Title: Touch of Power

Author: Maria V. Snyder

Series: Healer, #1

My rating: 5 of 5

(Book reread from March 22nd to April 5th, 2014.)  

 

 

Summary:

Laying hands upon the injured and dying, Avry of Kazan assumes their wounds and diseases into herself. But rather than being honoured for her skills, she is hunted. Healers like Avry are accused of spreading the plague that has decimated the Territories, leaving the survivors in a state of chaos.

Stressed and tired from hiding, Avry is abducted by a band of rogues who, shockingly, value her gift above the golden bounty offered for her capture. Their leader an enigmatic captor-protector with powers of his own is unequivocal in his demands: Avry must heal a plague-stricken prince, the leader of a campaign against her people.

As they traverse the daunting Nine Mountains, beset by mercenaries and magical dangers, Avry must decide who is worth healing and what is worth dying for.

 

My Thoughts on the Book:

I actually read this book for the first time in 2011, and I rated it 3.5 of 5, which means that I only liked it a lot. Some parts I loved, but some didn't, though now I'm pretty sure that was only because of my mood at the time. So, now, when I was rereading it, I knew I will change the rating, and I kept thinking "What was I thinking?", because this book is so awesome, actually it's pretty much perfect & now it's one of my favs!

First of all, I love the story. From the way it started, to the way it developed, to its very end. It made me smile, it made me teary-eyed, and kept me in suspense, even though I knew what will happen, it was still quite the adventure & I can't recommend it enough.

And of course, I loved the world, and I loved the characters. Avry is such an amazing heroine. She's smart, persistant, quick-on-her-feet, brave, and so, so good, yet she can be bad-ass, too, so of course I loved her. Even after everything she's been through, she keeps going. She's a survivor, and for her to be still alive in her world - she had to be one.

I loved Kerrick, too. Yeah, he acts bad at the beginning, but I just knew there's a heart of gold under there, and his powers are so amazing, and I actually loved all the bickering between him & Avry, as well as between him & Belen, Flea & the rest. They're such an amazing "family", and all of them had captured a part of my heart, especially Belen & Flea.

And then there's our main villain - Tohon. I actually found him quite scary. Why? Well, even though he's so intelligent & so evil & so powerful, what made him more villainous was the way he could use some of his powers, and that he actually doesn't look evil. Apparently he's quite hot & handsome. All of that combined I found plain scary & unfair, and that actually makes him quite the villain in my eyes.

I won't go into details, but if you still haven't read this book and you love fantasy, than this is the book for you & I highly recommend it. Maria V. Snyder is an amazing author, that creates worlds & stories filled with amazing characters that will suck you in & never let you go, and I know I'll never get enough of reading her books!

Title: The Uninnocent: Stories

Author: Bradford Morrow

Publication date: December 5th, 2011

Publisher: Pegasus Books

 
ISBN: 9781605982656

Pages: 256

Edition: Hardcover

Read from November 11th, 2011 to December 4th, 2011  from ARC received from the publisher in exchange for an honest review!

My rating: 4 of 5

  
Summary:

Bradford Morrow’s stories have garnered him awards such as the O. Henry and Pushcart Prizes and have given him a devoted following. Now gathered here for the first time is a collection of his finest, gothic, most darkly comic, masterfully written tales. 

A young man whose childhood hobby of collecting sea shells and birds’ nests takes a sinister turn when he becomes obsessed with acquiring his brother’s girlfriend, in “The Hoarder” (selected as one of the Best American Noir Stories of the Century).

An archeologist summoned to attend his beloved sister’s funeral is astonished to discover it is not she who has died, but someone much closer to him, in “Gardener of Heart.”

A blind motivational speaker has a crisis of faith when he suddenly regains his sight, only to discover life was better lived in the dark, in “Amazing Grace.”

In all of these stories, readers will find themselves enthralled and captivated by one of the most potent voices in contemporary American fiction.

 My thoughts on the book:

The Uninnocent is a collection of Bradford Morrow's 12 short stories & I have to say that although the title of the collection is the title of one of the stories, it fits the collection perfectly. Here's how I rated each story:

1. The Hoarder - I gave this one 5 of 5 rating. I thought it was amazingly written & I got wrapped up in the story & everything that was happening & it was interesting seeing how the main character's dark personality developed.

2. Gardener of Heart - I gave this one 3 of 5 rating, which means that I liked it. In this one, a brother returns home for his twin sister's funeral & goes through the memories of their childhood & although not one of my favorite stories in this collection, still was good.

3. Whom No Hate Stirs None Dances - 2.5 rating. This one was ok & I guess my least favorite. Overall, the story wasn't bad, it had that little mystery about what happened (although I guessed what it was) & it had that dark comical thing in the end...

4. Amazing Grace - 5 stars rating. This one was amazing story. After losing his sight, the main character founds his consolation in God & quite unintentionally becomes motivational speaker that tours around the country doing motivational speeches. But, suddenly, after over a decade of blindness, he gaines his sight & discovers that his life wasn't what he thought it was & after the initial shock, he got back to the ones that kept him in the dark. I did approve what he did because they deserved what they got & I liked the way he did, it, too & in the end, he got a happy ending, too, so I loved this story.

5. The Uninnocent - This one was really good story, creepy & mysterious, but I won't go into any details & I gave it 4.5 stars. 

6. Tsunami - I gave this one 3.5 rating. Overall, I enjoyed the story a lot, it was quite good &  interesting.

7. (Mis)laid - I gave this one 5 stars rating. This one was my 2nd favorite in this collection, because it was the most comical, & yet dark & it was differently written than the other stories in the collection. I won't go into details, except to say that in this story a man suddenly mislaid's his mind (goes crazy) & we follow why & what he's doing & how that ends up & yeah, I loved every second of it. I found it brilliantly written & funny.

8. All the Things that Are Wrong with Me - This one was a great story & I gave it 4.5 stars. It was the 2nd most comical story for me in this collection. In this story, John's therapist instruct's him to write about 7 things that are wrong with him & he does & we follow how he started in his childhood to collect & take care of stray animals & how that ended up. Overall, it was really interesting & the main character's thinking made me laugh more than once.

9. The Enigma of Grover's Mill - I gave this one 5 stars & this one was my top favorite story in the collection. Also, this one was the only one of the stories where I really liked the main character (Wyatt). I was wrapped up in the story from the beginning to the end & really felt for the character & I loved the creepiness & the mystery in it & I was actually really glad when he did what he did. Amazing story!

10. Ellie's Idea - I liked this one a lot & I gave it 3.5 stars, but I have to admit that this one was really weird (ok, all of these stories are a little weird, but this one was the weirdest for me). Ellie actually goes a little "crazy" & starts apologizing to everyone for every small or big wrong thing that she did, but they didn't know & with that, she makes lots of other problems. Everything isn't explained, but there are lots of hints of how can be interpreted, but in the end in depends on the reader. 

11. The Road to Nadeja - This story was really good & I gave it 4.5 stars. The main character is kleptomaniac, but it works for him only when he steals from people he likes or loves & he tooks only things that he knows will miss them a lot. We get to see his journey to finding himself again through finding Nadeja (which is a person).

12. Lush - I liked it & I gave it 3 stars. This one is told by 2 alternate point of views (James' & Ivy's). James loses his wife Margot in a car accident, in which Ivy stays alive, but really hurt, with long recovery before her. I won't really spoil the story with the important details, except to say that here we learn about James & Margot's life together & how Ivy recovers after the accident & how in the end he decides to honor Margot's death. Overall, another good story.

This was the second book by Bradford Morrow I've read. The first one was the novel The Diviner's Tale. As with that one, in all of these stories the author had created quite memorable characters, dark & creepy, yet uninnocent. The storytelling was superb & I'll say it again, although maybe not for everyone, quite amazing collection of stories. I'll definitely read them again. I also liked how he took some of the man's conditions (or maybe I should say illnesses) like addiction, hoarding, alcoholism, kleptomania, etc, & gave them a little twist in the stories, which I think it was quite imaginative done, refreshing, dark, creepy & a little comical at the same time. I highly recommend this collection of stories to everyone that loves good fiction. 

Challenges:

• 2nds Challenge 2011
• 100 Books In A Year Reading Challenge 2011
  

Title: Wild Thing

Author: Robin Kaye

 

Series: Domestic Gods, Book 5

Publication date: December 1st, 2011

Publisher: Sourcebooks

Imprint: Sourcebooks Casablanca

 
ISBN: 9781402257278

 

Read on November 7th, 2011 from e-copy acquired from NetGalley!

My rating: 5 of 5

 

 Summary:

Whitewater-rafting guide Hunter Kincaid lands his dream job–guiding sportswear models through Idaho's rugged wilderness for a photo shoot. When he meets Toni Russo, the goth New York manager of Action Models, there are enough sparks to set the forest ablaze.
When Hunter finds Toni's book on how to marry the man of your choice, he studies it as a joke. Before long Hunter realizes he's never cared enough for a woman to bother working this hard to get her. But the last man in the world this city girl wants is a Survivor Man wannabe...

 My thoughts on the book:

Robin Kaye did it again! Every new book of hers I read, I'm thinking "This one is the best!" & this time that was the case, too! That's the reason why she's one of my favourite authors of adult contemporary romances. First of all, I fell in love with the Kincaid family in Yours for the Taking & I was looking forward to reading their books & this one is the first. As always, it was lots of fun, with really fun dialogues, great chemistry between the main characters & with really fun & lovable characters. I just couldn't stop reading it, had a smile plasted on my face most of the time & now it's one of my favorites & I highly recommend it!

  

Challenges:

• The Keeping It Real Reading Challenge 2011
• 100 Books In A Year Reading Challenge 2011
  

Title: Shut Out

Author: Kody Keplinger

Book read on November 30th, 2011!

My rating: 4 of 5

Summary:

Most high school sports teams have rivalries with other schools. At Hamilton High, it's a civil war: the football team versus the soccer team. And for her part, Lissa is sick of it. Her quarterback boyfriend, Randy, is always ditching her to go pick a fight with the soccer team or to prank their locker room. And on three separate occasions Randy's car has been egged while he and Lissa were inside, making out. She is done competing with a bunch of sweaty boys for her own boyfriend's attention.

Then Lissa decides to end the rivalry once and for all: She and the other players' girlfriends go on a hookup strike. The boys won't get any action from them until the football and soccer teams make peace. What they don't count on is a new sort of rivalry: an impossible girls-against-boys showdown that hinges on who will cave to their libidos first. But what Lissa never sees coming is her own sexual tension with the leader of the boys, Cash Sterling...

 My thoughts on the book:

Okay, so although I gave his book the same rating as I gave The DUFF, I think that this one was much better, so I'm already looking forward to reading Kody's next book. I really liked all the characters in this book. They were all quite realistic, with real issues that teens have. Also, they were really fun, so the book was lots of fun, it fast-paced & funny at times. Again, I enjoyed Kody's writing style. Also, I was surprised with Lissa's secret halfway through the book, I didn't expect that (although I did expect the thing that Randy did). The chemistry between Cash & Lissa was really great & in the end I was really happy for them. I recommend this book a lot!

  

Challenges:

• The Keeping It Real Reading Challenge 2011
• 100 Books In A Year Reading Challenge 2011
  
• 2011 YA Reading Challenge
• 2nds Challenge 2011

Title: The DUFF

Author: Kody Keplinger

Book read on November 30th, 2011!

My rating: 4 of 5

Summary:

Seventeen-year-old Bianca Piper is cynical and loyal, and she doesn’t think she’s the prettiest of her friends by a long shot. She’s also way too smart to fall for the charms of man-slut and slimy school hottie Wesley Rush. In fact, Bianca hates him. And when he nicknames her “the Duff,” she throws her Coke in his face.

But things aren’t so great at home right now, and Bianca is desperate for a distraction. She ends up kissing Wesley. Worse, she likes it. Eager for escape, Bianca throws herself into a closeted enemies-with-benefits relationship with him.

Until it all goes horribly awry. It turns out Wesley isn’t such a bad listener, and his life is pretty screwed up, too. Suddenly Bianca realizes with absolute horror that she’s falling for the guy she thought she hated more than anyone.

 My thoughts on the book:

I have to admit that at the beginning I wasn't too crazy about this book. Although I could understand from the beginning why Bianca was acting the way she was, there was just something missing & I just couldn't really connect with her. But, slowly, as the story progressed, that changed. I really started to like Wesley & Bianca as characters & I loved the banter between them. Also, there was lots of chemistry. I mean, this book was hot - I didn't really expect that ;) Anyway, there were also some great advices for teens in this book, which I really liked. Overall, The DUFF is fun & fast read, that I enjoyed a lot, I almost loved it ;) & I recommend it.   

  

Challenges:

• The Keeping It Real Reading Challenge 2011
• 100 Books In A Year Reading Challenge 2011
  
• 2011 YA Reading Challenge
• New Author Challenge 2011

Title: Graffiti Moon

Author: Cath Crowley

Publication date: February 14th, 2012

Publisher: Random House Children's Books

Imprint: Alfred A. Knopf BFYR

 
ISBN: 9780375869532

 

Read on November 29th, 2011 from e-copy acquired from NetGalley!

My rating: 5 of 5

 

 Summary:

An all-night cityscape moonlit love story.

Senior year is over, and Lucy has the perfect way to celebrate: tonight, she's going to find Shadow, the mysterious graffiti artist whose work appears all over the city. He's out there somewhere—spraying color, spraying birds and blue sky on the night—and Lucy knows a guy who paints like Shadow is someone she could fall for. Really fall for. Instead, Lucy's stuck at a party with Ed, the guy she's managed to avoid since the most awkward date of her life. But when Ed tells her he knows where to find Shadow, they're suddenly on an all-night search around the city. And what Lucy can't see is the one thing that's right before her eyes.

 My thoughts on the book:

Graffiti Moon is amazing book. I always love books where the characters are artists & they talk or think about their art & here there was plenty of that, from alternate point of views. Ed a.k.a Shadow is graffiti artist, and from the descriptions, his graffitis sound amazing. Lucy is a glass-blower artist & her work sounded really interesting, too & I do wish I could see some of Al's work. Leo a.k.a Poet writes poetry of course, and his poems cracked me up through out the book & Jazz (although we don't see anything from her point-of-view) wants to be actress, so another artist. All the characters were great & really lovable & even with everything they've went through, really fun. They really made me laugh. I really cared for each of them: Ed, Leo, Lucy, Jazz, Daisy & Dylan. The first thing that cracked me up in this book, the story about Ed & Lucy's first date, it was so funny, yet when it was told from Ed's point of view, I really felt for him, because he really did like her, and that's when I started to love him as a character. All the characters were well-developed & they do grow up as the story progresses. The chemistry between the characters was really great, too & I enjoyed every second of it. Let's just say that I never wanted to end. The  writing style was amazing & I absolutely fell in love with, so I have to read more books from Cath Crowley. Graffiti Moon is sweet & heart-warming story, a little sad, a little happy, yet at the same time quite an adventure, too, which I just couldn't put it down. One of my favorite books this year, that goes on my must-buy list & I highly recommend it.

  

Challenges:

• The Keeping It Real Reading Challenge 2011
• 100 Books In A Year Reading Challenge 2011
  
• 2011 YA Reading Challenge
• New Author Challenge 2011

Title: Lola and the Boy Next Door

Author: Stephanie Perkins

Book read from November 28th to November 29th, 2011!

My rating: 4.5 of 5

Summary:

Budding designer Lola Nolan doesn’t believe in fashion . . . she believes in costume. The more expressive the outfit -- more sparkly, more fun, more wild -- the better. But even though Lola’s style is outrageous, she’s a devoted daughter and friend with some big plans for the future. And everything is pretty perfect (right down to her hot rocker boyfriend) until the dreaded Bell twins, Calliope and Cricket, return to the neighborhood.

When Cricket -- a gifted inventor -- steps out from his twin sister’s shadow and back into Lola’s life, she must finally reconcile a lifetime of feelings for the boy next door.

 My thoughts on the book:

First thing I have to mention about this book: Cricket Bell. From the beginning, I've wanted to hug him like a teddy bear & never let him go. He's such a sweet & adorable guy. I absolutely loved him. Actually, the thing that I liked the most in this book was him. The way he dressed, the way he talked, the way he looked, his crazy inventions, I loved everything about him. Next, I loved Cricket & Lola's first love 2 years ago. It was just so sweet reading about it. Lola was quite interesting character & I liked her a lot. As always, I don't want to go into details, but I enjoyed this one a lot. Although for me it wasn't as great as Anna and the French Kiss, it was still good & I think that the thing that was missing for me was Paris. Also, I have to admit that I probably would've given 4-star rating, but it got 4.5 only because of Cricket, once again - he's such a great & lovable character. It was good to see both Etienne & Anna through the book, they're really fun characters. I highly recommend this book & I can't wait for Josh & Isla's Happily Ever After!

  

Challenges:

• The Keeping It Real Reading Challenge 2011
• 100 Books In A Year Reading Challenge 2011
  
• 2011 YA Reading Challenge
• 2nds Challenge 2011

Title: Anna and the French Kiss

Author: Stephanie Perkins

Book read on November 28th, 2011!

My rating: 5 of 5

Summary:

Anna is looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. Which is why she is less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris - until she meets Etienne St. Clair: perfect, Parisian (and English and American, which makes for a swoon-worthy accent), and utterly irresistible. The only problem is that he's taken, and Anna might be, too, if anything comes of her almost-relationship back home.

As winter melts into spring, will a year of romantic near-misses end with the French kiss Anna - and readers - have long awaited?

 My thoughts on the book:

Okay, this was one of the most praised books in the last year & now I know why. This is probably the 2nd best ya contemporary romance I've ever read. First, the setting. I've never been to Paris, but the way it was described by the author, it was like I was seeing it before my eyes. So, the writing style - amazing! Now for the characters. My favourite character was of course Etienne St. Clair. He really is entirely irresistible. I also liked Anna's character a lot. The chemistry between them from the beginning was great & I enjoyed every second of it. The secondary characters were likable, too. As the story developed, I became more & more interested in Josh & I'm happy he'll get his own happily ever after with Isla, which I really can't wait & it will be in Paris again, yay! Anyway, back to Anna and the French Kiss. I don't want to go into details, but it's lots of fun, with sizzling chemistry & great friendship between the main characters & most of the time I had a smile plasted on my face while I was reading it & I couldn't put it down, so I highly recommend it! 

  

Challenges:

• The Keeping It Real Reading Challenge 2011
• 100 Books In A Year Reading Challenge 2011
  
• 2011 YA Reading Challenge
• New Author Challenge 2011

Title: A Match Made in High School

Author: Kristin Walker

Book read from November 8th to November 9th, 2011!

My rating: 4.5 of 5

Summary:

When the principal announces that every senior must participate in a mandatory year-long Marriage Education program, Fiona Sheehan believes that her life can't get any worse. Then she marries her "husband": jerky jock Todd, whose cheerleader girlfriend, Amanda, has had it in for Fiona since day one of second grade. Even worse? Amanda is paired with Fiona's long-term crush, Gabe. At least Fiona is doing better than her best friend, Marcie, who is paired up with the very quiet, very mysterious Johnny Mercer.

Pranks, fights, misunderstandings, and reconciliations ensue in an almost Shakespearean comedy of errors about mistaken first impressions, convoluted coupling, and hidden crushes.

 My thoughts on the book:

This book was hilarious! One of the funniest ya books I've read. Loved the writing style and all the funny dialogue & interaction between Todd & Fiona & all the pranks, I just couldn't stop laughing. Hilarious. So, I have to admit that this book both surprised me & didn't. I was most surprised by Todd & Amanda. They act awful at the beginning & I disliked them a lot, but I slowly started to like Todd more & more & in the end I loved him & I liked Amanda, too. I loved the way the friendship between Fiona & Todd developed, it was so entertaining. The aspects about Johnny, Gabe & Marcie weren't a surprise, I saw them coming from the beginning, although I was a little surprised that Gabe was such a jerk in the end. Johnny was also such a sweet character that I loved. I liked Fiona's character a lot, although I was annoyed a little when she acted really immature (and I'm not talking about all the pranks & jokes). My favourite character was definitely Todd. Oh, I've almost forgot to mention Sam. She was such an amazing little girl that I absolutely loved, too! Will I read this book again? Definitely, again & again. It's funny, entertaining, fun, sweet & I have to say again, hilarious book that I can't recommend it enough!    

  

Challenges:

• The Keeping It Real Reading Challenge 2011
• 100 Books In A Year Reading Challenge 2011
  
• 2011 YA Reading Challenge
• New Author Challenge 2011

Title: Geek Girl

Author: Cindy C. Bennett

Publication date: December 8th, 2011

Publisher: Cedar Fort

Imprint: Sweetwater Books

 
ISBN: 9781599559254

Read from November 1st to November 2nd, 2011 from e-copy acquired from NetGalley!

My rating: 5 of 5

Summary:

“Think I could turn that boy bad?” My two best friends—my only two friends, really—follow my gaze and laugh.

“Trevor Hoffman?” Beth scoffs. “No way, Jen.”

“I bet I could,” I say, shrugging.

“Why him?” Beth asks. “Why not any of the other nerds sitting there with him?”

“Because,” I say slowly, “he isn’t your typical run-of-the-mill geek. Trevor Hoffman is different. He would be a little more difficult to take down, more of a challenge, you know?”

Jen's life of partying and sneaking out has grown stale. So on a whim, Jen makes a bet to turn Trevor, a goody-two-shoes geek, into a "bad boy." As she hangs out with Trevor, however, she finds it's actually kinda fun being a geek. But when Trevor finds out about the bet, Jen must fight for the things she's discovered matter most: friendship, family, and, above all, love.

My thoughts on the book:

Okay, Geek Girl is (without a doubt) the best ya contemporary novel I've ever read. I just fell in love with this book & everything in it. Let's start with the characters. Both Jen's & Trevor's characters are really well-developed. As the storyline developes, we get to know why Jen acts the way she does & we get to see how she overcomes her issues & becomes more mature person. Also, Trevor is such an amazing character (yeah, I know, maybe too good to be true) but I still fell in love with him & their relationship. I could really feel the chemistry between them from the beginning & I loved the fact that we could see how they slowly fell in love & it was so sweet. LOL, I'm still swooning over their love, and I read this book almost a month ago. You know how there are some books that you're loving so much, that you don't want them to end, so you start to read them slower than usually you do while reading a book? Well, this one was that kind of book for me. I couldn't wait to see what will happen next & yet I still didn't want it to end. It was really fun & amazing book, it made me laugh & it made me cry, I really connected to the characters (I'm such a geek), I loved the writing style, and it had everything that for me a perfect story can have. Will I buy this book? Definitely, it's on my must-buy list (since I read it from galley). Will I read it again? Without a doubt. I know that this will be one of the books that I'll read it again & again & I'll love it more each time & I'll never get bored with it. I can't recommend enough this book, really amazing & I'm looking forward to trying the author's other books! Definitely a must-read!   

Challenges:

• 100 Books In A Year Reading Challenge 2011 
• The Keeping It Real Reading Challenge 2011
• New Author Challenge 2011
• 2011 YA Reading Challenge

Title: Epic Fail

Author: Claire LaZebnik

Book read on November 2nd, 2011!

My rating: 3.5 of 5

Summary:

Will Elise’s love life be an epic win or an epic fail?

At Coral Tree Prep in Los Angeles, who your parents are can make or break you.

Case in point:

As the son of Hollywood royalty, Derek Edwards is pretty much prince of the school—not that he deigns to acknowledge many of his loyal subjects.

As the daughter of the new principal, Elise Benton isn’t exactly on everyone’s must-sit-next-to-at-lunch list.

When Elise’s beautiful sister catches the eye of the prince’s best friend, Elise gets to spend a lot of time with Derek, making her the envy of every girl on campus. Except she refuses to fall for any of his rare smiles and instead warms up to his enemy, the surprisingly charming social outcast Webster Grant. But in this hilarious tale of fitting in and flirting, not all snubs are undeserved, not all celebrity brats are bratty, and pride and prejudice can get in the way of true love for only so long.

 My thoughts on the book:

I love Pride & Prejudice (who doesn't) & I love reading re-tellings, they're always lots of fun & Epic Fail was another fun ya contemporary re-telling of the classic. As a re-telling, it's really, really good. The setting & all the characters & the situations are really well placed in the modern time, yet they still capture the magic of the classic, so the author did a great job on that part, but as a contemporary ya romance, it's a fun book, which I liked it a lot, but nothing that blowed me away. You can say that I didn't really connect with the characters, although I was still cheering for them & I liked them a lot. I'll probably read this one again in a few years, because it was lots of fun & I enjoyed it a lot, so I recommend it.    

  

Challenges:

• The Keeping It Real Reading Challenge 2011
• 100 Books In A Year Reading Challenge 2011
  
• 2011 YA Reading Challenge
• Jane Austen Challenge 2011
• New Author Challenge 2011

Title: Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist

Author: Rachel Cohn & David Levithan

Book read from November 1st to November 2nd, 2011!

My rating: 3.5 of 5

Summary:

It all starts when Nick asks Norah to be his girlfriend for five minutes. He only needs five minutes to avoid his ex-girlfriend, who's just walked in to his band's show. With a new guy. And then, with one kiss, Nick and Norah are off on an adventure set against the backdrop of New York City - and smack in the middle of all the joy, anxiety, confusion, and excitement of a first date.

This he said/she said romance told by YA stars Rachel Cohn and David Levithan is a sexy, funny roller coaster of a story about one date over one very long night, with two teenagers, both recovering from broken hearts, who are just trying to figure out who they want to be - and where the next great band is playing.

Told in alternating chapters, teeming with music references, humor, angst, and endearing side characters, this is a love story you'll wish were your very own. Working together for the first time, Rachel Cohn and David Levithan have combined forces to create a book that is sure to grab readers of all ages and never let them go.

 My thoughts on the book:

First of all, I have to say that I was really hesitant to read this book. I watched the movie a couple of years ago & it was really below average & I was wondering why the book was so popular, and after that although I found out that the movie was quite different, I still hesitate it, but after reading Dash & Lily's Book of Dares last spring (which I loved) I decided to give it a try to Nick & Norah's Infinite Playlist. I usually love alternate point-of-views & this time I enjoyed it, too. Alhough I have to admit that I didn't connect with Nick or Norah, overall I liked them. The storyline was interesting (definitely different than the movie), the secondary characters were fun, I enjoyed the writing styles & it was fun, sexy & fast read. I won't go into details, but some parts I loved, some not so much, but most of them I liked a lot, so overall I liked a lot this book. Was it as amazing as everyone said it was? Not really, but I didn't have high expectations & it was good, but in the end it all depends of how much you'll connect with the characters, which I didn't. Will I read it again? Maybe, in a few years. Overall, quite enjoyable contemporary ya romance.  

  

Challenges:

• The Keeping It Real Reading Challenge 2011
• 100 Books In A Year Reading Challenge 2011
  
• 2011 YA Reading Challenge
• 2nds Challenge 2011

Title: Dark Inside 

Author: Jeyn Roberts

Series: Book 1

Book read from October 25th to November 1st, 2011, from e-copy acquired from Simon & Schuster GalleyGrab!

My rating: 4.5 of 5

Summary:

Since mankind began, civilizations have always fallen: the Romans, the Greeks, the Aztecs. Now it's our turn. Huge earthquakes rock the world. Cities are destroyed. But something even more awful is happening. An ancient evil has been unleashed, turning everday people into hunters, killers, crazies.

Mason's mother is dying after a terrible car accident. As he endures a last vigil at her hospital bed, his school is bombed and razed to the ground, and everyone he knows is killed. Aries survives an earthquake aftershock on a bus, and thinks the worst is over when a mysterious stranger pulls her out of the wreckage, but she's about to discover a world changed forever. Clementine, the only survivor of an emergency town hall meeting that descends into murderous chaos, is on the run from savage strangers who used to be her friends and neighbors. And Michael witnesses a brutal road rage incident that is made much worse by the arrival of the police--who gun down the guilty party and then turn on the bystanding crowd.

Where do you go for justice when even the lawmakers have turned bad? These four teens are on the same road in a world gone mad. Struggling to survive, clinging on to love and meaning wherever it can be found, this is a journey into the heart of darkness - but also a journey to find each other and a place of safety.

 My thoughts on the book:

Ok, so I downloaded this one from my Simon & Schuster GalleyGrab e-mail. I just read the 1st paragraph of the summary, sounded good & I downloaded it. So, although before I start reading a book, I usually read the summary, this time I didn't, I just start reading it & I have to admit that the first 3rd of the book freaked me out. I mean, in that part happens everything that is described in  the second paragraph of the summary. The author describes what happens to every main character from their point of view alternately. There are 4 main characters: Mason, Aries, Clementine & Michael. So, I've read plenty of apocalyptic & post-apocalyptic books, & this one is the first that freaked me out. But, I still loved every second of it. There's lots of suspense in this book, the story is really good, great characters, good pacing & plenty of surprises & I got tears in my eyes more than once. My favourite character without a doubt was Mason. Also, I think I know who is the "5th" narrator & although I don't want to be right, I'll just have to wait & see. Other than that, I don't want to go into details, but I can't recommend it enough & I can't wait for the sequel. This one is now on my must-buy list.

  

Challenges:

• 100 Books In A Year Reading Challenge 2011
  
• Horror & UF Reading Challenge 2011
• 1st in a Series Reading Challenge 2011
• New Author Challenge 2011
• 2011 YA Reading Challenge