by Kay | Jan 16, 2010 | Book Haul |
In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren ( inspired by Alea of Pop Culture Junkie) and explores the content of your mailbox. Or bookbox as they should now be called!
I got quite a few books this week – ones I have been waiting for for a while! (And apologies for the crappy photos – its my camera phone!)
Storm Glass and Sea Glass by Maria V. Snyder
I loved Maria’s The Poison Study, so I splurged and bought all her books! These are supposed to be more YA than her Study series, but set in the same universe.
Vampire Academy (signature edition) by Richelle Mead
The Espressologist by Kristina Springer
I have already read Springer’s book and LOVED it! Look out for a review this week. And I finally gave in and bought Vampire Academy – this is a hardcover which apparently has some sort of magical power when you hold it up to a webcam? Haven’t tried it yet…!
The Hobbit (Illustrated by Alan Lee) by J.R.R. Tolkien
Firespell by Chloe Neil
The Hobbit is part of my
LOTR Readalong and is as wonderful as I remember it. And the illustrations are absolutely stunning! While Firespell is part of my
YA debut author challenge (also hosted by The Story Siren), and, even though I am only 8 pages in, I am already in love with it!
So what came in your mailbox this week?
by Kay | Jan 13, 2010 | Weekly Feature |
“Waiting On” Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted over at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that are being eagerly anticipated.
The Owl Keeper by Christine Brodien-Jones
Young Adult – April 13th 2010 by Delacorte BFYR
Maxwell Unger has always loved the night. He used to do brave things like go tramping through the forest with his gran after dark. He loved the stories she told him about the world before the Destruction—about nature, and books, and the silver owls. His favorite story, though, was about the Owl Keeper.
According to Max’s Gran, in times of darkness the Owl Keeper would appear to unite owls and sages against the powers of the dark. Gran is gone now, and so are her stories of how the world used to be. Max is no longer brave. The forest is dangerous, the books Gran had saved have been destroyed, and the silver owls are extinct. At least that’s what the High Echelon says. But Max knows better.
Maxwell Unger has a secret. And when a mysterious girl comes to town, he might just have to start being brave again.
The time of the Owl Keeper, Gran would say, is coming soon.
Sounds absolutely amazing, involves owls and has a kick-ass cover. What more could you want?
by Kay | Jan 11, 2010 | Weekly Feature |
It’s Monday! What are you reading this week? is a weekly event to celebrate what we are reading.
Books I am currently reading:
Books I plan on reading this week:
Books to review:
- Moon Called by Patricia Briggs
- Feast of Fools by Rachel Caine
- Lord of Misrule by Rachel Caine
- Carpe Corpus by Rachel Caine
- A Kiss of Shadows by Laurell K. Hamilton
- The Taste of Night by Vicki Pettersson
- Untamed by P.C. and Kristin Cast
- Hunted by P.C. and Kristin Cast
So that is this week! I really need to pick up the pace if I want to complete the 100+ Book Challenge….!
by Kay | Jan 9, 2010 | Reviews |
Moonlight by Rachel Hawthorne
Series: Dark Guardian #1
Published by Harper Collins on 2009-03-03
Pages: 272
Genres: Middle Grade
Source: Gifted from someone with/without taste
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Rating: Kayla is the nature lover, the all-American beauty who can't understand why she's so drawn to distant, brooding Lucas. Adopted as a young child, she has no way of knowing that she's inherited a terrifying - and thrilling - gene that will change her life forever.
Lucas is dangerous, gorgeous . . . and a werewolf. As leader of the Dark Guardians, shape-shifters who gather deep within the state park, he has sworn to protect his pack. But when Lucas finds his true soul mate, his love could put them all in harm's way. As Lucas and Kayla struggle with their feelings for each other, a greater danger lurks: Humans have discovered the Dark Guardians and are planning their destruction. Kayla must choose between the life she knows and the love she feels certain is her destiny.
Thoughts: There was just something… wrong with this book. There was nothing particularly bad about the writing, or even the plot – but there was just something about it that made it a rather uneventful read. But what exactly?
When I finished it – which took a while despite being a ludicrously easy read – I finally worked out what it was: it was a Middle Grade novel with a Young Adult plot.
The writing was just slightly too simple, the cover-ups too obvious, and the emotions underdeveloped. While this is understandable when your narrator is 12 – it is harder when she is a teen. And when the plot involves werewolves and undying love, there is a certain amount of maturity that you expect from the writing and the characters.
Bottom line? Skip it – even if you are a die-hard YA Romance lover. I don’t plan on getting the next books – life is too short to read books you a apathetic about.
by Kay | Jan 8, 2010 | Weekly Feature |
Friday Finds is hosted over at Should be Reading where bloggers are asked to explain the growing pile of books on their TBR list by answering “What great books did you hear about / discover this past week?”
Pretty When She Dies: A Vampire Novel by Rhiannon Frater (Amazon)
Amaliya wakes under the forest floor, disoriented, famished and confused. She digs out of the shallow grave and realizes she is hungry… … in a new, horrific, unimaginable way… Sating her great hunger, she discovers that she is now a vampire, the bloodthirsty creature of legend. She has no choice but to flee from her old life and travels across Texas. Her new hunger spurs her to leave a wake of death and blood behind her as she struggles with her new nature. All the while, her creator is watching. He is ancient, he is powerful, and what’s worse is that he’s a necromancer. He has the power to force the dead to do his bidding. Amaliya realizes she is but a pawn in a twisted game, and her only hope for survival is to seek out one of her own kind. But if Amaliya finds another vampire, will it mean her salvation… or her death?
This one looks kinda violent – but should make for a good change! I am kinda longing for some old-school, evil vampires!
