Waiting on Wednesday (141) - Never Enough by Denise Jaden

Waiting on Wednesday is a topic brought to life by Jill over at Breaking the Spine. With Waiting On Wednesday you get to introduce to everyone upcoming books you are looking forward to!

Never Enough by Denise Jaden coming July 10, 2012 from Simon Pulse

Loann’s always wanted to be popular and pretty like her sister, Claire. So when Claire’s ex-boyfriend starts flirting with her, Loann is willing to do whatever it takes to feel special…even if that means betraying her sister.

But as Loann slips inside Claire’s world, she discovers that everything is not as it seems. Claire’s quest for perfection is all-consuming, and comes at a dangerous price. As Claire increasingly withdraws from friends and family, Loann struggles to understand her and make amends. Can she heal their relationship—and her sister—before it’s too late?

This one sounds so wonderful, plus it's contemporary!

What are you waiting on?

A Touch Morbid by Leah Clifford

A Touch Morbid
Leah Clifford
Publisher: Greenwillow
Release Date: February 28, 2012
Pages: 336

Rating: 5 stars

Eden won the battle-she saved her true love from the darkest evil. But the war has only just begun. With secrets swirling around her, powerful allies unraveling, and life-and death-as she knows it eroding, Eden and those she loves tread dangerous ground. Can she trust anyone? Will her unearthly powers be her salvation or her downfall? A sweeping, dark, and sexy paranormal romance that will haunt readers with an inventive mythology and a cinematic New York City filled with shadows and longing.

It is rare that I like a second book in a trilogy more than the first, but Leah Clifford raised the stakes in A Touch Morbid and I was absolutely captivated. Once I started, I simply could not put it down, and I read straight through in just over 2 hours. What is big and awesome in A Touch Mortal only gets better in this installment of the characters' story.

I love the characters. The characters of this trilogy are so unique, and they all are very different from one another. Eden was one character that really grew on me in this book. She was a good character in A Touch Mortal, but I definitely felt she grew a lot and was a character I genuinely liked with this book. I super loved Gabe in this one, he was already a great character, but oh my gosh, his character was just marvelous in this one. Despite the fact I think I'm supposed to hate Luke, I found myself falling hard for him in this one. Kristen is one of the best written characters I've read in a long time.

Leah Clifford doesn't leave a single dull moment. The entire book is fast paced and action packed. Everything that goes down is simply fascinating, and I loved every moment of it. While there is never a slow moment, Leah Clifford still manages to have this perfect pacing; nothing is ever too much or too little. Michael was an interesting guy. I felt like he was a complete creeper, but every scene with him in it were some of the most intense in the books. They were the ones where I was flipped pages at a crazy speed. In addition to everything else going down, there were also lots of sexy times in A Touch Morbid, which I wholeheartedly approved of.

A lot of questions are answered, yet Leah Clifford raises about a dozen more in the process. The plot just kept layering deeper and deeper, and I am so intrigued to see where it goes in the last installment. The whole idea of the Siders is so intriguing by itself, but when you add in all the other details of the story line, it is just brilliant.

Your emotions will be in shambles by the end of this book. You also never know who to trust, Leah Clifford plays with your emotions to make you think so and so is behind something, then flips the switch and then you suspect someone else. It is absolute torture. In addition to that, just everything that happens is completely emotionally draining. I was happy, then clueless, then worried about this character or that character, all paired with these absolutely heart-wrenching moments.

My one complaint? That is was not longer, as I know I have to wait out the long months before book 3 is out. The ending was an absolute killer! Everything builds and builds to this crazy peak and Leah Clifford just leaves readers hanging.

This series is one of those must reads. I loved book 1 and book gets bigger and better. Basically I think all of this could be summed up with the statement of I hate Leah Clifford for being a genius. She's a genius this series is just SO good and that makes the wait between books so agonizing. There is no other way to put it, but that A Touch Morbid was simply brilliant.

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books I'd Give A Theme Song To

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and Bookish. Each week features a different topic, and you make a top ten list about it. This week is the Top Ten Books I Hope Santa Brings.

