The Stalker Chronicles by Carley Moore 

Release Date: March 27,2012
Publisher: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux
Age Group: YA
Pages: 400
Format: ARC
Source: Own
Interest: YA, Debut Author
Challenge: 2012 Reading Challenge, 2012 Debut Author Challenge, 2012 YA Contemporary Challenge
Buy the Book: Amazon

Sophomore Cammie Bliss has long been labeled a stalker by her peers, but when a cute new boy named Toby arrives at her small town high school, Cammie has a chance to be "normal." Trouble is, she can't really help herself and she's up to her old tricks of "intense observation and following" pretty quick. Making things worse, her younger brother is dating one of the most popular girls in the school, her parents have separated, and her dad has begun to watch their house most nights. Cammie has simply got to figure out why she behaves the way she does, and end it once and for all.

The Stalker Chronicles was a cute, contemporary novel that instantly propelled me into my teenage memories. I think we can all admit, we've acted a bit stalker-ish from time to time. At one point in our lives, we've called a boy one too many times. Or maybe you've met a cute guy and then immediately started envisioning a future with him. Or maybe you meet a cutie, and before you know it you find yourself daydreaming about him and doodling his name all of your notebook and thinking of ways to "accidently" bump into him. Whatever the case may be, at some point in our lives. we've all done it!

Cammie Bliss was a totally endearing character. She means well, she really does! But, she just sort of has this habit of going about things in the worst way possible! She knows it, but it's like there's this inner demon within her and she can't stop. Reading about Cammie's boy trouble and social akwardness had me smiling and remembering my teenage years. I think we have all been in her shoes before. While most of us grew out of it, Cammie just can't seem to break the pattern. When Toby, movies to town, Cammie finds herself instantly attracted to him and vows to start over, and break her Stalker reputation.

She's doing pretty well, but then everything starts to fall apart. Her younger brother is dating the most popular girl at school, who just so happens to hate Cam. Her parents are getting a divorce and her father has moved out. Her mother has started to date other men, and her father has started watching their house at night. Maybe the stalker gene runs in the Bliss family? Will Cammie be able to shake her bad reputation and change before she messes up her chances with Toby permanantly?

This was such a cute read from beginning to end. I really enjoyed reading about Cammie and all of her wild antics. At times I laughed out loud, especially when she got caught red handed going through Toby's trash so in an effort to  learn more about him. All in all it was a really enjoyable and quick read!

Waiting On Wednesday (11)

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly meme, hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating. 

Defiance (Defiance #1) by C.J. Redwine

Within the walls of Baalboden, beneath the shadow of the city’s brutal leader, Rachel Adams has a secret. While other girls sew dresses, host dinner parties, and obey their male Protectors, Rachel knows how to survive in the wilderness and deftly wield a sword. When her father, Jared, fails to return from a courier mission and is declared dead, the Commander assigns Rachel a new Protector, her father’s apprentice, Logan—the same boy Rachel declared her love for two years ago, and the same boy who handed her heart right back to her. Left with nothing but fierce belief in her father’s survival, Rachel decides to escape and find him herself. But treason against the Commander carries a heavy price, and what awaits her in the Wasteland could destroy her.

At nineteen, Logan McEntire is many things. Orphan. Outcast. Inventor. As apprentice to the city’s top courier, Logan is focused on learning his trade so he can escape the tyranny of Baalboden. But his plan never included being responsible for his mentor’s impulsive daughter. Logan is determined to protect her, but when his escape plan goes wrong and Rachel pays the price, he realizes he has more at stake than disappointing Jared.

As Rachel and Logan battle their way through the Wasteland, stalked by a monster that can’t be killed and an army of assassins out for blood, they discover romance, heartbreak, and a truth that will incite a war decades in the making.

I am in LOVE with the cover. It is absolutely gorgeous! And the story sounds blow your mind amazing! I can't wait for this one to come out! Look for it to hit bookshelves on August 28th!

What books are you waiting for?

The Catastrophic History Of You and Me

The Catastrophic History Of  You and Me by Jess Rothenberg
Release Date: February 21,2012
Publisher:  Dial
Age Group: YA
Pages: 400
Format: ARC
Source: Own
Interest: YA, Debut Author
Challenge:  2012 Reading Challenge, 2012 Debut Author Challenge
Buy the Book: Amazon

 
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?

The Catastrophic History of You and Me is the story of Brie ( not the cheese!) who dies of a broken heart. Literally! Brie's boyfriend tell's her over dinner, that he doesn't love her anymore. In that moment, her heart, breaks. Literally severs in half! Brie struggles with the effects her death has had on her family, her friends, and even herself. She will learn more about herself, and everyone she loved then she ever knew, as she comes to terms with what happened to her.

I loved this book from the very first page. The chapter titles were so cute, and incredible! I loved the sarcastic, witty writing and the banter between the character's. I knew from the very first paragraph that this was going to be insata-love!

The story was amazing and captured so many emotions and issues. I loved Brie's family dynamic, her close relationship with her brother, and that crazy goofball dog Hamloaf! I loved her friends B.E.S.T ( Brie, Emma, Sadie, Tess) who reminded me of my own group of close knit friends growing up. Jacob, who seemed like the perfect boyfriend, up until the very second where he broke her heart.

I felt like the author sucked me into a beautiful, fun, and witty world that I never wanted to leave. I laughed out loud, and cried, smiled, and sang along ridiculously to 80's classics. I loved how the story wasn't just a typical contemporary, it had so much depth and raw emotion that truly set it apart.

After Brie's death she discovers so much more about her friends and even her own family that she never knew.  My heart broke right along with Brie's when Patrick, the love of her life, told her he didn't love her anymore. When she discover's that her father is having an affair, I literally screamed Noooo and then wept. I felt as helpless as Brie did, an outsider looking in, not able to do a thing. I wanted to hug her mother and warn her, I wanted to yell at her father. I wanted to hug the whole family and keep them from falling apart.

This book was everything I wanted it to be. It was laugh out loud funny. It sucked me in and I fell in love with the character's instantly. It touched on so many real issues that brought such strong and raw emotions. It had me laughing, crying and thinking about it long after it was over. I think Lauren Oliver summed it up perfectly when she said "Gorgeous, funny, and heartbreaking".

In My Mailbox (18)

Hello Lovelies!

It's time for another IMM. My favorite time of the week!

In My Mailbox is a weekly Meme hosted by Kristi the Story Siren. This is where us bloggers get a chance to show you what we got this week! Bookish related of course!

This week there is no Vlog. I'm feeling a tad under the weather and just don't seem to be motivated to film myself. lol I also got a crap load of books ( yes, that's how I am describing it!) and if I did a vlog it would take FOREVER to get through all the books! lol No joke! 

I got 2 big boxes from Hachette this week 

 Which contained loads of arc's and that is my latest addition to my orchid collection keeping them company. She is gorgeous and her name is Anastasia because she looks like royalty! Of the russian Czar variety haha

These are just a few of the ARC's Hachette sent and they are the ones that I am most excited about! 

For a few weeks now I've been tweeting and emailing back and forth with Inara Scott. She asked me to be a part of the blog tour for her upcoming book The Marked, the second in the series. When it came in I squealed. It had the CUTEST Disney label complete with Mickey Mouse. It totally made my day!

It came with a super cute "compliements of the author" card with a swirl of  Disney magic! :)

And there are MORE books. lol *sigh* So... *ahem* this past week we had the Breathless Reads Tour and Dark Days Tour at the awesome Blue Willow Books 

Yes those bags are chalk full of books! lol Scary isn't it? hehe Don't worry, not all of them are mine! Mindy is my partner in crime on this one! teehee

Mindy was super duper sweet and bought me some amazing books for the signing. Hallowed, Unearthly, and Everneath. I purchased Across the Universe, A Million Suns and Incarnate. Thank goodness I already owned the rest otherwise I think I'd have been broke!

While I was at Blue Willow I was looking around and was excited to find Deadly Cool. A while back the awesome girls at Maji Bookshelf did an awesome review of this and ever since I have been dying to read this. I was even more excited that when I got to the register it was less than $5! Apparently Blue Willow has a rewards system and when you hit a certain amount you get a discount. SCORE! Yet another reason why they are such an awesome store!

My good friend Amy sent me an audio book of Laini Taylor's Lips Touch as well as some awesome swag that she knew I would LOVE! Which included a signed name plate from Leigh Fallon for my Carrier of the Mark. I was probably  more excited about than nameplate than anything else. hahaha

Whew! That is it for me this week. I promise!!! lol Now, aren't you glad I didn't do an IMM Vlog for all of these? It would've taken forever! 

Don't forget to leave me a comment with a link to your IMM so I can come by and check it out! Hope you have a fantastic weekend! 

XOXO

For Review

The Marked ( A Talents Novel) by Inara Scott

I Hunt Killers by Barry Kyga

A Midsummer's Nightmare by Kody Keplinger

The White Glove Wars (Magnolia League #2) by Katie Crouch

Purity by Jackson Pearce

Messy by Heath Cocks and Jessica Morgan

It's Our Prom (So Deal With It) by Julie Anne Peters

Revived by Cat Patrick

Lost Girls by Anne Kelly

Belles by Jen Calonita

The Last Princess by Galaxy Craze ( is it just me or does this sound more like a band and not an actual person's name???)

The Boy Recession by Flynn Meaney

Perfect Escape by Jennifer Brown

My Sister Lives On the Mantlepiece by Annabell Pitcher

The Drowned Cities by Paolo ( not attempting the last name LOL)

172 Hours On the Moon

Bought

Deadly Cool by Gemma Halliday

Incarnate by Jodi Meadows (signed)

A Million Suns by Beth Revis (signed)

Across The Universe by Beth Revis (signed)

Gifted

Everneath by Brodi Ashton (signed)

Hallowed by Cynthis Hand (signed)

Unearthly by Cynthia Hand (signed)

Signed

Legend by Marie Lu

Born Wicked by Jessica Spotswood

Thank you to Hachette, Little Brown, Poppy, Disney and Inara Scott for the review books. Also a huge thank you to Mindy and Amy for the lovely gifts. You girls rock my socks! :)

Q&A

Hello Lovelies!

Many of my blogger friends have been doing Q&A's and I am LOVING them! It's a great way to get to know the blogger a little better and I always love random fun! My good friend Jen did a Q&A this week and tagged me. So here are my answers. 

Name a favorite food, flower and color.

My favorite food of all times is pizza! I can eat it 24/7 and never tire of it. I love it hot and fresh, and even cold the next morning for breakfast. I love it all kinds of ways, any time of day! I also love Spinach pizza.  I cannot eat my pizza without a big pile of ranch to dip it in!  

My favorite flower are orchids. I am obsessed! I have a pretty decent collection that is over taking the house and my mother's window sill's. haha They are all beautiful and unique. They are my babies! I take them outside to "sunbathe" which my sister hates. lol They sit beside me while I read and yes, I do talk to them! lol I have each and every one of them named, from Annabelle my very first orchid to Prudence, and Hortence my freckled and fair beauty. haha 

My favorite color is pink!!! Not pepto bismo pink, HOT pink! The pretty kind that makes you smile! :)

 This is my lovely fair freckled Hortence coming home from the store with me! lol She is one of a dozen in my collection, which is always growing!

Do you eat while you read? 

It all sort of depends. I don't typically sit down for a meal and read while I eat. Unless I'm at work on my lunch break and there is no one interesting for me to talk to. haha In the evenings I typically have a cup of hot tea and a scone or some type of sweet while I read. I used to drink Strawberry Vanilla Limeade's from Sonic while reading. They are my addiction but there was an unfortuante incident with a stack of arcs, and let me tell you, red does NOT come out! So I now keep drinks a good 2 feet away from books at all times!

What characteristics should a book have to be on your TBR? 

Not sure that I have anything specific. If a book hooks me it does! I like original story plots. Twist and turns that I don't see coming. A good main character that I can believe in and route for! I love for a book to get my attention early on and keep it. As well as a book that moves at a good steady pace. 

What are your favorite TV shows or movies recently? 

Oh my gosh! You totally just opened up a can of worms with that one. haha My latest guilty pleasure is Jersey Shore. My bestie recently got me hooked on it. haha I do like some reality tv . I am a HUGE fan of mystery type shows. My faves are Psych, Monk, Rizzoli and Isles, The Closer, and Bones. I also love Gossip Girl, Glee, Smash, and pretty much any show on ABC family. I LOVE Switched at Birth, State of Georgia, Pretty Little Liars. I could go on and on. My favorite movie of all time is Breakfast at Tiffany's. Audrey Hepburn is my favorite actress ever! 

Have you ever read a book that made you hate the day Gutenberg created the press? 

I've read books I didn't like but nothing that I felt that strongly against. People have different tastes, if a book isn't for me that doesn't mean someone else won't love it! I don't think I could ever hate a book. They each have a special home in soemone's life!

What ways can you recommend for people to have access to great new books?

If you're a blogger, NetGalley.  E-readers are a great way to get books as soon as they are released without having to make a trip to the store or hunt them down. Going to your local library is always fun and so is borrowing and/or trading books with a friend. That is the BEST!

What's the worst way to be interrupted so you have to stop reading your book? 

Ugh that would be by telemarketers! It really makes me angry! Especially because they are always the ones that call and don't say anything for 2 minutes and then finally speak. Or they call but its a pre recorded message asking you to hold, I'm like umm...excuse me, YOU called ME!

Come on, fess up. Do you judge a book by its cover? 

Heck yes I do! lol I am a total cover whore! A great cover is what compells me to read a book. If I don't like the cover I usually don't even pick it up to read the synopsis much less read the book itself. Bad habbit I know =/

Paranormal or fantasy? 

They are both amazing. I guess it just depends on my mood. 

What do you do when you aren't reading or blogging? 

Does this answer your question? haha

Lately sleeping! haha I just can't seem to get enough. haha When I'm not blogging or reading, I'm cooking, working, spending time with friends and family. Attending book signings and events. Watching movies and catching up on my tv shows. And lots of crafting! I can crochet like an energizer bunny on a gallon of expresso! lol I also love to cross stitch, knit altho I'm quite slow at it. I love making braclette's out of hemp cord and have been making lots of those lately! I also have a great knack for making cupcake pin cushions that are adorable! Oh and I love to paint my nails and try new designs! :) 

How many books can you read in a week? 

I'm a slow reader. I typically read 2 books a week. 3 if it's a good week for me. Right now I am only able to manage one book a week but hopefully soon I will be back to my normal self!

Thanks for tagging me Jen! I had a blast reading your answers and coming up with my own! :)

We Apologize for Your Service Interruption ( or some such nonesense) Again!

Don't you hate it when you get totally hooked on this tv show, and it becomes your favorite. I mean, you watch it every week, faithfully and without fail. It's even programmed into your inner clock, and then all of the sudden without warning, they go on hiatus. *sigh* That is the absolute worst ever! Okay, maybe not the worst ever, because that would be when the above mentioned hiatus goes on forever, and ever and ever.... In fact, the show never seems to come back and it just *poof* vanishes into thin air, like it never even existed to begin with!

A lot of you are probably thinking right about now, that that is the case with me. It's true, I have not been around nearly as much as I would like to be. I promise that despite the fact that my blog "appears" as if it's on hiatus or...something along those lines, it isn't! 

I have such amazing followers and friends who are great supporters. Some of you may have already known, to others this may be news. I have been sick for quite a while now. It's a bit of a complicated situation and not just a cut and dry issue. From the minute I entered this world I have had major stomach/digestive issues. To put it simply, I love food but it isn't always my friend. lol I go through periods where I can't keep any food down no matter what it is, a boiled egg or plain toast. Everything gives me indegestion and heartburn, anything from black pepper to ketchup. Yep, even ketchup! I never know when a flare up will come or how long it will last, sometimes its a few days to years at a time. I take meds that help with the heartburn and keep the ulcers at bay, as well as medacines that fight against stomach, intestinal and colon spasms. Essentially these meds help my body to digest food, keep it down, and stay down! Although, when a flare up hits, meds don't always do the trick.

In addition to the life long stomach problems, I was diagnosed with PCOS a year ago, which brings on problems of its own. I also have a problem with my body storing energy. It virtually doesn't. Most people's body stores energy to help them work and attain various tasks. This is something called ATP and I believe the average person's is around 100 or so. Mine was at an 8 and after 2 years of weekly injections has only gone up to an 11. For some reason, unknown to anyone, my body just doesn't seem to regulate ATP on its own or even with some extra help.

Between the stomach problems, PCOS and virtually no energy, I sometimes get sick and/or run out of steam. Unfortunately for several months now I felt a flare up coming on. I tried to push past it and ran straight into a brick wall. I like to think I'm a healthy 26 year old, but the truth is I'm not and never have been anything other than a medical anominalie and guinea pig from time to time. It can get very sad and upsetting when I can't do things that normal girls my age do, and when I hardly have the energy to even leave the house.

Through the years I have learned to enjoy every second of the "good days" when I have them. I've learned to love and appreciate everyone in my life and am thankful for so many wonderful people that love and support me. I've learned that when the flare up's hit and the bad days seem endless, to never give up hope but to stay posative and keep going, taking things one day at a time.

This is why I have been so absent on my blog lately. I promise I have no plans to stop blogging. It has literally taken all of my energy to work part time, come home and cook for my family, and try to keep up with cleaning and laundry, which I am miserably failing at at the moment. lol 

I know it's easy to think that, when your not feeling well, you just lay around and read a lot. When you have extremely low energy, and are sick on top of it, it completely zaps you. I spend most of my day when I'm not working, sleeping. Even when I sit to watch tv or read a book, I inevitably fall asleep and wake up hours later. It has actually made reading 100 times harder for me. I will find myself reading a page and waking up 5 hours later. I then have to back track a good 10 pages to remember what I was reading about, and then get about 5 pages past that, and I either doze off again, or have to cook or go to work. 

I want to thank all of my followers for the kind words and support you have all shown to me. You have been tweeting and texting me good well wishes for the past few months and it warms my heart and brightens my day considerabley! 

On the bright side, last week I had some treatments done that greatly helped my stomach issues and am feeling much, much better! On the other hand I still feel zapped and have my usual health issues to deal with. So to wrap this up, although I was hoping to never have to do this, you now know why I have been so scarce lately. I love reading, and blogging and I love each and every one of you and I am not going anywhere. I promise! I will continue to blog as often as I can but you may only see 1 review up a week instead of the 3 or 4 that you are used. Hopefully in time things will get better, and you can bet I will be back in full fighting force!

Thank you again to everyone for your kind words, it has meant the world to me! You guys are the best!

XOXO

In My Mailbox (17)

In My Mailbox is a weekly Meme hosted by Kristi the Story Siren. This is where us bloggers get a chance to show you what we got this week! Bookish related of course!

Hello my Lovelies! I hope you all had a fantastic week/weekend! Last week I didn't do an IMM because I only got in one book and some bookmarks. This week however, books seem to have flooded my mailbox! Doesn't it always seem like they come in waves? I'm sure I'll hit a dry spell after this amazing week. But I had an awesome week in books and I can't wait to show ya'll!

For Review

Of Poseidon by Anna Banks

The Stalker Chronicles by Carley Moore

Between the Lines by Jodi Picoult and Samantha Van Leer

The Girls of No Return by Erin Saldin

Traded

The Selection by Kiera Cass

Struck by Jennifer Bosworth

The Lost Code by Kevin Emerson

Illuminated by Erica Orloff

Bought

Bewitching by Alex Flinn

Cloaked by Alex Flinn

Sisterhood Everlasting by Ann Brashares

That's it for me this week! Looks like I have plenty to keep me busy for a while. I hope you all have a great weekend and don't forget to leave me a link to your IMM so i can stop by!

XOXO

The Lover's Dictionary

Hello Lovelies!

So this month, love is on everyone's mind! It's at the grocery store, on the radio, in the theater. So my good friend Loretta from Between the Pages , and I decided to do a little something special! We read and discussed The Lover's Dictionary by David Levithan. The book was incredible and we had a total blast! So keep on reading to find out my thoughts on the book in my mini review, and make sure you scroll down to my Q&A with the lovely Loretta. Don't forget to stop by her blog as well to see what her thoughts on the book were, as well as to read my Q&A answers.

The Lover's Dictionary by David Levithan

   

basis, n. 

There has to be a moment at the beginning when you wonder whether you’re in love with the person or in love with the feeling of love itself.

If the moment doesn’t pass, that’s it—you’re done. And if the moment does pass, it never goes that far. It stands in the distance, ready for whenever you want it back. Sometimes it’s even there when you thought you were searching for something else, like an escape route, or your lover’s face.
How does one talk about love? Do we even have the right words to describe something that can be both utterly mundane and completely transcendent, pulling us out of our everyday lives and making us feel a part of something greater than ourselves? Taking a unique approach to this problem, the nameless narrator of David Levithan’s The Lover’s Dictionary has constructed the story of his relationship as a dictionary. Through these short entries, he provides an intimate window into the great events and quotidian trifles of being within a couple, giving us an indelible and deeply moving portrait of love in our time.

When Loretta approached me with the idea of doing this review, I was really excited! I have been dying to read this book, and it sounded like so much fun!

I honestly did not expect to fall in love with a book about love, but I did! This book was short, but sweet and to the point. It expressed through a unique style of writing, the true meaning of love! Love with all of it's ups and downs, pro's and con's. It wasn't just a story of love and happily ever after. It was so real, everything from that first time you meet, to the crazy butterflies the size of elephants in the pit of your stomach, to the first time you say I love you and are frightened the other person doesn't feel it too, to the first fight, and everything else in between!

I loved David' Levithan's style of writing and his unique approach and style he used when writing this. At time's things got a bit confusing when he'd jump from the present to the past to tell a story. And yes, there were many time's when I had to look up a word in the dictionary to get the real meaning of it, but who couldn't stand to expand their vocabulary a little?

All in all, I loved this book! It was a super fast read, that I found to be extremely refreshing! It captures the true meaning of love in it's entirety and I highly recommend it!

The Lover's Dictionary Q&A with Loretta from Between The Pages

Did you learn some new words from reading The Lover's Dictionary?

Oh yeah. I learned a slew of new words I never even knew. Honestly, I was dumbfounded (haha, yes this was used, & I KNEW what it meant ;]) at some of the words that were used. I had to GET a dictionary to read some words & figure it out. I know after you read the passage after the word you kinda get it. BUT, I wanted to know how to SAY the word. Yeah, it was crazy.

What do you think the meaning of the book was?

TO teach us new words?

No, I am kidding.. kinda! I think the meaning was to show you the different ways love works. The different phases. Love is love. To get a vision of how love is at times. 

The book also leaves you wondering how it ends.. but we never really know in our own love how it is going to end. Right?!

What were your feelings on the character's both as a whole, and also individually?

The MC was very into the relationship. I thought that he was sweet. Oh course he has his hesitations. But, what love don't. After sleeping alone for some times it is quite annoying to have someone in your space.

The girlfriend on the other hand was rather.....different. Yes, different. Things she did, said & how she acted was rather annoying. Her as a person I could not like as an individual. She just didn’t seem to really BE in the relationship.

As a whole I think it was how love is at times. I mean I cannot sit here and think people do not fight. They do. Who wants someone all in there space 24/7? Not me. But, I feel at times that their relationship was real. And at times, even I felt uncomfortable when they did in certain situations.

What was your favorite quote from the book?

“corrode v.

I spent all this time building a relationship. Then one night I left the window open and it started to rust.”

There were so many, but this is the one that stood out to me the most. It was that moment of realization for the MC, that his relationship maybe wasn't what he thought it to be.

Has this book changed your definition of love?

It hasn't. I have always been a believer in love. I mean come on. I married my High School Sweetheart.. BUT, I am not blind either. Love does not stop you from hurting someone. Love does not stop you from making mistakes. But, Love does make you want to change all of them things..

The book shows you how love really is. RAW

 With love being on everyone's mind right now, what are some of your favorite romantic reads?

A Need So Beautiful by Suzanne Young.

Maybe this is not your average "Happy Ending" book. But the love between the MC & her boyfriend (Harlin) was real. So real. & not over.

Thank you so much Loretta for stopping by. I had a blast reading this book and discussing it with you! Don't forget to hop on over to Loretta's blog to read her thoughts on it, as well as to find out my answers to the Q&A!

Around Town- Febuary 2012 Events

Hello Lovelies! 

It is time for another Around Town post. There are sooo many amazing events going on over the next few months in Houston. I'm seriously so giddy in anticipation. In this post I will however mostly focus on the events going on this month. Although I will mention a few others just because I am so excited I can't keep it to myself! hehe

First up Alex Flinn will be signing at Blue Willow at February 18th! I am so excited about this one. You guys have nooo idea! I loved Beastly so much and I cannot wait to get my hands on  Bewitching and get all my books signed. You can find details at the Blue Willow site here

Next on February 18th the Winter Dark Days 2012 tour will be stopping by the amazing Blue Willow! It will be featuring authors Cynthia Hand of Hallowed and Unearthly. Courtney Allison Moulton author of Wings of the Wicked. Debut authors Jodi Meadows who wrote Incarnate, and also Brodi Ashton author of Everneath. You can stop by to list to the panel of authors speak and get your books signed. The 4 authors coming totally blew me away. I honestly cannot believe they will all be in the same room at the same time! Again you can find details on this event at the Blue Willow site here

And last but not least, on February 22nd  the Breathless Reads 2012 Tour will be stopping by Blue Willow. Can you guys see why this is totally my favorite book store EVER??? Anyways, enough gushing about the amazingness that is Blue Willow. This tour features yet another amazing set of authors! Debut authors Marie Lu author of Legend, and Jessica Spotswood author of Born Wicked. Andrea Cremer of Bloodrose, Wolfsbane and Nightshade will also be there along with Beth Revis author of A Million Suns and Across the Universe. You can find the details for this event here

There will also be some equally amazing events going on in Houston in March and April. Just a few of the 2 dozen authors coming that I am really excited about seeing are Marissa Meyer's author of Cinder, Lauren DeStefano author of Wither and Fever, as well as Lauren Conrad who will be promoting her brand new YA series The Fame Game! I am super excited about all the amazing events! I can't wait to tell you about the rest of the amazing authors coming to Houston, but I didn't want to over whelm you at one time! haha So stay tuned for more updates on who else is coming to Houston. Trust me, you will want to make sure you are there!

Fracture

Fracture by Megan Miranda
Release Date: January 17,2012
Publisher: Walker Childrens
Age Group:  YA
Pages: 272
Format: Hardback
Source: Own
Interest: Debut Author
Challenge: 2012 Debut Author Challenge. 2012 Reading Challenge
Buy The Book: Amazon

Eleven minutes passed before Delaney Maxwell was pulled from the icy waters of a Maine lake by her best friend Decker Phillips. By then her heart had stopped beating. Her brain had stopped working. She was dead. And yet she somehow defied medical precedent to come back seemingly fine-despite the scans that showed significant brain damage. Everyone wants Delaney to be all right, but she knows she's far from normal. Pulled by strange sensations she can't control or explain, Delaney finds herself drawn to the dying. Is her altered brain now predicting death, or causing it?

Then Delaney meets Troy Varga, who recently emerged from a coma with similar abilities. At first she's reassured to find someone who understands the strangeness of her new existence, but Delaney soon discovers that Troy's motives aren't quite what she thought. Is their gift a miracle, a freak of nature-or something much more frightening?

Fellow book blogger, Mindy highly recommended this one to me. It was definitely on my to read list, when Mindy sent me a signed copy it was the final push I needed to finally give it a shot. 

Just as Mindy predicted, I loved it! Fracture is such an amazing debut novel! 

I LOVED that this book was a stand-alone! It seems like every time I read a YA book, they are quickly turned into trilogies, series, etc. Then before you know it, prequels, and in-between-quels pop up. It gets frustrating at times, keeping up with the story and the release dates of everything. So I thoroughly enjoyed reading a stand-alone novel for a change!

The story hooked me right from the beginning. Right away from the first 5 pages they get right into the heart of it, which I loved! I hate stories that drag on endlessly and take forever to get to the part of the story that we all read about on the jacket sleeve. Does anyone else hate that too?

Anyways, I totally got sucked into the story and the emotions of the character's. I felt so bad for Delaney and how over protective her family is of her after the accident. At times it was totally ridiculous and I don't think I could've handled it as well as she did. If my mother told me I wasn't allowed to turn on the oven, I think I would've had a fit the size of Texas! I felt so sorry for Decker, and couldn't imagine the guilt and mental anguish he went through. Knowing if he hadn't made Delaney cross the ice with him, that never would've happened! And then there was the whole love story issue. *sighs* Three love interests at ONE time??? That poor, poor girl! It's shocking that she didn't go right back into a coma from the emotional overload! 

Okay, I'll stop myself there, because I love this book and I could literally go on and on talking about the amazing plot. But, I won't bore you! But I WILL encourage you go out and read it for yourself!

Fracture was such a refreshing break and an incredible debut novel! It was unpredictable, emotional, suspenseful, and raw. I can't recommend this one enough!

Waiting On Wednesday (10)

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly meme, hosted by Jill atBreaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

In the Tudor age, ambition, power and charismatic allure are essential and Catherine Howard has plenty of all three. Not to mention her loyal best friend, Kitty Tylney, to help cover her tracks. Kitty, the abandoned youngest daughter of minor aristocracy, owes everything to Cat – where she is, what she is, even who she is. Friend, flirt, and self-proclaimed Queen of Misrule, Cat reigns supreme in a loyal court of girls under the none-too-watchful eye of the Dowager Duchess of Norfolk. 

When Cat worms her way into the heart of Henry VIII and becomes Queen of England, Kitty is thrown into the intoxicating Tudor Court. It’s a world of glittering jewels and elegant costumes, of gossip and deception. As the Queen’s right-hand-woman, Kitty goes from the girl nobody noticed to being caught between two men – the object of her affection and the object of her desire. 

But the atmosphere of the court turns from dazzling to deadly, and Kitty is forced to learn the difference between trust and loyalty, love and lust, secrets and treason. And to accept the consequences when some lessons are learned too late.

I am DYING to read this book! You have no idea! I can barely stand the wait. The cover is enticing and the story *sighs* don't even get me started! Look for this one to hit stores on May 15th!

What books are you waiting for? 

In My Mailbox (16)

In My Mailbox is a weekly Meme hosted by Kristi the Story Siren. This is where us bloggers get a chance to show you what we got this week! Bookish related of course!

Hello my Lovelies! I hope you all had a fantastic week/weekend! Your all most likely watching the superbowl, cheering on your teams and chowing down on awesome superbowl snacks! 

For some reason my video is dragging this week. Literally! Apologies for that, but at least the sound came out!

Gifted

Fracture by Megan Miranda

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Thank you to Mindy at Magical Urban Fantasy Reads!!! I LOVED it!!!! Eeeek!

Bought

Endless Summer by Jennifer Echols

Beastly by Alex Flinn

Wildthorn by Jane Eagland

Leave me a comment and let me know what you go in your mailbox this week. Hope you all had a fantastic weekend and I will see you back here next week.

XOXO

Fever

Fever by Lauren DeStefano
Release Date: February 21, 2012
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Age Group: Young Adult
Pages: 352
Format: ARC
Source: Own
Interest : Dystopian
Challenge: 2012 Reading Challenge
Buy The Book: Amazon

The second book in The Chemical Garden Trilogy reveals a world as captivating—and as dangerous—as the one Rhine left behind in Wither. Rhine and Gabriel may have escaped the beautiful prison of Wither’s mansion, but they are far from escaping danger. First they’re chased for stealing a getaway boat, and then the fleeing pair ends up in the eerie den of Madame, an old woman who collects girls and sells them to the highest bidders. Worst of all, Vaughn, Rhine’s sinister father-in-law, seems to be on her trail every step of the way. Rhine remains determined to get to her brother in Manhattan—but the road they are on is long and perilous.

Now that Rhine has finally regained her freedom, what lengths will she need to go to in order to keep it?

I was so nervous about reading this book. It has been highly anticipated by many people for quite a while, and I was afraid it wouldn't live up to the expectations or hype. I had also heard quite a few negative things, and was really anxious about it.

The beginning of this book took off and I couldn't put it down. I loved the setting, and found myself intrigued by the whole circus theme. I was able to get more into the story and enjoy it than I had with the previous book. For one, the whole, 13 year old girls getting pregnant by 20 year old men, wasn't quite so in your face. Thank goodness, because at times I wanted to vomit! Even though I fully understood why this was taking place, I am the kind of person who visualizes everything as I read a story, so there were times when Wither was really hard for me to stomach.

In Wither a lot of time was spent on the character development, and getting to know each character. Who they were, where they came from, why they felt and acted the way they did. With the ground work already laid, Fever was able to focus more on the story itself and not so much on the backgrounds of each individual character.

For some reason, during the last 100 pages the story kinda fizzled out for me. I also found myself disappointed with the love story, or lack of ( at least to me!) . I've heard many complaint's about the ending, and talk of a huge cliff hanger that left people more frustrated than excited. That honestly kept me leery of reading this book, but I am so glad that I decided to find out for myself! While there is a cliff hanger ( let's face it, what trilogy , or series, doesn't have one? ) I felt like it wasn't a big deal. Basically, something happens that we've known for about 500 pages now, would happen at some point! When it finally did happen, I was actually excited, ( in  a good way) to read the next book and find out how Lauren will play this all out in the final book.

DeStefano yet again delivered another fantasy rich world that I couldn't tear myself away from! I loved the circus theme, with it's rich and colorful descriptions that made me feel like I was living inside of the book! All in all I really enjoyed the development of the story, and the intriguing setting. I would've liked to have seen more romance, but despite that, I found myself enjoying this even more than I did Wither!

Steals and Deals: Barnes and Nobel 50% off Teen Book Sale!

 Hello Lovelies!

It is time for another one of my favorite features, Steals and Deals! Squeee!!! So right now I should be posting my review for Fever, but I was so excited about this amazing sale, that I HAD to share it with all of my amazing readers!

Some of you may recall, that last month, Barnes and Noble had a killer 50% off sale on all YA books! My inner fan girl nearly passed out from all the excitement! Be still my beating heart!  I, like many other book nerds took advantage of the sale.

I am on a fairly, okay let's be honest, seriously limited budget! I rarely ever get to buy new books, muchless ones I REALLY want. I typically wind up buying whatever the bargain book is that month, or whatever my local used book store has. I squealed with delight when I checked my pay stub today and found some extra money! Wooo!! How often does that happen? So I decided to reward myself for all of my hard work, and what better way for my inner book nerd to do it, then to buy new books!

After carefully selecting two books that I could afford on my budget, I scoured the internet for coupon's. Hey, every little bit helps! After quite some time scouring, I was shocked to find a coupon code for 50% off ALL teen books. I had to actively send signals to my brain to NOT scream out loud and frighten everyone. 

YA book lover's rejoice! Barnes and Nobel's 50% off teen books is back baby! But  not for long! So here are the details... 

If you use coupon code R4R9M8F at checkout you will receive 50% all all TEEN books. This includes hardbacks, and paperbacks alike, and also applies to pre-order's as well! Keep in mind, before you go crazy loading up your cart, this is 50% off of the list price, NOT the sale price! For instance, if a hardback originally $17.99 is on sale for $10 you will not get it for $5 ( I wish! ) you will get it for $8.99. 

This does work on pre-order's, I already tried it out. Don't forget this coupon code only works once, and as of right now I only know of the one, so make sure you have everything you want in your cart before you check out. The sale started on January 31st, and will end on Febuary 7th, or is it the 6th? Anyways...act fast!!!

There are some great books coming out this month, so make sure you take advantage of this sale while it lasts! As I mentioned, it DOES work on pre orders so you will definitely want to take advantage of that! For instance, you can order copies of 

for $8.99 a piece! You know you are dying to read them, so what are you waiting for? 

Are you dying to know what I ordered? I was able to snag 7  books for $33.41! And here is what I got..

What books are you going to be buying during this incredible sale? I'd love to know, so let me know in the comments!

Happy Reading!

XOXO

January 2012 Wrap-Up

Hello Lovelies~

2012 came in with a big bang in the YA world, with the release of so many amazing novels! I hope you enjoyed reading them as much as I did! I can't believe we are already into February, my how time flies!

My goals for 2012 were to find the time to read/blog more, hit the 200 follower mark (hopefully) and spend more visiting other blogger's sites and  comment back!!!

I am quite happy with the amount of books I was able to read this month, and quite shocked at the same time! I had 26 total blog posts, WOW! That's almost one per day! Eeek! Granted not all are reviews, some are meme's such as WoW, IMM, and some I do on my own such as Steals and Deals, Around Town and some discussion posts thrown in as well. Not a bad way to start of 2012 if I do say so myself! ;)

The Books 

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith ( AMAZING!!! Go read it NOW!!!)

Pretty Little Liars #2 Flawless by Sara Shephard

Irises by Francisco X . Stork

New Girl by Paige Harbison

Dead To You by Lisa McMann

Chopsticks by Jessica Anthony and Rodrigo Corral

Wither by Lauren DeStefano

Fever by Lauren DeStefano ( have about 60 pages left!!!)

The Challenges

• I read 8 books towards my goal of 100 for the Goodreads 2012 Reading Challenge

• I also read 2 books towards my 2012 Ya Contemporary Challenge as well as met my personal goal of 2 YA contemps a month!

• I read 3 books towards my 2012 TBR Pile Challenge. YAY!!! This is a HUGE feat for me, and I credit it all to being sick and catching up on books I've always wanted to read!

• And last but not least, I read 4 books towards the 2012 Debut Author Challenge

Random Act's of Kindness

The lovely Loretta from Between the Pages sent me an ebook of The Lover's Dictionary by David Levithan which I've been dying to read! We are reading it together this week so look for our shared blog posts on this coming up in February!

My awesome friend, and also my tv buddy, Amy from Book Loving Mom sent me an audio book of Legend by Marie Lu. Amy know how much I LOVE my dystopians and she highly recommended this one and thought I would love it! Eeek! 

Mindy from Magical Urban Fantasy Reads sent me signed copies of Cinder by Marisa Meyer and Fracture by Megan Miranda. I literally squealed when they came in the mail! Thank you soooo much!!! Mindy also bought me some other books for a few signings I'm going to in February (super sweet of her!) but I will include those in my February wrap-up after I get them autographed! I can't wait!!!

All in all January was a great month for me! I recieved some amazing gifts from friends, bloggers, and authors. I attended my first ever Mid-Winter ALA conference and had a total blast! 

I hope you all had a fantastic month as well as a great start to a brand new year! I'd love to hear about what books you were able to read this month and what goals you accomplished, so let me know it the comments! Until next month...

Happy Reading!

XOXO