What's Up Wrap Up - Feb 2011

*woot* 2nd month down, and how quickly it flew by! I read some *AMAZING* books this month that are definitely staying on my shelves for re-reads! I'm actually quite proud of myself because this month proved to be a month of pre-planning and I actually was ahead of schedule as far as reviews go! Which means more time for me to read books and check out my fellow bloggers! :)


How Did February Go
Books Read
32 books devoured - 2 borrowed, 6 bought, 19 for review, 3 swapped, 2 won
Total To Date: 61
21 eBooks - 3 bought, 18 eARC
Total To Date: 34
16 books that were part of a series
8 YA 2011 debuts - Total To Date: 12

Books Reviewed
23 reviews posted - 11 full reviews, 12 mini-reviews - Total To Date: 43
5 *5* reviews
10 *4* reviews
8 *3* reviews
4 YA 2011 debuts

Blog Maintenance
Review Policy updated 2/6
*fixed some wording and added new favorite authors*
Domain name - www.theepicrat.com - purchased 2/16
*I'm here to stay, folks!*
Added Twitter handles to all authors reviewed in February 2/12
Review (by month) & (by author) updated 2/19

Other Blog-Related Niceties
Continued Weekly Blog Feature: Thursday Thinks
- Cover Colors (2/3)
- All-Nighters & One-Night Stand Books (2/10)
- Keeping Track Of Books & Reviews (2/17)
- Winged Characters (2/24)
Hosted Follower Giveaway (prize: a series of choice, up to 3 books)
Joined Twitter - @theEPICrat - and learning the ropes 2/12
Reviews on LibraryThing and GoodReads updated 2/19
Organized my GoodReads library by cover color 2/5
Purchased my very own the{EPIC}rat bookmarks
*see design above - I can't wait to share the love!*

Monday Mini(BkRv) :: 22 - 24

:: 22 ::

Book Review / 

Plan B
by Charnan Simon

YA | Girls

First Line (eARC) / "Okay," I announced. "Ten reasons why today is a good day."

Lucy had her future after high school planned out, happily together with her boyfriend Luke. When they finally take their relationship to the next level (i.e. SEX), Lucy thought everything was still peachy keen until her period never came. Suddenly Lucy has to face the stork truth and figure out how to break it to Luke and her mother.

The Review / Plan B is very short and did not really provide much closure to Lucy's unplanned pregnancy. Not only that, but it ended on a rather optimistic note -which is lovely, but I'm not sure how realistic it is. It would have been better to carry the pregnancy to term with Lucy and Luke fully understanding what it means to be teenage parents-to-be. I have a little misgiving with the title because it reminded me of the emergency contraceptive pill, which never enters the picture in any way.

---Disclaimer / Publisher / eARC

:: 23 ::

Book Review / 

I Love Him To Pieces
by Evonne Tsang

YA | Graphic Novel | Zombies

Is it a match made in egg heaven, or will Dicey and Jack butt their sporty and nerdy heads (respectively) as they work together for the Health Ed egg project? They work to juggle ball games, lab homework, dungeon runs, and mowing the lawn - but when a zombie infection breaks out, would it be safe to say that perhaps their egg-child is the least of their problems?

The Review / This is a super-cute story with cute artwork (minus the zombies) and cute characters! Don't expect anything too deep or thought-provoking - this is more like a fun read that is mostly romantic with a hint of zombies. I really enjoyed learning about Jack's role-playing group and watching them go through their dungeon run - so funny!



Zombie Rating / It was hard to get bothered by the zombies after encountering the ones in ZSG: Recorded Attacks, not to mention the rest of the cute illustrations that dominated I Love Him To Pieces. All in all, I'd let these zombies take a chomp of me if only I can watch Dicey and Jack crush on each other :)

 ---Disclaimer / Publisher / eARC

:: 24 ::

Book Review / 

Odd Girl In
by Jo Whittemore - @TheAsianAngel

MG | Girls

First Line (eARC) / All I did was put a flaming bag of dog poop on Mr. McGuire's porch.

When their dad finally gets fed up with his children being called Evil Evins, he enrolls Alex and her 2 older brothers into the local Champs program to show them how to use their powers for good. Totally not their time and effort until they hear about the Championship where the grand prize is $1000. Can Alex and her brothers shape up in time, or will they spread their Evil onto their fellow classmates?

The Review / I really got a kick out of this book - and I don't normally read this sort of thing! Seriously, I think Jo Whittemore had me at "flaming bag of dog poop" - hello to you too, Evil Evins! :) This is a fun read - no major girl drama, no roller-coaster romance, just plain and simple FUN with some of the most ridiculous situations that kept me laughing! Alex is a great character who will really tug at your heartstrings and perhaps tickle your funny bone!

---Disclaimer / Publisher / eARC

BkRv: A definite cut above cuteness!

Book Review / 

Will Work For Prom Dress
by Aimee Ferris

YA | Girls

First line (ARC) / "Pepperoni, pepperoni. Cheese, cheese, cheese. Pepperoni, pepperoni. Cheese, cheese, chee-" I yelled.

 








The What About / from the back cover of the ARC

Frozen pizza topper. Dinner theater murder victim. Quigley Johnson agreed to a job as part of her best friend Anne's plan for prom, but this is ridiculous! Senior year's been hard enough for her. Her dream school says her portfolio "lacks focus," and her classmate David, the self-proclaimed "Art King," has made keeping her miserable his personal mission.

