On Wednesday....

I am waiting. And waiting, and waiting..
This coming Wednesday the UPS man will be handing me or my dad a box. And, in that box are two books (supposed to be three but my mom said no. stupid tax/shipping and handling.) I can't wait to read! And they are..

Y.S Lee's The Agency spy series A Spy in the House and The Body at the Tower.

Ugh, you guys have no idea how long I've been wanting to read this series! It's just something about spy/mystery series especially if it's based in a different era. I'll admit sometimes with certain books the dialogue kind of throws me off and my eyes may glaze over. (lol) But, I'm making an exception for this. :)
You can defintely expect a review of this once I've read it. Whoop-whoop!

Book Review #14 [Everneath by Brodi Ashton]

Last spring, Nikki Beckett vanished, sucked into an underworld known as the Everneath, where immortals Feed on the emotions of despairing humans. Now she's returned- to her old life, her family, her friends- before being banished back to the underworld... this time forever. 
She has six months before the Everneath comes to claim her, six months for good-byes she can't find the words for, six months to find redemption, if it exists. 
Nikki longs to spend these months reconnecting with her boyfriend, Jack, the one person she loves more than anything. But there's a problem: Cole, the smoldering immortal who first enticed her to the Everneath, has followed Nikki to the mortal world. And he'll do whatever it takes to bring her back- this time as his queen. 
As Nikki's time grows short and her relationships begin slipping from her grasp, she's forced to make the hardest decision of her life: find a way to cheat fate and remain on the Surface with Jack or return to the Everneath and become Cole's...

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Isn't this cover just so pretty? Love the red dress and the backdrop. Yeah.

Today I'll be reviewing Brodi Ashton's YA novel Everneath. Similar to my last book review this book is based on a piece of Greek Mythology; more specifically Hades and Persephone. You guys know the story right? Hades was in love with her. so he tricked Persephone to stay in the Underworld by getting her to eat 4 seeds from a pomegranate. She's stuck there for 4 months and the other months she gets come back to the surface. Blah Blah.

Anyway, in this novel our versions of Hades and Lady P. are Cole and Nikki. What I loved about these two was that everything was pretty much clear cut. There was no beating around the bush. Cole knew Nikki didn't want to be with him, just like Nikki knew that she'll never really escape Cole. This book can easily be mistaken as Nikki moping around doing the teenage angst party but it wasn't. The only thing Nikki wanted was redemption. To apologize, to make-up for the mistake she made before her time runs out again.

Another character we are introduced to is Jack. OH JACK. JACK...It's impossible not to fall for him. After losing Nikki for so long, he never gave up on her. I loved his reaction when he found out she was back. Everything between Nikki and Jack is so simple, you can tell they love each other so much.

You know when you read a YA novel there's almost ALWAYS a love-triangle? And, half of them are just so frustrating because the girl can never make up her mind, or one of the guys is complete douche? Ms. Aston did this triangle SO WELL! You can't hate Cole or Jack. You end up feeling for the both of them. And, that's what makes it so hard to pick a guy to root for. I swayed back and forth while I read this. Ugh, damn you Brodi Aston for making me love both these boys. If I had to pick a team...arrghhh I'd go --- TEAM JACK. (sorry Cole -________-) I mean yes I won't deny the whole elusive bad boy thing Cole got going on is entincing. But, Jack...OH SWEET SUGARY HEAVEN JACK. He's so sweet, caring, protective and just..well damn it he's Jack and that's all the reason I need. Hmph.

I recommend this book to anyone looking for a solid YA novel, a non-hair ripping frustrating love triangle with a splash of Greek mythology to make things interesting.

Rating: 5/5

Quote: "Heroes are made by the paths they choose, not the powers they are graced with.”

Upcoming Reviews

Everneath by Brodie Ashton

     Last spring, Nikki Beckett vanished, sucked into an underworld known as the Everneath, where immortals Feed on the emotions of despairing humans. Now she's returned- to her old life, her family, her friends- before being banished back to the underworld... this time forever. 
She has six months before the Everneath comes to claim her, six months for good-byes she can't find the words for, six months to find redemption, if it exists. 
Nikki longs to spend these months reconnecting with her boyfriend, Jack, the one person she loves more than anything. But there's a problem: Cole, the smoldering immortal who first enticed her to the Everneath, has followed Nikki to the mortal world. And he'll do whatever it takes to bring her back- this time as his queen. 
As Nikki's time grows short and her relationships begin slipping from her grasp, she's forced to make the hardest decision of her life: find a way to cheat fate and remain on the Surface with Jack or return to the Everneath and become Cole's...

 Knightley Academy by Violet Haberdasher

      Henry Grim is a servant boy at the Midsummer School—until he passes the elite Knightley Academy exam and suddenly finds himself one of the first commoners at the Academy, studying alongside the cleverest and bravest—and most arrogant—young aristocrats in the country. They thwart Henry’s efforts to become a full-fledged Knight of the Realm, but he and two commoner classmates are determined to succeed. In the process, the boys uncover a conspiracy that violates the Hundred Years’ Peace treaty—and could lead to war! Can Henry manage to save his school and country from their enemies—and continue to study at the Academy?

 The Summoning by Kelly Armstrong

    After years of frequent moves following her mother’s death, Chloe Saunders’s life is finally settling down. She is attending art school, pursuing her dreams of becoming a director, making friends, meeting boys. Her biggest concern is that she’s not developing as fast as her friends are. But when puberty does hit, it brings more than hormone surges. Chloe starts seeing ghosts–everywhere, demanding her attention. After she suffers a breakdown, her devoted aunt Lauren gets her into a highly recommended group home. 
At first, Lyle House seems a pretty okay place, except for Chloe’s small problem of fearing she might be facing a lifetime of mental illness. But as she gradually gets to know the other kids at the home–charming Simon and his ominous, unsmiling brother Derek, obnoxious Tori, and Rae, who has a “thing” for fire–Chloe begins to realize that there is something that binds them all together, and it isn’t your usual “problem kid” behaviour. And together they discover that Lyle House is not your usual group home either…

 Dark Descendant by Jenna Black

    Nikki Glass can track down any man. But when her latest client turns out to be a true descendant of Hades, Nikki now discovers she can’t die. . . .  

Crazy as it sounds, Nikki’s manhunting skills are literally god-given. She’s a living, breathing descendant of Artemis who has stepped right into a trap set by the children of the gods. Nikki’s new “friends” include a descendant of Eros, who uses sex as a weapon; a descendant of Loki, whose tricks are no laughing matter; and a half-mad descendant of Kali who thinks she’s a spy.  But most powerful of all are the Olympians, a rival clan of immortals seeking to destroy all Descendants who refuse to bow down to them. In the eternal battle of good god/bad god, Nikki would make a divine weapon. But if they think she’ll surrender without a fight, the gods must be crazy. . .  

Book Review # 13 [Percy Jackson and the Olympians by Rick Riordan]

Hello all! I've brought a special book review 5 in 1 ! It's the popular middle grade novels Percy Jackson and the Olympians series by Rick Riordan! Right away I can tell you that this is series is one of my favorites. 

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In this series we follow a young boy by the name of Perseus "Percy" Jackson. Percy is described and/or seen as a troubled child. He's been kicked out of school too many too count, has ADHD and not to mention dyslexia. You can imagine how hard Percy's life is already, but it gets even more difficult when he discovers his true nature that he's actually a "demi-god" or half human/half god. He also uncovers that his so-called absent father is actually Poseidon; God of the Sea! He gets sent to a camp that trains and protects kids like him - Camp Half-Blood.

Along with his best friends Annabeth [daughter of Athena' goddess of wisdom] and Grover; a satyr. Percy goes on wild adventures to save not only his world, but the mighty Olympians. Along the way, we see Percy grow into a weak skinny little 12 years old boy and into a 16 years old courageous, brave hero who can command an entire army to defeat their enemy. 

We get a look into the gods themselves and their relationship with Percy. For example --- Ares [god of war] he and Percy have a very wary and violent relationship each always read to take down the other.

And, then there's Mr. D or Dionysus [ god of wine] who happens to be Percy's camp director at Camp Half Blood. Although throughout the series, it may seem like he doesn't care about Percy readers can tell it's all an act.

Now for out villans. We meet up with Medusa, Cyclops, Furies, HellHounds, etc. But, the main goal is for Percy and company to defeat the mighty titan Kronos; father of Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades. (and in a way....Percy's grandpa. ha. how messed up is that?) Kronos uses a fellow camper and friend of Annabeth, Luke [son of Hermes] to get what he wants. We have several attempts of saving and/or stopping Luke throughout the books.

Overall, this a very enjoyable series. And, I highly recommend it. I know, it's targeted demographic is middle graders, but this can be enjoyed by ALL AGES.

Rating: 5/5

Quotes:

“You deal with mythological stuff for a few years, you learn that paradises are usually places where you get killed.” 

“Dreams like a podcast, 

Downloading truth in my ears. 
They tell me cool stuff." 
"Apollo?" I guess, because I figured nobody else could make a haiku that bad. 
He put his finger to his lips. "I'm incognito. Call me Fred." 
"A god named Fred?” 

Book Review #12 [Every Other Day by Jennifer Lynn Barnes]

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Every other day, Kali D'Angelo is a normal sixteen-year-old girl. She goes to public high school. She attends pep rallies. She's human.

And then every day in between . . .She's something else entirely.

Though she still looks like herself, every twenty-four hours predatory instincts take over and Kali becomes a feared demon-hunter with the undeniable urge to hunt, trap, and kill zombies, hellhounds, and other supernatural creatures. Kali has no idea why she is the way she is, but she gives in to instinct anyway. Even though the government considers it environmental terrorism.

When Kali notices a mark on the lower back of a popular girl at school, she knows instantly that the girl is marked for death by one of these creatures. Kali has twenty-four hours to save her and, unfortunately, she'll have to do it as a human. With the help of a few new friends, Kali takes a risk that her human body might not survive. . .and learns the secrets of her mysterious condition in the process.

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Greetings fellow book reading loverssss! I am back and bearing a new review for the new year. It's Every Other Day by Jennifer Lynn Barnes. Barnes is more known for her -- Raised By Wolves series. Anyway, the synopsis above is clear enough to let you know the premise of the book. 

Kali - is our distraught, lonely, confused, and might I add dangerous heroine. Kali has been dealing with an odd phenomenon that's been happening to her ever since she was 12. By day she's human; by night she's....well not. And, there in lies the problem. Just what the heck is Kali? She spends a good middle portion of the book figuring that out. Oh! But, don't worry it doesn't drag rather it keeps you attentive. Besides that Kali and the gang (who will be introduced) are trying to figure out what the hell is going on in their little neighborhood. We got both bad and good people doing what their not supposed to be doing. And, Kali seems to be smack dab in the middle of it all.

Our hero - Kali's shall I say "other half" (and you'll understand what I mean when you read it) is Zev. I like him, I do. He may just make my "favorite hero" list. But, there's something different about Zev. For almost the entire book - key word "almost" he's not there physically. Rather he's there psycially. With Kali. He guides on her quest for answers, on her quest to find him.


Side characters - Bethany, Skylar, and Elliot get pulled into the action. Well, for at least one of them they had no choice. Their great companions to Kali. Considering everything they find out and experienced I LOVED how they stuck by her no matter how many times she said she didn't need them, especially Skylar. It may seem annoying "oh, why can't they just listen to her!". But, honestly I'm glad they didn't. Because Kali needed them, and they needed her. And, even if they were a bit skeptically and hesitant *coughELLIOTcough* they were there.  If I had to point out one thing I esp. loved was the fact that- when we DID find out what Kali is I had no indication of it until it was revealed. Barnes did a good job of not making the obvious...well obvious. To me at least.




Looking for a YA novel with solid characters and no wishy-washy plot, sprinkled with a bit of "oh, so that's it? Never would've guessed." sauce? Well, Every Other Day is your book. 

Quote: " “It figured--the almost invincible girl gets hurt, and they call a vet.”
― Jennifer Lynn Barnes, Every Other Day

Rating: 5/5

A New Year Approaches --- What's your top 5 favorite books of 2011? What are you expecting in 2012?

Well, guys we only have one day left in 2011. Can you believe? So much stuff has happened in my life, probably in yours. Around the world! I read sooo many good books this year. To be honest, I can't even give a exact number as to how many I've read, and that's including books assigned to me from school. But! I do have books that I love, books that I've read more than once over the year. There my top 5 favorite picks of '11.

1. Ilona Andrews - Kate Daniels series. [ I have mentioned before I believe that these books are - gold! I love every character, love the dialogue. If I could marry, you'd receive an invitation.]

2. Rick Riordan - Percy Jackson series. [ Now, I know these books aren't exactly new; but I didn't attempt to read them until this year. And, I enjoyed it! By far, Percy is my favorite character. I can't wait for more adventures. Check it out if you haven't already.]

3. Stephanie Perkins - Anna and the French Kiss/ Lola and the Boy Next Door. [ For a good half of 2011, everyone raved about Perkins' Anna & the F.K, so of course I had to check it out. And, I admit though I do have minor issues with the books, mainly my own problem I very much enjoyed this book. Looking forward to her third one coming out next year.]

4. Rachel Hawkins - Hex Hall/Demonglass. [ I'm dying here waiting for the third book - Spellbound. Sophie is my favorite character and who can resist Archer? It's nothing new this plot, but Hawkins makes it work with Sophie and Archer's sarcastic dialogue and pop culture references. It's like she's speaking to my soul. O-O]

5. Suzanne Collins - Hunger Games trilogy. [ EVERYONE whose EVERYONE has to know about these book. I love how the books was all about this effed up society where people find enjoyment watching kids - excuse my language- beat the shit out of each other. I was like, whatttttt? There's hints of romance but it's not the main focus. How often do you find that in a YA Dystopian book? Anyone?


For 2012, there are continuations of books that I'm waiting for. I don't want to go into them here because honestly, it's a bit too much. haha.
Anyway, what's your top 5 books of the year? And, what books are you waiting for in 2012?

I know I haven't been consisten in doing book reviews, but life decided to butt in a few times. I'll try to be more active in the book community in 2012. But, thank you to everyone who decided to follow me here, and all those who take the time to read my reviews. I'll see you guys in the next year...

WHOOOOOO~ *spreads new year joy and passes out milk/cookies* :)

Book Review #10 and # 11 [Virals/Seizure by Kathy Reichs]

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Tory Brennan, niece of acclaimed forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan (of the Bones novels and hit TV show), is the leader of a ragtag band of teenage "sci-philes" who live on a secluded island off the coast of South Carolina. When the group rescues a dog caged for medical testing on a nearby island, they are exposed to an experimental strain of canine parvovirus that changes their lives forever. 

As the friends discover their heightened senses and animal-quick reflexes, they must combine their scientific curiosity with their newfound physical gifts to solve a cold-case murder that has suddenly become very hot if they can stay alive long enough to catch the killer's scent. 

Fortunately, they are now more than friends they're a pack. They are Virals.

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I have returned with not one- but two that's right TWO book reviews in one post! Today I'm review a new favorite series of mine "Virals" by Kathy Reichs.  This happens to be Ms. Reichs very first YA book, if your not familiar with her other works; she is the author of the Temperance Brennan series  which inspired the hit-TV show "Bones."

Now, let's start with the first of the series- Virals. Here we are introduced to our heroine - Tory Brennan. Tory is a spunky, loyal, independent, and fierce 14- year old. Alongside we have her best friends; Shelton - the techie of the group, Ben - the silent strength and Hiram (or Hi) - the sarcastic funny man. Tory and the gang lives on a secluded island with their parents. Now, one day during their frequent "explorer" missions they stubble upon an experiment being done on an island animal, one that they happen to know. His name is Cooper - half-dog half wolf - Coop becomes and EXTREMELY important character in the story as he is the reason for the gang's biological change. Without prior knowledge the gang becomes infected with an airborne disease that Cooper has. Thus starting their change from normal teenagers to half-human half wolf beings.

Now, you may be asking "Do they turn into wolves?" Well, I wasn't going to say..but I will. The answer is no. Which when you think about it is pretty awesome, because I mean how cliche would that be, right? 

The plot of the story consists around Cooper and the kids discovering and uncovering hidden secrets in their hometown/island. They learn to deal with their newfound abilities by helping each other. In the end, there is a big fight between the Virals and the  "bad guy" where you get to see the gang in action using their half-wolf side. But, we also get to see a solid peek into the foundation within the group as well.

Onto book # 2 - Seizure!

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Ever since Tory Brennan and her friends rescued Cooper, a kidnapped wolf pup with a rare strain of canine parvovirus, they've turned from regular kids into a crime-solving pack. But now the very place that brought them together - the Loggerhead Island Research Institute - is out of funding and will have to shut down. That is, unless the Virals can figure out a way to save it. 

So when Tory learns of an old Charleston legend about a famous she-pirate, Anne Bonney, whose fortune was never found, she can't believe her luck - buried treasure is exactly what she needs to save the Institute on Loggerhead! Trouble is, she and her friends aren't the only ones looking for it. And this time, the Virals' special powers may not be enough to dig them out of trouble . . .

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In book number two the Virals are faced with a serious problem. They are being separated! You can imagine how scary this is for them, considering their change they need each other more than ever. So, of course Tory Brennan is on the case. When they learn about a legend on the island and treasure that is lost. Tory sees it as a chance to not only save her family but the pack as well. Now, to be honest when reading you'd feel as it's a bit far-fetched. But, that's the beauty of it! 

Their are "OMG" moments when the Virals secrets are so damn close to being discovered; we even get a glimpse of the Virals having bumps in the road mainly the boys v.s Tory. But, in the end (thankfully) they come back together as one. No matter what their connected and can never really leave one another. What I was a bit giddy about is we see feelings bubbling over from time to time between Tory and Ben. But, nothing to serious. I really REALLY hope their relationship develops more as the books continue.  

Seizure is a great follow up to Virals - I'm shaking with excitement for the third book in the series "Code" coming soon!

Quote:

Virals - “Baravetto was unconscious when we found him," Hi said. "What'd you do to the guy?" 
"Kicked him in the balls, then brained him with a rolling pin. Twice.”


 Seizure - "I don't wanna (listen)! You'll start talking, and pretty soon we'll all start nodding, and then the next thing you know, I'm hang gliding off the Eiffel Tower at midnight, being chased by ninja vampires!" 

Rating: 5/5 (for both)