Cover Reveal!! (Cover Love!)

I am a HUGE fan of Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl!  Beautiful Creatures is definitely one of the best books I have ever read and GUESS WHAT???  They just revealed the cover to the second book in The Caster Chronicles titled Beautiful Darkness!!  It is gorgeous and it holds the same gothic feel as Beautiful Creatures!  This title is set for release on October 26, 2010.  I can't WAIT!!!!  What do you think of the cover?

Friday Finds!

**Thanks to MizB from Should Be Reading for hosting Friday Finds!**

Nightshade (Nightshade, #1)
Written by Andrea Cremer
Release Date: October 14, 2010
Published by Philomel/Penguin

Summary from Goodreads:
"While other teenage girls daydream about boys, Calla Tor imagines ripping out her enemies’ throats. And she wouldn’t have it any other way. Calla was born a warrior and on her eighteenth-birthday she’ll become the alpha female of the next generation of Guardian wolves. But Calla’s predestined path veers off course the moment she saves the life of a wayward hiker, a boy her own age. This human boy’s secret will turn the young pack's world upside down and forever alter the outcome of the centuries-old Witches' War that surrounds them all."

*Is this a gorgeous cover or what?! The blood splattered flowers is a little creepy though!


Almost to Die For
(A Vampire Princess of St. Paul, #1)
Written by Tate Hallaway
Release Date: August 3, 2010
Published by NAL Trade

Summary from Goodreads:
"On her sixteenth birthday, Anastasija Parker's present winds up being the shock of a lifetime. When her mom referred to her absentee dad as a deadbeat it was actually half true -- he's a vampire. And a king, no less. A king who wants his daughter to assume her rightful position at his side. But, thanks to Ana's mother, the blood of a witch also runs through her veins....

Too bad vampires and witches are mortal enemies.

With her parents gearing up for an all out brawl over her destiny, Ana's about ready to scream. But things get even crazier when a male witch and a brooding bad boy vampire start vying for her affection. Then the barely leashed tension between the vampires and the witches starts to boil over, and Ana has to figure out once and for all if she wants to become heir to her dad's throne. And deciding your eternal destiny is a pretty big deal for a girl who just wants to get through high school."

* This is what I found while surfing around the internet!  Did you find anything good? 

Author Appreciation Week (March 18, 2010)

Heidi Kling, author of the highly anticipated book Sea, came up with this wonderful idea!  You may be asking, "What do you have to do to participate?"  Well, there are no set guidelines, just write a blog post everyday this week that spotlights the authors that you appreciate!  You can spotlight as many as you want each day.  If you would like to join in this week full of author love, then stop by Heidi's site (Click Here) and get more info, avatars, and graphics that you can use in your posts.   Also, thanks to Sara @ Novel Novice for making the great graphics!  So here are today's appreciated author:

I really appreciate... Cassandra Clare

Cassandra Clare is the talented author responsible for writing one of the best YA series ever published!  I am talking about The Mortal Instruments- City of Bones, City of Ashes, and City of Glass.  These books are wonderful! The world that she created for The Mortal Instruments is vivid, beautiful, dark, dangerous, magical, and exciting all mixed together! Her characters are definitely one of my favorite aspects of her books. I fell in love with Jace while reading the series and I can't wait to find out the rest of Simon's story in the fourth installment of The Mortal Instruments series titled City of Fallen Angels. This book is due out March 31, 2011! Yeah!! But that is not all that lurks on the horizon for Cassandra Clare!! The Infernal Devices Trilogy is the highly anticipated series of prequels to The Mortal Instruments that will be debuting soon. The cover for the first book, Clockwork Angel, was released today! I love it!!! This book is set for release on September 7, 2010.  If you haven't read City of Bones, City of Ashes, or City of Glass then I HIGHLY recommend you do so! You won't regret it- I promise! If you would like to learn more about The Mortal Instruments, The Infernal Devices, or Cassandra Clare then click the links below:

The Mortal Instruments (Official Site) 
cassandraclare.com (Official Author Site) 
The Infernal Devices (Official Site) 
The Mortal Instruments Trailer!! 

Review: The Pace by Shelena Shorts

 

The Pace is the debut novel by young adult author, Shelena Shorts.  This title has been on my list of books that I wanted to read for awhile now, and I am so glad that I finally read it!  How refreshing to read a story about immortality that was completely different than anything I have read before.  Her take on this popular YA trend is so original and clever!

 Summary from Goodreads:
"Weston Wilson is not immortal and he is of this world. But, aging is not part of his existence, and eighteen-year-old Sophie Slone is determined to find out why. In doing so, she could also uncover something about her own life expectancy that she may not want to know. Suddenly, immortality will mean everything and nothing all at the same time.
Intensely fascinating and rich with determination, The Pace brings together romance, mystery, and suspense in a compelling bond that is sure to have readers asking for more."

My Thoughts:
I really enjoyed this book!  Unfortunately, I have been in one of those dreaded reading funks of late.  You know, the ones that cause your tbr pile to grow far too high!!  I am happy to say that The Pace was just what I needed to get me back on track.  I really love stories featuring immortals.  However, the reason for the character immortality is usually not very original.  Shelena Shorts was able to breath new life into this common YA theme with a clever, original, and interesting take on immortality!  I enjoyed her characters (especially Weston!) and felt that she did a good job developing them.  Sophie did get on my nerves from time to time, but I think her character was a pretty accurate portrayal of a 17/18 year old teenage girl in love.  Her relationship with Weston was the central theme of the book and the development of this relationship was interesting and romantic.  Weston definitely had an air of maturity that Sophie lacked, but as you read the book you do see that this is a necessary dynamic to the story.  Weston, Weston, Weston.... My new fictional boyfriend (sorry Travis of The Forest of Hands and Teeth- you have been replaced)!!!  Weston was so very swoon-worthy!  His confidence radiated from the page, and he always said the perfect things to Sophie.  Gorgeous, wealthy, confident, and romantic- that is a serious total package!  I do feel that there is more to Weston's character and past that wasn't covered and I hope that the next book in the series will further explore this.  The ending was a nail biter and completely unexpected!  It was a cliff hanger that leaves you turning the remaining white pages at the back of the book in hopes of a sneak peak at the sequel (no luck unfortunately!).

Overall, this was a fun book with an original storyline.  It was fast paced for the most part and left me wanting more!  I would recommend The Pace to any reader that enjoys a good romance with a twist!  The next book in The Pace Series is titled The Broken Lake and is due for release on August 19, 2010.  If you haven't checked out my 'MEGA Swag and More' giveaway, you need to do it now!  Shelena was very generous and donated some awesome goodies.  I have a SIGNED copy of The Pace, a cute koala stuffed animal (relevant to the book), signed bookplate, 2 'Weston' pins, and signed The Pace bookmarks!! Just go up to the picture under my nav bar and click and it will take you to the giveaway post!!  Now take a look at The Pace book trailer:

Author Appreciation Week (March 16, 2010)

I am so excited to be participating in 'Author Appreciation Week'!  Heidi Kling, author of the highly anticipated book Sea, came up with this wonderful idea!  You may be asking, "What do you have to do to participate?"  Well, there are no set guidelines, just write a blog post everyday this week that spotlights the authors that you appreciate!  You can spotlight as many as you want each day.  If you would like to join in this week full of author love, then stop by Heidi's site (Click Here) and get more info, avatars, and graphics that you can use in your posts.  I am planning on spotlighting two to three authors a day.  In truth, I appreciate all authors!  I admire what they do and aspire to do it myself.  But unfortunately, I would be blogging forever, so I will limit it to some of the authors that have written stories that have touched me in some way, or made a strong impression on me.


I really appreciate... Suzanne Collins


She is the author of the INSANELY popular Hunger Games Trilogy as well as The Underland Chronciles, and a picture book titled When Charlie McButton Lost Power.  I am a huge fan of The Hunger Games and Catching Fire.  Both books are in my top ten reads of ALL-TIME!  She created such a vivid world in these books that enabled me, as a reader, to completely envision it in my mind.  I felt like I knew exaclty what the arena looked like, how the characters looked, and this is what connects me to a story!   I felt like I was inside of it (my favorite kind of book!).  I am anxiously awaiting Mockingjay, which is the final book in this incredible series.  It is due for release on August 24, 2010!  If you would like to find out more about Suzanne Collins or her books click here.  This will take you to her official website.  

I really appreciate... Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

(Margaret Stohl, Me, and Kami Garcia at a booksigning event in Charlotte, NC)

These extremely talented ladies are the co-authors of Beautiful Creatures.  This book took my breath away!  It is the first book in the Caster Chronicles Series.  I had the pleasure of meeting the authors at a book signing event in January.  They were SO nice!  After reading the book you can hardly believe that this is a debut novel.  It is hauntingly beautiful, epic, and compelling, with a good dose of southern charm to boot!  A definite stay up all night kinda book!!  I  cannot wait for the next in this series which is titled Beautiful Darkness and is scheduled for release on October 26, 2010.  If you would like to learn more about Kami and Margaret or The Caster Chronicle Series click on the links below!

Official Beautiful Creatures Website 
Some Loves Are Cursed (Little Brown Official BC Site)
Caster Girls (Fansite for BC) 

*There are so many wonderful authors out there in the YA genre!  I look forward to spotlighting some of my favorites this week.  Join in the fun and show your favorite authors how much their hard work means to you!



 

Award Time!

I am so honored to be the recipient of a new award.  It is always humbling to be recognized by fellow bloggers!  The award was given to me by Dazzling Mage at A Reading Kabocha and Yzhabella at Yzhabella's Bookshelf .  They gave me the 'Beautiful Blogger Award'!  Thanks so much ladies!

Here are the rules:
•Thank and link to the person that gave you the award.
•Pass this award onto 5 bloggers you’ve recently discovered and think are fantastic.
•Contact said Blogs and let them know they’ve won
•State 7 things about yourself
 
  Here are 7 things about me:

1. I have way to many hobbies!
2. I am beginning my attempt at writing a YA book.
3. I buy books way faster than I can read them!
4. I am a major procrastinator.
5. My 'sweet tooth' is out of control!
6. I HATE getting up early.
7. I have a 5 year old son who is the coolest guy I know!

I am passing this award along to the following blogs:

• Maire @ Monster Of Books
• Liz @ Cleverly Inked
• The Serpentine Librarian
• Cate @ Sparrow Review
• Isalys and Vanessa @ Book Soulmates

Thanks again to Yzhabella at Yzhabella's Bookshelf and Dazzling Mage at A Reading Kabocha.

Author Appreciation Week (March 15, 2010)

I am so excited to be participating in 'Author Appreciation Week'!  Heidi Kling, author of the highly anticipated book Sea, came up with this wonderful idea!  You may be asking, "What do you have to do to participate?"  Well, there are no set guidelines, just write a blog post everyday this week that spotlights the authors that you appreciate!  You can spotlight as many as you want each day.  If you would like to join in this week full of author love, then stop by Heidi's site (Click Here) and get more info, avatars, and graphics that you can use in your posts.  I am planning on spotlighting two to three authors a day.  In truth, I appreciate all authors!  I admire what they do and aspire to do it myself.  But unfortunately, I would be blogging forever, so I will limit it to some of the authors that have written stories that have touched me in some way, or made a strong impression on me.  So without further ado here is my first batch of 'appreciated authors'!!!

I really appreciate... Melissa Marr

She is the fabulous author of The Wicked Lovely Series.  The books in the series (Wicked Lovely, Ink Exchange, and Fragile Eternity) are some of my all-time favorite YA reads!  I truly enjoy reading her books!  Her writing style is beautiful, yet edgy and her characters are so well developed that you feel like they are real!  Thank you Melissa- for writing some of the most amazing books I have ever read!  If you would like to learn more about Melissa or her books just click here and you can visit her official website!  Don't miss the next book in the series...Radiant Shadows is set to release April 10, 2010!!  I have already read and reviewed it and it is AWESOME!!  Check out my review HERE.

I really appreciate... Scott Westerfeld

He is the AMAZING author of Peeps, The Last Days, The Midnighters Series, The Uglies Series, So Yesterday, and Leviathan.  I LOVE every Scott Westerfeld book I have read!  His writing is so original and creative.  I always have a hard time putting one of his books down! I cannot even count the number of times I have recommended one of his books. The cool thing is that you can recommend his books to guys, girls, teens, and adults!  If you are interested in learning more about Scott Westerfeld or his books, then click here to go to his official website.

*There are so many wonderful authors out there in the YA genre!  I look forward to spotlighting some of my favorites this week.  Join in the fun and show your favorite authors how much their hard work means to you!