Monthly Recap: August 2013

Oh Gosh. School hit me much harder than I thought it would. I think I still had a decent reading and blogging month given the circumstances, but things will definitely be slowing down a bit on the blogging part. I hope September is another great month!

Books Read (Favorites are in bold):

1. A Midsummer's Nightmare- Kody Keplinger
2. Goddess Interrupted (Goddess Test #2)- Amiee Carter
3. This is What Happy Looks Like- Jennifer E Smith
4. Marked (House of Night #1)- P. C. Cast
5. The Goddess Inheritance (Goddess Test #2)- Amiee Carter
6. Let the Sky Fall (Sky Fall #1)- Shannon Messenger
7. Unraveling (Unraveling #1)- Elizabeth Norris
8. Unbreakable (Unraveling #2)- Elizabeth Norris
9. The Evolution of Mara Dyer (Mara Dyer #2)- Michelle Hodkin (Reread)

Books Reviewed:

1. Maximum Ride (Manga Vol #1)- James Patterson
2. Under the Never Sky (Under the Never Sky #1)- Veronica Rossi
3. Hourglass (Hourglass #1)- Myra McEntire
4. Through the Ever Night (Under the Never Sky #2)- Veronica Rossi
5. The Final Warning (Maximum Ride #4)- James Patterson
6. Marked (House of Night #1)- P. C. Cast
7. Goddess Interrupted (Goddess Test #2)- Amiee Carter

Waiting on Wednesday: The Shadowhunters' Codex

Waiting on Wednesday's is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

The Shadowhunters' Codex
Cassandra Clare & Joshua Lewis
October 29, 2013

The Clave is pleased to announce the newest edition of the Nephilim’s oldest and most famous training manual: the Shadowhunter’s Codex. Since the thirteenth century, the Codex has been the young Shadowhunter’s best friend. When you’re being swarmed by demons it can be easy to forget the finer points of obscure demon languages or the fastest way to stop an attack of Raum demons. With the Codex by your side, you never have to worry.

Now in its twenty-seventh edition, the Codex covers it all: the history and the laws of our world; how to identify, interact with, and if necessary, kill that world’s many colorful denizens; which end of the stele is the end you write with. No more will your attempt to fight off rogue vampires and warlocks be slowed by the need to answer endless questions from your new recruits: What is a Pyxis? Why don’t we use guns? If I can’t see a warlock’s mark, is there a polite way to ask him where it is? Where do we get all our holy water? Geography, History, Magic, and Zoology textbook all rolled into one, the Codex is here to help new Shadowhunters navigate the beautiful, often brutal world that we inhabit.

Do not let it be said that the Clave is outdated or, as the younger Shadowhunters say, “uncool”: this new edition of the Codex will be available not only in the usual magically-sealed demonskin binding, but also in a smart, modern edition using all of today’s most exciting printing techniques, including such new features as a sturdy clothbound cover, a protective dust jacket, and information about title, author, publisher, and so on conveniently available right on the cover. You’ll be pleased to know that it fits neatly into most satchels, and unlike previous editions, it rarely sets off alarm wards.

The old woodcuts and engravings have been replaced as well: instead, you’ll find lavish modern illustrations by some of the brightest luminaries of the fantastic. Creatures, weapons, people, and places have been carefully and accurately rendered by the likes of Rebecca Guay, Charles Vess, Jim Nelson, Theo Black, Elisabeth Alba, and Cassandra Jean. Chapters are beautifully introduced by the drawings of Michael Kaluta, and along with our condensation of the classic 2,450-page tome, A History of the Nephilim, you will find a selection of the best of the lovely illustrations of that volume by John Dollar.

Why I can't wait: First off can I just say that is probably the longest synopsis I have ever seen. And secondly, the shadowhunter world really intrigues me and this is just a book filled with anything and everything you could want to know about it. That's enough for me.

Review: Goddess Interrupted

Goddess Interrupted
Goddess Test #2
Aimee Carter

Becoming immortal wasn't supposed to be the easy part. Though Kate is about to be crowned Queen of the Underworld, she's as isolated as ever. And despite her growing love for Henry, ruler of the Underworld, he's becoming ever more distant and secretive. Then, in the midst of Kate's coronation, Henry is abducted by the only being powerful enough to kill him: the King of the Titans.

As the other gods prepare for a war that could end them all, it is up to Kate to save Henry from the depths of Tartarus. But in order to navigate the endless caverns of the Underworld, Kate must enlist the help of the one person who is the greatest threat to her future.

