Saturday, March 30, 2013

Stacking the Shelves #48



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Stacking The Shelves is all about the books we are adding to our shelves each week, sharing with you our excitement for our newest titles and maybe have you discover a new book in the process!

This new feature is hosted by Tynga from Tynga's Reviews.

This week I got:



I loved Demon From the Dark, which was the first book by Kresley Cole I ever read, so much that I decided to get Playing Easy to Get, so I could read the first tale of the series. I enjoyed it as well, and then went uncontrollably ka-razy and bought the whole series. There you go. XD

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What did you get this week?

Thursday, March 28, 2013

Review: Switched by Amanda Hocking

Switched (Trylle Trilogy, #1)
Switched (Trylle #1)
by Amanda Hocking


When Wendy Everly was six years old, her mother was convinced she was a monster and tried to kill her. Eleven years later, Wendy discovers her mother might have been right. She’s not the person she’s always believed herself to be, and her whole life begins to unravel—all because of Finn Holmes.

Finn is a mysterious guy who always seems to be watching her. Every encounter leaves her deeply shaken…though it has more to do with her fierce attraction to him than she’d ever admit. But it isn’t long before he reveals the truth: Wendy is a changeling who was switched at birth—and he’s come to take her home.

Now Wendy’s about to journey to a magical world she never knew existed, one that’s both beautiful and frightening. And where she must leave her old life behind to discover who she’s meant to become…

St. Martin's Griffin

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My Review:

Ouch. This review is going to be one hell of a BURN, so I'm making sure to let you know this ahead of time. If you don't like slightly mean reviews, please go check my other, more gushing ones

This is the first time I've bothered to write a 1-star review, so you can already tell how much this one bugged me. If this was an ebook, I'd have just deleted it after the first chapter, just to get it over it... BUT, as this one was a physical copy (an ARC, as a matter of fact, so maybe things got better in the final edition?), I pushed myself to actually make more of an effort.

What. A waste. Of livable lifetime.

Seriously.
  • Characters: A bunch of maladjusted, rude, spoiled, unpleasant, self-centered, self-important, ignorant MORONS, aka, 'trolls'. They may look pretty on the outside, but damn, they are COMPLETELY rotten on the inside. Talk about assholes. And that applies especially to our dear main-character, Wendy. She has a stupid name, evil powers, an amazing 'host' family and she couldn't be more of an ungrateful, useless bitch. YES, I'm pissed off at her. Her 'mother' really should have killed her when she had the chance. Too bad her 'brother' managed to save her. A waste of oxygen and space, that's all she is. Or, in this case, of paper and ink. If I had to find one good thing about her.... uhm... well, this is awkward. Let's see... maybe.... no. How about... argh. Ok, I got it! She has brown hair and eyes. THAT'S IT. That is ALL that is good about her. (I am fed up with the hordes of blondes and redheads). 
  • Plot: It had promise. I was curious about the changeling thing and to see what was the author's vision of trolls, buuuuuuuut... the whole 'I'm too lazy to raise my children, so I'll send them over to wealth human families to be raised as spoiled, rich teens, and then I'll bring them back and use their money, while we pretend I never sent them away in the first place.' Hum... I do not think that sounds like a very good enough reason, if you ask me.
The only reason I didn't DNF Switched was because I found myself in a very boring situation, away from home and other books/options of entertainment, and was forced to read the whole thing for lack of anything better to do. I know, the truth may hurt, but it's still the truth. Otherwise I'd have just given it up and started on the next title from my TBR list. 

In a nutshell, if, like me, you start this book and feel like you cannot go through the freaking FIRST chapter, don't keep your hopes up that things might get better. They won't. So don't bother.

Saturday, March 23, 2013

Stacking the Shelves #47


STSmall


Stacking The Shelves is all about the books we are adding to our shelves each week, sharing with you our excitement for our newest titles and maybe have you discover a new book in the process!

This new feature is hosted by Tynga from Tynga's Reviews.

This week I got:


My pre-order of Splintered AND a signed bookplate and bookmark from the amazing A. G. Howard. :D Thank you! (The bookplate actually arrived BEFORE the pre-order. LOL).
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What did you get this week?

