In my mailbox (6)

In my mailbox is hosted by The Story Siren The Story Siren

3 books this week:

Release: May 4th 2010 by Simon Pulse

Summary: Aura can see ghosts. Born after the Shift, a little-understood event that enables younger generations to communicate with the dead, Aura is relentlessly pursued by these violet-hued spirits. They need help to pass out of this world and into the next. And some are so angyr they are on the verge of becoming Shades, dark vortexes of energy. But Aura just wants the ghosts to leave her alone so she can spend time with her boyfriend, Logan.
When Aura is paired with a new foreign-exchange student to research the Shift for a class project, she is determined to ignore her partner’s sexy Scottish accent and discover the cause of the Shift so she can reverse it.

Then Logan dies a most untimely death. Forced to reconsider her relationship with the living and the dead, Aura is caught in a love triangle with her violet-hued boyfriend and her hot research partner…one of whom may hold the key to reversing the Shift

Release: September 2nd 2008 by Simon Pulse

Summary: Once upon a time I was a little girl who disappeared.

Once upon a time my name was not Alice.

Once upon a time I didn't know how lucky I was.

When Alice was ten, Ray took her away from her family, her friends -- her life. She learned to give up all power, to endure all pain. She waited for the nightmare to be over.

Now Alice is fifteen and Ray still has her, but he speaks more and more of her death. He does not know it is what she longs for. She does not know he has

                                                 something more terrifying than death in mind for her.

This is Alice's story. It is one you have never heard, and one you will never, ever forget

Release: April 1st 2007 by Flux

Summary: Nothing has been the same since Caleb Becker left a party drunk, got behind the wheel, and hit Maggie Armstrong. Even after months of painful physical therapy, Maggie walks with a limp. Her social life is nil and a scholarship to study abroad—her chance to escape everyone and their pitying stares — has been canceled.

After a year in juvenile jail, Caleb’s free . . . if freedom means endless nagging from a transition coach and the prying eyes of the entire town. Coming home should feel good, but his family and ex-girlfriend seem like strangers.

Caleb and Maggie are outsiders, pigeon-holed as "criminal" and "freak." Then the truth emerges about what really happened the night of the accident and, once again, everything changes. It’s a bleak and tortuous journey for Caleb and Maggie, yet they end up finding comfort and strength from a surprising source: each other

Book Blogger Hop (1)

~ Book Blogger Hop is a meme hosted by Jennifer from Crazy for Books.

This is for ALL BOOK BLOGGERS (NEW AND OLD) and READERS! Let's make some new friends and have fun! It's FRIDAY!!!

~ Book bloggers and readers can connect to find new blogs to read, make new friends, support each other, and generally just share our love of books! It will also give blog readers a chance to find other book blogs that they may not know existed! So, grab the logo, post about the Hop on your blog, and start PARTYING!!

~ You have a blog about books? I'm looking for new blogs to visit so leave a comment and I’ll make sure to check out your blog.

Review: The Unwritten Rule (Elizabeth Scott)

Release: March 16th 2010 by Simon Pulse

Summary: Everyone knows the unwritten rule: You don't like your best friend's boyfriend.
Sarah has had a crush on Ryan for years. He's easy to talk to, supersmart, and totally gets her. Lately it even seems like he's paying extra attention to her. Everything would be perfect except for two things: Ryan is Brianna's boyfriend, and Brianna is Sarah's best friend.

Sarah forces herself to avoid Ryan and tries to convince herself not to like him. She feels so guilty for wanting him, and the last thing she wants is to hurt her best friend. But when she's thrown together with Ryan one night, something happens. It's wonderful...and awful.

Sarah is torn apart by guilt, but what she feels is nothing short of addiction, and she can't stop herself from wanting more...

Rate: 5/5

Review: The Unwritten Rule was the fourth book I read by Elizabeth Scott. I really enjoyed her former storie so had high expectations for this one. Would I enjoyed it like I did with the others? I did! Actually i didn't expect tolike it that much but i enjoyed it from the beginning to the end.

