February 08, 2012

Waiting On Wednesday #42

Back and Deader Than Ever (Monster High Series #4)

Title: Back and Deader Than Ever.
Author: Lisi Harrison.
Summary:

"The RADs are free and Draculaura (Lala) is flashing her fangs with pride. But when Daddy Drac pays her a surprise visit everything goes batty. Mr. D. thinks RADs should have their own school, but Lala isn't ready to give up the rights they fought so hard for.
It's father against daughter in a battle for Salem's student body. Despite the many challenges, Lala is determined to save Merston High. But she might die twice while trying."


Release Date: 5/8/2012.

February 06, 2012

Book Review #70: The Hollow, by Jessica Verday

The Hollow (Hollow Trilogy Series #1)

Title: The Hollow.
Author: Jessica Verday.
Series: The Hollow Trilogy #1.
Format: Paperback.
Pages: 528.
Source: Purchased.
Publisher: Simon Pulse.
Published Date: 8/3/2010.

Summary:

"When Abbey's best friend, Kristen, vanishes at the bridge near Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, everyone else is all too quick to accept that Kristen is dead?and rumors fly that her death was no accident. Abbey goes through the motions of mourning her best friend, but privately, she refuses to believe that Kristen is really gone. Then she meets Caspian, the gorgeous and mysterious boy who shows up out of nowhere at Kristen's funeral, and keeps reappearing in Abbey's life. Caspian clearly has secrets of his own, but he's the only person who makes Abbey feel normal again...but also special.

Just when Abbey starts to feel that she might survive all this, she learns a secret that makes her question everything she thought she knew about her best friend. How could Kristen have kept silent about so much? And could this secret have led to her death? As Abbey struggles to understand Kristen's betrayal, she uncovers a frightening truth that nearly unravels her—one that will challenge her emerging love for Caspian, as well as her own sanity."


Cover:

I really liked the font used to write The Hollow, and I liked the dark purple used for the background. But before reading The Hollow, I wasn't exactly sure what the necklace was, my guesses were, that her best friend left it for her, or she was a princess in another world.

But actually it's a gift to Abbey from this mysterious boy she meets, named Caspian, who she quickly has feelings for.

I like the cover, but I really have to say, the last book in the trilogy is my favorite cover(:

My Thoughts:

What would you do if your best friend pasted away mysteriously? What would you do if kids at school were teasing and telling you to just get over it? What would you do if you had future plans made with that person? Would you continue through with them?

This happens to be exactly what Abbey is going through, in The Hollowed. She's just a teenage girl, a junior, she enjoys making perfumes and later wants to make a living out of doing so. Her best friend Kristen passed away a few months ago, she drowned in the river which used to be Abbey's and Kristen's place to hang out and just be with each other.

After this horrible lose, Abbey is forced to move on, but promising Kristen and herself to never forget about her and the memories they had together.

Throughout the story Abbey runs into this mysterious guy not once, but twice. The first time at the cemetery during Kristen's burial, and later that day, at Kristen's house. Abbey finally gets the chance to talk to him, when she's looking for a place to be alone, and away from everybody else.

Out of nowhere he is sitting across the room, looking at her, blending in with the darkness.

Abbey starts to have feelings for this boy, his name is Caspian. Never having a boyfriend, she isn't exactly sure how to talk to him, what to do, or how to feel. But all she knows is he is the sweetest guy, and that she wants to be with him.

Caspian is a bit strange, never going over to Abbeys house, or letting her come to his. He doesn't give her, his phone number, and whenever they say their good byes, he promises to see her very soon.

I honestly thought Caspian was the CUTEST guy! He seemed soo sweet and perfect, and it made me happy to see Abbey with him, after everything that happened with Kristen, and the cheerleaders at school. I was really happy that she had something to look forward too.

I've never really heard of The Hollow, before I saw it sitting on the bookshelf at Barnes and Noble. But I really liked the summary on the back cover of the book, and decided to pick it up anyways. I loved the whole story, I loved the main character Abbey, and even though I wish we could of learned more about both Kristen and Caspian, the story was great!

Thid book is the first to a trilogy, so I hope to learn more about all of it's characters in the next two books!

Thank you so much for stopping by, and I hope to see you again soon!

February 04, 2012

What's Coming Next Week? #22

Paperback:

The One That I WantThe Wood Queen (Iron Witch Series #2)DeliriumOverbiteChoker

The One That I Want, by Jennifer Echols.
The Wood Queen (Iron Witch Series #2), by Karen Mahoney.
Delirium, by Lauren Oliver.
Overbite, by Meg Cabot.
Choker, by Elizabeth Woods.

