Title: Scandal in Spring

Author: Lisa Kleypas

Series: Wallflowers, Book 4

Summary: 

After spending three London seasons searching for a husband, Daisy Bowman's father has told her in no uncertain terms that she must find a husband. Now. And if Daisy can't snare an appropriate suitor, she will marry the man he chooses - the ruthless and aloof Matthew Swift.
Daisy is horrified. A Bowman never admits defeat, and she decides to do whatever it takes to marry someone . . . anyone . . . other than Matthew. But she doesn't count on Matthew's unexpected charm . . . or the blazing sensuality that soon flares beyond both their control. And Daisy discovers that the man she has always hated just might turn out to be the man of her dreams.
But right at the moment of sweet surrender, a scandalous secret is uncovered . . . one that could destroy both Matthew and a love more passionate and irresistible than Daisy's wildest fantasies.

 

My rating: 3 of 5

 

My thoughts on the book:

Just like the other books in the series, I liked this one, too! It was fun & sweet & funny & I liked the characters.

 

Challenges:

• Reading Through the Seasons Challenge 2010 
• 100+ Reading Challenge 2010

Title: North and South

Author: Elizabeth Gaskell

Summary:

Margaret is compelled to move from Helstone, her beloved childhood home in the New Forest, to Darkshire in the industrial north when her father resigns his parsonage owing to religious doubts.

When she first encounters John Thornton, her father's pupil and a man in favour of the power of master over worker, she finds their views in conflict. 

But industrial rebellion and family tragedy cause Margaret to learn the realities of urban life and Thornton to learn humanity. Only then can a mutual understanding lead to the possibility of enduring love.

Mrs Gaskell's finest social novel is also the powerfully moving story of the developing relationship between southern-born Margaret Hale and John Thornton, the young northern mill-owner.

My rating: 4.5 of 5

My thoughts on the book:

I finally read it & I loved it! It's been over 5 years since I first watched the BBC mini series North and South and I fell in love with the story, but I just kept postponing reading the book until now. The book is different than the mini series, although the main story is the same, but there are different scenes.  The book only made me love the characters of Margaret Hale & John Thornton even more. I recommend it! 

Challenges:

• 2010 TBR Challenge
• 100+ Reading Challenge 2010
• The Four Month Challenge, Part 5!
• New Authors Challenge 2010
• Stand Alone Book Challenge 2010
• 18th & 19th Century Women Writers Reading Challenge

Title: City of Bones

Author: Cassandra Clare

Series: Mortal Instruments, Book 1

Summary:

When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder -- much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It's hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing -- not even a smear of blood -- to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy?

This is Clary's first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It's also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace's world with a vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know. . .

 

My rating: 5 of 5

 

My thoughts on the book:

I finally read this book & I have to admit, that I see the appeal of the series! It was fast-paced, funny,  sad, suspenseful, with lots of action & fun characters & although I guessed how it will end, I still enjoyed every second of it. I'll definitely continue reading the series & this book can be awesome movie, so I'm looking forward to the movie also.

Challenges:

• 2010 TBR Challenge
• 100+ Reading Challenge 2010
• The 2010 YA Reading Challenge
• Speculative Fiction Challenge 2010
• Awesome Author Challenge 2010
• The Four Month Challenge, Part 5!
• 101 Fantasy Reading Challenge 
• Book Blogger Recommendation Challenge 2010

Title: Summer Intern

Author: Carrie Karasyov & Jill Kargman

Summary:

To do: 

- Attend photo shoot on pier at sunset. 

- Get invited to NYC's most exclusive parties. 

- Walk big star's makeup artist's assistant's dog. 

- Fetch dry cleaning when it arrives from Paris. 

There's nothing run-of-the-mill about working at Skirt, the preeminent fashion magazine. I'm Kira Parker, total fashion junkie. I thought I had it made when I landed this job. Ha. I mean, don't get me wrong—working at Skirt is amazing. And spending the summer in New York City without my parents? Golden. But now I'm up against Daphne Hughes, daughter of the magazine's owner. What Daphne wants, she gets—all wrapped up in a cute Coach bag. She's already got the guy of my dreams and all the right connections. Now she thinks she'll get the plum position working for the editor in chief without even lifting a diamond-adorned pinky? This catwalk is primed for battle. 

