"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine that spotlights upcoming
releases that we're eagerly anticipating. This week's book that I am eagerly anticipating is...
Poison Princess (The Arcana Chronicles, #1)
by Kresley Cole
Expected Publication: October 2, 2012 Published by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Synopsis:
Sixteen-year-old Evie Greene thought her horrific apocalyptic hallucinations were a sign that she was slowly losing her mind. But when her visions come true, decimating the world around her and killing everyone she loves, Evie is forced to accept that she was seeing the future. Fighting for her life and desperate for answers, she turns to wrong-side-of-the-bayou classmate, the gorgeous and dangerous Jackson Deveaux for help. As Jackson and Evie race to find the source of her visions, they meet others who have got the same call and discover that Evie is not the only one with special powers. An ancient prophesy is being played out, and as the battle between good and evil intensifies, it is not always clear who is on which side… -from Goodreads
What the author has to say:"I couldn't get this idea out of my head, kept imagining what would happen if the 22 Major Arcana cards of a Tarot deck—like the Magician, Death, or the Empress—were real kids. I envisioned them with special abilities based on the characteristics of their Tarot card and plotted out how they would use those powers to battle other cards. I'm delighted to have the chance to develop a new mythology around the Arcana."-- Kresley Cole
It is that time of week again! You guessed it -Tell Me Something Tuesday; a weekly meme hosted by the fabulous author of the
Heven and Hell series, Cambria Hebert. If you would like to participate, visit
her blog and grab next week's
question and add your link. This week's question:
Let’s talk TV! What are your favorite shows?
Lately I have been very picky about what I watch. I have a limited amount of free time and I just can't add another show that I have to follow. I have a (very) guilty addiction to a few reality shows: Dance Moms, Jerseylicious, Big Rich Texas...But, I will not move my schedule around for them so I catch them On Demand. On the other hand, I have a few shows that my life revolves around. I am giving you my top five shows that are currently on TV. If I were to give my all-time list Buffy the Vampire Slayer would be #1! I will keep my list to my top 5 current shows for this question.
1. True Blood - I absolutely am addicted to this show. I hate that you only get 10 episodes a year. I have a major crush on Eric Northman and had him as a screen saver on my phone for a while. This last Sunday was the premier of the new season and I was left breathless! One question though, why won't Tara die already?!
2. Game of Thrones - Daenerys Targaryen has got to be one of the best strong female characters I have ever seen. And don't even get me started on the DRAGONS!! The season just ended and now I have to wait a whole year - boo.
3. Pretty Little Liars - Oh teenage drama, how do I love thee? Every episode is exciting and full of angst, sex, lies, and murder. I couldn't ask for more, except maybe...Who the heck is the real A? And how many of them are there?
4. Vampire Diaries - Team Damon! I am so sick of brooding, sensitive vampires and Damon is the cure. There are always new plot twists and turns so it never gets boring. The only downside is that when I miss an episode I have no idea what is happening. So to remedy that, I buy the seasons on DVD and watch them over and over.
5. The Big Bang Theory - Penny, Penny, Penny! My husband and I just found this show. I know it has been on for five seasons now, but we never watched an episode. Now, we speak Sheldonian and have a show we can actually watch together. And if I ask nice enough, I will even get him to sing me Soft Kitty.
And...the show that I am looking forward to that will probably make my husband's eyes roll back into his head is: Bunheads. The first episode that aired last night was promising and since I loved Gilmore Girls and Center Stage it will probably be a favorite soon.
Can you guess what 4/5 of my favorite shows have in common? You guessed it, they were all books first. I read Vampire Diaries when I was in middle school - almost 20 years ago! That just goes to show that good books are timeless and never go out of style. Did any of your picks start out as a book?
Vampire Kisses #9by Ellen Schreiber
Published by: Katherine Tegen Books
Publication Date: May 15, 2012
Formats Available: Hardcover, eBook
~260 pages
Synopsis: Athena "Stormy" Sterling is coming to Dullsville, and Raven is both excited and panicked in anticipation of Alexander's little sister's visit. Alexander tells Raven that she and his sister have a lot in common, but can the mini-Raven be everything she hopes for? Alexander calls her Stormy for a reason. Stormy's visit stirs up the perfect immortal whirlwind. Raven is forced to take a good look at what it would really mean to be a vampire in the Sterling family, aside from some of the things she already loves, like shunning the sun and sleeping in a coffin with Alexander. When Raven compares her life with Stormy's, she can see that it's not all starry skies and black roses. But Raven knows she's always wanted to be a vampire. Alexander is as romantic and dreamy as ever, and though he keeps showing Raven how much he loves her, will she ultimately be able to convince him that it's the right thing to turn her? This final chapter of Vampire Kisses' nocturnal romance will keep all mortal and immortal hearts racing. -fromGoodreads
The Cover: I have to say that even though this is a beautiful cover it isn’t how I picture Raven. The last few covers, well actually all the revamped covers, have been so similar and have been following the trend of pale, ethereal girls which I admit I usually fall for. I personally have a fondness for the original covers where you see a Goth girl meandering through a row of headstones or holding a lace parasol, not a girl with half her face cut off.
My Thoughts: I am sad that this is the final novel in the Vampire Kisses series. I picked up the first one on a whim while I was browsing Barnes and Noble. I have always felt a kinship to Raven and have been called macabre myself more times than I can count. I loved the fact that she was an odd duck in the center of a conformist town and refused to change for anyone.
I would label the series as lower young adult, maybe even middle grade. The writing isn’t very mature and the vocabulary is geared towards a younger audience. There are abundant clichés that are used to describe the vampires: the sexy broody one, the sexy-but-evil one, the Goth one, the pixy-like one etc…
The entire series spans one year’s time in Dullsville. Immortal Hearts begins just before Halloween and everyone is excited about the Haunted House that Jagger has organized for The Crypt. Alexander’s younger sister Stormy is visiting from Romania and Raven wants to make a good impression. I like Stormy, she acts just like a tween and has the mood swings and braces to boot. Actually, she reminds me a lot of my 12 year old cousin. And, gasp, she has a crush on Raven’s younger brother Billy. Stormy even goes as far as choosing a Princess Leia costume to go trick-or-treating in and coincidentally Billy dresses as Luke Skywalker. Yup, really. That aside, Billy is a good kid and Raven finally starts to fully realize what a cool little brother she has.
The focus of Immortal Hearts is, and what has always been in the series, Raven’s dream of being turned into a Vampire. Although in this book now it is no longer good enough to just be a vampire, she wants to be turned by Alexander. The pressure and manipulation tactics she uses to try and sway him were a little much, especially considering that by turning her and performing the Covenant Ceremony he is essentially marrying her. And unlike other (sparkly) vampires we know, Alexander has not been 17 for a hundred years; he really is just a teenager.
The only real conflict is the semi-redundant storyline of Jagger and Luna’s evil plots. This time, their big plan was to get Raven to agree to be turned by Jagger. We get it, they are bad. The only other thing that could have been played up was that Billy was finally beginning to figure out why the Sterlings were different. This could have turned the plot in the story, but it just fizzled. I think I will miss Trevor the most, though. He is the epitome of the boy you love to hate, but you can’t help but feel sorry for him. Unlike Jagger, he really had feelings for Raven.
While I will not give away the ending, I will say that it could have just been more. Everything seemed to be wrapped up in three pages. Nothing is explained in any great detail and it was really frustrating to read and know that this is it, the end, no more books. I realize I just spent the whole time griping about the book, but I really do love the Vampire Kisses series; I even had tears in my eyes at the end. They are one of my guilty pleasure reads and will probably read them over and over.
Farewell Vampire Kisses, you will be missed.
Favorite Quote: "I'll be seventy and still be wearing miniskirts and combat boots and wanting to be a vampire."
★ ★ ★ ★
If you like silly, girly books about vampires this series is a must read.
FTC Advisory: I borrowed this book from my local library.
Published by: Pfoxmoor Publishing
Publication Date: November 23, 2010
Formats Available: eBook, Paperback ~262 pages
Synopsis: With high school finished for the summer, Nick looks forward to visiting his aunt and uncle in New Jersey. What awaits him is a heat wave like no other - and the last two Greywings on the planet. Nick has an innate ability to train horses but will he be able to translate his amazing skill to these teenage dragons? The steaming soup of mid-summer heats up tempers and tests resolve as Nick vies with fellow trainers, Keith and Maxie, for mastery over their new charges. The dragons, Nikita and Michael, typical teenagers themselves, have other ideas. Nick treads a torturous path through a minefield of competing demands: the expectations of his aunt and uncle, recalcitrant horses, the Academy’s female students and the overwhelming egos of Nikita and Michael. One small mistake erupts into a conflagration that hurls everyone into a race against time and forces of nature. -from Goodreads
Cover: At first, I had thought the cover was just a coppery-brown color with a picture of a dragon in the center. On closer examination I realized that it was a forest set ablaze with the dragon flying above the treeline. I would love to see the print cover as opposed to the digital version, as it is not always a true depiction of the cover artist’s work.
My Thoughts: Even though the title suggests that the book is about an academy in which one learns about dragons, that is not really the case. The “Academy” is actually a horse training school run by the husband and wife Dietrich and AnnaLise Von Freund. Only after two of the last Greywing dragons are transported to the school and Nick, Dietrich’s nephew, tries his hand at training the dragons he lovingly named Nikita and Michael, we meet the four other teenagers. This isn’t Hogwarts and there aren’t any classes or real teachers. In fact, the majority of the information given is in regards to horses and how similar dragons are to the equine breed.
The existence of dragons is not explained; they just exist. However, dragons are becoming extinct. When a pod of Greywings is found, the two dragons of breeding age are quarantined for the safety of the breed. The dragons are large, temperamental and since they can breathe fire, dangerous creatures and since they are teenagers, doubly so. Michael, the alpha male dragon, is put in his place multiple times by Nikita in ways he won’t soon forget. Don’t worry, they will grow back! Yes, it is exactly what you are thinking.
The main character Nick is suffering the recent loss of his father and needs something to help keep him afloat. Training the dragons seems to be the only activity that makes him happy. When Nick is punished for participating in a prank gone wrong and kept from the dragons, we see a young man that will do anything to numb his emotions. We do see a slight romance kindling between Maxie and Nick, but it is more about friendship than anything. His real love is the dragons and he develops a unique way of communicating with them.
The book is mainly written from Nick’s POV, but not exclusively. Dietrich’s POV is spotlighted throughout the book and I love that German is spoken. Don’t worry, everything they say is translated. There are a few subplots intertwined that make the POV switch for a chapter or two at a time. My favorite subplot is the adventures of BillyBob and BobbyRay, the men who transport the dragons and later giant Prairie Dogs. The parts of the book that were from the POV of the different government officials seemed to drag the story down. Still, some of the names of government agencies such as “The Department for Small, Useless, and Obnoxious Nocturnal Rodents” and “The Department of Large, Dangerous Animals with Anger Management Issues” were hilarious.
The author Diane Nelson has written in various genres throughout her career. One scene in particular highlights the fact that erotica was one of the genres.
“Nick halted abruptly, his gaze transfixed as Maxie lifted her throat to press an ice cube along its swan-like length. Droplets of water wove lazy patterns, intermingling with, then dodging, groups of freckles, as a shower would moisten a field of miniature red poppies. Nick desperately tried not to follow the rivulets traveling the soft swell of her collarbone until disappearing into the pale yellow spandex tank top.”
Don’t get me wrong, the book is very much written for young adults: no cursing, sexual content, or overt violence is described. Ms. Nelson’s writing style can easily be read by children and adults alike and she packs a good amount of action and adventure into her stories. The themes in the book are generally what you would see in other young adult fiction – lack of self-knowledge, lack of confidence, teen angst, guilt, puppy love, and the importance of family, friends, and someone - be it dragon or otherwise, who knows exactly what you are feeling.
I really enjoyed this book; it was funny and well written. As far as I know, this is a stand-alone book. The ending is complete for the most part. The parasite problem inside the dragons is never solved so there is room for a sequel. Overall, Dragon Academy was a fun and whimsical read. If you like dragons, teen drama, or fantasy in general Dragon Academy should be on your summer reading list.
Favorite Quote: "What part of the fire-breathing, nine-hundred-pound reptiles with wings did they not understand?"
★ ★ ★ ★
I enjoyed reading this book. I would recommend to any lover of dragons and fantasy.
FTC Advisory: I was given a copy of this book from the author for an honest review. No
backroom deals or whispered promises were made.
Today is the first Tuesday in June! It is going to be a hot summer so I'm gonna be grabbing some books and keeping cool. For something fun & new I am introducing Tell Me Something Tuesday; a weekly meme hosted by the fabulous author of the Heven and Hell series, Cambria Hebert. If you would like to participate, visit her blog and grab next week's question and add your link.
What is your list for Must-Read this summer?
I have so many books on my to-read list it would take hours to post them all. So instead, here are the ones I could not live without this summer:
(in no particular order)
Black Dawn (The Morganville Vampires, #12) by Rachel Caine
Insurgent (Divergent, #2) by Veronica Roth
Rapture (Fallen, #4) by Lauren Kate
Thirteen (Women of the Otherworld, #13) by Kelley Armstrong
Dark Frost (Mythos Academy, #3) by Jennifer Estep
Before I Wake (Soul Screamers, #6) by Rachel Vincent
Most of these books have already been released, but I am hopelessly behind. I am sad that a few of these series are coming to an end. So now you tell me, what books do you want to read this summer? Will you be hiding in the air conditioned indoors or will you be out basking in the sun?
by M.D. Kenney
Publication Date: April 11, 2012
Formats Available: eBook, Paperback ~302 pages
Synopsis: Interior designer, Bailey Davis was minding her own business, and that of her clients when on a job site just outside of Chicago, when she runs into her ex. Annoyed and harassed, she nearly falls into a pit intended for the new swimming pool, but instead loses a precious memento. When she goes back to retrieve it, Bailey finds more than a diamond bracelet. She finds old human bones that someone will kill to keep hidden. Threatened, attacked, and kidnapped, Bailey eventually meets gorgeous Detective Declan O’Connor, of the Chicago Special Investigative Division, who has a few secrets of his own. Together they dive into the perilous underworld of the Guild, where unbeknownst to humanity, creatures of the night roam the world. Their journey takes them from the glittery big city of Chicago to the sultry lowcountry of South Carolina on a desperate search for the truth about her sudden and unexplained powers, who her true family is, and a monster who has Bailey under his control. -from Goodreads
The Cover: I think the cover of Death by Design is beautiful. The depiction of the woman, who I believe to be Bailey, is ethereal and her green eyes are captivating.
My Thoughts:Death by Design begins
in 13th century Paris with Sethe, a vampire hell bent on revenge
against the woman who spurned him. After brutally murdering her he vows to take
his revenge on all of her descendants as well. The story then jumps to modern day Chicago
where Bailey Davis, an interior designer and Italian shoe addict resides. Her
life is seemingly mundane except for a few quirks – she is extraordinarily quick,
strong, and she is able to heal abnormally fast. None of this makes any sense to Bailey until
she is attacked and has a strange vision of a young woman being killed.
Detective Declan O’Connor is assigned to work Bailey’s case;
however, the Chicago Special Homicide Division is not the only organization
that is interested in the answers Bailey provides about that night. Bailey’s
life is thrown into turmoil when she is taken into protective custody by the
Full Blood Vampire Nation and is introduced into a whole new world she had no
idea existed. Bailey learns she is the descendant of the Ahkin line, a powerful
family of vampires. As it turns out, this is the same line that Sethe has been
tracking. When the Vampire Nation headquarters is infiltrated and Bailey is
taken captive, she learns the meaning of the nightmares that have been plaguing
her dreams her entire life. Sethe is intent on making Bailey fully his by
taking the power she holds within for himself.
What I liked about Death
by Design was the fresh take on how vampires are created and the powers
they possess. Ms. Kenney has created a new vampire breed, one that I have yet
to see in any other books. Each vampire is unique and may or may not have powers
based upon who changed them or if they were born vampire. I am glad that she included a map of the Full Blood Family Tree because there are so many characters that I got lost and had
to refer back to it.
There were a few things that I did not like; namely, the
grammar and punctuation errors. This happens in every book from big publishers
to self-published books, but they irritate the inner English teacher in me. The
phrase “and they said their goodbyes,” was used too frequently. There were also
places where the story seemed to drag and the excess of information was a
detriment to the flow. I don’t want to give away too much, but the idea of
vampire-compelled sex is rape, pure and simple; treating it as something else is
hard for me to stomach.
Overall, this is a good start to the Bailey Davis series. The next book Designs in Blood is set to introduce new supernaturals and explore more lines on the Full Blood Family Tree. Fans of the Night Huntress series by Jeanine Frost will find Bailey Davis intriguing.
★ ★ ★
Favorite Description: "His claws dug in deep, and the pain was excruciating. Suddenly he let go of me and was gone. I heard a loud piercing scream and then a popping, slurping sound..."
FTC Advisory: I was given a copy of this book from the
author for an honest review. No backroom deals or whispered promises were
made.
The Archived(The Archived #1)
by Victoria Schwab
Disney Hyperion - January 2013
Today the beautiful cover of The Archived has been released. This is the newest book from Victoria Schwab, the author of The Near Witch. If you head over to Victoria's blog she is giving away Keys that will unlock a myriad of prizes. One lucky person will even win a signed, finished copy of each of her books…for life!!! Click here enter. What do you think of the cover? Are you as excited for this book as I am?