A Touch Mortal by Leah Clifford: So with Eden's ability (I won't say what in case y'all haven't read it) I think that "Bodies" by Drowning Pool would be a pretty effective theme song, so yep, I'm going with that one. If you've heard the song, you get why it's fitting.

Sea by Heidi R Kling: This one clearly needs to be "A Whole New World" from Aladdin. Sienna is finally getting over her fears and going to a new place. She meets a boy. She sees new things. Bam! A Whole New World

The Iron Fey Series by Julie Kagawa: This would clearly be "If I Had You" by Adam Lambert, mainly because of the music video. I totally feel like the music video would be something like the winter court. Plus, the words kind of go along with what Puck wants, too bad Meghan already has Ash <3.

Clarity by Kim Harrington: I'm going to go with "Complicated" by Avril Lavigne. Nothing is ever simple for Clare, thus complicated.

The Explosionist by Jenny Davidson: I think that song by Kesha, "Blow", would work pretty nicely since about the only words are "This place is about to blow"

Something Like Normal by Trish Doller: I haven't read this one, but from the name and synopsis, I'm going with "Hero Of War" by Rise Against.

Salvaged by Stefne Miller: I am so totally giving this one the theme song of "I've Got a Dream" from Tangled. This book is so hopeful and uplifting, that I think it goes right along with "I've Got a Dream" :)

Rage by Jackie Morse Kessler

Rage
Jackie Morse Kessler
Publisher: Harcourt Graphia
Release Date: April 4, 2011
Pages: 213

Rating: 4 stars

Missy didn’t mean to cut so deep. But after the party where she was humiliated in front of practically everyone in school, who could blame her for wanting some comfort? Sure, most people don’t find comfort in the touch of a razor blade, but Missy always was . . . different.

That’s why she was chosen to become one of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse: War. Now Missy wields a new kind of blade—a big, brutal sword that can cut down anyone and anything in her path. But it’s with this weapon in her hand that Missy learns something that could help her triumph over her own pain: control.

A unique approach to the topic of self-mutilation, Rage is the story of a young woman who discovers her own power and refuses to be defeated by the world.

I was not super crazy about the first book in this series, Hunger, so I was not originally going to read this one. I was talking books with Kristen, and she told me that Death has a much bigger role in this one. When I heard that, I was sold as I adored Death in Hunger, and wanted to see a lot more of him as a character. What I found in Rage was everything I had been hoping for in Hunger and was really just blown away by this one!

I really liked Missy as a narrator. Her character was really rounded out and I thought she had a really interesting story to tell. I would just like to take a moment and say that sister Sue was just a, pardon my language, bitch! She was so horrible! I love Death - he is my favorite character in this series. He is hilarious! I cannot get enough of him, and I was happy that Death was very much more present in this one!

This series is just so fascinating to me. I love what Jackie Morse Kessler has done with the Horsemen of the Apocalypse - it is just so interesting. I never can guess where the story is going to go. I had a bit of an issue in the first book with the story not being explained enough, but everything was very much fleshed out in this one. The book was longer and it had time for the story to grow.

I cannot wait to read Loss, the next book. I cannot wait to see where the story goes. I'm curious to see more from Pestilence as he was quite the character. Rage was everything I had been hoping for for this series and I really enjoyed it.

Waiting on Wednesday (140) - Grave Mercy by R.L. LaFevers

Waiting on Wednesday is a topic brought to life by Jill over at Breaking the Spine. With Waiting On Wednesday you get to introduce to everyone upcoming books you're excited about!

Grave Mercy by R.L. LaFevers coming April 3, 2012 from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Why be the sheep, when you can be the wolf?

Seventeen-year-old Ismae escapes from the brutality of an arranged marriage into the sanctuary of the convent of St. Mortain, where the sisters still serve the gods of old. Here she learns that the god of Death Himself has blessed her with dangerous gifts—and a violent destiny. If she chooses to stay at the convent, she will be trained as an assassin and serve as a handmaiden to Death. To claim her new life, she must destroy the lives of others.

Ismae's most important assignment takes her straight into the high court of Brittany—where she finds herself woefully under prepared—not only for the deadly games of intrigue and treason, but for the impossible choices she must make. For how can she deliver Death’s vengeance upon a target who, against her will, has stolen her heart?

This is one of my most anticipated books of 2012! I love the sound of it. And it's more fantasy, which is so awesome. Also, the cover? I love everything about it down to the expression on her face. And the tag line is so catchy.

What are you waiting on?

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books I'd Save If My House Were On Fire

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and Bookish. Each week features a different topic, and you make a top ten list about it. This week is the Top Ten Books I Would Save If My House Were On Fire.

This is a horrifying thought just the topic! I have hundreds and hundreds of books.

Both my hardcover and my ARC of Sea by Heidi R Kling would definitely need to come - I adore the book and both are signed by Heidi, so naturally I would have to grab them!

My signed Brightly Woven by Alexandra Bracken would be next, since this book is magical.

Then my Katherine Roberts books  - some of these are out of print now in the US since I cannot seem to find new copies, so they have to come because they are SO darn lovely.

My Girl Reporter Books by Linda Ellerbee are books I adored as a child, and it makes me so sad to see these are no long made in print, but you can still get them in e-book. I think this series would be another thing I would grab. (And by the way - if you know someone looking for a really good middle grade series if they have an interest in writing or anything THIS is the one. I had to read everything about people who wrote when I was little!!)

I think next I'd grab Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally, because I just freakin' adore this book.

Major Crush by Jennifer Echols because this one is like not sold in paperback anymore, just ebook - I think they'll probably put it in one of those bind ups, but I like my original copy :)

My Bitterblue by Kristin Cashore ARC, because I think I am going to cherish that book forever.

I think the Harry Potter series is the last thing I would grab. I could easily buy new copies, but my set has so much character and I've had them forever!

Blogaversary Giveaway #6: The Box of Books

So for my last blogaversary giveaway I am giving away a box of books! I am not sure how many books it'll be or even what books yet. It will be a mix of ARCs and finished copies.

This will be open until March 13. I'm sorry but I am going to make this one US only - it would be too much to ship a box internationally.

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Blogaversary Giveaway #5: Paranormal Extravaganza Prize Pack

Who doesn't love some good paranormal? Today I'm giving away a prize pack of three paranormal books.

The Survivors by Amanda Havard
Deception by Lee Nichols
Kiss Me Deadly: 13 Tales of Paranormal Love by Trisha Telep (And it's SIGNED by some of the awesome authors!)

How to enter? Fill out the rafflecopter below. US/Canada Only and it ends March 4th :)



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Blogaversary Giveaway #4: The International One

Since I know I have some international followers, I naturally had to have at least one international giveaway. I really am sorry I cannot always do more. This one will be open internationally or wherever The Book Depositroy ships! So one person can win their pick of ONE the following books I love:

Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally
Brightly Woven by Alexandra Bracken
A Touch Mortal by Leah Clifford
Strange Angels by Lili St Crow
Sea by Heidi R Kling
I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have To Kill You by Ally Carter

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Try Not to Breathe by Jennifer Hubbard

Try Not to Breathe
Jennifer Hubbard
Publisher: Viking
Release Date: January 19, 2012
Pages: 272

Rating: 4 stars

Ryan spends most of his time alone at the local waterfall because it’s the only thing that makes him feel alive. He’s sixteen, post-suicidal, and trying to figure out what to do with himself after a stint in a mental hospital. Then Nicki barges into his world, brimming with life and energy, and asking questions about Ryan’s depression that no one else has ever been brave enough—or cared enough—to ask. Ryan isn’t sure why he trusts Nicki with his darkest secrets, but that trust turns out to be the catalyst that he desperately needs to start living again.

Try Not to Breathe was a really great read. I was very interested in this one when I heard about it, since I had liked her debut, The Secret Year. Try Not to Breathe was a really touching read that was just a really great book and I am happy to have read it.

I really loved the characters. Val, Jake, Nikki, they were all just great. The relationships between all the characters were so complex, and I loved seeing how everything would pan out between them. I really liked Nikki - she was no nonsense when it came to Ryan; she wasn't going to let him just hide within himself. I really admired her.

Jennifer Hubbard's prose is absolutely beautiful. She really has written just an enchanting story. It deals with such a raw, emotional topic, yet there was a very hopeful light about it. The characters all support each other and will not let anyone fall into darkness, and I loved that about this book.

I would quite recommend this one. I loved the characters and the story they had to tell. Jennifer Hubbard's writing really grew from her debut in this one, and I really am excited to see what is next from her.

Waiting on Wednesday (139) - Illuminate by Aimee Agresti

Waiting on Wednesday is a topic brought to life by Jill over at Breaking the Spine. With Waiting On Wednesday you get to introduce to everyone upcoming books you're excited about!

Illuminate by Aimee Agresti coming March 6, 2012 from Harcourt Children's Books

Haven Terra is a brainy, shy high school outcast. But everything begins to change when she turns sixteen. Along with her best friend Dante and their quiet and brilliant classmate Lance, she is awarded a prestigious internship in the big city— Chicago—and is sent to live and work at a swanky and stylish hotel under the watchful eyes of a group of gorgeous and shockingly young-looking strangers: powerful and alluring hotel owner Aurelia Brown; her second-in-command, the dashing Lucian Grove; and their stunning but aloof staff of glamazons called The Outfit.
As Haven begins falling for Lucian, she discovers that these beautiful people are not quite what they seem. With the help of a mysterious book, she uncovers a network of secret passageways from the hotel’s jazz-age past that leads her to the heart of the evil agenda of Aurelia and company: they’re in the business of buying souls. Will they succeed in wooing Haven to join them in their recruitment efforts, or will she be able to thwart this devilish set’s plans to take the souls of her classmates on prom night at the hotel?
Illuminate is an exciting saga of a teen’s first taste of independence, her experience in the lap of luxury, and her discovery she may possess strength greater than she ever knew.

I love the sound of this one! There are just so many fantastic sounding books coming out this year! And the cover? Can you say gorgeous?

What are you guys waiting on?

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books That Broke My Heart A Little

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and Bookish. Each week features a different topic, and you make a top ten list about it. This week is the Top Ten Books That Broke My Heart A Little.

#1 goes Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince: The ending of this one? I was crying so hard. I didn't want to believe it was true. That is probably the most heart breaking moment throughout all of YA Literature in my opinion!


The Iron Queen by Julie Kagawa comes in a close 2nd. She wrote an ending that wrenched my heart out and then it was like the ending stomped around for a bit just to make sure it hadn't already been heart wrenching enough. I died at that ending.

Mercy Lily by Lisa Albert: I was an emotional wreck reading this one! There was a constant flow of tears pretty much throughout the entirety of me reading this one.

There were a few moments in both, Salvaged and Rise, by Stefne Miller that were so heartbreaking. I mean, it was paired with so many uplifting moments, but I was definitely crying at different parts.

Spirit Bound by Richelle Mead: everyone who has read this book knows what I'm talking about, enough said.

Ballads of Suburbia by Stephanie Kuehnert: This book is like a slew of heartbreaking moments after the next.

Blogaversary Giveaway #3: Series Prize Pack

Today's giveaway is a series I absolutely adore. You know the Georgia Nicolson series? This series is kind of like those, just as funny, only less well known. It is the Jess Jordan series! I absolutely adore this series so today I have a giveaway of the first THREE books :)

Girl, 15, Charming But Insane by Sue Limb

Girl, Nearly 16, Absolute Torture by Sue Limb

Girl, 16, Pants on Fire by Sue Limb

You seriously do not want to miss this series! It's HILARIOUS. And I adore it.

Fill out the rafflecopter to be entered :) US/Canada only and ends March 4.

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Low Red Moon by Ivy Devlin

Low Red Moon
Ivy Devlin
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA Children's Books
Release Date: September 14, 2010
Pages: 244

Rating: 3 stars

The only thing Avery Hood can remember about the night her parents died is that she saw silver—deadly silver, moving inhumanly fast. As much as she wants to remember who killed them, she can't, and there's nothing left to do but try to piece her life back together. Then Avery meets the new boy in school—Ben, mysterious and beautiful, with whom she feels a connection like nothing she's ever experienced. When Ben reveals he's a werewolf, Avery still trusts him—at first. Then she sees that sometimes his eyes flash inhuman silver. And she learns that she's not the only one who can't remember the night her parents died.Part murder mystery, part grief narrative, and part heart-stopping, headlong romance, Low Red Moon is a must-read for teen paranormal fans.

Low Red Moon was a book I really had no idea what to expect when I had started it. It was a good read, but I had some issues with the overall plot.

The plot was interesting. The book was too short for some of the whys to some of the ideas raised to fully be fleshed out, and that left me dissatisfied. The whole deal with the forest was probably the biggest. I didn't quite get why everything happened because of it.

I overall liked the characters in Low Red Moon. I could not stand Krista, how she acted. That is just uncalled for. Then the fact that Avery forgives her for actions later in the book without even blinking an eye lowered my view of Avery. Other than that, I thought Avery was a great main character. I really liked Ben as well. Renee was my favorite character of the book - just something about her was awesome!

Low Red Moon was a pretty decent read, but it's not one I would be jumping out of my seat to get. It was an interesting read with a new take on werewolves, and am curious to see how the plot develops in the sequel.

From the Back of My Shelf (10): The Orange Houses by Paul Griffin

From the Back of My Shelf is a bi-monthly event, that happens on the 2nd and 4th Fridays of the month where you pull a book from the back of your shelf (with a 2009 release or prior) and review it. It's a way to read some of those books that have been gathering dust while new books came out. Feel free to join in and participate, and link your reviews up in the Mr Linky below. Check out more in my intro post here here.

The Orange Houses
Paul Griffin
Publisher: Dial
Release Date: June 11, 2009
Pages: 160

Rating:  2.75 stars

Meet Tamika Sykes - Mik to her friends (if she had any). She's hearing impaired and way too smart for her West Bronx high school. She copes by reading lips and selling homework answers, and looks forward to the time each day when she can be alone in her room drawing. She's a tough girl who never gets close to anyone, until she meets Fatima, a teenage refugee who sells newspapers on Mik's block. Both Mik and Fatima unite in their efforts to befriend Jimmi, a homeless vet who is shunned by the rest of the community.
The events that follow when these three outcasts converge will break open their close-knit community and change the lives of those living in the Orange Houses in explosive and unexpected ways.

I was very excited for this one after reading Paul Griffin's Stay With Me. Sadly, this one did not live up to the expectations I had for it.

I was not crazy about this one being told in third person. It made the story very hard to get into as it was so disjointed. The story was also told from 3 POVs, and that was too much for this book. I liked the idea of it, but considering the book was only 150 pages, it was too little for each character.

Most of the characters were great. I had a bit of an issue with Tamika, as to me, it felt like she didn't have the strength and courage to keep going. There was nothing holding her back but her own attitude, and because of that I was not too keen of her. I really liked both Fatima and Jimmi. They were definitely my two favorite characters of the book. Fatima was such a good soul.

There was definitely a plot, but there wasn't much to it in my mind. The characters all had a worthy story to be told, but there wasn't a lot of continuity between the plot points.

This was a book that had a lot of good things about it, but was not executed the best. I had a hard time getting past the writing, as it was just so disjointed that I couldn't get into the story.

The Goddess Test by Aimee Carter

The Goddess Test
Aimee Carter
Publisher: Harlequin Teen
Release Date: April 18, 2011
Pages: 293

Rating 4.5 stars

It's always been just Kate and her mom—and her mother is dying. Her last wish? To move back to her childhood home. So Kate's going to start at a new school with no friends, no other family and the fear her mother won't live past the fall.
Then she meets Henry. Dark. Tortured. And mesmerizing. He claims to be Hades, god of the Underworld—and if she accepts his bargain, he'll keep her mother alive while Kate tries to pass seven tests.
Kate is sure he's crazy—until she sees him bring a girl back from the dead. Now saving her mother seems crazily possible. If she succeeds, she'll become Henry's future bride, and a goddess.

The Goddess Test was an absolutely refreshing read with a new twist on mythology that I absolutely devoured! This was a spectacular debut, and I am very excited to see more from Aimee Carter in the future.

Mythology is a topic that in my opinion can never be written about enough, and Aimee Carter has written a series that is so charming and delightful. Her take on mythology was a lot of fun to read about, as I could never guess where the plot was going to lead Kate.

I really liked Kate. The one thing about her that drove me nuts was her fixation on the fact that Ava's death was her fault. Clearly when the mean girl does what she knows best and instead dies for it, it is not your fault. Everything else about her - I really liked her voice. I have to say I felt that Ava failed at the being the mean girl for the most part. Henry was a really great character - I didn't like him as much in the beginning, but as Kate grew to know him, I liked his character more and more.

This book ended way too soon. I was getting more and more involved with the story, and then it ended. I was really sad. I guess it's kind of a good thing I waited until now to read it, since now I only have to wait three months instead of eleven. Moving past that, the ending was a ton of fun. I knew something was going to have to happen, but I wasn't exactly sure how that something would. There were so many shocks and surprises and it was just a whole lot of fun.

This is a book I would recommend to all. I read it in 2 hours and just couldn't put it down. I am very excited for book 2, Goddess Interrupted. The Goddess Test was a book with a twisty plot and a great cast of characters all wrapped up in a fabulous debut.

Waiting on Wednesday (138) - Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo

Waiting on Wednesday is a topic brought to life by Jill over at Breaking the Spine. With Waiting On Wednesday you get to introduce to everyone upcoming books you're excited about!

Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo coming June 19, 2012 from Holt Children's

Inspired by Tsarist Russia, SHADOW & BONE brings to life a fantasy world of superstition and science, saints and samovars, in which a lonely refugee must leave behind her best friend- and first love- to save her country from the growing darkness of the Unsea. But first she must contend with the dangerous and decadent world of the kingdom’s magical elite and their powerful leader, a creature of dark charm and deadly ambition.

MORE fantasy! This one sounds brilliant. I can't wait to read. I love the sound of it and I love the whole idea that it is inspired by Tsarist Russia!

What are you guys waiting on?

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books I'd Hand To Someone Who Says They Don't Like To Read

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and Bookish. Each week features a different topic, and you make a top ten list about it. This week is the Top Ten Books I Hope Santa Brings. Top Ten Books I'd Hand To Someone Who Says They Don't Like To Read

I think the first one I need to mention is the Touch series by Laurie Faria Stolarz. This is a series that my best friend, who is not a reader, read. He read the first for class, but willingly searched out the next books in the series.

The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting

This book has such a unique, cool premise, that even if you don't read, you definitely would want to pick this one up! Plus, the fact that this one is just to die for helps!

The Sword of Truth series by Terry Goodkind

I'd hand this to someone who likes the movies like Lord of the Rings, yet doesn't read. It has a similar vibe to it and the story is just wonderful. There's always something new happening and the world is fascinating.

Private Series by Kate Brian

This is for the girl who watches Gossip Girl or any of the shows like that, only this series is even BETTER than shows like that! This is my guilty pleasure series, just too great!

When It Happens by Susane Colasanti

This is a book for the girl who loves a movie with the perfect romance, as this book is just lovely! Everything about this book screams adorable.

The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale

Everyone loves a good fairy tale and has seen or heard quite a few. This book is such a wonderful tale, and has a very fairy tale-ish vibe about it.


Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler

This book is one of grief and yet, it has such a great story. I feel I could hand this to anyone who loves a great story and wants a book that realistically shows how hard it is to get over tragic happenings.

Harry Potter by JK Rowling

This series is absolute love and I've never met anyone who has tried to read them and didn't like them.

Blogaversary Giveaway #2: 2009 Favorites

I am always raving about new books or books that just came out, that I feel like I forget about the ones that came out longer ago. Therefore, I am giving away a copy of 2 of my favorite books that came out in 2009:

Give Up the Ghost by Megan Crewe

Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler

This is open to US/Canada only. And ends February 29! :) Fill out the Rafflecopter form below to enter :)

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First Day on Earth by Cecil Castellucci

First Day on Earth
Cecil Castellucci
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Release Date: November 1, 2011
Pages: 150

Rating: 4 stars

A startling, wonderful novel about the true meaning of being an alien in an equally alien world.
"We are specks. Pieces of dust in this universe. Big nothings.
"I know what I am."
Mal lives on the fringes of high school. Angry. Misunderstood. Yet loving the world -- or, at least, an idea of the world.
Then he meets Hooper. Who says he's from another planet. And may be going home very soon.

First Day on Earth was a cute read. I really enjoyed the characters, but I wish it had been a bit longer. I felt like the book was over much too fast. It was my first Cecil Castellucci read, but by no means my last.

This was a book of extremely short chapters. Usually, I think this may bother me, but it really worked well for this one. I loved the formatting too. Some pages only had a few sentences, but it was always meaningful when that happened.

The plot was fun. It was very simplistic, yet I still was never exactly sure where it would go. There wasn't a lot of substance to it, and I do wish it had been a bit more fleshed out. The book was only 150 pages, so to me, there wasn't really room for all of that.

The characters were fun. I loved the relationship between Mal and Posey - it was such an odd relationship, yet they had an invisible bond almost. Hooper was a riot. I loved him. I felt so bad for Darwyn! He was always doing everyone's grunt work or being made fun of.

This was a super fast paced book that was really cute. I would recommend it if you are looking for one of those reads that you don't have to think a lot while reading. I am very curious in seeing more from Cecil Castellucci after this one!

The Edumacation of Jay Baker by Jay Clark

The Edumacation of Jay Baker
Jay Clark
Publisher: Henry Holt & Company
Release Date: January 31, 2012
Pages: 240

Rating: 3.5 stars

Meet Jay Baker . . . or, as he is not-so-affectionately called by his opponent in the freshman class presidential election (and by members of the high school football team): Gay Baker.

A few important things to know about Jay:

1. He is in love with his best friend, cheerleading dynamo Cameo “Appearance” Parnell.

2. He is rocking an unfortunate case of Irritable Bowel Syndrome.

3. He has the largest storehouse of pop culture references, jokes, and puns in the history of fifteen-year-olds.

4. He is about to uncover a horrifying family secret that will turn his world upside down.

Root for Jay as he faces off against his mortal enemy, gets awkward around his dream girl, loses himself in a Bermudan love triangle, watches his parents’ relationship implode in a series of Maury Povich-inspired events, and, finally, learns to get real and be himself.

The Edumacation of Jay Baker was a cute read. It had a slow beginning, but once the story picked up I really enjoyed it. The Edumacation of Jay Baker was a story that I could realistically see going on in high school and was a lot of fun to read.

The first of half of this one was very slow. It took me awhile to get into the story. Once it picked up in the second half, I really enjoyed the story more. This book was definitely funny - I was laughing for a good part of the book. The funny parts are balanced with the serious undertone of the plot, dealing with divorce, family issues, and friend issues.

The characters were great. Even the characters like Alice, who only appeared in one scene, really stuck out in my mind. Abby, Cameo, and Caroline totally sold this book! They were just great characters. They all had their moments of vulnerability or a moment where they don't make the best decision, but I really liked the three of them! The faults in them made them that cooler of characters. Ms. Lambert was also a pretty cool character - definitely one of the best teachers you could have!

For me, this wasn't a superb read, but it was still a very promising debut and I'm curious to see more from Jay Clark. If you are looking for a book that is funny and tells a good story, then this is the one for you.

Fantasy Five Friday: Interview with Courtney Allison Moulton

I am super excited to have Courtney Allison Moulton here at The Book Cellar today, for another Fantasy Five Friday.

