Impromptu Hiatus Thingamajig

Things might be a little sporadic around here for a while. I'd like to say life got in the way, or something cool and important sounding like that, but it's simply not the case.

I haven't felt the same drive for all the things I usually love lately, which sadly, includes blogging. So for now, I'll be taking a little break. I don't know how long it'll last, or anything like that, but I can say that I won't be completely gone. I'll still be popping in on Twitter and you'll see the occasional post. I have tons of backlogged reviews, so I'll probably still be putting those up, but I can't make any promises for my other regulars.

I just wanted to let you all know what's up with me these days and put a little notice out for A Room with Books's foreseeable future. So don't you guys go worrying about me or anything ;]

Ripple by Mandy Hubbard {Review}

Publisher: Razorbill

Publish Date: July 21, 2011

Source: Library
Goodreads

Lexi is cursed with a dark secret. The water calls to her, draws her in, forces her to sing her song to unsuspecting victims. If she succumbs, she kills. If she doesn't, the pain is unbearable. To keep herself and those she cares about safe, she shuts herself off, refusing to make friends or fall in love -- again. Because the last time she fell in love with a boy, he ended up dead.
Then Lexi finds herself torn. Against her better judgement, she's opening up again, falling in love with someone new when she knows she shouldn't. But when she's offered the chance to finally live a normal life, she learns that the price she must pay to be free of her curse is giving him up.

For about 2/3 of Ripple, I really didn’t think I was going to like it. It still wasn’t my favorite read, but Miss Hubbard managed to take just about everything I felt for this book and flip it all upside down within that last third and I ended up fairly satisfied.

Something about Lexi’s sob story of a life kind of set my teeth on edge at the beginning. No parents, no friends, no love. Just a lonely girl wanting companionship but pushing everyone away. I sort of understand why she pushed people away, but on the other hand it doesn’t really make sense. Yes, she was afraid of killing people, but it’s not like she’d go around killing people all the time if she was civil. That didn’t quite make sense to me.

Lexi and Cole’s relationship just felt so weird and unnecessary at the beginning. I didn’t like him or them together at all. By the end, though, the relationship really grew on me and I was inwardly rooting for the two.

I really liked Hubbard’s take on sirens. It definitely wasn’t your typical mythology and I love when a story can surprise me. Who knew mermaid’s could still be entertaining if they didn’t have tails ;P

The Nutshell: I really wasn’t feeling Ripple for the majority of the book, but I’m really glad I finished it. If you tend to give up on books easily, you’re either going to want to completely avoid this one or convince yourself to stick it out till the end. If you like a twist on your mermaid mythology with a dash of “I DID NOT see that coming!” then Ripple is worth the read.

Pages: 260

Series: No

Rating: Near Miss

The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting {Review}

Publisher: HarperTeen

Publish Date: March 16, 2010

Source: Bought/Gifted

Goodreads

Violet Ambrose is grappling with two major issues: Jay Heaton and her morbid secret ability. While the sixteen-year-old is confused by her new feelings for her best friend since childhood, she is more disturbed by her "power" to sense dead bodies -- or at least those that have been murdered. Since she was a little girl, she has felt the echoes that the dead leave behind in the world...and the imprints that attach to their killers.
Violet has never considered her strange talent be a gift; it mostly just led her to find the dead birds her cat had tired of playing with. But now, that a serial killer has begun terrorizing her small town, and the echoes of the local girls he's claimed haunt her daily, she realizes she might be the only person who can stop him.
Despite his fierce protectiveness over her, Jay reluctantly agrees to help Violet on her quest to find the murderer -- and Violet is unnerved to find herself hoping that Hay's intentions are much more than friendly. But even as she's falling intensely in love, Violet is getting closer and closer to discovering a killer...and becoming his prey herself.

Holy. Wow. The Body Finder was one seriously intense read. It wasn’t about ghosts or things that go bump in the night, but it scared the pants off of me all the same. Some might say since it’s about regular killers it’s almost more scary and I’m thinking I’d have to agree.

So, anecdote time: I finished The Body Finder minutes before running out the door to catch my bus to make it to Kimberly’s signing. I was so freaked out from reading it I almost didn’t leave since I was traveling by myself and it’d be dark by the time I came home. Oh the power of authors ;]

I love that though Violet’s ability can be classified as paranormal, everything else about The Body Finder is real. Real scary dudes, real homework, real parents; the works. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t abhor paranormal or anything, but it’s refreshing to read a book that’s spine-tingling-ly creepy for real world reasons.

I like that besides her ability to sense the dead, Violet’s still a normal girl. She has homework, parents who occasionally annoy her, and a massive crush on her best friend. I also liked that she was determined to help find the killer but still knew enough (sometimes) to be careful and scares.

Sometimes I just wanted to yell at Jay and Violet to come to their senses and realize they liked each other because COME ON, everyone else could see it :P

Slightly Spoilery

I really liked that Jay & Vi didn’t dance around their relationship for the entire book. Of course I enjoy a slow burn, but I also like kissing. And boy is there lots of kissing!

End

The scenes written from the killer’s point of view had me both fascinated as well as creeped out. I found myself wanting more of them, but at the same time disturbed with myself for wanting that :P

I don’t normally put age suggestions on my reviews, but I’d definitely advise this one be read by older teens.

The Nutshell: The Body Finder definitely has the creep factor going for it, but there’s more than that too. If you’re looking for a book with a strong main character, lots of kissing, and will leave you feeling jumpy, this is definitely the book for you.

Pages: 327

Series: The Body Finder #1

Rating: Direct Hit

My Current Obsession (18 To Life)

To be honest, guys, I simply didn't feel like making an IMM post so, I didn't :P Next week I'll have plenty to show you, though, so you can...look forward to..that? Maybe? Whatever, onward we go!

How about we talk about my current obsession, hmmm? Again, there's no book relation here, so if that's not your interest then you're free to go, and thank you for the visit :]
However, if you're curious about my current television obsession then grab yourself a cup of coffee (or whatever your favorite beverage may be) and settle in!

Lately I've been obsessed with this show I found on Netflix called 18 to Life. It's a Canadian show about two highschool sweethearts/neighbors who get married at 18 and it is stinking hilarious. BUT, it also has heart. Cute, adorable, young newlywed heart :]

Single people might not appreciate it quite as much, but I still think they could find it enjoyable. I don't mean to single out a whole set of people here, but as a newlywed myself, nearly every episode has had me going "Yes! THIS! We have that argument ALL the time!" or "Ohhh, I totally remember that argument. It was not pretty :P"  I mean, the episode I just finished watching was about how she likes planning and control and he liked being spontaneous. That's pretty much Husband's and my relationship in a nutshell :P

One of the main things I really love is that they don't really dress married life up. Yeah, it's fun most of the time, but the couple also has plenty of fights and normal married people problems. Like, the "Hanging Pictures" episode. I won't write about it as I like to keep things as PGish as possible around here, but that both had me cringing, laughing, and almost shouting at the tv in agreement.

I know my post probably isn't all too persuasive, but trust me, if you have Netflix just give it a chance. The series is already over so there's only 25 half-hour episodes. Try one or two and maybe come back here or tell me on Twitter how it's working out for you. :]

Always Neverland by Zoe Barton {Review}

Publisher: Harper 

Publish Date: October 11, 2011

Source: Library

Goodreads

School has only been out for one whole day, and Ashley can already tell her vacation is going to bore her to tears. With her friends out of town and her parents working nonstop, she finds herself alone and with nothing to do -- until one night she wakes up and discovers Peter Pan in her bedroom -- wrestling with his shadow.
Since his original adventure with the Darlings, Peter Pan has been bringing new "Wendy girls" to Neverland to take care of the Lost Boys. But Ashley's made of much tougher stuff than the Wendy girls before her -- she'd rather befriend the mermaids or fight Captain Hook and his pirate crew. Creating new adventures for her friends, Ashley is bringing change to Neverland...and not everyone is happy about it.

Always Neverland was a fun addition to the Peter Pan tale. I especially loved that Barton didn’t try to change the tale of Pan, but rather, added to it. Ashley is a descendant of Wendy so the original story did happen but Always Neverland is an entirely new adventure.

I adored Ashley. She’s young, but she proves her worth among the Lost Boys and Peter. She refuses to be like the other Wendy Girls just watching the Lost Boys and being a Mother. Plus, she won’t take a simple no from anyone. Peter says she can’t befriend a mermaid, but she tries anyway. The Lost Boys say she can’t fight, but she does it anyway. Seriously, I love this girl’s determination.

The Lost Boys are adorable (though they’d probably deny it and say they’re fearsome) and they all have different personalities. I would have loved to hang out with these boys when I was younger. They’re fun and always ready for an adventure. But of course, they all still have a soft spot that wants a mother.

Now, Pan is another story. I have to say he kind of got on my nerves. He was the cockiest little boy I’ve ever seen. I’ll admit, I’ve never read the original story, but I imagine he acted much the same in the original, but I can’t say I like it.

I loved all the adventures Ashley had. There were fights with pirates, mermaid befriendment, lion riding, food trees, Never bird riding, and so much more. I found myself sitting down to read only to look up and discover I’d already read 1/3 of the book!

The Nutshell: Always Neverland is a retelling/addition you don’t want to miss. There’s plenty of the old Peter Pan that you know and even more new adventures. If you still have even the tiniest amount of kid in you, then this book is for you.

Pages: 320

Series: No

Rating Hit

Random Questions {4}

Time for another round of random bookish questions with Jasmine!

Source

16. Do you ever dog-ear books?

Big, fat, negative no. Erm, I guess a negative no is a yes...so, just no :P

17. Do you ever write in the margins of your books?

Nope. I could never even bring myself to write in my college textbooks.

18. Not even with text books?

Hah. I totally answered the above question before looking down.

