Who Do I Torment Myself?

Seriously, why do I torment myself?! I was a sucker and fell for Amazon's great deal of a preorder for Origin for $5.99! $5.99 I was like hot damn! That's a good deal for a YA trade paperback! So hell yeah I ordered it.

Then a few days later I get my confirmation or status update email that says Origin will be shipped/delivered on September 3rd-8th. I stare. Thinking...what. Did. I. Just. Do?! Yeah, I save $4 (plus tax) getting this bad boy--and oh, Daemon looks so badass there!--but now I am waiting an extra week?! Eek! I will go insane!

And now to the point of my random nonsense post. When it comes to HOT titles that I am DYING to read, I tend to not read reviews. Not to be mean or anything, but because with certain books, I want to go in totally blind! I don't want anyone's opinion to effect mine be it awesomely amazing to fabulous to great, good, wonderful...or even negative, but how can we get negative with this one?! (Again, I realize not everyone loves this series)

So in the next week, when everyone--or 99% of you--or yeah less, since again, I know not everyone likes this series--are reading and reviewing it, I will have to try to remember to come back and read said reviews after I've read it. 

So to all you smart people who didn't do what I did and preorder a MUST read, kudos to you and I hope you enjoy Origin! I will definitely be enjoying it in two weeks! :P

Stacking the Shelves--2 weeks worth!

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!


Had a pretty darn good week--well 2 weeks since I didn't do a post last week since I was still out of town--of book getting! Not too much to add to the TBR mountain but didn't come out empty handed, hence, a pretty darn good week(s)!

First off for review from the publishers via Netgalley, Edelweiss and good ol' paperback copy I got:

Cold Blooded by Amanda Carlson (ARC)

The Damsel and the Daggerman by Delilah S. Dawson (ARC)

Chimera by Kelly Meding (ARC)

Kitty in the Underworld by Carrie Vaughn*

*Read and reviewed this one already!!

Thanks Orbit, Pocket Star, Tor, and Netgalley and Edelweiss!!

Then I got a totally awesome SWAG pack from Darynda Jones since I entered her contest last month. Didn't win, but hey, I love SWAG!!

I loooove swag!! I got an awesome journal with the cover of Fifth Grave Past the Light, a Thank You postcard, a bracelet that says Grim Girl with adorable skulls and crossbones on it ;), booksmarks that feature the covers of all her books for her adult and YA series, a pen and of course the nifty black bag!


Then last week I got a few things as well, such as a SIGNED copy of The Beautiful and the Cursed that I won from a contest at Books of Love! I have yet to read this but I really really want to, because gargoyles rule!!

The Beautiful and the Cursed by Page Morgan

Thanks Grace and Page, of course!

And I also won another contest at Frodo's Blog of Randomness and got a giftcard to Amazon! 

Thanks Eric!

Then this week I also bought this, it's not book related but still equally important:

Peter Pan: Return to Neverland on Blu-Ray!

This is perhaps one of the best Disney sequels ever and the last one to be released in theaters when it came to animated flicks! You know the Aladdin and Beauty and the Beast and Lion King ones were all direct to VHS back in the day!

And I do believe that's all I got in the past two weeks! What did you get?

Oh and don't forget, today is the last day to enter my AAD giveaway!

 

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 - Feel 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: BOOKS THAT MADE YOU CRY!

*in no particular order

NOCTURNE

by Syrie James

OMG! The ending to this one had me sobbing!!

UNDEAD TO THE WORLD

by DD Barant

This was one of the last books I expected to cry in! It was such an intense and kickass series. But there was a moment at the end that had me bawling like a baby!

HARRY POTTER 5-7

by J.K. Rowling

So pretty much after I finished the 5th book, every time I read a Harry Potter book I was crying! Going to count these 3 as one though! ;)

PREY

by Rachel Vincent

OMG! I was totally bawling in this one! Seriously, I was in denial for quite awhile at the end!

FOR A FEW DEMONS MORE

by Kim Harrison

Oh yeah, I was definitely bawling at the end of this one too! Caused another state of denial as well!

The Collector Sale!!

Hey All! Just got word that Victoria Scott's The Collector is on SALE for the Kindle!! A whopping $2.99!!

Click here to go and BUY, BUY, BUY!!

1400 Followers Baby!!

1400!

Oh yeah! I've hit 1400 followers this week!! Yay!! I truly never thought I would get into quadruple digits when I started my blog back on the cold January day in 2009--have no idea if it was cold out, but since it's St. Louis, it most likely was!

So let's get down to business and why you're all here! Contest time! 

We'll keep it nice and simple, one winner will get to spend $25 (US) dollars in books! For international followers, we'll do Book Depository if you happen to win. If it's a USA winner, then we can do a $25 gift card to Amazon or B&N if you wish, or the Book Depository if you happen to win!

Basically 1 winner--because I am pretty broke still from my vacation, and I have other contests planned coming up--will get to spend $25 (US) dollars in books! Sound good?

Get to it!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Is It Just Me?

Okay, so I am bit bored here. Been looking up totally random things, gift ideas, music I need to buy, Disney store items...yeah random! Then I started looking at books, because I kind of want to start a review book I got versus one of my older-gotta-read-soon titles and I don't have said review book on me, hence the browsing of the internet!

I already mentioned or at least in part, Keri Arthur's new covers for a re-release of her Nikki and Michael series. One I read way back then and enjoyed and I kind of like the new covers too! The old ones just didn't have the UF pizazz but it's likely because UF wasn't really a hot genre yet--aka The Dark Days!

So getting back on topic I was looking at the next book to come out next week, Hearts in Darkness and I noticed a startling change in the cover model.

Now is it just me, or does it look like her boobs grew three sizes? It appears to be the same cover model, because look at book 3, she looks more like her book 1 face than book 2, but I think it's due to her hair style.

It's hard to say if her boobs really changed any here, what with the dark top and her laying down. I just found that weird. Granted it's likely some sort of sales perspective or whatnot. But I just don't know. Found that odd and felt like posting about it!

So what do you think? Did her boobs get bigger or am I seeing things? At least in comparison to cover 1, which you can't see too well in that area, but I think there's enough to see to note that there was a change.

Review--Archangel's Storm by Nalini Singh

Enter New York Times bestselling author Nalini Singh’s darkly beautiful world of archangels and immortal power, as a pact is sealed between two souls bound by blood, stirred by desire, and driven by vengeance…

With wings of midnight and an affinity for shadows, Jason courts darkness. But now, with the Archangel Neha’s consort lying murdered in the jewel-studded palace that was his prison and her rage threatening cataclysmic devastation, Jason steps into the light, knowing he must unearth the murderer before it is too late.

Earning Neha’s trust comes at a price—Jason must tie himself to her bloodline through the Princess Mahiya, a woman with secrets so dangerous, she trusts no one. Least of all an enemy spymaster.

With only their relentless hunt for a violent, intelligent killer to unite them, Jason and Mahiya embark on a quest that leads to a centuries-old nightmare… and to the dark storm of an unexpected passion that threatens to drench them both in blood.

It seemed to be about time that I read Nalini Singh's Archangel's Storm...being that it's been out for nearly a year! So behind on everything! So it's a guaranteed bet to say that I have nearly no memory of what's go on in this world since the last book. If memory serves if was Dmitri's story followed by the collection of novellas that I also read. And of course I only say Dmitri and Honor since their story is continued throughout this one! What happens to them after the wedding and honeymoon, although it was never finalized, so I have to wonder if their little side story is not quite finished, or if it will be finished come the next book in October. Plus Dmitri's cover was smokin hot!

My first hint came at chapter one though when we open with Dmitri and Honor's wedding and before Jason is assigned to go to Neha's castle and investigate the murder of her husband, Eris, who had been locked away in his prison for the past three thousand or so years. But there are stipulations that must be met, such as an oath being made to the princess Mahiya--for Jason cannot make such a vow to another ruler without it interfering with his vow to Raphael. So the deal is struck with Mahiya that he basically keeps his mouth shut about any and all secrets to Neha's domain. And doing everything possible to solve the murder of Eris.

Mahiya is a princess with a hard-knocked life. She is the illegitimate child of Eris and Nivriti, Nivriti was Neha's twin sister. They have their own family problems there, but once Neha discovered this infidelity she punished them both by throwing them separately into prisons, where Nivriti gave birth to Mahiya sometime later and died afterwards. Since then Mahiya has not had a loving upraising. Life was fine for the first century or so, but then Neha's wrath started to show.

But Mahiya is not a broken princess whatsoever! She is quite strong in every sense of the word...well maybe no physically so, but with the rest, definitely! She shows Jason around the palace, giving him the ins and outs of things and is there to help solve the murder of her father. Jason has always been the strong, stoic type. He has to be it seems. For he too, has his own sordid and painful past. We get bits of it in snippets throughout the book before getting the whole tale near the end. It's no wonder that Mahiya and Jason fall for one another within time.

Jason, use to his stoic tendencies and nature, has never allowed another to get close. It's just better that way. But somehow Mahiya has gotten under his skin. He doesn't admit to loving her, but admits to wanting her. So their romance while seeming somewhat fickle based on the idea that he can never love her, is still very sweet. He may not claim to love Mahiya but there's evidence that he cares.

The murder mystery was quite fascinating in this one! And as the investigation continues, more bodies show up! Yes, bodies!! I can honestly say I never saw the murderer coming, but then again, it's because I tend to believe what is told throughout the book. I cannot recall if there was a hint or two to say otherwise. But still, I enjoy the shocking surprise when it appeared!

The ending was definitely the best part! Just as all the action is simmering down, there are still quite a few pages left and it had me dying to know what more could be said. And the answer, of course, was a lot! Without getting anywhere near spoilery, I can say that I was definitely happy with the ending. I love how Mahiya and Jason have come to accept one another for who they are. Their love was definitely one that took time to grow and that's the kind of love I, love seeing!

Nothing bad to say, although my head had been a little fuzzy these past two days when reading. At times I found myself zoning out because I had other things on my mind. Archangel's Storm was definitely a wild and exciting read though!


Overall Rating 4.5/5 stars

Follow Friday

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: Book Selfie! Take a Pic with Your Current Read!

MY ANSWER:

Ugh...I always come out weird in pics, but I'll do it for the Follow Friday! ;)

The book is Archangel's Storm by Nalini Singh!

 

Review--Kitty in the Underworld by Carrie Vaughn

As an alpha wolf, it's part of Kitty Norville's job to protect her pack. So when an intruder is reported in her territory, she immediately sets off to investigate.

Unfortunately, she walks right into a trap and winds up help prisoner in an abandoned silver mine. Her captors are an odd crew of supernatural beings who claim to want nothing more than to put an end to the machinations of the ancient vampire, Roman. They know of a ritual that can destroy him for good, but need the willing cooperation of Regina Luporum--a queen of the wolves--to make it work...and they think Kitty is perfect for the role.

Are her kidnappers dangerous fanatics, or desperate would-be allies? And even if Kitty abhors their methods, can she afford to throw away the chance to learn more about her enemy, and perhaps destroy him once and for all?

I received this book from the publishers in exchange for an honest review, I was in no way compensated for this review.


Carrie Vaughn's long-running Kitty Norville series just seems to keep on going and going! The series has been one I continue to follow purely out of dedication. I am curious to see where all these characters are going to wind up in the end. There have been a few books that dragged, some that were totally awesome and some that were in between. Kitty in the Underworld is one of the in-betweens, but still a pretty good read.

The series is definitely building up to a big showdown with Roman. I can't even remember when he first popped up in the books. It's been too long...and way too many other reads in between to recall exact details. Roman has been the big bad for awhile now, to say the least. And it seems Kitty always gets one step closer to getting to defeating him, but then something happens to get in the way of that. This time it was her getting kidnapped.

It takes about fifty pages for Kitty to be kidnapped, prior to that it was just an ordinary day--days?--in the life of Kitty and working on her radio show and trying to write her next book about werewolves in history. Then when she and another pack member go to investigate a possible intruder, she is shot with a dart filled with a poison of some sort and thus begins her kidnapping.

Kitty is basically kidnapped for the rest of the book, but she soon learns her kidnappers have their own agenda involving Roman and her. They believe themselves to be descendants of particular gods or godlike people and that together they can put an end to Roman, but they need their Regina Luporum and they believe that is Kitty.

Zora, Enkidu, Sakhmet and Kumarbis are an odd bunch. Zora is a magician, but still all human, where Enkidu and Sakhmet are shapeshifters; a werewolf and a were-mountain lion--as seen on the cover--,and Kumarbis is a very, very old vampires. One who has a personal connection to Roman.

Kitty can't decide if she's trapped among crazies or has the chance to work with potential allies. There are times she thinks both, even going back and forth in her mind. When she finally makes her decision as to what to do regarding the group's offer, she is not quite prepared for the repercussions that come with it.

Ben and Cormac weren't in this one too much, sadly. Just for a bit in the beginning and the very end. And I still have to say that I love Cormac the best. I was deeply saddened when Kitty chose Ben and couldn't help but feel for Cormac. Still waiting to see if he will ever find his happy ending. Although, since he's still harboring a ghost inside of him, I am not sure how that will be possible. I think though that Amelia will end up playing a key role in the end. Her appearance in Cormac and even the rest of the pack's lives still seems weird to me, like there's something more going on. But since Cormac wasn't in this one too much, Amelia wasn't either, so any other suspicions I might have will have to wait til next time.

Romance was a little lacking in this one too, but again it's because Kitty is separated from Ben for nearly the whole novel. They have a few moments together which were sweet and all, but I've gotten to wanting a little more than sweet romance in my reads these days! So weird that I can say that now!

There wasn't a whole lot of kickbutt action in this one, more like a simmering of one. There's definitely plans being made--whether by Kitty or Carrie--for what the gang plans to do to take down Roman. I look forward to seeing how these plans follow through!

Overall it was a pretty easy read. Maybe not as exciting as I would have hoped for, but I am definitely going to see this series through to the very end!


Overall Rating 3.5/5 stars

Random Thursday

Here's a Disney Fun Fact for you all!

Did you know that The Princess and the Frog from 2009 was the first animated film to be completely hand drawn since Home on the Range in 2004. Codirectors John Musker and Ron Clements previously collaborated on The Little Mermaid and Aladdin among others!

This fun fact was brought to you by the Disney Days Desk Calendar 2013!

My Trip to SC, GA & AAD! (+Giveaway)

Hey all!! As you know I was MIA last week. I went to Charleston, SC and Savannah, GA for some vacay! And to attend the signing day of AAD since I had quite a few authors in attendance who I've never met. 2 were no-shows unfortunately, but I still saw the others on my list!

Okay, so pictures are taking wayyyy too long to download, so keeping this pretty short! Here's the entrance to Bonaventure Cemetery in Savannah!

Here is one of the many statues in the cemetery! I took a lot of cemetery photos! Morbid, me? No! Just a lover of paranormal and creepy things! Besides, I thought the cemetery had a lot of charm!

So far, no orbs in my photos of cemeteries and haunted places! Oh well. Although while in one, we were given EMF(?) readers and ours did go red, but me and my mom still couldn't help but feel a tad skeptical. Although I still firmly believe in ghosts and am going to say that we did have a spirit nearby us!

Charleston--where we went first--was pretty freaking groovy too!

And as I said before while visiting one of the plantations, we walked towards the bridge to look out on the Ashley River and lo and behold we say 2 gators!! I tweeted about it and we basically did run away...or walk very very quickly!!

As I also mentioned, photos are being a pain to upload, so I am keeping them to a minimum. Sorry folks, but I'll get right to why you are all here anyway...the contest!

Okay I have here:

The bag given upon entrance

a SIGNED copy of Wicked as She Wants by Delilah S. Dawson

a SIGNED copy of Blood Rights by Kristen Painter

a SIGNED ARC of Soul Kissed by Erin Kellison

Plus a Blud Bunny bracelet from Delilah

Post-its and a Tattoo from Kristen

SIGNED cover flats from Erin!!

Unfortunately I have to keep the giveaway to US only! Sorry folks! But my bank is pretty broke from this trip!

Contest is open now til 12:00 AM on Monday, August 26, 2013

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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.

One choice will define you.

What if your whole world was a lie?
What if a single revelation—like a single choice—changed everything?
What if love and loyalty made you do things you never expected?

The faction-based society that Tris Prior once believed in is shattered—fractured by violence and power struggles and scarred by loss and betrayal. So when offered a chance to explore the world past the limits she’s known, Tris is ready. Perhaps beyond the fence, she and Tobias will find a simple new life together, free from complicated lies, tangled loyalties, and painful memories.

But Tris’s new reality is even more alarming than the one she left behind. Old discoveries are quickly rendered meaningless. Explosive new truths change the hearts of those she loves. And once again, Tris must battle to comprehend the complexities of human nature—and of herself—while facing impossible choices about courage, allegiance, sacrifice, and love.

Told from a riveting dual perspective, Allegiant, by #1 New York Times best-selling author Veronica Roth, brings the Divergent series to a powerful conclusion while revealing the secrets of the dystopian world that has captivated millions of readers in Divergent and Insurgent.

I still need to read Insurgent, but I figure I am at a good point now because the release is just 2 months away! I won't have that much waiting time in between books! Soooo cannot wait to read this one!


TITLE: Allegiant
AUTHOR: Veronica Roth
PUBLISHER: HarperCollins Childrens
GENRE: Dystopian YA
RELEASE DATE: October 22, 2013 

Rough and tumble Saturday Woodcutter thinks she's the only one of her sisters without any magic—until the day she accidentally conjures an ocean in the backyard. With her sword in tow, Saturday sets sail on a pirate ship, only to find herself kidnapped and whisked off to the top of the world. Is Saturday powerful enough to kill the mountain witch who holds her captive and save the world from sure destruction? And, as she wonders grumpily, "Did romance have to be part of the adventure?" As in Enchanted, readers will revel in the fragments of fairy tales that embellish this action-packed story of adventure and, yes, romance.

So yeah, I still need to read the first book, but I plan on doing that soon-ish! I love fairy tale books though so I have no doubts about enjoying this series!


TITLE: Hero
AUTHOR: Alethea Konthis
PUBLISHER: Harcourt Books
GENRE: Fantasy YA
RELEASE DATE: October 1, 2013

 

 

Review--Omens by Kelley Armstrong

#1 New York Times bestselling author Kelley Armstrong begins her new series with Omens, featuring a compelling new heroine thrust into a decades-old murder case and the dark mysteries surrounding her strange new home.

Twenty-four-year-old Olivia Taylor Jones has the perfect life. The only daughter of a wealthy, prominent Chicago family, she has an Ivy League education, pursues volunteerism and philanthropy, and is engaged to a handsome young tech firm CEO with political ambitions.

But Olivia’s world is shattered when she learns that she’s adopted. Her real parents? Todd and Pamela Larsen, notorious serial killers serving a life sentence. When the news brings a maelstrom of unwanted publicity to her adopted family and fiancé, Olivia decides to find out the truth about the Larsens.

Olivia ends up in the small town of Cainsville, Illinois, an old and cloistered community that takes a particular interest in both Olivia and her efforts to uncover her birth parents’ past.

Aided by her mother’s former lawyer, Gabriel Walsh, Olivia focuses on the Larsens’ last crime, the one her birth mother swears will prove their innocence. But as she and Gabriel start investigating the case, Olivia finds herself drawing on abilities that have remained hidden since her childhood, gifts that make her both a valuable addition to Cainsville and deeply vulnerable to unknown enemies. Because there are darker secrets behind her new home and powers lurking in the shadows that have their own plans for her.

I received this book for review by the publisher in exchange for an honest review, I was in no way compensated for this review.


I practically jumped for joy when I was asked if I'd like a review copy of Kelley Armstrong's Omens! I mean, really, it's Kelley Armstrong! No asking needed! I was thrilled to see what her new series would be like outside the Otherworld. I wasn't so much scared that I wouldn't like it, but just an eager anticipation to see what else Kelley had cooked up! And I must say I was definitely pleased!!

Omens is a far cry more different than the Otherworld series, but I won't keep talking about that difference so much. I will say that the paranormal isn't as obvious here as it was there. It's subtle and very, very mysterious. I would describe Omens as being a mish-mash of TV shows Lost and The Following with some added subtle paranormal. There are lots of questions and lots of mysteries here in Cainsville and as this is book 1, not all those questions are answered--as you might have heard from my Tweets!

Olivia had the perfect life, until one day she is told she's adopted and that her birth parents are none other than Todd and Pamela Larsen, notorious serial killers convicted of killing 8 people (4 couples) in what appeared to be ritualistic ways. Olivia goes through a bit of a shock phase, she's the daughter of killers and her life has been forever changed. Her mother practically abandons her, her fiance thinks it's best that she goes away fro awhile and they put their wedding on hold for awhile. 

Soon Olivia finds herself in Cainsville, a small town outside Chicago that no one really knows about because it's so small, but this town...it's pretty weird. And Olivia doesn't even know it yet, at least not fully. She starts to remember some of her childhood, the two years she was with her birth parents before they were arrested. Then she starts to see signs, omens all around her that her mother taught her as a child. And they are proving to be true. 

Olivia winds up teaming with Gabriel Walsh, her parent's former lawyer as he's her best connection to her parents. She meets her mother in jail who asks her to pass her case on to charity organizations to support them and their cause. It ends up turning into a mystery as Olivia and Gabriel look into the last murder of a young couple. That case itself is filled with dark and sinister secrets, and possibly clues to prove her parents' innocence...of this particular case.

Omens is definitely a thrilling read! It was intriguing and deep and all the mysteries and secrets drove me bonkers but in a good way! The people of Cainsville--as there are "interlude" chapters where we get to be in their minds, instead of Olivia's first person point of view--are so strange! They know a lot about what's going on. They hint to other secrets and mysteries that it soon becomes just a tangled web of what the heck?! But again, I stress, in a good way! I wasn't at all confused with what was going on. The story focused on Olivia and Gabriel trying to solve the mystery of the last murder. Which possibly will lead to them looking into the other 3 murder cases as well in the next few books.

But seriously, it kind of drove me bonkers about how much these other people knew about Olivia, it was creepy! That's what made me think of The Following, although not in the sense of other crazies all wanting to follow the crazy murderer around, but just that cult sense!

There's a bit of romantic tension throughout the story. There's no clear answer if romance will be in store for Olivia, having just gotten out of her engagement, but still harboring some feelings for her fiance. There's the obvious choice of Gabriel. And who knows, maybe there will be something between them, but for the moment they have enough troubles trying to work with one another. Both are pretty strong headed and are used to doing things their own way. There was also the possibility of Olivia ending up with a biker gang leader's son, Ricky! Long story there, but Ricky was the hot biker boy who's going for his MBA part time. There were some sparks between them, but he had a pretty minor role in this one, hoping to see more of him though, because I liked him for some reason. He seemed like a fun guy, yet my money is still on Gabriel!

It's impossible to keep this review short-ish, so I'll try wrapping it up now! Omens was a fantabulously amazing read!! I highly recommend it! There are still a lot of unanswered questions in this one, lots of mysteries about Cainsville and its residents, but there's still a nice resolution at the end of the book, but definitely leaves enough unsaid to leave you hanging. The cliffhanger wasn't too terrible, as I have seen worse where I am left screaming why? for the next year. Luckily, this one just leaves you wanting to know more, but still satisfied with the ending.

If you're a fan of Kelley Armstrong's Otherworld series, I recommend giving this one a shot! It's got enough mystery and intrigue going on. The paranormal element may not be strong, but it's still there between the pages! As always, I'll be looking forward to the next Kelley Armstrong book her series!


Overall Rating 5/5 stars

Teaser & Top Ten Tuesdays

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.

"Hear a wraith scream? Magey. Almost get in a car wreck? Magey. Lose a sock in the dryer? Okay, that was magey, too." p 67*




*Quote is based on the early copy I've received for review, therefore the final quote and page number may not be quite final.

TITLE: Soul Kissed
AUTHOR: Erin Kellison
PUBLISHER: Zebra
GENRE: Dark Fantasy
RELEASE DATE: September 3, 2013

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created at The Broke and the Bookish. This feature was created because we are particularly fond of lists here at The Broke and the Bookish. We'd love to share our lists with other bookish folks and would LOVE to see your top ten lists!

Each week we will post a new Top Ten list  that one of our bloggers here at The Broke and the Bookish will answer. Everyone is welcome to join. All we ask is that you link back to The Broke and the Bookish on your own Top Ten Tuesday post AND add your name to the Linky widget so that everyone can check out other bloggers lists! If you don't have a blog, just post your answers as a comment. Have fun with it! It's a fun way to get to know your fellow bloggers.

This week's topic is: Top Ten Things That Make Your Life As A Reader/Book Blogger Easier

*in no particular order

1. BLOGGER

 For the most part I have been very lucky that Blogger has been so cooperative for me! I know some bloggers have had issues and have switched to Wordpress or other domains, but Blogger definitely makes things easier on me for putting posts together since I am so not technology apt!

2. GOODREADS

Ahh, Goodreads! Definitely the best thing ever! With the book covers and cover descriptions, plus all the other publication info...Goodreads definitely makes blogging easier on getting that book info!

3. TWITTER

I don't know if I would say Twitter has made things easier, but it's definitely made things more fun since I've joined!

4. MY iPHONE

So it doesn't necessarily make blogging itself all the easier, but it's definitely been helpful now to have an updated phone with internet! Which makes tweeting so much easier now!

5. THE BOOKMARK

Yes, the bookmark definitely makes reading easier! This way I can know what page I left myself on and not have to--shudders--bend the pages!!

6. MY KINDLE

I still buy like 99% of real books, but I will say that my Kindle is great for those e-book only's--like Obsession! And the e-novellas that tend to be available in that format only and of course e-ARCs!

7. BOOKENDS

For the very very rare times when I don't have enough books on the shelf, a bookend is a lifesaver to keep them from falling over!

8. BOOKSHELVES

I so want this one! But yeah, where would we readers be without bookshelves?

9. MY LAPTOP

Okay, kind of stretching here, trying to get my 10 picks, but really, my laptop does come in super handy for blogging! Without that, I wouldn't be blogging!

10. AUTHORS

Seriously, none of any of these things would make my life easier if it weren't for the authors I so love! This is me and Maria V. Snyder--one of my all time faves--from a signing back in 2011...in Ohio, had to drive like 6 hours to go see her! But there were other authors at this signing too, so it was easy to convince my mom--my traveling buddy for these things--to come with me!