In My Mailbox (9)

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren and is a weekly meme to showcase what you got over the week by buying, receiving, borrowing, stealing from a friend etc.

For Review:

The Magnolia League by Katie Crouch

I haven’t heard much about this, but it looks really good and mysterious. And that cover is gorgeous . I received this one on my birthday, so it was like I got a birthday present!

Thank you to Poppy!

Bitter End by Jennifer Brown

Again, haven’t heard much about this, but it sounds amazing and inspirational. I’m sure a lot of people can relate to Alex, the main heroine! Can’t wait to read this one.

Thank you to Little, Brown Books for Young Readers!

Enclave by Ann Aguirre

So, I have no idea why I got this. I was surprised to open the package and find it. I wasn’t expecting it, so thank you to whomever it came from!

This looks very interesting and I read a tidbit of it before I went to bed last night and it sounds really awesome! Also, I received this on my birthday (the 29th), too, so I thought that was pretty cool!

 

Bought:

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Yay! So I’m sure lots of you have heard of this and lots of you like it, and I’m excited to read it. I read a little bit of it a couple months ago, but now I own a copy!

My dad gave me a gift certificate for my birthday and I got this and….

City of Glass by Cassandra Clare

Gosh, so I love this series so far. I wanted to get this and City of Fallen Angels but the latter was $19.99 and the gift certificate was for $20. I don’t own the first two, but I will buy them sometime, because I just want them to look pretty on my bookshelf. And I might reread them in the future! (my boyfriend thinks it’s weird I want books I’ve already read lol)

 

 

So that’s it from me for this week. I apologize for being MIA lately, but this week and the past couple have been hectic, what with trying to get everything in order to go to college, my nephew’s birthday, my birthday, etc etc. Plus, I was kind of in a reading/reviewing slump, but I think I’m coming out of that.

Also, leave in the comments (if you’ve read this block of text! In which case, I love you) what book/s I should read/review next!

Oh, and one more thing (I promise!), would anyone be interested in a $5 gift card giveaway? That’s pretty much all I can afford to do right now (and it’ll come from Swagbucks, so it’ll be free for me, since I have no job or moneys ). I just really want to give something back to anyone that actually reads this blog. Let me know if you’d like that or if it’d just be a waste of time!

In My Mailbox (8)

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren and is a weekly meme to showcase what you got over the week by buying, receiving, borrowing, stealing from a friend etc.

For Review:

Instructions for a Broken Heart by Kim Culbertson

Sooo excited I received this! This is the second ARC I’ve requested. This sounds kinda like 13 Little Blue Envelopes, so I’m excited!

Waterfall (River of Time #1) by Lisa T. Bergren

No, nuh uh, I did not get this, did I?? Just by that you can tell I was excited for this one. I had emailed Lisa about her second book, because she’s having a giveaway for an ARC of the second, so she asked me if I wanted to review Waterfall. Yes, please!

 

Random Buzzers:

So Shelly by Ty Roth

Got this from Random Buzzers for 10,000 points I think. Haven’t heard too much about this, but am excited to read it nonetheless. Took a heck of a long time to get here though .

 

Contests:

Frostbite (Vampire Academy #2) by Richelle Mead

Received this from Lisa’s Loves (Books of Course) for her Fool For Books Giveaway Hop. I got to pick a book from the Book Depository, so I chose this one, since I have the first . Cannot wait to start on this series!

 

That is all, what did you get in your mailbox? And Happy Easter!!

Follow Friday and Book Blogger Hop (9)

Follow Friday is hosted by Parajunkee and Book Blogger Hop is hosted by Crazy for Books.

Question:
What is on your current playlist right now?

Well, nothing really on my iTunes playlist. I deleted all my music, with my old Windows profile (the profile had a virus or something). All I have right now is Go Radio and Paramore haha. The rest I listen to on Last.fm on the personalized radio thing, or on Youtube

Question:
If you find a book you love, do you hunt down other books by the same author?

Hmm, unless it’s a book in a series, no, not usually. Which is kinda bad, but I guess I don’t think about it. If I stumble upon another book by the same author, then yes, I’ll read it based on my opinion of another book by the same author.

Teaser Tuesday (5)

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by MizB at Should be Reading
Rules:
-Grab your current read
-Open to a random page
-Share two sentences from that page
-Be careful not to include spoilers!
-Include the book titles and author, so other participants can add the book the their TBR pile!
This week's teaser comes from..

The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson

page 134
’Where do I go from here? How many hours can one person spend locked in a bathroom, looking at skin, hair, eyes. Feeling fingers. Toes. And the absurdity of a belly button? How many definitions for human can one person find? And how do you know which one is correct? How many hours can you spend shivering? And holding. And wondering.’

and

page 99
’Now, a day later, I wonder what friends means to Dane. I wonder at his voice that is so different from his eyes. I wonder if I know anything at all. But I do know this: The word I felt when I looked into his face was the right word.’

and

pages 99-100
’I remember shopping for socks, feeling the socks, paying for the socks, looking at the receipt for the socks. Every detail of a sock-shopping outing that happened five years ago. Who cares about socks?’

Seriously, the writing in this book is so poetic at times. Loving it so far, if you couldn’t tell by the three different quotes (I almost included more, there are so many beautiful quotes).

In My Mailbox (7)

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren and is a weekly meme to showcase what you got over the week by buying, receiving, borrowing, stealing from a friend etc.

Library:

City of Ashes (The Mortal Instruments #2) by Cassandra Clare

Finished it and loved it! Review to come. In a review writing slump kinda right now. I just don’t want to write them!

The Adoration of Jenna Fox (Jenna Fox Chronicles #1) by Mary E. Pearson

Currently reading and it’s very interesting so far.

The Replacement by Brenna Yovanoff

This book looks so interesting! It’s up next after The Adoration of Jenna Fox. The cover is so wonderfully creepy, too .

Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver

Been wanting to read this one for awhile now. It’s after The Replacement.

Bought:

Reunion (The Mediator #3) by Meg Cabot

So I’ve read 1-4 of these books before, but I only owned the 4th one (weird I know, I must have borrowed them from a friend), so I bought this with the money I got back from the ruined Ninth Key (#2) book. This was only a couple cents more than the amount I got back for Ninth Key, so I figured I’d get it.

Vampire Academy (Vampire Academy #1) by Richelle Mead

Got this with a gift card from Swagbucks (go check this site out, it’s awesome!). I bought it used and it came in surprisingly good condition. The edges and spine were a little worn and there’s someone name in the front cover, but other than that, it has no marking or significant damage. I was expecting something a lot worse lol.

Contests: 

Like Mandarin by Kristin Hubbard

Won this via a contest at Random Buzzers. Love that site, go check it out if you don’t know what it is. Excited to read it.

RAK:

Shadowspell (The Faeriewalker #2) by Jenna Black

Received this from Amber at AwesomeSauce Book Club. She emailed me and told me she had two of these and asked if I wanted the other. I of course said yes. I think I’ll either buy the first or borrow it from the library (hopefully buy it! lol). So thank you Amber .

Make sure you go sign up for this wonderful program at Book Soulmates. Click on the Features button at the top and click on ‘How big is your RAK?’ to find out all about the program and how to participate.

Sorry this was late! What did you get in your mailbox?

Follow Friday and Book Blogger Hop (8)

Follow Friday is hosted by Parajunkee and Book Blogger Hop is hosted by Crazy for Books.

Question:
Do you have anyone that you can discuss books with IRL (in real life)? Tell us about him/her.

Nope. I have nobody. I try to talk to my boyfriend about books (and he’s wonderful about listening, even though he probably does not care), but nobody else that I can have an in depth conversation about. When I go to the store and go past the books, I always want to talk to someone like “Hey, I loved that book!” or “I heard great things about that book!”

Question:
Pick a character from a book you are currently reading or have just finished and tell us about him/her.

Well, I am currently reading City of Ashes, so I will tell you about Clary. She’s probably one of my favorite characters from a book, because she’s balanced so well. She’s brave, yet afraid if that makes sense. She cowers in fear whenever Jace and crew are fighting demons, but she’s still brave. She’s just a wonderfully written character. If you haven’t read the Mortal Instruments series, you must be living under a rock! (Like I was)

Waiting on Wednesday (7)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating. This week's can't-wait-to-read selection is..