  Thanks to the heroine Sarah. It was impossible not to like her especially once you got to know her 'best friend' Brianna. Sarah and Brianna have been friend since kindergarden and Sarah is used to see boys being attracted to Brianna like bees attracted to a pot of honey.She annoyed me to no end at some points. She was really mean to Sarah without even doing iton purpose, it's just how she is. I felt bad for Sarah when Brianna treated her like she was nothing and wished she would dare to stand up agains her friend sometimes. At least in the last part of the book she finally begins to realize she needs to react to the way Brianna treats her.

  Sarah is such a generous, sweet girl and a good friend she won't say about her attraction for Ryan when Brianna begins to go out with him. Even if she's been in love with him for years and things begin to change when Ryan shows some interest in her.
  I liked Ryan very much. He was really a cute guy, maybe not the kind of boy I would have got obsessed with  but still he was really sweet and thoughtful with Sarah. I think they were just so cute together.

  The end was predictable but well-rounded and sweet. Once again Scott managed to create realistic and relatable characters and situations and teen readers will easily identify with them. The Unwritten Rule was a quick but easy going and fun read that I would recommand to fans of romance and other Scot books.
  A must read.

Waiting on Wednesday (4)

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly meme to discuss upcoming books we can't wait to get our hands on. Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

My pick this week:

Release: August 19th 2010 by Razorbill

Summary: A plane crash in Alaska takes

Winter’s first love away forever . . .

When Winter's boyfriend is killed in a plane crash in the Alaskan wilderness, she's robbed of the future she'd only just allowed herself to believe might be hers. Winter and Spencer had been destined for one another. And after his death, Spencer's presence continues to haunt her.

But when her next-door neighbor becomes an unlikely friend, Winter begins to accept all that she can't change. Can she open herself to a new future . . . and a possible new love?


I just loved Heartbreak River and can't wait to put my hands on this one!

Teaser Tuesdays (2)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB from Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the 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 SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

~ Share the title & author too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My teasers:

"I'm not here for Brianna. I'm here for me, and I'm terrible. I'm terrible and no kind of friend at all and I-

I can't help it. I still want to see him."

~ p67, "The Unwritten Rule" by Elizabeth Scott

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

It's Monday: What Are You Reading? is a weekly meme hosted by Sheila at One Person's Journey Through A World of Books.

What I read last week:

Branded: Fall of Angels by Keary Taylor

Trust me (First Kisses #1) by Rachel Hawthorne

The boyfriend Game by Stephie Davis

What I'm reading:

Twilight: The Graphic Novel (Vol1) by Stephenie Meyer

What I'm planning to read (re-read):

The Unwritten Rule by Elizabeth Scott

Rules of Attraction by Simone Elkeles

Summer (Beautiful Dead #3) by Eden Maguire

And you, what are/have been/will be your reads this week?

Review Star: Jekel Loves Hyde

I'm having a new meme inspired by "Spotlight Review" at Bookworming in the 21st Century. Every week I'll pick up two of the best reviews I've read for a same book (it doesn't mean automatically 5/5 reviews ), this way we'll have the opportunity to share different opinions on a book we have read.
This week the book reviewed will be: Jekel Loves Hyde by Beth Fantaskey

Release: May 3rd 2010 by Harcourt Children's Books

Summary: Jill Jekel has always obeyed her parents’ rules – especially the one about never opening the mysterious, old box in her father’s office. But when her dad is murdered, and her college savings disappear, she's tempted to peek inside, as the contents might be key to a lucrative chemistry scholarship.

To better her odds, Jill enlists the help of gorgeous, brooding Tristen Hyde, who has his own dark secrets locked away. As the team of Jekel and Hyde, they recreate experiments based on the classic novel, hoping not only to win a prize, but to save Tristen’s sanity. Maybe his life. But Jill’s accidental taste of a formula unleashes her darkest nature and compels her to risk everything – even Tristen’s love – just for the thrill of being… bad.

