentioned. It was really fabulous. I loved the emotions that her characters went through, the discoveries the made within themselves were awesome, and enlightening.


I loved Truman. I did. Even at his lowest Truman was one of the best male protagonists that I have ever had the pleasure to read. He never felt sorry for himself, despite his desire to die. I never once got the 'woe is me" vibe. He knew he was unhappy, and that he did not want to be unhappy anymore. Truman was straight forward and honest (he did sometimes omit truths). He was pathetic, and he did not lead an easy life. But I never got annoyed with his character. I loved how he cared for Daphne, and when he realized that he cared more for her then he thought, he didn't try and deny it. It was just fact and he accepted that. Daphne was a funny character. I have never read anything from the perspective of a demon before, and it was difficult in the beginning to really relate to her. This was why it took me a little while to get into the story. I couldn't relate to Daphne. I liked her, but her world and her thought process were not things I have considered in my life. It wasn't until she had her mission and had found Truman that things began to make more sense to me and I began to enjoy the story more.


The plot. I didn't realize going into this that I would be so uncomfortable with reading something that starred demons, and the child of Lucifer. However every time it was mentioned that Daphne was the daughter of Lucifer it would set me off. I was ok with hell, and Lilith and the old "legends", I was even some what ok with Beelzebub, but Lucifer, the devil- no way. When he made an appearance at the end of the novel, that really disturbed me. I can't pin point exactly why, or what it was that bothered me, all I know was that it did. It was this that made it the most difficult for me to read this book, and why it took me so long. I wasn't sure in the beginning if I was going to continue reading. My hang ups were limiting me.


I also was confused about the Azrael issue. I was never super clear about who he was- I knew he was an angel, but that's about it. Was he a fallen angel, or a servant of God? What was he role? Also when the mystery behind Truman's dreams was revealed I was even more confused. Also, Daphne's role in that, and why she was there was never fully explained. I found that perhaps there were a few plot holes that needed a bit more filling in. Obie's wife and why Azrael was doing what he was doing for instance.


Overall, I enjoyed The Space Between. There were a few things that I had issues with, however, there were also things that I really enjoyed. For those who don't have the hang ups I do about the devil, I think you'll really enjoy this book, it's beautifully written, and the two protagonists are awesome. The Space Between is due to hit shelves tomorrow, Nov 15th.



~Happy Reading Everyone!  

Sunday, November 13, 2011

In My Mailbox #17 (Vlog #9)- The "So Excited" edition



In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi over at The Story Siren. Thanks Kristi!

This week was an epic week for me (I think as least). I got some AWESOME stuff, and therefore say 'so excited like 50 times in the 7 minutes I was on camera. So... I hope you enjoy.


Bought:

** I opted not to link every book, that is far to many**

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

For Review:

Fever by Lauren DeStefano

That is all for me this week. Don't forget to link your IMMs below.

~Happy Reading Everyone!

Saturday, November 12, 2011

2012 Debut Author Challenge-Sign Me Up.


I can hardly believe that it's already time to be thinking about the 2012 Debut Author Challenge hosted by Kristi over at The Story Siren. The 2011 Debut Author Challenge was my first reading challenge and I had a blast participating. So Far I have read 15 DA's and we still have a month and a half left.

For those of you who have participated in the past there are a few changes to this years challenge, however it looks to be better then ever! So head over and check it out!

I have a list of 14 books so far that I am hoping to read. This will most likely change-some I'll get to, some I won't, and I am sure that there will be others added. But here is my preliminary list. 

**All links lead to Goodreads**

  1. Tempest by Julie Cross
  2. Cinder by Marissa Meyer
  3. The Catatsrophic History of You and Me by Jess Rothenberg
  4. Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi
  5. Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood
  6. Fractured by Megan Miranda
  7. Where it Began by Ann Redisch Stampler
  8. Someone Else's Life by Katie Dale
  9. Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins
  10. My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick
  11. Immortal City by Scott Speer
  12. Unraveling by Elizabeth Norris
  13. Breaking Beautiful by Jennifer Shaw Wolf
  14. What She Left Behind by Tracy Bilen
As I said, I am pretty excited to be taking part again this year. I look forward to seeing everyone else's list. So let me know if you are participating, and what you are excited to read.

~Happy Reading Everyone!

Monday, November 7, 2011

My Thoughts: City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare


" 'He does make me happy,' Clary said. 'But he can't control everything in the world, Mom. Other things happen—' she fumbled for words; how could she explain that it wasn't Jace making her unhappy, but what was happening to him, without revealing what that was?" "In a world where everything went away from him eventually, she was one of the few remaining constants." Except for teasers, the fourth installment of Cassandra Clare's Mortal Instruments romance fantasy has been strictly embargoed, leaving us clutching for word clues. A teen series that keeps readers on tenterhooks.














Most of you have read Cassandra Clare's popular The Mortal Instrument series. And most of you were VERY excited when it was announced that it wasn't to end at City of Glass. That she was coming back with the much loved characters and keeping the story alive. I myself, really didn't care. Only because I had only read the first book- years ago when it first came out. I told myself I wasn't going to read anymore because I really hated the Clary and Jace were brother and sister, I was not happy, so I chose not to read further. It wasn't until Simon and Schuster Canada offered me a finished copy of City of Fallen Angels that I decided to find out what all the hoopla was about. Why did people love this series so much? Why were they so excited for it's return? So back in March I read both City of Ashes and City of Glass, and I really enjoyed them, a lot. However when my Copy of CoFA came in the mail, I did not immediately jump in and start reading.



As I mentioned before, when I first read City of Bones I was not a happy camper, I was so frustrated that Jace and Clary were brother and sister. I remember liking Jace and his sarcasm, I also remember thinking that Clary was perfect for him. She could handle him. Therefore, after the big reveal, I had no desire to continue reading. But, that is in the past now. We all know the truth and can now breathe easy.



