Follow Friday #4

If you were stocking your bomb shelter, what books would you HAVE to include if you only had space for ten? I'd probably cheat and bring my kindle. Then I'd have more room for survival-y stuff. But since I can't do that, here they are: 1. Zombie Survival Guide: I haven't read this yet but I've gotta be ready for anything right? I'm sure it would apply to most survival situations. 2, 3, 4: The Hunger Games Series 5. World War Z 6. My cook book - The New Basics Cookbook 7,8,9: Iron Fey Series 10. Divergent: Mostly because I really.... really... want to read it!

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To join the fun and make now book blogger friends, just follow these simple rules:

1. (Required) Follow the Follow My Book Blog Friday Host { Parajunkee.com } and any one else you want to follow on the list
2. (Required) Follow our Featured Bloggers -Starting The Next Chapter
3. Put your Blog name & URL in the Linky thing.
4. Grab the button up there and place it in a post, this post is for people to find a place to say hi in your comments
5. Follow Follow Follow as many as you can, as many as you want, or just follow a few. The whole point is to make new friends and find new blogs. Also, don't just follow, comment and say hi. Another blogger might not know you are a new follower if you don't say "HI"
6. If someone comments and says they are following you, be a dear and follow back. Spread the Love...and the followers
7. If you're new to the follow friday hop, comment and let me know, so I can stop by and check out your blog!

Teaser Tuesday #2

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

1. Grab your current read Open to a random page.
2. 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!)
3. 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:

“Ordinarily, a strong cable attached letriczinger allowed it to zoom up into the heart of the storm and harvest lightning. But, of course, it couldn't very well do this with a two-hundred-rock Geg weighing it down.”- Dragon Wing: The Death Gate Cycle, Book 1 by Tracy Hickman and Margaret Weis

“Her face was gray, just like the rest of her, her eyes wild and fierce. She snarled like a wolf and tried to grab Arkady.” – World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War by Max Brooks

Now get out there and post some Teasers! I want to see what everyone else is reading :) Feel free to link them here as well!

Musing Monday #3

This week MizB of Should Be Reading asks…

"Do members of your family read? Do you think it was passed down to you? Who do you think influenced you as a reader?"

My mom doesn't read except on occasion... My father reads at night before bed, and my sister is not a reader at all; she has "better" things to do with her time.

From a very young age my parents stressed reading! Every summer we would spend at least one day every week at the library just browsing or participating in our local summer reading club. It was one of those awesome things I would look forward to every summer. I remember spending hours in there... My parents were always super supportive of my love for reading.

My dad used to read to me all the time before bed when I was younger... It's one of my most fond memories with him. He's a pretty stoic guy, but he would put personality into every word and every character that he read. Good times...

Visit Should Be Reading to start participating in Musing Mondays!

Review: Blue Galaxy

Blue Galaxy by Diane Dooley
Publisher: Carina Press
Format: Ebook
Source: NetGalley
Amazon | Goodreads
★★★☆☆

Falling in love is easy; staying alive long enough to enjoy it just might be impossible.

Javan Rhodes, the hard-drinking, disreputable captain of space freighter The Kypris, took a mission to save himself from hitting the bottom of the food chain. Transporting Sola, a beautiful young aristocrat, from Earth to an unknown destination on the outer rim of the colonies is lucrative, but also highly illegal.

As tough as it is to evade both the law and the lawless, the hardest part of the job is not falling in love with his irresistible cargo. Just as he decides that he will never be able to hand her over to the warlord she must marry, he discovers that Sola has been playing a very dangerous game—one that could not only cost them their lives, but could also affect the balance of power in an increasingly dangerous universe.

This is a tough book to review because there is only one major turn-off for me: Sola’s character. I liked everything else: the writing was great, the steamy scenes were great, and Diane Dooley is a very talented writer for sure.

Allow me to explain. When I read a romance I expect to fully vested in the characters. They are an enormous part of it for me! I loved Javan, his character was very real, but Sola… was a lying, manipulative bitch! Who wants to read a romance where one of the main characters turns out like this? Javan’s character was an idiot for even being interested in Sola after her betrayal! Something else that really got to me: There is not way this would be a happy ending... sorry. Dooley somehow manages to twist and force this into a happy ending. It didn’t make sense at all to me.

Once I started to see Sola’s true colors I was tempted to put this book down, but I pushed through hoping there would be some redeeming quality in her. She just used him to the end though. I guess Javan didn’t care… I don’t know what guy would want to be in a relationship with a girl who he can never trust again.

If you’re a fan of sci-fi romance maybe give this a shot. You might find it interesting. Like I said, the writing was great. I enjoyed everything except Sola. The only problem is that she was just a large enough part of the story to ruin it for me.

