Another Award !!

Oh my! Sweet Happy Ending has been awarded again, I'm honored! This "Prolific Blogger Award" was given by Brent from The Naughty Book Kitties (one of my favorite blogs btw so if you don't know it yet don't wait and go check it!!)

"A prolific blogger is one who is intellectually productive, keeping up an active blog with enjoyable content." After accepting this award, thank and link back to person passing it on and recipients are asked to pass it forward to seven other deserving blogs and also to let them know that they were awarded.

A huge thank you to Brent and here are the 7 blogsI'd like to pass this award to:

A Trillian Books

In the Library of Lady Violet
Pages
Writer Musings
Super Reader Girl's Book Reviews
Literary Cravings
The Ninja Librarian

In my mailbox (8)

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

Just one book this week:

Release: June 7th 2010 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Summary: Scarlett March lives to hunt the Fenris-- the werewolves that took her eye when she was defending her sister Rosie from a brutal attack. Armed with a razor-sharp hatchet and blood-red cloak, Scarlett is an expert at luring and slaying the wolves. She's determined to protect other young girls from a grisly death, and her raging heart will not rest until every single wolf is dead.

Rosie March once felt her bond with her sister was unbreakable. Owing Scarlett her life, Rosie hunts fiercely alongside her. Now Rosie dreams of a life beyond the wolves and finds herself drawn to Silas, a young woodsman who is deadly with an ax-- but loving him means betraying her sister and has the potential to destroy all they've worked for.

Twenty-five-year-old Jackson Pearce delivers a dark, taut fairy tale with heart-pounding action, fierce sisterly love, and a romance that will leave readers breathless.

Sequels Wishlist

I've been reading many "first in series" lately and among all these books there were some really great great reads. And what's good with series is that when you're done with the first book, there's more to come!!

So here is a little list (can't list them all, so here are my favorites) of the sequels I CAN'T wait to read:

Crescendo (Hush Hush #2) by Becca Fitzpatrick

(This one is first because i'm simply in love with Hush Hush and I'm sur Crescendo will be as good 8D)

The Golden Spiral (The Hourglass Door #2) by Lisa Mangum
The Broken Lake (The Pace #2) by Shelena Shorts

Dark Flame (The Immortals #4) by Alyson Noel

Beautiful Dead: Phoenix (Beautiful Dead #4) by Eden Maguire

Return to Paradise (Leaving Paradise #2) by Simone Elkeles

but also Shift (Shade #2) by Jei Smith-Ready

Torment (Fallen #2) by Lauren Kate

Linger (Shiver #2) by Maggie Stiefvater

The Soul (The Host #2) by Stephenie Meyer

...

In my mailbox (7)

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

3 books this week:

Release: April 15th 2006 by Simon Pulse

Summary: "Special Circumstances":

The words have sent chills down Tally's spine since her days as a repellent, rebellious ugly. Back then Specials were a sinister rumor -- frighteningly beautiful, dangerously strong, breathtakingly fast. Ordinary pretties might live their whole lives without meeting a Special. But Tally's never been ordinary.

And now she's been turned into one of them: a superamped fighting machine, engineered to keep the uglies down and the pretties stupid.

The strength, the speed, and the clarity and focus of her thinking feel better than anything Tally can remember. Most of the time. One tiny corner of her heart still remembers something more.

Still, it's easy to tune that out -- until Tally's offered a chance to stamp out the rebels of the New Smoke permanently. It all comes down to one last choice: listen to that tiny, faint heartbeat, or carry out the mission she's programmed to complete. Either way, Tally's world will never be the same.

Release: January 20th 2010 by iUniverse

Summary: Shannon Mallory was a woman on the run….not from outside forces but from her own wounded heart. When she pulled up into the parking lot of The Last Resort Café, in the town of Sanctuary, little did she know she would find the one thing she never even knew she was searching for….true love.

Seth Proudfoot wasn’t looking for anything, except an end to his miserable existence. Accused of a crime he couldn’t remember committing, he was ostracized by a town that, ironically, bore the name of the one thing he could never find….Sanctuary.

When the two meet, neither can ignore the magnetic pull between them, but will Shannon allow her damaged spirit to trust a man…a man who may have murdered his own family?

Though Shannon is the most beautiful woman he has ever seen, it is her spirit that breaks down the iron-clad shield around his heart. Their desire burns hotter than the Arizona desert, threatening to melt the very mountains that loom like silent Gods above their heads. But can their love survive a betrayal that could very well cost them both their lives?

Release: February 4th 2010 by Hodder Children's Books

Summary: Elena: transformed, the golden girl has become what she once feared and desired.

Stefan: tormented by losing Elena, he's determined to end his feud with Damon once and for all—whatever the cost. But slowly he begins to realize that his brother is not his only enemy.

