Blood Of Silver.

This one was so so so so much better than the first book, Blood Of Gold.

Haley actually has more realistic problems than just her height in this one. She's feeling abandoned and used by her boyfriend (not in the normal sense though), Brooke's partying ways are getting Haley into even more trouble, which along the way she meets a new mysterious stranger, named Andre, that she starts to "feel" something for.

Is he one of the good guys? Or is going to end up being another misadventure like with her counselor the year before? Does she like him enough to risk leaving Seth and trying out a new relationship?

Another important question: Who is this other stranger who claims to be her mother's cousin? And is what she is trying to teach Haley a good thing or will it get her and everyone around her in even deeper trouble than before?

There were some grammatical errors but not really enough to detract from the story. If you had any doubts about this series when reading the first one I would have to say this one makes up for it. The characters just feel so much more real, supernatural or not. I think the only thing I would have changed was her dad's reaction to some of the situations. I understand he says he trusts Haley but I just can't see any parent blowing stuff off like he did.. Other than that it was really good and I really hope there is a third one. I think that a third could only get better.

Fallen.

After witnessing the guy she liked die in a fire that everyone seems to think she caused, Luce gets sent to reform school. Where everyone has to wear the same drab black clothes, you are not allowed out of the gate, and everything you do the reds (the security cameras) see. Though things seem fairly boring in appearance, she still can't catch a break. Her first day there she finds out that she only gets one phone call a week, her first friend likes to walk on the wild side which is the opposite of herself, the shadows that have followed her all her life are hanging around even more, and the guy she might have some interest in flips her off in the first 10 seconds of seeing her. Not so great of start.

I did really enjoy the story. But, of course, there were a few things that were off. Take the shadows that Luce claims to be so terrified of. I never really felt that fear. She was more worried about finding stuff about Daniel and getting him to like her then fighting the shadows, which keep killing people she knows.

I can understand liking a guy and wanting him to like you, but when your life and other peoples lives are in danger you worry about that first.

Fallen Angels seem to be the new fad in YA. That's cool with me because I've always been interested in fallen angel stories. Fallen has a pretty good twist in the story and I like the characters. Lauren Kate leaves it open to go into the next book "Torment", so if you want questions answered you will have to read that one, as well.

I'd say overall this one gets a 3.5/5

Guess what?! Guess what?! Guess what?!

Okay, so yesterday after I finished doing some house work I sat down in my chair to check my facebook before I had to put another load of laundry in the washer. As I was skimming my updates I come across one from Amanda Hocking and it says she did an interview with another blog.

Of course, I cannot not look. I click the link and in seconds I am reading the interview on the Indie Urban Fantasy Blog. You should take a look.

But anyways. I am just reading through the questions and answers, and then it happened! I guess just about half through Amanda gets asked how many books are going to be in the "My Blood Approves" series and she said and I quote "5 total. NOT including the side novella I'm putting out around Christmas. It’s not really in the continuity of the rest of the series, and I just wanted to give Peter some screen time to explore his past a bit."

Okay....I'm going to commence squealing like a little girl now. I am so utterly excited about this book. I can dust off my "Team Peter" jersey and wear my "Peter is #1" foam finger again.

Woohoo!

So yeah, if you are a "My Blood Approves" fan, look for that coming out this Christmas time.

What a nice present.

And if you are not yet a fan, get your butt on Amazon.com and order the books for your Kindle or what have you.

Get on it!

Who doesn't like a good contest?

I know I love them.

Especially when cool stuff is involved.

Reading Teen is featuring The Caster Chronicles in their Reading Clean Spotlight. And they have come up with a pretty awesome contest.

1st place winner get a signed ARC copy of Beautiful Darkness, Swag & Two Signed Posters.

See? I wasn't lying. Signed and everything.

2nd place winner gets Swag and Signed Posters as does 3rd place.

Pretty awesome stuff right??

Well the contest ends October 11th at 11:00pm (EST) so hurry up and go enter HERE.

New News.

So I am now officially part of the "Slackers Club". It has been over a week since I have finished a book to review...it NEVER takes me that long. Especially since this is a book I have read before. I figured that since I am fairly new to the whole book blogging thing I should reread some old ones that I enjoyed because they may be easier to practice on. And I've already read them once, shouldn't take to long right? So much for that theory.

Though I am technically in the middle of 3 books right now. 2 of them being Bible studies and those tend to take more time than regular reading. And I have my husband and our home to take care of. But, no more of my excuses. I have come here today to put a list up of some books that are to-be released that I am excited about. Granted...the list isn't nearly as long as it probably should be since I have been slacking (there's that word again) on checking release dates on books that I write down in my "To-be read" section of my reading/writing notebook. But at least it's something right?

• October, 2o10- Hollowland by Amanda Hocking. It's a zombie book. It's by one of my favorite authors. What's not to love? And it's like a big surprise when it's actually going to be released because of the problems she had with Amazon getting "Wisdom" up on time. So she said she's not releasing actual dates anymore until they are up and ready to buy.
• September 28th, 2010- Torment by Lauren Kate. The sequel to Fallen. So if Fallen is any good, I will be reading this one next.
• October 19th, 2010- Nightshade by Andre Cremer. The cover is what caught my eye. I'm a sucker for great book covers (I am one of those dreaded people that judge books by their covers). Werewolves, conspiracy, forbidden love. What's not to like right?
• October 26th, 2010- Misguided Angel by Melissa De La Cruz. The 5th book in the Blue Blood series. I have high hopes for this one because Schuyler and Jack have run away together. Which of course, after 4 books and they weren't getting together, I pretty much was ready to throw my book across the room. But the books are safe since they are off on their own little "defeat Lucifer together" journey. How romantic right?
• December 7th, 2010- Entice by Carrie Jones. This one is killing me to wait for. I absolutely loved Need and Captivate. I was going to reread the first two and review them before this one comes out, but I seemed to have loaned Need to someone. I think. But hopefully before December I will get it back, and get the reviews done. I would recommend them though. They are lovely stories.
• December 28th, 2010- Bloody Valentine by Melissa De La Cruz. Basically a Blue Bloods Novella...that is going to be longer than some of the Blue Blood books.
• February 22nd, 2011. Darkest Mercy by Melissa Marr. I will not lie about this one...I'm nervous to read it. Mainly because I did not like a lot of stuff in Ink Exchange or Fragile Eternity. I also cannot seem to pick up and read Radiant Shadows because the plot just does not seem to interest me that much...and I'm worried it won't be that good either. This one sounds like it's getting back to the original story line. The description sounds like there is a lot of drama, romance, backstabbing, and all that good stuff, in it.
• March 22nd, 2011. The Dark and Hollow Places by Carrie Ryan. I have not yet read The Dead Tossed Waves, but it is in "to-be read" pile. I loved loved loved The Forest Of Hands and Teeth so I am sure the next two will be great.

So there you have it. I will go back over my list of "to-be reads" and see if I have missed any, but this will have to suffice for now.

Til next time :)

Hush Money.

Welcome to the world of "Talents". In this story, just like real life, being different in high school is not a good thing. But these kids are not different in the same way as real life high school kids that are singled out because of theirclothes or car. These kids have powers. And if the wrong people find out about their power they get hauled off to a government institute where they are never heard from again. Well, that is until some of these "Talents" don't want to take it anymore.

Just think if X-Men and Heroes (the first season of course, which was the best) met and had a story baby, this is what it would probably be.

It's a good start to the chronicles. You get a sound introduction to the characters and their talents, who's possibly a bad guy and who's good. And there is an excellent cliffhanger at the end.

Now, even though I am looking forward to the next book, I did have some problems with this one. I know average teenagers aren't very articulate or may not have a firm grasp on the English language, but I think some of the "likes" and "totallys" could have been left out. It started to annoy me. And it might be my more conservative side, but the foul language started to get under my skin, as well. One reason I read YA fiction is so that I don't have to deal with all the foul mouths that go along with a lot of more "adult" type books. And this one takes the cake on swearing so far on most of the YA books I've read. I hope that it is toned down more in the next book.

I would have to give it a solid 4/5 though. We'll see if the next one can hold up to it.

The Road.

"The Road is a profoundly moving story of a journey. It boldly imagines a future in which no hope remains, but in which a father and his son 'each the other's world entire,' are sustained by love."

Everyone should read this book at least once. But not right after you've eaten a big meal...take my word for it. Not because it is grotesque or crass (well, sometimes it is a little bit), but because the scenes where the narrator describes how thin they are or what little they have to eat, it's sad. And may leave a feeling of guilt for having a full stomach.

It took me a little while to really get into the story, maybe about 30 pages. Usually if a story doesn't grab me right away I dread going on. Not the case with this one. Even though I wasn't completely taken from page one I knew it was going to be a good read. And it was.

I never once doubted this father's love for his son throughout the story. He would do anything to keep them going and living.

There are no chapters. That bothered me at first, but then it started to make sense. Chapters are breaks in the story, and there are no breaks in this one. It just keeps going, they just keep going. And there is very little dialogue for a book of 287 pages. The descriptions and narration are as dire as they are beautiful.

There is no explanation of what happened to the world. So if you only like stories with every detail explained, and the biggest one in this book is not, I wouldn't read it. McCarthy's take on apocalyptic event are great. I really think it shows just how far humans will go to survive.

"Ten thousand dreams ensepulchred within their crozzled hearts. They went on. Treading the dark world under like rats on a wheel. The nights dead still and deader black. So cold. They hardly talk at all."

4.5/5