1st review by Stacy from Wicked Walker

Rate: 3,5/5
Review: I have seen a few reviews on this book, going from "I love it" to "embarrassingly bad"..and hey, to each their own. I fell somewhere in the middle on this one. I liked the book, I thought the idea of a story based on the descendants of Jekyll/Hyde was an interesting one and the characters didn't grate on my nerves. The story is told from alternating points of view, Jill and Tristen, so I kind of feel with that...I didn't get as involved in the one character as I wanted to. The mystery of not knowing what the other is thinking is fun for me.

Jill Jekel is a nerdy, timid science nut that has never really had a boyfriend. She connects with Tristen Hyde over a science project where first prize would win a $30,000 scholarship. Tristen is an aloof, good looking outsider (by his choice) that agrees with help Jill on the project for his own reasons...he believes that the "Hyde monster" lives inside him and has made him do terrible things in the past. He believes Jill has the solution to his problem, literally, in the form of a potion created from the notes of Dr. Jekyll.

I found this a quick and interesting read based on a storyline that is unique. I would have wished for maybe more character development to enroll me into their lives more, but that didn't stop me from reading it pretty quickly. If you enjoy dark, quirky, science-nerd type stories, check it out on May 3rd when it is released!


2nd review by Marisa from BAM Book Reviews

Rate: B+
Review: The main character, Jill Jekel, is small, timid and quiet. I loved her. At first, she seems to be very vulnerable and weak but by the end of the book I found her to be courageous and strong. She was very interesting and I felt like I could relate to her, differences aside. I thoroughly enjoyed reading the book from her perspective. Speaking of that, I also loved the odd times where the story was being told by Tristen.

That leads me to evil Mr. Hyde himself. Tristen was a very complex and mysterious character. I liked him from the beginning but I never really fully understood who he was. His life is filled with secrets and unanswered questions but as you get deeper enthralled in the mystery of his "curse" things become clearer and secrets are revealed. Him and Jill are like opposite people but yet they're also alike in many ways. Which is why I loved the chemistry (aha) between them.

I really liked Jekel Loves Hyde. From the first page, I was intrigued and wanted to figure out how the story would develop. It had a great plot, full of mystery and I loved how Beth retold a great classic story in a new and exciting way. I love the whole idea.

Although I really enjoyed the book, I feel as though there was something missing. The book felt rushed to me. At the end of the book, everything happened at once in a matter of about five pages. And romance! I feel like there was barely any romance. It was mostly fighting and physical tension. But other than those two minor things, the book was great! Jessica's Guide to Dating on the Dark Side is still my preferred book of Beth's but this one did not disappoint either.


I haven' read this book yet but it's on my TBR list. The opinions and the different reviews I've read about  JLH are sometimes totally at the opposite, from "really bad" to "loved it" but still, I'm really curious about this book and I enjoyed Jessica's Guide... so I'll keep Jekel Loves Hyde in my list until I finally have the occasion to read it.
PS: go check for more reviews on these two really great blogs! 8)

In my mailbox (5)

In my mailbox is hosted by The Story Siren The Story Siren

3 books this week:

Release: March 4th 2010 by CreateSpace

Summary: Night after night, Jessica stands trial before a council of vindictive angels for deeds she didn't commit. Condemnation brings a branding as they dementedly laugh and point but exaltation starts a war over her soul. These are Jessica's nightmares. Alex is everything Jessica could ever want and she'll do anything to be with him. Even tell him the truth about angels, why she never sleeps, and the scar on the back of her neck. This is what she will fight for. But the nightmares rule Jessica's life and she must find a way to stop the events that are pulling her toward her own judgment or become the object of her greatest fear. And lose Alex forever.

