Saturday, December 31, 2011

Best Reads of 2011

I know that I'm like way past due posting this (man this year flew by!) but here is My Best Reads of 2011! I hope that everyone has a wonderful and safe Happy New Year! So here goes, you should be able to click on the covers and that will take you to the GoodReads page to add to your TBR list if you haven't already! I couldn't narrow it down to 10, but tried really hard LOL - and I couldn't decide which way I could number them so I just did it alphabetically by the author's last name.





When a strange boy tumbles down a river embankment and lands at her feet, seventeen-year-old adrenaline junkie Deznee Cross snatches the opportunity to piss off her father by bringing the mysterious hottie with ice blue eyes home.
Except there’s something off with Kale. He wears her shoes in the shower, is overly fascinated with things like DVDs and vases, and acts like she’ll turn to dust if he touches her. It’s not until Dez’s father shows up, wielding a gun and knowing more about Kale than he should, that Dez realizes there’s more to this boy—and her father’s “law firm”—than she realized.
Kale has been a prisoner of Denazen Corporation—an organization devoted to collecting “special” kids known as Sixes and using them as weapons—his entire life. And, oh yeah, his touch? It kills. The two team up with a group of rogue Sixes hellbent on taking down Denazen before they’re caught and her father discovers the biggest secret of all. A secret Dez has spent her life keeping safe.
A secret Kale will kill to protect.




Starting over sucks.When we moved to West Virginia right before my senior year, I’d pretty much resigned myself to thick accents, dodgy internet access, and a whole lot of boring…. until I spotted my hot neighbor, with his looming height and eerie green eyes. Things were looking up.
And then he opened his mouth.
Daemon is infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. We do not get along. At all. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, well, something…unexpected happens.
The hot alien living next door marks me.
You heard me. Alien. Turns out Daemon and his sister have a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal their abilities, and Daemon’s touch has me lit up like the Vegas Strip. The only way I’m getting out of this alive is by sticking close to Daemon until my alien mojo fades.
If I don’t kill him first, that is.

For my review of Obsidian click here




The Hematoi descend from the unions of gods and mortals, and the children of two Hematoi-pure-bloods-have godlike powers. Children of Hematoi and mortals-well, not so much. Half-bloods only have two options: become trained Sentinels who hunt and kill daimons or become servants in the homes of the pures. Seventeen-year-old Alexandria would rather risk her life fighting than waste it scrubbing toilets, but she may end up slumming it anyway. There are several rules that students at the Covenant must follow. Alex has problems with them all, but especially rule #1:Relationships between pures and halfs are forbidden. Unfortunately, she's crushing hard on the totally hot pure-blood Aiden. But falling for Aiden isn't her biggest problem--staying alive long enough to graduate the Covenant and become a Sentinel is. If she fails in her duty, she faces a future worse than death or slavery: being turned into a daimon, and being hunted by Aiden. And that would kind of suck.
For my review of Half-Blood click here

There is need. And then there is Fate...
Being destined to become some kind of supernatural electrical outlet isn't exactly awesome--especially when Alexandria's "other half" is everywhere she goes. Seth's in her training room, outside her classes, and keeps showing up in her bedroom--so not cool. Their connection does have some benefits, like staving off her nightmares of the tragic showdown with her mother, but it has no effect on what Alex feels for the forbidden, pure-blooded Aiden. Or what he will do--and sacrifice--for her.
When daimons infiltrate the Covenants and attack students, the gods send furies--lesser gods determined to eradicate any threat to the Covenants and to the gods, and that includes the Apollyon... and Alex. And if that and hordes of aether-sucking monsters didn't blow bad enough, a mysterious threat seems willing to do anything to neutralize Seth, even if that means forcing Alex into servitude... or killing her.
When the gods are involved, some decisions can never, ever be undone.




Five months ago, Valerie Leftman's boyfriend, Nick, opened fire on their school cafeteria. Shot trying to stop him, Valerie inadvertently saved the life of a classmate, but was implicated in the shootings because of the list she helped create. A list of people and things she and Nick hated. The list he used to pick his targets.
Now, after a summer of seclusion, Val is forced to confront her guilt as she returns to school to complete her senior year. Haunted by the memory of the boyfriend she still loves and navigating rocky relationships with her family, former friends and the girl whose life she saved, Val must come to grips with the tragedy that took place and her role in it, in order to make amends and move on with her life.



In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV.
Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen, who lives alone with her mother and younger sister Primrose, regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister's place in the Games. But Katniss has been close to dead before — and survival, for her, is second nature. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that will weigh survival against humanity and life against love.


For Nora Grey, romance was not part of the plan. She's never been particularly attracted to the boys at her school, no matter how much her best friend, Vee, pushes them at her...until Patch comes along.
With his easy smile and eyes that seem to see inside her, Nora is drawn to him against her better judgment, but after a series of terrifying encounters, Nora's not sure whom to trust. Patch seems to be everywhere she is, and to know more about her than her closest friends. She can't decide whether she should fall into his arms or run and hide. And when she tries to seek some answers, she finds herself near a truth that is far more unsettling than anything Patch makes her feel.
For Nora is right in the middle of an ancient battle between the immortal and those that have fallen - and when it comes to choosing sides, the wrong choice will cost her life.



In the beginning, there's a boy standing in the trees . . . .
Clara Gardner has recently learned that she's part angel. Having angel blood run through her veins not only makes her smarter, stronger, and faster than humans (a word, she realizes, that no longer applies to her), but it means she has a purpose, something she was put on this earth to do. Figuring out what that is, though, isn't easy.
Her visions of a raging forest fire and an alluring stranger lead her to a new school in a new town. When she meets Christian, who turns out to be the boy of her dreams (literally), everything seems to fall into place—and out of place at the same time. Because there's another guy, Tucker, who appeals to Clara's less angelic side.
As Clara tries to find her way in a world she no longer understands, she encounters unseen dangers and choices she never thought she'd have to make—between honesty and deceit, love and duty, good and evil. When the fire from her vision finally ignites, will Clara be ready to face her destiny?
Unearthly is a moving tale of love and fate, and the struggle between following the rules and following your heart.


For months part-angel Clara Gardner trained to face the raging forest fire from her visions and rescue the alluring and mysterious Christian Prescott from the blaze. But nothing could prepare her for the fateful decisions she would be forced to make that day, or the startling revelation that her purpose—the task she was put on earth to accomplish—is not as straightforward as she thought. Now, torn between her increasingly complicated feelings for Christian and her love for her boyfriend, Tucker, Clara struggles to make sense of what she was supposed to do the day of the fire. And, as she is drawn further into the world of part angels and the growing conflict between White Wings and Black Wings, Clara learns of the terrifying new reality that she must face: Someone close to her will die in a matter of months. With her future uncertain, the only thing Clara knows for sure is that the fire was just the beginning. 



Mara Dyer doesn't think life can get any stranger than waking up in a hospital with no memory of how she got there.
It can.
She believes there must be more to the accident she can't remember that killed her friends and left her mysteriously unharmed.
There is.
She doesn't believe that after everything she's been through, she can fall in love.
She's wrong.



Before scientists found the cure, people thought love was a good thing. They didn’t understand that once love -- the deliria -- blooms in your blood, there is no escaping its hold. Things are different now. Scientists are able to eradicate love, and the government demands that all citizens receive the cure upon turning eighteen. Lena Holoway has always looked forward to the day when she’ll be cured. A life without love is a life without pain: safe, measured, predictable, and happy.
But with ninety-five days left until her treatment, Lena does the unthinkable: She falls in love.

For my review of Delirium click here



Aria is a teenager in the enclosed city of Reverie. Like all Dwellers, she spends her time with friends in virtual environments, called Realms, accessed through an eyepiece called a Smarteye. Aria enjoys the Realms and the easy life in Reverie. When she is forced out of the pod for a crime she did not commit, she believes her death is imminent. The outside world is known as The Death Shop, with danger in every direction.
As an Outsider, Perry has always known hunger, vicious predators, and violent energy storms from the swirling electrified atmosphere called the Aether. A bit of an outcast even among his hunting tribe, Perry withstands these daily tests with his exceptional abilities, as he is gifted with powerful senses that enable him to scent danger, food and even human emotions.
They come together reluctantly, for Aria must depend on Perry, whom she considers abarbarian, to help her get back to Reverie, while Perry needs Aria to help unravel the mystery of his beloved nephew’s abduction by the Dwellers. Together they embark on a journey challenged as much by their prejudices as by encounters with cannibals and wolves. But to their surprise, Aria and Perry forge an unlikely love - one that will forever change the fate of all who live UNDER THE NEVER SKY

For my review of Under the Never Sky click here



New York, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C., have been abandoned.
The Bill of Rights has been revoked, and replaced with the Moral Statutes.
There are no more police—instead, there are soldiers. There are no more fines for bad behavior—instead, there are arrests, trials, and maybe worse. People who get arrested usually don't come back.
Seventeen-year-old Ember Miller is old enough to remember that things weren’t always this way. Living with her rebellious single mother, it’s hard for her to forget that people weren’t always arrested for reading the wrong books or staying out after dark. It’s hard to forget that life in the United States used to be different.
Ember has perfected the art of keeping a low profile. She knows how to get the things she needs, like food stamps and hand-me-down clothes, and how to pass the random home inspections by the military. Her life is as close to peaceful as circumstances allow.
That is, until her mother is arrested for noncompliance with Article 5 of the Moral Statutes. And one of the arresting officers is none other than Chase Jennings…the only boy Ember has ever loved.



He’s saved her. He’s loved her. He’s killed for her.
Eighteen-year-old Archer couldn’t protect his best friend, Vivian, from what happened when they were kids, so he’s never stopped trying to protect her from everything else. It doesn’t matter that Vivian only uses him when hopping from one toxic relationship to another—Archer is always there, waiting to be noticed.
Then along comes Evan, the only person who’s ever cared about Archer without a single string attached. The harder he falls for Evan, the more Archer sees Vivian for the manipulative hot-mess she really is.
But Viv has her hooks in deep, and when she finds out about the murders Archer’s committed and his relationship with Evan, she threatens to turn him in if she doesn’t get what she wants… And what she wants is Evan’s death, and for Archer to forfeit his last chance at redemption.

For my review of Hushed click here
What were your tops books of 2011? Leave me a link I'd love to come check it out!

-Shellie
 Psst...this is just what I was talking about in my FF Blog Hop post, I have reviewed most of these books yet I haven't posted the review on my blog...slacker! I need to get on it LOL!

Friday, December 30, 2011

Alex VS Katniss

By now most of you know that Alex won against Rose last week, I was only tweeting about it & did a cover reveal on it, but if you missed that news. Alex won and now she is up against Katniss. Yep, Katniss from Hunger Games. I just got done reading book 1 from that trilogy the other day (thinking of it the other 2 should arrive today) but even after reading that and getting sucked into that creepy crazy world, I am still Team Alex all the way. I just love her character she is full of awesome. There were a lot of us that were helping post some things about Alex in the last weeks so really no need to do that alllll over again but here are the links to my previous post about Alex, why she rocks, and why you should vote for her (Why Alex Rocks, Deity Cover Reveal, Shadows Cover & Blurb). Now here’s the deal…Penelop, Katniss’s advocate, has some great things going on to support Katniss but that’s ok…that’s alright…cause guess what?! The oh-so-wonderful-and-awesome Jennifer, the author, has been working with our oh-so-wonderful-and-awesome Momo, Alex’s advocate, and here’s what WE get!!! So don't forget to go HERE and vote for our awesome Alex!
If Alex gets -
250 votes:  we get a teaser from Pure
500 votes:  we get a teaser from Onyx
750 votes:  we get a teaser from Pure and Onyx
1,000 votes:  we get a POV from Daemon (Obsidian)

And that's not all.

1250 votes:  we get a teaser from Seth's POV in Pure
1500 votes:  we get a teaser from Shadows.
WINNING votes:  we get a teaser from Pure, Shadows, Onyx, and Cursed

AND

And for every 1000 votes, JLA will give away an ARC of Pure, up to 6000 votes-
An ARC will be given away on Twitter

Now how’s that?! That is pretty awesome right?!? Yes *nods head up and down* Are you on twitter? Well if not then sign up so you can chat along with us tonight and tomorrow. As Alex would say “It’s on like Donkey Kong” here are the hashtags that we will be using for today's match!

#HalfBloodLegion tonight's hashtags are: #ALEXFORTHEWIN and #underdogsFTW
Still with me? Good cause here another something that you will want to do - Momo is still running the giveaway of Daimon, Half-Blood, and Pre-order of Pure on her blog, all you have to do is click here and it will take you right to Momo's page to enter. So what are we going to do?! We are going to vote Alex over at YA-Sisterhood.

-Shellie

Follow Friday Blog Hop (11)

This is a weekly event hosted by Parajunkee & Alison Can Read to help us bloggers venture out & find other blogs that we might not have come across. Each week there are 2 feature bloggers, you can find their information on either of the sites listed above. There is a new question up each week and this weeks question is -

Question of the Week: The New Year is here -- and everyone wants to know your New Years Blogging Resolution! What are you going to try to revise, revamp and redo for 2012 on your blog?

Well I have been thinking about this a lot lately. So this is what I know my main Blogging Resolutions are -

Post more Reviews - Right now I am posting I think 2-3 reviews a week, I would like to do more than that. Maybe 3-4 reviews a week.

Comment and interact more - I currently don't spend enough time commenting on blogs so I have been trying to do this more often since I get up at 430am to get ready for work but still not commenting to other blogs as much as I would like. I wish that blogger had a feature like WordPress so I could reply to those that leave me comments.

Social Media - I have a Google+ page which you can find here, I have set up a Facebook Fan Page which you can find here, my twitter is @deviantzangel & you can also find me on GoodReads here. I have been trying to get into triberr however you have to be invited so I guess that's a goal since I would love to LOL (oh and if your in triberr and feel generous you could invite me, I kid I kid). So if you have any of the accounts above and you follow me shoot me a msg so I know and I can follow back and all that good stuff.

Learn more - I am always asking questions to things that I feel that I should know but I don't so I want to take more time to get to know more things about HTML, how to make buttons, I've been trying for-like-ever to get the CSS in my settings set up where I don't have to type in the code on every post, and get to know my Photoshop a lot better than I do now!

Be a better blogger - I think this may fall in with the comments and interacting, possibly social media, but I feel that I am not doing the best job with blogging. I know that it takes up a lot of time and things with my life are kinda starting to click back together to give me a bit more time. I want to venture out more and find more blogs because there are so many out there that have great content and reviews, without some of the blogs that I follow and have found through this blog hop I wouldn't even know about certain books!

So here are just a couple of things that I am wanting to do for my blogging resolution. What are yours?
Leave me a link so I can come follow/comment back!

-Shellie

Thursday, December 29, 2011

Review - Dancergirl by Carol Tanzman

Author - Carol Tanzman
Publisher - Harlequin Teen
Release Date - Novemeber 15th, 2011, 248 Pages


Ever feel like someone's watching you? Me, too. But lately it's been happening in my room.
When I'm alone.
A friend posted a video of me dancing online, and now I'm no longer Alicia Ruffino. I'm dancergirl. And suddenly it's like me against the world—everyone's got opinions.
My admirers want more, the haters hate, my best friend Jacy—even he's acting weird. And some stalker isn't content to just watch anymore.
Ali. Dancergirl. Whatever you know me as, however you've seen me online, I've trained my whole life to be the best dancer I can be. But if someone watching has their way, I could lose way more than just my love of dancing. I could lose my life.

           *A review copy was provided by through NetGalley for an honest review*
Carol definitely makes you remember the creeps in this world with dancergirl! Alison, Ali, is a dancer and is unknowingly filmed and put online by her friend. He gets so many hits on the video and wanted to shoot/post more so he talks it over with Ali. She agrees to shoot a couple more videos but when she is filmed dancing ½ naked in her room she flips and tells Charlie no more, the thing is Charlie didn’t shoot that video. What started out as something that she thought was so innocent ends up being something that changes Ali’s life forever.

Ali’s and Jacy have been friends for years and he has suddenly gotten cold and has been drawing away from her but when she tells him about the post of her in her room, he’s right there to help her. It bothered me a bit that she didn’t ask Jacy or push the issue as to why he went from being the Jacy that he always was to this cold person that was blowing her off and being a jerk. Jacy had his own issues going on and didn’t want anyone to know, including Ali, that is until she accused him of being the one to post the video.

This story reminds you that even the person that you think you can trust can be the one that is deceiving you.  The characters are written decently, I loved Jacy he is just too sweet but wish there would have been more of him since he is Ali’s best friend. I enjoyed the book but it wasn’t something that will stick with me for a while. I liked the mystery behind trying to find out who the person was that has been doing this to Ali and the suspense towards the end of the book. I definitely wasn’t able to guess who the bad guy was and was just as shocked as the characters were when it was revealed. I’m not sure how the rest of the series is going to turn out, to me it seemed like it would be a standalone but guess I shall see when the next book is released. Overall it was a good book to read, I got through it in hours wanting to find out who this person was and what was going to be done about it.

-Shellie


Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Waiting on Wednesday #10

This is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we are eagerly anticipating.
This week I am waiting for -
Author - Jessica Shirvington
Release Date - March 1st, 2012


I slowly opened my eyes. The sun speared its first bright rays of golden orange into the sky and I leapt from the cliff, with the sorrowful knowledge that no matter what the outcome, at least part of me would die that day...

Violet Eden is dreading her seventeenth birthday dinner. After all, it’s hard to get too excited about the day that marks the anniversary of your mother’s death. The one bright spot is that Lincoln will be there. Sexy, mature and aloof, he is Violet’s idea of perfection. But why does he seem so reluctant to be anything more than a friend?

After he gives her the world’s most incredible kiss – and then abandons her on her front doorstep – Violet is determined to get some answers. But nothing could have prepared her for Lincoln’s explanation: he is Grigori – part angel and part human – and Violet is his eternal partner.

Without warning, Violet’s world is turned upside down. She never believed in God, let alone angels. But there’s no denying the strange changes in her body ... and her feelings for Lincoln. Suddenly, she can’t stand to be around him. Luckily, Phoenix, an exiled angel, has come into her life. He’s intense and enigmatic, but at least he never lied to her.

As Violet gets caught up in an ancient battle between dark and light, she must choose her path. The wrong choice could cost not only her life, but her eternity...


Why Embrace?
I LOVE LOVE LOVE angel books so had me at Grigori? lol. I love the cover and regardless of what version you are looking at it's beautiful. I like the smokey like wings on her and the feathers that floating around...just draws me right in!

What are you waiting for? Leave me a link so I can check it out!

-Shellie

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Teaser Tuesday

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 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!

Here is my Teaser for this Tuesday -
Kale's eyes were wide as he brought his hands from my face to my bare throat. His touch, like an electric current, slid down my neck and over my shoulders, then down each of my arms.

-Pg 97 Touch by Jus Accardo

What is your teaser this Tuesday? Leave me a link so I can come check it out!

-Shellie

Monday, December 26, 2011

Review - Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

Author - Veronica Rossi
Publisher - Harper Collins
Release Date - January 3rd, 2012, 400 Pages


Aria is a teenager in the enclosed city of Reverie. Like all Dwellers, she spends her time with friends in virtual environments, called Realms, accessed through an eyepiece called a Smarteye. Aria enjoys the Realms and the easy life in Reverie. When she is forced out of the pod for a crime she did not commit, she believes her death is imminent. The outside world is known as The Death Shop, with danger in every direction.

As an Outsider, Perry has always known hunger, vicious predators, and violent energy storms from the swirling electrified atmosphere called the Aether. A bit of an outcast even among his hunting tribe, Perry withstands these daily tests with his exceptional abilities, as he is gifted with powerful senses that enable him to scent danger, food and even human emotions.

They come together reluctantly, for Aria must depend on Perry, whom she considers a barbarian, to help her get back to Reverie, while Perry needs Aria to help unravel the mystery of his beloved nephew’s abduction by the Dwellers. Together they embark on a journey challenged as much by their prejudices as by encounters with cannibals and wolves. But to their surprise, Aria and Perry forge an unlikely love - one that will forever change the fate of all who live UNDER THE NEVER SKY.

         *A copy was provided by Harper Collins through NetGalley for honest review*
I love the world that Veronica has created in Under the Never Sky. It is action packed from the first page to the very last. We learn of the outside world which is unprotected and in almost constant attack from the Aether storms, and of the Pods people live in that are protected. I also loved that it is told from both Aria and Perry’s point of view so we get to know both of them and what they are feeling better.  Maria did a great job at timing for the split point of views, they balance each other out just right. We get equal parts of each character, not too much of just one of them.

Saturday, December 24, 2011

Cover Reveal - Shadows (Lux #.5) by Jennifer Armentrout

Alex won the tourney yesterday against Rose. Man...that was an intense fight! Me and several other bloggers were thrown into twitter jail for a while which sucked but was funny at the same time. Anywho Jennifer has given us several new things to read on her site.. There is a pool scene from Pure, Chapter 16 Half-Blood from Aiden's POV & Chapter 26 Obsidian from Daemon's POV which are all ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!!! Since Alex was the winner Jen will be writing up a small novella from Aiden's POV from Half-Blood when he and Leon took off in search of a certain daimon that got away. So can't wait for that. Not only has she done all these amazing things for us she has also released the cover and blurb of Shadows which takes place before Obsidian (hence the .5), I know that I will eat this up when it comes out. And this cover is just all sorts of holy hot damn! Enjoy!!!


The last thing Dawson Black expected was Bethany Williams. As a Luxen, an alien life form on Earth, human girls are…well, fun. But since the Luxen have to keep their true identities a secret, falling for one would be insane. Dangerous. Tempting. Undeniable.

Bethany can’t deny the immediate connection between her and Dawson. And even though boys aren’t a complication she wants, she can’t stay away from him. Still, whenever they lock eyes, she’s drawn in. Captivated. Lured. Loved.

Dawson is keeping a secret that will change her existence...and put her life in jeopardy. But even he can’t stop risking everything for one human girl. Or from a fate that is as unavoidable as love itself.


If you haven't read Obsidian and are wondering Dawson is Daemon's twin brother...could you imagine having two of them running around?! That right there would be mind blowing. I am so curious to know how Dawson is seeing what Daemon is like. What do you guys think?

-Shellie

Friday, December 23, 2011

Why Alex Rocks

Hey everyone! It’s almost Christmas, is everyone excited?! I know I am. Today is also a very important day…wondering why? Well it’s not only FRIDAY but Alex from Jennifer Armentrout’s Covenant series is going against Rose today in the Heroine Tournament over at YA Sisterhood.If you follow me on twitter or on the blog here then you know how much I love Jennifer’s work and how much I LOVE this series, like I can’t get enough of it and if I had the money to purchase a copy for every living breathing soul….I would in a heartbeat! You’ll want to read this post in its entirety because there is some pretty nifty things at the end *wink wink*.

     
So here’s the deal…vote for Alex and no one gets hurt *points at eyes then at you, points at eyes then at you* mwahahaha! Now that I have my threat out of the way guess I should probably tell you why you should vote for Alex huh? Well there are plenty of reasons to vote Alex and here are some –

-Alex is the type of person who will say whatever she wants to whomever she wants regardless of their status - Pure, Half, Dean, Minister, Council, Apollyon…yea, it doesn’t matter.

-She is known to use almost anything to throw at someone, including but not limited to apples, so if you piss her off you might want to duck otherwise you’ll be hit with a random object.

Follow Friday Blog Hop (10)

This is a weekly event hosted by Parajunkee & Alison Can Read to help us bloggers venture out & find other blogs that we might not have come across. Each week there are 2 feature bloggers, you can find their information on either of the sites listed above. There is a new question up each week and this weeks question is -

Question of the Week: If you had to spend eternity inside the pages of a book which book would you choose and why?

Right now I'm going to have to say Pure...why? I just can't get enough of Aiden...or Seth for that matter. And since there is alot of action in that book I'd definitely either A) run like hell when something went down B) hide behind something and pray nothing found me or C) have to hide behind either Aiden or Seth...or both!

Now if I could choose more than just one, yes greedy I know! I would choose to live it up in Hush, Hush series replacing Nora hehe or chillin with the Cullens...Bella full blown vamp cause that'd be cool & I'd like to hang with Alice =)

Be sure to leave me a link so I can comment/follow back!
-Shellie

Thursday, December 22, 2011

Review - Arson by Estevan Vega

Author - Estevan Vega
Publisher - Tate Publishing
Release Date - May 4th, 2010, 318 Pages


Arson Gable feels like a freak. He can create fire. He never asked for it. He never wanted it. But he can't shut it off. Before now, three things were true: he both loved and despised his grandmother; his life was going nowhere; and he was alone. But when a strange girl—who feels more normal behind a mask than inside her own skin—moves in next door, Arson hopes to find something he's never had: purpose. Using what he fears most about himself, Arson must face his consuming past and confront the nightmare that is his present as he walks the fine line between boy and monster. Dark, moody, and breathtakingly relevant, Arson, the chilling chronicle of an isolated boy with unimaginable ability, is sure to ignite the hearts and minds of a new generation.


I was drawn to this book at first by the cover and the synopsis just added made me want it more. Arson has always been told that he was a freak, a mistake, a demon, and a killer by the only person he’s ever been close to, his grandmother, Kay. I felt for Arson, he is trying to fit in where he clearly doesn’t but is trying so hard. He works at the ice cream parlor, takes all the crap from his crazy grandmother (that I swear is bi-polar or something with all her mood swings). He is trying to get away from the past that continues to haunt him but that’s not something that is easily done. His grandmother reminds him every day that he is unwanted, unloved, she beats him, and the words she says to him makes me want to smack her (and I don’t want to just smack any old lady but man this woman irritated me!).

Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Waiting on Wednesday #9

This is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we are eagerly anticipating.
This week I am waiting for -
Author - K.M. Walton
Release Date - January 3rd, 2012


Sometimes there's no easy way out.

Victor hates his life. He has no friends, gets beaten up at school, and his parents are always criticizing him. Tired of feeling miserable, Victor takes a bottle of his mother's sleeping pills—only to wake up in the hospital.

Bull is angry, and takes all of his rage out on Victor. That makes him feel better, at least a little. But it doesn't stop Bull's grandfather from getting drunk and hitting him. So Bull tries to defend himself with a loaded gun.

When Victor and Bull end up as roommates in the same psych ward, there's no way to escape each other or their problems. Which means things are going to get worse—much worse—before they get better….


Why is this my pick this week?
The cover originally brought me in when I was browsing blogs one day way back when. The story line seems to be something that I would like. I just got done reading Hate List (that by the way is an awesome book!) so that is probably another reason why Cracked is this weeks WoW.

What are you waiting for this Wednesday? Leave me a link so I can come check it out.

-Shellie

Tuesday, December 20, 2011

Teaser Tuesday


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 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!

Here is my Teaser for this Tuesday -
"Was last night a mistake?" she asked after a short pause.
Arson chewed his lip.

Pg 152 (e-copy) Arson by Estevan Vega

Do you have a Teaser? If so leave me a link so I can come check it out!

-Shellie

Monday, December 19, 2011

Review - On a Dark Wing by Jordan Dane

Author - Jordan Dane
Publisher - Harlequin Teen
Release Date - December 27th, 2011, 384 Pages


"The choices I had made led to the moment when fate took over. I would learn a lesson I wasn’t prepared for.
And Death would be my willing teacher."


Five years ago Abbey Chandler cheated Death. She survived a horrific car accident, but her lucky break came at the expense of her mother’s life and changed everything. After she crossed paths with Death—by taking the hand of an ethereal boy made of clouds and sky—she would never be normal again.

Now she’s the target of Death’s Ravens and an innocent boy’s life is on the line. When Nate Holden—Abbey’s secret crush—starts to climb Alaska’s Denali, the Angel of Death is with him because of her.

Abbey finds out the hard way that Death never forgets.

           *A copy was provided through NetGalley from HarlequinTeen for review purposes*
Abby is still feeling the guilt of her mothers death 5 years later. She continues to blame herself over the car accident that spared her life but took her mothers. Abby is a 'loner' at school but she has her best friend Tanner, who was in a accident himself leaving him in a wheelchair for the rest of his life. Abby has a fasination/obsession with Nate, a boy at school. She dreams of him, kinda stalks him in the hallways, but has never spoken with him, ever. Tanner use to be the athelic type until his accident so he can relate to wanting to hear about the climb that Nate and his friend Josh will be making up the Denali, a mountain about 2 hours away.

Friday, December 16, 2011

Follow Friday Blog Hop #9

This is a weekly event hosted by Parajunkee & Alison Can Read to help us bloggers venture out & find other blogs that we might not have come across. Each week there are 2 feature bloggers, you can find their information on either of the sites listed above. There is a new question up each week and this weeks question is -

When you've read a book, what do you do with it? (Keep it, give it away, donate it, sell it, swap it..?)

It really depends on the book. If I bought it, read it, and it just wasn't for me, I'll give it to someone else would would like it better than I did. I keep majority of the books I purchase (of course I have to keep the ones I purchased on my Nook regardless of if I liked it or not). I share my books with people, since starting my new job not only have I been bringing books for myself to read but books for 2-4 others to read...and normally about 2-3 books a week lol. I love sharing my passion for reading. I haven't read The Hunger Games but that is all that we seem to talk about during lunch (yes we have gotten one of the guy trainers to fess up about loving to read and being uber excited about the movie). Now that you know what I do....what do you do?

What has taken place this week -
Cover Reveal - Deity by Jennifer Armentrout
Review - Possess by Gretchen McNeil
Waiting on Wednesday
Review - Delirium by Lauren Oliver

Leave me a link so I can check yours out and comment/follow back!

-Shellie

Thursday, December 15, 2011

Review - Delirium by Lauren Oliver

Author - Lauren Oliver
Publisher - Harper Collins
Release Date - August 2nd, 2011, 480 Pages


Ninety-five days, and then I’ll be safe.

I wonder whether the procedure will hurt.

I want to get it over with.

It’s hard to be patient.

It’s hard not to be afraid while I’m still uncured, though so far the deliria hasn’t touched me yet.

Still, I worry.

They say that in the old days, love drove people to madness.

The deadliest of all deadly things: It kills you both when you have it and when you don’t.
It has been 64 years since the President and the Consortium identified love a disease, called Amor Deliria Nervosa, and 43 years since the scientists perfected a cure. You have to be at least 18 or older to be cured, unless of course you are showing signs of deliria nervosa then you have it done almost immediately. They want you to have reached 18 before having the procedure done because having it before then comes with many risks, some fatal.

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

Waiting on Wednesday #8

This is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we are eagerly anticipating.
This week I am waiting for -Author - Jess Rothenberg
Release Date - February 21st, 2012


Dying of a broken heart is just the beginning.... Welcome to forever.

BRIE'S LIFE ENDS AT SIXTEEN: Her boyfriend tells her he doesn't love her, and the news breaks her heart—literally.

But now that she's D&G (dead and gone), Brie is about to discover that love is way more complicated than she ever imagined. Back in Half Moon Bay, her family has begun to unravel. Her best friend has been keeping a secret about Jacob, the boy she loved and lost—and the truth behind his shattering betrayal. And then there's Patrick, Brie's mysterious new guide and resident Lost Soul . . . who just might hold the key to her forever after.

With Patrick's help, Brie will have to pass through the five stages of grief before she's ready to move on. But how do you begin again, when your heart is still in pieces?


Why is this my pick this week?
The cover is beautiful and the synopsis just caught me. It seems like it's going to be a very good emotional read.

What are you waiting for this Wednesday? Leave me a link so I can come check it out!

-Shellie

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Review - Possess by Gretchen McNeil

Author - Gretchen McNeil
Publisher - Balzer & Bray
Release Date - August 23rd, 2011, 384 Pages


Fifteen-year-old Bridget Liu just wants to be left alone: by her mom, by the cute son of a local police sergeant, and by the eerie voices she can suddenly and inexplicably hear. Unfortunately for Bridget, it turns out the voices are demons – and Bridget has the rare ability to banish them back to whatever hell they came from.

Terrified to tell people about her new power, Bridget confides in a local priest who enlists her help in increasingly dangerous cases of demonic possession. But just as she is starting to come to terms with her new power, Bridget receives a startling message from one of the demons. Now Bridget must unlock the secret to the demons' plan before someone close to her winds up dead – or worse, the human vessel of a demon king.

I really wished that I would have been able to get into this book more then I really did. It was told from 3rd POV & me personally I like to read from 1st person so I know the characters alot more. This was definitely creepy with the demons & possessions that are dealt with.

Monday, December 12, 2011

Cover Reveal - Deity (Covenant #3) by Jennifer Armentrout


Ok so here's the deal! Alex is in the YA Tournament today so head over YA Sisterhood and vote for Alex. Spread the word via twitter your blog...wherever, get as many people to vote for her as possible! Besides getting to see this super awesome cover, if Alex wins this first match then Jennifer will post an extra scene between Alex and Aiden between Half-Blood and Pure! And who doesn't want that?! I know I do!!

Why should you cast your vote towards Alex?
Well Alex is a half-blood meaning she can kick some serious butt (and she does), she doesn't hold back, she tells you what is on her mind regardless of if it's something that you want to hear or not. She doesn't take to rules to well, she will break them, that is almost guaranteed. She has had several years of training in the Covenant and just got back to do more. She is all sorts of awesome, has the attitude to match, and has a backbone like no other! Besides all this I'm sure that Aiden and Seth have their own reason's as to why they would want you to vote Alex...and you want to make Aiden happy and not piss of Seth....right?! Right! So make sure to cast your vote so we all can get a bit more awesomeness from Jennifer. (I want that scene!!!)

I'm trusting that you are going to vote for Alex so in exchange here is the cover for Deity (Covenant #3). Get ready to be awed by this, I know I was when I first got a chance at seeing it!!!


Click on the cover to add it to your GoodReads TBR list because after Pure your going to want to get your hands on this! So what do you think of the cover? Will you be casting your vote for Alex?

-Shellie

Sunday, December 11, 2011

In My Mailbox #9

This is a weekly event held by The Story Siren where we show what we have recieved in the mail, borrowed, got from the library, or to review. I forgot to include a book that I won in last weeks IMM post so I'm including it in this one. I think I have them all now lol. Sooo here is what I got this week (and 1 from last lol).
The book that I won was Destined by P.C Cast. I got Balthazar & Carrier of the Mark from my friend Liza and purchased Wither.

For Review I got:

I have finally gotten around to creating a Google+ and a Facebook page for Creative Reads so if you'd like to follow either (or both) here are the links -
Google+ https://plus.google.com/u/0/b/103259452806004143848/#
Facebook http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Creative-Reads/128769680568216

What did you get in your mailbox? Leave me a link so I can come check it out!

-Shellie

Friday, December 9, 2011

Follow Friday Blog Hop #8

This is a weekly event hosted by Parajunkee & Alison Can Read to help us bloggers venture out & find other blogs that we might not have come across. Each week there are 2 feature bloggers, you can find their information on either of the sites listed above. There is a new question up each week and this weeks question is -
Question: Keeping with the Spirit of Giving this season, what book do you think EVERYONE should read and if you could, you would buy it for all of your family and friends?

I received this from a friend and boy am I glad that I did. I absolutely loved it. I read this months ago and it's still on my mind. Soooo if you guys haven't read this....do it. If I could buy everyone I know and everyone who wants a copy I so would do it. BUT this isn't the only book that I can't keep out of my head. There are sooooooo many out there. All of Jennifer Armentrout's work is amazing! She is like a book God or something I swear. Leave me a link so I can check yours out!!!

-Shellie

Thursday, December 8, 2011

Review - Touch of Power by Maria V. Snyder

Author - Maria V. Snyder
Publisher - MiraBooks
Release Date - December 20th, 2011, 394 Pages


Laying hands upon the injured and dying, Avry of Kazan assumes their wounds and diseases into herself. But rather than being honored 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—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. Because the price of peace may well be her life....

                  *A copy was provided for review purposes from Harlequin and NetGalley*
I love the world that is created by Maria in Touch of Power. Avry's touch can heal someone of any ailment, whatever was wrong with them will just transfer over to Avry. She heals at a much faster rate due to her powers. Before the plague Healers were involved with all Fifteen Realms but when the plague hit they needed someone to blame so they blamed it on the very people that were helping them, the Healers. There was a bounty put on any healer's head. Avry has been on the run for three years, healing every now and then but not drawing any attention to herself. One night her neighbor's child will not stop screaming and Avry knows that she will not make it much longer so she cures her and goes back to her room without enough energy to grab her things and hit the road. The childs father turns Avry in and she is sentenced to be excuted. She knew the possibility of this when she was healing the child but since she is a healer she didn't have much of a choice, she would happily give up her life to save the child. While being locked up the first night Avry is broken out of the cell by Kerrick.

Wednesday, December 7, 2011

Waiting on Wednesday #7

This is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we are eagerly anticipating.
This week I am waiting for -
Author - Cate Tiernan
Publish Date - January 2nd, 2012


Nastasya has spent the last century living as a spoiled, drugged-out party girl. She feels nothing and cares for no one. But when she witnesses her best friend, a Dark Immortal, torture a human, she realizes something's got to change. She seeks refuge at a rehab for wayward immortals, where she meets the gorgeous, undeniably sexy Reyn, who seems inexplicably linked to her past.

Nastasya finally begins to deal with life, and even feels safe—until the night she learns that someone wants her dead.









Why Immortal Beloved?
I love the cover, it just draws me in and the synopsis is something that I haven't read before so kinda looking forward to reading something a little different. What do you think?

What are you waiting for this Wednesday? Leave me a link so I can check it out and comment back!

-Shellie

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Review - Hushed by Kelly York

Author - Kelley York
Publisher - Entangled Publishing
Release Date - December 6th, 2011, 260 Pages


He’s saved her. He’s loved her. He’s killed for her.

Eighteen-year-old Archer couldn’t protect his best friend, Vivian, from what happened when they were kids, so he’s never stopped trying to protect her from everything else. It doesn’t matter that Vivian only uses him when hopping from one toxic relationship to another—Archer is always there, waiting to be noticed.

Then along comes Evan, the only person who’s ever cared about Archer without a single string attached. The harder he falls for Evan, the more Archer sees Vivian for the manipulative hot-mess she really is.

But Viv has her hooks in deep, and when she finds out about the murders Archer’s committed and his relationship with Evan, she threatens to turn him in if she doesn’t get what she wants… And what she wants is Evan’s death, and for Archer to forfeit his last chance at redemption.
                  *A review copy was provided by Entangled Publishing and NetGalley*
Kelley is an absolute genius! I was sucked right into this and it literally didn't let me go...at all (you'll see later in the post what I'm talking about). I mean the first thing that we are thrown into is a forced suicide, or murder, whichever you prefer. Hushed is filled with action, suspense, drama, and several other emitions. Let's take a dive into it a little more. I love writing about the characters so I always have to give them their own little space I guess  you could say. But first here's the jist of Hushed.

Monday, December 5, 2011

Cover Reveal - Onyx (Lux, #2) by Jennifer Armentrout

Bet your wondering what this nifty new cover looks like huh? Well, we'll get to that in just a bit. First I wanted to give you some insite to Obsidian (Lux, #1) which is absolutely amazing! Obsidian releases December 6th, 2011 and trust me you WILL want to get your hands on this!


Starting over sucks.

When we moved to West Virginia right before my senior year, I’d pretty much resigned myself to thick accents, dodgy internet access, and a whole lot of boring…. until I spotted my hot neighbor, with his looming height and eerie green eyes. Things were looking up.

And then he opened his mouth.

Daemon is infuriating. Arrogant. Stab-worthy. We do not get along. At all. But when a stranger attacks me and Daemon literally freezes time with a wave of his hand, well, something…unexpected happens.

The hot alien living next door marks me.

You heard me. Alien. Turns out Daemon and his sister have a galaxy of enemies wanting to steal their abilities, and Daemon’s touch has me lit up like the Vegas Strip. The only way I’m getting out of this alive is by sticking close to Daemon until my alien mojo fades.

If I don’t kill him first, that is.

You can purchase this here on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and The Book Depository. You can find my review of this pure awesomeness here.

Are you ready to see the cover of Onyx (Lux, #2)?!?

Saturday, December 3, 2011

In My Mailbox #8

This is a weekly event held by The Story Siren where we show what we have recieved in the mail, borrowed, got from the library, or to review. This week I actually got a lot more than what I am posting but they are Christmas gifts so I'm not going to post them because said people would know who is getting what & I can't have that. I use to be really bad about telling everyone what they were getting...like the second I got it for them...but I have finally got the hang of not revealing what I've gotten others! Here is what I got this week -

Purchased -













I have heard so many great things about Hate List, I have City of Bones on my Nook but I can't read that at my new job so getting a lot of print copies of the things I want to either read or re-read, and I've also heard great things of If I Stay.

What did you get in your mailbox? Leave me a link so I can go take a peek & comment back!

-Shellie
Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...