Waiting On Wednesday #23

Hosted by Breaking the Spine!

This Week I am Waiting On...

Birthright: Darkest Fear by Cate Tiernan

Publication Date: January 7th, 2014
Genre: Young Adult Paranormal
Amazon/Barnes and Noble

Vivi’s animal instincts are her legacy—and maybe her downfall—in this start to a romantic fantasy series that will appeal to fans of The Nine Lives of Chloe King.

Vivi has known the truth about her family—and herself—since she was thirteen. But that doesn’t mean she’s accepted it. Being Haguari isn’t something she feels she’ll ever accept. How can she feel like anything but a freak knowing that it’s in her genes to turn into a jaguar?


Now eighteen, Vivi’s ready to break away from the traditions of her heritage. But all of that changes with the shocking, devastating deaths of her parents and the mysteries left behind. Vivi discovers family she never even knew she had, and a life open with possibility. New friends, new loyalties, and even romance all lay ahead—but so do dangers unlike anything Vivi ever could have imagined. 

Darkest Fear looks like an awesome read! For one, I love the font and the cover model's eyes on the cover. And two, she can turn into a jaguar! Doesn't that just sound awesome? Also, I have heard some good things about Cate Tiernan, although I have never read anything by her. In fact, I don't even know what she has wrote *cringes*

What are you waiting on this week?

All About Titles!

A Book Lover's Inquiries: Activity Time! Can you find matching titles?

These posts are where I get weird bookish questions or activities out of my brain and onto paper. I would love if you would comment with your takes on the question/activity. 

And, really, do whatever you want with it. Did you participate in an activity and want to post about it? Go ahead! That would be so awesome! Do you want to just  scoff and say "That's a lame activity"? Go ahead! I'm sure some stuff here will be lame. You have been warned.

----The Intro----

I was just looking through my shelves the other day and found a couple books with same or similar titles. It sparked an interest in me, and I wanted to see how many I could discover. So, here we go:

(Also, the rules are simple. I have to own each book or e-copy, and they have to be the same or be so similar that you barely notice the difference.)

----The Titles----

Scarlet:

For each of the books, the title is referring to the heroines name. 

I am rather fond of both the titles and stories.

Pure:

For this one I think I like how the title Pure perfectly fits Julianna Baggot's novel. 

However, I still love Pure from the Covenant Series!

Unraveling/ Unravel Me

I love both titles. However, the title of Unravel Me speaks so loud.

I find it much more... powerful.

Eclipse:

I actually am not fond of these titles, as they do not fit the books very well.

I am not moved by them.

Saving Francesca/Losing Francesca

Both of the books fit their stunning titles.

They each have their own deeper meaning.

I also noticed some cases where I had a title that another book had, however, I unfortunately didn't own the title's partner. Such as The Elite, Destined, Torn, and Illusions.

----The Discussion----

Does having two books with the same title bother you? Do you find it interesting that each author chose the same title, yet the word fits each story in different way? Do you find that you feel some shared titles lack originality? 

For me, the problem with having "sister titles" is that normally, I find that one book is better than the other. It is just the way of life. So, when I hear the shared title, I automatically think of the better novel, and the other one is left in the dust.

Also, I tend to lean toward the book with the better cover art... sorry! *winces*

As I was completing this challenge I noticed a lot of books that had "shared titles" had only one-word titles, such as "Scarlet", "Eclipse", or "Pure". So, authors, if you want an name for your novel, go for at least two or three words. And search the title on Goodreads while your at it. 

Titles are very important, they are essentially the books name and ID. Also, titles are a reader's first impression of a book. I always go for the powerful ones, and will choose to not pick up a book based on it's name. Especially of the title feels weak, or dull.  How important is a book's ID to you?

----The Challenge----

Now, go find some sister titles!

-Emily 

Books I want to talk about:

THIS POST WAS WRITTEN BY A HYPER BOOK LOVER. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.

Once in a while you feel like shouting out your favorite reads to the world. Oh. Darn. Are you saying it's just me?

Anyway, the shouting is on.

The best MG/YA book EVER (tied with Harry Potter, of course.) is the...

Wait for it...

The False Prince!
My pathetic review

I had NO IDEA this would be such a stunning novel. However, it made me cry. laugh, yell, and other elaborate shows of emotion. I am, however, a little nervous to read the second book. Will it be up to par? Are you ever afraid of sequels?

And, the second series I am sharing with you all is the Bloodlines series. Each book just gets better and better... And also you can't not mention the fabulous series before Bloodlines, Vampire Academy! Right now I am rereading Blood Promise... it is so good!

