Sunday, September 30, 2012

The Sunday Salon- September 30, 2012

The Sunday Salon
We had ton's of fun at the wedding on Monday.  I was the "point" person and we thought I would just be answering any questions the vendors had.  Turned out I had to decorate the reception!  But it was no big deal and turned out nice.  And I love having another sister-in-law!  Then last night, my friend and I ran the Tower of Terror 10 Miler.  It was our first long race.  My friend's asthma kicked in so our time wasn't as great as we'd hoped but that's okay.  We still had fun.  We have our first half marathon in November!

I finished and reviewed the following books last week:
The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater











What's Left of Me by Kat Zhang











I fulfilled items in the following challenges last week:
2012 Reading Challenge 150+: 69, 70
2012 ARC Reading Challenge: 57, 58
What's in a Name? 5 Challenge: See in the Sky
2012 Young Adult Reading Challenge: 60, 61
 
2012 Debut Author Challenge: 19 

I am currently reading Fifty Shades Darker by E.L. James and up next is 34 Pieces of You by Carmen Rodrigues.

Saturday, September 29, 2012

Book Review- What's Left of Me

I finished reading What's Left of Me by Kat Zhang (The Hybrid Chronicles #1) on the plane back from Colorado for an Around the World ARC Tour.

From Goodreads:

I should not exist. But I do.

Eva and Addie started out the same way as everyone else—two souls woven together in one body, taking turns controlling their movements as they learned how to walk, how to sing, how to dance. But as they grew, so did the worried whispers. Why aren’t they settling? Why isn’t one of them fading? The doctors ran tests, the neighbors shied away, and their parents begged for more time. Finally Addie was pronounced healthy and Eva was declared gone. Except, she wasn’t . . .

For the past three years, Eva has clung to the remnants of her life. Only Addie knows she’s still there, trapped inside their body. Then one day, they discover there may be a way for Eva to move again. The risks are unimaginable-hybrids are considered a threat to society, so if they are caught, Addie and Eva will be locked away with the others. And yet . . . for a chance to smile, to twirl, to speak, Eva will do anything.


This book was such a neat concept.  The idea that everyone was born with two souls but that as a child, the souls should settle and that one would disappear was a new concept and one that I really enjoyed.

I really liked Addie and Eva. I liked Eva more that Addie, but maybe that was because she was the narrator.  I thought it was interesting to read about how their lives worked with Eva having to be a secret.

For a while, I thought maybe it was some kind of schizophrenia but it was really just about two souls in each body.

There was some good action in the book with enough character driven stuff to keep me really intersted.  I think there is a sequel to this book coming and if so, then I will definitely be picking it up!

I gave this book a rating of 4/5.

This book fulfills items in the following challenges:
2012 Reading Challenge 150+: 70

2012 ARC Reading Challenge: 58
2012 Debut Author Challenge: 19
2012 Young Adult Reading Challenge: 61

*FTC Disclosure: I was given this book for free for an honest review as part of the Around the World Tours.

Friday, September 28, 2012

Book Review- The Raven Boys

I finished The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater last Thursday, right before I left for my trip to Colorado for an Around the World ARC Tour.

From Goodreads:

There are only two reasons a non-seer would see a spirit on St. Mark’s Eve,” Neeve said. “Either you’re his true love . . . or you killed him.”

It is freezing in the churchyard, even before the dead arrive.

Every year, Blue Sargent stands next to her clairvoyant mother as the soon-to-be dead walk past. Blue herself never sees them—not until this year, when a boy emerges from the dark and speaks directly to her.

His name is Gansey, and Blue soon discovers that he is a rich student at Aglionby, the local private school. Blue has a policy of staying away from Aglionby boys. Known as Raven Boys, they can only mean trouble.

But Blue is drawn to Gansey, in a way she can’t entirely explain. He has it all—family money, good looks, devoted friends—but he’s looking for much more than that. He is on a quest that has encompassed three other Raven Boys: Adam, the scholarship student who resents all the privilege around him; Ronan, the fierce soul who ranges from anger to despair; and Noah, the taciturn watcher of the four, who notices many things but says very little.

For as long as she can remember, Blue has been warned that she will cause her true love to die. She never thought this would be a problem. But now, as her life becomes caught up in the strange and sinister world of the Raven Boys, she’s not so sure anymore.

From Maggie Stiefvater, the bestselling and acclaimed author of the Shiver trilogy and The Scorpio Races, comes a spellbinding new series where the inevitability of death and the nature of love lead us to a place we’ve never been before.


I've read a couple of books by Maggie Stiefvater and they've been either hit or miss for me.  I enjoyed the first two books in The Wolves of Mercy Falls series (and really need to read the third) but I didn't enjoy The Scorpio Races.  This book fell in the middle for me.

While I enjoyed the plot, the characters were just okay for me.  I never felt like I really got close to or cared about Blue.  She was just distant.  If I had to pick a favorite, it would be Adam but there was something I found weak about him.  And I wanted to like Gansey.  Sometimes when he acted vulnerable, I did.  And Ronan and Noah I just didn't care about.

But I enjoyed the plot.  I thought the story of the ley lines and Glendower and Cabeswater were interesting.  And there was definitely a big twist in the story that I didn't see coming.  But the twist worked and I always like when that happens.

I'm not sure if I'll pick up the next book in the series or not.  I'll have to read more about it first.

I gave this book a rating of 3.5/5.

This book fulfills items in the following challenges:
2012 Reading Challenge 150+: 69

2012 ARC Reading Challenge: 57
What's in a Name? 5 Challenge: See in the Sky
2012 Young Adult Reading Challenge: 60

*FTC Disclosure: I was given this book for free for an honest review as part of the Around the World Tours.

Thursday, September 27, 2012

In My Mailbox- September 24, 2012


In My Mailbox: Here's what I got in my mailbox last week

MONDAY
Beauty Queens- Libba Bray--Bookmooch











Time Between Us- Tamara Ireland Stone--review for an Around the World ARC Tour










Real Vampires Have More to Love (Glory St. Clair #6)- Gerry Bartlett--PaperbackSwap










How I Came to Sparkle Again- Kaya McLaren--from publisher for review











WEDNESDAY
What’s Left of Me (The Hybrid Chronicles #1)- Kat Zhang--review for an Around the World ARC Tour


Wednesday, September 26, 2012

The Sunday Salon- September 24, 2012

The Sunday Salon
This week, Kory left for Denver on Wednesday night so it was just me and Bella.  Then on Thursday, I drove her up to meet my mom halfway so she could watch her while I was gone.  So I was home all alone Thursday night.  It's been years since I've been by myself.  It was too still and quiet.  I flew to Denver on Friday night for Kory's twin brother's wedding and we went to the Rockies game on Saturday night.

I finished and reviewed the following book last week:
 Glass Heart (Cold Kiss #2) by Amy Garvey











I fulfilled items in the following challenges last week:
2012 Reading Challenge 150+: 68
2012 ARC Reading Challenge: 56
2012 Young Adult Reading Challenge: 59


I am currently reading Fifty Shades Darker by E L James and up next is 34 Pieces of You by Carmen Rodrigues.