Friday, February 28, 2014

Vampire Academy Movie Review








So a couple of days ago I saw Vampire Academy with my sister and mom, and surprisingly there were about 10 other people in there with us. Which was kind of disappointing since I really enjoyed the movie and I think that a majority of VA fans would have too. Yes, there were differences between the book (written by Richelle Mead) and movie (aren't there always??) but it was a decent adaption. I thought all the actors were great. But I do have a bone to pick about how they portrayed one character: Kirova. I kind of imagined her differently... and not so young. But at least the queen stayed the same! 


And I love how they did Rose's eyes when she was in Lissa's head




Favorite Parts:

The mall scene. 



Natalie and the wall.



From Dimitri doing this:



To Rose finally doing this:



Lissa and Rose's friendship.



All of those Dimitri-staring-at-Rose scenes.


Rose and Kirova and the Tranq.






I would give the movie 4.5/5 stars on being just a movie, but for it being close to the book I would it give it 3.5/5 stars. It held the same basic plot line but it was the little stuff that was different. But some of the little stuff I wish was the same as the book. But other than that, it was really good! I really wish more people took a chance with it. And I really hope (somehow) that Frostbite will come out.
Happy watching!

Saturday, February 15, 2014

January Wrap Up

Hi!
I hope you all had a fantastic Valentine's Day yesterday!
This is the first of twelve posts coming this year that explain how my January went. Mainly I'll be recapping what books I read for the TBR pile challenge and I'll include all the books I've read this month. If there was a review for a certain book I'll include the link to it.

I read two books for the TBR pile challenge.









I read 8 other books. For ones that I haven't reviewed, I'll leave a link to Goodreads.


























I'm hoping to read more for the later part of this month. I've been really busy... so busy that I've only read one book so far! Yikes! And it's not on my TBR shelf. I'm hoping to at least read one book from my TBR pile. Then I'm planning on getting some newly released books (like Cress by Marissa Meyer) but I might not get them till March. 

I hope your month is going better than mine!
Happy Reading!

Saturday, February 8, 2014

Valentine's Day!

Valentine's day is quickly approaching and I thought I'd look through my shelves and find some books that I considered my favorites.
Fairytale retelling: Once by Cameron Dokey. This anthology has three retellings of Cinderella, Mulan, and Rapunzel.
Modern day classic: Howl's Moving Castle by Dianne Wynn Jones. I read this a couple of years back after watching the animation version. I fell in love with Howl and I think everyone else will too!
First romance ever read: Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine. I give this book partial credit for getting me into romance stories.
First classic: Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare. I read this for school, as most people have. But I loved the tragic love story .
Greatest classic: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. Who wouldn't put this on their list?
First YA romance: Twilight by Stephenie Meyer.
First book boyfriend: Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling. Ah, Harry. The first fictional guy that I became obsessed with.
Other-worldly romance (paranormal romance): Vampire Academy by Richelle Mead. I absolutely love this series! And its finally coming out in theaters!


What books would you choose as your favorites?

Happy Reading and have a nice Valentine's Day!


Sunday, February 2, 2014

Nightlight by The Harvard Lampoon



Title: Nightlight
Author: The Harvard Lampoon
Genre: YA, comedy, Parody, Romance
Summary: About three things I was absolutely certain.
First, Edwart was most likely my soul mate, maybe.
Second, there was a vampire part of him--which I assumed was wildly out of his control--that wanted me dead.
And third, I unconditionally, irrevocably, impenetrably, heterogeneously, gynecologically, and disreputably wished he had kissed me.

And thus Belle Goose falls in love with the mysterious and sparkly Edwart Mullen in the Harvard Lampoon’s hilarious send-up of Twilight. 
Pale and klutzy, Belle arrives in Switchblade, Oregon looking for adventure, or at least an undead classmate. She soon discovers Edwart, a super-hot computer nerd with zero interest in girls. After witnessing a number of strange events–Edwart leaves his tater tots untouched at lunch! Edwart saves her from a flying snowball!–Belle has a dramatic revelation: Edwart is a vampire. But how can she convince Edwart to bite her and transform her into his eternal bride, especially when he seems to find girls so repulsive?
Complete with romance, danger, insufficient parental guardianship, creepy stalker-like behavior, and a vampire prom, Nightlight is the uproarious tale of a vampire-obsessed girl, looking for love in all the wrong places.

My review: So this book was not my cup of tea. It was kind of painful to get through. Luckily it was very short. I get that this is a parody of Twilight and it was supposed to be funny, but for me it wasn't. It was kind of bland, more a tell rather than show kind of book. But yet again, that might be because it's a parody of Twilight.
I would give it 2 out of five stars.

Happy Reading!

*This is a part of my January TBR Pile.

Saturday, January 25, 2014

The Goddess Inheritance by Aimee Carter



Title: The Goddess Inheritance
Author: Aimee Carter
Genre: YA, Mythology, Romance
Summary: Love or life.
Henry or their child.
The end of her family or the end of the world.
Kate must choose.

During nine months of captivity, Kate Winters has survived a jealous goddess, a vengeful Titan and a pregnancy she never asked for. Now the Queen of the Gods wants her unborn child, and Kate can't stop her--until Cronus offers a deal.
In exchange for her loyalty and devotion, the King of the Titans will spare humanity and let Kate keep her child. Yet even if Kate agrees, he'll destroy Henry, her mother and the rest of the council. And if she refuses, Cronus will tear the world apart until every last god and mortal is dead.
With the fate of everyone she loves resting on her shoulders, Kate must do the impossible: find a way to defeat the most powerful being in existence, even if it costs her everything.
Even if it costs her eternity.

My Review: This is the last book in the Goddess Test series. And what a satisfying ending! It kept me up at night, biting my nail, and pulling my hair. I couldn't wait to see how it ended, especially after book two! This series is good at keeping you on your toes. If you haven't read the first book, The Goddess Test, you really should! 
I would give this 4 out of 5 stars!

Happy Reading!

*This is the first book in my January TBR Pile Challenge.

Wednesday, January 22, 2014

Crash Into you by Katie McGarry


Title: Crash into You
Author: Katie McGarry
Genre: Ya, Romance, Contemporary
Summary: The girl with straight As, designer clothes and the perfect life-that's who people expect Rachel Young to be. So the private-school junior keeps secrets from her wealthy parents and overbearing brothers...and she's just added two more to the list. One involves racing strangers down dark country roads in her Mustang GT. The other? Seventeen-year-old Isaiah Walker-a guy she has no business even talking to. But when the foster kid with the tattoos and intense gray eyes comes to her rescue, she can't get him out of her mind. 
Isaiah has secrets, too. About where he lives, and how he really feels about Rachel. The last thing he needs is to get tangled up with a rich girl who wants to slum it on the south side for kicks-no matter how angelic she might look. 
But when their shared love of street racing puts both their lives in jeopardy, they have six weeks to come up with a way out. Six weeks to discover just how far they'll go to save each other.

My Review: I absolutely love this series! This is the third in the series, but you don't really have to read in order. Although I really recommend that you do since the first two are so amazing! This book had all the thing that romance readers love: a bad boy and a nice girl (with a dark side or in this case- a thrilling side). I loved getting to know Isaiah. I loved getting inside his head and seeing him change. And I loved being introduced to Rachel. She changed too, and definitely for the better! My favorite part is with her towards the end when she finally speaks up. It was about time that she did. That ending! I did not see that coming! All-in-all I really enjoyed this book!

I would rate this 4.5 out of 5 stars.
There's another one coming out after this, apparently on May 20! It's called Take Me On and it's about Rachel's brother, West. I can't wait for this to come out!

Happy Reading!

Saturday, January 11, 2014

Bitter Spirits by Jenn Bennett



Title: Bitter Spirits
Author: Jenn Bennett
Publication date: January 7, 2014
Genres: Adult, Romance, Fantasy, Historical
Summary: It’s the roaring twenties, and San Francisco is a hotbed of illegal boozing, raw lust, and black magic. The fog-covered Bay Area can be an intoxicating scene, particularly when you specialize in spirits…
Aida Palmer performs a spirit medium show onstage at Chinatown’s illustrious Gris-Gris speakeasy. However, her ability to summon (and expel) the dead is more than just an act.
Winter Magnusson is a notorious bootlegger who’s more comfortable with guns than ghosts—unfortunately for him, he’s the recent target of a malevolent hex that renders him a magnet for hauntings. After Aida’s supernatural assistance is enlisted to banish the ghosts, her spirit-chilled aura heats up as the charming bootlegger casts a different sort of spell on her...
On the hunt for the curse worker responsible for the hex, Aida and Winter become drunk on passion. And the closer they become, the more they realize they have ghosts of their own to exorcise…

Thanks to Jocelyn for doing a giveaway on Goodreads. I won and got an ARC from her.

My Review: This was actually really good! I usually find adult books very dull and boring. But there was something about that drew me in and had me reading every minute until I finished it. I love that this was set in the 20's. I don't read much that takes place during then, so reading about the alcohol ban and china town was really interesting and cool. And the romance was HOT! I really want there to a book in the series that focuses on Bo and Astrid. They were great, but I would like a book that focuses on them and it'd be better if they got officially together in it! 
I would definitely recommend this for the older readers out there and I would rate this 4/5 stars. 
There is a sequel coming out on June 3. Look at this cover! I really like these covers!


Happy Reading!

Friday, January 10, 2014

2014 TBR Pile Reading Challenge



Hey!

So This year I'm going to take part in the 2014 TBR Pile Reading Challenge.
It's a really fun way to tackle the unread books on your shelf. Read more about the challenge here.
My goal is to read between 11-20 books.

Do you plan on joining? If so, what is your goal?


Happy Reading!

Sunday, January 5, 2014

The Clockwork Scarab by Colleen Gleason


Title: The Clockwork Scarab

By: Colleen Gleason
Publication Date: August 16th 2013
Genre: YA, Mythology, Historical Fiction, Romance, Sci-Fi
Summary: Evaline Stoker and Mina Holmes never meant to get into the family business. But when you’re the sister of Bram and the niece of Sherlock, vampire hunting and mystery solving are in your blood. And when two society girls go missing, there’s no one more qualified to investigate.
Now fierce Evaline and logical Mina must resolve their rivalry, navigate the advances of not just one but three mysterious gentlemen, and solve murder with only one clue: a strange Egyptian scarab. The stakes are high. If Stoker and Holmes don’t unravel why the belles of London society are in such danger, they’ll become the next victims.

My Review: If there was one book that had it all, this would be it. This has something that anyone and everyone could enjoy. It's got mystery, steampunk, a splash of romance, and a bit of the paranormal! I honestly didn't think I would like it, but I did! It was fun to read and had me guessing. Bringing a Stoker and a Holmes together was a brilliant idea. These two girls are awesome separate but together they make a kick butt team!
I was worried about the ending. I thought it was going to be wrapped up but didn't know how because there was nearly 20 pages left. I completely forgot that this was a part of a series. I was so mad when it ended where it did! There's no news for the second one, or at least on Goodreads there isn't. 
I'd give this one a 4.5/5 stars.

Happy Reading!


Saturday, January 4, 2014

Vitro by Jessica Khoury Contest

Hey! Do any of you want to win free prizes and maybe a chance to win even bigger prizes? Well then head over to http://www.corpusnetwork.com!

It's fun and you have a week to do it!





Happy Reading!

Wednesday, January 1, 2014

Happy New Year's!

Happy New Year's everyone! Where I live, the first day of the the new year is almost over. It's kind of weird to think that 2013 is done and over. It went by so fast! 
Like the new background? I got a couple of my favorite books that came out in 2013 and used them as a background. There are some books though that I didn't use. But here are the top five that I didn't include that were not published in 2013 but were read for the first time during the year:

By: Sara Walsh
Summary: Mysterious lights have flickered above Crownsville for as long as Mia can remember. And as far as she's concerned, that's about the only interesting thing to happen in her small town. That is, until Sol arrives. Mia's not one to fall for just any guy, but she can't get Sol or the brilliant tattoo on his back out of her mind. Then Mia's brother goes missing, and Mia's convinced that Sol knows more than he's sharing. But getting closer to Sol means reevaluating everything Mia once believed to be true. Because Sol's not who Mia thought he was and neither is she.




By: Rinsai Rossetti
Summary: Controlled by her father and bound by desert, Frenenqer Paje’s life is tediously the same, until a small act of rebellion explodes her world and she meets a boy, but not just a boy--a Free person, a winged person, a shape-shifter. He has everything Frenenqer doesn’t. No family, no attachments, no rules. At night, he flies them to the far-flung places of their childhoods to retrace their pasts. But when the delicate balance of their friendship threatens to rupture into something more, Frenenqer must confront her isolation, her father, and her very sense of identity, breaking all the rules of her life to become free.


By: Satcy Kramer and Valerie Thomas
Summary: KYLIE: Mexico? What a nightmare! I should be putting the finishing touches on my valedictorian speech. Graduation is TODAY! Wait! Is this a wedding band on my finger??
MAX: It started with Kylie's laptop and a truck full of stolen electronics and it ended in Ensenada. It was hot, the way she broke us out like some chick in an action movie. But now we're stranded here, with less than twenty-four hours before graduation.
WILL: Saving Kylie Flores from herself is kind of a full-time occupation. Luckily, I, Will Bixby, was born for the job. And when I found out she was stuck in Mexico with dreamy Max Langston, sure, I agreed to bring their passports across the border but there's no reason to rush back home right away. This party is just getting started.


LILY: This cannot be happening. It's like some cruel joke. Or a bad dream. I close my eyes and when I reopen them, they're still there. Max and Kylie Flores, freak of the century. In bed together. If Kylie thinks I'm giving him up without a fight, she's dead wrong.



By: Keira Cass
Summary: For thirty-five girls, the Selection is the chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to escape the life laid out for them since birth. To be swept up in a world of glittering gowns and priceless jewels. To live in a palace and compete for the heart of gorgeous Prince Maxon. But for America Singer, being Selected is a nightmare. It means turning her back on her secret love with Aspen, who is a caste below her. Leaving her home to enter a fierce competition for a crown she doesn't want. Living in a palace that is constantly threatened by violent rebel attacks. Then America meets Prince Maxon. Gradually, she starts to question all the plans she's made for herself and realizes that the life she's always dreamed of may not compare to a future she never imagined.


By: Suzanne Selfors
Summary: Emmeline Thistle, a dirt-scratcher's daughter, has escaped death twice-first, on the night she was born, and second, on the day her entire village was swept away by flood. Left with nothing and no one, Emmeline discovers her rare and mysterious ability-she can churn milk into chocolate, a delicacy more precious than gold.
Suddenly, the most unwanted girl in Anglund finds herself desired by all. But Emmeline only wants one-Owen Oak, a dairyman's son, whose slow smiles and lingering glances once tempted her to believe she might someday be loved for herself. But others will stop at nothing to use her gift for their own gains-no matter what the cost to Emmeline. 
Magic and romance entwine in this fantastical world where true love and chocolate conquer all.



There are tons of people out there who make lists of things that they promise themselves to do in the new year. This year I came up with a list filled with bookish goals. Here they are:
1. Beat 2013's book count (Over 104)
2. Read and complete Lord of the Rings trilogy
3. Reread Harry Potter
4. Buy and complete all of my incomplete series on my bookshelf
5. Read a classic
6. Read or reread books before seeing them in movie form

Have a good year and happy reading!