Rift by Andrea Cremer

Title: Rift
Author: Andrea Cremer
Publisher: Philomel; First Edition edition (August 7, 2012)
Length: 464 pages
Format: ARC

Description from Goodreads:

Chronicling the rise of the Keepers, this is the stunning prequel to Andrea Cremer's internationally bestselling Nightshade trilogy!

Sixteen-year-old Ember Morrow is promised to a group called Conatus after one of their healers saves her mother's life. Once she arrives, Ember finds joy in wielding swords, learning magic, and fighting the encroaching darkness loose in the world. She also finds herself falling in love with her mentor, the dashing, brooding, and powerful Barrow Hess. When the knights realize Eira, one of their leaders, is dabbling in dark magic, Ember and Barrow must choose whether to follow Eira into the nether realm or to pledge their lives to destroying her and her kind.

With action, adventure, magic, and tantalizing sensuality, this book is as fast-paced and breathtaking as the Nightshade novels.

My Thoughts:

     Rift is the first book in the prequel series to the Nightshade trilogy by Andrea Cremer. I read the trilogy and liked id. When first reading Rift I was expecting more of the same. I could have been more wrong. Rift was infinitely better than Nightshade. Ember is tough, but has a softer side that draws the other characters to her. She has a long road ahead of her, but she can kick some serious butt and can handle it. The other character I absolutely loved was Barrow. He's fierce, strong, smart, resourceful, and protective. An all around great guy. Call me crazy, but the fact that he is slightly older than Ember is an attractive feature of his (not creepily older). The rest of the characters are great as well, but I don't want to give too much away.
     Now, onto this "new old world" of Rift. Let me tell you that I was surprised that there were no werewolves in the story. I was disappointed at first, but I quickly got over it. Rift is full of action and amazing fighting by all of the characters. Some new and old monsters and bad guys are introduced and set Rift up to be a promising continuation of the world Nightshade introduced us to. The thing that makes this world so amazing is the depth Ms. Cremer has put into creating it. The combination of old world, religion, and monsters is truly beautiful. As much as I liked Andrea Cremer's writing previously, Rift has elevated her to a whole new level. This book gets a 4 1/2 STAR rating.

* I received this ARC through trade with another blogger

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

Title: Throne of Glass
Author: Sarah J. Maas
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Childrens; 1 edition (August 7, 2012)
Series: Throne of Glass #1
Length: 416 pages
Format: paperback (ARC)

Description 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 kings 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 exhilarating. 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.

My Thoughts:

The idea of an 18 year old female assassin was the first and ultimate factor that drew me to this book. Then add in the potential for a love triangle and I just couldn't resist. Celaena is an amazing heroine! She is strong, semi-moral (for the most part), skilled, smart, and resourceful. Her feats in the story absolutely thrilled me! She is like the Sydney Bristow of the fantasy world. I want to be her! Add in the competition against 23 men and the pressure of having the king hate her, you have one tough woman. The prince and guard captain were both great additions to the story. They are complete opposites and somehow balance each other out. I must admit that I was looking for a little more romance, but in the end I wasn't disappointed. Sarah J. Maas definitely knows what she is doing. In the next book I hope some of the relationships do develop a little more. The world created in Throne of Glass was amazing and somewhat unexpected all at the same time. The introduction of "magic" was a wonderful little shock for me. A new world is created with the slightest hints of mythology. If there was anything I would change it would be the names of some of these mythological people in Throne of Glass. They were too similar to some well known myths while still trying to be different (does this make sense?). At the end of the day I loved this book. The second one can't come soon enough and I hope that it will be more than a trilogy. Fingers crossed. I give this book a 4 1/2 STAR rating.

***This review refers to an ARC copy that I received through trade with another blogger

Can't Buy Me Love by Molly O'Keefe

Title: Can't Buy Me Love
Author: Molly O'Keefe
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group (June 26, 2012)
Length: 368 pages
Format: ARC paperback
Source: Goodreads First Reads Program


Description from Goodreads:

A girl from the wrong side of the tracks, Tara Jean Sweet knows that opportunity will never knock; she’ll have to seize it. Elderly Texas rancher Lyle Baker has a dying request: He will give Tara Jean a stake in his leather business in exchange for a little family subterfuge. All Tara Jean has to do is play the part of a gold-digging fiancée to lure Lyle’s estranged children home. The mission is soon accomplished.

Now Lyle’s gone—and his ridiculously handsome son, Luc, an ice hockey superstar sidelined by injuries, is the new owner of Crooked Creek ranch. He’s also Tara Jean’s boss. But being so close to sinfully sweet Tara Jean does crazy things to Luc’s priorities, like make him want to pry her deepest secrets from those irresistible lips. But when Tara Jean’s past demands a dirty showdown, will Luc stay and fight?


My Thoughts:

Molly O'Keefe creates characters whom many readers will connect to. Tara Jean Sweet, the heroine of the story, comes from a troubled past. She has decided to change her ways, but in the process does a complete 180. Tara is afraid to show her true self for fear of rejection and is on the run from her past. Although many of her past actions are extreme readers will be able to sympathize with the regret she feels for having wronged so many people. Luc is a man who needs help. After a horrible and abusive childhood he finally made something of himself only to be told he has to give it up. His character is hard headed and stubborn at times, but it is his way of protecting those he cares about the most.

As for the plot and setting of the story...I loved it. Who wouldn't admire an author who can combine, Canada, Texas, ranching, leather fashion, a sexy hockey player, and a bad girl? The romance/sexual tension in this book is not only HOT, but also believable. This is something I often find missing in many romance novels. Molly O'Keefe adds the perfect combination of action, stumbling blocks, and one dastardly villain who will have readers wanting to punch him in the face sprinkled between the romance. Can't Buy Me Love is more than just a romance novel. This is a book about a woman who comes to terms with the mistakes of her past and learns that even though she made mistakes she is worthy of a future and worthy of being loved.

**I received this book through the Goodreads First Reads program in exchange for my honest review(less)

Keep Holding On by Susane Colasanti

Title: Keep Holding On
Author: Susane Colasanti
Publisher: Viking Juvenille (May 31, 2012)
Length: 224 pages
Source: LibaryThing Early Reviewers
Format: Advanced Reader Copy- paperback

Description from Goodreads:


A romantic and empowering book about bullying

Noelle's life is all about survival. Even her best friend doesn't know how much she gets bullied, or the ways her mom neglects her. Noelle's kept so much about her life a secret for so long that when her longtime crush Julian Porter starts paying attention to her, she's terrified. Surely it's safer to stay hidden than to risk the pain of a broken heart. But when the antagonism of her classmates takes a dramatic turn, Noelle realizes it's time to stand up for herself--and for the love that keeps her holding on.

My Thoughts:

Noelle is a girl who has had a tough break in life. Her father is an addict who left when she was young, her mother simply doesn't care, she is poor, malnourished,has low self esteem, a hidden relationship, and very few friends. Susane Colasanti has created a character that you can't help but feel sorry for and wish you were there to be her friend. That said, this short book packed in a little too much. On top of everything listed above Keep Holding On also touches on rape, tons of bullying, teen suicide and has the classic most-popular-boy-falls-for-outcast-girl senario happening. It seemed as if the author was trying to pack in every negative experience and cliche someone could have in high shool in a little over 200 pages. The way everything was tidely wrapped up in the end was also slightly unbelievable. The conflicts were resolved, the "bad guys" were a little deeper than we thought and got "theirs" in the end, and the "good guys" lived happily ever after. After having said all of this the book wasn't horrible. Keep Holding On touches many harmful aspects that go ignored everyday, that if someone would take the time to care about could be solved. Although the characters in the book are older teens this would probably appeal more to those in the 12 to 15 year old range. Keep Holding On is a book that makes you examine the way you treat/ed others in school and look to see what you could/ve done differently. I give this book a (just made it) 2 1/2 STAR rating.

**I was provided this book by the publisher via LibraryThing Early Reviewers in exchange for my honest opinion.

The Hunt by Andrew Fukuda

Title: The Hunt
Author: Andrew Fukuda
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin (May 8, 2012)
Length: 304 pages
Format: ARC paperback
Source: LibraryThing & Goodreads

Description from Goodreads:

Gene is different from everyone else around him.  He can’t run with lightning speed, sunlight doesn’t hurt him and he doesn’t have an unquenchable lust for blood.  Gene is a human, and he knows the rules.  Keep the truth a secret.  It’s the only way to stay alive in a world of night—a world where humans are considered a delicacy and hunted for their blood.

When he’s chosen for a once in a lifetime opportunity to hunt the last remaining humans, Gene’s carefully constructed life begins to crumble around him.  He’s thrust into the path of a girl who makes him feel things he never thought possible—and into a ruthless pack of hunters whose suspicions about his true nature are growing. Now that Gene has finally found something worth fighting for, his need to survive is stronger than ever—but is it worth the cost of his humanity?

My Thoughts:

The Hunt was a refreshing new take on the vampire story. Normally I am not a fan of books written in the male perspective, but The Hunt was extremely well done. In fact it has one of if not my favorite male point of views. Gene is intelligent, thoughtful, and resourceful. He has had to live his entire life hiding that he is a human and pretending to be the very thing that has almost wiped out his species. One of the things I found most interesting about this is that Gene sees himself differently from the humans/hepers that are in captivity. He more so identifies with the vampires and sees the humans as them/the others. In this The Hunt presents a very complex view of how we see ourselves and will make you wonder what you would do in his situation. Gene's female counterpart Ashley June intrigued me from the very beginning and kept it up throughout the whole book. Readers will constantly wonder is she a blood thirsty vampire or maybe she is a vamp with a heart. There is one part in the book where she describes what she wants from Gene and it was absolutely beautiful. I can't think of any book that describes what someone with a one sided love wants more. This book has so many wonderful components it is hard to describe them all. If you are someone who likes their vamps mean this is the book for you! They are superior, dirty, and as blood thirsty as ever! The only negative or part of The Hunt that threw me for a loop was the "armpit" thing, but I'll let you discover that for yourself.

The Hunt by Andrew Fukuda is a must read for 2012! If you liked the movie Daybreakers you should give this a try. I give this book a 4 STAR rating!

***I received this book (x2) for free in exchange for my honest opinion through the Goodreads First Reads program and LibraryThing Early Reviewers

~GIVEAWAY~

Up for grabs is my extra advanced reader copy of The Hunt by Andrew Fukuda! The cover on the arc is different than the final cover pictured above. This giveaway is for US only and will end on May 15.

In My Mailbox 4/8

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristy at The Story Siren. What is this you might ask? It's where a bunch of book lovers (like me) show you what bookish things we got in the mail over the week. Most people post their's on Sunday, but I'm a rebel (euphemism for lazy) and occasionally post mine on Monday mornings.

Books I Bought

Grave Mercy by Robin LaFevers

Won/ for Review

Dark Eden 2: Eye of Destruction ARC by Patrick Carmen- Goodreads First Reads

Into the Darkness by V.C. Andrews- another copy just showed up in the mail...future giveaway! Thanks to Pocket Star

Starters by Lissa Price (ARC) - thanks to Random House's Randombuzzers

* It's not a book, but I did buy the Hunger Games soundtrack last night! I haven't seen the movie yet, but I love the music!

I was extremely excited to see all of these wonderful packages/books in my mailbox this week! So, what did you get? Any books you've really been looking forward to reading? 



Dark Eyes by William Richter

Title: Dark Eyes
Author: William Richter
Publisher: Razorbill (March 15, 2012)
Length: 373 pages
Source: LibraryThing Early Reviewers
Format: softcover Advanced Readers Copy

Description from Goodreads:

Wally was adopted from a Russian orphanage as a child and grew up in a wealthy New York City family. At 15, her obsessive need to rebel led her to life on the streets. Now the 16-year-old is beautiful and hardened, and she's just stumbled across the possibility of discovering who she really is. "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" for teens, this debut thriller introduces a new heroine. Click Here for link to Goodreads page.

My Thoughts:

Going into reading Dark Eyes by William Richter I was a little leery. This book isn't my normal type and once I started to read realized it isn't a typical YA novel either. Wally is one tough girl! Adopted from Russia at a young age, taken in by a wealthy American family who splits up, and Wally decides that she likes living on the streets better. You would think this was enough drama for one girl, but no. Wally is searching for her birth mother, dealing with the death of a close friend, and being tracked by Russian killers. These events make for one action packed book! This is a story that will appeal to action fans of both sexes. William Richter's writing allows you to feel as if you are there in the battle moment and allows you to connect to Wally and experience her self imposed isolation and inexplicable need to belong. I really liked all of the characters in the story with the exception of Wally's three crew members. There is just something irritatingly overly needy about them. The only other thing that botherd me in was I couldn't quite nail down/ understand why Wally would want to live in the streets. I just didn't get it. Dark Eyes is a book with crazy plot twists that will keep you turning the pages until the very end. Although I'm not sure this is my type of book I greatly enjoyed the wild ride it took me on. I give this book a 4 STAR rating.

***I received an ARC copy of Dark Eyes by William Richter through the LibraryThing Early Reviewers program in exchange for an honest review.

The Disenchantments by Nina LaCour

Title: The Disenchantments
Author: Nina LaCour
Publisher: Dutton Juvenille (February 16, 2012)
Length: 304 pages
Source: LibraryThing Early Reviewers
Edition: Advanced Readers Copy

From the Back of the Book:

      Colby & Bev have a long-standing pact: graduate, hit the road with Bev's band, and then spend the year wandering around Europe. But moments after the tour kicks off, Bev makes a shocking announcement: she's abandoning their plans...and Colby...to go her own way in the fall.
     But the show must go on and The Disenchantments weave through the Pacific Northwest, playing in small towns and dingy venues, while roadie-Colby struggles to deal with Bev's already-growing distance and the most important question of all: what's next?
My Thoughts:

From the cover of The Disenchantments I was expecting a light, fluffy, fun summer novel. That is not the case. Instead I got a wonderfully different surprise. The Disenchantments is one of those hard to describe books. It's a story about growing up, growing apart, realizing some childhood dreams are just dreams, and that sometimes you need to follow your own path. This book is both happy and sad all at the same time, but most of all it is real. Nina LaCour brings to life heartache, pain, fun, and first love in the pages of The Disenchantments.
     The male perspective of Colby, his love for Bev, and their relationships with Meg and Alexa were amazing. Colby is an idealistic dreamer who actually follows through with his plans. Bev...Bev is an enigma, a mystery that I spent the whole book trying to figure out, and in the end she had the simplest explanation. Meg is the tough girl hiding a broken interior and Alexa is a lot like Colby. She's an innocent dreamer who believes in the good and sees the brighter side. (After Colby, Alexa was my favorite character) The adventure that they had is something that I wish I could experience. Throughout this supposed happy time of their life, there was a constant sense of sadness, of finality. I believe that we all feel this at one point in our lives. That moment when we are transitioning from childhood to adulthood, that moment that we have all longed for, and when it finally comes we put it off until it catches us.
      Colby and The Disenchantments went on one of the most epic road trips ever and in the end came out different, they grew up. The Disenchantments made me angry, happy, and sad all at the same time. I simply loved it. I give this book a 4 1/2 STAR rating.

Tempest by Julie Cross

Title: Tempest
Author: Julie Cross
Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin ( January 17, 2012)
Series: Tempest #1 trilogy
# of Pages: 341
Source: LibraryThing Early Reviewers *I was provided this book free of charge in exchange for a review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Edition: ARC softcover


Book Description: From Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Tempest-Novel-Julie-Cross/dp/0312568894/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1327100830&sr=8-1

The year is 2009.  Nineteen-year-old Jackson Meyer is a normal guy… he’s in college, has a girlfriend… and he can travel back through time. But it’s not like the movies – nothing changes in the present after his jumps, there’s no space-time continuum issues or broken flux capacitors – it’s just harmless fun.

That is… until the day strangers burst in on Jackson and his girlfriend, Holly, and during a struggle with Jackson, Holly is fatally shot. In his panic, Jackson jumps back two years to 2007, but this is not like his previous time jumps. Now he’s stuck in 2007 and can’t get back to the future.

Desperate to somehow return to 2009 to save Holly but unable to return to his rightful year, Jackson settles into 2007 and learns what he can about his abilities.

But it’s not long before the people who shot Holly in 2009 come looking for Jackson in the past, and these “Enemies of Time” will stop at nothing to recruit this powerful young time-traveler.  Recruit… or kill him.

Piecing together the clues about his father, the Enemies of Time, and himself, Jackson must decide how far he’s willing to go to save Holly… and possibly the entire world.

My Thoughts:

I received Tempest for review several months ago and when I started reading...I just couldn't get into it. Time travel isn't something I have ever read about on the YA level. I have only experienced it in romance novels. As far as the time travel aspect I haven't ran into anything like other than a movie that only shares small similarities (Jumper). Tempest is completely original and told from the male perspective, something rarely seen in this genre. The beginning of the book through the first 200 pages was boring and slightly confused me. There was just an overall lack of action. There were several times I contemplated not finishing the book, but it's my job. I am glad that I did.

The second half of the book was exponentially better in my opinion. Not only was it packed with action, but I began to feel a connection with the characters. The scenes with Jackson and Courtney, his sister, were amazing. They were so heartbreaking and in one scene in particular there may have been a stray tear shed. The interaction with the EOTs (Enemies of Time) were pretty awesome too. I feel a new super villain has been born. The last thing about the second half that must be addressed is the ending. And what an ending it was! Never in a million years would I have pictured it turning out like that. Now come the question of will I be reading the rest of the series? The answer is I don't know. ** I must be honest before I give my rating. Time travel isn't a subject I particularly enjoy. To make up for any bias on my part I am adding 1/2 star to my rating. I give this book a 3 STAR rating.

Book Haul/ In My Mailbox

I have been a bad girl. I cannot control myself around good book deals. The following books are ones I've acquired over the last few weeks from amazon, Hastings, Target, won, or gotten for review. If you want to see what other bloggers have gotten in their mailbox or picked up recently you can go to The Story Siren website where Kristi started this craze.

Books I Bought

Confessions of a First Daughter by Cassidy Calloway

Secrets of a First Daughter by Cassidy Calloway

Claim To Fame by Margaret Pereterson Haddix

She's So Dead to Us by Kieran Scott

War of the Witches by Maite Carranza

Night Runner by Max Turner

You, Maybe by Rachel Vail

Dreamdark: Blackbringer by Laini Taylor

Boy Heaven by Laura Kasischke

Shrinking Violet by Danielle Joseph

Bite Me! by Melissa Francis

Love Sucks! by Melissa Francis

Craze by Melissa Darnell

Soul Screamers bindup (1-3) by Rachel Vincent

Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare

For Review

The Disenchantments by Nina LaCour (LibraryThing Early Reviewers)

Hallowed by Cynthia Hand ebook (NetGalley)

Won!

Queen of the Dead by Stacey Kade personalized + signed bookmark swag (perhaps to be given away at a later date?)

Thanks to Stacey Kade who signed and sent it to me and to Lynsey Newton at Narratively Speaking for the giveaway!

Where Can I Get Books Cheap? or FREE?

     Hello, my name is Brandi and I am a book buying addict. So, I'm a full time college student with a part time job. As you can imagine I'm not rolling in money. This does not stop my book buying habit. I search for deals, rate my books in order of most wanted, enter giveaways, anything you can imagine to get books. How do I keep my supply coming?
     First off, amazon is my homepage if that gives you a clue. New releases are really cheap here. When a new release normally averages $17.99 you can get it on amazon for 11.99. Also on amazon there are the bargain books. They range from $20 and under, $10 and under, and my favorite $5 and under. For example, right now you can get the first three books in The Immortals series by Alyson Noel in a boxed set with a poster for $3.99. I have a Kindle. There are tons of cheap if not free books on Kindle. They range from the classic to romance. Take advantage! Lastly on amazon there is the AmazonPrime membership. Last time I checked they offer this service free for a year if you sign up for amazon student prime. This allows free two day shipping on most books purchased from them, and $3.99 one day shipping. The up side? I got an offer to renew my membership for $39.99 and that gave me access to free TV shows and movies.Prime members can also borrow Kindle books from the prime library and Kindle users can borrow from each other. Last, but certainly not least, go to amazon book buyback. You can sell most books, dvd, etc. back to amazon for an amazon gift card. Show amazon some love!
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=&x=25&y=28

On to a new book buying venture. I'm not sure how widespread it is, but my favorite store is Hastings. This store offers dvds, blu-rays, video games, music, various electronics, and my favorite...book! In the store they normally have deals on used books like 5 for $25, or bargain books, or clearance books. I actually got an illustrated new copy of Purgatorio by Dante gor $0.99. Yeah, you read that right ninety nine cents! And the bargain prices? I got Water Wars by Cameron Stracher for $3.99 and used I got Sisters Red by Jackson Pierce for $3.99. You think this is awesome? Just wait until you go to their website. http://www.gohastings.com/?attempts=1  Friend/like them on facebook and make an account online. Make sure to sign up for their email news letters. These aren't the normal annoying emails from companies, these are goooood! On the site you can find used hardback editions for $3.99 and in an email you might get a code word to take 40% off your purchase. This means you could get your book for...$2.39! The beauty? All used books ship for free!
     Now, here comes the websites. I was first introduced to the online world of books on www.librarything.com you can find me here under the username of Brennedy. This site has book reviews, groups, clubs, etc. The best part is there is a group called The Early Reviewer. (you can find a link on my profile page and feel free to friend me) This is where authors/publishers provide ARC or Advanced Readers Copies to be given away. ( I received The Probability of Miracles by Wendy Wunder through this) In exchange for being chosen you are asked to review the book on the website. There are also audio books and ebooks offered. Then there is the member giveaway. This is where authors or people who just want to get rid of book give their books away.  In the same line as LibraryThing is Goodreads www.goodreads.com . Make an account, go to the drop down box labeled explore and click on giveaways. Here you can register to win free ARC and books. Also on these sites are places that will connect you to people who want to swap books and you can request a book to be swapped here also.
     Next is cruise YouTube. Look at book hauls, bookshelf tours, In My Mailboxes. Sometimes booktubers will have blogs. Bloggers and booktubers will sometimes have contests to give away books.
     Miscellaneous: Check out Goodwill stores! You can't get any better that $1 books. Go to garage sales they sell books there too. Guess what your library has books too. The library also sells old books, both your public and school library. Go to your local used book stores!
***If you have any questions email me and put Where Can I Get Cheap Books as the subject***