Sharon Loves Books and Cats

Mailbox Monday

2012-01-30T11:32:00.000-05:00

Welcome to Mailbox Monday. MM is a weekly meme for people to showcase the books that they received or purchased during the week.

From Netgalley:

1. Erebos by Ursula Pozanski. According to the summary, Erebos was a bestseller in Germany. It's coming out this week in the U.S.

2. Naomi and the Horse-Flavored T-shirt by Dan Boehl. Who can resist a title like that?

Bought or received by mail: none

Waiting on Wednesday: Redshirts by John Scalzi

2012-01-18T11:55:00.000-05:00

WoW is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" book is:

Redshirts by John Scalzi

Publication date: 6/5/12 (Tor Books)

Summary from Goodreads:

Ensign Andrew Dahl has just been assigned to the Universal Union Capital Ship Intrepid, flagship of the Universal Union since the year 2456. It’s a prestige posting, and Andrew is thrilled all the more to be assigned to the ship’s Xenobiology laboratory. Life couldn’t be better...until Andrew begins to pick up on the fact that (1) every Away Mission involves some kind of lethal confrontation with alien forces, (2) the ship’s captain, its chief science officer, and the handsome Lieutenant Kerensky always survive these confrontations, and (3) at least one low-ranked crew member is, sadly, always killed. Not surprisingly, a great deal of energy belowdecks is expended on avoiding, at all costs, being assigned to an Away Mission. Then Andrew stumbles on information that completely transforms his and his colleagues’ understanding of what the starship Intrepid really is...and offers them a crazy, high-risk chance to save their own lives.

Redshirts is not a Star Trek book (or a ya novel). But any good Trekkie knows where Mr. Scalzi got the idea for this novel. I love Old Man's War and I look can't wait to read Redshirts.

Review: Cinder by Marissa Meyer

2012-01-16T13:51:00.000-05:00

Cinder by Marissa Meyer (1/3/12, Feiwel & Friends)

Book challenge: 2012 Debut Author Challenge

FTC: purchased e-book

Rating: 4 purrs

Summary from Goodreads:

Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl. . . .

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

Review:

What a cool idea for a fairy tale retelling! I've been anxious to get my hands on Cinder ever since I first heard about it months ago. I'm excited to be using it as my first 2012 Debut Author Challenge review. I'm pleased to say, that Cinder (mostly) lived up to all of the hype.

I liked Cinder as a character. I felt sorry for her because of all the horrible thing she has to endure at the hand of her step mother. I was able to relate to Cinder as a character and I truly felt that I was experiencing everything that she was. I might not have cybernetic limbs but I felt like a cyborg for a while. I would get angry when Cinder got angry and would feel like crying when Cinder couldn't. My favorite secondary character by leaps and bounds was Iko. I never imagined that I could fall in love with a robot but OMG I did. She was just so cute and funny. I need an Iko of my own. I liked the princess as well even if he was a tad boring. Cinder's step-mother pissed me off so many times. It's amazing that I didn't throw my Kindle across the room. What a witch with a B!

The Lunar people were just plain creepy. It's really scary to think of evil people like the queen looking down on earth from the moon. The queen was so spooky. I kept expecting her to shout "off with their heads!" I thought that is cool that the Lunars had magical abilities but I think that there should have been a more scientific explanation for their powers. Maybe there will be in the next book.

I thought that the plot was nicely paced. There is a lot of action and the story never really lags. I liked the setting as well but I would have like to know more about New Beijing. I never felt like the setting was as real as the characters were. Cinder could have taken place in NYC for all I noticed. Maybe if we had more info about the history of New Beijing, or more descriptive details, I would feel differently.

There were a few other things that led to my a 4 purr review. I saw all of the plot twists coming a mile away. You can pretty much figure out what and who Cinder is by page 50. This really took a lot of steam out of the ending. The ending itself was also another problem. I was subjected to yet another dystopian ya cliffhanger ending. I would have like to see some thing wrapped up by the end of Cinder. *sigh*

Overall, I enjoyed Cinder quite a bit despite some of the issues I had with it. The characters were engaging enough and the plot exciting enough (even with the practicability factor) to warrant a 4 purr rating. Unlike a lot of the ya dystopian books I've read lately I WILL be reading the Cinder sequel. I'm actually interested in seeing what is going to happen next.

Mailbox Monday

2012-01-16T13:00:00.000-05:00

Mailbox Monday is a weekly meme hosted by Jill at A Girl and Her Books. Mailbox Monday is a showcase for books that I received and/or bought during the week.

Surprise review books from Hapercollins:

1. Hallowed by Cynthia Hand. I have yet to read the first book in the series. Luckily I have it on my Kindle.

2. Forbidden by Syrie and Ryan James. I never even heard of this book until I got it.

3. Masque of the Red Death by Bethany Griffin. I already finished reading this. It was just OK. I'm tired of ya love triangles.

E-books for review:

1. Freshmen Year & Other Unnatural Disasters by Meredith Zeitlin.

Purchased e-books:

1. Bittersweet by Sarah Ockler. Reviewed here.

2. A Million Suns by Beth Revis. I'm reading this now and it is awesome!

3. Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi.

Review: Bittersweet by Sarah Ockler

2012-01-15T15:51:00.001-05:00

Bittersweet by Sarah Ockler

Release date: 1/3/12 (Simon Pulse)

Book challenge: Standalone challenge

FTC: purchased e-book

Rating: 4 purrs

Summary from Goodreads:

Once upon a time, Hudson knew exactly what her future looked like. Then a betrayal changed her life, and knocked her dreams to the ground. Now she’s a girl who doesn’t believe in second chances… a girl who stays under the radar by baking cupcakes at her mom’s diner and obsessing over what might have been.

So when things start looking up and she has another shot at her dreams, Hudson is equal parts hopeful and terrified. Of course, this is also the moment a cute, sweet guy walks into her life…and starts serving up some seriously mixed signals. She’s got a lot on her plate, and for a girl who’s been burned before, risking it all is easier said than done.

It’s time for Hudson to ask herself what she really wants, and how much she’s willing to sacrifice to get it. Because in a place where opportunities are fleeting, she knows this chance may very well be her last…

Review:

Before I start my review, I would like to state that I might be slightly biased towards Sarah Ockler. Sarah Ockler was the very first author that I met when I first started SLBAC. That was a couple months before her debut novel Twenty Boy Summer came out. We talk off and on Twitter since then and I've seen her a couple times at various author events in the city. In Bittersweet there is a cat themed cafe called, Sharon's Cafe! It was first mentioned on 44% on my Kindle Touch, so I'm not sure what page that is in the hardback. I'll let you all figure out whom that cafe is based on. ;)

Bittersweet came into my life at the perfect time. I've been reading some many dystopians and paranormal ya books. Many of which were quite disappointing. I've also done a great deal of moping around lately. In Bittersweet the main character Hudson, spends a great deal of time moping around as well. Hudson feels unhappy because of the way here skating career ended and her parents marriage failed. She has become quite successful at making cupcakes for her mother's diner but she continues to live in the past. There were times when I found Hudson to be annoying which is probably why I gave the book 4 stars. But she grew on my after a while. By the end of Bittersweet I was all about Team Princess Pink.

I really loved the message that Bittersweet teaches, that it isn't good to live in the past. If you look to the present and see how many people love and care about you, you will realize how lucky you are. Awesome message! At least that is what I took away from Bittersweet.

I also loved the setting in Bittersweet. The cold weather in western NY made me yearn for snow*. Some of my favorite moments were when Hudson was outside ice skating. I cannot even stand in skates but I almost felt like I was skating right alongside Hudson. Dang it, I REALLY wish that I knew how to ice skate!

I cannot write this review without mentioning the chapter titles and cupcakes. Each chapter had a cute title describing a type of cupcake. Cupcakes were a huge part of Bittersweet. I don't remember the last time a book made me so hungry.

For the most part I liked all of the characters in Bittersweet. Hudson's brother Bug was probably my favorite secondary character. Obviously there is also some romance in Bittersweet. Ehh I'm not big on romance. What can I say? They make a cute couple. If you like romance novels you'll probably appreciate this past of the story more than I did.

One things that did bug me was Hudon's eating habits. I always thought there ice skaters had to eat super healthy diets. Hudson eats cupcakes, fries, chips, etc. I mean it's good to see a girl who isn't afraid to consume calories but it just seemed odd that she didn't start eating healthier food. Wouldn't it be better to snack on fruit if you're training for an athletic event?

Overall, I enjoyed Bittersweet a great deal. It was a nice break from some of the lame dystopian books that I've been subjected to lately.

* Seriously! We need some snow here. We had one storm around Halloween and nothing but a few flurries since. Please pray to the snow gods for me. Thanks.

Top Ten Tuesday: Books I'm Excited to Read in 2012.

2012-01-03T09:37:00.000-05:00

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted @The Broke and Bookish

Top Ten Books I'm Excited To Read in 2012:

Partials by Dan Wells. I'm beyond excited for this book. I reviewed his John Cleaver series on here a while back. I loved it! I'm still a Dan Wells addict and I need my fix. I entered a contest to win it and I've been going back to the blog every day for the past 2 weeks to get extra points. It's one of the first things I do now while I'm drinking my wake up juice.
This Is Not a Test by Country Summers. I feel like I've been waiting 30 years for Country to write a zombie novel. She did a zombie guest post on here way back in my blogs infancy. It was hilarious and fantastic as I imagine this book will be.
The Girl in the Clockwork Collar (Steampunk Chronicles #2) by Kady Cross. I just read the first book in the series this week and I loved it. The next book is going to take place in NY. I'm dying to see what this alternate NYC is going to be like and I can't wait to spend time with Finely again.
Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore. Who isn't excited about this one? It is the third book that I added back when I first joined Goodreads.
Ask the Passangers by A.S. King. I always get excited when she announces a new book. I've read two of her books and both got five stars. She is an awesome writer.
Kill me Softly by Sarah Cross. I enjoyed her debut Dull Boy.
Innocent Darkness (The Aether Chronicles #1) by Suzanne Lazaer. Another ya steampunk! I'm not a huge fan of the cover but the story sounds promising.
Masque of the Red Death by Bethany Griffin. I've had my eye on this one for some time.
The Selection by Kiera Cross. This is one in a long line of dystopians I'm excited about.
Cinder by Marissa Meyer. It comes out today and I'm so buying it.

Review: The Girl in the Steel Corset by Kady Cross

2012-01-02T16:44:00.000-05:00

The Girl in the Steel Corset (Steampunk Chronicles #1) by Kady Cross

Release Date: May 14, 2011( Harlequin Teen)

Book challenge: First book read for the Get Steampunked! Challenge.

FTC: Purchased e-book for my shiny new Kindle Touch.*

Rating: 5 steamy purrs

Summary from Goodreads:

In 1897 England, sixteen-year-old Finley Jayne has no one except the "thing" inside her.

When a young lord tries to take advantage of Finley, she fights back. And wins. But no normal Victorian girl has a darker side that makes her capable of knocking out a full-grown man with one punch...

Only Griffin King sees the magical darkness inside her that says she's special, says she's one of them. The orphaned duke takes her in from the gaslit streets against the wishes of his band of misfits. Emily, who has her own special abilities and an unrequited love for Sam, who is part robot; and Jasper, an American cowboy with a shadowy secret.

Griffin's investigating a criminal called The Machinist, the mastermind behind several recent crimes by automatons. Finley thinks she can help-and finally be a part of something, finally fit in.

But The Machinist wants to tear Griff's little company of strays apart, and it isn't long before trust is tested on all sides. At least Finley knows whose side she's on, even if it seems no one believes her.

Review:

Let me get all of my fan-girlishness out of the way first. LOVE LOVE. I'm going to marry this book!

*phew*

The Girl in the Steel Corset marks my introduction into the world of Steampunk literature. I've read bits and pieces of other Steampunk books but never an entire novel. I'm glad that I started with The Girl in the Steel Corset, because I just fell in love with it.

