Everything Beautiful by Simmone Howell

I have been taking a much needed break from life. I am back!

Summary- Riley Rose, atheist and bad girl, has been tricked into attending Spirit Ranch, a Christian camp. There she meets Dylan Kier, alumni camper and recent paraplegic, who arrives with a chip on his shoulder and a determination to perfect all of his bad habits. United in their personal suffering and in their irritation at their fellow campers, they turn the camp inside out as they question the meaning of belief systems, test their faith in each other, and ultimately settle a debate of the heart.

Thoughts- I was a bit nervous to start this book. I do not believe in god and this book starts off with Riley Rose being sent to Christian camp. I was surprised! It was a good surprise as well. This book was wonderful. It was sarcastic, shocking and there are no happy endings and rainbows in this book. Sarita was a well written, enjoyable character, Dylan was heart wrenching and Fleur was a complete bitch. I still can not sympathize with her. This story was well written and it has it's laugh out loud moments. I highly recommend it.

Overall- I loved this book. The premise was a bit scary to me, but it was done well. The writing and the character development was spot on.

Cover- I hope the cover model is not supposed to be Riley. Riley is plus size and the cover model is NOT. It's an adorable cover though.

Teaser Tuesdays 8/25

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly event hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading in which one grabs their current read, opens to a random page, and gives two "teaser" sentences from that page.

Irial watched the girl stroll up the street: she was a bundle of terror and fury. He stayed in the shadows outside the tattoo parlor, but his gaze didn't waver from her as he finished his cigarette.

Taken from page 1 of Ink Exchange by Melissa Marr.

In My Mailbox 8/22

I received quite a few books this week. Of course, I received most of them from PBS, a few from Bookmooch and I bought a few with birthday money from Barnes and Noble. One was a birthday present.



I really am trying to make a list of what came from where, but with the amount of books that come in and out of this door, it's really not something that is easy to do!

Contest Winner!!!!

I wanted to announce that Kristen won the ARC's of How To Ditch Your Fairy and Bad Girls Don't Die. Congrats Kristen!

Now I am off to enjoy my birthday! I won movie tickets to a movie of my choice and we are having dinner. It should be fun! I hope you all have a great day.

Win The Hunger Games!

Have you read The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins? No? Win a copy by entering Jenna's contest here! Tell her I sent you and we both get extra entries! Good luck!

Bad Girls Don't Die by Katie Alender

Summary: Alexis thought she led a typically dysfunctional high school existence. Dysfunctional like her parents' marriage; her doll-crazy twelve-year-old sister, Kasey; and even her own anti-social, anti-cheerleader attitude.

When a family fight results in some tearful sisterly bonding, Alexis realizes that her life is creeping from dysfunction into danger. Kasey is acting stranger than ever: her blue eyes go green sometimes; she uses old-fashioned language; and she even loses track of chunks of time, claiming to know nothing about her strange behavior. Their old house is changing, too. Doors open and close by themselves; water boils on the unlit stove; and an unplugged air conditioner turns the house cold enough to see their breath in.

Alexis wants to think that it's all in her head, but soon, what she liked to think of as silly parlor tricks are becoming life-threatening--to her, her family, and to her budding relationship with the class president. Alexis knows she's the only person who can stop Kasey -- but what if that green-eyed girl isn't even Kasey anymore?

Thoughts: This book was fun. It was a quick read and if you like ghost stories, you will be a fan. It was a bit rushed for my tastes and everything wrapped up a bit too nicely. It is an enjoyable read and I am fascinated with ghosts. There were some fairly spooky parts and reading about ghosts always makes me jumpy. What can I say? I am a firm believer. Kasey plays a chilling role in this book and you will feel for her. I enjoyed seeing the friendship between Megan and Alexis blossom. I believe a lot of teenagers will be able to relate to the relationship between Kasey, Alexis and their parents. It's a great read for a gloomy, rainy afternoon.

Overall: Though it was a bit rushed, it was still an enjoyable read and one I would recommend, especially to anyone with a love of ghost stories. (Have you entered my contest yet? You can win this book, but the contest ends tomorrow!) Enter here!

Cover: I thought this was a unique and original cover. If I hadn't known about this book, it is definitely one that I would've picked up to read the back at B&N or Borders.

Waiting on Wednesday 8/19

Most sixteen-year-olds have friends. Aden Stone has four human souls living inside him:

One can time-travel.
One can raise the dead.
One can tell the future.
And one can possess another human.

With no other family and a life spent in and out of institutions, Aden and the souls have become friends. But now, they're causing him all kinds of trouble.

Like, he'll blink and suddenly he's a younger Aden, reliving the past. One wrong move, and he'll change the future. Or, he'll walk past a total stranger and know how and when she's going to die.

He's so over it. All he wants is peace.

And then he meets a girl who quiets the voices. Well, for as long as he's with her. Why? Mary Ann Gray is his total opposite. He's a loner; she has friends. He doesn't care what anyone thinks; she tries to make everyone happy. And while he attracts the paranormal, she repels it. For her sake, he should stay away. But it's too late. . .

Somehow, they share an inexplicable bond of friendship. A bond about to be tested by a werewolf shape-shifter who wants Mary Ann for his own and a vampire princess Aden can’t resist. Two romances, both forbidden... doomed. Still, the four will enter a dark underworld of intrigue and danger... but not everyone will come out alive...

Teaser Tuesdays 8/18

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly event hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading in which one grabs their current read, opens to a random page, and gives two "teaser" sentences from that page.

"What do you mean, they do what you say?"

My baby sister was possessed.

Taken from page 186 of Bad Girls Don't Die by Katie Alender.

My Soul to Take by Rachel Vincent

Summary: She doesn't see dead people, but…
She senses when someone near her is about to die. And when that happens, a force beyond her control compels her to scream bloody murder. Literally. Kaylee just wants to enjoy having caught the attention of the hottest guy in school. But a normal date is hard to come by when Nash seems to know more about her need to scream than she does. And when classmates start dropping dead for no apparent reason, only Kaylee knows who'll be next…

Thoughts: This is a must buy. If you do not have this book sitting on your to be read mountain, you must go out and buy it. Today. Right now. This minute. I will not be able to say enough good things about this book, so you just need to read it for yourself. Rachel Vincent is a mastermind. She takes an original concept and weaves a story that you will not want to put down until you have devoured the whole book. I am so excited for My Soul to Save. I will be at the bookstore the day it comes out. Nash is amazing, Kaylee is so much fun to read about and you will want to strangle Sophie. There are some plot twists that will leave you on the edge of your seat. This is one of the best books I’ve read this year. I highly recommend it.

Overall: Fun, exciting, mesmerizing and just plain awesome. This is the first book I have read by Rachel Vincent and I am excited to read more from her. Her writing is engaging and entertaining and never leaves you wanting.

Cover: The cover is eye catching and I love the ribbed texture. The title is awesome and I am excited for the next book!

In My Mailbox 8/13

So. I have acquired a lot of books this week. I bought a couple from Amazon, but the majority came from PBS of course.

A few of them include Kiss of Life, Prey, Pride, Pretty Little Monsters, Hunger, Flirting With Boys, Wuthering High and a few of the Cirque Du Freak books. I have counted 54 books this week so far. And it's only Thursday!

What was in your mailbox?

Cindy's New Contest

You have to enter the contest of a lifetime. Cindy is giving away 13 books and a pre order for Catching Fire over at her blog! Check it out here! http://cutelittlecindy.blogspot.com/

Waiting on Wednesday 8/12

There are so many great books that are going to be released soon! It's hard to choose just a few for Waiting on Wednesday.

Never Slow Dance With A Zombie by E. Van Lowe

Release Date: August 18, 2009

On the night of her middle school graduation, Margot Jean Johnson wrote a high school manifesto detailing her goals for what she was sure would be a most excellent high school career. She and her best friend, Sybil, would be popular and, most important, have boyfriends. Three years later, they haven't accomplished a thing!

Then Margot and Sybil arrive at school one day to find that most of the student body has been turned into flesh-eating zombies. When kooky Principal Taft asks the girls to coexist with the zombies until the end of the semester, they realize that this is the perfect opportunity to live out their high school dreams. All they have to do is stay alive....



Snap by Carol Snow

Release Date: August 25, 2009

Madison Sabatini thought she knew who she was: an almost-sophomore with a bright future. The newest photographer on her school paper. A shopaholic with great hair and a fabulous wardrobe. Then, in a flash, everything changed.

Now she's stuck in Sandyland, a gloomy beach town in the middle of nowhere, living with her parents in a crappy hotel "suite." Instead of spending the summer with her friends at home, she's hanging out with pink-haired Delilah, an artist who works in a shop called Psychic Photo, and a skater boy named Duncan who's totally not her type. Except, maybe he is . . .

Determined to make the best of things, Madison throws herself into her one passion: photography. But when strange figures start appearing in her pictures—people who weren't there when she snapped the shots, people who are later reported dead—she begins to question everything about who she is . . . and who she wishes she could be.

The Cupcake Queen by Heather Hepler

Release Date: September 17, 2009

When her mother moves them from the city to a small town to open up a cupcake bakery, Penny’s life isn’t what she expected. Her father has stayed behind, and Mom isn’t talking about what the future holds for their family. And then there’s Charity, the girl who plays mean pranks almost daily. There are also bright spots in Hog’s Hollow—like Tally, an expert in Rock Paper Scissors, and Marcus, the boy who is always running on the beach. But just when it looks as though Penny is settling in, her parents ask her to make a choice that will turn everything upside down again.

Teaser Tuesdays

Teaser Tuesday is a weekly event hosted by MizB of Should Be Reading in which one grabs their current read, opens to a random page, and gives two "teaser" sentences from that page.

"Williams was like some unofficial leader of the dead kids, sort of like Pete himself was the unofficial leader of most of the school. If Williams went down, it should be pretty easy to get rid of others, and in getting rid of the others, maybe he'd be able to get rid of Julie too."

Taken from Generation Dead by Daniel Waters.

Contest Time?

I think it's time for a contest. Enter by leaving a comment with your email address. I will draw a name on August 21st. (That's my birthday!)

You will win ARC's of How to Ditch Your Fairy by Justine Larbalestier and Bad Girls Don't Die by Katie Alender.

Glass Houses- The first in the Morganville Vampire series

Summary- Welcome to Morganville, Texas. Just don't stay out after dark.

College freshman Claire Danvers has had enough of her nightmarish dorm situation, where the popular girls never let her forget just where she ranks in the school's social scene: somewhere less than zero.

When Claire heads off-campus, the imposing old house where she finds a room may not be much better. Her new roommates don't show many signs of life. But they'll have Claire's back when the town's deepest secrets come crawling out, hungry for fresh blood.

Thoughts- I really enjoyed this trip to Morganville, Texas. Claire Danvers has made some enemies in her dorm and she finds herself in the Glass House with Shane, Eve and Michael. While Michael appears to be a normal teenager, he never leaves the Glass House and wakes up only at night. Eve is your typical goth chick with her spiky, black hair and her black lipstick. Claire finds herself in quite the mess with the vampires of Morganville. I loved the premise of this book and it played out very nicely. Eve is a fun character and Shane and his goofy, bad boy attitude will grow on you. Michael and his mysterious ways set up some plot twists that will leave you breathless. The second Morganville vampire book is called Dead Girls’ Dance. I highly recommend having this book available after finishing Glass Houses because it leaves you with a cliff hanger ending. You will not be able to keep Glass Houses out of your mind until you have Dead Girls’ Dance in your hands.

Overall- I enjoyed Glass Houses immensely. It’s a fun novel with enough mystery and suspense to put you on the edge of your seat. I didn’t want to put this book down and when I did, it was all I could think about until it was finished. It’s a very quick read and I highly recommend it.

Cover- The cover is great. Very catchy and draws the reader in. It’s not too plain and the colors are bright.

The Beginning

It begins. I am finally joining the ranks of you fellow bloggers in internet land. Here I am. I hope you enjoy my reviews. They will consist mainly of young adult and paranormal.