Clare writes amazing characters. We all know that. And City of Fallen Angels brought to us the fabulous characters she does so well. In CoFA we got to see more of Simon’s perspective on things. Which is something I really enjoyed. Simon was one of my favourite characters from The Mortal Instruments series. He was smart, totally dorky and completely endearing. How could you not like Simon? I really liked experiencing things from his point of view, and getting inside his head. I found reading about his concern when it came to his relationships with Isabelle and Maia. I could feel his concern and despair when his mother discovered him (that scene broke my heart), also when he attacked Maureen, the guilt he felt. Simon is one of Clare’s more complex characters, and I was pleased to see more from him. Clary was the same old Clary we all know and love (sometimes), she’s loyal to her friends and her sarcasm is renowned (maybe not like Jaces’s but...). Her friendship with Simon makes me smile.  I like Clary. I think she’s a well developed, well rounded character. However, for me, for a female protagonist, she’s not the most memorable for me. I sometimes felt like Clare felt like she had done all she could for Clary and focused more on others (this is just my perspective).  I think there are certain character’s in The Mortal Instrument series that are stronger than she is. In saying this, I need to reiterate; I liked Clary, however I just felt like she was left in the shadows more often then not. Jace, a crowd favourite. Normally I love Jace, his sarcasm and wit are legendary. Even at his lowest, Jace is known to be clever and always ready with a joke. I felt like this was missing in CoFA. Mostly because he was dealing with some heavy stuff. We still got Jace’s jokes, and sarcasm, but it felt forced and sometimes it fell flat. He did have some great banter with Simon and some great one liners for sure, but they were few. His personal demons got in the way, and I was sad about that. Clare also introduces new characters in City of Fallen Angels. Kyle/Jordan is my favourite. I loved him. I loved what he brought to the story, and his attitude. I felt for him and Maia and I am curious about their story, I can’t wait to explore that in future novels. I enjoyed seeing his friendship with Simon blossom. He even got along with Jace. It made for good reading. Magnus was another favourite of mine, and I was glad that him and Alec showed up in the end. I was worried I was going to miss them. I love Magnus, and he says one of the most remarkably romantic things to Alec, I was speechless, and saying “awwww,” all at the same time.



Where I did enjoy reading CoFA for the most part, I had a few issues with things. When Jace started avoiding Clary, I didn’t know why, I felt like that wasn’t explained very well. One minute the two were getting along great, the next Jace is having huge issues with Clary and not speaking to her, this was so confusing to me. At first I thought that I had missed something and went back to check, but no, there was nothing to explain his sudden shift. I sometimes find that Clare over dramatizes things in her novels. Everything is such a big event, there is rarely anything subtle to be found in her books. Nothing is ever down played. This is partially why I didn’t read this book when it first came to me. I had already read the two previous books in the series, and I wasn’t sure that I could handle more. So I took a break, and I think that I enjoyed CoFA more then I would have if I had read it right away. I did not like the end of the novel mostly because it was so over played and so dramatic. It’s like Clare asked “what the worst thing that could happen?”  and then did exactly that. I was SO frustrated. I should have been expecting it. But It bugged me.



Even with all my hang ups with this book, I still really enjoyed it, and was pleased with what I got. Clare doesn’t miss a beat with this book, and I am looking forward to reading more of the series.

~Happy Reading Everyone!

Sunday, November 6, 2011

In My Mailbox #16 (Vlog #8)




In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi over at The Story Siren.  Not to much to share with you today, but I hope you enjoy.


Library:

Lover Eternal by JR Ward
Stork by Wendy Delsol

For Review:

Hallowed by Cynthia Hand

Borrowed:

Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare

My Nov TBR video if you are interested: November TBR.

That's all for me, don't forget to link your IMMs below.

~Happy Reading Everyone! 

Friday, November 4, 2011

Many Books in a Year: September and October


I don't know what happened, but I totally forgot to do a post for Many Books in a Year in Oct. Which is sad, because I read eight books that month , and six in October. Better late then never.

September's Books

1) Stolen by Lucy Christopher (My Thoughts)
2) Bloodlines by Richelle Mead (My Thoughts)
3) Looking for Alaska by John Green  
4) Second Chances by Lauren Dane
5) One Foot in the Grave by Jeanine Frost
6) The Summer of Skinny Dipping by Amanda Howells (My Thoughts)
7) A Beautiful Dark by Jocelyn Davies (My Thoughts)
8) The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin (My Thoughts)

A lot of book, and they were all very good.

October's Books

1) Spoiled by Heather Cocks and Jessica Morgan (My Thoughts)
2) Triangles by Ellen Hopkins (My Thoughts)
3) Virtuosity by Jessica Martinez (My Thoughts)
4) Matched by Ally Condie
5) The Brides Baby by Liz Fielding
6) City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare (My Thoughts coming soon)

This brings me to 74 books this year so far. Which is NOT where I want to be. Nov is a little less busy for school, but I have a HUGE paper due at the end of the month, so I may disappear for a while. But I have the whole month of Dec off, so I am hopeful.

If you want to see what I am hoping to read in Nov, I did a video on my Youtube channel, which you can find here.  Enjoy.

~Happy Reading everyone!

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Teaser Tuesday #25

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

•Grab your current read

•Open to a random page

•Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page

•BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

•Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare

"'Hey,' said Jace... 'do you want to see a photo of Alec and Magnus in Berlin?'
'Not really,' said Simon.
'Magnus is wearing lederhosen.'
'And yet, still no.'"

(P.171)
"So, please, oh please, we beg, we pray, go throw your TV set away, and in its place you can install, a lovely bookcase on the wall."
— Roald Dahl