I just adored Finely. She is one of the strongest and most kick butt female characters I have come across. I knew as soon I was introduced to Finely on the first page, that I was going to love her. The Girl in the Steel Corset literally starts with an ass kicking. I wish more books started this way! Finely isn't all about kicking butt in fact she spends most of the book fighting against her dark side. I thought that her internal conflict made Finely a three dimensional character. The other characters were also pretty darn awesome. They all had issues that made them feel all the more real. Two of my favorite secondary characters were Jack Dandy and Jasper. Jack Dandy is the sort of character we aren't supposed to like but we do anyway. I really hope to see a lot more of him in future novels. I also look forward to seeing more of Jasper. What girl doesn't love a sexy cowboy?

Speaking of sexy, there is a ton of sexual tension going on. I'm not really into romance novels, but I imagine that a lot of you will like it. I thought that it was handled well. The Girl in The Steel Corset never felt like a romance novel to me though. There is just enough to keep things interesting but not so much that I would start to roll my eyes.

I found the plot to quick paced and exciting. I thoroughly enjoyed running about with Finely and her pals while they tried to uncover the identity of The Machinist. I was sad to see the story end, but happy to find a book with a proper ending. I'm so tried of series books with cliffhanger endings and zero conflict resolution. In The Girl in the Steel Corset we actually get to see the characters solve a mystery, resolve some of their conflicts,and are given hints as what will happen in book 2.

The setting was also really cool. I love the idea of futuristic technology in 1897 England. The mechanical cat was so amazingly awesome! It is both a pet and weapon. I would give up all of my technology now just to have one of those.

Overall, The Girl in the Steel Corset was a fun, delightful, and action packed read. I would also recommend reading the prequel The Strange Case of Finely Jayne which is equally awesome.

*The Kindle Touch dictionary proved to be very useful for all of the old fashioned words, that I never heard of. Just hold down the word and like magic you get a definition. It was pretty cool but not as cool as that mechanical cat. I want one!

Get Steampunked! 2012 Challenge

2011-12-23T14:54:00.002-05:00

I have been meaning to read more Steampunk novels lately. This sounds like the perfect challenge to start my 2012 with! Click the challenge button above to find out more about this challenge.

Challenge Levels

Geared – Choose 5 books to read
Cogged – Choose 15 books to read
Goggle Mad – Choose 30 books to read
Victorian Lord/Lady – Choose 50 books to read
Inventor – Choose 75 books to read
Zephyr Pilot – Choose 76-135 books to read
Steampunked! – Choose 136-200 books to read

Extra Challenges

If you feel like that extra kick to your reading challenges here’s several you can choose from.

World: Choose a country as your theme, reading only books from that country or where it’s the setting. For how high you go you can choose more than one country;

Level Geared and Cogged: Choose one country
Level Goggle Mad and Victorian Lord/Lady: Choose two countries
Level Inventor to end of Zephyr Pilot: Choose three countries
Level Steampunked!: Choose four countries.

Gender Battle: Read books only by female or male authors. Another alternative is to read equal amounts of both.

I have decided to picked Cogged level- 15 books. That seems like a good amount being that I'm not very familiar with the genre. I haven't picked any extra challenges yet.

My list:

Morlock Night by K.W. Jeter
Soulless by Gail Carriger
Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld
Corsets&Clockwork: 13 Steampunk Romances by Thrisa Telep
The Girl in the Steel Corset by Kady Cross
The Girl in the Clockwork Color by Kady Cross
The Map of Time by Felix J Palma
The Hunchback Assignments by Arthur Slade
Airborn by Kenneth Oppel
Innocent Darkness by Suzanne Lazear
All Men of Genius by Lev AC Rosen
Girl Genius Vol. 1 by Phil Foglio
Scar Night by Alan Campbell
Mainspring by Jay Lake
Supernatural Devices by Kailin Gow

Own, Read

Top Ten Tuesday x 2.

2011-12-20T15:33:00.000-05:00

Top Ten Tuesday is a meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

I'm actually going to do two of these today. I don't know how I missed it, but there was a really cool TTT 2 weeks ago. I'm going to do that one first. Enjoy!

My Top Ten Childhood Favorites:

1. The Wayside School Series by Louis Sachar. This was such a fun and imaginative series. Any remember the mean teach who would turn students into apples? I must have reread these books dozens of times. I still own the first two books. I'll have to do a reread sometime soon.

2. The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett. This has the distinction of being the first book that I ever fell in love with. I still remember reading it in the second grade and watching the movie with my class. I reread this a while back and it did stand the test of time.

3.Hatchet by Gary Paulsen. Yet another school book I fell in love with.

4. Matilda by Roald Dahl. I was so in love with this book at one time. Matilda was such a kick a$$ girl!

5. The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster. I've probably reread this more than other book on this list. I still have my original childhood copy.

6. Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Beverly Cleary. Wasn't there a character named fudge in this one? I remember having a lot of fun reading this book. I think that there was even a movie or TV show. Does anyone remember?

7. Harold and the Purple Crayon by Crockett Johnson. Harold was so fly with his purple crayon. I always wanted to be able to draw things and make them real.

8.The Original Curious George by H.A. Rey. Curious George was such a riot always getting into trouble.

9. Amelia Bedelia series by Peggy Parish. Amelia had to be the worst housekeeper ever. I remember finding her very funny when I was a kid.

10. The Adventures of Huck Finn by Mark Twain. Yet another school book that awed me. I wanted to run away with Huck and Tom. I really need to reread this one!

Top Ten Books I Hope Santa Brings:

1. Sweetly by Jackson Pearce. I enjoy her fairytale retelling novels. I just haven't gotten around to purchasing Sweetly yet.

2. I Am Scrooge: A Zombie Story for Christmas by Adam Roberts. Zombies and Christmas. Need I say more?

3. Zompoc: How to Survive the Zombie Apocalypse by Michael G. Thomas. A girl needs all the help she can get!

4. The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin. I've heard a lot about this book on Twitter. Oh... the powers of social networking.

5. The Opposite of Amber by Gillian Philip. This one has been on my wishlist for some time.

6. How I Stole Johnny Depp's Alien Girlfriend by Gary Ghislain. This sounds so wacky. How could I not want to read it?

7. Bitter End by Jennifer Brown. It feels like this book has been on my wishlist forever.

8. Them or Us by David Moody. The Hater series is pretty darn cool. I own the first two books.

9. Shine: An Anthology of Optimistic Sci-fi by Jetse de Vries. Sometimes, I need a break from all of the bleak dystopian novels I read.

10. How To Survive a Robot Uprising by Daniel H. Wilson. Even if the zompoc never happens the robotpoc probably will. In either case, I want to be prepared.

Standalone Reading Challenge 2012

2011-12-17T16:24:00.014-05:00

Icey Books and I Like These Books are hosting this challenge. The challenge is to read 15 stand alone young adult novels in 2001.

I get sick of reading trilogies all the time! Especially ones that have cliff hanger endings. You can find all of the challenge rules by clicking the challenge button above.

My tentative list:

Fracture by Megan Mirana
Alice in Zombieland by Gena Showalter
This is Not a Test by Courtney Summers
Bittersweet by Sarah Ockler
Don't Breathe a Word by Holly Cupala
Struck by Jennifer Bosworth
Above by Leah Bobet
Touched by Cyn Balog
Something Like Normal by Trish Doller
Shadows Cast by Stars by Catherine Knutsson
For Darkness Shows the Stars by Diana Peterfreund
The Other Life by Suzanne Winanacker
Harbinger by Sara Wilson Etienne
When the Sea is Rising Red by Cat Hellisen
Try Not to Breathe by Jennifer R. Hubbard

books I own, books I have read.

Top Ten Tuesday

2011-11-29T12:36:00.000-05:00

This is my first time doing Top Ten Tuesday. I have seen others doing it and I thought it might be fun to try. Top Ten Tuesday is hosted @ The Brooke and the Bookish. This week the topic is: Top 10 Winter Book Releases. I had fun filling this out. I look forward to cuddling under the covers during a snowstorm and reading some of these. Hopefully, Santa will bring me a new e-reader.

Under The Never Sky by Veronica Rossi. I love the title and the cover. Yet another dystopian that I'm dying to read.
Cinder by Marissa Meyer. I've heard a lot of good things about Cinder on Twitter. Humans and androids! How can I resist? I hope the book is better than the cover.
Bittersweet by Sarah Ockler. A new book from one of my favorite authors and stalking victims.
Partials by Dan Wells. OHOHOH! I'm so excited about this book. I'm drool every time I look at it on Goodreads.
The Way We Fall by Megan Crewe. I enjoyed Megan's last book and I liked it a lot. This one sounds very action packed.
Don't Breathe a Word by Holly Cupala. I love love LOVED Holly's debut novel, so it isn't a stretch to guess that I'll be reading this one.
A Million Suns by Beth Revis. I enjoyed Across the Universe. I'm anxious to see what happens next.
Pure by Julianna Baggott. Wow! Another dystopian with an amazing cover.
Slide by Jill Hathaway. This one sounds really suspenseful.
Article 5 by Kristen Simmons. It feels like this has been on my wishlist forever.

Review: The Unit by Ninni Holmqvist

2011-11-27T17:19:00.000-05:00

The Unit by Ninni Holmqvis

Summary from Goodreads:

Rating 1.5 purrs

One day in early spring, Dorrit Weger is checked into the Second Reserve Bank Unit for biological material. She is promised a nicely furnished apartment inside the Unit, where she will make new friends, enjoy the state of the art recreation facilities, and live the few remaining days of her life in comfort with people who are just like her. Here, women over the age of fifty and men over sixty–single, childless, and without jobs in progressive industries–are sequestered for their final few years; they are considered outsiders. In the Unit they are expected to contribute themselves for drug and psychological testing, and ultimately donate their organs, little by little, until the final donation. Despite the ruthless nature of this practice, the ethos of this near-future society and the Unit is to take care of others, and Dorrit finds herself living under very pleasant conditions: well-housed, well-fed, and well-attended. She is resigned to her fate and discovers her days there to be rather consoling and peaceful. But when she meets a man inside the Unit and falls in love, the extraordinary becomes a reality and life suddenly turns unbearable. Dorrit is faced with compliance or escape, and…well, then what?

Review:

The Unit was one of those books that had basically no impact on me. With such a dark and disturbing concept one would think, that I wouldn't be able to get this book out of my head. The very idea of labeling people disposable and sending them off for medical experiments is beyond sick, but the characters were just so boring. The setting was so drab and the people so boring that I barely made it to the end.

There was also this issue of women's rights that kept cropping up throughout the book. It was like some crazy militant version of feminism. For example Dorrit mentions that a man can be arrested and imprisoned for flirting with a woman. SERIOUSLY?! I cannot decide whether the author is anti-feminist or a hard core man hater because everything in this book is so warped. The way people behave doesn't make sense, so it was hard for me to ever imagine people acting this way.

Everyone is treated very well in the unit right up until the end. I would like to imagine that it would take a lot more than good food for me to agree to make a "final donation." I didn't see the point of it either, they can't go anywhere, or contact the outside. Why not just strap them down and force them do to your bidding? That would make a lot more sense than feeding them nice food and giving them whatever expensive items they want.

The ending is what really got on my last nerve. SPOILER WARNING...

Dorrit just gives up! Yup, all this talk about women's rights and the main character just gives up and lets them take her child at the end. UGH What makes this really annoying is,that Dorrit had the chance to get away! She could have escaped and found a way to make things work.

The Unit gets 1.5 wins just for pissing me off.

Oh yes,this is obviously an adult novel not a ya. It still sucked either way.

hmmmm...

2011-11-27T16:54:00.000-05:00

I really do miss this blog. The new one just isn't working for me. I think that I am going to reopen SLBAC.

Review: Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

2011-11-24T17:04:00.000-05:00

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi (11/15/11)

Rating: 3 purrs

Summary from Goodreads:

The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. No one knows why Juliette's touch is fatal. As long as she doesn't hurt anyone else, no one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old girl. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to find, birds don't fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong color.

The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things, so they threw Juliette in a cell. Now so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war-- and The Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she's exactly what they need right now.

Juliette has to make a choice: Be a weapon. Or be a warrior.

Review:

Uhhhh... before I start this review I think it is worth mentioning, that I haven't written a book review in 18 months. It's going to take me ~~forever~~ a while to get back into the groove.

I was very excited to finally get my hands on Shatter Me. One thing you miss out on when you're not blogging are review copies ~~and drama~~. I actually had to *gasp* wait for Shatter Me to be released to the general public. I didn't mind the wait because Shatter Me sounds like it was worth waiting for. After reading it I'm sad to say it did not live up to my hopes.

I was expecting an action filled book with a kick ass heroine. We do get to see some of that every now and than but it wasn't often enough. I enjoyed the beginning of Shatter Me. Juliette's experiences in the mental hospital (if you can even call it that) were disturbing. For a time, I felt as if I was trapped in that room with Juliette. Once Adam comes into the picture, the book become less action and suspense and more romance. Too much romance IMHO. If I had to read about Adam's ~~sexy abs~~ blue eyes one more time... well I'll let you imagine what I might do. Shatter Me was more romance than dystopian novel. Which is fine if you enjoy romance novels ~~GAG~~.

Another problem with Shatter Me was the ~~lack of an ending~~ extremely metaphorical writing style. It got tiresome rather quickly. It also made it more difficult for me to become a part of the story. I felt like I was reading a book about fictional characters and not one with real flesh and blood characters. If real people spent so much time describing leaves and the weather they would never get anything done. It just gave me a headache.

Some things I did like: the strike throughs, ~~Adam's sexy blue eyes~~ Warner, the super sekrit underground society. I loved the strike outs/throughs/whateverthehellyoucallthem through the book and I don't know why. They were cool looking and they let us get into Juliette's head a little more. Warner was an awesome villain. He was creepy, ~~sexy~~ heartless, and just evil. All of the things that make a perfect ~~guy~~ villan

Who doesn't love a super sekrit underground society? As long as they don't eventually turn into the Morlock's. I hope we get to see more of these underground people in future books. From the way Shatter Me ended, I imagine we will.

Overall, I enjoyed Shatter Me to a certain extent. I'm not sorry that I bought it, but I won't be running ~~or walking~~ out to the store to get the sequel.

2012 Dystopian Reading Challenge

2011-11-23T17:00:00.001-05:00

I choose level Medium: 8-14 books

1. A Million Suns by Beth Revis

2012 Debut Author Challenge

2011-11-17T16:57:00.003-05:00

I mine as well start off my return to blogging with a reading challenge. I still really enjoy reading all of the debut books. This year the list is filled with dystopian novels. I hope that I can find some gems among them.

Incarnate by Jodi Meadows
Above by Leah Bobet
Cinder by Marissa Meyer
Article 5 by Kristen Simmons
Slide by Jill Hathaway
When the Sea is Rising Red by Cat Hellisen
The Other Life by Susanne Winnacker
Level Two by Lenore Appelhans
Shadows Cast By Stars by Catherine Knutsson
Above World by Jenn Reese
Cybernetic by Laura Riken
Something Like Normal by Trish Doller

Books I own, books I've read

New blog

2011-11-15T14:51:00.000-05:00

This blog is out of business. You can find my new blog here. Please follow me. Thanks.

Hello Dear Blog

2011-03-30T11:09:00.002-04:00

I miss you very much. I'm thinking about writing a review on you in a couple of days.

The Scorch Trials Is Going To Kill Me.

2010-12-01T19:49:00.002-05:00

I'm about 2/3 of the way through The Scorch Trials by James Dashner. I LOVED The Maze Runner so I had extremely high expectations for this book. Well...to make a long story short I am not loving it at all. I'm not sure exactly what it is that is bothering me so much. The whole story just seems kind of scattered and random. I've literally had like 10 WTF moments. Ahh! How many of you have read it already? Did it confuse the crap out of you too? *sigh*

I'm Back And An Explanation.

2010-11-07T12:59:00.004-05:00

I know I said I was going to quit blogging. I even deleted my blog a while ago. I had my reasons most of which had to do with the drama that would always find its way on to my blog. I got sick of the infighting and the jealousy. I made a lot of mistakes myself. I'm far from perfect. If I ever offended you please accept my forgiveness.

The main reason I've decided to start blogging again is, that my very recent change in relationship status. My boyfriend whom I thought could possibly be my soul mate turned out to be a lying jerk. He lied to me and left me with a severally broken heart. I still cannot think about him without feeling sick, angry, and hurt. I've never had someone make me feel so pathetic before. I need a distraction. I gave up a lot of my reading time when I entered the relationship. I've read and finished a total of 3 books in the past 3 months. I used to read that much in one week! I hate that I gave up my hobby to be with a guy and a guy who wasn't worthy of me at that. I also need a distraction! My hours keep getting cut at work and I'm having a hard time finding a new job in this economy. I have a lot of free time on my hands and nothing to do but mope. I'd rather not mope or feel so depressed. So here I am!

I have a ton of books that I need to catch up on. I won't be requesting any arcs for a long time either. I also apologize to anyone whom I owe reviews to. I'll try to catch up soon.

I AM still alive.

2010-09-08T12:03:00.002-04:00

I just haven't update in two months! In the mean time for two year blogoversary came and went three weeks ago. There are several reason for me taking so much time off from blogging.

First of all, I don't really like what I see ya book blogging turning into. It is like a giant popularity contest all with the end goal to get as many arcs as possible. I love getting arcs but I don't think that getting a ton of review books means that you blog is totally freaking awesome. I'm also tired of all the formulaic "I love this book!" "A++ " reviews.

Secondly, I have stuff going on IRL. I have a new boyfriend and a group of friends that I adore. I find that I have a lot less drama involved in this situation.

When and if I do decide to start blogging again I am going to be the same old honest blogger. However, I'm going to stay clear of all the blogging drama (which usually starts on twitter). I've learned over the past several weeks who my true blogging friends are. These people will always be in my life. The rest of you can just take a walk. :D

Waiting on Wednesday: You Killed Wesley Payne

2010-07-14T00:00:00.000-04:00

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:

You Killed Wesley Payne by Sean Beaudoin

Publication date: 2/1/11, Little Brown Books for Young Readers

Summary:

He's come to do a job.
A job that involves a body.
A body wrapped in duct tape found hanging from the goal posts at the end of the football field.

You Killed Wesley Payne is a truly original and darkly hilarious update of classic pulp-noir, in which hard-boiled seventeen year-old Dalton Rev transfers to the mean hallways of Salt River High to take on the toughest case of his life. The question isn't whether Dalton's going to get paid. He always gets paid. Or whether he's gonna get the girl. He always (sometimes) gets the girl. The real question is whether Dalton Rev can outwit crooked cops and killer cliques in time to solve the mystery of "The Body" before it solves him.

Sean Beaudoin (Going Nowhere Faster, Fade to Blue) evokes the distinctive voices of legendary crime/noir authors Dashiell Hammett and Jim Thompson with a little bit of Mean Girls and Heathers throwin in for good measure. This smart, slick, and alluring detective novel that will tease you, thrill you, and suck you in.

Thoughts:

As soon as I saw the title and cover I knew I had to find out what this book was about. OMG I'm glad I read the summary because this totally sounds like a Sharon book. A bit of neo-noir with a mix of Heathers and Mean Girls! Oh yes, that is a Sharon book. Seriously I love film noir and Heathers is one of my favorite 80s movies. I will probably be drooling over this book until it comes out on February first. Hopefully the book review gods will send my a copy before then.

In the meantime here are some of my favorite Heathers quotes:

It's one thing to want someone out of your life, but it's another thing to serve them a wake-up cup full of liquid drainer.
Grow up Heather, bulimia's so '87.
Betty Finn was a true friend and I sold her out for a bunch of Swatch dogs and Diet Coke heads. Killing Heather would be like offing the wicked witch of the west... wait east. West! God! I sound like a fucking psycho.
Well, fuck me gently with a chainsaw. Do I look like Mother Theresa?
If you were happy every day of your life, you wouldn't be a human being; you'd be a game show host.

Halo by Alexandra Adornetto

2010-07-12T10:04:00.000-04:00

Halo by Alexandra Adernello

Publication:8/31/10, Feiwel & Friends

Rating: 4 purrs

Number of cats in book: Zero

Summary from good ol' Goodreads:

Nothing much happens in the sleepy town of Venus Cove. But everything changes when three angels are sent from heaven to protect the town against the gathering forces of darkness: Gabriel, the warrior; Ivy, the healer; and Bethany, a teenage girl who is the least experienced of the trio. They work hard to conceal their true identity and, most of all, their wings. But the mission is threatened when the youngest angel, Bethany, is sent to high school and falls in love with the handsome school captain, Xavier Woods. Will she defy the laws of Heaven by loving him? Things come to a head when the angels realize they are not the only supernatural power in Venus Cove. There′s a new kid in town and he′s charming, seductive and deadly. Worst of all, he′s after Beth.

Thoughts:

I was nervous about reading Halo to begin with given my previous experience with a young adult angel novel. The honest truth is, that I AM a cover whore. When I first saw the cover for Halo I want to marry it and have its babies. After reading it I still pretty much feel the same way. Though I might put of the childbirth for a while.

Halo is far from a perfect book. The beginning is rather slow, a few of the secondary characters remanded underdeveloped, and it was totally freaking obvious who the villain was. The first 2/3 of the book follows Bethany and her relationship with Xavier. It wasn't even until near the end of the book that the villain was even introduced. BTW, the villain? Totally freaking obvious! Some of Bethany's new friends at school were rather annoying. Molly is particular remanded a walking stereotype of teenage girls.

By now you're probably thinking "What the hell?! Why did Sharon rate this book 4 purrs if it is so flawed?! Have you gone of the deep end Sharon?! HAVE YOU?!" The God's honest truth it that I just fell in love with the main characters and the setting. It was fascinating to read about Bethany adjusting to life as a human. Bethany's confusion over the human world led to quit a few lol moments like, "what is a milf?" Bethany basically starts out as a baby and slowly starts to learn what it means to be human,t hat you aren't truly alive until you love someone and all that good stuff. This appealed to my soft side and made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

Xavier Xavier...Xavier oh you are swoon-worthy. I'm a bit of a sucker for nice guys. Xavier manages to be a gentlemen without being a pushover. I love that he would do anything to help keep Bethany safe. Their relationship was a lot more hot and heavy than I was expecting. You would think that a religious book wouldn't have a lot of hot and heavy kissing and some petting.

Another thing worth mentioning is religion in Halo. I wouldn't describe Halo as an overly religious book despite the fact that it is about angels. I am by no means a religious person, so I don't know how closely Halo actually followed the Bible. I would be very interested to see what a more religious person thought of this book.

I am officially addicted to this series. I kind of wish that I was an angel now. That is all. Oh wait! Read Yan's review of Halo because it is a lot more sensible and grammatically correct than mine.

What I learned from this book: I do have a warm and fuzzy side after all.

Zombies Vs. Unicorns: We Need A New Enemy

2010-06-28T11:29:00.005-04:00

Hello and welcome to my Zombie Vs. Unicorns Week wrap up post. All the contest winners have been picked and the battles fought. I have learned a couple new thing this first. First of all, young adult bloggers taking the Zombies Vs. Unicorns debate very seriously. Secondly, unicorns will never EVER be able to defeat zombies. Sorry folks but it just aint happening! I took it upon myself to come up with some new potential match ups.

Zombies Vs. Weeping Angels

Weeping have the ability to steal your life energy, but zombies are dead. I wonder how the weeping angels would handle zombies. I imagine they wouldn't even be able to move since zombies aren't alive but who knows.

Zombies Vs. The Borg

The most scary of all Star Trek bad guys. Could they even assimilate zombies?

Z0mbies Vs. Chupacabra

Wow look at those teeth! I have a feeling the Chupacabra would give zombies a very difficult time. Just suck them dry and save the brains for last.

Zombies Vs. Care Bears

I know this sounds odd but hear me out. Most of you think of Care Bears as these cute little guys that go around saving little kids and star creatures. Well have any of you ever seen the Care BearStare in action? I'm pretty sure that might knock even the most vicious of zombies on their ass.

What do you think of my new potential match ups? Do you have any of your own to contribute?Please share them with me.

Contest Winners

2010-06-28T10:58:00.003-04:00

Winner of Grace by Elizabeth Scott is...Bianca.

Winner of Feed by Mira Grant is...Terrymac

Winner of pre-order of Zombies Vs. Unicorns is...Stella.

I will be emailing all of the winners later today. Unless you want to email me first. Go for it!

The most popular answer to my question "Which bloggers brains would you eat?": Kristi The Story Siren. The second most popular answers were: The Plagiarist and Carrie Ryan. I am very pleased to see that none of you picked my brains. Wait...should I be insulted?

Zombies Vs. Unicorns: It Is Obvious Who The Winner Is

2010-06-27T12:46:00.001-04:00

Zombie Vs. Unicorns Week

Gasp A Cat Burglar

2010-06-25T10:34:00.002-04:00

Welcome to my very non-zombie quest post from Holly Cupala. Holly filmed this very special cat burglar themed video as part of her month long blog tour for Tell Me a Secret. You can find my review of this awesome AWEsome book here.

I'm going to ignore the fact that, that burglar looks a lot like Holly herself. I love how that quote my 5 purrs at the end of the video. Too cute!

Zombies Vs. Unicorns Week: Guest Post From

2010-06-24T10:10:00.005-04:00

Everyone please give a warm welcome to my quest blogger today, Kai.

Hello Everyone! I’m excited to do this post for Sharon

! I had planned my own personal Zombie week on my Blog when I found out Sharon Loves Cats and Books and Wine were doing a Zombie vs. Unicorn week in honor of the upcoming anthology. Great Bloggers Think alike 

It’s a great time for zombie fans now, with books like Carrie Ryan’s The Forest of Hands and Teeth and The Dead Tossed Waves. There is Max Brooks amazing World War Z and Jonathan Maberry’s Patient Zero and upcoming YA Novels Rot & Ruin. There have also been quite a lot of great things going on in the world of Comic Books as well, and today I'd like to share my 3 favorite:

ZOMBIE COMICS

Now I know a lot of you readers may not have experienced comics before. I’m hoping your great love of Zombies may let you escape out of your comfort zone. First up:

IZombie

This is a new comic by Chris Robertson and Michael Allred

This comic chronicles the life of Gwen Dylan a gravedigger (really!) who also is a zombie. Gwen isn’t your typical zombie. She’s cute, articulate, a gifted artist. Oh yeah and she has to eat a brain every month or she turns all Night of the Living Dead on folks. Great Stuff.

Check out www.vertigobooks.com for more info on Vertigo comics.

The Littlest Zombie

This adorable book written and illustrated by Fred Perry is the story of well the littlest zombie trying to find food in the zombie wasteland earth has become. This book has all the great elements of a mini Zombie movie, zombies, human prey and the sweetest little boy who just wants to get fed. BRAINNS 

This book is a little hard to find so I recommend the web site www.APManga.com

Now. The Best for last!!

The Walking Dead

You will be hearing LOTS about this show due to the live action TV show coming this fall. Robert Kirkman the author of the book is a HUGE zombie fan. His premise of the book is to follow one character through the life of the series. The main character police officer Rick Grimes awakens from a coma to find the hospital deserted and the dead walking. The entire book is in Black and White which gives it an even spookier vibe. Not everyone is safe in this series in fact half the characters in the pilot episode of the show are no longer in the book! Highly recommend this series.

For more info check out

www.kirkmania.com Robert Kirkman’s site

www.amctv.com for exclusives on the show

Be sure to visit my Blog for a chance to win VOL 1 of The Walking Dead

And issue 1 of the Littlest Zombie!

Thanks again Sharon TEAM ZOMBIE!

Zombies Vs. Unicorns Week: Waiting on Wednesday

2010-06-23T12:19:00.011-04:00

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted here, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

In honor of Zombies Vs. Unicorns Week I am writing a special Waiting on Wednesday: Zombie Edition post.

My must have zombie picks are:

Z by Michael Thomas Ford

Publication date: 9/7/10, Harperteen

Josh is by far the best zombie Torcher around—in his virtual-reality zombie-hunting game, that is. Luckily for Josh, zombies haven’t existed in the real world in more than fifteen years. But when Josh accepts a coveted invitation to join an underground gaming league, he soon realizes that not everything is what it seems.

Michael Thomas Ford has the paranormal genre covered from all angles, and his adult vampire novel Jane Bites Back has gotten rave reviews from Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews, and Library Journal. Seth Grahame-Smith, author of Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, calls his writing “sharp-witted and sharp-fanged.”

Zombies couldn’t be hotter right now, and this dark and thrilling teen novel will have readers racing to turn every suspenseful page.

Hmmm...not much of a summary. I'm anxious to learn more about this book.

The Dark and Hollow Places by Carrie Ryan

Publication date: 3/17/11

No Cover Image Yet

Annah knows she has a twin sister, but she forgot her long ago. Back when they went to play in the Forest of Hands and Teeth, she and Elias lost her, and after that there was no going back to the village.

Life's been hard, but Elias has taken care of her, and living in the Dark City can help one to forget the horror of the Unconsecrated—if you try hard enough.

But when Elias disappears, Annah's world crumbles. To her, life isn't worth much more than the walking dead who roam the wasted world she lives in. It's not until she meets Catcher that she cares to start living again.

Yet Catcher has secrets. Dark, terrifying secrets that link him to a past she's longed to forget and to a future too deadly to consider.

Annah must decide: Can she continue to live a world covered in the blood of the living?

Or is death the answer to all her problems?

Can I get a hell yeah? I cannot wait to see what the cover for this one looks like!

Die For Me (Revenants #1) by Amy Plum

Publication date: 8/11

No Cover Image Yet

DIE FOR ME (formerly entitled SLEEPWALKING) follows a 16-year-old who, after losing her parents, is cast off from her Brooklyn life to live with grandparents in Paris. There she meets, and falls for, a French teen named Vincent, who just happens to be a zombie. "[...] the series introduces a new kind of zombie mythology in which the undead are “re-animated humans”— they look just like us—and don't feast on brains but, instead, carry out special missions

Hmm...another zombie title I'm anxious to learn more about in the coming months.

Rot & Ruin by Jonathan Maberry

Publication date: 10/5/10

In the zombie-infested, post-apocalyptic America where Benny Imura lives,

every teenager must find a job by the time they turn fifteen or get their

rations cut in half. Benny doesn’t want to apprentice as a zombie hunter

with his boring older brother Tom, but he has no choice. He expects a

tedious job whacking zoms for cash—but what he gets is a vocation

that will teach him what it means to be human.

I got a copy an arc at BEA 2010 but I'd still like to get a finished copy.

The Reapers Are the Angels by Alden Bell

Publication date: 8/3/10

Zombies have infested a fallen America. A young girl named

Temple is on the run. Haunted by her past and pursued by a killer,

Temple is surrounded by death and danger, hoping to be set free.

For twenty-five years, civilization has survived in meager enclaves, guarded

against a plague of the dead. Temple wanders this blighted landscape,

keeping to herself and keeping her demons inside her heart.

She can't remember a time before the zombies, but she does

remember an old man who took her in and the younger

brother she cared for until the tragedy that set her on a personal

journey toward redemption. Moving back and forth between

the insulated remnants of society and the brutal frontier beyond,

Temple must decide where ultimately to make a home and

find the salvation she seeks.

Wozers this sound very exciting!

So did you like my WoW list? Are there any upcoming zombie titles that I missed?

Zombies Vs. Unicorns Week: Contest For Feed by Mira Grant

2010-06-22T10:08:00.003-04:00

When I was organizing my zombie bookshelf I realized that I had an extra copy of Feed by Mira I have decided to use it for my next Zombies Vs. Unicorn Week contest.

Feed by Mira Grant

Summary:

The year was 2014. We had cured cancer. We had beat the common cold. But in doing so we created something new, something terrible that no one could stop. The infection spread, virus blocks taking over bodies and minds with one, unstoppable command: FEED.

NOW, twenty years after the Rising, Georgia and Shaun Mason are on the trail of the biggest story of their lives-the dark conspiracy behind the infected. The truth will out, even if it kills them.

Sounds pretty cool huh?

The rules:

contest open to U.S. and Canada only
contest open until 6/28/10
no extra entries just leave a comment to enter
make sure I have your email address

Good luck!

Zombies Vs. Unicorns Week: A Very Zombie CSN Bookshelf.

2010-06-22T00:00:00.002-04:00

I was fortunate enough to have opportunity to review a really nifty bookshelf for CSN Furniture. I'm making this review a part of Zombie Vs. Unicorn Week because I put all of my zombie books on the new shelf.

The box is here! Yes, that is a cat pillow.

Getting my huge muscles ready for some heavy work.

I have zero assembly pictures because ~~I lost my camera~~ I was busy fighting off this zombie horde. While I was off fighting zombies, my brother put this shelf together and then mounted it to my wall. I have no clue how to put anything together anyway. My brother did said that the shelf was easy to assemble. I also managed to take out most of the zombie horde in the mean time.

Here she is! My zombie bookshelf. It looks great against my sky blue walls and holds a good amount of weight.

Review:

Rating- 5 Purrs

The 4D Hanging Shelf is really a great deal. For $34.99 you get a nice looking shelf that hold a good amount of weight. The only thing is that it is a pain in the butt to mount on the wall if you aren't crafty like me. Assembling the shelf was easy enough because it came with simple to understand instructions. I wouldn't recommend this shelf if you aren't crafty of don't have someone who is to help you mount it the the wall. Still, I absolutely love my new bookshelf! It is a space saver and it looks super cute.

If you'd like one for yourself you can find it here. It comes in Espresso, Maple, or (my color)Cherry. It took around a week for my shelf to arrive.

Contest For Zombies Vs. Unicorns

2010-06-21T14:03:00.004-04:00

Welcome to my first Zombie Vs. Unicorns Week contest! Up for grabs is one pre-ordered copy of Zombie Vs. Unicorns by Holly Black and company. I'm ordering this copy from Book Depo which means it is international! As long as Book Depo delivers to you, you can enter to win! The host of Team Unicorn and my nemesis April is also giving away a copy here, so you have two chances to win.

Rules:

International contest open until 6/27.
Must answer one question to enter
Must make sure your email address is available to me
I will have bonus point opportunities. These are NOT mandatory

The question you must answer:

Which bloggers brains would eat first if you turned into zombie and why?

Bonus point opportunities:

blog, sidebar, tweet about contest +2 each
being a follower of my blog +2
going to April's post and telling her why unicorns suck +2
+4 for posting about Zombie Vs. Unicorn week on your blog

The Turning by Helen Ellis

2010-06-21T12:07:00.005-04:00

The Turning by Helen Ellis

Publication date: 5/1/10, Sourcebooks Fire

FTC: received from publisher for review

Rating: 2 purrs

Summary from Goodreads:

Mary Richards is a normal sixteen-year-old girl living in Manhattan. Well, almost normal. She goes to private school on the Upper East Side, having been saved from a life of squalor by an adoptive family. But she’s also slowly transforming into a cat.

Struggling to hide her physical metamorphosis, Mary discovers that she isn’t alone. A whole race of cat people prowls the streets of Manhattan at night, including Mary’s long-time crush, Nick.

Aside from heightened feline senses, hanging out with Nick is the best thing about discovering her inner kitty. But Mary’s transformation is special and could decide the outcome of a citywide turf war. She must decide whether to embrace her powerful feline side and become a pack leader or go back to being a normal teenage girl. Can she land on her feet or will curiosity be her downfall?

Thoughts:

Could it really be that I Sharon, lover of all things feline, am giving a book about a girl who turns into a cat a low rating? There must be something wrong with this picture! That was my initial reaction. I thought perhaps I had been turned into a pod person, or been kidnapped by aliens. However,The Turning does deserve a very low rating.

The Turning had some major flaws. The biggest of all being that is was far too short and as a result felt extremely rushed. The Turning got off to a nice enough start. The first 25 pages or so were pretty darn good. I enjoyed being introduced into Mary's world. I loved reading about her parents and her adopted sister Olivia. Somewhere along the line the book just fell apart. I think that the turning point (no pun intended) came when Nick and Mary's romance came out of nowhere and smacked me in the head. One minute Nick and Mary hardly know each other and the next they are deeply in love. Nick was just such a flat character. I couldn't imagine anyone ever falling in love with him. Nicks only redeeming quality was, his Greek pot smoking relatives. They added some much needed humor to The Turning. Maybe Nick would have more of a personality if he spent more time puffing the magic dragon. Who knows...

The actual cat parts in The Turning were few and far between. I would have liked to see more from Mary as a cat. She only turns once in the book and it was fascinating to watch how her personality changed. I do think that the author did an excellent job nailing down cat behavior. I found all of the feline moments to be authentic. I just wish there had been more of those moments! More cats and less cheesy romance please.

One last beef that I had with The Turning was the ending. I got to the last page and was like, "Ok where is the rest of the book?!" The book basically just ends. That is it. Over. Done. Finished. No resolution or sense of finality. I hate it when a book ends like that. I am left feeling cheated. :(

Zombies Vs. Unicorns: It Is Obvious Who The Winner Is

2010-06-20T21:04:00.009-04:00

From the dawn of mankind, one central debate has swept the land --- what is more awesome? ZOMBIES VS UNICORNS, get your game face on.

In one corner, we have intelligent beings somehow related to Narwhals, with magic on their side. This being has the power of deception (think cute and deadly), but deep down beats the heart of a BAMF. That's right, we're talking unicorns.

Just barely in the other corner, we're having a hard time containing these guys, are the bloodlusting, contagious, and mindless hordes. Full of rage and a deep-seated hunger, a nation of their own, are the zombies. Just one bite and you are done.

I already know which team I'm on. I'm sensible enough to respect how evil and creepy zombies are. As far as I'm concerned, there is no contest. However some people like my friend April do not see the wisdom in this. Stop back here and on April's blog for the next six days for zombie and unicorn related posts and contests. In the mean time stop by April's blog and tell her why zombies rule and unicorns drool.

Thanks to the wonderful Nicole for making the Team Zombie Icons.

Which team ARE YOU ON?

The rundown:

Contest for Zombies Vs. Unicorns.

A Very Zombie Review of My CSN Bookshelf.

Contest for Feed by Mira Grant

Ebayers Gone Bad #3.

2010-06-20T20:38:00.002-04:00

Did you know that there are people selling advanced reading copies on Ebay, and that some of these arcs are selling for large sums of money? Are you wondering how you can help put a stop to all of this? Ebayers Gone Bad is a weekly blog feature exposing Ebayers who sells advanced reading copies on Ebay. This weeks featured Ebayer can be found here . This person has over 4,000 in ebay feedback. Most of which seem to come from the sale of arcs. At even only $5 abook that is $20,000 in profits from the sale of arcs!* O_O

How to report an item on Ebay:

Take a look at the right side bar on the item's page
Look under Other Item Info click the link that says report item
Choose Copyright and Counterfeit violations on the first menu
Next pick bootleg and counterfeit media
Next pick copies of unreleased media, etc
Click continue and type a sentence describing the issue. I usually write something like: this is a copy of an unreleased novel that is clearly marked Not For Resale

*Thanks to authors Andrew Jacobson and Andy Jay Epstein for bringing this one to my attention. Make sure to report the sale of their arc The Familiars. while you're there.

Fill out the Mr. Linky:

Nomansland by Lesley Hauge

2010-06-18T12:00:00.000-04:00

Nomansland by Lesley Hauge

Publication date: 6/22/10, Henry Holt and Co.

FTC: received from publishers for review

Rating: 3.5 purrs

Summary:

Sometime in the future, a lonely, windswept island is populated solely by women. Among these women is a group of teenaged
Trackers—expert equestrians and archers—whose job is to

protect their shores from the enemy. The enemy, they’ve been
told, is men. When these girls come upon a partially buried
home from the distant past, they are fascinated by the strange
objects—high-heeled shoes, teen magazines, make-up—found
there. What are they to make of these mysterious things? And
what does it mean for their strict society where friendship is

forbidden and rules must be obeyed—at all costs?

Thoughts:

Disclaimer: this more like a rant/review

Reading the summary for this book made me go, "Hell yeah! I am woman hear me roar!" I would definitely consider myself a feminist so the idea of an island filled only with women really had me excited! I love strong butt kicking women but really who doesn't?

There were quite a few kick-butt moments in NoMansland. However much like my review, the book was too darn short. If ever a book needs more pages it is NoMansland. Just when I started to get into the story it rather abruptly ended. I was left feeling like I never actually got to know Keller or any of the other characters. I caught a few glimpses here and there of Keller's personality, but I was never able to relate to her as a character.

NoMansland gets 3.5 mostly because the setting was so damn cool. It was fascinating to see how women managed a society (mostly) on their own. I don't want to give away any spoilers, so read the book to see what I mean by mostly on their own. I also greatly enjoyed reading about Keller and the other girls reacted to finding relics from the past. It was definitely interesting from a archeological prospective. It also made me wonder what people in the future will think of the objects I leave behind. When I'm dead and gone all that people will be able to judge me on are the objects that I owned. Will they be correct about of the assumptions they make about me? Fascinating stuff!

I know I found myself judging the girls when they started prancing around in high heels and makeup. Come to think of it, that actually annoyed me. I mean it was like the second they were introduced to some magazines they just reverted to those old female stereotype. One would think it would take more than a few magazines to undo years of conditioning. Okay now I'm starting to think this book deserves more like 3 stars. O_O But maybe that was the point? Have you read this book? What did you think of it? Did it annoy you when the girls became obsessed with the magazine and makeup? I'm thinking that the author was trying to make a point about how the modern media perpetrates gender stereotypes.

If only NoManland had been a little longer...I might have answers to some of the above questions. I'm not sure if this is going to be a series or not. I hope that it is because I want to see what is going to happen next. There needs to be more to this world than what was described in this one book. Heck, I'm about to go and write it myself. ;)

Spring Cleaning Contest #1: Grace by Elizabeth Scott

2010-06-10T12:04:00.000-04:00

I'm cleaning 0ff my bookshelves! I'm going to be posting a couple of contests like this for the next week or so. I plan on getting back to regularly updating my blog soon.

This contest is open internationally. The prize is an ARC of Grace by Elizabeth Scott.

Grace by Elizabeth Scott:

Grace was raised to be an Angel, a herald of death by suicide bomb. But she refuses to die for the cause, and now Grace is on the run, daring to dream of freedom. In search of a border she may never reach, she travels among malevolent soldiers on a decrepit train crawling through the desert. Accompanied by the mysterious Kerr, Grace struggles to be invisible, but the fear of discovery looms large as she recalls the history and events that delivered her uncertain fate.

Told in spare, powerful prose, this tale of a dystopian near future will haunt readers long after they've reached the final page.

Rules and how to enter:

1. you are not required to be a follower of my blog to enter, but it would be nice if you did anyway

2. Open worldwide until 6/24/10

3. Leave ONE comment to enter

4. Make sure I have a way to contact you via email

5. If you do not follow these rules your comment will not be approved.

Good luck!

Ebayers Gone Bad #2.

2010-06-06T10:56:00.002-04:00

Did you know that there are people selling advanced reading copies of on Ebay, and that some of these arcs are selling for large sums of money? Are you wondering how you can help put a stop to all of this? Ebayers Gone Bad is a weekly blog feature exposing Ebayers who sells advanced reading copies on Ebay. This weeks featured Ebayer can be found here. This person has several arcs in their inventory including a copy of Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare going for $51!

How to report an item on Ebay:

Take a look at the right side bar on the item's page
Look under Other Item Info click the link that says report item
Choose Copyright and Counterfeit violations on the first menu
Next pick bootleg and counterfeit media
Next pick copies of unreleased media, etc
Click continue and type a sentence describing the issue. I usually write something like: this is a copy of an unreleased novel that is clearly marked Not For Resale

Fill out the Mr. Linky:

Have you discovered someone else who is making profits from selling arcs on ebay? Leave the book title and a link to the auction in the Mr. Linky I have provided below. Let us all stick together to stop these people!

Winner of The CSN Cat Tree Is...

2010-06-01T19:51:00.001-04:00

BrittLit! I hope that your cat/cats enjoy it!

My Top Ten Tips For Verbally Bashing Another Blogger On Your Blog.

2010-06-01T17:07:00.004-04:00

Welcome to my how-to post for verbally whiplashing another blogger. I don't know what got you to this point and I do not care. I personally would never attack another blogger on my blog because I think it is tacky. However, some people do not feel this way.

Top Ten Tips For Verbally Bashing Another Blogger On Your Blog:

Name and link to the blogger you are bashing*. Not doing so will make you look like a coward especially if it is glaringly obvious whom you are talking about.
Don't worry about the facts!** Facts are for pussies.
If you can't come up with lies that are damaging enough take facts and twist them to meet your needs.*** Let's say for example that you are oh I dunno... accusing someone of selling arcs. Ignore the mathematics of the situation and BASH BASH BASH the blogger for making gobs of money. Just ignore the fact that none of these books can be packaged and shipped for only $2.75. Try your hardest to convince all your readers that this blogger is making millions of dollars from selling arcs.
Jump to conclusions with little to no evidence. This will convince your readers of how evil the blogger is and drive her/him nuts.
Forget about fact checking. I already told you to ignore to facts, so my now you should know that it is pointless to bother doing any fact checking.
Repeat the same accusations over and over again until people believe you.
Make wild accusations like, This Blogger is a flesh eating baby killer. No verbal lashing is complete without them.
If you still can't convince people try throwing around words like ridiculous and hypocrite. Everyone hates ridiculously hypocritical people!
Find a way to put the blogger on the same level as people who are doing much worse. For example, if they are sending arcs to people for $2.75 find a way to put them on the same level as someone selling an arc for $65. Once again, IGNORE THE MATHEMATICS! Chances are if you're reading this how-to post you aren't intelligent enough to do basic adding and subtracting anyway.
My last tip is to make sure that you use social media to get your verbal whiplashing post more exposer. Make sure to tweet and re-tweet about it so that the blogger and her followers will see it. ****

*Unless you prefer your verbally whiplashing to be passive aggressive in nature or want to say later "well at least I didn't name the person" because it makes you look better. In both cases you can make a point not to name the blogger while making it quite obvious who you are writing about.

** Hum Lies by Fleetwood Mac to get into the mood.

*** If you can't figure out how to do it watch Fox News for a while.

**** Don't forget about Facebook, Myspace, etc.

Help Stop Naughty Ebayers.

2010-05-30T17:50:00.006-04:00

Did you know that there are people selling advanced reading copies of not yet released books on ebay? And that some of these arcs are selling for large sums of money? Just this morning I caught this person trying to sell an arc of I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore for $65! The only way people like this are going to be stopped is if we all get together and report them to ebay. I'm decided to make this a weekly meme of sorts where I will list a particularly offensive ebayer for you all the report.

How to report an item on Ebay:

Take a look at the right side bar on the item's page
Look under Other Item Info click the link that says report item
Choose Copyright and Counterfeit violations on the first menu
Next pick bootleg and counterfeit media
Next pick copies of unreleased media, etc
Click continue and type a sentence describing the issue. I usually write something like: this is a copy of an unreleased novel that is clearly marked Not For Resale

Fill out the Mr. Linky:

A New Hair Style of BfreakingEA!

2010-05-24T09:45:00.004-04:00

The BEA is just two days away! I'm beyond excited right now. Today I have a trip to Strand Books set up at 3 p.m. The Teen Author Carnival is a 10 minute walk from Strand. More info about Teen Author Carnival can be found on this site. I'm insanely excited to be meeting some of you tonight! If any of you would like to come to my Strand trip just stop on by we are meeting out front. Anyhoo..about my new hairstyle. It was inspired by favorite show Fringe. One of the main characters Olivia went from blonde to brownish red. I loved how it looked on her and figured I'd give it a try since I have similar coloring.

Evil universe Olivia's hair:

My hair:

hmmm....I don't look nearly as bad ass. BUT I feel very tough and spunky! What out NYC evil Sharon is coming to town!

Contest: For The Win by Cory Doctorow. Open Worldwide!

2010-05-21T12:43:00.003-04:00

It has been quite some time since I've hosted a book contest on here! This one is for an arc of For the Win by Cory Doctorow. Open til June 5th, worldwide. Just fill out the form below to enter.

Summary: In the virtual future, you've got to organize to survive.

"At any hour of the day or night, millions of people around the globe are engrossed in multiplayer online games, questing and battling to win virtual gold, jewels, and precious artifacts. Meanwhile, others seek to exploit this vast shadow economy,
running electronic sweatshops in the world’s poorest countries, where countless “gold farmers,” bound to their work by abusive contracts and physical threats, harvest virtual treasure for their employers to sell to First World gamers who are willing to spend real money to skip straight to higher-level gameplay.
Mala is a brilliant 15-year-old from rural India whose leadership skills in virtual combat have earned her
the title of “General Robotwalla.”

In Shenzen, heart of China’s industrial boom, Matthew is defying his former bosses to build his own successful
gold-farming team. Leonard, who calls himself Wei-Dong, lives in Southern California, but spends his nights fighting virtual battles alongside his buddies in Asia, a world away. All
of these young people, and more, will become entangled with the
mysterious young woman called Big Sister Nor, who will use her experience, her knowledge of history, and her connections
with real-world organizers to build them into a movement that can challenge the status quo.
The ruthless forces arrayed against them are willing to use any means to protect their power—including blackmail, extortion, infiltration, violence, and even murder. To survive, Big Sister’s people must out-think the system. This will lead them to devise a plan to crash the economy of every virtual world at once—a Ponzi scheme combined with a brilliant hack that ends up being the biggest, funnest game of all."

~~~

From an interview with Cory Doctorow, "It’s a book, as you know, about union organizers who use video games to evade the restrictions on labor organizing in the developing world and special economic zones, and who organize gamers, gold-farmers, who then go on to unionize factory girls and so on. And it uses this conceit to explain some macroeconomic, cognitive economic, and behavioral economic ideas, in the same way that Little Brother used its conceit to explain cryptography, security, statistics, and risk."

Books For Sale.

2010-05-17T14:47:00.003-04:00

Note: this is a work progress. More books being added very soon.

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CSN Furniture: Review Opportunity AND A Contest!

2010-05-12T12:04:00.001-04:00

This week I was lucky enough to be contacted by Jason from CSN Furniture for a unique opportunity. I'm going to be review a CSN bookshelf here as well as hosting a contest for a really cool Cat Tree! However, before I get into all of that I would like to mention the CSN recessed lighting. Who knew that there was such a variety of lighting out there? I thought that the shower lights were especially neat because my bathroom is always so dark even with a light on. I ask that you guys take a look around the site before reading the rest of this post.

Anyhoo...on to my review item. I picked the 4D Concepts Hanging Corner Storage in Expresso:

I just love the shape of this shelf! I cannot wait to try it out. Check back here soon for review.

On to the contest...

One lucky U.S. or Canadian winner will win a nifty cat tree for their fur babies! Here is a picture of the cat tree I picked out:

Doesn't that look lovely?! This faux fleece cat tree retails for $70. I'm jealous of the cats that get to climb it.

How to enter:

visit the lighting website that I linked to at the beginning of this post
come back here and in a comment tell me which type of lighting or light you liked the most
you must do this in order for your entry to count!
you won't get any extra points for tweeting about this contest, but you will win by undying love.
leave a way for me to contact you via email

Good luck!

The Enemy by Charlie Higson

2010-05-12T11:56:00.000-04:00

The Enemy by Charlie Higson

Publication date: 5/18/2010, Hyperion

Rating: 4 purrs

FTC: purchased with my hard earned money

Summary from Goodreads:

They'll chase you. They'll rip you open. They'll feed on you...When the sickness came, every parent, policeman, politician - every adult - fell ill. The lucky ones died. The others are crazed, confused and hungry. Only children under fourteen remain, and they're fighting to survive. Now there are rumors of a safe place to hide. And so a gang of children begin their quest across London, where all through the city - down alleyways, in deserted houses, underground - the grown-ups lie in wait. But can they make it there - alive?

Thoughts:

Another young adult zombie series! I was so anxious to read The Enemy, that I bought a copy even though I knew I could get it at BEA. I just could not stand waiting two whole weeks to get my hands on a copy!

The Enemy reminded me of Michael Grant's Gone series. There is even a blurb from Mr. Grant on the back of the book. The similarities are both present in the plot and structure of The Enemy. Both books explore what happens when children can no longer rely on adults to protect and take care of them, use multiple viewpoints, and are written in the third person. For the most part I enjoyed The Enemy almost as much as the Gone books. The biggest issue I had The Enemy was that the multiple viewpoints were structured very sloppily at times. There were way too many changes in character point of view mid chapter and on a few occasions, mid sentence. I think that the problem was that there were just too many darn character introduced in this book. I would start to get used to a character only to have them die 7 pages later. I think that more time should have been spent developing the main characters instead of just creating new ones to kill off.

What of the zombies? The zombies were the best part of The Enemy. I loved how there were more than just one type of zombie. There were slow, fast, dumb, and smart zombies. There were even some non-human primate zombies. All of them were terrifying! Seriously, do not read this book at night.

One of the character high points was Little Sam. This poor little kid spends much of the book running from zombies wanting to eat him only to run into humans who want to do even worse. I also liked how the female character were NOT a bunch of weaklings. I particularly enjoyed reading about the antics of Whitney. Despite there being too many characters there were still enough stand out ones to keep me reading.

We don't get to learn much about what caused adult zombie outbreak in The Enemy. I've heard that this is the first part of a trilogy. I really look forward to getting more answers. What caused the zombie outbreak? Why did it only affect those over 16? Give me more answers please.

Claire De Lune by Christine Johnson

2010-05-05T00:00:00.005-04:00

Claire de Lune by Christine Johnson

Publication date: 5/18/10, Simon Pulse

FTC: received randomly from publisher

Rating: 4 purrs

Summary from Goodreads:

Torn between two destinies?

Claire is having the perfect sixteenth birthday. Her pool party is a big success, and gorgeous Matthew keeps chatting and flirting with her as if she's the only girl there. But that night, she discovers something that takes away all sense of normalcy: she's a werewolf.

As Claire is initiated into the pack of female werewolves, she must deal not only with her changing identity, but also with a rogue werewolf who is putting everyone she knows in danger. Claire's new life threatens her blossoming romance with Matthew, whose father is leading the werewolf hunt. Now burdened with a dark secret and pushing the boundaries of forbidden love, Claire is struggling to feel comfortable in either skin. With her lupine loyalty at odds with her human heart, she will make a choice that will change her forever.

Thoughts:

Claire De Lune is an enigma. I usually find it pretty easy to describe why I enjoyed (or hated) a book. The problem with Claire De Lune is that the mystery is extremely predictable. Normally books where you can see the twists and turns coming annoy the heck out of me. Clair De Lune did not annoy me and I'm not 100% sure why.

Werewolf novels seem to be all the rage now. I've read several other werewolf novels that I didn't enjoy. What I liked about the werewolves in Claire De Lune is that they are all female. I love books with strong female characters. Claire is a fearless main character who is not afraid to stick up herself, her family, and friends. It was very nice to see a group of female werewolves celebrating who they are instead of being helpless victims.

I liked the romance in this book. I'm very picky about romance in books. I don't like male characters who are too perfect or too mean. Mathew was a sweet guy without being a pushover. I was pleased to see the romance blooming between the two of them. I liked how Mathew wasn't afraid to stand up this father. The whole political conflict between Mathew and his father was another strong point of this book.

The only sore spot was the predictability factor. I had the killer pegged from very early on. Even though there is another character that acts suspiciously, it was obviously just meant to distract the reader. It didn't work for me.

I'm not sure if this is part of a series,but I'm guessing that it is. Since series' are also all the rage now. I wouldn't mind if it was. I would like to see other werewolf packs in the second book and more of the conflict between Mathew and his father. It would be fun to continue the story of Claire and her werewolf pack.

Check the of Claire De Lune trailer:

Spirit Bound Teaser #3

2010-05-04T11:52:00.002-04:00

The third Spirit Bound teaser is up. Gosh darn it. I want this book right now.

Crossing by Andrew Fukuda

2010-05-03T00:00:00.004-04:00

Crossing by Andrew Xia Fukuda

Publication date: 4/27/10, AmazonEncore

FTC: received from publishers for review

Rating: 4.5 purrs

Summary from Goodreads:

A loner in his all-white high school, Chinese-born Xing (pronounced “Shing”) is a wallflower longing for acceptance. His isolation is intensified by his increasingly awkward and undeniable crush on his only friend, the beautiful and brilliant Naomi Lee. Xing’s quiet adolescent existence is rattled when a series of disappearances rock his high school and fear ripples through the blue collar community in which he lives. Amidst the chaos surrounding him, only Xing, alone on the sidelines of life, takes notice of some peculiar sightings around town. He begins to investigate with the hope that if he can help put an end to the disappearances, he will finally win the acceptance for which he has longed. However, as Xing draws closer to unveiling the identity of the abductor, he senses a noose of suspicion tightening around his own neck. While Xing races to solve the mystery and clear his name, Crossing hurtles readers towards a chilling climax.

Thoughts:

The first three words that come to mind: Brilliant, magnificent, and awesome.

Crossing is a murder mystery that is more than just a murder mystery. Andrew exposes the prejudices that Asian Americans experience though his character Xing aka Kris. As a white American this is something that has been off my radar until now. Kris is the type of character that gets into your head and will not get out. This was a great thing because Kris is delightful and lovable. I laughed, I cried, I and cringed with Kris. I found myself both laughing and cringing at some of the treatment he received from his teachers. Kris became a real person to me. It take a really amazing writer to do something like that. Kudos to Andrew for developing such a rich character.

One of the my favorite aspects of Crossing was seeing how Kris interacted with the other characters. His relationship with Naomi was particularity fascinating as well as heart breaking. Naomi basically embodies everything that Kris strives for, but can never quite grasp. Naomi was the most normal sounding person in Crossing. This leads me to my one and only complaint: some of the characters behaved a little bit too weirdly. Especially the old lady sharing a house with Kris. She kept on asking Kris the oddest questions. What was up with her anyway?

To add another twist, Kris is not the most reliable of characters. This also might help to explain why some of the characters behaved oddly. The people around Kris start to behave in a way that just doesn't make sense. This left me wondering at the end whether Kris was telling the truth at all. Crossing is a truly fascinating and engaging read. You must read it yourself and tell me what you think. I simply adored this book. <3

I Am Not A Serial Killer and Mr. Monsters by Dan Wells

2010-05-01T00:00:00.001-04:00

I Am Not A Serial Killer and Mr Monster by Dan Wells

FTC: purchased on book depo site

Rating: 4 and 5 purrs

I Am Not A Serial Killer Summary:

The first book in a darkly comic new series from a debut author

John works in his family’s mortuary and has an obsession with serial killers. He wants to be a good person, but fears he is a sociopath, and for years he has suppressed his dark side through a strict system of rules designed to mimic 'normal' behavior.

Then a demon begins stalking his small town and killing people one by one, and John is forced to give in to his darker nature in order to save them. As he struggles to understand the demon and find a way to kill it, his own mind begins to unravel until he fears he may never regain control. Faced with the reality that he is, perhaps, more monstrous than the monster he is fighting, John must make a final stand against the horrors of both the demon and himself.

Mr. Monster Summary:

From the author of I AM NOT A SERIAL KILLER...John Wayne Cleaver has always known he has a dark side but he's fought hard to oppress it and live a normal life -- separating John from Mr Monster to survive. But after confronting and destroying the vicious killer that was terrorizing his town, his inner monster is getting stronger and harder to contain. And now more bodies are being discovered...With the police failing to catch Clayton County's second serial killer John is going to have to use his secret knowledge of the first demon-killer to trap the second...but will he be able to avoid suspicion falling on himself.

Thoughts:

This is an effing amazing series! This series is like my cocaine. I picked up the book and once I am started I cannot put it down until I am finished. I would sell my vcr or dvd player for the chance to read the third book. I am officially a Dan Wells crack head.

I picked up the series after reading Book Chick City's raving reviews and boy am I glad that I did! Once again she points me in the direction of an amazing book. Thank you!

What makes this series so amazing is Dan Wells's ability to get you into the mind of the young sociopath John Cleaver. John is such a fascinating character. Reading about his battles with his violent tendencies and seeing how he deals with them is simply fascinating. I don't think I have ever read a series quite like this one. There are so many things to not like about John. He spends most of book two fantasizing about killing and embalming his young and cute female neighbor. But there is another side to John that wants to help and not hurt people. The constant conflict between Johns two sides is what makes him such an endearing and realistic character.

Another thing that I love about this series is John's family. I adore his mother and it is always interesting to see how she reacts to Johns violent personality. Book two also involves a story with his sister Lauren. I hope to see more of her in book three.

I have also learned more about embalming from reading this series then I ever needed to know. There was a lot of this in the first book and it might be off putting to some.

One last thing I can't leave out in this review are the mysteries that John gets involved in. When I read the first book I wasn't expecting any supernatural aspects. The book could have gone done hill from there but somehow Dan Wells avoid the whole cheesy paranormal stereotype. The mysteries that John becomes involved in are a real page turner. I don't want to give too much away about what type of villains John fights (aside from his own) needless to say they are even creepier than normal serial killers. Think Ted Bundy with paranormal powers. Scared yet?

P.S. Dan Wells with be signing I Am Not a Serial Killer at BEA. I expect anyone hanging out with me that day to attend.

The Tension of Opposites by Kristina McBride.

2010-04-30T00:00:00.001-04:00

The Tension of Opposites by Kristina McBride

Publication date: 5/25/2010, Egmont

FTC: reviewed for Traveling ARC Tours

Rating: 3 purrs.

Summary from Goodreads:

It’s been two years since Noelle disappeared. Two years since her bike was discovered, sprawled on a sidewalk. Two years of silence, of worry, of fear.

For those two long years, her best friend Tessa has waited, living her own life in a state of suspended animation. Because how can she allow herself to enjoy a normal high school life if Noelle can’t? How dare she have other friends, go to dances, date boys, without knowing what happened to the girl she thought she would share everything with?

And then one day, someone calls Noelle’s house. She’s alive.

A haunting psychological thriller taken straight from the headlines, The Tension of Opposites is a striking debut that explores the emotional aftermath of a kidnapping on the victim, and on the people she left behind.

Thoughts:

Hmmm...there was just something missing from this book. I've been running through it in my head ever since I finished it but I still cannot point out what it is. The one issue that I can think is with the character of Noelle. I thought she was a mean and nasty bitch so I had a very difficult time feeling sorry for her. I know that her character went through a lot but I just UGH wanted to punch her sometimes. I know that sounds totally mean to say about a kidnapping victim but, she was so annoying at times!

I also thought the characters were somewhat one dimensional. This was supposed to be an emotional read but I never could relate to what any of the characters were feeling. Tessa's feelings were described in detail, but they were never experience by me.

I gave Tension of Opposite three purrs because I thought the topic was kind of cool. It reminded me of a true to life story that you would see on an episode of Law and Order. I also liked the idea of the kidnapping being shown through the point of view of the victims best friend. This reminded me a tad bit of Hate List by Jennifer Brown. I really enjoy reading books with a unique point of view.

Even though The Tension of Opposite was a meh read for me I think that a lot of other people will probably enjoy it. I'm just insanely picky! Feel free to ignore this review and go read the book anyway.

Vampire Academy Spirit Bound Teaser #2.

2010-04-29T16:31:00.002-04:00

Click here to see the first video.

White Cat by Holly Black

2010-04-29T00:00:00.000-04:00

White Cat by Holly Black

Release date: 5/4/10, Margaret K. McElderry
My rating: 1 purr

I've been pondering how to write this review without sounding meaning. Unfortunately, I've come to the conclusion that that is an impossible feat. The only reason White Cat even gets one star is because of the amazing cover and because the first 20 pages of the book were okay.

White Cat starts off promisingly enough with the main character Cassel (awesome name) wakes up on a rooftop after sleeping walking. This is as exciting as White Cat will ever get. Don't expect things to get more interesting everything eventually goes to the town of predictabilityville. In this boring town you can see plot twists coming a mile away and meet people that bore you to tears. In predictabilityville you skip whole paragraphs and find yourself wanting to toss a book at the wall. This is not a very nice place to visit and White Cat stays in it for over 300 pages. It left me with a giant headache and the need to ride on a roller coaster, or jump out a window just so that I could feel alive again.

The characters were boring but extremely unlikable. I hated everyone in this book including the cat. I don't think I have ever read a book in which I hated a feline character. The whole mafia family with powers thing was a lot less interesting than it should have been. I thought that the whole concept was really cool but lost in the town of predictabilityville. With this plot you would think that the book would be fascinating but there was just something missing. A huge something IMHO. Skip this one. Keep your sanity.

View all my reviews >>

Undead Much by Stacey Jay

2010-04-28T12:10:00.001-04:00

Undead Much by Stacey Jay

Publication date: 1/21/10, Razorbill

FTC: received from publishers for review

Rating: 3 purrs

Summary:

Even Zombie Settlers with Super Hot Boyfriends get the Blues...

A few months ago I was a normal girl with a normal life. But that was before my power to Settle the Undead returned and someone tried to kill me with zombies.

Now I work magic and practice kicking butt while trying to find time for pom squad and my boyfriend, Ethan, and trying NOT to think about how freaky my life has become. It can be tough. Still…things could be worse…

Oh yeah, right:
1. Feral new super-strong zombies. Check.
2. Undead psychic hottie predicting a zombie apocolypse. Check.
3. Earth-shattering secrets that could land me in Settler prison for life. Check.
4. Cheerleader vs. pom squad turf war threatening the end of the half time as we know it. Check.

I’m going to need therapy (and a cookie) if I live through the week. Unfortunately I’m learning that’s not something Zombie Queens can take for granted.

Thoughts:

ARGH!!!! Damn it anyhow. I really wanted to love Undead Much as much as the first book. Undead Much did not have the same exciting pace as book one. Things moved so slowly in Undead Much, that I often found myself getting bored. It took for too long for the suspense to build up. I found myself putting the book down quite a bit.

I also found myself getting very annoyed with Megan. She keeps whining about how evil Monica is even when she is going out of her way to be nice. I did like the introduction of the new male character. It adds a lot of conflict to her relationship with Ethan.

The zombies were creepy and exciting as always, but we pretty much have the same villian again. I wanted to see something different this time around. A new plot line doesn't develop until close to the end of the book. You can tell that the next book is going to follow a very different path and I'm anxious to see where the story goes. Even though I had some issue with Undead Much I am glad that I read it. I will definitely be reading book three to see where the story goes. More zombies and less Megan whining about Monica please.

View all my reviews >>

Waiting on Wednesday: Dear Sparkle

2010-04-28T00:00:00.001-04:00

Waiting on Wednesday for April 28th 2010.

Dear Sparkle Cat-to-cat advice from the world's foremost feline columnist

Publication date: 8/18/10, Adams Media

Summary:

'Our pet sitter smells weird. Is there any way to make her less stinky?'. 'My humans like to sleep when it's obviously the best time to play! Have any ideas for how to wake them up?'. Now cats everywhere can get solutions to their most pressing problems - straight from the mouth of a pointed puss! Featuring 70 Q&As, 'Sparkle Says' sidebars, and full-color photos throughout, "Dear Sparkle" is definitely not your usual human-written cat book. Sparkle the Cat gets what troubles her furry friends and offers insight laced with tough love. Whether it's a confused kitty who doesn't understand why he's supposed to stay off the couch, a cat who's furious because the new puppy ate his catnip stash, or a freaked-out feral who wants to return to the wild, Sparkle has the sage - and often hilarious - answer for their woes.

Thoughts:

Do I even need to say why I want to read this? First of all, I reviewed Sparkle Cat's first book. Secondly, this is a book written by a cat. I might love books and zombies, but cats are my number one love. I'm really looking forward to reading this one and having my cats do a guest review again. Though I might try hiding the book from this time. They both became rather frisky after reading the first book.

Living Hell by Catherine Jinks

2010-04-27T00:00:00.000-04:00

Living Hell by Catherine Jinks
Publication date: 4/12/2010, Harcourt Children's Book
FTC: recieved from publishers for review
Rating:3.5 purrs
Summary from Goodreads:

A gripping, sci-fi thriller about a spaceship which transforms into a living organism after flying through a radiation field, and then begins to turn on the human crew as if they are parasites.

Sixteen-year-old Cheney has been enjoying a perfectly planned life aboard the ark ship Plexus with his friends and family. But when the ship passes through a mysterious energy stream, his peaceful world is changed forever. Suddenly, he's in the middle of an all-out war.

Thoughts:

Living Hell was a suspenseful and thrilling book. The doom and gloom of the situation hits you from the first page and doesn't let up until the end. Everything starts off pleasant enough at a birthday party but quickly deteriorates when some sort of life form takes over the spaceship.

I did have a few issues with Living Hell. I found a lot of the science to be extremely confusing. I went to college where I took biology and I was still confused. I worry that a younger audience will have an even harder time getting into Living Hell. I have read adult science fiction novels that have less confusing scientific aspects. That being said, I did find the parts that I did understand to be rather interesting. This book reminded me a little bit of the old movie Fantastic Voyage where a group of people travel inside a human body. I thought that was just plain cool! Who wouldn't want to travel in a living organism and fight off white blood cells? I liked how things on the ship like transportation vehicles turned into killer white blood cells. I know it sounds sort of cheesy but when you are reading it, it is very scary! Almost a little too scary and graphic for a young adult novel. There were several parts that made me flinch and go ewwww.

I also thought that the characters could have used some more developed. The secondary characters in particular were a bit flat. A lot of time is spent building up the suspense and in the end the characters neglected. I probably would have added another 50 pages or so to this book.

Despite my issues I thought that Living Hell was well worth the time it took me to read it. I was particularity pleased with the ending. It was a nice change to read a book that ends without a any cliffhangers. Stand alone books ftw!

Question time: have you read any good stand alone books lately?

Vampire Academy Spirit Bound Teaser #1.

2010-04-26T13:04:00.002-04:00

The next Vampire Academy book Spirit Bound is coming out on May 18th. A new teaser trailer for the book will be released from Penguin Australia every three days until the release day. I am a huge VA fan and I must admit that watching this video made me drool just a little bit. Come back in a few days for part 2.

Are you going to BEA?

2010-04-26T11:35:00.002-04:00

I basically stole this idea from Chick Loves Lit who did a post to see who wants to hang out during BEA. I'm super excited about BEA and I want to meet as many awesome bloggers as possible*. It helps to exchange cell digits so that we can make plans. I have unlimited texting, so that is generally my preferred red method of communication. I will answer if you call though (Yan) . OH! That reminds me can you guys please nag Yan about going to BEA? You can also nag her on twitter: @ylin0621. Thanks!

*please don't fill out the form if you are a freaky pervert or a crazy person.

Just fill out my little form down below. Thanks to CLL with this nifty idea! :D

At The Weird BEA

2010-04-21T18:50:00.009-04:00

You can find my first BEA post titled At The Zombie BEA here. For a complete list of BEA titles click here. I just realized that some of you might not know what BEA is. Check out the official Book Expo America 2010 site for more info.

In my previous post, I discussed the different zombie books being featured at the 2010 BEA. This time around I'm going to showcase the most biz bizarre book titles listed on the site.

15 Ways to ZAP a Bully! by Jackie Humans. Am I the only one who finds this title a bit creepy? Is the author going to literally teach kids how to electrocute bullies? Come to think of it, that would be pretty darn cool! Maybe she even has a recipe for spray that kills bullies kind of like a Raid for mean kids.
A Jew Grows in Brooklyn by Jake Ehrenriech. I wonder if he knows about the tree. O_O
Baking With Friends by Pamela Atherton and Coleen McIntyre. A harmless enough titles on its own, but imagine if the authors shared a booth with my next pick...
Marijuana Grow Basics by Jorge Cervantes. I don't even know where to start making fun of this one. Coming to BEA 2111: How to Break and Enter Without Getting Caught and How To Effectively Manage Your Hookers.
Blows to the Head by Binne Klein. OUCH!
Children Make Terrible Pets by Peter Brown. Which is why I keep cats.
Crazy Sexy Diet by Kris Carr. WOOT! Totally sounds like my kind of eating plan. Maybe I can read it once I'm done eating my pot brownies made from home grown weed.
Even Monsters Need Haircuts by Matt McElligot. I have heard that Supercuts has great specials for monsters.
Girl Parts by John Cusick. I would love to see the summary for this one
Goodbye Wives and Daughters by Susan Kushner Resnick. A story about a man who lost his family, or a how-to manual for serial killers?
Half Baked by Alexa Stevenson. She is next door neighbors with the pot author.
I Wasn't a Hippie by Matthew Stern. But I'm totally standing on the pot growing book line.
Mr. Groundhog Wants The Day Off by Olga Levistkiy. Well shit now winter will last forever and my weed will never grow! Dooodde that is like so unfair!
Naked Fitness by Andrea Metcalf. If I see anyone at my gym reading this I am going to run, or stop and take pics for twitter.
Peep Show by Joshua Braff. bamchicawowow! hubba hubba wink wink
Psychic Slyvia Browne. Well you already know what this book is about then.
Sex 4 Grownups: Sex After 50 by Dr. Dorree Lynn. I am so totally staying away from this line.
Sleep Tight: Help Your Child Attain A Good Night's Sleep in 3 Days by Suzy Martyn. Include a free sample of cough syrup.
Stop Effing Yourself by Sean Kenniff. Because you will go blind and to hell.

Chat with D.J. MacHale Tonight!

2010-04-20T12:52:00.004-04:00

D.J. MacHale author of The Light is hosting a chat tonight at 6 p.m. eastern time. Look below the book trailer for more info. This book looks so cool. I am REALLY looking forward to starting it!

Not able to meet D. J. MacHale while he’s on tour?
Not to worry! You can still ask him all your questions about Morpheus Road on publication day!

Here’s how to do it:
Go to: http://www.ustream.tv/simonandschuster

Login on the right side via Twitter or Facebook to post questions for me.

D. J. will be answering the questions LIVE on pub day, 4/20 at 6:00 PM Eastern time, and you can watch it there then!

At The Zombie BEA

2010-04-13T19:41:00.007-04:00

I'm taking another break from my blog vacation today. This was totally worth crawling out of my hole.

The Book Expo America author signing list is up and filled with a ton of zombie goodness! I'm nicknaming this BEA Zombie 2010 due to the frequency of zombie book signings this year. Take that team unicorn!

The Team Zombie tiles:

28 Days Later: London Calling by Michael Alan Nelson, Declan Shalvey, Tim Bradstreet. One of my favorite zombie movies of all time. This is a first in a graphic novel series based on the film.
Patient Zero and Rot&Ruin by Jonathan Maberry. I am insanely excited about meeting Jonathan. Rot&Ruin in a new ya zombie series I've been anxious to read it ever since I heard about it a while back.
The Zombie Chasers by John Kloepfer. This is a new tween zombie series. Look kind of cute which is unusual in a zombie novel.
The Zombie Combat Manual by Roger Ma. This one looks like a lot of fun. As of now I couldn't fight my way out of a paper bag.
Zombie vs. Unicorns by Holly Back and company. !!!!!! If I need to tell you about this book you must have been living in a cave. I'm going to squee and shout and squee some more when I get this one.

Team Unicorn members, you only get one book this year Ascendant by Diana Peterfreund. Team Zombie FTW!

Coming soon... At The YA BEA, At The weird BEA, and At The BEA: Tips and Tricks.

My thoughts on The Top 100 YA List.

2010-04-12T11:02:00.002-04:00

I'm taking a very brief break from my blogcation because I just had to write something about April's Top YA List. Here is the entire list with my commentary:

100. Hate List by Jennifer Brown- should be in top 20
99. Abhorsen Trilogy by Garth Nix-never read 99-93
98. A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly
97. Among The Hidden by Margaret Peterson Haddix
96. Bllood and Chocolate by Annette Curtis Claus
95. Forever by Judy Blume
94. The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale
93. Tithe by Holly Black
92. Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott- belongs closer to the front
91. Wings by Aprillynne Pike- WTF O_O *stab stab*
90. An Abundance of Katherines by John Green- never read 90-76
89. Angus, Thongs And Full Frontal Snogging by Louise Rennison
88. Marked by PC And Kristin Cast
87. Maximum Ride series by James Patterson
86. The Perks of Being A Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
85. 13 Little Blue Envelopes by Maureen Johnson
84. I Am The Messenger by Markus Zusak
83. Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli
82. The Mediator series by Meg Cabot
81. The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen
80. Elsewhere by Gabrielle Zevin
79. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
78. Along For The Ride by Sarah Dessen
77. Evernight by Claudia Gray
76. If I Stay by Gayle Foreman
75. Life As We Knew It series by Susan Beth Pfeffer- meh a little too tame for my tastes
74. Wondrous Strange by Lesley Livingston- I hardly even remember anything about this bok
73. The Iron King by Julie Kagawa- woot! loved this book.
72. Alana: The First Adventure series by Tamora Pierce- never read 72-68
71. Stardust by Neil Gaiman
70. Unwind by Neil Shusterman
69. Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech
68. Paper Towns by John Green
67. Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles- loved this one!
66. A Tree Grows In Brooklyn by Betty Smith-never read it don't want to
65. Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli- just got this one from pbs. Cannot wait to read it!
64. The Curious Incident Of The Dog In The Night Time by Mark Haddon- never read 64-63
63. The Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell
62. Blue Bloods series by Melissa De La Cruz- BLAH!
61. Go Ask Alice by Anonymous- haven't read this one since middle school.
60. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian by Sherman Alexie- never read 60-55
59. Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt
58. Just Listen by Sarah Dessen
57. Eragon by Christopher Paoloni
56. Morganville Vampires series by Rachel Caine
55. The Vampire Diaries by LJ Smith
54. Fallen by Lauren Kate- ZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
53. The Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett- never read 53-49
52. The Princess Diaries series by Meg Cabot
51. Inkheart series by Cornelia Funke
50. Number The Stars by Lois Lowry
49. Lord Of The Flies by William Golding
48. The Maze Runner by James Dashner-Chilling book cannot wait for book 2!
47. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants series by Ann Brashares- never read and zero interest
46. Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver- how in the hell is this #46!
45. The Summoning series by Kelley Armstrong-enjoyed the first book but hardly deserving of this list.
44. Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher- ugh! I hated the girl in this book. I was kind of glad that she was dead.
43. Wintergirls by Laurie Halse Anderson- never read it and not really interested
42. Ender's Game series by Orson Scott Card- Loved the first book
41. Howl's Moving Castle by Diana Wynne Jones- never read it
40. Wake series by Lisa McMann- mehhhhh
39. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman- haven't read 39-37
38. Are You There Good? It's Me Margaret by Judy Blume
37. Looking For Alaska by John Green
36. The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett-the book that made me fall in love with reading it number 36 on this list. How depressing!
35. A Great And Terrible Beauty series by Libba Bray- another own and to-read series.
34. His Dark Materials trilogy by Phillip Pullman- never read it but the movie was crappy.
33. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte- another classic I have never read
32. Romeo And Juliet by William Shakespeare-I do not like Shakespeare.
31. The Dark Divine by Bree Despain- I got bored with this one and have yet to finish it.
30. Wicked Lovely series by Melissa Marr-another series that I own and have yet to read
29. Forest of Hands And Teeth by Carrie Ryan- Woot! One of my favorite zombie books. Chilling!
28. Holes by Louis Sacher- never read it but the movie was stupid

27. The Outsiders by SE Hinton- Another book that I hated in school
26. The Catcher In The Rye by JD Salinger-OH my god! Why is this book behind Hush, Hush, Shiver, etc?
25. The Princess Bride by William Goldman-ummm wtf is this about?
24. Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson- I'm not a fan of Laurie's writing style.
23. The Diary of Anne Frank by Anne Frank-another book that I hate when forced to read it. I know it is totally not pc to say you hate this book, but I don't care.
22.Uglies series by Scott Westerfield-Liked the first but book hardly the best ya dystopian series out.
21. Beautiful Creatures by Margaret Stohl and Kami Garcia- errr I demand a recount!
20. Poison Study series by Maria V. Snyder- Loved the first book and never finished the second because it bored me
19. Book Thief by Markus Zusak- This book scares me because the cover is creepy and it looks kind of dull.
18. Ella Enchanted by Gail Carlson Levine- HUH? WTF is this book?!
17. Vampire Academy series by Richelle Mead- <3>
16. Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick- OH GOD KILL ME NOW!
15. Little Women by Louisa May Alcott- I HATED this book when I was forced to read it in school.
14. Anne of Green Gables series by LM Montgomery- Meh I have no interest in this series.
13. The Giver by Lois Lowry- Why the hell isn't this in the top 5? How can anyone think that Shiver and Twilight are better than The Giver?
12. The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare- I have them all sitting on my shelf but I have yet to read them because they are so damn long.
11. Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater- O_O no comment
10. Chronicles of Narnia by CS Lewis- AWESOME BOOK.
9. A Wrinkle In Time series by Madeline L'engle- I've been meaning to read this one forever.
8. Graceling series by Kristin Cashore- Yay! But this needs to be number 3.
7. Percy Jackson And The Olympians by Rick Riordan- I have yet to read number 7-4
6. Nick And Norah's Infinite Playlist by Rachel Cohn and David Levithan
5. Pride And Prejudice by Jane Austen
4. To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee
3. Twilight series by Stephanie Meyer- OH GOD! My eyes betray me! How in the hell did this series make the third spot? This makes me want to open up my window and leap out to my death. I couldn't make it past page 68 of the first book.
2. Harry Potter series by JK Rowling- Don't kill me for this but I am NOT a Harry Potter fan. I just think that this series is very overrated.
1. The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins- really?! I thought that it was a fun book, but hardly great ya literature.

Final thoughts: I have vastly different taste in books than most of the people who voted for this list, or I'm just a huge oddball. You decide!

Taking a break

2010-04-07T19:42:00.004-04:00

Hello! I'm on a blogcation until the beginning of May. There are a lot of reasons for this. I'll still be around on twitter and facebook though. Everyone enjoy your April and I'll *see* you next month!

I will also be working more on Traveling ARC Tours (see the button on my left sidebar) and the dystopian blog.

Sharon Loves Books and Cats

Mailbox Monday

Waiting on Wednesday: Redshirts by John Scalzi

Review: Cinder by Marissa Meyer

Mailbox Monday

Review: Bittersweet by Sarah Ockler

Top Ten Tuesday: Books I'm Excited to Read in 2012.

Review: The Girl in the Steel Corset by Kady Cross

Get Steampunked! 2012 Challenge

Challenge Levels

Extra Challenges

Top Ten Tuesday x 2.

Standalone Reading Challenge 2012

Top Ten Tuesday

Review: The Unit by Ninni Holmqvist

hmmmm...

Review: Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

2012 Dystopian Reading Challenge

2012 Debut Author Challenge

New blog

Hello Dear Blog

The Scorch Trials Is Going To Kill Me.

I'm Back And An Explanation.

I AM still alive.

Waiting on Wednesday: You Killed Wesley Payne

Halo by Alexandra Adornetto

Zombies Vs. Unicorns: We Need A New Enemy

Contest Winners

Zombies Vs. Unicorns: It Is Obvious Who The Winner Is

*Gasp* A Cat Burglar

Zombies Vs. Unicorns Week: Guest Post From

Zombies Vs. Unicorns Week: Waiting on Wednesday

Zombies Vs. Unicorns Week: Contest For Feed by Mira Grant

Zombies Vs. Unicorns Week: A Very Zombie CSN Bookshelf.

Contest For Zombies Vs. Unicorns

The Turning by Helen Ellis

Zombies Vs. Unicorns: It Is Obvious Who The Winner Is

Ebayers Gone Bad #3.

Nomansland by Lesley Hauge

Spring Cleaning Contest #1: Grace by Elizabeth Scott

Ebayers Gone Bad #2.

Winner of The CSN Cat Tree Is...

My Top Ten Tips For Verbally Bashing Another Blogger On Your Blog.

Help Stop Naughty Ebayers.

A New Hair Style of BfreakingEA!

Contest: For The Win by Cory Doctorow. Open Worldwide!

Books For Sale.

CSN Furniture: Review Opportunity AND A Contest!

The Enemy by Charlie Higson

Claire De Lune by Christine Johnson

Spirit Bound Teaser #3

Crossing by Andrew Fukuda

I Am Not A Serial Killer and Mr. Monsters by Dan Wells

The Tension of Opposites by Kristina McBride.

Vampire Academy Spirit Bound Teaser #2.

White Cat by Holly Black

Undead Much by Stacey Jay

Waiting on Wednesday: Dear Sparkle

Living Hell by Catherine Jinks

Vampire Academy Spirit Bound Teaser #1.

Are you going to BEA?

At The Weird BEA

Chat with D.J. MacHale Tonight!

At The Zombie BEA

My thoughts on The Top 100 YA List.

Taking a break

Gasp A Cat Burglar