Emergency Review-a-Thon Update 4

OK, so I've written my next review, Illusionarium, and I'm going to review Iced and Burned next!

Reviewed: Skeletal, Inferno, Altar of Eden, Illusionarium.

Goal: 10
Reviews: 4

Emergency Review-a-Thon Update 3

OK, so I've written my next review, Altar of Eden, and I'm going to review Illusionarium next!

Reviewed: Skeletal, Inferno, Altar of Eden.

Goal: 10
Reviews: 3

Waiting on Wednesday #206, April 15th

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating!

Eighth Grave After Dark by Darynda Jones
Expected Publication: May 19th, 2015
From Goodreads:
With twelve hellhounds after her, pregnant Charley Davidson takes refuge at the only place she thinks they can’t get to her: the grounds of an abandoned convent. But after months of being cooped up there, Charley is ready to pop. Both metaphorically and literally since she is now roughly the size of a beached whale. Fortunately, a new case has captured her attention, one that involves a murder on the very grounds the team has taken shelter upon. A decades-old murder of the newly-vowed nun she keeps seeing in the shadows is almost enough to pull her out of her doldrums.

Charley’s been forbidden to step foot off the sacred grounds. While the angry hellhounds can’t traverse the consecrated soil, they can lurk just beyond its borders. They have the entire team on edge, especially Reyes. And if Charley didn’t know better, she would swear Reyes is getting sick. He grows hotter with every moment that passes, his heat scorching across her skin every time he’s near, but naturally he swears he’s fine.

While the team searches for clues on the Twelve, Charley just wants answers and is powerless to get them. But the mass of friends they’ve accrued helps. They convince her even more that everyone in her recent life has somehow been drawn to her, as though they were a part of a bigger picture all along. But the good feelings don’t last for long because Charley is about to get the surprise of her crazy, mixed-up, supernatural life…

Dangerous Deception by Kami Garci and Margaret Stohl
Expected Publication: May 19th, 2015
From Goodreads:
From the world of Beautiful Creatures--a dangerous new tale of love and magic continues in the sequel to Dangerous Creatures.

Love is ten kinds a crazy, right?
Let me put it to you this way: If you can get away, run. Don't walk.
Because once you're exposed, you'll never get a Siren outta your head.

Some loves are cursed. Others are...dangerous. Especially the love between wannabe rocker and quarter Incubus, Wesley "Link" Lincoln, and Dark Caster, Siren, and bonafide bad girl, Ridley Duchannes.

But now Ridley is missing, and Link was with her-right up until she vanished. Determined to find her, Link reunites with his New York bandmates and the mysterious Lennox Gates, who wants Rid for himself. Together they travel to the deep south, find the crossroads where blues guitarist Robert Johnson made his deal with the devil, discover a menagerie of Casters locked in cages, and uncover an evil in New Orleans that threatens to destroy them all.

This time, love might not be enough.

Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl, the #1 New York Times bestselling coauthors of the Beautiful Creatures series, deliver their signature blend of mystery, suspense, and romance, with a healthy dose of wit and danger in this sequel to the instant New York Times bestseller Dangerous Creatures.

Illusionarium by Heather Dixon
Expected Publication: May 19th, 2015
From Goodreads:
What if the world holds more dangers—and more wonders—than we have ever known? And what if there is more than one world? From Heather Dixon, author of the acclaimed Entwined, comes a brilliantly conceived adventure that sweeps us from the inner workings of our souls to the far reaches of our imaginations.

Jonathan is perfectly ordinary. But then—as every good adventure begins—the king swoops into port, and Jonathan and his father are enlisted to find the cure to a deadly plague. Jonathan discovers that he's a prodigy at working with a new chemical called fantillium, which creates shared hallucinations—or illusions. And just like that, Jonathan is knocked off his path. Through richly developed parallel worlds, vivid action, a healthy dose of humor, and gorgeous writing, Heather Dixon spins a story that calls to mind The Night Circus and Pixar movies, but is wholly its own. 

Lion Heart by A.C. Gaughen
Expected Publication: May 19th, 2015
From Goodreads:
The eagerly-awaited conclusion to the Scarlet trilogy delivers another action-packed and romance-filled adventure.

Scarlet has captured the hearts of readers as well as the heart of Robin Hood, and after ceaseless obstacles and countless threats, readers will finally find out the fate of the Lady Thief.

Imprisoned by Prince John for months, Scarlet finds herself a long way from Nottinghamshire. After a daring escape from the Prince's clutches, she learns that King Richard’s life is in jeopardy, and Eleanor of Aquitaine demands a service Scarlet can’t refuse: spy for her and help bring Richard home safe. But fate—and her heart—won’t allow her to stay away from Nottinghamshire for long, and together, Scarlet and Rob must stop Prince John from going through with his dark plans for England. They can not rest until he’s stopped, but will their love be enough to save them once and for all?

Hold Me Like a Breath by Tiffany Schmidt
Expected Publication: May 19th, 2015
From Goodreads:
Penelope Landlow has grown up with the knowledge that almost anything can be bought or sold—including body parts. She’s the daughter of one of the three crime families that control the black market for organ transplants.

Penelope’s surrounded by all the suffocating privilege and protection her family can provide, but they can't protect her from the autoimmune disorder that causes her to bruise so easily.

And in her family's line of work no one can be safe forever.

All Penelope has ever wanted is freedom and independence. But when she’s caught in the crossfire as rival families scramble for prominence, she learns that her wishes come with casualties, that betrayal hurts worse than bruises, that love is a risk worth taking . . . and maybe she’s not as fragile as everyone thinks.

The Last Good Day of the Year by Jessica Warman
Expected Publication: May 19th, 2015
From Goodreads:
A new powerful thriller from the globally-embraced author of Between.

Ten years ago, in the early hours of New Year’s Day, seven-year-old Samantha and her next door neighbor, Remy, watched as a man broke into Sam’s home and took her younger sister, Turtle, from her sleeping bag. Remy and Sam, too afraid to intervene at the time, later identified the man as Sam’s sister Gretchen’s much older ex-boyfriend, Steven, who was sent to prison for Turtle’s murder.

Now, Sam’s shattered family is returning to her childhood home in an effort to heal. As long-buried memories begin to surface, Sam wonders if she and Remy accurately registered everything they saw. The more they re-examine the events of that fateful night, the more questions they discover about what really happened to Turtle.

Master storyteller Jessica Warman keeps readers guessing in this arresting page-turner. 

The Improbably Theory of Ana & Zak by Brian Ketches
Expected Publication: May 19th, 2015
From Goodreads:
The Improbable Theory of Ana and Zak is Stonewall Book Award-winning author Brian Katcher’s hilarious he said/she said romance about two teens recovering from heartbreak and discovering themselves on an out-of-this-world accidental first date.

It all begins when Ana Watson's little brother, Clayton, secretly ditches the quiz bowl semifinals to go to the Washingcon sci-fi convention on what should have been a normal, résumé-building school trip.

If slacker Zak Duquette hadn't talked up the geek fan fest so much, maybe Clayton wouldn't have broken nearly every school rule or jeopardized Ana’s last shot at freedom from her uptight parents.

Now, teaming up with Duquette is the only way for Ana to chase down Clayton in the sea of orcs, zombies, bikini-clad princesses, Trekkies, and Smurfs. After all, one does not simply walk into Washingcon.

But in spite of Zak's devil-may-care attitude, he has his own reasons for being as lost as Ana-and Ana may have more in common with him than she thinks. Ana and Zak certainly don’t expect the long crazy night, which begins as a nerdfighter manhunt, to transform into so much more… 

A Sense of the Infinite by Hilary T. Smith
Expected Publication: May 19th, 2015
From Goodreads:
By the author of the critically acclaimed Wild Awake, a beautiful coming-of-age story about deep friendship, the weight of secrets, and the healing power of nature.

It's senior year of high school, and Annabeth is ready—ready for everything she and her best friend, Noe, have been planning and dreaming. But there are some things Annabeth isn't prepared for, like the constant presence of Noe's new boyfriend. Like how her relationship with her mom is wearing and fraying. And like the way the secret she's been keeping hidden deep inside her for years has started clawing at her insides, making it hard to eat or even breathe.

But most especially, she isn't prepared to lose Noe.

For years, Noe has anchored Annabeth and set their joint path. Now Noe is drifting in another direction, making new plans and dreams that don't involve Annabeth. Without Noe's constant companionship, Annabeth's world begins to crumble. But as a chain of events pulls Annabeth further and further away from Noe, she finds herself closer and closer to discovering who she's really meant to be—with her best friend or without.

Hilary T. Smith's second novel is a gorgeously written meditation on identity, loss, and the bonds of friendship.

These books look incredible! The wait for them has been long, but now we're down to just under a month! Yeah! What about you guys? Happy reading!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading #201, April 13th

It's Monday! What Are You Reading is a weekly meme hosted by Book Journey where we share what we read this past week, what we hope to read this week...and anything in between! This is a great way to plan out your reading week and see what others are currently reading as well...you never know where that next "must read" book will come from!

What happened in the past week:

Weekly Memes:
It's Monday! What Are You Reading #200
Teaser Tuesday #208
WWW Wednesday #208
WOW #205
Will the Time Come #201
Third Sentence Thursday #191
Random Reads #176
First Lines Friday #195
The Reward Challenge Update #186
Follow Friday #178
How Well I Stuck to It #30
Wrote that Review Update #35

Week 15 Reviews:
Inferno
Altar of Eden
Illusionarium
Iced
Burned

Tours:
Skeletal: Review

Random:
Clean Sweep ARC Challenge May 2015 Sign Up
Lauren Barnholdt Author Page

OK, so I got 19 posts in 7 days, What about you guys? Happy reading!

So this week I want to read Kisscut, Sisters of Blood and Spirit, Sunrise, Take Back the Skies, Witchrise, Beautiful Chaos, Tiny Pretty Things, Pleasure Bound, The Vision, Cold Burn of Magic, Prisoner of Night and Fog, Conspiracy of Blood and Smoke, Feuds, All For You Anthology, Lies I Told, Crash, The Replaced, Blackwood, Hexed, Untold, Unmade, The Ruby Circle, The Return, The Revenge Playbook, Simon vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda, My Heart & Other Black Holes, Dead Radiance, Dead Embers, Dead Chaos, Dead Silence, Burn, and A Wicked Thing.

