Nerdfighter Gathering!!

Ok, so I know it's been a while since I've updated. I'm sorry. Part of it is personal reasons, and part of it is that I want to begin to book blog differently. But, that's a whole different post!

Right now I want to share my overwhelming excitement!! The vlogbrothers are coming to Portland, OR!

I. Know.

Want to know more? Watch the video:

Weeee!

If you're not sure what I'm even talking about, let me give you some background. :)

The vlogbrothers are two brothers that vlog back and forth to each other and a whole community of followers called "nerdfighters". They talk about anything... mostly nerdy, funny stuff. John Green is an author, and Hank Green runs an eco website. They are so much more though! Inside jokes, songs, traveling, thoughts, and much more.

If you want more info on them, you can check them out in a post I did for cupcake and a latte:

Are You a Nerdfighter?

I can't wait to meet them. Please don't sell out too quickly, tickets!

Do you wait to read a series, or read them as they come out?

Are you one of those people who reads books as they come out, or do you wait until every book in the series has been released?

I am somewhere in the middle. I love discovering a series that has been fully written; that way I don't have to wait on pins and needles wondering what is going to happen next! There are quite a few series that I happened upon this way: The vampire academy series, The Hunger Games Trilogy, The Harry Potter series, The Twilight series, and the Fever series. I loved all of these books, and I am SO glad I got to them when they were already finished. I love being able to pick up a the next book and continue on.

Sometimes a book sounds too good to pass up and I read it even though I know I'll have to wait a while for the next one. For example, Tahereh Mafi's Shatter Me. I could not WAIT to get my hands on an advanced copy of it. Now I have quite a while to wait before the next book comes out.

I just finished Illusions (wings #3) and now I'm dying to know what happens! Book number four doesn't come out until April! I don't know about you, but I have a terrible memory, and I will probably forget all about what happened in the first 3 books by then.

I'm team Tamani, by the way. :)

Review: Blood Rights

Title: Blood Rights (House of Comarre #1)
Author: Kristen Painter
Publisher: Orbit - an imprint of Hachette Book Group
Release date: October 1, 2011
Goodreads | Amazon
I received an advanced digital copy of this book from the author to review. This is my honest opinion.  

Description (from Goodreads):

Born into a life of secrets and service, Chrysabelle's body bears the telltale marks of a comarré -- a special race of humans bred to feed vampire nobility. When her patron is murdered, she becomes the prime suspect, which sends her running into the mortal world...and into the arms of Malkolm, an outcast vampire cursed to kill every being from whom he drinks.

Now, Chrysabelle and Malkolm must work together to stop a plot to merge the mortal and supernatural worlds. If they fail, a chaos unlike anything anyone has ever seen will threaten to reign.

Review:  

Completely fascinating!

I was so excited when Kristen (the author herself! Aahhh!) asked me if I wanted a review copy of this book! I may have even googled her email address to make sure it was some scammer or creepo wanting my address because I was shocked that it was really her. :P I was a little scared to get her book and not like it. I am a pretty nice person and I can't stand hurting someone's feelings, especially on something like a book, where they have put so much of themselves into it. Plus, it has one of the most awesome covers! I was afraid that the book wouldn't live up to the amazing-ness that is that gorgeous cover.

I worried for nothing! I loved everything about this book. The cover and the story are both equally stunning.

One of my favorite things about Blood Rights was the world they lived in. The vampires have a royal hierarchy, and they even have differing levels on whom they feed upon. The commare are the top tier of the vampires prey. They are decorated in gold signum (lacy gold markings that are kind of like tattoos), and are treated really well by their vampire patrons. This definitely was unlike any book I've ever read.

The characters were also great. I loved Chrysabelle! She was strong and smart, and yet still a bit naive and sheltered. Mal was dark and moody, yet so wrong about how he sees himself. This story is told by multiple points of view, and it was done fabulously. It built up suspense and enriched the story so much more than it would have been if it had been just from Chrysabelle's point of view.

This was the first book in a good, long time that I had to force myself to not devour in one sitting. You know when you find a book or series that is just so awesome that you have to try really hard to pace yourself and not rush through the whole book at blinding speed? Blood Rights was that for me. I never wanted it to end! Thank goodness there will be more books after this one.

The story builds at a slow, mesmerizing simmer. I loved how Kristen took her time building up the world, the characters, and the storyline. Yet, at the same time it was never boring! I just wanted to soak up every last detail. There were jaw-dropping twists and turns that I never saw coming.

I know, I know, I am gushing about this book! Honestly though, it's one of my favorite books of this year. I highly recommend you pick this up. It's awesome.

In My Mailbox - August 7, 2011

It's In My Mailbox time! Woo! I really do love when we all share what we got for the week. :D

In My Mailbox is a meme that is hosted by The Story Siren. It's a fun way to share what books we got for the week. They can be from publishers, the library, bought, or whatever. They don't have to be from the mailbox. Mine usually aren't! 

This week was mostly all about the adult paranormal romance books! First, let me show you the books I won.

Won from Cold Moon Violet Books:

Once Dead, Twice Shy | Kim Harrison

Goodreads

It's signed, too! Awesome!

Happy Hour at Casa Dracula | Marta Acosta

Goodreads

Random Acts of Kindness:

Lover Eternal (The Black Dagger Brotherhood #2) | J.R. Ward

Goodreads

I read this one this week. It was so good I went out and got the next one in the series! 

Bought:

I'm so sad that Borders is closing down. :(  They had their romance novels at 40% off, so I got some good deals. 

Lover Awakened (The Black Dagger Brotherhood #4) | J.R. Ward

Goodreads

I just finished this one, too! Such a great series. 

Storm's Heart (The Elder Races #2) | Thea Harrison

Goodreads

I LOVED Dragon Bound, so I can't wait to read this one. 

The Darkest Passion (Lords of the Underworld #5) | Gena Showalter 

Goodreads

I just love this series! I went ahead and bought the next two that I needed.

The Darkest Lie (Lords of the Underworld #6) | Gena Showalter

Goodreads 

One Foot in the Grave (Night Huntress #2) | Jeaniene Frost

Goodreads

After reading the first book, I had to go out at get book #2! I can't imagine where this book is going to take us! 

Yep, so I guess I'm on a bit of a paranormal romance kick right now! I have so many reviews that I need to catch up on! Hopefully I'll feel better tomorrow so I can get started on them. 

So, that's what I got this week! What about you?

July RAK

Random Acts of Kindness is a program hosted by Isalys and Vanessa over at Book Soulmates. You pick a person or two (or however many you want) and send them something from their wishlist. Someone might send you something, too!

I sent out 2 books this month. How fun!

I also received two books: 

from Amanda at On a Book Bender I got:

Halfway to the Grave | Jeaniene Frost

It was a total surprise! This book just showed up on my doorstep. Yay! 

Then, I got an email from Stephanie at Once upon a Chapter saying that she wanted to send me a book:

Lover Eternal | J.R. Ward

I knew a book was coming, but had no idea which one. Another great surprise!

I just read both of these books this week, and they were both amazing! I am definitely going to be picking up the next book in both series as soon as possible. 

Now, for something unrelated to RAK. For thse of you who noticed that I haven't posted since last week, sorry! I've had house guests almost this whole month, and on top of that I got sick. : / Blogging while sick is no fun. I did get quite a few books read, though! Yay!

The cover of Fever has been revealed!

Lauren DeStafano shared the cover for Fever (the Chemical Garden Trilogy #2) on Twitter today!

Here is a section of it, courtesy of Goodreads:

You can see the whole jacket here:

Fever Cover

It's going to look so good on my shelf, right next to Wither!

So, Are You A Nerdfighter?

Yes? No? Not sure what I'm talking about?

Head on over to A Book and A Latte and check out my guest post all about the vlogbrothers and Nerdfighteria:

A Book and A Latte

I am pretty excited about it! It may just be my most favorite post I've ever written. :)

Thank you Jen, for inviting me to post all about the Vlogbrothers on your blog! It was so FUN! 

