Hey! I'm Samantha, 20 years old, and an avid reader. I read a little bit of everything and am always interested in new stuff. If you ever need to contact me for anything, you can at HarlequinTwilight@gmail.com. The End.
This week I got quite a bit. Some of which I bought...okay most of which I bought. But either way I still got fun stuff! I also went to a local charity book sale and bought this big box of books, and I will do a post about that later in the week including a list and pictures and everything. I also got some stuff that I already have, but will do giveaways with after we get moved, because right now doing them when we are trying to buy a house would just be a bit hard. But onto the breakdown!
For review: The Snowball Effect by Holly Nicole Hoxter (for 1 ARC Tours)
Won: Not really a book, but book related...a Secret Society Initiation kit from Tom Dolby! It's pretty awesome! (If you haven't read the book yet, you should!)
Bought: Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor (I already have a paperback copy, but this one is hardback!) Someone Like You by Sarah Dessen Dreamland by Sarah Dessen Keeping the Moon by Sarah Dessen That Summer by Sarah Dessen Silent Echoes by Carla Jablonski Thicker Than Water by Carla Jablonski Let It Snow by John Green, Maureen Johnson, & Lauren Myracle Are You Alone on Purpose by Nancy Werlin
All of the books I bought came out of the bargain books on Books-A-Million's website and with free shipping and a $5 coupon code I found, it made them pretty cheap. They have a TON of books in bargain books!
I also got these really cool magnetic bookmarks that are just seriously awesome and don't move or fall out and they're brightly colored, so they're easy to see! I <3 style="font-family:arial;">So that's what was in my mailbox, what did you get in yours?
*All summaries are from Amazon, unless noted otherwise*
This week is a special edition of Books I Crave. This weeks books are all part of series. Whether they are the first or the fourth, they are one of a series.
Splendor: A Luxe Novel by Anna Godbersen Release: Out Now!
New beginnings.
Shocking revelations.
Unexpected endings.
A spring turns into summer, Elizabeth relishes her new role as a young wife, while her sister, Diana, searches for adventure abroad. But when a surprising clue about their father's death comes to light, the Holland girls wonder at what cost a life of splendor comes.
Carolina Broad, society's newest darling, fans a flame from her past, oblivious to how it might burn her future. Penelope Schoonmaker is finally Manhattan royalty—but when a real prince visits the city, she covets a title that comes with a crown. Her husband, Henry, bravely went to war, only to discover that his father's rule extends well beyond New York's shores and that fighting for love may prove a losing battle.
In the dramatic conclusion to the bestselling Luxe series, New York's most dazzling socialites chase dreams, cling to promises, and tempt fate. As society watches what will become of the city's oldest families and newest fortunes, one question remains: Will its stars fade away or will they shine ever brighter?
Betrayals: A Strange Angels Novel by Lili St. Crow Release: November 17, 2009
She’s no angel . . .
Poor Dru Anderson. Her parents are long gone, her best friend is a werewolf, and she’s just learned that the blood flowing through her veins isn’t entirely human. (So what else is new?)
Now Dru is stuck at a secret New England School for other teens like her, and there’s a big problem— she’s the only girl in the place. A school full of cute boys wouldn’t be so bad, but Dru’s killer instinct says that one of them wants her dead. And with all eyes on her, discovering a traitor within the Order could mean a lot more than social suicide. . .
Can Dru survive long enough to find out who has betrayed her trust—and maybe even her heart?
Evermore: The Immortalsby Alyson Noel Release: Out Now
From Goodreads: Since a horrible accident claimed the lives of her family, sixteen-year-old Ever can see auras, hear people’s thoughts, and know a person’s life story by touch. Going out of her way to shield herself from human contact to suppress her abilities has branded her as a freak at her new high school—but everything changes when she meets Damen Auguste…
Ever sees Damen and feels an instant recognition. He is gorgeous, exotic and wealthy, and he holds many secrets. Damen is able to make things appear and disappear, he always seems to know what she’s thinking—and he’s the only one who can silence the noise and the random energy in her head. She doesn’t know who he really is—or what he is. Damen equal parts light and darkness, and he belongs to an enchanted new world where no one ever dies.
Graceling by Kristin Cashore Release: Out Now!
If you had the power to kill with your bare hands, what would you do with it?
Graceling takes readers inside the world of Katsa, a warrior-girl in her late teens with one blue eye and one green eye. This gives her haunting beauty, but also marks her as a Graceling. Gracelings are beings with special talents—swimming, storytelling, dancing. Katsa's Grace is considered more useful: her ability to fight (and kill, if she wanted to) is unequaled in the seven kingdoms. Forced to act as a henchman for a manipulative king, Katsa channels her guilt by forming a secret council of like-minded citizens who carry out secret missions to promote justice over cruelty and abuses of power.
Combining elements of fantasy and romance, Cashore skillfully portrays the confusion, discovery, and angst that smart, strong-willed girls experience as they creep toward adulthood. Katsa wrestles with questions of freedom, truth, and knowing when to rely on a friend for help. This is no small task for an angry girl who had eschewed friendships (with the exception of one cousin that she trusts) for her more ready skills of self-reliance, hunting, and fighting. Katsa also comes to know the real power of her Grace and the nature of Graces in general: they are not always what they appear to be.
Graceling is the first book in a series, and Kristin Cashore’s first work of fiction. It sets up a vivid world with engaging characters that readers will certainly look forward to following beyond the last chapter of this book.
Wake by Lisa McMann Release: Out Now! Not all dreams are sweet.
For seventeen-year-old Janie, getting sucked into other people's dreams is getting old. Especially the falling dreams, the naked-but-nobody-notices dreams, and the sex-crazed dreams. Janie's seen enough fantasy booty to last her a lifetime.
She can't tell anybody about what she does -- they'd never believe her, or worse, they'd think she's a freak. So Janie lives on the fringe, cursed with an ability she doesn't want and can't control.
Then she falls into a gruesome nightmare, one that chills her to the bone. For the first time, Janie is more than a witness to someone else's twisted psyche. She is a participant....
Now, what books do you crave?If you would like to participate in this meme, just link back to me and leave the link to your post in the comments! You can find the specifics here!
Give Up the Ghost by Megan Crewe Release: September 15, 2009 Category: YA- Paranormal Overall:
I've always wondered what it would be like to be friends with a ghost, and in Megan Crewe's debut novel, Give Up the Ghost, that's exactly what Cass McKenna prefers. Cass prefers to be friends with ghosts instead of "breathers," which is the name given to the living. Ghosts are simple, uncomplicated, dependable, and most of all they see and hear everything.
These little facts are what helps Cass become the most feared person in her high school. She knows everyone's dirty little secrets and has made it her mission in life to expose those secrets, or to at least hold them over people to get them to do what she wants. Whether it's being a modern day Robin Hood of sorts and protecting someone from the people that are taking advantage of them, or just getting revenge on the people that have treated her badly, the secrets always come out and Cass is the one to help them along.
This is not your typical ghost story. It's fun; light, spunky, and even has a few moments that could possibly break your heart. Within Cass' role as the school's Robin Hood of secrets, for lack of a better description, Cass catches the attention of Tim, the student council vice president and all around popular guy. He discovers her secret, and he doesn't want to expose her secret, he wants her to use it to contact his mother who recently passed away.
After Cass reluctantly agrees to help Tim and in this process she becomes more and more involved in Tim's life and comes to find that maybe the living aren't as bad as she thought they were. She also finds that maybe that picture perfect guy she started to help is more messed up and needs her help more than she would have ever thought.
I adored the ghosts; they were so funny and quirky, while most of the human character seemed to be more abrasive and uncooperative with the story. I think character development should have been focused on more, I mean aside from Cass, Tim, and Norris (a ghost); I can't really remember anyone else's names. I did love Megan's writing style though, it flowed nicely and Give Up the Ghost was a pretty quick read for that reason.
I found the ending to be quite unsatisfying, but it did leave it open where there could possibly be more adventures with Cass and Tim. And I hope that's the case. I would love to see more from the two of them and see where things go.
Overall, I thought it was a good story, and totally not scary like most ghost stories. I can't wait to see more from Megan, and I can't wait to see where her writing goes from here. If you're looking for a cute, quick read that's light and fun, then you should totally check out Give Up the Ghost. It fits all those things and more. Plus, like most debut authors this year, it has an amazing cover! It's so cute and totally reflects the story at hand.
Breathing by Cheryl Renee Herbsman Release: April 16, 2009
Category: YA-General
Overall:
Breathing is a story that can make you smile and break your heart all in the same moment. It’s a story of young love, of finding yourself, of learning how to breathe on your own. It’s a story that reminds you (or in some cases, shows you)what it’slike that first time you fall in love, that first time that someone steals your heart and steals your breath away.
Savannah isn’t you totally typical teenage girl. She splits her time between reading trashy romance novels in the summer, looking out for her little brother, working at the library, and hanging out at the beach. And this is a fine existence for her, at least until she meets Jackson.
Savannah had this adorably hilarious sense of humor about things and that made is really easy to relate to her and to be sympathetic to her. Despite that sympathy, I found her to be a bit melodramatic and immature at times, which got to be a bit much on my nerves. She was so consumed with Jackson and after a short time, it seemed like she didn’t know anything about her life before Jackson and couldn’t see anything in her future without Jackson.
Jackson was the perfect “southern gentleman” and that was something refreshing to see from a guy barely eighteen. He held Savannah together, he held her whole world together and at first it was sweet and thoughtful, but after a while it seemed like he was just trying to keep Savannah happy. I could never quite figure him out totally, and I never figured out what drew him to Savannah.
I almost wish the story had been from Jackson’s perspective, just so I could figure out what kept him so drawn to Savannah. He was far more mature than she was at any given point in the story. There was something missing from that part of the love story. She was loving and zealous, especially when it came to something she wanted or something she cared about; but what about that made him so attracted to her? It kind of felt like I was missing a piece of the puzzle, maybe not missing it completely, but missing a part of it.
The writing was pretty great, although at first definitely took some getting used to. It was different seeing an entire novel written out in a southern accent, but it fit the atmosphere of the story. I absolutely love the fact that this was a story of lasting love between teenagers and how their love was accepted by the adults in their lives, instead of the typical “you’re a teenager, you don’t know what love is” reaction that most parents have.
This was a fun story to read, with a unique writing style and emotions that run throughout the entire tale. It was the story of first love, complicated relationships with family, friends, and lovers. It was imperfect and that in and of itself made this a story worth checking out. It also shows that sometimes all you need is someone in your life to give you a little push into being able to breathe on your own.
This week I got one book in the mail. But I did make a trip to Walmart and while I didn't buy anything I did get season 1 of Hex. I don't know how many of you have ever seen or even heard of it, but it's this really awesome show. It's sexy and supernatural, and British (which makes it immediately awesome)!
Also in the picture you will see my baby! She's my psycho kitteh, but I love her dearly! Isn't she cute! Her name is Alleigh, just so everyone knows...
Ash by Malinda Lo Release: September 1, 2009
Category: YA Fantasy
Overall:
There's something about fairy tales that always feel magical. No matter the story, no matter the characters, there is something about them that just makes you feel the magic inside them. Ash makes you feel every bit of that magic, and more.
Just about everyone, everyone female at least, over the age of 13 or so has heard and/or seen the story of Cinderella. Whether it is Disney's version or the classic fairy tale or the Brothers Grimm version or even one of the other hundreds of versions that have been founded over the years, we all know it. Ash is a version that I'm sure you've never heard of before, but that you should.
After losing her mother, Ash's father takes a wife, Lady Isobel. Soon after meeting Lady Isobel, her and her two daughters move into the house with Ash and her father and things drastically change. In line with the fairy tale, Ash's father becomes gravely ill and passes shortly after. Which not only leaves Ash heartbroken, but also leaves her without either of her parents, and stuck with a "family" that doesn't even like to look at her.
This is the beginning that we all know about Cinderella, and while Ash has many aspects that are the same as the original tale, they are not the same in the slightest. Ash doesn't get the typical fairy godmother; she gets something else all together, but something even more powerful than anything in the candy coated version that is fed to us as children.
Ash gets a fairy, Sidhean, who is even more lethal and dangerous than anything her stepmother or stepsisters could do/say to Ash. But that's masked in an extent by the beauty and the friendship that lies between Ash and Sidhean. And I mean that to an extent far more than the typical connection between two characters, their relationship is more developed and deeper than most would have thought possible in a novel that doesn't even break 300 pages.
But one day Ash's life, and heart, changes forever. She meets Kaisa, the King's Huntress, and there is something between them that's different from the second they meet. Ash begins to stop chasing fairies and starts to live in the world without fairies and the fairy tales, and learns how to hunt and to ride and to track animals. But in this change of life, there is a price for keeping it and for continuing to let it grow.
Through her relationship with Kaisa, Ash finds what it means to grow and what it means to let her heart guide her and in that realization, she also finds a new capacity to live. Ash prefers the company to the Huntress than the company of the Prince, and that makes this story even more powerful. Malinda Lo has created a world that is magical and finds it's own footing in a world were fairy tales are viewed as being for children and has given the older crowd a fairy tale of their own.
This is some of the most beautiful, lyrical writing I've seen in a long time and that is so refreshing. The imagery just blows me away and it's like you're standing right there with Ash through everything, whether it be pain, joy, adventure, or terror. It would kill be to see this story get cast aside and labeled a "lesbian retelling of Cinderella" because it's so much more than that. It's a beautiful story that anyone could relate to and that everyone could take something away from.
I found myself hoping for a sequel in a story that doesn't need one, just because I wanted to spend more time with the characters and spend more time in this world that Malinda has created. It's beautiful, it's magical, and it's a story that until now, I didn't know could even exist, but it does, and it needs to be heard. Not to mention, look at the cover. It is so beautiful! This is easily one of my favorite stories this year and I hope that if it's given the chance, it can become everyone else’s.
