Showing posts with label 5 bookmarks. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 5 bookmarks. Show all posts

Thursday, October 8, 2015

IGNITE by Sara B. Larson

Ignite 
By Sara B Larson
Published by Scholastic
289 pages
Book 2 of Defy series

WHAT ITS ABOUT(from goodreads): 
Murder, abductions, and forbidden romance abound in this thrilling sequel to Sara B. Larson's acclaimed YA debut, DEFY.

Alexa remains by the newly crowned King Damian’s side as his guard, ever committed to helping him rebuild Antion and reclaim the hope of Antion's people, despite continuing to harbor a secret love for him. However, when another threat to Damian and his kingdom emerges, and blame is cast on their newly forged allies from Blevon, Alexa knows things are not what they seem. With the fate of her nation hanging in the balance once again, will Alexa be able to protect her king and uncover the true enemy—before it's too late?

WHAT I THOUGHT:
I read this book when I was sleep deprived from new baby and going through a rough time in my life. So the first time I read it I LOVED it but I knew I'd need to re read it to really get it to sink in. And I finally have. With ENDURE coming out in December I wanted to refresh so I read this and DEFY again. I loved it even more this time! Alexa is one of my favorite characters. She's been fun to watch grow. I love the emotions in these books. Just from the build up of the characters you know exactly what the feelings in the room are without having to be told. There's several times I was crying for the characters and their extreme success or heartbreak. They really feel like living breathing people. 

Also I didn't read the Acknowledgements the first time, I always do but I'm blaming new mommy hormones, and you guys I'm in there! I love this book and Sara so much but I never dreamed I'd see my name in her book! Thanks Sara!! 

Yes I have it on my nook and in book form all of my favorites are! ;)




ENDURE comes out December 29th. If you live in Utah come to the release party! I'd love to meet some of my fellow book lovers! 

Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Make me a suggestion

I get asked every once in awhile about what I would recommend for a book to read so I thought I'd write a quick blog post of suggestions:) Plus I've been really bad about reviews so maybe this will sort of make up for it.  (all synopsis from goodreads and author sites)

Heres a couple of books I've gotten to read that aren't out yet but you should look forward to!

1.  Defy by Sara B. Larson release date: 1/7/2014
 A lush and gorgeously written debut, packed with action, intrigue, and a thrilling love triangle.

Alexa Hollen is a fighter. Forced to disguise herself as a boy and serve in the king's army, Alex uses her quick wit and fierce sword-fighting skills to earn a spot on the elite prince's guard. But when a powerful sorcerer sneaks into the palace in the dead of night, even Alex, who is virtually unbeatable, can't prevent him from abducting her, her fellow guard and friend Rylan, and Prince Damian, taking them through the treacherous wilds of the jungle and deep into enemy territory.

The longer Alex is held captive with both Rylan and the prince, the more she realizes that she is not the only one who has been keeping dangerous secrets. And suddenly, after her own secret is revealed, Alex finds herself confronted with two men vying for her heart: the safe and steady Rylan, who has always cared for her, and the dark, intriguing Damian. With hidden foes lurking around every corner, is Alex strong enough to save herself and the kingdom she's sworn to protect?

2. Into the Dark The Shadow Prince by Bree Despain Release Date: 3/11/2014  (I super loved this book!  I haven't had a minute to sit down and do a review but its amazingly good!)
Haden Lord, the disgraced prince of the Underrealm, has been sent to the mortal world to entice a girl into returning with him to the land of the dead. Posing as a student at Olympus Hills High—a haven for children of the rich and famous—Haden must single out the one girl rumored to be able to restore immortality to his race.

Daphne Raines has dreams much bigger than her tiny southern Utah town, so when her rock star dad suddenly reappears, offering her full tuition to Olympus Hills High’s prestigious music program, she sees an opportunity to catch the break she needs to make it as a singer. But upon moving into her estranged father’s mansion in California, and attending her glamorous new school, Daphne soon realizes she isn’t the only student in Olympus who doesn’t quite belong.

