Follow Friday

It is Follow Friday! So if you are stopping by on your blog hop please Follow me. Then leave a comment somewhere in the blog with your blog info and let me know you are a new follower and I will return the follow! I have already had visited (and follwed) some great blog this morning. Yours could be next :) Have a great weekend!

Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins

I really enjoyed this book. After reading it I have become a big fan of Rachel Hawkins. She is hysterical! You should all follow her on twitter @LadyHawkins and her blog here. But back to Hex Hall and All of its Hexyness!

Sophie Mercer has been moved around her whole life. After an unfortunate incident at her prom, Sophie is once again headed to a new school only this one is very different from the others. Hecate Hall is a reformatory school for witches, shapeshifters, faeries, and even a lone vampire. Apparently, Sophie is not the only one who has a habit of getting into trouble.

Sophie lands a room with Jenna, who has a tiny obsession with pink (by tiny I mean this girl has a fixation bordering on crazy-lol). Jenna is at Hex Hall (what Hecate is commonly referred as) on scholarship, which in it of itself is reason for most of the rich snobs to hate her, but it also doesn’t help that Jenna is a vampire. Being the only vampire in Hex Hall creates some problems for Jenna when her best friend Holly is killed and she becomes the prime suspect. Holly’s coven blames Jenna for Holly’s death and they are determined to recruit Sophie to replace Holly. Unfortunately for them, Sophie likes Jenna and she can already tell that Elodie and the others are not people that she wants to associate with. Jenna and Sophie become fast friends. Then the body count starts to rise. Sophie knows that Jenna is innocent but can she prove it in time?

Enter Archer Cross! Can we take a moment and marvel at the simple hotness of the name “Archer Cross”……ok moving on. Archer is a warlock who is indisputably, the hottest guy at Hecate. Archer is also dating Sophie’s new nemesis, Elodie (despite her viciousness I do covet her awesome name). Getting sentenced to string of detentions literally locked in a room with Archer to catalog random junk seems like a blessing and a curse. Sophie can’t seem to shake her growing attraction to Archer. Could he feel the same? Sophie begins to learn things about herself that she never imagined. There are so many questions that unfold throughout the book. Who is Sophie really? And why are people being attacked at Hecate? Is Archer hiding more then his sudden feelings for Sophie?

Demonglass (Hex Hall #2) is due out March 1st 2011. I can’t wait! I can tell that this is going to be a great series.

Forgive me!

I have not posted a review in a week. This is just not good. I plead....Busy! In case I have not mentioned this, I am moving from Illinois to California in 30 *squeal* days. So I have been very busy, packing, shipping, planning, updating mailing info, and (extra important) spending time with family and friends here in Illinois. As you can see this has limited my blog time in the last week. BUT enough with the excuses I plan to post a couple of reviews tomorrow so stay tuned for that.

Among the boxes that I have already shipped is most of my book collection *sigh*. At least I was smart enough to leave a great selection with me. As you can see most of my reviews over the next month will be from these books (or one of the books I have read in my 100 book challenge). I am half way through Catching Fire and Sleepless so you can expect those in the near future. I will also be hosting my first contest soon. Details to come.

So bare with me fellow bloggers, if you can stick with me I promise to deliver ;) and thanks for reading!

 
Oh and if you are having trouble excusing by absence just let my dog Kasey convince you. How can you stay angry at that face?

Lemniscate Cover Reveal

The cover of Jennifer Murgia's second novel Lemniscate has been revealed! Very exciting! Lemniscate is the follow up to her debut novel Angel Star (review here).

Synopsis

For Teagan, these last few months have been heaven on earth especially now that Garreth, her boyfriend and guardian angel, is earthbound. But perhaps Garreth is becoming a little more “human” than either of them expected.

Now, Teagan must realize that her world is once again about to shift, as she questions the faith she held in others against those once considered enemies.