Henry's first wife, Persephone.

Review: Marked

Marked
House of Night #1
P.C Cast & Kristin Cast

The House of Night series is set in a world very much like our own, except in 16-year-old Zoey Redbird's world, vampyres have always existed. In this first book in the series, Zoey enters the House of Night, a school where, after having undergone the Change, she will train to become an adult vampire -- that is, if she makes it through the Change. Not all of those who are chosen do. It's tough to begin a new life, away from her parents and friends, and on top of that, Zoey finds she is no average fledgling. She has been Marked as special by the vampyre Goddess, Nyx. But she is not the only fledgling at the House of Night with special powers. When she discovers that the leader of the Dark Daughters, the school's most elite club, is misusing her Goddess-given gifts, Zoey must look deep within herself for the courage to embrace her destiny--with a little help from her new vampyre friends.

Waiting on Wednesday: Panic

Waiting on Wednesday's is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Panic
Lauren Oliver

Panic began as so many things do in Carp, a dead-end town of 12,000 people in the middle of nowhere: because it was summer, and there was nothing else to do.

Heather never thought she would compete in Panic, a legendary game played by graduating seniors, where the stakes are high and the payoff is even higher. She’d never thought of herself as fearless, the kind of person who would fight to stand out. But when she finds something, and someone, to fight for, she will discover that she is braver than she ever thought.

Dodge has never been afraid of Panic. His secret will fuel him, and get him all the way through the game, he’s sure of it. But what he doesn't know is that he’s not the only one with a secret. Everyone has something to play for.

For Heather and Dodge, the game will bring new alliances, unexpected revelations, and the possibility of first love for each of them—and the knowledge that sometimes the very things we fear are those we need the most.

Why I Can't Wait: I have read all of Lauren Oliver's YA books and I have loved them all. I can't wait to add this one to the list! And seriously this cover is amazing!

Update: Back to School

So for some very strange reason I thought I could keep up posting everyday even with school starting. Wrong. I have a seriously heavy course load this school year so I will be cutting back a bit. I am taking 3 AP classes, Honors Literature, Spanish 3 and advanced pre-calculus. Yeah, not the best decision on my part, but what is done is done. So  I will be posting about every other day. Sometimes more, hopefully not less. And that is about it sooo....... Happy Reading and I will see you soon!

Review: The Final Warning

The Final Warning
Maximum Ride #4
James Patterson

Maximum Ride is a perfectly normal teenager who just happens to be able to fly, the result of an out-of-control government experiment.

Max and the other members of the Flock-six kids who share her remarkable ability-have been asked to aid a group of environmental scientists studying the causes of global warming. The expedition seems like a perfect combination of adventure, activism--and escaping government forces who watch the Flock like a hawk.

But even in Antarctica, trapped in the harshest weather on our planet, Maximum Ride is an irresistible target in constant danger. For whoever controls her powers could also control the world. Maximum Ride is James Patterson's greatest character, a heroine who manages to be human and fearless at once.

A-Z Book Survey

Originally from The Perpetual Page Turner

Author you’ve read the most books from:

Julie Kagawa. I have read 7 of her books. All 4 books in her Iron Fey series. 1 book in her Call of the Forgotten series. 2 books in her Blood of Eden series.

Best Sequel Ever:

Oh gosh....I have no idea. Unravel Me? Red Glove? Until I Die? The Evolution of Mara Dyer? Okay now I am just cheating.

Currently Reading:

Unraveling by Elizabeth Norris

Drink of Choice While Reading:

Hot Tea or Water

E-Reader of Physical Book?

I definitely prefer physical books, but I will read an e-book every once in a while.

Fictional Character You Probably Would Have Actually Dated in High School:

Haha I am still in high school and I can tell you that dating is probably not in my future. I have way too much other stuff to focus on.

Glad You Gave This Book a Chance:

The Maze Runner. The begining of this book is really slow, but after it picks up it is just a whirlwind.

Hidden Gem Book:

The Trouble with Flirting by Claire LaZebnik. Not many people have read this and it so really cute.

Important Moment in your Reading Life:

I think my whirlwind of reading started when my brother bought me four books the summer before highschool. I got Divergent, Shatter Me, The Maze Runner, and Delirium. I loved all of those books and they are still some of my favorites!