Release: July 5th 2005 by NAL Trade

Summary: After moving to a Massachusetts boarding school where her father is the new principal, high-school sophomore and aspiring singer Love Bukowski learns some lessons about friendship and romance.

Release: May 1st 2009 by HarperTeen

Summary: How to Run a Resort:

Make sure employees arrive on time with a positive attitude. (check)

Remember that the customer is always right. (check)

Keep your boyfriend and your most valuable guest from trying to kill each other. (oops)

Celeste Tippen can't imagine a more perfect summer. Her boyfriend, Travis, has a job at her family's resort, which means lots of quality couple time. Unfortunately, she forgot about Nick Saunders, the hot son of the resort's wealthiest customers. Every year, Nick flirts with Celeste, and apparently this year is no different, despite the boyfriend who's watching their every move. She assures Travis that hanging out with the resident bad boy is the last thing she wants to do. If only she believed that herself. . . .

2010 Debut Author Challenge

It's never too late to join, right? So i've decided to participate to this other challenge hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren.

What is the 2010 Debut Author Challenge?

• The objective is to read a set number of YA (Young Adult) or MG (Middle Grade) novels from debut authors published this year.* I'm going to challenge everyone to read at least 12 debut novels! I’m hoping to read at least 30! You don’t have to list your choices right away, but if you do feel free to change them throughout the year. I will also be focusing on mostly Young Adult novels.

• Anyone can join, you don’t need a blog to participate. If you don’t have a blog you can always share your views by posting a review on Amazon.com/BarnesandNoble.com/GoodReads/Shelfari, or any other bookish site.

•The challenge will run from January 1, 2010- December 31, 2010. You can join at anytime!

 Sign up here

Here is the list of books i'm planning to read for the challenge but i might change it, adding or taking off somme of them:

1. 13 to Life by Shannon Delany

2. Shadow Hills by Anastasia Hopcus

3. Shade by Jeri Smih-Ready

4. Sea by Heidi R.Kling

5. Other by Karen Kincy

6. Uner my Skin by Judith Graves

7. Angel Star by Jennifer Murgia

8. Whisper by Phoebe Kitanidis

9. Harmonic Fedback by Tara Kelly

10. Nightshade by Andrea Cremer

11. The Ghost ann the Goth by Stacey Kade

12. The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff

13. Banished by Sophie Littlefield

14. What Criosity Kills by Helen Ellis

15. The Mark by Marilyn Bunderson

16. The Summer of Skinny Dipping by Amanda Howells

17. Siren by Tricia Rayburn

Mega Giveaway @ 21 Pages

Linna from 21 Pages is hosting a mega giveaway: there's about 30 books to choose from right now and she'll probably add some more soon so don't wait further more and come to enter, click HERE.

It's international so everyone has its chance and if it's not for the giveaway come anyway because her blog is a real pearl, beautifully made and full of nice reviews, memes and colorful pictures. I kind of discovered it this week and had a real "coup de foudre" for it.

Waiting on Wednesday (3)

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly meme to discuss upcoming books we can't wait to get our hands on. Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

My pick this week:

Release: October 7th 2010 by Hodder Children's Books

Summary: Darina is in denial. Even after all she’s been through, the Beautiful Dead can’t be real. They must be a figment of her grief-stricken imagination. But visions of Phoenix and Hunter prove otherwise and soon she’s drawn back to Foxton, to the barn, to Phoenix - where they have, what may just be, their final reunion.


It’s the moment they’ve been dreading - time to solve Phoenix’s mystery. Everything has been building to this but Darina knows that revealing the true circumstances of Phoenix’s death will lead to their final parting. With this impossible mixture of emotions, Darina begins to unscramble the facts, but she’s up against mounting obstacles: the distraction of Hunter’s personal mystery, Phoenix’s returning father, threats of gang violence and conspiracies to blur and block the truth.

With time pressure mounting and the risk of Phoenix being sent back into unending limbo, Darina puts herself in danger, and so the mystery of the Beautiful Dead builds into a heart-breaking climax ...

I've only read the two first tomes of the serie yet but i just can't wait for this one!! I love the couple "Phoenix and Darina", they're so cute. And once again the cover is just lovely 8) 

Cover News: Hexbound, Dark Elite #2 (Chloe Neill)

I stopped by Book Reviews by Jess and saw that she had found the cover for book 2 in the Dark Elite serie by Chloe Neill. Should i precise that i love it?!! I love the choice of colors and the girl portraying Lily (i think it's the same on the Firespell cover but she's much prettier on this one) is beautiful.
Here is the cover:

It reminds me of Dark Flame (tome 4 in The Immortals serie by Alyson Noel, will be released in June) but I highly prefer this one.What do you think?

Hexbound will be released in January 2011 so we'll have to wait.

Teaser Tuesdays (1)

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB from Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the 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 SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)

~ Share the title & author too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

My teasers:

" There are plenty of marks, but so what? Guy's seen her cuts before, surely he's the one person in the world that she can wear a T-shirt in front of. "

~ p190, "Willow" by Julia Hoban

YA CONTEST THAT WILL BLOW U AWAY! (@ La Femme Readers)

Eleni from La Femme Readers and her affiliate Kari from A Good Addiction have teamed up to thank their fantastic followers with a contest you definitely must go.

Don't wait it's over HERE

Special Mini Reviews: Elizabeth Scott

I usually can't read two books from the same author or same serie one after the other. I like a change after I've read a book, another kind of story or another author for th next book. Anyway I changed this habit after I read one of Elizabeth's books and ended reading three of her books that were waiting for me in my TBR pile. I guess that just says how much I enjoyed reading her stories!
So instead of writing a review for each of the book I've decided I would have a special mini reviews day devoted to Elizabeth Scott. Here are the three books I've all read in one-sitting:

Summary: Goodreads summary

Rate: 5/5

Review: Bloom is clearly my favorite Elizabeth Scott's book I've read so far.
Lauren has it all: a good life, great friends and the perfect boyfriend every other girl would die for. But with the arrival of Evan in her life Lauren begins to question herself: is she really happy and was this the life she's always dreamed of?
I really liked Lauren, a simple and lovely girl stuck with a life which doesn't make her happy and a boyfriend she's not sure to love even if everyone tells her they're the perfect couple.
Between her relationship with her father often absent or inattentive, a boyfriend who may not be the one for her after all and her new feeling for the "other boy" Evan, life is not easy for Lauren.
I found myself willing to hold her, telling her everything would be okay.
This story highly deserved its 5/5.

Summary: Goodreads Summary

Rate: 4,5/5

Review: I had hesitations before reading Stealing Heaven. A girl and her mom on the road, moving from town to town and stealing the Rich. Hum...But once again Elizabeth Scott proved how talented she is by creating realistic and sincere characters.
Danielle has never had a real life, real friends but everything changes after Dani and her mother move to Heaven. Has she finally find the place where she could have the life she's always wanted?
I liked how the romance was not the main part of this book (still there is a love story, hey! I didn't name my blog Sweet Happy Ending for no reason) but Elizabeth also focused on Dani's relationship with her mother. She might not be the perfect mother (far from that actually) giving a "normal" and honest life to her daughter but she really loves Dani no matter what and the feeling's mutual.
Without giving any details I'd just add that Stealing Heaven was really a moving story and definitely a must read.

Summary: Goodreads Summary

Rate: 3,5/5

Review: From the three books I chose to review today Something Maybe was not the one I enjoyed the most. But it doesn't mean I didn't like it, far from that actually. It's just that I read it after Bloom and Stealing Heaven and couldn't help making comparisons.
I would just say that if Something Maybe wasn't as emotional as the two others, I still really enjoyed this story and the main characters. Especially Finn who was just so adorable, hiding a real sensitivity behind sarcasm and humor. I mean, how could you resist a boy who acts like the "cool guy" but blushes every time he talks to a girl...
Romance and conflictual relationships are the main topics of this story. Let' just say that there was just a character I couldn't get to like: Hannah's mother. She was sometimes too immature and shallow for me to really appreciate her.
Anyway, 3,5/5 doesn't mean it was not a good read, just not as much as some others.