Follow Friday #3

What is on your current playlist right now? GREAT QUESTION! Here are a few songs from my current playlist: Fireflight - Unbreakable Ke$ha - Blow (guilty pleasure of mine) Katy Perry - E.T. (not the one with Kanye) Rise Against - Drones 10 Years - Don't Fight It (Really great band.. Check them out!) Alterbridge - Slip Into the Void Pretty Reckless - Nothing Left to Lose

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To join the fun and make now book blogger friends, just follow these simple rules:

1. (Required) Follow the Follow My Book Blog Friday Host { Parajunkee.com } and any one else you want to follow on the list
2. (Required) Follow our Featured Bloggers - http://thecaitfiles.blogspot.com/ 
3. Put your Blog name & URL in the Linky thing.
4. Grab the button up there and place it in a post, this post is for people to find a place to say hi in your comments
5. Follow Follow Follow as many as you can, as many as you want, or just follow a few. The whole point is to make new friends and find new blogs. Also, don't just follow, comment and say hi. Another blogger might not know you are a new follower if you don't say "HI"
6. If someone comments and says they are following you, be a dear and follow back. Spread the Love...and the followers
7. If you're new to the follow friday hop, comment and let me know, so I can stop by and check out your blog!

Review: Where She Went

Where She Went (If I Stay, #2)
by Gayle Forman
Dutton Juvenile
Genre: YA Fiction
Rating: ★★★★☆

Summary
It's been three years since the devastating accident ... three years since Mia walked out of Adam's life forever.

Now living on opposite coasts, Mia is Julliard's rising star and Adam is LA tabloid fodder, thanks to his new rock star status and celebrity girlfriend. When Adam gets stuck in New York by himself, chance brings the couple together again, for one last night. As they explore the city that has become Mia's home, Adam and Mia revisit the past and open their hearts to the future - and each other.

Told from Adam's point of view in the spare, lyrical prose that defined If I Stay, Where She Went explores the devastation of grief, the promise of new hope, and the flame of rekindled romance. – goodreads.com

Review
I’d like to begin by first admitting that I have not read If I Stay. But, I can also say that I felt Gayle Forman did a great job making sure that wasn’t necessary! I read this because I was looking forward to hearing a guys perspective on love, loss, and relationships. The concept for this book left me intrigued enough to pursue it without reading it’s companion book.

Let me say Adam’s inner thoughts and sarcasm are quite entertaining! I found that even though this book was centered around something so depressing, it was still hopeful and funny at parts. I would definitely describe Where She Went as a rollercoaster! I cried and smiled and laughed my way through this book. It was great!

Gayle Forman definitely outdid herself with this book. It was extremely authentic and believable. Now, I’m not a guy, but I definitely feel that is exactly how they think sometimes! She did a great job. I also loved that she added in lyrics from Adam’s songs… You can see how they tie into the story. Music is such a HUGE part of this story and being a music junkie myself I loved every second of it.

For the most part, the chapters alternate between the past and present.. I found this to be somewhat difficult at times. As much as I loved hearing about Adam and Mia’s past, I wanted to know what was going to happen then! I would have to wait for another whole chapter before I could resume! Found myself speed reading through the chapters from the past at times. I had a love-hate relationship with this layout… I liked it because it fleshed everything out for me. This was super helpful, not having read If I Stay. At the same time, I hated getting pulled away from the present story!

I highly recommend this for anyone looking for a great, inspirational read. It’s inspiring in the sense that you see two people who have been through so much, find peace in their lives. I definitely suggest you all check it out! You don’t need to have read If I Stay because it’s great as a standalone read. Enjoy!

Teaser Tuesday #1

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading. Anyone can play along! Just do the following:

1. Grab your current read Open to a random page.
2. 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!)
3. 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:

“Every morning I wake up and I tell myself this: It’s just one day, one twenty-four-hour period to get yourself through. I don’t know why exactly I started giving myself this daily pep talk – or why.”- Where She Went by Gayle Forman

“Jagan sighed as he rinsed the blood off of his hands at a nearby spigot. If not for this job, it would have been wise for him to let the assassin succeed.” – Blue Galaxy by Diane Dooley

Now get out there and post some Teasers! I want to see what everyone else is reading :) Feel free to link them here as well!

Review: Graceling

Graceling (The Seven Kingdoms Trilogy, #1)
By Kristin Cashore
Harcourt Children's Books
Genre: YA Fantasy
Rating: ★★★★★

Summary
Katsa has been able to kill a man with her bare hands since she was eight—she’s a Graceling, one of the rare people in her land born with an extreme skill. As niece of the king, she should be able to live a life of privilege, but Graced as she is with killing, she is forced to work as the king’s thug.

When she first meets Prince Po, Graced with combat skills, Katsa has no hint of how her life is about to change. She never expects to become Po’s friend. She never expects to learn a new truth about her own Grace—or about a terrible secret that lies hidden far away . . . a secret that could destroy all seven kingdoms with words alone. – goodreads.com

Review
First off, how could you not pick up this book!? Look at that amazing cover… The one at the top of this post is actually the UK cover… Personally I think it is much, MUCH better than the US cover. I’ve put the US cover to the right of this review. Now, tell me the US cover does not look girly…? It’s kind of a shame because the main character Katsa is much better portrayed in the UK cover. She is by no means girly!

The story was very well written! Cashore did a great job describing the characters and setting without being over descriptive or tiring as some authors do with fantasy books.

Katsa was a great character to observe! She starts out as having no control over her life. Yes, she has a very powerful grace, but it is her king, who is also her uncle, that controls her. She revolts and we watch her become her own person, no longer willing to inflict punishment on those who don’t deserve it. It is also interesting to watch her inner struggle, thinking of herself as a monster for having her grace. She is a very complex and strong character that never once bored me.

The entwined love story in this seemed to progress naturally and I really fell in love with and rooted for the characters!

I highly recommend this. It’s a quick read (at least it was for me). Check it out if you get a chance. I was in torn between giving 4 or 5 stars for this one, but because I liked the concept so much I give it 5 stars.

Musing Monday #2

This week MizB of Should Be Reading asks…

"What's at the top of your must buy list right now?"

Hmm... tough question. There are so many books I want right now! I've been really trying to limit myself to only buying books when I intend to read them, but we all know how that goes hehe. The top of my must by list includes:

• World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War by Max Brooks - Heard some really, really great things about this one!
• Where She Went by Gayle Forman - Been on the fence about getting this one for awhile.
• But I Love Him by Amanda Grace - Tale of an emotionally abusive relationship that I think a lot of girls can relate to.
• Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare - I may have to get this simply because of the hype. It doesn't particularly interest me, but I'm hoping to be surprised!

What about you guys?

Visit Should Be Reading to start participating in Musing Mondays!

Author Interview: L.A. Shaw & Giveaway!

 

L.A. Shaw

Author of The Advice Girl

 

Blog | Twitter | Buy The Book | Read My Review

 

Kira and Sophia have been best friends since they were five years old. They share an apartment together, and tell each other everything.

Everyone loves Sophia, and she is often called the advice girl by people who know her. Kira believes she knows her friend better than anyone. But in a mysterious accident, Sophia loses her life.

Kira is mourning the devastating loss when she finds a note addressed to her from beyond the grave. Kira realizes she doesn’t know her friend as well as she thought, as she starts to uncover the truth. She falls into a deep depression, confused and lost, until a visit from a strange man puts her in the middle of a war between two secret societies.

Kira soon understands that she is in danger, and doesn’t know who to trust. She has to fight for her own life now.

 

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Describe The Advice Girl in three words.

Friendship, love, and suspense.

Tell us a little more about The Advice Girl and what inspired you to write this book.

I go through periods where I have really bad anxiety.  I get really reclusive, and it’s hard for me to even leave my apartment, let alone go to a day job.  I was working in retail, and I was going through one of those periods, and had called in sick for about a week.  I couldn’t just sit there and do nothing so I decided to be productive and attempt to write a book.  I had always written poetry and journal entries before, never a book.  I was surprised how the story just seemed to write itself.  By the end of that week, I had the rough draft finished.

Sometimes I just feel like there is something “off” about the world, and it needs to change for the better.  That was the inspiration for the book.  I was in a rough place in my life, and was quite miserable.  I obviously couldn’t change the world, but I made a character that could.  The Advice Girl was kind of like my personal fantasy made manifest through my writing.
  
What is your writing process? How long did it take to finish The Advice Girl?

I don’t like to plan anything out with my writing.  I just sort of let it come to me, the story more or less plays out in my mind and then I begin to write it.  I let it flow, and then go back through and revise.  It only took me a week to write The Advice Girl, but it sat on my laptop for about two years.  Recently I finally decided to try and publish it.  It took me two or three weeks to revise and edit it.  It is a much longer process than writing.

If there was one message your readers could take from this book, what would you want that to be?

That you can go through a lot of pain, but it doesn’t have to define who you are.  You can fight it, and really you must.  I think the state of the world sort of depends on the good people out there fighting against all the negativity.  You have to be strong.  Maybe you think you aren’t important, but then again… maybe you are like Sophia.  The world has lost so many beautiful human beings because of the immense, unyielding pain they were in, and I think it is the greatest tragedy.  It has to stop.

Which of your characters do you feel you relate the most to and why?

I think I relate to Kira and Sophia both in different ways.  Kira is very level headed, logical, grounded, and suspicious in nature.  Sophia is a dreamer, head in the clouds, always trying to help.  There are parts of me in both of them.  I tend to be a dreamer, but I am also very cautious.  I tried to keep them as separate from me as possible though.  I wanted them to have their own personalities and lives to give them as much depth as I could.

Have you always aspired to be a writer? Why and when did you start writing?

I never aspired to be a writer.  I’ve spent my life trying to make a living, working mostly in retail.  I just wanted or have been looking for a decent job that paid the bills.  But I’ve always loved to write.  I’m an insomniac.  So I’ve never slept much.  When it gets to be about two or three o’clock in the morning, that’s when my mind becomes very active and all these words start to pour out.  I kept journals all through school, and wrote poetry.  It wasn’t until about eight years ago when I had to drop out of college that I began to write almost every night.  Pages upon pages of words, just my thoughts about life and things like that.  I would write on anything, scraps of paper, napkins, etc.  I was obsessed.  I’m not quite that way now, but I still prefer to write at night when it’s quiet.  It’s just who I am.  I don’t know who I would be if I wasn’t writing.  If I go for long periods without it I get really frustrated.  It’s how I express myself.

What sort of challenges have you faced as a debut author?

That no one really wants to read your book.  Haha.  People don’t recognize my name or know me at all, so I think it’s harder for them to take a chance on me.  I’m an indie author, and I self-published, and most people won’t even read indie or self-published.  It’s difficult.  I understand that a lot of self-published stuff isn’t that great, or they are riddled with many errors.  But there are authors out there who love to write books, and maybe just can’t find an agent to take their manuscript, (like me).  It’s a lot of work trying to figure it all out and learn as you go.  I am doing the work a publishing house would be doing for me, and writing at the same time.  But I love it.  I feel like this is what I’m supposed to do with my life.  

What do you find most rewarding about writing?

The feeling of release I get from it.  I have all these thoughts, all this energy, and nothing to really do with it.  Writing accomplishes that for me.  Most people I have met find it hard to relate to me, because I feel so deeply about things, most people like to stay on the surface.  I’ve often felt alone throughout my life, but I know there are people like me out there, and my writing is maybe a bridge to those people.  If someone reads something I wrote, and they can relate to it, that is the ultimate reward.  I have a hard time expressing myself verbally.  Writing is my way to connect to people.

Can you tell us a little bit about what you are working on now and what we can expect from you in the future!?

Sure!  I’m working on the sequel, I still haven’t thought of a good fit for the title yet.  But I almost have the story solid enough in my mind to start writing.  That will be very soon though, just trying to get The Advice Girl out there as much as possible first.  I’m also working on a companion book that will be titled, The Journals of Sophia.  I’m not sure if it will be released before or after the sequel.  But it will mainly be written from Sophia’s perspective.  It will allow readers to connect more with her character, and also give her more depth.  It will read like a journal, as if it were her personal thoughts and feelings about her life.  I’ve also got ideas floating around for two more novels, so hopefully you can expect those in the future too!

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I would like to thank L.A. Shaw for this interview and for allowing me the opportunity to review her book! Now for the really fun part: L.A. Shaw has agreed to give away TWO SIGNED COPIES of The Advice Girl!  Just fill out the form below for your chance to win!

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Official Giveaway Information:

• DEADLINE: April 30, 2011
• Entrants must be 13 years of age or older.
• Open to US Residents ONLY
• Must be a follower of my blog
• Extra entries can be gained the following ways:
  • Tweet about the giveaway. Be sure to put the #theadvicegirl hash tag in the tweet.
  • Create a blog post linking back to the giveaway.
• ONE ENTRY PER PERSON PLEASE!
• Check out my Giveaway/Privacy Policy.

 

Follow Friday #2

Do you have anyone that you can discuss books with IRL? Tell us about him/her. Unfortunately, most of my friends and family do not read as much as I do. But that is part of the reason I started this blog. There are so many awesome people out there with really great suggestions. I'd rather talk to them than chat my poor dad's ear off about how awesome a book is that he will probably never read. He really is a saint. Always there to listen and at least act interested :). The blogging community has been wonderful and welcoming so far. I'm a member of several clubs on goodreads.com as well, which make for some good discussions.

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To join the fun and make now book blogger friends, just follow these simple rules:

1. (Required) Follow the Follow My Book Blog Friday Host { Parajunkee.com } and any one else you want to follow on the list
2. (Required) Follow our Featured Bloggers - http://romance-around-the-corner.blogspot.com/
3. Put your Blog name & URL in the Linky thing.
4. Grab the button up there and place it in a post, this post is for people to find a place to say hi in your comments
5. Follow Follow Follow as many as you can, as many as you want, or just follow a few. The whole point is to make new friends and find new blogs. Also, don't just follow, comment and say hi. Another blogger might not know you are a new follower if you don't say "HI"
6. If someone comments and says they are following you, be a dear and follow back. Spread the Love...and the followers
7. If you're new to the follow friday hop, comment and let me know, so I can stop by and check out your blog!

Giveaway/Privacy Policy

Giveaway Rules

This is the standard policy that all of my giveaways will follow:

• All contests/giveaways are open to those 13 years of age or older. 
• Prizes will be sent out directly upon the completion of the contest. As such, addresses will be required in the contest form.
• Contest winners will be announced on the blog. Only first name, or username, and website (if one is included) will be displayed.
• I am not responsible for items lost in the mail. Many of my giveaways are shipped directly from the author or publisher.
• I hold the right to end a contest before its original deadline without any prior notice.
• I hold the right to disqualify any entry as I see fit.

Privacy Policy

Inklings Read is not directed to children under the age of 13. I do not knowingly collect personally identifiable information from, anyone under 13. If you are under the age of 13, please have your parents fill in their information for contests and giveaways.

All giveaway/contest winners are announced on the blog. None of your personal information except your website and first name will be announced. If you have any discrepancies with this arrangement, please specify so in the contest entry form.

I recommends that you do not submit or post any personally identifiable information when posting to Inklings Read. Only use your first name or screen name.

Review: The Advice Girl

The Advice Girl (The Dalara Series, #1) by L.A. Shaw 
Publisher: Self Published
Format: Ebook
Source: Author  Amazon | Goodreads
★★★★☆

Kira and Sophia have been best friends since they were five years old. They share an apartment together, and tell each other everything.
Everyone loves Sophia, and she is often called the advice girl by people who know her. Kira believes she knows her friend better than anyone. But in a mysterious accident, Sophia loses her life.

Kira is mourning the devastating loss when she finds a note addressed to her from beyond the grave. Kira realizes she doesn't know her friend as well as she thought, as she starts to uncover the truth. She falls into a deep depression, confused and lost, until a visit from a strange man puts her in the middle of a war between two secret societies.
Kira soon understands that she is in danger, and doesn't know who to trust. She has to fight for her own life now

Don’t judge this book by it’s summary! There is a lot more going on in this quick read than you might think: Assassins, secret societies, romance, suspense, mystery. There is quite a bit of story packed into this less than 200 page book.

To begin: This is Shaw’s debut book! How exciting right? I’ll be totally honest that I was a bit skeptical after reading the blurb on goodreads. I was given an opportunity to read the prologue and first two chapters and I was hooked. I needed to find out what was going on! Please note that I will not be able to reveal much of the story for fear I may spoil something… I definitely don’t want to do that!

This story centers around the friendship between Kira and Sophie. I found their relationship to be quite realistic and believable. We learn that Sophie has always been extremely intuitive and that she tends to see the best in everyone. After what appears to be Sophie’s violent death, Kira is lost. Upon finding a note left behind from Sophie, everything changes. This is where the story really begins…

I enjoyed this book very much! Shaw had more than enough suspense to keep me hooked and make The Advice Girl hard to put down. I loved that there was a lot of action in this book as well. I actually tensed up a few times while reading it, thinking that something might pop from around the corner. Kira, our main character, was portrayed very realistically. We see a lot of emotions from her and not once did they seem forced. Shaw certainly has a knack for writing emotion.. I also enjoyed the underlying love story as well, though it did develop quite fast.

As much as I liked this book, there were still a few things I would have preferred to be done differently. I really wanted the entire story fleshed out more… I feel as though only 1/2 of this story’s potential was tapped into. I mean, there is a really amazing base story here that could be SO epic, but something was missing! The ending, which was a cliffhanger, seemed more like the end of the chapter not the book. I could think of much better points in the story for Shaw to have concluded this book. Like Sophie, who always sees the good, this means two awesome things: There will be a sequel and there is an an opportunity to tap into that unused potential in the next book!

I’m most definitely looking forward to reading the sequel to The Advice Girl and I recommend any lover of YA or paranormal books give this a shot!

News: Iron Fey Announcement!