My rating: 3.5 of 5

My thoughts on the book:

I liked this book a lot! It was fun, fast & easy read, with likable characters. 

Challenges:

• 100+ Reading Challenge 2010
• New Authors Challenge 2010
• The 2010 YA Reading Challenge
• Reading Through the Seasons Challenge 2010 
• Stand Alone Book Challenge 2010

Title: Howl's Moving Castle

Author: Diana Wynne Jones

Series: Howl's Castle, Book 1

Summary:

In the land of Ingary, such things as spells, invisible cloaks, and seven-league boots were everyday things. The Witch of the Waste was another matter.
After fifty years of quiet, it was rumored that the Witch was about to terrorize the country again. So when a moving black castle, blowing dark smoke from its four thin turrets, appeared on the horizon, everyone thought it was the Witch. The castle, however, belonged to Wizard Howl, who, it was said, liked to suck the souls of young girls.
The Hatter sisters--Sophie, Lettie, and Martha--and all the other girls were warned not to venture into the streets alone. But that was only the beginning.

In this giant jigsaw puzzle of a fantasy, people and things are never quite what they seem. Destinies are intertwined, identities exchanged, lovers confused. The Witch has placed a spell on Howl. Does the clue to breaking it lie in a famous poem? And what will happen to Sophie Hatter when she enters Howl's castle?

My rating: 5 of 5

 

My thoughts on the book:

I have only one word for it: AMAZING! I loved it & I don't know what I've been waiting for until now. I have to admit that I first saw the animated movie & I loved it, but after reading the book, I'm blown away. Although the basic plot & storyline is the same, there are a lot of differencies between them & the book is 10 times better! It's fun, sweet, hilarious, with interesting, fun & lovable characters and a few twists. I loved everything about it & if someone asks me now who's my favourite wizard, the answer definitely will be Howl. Definitely one of my favorite book, which I'll read again & again. This was the first book by Diana Wynne Jones I've read and I'm looking forward to read more of her! I highly recommend it if you still haven't read it.

 

Challenges:

• 100+ Reading Challenge 2010
• New Authors Challenge 2010
• The 2010 YA Reading Challenge
• Speculative Fiction Challenge 2010
• Steampunk Challenge 
• Awesome Author Challenge 2010
• The Four Month Challenge, Part 5!
• 101 Fantasy Reading Challenge 
• Book Blogger Recommendation Challenge 2010

Title: Girl at Sea

Author: Maureen Johnson

Summary:

Sometimes you have to get lost.
The Girl: Clio, seventeen, wants to spend the summer smooching her art-store crush, not stuck on a boat in the Mediterranean. At least she'll get a killer tan.
The Mission: Survive her father's annoying antics. Oh, also find some underwater treasure that could be the missing link to a long-lost civilization.
The Crew: Dad's absentminded best friend Martin, his scary girlfriend Julia, her voluptuous daughter Elsa . . . and then there's Aidan, Julia's incredibly attractive, incredibly arrogant research assistant.
What's going on behind Aidan's intellectual, intensely green eyes, anyway?  

As Clio sails into uncharted territory she unveils secrets that have the power to change history. But her most surprising discovery is that there's something deeper and more mysterious than the sea—her own heart.

 

My rating: 4.5 of 5

My thoughts on the book:

I loved this book. The story was really great & I couldn't put it down. It was fun & had mystery, romance & adventure, and another plus for me is that it's set in Italy. I read it in winter, but it's definitely great summer read! There was something in the end that happened that I didn't expected, so it surprised me, too! It goes to my pile of favorites & I'll definitely read it again. I highly recommend it!

Challenges:

• The 2010 YA Reading Challenge
• The Four Month Challenge, Part 5!
• Stand Alone Book Challenge 2010
• 100+ Reading Challenge 2010

Summary:

Though the weather outside is frightful, the hunky men are SO delightful. And three ladies are about to get their stockings stuffed with the season's best cheer...  

 

Do You Hear What I Hear by Lori Foster: 

Accused of stealing a donkey from the local nativity scene, pet psychic Marci Churchill is being watched by Sergeant Osbourne Decker, who can't stop thinking about frisking her... 

 

Bah Humbug, Baby by Gemma Bruce: 

The last thing ad exec Allison Newberry wants this year is to spend the holidays with her former flame, the unreliable-but-sexier-than-hell photojournalist Lee Simonson. But when a blizzard hits their ski lodge, there's only one way to keep warm...  

 

By Firelight by Janice Maynard: 

Madison Tierney is feeling anything but merry this Christmas. But when she gets stranded with mountain man Grant Monroe in his secluded cabin, she feels her Christmas spirit - and her temperature - start to rise...

 

 

My rating: 3.5 of 5

 

My thoughts on the book:

I enjoyed all the stories. Do You Hear What I Hear was hilarious & liked it a lot. Bah Humbug, Baby was ok & I liked it, but I loved By Firelight.

 

Challenges:

• 100+ Reading Challenge 2010
• New Authors Challenge 2010

Summary:

He's making a list, he's checking it twice - and he's hoping you're more naughty than nice. He's your own personal Saint Nick - sans beard, belly, and red suit - and he's coming special delivery in this sizzling collection... 

 

The Christmas Present by Lori Foster:

When Beth Monroe catches her fiancé fooling around, she's out for revenge...and the sweetest kind comes courtesy of Levi, the cheater's best friend. But when their one-hour tryst stretches to an entire weekend, holiday cheer takes on a whole new meaning...  

 

It's a Wonderful Life by Karen Kelley:  

Hollywood hottie Jeremy Hunter needs to get serious about his acting career, and that means Christmas spent researching his upcoming role. But going incognito as a preacher in a tiny Texas town soon brings wicked temptation in the form of beautiful Bailey Tanner... 

 

Home for Christmas by Dianne Castell 

A philandering boyfriend plus an empty wallet add up to LuLu Cahill's worst Christmas ever, until she heads home to O'Fallon's Landing and crosses paths with jilted groom Sebastian Moore. Sebastian is determined to go through with his pre-wedding holiday bash. All he needs is LuLu to fill in for the bride...

 

 

My rating: 2.5 of 5

 

My thoughts on the book:

I loved only one of the stories: The Christmas Present by Lori Foster & I'll definitely read more of her books. As for the others, I didn't like It's a Wonderful Life & I wasn't too crazy about Home for Christmas, too, although it had funny moments. I guess the problem was that I didn't like the characters, they annoyed me.

 

Challenges:

• 100+ Reading Challenge 2010
• New Authors Challenge 2010

Summary:

Four of Romance's hottest authors present holiday tales filled with love and laughter:

I Will by Lisa Kleypas

Puddings, Pastries, and Thou by Lisa Cach

Union by Claudia Dain

All I Want by Linsay Sands   

Dear St. Nicholas,

What we'd really like for Christmas this year is:

An Irish Estate

A Family
Mountains of Sugarplums
A Quiet Elopement

Someone to close down all the London clubs - (like White's)

OR

Marriage to a Man who is Honest, Loving, Sexy, Handsome and Titled.

But we know there aren't enough of those to go around... are there?

Respectfully,

Four English Ladies

I Will by Lisa Kleypas:

Andrew, Lord Drake, has been cut out of his father's will because of his dissolute manner of living. To be reinstated, Andrew decides to pretend that he has changed his wicked ways. As part of his plan, he wants to convince his father that he is courting a respectable woman with the intention of marrying her. The problem is, he doesn't know any decent women, except for his friend's spinster sister, Miss Caroline Hargreaves. He blackmails the reluctant Caroline into helping him, and so the charade begins . . . 

 

Puddings, Pastries, and Thou by Lisa Cach:

It’s Christmas, and Vivian Ambrose has once again been passed off from one relation to the other. Orphaned long ago, and with no fortune, she has had to rely on the charity of cousins for her meat and bread, when what she dreams of is puddings and pastries, and a home, husband, and children of her own.

Richard Brent has all but given up hope that a decent, loving woman will have him. He has enough stains upon his public character that he is barely tolerated in genteel homes, and then only because he comes from a good family. When he meets Vivian, his last flickers of hope are stirred to life, for she is the one woman he has met whose hungers may tempt her to take his bait .

My rating: 3 of 5

My thoughts on the book:

I enjoyed all of these stories. The best one is definitely I Will by Lisa Kleypas. I loved it. As for the others, I enjoyed them, too! They were all funny & fun & I liked the chemistry between the main characters!

Challenges:

• 100+ Reading Challenge 2010
• New Authors Challenge 2010

Title: Love Is A Battlefield

Author: Annalisa Daughety

Series: Walk in the Park, Book 1

Summary:

Recent history has taught Kristy O'Neal not to believe in love or risk her heart. Ace Kennedy came to Shiloh to research his family history - but it's Park Ranger Kristy he's studying. Using his own ancestors as an example, can he prove that true love really does exist before Kristy walks away forever?

 

My rating: 3 of 5

 

My thoughts on the book:

This is a christian romance novel! It's fun & sweet book, with likable characters & I enjoyed it!  

 

Challenges:

• 100+ Reading Challenge 2010
• New Authors Challenge 2010
• The Hogwarts Reading Challenge 2010 (Muggle Studies)

Title: Faceless Killers

Author: Henning Mankell

Series: Kurt Wallander, Book 1

Summary:

One frozen January Morning at 5 am, Inspector Wallander responds to what he expects is a routine call out. When he reaches the isolated farmhouse he discovers a bloodbath. An old man has been tortured and beaten to death, his wife lies barely alive beside his shattered body, victims of violence beyond reason. The woman supplies Wallander with his only clue: the perpetrators may have been foreign. When this is leaked to the press, racial hatred is unleashed. Kurt Wallander is a senior police officer at Ystad, a small town in the wind-lashed Swedish province of Skane. His life is a shambles. His wife has left him, his daughter refuses to speak to him, even his ageing father barely tolerates him. He works tirelessly, eats badly and drinks the nights away in a lonely, neglected flat. But now winter closes its grip on Ystad, and Wallander, his tenacious efforts closely monitored by the tough minded (and disarmingly attractive) district attorney Anette Brolin, must forget his trouble, and throw himself into a battle against time and xenophobia. 

 

My rating: 2 of 5

 

My thoughts on the book:

This was ok book! It starts good, but after that, doesn't deliver. The main character was really whiny & annoying. I understand that he has a lot of problems, but I couldn't even feel sorry for him the way he was acting. I didn't like him & overall the storyline was nothing special! It was missing a lot in the mystery & suspense department.  I actually can't understand how this book is bestseller. So, ok book, but a little boring & I don't recommend it!

 

Challenges:

• New Authors Challenge 2010
• Thriller & Suspense Challenge 2010
• The Hogwarts Reading Challenge 2010 (Defence Against the Dark Arts)
• 100+ Reading Challenge 2010

Title: Kiss and Tell

Author: Suzanne Brockmann

Series: Sunrise Key, Book 1

Summary: 

When Leila Hunt is swept off her feet by a ninja at a New Year's Eve costume party, she has no idea who the masked man is - but after he disappears into the night, she's determined to find him. When the clock struck twelve, what began as a friendly New Year's greeting quickly became the most unforgettable kiss Leila had ever experienced with anyone - including her absent boyfriend. But of all the possible suspects, Leila hardly imagines that the ninja is the same man who's teased, tormented - and secretly intrigued her - since childhood.

Marshall Devlin is finally ready to face the terrifying truth: he's in love with his best friend's sister, and has been for years. There's just one complication: Leila didn't know he was her ninja. To win her, Marsh will have to woo her. But can he make Leila forget their decades of verbal sparring in time to stop her from making the biggest mistake of her life?

My rating: 4 of 5

My thoughts on the book:

I enjoyed this book a lot! I liked the characters & the chemistry between them & it was lots of fun! I'll definitely read more books by Suzanne Brockmann! 

Challenges:

• 100+ Reading Challenge 2010
• The Hogwarts Reading Challenge 2010 (Muggle Studies) 
• New Authors Challenge 2010

Title: The Graveyard Book

Author: Neil Gaiman

Summary:

Bod is an unusual boy who inhabits an unusual place-he's the only living resident of a graveyard. Raised from infancy by the ghosts, werewolves, and other cemetery denizens, Bod has learned the antiquated customs of his guardians' time as well as their timely ghostly teachings-like the ability to Fade.

Can a boy raised by ghosts face the wonders and terrors of the worlds of both the living and the dead? And then there are things like ghouls that aren't really one thing or the other.

 

My rating: 5 of 5 

 

My thoughts on the book:

This was a re-read for me! Although I loved this book the first time I read it, I didn't think that it's possible to love it even more, but now I think I do! I loved the story, the characters, the writing, everything about it & although I've read it before, I still couldn't put it down! One of my favorite books & I highly recommend it!

Challenges:

• Neil Gaiman Reading Challenge 2010
• 100+ Reading Challenge 2010
• The Hogwarts Reading Challenge 2010 (Defence Against the Dark Arts)
• 101 Fantasy Reading Challenge 
• Stand Alone Book Challenge 2010
• Speculative Fiction Challenge 2010
• The 2010 YA Reading Challenge
• The Four Month Challenge, Part 5!

 

Although I love this blue cover of the book, I have to post the cover of the limited edition by Subterranean Press! It's simply amazing & it really fits the story! So, here it is:

 

 

Title: The Cellar

Author: A. J. Whitten

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Imprint: Graphia Books

Publication date: May 2nd, 2011

Genre: YA Horror / Fantasy / Romance

Pages: 288

Available for Pre-order: Paperback

Summary:

Meredith Willis is suspicious of Adrien, the new guy next door. When she dares to sneak a look into the windows of his house, she sees something in the cellar that makes her believe that Adrien might be more than just a creep—he may be an actual monster.
 

But her sister, Heather, doesn't share Meredith's repulsion. Heather believes Adrien is the only guy who really understands her. In fact, she may be falling in love with him. When Adrien and Heather are cast as the leads in the school production of Romeo and Juliet, to Heather, it feels like fate. To Meredith, it feels like a bad omen. But if she tries to tear the couple apart, she could end up in the last place she'd ever want to be: the cellar. Can Meredith convince her sister that she's dating the living dead before it's too late for both of them?

 

My rating: 5 of 5

 

My thoughts on the book:

I loved it! It's a fast read, creepier than I expected, a little gory & the story was interesting. I really liked this different presentation on zombies! The ending didn't surprise me, but still it was good & although I guessed how it will end, I still felt the suspense while I was reading it! Great book & I highly recommend it!

 

Challenges:

• 100+ Reading Challenge 2010
• The Hogwarts Reading Challenge 2010 (Defence Against the Dark Arts) 
• New Authors Challenge 2010
• The 2010 YA Reading Challenge
• Speculative Fiction Challenge 2010
• Stand Alone Book Challenge 2010

Title: Adios, Nirvana

Author: Conrad Wesselhoeft

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Imprint: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children 

Summary: 

When you piss off a bridge into a snowstorm, it feels like you're connecting with eternal things. Paying homage to something or someone. But who? The Druids? Walt Whitman? No, I pay homage to one person only, my brother, my twin. 

In life. In death. 

Telemachus. 

Since the death of his brother, Jonathan's been losing his grip on reality. Last year's Best Young Poet and gifted guitarist is now Taft High School's resident tortured artist, when he bothers to show up. He's on track to repeat eleventh grade, but his English teacher, his principal, and his crew of Thicks (who refuse to be seniors without him) won't sit back and let him fail.

 

My rating: 5 of 5

 

My thoughts on the book:

I loved this book! Although it doesn't start amazing & in the beginning I wasn't too sure if I'll like it, I kept reading it & in the end I loved it! The story & the writing was great, I could really feel what Jonathan felt & as the story developed, I could understand why he was dealing with his grief the way he did! I really liked most of the side characters & how they helped him deal with it! I especially loved the poetry & the parts with music & guitar playing! The ending was really good & I have to say that the cover really fits the book! I recommend it!

 

Challenges:

• 100+ Reading Challenge 2010
• The Hogwarts Reading Challenge 2010 (Muggle Studies) 
• New Authors Challenge 2010
• The 2010 YA Reading Challenge
• The Four Month Challenge, Part 5!