Hardback:

Two Truths and a Lie (The Lying Game Series #3)Born Wicked (The Cahill Witch Chronicles Series #1)

Two Truths and a Lie (The Lying Game Series #3), by Sara Shepard.
Born Wicked (The Cahill Witch Chronicles Series #1), by Jessica Spotswood.

February 03, 2012

To Be Read: February


The Goddess Test, by Aimee Carter.

The Goddess Test


"It's always been just Kate and her mom—and her mother is dying. Her last wish? To move back to her childhood home. So Kate's going to start at a new school with no friends, no other family and the fear her mother won't live past the fall.
Then she meets Henry. Dark. Tortured. And mesmerizing. He claims to be Hades, god of the Underworld—and if she accepts his bargain, he'll keep her mother alive while Kate tries to pass seven tests.

Kate is sure he's crazy—until she sees him bring a girl back from the dead. Now saving her mother seems crazily possible. If she succeeds, she'll become Henry's future bride, and a goddess."


Goddess Interrupted, by Aimee Carter.

Goddess Interrupted

L.A. Candy, by Lauren Conrad.

L. A. Candy (L. A Candy Series #1)


"In L.A. CANDY, nineteen-year-old Jane Roberts moves to L.A. and unexpectedly becomes the star of a reality T.V. show. With fame comes wealth, hot clothes and even hotter love interests -- and Jane′s lapping it all up with her eclectic entourage of pals who are always up for a wild night out and the chance to get a piece of her spotlight. But soon Jane realizes everyone wants something from her, and nothing is what it seems to be.

L.A. CANDY is a fast-paced, honest and entertaining fictional account of what it′s like to come of age in Hollywood while starring in a reality TV show, written by a girl who has experienced it all firsthand: Lauren Conrad."


Vampire Academy, by Richelle Mead.

Vampire Academy (Vampire Academy Series #1)


"The book that launched the #1 international bestselling Vampire Academy series, now in a brand-new mass market edition with additional, never-before-seen material from Richelle Mead

This is the first book in Richelle Mead's thrilling Vampire Academy series, like you've never seen it before! Now with stunning, iconic new cover art and a premium mass market trim size, this edition is bound to draw in legions of new crossover fans - while also becoming an instant collector's edition for the series' devoted followers. With our new spinoff series Bloodlines about to launch, this is the perfect entre into the world of Richelle Mead."


Unearthly, by Cynthia Hand.

Unearthly (Unearthly Series #1)

"When Clara Gardner learns she’s part angel, her entire life changes. She now has a purpose, a specific task she was put on this earth to accomplish, except she doesn’t know what it is. Her visions of a raging forest fire and a mysterious boy lead her to a new high school in a new town but provide no clear instruction. 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 the boy in her vision and the boy in her life, 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?"

Evermore, by Alyson Noel.

Evermore (Alyson Noel's Immortals Series #1)


"Since a horrible accident claimed the lives of her family, sixteen-year-old Ever can see auras, hear people’s thoughts, and know a person’s life story by touch. Going out of her way to shield herself from human contact to suppress her abilities has branded her as a freak at her new high school—but everything changes when she meets Damen Auguste . . .

Ever sees Damen and feels an instant recognition. He is gorgeous, exotic and wealthy, and he holds many secrets. Damen is able to make things appear and disappear, he always seems to know what she’s thinking—and he’s the only one who can silence the noise and the random energy in her head. She doesn’t know who he really is—or what he is. Damen equal parts light and darkness, and he belongs to an enchanted new world where no one ever dies."


Iron Daughter, by Julie Kagawa.

The Iron Daughter (Iron Fey Series #2)


"Half Summer faery princess, half human, Meghan has never fit in anywhere. Deserted by the Winter prince she thought loved her, she is prisoner to the Winter faery queen. As war looms between Summer and Winter, Meghan knows that the real danger comes from the Iron fey—ironbound faeries that only she and her absent prince have seen. But no one believes her.

Worse, Meghan's own fey powers have been cut off. She's stuck in Faery with only her wits for help. Trusting anyone would be foolish. Trusting a seeming traitor could be deadly. But even as she grows a backbone of iron, Meghan can't help but hear the whispers of longing in her all-too-human heart."


