Sunday, January 31, 2010

Reading Reflections: January 2010

Books Read:
Windfall by Rachel Caine (review)
Firestorm by Rachel Caine (review)
Thin Air by Rachel Caine (review)
Gale Force Rachel Caine (review)
Cape Storm Rachel Caine (review)
The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson (review)
Firespell by Chloe Neill (review)
Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl (review)

Total Books Read: 8

Most Anticipated: Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

Biggest Let Down: Firespell by Chloe Neill...not that is was a disappointment, but I was expecting more action and information throughout the book instead of the majority being lumped together at the end.

Favorite Read: Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

Highest rank: 5 butterflies

Lowest rank: 4 butterflies

Overall Reflection:Wow! What an amazing start to the year! 8 books down (my monthly goal is 4) and a brand new look (thanks to the lovely Parajunkee)! Not to mention hosting my first ever giveaway! A big thank you to all who participated and congratulations to the winners! :) To top it off, I met some of my reading goals for 2010 previously mentioned here. Said goals include finishing Rachel Caine's Weather Warden series, Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl, and Firespell by Chloe Neill! Overall this has been an amazing month. I couldn't have asked for a better way to kickoff my new "reading" year! :D

Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

Summary:There were no surprises in Gatlin County.
We were pretty much the epicenter of the middle of nowhere.
At least, that's what I thought.
Turns out, I couldn't have been more wrong.
There was a curse.
There was a girl.
And in the end, there was a grave.
Lena Duchannes is unlike anyone the small Southern town of Gatlin has ever seen, and she's struggling to conceal her power and a curse that has haunted her family for generations. But even within the overgrown gardens, murky swamps and crumbling graveyards of the forgotten South, a secret cannot stay hidden forever.

Ethan Wate, who has been counting the months until he can escape from Gatlin, is haunted by dreams of a beautiful girl he has never met. When Lena moves into the town's oldest and most infamous plantation, Ethan is inexplicably drawn to her and determined to uncover the connection between them.

In a town with no surprises, one secret could change everything. -Goodreads.com

Review:
I just turned the last page a few minutes ago and I have got to say...wow. This story is absolutely breathtaking. I wasn't quite sure what expect when I began reading Beautiful Creatures. Sure, I had read several reviews, but overall, I walked away with a mixed consensus. Regardless, I was determined to see what all the fuss was about myself. I won this copy from the ever lovely Donna. :) After finishing up a few other books on my tbr list, I immediately plunged into Beautiful Creatures and was instantly captivated. Garcia and Stohl are amazing storytellers. The characters are multidimensional and their stories are inter-weaved nicely. There are several underlying themes to this book...magic, secrets, family, and the list goes on... However, the overall theme is love, and it holds a strong first place. I simply can not do this story justice, but I will tell you, it almost immediately became one of my favorite books of all time.

Cover Art Commentary:
Absolutely gorgeous! First of all, I love the colors. Most of all, I love the mystique. Strictly based on the cover, you know it's going to have an overall dark theme, but you aren't quite sure what to expect. I love it. Very fitting. :)
Overall Rating:

Sunday, January 24, 2010

Book Bundle

Cassandra Renfield has always seen the mark—a glow around certain people reminiscent of candlelight. But the one time she mentioned it, it was dismissed as a trick of the light. Until the day she watches a man awash in the mark die. After searching her memories, Cassie realizes she can see a person’s imminent death. Not how or where, only when: today. Armed with a vague understanding of the light, Cassie begins to explore her “gift,” seeking those marked for death and probing the line between decision and destiny. Though she’s careful to hide her secret—even from her new philosophy-obsessed boyfriend—with each impending death comes the temptation to test fate. But so many questions remain. How does the mark work? Why is she the only one who sees it? And finally, the most important of all: If you know today is someone’s last, should you tell them? -Goodreads.com

There's something achingly familiar about Daniel Grigori. Mysterious and aloof, he captures Luce Price's attention from the moment she sees him on her first day at the Sword & Cross boarding school in sultry Savannah, Georgia. He's the one bright spot in a place where cell phones are forbidden, the other students are all screw-ups, and security cameras watch every move. Even though Daniel wants nothing to do with Luce--and goes out of his way to make that very clear--she can't let it go. Drawn to him like a moth to a flame, she has to find out what Daniel is so desperate to keep secret . . . even if it kills her. -Goodreads.com


For seventeen-year-old Janie, getting sucked into other people's dreams is getting old. Especially the falling dreams, the naked-but-nobody-notices dreams, and the sex-crazed dreams. Janie's seen enough fantasy booty to last her a lifetime. She can't tell anybody about what she does -- they'd never believe her, or worse, they'd think she's a freak. So Janie lives on the fringe, cursed with an ability she doesn't want and can't control. Then she falls into a gruesome nightmare, one that chills her to the bone. For the first time, Janie is more than a witness to someone else's twisted psyche. She is a participant....-Amazon.com



This intriguing, if not quite stand-alone, sequel to Wake follows undercover investigators and high school seniors Janie Hannagan and her partner/boyfriend Cabel as they attempt to unmask and trap a sexual predator teaching at Fieldridge High. Janie is a dream catcher—she has the ability to be sucked into another person's dreams—and her job is to glean clues to the culprit's identity from her classmates and to act as bait. The latter task annoys protective Cabe, and their relationship, already strained by a scarcity of alone time and the need for secrecy (their last case might be jeopardized if they are seen together), is further stressed. Furthermore, Janie receives documents from her now-deceased dream-catcher mentor promising to detail the fate in store for her, and she's not sure she wants to know the truth. While there are few surprises in the main plot arc, the spare but effective narrative holds readers' attention, especially when Janie delves into the chilling truth of her ability. -Amazon.com


Once she was Cassiel, a Djinn of limitless power. Now, she has been reshaped in human flesh as punishment for defying her master-and living among the Weather Wardens, whose power she must tap into regularly or she will die. And as she copes with the emotions and frailties of her human condition, a malevolent entity threatens her new existence...-Goodreads.com



The second of two fun and sexy paranormal novels featuring a succubus, a vampire, and a fallen angel. -Goodreads.com




Source:
All of these were purchased from my local indie bookstore. In my defense, not all of these were bought at same time! :P I was in a particularly good mood yesterday, so I did splurge on Fallen and The Mark. I usually wait until books come out in paperback, if I can...

Most Anticipated:Well, the all sound good to be honest. If I had to choose I would say I am most looking forward The Mark and Fallen annnnnd Succubi Like It Hot, I MUST read that series soon! I have heard such good things about it! :D


Saturday, January 23, 2010

New Blog Design!

I just got a brand new blog makeover courtesy of Rachel from Parajunkee's Veiw. Didn't she do a fantastic job?! I absolutely LOVE it! :D Please let me know what you think! Rachel was wonderful to work with. She took my thoughts and ideas into consideration and bundled them together into this awesome design. I don't know how she does it, but she sure does a great job! She was very easy going and the overall experience was as wonderful. If you are ever in need of style and creativity, give her a try. You will be thrilled with the results! :)

Firespell by Chloe Neill

Summary:
As the new girl at the elite St. Sophia’s boarding school, Lily Parker thinks her classmates are the most monstrous things she’ll have to face…When Lily’s guardians decided to send her away to a fancy boarding school in Chicago, she was shocked. So was St. Sophia’s. Lily’s ultra-rich brat pack classmates think Lily should be the punchline to every joke, and on top of that, she’s hearing strange noises and seeing bizarre things in the shadows of the creepy building. The only thing keeping her sane is her roommate, Scout, but even Scout’s a little weird—she keeps disappearing late at night and won’t tell Lily where she’s been. But when a prank leaves Lily trapped in the catacombs beneath the school, Lily finds Scout running from a real monster. Scout’s a member of a splinter group of rebel teens with unique magical talents, who’ve sworn to protect the city against demons, vampires, and Reapers, magic users who’ve been corrupted by their power. And when Lily finds herself in the line of a firespell, Scout tells her the truth about her secret life, even though Lily has no powers of her own—at least none that she’s discovered yet…-Goodreads.com

Review:
This is my first book from Chloe Neill. Overall, I was pretty impressed. I love the main character Lily (hehe) and looking at the story through her eyes. My biggest complaint is that the story seemed a bit uneven. Lily is new to St. Sophia's and so the reader adjusts to the new settings and characters right along with Lily, but the majority of action and revelations come at the end of the book. It leaves the reader wanting more when the story is over, perhaps this intentionally. However, I felt like things had just started to get interesting when I turned the last page. I didn't allow this to detract too much from my overall opinion of the book. Neill creates a dark, creative, and interesting world, one that has the reader staying up late, furiously flipping pages.

Cover Art Commentary:
Very fitting. This is a very dark book, so the dark background suits the story quite well. The girl on the cover is almost exactly how I pictured Lily! :)

Overall Rating:

Monday, January 18, 2010

The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary E. Pearson

Summary:
Who is Jenna Fox?

Seventeen-year-old Jenna has been told that is her name. She has just awoken from a year-long coma, and she's still recovering from the terrible accident that caused it. Her parents show her home movies of her life, her memories, but she has no recollection. Is she really the same girl she sees on the screen? Little by little, Jenna begins to remember. Along with the memories come questions—questions no one wants to answer for her. What really happened after the accident?-Goodreads.com

You can find out more at the author's website here.

Review:
I read this for Calico_reaction's monthly book club...and I am very glad I did.

This book is stunning. Pearson does a great job of introducing the world to the reader through Jenna's eyes. The story starts off quiet and subtle. The pace then quickens as Jenna makes more discoveries and finds her voice. There are many ethical complexities and issues that arise throughout the book that leave the reader still questioning and contemplating long after the book is finished. Overall, I thought it was a compelling story with lovely prose. I highly recommend this book to everyone.

Cover Art Commentary:
Although this cover is not the same as the one I read, it is very fitting. The butterfly has a rather significant meaning to the story. The colors are beautiful as well.

Overall Rating:

Friday, January 15, 2010

Cape Storm by Rachel Caine

Summery:
Weather Warden Joanne Baldwin was supposed to be enjoying a romantic honeymoon with her new husband, the Djinn David--not running from a malevolent hurricane bent on destroying her. Joined by an army of fellow Wardens and Djinn on board a hijacked luxury liner, Joanne has lured the storm into furious pursuit. Only one problem: Even their combined magic may not be enough to stop it.

Now Joanne's being drawn into uncharted dark territory, both at sea and in a battle for her own soul...and if she doesn't change course, her fellow Wardens--and even David's Djinn--won't have any choice but to blow her away...-Goodreads.com

Review:
This book left me breathless. Cape Storm is action-packed from beginning to end. The one element missing in this story are the muscle cars Jo loves to drive (and almost always destroys). Instead of the usual on-the-road setting, this story takes place out to sea, leaving the wardens and djinn vulnerable to a horrific storm...one that is specifically sent to destroy them. I found the change of scenery refreshing, a new component to the overall story arc. David and Jo are more fiercely in love than ever. As the usual, the world is about to end and Jo is the key to survival. Oh, and there are some great and unexpected twists and turns along the way to keep the reader on their toes. ;) Overall, a lovely, lovely series by Rachel Caine. I look forward to the last *sighs* book in the series due to come out this year.

Cover Art Commentary:
Very dark, very fitting. This book has a overall dark backdrop with subtle light notes along the way. The troubled waters heavily speak to the many obstacles and threats posed to the characters throughout the story.

Overall Rating:


Thursday, January 14, 2010

Book Bundle

Living in small town Rockabill, Maine, Jane True always knew she didn't quite fit in with so-called normal society. During her nightly, clandestine swim in the freezing winter ocean, a grisly find leads Jane to startling revelations about her heritage: she is only half-human. Now, Jane must enter a world filled with supernatural creatures alternatively terrifying, beautiful, and deadly- all of which perfectly describe her new "friend," Ryu, a gorgeous and powerful vampire. It is a world where nothing can be taken for granted: a dog can heal with a lick; spirits bag your groceries; and whatever you do, never-ever-rub the genie's lamp. -Goodreads.com

Jackie Brighton woke up in a dumpster this morning, and her day has only gotten weirder. Her breasts grew overnight, her sex drive is insatiable, and apparently she had her first one-night stand ever . . . with a fallen angel. Of course, she only remembers gorgeous Noah’s enormous, er, package. And their steamy shower sex. Hmm . . . and the dark stranger whose bite transformed her into an immortal siren with a seductive Itch.
With help from Noah and fellow succubus Remy Summore, Jackie adapts to her new lifestyle—until she accidentally strikes a deal that sends her lover into the deadly clutches of the vampire queen and lands Jackie, Remy, and the queen’s wickedly hot right-hand man into the middle of a fierce battle for an ancient halo. But how’s a girl supposed to save the world when the enemy’s so hard to resist?
-Goodreads.com

Who is Jenna Fox? Seventeen-year-old Jenna has been told that is her name. She has just awoken from a year-long coma, and she's still recovering from the terrible accident that caused it. Her parents show her home movies of her life, her memories, but she has no recollection. Is she really the same girl she sees on the screen? Little by little, Jenna begins to remember. Along with the memories come questions—questions no one wants to answer for her. What really happened after the accident? -Goodreads.com


Source:
All of these were purchased from my local indie bookstore.

Most Anticipated:
Well, they all sound good to me. :P I picked up Tempest Rising for 2 reasons: 1.Rachy from Parajunkee's View gave it a great review, and 2. There is a quote from Rachel Caine on the back. :D So I kind-of have high hopes for it...

I picked up Gentlemen Prefer Succubi after watching the trailer on the sidebar of Donna's blog Fantasy Dreamer's Ramblings. It looks like a fun read, and I am probably most looking forward to read this...Probably.

I bought The Adoration of Jenna Fox for a book club held by calico_reaction over at livejournal. I have been meaning to read this for some time and the book club seemed like the perfect occasion!

Monday, January 11, 2010

Gale Force by Rachel Caine

Summery:
While on vacation, David asks Joanne to marry him. While Joanne is thrilled to say yes, she must consider the various parties that are strongly objected to union and will do anything to stop it from happening. Meanwhile, there is a dark force at work which is posing a large threat to the wardens, djinn, as well as mother earth. One that the djinn are unable to see and the wardens, unable to stop. Oh, and the press has caught wind of said supernatural phenomena and are hot on Joanne's trail, trying to capture her every move. Just what a girl needs when she is trying to save the world from imminent doom, right?!

Review:
I just finished this book and I can barely catch my breath. Again, can I just say what I a fan of Rachel Caine I am?! She packs it all in, in this 7th installment of the Weather Warden series. What I love most about her writing is the sarcasm and dark humor. It balances out the heaviness and darker moments of the story. I cannot tell you how many times I found myself laughing aloud, even when the characters are facing certain death. It takes an incredible writer to do that. I also love how fierce and independent she makes her heroine. You cannot help but love Jo, even if you don't agree with her every decision and action. With every book, I get closer to the end of the series. While I am enjoying the ride, I am sad to see it end.

Cover Art Commentary:
This is my favorite cover of the entire series. No joke. I knew it the moment I bought the entire series. I love the colors. I love the cherry red mustang and the leaves that are fluttering beside Joanne. The indeterminable sky in the background has a lot to say about this book.

Overall Rating:


Follower contest with series giveaway!!!

Okay, I admit it. I am a series junkie 100%. When I find a good book, I really, really hate for it to end. So I try to find books in a series so the reading experience doesn't have to end right away. My faithful followers...You have stuck through my many reviews of various series, many of which I have loved. So I think it's time to give something back. :)

Currently, I am at 36 followers. Should I reach 50, I will giveaway one book in a series. If I reach 75, I will add an additional book...and should I reach 100, I will add another for a total of 3 potential books.

Without further ado, let me introduce the potential series' up for grabs:











I will give 1 book away from Rachel Caine's Morganville Vampire series, 1 book from Caine's Weather Warden series, and 1 book from Charlaine Harris' Southern Vampire Mysteries series, should I reach 100 followers. Now here's the fun part: You choose the series, and you choose which book in the series. Initially, I was going to giveaway the first book in each series, but then I thought I would leave that decision up to the winner. Perhaps you already own or have read the first in the series and want the third book instead...whatever the case may be, the choice is yours. *For the Caine's Morganville Vampire series, if you choose the first book, I will automatically send you the book pictured above, which includes book 1 and 2 of the series, unless you otherwise specify.

Okay, so here are the details:
  • This contest is open internationally. As long as The Book Depository ships to your country, that is. :)
  • The contest is open until January 31st.
  • Leave your name, link to your blog (if you have one), email address, and which book from which series you would like to win. No book, no entry.
  • You MUST be a follower, either new or old.
  • +3 Entries for old followers
  • +1 Entry for new followers
  • +1 Entry for tweeting this contest (leave the link, please)
  • +3 Entries if you blog about this contest (leave the link, please)
  • Please, do not enter more than once. You will be automatically disqualified.
Alright! So let's have some fun! Please fill out the form below to enter! Good luck! :)

Sunday, January 10, 2010

Thin Air by Rachel Caine

Summery:
Joanne Baldwin has had better days--at least she hopes she has. After waking up naked and freezing in a forest, she's located by two rescuers she doesn't recognize at all. One supernaturally gorgeous guy might have been her lover. The other says he can control the weather...and so can she.

Not everyone looking for Joanne has her best interests at heart, and with no way to tell friend or foe, Joanne is quickly lost in a fog of deception. Her tenuous hold on life is fading with every passing moment. Now she must rebuild herself, one memory at a time, before someone else steals her life--and she disappears into thin air. Oh, and along the way, it seems that she has to save the world....-From the back cover, also found at goodreads.com

Review:
I chose to use the synopsis from the back cover because it made me want to tare into this book, which I did hastily. Seriously, that summary offers some serious enticement, does it not?! Well let me tell you what, Caine does not fail to follow through! If I thought Firestorm was amazing, I had no idea what Thin Air held in store. This is my absolute favorite book in the series so far. I love the interaction of Jo with the other characters without her memory. It offers a fresh perspective to the overall storyline. Watching Jo piece her life back together is an interesting process. There are many obstacles in store for Joanne as well as the reader. Caine's writing is smoother and better than ever in this 6th installment. I absolutely cannot wait to start Gale Force!

Cover Art Commentary:
I love, love the cover to this book. Thin Air primarily deals with the element of earth, which is represented by the trees in the background. What I like most about this cover, is that Joanne is dressed casually in jeans and a tank top, instead of the black leather outfits which are more often displayed on the covers. While the leather outfits are tantalizing, the more casual clothing is closer representative of what her character usually dons in the books.

Overall Rating:


Friday, January 8, 2010

Book Bundle

There were no surprises in Gatlin County.
We were pretty much the epicenter of the middle of nowhere.
At least, that's what I thought.
Turns out, I couldn't have been more wrong.
There was a curse.
There was a girl.
And in the end, there was a grave.
Lena Duchannes is unlike anyone the small Southern town of Gatlin has ever seen, and she's struggling to conceal her power and a curse that has haunted her family for generations. But even within the overgrown gardens, murky swamps and crumbling graveyards of the forgotten South, a secret cannot stay hidden forever. Ethan Wate, who has been counting the months until he can escape from Gatlin, is haunted by dreams of a beautiful girl he has never met. When Lena moves into the town's oldest and most infamous plantation, Ethan is inexplicably drawn to her and determined to uncover the connection between them. In a town with no surprises, one secret could change everything. -Gooodreads.com

As the new girl at the elite St. Sophia’s boarding school, Lily Parker thinks her classmates are the most monstrous things she’ll have to face…

When Lily’s guardians decided to send her away to a fancy boarding school in Chicago, she was shocked. So was St. Sophia’s. Lily’s ultra-rich brat pack classmates think Lily should be the punchline to every joke, and on top of that, she’s hearing strange noises and seeing bizarre things in the shadows of the creepy building. The only thing keeping her sane is her roommate, Scout, but even Scout’s a little weird—she keeps disappearing late at night and won’t tell Lily where she’s been. But when a prank leaves Lily trapped in the catacombs beneath the school, Lily finds Scout running from a real monster. Scout’s a member of a splinter group of rebel teens with unique magical talents, who’ve sworn to protect the city against demons, vampires, and Reapers, magic users who’ve been corrupted by their power. And when Lily finds herself in the line of a firespell, Scout tells her the truth about her secret life, even though Lily has no powers of her own—at least none that she’s discovered yet…-Goodreads.com

For years, Grace has watched the wolves in the woods behind her house. One yellow-eyed wolf—her wolf—is a chilling presence she can't seem to live without. Meanwhile, Sam has lived two lives: In winter, the frozen woods, the protection of the pack, and the silent company of a fearless girl. In summer, a few precious months of being human ... until the cold makes him shift back again.

Now, Grace meets a yellow-eyed boy whose familiarity takes her breath away. It's her wolf. It has to be. But as winter nears, Sam must fight to stay human--or risk losing himself, and Grace, forever. -Goodreads.com

A Victorian boarding school story, a Gothic mansion mystery, a gossipy romp about a clique of girlfriends, and a dark other-worldly fantasy--jumble them all together and you have this complicated and unusual first novel. Gemma, 16, has had an unconventional upbringing in India, until the day she foresees her mother's death in a black, swirling vision that turns out to be true. Sent back to England, she is enrolled at Spence, a girls' academy with a mysterious burned-out East Wing. There Gemma is snubbed by powerful Felicity, beautiful Pippa, and even her own dumpy roommate Ann, until she blackmails herself and Ann into the treacherous clique. Gemma is distressed to find that she has been followed from India by Kartik, a beautiful young man who warns her to fight off the visions. Nevertheless, they continue, and one night she is led by a child-spirit to find a diary that reveals the secrets of a mystical Order. The clique soon finds a way to accompany Gemma to the other-world realms of her visions "for a bit of fun" and to taste the power they will never have as Victorian wives, but they discover that the delights of the realms are overwhelmed by a menace they cannot control. Gemma is left with the knowledge that her role as the link between worlds leaves her with a mission to seek out the "others" and rebuild the Order. -Goodreads.com

In this sequel to the Victorian fantasy A Great and Terrible Beauty, Gemma continues to pursue her role as the one destined to bind the magic of the Realms and restore it to the Order--a mysterious group who have been overthrown by a rebellion. Gemma, Felicity and Ann, (her girlfriends at Spence Academy for Young Ladies), use magical power to transport themselves on visits from their corseted world to the visionary country of the Realms, with its strange beauty and menace. There they search for the lost Temple, the key to Gemma's mission, and comfort Pippa, their friend who has been left behind in the Realms. After these visits they bring back magical power for a short time to use in their own world. Meanwhile, Gemma is torn between her attraction to the exotic Kartik, the messenger from the opposing forces of the Rakshana, and the handsome but clueless Simon, a young man of good family who is courting her. The complicated plot thickens when Gemma discovers a woman in Bedlam madhouse who knows where to find the Temple; Ann shows signs of being enamored of Gemma's loutish brother Tom, and their father's addiction to laudanum lands him in an opium den. A large part of the enjoyment of this unusual fantasy comes from the Victorian milieu and its restrictive rules about the behavior of proper young ladies, as contrasted with the unimaginable possibilities of the Realms, where Gemma has power to confront gorgons and ghosts and the responsibility to save a world. -Goodreads.com

Is has been a year of change since Gemma Doyle arrived at the foreboding Spence Academy. Her mother murdered, her father a
laudanum addict, Gemma has relied on an unsuspected strength and has discovered an ability to travel to an enchanted world called the realms, where dark magic runs wild. Despite certain peril, Gemma has bound the magic to herself and forged unlikely new alliances. Now, as Gemma approaches her London debut, the time has come to test these bonds. The Order - the mysterious group her mother was once part of - is grappling for control of the realms, as is the Rakshana. Spence's burned East Wing is being rebuilt, but why now? Gemma and her friends see Pippa, but she is not the same. And their friendship faces its gravest trial as Gemma must decide once and for all what role she is meant for. -Goodreads.com

I am a beast.
A beast. Not quite wolf or bear, gorilla or dog but a horrible new creature who walks upright—a creature with fangs and claws and hair springing from every pore. I am a monster. You think I'm talking fairy tales? No way. The place is New York City. The time is now. It's no deformity, no disease. And I'll stay this way forever—ruined—unless I can break the spell. Yes, the spell, the one the witch in my English class cast on me. Why did she turn me into a beast who hides by day and prowls by night? I'll tell you. I'll tell you how I used to be Kyle Kingsbury, the guy you wished you were, with money, perfect looks, and the perfect life. And then, I'll tell you how I became perfectly . . . beastly. -Goodreads.com

Source:
I won Beautiful Creatures from the ever lovely Donna over at Fantasy Dreamer's Ramblings. This book has received several stellar reviews from many of my fellow bloggers. I absolutely cannot wait to read it! :) The rest of these were purchased with a gift card from my local indie bookstore! I got the gift card for my birthday! :D

Most Anticipated:
That would be a tie I think between Beautiful Creatures and Firespell. They both sound intriguing and have received excellent reviews. I plan on reading them both before too long! :)

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Firestorm by Rachel Caine


Summery:
Rogue Weather Warden Joanne Baldwin is racing to New York to warn her former colleagues of the impending apocalypse. An ancient agreement between the Djinn and the Wardens has been broken, and the furious Djinn, slaves to the Wardens for millennia, have broken free of mortal control. With more than half the Wardens unaccounted for in the wake of Djinn uprising, Joanne realizes that the natural disasters they've combated for so long were merely symptoms of restless Mother Nature fidgeting in her sleep. Now she's waking up--and she is angry....-Goodreads.com

Review:
I chose to use the synopsis from Goodreads because I simply cannot begin to describe this book in mere words. It is amazing. There is so much that happens, and it's all quite valuable to the overall storyline of the series. Caine's writing is better than ever in this fifth installment of the Weather Warden series. I am 100% hooked and itching to start the next book in the series. If you haven't read this series, I highly encourage you to do so...soon.

Cover Art Commentary:
I love the cover to this book. In the weather warden world, the wardens can control earth, fire, or weather (i.e. air and water). Obviously, this book deals greatly with fire. This is the first cover in the series that hasn't depicted a major scene in the book, but the element of fire is a prominent theme. Therefore, is rightly justified as the cover for this volume.

Overall Rating:

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

Windfall by Rachel Caine


Summery:
Joanne Baldwin has had a bumpy life's journey since she became a Weather Warden. So it's no suprise Jo decides to leave the Wardens for good to salvage the few pieces of her life left remaining. Unfortunately, life has other plans for Jo...Her sister Sarah shows up, freshly divorced, without a penny to her name. David, her Djinn boyfriend is having problems of his own and seems to be draining the life right out of Jo. Also, a police officer shows up and starts to tailing Jo in attempt to find out what happened to his partner who is mysteriously missing. On top of her personal problems, the truce between the Wardens and the Djinn begins to dissolve. Joanne finds herself forced to choose between saving her Djinn lover, saving her Warden abilities and saving humanity.

Review:
This is probably the best book in the series that I have read so far. I love the introduction of all the different characters. It's nice to get to know Jo as a person, rather than just a Weather Warden. What is probably the best feature of this book is Caine's writing. It is much more polished and reads more smoothly than the first three books in the series. Caine previously wrote several other books under pseudo-names before beginning The Weather Warden series (which are still some of her earlier writings), but she admits herself, that it took time to really hone her writing skills. I was completely gripped to the story, like I was in Caine's Morganville Vampire series. I am definitely hooked now and can not wait to devour the rest of the series!

Cover Art Commentary:
Gorgeous. I love that this book does not have the basic white background that the first three books have. The color gives the cover depth and character. As always, the picture is of a pivotal scene in the story! :)

Overall Rating:





Monday, January 4, 2010

Books and Series I am looking forward to in 2010



Books:
The Year of the Flood by Margaret Atwood
The 19th Wife by David Ebershoff
Firespell by Chloe Neill
Graceling by Kristin Cashore
Fire by Kristin Cashore
Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
Shiver by Maggie
Stiefvater
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
The Story Sisters by
Alice Hoffman
The 3rd book in The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins

Series:
(finish) The Weather Warden series by Rachel Caine
The Rachel Morgan series by Kim Harrison
The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher
The Chicagoland Vampire series by Chloe Neill
The Jane Jameson by Molly Harper

In case you didn't know...


...I turned 25 yesterday. It's slightly depressing. Only 5 more years until the big 3-0. *sigh* I did however, get delicious birthday pie, so that's a plus.

On to better, more exciting news...I have finished my first book of the new year, Windfall by Rachel Caine. It was absolutely phenomenal. Review will be up soon.

Saturday, January 2, 2010

Book Bundle

Maybe it was the Shenanigans gift certificate that put her over the edge. When children's librarian and self-professed nice girl Jane Jameson is fired by her beastly boss and handed twenty-five dollars in potato skins instead of a severance check, she goes on a bender that's sure to become Half Moon Hollow legend. On her way home, she's mistaken for a deer, shot, and left for dead. And thanks to the mysterious stranger she met while chugging neon-colored cocktails, she wakes up with a decidedly unladylike thirst for blood.

Jane is now the latest recipient of a gift basket from the Newly Undead Welcoming Committee, and her life-after-lifestyle is taking some getting used to. Her recently deceased favorite aunt is now her ghostly roommate. She has to fake breathing and endure daytime hours to avoid coming out of the coffin to her family. She's forced to forgo her favorite down-home Southern cooking for bags of O negative. Her relationship with her sexy, mercurial vampire sire keeps running hot and cold. And if all that wasn't enough, it looks like someone in Half Moon Hollow is trying to frame her for a series of vampire murders. What's a nice undead girl to do? -Goodreads.com


Once a devoted children's librarian, Jane Jameson now works at a rundown occult bookstore. Once a regular gal, she's now a vampire. And instead of a bride, she's an eternal bridesmaid -- which leads her to question where exactly her relationship with her irresistibly sexy sire, Gabriel, is headed. Mercurial, enigmatic, apparently commitment-phobic vampires are nothing if not hard to read. While Jane is trying to master undead dating, she is also donning the ugliest bridesmaid's dress in history at her best friend Zeb's Titanic-themed wedding. Between a freaked-out groom-to-be, his hostile werewolf in-laws, and Zeb's mother, hell-bent on seeing Jane walk the aisle with Zeb, Jane's got the feeling she's just rearranging the proverbial deck chairs.

Meanwhile, Half Moon Hollow's own Black Widow, Jane's Grandma Ruthie, has met her match in her latest fiancé. He smells like bad cheese and has a suspicious history of dead spouses. But Jane's biting her tongue. After all, would a nice girl really think she has a future with a vampire? -Goodreads.com


Nothing sucks the romance out of world travel like a boyfriend who may or may not have broken up with you in a hotel room in Brussels. Jane Jameson’s sexy sire, Gabriel, has always been unpredictable. But the seductive, anonymous notes that await him at each stop of their international vacation, coupled with his evasive behavior over the past few months, finally push Jane onto the next flight home to Half Moon Hollow — alone, upset, and unsure whether Gabriel just ended their relationship without actually telling her.

Now the children’s-librarian-turned-vampire is reviving with plenty of Faux Type O, some TLC from her colorful friends and family, and her plans for a Brave New Jane. Step One: Get her newly-renovated occult bookstore off the ground. Step Two: Support her best friend, Zeb, and his werewolf bride as they prepare for the impending birth of their baby . . . or litter. Step Three: Figure out who’s been sending her threatening letters, and how her hostile pen pal is tied to Gabriel. Because for this nice girl, surviving a broken heart is becoming a matter of life and undeath...-Goodreads.com


Sure, the life of a graduate student wasn’t exactly glamorous, but it was Merit’s. She was doing fine until a rogue vampire attacked her. But he only got a sip before he was scared away by another bloodsucker—and this one decided the best way to save her life was to make her the walking undead.

Turns out her savior was the master vampire of Cadogan House. Now she’s traded sweating over her thesis for learning to fit in at a Hyde Park mansion full of vamps loyal to Ethan “Lord o’ the Manor” Sullivan. Of course, as a tall, green-eyed, four-hundred- year-old vampire, he has centuries’ worth of charm, but unfortunately he expects her gratitude— and servitude. But an inconvenient sunlight allergy and Ethan’s attitude are the least of her concerns. Someone’s still out to get her. Her initiation into Chicago’s nightlife may be the first skirmish in a war—and there will be blood. -Goodreads.com


Ten months after vampires revealed their existence to the mortals of Chicago, they're enjoying a celebrity status usually reserved for the Hollywood elite. But should people learn about the Raves-mass feeding parties where vampires round up humans like cattle-the citizens will start sharpening their stakes.

So now it's up to the new vampire Merit to reconnect with her upper class family and act as liaison between humans and bloodsuckers, and keep the more unsavory aspects of the vampire lifestyle out of the media. But someone doesn't want peace between them-someone with an ancient grudge...-Goodreads.com

Source:
All of these were purchased with a gift card from my local indie bookstore! I got the gift card for Christmas! :D

Most Anticipated:
Oh man! How can I even choose?! I have read excellent reviews for both series! It is a very good possibility that I will start reading the Jane Jameson series very, very soon. I am alllmost done with Windfall by Rachel Caine (which is excellent so far). So I might take a break from the Weather Warden series to read the shorter Jane Jameson series! :P