Review of The Golden Lily
Review of The Indigo Spell

The Vampire Academy is one of my most favorit-ist (yes, I am aware that the word is not in the dictionary. However, that does not mean it is an illegitimate word. The dictionary is just a bunch of papers, which also means it has no brain. I bet it could have made a mistake.) series ever! Everyone should read them, that way I can bug you about Rose, Dimitri, Sydney, Lissa, Jill, Christian and Eddie! 

I will forewarn you, I will really bug you about Adrian in the Bloodlines series. He is so awesome! However, in the Vampire Academy series I kept thinking "Rose is not for you!" and I was right. (Ha!) So, (yeah, I do have a point) in the VA series I was not his biggest fan. Mostly, I felt like ripping his drinks and cigarettes away from him. However, in the Bloodlines series, the readers get a chance to fix him, or at least see him get fixed, and now he is totally amazing! 

The characters in both series make me laugh consistently. Especially characters such as Adrian and Trey and Rose and.... you get the picture. 

Also, I love how we have a very smart heroine, Sydney. In the books, we are consistently SHOWN not TOLD how intelligent she is, unlike in many other books.  

My rant is officially over.

All the books mentioned are excellent devices to get you out of reading slumps, although you might experience a few hours of book hangover. Now, read as if your lives depend on it. Or come chat with me if you also love these gems!

So, have you read The False Prince or Bloodlines? What did you think of them?

Review: Darker Days

Darker Days by Jus Accardo

Publication Date: August 19th, 2013
Genre: Young Adult Paranormal
Rating: 4 Stars
Amazon/Barnes & Noble

Jessie Darker goes to high school during the day, but at night she helps with the family investigation business. Cheating husbands and stolen inheritances? They’re your girls—but their specialty is a bit darker. Zombie in your garage? Pesky Poltergeist living in your pool? They’ll have the problem solved in a magical minute. For a nominal fee, of course...

When gorgeous new client, Lukas Scott, saunters into the office requesting their help to find a stolen box, it sounds like a simple case—until the truth comes out. The box is full of Sin.

Seven deadly ones, in fact.

They’ve got five days to recapture the Sins before they're recalled by the box, taking seven hijacked human bodies with them. Easy peasy—except for one thing...

There’s a spell that will allow the Sins to remain free, causing chaos forever. When the key ingredient threatens the life of someone she knows, Jessie must make the ultimate choice between love and family—or lose everything.

Darker Days by Jus Accardo was such an amazing book! After reading the synopsis, I knew the story would be right up my alley, yet the tale and, in particular, the characters, were more intriguing and laugh-inducing than I had previously hoped. The Darker Agency and family will certainly give the reader a grand adventure. Also, isn't the title clever?

Jessie Darker was, in my opinion, a great, and awesomely sarcastic, narrator. I know some would find her many snarky/silly comments annoying, but once in a while I need an entertaining character like her in a story. She is kind of quirky, although that could be blamed on her mom. For instance, Jessie's punishment for  misbehaving is a "soggy zombie". So yeah, she is far from the average kid, yet she in never mopes or "wishes to be normal" like most heroines in paranormal books. That fact alone earned Darker Days serious bonus points in my book.

I also loved the family dynamics in Darker Days. Guess what? They all get along like a normal family despite the many paranormal interferences! The parents love their daughter, and vice versa. And both parents are alive! My favorite character in the book, was, funnily enough, Jessie's mom. I really want to know her story as the bits we get are extremely interesting.

The story was also creative. The way the Seven Sins worked, and the addition of other paranormal creatures, created a plot that was not cliche or predictable. Also, the length of the book was perfect. There were great action sequences and just enough time for a budding romance. Speaking of the romance... I LOVED it! The love interest was just right for Jessie, although I may have to admit I am a little jealous that she took him for herself. What do you mean she doesn't know I exist? She still should have let me have him! Anyway, the love interest, Lukas, is from like, a hundred years ago,which makes him adorable! I mean, he is formal and says funny things for the 21st century. Also, a lot of things are new to him, which is kind of cute to watch... (read? imagine?)

Overall, Darker Days. is an amazingly entertaining read. I would highly recommend this novel for book lovers looking for a light, cutesy paranormal story. I can honestly say there was nothing in this book I disliked. If Darker Days had any faults, they were overlooked in favor of the overall awesomeness! Also, I am anxiously looking forward to the next book.

4/5 Stars

Stacking the Shelves #22

This is the "I worship Powells" edition of STS. I arrived at the bookstore, turned in some used books, and got EIGHTY FIVE dollars in store credit. Yay!

Hosted by Tynga's Reviews

Bought:

Alice in Zombieland by Gena Showalter

The Book of Broken Hearts by Sarah Ockler

Outpost by Ann Aguirre 

Sanctum by Sarah Fine

Scarlet by A.C Gaughen

Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea byApril Genevieve Tucholke

(Signed!!!)