In My Mailbox - July 24, 2011

In My Mailbox is a meme that is hosted by The Story Siren. It's a fun way to share what books we got for the week. They can be from publishers, the library, bought, or whatever. They don't have to be from the mailbox. Mine usually aren't! 

I think that I say I had an amazing week in books every week, but really, this week was freaking fantastic! 

I actually did a vlog this week! :)

Won: 

I won a bunch of Advanced Reader's Editions on Katie's Book Blog a few weeks ago, and they came in this week!!! Woo! Thank you Katie! I won all of these:

picture from Katie's Book Blog

I already have a copy of The Beginning of After, so she gave that to someone else. 

Shatter Me | Tahereh Mafi

Goodreads

I am so beyond excited for this one! If this were the only book I got this week, I would still be stoked. I got the ARC that doesn't have the cover. I kind of like that because I think it leaves more to the imagination.  

The Girl of Fire and Thorns | Rae Carson

Goodreads

So, I guess the cover of this book changed. I had no idea! The new cover is on goodreads.

Ten Thing We Did (and Probably Shouldn't Have) | Sarah Mylnowski

Goodreads

Dead Rules | Randy Russel

Goodreads

Cold Kiss | Amy Garvey 

Goodreads

Eve | Anna Carey

Goodreads

Fateful | Claudia Gray

Goodreads

I also won a book from Kira at Mrs. Boswell's Book Bag. It's signed!! Yay! 

Possession | Elana Johnson

Goodreads

Thanks Kira! :)

Bought:

Beauty Queens | Libba Bray 

Goodreads 

Linger (The Wolves of Mercy Falls #2) | Maggie Stiefvater 

Goodreads

Review: Wildefire

Title: Wildefire
Author: Karsten Knight
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Goodreads

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

Synopsis (from Goodreads):

Every flame begins with a spark. 

Ashline Wilde is having a rough sophomore year. She’s struggling to find her place as the only Polynesian girl in school, her boyfriend just cheated on her, and now her runaway sister, Eve, has decided to barge back into her life. When Eve’s violent behavior escalates and she does the unthinkable, Ash transfers to a remote private school nestled in California’s redwoods, hoping to put the tragedy behind her. 

But her fresh start at Blackwood Academy doesn’t go as planned. Just as Ash is beginning to enjoy the perks of her new school—being captain of the tennis team, a steamy romance with a hot, local park ranger—Ash discovers that a group of gods and goddesses have mysteriously enrolled at Blackwood…and she’s one of them. 

To make matters worse, Eve has resurfaced to haunt Ash, and she’s got some strange abilities of her own. With a war between the gods looming over campus, Ash must master the new fire smoldering within before she clashes with her sister one more time… And when warm and cold fronts collide, there’s guaranteed to be a storm.

Review:

I really wanted to LOVE this book, so very badly. Wildefire is one of the books that I was looking forward to reading the most this year.  I'm sad to say that I was a bit disappointed. I really did LIKE it, but not as much as I was hoping.

First, I think I must talk about the cover. It's amazing! The book itself is so gorgeous in person. It's feels a bit soft, too. It's one of the prettiest book I have ever seen. I am so stoked that I own a lovely copy to place on my shelf!

One thing that kind of bothered me a bit was the violence. I'm not completely against violence in books, but something  about it rubbed me the wrong way. Also, I'm kind of disappointed that I knew ahead of time what Ashline is. The back of the book completely gives it away, even though most of the book Ashline is trying to figure it out. It would have been nice for there to have been a bit more mystery.

I loved when it started getting into the paranormal part. The beginning is a bit slow, but Ashline's story is needed before getting into the good stuff. I loved that we got to know the other character's background stories, too. There are so many other paranormal books out there, but this one was definitely unique. I've never read another book that has what Ashline is. I loved that she was Polynesian, too!

Whoa, the ending is crazy! I'm so intrigued about what's going to happen in the next book! The very last bit is what totally  made this book, for me. There were a few surprises that I really enjoyed.

So, after much thought (you have no idea how long I spent trying to figure out exactly what I thought of it), I really did like this story. I've had a few days after reading it to kind of absorb the story more, and I'm liking it more than I initially thought I did.  I have high hopes for book two.

Borders is Closing Its Doors

That's right, Borders is attempting to liquidate all of their stores and close down, for good. 

Is anyone else as saddened by this as I am? Borders has the BEST coupons! I love to use them to get the new releases at a great price.

I found a few useful questions and answers on the Chicago Sun-Times website. This is from the article "What You Need to Know About Borders Closing", and can be found HERE:

Q. When will sales start?
A. Liquidation sales start Friday and usually take eight to 10 weeks to complete. Stores close as soon as the inventory is sold, so they could close sooner if the merchandise sells quickly. 

Q. When will the stores close?
A. The store sites are slated to be sold by the end of September. The first wave of property auctions will take place from the end of August until the beginning of September, followed by a second wave from mid-September until the end of September. Most Chicago stores will be part of the second wave, said Andy Graiser, co-president of DJM Realty, the Melville, N.Y. company in charge of finding bidders for and disposing of the stores. 

Q. How good will the bargains be?
A. Opening discounts start at up to 40 percent on all merchandise. The prices at which the discounts are taken are the level that Borders charged prior to its bankruptcy filing. Roughly $700 million of inventory will be on sale.

 As sad as I am to see them go, I will most definitely be hitting up those sales, and probably multiple times. The thing that I have to remind myself is not to go all super crazy, because 10-30% isn't a good deal when I can get a better discount online.

What About the other Booksellers?

I think what scares me is what a major bookseller closing could mean for other book sellers. As much as I love the fact that e-readers and online stores make reading and shopping for books easier, I am in LOVE with bookstores. I love to physically be able to pick up a book and flip through it before I buy it. I also use bookstores as the time for me to escape; It's my me-time.

I'm hoping that this doesn't happen to the other booksellers out there! If a major bookseller can go under, what does that say about the more indie book sellers? It seems to me that Powells (my favorite local store) always has customers in there, shopping, so hopefully they'll stay afloat!


So, is this affecting you at all?

In My Mailbox - July 16, 2011

In My Mailbox is a meme that is hosted by The Story Siren. It's a fun way to share what books we got for the week. They can be from publishers, the library, bought, or whatever. They don't have to be from the mailbox. Mine usually aren't! 

Holy  bananas! This week was awesome. Let me show you!

Look at that beautiful pile of books! 

Bought:

A Need So Beautiful  | Suzanne Young

Goodreads

I went to Suzanne's signing this week! I'm editing the pictures for it, so as soon as I'm done, I'll post all about it!

Tiger's Curse | Colleen Houck

Goodreads

Colleen was at Suzanne's signing and agreed to sign it for me. :) She had her own signing 2 days later, but I couldn't go to it. :( 

The Darkest Secret (Lords of the Underworld #7) | Gena Showalter

Goodreads

Um, so I meant to buy the one with all the short stories, but I got distracted and picked up this one instead. I only just finished the 3rd book, but I figure I'll get to it someday. :P

For Review:

Wildefire | Karsten Knight

Goodreads

I cannot even tell you how excited I am!! I asked for an ARC forever ago, not really expecting to get one. Well, the publisher sent me a gorgeous finished copy!! Oh my gosh! I was so surprised. Freaking sweet.

Won:

Thirteen Reasons Why | Jay Asher

Goodreads

I won this from I Eat Words! Yay! I've heard it's amazing. Thank you! 

Won from Armchair BEA:

The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making | Catherynne M. Valente

Goodreads

This book is so whimsical and pretty! 

It's the First Day of School... Forever! | R.L Stine

Goodreads

I used to love these books when I was younger! I thought it was kind of neat to have an Advanced Readers Copy of an R.L. Stine book.

 It's a Book | Lane Smith

Goodreads

This book is like a children's picture book. It's awesome, and I think it's perfect for any book lover. :) So cute and funny! I should do a review of it.

Ignore the copy of Halfway to the Grave, it was from last week. I included it in the picture... who knows why. I guess I was still excited about it. :)

Shatter Me Has a Cover!

It feels like we have waited forever for the reveal of the cover for Shatter Me, doesn't it?? It was finally shown on MTV Hollywood Crush yesterday.

I already had a total fan-girl post a couple weeks ago that gave all the little details about the book: Shatter Me Post. It includes the synopsis, trailer, and I even included a link to a sound clip where you can learn how to say Tahereh! All that post was missing was the cover, and now we have it!

Here it is:

 

So, what do you think?

Me....well, I think I like it. I'm not sure yet. There are some aspects I really love, like the shatters behind her and the font of Tahereh's name. I think I will wait until I see it in person to say whether or not I love it. Perhaps I was expecting a more ambiguous and darker cover? Either way, I still want to read it more than any other book out there!!

Review: Wither

Title: Wither (The Chemical Garden Trilogy: Book One)
Author: Lauren DeStefano
Publisher: Simon and Schuster BFYR
Goodreads

Synopsis (via Goodreads):

What if you knew exactly when you would die?  

Thanks to modern science, every human being has become a ticking genetic time bomb — males only live to age twenty-five, and females only live to age twenty. In this bleak landscape, young girls are kidnapped and forced into polygamous marriages to keep the population from dying out. When sixteen-year-old Rhine Ellery is taken by the Gatherers to become a bride, she enters a world of wealth and privilege. Despite her husband Linden's genuine love for her, and a tenuous trust among her sister wives, Rhine has one purpose: to escape — to find her twin brother and go home.  

But Rhine has more to contend with than losing her freedom. Linden's eccentric father is bent on finding an antidote to the genetic virus that is getting closer to taking his son, even if it means collecting corpses in order to test his experiments. With the help of Gabriel, a servant Rhine is growing dangerously attracted to, Rhine attempts to break free, in the limited time she has left.

Review:

This was a very strange, but fantastical book.

I think I am a sucker for books where there is a biological problem with people and they either die, become zombies, or whatnot. I read this book in less than 24 hours!

I have to tell you that I was afraid to read Wither. It had been the object of my desire for SO LONG that I was afraid to read it and be disappointed. I bought it and then it sat and sat and sat on my bookshelf.

So, did it live up to my expectations? Well, I can't really answer that because it wasn't what I expected at all! I knew going in that this was about polygamy, and a couple of boys, but that was about it. It was about so much more complicated than that!

There were quite a few things in Wither that I think were necessary to help illustrate the deeper issues going on in this world. It's easy to get offended by some of the stuff that DeStefano decided to include, but I think she needed to cross that line to show how messed up things really are for these characters. Of course, this is just how I interpreted things.

The action starts right at the beginning of the book, and sets the perfect pace. There are bits and pieces of the past that are spread throughout the book, and I think that the way DeStefano did that was perfect. We know right away that something is happening to Rhine, and we get thrown right into the confusion and are scared right along with her. Nothing is concrete, and she has to tread lightly and try to piece it all together.

Overall, Wither was a unique and intriguing read! The characters were easy to attach to, the storyline was great, and I don't think I've read anything quite like it. The only thing that I didn't like was that I felt like it lulled a bit (just a tiny bit) and then all of a sudden something happened without enough buildup. It really didn't bother me all that much though!

I am eagerly awaiting the arrival of Book Two in the Chemical Garden Trilogy: Fever. I just can't imagine where it will all go from here!

In My Mailbox - July 10, 2011

In My Mailbox is a meme that is hosted by The Story Siren. It's a fun way to share what books we got for the week. They can be from publishers, the library, bought, or whatever. They don't have to be from the mailbox. Mine usually aren't! 

Another week where I managed to not buy any books! Yay! It's hard. I've definitely had the urge to go the Powells. I got a couple of awesome books anyways, though!


Won:

Betrayal | Mayandree Michel

Goodreads

I won this from Bonnie on A Backwards Story! It's signed and personalized by the author. Thanks Bonnie and Mayandree!

Gifted:

Halfway to the Grave | Jeanine Frost

Goodreads

This gifted to me by Amanda from On a Book Bender via RAK! Thanks Amanda!! That was such an awesome surprise. I can not wait to read it! :) 

What did you guys get this week?

Review: Dragon Bound

Title: Dragon Bound (Elder Races #1)
Author: Thea Harrison
Publisher: Berkley
Goodreads

Description (from Goodreads):

Half-human and half-wyr, Pia Giovanni spent her life keeping a low profile among the wyrkind and avoiding the continuing conflict between them and their dark Fae enemies. But after being blackmailed into stealing a coin from the hoard of a dragon, Pia finds herself targeted by one of the most powerful-and passionate-of the Elder races.

Review:

This book was GOOD!  So, so good.

I loved the way that Harrison wrote this. She surprised me by using unexpected words and phrases; It was refreshing and exciting! There was one line towards the end of the novel that I thought was just awesome and perfect. I can't tell you what it is because I don't want to give anything away, but it was one of those scenes where you feel all giddy and sigh to yourself.

The storyline was fantastic! Here is the gist of it: Pia is forced to steal something from a man (who can transform into a dragon) when others find out about her magical side that she has kept hidden for her entire life. There was lots of mystery and I loved that way that Thea Harrison only gave little bits at a time. It kept me turning that pages as fast as I could, that's for sure!

It's a paranormal romance, so it's definitely meant for readers who are mature enough to read about sex. Ok, warning said! The scenes in this book were hot and satisfying! Harrison sure does know how to paint a Steamy scene. The ones in this book may be my favorite of all of the ones I've ever read!

This is a total must read. If you like the Lords of the Underworld series or the Black Dagger Brotherhood series, definitely check out Dragon Bound! Even J.R. Ward is quoted on the cover as saying fans of TBDB will love this story.

The only bad thing I have to say is that I have to wait for the next books in the series to come out! If I could, I would devour them right now. Both the second and third books come out this year, so I don't have too long to wait!

Review: River Cast

Title: River Cast
Author: Samantha Young
Goodreads | Amazon

I received a digital copy of this book from the author to review. This is my honest opinion.

Description: 

Enter a world of fierce wolves, stunning magic and romance...  

The war is escalating.

Caia is caught between her loyalty to the Daylights and her new insight into the hearts of the Midnights. Invited to train at the Centre under the tutelage of the Daylights, Caia and Lucien immerse themselves in the world of the Head of the Coven, Marita. With an upcoming battle hanging over their heads, Caia and her Alpha struggle to understand Marita’s vision for the future of the Coven, and withstand her manipulation and plans for them. Plans that are sure to separate Caia from Pack Errante; plans that inadvertently push Caia not only further away from Lucien, but from all Daylights. 

Conflicted… Caia must choose a side in the war. And her choice may mean sacrificing all those she has come to love. 

YA Paranormal Romance for mature teens+ (some content may not be suitable for younger readers)

Review:

A great addition to the Tale of Lunarmorte!

I have to say that I liked the first book more, but by just a little bit. With the first book, we get the unique paranormal world built upon the history of the Greek Gods, and the excitement that goes along with the newness is hard to beat. With that said, River Cast was still a great book with lots of mystery and detail.

In this book, we get to hear from Jaeden's point of view, too. At first I wasn't sure I was going to like that, but it definitely added to the story and made it more well rounded. She really added so much more depth to the story! Jaeden rocks.

There was a new love story in River Cast, and it was great! I love Ryder! I think I like him even more than Lucien! He is caring and knows exactly what the object of his affection needs.

Caia seems to suffer from a desire to be strong by handling problems by herself instead of letting others know what is really going on. She tries to handle it all herself, and kind of alienates herself by doing so. She is a very caring and selfless character, though: giving up what she really wants for the good of her pack and the rest of the world. She's definitely growing up and learning how to make tough choices.