Thursday, March 21, 2013

Review: Touch (Denazen #1) by Jus Accardo

Touch (Denazen #1)
Touch (Denazen #1)
by Jus Accardo


When a strange boy tumbles down a river embankment and lands at her feet, seventeen-year-old adrenaline junkie Deznee Cross snatches the opportunity to piss off her father by bringing the mysterious hottie with ice blue eyes home.

Except there’s something off with Kale. He wears her shoes in the shower, is overly fascinated with things like DVDs and vases, and acts like she’ll turn to dust if he touches her. It’s not until Dez’s father shows up, wielding a gun and knowing more about Kale than he should, that Dez realizes there’s more to this boy—and her father’s “law firm”—than she realized.

Kale has been a prisoner of Denazen Corporation—an organization devoted to collecting “special” kids known as Sixes and using them as weapons—his entire life. And, oh yeah, his touch? It kills. The two team up with a group of rogue Sixes hellbent on taking down Denazen before they’re caught and her father discovers the biggest secret of all. A secret Dez has spent her life keeping safe.

A secret Kale will kill to protect.

Entangled Publishing

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My Review


"Is he... hum, special?"

Imagine you're walking home late from a super awesome party that is sure to piss off your dad, only to be accosted by a extremely peculiar, though very hot, guy who asks (not very nicely) for your shoes because he leaves strange black marks in his path. Oh, and when you take him home (all the more to piss your dad off) to fix the wounds afflicted by the men following him (I wonder why? Nevermind, dad will hate this), you find out your dad is there (Yay! ooops...) and that he is a super secret evil agent from a super secret evil organization called Denazen, and that the guy with you, Kale, is their assassin, and can kill with the slightest touch of his skin. Oh, except that when he touches you, nothing happens. Yup. And then you go and run off with this strange stranger (see what I did there? :P ) straight into a lot of trouble. Not that you care much, because he is very cute, if sort of weirdo.

Touch is the kind of book I'd like to see more of. It's fast-paced, it's funny, it really messes with your emotions, and, best of all, has a pure-hearted virgin, who also happens to be a killer, as a hero. I mean, come on!!! Perfection, right? Enough with the experienced bad boys and the super pure young girls. It's time to switch those silly roles, people! 

I LOVED to see Deznee explaining the simplest things ('this is a tv', 'you eat that like this', 'this is called a leather jacket', and so on) and then trying to explain to most difficult to Kale ('this is a kiss', 'they hold hands because they like each other. No, not just like... have feelings for. No, love is... hum'). Just priceless!!! *-*
I laughed out loud so many times my mother demanded to know what I was reading. 

I also felt a bit torn when Deznee's ex showed up. Sure, I was pissed off with him right along Dez, at first, but when we find out what really happened... I felt a bit sorry for him. Only to be pissed off again at the end of the book. LOL. I love when stuff like that happens. 

Man, and what about those more, hum... steamy scenes? Wooo-hooo!!! I really need to get me a virgin. Yup, I said it. Surely I'm not the only one with this sort of fantasy. Honestly, I blame Miss Jus Accardo. It's all your fault, missie. :P 

I know some people have trouble with sex in YA books, but I definitely don't. It's a normal thing, and there's nothing to ashamed of! Teens do it all the time, we can't stop them, just try to make them understand how important it is to use protection! Have you guys seen how many teenage girls say they 'wouldn't mind getting pregnant?'. COME ON! But I digress here... Kale was hot, Deznee was kick-ass and the chemistry between them was tremendous! When they were together it was beautiful and lovely and sweet. Nothing dirty or shameful here. Congrats to the author!

Now, where is a copy of Untouched when you need one? XD

Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Let the words in...

Teaser Tuesday #43




Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along, just do as 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 any spoilers so as not to ruin the book for others.

Make sure to share the title and the author so other TT participants can add the book to their TBR piles.


Grave Doubts & Heaven Sent (Mediator, #5-6)
Yeah, that's right. 

Me. 

The girl who, at her old school back in Brooklyn, was voted Most Likely to Dismember Someone.

Grave Doubts & Heaven Sent (The Mediator #5-6), page 3.

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Something tells me that would have been my title as well if I went to that school. LOL. 

That is one series I never get tired of reading. Just so amusing! XD


What is your teaser this week?

Monday, March 18, 2013

READ!!!

Made of Stars Cover Reveal!‏


Hey, guys! 

Do you remember how much I loved Hushed, by Kelley York? Well, her new book, Made of Stars will be out around October this year, and I have the honor of introducing to you its gorgeous cover: 

You know I'm a sucker for blue tones (just look at my blog), but I'm also a sucker for great books, and let me tell you, this one sounds unbelievable:

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Blurb:
When eighteen-year-old Hunter Jackson and his half sister, Ashlin, return to their dad’s for the first winter in years, they expect everything to be just like the warmer months they’d spent there as kids.  
And it is—at first. But Chance, the charismatic and adventurous boy who made their summers epic, is harboring deep secrets. Secrets that are quickly spiraling into something else entirely. 
The reason they’ve never met Chance’s parents or seen his home is becoming clearer. And what the siblings used to think of as Chance's quirks—the outrageous stories, his clinginess, his dangerous impulsiveness—are now warning signs that something is seriously off.
Then Chance's mom turns up with a bullet to the head, and all eyes shift to Chance and his dad. Hunter and Ashlin know Chance is innocent...they just have to prove it. But how can they protect the boy they both love when they can’t trust a word Chance says?


Kelley York's links:
Kelley York


Pre-order links:



Saturday, March 16, 2013

Stacking The Shelves #46

STSmall

Stacking The Shelves is all about the books we are adding to our shelves each week, sharing with you our excitement for our newest titles and maybe have you discover a new book in the process!

This new feature is hosted by Tynga from Tynga's Reviews.

This week I got:


traded - Untamed
traded - Reckless
traded - Highland Bride
used store - Desire
Amaury's Hellion (thank you, Brenda!) - giveaway
traded - Rage
Unspoken (thank you, Vyki!) - giveaway
traded - Fever
used store - Identical
traded - World War Z

*dogs not included. :P

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I think I'll start with Unspoken first, what do you guys think? 
I hear it's irritatingly great. LOL. Really, I see people complaining to the author all the time about how they love to read it even when it hurts. And that it hurts so good. O.o 

What did you get this week?

Thursday, March 14, 2013

Short Review: The Darkest Night by Gena Showalter

The Darkest Night (Lords of the Underworld, #1)
The Darkest Night (Lords of the Underworld #1)
by Gena Showalter


All her life, Ashlyn Darrow has been tormented by voices from the past. To end the nightmare, she has come to Budapest seeking help from men rumored to have supernatural abilities, not knowing she'll be swept into the arms of Maddox, their most dangerous member -- a man trapped in a hell of his own.

Neither can resist the instant hunger than calms their torments... and ignites an irresistible passion. But every heated touch and burning kiss will edge them closer to destruction -- and a soul-shattering test of love...
Though they carry an eternal curse, the Lords of the Underworld are irresistibly seductive -- and unimaginably powerful...


HQN



Tuesday, March 12, 2013

Teaser Tuesday #42



Teaser Tuesday is a weekly bookish meme hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along, just do as 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 any spoilers so as not to ruin the book for others.

Make sure to share the title and the author so other TT participants can add the book to their TBR piles.

Lie By MoonlightIt was plain that the teacher did not hold thieves in the highest regard.

Pity.

He was such a skilled one.

Lie by Moonlight by Amanda Quick, paperback, page 49.
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Amanda Quick is such a hit-or-miss to me. I either 'love it from the first page' or simply 'don't bother to read another line'. Great thing this one is turning out to be very entertaining. :) I liked Deception, Ravished and The River Knows, as well, but With This Ring and I Thee Wed were some of those 'meh' cases. And just as I'm starting to get bored by her 'boring hero ignored by family, that turns out to be brave/passionate for too-smart-for-her-own-good heroine that finds herself mixed in with a crime/mystery to solve' formula, she surprises me with some great quotes and amusing/refreshing secondary characters. :)


What is your teaser this week?

Thursday, March 07, 2013

For Wannabe Writers - Interview with Kate Smith

Hey, everyone! Do I have a treat for you today! ;)
The amazingly talented (and such a dear!) author Kate Smith agreed to give us an interview!
Enjoy!!!

Personal Information:
1) Name and Pseudonyms: Kate Smith aka Kady Cross, Kate Cross, Kate Locke and Kathryn Smith

Kathryn SmithKady CrossKate Locke

2) Age: 40ish :-)
3) Gender: Female
4) Time you have worked, or have been working as a writer: I began writing at age 8. I sold my first book in 1999.
5) Institution you presently work at and have worked before as a writer: A bunch of awful retail jobs.
6) Level of Instruction: College graduate

About her Profession

1) Why have you become a writer
Because I can’t imagine NOT writing.

2) What would you say about your very first experience as a writer?
I’ll never forget the day I sold my first book. I was working at a job I didn’t like much, and the editor called me there. I spent the rest of my shift in a daze.

3) How do you view writing as a career? 
For me writing is my passion, not just a career. It’s something I have no choice in. It sounds weird, but I can’t stop writing anymore than I could stop breathing. If I go too long without working on a story I become irritable.

4) What could you say about your writing process? 
I like to plot and plan to an extent, and then I just start writing and see what happens. Each time I start a new series I have to give it its own binder that I turn into a bit of a ‘bible’ for those books. I use it to reference things that happen in other books so I can keep my facts straight.

5) Would you say that you are inspired and/or influenced by other writers? 
I would definitely say I’ve been inspired and influenced. I’m still finding new inspiration. There are so many fabulous authors and books out there -- I’ve barely scratched the surface!

6) Is there anything else you would like to add concerning your experience as a published author? 
Publishing can be a crazy business. It’s full of ups and downs, heartbreaks and disappointments. It is also the most rewarding thing I’ve ever done.

7) What advice would you give to aspiring writers? 
Don’t give up and read, read, read.

8) Please tell us about your new projects. 
Right now I’m finishing up the 3rd book in my Kate Cross written Steampunk romance series, The Clockwork Agents. The book is called Breath of Iron and will be out next summer. And then I’ll be writing the 3rd book in the Immortal Empire series for Orbit as Kate Locke.

9) Would you like to say anything else concerning your experiences in being a writer? Mention anything you consider important and you would like to share with us.  
I’ve made some of my best and beloved friends doing this job. It’s amazing to have that support -- people you can call through the good and the bad, and who always understand where you’re coming from.

3 Could you possibly complete the following statements?
Writing is…my life.
Learning to be a writer is …. difficult.
Being a writer is Frustrating, rewarding, terrible and wonderful -- all at the same time.

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Kate Cross

Arden is an undercover agent for one of the most powerful organizations of this steam-powered world—the Wardens of the Realm, a group with extraordinary abilities, dedicated to protecting England against evil....





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Kady Cross

As Kady Cross, Kate is the award winning author of The Steampunk Chronicles from Harlequin Teen. The series has been published in Australia and Germany, and is scheduled to be published in Turkey, France, England and Italy in 2012. It will also be released in Japan.
THE GIRL IN THE STEEL CORSET
THE GIRL IN THE CLOCKWORK COLLAR
THE GIRL WITH THE IRON TOUCH (June 2013)
Find out more at KadyCross.com!


Kate Locke

As Kate Locke, Kate is the author of the Urban FantasyGOD SAVE THE QUEEN (Immortal Empire #1), available in hardcover from Orbit.
GOD SAVE THE QUEEN
THE QUEEN IS DEAD (Feb 2013)
LONG LIVE THE QUEEN (late 2013)
Find out more at KateLocke.com




Kathryn Smith

As Kathryn Smith, Kate is the USA Today Bestselling author of the Brotherhood of the Blood series, and many historical romance novels.
Some of these books are no longer in print, but most can be found at your favorite online or brick and mortar retailer.

The Girl in the Steel Corset
w/a Kady Cross
Heart of Brass
Touch of Steel

w/a Kate Cross
God Save the Queen
w/a Kate Locke
KadyCross.com
KateCross.com
KateLocke.com