Tiger's Destiny by Collen Houck

For Review:

Fake ID by Lamar Giles

Find Me by Romily Bernard

(Thanks to HarperCollins and Edelweiss.)

These books sound so awesome!  Also I have already read and loved Find Me, but forgot to put it in last week's STS! So, here it is!

How was your haul this week?

Review: A Shade of Vampire

A Shade of Vampire by Bella Forrest

Publication Date: December 14th, 2012
Genre: Paranormal YA
Rating: 3 Stars
Source: I received a copy in exchange for a 100% honest review.
Amazon/Barnes & Noble

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?

A Shade of Vampire by Bella Forrest is one of those books that may seem a little cheesy, yet still sucks you into the story. I would recommend this book for readers looking for a light, yet a bit more original vampire novel. Also, despite the book only consisting of 149 pages, I found that I felt little was rushed. This upon itself is a huge achievement.

The characters were very intruiguing. At first, I thought that Sofia would get on my nerves but was glad that I was proved wrong. She is smart, and not at all weak-willed. Derek, the vampire prince, took me a bit longer to warm up to. I mean, hello, he is a killer, which in my book is not sexy or admirable. However, I do believe that he will stop killing innocent humans. In the book he tries, which earned him some points. Another thing that kind of bothered me is that Derek is waaaaaay older than Sofia. Um, creepy? However, I know most people aren't as bothered by this as I am, Twilight being a prime example.

I loved how this book set up the vampire world, The Shade.  It is very vivid, brutal, and admittedly quite frightening. Vampires are, mostly, lazy people paranormal beings who have human slaves to do all their dirty work. Also, there is no real sunlight in this vampiric shelter so, um, I think I would die living with them. Thankfully, Sofia does create a fake sun room. Nice job girl! A lot of other details impressed me. For example, there is also a group of hunters I am curious to find out more about. Bella Forrest definitely had clear facts inside her head about how her vampires worked so I feel there will be great sequels. 

Right now, I have to say I didn't like, absolutely love the romance. However it was sweet and intruiguing. I loved seeing Derek grow kinder, and there wasn't too much insta-love... although it was a little too fast paced for my taste. Hopefully, Derek will stop all the violence coming from the vampires in later books. Right now, in my book, vampires are evil kidnappers and blood-suckers. Hopefully, they will see what monsters they have become and change. And, on a side note, I liked the ending. After the last chapter, I am growing increasingly interested in Derek's sister who has the power over prophecy. Derek's brother, however, is a complete jerk who, I'm sorry, deserves to rot. 

Overall, this was an extremely enjoyable read! I loved the idea and execution of the Shade, and basically the whole book. However, I did have some minor issues with the story, but they didn't ruin the reading experience. 

3/5 Stars

Feature and Follow #20

Hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read!

If you could only have ONE book for the rest of your life. Don’t cheat…what would it be?

Me: I really want to cheat, but, alas, I will obey the orders. Only One?

This is such a hard question! Um, well I am assuming I can still READ books but not like, own them? I'll go with that!

If I could only choose ONE book to own- I repeat, numero uno, 1, 000001, one SINGLE bound masterpiece- I would choose Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince. 

The sixth Harry Potter novel has all you can ask for: a great plot, an amazing cast of dimensional characters, witty dialogue, action, magic, and enough pages to satisfy my word-hungry mind!

What about you???
(Also, which cover edition is you favorite?)

Waiting On Wednesday #22

Hosted by Breaking the Spine

Since You've Been Gone by Morgan Matson

Publication Date: May 13th, 2014
Genre: Young Adult Contemporary

The Pre-Sloane Emily didn’t go to parties, she barely talked to guys, she didn’t do anything crazy. Enter Sloane, social tornado and the best kind of best friend—the one who yanks you out of your shell.But right before what should have been an epic summer, Sloane just… disappears. 

No note. No calls. No texts. No Sloane. There’s just a random to-do list. On it, thirteen Sloane-selected-definitely-bizarre-tasks that Emily would never try… unless they could lead back to her best friend. Apple Picking at Night? Ok, easy enough. Dance until Dawn? Sure. Why not? Kiss a Stranger? Wait… what?


Getting through Sloane’s list would mean a lot of firsts. But Emily has this whole unexpected summer ahead of her, and the help of Frank Porter (totally unexpected) to check things off. Who knows what she’ll find?

Go Skinny Dipping? Um…

I was in the mood to pick a contemporary today, I am not exactly sure why, perhaps because I have been reading a lot of paranormal? Anyway, Since You've Been Gone looks awesome. I have heard a lot of praise for the author, and the main character and I share a name. What's not to like?

What are you waiting on?