Damon: at last, he possesses Elena. But will his thirst for revenge against Stefan poison his triumph? Or can they come together to face one final battle?

Collected here in one edition are the third and fourth volumes of The Vampire Diaries, a riveting conclusion to the tale of two vampire brothers and the beautiful girl torn between them

Waiting on Wednesday (5)

"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 12th 2010 by Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing

Summary: As the daughter of a renowned surgeon and a prominent Washington D.C. politician, Clea Raymond has felt the glare of the spotlight her entire life. And though she dreads the paparazzi who track her every move, she herself is a talented photojournalist who takes refuge in a career that allows her to travel to the most exotic parts of the world.

But after Clea’s father disappears while on a humanitarian mission, eerie, shadowy images of a strange and beautiful young man begin to appear in Clea’s photos—a man she has never seen in her life.

When Clea suddenly encounters this man in person she is stunned—and feels an immediate and powerful connection. As they grow closer, they are drawn deep into the mystery behind her father’s disappearance and discover the centuries-old truth behind their intense bond.

Torn by a dangerous love triangle and haunted by a powerful secret that holds their fate, together they race against time to unravel their past in order to save their future—and their lives.

Award !!

I got my first award!!

A huge thank you to the team of Bewitched Bookworms for this award!

Wow, I am trully honored so Thank you!! Thank you!! Thank you!!

Here is how it works: If you are given this award you must first accept it by leaving a comment on the post you were nominated on. Then copy and paste the post and add it to your own blog. Make a list of the last 5 books you read and pass the award on to 5 other bloggers (no backsies!). Please also identify the blog from which you got the award and don't forget to tell them they have a blog award!

Here are my list of 5 books I've read lately:

Rules of Attraction by Simon Elkeles

Leaving Paradise by Simone Elkeles

The Unwritten Rule by Elizabeth Scott

Summer (Beautiful Dead, #3) by Eden Maguire

Leaving Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott

And I am passing the award to these 5 lovely blogs:

Pop Culture Junkie

Ex Libris

Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers

Queen of Happy Endings

An Addicted Book Reader

New Layout + New Affiliate + Review: Willow (Julia Hoban)

  A lot to say today but I'll try to keep it short.

  So if you're a regular visitor you would have noticed that the blog has changed, quite a bit. I know i do that a lot, sorry, but i promise i'll try to keep this new layout a longer time than with the last one.

  I don't know how is the weather where you are, but here in the South of France, we're kind of desesperatly waiting for the summer (it's been raining the whole week. i love rain, okay, but after five days it's actually getting on my nerves and i'd like the sun to come out for this last week of college...).

  Anyway, still talking too much to say nothing...So, the layout has changed; i thought that maybe it would motivate the sun to come out...just kidding. I hope you'll like it too, i find it rather cute with the bright colors and the glasses of lemonade. I can almost imagine myself at the beach with a good Elizabeth Scott or a Hailey Abbott (the perfect "summer" books to me).

  So, for the second topic of the day: I have a new affiliate!! Well, kind of.

  I've invited one of my best friends to help me with the blog and he accepted! If i'm so glad he did it's not only because it's funnier to share a blog with a friend, but because when your friend is pretty (really) good at writing reviews you can't refuse some help! I mean, i'm not good when reviews are concerned (i'm sure the rare "brave" readers who have read my reviews must be vigorously nodding while reading this message).   

  Review and me: not good.

  All that to say my friend will be reviewing some books for me and i hope you'll like them, i do.

So without further delay, welcome to

*claps* !! MIKA !! *claps*

And just for you here is his first review he made for Willow by Julia Hoban:

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.

Rate: 5/5

Review: I started this book apprehensively. Indeed, the main topic of the story is cutting, and how it can destroy a life or relationships of all sorts. My reading brought back some old painful memories, but at last, I really loved Julia Hoban's novel, for three important reasons:

The first one is that I loved all the characters, even minor ones. They all have their distinctive features, and some of them really bring a lot of light in a dark novel. Even if you have not being into cutting once in your life, I really think that Willow is a reliable and very touching character. I'm sure not everyone will understand why she is acting like she does sometimes; but in the end, Willow is a girl who loves the life, she is just unsure of the way she has to live it. Okay, this sentence is kind of weird, but let's get straight to an another character: Guy. Yeah, I know. A guy who is called Guy, most ridiculous thing ever, but I guess it's okay, given that this guy is actually great. I admit it, I've had a real infatuation for him. The way he helps Willow, throughout the book, is amazing. Even if sometimes it seemed to me that he was a little to harsh with her, I really enjoyed his passion and his involvement for this broken and vulnerable girl. And it looks like he has a killer body, which is a really good point, don't you think ?

The second reason is the relationship between Willow and her brother David. The scenes where Willow is describing her brother weeping in the kitchen was heartbreaking. They both share the same pain, the same incapacity to talk about the real problems but in spite of everything, they are staying apart, too afraid to face their own grief. Later in the book, they finally open their heart to each other, which is, in my opinion, one of the best passage of the novel, because it shows that David didn't had the time to grow as a person because of their parents' brutal death. Thanks to this scene, David becomes a really understandable character.

Finally, the third reason is simply the fact that this book has it all : you cry (a lot), you smile, you laugh with the characters, live with them throghout the 329 pages of the book. So, even if the writing was sometimes disturbing because the narrator is all-knowing, this novel was great. It's a book about life, life with pain, grief, mourning but also with feelings which are able to make dissapear almost all you sorrow. In this novel, we are not facing a happy ending. As the narrator says it at the end of the book, we are just facing a happy beginning, and it's probably the best lesson we can get from this novel.

MIKA.

Review Star: Shade

I host this meme inspired by "Spotlight Review" at Bookworming in the 21st Century, where every week (at least i'll try) 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: Shade by Jeri Smith-Ready

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.

1st review by Kristi from The Story Siren

Rate: 5/5
Review: Shade is one hauntingly awesome debut that will leave you craving the sequel as soon as the last page is read.

I don't really know what to say... I mean it was fabulous, it was one of those 'wow' reads. Where you don't see the last page coming because you just want it to keep on going... where you read the last sentence and immediately need the next novel... 'wow'
I really think Shade, as a paranormal novel, is going to stand out among the throngs of vampire, werewolf, and angel books. Although this isn't the first novel I've read about ghosts, the story is incredibly unique and well done. Plus it has that whole incredibly hot love triangle going on, which is something that I can't get enough of for some reason. And for once I don't have a definite side that I'm on.

Aura is a really well developed character and as a reader you can't help but get caught up in the emotional battle that she struggles with throughout this novel. Aura's character has a very compelling and relatable voice, and I think readers will automatically like her. I know I did. And the boys in this novel, wow. Hot guitar playing rock-star...er ghost, or a seriously sexy Scotsman....?

The whole mystery surrounding 'the shift' isn't really divulged upon in this novel. No one really knows what caused it, and the people that are trying to find an answer really only have assumptions. But don't think that Smith-Ready leaves you empty handed, there are a few big revelations that will keep you more than satisfied!

That cliffhanger ending totally KILLED me!

Jeri Smith-Ready has made a fan out of me


2nd review by Lori from Pure Imagination

Rate: 5/5
Review: I only read a few paranormal books that I absolutely loved last year. It's my favorite genre but its gotten so popular that it's hard to find the really good books anymore. Shade is the first paranormal I have read this year and absolutely loved!! The world in this book is utterly amazing! The whole concept of the Shift drew me in from the very beginning. Jeri Smith-Ready is a adult author and this is her first YA. Maybe that's why I loved it so much. It reminded me of the adult paranormal novels that made me fall in love with the genre in the first place.

Aura was a amazing character. Not once did she annoy me! I loved all the characters. They all played very important roles in Aura's life and I felt that connection. And can I say Hot Boys! Between a guitar playing punk and a Scotsman?? Seriously? Give me a heart attack! Those are my two favorite kinds! All in one book!! Okay....I'll stop gushing.

The mystery and the entire concept behind this book was awesome. There wasn't a dull moment. I really don't think I can say enough good things about Jeri's story telling. This book is released in May and I will definitely be buying a finished copy and you better be buying you a copy asap!


I've just got the book myself and haven't read it yet but I'm looking forward to meet Aura !! Have you read it? What did you think?

Book Blogger Hop (2)

~ 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.

Teaser Tuesdays (3)

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 stopped at a red light, glanced left, then when il looked right again, Phoenix was sitting beside me in his halo of silver light"

~ p122, "Beautiful Dead #3: Summer" by Eden Maguire

May Wishlist

Some books released in May that I want to read:

Endless Summer by Jennifer Echols (5/25)

Jekel Loves Hyde by Beth Fantaskey (5/3)

Amy & Roger's Epic Detour by Morgan Matson (5/4)

Angel Star by Jennifer Murgia (5/18)

Spirit Bound (Vampire Academy #5) by Richelle Mead (5/18)

Caleb+Kate by Cindy Martinusen-Coloma (5/4)

Claire de Lune by Christine Johnson (5/18)

Harmonic Feedback by Tara Kelly (5/25)

She's so Dead to Us by Kieran Scott (5/25)

Somthing Like Fate by Susane Colsanti (5/4)