Top 5 Wednesday[1]

I decided to post my Top 5 Wednesday youtube posts on my blog as well. It's just a little group I'm part of and each week we do a video of our top 5 something. I hope you enjoy.

REVIEW: Cruel Beauty by Rosamund Hodge

Title: Cruel Beauty
Author: Rosamund Hodge
Format: Paperback ARC
Source: Trade
Publisher: Balzer + Bray
Publication Date: TODAY!!

REVIEW: Rosamund Hodge stayed true to the whole curse aspect of Beauty and The Beast. Then she added a twist of benevolence and Greek mythology and the end result was this astounding book.

The world building was thrilling and captivating. I found myself wishing I could actually be in The Heart of Water and The Heart of Air. And that library. I loved the fact that the house changed.

Nyx was such an amazing protagonist. She was strong, brave, smart and bitter. She was dealt a terrible hand and couldn't do anything but go along with it. Her twin sister, Astraia, was such a spoiled brat. Towards the end, Astraia actually tried to show that she was stronger than Nyx. It was Astraia who pushed Nyx to do so many things whether she wanted to do them or not. Pretending not to hate your sister must be taxing.

BUT pretending not to hate your father must be even worse. Had it not been for her fathers selfish ways and stupidity, Nyx wouldn't have to pay for her families debt.

I am glad that it was Nyx who was sent to the Gentle Lord as opposed to Astraia. Had it been the other way around, I think Astraia would have gotten herself killed really fast.

Oh boy. Shade. At first I loved him. He seems so kind and helpful. But it turns out that ulterior motives can alter ones personality. In the end I still can't figure out whether Shade was the GOOD part of the prince or the BAD part.

Ignifex blew my mind. His character was so prominent and bold that there was no possible way that I couldn't be on his side. Sure, hes a demon lord. Sure, he can have shadows devour you. But he never did anything like that. He was actually quite docile unless otherwise provoked. All the rumors about The Gentle Lord being a horrible beast were put to rest the minute Nyx stepped foot into his castle.

There is also irony in this book. Regardless of what The Gentle Lord did towards the end Nyx's mother still suffered a terrible fate.

The one thing that will always stick out about this book most of all, to me, is the world building and character development. Normally I can never imagine the fantastical worlds that are in fantasy books. I can never picture what is going on. But Rosamund Hodge managed to find that part of my imagination and stimulate it just right so that I pictured EVERYTHING so vividly. The parchment sky with the holes burnt into it. The gilded walls and hallways. The dresses Ignifex had for Nyx. Every aspect of this book was completely spectacular.

Overall, I gave the book 5/5 Kitties.

This picture makes me think of Cruel Beauty so very much. So, of course, I had to add it.

Author bashing bloggers and reviews

I'm pretty sure a lot of people have already seen what was going on over on Twitter. New author of the book No One Else Can Have You, Kathleen Hale was on Twitter bashing bloggers and being an all around BITCH. Oh and not to mention her HORRENDOUS spelling.All this started over what?

http://www.great-imaginations.com/2014/01/book-review-no-one-else-can-have-you-by.html

THIS REVIEW.

Now, personally, I think that is a fair and honest review. Authors get reviews like this everyday. If Kathleen Hale cannot handle this review then she has no right being an author.

The following screen caps are courtesy of someone from Twitter.

Now, this picture, I find entirely humorous. You are WRITING books for other people to enjoy and we don't have the right to critique what you wrote? I'm sorry.. But last time I checked BOOKS are meant to be scoured, poured over and criticized.

This makes me feel like shes saying if a doctor performs surgery on a patient and the patient ends up getting a bad infection that the patient has no right to complain about the doctors work.

This, I believe, is the post that started everything. This "author" is a snarky little kid. She talks like an uneducated brat and tries to act "cool."

And these two shots are just the author fighting with everyone. It sounds like shes trying to save her ass and prove a pointless point.

Needless to say, I will not be buying OR reading this authors book. I have an ARC and it will probably be getting tossed out into the snow. If you can't take the heat then stay the F*** out of the kitchen.

Kathleen Hale, you might THINK you know how to write but us bloggers, we know how to READ. And if your writing doesn't appeal to the people reading it then that is something you need to learn to accept. Reading is EXTREMELY subjective. Some people will love a book while others HATE it. Reviews are also VERY subjective. I always tell people that even if I didn't like a book then they should still give it a try because everyone likes different things. This is something YOU need to learn.

Mini Review Monday[1] Girl of Nightmares by Kendare Blake

I decided that I needed to try to get some things going on my blog. I have such sporadic posts and I hate that. So from now on, every Monday, there will be Mini Review Monday. This will be where I write a quick, to the point, review of a book that has been out for a while. I have noticed that if you have a blog a review whatever books you read then you normally don't get much recognition. I don't really need recognition but I would like to provide my followers with more up to date reviews of NEWER books. But I will still be reading the books that I own and I still want to review them so Mini Review Monday is the perfect idea for this. I still get to review everything I read but I won't be boring my followers with old book reviews. Plus, as a little side note, everything will be mini... So, without further ado, here is the first installment.

Girl of Nightmares(bk 2)

Kendare Blake

REVIEW

I liked this book just as much as I liked Anna Dressed in Blood, if not more. Girl of Nightmares has a lot more action and emotions. I am happy to say that this book did not suffer from second book syndrome.

Caramel was a little bitchy. Thomas was his usual loyal self. Cas was the only one who really went through a huge chance. He was depressed and barely living.

Meeting Jestine kind of threw the book into an entirely different path. I did and didn't like her. She was a little too full of herself.

Kendare Blake did a fabulous job with this book. Her world and character building skills are amazing.

The ending was so sad but it was definitely the right thing for Cas to do.

Overall, I gave the book 4/5 Mini Kitties.

 

Stacking the Shelves[19]

Stacking The Shelves is hosted by Tynga's Reviews.

I got A LOT of book in the past two weeks. Soooo. Here they are. Feel free to subscribe to my youtube account. I have tons of bookhauls and other videos.

Word of the Week Wednesday(2)

I am sorry this is a day late but I wasn't home at all yesterday and was barely home today. Sooo without further ado...

Word of the Week #2 - Dichotomies - And We Stay - Page 115
Meaning -A division of contrast between two things that are or are represented as being opposite or entirely different.

REVIEW: And We Stay by Jenny Hubbard

Title: And We Stay
Author: Jenny Hubbard
Format: eBook ARC
Source: NetGalley
Publisher: Delacorte Press
Publication Date: January 28th 2014

REVIEW: And We Stay is such an inspirational and heart-wrenching book. It inspired me to purchase a book of Emily Dickinson poems and it showed me that the heart can heal but it will never be whole again. I know I cannot do a review that would ever do this book justice but I'm going to try.

Jenny Hubbard's writing is touching and captivating. She has a way of making a fictional book seem extremely realistic.

Emily Beam is such an amazing girl. She went through so much in a matter of weeks and she was still able to keep herself at a functioning level. I am still trying to figure out if Emily was possessed or maybe a reincarnation of Emily Dickinson. That part wasn't explained nor did I see anything that had to do with a real ghost.

I am curious as to whether Emily would have kept the baby if it wasn't for her parents forcing her to do it.

Paul seemed like a very unique person. I would have loved to have gotten to know him before all the horrible things happened. I also think he would have been a good father despite everything. Not many teenage boys would stick by a girl after he got her pregnant. Emily was the one to leave, not Paul.

The girls school was a good place for Emily. I think starting over was the only way she was going to have some semblance of normal. K.T. was a strange but good friend. Emily wouldn't have gotten as far as she did without her.

The poems throughout the book were amazing and well written. The metaphors used were brilliant and well used.

I still have a few unanswered questions but the book left me very emotional and sensitive.

One quote I took away from this book is "Because God didn't write the Bible. Men did, probably uneducated ones." I love this statement. And We Stay will definitely be on my list of books to buy for my personal collection.

This isn't all I have to say and I know I will probably add more to this after I let the book sink in for a few days.

Overall, I gave the book 5/5 Kitties.

Goodreads | Pre-Order

The Moment Before Blog Tour - January 13-20th

Today is my day for the blog tour. Below will be my review and information about the author. Thank you for
stopping by and please be sure to check out the out stops on the blog tour!

Title: The Moment Before
Author: Suzi Vitello
Format: eBook
Source: NetGalley/BlogTour
Publisher: Diversion Books

REVIEW: I was asked to review this book as part of a book tour, this is my first ever book tour, and I said sure. I was not disappointed. I am very glad that I was asked to be a part of this books release.

The main character of the book, Brady, is a very strong and in your face kind of girl. She doesn't try to impress anyone and she just does her own thing. Even after her sister dies she still remains true to herself. I do think she should have been a little more brave and forthcoming with the things she found out about her sister but I am glad that she finally did in the end.

Sabine was your typical cheerleader. Everyone thinks they are so perfect but in reality they are normally the ones hiding the biggest, darkest secrets. Perfection doesn't exist. Only what people perceive to be perfection exists.

Brady's parents really struck some nerves with me. It seemed like everything was about THEM. They were the one who lost someone, not Brady. The mother was very hypocritical and she made it seem like everything was Brady's fault or Brady caused it. From her dad hurting her to her dad getting hurt himself. I honestly wanted to grab her mother and slap her upside the head. I hate when parents are like that. Brady's dad wasn't THAT bad but he still pushed my buttons.

Conner was amazing! Even though he was accused of some horrible stuff he still managed to be a great guy. I was so happy when Brady and Conner started talking. I felt so much emotion when he turned her down at first. I literally got teary eyed. I really want to know what happens with Brady and Conner. It's driving me bonkers!!

After reading this book and many others like it I have come to the conclusion that either I was blind throughout my four years of High School or I just didn't go to a school where all this horrible stuff happened. Are there really schools like these? Horrible, snotty, threatening, jerkwads?

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. The author knows how to capture the teenage and adult spirits very well. I gave the book 4/5 Kitties.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Bio: As a founding member of what the Oregonian has dubbed Portland’s “hottest writing group” (members include Chuck Palahniuk, Chelsea Cain, Lidia Yuknavitch, Monica Drake and Cheryl Strayed), Suzy’s name has graced the acknowledgement pages of many a book. Her own award-winning writing has appeared in a bunch of journals and anthologies. She holds an MFA from Antioch Los Angeles, and when she’s not writing novels, does freelance copywriting and editing. The Moment Before is her debut novel. Suzy lives in Portland, Oregon with her husband, Kirk, and son, Carson. Find out more on suzyvitello.com. 

LINKS:

Website: http://www.suzyvitello.com

Blog: http://www.suzyvitello.com/suzys-blog/

Diversion Books: http://diversionbooks.com/ebooks/moment (we respectfully request all reviews include a link to the Diversion Books website. This may be in addition to any affiliate links you use)

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18478212-the-moment-before?from_search=true

Twitter: https://twitter.com/suzy_vitello

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SuzyVitelloBooks

BLOG HOPS:

01/13: http://whatdanielledidnext.com

01/13: http://youngadultbookaddict.blogspot.com.au/

01/14: http://www.CrossroadReviews.com

01/15: www.IntotheHallofBooks.com

01/15: http://www.ashleyfarley.net

01/16: http://books-a-holics.blogspot.com/

01/16: http://chrissireads.wordpress.com

01:17: www.coldteaandcrumbs.blogspot.com

01/17: http://oopsireadabookagain.blogspot.com

01/19: http://livereadbreathe.blogspot.ca

01/20: http://cubicleblindness.com

01/20: http://thebookbabesreads.com

Word of the Week Wednesday(1)

I've been pondering different things to do for my blog. Lately I have been so busy with packing and trying to find new jobs and a place that fits all of our needs so I need quick things that I can just post so you guys know that I have not abandoned ship on you. So I have a book that I write down words that I don't know what they mean and I write the definition next to it. Kind of like a personal dictionary reading diary I guess. But I wanted to use that on my blog somehow so my fiance was like what about a work of the week. And I was like OMG Word of the Week Wednesday! So it was a team effort, lol. So from now on, each week, I will be posting a new word. I will put what book it came from and what page as well. I will also try to make it a little entertaining.

Word of the Week #1 - Kerfuffle - Anna Dressed in Blood - Page 17

Meaning - A commotion or fuss, esp. one caused by conflicting views.

REVIEW: Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake

Title: Anna Dressed in Blood
Author: Kendare Blake
Format: Paperback
Source: Bought
Publisher: TOR Teen

REVIEW: I love ghost books. I never knew this fact until this year. Ever since, I've been reading all the YA ghost books I have been able to get my hands on. I have yet to find one that I didn't like and Anna Dressed in Blood continues on with that trend.

Normally I am a SUCKER for Paranormal Romance or, really, any romance in any of the books I read. In fact, I don't normally read ANY books unless there is a form of romance. And most of the ghost books I have read have been about some twisted form of ethereal romance. I'm not saying there wasn't and romance AT ALL in this books but it was kept to the bare minimum yet I continued to read.

The world building was very vivid and believable. I wish I could have been standing near the waterfall in the beginning.

The main character has such a strong, strange name. Thesues Cassio, but we come to know him as Cas.

WHOA! This just hit me. I loathe books that are told in the male perspective... But I loved this book. What have you done to me Kendare Blake!?

Anyways, back to the review.

This book is really sad, scary and emotional. There are a lot of deaths. A lot of relationships formed. But, most of all, a lot of love lost. I don't think I have ever read a book with so many murders and I am not complaining one bit.

I love Cas's mom. She is so sweet and extremely motherly regardless of her witch status. I wish I could have got to know his dad a little bit more so I could have seen what brought the two of them together.

Thomas and Caramel really have some inner crap to work out. They will probably end up together but who knows, aside from the author that is. Caramel is a feisty, smart, beautiful character. I don't like her Prom Queen status at first but she turned out to be very useful. Thomas was creepy at first but he ends p being the best friend a guy could have. He is still pretty creepy though.

Anna. Oh boy, Anna. She was insane! I loved both parts of her. Even though she was a ghost I still almost cried when she sacrificed herself for everyone. She was set free only to be taken again. I still want to know why she was immune to Cas.

The Obeahman was creepy as hell! He was definitely no mouse or raccoon. After all is said and done though, I wonder if Cas feels like her avenged his fathers death or if he just feels like he's completely lost the one girl he ever loved.

I felt no sympathy for Mike, Will or Chase. Maybe I'm cold hearted? Meh! I did, however, feel a lot of sympathy for Tybalt.

The sheer amount of voodoo, magic, wicca, etc, used in this book had to require A LOT of research. I even googled Thunder Bay to see if it was real. I don't know what else to say other that I am sorry I waited this long to read this duology.

Overall, I gave the book 4.5/5 stars.

Book Trade - January 2014(1)

I decided that every month or so I am going to go through my bookshelves and pick out books that I would like to trade. I just made a video on YouTube about it so I will insert the video below. If anyone would be interested in doing this then just watch my video and email me.

January 2014 New Release Giveaway Hop(January 15-31)

This hop is hosted by BookNerd. I will be giving away a $10 Amazon gift card. There are a lot of amazing books coming out this year so, to the winner, use the card wisely! Thank you for hopping and please check out everyone elses hops listed down below! Happy New Year!!


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Love For Books Giveaway Hop (February 10-17) US ONLY

For this hop, the idea is to giveaway a book you ABSOLUTELY love and think EVERYONE should read. Of course, you can do a gift card too, if you choose to. ;)

I am giving away an ARC copy of Shadowlands by Kate Brian or an ARC copy of Eve & Adam by Michael Grant and Katherine Applegate. One winner will get to pick ONE book. Thank you for entering and please check out the other blogs in this hop. 

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REVIEW: 45 Pounds by K. A. Barson

Title: 45 Pounds
Author: K. A. Barson
Format: eBook
Source: Bought
Publisher: Viking Juvenile

REVIEW: I completely adored this book. Ann was such an amazing protagonist and I found myself tearing up at a few parts. I definitely got emotionally involved with this book.

The shear realism behind this story makes me wonder if the author went through something like this personally or if she knows someone who did. I don't think I have ever connected to a character as much as I did with Ann. She was just so raw and real

The way all of the characters were portrayed made them all seem so real. Like I could pass them in the mall or eat in a restaurant next to them. This book also had me looking around at other families wondering if they are dysfunctional.

I think my favorite character has to be Raynee. A lot of teenage girls need to be more like her. She stuck up for Ann and they became best friends because of it. So Ann got a new best friend and Raynee stopped getting pushed around and used.

The eating disorders in this book are extremely real and I think everyone should read this book to better understand how things sometimes work. Ann, her mother and her little sister are all suffering in this book and it took Ann until almost the end of the book to realize that there was something wrong with everything. Her little sister had to live with an anorexic and an overweight person and it confused and harmed her fragile frame of mind. I love how the end of the book really became about setting a better example for Libby.

Jon... I love him! The fact that he could look past Ann's weight and see her is something that hardly ever happens with guys his age. I thought it was so touching and cute. I wish there would have been a little bit more relationship development between them though. I want to know what happens after the wedding!

There are so many touchy subjects in this book and I think that's amazing. Anorexia, Obesity, Homosexuality, coming of age. There is a little bit of something for everyone here.

I loved the authors writing. It drew me in and I read the book so quickly that I had to turn back a few pages just to make sure I didn't miss anything.

Overall, I gave the book 4.5/5 Kitties.