Week 15 Review: Illusionarium

From Goodreads:
From the author of Entwined, a brilliantly conceived adventure through an alternate London. This sweeping, cinematic tale of an apprentice scientist desperate to save his family—and his world—is The Night Circus meets Pixar.

Through richly developed parallel worlds, vivid action, a healthy dose of humor, and gorgeous writing, Heather Dixon spins a story that is breathtaking and wholly original. 

My Review:
So this book was really fantastic! I really enjoyed it, and since the synopsis above is pretty light on the details-but utterly right-so I didn't think too much about what this book would be about, I just dove right in!

I loved this world-well, worlds, because there's Jonathan's world, the Arthurisian world, and then there's the other, the world of Nod'ol, and how they're similar, and where they diverged, which was pretty cool, while the worry about the disease spreading through his world, and his mom and sisters sick of it!

Really enjoyed these characters, from Jonathan to Lockwood, and the characters that they were, with their uniqueness, like the ASAYAW, and what that really means for Arthurisian's, And how Lockwood fell in love with Nod'ol's version of Jonathan's sister-and who is Jonathan's counterpart in Nod'ol.

The ability that they had, the illusionists, well, it was pretty cool, though there is the downside of too much use doing what it does to people. So that ending is pretty fantastic! Just everything about this book, from the voice, to the humour, just everything, was just so great to read!

Favourite lines: "Yes, that's right, Divinity. That's all boys ever think about. Every bit of me can be reduced into one word: kissing. Thank you, Divinity, good-bye." Yeah, probably 60%, 38% for food, and then 2% for sleep. "He really did drool it." Well, that's gross! "Airguardsmen scout like mad for this kind of thing. And Lockwood's the maddest of them all." Yeah, he hasn't been the nicest to Jonathan! "ASAYAW = "As Soon As You Are Willing"* *Which is the Arthurisian way of saying, "We're Dying! DYING, I SAY!" Which is pretty hilarious! "Lockwood held a dagger that he had produced from the endless supply in his boot..." Yes, endless supply! "We'd also been curious as to how he'd gotten a masked guard uniform. He grimly answered that was a 'Don't ask.'" Yeah, hostile environment, uniform of the enemy...connect the dots. "'You're going to get your head blown off!' 'And I will savor every second of it!'" OK, Lockwood isn't as bad as he'd been! "Lockwood? You're not afraid of blood, are you?" Tease him, tease him! "Lockwood discovered a ginger tea biscuit, which he promptly bestowed upon Anna. Anna promptly split the biscuit into three even pieces and gave one to each of us. Lockwood promptly make a face at his." Poor picky eater! "'London backwards? Wouldn't that be Nodnol?' 'Don't use logic; they hate that here.'" Apparently! "Lockwood was in love! What, already? My thoughts overthought. It was months before I'd even noticed Alice. I still hadn't plucked up the courage to talk to her. But Lockwood was an absolute sort of person, wasn't he? He wouldn't fall in love like tripping over a price. He was the sort to rear back, run. catapult over the side of an airship's railing, and fall, fall, fall into love before smacking into the Ocean of Delirious Wanderings. 22-Which would sever his limbs from his body on impact, causing Death by Unmitigated Joy." I love these little side note! "'We're going to splatter on the cement below!' 'The cement will never be prettier!'" Yeah, Lockwood is in love! "'Jooooh-nnnnyyyyy! I know you're hee-eeere! You've summoned the ruddy guard of the gates of somewhere not very niii-iice! JOHNNY!!' Lockwood's voice drove my feet into action. In a blaze I flew out of the room to his rescue and crashed full-on into the torn-uniformed, rifle-bearing, unmasked, flashing-eyed Lockwood." Well, that worked out well! "Well. It would catch Lockwood's attention, that was certain." Yeah, the city being changed 90 degrees, that's something! "If I were a fierce-as-blades, over-keen, rifle-bearing one-eyed soldier, where would I hide?" I love how this is how Jonathan is describing Lockwood! "You made this illusion? This complete sideways nightmare? Do you know what a ghastly piece of mind-twist it was to try walking up a vertical dock and have gravity jerk you both ways? Do you? When we get back to Arthurise, remind me to break your neck!" Guess he's noticed it! "Of course I can fly one of these things! Even these stupid, outdated pieces of rubbish I could fly ten times as drunk as I am now with one arm, my eye put out, and both my legs chopped off, what do you think, you sober two-eyed twit?" How could you fly blind? Sounds dangerous! And you're pretty unsteady how drunk you already are, and times 10, without legs? I think you're over estimating yourself, Lockwood! "'Jonathan and I, we're going to have great fun. I'm going to teach him how to properly fight. In the mess hall. Dinner with entertainment. The officers are already placing bets on if he ends up breaking his own leg.' 'Afterward, I'll cut your finger and they'll laugh even harder as you pass out.'" Fun times! "'A. Kntsen hold-position-number two-' he sounded impressed against his will. 'Well-done-'" Getting a taste of your own medicine! Hilarious! "Go attack the foe, Lockwood!" Yes, facing Hannah, this world's version of Anna, is a foe-worthy event!

Just a really great, fantastic, lovable book, and I enjoyed it so much! Though a funny little note, is that Entwined is also a week 15 review book, which is a cool little titbit for me!

Author: Heather Dixon
Read: April 6th, 2015
Source: Edelweiss
Reason Why: Loved her first book, and it's a SAC 2015 Book, Sophomore Challenge Book and a WoW Book!
Publisher: Greenwilow
Expected Publication: May 8th 2015

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

WWW Wednesday #208, April 8th

To play along, just answer the following three (3) questions…

• What are you currently reading?
• What did you recently finish reading?
• What do you think you'll read next?

Thanks to MizB of Should Be Writing now A Daily Rhythm for starting this meme!

I'm reading Iced again, and it's so great! Really enjoying it!

I read Illusionarium, and it was so hilarious and great! Really enjoyed it!

I'm going to be reading Burned, and I can't wait, this series is so awesome, and it's been a long wait for this book to come out, and I'm so excited to read it!

What about you guys? Happy reading!

Heather Dixon Author Page

The Story: Entwined looked really fantastic, just really great, and people made it sound good, so I just had to read it! And it was fantastic! Can't wait to read Illusionarium now!

Website

Stand Alone's: Entwined and her site, my review, Illusionarium and her site, my review.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading #45, April 16th

It's Monday! What Are You Reading is a weekly meme hosted by Book Journey where we share what we read this past week, what we hope to read this week...and anything in between! This is a great way to plan out your reading week and see what others are currently reading as well...you never know where that next "must read" book will come from!

What happened in the past week:

Weekly Memes:
It's Monday! What Are You Reading #44
Teaser Tuesday #53
WWW Wednesday #53
WOW #49
Will the Time Come #45
Third Sentence Thursday #36
Random Reads #20
First Lines Friday #41
Follow that Blurb Reading Challenge Update 42
A-Z Book Challenge Update 15
The Reward Challenge Round 38
Follow Friday #23
2012 Dystopian Reading Challenge Update 15
YA Historical Fiction Update 10
Last Letter First Letter Reading Challenge Update 3
In My Mailbox #44
I Have An Update #43

Week 15 Reviews:
The Future of Us
Pieces of Us
Wintergirls
The Immortal Rules
The Dead Town
Fever
Incarnate
Half-Blood
Spell Bound
Dark Kiss
The Dead Girls Dance
Tigers Voyage
Entwined

Tours:
Triggers: Review

Pick Your Thon:
Update 4
Update 5
Update 6
Update 7
Update 8
Update 9
Mini Challenge 2
Update 10
Update 11
Update 12
Update 13
Update 14
Update 15
Update 16
Update 17
Update 18
Update 19
Update 20
Wrap Up

Random:
My Pillows Hate Me
 
OK, so I got posts 51 in 7 days, because of the Pick Your Thon, which I read and reviewed a lot, so very happy with that!
 
So this week I want to read Pure, The Other Life, Titanic 2012, Shadows on the Moon, Ashen Winter, Dead on the Dance Floor, dancergirl, Pilgrims Don't Wear Pink, Early to Death, Early to Rise, Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy, Anna Dressed in Blood, Fury, Against the Night, The Replacement, Bewitching, Angel Eyes, The Space Between, Monument 14,  Destined, Bite Me, Try Me, and Fang Me.
 
Currently Listening To: One Way or Another by Kate Voegele
Currently Reading: Pilgrims Don't Wear Pink by Stephanie Kate Strohm
Currently Watching: Unforgettable

There is need. And then there is Fate...

Being destined to become some kind of supernatural electrical outlet isn't exactly awesome--especially when Alexandria's "other half" is everywhere she goes. Seth's in her training room, outside her classes, and keeps showing up in her bedroom--so not cool. Their connection does have some benefits, like staving off her nightmares of the tragic showdown with her mother, but it has no effect on what Alex feels for the forbidden, pure-blooded Aiden. Or what he will do--and sacrifice--for her.

When daimons infiltrate the Covenants and attack students, the gods send furies--lesser gods determined to eradicate any threat to the Covenants and to the gods, and that includes the Apollyon... and Alex. And if that and hordes of aether-sucking monsters didn't blow bad enough, a mysterious threat seems willing to do anything to neutralize Seth, even if that means forcing Alex into servitude... or killing her.

When the gods are involved, some decisions can never, ever be undone.

Best-selling mystery novelist Trevor Hughes has no idea that attending his twentieth reunion at Harvard will forever change his life.

Persuaded to go by his on-again-off-again girlfriend, Dr. Julia Magnusson, he meets up with three old friends: Solly Rubens, a self-made Wall Street millionaire; Ken Faust, a successful software entrepreneur; and Harlan Astor, New York real estate tycoon and the glue that holds their circle together.

That afternoon, over drinks at the Harvard Club, Harlan drops his bombshell: He is doing what James Cameron did not -- he is rebuilding the Titanic, and sailing the ship on the hundredth anniversary to honor those who died, including his great-grandfather, John Jacob Astor IV. Only Trevor is intrigued by Harlan's audacity. Touched by his friend's interest and concern, Harlan invites him on the maiden voyage to serve as the official chronicler.

On April 10, 2012, Trevor journeys to Southampton and, along with the hundreds of handpicked passengers, boards the Titanic. He is awed by the immensity of the ship and the feelings that well up in him. His friend has made his grand dream a reality.

During the journey, armed with his iPod Touch and a miniature wireless camera hidden in his glasses, Trevor interviews both passengers and crew, eager to learn the reasons why they chose to sail on the reborn ship.

Nearly every one of them claims to have been profoundly affected by Cameron's film, wanting to recapture the magic for themselves. And some of them are dying -- their last wish to be on the maiden voyage of the new Titanic.

Trevor is touched that his friend has allowed these people to come aboard, and is unprepared when he meets Madeleine Regehr, a beautiful, free-spirited woman who resists his entreaties to be interviewed, intriguing Trevor all the more. Slowly, and inexorably, Maddy draws him out of his shell, allowing him to love deeply and completely, for the very first time in his life.

But Trevor soon discovers a darker purpose for the voyage, a purpose that threatens to destroy him and the woman he loves. In a race against time that pits friend against friend, Trevor must stop the unstoppable or risk a horrific replay of history...

Seventeen, dead, and in charge of heaven's dark angels—all itching to kill someone.

Madison Avery's dreams of ever fitting in at her new school died when she did. Especially since she was able to maintain the illusion of a body, deal with a pesky guardian angel, and oh yeah, bring the reaper who killed her to his untimely end. Not exactly in-crowd material. It's amazing that her crush, Josh, doesn't think she's totally nuts.

Now Madison has learned that she's the dark timekeeper, in charge of angels who follow the murky guidelines of fate. Never one to abide by the rules, she decides it's time for a major change to the system. With the help of some unlikely allies, Madison forms a rogue group of reapers who definitely don't adhere to the rules of the heavens.

But as she grapples with the terrifying new skills that come with being a timekeeper, Madison realizes she may not be prepared for what lies ahead—unless she gets some seriously divine intervention.

Cammie Morgan is back, and it's clear that her life hasn't calmed down since the events of I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You. At first, giddy anticipation is in the air. Gallagher Academy, Cammie's elite spy school, is hosting a visit from a covert training center for boys. Soon after the boys' arrival, though, everything goes dangerously awry when a series of security breaches are discovered at the academy. Worse yet, teenage agent-in-training Cammie is being blamed for the penetration. With the school's top-secret status at risk, the Gallagher Girls have to work quickly to save their beloved school.

Just your average boy-meets-girl, girl-kills-people story...

Cas Lowood has inherited an unusual vocation: He kills the dead.

So did his father before him, until his gruesome murder by a ghost he sought to kill. Now, armed with his father’s mysterious and deadly athame, Cas travels the country with his kitchen-witch mother and their spirit-sniffing cat. Together they follow legends and local lore, trying to keep up with the murderous dead—keeping pesky things like the future and friends at bay.

When they arrive in a new town in search of a ghost the locals call Anna Dressed in Blood, Cas doesn’t expect anything outside of the ordinary: move, hunt, kill. What he finds instead is a girl entangled in curses and rage, a ghost like he’s never faced before. She still wears the dress she wore on the day of her brutal murder in 1958: once white, but now stained red and dripping blood. Since her death, Anna has killed any and every person who has dared to step into the deserted Victorian she used to call home.

And she, for whatever reason, spares his life.

Sometimes sorry isn't enough....
It’s winter break in Ascension, Maine. The snow is falling and everything looks pristine and peaceful. But not all is as it seems...

Between cozy traditions and parties with her friends, Emily loves the holidays. And this year’s even better--the guy she’s been into for months is finally noticing her. But Em knows if she starts things with him, there’s no turning back. Because his girlfriend is Em’s best friend.

On the other side of town, Chase is having problems of his own. The stress of his home life is starting to take its toll, and his social life is unraveling. But that’s nothing compared to what’s really haunting him. Chase has done something cruel...something the perfect guy he pretends to be would never do. And it’s only a matter of time before he’s exposed.

In Ascension, mistakes can be deadly. And three girls—three beautiful, mysterious girls—are here to choose who will pay.

Em and Chase have been chosen.

Mackie Doyle is not one of us. Though he lives in the small town of Gentry, he comes from a world of tunnels and black murky water, a world of living dead girls ruled by a little tattooed princess. He is a Replacement, left in the crib of a human baby sixteen years ago. Now, because of fatal allergies to iron, blood, and consecrated ground, Mackie is fighting to survive in the human world.

Mackie would give anything to live among us, to practice on his bass or spend time with his crush, Tate. But when Tate's baby sister goes missing, Mackie is drawn irrevocably into the underworld of Gentry, known as Mayhem. He must face the dark creatures of the Slag Heaps and find his rightful place, in our world, or theirs.

Bewitching can be a beast. . . .

Once, I put a curse on a beastly and arrogant high school boy. That one turned out all right. Others didn’t.

I go to a new school now—one where no one knows that I should have graduated long ago. I’m not still here because I’m stupid; I just don’t age.

You see, I’m immortal. And I pretty much know everything after hundreds of years—except for when to take my powers and butt out.

I want to help, but things just go awry in ways I could never predict. Like when I tried to free some children from a gingerbread house and ended up being hanged. After I came back from the dead (immortal, remember?), I tried to play matchmaker for a French prince and ended up banished from France forever. And that little mermaid I found in the Titanic lifeboat? I don’t even want to think about it.

Now a girl named Emma needs me. I probably shouldn’t get involved, but her gorgeous stepsister is conniving to the core. I think I have just the thing to fix that girl—and it isn’t an enchanted pumpkin. Although you never know what will happen when I start . . . bewitching.

Once you’ve seen, you can’t unsee. Everything changes when you’ve looked at the world through . . .

ANGEL EYES

Brielle’s a ballerina who went to the city to chase her dreams and found tragedy instead. She’s come home to shabby little Stratus, Oregon, to live with her grief and her guilt . . . and the incredible, numbing cold she can’t seem to shake.

Jake’s the new guy at school. The boy next door with burning hands and an unbelievable gift that targets him for corruption.

Something more than fate has brought them together. An evil bigger than both of them lurks in the shadows nearby, hiding in plain sight. Two angels stand guard, unsure what’s going to happen. And a beauty brighter than Jake or Brielle has ever seen is calling them to join the battle in a realm where all human choices start.

A realm that only angels and demons—and Brielle—can perceive.

Daphne is the half-demon, half-fallen angel daughter of Lucifer and Lilith. Life for her is an endless expanse of time, until her brother Obie is kidnapped—and Daphne realizes she may be partially responsible.

Determined to find him, Daphne travels from her home in Pandemonium to the vast streets of Earth, where everything is colder and more terrifying. With the help of the human boy she believes was the last person to see her brother alive, Daphne glimpses into his dreams, discovering clues to Obie’s whereabouts. As she delves deeper into her demonic powers, she must navigate the jealousies and alliances of the violent archangels who stand in her way.

Your mother hollers that you’re going to miss the bus. She can see it coming down the street. You don’t stop and hug her and tell her you love her. You don’t thank her for being a good, kind, patient mother. Of course not—you hurdle down the stairs and make a run for the corner.

Only, if it’s the last time you’ll ever see your mother, you sort of start to wish you’d stopped and did those things. Maybe even missed the bus.

But the bus was barreling down our street, so I ran.

Fourteen kids. One superstore. A million things that go wrong.

In Emmy Laybourne’s action-packed debut novel, six high school kids (some popular, some not), two eighth graders (one a tech genius), and six little kids trapped together in a chain superstore build a refuge for themselves inside. While outside, a series of escalating disasters, beginning with a monster hailstorm and ending with a chemical weapons spill, seems to be tearing the world—as they know it—apart.

Zoey is finally home where she belongs, safe with her Guardian Warrior, Stark, by her side, and preparing to face off against Neferet—which would be a whole lot easier if the High Counsel saw the ex-High Priestess for what she really is. Kalona has released his hold on Rephaim, and, through Nyx’s gift of a human form, Rephaim and Stevie Rae are finally able to be together—if he can truly walk the path of the Goddess and stay free of his father’s shadow...

But there are new forces at work at the House of Night. An influx of humans, including Lenobia’s handsome horse whisperer, threatens their precarious stability. And then there’s the mysterious Aurox, a jaw-droppingly gorgeous teen boy who is actually more—or possibly less—than human. Only Neferet knows he was created to be her greatest weapon. But Zoey can sense the part of his soul that remains human, the compassion that wars with his Dark calling. And there’s something strangely familiar about him...

Will Neferet’s true nature be revealed before she succeeds in silencing them all? And will Zoey be able to touch Aurox’s humanity in time to protect him—and everyone—from his own fate? Find out what’s destined in the next thrilling chapter of the House of Night series.

Week 15 Review: Entwined

From Goodreads:
Azalea is trapped. Just when she should feel that everything is before her . . . beautiful gowns, dashing suitors, balls filled with dancing . . . it's taken away. All of it.

The Keeper understands. He's trapped, too, held for centuries within the walls of the palace. And so he extends an invitation.

Every night, Azalea and her eleven sisters may step through the enchanted passage in their room to dance in his silver forest.

But there is a cost.

The Keeper likes to keep things.

Azalea may not realize how tangled she is in his web until it is too late.

My Review:
This was a very strange, odd book. There is residual magic in the place, like an old magic tea set, leftovers from the High King, who killed people and enslaved their souls or something. The book doesn't really explain what happened to the magic, why they got rid of it, I know how, but not why, really. And then there's the royal family who overthrew him 200 years ago, who are really poor, and have 11 daughters, with the 12th on the way, who love dancing. Dancing is a main thing in this book. Yep.

When the Queen dies, the King pretty much shuts out his daughters, and they come the the conclusion that he never really cared for them, he only had dinners with them because she wanted him to, he only got their dancing slippers because she wanted to, you get the picture. And when the Queen dies after giving birth to Lily (they named the daughters from A-L after flowers) they try to hold on to the dancing even though  with the whole mourning for a year, dancing  isn't supposed to happen. So when they find the magic passageway with the pavilion, and the Keeper, well, they dance there, and are happy.

