Taming the Bookshelf

Wildefire #2 - Embers & Echoes Cover Reveal!

2012-02-14T09:00:00.001-06:00

~~My not-so-secret author crush~~, Karsten Knight, revealed the cover for the second book in the Wildefire series last night! I can't wait to read this one. This cover just looks so beautiful but dangerous and hot (lava, duh), just like I picture Ashline. I mean I don't picture her as a deadly looking flower obviously...but the metaphor...y'know...Get it??? Also it comes out the week of my birthday!

Visit Karsten's blog to read the full summary for Embers & Echoes!

Book Review - Angelfire by Courtney Alison Moulton

2012-02-13T14:52:00.002-06:00

Angelfire
Publisher: Katherine Tegan Books
Hardcover: 464 Pages
Published: February 15, 2011

Book Description (Amazon):
First there are nightmares. Every night Ellie is haunted by terrifying dreams of monstrous creatures that are hunting her, killing her. Then come the memories.

When Ellie meets Will, she feels on the verge of remembering something just beyond her grasp. His attention is intense and romantic, and Ellie feels like her soul has known him for centuries. On her seventeenth birthday, on a dark street at midnight, Will awakens Ellie's power, and she knows that she can fight the creatures that stalk her in the grim darkness. Only Will holds the key to Ellie's memories, whole lifetimes of them, and when she looks at him, she can no longer pretend anything was just a dream.

Now she must hunt.

Ellie has power that no one can match, and her role is to hunt and kill the reapers that prey on human souls. But in order to survive the dangerous and ancient battle of the angels and the Fallen, she must also hunt for the secrets of her past lives and truths that may be too frightening to remember.

The Contemporary parts of this novel rock.
She kicks a monster in the balls, FTW.
Will and his tattoos are hot. I'm not usually all lovey-dovey gushy about book boyfriends!
Love that she portrays teenagers in a realistic way (friends, drinking, sex, parties) . Maybe you weren't doing those things as a teen/ young adult (close your eyes, Mom), but I sure was. I hate when they make everyone so goody-goody. It's not realistic.
Will MAKES the story for me. Their love is HOT. Someone that's loved you for multiple lifetimes, hundreds of years? That's one bad ass romance.

Sword-wielding heroine. Mehh. Not really my thing.
Monsters / The Grim - The whole fantasy part of this was a little much for me. This was the closest thing to an urban fantasy I've ever read, and I don't think it's the genre for me. If you like those types of books, you'll probably LOVE this one.
Too much action. I like action but like every other page she's randomly fighting a monster.
I just don't believe in her as a heroine, I don't believe in her "powers". It seems like she could easily be killed and the author is just holding off on killing her to make a trilogy.

Overall, it was hard for me to finish this book, but I'm pretty sure it had something to do with the genre. I wanted to give it a try considering so many people are completely obsessed with this book. But if you love fantasy, paranormal etc. I think you'll really enjoy this one. It's well-written and the love story is HOT! The love story was the only thing I was invested in. The rest just wasn't for me!

Not a big fan of this cover, but I read the e-book version so I didn't really notice it. I can't stand when they show the whole face and body of the cover. The cover model isn't how I pictured her at all. I wouldn't be drawn to this book in the bookstore. Sorry, cover designer.

Amazon / Barnes & Noble / The Book Depository

Courtney Allison Moulton - Twitter / Blog

Other Books in the Series:

Disclosure: I received an advanced copy courtesy of the publisher in order to facilitate my review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

In My Mailbox #35

2012-02-05T11:46:00.001-06:00

Thanks to Kristi at The Story Siren for hosting!

I heart Simon & Schuster!

Being Friends With Boys - Terra Elan McVoy (May 1, 2012)

*No, You did not miss a Newsletter.

Please see my little paragraph under Bookish Thoughts (at the bottom of this post) for what little info I have on Galley Grab!

Huge thanks to St. Martin's Griffin, Bloomsbury and Marshall Cavendish! You guys are amazing!

This Is Not a Test - Courtney Summers (June 19, 2012)

The Other Life (The Weepers #1) - Susanne Winnacker (May 1, 2012)

The Forgetting Curve (Memento Nora #2) - Angie Smibert (April 2012)
Eye of the Storm - Kate Messner (March 13, 2012)

I got a few of the books off my wishlist,
and I also downloaded a few short stories from some of my favorite YA series for FREE! Yay!

Beneath a Meth Moon - Jacqueline Woodson
Insider Information (Possession #.5) - Elana Johnson
Trapped - Michael Northrop

Away (The Line #2) - Teri Hall
The Future of Us - Jay Asher & Carolyn Mackler
Tortured (Birthmarked #1.5) - Caragh M. O'Brien

Invincible Summer - Hanna Moskowitz
Tomorrow Is Today (Tempest #.5) - Julie Cross
Family - Micol Ostow

Not trying to be a bitch, but let's all remember that Galley Grab is a privilege and something super awesome that Simon & Schuster does. It's not something they OWE to us. Believe me, I'm as anxious as ANYBODY to get a newsletter in my email. They said in December that they were ? restructuring their platform ? (not too sure what that means but whatevs) and would be back with a newsletter in the new year. They didn't specify January or February or EXACTLY when we'd get the newsletter. Every time I post a Galley Grab book in my IMM, everyone's like ZOMGGGGG I DID NOT GET THE NEWSLETTER!!!!! HOW DID YOU GET A NEWSLETTER!!!!???? I'm not on some special list, I just search "galley grab" on Twitter whenever I get a chance. Sometimes, I get lucky and an author or a Simon & Schuster editor will have posted a new link! So be vigilant, and it will pay off! Hopefully S&S will surprise us with a newsletter soon!
I'm reading Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi. This book is SUPER amazing. This is the best dystopian I've read in a lonnngggg time. Believe me, I read like EVERY single Dystopian.
I have been waiting for Beneath a Meth Moon to be released for awhile, I splurged a little and purchased it on Release Day. I am...not happy. The e-book is a little over 100 pages long and it was $10.99....(ARGH) and I just...don't like it. I'm 1/4 of the way in and I really have no desire to pick it up again. I am so pissed that I didn't download a sample first.
Not so bookish....Why is Friends still so awesome? Friends is my ALL TIME FAVORITE SHOW. I have probably watched each episode 50 times (um yeah not kidding). I wish they had a Friends Trivia Tournament cause I would totally win - I've never met anyone that is as obsessed as I am!!!! I have recently been on an all Friends - all the time kick. I haven't watched anything else (besides my son's cartoons) in a few weeks. "I want to make a ship-to-shore call to Chandler!"

What did you get in your mailbox?

Leave me your links, I WILL check them out! Promise!

Happy Reading!

TBR Tuesday - Triple Edition - 2012 Contemps, Contemps and More Contemps

2012-01-24T14:02:00.002-06:00

Welcome to To-Be-Read Tuesday aka Cover Lust! There are so many amazing covers being released each week, I had to make this a double edition! I think I'm most excited for the Spark (sequel to Glow), Slated and Rage Within (sequel to Dark Inside)!

I hope you find some titles to add to your ever-growing TBR List!

Links go to GoodReads!

Because of Low - Abbi Glines (February 14, 2012)

Second Chance Summer - Morgan Matson (May 8, 2012)

Skin Deep - Laura Jarratt (March 5, 2012)

Jersey Angel - Beth Ann Bauman (May 8, 2012)

Never Enough - Denise Jaden (July 12, 2012)

Belles - Jen Calonita (April 10, 2012)

My Life In Black and White - Natasha Friend (June 28, 2012)

A World Away - Nancy Grossman (July 17, 2012)

Before We Go - Amy Bright (May 15, 2012)

The Boy Recession - Flynn Meaney (August 7, 2012)

Pizza, Love & Other Stuff That Made Me Famous - Kathryn Williams (Aug 21, 2012)

Freshman Year & Other Natural Disasters - Meredith Zeitlin (March 2012)

Nothing Special - Geoff Herbach (May 1, 2012)

Purity - Jackson Pearce (April 24, 2012)

Pilgrims Don't Wear Pink - Stephanie Kate Strohm (May 8, 2012)

A MidSummer Tight's Dream - Louise Rennison (February 2, 2012)

Smart Girls Get What They Want - Sarah Strohmeyer (June 26, 2012)

How To Keep a Boy as a Pet - Diane Messidoro (May 7, 2012)

The Breakaway - Michelle Davidson Argyle (May 1, 2012)

Someone Else's Life - Katie Dale (February 2, 2012)

Something Like Normal - Trish Doller (June 19, 2012)

Before You Go - James Preller (July 17, 2012)

The Best Night of Your Pathetic Life - Tara Altebrando (July 5, 2012)

All These Lives - Sarah Wylie (June 5, 2012)

Fade Out - Nova Ren Sum (June 5, 2012)

Tracing Stars - Erin E. Moulton (May 10, 2012)

Fall From Grace - Charles Benoit (May 8, 2012)

Are there any titles you think I should add to my TBR pile? I love suggestions!

Any books from my list that you plan on reading?

Top Ten Book Covers I Wish I Could Redesign.

2012-01-23T23:00:00.066-06:00

Thanks to The Broke and the Bookish for hosting my new favorite meme!

So this week's topic is basically a wild card. Pick any top ten list you missed out on or make up your own!

I chose Top Ten Book Covers I Wish I Could Redesign. Definitely one of the most "shallow" bookish topic out there, but you know I'm a cover whore!

I'm only going to discuss books that I have read or are on my TBR. I'm staying away from Romance and most Fantasy books because I really dislike about 90% of the covers and if I started listing those we would be here all night. I'm not touching self-pub novels either, because I rarely if ever read them ~~and I've only seen like 3 self pub covers that I don't think completely suck~~. I'm not trying to hurt anyone's feelings, and I'm sorry if I insult your most favoritest-paper-your-walls-with-it cover. But some of them are just NOT for me. This is pretty mean topic, hard to believe I'm not all puppies and sunshine, huh?

1. Nightshade & Wolfsbane - Andrea Cremer - I think these might be my least favorite covers ever. Sorry cover designer. They look like they're trying to be adult urban fantasy books or something. I especially don't like them because I own the first book with the old cover design, which is wayyyy prettier. Ummm and what is this leapfrog-esque pose on the cover of Wolfsbane? The whole cover screams FROG to me.

2. Delirium & Pandemonium - Lauren Oliver - I LOVEDDDD the old cover. This new cover model is not at all how I pictured Lena. Have you seen the UK cover for Pandemonium?! OMG, it's absolutely freaking gorgeous. Why can't we have that one? I think these covers should be more abstract instead of so IN YOUR FACE BAM. Not really my thing.

3. Inside Out - Maria V. Snyder - I adore this book. I gave it 5 stars because it's just awesome and everybody should read it. I feel shallow saying this but I can't stand this cover. I can be shallow at time, so here's my bad analogy: If I was in High School, this book would stay in the friend zone. My "friend" has a super amazing personality - funny, witty, and he's a great listener. But, he wears really embarrassing outfits and he's got a weird haircut and a smattering of acne. It's kind of hard to take him seriously cause he looks kinda nerdy. It's weird telling people this book is the second best thing to The Hunger Games because it just doesn't LOOK like that type of book. I just don't think the cover model looks like Trella... at all. This book is awesome, I just wish the cover was just as awesome as the story is. The new UK covers are fab and totally gorgeous, by the way. I would like those, please!

4. Ashes (#1) - Ilsa J. Bick
This cover is so weird and paranormal-ish and just totally creepy. Those blank eyes. Ick. Soooo don't like. The book is so awesome, I just wish there was a better cover.

5. Unearthly (#1) - Cynthia Hand
There's just something about this cover that I don't like. I have to admit, the font is superrrr gorgeous and I know it's all foily and swirly and shiny in person. I don't like the cover model and her dress just is too plain for me. Something about this cover is just so non-memorable to me.

6. Passion (Fallen #3) - Lauren Kate
I loved, adored and lusted after the first two books in this series. They seem to be the first books that really sparked the big, beautiful dress trend that so many publishers are using these days. At first glimpse, I thought Passion was decent. Not as good as the other two, but still not bad. Then I started to notice weird things...Like how weird and skinny the model's arms looked, how it seemed more like a cartoon than the other two, the random rose, the brighter colors.... It was just downhill from there. Thankfully Rapture and Fallen in Love are back up to par, I got nervous for a sec!

7. Tempest (#1) - Julie Cross
I absolutely LOVEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE this book. I just think the cover is kinda...cheesy? I mean I understand it in the context of the story, but it still looks...weird.

8. Chaos Walking Series - Patrick Ness
The colors are too blah for me. I'm just not into it.

9. Gone Series -Michael Grant
These covers annoy me. I love the UK/ Aussie covers. They are soooo cool looking. I don't like the two kids on everryyyy single cover. It reminds me of some type of clothing catalog. I've heard these books are awesome, but the covers make it look like a kiddie book.

10. Enclave (Razorland #1) - Ann Aguirre
Love the book and yes, the cover goes well with the story. It just looks so BLAH and way more boy-ish than the story actually is. I wish the title would stand out more, cause it all kinda blends together.

Vlog: In My Mailbox #34

2012-01-21T19:28:00.004-06:00

Thanks to Kristi at The Story Siren for hosting!

I finally did another vlog. I know, I know I just made your day didn't I? Enjoy!

Thank You to Random House, Little Brown, St. Martin's Griffin

and the lovely bloggers who sent me books!

ARC'S

MWF Seeking BFF - Rachel Bertsche

The Survivors - Will Weaver (April 8, 2012)

Switched (Trylle #1) - Amanda Hocking

Love the Blogging Community!

Special Thanks to Jen @ Lost in the Library and

Heather @ Book Stacks on Deck !

Sisters Red (Fairytale Retellings #1) - Jackson Pearce

SIGNED Forever (Wolves of Mercy Falls #3) - Maggie Stiefvater

Shatter Me (#1) - Tahereh Mafi

Beautiful Darkness (Caster Chronicles #2) - Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

Beautiful Chaos (Caster Chronicles #3) - Kami Garcia & Margaret Stohl

I heart Simon & Schuster!

When You Were Mine - Rebecca Serle (May 1, 2012)

Huge thanks to Random House! You guys are amazing!

I've Got Your Number - SOPHIE KINSELLA! (squeee!) (February 14, 2012)
Point, Click, Love (#1) - Molly Shapiro

The biggest thank you EVER to Harper Perrenial and Random House!

Lies Beneath - Anne Greenwood Brown (June 12, 2012)
Fallen in Love (Fallen #3.5) - Lauren Kate (January 24, 2012)
With My Body - Nikki Gemmell (June 19, 2012)

So I downloaded the Kindle and Nook apps for my iPhone. I soooooo am in LOVE! They are awesome, now I'm NEVER without something to read. I love that they sync right up to where I left off, plus on my Kindle app I can access all my NetGalley & Edelweiss books as well! AWESOME!
Galley Grab has been messing with me lately. They tempt me with links for all these amazing books and then half of them don't work. I just really wish Galley Grab would send out a newsletter. I miss Galley Grab so much. Sad face. It's hard to complain though since Galley Grab is just too awesome for words. I seriously LOVE Simon & Schuster for creating an amazing eGalley program!
I am reading With My Body by Nikki Gemmell. It's an amazing book. I don't even want to read it. I want to savor it and make it last forever, because who knows when she'll write another book. If you have been looking for an amazing, emotion non-ya read I definitely recommend this one!
I started the Aftertime series by Sophie Littlefield and have been realllly impressed by the first book. I love the new take on zombies. I thought it was kind of a YA book, but I guess it's not because there's lots of sexytimes in there and the main character is older. Oooo I heart Smoke. I also am finishing up Outside In by Maria V. Snyder, it took me a little while to get into it but now I'm totally sucked into the story just like I was with Inside Out.

What did you get in your mailbox?

Leave me your links, I WILL check them out! Promise!

Happy Reading!

Goals for 2012

2012-01-19T09:00:00.003-06:00

So I find it kinda funny that last year I posted my New Year's goals on January 18th as well. I guess I truly am a procrastinator!

2011 Goals

1. ~~Don't enter any challenges.~~ CHECK
2. ~~Don't be nervous to approach publishing houses.~~ CHECK
3. Review books I've read within a day or two. FAILS ALL AROUND
4. Catch up on my reviews from last year, by doing mini reviews.  MORE FAILS
5. Get a Blog Makeover.  HALF DONE
6. ~~Blog consistently~~.  meh. check.
7. ~~Manage my TBR pile and Review pile better by planning out what I'm going to read on my Calendar.~~ CHECK. WIN.
8. Read the Gossip Girl series! On Book 7 right now. Halfway there!
9. Read 100 books! Hit 94, still better than last year's 80!

4/9 - Less than half....Ehhhh.

2012 Goals

1. Keep Up to Date/ Catch Up on my Reviews. I have so many reviews to catch up on. It's kind of sad. I have NetGalley reviews to write...and about a bajillion other reviews to write.

2. Write up a few notes when I finish a book. I started doing this with the last few books I've read. It usually takes me about 3 days to read a book since I read a few books at the same time. Ao if I write just a few sentences after a reading session...Bam! Almost finished with the review!

3. Don't request so many Books. For awhile I just requested anything that looked remotely interesting on NetGalley. I have soooo many Netgalley books to read and review it's like seriously a problem. So I'm being much more....discerning now. I'm trying to only request books that look totally amazing! Also, I have stopped requesting ARC's from publishers. Also, I do get a fair share of random books that just show up. Plus, I like to read books digitally now and it takes me wayyyy too long to get around to reading hard copies. I only like to read hard copies outside...and given that it's like 20 degrees out now...Yeah not happening anytime soon.

4. Consistently do IMM posts. I have a whole plastic container full of books that I need to do an IMM for. Yeah, like a whole backlog. I really enjoy doing vlogs. I entertain myself. I just have to set aside time to do them. I can easily record vlogs now since I have the new iPhone and the camera is awesome. Plus, I just ordered a little tripod for my iPhone, can't wait to use it!

5. No Challenges Once Again. This isn't a hard one for me, since I've come to pretty much hate challenges. I feel like I'm on enough of a schedule with my review books and sometimes I just want to read for fun. Plus, I usually fail spectacularly at them. Sometimes, it is tempting to join one though especially after seeing the trillion Challenge posts in my Google Reader.

6. Write some Bookish themed posts. I have a lot of random posts and bookish thoughts to share. I also have some rather strong opinions about all the blogger drama. Seriously there's a new issue like every single week. I usually try to stay out of it because honestly we're too freaking old for this drama, so I don't want to fuel the flame. There's nothing sadder than a 40 year old woman acting like a 14 year old. But I do have lots of drama-free random topics I'd like to blog about. I'm going to try to work these posts into my blogging schedule somehow.

7. Don't feel bad when I mark a book as DNF. This is seriously a problem for me, I used to feel incredibly guilty if I didn't finish a book. But I'm reading way too many books now, and have way too many books to be read to waste my time on books I don't enjoy. I feel bad not finishing books I'm SUPPOSED to enjoy, but oh well!

8. Continue my Series Reading - I'm going to finish the Gossip Girl series this year! I'm on book #7, so halfway done! I also need to read the Mortal Instruments/ Infernal Devices series! I've heard soooo many epic things about, I can't ignore it any longer. I also would like to read the Harry Potter books. I've only read the first one so far. I enjoyed it, but I didn't really LOVEEEE it. *GASP* I know. I'm hoping I get more invested in the series, even though Fantasy isn't normally my thing. I also want to start reading the Fearless series by Francine Pascal again. Me and my best friend read about half of these books when we were like 18 years old and we lovedddd them. The publisher is releasing a bind-up of the first three Fearless books this month, so I'm planning on getting that to start me off. (Plus the cover is GORGEOUS!) Also, I'd love to re-read the Love Comes Softly series by Janette Oke. It was one of my favorite series as a teenager. Yeah, I know it's Christian Fiction, but SURPRISE I actually enjoy a lot of Christian Fiction. I think it gets a bad rap.

9. Stick to my Blogging Schedule. I have finally come up with a blogging schedule that works for me. I just need to stick to it!

10. Clean up my blog layout. My sister designed my new Header (Thanks Biancs!), but I need some social media icons and would like to create some sidebar headers. I'm also thinking of getting a total re-design, but haven't decided who to go with or what exactly I'm looking for.

11. Be a little meaner on my star ratings. I've noticed that I'm giving most everything 4 stars. Books I really don't like at all I'm giving 3 stars, when I should be giving them 2 stars. So this year I'm being a bit more harsh. I'm only giving 4 stars to books I LOVE and 5 stars to epic reads like The Hunger Games. I am pretty stingy with my 5 star ratings though already.

12. Read 105 Books. So far I'm right on track, so hopefully I'm be able to keep it up! I know last year it was really discouraging to log into GoodReads and see "You are 14 books behind". I really think I can hit my goal this year!

2012 Reading Challenge

Tara has

read 5 books toward her goal of 105 books.

hide

5 of 105 (4%)

view books

There you have it!

If I stick to these,

I can feel SUCCESSFUL at blogging and reading,

instead of overwhelmed and guilty!

Blackout!

2012-01-18T15:28:00.000-06:00

Awesome GIF from The Oatmeal.

I'm "blacking out" not technically, since I don't have Wordpress and don't really know how to on Blogger. But BAM I'm protesting. This new bill is basically ridiculous. Are we going to be like China, where the government regulates what we can and can't view on the internet? UGH. I'm disgusted.

Strike Against Censorship!

Waiting on Wednesday - With My Body

2012-01-17T21:00:00.002-06:00

Thanks to Jill at Breaking the Spine for hosting.

With My Body

Author: Nikki Gemmell

Release Date: June 19, 2012

Publisher: Harper Perrenial

Paperback: 512 Pages

Amazon

From the Harper Collins Catalog:

From the author of the international bestseller The Bride Stripped Bare comes the raw and resonant story of a middle-aged wife and mother who attempts to reclaim her lost sense of self by exploring the memory of an old love affair, the consequences of which have remained unresolved for years

A Paperback Original

From the author of the international bestseller The Bride Stripped Bare comes the raw and resonant story of a middle-aged wife and mother who attempts to reclaim her lost sense of self by exploring the memory of an old love affair, the consequences of which have remained unresolved for years

"One of the few truly original voices to emerge in a long time." -Time Out New York

Eight years ago Nikki Gemmell created a literary phenomenon with The Bride Stripped Bare, an unflinching depiction of female sexuality that climbed bestseller lists around the globe. Now she returns with a tour de force that explores whether it is ever truly possible to find intimacy with another person. With My Body is at once a manifesto for married mothers everywhere and a highly personal story of one woman's sexual awakening.

A wife, comfortably married and with three children, is contemplating the constraints of motherhood and middle age, and finding that she has gone numb within. Locked in a never ending cycle of house chores, school runs, and meal times, she sees no way to live her life with honesty, verve, and passion. Even her husband, whom she loves, has never touched the core of her being. Only one person has ever come close. So, despairing of ever finding a way through her family to reconnect with her innermost identity, she returns to the memory of an old love affair-one whose consequences she has never fully resolved. Revisiting her past, she will confront the hidden truths of her heart while beginning an exhilarating journey into her sexuality.

Exquisitely raw, bold, and emotional, With My Body is deeply resonant of the classic French erotic writings of Colette, Nin, and Duras-but with a provocative twist and modern insight into present-day sexuality and that could only come from the intimate and invigorating voice of Nikki Gemmell.

Seriously my wish that Nikki Gemmell would write another book has FINALLY come true. Guys, you have no idea how super crazy I am about "The Bride Stripped Bare". I discovered her writing when I was like 20 years old or so and omg I was totally in love. You should see my copy of "The Bride Stripped Bare"....It looks like someone's read it like 90,000 times. ANYWAYS, when I saw this one on Edelweiss in the HC catalago I seriously almost cried. I had no idea she was even writing a new book. I requested the digital ARC and the awesome people at Harper sent it to me right away. I seriously heart them like you would not believe. The premises just sounds like freaking amazingggg...So I guess I'm not really "Waiting" on Wedneday....I'm more like "Ecstatic" on Wednseday. Although I am totally going to be buying the book on release day so it can look shiny and pretty next to my threadbare copy of her other novel, so I guess I am waiting for that. I wanted to spotlight this book for you guys because ~~I started reading it the minute I got the email from Harper and wow it's so great already I can't even believe it~~ her writing is amazing. FYI this is not a YA book, It's definitely more "adult". There's going to be some sexytimes, obvs. I mean read the summary.... OMG I'll stop talking now.

What are you waiting on? Leave me your links so I can check them out!

TBR Tuesday - Double Edition - 2012 YA Dystopian & Sci-Fi

2012-01-17T09:00:00.085-06:00

I hope you find some titles to add to your ever-growing TBR List!

Links go to GoodReads!

Larkstorm (#1) - Dawn Rae Miller (January 10, 2012)

Slated (#1) - Teri Terry (May 3, 2012)

The Traitors - Tom Becker (April 3, 2012)

The World of the Hunger Games - Kate Egan (March 23, 2012)

Rage Within (Dark Inside #2) - Jeyn Roberts (September 4, 2012)

So Close to You - Rachel Carter (July 10, 2012)

Chosen Ones (The Lost Souls #1) - Tiffany Truitt (April 2012)

Blackout (Newsflesh Trilogy #3) - Mira Grant (June 7, 2012)

The Fury - Alexander Gordon Smith (April 5, 2012)

Kissing Shakespeare - Pamela Mingle (August 14, 2012)

Don't You Wish - Roxanne St. Clair (July 10, 2012)

Deadly Pink - Vivian Vande Velde (July 10, 2012)

Glitch (#1) - Heather Anastasiu (August 7, 2012)

Spark (Sky Chasers #2) - Amy Kathleen Ryan (July 17, 2012)

Broken Universe (Universe #2) - Paul Melko (June 5, 2012)

Earth Girl - Janet Edwards (June 7, 2012)

Erasing Time - C.J. Hill (September 2012)

False Memory - Dan Krokos (August 14, 2012)

Are there any titles you think I should add to my TBR pile? I love suggestions!

Any books from my list that you plan on reading?

What Are You Reading? #51

2012-01-16T16:11:00.000-06:00

Thanks to

One Person's Journey through the World of Books
and
Teach Mentor Texts
for hosting the weekly Link-up!

I'm right on track for the year so far to reach my Goodreads goal of a 105 books. We'll see how long this lasts!

The Talents (Delcroix Academy #1) - Inara Scott - 3 Stars!

Angelfire (#1) - Courtney Allison Moulton - 3 Stars!

The Price - Natalie McLennan - 4.5 STARS!

Anatomy of a Boyfriend - Daria Snadowsky - 4 Stars!

Lies Beneath (#1) - Anne Greenwood Brown (June 12, 2012)
With My Body - Nikki Gemmell (June 19, 2012)

Aftertime (#1) - Sophie Littlefield

Rebirth (Aftertime #2) - Sophie Littlefield

What are you reading this week?

Have you read any of these books on my list?

Top 12 Books I'm Looking Forward to in 2012

2012-01-16T09:00:00.012-06:00

So this one is my final "List" post. I'm concluding my Best of 2011 books with my most anticipated books of 2012. Hopefully next year I'll be more on top of my posting, and it won't take me til halfway through January to post these.

There are so many awesome books that are going to be released in 2012...There's too many to even list, but these are my favorites! Links go to Goodreads.

First, let's start with the YA books....

1. Monument 14 - Emmy Laybourne

This was always kind of my dream when I was younger to get in trapped in a Target type of store or a department store. I don't know why, I guess it's kind of a weird thing to think about! This is probably my most anticipated book of the year! Plus I love anything that has to do with tornadoes, hurricanes etc. Reading about acts of nature totallllyyy freak me out! I am going to be downloading this to my Nook at midnight on the release day!

2. Pandemonium (Delirium #2) - Lauren Oliver

Dude. Ummmm....the cliffhanger at the end of Delirium... Ermmmm YEAH. CAN'T WAIT TO READ IT!

3. Fever (The Chemical Garden #2) - Lauren DeStefano

I really enjoyed Wither. I had a few problems with the book (mainly it was a little slow). But the characters really stuck with me throughout the year. I read Wither back in January of 2011, and they really stand out in the midst of all the other dystopian novels. I hope this one is a little more fast-paced...I'm excited to see where the author takes us! PLUS THE COVER! ZOMGGAHHHH!

4. The Selection - Kiera Cass

Gorgeous cover like ahhh the most gorgeous cover of the year (so far!), unique premise. Where can I buy that dress? I guess I would have nowhere to wear it. Oooo, I could wear it in my IMM videos. #sexybooknerd

UPDATE: Ugh.... (Thanks for pointing this out, Book Goggles) THIS and THIS makes me NOT want to read it at all. I could really care less about a negative review, and I'm excited enough for the book that I would read it regardless of a few negative reviews. But behavior like this from an author or agent is completely unprofessional and makes me want to NOT support the author's work. I don't really ever like to get involved in the ongoing - blogger/author/agent review drama. But I don't want to support this type of behavior by supporting their work. Sad. I was really looking forward to this. Not sure if I'll be reading this now.... My advice for authors "LET IT BE". Seriously.

5. Beneath a Meth Moon - Jacqueline Woodson

This looks awesome. There's really not a lot of books that focus on addiction this year (WHICH THERE SHOULD BE, BECAUSE I LOVE THOSE TYPES OF BOOKS!) Maybe they're just not that popular, who knows....Anyways this book looks phenomenal. I've already blocked off time in my reading calendar to read it on release day!

6. Insurgent (Divergent #2) - Veronica Roth

Can't wait to see what epic adventure Tris takes us on this year. Four & Tris, ftw. LOVE. I want it so badly, I just might break my own rules (No more requesting ARC's - I have too many) and request one!

7. Survive - Alex Morel

I love, love, love survival stories. I sooo can't wait to read this. It looks like a great adventure type book that will keep up late and give me a book hangover! Maybe they'll put it up on Netgalley? PLEASE, PRETTY PLEASE!?

8. This is Not a Test - Courtney Summers

Speaking of Netgalley, this just went up on FRIDAY. Squuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuueeeeeeeeee! There hasn't been an awesome YA Zombie novel released in awhile. This looks totally epic. (Love the blood splatters on the cover, too!!!)

.....and now the Non-YA books

9. Jeneration X - Jen Lancaster

Can't WAIT for another Jen Lancaster memoir. She's my favorite author EVER. I KNOW this one is going to be awesome.

10. Life As I Blow It - Sarah Colonna

I'm hoping this will be kinda similar to a Chelsea Handler memoir! They're so funny. I need a good funny memoir, it's been awhile since I've read a really funny book.

11. Girl Walks Into a Bar - Rachel Dratch

Again, this looks really, really funny. Not much else to say.

12. I've Got Your Number - Sophie Kinsella

Love everything that Sophie Kinsella writes. She's definitely the master of Chick Lit!

Theres' a few more that I'm excited for, but they have no covers yet....

Not Taco Bell Material - Adam Carolla
Average American Marriage - Chad Kultgen
Outpost (Enclave #2) - Ann Aguirre

There are books I've received as ARC's already, but am still super excited to see them released in 2012!

With My Body - Nikki Gemmel
Lies Beneath (#1) - Anne Greenwood Brown
Partials (#1) - Dan Wells
The Way We Fall (#1) - Megan Crewe

Top 11 NON-YA Books I Missed in 2011

2012-01-14T10:00:00.003-06:00

So I only have like one more "Best of" post after this. It's only taken me like what....halfway through January to post these. Go me. I'm so on top of things. I rock.

Like I said on my YA Books I Missed in 2011 post there were sooooooo many amazing books released in 2011, and of course it would be basically impossible to get to them all. I was really looking forward to the release of EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THESE BOOKS, but somehow didn't end up reading them in 2011. I'm going to get to these next year!

Links go to Goodreads.

1. Exploiting my Baby: Because It's Exploiting Me - Teresa Strasser
Adam Carolla is like my celebrity obsession. He's beyond funny. I discovered this author through his podcast. His former News Girl ,Teresa Strasser, was pregnant around the same time that I was. I followed along with her blog and she just cracked me up with her hilarious attitude towards pregnancy. I was seriously excited when I found out she was writing a book.

2. Attachments - Rainbow Rowell
This looks like an amazing chick-lit-ish type of book. I read like a billion 5 star reviews of it!

3. Bossypants - Tina Fey
I absolutely LOVE humorous memoirs. I've been reading them for years. I've heard that this one is epic!

4. My Boyfriend Wrote a Book About Me - Hilary Winston
The boyfriend she is referring to is Chad Kultgen, one of my favorite authors of all time. This book looks astoundingly funny. She's also a writer for Community....which I recently discovered (late to the game, I know) and is seriously hilarious. (Watch this season's Christmas episode - THE most hysterical episode of television ever, in my humble opinion.)

5. Planting Dandelions
I'm a stay-at-home Mom/ housewife/ cook and maid. This looks like an interesting and humorous take on the mundane.

6. The Singular Exploits of Wonder Mom & Party Girl - Marc Schuster
So if you read my blog regularly, you know that I love "addiction" and "druggie" memoirs. Although this is fiction, this looks really interesting and the cover is slightly funny. I have one gripe though, I haven't bought this because the nook book is $18.99. Unbelievable. But I want to read it so badly, I'm sure I'll end up buying it soon.

7. Origami Dove - Susan Musgrave
This book looks absolutely beautiful and slightly depressing. Love books written in verse.

8. 40 Love - Madeleine Wickham
Love all things Sophie Kinsella/ Madeleine Wickham. Her books always cheer me up!

9. Fathermucker - Greg Olear
Hilarious take on parenthood. I've read like a bajillion awesome reviews of this one.

10. Dollhouse - Kourtney, Kim & Khloe Kardashian
So the bookish nerd in me hates that I want to read this. I don't just want to read this, I want to OWN A HARD COPY FOR MY SHELVES. I just love this cover and I secretly (errr not-so-secretly) love all things Kardashian. Especially Kourtney. She's my fave!

11. Ready Player One - Ernest Cline
This has a 4.31 rating on Good Reads with like 20,000 people rating it. Looks so awesome. Almost every single blogger that I've seen that's read this listed it as their favorite of 2011!

Have you read any of these?

Did you love them? Did they suck?

Top 11 YA Books I Missed in 2011

2012-01-13T10:00:00.002-06:00

There's nothing like dragging my 2011 posts well into the new year. Whatevs, I worked hard on these babies, so who cares if they're like 2 weeks late?
There were sooooooo many amazing books released in 2011, and of course it would be basically impossible to get to them all. I was really looking forward to the release of EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THESE BOOKS, but somehow didn't end up reading them in 2011. I'm going to get to these next year!
Links go to Goodreads.

1. Across the Universe (#1) - Beth Revis
I've heard nothing but good things about this and I've been lusting over this book for like 2 years now. Seeing A Million Sun come out just makes me want to start this one even more.

2. The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer (#1) - Michelle Hodkin
Although I'm a bit apprehensive to start this one now. My best friend just read it (like this week) and said it was just kinda...ehhh... We usually have the same taste in books, so I'm not sure how I'll feel about it. I do still want to try to it out since so many people said it was their favorite book of the year....and that cover...zomg.

3. Crossed (Matched #2) - Ally Condie
I got this book as soon as it was released. I even went to the Ally Condie Signing! (She's so sweet, btw!) I need to start it because I loved the world-building in Matched and can't wait to read more in this series.

4. Ashes, Ashes - Jo Tregiarri
This sounds like an awesome post-apocalyptic. I haven't seen that many reviews of it so I NEED to get this!

5.The Future of Us - Jay Asher & Carolyn Mackler
I think this was one of the most lusted after ARC's of 2011. I have a copy just waiting for me on my Nook. I can't wait for all the 90's references!!!! Yay!!!!

6. Anna & the French Kiss / Lola & the Boy Next Door - Stephanie Perkins
I think I might be the only person in the entire YA blogging world that hasn't read these books. I WILL read both of them this year!

7. The Dead (The Enemy #2) - Charlie Higson
Loveddddddddddddddd The Enemy. It was one of the most amazing Zombie books I've read in forever. This one looks just as awesome.

8. Trapped - Michael Northrop
As soon as we get our first blizzard of the year, I'm curling up with this book. I'm missing the snow this year. 50 degrees in JANUARY in CHICAGO? In a few weeks I'll be kicking myself for saying this, but I wish it would snow!

9. Slice of Cherry (#2) - Dia Reeves
I need to read the first book in the series. This looks totally original and creepy! I want a copy of this for my shelves cause it's so gorgeous.

10. Gossip Girl, Psycho Killer (Gossip Girl #13) - Cecily von Ziegesar
I'm finishing up reading through the Gossip Girl series this year. This looks crazy awesome.

11. The Secret Year - Jennifer R. Hubbard
Looks like the perfect romance! I can't WAIT to get to this one. WHY HAVEN'T I READ THIS YET?!

Dreaming of Books Giveaway

2012-01-12T21:40:00.004-06:00

Thank you to Kathy @ I am a Reader, Not a Writer and Martha @ Reviews by Martha's Bookshelf !

See a list of all the participating blogs HERE!

Keeping it simple, just fill out the Rafflecopter form below.

One winner will get a $20 Amazon or Barnes and Noble Gift Card! Winner's Choice!

If you are an International winner, you will receive up to $20 in books from The Book Depository!

You must be a Google Friend Connect Follower to enter!

By filling out this form you are verifying you are over 13 years old.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

The Boring Stuff.....

Giveaway ends at 12:01 AM EST on Thursday, January 19th.

OPEN INTERNATIONALLY!

By filling out the form you are verifying you are over 13.

Winner will be emailed and will have 48 hours to respond to my email and claim their prize.

I obviously cannot be held responsible for damage or delays that occur during shipping.

Entries will not be accepted in the comments, but OF COURSE I love any comments that my amazing readers leave me!

While you're here feel free to follow me on
GoodReads or my latest obsession, Pinterest!

Also, feel free to request me as a friend on Nook LendMe!
I have some awesome books in my library!
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11 Most Disappointing Non-YA Books of 2011

2012-01-12T09:00:00.012-06:00

Again, I don't like the world "adult". These aren't really adult books as in erotica and sexytimes....So I prefer Non-YA much better. Let me be clear most of these books I did enjoy to an extent, but they were the biggest DISAPPOINTMENTS for me this year.

1. If You Were Here - Jen Lancaster
This kills me to have my beloved Jen on the top of this list. She is my absolute favorite author EVER. She's hilarious and I'm obsessed with her blog. The moment her books are released I run to the store and scoop up my copy. I've read Bitter is the New Black (her first memoir) like a hundred times. She's totally badass. She @replied me on Twitter and I freaked out and almost started crying. Like I hardcore love her. Anyways. That's probably the reason that her book is first on my disappointment list. I look forward to her books like you would not believe. If You Were Here was her first work of fiction. It was actually a really good book. I think a lot of people would love it. However, there were just way too many similarities between the main character and herself. (She's written four memoirs so far so that's' the reason I feel like I know so much about her, not because I'm a psycho. :) It was so hard for me to figure out what exactly was fiction and what was non-fiction. It was like she wrote a memoir changed the name and added a few completely crazy situations in there to throw me off. The whole time I drove myself crazy wondering what was true and what wasn't. It was a fun book, just not for me, the die-hard Jen Lancaster fan.

2. Lies That Chelsea Handler Told Me - Chelsea's Family, Friends and Other Victims
I absolutely love Chelsea Handler's first three memoirs. They're some of the funniest books I've ever read. I was totally excited for the latest installment of Chelsea Handler craziness. Instead all I got was stories about how mean and ridiculous her pranks are, and then the ending of each chapter basically waxes poetic about Chelsea's generosity and amazing friendship...It was just a weird memoir. There were some amusing parts, but overall I was totally disappointed.

3. Secret Obsession - Kimberla Lawson Roby
I hate to bash books. I really do. But this was my least favorite book of the year, not the biggest DISAPPOINTMENT. It was fairly short, and I was just blown away by the ridiculousness of the story. I had absolutely ZERO sympathy for the main character and her mental illness. She just seemed like an EVIL person. She did some horrendous things to her sister. I mean how could you act like that towards someone in your own family? I don't know about you, but for me I would never want to deliberately hurt my sister, let alone ruin her life and steal her husband. I honestly can't say I'd recommend this book to anyone.

4. I'm Kind of a Big Deal - Stefanie Wilder-Taylor
I loved her first two memoirs. I was disappointed by her previous one, and this one left me disappointed as well. I love her funny stories, but there wasn't anything that amusing in this memoir. The book took a serious turn which I wasn't expecting. I was looking for fun, light stories like she usually writes, and it just didn't work for me.

5. Being Kendra - Kendra Wilkinson
This book made me roll my eyes....over and over and over. There was a lot of repetition throughout the book, like she was trying to beat her way of thinking into my head. This was more of a "how-to" book about marriage and motherhood than a memoir. I wanted something juicy and instead felt like a crappy wife because I don't have sex with my husband a thousand times a day or something like that like she apparently does.

6. It Looked Different on the Model - Laurie Notaro
Laurie Notaro is my go-to author when I want to laugh. She's so funny and has such a great send of self-depracating humor. She just cracks me up. There were a few entertaining stories in here, which I enjoyed. It wasn't a boring book by any means, but I was just disappointed overall.

7. Chocolate & Vicodin - Jennette Fulda
I was expecting something a bit more...interesting and...funny. I was bored. I think the title is a little misleading as well. I don't think she really even talks about Vicodin (that I can recall) so it seems like that was just used to sound edgy or something. Kinda weird.

8. Nowhere Near Normal - Traci Foust
I love memoirs about OCD usually. The childhood parts of memoirs are always my least favorite. Given that the majority of this book was about her childhood, I was bored. There were a few moments that were absolutely riveting and shocking (She used to brush her teeth with Ajax! Ahhh!) , but for the most part...Blah.

9. This Beautiful Life - Helen Schulman
I was expecting something similar to Therese Fowler's "Exposure". Instead this was basically just a glimpse into a life of a wealthy family. Nothing exciting.

10. A Stolen Life - Jaycee Lee Dugard
Yes, I put this book on my favorites list as well. I loved this book, but was disappointed in it as well. I thought this was going to be a "nothing held back" type of memoir. Maybe she didn't hold anything back, but to me it really seemed like she did. There were big chunks of time that were just missing. Also, I wished she would have given some more insight into the trial of her captors in the end of the book. I didn't really feel any resolution.

11. Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? - Mindy Kaling
I've been looking forward to this book for a year. The title alone cracks me up. The Office is one of my favorite shows of all time. I was thinking there would be a lot of Office gossip and insight. Unfortunatelyl, there were only a few anecdotes from the show. I chuckled a few times, but there wasn't any laugh out loud funny moments for me. I did enjoy parts of it, but it was just...ehhh for me.

Agree with me? Disagree?

Did you enjoy any of these?

Non-Ya Books Read in 2011

2012-01-11T19:00:00.003-06:00

Oh look...ANOTHER list! In case anyone's wondering here's a list of the Non-YA aka "adult" titles I've read in 2011! Again, this is kinda just for my own records. Here's the full list of my 2011 reads.

If you're interested here's a list of the books I read in 2010.