Haden and Daphne—destined for each other—know nothing of the true stakes their fated courtship entails. As war between the gods brews, the teenagers’ lives collide. But Daphne won’t be wooed easily and when it seems their prophesied link could happen, Haden realizes something he never intended—he’s fallen in love. Now to save themselves, Haden and Daphne must rewrite their destinies. But as their destinies change, so do the fates of both their worlds

3.  House of Ivy and Sorrow by Natalie Whipple Release Date 4/15/2014
Josephine Hemlock has spent the last 10 years hiding from the Curse that killed her mother. But when a mysterious man arrives at her ivy-covered, magic-fortified home, it’s clear her mother’s killer has finally come to destroy the rest of the Hemlock bloodline. Before Jo can even think about fighting back, she must figure out who she’s fighting in the first place. The more truth Jo uncovers, the deeper she falls into witchcraft darker than she ever imagined. Trapped and running out of time, she begins to wonder if the very Curse that killed her mother is the only way to save everyone she loves

Books out now:

1. If I Stay and Where She went by Gayle Forman
If I stay: In a single moment, everything changes. Seventeen-year-old Mia has no memory of the accident; she can only recall riding along the snow-wet Oregon road with her family. Then, in a blink, she finds herself watching as her own damaged body is taken from the wreck...

A sophisticated, layered, and heart-achingly beautiful story about the power of family and friends, the choices we all make, and the ultimate choice Mia commands

Where She Went: It's been three years since the devastating accident . . . three years since Mia walked out of Adam's life forever.

Now living on opposite coasts, Mia is Juilliard's rising star and Adam is LA tabloid fodder, thanks to his new rock star status and celebrity girlfriend. When Adam gets stuck in New York by himself, chance brings the couple together again, for one last night. As they explore the city that has become Mia's home, Adam and Mia revisit the past and open their hearts to the future-and each other.

Told from Adam's point of view in the spare, lyrical prose that defined If I Stay, Where She Went explores the devastation of grief, the promise of new hope, and the flame of rekindled romance.

2. Just One Day and Just One Year by Gayle Forman
Just One day: A breathtaking journey toward self-discovery and true love, from the author of If I Stay

When sheltered American good girl Allyson "LuLu" Healey first meets laid-back Dutch actor Willem De Ruiter at an underground performance of Twelfth Night in England, there’s an undeniable spark. After just one day together, that spark bursts into a flame, or so it seems to Allyson, until the following morning, when she wakes up after a whirlwind day in Paris to discover that Willem has left. Over the next year, Allyson embarks on a journey to come to terms with the narrow confines of her life, and through Shakespeare, travel, and a quest for her almost-true-love, to break free of those confines.

Just One Year: When he opens his eyes, Willem doesn’t know where in the world he is—Prague or Dubrovnik or back in Amsterdam. All he knows is that he is once again alone, and that he needs to find a girl named Lulu. They shared one magical day in Paris, and something about that day—that girl—makes Willem wonder if they aren’t fated to be together. He travels all over the world, from Mexico to India, hoping to reconnect with her. But as months go by and Lulu remains elusive, Willem starts to question if the hand of fate is as strong as he’d thought. . . .

3. Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins
Anna is looking forward to her senior year in Atlanta, where she has a great job, a loyal best friend, and a crush on the verge of becoming more. Which is why she is less than thrilled about being shipped off to boarding school in Paris--until she meets Étienne St. Clair. Smart, charming,beautiful, Étienne has it all...including a serious girlfriend. 

But in the City of Light, wishes have a way of coming true. Will a year of romantic near-misses end with their long-awaited French kiss?

4. Vampire Academy series  by Richelle Mead
There are 6 books in this series and its pretty awesome!  The movie for the first book comes out in February. 
 Two races of vampires walk our world. The Moroi are alive and wield elemental magical, while the Strigoi are undead and evil--feeding on the innocent to survive. Rose Hathaway--a half-vampire with poor impulse control--is training to be a bodyguard for a Moroi princess. Learning to decapitate and stake is hard enough, but Rose's real danger may lie in an illicit romance with one of her instructors...
The VA series has received honors from the American Library Association and been #1 on the New York Times and USA Today Bestseller lists.

5. Once you've read Vampire Academy read the spin off series Bloodlines by Richelle Mead

Rose's story might have wrapped up in the Vampire Academy series, but there's still lots more to tell about the other characters from that world. This spin-off series centers around Sydney the Alchemist, a human teen who's part of a group to keep the existence of vampires secret from the world. Sydney's spent her entire life being taught that vampires and dhampirs are evil and unnatural, but all that's about to change when she's forced into hiding with Jill, Adrian, and Eddie...

6. Everneath series  by Brodi Ashton
There are 3 books and 1 novella in this series with the last one releasing in January 2014
 Last spring, Nikki Beckett vanished, sucked into an underworld known as the Everneath. Now she’s returned—to her old life, her family, her boyfriend—before she’s banished back to the underworld . . . this time forever. She has six months before the Everneath comes to claim her, six months for good-byes she can’t find the words for, six months to find redemption, if it exists.

