Challenges Update

I am currently participating in the 100+ Books In 2010 challenge and the Historical Fiction Challenge.

January Books

01. Ink Exchange by Melissa Marr

02. The Luxe by Anne Godbersen *

03. Looking For Alaska by John Green
04. Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
05. Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater
06. Gringolandia by Lyn Miller-Lachmann
07. Fade by Lisa McMann

* Historical Fiction Challenge

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

Beautiful Creatures

There were no surprises in Gatlin County.

We were pretty much the epicenter of the middle of nowhere.

At least, that's what I thought.

Turns out, I couldn't have been more wrong.

There was a curse.

There was a girl.

And in the end, there was a grave.

Lena Duchannes is unlike anyone the small Southern town of Gatlin has ever seen, and she's struggling to conceal her power and a curse that has haunted her family for generations. But even within the overgrown gardens, murky swamps and crumbling graveyards of the forgotten South, a secret cannot stay hidden forever.

Ethan Wate, who has been counting the months until he can escape from Gatlin, is haunted by dreams of a beautiful girl he has never met. When Lena moves into the town's oldest and most infamous plantation, Ethan is inexplicably drawn to her and determined to uncover the connection between them.

In a town with no surprises, one secret could change everything.

The book starts  out a bit slow due to the tons of background but since I'm such a history junkie, I really didn't mind. The history is so rich that you believe it. I wanted to go on Google to do some research for myself but I couldn't book the book down long enough to do that.


I was so happy that it was told from Ethan's point of view, it really fleshes out the story really well, especially since we don't see so many books written from the male point of few. It's a very new 'fresh' intake. Ethan's voice is distinct enough and strong enough to not be forgettable so it makes for a great POV.

The characters are just amazing. Lena is convincing and strong. I find her being quite a lot like me, to be honest. She's scared of what she is but she is still a very strong person. She's sweet but she can kick some a** when she needs to. She really exceeded my expectations. I now find her so amazingly brave. Ethan is amazing. I want him as my boyfriend. He's sweet and caring and perfect. The other secondary characters are so complementary and each have such an important role that they should be considered the stars of the show also.

The plot is so unique and intriguing. It grabs you from the very first page and doesn't let go. I couldn't stop reading, even if I did have school stuff, I couldn't put my Kindle down. It twists and turns unexpectedly and it's dark and light at the same time.

The writing is really good. I was surprised by that. Sometimes new authors seem to try too hard and lack in luster but Kami and Margaret did a fantastic job making everything flow so natuarally. I loved how the family was involved into this story. The Dad was one of my favorite characters, his struggle is so raw that I almost cried. I loved every character, though.

Ah, it's so hard for me to pin point what I like in a book but simply...this book is magical. It's a mix of dark and humor with love and everything else that every good book should have. I can't wait for the sequel AND the movie. I know it would be amazing.

In one sentence:
A unique novel that will grip you and won't let go.

Plot: 5
Characters: 5
Cover: 5
Writing: 5
Overall Feeling: 5
Average: 5

In MY Mailbox (9)

In My Mailbox explores the contents of my mailbox. Hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren.

Bought

• Impulse by Ellen Hopkins
  
• La Carencia by Guillermo Rebollo-Gil*

Borrowed 

• Fragile Eternity by Melissa Marr
  

* This author is from Puerto Rico and he writes urban poetry.
What did you get in yours?

Honest Scrap Award

Kari and Marie K have both passed on the Honest Scrap award to me. I have to list 10 honest things about myself and then tag 10 other bloggers. Here it goes:

01. I have become with Rainer Rilke's poems ever since I read Shiver.
02. I'm really good at convincing - ahem, manipulating - my Dad into buying me a book. He'll usually go into Borders saying that he will not buy anything but he ends up buying me something anyways. I think I'm slightly spoiled.
03. My friend and I like to put nicknames on one of our friend's bf. His nickname is Lollie just because we think he's a bit weird and Lollie-ish.
04. I've gone to creative writing camp in New York. It was the best experience ever.
05. I just realized how extremely good at History I am. I've been one year and a half in High School and I've gotten straight 100% in my report cards. It surprises me, even.
06. I like writing the action/romantic scenes on a book instead of developing the actual story. I usually think up names for a character and develop it around the name.
07. Even though I'm the good girl I secretly wish for adventure. I crave that little rebel side of myself.
08. When I read a pretty steamy scene, I usually draw the book away from any other eyes - like my parent's - because I'm scared of what they might say about it. I feel the same when they read my own work.
09. I'm really good at helping my friends with their guys and their flirting and I try to live by my same rules but I get too shy and suck at them. *Sigh* I wish I would follow my own advice.
10. I like the suffix -ness and -less. It's the double s I think. I love saying nothingness, endless, etc.

Now I tag:
BookNerds
A Bookful Of Thoughts
The Ladybug Reads
I should Be Writing
The Hiding Spot
BookWorming In The 21st Century
Satisfaction For Insatiable Readers
I Want To Read That
Penultimate Page
Book Fanatics

Fade by Lisa McMann

Fade

SOME NIGHTMARES NEVER END.

For Janie and Cabel, real life is getting tougher than the dreams. They're just trying to carve out a little (secret) time together, but no such luck.

Disturbing things are happening at Fieldridge High, yet nobody's talking. When Janie taps into a classmate's violent nightmares, the case finally breaks open -- but nothing goes as planned. Not even close. Janie's in way over her head, and Cabe's shocking behavior has grave consequences for them both.

Worse yet, Janie learns the truth about herself and her ability -- and it's bleak. Seriously, brutally bleak. Not only is her fate as a dream catcher sealed, but what's to come is way darker than she'd feared.... from GoodReads

I finally got this one in paperback at Borders so I was dying to read it. I didn't even expect anything because I had read Wake such a while ago I wasn't really 'fresh' in the story. I forgot what made me like these books in the first place so I was going into it thinking 'I know it's a good book but I don't know to what extent'.

So WOW. I forgot how chilling and amazing these books were. Lisa mixes poetic writing with powerful prose. Janie is a dream catcher and the way that Lisa describes everything is so amazing. Janie is such a great character, she's strong yet has a the vulnerability that is needed for the reader to be able to relate to her. She wants to do good with her power yet she's not certain if she should consider it a gift or a curse, I really like this aspect because we see the many sides of something. Cabel is quick-tempered in my opinion but he's also sweet and sincere to Janie and is there when she has nightmares. I liked that their relationship is simple and mostly chase, even though they both are dying to be with each other. I think that lately a lot of authors are concentration more on this idea, that love isn't just lust but a mixture of many other feelings and compromises.

And the extent and consequences of Janie's power is just frightening. It really ups the stakes of the series in a new way. I liked how the author presented this. It was cold enough to make an impact yet personalized and sentimental enough to really fear for the character.

A few 'things' I didn't quite like: Near the end, Cabel's reaction seems too quick and fast and I don't quite understand it. But then I kept reading and I think I got into it better. Maybe it's just me being nit-picky. Another thing is the pet names. Ugh! I HATE pet names. Things like 'baby' and 'sweets' make me cringe and this put a damper on it but it definitely did not overshadow the main story. Just an inch.

I don't have enough words to describe how much I liked this book. I read it in a few hours (yes, a few hours) so it's easily a quick read but at the same time is a book which has a strong theme and idea that should be taken seriously. The best word I can use to describe it is 'chilling' and I can't wait to read Gone.

In one sentence:
A chilling paranormal that will leave you wanting more!

Plot: 5 stars
Characters: 4 stars
Writing: 5 stars
Cover: 4 stars
Overall: 4 stars
Average: 4.4 stars

In My Mailbox (8)

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren.

For Review:

• Gringolandia by Lyn Miller-Lachmann

Bought:

• Rumors by Anna Godbersen
  
• Fade by Lisa McMann

On Kindle:

• My Soul To Lose by Rachel Vincent

Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

Shiver

For years, Grace has watched the wolves in the woods behind her house. One yellow-eyed wolf—her wolf—is a chilling presence she can't seem to live without. Meanwhile, Sam has lived two lives: In winter, the frozen woods, the protection of the pack, and the silent company of a fearless girl. In summer, a few precious months of being human ... until the cold makes him shift back again.

Now, Grace meets a yellow-eyed boy whose familiarity takes her breath away. It's her wolf. It has to be. But as winter nears, Sam must fight to stay human--or risk losing himself, and Grace, forever.

SHIVER alternates between Sam's POV and Grace's POV. At first, it took me a bit to get into each character for the chapters are on average pretty short but them it became so addictive I couldn't put it down.

The images described in this book are beautiful and detailed without them being overly so. The book is almost lyrical in the sense of the word flow and how it all seems so carefully thought out. Sam and Grace are completely well rounded characters and not flat at all.

One of the best aspects of this book - and one I seem to mention a lot - is that it's very honest. There's an equal amount of lust and love between Grace and Sam that is very honest and believable. No, "Omigod you're so beautiful...I'm so ugly," or anything like that. Sam, although a bit more reserved, is electrifying and I'm definitely adding him to my list of literary boyfriends.

Grace is a wonderful character. Her feelings are real and it translates perfectly throughout the book. Even if the rest of the wolf pack wasn't necessarily completely described, they all seemed rounded and well developed.

This book is simply fantastic. I cried and laugh and the ending is breath taking. I can't wait to read Linger. I have been definitely impressed and recommend it to everyone. The plot is engaging and the story is so creative and amazing. I loved it! I feel like I should say more but I always find it harder to pin point what I liked and what I didn't like.

In one sentence:
A fantastic race against time that will keep you at the edge of your seat!

Plot: 5 stars
Characters: 5 stars
Cover: 5 stars
Overall Feeling: 5 stars
Average: 5 stars

Friday Finds (3)

Friday Finds was started by Should Be Reading.

The Summer Of Skinny Dipping

After getting dumped by her boyfriend, sixteen-year-old Mia Gordon is looking forward to spending a relaxing summer in the Hamptons with her glamorous cousins. But when she arrives, her cousins are distant, moody, and caught up with a fast crowd. Mia finds herself lonelier than ever. That's when she meets her next-door-neighbor, Simon Ross. Simon isn't like the snobby party boys her cousins seem obsessed with; he's funny, artistic, and utterly adventurous. And from the very first time he encourages Mia to go skinny-dipping, she's caught up in a current impossible to resist. Timeless in feel, The Summer of Skinny-Dipping is a poignant, literary read sure to dazzle tweens and teens alike.

Beautiful Dead

Something strange is happening in Ellerton High. Phoenix is the fourth teenager to die within a year. His street fight stabbing follows the deaths of Jonas, Summer andArizona in equally strange and sudden circumstances. Rumours of ghosts and strange happenings rip through the small community as it comes to terms with shock and loss. Darina,Phoenix's grief-stricken girlfriend, is on the verge. She can't escape her intense heartache, or the impossible apparitions of those that are meant to be dead. And all the while the sound of beating wings echo inside her head ! And then one dayPhoenix appears to Darina. Ecstatic to be reunited, he tells her about the Beautiful Dead. Souls in limbo, they have been chosen to return to the world to set right a wrong linked to their deaths and bring about justice. Beautiful, superhuman and powerful, they are marked by a 'death mark' -- a small tattoo of angel's wings.Phoenix tells her that the sound of invisible wings beating are the millions of souls in limbo, desperate to return to earth.Darina's mission is clear: she must help Jonas, Summer,Arizona, and impossibly, her belovedPhoenix, right the wrong linked to their deaths to set them free from limbo so that they can finally rest in peace. Will love conquer death? And if it does, can Darina set it free?

Wednesday Wishes (4)

Wednesday Wishes is my weekly wish list of books.

01. The Mark
02. Identical
03. An Abundance of Katherines
04. The Notebooks
05. Deadly Little Lies

Looking For Alaska by John Green

Looking For Alaska

Sixteen-year-old Miles Halter's adolescence has been one long nonevent - no challenge, no girls, no mischief, and no real friends. Seeking what Rabelais called the "Great Perhaps," he leaves Florida for a boarding school in Birmingham, AL. His roommate, Chip, is a dirt-poor genius scholarship student with a Napoleon complex who lives to one-up the school's rich preppies. Chip's best friend is Alaska Young, with whom Miles and every other male in her orbit falls instantly in love. She is literate, articulate, and beautiful, and she exhibits a reckless combination of adventurous and self-destructive behavior. She and Chip teach Miles to drink, smoke, and plot elaborate pranks. Alaska's story unfolds in all-night bull sessions, and the depth of her unhappiness becomes obvious... from GoodReads.

Miles is the scrawny guy whose life is as boring as a doorknob. He is search for adventure, the Great Perhaps, so he goes to a boarding school in Alabama. He finds himself falling in love with the reckless Alaska Young whose got things more interesting than her name.

I can't help but fall in love with John Green's writing. It's brutally honest and lyrical. Miles is the guy whose life has been defined by his nothingness and just like everyone, he's looking for something more, the Great Perhaps. He is obsessed with last words.

Okay, so all girls have this fairy tale about how guys are supposed to be, the perfect boyfriend yadda yadda yadda, right? But those fantasies - I'm sorry to say - aren't likely to come true. Miles is a guy like all others. Some readers might find this story a bit too honest, it describes teens and their sexual situations - not censured, full disclosure. That's what I love about it. It tells the things most authors don't tell. It doesn't hold back. I've only read a few books given from the male point of view and I must say John Green is the best at it so far. He creates well developed characters who are real, honest, funny, and philosophical.

Alaska is a pretty ambiguous character, I would say. Moody and self-destructive we don't ever really know what's going in her head. But she's so well developed that I don't need to know. I relate to her and care for her and her decisions. I don't want to spoil anything here - I spoiled it to myself by reading the summary in the copyright page and I was so mad - but the complex and ambiguous ending is just as breath-taking as any other. Some readers might not like this 'almost' kind of ending but I love it, it makes me think, it makes me create.

The plot is simply amazing. I personally relate to it because that's the kind of life I've been living sometimes - boring nothingness. And the sense of wanting to do more is always on the back of our minds. The events flow flawlessly and the structure is very unique. It's the best combination of humor and philosophy I've ever seen and I love it.

In one sentence:
Honest and funny, John Green captivates all kinds of readers.

Plot: 5 stars
Characters: 5 stars
Cover: 3.5 stars
Writing: 5 stars
Overall feeling: 5 stars
Average: 4.7 stars

Movie Cast Mondays (1)

Want to join in the fun? Anyone can play! Here are the guidelines:

1) Create your own cast for an upcoming book-to-movie adaptation OR pick a book you'd like to see be turned into a movie and choose a cast.
2) Post the book title, author, and summary.
3) Try to pick at least 3 of the main characters to cast.
4) Grab the button please!
5) Come back and link to this post so everyone can check it out!

I will pick...

The Luxe by Anne Godbersen

A big, sumptuous tale of catty girls, dark secrets and windswept romance unfurls in this compulsively readable novel of late-19th-century New York City socialites. Godbersen weaves a tenuous web of deceit, backstabbing and pretense that follows four teens: Elizabeth Holland, a prim and proper lady of old-money society, is betrothed to one man, though furtively loves another; Henry Schoonmaker, a debauched playboy who must marry Elizabeth or be disinherited; Diana Holland, Elizabeth’s younger sister who is in love with her fiancé; and Penelope Hayes, a member of the nouveau riche who will stop at nothing to win Henry’s affections. As Elizabeth and Henry’s wedding approaches, the spectacle unfolds in a wondrously grandiose scene, making for a fun, though not entirely unexpected dénouement. A delicious new twist along the Gossip Girl vein, readers will clamor for this sharp, smart drama of friends, lovers, lies and betrayal.

Elizabeth Holland

Sara Paxton is the first one that comes to mind. Even though Sara doesn't have the heart-shaped face that is described in the books, she has the perfect blonde hair and the nice light eyes.

Diana Holland

Saoirse Ronan clicked as Diana with me. She is young and has this good-girl image yet is still edgy. I think this would be an interesting pick.

Penelope Hayes

Megan Fox. This one was easy. It's a bit of an obvious choice but it's perfect.

Henry Schoonmaker

James Marsden is a bit older (Henry is supposed to be twenty) but I think he has the look of Henry. This is a maybe choice for me.

Carolina Broud

Dakota Fanning. This has been the hardest. I love Dakota Fanning but I think she looks too cutesy and young to play the role. I'm not sure about this one.

Will Keller

Shia LaBeouf. I think this was also hard but I actually really like the pick. Again, a bit too old but he has that rugged look I imagined Will has.

So, those are my picks. As you can see, I've really enjoyed The Luxe and you can already read the review on the site.

In My Mailbox (7)

IMM was started by Kristi from The Story Siren. It explores the contents of my mailbox! Links open to GoodReads.

Bought On Kindle

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

There were no surprises in Gatlin County.
We were pretty much the epicenter of the middle of nowhere.
At least, that's what I thought.
Turns out, I couldn't have been more wrong.
There was a curse.
There was a girl.
And in the end, there was a grave.

Lena Duchannes is unlike anyone the small Southern town of Gatlin has ever seen, and she's struggling to conceal her power and a curse that has haunted her family for generations. But even within the overgrown gardens, murky swamps and crumbling graveyards of the forgotten South, a secret cannot stay hidden forever.

Ethan Wate, who has been counting the months until he can escape from Gatlin, is haunted by dreams of a beautiful girl he has never met. When Lena moves into the town's oldest and most infamous plantation, Ethan is inexplicably drawn to her and determined to uncover the connection between them.

In a town with no surprises, one secret could change everything.

My Soul To Lose by Rachel Vincent

It was supposed to be a fun day, shopping at the mall with her best friend. Then the panic attack started and Kaylee Cavanaugh finds herself screaming, unable to stop. Her secret fears are exposed and it's the worst day of her life.

Until she wakes up in the psychiatric unit.

She tries to convince everyone she's fine--despite the shadows she sees forming around another patient and the urge to scream which comes burbling up again and again. Everyone thinks she's crazy. Everyone except Lydia, that is. Another patient with some special abilities....

An eBook exclusive prequel to Rachel Vincent's SOUL SCREAMERS series.

Won


Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater

For years, Grace has watched the wolves in the woods behind her house. One yellow-eyed wolf—her wolf—is a chilling presence she can't seem to live without. Meanwhile, Sam has lived two lives: In winter, the frozen woods, the protection of the pack, and the silent company of a fearless girl. In summer, a few precious months of being human ... until the cold makes him shift back again.

Now, Grace meets a yellow-eyed boy whose familiarity takes her breath away. It's her wolf. It has to be. But as winter nears, Sam must fight to stay human--or risk losing himself, and Grace, forever.

The Luxe by Anna Godbersen

 The Luxe

A big, sumptuous tale of catty girls, dark secrets and windswept romance unfurls in this compulsively readable novel of late-19th-century New York City socialites. Godbersen weaves a tenuous web of deceit, backstabbing and pretense that follows four teens: Elizabeth Holland, a prim and proper lady of old-money society, is betrothed to one man, though furtively loves another; Henry Schoonmaker, a debauched playboy who must marry Elizabeth or be disinherited; Diana Holland, Elizabeth’s younger sister who is in love with her fiancé; and Penelope Hayes, a member of the nouveau riche who will stop at nothing to win Henry’s affections. As Elizabeth and Henry’s wedding approaches, the spectacle unfolds in a wondrously grandiose scene, making for a fun, though not entirely unexpected dénouement. A delicious new twist along the Gossip Girl vein, readers will clamor for this sharp, smart drama of friends, lovers, lies and betrayal.

Elizabeth is the beautiful good girl, the perfect lady, the only thing wrong is that she's dead. That's how the story opens, with Elizabeth's obituary on the newspapers. The only thing we know is that she died on the day she was supposed to be wed and it was a suspicious death.

Penelope Hayes, the bad and sexy girl of society who can't get enough of the wealthy Henry Schoonmaker, is Elizabeth's best friend. But in a world were status is everything, what really defines the term best friends?

Diana Holland, Elizabeth's younger sister and very opposite of her. She's the mischievous little sister who follows her heart instead of logic.

Lina Broud, the servant girl who wants to be more. Forming dangerous alliances, she's the one to look out for.

Henry Schoonmaker, the young and most wanted bachelor of all of New York, the ladies can't seem to get enough of him.

These are the five characters whose voice and point of view is seen throughout this book.

This novel is as juicy and scandalous as the synopsis says. The details of the story and the descriptions are just so amazing and beautiful, I feel like I'm right in the setting. I wish I had the dress Elizabeth is wearing in the cover and every dress ever talked about in this book, it's like the fairy tale society you wish you were born in. It only further convinces me that I was born in the wrong era.

Anyways, the plot is engaging from the first page. I loved how it takes you from seeing the end first and then you read what happened before, the structure of the novel was very unique and fun. The plot kept me turning pages as fast as I could and the leading men are just delicious.

The characters, even though the story is divided in 5 different MCs, are well developed and unique. They all had a different voice and their personalities are very pronounced. From the mischievous Diana Holland to the good girl Elizabeth Holland, all characters have a certain something that makes you love them. Even the forever confusing, forever intriguing Henry Schoonmaker.

I can't wait until I get the next book!

In one sentence:
A story that makes you wish you were back in 19th century New York.

And as part of my improving my reviews, I'm going to give stars in a more detailed way.

Plot: 4 stars
Characters: 5 stars
Cover: 4.5 stars
Writing: 5 stars
Overall Feeling: 4.5 stars
Average: 4.6 stars

Mieradome by Kate Hegarty

"My YA fantasy novel, Mieradome, revolves around a young girl named Amavia, who believes she is a human girl, but slowly comes to find she is a faery in the world of Mieradome. Amavia's mother, Anastasica, had taken her out of the faery realm and hidden her away here in our human realm, so that she may be protected from her parents' past mistakes. But that was not enough, the forces that be found Amavia, and brought her back into the cosmos of the Grandmother Tree. There she meets other faeries, goblins, Telkar dragons, and Utopisols. Slowly who Amavia really was began to unravel to show the truth. The truth, that she just may be the evil they need to destroy. This is where the story begins." from GoodReads.

Rarely ever do I pick out books that I end up not liking. I usually love everything that I read. Unfortunately, this was not the case with Mieradome. When Kate contacted me, I accepted to review her book because it seemed an interesting concept and I was dying to get my hands on another fantasy.

A few pages in and I could immediately tell how I would feel about this book. I kept on reading, trying to reassure myself that if I stopped, I wouldn't get to the great ending that had to be coming. My hopes started dwindling halfway down.

Although the story itself presents an interesting fantasy concept, it fell a little short. The characters, including the MC, Amavia, didn't feel relateable. I didn't care about her choices and I couldn't find a way to like her. I wasn't even sure about her age at one point because sometimes she would act like a teen and other times she would act like a child. This was also the case with the supporting characters. 

The relationship between Amavia, Caiden, and Garin didn't get my attention either until the very end, and at that point, I wasn't even sure what was their driving force and I couldn't relate to it.

Because of this, I didn't really enjoy the story. The plot didn't grab me and I couldn't get into it, as hard as I tried to. Too many times the story felt a little cliched for my taste and the use of words such as 'tip top' and 'huffed and puffed' made me tired. 

Overall, the story and seemed good in theory but it didn't grab me as I expected it would: it was a bit too long and the dialogue and characters overall didn't seem real. I couldn't find a theme to the story.

In one sentence:

This book didn't reach my expectations.

2/5 stars

*Mieradome comes out on March/April 2010

Ink Exchange by Melissa Marr

Ink Exchange

Unbeknownst to mortals, a power struggle is unfolding in a world of shadows and danger. After centuries of stability, the balance among the Faery Courts has altered, and Irial, ruler of the Dark Court, is battling to hold his rebellious and newly vulnerable fey together. If he fails, bloodshed and brutality will follow.


Seventeen-year-old Leslie knows nothing of faeries or their intrigues. When she is attracted to an eerily beautiful tattoo of eyes and wings, all she knows is that she has to have it, convinced it is a tangible symbol of changes she desperately craves for her own life.


The tattoo does bring changes; not the kind Leslie has dreamed of, but sinister, compelling changes that are more than symbolic. Those changes will bind Leslie and Irial together, drawing Leslie deeper and deeper into the faery world, unable to resist its allures, and helpless to withstand its perils. . . . from GoodReads.

Before I start the actual review, I want to say how much I LOVE this cover. The image is just amazing and I became obsessed with the tattoo as much as Leslie. Okay, now, onto the review.

I read Wicked Lovely a couple of years ago and loved it but I was reluctant to pick up Ink Exchange because my friend told me it wasn't as good. Finally, I decided to see for myself. You won't believe how surprised I was.

Ink Exchange is darker, more serious, and definitely more wicked than Wicked Lovely. I loved Ink Exchange, perhaps not as much as the first one, but definitely a lot. I loved how Leslie was a strong character who went through very dark moments in her life. I think that she is definitely some kind of role model. Her goal is to be strong and happy and I believe it. Niall is just plain gorgeous and their romance is more passionate and sensual than Aislinn and Seth's. I loved and believed it. It was beautiful to see the dangerous part of it, too.

In this book, is hard to hate any character. While we can say the 'bad guy' is Irial, I have to admit that I actually felt for him during this book. I cared about his intentions and emotions and I even grew to love him. This, in my opinion, is what makes a great book: characters that, even if they're portrayed as 'bad', still manage to take a piece of your heart and you can relate to them.

Apparently, I can't stop talking about how much I loved this book and I definitely recommend it.

In one sentence:
A dark and stunning sequel!
5/5 Stars

Awesome Contest

Writing sisters, Suzette and Bethany are having an awesome contest over at their blog here.

The Prizes?

2 Query Critiques*

+

2 First Five Page Critiques*

+

1 Inscribed/Autographed The Dark Divine*

 

There will be five winners.

PS. I also posted this on my personal blog.

 

 

A New Look

So, I've tried DOZENS of times to give Yay! Reads a more 'me' and personalized look. Make it less...taken-from-a-free-backgrounds-site. So I designed the header, inspired in one of my favorite places in the world, NYC. And I manipulated the Minima template and the colors to go with it. What do you think? Is it too dark?

Hopefully, I will be able to keep this one for a while, as I get tired easily. But it took a lot of work so I probably won't be changing it soon. Thank you and I hope you enjoy.

PS If the text/links are hard to read, let me know so I can make it more eye-friendly.

In My Mailbox (6)

In My Mailbox was started by Kristi at The Story Siren.

This week I bought:

The Luxe by Anna Godbersen

A big, sumptuous tale of catty girls, dark secrets and windswept romance unfurls in this compulsively readable novel of late-19th-century New York City socialites. Godbersen weaves a tenuous web of deceit, backstabbing and pretense that follows four teens: Elizabeth Holland, a prim and proper lady of old-money society, is betrothed to one man, though furtively loves another; Henry Schoonmaker, a debauched playboy who must marry Elizabeth or be disinherited; Diana Holland, Elizabeth’s younger sister who is in love with her fiancé; and Penelope Hayes, a member of the nouveau riche who will stop at nothing to win Henry’s affections. As Elizabeth and Henry’s wedding approaches, the spectacle unfolds in a wondrously grandiose scene, making for a fun, though not entirely unexpected dénouement. A delicious new twist along the Gossip Girl vein, readers will clamor for this sharp, smart drama of friends, lovers, lies and betrayal.

Looking For Alaska by John Green

Sixteen-year-old Miles Halter's adolescence has been one long nonevent - no challenge, no girls, no mischief, and no real friends. Seeking what Rabelais called the "Great Perhaps," he leaves Florida for a boarding school in Birmingham, AL. His roommate, Chip, is a dirt-poor genius scholarship student with a Napoleon complex who lives to one-up the school's rich preppies. Chip's best friend is Alaska Young, with whom Miles and every other male in her orbit falls instantly in love. She is literate, articulate, and beautiful, and she exhibits a reckless combination of adventurous and self-destructive behavior. She and Chip teach Miles to drink, smoke, and plot elaborate pranks. Alaska's story unfolds in all-night bull sessions, and the depth of her unhappiness becomes obvious. Green's dialogue is crisp, especially between Miles and Chip. His descriptions and Miles's inner monologues can be philosophically dense, but are well within the comprehension of sensitive teen readers. The chapters of the novel are headed by a number of days "before" and "after" what readers surmise is Alaska's suicide. These placeholders sustain the mood of possibility and foreboding, and the story moves methodically to its ambiguous climax. The language and sexual situations are aptly and realistically drawn, but sophisticated in nature. Miles's narration is alive with sweet, self-deprecating humor, and his obvious struggle to tell the story truthfully adds to his believability. Like Phineas in John Knowles's A Separate Peace(S & S, 1960), Green draws Alaska so lovingly, in self-loathing darkness as well as energetic light, that readers mourn her loss along with her friends. - Johanna Lewis, New York Public Library

Deadly Little Secret by Laurie Faria Stolarz

Deadly Little Secret


"Some secrets shouldn't be kept...

Up until three months ago, everything in sixteen-year-old Camelia's life had been fairly ordinary: decent grades; an okay relationship with her parents; and a pretty cool part-time job at the art studio downtown. But when Ben, the mysterious new guy, starts junior year at her high school, Camelia's life becomes anything but ordinary.

Rumored to be somehow responsible for his ex-girlfriend's accidental death, Ben is immediately ostracized by everyone on campus. Except for Camelia. She's reluctant to believe the rumors, even when her friends try to convince her otherwise. She's inexplicably drawn to Ben...and to his touch. But soon, Camelia is receiving eerie phone calls and strange packages with threatening notes. Ben insists she is in danger, and that he can help--but can he be trusted? She knows he's hiding something... but he's not the only one with a secret.

From the best-selling author of Blue is for Nightmares comes a story of paranormal romance that's sure to be a thrilling and chilling teen favorite."  from GoodReads.

I have been wanting to read this book for a while now so it was my first choice when I got to spend my Christmas Border's gift card. My first impression was that it would be very different from Blue Is For Nightmares, the only other book that I have read from Laurie F. Stolarz. It was a short book, therefore a quick read, I knew I was going to devour it in hours.

And that's how it was. I sat with the book and almost didn't let it down for anything. I loved how the chapters alternate between Camelia and her secret (admirer? stalker?) person. You could really tell that the person was psycho by the way he wrote things and it intensified the scary factor in this book.

In some ways it was like Blue Is For Nightmares since it has this very interesting - and deadly - enigma but it was so much better, too. The story seemed more real and raw to me. The MC was multi-dimensional and therefore didn't seem flat at any moment. Ben is intriguing and I couldn't help but wonder a few times if he was the psycho guy. The supporting characters are as equally mesmerizing. There was a point in the novel where I didn't even know who was who. Everyone seemed like a suspect.

In one sentence:

A scary good read!

5/5 Stars