In this continuation of Angel Star, Lemniscate will draw you even deeper into the world of dark and light as Teagan realizes the angel who could possibly save them all is the one angel she feared the most.
 
Set to release March 21st 2011!

Win it Wednesday!

In addition to the contest I posted last Wednesday that are still running (See Sidebar) there are some new contests I found that are going on out there. Here are some more cool contests to check out.

Enter to the Fantastic Trilogy

Enter to Win 13 to Life and some Awesome Swag

Win Torment ARC

Win Radiant Shadows

I cant wait...

I was creating a new background for my computer and decided to use some of my favorite new covers. Most of these are book that have not yet been released but a few are just some personal favs that I have already read and reviewed on this blog. You can bet that all of the "to be released" books will be reviewed here at some point because I cant wait to read them all!

Win it Wednesday!

Ok it looks like a lot of contests are going on out there. Here are some cool contests to check out.

Dark Fantasy Contest 

Enter to Win one of these awesome books

Summer Saradise 7 ARC Giveaway

Enter to Win one of these awesome books

Carol's 7 ARC Giveaway

Enter to Win one of these awesome books

Win Linger by Maggie Stiefvater

Good Luck!

Shadow Hills by Anastasia Hopcus

Persephone “Phe” Archer is having dreams about a place she has never been and a guy she has never met. She accepts that they are just her mind playing tricks on her until she discovers her sister was having the same dreams before her death. What's drawing Phe to Shadow Hills Massachusetts and Devenish Prep is bigger then she ever imagined.

A graveyard filled with headstones displaying death dates from the same year in the 1700's, a town full of geniuses, unexpected electrical surges, and literally the boy of Phe's dreams all add up to one thing. Shadow Hills is hiding a secret and unlocking it could cost Phe her life.

10 Reasons why ShadowHills was all kinds of awesome!

1) Phe is bad ass!

2) Zach is simply swoon worthy

3) Creepy graveyards always Rock!
4) Brody is an underdog you cant help but root for.
5) How can you not love a town called Shadow Hills?
6) Villain you can have a love/hate relationship with.
7) Mystery and suspense are never in short supply
8) Romance is enticing (did I mention Zach was swoon worthy?)
9) Mythology mixed with medical mystery = unique plot
10) Anastasia Hopcus is awesome so of course her debut novel is!

In case you couldn't tell, I loved this book! This is Anastasia Hopcus's debut novel and let just say that she is here to stay. Her characters are genuine and relateable. The story is fast paced without feeling rushed and the romance is enticing. I am hoping that this becomes a series because Anastasia has created a wold that has plenty left to explore. If you haven't put Shadow Hills on your to-read list yet, do it now. I promise you wont regret it!

The Lost Saint Cover Revealed!

The Lost Saint Cover is here and it is spectacular! The Lost Saint is the highly anticipated follow up to Bree Despain’s debut novel, The Dark Divine. You can read a review of The Dark Divine here. In celebration of the cover reveal and the countdown until it’s release, (December 28th 2010) Bree is holding a contest every month until The Lost Saint hits shelves. For more contest information click here

Synopsis of The Lost Saint:
A family destroyed. A love threatened. An enemy returns.

Grace Divine made the ultimate sacrifice to cure Daniel Kalbi. She was infected with the werewolf curse while trying to save him, and lost her beloved brother in the process. When Grace receives a haunting phone call from Jude, she knows what she must do. She must become a Hound of Heaven.

Desperate to find Jude, Grace befriends Talbot—a newcomer to town who promises her that he can help her be a hero. But as the two grow closer, the wolf grows in Grace, and her relationship with Daniel is put in danger—in more ways than one.

Unaware of the dark path she is walking, Grace begins to give into the wolf inside of her—not realizing that an enemy has returned and a deadly trap is about to be sprung.

P.S. If you loved the “The Dark Divine” themed nail polish (purple) you will be excited to know that there will also be “The Lost Saint” themed nail polish (blue). Bree will be giving more details in the weeks to come!

Shadow Hills Spotted....

What a great week for releases! As of this Tuesday (13th) Siren, Linger, Sleepless, and Shadow Hills are all available! I was able to get my hands on Linger and Siren a little early. You can see my reviews for these amazing books here (Linger & Siren). Shadow Hills can be difficult to find in stores but we can fix that by requesting it!. I had to request it from my local B&N.If you dont want to wait for it to come in or to be delivered just head to the backyard. Shadow Hills has been known to appear in wooded areas and near ponds. This is how I found my copy (see pic)....hahaha ok....... I actually got mine online.

So now, I am almost done reading Shadow Hills, only about 100 pages left and lets just say that it is fantastic! AnastasiaHopcus has proven that she has a great career ahead of her. I was able to chat with her a bit last night and she says that she cant "officially" confirm that Shadow Hills will be a series but I know that I am keeping my fingers crossed. I will be first in line for a sequel. I will be sure to post a review as soon as I finish. oh and dont forget Anastasia's contest.

Siren by Tricia Rayburn

I was excited to discover that Siren had hit the shelves a little early. Siren which is set to release tomorrow July 13th made it to my local Borders a little early so I snatched it up immediately and devoured it this weekend. Siren was a welcome change from my usual paranormal topics. It seems like a lot of books I have been reading lately are about vampires, werewolves/shape shifters/immortals etc… so murderous mermaids was definitely a change.

Tricia Rayburn has delivered a great story with characters you can really connect with. The heroine of the story is Vanessa Sands. Vanessa is your typical seventeen year old girl except that she is afraid of everything. Even the water that she used to love now terrifies her. Vanessa seeks comfort from her older sister who has always looked out for her. Justine is beautiful and fearless, everything that Vanessa wishes she could be. When Justine’s body is discovered, the authorities determine that Justine is the victim of a tragic cliff-diving accident. Vanessa is not convinced because while Justine is fearless she is not stupid. Something happened that night and Vanessa is determined to find out. Her only lead is Caleb, Justine’s boyfriend. But when Vanessa seeks Caleb out, she soon discovers that he disappeared right after Justine’s death.

Caleb and Justine were crazy about each other. Is it his grief over losing the love of his life that drove him to run away or is it someone/something else that he is running from. Vanessa teams up with Simon, Caleb’s older brother so get to the bottom of what is happening in Winter Harbor. The bodies of men keep washing up on the shores of Winter Harbor grinning from ear to ear. Simon is looking into the strange weather conditions and Vanessa is looking into an even stranger family. As they get closer to the truth, Simon and Vanessa also get closer to each other. Sometimes when you are seeking answers you discover things you never expected and never wanted to know.

I loved the romance in this book. The attraction between Simon and Vanessa is intense at times (which I love). I will say that there are some things that are left unexplained in the story, but I hope that means that there will be another book on the way. Siren was a quick read. I lost some sleep last night because I refused to put it down until I had read every last word. I highly recommend it!

Linger by Maggie Stiefvater

If you have not read Shiver….first of all, shame on you (lol) and second of all, this might spoil that book for you. I promise not to give spoilers for Linger here because Maggie might come after me. We all know how she feels about reading the last page first so giving you spoilers might provoke her lol.

At the end of Shiver we were left with the warm and fuzzies. Sam is human again! Yay! Grace and Sam can be together and take care of the wolves and just keep looking for a way to cure the others in between all of their happy times. But this is a series so Maggie Stiefvater decided to crush our dreams by disrupting Sam and Grace’s perfect little future…it is so worth it though!

I was able to get my hands on a copy of Linger early this week and I just finished last night and holy crap it was good! Linger made by laugh, cry and even yell at the book at one point. No joke I was sitting next to my roommate on the couch and I suddenly screamed “NOOOOO!” That damn Tom Culpeper! My roommate defiantly thinks I have lost my mind but oh well.

As for Linger, the story picks up pretty much were we left off in Shiver. Sam is human and it is late winter/early spring in Mercy Falls. The new wolves will be falling out of their coats and into their human skins soon. The new wolves may be shifting already due to their unstable nature. This is where Cole comes in. Shiver was told from Sam and Grace’s point of views but Linger adds Isabel and Cole to the mix. I love getting into Cole’s head. He is all dark and twisty and oh did I mention Hot yet? I love Sam but Cole is giving him a run for his money. I mean he is simply swoon worthy. I think that a big part of Linger is focused on everyone trying to figure out where they fit. Grace feels not quite right in her skin, Sam is having trouble accepting that he actually has a future now, Isabel is raked with guilt over Jack’s death, and Cole is trying to escape his past by losing his humanity to the wolf inside him.

A testament to Maggie’s awesomeness: Linger starts to dive into what causes the change from human to wolf and vice versa. There may be more to it then temperature. While I was reading the book and Cole was musing about this issue I found myself nodding and thinking “Good point Cole, why did I never think of that?” I feel like I want to research how to cure the wolves. Like I can find the answer to the fictional enigma that Maggie has presented. I know I am crazy but it is that good and I feel so invested in the story now. Keep in mind that this is a three book series so the ending will literally make you scream in agony, “Why, oh why must I wait a whole year for Forever to come out!?” I thought waiting for Linger was bad but waiting for Forever is going to be almost unbearable! As I mentioned in my previous post Linger will be released officially on the 13th so you must pick it up you will not be disappointed!

Linger's New Release Date!

Update for all of you Shiver fans! Like most of you I have bee (not so patiently) awaiting the second book in the Wolves of Mercy Falls series, Linger since I finished the last page of Shiver last year. Maggie Stiefvater is like some kind of mad generous when it comes to creating a series worth drooling over. But Good News! Linger’s release date has been moved up one week. That right, Linger will be officially released on July 13th! Some of you lucky readers have been able to find the book already because some stores shelved their copies before the July 20th release date. I was able to find my copy on the shelf of a Border’s on the 6th. So I was actually able to finish the book last night and let me just say that if I thought waiting for Linger was difficult, waiting for Forever is going to be almost unbearable. I will post my review shortly until then do a little happy dance like I am because Linger is here!!!!

FYI: On top of Linger here are some other YA Supernatural Goodies to rush to the store for on Tuesday!

Another chance to Win Shadow Hills

Like me you are probably said if you didn't win Shadow Hills in Anastasia's contest that ended this week. Anastasia closed her first contest early so that the winners could get their copies by the 13th (Release Day!).  BUT good news is....she is rolling over all entries into a new contest!

There will be three winners, but the winners will NOT be chosen totally at random. The top ten point holders will be pulled out and three winners will be chosen from that pool. This truely is a contest based on your enthusiasm, so have fun with it! This contest isinternational and it ends July 20th at 11:59 pm CST.so hurry up and get to work.

Click on the link bellow for more info about the prizes up for grabs and to enter. Good Luck!

http://www.hopcusblog.com/news-and-events/

Bleeding Violet by Dia Reeves

Bleeding Violet is the most bizarre and amazing book I have read this year. I am not exaggerating when I say that you will literally be reading this book and suddenly say “WTF?!” out loud. This town that Dia has created (Portero, Texas) is full of monsters (too many to even mention), a suicide door, portals to other locations, and a very shady history. This town has enough crazy to go around….enter Hanna.

Hanna is crazy….no literally she is crazy. She is a little strange and hallucinating about her dead father is just the icing on the cake. Hanna is obsessed with purple (hence the title). She even makes her own purple dresses and never goes out in anything but one of her dresses and a pair of heels. Hanna comes to Portero to keep from being sent to an institution. When Hanna shows up on her Rosalie’s (her mother’s) door step it is clear that Hanna is not welcome. But Hanna is stubborn and will not take no for an answer.

When Hanna starts school she immediately realizes that there is defiantly something strange about this town. Why does everybody wear black? Why does everyone wear earplugs in class? Oh but wait, not everybody is in all black. Wyatt appears on the scene in all of his gorgeousness wearing a lovely shade of green and kicking some major monster ass. Hanna is immediately determined to become a fixture in his life.

Turns out, Wyatt is a member of a group called the Mortmaine, a group of hunters that protects Portero. Despite all of the killing, fighting, and literally being eaten going on it is amazing that Hanna and Wyatt find time to fit romance into the mix. I feel the need to once again say how incredibly insane this book is (wait until you read the naked by the lake scene) but it is also amazing once you finish it. Oh and the cover art is fantastic! How can you not pick it up off the shelf? FYI – this book is more mature then your average YA book. Hanna and Wyatt have a sexual relationship and some scenes are a little bloody/graphic. If you love it as much as I did you will be happy to know that Dia Reeves is releasing another book set in the crazy town of Portero, Texas. Slice of Cherry will be out January 2011! New characters same crazy town! I cant wait!

Swoon by Nina Malkin

I love the catch phrase for this book. “What do you do when the boy of your dreams is too bad to be true?” I think that it was that and the cover that drew me in in the first place. This book took me a long time to read. I tend to like books that are different and this one definitely fits the bill, but I just found myself loosing interest about half way through. When it was all said and done I did enjoy this book, it just took me 2 months to officially finish it.

Another thing to note is that all of the characters are given abbreviated names (Duck, Con, Marsh, Wick, etc...) in the story and that can make it difficult to remember who is who and whether or not they are male or female. You might not understand until you read it but I figured I would warn you. Swoon is definitely geared toward older teens. There are some rather explicit scenes involving sex and drugs in the book and it may not be suitable for readers under 16 or so.

Swoon is the name of the town that the story is set in. Candice (Dice) has recently moved to Swoon because of “recent events” - Don't want to give away spoilers :) Swoon is a town full of wealthy families who have lived there for generations. Dice spends most of her time with her cousin Pen and her group of friends.

Things start to get a little strange after Pen falls from a tree and becomes possessed by Sinclair (Sin), a boy who died more then 200 years ago. This is bad enough but it turns out Sin has plans for Swoon. Revenge. Pen seems to be oblivious to her possession but Dice has heightened psychic abilities that allow her to draw Sin out. Dice tries to fight the attraction she feels for this boy especially after realizing his plans. Dice decides that for the good of the town and Pen she must banish Sin from her cousin's body. Only Dice makes a mistake and now Sin is flesh and blood and is free to reek havoc on Swoon.

The majority of the rest of the book focuses on how sin is terrorizing the town and how Dice plans to stop him. Sin's brand of justice is not what you might think, he does not go on a murderous rampage or anything he simply manipulates those around him. Taking them down a few pegs if you know what I mean. Dice has a lot of damage control to do but how do you stand against the boy you love? And can their love overcome his vengeance?

White Cat by Holly Black

This was my first book by Holly Black but it definitely won’t be my last. White Cat is an exciting read that you will not be able to put down until you hit the last page. Imagine living in a world where an ungloved hand is like holding a loaded gun. That is the world that Holly Black has created in her new series (The Curse Workers). Curse working is illegal and some may say that it is for good reason. Curse workers can change your emotions, your memories, your luck, and more with only the slightest touch of their hands.

White Cat is the first in the series and follows Cassel Sharpe. Cassel comes from a family of curse workers; unfortunately he is a non curse worker. Cassel has learned to survive in their world by becoming a talented conman. He has come to love everything about the con until he starts to suspect that he is the one who has been conned all along.

Three years ago Cassel murdered his best friend Lila. He can’t remember the details of that night but he does remember standing over her dead body with the bloody knife in his hand. He is haunted by that night and what it means. The only way that he knows hoe to cope is to blend into the crown and be as “normal” as possible.