Book Love <3
Source

19. What is your favourite language to read in?

Um, English :P

The only other language I've even tried to learn was French and let's just say that didn't go too well.

20. What makes you love a book?

A good plot. I love characters, but the plot is what usually sells me.

Fever by Lauren DeStefano {Review}

Publisher: Simon and Schuster Children's Publishing

Publish Date: February 21, 2012
Source: Library

Goodreads

Rhine and Gabriel have escaped the mansion, but danger is never far behind.Running away brings Rhine and Gabriel right into a trap, in the form of a twisted carnival whose ringmistress keeps watch over a menagerie of girls. Just as Rhine uncovers what plans await her, her fortune turns again. With Gabriel at her side, Rhine travels through an environment as grim as the one she left a year ago -- surroundings that mirror her own feelings of fear and hopelessness.
The two are determined to get to Manhattan, to relative safety with Rhine's twin brother, Rowan. But the road there is long and perilous -- and in a world where young women only live to age twenty and young men die at twenty-five, time is precious. Worse still, they can't seem to elude Rhine's father-in-law, Vaughn, who is determined to bring Rhine back to the mansion...by any means necessary.

Now, I love a good series, but I’m also not a fan of change, so sometimes the books following the first can be difficult since there’s always something different whether it be a character, the setting, etc. That being said, once I overcame my fear of change I really enjoyed Fever.

Once Rhine managed to escape we were left with a big What Now and boy do we get answers in Fever. There’s quite a lot of adventure to be had outside the mansion walls, but none of it is really the good kind. We do meet some nice people along the way, but Gabriel and Rhine mostly face gobs of horrid people and situations. But we wouldn’t have a story if it was all sunshine and happy endings, now would we?

Once again, DeStefano weaves together a story that is beautiful in all its heartbreaking glory. Everything flows together so well that I found myself completely pulled into the story. I loved meeting all the characters from the terrible Madame to the warm and gentle Claire. Rhine spends a lot of the story in some state of haze, but it’s not at all boring.

We get a few more answers, but not many. I’m hoping the last book in the trilogy answers everything.

Also, I really love the cover. As you read you can identify things from the story on the cover which I didn’t quite get with Wither.

The Nutshell: Fever is almost an entirely different story than Wither, but not in a bad way. It’s full of adventure and new people. DeStefano’s writing is a gorgeous as ever, but despite the haze that Rhine often finds herself in it doesn’t have the same languid feel of Wither. I think that’s due to the fact that we’re following Rhine and Gabriel as they escape up the coast, though. If you loved Wither then you’re sure to be satisfied by Fever.

Pages: 341

Series: The Chemical Garden #2

Rating: Direct Hit

Cover Lover {44}

Of course we all know you should never judge a book by its cover, but do we ever really listen to that?
Cover Lover showcases eye catching, intriguing, and beautiful covers. 

This week's Cover Lover goes to Eight Keys by Suzanne Lafleur

Publish Date: August 9, 2011

For one, I super love the text of the title and how different keys are just mixed in there. For two, this feels totally real. Just looking at this cover I can almost feel the warm afternoon summer sun and the soft grass beneath my feet. It's definitely not your typical "pretty" cover, but I really like it :]

Top Ten Tuesday {17}

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and The Bookish. Every week there's a category and everyone participating lists their "Top Ten" in that category.


This week's topic is: Top Ten Blogs/Sites You Read That AREN'T about Books


So, I kind of had to dig around for these 9. I don't really do a lot on the net these days that doesn't have to do with books. I'm okay with that, though :]






1. Not So Humble Pie
Mrs. Humble rarely posts anymore as she had a baby recently, but I still love her site. Not only do all her recipes look good, her posts are humorous and awesome. Many of her recipes live in my "To be make someday" bookmarks on my computer. I love that though most of recipes are for sweets there are plenty of savory recipes in there as well :]

From Cat versus Human

2. Cat versus Human
I think someone recently tweeted one of the graphics from this site and that's how I came across it. I'm really glad to have found it no matter what led me to it, though. I don't actually own a cat at the moment (it's $300 to get a cat in my apartment not to mention all the extra fees) but I do so desperately want one. Plus, just because I don't own one doesn't mean I can't love them and appreciate cat humor ;] 
All that to say if you like cats and you like funnies them you'll love this site.


3-5. Foodgawker/Dwellinggawker/Weddinggawker
I believe I found Foodgawker because of Stumbleupon and immediately fell in love. I'm a sucker for pretty looking food and boy is there plenty of it here. Basically you can scroll through pages and pages of pictures of food and if you're interested in one of them you click it and it takes you to the blog. Boom. Easy peasy. This where I go any time I'm looking for a recipe. I like that I can see a picture before I click instead of just links if I were to google the recipe.
Dwellinggawker and Weddinggawker are the same except they're about homes and wedding-related things respectively. 

Source

6. Wishlist.com
I've always had the problem of going completely blank when someone asks me what I want for my birthday or Christmas. Sure, I had a million things I wanted the previous week, but now that somebody wanted me to list some I couldn't think of a single one. This website allows me to add whatever from wherever on the internet to a wishlist so it's always there and can be easily sent out to whoever wants it.


7. Random Word Generator
This is especially useful for writing classes. I mean, this site gives you anything from a random noun to a verb to a preposition. It even lets you choose whether you want or normal or obscure word.


8. FutureMe.org

Source

This website allows you to send future self an email. Maybe you know the day you'll graduate and you want to send yourself a congratulations. Maybe you just want to send a message to your 10-years-older self and say what your current thoughts on the future are to compare them to how things really turned out. I used it a couple years ago to send myself an email on my wedding day. It helped calm my nerves a little :]


9. Stumbleupon
This site is basically the best time waster on the planet. You can stumble through anything and everything or you can just do one thing like recipes or photography. I don't use it as much anymore since I try not to waste too much time on the internet, but it has introduced to some awesome websites over the past couple years. Heck, I found most of the above sites on here!

Jenna & Jonah's Fauxmance by Emily Franklin & Brendan Halpin {Review}

Publisher: Walker & Company

Publish Date: February 1, 2011

Source: Library

Goodreads

Fans of romance don't need to look any further than the fauxmance brewing between teen idols Charlie Tracker and Fielding Withers -- known on their hit TV show as Jenna and Jonah, next-door neighbors flush with the excitement of first love. But it's their off-screen relationship that has helped cement their fame, as passionate fans follow their every PDA. They grace the covers of magazines week after week. Their fan club has chapters all over the country. The only problem is their off-screen romance is one big publicity stunt, and Charlie and Fielding can't stand to be in the same room. Still it's a great gig, so even when the cameras stop rolling, the show must go on, and on, and on... Until the pesky paparazzi blow their cover, and Charlie and Fielding must disappear to weather the media storm. It's not until they're far off the grid of the Hollywood circuit that they realize that there's more to each of them than shiny hair and a winning smile.

On the one hand Jenna & Jonah’s Fauxmance was cute and fun, but on the other hand, it kind of infuriated me at times much like our two protagonists did to each other.

The cute and fun:

It was fun watching Charlie and Fielding/Aaron have epic word sparring matches as well as kind-of-sort-of flirt with each other.

I ended up really liking Fielding/Aaron. He became this really well-rounded, multi-dimensional character even if he was weirdly hung up on Charlie. I liked that for a while, like a normal teenage guy, he was showing interest in other girls too. I think I probably would have liked the book a lot more if it had been wholly from his point of view.

The annoying:

I get the whole haters-turned-lovers plotline, but these two were just so cruel to each other sometimes it was hard to read. And then, just when you think there’s hope, that they’ll finally just jump each other and get over the angst, they just rip each other a new one instead. Most of it seemed pretty uncalled for too. Like they’re having this nice moment and then one of them just says something cruel out of the blue. I wanted to reach in the pages and shake some sense into them.

It also felt to me like Charlie didn’t really grow and change at all. She just kept on being a jerk to Aaron and then got what she wanted in the end anyway.

The Nutshell: Jenna & Jonah’s Fauxmance had its cute moments, but I don’t think I’d recommend it overall. I found it infuriating at times and others I was just left scratching my head going “what just happened?” If you like the people-who-hate-each-other-become-lovers thing then you’ll probably actually like this one, but it didn’t really work for me.

Pages: 240

Series: No

Rating: Miss

In My Mailbox {44}

In My Mailbox is hosted by The Story Siren.

Sorry there aren't more links, but I only finished uploading my video at three this morning, so listing all the books was a feat in and of itself. Hopefully they'll be up later.
Also, I know the video is super long. I still haven't figured out how to cut portions of the video so feel free to skip around the video (not that you can't do that without my permission).


Author:
Small Medium at Large bookmarks [from Joanne Levy]
Keeper of the Lost Cities swag [from Shannon Messenger for contest]

Contest:
Cinder by Marissa Meyer plus random swag [from Donald Cribbs]

Library:
The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland by Catherynne M. Valente
Fear by Michael Grant
Glimmer by Phoebe Kitanidis
Pandemonium by Lauren Oliver

Bought:
Cupcake bookmarks
Fury by Elizabeth Miles
The Liar Society by Lisa and Laura Roeckers
Desires of the Dead by Kimberly Derting
Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins
Boy Meets Boy by David Levithan
Teenage Waistland by Lynn Biederman & Lisa Pazer
Pretties by Scott Westerfeld
That Summer by Sarah Dessen
Wolves, Boys, and Other Things That Might Kill Me by Kristen Chandler

The Humming Room by Ellen Potter {Review}

Publisher: Feiwel and Friends

Publish Date: February 28, 2012

Source: Library

Goodreads

Hiding is Roo Fenshaw's special skill. Living in a frighteningly unstable family, she often needs to disappear at a moment's notice. When her parents are murdered, it's her special hiding place under the trailer that saves her life.
As it turns out, Roo, much to her surprise, has a wealthy if eccentric uncle, who has agreed to take her into his home on Cough Rock Island. Once a tuberculosis sanitarium for children of the rich, the strange house is teeming with ghost stories and secrets. Roo doesn't believe in ghosts or fairy stories, but what are those eerie noises she keeps hearing? And who is that strange wild boy who lives on the river? People are lying to her, and Roo becomes determined to find the truth.
Despite the best efforts of her uncle's assistants, Roo discovers the house's hidden room -- a garden with a tragic secret.

I’ll be honest, I’ve seen the movie, yes, and my mother read the book to me when I was younger, but I honestly don’t remember The Secret Garden that much. With that being said, you should know that The Humming Room does a fantastic job of standing on its own.

When I first began reading The Humming Room it just seemed a little strange, but as I read on I felt myself getting used to the world and the characters and really growing to like them. Roo was kind of prickly (I don’t usually say this about characters since it makes me think of cacti, but it works) she also wasn’t afraid to tell you how she felt. I appreciated the fact that Roo was a rather quiet girl but could really make herself be heard if she wanted to. Violet was another favorite character. She was just so happy and friendly it would be impossible not to like her.

I really appreciated the subtle creepiness you get from the first half of the book before you start getting some answers. What with the old children’s hospital, parts of it kind of felt like one of those creepy asylum movies, but not quite so scary.

I really, really liked how the garden played into the story. It had so much character of its own wasn’t just some overlooked thing tossed in for effect. I don’t want to give anything away, though, so I’ll leave it at that.

The Nutshell: I’m sure fans of The Secret Garden will enjoy The Humming Room as well, but you don’t have to know anything about the former to enjoy this story. It has characters with plenty of personality and some with a bit of spunk. There’s a little creepiness that kind of sneaks its way into you, but by the end you won’t be left with that feeling at all. If you want a good, quick read, The Humming Room is a book for you.

Pages: 192

Series: No

Rating: Hit

TGIF {26} How my blog was born

Source: Ginger

TGIF is a weekly meme hosted by Ginger at GReads. Each week she poses a question and everyone is invited to join in and share their answers :]

This week's question
A Book Blogger is Born: What made you decide to start your very own book blog?


My blog was born because I needed something more in my life.


Around last June I started to feel a little antsy with my reading. Reading has always been my one constant passion but about a year ago I just kind of started feeling like "what's the point?" I'd read a book, finish it, set it aside, and forget about it. It was neither fulfilling or fun anymore. I like having goals and reading just started feeling like something I could never make a goal out of in any way and I was really frustrated. 

This basically sums up how I felt before my blog started.
My blog helped provide a balance :]
Source

At some point last year I stumbled across a YA book blog and would check up on it every now and then. At that point I had no idea that there were other blogs like it. I just kind of thought it was a fluke or something. Eventually I discovered their blogroll and started clicking around. I was amazed to discover there was a lot of people out there who were just as passionate about reading as I was! 


I went back and forth for a few days trying to decide if a blog was something I would want to or even could do. My husband finally convinced me to start one and it's grown from there.


I'm so lucky to have found a community that shares my love for all things books, not to mention people that read the same TYPE of books as me. My blog has not only given my reading a purpose but it's also given me a purpose. I love running my blog and being part of such a fantastic community :D

Croak by Gina Damico {Review}

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Publish Date: March 20, 2012

Source: ARC from contest
Goodreads

Sixteen-year-old Lex Bartleby has sucker-punched her last classmate. Fed up with her punkish, wild behavior, her parents ship her upstate off to Upstate New York to live with her Uncle Mort for the summer, hoping that a few months of dirty farm work will whip her back into shape. But Uncle Mort's true occupation is much dirtier than that of shoveling manure.He's a Grim Reaper. And he's going to teach her the family business.Lex quickly assimilates into the peculiar world of Croak, a town populated entirely by reapers who deliver souls from this life to the next. Along with her infuriating yet intriguing partner Driggs and a rockstar crew of fellow Grim apprentices, Lex is soon capping her Targets like a natural born Killer.Yet her innate ability morphs into an unchecked desire for justice -- or is it vengeance? -- whenever she's forced to Kill a murder victim, crazing to stop the attackers before they can strike again. So when people start to die -- that is, people who aren't supposed to be dying, people who have committed grievous crimes against the innocent -- Lex's curiosity is piqued. Her obsession grows at the bodies pile up, and a troubling question begins to swirl through her mind: if she succeeds in tracking down the murderer, will she stop the carnage -- or will she ditch Croak and join in?

Croak started off pretty slow, but I found myself really enjoying it by then end. At first everything seemed really predictable. I just thought the story would end up being about Lex’s adventures as a Grim over the summer but it ended up being a lot more exciting than that.

This book is definitely an acquired taste. If you’re not a fan of sardonic characters then you should probably resolve to never read Croak since it’s chock-full of them. I find these types of characters to usually only be okay, but everyone really grew on me as I read, especially the side characters. Lex was good and all, but I really like Uncle Mort, Driggs, and the rest of the lot. Maybe I just admire the way they were able to put up with Lex’s crappy attitude :P

And let me just warn all you spider-haters out there (myself included) there is one chapter that will have you wanting to run in your room, stuff all the cracks and crevices, and hide under your covers. Even touching the book gave me the willies after reading that part!

I really liked all the eccentricities that made up croak and working in the death business. It was unique and, though morbid at times, enjoyable to read about.

The Nutshell: If you’re a fan of dark humor you’ll probably really enjoy Croak. There’s a bit of mystery thrown in so it’s not just all about how Lex spent her summer as a Grim, and of course, there’s a little romance as well. Though I wasn’t able to connect with Lex I found all the side characters rather enjoyable and complete. I’m looking forward to the sequel!

Pages: 311

Series: Croak #1

Rating: Hit

Cover Lover {43}

Of course we all know you should never judge a book by its cover, but do we ever really listen to that?
Cover Lover showcases eye catching, intriguing, and beautiful covers. 

This week's Cover Lover goes to Splintered by A.G. Howard

Publish Date: January 2013

For one, I like that the girl isn't sitting there looking all coy or sad or mysterious. She's simply staring at you right out of the cover with an admittedly slightly creepy expression. I also really like how all the bright colors from her eyes and lips to the bugs and butterflies stand out against the vibrant green background. And I actually really like the script of the title and the addition of the tagline. Basically, I like this entire cover. 

What do you guys think?

Tune in Tuesday {22}

Tune in Tuesday is hosted by the awesome Ginger at Greads.

For the month of May Tune in Tuesday is doing it random style. I'm just going to open up my iTunes this month and pick five random songs. I won't include any holiday music since it May, though. This could be interesting...

I decided to go back to Youtube videos since the other site didn't have all the songs I wanted this week. Hopefully it doesn't bog your computer down too much.

Throw Your Hands Up - Jump5

Ahh, yet another song/band from my childhood I just can't seem to permanently delete off iTunes. What can I say, it's hard letting go :P Plus, it's super old-school, yeah, but you can still dance to it!

Myspace - Eleventyseven

I'm so glad this came up on my shuffle search! I kind of forgot about this band in the past couple years, but I used to love them so and they'll always have a spot in my heart. This song is from their first album and considering the subject matter, you can kind of tell how old it is :P

This Ain't A Scene, It's An Arms Race - Fall Out Boy

So apparently my iTunes just wants to pull up a whole bunch of my old favorite bands. I'm not going to lie, I used to be slightly obsessed with these guys. I still pull them up on my iPod every now and then too. It was kind of rebellious music for me at the time that I liked it and it still manages to bring back that feeling like their my own little secret obsession :P

Henrietta - The Fratellis

Husband introduced me to these guys while we were dating. I don't even really listen to the words, I just adore the music. It's so much different than basically everything else in my music library.

More Time - Needtobreathe

What a great way to round out and end off this mix! I just find these guys' music to be incredibly powerful. It's full of heart and soul and makes me feel all the emotions. They're music also has that perfect little bluegrass twang to it that makes it just a little upbeat while still being generally nice and calming. 

Cinder by Marissa Meyer {Review}

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

Publish Date: January 3, 2012

Source: Library

Goodreads

Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, the ruthless Lunar People watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth's fate hinges on one girl...
Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She's a second-class citizen with a mysteruous past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister's illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai's, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world's future.

So I’ve just finished Cinder and I’m left thinking “but…where’s the rest?” Don’t get me wrong, it had a nice ending, but I want MORE. And I’m a little confused as to whether we’ll ever get to read more about Cinder and Kai or if that’s the end of the road for them.

Going into it, I kind of figured I’d love it since 1) I really like scifi and 2)everyone’s been raving about it for ages. I kind of wish I’d had less expectations, but not because it tainted my love for Cinder or anything, just because I really wish my love for it could have been more of a surprise. Awesome books are pretty much the best surprises ever.

Okay, let’s talk about the actual book now. It is for reals amazing. The characters all have full personalities whether I they’re likable or not and the world is incredibly detailed. I never even found myself wanting for more backstory or anything of the sort.

I’d heard some people saying they couldn’t really see the Cinderella parallels, but they seemed pretty obvious to me. That’s not a complaint, though. I really loved the way the fairytale was integrated into the new story. Cinder didn’t feel any lesser because it was based off of a fairytale. Cinder was able to stand on its own two feet (or one regular and one cyborg foot) as a story and it does an absolutely fantastic job of being a fairytale spinoff. I know it’s hard to believe that scifi Cinderella works, but it definitely does.

The Nutshell: I know this is a terrible review and I’ll never be able to do Cinder justice, but believe me when I say that it’s a book worth your time. If you like scifi, fairytale spinnoffs, and strong lead firls this is definitely the book for you. I advise not waiting around any longer to read this one :]

Pages: 387

Series: Lunar Chronicles #1

Rating: Direct Hit

In My Mailbox {43}

In My Mailbox is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at The Story Siren. It features books acquired over the past week no matter the source (bookstore, publisher, friend, library, etc.)

From Authors:
Kiss the Morning Star bookplates and tattoos (from Elissa Janine Hoole)
Velveteen signed bookmarks (from Daniel Marks)


Library:
7 Clues to Winning You by Kristin Walker
Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake


Publisher:
The Infects by Sean Beaudoin

The Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith {Review}

Publisher: Poppy

Publish Date: January 2, 2012

Source: Library

Goodreads

Who would have guessed that four minutes could change everything?
Today should be one of the worst days of seventeen-year-old Hadley Sullivan's life. She's stuck at JFK, late to her father's second wedding, which is taking place in London and involves a soon-to-be step-mother that Hadley's never even met. Then she meets the perfect boy the airport's cramped waiting area. His name is Oliver, he's British, and he's in seat 18C. Hadley's in 18A.

Can I pretty please just hug this book right now?

For reals, I adored The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight. I love everything from the fact that Oliver is adorably British to the title being an inside joke from the story.

For some reason, I was under the impression that this whole story took place in an airport and on a plane. Don’t ask me where the idea came from since now that I think about it it makes no sense that 24 whole hours would be spent between those two places. I think it was probably for that reason that the airport and plane were my favorite parts of the story, but I still really enjoyed the other parts as well.

I also love that fact that everything that happens is a little unlikely, but the title of the story already tells you that. Yes, it’s unlikely that you’ll meet a super cute British guy at the airport and end up next to him on the same flight, but it’s still possible and that’s the important part.

Speaking of cute British guys…yeah, Oliver is basically awesome. He’s funny and cute and…British! Yay for accents ;] Plus, he has green eyes and I’ve always been a sucker for those.

If you’ve read a review about this book you’ve probably heard about how it’s not just a love story. How it’s also about Hadley’s relationship with her dad. And I’m sure, like me, you kept thinking “yeah, but what about the kissing?!?” But really, the kissing is awesome and important, but so is the father-daughter relationship. Though I’d never gone through a parents’ divorce I still felt I could relate to Hadley and her thoughts.

The Nutshell: There is kissing and it’s awesome. There is a confused teen girl and she’s easy to relate with. There’s a father-daughter that needs some working through and it’s interesting to see. There’s unbelievable chance meetings and it’s swoon-making and fantastic. If those things don’t convince you then don’t forget there’s a cute British guy ;]

Pages: 236
Series: No

Rating: Direct Hit

Random Questions {3}

How about another round of random questions!

Source

11. How often do you read out of your comfort zone?

I read out of my comfort zone pretty often since starting my blog. I’ve read a ton of contemporary since I started blogging and I really enjoy it now, but I never used to read it. If enough people say it’s a super awesome book then I’ll read it.

12. What is your reading comfort zone?

YA and MG. Dystopian and contemporary. I read other things, but it’s very few and far between.

13. Can you read on the bus?

Yep. And so far I’ve even managed to not miss my stop as well.

14. Favorite place to read?

Honestly, I’m pretty good with reading anywhere, but lately I’d have to say on my couch by the window in the sun.

15. What is your policy on book lending?

I’m all for lending my books out to people…if it’s my designated lending copy :P I don’t have doubles of all my books, of course, so I can be pretty picky about who and what I lend out. Generally, I don’t like the books to be out of my sight, so I usually only let close family members borrow. I tell everyone else to get it from the library :P

Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi {Review}

Publisher: HarperCollins

Publish Date: January 3, 2012

Source: Library

Goodreads

Since she'd been on the outside, she'd survived an Aether storm, she'd had a knife held to her throat, aznd she'd seen men murdered. This was worse.
Exiled from her home, the enclosed city of Reverie, Aria knows her chances of surviving in the outer wasteland -- known as The Death Shop -- are slim. If the cannibals don't get her, the violent, electrified energy storms will. She's been taught that the very air she breathes can kill her. Then Aria meets an Outsider names Perry. He's wild -- a savage -- and her only hope of staying alive.
A hunter for his tribe in a merciless landscape, Perry views Aria as sheltered and fragile -- everything he would expect from a Dweller. But he needs Aria's help too; she alone holds the key to his redemption. Opposites in nearly every way, Aria and Perry must accept each other to survive. Their unlikely alliance forges a bond that will determine the fate of all who live under the never sky.

Under the Never Sky was so much more than I expected. I went into it with somewhat low expectations because of all the not-so-stellar reviews I’ve come across, but I needn’t have worried about those.

When it comes to dystopian, I’m usually most attracted to shiny futuristic technology and while that does take a part in Under the Never Sky the majority of the story occurs out in the wilderness and I was surprised by how much this didn’t bother me at all. I actually found it new and interesting to be reading about something so different than the usual.

Also, while there are terrible beasts and animals that need to be worried about, Perry and Aria’s journey wasn’t ALL about worrying about them. They were also worried about food and the storms and shelter and getting to their destination on time.

And then there’s Aria. At first she doesn’t know what to do with herself and is basically just waiting around for death to overcome her, BUT THEN. But then she turns into this super awesome butt-kicking person and it’s pretty much awesome squared.

Oh yes, and I can’t forget to mention Perry. He’s got the tough-on-the-outside-mushy-gushy-heart-in-the-middle thing going for him. His mushy gushy heart doesn’t make too many appearances, but when it does, be prepared for the swoon.

One random thing: I kept picturing Perry with black hair instead of blond. I think that might be because most dystopian dudes have black hair :P

And guys, there’s kissing. And it’s a slow burn, so there’s that ;]

The Nutshell: Under the Never Sky will surprise you by breaking out of the dystopian norm and the end result is one fantastic story. All the intricacies from the Aether to the beasts in the wild had me wondering what would come at me next. If you like dystopian, slow burn romance, unknowing-girl turned-bad-a**, and swoon-worthy guys then this is definitely the book for you.

Pages: 374

Series: Under the Never Sky #1

Rating: Direct Hit

Revived by Cat Patrick Launch Party

Last Saturday I went to the Revived launch Cat Patrick was doing at the Elliot Bay Book Company in Seattle. It was both a launch for the book which hit shelves yesterday (Tuesday May 8) and a launch for her Revived tour. It was the first launch event I've been to and it was fantastic!

When we got there we all got a new identity and our relocation city. My new name was Cathy Sayre. Someone put our new location on a sticker and stuck it to our backs. Our goal was to guess the city and the state by asking other launch-goers questions about it. I discovered early on that my state happened to be in the middle and quickly lost hope since I'm terrible with my states :P I later discovered I my location was Buttermilk, Kansas. Most of the new locations had funny names but they were all real which was the best part. One girl's location was Hot Coffee, Mississippi. How cool is that for a town name?!

Taken from Cat Patrick's Blog

After everyone sat down we watched the Revived trailer then listened as two students (and an instructor, I believe) from Holy Names Academy read an excerpt from a book. It was fantastic! I kind of want them to follow me around and read all my books now :P

After the reading Cat did a little Q & A. Here's a little taste of how that went:
What was your inspiration for Revived?
Cat said she'd read an article about a drug that could jolt people back to life and it grew into a story from there.  The main character, Daisy, was initially going to have nine lives but Cat decided she was killing Daisy off way too many times for that :P

What's your writing process like?
Cat says she's not a good outliner. In fact, she said her writing is more "mentally vomit[ed] onto the page".

Why do you write for teenagers?
Forgotten just felt like it was supposed to be written for teens, Cat said. Plus, she likes writing for teens because she still feels like one herself!

How long did it take to write Revived?
4 months to write and about 6 months to edit.

Do you have any other projects in the works?
 Her third book, The Originals, is about 3 twins who pretend to be the same person. They share the day, as in, Twin 1 goes out and lives the morning, Twin 2 does the afternoon, and Twin 3 finishes the day.
She's actually currently working on her 6th book and her 5th is getting ready to be proposed.

After the Q & A Cat started signing. Since I'd won a copy of Revived earlier in the week and Cat sent it out signed (she totally remembered my name from sending out the book!) I got a paperback of Forgotten signed.

Taken from Cat's Blog

Before I left I got my picture taken so it could be mocked up to look like the cover. Awesome, no?

Tune in Tuesday {21}

Tune in Tuesday is hosted by the awesome Ginger at Greads.

For the month of May Tune in Tuesday is doing it random style. I'm just going to open up my iTunes this month and pick five random songs. I won't include any holiday music since it May, though. This could be interesting...

I decided to go back to Youtube videos since the other site didn't have all the songs I wanted this week. Hopefully it doesn't bog your computer down too much.

Soul Meets Body - Death Cab For Cutie

I think I've mentioned my great love for Death Cab a time or two on here and the fact that it pops up when I randomize my iTunes just proves it even more. I quite like this song, but I surprisingly hadn't seen the video until I was making this post, but I'm glad I finally saw it :]

Mushaboom (The Postal Service Remix) - Feist

Techno Feist? I think yes. I didn't really listen to Feist before getting together with Husband, but I like her easy, mellow sound.

My First Stereo - FM Static

The first FM Static song I knew was Definitely Maybe. It was super catchy and upbeat and I loved it then I started listening to their other stuff and I discovered I liked it as well. Some of their songs are upbeat and fun to dance to and others are full of heart and deeper meaning.

Sorrow - Flyleaf

Though I don't really listen to this type of music anymore, I still have a soft spot for Flyleaf. Every once in a while I'll pull them up on my iPod and listen to them again. The lead singer has an absolutely amazing range.

Part One - Wavorly

A few years ago I was obsessed with this little-known tv show called TVU. I played all Christian bands, but not the type your thinking. It was everything for Family Force 5 to The Devil Wears Prada (yes, that's a band too) to the band above, Wavorly. Don't go judging it because I threw out the religion word, because I discovered some amazing music through that channel the above song included.