Books I Crave *3*

This is a weekly meme, hosted here, that was inspired by Kristi over at The Story Siren and Jill over at Breaking the Spine, with help from Laina over at Laina Has Too Much Spare Time.
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*All summaries are from Amazon, unless noted otherwise*

Prophecy of the Sisters by Michelle Zink

Release: Out Now!
An ancient prophecy divides two sisters-

One good...

One evil...

Who will prevail?

Twin sisters Lia and Alice Milthorpe have just become orphans. They have also become enemies. As they discover their roles in a prophecy that has turned generations of sisters against each other, the girls find themselves entangled in a mystery that involves a tattoo-like mark, their parents' deaths, a boy, a book, and a lifetime of secrets.

Lia and Alice don't know whom they can trust.

They just know they can't trust each other.

Along For the Ride by Sarah Dessen
Release: Out Now!

From Goodreads: It’s been so long since Auden slept at night. Ever since her parents’ divorce—or since the fighting started. Now she has the chance to spend a carefree summer with her dad and his new family in the charming beach town where they live.

A job in a clothes boutique introduces Auden to the world of girls: their talk, their friendship, their crushes. She missed out on all that, too busy being the perfect daughter to her demanding mother. Then she meets Eli, an intriguing loner and a fellow insomniac who becomes her guide to the nocturnal world of the town. Together they embark on parallel quests: for Auden, to experience the carefree teenage life she’s been denied; for Eli, to come to terms with the guilt he feels for the death of a friend.

Crazy Beautiful by Lauren Baratz-Logsted

Release: Out Now!
In an explosion of his own making, Lucius blew his arms off. Now he has hooks. He chose hooks because they were cheaper. He chose hooks because he wouldn’t outgrow them so quickly. He chose hooks so that everyone would know he was different, so he would scare even himself.
Then he meets Aurora. The hooks don’t scare her. They don’t keep her away. In fact, they don’t make any difference at all to her.
But to Lucius, they mean everything. They remind him of the beast he is inside. Perhaps Aurora is his Beauty, destined to set his soul free from its suffering.
Or maybe she’s just a girl who needs love just like he does.

Shiver by Maggie Stievater
Release: Out Now!

For years, Grace has watched the wolves in the woods behind her house. One yellow-eyed wolf--her wolf--is a chilling presence she can't seem to live without. Meanwhile, Sam has lived two lives: In winter, the frozen woods, the protection of the pack, and the silent company of a fearless girl. In summer, a few precious months of being human . . . until the cold makes him shift back again.
Now, Grace meets a yellow-eyed boy whose familiarity takes her breath away. It's her wolf. It has to be. But as winter nears, Sam must fight to stay human--or risk losing himself, and Grace, forever.

Goth Girl Rising by Barry Lyga
Release: October 19, 2009
Time is a funny thing in the hospital. In the mental ward. You lose track of it easily.

After six months in the Maryland Mental Health Unit, Kyra Sellers, a.k.a. Goth Girl, is going home. Unfortunately, she's about to find out that while she was away, she lost track of more than time. Kyra is back in black, feeling good, and ready to make up with the only person who's ever appreciated her for who she really is. But then she sees him. Fanboy. Transcended from everything he was into someone she barely recognizes. And the anger and memories come rushing back.

There's so much to do to people when you're angry. Kyra's about to get very busy.

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!

Contest Winners!

I had my first contest over the past week for the lovely Michelle Moran, who was ever so gracious to allow me to host this contest for two signed copies of her books. The first being a copy of The Heretic Queen, the second being a copy of Cleopatra's Daughter.

Through what could later be a much longer process of randomizing the entries, I have the winners!

*drumroll*

The Heretic Queen

(signed, paperback)

Sara *The Hiding Spot*

Cleopatra's Daughter

(signed, hardcover)

Bri *Bri Meets Books*

I have notified both of you already, as soon as you send me your information, I will pass it on to Michelle and you will recieve your prizes!

I want to thank everyone that entered!

Erec Rex: The Monsters of Otherness

Author: Kaza Kingsley

Category: Fantasy

Release Date: April 7, 2009

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

When I started the second book in the Erec Rex series, I wasn’t really sure what to expect. There were all kinds of things I already knew should happen, things I wanted to see happen, but there were some things I really didn’t see coming.

It’s been a month since the contests ended and Erec has spent that month in “Upper Earth” recuperating with his family, at least until he receives a letter from his friend, Bethany, that says he must return to Alyphium and begin the quests - or he will forfeit his rights to be king. And with the Stain brothers and Rock Rayson gunning for becoming the next kings, Erec cannot have that happen.