Published 2011

Three Stages of Amazement - Carol Edgarian
Confetti Confidential (#3) - Holly McQueen
If You Were Here - Jen Lancaster
The Mistress's Revenge - Tamar Cohen
Groundswell - Katie Lee
Men, Women & Children - Chad Kultgen
In Office Hours - Lucy Kellaway
After the Party (#2) - Lisa Jewell
Secret Obsession - Kimberla Lawson Roby
This Beautiful Life - Helen Schulman
Mule - Tony D'Souza
Practical Jean - Trevor Cole
Click: An Online Love Story - Lisa Becker
The Infection - Craig DiLouie
Sorry I'm Not Sorry - @SororityProblem
Recalculating - Jennifer Weiner
The Frugalista Files - Natalie McNeal
Chocolate & Vicodin - Jennette Fulda
Nowhere Near Normal - Traci Foust
Lies That Chelsea Handler Told Me - Chelsea Handler
Not Dead & Not For Sale - Scott Weiland
I'm Kind of a Big Deal - Stefanie Wilder-Taylor
Because I Said So - Dawn Meehan
A Stolen Life - Jaycee Lee Dugard
It Looked Different on the Model - Laurie Notaro
Being Kendra - Kendra Wilkinson
Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me - Mindy Kaling
Being Kendra - Kendra Wilkinson

Published 2010

The Things That Keep Us Here - Carla Buckley
Screaming Into the Silence - Lydia Kelly
Dirty Secret - Jessie Sholl
Portrait of an Addict as a Young Man - Bill Clegg

Published 2009

Patient Zero - Jonathan Maberry
MetaGame - Sam Landstrom
True Mom Confessions - Romi Lassally
Six Word Memoirs on Love and Heartbreak - Larry Smith

Published 2008

Dirty Little Secrets from Otherwise Perfect Moms - Trisha Ashworth

YA Books Read in 2011

2012-01-11T14:21:00.010-06:00

In case anyone's wondering here's a list of the YA titles I've read in 2011! This is kinda just for my own records. Here's the full list of my 2011 reads.

If you're interested here's a list of the books I read in 2010.

Published 2012

May B. - Caroline Starr Rose
Tempest (#1) - Julie Cross

Published 2011

Awaken - Katie Kacvinsky
Wither (#1) - Lauren DeStefano
The Day Before - Lisa Schroeder
The Lover's Dictionary - David Levithan
Trickster's Girl (#1) - Hilari Bell
Those That Wake - Jesse Karp
Enclave (#1) - Ann Aguirre
Where She Went (#2) - Gayle Forman
Between Here and Forever - Elizabeth Scott
Possession (#1) - Elana Johnson
But I Love Him - Amanda Grace
Exposure - Therese Fowler
Love Story - Jennifer Echols
Wildefire (#1) - Karsten Knight
Clean - Amy Reed
Bumped (#1) - Megan McCafferty
Ten Things We Did - Sarah Mlynowski
Dark Parties - Sara Grant
Divergent (#1) - Veronica Roth
Eve - Anna Carey
Ashes (#1) - Ilsa J. Bick
Past Perfect - Leila Sales
Variant (#1) - Robison Wells
Never Have I Ever (Lying Game #2) - Sara Shepard
Dark Inside - Jeyn Roberts
Blood Wounds - Susan Beth Pfeffer
Ashfall - Mike Mullin
The Summer of Firsts and Lasts - Terra Elan McVoy
Hare Moon (Forest of Hands & Teeth # .5) - Carrie Ryan
Seeds of Wither (#1.5) - Lauren DeStefano
Survivors (Aftertime #1.5) - Sophie Littlefield
Tomorrow Is Today (Tempest #.5) - Julie Cross
Exposed - Kimberly Marcus
Tortured (#1.5) - Caragh M. O'Brien

Published 2010

The Lying Game (#1) - Sara Shepard
Captivate (#2) - Carrie Jones
Inside Out (#1) - Maria V. Snyder
Halo (#1) - Alexandra Adornetto
Entice (#3) - Carrie Jones
Before I Fall - Lauren Oliver
The Carrie Diaries (#1) - Candace Bushnell
Stork (#1) - Wendy Delsol
Dirty Little Secrets - C.J. Omolulu

Published 2009

Genesis - Bernard Beckett
L.A. Candy (#1) - Lauren Conrad
If I Stay (#1) - Gayle Forman
Tricks - Ellen Hopkins

Published 2008

Need (#1) - Carrie Jones
Perfect Chemistry - Simone Elkeles

Published 2001

Sloppy Firsts (Jessica Darling #1) - Megan McCafferty

Gossip Girl Series

Gossip Girl (#1) - Cecily von Ziegesar (2002)
You Know You Love Me (#2) - Cecily von Ziegesar (2002)
All I Want Is Everything (#3) - Cecily von Ziegesar (2003)
Because I'm Worth It (#4) - Cecily von Ziegesar (2003)
I Like It Like That (#5) - Cecily von Ziegesar (2003)
You're The One That I Want (#6) - Cecily von Ziegesar (2004)

11 Most Disappointing YA Books of 2011

2012-01-11T09:00:00.002-06:00

I'm just a little late with this Best of 2011 post. Procrastination,FTW!
So these weren't all my LEAST FAVORITE books of the year, but they are the books that I was the most disappointed in. Either they were totally over-hyped or I was just looking forward to them THAT MUCH and ended up being let down. So being on this list doesn't mean it's a BAD book, just disappointing.
Click on the links for my reviews, if I haven't written a review for it yet the link goes to GoodReads.

1. Possession (#1) - Elana Johnson

From the moment I saw the cover I was completely obsessed with getting my hands on this book. I think this is possibly one of my favorite covers of all time. The synopsis sounded so promising but unfortunately the book fell completely short for me. I was extremely confused for about 90% of the book. However, I do plan on reading the second book since the cliffhanger was pretty enticing and it's a companion novel, not a sequel. Hopefully, I'll have a better grasp of the world and character's this second time around.

2. Awaken - Katie Kacvinsky

Again totally gorgeous cover. I loved the first few chapters of this one, and was completely hooked. The plot just got more and more blah for me as it went on. I'm not sure if I'd bother to read the sequel or not.

3. Trickster's Girl (Raven Duet #1) - Hilari Bell

I was really looking forward to reading what I thought was a dystopian. This turned out to be way more paranormal than dystopian, and I just wasn't in the mood for it at the time. I think someone that loves paranormal would enjoy this much more than I did. It was by no means a BAD book, it just wasn't for me. I did appreciate that it was not your run-of-the-mill vampire/werewolf/ghost paranormal. Instead it explored elements of Native American mythology and nature which I thought was pretty cool.

4. Those That Wake - Jesse Karp

I wanted to love this. You have no idea how psyched I was to start this. I loved the first half of the book and then all this weird and random crap started happening that was never explained. The whole plot just took a way-too-bizarre twist. I think this was way more of a sci-fi book than dystopian.

5. Before I Fall - Lauren Oliver

I totally loved Delirium and I've heard basically nothing but good things about this one. It's not that this was a terrible book. But to me it was just kind of...boring...there were parts I enjoyed but there was too much repetition. After enjoying the fast pace of Delirium I just was expecting something....different. I hate saying this but the book seemed kind of....pointless? Gah, I hate to bash this book and it's totally not what I'm trying to do, I just don't get the hype. Maybe if I had just randomly picked it up and not known anything about the author I would have enjoyed it more.

6. Ten Things We Did - Sarah Mlynowski

So no parents. Living with your best friend in High School. Your Boyfriend can sleep over whenever he wants.Seriously, this author captured my teenage fantasy perfectly. Unfortunately this book fell short for me. I felt it was just too predictable for my taste and the ending did not sit well with me. I had suchhhhh high hopes.

7. Clean - Amy Reed
Being a story about drug addiction and rehab, I thought this book would be more reminiscent of Ellen Hopkin's Impulse. It was way too "Clean" (omg I totally made a joke) for me. I like books about addiction to be a bit more gritty and forthcoming.

8. Love Story - Jennifer Echols
I have heard marvelous things about Jennifer Echols. I was expecting an EPIC love story, especially with a title like LOVE STORY. The story was cute, I enjoyed it. But I wanted MORE!

9. The Carrie Diaries (#1) - Candace Bushnell
I mentioned here that Candace Bushnell is one of my favorite authors ever. I have all of her adult books and I usually run out to the bookstore as soon as one of her books are released. I've been going through a bit of Candace Bushnell withdrawal, so I decided to try her YA book. It was....ok. I would've liked it more if I hadn't known that it was Candace Bushnell writing. Ive just come to expect something different from her books, and it wasn't there for me in The Carrie Diaries. I enjoyed learning more of Carrie's back story, but otherwise it was pretty non-memorable for me.

10. Eve - Anna Carey
I thought Eve was going to be epic. It wasn't...at least for me. I'll be reading the second book since the cliffhanger was so random and I was like WTF!?!

11. Dark Inside - Jeyn Roberts
I DID like this book...sort of. I thought the cover looked crazy and awesome. However, all the different characters completely blended together for me... I couldn't tell you a single character's name at the moment or pretty much anything that happened throughout the book. It just wasn't memorable. I was interested while reading it...sort of. But now....eh.

What do you think of my Top 11 Non-YA Picks?
Agree? Disagree? I would love to hear what you guys think!

*Some of these books were given to me for review and some were acquired on my own. This obviously doesn't affect my opinion of the book.

TBR Tuesday - Triple Edition - 2012 YA Paranormal

2012-01-10T10:00:00.055-06:00

Welcome to To-Be-Read Tuesday aka Cover Lust! There are so many amazing covers being released each week, I had to make this a triple edition! I think I'm most excited for the next Lying Game book! Unraveling looks really awesome too!

I hope you find some titles to add to your ever-growing TBR List!

Links go to GoodReads!

