Vacation Time!

Hello, my lovely readers!

I won't be around this week due to the fact that I am on VACATION!! YAY!! What makes it even better is the fact that Sarah and her god-daughter came to visit me again! (They arrived at 2am this morning!) Traveling all the way from Alberta, Canada to me here in Ontario, Canada. It's a three day trip by car, and this is the second time they have done it! We're not doing anything too special, just some day trips here and there with everyone enjoying our time together.

I'll be sure to sneak some reading time in there somewhere too! ;)

See y'all next week!

Future Favorites (178)

Future Favorites is an awesome blog feature created by Alex over at Electrifying Reviews. I post about a book that is yet-to-be-released that I can't wait to read!

Dead Heat by Patricia Briggs

Release Date: March 3, 2015 by Ace

Praised as "the perfect blend of action, romance, suspense and paranormal," the Alpha and Omega novels transport readers into the realm of the werewolf, where Charles Cornick and Anna Latham embody opposite sides of the shifter personality. Now, a pleasure trip drops the couple into the middle of some bad supernatural business…

For once, mated werewolves Charles and Anna are not traveling because of Charles’s role as his father’s enforcer. This time, their trip to Arizona is purely personal, as Charles plans to buy Anna a horse for her birthday. Or at least it starts out that way...

Charles and Anna soon discover that a dangerous Fae being is on the loose, replacing human children with simulacrums. The Fae’s cold war with humanity is about to heat up—and Charles and Anna are in the cross fire.

With All My Soul by Rachel Vincent

With All My Soul:
What does it mean when your school is voted the most dangerous in America? It's time to kick some hellion butt...

After not really surviving her junior year (does "undead" count as survival?), Kaylee Cavanaugh has vowed to take back her school from the hellions causing all the trouble. She's going to find a way to turn the incarnations of Avarice, Envy and Vanity against one another in order to protect her friends and finish this war, once and forever.

But then she meets Wrath and understands that she's closer to the edge than she's ever been. And when one more person close to her is taken, Kaylee realizes she can't save everyone she loves without risking everything she has....

This series. How do I put into words everything that is the Soul Screamers series? Annnnd to do that without spoilers for new fans of the series. These books are completely unique from start to finish, Rachel Vincent is an amazing storyteller; she puts so much honest emotion into her books that her readers can be nothing less than consumed. She also writes outside of the box for this YA series, with creating strong family bonds, steering away from the absentee parental unit. These characters dealt with so many serious subject matters throughout the series, and that is what made these books so amazing in my eyes. Death, drug use, sex, sacrifice and so much more. Rachel wrote gritty truths and drove her readers deep into each subject matter. While there is so much information in this book, none of it gets lost due to Rachel’s ability to tell an engaging tale. Kaylee has grown so much over the course of these books. As a bean sidhe, or banshee who calls souls of the dead, she started out naive and unsure of herself, but grew into a strong and admirable young woman. The strong, vibrant secondary characters that we have all grown to love just as much had their sub-plots tied up nicely.

With All My Soul offers fans of the series the perfect happily-ever-after ending, even if we are all not quite ready to say goodbye to Kaylee and Tod.

Origin by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Origin:
Daemon will do anything to get Katy back.

After the successful but disastrous raid on Mount Weather, he’s facing the impossible. Katy is gone. Taken. Everything becomes about finding her. Taking out anyone who stands in his way? Done. Burning down the whole world to save her? Gladly. Exposing his alien race to the world? With pleasure.

All Katy can do is survive.

Surrounded by enemies, the only way she can come out of this is to adapt. After all, there are sides of Daedalus that don’t seem entirely crazy, but the group’s goals are frightening and the truths they speak even more disturbing. Who are the real bad guys? Daedalus? Mankind? Or the Luxen?

Together, they can face anything.

But the most dangerous foe has been there all along, and when the truths are exposed and the lies come crumbling down, which side will Daemon and Katy be standing on?

And will they even be together?

This is going to be short, partly because I know there are hundreds of reviews out there and also because I just can’t articulate my feelings towards the Lux series enough. In Origin Jennifer L. Armentrout pulled out all the stops, I honestly didn't see the series going in this direction, and turn this absolutely heart-pounding and intense. While the romance is still there (happy sigh), the action and suspense were completely intensified. After the ending of Opal, I knew this book was going to cause all sorts of emotions, so I put off reading it until Opposition was closer to releasing, and oh man, am I glad that I did. Cliffhanger endings…KILLER. Terrible things were done to Katy and I cringed with every turn of the page. This book is told through both Katy and Daemon’s point-of-views, and I loved the insight it gave me into their characters. All of the characters we have grown to love over the course of this series are in this one, and the danger just keeps coming.

Daemon turns himself in so that he can be with Katy. Even if it means they will never be free, he will not leave her to endure captivity alone. The non-stop tests and psychological stress would have broken a lesser character, but Katy is strong and she not only survives, but she also overcomes the terrible things she was made to do. They have help from the inside though, and eventually they do gain their freedom. Only someone else close to Daemon betrays them and they are forced to run from the safety they believed they had found. 

Hard As It Gets by Laura Kaye {Mini Review}

Hard As It Gets :
Tall, dark, and lethal...

Trouble just walked into Nicholas Rixey's tattoo parlor. Becca Merritt is warm, sexy, wholesome--pure temptation to a very jaded Nick. He's left his military life behind to become co-owner of Hard Ink Tattoo, but Becca is his ex-commander's daughter. Loyalty won't let him turn her away. Lust has plenty to do with it too.

With her brother presumed kidnapped, Becca needs Nick. She just wasn't expecting to want him so much. As their investigation turns into all-out war with an organized crime ring, only Nick can protect her. And only Becca can heal the scars no one else sees.

Desire is the easy part. Love is as hard as it gets. Good thing Nick is always up for a challenge…

Hard As It Gets was an intense and passionate introduction to the Hard Ink series by Laura Kaye. This series is definitely on my auto-buy list from now on. This was also my first foray into Laura’s writing style, and I have to say that I loved it. The characters were well written and the plot was gritty, fast paced and kept me intrigued the entire book. This story has it all: ex-special forces, alpha males covered in tattoos and with hidden hearts of gold. The romance was sweet and fierce, and there was enough suspense to keep me on the edge of my seat.

A missing persons case quickly unravels a conspiracy that involves a terrible incident from Nick’s past military life. In order to save Becca’s brother, Nick must pull the remaining members of his team back together. Despite the hard feelings they harbor for one another, the men come together to form a new team and regain the honor that was stolen from them.

Why Haven't I Read You? (62)

Every Wednesday I’ll choose a book off one of my (many, many) shelves that I haven’t read for some reason or another, and include the first few lines from the first page.

Feel free to join in, and comment about the books I feature if you have read them!

One hand on the wheel, one hand around Darlene’s shoulders, Tony pounded on the gas pedal, and the van roared over the bumps and pits of the narrow dirt road. Leaning against the window on Darlene’s right, Sue gritted her teeth and absorbed every jolt and jerk in silence. Tony was driving too fast, trying to impress Darlene, and Sue had to fight down her fear.

A Midsummer Night’s Scream by R.L. Stine

Goodreads

Future Favorites (177)

Future Favorites is an awesome blog feature created by Alex over at Electrifying Reviews. I post about a book that is yet-to-be-released that I can't wait to read!

Day 21 by Kass Morgan

Release Date: September 16, 2014 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

No one has set foot on Earth in centuries -- until now.

It's been 21 days since the hundred landed on Earth. They're the only humans to set foot on the planet in centuries...or so they thought. Facing an unknown enemy, Wells attempts to keep the group together. Clarke strikes out for Mount Weather, in search of other Colonists, while Bellamy is determined to rescue his sister, no matter the cost. And back on the ship, Glass faces an unthinkable choice between the love of her life and life itself.

In this pulse-pounding sequel to Kass Morgan's The 100, secrets are revealed, beliefs are challenged, and relationships are tested. And the hundred will struggle to survive the only way they can -- together.

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? (186)

Books I read week:
Hard As You Can by Laura Kaye
Origin by Jennifer L. Armentrout

The book I’m reading now:
With All My Soul:
What does it mean when your school is voted the most dangerous in America? It's time to kick some hellion butt...

After not really surviving her junior year (does "undead" count as survival?), Kaylee Cavanaugh has vowed to take back her school from the hellions causing all the trouble. She's going to find a way to turn the incarnations of Avarice, Envy and Vanity against one another in order to protect her friends and finish this war, once and forever.

But then she meets Wrath and understands that she's closer to the edge than she's ever been. And when one more person close to her is taken, Kaylee realizes she can't save everyone she loves without risking everything she has....


Books that spark my interest this week:
Of Neptune by Anna Banks
Gasp by Lisa McMann

Sunday Odds & Ends (3)

Although this is usually Sarah’s bloggy spot, she has been extremely busy and has not been able to post for a while. So I’m going to do an Odds & Ends post to fill in the gaps so to speak. I love books, you all know that, but I thought that sometimes it would be nice to talk about other things that I love as well.

As usual, my lists are always in no particular order.

Movies I Love with Cars...and Other Things

American Graffiti

A couple of high school grads spend one final night cruising the strip with their buddies before they go off to college.

Christine

A nerdish boy buys a strange car with an evil mind of its own and his nature starts to change to reflect it.

The Fast and the Furious

Los Angeles police officer Brian O'Connor must decide where his loyalties really lie when he becomes enamored with the street racing world he has been sent undercover to destroy.

Bullitt

An all guts, no glory San Francisco cop becomes determined to find the underworld kingpin that killed the witness in his protection.

Gone in Sixty Seconds

A retired master car thief must come back to the industry and steal 50 cars with his crew in one night to save his brother's life.

Rush

The merciless 1970s rivalry between Formula One rivals James Hunt and Niki Lauda.

Need For Speed

Fresh from prison, a street racer who was framed by a wealthy business associate joins a cross country race with revenge in mind. His ex-partner, learning of the plan, places a massive bounty on his head as the race begins.

Forgotten Fridays (97)

I invite and welcome anyone interested to post their own Forgotten Friday and join in the fun! I feature a book that I have read and have forgotten how much I enjoyed it. Some books might recent reads and some might be older reads, but I hope this helps these (sometimes forgotten) books earn a spot on your own TBR pile!

The Night She Disappeared by April Henry
First Published: March 2012
Goodreads | My Review

Gabie drives a Mini Cooper. She also works part time as a delivery girl at Pete’s Pizza. One night, Kayla—another delivery girl—goes missing. To her horror, Gabie learns that the supposed kidnapper had asked if the girl in the Mini Cooper was working that night. Gabie can’t move beyond the fact that Kayla’s fate was really meant for her, and she becomes obsessed with finding Kayla. She teams up with Drew, who also works at Pete’s. Together, they set out to prove that Kayla isn’t dead—and to find her before she is.

Thursday Thirteen (51)

Thursday Thirteen is a weekly meme with a simple theme: each Thursday you blog a list of 13 things. What kind of things? Any kind! Just come up with a list theme and run with it.
*All of my lists are in no particular order.*
 

Random Recommendations Made by Goodreads

1. Unclean Spirits by M. L. N. Hanover

2. Feudlings by Wendy Knight

3. To Taste Temptation by Elizabeth Hoyt

4. Half-Blood by Jennifer L. Armentrout

5. Married with Zombies by Jesse Peterson

6. Tiger’s Curse by Colleen Houck

7. Lessons from a Dead Girl by Jo Knowles

8. Valkyrie Rising by Ingrid Paulson

9. Impulse by Candace Camp

10. Let’s Get Lost by Adi Alsaid

11. The Better Part of Darkness by Kelly Gay

12. Glimmer Glass by Jenna Black

13. Skinwalker by Faith Hunter

Why Haven't I Read You? (61)

Every Wednesday I’ll choose a book off one of my (many, many) shelves that I haven’t read for some reason or another, and include the first few lines from the first page.

Feel free to join in, and comment about the books I feature if you have read them!

"That isn’t funny!” her father yelled. No, it wasn’t, Kylie Galen thought as she leaned into the refrigerator to find something to drink. In fact, it was so not funny she wished she could crawl in beside the mustard and moldy hot dogs, shut the door, and not hear angry voices spewing from the living room. Her parents were at it again. Not that it would go on much longer, she thought as the mist of the fridge seeped out the door. Today was the day.

Born at Midnight by C.C. Hunter

Goodreads

Future Favorites (176)

Future Favorites is an awesome blog feature created by Alex over at Electrifying Reviews. I post about a book that is yet-to-be-released that I can't wait to read!

The Darkest Touch by Gena Showalter

Release Date: November 25, 2014 by Harlequin HQN

Fierce immortal warrior. Host to the demon of Disease. Torin’s every touch causes sickness and death—and a worldwide plague. Carnal pleasure is utterly forbidden, and though he has always overcome temptation with an iron will, his control is about to shatter.

She is Keeley Cael. The Red Queen. When the powerful beauty with shocking vulnerabilities escapes from a centuries-long imprisonment, the desire that simmers between her and Torin is scorching. His touch could mean the end for her, but resisting her is the hardest battle he’s ever fought—and the only battle he fears he can’t win.

It's Monday, What Are You Reading? (185)

Books I read week:
Hard As You Can by Laura Kaye

The book I’m reading now:
Origin:
Daemon will do anything to get Katy back.

After the successful but disastrous raid on Mount Weather, he’s facing the impossible. Katy is gone. Taken. Everything becomes about finding her. Taking out anyone who stands in his way? Done. Burning down the whole world to save her? Gladly. Exposing his alien race to the world? With pleasure.

All Katy can do is survive.

Surrounded by enemies, the only way she can come out of this is to adapt. After all, there are sides of Daedalus that don’t seem entirely crazy, but the group’s goals are frightening and the truths they speak even more disturbing. Who are the real bad guys? Daedalus? Mankind? Or the Luxen?

Together, they can face anything.

But the most dangerous foe has been there all along, and when the truths are exposed and the lies come crumbling down, which side will Daemon and Katy be standing on?

And will they even be together?

Books that spark my interest this week:
When You Dare by Lori Foster
XVI by Julia Karr

Skinny by Donna Cooner

Skinny:
Find your voice.

Hopeless. Freak. Elephant. Pitiful. These are the words of Skinny, the vicious voice that lives inside fifteen-year-old Ever Davies’s head. Skinny tells Ever all the dark thoughts her classmates have about her. Ever knows she weighs over three hundred pounds, knows she’ll probably never be loved, and Skinny makes sure she never forgets it.

But there is another voice: Ever’s singing voice, which is beautiful but has been silenced by Skinny. Partly in the hopes of trying out for the school musical—and partly to try and save her own life—Ever decides to undergo a risky surgery that may help her lose weight and start over.

With the support of her best friend, Ever begins the uphill battle toward change. But demons, she finds, are not so easy to shake, not even as she sheds pounds. Because Skinny is still around. And Ever will have to confront that voice before she can truly find her own.

Skinny made me cry, it made me laugh and it made me look at myself in a completely different light. This is the journey of a brave girl named Ever, bullied because of her weight she decides to do something about it. Donna Cooner brought this girl to life for me, and I could relate to her in so many ways. But what I want to make perfectly clear is that although initially Ever has gastric bypass surgery to become skinny like the other girls, this is NOT a book about a girl becoming skinny. Ever has been depending on food for comfort ever since her mother died, and although she can count calories like the best weight conscious people out there, she just can’t seem to control herself. When it becomes apparent that her weight gain is also a health issue they decide to go through with the surgery. On top of Ever’s weight problems is this disgusting voice in her head she calls: Skinny. The impact Skinny has on Ever is devastating. Skinny constantly belittles Ever and destroys almost every relationship she possesses. Even as she begins to change on the outside, Skinny is still there on the inside. When Ever truly begins to see herself as changed, she confronts her inner demon and realizes that Skinny is blind. A metaphor for her own blindness when Ever thinks of herself. 

My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick

My Life Next Door:
The Garretts are everything the Reeds are not. Loud, messy, affectionate. And every day from her rooftop perch, Samantha Reed wishes she was one of them . . . until one summer evening, Jase Garrett climbs up next to her and changes everything.

As the two fall fiercely for each other, stumbling through the awkwardness and awesomeness of first love, Jase's family embraces Samantha - even as she keeps him a secret from her own. Then something unthinkable happens, and the bottom drops out of Samantha's world. She's suddenly faced with an impossible decision. Which perfect family will save her? Or is it time she saved herself?

A transporting debut about family, friendship, first romance, and how to be true to one person you love without betraying another.

My Life Next Door by Huntley Fitzpatrick was in a word: extraordinary. This book was bursting with emotion and completely draws you into Samantha and Jase’s worlds. The powerful relationships formed between each of the characters will make you cry, shake your head in anger and sigh all within the span of a few pages. I honestly don’t think that there is a way for me to describe this book and my love for it accurately, plus there have been so many reviews before mine that will probably do a much better job. What I can say, is Huntley is an author that is now permanently on my TBR list, this was her debut novel and she completely blew contemporary YA out of the water.

Samantha, her sister and her mother are a quiet family with a seemingly perfect life. But what no one on the outside realizes is the controlling and emotionless way Samantha’s mother dictates to her daughters. When the large Garrett family moves in next door, they are noisy, messy and to be avoided. After years of watching them from afar, Samantha is drawn into their world when Jase one of the eldest brothers extends his friendship to Samantha. She is quickly embraced by the whole family and begins to truly understand what “family” really means. When an accident nearly takes Mr. Garretts life, Samantha learns the truth about what happened and fears she may lose Jase and the Garretts forever.