Nikki longs to spend these precious months forgetting the Everneath and trying to reconnect with her boyfriend, Jack, the person most devastated by her disappearance—and the one person she loves more than anything. But there’s just one problem: Cole, the smoldering immortal who enticed her to the Everneath in the first place, has followed Nikki home. Cole wants to take over the throne in the underworld and is convinced Nikki is the key to making it happen. And he’ll do whatever it takes to bring her back, this time as his queen.

As Nikki’s time on the Surface draws to a close and her relationships begin slipping from her grasp, she is forced to make the hardest decision of her life: find a way to cheat fate and remain on the Surface with Jack or return to the Everneath and become Cole’s queen.


7. Georgina Kincaid series  by Richelle Mead
There are 6 books in this series and its a bit more on the adult side.
 if love wasn't hard enough! Imagine not being able to touch your boyfriend without sucking away his soul. Welcome to the world of Georgina Kincaid, a reluctant succubus who always seems to find herself in the middle of supernatural intrigue...

8. Divergent Series by Veronica Roth
There are 3 books in this series
In Beatrice Prior's dystopian Chicago, society is divided into five factions, each dedicated to the cultivation of a particular virtue—Candor (the honest), Abnegation (the selfless), Dauntless (the brave), Amity (the peaceful), and Erudite (the intelligent). On an appointed day of every year, all sixteen-year-olds must select the faction to which they will devote the rest of their lives. For Beatrice, the decision is between staying with her family and being who she really is—she can't have both. So she makes a choice that surprises everyone, including herself.

During the highly competitive initiation that follows, Beatrice renames herself Tris and struggles to determine who her friends really are. But Tris also has a secret, one she's kept hidden from everyone because she's been warned it can mean death. And as she discovers a growing conflict that threatens to unravel her seemingly perfect society, she also learns that her secret might help her save those she loves… or it might destroy her.



9. Matched Series by Ally Condie
There are 3 books in this series
In the Society, Officials decide. Who you love. Where you work. When you die. Cassia has always trusted their choices, but she begins to question just how perfect her world really is when she notices things are not what they seem. As Cassia begins to doubt the Society’s infallibility, she is faced with an impossible choice: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she’s known and a path that no one else has dared to follow.
 
10. Mind Games  by Kiersten White
Fia was born with flawless instincts. Her first impulse, her gut feeling, is always exactly right. Her sister, Annie, is blind to the world around her—except when her mind is gripped by strange visions of the future.

Trapped in a school that uses girls with extraordinary powers as tools for corporate espionage, Annie and Fia are forced to choose over and over between using their abilities in twisted, unthinkable ways…or risking each other’s lives by refusing to obey.

11. The Dark Divine Series by Bree Despain
there are 3 books and 1 novella in this series
I stood back and watched his movements. Daniel had that way about him that could shut me down in an instant. . . . I kicked the gravel a couple of times and worked up my courage again. “Tell me . . . I mean . . . why did you come back? Why now, after all this time?”

Grace Divine, daughter of the local pastor, always knew something terrible happened the night Daniel Kalbi disappeared—the night she found her brother Jude collapsed on the porch, covered in blood. But she has no idea what a truly monstrous secret that night really held. And when Daniel returns three years later, Grace can no longer deny her attraction to him, despite promising Jude she’ll stay away.
​
As Grace gets closer to Daniel, her actions stir the ancient evil Daniel unleashed that horrific night. Grace must discover the truth behind Jude and Daniel's dark secret . . . and the cure that can save the ones she loves. But she may have to lay down the ultimate sacrifice to do it—her soul.
12. Transparent by Natalie Whipple
Plenty of teenagers feel invisible. Fiona McClean actually is.

An invisible girl is a priceless weapon. Fiona’s own father has been forcing her to do his dirty work for years—everything from spying on people to stealing cars to breaking into bank vaults.

After sixteen years, Fiona’s had enough. She and her mother flee to a small town, and for the first time in her life, Fiona feels like a normal life is within reach. But Fiona’s father isn’t giving up that easily.

Of course, he should know better than anyone: never underestimate an invisible girl.
 
These are my most most favorite I could probably go on forever with books I enjoyed! feel free to leave your reccomnednations in the comments!!
 

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

ARC Review: DEFY





DEFY
By Sara B. Larson
In stores Jan. 7 2014








My Playlist:

Check it out here


What it's about (from goodreads):

A lush and gorgeously written debut, packed with action, intrigue, and a thrilling love triangle.