Hide and Seek (The Lying Game #4) - Sara Shepard (July 31, 2012)

Fated (Soul Seekers #1) - Alyson Noel (May 22, 2012)

Black Heart (Curse Workers #3) - Holly Black (April 3, 2012)

Death and Other Excuses - Jamie Case (February 9, 2012)

Before I Wake (Soul Screamers #6) - Rachel Vincent (June 22, 2012)

Darkness Falls (Immortal Beloved #2) - Cate Tiernan (January 2, 2012)

Wide Open - Deborah Coates (March 13, 2012)

Battle Scars (Elemental #2) - Cesya MaRae Cuono (2012)

The Girl In The Clockwork Collar (Steampunk Chronicles #2) - Kady Cross (May 22, 2012)

Mirage (Winterhaven #2) - Kristi Cook (June 5, 2012)

Just for Fins (Fins #3) - Tera Lynn Childs (July 3, 2012)

Dark Storm - Sarah Singleton (March 2012)

Wake (Watersong #1) - Amanda Hocking (August 21, 2012)

Daylight Saving - Edward Hogan (February 2, 2012)

Drive By - Jim Carrington (March 5, 2012)

Dark Kiss (Nightwatchers #1) - Michelle Rowers (May 22, 2012)

Touched - Cyn Balog (August 14, 2012)

Auracle - Gina Rosati (August 7, 2012)

Unraveling - Elizabeth Norris (April 24, 2012)

The Vindico - Wesley King (June 24, 2012)

The Temptation - Alisa Valdes (April 24, 2012)

Suck It Up and Die - Brian Meehl (August 14, 2012)

City of Lost Souls (The Mortal Instruments #5) - Cassandra Clare (May 8, 2012)

Night School - CJ Daugherty (January 5, 2012)

Blood Fever (The Watchers #3) - Veronica Wolff (August 8, 2012)

Blackbirds (Miriam Black #1) - Chuck Wendig (April 24, 2012)

Drain You - M. Beth Bloom (July 24, 2012)

Are there any titles you think I should add to my TBR pile? I love suggestions!

Any books from my list that you plan on reading?

Top Ten Authors I Wish Would Write Another Book

2012-01-09T00:01:00.015-06:00

Thanks to The Broke and the Bookish for hosting my new favorite meme!

So this week's topic is: Top Ten Authors I Wish Would Write Another Book.

1. Candace Bushnell - I am reading her Carrie Diaries series, but I would totally love another adult book from her. 4 Blondes & Lipstick Jungle are some of my fave books ever!

2. Emily Maguire - She is the author of my favorite book in the whole world "Taming the Beast". I wish she would write a sequel or a companion novel, but I highly doubt that will ever happen...Sad Face.

3. Stephenie Meyer - I wish she would release Midnight Sun or at least continue the Twilight Series in some other way.

4. Chad Kultgen - He releases a book every spring. This coming spring his 4th novel is coming out. I love his books soooo much. I seriously wish he would release a book every month.

5. Susan Beth Pfeffer - I loved her Last Survivors series. She wrote a 4th book, Shade of the Moon, that unfortunately will probably never be released. I would LOVE another novel in this series.

6. Chelsea Handler- Her last book wasn't really written by her, it was written by her "friends".... I loved her first 2 books, liked the 3rd and just really couldn't get into "Lies That Chelsea Handler Told Me'...I would love it if she wrote another funny memoir about her 20's!

7. Adam Carolla - His first book was basically one long rant and I LOVED LOVED LOVED LOVED IT. I'm a huge fan of his, I've been listening to him since his Loveline days. I absolutely love his podcasts as well. I've heard that his second book is going to be more of a memoir. I'm sure it will be hilarious, but I love to hear him complain. I could read like a 100 books by him and not get bored.

8. Nikki Gemmell - She's the author of one of my most favoritest books everrrrr - The Bride Stripped Bare. I would be so happy if she would write another book.

9. Suzanne Collins - Can she just pllleasssee continue The Hunger Games series in some way, shape or form?

10. Elizabeth Wurtzel - Completely LOVE her Memoirs. They are so raw and beautiful.

In My Mailbox #33

2012-01-08T19:45:00.001-06:00

Thanks to Kristi at The Story Siren for hosting!

I haven't done an IMM in a few weeks. I got some review books from pubs over the holidays, but I'll show those next week in my vlog. These are all titles for my Nook or my Kindle.

Huge thanks to Harper Collins & Disney Hyperion!

Partials (#1) - Dan Wells (February 28, 2012)

Marked (Delcroix Academy #2) - Inara Scott (April 3, 2012)

Big thank you to Chronicle Books & Harper Collins !

Agorafabulous! - Sara Benincasa (February 14, 2012)
Girl Meets Boy - Various Authors

Rules of Attraction (Perfect Chemistry #2) - Simone Elkeles

Anatomy of a Boyfriend - Daria Snadowsky

Reason to Breathe - Rebecca Donovan

The Talents (Delcroix Academy #1) - Michele, Samantha and Sabrina Kleier

I'm finally getting back into the swing of things after the crazy holidays. We were out of town for almost 2 weeks visiting family. My son had a great time visiting with his Grandparents! I think he likes my Mom more than he likes me, lol!
I got a Kindle for Christmas. I'm now the proud owner of both a Kindle and a Nook! (Thanks, Husband!) I didn't get the Kindle Fire, since I already have a Nook Color and they're similar. I wanted a Kindle that utilizes the e-Ink technology, so I got the Kindle Touch. I LOVE how light it is, but I'm still figuring out how to do things on it. I'm still mostly using my Nook since I read a lot in bed with the lights out.
I'm still waiting patiently for my Galley Grab newsletter. By patiently, I mean checking my email repeatedly in an obsessive fashion and twitter-stalking any mentions of galley grab.
I still am working on my "Most Disappointing Books of 2011" post and my "Most Anticipated Books of 2012". Nothing like planning ahead and being on top of my posting, huh?!

What did you get in your mailbox?
Happy Reading!

Top 11 Non-YA Books of 2011

2012-01-04T12:57:00.003-06:00

So the title of this post sounds a little weird. NON-YA Books sounds better to me than ADULT BOOKS though. That makes it sound like an adult bookstore or something. I actually read a pretty wide variety of adult fiction and non-fiction. These are my top "adult" errr...grown-up titles of 2011.

1. Mule - Tony D'Souza
I absolutely LOVED this book and was totally blown away by how awesome it was. I didn't expect it to be as fast-paced as it was. I basically read the whole thing in one sitting. I couldn't put it down. I could so see this being made into a movie someday. So yeah, definitely my fave this year.

2. The Mistress's Revenge - Tamar Cohen
Another awesome book that I couldn't put down. Yeah, the main character seemed kinda psychotic but this "relationship thriller" blew my mind. The twist at the end WHHHHAAAA???? So crazy and so awesome. As soon as I finished this one I texted my best friend and made her read it right away! She loved it too!

3. In Office Hours - Lucy Kellaway
I was expecting a really chick lit-ish type of book when I read this. It was sooooooo much more. This is another one I read in one sitting and texted my bestie right away to read it asap. The realistic relationship were just heart-wrenching. Totally awesome read.

4. Dirty Secret - Jessie Sholl
I read this one on vacation. I had it sitting on my shelf for awhile and was super excited to get the chance to read it. I'm kinda obssessed with the show Hoarders and any Hoarding novels/ memoirs I come across go right on my TBR list. This book did not disappoint. It made me feel itchy and I felt completely immersed in the author's world. This must have been a really difficult book to write since it's basically a memoir about her relationship with her mother and her mother's hoarding issues.

5. The Things That Keep Us Here - Carla Buckley
Another one I got to read one vacation. I've only seen this book mentioned on one other blog, but I'm sooooo happy I picked it up. It's dystopian with a twist of women's fiction in there. I absolutely ADORED this book. It's really really sad though and incredibly realistic.

6. Men, Women & Children - Chad Kultgen
Although this wasn't my favorite of his books (Hello, THE LIE) I still really enjoyed this book. It's pretty crass and disgusting and makes no apologies for the blatant sexuality throughout. But, his voice is so unique, I'm completely enthralled by everything he writes. I bought the ebook of this AND the hard copy that's how much I enjoy his books.

7. Portrait of an Addict as a Young Man - Bill Clegg
Completely unexpected. Best drug addiction memoir I've read in awhile.

8. A Stolen Life - Jaycee Lee Dugard
Read this one in just a few hours. After I closed it, I felt slightly let down. Still, this one has stuck with me throughout the year. I like my memoirs a bit more gritty, but the story she has to tell is just so interesting I'd definitely suggest this book to most people.

9. Confetti Confidential (#3) - Holly McQueen
How have I never read her books before? These books totally reminded me of the Shopaholic books.I fell in love with the main character, Isabelle Bookbinder. She sort of reminded me of my beloved Becky Bloomwood. With all the dystopian reading I did this year I needed a FUN book and this definitely did the trick.

10. The Infection - Craig DiLouie
I don't know where or how I found this book, but I'm so glad I did. Crazy Action-Packed Zombie Novel with original twists that totally blew my mind. This one has MOVIE written all over it. This is more of a "boy" book, but I'm a girly-girl and I really enjoyed it too.

11. Not Dead and Not For Sale - Scott Weiland & David Ritz
Touching Memoir from the singer of Stone Temple Pilots & Velvet Revolver. Made me cry. Beautifully written.

What do you think of my Top 11 Non-YA Picks?
Agree? Disagree? I would love to hear what you guys think!

*Some of these books were given to me for review and some were acquired on my own. This obviously doesn't affect my opinion of the book.

Top 11 YA Books of 2011

2012-01-03T20:24:00.002-06:00

I could seriously list twice this many of my favorite YA books of 2011.
I've narrowed it down to my favorite 11. Enjoy!

1. Where She Went (If I Stay #2) - Gayle Forman
I put off reading If I Stay for a long time cause it sounded soooo depressing. I was pleasantly surprised and seriously the tears were FLOWING when I read that one. A few months later I saw Where She Went on Netgalley and I POUNCED. I tore through it. It was incredibly romantic and just amazing. I was so satisfied with the ending too, which is rare.

2. Inside Out (Insider #1) - Maria V. Snyder
This is probably my second favorite action/adventure book EVER (second to The Hunger Games trilogy...so yeah that's a pretty high standard). I was so surprised by Maria V. Snyder's awesome writing. I was totally immersed in the book and I couldn't put it down.

3. Tricks - Ellen Hopkins
I read this novel in just a day. At 600+ pages this was technically the longest book I read the whole year (or so says GoodReads). I was completely captivated by their stories. This is my second favorite Ellen Hopkins book (first would be Glass).... She continues to amaze me with her gorgeous, lyrical writing.

4. The Lover's Dictionary - David Levithan
I had no expectations going into this book. I finished it in 45 minutes and I fell completely in love with it. It's such an incredibly unique book. I've never read anything like it. It was generic enough that it could apply to most people, but it still felt personal. David still posts to the books twitter account often with new words and definitions. I reallly hope he decides to write a second book!

5. Exposure - Therese Fowler
I couldn't put this book down. This was such an amazing thriller with a beautiful love story intertwined throughout. Although this one is classified as YA, I think this is more of an adult crossover book as well. I think teens and adults will really enjoy this story. The ending seriously blew my mind! What a great twist and a perfect ending to the story! I cannot wait for another book from Therese Fowler.

6. Divergent (#1) - Veronica Roth
So this one was by far the most hyped book of the year. This was one of only a few ARC's I requested this year because I HAD TO HAVE IT! I was kinda expecting something more along the lines of The Hunger Games, so in that respect I was a little disappointed. But it was still an amazing story. I loved that it was set in Chicago (my hometown). It helped bring the story to life because I could clearly picture the setting. I loved the parts about the train because I used to commute every day by taking the train from the suburbs to downtown.

7. Perfect Chemistry (#1) - Simone Elkeles

I can't believe how long I waited to read this book. Such a great love story. Slightly predictable, but if you ever want to read a hot YA romance, this is the one!

8. Tempest (#1) - Julie Cross

I was a huge fan of The Time Traveler's Wife and I was expecting this to be the YA version of that story. This one was wayyyy more sci-fi and action-packed. I loved reading from a male point of view too. There is some romance in the story and it feels absolutely authentic. NO INSTA-LOVE! YAY! I have a feeling this will be a favorite read of 2012 for a lot of people!

9. Wildefire (#1) - Karsten Knight <3 - Oh Karsten. Hot AND a great author.....wow. I really enjoyed this one. It's easily one my favorite paranormals of all time. The description didn't really interest me and I admit I read it mostly because I have a crush on Karsten, but I'm so glad I did. Awesome heroine and I absolutely adore all the supporting characters.

11. Ashes (#1) - Ilsa J. Bick
Ok. Hate the cover. Don't let it fool you though, the story inside is AHHHHMAAAZZZINNNGG. Oh em gee. This book was not at all what I was expecting and this cliffhanger was right on par with Delirium. I really think this series is going to be absolutely EPIC.

10. Wither (The Chemical Garden #1) - Lauren DeStefano
This book reads almost like historical fiction even though it's set in the future. I didn't absolutely LOVE it when I read it, but the story has really stuck with me and stood out in the midst of the billion other dystopians that were released this year. I think this one was a great first book in what is most likely going to be an awesome trilogy. Can't WAIT for Fever!

What do you think of my Top 11 YA Picks?
Agree? Disagree?

I would love to hear what you guys think!

My 50th What Are You Reading Post!

2012-01-02T13:36:00.000-06:00

Thanks to

One Person's Journey through the World of Books
and
Teach Mentor Texts
for hosting the weekly Link-up!

Soooo, I REALLY wanted to hit my goal of 100 books...Sadly I was six books short. I did read a ton these past few weeks though. 16 Books! Go me! (I know some of them were still short stories, but whatevs - 16 FTW!)

Tempest (#1) - Julie Cross - 4 1/2 STARS! (January 17, 2012)

Tricks - Ellen Hopkins - 5 STARS!

The Summer of Firsts and Lasts - Terra Elan McVoy - 3 Stars!

Dirty Little Secrets - C.J. Omololu - 4 Stars!

Exposed - Kimberly Marcus - 3 Stars!

May B. - Caroline Rose Starr - 4 Stars! (January 20, 2012)

Survivors (Aftertime #1.5) - Sophie Littlefield - 4 Stars!

Recalculating - Jennifer Weiner - 3 Stars!

Tomorrow Is Today (Tempest #.5) - Julie Cross - 4 Stars!

Tortured (Birthmarked #1.5) - Caragh M. O'Brien - 4 Stars!

Seeds of Wither (The Chemical Garden #1.5)- Lauren DeStefano - 2 Stars!

Hare Moon (Forest of Hands and Teeth #.5) - Carrie Ryan - 4 Stars!

Being Kendra - Kendra Wilkinson - 3 Stars!

Six Word Memoirs on Love and Heartbreak - Larry Smith - 4 Stars!

Screaming in the Silence - Lydia Kelly - 4 Stars!

Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? - Mindy Kaling - 4 Stars!

Rules of Attraction (Perfect Chemistry #2) - Simone Elkeles
Anatomy of a Boyfriend - Daria Snadowsky

Always Something There to Remind Me - Beth Harbison

The Price - Natalie McLennan

What are you reading this week?

Happy New Year, Goodbye 2011!

2011-12-31T23:31:00.001-06:00

Health, Wealth and Happiness (plus all the good books you can read) in 2012!

Good-bye, 2011!

Here's to the New Year!

Top 11 Covers of 2011

2011-12-30T21:10:00.000-06:00

There's nothing I love more than a post full of gorgeous covers!

Here are some of my favorites of 2011!

1. Perfect (Impulse #2) - Ellen Hopkins - Ummm this might be the most beautiful cover I've ever seen. It's even prettier in person. The first time I saw it on the shelf I did a little happy dance in my head it was so pretty. Even if it was the worst book in the world (Which I'm sure it's not, given that it's by the awesome Ellen Hopkins - one of my all time favorite writers), I would still want a copy for my shelves. I could seriously stare at this cover for like twenty minutes.

2. Wither - Lauren DeStefano - This cover is just gorgeous. This dress - AAAAHHH! I think this was probably the most popular cover this year!

3. Triangles - Ellen Hopkins - Another cover by Ellen Hopkins in my top three. Love the font and I also have a shirt kinda similar to this one. YAY! So pretty!

4. The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer (#1) - Michelle Hodkin - I loved seeing all the extra pics from the photo shoot! This one is the perfect combination of creepy and beautiful!

5. Tris & Izzie - Mette Ivie Harrison - Even though I've heard lots of not so great things about this book, the cover is still totalllllllllly gorg.

6. Wildefire - Karsten Knight - Awesome Author. Awesome Book. This cover is just beautiful!

7. Virtuosity - Jessica Martinez - Totally love the pink and the black. I'm partial to this one as well because of the long hair...I have long hair. I like to envision myself as this cover model....errrr Just Kidding.

8. Slice of Cherry (#2) - This cover is cute yet creepy. Something about this cover just makes me want to pick this one up.

9. Juliet, Immortal (#1) - Stacey Jay - Love the red dress, also the ocean is just beautiful...Looks soooo romantic.

10. Away (The Line #2) - Teri Hall - This cover represents the book soooo well. I just love it!

11. Trapped - Michael Northrop - I love me a good blizzard. This one just makes me want to curl up under the blanket and read all night.

Christmas Break

2011-12-18T23:15:00.003-06:00

I'll be taking a 2 week Christmas Break from Memes and Reviews. I'll still probably post one meme - an IMM (so many books to show you guys), a giveaway and a few top 2011 lists. I have lots of reading to catch up on and I'll be spending a lot of time with my family in the coming weeks. I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday season! See you back in 2012!