So when Anne announces that they are going to be models for a fashion design course, the humiliation could not be greater - until everyone wants to use Anne. Everyone except Zander.

He's hot, he's funny, and every outfit he creates seems made for Quigley. Could he be perfect date material, or is he too good to be true? Will Quigley get her dream prom, or is she in for another humiliating disaster?

The Review / Absolutely full of adorability, Will Work For Prom Dress will appeal to both young and not-so-young readers who enjoy a bubbly high school romance with a dash of thoughtfulness. By far, our main character has a rather quirky name, but it works for her - and Quigley will surely steal your heart away without really meaning to.

Aimee Ferris provides us with a colorful cast of characters with memorable personality traits. Even though there wasn't much in-depth characterization, I still thought that the characters sparkled - and I had so much fun in their company that I wasn't bothered by not knowing everything about them. I especially loved Anne's love interest T-shirt, so aptly nicknamed for the catchy quotes on his shirt, and how he was often immature but surprisingly well-meaning throughout the story.

As for the love triangle involved Quigley, David, and Zander, I thought Ms. Ferris handled it quite well - and the resolution surprised me! What is more appreciated is how much Quigley matured by the end of the story, partly from her relationships with both boys as well as finally realizing that the world isn't high school for much longer (yes, I know sometimes high school is still happening in the "adult" world).

I was a little disappointed with how little the "working for a prom dress" angle was worked. I thought there'd be more funny job anecdotes, but sadly the number of jobs could be counted with one hand. Don't get me wrong - the jobs that Quigley and Anne did work were hilarious, but I was hoping that they'd work a few more before landing the modeling opportunity.

Will Work For Prom Dress will be a perfect read if you are in the mood for frothy fun and a love triangle that will keep you on the edge of suspense.

---Disclaimer / Publisher

Thursday Thinks #7 - Okay, Who Ordered The Hot Wings?

Bizarre post title, I know, but what I am referring to are the wings that have sprouted all over YA genre and if they look better on the boys or girls. Surely I've got angels on the brain after reading Halo, hush, hush, Angelfire, and A Touch Mortal - but surely we cannot forget the faeries that have fallen into the mix such as Wings and Fairy Tale.

In my most humble of opinions, I do love seeing a good set of wings on a boy. Don't get me wrong, I think I would love my own set of wings, but as most girls who recently discover their wing-ness, it will probably be another pain to deal with - as if makeup, bras, and hairdos aren't bad enough, we have to worry about keeping these giant wings bound up and undamaged? I, for one, am not the most coordinated of our gender!

Boys with wings - I think they can handle it, as long as their wings are not girly-looking. Give a guy some wicked black feathers and call him a Fallen Angel - and I think we have found ourselves the new Bad Boy in YA. Talk about ultimate temptation, redemption, salvation - who wouldn't want to save this boy from the Hellfire?

So, what's your vote, dear Readers:
Who gets the trendy wings?

Boys or girls? Angels or fairies? 

Are there too many wings floating around in YA?

What books did I forget to mention that sprouted wings on their characters?

BkRv: Earth angel, earth angel, will you be mine?

Book Review / 

Angelfire
by Courtney Allison Moulton - @CAMoulton

YA | Fantasy | Angels | Series Book 1

The First Line (eARC) / I stared out the classroom window and longed for freedom, wanting to be anywhere in the world other than gaping up at my economics teacher like the rest of my classmates.

 








The What About / from Publishers Weekly

Although the angel subgenre isn't languishing, reworking traditional Judeo-Christian beliefs to suit one's plot still takes chutzpah, and first-time author Moulton has no qualms about amping up her fight scenes with the risk of damnation. Not for her 17-year-old kick-butt heroine, Ellie Monroe, who is eternally reincarnated, but for those she fails to protect, who are dragged to Hell. Ellie doesn't know she's the powerful "Preliator" at first, and is more concerned with her lousy grades, her parents' fighting, and the car she's getting for her birthday. When Will, a handsome stranger, approaches her, she thinks it's flirtation until a monster attacks. Will awakens Ellie's latent power, most importantly her ability to wield angelfire to destroy demonic "reapers." Moulton attempts to work in and revise so much angelic lore that the nature of the reality Ellie has awakened to is a bit garbled. The Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon clarity of the fight scenes, however, is unimpeachable. Ellie can be maddeningly slow on the uptake, but this is one heroine who's happy to take matters (and angelic swords) into her own hands.

The Review / GO OUT AND READ Angelfire NOW. I mean it, do it NOW. It is exactly what I've been waiting for since BtVS ended, and I must implore for Courtney Allison Moulton to please, please, PLEASE get the sequel out faster! This is probably the best angel mythology I have read recently (I adore Sharon Shinn's Archangel, and admittedly still have to read Halo), but I think Angelfire totally rocks hardcore!

From a kickass heroine to mind-boggling amazing storyline to one shocking conclusion, Angelfire will surely shatter any hesistation from readers who aren't so keen on any more "angel" books and attract those of us who love a good tumble through urban fantasy. Angelfire does a magnificent job with setting the stage as Ellie learns about her true destiny as a Preliator (which like Buffy : vampires, but only against Reapers who eat souls). And need I mention the dazzling romance between Ellie and her Guardian Will? Heart-thumping and heart-breaking!

Seriously, if you haven't read any "angel" books, start with this book! If you have read angel books and haven't been too impressed thus far, READ THIS BOOK! If you're looking for the new Buffy, I repeat Angelfire will satisfy your needs!

Also, be sure to check out Courtney Allison Moulton's website because the artwork is stunning! If ever there ought to be a graphic novelization for a book, I would totally love to see Angelfire done so!

---Disclaimer / Publisher / eARC

BkRv: For never was a story of more woe

Book Review / 

Delirium
by Lauren Oliver - @OliverBooks

YA | Girls | Dystopia | Series Book 1

First Line (eARC) / It has been sixty-four years since the president and the Consortium identified love as a disease, and forty-three since the scientists perfected a cure.

 








The What About / from the publisher

Love. The deadliest of all deadly things: It kills you both when you have it and when you don t.

In Lauren Oliver s stunning second novel, love has been declared a dangerous disease, and the government forces everyone who reaches eighteen to have a procedure called the cure. Lena Haloway is very much looking forward to being cured and living a safe, predictable life. But then she meets enigmatic Alex, who lives under the government's radar. What will happen if they do the unthinkable and fall in love?

Lauren Oliver follows up her incandescent debut, the New York Times bestseller Before I Fall, with this extraordinary novel about a high-stakes romance set in a dystopian United States. Delirium presents a world as terrifying as The Hunger Games and a romance as true as Romeo and Juliet.

The Review / Seeing the actual cover of Delirium face-to-face really surprised me - it's a lot glossier and not as electric blue as I had expected. I just thought I'd throw this thought out there first thing :P

Delirium reminded me a lot like The Forest of Hands and Teeth except with a noticeable lack of zombies. But I think the amor deliria nervosa presents a BIGGER problems. I mean, how can you love zombies if there is no love to begin with? That said, it also has hints of 1984 with the whole watchful Big Brother and bad things happen to those who become self-aware and ask too many questions!

I thought Lauren Oliver did an admirable job with building a world where love becomes a dirty word and all who profess it are immediately removed from society. She includes excerpts from "noteworthy" references that have been de-loved and all old stories such as Romeo & Juliet become a "cautionary tale" to those who are tempted to love.

The most interesting thing was that the "cure" from amor deliria cannot be safely administered to anyone under 18 yet. Which poses a problem, obviously, since raging hormones and whatnots. Yet the system tries to squeeze the love out of everyone young - you go to school (segregated by gender), you take your exams, you get evaluated for matches, you get cured, you live thereafter devoid of any true happiness, but man, your mind is totally at peace and unperturbed. Lena gets raised this way, but she cannot help but remember her mother - now long-gone - who loved and sang and stayed uncured even though she went through the procedure three times. She doesn't want to be like her mother, even though she can remember being happier.

Delirium is pretty fascinating - especially since the main characters are teenagers who are known to be on emotional rollercoasters, still in their rebellious phase, but must abide by societal restrictions eventually. Ms. Oliver presents us with Lena's case, but the other characters that surround her also fleshed out what a world without love might mean. Even the cured don't seem happy - even the cured can remember what it had been like uncured, at least in the beginning.

I must warn you that the ending is shocking, and I'm more than curious to find out how the sequel plays out. Frankly I'm quite surprised to learn that Delirium is to be part of a trilogy! While this makes me glad since the ending leaves you completely slack-jawed, I was left in a pretty acceptable place with Delirium albeit cliff-hangerish.

---Disclaimer / Publisher / eARC

Monday Mini(BkRv) :: 19 - 21

:: 19 ::

Book Review / 

one hundred candles
by mara purnhagen

YA | Girls | Ghosts

First Line (eARC) / I would never get used to spending Christmas in an insane asylum.

Thanks to having two parents who debunk ghostly happenings for a living, Charlotte has been desensitized from all things spooky. When she ends up at a ghost story marathon - 100 personal stories, 100 candles, 100 spirits called upon - she isn't too surprised when nothing happens. Yet when the school starts reliving some of these stories, could there be some more than just "restless energy"?

The Review / The beginning didn't really catch my interest as Charlotte bemoaned her "single lady" state, but when we get to the ghost stories gone real, I admit that I had trouble sleeping that night! one hundred candles was a little confusing - I think mostly because there might be a book before it that hopefully explains what happened to Charlotte before now, but partly due to trying to build the suspense without giving too much away.

---Disclaimer / Publisher / eARC

:: 20 ::

Book Review / 

STRANDED
by J.T. Dutton - @jtdutton

YA | Girls

First Line / Just before I left Des Moines, my best friend, Katy, said, "Whatever you do, don't have sex with your brother."

Kelly Louise knew Heaven, Iowa, was anything but that. If it was Heaven, then give her wings and call her an angel - but Kelly Louise knew no real Heaven would involve a dead baby found in the cornfields. When she finds out that it might involve her perfect-youth-group-devotee cousin Natalie, Kelly Louise tries to keep mum for her family's sake even though it might be the juiciest thing she has ever known!

The Review / I don't have much experience with small-town Iowa, but I really loved the strange reaction that Kelly Louise stirred up in Heaven. Usually I see people falling over their feet to impress the "city girl" in books or maybe coolly look at her and deem her approachable, but for Kelly to remain an outsider was a new and interesting approach. Stranded is more of a real-life piece of work - no over-the-top drama, no sizzling romance - just honest-to-goodness life and what comes of it.

---Disclaimer / Bookswap'd

:: 21 ::

Book Review / 

WHITE CAT
by Holly Black - @hollyblack

YA | Series Book 1

First Line / I wake up barefoot, standing on cold slate tiles. Looking dizzily down, I suck in a breath of icy air.

Cassel is the black sheep of his gifted family, normal when everyone else can work curses which comes in handy when working for a big crime family. Yet he alone has to live with the guilt of killing his childhood crush Lila, unable to remember the why but vividly recalls all the blood and his creepy smile. When a white cat crosses his path and whispers doubts in his dreams, Cassel starts to question his memories and tries to discover who has been pulling the wool over his eyes.

The Review / Holy smokes, there was a lot to digest in WHITE CAT - and the ending, dear Readers, is one surprise of the bittersweet sort! Betrayal, con artists, quirky friends, mysterious cat - Holly Black has the recipe to keep us in awesome suspense! I got a little confused about the curse-working, but I think that it's starting to make sense now. Definitely keeping an eye out for RED GLOVE when it comes out!

P.S. I love the cover for the most part - except for the face. Is it just me, or does it look like his eyes are bleeding red? Granted, it's a smoky red banner for the series title, but distracting!

---Disclaimer / Borrowed

BkRv: Is this Haven? No, it's the Aidan effect

Book Review /
Haven 
by Kristi Cook - @Kristi_Cook

YA | Vampires

First Line (eARC) / I'll never forget that first glimpse of Winterhaven as we pulled up the long, curving drive - gray stones bathed in lavender haze of dusk, looking like an old European university, all flying buttresses and stone spires reaching toward the sky.










The What About / from the publisher

Violet McKenna isn’t a normal girl with normal teenage issues; she has more to contend with than most people could handle. Violet thought she was just crazy when she had a vivid vision of her dad’s murder. Her life started falling apart when her premonition came true. She’s had flashes of other events too. The problem was nobody believed her until she found a new school: Winterhaven.

At Winterhaven, Violet finally feels like she belongs. She quickly finds a close group friends and discovers that they too have psychic ‘gifts’ - as do all the students at Winterhaven. But as soon as she feels settled she discovers the most intriguing and alluring boy she has ever met, and things quickly go awry. As the attraction between them grows, intense visions of the boy’s death start to haunt her. In her premonitions the secret he is unwilling to share begins to reveal itself. And to Violet's horror, she learns that their destinies are intertwined in a critical - and deadly - way.

The Review / You'd think that the whole "private school + new girl + magic" theme would get old, and after Hex Hall you might be afraid to try another book in that genre, but let me assure you that Haven may be an option to keep you from going through withdrawals before devouring Demonglass whole!

I thought Ms. Cook's vampire mythology was pretty unique - and I liked how she made it so scientific that it could almost be curable! Questions are still left unanswered, but purposefully since this is uncharted territory after all. What happens to the 100-year-old vampire when he or she is cured? When you say "reverse" does it mean actually aging so fast to catch up to your actual age - or will it simply allow the aging process to resume itself?

Beyond the intriguing food-for-thought, I did enjoy the "Aidan effect" on Violet and her classmates. It was rather cute, if not unfair for everyone since Aidan had the abilities to read their minds at any given moment. He was rather adorable, even though he was rather frustrating at times like a typical specimen of the male persuasion.

Towards the end, Haven got a little Buffy-esque. I was afraid that it would seem over-the-top since it seemed to come out of the blue, but it actually worked out okay. We all could use a little more Buffy in our literature anyhow, and Violet and her friends remind me fondly of the Scooby Gang.

Haven didn't make me laugh nearly as much as Hex Hall, but I really enjoyed getting to know this new private school and can't wait to find out a little more about the Haven secrets!

---Disclaimer / Publisher / eARC

Thursday Thinks #6 / How do you keep track of your books and reviews?

I never really kept track of what I've read. Usually I'm pretty good at keeping a nice mental list, but occasionally I'll grab a book that I've already read a while back - and don't realize I've read it until somewhere in the middle. That's usually old mysteries, especially when trying to figure out the many Agatha Christie titles that had been Americanized or collected into one volume.

Anyhow, I'm on a new blogging leaf and have been keeping track of my 2011 reads. At the current rate, I'm thinking that I may just be able to read a book a day (not that I do, but I go through reading marathons when the mood suits me) - but realistically I'll probably go through a phase of minimal reading from exhaustion really soon.

There's several e-shelf systems to keep track of books, reviews, and wishlists. The ones I know about are LibraryThing, GoodReads, and Shelfari. I've never used the latter system, and I don't really plan on it since 2 systems are more than enough to keep me occupied.

Obviously the blogs are also a way to keep track of such things as well. I use the{EPIC}rat mostly to keep track of reviews that I do manage to write - this is the main site where my reviews are, and from here, I branch off into the other e-shelf systems and reviewing websites. I'm pretty sure that I'm not the only one who will say that my READ vs REVIEWED pile is wildly off-balanced.

With the combination of all the different reviewing sites and a long blogging hiatus, I am seriously overwhelmed with keeping everything updated. I'm not sure how everyone does it - if they do indeed do it like I see them do. Right now, LT and GR has all the reviews I've ever written on my blog. I'd like to get my B&N account all squared away and start on Amazon since many authors love to see reviews there. Small baby steps, I know, but I like to do a thorough job if I'm going to do one at all!

One bonus perk about having an eReader is that it's almost like having your library at your fingertips - and I often re-discover books that I read a while back and should really review in the future. Granted they're the eBooks, but still it's a great feature that I think gets underappreciated!

Do you keep track of what you read? Do you post your reviews anywhere - and everywhere - else besides your blog? How do you make time to do so?

BkRv: I touch you once, I Touch you twice

Book Review / 

A Touch Mortal
by Leah Clifford - @leahclifford

YA | Girls | Angels | Series Book 1

First Line (ARC) / Eden dug her hand into the damp sand, black polish chipping off the tips of her fingernails.

 








The What About / from the publisher

Eden didn't expect Az.

Not his saunter down the beach toward her. Not his unbelievable pick-up line. Not the instant, undeniable connection. And not his wings.

Yeah.

So long, happily-ever-after.

Now trapped between life and death, cursed to spread chaos with her every touch, Eden could be the key in the eternal struggle between heaven and hell. All because she gave her heart to one of the Fallen, an angel cast out of heaven.

She may lose everything she ever had. She may be betrayed by those she loves most. But Eden will not be a pawn in anyone else's game. Her heart is her own.

And that's only the beginning of the end.

The Review / I'm not sure how I feel about A Touch Mortal. The book starts off okay - the banter between Az and Eden is pretty adorable when they first start their relationship. When Az finally reveals his angel wings to Eden and she doesn't freak out, everything was still peachy keen. Obviously too good to be true, and so the story unfolds that an angel of the Fallen persuasion is out to kill Eden to get to Az. Before you know it, Az pretends to die in front of Eden so she will get so depressed and kill herself. You know, to save her from getting killed and tap into her potential of not dying.

Yeaaaaah.

The publisher summary doesn't quite do A Touch Mortal justice, and honestly I don't really they could have done any better job without it getting too lengthy. Az is not technically Fallen, but he's not good either. He's in Angel Limbo, struggling to not Fall. Eden is human, but able to get stuck in her own Limbo after committing suicide. Which apparently is also a special nearly-immortal club that has a Touch ability that I'm still not 100% sure that I understand, but Eden is even more special and one-of-a-kind in that she can Touch other Siders to get them out of Limbo and into Afterlife.

Obviously A Touch Mortal gets a little complicated, and I can see a possible re-read in my future to try to get a better idea of what's going on. There were a lot of characters to keep track of, and they seemed to flit in and out at whim so I couldn't really grasp their personality.

When the ending came crashing together, however, I did put aside my confusion and got sucked into the action. Truly I suspected what was happening with certain characters, but there were a few surprises - and Ms. Clifford leaves us with one doozie of a cliffhanger that definitely makes me want to check out the sequel in hopes to find out what happens to the characters!

Long review short, A Touch Mortal left me with lots to digest and I'm not entirely certain that I will unravel all its complications. The ending is definitely worth all the questions and confusion that I still have - and the sequel better have some answers!

Oh, and expect darkness. Lots of troubling darkness.

---Disclaimer / Bookswap'd 

BkRv: You say goodbye and I say Halo

Book Review / 

Halo
by Alexandra Adornetto - @AlexandraHalo

YA | Girls | Angels | Series Book 1


First Line / Our arrival didn't exactly go as planned.

 








The What About / from the publisher

Three angels are sent down to bring good to the world: Gabriel, the warrior; Ivy, the healer; and Bethany, a teenage girl who is the least experienced of the trio. But she is the most human, and when she is romantically drawn to a mortal boy, the angels fear she will not be strong enough to save anyone—especially herself—from the Dark Forces.

Is love a great enough power against evil?

The Review / Gorgeous cover to the point of breath-taking - and I wish that I could say that Halo also swept me away with its story, but I honestly cannot say it did. Perhaps another time, but after finishing Delirium with an almost similar theme of doomed love, Halo simply paled in comparison. The love story between Bethany and Xavier seemed too straight-forward and not drawn out with enough turmoil for me. Although he was reportedly not interested in any emotional attachments, Xavier seemed awfully too easy to get - and I felt that there wasn't enough interactions for me to enjoy the chemistry between Bethany and Xavier. Not to mention that Dark Forces didn't make an appearance at all until halfway through the book!

*pause for breath*

That said, Halo was not my type of book. It did have some excellent aspects like the fun dinner experience when Bethany meets Xavier's family for the first time and vice versa; Bethany asking her fellow angels Ivy and Gabriel who have centuries of experience what MILF might mean; and Bethany learning that angels simply can't hold their liquor the hard way. There are some sweet moments, but I wanted more explanations, more chemistry, more story-building, more to the other characters who seemed interesting in their own right.

I might pick up the sequel when it comes out to see if there are more answers and story development, but we'll see... If anything, I don't recommend reading Halo right after Delirium - they're obviously different, but oddly similar - and this partly threw me off.

---Disclaimer / Borrowed

Monday Mini(BkRv) :: 16 - 18

:: 16 ::

Book Review / 

Annexed
by Sharon Dogar



YA | Historical

The First Line (eARC) / I think I'm still alive. But I'm not sure. 

Peter van Pels recounts his experiences in the Annex with the Frank family during the Holocaust, struggling to make sense of the horrible genocide, faith in God, and burgeoning teenage sexual tension within an enclosed space with a girl that never stops chatting and oftentimes acts a little flippant.

The Review / It has been a while since I have read The Diary Of Anne Frank, so I do not remember exact details of Peter - or any solid memory of Anne's personality. After reading Annexed, I am tempted to re-visit this classic and gauge whether Sharon Dogar has captured the essence of these people who actually existed. Annexed is a rather slow-paced, and I'm not too sure to where it was leading up exactly. It may not add much to the original Diary, but Annexed may satisfy your curiosity as to how Peter might have felt during this time, especially under the scrutiny of Anne.

---Disclaimer / Publisher / eARC

:: 17 ::

Book Review / 

Beautiful Darkness
by Kami Garcia - @kamigarcia
& Margaret Stohl - @mstohl

YA | Fantasy | Series Book 2

The First Line / I used to think our town, buried in the South Carolina backwoods, stuck in the muddy bottom of the Santee RiverValley, was the middle of nowhere.

Ever since that fateful night of Lena's 16th birthday, Ethan cannot help but notice that things have become strained between them - especially when Lena starts to hang out with her bad-news cousin and a suspicious stranger who seems to be exactly what Lena needs right now. When Lena disappears with the stranger, can Ethan find her and win her back - or will he lose her to the darkness forever?

The Review / I really enjoyed Beautiful Darkness a lot better than Book 1 - I think it flowed into the good stuff more quickly, and I definitely got pulled into the suspense of wondering what was going on with Lena! There was definitely more turmoil churning and unexpected changing of hearts among all the characters. I have to admit that bad-news Ridley is probably my favorite out of everyone - I cannot wait to find out what happens next!

---Disclaimer / Borrowed

:: 18 ::

Book Review / 

Nine Rules To Break When Romancing A Rake
by Sarah MacLean - @sarahmaclean

Romance | Historical | Series Book 1

The First Line / Lady Calpurnia Hartwell blinked back tears as she fled the ballroom of Worthington House, the scene of her most recent and most devastating embarrassment.

Callie may consider herself an utter failure when it comes to marriage prospects, but she is determined to make the most of her spinsterhood by doing what she wants for a change, which starts with a kiss from a certain marquess by the name of Gabriel St. John in the dead of night. A solid plan if only he had expecting her midnight call, but where's the fun if Callie thinks things through? To her surprise, the marquess is willing to play along with her plans - for a price, of course.

The Review / I thought I already reviewed this a while back, but apparently not. Anyhoo, what an AWESOMELY WICKED foray into the romance genre! Hats off - just the hats, mind you - to Sarah MacLean for keeping the bubbly fun from her YA debut The Season and cranking up the heat to scorching hot! A must-read for anyone who enjoys historical romance full of romp, pomp, and chompful of humor!

---Disclaimer / Bought / eBook & mass-market paperback to share :)

BkRv: Better to light a candle than curse the darkness

Book Review /
Darkness Becomes Her
by Kelly Keaton - @KellyKeaton


YA | Girls | Mythology | Series Book 1

First Line (eARC) / Under the cafeteria table, my right knee bounced like a jackhammer possessed. Adrenaline snaked through my limbs, urging me to bolt, to hightail it out of Rocquemore House and never look back.









 
The What About / from the publisher

Ari can’t help feeling lost and alone. With teal eyes and freakish silver hair that can’t be changed or destroyed, Ari has always stood out. And after growing up in foster care, she longs for some understanding of where she came from and who she is.

Her search for answers uncovers just one message from her long dead mother: Run. Ari can sense that someone, or something, is getting closer than they should. But it’s impossible to protect herself when she doesn’t know what she’s running from or why she is being pursued.
She knows only one thing: she must return to her birthplace of New 2, the lush rebuilt city of New Orleans. Upon arriving, she discovers that New 2 is very...different. Here, Ari is seemingly normal. But every creature she encounters, no matter how deadly or horrifying, is afraid of her.

Ari won’t stop until she knows why. But some truths are too haunting, too terrifying, to ever be revealed.

The Review / Darkness Becomes Her is like a slow-roasting pot of AMAZING dipped in fantastic Greek mythology sprinkled with a little bit of vampires, witches, and shapeshifters. I did not expect even half of the things that went down in New 2 - and when Ari finally comes face-to-face with the truth of her ancestry, let me just say WOW and HOLY COW and possibly PLEASE WRITE FASTER, MS. KEATON!

The setting was fantastic - and I think Ms. Keaton picked a perfect place already full of magic and mystery, especially considering all the rebuilding New Orleans had to undergo after Katrina. Yes, New Orleans was already the major hotspot for vampires in the literary world, but Darkness Becomes Her takes it seven-leagues farther and makes it into the new Mount Olympus of awesome proportions where paranormal and mythology collide in the modern age.

I fell in love with Ari from the very first few pages. She has a strong, don't-mess-with-me personality that I really enjoyed, and it was really coincidentally cool to have her semi-training as a bond enforcement agent after finishing Janet Evanovich's series. And while she seemed like stone on the outside, Ari definitely is a marshmallow inside where it counts - a deep sense of loyalty to those she considers family.

The only thing I am sad about is the villain in the story. Let me just say that I really love her ever since I was young, but Darkness Becomes Her truly makes her out to be a crazy and scary god! But I suppose there must have been a little crazy with all the ridiculous jealous-themed myths out there!

From page 209 (eARC)

The perfect face changed from beauty to the darkest, most horrifying hell I'd ever seen. Death. War. Bones. Her face transformed into the queen of it all. Part Skeletal. One eye gone, one vibrant emerald eye still intact. Bugs scurried through the space between [goddess]'s eye socket and eyeball. Tendons pulled her lips into a smile. And inside her skull, between the ragged hair, bone, and rotting flesh, I saw movement. All through the goddess, all through her body, beneath her ribs, were the souls of warriors, the hell they'd found inside her.

Darkness Becomes Her is a must-read if you love a little mythology mixed in with your paranormal - and if you are a die-hard Veronica Mars fan, I'm fairly certain that you'll find Ari just as Twinkie-licious!

---Disclaimer / Publisher / eARC

Thursday Thinks #5 / Is this book more than a one-night stand?

First off, it's 4 days away from the highly-anticipated dreaded Valentine's day. You can say this post is quite timely, considering that I've been contemplating this topic for the last few weeks.

I thank Maureen Johnson for the inspiration of this blog post, which is based on her blurb for Anna and the French Kiss

Very sly. Very funny. Very romantic. You should date this book.

Of course, I haven't yet read this book but trust me, I have bought a copy to see if it truly is dating material as everyone seems to think!

I also thank Tales of Whimsy for writing recently about "the point of no return" when the reader gets irrevocably hooked and can't stop thinking about a book. Which also got me thinking :)

For me, I call it "the all-nighter" because typically I have an unhealthy desire to forego sleep in the the name of reading. Doubly so when it turns out to be an amazing book. It's hard to predict sometimes if a book will have that special something that will make me want to profess my love to the world because I simply can't stop thinking about it. There are all-nighters where I end up feeling disappointed and unsatisfied, wondering what went wrong. But then there are all-nighters where I can hardly fall asleep because I got far too excited about the book or anxious for a sequel (should one exist).

5 stars is awesome high marks for my reviews - but even then, some of those are one-night stands and others are actually dating material (and dare I say it, marriage and even baby material??? Fanfic anyone? :P). Take for instance, the Stephanie Plum series: I would re-read the whole thing if I had the time, but I'm fairly certain that they will be a one-night stand that I'll have fond memories of. Troubled Waters and Unveiled: Totally deserves a 2nd date, if not a proposal.

What makes them dating material? For me, it can mean a perfect blend of fantasy, romance, and humor - or really gorgeous writing that really gets to the heart of the human experience - or having characters who live and breathe in these books so fantastically that you feel like you know them intimately. Most of the time, it's a combination of all these elements - and even then, it's really up in the air on how I react to everything.

What makes a book more than a one-night stand for you?
Which books would you date? ;)

p.s. I would like to say that I am planning on an all-nighter with Anna and the French Kiss on Valentine's! Wish us luck! :D

BkRv: May the Sheeps be with you!

Book Review / 

Outside In / Maria V. Snyder

YA | Fantasy | Series Book 2

First Line (eARC) / My world changed in a heartbeat. That's how it felt to me. As if one second ago, I was Trella the lower level scrub, cleaning the air and water ducts of Inside, and now I am Trella the victorious leader of the Force of Sheep rebellion.

 








The What About / from the publisher

Me?

A leader?

Okay, I did prove that there's more to Inside than we knew.

That a whole world exists beyond this cube we live in. And finding that led to a major rebellion—between worker scrubs like me and the snobby uppers who rule our world. Make that ruled. Because of me, we're free. I thought that meant I was off the hook, and could go off on my own again—while still touching base with Riley, of course. He's the one upper I think I can trust. But then we learned that there's outside and then there is Outside.

And something from Outside wants In.

The Review / I didn't realize Outside In was a sequel until after reading the opening paragraph, but I will have to say that it was that opening paragraph alone - not to mention, the sheep! - that got me wanting to get the first book ASAP and I'm totally glad that I finally finally read one of Maria V. Snyder's series.

I'm not entirely certain that Outside In has the same page-turning effect that its predecessor had, but I still enjoyed it for the most part. Trella is the same girl that you meet in Inside Out, yet it quickly becomes obvious that being the same is not necessarily a good thing. Gone are the days that she can hide among the pipes and stay solitary - instead, Trella gets surrounded by more responsibility than she had expected and oftentimes feels overwhelmed by everyone's expectations of her. I can understand Trella's instinctive want to not take charge and let the adults handle matters. I mean, how often have we taken on something far bigger than ourselves? How often is it easier to let the "adults" or "professionals" take over?

The power struggle between the uppers and scrubs might have been addressed in Inside Out, but it still runs rampant in Outside In as everyone tries to figure out how to harmonize and treat each other fairly. The stereotypes of both parties remain part of the problem - and this struggle leaves everyone disgruntled, angry, and totally unprepared when bombs and other strange events start to happen.

I liked how Ms. Snyder didn't provide a happily-ever-after with Outside In - it was interesting to see how things unfolded and watch Trella realize that she can't fall back into the shadows anymore, not when lives depended on her. While I did not love it as much as Inside Out, I still think readers will find this sequel quite the satisfaction for their curiosity!

---Disclaimer / Publisher / eARC

BkRv: Anything but strait-laced!

Book Review /

Wildthorn / Jane Eagland


YA | Girls | Historical

First Line / The carriage jolts and splashes along the rutted lanes flooded by the heavy November rains.

The What About / from the publisher

They strip her naked, of everything—undo her whalebone corset, hook by hook. Locked away in Wildthorn Hall—a madhouse—they take her identity. She is now called Lucy Childs. She has no one; she has nothing. But, she is still seventeen—still Louisa Cosgrove, isn't she? Who has done this unthinkable deed? Louisa must free herself, in more ways than one, and muster up the courage to be her true self, all the while solving her own twisted mystery and falling into an unconventional love . . .

Originally published in the UK, this well-paced, provocative romance pushes on boundaries—both literal and figurative—and, do beware: it will bind you, too.

The Review / Wildthorn threw me off-guard - I'm not sure what I had been expecting, but it was along the lines of something magical as the shiny, metallic pink cover suggested (at least in my mind). Even though there was no magic to be had, I still found myself quite entranced with Louisa's predicament of what has to be a horrible case of mistaken identity.

The first half of the book alternates between Louisa's past and present - and the flashbacks serve as a way to get to know Louisa better as a precocious young woman who would rather play doctor with her dolls and learn how to prove if arsenic had been used to color stockings green. While the many memories confirm that Louisa is Louisa and not deranged in that regards, I was left to wonder how Louisa ended up at  the asylum. Surely it is a mistake, but was it somehow connected with the strange lady companion who had been hired to bring her to a well-to-do London family - or did the betrayal run deeper along the lines of family?

With great ease, Jane Eagland tackles the delicate issue of sexuality and gender inequality as well as the terrifying conditions of asylums back in the Victorian Age. I found Wildthorn absolutely riveting! It was such a stark difference from other books that I have read. I mean, how often do asylums get the spotlight in a book? Also, Wildthorn makes me appreciate how much more balanced society is, gender-wise, and the opportunities now available for women.

Beautifully written, Wildthorn paints a drastic picture of what could happen to a forward-thinking Victorian girl who attempts to break free from the tightening corset of society.

---Disclaimer / Bought

Monday Mini(BkRv) :: 13 - 15

:: 13 ::

Book Review /

Inside Out
by Maria V. Snyder


YA | Sci-Fi | Series Book 1

First Line / A vibration rippled through my body. I awoke in semi-darkness, unsure of my location. Reaching out with my hands, I felt smooth sides arching up and in. My fingers touched overhead. Pipe.

There is a new prophet among the scrubs, but Trella has seen enough of them to remain a steadfast unbeliever. Yet when the Broken Man asks her to retrieve hidden disks that hold the secret to the Gateway and a better life outside, Trella sets out to prove him wrong - only to find herself as the catalyst to a rebellion that will change life as everyone knows it.

The Review / I'm not sure what I had expected, but Inside Out took me completely off-guard! With nail-biting suspense and a crew of uniquely-talented and passionate characters, I found myself anxious to find out what exactly is going on in Trella's world! Unexpected answers that lead to more terrifying questions, but I totally loved the journey! This book can standalone, but if you want to know what happens next, then check out the upcoming sequel Outside In!

---Disclaimer / Bought / eBook

:: 14 ::

Book Review /

if i stay
by Gayle Forman - @gayleforman

YA | Girls | Series Book 1

First Line / Everyone thinks it was because of the snow. And in a way, I suppose that's true.

Trapped between life and death, Mia has to make the hardest decision to either fight to stay alive after a horrific car accident or let herself go on to wherever she's supposed to go after dying. Invisible to all, Mia watches as family, friends, and her boyfriend come to visit her comatose body and struggle to deal with the possibility of her never waking up.

The Review / Why, oh why did I wait so long to read this? if i stay is an absolutely spell-binding and beautifully crafted with the utmost care! It will draw you in carefully and deliberately - and you will share Mia's burden of choosing life or death to the point where either decision will surely break your heart. This book is definitely for-keeps!

---Disclaimer / Bought / eBook

:: 15 ::

Book Review /

The Reckoning
by Kelley Armstrong - @KelleyArmstrong

YA | Ghosts | Series Book 3

First Line / After four nights on the run, I was finally safe, tucked into bed and enjoying the deep, dreamless sleep of the dead...until the dead decided they'd really rather have me awake. It started with a laugh that slid into my sleep and pulled me out of it.

Chloe and friends are tired of running, but it seems like that's the only thing that can keep them alive and away from the evil Edison Group. They though they had found refuge with Derek and Simon's family friend, but when refuge starts to tread along the lines of house arrest, is this normal - or have they discovered another threat who would rather have them dead?

The Review / Kelley Armstrong totally rocked The Reckoning, and I am totally bummed that Chloe and Derek's sizzling chemistry has to come to an end - though a really heart-thumping end, I must admit! I still have some questions leftover, but gosh, I enjoyed myself way too much to mind the possibility of never knowing the answers!

---Disclaimer / Bought