Just Finished:

Marked (House of Night #1) by P.C Cast

Kinds of Books You Won’t Read:

I am pretty open to all kinds of books but I think I will stay clear of adult romance books...

Longest Book You’ve Read:

Monsters of Men by Patrick Ness is 603 pages.

Major book hangover because of:

The Evolution of Mara Dyer. Oh god I stayed up until 3:40 in the morning.

Number of Bookcases You Own:

With books on them? 3

One Book You Have Read Multiple Times:

Perfect You by Elizabeth Scott

Preferred Place To Read:

My old leather couch. It is really worn but it makes it soooo comfortable!

Quote that inspires you/gives you all the feels from a book you’ve read:

“There are infinite numbers between 0 and 1. There's .1 and .12 and .112 and an infinite collection of others. Of course, there is a bigger infinite set of numbers between 0 and 2, or between 0 and a million. Some infinities are bigger than other infinities. A writer we used to like taught us that. There are days, many of them, when I resent the size of my unbounded set. I want more numbers than I'm likely to get, and God, I want more numbers for Augustus Waters than he got. But, Gus, my love, I cannot tell you how thankful I am for our little infinity. I wouldn't trade it for the world. You gave me a forever within the numbered days, and I'm grateful.” 

~Hazel, The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. 

Holy crap this gets me every time T.T

Reading Regret:

Uhhhh none?

Series You Started And Need To Finish(all books are out in series):

The Maximum Ride Series. I started it and really liked the first three books, but now I am on number five and I don't really want to continue.

Three of your All-Time Favorite Books:

Just three? ARG

Divergent by Veronica Roth

Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card

Shatter Me by Tahereh Mafi

Unapologetic Fangirl For:

Uh everything? One is never to apologize for fangirling.

Very Excited For This Release More Than All The Others:

Allegiant by Veronica Roth

The Retribution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

Ignite Me by Tahereh Mafi

Do I see a pattern? All final books in trilogies.

Worst Bookish Habit:

Skimming! I even skim a couple pages just to see if anything is going to happen and then I go back and read the whole thing over.

X Marks The Spot: Start at the top left of your shelf and pick the 27th book:

The Year of Secret Assignments by Jaclyn Moriarty

Your latest book purchase:

Beauty Queens by Libba Bray

ZZZ-snatcher book (last book that kept you up WAY late):

The Evolution of Mara Dyer by Michelle Hodkin

Review: Through the Ever Night

Through the Ever Night
Under the Never Sky #2
Veronica Rossi

It's been months since Aria last saw Perry. Months since Perry was named Blood Lord of the Tides, and Aria was charged with an impossible mission. Now, finally, they are about to be reunited. But their reunion is far from perfect. The Tides don't take kindly to Aria, a former Dweller. And with the worsening Aether storms threatening the tribe's precarious existence, Aria begins to fear that leaving Perry behind might be the only way to save them both. Threatened by false friends, hidden enemies, and powerful temptations, Aria and Perry wonder,Can their love survive through the ever night? 

Waiting on Wednesday: Perfect Ruin

Waiting on Wednesday's is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Perfect Ruin
The Internment Chronicles #1
Lauren DeStefano
October 1, 2013

On Internment, the floating island in the clouds where 16-year-old Morgan Stockhour lives, getting too close to the edge can lead to madness. Even though Morgan's older brother, Lex, was a Jumper, Morgan vows never to end up like him. She tries her best not to mind that her life is orderly and boring, and if she ever wonders about the ground, and why it is forbidden, she takes solace in best friend Pen and her betrothed, Basil.

Then a murder, the first in a generation, rocks the city. With whispers swirling and fear on the wind, Morgan can no longer stop herself from investigating, especially when she meets Judas. He is the boy being blamed for the murder — betrothed to the victim — but Morgan is convinced of his innocence. Secrets lay at the heart of Internment, but nothing can prepare Morgan for what she will find — or who she will lose.

Why I can't wait: I really liked Lauren DeStefano's Chemical Garden Trilogy, so I am hoping that this one is a winner too.

Top Ten: Favorite Books with a School Setting

Top Ten Tuesday is an original feature/weekly meme created by The Broke and Bookish.

These are my favorite books with a considerable amount of time spent in a school. It actually took me a while to find all of the school names. Some of them kind of stretch it.

A Royal Match - Tyne O'Connell

St. Augustine's Boarding School for Ladies

I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You - Ally Carter

Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women

Anna and the French Kiss - Stephanie Perkins

School of America in Paris

Hex Hall - Rachel Hawkins

Hex Hall

Nightshade - Andrea Cremer

Mountain School

Ender's Game - Orson Scott Card

Battle School?

School Spirits - Rachel Hawkins

Mary Evans High School

The Angel Experiment - James Patterson

The School...

The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer - Michelle Hodkin

Croyden Academy

Vampire Academy- Richelle Mead

St. Vladimir's Academy

Review: Hourglass

Hourglass
Hourglass #1
Myra McEntire

For seventeen-year-old Emerson Cole, life is about seeing what isn't there: swooning Southern Belles; soldiers long forgotten; a haunting jazz trio that vanishes in an instant. Plagued by phantoms since her parents' death, she just wants the apparitions to stop so she can be normal. She's tried everything, but the visions keep coming back.

So when her well-meaning brother brings in a consultant from a secretive organization called the Hourglass, Emerson's willing to try one last cure. But meeting Michael Weaver may not only change her future, it may also change her past.

Who is this dark, mysterious, sympathetic guy, barely older than Emerson herself, who seems to believe every crazy word she says? Why does an electric charge seem to run through the room whenever he's around? And why is he so insistent that he needs her help to prevent a death that never should've happened?

Quote Unquote: Thirteen Reasons Why

Quote Unquote is a series of posts of my favorite quotes from certain books. Today I am doing Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher. This is book is full of emotional quotes and moments. I had to try not to cry while reading it.

~“ If you hear a song that makes you cry and you don't want to cry anymore, you don't listen to that song anymore.But you can't get away from yourself. You can't decide not to see yourself anymore. You can't decide to turn off the noise in your head.” 

~“I hope you're ready, because I'm about to tell you the story of my life. More specifically, why my life ended. And if you're listening to these tapes, you're one of the reasons why.” 

~“You don’t know what goes on in anyone’s life but your own. And when you mess with one part of a person’s life, you’re not messing with just that part. Unfortunately, you can’t be that precise and selective. When you mess with one part of a person’s life, you’re messing with their entire life. Everything. . . affects everything.” 

~“No one knows for certain how much impact they have on the lives of other people. Oftentimes, we have no clue. Yet we push it just the same.” 

~“A lot of you cared, just not enough.” 

~“Maybe it didn’t seem like a big deal to you Zach. But now, I hope you understand. My world was collapsing. I needed those notes. I needed any hope those notes might have offered. And you? You took that hope away. You decided I didn’t deserve to have it. ”

What is your favorite quote from this book? They're just all so sad T.T

Stacking the Shelves: Sisters, Lies, and Poison

Stacking The Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews. It's a great way to show other people the books that you've bought or received for the past week!

Incarceron 

Catherine Fisher

Poison

Bridget Zinn

Sisters Red

Jackson Pearce

The Lying Game

Sara Shepard

Feature and Follow Friday #2: Reading List

Follow Friday is a weekly meme hostedParajunkee and Alison Can Read. It's a great way to meet new blogger friends. This weeks question is:

Back to school. Create a reading list for the imaginary English Lit class you’ll be teaching this semester.

My Answer: Well I am in highschool, so I am going to assume this is a reading list for highschoolers. And they have to be books that will appeal to both genders, so no matter how much I want Sarah Dessen books, I think that is a no-no. 

Okay here is the list:

1. Ender's Game- Orson Scott Card

2. White Cat- Holly Black

3. Maze Runner- James Dashner

4. Unwind- Neal Shusterman

5. Divergent- Veronica Roth

6.The Wizard Test- Hillari Bell

7.The Angel Expiriment- James Patterson

8. The Knife of Never Letting Go- Patrick Ness

9. Blood Red Road- Moira Young

10. The Hunger Games- Suzanne Collins

Haha, none of my English classes have ever read that many books. It's kind of sad, I know. This is more of a dream reading list, but I think I could pull some kind of lesson out of all of those books.

Favorites: Cute Books

These are book that I love that don't have too much to think about in them. They are just cute, quick, fun reads.

Dash & Lily's Book of Dares

Rachel Cohn & David Levithan

This is my favorite book that the two of them wrote together. Dash and Lily running around the city and having awesome adventures.

Let it Snow

John Green, Maureen Johnson, & Lauren Myracle

This is an adorable combination of three stories that are all connected. This is the perfect wintertime read. Too bad it's not winter...

Loser/Queen

Jodi Lynn Anderson

I mean come on, even the cover is adorable!