The Iron Fey Series by Julie Kagawa will have a new addition! Summer's Crossing, a novella focused on Puck, will bridge the gap between The Iron Queen and The Iron Knight (due out in November of this year).The cover reveal will be in a few weeks!! I'm quite excited about this announcement. I may not be "Team Puck," but I think we can all agree that he is a great character and is often overlooked!

The original post by Julie Kagawa can be found here.

Anyone else pysched?!

Musing Monday #1

This week MizB of Should Be Reading asks…

"If you’re a mood reader, what (genre) do your moods usually call you to read?"

I would definitely consider myself a "mood reader"! One of the best things about reading is that its an escape into whatever genre your mood calls for. Usually you'll find me reading a fantasy or sci-fi book, something with an alternate reality. But, there are times when I actually crave something different! My moods normally consist of knowing what I don't want to read. I find that when this happens I feel as though something is missing from the current story - something I need emotionally.

What about you guys?

Visit Should Be Reading to start participating in Musing Mondays!

Review: Mockingjay

Mockingjay (The Hunger Games, #3)
By Suzanne Collins
Scholastic, Inc.
Genre: Dystopian YA
Rating: ★★★★★

Summary
“Young Katniss Everdeen has survived the dreaded Hunger Games not once, but twice, but even now she can find no relief. In fact, the dangers seem to be escalating: President Snow has declared an all-out war on Katniss, her family, her friends, and all the oppressed people of District 12. The thrill-packed final installment of Suzanne Collins' Hunger Games trilogy will keep young hearts pounding.” –goodreads
 
Review
This book was by far one of the most emotionally draining books I have ever read. It has haunted me all day and I'm sure it will for quite awhile longer.. I have sat here for at least two hours struggling to find the words to describe this amazing book. What I know I can say is this: This book is the most moving and heart wrenching book of the series. It has left me with an immense feeling of loss, even if it is not necessarily an unhappy ending.

This book follows the others and is absolutely packed with action. Katniss never gets a break! I would say that it is more gory and graphic than the other two as well, but very realistic. If you thought you had seen human cruelty at its worst in the first two books: prepare yourself. You will feel all of Katniss' emotions: frustration, fear, helplessness, terrible loss. All of them. If you were concerned about the Gale vs. Peeta dilemma, then you will be happy to know it is resolved in this book.

I cannot say more for fear of spoiling the plot. This definitely needs to be experienced spoiler free.. There are so many twists and turns that Suzanne Collins had me guessing the entire time. I believe everyone should experience this amazing trilogy.. You will not be disappointed.

If you do not know what P.A.B.D is please click the button to find out.

Follow Friday #1

Do you judge a book by the cover?

I would say that cover art plays a large part in whether I pick up a book to learn more about it. Ultimately my decision to purchase is usually based on content. I am definitely guilty of buying the occasional book as eye candy though. Check out my Cover Crazy posts to see some of the amazing covers out there.

Honestly, now that I'm a kindle user I find myself relying less and less on cover art and more on reviews and recommendations. I can say that I never cared for any of the covers of The Hunger Games series, but I am absolutely obsessed with the books!

How about you guys, do you judge a book by the cover?

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To join the fun and make now book blogger friends, just follow these simple rules:

1. (Required) Follow the Follow My Book Blog Friday Host { Parajunkee.com } and any one else you want to follow on the list
2. (Required) Follow our Featured Bloggers - http://mykeepershelf.blogspot.com/
3. Put your Blog name & URL in the Linky thing.
4. Grab the button up there and place it in a post, this post is for people to find a place to say hi in your comments
5. Follow Follow Follow as many as you can, as many as you want, or just follow a few. The whole point is to make new friends and find new blogs. Also, don't just follow, comment and say hi. Another blogger might not know you are a new follower if you don't say "HI"
6. If someone comments and says they are following you, be a dear and follow back. Spread the Love...and the followers
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Cover Crazy #1

Cover Crazy is a weekly meme hosted by The Bookworms.

This week, I am absolutely crazy about Halo by Alexandra Adornetto!

I think what I love so much about this is the use of light. It is so gorgeous. And the WINGS! I'm in love with those wings! Even the font/text on the front flows with the design. I don't think the designer could have made this any better!

What do you guys think?

Weekly Memes!

I have decided that I'm going to start participating in some weekly meme's from now on! I've found some that are similar to my past "To-Read Tuesdays" and "Front-Cover Fridays" so, I'm really exited to start posting for them. So far this is what my blogging schedule looks like:

-Monday-

Musing Monday - Hosted by Should Be Reading

-Tuesday-

Teaser Tuesday - Hosted by Should Be Reading

-Friday-

Cover Crazy - Hosted by The Bookworms

Book Blogger Hop – Hosted by Crazy for Books

On another note: I think sometimes blogs can get very carried away with memes.. I feel like they are a great way to connect with and learn about the blogger, but they don't offer much in terms of original content. Don't get me wrong though! I personally love reading other people's responses to memes. I just know there are a lot of "meme-haters" out there.

What do you guys think about memes: Do you consider them to be quality content? Do any of you have some awesome ones to share with me!? I need suggestions for Wednesday and Thursday.

Thanks!

-Sarah

To-Read Tuesday: Dark Lover

Dark Lover (Black Dagger Brotherhood, #1)
by J.R. Ward
Genre: Paranormal Romance

Summary

In the shadows of the night in Caldwell, New York, there's a deadly turf war going war going on between vampires and their slayers. There exists a secret band of brothers like no other-six vampire warriors, defenders of their race. Yet none of them relishes killing their enemies more than Wrath, the leader of the Black Dagger Brotherhood...

The only purebred vampire left on the planet, Wrath has a score to settle with the slayers who murdered his parents centuries ago. But when one of his most trusted fighters is killed - orphaning a half-breed daughter unaware of her heritage or her fate - Wrath must usher the beautiful female into the world of the undead...

Racked by a restlessness in her body that wasn't there, Beth Randall is helpless against the dangerously sexy man who comes at night with shadows in his eyes. His tales of brotherhood and blood frighten her. But his touch ignites a dawning hunger that threatens to consume them both....

-via goodreads

Why do I want to read this?

I have heard nothing but praise for this series, and I feel so behind the times. I will probably be the last person to actually get around to reading this! I'm really looking forward to when I do though. I typically do not read many books from the romance genre, but I feel like I may have to make an exception for this to see what the hype is all about.

Review Excerpts From Goodreads

"Dark Lover has characters you can love (even those secondary ones), an interesting world with great mythology, a plot that needs to be devoured and really hot vampire love scenes that are used to move the plot forward and not just for the sake of being dirty." - Chelsea

"All of the hype about it leads you to believe that it is unfailingly awesome...well it was." - Daisiemae

"They seem like a dirty little secret for me. This is a "chick" book, yet I still read, wait for the next one, and fight my wife for who gets to read the next one first. I lose that fight every time." - Kevin S.

Review: Collision Course

Collision Course (8th Wing, #1) by Zoe Archer
Publisher: Carina Press 
Format: Ebook
Source: NetGalley Amazon | Goodreads
★★★★☆

Summary
Mara Skiren is a scavenger, a black-market dealer. Blackmailed into helping Commander Kell Frayne infiltrate a treacherous corner of the galaxy, Mara learns that her biggest danger is from her sexy, by-the-book partner. She’s a loner with more than a few battle scars on her heart, but something about Commander Frayne stirs up her long-buried need for an intimate connection.
 
An ace pilot for the elite Black Wraith Squadron, Kell’s mission is to rescue a lost pilot and ship. Unable to deny his attraction to the beautiful, rebellious woman, he decides bedding her would cool his ardor. But one taste is not nearly enough, and he finds himself sharing more of his real self with Mara than he has with anyone.

With deadly criminals on their heels and an increasingly dangerous assignment to complete, he’s starting to wonder…. If they survived, could he let her go? And will Mara want to stay?

First off let me say, this was a very entertaining read! You have Mara a stubborn, beautiful, in-control scavenger and you put her with Kell, a sexy, strong, 8th wing officer and you get the recipe for a a great, super-steamy romance!

The characters could not have been more likeable! Mara was the epitome of 'I don't give a shit' kick-ass while Kell was tied to his duty as an 8th wing officer. This contradiction made for some great interactions. It was fun watching each of them learn that neither was quite what the other expected. Don't judge a book by it's cover right?

The reason I give this book four stars instead of five is because it seemed to take awhile for the action to start in the book... Yeah, the sexual tension is great, but I also wanted to jump right into the adventure as well! About 1/3 of the way in the action really picked up and I was happy I waited. The romance just did not feel natural until that point.

Zoe Archer made a believable universe that left me wanting to learn more about it's inhabitants. Collision Course was a wonderful, sexy sci-fi romance packed with adventure and action. It was a very quick read (only 199 pages) and I highly recommend it! I will definitely be on the look out for the next in the series!

Just A Thought: Digital Copies

Source: Fast Company

So I was thinking today...

Why don't publisher's give away digital copies of books with the hardcover versions?

What brought this thought upon me: I was thinking about purchasing Where She Went from Amazon.com and then realized that the hardcover edition was cheaper than the e-book! This just doesn't make sense to me... E-books are definitely cheaper to produce, so why are we being charged more in some cases?

Why I Think This Would Benefit Everyone

• I love my kindle... But I do miss being able to show off my book collection.
• Some DVDs already come like this. Ex: You buy a blu-ray that comes with a digital copy as well.
• You have a backup in the case your hard copy gets destroyed.
• I LOVE BOOK COVERS!
• Keeps the tradition of paper books alive while at the same time making digital content more known and accessible to the general public. Maybe even assisting e-reader sales?
• "About 10.8 million e-readers have been sold in the United States so far..." - American Observer. This is just the US alone!

Inside the book there could be a one-time redeemable code for a digital copy. I am by no means a business woman, and they probably have their reasons for not doing this, but as a customer, this is something I would love to see.

What do you guys think? Would you use and support digital copies being given away with hardcover edition books?

-Sarah

Review: Embedded

Embedded by Dan Abnett
Publisher: Angry Robot
Format: Ebook
Pages:416
Source: NetGalley
Amazon | Goodreads
★★★☆☆

HE'D DO ANYTHING TO GET A STORY. When journalist Lex Falk gets himself chipped into the brain of a combat soldier, he thinks he has the ultimate scoop - a report from the forbidden front line of a distant planetary war, live to the living rooms of Earth. When the soldier is killed, however, Lex has to take over the body and somehow get himself back to safety once more... broadcasting all the way.

Heart-stopping combat science fiction from the million-selling Warhammer 40,000 author.

For this book, I'm jumping straight to the review portion. I am going to be totally honest with you: I did not finish this book.

Embedded was extremely hard for me to get into. Obviously, I never really did get into it. It seemed to me that all the characters were doing was talking... and quite frankly, I was bored. Knowing that this was a military sci-fi I expected lots of action. I had not reached the point where he takes over the soldier's body, but I just couldn't take any more of it. I found myself skipping parts and, to my knowledge, not really missing anything of interest!

This book has a great rating on goodreads so I'm assuming that it does pick up later in the book. Don't not read this book because I didn't enjoy it! It just wasn't for me.

I give it 3 stars for having an interesting concept, even if I couldn't hang around to see it all play out.
   

Review: Catching Fire

Catching Fire (The Hunger Games, #2) by Suzanne Collins
Publisher: Scholastic Press 
Format: Ebook
Pages: 391
Source: Purchased
Amazon | Goodreads
★★★★★

Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark won the annual competition described in Hunger Games, but the aftermath leaves these victors with no sense of triumph. Instead, they have become the poster boys for a rebellion that they never planned to lead. That new, unwanted status puts them in the bull's-eye for merciless revenge by The Capitol...

I loved everything about this book. The characters, the plot twists, the lush settings, and the cliffhanger ending (love-hate relationship with this) all lend themselves to form this amazing, perfect, and epic tale. And I mean it when I say that this book is epic

This is one of those books where you really need to struggle to find something wrong... I don't think I was as emotionally invested into this book as I was in the first, but that's not necessarily bad. I found that I was more concerned with the politics in this one.

Take everything you thought was going to happen in this book and just throw it out the window. There is a major plot twist that I was not expecting AT ALL! A word of caution: be prepared. I didn't know what to do with myself after that... I had to finish it at once! Also know that the ending is one of the worst cliffhangers I have ever experienced. I promised myself I would take a break between this book and Mockingjay to read some other books I need to review...but I honestly don't know if that will happen.

All of the hype around this book is certainly deserved for it is one of the best I have ever read. This book will make you think. It will make you reassess you values, your government, and your relationships. It will challenge you.

Get it. Read it. Love it.

Front-Cover Friday: Unforsaken

Unforsaken (Banished, #2)
by Sophie Littlefield


Hailey Tarbell is no typical girl. As one of the Banished who arrived from Ireland generations ago, Hailey has the power to heal—and, as she recently learned, to create zombies if she heals someone too late. But now, Hailey is finally getting a chance at a normal life. After realizing the good and bad sides of her power, Hailey has survived the unimaginable to settle with her aunt, Prairie, and her little brother, Chub, in the suburbs of Milwaukee. Finally Hailey has a loving family, nice clothes, and real friends. But her safe little world is blown apart when she tries to contact her secret boyfriend, Kaz—and alerts the incredibly dangerous man who's looking for her to her true whereabouts.

via goodreads.

This week I had a few contenders for front-cover Friday in mind... This one ended up winning out hands down! Am I the only one who thinks this cover is abosolutely gorgeous?! Not to sound cheesy... but there is just something about those eyes that is mesmerizing. If you've seen it's predeccessor, Banished, this cover follows the same style. I personally like this one even better! What do you guys think?