  Title: Awaken
  Author: Katie Kacvinsky
  Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children
  Published: May 23, 2011
  Pages: 352
  Goodreads

Maddie lives in a world where everything is done on the computer. Whether it’s to go to school or on a date, people don’t venture out of their home. There’s really no need. For the most part, Maddie’s okay with the solitary, digital life—until she meets Justin. Justin likes being with people. He enjoys the physical closeness of face-to-face interactions. People aren’t meant to be alone, he tells her.

Suddenly, Maddie feels something awakening inside her—a feeling that maybe there is a different, better way to live. But with society and her parents telling her otherwise, Maddie is going to have to learn to stand up for herself if she wants to change the path her life is taking.

In this not-so-brave new world, two young people struggle to carve out their own space.

I love dystopians and this sounds so darn interesting! I want to read this!! Plus the cover is quite beautiful!

In My Mailbox (6)

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren and is a weekly meme to showcase what you got over the week by buying, receiving, borrowing, stealing from a friend etc.

For Review (from Vera at Luxury Reading):

Where She Went by Gayle Forman

I just finished If I Stay yesterday and loved it (bought it so I could read this), so I’m sure I’ll love this too. Can’t wait to read it, thanks Vera! Expect If I Stay’s review up on Books and a Cup of Tea soon and Where She Went soon on Luxury Reading!

Upcoming movies

Hey there! I was wondering if any of you had heard about the movie deals for Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr, Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater, Fallen by Lauren Kate, Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead, The Forest of Hands and Teeth by Carrie Ryan, Firelight by Sophie Jordan, If I Stay by Gayle Forman, Uglies by Scott Westerfeld, Delirium by Lauren Oliver, Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl, Before I Fall by Lauren Oliver? I was exploring IMDB and found them. Are they real? I’m not sure if regular people can add to the site, so right now I believe they’re real and I’m excited! Wow this post is all over the place. Below are the links to the IMDB pages:

Wicked Lovely (2012) 
Shiver (2012)
Fallen (2012)
Vampire Academy (2013)
The Forest of Hands and Teeth (2011)
Firelight (2013)
If I Stay (2011)
Uglies (2011)
Delirium (2013)
Beautiful Creatures (2011)
Before I Fall (2012)

Any you are excited to see? Any you have pictured the cast for?

Review: City of Bones by Cassandra Clare

  Title: City of Bones                           Pages: 485
  Author: Cassandra Clare                 Source: Library
  Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry    Published: Mar 27, 2007
  Series: The Mortal Instruments        Purchase: Amazon
  Rating: 5 out of 5

Clarissa "Clary" Fray is a normal fifteen-year-old girl. That is until she witnesses a mysterious murder at a New York club called Pandemonium. She witnesses three teens about her age killing a blue-haired boy, but she soon realizes he wasn't a boy at all. No, she figured he wasn't human when he disappeared into thin air after he was killed. She soon learns that he was a demon and there is a whole world she didn't see before now. That she couldn't see before now.

Now gifted with the Sight of this world, Clary is thrown into it, after she runs into the mysterious angelic-looking boy that killed the blue-haired demon, not once, but twice in the span of 24 hours. Soon after, she is attacked by one of the very demons he kills for a living and her mother is kidnapped. Was it demons that kidnapped her? Or something more sinister?

I fell in love with Clary even before I got to the middle of the book. She's such a mix of personality, you never know what might come out of her mouth. She's this brave, yet fearful girl suddenly shoved into this magical world she cannot explain. She evolves so much over the course of the novel, becoming more wise and experienced as it goes on. In the beginning she was incredibly naive, and pretty much sucked at reading people. As the pages were turned, however, she slowly started seeing the things that really went on around her and came out a completely changed and more mature girl. I loved her character from beginning until long after the end.

Jace was a wonderful, if slightly bipolar, male hero. You never know what he might say either. Clary and Jace clashed, yet complimented each other in such a wonderful way. Jace is this complicated character that doesn't believe in loving anyone, he believes it shows weakness. He's another character that evolved so much from the beginning of City of Bones. I loved his character as well.

Every other character seemed like they did something for the story, with only one or two that didn't seem to fit. They all have different personalities that come together quite nicely and make for an enjoying read.

Next to the characters, the plot and writing are the other most important parts of a novel. If you have a wonderful plot, but horrible characters, you aren't going to have a very enjoyable book. This is why so many people love this book, probably, because Cassandra Clare balanced all these important points of City of Bones so well.

Clare draws you in immediately in the first chapter and holds your attention by throwing twists and turns at you she knows you cannot catch, because you don't see them coming. Just when you think you've figured everything out, she shoves you with full force into a completely new twist, that leaves you breathless when you've finally come up for air. This is how I felt at the end of City of Bones.

Clare is a brilliant writer, another important part of a novel. Her descriptions are beautiful and eloquent, perfectly painted for the reader. She understands how to pull the reader in and how to keep their attention and pulls it off flawlessly.

Another thing is I loved how unique this novel was, with unique lingo and creatures. I love when you can tell that the author really thought long and hard about each part of the novel and I had that feeling all throughout City of Bones.

Overall, City of Bones is one of my favorite novels so far and I will definitely be reading City of Ashes the first chance I get. I would highly recommend this book to anyone that loves the paranormal genres and books about demons and demon hunters.

I give City of Bones a 5 out of 5.

Waiting on Wednesday (7)

Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating. This week's can't-wait-to-read selection is..

  Title: Instructions for a Broken Heart
  Author: Kim Culbertson
  Publisher: Sourcebooks Inc
  Published: May 1, 2011
  Pages: 320
  Goodreads

Three days before her drama club's trip to Italy, Jessa Gardner discovers her boyfriend in the costume barn with another girl. Jessa is left with a care package from her best friend titled "Top Twenty Reasons He's a Slimy Jerk Bastard," instructing her to do one un-Jessa-like thing each day of the trip. At turns hilarious and heartwrenching, Instructions for a Broken Heart paints a magical Italy in which Jessa learns she must figure out life-and romance-for herself.

This reminds me so much of Thirteen Little Blue Envelopes and I loved loved loved that book. So I’m super excited to see what this ones like!

What are you waiting on?

In My Mailbox (5)

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren and is a weekly meme to showcase what you got over the week by buying, receiving, borrowing, stealing from a friend etc.

For Review:

The Time Traveling Fashionista by Bianca Turetsky

My very first ARC that I asked for, so I’m incredibly excited! The book’s synopsis looks adorable and the book itself is adorable. It has a purple cover underneath the above book jacket and it has pictures inside! (that are absolutely wonderful, I might add!)

Bought:

If I Stay by Gayle Forman

Bought this used on Amazon with a Swagbucks code. (Go check them out, it’s a really neat site!)

The Morganville Vampires Volume 1 by Rachel Caine

Love bind ups, as you can buy 2 books for 1.

The Morganville Vampires Volume 2 by Rachel Caine

This one is currently on Amazon for $4! Hurry and snag this up, if you don’t have it already. That’s 2 books for $4!

Shadowland (The Mediator series #1) by Meg Cabot

I have the fourth one for some reason and not 1-3, so I bought this.

The Ninth Key (The Mediator series #2) by Meg Cabot

I bought this one described as Used – Very Good. It came with a bunch of highlighting and notes in it (about someone named Brutus??) as well as a bent spine and front cover, and pages that looked like the got wet (they’re all wavy-like). Now, you tell me: does that describe “very good” very well? You better believe I’m sending this one back .

100 Characters from Classical Mythology by Malcolm Day

I’m extremely interested in mythology, so my wonderful boyfriend bought me this book as an early birthday present. It has wonderful family trees and a page or two about a lot of the gods and goddesses. I’ve already peeked at it a bit, and I love it! If there’s a book you have on mythology that is amazing for the subject (and not ridiculously hard core, where I can just pick it up and browse when I want), then let me know in the comments!

 

I’m pretty sure that’s it for this week, what did you get in your mailbox?

Follow Friday and Book Blogger Hop (7)

Follow Friday is hosted by Parajunkee and Book Blogger Hop is hosted by Crazy for Books.

Question:
What is the book you really don't want to admit to loving?

I can honestly say nothing. I’m not ashamed of liking anything I read. I’m not sure if any book would ever make me ashamed of reading it.

Question:
Since today is April Fool's Day in the USA, what is the best prank you have ever played on someone OR that someone has played on you?

I played a wonderful prank on my sister several years back and I put Pam cooking spray on the seat of the toilet. She slid right off. We later did it to my mom and it worked then too! It was awesome.

My sister also once tried getting me with mayonnaise and let me ask, how did she think that would even work? She glopped it on. I just stared at it for a second, while I shook my head lol.