After reading these three books I can say that Elizabeth Scott is definitely one of my favorite author of the genre and I just can't wai for her next book!

Have you read any of them? Which one did you like the most?

Waiting on Wednesday (2)

"Waiting on Wednesday" is a weekly meme to discuss upcoming books we can't wait to get our hands on. Waiting on Wednesday is hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine.

Release: March 4th 2010 by CreateSpace

Summary: Night after night, Jessica stands trial before a council of vindictive angels for deeds she didn't commit. Condemnation brings a branding as they dementedly laugh and point but exaltation starts a war over her soul. These are Jessica's nightmares. Alex is everything Jessica could ever want and she'll do anything to be with him. Even tell him the truth about angels, why she never sleeps, and the scar on the back of her neck. This is what she will fight for. But the nightmares rule Jessica's life and she must find a way to stop the events that are pulling her toward her own judgment or become the object of her greatest fear. And lose Alex forever.

Have you heard about this book? Read it?

In my mailbox (4)

In my mailbox is hosted by The Story Siren The Story Siren

3 books that i can't wait to literally devour in my mailbox this week!!

Release: April 24th 2007 by Simon Pulse

Summary: There's a difference between falling and letting go.

Lauren has a good life: decent grades, great friends, and a boyfriend every girl lusts after. So why is she so unhappy?
It takes the arrival of Evan Kirkland for Lauren to figure out the answer: She's been holding back. She's been denying herself a bunch of things (like sex) because staying with her loyal and gorgeous boyfriend, Dave, is the "right" thing to do. After all, who would give up the perfect boyfriend?
But as Dave starts talking more and more about their life together, planning a future Lauren simply can't see herself in -- and as Lauren's craving for Evan, and moreover, who she is with Evan becomes all the more fierce -- Lauren realizes she needs to make a choice...before one is made for her.

Release: April 2nd 2009 by Dial

Summary: Seven months ago, on a rainy March night, sixteen year- old Willow’s parents died in a horrible car accident. Willow was driving. Now her older brother barely speaks to her, her new classmates know her as the killer orphan girl, and Willow is blocking the pain by secretly cutting herself. But when one boy—one sensitive, soulful boy—discovers Willow’s secret, it sparks an intense relationship that turns the “safe” world Willow has created for herself upside down.

Told in an extraordinary fresh voice, Willow is an unforgettable novel about one girl’s struggle to cope with tragedy, and one boy’s refusal to give up on her.

 
 

Release: June 2nd 2009 by Signet
 
Summary: In the small college town of Morganville, vampires and humans lived in (relative) peace-until all the rules got rewritten when the evil vampire Bishop arrived, looking for the lost book of vampire secrets. He's kept a death grip on the town ever since. Now an underground resistance is brewing, and in order to contain it, Bishop must go to even greater lengths. He vows to obliterate the town and all its inhabitants-the living and the undead. Claire Danvers and her friends are the only ones who stand in his way. But even if they defeat Bishop, will the vampires ever be content to go back to the old rules, after having such a taste of power?

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

It's Monday: What Are You Reading? is a weekly meme hosted by Sheila at One Person's Journey Through A World of Books.

What I read last week:

Jessica's guide to dating on the dark side by Beth Fantaskey

Stolen by Kelley Armstrong

What I'm reading:

Feast of Fools (The Morganville Vampires #4) by Rachel Caine

What I'm planning to read (re-read):

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K Rowling

Lord of Misrule (The Morganville Vampires #5) by Rachel Caine

What about you? I'd love to read about what you read, are reading, are planning to read