Aug 7, 2012

Teaser Tuesday

Here are the rules:
1. Grab your current read
2. Open to a page
3. Pick out 2 lines that are SPOILER FREE
4. Name the title, author, etc.
 
 
"I wondered if anyone else could see me, and if they did, would they tell the quarterback I was figuratively pissing on his territory? I smirked at the thought, vaguely tempted to stop and make it literal as well." Kindle Location 822/4337*


*This quote comes from my e-ARC, therefore it and its location are not final








TITLE: The Lost Prince
AUTHOR: Julie Kagawa
PUBLISHER:
Harlequin Teen
GENRE:
Fantasy YA
RELEASE DATE:
October 23, 2012




Aug 6, 2012

1000 FOLLOWERS!

Yes! Today I've hit the 1,000 follower mark!! Huzzah! Never did I imagine that I would gain the big 1-0-0-0 when I started my blog 3 years ago! I've watched other bloggers skyrocket to the big 4 digits in shorter time, and I admit, I was a little envious, but still happy for them!



But yahoo! Now I am at 1000! 

A contest is in the works! I am trying to think of something, but most likely will fall back to the choice of book giveaway.

Who knows?! Be sure to check back closer to Friday, when I will likely make up my mind! 

I just want to thank you all again! I truly appreciate the followership! Even if you only manage to stop by once a week or once every few weeks, it doesn't matter! You keep me as a blog you follow, so I appreciate it!




It's Monday! What are You Reading?

It's Monday! What Are You Reading? is hosted by Sheila at Book Journey. It's a fun meme where we gather to share what we've read last week and our reading plans for this week.


Last Week I Read:

Anna Dressed in Blood by Kendare Blake (5 stars)
Thirteen by Kelley Armstrong (5 stars)



Review that was Posted:

Rift by Andrea Cremer (ARC) (4.5 stars)


Currently Reading:

The Lost Prince by Julie Kagawa (ARC)



What I Plan to Read this Week:

Personal Demons by Lisa Desrochers



Other Posts of Interest:





I am so close to 1000 followers! I was at 999, then lost one, so 2 more followers to go! And you know what that means?! A contest! Tell your friends! ;)

 

Aug 5, 2012

Stacking the Shelves

This weekly meme is hosted by Tynga's Reviews.

Stacking The Shelves is all about the books we are adding to our shelves each week, sharing with you our excitement for our newest titles and maybe have you discover a new book in the process!




I had a pretty good week! Added just a few titles to the TBR mountain!



For review from the publishers via Netgalley and Edelweiss, I got:

Into the Woods by Kim Harrison (ARC)
The Lost Prince by Julie Kagawa (ARC)


Thanks Harlequin Teen & Harper Voyager!


Then books I bought were:

The Goddess Legacy by Aimee Carter--my keeper copy since I read the ARC!
Kitty Steals the Show by Carrie Vaughn



I also got some other goodies in the mail! I ordered these last week or the week before...can't remember when! But they came! And they're Disney!!

 This adorable Mickey Mouse ears ornament, although right now it's on my bookshelf as an all year round decor! It's Princess Aurora's Mouse Ear Hat! The front as you can see is her pink dress with the rose, her gold crown, then a spinning wheel in one ear and the three good fairies in light ball form on the other! It was just so awesome and had the elements of the movie, I had to get it! What sealed the deal was seeing the back as the blue dress--my fave part in the movie is when the fairies argue over the dress color! And Aurora's signature on the back of the ear was a nice touch too!

 Then I got this cute little keepsake box! It's from the Haunted Mansion and it's one of the sliding picture frames! You know, in the beginning they look like nice little portraits and then they slide down to reveal it being a little scary? This is one of my fave rides at Disney World! I bought this one for myself because they had a one day BOGO deal!

Then I got this one as my freebie, since I felt like I didn't need two Haunted Mansion portraits! I thought I would save this and give it to my niece one day. She'll be turning four later this year before Xmas, but I thought I might wait another year since it is a ceramic type box. It's so cute too! It was smaller than I thought, but still adorable! Plus she'll know Cinderella by that time! Well she'll know Cinderella by October this year when it comes out of the vault!



And that was my haul for the week! I really only added 3 books to the mountain, so not bad! What did you get? Any other special not book goodies?





Aug 4, 2012

Top 5 Sundays

Top 5 Sundays is a weekly blog meme created by Larissa at Larissa's Bookish Life.

Every Sunday I will post a TOP 5 list on the blog. It can be about anything and every week I'll have a new theme {You can vote on next week’s theme on my left sidebar!} and I will ad the Mr.Linky bellow the post so you can do a list with the theme and add you link to it.
Rules:
1 - Write a post listing your TOP 5 choices within the theme I chose (or was chosen on a poll) for the week.
2 - Mention this Blog on the post and link back to it.
3 - Fell free to use the Feature's image (there is a smaller size version of it bellow)
4 - After you've finished your post, add you link (of the post, not your blog's main page) to the Mr.Linky at the end of that week's post.
5 – If you don’t have a blog to post, just leave your list in the comments =)


This week's topic is: SUPERPOWERS YOU'D LOVE TO HAVE FOR A DAY!


*in no particular order


FLYING

First thing to come to mind was flying! Flying would be soooo cool!




NECROMANCY

Okay, I don't necessarily want to raise the dead, I just think it would be cool to talk to ghosts and help them out. Like Jamie Vegas does!




PSYCHIC

Having psychic abilities like Abby Cooper would be awesome! Of course all these powers have their downsides, but still, this would be awesome!




INVISIBILITY

I think it would be cool to be invisible! I wouldn't do anything perverse! But just to be unseen, I could do a lot of reading without being interrupted!




THE POWER TO STOP TIME

Oh yes! I've said this before and I will say it again! Being able to stop time would be awesome!! I could obliterate my TBR mountains!!




Aug 3, 2012

Review--Thirteen by Kelley Armstrong

The #1 New York Times bestselling author Kelley Armstrong delivers the novel her fans have been clamoring for: The epic finale of the Otherworld series.
 
It’s been more than ten years, a dozen install
ments, and hundreds of thousands of copies since Kelley Armstrong introduced readers to the all-too-real denizens of the Otherworld: witches, werewolves, necromancers, vampires, and half-demons, among others. And it’s all been leading to Thirteen, the final installment, the novel that brings all of these stories to a stunning conclusion.

A war is brewing—the first battle has been waged and Savannah Levine is left standing, albeit battered and bruised. She has rescued her half brother from supernatural medical testing, but he’s fighting to stay alive. The Supernatural Liberation Movement took him hostage, and they have a maniacal plan to expose the supernatural world to the unknowing.

Savannah has called upon her inner energy to summon spells with frightening strength, a strength she never knew she had, as she fights to keep her world from shattering. But it’s more than a matter of supernaturals against one another—both heaven and hell have entered the war; hellhounds, genetically modified werewolves, and all forces of good and evil have joined the fray.

Uniting Savannah with Adam, Paige, Lucas, Jaime, Hope, and other lost-but-notforgotten characters in one epic battle, Thirteen is a grand, crowd-pleasing closer for Armstrong’s legions of fans.


I received a copy of this book from the publishers for review, I was in no way compensated for this review

It's here. The end. Kelley Armstrong's Women of the Otherworld series is finally drawing to a close--at least for now. Thirteen books and we end with Thirteen, a fitting title! Once again we journey with Savannah as she tries to stop Giles from revealing the supernatural community to the world at large and from releasing the virus that could cause harm to everyone--human and supernatural alike.

What I truly loved most about this book was that EVERYONE was in it! All the women have joined together in one way or another to help Savannah out with her saving of the world. Elena, Paige, Eve, Jamie, Hope and even Cassandra! So glad to see her since she didn't get her own novel! But wow! All that these women have been through and now we end with Savannah who has grown into her own. She's a young woman but has dealt with so much already! 

I liked seeing all the ladies back in action, or somewhat at least with Hope, since she is pregnant and all! The book is not without its scares, surprises, action and romance! The romance mostly coming from Savannah and Adam of course, but we get glimpses of the other ladies and their man! Which is what I was leading up to, there's one chapter from each of the women in this book! So the bulk is told from Savannah's point of view, but we get to get glimpses of the other women!

All the women play a pivotal role in the book too. I can't remember much from Spell Bound since it's been too long and too many books ago, but here in the final book we see what their role will be in saving the world! And they do all save the world.

I enjoyed most the moments Savannah got to spend with Eve. I won't go further into that, but since ALL the women are there, that includes Eve.

This has been one of my most favorite series ever! When I read it, it helped spark the idea I envision for my own series. A world where the main characters have a connection somehow, mainly because I have too many ideas for books I want to write and they can't all belong to one character.

Moving on, this is definitely a book you cannot miss out on if you've read the Otherworld books! This is the end! The finale! And I must say I loooooove how Kelley wrote the ending too! She has 2 notes, one in the beginning and one at the end that I think are a nice touch to the series and to the reader.

Overall Thirteen was fantastic! Things come full circle and while there was one teeny tiny thing left unsaid--although it is mentioned once more near the end and in the bonus short story--it was purely fantastic!

Which brings me to the short story at the end of Thirteen, From Russia with Love shows us Elena and Clay returning to Russia where their Pack and family is waiting. It was safer to move the twins out of the country since Giles might have wanted to use them in his evil plot to RULE THE WORLD! (dramatic, yes, but it was fun!)

But naturally Elena and Clay run into a little trouble once they hit Russia. But Elena and Clay are use to trouble and since they have their children to protect, let's just say these bad guys better think twice.

I looooved seeing little Logan and Kate! They are adorable! It's hard to believe they are 5! They act so mature, yet it's funny. Because they are definitely Clay and Elena's children.

It all leads up to a surprise for Elena, although we see it coming at the end of Thirteen. But it's still a nice surprise and end to the series as well.


Overall rating 5/5 stars









Friday Hops

This is a weekly blog meme hosted by Parajunkee's View and Alison Can Read.

Here are the general rules to Follow Friday:
1. Follow the Follow My Book Blog Friday Hosts and any one else you want to follow on the list
2. Follow our Featured Bloggers
3. Put your Blog name & URL in the Linky thing.
4. Grab the button up there and place it in a post, this post is for people to find a place to say hi in your comments
5. Follow Follow Follow as many as you can
6. If someone comments and says they are following you, be a dear and follow back. Spread the Love...and the followers
7. If you want to show the link list, just follow the link below the entries and copy and paste it within your post!
8. If your new to the follow Friday hop, comment and let me know, so I can stop by and check out your blog!

This week's question is: Do your reading habits change based on your mood? Do you read a certain genre if you are feeling depressed or happy?


MY ANSWER: Uh, not really. I prefer reading paranormals, it's actually about 95% of what I read. The other 5% is usually in the category of magic--which I guess you could argue as being somewhat paranormal. Not sure really. But no, I guess. I'm an all around paranormal girl!





TGIF is a weekly feature created and hosted by GReads! that recaps the week's post and has a different question each week.


This week's question is: Book Olympics: In the spirit of the Olympics, which books would you give the gold, silver, and bronze medals to? It can be from any genre, new or old.


MY ANSWER: Oooh toughie! I seriously enjoy every book I read! Of course there have been a few that I can say I just liked. But still...this is too hard! And I don't like this judging/competition thing. Errr!! 

Okay, so I am just going to choose three books that I've read and LOVED! Their place or medal they would receive can be up to you if you've read them! But I would say that they all deserve GOLD medals!!

Yes, that's not how the Olympics work...I don't think...but that's how these Book Olympics will work on my blog! :)


Stray by Rachel Vincent
Tiger Lily by Jodi Lynn Anderson
Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder




Aug 2, 2012

More on awesomeness!

Okay, apparently my brain is overloaded! I do recall seeing these celebs in Disney photos before! It just didn't click right away! Plus I was sooo loving these new ones!

I found a website where they have all of them! Although the new ones I featured are not here, but they have the Cinderella, Snow White and Alice in Wonderland I remember seeing at some point!

There's also Peter Pan, The Little Mermaid, Alice in Wonderland, Ursula, The Queen, Prince Phillip, Aladdin and Jasmine, Pocahontas, King Arthur from The Sword in the Stone, Julie Andrews as the Blue Fairy, Beauty and the Beast, and Sleeping Beauty, although disappointed in this one since some of my not fave at all actors are portraying Aurora and Phillip.

Click here to go the website! It has some awesome pics on it! Really love it, like seeing the celebs bring my fave movies to life!






OMG, how AWESOME is this?

Soooo, today on Yahoo, I immediately saw headlines with Disney and Will Farrell. So I was curious and clicked! First I wondered if this was movie news, but it was only advertisement for the parks! But still it is freaking awesome! I soo want to find the magazine that will have both pics in it!

Check it out!

Here we have Russell Brand as Captain Hook as he tries to escape the jaws of the Crocodile! Iconic moment; I even have a Christmas ornament with Captain Hook in this pose!

 
 
And for my favorite of the two:

Jack Black, Will Farrell and Jason Segal are portraying the Hitchhiking Ghosts from the Haunted Mansion!! It's soooo cool! They look just like my Jim Shore sculpture I have!


How cool is that?! I give many kudos to Disney for these awesome ads for the parks! Now if only I could afford to go...sigh....




Random Thursday

Did you hear about the new park...or section in Disneyland? It's called Cars Land! Heard about it a few weeks ago and put it in the first available RT (Random Thursday--not to be confused with Romantic Times) post!

And it looks pretty awesome! I've never been to DisneyLAND, but I hope to go some day! Just because really. Okay, a part of it is because there's a Johnny Depp animatronic in their Pirates of the Caribbean ride! But hey, this just adds to the incentives to go! If my family or I ever wins the lottery!


I've only seen parts of the movie Cars, but it's pretty cute! Boys gotta have their Disney flicks too! But the park is really awesome because they make it look like Radiator Springs--the place that Lightning McQueen goes to!

It's always cool to go to a park that resembles a movie--still dying to go to the Harry Potter park! One of these days!! It makes you feel like you're there in the movie! Part of why I LOOOOOOVE the Peter Pan Adventure ride at Disney World! And why I will eventually LOOOOOOOVE the Little Mermaid one too!

The rides look cute too! 

You get to ride a track in one of the Cars! There's also one where you ride in Mater Trucks and it spins around like the Scrambler, I think. And another is some sort of Bumper Tire ride where the bumper tires are floating over the ground! Then there were beach balls too! But that was just in the commercial on Disney channel I saw! Not sure if it was for the actors or if it's really apart of the ride!

Anyway, still sounds cool!



Aug 1, 2012

Waiting on Wednesday

I hate waiting...
Waiting on Wednesday is a weekly blog post by Jill over at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights releases we're eagerly awaiting.

I didn't really plan this at the time, but today is an ACE publishers' day! Both books are published by ACE and they both happen to release on October 30th!

McKenzie was a normal college student, save for one little twist: she’s a shadow reader, someone who can both see the fae and track their movements between our world and the Realm. It’s a gift for which she has been called insane, one for which she has risked family and friends—and one that has now plunged her into a brutal civil war among the fae.

With the reign of the king and his vicious general at an end, McKenzie hoped to live a more normal life while exploring her new relationship with Aren, the rebel fae who has captured her heart. But when her best friend, Paige, disappears McKenzie knows her wish is, for now, just a dream. McKenzie is the only one who can rescue her friend, but if she’s not careful, her decisions could cost the lives of everyone she’s tried so hard to save.


Sooooo cannot wait! Loved the first book, this is definitely a series I am excited about!


PUBLISHER: Ace 
GENRE: Urban Fantasy 
RELEASE DATE: October 30, 2012



WARNING: DO NOT READ DESCRIPTION BELOW IF YOU HAVEN'T READ BLACK HOWL!! THERE ARE SPOILERS!

As an Agent of Death, Madeline Black deals with loss every day. But when tragedy touches her own life, Maddy will have to find the strength within to carry on. Devastated and grieving, Maddy unexpectedly finds hope with the discovery that she is pregnant.

But Maddy’s joy is short-lived when Lucifer informs her that he wants the baby, hoping to draw on the combined power of two of his bloodlines. Maddy is determined that her grandfather will never have her child, but she’s not sure what she can do to stop him...


OMG! I soooo desperately CANNOT CANNOT wait for this one! If you've read Black Howl, you know why! I sooo soooo hope to see Maddy do something to "you-know-who"! If not this book, then you know, soon! 



TITLE: Black Lament
AUTHOR: Christina Henry
PUBLISHER:
Ace 
GENRE: Urban Fantasy 
RELEASE DATE: October 30, 2012