{Cover Crazy} 13: Rapture by Lauren Kate

Cover Crazy is hosted by Tawni at The Book Worms! Stop by and join in on the fun.

This week I am crazy about the cover for:

Rapture by Lauren Kate

The sky is dark with wings. . . .
In RAPTURE, the highly anticipated fourth and final novel in the FALLEN series, Luce and Daniel are together . . . but for how long? Can history be rewritten? Or are some punishments eternal?

The covers for Fallen and Torment were great and I really enjoyed the books as well, as for Passion; well I didn't enjoy it that much and I didn't like the cover all that much either. But this cover, for the fourth and final novel is just stunning and I can't wait to see how this series will end. This cover is all dramatic and such in all its wondrously beautiful glory! I apologize for my obsessive gushing but it all just works so well and ties in with all the other covers.

What Cover are you Crazy for this week?

{In My Mailbox} 11

IMM is a weekly meme hosted by Kristi at: The Story Siren. You can find official information like how to participate, why it was started and other goodies about IMM on the IMM Page.

 In My Mailbox this week:

Under the Never Sky by Veronica Rossi

Perfect by Ellen Hopkins

What did you receive in you Mailbox this week?

{Review} The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Release Date: 5 January 2009

Publisher: Scholastic

Age Group: Young Adult

Format: Paperback

Pages: 454

Rating:  5- Wonderful

Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen regards it as a death sentence when she is forced to represent her district in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV. But Katniss has been close to death before - and survival, for her, is second nature.

My Thoughts:

 I was a little late to hop on The Hunger Games band-wagon, okay I was very far behind but I decided to give these books a shot once I heard a movie was being made, like any other avid YA reader out there, I had once upon a time, sworn to read books before I watched the movies.

Book-to-movie adaptations are always strange as books are always better, and I knew that I would not be able to watch the movie without reading the books first – I mean, if I had watched the movie and thought it was good, then I would’ve wanted to read the books and that would have ruined the books for me as I would have mental images of what the characters looked like from the movie. Imagination is everything and more!

Anyways, I was glad that I had finally sat down to read this book because it was fantastic! I don’t do well with books about actions, but this book was just so thrilling and fast paced.

With this book I had great expectations from all the hype I had heard as well as all the books people have compared to THE HUNGER GAMES, this book truly is legendary and I was finally able to see why people enjoyed it so much.

Suzanne Collins made the book so beautiful despite the tough situations Katniss may have been in, the way suspense was ever present and anything could happen – anyone could die at any given moment was great!

I liked the fact that this book, despite being almost too addictive and exciting to put down, had a great message and that message was to face your fears. We all have fears and I think this book taught me that I can face some of them.

I’ll leave you with this statement: I now know why so many people are comparing books to the Hunger Games, it means that the book is almost as good as the legendary series created by Suzanne Collins!

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{Review} XVI by Julia Karr

Release Date: 6 January 2011

Publisher: Speak

Age Group: Young Adult

Format: Paperback

Pages: 325

Rating:  4- Great

Some girls can't wait to be sixteen, to be legal. Nina is not one of them. Even though she has no choice in the matter, she knows that so long as her life continues as normal, everything will be okay. 
Then, with one brutal strike, Nina's normal is shattered; and she discovers that nothing that she believed about her life is true. But there's one boy who can help--and he just may hold the key to her past. 
But with the line between attraction and danger as thin as a whisper, one thing is for sure... 

My Thoughts:

 This book was interesting as it deals with topics which are not often raised in YA literature, with interesting situations and a fight to remain who you are can only leave you wanting more.

I enjoyed reading about Nina, she was an interesting character, unlike any I have read about before with a punk edge of sorts. I liked how she wanted to remain pure and did not want to become a sex-teen or get the XVI tattoo. The XVI tattoo shows that a girl is old enough to have sex and should possibly want to throw herself at men.

I think Julia Karr did a great job with this theme and concept as it deals with teenage-sex. This book should teach everyone a lesson and hopefully change some people’s lives. This book is also a dystopian novel so it made everything all the more interesting.

I thought that the way this book was written could have been a little better and maybe a little less repetitive; there were some parts which were written beautifully and were extremely engrossing.

Another important aspect of this book is the fact that family is very important. I really enjoyed reading about Nina and her sister, Dee. The bond they shared was special and interesting to read about.

I am excited to read the second novel; Truth as the ending for XVI was really something that made me happy.

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{Cover Crazy} 12: Girl of Nightmares by Kendare Blake

Cover Crazy is hosted by Tawni at The Book Worms! Stop by and join in on the fun.

This week I am crazy about the cover for:

Girl of Nightmares by Kandare Blake

In this follow-up to Anna Dressed in Blood, Cas begins seeing Anna everywhere: sometimes when he’s asleep, and sometimes in waking nightmares. But something is very wrong. These aren’t just daydreams. Anna seems tortured, torn apart in new and ever more gruesome ways every time she appears. 
Cas doesn’t know what happened to Anna when she disappeared into Hell, but he knows she doesn’t deserve whatever is happening to her now. Anna saved Cas more than once, and it’s time for him to return the favor.

I love the cover for the first book in this series; Anna Dressed in blood and I like the fact that these books have such an eerie feel to them and we get to see a face on the cover! I don't have much to say about this cover other than the fact that I think it fits the blurb perfectly. I find that those two figures reaching out are a bit freaky and I think that it will represent this book perfectly.

What Cover are you Crazy for this week?

{Review} Silence by Becca Fitzpatrick

Release Date: 4 October 2011

Publisher: Simon and Schuster Childrens Books

Age Group: Young Adult

Format: Paperback

Pages: 432

Rating:  4- Great

The noise between Patch and Nora is gone. They've overcome the secrets riddled in Patch's dark past...bridged two irreconcilable worlds...faced heart-wrenching tests of betrayal, loyalty and trust...and all for a love that will transcend the boundary between heaven and earth. Armed with nothing but their absolute faith in one another, Patch and Nora enter a desperate fight to stop a villain who holds the power to shatter everything they've worked for—and their love—forever.

My Thoughts:

  At first I was hesitant to read yet another angel book but then I thought about how much I loved Hush, Hush as well as Crescendo and then I couldn’t wait to plant myself within Nora’s brain yet again.

Fitzpatrick wrote this extremely well and I found that it was just as addictive as the first two books, if not more – I think of the main reasons that contributed to this was the fact that I had completely forgotten what went on in the last two books and so when Nora couldn’t remember anything, neither could I! Now I know that this may sound extremely stupid of me, but it made me enjoy it so much due to the fact that I, as well as Nora, had to try and figure things out.

I think that Fitzpatrick did a great with foreshadowing as I could pick up tiny hints and clues as I went along with the story.

One thing I did miss at the beginning of the book was the romance between Patch and Nora, I found the book to be great but I wished I could have seen more of Patch and Nora at the beginning of the book, as an item. I also missed seeing Vee, you get to read about her but do not read about her as often as you did in the first two books.

Despite the aspects that disappointed me, I still think that Becca did a great job, the story had to be that way in order for the book to work the way it did.

Overall; I enjoyed this book and am so excited to read the fourth book, yes there will be a fourth book! 

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{Review} A Touch Mortal by Leah Clifford

Release Date: 22 February 2011

Publisher: Greenwillow Books

Age Group: Young Adult

Format: Hardcover

Pages: 419

Rating:  4- Great

Eden didn’t expect Az. 
Not his saunter down the beach toward her. Not his unbelievable pick up line. Not the instant, undeniable connection. And not his wings. 
Yeah. 
So long happily-ever-after. 
Now trapped between life and death, cursed to spread chaos with her every touch, Eden could be the key in the eternal struggle between heaven and hell. All because she gave her heart to one of the Fallen, an angel cast out of heaven. 
She may lose everything she ever had. She may be betrayed by those she loves most. But Eden will not be a pawn in anyone else’s game. Her heart is her own. 
And that’s only the beginning of the end.

My Thoughts:

 I had not heard much about this book before I had decided to order a copy and read it and I am proud to say that I enjoyed this book immensely and was so glad that I read it!

This book is, in a way, about Angels, but do not fret if you were thinking; oh great! Yet another book about angels... this book is completely different to anything I have ever read when it comes to angels and demons of sorts. Clifford did a great job of putting her own twist on the angel fad that has been going on for a while now, the concept was well thought out and I believe, she executed it perfectly.

I have to speak about the cussing in this book as I swear(no pun intended) to give honest reviews; there is quite a lot of swearing in this book, with that being said – the swearing almost became invisible to me as I read on through the book, so if swearing is something that puts you off, please do not be afraid to try this book out as it is really was a great read!

I found that sometimes I was lost in this book, lost in places of the book where time jumped forward but I actually think that it fitted the story and actually made me want to try and read more to figure things out, I was able to figure out certain aspects of the story.

Leah Clifford actually has a brilliant writing style that is flowing and I thought that it fitted the story, the characters, as well as the concept extremely well.

In my eyes this is a great book that I believe everyone should have the chance to read as it really did blow my mind with its uniqueness, despite the theme one would deem, common.

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{Waiting on Wednesday} 14: Lies Beneath by Anne Greenwood Brown

Waiting On Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted over at Breaking The Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.

Lies Beneath by Anne Greenwood Brown

Calder White lives in the cold, clear waters of Lake Superior, the only brother in a family of murderous mermaids. To survive, Calder and his sisters prey on humans, killing them to absorb their energy. But this summer the underwater clan targets Jason Hancock out of pure revenge. They blame Hancock for their mother's death and have been waiting a long time for him to return to his family's homestead on the lake. Hancock has a fear of water, so to lure him in, Calder sets out to seduce Hancock's daughter, Lily. Easy enough—especially as Calder has lots of practice using his irresistable good looks and charm on ususpecting girls. Only this time Calder screws everything up: he falls for Lily—just as Lily starts to suspect that there's more to the monsters-in-the-lake legends than she ever imagined. And just as his sisters are losing patience with him.

What are you Waiting on this Wednesday? 

{Top Ten Tuesday} 9

Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. It was created because of their love of lists.

This week's topic is:

Top Ten Books I'd Recommend to Someone Who Doesn't Read Paranormal Romance/Urban Fantasy

(in no particular order)

1. Paranormalcy by Kiersten White: I would recommend this books to those who do not read paranormal books because Kiersten White makes the paranormal fun and snarky with awesome characters who draw you in and make the book so enjoyable and addictive!

2. Wicked Lovely by Melissa Marr: Melissa Marr creates this world which is intriguing and the characters are enticing and you want to get to know so much more about the fey and this world in which they live.

3. A Beautiful Dark by Jocelyn Davies: well Jocelyn's writing was just really fun to read and the story was so addictive and I think that fact that the paranormal aspect is mysterious throughout most of the book makes it easier to digest for those who do not often read a lot of paranormal books.

4. City of Bones by Cassandra Clare: well this book as well as the books that follow are stories that are exciting to read and you really do fall in love with the setting -- New York, and it's interesting to read about all these creatures which lurk in the city!

5. Twilight by Stephenie Meyer: because this is what sparked my love for the genre and I'm sure it might do something for some of you out there too! Don't hate...

6. Unearthly by Cynthia Hand: Cynthia's writing is addictive and the angels in this book are so intriguing!

7. A Touch Mortal by Leah Clifford: this book is was hard to put down and so much fun to read despite the darkness it may contain, maybe it would get you ready for books that are a little darker?

8. Need by Carrie Jones: well maybe if you're looking for some sort of paranormal creature that is not overdone, I would recommend Need because its about pixies, the take on the pixies is very interesting indeed.

9. Fallen by Lauren Kate: this book was about angels and extremely addictive, the paranormal aspects are very subtle in a way and makes the book an easy place for new readers to get started.

10. Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor: well this book is more like high fantasy...but the paranormal aspects are there and the writing is simply marvelous!

{Cover Crazy} 11: The Selection by Kiera Cass

Cover Crazy is hosted by Tawni at The Book Worms! Stop by and join in on the fun.

This week I am crazy about the cover for:

The Selection by Kiera Cass

For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in the palace and compete for the heart of the gorgeous Prince Maxon. 
But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her. Leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn't want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks. 
Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she's made for herself- and realizes that the life she's always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined.

I think that this may very well be one of the best covers of 2012 for me so far! I like the "icy" feel that the cover gives off. I also find the girl to be intriguing and for some off reason she reminds me of a swan. I am baffled as to whether those other girls are the reflection of the girl in the center or if they are completely different people entirely. My eyes are playing tricks on me!

I think the font that was chose for this book was perfect for the title, it is simple and elegant and it matches the crown embellishment that is placed above the title, perfectly!

What Cover are you Crazy for this week?

{Giveaway} Mega YA 2011 Swag Giveaway!

I have a heap of swag from 2011 YA books that I would like to host a giveaway for! There is a lot of swag in the pack and I thought it would be a great idea to start of 2012 with a little looking back on what a great year 2011 was for books, I bet 2012 is going to be all the more amazing!

What's in the swag pack?

• Half-Blood Promo Card
• Half-Blood bookmark
• Half-Blood guitar pick
• Daimon bookmark
• Possession bookmark x2
• Possession Tattoo x2
• Die For Me bookmark
• Midnight Feast Book Fanatics Bookmark
• The Emerald Talisman bookmark
• The Sapphire Talisman bookmark
• Hurricane bookmark
• Hurricane button
• Carrier of the Mark Promo card
• Carrier of the Mark bookmark
• Carrier of the Mark bookplate
• The Iron Witch bookplate
• The Iron Witch Stickers

All of this swag is signed!

{Review} Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare

Release Date: 6 December 2011

Publisher: Walker Books

Age Group: Young Adult

Format: Paperback

Pages: 496

Rating:  5- Wonderful

The situation at the London Institute has never been more precarious. With Mortmain and his clockwork army still threatening, the Council wants to strip Charlotte of her power and hand the running of the Enclave over to the unscrupulous and power-hungry Benedict Lightwood. 
In the hope of saving Charlotte and the Institute, Will, Jem, and Tessa set out to unravel the secrets of Mortmain’s past—and discover unsettling Shadowhunter connections that hold the key not only to the enemy’s motivations, but also to the secret of Tessa’s identity. Tessa, already caught between the affections of Will and Jem, finds herself with another choice to make when she learns how the Shadowhunters helped make her a “monster.” Will she turn from them to her brother, Nate, who has been begging her to join him at Mortmain’s side? Where will her loyalties—and love—lie? Tessa alone can choose to save the Shadowhunters of London…or end them forever.

My Thoughts:

 The Infernal Devices! I think I now love this series more than I love The Mortal Instruments. Cassandra Clare has done yet another fantastic job with Clockwork Prince, just as she had done previously with Clockwork Angel.

Cassandra Clare did a fantastic job with writing the book in such a way that by the time I had read the first paragraph I was already so immersed within the world, taken back to the time period which Clockwork Prince is set in. Usually it takes me a while to get into Cassandra Clare’s books – knowing that the struggle at first is worth it in the end because they become addictive at a certain point, but I found that I was instantly able to enjoy this book. Her writing is effortless and her descriptions made the world seem extraordinarily real and vivid.

I also found that the characters developed a lot more and I was glad to see this as throughout the book I got to learn a little more about each of the characters, despite being very fond of them already due to my love of this world and its characters.

I became a very big fan of Sophie through the process of reading this book, I admire her and all that she does, despite being a housemaid I thought that she was a really great and vital character in this book. One of my favourite scene’s in this book was a scene in which Sophie did something to Jessamine, I will not say what she did but I thought it was extremely brave and funny.

With Clockwork Angel; I had become a fan of Will and then in Clockwork Prince I found myself leaning towards Team Jem. I am now officially team Jem! I was so torn at the end of this book, I cannot wait for Clockwork Princess!

This was a fantastic book written by the awesome Cassandra Clare, her romance, action as well as darkly humoured books, never fail to impress me.

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{Review} Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

Release Date: 29 September 2011

Publisher: Hodder & Stroughton

Age Group: Young Adult

Format: Paperback

Pages: 418

Rating:  5- Wonderful 

Featuring necklaces made of wishes; an underground shop dealing in teeth; magical tattoos; a wishbone on a cord, DAUGHTER OF SMOKE AND BONE is a thrilling story about Karou and her secret life as an apprentice to a wishmonger. Karou manages to keep her two lives in balance. On the one hand, she is a seventeen-year-old art student in Prague; on the other, errand-girl to an inhuman creature who deals in wishes and is the closest thing she has to family. Her life is surrounded by mysteries she is desperate to unveil.

My Thoughts:

 I remember a couple of years ago I had planned to read Taylor’s books and then later on decided that I wouldn’t due to time constraints and so on, after reading Daughter of Smoke and Bone, I totally regret that decision because her writing is fantastic and I was speechless by this awesomely entrancing world she had created.

This book was original – really original and was refreshing to read as well as to get lost in, this book is one of a kind and something I am proud to say, is extremely strange, and by strange I mean it was wonderful and awesome and – okay, I’ll stop the funny gushing.

The reason I found this world that Taylor created to be so intriguing was mainly due to the fact that Karou was a mystery to everyone around her and also a mystery in my eyes so it was interesting to try and figure things out about her. I mean she had blue hair and I would like to commend Taylor on an excellent job for filling this book with fantasy and making it believable, without making the outlandish things in this book seem childish, it was not.

I really appreciate this book so much as the main character enjoys visual art, I love the arts and think that this book was just so much better for adding this aspect in to Karou’s personality.

The writing is beautiful, addictive and leaves me absolutely speechless, I literally found that Taylor’s writing left me gobsmacked. This is a great book and recommend it all to who would like something original and breathtakingly beautiful.

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