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My name is Rose. I’m doing this exciting book blog with my super awesome sister Bonnie. We both live in Dallas Texas and we read a ton of books. Seriously a ton of books and we always have lively discussions of the books we’ve read. Thus came about the idea of sharing our reviews with y’all. So sit back an enjoy and if you have any comments please feel to share. |
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Welcome to our blog!
2011
03.13
03.13
Dualed Book Review
2013
02.26
02.26
Summary from Goodreads:
You or your Alt? Only one will survive.
The city of Kersh is a safe haven, but the price of safety is high. Everyone has a genetic Alternate—a twin raised by another family—and citizens must prove their worth by eliminating their Alts before their twentieth birthday. Survival means advanced schooling, a good job, marriage—life.
Fifteen-year-old West Grayer has trained as a fighter, preparing for the day when her assignment arrives and she will have one month to hunt down and kill her Alt. But then a tragic misstep shakes West’s confidence. Stricken with grief and guilt, she’s no longer certain that she’s the best version of herself, the version worthy of a future. If she is to have any chance of winning, she must stop running not only from her Alt, but also from love . . . though both have the power to destroy her.
Elsie Chapman’s suspenseful YA debut weaves unexpected romance into a novel full of fast-paced action and thought-provoking philosophy. When the story ends, discussions will begin about this future society where every adult is a murderer and every child knows there is another out there who just might be better.
Rose’s Review
Oh boy. I really really wanted to like this book more. Honestly the premise was what grabbed me. People in Dualed exist in a society where everyone has an ‘Alternate’ and when the time comes, it basically comes down to either kill your Alternate or your Alternate kills you.
However, what happened was that as I was reading, I kept encountering ‘plot holes’. Ok if was me, I would set up a trap for my Alternate or seek out my Alternate before I become ‘Active to kill’. There were all these little ‘But what if…’ and ‘Why don’t they…’. Also, It didn’t make any sense why the society was set up like this. My first instinct as a reader is to not over think and let the story flow. Yeah people don’t have powers, vampires don’t exist, and especially in the case of a dystopian, the world is not the same as our world and it could be pretty harsh. A bit survival of the fittest and winner of the hunger games and all that. However, with Dualed the existence of Alternates and the only-the-best-person-can-survive mentality didn’t stay true because of those pesky ‘What ifs…’.
Honestly I didn’t really like West. I felt sorry for her circumstances but she was all over the place in her decisions. I wanted to scream at her. Truthfully, I also kinda wanted to know if her Alternate was more interesting.
I received this Advance Reader via Eldelweiss and for that I’m sincerely grateful. I’ve also heard from fellow bloggers that there might even be changes from the Advance Copy to the finish book. I hope so and I would be interested in reading Dualed when it comes out February 26, 2013. I’m giving this book a C.
YA2U! Irving Texas!
2013
01.01
01.01
Have you ever wished that a big YA book tour would make a stop in your hometown? Well, here’s your chance for that wish to come true! YA2U is a program that features five award-winning and best-selling authors who are holding a contest to see what city they should visit in an exclusive tour stop!
The authors are collecting votes from January 1 to February 15, and any city in the continental US or any Canadian city that has an international airport can win an exclusive visit from all five authors, including an author panel and book signing! Entering is super easy–and if you help spread the word about the contest, you can also enter win a signed copy of all of their books (TEN signed books in total!)–and the book contest is open internationally!
The authors in the program are:
- Marie Lu, the New York Times best-selling author of Legend and the upcoming Prodigy
- Marissa Meyer, the New York Times best-selling author of Cinder and the upcoming Scarlet
- Beth Revis, the New York Times best-selling author of Across the Universe, A Million Suns, and the upcoming Shades of Earth
- Victoria Schwab, author of The Near Witch and the highly-anticipated upcoming The Archived
- Megan Shepherd, author of the debut novel The Madman’s Daughter
And they want to have an event in your home town! To participate, just got to the YA2U website and let them know what city you want them to come to. And while you’re there, help spread the word about the contest and you can be entered to win all of their books–TEN signed books in total!
Here’s why the YA2U Team should come to MY hometown!
Big ‘D’ everyone! That’s right *que the Dallas TV theme*. We need these fabulous author in our fine city! Specifically we need to vote Irving, Texas! That’s right! My good friend Kristin cordinates amazing author signings at The Irving Public Library. Seriously people there is always yummy cupcakes, every time! Let’s vote Irving!
Why should the YA2U Team come to your hometown? Why not join in the fun today and share with others about this program and your hometown. The more votes your town gets, the closer you are to having your very own personal tour stop! Vote for YOUR town here!
And if you help spread the word, you can also participate in the book giveaway. Tell them that you learned about YA2U from me and we both get extra entries in the contest!
Wards of Faerie (The Dark Legacy of Shannara #1) Book Review
2012
08.18
08.18
Terry Brooks is baaaaack. It’s been awhile since I read a Shannara book. I totally skipped the Genesis of Shannara series. I wouldn’t say I’m a strictly a ‘Shannara’ after the ’Sword of Shannara’ reader, I just didn’t really get into the Word and Void series. So here I am, it’s been years since I’ve read anything of Mr. Brooks and lo and behold there’s this book. What a find! So when I was given the chance to read and review this book, I was over the moon. I couldn’t wait to get started.
This book takes place 100 or so years after the events in ‘The High Druid of Shannara’ where Grianne Ohmsford had her adventures. Unfortunately, I wasn’t a huge fan of that series so to me this book was like a fresh new start. We start with of course an Elessedil, in this case a female druid named Aphenglow Elessedil as she makes in interesting discovery of a lost diary. In this diary, it is revealed the story of some long lost elfstones. Now, as a reader of many ‘Shannara’ books, I know about the three blue elfstones and even lone black one. So as I’m reading I’m thinking ’Hold on! There are other *bleep’n* elfstones?!’. Where the hell were these other elfstones when the four lands were in desperate need?! Yeah, so now the Druids are now on a quest to find these stones. Of course the Federation ears are also perked at the notion of long lost magic. For some reason, I thought in some previous Shannara series that the Federation were wiped out so I guess these guys are like the cockroaches of the Shannara world.
So in this latest installment there of course is the Terry Brooks playlist of characters: there’s a druid keeping secrets and calling the shots, there’s an Elessedil, an elf to protect the Elessedil, a pair of Ohmsford (identical twins is an interesting twist), a slew of expendable red shirted ensigns Smiths (trolls, dwarfs, whatnot), and of course, my favorite, a Leah. What I absolutely love is that the Leah in this story is a girl. Yea! Mirai Leah has those Ohmsford boys wrapped around her little finger and I love it! This is a new twist I’m interested to read how it all plays out in future installments of this trilogy.
I really enjoyed this book and I can see that this new trilogy will be great. I nearly read this book in one setting so it’s not lengthy. Mr. Brooks is an amazing storyteller and he was able to keep me turning page after page.
I grew up reading Shannara books. Seriously I must have read the original Sword of Shannara a kazillion times, so getting into this series was an absolute and complete joy for me. I have so many fond memories of Shannara twists and adventures and this new series was like me getting in and getting strapped on a second ride on the rollercoaster. Yippee.
Look for this great book on August 21, 2012. I highly recommend it to Shannara readers new and old!
Huge Thanks to Edelweiss and Random House for allowing me to read and review this book!
Throne of Glass Book Review
2012
08.18
08.18
I had heard about this book some time ago. It had a different title but still the premise of the book really stood out to me. When I had heard it was getting published and would be available for me to have on my shelf i did cartwheels in my mind. ‘Mind Cartwheels’ people!
Here’s the summary from Goodreads:
After serving out a year of hard labor in the salt mines of Endovier for her crimes, 18-year-old assassin Celaena Sardothien is dragged before the Crown Prince. Prince Dorian offers her her freedom on one condition: she must act as his champion in a competition to find a new royal assassin.
Her opponents are men-thieves and assassins and warriors from across the empire, each sponsored by a member of the king’s council. If she beats her opponents in a series of eliminations, she’ll serve the kingdom for three years and then be granted her freedom.
Celaena finds her training sessions with the captain of the guard, Westfall, challenging and exhilirating. But she’s bored stiff by court life. Things get a little more interesting when the prince starts to show interest in her… but it’s the gruff Captain Westfall who seems to understand her best.
Then one of the other contestants turns up dead… quickly followed by another. Can Celaena figure out who the killer is before she becomes a victim? As the young assassin investigates, her search leads her to discover a greater destiny than she could possibly have imagined.
What I thought of the book was this -” “. Yes I couldn’t find the right words to describe how much I loved this book. This world that was built by the author is exactly what I love to read. My favorite kind of book is one that quite literally take me to another world and makes me fall in love with the characters.
The world of assassin guilds, royalty, glass castles, mystery, humor, friendship, and with that added bonus of romance are there in spades in this book. I was not disappointed and I had high expectations going in.
From the first chapter Celaena’s character grabbed my interest. I wanted to know her story, why she’s at the salt mines and how she’s survived. Oh and the guys…*sigh*. Yes, you get the ‘dreamy’ prince in Dorian. Can’t go wrong with that but as I read past his charms, he really had more depth. Then there’s the Captain of the Guard Chaol. He was all gruff and miss-trusting of Celaena but I love how their relationship grew. There was that underlining ‘attraction and more’, so many sly glances, witty banter, and there was that scene with those barely touching hands seperated by the chalk line. Trust me…when you get to that part of the book, you’ll want to give an *sigh*.
This book was easily my favorite read this summer. I was blow away by it and I highly recommend it. I also loved the four novellas that I’d say were like the prequels. Nicely done and it gives more background to Celaena. Great story and one to definitely add to your shelf.
Huge Thanks to Netgalley for providing me this Advance Copy to review!
Cover Reveal! The Collector by Victoria Scott
2012
06.01
06.01
The Collector
My friend Victoria Scott wrote this ‘Genius’ book. Look for it! The Collector releases March 2013!
More about the book:
Dante Walker is flippin’ awesome, and he knows it. His good looks, killer charm, and stellar confidence have made him one of hell’s best—a soul collector. His job is simple, weed through humanity and label those round rears with a big red good or bad stamp. Old Saint Nick gets the good guys, and he gets the fun ones. Bag-and-tag.
Sealing souls is nothing personal. Dante’s an equal opportunity collector and doesn’t want it any other way. But he’ll have to adjust, because Boss Man has given him a new assignment:
Collect Charlie Cooper’s soul within 10 days.
Dante doesn’t know why Boss Man wants Charlie, nor does he care. This assignment means only one thing to him, and that’s a permanent ticket out of hell. But after Dante meets the quirky, Nerd Alert chick he’s come to collect—he realizes this assignment will test his abilities as a collector, and uncover emotions deeply buried
HERE’S THE AWESOME COVER!
Sweet Evil Book Review
2012
04.23
04.23
Goodreads Summary: What if there were teens whose lives depended on being bad influences? This is life for sons and daughters of fallen angels in Sweet Evil.
Tenderhearted Southern girl, Anna Whitt, was born with the sixth sense to see and feel emotions of other people. She’s aware of a struggle within herself, an inexplicable pull toward danger, but it isn’t until she turns sixteen and meets the alluring Kaidan Rowe that she discovers her terrifying heritage, and her will-power is put to the test. He’s the boy your daddy warned you about. If only someone had warned Anna.
A cross-country trip to meet her father forces Anna to face the reality that hope and love are not options for her kind. When she confronts her destiny, will Anna embrace her halo or her horns?
Publication Date: May 1, 2012
Rose’s Review: OUTSTANDING!! This book is one of my favorites so far this year. Brilliant angel and demons story with fantastic characters. This isn’t your run of the mill good girl meets bad guy story and oh by the way we’re Nephilim. There was so much more depth to Anna and especially Kaidan. I really like Kaidan, not because of his uber-hotness, but because there was that underlying goodness in him. It was also refreshing to have a character like Jay who’s a great and loyal friend to Anna and wasn’t a love interest for her. It was refreshing to see a guy was there as a true friend and not as a third side to a love triangle. Defiantly look for this book and grab it off the shelf! It’s that good.
The Selection Book Review
2012
03.10
03.10
The Selection by Kiera Cass
Goodreads Summary: For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in the palace and compete for the heart of the gorgeous Prince Maxon.
But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her. Leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn’t want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks.
Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she’s made for herself- and realizes that the life she’s always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined
Rose’s Review
I really liked this book. First of all, this cover is like ‘Bam!’. Yes it’s a clear example of the ‘lets smack a girl in a gorgeous dress on the cover’ gimmick. But, if I was to go to my local Barnes and Noble and line up the ‘girls in pretty dress’ covers, this one is like hands down my favorite. I want this dress.
America, yeah I’m not keen on the names in this book, is a likable character. She’s a bit on the overdrama side when it come to the boyfriend department and she gushes about the dresses, the palace, etc. It’s all that teenage nuance, so to read that an author was able to capture that is surprising and yeah believable. However, I found that the other girls in the selection were a bit clichéd. There’s the mean girl, the super sweet friend, the mousy girl, you know. The guys in the book were appealing enough. I couldn’t really get Aspen (another name I didn’t like…) and I found myself more interested in reading more about Maxon.
Overall the story was good but not brilliant and I could see those very slight hints of Hunger Games. Is it ‘like’ Hunger Games? Um…No not even in the same ballpark, but I still…I enjoyed the book. The ending leaves me with just enough enthusiasm to read more.
Look for this one…
Release Date: April 21, 2012
Win an Advance Copy of Pandemonium (Delirium #2)
2012
01.28
01.28
After coming home from my adventures at ALA Mid Winter I realized that I had one extra copy of Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver. Can you say ‘Giveaway!!’
Yes, one lucky winner will get this lovely ARC. Didn’t get it at ALA, win it here. Didn’t make it to ALA, win it here.
Contest Information:
- Contest is open to the US only.
- Entrants must be 13 years of age or older
- The winner will be announced on this blog when the contest is over
- The winner will be notified by email and will have 48 hours to reply or a new winner will be chosen
- To enter, fill out the form below
- One more thing…Please feel free to make a comment on this blog, just don’t put your email address in the comment.
Good Luck!!
A Million Suns Review
2012
01.28
01.28
Goodreads Summary: Godspeed was fueled by lies. Now it is ruled by chaos.
It’s been three months since Amy was unplugged. The life she always knew is over. And everywhere she looks, she sees the walls of the spaceship Godspeed. But there may just be hope: Elder has assumed leadership of the ship. He’s finally free to enact his vision – no more Phydus, no more lies.
But when Elder discovers shocking news about the ship, he and Amy race to discover the truth behind life on Godspeed. They must work together to unlock a puzzle that was set in motion hundreds of years earlier, unable to fight the romance that’s growing between them and the chaos that threatens to tear them apart.
In book two of the Across the Universe trilogy, New York Times bestselling author Beth Revis mesmerizes us again with a brilliantly crafted mystery filled with action, suspense, romance, and deep philosophical questions. And this time it all builds to one mind-bending conclusion: They have to get off this ship.
Rose’s Review:
Oh Wow! This book is A-MA-ZING. Like Across the Universe this book totally had me and I was reading thru the night to finish. The author has a way of making the reader feel like he/she is onboard the Godspeed and you feel that closed in feeling. You feel that struggle Elder has with all the troubles that come with being the leader. You also feel what Amy goes thru with being an outsider and threaten by Luthor. This book had Sci-Fi, mystery, sweet romance…there really is that roller coaster of a ride of emotions and it is well written. I felt like this book had a more bigger mystery and larger twists than AtU. Seriously large twists! There were moments when I was reading and I quite literly gasped. The ending had me screaming ‘OH COME ON!’. That’s how you end the middle book of a trilogy.
I whole heartedly recommend this book to others. It’s an amesome read, a true page turner!!
Clockwork Prince Review
2012
01.28
01.28
Goodreads Summary: In the magical underworld of Victorian London, Tessa Gray has at last found safety with the Shadowhunters. But that safety proves fleeting when rogue forces in the Clave plot to see her protector, Charlotte, replaced as head of the Institute. If Charlotte loses her position, Tessa will be out on the street and easy prey for the mysterious Magister, who wants to use Tessa’s powers for his own dark ends.
With the help of the handsome, self-destructive Will and the fiercely devoted Jem, Tessa discovers that the Magister’s war on the Shadowhunters is deeply personal. He blames them for a long-ago tragedy that shattered his life. To unravel the secrets of the past, the trio journeys from mist-shrouded Yorkshire to a manor house that holds untold horrors, from the slums of London to an enchanted ballroom where Tessa discovers that the truth of her parentage is more sinister than she had imagined. When they encounter a clockwork demon bearing a warning for Will, they realize that the Magister himself knows their every move and that one of their own has betrayed them.
Tessa finds her heart drawn more and more to Jem, though her longing for Will, despite his dark moods, continues to unsettle her. But something is changing in Will; the wall he has built around himself is crumbling. Could finding the Magister free Will from his secrets and give Tessa the answers about who she is and what she was born to do?
As their dangerous search for the Magister and the truth leads the friends into peril, Tessa learns that when love and lies are mixed, they can corrupt even the purest heart.
Rose’s Review
This book was hands down my number one favorite book of the year. Yes, this book snuck in there December 2011 and blew me away. You Cassandra Clare readers, yeah you know you Shadowhunter lovers…Go out and read this book. I’m a fan of the Mortal Instruments series but I have got to admit that I’m a bigger fan of the Immortal Devices series. Between last year’s Clockwork Angel and the recent Clockwork Prince, Cassandra takes her Shadowhunter world to a new level. You have the fabulous Victorian London setting but you also get a glimpse of the future families mentioned in the Mortal Instruments.
One of my favorite love triangles in YA history is the one between Will, Tessa, and Jem. It’s right up there in terms of character depth and heartbreaking choices. Not only is Tessa torn between Will and Jem. Will is torn in his strong loyalty and brotherly love for Jem as well as his strong feelings toward Tessa. Clockwork Prince gives more depth to Will and shows the budding romance between Jem and Tessa. There’s a fair share of steamy scenes as well as unexpected twists.
Although I wasn’t an all out crazy fan of Cassandra’s Mortal Instruments. I mean…I’m really growing tired of the Jace and Clary soap opera and I’m finding myself wanting to read more about Simon. With the Infernal Devices I get fantastic and lovable characters such as Will and I get that steampunk-ish vibe with the clockworks. There’s that mystery to Tessa and of course there’s more of a heaping of Magnus Bane. Seriously I was loving me some more Magnus after reading this book.
I highly recommend the Immortal Devices series. Go out and start with Clockwork Angel and then to Clockwork Prince. Then you’ll be stuck with me as I try to invent a time machine so that I can zip over to December 2012 and pick up Clockwork Princess. I’ll buy that damn DeLorean, put that Flux Capacitor in the backseat, find the 1.21 gigawatts, and put that bad boy pass 88 mph! I want Clockwork Princess now!! **whew**
This book is an A+. I’ve already passed it on to Bonnie to read.