Erec returns unaware of what how public opinion views him, King Piter, and the events that happened the month before. The public believes that Erec is an imposter, that he tricked the Lia Fail, and that the three other boys are the rightful winners of the contests. Erec also returns with the internal debate of whether he can handle the scepter or if the power of the scepter will destroy him.

There are many twists and adventures that Erec encounters, some planned, some not. The quests are deadly and terrifying, but as Erec continues them he learns more and more about himself and about the magical world he has entered. There’s also the matter of all the baby dragons have gone missing and finding them in time to save them and finding out who has taken them.

Erec also has to delve into The Substance, the very thing that holds their world together, the very magic that encompasses their entire lives. There is something about this world that Erec is drawn into that just seems to encapsulate the reader’s attention. The creatures, the people, the places all seem like something straight out of the imagination of someone that’s read too many fairy tales, but that’s because they basically are. And it’s a good thing!

This book could possibly stand on its own, because Ms. Kingsley does seem to go back and do a bit of a recap about things, which I see as a good thing especially for someone that doesn’t go into reading the book directly after the first one.

Along with the adventures, there is still plenty of humor and the characters are taken deeper with this book. I have now officially found myself involved in another series that is going to keep me waiting for the next book. It’s easy to become involved with the story and care about the characters, I even found myself beginning to tear up at a few parts.

There is something for everyone within this book, whether it’s adventure, family, friendship, amusement, or just a story you can get lost in. Most of the time, the second book in a series lacks from the first, and while this one does a little, it doesn’t disappoint and still left me wanting more. I found myself with more questions than I started with and most of them were different questions!

So while I did get some questions answered, there were a lot that I was left with. There are six more books slated for the series, so there is plenty of time to get my questions answered! And I can’t wait to find these answers. There is so much good about this series so far, that I already know I will spend the next few years involved in these characters - and I can’t wait!

Waiting on Wednesday *6*

Waiting on Wednesday is a meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. It's a weekly look at upcoming releases that we're excited about!

The cover of this is so pretty. It's light on the eyes and it's soft looking. I haven't read Kiss Me, Kill Me or Kisses and Lies, but I really want to. Hopefully I will get a chance to read them before this one comes out, because it looks (and sounds) really good!

Kiss in the Dark

by Lauren Henderson

Release Date: April 13, 2010

From Amazon:

With Dan McAndrews's murder finally behind her, Scarlett has high hopes for a fresh start at Wakefield Hall Collegiate, the elite English boarding school her grandmother runs. Unfortunately, those hopes are dashed when her nemesis, the infamous Plum Saybourne, is transferred to the school. Plum wastes no time turning Scarlett’s impressionable classmates against her.

Scarlett has dealt with Plum’s nasty schemes before, and she can handle her archenemy very nicely, thank you—until Plum sets her sights on Scarlett’s best friend, Taylor, and new boyfriend, Jase. Then Scarlett is more than willing to fight for what’s rightfully hers.

Things only get worse after Scarlett becomes entangled in a mysterious death on campus. Scarlett is compelled to investigate because she wants to protect someone close to her. She never imagines that she’ll uncover secrets related to her parents’ fatal accident so many years ago. . . .

In My Mailbox *9*

Created by The Story Siren who was inspired by Alea.
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So this week I got a ton of books. A bunch for review and then I also went to a used bookstore while I was in Nashville. On the way home, I picked up a couple others too! Since there are so many books this week, I'm not going to include summaries (I will include the Amazon links), and I am going to split it up into 2 posts. This is just the books that I got for review, check back tomorrow for the books I bought! So let's get started!

Defining Twilight by Brian Leaf

Cleopatra's Daughter by Michelle Moran (be sure to enter my contest to win a signed copy of it or The Heretic Queen here!

The Hollywood Sisters: Truth or Dare by Mary Wilcox

Death Mill Mansion: A Lighthearted Comedy by Will Hartzell-Baird

Broken by Alyxandra Harvey-Fitzhenry
Leo and The Lesser Lion by Sandra Forrester

Troubadour by Mary Hoffman

Girl To The Core by Stacey Goldblatt

Malice by Chris Wooding (The cover on this feels soo cool!)
The Restless Dead by Various Authors

The Bell at Sealey Head by Patricia A. McKillip

How Beautiful the Ordinary by Various Authors

Contest Time!!!

It's time for my first contest! I am hosting this contest for the lovely Michelle Moran for two of her books.

This will be a 2 book, 2 winner contest.

First, a signed, paperback copy of:
The Heretic Queen by Michelle Moran.

