Raised by Wolves by Jennifer Lynn Barnes

Title: Raised by Wolves
Author: Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Series: Raised by Wolves #1
Narrator: Eileen Stevens
Publisher: Audible, Inc. (July 20, 2010)
Length:10 hrs. & 53 mins.
Format: audiobook
Source: Audible.com
Series:  Raised by Wolves #1

Description from Goodreads:

Adopted by the Alpha of a werewolf pack after a rogue wolf brutally killed
her parents right before her eyes, fifteen-year-old Bryn knows only pack life, and the rigid social hierarchy that controls it. That doesn't mean that she's averse to breaking a rule or two.

But when her curiosity gets the better of her and she discovers Chase, a new teen locked in a cage in her guardian's basement, and witnesses him turn into a wolf before her eyes, the horrific memories of her parents' murders return. Bryn becomes obsessed with getting her questions answered, and Chase is the only one who can provide the information she needs.

But in her drive to find the truth, will Bryn push too far beyond the constraints of the pack, forcing her to leave behind her friends, her family, and the identity that she's shaped? Check it out on Goodreads.

My Thoughts:

Jennifer Lynn Barnes has easily written what is one of my favorite werewolf novels. Raised by Wolves flows effortlessly and the language is absolutely beautiful. Her descriptions and the way she takes you into Bren's head have readers feeling as if they are right there with Bren. There isn't a character wasted in Raised by Wolves; every single one of them serves a purpose. This is an extremely rare find! Besides Bren, Callum, the pack alpha and all around head wolf and Devon the metro sexual best friend are my favorite characters. They seem to keep Bren grounded in a world where she is never sure she fits in. I must say that Chase, the male interest, isn't one of my favorites, but seems to have the potential to grow in the next book.
     Bren has been raised by werewolves and in the process has adopted many of their mannerisms, yet she maintains a distinctly human independence that the wolves lack. I have never read a werewolf book that so completely explains the intricacies of the wolf world and the hierarchy that exists. World building in my opinion is extremely important! I can't stress how much I love this book!
     This is a review of the audiobook and I wasn't disappointed! I originally bought this book in hardcover, but never really got into it. I joined Audible and this was the first book that I got. I was hooked! Eileen Stevens does a perfect job of voicing the characters. Once you start the book you will see why this is so impressive! Raised by Wolves gets a 5 STAR rating!

* Raised by Wolves is the first novel in the series, the second is Trial by Fire (out now), the third Taken by Storm is scheduled for publication May 22, 2012.

Q & A: What is your favorite werewolf book?

Movie Musings: Elvis & Anabelle

Title: Elvis & Anabelle
Rated: PG-13
Director: Will Geiger
Run Time: 103 minutes
Actors: Max Minghella, Blake Lively, Joe Mantegna, Keith Carradine, and Mary Steenburgen


Description from Amazon: A small-town beauty queen and an unlicensed mortician set out across the Texas plains on a journey of self-discovery in director Will Geiger's meditative road movie. Annabelle has never known what life is like outside the fiercely competitive world of beauty pageants; her mother's constant demands of physical perfection a never-ending stream of acute, soul-crushing criticism. Elvis doesn't have his mortician's license, but that doesn't stop his eccentric father from putting him to work in the family mortuary. When the sting of her mother's words becomes too painful to endure, Annabelle flees to the town mortuary knowing that is the last place her mother would come looking for her. When Elvis discovers the beautiful Annabelle cowering among the corpses, he sweeps her away on an impromptu road trip so that the pair may free themselves from their daily drudgery long enough to discover their own identities and realize what they really want out of life.

My Musings: When I first saw this movie title I instantly thought please let it not be about THE ELVIS. Luckily for me it isn't. Technically this movie isn't contemporary, but I'm pretending it is. Elvis & Anabelle takes place roughly in the 1950s, but he time isn't key to the story. The dress of the characters even threw me off at times because some of the outfits are what people wear now. Due to the "something" that happens in the beginning of the story I really questioned if this was a supernatural movie until the very end. I have no idea why, I just kept waiting for it to kick in. The fact that I was slightly confused through the whole movie is the only "real problem" I had with the show.
     Now that that is taken care of let's get onto the rest of the show. Elvis is mildly attractive, sort of poor, and strange bordering on weird. He keeps a photo book of the dead people that pass through the mortuary. That's all I have to say. His polar opposite is Anabelle who is played by the beautiful Blake Lively. She is your all American beauty queen; gorgeous, well off, and beloved by the town. These two seemingly opposite people are bound together by their deep sense of familial obligations and pressure. The formula for the movie was pretty predictable until the end. The end was awesome and had me on my seat, nervous, and fingers crossed. This wasn't my favorite movie, but it was good. After watching this my sister watched this movie about twice a week for the next month! So, it's all a matter of taste. If you are looking for a slightly dark, weird, quirky romance give Elvis & Anabelle a chance.  I would give this movie a 3 out of 4 STARs rating.

* This post is part of the Topic of the Month: June Contemporary feature. If you are interested check out the giveaway page for a giveaway of a box of contemporary books.

Top Ten Tuesday: Books to Read in a Day!

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke & The Bookish. Every week a new top ten list is posted and this week is Top Ten Books To Read In A Day! I've been known to stay up to the wee hours of the morning to finish a really good book. These aren't my necessarily my favorites (they're close though), but I really did stay up all and finish these in one day. All of the titles should be linked to their description and review pages on Goodreads.com.

10.) Saving June by Hannah Harrington
 I loved this book! My review just gushes about it! Check out My Review.
9.)Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins  (Hex Hall #1)
 I love books that deal with boarding school! I kind of want to teach at one...and if it was full of witches and shapeshifter, even better.
8.)Splendor Falls by Rosemary Clement Moore
 I love me some southern gothic YA! I thought this book was about vampire from the cover and was so surprised that it wasn't.
7.)Glimmerglass by Jenna Black (Faeriewalker #1)
 I'm a big fan of faerie books. I had judged this one to be all fluff from the cover. I was wrong. This is actually a uniqe take on faeries.
6.)The Summer I Turned Pretty by Jenny Han (Summer #1)
 This is my favorite contemporary series ever! Read My Review!

5.)Anna & The French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
 I was in the mood for a cute romance and this was just the ticket!
4.)Obsidian by Jennifer Armentrout (Lux #1)
 I was unsure going into this book. Everyone else had loved it, but aliens aren't my thing. Let me just say...it was awesome. Check out My Review.
3.)Fall For Anything by Courtney Summers

I found this book to be extremely unique and it made me a life long fan of Courtney Summers. Check out My Review!
2.)Tithe by Holly Black (The Modern Faeries Tales #1)
This is a dark story about faeries and one of my favorite books of all time! I read this at least twice a year and listen to the audiobook.
1.)The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan (The Forest of Hands and Teeth #1)
 I was a freshman in college and after staying up all night I finished this book in my mom's office. Good think too, because I fugly cried! (in case you don't know it is about zombies)

I have started a new feature called Topic of the Month and April is Contemporary! If you are following this feature book numbers 3, 4, 5, 6, & 10 are contemporary reads that I would HIGHLY recommend. These are definitely in my top favorites. If you haven't heard of the Topic of the Month please check it out and tell me what you think!

Braless in Wonderland by Debbie Reed Fischer

Title: Braless in Wonderland
Author: Debbie Reed Fischer
Publisher: Dutton Juvenile (April 17, 2008)
Length: 224 pages
Source: Amazon.com
Format: hardcover

Description from Goodreads:

Allee Rosen is a lot of things: high school senior, overachiever, brain. The one thing Allee is not is supermodel material—at least that’s what she thinks until modeling scouts spot her and she moves to Miami to work with an elite modeling agency. Suddenly Allee is swept up in a whirlwind of designer labels, photo shoots, go-sees and some seriously backstabbing models. Will this fabulous new life go to her head?  Author Debbie Reed Fischer offers readers a fresh, fun, and honest peek into the crazy and glamorous world of professional modeling.

My Thoughts:

    When I discovered this book I had to read it! I'm a closet ANTM addict :) Braless in Wonderland takes a look at a girl who gets sucked into the world of modeling. Alle Rosen planned on spending the last half of her senior year studying like crazy to raise her GPA in the hope of getting as many scholarships as possible to help pay for Yale. Being accidentally discovered at a mall was never part of the plan. Allee learns that models may be made of sugar and spice and things not so nice. This is really a book about a girl overcoming her preconceived notions. Many people (even today) have the idea that models are all "fluff", including Allee. Throughout the book this notion is constantly challenged. Allee will see that not only do models have something going on upstairs, but there is also a darker side. Underage drinking, partying, drug use, and the question of compromising morals are all tackled in Braless in Wonderland.  I must say that I enjoyed this book more than I originally thought I would. Allee was a character I really liked, but her roommates really add dimension to the story. Braless in Wonderland really surprised me! I wasn't expecting that ending and all though this is a stand alone book (as far as I know) I would love to see a sequel! This book does have some "mature" themes as mentioned above. Braless in Wonderland gets a 3 1/2 STAR rating!

* This book is part of the Topic of the Month Feature- Contemporary April. Let me know what you think about this idea and what you think about Braless in Wonderland. If you had the chance to be a model would you give up the last semester of your senior year?

New Feature! Topic of the Month

I've been trying to think of other things I can put on the blog so it isn't just book reviews. In addition to reviews I try to post IMMs on Sunday, Top Ten lists on Tuesday, and Thrifty finds on Thursdays. So, the new plan is that every month will have a theme and on the Monday of each week a something relating to that month's topic will be posted. These post can include reviews of books, movies, facts/myths, and maybe I can find the money to throw in a few giveaways!

Months-

April- Contemporary
May- Faeries
June- Werewolves
July- Adult-to -YA Crossover
August- Romance
September- Angels/Demons
October- Witches
November- Vampires
December- Dystopian

 April is the Month of Contemporary!

The Contemporary genre for me is classified as a book that takes place relatively close to the time period we're in. These books are "real life". (this means no Supernatural!) Most of the time they deal with school life and tough topics, i.e. disorders, family problems, etc.

April Contemporary Plan-

April 2- Book Review of Braless in Wonderland by Debbie Reed Fischer

April 8- Movie Review of Elvis and Annabelle

April 15- Book Review of Dirty Little Secrets by C.J. Omololu

April 22- I tell you about my FAVORITE contemporary reads

April 29- Book Review of Get Well Soon by Julie Halpern



* I will try to throw some other contemporary reviews in along with these.
* Also let me know what you think of this plan in the comments. Do you have any suggestions, ideas, or things you would like to see?