Waiting on Wednesday

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

My pick...


From Amazon:

And the raven, never flitting, still is sitting, still is sitting

On the pallid bust of Pallas just above my chamber door;

And his eyes have all the seeming of a demon's that is dreaming,

And the lamp-light o'er him streaming throws his shadow on the floor;

And my soul from out that shadow that lies floating on the floor

Shall be lifted - nevermore!

-- from "The Raven" by Edgar Allan Poe

Cheerleader Isobel Lanley is horrified when she is paired with Varen Nethers for an English project, which is due—so unfair—on the day of the rival game. Cold and aloof, sardonic and sharp-tongued, Varen makes it clear he’d rather not have anything to do with her either. But when Isobel discovers strange writing in his journal, she can’t help but give this enigmatic boy with the piercing eyes another look.

Soon, Isobel finds herself making excuses to be with Varen. Steadily pulled away from her friends and her possessive boyfriend, Isobel ventures deeper and deeper into the dream world Varen has created through the pages of his notebook, a realm where the terrifying stories of Edgar Allan Poe come to life.

As her world begins to unravel around her, Isobel discovers that dreams, like words, hold more power than she ever imagined, and that the most frightening realities are those of the mind. Now she must find a way to reach Varen before he is consumed by the shadows of his own nightmares.

His life depends on it.

Title: Nevermore
Author: Kelly Creagh
Genre: Fiction, Young Adult
Publisher: Atheneum (August 31, 2010)
Pages: 560, Hardcover
ISBN: 1442402008



I'm very excited for this one! The cover looks amazing and the description sounds so enthralling! What are you waiting for?

Current Coffee Concoction (3)

Summer has officially arrived here in Colorado. Though it felt summer began back in May-we pretty much skipped Spring. Got to love Colorado weather! Anyways...

Because, on average, the daily temperature hovers between 95-99 degrees, I find that drinking hot coffee is torture. Therefore, I drink iced coffee. My current drink of choice is homemade iced coffee. I make a large, dark/strong pot of coffee and pour it in a pitcher. The reason I make mine strong is because when ice cubes are added, it'll water it down a bit. I add some sugar while it's warm so it dissolves better. Then I keep the pitcher in the fridge for easy access when I feel like an iced coffee. It's that easy!

When I feel like a cold coffee, I pull out the pitcher, pour some in a cup with ice, and add some cream! No cream? No problem. Add milk or ice cream. For an extra special treat I like to add chocolate syrup. Hmmmm. Delicious! Don't have chocolate syrup? Add some cocoa powder and a little extra sugar. Not a chocolate fan? Add some vanilla and sugar or a dash of cinnamon.

Hope you enjoy this latest tip. Grab an iced coffee, a book, sit on the back porch, and ENJOY!

Bargain Books-FYI

Barnes and Noble has some amazing books on sale in their bargain books section. Some of Ted Dekker's book, he's one of my favorite authors, are on sale and marked down as low as $3.99! What a deal!!! His books Adam, Saint, and Sinner are just a few that can be found in B&N's bargain section on their website. If you haven't read Dekker's novels yet (he's primarily a thriller/fantasy/supernatural author), you are missing out! I highly recommend checking him out.

Fallen-Review

Title: Fallen
Author: Lauren Kate
Genre: YA/Paranormal
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers, 2009
Pages: 464
ISBN: 0385738935

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.


Sword and Cross is a dark, depressing place that feels more like prison than a boarding school. Luce finds herself being forced to enroll and attend the bleak establishment after a suspicious fire kills her boyfriend. Friendliness does not come easily between Luce and the majority of the student body. In the midst of the gloom and fog that hang over the school, however, Luce catches the eye of one of the more well-known students, Cam. Cam begins to pursue Luce but Luce has eyes for Daniel. Thus, the love triangle begins. But this love triangle is dangerous with deadly consequences.

After reading numerous mixed reviews, I wasn't sure if I'd like this book. I set out to find a book that would fill the void of my Twilight obsession. Though nothing can accomplish that, I feel that Lauren Kate's book came close but in another realm of young fiction. Instead of vampires and wolves, Fallen incorporates angels, more specifically, fallen angels. Though the beginning starts out a little slow, I began to really enjoy the story. The writing style easily captured my interest because it was not bogged down in flowery language. Lauren Kate's writing was imaginative and descriptive without overpowering the storyline. There are many unanswered questions and loose ends but I felt they were necessary. Lauren Kate took the time to introduce Luce, Cam, and Daniel and develop the story that surrounds all three of them. Lauren Kate does a masterful job of not divulging everything in this first book. The mysterious unknowns left me wanting more and pulled me deeper into the story. I am anxiously awaiting the next installment in the series.

My rating: 4 lattes because it was an intriguing read that left me wanting more. It completely engulfed me and had me eagerly turning the page to find out what happened next.





*Picture, information, summary from Amazon.com and Goodreads.com.

It's Been Awhile

It's been awhile since I've blogged due to feeling under the weather. But I am feeling tons better and will be back blogging asap with new reviews, coffee concoctions, and a giveaway! Stay tuned! Thanks to you all for sticking with me!

In My Mailbox (3)

In My Mailbox is hosted by Kristi @ The Story Siren and I've decided to take part! This will include books I've bought/won over the past week. What did you get this week?

GIVEAWAY @ The Book Smugglers

The ladies at The Book Smugglers are hosting a FABULOUS giveaway from Simon and Schuster UK. There are 8 books up for grabs, including Passing Strange, The Night of the Solstice, Crescendo, and Shade. The nice thing is, it's open to EVERYONE and it's really easy to enter-just leave a comment on the blog post! Head over there now to enter because it ends this Saturday, June 19th!

Book Blogger Hop

It's Friday!! This means Blog Hopping! The Book Blogger Hop is hosted by Jennifer at Crazy-for-Books.

If you're doing the hop, leave a comment so I know which blog you're from so that I can visit you back. :)

THANKS!

GIVEAWAY @ Ramblings of A Wannabe Scribe

Over at Ramblings of a Wannabe Scribe there is an AWESOME giveaway! The winner will receive a SIGNED copy of The Body Finder plus tons of swag including a poster and a tote. The contest ends June12th so hurry over there to enter!

Waiting on Wednesday

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

My pick...




This story is for everyone--but not everyone is for this story.

It is a dangerous tale of times past. A torrid love story full of deep seduction. A story of terrible longing and bold sacrifice. Then as now, evil begins its courtship cloaked in light. And the heart embraces what it should flee. Forgetting it once had a truer lover. With a kiss, evil will ravage body, soul, and mind. Yet there remains hope, because the heart knows no bounds. Love will prove greater than lust. Sacrifice will overcome seduction. And blood will flow. Because the battle for the heart is always violently opposed. For those desperate to drink deep from this fountain of life, enter. But remember, not everyone is for this story.

Title: Immanuel's Veins
Author: Ted Dekker
Genre: Fiction
Publisher: Thomas Nelson (Sept. 7, 2010)
Pages: 384, Hardcover
ISBN: 1595540091


Ted Dekker is one of my favorite authors so I am really excited for this book! His writing is indescribable-he's an amazing storyteller. I will be anxiously awaiting September!

Teaser Tuesday

Teaser Tuesday is weekly meme hosted by Mizb at Should be Reading. Just grab your current read, open to a random page, include the title and author, and share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page. Be careful not to include spoilers! (Make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!) Leave a comment so I can visit your teaser!




It gradually dawned on them that they hadn't gone anywhere. Their surroundings were just a perfect illusion.


Title: The Prometheus Project Book One: Trapped
Author: Douglas E. Richards
Page: 124

1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die book

A friend of mine and her roommate have recently started a blog based on the book 1001 Movies You Must See Before You Die. The webpage is called Melies to Wright. They are using the book as a guide and watching the movies described within. Afterward, they write a review and give each movie a rating. It's really interesting and so far, some of the movies are ones I have never heard of. It is pretty neat to be introduced to movies that are believed to be classic. Head over there and check it out!

GIVEAWAY @ Lori's Reading Corner

Lori's Reading Corner is hosting a contest where the winner will receive a $50 gift card to Amazon.com. Entering is easy and the contest offers extra entries for blog posts, sidebar links, tweets, etc. Head over there to enter because it ends June 18th!

GIVEAWAY @ Babbling Flow (extended)

Announcing a super awesome giveaway...all things vampires! Babbling Flow is giving away 5 great packages! 1. Signed Twilight book and journals 2.Signed Anne Rice The Vampire Armand 3. Signed Charlaine Harris books (3) 4. Signed Christopher Moore books (3) 5. Bram Stoker's Dracula So...head over there and enter to win ASAP!!! I've entered already and it's been extended until Monday 6/7-what are you waiting for?!?! What a great giveaway!!!

Annexed-Review

Title: Annexed
Author: Sharon Dogar
Genre: YA/Historical Fiction/Romance
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcaourt (10/4/2010)
Pages: 352
ISBN: 0547501951

Everyone knows about Anne Frank and her life hidden in the secret annex - but what about the boy who was also trapped there with her?

In this powerful and gripping novel, Sharon Dogar explores what this might have been like from Peter's point of view. What was it like to be forced into hiding with Anne Frank, first to hate her and then to find yourself falling in love with her? Especially with your parents and her parents all watching almost everything you do together. To know you're being written about in Anne's diary, day after day? What's it like to start questioning your religion, wondering why simply being Jewish inspires such hatred and persecution? Or to just sit and wait and watch while others die, and wish you were fighting.

As Peter and Anne become closer and closer in their confined quarters, how can they make sense of what they see happening around them?

Anne's diary ends on August 4, 1944, but Peter's story takes us on, beyond their betrayal and into the Nazi death camps. He details with accuracy, clarity and compassion the reality of day to day survival in Auschwitz - and ultimately the horrific fates of the Annex's occupants.


Life in hiding was far from easy. Riding on the kindness of friends to bring news, food, and water was an unfortunate way of life. Living in fear, knowing any minute you may be found and forced under the Nazis' control was no life for a adult, much less a child. All these things can be learned through a diary of a young Jewish girl, Anne Frank. However, we only learn about life in the annex from Anne Frank's perspective. Sharon Gogar offers a fictional depiction of how life in the annex, as well as Anne Frank, might be viewed from another perspective. The perspective of Peter van Pels.

The story is about the hardships of living in hiding with numerous other people, specifically Anne Frank. Peter did not view Anne Frank as the world now views her. To him, she was an annoyance that brought him to feel anger and irritation. Though this is a story of fiction and no documentation of Peter's actual views was ever recorded, Dogar's storytelling weaves a tale of frustration, hatred, and eventually love. The events told lead up to the annex betrayal and follow Peter briefly through his time in the camps where he eventually passes on. The plot was well-written and maintained a steady pace. It kept me wanting to learn more about Peter and the others through a boy's point of view. Despite the sometimes awkward choice of punctuation/grammatical tense phrasing, it was a very enjoyable read. I recommend this to any reader who enjoys reading about the trying times during this time period. A note of caution: Because the author wants the events and feelings to be real, there are some portions in the book that deal with sexual desires on Peter's part. Because of this, I suggest this book be read by older teens.

My rating: 4 lattes because, despite the sometimes awkward grammar, it was an amazingly enjoyable read. Though the facts are completely fictional, Dogar does a tremendous job of creating feelings and events that likely could have been true.




Picture, information, summary from Netgalley.com and Houghtonmifflinbooks.com. Book courtesy of Netgalley.com.

GIVEAWAY @ Flourish and Blotts

Flourish and Blotts is giving away an ARC of Matched by Ally Condie. It doesn't come out until November so this is s real treat! The contest ends July 1st so don't wait to enter! I've already entered! There are ways to earn extra entries for this awesome book! Here's a little about the book:


In the Society, Officials decide. Who you love. Where you work. When you die. Cassia has always trusted their choices. It’s barely any price to pay for a long life, the perfect job, the ideal mate.

So when her best friend appears on the Matching screen, Cassia knows with complete certainty that he is the one . . . until she sees another face flash for an instant before the screen fades to black. Now Cassia is faced with impossible choices: between Xander and Ky, between the only life she’s known and a path no one else has ever dared follow—between perfection and passion. Matched is a story for right now and storytelling with the resonance of a classic.

It Has Arrived-Twilight Novella

The time has arrived!! Stephenie Meyer's new novella is out! I am so thrilled! I am a HUGE Twilight fan and super excited to delve back into Stephenie Meyer's vampire world. I pre-ordered my copy awhile ago and have to wait until it arrives, BUT I not only ordered a copy for myself but I bought one to giveaway. Stay tuned as I will be hosting this giveaway soon! How excited are you for this release?

Sea of Monsters-Review

Title: Sea of Monsters
Author: Rick Riordan
Genre: Young Adult/Children
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion, 2006
Pages: 279
ISBN: 1423103343


Picture and Info. from Amazon & Goodreads:

After a summer spent trying to prevent a catastrophic war among the Greek gods, Percy Jackson is finding his seventh-grade school year unnervingly quiet. His biggest problem is dealing with his new friend, Tyson, a six-foot-three, mentally challenged homeless kid who follows Percy everywhere, making it hard for Percy to have any normal friends. But things don't stay quiet for long.

Percy soon discovers there is trouble at Camp Half-Blood: the magical borders that protect Half-Blood Hill have been poisoned by a mysterious enemy, and the only safe haven for demigods is on the verge of being overrun by mythological monsters. To save the camp, Percy needs the help of his best friend, Grover, who has been taken prisoner on an island somewhere in the Sea of Monsters, the dangerous waters Greek heroes have sailed for millennia. Only today, the Sea of Monsters goes by a new name: The Bermuda Triangle.

Together with his friends, Percy must retrieve the Golden Fleece from the Island of the Cyclopes or Camp Half-Blood will be destroyed. But first, Percy will learn a stunning new secret about his family, one that makes him question whether being claimed as Poseidon's son is an honor or simply a cruel joke.



Rick Riordan's second in the Percy Jackson series continues with excitement and adventure. When Percy begins to have communicative dreams with his friend Grover, who happens to be a satyr, and monstrous dodge ball players attack during gym class, things just get worse. Annabeth, Percy's close friend, gives Percy some terrible news and the two, along with Tyson, a classmate who follows Percy everywhere, must set out on a unauthorized mission to save Camp Half-Blood as well as rescue Grover before it's too late. Many treacherous events occur during the journey to the Sea of Monsters and unexpected secrets are revealed.

This second installment maintained the same page-turning thrill as the first. The main characters are wittier than ever and the antagonists are more clearly shaped. A well-written continuation, Sea of Monsters is a hilarious ride of a read with many unexpected twists, reveals, and betrayals. It is a perfect blend of humor, fantasy, and adventure. Readers will eat up this book and quickly grab for the next in series. I definitely recommend this book, though I suggest reading the books in order. Disappointment will not be found within the pages of this book!


My rating: 4 lattes because it was completely enthralling with unforeseen twists that kept me wanting more.

GIVEAWAY @ I Should Be Writing

Valerie over at I Should Be Writing is hosting a great giveaway for both readers and writers. Both packages include great books! There will be MULTIPLE winners so head over there now because it ends June 10th! I am very excited for the giveaway!

GIVEAWAY @ YA Highway

YA Highway is hosting a GREAT giveaway! For the next 3 days, there will be prizes given away to MULTIPLE winners who read, write, and like to have fun! Enter each day to win! Head over there now before time is up!

GIVEAWAY @ Reading Teen

Reading Teen is a fabulous blog with awesome reviews! The girls of the blog have decided to clear their bookshelves and host a giveaway EVERY Saturday in their Secondhand Saturday Giveaway! If you are chosen as a winner, you get to CHOOSE a book from their bookshelf! How awesome is that? Head over there to enter the giveaway!

Book Blogger Hop

It's Friday!! This means Blog Hopping! The Book Blogger Hop is hosted by Jennifer at Crazy-for-Books.

If you're doing the hop, leave a comment so I know which blog you're from so that I can visit you back. :)

THANKS!

LISTEN-Eclipse Soundtrack-Today Only

Being a HUGE Twilight fan, I was so excited to find that Twifans can listen to full songs on the Eclipse Soundtrack TODAY ONLY (6/2)! I'm listening right now and LOVE it!!! It makes me even more impatient for June 30th! I've already pre-ordered my soundtrack, have you? Go take a listen. Click here to listen to the soundtrack on eclipsesoundtrack.com. Enjoy!!!