Megan Meade's Guide to the McGowan Boys

Kate Brian

I have probably read this book more that twelve times.

The Trouble with Flirting

Claire LaZebnik

This one is full of cute and flirty lines that keep you reading. 

Perfect You

Elizabeth Scott

This is my current favorite cutesy read. When ever i'm in a slump and just need a cute romance-y book, this is my go-to.

What is you favorite cute and fun read?

Waiting on Wednesday: This Song Will Save Your Life

Waiting on Wednesday's is a weekly event hosted by Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

This Song Will Save Your Life
Leila Sales
September 17, 2013

Making friends has never been Elise Dembowski’s strong suit. All throughout her life, she’s been the butt of every joke and the outsider in every conversation. When a final attempt at popularity fails, Elise nearly gives up. Then she stumbles upon a warehouse party where she meets Vicky, a girl in a band who accepts her; Char, a cute, yet mysterious disc jockey; Pippa, a carefree spirit from England; and most importantly, a love for DJing.

Told in a refreshingly genuine and laugh-out-loud funny voice, This Song Will Save Your Life is an exuberant novel about identity, friendship, and the power of music to bring people together.

Teaser Tuesday #20: The Death Cure

The Death Cure
Maze Runner #3
James Dashner

Thomas knows that Wicked can't be trusted, but they say the time for lies is over, that they've collected all they can from the Trials and now must rely on the Gladers, with full memories restored, to help them with their ultimate mission. It's up to the Gladers to complete the blueprint for the cure to the Flare with a final voluntary test.

What Wicked doesn't know is that something's happened that no Trial or Variable could have foreseen. Thomas has remembered far more than they think. And he knows that he can't believe a word of what Wicked says.

The time for lies is over. But the truth is more dangerous than Thomas could ever imagine.
Will anyone survive the Death Cure?

Review: Under the Never Sky

Under the Never Sky
Under the Never Sky #1
Veronica Rossi

Aria has lived her whole life in the protected dome of Reverie. Her entire world confined to its spaces, she's never thought to dream of what lies beyond its doors. So when her mother goes missing, Aria knows her chances of surviving in the outer wasteland long enough to find her are slim.

Then Aria meets an outsider named Perry. He's searching for someone too. He's also wild - a savage - but might be her best hope at staying alive.

If they can survive, they are each other's best hope for finding answers.

Burning: Author Interview

Burning
Elena K. Arnold

Ben: Having just graduated from high school, Ben is set to leave Gypsum, Nevada. It's good timing since the gypsum mine that is the lifeblood of the area is closing, shutting the whole town down with it. Ben is lucky: he's headed to San Diego, where he's got a track scholarship at the University of California. But his best friends, Pete and Hog Boy, don't have college to look forward to, so to make them happy, Ben goes with them to check out the hot chick parked on the side of Highway 447.

Lala: She and her Gypsy family earn money by telling fortunes. Some customers choose Tarot cards; others have their palms read. The thousands of people attending the nearby Burning Man festival spend lots of cash--especially as Lala gives uncanny readings. But lately Lala's been questioning whether there might be more to life than her upcoming arranged marriage. And the day she reads Ben's cards is the day that everything changes for her. . . and for him.

    

Author Interview with Elena K. Arnold

1. Hey there! Can you tell us a bit about yourself?

Sure… I live in Long Beach, CA, and spend about two hours a day tending to my menagerie. The rest of the time I divide between taking care of my kids, laundry, coffee, and writing. It is a pretty great life.

2. Why gypsies?

SACRED, my first novel, delves into Kabbalah—mystical Judaism. I love dipping into real cultures and beliefs that seem magical, and are actually much more complicated than most people know. Gypsies—Romani people—are like that. We think we know their story, because we know the clichés and stereotypes, but the real story is actually more complex and far more interesting.

Stacking the Shelves: White, the World and Wild Cards

Stacking The Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Tynga's Reviews. It's a great way to show other people the books that you've bought or received for the past week!

Library

A Corner of White

Jaclyn Moriarty

All I Need

Susane Colasanti

Max

Maximum Ride #5

James Patterson

Nantucket Blue

Leila Howland

This is What Happy Looks Like

Jennifer E. Smith

For Review

Skin

Donna Jo Napoli

Steel Lily

Megan Curd

When the World was Flat and We Were In Love

Ingrid Jonach

Wild Cards

Simone Elkeles