Courtney Allison Moulton is the author of Angelfire, Wings of the Wicked, and the forthcoming Book 3 in the Angelfire series. She lives in Michigan with her horse, Pia.You can find her on the web at her website, twitter, and blog.

Could you give us the one sentence pitch of your book?

A teenage girl with extraordinary powers battles the armies of Hell with
the help of her reaper Guardian.

Since you have a fantasy novel coming out, the next question I obviously have to ask is: If you were a fantastical creature, which would you be?

I'd love to have superhuman abilities like in the X-Men. It would be fun
to be a secret government weapon or something. For like a weekend.

Do you have a favorite fantasy read?

Fire by Kristin Cashore

Generally speaking, which comes first: the world, the characters, or the
plot?

This varies. I have about a hundred or so projects to finish on my
computer, and sometimes the world comes first and sometimes the character.
I don't really know why one or the other, but I just go with the flow.

They are always coming out with new editions of board games. If your book
could be a special edition of any board game, which would you choose?

Hungry Hungry Hippos with human faces on the little balls and you, as
Ellie, have to chop their heads off before they eat the little people.
It's like Anti-Hungry Hungry Hippos. I want to play this now.

Courtney's next book, Wings of the Wicked, is coming out on January 31st.

Life as the Preliator is harder than Ellie ever imagined.
Balancing real life with the responsibility of being Heaven’s warrior is a challenge for Ellie. Her relationship with Will has become all business, though they both long for each other. And now that the secret of who she really is has come out, so have Hell’s strongest reapers. Grown bold and more vicious, the demonic threaten her in the light of day and stalk her in the night.

She’s been warned.
Cadan, a demonic reaper, comes to her with information about Bastian’s new plan to destroy Ellie’s soul and use an ancient relic to wake all the souls of the damned and unleash them upon humanity. As she fights to stay ahead of Bastian’s schemes , the revelations about those closest to her awaken a dark power within Ellie that threatens to destroy everything—including herself.

She’ll be betrayed.
Treachery comes even from those whom she loves, and Ellie is broken by the deaths of those who stood beside her in this Heavenly war. Still, she must find a way to save the world, herself, and her love for Will. If she fails, there will be hell to pay.

Buy Wings of the Wicked: Amazon | B&N | Book Depository

Wings of the Wicked's trailer is super awesome! 

Waiting on Wednesday (137) - Above World by Jenn Reese

Waiting on Wednesday is a topic brought to life by Jill over at Breaking the Spine. With Waiting On Wednesday you get to introduce to everyone upcoming books you're excited about!

Above World by Jenn Reese coming February 14, 2012 from Candlewick Press

A suspenseful sci-fi escapade plucks two children out of the ocean for a thrilling adventure.

Thirteen-year-old Aluna has lived her entire life under the ocean with the Coral Kampii in the City of Shifting Tides. But after centuries spent hidden from the Above World, her colony's survival is at risk. The Kampii's breathing necklaces are failing, but the elders are unwilling to venture above water to seek answers. Only headstrong Aluna and her friend Hoku are stubborn and bold enough to face the terrors of land to search for way to save their people. But can Aluna's fierce determination and fighting skills and Hoku's tech-savvy keep them safe? Set in a world where overcrowding has led humans to adapt - growing tails to live under the ocean or wings to live on mountains - here is a ride through a future where greed and cruelty have gone unchecked, but the loyalty of friends remains true.

So much fantasy is coming out next year and I love it! This one is at the top of my list for fantasy books for next year. I can't wait to read it. (If you like fantasy too, you should consider joining the 2012 YA/MG Fantasy Challenge!)

What are you guys waiting on?

Blogaversary Giveaway #1: Summer Series Giveaway

This month is my THREE year blogaversary! It's so exciting. This is the first of many blogaversary giveaways to come. What can you win today? The Summer Series by Jenny Han!

This one is going to be US/Canada only and ends on February 29th. Also, I usually don't make giveaways about me, but since it is my blogaversary there are entries for following my blog, twitter, etc. It's all about me this month :)

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