End of 2011 Book Survey!

So I saw this at The Story Sirenwho added some of her own questions to the survey and she found it at The Perpetual Page Turner! I liked it and thought it would be a fantastic way to wrap up my reading in 2011!!

1. Best Book Read

This one is so hard but there at a few standouts I can think of off the top of my mind!! Torn by Erika O'Rourke, Bloodlines by Richelle Mead, Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi, Half-Blood by Jennifer L. Armentrout, Anfelfire by Courtney Allison Moulton, A Touch Mortal by Leah Clifford and Divergent by Veronica Roth!

Words can not express how much I loved these novels and if you saw in my reviews I failed to do them justice.

2. Most Disappointing Book/Book You Wish You Loved More Than You Did

I was so excited to read Blood and Flowers by Penny Blubaugh and then I couldn't finish it. The book had so much potential which is why I requested it from Harper but I really could not get into it all all and it is one of the few books I couldn't finish this year.

3. Most Surprising (in a good way) Book

Hades by: Alexandra Adornetto, I wasn't sure where Alexandra would take this book, and was biting my nails with worry. I actually did not expect at all what happened and Alexandra's fresh voice is what made the book!

4. Book(s) You Recommended to People Most

Well I recommended a ton of books this year but here are just a few: Bloodlines by Richelle Mead, Torn by Erica O'Rourke, The Hunger Games by Suzzane Collins, Eden by Keary Taylor and the Demon Trapper's Daughter by Jana Oliver!

5. Best Series You Discovered

I started a lot of new series in 2011 but here are just a couple Demon Trappers Daughter Series by Janna Oliver and The Covenant Series by: Jennifer L. Armentrout !

6. Best Book That Was Out of Your Comfort Zone

Ah well let me think about it...... I would have to see A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest Gaines.

7. Most Thrilling, Unputdownable Book

I don't have to think too hard about this one Bloodlines by Richelle Mead.

8. Book(s) You Most Anticipated

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi, Wolfsbane by Andrea Cremer, Angelfire by Courtney Allison Moulton, The Iron Queen by Julie Kagawa.

9. Favorite Cover of a Book You Read

Across The Universe by Beth Revis and The Mephisto Covenant by Trinity Faegen

10. Most Memorable Character

This one was really hard but I went with Sydney from Bloodlines by: Richelle Mead, because I can not get enough of her.

11. Most Beautifully Written Book Read

Hunted by DJ DeSmyter, there was something about how DJ strung each sentence and paragraph together that was so effortless!

12. Book You Can’t Believe You Waited Until 2011 to Finally Read

Last Sacrifice by Richelle Mead, I was so scared of how the series would end that I didn't read it until the middle of the year when it came out in December.

13. The Books that Didn’t Get Enough Buzz, but are FABULOUS

Torn by:Erica O'Rourke, Eden by Keary Taylor, The Demon Trappers Daughter by Jana Oliver, the Mephisto Covenant by Trinity Faegen and Obsidian by: Jennifer L. Armentrout

14. Books I Wish I Had Gotten Around to Read this Year

Wither by: Lauren DeStefano, Matched by Ally Condie and The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter

15. Favorite NON-YA Book

A Tale of Two Cities by: Charles Dickens and Night by: Elie Wiesel

16. Book That you can't stop thinking about

Bloodlines by Richelle Mead GIVE ME MORE RICHELLE!! The wait is killing me until The Golden Lily and I have even thought about going into cryo so that wait isn't so painful!!

Half Blood Legion is at it again!

Well today is match 27, Alex of Jennifer L. Armentrouts Half-Blood is paired against Katniss of the Hunger Games! I honestly like both characters, but where sometimes Katniss was cold hearted, Alex is not, which is why I am going to be voting for Alex!! I am extending the contest to win the first two copies of the series until the 2nd of January at midnight. To enter click on the link on the left sidebar. Also Momo at Books Over Boys is also extending her contest so make sure to check it out!!

Also JLA is again offering us prizes!!  And they are big!!

 

250 votes: a teaser from Pure

500 votes: a teaser from Onyx

750 votes: a teaser from Pure and Onyx

1,000 votes: a POV from Daemon (Obsidian)

And that's not all.

1250 votes: a teaser from Seth's POV in Pure

1500 votes: a teaser from Shadows.

WINNING votes: a teaser from Pure, Shadows, Onyx, and Cursed

AND

And for every 1000 votes, JLA will give away an ARC of Pure, up to 6000 votes

- ARC will be given away on Twitter

 

I would kill for a copy of PURE!!! I mean who wouldn't!?!? 

 

I decided to share some of my favorite non spoiler quotes from Half-Blood to show why you need to vote for Alex!!

“I was gonna be super pissed in the afterlife if I died a virgin in this crap hole.”

“You better have had a baby, killed someone, or slept with a pure. Those are your three options. Anything less is unsuitable.”

 “Okay. I’m ready to move onto something else, like practicing with knives or defense against the dark arts. Cool things.”
“Did you just quote Harry Potter?”

 “Seth glanced back over his shoulder at the door. “Alex, you’re starting to worry me. Insult me… or something.”

 “ALEX: “How come you smile when you knock me down?”

AIDEN: “It’s the little things that make me happy.”

See its this witty dialogue that makes Alex the easy winner!! GO HERE! To vote!

Radiant Shadows by: Melissa Marr (Review)

Title: Radiant Shadows (Wicked lovely #4)

Author: Melissa Marr

Publisher: Harper Collins

Number of Pages: 340

Date of Release:  April 20^th, 2010

Summary From Goodreads:

Hunger for nourishment.
Hunger for touch.
Hunger to belong.

Half-human and half-faery, Ani is driven by her hungers.
Those same appetites also attract powerful enemies and uncertain allies, including Devlin. He was created as an assassin and is brother to the faeries' coolly logical High Queen and to her chaotic twin, the embodiment of War. Devlin wants to keep Ani safe from his sisters, knowing that if he fails, he will be the instrument of Ani's death.

Ani isn't one to be guarded while others fight battles for her, though. She has the courage to protect herself and the ability to alter Devlin's plans—and his life. The two are drawn together, each with reason to fear the other and to fear for one another. But as they grow closer, a larger threat imperils the whole of Faerie. Will saving the faery realm mean losing each other?

Review: Alrighty so I really appreciate when the cover matches what the book is about, and this cover does in a stunning way. I am just going to come right out and say I did something super stupid. I accidentally read this one before the previous one *head desk*. This made the first fifty pages super confusing but when I got into it I was fine. I don’t know how I did that but I did so yeah. I am going to go back and read book three before I finish the series though.

I really enjoyed Delvin and Ani’s povs in the novel and how we got to read both of them. Reading about the high court made me realize that the courts I thought were in power really aren’t. I think Ani is amazing because she is one of a kind yet, knows who she is and can handle herself. That being said I loved Devlin even though he was an assassin, bad Erika. As always the novel touched on the basic insticts and needs of human nature in a way where it never even came out and said it.

While Ink Exchange is still my favorite in the series Radiant Shadows is a very close second. I find these books to be incredibly dark and creepy, and I like that because it show that faeries are dangerous not cute things with glitter. I really hope I didn’t just offend any pixies out there with that last sentence.

The growth Ani went through emotionally and physically was really stunning that Marr was able to portray it in her writing making her readers fall even more in love with every flip of the page. Melissa Marr has further cemented her gift of creating dark mysterious worlds and haunting characters.

DAC 2011 Wrap Up

Qualifying Books:

• Books must be a Young Adult or Middle Grade novel.
• DO NOTE: Just because a book has a teen character or is about a teen, does not mean that it is necessarily a Young Adult novel. 
• This must be the authors debut with a release date in 2011. They cannot have a prior middle grade or young adult title released. 
• If an author has a previous novel published under adult fiction/nonfiction or children's fiction/nonfiction, they can still qualify for the challenge if they are releasing their YA or MG debut.

MY 2011 PICKS:

1. Across The Universe by: Beth Revis REVIEW
2. Vesper: A Deviants Novel by: Jeff Sampsen  REVIEW
3. Angelfire by: Courtney Allison Moulton REVIEW
4. A Touch Mortal by: Leah Clifford REVIEW
5. The Iron Witch by: Karen Mahoney REVIEW
6. Blood Magic by: Tessa Gratton REVIEW
7. The Emerald Atlas by: John Stephens REVIEW
8. Starcrossed by: Josephine Angelini REVIEW
9. Fallen Angel by: Heather Terrell  REVIEW
10. Griffins Rising by: Darby Kachut REVIEW
11. The Demon Trappers Daughter by: Jana Oliver REVIEW
12. Shades of Atlantis by: Carol Oates REVIEW
13. Hex, A Witch and Angel Tale by: Ramona Wray  REVIEW
14. Divergent by: Veronica Roth REVIEW
15. The Near Witch by: Victoria Schwab REVIEW
16. Cold Kiss by: Amy Garvey REVIEW
17. Torn by: Erica O'Rourke REVIEW
18. Spellbound by: Cara Lynn Shultz REVIEW

Well I ended up adding a few more titles to my original list, but this year I realized that most of the books I do read are debuts for an author.

If you look there is a Tab on the top of my blog that will lead you to the DAC page I set up. When I made that Tab I put the date 2011 on it. *head desk* SO I am going to be working on a new blog design because I have to fix that anyways and that is linked within a bunch of other stuff. To not get into all the confusing stuff. 

I am going to be participating in this challenge again for I really enjoyed it. It gave my reading a direction and I don't think any of these authors let me down at all. in fact many are now all time favorites of mine!!

Desired Books 14

Title: Until Next Time

Author: Amy Lignor

Publisher: Tribute Books

Summary From Goodreads:

How does a girl choose between the one who steals her heart and the one who owns her soul?

Matt and Emily were created for a specific job. Raised and trained as the ultimate angel/warrior team, they are sent down to save, defend, judge and forgive, depending on the 'life' they've been assigned. What they don't realize is that the power of human emotions, such as love, anger, passion and fear can take over even the best of souls, causing them to make mistakes and follow paths that lead to confusion and heartache.

When the reason for their training is finally revealed, the angel/warrior team find themselves thrust into a world they know nothing about. Matt takes over the life of Daniel, a young man with a great deal of baggage. Emily becomes Liz, a girl living in a remote village who relies on nothing more than her own strength to survive. A violent storm erupts one night, and framed in the window of Liz's establishment is a frightening face. Let in by the soul of a Good Samaritan, the two visitors bring with them a past full of secrets that could literally change an angel's path and a warrior's plans.

From murder to redemption, this angel/warrior team must find a way to keep the faith they have in each other in a world that's ripping them apart.

My Thoughts: AHH!!  I live for books like this one!! The cover is super cool, and the colors and texture are striking. This is one of Tribute Books first YA novels being published in the upcoming year and I am dieing to get my hands on it. From the sounds of the novel i think Tribute is very in touch with what readers want and I can not wait to see what Amy Lignor and Tribute Books has in store for us!! 

Visit The Goodreads Page to add it to your TBR piles!!

Name of the Star by: Maureen Johnson (Review)

Title: The Name of the Star

Author: Maureen Johnson

Publisher: Putnam

Number of Pages: 372

Date of Release: September 29^th, 2011

Summary From Goodreads:

The day Louisiana teenager Rory Deveaux arrives in London marks a memorable occasion. For Rory, it's the start of a new life at a London boarding school. But for many, this will be remembered as the day a series of brutal murders broke out across the city, gruesome crimes mimicking the horrific Jack the Ripper events of more than a century ago.

Soon "Rippermania" takes hold of modern-day London, and the police are left with few leads and no witnesses. Except one. Rory spotted the man police believe to be the prime suspect. But she is the only one who saw him. Even her roommate, who was walking with her at the time, didn't notice the mysterious man. So why can only Rory see him? And more urgently, why has Rory become his next target? In this edge-of-your-seat thriller, full of suspense, humor, and romance, Rory will learn the truth about the secret ghost police of London and discover her own shocking abilities.

Review: Maureen Johnson has done so many great this in this novel. First the whole retelling of the Jack the Ripper case was done phenomenally, and I was riveted by the way she told it. Next, not many writers capture the essence of real boarding school life and Maureen has, she doesn't embellish anything and I appreciated that. Then I really enjoyed the whole paranormal element, that I don't want to get too into, because I don't want to give anything away. Also the cover is so freaking cool and fits into the story perfectly.  Finally there was no shortage of hot guys!! ;P

I want to get into the novel more than I can. BUT you have to know the things I am not saying are crazy insane and sweet! Maureen Johnson steps into this genre with a bang like a big bang almost like she created a whole new universe. Well she kind of did but oh goodness I am rambling sorry. I really liked the whole American girl transplanted into England. All the new things Rory is stunned by are entirely believable, because I went through the same things when I stayed there!! Rory was the perfect character and I mean it. She didn’t do any of that self-loathing stuff that gets so annoying in the genre. Maureen weaves these really funny sentences in the novel that is witty and I don’t know how she does it. I really liked the minor characters she created they were all vastly different, but complemented one another perfectly.

Okay so I really want Rory to end up with this one guy and not the guy that she currently is sort of seeing no matter how cute that one is. I really like that guy and wish he was real, don’t I always though *stares off dreamily* You guys do not want to miss this novel it is one of my favorites this year!! 

Starcrossed by: Josephine Angelini (Review)

Title: Starcrossed

Author: Josephine Angelini

Publisher: Harper Teen

Number of Pages: 487

Date of Release: May 31^st, 2011

Summary From Goodreads:

How do you defy destiny?
Helen Hamilton has spent her entire sixteen years trying to hide how different she is—no easy task on an island as small and sheltered as Nantucket. And it's getting harder. Nightmares of a desperate desert journey have Helen waking parched, only to find her sheets damaged by dirt and dust. At school she's haunted by hallucinations of three women weeping tears of blood . . . and when Helen first crosses paths with Lucas Delos, she has no way of knowing they're destined to play the leading roles in a tragedy the Fates insist on repeating throughout history.
As Helen unlocks the secrets of her ancestry, she realizes that some myths are more than just legend. But even demigod powers might not be enough to defy the forces that are both drawing her and Lucas together—and trying to tear them apart.

Review: I loved this novel. I usually am leery of modern day retelling of classics but, Josephine Angelini hit this one out of the ballpark. I would know I just finished the Illiad and the Odyssey this past month. Which made reading this novel even more enjoyable. Absolutely hands down recommend this novel to anyone and everyone!!!

The cover is so freaking pretty and Helen looks like a goddess!! Another thing that is just something random; Who has ever read a book with the MC named Helen? I know I haven’t. Which is crazy the name is super pretty!! Anyways I loved Helen’s personality and reluctance to follow what fate has destined for her. Lucas was sweet yet so totally hopeless. He is a romantic at heart and wanted to protect Helen which is admirable, but Helen is strong and fought constantly to be her own person.

Like I mentioned before I have never read a novel that was a retelling like Starcrossed that was done so well. Angelini has done Homer justice!! It is so freaking cool to read classics and then have a YA novel build on what you know in a completely different kind of novel.

The things that were revealed were huge and I think my jaw hit the floor a few times. It didn’t matter that I had read the novel before it was still a shock. This being said you do not have to read the classics to enjoy the novels at all.

Josephine Angelini has created a remarkable story that drew me in and has me pleading for the next installment.

Don't Breath a Word by: Holly Cupala (This or That Guest Post)

Hello, Erika and readers, and thanks for inviting me to Moonlight Book Reviews to chat about Don’t Breathe a Word, which releases in just a few days on January 3rd!

It’s the summer before senior year when Joy reaches a breaking point—from her life-threatening asthma, from her family’s smothering, from the boyfriend who crushes her. She runs away to the streets of Seattle, where she meets new friends who teach her how to live…and Creed, who teaches her about love. When her new life is threatened, she must make a choice—speak up and save a life, or stay silent and lose someone she cares about most.

Erika has asked Joy to tell us a few of her This or Thats, so without further ado, here is Joy:

1. Bad Boys or Preppy?

Definitely Bad Boy…until I realized the bad boy could be worse than I ever imagined.

The calmness in his grey, grey eyes conflicted with the set of his jaw, made even sharper by the flickering glow.” I don’t care if anyone else knows…I only care if you know, Joy.”

2. Coffee or Tea?

In the land of Starbucks? A latte with a splash of almond…but I’ll take some of May’s watery grounds and cream if I have to.

I popped off the top to inspect the contents—brownish water with a few floating bits and a swirl of cream—and took a cautious sip. Hot, bitter, with a hint of grit.

“Not bad,” I said.

“Not bad? That’s some quality brew, ‘Burbs.”

3. Kittens or Puppies?

Neither, since dog or cat fur could send me to the hospital. But I have a weakness for Santos’s ferret.

 

A tiny striped face popped out of Santos’s hoodie—the infamous ferret. It crawled up onto his shoulder in one fluid movement and wrinkled its nose at me, as if I were the stinky one.

4. Love at first sight or Love that grows over time?

I used to think love came from the kind of fire that could burn with its quickness and heat. Now I’m not so sure.

Creed never explained to Santos and May where I’d come from, and they didn’t seem to recognize me. And when we curled up together on the dingy mattress, I thought about how he made me feel safe but not crushed. He sang himself—and now me—to sleep.

I could fall for someone like that.

5. E-books or Physical books?

Library books!

May went back to reading by candlelight. A library sticker wrapped around the spine.

“What kind of person steals from the library?” I asked.

“FYI: I am a card-carrying member of the Seattle Public Library,” she replied.

8. Popcorn or Candy?

Ice cream.

I wanted to ask him more, but he stopped short on the sidewalk and took my hand with the ice cream cone.

Slowly, he lifted it to his mouth. Closed his eyes. I wondered if he could feel my frantic heartbeat just by holding my hand. He took a taste and let out a sigh of pleasure. I could feel the echo in my own body.

 “Mmmm. I haven’t had bubble gum in a long time.”

7. Early Mornings or Late Nights?

I’d take a morning with Creed over night with Asher, now and forever.

I couldn’t imagine what could be worse than what happened that night, but I was sure Asher could.

8. The truth even if it hurts, or a lie?

Truth or a lie…that was the choice I had to make.

I could see the kind of force operating here that kept all of them together. At home, they clipped my wings and then caged me so I couldn’t fall. Here, they bandaged one another’s’ broken wings, helped each other fly. Telling them the truth would expel me forever.

Thank you, Erika, for inviting Joy to your blog, and I hope readers enjoy Don’t Breathe a Word. Check out the review today at Proud Book Nerd, and see a vid of the Seattle locations that inspired DBAW over at Chica Reader. And follow the tour at {Teen} Book Scene for all kinds of chances to win books and swag!

Other Links:

Goodreads Giveaway 

Official Website 

Pre-Order on Amazon 

Pre-Order on IndieBound 

TELL ME A SECRET Available now from HarperTeen

DON’T BREATHE A WORD Coming 1.3.2012
 

“Nothing has hit me so hard since Laurie Halse Anderson’s SPEAK.”
    ~Stephanie Kuehnert, author of BALLADS OF SUBURBIA

Shatter Me by: Tahereh Mafi (Review)

Title: Shatter Me

Author: Tahereh Mafi

Publisher: Harper Teen

Number of Pages: 338

Date of Release: November 15^th, 2011

Summary From Goodreads:

Juliette hasn't touched anyone in exactly 264 days.

The last time she did, it was an accident, but The Reestablishment locked her up for murder. No one knows why Juliette's touch is fatal. As long as she doesn't hurt anyone else, no one really cares. The world is too busy crumbling to pieces to pay attention to a 17-year-old girl. Diseases are destroying the population, food is hard to find, birds don't fly anymore, and the clouds are the wrong color.

The Reestablishment said their way was the only way to fix things, so they threw Juliette in a cell. Now so many people are dead that the survivors are whispering war-- and The Reestablishment has changed its mind. Maybe Juliette is more than a tortured soul stuffed into a poisonous body. Maybe she's exactly what they need right now.

Juliette has to make a choice: Be a weapon. Or be a warrior.

In this electrifying debut, Tahereh Mafi presents a world as riveting as The Hunger Games and a superhero story as thrilling as The X-Men. Full of pulse-pounding romance, intoxicating villainy, and high-stakes choices, Shatter Me is a fresh and original dystopian novel—with a paranormal twist—that will leave readers anxiously awaiting its sequel.

Review: Okay Tahereh you have blown my mind!! The way you wrote the novel is like nothing I have ever read before. The things that were crossed out but still readable let us see into Juliette’s inner most thoughts letting us get to know her even better. Shatter Me is a book that will be an instant hit with any dystopian lover.

Juliette from the very first page, we read was lonely and that is a very relate-able thing that we readers can relate to. I was scared for her and actually felt that I was in the cell with her. Then we Adam, and I don’t get why he is there at all and he seems to be a grade A jerk. I really like the interaction between Juliette and Adam as the novel progresses even after we get that huge freaking bombshell I didn’t see coming and get to see the outside world Tahereh Mafi has created. That world was intense, and painted in shades of grey, yet the emotions of the people lit the world up like the fourth of July. The politics with Warner and the whole sector thing was intricate and I applaud Tahereh for being able to effortlessly work that in.

As these tiny nuggets of information is revealed throughout the book they explode into massive revelations. Which is crazy and intense and I loved it!! The whole not being able to touch thing I think would be so horrid and my heart ached for Juliette and the love she was never able to have. I think the coolest part of the novel is the whole well military aspect. I am not going to say what, because frankly spoilers suck. This is something I haven’t seen done in YA before and you know what it was pretty awesome and I am going to say it made the novel even hotter. Uhuh I went there.Oh and if anyone has read this novel andknows a guy like Adam.... please send him my way *wink*.

Okay that ending was like scream worthy and I am not going to lie my book went flying across the room. I felt so sorry and then proceeded to hug and cradle it. I’m weird I know. This book is so freaking good I need the next one ASAP. Buy it now with your new Christmas money!!!