In ancient Egypt, a forgotten princess must overcome her family’s past and remake history.

The winds of change are blowing through Thebes. A devastating palace fire has killed the Eighteenth Dynasty’s royal family–with the exception of Nefertari, the niece of the reviled former queen, Nefertiti. The girl’s deceased family has been branded as heretical, and no one in Egypt will speak their names. Nefertari is pushed aside, an unimportant princess left to run wild in the palace. But this changes when she is taken under the wing of the Pharaoh’s aunt, then brought to the Temple of Hathor, where she is educated in a manner befitting a future queen.

Soon Nefertari catches the eye of the Crown Prince, and despite her family’s history, they fall in love and wish to marry. Yet all of Egypt opposes this union between the rising star of a new dynasty and the fading star of an old, heretical one. While political adversity sets the country on edge, Nefertari becomes the wife of Ramesses the Great. Destined to be the most powerful Pharaoh in Egypt, he is also the man who must confront the most famous exodus in history.

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The second book up for grabs is a signed, hardcover of: Cleopatra's Daughter by Michelle Moran.

The marriage of Marc Antony and Cleopatra is one of the greatest love stories of all time, a tale of unbridled passion with earth-shaking political consequences. Feared and hunted by the powers in Rome, the lovers choose to die by their own hands as the triumphant armies of Antony’s revengeful rival, Octavian, sweep into Egypt. Their three orphaned children are taken in chains to Rome; only two– the ten-year-old twins Selene and Alexander–survive the journey. Delivered to the household of Octavian’s sister, the siblings cling to each other and to the hope that they will return one day to their rightful place on the throne of Egypt. As they come of age, they are buffeted by the personal ambitions of Octavian’s family and court, by the ever-present threat of slave rebellion, and by the longings and desires deep within their own hearts.

The fateful tale of Selene and Alexander is brought brilliantly to life in Cleopatra’s Daughter. Recounted in Selene’s youthful and engaging voice, it introduces a compelling cast of historical characters: Octavia, the emperor Octavian’s kind and compassionate sister, abandoned by Marc Antony for Cleopatra; Livia, Octavian's bitter and jealous wife; Marcellus, Octavian’s handsome, flirtatious nephew and heir apparent; Tiberius, Livia’s sardonic son and Marcellus’s great rival for power; and Juba, Octavian’s watchful aide, whose honored position at court has far-reaching effects on the lives of the young Egyptian royals.

Selene’s narrative is animated by the concerns of a young girl in any time and place–the possibility of finding love, the pullof friendship and family, and the pursuit of her unique interests and talents. While coping with the loss of both her family and her ancestral kingdom, Selene must find a path around the dangers of a foreign land. Her accounts of life in Rome are filled with historical details that vividly capture both the glories and horrors of the times. She dines with the empire’s most illustrious poets and politicians, witnesses the creation of the Pantheon, and navigates the colorful, crowded marketplaces of the city where Roman-style justice is meted out with merciless authority.

Based on meticulous research, Cleopatra’s Daughter is a fascinating portrait of imperial Rome and of the people and events of this glorious and most tumultuous period in human history. Emerging from the shadows of the past, Selene, a young woman of irresistible charm and preternatural intelligence, will capture your heart.

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There will be 2 winners. If you have a preference in which book you are entered for, then please include that in your comment, otherwise you will be entered for either book.

• Leave a comment to be entered. Make sure to include your email address.
• Deadline is September 11, 2009 (next Friday) Winners will be picked and notified on Saturday.
• This contest is open WORLDWIDE!

Good luck and please enjoy!

Waiting on Wednesday *5*

Waiting on Wednesday is a meme hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine. It's a weekly look at upcoming releases that we're excited about!

I love these kinds of stories and the cover just gives me the shivers! Plus it's the first of three(!!) of these "scary" stories! Yay!

The Waking: Dreams of the Dead

by Thomas Randall

Release Date: September 29, 2009

From Amazon:

Kara’s afraid to go to sleep—until the nightmares come when she’s awake . . . .

Sixteen-year-old Kara Foster is an outsider in Japan, but is doing her best to fit at the private school where her father is teaching English for the year. Fortunately she’s befriended by Sakura, a fellow outsider struggling to make sense of her sister’s unsolved murder some months ago. No one seems to care about the beautiful girl who was so brutally murdered, and the other students go on as if nothing has happened. Unfortunately, the calm doesn’t last for long. Kara begins to have nightmares, and soon other students in the school turn up dead, viciously attacked by someone . . . or something. Is Sakura getting back at those she thinks are responsible for her sister’s death? Or has her dead sister come back to take revenge for herself?