Angelfire by Courtney Allison Moulton

Title: Angelfire

Author: Courtney Allison Moulton

Series: Angelfire #1

Genre: YA, Paranormal, Paranormal Romance, Angels

Publisher: HarperCollins / Katherine Tegen Books

Release Date: 2011, February 15

Format: Hardcover, 464 pages

Source: Netgalley 

Rating: 3.75/5

Synopsis:

This debut, the first novel in a trilogy, is achingly romantic, terrifying, and filled with blistering action.

When seventeen-year-old Ellie starts seeing reapers - monstrous creatures who devour humans and send their souls to Hell - she finds herself on the front lines of a supernatural war between archangels and the Fallen and faced with the possible destruction of her soul.

A mysterious boy named Will reveals she is the reincarnation of an ancient warrior, the only one capable of wielding swords of angelfire to fight the reapers, and he is an immortal sworn to protect her in battle. Now that Ellie's powers have been awakened, a powerful reaper called Bastian has come forward to challenge her. He has employed a fierce assassin to eliminate her - an assassin who has already killed her once.

While balancing her dwindling social life and reaper-hunting duties, she and Will discover Bastian is searching for a dormant creature believed to be a true soul reaper. Bastian plans to use this weapon to ignite the End of Days and to destroy Ellie's soul, ending her rebirth cycle forever. Now, she must face an army of Bastian's most frightening reapers, prevent the soul reaper from consuming her soul, and uncover the secrets of her past lives - including truths that may be too frightening to remember.

Review:

Ellie Monroe thinks she's just your normal everyday high school senior.  The truth is she's not.  She's not your normal everyday high school senior.

Ellis has been having nightmares for a LONG time.  VIOLENT nightmares.  She has everyone, with the exception of her best friend Kate, convinced that the nightmares have stopped.  But really Ellie's just used to them because they are pretty much a nightly thing.

Then she meets Will.  To Ellie Will is vaguely familiar but she's not really able to place where she's seen him before.

Then Ellie's economics teacher is brutally murdered and that's when things start getting REALLY weird.  One night while on a walk she hears a growl and then Will shows up not long after.  After giving Will crap she's headed for home when the growl happens again.  This time Will grabs her and puts, for a lack of a better word, a "spell" on Ellie.  Now she's able to see into the Grim.  Now the nightmares are starting to make sense.

Ellie is a Preliator.  The ONLY mortal in the world with the power to fight the reapers.  And Will?  Will is Ellie's Guardian, sworn to protect Ellie.

I had NO problem getting into this book.  Once I started it I just had to keep reading...I had to know what was going to happen next.  But that's where things start to go a little bit south for me.

I had a hard time relating to Ellie.  Ellie comes from a rich family (I don't know about you but I did NOT get a $30K car for my 17th B-Day) and up until recently really didn't have very many worries.  I felt she was a little bit on the spoiled side and really almost had to be forced to rise to the occasion when trouble starting happening (with both the reapers and her dad.)  I thought that the process that Ellie was going through to remember her past took to long and was a little bit too drawn out.

I did really enjoy the flashbacks and memories from Ellie's past.  They painted a very vibrant picture of Ellie's past as the Preliator.

I also really enjoyed the action and fight scenes.  Very well crafted, though at times I felt that they were a tab bit repetitive.

Overall, I did enjoy this debut and I will be checking out the next book in the series as well.

Hunger by Jackie Morse Kessler

Title: Hunger

Author: Jackie Morse Kessler

Series: Horsemen of the Apocalypse #1

Genre: YA, Paranormal, Fantasy

Publisher: Harcourt Graphia

Release Date: 2010, October 18

Format: Paperback, 180 pages

Source: Purchased with my own money

Rating: 4.75/5

Synopsis:

“Thou art the Black Rider. Go thee out unto the world.”

Lisabeth Lewis has a black steed, a set of scales, and a new job: she’s been appointed Famine. How will an anorexic seventeen-year-old girl from the suburbs fare as one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse?

Traveling the world on her steed gives Lisa freedom from her troubles at home: her constant battle with hunger, and her struggle to hide it from the people who care about her. But being Famine forces her to go places where hunger is a painful part of everyday life, and to face the horrifying effects of her phenomenal power. Can Lisa find a way to harness that power — and the courage to battle her own inner demons?

Review:

I saw the cover of this book while checking out different YA titles on Goodreads one morning and thought that it sounded like something really interesting.  Something I needed to read NOW...So I got a copy.

I really liked the premise of the story - Horsemen of the Apocalypse and a 17 year old anorexic teenage girl as the new famine.  I thought the story overall was shockingly "real" almost to the point of being scary and uncomfortable for someone who has never dealt with the issues brought up in the book.  The research (the learning about famine) and the "the research" (from the author's personal experience) were very accurate and painted a lot of "not so pretty" pictures about eating disorders and world hunger.

Lisa is the new famine because of her eating disorder.  The "Thin Voice" keeps telling her that she's fat.  Then Death come along and throws famine in her lap.  At first she's scared to death (pun intended) of being famine.  But as the story progresses she becomes more comfortable with her new power.  She even conquers the blasted "Thin Voice".  Even kicks a little ass too!

The character that I liked the most was Death.  He wasn't real prominent character but when he was around it was memorable.  He was good looking too.  Sort of Kurt Cobainish only better and undead.

The character that I liked the least?...Hands down was the "Thin Voice."  I could NOT stand the "Thin Voice."

2011 YA Historical Challenge

Hosted by Yabliss.com

I've been searching around the web for a YA historical fiction challenge and I think there is none. So, I'm thinking of hosting it, hoping readers will embrace this awesome genre within YA that is full of outstanding books and many upcoming releases. If people really start to sign up, I will have exclusive giveaways for participants during the year. Lets see how it goes and I will post again with updates. Share the word! (feel free to grab the image as button)

Historical fiction: tells a story that is set in the past. That setting is usually real and drawn from history, and often contains actual historical persons, but the principal characters tend to be fictional. Writers of stories in this genre, while penning fiction, attempt to capture the spirit, manners, and social conditions of the persons or time(s) presented in the story, with due attention paid to period detail and fidelity. (Wikipedia)

UPDATE! Some Lists:
- New YA Historical Fiction 2011
- Teen Historical Fiction 
- My Goodreads Historical Fiction shelf here!

Choose your level:

Level 1: 5 YA HF books in 2011

Level 2: 10 YA HF books in 2011

Level 3: 15 YA HF books in 2011

 Rules:

• All Historical Fiction books must be YA or MG
• Books don't have to be 2011 releases.
• Anyone can join. Please link to a public (web) place I can find you.
• You can join at anytime. The challenge runs from January 1, 2011 to December 31, 2011

Click here to go to the sign up page.

My Level - Level 3
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In My Mailbox #2

Welcome to In My Mailbox! You can find out how to participate and the "official" details on the IMM page.

IMM is a meme I started here at The Story Siren with some inspiration from Alea of Pop Culture Junkie.

The idea behind IMM was not only to put new books on your radar but to also encourage blogger interaction. IMM explores the weekly contents of my mailbox & books bought. And sometimes other fun goodies.

Anyone can participate in IMM and you are not limited to only sharing books that arrive via your mailbox. You can also share books that you've bought or books that you've gotten at the library.

**NetGalley**

What happens to the girls nobody sees—the ones who are ignored, mistreated, hidden away? The girls nobody hears when they cry for help?

Fourteen-year-old Luce is one of those lost girls. After her father vanishes in a storm at sea, she is stuck in a grim, gray Alaskan fishing village with her alcoholic uncle. When her uncle crosses an unspeakable line, Luce reaches the depths of despair. Abandoned on the cliffs near her home, she expects to die when she tumbles to the icy, churning waves below. Instead, she undergoes an astonishing transformation and becomes a mermaid.

A tribe of mermaids finds Luce and welcomes her in—all of them, like her, lost girls who surrendered their humanity in the darkest moments of their lives. The mermaids are beautiful, free, and ageless, and Luce is thrilled with her new life until she discovers the catch: they feel an uncontrollable desire to drown seafarers, using their enchanted voices to lure ships into the rocks.

Luce’s own talent at singing captures the attention of the tribe’s queen, the fierce and elegant Catarina, and Luce soon finds herself pressured to join in committing mass murder. Luce’s struggle to retain her inner humanity puts her at odds with her friends; even worse, Catarina seems to regard Luce as a potential rival. But the appearance of a devious new mermaid brings a real threat to Catarina’s leadership and endangers the very existence of the tribe. Can Luce find the courage to challenge the newcomer, even at the risk of becoming rejected and alone once again?

Lost Voices is a captivating and wildly original tale about finding a voice, the healing power of friendship, and the strength it takes to forgive.

**Library**

Five months ago, Valerie Leftman's boyfriend, Nick, opened fire on their school cafeteria. Shot trying to stop him, Valerie inadvertently saved the life of a classmate, but was implicated in the shootings because of the list she helped create. A list of people and things she and Nick hated. The list he used to pick his targets.

Now, after a summer of seclusion, Val is forced to confront her guilt as she returns to school to complete her senior year. Haunted by the memory of the boyfriend she still loves and navigating rocky relationships with her family, former friends and the girl whose life she saved, Val must come to grips with the tragedy that took place and her role in it, in order to make amends and move on with her life.

Fifteen- year- old Milo J. Wright and his best friend, Eden, are crazy to even consider participating in the election for President of the United States of America, aren't they? Never mind that Milo is twenty years too young. Never mind the fact that he'll have to balance the election with school, his lawn- mowing job, soccer practice, and trying to understand girls. There are times in life when you just have to go for something, no matter how impossible. Readers will discover that everyone, no matter what age, has something valuable to say.

Imagine waking up one day in total darkness, unsure of where you are and unable to remember anything about yourself except your first name. You're in a bizarre place devoid of adults called the Glade. The Glade is an enclosed structure with a jail, a graveyard, a slaughterhouse, living quarters, and gardens. And no way out. Outside the Glade is the Maze, and every day some of the kids -- the Runners -- venture into the labyrinth, trying to map the ever-changing pattern of walls in an attempt to find an exit from this hellish place. So far, no one has figured it out. And not all of the Runners return from their daily exertions, victims of the maniacal Grievers, part animal, part mechanical killing machines.

Thomas is the newest arrival to the Glade in this Truman-meets-Lord of the Flies tale. A motley crew of half a dozen kids is all he has to guide him in this strange world. As soon as he arrives, unusual things begin to happen, and the others grow suspicious of him. Though the Maze seems somehow familiar to Thomas, he's unable to make sense of the place, despite his extraordinary abilities as a Runner. What is this place, and does Thomas hold the key to finding a way out?

In The Maze Runner, Dashner has crafted a creative and engaging novel that's both mysterious and thought provoking.

Adversary by Kate Kaynak

Title: Adversary

Author: Kate Kaynak

Series: Ganzfield  #2

Genre: YA, Paranormal, Romance

Publisher: Spencer Hill Press

Release Date: 2010, August 20

Format: Paperback, 238 pages

Source: Sent by author for honest review

Rating: 5/5

Synopsis:

Things are more dangerous than they seem at Ganzfield, and not everyone will survive. Does Maddie have what it takes?
See what happens next in the sequel to Minder.

Review:
I apologize for taking so long to get this review posted.  I had written in a notebook and then put the notebook in a "safe place."  But now the notebook is found again so I can get this review posted! :)

I'll be honest....I usually get a little nervous with second books.  There just have been a few in the past that just did NOT appeal to me at all.  That was NOT the case with this book. This book, just like Minder, sucked me in and I had to keep going. The action is almost non-stop from the very beginning...which I really liked.  The first few chapters ALONE are in my opinion beyond belief!  AMAZING!

I'm still a little lukewarm on Maddie and Trevor's relationship.  But I think that it's starting to develop into a more "realistic" relationship.  Yeah for relationship growth!

What I'm really liking about this series is that even the minor characters play a MAJOR role in the telling of the story.  I also enjoyed the new character Zack.  I LOVED how he shook things up between Maddie and Trevor.

I also love how the author throws TONS of curve balls at you.  I LOVE an exciting story.  It kind of irks me when I read a story where the story builds and builds and then just levels off.  That did NOT happen with this story at all!

What I didn't care for was that it took me entirely way to long to read it.  I'm going to place the blame for that on my brother's wedding preparations....I REALLY got into that.

Blog Hops

What is your favorite Cover?

It doesn't get released until May but so far the cover for Chain Reaction is really floating my boat.

No question this week.  Yeah to the Saints for beating the Cowboys!

Teaser Tuesday ~ Angelfire by Courtney Allison Moulton

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My Teaser:

The Red and bolded text is the teaser.

"Bastian wants me to kill you before you stop us from getting the Enshi," the reaper hissed, blasting me with his hot, rancid breath.  "With you out of the way for a few years, we won't have to worry about you spoiling our plans.  And when you come back, Preliator, the Enshi will be here waiting for you and you'll no longer be a threat.  You won't even be a concern.  Your destruction will be your homecoming gift."

The Mockingbirds giveaway

I am giving away a copy of The Mockingbirds by Daisy Whitney, which will be ordered from Book Depository.  I'll make the rules for this giveaway SUPER EASY.  Here they are:

1. Since I'm ordering this book from Book Depository I am making this INTERNATIONAL (to any country that book depository ships to).

2. The contest will end December 9, 2010 at 11:59 pm CST.

3. All you have to do to enter is leave a comment with an email address in it.

Matched Giveaway

I am giving away a copy of Matched by Ally Condie, which will be ordered from Book Depository.  I'll make the rules for this giveaway SUPER EASY.  Here they are:

1. Since I'm ordering this book from Book Depository I am making this INTERNATIONAL (to any country that book depository ships to.

2. The contest will end December 9, 2010 at 11:59 pm CST.

3. All you have to do to enter is leave a comment with an email address in it.

2011 Debut Author Challenge

Hosted By: The Story Siren

2011 Debut Author Challenge participant information:

• The objective of the DAC is to read at least twelve novels from Young Adult or Middle Grade Authors. While twelve is the minimum there is no maximum limit! I encourage readers who can read more than twelve to do so!
• Anyone can join. You don't have to be a blogger, and you don't have to live in the United States. 
• You do not have to have an blog written in English to participate. 
• You can join at anytime. The challenge runs from January 1, 2011 to December 31, 2011. 

Qualifying books:

• Books must be a Young Adult or Middle Grade novel.
• This must be the authors debut with a release date in 2011. 
• If an author has a previous novel published under adult fiction/nonfiction or children's fiction/nonfiction, they can still qualify for the challenge if they are releasing their YA or MG debut. 

I've tried to compose a list of 2011 Debut Authors, you can find a spreadsheet below. If you now of a debut title that I've missed, please fill out this form so that I can submit it to my spreadsheet. Please note this is a list of US debuts only. I am in the process of getting a list of UK debuts and hoping to possibly get an AUS debut list as well.

More challenge guidelines:

• Novels must be read between January 1, 2011- December 31, 2011. That means, those of you that have read arc forms of the titles early will not be able to count those toward your challenge totals. 
• You can use debuts from other countries, but the novel cannot be previously released in your county. (I explain this a little bit more in the FAQ section, if you want to check that out!)

MY PROPOSED LIST (so far, more to come):

Unearthly - Cynthia Hand
The False Princess - Eilis O'Neal
Across The Universe - Beth Revis
The Iron Witch - Karen Mahoney
Tiger's Curse - Colleen Houck
Timeless - Alexandra Monir
Where I Belong - Gwendolyn Heasley
The Iron Thorn - Caitlin Kittredge
Darkness Becomes Her - Kelly Keaton
The Demon Trapper's Daughter - Jana Oliver
XVI - Julia Karr
Griffin Rising - Darby Karchut

In My Mailbox

Welcome to In My Mailbox! You can find out how to participate and the "official" details on the IMM page.

IMM is a meme I started here at The Story Siren with some inspiration from Alea of Pop Culture Junkie.

The idea behind IMM was not only to put new books on your radar but to also encourage blogger interaction. IMM explores the weekly contents of my mailbox & books bought. And sometimes other fun goodies.

Anyone can participate in IMM and you are not limited to only sharing books that arrive via your mailbox. You can also share books that you've bought or books that you've gotten at the library.
Here is what came in my mailbox this week!

**Netgalley**

Synopsis:

Beware of a kiss under the full moon. It will change your life forever.

Celeste Parker is used to hearing scary stories about werewolves—Legend's Run is famous for them. She's used to everything in the small town until Brandon Maddox moves to Legend's Run and Celeste finds herself immediately drawn to the handsome new student. But when, after an unnerving visit with a psychic, she encounters a pack of wolves and gorgeous, enigmatic Brandon, she must discover whether his transformation is more than legend or just a trick of the shadows in the moonlight.

Her best friends may never forgive her if she gives up her perfect boyfriend, Nash, for Brandon, who's from the wrong side of town. But she can't deny her attraction or the strong pull he has on her. Brandon may be Celeste's hero, or he may be the most dangerous creature she could encounter in the woods of Legend's Run.

Psychic predictions, generations-old secrets, a town divided, and the possibility of falling in love with a hot and heroic werewolf are the perfect formula for what happens . . . once in a full moon.

Synopsis:

My name is Meaghan Chase.

I thought it was over.That my time with the fey, the impossible choices I had to make, the sacrifices of those I loved, was behind me. But a storm is approaching, an army of Iron fey that will drag me back, kicking and screaming. Drag me away from the banished prince who's sworn to stay by my side. Drag me into the core of a conflict so powerful, I'm not sure anyone can survive it.

This time, there will be no turning back.

Synopsis:

This debut, the first novel in a trilogy, is achingly romantic, terrifying, and filled with blistering action.

When seventeen-year-old Ellie starts seeing reapers - monstrous creatures who devour humans and send their souls to Hell - she finds herself on the front lines of a supernatural war between archangels and the Fallen and faced with the possible destruct This debut, the first novel in a trilogy, is achingly romantic, terrifying, and filled with blistering action.

When seventeen-year-old Ellie starts seeing reapers - monstrous creatures who devour humans and send their souls to Hell - she finds herself on the front lines of a supernatural war between archangels and the Fallen and faced with the possible destruction of her soul.

A mysterious boy named Will reveals she is the reincarnation of an ancient warrior, the only one capable of wielding swords of angelfire to fight the reapers, and he is an immortal sworn to protect her in battle. Now that Ellie's powers have been awakened, a powerful reaper called Bastian has come forward to challenge her. He has employed a fierce assassin to eliminate her - an assassin who has already killed her once.

While balancing her dwindling social life and reaper-hunting duties, she and Will discover Bastian is searching for a dormant creature believed to be a true soul reaper. Bastian plans to use this weapon to ignite the End of Days and to destroy Ellie's soul, ending her rebirth cycle forever. Now, she must face an army of Bastian's most frightening reapers, prevent the soul reaper from consuming her soul, and uncover the secrets of her past lives - including truths that may be too frightening to remember.

Synopsis:

In the beginning, there's a boy standing in the trees. . .

Clara Gardner has recently learned that she's part angel. Having angel blood run through her veins not only makes her smarter, stronger, and faster than humans (a word, she realizes, that no longer applies to her), but it means she has a purpose, something she was put on this earth to do. Figuring out what it is, though, isn't easy.

Her visions of a raging forest fire and an alluring stranger lead her to a new school in a new town. When she meets Christian, who turns out to be the boy of her dreams (literally), everything seems to fall into place--and out of place, at the same time. Because there's another guy, Tucker, who appeals to Clara's less angelic side.

As Clara tries to find her way in a world she no longer understands, she encounters unseen dangers and choices she never thought she'd have to make--between honesty and deciet, love and duty, good and evil. When the fire from her vision finally ignites, will Clara be ready to face her destiny?

Synopsis:

Before scientists found the cure, people thought love was a good thing. They didn’t understand that once love -the deliria- blooms in your blood, there is no escaping its hold. Things are different now. Scientists are able to eradicate love, and the governments demands that all citizens receive the cure upon turning eighteen. Lena Holoway has always looked forward to the day when she’ll be cured. A life without love is a life without pain: safe, measured, predictable, and happy.

But with ninety-five days left until her treatment, Lena does the unthinkable: She falls in love.

On My Wishlist

On My Wishlist is a fun weekly event hosted by Book Chick City and runs every Saturday. It's where I list all the books I desperately want but haven't actually bought yet. They can be old, new or forthcoming. It's also an event that you can join in with too - Mr Linky is always at the ready for you to link your own 'On My Wishlist' post. If you want to know more click HERE.

Synopsis:


The Infernal Devices is a series of prequels to The Mortal Instruments series, set in 19’th century London. The story concerns 16-year-old orphan Tessa Gray, whose quiet life is thrown into turmoil when her older brother Nathaniel suddenly vanishes, leaving her alone. Her search for him leads her into Victorian-era London’s dangerous supernatural underworld, where warlocks throw masked balls for half-demon Downworlders. When Tessa discovers that she herself is a Downworlder, she must come to trust her natural enemies, the demon-killing Shadowhunters, if she ever wants to learn to control her powers and find her brother. Torn between the beautiful Will, a Shadowhunter who isn’t what he seems, and the devoted Jem, whose own deadly secret is slowly destroying him, Tessa must draw on all her strength to save her brother and keep herself alive in this deadly new world.


Available September 2011

Synopsis:


Cassia has always trusted the Society to make the right choices for her: what to read, what to watch, what to believe. So when Xander's face appears on-screen at her Matching ceremony, Cassia knows with complete certainty that he is her ideal mate . . . until she sees Ky Markham's face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black.

The Society tells her it's a glitch, a rare malfunction, and that she should focus on the happy life she's destined to lead with Xander. But Cassia can't stop thinking about Ky, and as they slowly fall in love, Cassia begins to doubt the Society's infallibility and is faced with an impossible choice: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she's known and a path that no one else has dared to follow.

Available November 30, 2010

Synopsis:

Freak. That's what her classmates call seventeen-year-old Donna Underwood. When she was seven, a horrific fey attack killed her father and drove her mother mad. Donna's own nearly fatal injuries from the assault were fixed by magic—the iron tattoos branding her hands and arms. The child of alchemists, Donna feels cursed by the magical heritage that destroyed her parents and any chance she had for a normal life. The only thing that keeps her sane and grounded is her relationship with her best friend, Navin Sharma.

When the darkest outcasts of Faerie—the vicious wood elves—abduct Navin, Donna finally has to accept her role in the centuries old war between the humans and the fey. Assisted by Xan, a gorgeous half-fey dropout with secrets of his own, Donna races to save her friend—even if it means betraying everything her parents and the alchemist community fought to the death to protect.

Available February 8, 2011

Synopsis:

This debut, the first novel in a trilogy, is achingly romantic, terrifying, and filled with blistering action.

When seventeen-year-old Ellie starts seeing reapers - monstrous creatures who devour humans and send their souls to Hell - she finds herself on the front lines of a supernatural war between archangels and the Fallen and faced with the possible destruction of her soul.

A mysterious boy named Will reveals she is the reincarnation of an ancient warrior, the only one capable of wielding swords of angelfire to fight the reapers, and he is an immortal sworn to protect her in battle. Now that Ellie's powers have been awakened, a powerful reaper called Bastian has come forward to challenge her. He has employed a fierce assassin to eliminate her - an assassin who has already killed her once.

While balancing her dwindling social life and reaper-hunting duties, she and Will discover Bastian is searching for a dormant creature believed to be a true soul reaper. Bastian plans to use this weapon to ignite the End of Days and to destroy Ellie's soul, ending her rebirth cycle forever. Now, she must face an army of Bastian's most frightening reapers, prevent the soul reaper from consuming her soul, and uncover the secrets of her past lives - including truths that may be too frightening to remember.

Available February 15, 2011

Synposis:

Before scientists found the cure, people thought love was a good thing. They didn’t understand that once love -the deliria- blooms in your blood, there is no escaping its hold. Things are different now. Scientists are able to eradicate love, and the governments demands that all citizens receive the cure upon turning eighteen. Lena Holoway has always looked forward to the day when she’ll be cured. A life without love is a life without pain: safe, measured, predictable, and happy.

But with ninety-five days left until her treatment, Lena does the unthinkable: She falls in love.

Available February 1, 2011

Synopsis:

Lexi is cursed with a dark secret. The water calls to her, draws her in, forces her to sing her deadly song to unsuspecting victims. If she succumbs, she kills. If she doesn’t, the pain is unbearable. To keep herself and those she cares about safe, she shuts herself off, refusing to make friends or fall in love—again. Because the last time she fell in love with a boy, he ended up dead.

Then Lexi meets Cole. Against her better judgment, she finds herself opening up again, falling in love when she knows she shouldn’t. But when she’s offered the chance to finally live a normal life, she learns that the price she must pay to be free of her curse is giving him up.

In Ripple, Mandy Hubbard spins a sea-ravaged tale of melancholy beauty, and the choices one girl makes between land and waves, love and freedom, her future—and her heart.

Available July 21, 2011

Synopsis:

Book Blog Hops!

The question for this week is:

How long have you been book blogging??

I've only blogging on this particular blog for about a month or so.  I'm still trying to get the hang of how I want things around here on this particular blog.

The question for this week is: "Since Thanksgiving is coming up next week, let's use this week's Hop to share what we are most thankful for and what our holiday traditions are!"

I'm thankful for this great blogging community.  I sometimes do a lot of bitching here on The Book Junkie's Bookshelf when I don't understand something about our community and there are always bloggers out there who are willing to put their perspective out there for me to read.

Family wise....I'm thankful that my brother's wedding went off with out any problems. We have a few people in our family who are "Wild Cards" and we were a little bit worried.  I'm not really sure what the plan holds for the actual Thanksgiving Day but I know there's TONS of yumminess headed my way!

What I've been up to on the blog:

The 2011 Outdo Yourself Reading Challenge - hosted by the lovely Book Vixen
Cover Love - Chain Reaction by Simone Elkeles

Review - The Dark Divine by Bree Despain

2011 YA of the 80's and 90's Reading Challenge - hosted by the lovely Book Vixen

2011 YA Romance Challenge - hosted by ME

2011 Paranormal YA Reading Challenge - hosted by ME

Discussion Post - "Sharing The Wealth"

READING CHALLENGE: Outdo Yourself Challenge 2011

Outdo Yourself Reading Challenge
hosted by The Book Vixen

Details:

• Runs January 1, 2011 through December 31, 2011(books read prior to 1/1/11 do not count towards the challenge). You can join at anytime. You can sign up on The Book Vixen’s blog.
• The goal is to outdo yourself by reading more books in 2011 than you did in 2010. See the different levels below and pick the one that works best for you. Nothing is set in stone; you can change levels at any time during the challenge.
• Books can be any format (bound, eBook, audio).
• Re-reads and crossovers from other reading challenges are fine.
• You can list your books in advance or list them as you read them. It is not required that you review the books you read for this challenge but feel free to do so.
• Post this reading challenge on your blog so you can keep a list of the books you’ve read for this challenge. Please include a link back to this post so readers can join the challenge too.
• You do not have to be a book blogger to participate. You can keep tabs on books you’ve read for this challenge on Goodreads or LibraryThing if you’d like (maybe make a shelf for “Outdo Yourself Reading Challenge”). If you are not on either of those sites then you can list the books you read for this challenge in the comments on my wrap-up post, which will be up at the end of 2011.

Levels:
     Getting my heart rate up – Read 1–5 more books
     Out of breath – Read 6–10 more books
     Breaking a sweat – Read 11–15 more books
     I’m on fire! – Read 16+ more books

MY LEVEL - I'm On Fire!

1. The DUFF
2. Intrinsical
3. Seduced by Destiny
4. Highland Master
5. Falke's Peak
6. Pegasus
7. Shelter Mountain (Virgin River #2)
8. Virgin River (Virgin River #1)
9. Whispering Rock (Virgin River #3)
10. A Virgin River Christmas (Virgin River #4)
11. Matched (review attempt #1)
12. A Dead Man's Debt
13. Where I Belong 
14. Empire of the Summer Moon
15. Blood Knot
16. Mercy Kill
17. No Mercy
18. A Creed In Stone Creek
19.

Cover Love: Chain Reaction by Simone Elkeles

I WANT IT NOW!  May is entirely WAY to FAR AWAY!

The Dark Divine by Bree Despain

Title: The Dark Divine

Author: Bree Despain

Series: The Dark Divine #1

Genre: YA, Paranormal, Romance

Publisher: EgmontUSA

Release Date: 2009, December 22

Format: Hardcover, 372 pages

Source: Purchased with own money many moons ago

Rating: 5/5

Synopsis:

A Prodigal Son

A Dangerous Love

A Deadly Secret

Grace Divine—daughter of the local pastor—always knew something terrible happened the night Daniel Kalbi disappeared and her brother Jude came home covered in his own blood.

Now that Daniel's returned, Grace must choose between her growing attraction to him and her loyalty to her brother.

As Grace gets closer to Daniel, she learns the truth about that mysterious night and how to save the ones she loves, but it might cost her the one thing she cherishes most: her soul.

Review:

OMG!  I have NO idea why I waited this long to read this book!  Once I got started reading it was the fastest 372 pages EVER!  I could not put this book down.  I had to constantly know what was going on and what was going to happen next.  When I originally purchased this book I was totally drawn to the cover.  It's kinda creepy and mysterious and I just love it!

Grace Divine is the local preacher's daughter and she's always been drawn to the boy next door, Daniel.  Now Daniel at one point was even considered a member of the Divine family, but then there was an incident and he disappeared.

Fast forward 3 years and Daniel is back in town.  Grace always knew that there was something not right about the circumstances in which Daniel just picked up, packed up and disappeared on them.  But no one EVER talks about what actually happened.  Now that Daniel is back in town, almost unrecognizable with his unkempt shaggy, dyed black hair Gracie's crush gets thrown yet again into high gear.

Then a whole bunch of REALLY mysterious things start happening and Grace is determined to get to the bottom of it all.  Whether her family and Daniel like it or not.

What I really liked was that you're a good chunk of the way into the book before you actually figure out what Daniel really is.  I think it would have detracted from the story if you knew right off what he really is.  But that's just my opinion.

Another thing that I really liked was how Bree constantly let you know where (like day, place, and even time wise) the characters were.  I thought that it helped the story flow much easier for me personally.  

 I also liked how the main character Grace Divine grew throughout the book.  In the beginning of the book I thought that Grace was kind of a follower and as more defecation hit the rotary oscillator (AKA Shit hitting the fan) she went more the other way and grew into leader type.  I also really liked how Grace spent a good chunk of the book trying to figure out who and what the monster(s) really were.

Overall, I really liked the story as a whole.  I can hardly wait until December when book 2 comes out!  Is it December yet?!

2011 YA of the 80's and 90's

YA of the 80s and 90s Reading Challenge
hosted by The Book Vixen

• Runs January 1, 2011 through December 31, 2011 (books read prior to 1/1/11 do not count). You can join at anytime. You can sign up on The Book Vixen’s blog.
• Read as many YA books that were originally published in the 80s and 90s as your heart desires. The only requirement is that the book(s) have to have been first published sometime between 1980 – 1999.
• Books can be any format (bound, eBook, audio).
• Re-reads and crossovers from other reading challenges are fine.
• You can list your books in advance or list them as you read them. It is not required that you review the books you read for this challenge but feel free to do so.
• Post this reading challenge on your blog so you can keep a list of the books you’ve read for this challenge. Please include a link back to this post so readers can join the challenge too.
• You do not have to be a book blogger to participate. You can keep tabs on books you’ve read for this challenge on Goodreads or LibraryThing if you’d like (maybe make a shelf for “YA of the 80s and 90s Reading Challenge”). If you are not on either of those sites then you can list the books you read for this challenge in the comments on my wrap-up post, which will be up at the end of 2011.

My List:

2011 YA Romance Challenge

The Rules:

1. Create a post for the challenge using the image above and link back to this post.

--Non-Bloggers: You are welcome to join too. Post your list of books in the comment section of the wrap-up post.

2. Sign up with the Mr. Linky.

--Link to your challenge post when you sign up please.

3. The goal of this challenge is to read AT LEAST 12 YA "Romance" novels between January 1, 2011 and December 31, 2011.  Books read before January 1, 2011 do NOT count towards the challenge.

4. Audio, eBooks, paper all count. Re-reads are ok but try to keep them to a minimum.  Cross overs from other challenges are ok.

5. There is no need to create your list now.  Please feel free to use your challenge post to keep track of your titles if you so desire.








MY TITLES:

The DUFF