Artichoke's Heart, by Suzanne Supplee

Artichoke's Heart

"It's not so easy being Rosemary Goode and tipping the scales at almost two hundred pounds - especially when your mother runs the most successful (and gossipiest!) beauty shop in town. After a spectacularly disastrous Christmas break when the scale reaches an all-time high - Rosemary realizes that things need to change. (A certain basketball player, Kyle Cox, might have something to do with it.) So begins a powerful year of transformation and a journey toward self-discovery that surprisingly has little to do with the physical, and more to do with an honest look at how Rosemary feels about herself."

Author Interview: Marissa Meyer (Cinder)

Yesterday Turning Pages posted it's review of Cinder, explaining how good it was and how much I enjoyed it! Instead of reviewing Cinder, the book, Turning Pages is interviewing Marissa Meyer, the author!(:

shoe.jpg
First can you tell us a little about yourself, and about Cinder?

Gladly! I live in Tacoma, Washington, have three cats, got my “start” writing Sailor Moon fanfiction, and am still technically a newlywed (3 months and counting! Have we beat the Kardashians yet?). Cinder is my first novel and it’s a sci-fi re-envisioning of the classic Cinderella story set in futuristic Asia. It follows 16-year-old Cinder, who's part-human, part-machine. Her innate ability with mechanics brings her in contact with the handsome Prince Kai, and soon she's caught in a political battle of wills between Earth and the cruel Lunar queen who wants to rule it.

Here are some short and sweet questions to get you warmed up:

Hot chocolate or coffee?


Depends on the time of day! I love both.

Writing or reading?


Wait, these are supposed to be the simple questions?? Honestly, I enjoy reading more, but if I don’t write for extended periods of time it gets to a point where I feel like my brain will implode from under-use.

If you could time travel, would you go to the future or the past?


The past. I wouldn’t want to live pre-modern-day conveniences, like electricity and indoor plumbing, but I wouldn’t mind visiting those times for awhile. Say, Regency England. I feel like it would be so beautiful and refreshing.

074.JPGHere are some longer questions:

Where do you usually enjoy writing? Do you do anything while you're writing, like munch on snacks or listen to music?

I do a lot of writing in bed, even though I know it’s horrible for my posture. I also really enjoy going to cafes or restaurants. I always have to have something to sip on—whether it’s coffee or water or even wine if I’m having a difficult time.

Do you own a pair of these red hot heels, like on the cover of Cinder?

Yes! I found a pair that are almost identical for the book launch party (except they aren’t see-through). They’re not the most comfortable shoes in the world, but they’re still fun to wear.

How did you celebrate the publishing of your book?

My family and I went out to a nice dinner a couple days beforehand, and then I had a huge release party at my local bookstore in which we had food and punch and a lot of people wore red shoes. I believe there was well over 200 people there, mostly friends and family. It was great to have so much support.

What obstacles did you encounter and overcome while writing Cinder?

My decision to set the book in futuristic China posed for some interesting challenges, as I was unable to actually go to China and do in-person research. I ended up conducting a lot of research on everything from language and cultural traditions to weather patterns and plant life. I wanted Cinder’s world to have an authentic Asian feel to it, while still being different enough that readers would believe hundreds of years had passed, and the world and culture had changed over time. Of course, readers can decide how well I succeeded!

Do you plan on writing another book? Do you all ready have something in the works?

Cinder is the first in a four-book series called The Lunar Chronicles, so right now I’m neck-deep in revisions for Books 2 and 3 and will be working on this series for some time still. After that, I have dozens of ideas for more YA novels, both series and stand-alone, so we will see where my inspiration takes me.

WWW Wednesday #4

What am I reading?

Anna and the French Kiss

Anna and the French Kiss, by Stephanie Perkins.

I know, I'm super late with this one! I feel like everyone and their grandma already read Anna and the French Kiss, along with it's partner Lola and the Boy Next Door. Just as everyone else, I'm loving it! It's so cute, and a perfect light read for the spring and summer!

What did I recently finish reading?

The Hollow (Hollow Trilogy Series #1)

The Hollow by Jessica Verday.

I haven't actually finished yet, but I only have about fifty pages left, which I'll be indulging in tonight, before I go to bed. Before picking it up myself, I've never really heard anything about it, so I had my doubts. The summary of the book sounded pretty good though, so I decided to get it anyways, and give it a shot. Thank goodness I did, because now I can barely put it down(:

What am I going to read next?

I'm not exactly sure yet, because I haven't made my To Be Read for February yet! But if you really want to know, come back later today and I'll have it posted(: