Category Archives: Books

Audio Book Review: School Spirits by Rachel Hawkins

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School Spirits CoverBook: School Spirits by Rachel Hawkins, Narrated by Cris Dukehart

Published August 2013 by Dreamscape Media|6 hours, 57 minutes

Where I Got It: Audible.com

Series: School Spirits #1 (or quite possibly a stand-alone, I can’t really tell)

Genre: YA Paranormal

You can find School Spirits on goodreads

Goodreads Summary: 

Fifteen-year-old Izzy Brannick was trained to fight monsters. For centuries, her family has hunted magical creatures. But when Izzy’s older sister vanishes without a trace while on a job, Izzy’s mom decides they need to take a break.

Izzy and her mom move to a new town, but they soon discover it’s not as normal as it appears. A series of hauntings has been plaguing the local high school, and Izzy is determined to prove her worth and investigate. But assuming the guise of an average teenager is easier said than done. For a tough girl who’s always been on her own, it’s strange to suddenly make friends and maybe even have a crush.

Can Izzy trust her new friends to help find the secret behind the hauntings before more people get hurt? 

What I Thought:

After listening to Hawkins’ Hex Hall series, I knew I had to read School Spirits, the Hex Hall spin-off focusing on Sophie’s prodigium-hunting cousins.

I liked School Spirits and I liked seeing Izzy work on a case, but at the same time, there was part of me that wished I had listened to Hex Hall again, just to get back into this world.  Still, it’s not necessary to read that series in order to read this book (but I will say that it may help).

I did like that Izzy got to be a normal girl, who went to school and had friends and a crush on a boy.  I was amused that her mom got her some t.v. shows and movies set in schools so that Izzy could learn what school was like.  That really seem liked something Hawkins would do, because I felt like she writes some great paranormal books while also poking at them a bit.

There is the mystery of the ghost, and I was kind of kicking myself for not figuring it out before, but it is one of those things that wasn’t too surprising.

I’m not too sure about how I feel about Dex and Izzy.  I mean, I guess I get it, but I also don’t really have strong feelings either way, and it does seem like things for them are pretty resolved at the end of the book.

Speaking of the end of the book…I’m still trying to figure out if it’s a series or not.  If it is a series, it looks like there’s no 2nd book in sight (understandable, since Hawkins likely has other books she’s working on) but at the same time, it does stand on its own pretty well.  And the ending, while resolved, does leave things open for the possibility of a sequel.  I’m hoping it happens, because I want resolution with what happens to her sister.

I think my favorite moment of the entire book was when Maya insisted on helping Izzy because Izzy didn’t have to do things alone.  It reminded me of that moment in Spell Bound when Sophie had a moment of being just a 17-year-old girl, and wondering how she was going to save the world.  I can see how easy it is for Izzy to feel like she needs to do everything herself, and prove that she is worthy of being a Brannick, but I also like that she had help from people who insisted on helping her.

And Cris Dukehart, narrator of the Hex Hall series, is back narrating this book!  I really like her as a narrator, but I have mixed feelings about her as narrating this book.  Mostly because she’s ingrained as Sophie, and it was hard to get used to her as Izzy.  But…ot was nice having her narrate a world that she’s familiar with.

Let’s Rate It:

I liked School Spirits, but not as much as Hex Hall.  Still, it was fun to listen to, and I think Hex Hall fans would like School Spirits.  School Spirits gets 3 stars.

Book Review: Afterworlds by Scott Westerfeld

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Afterworlds CoverBook: Afterworlds by Scott Westerfeld

Published September 2014 by Simon Pulse|413 pages

Where I Got It: checked out the e-book from the library!

Series: None

Genre: YA- Half Paranormal/Half Contemporary

You can find Afterworlds on goodreads

Goodreads Summary: 

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author Scott Westerfeld comes a smart, thought-provoking novel-within-a-novel that you won’t be able to put down.

Darcy Patel has put college on hold to publish her teen novel, Afterworlds. With a contract in hand, she arrives in New York City with no apartment, no friends, and all the wrong clothes. But lucky for Darcy, she’s taken under the wings of other seasoned and fledgling writers who help her navigate the city and the world of writing and publishing. Over the course of a year, Darcy finishes her book, faces critique, and falls in love.

Woven into Darcy’s personal story is her novel, Afterworlds, a suspenseful thriller about a teen who slips into the ‘Afterworld’ to survive a terrorist attack. The Afterworld is a place between the living and the dead, and where many unsolved and terrifying stories need to be reconciled. Like Darcy, Lizzie too falls in love – until a new threat resurfaces, and her special gifts may not be enough to protect those she cares about most.

What I Thought:

Afterworlds really is a unique book!  It’s a novel-within-a-novel, and there is something very meta about this entire book.

I’m really not kidding.  I did get the sense that Westerfeld was poking a bit at YA tropes and just the YA community in general, but in a really good way.

I don’t even know how to begin reviewing this book…but I guess I should start with Darcy’s story.  I really liked her story, and I liked seeing her navigate New York and the publishing world, especially with the help she finds in other awesome writers.  I don’t know what that world is like, but it is one that feels so real, like that’s what it is like for one person- and it really felt like bits and pieces of it may have come from Westerfeld’s own experience as a YA writer.

I also liked that we saw Darcy over the course of a year, and how much she went through with her book and her personal life. And I loved that in quite a few ways, her life intertwined with Lizzie’s story, and how much Darcy and Lizzie had in common. Which does make sense, since Lizzie is one of Darcy’s characters.  They both had these really big things happen that would change their lives, and I liked seeing both of their stories.

I really like that we not only see Darcy working on Afterworlds but that we get the actually Afterworlds story! And not just an excerpt or quotes but the full novel.  It was kind of disorienting at first, because you get thrown into both stories, and there’s nothing to indicate which story you’re reading.  But the two stories are so different that I knew which story was which in no time.

I also liked Lizzie’s story, especially at the beginning.  It’s so weird, because I really liked Darcy’s story as the book went on, and I liked Lizzie’s story less as the book went on.  Still, it’s an interesting way to tell a story, and I think there was a lot of potential for it to not work.  For me, it worked a lot better than I could have expected or imagined, but I think the way it’s told isn’t for everyone.  Given that Afterworlds is such a big part of Darcy’s life, and different aspects of it come up throughout the book, it makes sense that we would see Darcy’s story.  It would be a very different book if we didn’t have her fictional story, and Lizzie’s story helps Darcy’s story come to life.  Both stories need each other, and you see the effects that each story has on the other one.

I found the conversations about re-telling myths and stories that are part of a culture to be not your own to be really interesting, especially given all of the recent discussions about reading diversely.  Like, it’s okay that Darcy re-tells stories from Hinduism, because her family is from India (even though Darcy herself doesn’t seem particularly religious, and her family, from what we see of them, don’t seem to be particularly religious either).  I have no idea why I find it super-interesting, but I do.  Also, I love that her family is totally cool with Darcy having a girlfriend, and that it wasn’t a big deal when Darcy told them.

Let’s Rate It:

I really liked Afterworlds, and how you needed both stories in order to tell the other one.  I liked seeing how Darcy’s life and Lizzie’s life intertwine, and how both stories have an effect on the other one.  Darcy’s story is easily 5 stars, while I’d really have to give Lizzie’s story 3 stars, so overall, Afterworlds gets 4 stars.

Mini Book Review: The Faerie Guardian by Rachel Morgan

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The Faerie Guardian CoverBook: The Faerie Guardian by Rachel Morgan

Published October 2012 by Smashwords|237 pages

Where I Got It: Nook store

Series: Creepy Hollow #1

Genre: YA Paranormal- Faeries

You can find The Faerie Guardian on goodreads

Goodreads Summary: 

Enter a hidden world of magic, mystery, danger and romance in this YA fantasy from bestselling author, Rachel Morgan.

Protecting humans from dangerous magical creatures is all in a day’s work for a faerie training to be a guardian. Seventeen-year-old Violet Fairdale knows this better than anyone—she’s about to become the best guardian the Guild has seen in years. That is, until a cute human boy who can somehow see through her faerie glamour follows her into the fae realm. Now she’s broken Guild Law, a crime that could lead to her expulsion.

The last thing Vi wants to do is spend any more time with the boy who got her into this mess, but the Guild requires that she return Nate to his home and make him forget everything he’s discovered of the fae realm. Easy, right? Not when you factor in evil faeries, long-lost family members, and inconvenient feelings of the romantic kind. Vi is about to find herself tangled up in a dangerous plot—and it’ll take all her training to get out alive.

What I Thought:

I liked The Faerie Guardian!  If there’s something I know, it’s a book about fairies, and given how many I’ve read (and want to read), trust me when I say that this book is quite different than a lot of other fairie books.

I LOVE the idea of faeries protecting the human population from some really nasty creatures.  And naturally, things go wrong right from the start.  Things are also pretty predictable, but it was still a fun read.  Most of all, I loved how detailed and intricate this world was, and it really made me want to see more of it.

I didn’t particularly care about the romance.  It was pretty obvious, as far as romances go, but I also felt like there wasn’t anything special between Violet and Nate.  It very much felt like they were together for the sake of being together.  On the other hand, I did like the relationship between Ryn and Violet, and how their story was resolved.  I honestly think they have better chemistry, and I’m hoping that eventually, it’s Ryn and Violet, even though I’m positive that it’ll be Nate and Violet in the end.

Speaking of Violet, she is a pretty awesome fairie, and I really liked her!  I can’t wait to see what she has deal with in the books to come.

Let’s Rate It:

I don’t have much to say about The Faerie Guardian, but I really like the concept and the world that Morgan wrote.  I’m not thrilled with the romance, and I’m desperately hoping that it doesn’t go the way I think it will. I didn’t love it, but it’s still a fun read.  The Faerie Guardian gets 3 stars.

A Super Short Book Review: A Shade Of Vampire by Bella Forrest

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A Shade Of Vampire CoverBook: A Shade Of Vampire by Bella Forrest

Published December 2012 by Smashwords|149 pages

Where I Got It: the Kindle store

Series: A Shade Of Vampire #1

Genre: YA Paranormal- Vampires

You can find A Shade Of Vampire on goodreads

Goodreads Summary: 

On the evening of Sofia Claremont’s seventeenth birthday, she is sucked into a nightmare from which she cannot wake.

A quiet evening walk along a beach brings her face to face with a dangerous pale creature that craves much more than her blood.

She is kidnapped to an island where the sun is eternally forbidden to shine.

An island uncharted by any map and ruled by the most powerful vampire coven on the planet. She wakes here as a slave, a captive in chains.

Sofia’s life takes a thrilling and terrifying turn when she is the one selected out of hundreds of girls to join the harem of Derek Novak, the dark royal Prince.

Despite his addiction to power and obsessive thirst for her blood, Sofia soon realizes that the safest place on the island is within his quarters, and she must do all within her power to win him over if she is to survive even one more night.

Will she succeed? …or is she destined to the same fate that all other girls have met at the hands of the Novaks?

What I Thought:

Like most of the books I read (especially lately, it feels like), I wasn’t sure what to expect when I started A Shade Of Vampire. I was definitely surprised, and I really liked what Forrest did with her vampires.  A coven on an island, full of really powerful vampires, where the sun never shines, and they look to a royal Prince, who just awake from a coma that lasted centuries.

I liked A Shade Of Vampire, but honestly?  Trying to talk about why I liked it almost 2 weeks after finishing it…I’m finding that it doesn’t really stand out to me as a book.

Why Sofia’s blood is so important was interesting, but that’s basically the one thing I can remember.  Oh, and she manages to get off of the island, but I can’t remember if she stays or goes, because I feel like she wasn’t sure about what she wanted to do. I do remember feeling pretty meh about the romance, because they didn’t really have any chemistry- it really did feel bland to the point of being pointless.

To be even more honest, I am not sure what else to say about A Shade Of Vampire.  Although…I can imagine a group of vampires being called a shade.  Like, a parliament of owls, but with shade and vampires?  On second thought, maybe that makes more sense in my head…

It is pretty short, and I know there are a ton of books in this series, and it does make me wonder if all of the books are going to be around 150 pages.

Let’s Rate It:

I do like A Shade Of Vampire, but unfortunately, it’s a book that is proving to be not memorable a couple of weeks after finishing it.  Still, A Shade Of Vampire gets 3 stars.

ARC Book Review: When by Victoria Laurie

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When CoverBook: When by Victoria Laurie

Expected Publication: January 13, 2015 by Disney Hyperion|Expected Number Of Pages: 338

Where I Got It: an ARC from netgalley, which hasn’t influenced my review in any way.  Promise!

Series: none

Genre: YA Contemporary with a paranormal twist

You can find When on goodreads & Victoria Laurie on twitter and her website

Goodreads Summary: 

Maddie Fynn is a shy high school junior, cursed with an eerie intuitive ability: she sees a series of unique digits hovering above the foreheads of each person she encounters. Her earliest memories are marked by these numbers, but it takes her father’s premature death for Maddie and her family to realize that these mysterious digits are actually death dates, and just like birthdays, everyone has one.

Forced by her alcoholic mother to use her ability to make extra money, Maddie identifies the quickly approaching death date of one client’s young son, but because her ability only allows her to see the when and not the how, she’s unable to offer any more insight. When the boy goes missing on that exact date, law enforcement turns to Maddie.

Soon, Maddie is entangled in a homicide investigation, and more young people disappear and are later found murdered. A suspect for the investigation, a target for the murderer, and attracting the attentions of a mysterious young admirer who may be connected to it all, Maddie’s whole existence is about to be turned upside down. Can she right things before it’s too late?

What I Thought:

I liked When!  I wasn’t quite sure what to expect or where the story was going, but I was surprised with where the book went.

I thought that Maddie’s ability to see your death date is an interesting, even though it doesn’t quite work.  I don’t know how to explain it but maybe it’s because we only see her do it for a handful of people.  And there’s the fact that people pay her so they know when they (or someone they care about) will die.  People are very cautious around her. and she does get treated differently because of it.  I don’t blame them, but at the same time, it’s something she has no control over.  Personally, I wouldn’t want to know, because I would never be able to think of anything else, you know?

But it’s people wanting to know that gets Maddie into such a big mess.  I totally get why law enforcement turns to her, and why they don’t believe her.  And yet, her uncle is pretty resistant to them giving her a test to see she’s really not making things up. This would eventually led to me wanting to slap Maddie upside the head for her stupidity (there were other times when she did some pretty stupid things, but one moment in particular…just…there are no words.

I don’t know how I feel about the murder mystery.  Maddie knowing people’s death dates made her a likely suspect (alongside her best friend) and the person behind things was unexpected.

What was most frustrating was the fact that the FBI would not her or Stubby alone- but especially Maddie. Things were really circumstantial, and while I understand their focus on her, I think they definitely took it too far.

I did like the link between the disappearing kids, which, now that I think about it, should have been able to figure it out.  And I liked that it was something people knew, which is a nice change from keeping it hidden.  I really liked that her uncle was there for her, and that she had Stubby.  And her one neighbor was such an awesome person who looked in on Maddie and made sure she was okay.

Let’s Rate It:

I liked When, because the idea is interesting, and it was hard for me to put down at times.  But I’m also torn, because the mysteries combined with her abilities didn’t completely work (but I think Laurie did make a really effort).  When gets 3 stars.

Book Review: Home by Toni Morrison

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Home CoverBook: Home by Toni Morrison

Published May 2012 by Knopf Doubleday|160 pages

Where I Got It: the library

Series: None

Genre: Adult Literary Fiction/African-American Literature

You can find Home on goodreads

Goodreads Summary: 

The latest novel from Nobel Prize winner Toni Morrison.

An angry and self-loathing veteran of the Korean War, Frank Money finds himself back in racist America after enduring trauma on the front lines that left him with more than just physical scars. His home–and himself in it–may no longer be as he remembers it, but Frank is shocked out of his crippling apathy by the need to rescue his medically abused younger sister and take her back to the small Georgia town they come from, which he’s hated all his life. As Frank revisits the memories from childhood and the war that leave him questioning his sense of self, he discovers a profound courage he thought he could never possess again. A deeply moving novel about an apparently defeated man finding his manhood–and his home.

What I Thought:

I really liked Home!  I read Sula and Beloved a few years ago, and while I liked them, I wasn’t completely into them.  But I figured it was a good time to give Morrison another try, and I’m actually really glad I did.

I really liked Frank, and how he had to deal with memories and what happened in Korea.  And he goes on a journey to help his sister, who went through some horrible things herself.  I really like seeing his memories and how he got to be the person we see at the beginning of the novel to how he became the person we see at the end of the novel.

I was struck by how Frank was trying to deal with everything that’s happened, and how he was trying to find his place after coming home.  You could tell how hard it was for him, and it’s something that still rings true today- with all of the stories of soldiers coming back with health issues and PTSD, and all of the recent events in places like Ferguson, you see how we’ve changed a lot, but at the same time, it’s still something that we’re dealing with.

Home is short, but Morrison makes every word count.  It’s simple and beautiful and this is one of the very rare books where I’m more interested in the actual writing than the story (even the story is great too).  Seriously, if you want to study writing, Toni Morrison is such a great place to start.  She can write, and she does it so well.

Let’s Rate It:

I really liked seeing Frank have to deal with so much, and even though his story takes place after the Korean war, so many things (like racism and PTSD) are still relevant today.  It’s also a simple but beautifully written book, and of the 3 books I’ve read by Morrison, I think this is a really good one to start with if you’ve never read Morrison.  Home gets 4 stars.

2014 End Of The Year Book Survey

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Every year, Jamie at The Perpetual Page-Turner does an End Of The Year Book Survey, and I always look forward to doing it because it’s so much fun to think about the books I’ve read over the last year in a really cool way.  I’ve done it in 2012 and 2013, so it’ll be fun to do it again.  Just to let y’all know, this is going to be a long post.  Enjoy!

Book Stats

Number Of Books Read:

140 + 10 DNF’s

Number Of Re-Reads:

I have no idea, since I don’t keep track of my re-reads (but maybe I should).  I know I re-read a few books.

Genre You Read The Most From:

I read a lot of YA Paranormal, with 49 books, followed by YA Contemporary with 37.

Best In Books

1- Best Books I Read, by genre:

Paranormal: Sweet Reckoning by Wendy Higgins

Re-tellings: Cress by Marissa Meyer

Dystopic: Ignite Me by Tahereh Mafi

Contemporary: Isla And The Happily Ever After by Stephanie Perkins

2- Book You Were Excited About & Thought You Were Going To Love More, But Didn’t:

It’s a toss-up between Eleanor & Park and The Book Thief- the latter of which I didn’t finish.  Both books have a lot of rave reviews, and they seem right up my alley, but these 2 books just didn’t work for me.

3- Most Surprising, in a good or a bad way:

Stiff by Mary Roach- she made science really fun and interesting!

4- Book That I Pushed The Most People To Read (And They Did):

This is a hard one, because I don’t recommend books to people often, but I really think people should read Crow by Barbara Wright.  I had no idea the Wilmington Race Riots even happened, and now I want to learn more about it.  Also the Queen Of Hearts Saga by Colleen Oakes.

5- Best Series I Started/Best Sequel/Best Series Ender:

Best Series I Started: The Crown by Colleen Oakes.  I just love this Alice In Wonderland re-telling.

Best Sequel: Witchfall by Victoria Lamb.  I just love the combination of paranormal and magic and Tudor England. Everything is coming together so well, and this book wasn’t just filler, which is nice.

Best Series Ender: We’ll Always Have Summer by Jenny Han.  It’s such a perfect end to the series, and I couldn’t ask for a better, more perfect ending.

6- Favorite New Author I Discovered In 2014:

Laura Weiss.  I just LOVED Me Since You, and now I want to read everything she writes.

7- Best Book from a genre I don’t typically read or was out of my comfort zone:

it’s a tie between The Autobiographies Of Maya Angelou, who had quite the life, and Tampa by Alyssa Nutting, which was uncomfortably disturbing but hard to put down literary fiction.

8- Most action-packed/thrilling/unputdownable book I read this year:

Black Ice by Becca Fitzpatrick.  It was hard to put down, and I wanted to know what would happen next, because the book was pretty unpredictable.

9- Book I Read In 2014 That I Am Most Likely To Re-Read In 2015:

Five Ways To Fall by K.A. Tucker.  I’ve already re-read it a couple of times, and I’m looking forward to re-reading it again.

10- Favorite Cover Of A Book I’ve Read In 2014: 

Teardrop Cover

11- Most Memorable Character Of 2014:

Jed from Dead Jed by Scott Craven.  He’s a kid who just happens to have a heart condition that makes him a zombie.  I really like seeing him trying to navigate middle school.

12- Most Beautifully Written Book Read In 2014:

Me Since You by Laura Weiss.  It’s such a beautiful book, and Rowan’s story was one I related to so well.

13- Most Thought-Provoking/Life-Changing Book Of 2014:

Pandemic by Yvonne Ventresca.  It’s a flu pandemic told by a girl who collects supplies and worries about things like pandemics to deal with a really horrible thing that happened with one of her teachers.

14- Book I Can’t Believe I Waited Until 2014 To Read:

The Statistical Probability Of Love At First Sight by Jennifer Smith.  It’s such a cute story, and I don’t know why it took me so long to read it.

15- Favorite Passage/Quote From A Book I Read In 2014:

“I believe some people are inherently evil.
I believe guilt is a powerful motivator.
I believe redemption is something you can strive for but never fully achieve.
I believe second chances exist only in dreams, never in reality.
I believe you don’t have years, or months, or weeks to impact a person’s life.
You have seconds.
Seconds to win them over, And seconds to lose them.”

-From Four Seconds To Lose by K.A. Tucker

16- Shortest & Longest Book I Read In 2014:

Shortest: Beauty by Nancy Ohlin at 118 pages

Longest: The Collected Autobiographies Of Maya Angelou at 1,186 pages

17- Book That Shocked Me The Most:

Tampa by Alyssa Nutting.  I was not actually expecting to actually read a teacher have sex with one of her 14-year-old students.

18- One True Pairing Of The Year:

I love Isla And Josh from Isla And The Happily Ever After.

19- Favorite Non-Romantic Pairing Of The Year:

I love the relationship that Charlie has with her brothers in On The Fence by Kasie West.

20- Favorite Book From An Author I’ve Read Previously:

Moonglass by Jessi Kirby.  I just love all of her books.

21- Best Book I Read Based Solely On A Recommendation/Peer Pressure:

Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein.  I didn’t love it like I thought I would, but so many people loved it that I knew I had to read it.  Plus, of the ones I’ve read thar were recommended or I read because everyone else has, it really was one of the better ones.

22- Newest Fictional Crush From A Book I Read:

Raphael from Angels’ Blood by Nalini Singh.  He is one of my newest book boyfriends and I have no idea why.

23- Best 2014 Debut I Read:

Lies We Tell Ourselves by Robin Talley.  It’s such a realistic look at how schools went through de-segregation, and it’s still hard to believe that it wasn’t that long ago that it happened.

24- Book That Put A Smile On My Face/Was The Most Fun To Read:

Wallbanger by Alice Clayton.  This book was absolutely hysterical and I couldn’t stop laughing.

25- Best Worldbuilding/Most Vivid Setting:

Out Of The Easy by Ruta Sepetys.  1950’s New Orleans came to life in this book.

26- Book That Made Me Cry Or Nearly Cry In 2014:

A bunch of them!  I really should have that as a category on goodreads…anyway, of the ones that made me cry, I think I have to go with Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell, because I felt so connected to Cath and her story.

27- Hidden Gem Of The Year:

My Best Friend, Maybe by Caela Carter.  I was surprised by how much I liked this story of friendship.

28- Book That Crushed My Soul:

It’s Not Summer Without You by Jenny Han.  I cried so much during this book, and it broke my heart.  It really did.

29- Most Unique Book:

Conversion by Katherine Howe.  It’s all about the stress that teens have to deal with in high school, and how that turned into physical symptoms.

30- Book That Made Me Most Mad:

Some Boys by Patty Blount.  Because of how everyone thought she was lying about being raped by the town golden boy, and that she deserved it, because everyone thought that he wasn’t capable of it.

Blogging & Reading Life

1- New Favorite Blog I Discovered In 2014:

I really don’t pay attention to when I start following blogs, but one I REMEMBER discovering this year is Diversity In YA.  It’ll be really helpful since reading more diversely is one of my goals for this year.

2- Favorite Review That I Wrote In 2014:

I think my favorite review from this year is the one I wrote for Isla And The Happily Ever After.  I acted like a total fangirl, but I’m okay with that, because it was a fun review to write.

3- Best Discussion/Non-Review Post I Wrote This Year:

I really like the two posts I did on a reading slump I was in.  I don’t know if they were my best posts, but they were definitely my favorites.  One post is just talking about it, and the other is just a follow-up.  Talking about it really helped me feel better about it.

4- Best Event I Participated In This Year:

The L.A. Festival Of Books was really fun, and I also had a great time at a book signing for The Kiss Of Deception.

5- Best Moment Of Book/Blogging Life:

I don’t know that I had a best moment- or even one that really stood out- but if I had to pick one, I think I’d pick being okay with having reading slumps, since they do happen sometimes.

6- Most Popular Post:

Top Ten Books For People Who Like The Iron Fey is my most popular post- 2.5-ish years after posting it!

7- Post I Wish Got A Little More Love:

I wrote a post talking about cookbooks, and my love of them.

8- Best Bookish Discovery:

9- Did I Complete Any Reading Challenges/Goals:

I did reach my goal of reading 140 books!

Looking Ahead

1- One Book I Didn’t Get To In 2014, But Will Be My #1 Priority In 2015:

Rebel Belle by Rachel Hawkins.  I keep meaning to read but it never seems to happen.

2- A Non-Debut Book I Am Most Anticipating For 2015:

Prudence by Gail Carriger!  I am so glad she has a spin-off series about Prudence.

3- 2015 Debut I Am Most Excited About:

Skyscraping by Cordelia Jensen.  I’m really intrigued by a girl who has deal with a parent who has HIV.

4- Series Ending/Sequel I Am Looking Forward To The Most:

Winter by Marisssa Meyer.  I am so excited about seeing how it all ends.

5- One Thing I Hope To Accomplish Or Do In My Reading/Blogging Life In 2015:

I am going to read more diversely, and it’s my #1 priority for this year.

6- A 2015 Release I’ve Already Read & Recommend To Everyone

I have yet to read any 2015 releases.

That’s it for my take on the survey.  Have a very happy and completely amazing new year!

Mini Book Review: On The Fence

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On The Fence CoverBook: On The Fence by Kasie West

Published July 2014 by Harper Teen|293 pages

Where I Got It: I own the paperback!

Series: None

Genre: YA Contemporary

You can find On The Fence on goodreads & Kasie West on twitter and her blog

Goodreads Summary: 

For sixteen-year-old Charlotte Reynolds, aka Charlie, being raised by a single dad and three older brothers has its perks. She can outrun, outscore, and outwit every boy she knows—including her longtime neighbor and honorary fourth brother, Braden. But when it comes to being a girl, Charlie doesn’t know the first thing about anything. So when she starts working at chichi boutique to pay off a speeding ticket, she finds herself in a strange new world of makeup, lacy skirts, and BeDazzlers. Even stranger, she’s spending time with a boy who has never seen her tear it up in a pickup game.

To cope with the stress of faking her way through this new reality, Charlie seeks late-night refuge in her backyard, talking out her problems with Braden by the fence that separates them. But their Fence Chats can’t solve Charlie’s biggest problem: she’s falling for Braden. Hard. She knows what it means to go for the win, but if spilling her secret means losing him for good, the stakes just got too high.

What I Thought:

On The Fence is such a cute book!  I really did love it!

I’ll admit, I wasn’t sure about it at first, but as I kept reading, I found that I really started to love it.  I really liked Charlie, and how she changed throughout the book- going from a tomboy who feels like she doesn’t know how to be a girl, to be a tomboy who’s still a tomboy, but a little less so.  I really could relate to that, because sometimes, the world of make-up and clothes seems so overwhelming and confusing.

I also really felt for Charlie, who lost her mom as a small child, especially since she was in the car when her mom committed suicide.  I don’t blame her brothers and dad for not telling her, because she didn’t take it well the one time she tried.  I also totally understand Charlie’s reaction too.

I LOVED the relationships that Charlie has with her brothers.  It’s so clear that they look out for each other, and I like that Charlie was included in so many things her brothers did.  While I’m not completely in love with Braden and Charlie, they are cute together, and I really liked their middle of the night talks by the fence.  I did like that Braden was part of their family. And the people that Charlie meets because of her new job!  I liked seeing her make some new friends, and that she decided she wanted to keep working at the boutique.

Let’s Rate It:

On The Fence was such such a cute, fun and heartwarming read.  On The Fence gets 5 stars.

Book Review: Teardrop

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Teardrop CoverBook: Teardrop by Lauren Kate

Published October 2013 by Random House Children’s Books|304 pages

Where I Got It: Nook store

Series: Teardrop #1

Genre: YA Paranormal/Re-telling

You can find Teardrop on goodreads & Lauren Kate on twitter, facebook and her website

Goodreads Summary: 

An epic saga of heart-stopping romance, devastating secrets, and dark magic…a world where everything you love can be washed away. The first book in the new series from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Fallen series

Never, ever cry…Eureka Boudreaux’s mother drilled that rule into her daughter years ago. But now her mother is gone, and everywhere Eureka goes he is there: Ander, the tall, pale blond boy who seems to know things he shouldn’t, who tells Eureka she is in grave danger, who comes closer to making her cry than anyone has before.

But Ander doesn’t know Eureka’s darkest secret: ever since her mother drowned in a freak accident, Eureka wishes she were dead, too. She has little left that she cares about, just her oldest friend, Brooks, and a strange inheritance—a locket, a letter, a mysterious stone, and an ancient book no one understands. The book contains a haunting tale about a girl who got her heart broken and cried an entire continent into the sea. Eureka is about to discover that the ancient tale is more than a story, that Ander might be telling the truth…and that her life has far darker undercurrents than she ever imagined.

What I Thought:

I was really intrigued with Teardrop, and I like that it’s a modern re-telling of Atlantis.  Raising Atlantis is pretty unique, and while I feel like it’s come up before in books I’ve read, I don’t think I’ve ever read anything where Atlantis comes back.

There’s a lot going on, and there were times when things didn’t make a lot of sense, but as the story unfolded, everything started to fall into place, and you begin to understand why people did the things they did, particularly Ander and Brooks. I really liked that Ander and Eureka were on opposite sides, but that he did everything he could to protect her and keep her safe.

There is a love triangle in Teardrop, and unlike most books that feature love triangles, there is no clear love interest yet.  I actually really like that it’s not clear who she’s going to end up with (since move LT’s are super-obvious) and that it could go either way.  Given the love story between Leander and Selene that caused Atlantis to be banished, and that it very much connects to Ander and Eureka…and even Brooks connection to everything…I honestly don’t know which way I want it to go.

While we don’t get too much on Atlantis in this book- only why Atlantis disappeared, and the people it left behind- I really hope we see more of Atlantis and what kind of place it was in the coming books.  And I want to know more about the Sandbearers and Selene’s line!  I have so many things I want to know.

I really was surprised by so many things that happened, and Kate did a great job at revealing things at the right time.  It kept me guessing, and I liked that I wasn’t completely sure what was going to happen next.

Let’s Rate It:

I really liked Teardrop, and I can’t wait to see what happens next!  Teardrop gets 4 stars.

Book Review: Curtsies And Conspiracies

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Curtsies & Conspiracies CoverBook: Curtsies & Conspiracies by Gail Carriger

Published November 2013 by Little Brown Books For Young Readers|223 pages

Where I Got It: the Nook store

Series: Finishing School #2

Genre: YA Steampunk

You can find Curtsies & Conspiracies on goodreads & Gail Carriger on twitter and her website

Goodreads Summary: 

Does one need four fully grown foxgloves for decorating a dinner table for six guests? Or is it six foxgloves to kill four fully grown guests?

Sophronia’s first year at Mademoiselle Geraldine’s Finishing Academy for Young Ladies of Quality has certainly been rousing! For one thing, finishing school is training her to be a spy (won’t Mumsy be surprised?). Furthermore, Sophronia got mixed up in an intrigue over a stolen device and had a cheese pie thrown at her in a most horrid display of poor manners.

Now, as she sneaks around the dirigible school, eavesdropping on the teachers’ quarters and making clandestine climbs to the ship’s boiler room, she learns that there may be more to a field trip to London than is apparent at first. A conspiracy is afoot–one with dire implications for both supernaturals and humans. Sophronia must rely on her training to discover who is behind the dangerous plot-and survive the London Season with a full dance card.

In this bestselling sequel to New York Times bestselling Etiquette & Espionage, class is back in session with more petticoats and poison, tea trays and treason. Gail’s distinctive voice, signature humor, and lush steampunk setting are sure to be the height of fashion this season.

What I Thought:

I really liked Curtsies & Conspiracies!  It really is a Gail Carriger book, and it was a fun book to read!

Sophronia has quite a few adventures in this book, mostly because the school goes to London!  We see quite a few characters from her Parasol Protectorate series, and I really liked seeing them well before the start of that series.  I really do like Sophronia, who is such a great, adventurous person.  She has a lot to deal with, like being ignored by her friends, and realizing that she really does need them around her in order to do well as an intelligencer.

I have to say that I loved seeing an appearance from Lord Akeldama- he is the Lord Akeldama that I know and love from the Parasol Protectorate, and I’m glad he (so far) hasn’t changed much.  I really hope we start to see more of a connection to that series in some way.

I’m not completely in love with the characters, even though I really like them, especially the relationships that Sophronia has with Vieve and with Soap.  I already know where Vieve’s story is headed, but I still like seeing her before she becomes the Vieve that we see in the Parasol Protectorate.  And I really want to see where Soap’s story is headed, because I find him so interesting!

I really do love the combination of steampunk and paranormal, and Carriger does it so well.  Especially in this book, where we get more about this world- all of the inventions, and things that all of these different groups want.  I also love that we see fashion and etiquette, and it gives the book a very historical feel.

Let’s Rate It:

I really liked Curtsies & Conspiracies!  I have no idea where this series is going, but I am glad to be along for the ride, because this is such a fun series to read.  Curtsies & Conspiracies gets 4 stars.