Book Review: Anna Dressed In Blood

Title: Anna Dressed In Blood.
Author: Kendare Blake.
Series: Yes, Anna #1.
Publisher: Tom Doherty.
Published Date: 10/17/11.
Links:
Book Depository
Goodreads

"Cas Lowood has inherited an unusual vocation: He kills the dead.

So did his father before him, until he was gruesomely murdered by a ghost he sought to kill. Now, armed with his father's mysterious and deadly athame, Cas travels the country with his kitchen-witch mother and their spirit-sniffing cat. They follow legends and local lore, destroy the murderous dead, and keep pesky things like the future and friends at bay.

Searching for a ghost the locals call Anna Dressed in Blood, Cas expects the usual: track, hunt, kill. What he finds instead is a girl entangled in curses and rage, a ghost like he's never faced before. She still wears the dress she wore on the day of her brutal murder in 1958: once white, now stained red and dripping with blood. Since her death, Anna has killed any and every person who has dared to step into the deserted Victorian she used to call home.

Yet she spares Cas's life. "

Anna Dressed In Blood was one of those books, where people just couldn't stop talking out it. People went on and on about how amazing it is, how awesome the characters are, and that they were excited to see what else Kendare Blake has in store.

But as the second installment, Girl of Nightmares was released, I didn't hear too much about it. No one was constantly raving, and I didn't see the book as often as I did the first.

I was dying to read Anna Dressed In Blood when everyone couldn't shut up about it, but just never got around to it. Then as Girl of Nightmares was released, no one said a peep...So I decided to hold off for a while.

I finally dug out my copy of Antigoddess, from the back of my shelf, purchased Anna Dressed In Blood and Girl of Nightmares, and now am binge reading my way through all three.

I'm pretty sure we all know what Anna Dressed In Blood is about, but if you don't here's a quick run down...haunted house, guy kills ghosts, one ghost is named Anna, Anna was murdered, and she isn't like any other ghost...if you want more, read the synopsis!

If I start summarizing the story now, I won't be able to stop, meaning I'll completely ruin the whole thing for you! I'm doing this for you sake! Not mine!

What was I expecting from Anna Dressed In Blood? I'm not really sure, I guess. If you asked me before the second book was released, I would have said A LOT. But now, I don't think I had any expectations, because of all the mixed emotions I felt.

I went in expecting the story to be light. I didn't expect it too be scary if I read it at night. I knew that I would be able to sleep peacefully once I stopped reading for the night, and went to bed. I guess, I expected it to be a little creepy, but much more "romance-y" than anything else.

Overall, I do have to say that I enjoyed Anna Dressed In Blood. It didn't blow me out of the water, but it did it's job and it was an enjoyable read. Anna was an interesting character, and I still can't wrap my mind around what happened to her. Cas was interesting as well, with his knife and his family history. Besides the two main characters, there were also some smaller roles, including witches, that intrigued me.

My favorite parts of the story include when we discover how Anna died, and the ending. I don't want to say a single word about either of the two, but WOW!

(I'll let Johnny Bravo do the talking...)

I do plan on continuing the story with Girl of Nightmares, and I can't wait to see how it all plays out for Cas and Anna. Have you started these books yet? What do you think?

Link Your Review:

Waiting on Wednesday

Title: How (Not) to Fall In Love.
Author: Lisa Brown Roberts.

"Seventeen-year-old Darcy Covington never had to worry about money or where her next shopping spree was coming from. Even her dog ate gourmet. Then one day, Darcy’s car is repossessed from the parking lot of her elite private school. As her father’s business hit the skids, Dad didn’t just skip town, he bailed on his family.

Fortunately, Darcy’s uncle owns a thrift shop where she can hide out from the world. There’s also Lucas, the wickedly hot fix-it guy she can’t stop crushing on, even if she’s not sure they’ll ever get out of the friend zone. 

But it’s here among the colorful characters of her uncle’s world that Darcy begins to see something more in herself...if she has the courage to follow it."

Release Date: 2/3/15.

Why I'm Waiting:

To be honest, there aren't too many interesting books coming out this upcoming week. Nothing stuck out, nothing really caught my eye; this week was a tough one! But after looking into a bit more, How (Not) to Fall in Love crossed my path. First off the cover is simply, but pretty. I love the picture and the font, it's gorgeous!

The synopsis sounds like a Sarah Dessen book, which is also very exciting! I love books with real life issues and struggles, and I've already made my way through Sarah Dessen's books, so I'm looking for similar ones.

AND spring is coming upon us in just a few weeks, which means its the perfect time for How (Not) to Fall in Love!

Have you heard of this one? What are you waiting for this Wednesday?

I'm Sorry! I Can't Help Myself!

As some of you may already know, I'm trying to minimize the number of books on my shelves. This doesn't mean I'm going to stop blogging and reviewing, or will be reading less. This just means that I'm taking in (buying) a more reasonable amount of books, and putting out (getting rid of) books that I know I won't be reading again.

And if you've seen a recent book haul video of mine, I showed you a small clip of how clean my book shelves were....but I might have just lied a bit to you...because what I didn't show you was this...

I know! I'm the worst person ever! I mean who keeps a secret shelf of books, let alone two, that are crammed full of random books...me!!

Yup, Lisa, right here!

They're mostly random stand alones, that I've either purchased or received that I'm excited to read...but just aren't on the top of my reading priority list. Besides that they're also books that I snagged up for an amazing price, that I absolutely couldn't resist!

Why am I telling you about it now? Because I want to come clean. I want to completely honest with you guys about this crazy habit (addiction), hoping that maybe some of you could relate.

Do you have a secret shelf? Does anyone know about it?

This Week's YA Releases

Welcome to Turning Pages!

"This Week's YA Releases" showcases all of the amazing books hitting our favorite book stores within the next seven days or so. Feel free to click on any interesting title listed below, it'll take you straight to that book's Book Depository page, where you'll be able to read more about it!

Today is Monday, which usually sucks if you're going to school, or working a regular job, because it means its time to stop being "weekend lazy" and get back to business. But for any book addict and/or blogger, it means that new books are on their way!

Paperback:



Cress, by Marissa Meyer.
Hero, by Alethea Kontis.
Kindness for Weakness, by Shawn Goodman.
Uninvited, by Sophie Jordan.



Beneath the Forsaken City, by C.E. Laureano.
Fates, by Lanie Bross.

Hardback:



Fairest, by Marissa Meyer.
I Was Here, by Gayle Forman.
Burning Nation, by Trent Reedy.
I'm Glad I Did, by Cynthia Weil.



Heartbeat, by Elizabeth Scott.
The Empty Throne, by Cayla Kluver.
Cut Me Free, by J.R. Johansson.
Chaos, by Lanie Bross.



Love, Lucy, by April Lindner.

Excited to get your hands on any of these books? Let me know which ones!

Burn Bright Book Club? Yes, I'm A Member!

Are you?!

Besides blogging here at Turning Pages, I also do a little bit of blogging for a website called Burn Bright. I've been working at Burn Bright, for almost four years or so, and have had the opportunity to work with many amazing bloggers, authors, publishers, and readers.

One of my favorite aspects of blogging at Burn Bright, is the monthly book club we host. Basically we chose twelves books to read at the beginning of the year, and schedule one for each month. At the end of each month, a few us of bloggers will come together and review the book.

But in 2015 we are going even bigger and better!

We are still doing the monthly group review, but we are now taking it to Goodreads as well! Giving us the opportunity to post our reviews, along with yours. Besides that we have a ton of different discussion posts, where we can discuss various aspects of the stories, as well as our reviews!

The reading schedule for 2015 was released a few weeks ago, and basically ANYONE can join and read along! All you have to do, is join our BOOK GROUP on Goodreads, and get your hands on a copy of the books you want to read!

This year's schedule goes as follows...

January:

Pawn, by Aimee Carter

February:

Panic, by Lauren Oliver

March:

The Girl of Nightmares, by Kendare Blake

April:

Fixing Delilah, by Sarah Ockler

May:

Girl Online, by Zoe Sugg

June:

Afterworlds, by Scott Westerfeld.

July:

Darkest Part of the Forest, by Holly Black

August:

The Stars Never Rise, by Rachel Vicent

September:

Ice Breaker, by Lian Tanner

October:

The Walled City, by Ryan Graudin

November:

The Queen of Bright and Shiny Things, by Ann Aguirre

December:

The Cage, by Megan Shepard.

The Burn Bright Book Club is always fun, and I really hope all of you check it out! Truly anyone can join, making it even more fun! Burn Bright Book Club is a place for people to discuss the book of the month, or any other book for that matter!

See you all at the next discussion post!

Video Review: Antigoddess

This is my video review of...

Antigoddess, by Kendare Blake.

If you're interesting in reading my written review, just click HERE!

Audio Book Review: The Edge of Tomorrow

Title: The Edge of Tomorrow (All You Need Is Kill).
Author: Hiroshi Sakurazaka.
Series: No.
Source: Publisher, for Review.
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio.
Published Date: 4/29/14.
Links:
Book Depository
Goodreads

"When the alien Mimics invade, Keiji Kiriya is just one of many recruits shoved into a suit of battle armor called a Jacket and sent out to kill. Keiji dies on the battlefield, only to be reborn each morning to fight and die again and again. On his 158th iteration, he gets a message from a mysterious ally—the female soldier known as the Full Metal Bitch. Is she the key to Keiji's escape or his final death?"

I was sent this book for review, months ago....even before the movie was released...But YES, I just finally got to it. Why?!! What took me so long? Why wouldn't I dive right into as soon as it came in the mail?

Well I was being a good person and daughter.

My dad was dying to see this movie, but it wasn't out yet and he was debating if he should read the book before he went to go see it. Of course, I completely encouraged him to. The book is ALWAYS better than the movie, and that's why you ALWAYS read the book first. Because I had the audio book,  I decided to give it to him, and let him listen to it before me. Even though I really wanted to jump right into it, and had promised to review it.

At first my dad, would talk about The Edge of Tomorrow everyday, then all of a sudden he stopped talking about it entirely, and didn't it mention anymore. When I finally ask for it back, he gave me this weird look, and proceeded to tell me that he lost it and couldn't find out.

You can't imagine how disappointed I was. But a few weeks ago, he finally got around to cleaning his car, and found it underneath his seat. I even went against everything I believe in, and watched the movie BEFORE I read the book. I'm completely ashamed and embarrassed to admit it...

Thanks to the movie, I had the general idea of what The Edge of Tomorrow is about, but of course the book was much more detailed, meaningful, interesting, exciting, and intense than the movie could ever be.

Again, I don't want to get into too much specific details about this story. I want you all to experience the same feelings I did when listening to The Edge of Tomorrow. And I'm pretty sure that you all know the general story outline.

Overall, I enjoyed the book. The reader has the perfect rough voice for it, and I was mesmerized the thirty minute drive to and from school. His voice just pulls you right in, and makes you want to listen to whatever he has to say.

Comparing the book to the movie, they were pretty similar, but there were some distinct differences. For example the female soldier that Keiji asks for help in his looping problem, tells him about the whole looping thing, and Keiji later decides to tell her that he is experiencing that exact thing. In the movie, I'm pretty sure he comes to her.

Besides that, in the movie the mimics were metal electronic aliens, but in the book, they're described more like wet and slimey. More like from the water.

In the end, its true, I enjoyed the book much more than the movie. I don't usually read books like this, so I don't really have anything to compare it to. But if you're looking for something different, or an amazing audio book, The Edge of Tomorrow is for you.

Link Your Review:

Alexandria @ The Book's Buzz!

"Blogger of the Week" is a meme hosted by Lisa @ Turning Pages [ME!], which showcases a new book blogger, and their blog. If you're interested in becoming the next "Blogger of the Week" and want your book blog featured here, at Turning Pages, click HERE!

Your Name/Blog's Name:
My name is Alexandria, a pretty long name if you ask me. My blog's name, although not original, is called The Book's Buzz.

Genre of Books:
I review everything YA! Sometimes I do tend to drift away from the YA zone to read NA and Middle Grade. Some genres I review on a weekly basis: Fantasy, Science-Fiction, Historical Fiction, Romance/Contemporary, Dystopian.

Established Date:
My blog was created on April 15th of 2014. Yes, it is a fairly new blog and hasn't even had a one-year-old blog birthday yet!

Inspiration:
The White Rabbit Chronicles series by Gena Showalter. After reading the first book, I just knew that I had to share this book with so many other people in the world. I decided to get a blog going, but I never thought people would actually read it!

Coffee or Tea:
I'm a tea hoarder. I collect different teas, teacups, and some other fancy teabag infusers!

How often do you go out, planning on not purchasing any books, but end up buying some anyways?

I go to Barnes and Noble like every weekend (that's not an exaggeration). And every... single... time I come home with three or more books! I really need a book-buying ban!

You can be the author of any book, which would you most likely choose?

Hands down, the Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas. If I ever wrote such an awesome book, I think I would just give myself a huge pat in the back!

One morning you wake up with super powers what would they be?

It has always been a dream of mine to read the minds of other people. There have just been so many situations in my life where this power would be so useful!! For example, when you want to know what your teacher really thinks of you when you answer a question wrong when they call on you. Yeah... that happened to me...

You have two minutes to go in your house before it burns down, what five books would you save?

Ohh shoot! Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas. Steelheart by Brandon Sanderson. The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater. Don't Look Back by Jennifer L. Armentrout. Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell.

Thank you Alexandria for stopping by and answering a few questions!Your blog is absolutely cute! And a tea hoarder? REALLY? I'm ALL about the coffee girl!!

Alexandria's Links:

The Book's Buzz

Twitter

Goodreads

Youtube

Just A Small Book Haul!

Just the other day I spent some time cleaning out, and organizing my book shelves. My ultimate goal was to get my book shelves to be clean and somewhat neat. I don't want them to be completely over flowing and disorganized....but with that said, I do have a small haul of books to show you!

"But Lisa, this goes against everything you just said!"

That's true. But I did clear out a handful of books, that I plan to get rid of. Which means that two or three books aren't too bad, when I'm getting rid of twelve or thirteen! Right?

The books I hauled....

Let's Get Lost, by Adi Alsaid

The Raven Boys, by Maggie Stiefvater

The Dream Thieves, by Maggie Stiefvater

Have you read these books yet? Let me know!