Alexa Hollen is a fighter. Forced to disguise herself as a boy and serve in the king's army, Alex uses her quick wit and fierce sword-fighting skills to earn a spot on the elite prince's guard. But when a powerful sorcerer sneaks into the palace in the dead of night, even Alex, who is virtually unbeatable, can't prevent him from abducting her, her fellow guard and friend Rylan, and Prince Damian, taking them through the treacherous wilds of the jungle and deep into enemy territory.

The longer Alex is held captive with both Rylan and the prince, the more she realizes that she is not the only one who has been keeping dangerous secrets. And suddenly, after her own secret is revealed, Alex finds herself confronted with two men vying for her heart: the safe and steady Rylan, who has always cared for her, and the dark, intriguing Damian. With hidden foes lurking around every corner, is Alex strong enough to save herself and the kingdom she's sworn to protect?


What I Thought:

My first thoughts on this book as I started reading it was ooooh a dark Mulan.  I love both things darkness and Mulan.  As I got further into the book the more in love I fell with all of the characters. I love the journey that Alexa goes through to discover who she really is.  Sara is a fantastic story teller, there's so many twists and turns.  I'm very excited to find out what happens next in Alexa's world.  I think everyone should read and love this book!

The release party:

Sara's Release party will be at Kings English on January 7th 2014 at  7PM.  You can RSVP Here.  But come have fun and support Sara!! and if you want to join us for cheesecake at the cheesecake factory after feel free!!! We love new friends!

I give this book:




Friday, March 2, 2012

Arc Review: The Savage Grace

The Savage Grace
By Bree Despain
Published by Egmont USA
488 Pages
Release Date March 13 2012
Book 3 of 3 in the The Dark Divine series




My must have playlist:



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What its about (from goodreads):

A troubled soul. An impossible choice. A final battle.

Wrestling with the werewolf curse pulsing deep inside of her, Grace Divine was finally able to find her brother, but it nearly cost her everything.

With her boyfriend, Daniel, stuck in wolf form and Sirhan's death approaching, time is running out for Grace to stop Caleb Kalbi and his gang of demons. If she fails, her family and hometown will perish. Everything rests on Grace's shoulders.

The final installment in The Dark Divine trilogy brings Daniel and Grace's love story to a breathtaking conclusion

What I thought:

I'm always really nervous to read the last book in a series, I mean I've been disappointed a lot, however The Savage Grace doesn't disappoint in anyway. Grace is an easy Character to follow, love, and want to help get her to right choices in life. She has moments of weakness like anyone, but she pushes through.  I feel like this was a beautiful end to a series that I've loved from page one of The Dark Divine.

I enjoyed watching Grace's Internal struggle reach an all time high as she pushed away and hurt the ones she loves all while she's fighting the external struggles as well. I guess I shouldn't say I enjoyed that part but I love the way she is able to over come and fight for the ones she loves in the end. It's easy to feel Grace's pain and loss that she feels towards Daniel as well the hurt and distrust she feels towards Talbot and Jude. I love that Bree is able make these emotions so real and relatable. I also loved how strong the connection was between Grace and Daniel, this one you'll have to feel for yourself so I don't give away spoilers about what happens between the two of them but trust me its a relationship worth lusting after.

There are for sure some really sad and rough parts of this book but I respect that it isn't all pretty because real life isn't always pretty. But there is a great message that there is always family and religion to lean on when times get tough.

What I'm doing with my ARC:

This is the first ARC I've ever gotten that I could actually keep but I debated doing a giveaway, or something with it when an opportunity to do something good with it came up. One of my oldest friends is about to have a new Nephew.  However The baby has been diagnosed with Shone's Syndrome it is is a form of heart disease that has two main features. First, there are multiple problems with the left side of the heart, which receives blood from the lungs and pumps it to the body. The valves and passageways are often too small or blocked. Second, the abnormal areas on the left side get worse over time. This second aspect of Shone's Syndrome makes it very different from most other types of of congenital heart disease, which may be equally severe at birth, but do not progress over time.
To help correct the problem the baby will undergo several open heart surgeries as well as be in the NICU for a long period of time. They are a young hard working family whose lives will be changed forever.  And my friend is trying to raise money to help the family cover the medical bills.

They will be doing a Silent Auction and dinner soon to help raise money.  So I'll be taking my ARC to get signed by Bree at her release party and donating it to them to add to the silent Auction. If you'd like to learn a little more about this family and how you can help donate go HERE.  I will post more details about the Silent Auction and dinner when I find them out.

The Release Party:

The release Party for The Savage Grace will be March 13th At 7pm at Kings English Bookstore.  Hope to see you there!

Also starting on the 3rd you can get The Dark Divine and The Lost Saint ebooks for only 1.99 leading up to the release of The Savage Grace

I Give This Book: