Cinder (Lunar Chronicles #1) by Marissa Meyer

Book Summery (Via Goodreads): Cinder, a gifted mechanic in New Beijing, is also a cyborg. She's reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister's sudden illness. But when her life becomes entwined with the handsome Prince Kai's, she finds herself at the center of a violent struggle between the desires of an evil queen - and a dangerous temptation.

Cinder is caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal. Now she must uncover secrets about her mysterious past in order to protect Earth's future.

Book Review:
Ok, so I read A LOT of reviews on this book. They all had a common theme which went something like "THIS BOOK IS AWESOME! YOU SHOULD READ IT!" This made me REALLY hesitant to actually pick up the book and read it. I don't know why, but when there's such an overwhelming response to a book, I tend to think "this must be to good to be true," which leads me to postpone reading. Anyways, I finally did pick it up and I'm glad I did. This was a fresh take on the Cinderella fable. I enjoyed the futuristic setting. The use of cyborgs and androids were also intriguing. Cinder was a wonderful main character. However, I wasn't as over the moon about it as some of my other blogger counterparts. I found the pacing of the first half of the book a bit slow. Also, there was a lot of inner-dialog that bogged down the overall story...i.e. "I'm thinking about this and it makes me sad...Now I'm thinking about this and it makes me sad." Those were really my only complaints. Once I reached the second half of the book, I couldn't set it down! I loved the interaction between Cinder and prince Kai. The lunar queen is pure evil, which makes the perfect counterpart to Cinder and prince Kai. Overall, this is a fantastic story, and I am very much looking forward to the next book in the series! 

Favorite Quote:

“Even in the Future the Story Begins with Once Upon a Time.”

Cover Art Commentary:
I love the simplicity of this cover. The colors juxtapose nicely. I adore the faint undertones of the mechanical leg.

Rating:

Top Ten Tuesday...but on Thursday! Spring Reads!

 
 A feature hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. 

This weeks topic: Top Ten Twelve Books On My Spring To-Be-Read list.

1. Timeless (Parasol Protectorate #5) by Gail Carriger
2. Bitterblue (The Seven Kingdoms #3) by Kristin Cashore
3. Insurgent (Divergent #2) by Veronica Roth
4. Fever (The Chemical Garden #2) by Lauren DeStefano
5. Taken at Dusk (Shadow Falls #3) by C.C. Hunter
6. Black Heart (Curse Workers #3) by Holly Black
7. Dreamless (Starcrossed #2) by Josephine Angelini
8. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
9. Underworld (Abandon Trilogy #2) by Meg Cabot
10. Goddess Interrupted (Goddess Test #2) by Aimee Carter
11. The Savage Grace (The Dark Divine #3) by Bree Despain
12. Spell Bound (Hex Hall #3) by Rachel Hawkins 

What books are on your top list of reads for this spring?!

Perception (Clarity #2) by Kim Harrington

Book Summery (Via Goodreads): Everybody knows about Clarity "Clare" Fern. She's the psychic girl in school, the one who can place her hands on something and see hidden visions from the past.

Only Clare would rather not be a celebrity. She prefers hanging back, observing. Her gift is not a game to her.

But then someone starts playing with her head . . . and heart. Messages and gifts from a secret admirer crop up everywhere Clare turns. Could they be from Gabriel, the gorgeous boy who gets Clare's pulse racing? Or from Justin, Clare's hopeful ex-boyfriend who'd do anything to win her back?

One thing is certain. Clare needs to solve this mystery, and soon. Because the messages are becoming sinister, and a girl in town has suddenly disappeared.

Book Review:
I really enjoy this series! I was hooked on the first book Clarity, and the followup Perception was just as enticing! :) I've said it before, and I'll say it again...I love the main character Clare. Her narration really make the books special. I also appreciate a book that emphasizes a close family. The connections between Clare and her mother and brother is exceptional. There are some new characters in this book, some that I enjoyed and others that I quite detested. There was an element, however, that knocked this book down from a five rating. There is a mysterious subplot running throughout the story that ends rather abruptly. I found it to be a little lackluster and disappointing. Otherwise, everything else in this book was rock solid. Really looking forward to the next book in the series!

Favorite Quote:

“Clare. Give me a reason to stay.” 

Cover Art Commentary:
I really like the white background on the multicolored wooded backdrop. I am not a fan of the birds, but that probably stems from my fear of birds. :P

Rating:

Top Ten Tuesday: The Dark Realm of Dystopian

 A feature hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. 

This weeks topic: Top "X" Genre Books...I chose Dystopian. 

1. The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins
2. The Giver by Lois Lowry
3. The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood
4. Wither by Lauren DeStaefano
5. All These Things I've Done by Gabrielle Zeven
6. The Across the Universe trilogy by Beth Revis
7. Divergent by Veronica Roth
8. 1984 by George Orwell
9. Dearly, Departed by Lia Habel
10. Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood

So what books are on your top ten dystopian list?

Born Wicked (The Cahill Witch Chronicles #1) by Jessica Spotswood

Book Summery (Via Goodreads): Everybody knows Cate Cahill and her sisters are eccentric. Too pretty, too reclusive, and far too educated for their own good. But the truth is even worse: they're witches. And if their secret is discovered by the priests of the Brotherhood, it would mean an asylum, a prison ship--or an early grave.

Before her mother died, Cate promised to protect her sisters. But with six months to choose between marriage and the Sisterhood, she might not be able to keep her word... especially after she finds her mother's diary, uncovering a secret that could spell her family's destruction. Desperate to find alternatives to their fate, Cate stars scouring banned books and questioning rebellious new friends, all while juggling tea parties, shocking marriage proposals, and a forbidden romance with the completely unsuitable Finn Belastra.

If what her mother wrote is true, the Cahill girls aren't safe. Not from the Brotherhood, the Sisterhood -- not even from each other.

Book Trailer:


Book Review:
I've been reading a lot of hype about this book. This book has everything I love...Historical fiction? Check. Strong female protagonist? Check. Hot romance? Check. Superawesome witches? Check. I'll admit, the story starts off a little slow, but it doesn't take too long before the pace quickens. The world building was very well done. I found Spotswood's descriptions easy to picture. I liked that Cate's family and character are flawed. I find flawed characters to be a bit easier to relate to. Cate's concern for her sisters is heartwarming. It's nice to find a main character who is self-sacrificing for her family. Sometimes I tend to grow wearing of the YA love-triangles, but it really worked in this case. There are so many good components to this story. I could have easily read another 300 pages! The ending just about left me breathless! I need the next book in the series like yesterday! I highly encourage YA readers to give this book a try! :)   

Favorite Quote:

“The universe has yet to take my wishes under consideration.” 

Cover Art Commentary:
I wont lie, I'm a sucker for gorgeous covers, and this one is definitely eye-catching! I love the old-timey feel it has with a touch of mystery!

Rating:

Book to screen...A Game of Thrones

Okay, so I'll admit...I have not read the series, but I have wanted to for a while. So when HBO came out with the TV series, I was over the moon happy about it. Well, the DVD release of season 1 has been released, and let me say this is one EPIC series. I am motivated now more than ever to finally pick up the series and read it for myself. Has anyone else read the series? How accurate is the TV show to the book? 

The Iron Knight (Iron Fey #4) by Julie Kagawa

Book Summery (Via Goodreads): To cold, emotionless faery prince Ash, love was a weakness for mortals and fools. His own love had died a horrible death, killing any gentler feelings the Winter prince might have had. Or so he thought.

Then Meghan Chase—a half human, half fey slip of a girl— smashed through his barricades, binding him to her irrevocably with his oath to be her knight. And when all of Faery nearly fell to the Iron fey, she severed their bond to save his life. Meghan is now the Iron Queen, ruler of a realm where no Winter or Summer fey can survive.

With the (unwelcome) company of his archrival, Summer Court prankster Puck, and the infuriating cait sith Grimalkin, Ash begins a journey he is bound to see through to its end— a quest to find a way to honor his solemn vow to stand by Meghan’s side.

To survive in the Iron realm, Ash must have a soul and a mortal body. But the tests he must face to earn these things are impossible. At least, no one has ever passed to tell the tale.

And then Ash learns something that changes everything. A truth that turns reality upside down, challenges his darkest beliefs and shows him that, sometimes, it takes more than courage to make the ultimate sacrifice.

Book Trailer:


Book Review:
What a lovely way to end a series. Or rather, what an EPIC way to end a series. :) I really enjoyed reading from Ash's perspective. He had my emotions riding an endless roller-coaster. The cast of characters balanced each other rather nicely. Of course, I really want a Grimalkin of my very own. :) I enjoyed the overall journey, and learned a few things about Ash, as well as the supporting characters along the way. The incorporation of various mythologies was a nice touch. I thought Kagawa wrapped things up rather nicely without many loose ends hanging. If you haven't read this series, I highly encourage you to do so! I am really looking forward to Kawaga's Blood of Eden series.

Favorite Quote:

“Be careful, boy. In some tales, the hero gets eaten by the monster after all.” 

Cover Art Commentary:
I'm really a fan of all the covers for the entire series. They're beautiful, colorful, and look really nicely altogether on my shelf. :)

Rating:

Reading Reflections: February 2012

Books Read:
Abandon (Abandon Trilogy #1) by Meg Cabot
The Pledge (The Pledge #1) by Kimberly Derting
A Million Suns (Across the Universe #2) by Beth Revis
The Space Between by Brenna Yovanoff
Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott

Total Number of Books Read This Month: 5

Total Number of Books Read This Year: 13

Most Anticipated:
A Million Suns (Across the Universe #2) by Beth Revis

Biggest Let Down:
None!

Favorite Read:
The Space Between by Brenna Yovanoff

Highest Rank: 5

Lowest Rank: 4

Overall Reflection:
Overall, it's been a good, solid month of reading. I'm actually pleased to have squeezed in 5 books with heavy school and work schedules. I thought my recreational reading might drop off, and it did a little from last month, but overall, I'm rather happy with my 5 books this month. :) Abandon (Abandon Trilogy #1) by Meg Cabot was a solid beginning in a promising series. While other readers haven't quite enjoyed The Pledge (The Pledge #1) by Kimberly Derting, I adored it. It was a fantastic fictional escape. I thoroughly enjoyed A Million Suns (Across the Universe #2) by Beth Revis. Such a fab series! :) The Space Between by Brenna Yovanoff was easily my favorite read of the month! Living Dead Girl by Elizabeth Scott was a haunting story that everyone should read. Overall, a rather decent month! Hopefully March is just as kind to me! :)