His careful façade comes crashing down when he almost sleepwalks off the roof of his dorm following a white cat. Why is this white cat haunting his dreams? What is the cat trying to tell him? Sent home to deal with his sleepwalking problem, Cassel first objective is to get back to school and his routine (away from his family). Cassel knows that his brothers work people but waking up to their whispered conversation leads him to believe they are hiding something more. Cassel is determined to figure out what is going on. What are they up to? How is Cassel involved? Is everything that Cassel thinks he knows a lie? Could his whole life be a con? What really happened to Lila? Could she still be alive? Finding the answers to these questions will change everything…..but will it be for the better.

Talk about cliffhanger ending. All I am going to say is that I am very pissed at Cassel’s mother. Very very pissed! I mean why does Cassel always get the shaft?! Read it and you will know what I mean. I can’t wait for Red Glove which is due out May 2011.

Win a copy of Shadow Hills!

Well the countdown is officially on. Only 12 more day until Anastasia Hopcus's novel Shadow Hills hits shelves. I have preordered mine but I would love the chance to win a signed copy and other goodies. Wouldn't you? Well Anastasia has been nice enough to host a contest giving us all a chance. For more information vistit her blog here!

If you are looking for a sneek peak at the first chapter you can read it here! It is amazing...makes the next 12 days seem far too long ;) You can also listen to the first chapter on Audible.com. The audiobook will release July 13th as well!

Here is the trailer for your visual enjoyment! Good luck and dont forget to enter!

Raised by Wolves by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

I think that I must have a fixation with books involving wolves. I just love the idea of shape shifting into a wolf. There is just something so sexy about a werewolf…yum! Jennifer Lynn Barnes has delivered a book that has it all: suspense, humor, mystery, action, romance, and hot wolfity goodness! Oh and BTW…how can you not pick this up? The cover alone is phenomenal!

Raised by wolves is about Bryn, a fifteen-year-old living amongst a pack of werewolves. Her family was attacked and killed by a Rabid (loner/killer werewolf) when she was four and she was saved by Callum (the alpha of the pack). Having a human around is risky and so Callum “Marked” Bryn to show the rest of the pack that she belonged to him and she was not to be harmed. Bryn was also legally adopted by Callum but raised by the only other human in the pack, Alie.

Suddenly Bryn is being given bodyguards (babysitters as far as she is concerned) and no one will tell her why. Alie is pregnant with a werewolf baby and most humans don't survive the birth so Bryn agrees to go with it. But during Alie’s labor Bryn can’t take it anymore so she sneaks out to head to Callum’s.

What she finds at Callum’s is anything then what she expected. When she heads downstairs she finds Chase locked in a cage. He says he was bitten and then shifts into a wolf (uncontrollably), bring back the memories of her parent’s murder. Where did this boy come from? Why was he kept a secret from her? Who bit him? All of these questions seem to draw Bryn to Chase because he may be the only one who can provide the information she needs. But in order to be granted permission to see Chase she must accept a few conditions.

Soon Chase and Bryn begin to form an intense bond, one that may even overshadow their bonds to the pack. After Bryn is punished (understatement) Alie takes Bryn and the twins and leaves the pack but not even the distance can truly separate Bryn and Chase. Soon Bryn, Chase, Lake, and Devon (her two best friends – both werewolves) set out to track down the Rabid and kill him once and for all.

Trial By Fire (the next book in the series) will be out next year and once you read Raised by Wolves I am very confident that you will be as anxious as me to get your hands on it. I loved this book and I know you will too!

New Trailer for The Dark Divine!

The official THE DARK DIVINE teaser trailer is finally here. The trailer is playing this week (a.k.a. the Eclipse premier week) on 37 movie screens at the top 2 ranking theaters in all of North America for the Twilight movies.


Bree Despain is also hosting a BIG giveaway to encourage people to watch and share the video. Click here for more details.
Here it is The Official THE DARK DIVINE Teaser Trailer: