Eternal Seduction by Jennifer Turner
Snitch by Allison van Diepen
Instant Attraction by Jill Shalvis
Fireworks over Toccoa by Jeffrey Stepakoff
What's on your wishlist?
On My Wishlist (15)
Review: Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
TITLE: Beautiful Creatures
AUTHORS: Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
FORMAT: Hardcover, 563 pages
GENRE: Young Adult
SOURCE: Won from a fellow book blogger
AVAILABLE: Now
There were no surprises in Gatlin County.
We were pretty much the epicenter of the middle of nowhere.
At least, that's what I thought.
Turns out, I couldn't have been more wrong.There was a curse.
There was a girl.
And in the end, there was a grave.Lena Duchannes is unlike anyone the small Southern town of Gatlin has ever seen, and she's struggling to conceal her power and a curse that has haunted her family for generations. But even within the overgrown gardens, murky swamps and crumbling graveyards of the forgotten South, a secret cannot stay hidden forever.
Ethan Wate, who has been counting the months until he can escape from Gatlin, is haunted by dreams of a beautiful girl he has never met. When Lena moves into the town's oldest and most infamous plantation, Ethan is inexplicably drawn to her and determined to uncover the connection between them.
In a town with no surprises, one secret could change everything.
My Thoughts:
When I picked up Beautiful Creatures from my bookshelf, I just wanted to feel it out to see if it was what I wanted to read next, to see if I was in the mood for it. Next thing I knew, I blinked and suddenly I was on page 73. This is the type of book that just sucks you right in, right into the page. There's a lot of buzz surrounding this book and I can clearly see why.
Ethan grew up in Gatlin, South Carolina. Gatlin (a character in it's own right) is a small town located in the deep South. Everybody knows everybody, and their business. This is the sort of town that is saturated in history. Pretty much everyone's family tree can be traced back as far the 1800s or even further. But Ethan can't wait to get out of Gatlin. He's been counting down the days until he can get the heck out of there.
There were only two kinds of people in our town. The stupid and the stuck. Ethan's been having dreams of a girl for months. They're both falling and he's trying to save her. He knows she's beautiful but he's never seen her face.
Lena is the new girl in school. She's not like anyone else. She has her own unique style and way of doing things. She lives with her uncle, the town's hermit crab whom no one's seen for years. Ethan and Lena are pulled together by their supernatural connection.
I didn't realize how long this book is until I got it in my hot little hands; It's almost 600 pages long. But don't let that shy you away. There is never a dull moment. There is always something going on, a new twist, a new discovery. Garcia's and Stohl's enthralling way of storytelling completely lured me in and kept me turning page after page. The collaboration of these two authors was so incredibly seamless, I couldn't tell where one author stopped and the other began. Beautiful Creatures is told from Ethan's point of view. Although the authors did a good job of depicting the story from a male's perspective, I would have liked to have seen a little more of the raging hormones that teenage boys possess.
This book is the first of a 5-book series. The second book in the series, which is rumored to be released late this year, will also be told from Ethan's point of view. The movie rights for Beautiful Creatures have been sold. It will be interesting to see who they cast.
Beautiful Creatures did leave me with some unanswered questions. I will post these questions at the end of this post. You will need to click the POSSIBLE SPOILERS button to see this part.
Brianna’s Rating:
Teaser Tuesday: Beautiful Dead
He was pinning me against the porch rail so that I could hardly breathe. I had to work out a way of making him back off before he leaned forward and kissed me on the lips.
p. 88, Beautiful Dead (Book #1, Jonas) by Eden Maguire
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 and author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!
Author Interview: Emma Kinna
Emma Kinna is a brand new YA author. I had the pleasure of interviewing Ms. Kinna. So grab some coffee, sit back and enjoy!
On My Wishlist (14)
The Seven Rays by Jessica Bendinger
Raised by Wolves by Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Crux by Moira Rogers
I Am the Messenger by Markus Zusak
What's on your wishlist?
Book Review: Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver
Title: Before I Fall (Amazon)
Author: Lauren Oliver
Genre: Young Adult
Source: Around the World ARC Tours
Published: March 2010 by HarperCollins
What if you had only one day to live? What would you do? Who would you kiss? And how far would you go to save your own life?Samantha Kingston has it all: the world’s most crush-worthy boyfriend, three amazing best friends, and first pick of everything at Thomas Jefferson High—from the best table in the cafeteria to the choicest parking spot. Friday, February 12, should be just another day in her charmed life.
Instead, it turns out to be her last.
Then she gets a second chance. Seven chances, in fact. Reliving her last day during one miraculous week, she will untangle the mystery surrounding her death—and discover the true value of everything she is in danger of losing.
My Thoughts:
Before I Fall is narrated by Samantha and starts off like this:
They say that just before you die your whole life flashes before your eyes, but that’s not how it happened for me.It’s Friday, February 12th, which also happens to be Cupid Day. It’s a competition between Samantha and her friends to see who gets the most roses. This is also the day that Samantha has planned to finally “do it” with her boyfriend Rob.
Samantha has it all - the popularity, the hot boyfriend and the friends. In the beginning of this book, I didn’t like Samantha one bit. She’s bitchy and selfish and her priorities are all wrong. But during her journey of self discovery, I grew to like her more.
On the way home from a party, she gets into a car accident and dies. But then she wakes up the next morning to the alarm going off. She thinks it’s Saturday and wonders how she ever survived since she has no recollection of last night’s events. But then things start replaying themselves. Her sister comes to wake her up. Her friend Lindsay is waiting for her so they can get to school. It seems like a weird, vivid case of déjà vu. It takes Samantha a while but she finally realizes that she’s reliving the day over. She eventually comes to the conclusion that there’s something she needs to do, a wrong she needs to make right, and sets out to accomplish that so she can finally die and move on.
In this story of Groundhog Dog meet Mean Girls, debut author Lauren Oliver delivers a thought-proving look on life. Before I Fall is a real eye-opener. Oliver did a superb job on reflecting on such a deep and heavy topic. She did a wonderful job on retelling the same day over and over seven times. I never lost interest or felt disengaged each time I revisited Samantha's day. Oliver held onto my attention, leaving me to look at each replay with a different prospective. A very hard task but she did it splendidly and made it work. I look forward to reading future work by this author. She’s definitely one to keep a close eye on!
The Book Vixen’s Rating:
Teaser Tuesday: Arson
This stupid boy had something about him she couldn't quite put her finger on, but whatever it was brought her warmth. This stupid, inconsiderate, and pathetically cute boy called Arson.
p. 132, Arson by Estevan Vega
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 and author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!
Book Spotlight: Broken by Shiloh Walker
Shattered
Quinn Rafferty is working as a bounty hunter and bail bondsman in St. Louis when a new neighbor catches his eye. He’s tempted by her beauty—but he knows from experience that anyone desperate enough to live in his building is damaged goods. Besides, he has his own soul to mend before he can worry about anyone else.
Desperate
Sara Davis is on the run, but not for the usual reasons a woman goes on the lam. She’s not an abused wife, and she’s not a criminal. But she does have a plan for her future. And as much as she finds herself attracted to her gruff, tough neighbor, she can’t risk telling him the secrets she’s hiding. There’s just too much at stake.
Driven to desire…
But Quinn must get closer to Sara when she turns out to be the target of his new missing persons case, and he discovers that there is something more complex and dangerous to her than he thought. Now, both Quinn and Sara will have to expose their true feelings—as well as their fragile hearts—if they hope their love will survive…
EXCERPT
He opened the door—
And stopped dead in his tracks as somebody all but fell into his arms. Somebody…a woman. And not Theresa.
He caught her just above her elbows, automatically steadying her.
“I’m sorry,” she said, her voice soft and low.
Then she lifted her face and Quinn found himself gazing into the biggest, brownest eyes he’d ever seen in his life. Feeling a little dazed, he studied her face while she stammered out another apology.
Quinn barely heard it.
He was too busy staring at her mouth. A very pretty mouth, a cupid’s bow mouth slicked with deep, vibrant red. Under his hands, he could feel silken smooth skin and unable to resist, he stroked a thumb along her inner arm.
Her skin was soft, soft and warm. He was also pretty sure she had the creamiest, most flawless skin imaginable. Her shoulder-length hair was a shade caught between blonde and brown, nondescript, but for some reason, he found himself thinking about tangling his fingers in that hair and holding her head still while he kissed that red-slicked mouth.
Well, hello…
You can read my review of Broken here.
Book Spotlight: Linger by Maggie Stiefvater
At turns harrowing and euphoric, Linger is a spellbinding love story that explores both sides of love -- the light and the dark, the warm and the cold -- in a way you will never forget.
Comes out in stores everywhere July 20th. Pre-order here.
Enter to win an advanced review copies of LINGER, Sisters Red, The Dead-Tossed Waves, and The Replacement on Maggie's blog.
On My Wishlist (13)
On My Wishlist is a fun weekly event hosted by Book Chick City and runs every Saturday. It's where I list all the books I desperately want but haven't actually bought yet. They can be old, new or forthcoming. It's also an event that you can join in with too - Mr Linky is always at the ready for you to link your own 'On My Wishlist' post. If you want to know more click here.
Fire in His Eyes by Stella Price and Audra Price
What's on your wishlist?
Review: Two Way Street by Lauren Barnholdt
AUTHOR: Lauren Barnholdt
FORMAT: Paperback, 288 pages
GENRE: Young Adult
SOURCE: Paperback Swap
AVAILABLE: Now
Description from Goodreads:
There are two sides to every breakup. This is Jordan and Courtney, totally in love. Sure, they were an unlikely high school couple. But they clicked; it worked. They're even going to the same college, and driving cross-country together for orientation. Then Jordan dumps Courtney -- for a girl he met on the Internet. It's too late to change plans, so the road trip is on. Courtney's heartbroken, but figures she can tough it out for a few days. La la la -- this is Courtney pretending not to care. But in a strange twist, Jordan cares. A lot. Turns out, he's got a secret or two that he's not telling Courtney. And it has everything to do with why they broke up, why they can't get back together, and how, in spite of it all, this couple is destined for each other.
My Thoughts:
The first thing that caught my eye was the cover. A guy, a girl and a car with a tagline that reads "A road trip with her ex? Danger ahead...". Count me in! I love me a good romance story with conflict.
Jordan and Courtney couldn't be more opposite. Jordan's a bit of a player and is looking to score with a cheerleader at a party, when he runs into Courtney. Courtney's there to proclaim her love for an old friend but then Jordan pops into the picture. Courtney's not like all the other girls Jordan is used to. And this is what attracts him to her. The two become a couple. A wrench is thrown into the mix early on in their relationship. One, that effects both Jordan and Courtney causing them to break up. But they still must take their pre-planned road trip to college.
I am a big fan of alternating point of views. You get both sides of the story and feel more intimate with the characters. Barnhodlt does this splendidly. I also like her ability to take the reader from present to past (and back to the present again), bringing you up to speed with why things are the way they are. Barnholdt brings her characters to life. I will definitely be reading more of her work in the future.
The Book Vixen's Rating:
Where to find Lauren Barndholdt
Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | MySpace
Teaser Tuesday: Before I Fall
A good friend keeps your secrets for you. A best friend helps you keep your own secrets.p. 107, Before I Fall, Lauren Oliver
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 and author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!
Review: The Life of Glass by Jillian Cantor
TITLE: The Life of GlassAUTHOR: Jillian Cantor
FORMAT: ARC, 340 pages
GENRE: Young Adult
SOURCE: Received ARC from the author
AVAILABLE: February 9, 2010
Description from Goodreads:
Before he died, Melissa’s father told her about stars. He told her that the brightest stars weren’t always the most beautiful—that if people took the time to look at the smaller stars, if they looked with a telescope at the true essence of the star, they would find real beauty. But even though Melissa knows that beauty isn’t only skin deep, the people around her don’t seem to feel that way. There’s her gorgeous sister Ashley who will barely acknowledge Melissa at school, there's her best friend Ryan, who may be falling in love with the sophisticated Courtney, and there’s Melissa’s mother who’s dating someone new, someone who Melissa knows will never be able to replace her father.
To make sure she doesn’t lose her father completely, Melissa spends her time trying to piece together the last of his secrets and completing a journal her father began—one about love and relationships and the remarkable ways people find one another. But when tragedy strikes, Melissa has to start living and loving in the present, as she realizes that being beautiful on the outside doesn't mean you can't be beautiful on the inside.
My Thoughts:
The Life of Glass is a coming of age novel about a 14-year old girl, Melissa. Her father died from lung cancer which came as a surprise since he was not a smoker. For Melissa, it was like losing half of herself. She was closest to her father whereas her mom and sister were two beauty queens in a pod. Melissa's best friend is Ryan, the boy who lives down the street. They are pretty inseparable until Courtney, the new girl in town, starts crushing on Ryan. Ryan and Courtney become a couple and that leaves Melissa alone to think about life and what she wants from it.
I related to Melissa quite a bit. Like her, I wasn't part of the pretty or popular crowd. I didn't have a large group of friends; I had two close friends and still I was quite a loner. And I, too, lost my father as a teenager. A loss like that, like that of a parent especially during your adolescence, gives you a lot to ponder about. Life takes on a whole new meaning and you start to discover what really matters in life, even at such a young age. The Life of Glass gives you Melissa's journey to her self-discovery and most importantly, her discovering her self worth.
Cantor's writing flows fluidity and captured me from page one. She has a knack for writing emotions from the heart as if this was a story from the heart, equipped with first-hand experiences. I felt for Melissa as she was going through her grief and found myself wanting to give her a big hug.
The Book Vixen's Rating:
Where to find Jillian Cantor
Website | Blog | Twitter | Facebook | MySpace
Author Interview: Dianne Sweeney
Dianne Sweeney is the debut author of Kissing Frogs in Cyberspace. You can read my review here. In short, it's a hilarious tale of her experience with online dating. Dianne was kind enough to stop by for an interview.
Review: Dear John by Nicholas Sparks
AUTHOR: Nicholas Sparks
GENRE: Contemporary Romance
SOURCE: From my bookshelf (purchased years ago)
AVAILABLE: Now
An angry rebel, John dropped out of school and enlisted in the Army, not knowing what else to do with his life--until he meets the girl of his dreams, Savannah. Their mutual attraction quickly grows into the kind of love that leaves Savannah waiting for John to finish his tour of duty, and John wanting to settle down with the woman who captured his heart. But 9/11 changes everything. John feels it is his duty to re-enlist. And sadly, the long separation finds Savannah falling in love with someone else. "Dear John," the letter read...and with those two words, a heart was broken and two lives were changed forever. Returning home, John must come to grips with the fact that Savannah, now married, is still his true love--and face the hardest decision of his life.
My Thoughts:
Let me start off by saying that I am not a re-reader. My philosophy is why re-read when you can read something new, right? But when I saw the re-release of Dear John by Nicholas Sparks (with Channing Tatum on the cover!!) and the fact that a movie was made based on the novel, I wanted to revisit John and Savannah.
I think it goes without saying that Nicholas Sparks is one of my favorite authors. If Sparks writes it, I will read it. His books are on my auto-buy list. It all started with the movie The Notebook. I was completely and utterly captivated with Noah and Allie's story. I wanted more. When I found out the movie was based on a novel, I went to the bookstore and picked it up and read my very first Nicholas Sparks novel. Then I read At First Sight, True Believer, Message in a Bottle....the list goes on and on. I fell in love with his writing style, the characters and with North Carolina (the state itself is a character in its own right in each of his novels). Sparks has a way of getting the reader immersed in his story, longing for more. He has a knack for pulling the reader right into the story.
Dear John is story of love, loss and emotion. It is a story that begs the question 'what if...?'. What if you took a different path in life? Would you still end up at the same destination? What if you made the wrong choice? Would you live to regret it? And what about the tougher questions, like how long would you wait for the one you love? Can love survive the distance?
John is a bit of a rebel but never fell too far off the right path. He was raised by his father, though the two weren't all that close. John had a hard time relating to his father. His father's coin collecting hobby kept them close for a short while. Over time, the two grew further apart. After high school, John realized he wasn't going anywhere in life so he enlisted with the Army for a 4-year tour.
Savannah is a girl who is pure and full of naïve innocence. She's an all-around good girl; you could even call her a goody two-shoes. She lives in a small town and is very close to her parents. She dreams of opening up a horse ranch for autistic kids. It is on a break from school, when she's volunteering for Habit for Humanity, that she meets John and the two fall quickly in love.
Neither John or Savannah were expecting to fall in love but their attraction was inevitable. His two-week furlough is up and he has to return to Germany. Savannah promises to wait for John to finish out his tour. The two continue their relationship through handwritten letters. Savannah writes first.
Dear John,There's so much I want to say to you, but I'm not sure where I should begin. Should I start by telling you that I love you? Or that the days I've spent with you have been the happiest in my life? Or that in the short time I've known you, I've come to believe that we were meant to be together? I could say all those things and all would be true, but as I reread them, all I can think is that I wish I were with you now, holding your hand and watching your elusive smile.
The two continue their relationship through romantic letters, then the events of 9/11 happen and John re-enlists. The distance and time apart put a toll on their relationship. And the questions of "what if...?" begin.
Dear John is one of my favorite reads by Nicholas Sparks. It is a story you will not soon forget. You will cry. Your heart will ache. You will find yourself asking "what if...?". Dear John is about a love lost but not forgotten. I don't agree with some of the choices made by either John or Savannah but John's selfless act at the end of the story made me proud. Have the tissues ready! If you love a good, seamless love story that pulls on your heart strings, then you need to read Dear John. In fact, you need to read everything by Nicholas Sparks. His stories of timeless, endless love will captivate your heart and stay with you.
A movie has been made based on this novel. To date, there have been 6 book-to-movie adaptions for Sparks' works. I have yet to see Dear John but I will definitely be getting the DVD once it gets released for my collection.
The Book Vixen's rating
*This review was originally posted on Fiction Vixen Book Reviews as a guest review.
Review: Kissing Frogs in Cyberspace by Dianne Sweeney
Title: Kissing Frogs in Cyberspace
Author: Dianne Sweeney
Genre: Non-Fiction
Source: Received book from the author (won on Goodreads)
Published: December 2009
In today's age of virtual "hook-ups" and online encounters, it is no surprise that there are thousands of websites devoted to Internet dating.Told in a series of vignettes, Kissing Frogs in Cyberspace, Dianne Sweeney's revealing account of dating in the 21st century takes you on a hilarious, often poignant journey of online dates, dumps, and disasters.
On My Wishlist (12)
On My Wishlist is a fun weekly event hosted by Book Chick City and runs every Saturday. It's where I list all the books I desperately want but haven't actually bought yet. They can be old, new or forthcoming. It's also an event that you can join in with too - Mr Linky is always at the ready for you to link your own 'On My Wishlist' post. If you want to know more click here.
Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld
Jonas: Book 1 (Beautiful Dead, #1) by Eden Maguire
The First Assistant by Clare Naylor
What's on your wishlist?
Teaser Tuesday: Beautiful Creatures
I kissed her cold mouth and she kissed me back. The current between us intensified and she nuzzled her way into the hollow of my neck.
p. 526, Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
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 and author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!
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