The King's R. B. with trying to figure out where they were dancing, well, it was really funny! He had these guys come in and try to guess where it was, so that he could screen for potential next kings. The Sister list, that was a lot of fun, too! Actually, pretty much everything the girls did was funny, like all the "great" incidents, like when they went to sleep outside and couldn't be found one Christmas Eve, a year before this book took place.

The way the King reacted to Clover's betrothed was a bit extreme, but it showed that he cared. And he was just having a tough time with his wife dying and all. So he redeemed himself on that.

This was a really good book, so I hope you guys check it out!

Author: Heather Dixon
Read: April 14th, 2012
Source: Library
Reason Why: It looked really good, it's a LLFL book, and a YAHFC book!
Publisher: Harper Collins
Published: March 29th 2011

5/5 Hearts

5/5 Books

5/5 Stars

Last Letter, First Letter Reading Challenge Update 3

OK, so I have I've been doing some more reading, and I read The Immortal Rules, Fever, Half-Blood, Tiger's Voyage, Entwined. Happy reading!

Here's the link to the original post.

What it is:

You pick a book, read it. Then you look at the last letter of the title, for example, "The Adventures of Tom Saywer." Then you take that last letter, and search you TBR piles for a book starting with the last letter, so continuing the example, someone could read "Rotters" next, and then a title that starts with "s."

Rules:
1. Have fun!
2. Read!
3. The last letter of the book you read must be the first letter of the next book you read.
4. Words like "the," "a," "and," and those such don't count as the first letter.
5. If a letter becomes overused, like d, e, l, w, ext, and you run out of books that you really want to read for this challenge, cycle in letters that don't often get used like a, b, i, k, p, ext, and note what you cycle in, where!

My Journey:
(Letters used: a, c, d, e, g, h, k, l, m, n, o, q, r, s, t, u. y.)
(Cycle Letters: a, b, c, f, i, j, o, p, u, v, w, z.)
1. Legend by Marie Lu (Read March 30th 2012)
2. Dark Passage by M. J. Putney (Read April 6th 2012)
3. Entwined by Heather Dixon (Read April 14th, 2012)
4. Dark Parties by Sara Grant
5. The Space Between by Brenna Yovanoff
6. The Nightmare Garden by Caitlin Kittredge
7. North of Beautiful by Justina Chen Headley
8. Live to Tell by Wendy Corsi Staub
9. The Last Echo by Kimberly Derting
10. The Other Life by Suzanne Winnacker
11. Early to Dead, Early to Rise by Kim Harrison
12. Epic Fail by Claire LaZebnik
13. Luminous by Dawn Metcalf
14. Seraphina by Rachel Hartman
15. All These Lives by  Sarah Wylie
16. The Shack by William P. Young
17. Kiss of Frost by Jennifer Estep
18. A Temptation of Angels by Michelle Zink
19. Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen
20. Touch of Frost by Jennifer Estep
21. A Touch Mortal by Leah Clifford (Read April 4th 2012)
22. Love and Leftovers by Sarah Tregay
23. Shut Out by Kody Keplinger
24. This Dark Endeavor by Kenneth Oppel (Read April 3rd 2012)
25. The Raft by S. D. Bodeen
26. Tiger's Voyage by Colleen Houck (Read April 13th, 2012)
27. Erebos by Ursula Poznanski (Read April
28. Strange Angels by Lili St. Crow
29. Supernaturally by Kiersten White (Read April 1st 2012)
30. You Are My Only by Beth Kephart
31. You Are So Undead to Me by Stacey Jay
32. Embrace by Jessica Shirvington
33. Enchanted by Alethea Kontis
34. Damned by Nancy Holder and Debbie Viguie
35. Dark Frost by Jennifer Estep
36. Thumped by Megan McCafferty
37. A Deeper Darkness by J. T. Ellison (Read April 2nd 2012)
38. Sweet Venom by Tera Lynn Childs (Read April 1st 2012)
39. Masque of Red Death by Bethany Griffin
40. Half-Blood by Jennifer L. Armentrout (Read April 12th, 2012)
41. Dead to You by Lisa McMann
42. Underworld by Meg Cabot
43. The Dead Travel Fast by Deanna Raybourn
44. Truth by Julia Karr
45. Havoc by Jeff Sampson
46. The Calling by Kelley Armstrong
47. The Gathering Storm by Robin Bridges
48. A Million Suns by Beth Revis
49. Sweet Evil by Wendy Higgins
50. Linger by Maggie Stiefvater
51. Rot & Ruin by Jonathan Maberry
52. Never Enough by Denise Jaden
53. Here Lies Bridget by Paige Harbison
53. Tempest Unleased by Tracy Deebs
54. Dark Road to Darjeeling by Deanna Raybourn
55. The Ghost and the Goth by Stacey Kade
56. Hemlock by Kathleen Peacock
57. Kiss of Night by Debbie Viguie
58. The Twisted Tragedy of Miss Natalie Stewart by Leanna Renee Hieber
59. The Thing About the Truth by Lauren Barnholdt
60. The Hunt by Andrew Fukuda (Read April 6th 2012)
61. Harbinger by Sarah Wlson Etienne
62. Revived by Cat Patrick
63. The Darkening Dream by Andy Gavin
64. The Mephisto Convent by Trinity Faegen
65. Throat by R.A. Nelson
66. The Treachery of Beautiful Things by Ruth Frances Long
67. Switched by Amanda Hawking
68. Devoted by Hilary Duff
69. The Demon King by Cinda Williams Chima
70. Glimmerglass by Jenna Black
71. Shadowspell by Jenna Black
72. Legacy of Eden by Nelle Davy
73. Nightshade by Maryrose Wood
74. Above by Leah Bobet (Cycle e for a)
75. A Beautiful Evil by Kelly Keaton (Cycle e for b)
76. The Liar Society by Lisa Roecker
77. Cross My Heart and Hope to Spy by Ally Carter (Cycle y for c)
78. Fever by Lauren DeStefano (Cycle y for f) (Read April 11th, 2012)
79. Rumors by Anna Godbersen
80. Sleeping Tigers by Holly Robinson
81. Slide by Jill Hathaway
82. Endlessly by Kiersten White
83. Insurgent by Veronica Roth (Cycle y for i)
84. Taken at Dusk by C. C. Hunter
85. Kiss Crush Collide by Christina Meredith
86. The Exiled Queen by Cinda Williams Chima
87. Jealousy by Lili St. Crow (Cycle n for j)
88. Once by Anna Carey (Cycle y for o)
89. Personal Demons by Lisa Desrochers (Cyle e for p)
90. The Savage Grace by Bree Despain
91. Queen of the Dead by Stacey Kade (Cycle e for q)
92. Don't Breath a Word by Holly Cupala
93. Dreamless by Josephine Angelini
94. Small Town Sinners by Melissa Walker
95. Seizure by Kathy Riechs
96. Red Handed by Gena Showalter (Cycle e for r)
97. Destiny and Deception by Shannon Delaney
98. Unbreak My Heart by Melissa Walker (Cycle n for u)
99. Try Not to Breathe by Jennifer R. Hubbard
100. Variant by Robison Wells (Cycle e for v)
101. Twenty Boy Summer by Sarah Ockler
102. Rules of Attraction by Simone Elkeles
103. Why We Broke Up by Daniel Handler (Cycle n for w)
104. Putting Makeup on Dead People by Jen Violi
105.  Awake at Dawn by C. C. Hunter (Cycle e for a)
106. Born at Midnight by C. C. Hunter (Cycle n with b)
107. Claire de Lune by Christine Johnson (Cycle t with c)
108. The Fairy Ring by Kiki Hamilton (Cycle e for f)
109. Girl of Nightmares by Kendra Blake
110. The Selection by Kiera Cass
111. Incarnate by Jodi Meadows (Cycle n for i) (Read April 11th, 2012)
112. Jersey Angel by Beth Ann Bauman (Cycle e for j)
113. Love You Hate You Miss You by Elizabeth Scott
114. Unraveling by Elizabeth Norris
115. Glimmer by Phoebe Kitanidis
116.The Rise of Nine by Pittacus Lore
117. Pretty Crooked by Elisa Ludwig (Cycle e with p)
118. Don't You Wish by Roxanne St. Claire
119. Hunting Violet by Alyxandra Harvey
120. Ten by Gretchen McNeil
121. Rapture by Lauren Kate (Cycle n with r)
122. Until I Die by Amy Plum (Cycle e with u)
123. Vesper by Jeff Sampson (Cycle e with v) (Read April 5th 2012)
124. Red Riding Hood by Sarah Blakeley-Cartwright
125. Don't Judge a Girl by Her Cover by Ally Carter
126. Rivals and Retribution by Shannon Delanney
127. Wings of the Wicked by Courtney Alison Moulton (Cycle n with w)
128. The Demon's Lexicon by Sarah Lees Brennan
129. Angelfire by Courtney Alison Moulton (Cycle n with a)
130. Bargains and Betrayals by Shannon Delanney (Cycle e with b)
131. Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo
132. Catching Jordan by Miranda Kenneally (Cycle e with c)
133. Fear by Michael Grant (Cycle n with f)
134. Shadows on the Moon by Zoe Marriott
135. Halfway to the Grave by Jeaniene Frost
135. Infamous by Sherrilyn Kenyon (Cycle e with i)
136. Shiver by Maggie Stiefvater
137. Rivals and Retribution by Shannon Delanney
138. Julie and Julia by Julie Powell (Cycle n for j)
139. The Apocalypse Gene by Suki Micheal
140. Oceans of Fire by Christine Feehan (Cycle e for o)
141. Pants of Fire by Meg Cabot (cycle e for p)
142. The Unidentified by Rae Mariz (Cycle e for u)
143. Dreaming Awake by Gwen Hayes
144. The Vespertine by Saundra Mitchell (Cycle e for v)
145. Wake Unto Me by Lisa Cach (Cycle e for w)
146. Article 5 by Kristen Simmons (Cycle e for a)
147. 52 Reasons to Hate My Father by Jessica Brody
148. Romeo Redeemed by Stacey Jay
149. Deity by Jennifer Armentrout
150. Betrayals by Lili St. Crow (Cycle y for b)
151. Fury by Rebecca Lim (Cycle s with f)
152. The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa (Cycle y for i) (Read April 9th 2012)